Containment, McCarthyism, Korea and the New Look (1945–1957)

Answer

Pledge that the USA would give economic and military aid to any country resisting a communist takeover; basis of containment policy.

Answer

US Cold War strategy of stopping communism from spreading further, rather than trying to roll it back where it already existed.

Answer

Mutual-defence treaty among American states: an attack on one member was treated as an attack on all, tying Latin America into US-led containment.

Answer

US-led regional body coordinating anti-communist policy across the Americas and isolating governments seen as sympathetic to the USSR.

Answer

Senator Joseph McCarthy's unproven claims (from 1950) that communists had infiltrated US institutions; caused blacklists, job losses and a culture of suspicion.

Answer

Made politicians fear looking 'soft on communism', pushing US foreign policy toward tougher, less compromising anti-communist action abroad, including in Latin America.

Answer

To prove containment was real and active, avoid appearing weak, and act through the UN (Soviet boycott meant no Security Council veto).

Answer

General MacArthur wanted to escalate into China after pushing North Korea back; Truman, wanting a limited war, dismissed him in 1951 for insubordination.

Answer

Armistice signed July 1953; Korea remained divided near the 38th parallel; no formal peace treaty was ever signed.

Answer

Cold War strategy relying on nuclear deterrence ('massive retaliation') and covert CIA action instead of expensive conventional wars like Korea.

Answer

CIA-backed coup that overthrew President Jacobo Árbenz after his land reforms threatened the United Fruit Company; a textbook case of the New Look in action.

Answer

Old approach (Korea): large conventional army, high cost, open war. New Look (Guatemala): CIA covert action and nuclear deterrent, low cost, deniable.