Conflict - Worksheet

U.S. Military Conflicts Worksheet

   Using the Internet, you need to research these five conflicts that occurred during your period of study.  From your research, analyze what are the cause and effects of each of these conflicts and list them below in the corresponding column.  Below each conflict summarize what happened in two sentences and then support your cause and effect with examples from the conflict. 

Conflict	Cause	Effect
#1  WWII	After WWI, the Treaty of Versailles held Germany responsible for the war and put military restrictions on them. Germany also had to pay a large amount of money as a fine. Adolf Hitler and the party of Nazism started to come to power. Overall, anger created from the large amount of laws and restrictions put on Germany and the rise of a dictator lead to the beginning of WWII when Hitler started to take over nations.	Many people were killed in WWII: soldiers, Jews and other minorities in the Holocaust genocide, and many were left homeless. But as a positive note, this ended the dictatorship in Europe and also the formation of the United Nations, which helps promote peace and security in our world. WWII also created numerous jobs, ending the large unemployment of the Great Depression. However, not all things were alright after WWII because it set the foundation for the Cold War.
Summary of conflict and rationale for relationship:   The second World War, which happened between 1941 and 1945, included the German dictator, Adolf Hitler, who was trying to take over all of Europe and the rest of the world and the mass killings during the Holocaust. The main causes of WWII began after WWI when Germany was forced to pay large sums of money because they were held responsible for this war. Because of the many military restrictions and the anger of the people, Hitler, and his Nazis, Hitler was able to take over small nations to enlarge his empire. Many people were killed in WWII and the major effects were both positive and negative. The dictatorship in Europe was over and the United Nations was created. Many jobs were created and lead to the end of the Great Depression. But on the negative side, WWII set the stage for the Cold War, and we cannot forget the many soldiers and innocent people killed in the Holocaust.
#2  Korean War	The United States approached the United Nations to resolve the issue of a divided Korea, and the United Nations Commissioner decided to hold elections in Korea. North Korea communists refused to allow this election while communists in South Korea boycotted it. The Soviet Union wanted to spread Communism everywhere while the United States was trying to stop the spread of Communism.	There were numerous casualties, of course. More friction was created between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and a feeling of enmity would be between China and the U.S. for decades. This showed how far the U.S. would go to prevent the spread of communism and is the reason why the U.S. intervened in Vietnam. South Korea is now a major economic and technological power, and North Korea is in poverty and heavily militarized along with the U.S.’s military base.
Summary of conflict and rationale for relationship:    The Korean War, began with the United States trying to get the divided Korea into one nation, which ended in elections that were boycotted in the Koreas. The Soviet Union was trying to spread Communism into the Koreas, and the U.S. wanted to prevent this proliferation. The Korean War, which ended in several casualties, left Korea still divided and would create friction between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and a feeling of hatred between China and the U.S. This is also the reason why the U.S. will intervene in Vietnam, to prevent another Korean War, but it will eventually fail. South Korea is now a major economic and technological power, and it is also a threat to other nations because of its nuclear capabilities. North Korea is in poverty and heavily militarized.

Conflict	Cause	Effect
#3  Vietnam War	In the mid-19th century, when France gained control of the country, French rule became too harsh with little amount of food, too much work, and high taxes. In 1945, Ho Chi Minh, who formed the Viet Minh, declared Vietnam and a free and independent country. A year later, they were fighting for independence against France. The U.S. supported the French fearing that Communism would spread to Vietnam. After victory of France, Vietnam was divided.	There are several effects due to the Vietnam War and most are negative. Rivers were poisoned and crops were killed=food shortages. The U.S. troops suffered from drug addiction, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, cancer from Agent Orange, and were not welcomed back in America. The Vietnamese people suffered from Agent Orange chemicals, unexploded bombs, and extreme poverty. It took 20 years for Vietnam to start to recover.
Summary of conflict and rationale for relationship:  When France gained control of Vietnam in the mid-19th century, Ho Chi Minh, in 1945, formed the Viet Minh declaring that Vietnam was a free and independent country. Vietnam was tired of the harsh ruling by France with limited food, too much work, and high taxes. By 1946, Vietnam was fighting against France for their independence. Fearing that Communism from China and other Asian nations would spread into Vietnam, the U.S. supported the French. After a victory for the Vietnamese, they became a divided country and the Southern Vietnamese leader, Ngo Dinh Diem, refused to hold elections. Diem was killed with encouragement from the U.S., and the U.S. started to bomb the north to prevent Communism from spreading to the south. After numerous casualties, Vietnam was united in 1976. The effects were devastating. U.S. troops suffered from harsh chemical exposure, drugs, stress disorders, and were confused and bitter about the inhospitality back home. The Vietnamese people also suffered from numerous poisons, bombs, and poverty. It took twenty years for Vietnam to start recovering.
#4  Cold War	The Soviet Union wanted to spread Communism to the world, which alarmed Americans. Both countries feared an attack from each other and the USSR feared the U.S.’s atomic weapons scared the Soviets. The Warsaw Pact was created, which was a mutual defense treaty between eight Communist states. The U.S. president had a strong dislike for Stalin, the USSR leader, and the U.S. was angry about the USSR’s involvement with Germany in World War II.	The U.S. and the USSR built large arsenals for atomic weapons and ballistic missiles. This war lead to devastating destruction similar to the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Soviet Union fell to economic weakness, the Warsaw Pact was demolished, and Communism collapsed worldwide. Germany was united after the Berlin Wall was demolished, and the U.S. became the superpower of the world.
Summary of conflict and rationale for relationship:  After WWII, the Cold War started because of tension between the U.S. and USSR. The Cold War, approximately 1945-1963, is called the Cold War because both sides, the USSR and the U.S., were both afraid to attack each other and mostly attacked indirectly; for example, the launch of Sputnik. The “war” soon became a battle to have the greatest military research and technological knowledge. The U.S. and the USSR started to build numerous large arsenals full of nuclear weapons, but both sides were fearful to attack one another with these weapons because they would devastate the whole world. The closest to fighting was when the U.S. started the Cuban Missile Crisis. When election in countries started to oust Communist regimes, the Soviet Union dissolved into its component republics. Now the Berlin Wall is demolished and the USSR became a republic nation. The United States became the superpower of our world.

Conflict	Cause	Effect
#5  Persian Gulf War	Iraq had long considered Kuwait to be a part of Iraq and has led to years of hostility. Saddam Hussein attempted to take Iran but was defeated, and it is argued that he sought for easier conquests against weaker neighbors. Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwait’s oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields. The ending of the First Persian Gulf War between Iraq and Iran strained relations between Baghdad and Kuwait.	The Second Gulf War ended worse than the first one, and even though Iraq was defeated and Kuwait was liberated, Saddam’s government still had a strong grip on power in Iraq. Iraq had to accept the placement of “no-fly zones” over the country and the United Nations weapons inspection teams had to look through Iraq’s nuclear and other weapons programs. The war cost the world billions of dollars, and now there is severe economic hardship in Iraq. Syria ended Lebanon’s long civil war; thus it is believed that Syria’s president was given control to deal with Lebanon in return for joining the war in Kuwait. When Yemen announced empathy towards Iraq, Saudi Arabia expelled a million Yemeni guest workers causing economic hardship in Yemen.
Summary of conflict and rationale for relationship:  Because of long hostility between Kuwait and Iraq and the argued tapping of oil fields, the Second Gulf War would begin. On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait and took control of the nation. Within days, the United Nations demanded that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait. When they refused, the U.S. and UN member nations started deploying troops into Saudi Arabia. In mid-January of 1991, Allied forces began to bomb Iraq and Iraq’s forces in Kuwait. Saddam then ordered the launching of the SCUD missiles in Saudi Arabia and Israel, hoping that Israel would retaliate and split the Arab world. Israel did not retaliate because President Bush promised to protect Israel from the missiles. By late February, the Iraqi forces in Kuwait were defeated because they were cut off from supply bases and headquarters. A few days later, President Bush ordered cease-fire and allowed the surviving Iraqi troops to escape. On March 3, Iraq accepted the terms of cease-fire and fighting ended. This war lead to restrictions on Iraq, leading to hatred towards the U.S. and would lead to the Third Gulf War, also known as the Iraq War in the U.S.
#6  War on Terror	There was still hostility and tension after the Gulf War in 1991 when the Iraqi troops were forced out of Kuwait. Over the years, Iraqi air-defense forces fired against Allied planes in the No-Fly Zones, leading to the three-day bombing operation called Operation Desert Fox. The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 as well as Iraq not cooperating with UN inspectors of weapons also caused the War on Terror to occur. On March 17, 2003, Pres. Bush told Saddam Hussein and his sons to enter exile within 48 hours or face military conflict. Hussein refused exile.	Besides the many casualties and wounded soldiers in this war, this enduring struggle has lead to other effects. The Peace/Anti-War Movement in North America and Europe grows and conducts many large-scale demonstrations against Pres. Bush and his plans for war. In the U.S., a Pro-War/Pro-Troops Movement forms to challenge anti-war activists in order to support the President and military. Saddam Hussein is captured, put on trial by the new Iraqi government, and executed. Even today, though major combat has ended, as declared by Pres. Bush on May 1, 2003, there is still guerrilla warfare occurring. This has damaged the American public support for the war greatly. There is also a lot more security in the U.S. after 9/11 and the start of this war, especially in airports.
Summary of conflict and rationale for relationship:  The War on Terror, also known as the Third Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War, started in 2003 and is still an on-going war today. On March 19, 2003, U.S. stealth bombers strike areas in and around the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. By April 15, Tikrit, the hometown of Hussein, falls, and it is declared that the war is effectively over though it goes into low-grade guerrilla war. Saddam Hussein is captured Dec. 13. 2004 and is killed. After Barack Obama is elected President, a drawdown of U.S. troops began though violence has continued. Presently, even with the last troops leaving the Middle East, there is still violence and confusion there. The United States has suffered a lot from this war along with several other nations. The effects are never-ending with higher security, bias and mistrust against races and religion, and deceased and wounded soldiers. The war is not entirely over. There is still a lot of conflict. According to sources on the internet, this war ended on December 18, 2011… But is it really over?