Cold War and 1950’s

1. Cold War and 1950’s Chapters 26 and 27

2. Potsdam Conference • July of 1945 – Truman’s first meeting with Stalin. It was the final wartime conf. Involved Truman, Stalin, andAtlee. Truman pushed Stalin to allow free elections in Poland and Eastern Europe, but Stalin refused.

3. U.S. (1) Wanted democratic elections (2) Access to raw materials and markets (3) Reunite Germany Soviets (1) Encouraged communism (2) Wanted to set up satellite nations (838) (3) Control Eastern Europe (4) Keep Germany divided U.S./Soviet Differences after WWII

4. Germany after WWII

5. United Nations (UN) • International organization designed to help keep world peace. • Came into existence in 1945. • 5 permanent members – U.S., France, Brit, Soviet Union, and China. • They were to address political and military problems, and veto any action proposed by the General Assembly.

6. Nuremburg Trials • 1945 – War crimes of high-ranking Nazi officials held by an international military tribunal. 12 were sentenced to death.

7. Cold War • Competition between U.S. and Soviet Union that spread all over the world. • Policies: • Containment • Truman Doctrine • Marshall Plan

8. Containment • Becomes the cornerstone, restricting the expansion of Soviet communism.

9. Truman Doctrine • Assist any country that would resist the spread of Communism; essential to keeping Soviet influence from spreading in Europe especially Turkey and France.

10. Marshall Plan • Providing food and supplies to Western Europe after WWII. • A great success both economically and politically.

11. How to handle Germany? • U.S., France, and Britain help to reunify W. Germany. • Soviets hold West Berlin Hostage – cut off all supplies. • Start of Berlin Airlifts. • Soviets lift blockade in May 1949. • Led to formation of NATO in April 1949.

12. Berlin Airlifts • Food and supplies were delivered to people in West Berlin when Soviets tried to cut off supplies.

13. NATO • Each member pledged to defend each other in the event of an attack.

14. Warsaw Pact • Soviet’s response to NATO – forming an alliance with Communist countries.

15. China • 1949 – After a 5 year Civil War, China fell to the Communist led by Mao Zedong and set up the People’s Republic of China. Their nationalist fled to Taiwan.

16. Korean War • Stared June 25, 1950: Starts when N. Korean troops streamed across the 38th Parallel. • North Korea – communist; South Korea – democratic. • UN called its members to defend South Korea. • UN troops were placed under the command of MacArthur. • MacArthur the N. Koreans back when attacked them from behind. • China gets involved because we threatened the border with them at the Yalu River.

17. Korean War Cont’d • China forces the U.S. back, and stalemate occurs. • MacArthur wants to invade China, but Truman doesn’t. • 1951 – MacArthur is fired for insurb-ordination. • 1953 – Armistice is signed with the original borders.

18. Cold War Leaders in the 50’s • 1952 – Republicans choose Eisenhower and he is elected President. Truman decided not to run b/c he was losing popularity. • 1953 – Kruschev replaces Stalin as leader of Soviet Union.

19. U.S. Cold War Politics • 1953 – Eisenhower pulls out of Korea and discusses the dominotheory, that when one country in a region falls under Communist rule the others are close to follow. • 1957 – Eisenhower Doctrine – U.S. would use force “to safeguard the independence of any country or group of countries in the Middle East requesting aid against an aggressor.” Basically the U.S. would use force to protect the Middle East from aggressors.

20. Cold War at Home • 1947 – Joints Chief of Staff was developed with the creation of Department of Defense. Also set up the NSC, National Security Council, which was established to advise the president on strategic matters. • 1947 – Loyalty Review Board and HUAC began investigations of U.S. citizens and the Hollywood 10: Helped to change the way movies were made. • 1952 – McCarran-Walter Act: quota system for immigration for communist countries.

21. Spy Cases • Alger Hiss passed documents to Soviets. • Rosenbergs become the first U.S. citizens executed for espionage.

22. McCarthy Era • 1950 – 1954: Senator Joseph McCarthy, from Wisconsin, used sensational charges of communist in the government. He was supported until he attacks the Army. Has a televised hearing that shows him as a bully.

23. Arm’s Race • Struggle to gain weapons superiority. • H-Bomb • Brinkmanship • ICBM’s • Sputnik • U-2 Incident

24. H-Bomb • Started under Truman with the development of the H-Bomb– a thermonuclear device that ends up being 1000x as strong as the atomic bomb. First tested in the Pacific at Bikini Atoll in Nov. 1952.

25. Brinkmanship • 1953: Under Eisenhower start the policy of brinkmanship – going to the edge of war to protect our interests. • Used the CIA to gather info abroad in many countries that were unfriendly to U.S.

26. ICBM’s • Aug. 1957: Russia had developed an ICBM – a very accurate guided long-range missile. Needed because of small Air Force.

27. Sputnik • Oct. 1957: Soviets launched the Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth. • Jan. 1958: U.S. launched its first satellite.

28. May 1960: U-2 incident – U.S. spy plane was shot down by a Russian guided missile. Increased tensions. U-2 Incident

29. Eisenhower Response • To keep up Eisenhower urged the establishment of NASA to promote space technology. • Also got the National Defense Education Act passed – passed to put more money in the study of math, science, and foreign languages in schools.

30. Readjusting After the War • GI Bill gave loans to veterans to go to college and buy homes or farms • America faces housing shortages, unemployment, and inflation. • An increased demand for consumer goods leads to prosperity.

31. Problems facing Truman • Must reconversion from wartime production. • Needed to control prices. • Had to put down strikes. • Little help from the “do-nothing” 80th Congress. Would not pass his policies. Leads to his re-election.

32. Truman and Civil Rights • Truman put his career on the line for civil rights: • He banned discrimination in hiring of federal employees. • He ordered an end to military segregation.

33. Jackie Robinson • 1947 – Jackie Robinsonbecomes the first African American to play in Major Leagues.

34. 1948 • Democrats split over civil rights issues. Southern Democrats formed the Dixiecrats – to protect the “southern way of life”, and nominated Strom Thurmond.

35. 1948 Election • Truman defeats Dewey in a surprise and looks to start his FairDeal, promote full employment, raises minimum wage, greater unemployment compensation, and housing assistance.

36. 1952 • Eisenhower, “Ike”, wins election and has to deal with several Civil Rights Issues and the Korean War. • Modern Republicanism – policy to be conservative with spending, while being liberal in domestic policies.

37. Brown v. BOE • 1954 – Brown v. Board of Education – said that public schools should be racially integrated. “Separate facilities are inherently unequal.”

38. Rosa Parks • 1955 – Montgomery Bus Boycott – Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man and is arrested. Introduction of non-violent protest.

39. Civil Rights Act of 1957 • Made it a federal crime to prevent qualified persons from voting after passage.

40. Little Rock 9 • 1957 – Eisenhower sends in National Guard to Little Rock to protect 9 students in the integration at a public school.

41. Life in the Fifties • Franchises – like McDonalds. • More people moving to suburbs. • Baby Boom – Dramatic increase in the birthrate in the 50’s. • Salk develops vaccine for polio. • More women working outside the home, and were not willing to go back to the homelife. • Americans buy cars in record numbers.

42. Interstate Highway Act • Interstate Highway Act of 1956 authorized the building of a nationwide highway system of 41,000 miles; had a great impact on the suburbs, and also allowed the evacuation of cities easier in case of nuclear attack.

43. Other terms for the 50’s • Consumerism – increased buying of material things. • Planned obsolescence. • Advertising Age. • Automation – Increased production, but also led to the loss of manufacturing jobs.

44. Pop Culture of 50’s • Mass Media • Golden age of TV; greatest influence over advertising and families after WWII. Mostly comedies. It portrayed an idealized white America • Radio stations went after markets that TV’s didn’t. • Movies took a hit early, but it still had many advantages with sound, size, and color.

45. Subcultures of 50’s • Beat movement and the beatniks. • Rock ‘N’ Roll – sought by teenagers to gain a release, and their families thought it would promote antisocial behavior. Represented nonconformity in music. Many adults were concerned it would lead young adults to immorality and delinquency.

46. The Other America • The “white flight” caused the urban poor to suffer, and led to the decaying of inner cities. • Led to urban renewal under the National Housing Act of 1949 – called for tearing down rundown neighborhoods and constructing low-income housing.