WW2 and the Early Cold War

🔴 =don't stress over, but be familiar with

Containment in Europe

Truman wanted to stop the Spread of communism (containment). Appeasement against the Nazis failed, so Truman moved to aggression. The Truman Doctrine asked Congress for money to fight communist advancement in Greece and Turkey. He stressed how communism was forced and is only chosen when people are miserable, so US had a plan to help Greece and Turkey. His Marshall Plan gave economic aid to Western European countries suffering from WW2 and the Great Depression. Those countries were grateful but Soviets were upset. Showed US supported freedom

Isolationism, American First Committee, and the Neutrality Acts

-Isolationism= US's self-reliance and no foreign affairs

-Gerald Nye led a committee insisting US entered WW1 to fuel greedy bankers/industrialists.

-Neutrality Acts were isolationists' way of avoiding war: President could ban citizens from traveling on enemy countries' ships; forbade giving loans to those from enemy countries; forbade given arms to the civil war in Spain

-America First Committee was an isolationist committee that swayed publics opinion against the war

zoot suit🔴

violently detained Mexicans during WW2

Department of Defense

used to be called something else, its name was changed to show US is the good nation and was defending itself against the enemy.

1949

bad year for the US. The Soviets made their atomic bomb and China fell to communism. This shocked people and Republicans said Democrats were weak on communism and blamed Truman (who was a Democrat)

Ethiopia, Rhineland, Sudetenland

The Big Three allowed Axis powers to invade small areas. Italy invaded Ethiopia, Germany invaded Rhineland (a region of Germany that was suppose to be demilitarized according to the Treaty of Versailles). Germany also invaded part of Czechoslovakia called Sudetenland

Munich and appeasement

Officials from Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met in Munich where Britain and France appeased and allowed Axis Powers to take Sudetenland

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka and its effects

-decided against segregation, supported/enforced integration

-overturned Plessy v. Ferguson

-the decision was vague, so Little Rock High School only sent in a few students at first. A mob broke out, so Eisenhower sent in troops even though he didn't support BvB.

-The Southern Manifesto disagreed with BvB

-Thurgood Marshall was the lawyer saying segregation violated the 14th Amendment

policies after WW1

-disarmament= the reduction of arms internationally (under Harding)

-After Japan broke the Open Door policy, the Stimson Doctrine declared it wouldn't recognize Japanese forces that took over parts of China (under isolationist Hoover)

-The Good Neighbor policy revoked Roosevelt's Corollary tot he Monroe Doctrine because US wanted Latin America's help against the growing Axis Powers (under FDR)

Wartime conferences🔴

At the Casablanca conference, the Allies agreed on unconditional surrender (not accepting anything less than a total surrender from Germany). At the Tehran conference, FDR and Allies agreed US and Britain would liberate France, while the Soviets would distract/invade Germany. At the Yalta conference, they discussed various matters post-war. At the Postdam conference, Truman and Allies' discussion on more postwar decisions led to shaky alliances and eventually the Cold War

America's Red Scare

The McCarran-Walter Act was an immigration law that helped those fleeing communist nations, and didn't allow totalitarians from entering the country. The House unAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated communists in and out of government. Freedom of speech in Hollywood was limited as people who were suspected to be communists were blacklisted.

Social culture post-WW2

Television portrayed patriarchal stereotypes. Teens listened to rock and roll. Conformity increased as American became more corporate. The Affluent Society talked about consumerism and stratification. The beatniks were a symbol of youth rebellion. The Warren Commission investigated JFK's assassination.

NATO and National Security

The Senate agreed to join NATO (an org. that would defend its members). The Soviets made their own version of NATO-- the Warsaw Pact. The National Security Act increased defense. US and Soviet Union were in an arms race to make the strongest weapons. The Soviets made an atomic bomb so the US made a hydrogen bomb. The NSC's report (NSC-68) made the military more aggressive.

Espionage cases🔴

Alger Hiss was arrested after being accused of being a communist. The Rosenburgs were executed because they gave Soviets information about the Manhattan Project. McCarthy used the Red Scare to accuse wealthy Democrats of communion in order to advance politically. This was called McCarthyism.

The Korean War

North Korea invaded South Korea and US helped South Korea. Congress supported war. General MacArthur led the troops. US asked UN to help and Soviets weren't there to vote so UN agreed. MacArthur secured South Korea and invaded North Korea, and tried to invade China but Truman fired him. China retaliated and North Korea was regained by communist forces. After the war, Republicans claimed Democrats encouraged communism, so Republican candidate Eisenhower won the 1952 election. John Foster Dulles' brinkmanship was the idea that US pushing communists to war would lead to victory for the US because of communists' fear of US' nuclear power

Post-WW2 Economy

The Employment Act of 1946 promoted national economic welfare. The GI Bill supported white veterans. There was a baby boom and gender roles became slightly more traditional. Levittown was a suburb, and those increased conformity. The sun-belt was a group of states like Florida and California that many moved to post-war

MlK Jr's actions and the Montgomery bus boycotts

MLK Jr created the SCLC which used churches to fight segregation and the SNCC which promoted voting rights and fought to end segregation. He was arrested and sent to jail in Birmingham, where his Letter from Birmingham Jail inspired JFK to fight for civil rights. MLK Jr then led the March on Washington. The bus boycotts showed economic boycotts work, and were organized around churches. They also show MLK Jr is a great leader, women can help organize, and media can be used to spread info

Social Homefront during the War

The Office of War Information made pro-war propaganda. Women joined the workforce through the Women's Airforce Service Pilots. Japanese people were unfairly kept in internment camps by Executive Order 9066. Court case Korematsu v. United States agreed with the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066. The "Double V" campaign called for domestic and international racial equality. The Committee on Racial Equality opposed discrimination and promoted integration

Fighting Germany

Battle of the Atlantic was the longest battle of WW2, a blockade on Germany. Strategic bombing was US/Allies bombing Axis powers' targets. Operation Torch drove Axis powers out of Northern Africa, led by Eisenhower. D-Day was Allies landing on Normandy beaches and eventually reclaiming Europe. D-Day showed democracy was a major player in WW2 because US and Britain fought too and not just the Soviets. Battle of Stalingrad stopped German advancements into Russia.

Nasserism🔴

Nasser created communist gov. in Egypt. Eisenhower didn't like how communism was spreading to the Middle East, so that's what led to the Eisenhower Doctrine.

Emmet Till🔴

A teen was murdered by White people, he was a product of the Great Migration. He lived in a Northern suburb and went on vacation to the South where he was killed. After his death, his mom had a public funeral to show off the brutality. The killers were found innocent but admitted and claimed it was accidental. They were never punished.

Eisenhower's military and economic policies

Third World Countries (non-White) were becoming anti-American so US helped Egypt take over British control. They captured the Suez Canal but Britain took it back. The CIA helped Iran and Guatemala overthrow their leaders to keep their alliance. In Cuba, Fidel Castro wanted less dependence on US so US boycotted their goods. Castro allied with Soviet Union, proving containment was failing. US also economically relied on Cuba and its location was vulnerable/dangerous for US.

Eisenhower's international policies

The Communist Control Act banned the American Communist Party from running in elections. The New Look helped US' longterm economy. US got caught spying after their U-2 spy plane was shot down by Soviets. The open skies initiative allowed planes from both sides of the war to fly over the other's land and verify reduction of weapons. The USIA was an anti-communist propaganda agency. Rebels in Hungary looked for US support but didn't get any and the uprising ended. Nikita Khrushchev was the pro-communist leader of Soviet Union after Stalin.

US economy during the war

Minorities gained job opportunities. Mexicans got jobs through the bracero farm working program. FDR's Fair Employment Practices Commission stopped discrimination when hiring. The Smith-Connally Act let the president seize plants/mines if strikes interrupted wartime production. This was due to increased strikes.

Eisenhower and JFK's policies

"modern republicanism" was because Republicans hadn't ruled since Hoover. The Highway Act linked all major cities. Under JFK, the "new frontier" described the future of America that he'd bring. JFK was less physically aggressive in foreign affairs.

Roosevelt's policy changes during WW2

FDR thought Britain's survival was key to US', so he secretly helped them while appealing to isolationists.

-"cash and carry" helped British ships buy US arms if they bought arms with cash and carried them on their ships.

-The Selective Service Act drafted men

-The Destroyers-for-Bases Deal gave Britain old but usable destroyers in exchange for US bases on Britain's islands in the Caribbean

SEATO and CENTO🔴

international alliances the US was a part of. Part of containment. Under Eisenhower. Part of the Cold War

Berlin Airlift

US sent supplies in when Germany closed off Berlin. Communism didn't spread, so containment worked. It also made Soviet Union look bad and the US good. It was during early containment, under Truman

Truman and the Republican Congress

Taft-Hartley Act required workers to join unions before/after hiring, discouraged strikes, and checked the power of unions. Truman didn't like it but Congress passed it. The Dixiecrats were a faction of Democrats who didn't support Truman. Truman's Fair Deal wasn't completely accepted by Congress

Lend-Lease Act

let President directly help nations like Britain (in contrast to "cash and carry")

Four Freedoms

FDR's idea

expressed how US should support their allies if they believed in the four freedoms:

-speech

-religion

-security

-and to live without fear

Atlantic Charter🔴

US and Britain reviewed eternal peace and self-determination after the war

Immediate effects of WW2 and origins of the Cold War

Congress accepted the League of Nations. The UN's Security Council was in charge of keeping peace Soviet Union had various nations in Eastern Europe that were called satellite states, which US thought it was too late to save them. Churchill of UK said "an iron curtain" had divided Eastern and Western Germany. West Germany and West Berlin were under the Allies and capitalism while East Germany and East Berlin were communist.

Poland warfare🔴

Britain and France joined WW2 after Poland was invaded by Germany. German forces used "blitzkrieg" or short, surprise attacks to quickly take over Poland

Lessons of the Korean War

-too much aggression is bad

-nuclear weapons are bad

-limiting war is good

-establish a goal before you fight (MacArthur wanted to keep going, if you're gonna send troops, have a clear goal)

-have public support

Black leaders of the time

Jackie Robinson was the first Black baseball player

Rosa Parks was involved in the bus boycotts

MLK Jr led a nonviolent anti-segregation movement

Disputes with Japan and US entry into WW2

FDR banned all exports except from Britain and the Western Hemisphere. US cut off Japan's access to oil, so Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. US entered War and dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

What showed gov. was on Black peoples' side?

-Eisenhower sending in troops to Little Rock

-Desegregation of the military

-BvB

Cuban Missile Crisis and Nanjing Massacre

-Soviets built missiles in Cuba and aimed at US so JFK sent a blockade to not let Soviet supplies into Cuba. No physical harm

-Japan invaded China

Bay of Pigs and Berlin Wall

Bay of Pigs

-embarrassing for US

-sent former Cuban exiles in to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro

-unsuccessful

Berlin Wall

-Soviets kept people inside East Berlin

Space war within the Cold War

Soviets created satellite "Sputnik" so US created "NASA". Under Eisenhower

Mussolini and Hitler🔴

M: Italy's facist (gov. is strict and controlling) dictator during WW2

H: leader of Germany during WW2

Fighting Japan

Battle of Midway ended Japanese expansion, when US intercepted/decoded messages. Island hopping was the US seizing various islands to get closer to Japan. The Japanese refused to surrender and used suicide kamikaze attacks. Japan surrendered after the atomic bombs were dropped