Alger Hiss
Accused of being a communist sympathizer but turned out to be guilty of perjury in 1950 after lying to the court
McCarthyism/2nd Red Scare
McCarythyism: irraitonal fear of communist infiltrators working to undermine America; Stalin’s grip of Eastern Europe, fall of China to Mao Zedong, and a communist insurgency in North Korea
House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
The main vehicle through which McCarthy accused, questioned, and blacklisted “communists”
Executive Order 9981
Ended segregation of the U.S. military
NSC-68
Truman wanted to expand the military after a report (1950) recommended to invest in military spending and build nuclear arsenal (military force over diplomacy)
Dixiecrats
Pro-segregation Democrats who vote from the State’s Rights Democratic Party
Taft-Hartley Act
1948 Act that undermined national unionization efforts by making it illegal to have union-workers only workplaces; Truman vetoed, but still was implimented
Servicemen’s Readjustment Act
1944 (G.I. Bill) Act that allowed young veteran men to obtain diplomas, purchase homes, and recieve vocational job training with low-interest loans
Defense spending in the 1950s
Accounted for 10% of the American economy, public revenue going to the military
Douglas MacArthur and Japan
MacArthur oversaw the money and American troops in Japan as Japan was rebuilding
Tehran Conference
A conference between Stalin, FDR, and Churchill about the future of the Allied strategy, agreeing that an eventual invasion of France was necessary and Soviets would support American action against Japan
Yalta Conference
A conference in feb. 1945 where Stalin promised free elections in any nation liberated by the Soviet Union; League of Nations needed to be replaced
Potsdam Conference
A conference in summer 1945 agreeing to demilitarize and restructure Germany
Division of Germany
Germany becomes 4 zones, West Germany, controlled by the U.S., Britain, and France - becomes industrialized, democratic, capitalist, and East Germany, controlled by the USSR - becomes a puppet government, communist
United Nations
1945 Organization working to maintain international peace; General Assembly: every member nation is represented, Security Council: 15 members with 5 permanent members to prevent global war
Formation of Israel
1948 Zionists had been advocating for a Jewish homeland
Collective security
An aggressor to one country is an aggressor to all, so we all must work collectively to stop the aggressor
Iron Curtain speech
1946 speech by Churchill giving a metaphor of a wall that the USSR has built to keep their country hidden, showing that Stalin is taking too much control
Containment
Preventing the expansion of communism because it would hurt the U.S. economy if communism spread
Long Telegram
1946 Gives the history of communism and the USSR, saying that Russia is ruthlessly expansionary and the U.S. must keep Russia in check
George Kennan
Lives in the USSR but is an American, writes the Long Telegram
Truman Doctrine
1947 The U.S. should support countries threatened by communist ideals of USSR, specifically Greece and Turkey (economies are especially bad); totaled $400 million
Marshall Plan
1948 Funding was given to European counties from 1948 to 1952, totaling $12 billion in American aid to 16 countries; prompted by the spread of communism to Czechoslovakia
Berlin Airlift
1948-49 With a blockade on West Berlin, the U.S. flies over East Germany and drops resources over West Berlin
NATO
1949 a “mutual defense organization” (military alliance), and with U.S. involvement, the U.S. cannot go back to isolationism; helps with containment
Warsaw Pact
1955 A mirrored NATO (military alliance) for the USSR
Chiang Kai-Shek
The nationalist leader of China; the U.S. gives him $400 million to contain communism, ends up fleeing to Taiwan
Mao Tse-Tung (Zedong)
A communist leader trying to take over China, successful in 1949; creates a “Great Leap Forward,” detailing the future of China
Sino-Soviet pact
1950 An agreement between the Soviets and China to help each other and spread communism
Superpower
A nation with exceptional military might
Nikita Khrushchev
After Stalin died in 1953, he takes office in Russia
Destalinization
Nikita Khrushchev denounces Stalin’s brutality and closed down most Siberian prison camps
Sputnik
The first space rocket, launched by the USSR in October of 1957
NASA
A space program created by the U.S. in 1958
U-2 incident
An American U-2 plane was shot down over the USSR over allegations of spying (claimed to be a weather place, but revealed to be mapping military installations in the USSR); U-2 was flown by Francis Gary Powers
Interstate Highway System
Created a system of multi-lane highways for easy and efficient ways to drive across the nation
22nd Amendment
1947 Limiting presidents to a two-term maximum
Operation PBSUCCESS
The new president of Guatemala (Jacobo Árbenz) wanted to reform the United Fruit Company, so the CIA tries to remove him from office, fearing that the acceptance of Soviet weapons would leave Guatemala susceptible to communism
Operation AJAX
Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran wanted oil reserves to be in the hands of the people and not Britain, but British intelligence and CIA saw a threat to Western control, pushing Mosaddegh out of power in 1953 and replacing him with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Suez Crisis
1956 Egypt nationalist leader Gmmal Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, a key transportation route and access to trade, so Britain, France, and Israel declare war, and Nasser asks for aid from the USSR. The U.S. offers aid to Egypt
Assassination of Patrice Lumumba
The first post-independence president of Congo wanted control over natural resources, but the U.S. feared that he would allow Soviet companies to access these resources, so the CIA and Belgium fund his political enemies
Division of Korea
Division at the 38th parallel; Northern zone: Kim Il Sung, communism, Soviet control, and Southern zone: Syngman Rhee, U.S. control
MacArthur and Korea
Northern Koreans want to unite the peninsula as one communist country, invade South Korea in 1950. MacArthur leads UN forces, pushing North Koreans back north of the 38th parallel (and dropping bombs). In November, the North pushes the South down again. MacArthur wants to be aggressive and invade North Korea and wipe out communism in China
Result of Korean war
The fighting is over in June of 1953 with a cease-fire and reestablishing the border at the 38th parallel
Massive Retaliation
The build-up of weapons to retaliate bigger when the USSR attacks
John Foster Dulles
Eisenhower’s Secretary of State who wants a more aggressive approach to the Cold War and dealing with communism
Military Industrial Complex
In Eisenhower’s farewell speech, he gives a warning about how the arms race is out of control, leading to negative affects on the U.S. government and culture
Arms race
The U.S. and USSR are both stockpiling weapons to prepare for an attack
JFK becomes president
In the 1960 election, he becomes president, first Catholic and youngest president. Shown as likeable in the tevelised presidential debates. Wanted to protect democracy.
New Frontier
JFK’s domestic policy of expanding on social welfare programs (tax cuts and education investments), creating the peace corps, believing in racial issues (but not leading), and increasing the funding for the space program
Peace Corps
A volunteer organization to work in less-developed countries to promote world peace and friendship
Race to the Moon
Air conditioning effect
A common household fixture in the 1950s
Population shift in the 1950s
More families are now considered “middle class," more spread on innovative technology
“The Affluent Society” / “The Other America”
Galbraith pointed out that 1 in 13 Americans live below the poverty line, and Harrington revealed that the lingering disparities in wealth and opportunity of those left out of the middle class revolution
National Defense Education Act
1958 Invested in science and technology research on the idea that a well-educated society was the key to beating the USSR
Levittown
A spacious and affordable model of suburban housing in New York, by Lewitt and Sons Company
Baby Boom
Birth rates reaching a peak in 1947-64, giving birth to one of the largest generations: kept the demand for housing and consumption of household items for children
Car culture of the 1950s
Establishment of entertainment venues, a highway system, the classic 4 door Sedan; National car ownership rate was on top of the world
American Bandstand
A televised program with guest audience dancing to popular music and live performances from the top 50 artists, music was mostly “rock-n-roll”
Television of the 1950s
80% of American homes had access to one television set; News/sports broadcasts were joined by 30 minute sitcoms
Suburbanization
An increase in demand for single-family housing, on land on the edge of urban centers, designed for the middle class
Bay of Pigs Invasion
1961 An invasion where the group of anti-communist Cuban rebels who were given weapons by the U.S. and trained on how to use them, but lost
Berlin Wall
Khruschchev asked JFK to let the USSR take control of Berlin in 1961 but JFK refuses. In August 1961, the USSR starts building a wall (up until 1989)
Cuban Missile Crisis
1962 U.S. doesn’t like the relationship between the USSR and Cuba, afraid there are missiles in Cuba. 2) Warning to USSR about a possible attack 3)
Flexible Response
JFK’s presidency. Try to make a more calm compromise, not straight to nukes
Assassination of JFK
November 22, 1963, and Lyndon B. Johnson will become the new president