Unit 9 Dcush

GI Bill

free college for veterans and low-interest loans to buy homes and start businesses.

-this helps avoid what happened after WW1. People feel hopeful about the future and start having kids.

Baby Boom

explosion of marriages and births. this causes a high demand for housing and suburban growth.

Harry Truman

-Thrown into position after FDR’s death.

-attempts to continue FDR’s legacy

-first modern president to challenge racial discrimination.

-democrats try to make Truman FDR pt 2 and pass their own new deal, but most things fizzle out because of republican majority in the congress.

1946→ Republican majority in Congress

-tons of squabbling between dem president and republican house and senate.

-partially why democrats “New Deal” fizzles out.

Taft-Harley Act→ 1947

-attempts to check the power of labor unions

-republicans attempt to reel in FDR’s new deals. Truman flips out and vetoes it.

-republican majority is able to pass it anyways.

22nd Amendment

-officially limits a presidents term to 8 years max

-part of the republicans trying to prevent a FDR situation again as he was president for 12 years.

The Election of 1948

-Truman wins a divisive victory

-people were so sure his opponent Dewey was going to win

-Truman is very excited and proposes his Fair Deal

The Fair Deal

-more labor unions and govt getting involved.

-The Fair Deal was blocked by Republican concerns.

Origins of the Cold War

-After WW2, the US tries to befriend the USSR, but they leave us on delivered.

-after WW2, Europe is mostly decimated, and the two big powerhouses left are the US and USSR which is a big problem because it becomes Democracy VS Communism.

-Over time, the standoffishness turns into a competition to spread their ideals the farthest, and get the most people to believe in them wins.

1946-1948 Cold war timeline

USSR begins occupying central and East Europe creating “communist satellite states” (willingly or not)

reasoning: the USSR wants loyal states around them because they are traumatized from Hitley attacking them.

March 1948 Cold Timeline

-Churchill declares that an iron curtain has descended upon Europe to stop the spread of Communism.

Containment

The plan is to let Communism be. But if it starts to spread past the iron curtain, then we have a problem

The Marshall Plan

-Economic aid to help European countries rebuild and revive economies.

-After WW1, unhappy and poor countries were more susceptible to fall to communism and the goal is to avoid this.

(part of containment)

The Truman Doctrine

-Economic and military aid for any nation resisting communism.

(if you have any commies knocking on your door, USA is the 911)

The Berlin Airlift

-June 1948: Soviets cut off all access by land to Berlin.

-US plans to fly in supplies to West Berlin.

-Soviets finally reopens highways to Berlin in May 1949.

National Security Act 1947

-Created the US Department of defense, National security council and the CIA. The Cold war was mainly spies and subterfuge, which was very different from how wars have been fought up until this point.

1949→ Ten European countries plus US and Canada form NATO

-The idea was to solidify the Democrats and the Communists.

-military alliance against the communists.

-idea was if the communists attack any one of us, all of us will fight back.

Warsaw Pact

The USSR Version of NATO

Arms race

at this point, both sides have hydrogen bombs and atomic bombs but know the other has the same destructive weapons.

Japan (cold war in Asia)

-decimated after World War II

-occupied by US

-Japan implements a constitution, become capitalist and Democratic,

-goes well overall

China

has had a civil war between Democrats and communist for a while.

1949→taken over by communists and Mao Ze Dong

-Very bad for US.

Korea

-just got independence from Japan in World War II

-Communists and Democrats split up Korea

communist USSR in the north, Democrat USA in the south.

June 1950→North Korea invade South Korea;Truman sends US troops to defend South Korea

• to contain Communism not to push them out fully.

• 1953 Korean war ends in an armistice.

The Second Red Scare

after World War II tand with the tension between US and USSR

-people are suspicious of communist living in the USA .

-Multiple anti-Communist organizations and laws created in early 1950s

Controversial methods used to identify communist spies.

Hiss and Rosenberg Case

-husband and wife put on trial for suspected communist ties

- sham trial and people already assume they are guilty.

- they are executed.

Joseph McCarthy- 1950 to 1954 Mccarthyism.

1950s senator who shows up and says he's has a list of Communists that work in the government.

- claims at 205 Communists were working for the state department.

- he holds this list and puts out names once in awhile of people he does not like.

-nobody questions it and everyone shames these people.

- eventually he he mentioned super high ranking officials and people are suspicious and begin asking questions.

1950 to 1954 mccarthyism.

Vietnamization

The plan to reduce U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War without appearing defeated.

Détente

The easing of strained relations, especially between the U.S. and the USSR, during Nixon's presidency.

SALT treaties

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks - agreements between the U.S. and USSR aimed at reducing nuclear arms.

Watergate Scandal

A political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National headquarters and the subsequent cover-up by Nixon's administration.

War Powers Act

A law requiring the president to report to Congress within 48 hours of military action and to seek congressional approval for military action exceeding 60 days.

OPEC

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, a group that set an oil embargo against countries supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War.

Impeachment

The process by which a sitting president can be charged with misconduct; Nixon resigned before being impeached.

Camp David Accords

Peace agreements brokered by Jimmy Carter between Israel and Egypt in 1978.

Iran Hostage Crisis

A situation where Iranian militants seized the U.S. embassy in November 1979, holding 50 Americans hostage.

-carter was not able to get the hostages back home, causing many ppl to think of him as incompetent.

Environmental Movement

A social movement advocating for the protection of the environment, leading to legislation like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

What was the Vietnam War under Nixon?

The Vietnam War continued during Nixon's presidency, marked by his policy of 'Vietnamization', aimed at reducing American troop levels while increasing South Vietnamese forces.

What was the significance of China and US relations under Nixon?

Nixon's visit to China in 1972 marked a pivotal moment in Sino-American relations, paving the way for diplomatic recognition and opening economic relations.

What were Nixon's domestic policies?

Nixon's domestic policies included initiatives like the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the implementation of revenue sharing to give states more control over federal funds.

What was the Burger Court?

The Burger Court (1969-1986) oversaw significant rulings on civil liberties, abortion rights, and the limits of federal power, advancing issues like Roe v. Wade.

What is the War Powers Act?

The War Powers Act of 1973 was enacted to limit the President's ability to commit U.S. forces to armed conflict without Congressional consent.

What was the oil embargo of 1973?

The oil embargo of 1973 was initiated by OPEC, leading to fuel shortages in the U.S. and a significant increase in oil prices, impacting the economy.

What was significant about Gerald Ford's presidency?

Gerald Ford's presidency (1974-1977) is noted for his efforts to restore public trust in government after Watergate and his controversial decision to pardon Richard Nixon.

How did immigration grow in the USA in the 50's, 60's and 70's?

Immigration to the USA increased during these decades due to the aftermath of WWII, changes in immigration policy, and the socio-political conditions in various countries.

1950s culture

very blah and behaved Conformity and confesses characterize the Suburban culture of the 1950s

-Television=creates homogenous American culture.

Women's roles

 -take a step back

-women progress so much during the war but after they went back to homemaking.

-baby boom + new suburban homes=homemaking becomes a full-time job again.

-Election of 1952

- first Republican since Herbert Hoover (20 years)

 “Ike” Eisenhower’s ->nickname 

-easily reelected in 1956 

-was a general during war world 2 

Korean Armistice.

 

-(July 1953)

US troops withdraw from Korea.

 Highway act (1956)

 Highway act (1956)

-Eisenhower’s act

-  most people live in the suburbs and need a straight shot to the workplaces.

-possible evacuation routes in case of an attack (Cold War / Vietnam War)

-space to land and take off for planes.

- basically built a ton of highways 

Dallas diplomacy or brinkmanship

-John Foster Dallas=secretary of state

- he's a strict perspective on foreign policy. 

-believed containment was wimpy and we should get rid of Communism. The US should push Soviets to the “brink of War”

Vietnam Situation

-North =communist 

-South= democracy 

USA split it up and hope to have peace between the two.

There is no peace and North Viet invades South Vietnam in 1955.

 USA's hesitant to jump back into war.

 Eisenhower decides then instead of army USA will send:

- military advisors 

-1 billion dollars to support Vietnam 

-but no boots on the ground 

“Domino theory”

- why do we care if Soviet Vietnam falls?

- Eisenhower believes that if Vietnam follows all of Southeast Asia will fall to Communism.

The Geneva conference (1955)

-Joseph Stalin died right before Eisenhower was elected and it gives Eisenhower some hope into ending this war

-USA and USSR go to Switzerland and talked.

- not much is accomplished but this is the first “thaw” in the Cold War.

 The Space Race 

-USA and USSR compete to see who can get to space first. Started with satellites.

 1957 Soviet Union successfully launches a satellite into space (Sputnik)

- very embarrassing for USA.

-1958 United States creates NASA and pours millions into Math and Science Education.

Communism in Cuba

- 1959 Fidel Castro overthrows communist leader claiming he’s setting up a democracy.

- turns around and becomes communist.

-Cuba begins to get real buddy buddy with USSR.

- USA stops trade with Cuba to get them to stop being friends with the USSR.

- backfires because Cuba just starts trading with USSR.

Eisenhower's Legacy

-helped check communist aggression around the world.

- began the process of relaxing tensions with the USSR.

-In his farewell address he warned against “the acquisition of unwarranted influence by the military industrial complex” 

-this means the funding of the military during the Cold War and their growth in connection to the government can turn into the country always being at War cuz that's the way the military makes money.

 -Civil Rights movement begins.

The Civil Rights Movement 

-new focus on racism and discrimination with the US after World War II. 

-we are spreading freedom and equality across the world but we ourselves are hypocrites.

- black people are not equal on our own soil. 

Brown versus Board of Education (1954)

-started in Kansas Supreme Court decides an end to school segregation with “all deliberate good”

 in the South people are pissed. Some Governors refuse and continue to segregate.

-Eisenhower’s shows his support for this ruling by sending National Guard to personally escort students to and from school in Little Rock Arkansas.

Montgomery Bush boycott (1955)

-Rosa Parks refuses to give up the seat on a bus in Montgomery Alabama and his arrested.

-people stop using the buses.

- MLK emerges as a leader around here.

First televised debates

-Nixon( Republican) part of Eisenhower's Administration versus JFK (Democrat) younger president 43 years old.

-television plays a huge role: JFK looks calm, cool and collected and he was attractive.

 Nixon was sweating and awkward.

People who watched thoughtJFK won

People who listened thought Nixon won

JFK

-remembered as a very memorable president.

-domestic policy→New Frontier programs

- more support for Education Federal, support of healthcare and civil rights.

-Democrats were not very fond of him for some reason and most of these programs were shut down.

Bay of Pigs invasion (1961)

-USA gathered people who fled from Cuba who don't like Castro.

 -USA trains these people and drops them in Cuba to start a revolution in overthrow Castro.

-Plan is to act like the USA had nothing to do with it.

-goes horribly. men didn't make it past the beach. They're arrested and tortured.

 The truth of where these men came from and who trained them comes out and JFK has to handle this.

- Relations between US and Cuba falls apart pushes Cuba to be even friendlier to the USSR.

The Berlin Wall (1961) 

-nobody wants to move to East Berlin because they are communist.

-People are moving to West Berlin (democracy and West controlled)

-Soviets are pressed because of the many people who move to West Berlin and build a wall between East and West. 

-Kennedy assures West Berlin will continue to be supported by the US.

Cuba Missile Crisis

Cuba and USSR get really friendly

- USSR is gifting Cuba stuff suspiciously looking like missiles.

- reconnaissance is done (USA flies over Cuba and take pictures)

missile launchers are being built.

- JFK sends Naval blockade to Cuba with guns pointed at them and telling Cuba to stop building the missile launchers.

very tense standoff as Cubans refuse to stand down,

Southern USA is terrified

Test Ban Treaty

- 1963 Soviet Union and USA signed 

-decide USSR will take back their guns from Cuba trained on the US if the USA takes back their gun / missiles in Turkey trained on USSR.

- the standoff is a wake-up call for the USA and it signed to stop testing so many weapons.

JFK assassinated

 

-November 22nd 1963 

-shot by Lee Harvey Oswald is one of the most memorable presidents of the 20th century.

 Vice president Lyndon B Johnson is president.

Lyndon B. Johnson

-Johnson opposite to JFK in that he was a poor school teacher and rose up and become vice president determined to expand the New Deal 

-1964 LBJ declares an “unconditional war on poverty” and his programs actually work.

Great Society reforms (1963 or 1966)

 

-Food stamps

-Medicaid for poor people 

Medicare=old people 

-multiple education acts

- Immigration Act ends all quotas put in place previously like the Chinese Exclusion Act.

-Child Nutrition Act

Election of1964 

 

-Johnson and Democrats win in a landslide.

- kind of sympathy points

- Democrats win majority house in Senate

 Civil Rights Act 1964 

-made segregation illegal in all public facilities.

-created equal employment opportunity commission (EEOC)

- decreases issue of racism in hiring processes.

Voting Rights Act (1965) 

-ended literacy test and provided federal registrators to oversee elections in the south.

- number of people who vote in the south skyrockets.

MLK Jr 

-Led March on Washington (1964) and March to Montgomery(1963)

- big on civil disobedience and nonviolence.

 Malcolm X 

-more extreme civil rights leader.

- race riots and black power.

 following was mostly younger black men.

 not only wanted equality they wanted black superiority.

 1966 black panthers 

-organized by Huey Newton and a very radical group.

The Warren court and individual rights 

-named after Aaron Warren Chief Justice of Supreme Court from 1953-1969. 

(include the actual cases)

1960 society and culture (counterculture)

 

50’s→ let's follow all the rules and conform

 60s →break out of that conformity

1960s counterculture 

-new rebellious styles of dress. (hippies or flower children)

- Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, 

increased drug use.

1960s Women rights

- 1960s to 70's challenge traditional beliefs about relationships, marriage, birth control etc.

 -New laws=greater equality and opportunity for women (Equal Pay Act of 1963 )

Harry Truman=Foreign policy

-The Soviet Union and the Cold War was the pressing matter (F)

-after WW2, the us tries to be friends with USSR, but they ignore us.

-They start invading neighboring countries.

iron curtain→ containment etc

-also Korean War under him. north v south

Harry Truman=Domestic Policy

The Fair Deal (D)

-more labor union and govt getting involved. The fair deal was blocked by republican concerns.

Eisenhower=Domestic policy

(d)-Highway act

-modern Republicanism

-Eisenhower continued New Deal programs, expanded Social Security, and prioritized a balanced budget over tax cuts.

Eisenhower=Foreign Policy

New Look policy: threaten 'massive retaliation' and use brinksmanship in dealing with the Soviet Union, and invest in nuclear weapons to scare the Soviet Union.

-wrapped up Korean War

-Vietnam war was just beginning and he wanted no parts. So, he sent money and military advisors but no troops.

JFK =Foreign Policy

Kennedy Doctrine" or the "Alliance for Progress".

Flexible response

-cuba bay of pigs

-Nuclear Test Ban treaty

overall: focused on Latin america and helping them get on their feet so that the ussr does not infect them w/ communism

JFK Domestic policy

New Frontier program

-federal support for education, civil rights and healthcare.

Vietnam war

-most tragic and divisive issue of the 1960’s

-2.7million Americans serve and 58,000 die

-first televised war

-very unpopular war among the American people

-in the end we kind of give up and leave.

Presidents: Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, and Nixon.

The Gulf of Tonkin

-US warships are stationed here (next to north viet)

-North Viet gun boats allegedly fire on US warships

-this is perfect excuse for LBJ to persuade congress to get involved.

-Congress says fine and passes the Tonkin Gulf resolution.

-basically a blank cheque for LBJ to do what ever he wanted.

Early stages of Vietnam war

-JFK adopts Eisenhower’s “domino theory” and sends money and advisors only

-1961-1963: us continues providing military aid to South Viet.

-1964→ the president the US was backing gets too big for his britches and the CIA takes him out. The USA steps back and lets the proceeding coups happen. (Ngo Dinh Diem)

Build up of Viet war

-LBJ keeps sending more troops

-most people are drafted and dont want to go

-major protests back home

-american govt is saying we are winning! But the TV coverage is saying smth different.

Tet Offensive 1968

-Viet Cong launch a surprise attack on every capitol and us base in south viet.

-Initially, the south and US have significant losses, but a couple days later we get these bases back.

1968

-DEADLIEST YEAR OF VIETNAM WAR

-LBJ withdraws from nest election

-MLK gets assassinated and race riots happen

-Bobby Kennedy is assassinated

-A violent, close and tense presidential election.

-Election of 1968

-democratic convention in chicago disrupted by antiwar demonstrations, protesters and violence

-Nixon wins(R)

-congress wins mostly reps

LBJ=foreign policy

containment

Johnson pursued conciliatory policies with the Soviet Union, but stopping well short of the détente policy Richard Nixon introduced in the 1970s. He was instead committed to the traditional policy of containment, seeking to stop the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia and elsewhere.

LBJ Domestic Policy

The Great Society

a series of domestic programs enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the United States between 1964 and 1968, aimed at eliminating poverty, reducing racial injustice, and expanding social welfare in the country

Nixon=Foreign policy

Détente and Arms Control,

-he has to figure out how to get out of the Vietnam war as LBJ has promised out of viet.

Nixon Domestic policy

"New Federalism", in which federal powers and responsibilities would be shifted to state governments.

(how much of LBj’s great society plan he can get rid of)

Ford foreign policy

continued Nixon's détente policy with both the Soviet Union and China, easing the tensions of the Cold War.

Ford domestic policy

focused on tackling economic challenges like inflation and unemployment.

-stagflation

Whip Inflation Now

Carter foreign policy

-focused on human rights, and attempts to continue nixon/ford policy of detente but is not succesful.

Carter domestic policy.

Tries to deal with inflation and economic usses(stagflation) but is not successful.

National Energy Plan to reduce dependence on foreign oil and promote conservation.

Carter also proposed welfare reforms to streamline benefits and create public service jobs1.

He deregulated industries like airlines, trucking, and railroads, aiming to lower costs for consumers.