WWII, Cold War and Civil rights movement

Nye Committee

examined the origins of US involvement in the war to formulate a plan on how to avoid future war. In loans we gave $27 million to Germany and $2.3 Billion to the British which showed that the US wanted the British to win. It also established another culprit of the war was the "merchants of death" which were manufacturers that made millions selling military weapons. The lessons the US took away was DON'T give loans or weapons to belligerent nations.

“Merchants of Death”

manufacturers that made millions selling military weapons.

Fascism

far-right, authoritarian, and ultra nationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, and forcible suppression of opposition. This was embodied by Germany and Italy as well Francisco Franco in Spain who idolized Hitler and Mussolini.

Naziism

A totalitarian ideology that roots back in Germany with extreme nationalism, racism, and racial superiority. Led by Adolf Hitler who aspired to restore the "glory" of the third "reich" by building up German military and not paying reparations (in direct opposition of the Treaty of Versailles)

Neutrality Act of 1935

Act passed by Congress that prohibited the selling of arms, implements of war, and ammunition to nations at war. This was invoked against Italy taking over Ethiopia in 1935 because the invasion threatened Ethiopia's self determination.

Neutrality Act of 1936

No loans to belligerent nations

Neutrality Act of 1937

Added to the neutrality acts by not giving loans or aid to nations in civil wars. They could trade non-contraband to the nations on a cash and carry basis (nations had to pay in cash and use their own ships for transport.

Neutrality Act of 1939

Made the trade arms by cash and carry to help with the war but not choosing sides.

Rome-Berlin Axis

Alliance between fascist Italy and Nazi Germany before the tripartite pact was formed.

Munich Conference

Meeting between Hitler and the British prime minister where Hitler promised the only land he wanted was Sudetenland. This resulted in appeasement, allowing German possession of Sudetenland and no more German expansion allowed. The prime minister called it "peace in our time" after the conference ended but it only proved to last 11 months.

America First Committee

Opposed US involvement in WWII because they favored isolationism/neutrality and wanted to avoid another pointless war like WWI. They favored neutrality, massive arms build up, and no "aid short of war" for belligerent nations. Charles Lindbergh was their spokesman but he was highly controversial because he had support/friendship with the Germans.

Four Freedoms

Articulated by FDR, the four freedoms include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear and the freedom from want (good living standards and ensuring economic security for all).

Atlantic Charter

Even though the US wasn't officially in the war yet, Churchill and Roosevelt met in New Finland to discuss a post war order. They decided that there would be freedom of the seas, disarming Germany, and self determination for all.

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Hitler wanted to make a pact with the Soviets to avoid the WWI mistake of a two front war and only have 1 front for WWII. They decided that Germany would take west poland and the Soviets would take east poland.

Destroyers for Bases Deal

US provides old destroyers to allies in exchange for long term leases on military bases. This helped establish that we're a world power because we got more military bases.

Lend Lease Act

This act let the president lend or lease arms as needed to protect the U.S interest. The justification was that they would give the arms back and was passed by congress. The US increased aid to Great Britain without joining the war. This situation was compared to a garden hose, because a gardener doesn't care if he has to lend his garden hose, he just wants to take care of the emergency and get it back. Critics however called it like chewing gum because you don't want it back afterwards.

Blitzkrieg

a military strategy of rapid, coordinated, and concentrated attacks, typically involving air and ground forces, to overwhelm and disorient the enemy, aiming for a quick victory.

Battle for Britain

Nazi plans bombarded the island of Britain with the "the Blitz", which was a series of bombings in which roads and buildings were destroyed. The Nazi failed to conquer Britain instilling the idea in the British that if they could get through this, they could get through anything. This failure also led to the US joining the war in 1941 and the Nazis breaking the Non aggression pact and attacking the Soviets.

Operation Barbarossa

Germany opens a new front of war and attacks Russia. The US wasn't concerned because the Nazis were killing communists now and the Soviets were killing Nazis. It pushed the Soviets into an uneasy alliance with Britain who invaded their country just a short time ago.

Pearl Harbor

The Japanese decided to bomb Pearl Harbor instead of the Philippines, despite it being riskier. The U.S expected the Japanese to bomb the Philippines and/or sabotage Pearl Harbor. This led the U.S to prepare in different ways. In the Philippines, the U.S sent out all their naval ships, and in Pearl Harbor, they placed all their ships together. After Pearl Harbor, America declared war on Japan.

War Powers Act (1941)

Along with the war declaration the government gave all the power to the president to do whatever he wanted in the war.

“Dr. Win the War”

After Pearl Harbor and Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war, it was time to mobilize. Roosevelt : "Dr.New Deal must take a backseat to Dr. Win the War"

Victory Bonds

As spending increased with paying for the war these high interest loans were given to the government to make weapons, etc. and when the war was over they would be rewarded with checks.

Code Talkers

Code Talkers in WWII were Navajo Indians hired by the American military to use their complicated language as military code to communicate without fear of the message being intercepted and decrypted. The Code Talkers were vital to the US war effort, allowing the military to coordinate attacks without the US concerned about the Axis Powers interpreting their codes. The Navajo men's service helped the American people see the Native Americans as actual people and recognize their legitimacy.

Executive Order 8802

1941; FDR passed it which prohibited discriminatory employment practices by fed agencies and all unions and companies engaged in war related work; established the Fair Employment Practices Commission to enforce the new policy.

Bracero Program

Program established by agreement with the Mexican government to recruit temporary Mexican agricultural workers to the United States to make up for wartime labor shortages in the Far West. The program persisted until 1964, when it had sponsored 4.5 million border crossings.

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act

This bill provided many benefits to veterans of World War II. From 1944 to 1949, nearly 9 million veterans received close to $4 billion from the bill's unemployment compensation program. The education and training provisions existed until 1956, providing benefits to nearly 10 million veterans. The Veterans' Administration offered insured loans until 1962, and they totaled more than $50 billion. The economic assistance provided by this bill accelerated the postwar demand for goods and services.

Zoot Suits

A series of racist attacks in June 1943 in Los Angeles, California, United States, between Mexican American youths and European American servicemen stationed in Southern California. White servicemen and civilians attacked youths who wore zoot suits because the outfits were considered unpatriotic and extravagant during wartime

Executive Order 9066

FDR's removal of 100,000+ Japanese Americans from the west coast into detention centers because he believed he couldn't trust them. The Japanese though this took away their right of due process under law and led to the cases Hirabayashi vs. US (1943) and Korematsu vs. US (1944).

Stalingrad

Turning point in the European theatre because the Soviets took a stand at Stalingrad causing the German offensive to retreat (even though the Soviets suffered more deaths/injuries)

Second Front

The Pacific theatre where the Japanese were taking over the Philippines and pushing south toward Australia.

Midway

Turning point in the Pacific theater because the Japanese and US clash at Midway. The US dominates the Japanese and this begins the shrink of Japanese power.

Operation Torch

Allies invade North Africa and then go across the mediterranean sea to invade Italy. While this was occurring the Italians overthrew Mussolini and left the tripartite pact. This weakened Germany but the Soviets wanted to weaken them even more so he requested a direct attack which manifested in operation overlord.

Operation Overlord

The Allies landed on the French coast at Normandy on June 6-7, 1944. The allies were back and 'set up shop' to try and shrink the nazi's teritory. The U.S closed in from the East, and the Soviet Union closed in from the West.

Operation Downfall

Towards the end of the war the US creates a plan to attack Japan. This leads to the Manhattan project where the bomb created was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Manhattan Project

This was a secret operation creating atomic bombs. The first successful test was in 1945. Truman wanted to use the bombs on the Japanese to spare U.S lives. The bombs were used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and killed over 60 million Japanese.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The cities that the U.S atomic bombs were dropped on.

Island Hopping

In the Pacific theatre the US fought the Japanese at Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Philippines, Okinawa, Guam and Iwo Jima, continuing to weaken them and push them back to their homeland

National War Labor Board

Set wages for workers and settled disputes in the US labor force as men went off to war and they had to manage industries back home. This also led to an increase of women in the workplace.

Product Rationing

rationed a set amount of goods/food to each person so their would be no hoarding of these items (needed to save them for the troops).

War Propaganda

used to win the hearts and minds of the Americans by demonizing Nazis, racistly depicted Japanese people to make them look monstrous, encouraging fighting for freedom, preventing people from wasting goods, and encouraging silence so no enemies heard of US plans.

Women’s Army Corps

Nearly 200,000 women served in this organization in which they supported the armed forces by entering the workforce and making supplies for troops or becoming army nurses.

Japanese Internment

FDR passed executive order 9906 to begin the process of rounding up Japanese immigrants on the West Coast. He didn't trust them so he had to take them away from military bases (one of FDR's biggest mistakes).

Hirabayashi v. U.S.

Does race specific curfew and order to report to internment processing center violate the 5th amendment? No! Court upheld order 9-0, saying that it was okay to limit civil liberties during war time.

Korematsu v. U.S

Does exclusion of Japanese americans from the coast violate the 5th amendment? No! Court upheld exclusion act 6-3.

Tuskegee Airmen

Harry Stewart and other African American men were fierce fighters and flew more than 15,000 missions showing their excellence spurring military leaders to desegregate the armed forces after the war (this didn't last very long because after the wars end they reimplemented segregation).

Yalta Conference

Big 3 (Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill) decided post war order saying that they would get shared control of Germany and Korea, established Polish borders, created the United Nations, and entry by the soviets.

Potsdam Conference

At this point Roosevelt had died and got replaced by Truman. This established four power control in Germany and was the final plan for Soviet entry into the war. The British and US wanted to give France some part of Germany and Berlin and the Soviets said that if they wanted to do this, it had to come out of their shares. It decided that the Soviets would enter 90 days after German defeat so Truman hurried on the atomic bomb so the US could get post war control of Japan without the Soviets meddling.

United Nations

Created during the Yalta conference as a world organization that would keep peace

Cold War Liberalism

A combination of moderate liberal policies that preserved the programs of the New Deal welfare state and forthright anti communism that vilified the Soviet Union abroad and radicalism at home. Adopted by President Truman and the Democratic Party during the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Holocaust

During WWII, Adolf Hitler established a systematic program to destroy Jews and other minority groups that he deemed unfit to live. Millions were killed in gas chambers and Nazi death camps

Harry S. Truman

Assumed the presidency after Roosevelt's death taking over in the War effort. He approved the making and dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan.

Partition of Germany

division of Germany into east and west as a result of the allied victory in WWII

Partition of Korea

division of Korea into north and south as a result of allied victory in WWII.

George Kennan

developed the policy of containment saying that soviets were inherently expansionist and had to be contained before they spread to areas of strategic importance.

The Long Telegram

The Long Telegram, sent by George Kennan in 1946, asserted that the Soviet Union was not interested in peaceful coexistence with the West and that their expansionist tendencies needed to be "contained". Kennan argued that the Soviets were driven by an ideological belief in the inevitability of conflict between capitalism and communism. He also suggested that the US should adopt a long-term strategy of patient but firm resistance to Soviet expansionism

Containment

provide all aid and resources to vulnerable and strategically significant countries.

Truman Doctrine

Truman adopted Kennan's plan. Aid for Greece and Turkey (Greece was in a civil war with communist threatening to overthrow the government and Turkey was next door). US will "support freed people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures"

Marshall Plan

Secretary of State John Marshall issued $22.4 Billion to rebuild Europe and help nations resist soviets. (shored up Europe and kept it under american influence).

National Security Act of 1947

centralized our national security around the pentagon (changed the name from department of war to department of defense because wars end but the fight against communism is continuous).

Satellite Nations

soviets established these in eastern europe installing communist governments and dividing the continent.

Iron Curtain

What Churchill called the Soviets satellite nations.

Hydrogen Bomb

The US launched the NSC-68 which was a 350% in military spending because the Soviets were targeting the Eurasian landmass. They developed the hydrogen bomb here, speeding up the process.

2nd Red Scare

Caused because of Soviet dominance in eastern europe, soviets with an atomic bomb, "loss" of China, and korean conflict. Major players in the Red Scare was the House of un americans activities committee (south to uncover communist working in the entertainment industry), the Rosenbergs (convicted and executed couple for passing nuclear secrets to the soviet union), and Joseph Mccarthy (targeted "leftists" in Hollywood, state departments, media, army, presidential administrations and those who criticized him. Created a system of loose communist allegations).

Alger Hiss Case

This was the most damaging spy case to the Truman administration. Alger Hiss, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Whittaker Chambers, a former Soviet spy who reversed himself and became an informer, testified against Communists in the government and told the HUAC in 1948 that Hiss had given him secret documents ten years earlier when Chambers was spying for the Soviets and Hiss was working in the State department. Hiss sued Chambers for libel, and Chambers produced microfilm of the documents that he said Hiss had passed to him. Hiss denied the accusation but was convicted in 1950, with a charge of perjury, lying for espionage, but he couldn't be tried on it because the statute of limitations had expired.

Hollywood 10

In May 1947, charges that the movie industry in Hollywood was a "hotbed of communism" led the House Committee on Un-American Activities to launch a full blown investigation. Ten witnesses refused to answer questions about their political activities, arguing that such questions violated their first amendment rights. All 10 were cited for contempt of Congress, imprisoned, and blacklisted from the film industry.

Army-McCarthy Hearings

The Army-McCarthy hearings were a series of hearings held by the United States Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations between April 1954 and June 1954. The hearings were held for the purpose of investigating conflicting accusations between the United States Army and Senator Joseph McCarthy. The Army accused chief committee counsel Roy Cohn of pressuring the Army to give preferential treatment to G. David Schine, a former McCarthy aide and a friend of Cohn's. McCarthy counter-charged that this accusation was made in bad faith and in retaliation for his recent aggressive investigations of suspected Communists and security risks in the Army.

Israel

On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day.

Massive Retaliation

After the "new look" of the US military which just ramped up spending for nuclear weapons, it created this idea which was that it would be stupid to shoot the US because they can destroy everyone.

Mutually Assured Destruction

The use of nuclear weapons by one side would result in complete obliteration of both sides.

Domino Theory

Theory that if one nation falls to communism, other surrounding nations will follow suit. The fear of communist expansion fueled US containment policies and management of foreign nations.

Berlin Airlift

After the Soviets blockaded Berlin, closing off all land access and taking away supplies and electricity to starve the people into submission, the US responded with this. Truman ordered planes with supplies to Berlin for 15 months because the Soviets didn't intervene and this lead to the lift of the Blockade.

NATO

created as the 1st permanent military alliance since Washington abrogated the treaty with. Mutual defensive alliance and the soviets responded with the creation of the Warsaw Pact.

Warsaw Pact

Alliance between Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

NSC-68

United States established a 350% increase in military spending because soviets were targeting Eurasian landmassess. This lead to the development of the hydrogen bond to speed up the process.

Central Intelligence Agency

Agency created by the National Security Act of 1947 to expand the government's espionage capacities and ability to thwart communism through covert activities. CIA functions came to include propaganda, sabotage, economic warfare, and support for anti-Communist forces around the world.

“Losing” China

Nationalist and Communists were at war in China. Jiang Jieshi headed the nationalists, and they were encouraged but not aided by the US. The communists led by Mao Zedong were aided by the USSR and achieved victory over the Nationalists in 1949, banishing them to Taiwan. The most populous nation was now under communist rule, instilling fear of communist spread and commitment to contain the next crisis.

McCarthyism

Joseph Mccarthy targeted anyone he suspected to be communist creating this system in which loose allegations about communism were often thrown around. Hearing were held for the accused communist and Mccarthy believed this would give him political power if he took a stand against communism. Communism began to be portrayed in the media.

House Un-American Activities Committee

sought to uncover communists working in the entertainment industry

Korean Conflict

After "losing China" the US was more determined to not let another nation fall to communism. From June-Sept. of 1950 Communist forces from north Korea moved into south korea, pushing US and southern koreans near the peninsulas edge (americans pushed them back north). Then in Sept. 1950, Douglas MacArthur landed troops at Inchon, the western coast of the Korean peninsula. In early october, the US invaded north korea (China threatened that if the US inched into their territory, they would aid North Korea. In late October the Chinese intervened, resulting in great American death and the US to be pushed back south. It eventually ended in a stalemate and ceasefire but they would again be in conflict in 1953.

Inchon Landing

Douglas MacArthur landed troops at Inchon, the western coast of the Korean peninsula and pushed troops further north

Douglas MacArthur

American general who engaged in the Korea conflict, pushing troops North when they landed at Inchon.

Demobilization

The postwar process of dismissing the troops from military service and dismantling the war machine

Dien Bien Phu

Vietnam was apart of French Indochina and Ho Chi Minh was trying to get them self determination. They engaged in war with the French until the Vietnamese won at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 when the French tried to trap them but the Vietnamese laid siege to the place so the French couldn't get supplies or surrender.

Ho Chi Minh

Vietnames leader who was trying to get them self determination from the French. He was called "Vietnam's George Washington" because he worked tirelessly to rid his country of imperializers.

Taft-Hartley Act

The Taft-Hartley Act, also known as the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), is a 1947 United States federal law that amended the 1935 Wagner Act. Its primary purpose was to restrict the power and activities of labor unions, particularly regarding strike actions, and to protect employee rights from unfair union practices. It also allowed states to enact "right-to-work" laws, which restrict union membership requirements in workplaces

Levittown

Levittowns were post-World War II suburban housing developments, primarily known for their mass-produced, affordable homes and planned communities produced by Levitt and sons.

Baby Boom

started 9 months after the end of the war as soldiers returned home to their wives and lasted around 2 decades.

Car Culture

car culture began growing as economic status rose and the invention of the interstate highway occurred.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

raised funds to bring cases against cities, states, colleges, etc... basically anyone that was implementing segregation in education. Supported by Thurgood Marshall and Robert Carter. If they could prove that separate schools were unequal and not valuing everyone's right to an education, they could destroy segregation.

Rosa Parks

African American woman a part of the Montgomery Bus Boycott who refused to give up her seat to a white man and go sit in the back of the bus.

Thurgood Marshall

Thurgood Marshall is best known for being the first African American to serve on the United States Supreme Court, as well as his groundbreaking legal career as a civil rights attorney, particularly his role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The next step in abolishing jim crow laws because african americans usually had to sit in the back of the bus. Rosa Parks participated in this and Martin Luther King Jr. supported the boycot.

Martin Luther King

Main activist during the civil rights movement that encouraged nonviolent activism and supported the Montgomery bus boycott until they took away the racial segregation.

Desegregation

The goal of the civil rights movement to allow African American to enjoy the same opportunities and public spaces as whites did.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

unanimous decision that "separate but equal" had no place in the constitution and plessy v. ferguson was outlawed. Ensured a future in equal education for African Americans and called the second emancipation. Thurgood became the 1st african american supreme court justice.

Massive Resistance

"Massive Resistance" was a term coined by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. to describe the organized campaign by Southern states to resist the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) which outlawed racial segregation in public schools.

Orville Faubus

Arkansas governor that opposed integration in all public schools.

Little Rock Nine

Nine african americans that were mistreated for trying to attend school. President Eisenhower moved to protect them showing that the national government was starting to trump white supremacists view of states right.

Jackie Robinson

Brooklyn dodgers general manager Branch Ricky decided winning was more important than segregation and signed Robinson, who was the first African American signed in baseball. His success encouraged other sports to integrate.