apush period 8

the cold war 1945-1991

a period of histilities between the US and USSR and allies

containment

us foreign policy

limit influence of USSR/Communism

stalemate

Proxy wars

conflict when 2 major powers support opposing faction/groups

yalta conference (1945)

US, UK, USSR

germany is split into four zones of occupation

USSR liberates Eastern Europe from Nazis and establishes provisional pro-soveit communism govt

temporary solution cause large issues

United nations 1945

• Five per minute seats on Council ( france, uk, usa, china, ussr/russia)

• $85 million Grant from rockefeller, New York

• Brenton Woods agreement (1944)

• Created at Valta by “big three”

• created general assembly and security council

• UN charter drafted at 50 nation conference

• ratified 80 to 2

Bretton Woods agreement (1944)

• rules for commercial relations among countries

•  World Bank / international monetary fund (IMF)

•  US dollar is standard currency ->  us is dominant in economy and ostracized Communist States

Truman in Office

1945-1953

1946

• USSR controls Eastern Europe

•  Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech

•  indicates a problem

1947

•  Truman Doctrine

• 400 million of Aid to Turkey and grease to fight communist uprisings

•  Marshall Plan

• National securities act

National securities act 1947

1.  centralized and strengthened Department of Defense (DoD)

2.  CIA

3.  creates National Security Council

1948

• USSR blockades East Germany ->  starvation

•  Berlin  Airlift (1948-49)

•  Berlin Wall constructed in 1961

1949

•  Eastern and Western Germany are separate countries

•  NATO:  initially 12 countries Alliance of US, Canada, and Western Europe

•  Warsaw Pact  (1955)

•  Communist Revolution in China

1.  US recognizes Taiwan as Government until 1971

2.  Republicans blames Truman and state department for being soft on China

Truman Doctrine

• Stalin was trying to expand his control in Europe

• Truman decided to enforce a firm new policy -> Not a war, firm containment

• US would provide aid to dem countries threatened by communism 

NATO (1949)

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization ->  declared that an armed attack against one member is an  Armed attack against all

• NATO countries maintain a standing military force in Europe to defend against what many policymakers believed was a threat of USSR invasion

•  led to 1955 Warsaw Pact (Eastern Europe communist governments)

Marshall Plan

• Prevent communism, in debt to us

•  wanted to help Europe from socialist, Bad economy, Etc

•  plan to provide economic assistance to All European nations including USSR that would join in drafting a program for recovery 

To what extendt were US actions in the cold war politically, economically, or ideologically motivated

goal of containment of communism and support of democracy and capitalism

worked to secrue free market, open trade, prevent SU influence, and maintain global dominance

GI bill (sevicements readjustment Act 1944)

provided economic and educational assistance to veterans

Postwar labor unrest

• Economic difficulties and inflation led to labor  unrest

•  after 1945 there were major strikes in the automobile industry

• U m w strike shutdown coal fields for 40 days ->  fear of no coal ->  Taft got workers back and gave Union demands

•  Railroad first Total shutdown

•  minorities had trouble when men came back, women moved to service sector

Taft-Hartely Act

• Made close shop illegal

•  allowed states to pass anti-union laws

•  didn't destroy labor movement, but damage weaker unions and lightly organized Industries

• made it more difficult for minorities in Southerners to form unions

How was the American Economy changing in 1945-46

•  War to peace

•  High inflation and recession

•  switch from wartime production to consumerism

•  housing boom

•  labor unrest

Korean war

• partitioned along 38th parallel in 1945 after Japanese Occupation

•  USSR (backed North) invades US backed south in 1945

•  US  leads troops in counter attack

•  fighting ends in stalemate in 1953

Red Scare

•  caused by setbacks and fight against communism:  loss of china, Korean still make, Soviet atomic bomb

•  Effects:  Government investigations,  blacklisting, mccarthyism, restriction of civil liberties, silencing  political dissent

•  intense anti-communist paranoia 

HUAC

• House unAmerican Activities Committee held investigations to prove that Democratic government Had tolerated communist subversion

•  targeted hollywood, boyscotts, etc

McCarthyism

•  Republican senator Joseph mccarthy =  most prominent leader of the Crusade against domestic subversion

•  never produce solid evidence

•  aggressively badgered Witnesses, ruined careers

•  gay followers and issued a channel fear and animosity

•  bad for Democrats

•  Army McCarthy hearings -> looked stupid

How did the cold war build a culture of fear and conformity int he US during the 1950

•  intensified second red scare, anxiety over nuclear annihilation, promoted social  rigidity

•  McCarthyism

•  subversion fears ->  execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg fueled paranoia that Communists were everywhere

• Nuclear age (duck and cover)

• Homogeneous Suburbia ( levittowns) ->  people looking for security after Great Depression and War

•  media labeled non-conformity as un-american

•  corporate conformity

•  suppression of dissent ( leftist, artist, Progressive)

public spending

•  low unemployment, high government spending stimulated growth at Peak in first half of the 50s with Korean War

•  funded schools, housing, veteran benefits, welfare, interstate highway program

•  High birth rate ->  economic growth and consumer demand

suburban growth

•  privately owned cars doubled

•  vigorous Housing Industry

•  construction of roads and highways ->  economic grow

•  growth was not equally distributed but affected most

•  highest standard of living of any society

the postwar contract

•  labor unions developed a new kind of relationship with its employers

•  large unionized industries were receiving generous increases  in wages and benefits ->  unions agreed to refrain from raising issues = less strikes 

•  control of workplace and voice 

why did the US experience a boom between 1945 and 1960?

• pent up savings after Great Depression and wartime rationing

•  government spending ->  GI Bill and Cold War

•  infrastructure growth ->  Highway acts 1956

•  Global dominance

•  technology advancements

How did this boom affect American Society?

•  Suburbanization

•  consumer culture

•  baby boom

•  Sunbelt migration

•  unequal prosperity

Decline of McCarthyism

•  Eisenhower Administration did little in First Years to discourage anti-communism craze but it was beginning to raise significant popular opposition

•  McCarthy attacks Secretary of army Robert Stevens and armed services in general ->  televised

•  Army McCarthy hearings ->  one of the first nationally televised Congressional hearings  -> Lost support and Senate voted to condemn him

Massive retaliation

Cold War doctrine adopted by President Eisenhower's administration (1953–1961)

articulated by Sec. of State John Foster Dulles, aiming to deter Soviet aggression by threatening a disproportionate, massive nuclear response to any direct attack

often called "brinkmanship"

What were the main features of Eisenhower’s cold War/ foreign policy

• Nothing called the new look

•  focus on containing communism through cost-effective methods, relying on nuclear superiority rather than expensive conventional forces more (bang for your buck)

• Brinkmanship, massive retaliation

• Covert actions ->  increased use of CIA for surveillance and undercover operations to overthrow suspect comm governments ( France and Guatemala)

•  alliances instability (NATO and SEATO)

•  domino theory

• ED  1857 ->  Aid to the Middle East 

the cuban revolution background

• Platt Amendment (1902-1934) - US repeatedly intervenes

• 1952: pro-us dictator Baptista comes into power

• 1959: Fidel Castro takes power as part of  pro democracy movement 

• Castro land reforms (nationalizes land, US citizens lose property, begins to identify himself as communist and gets aid from the USSR)

Bay of Pigs

• Failed invasion of cuba

operation mongoose

repeated assassination attempts of castro

cuban missile crisis 1962

military activity in cuba → USSR bringing in missiles (claim they are defensive but they are not)

oct 1962 - photographic evidence of medium range missile sites capable of hitting DC (crisis!!)

results: JFK orders blockade, all ships searched, if they have offensive weapons will be turned back (demand immediate removal of missiles, any missiles launched are an act of war and will have massive retaliation)

USSR → thinks for 6 days

says they will remove if the US agrees not to invade and ends blockade - deal!

results US looks strong at critical time, pay of pigs, etc

hotline installed