Post-WWII Cold War Era: Conferences, Policies, and Social Changes

Yalta Conference

Held in February 1945, the Yalta Conference brought together Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin to plan postwar Europe.

Cold War

A prolonged ideological and geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union after WWII.

Bretton Woods Conference

Held in 1944, this conference established the IMF and World Bank to stabilize global economies and promote free trade.

United Nations (UN)

Founded in 1945 to prevent future wars and promote international cooperation.

Nuremberg Trials

Trials held from 1945-1946 to prosecute Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Berlin Airlift

In 1948-1949, the U.S. and allies airlifted supplies to West Berlin after the Soviet blockade.

Iron Curtain Speech

Delivered by Winston Churchill in 1946, warning of Soviet domination in Eastern Europe.

Containment Doctrine

Proposed by George Kennan, containment aimed to prevent the spread of communism through economic, political, and military measures.

George Kennan

A U.S. diplomat and author of the 'Long Telegram,' Kennan shaped the containment strategy.

Truman Doctrine

Announced in 1947, pledging U.S. support to nations resisting communism, starting with Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan

Launched in 1948, this economic aid program rebuilt Western Europe after WWII.

Palestine

Postwar tensions over Jewish immigration and the creation of Israel in 1948 sparked Middle Eastern conflicts.

National Security Act

Passed in 1947, reorganized U.S. defense by creating the Department of Defense, National Security Council, and CIA.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Formed under the National Security Act, the CIA conducted covert operations to counter communism.

NATO

Established in 1949 as a military alliance of Western nations to deter Soviet aggression.

Mao Zedong

Leader of the Chinese Communist Party, Mao established the People's Republic of China in 1949.

NSC-68

Issued in 1950, this document called for a massive military buildup to counter Soviet threats.

Korean War

From 1950-1953, the U.S. fought to repel North Korean (and later Chinese) forces from South Korea.

HUAC

The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated alleged communist influence in the U.S. during the late 1940s and 1950s.

McCarthyism

Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist crusade led to widespread accusations and blacklisting.

Army-McCarthy Hearings

Televised hearings in 1954 exposed McCarthy's tactics, leading to his downfall.

Executive Order 9981

Issued by Truman in 1948, it desegregated the U.S. armed forces.

Taft-Hartley Act

Passed in 1947, it restricted union power and allowed states to enact 'right-to-work' laws.

Operation Dixie

A failed campaign by the CIO to unionize Southern workers after WWII.

Employment Act of 1946

Committed the federal government to promoting maximum employment and economic stability.

GI Bill

Enacted in 1944, it provided veterans with education and housing benefits.

Dixiecrats

Southern Democrats who opposed civil rights and broke from the party in 1948.

Fair Deal

Truman's domestic program aimed to extend New Deal reforms, including health care and civil rights.

Sunbelt

The southern and western states that experienced rapid growth after WWII.

Levittown

Mass-produced suburban housing developments built after WWII.

Baby Boom

The surge in births from 1946-1964 following WWII.