FOREIGN AFFAIRS—1950s

Why did the Cold War shift to the Third World?  How did the decolonization movement contribute to this?

• No one wants another war in europe. Third world nations are unstable, generally cheaper and easier to manipulate. 

• Decolonization, the end of colonial empires. Collapse of empires, self-determination: control their own destinies. They don't leave a stable government behind.

What were the complaints of Iran towards British Petroleum?  

Unfair sharing practices, British segregation in Iran.

What event led the British to try and improve the profits shared with Iran?  

1950- US, Saudi Arabia reached a 50/50 split for oil. Iranians had enough of the british. In 1951, iran nationalized their oil fields

What drove the American government to intervene in Iran? 

• 1951- Iran nationalized their oil fields

• Negotiations broke down, boycotts of Iran oil which sinks iran economy

How did the US provide material support in the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadeq?

• 1953 CIA agent Kermit Roosevelt to Iran.

• 1. Hires mobs to demonstrate

• 2. Met with Iran to overthrow Mossadeq

• 3. Grooms new leader: Shah of Iran, Mohammed Pahlavi

How did Jacobo Arbenz infuriate the United Fruit Company? 

• Seized 26,000 acres of United Fruit land ->  give to the peasants

• Eventually 1.5 mil acres

• 650,000 dollars in back wages

What was Arbenz’s fatal mistake leading to US intervention?

• Guatemala couldn't buy weapons.

• US sold weapons to Guatemala's neighbors.

• Arbenz buys weapons from Poland. (Communist country) 

• June of 1954 Arbenz overthrown

What ways did the federal government play a role in the affluence of the 1950s?

• 1955 - 60% of US population was middle class. Net salary of $5,000 per year

• 25% of population moved to the suburbs

• Number of cars increased 133% between 1945-1960

• Roles of Gov

• 1. GI Bill: education loans, home loans, small business loans

• 2. National Highway Act of 1956 - 41,000 miles on interstate- $32 billion. Gives jobs 

• 3. Govt sponsored research and development- General Electric, IBM

What were some of the problems underneath the glittering affluence of the 1950s?

• Civil rights

• Women - increasing alcoholism, prescription drug abuse

• TV, not helping women

• A lot of new Technology, “getting too ahead of us?”

How did television set back the achievements made by women in the 1940s? 

Women portrayed as not working only cooking and cleaning on TV

What event led Americans to believe that the Soviet Union was winning the space race and arms race?

• Sputnik , October 1957 - a fear that maybe soviets were in fact winning the technology race. intercontinental ballistic missile

“Pactomania”

NSC68 collective security arrangements, US collective security arrangements