Chapters 26–27: Truman, Eisenhower, Cold War, Korean War & 1950s America

Flashcards covering key concepts in the Truman and Eisenhower eras, focusing on the Cold War, Korean War, and 1950s America.

Truman Doctrine (1947)

Truman's pledge to provide military and economic aid to nations threatened by communist takeover.

Marshall Plan (1948)

Massive U.S. economic aid program to rebuild war-torn Western European economies and prevent the spread of communism.

Berlin Airlift (1948–49)

U.S. and allies airlifted supplies into West Berlin for nearly a year after the Soviets blockaded the city.

Five-Pronged Cold War Defense Strategy

U.S. strategy combining nuclear deterrence, conventional military forces, alliances (NATO), foreign aid, and covert CIA operations.

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed in 1949 as a collective defense alliance against Soviet aggression.

Fair Deal

Truman's ambitious domestic program aiming to expand unemployment insurance, raise minimum wage, and support civil rights.

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

Legislation restricting union activities, which Truman referred to as a 'slave labor bill'.

McCarthyism

Anti-communist hysteria characterized by unsubstantiated charges of government infiltration and erosion of civil liberties.

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Congressional committee investigating suspected communist influence in U.S. institutions.

G.I. Bill

Provided veterans with education benefits and home loans, expanding the middle class and fueling suburbanization.

Korean War

U.S. involvement in the conflict starting in 1950 to enforce containment policy following North Korea's invasion of the South.

Inchon Landing

MacArthur's amphibious assault that turned the tide of the Korean War in favor of U.S./UN forces.

Eisenhower's New Look for the Military

Defense policy relying on nuclear weapons and the Air Force, emphasizing cost-effectiveness compared to large armies.

Sputnik (1957)

Soviet satellite launch that intensified the space and arms race, leading to the National Defense Education Act.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court ruling declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning 'separate but equal'.

Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955)

381-day boycott sparked by Rosa Parks's arrest, pivotal in launching MLK's national civil rights career.

McCarran-Walter Act (1952)

Immigration law allowing quotas and deportation of suspected subversives, vetoed by Truman but overridden by Congress.

Eisenhower's International Interventions

U.S. covert actions in Iran, Guatemala, and the Suez Crisis asserting American influence during the Cold War.