Truman and Post-War America, 1945-1952

how did usa differ compared to other world powers at the end of ww2

europe endured bombings, food shortages, rationing, massive casualties, huge social disruptions

america suffered none of this bc war didnt happen on american soil

usa's significance from a global standpoint, despite only being 7% of the global population

- 42% of the world income

- 62% of word's discovered oil

- 50% of manufacturing output

usa unemployment in 1944

1.4%

roosevelt approval rating at time of his death

70%, never below 48%

how was truman initially perceived by many people when he was elected

a compromise candidate who was not up to the job

how did roosevelt's actions during his presidency impede truman

congress and individual states believed roosevelt had increased executive power at their expense, so were unlikely to repeat this in a peacetime era with an inexperienced president

average annual GDP growth under roosevelt

8.5% - highest growth rate in the history of any industrialised country

usa trade advantage after ww2

europe had undergone bombardment, america hadnt

europe needed goods and raw materials to rebuild their infrastructure - usa in position to supply them

loan repayment

european countries repaying the loans usa had lent them during the war

steady source of income

what % of the population was african american

10% (14 million people)

great migration

movement of african americans from rural south into northern cities

african americans and indigenous americans significantly more likely to...

- live in poverty

- lack good quality education

- lack good quality healthcare

- lack good quality housing

impact of men leaving for war on agriculture jobs

their jobs were taken up by women and african americans

what % of the workforce in 1944 was women

36%

jobs after the war ended

- 12 million men returned home from war expecting a job -> women excluded from the workforce

- african american soldiers returned to find segregation still intact and the GI bill not applied equally to them

of the 100,000 black men that applied for the GI bill's education fund in 1946, how many actually succeeded in registering for college

1/5

congressmen saw increasing power of trade unions as being a sign of...

the first stirrings of a communist threat to america

trumans foreign policy aims

contain soviet expansion

ensure security of US allies and trading partners

NSC-68

security policy document which suggested an increase in defence spending from original $13 billion planned for 1950 to $50 billion

when and why was NSC-68 issued

april 1950, in response to soviet union successfully testing a nuclear device in august 1949

made to carry out Kennan's policy of containment and warned of the destruction of civilisation that was at stake if the US failed to contain spread of communism

secretary of state under truman

dean acheson

kennan's long telegram

summary of soviet union's foreign policy goals

stated that Soviet Union was willing to do anything it took to advance the strength of the USSR as a factor in international society and abandon "every single ethical value" to do so

when was kennan's long telegram sent

february 1946

sinews of peace

churchill's speech - march 1946

'an iron curtain has descended across europe'

truman doctrine

1947

truman's pledge to provide aid to any country fighting totalitarian (ie communist) forces

how much did truman ask of from congress to carry out truman doctrine

$400 million

how much money did the marshall plan give to europe

$17 billion

where did most of the money from the marshall plan go

uk, france, germany, italy

how much industrial growth did europe see 1948-1952

35%

impact of marshall plan on US-Russian relations

established usa as europe's protector

further alienated stalin, who wanted germany to never recover economically

when did stalin start the blockade

24th june 1948

how many tonnes of supplies were flown in during berlin blockade

1.5 million

number of flights in berlin blockade

275,000

NATO collective defence agreement april 1949

an attack on one of its members constituted an attack on all

when was the berlin blockade lifted

12th may 1949

significance of usa's success in blockade

justified formation of NATO and deployment of B-29 bombers in europe

entrenched truman doctrine as basis of US foreign policy

us involvement in japan after their surrender

general macarthur given complete power to transform japan from militaristic state to modern democracy

why did an economically powerful japan become desirable after mao zedong's victory

fear that a poor japan would make it more susceptible to communism - trigger domino effect

when did china fall to communism

october 1949

how much support did truman give china in the fight against communsim

limited military and financial aid bc of nationalists' inability to form a stable china after the war

who did america support in the indochina war between france and vietnam

ho chi minh expected truman to support bc US was openly committed to self-determination

US instead gave support to france

how much of the cost of french involvement in indo-china did america cover

78%

north korean leader (communist - ussr)

kim il sung

south korean leader (anti-communist - america)

syngman rhee

when was the start of the korean war

june 1950

why did truman feel he had to react to north korean invasion

contain communism

offset criticism he faced for 'losing' asia

how did truman intervene in korea

via the UN, to avoid disputes with the uncooperative congress

inchon

turning point of korean war

china intervened as UN troops reached...

yalu river boundary

macarthur's dismissal

- repeatedly urged truman to use nuclear weapons to end the stalemate

- truman declined for fear of widening the war

- macarthur makes statements that directly contradicted US foreign policy

- truman fires macarthur, replaced with ridgeway

when did truman fire macarthur

11th april 1951

public response to macarthur's dismissal

outrage bc he was a war hero

truman's approval rating fell to 22%

held ticker tape parade for macarthur

impact of korean war from us perspective

no real change from original 38th parallel, so no clear victory

war dragged on in stalemate and threat of atomic bomb lead to arms race

monetary cost of korean war

$30 billion

american casualties from korean war

138,000 deaths

by how much did america's GDP suffer as a result of the korean war

14%

end of the korean war

july 1953

what did america need to do to maintain its superpower status after ww2

return to peaceful trading with europe

how much money did britain owe america after ww2

$31 billion

how much did france owe america after ww2

$3.2 billion

how much did china owe america after ww2

$1.6 billion

when was the bretton-woods conference and how many took part

july 1944

44 allied nations

what did the bretton-woods conference achieve

led to establishment of the IMF and the World Bank

obliged countries to adopt a monetary policy that tied their currency to USD

promised that the IMF would intervene in countries with financial trouble

implication of the bretton-woods system and IMF

new world economic order would be based around american concept of capitalism and trade

number of soldiers re-entering job market after ww2

12 million

how many soldiers did truman demobilise in 1945

9 million

how much more was the army reduced to in 1946

1.5 million

truman presidency never saw unemployment run higher than...

5%

inflation 1945-46

25%

what was truman successfully able to introduce to combat inflation (1946)

employment Act

council of economic advisors (CEA)

what did the 1946 employment act do

mandated the federal govt to do everything in its power to achieve full employment

GI bill 1944

bill to provide educational opportunities for veterans returning from war

features of GI bill

90% mortgage

guaranteed 52 weeks of unemployment

loans for college

how much did the gov invest through the GI bill in the decade following its passing

$20 billion

impact of baby boom

created huge new market for consumer goods and services

stimulated housing

car sales in 1946 vs 1955

1946 - 2 million

1955 - 8 million

value of war bonds bought by US citizens since 1941

$185 million

increase on total output by 1952 from 1939 levels

90%

industrial output increase under truman

doubled

agricultural output increase under truman

by 1/3

increase in business investment under truman

$14 billion to $38 billion

employment rise under truman

46 million to 61 million

rise of income of americans per capita under truman

40% increase

who gained control over the house and senate in 1946 midterms

republicans

'do nothing' congress

1946-1948

republicans control congress and house

strom thurmond

southern democrat 'dixiecrat'

advocated for states' rights ie segregation

domestic problems year after ww2

baby boom and women staying at home - increased pressure on housing and school system

demand for war materials ended so jobs threatened

unemployment by 1950

5%

industries on strike 1945-46

steel, coal, auto and railroad

number of worker strikes 1946

5 million

number of workers unionised in 1945

15 million

how did truman end the strikes

threatened to conscript striking railroad workers

1947 taft-hartley act (anti-union law)

features of 'fair deal'

- federal aid to education

- tax cuts for low-income earners

- anti-lynching laws

- permanent FEPC

- establishment of new Dept. of Welfare

- increased minimum wage

- national health insurance + expanded social security coverage

increased minimum wage under truman

40 to 75 cents an hour

number of americans employed by 1953

62 million

how many veterans utilised the GI bill

7.8 million

how many years had passed since a bank failed by 1953

9

how did clearing inner city slums disadvantage african americans

cleared slums (which were mainly habited by african americans) not replaced with affordable housing quickly enough - rent increases

decrease in % population living in poverty under truman

1949 - 33%

1952 - 28%

truman approval rating feb 1952

22%