3/31 quesitons Cold War Beginnings, Korean War, and Postwar America (1947–1953)

What did the National Security Act create?

It created the Department of Defense, National Security Council, and CIA, organizing U.S. military and intelligence.

What was the purpose of the Pentagon?

It became the headquarters for the Department of Defense.

What was the Marshall Plan?

A U.S. program that gave about $17 billion to rebuild European economies after WWII.

Why did Stalin reject the Marshall Plan?

He saw it as U.S. influence and forced Eastern Europe to refuse it.

How was Germany divided after WWII?

East Germany controlled by the USSR; West Germany by the U.S., Britain, and France.

How was Berlin divided?

Berlin was split into sectors even though it was inside Soviet-controlled East Germany.

What were the Nuremberg Trials?

Trials where Nazi leaders were prosecuted for war crimes; many were executed or imprisoned.

What was the Berlin Blockade?

A Soviet attempt (1948) to cut off supplies to West Berlin for 321 days.

What was the Berlin Airlift?

The U.S. and Allies flew in food and supplies daily to support West Berlin.

Who was Gail Halvorsen?

The “Candy Bomber” who dropped candy to Berlin children during the airlift.

What is NATO?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a 1949 military alliance of Western nations.

What were FRG and GDR?

FRG = West Germany; GDR = East Germany (communist).

What happened in 1949 with the USSR?

The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb.

What was the Warsaw Pact?

A communist military alliance created by the USSR in response to NATO.

What was the U.S. goal in rebuilding Europe and Japan?

To promote democracy and prevent the spread of communism.

What happened in Indochina after WWII?

France tried to regain control of Vietnam; Ho Chi Minh led resistance.

Why did Truman support France?

To contain communism even though France was a colonial power.

What happened in the Chinese Civil War?

Mao Zedong’s communists defeated Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalists.

Where did the Chinese nationalists go?

They fled to Formosa (Taiwan).

What was demobilization?

Soldiers returning to civilian life after WWII.

What did the GI Bill do?

Provided education, jobs, and housing benefits to veterans.

What was the baby boom?

A large increase in births after WWII.

What was the arms race?

Competition between the U.S. and USSR to build nuclear weapons.

What was MAD?

Mutually Assured Destruction; both sides could destroy each other with nuclear weapons.

What was Strategic Air Command (SAC)?

A U.S. military group responsible for nuclear bomb delivery.

What divided Korea after WWII?

The 38th Parallel split North and South Korea.

Who controlled North and South Korea?

North = communist (Kim Il-sung); South = anti-communist (Syngman Rhee).

What caused the Korean War?

North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950.

What role did the UN play in Korea?

It supported South Korea with a multinational force.

What conflict occurred between MacArthur and Truman?

MacArthur wanted to expand the war (even use nukes); Truman disagreed.

How did the Korean War end?

A 1953 armistice created the DMZ dividing North and South.

Why is the Korean War called the “Forgotten War”?

It is less remembered than WWII or Vietnam.

What happened with labor strikes after WWII?

Many strikes occurred; Truman sometimes threatened intervention.

What was suburban growth after WWII?

Expansion of suburbs like Levittown due to economic growth.

What did Truman do for civil rights?

Created a civil rights commission and desegregated the military in 1948.

Who was Jackie Robinson?

The first African American MLB player (Brooklyn Dodgers), breaking the color barrier.

What was the Taft-Hartley Act?

Limited union power and made union membership optional for jobs.

Why was Israel created?

After WWII and the Holocaust, Jews sought a homeland in Palestine.

How was Palestine divided?

The UN split it into Jewish and Arab states.

What happened after Israel declared independence in 1948?

Arab nations attacked; Israel won and gained more land.

Why did the U.S. and USSR recognize Israel?

Both supported its creation early on for different political reasons.