_BJP __ 20 - UNDERSTAND The Postwar Era _ STUDENT REVIEW

GI Bill

Legislation helping World War II veterans with tuition grants, job training, and home loans.

Taft-Hartley Act

Legislation that permitted states to require an 80-day cooling off period before strikes in businesses deemed crucial by the president.

National Security Act (1947)

Reorganized American military establishments and led to the creation of the National Security Council.

Democratic Party Split (1948)

Several groups split from the Democratic Party including the Left Wing, Wallace, Roosevelt, and Thurmond, with Truman winning the election.

Nuremberg Trials

Trials aimed at bringing justice to those who committed war crimes.

United Nations (UN)

An international organization formed to maintain peace, with a platform for all nations.

UN Security Council

Comprises the US, Russia, Britain, France, and China; permanent members have veto power.

US Aid to Japan after WWII

The US sent billions of dollars to help rebuild Japan under the direction of General MacArthur.

Postwar Europe

After the war, Europe was divided with pro-Soviet governments established in Eastern Europe.

Truman's policy of containment

The US policy to resist and contain further Communist expansion.

Marshall Plan

A US initiative to provide economic aid to rebuild European nations post-WWII as part of containment.

Soviet blockade of West Berlin

A crisis that prompted Truman to make difficult decisions, ultimately leading to a successful airlift.

Chinese Civil War

A conflict where the Communist Party of China (CCP) won, forcing the losing side to retreat to Taiwan.

Korean War

A war prompted by the invasion of South Korea by North Korea, where the UN led the defense effort.

Significance of MacArthur's Inchon invasion

It reversed the military situation in favor of UN forces against North Korea.

Truman-MacArthur disagreement

Truman wanted a limited war while MacArthur desired an all-out approach, leading to MacArthur's firing.

End of the Korean War

The war concluded with an armistice, resulting in the current divided status of North and South Korea.

Economic growth in postwar America

Caused by increased consumer spending, expansion of the military complex, and military expansion.

Eisenhower's dynamic conservatism

A political philosophy emphasizing balanced budgets while fostering military expansion.

Khrushchev's peaceful coexistence

The idea that communist and democratic nations could exist side by side.

U-2 spy plane incident

A Cold War event where a US U-2 spy plane was shot down over Soviet airspace, straining US-Soviet relations.