UNIT13 ch 36

What was the Baby Boom and its impact on American society?

A period from 1945-1960 where 50 million babies were born in the U.S., leading to larger families, a focus on homemaking for women, and significant social and economic changes.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A policy established in 1947 to provide economic and military aid to countries resisting communism, initially aimed at Greece and Turkey against totalitarian regimes; it gained all support from the democrats and Republicans in Congress

Define containment as it relates to the Cold War.

The U.S. strategy to prevent the spread of communism, first articulated by George Kennan.

What was the Marshall Plan?

A U.S. program initiated in 1948 that provided economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe (including USSR and satellite states), which successfully stimulated economic growth.

What does NATO stand for and its purpose?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance formed to defend member nations from outside attacks.

What was the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly known as the G.I. Bill?

A law providing World War II veterans with benefits for education, housing, and unemployment insurance.

Describe the Sunbelt and its significance post-WWII.

A region in the U.S. known for a mild climate and economic opportunities, attracting millions of people after the war.

What was the Iron Curtain?

A term used by Winston Churchill to describe the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries.

Yalta Conference

1945 strategy meeting between Roosevelt (US), Churchill (British) and Stalin (Soviet Union) aimed to shape post war peace

Cold War

A period of geopolitical tensions between the US and the Soviet’s an their respective allies, characterized by proxy wars, ideological conflict, and an arms race, lasting from 1947 to 1991

U.N.

The founding of this in the fall of 1945 provided one hopeful sign for the future, helping to get countries to ally and help

UN General Assembly Vs UN Security council

Was created to provide representation to all member nations, while the 15-member Security council was given the primary responsibility within the U.N. for maintaining international security and authorizing peacekeeping missions

IMF

Focused on global financial stability and economic growth

World Bank

Aimed to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development in developing countries through financial, policy advice, and technical assistance

Nuremberg Trials

22 top Nazi leaders for war crimes and violations of man rights

Satellite Nations

Nations by communist countries (Soviets) such as Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia that needed protection against another Hitler-like invasion from the West

What did the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) do?

Investigated and accused individuals of being communists, leading to blacklisting in many industries.

Rosenbergs/Alger Hiss

US government official accused of being a communist spy and convicted of perjury

What was NSC-68?

A top-secret U.S. government report that outlined a strategy for combating Soviet threats, advocating for a massive military buildup.

What sparked the Korean War?

The invasion of South Korea by North Korea on June 25, 1950, following the division of Korea after WWII.

How did the Truman administration respond to the growing fear of communism in the U.S.?

By establishing the Loyalty Review Board to investigate potential communist affiliations among federal employees.

What was the outcome of the Yalta Conference?

A meeting between the leaders of the U.S., U.K., and the USSR to discuss post-war reorganization, which laid the groundwork for future tensions.

What role did the IMF and World Bank play in the postwar economy?

The IMF focused on global financial stability, while the World Bank aimed to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.

What was the significance of the Fair Deal proposed by Truman?

An ambitious reform program aimed at expanding social welfare and civil rights, though it faced significant opposition.

How did the post-WWII American economy change?

It transitioned from a wartime economy to a prosperous consumer-driven economy, with increased incomes and living standards.

How did the US change ideologically after the war?

WWII dramatically changed the US from an isolationist country into a military superpower and a leader in world affairs

How did the US change socially after the war?

Most of the Americans at home and the millions coming back from the military service returned to normal domestic life and enjoy the revitalized national economy

T or F? During Trumans presidency, the growing conflict between the communist Soviet Union and the US-a conflict that came to be known as the Cold War—dampened the nations enjoyment of the postwar boom

T

What challenged did millions of American soldiers face after coming back to Civilian life?

Many feared that the end of the war might mean the return of economic hard times (even though the war year increased the per-capita income of Americans)

Which applied to this era

A. American economy grew rapidly

B. The middle class expanded

C. Americans accounted to 40% of the planets wealth

All of the above

What were changes in civilian lifestyles?

• women jobs grew

• WWII boosted economy

• Productivity in edcation

• Family expansions

What were large increases in military spending helping to start?

High tech industries like aerospace, plastics, and electronics

What caused America to signifcantly increased its energy consumption?

Low-cost petroleum from the Middle East (prices were controlled by Europe and America)

T or F? The idea of productivity grew and this caused for improved tech and the rising educational level of the workforce

T

Why did less people need to work on farms, and how did this eventually shift the work force out of agriculture?

Mechanizations nd fertilizers increased the productivity of farms

T or F? The low demand for housing after the war resulted in a construction loss

False: there was a high demand for housing after the war, which resulted in a construction boom

Since there was a growth in businesses, what were outcomes?

Franchises, advertising, consumerism, television

Why were there western TV and not war?

The subject was still too close to home

T or f? By this decade, 90% gad a TV

T

Other than the growth of brands, what else grew?

Feminism

Betty Freidan

Believed there was more to life than wife/mother, acknowledged women were discouraged form pursing careers, lack of quilting education

What did society think about women like Betty who spoke up?

A. They were mentally ill and insane

B. They did not care, nothing would change

C. They enjoyed the new perspective

A

Throughout the country, home ownership became increasingly popular and many white Americans moved from the city to the newly created suburbs. What two programs made home-loan guarantees, making it more economical to own a home in the suburbs rather than rent an apartment in the city?

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Veterans Administration (VA)

Who was president after Roosevelt in April 1945?

Truman

What did Truman uphold?

The New Deal tradition

What was unusual about Truman?

He did not have a college degree. He was known as the “average mans average man”

Is this true? Truman has the ability to face difficulty with courage

True

The Fair Deal

He urged Congress to enact national health care insurance, federal aid to education, civil rights legislation, funds for public housing, and a new farm program

Why were most reforms blocked in the Fair Deal?

Conservatives in Congress blocked most of the proposed reforms, except for an increase in the minimum wage and the inclusion of more workers under Social Security

Why were the Fair Deal bills defeated for two reasons?

Trumans political conflicts with congress and the pressing foreign policy concerns of the COld War

What happened to the economy in the initial postwar years?

It struggled and prices of consumer goods increased because the wartime price controls were removed

What happened because of this economic upset?

Strikes

Why was Taft-Hartley passed?

In 1947, the Republican Congress passed this over Presdient Trumans veto. It outlawed “closed” (all-union) businesses, made unions liable for damages that resulted from jurisdictional disputes among themselves, and required union leaders to take a noncommunist oath. By this passing, it was just one of several obstacles tht slowed the growth of organized labor in the years following WWII

What was Operation Dixie and why did it fail?

The CIO’s “Operation Dixie” tried to unionize southern textile workers and steelworkers. It failed in 1948 because it couldn’t overcome fears of racial mixing

Employment Act of 1946

Created a 3-member Council of Economic Advisers to advise the President on policies regarding employment, production, and purchasing power

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)

The bill raised educational levels and stimulated the construction industry’s this helped to create the economic expansion that started in the late 1940s

Contrast how America reacted after WwII as opposed to WWI

After WWI, America embraced global leadership and economic dominance, investing in reconstructions and frosterign a consumer society. After WWII, American returned to isolationism, focusing on domestic issues and rejecting international involvement

How long did the Cold War dominate history?

From the late 1940s to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

What/who was the conflict centered around?

The intense rivalry between the communist empire of the Soviet Union and the leading Western democracy, the US

T or F? This war was mostly through armed conflict rather than diplomacy or proxy wars

F

How deep were the tensions between the US and the Soviet Union?

Since the Bolshevik Revolution that established a Communist government in Russia in 1917, Americans had viewed the Soviets as a threat to all capitalistic countries. In the US, it led to the red Scare of 1919

What was the context of the Nonaggression Pact of 1939?

Roosevelt advisers concluded that Stalin and the communists could nto be trusted, so Stalin and Hitler agreed to divide up Eastern Europe

Yalta Confernce

In February 1945, the Big Three (Roosevlet, Churchill, and Stalin) met in Yalta to discuss the wars end. It was agreed that Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania should have free elections. Stalin eventually broke this agreement. The Big 3 also announced plans for fashioning a new international peacekeeping organization (the U.N.)

The Soviet Union and the US provoked each other into a tense, 40-year standoff known as….

The Cold War

What was hypocritical of the US?

The US terminated the USSRs much needed lend-lease aid in 1945. It also ignored Moscows plea for a $6 billion reconstruction loan, while approving a similar loan of 3 billion to Britain in 1946. Therefore, the USSR sought to guarantee its own security by creating a “sphere of influence” around it (around set of friendly countries). These spheres of influence contradicted President FDR’s Wilsonian dream of an “open world” , decolonized, demilitarized, and democratized

How did the IMF and the World Bank form?

In 1944, the Western Allies met in NH and established the IMF to encourage world trade by regulating currency exchange rates. They also founded the World Bank to promote economic growth in underdeveloped areas

The U.N. brought…

UNESCO, WHO, and FAO

UN

In 1946, Bernard Baruch wanted to create a U.N. agency, free from the great power veto, with worldwide authority over atomic energy, weapons, and research. The plan fell apart as neither the US not the Soviet Union wanted to give up their nuclear weapons

Numbers trials

At Numbers, Germany from 1945-1946, Nazi leaders were tried and punished for war crimes. Punishments included hangings and long jail sentences

T or F? At the end of the warm Austria and Germany were divided into 4 military occupation zones, each assigned to one of the Big Four powers

T

As the USSR spread communism to its Eastern zone in Germany and the Western Allies promoted the idea of a reunited Germany, Germany was divided into 2 zones. Which country was independent and which was a satellite country?

West Germany was an independent country and East Germany became bound to the Soviet Union as an independent “satellite state”, shutoff from the Western world by the “iron curtain”

What happened to Berlin?

Berlin, still occupied by the 4 big powers, was completely surrounded by the Soviet Occupation Zone. In 1948, the Soviet Union attempted to starve the Allies out of Berlin by cutting off all rail and highway access to the city. In May 1949, after America had flown in mnay supplies, the blockade was lifted

Truman Doctrine

Gave financial support to Greece to resist communist pressures. Truman declared that it must be the policy of the US to aid any country that was resisting communist aggression

Marshall Plan

Gave money to 16 European countries. Within a few years, Europe’s economy was flourishing, and the Communist parties had lost ground

Why did the marshall plan give os much money to countries for?

Following WWII, France, Italy, and Germany were suffering from the hunger and economic chaos caused by the war. They were in danger of being taken over by communist parties within the countries. By promising financial aid, American Secretary of State George C. Marshall convinced the Europeans to create a joint plan for their economic recovery.

Due to the NSA, what did it create?

The Department of Defense and National Secuirty Council to adivse the president on Secuirty matters, and ti created the CIA to coordinate the governments foreign fact-gathering

NATO

The pact pledged each nation to regard an attack on one as an attack on all. The pact also marked a departure from American diplomatic convention, a boost for European unification, and a significant step in the militarization of the Cold War

Truman Vs MArshall Doctrine

• Truman allowed for economic and military aid to assist the “free people” of Greece and Turkey against “totalitarian” regime NO TROOPS

• Marshall Plan gave human aid and food postwar continuamente, not fighting communism—? Human relief/aid

What was the same purpose of Truman and Marshall Plan?

To show US is a good guy

What led to rising tensions that eventually became the Korea War?

North Korea (communist) invaded South Korea (American troops filled). Americans thought it was a threat because spread of communism. US sent troops (Viet War). North Korea pushed back and SK did too—> containment became an international thing

North Korea (communists) invaded South Korea (filled with American troops). Americans through it was a threat because spread of communism. US sent troops (Viet.War). North Korea

Explain the tension between Truman and MacArthur during this conflict

MacArthur stabilized the fighting near the 38th parallel. At the same time, he called for expanding the war, including bombing and invading mainland China. As commander in chief, Truman cautioned MAcArthur about making public statements that suggested criticism of officially US policy. The general spoke out anyways. In April 1951, Truman, with the support of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recalled MacArthur for insubordination

Second Red Scare

The Truman admin tendency to see a Communist conspiracy behind civil wars in Europe and Asia contributed to the belief that communism conspirators and spies had infiltrated American society, including the US State Department and the U.S. military. In 1947, the Truman admin—under pressure from republican critics—set up a Loyalty Review Board to investigate the background of more than 3 million federal employees. The methods used to identity Communist spies in espionage cases raised serious questions about whether the government was going too far and violating civil liberties in the process.

HUAC

Trying to investigate communism in the country, goes after Hollywood (Jospeh McCarthy brought famous people in Hollywood—people thought that Hollywood favored communism, therefore, Americans felt they were under attack)

Rosenbergs

Jewish couple- nuclear facility, accused of being spies; got executed