Unit 8 Amsco

Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)

Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22, 1944, it was also known as the GI Bill. It provided veterans of the Second World War with funds for college education, unemployment insurance, and housing. (p. 557)

early marriages

One sign of confidence in post World War II era was an explosion of marriages at a younger age and new births. (p. 558)

baby boom

Between 1945 and 1960, 50 million babies were born. This generation would profoundly affect the nation's social institutions and economic life. (p. 558)

suburban growth

Low interest rates on mortgages that were government-insured and tax deductible made the move from the city to the suburb affordable for almost any family. In a single generation the majority of middle-class Americans became suburbanites. (p. 558)

Levittown

William Levitt used mass production techniques to build 17,000 inexpensive homes on Long Island, New York. It became a symbol of the movement to the suburbs in the years after World War II. (p. 558)

Sunbelt

After World War II, many Americans moved to southern states. They were attracted by a warmer climate, lower taxes, and defense-related industry jobs. (p. 558)

Harry Truman

A moderate Democrat, he became president when Franklin Roosevelt died. He was a decisive, honest and unpretentious leader. (p. 558)

Employment Act of 1946

President Truman's act included progressive measures such as increased minimum wage and efforts to maintain full employment. (p. 559)

Council of Economic Advisers

Established by Truman's Employment Act of 1946, they counseled the president and Congress on promoting national economic welfare. (p. 559)

inflation and labor unions

Relaxed controls on the Office of Price Administration resulted in an inflation rate of about 25 percent during the first year and a half after World War II. Workers and unions wanted wages to increase after years of wage controls during World War II. (p. 559)

Committee on Civil Rights

In 1946, President Truman used his executive powers to create this committee to challenge racial discrimination. (p. 559)

racial integration of military

In 1948, President Truman ordered the end of racial discrimination throughout the federal government including the armed forces. The end of segregation changed life on military bases, many of which were in the South. (p. 559)

22nd Amendment

In response to Franklin Roosevelt's four elections, Congress passed this constitutional amendment, which limited a president to a maximum of two full terms in office. (p. 560)

Taft-Hartley Act

In 1947, President Truman called it a "slave labor" bill and vetoed it, but Congress overrode his veto. It established limits on unions by outlawing the closed shop, permitting states to pass "right to work" laws, outlawing secondary boycotts, and giving the president the power to invoke an 80-day cooling off period for some strikes. (p. 560)

Progressive Party

In 1948, liberal Democrats who thought President Truman's aggressive foreign policy threatened world peace, formed this new party. (p. 560)

Henry Wallace

In 1948, this former vice president was nominated as the Progressive party's presidential candidate. (p. 560)

States-Rights party (Dixiecrats)

In 1948, Southern Democrats formed this new party in reaction the President Truman's support of civil rights. (p. 560)

J. Strom Thurmond

The South Carolina Governor, who the States-Rights party (Dixiecrats) chose as their 1948 presidential nominee. (p. 560)

Thomas Dewey

This Republican New York governor started the 1948 presidential election as the expected winner. He lost to Harry Truman after running a cautious and unexciting campaign. (p. 560)

Fair Deal

President Truman's attempt at extending the New Deal with national health insurance, federal aid to education, civil rights legislation, public housing, and a new farm program. Most of the Fair Deal was defeated because of Truman's political conflicts with Congress and the pressing foreign policy concerns of the Cold War. (p. 561)

Cold War

From the late 1940's to 1991, it dominated international relations. The Communist empire of the Soviet Union against the Western democracy of the United States. It was fought mainly through diplomacy rather than armed conflict, but brought the world dangerously close to a nuclear war. (p. 561)

Soviet Union

A Communist nation, consisting of Russia and 14 other states, that existed from 1922 to 1991. (p. 561)

Joseph Stalin

The leader of the Soviet Union during World War II. In the Nonaggression Pact of 1939, he and Hitler agreed to divide up Eastern Europe. The Soviets later fought Hitler in World War II. They were unhappy when the British and Americans waited until 1944 to open a second battle front in France. (p. 562)

United Nations

In the fall of 1945, this worldwide organization was founded and allowed membership of all countries. It had a 15-member Security Council that was to maintain international security and authorize peacekeeping missions. It is often referred to as the U.N. (p. 562)

Security Council

Within the United Nations, this council consisted of 15 members. There were five permanent members that had veto power: United States, Great Britain, France, China, and the Soviet Union. (p. 562)

World Bank

Created at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. The bank's initial purpose was to fund rebuilding after World War II. Also know as International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Soviets declined to join because they saw the bank as an instrument of capitalism. (p. 562)

Communist satellites

Central and Eastern European nations ruled by Communist dictators, most of them loyal to the Soviet Union. They included: Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, and others. (p. 562)

Occupation zones

At the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four regions controlled by the Soviets, United States, Britain, and France. These areas were supposed to be temporary but the Soviets maintained control of the eastern area. (p. 563)

Iron Curtain

The term popularized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the Soviet Union's policy of isolating and controlling the Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe. (p. 563)

Winston Churchill

After World War II he declared, "An iron curtain has been descended across the continent". He called for a partnership between Western democracies to halt the expansion of communism. (p. 563)

historians: traditionalists vs. revisionists

Traditional historians believe the Cold War was started by the Soviet government subjugating the countries of Eastern Europe in the late 1940s. In the 1960s, revisionist historians began to argue that the United States contributed to starting the Cold War. (p. 572)

George Kennan

Helped formulate Truman's containment policy. Expert on Soviet Affairs, in an influential article he wrote that only "a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies" would eventually cause the Soviets to back off their Communist ideology of world domination and live in peace with other nations. (p. 563)

Dean Acheson

undersecretary of state who helped formulate Truman's containment policy (p.

containment policy

In 1947, President Truman adopted the advice of three top advisers on how to contain Soviet aggression. This policy called for a long-term, firm, and vigilant containment of the Soviet's expansion tendencies. They believed this would eventually cause them to back off their Communist ideology of world domination. (p. 563)

Truman Doctrine

This doctrine was in response to a Communist-led uprising against the government in Greece and Soviet demand for some control of a water route in Turkey. In 1947, President Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and military aid to assist Greece and Turkey against totalitarian regimes. (p. 564)

Marshall Plan

A 1947 plan of U.S. economic aid to help European nations revive their economies and strengthen democratic governments, after the devastation of World War II. This plan offered $12 billion in aid to western and southern Europe. The Soviet Union refused to take any of the aid and the result was a deepening rift between non-Communist West and the Communist East. (p. 564)

Berlin airlift

The Soviets cut off all access by land to West Berlin. The United States flew planes in with supplies to help the people. At the same time, the U.S. sent 60 bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs to bases in England. Stalin chose not to challenge the airlift and war was averted. (p. 564)

East Germany

After World War II, this country was the German Democratic Republic, a satellite of the Soviet Union. (p. 564)

West Germany

After World War II, this country was the Federal Republic of Germany, a U.S. ally. (p. 564)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

A military alliance, commonly known as NATO. It consists of the United States, Canada, and ten European nations. Its purpose was to defend Western Europe against outside attack. (p. 565)

National Security Act

In 1947, this act provided for 1) a centralized Department of Defense to coordinate the operations of the military, 2) creation of the National Security Council (NSC) to coordinate the making of foreign policy in the Cold War, 3) creation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to employ spies to gather information on foreign governments. (p. 566)

Nuclear arms race

Soviet and American scientists were in an arms race to develop superior weapons systems. From 1945 to 1949 the U.S. was only country to have atomic bombs. In 1949 the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb. President Truman responded by approving the development of a hydrogen bomb which would be 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb. (p. 566)

NSC-68

A 1950 secret report in which the National Security Council that U.S must fight the Cold War by:
1) quadruple U.S. defense spending to 20% of GNP
2) form alliances with non-Communist countries
3) convince Americans that a costly arms build up was necessary for defense
(p. 566)

U.S. - Japanese Security Treaty

A 1951 treaty, in which Japan surrendered its claims to Korea and islands in the Pacific and the U.S. ended formal occupation of Japan. U.S troops remained on military bases in Japan to protect it from external enemies. (p. 567)

Douglas MacArthur

Popular general who aggressively directed American forces during the Korean War. He clashed with President Truman, who removed him from command in 1951. (p. 566)

Chinese civil war

The war between Communist Mao Zedong and Nationalist Chiang-Kai Shek. The United States gave $400 million in aid to the Nationalists, but 80 percent of it landed in Communist hands. The Communists took over China and forced the Nationalists to retreat to Taiwan. The U.S. did not recognize the People's Republic of China until 1979. (p. 567)

Chiang Kai-shek

Nationalist leader of China, forced out of China by the Communists. He retreated to Taiwan, where the U.S. continued to support him. (p. 567)

Taiwan

When the Communists took control of the China mainland, the Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek were forced to retreat to this island. (p. 567)

Mao Zedong

The Communist leader of the People's Republic of China. He overthrew Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists. (p. 567)

People's Republic of China

Commonly known as China, it is the largest country in East Asia. A socialist republic ruled by the Communist Party of China under a single-party system. (p. 567)

Korean War

On June 25, 1950 the North Korean army invaded South Korea. General Douglas MacArthur led a United Nations force consisting of mostly U.S. troops to help the South Korean army. By the time a peace agreement was signed in 1953 the north and south border was nearly in the same location, but 2.5 million people, including 54,000 Americans had died. (p. 568)

Kim Il Sung

The Communist leader of North Korea during the Korean War. (p. 568)

Syngman Rhee

The nationalist leader of South Korea during the Korean War. (p. 568)

U.N. police action

The term to describe the Korean War because Congress supported the use of U.S. troops under the U.N. but had never declared war. (p. 568)

38th parallel

After World War II Japan gave up its former colony Korea and the country was divided along this parallel. The northern area was occupied by the Soviet forces and the south by the U.S. forces. (p. 568)

soft on communism

The Republican's term to describe the Democrats after China adopted Communism and the Korean War stalemate. (p. 569)

Loyalty Review Board

In 1947 under pressure from the Republicans this board was established to investigate the background of more than 3 million employees. (p. 570)

Smith Act

In 1940, this act made it illegal to advocate or teach the overthrow of the government by force or belong to an organization with this objective. (p. 570)

Dennis et al. v. United States

In 1951, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Smith Act. (p. 570)

McCarran Internal Security Act

In 1950, Congress passed this act over Truman's veto which did the following:
1) Made it unlawful to advocate or support the establishment of a totalitarian government.
2) Restrict the employment and travel of those joining Communist -front organizations.
3) Authorized the creation of detention camps for subversives.
(p. 570)

House Un-American Activities Committee

After World War II, this House of Representative committee investigated Communist influence in the government and within organizations such as the Boy Scouts and Hollywood film industry. Many were called to testify before the committee and some were blacklisted. (p. 570)

Hollywood blacklists

The House Un-American Activities Committee created a list of people who would be denied work in the film industry. (p. 570)

freedom of expression in arts

The Second Red Scare, the search for Communists, had a chilling effect on freedom of expression. (p. 570)

Alger Hiss

He was a state department official who assisted Roosevelt at the Yalta conference. He denied that he was a Communist and had given secret documents to Whittaker Chambers. In 1950, he was convicted of perjury and sent to prison. (p. 571)

Whittaker Chambers

A confessed Communist and witness for the House Un-American Activities Committee. (p. 571)

Rosenberg case

This couple, Julius and Ethel, were charged with running a spy ring for the Soviets in New York. In 1953, they were convicted of treason and executed. (p 571)

Joseph McCarthy

A Republican senator from Wisconsin, who recklessly accused many government officials of being Communists. In December 1954 censured by the Senate which brought an end to his era. (p. 571)

McCarthyism

During the early 1950s, this term was applied to the process of recklessly accusing people in the government and the arts of being Communists. (p. 571)

elections of 1952, 1956

In these two presidential elections Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon defeated Adlai Stevenson quite easily. (p. 580-581)

Dwight Eisenhower

The United States general who supervised the invasion of Normandy and the defeat of Nazi Germany. In the election of 1952 he became the the 34th President of the United States. (p. 579)

Adlai Stevenson

An Illinois governor and the Democratic presidential nominee in 1952 and 1956. He lost both elections to Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. (p. 580)

Richard Nixon

He was vice president under Dwight Eisenhower. In 19868, he would become the 37th President of the United States, but in 1974 he resigned in disgrace after the Watergate scandal. (p. 580)

modern Republicanism

President Eisenhower's term for his balanced and moderate approach to governing. Claiming he was liberal toward people but conservative about spending money. He helped balance the federal budget and lowered taxes without destroying existing social programs. (p. 580)

Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW)

In 1953, President Eisenhower consolidated welfare programs under this new department, run by Oveta Culp Hobby, the first woman in a Republican cabinet. (p. 580)

soil-bank program

President Eisenhower created this program as a way to reduce farm production, thereby increasing farm income. (p. 580)

Highway Act; interstate highway system

The most permanent legacy of the Eisenhower administration was this act passed in 1956. It created 42,000 miles of highway linking every major city in the nation. (p. 580)

John Foster Dulles

In the Eisenhower administration, he was the Secretary of State that pursued a policy of pushing the USSR and China to the brink of war. However, Eisenhower prevented him from carrying his ideas the extreme. (p. 581)

brinksmanship

The principle of pushing Communist nations to the brink of war, thinking they would back down because of American nuclear superiority. (p. 581)

massive retaliation

This was Eisenhower's policy, it advocated the full use of American nuclear weapons to counteract even a Soviet ground attack in Europe. (p. 582)

decolonization

After World War II, dozens of European colonies in Asia and Africa became independent countries. (p. 582)

India, Pakistan, Indonesia

From 1947 to 1949, these three countries gained their independence. (p. 582)

Third World

Term applied to a group of developing countries that often lacked stable political and economic institutions. Their need for foreign aid often made them pawns of the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. (p. 582)

CIA, covert action

Undercover intervention in foreign government by the CIA during Eisenhower's presidency. (p. 582)

Iranian overthrow

In 1953, the CIA helped overthrow this government and established a monarch ruler with close ties to the U.S. He provided favorable oil prices and purchased American military arms. (p. 582)

Korean armistice

In July 1953, China and North Korea agreed to an armistice that would divide Korea into North Korea and South Korea near the 38th parallel. (p. 583)

Indochina

In the early 1950s, France was fighting to retake control of their colony in southeastern Asia. The French were defeated in 1954 and they agreed to give up Indochina, which was divided into the nations of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. (p. 583)

Ho Chi Minh

The North Vietnam Communist dictator who fought the French until 1954, and South Vietnam until 1975. (p. 583)

Geneva Conference

A 1954 conference between many countries that agreed to end hostilities and restore peace in French Indochina and Vietnam. (p. 583)

division of Vietnam

By the terms of the Geneva Convention, Vietnam would be temporarily divided at the 17 parallel until a general election could be held. A prolonged war (1954-1975) occurred between the Communist armies of North Vietnam who were supported by the Chinese and the non-communist armies of South Vietnam who were supported by the United States. (p. 583)

domino theory

The political theory that if one nation comes under Communist control then neighboring nations will also fall to Communist control. (p. 583)

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization

In 1954, an international organization for collective defend and block further Communist gains is Southeast Asia. (p. 583)

State of Israel

In 1948, after a civil war in the British mandate territory of Palestine left the land divided between the Israelis and the Palestinians, this nation was founded. The United Nations oversaw the process and many neighboring countries fought against the creating of this Jewish state. (p. 584)

Arab nationalism

Arab nationalist General Gamal Nasser of Egypt, asked the United States for funds to build the Aswan Dam on the Nile River. (p. 584)

Suez Canal Crisis

In July 1956, Egypt sized the British and French owned Suez Canal. Britain and France carried out a surprise attack and retook the canal. The United States sponsored a U.N. resolution condemning the invasion of Egypt. Eventually Britain and France withdrew their troops. (p. 584)

Eisenhower Doctrine

This 1957 doctrine, pledged United States economic and military aid to any Middle Eastern country threatened by Communism. (p. 584)

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

In 1960, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela formed this organization of oil-producing nations. (p. 584)

atoms for peace

In 1953, President Eisenhower's proposal to the U.N. to slow down the arms race. (p. 585)

spirit of Geneva

The 1955 meeting in Geneva, which produced the first thaw in the Cold War. (p. 585)

open-skies

The Soviets rejected this proposal for open aerial photography of eachothers territory in order to eliminate surprise nuclear attacks. (p. 585)

Nikita Khrushchev

The ruler of the USSR from 1958-1964. He reduced government control of Soviet citizens and sought peaceful coexistence with the West. (p. 585)