US history 3

Why is it called a “Cold War”?

No direct large scale fighting between the US and USSR

What did the Long Telegram argue?

The USSR must be contained

What was the iron curtain?

Division between communist Easter Europe and capitalist Western Europe

What was containment?

Policy to stop the spread of communism

What was the Truman Doctrine?

US aid to countries resisting communism

What was the Marshall Plan?

US economic aid to rebuild Europe and prevent communism

What caused the Berlin Blockade?

Soviet attempt to control all of Berlin

How did the US respond to the blockade?

Berlin Airlift

What were NATO and the Warsaw Pact?

Rival military alliances

Why was China’s fall to communism significant?

Increased fear of global communist expansion

What is the Domino Theory?

One country falling to communism would lead others to fall

What started the Korean War?

North Korea invaded South Korea

Outcome of the Korean War?

Stalemate at the 38th parallel

Why did the US enter Vietnam

To prevent spread of communism

What is MAD?

Mutually Assured Destruction- both sides would be destroyed in nuclear war.

What was Sputnik?

First satellite launched by USSR

Why was the Space Race important?

Showed technological and ideological superiorty

What was McCarthyism?

Campaign accusing people of being communist without evidence

What were blacklists?

Lists that prevented suspected communists from working

Who were the Rosenbergs?

Couple executed for passing nuclear secrets to USSR

What was the military-industrial complex?

Relationship between military, government, and defense industry

What are proxy wars?

Conflicts where superpowers support opposing sides indirectly

What event symbolized the Cold War’s end?

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

When did the Soviet Union collaspe?

1991

What did Galbraith criticize about postwar America?

Overconsumption and inequality despite wealth

What is the Affluent Society?

A wealthy post-WWII America with underlying social problems

What helped Americans buy homes after WWII

FHA, HOLC, and GI Bill

What was Levittown?

A model mass-produced suburban community

How did suburbs affect the economy?

Increased demand for cars, appliances, and homes

What is redlining

Denying loans to minority neighborhoods

Who was excluded from suburban growth?

African Americans and other minorities

What environmental problems did suburbs cause?

Pollution, land destruction, and resource overuse

What did silent spring expose?

Harmful effects of pesticides

What did Brown V Board of Education rule?

School segregation is unconstitutional

What organization led to legal challenges to segregation?

NAACP

Why was Emmett Till significant?

His murder sparked national outrage

What triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat

Who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott?

Martin Luther King Jr.

What did 1950s TV promote?

Traditional family roles and conformity

What role did women have in the 1950s?

Homemakers and mothers

What was the baby boom?

Rapid population growth WWII

What did Rebel Without a Cause show?

Teen rebellion and dissatisfaction

Who popularized rock n roll?

Elvis Presley

What was the Beat Generation?

A group rejecting consumerism and conformity

What was the Mattachine Society

An early gay rights organization

What economic idea gained popularity in the 1950s

Free-market capitalism

What was Eisenhower’s political approach?

Moderate conservatism

What contradiction defined the Affluent Society?

Prosperity alongside inequality

What did George F Kennan believe about the Soviet Union?

That is was hostile, expansionist, and could not peacefully coexist with the US

What policy did Kennan’s ideas lead to?

Containment of Soviet expansion

According to Kennan, how would the Soviets react to strong resistance?

They would likely back down and avoid conflict.

What was Henry Wallace’s main argument about US policy toward the Soviets?

The US should pursue cooperation and avoid aggressive “get tough” policies

Why did Wallace think being tough on the Soviets was dangerous?

It would increase tensions and could lead to another world war, especially with nuclear weapons

What did Wallace suggest about spheres of influence?

The US and USSR should respect each other’s regions and not interfere

How did Wallace view competition between the US and USSR?

As something that could be peaceful and lead to positive change

What is the main difference between Kennan and Wallace?

Kennan supported containment and strength; Wallace supported cooperation and diplomacy

Why was Wallace removed from the Truman administration?

His views conflicted with the administration’s tougher stance on the Soviet Union

What major global factor made Wallace especially concerned about war?

The existence of atomic (nuclear) weapons

Who was Joseph McCarthy

A US senator who gained power by making exaggerated claims about communist in government

Who was Margaret Chase Smith?

A senator who opposed McCarthy’s methods and defended constitutional rights

Who was Edward R Murrow?

A journalist who publicly challenged McCarthy on television

What was McCarthyism

A period of intense fear of communism marked by accusations without evidence

What was the second red scare?

A post WWII period of fear about communist influence in the US

What was blacklisting?

Denying people jobs due to suspected political beliefs

What did HUAC do?

Investigated suspected communists, often without fair procedures

What were the army-McCarthy hearings?

Televised hearing that exposed McCarthy’s aggressive tactics and hurt his reputation

What does it mean that McCarthy was “censured”

He was officially condemned by the senate

Why did McCarthy gain support

Fear of communism, cold war tensions, and his dramatic accusations

Why didn’t more politicians oppose him?

Fear of being labeled communist sympathizers

What was Smith’s main argument?

Fighting communism should not violate American rights

What does Source 1 show about McCarthy?

He used emotional and exaggerated claims to create fear

What does Source 2 reveal about HUAC?

It pressured witnesses and ignored fairness

What does Source 6 emphasize?

The importance of evidence and not letting fear override freedom

What is the main theme of the section?

The tension between fear-driven politics and principled leadership during the Red Scare

What allowed McCarthyism to spread

Cold war fear, political opportunism, and lack of opposition

Why did McCarthy turn to anticommunism in 1950?

He was losing political support and needed a powerful issue

What tactics did McCarthy use?

Accusations without evidence, fear based rhetoric, and personal attacks

Why were McCarthy’s claims effective?

They matched existing fears about communism

What was the “Declaration of Conscience”?

Smiths speech criticizing McCarthy’s tactics and defending American values

What risks did Smith take by speaking out?

Political backlash, loss of support, and personal attacks

Why didn’t more senators support Smith?

Fear of being labeled communist sympthasizers

How did the Cold war affect the Red Scare?

It increased fear of communism, making Americans more likely to believe accusations

How did the Korean War impact McCarthy’s influence?

It strengthened fear of communism and boosted his support

How did McCarthyism affect everyday people?

Many lost jobs, reputations, and careers due to suspicion

What role did blacklisting play?

It prevented accused individuals from working, especially in entertainment

How were gender roles used politically?

Critics like Smith were attacked as weak or emotional to discredit them

What caused McCarthy’s decline?

Public exposure, overreach (Army), and loss of political support

Why were the Army-McCarthy Hearings important?

They showed his behavior to the public and turned opinion against him

What do McCarthy’s speeches reveal about his strategy?

He used emotional appeals and fear rather than evidence

What do HUAC hearings show about government power?

Investigations often ignored fairness and pressured witnesses

What do Smith and Murrow have in common?

Both warned against fear and defended democratic principles

Who won the 1960 presidential election?

John F Kennedy

Who led Cuba after the revolution?

Fidel Castro

Who was a major nonviolent civil rights leader?

Martin Luther King Jr.

Who promoted Black Power and Self-Defense?

Malcolm X

Who pushed the Great Society programs?

Lyndon B Johnson

What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

A failed US backed attempt to overthrow Castro in Cuba

What was the Cuban missile crisis?

A 1962 standoff over soviet missiles in Cuba

What did the March on Washington demand?

Civil rights, jobs, and equality

What triggered major US involvement in Vietnam?

The gulf of tonkin resolution