Post war/cold war notes

US HISTORY II                                                       NAME_________________________________

Post War/Reconversion to Cold War-NOTES

THE GREAT BOOM:

Reconversion (economic chaos after the war):
After WWII, the U.S. shifted from a wartime economy to a peacetime one. This led to temporary inflation, job shortages, and labor unrest as industries reconverted to consumer goods production. Veterans returned seeking work, and women were pushed out of wartime jobs.

Taft-Hartley Act (1947):
A federal law that restricted the power of labor unions. Passed over Truman’s veto, it outlawed closed shops, required union leaders to swear they weren’t communists, and allowed states to pass right-to-work laws.

GI Bill (Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944):
Provided WWII veterans with benefits like tuition for college, low-interest home loans, and unemployment compensation, fueling a rise in education, homeownership, and suburban growth.

Levittowns and Bill Levitt:
William Levitt revolutionized suburban housing with mass-produced homes (Levittowns) that were affordable for returning veterans and their families. These developments symbolized postwar suburbanization.

Redlining:
A discriminatory practice where banks and real estate agents refused loans or housing opportunities in minority neighborhoods, enforcing racial segregation in housing and denying wealth accumulation to Black Americans.

Initial civil rights movement:

• Jackie Robinson (1947):
  Broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming a key figure in early civil rights efforts.
  
  

• Integrating the armed forces (1948):
  President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 to desegregate the U.S. military, marking a major step in civil rights.
  
  

Baby Boom:

• Cause:
  Post-war economic stability, a sense of optimism, and the return of millions of soldiers led to a dramatic increase in birth rates from 1946 to 1964.
  
  

• Impact:
  Massive population growth fueled suburban expansion, increased demand for schools and housing, and shaped American culture and politics for decades.
  
  

TRUMAN AND POLITICS

Republican opposition:
Truman faced a Republican-controlled Congress after 1946, which challenged many of his domestic proposals and overturned several New Deal-era policies.

Fair Deal:
Truman’s domestic policy agenda aimed to extend the New Deal. It included national health insurance, civil rights legislation, and increased minimum wage, though most of it was blocked by Congress.

Dixiecrats:
Southern Democrats who split from the Democratic Party in 1948 in opposition to Truman’s civil rights agenda. They nominated Strom Thurmond for president.

1948 campaign:
Truman won a surprise victory over Republican Thomas Dewey, running a strong grassroots campaign and emphasizing his “Give ‘em Hell” style. His win is remembered for the famous “Dewey Defeats Truman” newspaper error.

CONFRONTING THE SOVIET UNION:

Cold War:
A prolonged geopolitical struggle (1945–1991) between the U.S. and Soviet Union involving ideological, political, and military tensions but not direct warfare between the superpowers.

Iron Curtain Speech (1946):
Delivered by Winston Churchill in Missouri, warning of Soviet domination in Eastern Europe and calling for Western unity against communism.

Why did we fear the Soviet Union?
The USSR was seen as expansionist and authoritarian, spreading communism through force and threatening democratic nations. Its nuclear capabilities also made it a major threat.

Why was Truman determined to fight the spread of communism?
Truman believed in containing communism to prevent it from spreading globally, seeing it as a threat to freedom and democracy.

Truman Doctrine (1947):
A U.S. foreign policy promising to aid countries resisting communism, beginning with military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey.

Marshall Plan (1948):
A U.S. initiative to aid Western Europe’s economic recovery after WWII to prevent the spread of communism. Provided over $12 billion in aid and helped rebuild Europe.

U.S. policy in Japan and Douglas MacArthur:
Postwar U.S. occupation of Japan was led by General MacArthur, who oversaw democratic reforms, disarmament, and economic recovery. Japan became a U.S. ally.

Berlin Blockade (1948–49):
Stalin blocked access to West Berlin. The U.S. responded with the Berlin Airlift, supplying food and goods to the city for nearly a year until the blockade ended.

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency, 1947):
Created to gather foreign intelligence and conduct covert operations during the Cold War.

NSC (National Security Council):
Established in 1947 to advise the president on national security and foreign policy; key player in Cold War strategy.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 1949):
A military alliance among the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to provide collective defense against the Soviet Union.

COLD WAR AND HOT WAR:

Nuclear Weapons and Testing:
The U.S. and USSR raced to build and test more powerful nuclear weapons. The hydrogen bomb was tested in 1952 by the U.S., escalating the arms race.

NSC-68 (1950):
A secret policy paper calling for massive U.S. military buildup to counter Soviet expansion and influence globally.

Containment and American strategy:
U.S. foreign policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism through economic, military, and diplomatic means.

War in Korea:

• When:
  1950–1953
  
  

• Why did it start?:
  North Korea invaded South Korea in June 1950 to unify the peninsula under communism.
  
  

• 38th parallel:
  The dividing line between North and South Korea, both before and after the war.
  
  

Timeline:

• June 25, 1950:
  North Korea invades South Korea.
  
  

• June 30, 1950:
  Truman commits U.S. troops under UN command.
  
  

• October 1950:
  U.N. troops push into North Korea near the Yalu River.
  
  

• November 1950:
  China enters the war, pushing U.N. troops back.
  
  

• March 1951:
  Stalemate near the 38th parallel resumes.
  
  

• April 11, 1951:
  Truman fires General MacArthur for insubordination.
  
  

• June 27, 1953:
  Armistice signed; war ends in a stalemate with no peace treaty.
  
  

Failures of Korea:
No clear victory; Korea remained divided. War highlighted limits of containment and showed challenges of Cold War conflict.

Impact on United Nations:
Demonstrated the UN’s role in international conflict resolution, but also showed it was heavily influenced by U.S. policy.

THE SECOND RED SCARE- fear of communism after WWII (1st one after WWI)

Loyalty programs:
Truman’s executive order created loyalty boards to investigate federal employees for ties to communism.

HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee):
Congressional committee that investigated suspected communists, especially in Hollywood and government.

Hollywood Ten:
A group of writers and directors who refused to testify before HUAC, were cited for contempt of Congress, and were blacklisted.

Blacklist:
Informal denial of employment to suspected communists or sympathizers in Hollywood and other industries.

Gary Cooper and Ronald Reagan:
Testified before HUAC. Reagan, then president of the Screen Actors Guild, cooperated and opposed communism; Cooper denied any communist ties.

“Fifth Amendment Communists”:
Term used to accuse people who refused to testify or name names by invoking their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Alger Hiss Trial:
State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy; convicted of perjury in 1950. Case helped launch Richard Nixon's political career.

• Richard Nixon:
  Congressman who gained national fame for his role in exposing Hiss as a possible spy.
  
  

Rosenberg Trial (1951):
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted and executed for passing atomic secrets to the Soviets. The case was controversial and reflected Cold War fears.

McCarthyism and Senator Joe McCarthy:
McCarthy led a witch hunt in the early 1950s, claiming widespread communist infiltration in government. His aggressive tactics created a climate of fear until his downfall in 1954 after being censured by the Senate.