Postwar, Cold War and Korean Postwar, Cold War and Korean WarWar

1945-1956

Domestic Affairs after World Domestic Affairs after World War IIWar II

• <Truman was completely opposite from FDR

• not tall and handsome, first President since Lincoln not to have a college education, not upper class

• positives included-direct and down to earth, self-confident, quick mind, remembered, ability to make difficult decisions and accept responsibility

• “The Buck Stops Here”

Returning to Civilian LifeReturning to Civilian Life

• Reduce Army and Navy

• GI Bill of Rights-1944-veterans attended college, had their tuition paid and received a small monthly income

• federal loans as well guaranteed

• Military sets up C.I.A.

• Economy is booming-Americans begin to buy-with rise of jobs comes rise in prices

• Entertainment-Sports is main attraction-television is new medium

Return to Civilian LifeReturn to Civilian Life

• Entertainment-<Tennessee Williams has 2 hits-The Glass Menagerie and Streetcar Named Desire

• Elizabeth Taylor, 13 yo- overnight success in National Velvet

• Taft-Hartley Act-4.6 million workers went on strike in 1946-passed over Truman’s veto-prohibited closed shops, must take a loyalty oath, abolished employers collecting union dues,

• if strike happened, President could obtain an injunction delaying the strike

Civil RightsCivil Rights

• Truman fights for Civil Rights-Commission appointed by Truman issued a report called “To Secure These Rights”

• Anti-lynching law, poll tax and FEPC measures, permanent civil rights commission, eliminate discrimination in voting

• Congress did nothing

• Truman uses Executive Order- “equality of treatment and opportunity” for members of the armed forces “without regard to race, color, religion or national origin”

• <Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier in baseball-Brooklyn Dodgers

The Election of 1948The Election of 1948

• Huge upset• Truman for Democrats• Truman insisted on a strong Civil Rights

platform, bitterly opposed by the Dixiecrats, they withdraw from convention

• Dixiecrats form States’ Rights Democratic Party and nominate J. Strom Thurmond of Georgia

• Henry Wallace runs on Progressive Party-former VP with Democrats

• Republicans-run Governor Thomas Dewey

• had Congress defeat all his popular stuff-Republican Congress

• then went to the people

Fair Deal replaces New DealFair Deal replaces New Deal

• Extension of the New Deal only stronger

• nationwide system of health insurance, steady income for farmers-lost both of these

• won these- minimum wage increase-from 40cents to 75 cents/hour-extension of social security-more flood control and irrigation-slum clearance and build housing units

The Cold WarThe Cold War

• The Cold War begins with a speech given in 1946 by <Winston Churchill

• An “iron curtain” had been drawn on the continent of Europe

• by the Communists-U.S.S.R.-all behind the curtain-no freedom

• U.S. should get tough• goal of Truman is containmentcontainment• Communism must be kept

inside its existing border

U.S. plans to Contain the U.S. plans to Contain the U.S.S.R.U.S.S.R.

• Truman Doctrine-prevent countries to set up Communist Governments anywhere-asks for $400M

• NATO-(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)-collective security-USSR formed the Warsaw Pact to counter NATO

• Marshall Plan-aid European nations who are starving-Secretary of State <Marshall proposes-debated because of expense-Soviet tanks crush Czechoslovakia-debate over

• Berlin Crisis-lies inside Soviet Sphere in Germany-cut off by Soviets-US airlifts all supplies needed to Berlin-called off

Red ScareRed Scare

• September 23, 1949-USSR explodes the A-bomb

• the security of a monopoly on atomic weapons is gone

• weren’t expected to get it until 1953• someone must have told them• subversion-from 1947-1951 3.2m

government employees are investigated• Alger Hiss-State Department employee-

accused of passing secrets to the Soviets-convicted of perjury

• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg-minor activists in the Communist Party-Klaus Fuchs-British physicist-gave secrets to Soviets-implicated the Rosenbergs-

• Fuchs got 14 years-Rosenbergs got executed by the chair

Joseph McCarthy and Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyismMcCarthyism

• <Senator from Wisconsin-looking for a reelection issue

• wins first term on an exaggerated war record

• started making reckless accusations

• claimed to have 57 then 81, then 205 names of Communists in the State Department (never produced one name

• Democrats were guilty of 20 years of treason

• Marshall served the Kremlin

• McCarthy stuff

McCarthyismMcCarthyism

• Never explain the charge or offer evidence to support it, when questioned, he’d make another accusation, so overwhelmed by the conspiracy, there was not time for small details

• 1954-accused the <Army of coddling Communists and mistreatment of one of his assistants

• televised Senate investigation, 20 million watched for 36 days

• McCarthy bullied witnesses, refused to reveal evidence, interrupted proceedings, made one charge after another

• lost power and support-censured-

• new Red Scare-thousands lost jobs-guilt by association

• McCarthy and his speeches

Postwar ChinaPostwar China

• Civil war-Nationalist led by Chiang Kai-Shek (US supported) v. Communist led by <Mao Zedong

• 1949-Shek is forced to retreat to Formoso

• Mao sets up the People’s Republic of China-US doesn’t recognize

• Truman is highly criticized

• Mao speaks

GermanyGermany

• 1948-United States, France and Britain decide to unite their sectors into one area-West Germany-Also, Berlin

• makes USSR mad-they blockade Berlin

• Allies plan massive airlift of supplies into Berlin

• West Germans become German Federal Republic-East Germans become German Democratic Republic

• Soviets eventually give in

• pictures of the airlift

KoreaKorea

• The Soviet Union and US capture Korea from Japanese

• 38th parallel-38 degree N Latitude-split Korea-North Communist-South-Free

• Want to reunite Korea eventually-Soviets reject

• install Kim Sung as Communist leader

• UN holds election in the south-elect <Syungman Rhee

• both US and Soviets leave

KoreaKorea

• America makes it clear that South Korea is an ally, made sure Rhee wouldn’t fight to reunite

• left with light weapons, poorly trained troops

• North-Soviets and China leave great weapons, well trained army

• June 25, 1950-North invades the South• Brought up in UN-Soviets are

boycotting that day-resolve North Korea as an aggressor

• June 27, 1950-Security Council calls on all members to stop it

• 10 offer aid-most from US-sends General MacArthur with American troops

KoreaKorea

• Within a few weeks UN moves North back-recapture Seoul-MacArthur pushes further

• Chinese warn not to move further or they will have to take action

• October 20, 1950-UN troops take North Korean capital and move North

• October 26, 1950-Chinese come to aid North Korea

• UN digs in at the 38th Parallel

• neither side gains

Korean WarKorean War

• MacArthur is furious-felt he should have unlimited support to drive the Communists out of Korea and China

• Truman and advisors thought a war with China and Soviets too risky

• Truman refuses MacArthur’s request to attack China-publicly criticizes Truman about limited warfare

• April, 1951-Truman fires MacArthur• Americans are shocked-Truman reminds

the people who makes foreign policy-gradually accepted

• Summer, 1951-struggle will deadlock-lasted 2 more years

• 1953-US and Soviets both have leadership change-Eisenhower and Kruschev

Korean WarKorean War

• Soviets thought of “Ike” as a military man more likely to use the bomb

• Cease-fire signed-July, 1953

• UN casualties-90% are American-54,000 dead, 104,000 wounded