The Yalta Conference

Division of Germany and Europe After World War II

The Potsdam Conference: Beginning of the Cold War

The Truman DoctrineThe “containment” of

communism primary goal

Takes three basic formats:

economic assistance to allies (the Marshall Plan)

military assistance to pro-democracy/anti-communist movements (Berlin, Korea)

military alliances (NATO)

Berlin Airlift (April, 1948 – May, 1949)

Soviets cut off access to West Berlin to force West to surrender it to communist East Germany

Truman responds with an airlift of supplies to keep W. Berlin free

Berlin Airlift (April, 1948 – May, 1949)

Allies dropped tons of supplies for 14 months; Stalin forced to give up effort

The Marshall Plan

NATO vs. Warsaw Pact

1948 Election Democrats spilt into three over Civil Rights and Cold War policies

Formation of the States’ Rights Party (“Dixiecrats”); opposed to civil rights for black Americans

Truman defeats Dewey in an upset

The Korean War (1950 – 1953)

Communist North Korea invades non-communist South; MacArthur invades at Inchon (Sept. 1950) to drive North past 38th parallel

MacArthur pushes N. Koreans to Chinese border; China enters the war (Nov. 1950) and pushes UN forces back . MacArthur blames Truman publicly.

The Korean War (1950 – 1953)

Truman reprimands MacArthur

April, 1951 – criticizes Truman again, fired from, command; extremely unpopular move

MacArthur returns as a hero

The New Red ScareAn effect of the Cold War;

search to eliminate communism from govt. and society

Led by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Pete Seeger

The New Red ScareCase against Alger Hiss; State Department

diplomat, present at Yalta, accused Soviet spy

Led by Richard Nixon

Hiss convicted of perjury; later proven to be Soviet agent

The New Red ScareThe Rosenbergs! Accused

Soviet spies in the Manhattan Project; executed for treason

Protests against “witch hunt”

Later proven to be Soviet spies

“McCarthyism”Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R – WI) uses public

hearings to “expose” hundreds of Soviet agents in the govt. Most are innocent.

Senate hearings on Soviet influence on US government

“McCarthyism”

Little proof offered, mostly accusations

Hundreds of careers and people ruined by McCarthy; many others left govt. service

“McCarthyism”McCarthy accuses the Army of

harboring communists; hearings televised

Publicly exposed as a bully and fraud; Senate later censures (reprimands) him; dies 1957

1952 Election

Foreign Policy Under EisenhowerEnhancement of Truman

Doctrine:

“rollback” of communism

“brinksmanship” – pushing Soviets to accept concessions in arms race

Areas of conflict: Central America, Hungary

Pres. Eisenhower with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles

Other Cold War IssuesSputnik (Oct. 1957):

Russians launch first satellite into space; causes panic in US

Cuba (Jan. 1959):

Fidel Castro takes over Cuba; later announces creation of communist govt., first in this hemisphere

The Culture of the Car The Culture of the Car Car registrations: 1945 Car registrations: 1945

25,000,00025,000,000 1960 1960 60,000,000 60,000,000

2-family cars doubles from 1951-2-family cars doubles from 1951-19581958

1956 1956 Interstate Highway ActInterstate Highway Act largestlargest public works project in American public works project in American history! history!

Å Cost $32 billion.Cost $32 billion.

Å 41,000 miles of new highways 41,000 miles of new highways built.built.

1959 Chevy 1959 Chevy CorvetteCorvette

1958 Pink 1958 Pink CadillacCadillac

The Culture of the Car

The Culture of the Car

First McDonald’s First McDonald’s (1955)(1955)

America became a more America became a more homogeneous nation homogeneous nation because of the automobile.because of the automobile.

Drive-In Drive-In MoviesMoviesHoward Howard

Johnson’sJohnson’s

The Culture of the Car

The Culture of the Car

The U. S. population was on the move in The U. S. population was on the move in the 1950s.the 1950s.

NE & Mid-W NE & Mid-W S & SW S & SW (“Sunbelt” states)(“Sunbelt” states)

1955 1955 Disneyland opened in Southern Disneyland opened in Southern California.California. (40% of the guests came from (40% of the guests came from outsideoutside California, most by car.) California, most by car.)

Frontier Frontier LandLand

Main StreetMain Street Tomorrow LandTomorrow Land

Walt Disney

Suburban Living Suburban Living

$7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.$7,990 or $60/month with no down payment.

Levittown, L. I.: Levittown, L. I.: “The American Dream”“The American Dream”

1949 1949 William Levitt William Levitt produced produced 150 houses per week. 150 houses per week.

Suburban Living Suburban Living

SHIFTS IN POPULATION SHIFTS IN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, DISTRIBUTION,

1940-19701940-1970

19401940 19501950 19601960 19701970Central CitiesCentral Cities 31.6% 32.3% 31.6% 32.3% 32.6% 32.0% 32.6% 32.0%SuburbsSuburbs 19.5% 23.8% 19.5% 23.8% 30.7% 30.7% 41.6%41.6%Rural Areas/Rural Areas/ 48.9% 43.9% 48.9% 43.9% 36.7% 26.4% 36.7% 26.4%Small TownsSmall Towns

U. S. Bureau of the Census.U. S. Bureau of the Census.

Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families

Suburban Living:The Typical TV Suburban Families

The Donna Reed The Donna Reed ShowShow

1958-19661958-1966Leave It Leave It to Beaverto Beaver1957-19631957-1963

FatherFather Knows Knows BestBest

1954-19581954-1958

The Ozzie & Harriet The Ozzie & Harriet ShowShow

1952-19661952-1966

Television - Family ShowsTelevision - Family Shows

I Love Lucy

The The HoneymoonersHoneymooners

Glossy view of mostly middle-class suburban life.

But...But...

Television Television 1946 1946 7,000 TV sets in the U. S. 7,000 TV sets in the U. S.

1950 1950 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S. 50,000,000 TV sets in the U. S.

Mass Audience Mass Audience TV celebrated TV celebrated traditionaltraditional

American values. American values.

Television is a vast wasteland. Newton Minnow, Newton Minnow, Chairman of the Federal Communications Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, 1961Commission, 1961

Truth, Justice, and the American way!Truth, Justice, and the American way!

Sheriff Matt Sheriff Matt Dillon, Dillon,

GunsmokeGunsmoke

Teen Culture Teen Culture““The King” - ElvisThe King” - Elvis

Marlon Marlon BrandoBrando

James DeanJames Dean in inRRebel Without a ebel Without a

CauseCause (1955) (1955)

Birth of Rock and Roll, Baby!Birth of Rock and Roll, Baby!

Progress Through Science Progress Through Science

Atomic AnxietiesAtomic Anxieties::

““Duck-and-Cover Duck-and-Cover Generation”Generation”

Atomic TestingAtomic Testing::

1946-1962 1946-1962 U. S. exploded 217 nuclear U. S. exploded 217 nuclear weapons over the Pacific and in Nevada.weapons over the Pacific and in Nevada.

Progress Through Science Progress Through Science

UFO SightingsUFO Sightings skyrocketed in the skyrocketed in the 1950s.1950s.

War of the War of the WorldsWorlds

Hollywood used aliens as a Hollywood used aliens as a metaphor metaphor

for whom for whom ????

Plan 9 From Outer Space

Other Cold War IncidentsMay, 1960 – the U2 incident

US spy plane shot down over USSR; used as evidence of American spying

Pilot on trial; ruins first American-Soviet summit in Vienna in June