Unit 8 Ch.26

Truman and the Cold War

GI BillGovernment paid for collegeLow-interest, government-backed loans for homes and

businessesBaby Boom

50 million babies born between 1945-1960Suburban Growth

Families that could afford it began to leave the citiesLarge cities became increasingly poor and racially divided

SunbeltFamilies flocked to states in the south from Florida to

California lured by good climate, low tax rates, and jobs

Postwar America

Truman attempted to continue in the new Deal traditionConservative Congress and the Cold War impeded his efforts

Employment Act (1946)A watered-down version of an original bill urged by TrumanCreated Council of Economic Advisors

Economics and Civil Rights

Inflation and StrikesPrice controls were relaxed by congress which resulted in

25% inflationWages did not move as quickly as inflation so 4.5 million

workers went on strike in 1946Truman had U.S. troops seize industries vital to national

security until the strikes were called offCivil Rights

Committee on Civil RightsStrengthened civil rights division in Department of JusticeProhibited racial discrimination in the military and federal

government

Economics and Civil Rights

Twenty-Second Amendment (1951)Limited the president to two terms

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)Outlawed closed shopPermitted right-to-work lawsOutlawed secondary boycottsPresident could invoke 80-day cooling-off period

Republican Congress

Democrats-Harry TrumanRepublicans-Thomas DeweyProgressive Party (lib dems)-Henry WallaceSouthern Democrats (Dixiecrats)- Strom ThurmondResults

Truman wins despite widespread predictions that he would lose

Fair DealNational health care, federal education aid, funds for public

housing, farm programMost defeated because of conservative Congress and the Cold

War

Election of 1948

Allies in World War IIAlliance of convenience

Postwar cooperationUnited NationsWorld BankNuremberg Trials

Satellite statesSoviet troops remained an occupation force in Eastern

EuropeU.S.S.R manipulated elections to bring communists to

power claiming the need for a buffer zone between the Soviet Union and Germany

Cold War Origins

Occupation zonesGermany was divided into four occupation zonesBerlin was also divided into four zones (in Soviet zones)The Soviet zone would eventually become a separate nation

(German Democratic Republic)Iron Curtain

Term used to describe Soviet control over Eastern EuropeChurchill’s iron curtain speech called on the Western

democracies to stop the expansion of communism

Cold War Origins

Containment policyLimit the spread of communism to areas in which it

already existsGeorge Marshall, Dean Acheson, George Kennan

Truman Doctrine Provide economic and military aid to those who oppose

communismMarshall Plan

European recovery plan which provided over $12 billion in aid

Soviets and Eastern Europeans were offered aid but refused it

Containment Policy

Soviets tried to force allies to leave Berlin by cutting off all road traffic into their zones of the city

Truman responded by flying supplies to the people of west Berlin

The blockade lasted for 11-months Long-term result was the division of Germany into two nations

Berlin Airlift (1948-49)

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)Military alliance established in 1949 for mutual defenseU.S troops were stationed in Europe as a deterrent to Soviet

invasionWarsaw Pact (1955)

Soviet response to NATONational Security Act (1947)

Created Department of Defense (replaced Dep. of War)National security councilCentral Intelligence Agency

National Security

Atomic WeaponsSoviets tested first A-

bomb in 1949U.S. developed the

hydrogen bomb by 1952

National Security

JapanU.S military occupation run by General Douglas

MacArthurParliamentary democracyArticle 9 of the constitution outlawed war

PhilippinesIndependent on July4, 1946U.S retained military bases

Cold War in Asia

Chinese Civil WarResumed after WWIINationalists (Kuomintang) led by Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jie-Shi)

were given aid by the United StatesCommunists led by Mao Zedong were more popular among the

Chinese peopleBy 1949, all of mainland China was under communist control and

the nationalists had fled to Formosa(Taiwan)1950 Sino-Soviet pact signed

Cold War in Asia

InvasionJune 1950 North Korea invaded South KoreaUN Security council authorized a force to stop the North

CounterattackUN and south Korean troops were losing at firstMacArthur counterattacked and got close to China’s borderThe Chinese sent in troops and drove UN forces out of North

Korea

Korean War

Truman vs. MacArthurMacArthur wanted to expand fighting to China but Truman

did not want toMacArthur publically criticized Truman and was

subsequently fired for insubordination in 1951Armistice

Signed in 1953Border set at 38th parallel

Political ConsequencesContainment workedTruman and Democrats attacked as soft on communism

Korean War

Smith Act (1940)Illegal to belong to an organization that advocated the overthrow

of the U.S. governmentMcCarran Internal Security Act (1950)

Unlawful to advocate for totalitarian governmentCreated detention camps for subversives

House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)Activated to seek out communists within the government and

influence in organizations

Second Red Scare

Hiss CaseAlger Hiss was a member of the State Department and

was accused by Whittaker Chambers of being a communist and passing secrets to the Soviets

Hiss denied it but was later convicted of perjury and sentenced to 10 years

Rosenberg CaseJulius and Ethel Rosenberg were found guilty of treason

and executed in 1953 for conspiracy to commit espionageJulius had recruited Ethel and her brother David to pass

nuclear secrets to the Soviets

Second Red Scare

Joseph McCarthyRepublican senator from WisconsinUsed communist scare to get elected and gain national

attentionTactics

Repeated accusations of which he had no evidenceHe was not denounced for fear of being accusedHoping to discredit the Truman administration

HearingsTelevised hearings in 1954 exposed McCarthy for being a

bully and reckless with his accusationsMcCarthy never found a single communist

McCarthyism