ch 37: the cold war begins
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Ch 37: The Cold War Begins. Postwar America. Taft-Hartley Act: reduced power of unions GI Bill-- education, home and business loans for returning vets 1950-1970: prolonged economic boom Population shifts (millions move to Sunbelt). “white flight” to suburbs - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Ch 37: The Cold War Begins
Postwar America Taft-Hartley Act: reduced
power of unions GI Bill-- education, home
and business loans for returning vets
1950-1970: prolonged economic boom
Population shifts (millions move to Sunbelt)
“white flight” to suburbs “baby boom”-- huge increase in birthrate
1946-1964 Added more than 50 million babies by end of
1950s
Truman as President Very little political
experience “Average man”—didn’t
have a college education At first seemed unable to
fill FDR’s shoes, but grew into his role
Wartime Tensions between US and USSR Evident during Yalta
conference plans to defeat Germany, and
divide Stalin promised free elections
in Poland and other Eastern European countries
Stalin promised to enter war against Japan
The Inevitable Cold War Long standing mutual suspicions Communism and capitalism were historically
hostile philosophies
DIFFERENT VISIONS OF POSTWAR WORLD!! Soviets wanted to expand to create “buffer zone” US wanted to CONTAIN Communism, spread democracy
Shaping the Postwar World 1944 Bretton Woods Meeting:
Allies established International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank
IMF: Encourages trade by regulating currency rates
World Bank: Promotes economic development in underveloped areas
Creation of United Nations Created before end of war Countries in Security Council (US,
Britain, USSR, France, China) had veto powers
US plays big role Failed chance to outlaw atomic
weapons
How to Deal With Germany? Punishing the Nazis:
Nuremberg Trials 22 Nazis tried, 12 put to
death, 7 sentenced to life in jail
Conflict over what to do with Germany:
Soviets and some in US wanted to punish Germany, force it to pay reparations
Most in US wanted Germany to be strong to avoid another war and spread of Communism.
The Berlin Blockade Germany and Berlin
divided by Allies and Soviet Union
Soviets afraid Americans were trying to unite their parts to create a capitalist West Germany.
Stalin responds to plan for new currency with blockade of West Berlin in 1948.
Cut off all inhabitants from West Berlin of fuel, power and food.
US Response: Berlin Airlift US airlifted supplies into
Berlin Attempt to aid Germans
and avoid all-out war with Soviets
After a year, Stalin ended blockade
Containment and The Truman Doctrine George Kennan, US diplomat,
proposed US policy of CONTAINMENT Primary goal is to keep
communism within its present territory, and not allow it to spread anywhere else
Truman Doctrine (1947)—key example $400 million in aid to Greece
and Turkey to fight against communism
US believes it is its responsibility to combat communism all over the world.
The Marshall Plan US wanted to strengthen
Western Europe to make sure countries wouldn’t fall to Communism
1947: Plan called for billions in aid to Europe
Economic alliances increased division between two.
Truman Recognizes Israel Israel created in 1948 as
refuge for Jews after Holocaust
Arab world resented Israel, and the US needed Arabs for oil
Truman risked all of this by officially recognizing Israel Wanted to pre-empt Soviet
influence in Jewish state, and get support of Jewish voters
America Begins to Rearm 1947: National
Security Act Dept. of Defense National Security
Council (NSC) Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)U.S. And 11 other
nations form defensive alliance in 1949Other countries
joined later
Reconstruction and Revolution in Asia General Douglas
MacArthur led successful rebuilding in Japan
Chinese Communists under Mao Zedong run Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek out of China to Formosa
Arms raceSept. 1949: Soviets
explode an a-bomb1952: U.S. Tests H-
bombSoviets reciprocate
in 1953
The Red Scare (part 2) HUAC-- House
committee for investigating government communists Alger Hiss case
McCarthyism
Rosenberg trial
Democratic Divisions in 1948 1948 Election
Republicans: Thomas E. Dewey
Democrats split three ways
Truman Dixiecrats:
Thurmond Progressives:
Wallace
“Fair Deal”Raised min. wagePublic housingExtended Social
Security
Korean War (1950-1953) 38th parallel--
boundary between (Soviet- backed) North and (American-backed) South Korea
June 1950-- North Korea invades South Korea
The UN backs South Korea
China joined on the side of North Korea
StalemateGen. MacArthur
fired for dissing Truman publicly