POST WAR POLITICS
YALTA CONFERENCE: FEBRUARY 1945 FDR, CHURCHILL, STALIN AGREED ON:
United Nations International Peacekeeping organization
Division of Germany Democratic Elections for Poland German POW’s Forced Labor
POST WAR POLITICS
POTSDAM CONFERENCE: JULY 1945 TRUMAN, CHURCHILL, STALIN AMERICAN VIEW:
We had fought to bring DEMOCRACY to the world Wanted an ECONOMICALLY strong and POLITICALLY open world to create MARKETS
SOVIET VIEW: Wanted to rebuild to PROTECT interests SATTELITE NATIONS: countries subject to soviet
domination
USSR EXPANSION
1947: Hungary and Romania
1948 Albania and Bulgaria
1948: Czechoslovakia
1948: Finland & Yugoslavia
1949: East Germany
The competition between the United States and the Soviet Union for power and influence in the world
COLD WAR:
Harry S Truman
Became President in 1945
Ran again in 1948 Didn’t graduate
college “Fair Deal” meant to
create welfare & employment Republicans blocked
Desegregated the military
Force?Blockades?Embargo?Threats?
THINK – ANSWER
THIS QUESTION YOURSELF
PAIR – COMPARE YOUR ANSWER WITH YOUR GROUP, DECIDE ON A GROUP ANSWER
How do we stop the spread of Communism? How do win the Cold War?
US REACTION TO COMMUNISM IRON CURTAIN: The theoretical line
between communist countries and the “WEST”
George Kennan: Containment:
Eastern Europe is already lost to Communism US must stop the spread of Communism
TRUMAN DOCTRINE: Support Free peoples’ resistance to
Communism
MARSHALL PLAN
American Policy makers didn’t want to repeat post-WWI mistakes
We wanted to restore war-torn nations 1ST FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT in postwar foreign
policy: TRUMAN DOCTRINE 2ND: MARSHALL PLAN: USA will support
European nations’ economic recovery USSR invited to participate
Refused and pressured satellite nations to do same $13 Billion in aid to Western Europe
BERLIN AIRLIFT
Capitalist Western Berlin & Communist East Berlin became symbols of the developing cold war
Hundreds of Thousands of Eastern Europeans left East Berlin
Stalin wanted to force Westerners out of Berlin
Berlin Airlift
June, 1948: All shipments through East Germany were banned
Truman didn’t want to risk war
BERLIN AIRLIFT: moved supplies into West Berlin by plane More than 200,000
flights Fuel, food, other
supplies May, 1949: Soviets gave
up blockade
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
COLLECTIVE SECURITY: principle of mutual military assistance
In 1955, USSR responded with…
WARSAW PACT: military alliance between USSR with its satellite
nations
Collins Type III
What was the Berlin Airlift? Who, What, Where, When, Why?
How was it an example of the “Cold War?”
___/ 10 FCA 1: Neatly written, correct spelling
___/ 10 FCA 2: Two complete paragraphs ___/ 20 FCA 3: Completely answer the
question
The Cold War Continues (1949) 1949: USSR gets the bomb!
October 1, 1949: People’s Republic of China
World Relations
1949: USSR develops the Atomic Bomb!
1952: In response, the US developed the Hydrogen Bomb: fireball 3 mile
diameter, 25 mile high cloud Some didn’t want to build it, Truman
gave OK 1953: USSR developed H-Bomb ARMS RACE: INTERNATIONAL
CONTEST BETWEEN COUNTRIES SEEKING A MILITARY ADVANTAGE
BRINKMANSHIP
BRINKMANSHIP: DIPLOMATIC ART OF GOING TO THE BRINK OF WAR WITHOUT ACTUALLY GETTING INTO WAR
Making threats without following through
MASSIVE RETALIATION: PLEDGE THE US WOULD USE OVERWHELMING FORCE AGAINST USSR TO SETTLE CONFLICT
POST WAR ECONOMY
GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT: market value of all goods and services produced
PER CAPITA INCOME: average income per person
DOUBLES!1945: $212
billion1960: $504
billion
$1,526To
$2,788
BUSINESS REORGANIZE
CONGLOMERATES:
Large corporation that owns smaller companies that produce different goods and services
FRANCHISES:The right to open a restaurant using a parent company’s brand name and system
CHANGES IN WORKFORCE
Machines do the jobs people used to.
WHITE COLLAR: performing services for others
•“Government Issue” – nickname for soldiers•AIM: help veterans make a smooth entry into civilian life•Provided money for veterans to attend college or buy a house
GI Bill
•Helped millions of GI’s return to civilian life•Homes were bought•College attendance increased
GI Bill
Cultural Changes in 1950s
Economic Boom created comfort and pride• Baby Boom: soaring birthrates• New Homes: Levittown, made possible by
GI Bill Offered suburban lifestyle to many African Americans not allowed Built with necessities – even TVs!
Television
Between 1945-1950 5 million TVs By 1959 more than 40 million American
• Politics: leaders campaigned, Joseph McCarthy
• Advertising: one show sponsored, then commercials!
• Programming: reflected • 50s values • (family, game shows)
Family’s role
Mom: Stay home, cook, clean, create the perfect home
Dad: Provide financially, disciplinarian
Children: Obey! Be seen, not heard.
ACCUSATIONS
“Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist party?” 10 invoked 5th amendment rights: HOLLYWOOD TEN Jail times 6-12 months
BLACKLIST: people employers agreed not to hire
McCARRAN-WALTER ACT (1952) Most disloyal Americans from Communist countries Immigration quotas – discriminate against:
Asia, Southern & Central Europe Truman: “One of the most un-American acts I have
ever witnessed in my public career.” Congress passes over Truman’s veto
LOYALTY
Federal Employee Loyalty Program All new employees investigated FBI checks Those accused of “disloyalty” put before
Loyalty Review Board Little chance to defend self Adds to the suspicion of nation
HUAC House of Un-American Activities Committee
Extended post-WWII to find Communist infiltration
Movie industry
Julius & Ethel Rosenberg
American Communists Accused of selling A-Bomb secrets to
USSR Pleaded the 5th
Pablo Picasso “do not let this crime against humanity take place”
Electrocuted in 1953 at Sing-Sing Julius guilty Ethel knew, but didn’t take part Another example of racism, fear?
Senator Joseph McCarthy
"The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.“
Senator Millard Tydings, was reported to have said, "Let me have him [McCarthy] for three days in public hearings, and he'll never show his face in the Senate again.“
Called McCarthy’s claims a “fraud and a hoax” Went after Tydings: created a fake photograph
Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Investigated members of the government on TV
Deemed books overseas “Pro-Communist” and had them burned
Eisenhower: Don’t join the book burners! McCarthy then went after members of the
military Army-McCarthy Hearings
"The American people have had a look at you for six weeks," he said. "You are not fooling anyone."
Censured by the Senate Died of alcoholism
Korea Before the War
Korea under Japan’s control since 1905
Yalta: Allies agreed that Korea should be free from Japan
Temporarily divide Korea at 38˚ Parallel
North – USSR South -- America
Start of the Korean War
June, 1950 100,000 North Korean
troops crossed 38˚ Parallel
Carried Soviet-made weapons
Eisenhower: “We’ll have a dozen Koreas soon if we don’t take a firm stand”
Ordered US troops to support Korean Troops
Korean War
UN votes to support US efforts
POLICE ACTION: not war! Protect Pusan at all costs Inchon Landing: Led by
Douglas MacArthur, surprise!
70,000 troops landed and held ground
October 1: all of South Korea freed
Stop at 38 Parallel?
End of the Korean War
No! Make it to the Chinese
border Chinese feel threatened 260,000 Chinese troops
crossed border UN forces retreat to Seoul MacArthur called for
bombing of China Fired Fighting ended in 1951
80,000 Americans wounded 14,000 Dead
Collins Type II
How did the fear of communism affect American Policy at home and abroad? Legislation Trials Politics Berlin Korea etc
Title: Red Scare’s effects on US policy
Soviets advance in Technology USSR behind in number of weapons October 4, 1957: Soviets launched
SPUTNIK: first satellite launched into space
NASA: investigated the future of exploring space
Political Changes
1951 – congress passes 22nd amendment President may only serve two terms Reaction to whom??
Dwight Eisenhower & Richard Nixon Richard Nixon accused of having $18,000 as
campaign “gifts” (not illegal, but accused of dishonesty)
Nixon used new technology, TV, to give famous “Checkers Speech”
Ticket wins 1953: Stalin dies, Nikita Khrushchev comes
to power
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
Making Deals…Or Not
Eisenhower proposed an “open skies” treaty Both countries would be
able to fly over other’s territory to see military operations
Soviets say no! (not a problem, we have
the U-2 Plane!) Americans still like Ike,
re-elect him in 1956
Cold War “Hot Spots”
In 1954 France was losing a battle to maintain their colony – Vietnam
Peace Agreement divided Vietnam in half North Half: Communist, Leader:
Ho Chi Minh Supposed to temporary 1956
elections for Vietnamese to choose what they wanted to be
Eisenhower didn’t like this –why?? SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty
Organization) Members would work together to
resist Communism
Vietnam
SEATO supported the creation of Anti-Communist nation: South Vietnam US provided a lot of support for South
Vietnam Why?
North Vietnamese wanted to bring all of Vietnam together
Middle East
1948: Creation of Israel Israel’s Arab neighbors (Egypt, Syria, Jordan,
Lebanon, Iraq) attacked Israel, Israel won Egypt sought the support of the USSR, so
the US withdrew their support from Egypt In response, Egypt seized control of the Suez
Canal EISENHOWER DOCTRINE: right of the US
to help, on request, any nation in the Middle East trying to resist Communist Aggression
Make two timelines – running parallel
POTSDAM SATELLITE NATIONS
CONTAINMENTTRUMAN
DOCTRINEMARSHALL
PLAN
COLD WAR• 1945-1989