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