Peacetime Adjustments

Chapter 28, Section #1

Adjusting to Peace

Country adjusted back to peacetime• Economy

• Many factories closed down• Millions of veterans returned looking for

work• Women laid off• Many women returned to “traditional”

jobs

The Postwar Economy

Veterans wanted to start families• Buy homes• Cars• Household products

Spending Spree• Prices went up• Housing shortage

Led to increase in manufacturing• Consumer products• Homes

Labor Unrest

• During war: No pay raises• After war: Rising prices = more

pay• 1946 = Lots of strikes

• Railroads• Factories (steel, auto, electrical)• Meat markets

• Truman threatened to draft all railroad employees.

Civil RightsAfrican Americans• Wanted recognition for war• Instead:

• Many fired• Threated for voting• Murdered

President Truman:• De-segregated the military in 1948• Tried to get federal gov’t to create civil-

rights laws

The Cold WarChapter 28, Section #1

Why would a war be called “cold”?

What does temperature have to

do with anything?

Cold War?

Cold War?• No actual battle between the countries at

war.

• The Cold War was the period of hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union 1945-1991.

What are some reasons for the USSR to dislike the US?

• The US did not join WWI until after Russia had to quit.

• The US did not join WWII until after USSR had lost millions of lives.

What are some reasons for the US to dislike the USSR?

• The USSR signed a nonaggression pact with Hitler.

• The USSR was communist.

Capitalism vs. Communism

• Free elections• More than one political party• Industry/agriculture owned by individuals• Different social classes• Freedom of speech

• One-party state• Industry/agriculture owned by the state• No different social classes• Government controls people’s lives• Strong censorship

Capitalism vs. Communism

• You can create a business, make lots of money, and have more things than other people.

• Some people get rich. It could be you!

• No matter how hard your neighbor works, he will never make more money or have more things than you.

• It’s not fair for some people to be wealthy, while others starve.

Communism vs. Capitalism

Question:Would you give points off your grade in this class to help a classmate that is failing? Would you do this if that student slept in class everyday?

Which country was communist?

Which countries were capitalist?

and many more.

Origins of the Cold War

Post WWII:

• Nuremburg Trials• Nazi leaders put on trial for war crimes• Many committed suicide• Others were hung

• United Nations - 1945• (League of Nations 2.0)• Purpose is to discuss and maintain peace

• Israel - 1948• First Jewish state in 2,000 years

Origins of the Cold War

After WWII:• Western Allies and Soviet Union = no trust• Disagreed on political future of Eastern

Europe• Soviet troops occupied these countries• Stalin promised free elections, but feared

anti-Soviet gov’t• The West thought Stalin wanted to spread

communism

Containing CommunismIron Curtain:“…An iron curtain has descended across the continent.”

- Winston ChurchillTruman Doctrine:Strategy of containing or stopping the spread of communism.• America will aid those struggling to resist communism.NATO:• North Atlantic Treaty Organization• Alliance of U.S., Canada, and Western European countriesWarsaw Pact:• Alliance of Soviet Union and Eastern European countries

The Iron Curtain

Winston Churchill gave the Iron Curtain speech in 1946

Map of the Iron Curtain

NATO Treaty, 1949. Warsaw Pact, 1955.

Marshall Plan: 1947

Marshall Plan:• Secretary of State George Marshall• To stop communism U.S. needed plan to

repair Europe.• Counties in distress might fall to

communism.• $20 billion dollars in aid given to western

and southern EuropePhoto shows a delivery of wheat from the U.S. being

unloaded in Rotterdam, Netherlands

Central Historical Question:

Who was primarily responsible for the Cold War:the United States or the Soviet Union?

Berlin Airlift:

Berlin Airlift:• 1948: Stalin wanted control of Berlin• Blocked access to city• Americans and British airlifted goods and

supplies to Germans in West Berlin for a year• 1949: Stalin called off blockade

Fear of Communism at Home

Americans: scared communism would spread at home• American Communist PartyAlger Hiss

• Former State Dept.• Sentenced to 5 years in prison

Ethel And Julius Rosenberg• Communist Party• Executed for passing atomic information to

Soviets

Alger Hiss

Ethel And Julius Rosenberg

Fear of Communism at Home (cont’d)

Loyalty Checks• Government employees• 3,000 resignedHUACHouse Un-American Activities Committee1947: Began targeting actors, directors, and writers in entertainment industryBlacklists: List of people thought to be communist• People put on blacklist had their careers ruined

Ronald Reagan

Walt DisneyJackie Robinson

Gary Cooper

McCarthyism

Joseph McCarthy• Republican senator from Wisconsin1950:• Declared he had a list of Communists in State Dept.• Hunt for communists wrecked careers1954:• Senate hearings

• Accused US Army of “coddling” communists• McCarthy was charged with improper conduct

McCarthyism: Reckless charges against innocent citizens.

Arms Race1952 – Eisenhower elected President• Took a more aggressive stance toward communism• Wanted to build better weapons• H-Bomb (Hydrogen Bomb) 1952

• 3 years later Soviets had one

• ICBMs• Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles• Soviets – 1957• U.S. – 1959

• 1961 – Tsar Bomba (King of the Bombs)• 50 million tons of TNT• More powerful than all the bombs in WWII combined!

Cuban Missile Crisis

October 1962• Fidel Castro

• Communist leader of Cuba since 1959• Depended on Soviet Union for

support• Agreed to put Soviet missiles

(ICBMs) in Cuba• U.S. U-2 spy plane took photos of

missiles

Cuban Missile Crisis (cont’d)President John F. Kennedy• Missiles in Cuba unacceptable (only

90 miles away!)• Decided to blockade Cuba with U.S.

Navy• This led to showdown between U.S.

and Soviet Union – the world was very nervous!

• Ended up making a deal• Soviets would remove missiles if we remove

ours from Turkey

Space Race

CIA vs. KGB

• KGB: Комит т госуд рственной е́� а́�безоп сностиа́� (Committee for State Security)

• CIA: Central Intelligence Agency• Mission of both groups was to gather

intelligence from other countries

• Often they would perform covert missions:

• U-2 spy planes• Stealing nuclear information• Toppling or changing governments

1950s

Urban Expansion• Many people moved to the suburbs• Minorities often stayed in urban areas• Low taxes led to urban decay

Immigration• Immigration expanded during WWII – Bracero Programs• Many stayed after programs ended

• Taken advantage off

Changes in America - 1950sEnd of WWII + Good economy = more people getting married• Baby Boom• Increase in birthrates from 1946-1961• Larger families – more moved to suburbsSuburb results:

• More car sales• More stores, movie theaters, shopping – less

farmland

Many moved from North and East U.S. to the south and west (Route 66)

The American Dream?

Life in the suburbs:• Affordable• Single-family house• Good schools• Shopping• Safe for kids to grow up

The American Dream? (cont’d)

• Many felt there was pressure to conform

• Women were praised for being home-makers.

• “keeper of the suburban dream”• Limited choices outside the home: nurses,

teachers, office work.

• Economy boomed:• Owning newest appliance or car became a

status symbol

Pop Culture and Rock ‘n’ Roll

Hollywood: Westerns, musicals, romances popularMovie attendance fell as more people owned TVsFamous TV shows:

I Love LucyFather Knows BestMickey Mouse ClubThe Lone RangerHowdy Doody Show

Rock ‘n’ Roll: Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little RichardBeatniks: Filled coffeehouses to talk about how “square” society was.