Postwar, Cold War and Korean War
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Transcript of Postwar, Cold War and Korean War
Postwar, Cold War and Korean Postwar, Cold War and Korean WarWar
1945-1956
Domestic Affairs after World Domestic Affairs after World War IIWar II
• <Truman was completely opposite from FDR
• not tall and handsome, first President since Lincoln not to have a college education, not upper class
• positives included-direct and down to earth, self-confident, quick mind, remembered, ability to make difficult decisions and accept responsibility
• “The Buck Stops Here”
Returning to Civilian LifeReturning to Civilian Life
• Reduce Army and Navy
• GI Bill of Rights-1944-veterans attended college, had their tuition paid and received a small monthly income
• federal loans as well guaranteed
• Military sets up C.I.A.
• Economy is booming-Americans begin to buy-with rise of jobs comes rise in prices
• Entertainment-Sports is main attraction-television is new medium
Return to Civilian LifeReturn to Civilian Life
• Entertainment-<Tennessee Williams has 2 hits-The Glass Menagerie and Streetcar Named Desire
• Elizabeth Taylor, 13 yo- overnight success in National Velvet
• Taft-Hartley Act-4.6 million workers went on strike in 1946-passed over Truman’s veto-prohibited closed shops, must take a loyalty oath, abolished employers collecting union dues,
• if strike happened, President could obtain an injunction delaying the strike
Civil RightsCivil Rights
• Truman fights for Civil Rights-Commission appointed by Truman issued a report called “To Secure These Rights”
• Anti-lynching law, poll tax and FEPC measures, permanent civil rights commission, eliminate discrimination in voting
• Congress did nothing
• Truman uses Executive Order- “equality of treatment and opportunity” for members of the armed forces “without regard to race, color, religion or national origin”
• <Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier in baseball-Brooklyn Dodgers
The Election of 1948The Election of 1948
• Huge upset• Truman for Democrats• Truman insisted on a strong Civil Rights
platform, bitterly opposed by the Dixiecrats, they withdraw from convention
• Dixiecrats form States’ Rights Democratic Party and nominate J. Strom Thurmond of Georgia
• Henry Wallace runs on Progressive Party-former VP with Democrats
• Republicans-run Governor Thomas Dewey
• had Congress defeat all his popular stuff-Republican Congress
• then went to the people
Fair Deal replaces New DealFair Deal replaces New Deal
• Extension of the New Deal only stronger
• nationwide system of health insurance, steady income for farmers-lost both of these
• won these- minimum wage increase-from 40cents to 75 cents/hour-extension of social security-more flood control and irrigation-slum clearance and build housing units
The Cold WarThe Cold War
• The Cold War begins with a speech given in 1946 by <Winston Churchill
• An “iron curtain” had been drawn on the continent of Europe
• by the Communists-U.S.S.R.-all behind the curtain-no freedom
• U.S. should get tough• goal of Truman is containmentcontainment• Communism must be kept
inside its existing border
U.S. plans to Contain the U.S. plans to Contain the U.S.S.R.U.S.S.R.
• Truman Doctrine-prevent countries to set up Communist Governments anywhere-asks for $400M
• NATO-(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)-collective security-USSR formed the Warsaw Pact to counter NATO
• Marshall Plan-aid European nations who are starving-Secretary of State <Marshall proposes-debated because of expense-Soviet tanks crush Czechoslovakia-debate over
• Berlin Crisis-lies inside Soviet Sphere in Germany-cut off by Soviets-US airlifts all supplies needed to Berlin-called off
Red ScareRed Scare
• September 23, 1949-USSR explodes the A-bomb
• the security of a monopoly on atomic weapons is gone
• weren’t expected to get it until 1953• someone must have told them• subversion-from 1947-1951 3.2m
government employees are investigated• Alger Hiss-State Department employee-
accused of passing secrets to the Soviets-convicted of perjury
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg-minor activists in the Communist Party-Klaus Fuchs-British physicist-gave secrets to Soviets-implicated the Rosenbergs-
• Fuchs got 14 years-Rosenbergs got executed by the chair
Joseph McCarthy and Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyismMcCarthyism
• <Senator from Wisconsin-looking for a reelection issue
• wins first term on an exaggerated war record
• started making reckless accusations
• claimed to have 57 then 81, then 205 names of Communists in the State Department (never produced one name
• Democrats were guilty of 20 years of treason
• Marshall served the Kremlin
• McCarthy stuff
McCarthyismMcCarthyism
• Never explain the charge or offer evidence to support it, when questioned, he’d make another accusation, so overwhelmed by the conspiracy, there was not time for small details
• 1954-accused the <Army of coddling Communists and mistreatment of one of his assistants
• televised Senate investigation, 20 million watched for 36 days
• McCarthy bullied witnesses, refused to reveal evidence, interrupted proceedings, made one charge after another
• lost power and support-censured-
• new Red Scare-thousands lost jobs-guilt by association
• McCarthy and his speeches
Postwar ChinaPostwar China
• Civil war-Nationalist led by Chiang Kai-Shek (US supported) v. Communist led by <Mao Zedong
• 1949-Shek is forced to retreat to Formoso
• Mao sets up the People’s Republic of China-US doesn’t recognize
• Truman is highly criticized
• Mao speaks
GermanyGermany
• 1948-United States, France and Britain decide to unite their sectors into one area-West Germany-Also, Berlin
• makes USSR mad-they blockade Berlin
• Allies plan massive airlift of supplies into Berlin
• West Germans become German Federal Republic-East Germans become German Democratic Republic
• Soviets eventually give in
• pictures of the airlift
KoreaKorea
• The Soviet Union and US capture Korea from Japanese
• 38th parallel-38 degree N Latitude-split Korea-North Communist-South-Free
• Want to reunite Korea eventually-Soviets reject
• install Kim Sung as Communist leader
• UN holds election in the south-elect <Syungman Rhee
• both US and Soviets leave
KoreaKorea
• America makes it clear that South Korea is an ally, made sure Rhee wouldn’t fight to reunite
• left with light weapons, poorly trained troops
• North-Soviets and China leave great weapons, well trained army
• June 25, 1950-North invades the South• Brought up in UN-Soviets are
boycotting that day-resolve North Korea as an aggressor
• June 27, 1950-Security Council calls on all members to stop it
• 10 offer aid-most from US-sends General MacArthur with American troops
KoreaKorea
• Within a few weeks UN moves North back-recapture Seoul-MacArthur pushes further
• Chinese warn not to move further or they will have to take action
• October 20, 1950-UN troops take North Korean capital and move North
• October 26, 1950-Chinese come to aid North Korea
• UN digs in at the 38th Parallel
• neither side gains
Korean WarKorean War
• MacArthur is furious-felt he should have unlimited support to drive the Communists out of Korea and China
• Truman and advisors thought a war with China and Soviets too risky
• Truman refuses MacArthur’s request to attack China-publicly criticizes Truman about limited warfare
• April, 1951-Truman fires MacArthur• Americans are shocked-Truman reminds
the people who makes foreign policy-gradually accepted
• Summer, 1951-struggle will deadlock-lasted 2 more years
• 1953-US and Soviets both have leadership change-Eisenhower and Kruschev
Korean WarKorean War
• Soviets thought of “Ike” as a military man more likely to use the bomb
• Cease-fire signed-July, 1953
• UN casualties-90% are American-54,000 dead, 104,000 wounded