Transcript U.S. Unit VIIaa class

UNIT 7 – The Modern Era
(1945-Present)
WWII, Cold War Events
I) Isolation and Neutrality
Policy set early on by Washington, and
Kellogg-Briand Pact (weak).
A) U.S. Neutrality Acts – of 1935, 36,37,39?
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- Called “Storm Cellar Diplomacy”
- No involvement in European affairs (sure)
- No loans to warring countries (right)
- Eventually morphed to “Lend Lease Act”, then
Cash and Carry” policy but only to Britain and
France… is this neutral?
- Later, a trade was offered in the “Destroyers for
Bases Deal”
B) Fascism/Totalitarian Aggression
1930’s, but seeds….
 Mussolini, Hitler, Hirohito
 Negatives: Few personal rights, use of
terror, fear in achieving obedience, no
voting rights, “Total” control of society.
 Positives: Increased pride, order, low
crime, sense of duty, less thinking..
ex. Mein Kampf
Hitler Youth
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C) Appeasement – giving in.. to fascism
Made the rise to power easy
 Done to avoid greater/any bloodshed
 Ultimately, plan fails (spoiled child)
Ex. Sudetenland
Rhineland
Slovakia/Czech Territory
* Poland – last straw
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D) Non-Aggression Pact with USSR
Signed by Hitler/Stalin, broken within two
years.
 Created a Two-Front War in Europe..Oops!
Western: – U.S. and Allied Troops.
Eastern: - Mostly Russian…brutal/scorched
earth style.
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E) Forced In
With the fall of France to Germany, and
swift advancement of territorial gain by
Axis Powers, U.S. was already headed in
that direction.
 Dec. 7, 1941 sealed our fate. Pearl Harbor
 Despite an official stance of neutrality, the
U.S. utilized propaganda to appear on the
moral high-ground against “evil dictators”
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F) Social Developments of WWII
Women and Af. Americans gain in work
force – to fill need; Rosie the Riveter;
creation of day care industry.
 Continued patriotism, pride, enthusiastic
rationing (tin, tires, gas, meat)
 Jap-Americans see rights limited (west
coast); internment camps created inland
(Manzanar); Korematsu vs. U.S. (VID – Japanese
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Internment)
Primary Documents
G) The Holocaust
As part of Hitler’s “Final Solution” to the Jewish
problem engineered by der Fuhrer.
 Genocide – primarily of those of Jewish
heritage totaling 6,000,000.
 Also included persecution and murder of any
dissidents, gypsies, handicapped persons.
 Aushwitz, Dachau
 Nuremburg Trials – placed soldiers on trial
for “Crimes Against Humanity.”
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II) U.S. Involvement in War
Mobilization – used first peacetime draft;
War Production Board triples GNP!
 War fought on two “theaters” Pacific
(especially bloody), and European
 Dwight Eisenhower – commanded U.S.
troops in Europe, oversaw DDAY invasion;
and Battle of Bulge
 Douglas MacArthur – Pacific; oil; island
hopping, Battles of Midway, Okinawa,
Coral Sea, Iwo Jima (memorial)
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Chester Nimitz – Naval commander; role
of aircraft carriers in extending power.
 George Patton – Northern African
campaign; tank use stemmed Nazi
expansion into continent; foul mouthed!
Manhattan Project – J. Robert
Oppenheimer and others develop atomic
fission-based reaction bomb.
* Later used on Hiroshima, Nagasaki killing
roughly 100,000 men, women and
children…reasoning?
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Allied defeat of Germany
U.S. Defeat of Japan
A) Peace and the Big Three
FDR/Truman; Winston Churchill; Stalin
 Yalta Conference; Ukraine – fails to develop
a general plan for peace, but does divide
post-war Germany for re-occupation.
 Start of Cold War…”war of…”
 Japan – successfully
occupied by Gen. Douglas MacArthur and
rebuilt…had support of Japanese citizens. (a
key dif. From Iraq at 1st)

B) Creation of the United Nations
Extension of League of Nations but with
greater teeth; overall development
 Created “Collective Security” through a
balance of power between a General
Assembly and Security Council
 Security Council – wields greater authority/
power with permanent members (US, GBR,
FR, CHINA, USSR/RUSSIA) and rotating
members. Veto power!!
 Established Declaration of Human Rights to
establish fundamental rights in world
 Israel established (1945) – Zion; homeland
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III) The Cold War
The rapid Polarization of many countries was
the result of no general peace treaty.
 Two “Superpowers” rose quickly to prominence
to fill a vacuum (void) left by Germany, Japan,
Britain, and France.
 States were forced to essentially “pick sides” as
pro-democracy or pro-communist. (Red/Blue)
 The Marshall Plan was instrumental in
rebuilding Europe and maintaining support for
Pro-American positions. $$$

A) War of Words
Rather than outright military aggression.
 A Competition that spanned many areas
– from science, and technology, to cultural
and philosophical. Brinkmanship. MAD.
 Examples: Space (Sputnik), Weaponry
(ICBM’s), Medicine (ADVIL), later the
Computer Age, Velcro…
 Result: Tension and Fear.
 Numerous individual events will affect
these decades…Cuban Missile Crisis, U-2
Incident, Summit Meetings, etc. (see H.O)
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http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=351539
B) Major Early Events of Cold War:
Truman Doctrine – established policy of
containment of communist growth
through economic and military aid. (Turkey
and Greece)
 Alliances: NATO / WARSAW PACT;
establishes “iron curtain”
 Berlin Blockade/Airlift – intended to force
communist rule over the city. Defeated by
allied airlift – keeping the
city alive from air 6/48-5/49
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Korean War

(1950-53) – an official “Police Action”
taken by the U.N. (Vote had been
boycotted by the USSR)
- Territory divided at 38th parallel.
Demilitarized zone created. See H.O.
- Nearly won by U.N. Forces (MacArthur),
until Chinese enter war.
- In the end, a draw; 50,000 Americans
die.
Culture of the Cold War
“Sameness”– Levittown, Keeping up with the Jones’;
styles of dress
 Rock and Roll Rebellion – Elvis,
Little Richard, later the Beatles;
 Infrastructure Development –
Interstate Highway System (IKE)
 Fear – Nuclear Holocaust, bomb shelters,
 Suburbs: cookouts, block parties, picket fences,
consumer growth – tv’s; Affluence!
 Expanded Opportunity: GI BILL
 Franchise Growth:
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Cuban Revolution/Missile Crisis
1958-1962
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Pro-Democracy government overthrown by
communist revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro.
U.S. opposes covertly – failed “Bay of Pigs” fiasco
embarrasses Pres. Kennedy.
USSR/Nikita Kruschev seek to exploit
opportunity and reach agreement with Castro on
trade. Includes stationing of missiles in Cuba.
Kennedy sees it as violation of Monroe Doctrine.
Threatens War. Very Tense!
Of blockade, airstrike, or invasion options
Kennedy opts for least aggressive and USSR
backs down. Nuclear War averted.