Transcript Unit15

The Cold War and Postwar
Confidence & Anxiety
U.S. History Chapters 25-26
Satellite States

Nations which, after World War II, were greatly influenced by the
Soviet Union and adopted Communist governments. Most of
Eastern Europe, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,
Romania, Bulgaria, and East Germany, fell under Soviet control.
Iron Curtain

Term first used by Winston Churchill to describe Soviet domination
of Eastern Europe. The “Iron Curtain” prevented the entrance of
western ideas to the east & did not allow east Europeans to travel
to the west during the Cold War.
Truman Doctrine

U.S. Foreign Policy during the Cold War; The United States gave
monetary aid to nations struggling against communist movements
in an effort to keep communism from spreading.
George F. Kennan / Containment

George F. Kennan – American diplomat and leading authority on
the Soviet Union; In 1947 Kennan’s article titled “The Sources of
Soviet Conduct” presented a blueprint for the American policy
towards the Soviet Union known as containment.

Containment – The U.S. goal to keep communism contained within
its existing borders.
Marshall Plan

(1948) Named for its creator, Secretary of State John C. Marshall,
through the Plan the United States gave about $13 billion in grants
and loans to nations in Western Europe to help them rebuild
following World War II & maintain democratic governments.
Berlin Airlift

(June 1948 – May 1949) U.S. and British planes supplied
Democratic West Berlin with food, fuel, medical supplies, clothing,
and other necessities through airplane deliveries, thwarting
Stalin’s attempt to blockade the city, which was located in the
middle of Communist East Germany.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) / Warsaw Pact

NATO – (1949) Military alliance of 12
Democratic Western European and North
American nations which agreed to defend
Western Europe from Soviet expansion.

Warsaw Pact – (1955) Military alliance of the
Soviet Union and its satellite states which
pledged to defend one another if attacked.
Closure Assignment #1

1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 25, Section 1:
How would having control over satellite states benefit the
Soviet Union if it became involved in a European war? (At
least 1 sentence)
How did U.S. foreign policy after World War II differ from
U.S. foreign policy after World War I? (At least 2
sentences)
What options besides containment might Truman have
considered in response to Soviet expansion? (At least 1
option and 1 sentence)
Jiang Jieshi / Mao Zedong
Jiang Jieshi – (AKA Chiang Kai-Shek) Nationalist leader of China
who, though supported by the U.S., was defeated in the Chinese
Civil War and forced to flee to Taiwan in 1949.
 Mao Zedong – Chinese communist who, after nearly 20 years of
war, succeeded in establishing the People’s Republic of China in
1949, a communist nation allied with the Soviet Union.

Why did American aid to Jiang’s Nationalists fail to
prevent Mao’s communists from taking control of
China? (At least 1 sentence)
Before Japan invaded China in 1937, Nationalist leader Jiang Jieshi, known
in the United States as Chiang Kai-Shek, had been fighting a civil war
against communists led by Mao Zedong. Although Jiang and Mao
temporarily joined forces in an uneasy alliance to fight Japan, the civil war
resumed with a new fury after the war ended. The Soviet Union supported
Mao, while the United States sent several billion dollars in aid to Jiang.
American leaders feared that Jiang’s defeat would create a communist
superpower spanning most of Asia.
 Jiang’s regime proved unequal to the task. Nationalist generals were
reluctant to fight. And, while masses of Chinese people faced starvation,
corrupt officials diverted U.S. aid dollars into their own pockets. By
promising to feed the people, Mao won increased support. In 1948, Mao’s
forces dominated the war. Jiang appealed for American military
intervention. However, the U.S. government had no intention of sending
American troops to support the corrupt Jiang. In 1949, Jiang fled the
Chinese mainland, taking control of the large offshore island of Taiwan.
Mao’s communists then took control of the world’s most populous country,
China.

th
38

Parallel
Latitude at which was set the dividing line between North and South Korea
after World War II by the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. The line still forms the border
between the two independent nations today.
Douglas MacArthur

General who led American troops in the Korean War. From September to
November 1950 MacArthur’s forces succeeded in pushing North Korean
troops to the Yalu River, its border with China, but then were pushed back
to the 38th parallel by the Chinese army in January 1951.
Limited War

Limited War – Military engagement fought to achieve only specific goals;
President Truman, who supported a limited war in Korea, clashed with
General MacArthur, who argued for total war against communism in Asia.
MacArthur’s public criticism of Truman and calls for the use of Nuclear
weapons against China led Truman to fire him for insubordination in 1951.
Southeast Asia Treaty
Organization (SEATO)

Military alliance sponsored by the United States in Asia during the Cold
War to stop the spread of Communism in Asia; Similar to NATO, member
nations agreed that if any individual country were attacked then all would
respond with military force.
Closure Question #3: How did the way in which
Truman handled the Korean crisis affect the powers
of the presidency? (At least 1 sentence)

Truman did not ask Congress for a formal declaration of war, as
required by the Constitution. However, supported by the UN
resolution, Truman ordered American troops who were stationed in
Japan to move to South Korea. The soldiers were mainly
occupation troops who had not been trained for forced marches in
monsoon rains or heavy combat in rice paddies, nor did they have
the military equipment needed to stop the invasion. Soon, they
joined their South Korean allies in retreating to the southeast
corner of the peninsula near the city of Pusan. There, the allies held
fast. As fresh supplies and troops arrived from Japan, solders from
other UN countries joined the American and South Korean forces.
The war had an important long-term result. Truman had committed
U.S. troops to battle without a congressional declaration of war.
This set a precedent that future Presidents would follow.
Closure Assignment #2

1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 25, Section 2:
Why did American aid to Jiang’s Nationalists fail to prevent
Mao’s communists from taking control of China? (At least 1
sentence)
How did General MacArthur’s decision to advance toward
the Yalu River change the course of the Korean War? (At
least 1 sentence)
How did the way in which Truman handled the Korean
crisis affect the powers of the presidency? (At least 1
sentence)
Arms Race /
Mutually Assured Destruction
Arms Race – Competition between countries to achieve superiority in
number and quality of weapons. During the Cold War the United States
and the Soviet Union engaged in the largest arms race in human history,
stockpiling nuclear weapons and other military technology.
 Mutually Assured Destruction – Understanding between the U.S.A. and the
U.S.S.R. that the full-scale use of nuclear weapons would result in the
annihilation of both the attacker and the defender.

John Foster Dulles / Massive Retaliation / Brinkmanship

John Foster Dulles – Secretary of State under President Eisenhower;
Dulles helped organize the United Nations after WWII and, as the
nation’s chief diplomat, supported stockpiling nuclear weapons to
prevent endless U.S. involvement in minor conflicts, such as the
Korean War.

Massive Retaliation – U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War; The
U.S. would respond to communist threats to its allies by threatening
to use overwhelming force, including nuclear weapons, against the
Soviets.

Brinkmanship – Dulles’ approach to diplomacy with the U.S.S.R.;
Going to the brink of war in order to protect allies, discourage
communist aggression, and prevent war.
Nikita Khrushchev

New leader of the Soviet Union following the death of Joseph Stalin
in 1953; Khrushchev was a communist and a determined opponent of
the U.S.A., but he was not as suspicious or cruel as Stalin. In 1955
Khrushchev met with President Eisenhower in Geneva, giving both
the Soviet Union and the United States hope that the two powers
could peacefully co-exist.
Nationalized / Suez Crisis

Nationalized – Placing a private business under government control; In
1956 the Egyptian government, led by president Gamal Nasser,
nationalized the Suez Canal, threatening the flow of oil from the Middle
East to Europe.

Suez Crisis (1956) – In response to Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez
Canal, a coalition of French, British, and Israeli troops seized the canal
from Egypt. U.S. President Eisenhower’s refusal to support the coalition’s
actions forced them to withdraw their troops, diffusing the crisis.
Eisenhower Doctrine / Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Eisenhower Doctrine – American foreign policy that the United States
would use force to help any Middle Eastern nation threatened by
communism. This doctrine would be used to justify deploying American
troops to Middle Eastern nations throughout the Cold War.

Central Intelligence Agency – Established by Congress in 1947 as an
intelligence gathering organization; Eisenhower approved secret CIA
operations to protect American interests worldwide. In 1953 and 1954 the
CIA provided aid to rebels in Iran and Guatemala, placing anti-communist
leaders in power, but creating longer-term resentment against the USA.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Created by Congress in 1958 to coordinate the space-related efforts
of American scientists and the military; The Soviet launch of the
first satellite (Sputnik) in 1957 sparked American interest in outer
space, leading to a “space race” between the two world
superpowers.
Closure Assignment #3
Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 25, Section 3:
1. Do you think that the massive retaliation policy favored by
John Foster Dulles successfully deterred the Soviet Union?
Explain your answer in at least 1 sentence.
2. How were the covert operations of the CIA in Guatemala
and Iran different from the military operations of the United
States Army in Korea? (At least 1 sentence)
3. Were American justified in being alarmed when the Soviets
launched Sputnik I ? Explain your answer in at least 1
sentence.

Red Scare / Smith Act

Red Scare – Widespread fear of communism; During the 1940s and 1950s
America experienced its deepest Red Scare.

Smith Act (1940) – Law which outlawed teaching or advocating for the
violent overthrow of the US government. During the Red Scare of the 40s
and 50s American politicians used the Smith Act to eliminate the American
Communist Party.
House Un-American Activities Committee / Hollywood Ten

House Un-American Activities Committee – Established by the House of
Representatives in 1938; the HUAC investigated possible activities by
fascists, Nazis, or communists in the United States, looking into all aspects
of American society, including the government, armed forces, unions,
education, science, and newspapers.

Hollywood Ten – Group of liberal writers, directors and producers who
refused to answer questions regarding their political beliefs in front of the
HUAC in 1947. The ten were tried, convicted and imprisoned for contempt
of Congress.
Alger Hiss / Julius & Ethel Rosenberg

Alger Hiss – High-ranking American government official who, in 1948, was
accused of being a Soviet spy. Hiss initially denied the charges but the
HUAC, led by California congressman Richard Nixon, uncovered evidence
leading to Hiss’ conviction for perjury and arrest.

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg – Jewish-Americans who were accused and
convicted of sending secrets of the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union; The
Rosenberg's were the first and only Americans executed for espionage
during the Red Scare of the 1950s.
Joseph R. McCarthy / McCarthyism

Joseph R. McCarthy – Wisconsin Senator who, beginning in 1950, made a
series of shocking accusations that communists had infested various parts
of the United States government and military.

McCarthyism – Extreme anticommunism; From 1950 to 1954 Senator
McCarthy bullied and badgered witnesses, twisted testimony, and accused
any who opposed him of being communists in Senate hearings. When
these hearings were televised in 1954 the American people turned against
McCarthy, leading to the end of the Red Scare.
Closure Assignment #4

1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 25, Section 4:
Were Americans correct in worrying that domestic
communists endangered their security? Why? (At least 1
sentence)
How do movies reflect the values of a society? (At least 1
sentence)
How effective was McCarthy’s campaign against
communists in government? (At least 1 sentence)
Demobilization / GI Bill of Rights

Demobilization – Decreasing the size and activity of the military; Following
the defeat of Germany and Japan in 1945 President Truman began
demobilization, decreasing the size of the military by July 1946 to only 3
million troops.

GI Bill of Rights – Law enacted after WWII which provided returning
soldiers with a year of unemployment payments, financial aid to attend
college, and government loans to buy houses and start businesses.
Baby Boom

The greatest population increase in American history; Between 1940 and
1955, the U.S. population grew 27%, from 130 to about 165 million.
Closure Question #2: How did the baby boom impact the postwar
economy? (At least 1 sentence)
Upon their return, soldiers quickly made up for lost time by marrying and having
children. Americans had put off having children because of the depression and
war. Now, confident that the bad times were behind them, many married
couples started families. This led to what population experts termed a baby
boom. In 1957, at the peak of the baby boom, one American baby was born
every 7 seconds, a grand total of 4.3 million for the year. One newspaper
columnist commented, “Just imagine how much these extra people… will absorb
– in food, in clothing, in gadgets, in housing, in services…”
 During the depression, Americans could not buy the goods they desired. The
economy improved during the war, but wartime restrictions kept spending down
and limited economy growth. The end of wartime restrictions finally opened the
floodgates to consumer purchases. As demand soared, businesses employed
more people to produce goods. This created a cycle in which people bought new
goods, leading businesses to hire more workers, who in turn bought more
goods. At the end of World War II, the United States was the only developed
nation untouched by the devastation. Although it had only 6% of the world’s
population, the United States produced about 50% of the world’s total output.
This allowed Americans to enjoy a higher standard of living than any other
nation in the world.

Taft-Hartley Act

Law which outlawed workplaces in which only union members can be
hired; Congress passed the law in response to an increase in strikes
nationwide in order to avoid a drop in production following WWII.
Fair Deal

Legislative program announced by President Truman following his upset
victory in the 1948 presidential election. Its purpose was to strengthen
existing New Deal reforms and establish new programs, such as national
health insurance; however, the Republican-controlled Congress refused to
support Truman’s program, leading to a drop in Truman’s popularity.
Fair Deal
Closure Assignment #5

1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 26, Section 1:
Why was the government willing to give billions of
dollars in assistance to returning World War II
veterans? (At least 1 sentence)
How did the baby boom impact the postwar economy?
(At least 1 sentence)
After the war, Truman faced challenges with labor
unions. Would you consider Truman as working for or
against organized labor? Explain. (At least 1 sentence)
Levittown / Suburb

Levittown – America’s first mass-produced model home
community, built in 1949 on Long Island, New York by developer
William Levitt. The single family homes sold for $8,000 and
attracted thousands of WWII veterans and their young families.
Levitt’s success led to the development of hundreds of similar
communities in American suburbs nationwide, with 40 million
Americans moving to the ‘Burbs’ between 1940 and 1960.
Interstate Highway Act

(1956) Authorized funds to build 41,000 miles of highway consisting
of multilane expressways that would connect the nation’s major cities.
This Act provided jobs, eased commutes from suburbs to cities, and
boosted travel and vacation industries in the United States.
What were the benefits of the Interstate Highway Act?
What were the disadvantages? (At least 2 sentences)

The scale of suburban growth would not have been remotely possible
without a massive federal program of highway building. Committed to
the idea of easing automobile travel, President Eisenhower authorized
the first funding of the interstate system in 1953. Further legislation
passed by Congress in 1956 resulted in the Interstate Highway Act.
This represented the biggest expenditure on public works in history,
bigger by far than any project undertaken during the New Deal.
Besides easing commutes from suburbs to cities, the new highways
boosted the travel and vacation industries. Families traveled to
national and state parks, to the beach, and to new destinations, such
as Las Vegas. Urban and suburban growth created environmental
concerns, ranging from traffic jams and smog to water shortages. In
the 1960s and 1970s, environmental groups would begin to grapple
with some of the byproducts of this growth.
Sunbelt

Name given to the southern and western states; After World War II
millions of Americans, seeking a warmer climate and job
opportunities, moved to the Sunbelt states of Texas, California, and
Arizona.
Service Sector / Information Industries

Service Sector – Businesses that provide services, such as healthcare, law,
retail, banking, or insurance. In the post-WWII era Americans increasingly
founds jobs in this sector of the economy, moving away from traditional
manufacturing jobs.

Information Industries – White-collar, office jobs focused on calculating,
displaying, and storing information, including the developers and
operators of the first computers.
Franchise Business / Multinational Corporations

Franchise Business – Corporation which allows a company to
distribute its products or services through retail outlets owned by
independent operators. Examples include fast food chains, such as
McDonald’s, and hotels, such as Holiday Inn.

Multinational Corporations – Companies that produce and sell their
goods and services all over the world and establish branches abroad.
Examples include Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Wal-Mart.
AFL-CIO

National workers union formed in 1955 by the merger of the
American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial
Organizations; The AFL-CIO became a major force in the
Democratic Party, but the rise in white-collar, non-union jobs
weakened the union movement overall.
California Master Plan

Educational plan which called for three tiers of higher education in the
state of California during the 1950s: research universities, state
colleges, and community colleges. The system was designed to make
higher education more accessible and affordable to average citizens.
Closure Assignment #6

1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 26, Section 2:
What were the benefits of the Interstate Highway Act?
What were the disadvantages? (At least 2 sentences)
How did the Sunbelt states benefit from the growth of
the automobile and air conditioning industries?
Do you think it was easy for people in declining
manufacturing industries to switch into the service
sector? Explain your answer. (At least 1 sentence)
Consumerism / Median Family Income

Consumerism – Buying as much as possible; In the postwar era
American spending skyrocketed, often with purchases made on credit.

Median Family Income – Average Family Income; During the 1950s the
median family income nearly doubled, contributing to the increase of
consumerism among American citizens.
Consumerism
Nuclear Family / Dr. Benjamin Spock

Nuclear Family – A household consisting of a mother and father and their
children; During the 1950s sociologists in the United States emphasized
that the nuclear family was the backbone of American society, and if it
began to fall apart so would the nation.

Dr. Benjamin Spock – Author of the best selling book on parenting in the
1950s, Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care. The book emphasized
the importance of nurturing children from birth to the teen years,
suggesting that parents should not worry about spoiling their children
because children could not get too much comfort and love.
Jonas Salk / Lucille Ball

Jonas Salk – Doctor and Inventor of the Polio Vaccine in 1954; Salk’s
vaccine virtually eliminated the disease worldwide by 1960.

Lucille Ball – Comedian and star of the most popular TV show of the 1950s
and early 1960s, I Love Lucy; 50 million Americans watched the show
each week and its portrayal of idealistic American life in which divorce and
major family problems did not exist.
Closure Question #3: Why was television a better medium
than radio for consumerism? (At least 1 sentence)



In 1938, when television was still just a curiosity, E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web, wrote
that it “is going to be the test of the modern world… We shall stand or fall by the television.”
While White’s view may have been exaggerated, clearly television has had an enormous impact
on American society. Between 1945 and 1960, Americans purchased television sets at a faster
pace than they had bought either radios or cars during the 1920s. The popularity of this new
technology threatened the movie industry because families stayed home to watch TV rather
than go out to watch movies at the theater.
Although television attracted viewers of all ages, it had a special influence on children. Baby
boom children rushed home from school to watch the Howdy Doody Show or the Mickey Mouse
Club. Children also watched hours of cartoons and shows featuring their favorite superheroes,
such as the Lone Ranger. Westerns were especially popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Among the most memorable shows were sitcoms about families. Fifty million Americans tuned
in each week to watch the I Love Lucy show. Other popular family sitcoms included Leave it to
beaver, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Father Knows Best.
Even before television emerged in the 1950s, a mass national culture had
begun to develop in the United States. National broadcast radio programs,
Hollywood films, and other forms of popular culture had helped erode
distinct regional and ethnic cultures. Television sped up and reinforced
this process. Americans in every region of the country watched the same
shows and bought the same goods they saw advertised.
Rock-and-Roll / Elvis Presley

Rock-and-Roll – Popular music genre of the 1950s and 1960s; Rock music
originated in the rhythm and blues (R&B) traditions of African Americans,
becoming popular in the Midwest and then spreading nationwide thanks to
performers such as Chuck Berry, B.B. King, and Elvis Presley.

Elvis Presley – The King of Rock and Roll; Elvis rose from being a shy,
lower-class southern boy to becoming the most popular Rock artist of all
time. His first hit, “Heartbreak Hotel”, sold in the millions in 1956.
Closure Assignment #7

1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions based on what you
have learned from Chapter 26, Section 3:
In what ways was the mood of the 1950s different
from the mood of the 1930s? (At least 2 sentences)
Why do you think the nuclear family became more
important during the 1950s? (At least 1 sentence)
Why was television a better medium that radio for
consumerism? (At least 1 sentence)
Beatniks

Small group of American writers and artists who, during the 1950s,
criticized the conformity and blandness of American culture.
Inner City / Urban Renewal

Inner City – The older, central part of a city with crowded neighborhoods
in which low-income, usually minority, groups live. Since WWII these
areas have been known for poor living conditions, inadequate schools and
housing, and increased crime rates.

Urban Renewal – Projects created by federal, state, and local governments
designed to clear older housing, build freeways and encourage
development in order to “revitalize” downtown areas.
Termination Policy

(1953) Change in the rules governing Native Americans which
sought to end tribal government and relocate Native Americans to
the nation’s cities while ending federal responsibility for the
health and welfare of Native Americans.
Closure Question #3: Why would the Bracero program attract Mexican
workers? What disadvantages did these workers face compared with
other workers in the United States? (At least 2 sentences)
Both Mexicans and Mexican Americans faced a similar
situation in the United States. During World War II, the U.S.
government had established the bracero program as a
means to address the shortage of agricultural workers.
Braceros was a term for Mexican migrant farmworkers in the
United States. The program gave temporary visas to Mexican
immigrants.
 By 1964, 3 million Mexicans had worked in the United States
under the program, most of them as farm laborers. Many
were exploited and cheated by their employers. Mexican
workers followed crops from state to state. Often, children
worked alongside their parents. The migrants had little
power to oppose the exploitation, for if they complained
about conditions, employers threatened to deport them back
to Mexico. One U.S. Department of Labor official called the
program “legalized slavery.”

Closure Assignment #8

1.
2.
3.
Answer the following questions based on what you have
learned from Chapter 26, Section 4:
Summarize the arguments made by critics who rejected
the culture of the fifties. (At least 1 sentence)
During the 1950s, many middle-class Americans were
unaware of poverty. Are poor people invisible today?
Explain. (At least 1 sentence)
Why would the Bracero program attract Mexican
workers? What disadvantages did these workers face
compared with other workers in the United States? (At
least 2 sentences)