Chapter 36: The Cold War

Begins 1945-1952

In 1946, post war USA was characterized by an epidemic of labor strikes. Taft–Hartley Act, enacted June 23, 1947, restricted the activities and power of labor unions in the years after WWII.

Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 known informally as the G.I. Bill of Rights provided a range of benefits for returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s).

Benefits included low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business, cash payments of tuition and living expenses to attend college, high school or vocational education, as well as one year of unemployment compensation.

The passage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act (GI Bill of Rights) was partly motivated by fear that the labor markets could not absorb millions of discharged veterans.

The postwar economic boom had several causes and propellants…The war's massive production jump-started the entire economy.

Post-war military projects kept the "military-industrial complex" in business.

There were tons of jobs in military-related areas, such as aerospace, plastics, electronics, and "R and D" (research and development).

Energy was cheap and plentiful.

High car sales reflected the cheap gas.

A strong infrastructure of power lines, gas lines helped feed homes and businesses.

Worker production increased. More Americans went to and stayed in school. Increased education meant increased standard of living.

Farms changed and turned toward big-businesses and away from family farms. Machinery costs fueled this change.

Former farmers left for other jobs.

Still, with new equipment and better hybrids and fertilizers, food production increased.

The post World War II long boom was an era of economic affluence in the mid-20th century, which happened largely in western countries following the end of World War II in 1945, and persisted until the early 1970s. Much of the prosperity of the 1950s and 1960s rested on colossal military budgetsIt completed with the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971.

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POPULATION SHIFT TO THE SUNBELT STATES

“SUNBELT” DESCRIBES THE “SUNNY” AREA FROM THE SOUTHERN ATLANTIC COST TO CALIFORNIA.

FLORIDA, ARIZONA AND NEVADA EXPERIENCED OVER 100% POPULATION GROWTH WHILE STATES LIKE CALIFORNIA, UTAH AND COLORADO SAW THEIR POPULATIONS GROW 51% TO 100%.

BY 1963 CALIFORNIA BECAME THE MOST POPULOUS STATE IN THE UNION.

ADVANCES IN AIR CONDITIONING, AIR TRAVEL AND AN IMPROVED HIGHWAY SYSTEM CONTRIBUTED TO THIS POPULATION SHIFT.

THE FAST GROWING AEROSPACE INDUSTRY WAS LOCATED MAINLY IN SUNBELT AREAS.

RETIREMENTS COMMUNITIES SPRANG UP TO SERVE SENIORS LOOKING FOR A WARM, SUNNY CLIMATE

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LEVITTOWN'S WERE THE SYMBOL OF THE NEW AMERICAN SUBURB WHERE ALMOST ANYONE COULD AFFORD A NEW HOME.

THEY WERE SMALL HOMES BUILT USING MASS PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES.

OWN YOUR OWN HOME

MOST NEW HOUSING CONSTRUCTION TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE MAJOR CITIES IN NEWLY CREATED SUBURBS

THERE WAS TREMENDOUS PENT UP DEMAND FOR HOUSING AS THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE CONSTRUCTION DURING THE DEPRESSION OR WWII

COUPLES WERE HAVING MORE CHILDREN AND WANTED THEIR OWN HOMES TO RAISE THEM IN

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LOANS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR MORE FAMILIES TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN HOMES

CARS AND SHOPPING CENTERS BECAME THE CENTER PIECES OF THE NEW SUBURBAN LIFESTYLE

THE AMERICAN DREAM

BABY BOOM (BOOM)

The term "baby boom" most often refers to the post–World War II baby boom (1946–1964).

There are an estimated 78.3 million Americans who were born during this time period.

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CONFLICT BETWEEN THE U.S.S.R. AND THE UNITED STATES WHICH BEGAN AFTER WWII IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNIST EXPANSION.

COMMUNISM WAS SEEN AS A MORTAL THREAT TO THE EXISTENCE OF THE WESTERN DEMOCRATIC TRADITION.

U.S. FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE MID TO LATE 1940’S THRU THE LATE 1980’S WAS DOMINATED BY THIS THREAT.

THE COLD WAR WAS FOUGHT IN POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC BATTLES AS OPPOSED TO WAR.

THE COLD WAR

YALTA CONFERENCE, 1945: FDR, CHURCHILL AND STALIN MET TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF EUROPE AFTER THE WAR. BARGAIN OR BETRAYAL?

From February 4-11 1945, the following issues were addressed:

world organization (United Nations),

declaration on liberated Europe (free elections),

dismemberment of Germany (demilitarization and denazification),

zones of occupation (USA,BR,USSR,FR),

reparations,

Poland (new borders), Bulgaria, Romania

Yugoslavia.

Agreements regarding entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan were also outlined (with Soviet incentives….Sakhalin Island; Kurile Islands; joint control over railroads in China’s Manchuria; seaports of Darien and Port Arthur).

The United States and the Soviet Union

Occupation Zones In Germany

Occupation Zones in Berlin Germany

On June 23, 1948 the USSR imposed a complete blockade on railway, road and canal traffic leading to West Berlin from the allied German zone.

No supplies of any type, including food, fuel and consumer goods, were allowed to enter West Berlin. Stalin wanted to starve the city into submission.

This was done for two main reasons:

•Stalin's desire to control all of Berlin

•The allies London program of 1948 that called for a separate West Germany and currency reform

PRESIDENT TRUMAN DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO HOLD ON TO WEST BERLIN AND HE CHOOSE AN AIRLIFT FROM THE OPTIONS PRESENTED HIM.

THE AIRLIFT WOULD BE USED FOR KEEPING THE CITY SUPPLIED WITH FOOD, FUEL AND CONSUMER GOODS.

BERLIN AIRLIFT: JUNE 1948 TO MAY 1949EVERYTHING FROM COAL TO CHOCOLATE WAS FLOWN IN BY FLEETS OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH CARGO PLANES

1949 SAW THE FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF TWO GERMAN NATIONS COMMONLY KNOWN AS EAST AND WEST GERMANY. EAST GERMANY WAS RULED BY THE USSR WHILE WEST GERMANY WAS INDEPENDENT.

CONTAINMENT POLICY:

DEAN ACHESON BECAME THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN 1949 UNDER HARRY TRUMAN.

IN THAT POST, HE AND GEORGE F. KENNAN DEVELOPED A POLICY TO CONTAIN COMMUNIST EXPANSION BY FUNNELING ECONOMIC AND MILITARY AID TO DEMOCRATIC NATIONS, AND BY HELPING TO ESTABLISH THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO).

TRUMAN DOCTRINE: MILITARY AID THE DOCTRINE WAS INFORMALLY EXTENDED TO BECOME THE BASIS OF AMERICAN COLD WAR POLICY THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND AROUND THE WORLD. IT SHIFTED AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY TOWARD THE SOVIET UNION FROM DETENTE (A RELAXATION OF TENSION) TO A POLICY OF CONTAINMENT OF SOVIET EXPANSION AS ADVOCATED BY DIPLOMAT GEORGE F. KENNAN.

THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE WAS THE NAME GIVEN TO A POLICY ANNOUNCED BY US PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN ON MARCH 12, 1947.

THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE WAS A VERY SIMPLE WARNING CLEARLY MADE TO THE USSR – THOUGH IT WAS NOT MENTIONED BY NAME – THAT THE USA WOULD INTERVENE TO SUPPORT ANY NATION THAT WAS BEING THREATENED BY A TAKEOVER BY AN ARMED MINORITY.

PRESIDENT TRUMAN ASKED CONGRESS FOR $400 MILLION IN AID PLUS US TROOPS/ADVISORS TO HELP BOTH GREECE AND TURKEY FIGHT BACK THE COMMUNIST THREAT

MODERNIZATION OF INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT

CREATION OF SOUND CURRENCIES AND NATIONAL BUDGETS

EXPANSION OF TRADE AND INCREASE IN EXPORTS

INCREASED ECONOMIC COOPERATION AMONG EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

REMOVAL OF QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS IN FOREIGN TRADE

INCREASE IN PRODUCTION ESPECIALLY IN AGRICULTURE AND ENERGY INDUSTRY

IMPROVEMENT IN TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

THE MARSHALL PLAN: ECONOMIC AID

GERMAN CITY OF HAMBURG IN 1945 BEFORE THE MARSHALL PLAN

HAMBURG, 1952, AFTER THE MARSHALL PLAN

IN OCTOBER 1947 THE UN AUTHORIZED THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL WITH BOTH THE US AND USSR VOTING IN FAVOR.

ON MAY 14TH 1948 ISRAEL DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE AND FIVE ARAB STATES IMMEDIATELY INVADED WITH THE GOAL OF DESTROYING THE NEWLY CREATED JEWISH STATE. THEY WERE DEFEATED BY ISRAEL.

National Security Act (1947)

• Department of Defense

• National Security Council (NSC)

• Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

• Selective Service System

NATO: THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION IS FORMED IN 1949

“ to keep the Russians out, the Germans down, and the Americans in.”

WARSAW PACT: FORMED BY THE USSR TO COUNTER NATO IN EUROPE MAY 1, 1955

POST WAR JAPAN UNDER FIVE STAR GENERAL DOUGLAS MacARTHUR:Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers (the USA) until 28 April 1952. During the period of the occupation, Japan was changed to a democratic state and adopted a constitution.

OCTOBER 1ST 1949 THE COMMUNISTS WON THE CHINESE CIVIL WAR AND THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IS ESTABLISHED WITH THE USSR AS ITS MAIN ALLY. IN THE US “LOSING CHINA” BECOMES A POLITICAL ISSUE.

MAO ZEDONG, COMMUNIST LEADER OF CHINA

President Truman approves the development of the hydrogen bomb.

This new type of nuclear weapon is at least 100 times more powerful then the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.

THE FIRST US HYDROGEN BOMB WAS EXPLODED IN NOVEMBER OF 1952.

THE USSR EXPLODED ONE IN 1953.

IN 1949 THE USSR EXPLODED AN ATOMIC BOMB AND BECAME THE SECOND NUCLEAR POWER

THE SECOND RED SCARE: 1947-1954

PRESIDENT TRUMAN'S ATTORNEY GENERAL, HOWARD MCGRATH, SET THE TONE WHEN HE ANNOUNCED:

“THERE ARE TODAY MANY COMMUNISTS IN AMERICA. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE - IN FACTORIES, OFFICES, BUTCHER SHOPS, ON STREET CORNERS, IN PRIVATE BUSINESSES - AND EACH CARRIES IN HIMSELF THE GERMS OF DEATH FOR SOCIETY.”

Attorney General McGrath and TrumanNO ONE REALLY KNEW HOW MANY AMERICAN COMMUNISTS THERE WERE.

IT WAS KNOWN THAT 100,000 HAD VOTED FOR THE COMMUNIST PARTY IN THE ELECTION OF 1932.

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Senator Joseph McCarthy

Nixon and other members of HUACEthel and Julius

RosenbergAlger Hiss

The “Hollywood 10” and their supporters

KOREAN WAR:

JUNE 1950 TO JULY 1953

NORTH KOREA

38TH PARALLEL DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA

SOUTH KOREA

National Security Council Report 68 (NSC-68) was a 58-page top secret policy paper issued by the United States National Security Council on April 14, 1950, during the presidency of Harry S. Truman.

NSC-68 largely shaped U.S. foreign policy in the Cold War for the next 20 years, and involved a decision to make Containment against Communist expansion a high priority.

NSC-68 recommended policies that emphasized military over diplomatic action.

Truman officially approved NSC-68 on September 30, 1950.

THE WAR IN KOREA TURNED INTO A STALEMATE RESEMBLING WORLD WAR I TRENCH WARFARE.

TRUMAN FIRED MACARTHUR IN A DISPUTE OVER HOW THE WAR SHOULD BE FOUGHT.

UN troops advanced rapidly and entered North Korea in pursuit of fleeing enemy armies. On October 19, 1950 Chinese communists troops invaded North Korea and pushed the UN armies back south of the 38th parallel.

IN MARCH OF 1953 JOSEPH STALIN THE COMMUNIST DICTATOR OF THE SOVIET UNION DIED. AFTER THIS THE KOREAN PEACE NEGOIATIONS TOOK A MORE POSITIVE TURN.

On July 27th 1953, after three years of fighting, an armistice was signed ending the Korean war. Korea remained divided at the 38th parallel.