the 50s and 60s

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The 50s and 60s

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The 50s and 60s. Cold War Conflicts. What is the Cold War?. A state of hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union that fell short of military confrontation From the end of World War II until the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Causes of the Cold War. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: The 50s and 60s

The 50s and 60s

Page 2: The 50s and 60s

Cold War Conflicts

Page 3: The 50s and 60s

What is the Cold War?

A state of hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union that fell short of military confrontation

From the end of World War II until the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991

Page 4: The 50s and 60s

Causes of the Cold War

The Soviets were Communists and the U.S. is a capitalist nation—they don’t mix well

Joseph Stalin, leader of the USSR, wanted to take reparations from Germany and keep as many Eastern European countries communist as possible

Harry Truman, the American president, wanted voting rights for all and was afraid of giving in to Stalin

Page 5: The 50s and 60s

The Truman Doctrine

Truman vowed to assist free people who were resisting takeovers by “armed minorities”

Included financial support to keep Communists from taking over Turkey and Greece

Page 6: The 50s and 60s

The Marshall Plan

Proposed by General George Marshall

Extended aid to all European nations in need

Approved when the Soviet Union took over Czechoslovakia in 1948

Page 7: The 50s and 60s

Problems in Germany

Remember Germany had been divided into four zones…so had the capital of Berlin

When the zones controlled by the U.S., France, and Great Britain reunited, the Soviet Union maintained control of its portion—of Germany and of Berlin

Led to two German nations—the Federal Republic of German (West Germany) with its capital in Bonn and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) with its capital in East Berlin

Page 8: The 50s and 60s

Civil War in China

In the north—Communists and Mao ZedongIn the south—nationalists and Chiang Kai-shek

Civil War began as soon as the Japanese left after World War II

The Communists were able to gain the support of the peasants and by 1949 China was Communist

Mao Zedong

Chiang Kai-shek

Page 9: The 50s and 60s

The Communist Bugaboo

There was a concern that all American Communists were secretly working for the Soviet Union

Several agencies investigated possible Communist influence—even in Hollywood

Senator Joseph McCarthy accused everyone and anyone of being Communist

Some were actually found guilty: Alger Hiss and Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

Page 10: The 50s and 60s

War in Korea

Switch to separate presentation!

Page 11: The 50s and 60s

The Postwar Boom

Page 12: The 50s and 60s

Changes at Home

The GI Bill enabled WWII veterans to go to school, buy a home, or establish businesses

Marriages had ended in divorce

We faced inflation and unemployment

Truman called for Civil Rights, but Congress refused to act

Page 13: The 50s and 60s

Pop Culture

Most homes had TVs now

Radio was still popular

Hollywood focused on size, color, and stereo sound

Page 14: The 50s and 60s

Beatniks

Wore all black, were minimalists, and used the “hip” language of jazz musicians

Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road in 1957

Page 15: The 50s and 60s

The 50s Weren’t All Happy

Whites fled to the suburbs, leaving the cities full of poor African Americans

Mexicans had entered to work farms during WWII—the beginning of illegal immigrants

Native Americans worked to control their own lives and landsThe federal government withdrew financial assistance

Page 16: The 50s and 60s

The New Frontierand

The Great Society

Page 17: The 50s and 60s

The Election of 1960

One of the closest elections ever

Kennedy/Johnson won by fewer than 120,000 votes!

Why?TelevisionCivil Rights

Page 18: The 50s and 60s

Crisis in Cuba

The problem: Fidel Castro had declared himself a Communist and allied himself with the Soviet Union

Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev sent tons of weapons to Cuba for defense—including nuclear weapons

After a tense two weeks, Kennedy agreed to leave Cuba alone and the Soviets agreed to remove nuclear missiles

Page 19: The 50s and 60s

Camelot

The Kennedys embraced art, music, and all cultures

He inspired hope John was young and handsome; Jackie was

beautiful and stylish; the children were adorable

Page 20: The 50s and 60s

November 22, 1963

Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas

A nation mourned his death

Page 21: The 50s and 60s

LBJ’s Great Society

Johnson wanted to change AmericaAddressed poverty, civil rights, and

the environmentTried to renew the cities and protect

consumersLooked at ways to improve education

and expand opportunities for college-bound students