The Communists Strike The U.S. Finds Itself At War AgainThe Korean WarMcCarthyismIke Moves Into The Whitehouse

Truman Runs For Re-election In the midst of it all, President Truman, who

assumed the Presidency following the death of FDR, had to run for re-election.

He was not a popular choice for the Democrats and Truman’s popularity was waning and his poll numbers were poor and declining.

Look, suppose we put it to him this way.

Truman has just delivered the “Give’em Hell Harry” Speech at

the Democractic nominating convention.

Truman’s Opponent: Republican Thomas E. Dewey

The wrong headline.

They all got it wrong.

The Cold War Continues: NSC-68 With the Cold War tensions increasing, the

Policy Planning Staff of the American Government drew up a new statement of national defense policy at the request of Secretary of State Acheson.

It was titled NSC-68.

NSC-68 This document was based on the premise that the

Soviet Union sought “to impose it absolute authority over the rest of the world” and thus “mortally challenged” the United States.

NSC-68 called for up to 50% of the GNP to be spent on National Defense.

Approved in principle by the National Security Council in April of 1950, NSC-68 indicated the length to which the Truman Administration would go to fight the Cold War.

The Fall of China By mid 1949, China was under the control of the

Chinese communists. The United States chose not to intervene. Taking the stance that the military conflict in China

was a civil war and not one of aggression from an outsider, the United States left Chiang Kai-Shek to his own devices.

In December of 1949, Chiang and his forces fled to the island of Formosa (Taiwan).

China now fell under the sphere of Soviet influence.

The American Response The U.S. refused to recognize the Communist

government in China, claiming it was a Stalinist regime, and thus not Chinese. Instead, the U.S. recognized Chiang’s government in Formosa (Taiwan).

The United States signed a security pact with Japan, ending that nation’s military occupation and made them the chief U.S. ally in Asia.

Kim Il-Sung Strikes Kim Il-Sung, the communist dictator of North

Korea, with the tacit approval of Stalin and Mao, invaded South Korea.

Stalin and Mao both believed that the U.S. would not defend South Korea.

Within days of the invasion, American troops stationed in Japan were fighting in South Korea.

The Pusan Perimeter South Korean and American forces were

driven to the town of Pusan and surrounded, forming the “Pusan Perimeter.”

The early battlefield reverses of the Korean War indicated that both parties felt very uncomfortable about the situation and the political ramifications.

Inchon American General Douglas MacArthur led the

risky naval invasion at Inchon and cut-off the communist forces.

The communists were driven out of South Korea.

As American forces approached the Yalu River, the Chinese communists invaded.

Giving orders at the Inchon LandingGeneral Douglas MacArthur

The unification of Korea Based on poor advice from Secretary of State

Dean Acheson and General MacArthur, Truman gave the order for American and UN forces to cross the 38th Parallel and re-unify Korea.

The Chinese Communists waited until the American forces neared the Yalu river and then attacked, driving the Americans southwards.

The 38th Parallel MacArthur was finally able to halt the Chinese

advance, but fighting once again bogged down at the 38th Parallel.

MacAthur requested permission to attack again, even making his case before Congress.

Truman removed MacAthur from command on April 11, 1951. His administration successfully argued that a full fledged war in Korea would leave Europe open to invasion from the Soviet Union.

Did we win? Truman’s initial goal of successfully

defending South Korea was achieved. His goal of driving communism from Korea

by uniting the two halves failed. The most significant aspect of the Korean war

was the adoption of NSC-68 and the massive re-arming of the American Military.

Matthew Ridgeway MacArthur’s controversial plan to end the war

caused Truman to fear the start of World War III.

MacArthur’s public pursuit of having Congress support his plan caused Truman to remove the general and replace him with Matthew Ridgeway.

McCarthyism Senator Joe McCarthy led a witch hunt that

destroyed the lives of thousands. He was eventually discredited and his career

ended in disgrace, but the lives of many had been damaged.

Senator Joseph McCarthy On February 12, 1950,

Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin shocked the nation with his seemingly routine speech delivered in Wheeling, West Virgina.

McCarthyism McCarthy claimed to have a list of names of

communists who worked in the State Department. His speech launched a four-and-a-half-year crusade

to free the federal government of the communist influence.

None of his charges were ever substantiated. The lives of hundreds of American were ruined,

costing them their jobs and careers.

McCarthy’s Downfall: When he went after the Military, they did not take it sitting down. They exposed him as a fraud, ending his witch hunt.

Truman’s early competition:Crime fighting Senator Estes Kefauver

Truman Drops Out

Eisenhower Runs For President

The Checkers Speech: After having questions about his campaign finances and contributions to him as a Senator brought up by the Democrats, Nixon appeared on television and defended accepting the gifts. He talked about how his family loved their little dog, Checkers, one of the gifts, and won the American people over. Nixon stayed on Ike’s ticket.

Eisenhower and television After defeating his opponent from the

Democrats, Adlai Stevenson, Eisenhower commented on how television would forever change campaigning for the office of President.

Ike how no idea how prophetic his comments were.