Post World War II America 1945 -1960 Unit

Post World War II America (1945 -1960) Unit 9 A AP U. S. History

Think About It Explain how the Truman and Eisenhower administrations maintained continuity and fostered change in American foreign policy. } Compare and contrast cultural developments of the 1920 s and the 1950 s. }

Legacy of World War II on American Foreign Policy } New World Order § U. S. virtually unscathed from war destruction § Imperialist powers and Axis belligerents weakened Decolonization § Non-Alignment Movement § Superpowers } United States and Soviet Union State of Israel § Involvement in Middle East affairs } National and International Defense § Reorganization of diplomatic and military bureaucracy § United Nations and Security Council

Decolonization

Understanding the Cold War } Superpower nations after WWII § Soviet Union = communism, police state § United States = capitalism, democracy } Cold War meant a “war of words” rather than outright conflict § However, the Cold War includes episodes of “hot” conflicts in various regions around the world.

War Conferences ► Yalta (Feb 1945) § German occupation zones § Free elections in Soviet-occupied Eastern European nations § Soviet Union will attack Japan three months after defeat of Germany § New peace organization - United Nations ► Security Council with veto power for P 5 Potsdam (July-Aug 1945) § Japanese unconditional surrender or “prompt and utter destruction” § German and Berlin occupation zones § Nuremberg Trials and Purge of Nazism § Recognition of communist government in Poland § Partition of Vietnam at Da Nang

United Nations } General Assembly § Member nations convened to develop a postwar world to combat global issues while respecting sovereignty and peace. } Security Council § 15 -member body to authorize peacekeeping and promote international security § Permanent Members United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, China Resolutions must be unanimous

Hiroshima and Nagasaki } Manhattan Project § Soviet espionage } Hiroshima (Aug. 6, 1945) § 70, 000 -80, 000 killed § 4. 7 sq. mi. destroyed } Nagasaki (Aug 9, 1945) § 50, 000 -75, 000 killed

Occupation of Japan } Reform § Emperor as ceremonial role § Democratization § Breakup of conglomerates § Demilitarization } Economic Recovery § Avoid communist incursion } Peace and Alliance General Douglas Mac. Arthur and Emperor Hirohito

Iron Curtain } German Occupation Zones § West Berlin and East Berlin } Eastern Europe § Soviet Union did not withdraw its troops from occupied Eastern Europe § Virtually forced communist regimes on Eastern European

Harry Truman (D) (1945 -1953) } Fair Deal § } "Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government a fair deal. “ – State of the Union (1949) Labor Relations § Taft-Hartley Act (1947) Prohibited closed shops, political contributions, sympathy strikes Permitted “right to work” states § Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) President order to seize national steel mills unconstitutional } } Presidential Succession Act of 1947 Social and Cultural Developments § Civil Rights Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 (1948) § } Desegregated the federal government and military Foreign Developments § § Containment Marshall Plan Berlin Airlift Korean Conflict

Harry S. Truman (D) (1945 -1953) Containment } Truman Doctrine § Provide economic and military support for nations threatened by communism § Greece and Turkey } National Security Act (1947) § Department of Defense § National Security Council (NSC) § Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) } NSC-68 (1950) § Justify defense spending and arms buildup as necessary § Establish alliances with noncommunist nations

America Should Seek Peace with the Soviet Union; America Should Contain the Soviet Union Henry A. Wallace – “Speech Delivered at Madison Square Garden” (1946) } The real peace treaty we now need is } between the United States and Russia. On our part, we should recognize that we have no more business in the political affairs of Eastern Europe than Russia has in the political affairs of Latin America, Western Europe and the United States. We may not like what Russia does in Eastern Europe. Her type of land reform, industrial expropriation, and suppression of basic liberties offends the great majority of the people of the United States. But whether we like it or not the Russians will try to socialize their sphere of influence just as we try to democratize our sphere of influence… Under friendly peaceful competition the Russian world and the American world will gradually become more alike. The Russians will be forced to grant more and more personal freedoms; and we shall become more and more absorbed with the problems of social-economic justice. George F. Kennan – “The Sources of Soviet Conduct” (1987) In these circumstances it is clear that the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet union must be that of a long -term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies… [I]t will be clearly seen that the Soviet pressure against the free institutions of the western world is something that can be contained by the adroit and vigilant application of counter-force at a series of constantly shifting geographical and political points, corresponding to the shifts and maneuvers of Soviet policy, but which cannot be charmed or talked out of existence. The Russians look forward to a duel of infinite duration, and they see that laready they have scored great successes. It must be borne in mind that there was a time when the Communist Party represented far more of a minority in the sphere of Russian national life than Soviet power today represents in the world community.

Truman & Containment (1945 -1953) Marshall Plan } European Recovery Program § $13 billion in grants § Rebuild and develop European infrastructure } Designed to prevent communist uprisings or infiltration in vulnerable nations

Truman & Containment (1945 -1953) Berlin Blockade and Airlift } Soviet Union establishes blockade of West Berlin } In response to capitalist-based reforms in Western Germany } U. S. and allies launch aerial campaign from 1948 -1949 § Drop food and fuel to citizens } Success of Airlift Campaign Over 200, 000 flights 47, 000 tons daily } Germany officially split § Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany) § Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany)

Truman & Containment (1945 -1953) Cold War Alliances } North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (1949) § Permanent alliance between U. S. , Canada, Western Europe, Greece, Turkey § If one member is attacked, all treaty nations will defend } Warsaw Pact (1955) § Soviet Union’s version of NATO § Eastern European satellite nations

Truman & Containment (1945 -1953) Korean Conflict (1950 -1953) } North Korean Invasion (1950) § Advised by Soviet Union and China } Truman and United Nations Intervention § General Douglas Mac. Arthur launched successful counterattack § Repulsed to 38 th parallel by Chinese support troops } Armistice (1953) § 38 th parallel: Communist North and Democratic South § Truman win/lose Containment worked “soft on Communism”

Nuclear Arms Race } Nuclear weapon development § United States develops weapons with higher yields } Soviet Union § Detonated first nuclear weapon (August 1949) } United Kingdom § Detonated first nuclear weapon (October 1952) } France § Detonated first nuclear weapon (February 1960) } China § Detonated first nuclear weapon (October 1964)

Second Red Scare (1947 -1957) } Government Policies § Loyalty Review Board § Mc. Carran Internal Security Act (1950) House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) § Investigate Americans for pro-communist beliefs and blacklisting } Senator Joseph Mc. Carthy (R) } § Mc. Carthyism } Espionage § Alger Hiss and Whittaker Champers § Klaus Fuchs § Julia and Ethel Rosenberg

Election of 1948 Harry S. Truman (D) } Strom Thurmond } § States’ Rights Party (Dixiecrats) } Thomas Dewey (R)

Truman’s Fair Deal A continuation of New Dealstyle social welfare programs } 21 -Point Domestic Program } § Expansion of Social Security § Increased minimum wage § Housing Act of 1949 } Urban projects and public housing Prevention by Conservative Coalition § National healthcare insurance § Limited civil rights legislation

Election of 1952 } Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) § I Like Ike § Richard Nixon as VP Checkers speech } Adlai Steveneson (D)

Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) (1953 -1961) } Modern Republicanism/Dynamic Conservatism § § } } } Reduce federal scope of power Balanced budgets Pro-business policies Progressive republicans Interstate Highway System (1956) National Defense Education Act (1958) Social and Cultural Developments § § Second Red Scare Affluent Society Conformity and Consensus of Values Civil Rights Movement Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Rosa Parks and Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955 -1956) Little Rock Nine (1957) Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) § Sit-ins } Foreign Developments § Brinkmanship § Sputnik § U-2 Incident

Interstate Highway System

Election of 1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) } Adlai Stevenson (D) }

Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) (1953 -1961) Brinkmanship } Secretary of State John F. Dulles § Massive Retaliation Domino Theory } Eisenhower Doctrine } § Extension of Truman Doctrine to Middle East } Covert Operations § Operation Ajax (1953) - Iran § Operation PBSUCCESS (1954) - Guatemala

Eisenhower & Brinkmanship (1953 -1961) Soviet Union } Temporary Thaw with Soviet Union § “Atoms for Peace” (1953) Hungarian Revolt (1956) } Sputnik (1957) } U-2 Incident (1960) }

Eisenhower & Brinkmanship (1953 -1961) Vietnam and Cuba } Vietnam § Geneva Conference (1954) § Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam § Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) (1954) } Cuba § Fidel Castro and Revolution Deposes Fulgencio Batista (1959) § American Embargo § Cuban Alliance with Soviet Union

Eisenhower & Brinkmanship (1953 -1961) Farewell Address (1961) } “Military-Industrial Complex” § Cold War and Arms Race implications § Warning of a military-corporate state

The Military-Industrial Complex } Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations. This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence ñ economic, political, even spiritual ñ is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. ” }“We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. ”

Baby Boom (1946 -1964)

American Suburbia } Causes § Postwar economic expansion § G. I. Bill and FHA § Great Migration § Interstate highways } Details § § § } Single-family homes Subdivisions and zoning Shopping malls Effects § “White flight” § Urban decay

Second Red Scare (1947 -1957) } Cold War Fears § Duck and Cover § “He May Be a Communist” } Mc. Carthyism § Demographics: Republican Conservative Protestants and Catholics Blue-collar workers § Tactics Media and Television Political tests and loyalty oaths Blacklisting § Reaction Army-Mc. Carthy Hearing (1954) § “Decency” Edward R. Murrow of CBS Public Outcry

Nifty Fifties The American Dream } Affluent Society § § § } Corporate and Industrial America § § } White-collar jobs Business dress codes Technological and production developments during the war Importation and application of German manufacturing Consumerism § § } 87% of families owned a TV 75% of families owned a car 60% of population as middle-class Credit cards Shopping malls and strip malls Advertising/Brand Names/Franchising § § Ford Cheerios Chef Boyardee Carnation Milk

Nifty Fifties Women Suburban and middleclass growth and mainstream media culture reinforced cult of domesticity § “Know your role” } Increased employment opportunities § 40% of women held jobs }

Nifty Fifties Conformist and Conservative Society } Causes § New Deal politics, Cold War/Communism, Materialism, Baby Boom, Suburbia } Social Mores § Traditional gender roles § Respect for authority § Against perversion, drugs } Church Membership § 49% in 1950 § 69% in 1960 } Impact on Politics § “under God” added to the Pledge of Allegiance (1954) § “In God We Trust” as national motto and on paper currency (1956) } Billy Graham § Evangelism to be pure, not improved

Nifty Fifties Teenagers and Rebellion } Teenagers § “Quiet Generation” § Attracted to lifestyle of rock and roll, television, and movie stars § Rise in juvenile delinquency } Beat Generation/Beatniks § Rejection of contemporary conformist and materialist lifestyle § Spiritual liberation § Free lifestyle and experimentation

Nifty Fifties Television and Movies } Television § Ownership 9% in 1950 65% in 1955 87% in 1960 § Impact Corporate sponsorships Sitcoms of the American middle class family Ozzie and Harriet Leave it to Beaver Father Knows Best } Movies § Epic, science fiction, and Cold War themes § The Day the Earth Stood Still § Rebel Without a Cause

Nifty Fifties Music } Classic Pop § Billie Holiday § Crooners Frank Sinatra Dean Martin } Doo Wop § Vocal group harmony } Rock and Roll § Influenced by rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, country, and pop § Electric guitars § Chuck Berry § Elvis Presley

Nifty Fifties Literature } Post-Modernism § Post-WWII reactionary movement § The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger § The Death of a Salesman and The Crucible by Arthur Miller § To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee } Beat Generation § Rejection of materialism, sexual liberation, drug experimentation, Eastern religions and philosophies § On the Road by Jack Kerouac