Cold War & 1950’s

Yalta Conference

February 1945 “Big Four” Franklin Roosevelt U.S. Joseph Stalin Soviet

Union Winston Churchill Great

Britain Poland was in discussion Churchill wanted

democratic government for Poland

Stalin wanted Soviet controlled Poland

Agreed on free elections

“Crimes Against Humanity”

Nuremburg Trials- International Military Tribunal representing 23 nationsNovember 20, 1945 tried from Nazi leaders for war crimes violations.

21 Nazi leaders guilty, 12 of them sentenced to death

Pacific Tribunal executed Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese leaders

Tried 5,700 lesser Japanese Japanese war criminals= 4,200 were convicted-720 executed

video

http://www.videojug.com/film/twenty-one-nazis-chiefs-guilty-nuremburg-1946

Post World War II

Potsdam Conference- July 1945- Truman met with Churchill (Great Britain) and Stalin (U.S.S.R.) in Potsdam, Germany

Divided Germany and Austria into Four Zones of occupation.

Britain, France, the United States, and Soviet Union would each control one zone

Berlin- German Capital, was within the Soviet zone, was divided into four zones.

Germany 4 Zones

U.S. vs. U.S.S.R.

During WWIII --Economy and Political

system came between them---too different

U.S. Capitalism and democracy

--USSR= Communism --USSR mad that U.S. did not

recognize their government --USSR wanted allies to enter

the war earlier --USSR mad that the A-bomb

was kept secret

Conflict Over Germany

Western Allies wanted a united, demilitarized, and independent Germany

Soviets feared a United Germany Despite “Yalta” agreements for free elections,

Soviets established “Satellite States” with governments under their control

--Satellite nations-Albanians, Bulgaria, Czech, Hungary, Romania and Poland (countries dependant on USSR)

Post WWII

--United Nations suppose to promote peace—instead used as a forum to compete to spread their influence

--Stalin did not want to allow Poland and Eastern Europeans to have free elections

-- Truman, this was a violation of the right to self-determine (Countries right to choose their own government)

-- Stalin made speech saying that another war was inevitable and they would make weapons instead of consumer goods

-- U.S. interpreted this as a declaration of War

--To Truman, this was a violation of the right to self determine

--Satellite nations-Albanians, Bulgaria, Czech, Hungary, Romania and Poland (countries dependant on USSR)

Truman Doctrine

U.S. would support free people resisting takeovers by communist nations

Some Americans didn’t like this (Isolationism)

Not our job to be on a global crusade against communism

Britain couldn’t afford to support Greece against government

Truman worried that if Greece fell, Turkey would as well

1947 Congress and Truman sent over $400 million dollars in aid to Turkey & Greece to protect them from communism

This aid enabled the Greek army to defeat the rebels

Marshall Plan

George C. Marshall-Truman’s Secretary of State

Marshall played major role in planning D-Day invasion

After the war, most European nations were in economic chaos!

Many Nations needed food and essential products.

To prevent the USSR from aiding these desperate nations, the U.S. stepped in with Marshall Plan

European trade and peace was very important to U.S.

Said that Europe’s need for “food and other essential preducts… is much greater than her present ability to pay”

More Marshall Plan

Marshall Plan-Between 1948 and 1952, U.S. gave away 12.5 billion dollars to aide to European Nations. In return, they had to remove trade barriers and cooperated economically with one another. The hope was that this money would help insure strong stable governments in Europe to resist communism!!

Plan was a great success! Industries grew, economy improved, communist parties lost much of their appeal.

Offered money to Soviet Union, they refused.

Soviets prevented their Eastern European satellites from accepting any U.S. aid as well

Containment

U.S. new foreign policy-prevent the Soviet Union from expanding into strategically important areas.

U.S.- Defensive strategy Soviets- Offensive strategy After WWII, Germany divided

into 4 zones 1948 Western powers

merged occupied areas of Berlin

East Berlin-allies West Berlin-Germany

Berlin Airlift

West- occupied by U.S., Britain, and France

East- occupied by USSR 1948 recombined the 3

western zones into one nation

USSR held West Berlin hostage

Stalin cut off supplies to Berlin (Roads, Water, Railroad)

His hope was that by starving the people of E. Germany, it would force the Western nations to either give up control of Berlin

More Berlin Airlift

Berlin airlift broke the blockade and flew food and supplies into W. Berlin

In 277,000 flights in 327 days, 2.3 tons of supplies were brought in

To the world, this made the U.S. look good and the USSR look bad!

May 1949 the USSR lifted the blockade

There was an official separation of Germany

UN and NATO In efforts to peace keeping-NATO was formedNATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization- 1949

Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, U.S. formed a defensive military alliance (a attack on one= and attack on all!)

First time U.S. has ever entered into a military alliance!

Members pledged to defend the others if they were attacked

United Nations (UN) – peacekeeping organization formed in October 1945 with 51 original members

Warsaw Pact

Russia saw NATO as a threat

Warsaw Pact- 1955 Military alliance formed by the Soviet Union

Soviet Union, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Allbania.

Warsaw Pact Vs. NATO

Berlin Wall

In 1961, East Germans built a walll to separate East and West Berlin.

Berlin Wall symbolized a world divided into rival camps.

Election 1948 & 1952

Election of 1948- Truman defeated Dewey because of New Deal reforms

Fair Deal

1948-Truman's series of reform programs

Intended to bring full employment, higher minimum wage, and national health plan.

Civil Rights Plan- antilynching and voter protection laws

Congress approve some of them

Congress rejected others (Civil Rights, fed aid to education, and national health insurance program)

Peacetime Economy

Truman concerned about unemployment

16.3 Million served in military

Soldiers would need to return homes to jobs

Government encouraged women to return to their homes

Peacetime economy

GI Bill of Rights- In 1944, government set up benefits for veterans such as money for farms, businesses, college loans, unemployment insurance

Inflation and strikes became a problem after the war

Taft-Hartley Act- 1947 allowed the government to apply for a court order delaying for 80 days any strike that threatened public health or safety. The act also banned the closed shop which is a business or factory that agrees to hire only union members

Economy expanded- people were spending money saved during war

Republicans won majority in both the House and Senate

Life in 50’s—baby boomer

Baby boom- 1950’s, population grew by 29 million

Suburbs grew 40x faster than cities. Shopping centers grew

Levitown- Start of tract homes. (Homes that are similar)

Sun Belt- South and West, low tax rates and warm climate.

Cars and highways increased due to commute from suburbs

Interstate Highway Act- 1956- called for network of high-speed roads linking the entire nation

Appliances such as refrigerators, electric toasters, irons and washer and dryers made life easier

Suburbs

Chinese Revolution

U.S. aided Chiang Kai-shek, but he lost support and went to Taiwan

Mao set up the People’s Republic of China- communist rule

The Forgotten War

38 Parallel- Line dividing North and South Korea

Soviets withdrew from Korea in 1949, left behind well trained army.

N. Korea- governed by communists in support of Soviet Union

S. Korea- noncommunist government backed by the U.S.

When N. Korea invaded S. Korea, Truman acted quickly and asked the UN to send forces

More Korean War

U.S. instituted another draft General Douglas MacArthur

attempted to push N. Koreans out of S. Korea, but N. Koreans were well equipped with Soviet supplies.

15 other nations offered troops to the UN effort

They finally pushed them back, but then Truman decided to punish them for their aggression. The UN also wanted Korea to unite

Korean War Continued

MacArthur pushed the N. Koreans to border of China on Yalu River

Reinforcements from China pushed UN forces back to the 38th parallel

Battles were brutal Harsh conditions

Extreme winters

Macarthur Conflict

Truman didn’t want the war to expand beyond Korea

MacArthur wanted air strikes on Chinese cities and attack the Chinese mainland

Truman refused and MacArthur criticized the president openly

Truman fired MacArthur on April, 11th 1951

MacArthur received parades and celebrations

Soon after, UN forces pushed Chinese & North Koreans back across the 38 parallel

Election of 1952

Election of 1952- Korean War was a major issue

Truman did not run for re-election. People blamed him for the war.

Republicans nominated General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower- WW2 veteran no political scandals, no scandals

Eisenhower promised to end the war, promised to go to Korea

1st Republican President in 20 years was re-elected in 1956

End of the War

December 1952 Eisenhower flew to Korea

Eisenhower warned Chinese and North Koreans that U.S. might use Atomic weapons

July 27, 1953 cease-fire signed

U.S. 136,000 casualties North Korean and Chinese

military casualties 1.5 million U.S. remained stationed

along the border

Domestic Communism

New Red Scare late 1940s and early 1950s

Factors involved- Communist Party of the

United States of America

Soviet Union influence in Eastern Europe

Communist takeover of China

Korean War

HUAC

1938 House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)

Investigate disloyalty and harmful foreign influences in U.S.

1947 publicized hearings to prove the presence of Communists in Hollywood and State Department

No peoples rights

Hollywood Blacklisting

Blacklisting-refusing to hire suspected Communists

Hollywood Ten-group of writers who refused to cooperate with HUAC

Spies

1948 journalist Whittaker Chambers confessed to being a spy

1951 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg convicted of passing secret atomic weapons info to Soviets

June 1953 executed

McCarthyism

Feb. 1950 Wisconsin Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy

Charged the state department is “infested with communists”

57 cases When challenged, he

made up more names McCarthyism-making

vicious accusations without offering proof

More McCarthy

People didn’t challenge his accusations

Late 1953, McCarthy charged that there were communists in the Military

Army McCarthy hearings- televised hearings

Viewers revealed who McCarthy was was

1954 Condemned McCarthy

Destroyed many lives

Arms Race

Jan. 1950 Truman approved work on hydrogen bomb

More powerful than atomic bomb tested in South Pacific

Later that year, Soviets tested their own bomb

U.S. wasn’t the only country to have nuclear weapons

American Fear

Nuclear arms race frightened may Americans

Underground bomb shelters were built

“Duck and cover” drills were practiced in schools

Antinuclear groups protested the arms races

                                  

                                      

Sputnik

As the Cold War continued, the U.S. and the Soviet Union entered an enormous arms race

Sputnik- 1957 a soviet rocket launched the first world’s artificial satellite

Video

More Sputnik

Eisenhower made fun of it Americans worried that it

gave Soviets important advantage in space

Jan.1958-U.S. launched its first satellite

Later that year, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established

Congress provided more funding for math, science, and foreign language instruction

Eisenhower’s Foreign Policy

Brinkmanship-Nation might have to go to the brink of war to oppose communism

Eisenhower used covert operations (secret actions) to advance the United State’s position in Cold War

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was established

Suez Canal Crisis

1955 Aswan High Dam project

U.S. pulled out of the project because of Egyptian business with Soviet Union

Egypt would pay for the dam by nationalizing the Suez Canal

Charged an entrance toll Upset Britain, France, and

Israel Three nations invaded the

areas around Suez Canal in Nov. 1956

More Suez

Soviets threatened to “crush the aggressor”

Threatened to fire missiles at France and Britain

U.S. might have to join in

U.S. joined Soviets in condemning the aggression

U.S./Soviet Union Cooperation was rare

Music and Rock and Roll

Music-Birth of Rock and Roll

Elvis Presley Buddy Holly American Bandstand Ed Sullivan-Variety show

host Elvis performance estimated 82.5% percent of the television audience 55-60 million

1950’s Television

T.V.- Political conventions

Political Hearings News Sports- NFL Football Baseball

More 1950’s Television

American Bandstand Howdy Doody, I love Lucy- Most

popular program Honeymooners

1955-56 Leave it to Beaver

1957