Harry S. Truman (Dem) 1945-1953

President Harry S.Truman (D)1945-1953APUSH: Lecture 8CMrs. Kray1Foreign Policy:The Birth of the Cold War2What is the Cold War?METHODOLOGIESEspionage [KGB vs. CIA]Arms Race [nuclear escalation]Ideological Competition for the minds and hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy] proxy warsBi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]

3Soviet & Eastern Bloc Nations[Iron Curtain]US & the Western DemocraciesGOAL spread world-wide CommunismGOAL Containment of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world. [George Kennan]Truman and WWII:The wartime conferencesFeb. 1945: Yalta Conferenceattended by Big Three: FDR, Churchill, StalinGermany would be divided into zones of occupationFree election held in liberated countries of Eastern Europe Truman expected Stalin to honor this pledgeSoviets would enter the war against the JapaneseUN would be created

July 1945: Potsdam ConferenceThe Big Three are gone, Stalin is the only one leftIssued warning to Japan to surrender unconditionally or elseHold war-crime trials of Nazi leaders

4The Bombing of Hiroshima and NagasakiTraditional ViewBombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved the lives of American soldiersEstimated that more that 1 million Americans would have died in the invasion of JapanThe Bombing Re-examined with a Cold War EyeJapan had sent out peace feelers to the SovietsIs it coincidence we dropped the bomb on Aug. 6th when the Soviets were set to enter the war on Aug. 8th?Soviets not informed we had A-bomb, they found out when Japan found outWas it a message to the Soviets?5

The Birth of the Cold War: A History of AntagonismsAmerican Fears/SuspicionsSOVIET Fears/Suspicions6Non-Aggression Pact with GermanySoviet failure to honor promises made at wartime conferencesYalta & PotsdamCommunist economic system not compatible with our economic system of capitalismDiffering postwar visionEnvisioned an open, decolonized, demilitarized, and democratized post-war worldWanted a strong international organization to oversee global peace

U.S. Red Scare, 1919U.S. didnt recognize USSR right awayIt was formed in 1917Delayed opening of a 2nd Front U.S. didnt tell Soviets about the A-bombCapitalist economic system incompatible with their communist economic systemDiffering postwar visionWanted securityWant a sphere of influence in Europe to act as a buffer along USSRs western border

The Cold War in Europe:The Iron Curtain DescendsDistrust turned to hostility in 1946Soviet forces remained in many Central and Eastern European nationsSoviets held elections but manipulated the results to favor Communist candidates; Truman viewed as a violation of Yalta AgreementFrom Stettin in the Balkans, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lies the ancient capitals of Central and Eastern Europe. -- Sir Winston Churchill, 19467

The cold War in Europe:Trumans Containment policyWHAT IS CONTAINMENT?Trumans plan to stop the spread of communism throughout Europe and the worldPolicy first developed by George KennanNSC-68, 1950Quadruple defense spending to 20% of GNP

Form alliances with non-communist countries around the world

Convince the public that arms build-up was imperative for national defense

Revealed American mindset that our resources were unlimitedBasis of American foreign policy for the next 20 yrs.

8Containing Communism in EuropeTRUMAN DOCTRINE, 1947The U. S. should support free peoples throughout the world who were resisting takeovers by armed minorities or outside pressuresWe must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way.The U.S. gave Greece & Turkey $400 million in aid.Civil War in Greece and Turkey under pressure from USSR for concessions in the Dardanelles

MARSHALL PLAN, 1947Europe in ruinsdiscontent had led to the growth of the Communist Party, particularly in France and Italy$12.5 billion of US aid to Western Europe Huge success but rift with USSR deepened

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Point out the NSC-68 shows that U.S. is willing to spend any amount. Limitless.9Marshall Plan10

Containment in Europe:The Berlin CrisisThe Berlin Blockade, 1948Done to oppose reunification of Western GermanyStalin will starve the Allies into submission

Truman will not give in to Soviet aggression NO APPEASEMENT!!!

Truman orders the Berlin Airlift, 1948-1948Stalin finally backs down

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The World Chooses SidesNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 1947Peacetime defensive military allianceBroke Washingtons advice from Farewell AddressSoviet Union responds with Warsaw Pact in 195512

National Security Act, 1947Designed to modernize military capabilities

Department of Defense created to coordinate the operations of Army, Navy, and Air Force

National Security Council (NSC) created to coordinate the making of foreign policy

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) created to gather information of foreign governments

13The Cold War in Asia:The Japanese OccupationDefeated Japan was solely under the control of the U.S.Different situation than the German occupation in EuropeGen. Douglas MacArthur in chargeParliamentary Democracy createdMacArthur ConstitutionEmperor Hirohito remained ceremonial head of stateDependent on U.S. for military protectionU.S. remained a major player in Asia

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The Cold War in Asia:The U.S. Loses ChinaCivil War in ChinaNationalists led by Jiang Jieshi vs. Communists led by Mao ZedongU.S. backs Jiangs corrupt governmentThe communists win the warCreate an communist state The Peoples Republic of ChinaJiang flees and sets up a rival Chinese government in Taiwan known as The Republic of ChinaTruman and the Democrat party are criticized for losing China to the Communists15

The Cold War in Asia:The Korean War, 1950-1953Korea divided at the 38th parallel since WWII endedCommunist government set up in North KoreaNationalist government set up in South KoreaJune 1950 N. Korea invades the SouthU.S. fears domino effectU.S. gets UN to authorize U.S. led force to defend S. Korea

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The Korean War:NoRth Korea on the attack17

The Korean War:MacArthur to the RescueGen. MacArthur launches daring counter-attackPushes N. Korea back to its border and gets permission to try to wipe the Korean communists out once and for all to re-unite KoreaChina warns the UN forces not to approach their border18

The Korean War: StalemateAs the UN forces approach the Yalu River, China attacksMacArthur and U.S forces forced to retreatMacArthur demands U.S. use nuclear weapons against ChinaTruman refuses, wrong war, wrong time, wrong enemyForced to fire MacArthur for insubordination19

Domestic Policy20Who is Harry Truman?Became president when FDR died in 1945Attempted to continue New Deal traditionEmployment Act of 1946Water down version of what he wantedIncreased minimum wage, created Council of Economic AdvisersTruman battles the Do-Nothing CongressTaft-Hartley Act of 1947Passed over Trumans veto; designed to check the growing power of unionsCivil RightsDesegregated the Armed Forces;Southern Democrats blocked his creation of the Fair Employment Practices Commission21

The Buck Stops Here!Election of 1948Trumans popularity at a low pointMidterms of 1946 had given Republicans control of CongressAbandoned by many DemocratsThe New Progressive Party made up of liberal Democrats who disliked Trumans aggressive foreign policy (Korean War)States Rights Party (Dixiecrats) -- made up of Southern Democrats who disliked Trumans civil rights policiesRepublicans confident they would win22

Thomas Dewey (R)Harry S. Truman (D)Election ResultsTruman tours the country giving fiery Give em Hell speeches and railing against the Do-Nothing CongressPulls a surprising upset.23

Trumans Fair DealAmbitious reform programUniversal health careFederal aid to educationCivil Right legislationFunds for public housingNew Farm ProgramConservatives in Congress block everything except an increase to minimum wageWhy did it fail?Trumans conflicts with CongressThe Cold War24

The Cold War Comes Home:The 2nd Red SCAREFear of Communist spies and conspirators in the U.S. State Department and military

Different from 1920s Red ScareThen they feared communists outsiders coming in1950s scared they feared communists already here25

The Cold War Comes Home:The Loyalty Review Board, 1947Created by Truman under pressure from Republican critics he was soft on Communism

Investigated the backgrounds of more than 3 million federal employees

Thousands of officials either resigned or lost their jobs 26

The Cold War Comes Home:The House Un-American Activities CommitteeHUAC was originally created in 1939 to investigate NazisReactivated during the postwar years to find CommunistsInvestigated government officialsAlso looked at communist influence in organization like the Boy Scouts and HollywoodActors, writers, & directors called to testify before committeeIf you refused you were blacklistedHollywood Ten27

The Cold War Comes Home:The Spy Cases2 actual cases of Americans spying for the SovietsLent credibility to claims of communist infiltration in governmentAlger Hiss, 1950Prominent State Department Official accused of giving secret documents to the SovietsWhittaker Chambers & the Pumpkin PapersConvicted of perjury and sent to prisonThe Rosenbergs, 1951Accused of selling A-bomb technology to the SovietsConvicted and executed

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The Cold War Comes HOME:The Rise of Joseph McCarthySenator from WisconsinUsed growing fear of communism to get re-elected1950: Charged there were more than 205 communists still working for the State DepartmentUsed a steady stream of unsupported accusations about Communists in government to keep the media focus on himself and to discredit the Truman administrationBecame one of the most powerful men in America

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