Unit 15 Notes
Chapter 26
Postwar America 545
GI bill-​help for veterans:
● American soldiers faced hardship when they returned
○ Couldn’t find jobs
○ Hard to find housing
● Fear of another economic hardship at the end of war
● Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944
○ GI Bill of Rights
○ Support for soldier transition
○ 15 million veterans
○ 2 million GI’s went to college
○ Higher education boom after war
○ Received $16 in
■ Low-interest
■ Government-backed loans for buying
● Houses
● Farms
● Starting businesses
Baby boom: 546
● Confidence regained after war from marriages and births
● 50 million babies from 1945 to 1960
○ Younger marriages
○ Larger families
● Baby-boom​ generation
● Initially focused on women’s attention for raising children
● Women in workplace continued
● ⅓ of married women worked outside the house
Suburban Growth:
● Construction boom for new houses
● William J. Levitt
○ Developed postwar suburbia
○ Levittown
■ Projet of 17,000 low priced family homes on long island
○ Majority of middle-class moved to the suburbs
○ 1960s
■ Cities became very poor and racially divided
■ For examples: boston and los angeles
Rise of the Sunbelt:
● A lot of moving after the war
● GI families moved to Sunbelt states, Florida, California
●
●
○ Warmer climate
○ Lower taxes
○ Economic opportunities
○ defense industries
Cold war military spending helped with finance shift
○ Industry
○ People
○ Political power
To regions
Postwar Politics
● Harry S. Truman replaced Henry Wallace
Economic Program and Civil Rights 547
Employment Act of 1946:
● Truman’s proposed full employment and civil rights for african americans which
was opposed by congress
● Full employment bill
● Created the Council of Economic Advisers
○ Counsel president and congress about promoting nation economic
welfare
Inflation and strikes:
● Truman wanted price control by congress
● Workers and unions wanted wages to catch up
● 4.5 million workers went on strike
○ 1946
● Railroad and mine strikes threatened safety
● Turman used soldiers to keep mines operating
○ United mine workers stopped strikes
Civil Rights:
● Truman was the first president to use powers for racial discrimination
● Made Civil rights in 1946
● Strengthened civil rights in Justice Department
● Aided efforts of African American leaders
○ Helped end segregation in schools
● Ordered end of racial discrimination in departments of the federal government
● And three of armed force branches
● Fair Employment Practices Commissions
○ Prevent employee discrimination
○ Helped African Americans get hired
Republican Control of the Eightieth Congress 548
Twenty-second Amendment (1951):
● 22 amendment was ratified
Taft-Hartley Act (1947):
● Vetoed “slave-labor” bill
● Congress overrode veto
● Provision included
○ Outlawed closed shop
○ States passed “right to work” laws
■ Outlawed union shops
○ Outlawing secondary boycotting
○ President has the power to make 80 day cooling off period before
strikes that were dangerous to be called
● Became major issue between republicans and democrats
The Election of 1948
● Truman had low popularity by 1948 presidency
● Republicans were confident they would have a victory
● Republicans nominated Governor Thomas E. Dewey
● Truman won again
The Fair Deal: 549
● Started reform program called F
​ air Deal
● Wanted congress to enact
○ National health
○ Care insurance
○ Federal aid to education
○ Civil rights legislation
○ Funds for public housing
○ New farm program
● Conservatives in congress blocked most reforms
○ Except increase in minimum wage
■ From 40 cents to 75 cents
● Bills defeated for two reasons
○ Truman’s conflicts with congress
○ Foreign policy concerns of Cold war
Origins of the Cold War
U.S-Soviet Relations to 1945:
● Cold war dominated international connections
○ 1940s to 1991
● Cold war was close to nuclear war
● WWII put a halt to poor relations between U.S and soviet union
● U.S refuses to recognize SU until 1933
● Nonaggression Pact of 1939
○ Stalin and hitler wanted to divided Eastern Europe
Allies in World War II: 550
● Hitler's surprise attack lead to pearl harbor attack
● Big three
○ Britian
○ Soviet Union
○ U.S
● Big divide at Yalta and Potsdam (1945)
Postwar Cooperation- the U.N:
● United Nations Funded
○ Created to provide representation of all nations
○ Would maintain security and safety
○ Would be peacemakers
● Permanent seats
○ Great Britain
○ France
○ China
○ U.S
○ Soviet Union
● All had veto power
● Soviets and U.S wanted Atomic Energy Commission in UN
● Rejected a plan for regulating nuclear energy and took out atomic weapons
● U.S invited Soviets to Bank for Reconstruction and Development (world bank)
○ Refused invitation because they saw bank as capitalist
○ Soviets joined nazi leaders in Nuremberg trials
Satellite states in Eastern Europe: 551
● Communism was spreading in Europe
○ Communist leaders being elected
● U.S and british didn’t like British takeover
● Said Soviets were
○ Violation of Self-determined
○ Violation Genuine democracy
○ Violation of open markets
Occupation zones in Germany:
● Soviet occupation in Germany developed into German Democratic Republic
● U.S and Britain didn’t allow reparations
● Wanted germany to recovery because it was key to stability of central Europe
Iron Curtain:
● Truman gave speech
● Said an iron curtain was between the continents
● Iron curtain was used a lot during the cold war
●
Speech called for a partnership with western democracies to stop the growth of
communism
Containment in Europe 552
The Truman Doctrine:
● Truman wanted to contain Soviet
● Containment policy
● Made it because of two threats
○ Communist uprisings against greece government
○ Soviet wanted to control some of Turkey’s Dardanelles
● Truman asked for $400 million in economic and military aid
○ To help the “free people” in greece and turkey against “totalitarian
regimes”
The Marshall Plan:
● Europe was in massive debt and destruction
● Harsh winter made it worst
● U.S was afraid that Communists would become powerful because of this need for
hope during the depression
● George Marshall
○ Laid out plan for the U.S to help Europe
● Truman submitted European Recovery Program
○ Marshall Plan
○ $17 billion
● $12 billion was approved
● Soviets were also offered help from Marshall plan but refused because they
didn’t want to be dependant on the U.S
Effects:
● Worked exactly as hoped
● Europe was getting back on their feet
● Ended the threat of communism
● U.S exports to Europe increased
The Berlin Airlift: 553
● Cold War
○ Soviets cut off access to german city berlin
● Truman didn’t want to start anything
● Told navy to bring food to people in berlin
● After weeks of this Truman brought atomic bombs to bases in Britain just in case
● Soviets opened highways after 11 months
● Created
● Federal Republic of Germany (West,U.S allies)
● German Democratic Republic (East, Soviet)
NATO and the National Security
National Security Act (1947)
● Provided for
○ Centralized Department of Defense
■ Replaced war department
■ Coordinated
● Army
● Navy
● Air Force
○ Creation of National Security Council (NSC)
■ Coordinated
● Foreign policy during cold war
○ Creation of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
■ Get spies to get information
Atomic Weapons: 554
● Soviets and U.S competing against arms race
○ Weapon development
● U.S was the only one to have an atomic bomb for 4 years
● Soviets got on in 1949
● National Security Council set measures for cold war
○ 4 U.S government defence spending
○ Form alliance with countries that are not communists
○ Have America be convinced that an expensive army buildup is very
important for their safety
Cold War in Asia 555
Japan:
● Japan was under U.S control
● General Douglas MacArthur
○ Took control of reconstructing Japan
● 7 seven japanese general were killed in trials
● Provided only limited military capability
● Japan depended on U.S for military protection
U.S-Japanese Security Treaty:
● Occupation ended by Japan signing a peace treaty
● A second treaty that was signed ratified to first one and ended occupation in
Japan
● Japan became a strong allie
China:
● U.S provided a lot of aid for China
● China became appealed by communism and was losing the loyalty of the U.S
U.S policy: 556
● Sent George Marshall to china to negotiate to end the civil war
● Congress wanted to give $400 million for aid to Nationalist government
● 80% ended up communist hands
Two Chinas:
● 1949 all mainland was communist
● U.S continued to support and didn’t say Mao Zedong’s was a regime
The Korean War
Invasion:
● Korea became divided
● U.S were in the south (army)
● Soviet were in the North (army)
● North Korea invaded South Korea
● Truman took action
● Authorized a U.N force to help south korea
Counterattack: 557
● Destroyed much of North Korea's army
Truman vs MacArthur:​ 558
● MacArthur stabilized fighting
● MacArthur returned home as a hero
● Truman and democrats were seen as appeasers for not trying to end
communism in asia
Armistice:
● Korea’s war was in stalemate
● 54,000 americans had died in korea
Political consequences:
● Truman's containment policy worked
● Korean war helped justify expanding military
● Republicans did like all that had happened
○ Used it to have attacks against Truman and Democrats
The Second Red Scare
Security and Civil Rights:
● Loyalty Review Board
○ Investigate background of federal employees that got fired or resigned
○ Went on for 4 years
Prosecutions under the Smith Act:
● Dennis et al v. United States (1951)
● Upheld the constitutionality of Smith act
○ Illegal to advocate or teach the overthrowing of a government
MCcarran Internal Security Act (1950): 559
● Truman vetoed​ McCarran Internal Security Act
○ Unlawful for advocating or supporting a totalitarian government
○ Stopped the employment and travel of Communist-front organizations
○ Authorized the making of detention camps for subversives
Un-American activities:
● Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
○ Under the house of representatives
○ To seek out nazis
○ Reactivated after the war to find communists
○ Looked for communist influence
■ Boy scouts
■ Hollywood films
Espionage Cases
Hiss case:
● Whittaker Chambers was a communist
● Became witness of house Un-American Activities Committee
● Worked with Richard M Nixon
● Hiss denied that he was a communist
○ Gave secret documents to chambers
● Was sent to prison
Rosenberg case:
● Fear of spies after Soviets got atomic bomb
● Klaus Fuchs gave information about bomb to russians
● Other spies were found by the FBI
The Rise of Joseph McCarthy 560
McCarthy’s tactics:
● Used unsupported accusations about communists in gov’t
● “Take the gloves off”
○ Said hard-hitting remarks to wealthy and privileged
● Republicans didn’t like McCarthy
● McCarthy’s “reckless cruelty” on TV
● Was seen as a bully
Truman in Retirement
● Decided to return to his private life after WWII
Page 572
Interstate Highway system:
● Highway act
○ Construction of 42,000 miles
● Public works project gave jobs
Prosperity:
● Country was having a growth rate
○ Inflation rate averaged at 1.5 percent
● Eisenhower's economic policies were very successful
●
Per-capita disposable income tripled between 1945 1960
The Election of 1956
● Eisenhower​ won again
Dulles’ Diplomacy 573
● Wanted a “new look” for U.S foreign policy
● Wanted to encourage the Nationalist gov’t taiwan to go against china
● “Brinkmanship”
○ If they pushed communist powers to almost war they would back down
because they had nuclear power superiority
Massive retaliation
● Advocated placing greater nuclear and air reliance and less spending on forces
of army and navy
● 1953
○ U.S created hydrogen bomb
○ Could destroy more
Unrest in the Third World
Covert action: 574
● CIA ​was big in helping over throwing of iran
● CIA was involved in Guatemala
○ 1954
○ Because of U.S’s fear of communism
Asia
Korean armistice:
● Eisenhower went to korea
● Wanted to stop the war
● There was a threat of nuclear war
● Got china and north korea agree on armistice
Fall of Indochina:
● Communist leader Ho Chi Minh
● Indochina was part of cold war rivalry
○ Communism vs anti-communism
● U.S military aid to french
Division of Vietnam: 575
● Geneva Conference
○ Temporarily divide at 17th parallel
● New nation kept the divide
● Ho Chi Minh
○ North Vietnam Communist dictator
● Ngo Dinh Diem
●
○ Anti communist leader SOuth Vietnam
U.S gave 1 billion to south vietnam
●
The Middle East
Suez crisis:
● Arab Nationalist
○ General Gamal Nasser
● U.S refused aswan dam project
● British and French owned suez canal was seized by nasser
○ Threatened western europe's supply of oil
● Britain, France, Israel carried out surprise attack
Eisenhower Doctrine​: 567
● “Economic and military aid to any middle eastern country threatened by
communism”
U.S-Soviet Relations 577
Spirit of Geneva:
● Soviet and U.S met at Geneva to make peace
● Agreed on open skies
● Eliminate chances of atomic bomb
Hungarian revolt:
● Popular uprising in hungary
○ Overthrow of hungary
● U.S didn’t want to react
● Soviets suppressed hungarian revolt ending the first part of the cold war
Sputnik Shock: 578
● Satellites ​Sputnik ​I and ​Sputnik ​II
● National defence and Education Act
○ Federal money to school for science and foreign language
● Space Administration NASA
○ Explore outer space