Ch. 36 Study Guide
Chapter #36: IDENTIFICATIONS
Joseph McCarthy or “McCarthyism”
-As a result of the recent escalation of the Cold War and the spread of communism throughout the world, domestic paranoia concerning communist infiltration increased. This laid the foundation for the investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Taking advantage of this "Red Scare" was Senator Joseph McCarthy who utilized the fear and panic of United States citizens to advance his own interests. Though many Americans believed the investigations were wrong, few said anything.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
- They were convicted in 1951 of giving atomic bomb data found by American scientists to the Soviet Union. They are the only Americans ever executed during peacetime for espionage.
Adlai Stevenson
- The Democratic candidate who ran against Eisenhower in 1952. His intellectual speeches earned him and his supporters the term "eggheads". Lost to Eisenhower.
Richard Nixon
elected President in 1968 and 1972 representing the Republican party. He was responsible for getting the United States out of the Vietnam War by using "Vietnamization", which was the withdrawal of 540,000 troops from South Vietnam for an extended period. He was responsible for the Nixon Doctrine also. He was involved in Dtente, which was a way to create peaceful relations between the United States and the communist countries of Moscow and Beijing. One of the most distinct factors relating to Nixon was that he was the first President to ever resign due to the Watergate scandal. He resigned on August 8, 1974.
Yalta Conference
A conference between Stalin and FDR in an attempt to get Russian support in the highly anticipated invasion of Japan. Russia ,in return, received the southern part of Sakilin Island that it had lost to Japan and joint control of Manchuria's railroads. The Allies also reluctantly allowed Poland to become communist. Many Americans saw this deal as a failure.
United Nations
An international body composed of many countries that seeks to promote peace, prosperity, and cooperation around the world. It was formed in 1945 at the end of World War II.
Iron Curtain
A term popularized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the Soviet Unionメs policy of isolation during the Cold War. The Iron Curtain isolated Eastern Europe from the rest of the world. Its most poignant symbol was the Berlin Wall.
Berlin airlift
A re-supply operation to the city of Berlin that lasted 11 months during 1948-49 when the Soviet Union attempted to close off the city.
Containment
A cold war policy that called for containing communism to areas already under its influence. This policy was proposed by U.S. President Harry Truman.
Truman Doctrine
A policy if the Truman presidency that called for supporting any nation resisting communism.
Marshall Plan
a set of foreign policies adopted by the United States after World War II. Named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the policies provided substantial aid to European countries to help them rebuild their countries, economies and democracies, many of which had been destroyed or severely damaged during the war.
National Security Act
Passed by Congress in 1947 and it created the Department of Defense. It also established a National Security Council (NSC) to advise the president on security matters and a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to coordinate the government foreign fact-gathering.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Military alliance between the US, Canada and 10 European nations signed on April 4, 1949. It was committed to building military defense of Europe against Communist Russia. Dwight D.Eisenhower became the Supreme Commander of NATO.
Taft-Hartley Act
(1947) It outlawed the "closed" shop, made unions liable for damages that resulted from jurisdictional disputes among themselves, and required union leaders to take a non-Communist oath.
Fair Deal
Made by Truman in his 1949 message to Congress. It was a program that called for improved housing , full employment, higher minimum wage, better farm price supports, new TVA's, and the extension of social security. Its only successes: raised the minimum wage, better public housing, extended old-age insurance to more people.
Thirty-eighth parallel
The line dividing Korea into two sections, north of the parallel the communist Soviet Union was in charge and south of the parallel was democratic America was in charge. This line would become the demilitarized zone after the Korean conflict.
NSC-68
First drawn up in 1950, NSC-68, or National Security Council Memorandum Number 68, was buried until the Korean crisis later that year. This document suggested that the U.S. could afford to spend upward of 50% of its gross national product for security.
Chapter #36 Guided Reading Questions
Postwar Economic Anxieties
Know: Gross National Product, Taft-Hartley Act, Closed Shop, Council of Economic Advisors, GI Bill
1. Describe the downs and ups of the economy in the years following WWII.
The period from the end of World War II to the early 1970s was a golden era of American capitalism. $200 billion in war bonds matured, and the G.I. Bill financed a well-educated work force. The middle class swelled, as did GDP and productivity.
The Long Economic Boom, 1950-1970
2. How did women benefit from the economic boom?
Women benefited during the economic boom because at this time women were needed in society and men began to accept them. The work force also increased for women, and they were given more freedom
The Roots of Postwar Prosperity
Know: R and D, Productivity
3. What evidence can you cite that shows the years 1950-1970 were good years economically?
The post–WWII economic expansion was a period of economic prosperity in the mid-20th century, which occurred mainly in western countries following the end of World War II in 1945, and lasted until the early 1970s
The Smiling Sunbelt
Know: Benjamin Spock, Sunbelt, Frostbelt, Rustbelt
4. How did the population shift in the years after the war?
- The biggest industrial change after the American civil war came about due to the rise of the steel industry, effectively making the Midwest the center of American heavy industry. The oil and grain processing industries also grew by leaps and bounds during this time
Joseph McCarthy or “McCarthyism”
-As a result of the recent escalation of the Cold War and the spread of communism throughout the world, domestic paranoia concerning communist infiltration increased. This laid the foundation for the investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Taking advantage of this "Red Scare" was Senator Joseph McCarthy who utilized the fear and panic of United States citizens to advance his own interests. Though many Americans believed the investigations were wrong, few said anything.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
- They were convicted in 1951 of giving atomic bomb data found by American scientists to the Soviet Union. They are the only Americans ever executed during peacetime for espionage.
Adlai Stevenson
- The Democratic candidate who ran against Eisenhower in 1952. His intellectual speeches earned him and his supporters the term "eggheads". Lost to Eisenhower.
Richard Nixon
elected President in 1968 and 1972 representing the Republican party. He was responsible for getting the United States out of the Vietnam War by using "Vietnamization", which was the withdrawal of 540,000 troops from South Vietnam for an extended period. He was responsible for the Nixon Doctrine also. He was involved in Dtente, which was a way to create peaceful relations between the United States and the communist countries of Moscow and Beijing. One of the most distinct factors relating to Nixon was that he was the first President to ever resign due to the Watergate scandal. He resigned on August 8, 1974.
Yalta Conference
A conference between Stalin and FDR in an attempt to get Russian support in the highly anticipated invasion of Japan. Russia ,in return, received the southern part of Sakilin Island that it had lost to Japan and joint control of Manchuria's railroads. The Allies also reluctantly allowed Poland to become communist. Many Americans saw this deal as a failure.
United Nations
An international body composed of many countries that seeks to promote peace, prosperity, and cooperation around the world. It was formed in 1945 at the end of World War II.
Iron Curtain
A term popularized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the Soviet Unionメs policy of isolation during the Cold War. The Iron Curtain isolated Eastern Europe from the rest of the world. Its most poignant symbol was the Berlin Wall.
Berlin airlift
A re-supply operation to the city of Berlin that lasted 11 months during 1948-49 when the Soviet Union attempted to close off the city.
Containment
A cold war policy that called for containing communism to areas already under its influence. This policy was proposed by U.S. President Harry Truman.
Truman Doctrine
A policy if the Truman presidency that called for supporting any nation resisting communism.
Marshall Plan
a set of foreign policies adopted by the United States after World War II. Named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the policies provided substantial aid to European countries to help them rebuild their countries, economies and democracies, many of which had been destroyed or severely damaged during the war.
National Security Act
Passed by Congress in 1947 and it created the Department of Defense. It also established a National Security Council (NSC) to advise the president on security matters and a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to coordinate the government foreign fact-gathering.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Military alliance between the US, Canada and 10 European nations signed on April 4, 1949. It was committed to building military defense of Europe against Communist Russia. Dwight D.Eisenhower became the Supreme Commander of NATO.
Taft-Hartley Act
(1947) It outlawed the "closed" shop, made unions liable for damages that resulted from jurisdictional disputes among themselves, and required union leaders to take a non-Communist oath.
Fair Deal
Made by Truman in his 1949 message to Congress. It was a program that called for improved housing , full employment, higher minimum wage, better farm price supports, new TVA's, and the extension of social security. Its only successes: raised the minimum wage, better public housing, extended old-age insurance to more people.
Thirty-eighth parallel
The line dividing Korea into two sections, north of the parallel the communist Soviet Union was in charge and south of the parallel was democratic America was in charge. This line would become the demilitarized zone after the Korean conflict.
NSC-68
First drawn up in 1950, NSC-68, or National Security Council Memorandum Number 68, was buried until the Korean crisis later that year. This document suggested that the U.S. could afford to spend upward of 50% of its gross national product for security.
Chapter #36 Guided Reading Questions
Postwar Economic Anxieties
Know: Gross National Product, Taft-Hartley Act, Closed Shop, Council of Economic Advisors, GI Bill
1. Describe the downs and ups of the economy in the years following WWII.
The period from the end of World War II to the early 1970s was a golden era of American capitalism. $200 billion in war bonds matured, and the G.I. Bill financed a well-educated work force. The middle class swelled, as did GDP and productivity.
The Long Economic Boom, 1950-1970
2. How did women benefit from the economic boom?
Women benefited during the economic boom because at this time women were needed in society and men began to accept them. The work force also increased for women, and they were given more freedom
The Roots of Postwar Prosperity
Know: R and D, Productivity
3. What evidence can you cite that shows the years 1950-1970 were good years economically?
The post–WWII economic expansion was a period of economic prosperity in the mid-20th century, which occurred mainly in western countries following the end of World War II in 1945, and lasted until the early 1970s
The Smiling Sunbelt
Know: Benjamin Spock, Sunbelt, Frostbelt, Rustbelt
4. How did the population shift in the years after the war?
- The biggest industrial change after the American civil war came about due to the rise of the steel industry, effectively making the Midwest the center of American heavy industry. The oil and grain processing industries also grew by leaps and bounds during this time
The Rush to the Suburbs
Know: Federal Housing Authority, Veterans Administration, Levittown, White Flight
5. Was the shift to the suburbs good for America? Explain.
- Yes, it it benefited the families and other people who moved to the suburbs. It was easy and better to communicate with other families and each family had their own privacy, thus making it a better lifestyle for the suburban families.
The Postwar Baby Boom
Know: Baby Boom
6. How did the bulge in population caused by the Baby Boom change American life over the decades?
As more and more people came into this world it caused a lot of manufacturing of foods, supplies etc which made it very much busy for that time period.
Makers of America: The Suburbanites
Know: Federal Housing Administration, Levittowns, White Flight
7. How did suburbs revolutionize life in America?
- The suburbs did change the United States; they have become a standard feature in American geography, and continue to expand, especially in places such as Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta-the Sun Belt. The question, of course, is in what manner did this expansion change America.
To understand the suburbs, one must first ask what caused such expansion. The answer to this is the automobile, and, more importantly, the interstate highway system. While connecting major cities and minor towns into a larger infrastructure, the highway system also accelerated suburban growth.
Truman: the "Gutty" Man from Missouri
Know: "The buck stops here."
8. What kind of a man was Harry S Truman?
- Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884-December 26, 1972) was the 33rd U.S. President (1945-53). Truman was a member of Sons of the Revolution and a card-carrying member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. On February 9, 1909, Harry Truman was initiated into Freemasonry in the Belton Lodge, Missouri. In 1940, Harry Truman was elected the 97th Grand Master of the Masons of Missouri
Yalta: Bargain or Betrayal?
Know: Yalta, United Nations
9. Why was the Yalta conference controversial in the decade following it?
- The Yalta Conference was controversial in the decade following it because the decisions made led to the beginning of the Cold War. Held in 1945, the meeting was intended mainly to discuss the re-establishment of the nations of war-torn Europe.
The United States and the Soviet Union
Know: Communism, Capitalism, Sphere of Influence
10. How did similarities and differences both cause the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. to have difficulties dealing with each other?
- Both had large nuclear arsenal, the largest military forces in the world, the habit of supporting dictatorships around the world. America supported right wing fascist dictatorships and the Soviet Union supported Left leaning dictatorships
Shaping the Postwar World
Know: International Monetary Fund; World Bank; Security Council; General Assembly; United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; Food and Agricultural Organization; World Health Organization
11. For what problems were international organizations established after WWII?
- In response to SEATO, the US formed NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. NATO's job was to create an alliance with countries to create a political bloc that would be in opposition to the Russians. SEATO came about for the same reason. So NATO and SEATO were sort of effects of effects of the war, but not really effects of the war itself.
The Problem of Germany
Know: Nuremberg, Hermann Goering, Big Four, Iron Curtain, Berlin Airlift
12. What problems did Germany cause between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.?
I think, the USSR wanted control over Berlin and most of Nazi Germany"s lost territories. And the US didn"t want that to happen.
A Cold War Congeals
Know: George Kennan, Containment, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan
13. Describe the policies followed by Truman in relation to the Soviets.
- Well during the late '40s and '50s there were the increased tensions with the Soviet Union over what would happen to Germany and how it would be split. The Soviet Union wanted a lot because Stalin was a paranoid, mean guy who never really trusted anybody and resented the other allies from stalling their attacks in the West. So the U.S. did what they could to stop the Soviets. When Berlin was surrounded by the Soviets, we started the Berlin airlift and hindered any attempt by the Russians
America Begins to Rearm
Know: National Security Act, Defense Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, Voice of America, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
14. List and define the organizations set up to deal with the Soviet Union.
- Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was an uncompleted project, popularly called Star Wars, it would have cost hundreds of billions of dollars. It called for the weaponization of outer space and it is thought to have put an end to the Cold War.
Reconstruction and Revolution in Asia
Know: Douglas MacArthur, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, H-bomb
15. Our WWII ally China gave us more trouble in the post war years than our enemy Japan. Explain.
- Japan was devastated after WWII & was really a threat to no one at that time. China, on the other hand, was building up it's defenses & was Communist, a belief that went against the US's way of life. This is how China gave the US more trouble than Japan after WWII.
Ferreting Out Alleged Communists
Know: Federal Housing Authority, Veterans Administration, Levittown, White Flight
5. Was the shift to the suburbs good for America? Explain.
- Yes, it it benefited the families and other people who moved to the suburbs. It was easy and better to communicate with other families and each family had their own privacy, thus making it a better lifestyle for the suburban families.
The Postwar Baby Boom
Know: Baby Boom
6. How did the bulge in population caused by the Baby Boom change American life over the decades?
As more and more people came into this world it caused a lot of manufacturing of foods, supplies etc which made it very much busy for that time period.
Makers of America: The Suburbanites
Know: Federal Housing Administration, Levittowns, White Flight
7. How did suburbs revolutionize life in America?
- The suburbs did change the United States; they have become a standard feature in American geography, and continue to expand, especially in places such as Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta-the Sun Belt. The question, of course, is in what manner did this expansion change America.
To understand the suburbs, one must first ask what caused such expansion. The answer to this is the automobile, and, more importantly, the interstate highway system. While connecting major cities and minor towns into a larger infrastructure, the highway system also accelerated suburban growth.
Truman: the "Gutty" Man from Missouri
Know: "The buck stops here."
8. What kind of a man was Harry S Truman?
- Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884-December 26, 1972) was the 33rd U.S. President (1945-53). Truman was a member of Sons of the Revolution and a card-carrying member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. On February 9, 1909, Harry Truman was initiated into Freemasonry in the Belton Lodge, Missouri. In 1940, Harry Truman was elected the 97th Grand Master of the Masons of Missouri
Yalta: Bargain or Betrayal?
Know: Yalta, United Nations
9. Why was the Yalta conference controversial in the decade following it?
- The Yalta Conference was controversial in the decade following it because the decisions made led to the beginning of the Cold War. Held in 1945, the meeting was intended mainly to discuss the re-establishment of the nations of war-torn Europe.
The United States and the Soviet Union
Know: Communism, Capitalism, Sphere of Influence
10. How did similarities and differences both cause the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. to have difficulties dealing with each other?
- Both had large nuclear arsenal, the largest military forces in the world, the habit of supporting dictatorships around the world. America supported right wing fascist dictatorships and the Soviet Union supported Left leaning dictatorships
Shaping the Postwar World
Know: International Monetary Fund; World Bank; Security Council; General Assembly; United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; Food and Agricultural Organization; World Health Organization
11. For what problems were international organizations established after WWII?
- In response to SEATO, the US formed NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. NATO's job was to create an alliance with countries to create a political bloc that would be in opposition to the Russians. SEATO came about for the same reason. So NATO and SEATO were sort of effects of effects of the war, but not really effects of the war itself.
The Problem of Germany
Know: Nuremberg, Hermann Goering, Big Four, Iron Curtain, Berlin Airlift
12. What problems did Germany cause between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.?
I think, the USSR wanted control over Berlin and most of Nazi Germany"s lost territories. And the US didn"t want that to happen.
A Cold War Congeals
Know: George Kennan, Containment, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan
13. Describe the policies followed by Truman in relation to the Soviets.
- Well during the late '40s and '50s there were the increased tensions with the Soviet Union over what would happen to Germany and how it would be split. The Soviet Union wanted a lot because Stalin was a paranoid, mean guy who never really trusted anybody and resented the other allies from stalling their attacks in the West. So the U.S. did what they could to stop the Soviets. When Berlin was surrounded by the Soviets, we started the Berlin airlift and hindered any attempt by the Russians
America Begins to Rearm
Know: National Security Act, Defense Department, Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, Voice of America, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
14. List and define the organizations set up to deal with the Soviet Union.
- Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was an uncompleted project, popularly called Star Wars, it would have cost hundreds of billions of dollars. It called for the weaponization of outer space and it is thought to have put an end to the Cold War.
Reconstruction and Revolution in Asia
Know: Douglas MacArthur, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, H-bomb
15. Our WWII ally China gave us more trouble in the post war years than our enemy Japan. Explain.
- Japan was devastated after WWII & was really a threat to no one at that time. China, on the other hand, was building up it's defenses & was Communist, a belief that went against the US's way of life. This is how China gave the US more trouble than Japan after WWII.
Ferreting Out Alleged Communists
Know: Smith Act, Committee on Un-American Activities, Richard M. Nixon, Alger Hiss, Joseph R. McCarthy, McCarran Internal Security Bill, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
16. Did the U.S. government go too far trying to prevent communist infiltration?
-Yes, during the communist scare some people were blacklisted for doing harmless activities for fear they were associated with communism.
Democratic Divisions in 1948
Know: Dixiecrats, Strom Thurmond, Henry Wallace, Do-nothing Congress, "Dewey Defeats Truman," Point Four, Fair Deal
17. How successful was Truman in passing his domestic program
- Truman had limited success in implementing his domestic agenda because he had difficulty maintaining his previous level of support from the bi-partisan coalition. Events such as the fall of China, the Soviet's acquirement of atomic weaponry, the Korean War and even McCarthyism all had a negative effect on the administration.
The Korean Volcano Erupts (1950)
Know: 38th Parallel, Dean Acheson, NSC-68, Police Action
18. What was the impact of the Korean War on the Cold War?
- The Korean War was the first armed confrontation of the Cold War and set the standard for many later conflicts. It created the idea of a proxy war, where the two superpowers would fight in another country, forcing the people in that nation to suffer the bulk of the destruction and death involved in a war between such large nations. The superpowers avoided descending into an all-out war with one another, as well as the mutual use of nuclear weapons. It also expanded the Cold War, which to that point had mostly been concerned with Europe.
The Military Seesaw in Korea
Know: Pusan Perimeter, Inchon, Chinese Volunteers, Douglas MacArthur
19. Why did Truman fire MacArthur?
- Primarily because MacArthur publicly disagreed with Truman's Korean War plans. Truman wanted to try and keep China out of the war at all costs. But when China sent troops into North Korea to fight against UN forces, MacArthur intended to make strategic attacks inside China. Truman did NOT want a war with China, even if it meant ignoring previous attacks. MacArthur sent letters to congress, expressing his opposition to Truman's policies...and he also sent an ultimatum letter to China, without Truman's approval. Truman considered that MacArthur had been insubordinate, and removed him from command.
(Ironcially, though, Truman later had to send an even more serious ultimatum to China...threatening to use atomic bombs against Chinese cities...in order to end the war.)
Varying Viewpoints: Who Was to Blame for the Cold War?
20 What is the current opinion of most historians on the above question?
Russians, because they kept on pushing, Nevertheless, the US would never take no for an answer they kept on trying to compete and always wanting to be the best.
16. Did the U.S. government go too far trying to prevent communist infiltration?
-Yes, during the communist scare some people were blacklisted for doing harmless activities for fear they were associated with communism.
Democratic Divisions in 1948
Know: Dixiecrats, Strom Thurmond, Henry Wallace, Do-nothing Congress, "Dewey Defeats Truman," Point Four, Fair Deal
17. How successful was Truman in passing his domestic program
- Truman had limited success in implementing his domestic agenda because he had difficulty maintaining his previous level of support from the bi-partisan coalition. Events such as the fall of China, the Soviet's acquirement of atomic weaponry, the Korean War and even McCarthyism all had a negative effect on the administration.
The Korean Volcano Erupts (1950)
Know: 38th Parallel, Dean Acheson, NSC-68, Police Action
18. What was the impact of the Korean War on the Cold War?
- The Korean War was the first armed confrontation of the Cold War and set the standard for many later conflicts. It created the idea of a proxy war, where the two superpowers would fight in another country, forcing the people in that nation to suffer the bulk of the destruction and death involved in a war between such large nations. The superpowers avoided descending into an all-out war with one another, as well as the mutual use of nuclear weapons. It also expanded the Cold War, which to that point had mostly been concerned with Europe.
The Military Seesaw in Korea
Know: Pusan Perimeter, Inchon, Chinese Volunteers, Douglas MacArthur
19. Why did Truman fire MacArthur?
- Primarily because MacArthur publicly disagreed with Truman's Korean War plans. Truman wanted to try and keep China out of the war at all costs. But when China sent troops into North Korea to fight against UN forces, MacArthur intended to make strategic attacks inside China. Truman did NOT want a war with China, even if it meant ignoring previous attacks. MacArthur sent letters to congress, expressing his opposition to Truman's policies...and he also sent an ultimatum letter to China, without Truman's approval. Truman considered that MacArthur had been insubordinate, and removed him from command.
(Ironcially, though, Truman later had to send an even more serious ultimatum to China...threatening to use atomic bombs against Chinese cities...in order to end the war.)
Varying Viewpoints: Who Was to Blame for the Cold War?
20 What is the current opinion of most historians on the above question?
Russians, because they kept on pushing, Nevertheless, the US would never take no for an answer they kept on trying to compete and always wanting to be the best.