1950s Flashcards
38th parallel
division between the two koreas after WWII
determined by the Soviets and US
1949
Soviet and American armies withdraw
Syngman Rhee
Leader left in charge of South Korea
Kim Il Sung
Leader left in charge of North Korea
June 25, 1950
NK invades SK
pushes past Seoul
Truman to UN
UN security council
requests authorization of troops to defend SK
80% of troops sent are American, led by MacArthur
Goal of War
2 possibilites
push NK back to 38th parallel
OR
liberate all of Korea
Nov, 1950
China sends troops border, US troops pushed South past Seoul by Jan 1951
UN Counter Attack
pushes Chinese/ NK back to 38th by MacArthur
MacArthur ambition
wants to take war into China to end communism
Truman vs Macarthur
Truman fires MacArthur bc of China
Still following containment
why truman didnt expand war
feared that USSR would aid China— didnt want direct fire
containment
stopping SPREAD of communism
peace negotiations
1951
38th parallel
demilitarized zone in between
extra facts
first integrated army
veterans not treated as gloriously as WWII vets
Fears during Eisenhower
losing jobs/depression nuclear/soviet attack attacks on allies spread of communism internal communist threats
internal communist threats
unwise investigators/ unneeded paranoia
the new look
for american defense
putting all $ in nuclear arsenal
ICBMS, nuclear submarines, H Bombs
anti communist alliances
MAD
mutual assured destruction
SEATO
south east asia alliance against comms
METO/CENTO
middle east alliance against comms
Allen Dulles
CIA ops
1953
aid coup in Iran
put in govt friendly to US/UK interests (oil)
1954
aid coup in Guatemala to overthrow elected govt which had taken united fruit co.s land
gets land back
unuccessful ops
indonesia
cuba
1957
80% of CIA budget is used for covert operations
1954
Ho Chi Minh’s communist forces defeat French at battle of Dien Bien Phu
Ho Chi Minh
leader of vietnam communist party
Geneva Accords
vietnam divided along 17th parallel into South (non comm) and North (comm)
internationally supervised elections
internationally supervised elections
held in 1956 over unification
Ngo Dinh Diem
backed by CIA as leader in S. Vietnam (even though he was really unpopular)
CIA intervention
prevents 1956 elections from taking place bc HCM wouldve won
VietCong forms
VietCong
South Vietnamese against South Vietnamese govt.
communist
Suez Crisis
1956
Gamel Abdel Nassar
nationalizes Suez Canal
Egypt
attacked by France, Britain, and Isreal (bc of nationalizing of Suez Canal)
USSR (Suez)
threatens to intervene on behalf of Egypt, US encourages all forces to withdraw
UN sends peacekeepers
Eisenhower Doctrine
aid would be sent to any country under aggression from an outside state
Nikita Kruschev
takes power in 1953
Hungarians
want more autonomy, people take to the streets in Fall 1956
Imre Nagy
leader of Hungary, announces intentions to withdraw from Warsaw Pact
warsaw pact
soviet union countries that aren’t russia
USSR reaction to Hungary
brings in army, kills 25000 hungarians
execute nagy
US reaction to Hungary
stays uninvolved
still containment
fear of direct confrontation
blanket statement against helping warsaw pact break away
Sputnik
1957
first satellite to be launched into space by USSR and orbit
surprises America (makes us feel “behind”)
fears of it being a weapon
creation of NASA
1958
increase in science education
race to put man on moon
Atoms for Peace
title of 1953 speech to UN in which Eisenhower proposes exploring peaceful atomic programs- creation of int’l atomic energy agency
open skies proposal of 1955
would give permission for US and soviet union to send reconnaissance planes over military installations of each country
USSR rejects
U2 Spy Plane
shot down over Russia, sentenced to 5 years of labor
Francis Gary Power
appeased by spy swap
Farewell Address
warns country of growing power of military industrial complex
dont compromise democratic process or civil liberties (fear of militarism)
mixed legacy
Military Industrial Complex
unwarranted military influence (3.5 mill Americans)
mixed legacy
did E make cold war worse or better
Macarthyism
hunt for Russian spies, erasing comm. influences
indiscriminate attacks on unsubstantiated charges
anti. comm. hysteria
Beginning of Macarthyism
1948
Truman govt requires loyalty oaths of all employees (6 mill.)
many private cos and universities do the same (UCLA fires 157 teachers who refuse)
upheld by the supreme court
Who was Senator Joe Macarthy
Wisconsin 1947-1957
known for wheeling address
chair of senate permanent subcommittee on investigation
wheeling address
1950
enemies from within
claimed 205/57 govt officials were actually spies
senate permanent subcommittee
let trials against suspected comm. sympathizers
were publicized
who part 2
worked with house of unamerican activities committees (HUAC) 1947-1961
congress passes mccarren act
mccarren act
1950
bans communist meetings/ actions
if your name was on attendance list you could be blacklisted or deported
target
spies
hollywood ten
refused to testify at HUAC hearings, blacklisted
ie charlie chaplin
alger hiss
accused of being a soviet spy by whittaker chambers (NY Times Editor) who was also a part of comm. circles
pumpkin papers
docs hid by Chambers that Hiss passed to Soviets
Hiss Conviction
not for espionage, but for perjury
house arrest
only spies executed
julius and ethel rosenberg
march 1951 found guilty, verona papers show Julius but not Ethel
McCarthy decline
army hearings
schine controversy
censured by senate by 67 (yes votes) vs 22 (no votes)
Murrow
army hearings
MC attacks army
tries to find comms. in ranks
attack army lawyers: Fisher (works for company)
thin evidence, made fun of
Schine controversy
MC tries to force promotion of ally Schine
army says hes being inappropriate
MC angered, attacks army
Murrow
“See It Now” TV show
criticizes McCarthyism
Allen Ginsberg
Howl
criticized relentless pursuit of money
cultural poverty
Michael Harrington
the other america
americans in the 1950s were completely ignoring the national poverty (the other america)
kenneth galbraith
the affluent society
criticizes consumerism in America
endless cycle of consuming
does not equal happiness
William H Whyte
excerpts fro organization of man
all workers are part of middle class society
lower class is oppressed
lack of individuality
Rachel Carson
Silent Spring
environmental critique of the 1950’s
control of nature= bad for environment
radiation and pesticides
Suburbs in the 1950s
offered the appearance of affluence (home with yard and lots of space) without actually being expensive
Levittown
highways
connected suburbs to cities, increased suburbanization
west during the 1950s
large immigration movement to the west (part of suburbanization)
West Enders
didn’t buy into suburbanization, preferred apartments in the city
women in the work force
given opportunities to work in jobs “suitable” for women (ie secretaries)
no emphasis on education
high emphasis on appearance
high salaries
women in the home
wives are seen as inferior and subordinate to their husbands as shown by the advice given in a popular magazine of the time
main role= maintain the household
baby boom kids
teenagers rebel (rock n roll)
more entertainment
beginning of the teenager
homosexuals
held back
not allowed to be out (employment)
unemployment
4% rate 5 years 1948-
wages
increased 2x
economy
pro business era tax exemptions prices increase increase in consumers inflation
Taft Hartley Bill
took away workers ability to bargain for wages
veterans
affluent time for veterans due to to the aid that the govt provided for these individuals and their families
GI Bill
provided financial benefits to veterans
family
affluent time for families as middle class families lived in comfortable economic conditions
