A Divided Union: Civil Rights in the USA, 1945-74 Flashcards
What is a capitalist democracy?
The government is voted for by people during regular elections and businesses are owned privately by individuals, largely free of government control
What is a communist state?
The only candidates in elections are communist and businesses are owned and run by the government
What did the first Red Scare (1919-20) make the Americans fear?
Immigrants from Eastern Europe would try to take over their government and make the USA communist as well
How were the American fears of communist takeover justified?
One of the stated aims of some Russian communists in 1917 had been world revolution and to encourage communism in other countries
When did the Cold War begin?
After the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945
What type of government was set up when Soviet Union troops remained in the liberated countries at the end of the Second World War?
Communist governments
What did the set up of communist governments in the liberated countries provide the Soviets at the end of WWII?
A buffer zone of protection against another invasion from the west
How did the set up of communist governments in the liberated countries look to Western Europe and the USA?
Like the Soviet Union was trying to take over Europe
When did the USA successfully test an atomic bomb for the first time?
July 16, 1945
How did the Soviet Union see the USA’s successful test of an atomic bomb?
As a threat
When did the US Air Force drop two atomic bombs on Japan?
6 and 9 August 1945
How did the Soviet Union help the Greek communists trying to take over the government in 1946?
By voicing encouragement
What US fears did the Soviets voicing encouragement to the Greek communists add to and how did the US respond?
Added to the fears of a communist takeover of Europe. The US government sent money to the Greek government to remove the communists
Which European countries became communist throughout 1947 and 1948?
The remaining countries under Soviet influence in Eastern Europe
How did the remaining Eastern European countries under Soviet influence become communist?
Some were taken over by force while others held elections in which the only candidates allowed to stand were members of the Communist Party
By what year had all the countries of Eastern Europe had communist governments?
1950
What did the Truman Doctrine (March 1947) promise?
Help to support any country resisting takeover by other groups or countries (by which they meant communists) (simple terms: the USA would help any country at risk of communist takeover)
What did the Marshall Plan do?
Back up the Truman Doctrine with financial help (in the belief that communist ideas were more likely to take hold in areas of poverty) - gave millions of dollars of aid to many European countries suffering from economic problems after the Second World War
What did Stalin do in response to the Marshall Plan/Truman Doctrine?
Believe the USA was trying to extend its influence and did not allow Eastern European countries to accept the aid offered
How was Germany divided in 1945?
Into four: the USA, the Soviet Union, France, and the UK each controlled a zone
Berlin was also divided into four, but which zone was it inside?
The Soviet zone of Germany
What did Britain, France, and the USA do in 1946 without consulting the Soviet Union?
Combine their zones into one area that later became West Germany
What did Stalin do in Jun 1948 that started the Berlin Crisis?
Block all road, rail, and canal supply lines into West Berlin
What was Stalin’s aim in blocking access to West Berlin?
To make the whole of Berlin dependent on the Soviet Union and free from Western influence
How did President Truman see the isolation of West Berlin?
As a test of the Truman Doctrine
How were supplies taken into West Berlin during the Berlin Crisis?
By aircraft from Western allies
When were the supply lines reopened?
May 1949
