Post-War America Flashcards
Why did relations with the USSR begin to deteriorate?
- No longer had a common enemy
- Stalin began to create a buffer zone around USSR (for protection) - believed to be the spread of communism
How did Trumans Treatment of Stalin differ from Roosevelts?
Roosevelt - Was sympathetic
Truman - More Critical
What did the US public feel about the War-time relationship?
- 50% wanted it to continue
What was Churchill’s idea about communism?
- The Iron Curtain
- An imaginary line between communist West and non-communist East
What did Truman believe Stalin wanted to do?
- Take over the whole of Europe
What was the Truman Doctrine?
1947
- US support for European countries to prevent communism
- Policy of Containment
What was Marshall Aid?
- $13 Billion Packages to help European Countries
- Was mainly to boost prosperity in order to prevent communism
- USSR (and its buffer zone) refused
What was OEEC?
Organisation of European Economic Cooperation
- 16 western countries
- To spend marshal aid money
When and What was the Westerns Zone’s introduction of a common Currency?
June 1948
- Deutschmark
What did Stalin do in retaliation of the Deutschmark?
- Ordered that all transport links in Berlin to the West was cut
What did the US and UK do because of Stalin blockade?
Airlifted in supplies
How many tones of supplies did the allies airlift in March?
8,000 tonnes a day
When did Stalin call off the Blockade?
9th of May 1949
What and when was NATO?
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
- April 1949
- Defensive Alliance - mainly to prevent the spread of communism
Why was there a Civil War in Korea?
Communist North
South was supported by the US
When did North Korean Invade the South?
March 1950
- UN sent in forces to stop invasion
When did North Korean Invade the South?
March 1950
- UN sent in forces to stop invasion
What did the UN forces do in Korea?
- Liberated the South
- Then invaded the North (ordered by General MacArthur)
How did Truman respond to the invasion of the North of Korea?
- Fired MacArthur
- Troops left the North
- Made him seem soft on Communism
What did China do in the Korean War?
Sent thousands of troops to the north
- increased hostility
What were the casualties of the Korean War
- US lost 27,000 troops
- 1 million Korean Civilians
How did the Korean War End?
- There was a stalemate
- By 1953 there was a peace agreed
- Korea remained divided
- US and Chinese relations worsened
What was the Domino Theory?
- By Eisenhower
- The belief that is one country fell to communism it’s neighbours would follow
- Used to justify its intervention in Vietnam
What was Eisenhowers belief on the Cold War and Communism?
Seen as “Cold Warriors”
- Believed Truman was too soft
Who replaced Stalin in 1955?
- Nikita Khrushchev
What did the USSR create in 1955?
The Warsaw Pact
- To counter the threat of NATO
- Made of 8 nations
What are three example of Khrushchev making positive changes?
- Returned a Naval base to Finland
- Agreed to make talks on peaceful use of atomic energy
- Austrian Peace Treaty 1955
What happened in Hungary in 1956?
- Imra Nagy Threatened to leave the Warsaw Pact
- Khrushchev sent in military to shoot him and stop rebellion
- Was replaced with Janos Kadar
- US did not get involved
What did the US and UK use Western Berlin for?
- Espionage and Sabotage
What did Khrushchev threaten the Western Alliance with?
- Gave them an ultimatum (Nov 1958) to leave Berlin in 6 months
- By March he backed down
When did Eisenhower and Khrushchev have their first summit?
September 1959
- no progress was made
What happened at the Paris Summit in May 1960?
- Before the Summit the USSR shot down 2 U-2 American Spy Planes
- Khrushchev refused to attended the summit
What happened in Suez 1956?
- UK, France and Israel invaded Suez ( As Nassar nationalised Canal)
- US was not informed and threatened financial sanctions if they did not leave
What was the Eisenhower Doctrine?
- An extension of containment in the Middle East
- But due to Suez Egypt and Syria sided more with the USSR
What was the Eisenhower Doctrine?
- An extension of containment in the Middle East
- But due to Suez Egypt and Syria sided more with the USSR
What were the two sides of the Chinese Civil War?
- Chiang Kai-Shek and the Nationalists (supported by US)
- Mao and The Chinese Communist Party
What was the result of the Chinese Civil War?
- Mao succeeded (the US refused to recognise The Peoples Republic of China)
- The nationalist retreated to Taiwan
Why did the US - Chinese relations remain cool during the Korean War?
- US was convinced Beijing was Moscows puppet
- Mao hated the capitalist nature of the US
- US saw China’s involvement in the Korean War as it sponsoring communism
- China saw the US as aggressive (US threaten nuclear retaliation so Mao backed down)
How did relations between China and the US deteriorate after the Korean War?
- US put a trade embargo on China
- US-Taiwan Defence Treaty 1954 - Mao did not like this
- Mao shelled 2 Chinese nationalist nations
When did the USSR copy the Atomic Bomb?
1949
- Partly due to soviet spies
When did the US test its hydrogen bomb?
- March 1954
- Bikini Atoll
- USSR matched it in a year
What are 2 more examples of the arms race?
- USSR completed the ICBM before the US
- 1954 US developed the first Nuclear Propelled Submarine
What was the US Military spending at in the 1950’s?
Between $40 and $50 billion
What % of foreign aid to US allies went to military spending?
90%
What did increased military spending also do for the US?
- ## Advanced the technology
By 1945, how much has GNP risen by since 1941?
35 %
By 1945, how much of the global income did the USA possess
42% - with only 7% of the worlds population
What was per capita income at in post war America?
$1,450 (nearly twice as high as the UK)
What had government spending change from between 1939 and 1948?
1939 - $9.4 billion
1948 - $36.5 Billion
What 3 things did economic expansion in post war America create?
- Greater employment opportunities
- Migration to centres of plentiful employment
- Processed foods increased
What was consumerism like in post war America?
- People saved at first
- But by late 1940’s it became apparent that prosperity would continue - so consumerism rose
By 1947, what % of houses lacked running water?
33%
(40% couldn’t flush toilets)
What areas did not feel the economic prosperity?
- The south
- Poor areas of cities
When did homeownership actually begin to rise?
1960’s
- went from 55% in 1950 to 62%
What was the GI Bill of Rights?
- Offered grants to veterans
- To improve education, set up businesses and buy homes
How much did car sales change by from 1945 to 1950?
1945 - 69,500
1950 - 6.7 million
Who were the “big three” of the car industry?
- Ford
- General Motors
- Chrysler
How were cars paid for?
- Credit
What did the growth in the car industry produce?
- Increase in suburbs - due to increased mobility
- Number of families with 2 cars doubled from 1951 - 1958
- Road side facilities ( motels, gas stations, garages)
What was the Interstate Highway Act?
1956
- Boosted federal subsidies for road building
- created the 41,000-mile system
When did the first McDonalds open?
April 1955
- by 1960 had $37 million in annual sales
What was a reason in the increase of highways?
- For a a quick evacuation in case of a nuclear attack
- For the fast transport of weapons
How did an increase in the car industry affect the railroad industry?
- lost an average of $700 million per year by mid-1950’s
How many new family homes were built in 1944 compared to 1950?
1944 - 114,000
1950 - 1.7 million
How did most people buy their houses?
- Morgan’s with low interest rates
- From the Federal Housing Administration to the Veterans Administartions
- were up 90% with as low as 4% interest rates
How did the amount of people living in suburbs change from 1920 - 1960?
1920 - 17%
1960 - 33%
What did an increase of suburbs cause?
- Lack of business in cities
- Lack of business for small shops
- Deterioration of areas in inner cities (mainly where ethnic minorities lived)
By 1953, what was the average family income?
$4,011
- disposable income rose by 17%
What fuelled the consumerism boom?
- Increase in advertising
By 1960, how many TV were owned?
50 million
How many babies were boom each year from 1954 and 1964?
Four Million
Why did the Nuclear Family Increase?
- Baby boom
- Decrease in divorce rates
- Decrease in average age of marriage
How did divorce rates decrease from 1946 - 1953?
1946 - 17.9 per 1000
1953 - 9.6 per 1000
By 1951, what % of families owned fridges and washing machines?
Fridges - 90%
Washing machine - 75%
How did debt increase from 1945 to 1960?
1945 - $5.7 Billion
1960 - $ 56.1 Billion
What is an example of consumption increasing?
- Consumption of hot dogs increased from 750 million in 1950 to 2 billion in 1960
What affected stereotypes for women?
- The Media
- Actively promoted traditional housewives (even blaming career women for problems in society)
E.g Ladies Home Journal and McCall’s
What change was there for women in the 1950’s?
- Labour force increased from 33.8% at the start of the decade to 37.8%
What made it hard for women to get jobs?
- Lack of opportunities for advancements
- Unions generally did not support them
- Were treated sceptically
How did women working when married change from 1940 to 1960?
1940 - 36%
1960 - 60%
How did women at university change from 1950 - 1960?
1950 - 721,000
1960 - 1.3 Million
How was there the beginning of change for women in 1960?
- Many housewives and middle class women were getting bored of their roles
- Female teenagers spread ideas of greater freedoms
What was cinema like in the 1950’s?
- Decreased a bit in popularity from the inter-war years
- But drive in cinemas increased in popularity
How ere drive in cinema’s viewed?
“Passion Pits”
- Had an immoral reputation
What theme grew in Hollywood during the 1950’s?
The Anti- Hero
- Paul Newman and Marlon Brando
How had the number of TV’s grown from 1947 to 1955?
1947 - 60,000
1955 - 37 million
Give an example of a popular TV program in the 1950’s
I love Lucy
- regular audience of 50 million
What did TV programs also help to push?
- Traditional Family values
What % of the population were under 24 from 1950 compared to 1960?
1950 - 41.6%
1960 - 44.5%
What 4 factors led to a change in teenage culture?
- They had more money (products were targeted to them)
- New Genre of youth films (Rebel Without a Cause)
- Rock and Roll music developed - 1956 Elvis
- TV influenced their actions
How much more did Teens have to spend in the 1950’s compared to 1940?
1957 - $10 - $15
1940 - $1- $2
In 1956, how did the amount of murders carried out by teenagers in New York change?
Rose by 26%
What was “The Seduction of Innocence”?
- Book by Frederick Wertham
- Exposed the violence
What did people blame for young people being out of control?
- Media
- Parents that always worked
Who became president after FDR?
Harry S. Truman - April 1945 - 1952
What was the Full Employment Bill?
1945
- Declared employment was a right
- Required Government to make Jobs available
- Higher Minimum wage
- Farm Prices to be supported
- Public work programs
What happened due to inflation?
- Number of strikes increased
What are two strikes that took place in 1945?
April - United Mine Workers
May - Railroads
How did Truman respond to the strikes?
At First
- Set up a Special Labour Management Conference in 1945 (failed
After
- Announced he would conscript strikers
- Restrict the right to strike against the government and Increase severe penalties
What was predicted to happen in the 1948 Election?
- Truman would loose
What actually happened in the 1948 election?
- Truman won by 2 million votes
- Regained a Democratic Congress
What was the “Fair Deal”?
- Truman’s ambition that everyone should get a fair deal by the government - welfare measures
- But congress blocked many of his proposals
Who became president after Truman?
Eisenhower 1952 - 1960
What were Eisenhowers domestic achievements?
- ended wage and price controls
- reduced farm subsidies
- strengthened social security programs - increased minimum wage
- created departments of health, education and welfare
- interstate highway commission
What was Eisenhower’s domestic goals?
- wanted ‘dynamic conservatism’ - conservative when it came to money but liberal when it came to humans
How many miles of road did the interstate highway system build?
41,000 miles
How many people did the communist party in the US begin to attract after WW2?
Over 100,000
What external developments added to the fear of communism?
- China fell to communism in 1949 - US citizens believed that the state department could have done more to prevent it - led to ‘China lobby’ campaign against it.
- developments of Cold War
- increased involvement in Asia - e.g Korean War
What developments in the USA increased the fear of communism?
Spy Scandels
- Klaus Fuchs and Harry Gold gave US nuclear secretes to USSR
- Julius and Ethel Rosenberg - were executed
- Communists had breached branches of government - soviet had 221 operatives in different branches
What trial is an example against a communist in the US?
Alger Hiss Trial
What did Truman implement in 1947 to combat communism?
The Loyalty Review Board - checked government employees
How many employees were fired due to the Loyalty Review Board
- 1200 Dismissed
- 6000 resigned
Why did the arms race begin?
- 1949 USSR developed atomic bomb
- 1954 - US developed hydrogen bomb
What was the House Committee on Un-American Activities?
HUAC
- set up by congress in 1938
- Investigated suspects of supporting communism
(Forced Charlie Chaplin to leave the US)
Who was Joseph McCarthy?
- Extreme anti-communist
- Was senator of Wisconsin
- Later became in change of Senate Committee of Government Operations
What speech did McCarthy make?
9th Feb 1950
- believed that the state department was infested with communist spies - had little evidence
Who supported McCarthy’s ideas?
- American Legion of Christian Fundamentalists
- Less educated members of society
- Most popular man in America
What led to McCarthy’s downfall?
- Accused General George Marshall - Well respected
- Accused US army - had just been fighting communism in Korea
- Did not appear well on TV - seen as a bully and a drunk
- Lacked evidence
- Called out by Joseph Welch in Trial for lack of evidence
How many Native Americans served in the War?
25,000 (extra 40,000 in production)
What was the Indian Claims Commission?
1944
- Set up to offer financial compensation for Natives who lost land (but not give it back)
Which Resolution began Eisenhower’s policy of Termination on Native American’s?
August 1953
- A House Concurrent Resolution, Number 108
- Reservations should be broken up and Native Americans were to move to urban areas
What was the first example of termination?
Sale of land belonging to Menominee and Klamath Tribes in Wisconsin and Oregon
How many Native Americans had been permanently moved by 1960?
13,000/400,000
What % of reservation land had been lost by 1960?
3%
What was the result of the Termination Policy?
- Failed
- Led to ill feeling that developed into the 1960’s - more militant Native American action
How did membership of the NAACP change from 1940 to 1945?
1940 - 50,000
1945 - 450,000
What was CORE?
The Congress of Racial Equality
- By James Farmer in 1942
- Promoted freedom and equal opportunity
How did Truman contribute to the Civil Rights Movements?
- 1946 Civil Rights Committee
- Executive Order 9981 - Desegregated armed forced
- A Fair Employment Board
How was civil rights measures prevented under Truman?
20 Southern Democrats and 15 Republicans blocked Civil Rights Measures
E.g Anti-lynching bills
How did Eisenhower contribute to the Civil Rights Movement?
- Desegregated Washington
- Executive order to desegregate government-run shipyards and veteran hospitals
- Sent troops to Little Rock
Which trial desegregated education?
- Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka
What happened during Brown v The Education Board of Topeka
Monday 17th May 1954
- Case led by NAACP
- Supreme Court Judge - Earl Warren - deemed segregation in education as unconstitutional
By 1957 how many African American children were in desegregated schools?
300,000 (240,000 weren’t)
What was the problem with the brown ruling?
- No time frame
- southern senators signed ‘Southern Manifesto” against it
- KKK membership increased
How many schools were desegregated by May 1956?
370
How did the south prevent the Brown Ruling?
- Gave grants to white students to go to private school
- “Public Placement Laws” - biased testing
- Mississippi made desegregation illegal
- 82 (out of 106) senators signed Southern Manifesto
When did the NAACP try to enforce the Brown Ruling?
Little Rock High School 1957
- sent 9 students - were blocked
What did Eisenhower do during Little Rock?
24th Sept 1957
- Sent 1000 soldiers to allow them into school
What were the Montgomery Bus Boycotts?
1955 - 1956
- Dec 1st 1955 Rosa Park didn’t give up her seat
- 50,000 African Americans boycotted the company
- Lasted 381 days
What was the result of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
- Put economic and political pressure on company
- Martin Luther King Emerged
- Buses became desegregated
- 1976 - was ruled as unconstitutional
Who was Martin Luther King Jr?
- Was a minister
- Emerged during bus boycott
- Effective speaker and organised leader
- Believed in non-violent methods
- Set up Southern Christian Leadership Conference
What were the 3 main events of the Civil Rights Movement from 1945 - 1960?
- Brown v Topeka Board of Education 1954
- The Montgomery Bus Boycott - 1955
- Little Rock High School 1957
