President Truman and the cold war part 2

Question 1

When was the Truman Doctrine declared? By who?

Answer 1

1947 by President Truman

Question 2

What happened in Turkey between the USSR and USA?

Answer 2

In WW2, Churchill and Roosevelt suggested they would indicate they would recognise Stalin’s interests in Turkey.
Therefore, Stalin felt justified in pressuring Turkey for naval access after the war.
BUT in March 1947, Truman obtained $100 million from Congress to combat the Communist threat in Turkey.

Question 3

Why did Stalin have interests in Turkey?

Answer 3

There was a narrow Soviet exit from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. USSR needed more warm water ports, as many ports in the north froze over.

Question 4

What were the consequences of the Truman doctrine?

Answer 4

It was basically a declaration of the Cold War. Led to US involvement in the Korean War and Vietnam War. Developed into an expensive arms race with the USSR.

Question 5

What did the Marshall Plan do?

Answer 5

Gave $13 billion to European nations to revive them as allies and trading partners with the USA.

Question 6

When was NATO formed? Why?

Answer 6

1949. Partly a response to Stalin’s Berlin Blockade.

Question 7

What are criticisms of the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 7

Led the USA into unimportant and unaffordable conflicts around the world.
Walter Lippman; ‘an ideological crusade’ that ‘had no limits’

Question 8

What was the difference between foreign policy of USA and Latin American nations?

Answer 8

USA wanted an anti-Communist alliance with Latin America.
Latin American countries wanted to obtain economic and technological aid to improve their economies and reduce poverty.

Question 9

When was the Rio Conference?
What was agreed under the Rio Treaty?

Answer 9

September 1947
That an attack on one American nation was an attack on all.
Resistance to the attack would be provided if ⅔ agreed on action.

Question 10

Why were many Latin American countries disappointed with the Rio Conference?

Answer 10

Disliked the way it made Latin American nations automatic allies of the US
Felt they had gone with Truman’s containment policy and got nothing in return
No discussion of economic aid

Question 11

What reason did (US Secretary of State) George Marshall give for the lack of aid discussion at the Rio Conference?

Answer 11

There must be no discussion of economic aid because European recovery took precedence over Latin American economic development.

Question 12

When was the Organisation of American States (OAS) formed? Where?

Answer 12

Colombia, 1948

Question 13

How did the US view the OAS?

Answer 13

Felt it represented hemispheric unity in the struggle against Communism, and that the US would be able to take the lead.

Question 14

What is an example of the US viewing everything in Latin America through a Cold War perspective?

Answer 14

In 1948 there were riots in Colombia, triggered by the assassination of a liberal politician. Most Latin American leaders saw them as representative of Latin American economic problems.
BUT Truman saw them as organised by Communist subversives.

Question 15

How did Roosevelt and Truman see Latin America differently?

Answer 15

Roosevelt implied that Latin America was a top priority in US foreign policy. Truman viewed Latin America as less important. This led to an increase in anti-Americanism in Latin America.

Question 16

When was the ECLA set up? What does it stand for? What was the ECLA view on US foreign policy?

Answer 16

Economic Commission for Latin America - 1948. Set up by the UN.

Criticised US financial policy. Said that Latin American poverty was largely because it supplied raw materials, whereas industrial nations made more profitable manufactured goods.

Question 17

When was the first Red Scare?

Answer 17

1917 - after the Bolshevik Revolution

Question 18

Why did Americans dislike Communism?

Answer 18

It was aesthetic and threatened the American Dream.

Question 19

What contributed to the second Red Scare (after the end of WW2)?

Answer 19

Surge of patriotism after the war
Viewing communism as an alien ideology
Fear of soviet military strength

Question 20

What was HUAC?

What did HUAC begin investigating? When?

Answer 20

House of Un-American Activities Committee.

1947 - they began investigating a Hollywood-Centred Communist conspiracy to overthrow the US government.

Question 21

Who were the ‘Hollywood 10’?

Answer 21

Group of writers/directors who had/were members of the Communist Party. They were convicted and given one year jail sentences.

Question 22

What did the 1950 Internal Security Act do?

Answer 22

Forced members of Communist-affiliated organisations to register with the government or face jail/fines.

Question 23

Truman was a Democrat. What was the Republican tactic to get him out of power?

Answer 23

All they could do was attack the Democrats for not waging the Cold War with enough energy.

Question 24

What did a 1948 poll show about the public perception of Truman?

Answer 24

73% felt he was too soft on Communists.

Question 25

Who was Joseph McCarthy?
What did McCarthy begin in 1952?

Answer 25

A Republican senator. In a 1949 poll he was voted as the worst US senator.

He began heading congressional committees that investigated communist subversives. By 1953, around 500 government employees and 600 school teachers lost their jobs.

Question 26

How did McCarthy get away with his actions?

Answer 26

Maintained good relations with reporters
Hysterical anti-Communism
Communist successes and expansionism (Korea)
Democrats did not want to attack McCarthy in case they were accused of being Communists too.

Question 27

McCarthy had always had critics, but what was his final straw?

Answer 27

‘Army-McCarthy’ hearings, where McCarthy often appeared unshaven and drunk
Investigated a supposed spy ring in New Jersey, the army filed charges against him, and poll ratings slumped.
He was censured from Senate in March 1955

Question 28

How important was McCarthy?

Answer 28

Actually quite important. He stirred up paranoia, which influenced American foreign and defence policy.

Question 29

What were the consequences of the anti-Communist hysteria?

Answer 29

Thousands lost their jobs
Several hundred were jailed
Over 150 were deported

Question 30

What were 3 ways the Cold War affected life for children?

Answer 30

Practised hiding under their desks in preparation for a nuclear attack.
Many parents brought backyard bomb shelters
Comic-strips began sharing anti-Communist messages

Question 31

How did the Cold War affect American entertainment?

Answer 31

Anti-Communist films abounded (e.g. The Iron Curtain 1958)
‘Subversives’ found themselves unemployed because they demonstrated leftist sympathies.
However, many books and films from the era avoided Communism all together.

Question 32

What did the 1958 Education Act do?

Answer 32

Funded more opportunities for scientists, mathematicians and linguists. This was with the intention of them creating weapons, becoming spies etc.

Question 33

What are 2 examples of religion going against Communism?

Answer 33

Evangelical preacher Billy Graham warned crowds against Communism.
1954, Bishop Sheen denounced Communism to an audience that reached over 25 million a week.

Question 34

What was the cost of the Korean war to the American taxpayer? How many Americans died in Korea?

Answer 34

Cost $67 billion
Around 36,000 Americans died there

Question 35

What was one positive to come out of the Korean War?

Answer 35

Benefited African Americans because it sped up the desegregation of the army.