The Cold War: Truman-Eisenhower Flashcards
Harry Truman
After FDR died, Vice President Harry S. Truman took over as President.
United Nations (UN)
After the Yalta conference, the United Nations was created. On JUune 26, 1945, 50 nations met in San Francisco, CA, in the first meeting of the United Nations. They all hoped the UN could settle disputes between countries and prevent wars.
Truman Doctrine
With the Truman Doctrine, President Truman established that the U.S. would provide political, military, and economic assistance to all democratic nations under threat from external or internal authoritarian forces. It effectively reoriented U.S. foreign policy away from its usual stance of withdrawal from regional conflicts not directly involving the U.S., to one of possible intervention in far away conflicts.
Marshall Plan (ERP)
The Marshall Plan, also known as the European Recovery Program, channeled over $13 billion go finance the economic recovery of Europe between 1948 and 1951. The Marshall Plan successfully sparked economic recovery, meeting its objective of “restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole.” The plan is named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall, who announced it in a commencement speech at Harvard University on June 5, 1947.
Atomic Energy Act (1946)
Signed into law in 1946, this act allowed the federal government only to produce and maintain fissionable materials (nuclear materials). It created the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) to encourage private and government research into atomic energy.
80th Congress and Opposition to Truman’s “Fair Deal”
In September 1945, President Truman presented a plan of domestic reforms, aimed at solving some of the postwar problems in America. He wanted to increase government spending to create jobs, build housing, and create a health insurance system. He later called this the program the “Fair Deal.” However, the plan did not pass in Congress. Many Americans blamed Truman and the Democrats for the nation’s problems. The Republicans took advantage of this feeling in the congressional elections of 1946, and they won control of both houses of Congress.
Situation in Germany After WWII
After the war, Germany was divided into 4 zones. The Soviets controlled the eastern part of the country. The U.S., Britain, and France held zones in the western part. The German capital of Berlin was in the eastern part in the Soviet zone, but it was also divided up into 4 parts. Truman argued that Germany should be united. But, Stalin feared that a strong Germany would once again pose a threat to the Soviet Union. He wanted to keep Soviet influence in a divided Germany.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
The Western democracy countries agreed that military cooperation was the best way to contain the Soviets. In 1949, the U.S. Canada, and 10 Western European nations formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Members agreed to help any member that was attacked. 6 years later, West Germany was allowed to form an army and join NATO. In 1955, the Soviets responded by setting up the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance of the Communist governments of Eastern Europe.
Election of 1948
Harry S. Truman ran for President for the Democrats, and was opposed by Republican New York Governor Thomas Dewey. Truman had become unpopular with many voters due to economic problems in the country. It looked like Dewey would be unbeatable. However, Truman ran a determined and energetic campaign. On Election Day, the Chicago Daily Tribune was so sure that Dewey would win, they printed a paper with the headline “Dewey Defeats Truman.” Yet, when the final votes were counted, Truman beat Dewey by more than 2 million votes, and Democrats also won control of both houses of Congress.
2nd Red Scare and Joseph McCarthy
The Cold War increased Americans’ fears of Communist subversion, or secret attempts to overthrow the government from within. Many Americans worried that Communists (“Reds”) were sneaking into the government. Stories of Communists spying on the U.S. gripped the country. In 1950, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin led the hunt for Communists. He said a Communist network existed in the U.S. government. He called government employees to defend themselves against his charges. Many of his charges were based on little evidence. The word “McCarthyism” came to describe a reckless use of unproven charges. Millions of Americans believed McCarthy, but later came to view him as a bully with little basis for his accusations. Congress also turned against him, and the Senate voted to censure him in December 1954, or formally criticize him for conduct unbecoming a senator.
Alger HIss
In 1948, magazine editor Whittaker Chambers claimed that he had been a Soviet spy. He accused Alger HIss, a former state department official in the U.S. government, of giving him secret U.S. documents. Chambers showed copies of secret information that he said came from HIss. Hiss was found guilty of perjury, or lying under oath, and was sent to prison.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a New York couple, were members of the Communist Party. They were accused of passing secrets about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. The Rosenbergs denied the charges but were found guilty and given death sentences. Many believed they were victims of the Red Scare, but they were executed in 1953.
Korean War - the “Domino” Theory
The domino theory was a Cold War policy that suggested a communist government in one nation would quickly lead to communist takeovers in neighboring countries, each falling like a perfectly aligned row of dominoes. The U.S. feared that if one country turned communist, then the surrounding countries were also in danger of turning communist.
Koran War - Combat (38th Parallel)
After WWII, Korea was under control of the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The 2 powers divided Korea at the 38th parallel of latitude. A Communist government took control in North Korea, and a U.S.-backed government took over South Korea. Relations between North and South Korea were tense. Hoping to unite Korea, North Korean troops invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. By September, the Communists had control over most of the country. The South Korean army held only a small area around the southeast port city of Pusan.
Korean War - Douglas MacArthur and Truman
North Korea’s invasion alarmed President Truman. He believed that the Soviet Union supported their attack. Truman quickly ordered American forces into action, and asked the U.N. to also take action. The U.N. called on North Korea to remove its forces from South Korea. When they refused, the U.N. agreed to send in troops. Most of the U.N. forces came under the command of U.S. general and WWII hero Douglas MacArthur. He led a daring landing with the U.N. forces, and they came ashore near the port of Incheon, well behind enemy lines, and his forces took control of the key city. From there, they were able to enter the South Korean capital of Seoul. Pushing on from there, the forced the North Koreans back across the 38th parallel, and South Korea came back under control of U.N. forces.
Korean War - China, Mao Zedong, and North Korea
General MacArthur was encouraged by his success, and pressed Truman to order an invasion of North Korea. He assured Truman that neither China nor the Soviet Union would enter the war. Truman then was able to get the UN to approve the invasion, with a goal to unify Korea. Fighting well, MacArhur’s troops advanced towards the Chinese border. Chinese Communists saw this as a threat, and they replied with force and hundreds of thousands of troops crossed into Korea. They drove the UN forces back to South Korea. Mao Zedong was the President of China who led the intervention in the war.
Korean War - Results
After the Chinese troops pushed the UN forces back into South Korea, the sides pushed back and forth several times against each other and the war became a stalemate that lasted almost two years. MacArthur wanted Truman to use atomic bombs, but Truman feared that would lead to a larger war. MacArthur criticized Truman, and Truman then fired MacArthur. Talks to end the Korean War began in July 1951. Negotiations finally reached a cease-fire agreement in July 1953, which was under the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The agreement set-up a demilitarized zone where no military forces would be allowed along the 38th parallel between North and South Korea. Neither side could claim victory in the Korean War.
Election of 1952
Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower defeated Democrat Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson in the presidential election of 1952. Eisenhower had been supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during WWII. People called him “Ike” and he won wide support with his pledge to bring the Korean War to an early and honorable end.
American Culture in the 1950s
Americans in the 1950s enjoyed a higher standard of living, or economic comfort than in previous decades. Consumers were eager to buy the latest products - dishwashers, washing machines, televisions, stereos, and clothes. The market for cars was growing, and automakers tried to outdo one another by making bigger, faster, and flashier cars. TV, radio, and newspaper ads created new fads, such as crew cut hairstyles for boys or poodle skirts for girls. Television was a new phenomenon in the 50s, and Americans loved it. It became the main form of entertainment. Teenagers took up rock n roll in the 1950s. Elvis Presley burst on the scene in 1956, and quickly became the idol of to millions of young Americans. Many young men copied his haircut and swaggering style.
Eisenhower’s Background and Beliefs
Eisenhower was born in Texas and grew up in rural Kansas. He has been the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in Europe in WWII, and had led the famous D-Day invasion at Normandy. People called him “Ike” and voters trusted him.
Trouble in Indochina & Beginnings of Vietnam War
Asia was the most unstable area of the world, and France was having trouble with their colony in Indochina. Indochina was very valuable with its resources, but the people started a revolt against France. The U.S. feared that Indochina would go with the Communists if the revolt succeeded. However, Eisenhower was very much against the U.S. getting involved in another war in Asia right after Korea. Instead, he agreed to help France with money and aid hoping they could win. France was begging for the U.S. to help and get involved in the war. Instead, Eisenhower helped create a new pro-American region in South Vietnam, hoping it would expand and compete against the Communist North Vietnamese. Eisenhower created an American South Vietnam, but America had become so invested in it that his successors would end up getting involved in a bitter war later on to try and keep it.
Eisenhower and the CIA (Egypt, Iran)
Eisenhower started using the CIA, which had been created in 1947, to do secret, covert actions around the world as a way to combat the Soviets and Communists. In his first year as President, he authorized the CIA to deal with a problem in Iran that had started in Truman’s term. The CIA successfully overthrew Iran’s Prime Minister and restored their shah’s power to keep them from turning towards the Communists. Later, Egypt was playing both the U.S. and Communist sides to get what they wanted. Eisenhower ended negotiations with Egypt to provide aid to them, and Egypt responded by seizing the Suez canal. The British, French, and Israelis decided to take military action. The 3 nations never consulted with Eisenhower before they attacked. Eisenhower was outraged, and he publicly condemned the attacks. He then used his power to force the 3 nations to withdraw their troops.
Eisenhower’s Domestic Policies
Eisenhower followed a middle-of-the-road domestic policy, and did not seek far-reaching new government programs. He also resisted the pressure to end popular older ones, and sometimes even expanded them. He wanted government to be smaller rather than bigger, and he backed free enterprise, meaning he favored letting businesses and people make economic decisions with as little government interference as possible. He cut federal spending. When he finished his 2nd term, the federal budget had a surplus of $300 million. One big government program he did was the Federal Highway Act of 1956, which funded the building of more than 40,000 miles of highways in America.
Election of 1956
The 1956 Presidential election had President Dwight D. Eisenhower running against Democrat Adlai Stevenson again. Eisenhower successfully defeated him, who he had also defeated 4 years earlier.
