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.
