The United States in 1945 (and Yalta/Potsdam) Flashcards
Name 3 parts of the American dream?
- Hard work leads to rewards
- Secure employment
- Dont have to be born rich
Who were the two presidents in 1945?
Franklin D.Roosevelt and Harry Truman
How had the war helped America’s economy?
- Created employment
- America sold lots of good and their GNP rose
When did America become the centre of world finance?
1944
Why could America be dominant in international talks in 1945?
They were the only country with an atomic bomb
Why was America’s experience of WW2 different to any other country’s?
The fighting wasnt on their soil because plane technology just wasnt advanced enough
What executive order was passed in february 1942?
Executive Order 9066
What were the impacts of pearl harbour for japenese-americans?
They were told to evacuate their homes in 48 hours and were sent to internment camps
How many japanese-americans were sent to camps?
120,000
What evidence is there that the discrimination of japenese-americans was purely prejudiced/
None of them had ever been disloyal to the US
In the whole war only 10 people were caught spying for Japan and they were all Caucasian
When did the program of gradual release from the internment camps begin?
1944
How and when did America attempt to compensate the Japanese-Americans?
In 1988, the 62,000 Japanese-American internees that were still alive recieved $20,000 in compensation
How did GIs experience some positives under the war?
Some felt liberated and relieved that society was becoming more accepting
Why was the war obiously not perfect for GIs?
Still had to endure 4 years of warfare and all the physical injuries that could come from that
How many Americans went to war?
15 million
Where and when did the Big Three meet in 1945?
Yalta - February
Potsdam - July/August
What were the differences in leaders between Yalta and Potsdam?
Yalta - Stalin, Churchill and FDR
Potsdam - Stalin, Attlee and Truman
How were Roosevelt and Truman different?
Roosevelt understood the importance of having strong relations with the soviets whilst being aware of the dangers of communism spreading.
Truman was fiercely anti communist and wanted to prove his authority meaning he was harsh and not at all leniant with Stalin
What were 3 agreements made at Yalta?
- Divide Germany into 4 zones of occupation
- Declaration of Liberated Europe signed
- UN formally ratified
- USSR gained land from Poland
Which Soviet politician did Truman offend before the Potsdam conference?
Foreign minister Molotov
When did the United States participate in the Second World War?
Dec 1941 - August 1945
How did the powers of the presidency increase under Franklin D. Roosevelt?
1) When FDR became president, 25% of Americans were unemployed because of the Great Depression so FDR asked roosevelt for unprecedented money, power and federal government programmes to help American economic recovery
2) Roosevelt was hea of state through most of the Second World War, meaning he represented the nation in a time of peril, he chose where to deploy forces and he also allied with America’s most important allies
Who voted for FDR’s Democrat party?
- uban ethnic voters in the North eg Irish-Americans
- workers and unemployed people across the natin
- the “Solid South”, the most conservative democrats
What was the Republican Party like in 1945?
- greatly influenced by big busienss and the rich
- generally preferred an economy that was unregulated by the federal govt
- hated Roosevelt’s New Deal
What statistic shows that America was the wealthiest nation in the world post WW2?
In 1949, the United States only had 7 per cent of the world’s population but 42 per cent of its income
What statistic shows that American manufacturing was thriving post-World War Two?
In 1949, America produced half the world’s manufactured goods (56% steel and 80% of cars)
What was unemployment like in the 1940s?
Never rose above 4%
What was the South like predominantly in 1945?
Predominantly agricultural and its white population kept black residents in a position of legal, economic, social and political inequality
What was the North like in 1945?
the North had great cities containing manufacturing industries eg Detroit (cars).
Why had West Coast cities expanded, give an example
Expanded because of wartime defence industries eg Los Angeles
How had the war decreased regionalism in America by 1945?
- over 10 per cent had left their homes for training camps
- around 13 per cent changed their county of residence
8 million had permanently located to a different state
What was the general direction of this mass migration?
from the agricultural South to the industrial North
How did the Second World War help ethnic divisions?
It decreased prejudice against different ethnic groups, as it gave everyone the opportunity to demonstate their patriotism
Why was there still ethnic divisions post-war?
ethnics, Catholics and Jewish people still suffered rejudice. JFK’s Irish-American, Roman-Catholic father claimed Boston society never fully accepted him
What was the biggest problem for social divisions in America?
The huge variations of wealth
Give examples of the variations of wealth in the USA in 1945?
- Exceptionally rich: Rockefeller oil dynasty
- Very rich - Roosevelt family
- Reasonably comfortable - Truman’s in-laws
- Very Poor - black sharecroppers in the South
When were tensions between poor and rich demonstrated?
In 1946 when 4.6 million workers went on strike
What did Congress pass in 1944 and what did it do?
The GI Bill of Rights, gave aid to returning military personnel through free vocational training and low interest loans and higher education
What were the consequences of the GI Bill of Rights (1944)?
- Number of Americans who had a college education and therefore greater economic opportunities, rose from 10 percent in 1939 to 15 per cent in 1948
- Number of homeowners rocketed
- Belief in American dream was confirmed
When did Roosevelt die?
April 1945
What disadvantages did Truman have when he became President?
- Roosevelt had excluded Tryman from discussions of military and foreign affairs, making Truman feel he had to prove himself as tough and decisive
- Truman was more combative than Roosevelt
