Truman (1945-1953)

Question 1

when was Truman elected senator?

Answer 1

1935

Question 2

when was Truman selected vice president?

Answer 2

1944

Question 3

who did Truman replace as president?

Answer 3

Franklin Roosevelt

Question 4

when did Truman become president?

Answer 4

April 1945

Question 5

What did he oversee in his presidency?

Answer 5

The end of WWII and the new challenges of the cold war

Question 6

What did Truman suggest in response to the collapse of the Japanese occupation in Korea after WWII and why?

Answer 6

Truman proposed dividing the Korean peninsula at the 38th parallel with soviet forces in the North and the US in the south - this was due to the fear of Korea entirely falling under soviet and communist control

Question 7

How long was the Korean war and what did it establish between US and North Korea relations?

Answer 7

1950-53 - due to the US bombing North Korea villages, towns and cities, this established a negative relationship

Question 8

what was post-war USA like?

Answer 8

USA emerged from the war as the most powerful nation - envy grew as the US had a head start in wealth, technology and weaponry

Question 9

when was the Yalta conference?

Answer 9

4th - 11th February 1945

Question 10

what agreements were made at the Yalta conference?

Answer 10

• divided Germany into 4 zones occupied by the big 3
• bring nazi war-criminals to trial
• set up commissions to look into reparations

Question 11

what problems were caused at the Yalta conference?

Answer 11

USA thought the agreement to ‘democracy + free elections’ meant that Europe would have freedom of speech and elections but the soviets idea of democracy was communist - some think Roosevelt was Naive for this

Question 12

when was the Potsdam conference?

Answer 12

July 17th - August 2nd 1945

Question 13

why was there tension at the Potsdam conference?

Answer 13

• After Roosevelts death, Truman was now president and was inclined to ‘get tough’ with USSR
• US had tested the first atomic bomb - Truman had only informed Churchill of this and not Stalin
• two days after conference two Atomic bombs dropped on Japan so tensions built between the east + west

Question 14

when was the Berlin Blockade/Airlift?

Answer 14

1948-49

Question 15

what was the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 15

the Russians stopped all road, rail and canal traffic to Berlin - argued he was defending the east German economy against the new currency but western powers said he was trying to force them out of Berlin

Question 16

what was the Berlin Airlift?

Answer 16

the Airlift was Trumans response to the Blockade where Allied planes transported supplies to West Berlin - the airlift prevented the blockade from succeeding and it was peaceful, making Stalin appear aggressive

Question 17

what were the causes of the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 17

• The divisions over the future of Berlin dating back to Yalta + Potsdam
• Tensions of economic differences (west zones benefited from marshal aid)
• the introduction of new currency (Deutchmark)
• the failure of council ministers

Question 18

what was the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan?

Answer 18

the Truman Doctrine provided military aid to collapsing countries in response to the growing communism and threat of the soviet union - the Marshall Plan was an economic extension of the Truman Doctrine aimed to help Germany and other European nations rebuild after the ravages of war

Question 19

What did Truman state the US’s duty was?

Answer 19

He said their duty was to “support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures,”

Question 20

was The Truman Doctrine/Marshall Aid Containment or Expansionism?

Answer 20

Either:

• Containment because it successfully prevented the growth of communism and halted the threat of the soviets
• Expansionism perhaps because Truman was only trying to gain publicity and credit for the good deed to get on the good side of foreign affairs

Question 21

what made an effective economy 1945?

Answer 21

• a growth in consumer demand
• provided supplies to another country - exporting = trading
• low inflation from spending + producing
• vertuous economic cycle
• good relationship with congress
• extention f new deal legislation
• good quality of housing
• good relations with US trade unions
• good relationships with US employers

Question 22

what is partisanship?

Answer 22

when members of political parties strongly support their party’s policies and reffuse to comprimise with their political opponents

Question 23

what is inflation?

Answer 23

a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money

Question 24

How did the Us economy emerge from WWII?

Answer 24

became powerhouse of global economy - economy boomed, responsible for 50% of worlds consumer goods production

Question 25

why was there a consumer boom after WWII?

Answer 25

nations factories went from military to civilian use, suburbinisation as baby boom happened - helped economy

Question 26

what was the HUAC?

Answer 26

House Un-American Activities Committee : Created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty + subversive activities on the part of private citizens, public employees, and those organisations suspected of having communist ties

Question 27

what was McCarthyism?

Answer 27

campaign against alleged communists in the US governments + other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950-4 - many didn’t belong to communist party

Question 28

In short terms, was much process made under Truman’s presidency?

Answer 28

Truman essentially built the foundations of the progress in civil rights - he made efforts to improve civil rights by proposing the anti-lynching legislation, abolition of the poll tax, voting rights laws, a permanent FEPC, an end to discrimination in interstate travel / armed forces, a civil rights division in the justice department ect. but was denied by the congress - He did however issue executive orders to end discrimination in armed forces + guarantee fair employment in federal bureaucracy in 1948

Question 29

why was ameliorating the civil rights act in Truman’s favour?

Answer 29

• Trumans audience was exceedingly growing in diversity therefore it was essential for him to appeal to a vast audience and perhaps make up for his background of being known as racist and narrow-minded

Question 30

when did Truman finally retire from politics?

Answer 30

December 26th 1972