Unit 6 Part 1 Flashcards
Review the Causes, Course and Consequences of the Cold War
Division in Europe between the Democratic West and the Communist East. Travel and contact between the two areas was restricted.
IRON CURTAIN
President Truman’s speech to Congress asking for aid to help Turkey and Greece resist the growing communist influence. Official beginning of the “containment” policy – stopping the spread of communism to other countries.
TRUMAN DOCTRINE
Highly successful plan to provide U.S. aid to war-torn European countries to help them rebuild their economies. Would create allies and trading partners for the U.S. while also helping to stop communism from spreading.
MARSHALL PLAN
Soviet Union closed off West Berlin from road and rail after the three Western powers merged their sections of Germany to form a unified West Germany. Western allies began an airlift to supply the city with food and other necessities. Within a year, the Soviets lifted the blockade.
BERLIN BLOCKADE
Treaty (1949) between the U.S., Canada, and ten Western European countries – pledging that each member would defend the other if attacked. Other nations joined as the Cold War continued. First time the U.S. entered into a military alliance with other nations during peacetime.
NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION
Soviet Union response to NATO – created with its own satellite countries. Used to justify the Soviet Union’s interference in the affairs of Eastern Europe.
WARSAW PACT
Korea was ruled by Japan in 1945 – when Japan surrendered those above the 38th parallel surrendered to the Soviets and below it to the Americans – two nations developed. North Korea attacked South Korea in 1950. UN forces (mostly American) defended S. Korea. After a year of back and forth fighting, a cease fire was issued. Two years later an armistice was signed at Panmunjom, a city in the demilitarized zone. Korea is still two nations divided at the 38th parallel.
KOREAN WAR
Created by Truman to conduct investigations of government employees and dismiss those that were found to be disloyal to the U.S. government.
LOYALTY BOARDS
Term used to refer to the antiCommunist hysteria of the 1950s or accusing people of disloyalty without evidence. Name comes from Joseph McCarthy a senator who charged that communists were taking over the government. He created a “witch hunt” for Communists.
MCARTHYISM
Pent up desire for consumer goods (unavailable during the war) and money to spend (savings from defense work, service pay, and war bond investments) leads to economic growth. Cold War keeps defense spending high and people employed. Demand for housing (suburbs especially) also increases employment and economic growth.
POST WWII PROSPERITY
Created by Congress in 1944 to help servicemen readjust to civilian life – pays part of their tuition, guarantees a year’s worth of unemployment benefits, and offered low-interest federally guaranteed loans.
G.I. BILL OF RIGHTS
(SERVICEMAN READJUSTMENT ACT)
Babies born in the years after WWII. Birth rate (number of babies born per 1,000 people) increased for more than a decade after the war ended.
BABY BOOMERS
Network of highways that unite the country – created from the 1956 Federal Highway Act. Contributed to the nation’s prosperity and encouraged the growth of suburbs (as people could use the highways to drive into work in the cities).
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY ACT
Minorities found it hard to obtain the same prosperity – excluded from middle-class jobs and the opportunity to move to the suburbs. African Americans – in the South, many were still tenant farmers; in the North, they were hired for low-wage jobs. Hispanic Americans – in the West, many were migrant farm workers
LIMITS OF POST WORLD WAR II PROSPERITY
