US HIST 106: The Cold War & Fair Deal

Question 1

Big Three

Answer 1

• July 1945- Potsdam Conference –
  discussion on how to administer
  defeated Germany.
• Compromise – each side care for
  own occupied area
• West Germany under American,
  British and French control (incl. W.
  Berlin)
• East Germany under Soviet
  control

Question 2

Iron Curtain

Answer 2

• Boundary increased mistrust between Stalin
  and West.
• Soviets established satellite governments.
• Bernard Baruch called for eventual outlawing
  of nuclear weapons, with U.S. being last to
  dismantle their weapons.

Question 3

Containment

Answer 3

• Long Telegram – George Kennan introduced term
  ‘containment policy’ to halt spread of communism.
• Truman Doctrine – open ended assistance to those nations
  opposed to communism. ($400m to Greece and Turkey)

Question 4

Marshall Plan

Answer 4

• June 5th, 1947 – General
  George Marshall announced
  plans to rebuild Europe with
  $13.3b worth of material and
  financial aid.
• Policy ‘against hunger,
  poverty, desperation &
  chaos.’
• Soviets rejected aid.

Question 5

North Atlantic
Treaty
Organization

Answer 5

 April 1949 – N.A.T.O. :
intergovernmental military
alliance between USA,
Canada and 10 western
European nations

Question 6

Berlin Blockade

Answer 6

• June 1948 – West Germany
  adopted the Deutschmark
  currency.
• June 48- May 49 – Stalin blocked
  road, rail and canal sectors of
  Berlin under western control.
• Berlin Airlift – 277,246 flights of
  aid.
• Two states emerged 1949:
• Federal Rep. of Germany (W)
• German Democratic Rep. (E)

Question 7

Presidential Election 1948

Answer 7

• Harry Truman (D) vs Thomas Dewey (R)

Question 8

U.S. military reform

Answer 8

• 1947 – National Security Act – Dept. of
  Def unified armed forces
• Air force crucial to atomic age
• C.I.A. and N.S.C. also created to bolster
  national security.

Question 9

NSC - 68

Answer 9

• 1950 – National Security Council
  – 68: manifesto called for
  permanent military build-up as
  part of global crusade against
  communism.

Question 10

Yalta Conference

Answer 10

• Feb 1945 – Agreement on Russian
  influence in NE Asia. United States
  influence in Japan and former
  island empire.
• General Douglas MacArthur helped
  oversee Japanese transition to
  democracy.
• 1949 – Chinese Civil War led by
  Mao Zedong

Question 11

Korean War

Answer 11

• 1945- Korean divided into Soviet and Allied zones
  (Communist North, Anti-Comm South)
• June 1950- North invades South.
• United Nations authorized force to defend South.
• Sept 1950 – General Mac Arthur launched counterattack,
  by October at Chinese border.
• MacArthur removed by Truman
• 1953 armistice – 33k U.S. casualties, 1m Korean soldiers
  and 2m civilians.

Question 12

Domestic
politics

Answer 12

• 1948 – Truman ran on Fair Deal ticket
  whilst Dewey led an underwhelming
  campaign.
• Truman’s problems included
  resistance to integration of military,
  Korean War, scandals in DOJ +
  inflation.
• Feb 1951- 22nd Amendment – Could
  only be elected to Presidency twice.

Question 13

Radical fears

Answer 13

• 1947 – Truman established a
  loyalty review system.
• House Un-American Activities
  Committee investigated
  Hollywood for communist
  influence.
• (10 sentenced to 1 year in prison
  for contempt)
• 1948 – Justice Dept. charged 11
  members of Communist Party

Question 14

McCarthyism

Answer 14

• Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed 205
  members of State Dept were communist
  sympathizers.
• Failed to uncover a single instance of
  subversion.
• Censured by Senate in 1954.

Question 15

Presidential Election 1952

Answer 15

• Adlai Stevenson (D) vs Dwight Eisenhower (R)

Question 16

Conclusion

Answer 16

• Policy of containment and expansion of nuclear
  arsenal continued.
• Jan 1961 – Eisenhower warned of the
  development of a military-industrial complex.