Truman & Eisenhower. Post War United States. Worries after World War II 3/14/17. Chapters 36 & 37

Transcription

1 Truman & Eisenhower Chapters 36 & 37 Post War United States What issues did the U.S. face following World War II? Worries after World War II Many are still worried about a return to the Great Depression Lots of soldiers returning home would compete for jobs GNP down in 46 and 47 Prices went up after price controls were lifted - inflation Problems with labor again 1

2 Problems with Labor Were a large number of strikes after WWII - org. labor ready to fight Taft-Hartley Act Outlawed closed shop Required union leaders to take a noncommunist oath Unions had a lot of trouble organizing part time workers and in the South Membership began declining in the 50s Labor Unions Post War? How was this similar to the situation faced by labor unions after World War I? Truman s Actions Sold govt. installations and war factories for cheap prices to businesses Created the Council of Economic Advisors Servicemen s Re-Adjustment Act (1944) GI Bill of Rights, GI Bill Sent former soldiers to school (8 mill. In 10 yrs) Mostly technical and vocational schools 2 million went to colleges and universities VA guaranteed $16 billion in loans for veterans to buy homes, farms, start small businesses 2

3 Economic Boom Economy started to rebound in the early 1950s Consumers went wild - had $ for the first time in 20 years Middle-class emerged owned homes and cars Women reaped the most benefits Traditional role of women still emphasized Sparked the feminist movement of the 1960s Roots of Post-War Prosperity WWII boosted production Now have a permanent war economy Military contracts, research and development Cheap Energy Oil from the Middle East Led to spark in items and services that require oil or electricity Workforce more productive and educated Smiling Sunbelt People moved all over after WWII Families spread all over the country Many moved to the Sunbelt VA-FL-TX-CA Saw huge population increase Jobs, climate, lower taxes 3

4 Smiling Sunbelt Sun Belt Importance What are the effects of this mass shift of the population to the Sun Belt? Rush to the Suburbs Now easier to buy a home Govt. built roads connecting the suburbs to the cities Home construction shot up William Levitt - mass produced homes Levittowns - first one on Long Island Mostly whites moved Business and jobs followed Minorities often didn t get loans and local govts. encouraged segregation 4

5 Levittowns Baby Boom The 15 years after 1945 saw a huge increase in the birthrate Peaked in 1957, 50 mill. babies by 1960 Huge effect on the economy through the decades examples? Yalta Conference Feb. 1945, original Big Three Made final war plans & agreements Poland would have free elections (along with Bulgaria and Romania) Announced plans for the United Nations Stalin secretly agreed to attack Japan three months after the war in Europe ended Was promised some land and ports 5

6 Roots of the Cold War History between the U.S. and Soviets not promising Economies clashed (command economy vs. capitalism) US & GB were not open about research Both seemed like were trying to spread their ideology from the start Conflict was inevitable Shaping the Post-War World International Monetary Fund Encouraged world trade by regulating exchange rates World Bank To promote growth in war-ravaged and underdeveloped areas April, first meeting of the U.N. Know the basic structure of the U.N. Problem of Germany Nuremburg Trials 20 tried for crimes against humanity (new) 20 executed, 2 jailed, 3 acquitted Divided into 4 occupation zones Soon apparent it would remain divided after the war Berlin also divided up (in the Soviet zone) Berlin Air Lift - lasted about one year The real beginning of the Cold War 6

7 Division of Germany Division of Berlin Truman Doctrine George Kennen - Containment Communism is expansionary, will die if contained to where it is This led to the Truman Doctrine He asked for $400 million to help Greece and Turkey rebuild and resist communism Promised similar support to other nations opposing communism 7

8 Marshall Plan Europe was still economically in trouble If Europe worked with the U.S. they would get $ to help - we needed this After the communist takeover of Czechoslovakia Congress okayed the $ Marshall Plan Billions of $ to help rebuild Europe Huge success U.S. recognizes Israel Reform during the Cold War National Security Act Created the Department of Defense The heads of each service branch would form the Joint Chiefs of Staff Established the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency Europe signed a collective defense agreement, asked the U.S to join N.A.T.O. - huge step for the U.S. Europe at the start of the Cold War 8

9 Reconstruction of Japan Was a one man show - Gen. MacArthur Set up an International Military Tribunal Japan largely cooperated adopted a constitution (much of it written by MacArthur) Formed a democratic government Japan rebuilt successfully, relatively quickly China & the Next Bomb Communist revolution led by Mao Zedong Chaing Kai-Shek fled to Taiwan Were now 500 million new communists Huge loss during the Cold War Sept, Soviets detonated their own atomic bomb we detonate the first hydrogen bomb the Soviets detonate theirs Anti-Communism in the U.S Truman launches a loyalty program The Attorney Gen. drew up a list of disloyal organizations A Loyalty Review Board was est. Dennis v. U.S. (1951) - upheld convictions of persons advocating the overthrow of the govt. under the Smith Act 9

10 Anti-Communism in the U.S. House Un-American Activities Comm. HUAC, formed in 1938 investigated real and suspected Communists in positions of actual or supposed influence in American society Marked the real beginning of the paranoia of the Red Scare Rosenberg trial and execution Election of 1948 GOP - Thomas Dewey, Gov of NY Dems - Truman (Eisenhower said no) Dixiecrat - Strom Thurmond (SC) Dewey was expected to win in a landslide Truman campaigned his rear off and won Truman s new plan - Fair Deal Improved housing, employment, raise the min. wage, extend Social Security Dewey Defeats Truman 10

11 Problems in Korea The Soviets were in the northern part of Korea when Japan surrendered Set up a communist puppet govt North Korea invaded South Korea with Soviet weapons A challenge to containment Truman ordered a massive military build-up and quadrupled military spending UN voted to support South Korea Start of the Korean War Korean War Part II 11

12 Korean War Part III Inchon invasion was larger than Normandy! Korean War Part IV Korean War Part V 38th Parallel Line 12

13 3/14/17 CHAPTER 37 THE EISENHOWER ERA Affluence and Its Anxieties Post-WWII economic boom brought great change in American society in the 1950s 83% of new homes were in suburbia Science and technology drove economic growth Transistor (1948) IBM Strategic Air Command, Boeing 707, Air Force One 13

14 American Workforce, 1950s Workforce was also changing in 1950s white-collar workers outnumbered blue-collar workers Union membership peaked at 35% ( 54) More opportunities for women Women s dual role as both worker and homemaker raised questions about gender differences The Feminine Mystique (Betty Friedan) helped launch the modern women s movement Consumer Culture in the 50s 1950s- Huge expansion of middle class and consumer culture McDonald s (1948) Disneyland (1955) TV (7 million sold in 1951) Attendance at movies dropped $10 billion spent on advertisements Televangelists (Billy Graham) 14

15 Sports and Music Sports NY Giants = SF Giants Brooklyn Dodgers = LA Dodgers Music Rock n Roll Elvis Presley Marilyn Monroe and Playboy (1953) The Affluent Society (1958) John Galbraith (Harvard economist Questioned the relation between private wealth and public good Election of 1952 GOP nominated Dwight Eisenhower V.P. - Richard Nixon Ike s hatchet man Accused of financial wrong-doing Checker s Speech showed importance of TV Dems nominated Adlai Stevenson Gov. of Illinois Ike won big Went to Korea for 3 days Armistice signed - 54,000 Americans dead 15

16 Election of 1952 McCarthyism Sen. From Wisc. Said there were over 200 communists employed by the State Department When asked for proof, he lowered the number 57 (later even lower) Began mass accusations Even accused George C. Marshall Led to many lives begin destroyed and really hurt the State Dept. (Asian experts) Ike did nothing- thought it would pass His run ended when he went after the army Eisenhower s Domestic Policy Dynamic Conservatism Halted military spending, funding for the TVA, illegal immigration (Operation Wetback) Tried to cancel the Indian New Deal Solidified much of the New Deal Interstate Highway Defense Act (1956) Ike was impressed by the Autobahn in Germany $27 billion for building the interstate system (42,000 miles) Serves multiple purposes major one is to make movement of troops and supplies more efficient Hurt RRs, increased pollution and energy consumption 16

17 Ike and Foreign Policy Looking for alternative to containment Sec. of State - John Foster Dulles Policy of Boldness Cut back on Army and Navy Brinksmanship threaten massive nuclear retaliation to avoid conflict Strategic Air Command (SAC) superbombers equipped with nuclear weapons Hungarian Uprising Nuclear weapons not necessary in minor crises New Hopes?? Was a hope of a better relationship with the Soviets with the death of Stalin Replaced by Nikita Khrushchev open skies rejected 1956 a revolt against the communist govt. in Hungary Crushed by the Soviet military We could do nothing to stop it b/c the only threat was nuclear war, too drastic for this Ike & Vietnam Vietnam saw years of nationalist efforts to get rid of French colonial rule Repeatedly appealed to the U.S. denied Eventually looked for help from others?? Vietnamese, led by Ho Chi Minh, defeated the French Dien Bien Phu Vietnam s future would be decided at the Geneva Convention in

18 Geneva Conference (1955) Future of Vietnam Elections would be held in 2 years time Until then Vietnam would be divided in 2 North would be controlled by Ho Chi Minh Allied to Communist nations South controlled by Ngo Dinh Diem French educated, Catholic, oppressive Diem did not allow elections and Vietnam remained divided Ike & the Middle East Iran began to resist the power of big U.S. companies 1953 the U.S. staged a coup and installed the Shah (Pahlevi) Left a bitter, anti-western legacy (revenge coming in the 1970s) Suez Canal 18

19 Ike and the Suez Suez Crisis Leader of Egypt, Nassar, wanted to build a dam on the Nile U.S. and G.B. would not give $, went to Soviets Then he nationalized the Suez Canal G.B., France, and Israel jointly attacked Egypt in 1956 World waited while the Soviets prepared for war Ike applied pressure to G.B., F, and Israel and they withdrew Eisenhower Doctrine military & economic aid to Middle Eastern countries to avoid communism 1956 Election Ike v. Stevenson again, Ike wins Space Race 1957 Soviets launch Sputnik Showed the Soviets were ahead If a missile could reach space, it could reach North America needed to act 1958 est. NASA National Defense Education Act $ for math, science, and language education 19

20 Communism in Cuba 1959 Fidel Castro leads the communist revolution in Cuba Not long after his relationship with the US became hostile and cozied up with the Soviets Communism now 90 miles off the coast of Florida Embargo and the Helms-Burton Act (1996) 20