The Cold War Begins Chapter 36
Post War Economic Anxiety After war many Americans worried that economy would slip back into depression. At first these predictions seemed to be coming true GNP dropped in 46 and 47 Prices rose by 33% in 46-47. Strikes swept key industries. In retrospect, these were simply rebound effects
Taft-Hartley Republicans controlled Congress for first time in 14 years. Passed the Taft-Hartley Act over Truman s veto. Labor hated this law. Why? Unions attempts to grow into new areas and industries were frustrated. South was resistant to unions. Why? Workers in rapidly growing service sector were hard to organize. Why?
Early Economic Moves Sold War factories and other government installations at very low prices. How does this benefit business? Employment Act (1946) creates Council of Economic advisors. Purpose? GI Bill: Servicemen s Readjustment Act of 1944. Provisions? Helps to expand the middle class and absorb returning GIs
The Long Economic Boom, 1950-1970 The Economic Boom between 1950 and 1970 was the longest and biggest in the nations history. It transformed the country. National income doubled in the 1950s and doubled again in the 1960s. Americans 6% of the population but 40% of the wealth. Size of the middle class rose to 60%-double that prior to the depression. Americans became consume-aholics. Owning a car became standard, and two was better. Is like the roaring 20s, but tinged with optimism.
New World for Women Women reaped huge benefits from the post-war boom. New employment. Source of income and independence to women. Effect of growth of service sector Culture glorified women as homemakers and mothers. Women react against gap between stereotype and reality with women s movement of the 1960s.
Causes of economic expansion The war itself Continued military spending Cheap Energy Increase in productivity Education New Tech Shift in the nation s basic economic structure
The Smiling Sunbelt For 30 years after the war 30 Mil. people changed residences every year. How does this change society? Growth of the Sunbelt South, Southwest and California grow at a rate nearly double that of the old northwest. Grow of Sunbelt fueled by federal spending.
The Rush To The Suburbs Starting in the 1950s white middleclass fled the cities to the suburbs. Reasons: Federal loan guarantees made it more economically attractive to own a home in the suburbs than to rent in the city. Tax deductions for mortgage interest, but not rent. New highways and car-ownership made it easier. Desire for the peace and prosperity of the new suburbs. By 1960 one-in-four Americans lived in the suburbs, by 1990 half the population lives in suburbs.
Consequences of Growth of Suburbia Construction industry booms Levitt brothers/levitt Town Changes the pattern of life Changes the nature of commerce. White Flight/impoverishment of inner-cities
The Postwar Baby Boom Baby Boom is the huge surge in births in the 15 years after WWII. Why it happened. 50 Million new babies over 15 years. Peaks in 1957 Baby boom has lasting consequences Created a secondary baby-boom. One of the prime targets of advertisers; thus impact on popular culture. Many of those in the rebellious generations in the 60s and 1970s were baby-boomers.
Truman Shock of having a new president. Truman much different from FDR. Compromise VP choice, only a middling Senator. FDR had left him largely out of the loop Truman bio and personality
Yalta: Bargain Or Betrayal February, 1945, Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt meet in Yalta. Issues: How to finish the war What to do with Germany and Japan How to handle rebuilding of nations ravaged by the war.
What is agreed regarding Eastern Europe and Poland? Agree to a multipower summit in San Francisco to work on a successor to the League of Nations (What becomes the United Nations) Yalta Agreements
Far East Agreements Problems Atomic Bomb not yet perfected and looks like will be a very bloody invasion of Japan. US wants Soviet help to pin down Japanese troops in Manchuria and Korea. Stalin unwilling What does Stalin agree to do? What does he get in return How does this affect A-bomb decision?
Yalta Assessed Yalta has been criticized: Sold out Poland and Eastern Europe Gave the Soviets too much in China. Russian help not needed in Japan Soviets would have entered the war anyway FDR was feeble and therefore was hoodwinked by Stalin. Response: Yalta was not a treaty it was a statement of intents and common purposes. USSR already had effective control of Eastern Europe and we couldn t stop them from entering. Yalta was an attempt to get all three allied powers on the same page as the war reached its conclusion.
Reasons for Clash with Soviets Two preeminent military powers in the world. Each had half of Europe. Each distrusted the other s system Soviets were skeptical of US and GB Different visions of the post-war world and each other Soviets and Americans had many similarities that contributed to clash
Shaping The Postwar World Bretton Woods, NH, 1944 International Monetary Fund. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) United Nations Conference, 4/45 UN Charter signed by 50 nations. Security Council dominated by the Big Five (US, USSR, China, GB, France). Each had veto power over any resolution. Assembly made up of all countries. US Senate overwhelmingly ratifies US participation
The Problem Of Germany Nuremberg war-crimes trials. Germany divided into four military occupation zones. Berlin itself been divided into four parts. Is a debate about what to do with Germany. Soviet proposal. Americans want German economically strong. Why?
Germany Divided Soviets exert strong political and economic control over their section of Germany. Soviets resist reunification of Germany. What is Soviet motivation and fear? American, British and French zones united to form West Germany. Soviet zone becomes East Germany
Berlin Blockade Soviets blockade Berlin in 1948 ending all rail and highway access to West Berlin. Why? First show-down between USSR and US. US airlift. Lasts for nearly a year. Airlift important symbol. Soviets forced to lift the blockade in 1949 1949 the two Governments of Germany are formally established.
Iran Crystallizing The Cold War From 1945-47 Communist governments installed throughout Eastern Europe US perception of these moves Churchill s Iron Curtain Speech 1947 Containment Doctrine George Kennan
Cold War Europe
Truman Doctrine Truman formally embraces containment in 1947. Crisis in Greece. Effect if it falls to communism. Truman goes before a joint session of Congress and announces the Truman Doctrine. What is it? Asks for $400 Mill. in aid to Greece. Containment/Truman doctrine drive foreign policy for the next 40 years. Problem with doctrine as basis for foreign policy
Marshall Plan US fears spread of communism in Western Europe. Why? US responds with the Marshall Plan US would provide substantial financial assistance. Europeans enthusiastically agree. Eastern Europe is offered aid, too, but Soviets force them to reject. Why? Ends up being 35.3 Billion over 11 years. Huge Success.
Recognition of Israel Truman goes against advice of State Department and recognizes the state of Israel in 1948. Arabs were adamantly against it and threatened to push Jews into the sea. Arabs were important to US strategic interests because of Oil and as bulwark against Soviets. Truman recognized Israel because: Lots of Jewish voters in the US Sympathy for plight of Jews during the holocaust. Recognition of Israel vastly complicated US foreign policy.
America Begins To Rearm Cold War leads America to arm itself in an unprecedented fashion for peace time. US Defense establishment overhauled National Security Act (1947) Pentagon Sec. of Defense has cabinet status. Joint Chiefs of Staff National Security Act established the National Security Council and CIA. 1948 Draft is reestablished. First peace-time draft.
National Defense Budget [1940-1964]
NATO Soviet threat drives Western European countries together. North Atlantic Treaty Organization 1948. Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and US. West Germany and others join later. End to Isolation Obligates each country to defend others Epochal unification of Europe,.
Reconstructing Japan Why is reconstructing Japan easier? MacArthur. War crimes trials as in Japan. Japanese cooperate with US reconstruction to an astonishing degree. Why? Japanese Constitution. Defense of Japan will be handled by US. Economic consequence?
China Goes Red China was a mess. Weak and divided Nationalist led by Chang Ki Cheke (Jiang Jieshi). Communists are led by Mao Tsetung. Chang is corrupt and repressive and ultimately Mao and communists take control. Nationalists flee to Formosa (Taiwan). US recognition of China.
Who Lost China? The loss of China was a huge blow to American Psyche. Who lost China? Many Republicans blame Truman. Allege that the State Department is riddled with secret Communists. Fuels the growing Red Scare. America now sees two largest countries aligned against the US. Myth of Communist unity.
Bigger Bombs Feb. 1949 Soviets explode an Atomic bomb three years sooner than predicted. Americans shocked; monopoly gone America had counted on the bomb to keep Soviets in check for a few more years. Truman orders the development of the H-bomb. Beginning of the arms race. H-Bomb is exploded in 1952. Soviets explode their own H-bomb in 1953.
Ferreting Out Alleged Communists Red Scare hit US. Whiff of truth gives validity to paranoia. Many believed there were home-grown Soviet spies in the US government 1947 Truman launched loyalty program. 3000 federal employees dismissed based on suspicion of disloyalty or communist sympathies. communist sympathizer
Communist Witch Hunts 1938 House Un-American Activities Committee formed to investigate subversion. Richard M. Nixon goes after Alger Hiss. 1950 Joe McCarthy chairs committee and bursts on the national scene.
Black Lists McCarren Internal Security Bill. What does it allow? Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Witch-hunts are occurring in universities and in Hollywood. Black Lists
Truman Limps into 1948 Truman popularity low. Reasons Economic readjustment after war Twangy and blunt Democrats in control for 16 years Republicans get majority in Congress in 1946 Most assume he can t win. Democrats nominate him after Ike refuses to be drafted. Nomination splits the party Why are southern Democrats so opposed to him.
Democratic Divisions Strom Thurmond. Dixiecrats Former Vice President Henry Wallace runs as a liberal/progressive. Republicans nominate Thomas Dewey, Gov. on New York Assumed Truman will lose. Dewey runs safe campaign.
Give em Hell Harry Truman s whistle-stop tour throughout the country. Rails against the do-nothing Congress. Truman s program/platform. Crowds get more and more enthusiastic. Dewey still thinks he is winning. Polling is still not very good.
Dewey Wins! (or not) Truman wins handily and stuns about everyone. Democrats win House; keep it for the next 44 years. Why did Truman win?. Truman makes the Fair Deal the corner-stone of his second term. Congress guts most of it.
The Korean Volcano Erupts History of Korea after WWII Acheson sends mixed messages June 25, 1990, North Korean army rolls over the S. Korean army. Are pushed back to a narrow area around Pusan. Truman sees this as Soviet aggression; Commits US troops to a UN force to support S. Korea. Does this without consulting Congress or a declaration of war. American forces are vast majority of UN forces and MacArthur is appointed U.N. Commander.
NSC-68 Korean crisis provides excuse for massive increase in military spending. This proposal had been set out in National Security Council 68 (NSC-68). NSC-68 was a major turning point in the Cold War Committed America to massive military spending.
Inchon Landing Nervous Chinese MacArthur overconfident Chinese pour in See-Saw in Korea MacArthur defies Truman; MacArthur fired Nasty stalemate; support for war erodes.