Post-War America and the Origins of the Cold War
Chapter 37, 38, 39 & 40
Origins of the Cold War ∗ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYCplyBknI- A brief history
Why the distrust? U.S.S.R. ∗ Soviet concerns of German power ∗ Preservation of communism ∗ Reparations debate U.S. ∗ Capitalism needs a world market- depressions cause desperate measures ∗ Negate isolationism ∗ Promote democracy
Yalta ∗Feb. 1945 ∗Soviets fight Japan after German surrender ∗The Polish debate ∗ Communist government ∗ Pre-war representatives ∗ Free elections ∗Soviets violate after two weeks ∗This is what later causes a great amount of distrust between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. ∗Forced Romania and Poland into communism
Declaration of Liberated Europe ∗Big three declare Europeans were allowed to create democratic institutions of their choice
German Division ∗Country split into four zones between France, Britain, U.S. and U.S.S.R. ∗Berlin also split
Truman Diplomacy ∗Great mistrust of Soviets ∗Won’t back down ∗His approach further strained relations ∗Created the Truman Doctrine
Potsdam Conference
∗ Summer of 1945 Allies hammer out last details of post-war Europe ∗ A very strained meeting between Truman and Stalin ∗ Stalin wanted great reparations ∗ Truman wanted Germany to recover ∗ Truman announces successful test to convince Stalin to accept reasonable terms and Polish border. ∗ Ultimately leads to the fall of the Iron Curtain
The Buffer Zone ∗Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania become communist satellite states within a year. ∗The Cold War begins
The Marshall Plan ∗A European recovery program ∗Get Western European countries back on their feet ∗Drove many away from communism with its successs ∗Billions $ invested ∗Soviets have their own plan called Molotov Plan
Truman Doctrine ∗The beginning of the anticommunist American agenda throughout the world ∗$400 million invested in defense of Greece and Turkey
Iran ∗U.S. & Soviets fight over oil supply ∗U.S. in south, Soviets in north
The Long Telegram ∗George Kennan, American diplomat to U.S.S.R. states Soviets are in no interest to back down
Berlin Crisis ∗Britain, France and U.S. form Federal Republic of West Germany in 1948. This includes West Berlin. ∗Soviets respond by cutting off West Berlin ∗The Berlin airlift begins to supply West Berliners for 11 months ∗Stalin finally concedes
∗ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZidBq8QS-g A brief documentary on the Berlin Blockade and Airlift program.
NATO ∗North Atlantic Treaty Organization- 1949 ∗12 original members, six years later W. Germany ∗Joint response to defend others under attack ∗Soviets respond by forming Warsaw Pact
Trouble in China & S.E. Asia ∗Mao Zedong (communists) push Chiang Kai-Shek (nationalists) out to Taiwan. People’s Republic of China is formed 1949 ∗China friendship off the table ∗Japan is best bet for ally ∗Japan gets rebuilt fast
Korean War
∗38th parallel division ∗Japanese troop disarmament ∗Soviets for north ∗U.S. south
Korean War ∗ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOknJm1mEjI Unforgettable: The Korean War is a documentary produced by PBS. Real footage and interviews of Korean War veterans. 56 min. in length Assignment handed out and due the day after the film ends.
Korean War ∗ 1950-1953 “The Forgotten War” ∗ June 25, 1950 N. Korea invades the South ∗ Under approval of UN, Truman sends U.S. troops to aid S. Koreans ∗ MacArthur launches attack on port of Inchon ∗ N. Koreans pushed back to Yalu River (Chinese border)
MacArthur’s last stand ∗Massive offensive pushes allies back to 38th parallel ∗MacArthur wanted to nuke China, gain Kai-shek’s forces for help and embargo China ∗Truman fires him ∗MacArthur publicly criticized Truman
Korean War Ends ∗ Peace negotiations begin Nov. 1951 ∗ War ends July, 1953 ∗ 33,600 Americans killed ∗ Change in Cold War approach results
∗BIG MILITARY
The Red Scare ∗Igor Gouzenko defects to Canada, has documents to prove attempt at U.S. infiltration in late 1945 ∗Americans fear subversion, the belief that communism will take over by being infiltrated. ∗Loyalty Review program is put into place in 1947 which applies to all federal personnel, if believed to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt
J. Edgar Hoover ∗Head of FBI ∗Lead the House Un-American Activities Committee search for communist activity of private citizens. ∗Wiretapping ∗Movie Trailer: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=XULIO67YIRA
The Alger Hiss Case ∗High ranking diplomat under Roosevelt ∗Whittaker Chambers, a former communist and journalist, accused him of communist ties ∗Proven through secret documents “the pumpkin papers.” ∗Guilty of perjury, served 3 ½ years
Hiss Trial videos: http:// law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials
Rosenberg story ∗http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-6BfCbrvuM ∗Julius and Ethel, convicted of spying for Soviet Union ∗Passed on secrets of atomic bomb to U.S.S.R. ∗“Project Venona”, released in 1995
Red Scare spreads ∗Universities assess faculty ∗Unions purge communists ∗Federal gov’t interviews all employees ∗Churches purge members
∗ Wisconsin (R)
McCarthyism
∗ Claimed to have lists of communists in State Dept. ∗ Fed off American anticommunist anxiety ∗ Inspired passage of McCarran Act to control, monitor and even detain communist members ∗ Censured in 1954 after army hearings
Army-McCarthy Hearings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po5GlFba5Yg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTwDUpbQHJg
Early Cold War Culture
∗Worry of an atomic attack ∗The fallout issue ∗Media and film fed on the fear ∗Ironically, prosperity and optimism flourished
New Leadership
∗Truman decides not to run again ∗Atomic threat, perceived weak foreign policy, communism spreads, Korean War ∗Eisenhower brings new conservatism
Dwight D. Eisenhower #34
Eisenhower’s Policy ∗Domestic ∗Boost free-enterprise ∗Eliminate or shrink New Deal policies ∗Build infrastructure- primarily interstate ∗Science and technology- NASA & NDEA
Eisenhower’s Policy ∗Foreign ∗Strong military ∗Nuclear arsenal ∗Eliminate small wars- End Korean War ∗Massive retaliation policy ∗Brinkmanship
Korean War Armistice ∗July 27, 1953 ∗Comes with threat of nuclear war ∗Demilitarized Zone of separation ∗http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eioAEcWGYw
∗http:// www.endthekoreanwar.org/ncekw%20brochu
The Soviet Response
∗Sputnik ∗Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs
Taiwan Crisis
∗Chinese wanted to “liberate” ∗Eisenhower saw as last bastion of democracy in Asia ∗Used brinkmanship to end threat
Suez Crisis ∗ Feared influence of communists in Egypt and Arab countries ∗ Suez funding not approved by Congress ∗ British and French invade after Egypt seizes control ∗ Soviets threaten retaliation ∗ Eisenhower threatens brinkmanship again ∗ British and French concede ∗ Soviets deal with Egypt and other nations
The Beginning of CIA prominence ∗Major covert operations begin ∗Staged covert coup’s ∗Iran ∗Guatemala ∗Hungary (failure)
New Soviet Leadership ∗Nikita Khrushchev ∗1953-1964 ∗First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party
Tensions grow ∗Positive 1959 visit to U.S. by Khrushchev ∗Oops! 1960 summit abruptly ended by discovery of Frances Gary Powers ∗http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB9ArG-IWsE
Eisenhower’s farewell Address
∗Warning of the MilitaryIndustrial Complex
∗http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUXty
Suburbs ∗ Urban areas are cities or small towns. ∗ Rural areas are the countryside and farms. ∗ Suburbs are areas outside of the citynot ‘downtime’ with high rises and skyscrapers and city life and culture, but not the countryside with acres of land per person and cows and farm life. ∗ The housing boom, the growing economy, cheap loans (especially to GI’s), more automobiles, bigger highway system- all of these factors encouraged people to move to the suburbs in the 1950’s. ∗ Affordable, although usually small, single family housing. ∗ People tended to cluster in neighborhoods with others of similar values or backgrounds. ∗ The American Dream.
Sunbelt Migration ∗ After WWII, many manufacturing jobs migrated from the highcost northern states (the future ‘Rust Belt’) to the low-cost and better weather southern states. ∗ This led to a migration by many from the north to the south starting in the 1950sa trend that continues today.
Labor Changes ∗ AFL and CIO (the two largest labor unions) merged in 1955 to create the AFL-CIO. They then expelled the Teamster union because of its ‘gangster methods’. ∗ The Teamsters then became very powerful under Jimmy Hoffa, who used hard-ball tactics to win benefits for the teamsters. Hoffa later went to jail in 1964 due to his criminal dealings. After emerging from jail in 1971, he then disappeared in 1975. His son is today the head of the Teamsters Union. ∗ Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959, which strengthened the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, fought against union strong-arm tactics and illegal campaign funding of candidates and tried to ‘clean up’ the gangster elements of the unions.
Immigration Changes ∗ In 1952 the US passed a new immigration act which kept the quota system for individual nations and capped total number of immigrants allowed at 270K/year, but added exceptions for these restrictions if these immigrants had special skills. This act continued the policy of only admitting the ‘right’ immigrants to the US. ∗ Beginning during World War II and peaking in the 1950s, there was a large illegal influx of Mexicans into the US to work on farms. The US responded to this by stepping up border enforcement. Over time, this issue re-emerged and today is still a big political issue.
Highway Building ∗ The Federal Highway Act (also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act) was passed in 1956 ∗ It was the largest public works program in US history- even bigger than the various public works programs of FDR. ∗ The law called for the building of over 40,000 miles of interstate roads at the cost of 25 billion (over $215 billion in today’s money) over 10 years. This money would be generated through new taxes on fuel, automobiles, trucks, and tires. ∗ Eisenhower debated for the highways for the purpose of national defense. In the event of a ground invasion by a foreign power, the U.S. Army would need good highways to be able to transport troops across the country efficiently. ∗ Following completion of the highways the cross-country journey that took the convoy two months in 1919 was cut down to five days.
∗ Current Federal Interstate System ∗ In Michigan, the main primary interstate highways are I75, I96, I69, I94. Even number routes generally go east-west, odd numbers go northsouth. Auxiliary highways branch off of these main routes and have 3 digit numbers signifying them (there are too many to list here).
St Lawrence Seaway ∗ St Lawrence Seaway built- a massive project of locks and dredging opened up the Great Lakes region as they now were connected to the Atlantic Ocean.
Generation Gap ∗ Many parents viewed rock ‘n’ roll as loud and dangerous music that encouraged poor values- in some communities it was even banned. ∗ But the music united teens in their outlook of the world and helped to create a generation that that shared values- different values than that of their parents. ∗ This generation gap created a cultural difference between parents and the youth of the 1950s. ∗ Beat Generation- a movement in the 1950s of writers who rejected society’s standards for new ways of thinking- referred to as ‘beatniks’- early hippies ∗ Juvenile Delinquency- there was a rise of antisocial or criminal behavior by young people- juvenile crime rose 45% from 1948 to 1953, car thefts increased, and many youths joined street gangs. Parents blamed it on movies like ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ with James Dean or books like J.D. Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye.’
How Was the King of Rock N’ Roll? ∗ Elvis Presley
http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzV_0l5ILI Jail House Rock- 1957
∗ Chuck Berry
http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ROwVrF0Ceg Johnny B. Goode- 1958
By Most Accounts Elvis is the self-proclaimed King of Rock N’ Roll. But, it could always be a good debate.
Security vs. Freedom ∗ Duck and Cover Blacklists method ∗ Personal Rights- What can you do and say before your freedom of speech is violated for security reasons? ∗ These are all questions in the early times of the Cold War.
∗ Dog tags