Chapter 27

Postwar America

Postwar World

Big 3 Allied Leaders

Franklin D. Roosevelt (United States) Winston Churchill (Great Britain) Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union)

Yalta Conference

Made important decisions about the future of European governments

Postdam Conference

Germany and the city of Berlin divided into four zones. Britain, France, United States, Soviet Union

War crimes trials

International Military Tribunal

Try Axis leaders accused of war crimes

Nuremburg Trials

November 1945 Put high ranking Nazis on trial in the German city of Nuremburg Charged with crimes against humanity 19 Nazi leaders guilty 12 sentenced to death Japan Tojo convicted & executed 7 other Japanese leaders sentenced to death

United Nations

An organization dedicated to resolving international conflicts 50 countries met to write the UN charter

Allies to enemies

United States & Soviet Union cooperated to win the war After the war

Soviet Union hoped to spread communism around the world

Iron Curtain

Stalin created a Communist government in Poland Created satellite states

Countries under complete Soviet control

Winston Churchill

Let us not be deceived we are today in the midst of a cold war.

Came to be used to describe the struggle for global power between the US and the Soviet Union.

Cold war policies

US quickly developed a new foreign policy to deal with the Cold War Based on the goal of containment

Preventing the Soviet Union from expanding its influence around the world

Soviet Union began demanding land under Turkish control

US aid helped the Greek army defeat the Communist rebels and protect Turkey from Soviet control Truman Doctrine Providing aid to help foreign countries fight communism

Marshall plan

European countries still devastated from WWII Marshall Plan

Western Europe received more than $13 billion in U.S. loans and grants for European economic recovery between 1948-1952. Soviets rejected plan

Soviets cut off all rail, highway, and water traffic between western Germany and city of Berlin.

US and British planes airlifted supplies to West Berlin Soviets ended the blockade

NATO

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

US, Iceland, Canada and 7 other countries Promised to defend each other if attacked

Warsaw Pact

Soviet created Provided a unified system of military command between Soviet Union and Eastern European satellite countries for their mutual defense

Postwar America

Economy

Women were urged to give up their jobs they had during the war GI Bill of Rights

Offered veterans money for school, as well as loans for houses, farms and businesses.

Remained strong

Civil rights

After WWII, many African Americans faced prejudice and segregation at home Truman recommended passing anti-lynching laws, outlaw segregation, and protect civil rights,

Congress failed to act

Truman issued an executive order ending segregation in armed forces

Banned discrimination in the hiring of federal employees

Election of 1948

President Trumans chances of reelection looked bleak Faced problems in his own Democratic party Surprisingly won

Democrats took control of Congress

Fair Deal

Higher minimum wage Creation of national health insurance plan for all Americans Expanded Social Security benefits for the elderly

The Korean war

Communist and Nationalist Parties in China

US supported the Nationalists Communists defeated the Nationalists

Mai Zedong

After WWII, Korea was separated into North and South

North Soviets

South United States

Fighting in korea

North Korean forces invaded South Korean forces President Truman

I have ordered the United States air and sea forces to give the South Korean government troops cover and support

Douglas MacArthur

After requesting for an attack on China, he publicly criticized President Truman. I fired General MacArthur because he wouldnt respect the authority of the president Unpopular with the American people

The war ends

Neither side was able to win the war Americans frustration with the war dominated the 1952 election

Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican) The first task of a new administration will be to bring the Korean War to an early and honorable end

War ended in a cease fire after 3 years

North and South Korea still divided More than 130,000 Americans killed or wounded Korean and Chinese casualties topped 2 million

Red Scare

Fear of communism spreading Rosenbergs

Charged with providing Soviet spies with secret details about atomic bomb design Denied the charges, but were found guilty and executed in 1953

McCarthy

Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy Claimed to have the names of 57 people who were either card-carrying members or certainly loyal to the Communist Party in the State department. No concrete evidence McCarthyism

Making aggressive accusations without proof

Eisenhower & Cold war

The Arms Race

1950 President Truman approved work on the hydrogen bomb Weapon far more powerful than the atomic bombs used in WWII Soviets tested their first atomic bomb in 1949 and first hydrogen bomb in 1953 Both US and Soviet Union rushed to build more and more weapons American schools practiced duck and cover Sputnik (1957) Worlds first artificial satellite (Soviets) US feared of missiles Created NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Nation prospers

American Economy boomed during the 1950s. Many young Americans were getting married and starting families

Baby boom

Significant increase in the number of babies born

Many Americans moved to the Sun Belt

Southern and Western states that offered a warm climate year-round and low tax rates

American pop culture

New technology developed TV sitcoms African American jazz greats Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie

Fathers of Bebop

Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard

Rock n Roll

Social critics

Women

Only could get jobs in teaching, nursing or office work

Young people known as beatniks (beats), criticized society with unusual writing styles and rebellious behavior