Unit 8 Study Guide

flexible response

"Brush-fire wars" in Africa and Southeast Asia convinced Kennedy/McNamara to move away from Dulles idea of mass retaliation; increased spending on conventional (nonnuclear) arms and mobile military forces; reduced risk of using nuclear weapons but increased temptation to send elite special forces (Green Berets, etc.) into combat

Chinese Civil War

(1927-1949, major fighting between 1945-1049) fought between Republic of China, led by Chiang Kei-shek (Nationalists) and the Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong (today's People's Republic of China); war renewed after end of WW2; Nationalists losing loyalty because of inflation/corruption, Communists appealing to poor landless peasants; U.S. supported Nationalists but provided little useful aid; by end of war, Communists controlled mainland China, Nationalists retreated to Taiwan; U.S. refused to recognize Mao Zedong's regime until 1979

HUAC

(1939) House Un-American Activities Committee; originally est. to find Nazis, reactivated postwar to find Communists; investigated government officials and looked for Communist influence in organizations (Boy Scouts, Hollywood film industry, etc.); people called before committee to testify, those who refused tried for contempt of Congress/blacklisted from industry

United Nations

(1944) Allied representatives from U.S., Soviet Union, Great Britain, China proposed international organization; (1945) delegates from 50 nations assembled, drafted charter; Senate voted to accept U.S. involvement, majority of member nations ratified charter; 5 major allies of wartime (above) were granted permanent seats/veto power on security council

iron curtain (Churchill)

(1946) Churchill quote: "An iron curtain has descended across this continent"; called for partnership between Western democracies to halt expansion of Communism; anticipated/helped cause Cold War

Baby and Child Care

(1946) best selling self-help book written by Dr. Benjamin Spock; reaffirmed traditional view of a women's role as caring for home and children

CIA

(1947) Central Intelligence Agency; created as a part of National Security Act (1947) to employ spies to gather info on foreign governments; (1953) helped overthrow government in Iran (govt tried to nationalize holding of foreign oil companies), allowed for return of Shah (monarch); (1954) overthrew leftist government in Guatemala (govt threatened U.S business interests); CIA planned assassinations of national leaders (Fidel Castro, Cuba); fueled Anti-American feelings; (1961) trained Bay of Pigs forces

Marshall Plan

(1947) George Marshall proposed program of economic aid to help European nations revive their economies and strengthen democratic governments; $17 billion European Recovery Program submitted to Congress by Truman; (1948) $12 billion in aid approved for distribution to Western Europe over 4 years; plan offered to Soviet Union/satellite states, but refused Effects: -helped Europe achieve self-sustaining growth by the 1950s -ended any real threat of Communist political successes in the region -bolstered U.S. prosperity by increasing exports to Europe -deepened rift between non-Communist West and Communist East

containment

(1947) Truman's policy of "containing" Soviet aggression around the world; policy formulated by General George Marshall (Secretary of State), Dean Acheson (Undersecretary of State), and George F. Kennan (expert on Soviet affairs); "long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies"; enacted through Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Berlin Airlift, and NATO

National Security Act

(1947) provided for: -centralized Department of Defense (replacing War Department) to coordinate operations of army, navy, air force -creation of National Security Council (NSC) to coordinate making of foreign policy in Cold War -creation of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to employ spies to gather info on foreign governments (1948) Selective Service and peacetime draft instituted

decolonization

(1947-1962) collapse of colonial empires; dozens of colonies in Asia/Africa gained independence from former colonial powers (Britain, France, Netherlands, etc.); (1947) India and Pakistan become nations; (1949) Dutch East Indies became Indonesia; (1957) Ghana threw off British rule; new Third World Countries lacked stable political/economic institutions, need for foreign aid (either U.S. or Soviet Union) made them pawns in Cold War

Alger Hiss

(1948) Whittaker Chambers (confessed Communist) testimony and investigative work of California congressman Richard Nixon led to the trial of Alger Hiss (official in State Department who assisted FDR at Yalta conference); Hiss denied accusations that he was a Communist and gave secret documents to Chambers; (1950) Hiss convicted of perjury and sent to prison

NATO

(1949) North Atlantic Treaty Organization; military defense pact to protect Western Europe; U.S., Canada, joined 10 European nations to defend all members from outside attack; Truman selected Eisenhower as first Supreme Commander, stationed U.S. troops in Western Europe as deterrent against Soviet invasion (military buildup and major commitments abroad); (1955) Soviet Union countered with Warsaw Pact

The Berlin Wall

(1961) IN response to Kennedy's refusal to pull troops out of Berlin, East Germany (with Soviet backing) built a wall around West Berlin to stop East Germans fleeing into West Germany; Kennedy called up reserves but did not interfere with building; (1963) Kennedy traveled to West Berlin to assure residents of support ("Ich bin ein Berliner"); stood as symbol of Cold War until it was torn down in 1989

Bay of Pigs

(1961) Kennedy approved CIA scheme planned under Eisenhower to use Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba; CIA trained force landed in Pay of Pigs, failed to set off planned general uprising; anti-Castro Cubans had to surrender (Kennedy rejected idea of using U.S. forces to save them); Castro used invasion to get aid from Soviet Union and strengthen grip on power

Peace Corps

(1961) organization set up by JFK that recruited young American volunteers to give technical aid to developing countries

Alliance for Progress

(1961) organized by JFK; promoted land reform and economic development in Latin America

Cuban Missile Crisis

(1962) Soviet nuclear missiles placed in Cuba (result of Bay of Pigs crisis); U.S. discovers missiles, establishes naval blockade; US announced it would not permit offensive weapons to be delivered to Cuba, demanded that the weapons already in Cuba be dismantled and returned to Soviet Union; after several days of tense negotiations, US President John F. Kennedy and Khrushchev (Soviet Union) reached agreement Effects: -withdrawal of the Soviet Union's nuclear missiles from Cuba -withdrawal of American nuclear missiles from Turkey -agreement with the Soviet Union that the United States would never invade Cuba without direct provocation -creation of a nuclear hotline between the United States and the Soviet Union

Limited Test Ban Treaty

(1963) prohibited all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted underground; seen as means of slowing nuclear proliferation/nuclear arms race; signed by Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and U.S. in Moscow

Diem's assassination

(1963) unpopular, lost support of countryside peasants; Buddhist monks set themselves on fire in protest (capital city, Saigon); Diem overthrown/killed by South Vietnamese generals (later learned generals acted with knowledge of Kennedy administration)

John Lewis

(1963-1966) student leader of SNCC; organized sit-ins, spoke in Washington, marched in Selma

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

(1964) gave president (as Commander in Chief), currently Lyndon B. Johnson, a "blank check" to take "all necessary measure" to protect U.S. interests in Vietnam; in response to North Vietnamese gunboats allegedly firing on U.S. warships in Gulf of Tonkin

Tet Offensive

(1968) Vietcong launched all-out surprise attack on almost every provincial capital and American base in South Vietnam; U.S. military counterattacked, inflicted heavier damages, took back territory; destruction appeared to be a setback for Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam policy, so Tet Offensive was a political victory in demoralizing American public

Berlin Airlift

(June 1948) Soviets cut off all access by land to Berlin; Truman ordered U.S. planes to fly supplies to West Berlin, sent 60 bombers to bases in England; (May 1949) Soviets opened highways to Berlin Effects: -partly responsible for Truman's reelection in 1948 -creation of 2 Germanies: Federal Republic of Germany (West, U.S. ally) and German Democratic Republic (East, Soviet satellite)

Second Red Scare

(late 1940s-1950s) fear of communism; permeated American politics, culture, and society; during the opening phases of the Cold War with the Soviet Union; popularly known as "McCarthyism" after most famous supporter Senator Joseph McCarthy

GI Bill

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944; supported transition of 15 million veterans to peacetime economy, 2+ million attended college, starting postwar boom in education; veterans received 16+ billion in low interest, government-backed loans to buy homes, farms, and start businesses; through focus on educated workforce and new construction, federal government stimulated postwar economic expansion

Hydrogen Bomb

Truman approved development of more powerful bomb after Soviet atomic bomb testing (1949); (1952) H-bomb added to U.S. arsenal; Soviets caught up to technology within a year

reconversion

Truman's wartime to peacetime (social and economic) transition

Douglas MacArthur

U.S. General in the Pacific; took charge of reconstruction of Japan (7 Japanese Generals tried for war crimes/executed); (1947) Japan adopted new constitution, set up parliamentary democracy (retained Emperor Hirohito as ceremonial head of state, but no claims to divinity), renounced war as instrument of national policy, provided weak military capacity (reliance on protection of U.S.); commanded U.N. troops in Korean War; spoke out against Truman's U.S. policy, recalled for insubordination; returned home a hero (Americans understood statement "There is no substitute for victory"); led to critics attacking Truman

direct confrontation

U.S./Soviet Union trying to avoid direct confrontation; threat of Mutually Assured Destruction

success of the UAW

United Automobile Workers Union; (1948) president Walter Reuther obtained contract from General Motors that included built-in "escalator clause" (automatic cost-of-living increase pegged to consumer price index); (1955) Reuther received guarantee from Ford Motor Company of continuing wages to auto workers even during layoffs; (mid-1950s) factory wages in all industries had risen substantially

"search and destroy"

Vietnam war military strategy; insert ground forces into hostile territory, search out the enemy, destroy them, withdraw immediately; result of new technology (helicopter)

Vietcong

Vietnamese Communist; member of Communist guerrilla movement in Vietnam; fought South Vietnamese government forces (1954-1975) with support of the North Vietnamese army; opposed South Vietnamese/U.S. forces in Vietnam War.

AFL-CFO merge (1955)

merging of American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations; became more powerful, but more conservative--blue-collar workers began to enjoy middle class incomes

Eisenhower Republicanism

middle road between liberals and conservatives; combined acceptance of the basic features of the New Deal with a conservative economic policy (controlling government spending)

Martin Luther King, Jr.

minister of Baptist church where Montgomery Bus Boycott started; (1955) emerged as inspirational leader of nonviolent movement to end segregation; formed SCLC (see 114); (1963) "Letter From Birmingham Jail"; (1963) led large/successful demonstration in peaceful March on Washington (see 105); (1965) led voting rights March to Montgomery (met with extreme violence), resulting in Voting Rights Act of 1965; (1968) assassinated in Memphis Tennessee, leading to massive riots (fed growing "white backlash" among blue-collar voters)

right-to-work laws

outlawing union shop (contract requiring workers join a union after being hired); passed in Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

nonviolent civil disobedience

peaceful violation of laws considered unjust and accepting punishment for the violation; students deliberately invited arrest by sitting in restricted areas to call attention to the injustice of segregated facilities

Blacklisting

practice of denying employment to entertainment industry professionals believed to be or to have been Communists or sympathizers; usually done on the basis of membership/alleged membership/sympathy with the Communist Party USA or on the basis of their refusal to assist congressional investigations into the party's activities; even during period of its strictest enforcement (late 1940s-late 1950s) the blacklist was rarely made explicit or verifiable; quickly and directly damaged/ended careers and income of scores of individuals working in the film industry

poll taxes

required citizens to pay tax in order to vote; used to keep poor/blacks from voting; (1964) abolished by 24th amendment

consumer craze

result of increased prosperity, increasing variety/availability of products, advertisers' adeptness in creating a demand for products; also result from growth of consumer credit (increased by 800 percent between 1945 and 1957 through the development of credit cards, revolving charge accounts, easy payment plans)

General MacArthur

see Douglas MacArthur (6)

space race

see space race/moon landing (37)

de jure segregation

segregation by law; practiced in the South

de facto segregation

segregation by unwritten custom or tradition; caused by racist attitudes in the North and West

Buddhist monks

showed their opposition to the Diem government through protests (often became violent); set themselves on fire (self immolation)

Federal Highway Act (1956)

significant legislative accomplishment of Eisenhower administration; appropriated $25 billion for highway construction Effects: -trucking more economical than railroads to ship goods to markets -travel by automobile/bus faster than passenger trains, resulting in decline of railroads -movement of economic activities (manufacturing) out of cities into rural/suburban areas (cheaper land) -declining traditional downtowns, growing "edge cities"/new centers of industry/commerce outside traditional city centers

hawks vs. doves

supporters of Vietnam war, "hawks" believed war was an act of Soviet-backed Communist against South Vietnam, part of a master plan to conquer all of Southeast Asia; opponents of the war, "doves" viewed conflict as a civil war fought by Vietnamese nationalists and some Communists who wanted to unite their country by overthrowing a corrupt Saigon government; "doves" believed the war had too great a cost in lives, money, and that money would be better spent on cities and poor in U.S.; greatest opposition from college students who would be drafted into the military after graduation

domino theory

theory on the spread of Communism to justify economic and military aid to South Vietnam; Eisenhower made analogy to dominoes: if South Vietnam fell under Communist control, one nation after another in Southeast Asia would fall, until Australia and New Zealand were in dire danger

Dr. Spock

wrote self help book "Baby and Child Care" (see below)

Malcolm X

young man in prison converted to Black Muslim group preaching nationalism, separatism, self-improvement; adopted name Malcolm X, left prison in 1952; acquired reputation as movement's controversial voice, criticized MLK Jr. as an "Uncle Tom" (subservient to whites), advocated self defense (countering white violence with black violence); eventually left Black Muslims, but assassinated in 1965

baby boom

younger marriages and larger families resulted in 50 million babies entering U.S. population from 1945-1960; shift of women's focus from raising children and homemaking to workplace (1/3 of all married women worked outside the home by 1960)

New Frontier

JFK's promise to lead nation to "New Frontier"; called for aid to education, federal support of health care, urban renewal, civil rights; domestic programs languished in Congress, few became law (most passed later under Johnson); more economic success: achieved price rollback over big steel executives' price increase he charged as "inflationary"; stimulated economy with increased spending for defense/space exploration

Suez Crisis

Led by General Nasser (Arab nationalist), Egypt asked U.S. for funds to build Aswan Dam project on Nile River; U.S. refused (Egypt threatened Israel's security) so Nasser turned to Soviet Union, who provided limited financing of project; (1956) Nasser seized and nationalized British- and French- owned Suez Canal (threatened Western Europe's supply line to Middle Eastern oil), seeking more funds; Britain, France, Israel carried out surprise attack, retook canal; Eisenhower sponsored U.N. resolution condemning invasion, pressured invading forces to withdraw

Thurgood Marshall

NAACP legal counsel; first African American Supreme Court Justice; helped overturn Plessy v. Ferguson in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; helped overturn Plessy v. Ferguson in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

Ho Chi Minh

Nationalist/Communist leader who lead independence movement in anti-colonial Indochina war; established Communist dictatorship in North Vietnam

covert operations

New part of Eisenhower's policy; undercover intervention in internal politics of other nations (less expensive/objectionable than troops); (1953) helped overthrow government in Iran (govt tried to nationalize holding of foreign oil companies), allowed for return of Shah (monarch); (1954) overthrew leftist government in Guatemala (govt threatened U.S business interests); CIA planned assassinations of national leaders (Fidel Castro, Cuba); fueled Anti-American feelings

Harry S. Truman

President (1945-1953); Democrat; oversaw containment, NATO, Berlin Airlift, Korean War

Joseph McCarthy

Republican senator from Wisconsin, used Communism fear in reelection campaign; (1950) claimed in speech 205 Communists were working for State Department (widely publicized); used unsupported accusations to keep media focus/discredit Truman administration; (1954) Senate committee held televised hearings on Communist infiltration in the army, McCarthy came off as a bully; Republicans/Democrats joined together in Senate censure of McCarthy; "witch hunt" ended, McCarthy died 1957

Truman Doctrine

Soviet Union containment policy against: -Communist-led uprising against Greek government - Soviet demands for control of water route in Turkey (1947) Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and military aid to assist Greece and Turkey against "totalitarian" regimes

Nikita Khrushchev

Soviet leader (1953-1964); denounced Stalin and allowed criticism of Stalin within Russia; domestic policies (aimed at bettering the lives of ordinary citizens) were ineffective, especially in agriculture; hoping to rely on missiles for national defense, Khrushchev ordered major cuts in conventional forces; despite cuts, Khrushchev's rule saw the most tense years of the Cold War (Cuban Missile Crisis)

TV Culture

TVs rapidly became widespread in late 1950s; put forward as a family experience; encouraged homogenization of American culture; advertising--TV is an advertising screen

Korean War

(1950-1953); Korea divided along 38th parallel by WW2 victors Events: -(1950) North Korean army invaded South Korea ---Truman applied containment policy, called for special session of U.N. security council (taking advantage of temporary Soviet boycott); approved U.N. force under U.S. leadership to defend South Korea; General Douglas MacArthur commanded expedition; Congress supported use of troops but didn't declare war--U.S. intervention as a "policy action" -MacArthur counterattacked Inchon (behind North Korean lines), U.N. destroyed most of North Korean army, advanced almost to Chinese border -Chinese troops crossed border into Korea, overwhelmed U.N. forces, drove out of North Korea (one of worst defeats in U.S. history) -MacArthur stabilized fighting near 38th parallel, called for expanding war (into China), spoke out against U.S. policy; Truman recalled MacArthur for insubordination (returned home popular--decreasing Truman's popularity); critics attacked Truman for letting Communism spread; -(1951) peace talks began, dragged on for 2 years, armistice finally signed 1953 in first year of Eisenhower's presidency; Effects: -containment policy effective in stopping Communist aggression -justification for expanding military/stationing more troops overseas -characterized Truman/Democrats as "soft on Communism"

First Indochina War

(1950-1954) France tried to retake Southeast Asian colony of Indochina lost in WW2; native Vietnamese/Cambodians resisted; French imperialism increased support for nationalist/Communist leader Ho Chi Minh; U.S. (under Truman) aided French, China/Soviet Union aided Viet Minh guerrillas led by Ho Chi Minh; (1954) large French army trapped/forced to surrender at Dien Bien Phu; France tried, failed to convince Eisenhower to send U.S. troops; Geneva Conference of 1954, France agreed to give up Indochina, divided into Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Checkers Speech

(1952) nationally televised address by vice-presidential candidate (running with Eisenhower) Richard Nixon; using the new mass medium of television shortly before the 1952 election; Nixon saved place on ticket by defending himself against accusations of corruption; emotionally vowed to never return gift of beloved dog, Checkers

Iranian Coup

(1953) helped overthrow government in Iran (govt tried to nationalize holding of foreign oil companies), allowed for return of Reza Pahlavi Shah (monarch); provided West with favorable oil prices, enormous purchases of American arms

SEATO

(1954) Southeast Asia Treaty Organization; regional defense pact put together by Dulles to prevent South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia from "falling" to Communism; nations agreed to defend one another in case of an attack in the region; signed by U.S., Great Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, and Pakistan

early Vietnam buildup

(1954) Vietnam temporarily divided at 17th parallel by terms of Geneva Conference; new nation remained divided as 2 hostile governments took control on either side: -North Vietnam--Ho Chi Minh established Communist dictatorship -South Vietnam--Ngo Dinh Diem established government supported by anticommunist, Catholic, urban Vietnamese general election to unite Vietnam never held (South Vietnam feared North would win); (1955-1961) U.S. gave over $1 billion in military aid to South Vietnam; Eisenhower's "domino theory" (see 35)

Salk vaccine (1954)

(1954) development of effective polio vaccine by American scientist Jonas Salk; provided free to the public by federal government beginning in 1955

Rosa Parks

(1955) Montgomery Bus Boycott; Rosa parks refused to give up seat for white passengers, arrested for violating segregation law; sparked massive African American protest in boycott of city buses

Warsaw Pact

(1955) Soviet Union response to NATO; military alliance for defense of Communist states of Eastern Europe

space race/moon landing

(1957) Soviet Union launched first satellites, Sputnik I and Sputnik II; U.S. rockets designed to duplicate achievement failed repeatedly; (1958) Congress created: -National Defense and Education Act (NDEA), authorizing millions in federal money for math, science, foreign languages in schools -National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to direct U.S. efforts to build missiles and explore outer space (1969) U.S. winning the "space race"; landed 3 men (Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins) on the moon; "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." -Neil Armstrong

Sputnik

(1957) Soviet Union launched satellites Sputnik I and Sputnik II into orbit; American schools criticized for math/science instruction; (1958) Congress response: -National Defense and Education Act (NDEA) authorizing giving 100s of millions in federal money to schools for math, science, foreign language education -National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) directed U.S. efforts to build missiles and explore outer space

Eisenhower Doctrine

(1957) U.S. pledged economic and military aid to any Middle Eastern country threatened by communism; (1958) first applied when Eisenhower sent 14,000 marines to Lebanon to prevent civil war between Muslims and Christians

The Affluent Society

(1958) written by economist John Kenneth Galbraith; failure of wealthy Americans to address need for increased social spending for common good; ideas influenced JFK/Johnson administrations

Fidel Castro

(1959) overthrew Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista; nationalized American-owned businesses/properties in Cuba; Eisenhower cut off trade in retaliation; Castro turned to Soviets, revealed himself as Marxist, set up Communist totalitarian state; Eisenhower authorized CIA to train anticommunist Cuban exiles (leading to Cuban missile crisis under Kennedy)

U-2 incident

(1960) Russians shot down high-altitude U.S. spy plane (U-2) 2 weeks before planned (U.S./Soviet) Paris meeting; exposed U.S. tactic for gaining info on missile program after open skies proposals rejected by Soviets in 1955; Eisenhower took full responsibility after exposure, but Khrushchev denounced U.S. and walked out of Paris summit

Stokely Carmichael

(1960s) black civil rights activist; leader of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC); did a lot of work with Martin Luther King Jr. but later changed his attitude--Carmichael urged giving up peaceful demonstrations for pursuing black power

rock n' roll

(1960s) see counterculture (134)

Hollywood Ten

10 writers and producers who refused answer questions about their and their colleagues political beliefs in testimony before HUAC; jailed for contempt/barred (blacklisted) from employment in the industry to protect Hollywood public image

Taft-Hartley Act

1947; Congress overruled Truman's veto; Republican sponsored law to check growing power of unions; provisions included: -outlawing closed shop (contract requiring workers join a union before being hired) -permitting states to pass "right to work" laws outlawing union shop (contract requiring workers join a union after being hired) -outlawing secondary boycotts (several unions supporting striking union by joining boycott of a company's products) -giving president power to invoke 80-day cooling-off period before strike endangering national safety could be called

the beat generation

1950s rebellious writers and intellectuals; led by Jack Kerouak (On the Road, 1957) and poet Allen Ginsberg ("Howl", 1956); advocated spontaneity, use of drugs, rebellion against societal standards; models for youth rebellion of 1960s

UN Security Council

5 major allies of wartime (U.S., Soviet Union, Great Britain, China) granted permanent seats/veto power plus 10 rotating member seats; charged with ensuring international peace and security, accepting new members to the United Nations and approving any changes to its charter

Massive Retaliation

Dulles's strategy advocating greater reliance on nuclear weapons/air power, spending less on conventional forces (army/navy); in theory saving money, balancing federal budget, increasing pressure on potential enemies; Soviets caught up with hydrogen bomb technology (massive retaliation -> policy for mutual extinction); could not prevent small "brushfire" wars in Southeast Asia, Africa, Middle East (Eisenhower refused to use nuclear weapons in these conflicts)

John Foster Dulles

Eisenhower's Secretary of State; containment "too passive", advocated massive retaliation, "liberating captive nations" of Eastern Europe, encouraged Taiwan to assert itself against "Red" China; pleased conservatives (alarmed others) by declaring that if U.S. pushed Communist powers to brink of war, they would back down because of American nuclear superiority (known as "brinkmanship"); Eisenhower prevented Dulles from carrying out extreme ideas

Rosenberg case

FBI investigation traced Soviet spy ring (suspected of giving A-bomb secrets to Russians) to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg; (1951) controversial trial took place; (1953) Rosenbergs found guilty of treason and executed; Civil rights groups blamed anticommunist hysteria for conviction and punishment of Rosenbergs

military industrial complex

In his farewell address, Eisenhower warned against negative impact of Cold War on U.S. society (influence of "military industrial complex"); seemed U.S. in danger of becoming a military/imperial state

social conformity

change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group; opposite of counterculture

Immigration Act of 1965

ended ethnic quota acts of 1920s (favored Europeans); more % immigrants from Latin America, Asia (refugees from Cuba/Vietnam), less from Europe, Canada

Ngo Dinh Diem

established South Vietnam government supported by anticommunist, Catholic, urban Vietnamese; assassinated (see Diem's assassination, 58)

38th Parallel

established boundary between Soviet and American occupation zones in Korea; Became boundary between Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Soviet, North) and Republic of Korea (American, South); boundary later changed to Military Demarcation Line (crosses 38th Parallel) surrounded by Demilitarized Zone after Korean War

agent orange

herbicide used in the Vietnam War to defoliate forest areas; destroyed forests and crops; caused long-term health effects in Vietnamese citizens

suburbia

high demand for housing after WW2 led to construction boom; William J. Levitt led development of postwar suburbia with Levittown (mass produced/low-priced family homes in Long Island, NY); low interest rates on mortgages (government insured/tax deductible) made move from city to suburb affordable; effect of mass movement to suburbia disastrous on older inner cities (poorer/more racially divided)

napalm

incendiary device (extremely flammable antipersonnel weapon) used in Vietnam war, designed to eliminate possible Viet Cong sanctuaries

Truman's Fair Deal

launched 1949; urged Congress to enact national health care insurance, federal aid to education, civil rights legislation, funds for public housing, new farm program; Congress blocked most except increase in minimum wage, inclusion of more workers under Social Security; Fair Deal bills defeated by: -Truman's political conflicts with Congress -pressing foreign policy concerns of Cold War

Mao Zedong

leader of Chinese Communist party; at war with Chinese Nationalists; gained popularity because of inflation, Nationalist corruption, and organization appealing to poor landless peasants; controlled mainland China at end of war

Chiang Kai-shek

leader of Chinese Nationalist/Kuomintang party, at war with Chinese Communists; Nationalists lost loyalty, retreated to Taiwan, but still had U.S. support

Joseph Stalin

leader of Soviet Union (1922-1953); annexed Baltic states, established Soviet-aligned governments throughout Central and Eastern Europe, China and North Korea; tensions arose between the Soviet-backed Eastern Bloc and U.S.-backed Western Bloc; led country through post-war reconstruction (during which it developed nuclear weapons in 1949), country experienced another major famine; died in 1953, succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev (denounced his predecessor and initiated a de-Stalinisation process throughout Soviet society)

Jim Crow laws

legalized segregation laws designed to limit the rights of blacks (literacy tests, grandfather clauses, poll taxes disenfranchised blacks); stripped away with 1960s civil rights accomplishments