Unit 4 (chapters 25 - 27)
Identify the Roosevelt administration's efforts to protect against espionage and internal subversion during WWII.
-americans remained sheltered from the chaos and destruction the war was bringing to hundreds of millions in europe and asia -billboards and posters warned americans that "loose lips sink ships" and "enemy agents are always near; if you dont talk, they wont hear" -the campaign for patriotic vigilance focused on german and japanese foes, but americans of japanese descent became targets of official and popular persecution because of pearl harbor and long-standing racial prejudice against people of asian descent
Discuss the U.S.'s changing position towards involvement in European and Asian conflicts by 1939.
-americans supported the victims of facist aggression f-ascist victories overseas eventually eroded american isolationism. (wanted to prevent fascist aggressors from conquering Europe and Asia, leaving the US an isolated imperiled island of democracy.) -initially, fascist anti semitism and military conquests in china, ethiopia, and spain failed to arouse many americans who were still mired in the depression. -by 1939, german and japanese aggression caused more and more americans to believe that it was time for a nation to take a stand. at first y providing material support to the enemies of germany and japan, principally britain, china, and the soviet union. japan's surprise attack on pearl harbor eliminated that restraint and the nation began to mobilize for an all out assault on foreign foes.
Characterize the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union prior to the start of WWII.
-bitter enemies, hatred between fascist germany and communist soviet union -negotiaated with joseph stalin that the soviet union would not join britain and france in opposing a german attack on poland. signed the nazi soviet treaty of nonagression exposing poland to an onslaught be the german army and the soviet army.
Identify the critics of the new "consumer culture" of the 1950s.
david riesman- lamented a shift from inner directed to other directed, regretable eagerness to adapt to external standards of behavior and belief whilliam WHyte- blames modern corporations for making employees tailor themselves to the group, sacrificing and risking independence to conformity. Vance packard- class lines hardening Billy Graham- against the book
Define "Dixiecrats" and identify prominent Dixiecrats.
definition- states rights party lead by J. Strom Thurmond formed by southern democrats who had walked out of the 1948 democratic party convention when it passed a liberal civil rights plank prominents- J Thurmond
Analyze the experiences of WWII for African Americans in the U.S.
-black orginizations demanded that the federal government require companies recieving defence contracts to integrate their workforces. -committee of fair employment practices investigated and prevent racial discrimination in employment -in search for better living conditions, 5.5 million black americans migrated from the south to centers of industrial production in the north and west, making the majority blacks. -unskilled jobs were available but unions and employers often barred blacks from skilled trades. -labor shortages gave more jobs to the blacks, but still did not get equal pay. -black migration to defense jobs intensifies racists, race riots -picketing and sit ins against jim crow laws
Discuss President Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb.
-could hasten the end of the war with japan, perhaps before the russians could attack the japanese in korea and manchuria, as stalin had pledges at yalta. -the bomb gave the us a devastating atomic monopoly that could be used to counter soviet ambitions and advance american interests in the postwar world
Discuss the consequences of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
-destroyed hundreds of aircraft -sank or disabled 18 ships including all of the fleet's battleships -killed more than 2400 americans -wounded more than 100000 -almost crippled us warmaking capacity in the pacific -the victory made japanese commanders overconfident about their military prowess -americans instantly united in their desire to fight and avenge the atack -declaration of war
Evaluate the results of the "D-Day" invasion.
-hitler ordered a counterattack allies won chased him back into berlin -secure stalin's promise to permit votes of self determination in the eastern european countries occupied by the red army -pledged to support chiang kai shek as the leader of china -the soviet union obtained a rold in the postwar governments of korea and manchuria in exchange for entering the war against japan after the defeat of germany -creation of a new international peacekeeping organization -more bombs -german surrender
Discuss FDR's "Good Neighbor Policy" and its consequences.
-no nation had the right to intervene in the internal or external affairs of another -applied specifically to latin america -declared that the us would not depend on military force to exercise its influence in the region (latin america) . -permitted the rise of dictators who exploited and terrorized their nations with private support from us businesses and the hands off policy of roosevelts administration. -did not prevent the us from exerting its economis influence in latin america. -reciprocal trade agreements act- reduce tariffs on goods imported to the us from nnations that lowered their tariffs on us exports. boosted domestic economy through free trade. -fascist groups in germany and italy threatened military aggression
Describe the contributions of women to the war efforts in the U.S.
-took jobs with wrenches and welding torches, boosting the nation's workforce and fraying traditional womens work at home. -took industrial jobs -women working outside of home increased by 50% -made more money -victory gardens for homegrown vegetables, saved tin cans and newspapers to recycle for war material, hoarded pennies and nickels to buy war bonds
Identify the new federal agency created by the National Security Act of 1947.
CIA or central intelligence agency- not to gather information but also to perform any functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security that the nsc might authorize. including propoganda, sabotage, economic warfare, and support for anty-communist elements in threatened countries of the free world. agents would help topple legitimate foreign governments and violate the rights of US citizens. virtually unaccountable to congress or the public.
Analyze the concepts of "nuclear deterrence", "collective security," and NATO.
deterance- to deter the soviet union from attacking the us strove to maintain a nuclear force more powerful than the soviets'. because the russians pursued a similar policy, the superpowers became locked in an ever-escalating nuclear weapons race collective security- association of independent nations that agree to accept and implement decisions made by the group, including going to was in defense of one or more members. nato- us joined canada and western european nations in its first peacetime military alliance, the north atlantic treaty organization, designed to counter a soviet threat to western europe. us pledged to go to war if one of its allies were attacked
Explain the "domino theory" and the Truman Doctrine.
domino theory- the assumption underlying US foreign policy from the early cold war until the end of vietnam war. the theory that is one country fell to communism, neighboring countries also would fall under communist control. if greece fell, others would fall truman doctrine- assertion that american security depended on stopping any communist government--even nondemocratic and repressive dictatorships--anywhere ini the world. beginning in 1947 with american aid to help greece and turkey stave off communist pressures, this approach became the cornerstone of american foreign policy during the cold war. the us would not resist soviet military power
Explain the increase in women's participation in the workforce.
dropped college and worked so their husbands could attend school, support themselves and their family
Identify the Suez Crisis and the U.S.'s response.
dulles offered american support to egypt in the building of the ansan dam on the nile river, nasser aought arms from communist czechoslavakia, formed a military alliance with other arab nations, and recognized the people's republic of China. dulles called off the offer. nasser responded by taking the suez canal, which advanced his prestige and power in the region because it coincided with nationalist aspirations in the arab world and revenue from teh canal could provide capital for constructing the dam. in response, israel attacked with help from france and britain. the US opposed intervention recognizing that the egyptians had claimed their own territory. put economic pressure on britain and france economically who pulled back and israel retreated. -US made it clear that that would actively combat communism in the middle east
Explain the purpose of the Marshall Plan.
european recovery program, invited all european nations and the soviet union to cooperate in a request for aid but soviet union objected american terms of tree trade and financial discolure, ordered their eastern european satellites to reject too. marked first step towards the european union, humanitarian desires to help destitute europeans as well as the strategic goal of keeping western europe free from communism, drove the adoption of this enormous aid program.
Identify the major participants and activities of the post-war civil rights movements of Mexican Americans and African Americans.
jackie robinson- baseball ralph bunche- nobel peace prize for un work gwengolyn brooks- pulitzer prize for poetry charlie parker, ella fitzgerald- popular musicians trumancreated presidents commitee on civil rights, tried to desegregate the armed forces mexico hector perez garcia formed GI forum lyndon b johnson- helped GI forum arrange for equal burial
Identify the problems Harry Truman faced as "an accidental president."
lacked experience, charisma, and political skills with which roosevelt had transformed both foreign and domestic policy, won four presidential elections, and forges a democratic party coalition that dominated national politics.
Explain how the Lend-Lease program propelled the U.S. towards war with Germany.
lend-lease act- allowed the british to obtain arms from the US without paying cash but with the promise to reimburse the US when the war ended -nazi u-boats(submarines) prowled the atlantis for ships with supplies for britain, making it only a matter of time before the american citizens and their property would be attacked -naval escorts for lend-lease supplies and orders to shoot on sight the submarines
Identify the impact of the bracero program on Mexican immigrants.
mexicans entered the US to labor in fields, permanent mexican immigration was not as welcome as mexican's low wage work. were legally allowed for a permitted amount of time. many stayed legally or illegally. operation wetback made lots of them get deported, mexican US citizens felt unwelcome nad threatened.
Analyze President Dwight D. Eisenhower's "middle way" and "modern Republicanism" in domestic politics.
middle way between untrammeled freedom of the individual and the demands for the welfare of the whole nation, avoid government bureaucracy as carefully as it avoids neglect of the helpless. modern republicanism- resisting additional federal intervention in economic and social life.
Locate the Pacific theater battle that proved to be a turning point in the Allies' war against Japan.
midway island, an outpost guarding the hawaiian islands
Identify the components of the GI "Bill of Rights".
promised to give veterans government funds for education, housing, and health care and to provide loans to help them start businesses and buy homes - put financial resources of the federal government behind the abstract goals of freedom and democracy for which veterans were fighting and it empowered millions of GIs to better themselves and their families after war.
Explain the impact of the Sputnik satellite on American society.
raised fears that the US lagged behing the USSR not only in missile developement and space exploration but also in science and education. Eisenhower insisted that the US possessed nuclear superiority and tried to diminish public panic. established nasa, approved a big budget increase for space research and development, signed national defense education act providing loans and scholarships for students in math, foreign languages, and science.
Explain the Taft-Hartley Act's impact on organized labor.
reduced the power of organized labor and made it more difficult to organize workers, most severe attack
Discuss the U.S.'s reaction to reports of Hitler's "final solution" in Europe.
refused to grant asylum for refugees -worried that charging germans with crimes against humanity might incite them to greater resistance and prolong the war -believed that reports of killing camps were exxagerated
Explain the issues and participants in the Korean War and why it was officially a "U.N. police action."
russians and chinese aquiesced that they instigated the invasion. but kim ill sung had been the main instigator, wanted to bolster his position by championing korean unification with south koreans supporting the north korean army. 16 nations sent troops but US furnished most of the weapons UN forces pushed north koreans back to the 38th parallel.
Identify John Foster Dulles and the policies of brinksmanship and massive retaliation.
secretary of state, deplored containment as nagative, futile, and immoral because it accepted the existing soviet sphere of control. -believed that america's willingness to go to the brink of was with its intimidating nuclear weapons (brinksmanship) would block and soviet efforts to expand mass retaliation- nuclear weapons could not stop a soviet nuclear attack, but in response to one, they could inflict enormous destruction on the ussr. meant to deter the soviets from launching an attack
Identify Nikita Krushchev
soviet premier
Describe the Cold War concept of "containment".
the us foreign policy developed after wwII to hold in check the power and influence of the soviet union and other groups or nations espousing communism-achieved goals in europe but communism spread in asia, and at home a wave of anti-communist hysteria, the second red scare, harmed many americans and stifled siddent and debate abotu US policies
Explain the problems of converting from a wartime to a peacetime economy.
veterans couldnt find jobs lower salaries women saw earnings decline rising prices and shortages of consumer goods strikes
Trace the origins of U.S. involvement in Vietnam.
vietnam called themselves communist, seceded from france, france tried to win them back, went into war. when the US found out vietnam was communist, they aided france, a communist victory would trigger the fall of japan taiwan and the phillipines. when vietnam was split, the us signed a treay, the southeast asia treaty organization committed to the defense of cambodia, laos, and south vietnam. began to send weapons and military advisers to south vietnam and put the cia to work infiltrating and destabilizing north vietnam
Identify the demographic groups and regions that most benefited from changes in the economy in the 1940s and 1950s.
west and southwest, womens employment, farmers, american business owners, labor unions
Identify the Axis powers.
Germany (Italy) Japan
Explain the growing importance of television in shaping American values and attitudes.
affected politics, election campaigns, money played a larger role in elections dominated leisure time, showed trends and lifestyle, sacrificed risk taking and independence for conformity, loss of masculinity, more manipulation for women, people were calling on men to stay with children more
Explain what was meant by an "Iron Curtain" in Europe.
although truman did not officially endorse churcill's iron curtain speech, his presence implied agreement with the idea of joint british american action to combat soviet agression -refer to political, idealogical, and military barriers that separated soviet controlled eastern europe from the rest of europe and the west following wwII
Explain the rise of "McCarthyism".
anti-communist crusade. fears of internal communism grew because of revelations soviet espionage. caused untold economic and psychological harm to individuals innocent of breaking any law. violated fundamental constitutional rights of freedom of speech and association, stifled expression of dissenting ideas and removed unpopoular causes from public contrmplation
Identify the Berlin Blockade and the U.S. response.
as the western allies moved to organize west germany as a seperate nation, the soviets retaliated by blocking roads and rail lines between west germany and the western held sections of berlin, cutting off food, fuel, and other essentials to two million inhabitants. -US and british pilots airlifted 2.3 million tons of goods to sustain west berliners. Stalin hesitated to shoot down these cargo planes and in 1949 he lifted the blockade.
Explain the concept of a "Cold War" and the issues that led to the deterioration of U.S.- Soviet relations at the end of WWII.
cold war- intense rivalry between us and soviet union 1. Although the Allies overcame a common enemy, the prewar mistrust and antagonism between the Soviet Union and the West resurfaced over their very different visions of the postwar world. 2. The Western Allies' delay in opening a second front in Western Europe aroused Soviet suspicions during the war. 3. At the war's end, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted to make Germany pay for the rebuilding of the Soviet economy, to expand Soviet influence in the world, and to have friendly governments on the Soviet Union's borders in Eastern Europe. 4. In contrast, the United States emerged from the war with a vastly expanded productive capacity and a monopoly on atomic weapons, making it the most powerful nation on the planet. 5. Fearing a return of the depression, U.S. officials believed that a healthy economy depended on opportunities abroad. 6. Both United States leaders and citizens regarded their foreign policy not as a self-interested campaign to guarantee economic interests but as the means to preserve national security and bring freedom, democracy, and capitalism to the rest of the world. 7. Recent history also shaped postwar foreign policy; many Americans believed World War II might have been prevented had Hitler's initial aggression been resisted rather than appeased. 8. Soviet and American interests first clashed in Eastern Europe; Stalin considered U.S. officials hypocritical for demanding democratic elections in Eastern Europe while supporting dictatorships friendly to U.S. interests in Latin American countries. 9. In 1946, wartime Allies also contended over Germany's future, resulting in the division of Germany. 10. Early in 1946, Truman, with Winston Churchill, traveled to Fulton, Missouri, where the former prime minister denounced Soviet suppression of the popular will in Eastern and central Europe and famously declared that an "iron curtain" had descended across the continent. 11. In February 1946, career diplomat George F. Kennan wrote a comprehensive rationale for a foreign policy of containment—the idea that Soviet expansion could be checked "in the face of superior force." 12. Not all public figures accepted the toughening line, but those who criticized the administration's policy met stiff resistance from Truman's cabinet.
Discuss the consequences of the 1960 U-2 spy plane incident.
dashed all prospects of the nuclear arms agreement, US continued making more nuclear weapons, cold war created a warfare state
Evaluate the successes and failures of Truman's "Fair Deal."
failures- could not get jobs for everyone (employment act of 1946) created the council of economic advisers to assist the president but it authorized no new powers to translate the government's obligation into effective action. efforts to maintain price and rent controls fell to pressures from business groups and others determined to curb the growth of government powers. labor relations, end of overtime meant a 30% cut in takehome pay for most workers blacks did not get benefits from war successes wartime profits enabled businesses to invest in new plants and equippment. consumers could now spend their wartime savings on houses, cars, and sppliances that had lain beyond theirduring the depression and war defense spending and money in aid that enabled warstricken countries to purchase american products also stimulated the economy. soaring birthrate sustained consumer demand, economic boom led to new consumer goods. servicemen's readjustment act offered 16 million veterans job training and education unemployment conpensation while they looked for jobs low interest loans to purchase homes, farms, and small businesses unemployment insurance and aid to mothers with dependent children
Describe the events in Europe and Asia that threatened world peace and the United States' reaction.
germany- hitler led the hollocaust built fleet. japan- invaded manchuria, war when chinese nationalists rallied around their leader to fight. japanese violated naval limitation treaties and built fleet. reaction- reinforced isolationist sentiments. question nations participation in ww1, neutrality acts prohibited making loans and selling arms to nations at war and authorized the president to warn americans about traveling on ships belonging to belligerent countries
Explain the role of the C.I.A. in foreign policy during the Eisenhower administration.
helped with toppling unfriendly governments in latin america and the middle east, had seen internal civil wars in terms of the cold war conflict between the superpowers and tended to view nationalist uprisings. the eisenhower administration took this course of action out of sight of congress and the public, making the CIA an important arm of foreign policy in the 1950s. guatemala wanted to help poor people by nationalizing land owned but not cultivated by the united fruit company, a US corporation whose annual profits were twice the size of the guatemalan governments budget. United fruits refused the offer to compensate. then, in response to the nationalization program, the CIA organized and supported an opposition army that overthrew the elected government and installed military dictatorship in 1954. -trains cuban exhiled for an invasion -intervened in the middle east (guatemala) to oust an elected government, support an unpopular dictatorship, and help american corporations -Eisenhower authorized the CIA to carry out covert operations destabilizing Guatemala's economy and assisting in a coup, that ultimately led to decades of destructive civil wars. -For a variety of reasons, Eisenhower authorized CIA agents to instigate a coup against the nationalist head of Iran , Mohammed Mossadegh, by bribing army officials and paying Iranians to demonstrate against the government.
Analyze the impact of WWII on the U.S. economy.
in 1940, the american economy remained mired in the depression, nearly one worker in 7 was still without a job, factories operated far below their productive capacity, and the total federal budget was under 10 billion. shortly after the attack on pearl harbor, roosevelt announced the goal of converting the economy to produce great weapons. in a rush to produce military supplies, factories changed from cars to tanks and airplanes and production ramped up. by the end of the was, there were more jobs than workers, plants were operating at full capacity, and the federal budget topped 100 billion. -roosevelt called upon buusiness leaders to come to washington and nead new government agencies to set production priorities and push maximum output. -employment swelled union membership (government asked unions to pledge not to strike)
Explain what Eisenhower meant when he warned Americans not to allow the "military-industrial complex" to become overly powerful.
it would create a warfare state He exhorted Americans to break away from our reliance on military might as a guarantor of liberty and "use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment." -Eisenhower was worried about the costs of an arms race with the Soviet Union, and the resources it would take from other areas — such as building hospitals and schools. -also may be a threat to democracy -contain defense budget
Characterize the foreign policy challenges faced by Truman in Eastern Europe, China, Japan, and the Middle East.
national liberation movements against war-weakened imperial powers. china- civil war, communists (mao zedong) fought official nationalist government (chiang kai-shek) US couldnt negotiate, so gave chiang 3 billion. mao made the peoples republic of china, nationalists fled to taiwan. mao signed a treaty with the soviet union to defend one another in case of attack. Us blocked the PRC admission to the UN and supported the nationalist government in taiwan. Japan- before they wanted to reform the japanese govt and purge militarists from oficial positions and decentralize the economy, but shifted to helping japan rapidly reindustrialize and secure access to food, markets, and natural resources in asia. signed a peace treaty and a mutual security pact. middle east- american arab friendship as a critical barrier agianst soviet influence and as a means to secure access to arabian oil. president responded to pleas from jewish organizationsjews in palestine declared a state -eastern europe descent of iron curtain
Discuss the objectives, strategies, successes, and failures of the civil rights movement in the 1950s.
overcome political and social barriers that had replaced the literal bonds of slavery. protest, institutional reforms, own liberation. moved into places they could vote and exert political pressure, made it clear to officials that racism handicapped them in the competition with the soviet union. controlled certain organizational resources (churches and colleges) in the south, where skills could be honed and networks drveloped. NAACP brown v board of education consolidated 5 seperate suits that reflected the growing determination of blacks A. African Americans Challenge the Supreme Court and the President 1. Black migration from the South to areas where they could vote and exert political pressure, cold war concerns raised by white leaders, and an organizational structure for blacks in the segregated South all spurred black protest in the 1950s. 2. The legal strategy of the major civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), reached its crowning achievement with the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. 3. Ultimate responsibility for enforcement of the decision lay with Eisenhower and he refused to endorse Brown, choosing instead to keep his distance from civil rights issues. 4. Such inaction fortified southern resistance to school desegregation and fueled the gravest constitutional crisis since the Civil War. 5. The crisis came in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, when the state's governor, Orval Faubus, ordered National Guard troops to block the enrollment of nine black students at Central High School. 6. Eisenhower was forced to send regular army troops to enforce desegregation at Little Rock —it was the first federal military intervention in the South since Reconstruction. 7. Eisenhower ordered the integration of public facilities in Washington, D.C., and on military bases, and he supported the first federal civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. B. Montgomery and Mass Protest 1. From slave revolts and individual acts of defiance through the legal and lobbying efforts of the NAACP, black protest had a long tradition in American society. 2. What set the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s apart were the masses of people involved, their willingness to confront white institutions directly, and the use of nonviolence and passive resistance to bring about change. 3. The first sustained protest to claim national attention began in Montgomery, Alabama, on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks violated a local segregation ordinance, triggering a city-wide boycott of buses. 4. Parks had long been active in the local NAACP; such local individuals and organizations laid critical foundations for the black freedom struggle throughout the South. 5. The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) organized a bus boycott and leading the MIA was Martin Luther King Jr., a pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. 6. Montgomery's blacks summoned their courage and determination in abundance, demonstrating that blacks could sustain a lengthy protest and would not be intimidated. 7. In January 1957, black clergy from across the South met to coordinate local protests against segregation and disenfranchisement. 8. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), NAACP, and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) developed centers in several southern cities, paving the way for a mass movement that would revolutionize the racial system in the South.
Analyze the impact of McCarthyism on American society.
people accused people, sexual perversion, loyalty program, if you spoke up then you were blacklisted,people lost jobs, allowed anonymous informers, investigations, investigated citizens, demanded loyalty oaths, fired suspected people, banned books, dismissed professors and teachers. thousands humiliated and discredited, hounded from jobs and improsoned.
Analyze the importance of the Allies' plan to open a "second front" in western France in the war against Germany.
stalin demanded that america and britain mount an immediate and massive assault across the english channel into western france. A cross channel invasion would force hitler to divert his armies from the eastern front and relieve the pressure on the soviet union, which was fighting along against the full strength of the german wehrmacht. churchill and roosevelt instead delayed opening a second front allowing the germans and the soviets to slug it out. this weakened the nazis and the communists and made an eventual allied attack on western france more likely to succeed. churchill and roosevelt promised stalin that they would open a second front but they decided to strike first in southern europe and the mediterranean. -allies defeated the germans in north america. the north american campaign killed and captured 350000 axis soldiers, pushed the germans out of africa, made the mediterranean dafe for allied shipping, and opened the door for an allied invasion of italy. needed more time to amass sufficiant forces for the cross-channel invaion of france that stalin demanded (in the mean time planning to capitalize on their success in north africa dn strike against italy consigning the soviet union to bear the brunt of the nazi war machine for another year.
Analyze postwar demographic trends, including the rise of new suburbs and the shift in population to the Sun Belt.
symbolized affluence, accessible to families with modest income, polarized society, 1 of 4, highways, blacks moved to cities in search of economic opportunity, but usually went to places in decline, new business facilities (malls), blacks couldnt find new jobs. california pop doubled defense related jobs (research on bobers and missiles, other weapons and satellites), overtook new york as the most populous state. people were drawn to the west and southwest through economic opportunity (railroads fueled western growth, automobile and airplane, airconditioning, industrial development) sunbelt stretched from florida to california
Discuss how the American isolationism and neutrality helped paved the way for World War II.
the desire for peace led germany, italy, and japan to launch offenses on the assumption that the western democracies lacked the will to oppose them.