Chapter 23: The United States and the cold War
Identify NSC-68. Describe its recommendations and impact.
A document discussing Cold War fears and such talked about containment and freedoms and that its important to not let communism take over
Describe Truman's loyalty review boards and their impact.
A way to weed out sketchy people in the government He had to reassure that the people he fired were not communists, but they were homosexual
Describe the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and its significance.
Basic rights belonging to a person simply because they are human This was problematic because it seemed as though both US and Soviet were ignoring some of these "human rights"
Describe the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), its goals and tactics in the Cold War, including the "cultural Cold War."
CIA - they funded overseas propaganda to make US look good
Describe Cold War containment policy. Understand the argument George Kennan made in his Long Telegram (1946, aka the Kennan Telegram) and its significance for the development of containment policy.
Containment - to keep communism from spreading. Kennan Telegram - Basically says the war is over but we're still not safe, we must stand firm and oppose
Who were the Dixiecrats? Why were they critical of Truman's leadership of the Democratic Party?
Dixiecrats - southern delegates, called for complete segregation of the races They claimed that Trumans policies would make him Hitler-like
Describe the goals of Truman's "Fair Deal." Did Congress approve his legislation?
Goals - transition from wartime to peacetime economy, improving the social safety net and raising the standard of living of ordinary Americans the called on Congress to increase minimum wage, national health insurance and expand public housing
Describe Joseph McCarthy's role in enhancing fears of communist influence. What was his agenda, tactics, and degree of success?
He would accuse many people, even Eisenhower. Not very successful
Describe the Cold War "Red Scare" and its impact on American politics and culture. Key term: "McCarthyism."
McCarthy looked for leftists in the government was was always speculating about communists infiltrating out government.
Describe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (1949) and the Warsaw Pact (1955).
NATO - collective security for Western nations to help each other out when they get pulled into war Warsaw Pact - the Easterns version on NATO
Describe the trials of Alger Hiss and Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and their significance.
Refer to notes
Describe the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and its search for Communist influences in American culture.
Same thing where they investigate people, but it was on a more open door basis
Describe the Marshall Plan. What concerns prompted it? What were its goals? Its impact?
Send aid to Europe to stimulate their post war economy Promted by the idea that if we supported them, they would be less easily infiltrated by communism Goals - running economy for Europe, make the Four Freedoms more accessible Impact - super successful
Describe the Berlin Blockade and Berlin Airlift (1948-1949), and their significance.
So theres Eastern Rule and Western, Berlin wants to be Western but is geographically in Eastern So Soviet blocks all land transportation into Berlin, but US uses the airlift instead to send aid Then Stalin forfeits
Describe the characteristics of the Cold War conflict between the US and the Soviet Union.
Soviet believed in spreading communist rule where US wanted to pursue containment.
Describe the Truman Doctrine (1947), the strategic concerns which prompted it, and its significance.
The US would provide aid, but not actually send troops to fight
Describe the origins of the Cold War in the post-WWII era.
Two rivaling powers, the US and Soviet Union, had their own ideas on how the world should function.
How did fears of communism impact on labor unions and civil rights organizations?
Unions became almost deemed communist The ones that were deemed that, were expelled.
Describe the Korean War (1950-1953). Discuss the causes, US involvement, and the consequences.
When Korea surrendered, it was divided at the 38th parallel. North was Soviet and South was US. In Soviet attempt to spread communism, they invaded south Korea, then with the approval of UN, the US fought back MacArthur was crazy and wanted to use A-bomb then there was cease fire to prevent world war three
Discuss how Stalin turned eastern Europe into Soviet-controlled satellite states, despite WWII agreements. Key terms: The Yalta Conference (1945); "iron curtain."
Yalta - Soviet promised free elections in Poland, however, Stalin felt threatened by a possible attack from the west, so the rigged the election to sway communist Iron Curtain - Division between eastern and western rule.