C37 - The Cold War Begins 1945-1952

Question 1

Benjamin Spock

Answer 1

Wrote childrearing books - first one in 1945. Gave parenting advice. This was seen as a sign of the times, where more people were moving, spreading families out…families looked to books like Dr. Spock’s for advice that would have been given by grandparents in past years.

Question 2

National Security Act

Answer 2

Congress passed in 1947 to form the US Defense Department, made the Pentagon its home, Created a new Presidential Cabinet position: Secretary of Defense and joined the 3 arms of the military: Army, Navy, Air Force. Heads of each arm were brought together as the Join Chiefs of Staff.

Also established National Security Council to advise the President

Congress also re-instituted the Draft - required military service of 19-25 year olds men.

Question 3

iron curtain

Answer 3

Division of cooperation and secrecy put up by the Soviet Union which divided East “communist” Europe and West “capitalist/democratic” European countries.

Question 4

Point Four program

Answer 4

Truman’s plan to give $ to developing poor nations to bolster them and to avoid having them turn communist. This program started in 1950 and $ was sent to poor Latin American and African and Asian countries.

Question 5

Fair Deal

Answer 5

1950. Truman pledged for a fair deal for America, calling for higher minimum wage, full employment, social security for elderly, better housing, farm support. Some of the ideas passed Congress, including the Social Security act of 1950, providing old-age insurance in elderly/retired.

Question 6

Dean Acheson

Answer 6

Truman’s Secretary of State who, along with Truman, was blamed for China’s takeover by Communists in 1949.

Question 7

Taft-Hartley Act

Answer 7

1947. Republican-controlled congress passed this law that some Democrats and labor leaders called anti-union. Said that unions had to pay for damages for some of their activities, etc. Democrat President Truman had vetoed it. Congress had enough votes to override the Veto.

Question 8

containment

Answer 8

x

Question 9

Cold War

Answer 9

1940s-early 1990s. Poor relations between US and Soviet Union. Not a physical war.

Question 10

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Answer 10

NATO. 1949. US agreed to join other Western European countries in an agreement to defend each other militarily if attacked by Russia.

Question 11

Truman Doctrine

Answer 11

March 1947: Congress approved Truman’s plan to give $ to support Greece and Turkey and other nations who were trying to resist Russian interference and takeover.

Question 12

George F. Kennan

Answer 12

Diplomat and Soviet specialist who helped draft the Truman Doctrine. He felt that Russia was relentlessly expansionary (continually wanting to take over more influence and land)

Question 13

Douglas MacArthur

Answer 13

US Military general who was in charge of the rebuilding of Japan. He pushed through a US drafted Japanese Constitution and helped to ensure that Japan would become a democratic/capitalist society.

Question 14

Inchon landing

Answer 14

September 1950, General McArthur planned a daring amphibious (from the sea) landing behind enemy lines on the Korean Peninsula.

This worked. Within 2 weeks, the North Koreans had scrambled back to the 38th parallel.

Question 15

white flight

Answer 15

x

Question 16

House Committee on Un-American Activities

Answer 16

Formed in 1938. Richard Nixon was a member in 1948. Nixon was a ambitions “Red catcher”. The committee would force US citizens to testify before the committee if they were suspected of communist-sympathizing activities.

Question 17

McCarran Act

Answer 17

1950: Vetoed by Truman but still passed by Congress. Said the President could detain people who were “suspicious” (communist sympathizers).

Question 18

Harry S. Truman

Answer 18

VP to President in 1945 after FDR’s death.

Question 19

Thomas Dewey

Answer 19

1948 Republican Presidential candidate. Lost to Truman as he ran for his 2nd term.

Question 20

J. Strom Thurmond

Answer 20

Democrats were split in 1948 election. Some southern democrats split and nominated Thurmond as their candidate.

Question 21

Marshall Plan (George C. Marshall)

Answer 21

Truman’s Secy. of State. June, 1947, his plan said that US would give $ to Western European countries who would cooperate on economic reforms in their countries. This was a way to avoid having communist agitators in those countries cause revolutions from the inside, due to economic problems. This was a first step in forming the EC (European Community).

Question 22

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Answer 22

Convicted in 1951 and electrocuted in 1953, these US citizens were accused of passing secrets about the development of the Atomic Bomb to Russia.

Their execution began to sour some US citizens on the “red-hunt” - arresting citizens thought to be communist sympathizers.

Question 23

Yalta Conference

Answer 23

February 1945: Churchill, Stalin, FDR meeting. Decisions re: post-wwII Europe: Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria would have free elections. plans made to start the United Nations. Stalin later broke his promises related to Poland, etc.

Question 24

Henry Wallace

Answer 24

Ran in 1948 election for Progressive Party.

Question 25

NSC-68

Answer 25

Truman’s National Security Council recommendation. Said that US should build its military/quadruple defense spending.

Question 26

thirty-eighth parallel

Answer 26

When Japan collapsed in 1945, Russia accepted Japanese surrender North of the 38th Parallel on the Korean Peninsula, US south of the 38th parallel. Both Russia and US said they wanted reunification, but each helped to set up rival governments. In 1 949, both US and Russia withdrew from Korea, but it was left unstable.

Question 27

Richard M. Nixon

Answer 27

1948, member of the House Committee on Un American Activities. brought people suspected of communist sympathizing in front of the committee to testify.

Question 28

Nuremberg trials

Answer 28

War crimes trial in 1945 where 22 Nazis were tried for war crimes. Many were sentenced to death.

Question 29

Berlin airlift

Answer 29

US sent airplanes into Berlin (which required crossing Russia-controlled part of Germany) to get needed supplies to people in Berlin.

Question 30

United Nations

Answer 30

Formed during Yalta Conference and officially opened in April, 1945 just days after FDR died. International group made up of many world Nations, with the Big 5 powers having Veto power: US, USSR (Russia), France, China and Britain. Permanent home of UN is in New York. Early accomplishments: helped preserve peace in Iran and other trouble spots, formed UN Educational Scientific Cultural Organization; FAO Food Agriultural Organization and WHO World Health Organization.

Question 31

Sunbelt

Answer 31

US States forming strip from east to west of southern states with warmer climates that many people post WWII moved to for jobs, weather, etc.

Question 32

Babyboom

Answer 32

Time after WWII in US where many babies were born due to servicemen returning home and prosperous times. The economy continued to boom from 1950-1970.

Question 33

Joseph Stalin

Answer 33

Russian/Soviet leader during and after WWII

Question 34

Greece

Answer 34

In 1947, Truman Doctrine approved $ to boost Greece and keep it from turning to communism.

Question 35

Iran

Answer 35

x

Question 36

Israel

Answer 36

Born on May 14, 1948 as a Jewish state and place for many Holocaust survivors to go. Truman officially recognized Israel as a state on that day. This angered Middle Eastern Arab nations, who wanted the land to remain in Arab/Palestine hands.