C37 - The Cold War Begins 1945-1952 Flashcards
(36 cards)
Benjamin Spock
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.
National Security Act
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.
iron curtain
Division of cooperation and secrecy put up by the Soviet Union which divided East “communist” Europe and West “capitalist/democratic” European countries.
Point Four program
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.
Fair Deal
- 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.
Dean Acheson
Truman’s Secretary of State who, along with Truman, was blamed for China’s takeover by Communists in 1949.
Taft-Hartley Act
- 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.
containment
x
Cold War
1940s-early 1990s. Poor relations between US and Soviet Union. Not a physical war.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NATO. 1949. US agreed to join other Western European countries in an agreement to defend each other militarily if attacked by Russia.
Truman Doctrine
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.
George F. Kennan
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)
Douglas MacArthur
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.
Inchon landing
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.
white flight
x
House Committee on Un-American Activities
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.
McCarran Act
1950: Vetoed by Truman but still passed by Congress. Said the President could detain people who were “suspicious” (communist sympathizers).
Harry S. Truman
VP to President in 1945 after FDR’s death.
Thomas Dewey
1948 Republican Presidential candidate. Lost to Truman as he ran for his 2nd term.
J. Strom Thurmond
Democrats were split in 1948 election. Some southern democrats split and nominated Thurmond as their candidate.
Marshall Plan (George C. Marshall)
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).
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
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.
Yalta Conference
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.
Henry Wallace
Ran in 1948 election for Progressive Party.
