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President Truman and Post-War America > The USA as a superpower. Truman's foreign policy > Flashcards

The USA as a superpower. Truman's foreign policy Flashcards

1
Q

what united America and the Soviets in 1945

A

they were united by the determination to defeat Germany

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2
Q

what did the determination to defeat Germany lead to?

A

They managed to have frequent, considerable cooperation during the war. Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin held post war time conferences on how to achieve victory.

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3
Q

where did the 3 leaders hold conferences?

A

Tehran (1943) and Yalta (Feb 1945)

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4
Q

what was agreed at the Yalta Conference

A
  1. Germany would be divided into four parts, one for each- Britain, the USA, France and the Soviet Union.
  2. Stalin agreed to hold democratic elections in Poland (he lied)
  3. Roosevelt proposed setting up an International organization - The United Nation, in hopes that it’ll keep the peace in a post - war world. Though, wary Stalin agreed.
  4. Stalin agreed to join the war in the pacific as long as he was given occupational zones in Manchuria and North Korea.
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5
Q

was there tension during the yalta conference and why?

A

Stalin distrusted the west and Churchill

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6
Q

who was responsible for managing Stalin at Yalta?

A

Roosevelt

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7
Q

who described Yalta as a success?

A

Roosevelt said it a was start on the road to world peace.

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8
Q

what were the reasons for wartime tensions?

A

The atomic bombs and disagreement over Poland

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9
Q

why was the atomic bombs cause war-time tensions?

A

Because America, although reluctantly shared knowledge with the British over the development of atomic bombs, didn’t inform their other ally, the soviet union.

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10
Q

how did Stalin find out about America’s development of Nuclear Weapons?

A

Through Spies

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11
Q

what were the phases of Truman’s foreign policy?

A

Containment in Europe
Containment in Asia

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12
Q

Key Events in Truman’s Foreign Policy - Europe

A

Potsdam 1945
Sinews of Peace Speech 1946
The Truman Doctrine 1947
Marshall Plan
Berlin Blockade 1948
NATO 1948
National Security Act 1948

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13
Q

Key Events in Truman’s Foreign Policy - Asia

A

Occupation of Japan
Establishment of Communist China 1949
Involvement in Indo-China
Korean War 1950-53

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14
Q

what was Truman’s reputation

A

He had a reputation as a staunch anti-communist

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15
Q

Truman’s foreign policy aims

A

Containing Soviet Expansion and communism
Ensuring the security of US allies and trading partners

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16
Q

date of potsdam

A

Aug 1945

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17
Q

what did Truman aim to achieve in Potsdam

A

Truman was determined to stand up to Stalin and to establish his reputation on the world stage but the tensions between the two meant that little was achieved.

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18
Q

how did Stalin cause tensions at Potsdam

A

Stalin ignored Truman’s and Churchills protests about the imposition of communism on Poland, but confirmed that he would join the war against Japan

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19
Q

things agreed at Potsdam

A

the 5 D’s
Demilitarisation
Deindustralisation
Decentralisation
Denazification
Democratisation of Germany

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20
Q

what caused tensions in Potsdam

A

Truman failed to alert Stalin to the US’s atomic bombs before the end of the conference, four days later the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

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21
Q

who gave a Speech to heighten cold war tensions

A

Churchill

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22
Q

what was Churchill’s speech called

A

Sinews of Peace Speech

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23
Q

date of the Sinews of Peace Speech

A

March 1946

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24
Q

what was said during the Sinews of Peace Speech

A

Truman attended the speech and sat behind Churchill who declared that an ‘Iron Curtain’ has descended across Europe.

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25
Q

why did Truman Support the Sinews of Peace Speech

A

Truman supported it as the Soviet sphere of influence has increased rapidly and his aim was to stop the spread of communism.

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26
Q

how did Press spin the Sinews of Peace Speech

A

Press attention about the speech was hostile and Truman denied ever knowing about the speech, as it added to Americans’s fear about Soviet expansionism

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27
Q

dates of the cold war

A

1949 - 1989

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28
Q

who was the cold war between

A

It was between the US and the SU, there was no direct military conflict, both countries used covert warfare and war by proxy as each sought to gain and maintain allies and destabilise the other.

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29
Q

when did Stalin make a speech to increase cold war tensions

A

9th Feb 1946

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30
Q

how did Stalin’s speech heighten cold war tensions

A

Stalin made a speech where he condemned capitalism and believed that it would make future wars inevitable, this created the impression that he was war-mongering which showed that the USSR would be willing to fight. The USSR also backed Greek communists that destabilised the Greek monarchy which led to more tensions.

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31
Q

what was Truman’s cold war policy

A

Containment Policy

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32
Q

what was cold war policy

A

US cold war doctrine advocating military and diplomatic action to limit the expansion of communism

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33
Q

why containment?

A

Truman was influenced by a telegram from George Kennan, a diplomat in Moscow, who was seen as the leading expert in the USSR.

34
Q

what did George Kennan write

A

The Long Telegram

35
Q

date of the long telegram

A

Feb 22 1946

36
Q

The Long Telegram

A

George Kennan wrote this and it advocated standing up to communism throughout the world and the USSR ‘with unalterable counter-force at every point where they show signs of encroaching upon the interests of a peaceful and stable world’.

37
Q

what did Kennan write after the Long Telegram

A

He wrote later under the pseudonym Mr X in the foreign affairs magazine in July 1947. This policy of containment was highly influential until the Vietnam war, Kennan was recalled to Washington and began to work for the state department of Policy Planning where he devised the policy of containment

38
Q

when the Truman speak to congress and why

A

Truman spoke to Congress on 12th March 1947 about containment and asked for $400M to support the anti-communists in the Greek Civil War, as britain was no longer able to support them and Truman feared the growth of communism in Greece and Turkey.

39
Q

what did Congress grant Truman

A

Congress granted him the money which allowed him to make containment official American Policy.

40
Q

what was the Truman Doctrine

A

The Truman Doctrine was a military commitment to defend any country that was faced with a takeover by an armed minority

41
Q

significance of the Truman Doctrine

A

It was highly significant as it dominated and affected US FP for nearly half a century. It was one of the declarations of the Cold War and the point at which the Truman Administration and Congress made the decision that communism was a great threat that must be opposed publicly

42
Q

what other plan was formed after the Truman Doctrine

A

The Marshall Plan

43
Q

why was the Marshall Plan adopted

A

Truman’s secretary of state, George Marshall feared that the post-war devastation might make Western Europe vulnerable to communist insurgency. Western Europe were an important trading partner and potential ally for the US.

44
Q

date of the Marshall Plan

A

1947 June

45
Q

how did Truman follow through with Marshall’s suspicions

A

Truman asked Marshall to come up with a plan for the reconstruction of Europe using American money.

46
Q

congress reaction to the Marshall plan

A

Congress was reluctant at first but after the communist party seized Czechoslovakia in Feb 1948 the plan was approved and offered to all European countries including communist countries.

47
Q

how much did the Marshall plan give and to who

A

It gave $17B to the UK, France, Germany and Italy for 4 years from April 1948 and established the US as the protector of Europe

48
Q

Stalins Reaction to the Marshall Plan

A

Stalin rejected the offer of aid and ensured that other Eastern Europeans did so too as Stalin wanted to ensure that Germany was never able to recover the economic and military strength it had used to invade Russia in WWII, he was then alienated which caused him to tighten his hold around Eastern Europe establishing a full communist party domination in Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania

49
Q

what happened with Berlin

A

The Berlin Blockade

50
Q

why did the Berlin Blockade happen

A

In 1948, the USA, Britain and France embarked on a secret discussion with a view to creating a West German government and the Deutshmark - currency as they felt that a strong western Germany would be a barrier to Soviet expansion. Stalin was furious about this because he felt that Americans failed to understand the Soviet fear of invasion from Germany, he also felt that the secret discussions went against the Postdam Conference in which they agreed to work together

51
Q

what happened during the Berlin Blockade

A

The New Deutshmark was introduced in June 1948 and the allied zones joined together. Stalin took this as an opportunity to cut the allies out of Berlin using ‘technical difficulties’ he was able to do this because there was nothing written promising surface access to Berlin and he cut out Two Million Berliners.

52
Q

what did Stalin’s actions confirm

A

Stalin’s actions confirmed Truman’s belief in communist expansionism. Any attempt to enter Berlin on the ground would involve US troops invading East Germany and Truman could not risk this

53
Q

how did Truman respond to the Berlin Blockade

A

Truman responded with an act of political brinkmanship in what was known as the Berlin Airlift

54
Q

date of the Berlin Blockade

A

24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949

55
Q

what was the Berlin Airlift

A

Truman Ordered 15M tons of supplies in 275,000 flights to be flown over Berlin over the next 324 days and supplied people entirely by air, this was seen as a very successful FP and Truman’s best hour as he used showed that the Truman Doctrine was useful.

56
Q

aftermath of the Berlin Blockade

A

In May 1949, Stalin lifted the Blovckade, the crisis helped America to strengthen its military position in Europe and led to NATO

57
Q

why was NATO established

A

The deteterioration in relations with the Soviets confirmed the belief of Truman and Western Europeans that they needed to organise themselves into a defensive association lest the red army pours into Western Europe.

58
Q

when was NATO formed

A

1948

59
Q

who was involved in NATO

A

Britain, France, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg signed a mutual defence treaty which was built up to create NATO and it was the first peace time military alliance in US history.

60
Q

terms of NATO

A

An attack on one country was an Attack on all and when the Soviets exploded their first atomic bomb, NATO was strengthened and the USA soon stationed soldiers in bases across Europe

61
Q

significance of NATO

A

It completed the division of Western Europe and Eastern Europe
It arguably stabilised Europe as both sides now knew where they stood
Europe became split into two opposing camps: the US-backed NATO members and the Warsaw Pact countries supported by the USSR.

62
Q

National Security Act

A

The national security act passed in 1947 established the department of Defence, the CIA and the National Security Council. In 1949, Paul Notze, head of policy planning staff advocated a massive expansion of US spending on military power. Increased from $13B to $48B per annum.

63
Q

occupation of Japan

A

Five days after the second atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima. Emperor Hirohito announced the Japanese surrender. 350,000 US troops poured into Japan and General McArthur was given dictatorial powers to transform the country from a military state into a modern democracy in the image of the USA between 1949 and 1952, communists were banned from government posts and a democratically elected government was created with votes for women

64
Q

tensions in China

A

The communists and the Nationalists were both fighting a civil war by 1946.

65
Q

Truman’s reaction to tensions in China

A

Truman was not sure of the importance of supporting the Nationalists as they failed to create a stable China before WWII, though he was very aware of the political impact of allowing the loss of China to communism. As a result of his uncertainty, he sent limited military and financial aid to the nationalists. It was insufficient and Jeshi, the leader of the nationalists and his followers fled to Taiwan which meant that on 1st October 1949, Mao established communist China referred to as the People’s Republic of China. Truman was blamed for the loss of China, they felt that if communism was such a threat then Truman should not have allowed it to become communist

66
Q

involvement in Indo-China

A

Truman responded to the rise of Communism in Asia by attempting to contain what he perceived to be communist aggression in French Indochina. During WWII, the Japanese had occupied it and were fighting a guerrilla force organised by Ho-Chi-Minh who fought for independence from France by forming the Indo-Communist Party in 1930. After the Japanese were defeated, Ho Chi Mihn expected US support for Vietnamese independence given the US professed commitment to self - determination instead Truman offered the French financial support in their struggle against communist insurgents in Vietnam to the extent of covering 78% of the costs of French involvement in Indo-China, as he saw the situation as communist aggression, part of the cold war and Ho Chi Minh to be a puppet of Stalin

67
Q

would china have fallen to communism anyways regardless of Truman’s actions

A

Many historians argue that China was already deeply immersed in the communist movement well before Truman took office, and that a communist revolution was likely to occur at some point in the country’s history. Truman’s support for Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists in China did little to prevent the rise of communism, as the Communist Party of China was already well-entrenched in rural areas and among the working class, and had a strong and organized presence throughout the country.

68
Q

china before Truman

A

China had a rich history of political turmoil and instability long before the rise of communism. In the centuries leading up to the 20th century, China was plagued by civil wars and foreign invasions, which weakened the central government and allowed local warlords and militia leaders to gain power. This instability created a fertile ground for radical ideologies like communism to take hold.

69
Q

communist party in china

A

Additionally, the Communist Party of China was founded in 1921 and had been actively organizing and recruiting supporters among the Chinese working class for many years before Truman took office. The party was well-organized and had strong ties to the Soviet Union, which provided military and financial support to the communist cause in China.
As a result, there were many factors besides Truman’s supporting the Nationalists that contributed to the rise of communism in China. While Truman’s policies may have delayed the eventual communist takeover, it’s unlikely that they would have prevented it altogether.

70
Q

failures of NATO

A

it is argued that the formation of NATO was a failure of Truman’s foreign policy because the soviets responded with the Warsaw Pact which was an alliance of all communist ideological countries which created a powerful bloc over Eastern Europe. This was a massive failure because NATO was to defend against communists and their beliefs spreading across but the soviets created their own to retaliate and even out the playing field. This was a big failure of foreign policy because now the communists had a powerful alliance which could spread communist dominance and they could do nothing about it.

71
Q

what was the state of Korea

A

It was divided between the powers that helped liberate it. The Soviet Union from the North and the US from the South, along an arbitrary line known as the 38th parallel

72
Q

how did the Korean War start

A

On 25th June 1950, Communist NK attacked capitalist pro-american SK

73
Q

Truman’s Response to North Korea’s Actions

A

With unanimous backing from Congress, the press and the public. Truman sent air and naval assistance to South Korea as his initial war aim was to drive the NK communist forces out of South Korea.

74
Q

escalation in Korea

A

The NK army made great advances, however, General McArthur, commander in Korea turned the war around with an invasion of Inchon in sept 1950, this forced a NK retreat and Truman’s war aim changed

75
Q

how did Truman’s war aim in Korea change

A

The US now sought rollback of communism which was that communist expansions should not simply be stopped but reversed. The US sought the destruction of NK Forces and the reunification of Korea. The invasions at Inchon was an initial success but it led to an overstretch that alarmed the Chinese, they intervened which resulted in the war being brought close to the 38th Parallel. In 1951, Mac-Arthur was removed from command as he asked Truman to use atomic bombs on Korea

76
Q

why did the US fight in the war - soviet

A

Soviets promoted communism in North Korea and the Americans promoted anti-communism in South Korea. Truman felt he had to respond because of foreign and domestic considerations

77
Q

foreign considerations that prompted Truman to fight in the Korean War

A
  1. The NSC in April 1950, warned Turman that the Soviets aimed at total domination of Europe and Asia
  2. The combination of the fall of Czexh, the Berlin Blockade and the NK attack convinced Trumans that the Soviets were increasingly active
  3. In 1949, the Soviets had exploded their first atomic bomb and China had been lost to communism it seemed as if the world balance of power was sitting in favour of communism
  4. SK was an anti-communist state that the US helped create
78
Q

domestic considerations that prompted the US to fight in the Korean War

A
  1. Republicans had bitterly attacked Truman over the loss of China and he did not want to be accussesd of losing SK, especially with the congressional elections in Nov 1950accused
  2. Cold War anxieties had grown in early 1950. Klaus Flechs worked on the atomic bomb and was revealed to be a Soviet spy. State Department official Alger Hiss was found guilty of lying about passing secret documents to the SV. Senator McArthy said that Truman’s state department contained many communists
79
Q

significance of the Korean War

A

36,914 Americans had died before Ike ended the war in 1953
Truman’s initial war aim was achieved. SK was ‘saved’ for the US and the Western Allies, it could be argued that containment worked
Attempts to reunify the peninsula failed
Asia replaced Europe as the ventral cold war arena
It inspired Truman to give further support to French colonialism
The US dramatically increased military expenditure and armed forces
Embittered Chinese American relations

80
Q

failures of the korean War

A

Exarcerbated Cold-War tensions and intensified American anti-communist hysteria
Demonstrated the difficulties in conducting foreign policy and waging war
War became known as Truman’s war as it became unpopular
It showed that Truman was willing to use American military force to back up the policies of containment but it many ways it was a futile war - helped IKE in the elections

81
Q

cost of the Korean war

A

14% of the US GDP in its final year which influenced Truman’s decision not to stand for election in 1952 as the stalemate in Korea had damaged his approval rating, - 22%

82
Q

china - success or failure

A

Blamed for the loss of china
It was believed that the communists won because of sympathetic advisors in the Truman department
In 1950 Mao and Stalin signed a mutual defence pact and this confirmed the belief that the SU was bent on world domination. This Sino-Soviet pact created a massive power bloc, cutting off a huge market for US trade and spreading communist dominance to the far east - domino theory

President Truman and Post-War America (6 decks)

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