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POST WAR AMERICA 1945-60 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - TRUMAN:
        
        more critical of Stalin.
        
        hadnt had process of co-operating with Stalin.
        
        US had endured less than 2% of losses USSR had - FDR considered this with the USSR's demands but Truman did not.
        
        Truman was concerned about the forcing of communism upon E. European countries.
        
        he believed the USSR was trying to gain control of Europe as a whole.
        
        only Greece - which was experiencing a civil war between communist and non-communist forces - had held out against USSR dominance in E. Europe.
        
        THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE:
        
        offered in 1947 to countries struggling against communism.
        
        containment.
        
        first intervention in Greece was sucessful.
      - MARSHALL AID:
        
        offered $13bn to help European countries recover from effects of WWII.
        
        USSR did not attend conference about economic needs of affected countries and refused permission for countries under its sphere of influence to do so.
    - - Germany and Berlin had been divided into 4 zones following the end of the war.
        with communism imposed upon it the eastern sides of both remained poor.
        
        Stalin ordered all transport links with Western Berlin - in east germany - to be cut after a common currency in all western states - run by UK, US and France - was introduced.
        
        in retaliation, the UK and US organised an airlift of essential supplies to the city under siege.
        
        by march 1949, 8,000 tons of supplies per day were being delivered.
        
        on May 9th, Stalin called the blockade off.
    - - south was capitalist and supported USA.
        
        north was communist and hostile.
        
        in 1950, north invaded south.
        
        UN sent in forces that succeeded in liberating the south but went on to invade north also despite china's warning of the consequences.
        
        Truman fired General MacArthur - who had organised this - for going beyond instructions.
        
        many saw this as him going too soft on communism.
        
        China became involved in the war and it effectively became a stalemate for 3 years.
        
        in 1953 a peace of sorts was agreed in which the country would be divided into a communist north and a non-communist south.
      - RESULTS OF THE WAR:
        
        it was clear a global commitment was necessary to stop spread of communism.
        
        in early 1950s, Eisenhower spoke of the 'domino theory'.
  - - - HUNGARY:
        
        Imre Nagy - leader of Hungary and moderate communists - threatened to leave Warsaw Pact.
        
        Krushchev sent in tanks to deal with the rebellion and it turned violent.
        
        Hungary had expected help from the USA but out of concern for appearing as the aggressor the US provided no more than spoken support.
      - BERLIN:
        
        first, the west refused to recognise the legitimacy of the East German state.
        
        the west was used for espionage and sabotage.
        
        Krushchev issued an ultimatum that the west would face consequences if they continued this - but he backed down in 1959 when it became clear that the west was not going to respond.
        
        there were a series of summits between 1959-60 between Eisenhower but they proved little success and the Paris summit failed due to a U-2 American spy plane being shot down by the Soviet Union just before they met and Krushchev refused to attend.
    - - results of the suez crisis:
        
        illustrated that britain and france were no longer world powers and were heavily dependent on the us.
        
        increased american involvement in the middle east.
        
        1957: Eisenhower Doctrine - extension of containment to middle east with military and economic aid for any middle east country that was threatened by aggression or subversion.
        
        Egypt and Syria turned to the USSR though as the anglo-french actions had reminded them of the colonial mentality of the west.
    - - the us was convinced beijing was moscows muppet and some thought chinese communism held a more significant threat due to the greater cultural infuence and prestige of china in asia.
        
        the us interpreted the korean war as a sign that chinese communism was expansionist and threatened us securiyt.
        
        china interpreted the korean war as a sign that the usa was aggressive, wanted to get a foothold on the asian mainland and was likely to attack china itself.
      - relations continued to deteriorate after the korean war.
        
        the us put a trade embargo on china and kept it out of the UN.
        
        the US-Taiwan Defence Treaty infuriated Mao.
        
        Eisenhower hinted at the use of atomic weapons or military action to protect Taiwan in response to some of Mao's aggressive actions and led him to back down.
    - - ATOMIC WEAPONS:
        
        soviet atomic research programme was transformed in the years after america's use of the atomic bomb in 1945 - transformation was partly due to the use of soviet spies in america.
        
        1949: the USSR exploded its first nuclear weapon.
        
        1952: US hydrogen bomb tested - essentially in order to maintain power over USSR.
        
        1953: USSR hydrogen bomb tested.
        
        1958: USSR developed icbm.
        
        1959: america developed icbm.
        
        USSR navy was far behind america's though.
      - MILITARY SPENDING:
        
        military-industrial complex - to develop with defence spending between $40-$50bn per year in 1950s and 90% of foreign aid to US allies going on military spending.
        
        billions of dollars were spent on maintaining a military presence in western europe and south-east asia.
        
        post-war boom in military spending - predominantly in southern desert areas - helped smooth out former economic inequalities in nation.
- - - - GROWING MOBILITY:
        
        growth in car industry led to growth of suburbs as americans no longer needed to live in crowded towns or cities.
        
        image of homes became important in symbolising prosperity of ordinary people - people werent spending their money on renting something that wasnt theirs but instead on bricks and mortar that they would one day own once the mortgage was paid off.
  - - - THE CONSUMER BOOM:
        
        expansion in consumer items fuelled by incessant advertising.
        
        1960: over 50 mill TVs in USA.
        
        baby boom led to increase in demand of baby clothes and nappies.
        
        4 mill babies born each year between 1954-64.
        
        golden age of american nuclear family.
        
        divorce rate fell to 9.6 by 1953.
        
        leisure time was increased by labour saving devices.
        
        new products incl: frozen and convenience food; tv dinners; long playing records; electric clothes dryers; polaroid cameras.
        
        plastics and artificial fibres meant it was easier to keep clothes clean.
        
        in 1950s, USA consumed 33% of all goods in world.
        
        as 1950s developed there seemed no end to the post war boom like in 1920.
    - - STEREOTYPING:
        
        media created and developed image of women as housewives.
        
        magazines featured role of domestic woman/wife.
        
        seeds were sown however for 1960s womens liberation.
      - WOMEN AND WORK:
        
        60% of married women were in work by 1960.
        
        may have been necessary to make ends meet in consumer age.
        
        women who worked instead of married were often treated with great suspicion by society.
        
        in 1950s, growing numbers of women challenged traditional role.
        
        1960: 1.3 mill women were at uni.
    - - THE CINEMA:
        
        influence of tv meant cinema held less influence.
        
        drive in cinema became popular in 50s+60s.
        
        hollywood responded to young audiences desire for new and exciting symbols of rebellion.
      - GROWING POWER OF TELEVISION:
        
        37 mill sets by 1955.
        
        1954 saw arrival of tv dinners.
        
        by 1960, estimated watching tv was favourite leisure activity of half the population.
        
        sitcoms celebrated american family as heart of usa.
    - - TEENAGE REBELLION:
        
        concerns that young people were out of control.
        
        1956: number of murders carried out by teenagers in NY rose by 26%.
        
        some blamed it on bad role models in media and some on absent parents that worked too much.
        
        average age f marriage did lower though.
- - - - 1945 FULL EMPLOYMENT BILL:
        
        declared employment to be a right.
        
        required govt to ensure that jobs were available.
        
        increased the dole, incl a higher minimum wage, farm price supports and a public works programme.
        
        congress watered down many of truman's proposals.
      - LABOUR RELATIONS:
        
        war had led to inflation and thus union strikes for higher wages.
        
        truman announced conscription for railroad workers and have the army run the railroads in response to strikes.
        
        wanted to introduce legislation to restrict the right to stike against govt.
        
        not necessary as rail strike was called off but showed continuing hostility of us govt towards labour and strike action.
      - 1948 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION:
        
        truman expected to lose as his party was split.
        
        but went on to win a maj of 2 mill votes and democrats regained control of congress.
      - THE FAIR DEAL:
        
        1949.
        
        tried to introduce a whole range of welfare measures but republican and democrat conservatives in congress blocked many of his reform proposals.
        
        succeeded in raising the minimum wage, extending the social security act and passing an act to assist slum clearance and provide housing for the poor.
    - - DOMESTIC ACHIEVEMENTS:
        
        'dynamic conservatism'.
        
        ended wage and price controls and reduced farm subsidies as he wanted to decrease role of federal govt.
        
        did accept fed govt responsibility for welfare of citizens and promotion of economic growth.
        
        further strengthened social security programme.
        
        increased minimum wage.
        
        created Dept of Health, Education and Welfare.
        
        1956: Interstate Highway System.
  - - - EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS:
        
        fall of china to communists in 1949 was unexpected and some felt State Dept could have prevented it.
        
        detailed investigation established to discover how the usa had come to let china fall with some thinking there were communist infiltrators in the State Dept.
        
        development of cold war, increasing involvement in asia - particularly korean war - intensified fear of spread of communism.
        
        DEVELOPMENTS IN USA:
        
        a series of spy scandals in britain, canada and us that scared americans.
        
        was felt that the ussr developed nuclear weapons so quickly due to infiltration of soviet agents into us development projects.
        
        trial of ALGER HISS that caught public attention.
        
        case led to widespread accusations of communism in high places in usa.
        
        1947: truman set up Loyalty Review Board to check up on govt employees and fuelled suspicions of communism in the us.
        
        within 4 years, 1,200 had been dismissed and 6,000 had resigned.
        
        11 leaders of the communist party were prosecuted under the Smith Act.
    - - MCCARTHY'S DOWNFALL:
        
        his manner and accusations.
        
        condemned General George Marshall - who had introduced Marshall Aid - and in 1954, he started investigating army.
        
        in investigating army, he appeared to criticise an institution that had been involved in a full scale war against communism in korea.
        
        millions started to see the hearings broadcast on tv and turned against his tactics of bullying - who sometimes appeared to be drunk.
        
        Eisenhower, a former military commander, was critical of McCarthy's investigation into the army.
        
        died from alcoholism in 1957 and the 'red scare' seemed to die away.
- - - - BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION TOPEKA 1954:
        
        supreme court ruled that in the question of education, separate but equal had no place.
        
        IMPACT:
        
        initial response in the south was to 'wait and see'.
        
        after the case, courts became more willing to become more involved in political disputes and controversial issues.
        
        many were convinced that the impact was not just on desegregation in schools but on the wider area of civil rights.
        
        however, some were less than optimistic as it did not address what schools should teach or do, or set a deadline.
        
        there were no sanctions for non-implementation.
        
        by 1956-7 723 schools were desegregated.
        
        alabama's legislators decided that the ruling was 'null, void and of no effect'.
        
        some southern states had penalties for any district that did begin the desegregation process.
    - - LITTLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL 1957:
        
        eisenhower sent in federal troops to ensure that the arkansas national guard were kept under control to ensure the black students could get into the school.
        
        only occasion the president used his federal authority to intervene and ti demonstrated that states could be overruled by the fed govt when necessary.
    - - separation of public transport was always most resented form of segregation in the south.
        
        December 1955, Rosa Parks was thrown off a bus in Montgomery for refusing to give up her seat for a white passenger - she was arrested.
        
        a bus boycott was organised, lasting 381 days and was an impressive delay of unity with african americans walking to work instead of using the local bus company.
        
        it put significant financial pressure on the authorities and in the SC case initiated by the NAACP, Browder v. Gayle, segregation on buses was ruled unconstitutional with similar reason to the Brown v. Topeka case.
      - THE ROLE OF MLK:
        
        was leader of the bus boycott.
        
        effective organiser, brilliant speaker and motivator.
        
        within a year, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was set up.
      - boycott showed that unity and solidarity could win as well as demonstrating the benefits of a peaceful protest.