HIST201 Final Review I Beginnings of the Cold War A What does the Cold War mean What does containment mean Cold War defined domestic culture and U S relations with the world for the second half of the 20th century era post WWII started due to rift between U S and Soviet Union and their plans for the world war without any physical fighting no direct military action basically because everyone owned atomic weapons so no one wanted to actually fight because they would def die what s the point Containment Truman s foreign policy to respond to real and perceived changed in the global balance of power in the nuclear age to control the spread of communism would provide financial aid to economically desperate western nations to keep them from falling to communism offered 400 million to Greece and other countries while creating high level of anxiety about communism in America George F Kennan Long Telegram inspired foreign policy of containment o o was an expert on Soviets and saw the negative effects of containment o claimed Soviet communism impervious to the logic of reason inherently expansionist and only controllable through long term patient but firm and vigilant containment believed that economic depression of Western countries in Europe and Japan would lead them to Soviet power and communism inspired U S reconstruction programs to help these countries financially would keep them from falling to communism o o Truman Doctrine o speech to congress and American people sharing plan of containment and the commitment to fight against communism o March 12 1947 B How and why does this war start Soviet Union wished so spread communism U S was against communism Didn t want Stalin and Soviet Union to have control over world to stop the spread of communism domestically and internationally C What steps did the US take to ensure the stability of Western Europe in the late 1940s economic redevelopment and open markets as means of controlling then expansion of communism offered financial aid to economically depressed countries in Western Europe and Japan these countries were discouraged by democratic capitalism because they had no money making them more vulnerable to fall to communism US wanted to help them economically increase capitalism and consumerism so that they could spread liberty democracy International Monetary Fund IMF and World Bank Marshall Plan o o massive aid package to help Western Europe including Japan o o Truman s Secretary of State George C Marshall promoted free markets free markets free people 1948 1952 o o o help rebuild devastated economies restore industries and trade rejoin the free world offered 18 billion in aid to Europe an Japan allowed for 40 economic growth in world economy economic redevelopment and open markets to help stop spread of communism D What was the Red Scare What were HUAC and the Hollywood 10 Red Scare fear of communism led to restrictions of individual rights and the systematic persecution of diverse groups Red Scar fear of communism in America many associated liberalism with communism HUAC House Committee on Un American Activities fear of communism or radical leftism first red scare against worker revolution and political radicalism second red scare focused on national and foreign communists influencing society 1947 1951 investigative committee investigated suspected disloyalty and subversive activities of private citizens public employees and group organizations suspected of having communist ties searched for communists and conspiracies within US searched and accused people in Hollywood involved in labor movements education government Federal Employee Loyalty Program gave HUAC the right to question government employees questions about behaviors and beliefs Hollywood 10 ten actors directors and writers were subpoenaed to appear before Congress by HUAC to be tried for being suspected communists were blacklisted denied jobs because of real or suspected beliefs or associations with the Communist party 1940s E What is McCarthyism and how did it affect society Who was Alger Hiss Who were the Rosenbergs and why are they significant Alger Hiss and the Pumpkin Papers 1948 national sensation Time magazine editor Whittaker Chambers claimed to be part of Soviet spy ring that gave US secrets to the soviets throughout the 30s He told Richard M Nixon He was tried and named Alger Hiss head of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former State Department official as collaborator and communist spy Hiss sued Chambers for libel Chambers claimed he had papers to prove Hiss s involvement kept in a pumpkin on his farm in MD FBI investigated these papers and found the papers did belong to Hiss Hiss was not found guilty at first but was retried and put in jail for lying about knowing Chambers perjury Rosenbergs McCarthyism accused for conspiring to provide the Soviet Union with US atomic secrets Julius an Ethel parents to two children were convicted and put to death first American civilians executed for espionage February 1950 led by republican Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin McCarthyism represented sinister turn in government efforts to control communism within US undermined basic constitutional principles destroyed careers and lives terrified millions of Americans leading communist hunter accused government officials military men series of McCarthy Hearings gave ammunition to Soviets and other adversaries who used McCarthy as example of American hypocrisy eventually lost power hearings and television Murrow led to McCarthy denouncement for unbecoming conduct created extreme fear in society would ruin lives if accused communist by McCarthy or anyone really infringed greatly on American civil liberties F How and why do we get involved in the Korean War 1950 1953 Northern Korea supported by Soviet Union South Korea supported by US Soviet supplied North Korea to set attack on South Korea crossed 38th parallel where they were split fight each other after three years come to stalemate back at the 38th parallel this epitomized the Cold War symbol of stalemate and a persistent reminder that proxy wars could lead to seemingly infinite conflict proxy war war instigated by major power that does not itself become involved II The Golden 50s A What was society and culture like in the 1950s for most Americans Time of Prosperity o period after WWII people had been saving up during world working only for war efforts not buying things during war o Reconversion o o
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