post world war ii
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Post World War II. Cold War (1945 – 1989) Korean War (1950 – 1953) Civil Rights Era (1945 – 1975) Vietnam Era (1954 – 1976). Post WWII. GI Bill of Rights “government issue” 1944 Congressional act which gave veterans money to spend on businesses, homes, and schooling - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Post World War II
Cold War (1945 – 1989)•Korean War (1950 – 1953)•Civil Rights Era (1945 – 1975)•Vietnam Era (1954 – 1976)
Post WWII GI Bill of Rights
“government issue”
1944 Congressional act which gave veterans money to spend on businesses, homes, and schooling
Helped more than 2 million former soldiers attend college to prepare for new careers
Baby Boom Increased birthrate following WWII
Post WWII
Philippines 1946, U.S. gave Filipinos their
independence
State of Israel May 14, 1948
an independent nation
WWII – Review Yalta Conference
Allies agreed to divide Germany & Berlin into 4 zones controlled by Americans, British, French & Soviets
Stalin promised to hold free elections in parts of Eastern Europe under his control
Atlantic Charter – Review
Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill agreed to seek no territorial gain from the war
FDR and Churchill pledged to support the “right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live.” (self-determination)
The Charter called for a “permanent system of general security,” such as an organization like the League of Nations (United Nations)
Post WWII
United Nations June 26, 1945 Keep the peace Gather food & supplies for needy nations Homes for war victims Help developing nations with problems of
health, farming, and education
Post WWII
United Nations General Assembly
No way to enforce decisions Security Council
More powerful 15 members
5 permanent members U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France If only one permanent member vetoes,
Security Council cannot act
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Truman (like FDR) believed in self-determination U.S. demanded free elections be held
throughout Eastern Europe Much was occupied by the Soviet Union
Stalin promised to allow free elections, but went back on his word after WWII He wanted military security for the
Soviet Union, and for his country to be the dominant world power
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Ideological conflict Fought with words & ideas
Primarily between U.S. and Soviet Union Communism vs. Democracy Dominated world politics
Cold War (1945 – 1989) International Organizations
United Nations
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) April 1949 U.S. and other Western nations Military alliance – collective defense against a
Soviet attack Warsaw Pact
1955 Soviet Union and satellite nations
Cold War 1945 – 1989
Cold War (1945 – 1989) “A freely elected government in
any of the Eastern European countries would be anti-Soviet, and that we cannot allow.”
– Josef Stalin
By 1948, the government of most nations in Eastern Europe were satellites of Soviet Union
Nations dominated politically or economically by a more powerful nation
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Winston Churchill Warned Americans of
the Soviet threat in a speech on March 5, 1946, at Westminster College in Fulton, MO
An “iron curtain has descended across the continent”, walling off Soviet-dominated nations from the rest of the world
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Truman Doctrine March 1947
Containment Limit or block
expansion of Soviet Communism
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Marshall Plan June 1947 Proposed by Secy. of State George Marshall Provided money to help European
nations rebuild after WWII Factories, schools, hospitals, railroads,
bridges, farms Huge success
1948-1951, U.S. loaned >$12 billion to 16 Western European countries
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Germany & Berlin Divided into 4 parts
East Germany – Communist Soviet Union
West Germany – Democracy Great Britain France U.S.
Cold War 1945 – 1989
Cold War 1945 – 1989
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Western powers decided it was time to reunite Germany in 1948, but Stalin was opposed
June 1948, Soviets set up a blockade around Berlin and prevented delivery of Allied supplies
Berlin Airlift Cargo planes delivered tons of food and supplies
to 2M people in West Berlin >200,000 flights from June 1948 – May 1949
May 1949, Soviets call off blockade
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Berlin Airlift
Cold War (1945 – 1989) October 1949, U.S., Britain, & France combine their
zones into one country – West Germany A divided Germany and Berlin remained a focus of
Cold War tensions Between 1949 and 1961, thousands of East Germans
fled to West Berlin, then into West Germany
Berlin Wall Built in August 1961 Separated East and West Germany Stood for 28 years as a symbol of a divided
Germany and Europe
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
Westminster College
Fulton, MO
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Election of 1948 Chicago Tribune
mistakenly declared Thomas Dewey the winner over Harry Truman
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
People’s Republic of China
In late 1949, Chinese Communists take control of China
Mao Zedong – leader
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Election of 1952 Truman decides not to run Democrat Adlai Stevenson,
Gov. of IL Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republican war hero “I like Ike” Landslide victory
Cold War (1945 – 1989) 1950s People live longer thanks to
new medicines (antibiotics) and polio vaccine
Suburbs grew by 50% Poor & less educated stayed
in inner cities
By end of decade: 6 of 10 families owned homes 3 out of 4 had cars Almost every home had a TV
Cold War (1945 – 1989) 1950s Television
I Love Lucy, most popular show
Howdy Doody popular with kids Frozen dinners
Rock-and-Roll Elvis Presley, “The King” “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill
Haley and the Comets
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Dwight D. Eisenhower
President 1953-1961 Vice President –
Richard Nixon
Interstate Highway Act of 1956 One of
Eisenhower’s greatest achievements
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Korean War (1950 – 1953)• Officially a “police action,” not a war
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Korean Peninsula Occupied & ruled harshly by Japan since 1910
After Japan’s defeat in WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel latitude
North Korean troops invaded South Korea June 25, 1950
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Korean War: 1950 - 1953
North Korea (communist) Helped by Communist China and
backed by Soviet Union
South Korea (non-communist) Helped by United Nations and
backed by the U.S.
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Korean War: 1950 – 1953
War against communism
U.N. voted to send military troops – 90% were American
Pres. Truman appointed Gen. Douglas MacArthur to lead the troops
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Korean War: 1950 – 1953
North Korea invaded South Korea and occupied most of the peninsula
Gen. MacArthur and UN forces counterattacked, pushing North Koreans back across the 38th parallel
Gen. MacArthur continues into North Korea, almost to China
UN goal was to reunify Korea
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Korean War: 1950 – 1953 Angered Chinese government sent troops to assist
North Korea
China pushed UN forces beyond the 38th parallel and back into South Korea and the war became a stalemate
Gen. MacArthur wanted to attack China
He believed this was the only way to win the Korean War
Pres. Truman did not want to attack China
He feared this might lead to another world war
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Korean War: 1950 – 1953
Gen. MacArthur publicly called for the bombing of China
Pres. Truman warned Gen. MacArthur against making further public statements
Gen. MacArthur disregarded Pres. Truman’s warnings
MacArthur publicly argued that he could not win the war because of Washington politicians
A furious Pres. Truman fired Gen. MacArthur
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Korean War: 1950 – 1953 Peace talks began in July 1953, but fighting continued
Fighting ended in July 1953 with a cease-fire
The border between North and South Korea is almost exactly where it was before the war
Tensions between North and South Korea continue today
North and South Korea agreed to establish a demilitarized zone An area from which military forces are prohibited
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Korean War: 1950 – 1953
Korea was the first attempt by the U.S. to stop communism in Asia
2M Koreans died, mostly civilians 30,000 Americans died & thousands from other nations
Officially, it was a “police action,” not a war
Korea is the last communist hot spot It developed nuclear weapons at the beginning of
the 21st century
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Red scare in America
Many Americans fear Communist sympathizers and spies might be secretly working to overthrow the U.S. government
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Alger Hiss Former State Dept.
official
Accused of passing government secrets to Soviet agents in 1930s The “pumpkin papers”
Convicted of perjury, spent several years in prison
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Found guilty of passing secrets of the atomic bomb to Soviets
Sentenced to death and executed in 1953
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
U.S. government released papers in 1990s indicating that Hiss and the Rosenbergs had been spies
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Senator
Joseph McCarthy
Built his career by exposing alleged Communists in U.S. government
Without evidence, sensationally accused people of being Communists
Many Americans were eager to believe him
Cold War (1945 – 1989) McCarthy bullied
witnesses before his Senate committee and made exaggerated charges
He ruined many lives and careers
McCarthyism Accusing someone of
disloyalty without having any evidence
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Nikita Khrushchev
1953, became leader of Soviet Union when Josef Stalin died
Predicted Communism would destroy Western democracies
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
U.S. and Soviet Union began arms race Contest in which nations compete to build powerful
weapons
U.S. exploded first hydrogen bomb in 1952 (H-bomb)
Followed in next few years by Soviet Union, China, United Kingdom, and France
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Sputnik I
Launched October 4, 1957 by Soviet Union
World’s 1st artificial satellite
1st man-made object to orbit the Earth
184 lbs. About the size of a basketball
Took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth at 18,000 mph
Sputnik I – launched by Soviet Union
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Start of the Space Age and the U.S. – U.S.S.R. space race Control outer space
Led directly to creation of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Admin.)
Cold War1945 - 1989
•Explorer I
Launched by the U.S. January 31, 1958
1st U.S. satellite
Officially known as Satellite 1958 Alpha
30.66 lbs.
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Fidel Castro
Communist
In a 1959 revolution, took control of Cuba
U.S. glad to see Fulgencio Batista ousted
Castro took land belonging to American companies
U.S. started a trade embargo against Cuba
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Castro asked Soviet Union
for help
People left Cuba for the U.S.
In April 1961, Cuban exiles returned with U.S. support
Landed at Bay of Pigs
Invasion failed, many were captured
U.S. – Cuban government relations strained
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Bay of Pigs invasion April 1961
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Election of 1960
Richard M. Nixon Vice President &
Republican candidate John F. Kennedy
Democrat candidate Narrowly wins election
Vice President – Lyndon Johnson
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Cuban Missile Crisis
1962
U.S. spy planes photograph Soviet missiles in Cuba
U.S. set up naval “quarantine” around Cuba
U.S. and Soviet Union reached agreement Missiles removed U.S. did not invade
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Vietnam Era• Officially a “conflict,” not a war
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
At WWII’s end, French Indochina was divided into Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam
1946-1954, French fought to regain control of Vietnam
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Ho Chi Minh drove out the French and set up a Communist government in northern Vietnam
Vietnam became divided into North and South, and civil war broke out
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
U.S. political leaders feared Communist takeover in Southeast Asia
Domino theory If one country fell to the Communists,
neighboring countries would follow
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
U.S. sent money and weapons to South Vietnam, and trained its soldiers
U.S. advisers began fighting in Vietnam
Guerrilla warfare fighters for the North came to be called the Vietcong
Supported by Soviet Union and China with arms and supplies
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
August 1964, U.S. ships reportedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in Gulf of Tonkin
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed by Congress Gave Pres. Johnson
unlimited authority to use military force
U.S. planes began bombing North Vietnam
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
American airplanes dropped bombs containing napalm A jellylike substance that burst
into flames when dropped on villages or vegetation
American airplanes also sprayed the herbicide Agent Orange Destroyed crops and
vegetation where enemies hid Later blamed for birth defects,
cancer, and long-term health problems
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
The Tet Offensive Began January 31, 1968 Tet is Vietnamese New
Year holiday North Vietnamese and
Vietcong attack every major city in South Vietnam
Siege lasted until February 25
Military victory for U.S. Turning point of the war
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
Most Americans did not believe that the U.S. should be fighting in Vietnam
After the Tet Offensive, Pres. Johnson and advisors were convinced U.S. could not win the war
Antiwar protests spread across America Petitions, marches, sit-ins,
public draft-card burnings, violent confrontations with police
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
Pres. Nixon expanded the war into Cambodia and Laos to attack North Vietnamese bases and disrupt their supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Kent State University, Kent, OH
Worst, deadly antiwar protest in America – May 4, 1970
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
Paris Peace Accords
Signed January 27, 1973
Last U.S. combat troops removed in March 1973
North Vietnam troops invade South Vietnam after Americans leave
U.S. helicopters and ships evacuate thousands of American workers and South Vietnamese supporters
Cold War 1945 – 1989
Vietnam April 30, 1975, South Vietnamese
government formally surrendered
Vietnam united under a Communist government
Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City
More than 1M people fled the new regime
Boat people attempted to escape in small boats 200,000 died at sea or in
refugee camps U.S. and other nations took
in many refugees
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
Longest war in U.S. history, lasted for 10 years
Eisenhower was president when the war began, Nixon was president when it ended
First foreign war the U.S. did not win
U.S. never officially declared war in Vietnam
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
Vets were not welcomed home with cheering and parades
1.8 M American men drafted
58,000 Americans died in combat
300,000 Americans wounded
$200 billion price tag Damaged U.S. economy for
years
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Vietnam
Undermined the nation’s trust in the government and its leaders
Pentagon Papers
Published in 1971 by leading newspapers
Secret government documents showing how government officials concealed actions and misled Americans
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
War Powers Act
Passed by Congress in 1973 to curb President’s power
President cannot send military forces into action for longer than 60 days without congressional approval
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
26th Amendment to the Constitution Passed in 1971 Lowered voting age to 18
If 18-year-olds were old enough to fight and die in Vietnam, they were old enough to vote
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Kennedy
1961 Peace Corps created by Congress Program to build
relationships between Americans and peoples of other nations Sharing skills and
knowledge Encourage economic
growth in developing countries
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President John F. Kennedy
Assassinated Nov. 22, 1963
In Dallas, TX
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President John F. Kennedy
Assassinated Nov. 22, 1963
Lee Harvey OswaldArrested for
killing Kennedy
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Lee Harvey Oswald
Shot and killed by Jack Ruby
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Lyndon B. Johnson
1963-1969
Democrat
Vice President – Hubert H. Humphrey 1965 - 1969
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Kennedy’s New Frontier
Space Age Russians – first
astronauts in space
Alan Shepard1st American in space,
1961
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Kennedy’s New Frontier Space Age
John Glenn1st American
to orbit Earth, 1962
Cold War (1945 – 1989) President Kennedy’s
New Frontier – Space Age
Apollo 11 mission Eagle lunar module July 20, 1969
Neil Armstrong 1st man
on moon
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Columbia
1st Space shuttle
Launched April 1981
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Richard Nixon
1969 – 1974 Vice Presidents
Spiro T. Agnew Gerald R. Ford
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Watergate scandal
1972 election
Democratic Party offices break-in
Pres. Nixon’s aides involved in break-in
Pres. Nixon cover-up
Cold War (1945 – 1989) Spiro T. Agnew
Pres. Nixon’s Vice President
Charged with accepting bribes as Gov. of Maryland and V.P. of U.S.
Resigned as V.P. October 1973
Gerald Ford appointed as V.P.
Cold War (1945 – 1989) President
Richard Nixon
1st President to resign the office, August 1974
Resigned before being impeached because of Watergate scandal
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Gerald Ford
1974 – 1977
1st and only President not elected to the office
Pardoned former president Nixon
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Jimmy Carter
1977 – 1981
Democrat Inexperienced with
Washington politics
Vice President Walter Mondale
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
Iran Hostage Crisis
Iranian radicals seized American embassy in Tehran on Nov 4, 1979
Held 52 hostages for 444 days
Released them minutes after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Ronald Reagan
1981 – 1989
Republican Great Communicator
Vice President – George H. W. Bush
Popular
Cold War (1945 – 1989)
President Reagan “Government is not the
solution to our problems. Government is the problem.”
Reaganomics Reduced government
spending & lowered taxes
In 1981, persuaded Congress to lower taxes by 25%
Cold War (1945 – 1989) President
George H.W. Bush
1989 – 1993
Republican
Vice President J. Danforth Quayle
1991 Gulf War Operation Desert
Storm 1991 recession
Cold War Ends (1945 – 1989)
1979 Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan
President Carter imposed trade restrictions and pulled U.S. from 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow
President Reagan increased defense spending Soviets tried to keep up with U.S. on military
spending (arms race), but did not have the money – this weakened Soviet economy
Cold War Ends (1945 – 1989)
Mikhail Gorbachev
1985, became leader of Soviet Union
Soviet Union lost interest in supporting unpopular Communist leaders in Eastern European countries
Cold War Ends (1945 – 1989)
1989 Fall of Berlin Wall
1990 Reunification of
Germany
1991 Fall of Soviet Union
Modern America
President Bill Clinton
1993 – 2001
Democrat
Vice President Albert Gore, Jr.
Modern America
President Bill Clinton
Federal budget surpluses 1998-2001
December 1998, impeached by House
Senate did not convict Clinton, he remained in office
Modern America 2000 Election
Al Gore – Democrat candidate Won popular vote
George W. Bush – Republican candidate Won electoral vote
Democrats challenged results in court First time Supreme Court ruled in Presidential
election Bush declared winner
Modern America
President George Bush
2001 – 2009
Republican
Vice President Richard Cheney
Cut taxes to offset surplus
No Child Left Behind
2003 Iraq War
Modern America
President Barack Obama
2009 – Present
Democrat
Vice President Joe Biden
First African American President
Health Care Reform