Chapter 28

Truman: Neither War Nor Peace

   Beginnings of the Cold War Dealing With a New World President in His Own Right  The Korean War

Beginnings of the Cold War Section 1  Truman  United Nations  Controlling the Atom  Problems with the Russians  Truman Doctrine

A. Characteristics of Truman

       Missouri No College Education Farmer Served in WWI County Judge Senator Very intelligent, hard working, and fair

B. Building a New World Organization  United Nations—replaced League of nations and goal was to preserve peace  US Congress ratified UN Charter with a vote of 8-2

United Nations (continued)

 General Assembly— Included delegates from every member nation. (town hall meeting of the world) – Each member got one vote (except for Russia which got 3) – Responsible for budget and electing new members

United Nations (continued)

 Security Council—eleven members including the Big Five (police force of the world) – Big Five had permanent seats and right to veto – Others were elected to two-year terms – Looked into disputes

C. Controlling the Atom

  Bernard Baruch— proposed a world agency that would oversee atomic energy and inspect atomic plants.

Program failed because of the USSR

D. Problems with the Russians

   Forced Communism on Poland Eastern European Countries became Communist Iron Curtain—term used by Churchill to describe the line between Soviet dominated Europe and the West.

Problems with the Russians (continued)  Soviets prevented free passage of people, information, and ideas across its borders.

 Turkey and Greece were both facing Communist insurgents  Atomic secrets had been leaked to the Russians

E. Warnings about Russia

 Containment—trying to keep the Soviet Union from expanding its area of influence  George Keenan—warned that Communism must be contained because they plan to conquer the world.

F. The Truman Doctrine

   Dean Ascheson—warned that if Greece fell to Communism, Asia, Africa, and Europe were in grave danger George Marshall (along with Ascheson)— developed a plan so this would not happen.

Truman Doctrine—US policy of economic and military support to those who were being subjugated to outside forces

G. Greek-Turkish Aid Bill

 First law giving aid to oppose Communist expansion  Helped defeat the influence of Communism in their countries

H. Marshall Plan (ERP)

  US would help Europe economically over the next 3-4 years to keep its economy healthy and invulnerable.

Huge Success…in addition, they were able to buy our goods and kept our economy flourishing.

I. Point Four Program

 Gave economic aid to the poor free nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America

Section 2: Dealing with a New World      Bringing the Boys Home Atomic Energy Act Converting to Peacetime Taft-Hartley Act An Active Congress      The Fair Deal Problems with Germany Berlin Blockade NATO Election of 1948

A. Bringing the Boys Home

 1946—armed forces decreased from 12 million to 3 million  GI Bill of Rights – Provided hospitals and clinics – Payments to unemployed veterans – Preference for federal jobs – Free tuition, books, and on-the-job training

B. Atomic Energy Act

 Transferred the control of atomic energy from government to civilian hands  However, all production facilities and nuclear plants would be government owned.

 Commission was set up to control the peacetime development of atomic energy

C. Converting to Peacetime

   1 st time the nation did not face a depression after the war No shortage of jobs Troubled by strikes, shortages of resources, and inflation.

D. The Taft-Hartley Act

 Limited Union activities in order to prevent strikes and corruption – Outlawed the closed shop—had to pay dues to join a union – Allowed the union shop—required workers to join a union – Permitted states to enact a right-to-work law—forbid the union shop in that state – Law was passed over Truman’s veto.

E. An Active Congress

 Lowered taxes (especially for the wealthy)  Cut back on aid to farmers, social security, and education  22 nd Amendment—limited a president to two terms  Presidential Succession Act—changed the order in which someone became President if the President dies during office.

F. Truman’s Fair Deal

 Extension of FDR’s New Deal that included civil rights laws.

– Desegregated armed forces – Appointed first black governor and judge – Fought for rights of blacks in civil rights cases

G. The Problem of Germany

   After WWII, Germany was split into 4 zones of occupation: US, Russia, Britain, and France.

US, Britain, and France merged their together to become one territory Russia felt threatened and started the Berlin Blockade

H. Potsdam Conference

 Leaders met to confirm that Nazi “war criminals” would be tried  Many were executed.

 Many Japanese leaders later faced the same fate

I. The Berlin Blockade

 Germany was divided into eastern and western Germany  Russia banned all supplies from entering West Berlin to prevent the Western Powers from forming a government there.

J. Berlin Airlift

 US, England, and France supplied the city with clothing, food and coal by air (Berlin Airlift)   Russia accepted defeat and lifted the ban The two sides remained separated with Eastern Germany becoming a satellite nation of Russia.

K. NATO

 North Atlantic Treaty Organization— Atlantic Pact that created allies between the US, Canada and ten other Western European nation – Military enforcement for the prevention of the spread of communism – Eisenhower is named first Commander of NATO forces

L. The Election of 1948

   Tom Dewey—R Truman –D Democrats were divided: – Dixiecrats—insisted on segregation of blacks and nominated Strom Thurmond – Progressives—believed in cooperating with Russia and nominated Henry Wallace – Truman still wins despite the division due to his hard work on his campaign.

Section 3: President in His Own Right  Truman’s Fair Deal (pros and cons)  The Second Red Scare  World Situation Worsens  Rise of McCarthyism  Protecting the United States

A. Fair Deal

  Successful: minimum wage increase, extension of social security, and money for projects to help the poor Unsuccessful: civil rights laws, national health insurance, and aid to farmers

B. The Second Red Scare

 House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)—held public hearings against those who were suspicious of communist activities  Richard Nixon—one of the most active members of the HUAC.

 Alger Hiss—accused of providing documents to the Russians. “Red Herring”

C. World Situation Worsens

 Soviet Union explodes an atomic bomb in 1949  Klaus Fuchs—confessed to giving Russians secrets about the bomb  China becomes Communist under Mao Zedong

D. Rise of McCarthyism

 Joseph McCarthy— senator who claimed that the State department was infested with Communists

E. Protecting the US

   McCarran Act—required all Communist Organizations to register with the Attorney General McCarran-Warren Act—new immigration law to keep out Communists.

– Quota system, loyalty checks, and deportation Rosenbergs—sentenced to death for giving key secrets to Russians about the bomb.