Download Chapters 35 and 36 Learning Activity Packet 2016

AP US History
Name:
Date:
The Cold War Part I: The Early Years, 1946-52
The American Pageant, Chapter 35 and some Chapter 36
Period 8: 1945-1980
Key Concept 8.1: The United States responded to an uncertain and unstable postwar world
by asserting and attempting to defend a position of global leadership with far reaching
domestic and global consequences.
Learning Target:
In this activity you will be introduced to the Cold War and the drastic changes that the US would
face in the post-WWII world during the early years of the Cold War. Here, we examine how the
US would emerge from the war as a world power, different ways we conduct ourselves abroad to
fight the communist threat, the ways we tried to prevent communism from infiltrating the US
government, and the social impact of the early years of the Cold War within the US.
The Cold War: Introduction
In the post-WWII period, the US assumed a position of global leadership and experienced
unprecedented prosperity. At the same time, the country grappled with domestic and
international issues as it sought to define itself and struggled with living up to its stated values.
The Cold War began after World War II, when two former allies, the US and the USSR, emerged
as rival superpowers. The perceived threat of communist aggression presented several challenges
to the US. The US changed in many ways as a result of the Cold War. The country became much
more engaged in the affairs of the world and assumed a leading role in the opposition to
communism. In addition, the nation changed domestically. New programs were initiated during
the Cold War. Some of these programs helped allay people’s concerns about the threat of
communism, while some initiatives might have added to people’s fears.
In many ways, WWII was a watershed in American society. The postwar world was almost
indistinguishable from the prewar world. A more modern, more affluent society emerged in the
postwar era – one unimaginable in the depth of the Great Depression.
This period also witnessed the high tide of American liberalism, with the election of the youthful
JFK, a series of progressive decisions by the Warren Court, the implementation of President
Johnson’s “Great Society” programs, and the successful passage of landmark civil rights
legislation.
Finally, the 1960’s and 1970’s saw the unraveling of the liberal agenda as the war in Vietnem
sucked valuable resources from social programs and urban rioting highlighted the limits of the
federal government’s ability to address the problems of the African-American underclass. These
years saw violence in the streets of American cities, a widening and eventual abandonment of the
war in Vietnam, assassinations of major public figures, and naton-wide energy crisis and a major
political scandal that brought down a sitting president. The roots of a resurgent conservative
movement can be seen toward the end of this period.
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From Barron’s AP US History Test Prep Book, 2015
Dividing-up Post-War Germany and the Division of the East and West
1. What decisions about the post-war world were made at the Yalta Conference in 1945?
2. Explain how Germany and its capital city of Berlin were to be divided into zones of
occupation at the wars end. Draw a map if you like.
3. How did this division promote stress between east and west (commie vs. democracy)?
4. Describe what happened during the Berlin Crisis and explain the purpose of the
organization that was formed as a result of the crisis.
Dropping the “Iron Curtain”
1. Explain the relationship between the following: George Kennan, containment,
Greece/Turkey, Truman Doctrine
2. What was the Marshall Plan and what is its relationship to the Truman Doctrine?
3. What was the main idea of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech? Where did he
present this speech and why there?
The Early Cold War in Asia
1. Who was in charge of rebuilding Japan after WWII? What were the successes of
reconstruction there?
2. Explain how Truman “lost” China to communism. How would this effect American
foreign policy in Asia for future presidents for the remainder of the Cold War era?
3. The Korean War: The first “hot” war of the Cold War and a test of Containment policy
a. How did the US become involved in the civil war in Korea?
b. Why did Truman refer to this as a “police action”?
c. What role did the 38th parallel play in this war (and still today)?
d. What was China’s role in the war?
e. Why was this war not as popular as WWII?
f. Was the Korean War a success or failure of Containment policy?
Domestic Policy during the Early Years of the Cold War
1. Describe each of the following as they relate to promoting a strong post-war domestic
economy.
a. GI Bill (Serviceman’s Readjustment Act)
b. Reconversion
c. Taft-Hartley Act
2. Describe each of the following as they relate to promoting domestic security or
increasing the size and power of the federal government in its war on communism.
a. National Security Act of 1947
b. Federal Employees Loyalty and Security Program (Executive Order 9835)
c. Internal Security Act (McCarran Act)
d. House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC)
e. NSC 68
3. Describe the Cold War spy cases of Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs.
4. Explain the term “McCarthyism”. Include information about Joseph McCarthy’s rise to
fame, use of the media, the impact of his accusations, and his downfall.
Social Impacts of the Cold War
1. Describe the social impact of the early Cold War years in the US, including information
about:
a. American prosperity
b. The Baby Boom
c. Women’s roles (real and perceived)
d. Education
e. Religion
f. Suburban growth