Download Cold War Reading and Anilighting

Name: ____________________________________ Period: _____
Cold War Reading and Anilighting
THE FUTURE OF THE POSTWAR WORLD
At the Yalta Conference, Allied leaders strongly supported an international peacekeeping
group. They also agreed that nations set free from Germany should be able to create their
own governments. After the war Germany was divided into four parts. The United States,
Soviet Union, Great Britain, and France each controlled one part. Inside the Soviet
section, Berlin was also divided.
Allied leaders formed a court to try Nazi leaders. At the Nuremberg trials, 21 former
Nazis were convicted of crimes against humanity. In separate trials, seven Japanese
leaders were sentenced to death.
In 1944 world leaders met to plan the United Nations (UN). The goal of the UN was to
settle global conflicts peacefully. One of the first major actions of the UN was the
division of Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states. Israel joined the United
Nations in 1949.
FROM ALLIES TO ENEMIES
Soon after the war, conflicts arose between former allies-the United States and the Soviet
Union. Stalin expanded control over the nations of Eastern Europe. This helped lead to
the Cold War.
The United States had new policies based on containment of the Soviet Union. These
policies included the Truman Doctrine. This provided aid to countries to help fight
communism. The Marshall Plan was created to help make war-ravaged Europe stable.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact were formed as
rival alliances.
POSTWAR AMERICA
As veterans returned from war, new laws and the GI Bill of Rights eased their transition.
When rationing ended, prices went up as people rushed to buy goods. Unions demanded
pay raises and went on strike. The president and Congress took action to gain more
control over labor disputes.
Many African American soldiers came back to find prejudice and bigotry. President
Truman supported their demands for civil rights laws. Although that support caused him
to lose political strength in the South, he won reelection in 1948. He campaigned on the
promise of a Fair Deal.
THE KOREAN WAR
The Cold War quickly spread from Europe to Asia. The Communists in China, led by
Mao Zedong, gained control of the country. Many Americans worried that all of Asia
might soon become Communist.
The Allies had divided Korea at the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union controlled the
northern half. The United States controlled the southern half. In 1950 North Korean
troops invaded South Korea. The UN sent troops from the United States and 15 other
countries to help South Korea. After capturing the North Korean capital, hundreds of
thousands of Chinese soldiers joined North Korea.
In 1951 the two sides reached a stalemate on the 38th parallel. Dwight D. Eisenhower
was elected president in 1952. He promised to end the war. A truce in 1953 finally
stopped the war. Once again, Korea was divided.
A NEW RED SCARE
The first Red Scare came after the Russian Revolution in 1917. After World War II,
people in the United States again began to fear that Communists would take over.
Starting in 1947 Congress held hearings to look into Communist influence in the movie
industry. Spy cases also increased concerns. Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy
charged that Communists were inside the government. He had no concrete proof, so he
made up some of the charges.
EISENHOWER AND THE COLD WAR
Cold War tension rose around the world. The development of the hydrogen bomb led to a
nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. When Sputnik was
launched in 1957, the United States rushed to launch its own satellite. NASA was a new
agency charged with carrying out space research.
Eisenhower did not agree with Truman’s policy of containment. Instead, he wanted to
turn back the Communist gains. Eisenhower supported the plan of brinkmanship. He used
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to protect democracy in places such as Iran and
Guatemala.
In 1956 Egypt threatened to nationalize the Suez Canal. The United States and the Soviet
Union worked together to prevent war. But the Cold War would continue despite this
mutual aid.
AMERICA’S ECONOMY IN THE 1950S
After the war the American economy grew rapidly. People had money to spend. They felt
financially secure. Many young people married and started families. This led to a baby
boom.
People moved to new parts of the country for better jobs and quality of life. Many
businesses and workers moved to the Sun Belt. The population in this region doubled in
30 years. New highways linked the whole country.
Highways made it easier for people to live in the suburbs and still work in the city. New
growth in the suburbs drew many new homebuyers. By 1970 more people lived in the
suburbs than in cities.
Many families enjoyed the comfort and ease of suburban life. Others criticized it as being
too much based on consumer culture and encouraging conformity. Some suburbs would
not sell homes to African American families.
As white middle-class families moved from the cities, tax income in the cities declined.
As a result, city services were reduced. This hurt people who could not afford to leave the
cities. The federal government began an urban renewal program to improve city life.
AMERICAN POP CULTURE
American life changed quickly in the 1950s. New technologies changed the way
individuals shopped and ate. By the end of the decade, 90 percent of households had a
television set. That meant that people all over the country shared the same experiences of
watching news, entertainment, and sports.
New styles of music developed in the 1950s. African American jazz musicians helped
create a type of music known as Bebop. Bebop was a complex jazz style played at a very
fast pace. At the same time, rock ‘n’ roll was sweeping the nation. Teenagers powered the
rock ‘n’ roll revolution by buying most of the records sold in the late 1950s. Like jazz in
an earlier era, many adults were concerned and they criticized the new forms of music.
SOCIAL CRITICS
Many people were not happy with the way American society was going. Women had few
job choices. Writers found fault with greed and conformity. Beatniks, or beats, used
unusual writing styles and rebellious behavior to pass judgment on society. Many young
people related to the beats. They also identified with defiant characters in popular
movies.
Anilighting Summary:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________