Killian Petetti

Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs

• Alger Hiss was discovered to be a communist by the HUAC in the 1930s

• Hiss was the epitome of communists (lawyer, Harvard, worked for FDR , etc.)

• Hiss denied all of the claims• He was seen innocent by liberals but not

conservatives• Truman denounced Chamber’s allegation

as a “red hearing”

Facts

• Chambers also blamed him of espionage• Hiss gave Chambers gov’t documents and he

kept them• Hiss was charged with perjury• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested for

espionage charges• Some Americans found them to be innocent but

they were sentenced to death• In 1990, Soviet documents prove Julius did

espionage

Facts

The Cold War scared many Americans and it made many people worried about espionage. People who had any suspicious activity were put on trial to see if they were communists or Soviet spies. People were even able to be put to death.

Summary

Alger Hiss and Whittaker Chambers

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Key Terms

Pics

Pics

What could of happened if we did not catch Julius Rosenburg? What secrets could he have stole? Would those secrets have risked national saftey?

Discussion Question

Alger Hiss and The Rosenburgs

By: Jack Brown

Alger Hiss• He was an American lawyer, government official, lecturer, and

author• Accused of being a Soviet spy• Convicted of purgery• Whittaker Chambers (former communist) testified that Hiss

was a communist but not a spy• When Whittaker said this on the radio, Hiss filed a law suit• Then Whittaker admitted to being involved in espionage with

Hiss• Sentenced to ten years in prison• Died after 3 years and always claimed to by innocent

The Rosenburgs• Charged with espionage• Accused of giving info about nuclear weapons to Soviets• The hard evidence that confirmed that Julius Rosenburg was a

spy was only let out in 1995• Decoded Soviet cables are what confirmed the espionage• Cables did not prove Ethel Rosenburg guilty• She was executed anyway• Entire trial consisted of scientist Klaus Fuchs, Harry Gold, David

Greenglass, and the Rosenburgs• Only rosenburgs were executed because all other spy’s gave

Americans info about the other spy’s

Summary

Both Alger Hiss and the Rosenburgs were registered American citizens accused with espionage. During the time of the cold war, the threat of a Soviet attack made some paranoid accusations of espionage were flying left and right and some of the people who caught the bad end of it were Alger Hiss and the Rosenburgs. The conviction of these people only furthered the anxiety of a Soviet attack now with the Americans knowing that they cant trust anyone.

Key Terms

Alger Hiss and Whittaker Chambers- First two people to be involved with an espionage case

Julius and Ethel Rosenburg- coconspirators in a wartime spy network

Discussion

Do you think the severity of the crimes committed were a little exaggerated due to it being a war-time?

Was it right for Whittaker Chambers to not be charged while Hiss went to prison?

LOYALTY AND SECURITY&THE ANTICOMMUNIST CRUSADEBY: SAMSON TESSEMA

KEY TERMSHouse Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) - Committee that held hearings to expose communist influence in American life

FACTS• The Communist Party claimed 80,000 members during

World War II• Truman issued Executive Order 9835, establishing the

Federal Employee Loyalty Program• People were fired for “Reasonable grounds for belief that

the person is disloyal”• 4.7 million jobholders and applicants underwent loyalty

checks by 1952• Some people lost jobs for associating with radical friends

or had once belonged to organizations now declared disloyal

FACTS• By the end of Truman’s presidency, 39 states had loyalty

programs• School teachers, professors, and state and city

employees were forced to sign loyalty oaths• The HUAC frightened the labor movement and made them

avoid progressive causes• The Supreme Court Case (Dennis v. United States)

allowed the curtailment of freedom of speech for national security purposes

• The Communist Party was fading as the politicians magnified its threat

SUMMARYLoyalty had a major impact on the everyday lives of millions of Americans. It scared many Americans and companies into background checks and many were fired because of loyalty. The First Amendment rights were violated but the Supreme Court ruled it okay because it was for national security purposes. Later, however, the Anticommunist Crusade was used a political tool to frame progressives as communists.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONDo you feel it was okay for the government to curtail freedom of speech for national security purposes?

The Fair Deal&

The politics of Anticommunism

Kj McBride

The Fair Deal

Truman proposed a Fair deal agenda that included civil rights, health-care, and federal aidBased on the belief in continual economic growthEnacted the Displaced Persons act of 1948Raised hourly minimum wage from 40 to 75 centsIncreased social-security benefits and coverageExpanded appropriations for public power,

conservation, and slum clearanceAuthorized the construction of nearly a million low-

income houses

The Politics of Anticommunism

A second red scare beganSome Americans concluded that the nations difficulties lay in domestic treason and subversionThe House Un-American Activities committee served as a platform for right-wing denunciations of the new deal as a communist plot

Summary

The fair deal had many new provisions and aids for Americans and would help with many of Americas post war problems. The congress rejected a large portion of the deal and was afraid of communist plots involved. Many people and things were impaired in this period of time because of the fear of communism.

Key Terms

Fair Deal - an ambitious set of proposals put forward by United States President Harry S. Truman to the United States Congress in his January 1949 State of the Union address.

Second Red Scare – AKA: McCarthyism - fear of communist espionage

Discussion questions

• What issues were found in Truman's Fair Deal?• What could be added or taken away from it to

make it better?

• Why was everyone so afraid of the communists?

Politics of Civil Rights &Election of 1948

Morgan Gilmer

Politics of Civil Rights• War heightened expectations of African-

Americans for equality• Many pushed for fair employment and

outlawing of lynching• Southern whites reacted brutally• Truman said he would act to help

African Americans• Established President’s Committee on

Civil Rights

Election of 1948• Considered the greatest election upset in American history• Truman endorsed weak civil-rights bill to keep Southern

support after founding President’s Committee on Civil Rights– Lost Democrat support because of anti-Soviet policies

• Eisenhower was urged to run but did not want to• Dixiecrats– hoped to restore “southern way of life”• Dewey decided to run in conservative manner because he

already had many votes• Truman took to the road to help rebuild the broken up

Democrats• Truman shockingly won the election

SummaryAfter World War II, African Americans returned hoping to have equal rights. They were met

with protests and resistance from conservatives. Truman tried to help them, but

he decided to run in 1948 with a weak Civil Rights plan to keep Southern support. Everyone

expected the win in the election to go to Thomas Dewey, but Truman was reelected with help from the moderate Democrats because of

global affairs and the radical ways of the opposing parties.

Key Terms• President’s Committee on Civil Rights

Politics of Civil Rights

Election of 1948

Discussion

What events and conditions in America allowed the moderate Truman to beat

the radical Thomas Dewey in the election of 1948?

The Truman Administration at Home, 1945-1952

andThe Eightieth Congress,

1947-1948

Miriam van der Spek

Truman Facts• Family and career, not public issues, interested most

Americans.• 2nd and 3rd generation white Americans began to

reject liberals at the polls.• Voters cared more about the growing crime rate and

the decline in family authority than about the civil rights of African-Americans.

• They feared communist subversives, not the loss of civil liberties.

• Anticommunism was wanted, and people wanted victory in the Cold War, not a standstill like what was occurring.

Congress Facts• Massive post-war strikes created a national consensus

for curbing union power.• In 1947, more than 20 states passed laws restricting

union activity and Congress passed the Taft-Hartly act (Labor-Management Relations Act).

• The act weakened organizing drives in the nonunion South and West (relocating labor intensive industries from Northeast and Midwest),and also drove leftists from CIO positions of power (weakening organized labor as a force for social justice).

• Truman vetoed the bill in hopes of gaining voters for the 1948 election, but Congress overrode his opposition.

• Congress defeated Democratic bill to raise the minimum wage and to provide federal funds for education and housing.

Key Terms• Trumannone

• CongressTaft-Hartly Act

SummeryThe Truman Administration sparked many new ideals. People in America began to worry more about themselves then the good overall. Conservative views began to replace the former liberal ones, and civil rights and unemployment no longer mattered. What they wanted was a victory in the Cold War, a decline in crime and a rise in family authority and lower taxes. They wanted an administration who would cost them little, and didn’t worry about whether justice was served or not.In the Eightieth Congress, many appeals from democrats were shot down, while congress worked to pass the Taft-Hartly Act, an act that would weaken unions and give the power to the government to call off any strike. Truman vetoed this bill, but was eventually over-ruled. Truman’s main reason for this was the want to be re-elected in the 1948 elections. His want for re-election also caused him to stress opposition for the Iron Curtain, over-rode objections of the state department, and widely offered sympathies to Holocaust and War survivors.

Truman Administration Pictures

The Eightieth Congress Pictures

Discussion QuestionHow did the Taft-Hartly Act affect America in the 1940s?

THE KOREAN WARJACK WHEATLEY

Anti-Communist South Korean strength: 972,214 (326,863 Americans)Communist North Korean strength: 1,642,600Lasted June 25th, 1950-July 27th,1983First armed conflict in the global struggle between democracy and communism (Cold War)Gen. Douglas MacArthur was declared commander of the U.N. forces supporting South Korea, but was later replaced after publicly criticizing U.S. policy and threatening the Chinese with massive retaliation.

FACTS

FACTSSouth Korean strength dead/missing/wounded: 178,426 (33,741 American Deaths); 32,925; 566,434North Korean strength: 367,283-750,282; 686,500-789,00038th parallel divided Korea into North and South territories, and was the location for much of the fightingWar ended with Korean Armistice Agreement, signed in Panmunjom, which kept North and South Korea separate after warAlso known as “Forgotten War,” “Fatherland Liberation War” in North Korea, “Six-Two-Five War” in South Korea, & “War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea” in China

SUMMARY• After World War II, Korea was divided across thirty-eighth

parallel. The line divided the country into the American-supported Anti-Communist South Korea and the Soviet-supported Communist North Korea. On June 25th 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korean troops to capture the South Korean capital of Seoul. However, right as the UN Troops were cornered on the tip of a peninsula, at risk of falling into the sea, General Douglas MacArthur of the United States made a brilliant tactical move to provide help from the sea and push the North Koreans back. Within two weeks, the North Koreans had been pushed back all the way across the 38th Parallel. MacArthur wanted to pursue the North Koreans all the way into their home country.

SUMMARY, CONT’DWith President Harry S. Truman being angry about the communism in North Korea, he gave the general consent. However, when the Chinese threatened to counterattack if the fighting raged past the Yalu River (Border between Korea and China), and did so, the South Korean strength suffered a major setback. Truman fired MacArthur for insubordination after he called for an escalation of the war while Truman wished to prevent a world war, not start one. However, the American citizens supported general MacArthur to get back at communism.

SUMMARY, CONT’DHowever, the American citizens supported general MacArthur to get back at communism. In a lose-lose situation for Truman, the fighting raged on in a stalemate for two years until the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, separating Korea into North and South Korea across the 38th Parallel (nothing had changed.) The whole war did not accomplish much, and cost the United States excess of $54 billion. It increased defense spending from $13 billion to $60 billion. The U.S. army more than doubled. And by agreeing to a military pact with Australia and New Zealand and committing itself to rearm Germany, the American dollars were flowing out like waterfalls. They were also covering nearly three-fourths of French war costs in Vietnam. The only main success for the U.S. is that they prevented some of the communism in North Korea.

KEY TERMSKorean War38th Parallel and Communism also very important

DISCUSSION QUESTIONWho truly won the Korean War??Why did the North Koreans cross the 38th Parallel and attack the South Koreans in the first place??

The Cold War in Asia By: Josh Vergules

The US tried to block communist influence in China and funded Nationalists efforts headed by Jiang Jieshi

US failed to stop communism in China and Mao Zedong established the Communist People’s Republic of China (PRC)

After Jiang’s defeat he and his regime collapsed and withdrew to Taiwan

The United Nations refused to recognize the PRC and proclaimed Jiang’s Nationalist regime in Taiwan the legitimate government of China

FACTS

In 1949 Soviets explode their first nuclear bomb Americans panicked practiced air raid drills and

built bomb shelters to protect them against a nuclear soviet attack

Truman ordered a crash program to build a fusion-based hydrogen bomb

In November 1952 the US detonated first Hydrogen bomb named “Mike”

Nine months later the soviets detonated their own Hydrogen bomb

Truman Called for a review of defense policies the secret report NSC-68, emphasized soviet strength the US tried to counteract this with a large army and a surplus of nuclear weapons

FACTS

This chapter talks about America’s war on communism starting with their failed attempt to reform china

The Chapter then shifts its focus to the increased tensions between USSR and the USA starting with the nuclear race and then a secret report which caused a enlargement of the US armed forces and Nuclear weapon supply

SUMMARY

Mao Zedong NSC-68

KEY TERMS

PICTURES

PICTURES

What would it be like if the Cold War with Russia resulted in Nuclear warfare, and what effect would it have on our daily life now?

DISSCUSION QUESTION

Containing CommunismandConfrontation in Germany

By: Garrett Cantor

FactsFebruary 21, 1947 – Britain tells US they can no longer afford to help Turkey and Greece fight the communistsMarch 12, 1947 – Truman asks for $400 million in military aidCongress set up DoD and CIAGermany divided into 4 zones, Berlin divided into 4 zonesStalin blockaded West BerlinTruman orders B-29 bombers to EnglandStalin ends blockade after US airlifts suppliesUS, Britain, and France end occupation of West Germany and allow the Federal Republic of Germany to formUS forms NATO to protect West Europe from Russian attackTruman convinces Congress to set aside $1.3 billion for NATO countries and convinces Dwight Eisenhower to become Supreme Commander of NATO forces

Summary Starting in February of 1947, when Britain

informed the US that it could no longer afford to fight the communist threat in Turkey and Greece, the United States became the “global policeman”. As the economies of Western Europe grinded to a halt, and the communists began to gain support for their cause, Truman decided that something had to be done. He convinced Congress to send $400 million In military assistance to Turkey and Greece to fight in the “universal struggle of freedom against tyranny.

Summary The Soviets response to American actions was to

keep a watchful eye on Eastern Europe. As Western powers tried to unite their regions of Germany, the Soviets decided to lock down Berlin. Even though it was split into 4 parts, it was deep inside East Germany and the USSR decided to lock down any routes through their zone to Berlin. Truman ordered frequent air drops until this ended in 1949. After West Germany was officially its own nation, the United States, Canada, and Western European powers formed NATO to keep the Soviet Union at Bay.

Key Terms

Truman DoctrineNational Security Act of 1947Marshall PlanBerlin AirliftNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Pictures

Pictures

Discussion

• Why was it necessary for Truman to call for the creation of NATO?

• Why did the United States feel the need to combat the communists in Greece and Turkey?

Polarization and Cold War&

The Iron Curtain Emily Higginson

Polarization and Cold War • Joseph Stalin wanted to end the Soviet Union’s

weakness of invasions from the west by having an military-free Germany and a line of nations friendly with Russia along the its western edge.

• Stalin wanted dominance in Eastern Europe and encouraged independent countries to turn to a communist government.

• Truman did not want to allow Soviet rule past Russia’s borders and opposed the idea of dictators.

• They could not get along so they stayed very separate from one another.

• The Cold war began when the Americans met up with the Soviets to celebrate the ending of Hitler’s ruling.

Iron Curtain• The Soviet Union wanted to be separate from all non-

communist areas. • The Soviet Union was to the East of this “curtain” and

on the West, states established their own global financial and armed alliances.

• The Iron Curtain was given its name from Winston Churchill in a speech given to warn everyone of the threat to Western democracies (Moscow).

• The Soviet Union began to develop nuclear weapons and Truman tried to get them to stop but they refused.

• U.S. started to develop nuclear weapons of their own to prepare for the worst.

• Less than a year later, Soviet and American soldiers met at a river to celebrate the defeat of Hitler when the Cold War began.

SummarySoviet leader Joseph Stalin and Harry S. Truman did not agree on “enforcing sovietization” on other countries. Stalin wanted more countries to have a communist government and Truman did not. The U.S. and Soviet Union did not want to have military fighting between one another. Winston Churchill gave a speech about the separation of communist countries and independent countries using the term Iron Curtain (A border separating the West from the Soviets) and the president supported this speech. Many believe this was the start to The Cold War which was a war where there was no military action, only things like threats passed between countries.

Key Terms• George F. Keenan• Containment

Pictures

Pictures

Discussion QuestionDo you think that the Cold War was successful? Why/Why not?

The Economic Boom & Truman’s Domestic Program

By: A.J. Drobot

The Economic Boom Facts

The Economic Boom Facts:• During the boom Americans spent an estimated $135 billion

dollars in money saved from the war.• New products boomed such as televisions, phonographs,

automatic transmissions and freezers.• The Bretton Woods agreement among all the allies had set the

stage for the U.S. to become the economic leader of the noncommunist world.

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stabilized exchange rates by valuing other currencies related to the U.S. dollar.

• This helped create the International Bank for Recreation and Development.

Truman’s Domestic Program Facts

Truman’s Domestic Program Facts:• Nicknamed the “fair deal”• Marked a new stage in the history of Modern Liberalism in the U.S.,

but the Conservative Coalition dominant in Congress.• Helped repeal the Taft-Hartley Act• His most important proposals were to help education• The only significant domestic accomplishment was the Employment

Act of 1946

SummaryThe Economic Boom was a period of time after the war had ended. Families were able to save a lot of money while their loved ones were away at war and woman had to work which also brought in more money. When the men returned American’s turned into consumers rather than producers and spent over $135 billion dollars between the period of late 1946-1956.

The Truman Domestic Program was a program designed to help out American’s here at home that were not in good situations financially. The program was known as the “fair deal” and increased minimum wages. Truman was hoping he could focus on education but the only real accomplishment he had was passing the Employment Act of 1946.

Economic BoomLevittown, NY

Truman’s Domestic ProgramPolitical Cartoon of all the

things going on while Truman was working on his domestic program.

Discussion QuestionsSince the economy boomed as a direct result of the war, why hasn’t that occurred with our economy after any other war?

How does Truman’s efforts in your opinion influence today’s society?

Economic Boom

Truman’s Domestic Program

Demobilization and ReconversionAND The G.I. Bill of RightsJosh Shikoff

Period 9

Summary of Demobilization and Reconversion

Demobilization- the process of being discharged/disbanded from the militaryReconversion-The act of re-converting back to a previous state or conditionFollowing the Cold War in 1945, civilians want the soldiers to return home. After Truman agreed to this popular demand, the soldiers were able to return home, resulting in a weaker military. The returning vets faced readjustment problems such as divorce and a lack of available housing, and fear of unemployment rose. As a result, by the end of the decade, more women were working outside of the house in traditional jobs.

Demobilization and Reconversion FACTS

• Civilians and Soldiers used sayings like “Home alive in ’45” and “No Boats, No Votes” in order to convince the Congress to let them return home

• In one day in December 1945, sixty thousand postcards arrived at the white house saying “Bring the boys home by Christmas”

• In 1948, the American military strength dropped from 12 million to 1.5 million

• In 1946, Defense spending dropped from 76 billion to 20 billion

• More than 1 million defense jobs vanished

Demobilization and Reconversion Pictures

Summary of The GI Bill of Rights

The GI Bill of Rights was designed to forestall the expected recession by easing veterans back into the daily American lifestyle.

What it provided veterans with• Jobs in the work force, even if it meant taking jobs from women• Occupational guidance• 52 week unemployment benefits(if needed)• Veterans Hospitals• Low Interest loans to help buy homes, start businesses, start farms• A paid four years of education or job training

The aftermath of the GI Bill was a large increase in veterans education= veterans into the middle class= heightening of the postwar demand for goods and services=better economy

The GI Bill of Rights FACTS

• Also know as the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944

• 4 million vets bought loans with government loans• In 1946, 1.5 million veterans were attending college.

By 1956, 10 million vets used the GI Bill to enroll in colleges

• Veterans made up over half the college students in 1947

• To make room for veterans, many colleges had to limit the amount of women or incoming students that were allowed to be admitted to the colleges

• 15 billion dollars spent by government for veterans education

GI Bill Pictures

Key Terms

GI Bill

Discussion QuestionsIf you were in Truman’s position in the 1940’s, would you have agreed to send the soldiers home well knowing your military would take a hit? Do you agree with the passing of the GI Bill? If so, why, if not, why not? What controversies do you think came up with the passing of the GI Bill?What do you think were some of the long term effects of the GI Bill?