Peace with Problems: Peace with Problems: 1945-19601945-1960

Chapter 15Chapter 15

Section 2Section 2

A Global Cold WarA Global Cold War

The The Cold WarCold War rivalry rivalry between the between the United StatesUnited States and the and the Soviet UnionSoviet Union expanded to all parts of the expanded to all parts of the worldworld including Asia, including Asia, Africa, and Latin America.Africa, and Latin America.

ChinaChina

U.S. policymakersU.S. policymakers hoped hoped that China would that China would eventually become a strong eventually become a strong and prosperous and prosperous democracydemocracy after Japan was defeated after Japan was defeated in World War II.in World War II.

ChinaChina was in danger of becoming was in danger of becoming a a CommunistCommunist nation. nation.

Mao ZedongMao Zedong led the communist led the communist revolution in China. (1945-1949) revolution in China. (1945-1949)

Mao Zedong’s Rise To PowerMao Zedong’s Rise To Power China, the most populous nation in the China, the most populous nation in the

world, had a huge population of world, had a huge population of peasantspeasants who toiled in who toiled in povertypoverty. .

A discontented young peasant named A discontented young peasant named Mao Mao ZedongZedong decided in the 1920s that the time decided in the 1920s that the time had come for the Chinese working class had come for the Chinese working class (industrial workers and peasants) to take (industrial workers and peasants) to take control of their government and adopt a control of their government and adopt a CommunistCommunist system. system.

Mao ZedongMao Zedong

General Jiang JieshiGeneral Jiang Jieshi (old spelling Chiang (old spelling Chiang Kai-shek) battled for control of China Kai-shek) battled for control of China against against Mao Zedong’sMao Zedong’s Communist forces. Communist forces.

General Jiang Jieshi with his General Jiang Jieshi with his NationalistNationalist supporters fled to the island of supporters fled to the island of TaiwanTaiwan in in 1949 after suffering defeats on the 1949 after suffering defeats on the battlefield. battlefield.

General Jiang Jieshi General Jiang Jieshi

Above: General Jiang Jieshi with Above: General Jiang Jieshi with Roosevelt and Churchill Roosevelt and Churchill

The A-BombThe A-Bomb

The The Soviet UnionSoviet Union tested the tested the A-A-BombBomb in in 19491949..

Now that Now that RussiaRussia announcing it had announcing it had nuclearnuclear weapons was an important weapons was an important event for not only the event for not only the United United StatesStates but for the but for the worldworld because because now the world now had to live in now the world now had to live in fearfear that someday such weapons that someday such weapons might be might be usedused in a in a warwar capable of capable of destroyingdestroying all all lifelife on the on the planetplanet..

The The Manhattan ProjectManhattan Project cost cost the United States government the United States government 2 trillion dollars. 2 trillion dollars.

It was the most It was the most expensiveexpensive building project in the history building project in the history of mankind.of mankind.

Do you know what the Do you know what the atomic bombs names were atomic bombs names were that were dropped on that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

Little Boy (Nuclear fission of Little Boy (Nuclear fission of uranium 235).uranium 235).

Fat Man (Filled with Plutonium)Fat Man (Filled with Plutonium)

Enola GayEnola Gay

In 1952 the United States announced In 1952 the United States announced that it had developed a weapon that it had developed a weapon thousandsthousands of times more destructive of times more destructive than the atomic bomb, or than the atomic bomb, or A-bombA-bomb..

Its new weapon was the Its new weapon was the HydrogenHydrogen bomb or bomb or H-bombH-bomb..

Russian Hydrogen bombRussian Hydrogen bomb

Crater blast left by a hydrogen Crater blast left by a hydrogen bombbomb

Atom Bomb DescriptionAtom Bomb Description

What are Americans going to do out of fear of What are Americans going to do out of fear of nuclear attack back home?nuclear attack back home?

Show students websites depicting atomic and Show students websites depicting atomic and hydrogen bomb detonations. hydrogen bomb detonations.

Korean WarKorean War

The United States became The United States became involved with the involved with the Korean Korean WarWar five years after World five years after World War II.War II.

The main event that caused the The main event that caused the United States to become involved in United States to become involved in the Korean War was U.S. the Korean War was U.S. oppositionopposition to to communismcommunism which resulted from which resulted from the sudden attack by a the sudden attack by a North Korean North Korean armyarmy (Communist) against the (Communist) against the territory of territory of South KoreaSouth Korea..

Truman used his power as Truman used his power as commander in chiefcommander in chief to conduct an to conduct an undeclaredundeclared war in Korea, which he war in Korea, which he called a police action. called a police action.

Truman managed to declare war on Truman managed to declare war on North Korea North Korea withoutwithout Congress’s Congress’s approval.approval.

ChinaChina got involved in the got involved in the Korean War by siding with the Korean War by siding with the Communist North Korea.Communist North Korea.

Chinese Chinese troops troops taken as taken as prisoners prisoners during the during the Korean Korean WarWar.

MacArthurMacArthur urged President Truman urged President Truman to permit him to drop to permit him to drop atomic bombsatomic bombs on Chinese bases in Manchuria, a on Chinese bases in Manchuria, a part of part of ChinaChina, in order to stop the , in order to stop the Chinese attack. Chinese attack.

Truman refused to give his Truman refused to give his permission, wishing to pursue a permission, wishing to pursue a ““limited warlimited war” in Korea. ” in Korea.

He feared that bombing China would He feared that bombing China would probably result in a far larger and probably result in a far larger and more dangerous war. more dangerous war.

MacArthur campaigned anyways to bomb MacArthur campaigned anyways to bomb China and at this point in 1951, President China and at this point in 1951, President Truman Truman removedremoved MacArthur as the MacArthur as the commander of UN forces in Korea. commander of UN forces in Korea.

Truman concluded that he could not allow Truman concluded that he could not allow MacArthur to challenge the president’s MacArthur to challenge the president’s authority as authority as commander in chiefcommander in chief. .

The decision to remove The decision to remove MacArthur was MacArthur was notnot an easy one an easy one because it took courage to remove because it took courage to remove a a generalgeneral that was that was popularpopular with with the American people and a World the American people and a World War II war hero. War II war hero.

General MacArthurGeneral MacArthur

““Old soldiers never die, they just Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”fade away.”

Harry TrumanHarry Truman

Harry TrumanHarry Truman was also the was also the first president to use economic first president to use economic aid to fight the cold war.aid to fight the cold war.

Truman’s Point Four ProgramTruman’s Point Four Program

Foreign aidForeign aid sent to sent to developing countries in Asia, developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America Africa, and Latin America for helping to combat for helping to combat hunger and starvation.hunger and starvation.

Cold War at homeCold War at home In this time of Communist In this time of Communist expansionexpansion, ,

many Americans wondered whether many Americans wondered whether their own their own countrycountry might be a target of might be a target of Communist plots. Communist plots.

They They fearedfeared that Communists that Communists spiesspies and Communist and Communist sympathizerssympathizers might might be anywhere, working as secret agents be anywhere, working as secret agents of the Soviet government.of the Soviet government.

Loyalty ChecksLoyalty Checks

To determine whether an To determine whether an federalfederal employee was likely to be employee was likely to be loyalloyal or or disloyaldisloyal, Truman ordered the , Truman ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Civil Service (FBI) and the Civil Service Commission to find out about the Commission to find out about the employee’s past employee’s past associationsassociations. .

Some Some 3 million3 million government government workers were investigated workers were investigated because of the because of the loyalty testsloyalty tests..

Smith ActSmith Act

The law prohibited any group The law prohibited any group from advocating or teaching from advocating or teaching the the violentviolent overthrow of the overthrow of the U.S. U.S. governmentgovernment and also and also prohibitedprohibited any person from any person from belonging to such a belonging to such a groupgroup. .

In effect, since U.S. Communists In effect, since U.S. Communists advocated the overthrow of advocated the overthrow of capitalist governments (although not capitalist governments (although not necessarily by violence), the Smith necessarily by violence), the Smith Act made it Act made it illegalillegal for U.S. citizens for U.S. citizens to to joinjoin the the Communist PartyCommunist Party..

Do you think that the Smith Do you think that the Smith Act violates the first Act violates the first amendment under the amendment under the Constitution?Constitution?

According to the Supreme Court According to the Supreme Court Case of Dennis et al. vs. United Case of Dennis et al. vs. United States (1951) the first States (1951) the first amendment rights had amendment rights had notnot been been violatedviolated because it presented a because it presented a clear and present dangerclear and present danger of the of the public when the speech is about public when the speech is about overthrowing the government by overthrowing the government by force and violence. force and violence.

Yates vs. United States (1971)Yates vs. United States (1971)

For the law to be violated, said the For the law to be violated, said the Court, a speaker must Court, a speaker must encourageencourage people to do something, not merely people to do something, not merely believebelieve in something. in something.

Any idea could be advocated so Any idea could be advocated so long as the speaker did not urge long as the speaker did not urge people to commit people to commit dangerousdangerous acts. acts.

McCarran ActMcCarran Act

An anti-communist law aimed at An anti-communist law aimed at ““Communist-frontCommunist-front” organizations. ” organizations.

Such groups did not identify Such groups did not identify themselves as Communists but were themselves as Communists but were accused of either receiving support accused of either receiving support from the Communists or including from the Communists or including Communist members. Communist members.

The law required all The law required all CommunistCommunist and and Communist-front organizations to file Communist-front organizations to file membershipmembership lists and lists and financialfinancial statements statements with the U.S. attorney general. with the U.S. attorney general.

It also It also prohibitedprohibited the the employmentemployment in national in national defense plants of Communists or members of defense plants of Communists or members of Communist-front organizations and the Communist-front organizations and the entryentry into the into the United StatesUnited States of Communists of Communists or former Communists.or former Communists.

House Un-American Activities House Un-American Activities CommitteeCommittee

Called before the House committee, a Called before the House committee, a labor organizer named labor organizer named John WatkinsJohn Watkins answered questions about his own answered questions about his own dealings with Communist groups. dealings with Communist groups.

But he But he refusedrefused to answer to answer questionsquestions about the activities of other persons he about the activities of other persons he knew. He believed that such questions knew. He believed that such questions were not were not relevantrelevant to the committee’s to the committee’s work. work.

Watkins was Watkins was convictedconvicted of violating a of violating a federal law that made it a crime to federal law that made it a crime to refuse to answer a refuse to answer a congressionalcongressional committee’s questions.committee’s questions.

The Supreme Court decided that The Supreme Court decided that Watkins’s conviction was not valid. Watkins’s conviction was not valid.

The Court ruled that a witness at a The Court ruled that a witness at a congressional hearing congressional hearing maymay properly properly refuse to answer any committee refuse to answer any committee question that does not relate to the question that does not relate to the committee’s lawmaking task.committee’s lawmaking task.

Alger HissAlger Hiss

Hiss, a former State Hiss, a former State Department official accused Department official accused of of spyingspying for the for the Soviet Soviet UnionUnion, was convicted of , was convicted of perjuryperjury and sentenced to and sentenced to five years in five years in prisonprison..

Alger HissAlger Hiss

The Rosenberg TrialThe Rosenberg Trial

It was a much publicized case of It was a much publicized case of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, who Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, who were convicted of were convicted of spyingspying and passing and passing nuclearnuclear secrets to the secrets to the Soviet UnionSoviet Union..

They were They were executedexecuted in 1953, at the in 1953, at the height of anti-Communist hysteria height of anti-Communist hysteria that gripped the nation.that gripped the nation.

J. Robert OppenheimerJ. Robert Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer, who had successfully Oppenheimer, who had successfully directed U.S. efforts to build the first directed U.S. efforts to build the first atomicatomic bomb, took a stand against the bomb, took a stand against the development of the more powerful development of the more powerful hydrogenhydrogen bomb. bomb.

Accused of being a Accused of being a CommunistCommunist, he was , he was forced to leave his post and endured forced to leave his post and endured public humiliation.public humiliation.

McCarthyismMcCarthyism Term used to describe the Term used to describe the

activities of Wisconsin Senator activities of Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthyJoseph McCarthy, who gained , who gained national prominence by making national prominence by making unsubstantiated accusations of unsubstantiated accusations of disloyalty and espionage against disloyalty and espionage against numerous government officials.numerous government officials.

EisenhowerEisenhower The next president following Truman The next president following Truman

would be would be EisenhowerEisenhower.. Eisenhower promised that if he was Eisenhower promised that if he was

elected he would elected he would endend the the Korean WarKorean War.. The Korean War ended the peace The Korean War ended the peace

treaty split Korea up along the treaty split Korea up along the 38th 38th parallelparallel in 1953. in 1953.