The 50s and 60s
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Transcript of The 50s and 60s
The 50s and 60s
Cold War Conflicts
What is the Cold War?
A state of hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union that fell short of military confrontation
From the end of World War II until the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991
Causes of the Cold War
The Soviets were Communists and the U.S. is a capitalist nation—they don’t mix well
Joseph Stalin, leader of the USSR, wanted to take reparations from Germany and keep as many Eastern European countries communist as possible
Harry Truman, the American president, wanted voting rights for all and was afraid of giving in to Stalin
The Truman Doctrine
Truman vowed to assist free people who were resisting takeovers by “armed minorities”
Included financial support to keep Communists from taking over Turkey and Greece
The Marshall Plan
Proposed by General George Marshall
Extended aid to all European nations in need
Approved when the Soviet Union took over Czechoslovakia in 1948
Problems in Germany
Remember Germany had been divided into four zones…so had the capital of Berlin
When the zones controlled by the U.S., France, and Great Britain reunited, the Soviet Union maintained control of its portion—of Germany and of Berlin
Led to two German nations—the Federal Republic of German (West Germany) with its capital in Bonn and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) with its capital in East Berlin
Civil War in China
In the north—Communists and Mao ZedongIn the south—nationalists and Chiang Kai-shek
Civil War began as soon as the Japanese left after World War II
The Communists were able to gain the support of the peasants and by 1949 China was Communist
Mao Zedong
Chiang Kai-shek
The Communist Bugaboo
There was a concern that all American Communists were secretly working for the Soviet Union
Several agencies investigated possible Communist influence—even in Hollywood
Senator Joseph McCarthy accused everyone and anyone of being Communist
Some were actually found guilty: Alger Hiss and Ethel and Julius Rosenberg
War in Korea
Switch to separate presentation!
The Postwar Boom
Changes at Home
The GI Bill enabled WWII veterans to go to school, buy a home, or establish businesses
Marriages had ended in divorce
We faced inflation and unemployment
Truman called for Civil Rights, but Congress refused to act
Pop Culture
Most homes had TVs now
Radio was still popular
Hollywood focused on size, color, and stereo sound
Beatniks
Wore all black, were minimalists, and used the “hip” language of jazz musicians
Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road in 1957
The 50s Weren’t All Happy
Whites fled to the suburbs, leaving the cities full of poor African Americans
Mexicans had entered to work farms during WWII—the beginning of illegal immigrants
Native Americans worked to control their own lives and landsThe federal government withdrew financial assistance
The New Frontierand
The Great Society
The Election of 1960
One of the closest elections ever
Kennedy/Johnson won by fewer than 120,000 votes!
Why?TelevisionCivil Rights
Crisis in Cuba
The problem: Fidel Castro had declared himself a Communist and allied himself with the Soviet Union
Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev sent tons of weapons to Cuba for defense—including nuclear weapons
After a tense two weeks, Kennedy agreed to leave Cuba alone and the Soviets agreed to remove nuclear missiles
Camelot
The Kennedys embraced art, music, and all cultures
He inspired hope John was young and handsome; Jackie was
beautiful and stylish; the children were adorable
November 22, 1963
Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas
A nation mourned his death
LBJ’s Great Society
Johnson wanted to change AmericaAddressed poverty, civil rights, and
the environmentTried to renew the cities and protect
consumersLooked at ways to improve education
and expand opportunities for college-bound students