Unit 2: Postwar America – Flashcards
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What term refers to the tense relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II?
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The Cold War.
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All of the following actions or agreements promoted the containment of communism except __________.
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the Manhattan Project.
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Examples of agreements/actions that prompted the containment of communism include:
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The Principles of the Yalta Accords; The Marshall Plan; The Truman Doctrine.
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What was one success of the Marshall Plan?
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European industry and agriculture expanded beyond prewar levels.
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What was the main goal of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?
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To halt Soviet aggression by forming an alliance of nations
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Why wasn't President Truman expected to win the 1948 election?
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Some Americans disagreed with Truman's support of civil rights for African Americans.
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What was the outcome of the Korean War?
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It was a stalemate.
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How did General MacArthur respond when China sent troops to support the North Koreans during the Korean War?
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MacArthur suggested that the United States attack China.
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Which action prompted British prime minister Winston Churchill to declare that an "iron curtain" had fallen across Europe?
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The Soviet Union had imposed communist governments on the nations of Eastern Europe.
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Which policy first committed the United States to the containment of communism?
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Truman Doctrine.
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Which organization was formed to provide mutual defense and stop Soviet aggression?
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North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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Which program offered millions of dollars to aid European recovery from World War II?
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Marshall Plan.
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How did the United States and Great Britain prevent starvation in a democratic German city blockaded by the Soviets?
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Berlin Airlift.
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Which was a key issue in Truman's run for reelection in 1948?
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The economy and labor.
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Who won the presidential election of 1948?
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Harry Truman.
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How did the United States respond to communist Mao Zedong's assumption of power in China?
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Nothing specific.
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What was the U.S. response to North Korea's invasion of South Korea?
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U.S. troops aided South Korea with support from the UN.
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Who commanded U.S. troops during the Korean War, but was fired for insubordination?
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Douglas MacArthur.
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What was McCarthyism?
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A right wing senator's unfounded hunt for communists.
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What was partly responsible for the trials of Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs?
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a second Red Scare.
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What accounted for Dwight Eisenhower's popular appeal and subsequent victory in the 1952 presidential election?
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People were reassured both by his charm and the leadership qualities he had shown in World War II.
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Which was a great influence on Eisenhower's foreign policy?
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Secretary of State John Foster Dulles's support of the threat of massive retaliation against a Soviet attack.
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Why did the United States help overthrow governments in Guatemala and Iran?
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To stop the spread of communism.
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What did the launch of Sputnik in the Soviet Union and the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the United States signal?
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The beginning of the space race.
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What concern did President Eisenhower express in his farewell address?
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That the military-industrial complex would become too powerful.
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Which was an early event in the Cold War?
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Stalin kept troops in Eastern Europe instead of holding promised elections.
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What was the Iron Curtain?
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The imaginary wall separating communist countries from democracies.
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Describe the key principles of the policy of containment forged by American diplomat George F. Kennan.
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Firmly opposing Soviet expansion and keeping communism in check.
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What was the Truman Doctrine?
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The U.S. policy of giving economic and military aid to countries to restrict the spread of communism.
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How did the United States and Britain respond to the Soviet blockade of Berlin?
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They organized an airlift of supplies that lasted almost a year.
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Which military alliance did the Western bloc of nations form to defend against Soviet aggression after World War II?
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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Which policy did the United States implement in postwar Japan?
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Rebuilding the nation.
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Which act marked the beginning of the Korean War?
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North Korea invaded South Korea.
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Why did U.S. general Douglas MacArthur leave his command of troops near the end of the Korean War?
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President Truman fired him for insubordination.
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Which was an outcome of the Korean War?
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North and South Korea remained separate with a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel.
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Who was not a subject of Red Scare investigations?
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Alben Barkley.
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In the 1950s, what tactic spread fear using often baseless accusations of communist activities in the United States?
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McCarthyism.
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Which was not an element of President Dwight Eisenhower's foreign policy?
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Increase the size of the military.
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Which concern did President Eisenhower express in his farewell address?
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The power of the military-industrial complex could threaten democracy.
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Why did the CIA support covert activity to restore the shah to power in Iran?
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To protect oil interests and prevent the spread of communism
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Why did the United States support the overthrow of an elected Guatemalan president?
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To protect U.S. business and prevent the spread of communism.
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What effect did U.S. covert actions have on American influence in Latin America and the Middle East?
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Communist sympathy and anti-American sentiment increased.
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What was the Eisenhower Doctrine?
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The policy that committed American aid and troops to protect the Middle East from communist aggression.
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Which was not a reason for post-World War II economic growth in the United States?
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Prices dropped dramatically after military demand for goods dropped.
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What happened when developers built affordable, mass-produced houses in places such as Levittown?
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The suburbs grew as young families moved away from cities.
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What was the baby boom?
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The tremendous increase in population following World War II
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How did easy credit affect the postwar economy?
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Credit helped fuel the spending that caused the economy to grow.
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What was not a result of the car culture that developed in the postwar era?
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More driving raised concerns about fuel consumption.
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Which is true of the early development of computers in the 1950s?
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They were mainly used by the government and the military.
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How did television affect society in the 1950s?
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It encouraged a common culture and promoted the idea that affluence was the norm.
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Which was not a sign of a religious resurgence in the 1950s?
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Posting the Ten Commandments in federal buildings
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What was one effect of McCarthyism in the 1950s?
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People felt a pressure to conform to avoid suspicion.
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Which book challenged conformity by suggesting it would make workers incapable of independent thought?
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The Organization Man.
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How did the American workforce change during the 1950s?
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For the first time, white-collar workers outnumbered blue-collar workers.
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Which was not an element of John F. Kennedy's election to the presidency?
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An inexperienced vice president.
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How did John F. Kennedy's inaugural words to "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country" affect young voters?
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They inspired young people to work for their country.
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After World War II, the United States experienced an economic boom. Which of the following did not contribute to that boom?
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A decline in the coal industry.
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What was the main purpose of the GI Bill?
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To help returning U.S. servicemen get back on their feet.
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What technique did William Levitt apply to the home-building industry?
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Mass-producing houses to speed up production.
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Which of the following was a major trend in American society in the 1950s?
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More couples began having children.
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After World War II, the United States experienced an economic boom. Which did not contribute to that boom?
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The Taft-Hartley Act.
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Although overall per capita income rose after World War II, poverty still existed in certain areas of the country. Where was it the greatest?
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In rural areas.
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How did African Americans fare during the economic boom in the 1950s?
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They gained income, but the gap widened between whites and blacks.
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What was one effect of the GI Bill on American society in the postwar era?
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More people were able to attend college.
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Why was there a baby boom during the postwar era?
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With the war over and the economy growing, people were more prepared to raise children.
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What is one way that housing changed in the postwar period?
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Suburban developments began to spring up when builders applied assembly-line techniques to homes.
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What pattern of segregation emerged during the postwar era?
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Whites moved to the suburbs, leaving blacks and other minorities in the cities.
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How did automobile ownership change after World War II?
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Millions more cars were produced and a high percentage of Americans owned them.
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What was not a significant technological development of the postwar era?
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Radio.
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How did television influence American life beginning in the 1950s?
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How did television influence American life beginning in the 1950s?
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One of the societal pressures of the 1950s was conformity. In what way were women expected to conform?
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Women were expected to marry and have children.
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What is one reason for a general pressure to conform in American society during the 1950s?
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In an era of Cold War tensions, controversy was discouraged.
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How did art change during the 1950s and 1960s?
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Abstract expressionism spoke to the needs of the age.
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Which J.D. Salinger character rejected conformity in a novel that created a great deal of controversy?
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Holden Caulfield.
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Which phrase most often characterizes the teen culture of the 1950s?
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Silent generation.
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What type of music did Elvis Presley perform when he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s?
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Rock 'n' roll.
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Which was not a factor that helped determine the outcome of the election of 1960?
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Richard Nixon's tolerance of communism
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What stood in the way of President Kennedy's goals of sending a man to the moon, increasing federal spending for education, and increasing aid to relieve poverty?
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A potential federal budget deficit.
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"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
Why was this excerpt from Kennedy's inaugural address so memorable?
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It inspired people to recall their sense of patriotism and participation.
