United States Since 1945

Introduction United States in 1945 –Reactions to the end of the war: Ecstasy & Concern Partying What would happen next –Quest for security: a theme for this time Security at home: economic security Security abroad: focus on national defense

Quest for economic security: Strategy for maintaining economic security: Mixed economy. New Deal Approach and the market economy 2.Securing activist government, Step One: Harry Truman’s Fair Deal Importance of the 1948 presidential election Republican reaction to defeat: Exploit the Second Red Scare Alger Hiss Case & the Rise of Joe McCarthy

Quest for economic security: (Cont.) 3.Securing activist government: Step Two: “The Ike Years”: Eisenhower as President Eisenhower’s victory in 1952 Eisenhower’s role in securing activist government 1.Ending the Second Red Scare 2.Limited Extension of Activist government National Defense Highway Act of Rejecting a change in course. Eisenhower wanted Republicans to accept the New Deal Approach United States in 1960: a consensus

Quest for economic security: (Cont.) 4.Great Society: Three presidencies: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon. Johnson proposed the Great Society in 1965 Second Reconstruction: Three branches of federal government attack racial injustice Supreme Court: Brown v Topeka Board of Education-1954 President Eisenhower: 1957 in Little Rock, AR Congress enacts Civil Rights laws in 1957, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1968

Quest for economic security: : (cont.) Great Society: (Cont.) War on Poverty Federal government attempted to wipe out poverty in an affluent society. Major attempt to grapple with the “Old Poverty” a la 1930s. Concept of a “culture of poverty” Environmental Protection Birth of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): 1970

Declining Trust in government converted to a rejection of activist government 1.Stagflation [Stagnant economic growth + Inflation] 2.Imperial Presidency Effects of Vietnam War: Credibility Gap Effects of Watergate Affair: Presidency not trustworthy 3.Roles of New Left and Counterculture 4.Neo-conservative intellectuals provide “muscle power”

Declining Trust in government converted to a rejection of activist government 5.Ronald Reagan as President Provides charismatic leadership to transform anti-government mood into an effective political force Program centered on: “Government was not the solution to the problems; government was the problem.”

Cold War: Sources of the Cold War –Sovietization of Eastern Europe after World War II

Cold War: (cont.) Strategy for Fighting the Cold War –Birth of Containment: Role of George Kennan as the “Father of Containment” –Pillars of Containment Harry Truman declared the Cold War with the Truman Doctrine (1947) George Marshall proposed the Marshall plan to stimulate economic recovery in Western Europe (1948) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1949). United States joined a peacetime military alliance. Applied Collective Security NSC 68 (1950). Built up U.S. military power globally

Cold War: (cont.) Korean War: : 4 stages 1.North Korean Invasion: June-Sept United Nations counterattack: Sept.-Nov Chinese Attack: Nov.1950-March Stalemate:March 1951-July Armistice signed: July 27, 1953

Vietnam War –Vietnam's Background as a French colony Rise of Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Minh World War II First Indochina War: –Viet Minh victory at Dien Bien Phu: May 1954 –Geneva Accords: 1954 –Nation-Building: U.S. Goal: Secure non-Communist government in the south Ngo Dinh Diem: Rise of the Viet Cong and the Birth of the NLF: Rooted in opposition of Diem November 1, 1963 coup d’etat Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: August 1964 Cold War: (cont.)

Vietnam War (cont.) –United States at war Decision for deeper involvement: Operation Rolling Thunder & July 1965 decision U.S. Strategy: Use fire power to win war of attrition Nature of the military side –Role of Selective Service. OR how the Draft worked –Casualties: Almost 60,000 U.S. service personnel died in the war while 300,000+ were injured –Stalemate: Declining support at home for the policy: College-based anti- war movement, loss of political support, “Let’s win the war and get out!” Signs of success, but Cold War: (cont.)

Vietnam War –Tet Offensive: Jan.-Mar –United States policy now emphasized negotiations –Nixon’s policy to “end” the war Fire power Vietnamization “Open” and secret negotiations. Role of Henry Kissinger Truce Agreement: January 1973 in Paris, France End of the Cold War & the Collapse of the Soviet Union –Reagan pushes, the Soviet Afghan War ( ), and the role of Mikhail Gorbachev Cold War: (cont.)