1. The United States & Soviet Union were superpowers & rivals who dominated world politics
One of the most important changes after World War II was the beginning of the Cold War
This was an era of competing ideologies: the USA promoted democracy & capitalism while the USSR tried to spread communism
During the Cold War, the United States & Soviet Union entered an era of distrust & hostility from 1945 to 1991
The different ideologies between USA & USSR and their desires to spread these ideas led to an era of distrust, hostility, proxy battles, & near nuclear war

2. Communism & Totalitarianism
By 1946, Europe was divided by an “iron curtain” that separated democratic/capitalist Western Europe from communist/totalitarian Eastern Europe
Communism & Totalitarianism
Capitalism & Democracy

3. The U.S. created a foreign policy called Containment to stop Soviet influence & the spread of communism
When the USSR began to pressure Greece & Turkey to turn communist, the U.S. created the Truman Doctrine, promising economic & military help to any nation threatened by communism
“A long-term, patient but firm, & vigilant containment of Russian expansionist policies…will eventually force the USSR to live in peace with the West”
—Secretary of State, George Marshall
T =
The Truman Doctrine worked & neither Greece nor Turkey fell to communism

4. By 1952, Western Europe recovered & Communism never took root
European nations had difficulty recovering after WWII which led to fears of communism in Europe
The U.S. created the Marshall Plan which offered $13 billion to help rebuild post-war Europe
M =
By 1952, Western Europe recovered & Communism never took root

5. From 1945 to 1949, the United States successfully contained communism in Europe
But, in 1949 Communist forces led by Mao Zedong took control of China and the Cold War spread to Asia
The fall of China was a shock to the USA & President Harry Truman took the blame for “losing China”

6. The Chinese Civil War (1930-1949)

7. The USA acted when communism threatened Korea
The U.S. response to the fall of China was to more aggressively confront communism the world
The USA was afraid of a “domino theory” in which communist nations turn their neighbors communist
As a result, the USA vowed to contain the spread of communism anywhere in the world
The USA acted when communism threatened Korea

8. In 1950, North Korea (using Soviet supplied weapons) crossed the 38° & attacked South Korea
When South Korea appealed to the United Nations, the USA sent troops to Korea to contain communism
But, when the USA pushed too close to China, the Chinese Army entered the war & helped North Korea
After WWII, Korea was divided along the 38° with a communist gov’t in North Korea & a democracy in South Korea

9. The USA successfully stopped communism from spreading into South Korea & showed that it was willing to fight to contain communism
After 3 years of fighting, a ceasefire was agreed to in 1953, the fighting stopped, & the 38° was restored as the boundary between North & South Koreas

10. The USA stopped the spread of Communism into South Korea, but in 1954, Communist Ho Chi Minh began a war to gain independence for Vietnam

11. From 1945 to 1949, the United States successfully contained communism in Europe
But over the next 40 years, the Cold War intensified as communism spread to Asia, Africa, and Latin America
The Cold War intensified as new nuclear weapons were introduced; espionage (spying) increased; & wars broke out in Korea, Vietnam, & Afghanistan

12. In 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy emerged as the leader of the anti-communist Red Scare
He attacked Truman for allowing communists to infiltrate the government
He used public trials to make unsupported accusations against suspected communists in the State Department & the U.S. military
“McCarthyism” did not result in a single confirmed communist or spy in the U.S. gov’t

13. In response to the threat of a Soviet nuclear attack, Congress created the Interstate Highway System in 1956
41,000 miles of highway connected U.S. cities and promoted trade & travel
Highways served as a means to evacuate cities during a potential nuclear attack

14. In 1956, the Soviet Union threatened expansion into the Middle East
U.S.-Soviet relations changed in 1953 when Stalin died after 30 years of absolute rule over the Soviet Union
Nikita Khrushchev took over and began to aggressively challenge U.S. influence in the world
In 1955, Khrushchev formed a communist alliance to rival NATO, called the Warsaw Pact
In 1956, the Soviet Union threatened expansion into the Middle East
President Eisenhower responded with the Eisenhower Doctrine, pledging the USA to protect the Middle East from Communism

15. In 1957, the USSR used its first ICBM to launch Sputnik, the first satellite into space
Sputnik shocked Americans who feared the U.S. had fallen behind the USSR in science & technology
As a result of Sputnik, the Cold War escalated into a space race to show American & Soviet dominance

16. The U.S. government reacted to Sputnik by passing the National Defense Education Act to promote math, science, and technology education and to fund university research

17. The end of WWII led to an era of wealth & spending in the 1950s:
The war stimulated the economy & ended the Great Depression
High wages, service pay for soldiers, & war bond investments gave Americans money to spend
The economic boom allowed Americans to enjoy the highest standard of living in the world
Most economists who had forecast a postwar depression were proved wrong because they had failed to consider consumers’ pent-up accumulation of needs and wants. People had gone without many goods for so long that by the late 1940s, with more than $135 billion in savings from defense work, service pay, and investments in war bonds, Americans suddenly had money to spend. They snatched up everything from automobiles to houses. After a brief period of postwar economic readjustment, the American economy boomed. The demand for goods and services outstripped the supply and increased production, which created new jobs. Judging from the graphs (shown left), many Americans prospered in the 1950s in what the economist John Kenneth Galbraith called “the affluent society.” The Cold War also contributed to economic growth. Concern over Soviet expansion kept American defense spending high and people employed. Foreign-aid programs, such as the Marshall Plan, provided another boost to the American economy. By helping nations in Western Europe recover from the war, the United States helped itself by creating strong foreign markets for its exports
After World War II ended, Americans turned their attention to their families and jobs. The economy prospered. New technologies and business ideas created fresh opportunities for many, and by the end of the decade Americans were enjoying the highest standard of living in the world. The American dream of a happy and successful life seemed within the reach of many people.

18. People rushed to buy new goods like cars, TVs & hi-fi record players
Consumerism returned in the 1950s because for the 1st time since the 1920s Americans had money and access to consumer goods
People rushed to buy new goods like cars, TVs & hi-fi record players
Credit became available (The 1st credit card was created in 1950)
Advertisers used newspaper ads, radio, & new TV commercials to market goods to Americans
Franchises offered people across the country the same products

19. In 1957, a baby was born every 7 seconds
Americans produced a “baby boom” in the 1950s, leading to the largest generation in U.S. history
The return of soldiers from war led to an increase in marriages & a rise in the birthrate
In 1957, a baby was born every 7 seconds

20. The baby boom led to a demand for new baby products, schools, & homes for growing families

21. Suburbs offered peace of mind, affordable homes, & good schools
Suburbs boomed in the 1950s
The majority of Americans worked in cities but wanted the security of suburbs for their families
Suburbs offered peace of mind, affordable homes, & good schools

22. The GI Bill of Rights offered returning soldiers cheap loans for new homes & tuition for college

23. 1 story high 12’x19’ living room 2 bedrooms tiled bathroom garage
The desire for homes in the suburbs led to massive communities like Levittown in NY
1 story high
12’x19’ living room
2 bedrooms
tiled bathroom
garage
small backyard
front lawn

24. Suburbs changed American life
Suburbs increased America’s need for cars & highways
Churches, schools, grocery stores, & shopping centers were build to service the suburbs
But, the migration to the suburbs was mostly by white families; “White flight” to the suburbs left African Americans in urban areas
Southdale Shopping Center (Minnesota) the 1st enclosed, air-conditioned mall