1. U.S. History II The Postwar World SOL 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d Prepared by Judy Self

2. USII SOL 7a Rebuilding Europe and Japan

3. How did the United States help rebuild postwar Europe and Japan? Learning from the mistakes after World War I the U.S. accepted its role as a world superpower U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall prepared the Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe

4. How did the United States help rebuild postwar Europe and Japan? Marshall Plan, the European Recovery Plan, was to to provide massive financial aid to rebuild European economies U.S. hoped the aid would help prevent the spread of communism

5. How did the United States help rebuild postwar Europe and Japan? Germany was partitioned into East and West Germany West Germany became democratic and resumed self-government after a few years of American, British, and French occupation

6. How did the United States help rebuild postwar Europe and Japan? East Germany remained under the domination of the Soviet Union and did not adopt democratic institutions

7. How did the United States help rebuild postwar Europe and Japan? Japan was occupied by American forces It adopted a democratic form of government and resumed self-government Japan became a strong ally of the United States

8. How did the United States help rebuild postwar Europe and Japan? The United Nations was formed as a peace keeping organization The UN was a way for the nations of the world to try to prevent future global wars

9. USII SOL 7b Shift from Wartime to Peacetime Economy

10. What contributed to the prosperity of Americans following World War II? Businesses converted from production of war materials to consumer goods Americans purchased goods on credit

11. What contributed to the prosperity of Americans following World War II? Workforce shifted back to men and most women returned to family responsibilities

12. What contributed to the prosperity of Americans following World War II? Labor unions merged and became more powerful Workers gained new benefits and higher salaries

13. What contributed to the prosperity of Americans following World War II? As economic prosperity continued and technology boomed, the next generation of women re-entered the labor force in large numbers

14. USII SOL 7c The Cold War

15. What is the Cold War? After World War II the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as world powers The “Cold War” was the state of tension between the two countries without actual fighting It divided the world into two camps

16. How and why did the Cold War begin? Differences between the two superpowers The United States was democratic and capitalist The Soviet Union was dictatorial and communistic

17. How and why did the Cold War begin? The Soviet Union’s domination over Eastern European countries

18. How and why did the Cold War begin? American policy of containment; stopping the spread of communism

19. How and why did the Cold War begin? North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) versus Warsaw Pact NATO - United States and its allies Warsaw Pact - Soviet Union and its allies

20. What have been the major conflicts and confrontations in the post-World War II era? South Korea and the United States resisted Chinese and North Korean aggression The conflict ended in a stalemate North and South Korea remain divided

21. What have been the major conflicts and confrontations in the post-World War II era? Cuban Missile Crisis occurred when the Soviet Union placed missiles in Cuba Soviets removed the missiles in response to a U.S. blockade

22. What have been the major conflicts and confrontations in the post-World War II era? The United States believed that if one nation in Asia became communist the rest would fall to communism one after the other That belief is called the Domino Theory

23. What have been the major conflicts and confrontations in the post-World War II era? The U.S. intervened to stop the spread of communism into South Vietnam Americans were divided over whether the U.S. should be involved militarily in Vietnam Conflict ended in a cease-fire agreement in which U.S. troops withdrew

24. How did communism collapse in Europe? Economic problems led to the breakup of the Soviet Union into independent countries The destruction of the Berlin Wall signaled the collapse of communism in Europe

25. What new challenges did the U.S. face after the Cold War? The role of U.S. military intervention Environmental challenges Global issues, including trade, jobs, and diseases

26. USII SOL 7d Our Changing Society

27. What factors led to changing patterns of society in the post- World War II era? The development of a strong economy  Healthy job market  Increased productivity  Increased demand for American products

28. What factors led to changing patterns of society in the post- World War II era? Greater investment in education to meet the challenges of the future

29. What factors led to changing patterns of society in the post- World War II era? The sudden and large increase in births after World War II, called the Baby Boom, that led to a great change in demographics in the United States

30. What factors led to changing patterns of society in the post- World War II era? The building of the interstate highway system

31. What factors led to changing patterns of society in the post- World War II era? The evolving role of women from homemaker to working outside the home Expanding women’s rights; one advocate was Eleanor Roosevelt

32. What factors led to changing patterns of society in the post- World War II era? African Americans’ aspirations for equal opportunities

33. What factors led to changing patterns of society in the post- World War II era? Changes in the make-up of immigrants More Asian and Hispanic Americans

34. What policies and programs expanded educational and employment opportunities for the military, women, and minorities? G.I. Bill of Rights gave educational, housing, and employment benefits to World War II veterans President Truman desegregated the armed forces

35. What policies and programs expanded educational and employment opportunities for the military, women, and minorities? Civil Rights legislation led to increased educational, economic, and political opportunities for women and minorities

36. The End