AP United States History - Terms and People – Unit 12, Chapter 36 (13th Ed.)
HONOR PLEDGE: I strive to uphold the vision of the North Penn School District, which is to inspire each student to reach his or her highest potential and
become a responsible citizen. Therefore, on my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.
The Cold War Begins: 1945 - 1952
Before studying Chapter 36, read over these “Themes”:
Theme: America emerged from World War II as the world’s strongest economic power, and commenced a postwar
economic boom that lasted for two decades. A bulging population migrated to the suburbs and Sunbelt, leaving the cities
increasingly to minorities and the poor.
Theme: The end of World War II left the United States and the Soviet Union as the two dominant world powers, and they
soon became locked in a Cold War confrontation. The Cold War spread from Europe to become a global ideological conflict
between democracy and communism. Among its effects were a nasty hot war in Korea and a domestic crusade against
disloyalty.
After studying Chapter 36 in your textbook, you should be able to:
1. Explain the causes and consequences of the post-World War II economic boom.
2. Describe the postwar migration to the “Sunbelt” and the suburbs.
3. Explain changes in American society and culture brought about by the “baby boom.”
4. Explain the growth of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union after Germany’s defeat and
Truman/s accession to the presidency.
5. Describe the early Cold War conflicts over Germany and Eastern Europe, and the failure of the United
Nations to resolve Soviet-American tensions.
6. Discuss American efforts to “contain” the Soviets through the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and
NATO.
7. Describe the growing concern about Soviet spying and internal Communist subversion, and the climate of
fear it engendered.
8. Describe the expansion of the Cold War to East Asia, including the Chinese Communist revolution and the
Korean War.
Know the following people and terms. Consider the historical significance of each term or person.
Also note the dates of the event if that is pertinent.
A. People
+Harry S. Truman
+George C. Marshall
George F. Kennan
Douglas MacArthur
Dean Acheson
Joseph McCarthy
Julius and Ethel Rosenberger
Reinhold Niebuhr
+Dr. Benjamin Spock
J. Strom Thurmond
Henry Wallace
Thomas Dewey
Adlai Stevenson
+Dwight Eisenhower
+Richard M. Nixon
Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung)
B. Terms:
Yalta Conference
Cold War
United Nations *(Charter)
U.N. Security Council
AP United States History - Terms and People – Unit 12, Chapter 36 (13th Ed.)
HONOR PLEDGE: I strive to uphold the vision of the North Penn School District, which is to inspire each student to reach his or her highest potential and
become a responsible citizen. Therefore, on my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.
Nuremberg trials
*Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (G.I. Bill of Rights)
Iron curtain
Kremlin
Berlin airlift
“containment doctrine”
*Truman Doctrine (1947)
Marshall Plan (1948)
National Security Act
white flight
The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
*Press release announcing U.S. recognition of Israel (1948)
*Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces (1948)
Taft-Hartley Act
House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)
McCarthyism
McCarran Act
Atomic Energy Commission
Fair Deal
Dixiecrats
38th parallel
NSC-68
hydrogen bomb
Inchon landing
Sunbelt
Rustbelt
Baby Boom
*+=One of the 100 Most Influential Americans of All Time, as ranked by The Atlantic. Go to Webpage to see all 100.
*=A 100 Milestone Document from the National Archive. Go to Webpage to link to these documents.
C. Sample Essay: Using what you have previously learned and what you read in Chapter 36 you should
be able to answer an essay such as this one:
How and to what extent have economic and population changes shaped American society since W W II?
D. Voices from the past:
On March 5, 1946, in describing the recent appearance of economic, social, and military barriers between
Eastern and Western Europe, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said in a speech in Fulton, Mo.:
"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent."
This vivid metaphor caught the public imagination, and phrases such as "behind the Iron Curtain" remained in widespread
use right up until the collapse of Communism. The European countries which were considered to be "behind the Iron
Curtain" included: Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and the
Soviet Union.
“Trust yourself--you know more than you think you do. . . . The more people have studied different methods of bringing up
children the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their
babies is the best after all”
+Dr. Benjamin Spock
AP United States History - Terms and People – Unit 12, Chapter 36 (13th Ed.)
HONOR PLEDGE: I strive to uphold the vision of the North Penn School District, which is to inspire each student to reach his or her highest potential and
become a responsible citizen. Therefore, on my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.
E. Interpreting Charts and Graphs: What does this chart tell us about the changing American society?
Rank
Population In 1950
(Rank)
Top 10 cities in 1950
(Rank in 2005)
Top 10 cities in 2007
Population
1
New York, NY
8,214,426
7,891,957 (1)
New York, NY (1)
2
Los Angeles, CA
3,839,378
1,970,358 (4)
Chicago, IL. (3)
3
Chicago, IL
2,833,321
3,620,962 (2)
Philadelphia, PA (6)
4
Houston, TX
2,144,491
596,163 (14)
Los Angeles, CA (2)
5
Phoenix, AZ
1,512,986
106,818 (99)
Detroit, MI. (10)
6
Philadelphia, PA
1,448,394
2,071,605 (3)
7
San Diego, CA
1,259,532
334,387 (31)
Cleveland, OH. (36)
8
Dallas, TX
1,211,467
434,462 (22)
St. Louis, MO. (35)
9
San Antonio, TX
1,194,222
408,442 (25)
Washington, DC. (27)
10
Detroit, MI
925,051
1,849,568 (5)
Baltimore, MD. (18)
Boston, MA. (24)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
The original twelve members of NATO in 1949 were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France,
Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The U.S.-led military
alliance was created in 1949 as a result of the Soviet blockade of Berlin.
In 1952, Greece and Turkey joined. West Germany was admitted in 1955. In 1982 Spain became the sixteenth
member. In 1999, three new countries - the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland - brought the total number of
NATO members to 19.
On April 2, 2004, seven new countries joined the alliance. These countries are Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, bringing the total today to 26.
To retaliate against the formation of NATO, in 1955 the Communist countries banded together to form the nowdefunct Warsaw Pact, which originally consisted of the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,
Hungary, East Germany, Poland, and Romania.
The Warsaw Pact ended in 1991, with the fall of Communism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Most notably, Russia remains a non-member of NATO. Interestingly enough, in the military structure of NATO, a
U.S. military officer is always commander-in-chief of NATO forces so that U.S. troops never come under control
of a foreign power.
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
The SEATO alliance was organized in 1954 under the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty by
representatives of Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the
United States. Established after the French withdrawal from Indochina, SEATO was created to oppose further
Communist gains in Southeast Asia. The treaty was supplemented by a Pacific Charter, affirming the rights of
Asian and Pacific peoples to equality and self-determination and setting forth goals of economic, social, and
cultural cooperation between the member countries. The civil and military organizations established under the
treaty had their headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand.
SEATO relied on the military forces of member nations and joint maneuvers were held annually. SEATO’s
principal role was to sanction the U.S. presence in Vietnam, although France and Pakistan withheld support.
Unable to intervene in Laos or Vietnam due to its rule of unanimity, the future of the organization was in doubt
by 1973, and SEATO was ultimately disbanded in 1977.
AP United States History - Terms and People – Unit 12, Chapter 36 (13th Ed.)
HONOR PLEDGE: I strive to uphold the vision of the North Penn School District, which is to inspire each student to reach his or her highest potential and
become a responsible citizen. Therefore, on my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.
F. Map work: Using the map below, answer the following questions:
1. What two communist
countries directly border
North Korea?
What city is labeled “1”?
_____________________
_______________________
D
What city is labeled “2”?
_____________________
_____________________
2. What nation is about
120 miles off the coast of
South Korea?
C
__________________
1
3. What does the dotted
B
area by letter “A”
represent?
2
4. What degree of latitude
A
is the line at letter “B”?
____________
5. What body of water is
letter “C”?
________________________
6. What does the dotted
area by letter “D”
represent?
Milestones of Korean War
“Preliminary” Events
7. What military action is the
August 14, 1945 (VJ Day): Japan surrenders, ending WWII.
arrow
August 26, 1945: United States announces its intention to occupy Japanese-held Korea south
of the
38th parallel; Soviet
pointing
to?
Union to occupy the north.
March 12, 1947: Truman Doctrine: Truman asks Congress to support "free peoples________________________
who are resisting attempted
subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures." Congress grants $400 million _
in aid to Greece and Turkey to defend
against Communist guerrillas.
June 5, 1947: Marshall Plan: Secretary of State George C. Marshall calls on European nations to draft plan for European
economic recovery, offering aid in planning and "later support." Eastern Europe walks out of initial Paris meeting at Soviet
behest. The following March, Congress votes to fund the Marshall Plan to aid 16 European nations.
July, 1947: Containment Policy: George F. Kennan, writing anonymously in Foreign Affairs, articulates America's policy
to block peacefully the expansion of Soviet political and economic influence into vulnerable areas of the world.
July 26, 1948: Truman issues Executive Order 9981, desegregating the armed forces.
August 15, 1948: Republic of Korea (South Korea) is founded.
AP United States History - Terms and People – Unit 12, Chapter 36 (13th Ed.)
HONOR PLEDGE: I strive to uphold the vision of the North Penn School District, which is to inspire each student to reach his or her highest potential and
become a responsible citizen. Therefore, on my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.
September 9, 1948: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) is founded.
1948 - Russians withdraw troops from North Korea
April 4, 1949: NATO established. In 1955 Soviet Union forms competing Warsaw Pact.
June, 1949 - US begins to withdraw troops from South Korea
October 1, 1949: People's Republic of China is established.
December 7, 1949: The Chinese Nationalist government retires to Taipei, Taiwan.
1950
February 15: Sino-Soviet Pact creates a bilateral defense commitment, settles historic territorial issues between China and
the Soviet Union, and initiates modest program of Soviet aid to China.
June 25: Trained/equipped by the Soviet Union, 90,000 N. Korean troops cross the 38th parallel and invade S. Korea.
June 26: President Truman authorizes the U.S. Navy and Air Force to assist the South Korean military to defend against
the invasion. Within three days, however, North Korean troops capture Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
June 27: The United Nations Security Council adopts a cease fire resolution. The Soviet Union is not present, as it is
boycotting the Security Council because it recognizes Nationalist China instead of Communist China. The resolution passes
the Security Council 9—0. A second resolution commits a UN force to support the South Korean government.
June 30: General Douglas MacArthur visits the collapsing South Korean front lines and calls for U.S. troops. President
Truman commits U.S. ground troops to South Korea, announces a naval blockade of the Korean coast, and extends the draft
for another year. He also increases aid to the French fight against Communist rebels in Indochina.
July 8: A third UN resolution acknowledges American leadership of UN forces. Gen. Douglas MacArthur is placed in
command of UN troops. Although U.S. and South Korean troops will form the bulk of the UN forces, soldiers from 16
nations, including Australia, Great Britain, and the Philippines, also see action. Initial U.S. troops prove woefully
unprepared for combat. American military strength is at its lowest state of readiness since Pearl Harbor. In the first weeks of
fighting, U.S. forces are pushed back to a defensive perimeter at Pusan. American air power, which controls the skies over
Korea and harasses North Korean supply routes, is the only reason North Korea fails to overwhelm the South.
August 6: The North Korean offensive is finally stopped by the line around Pusan.
September 15: In what is usually considered the single most brilliant stroke in his long military career, General MacArthur
sends an amphibious assault on the port city of Inchon, deep behind North Korean lines. The invasion force moves quickly
toward Seoul. With dangerously over extended supply lines, the North Koreans are trapped between MacArthur’s landing
force and the defenders at Pusan. They begin an immediate retreat back across the border. Two weeks after the landing at
Inchon, Seoul is recaptured by UN troops, who meet unexpectedly stiff resistance from remaining North Korean troops in
the capital.
September 29: The UN forces reach the 38th parallel, marking the boundary separating North and South. Presumably, the
aims of the war have been accomplished with the North driven back across its border. But Korean President S Rhee
announces his intention to continue the war by uniting Korea under his rule and punishing the North for its aggression. This
plan is fully supported by MacArthur, a staunch anti-Communist, and the American military command in Washington, but
any action against China is expressly ruled out.
October 7: Shifting from the containment policy to a goal of overthrowing a Communist government, MacArthur’s UN
forces invade North Korea. The move is denounced by the Communist government of China, which says it will not stand
idly by. The Chinese threat is ignored as a bluff. The United States has no relati6ris with China, and only recognizes the
Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek on Taiwan (Formosa) not the Communist government of Mao Zedong, who
controls the mainland. Nearly one million Chinese troops had been massed in Manchuria.
October 8: Mao Zedong secretly orders Chinese “volunteers” into Korea.
October 15: President Truman and General MacArthur meet on Wake island. Truman wants to rein in the headstrong
soldier who has spent his career countering presidential orders. Truman leaves Wake thinking that MacArthur is resolved to
abide by his general orders.
October 20: UN troops capture the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and continue to advance north toward the Yalu
River, the border with Manchuria.
November 1: Massing under the cover of smoke from huge forest fires, Chinese troops attack South Korean troops in the
North, destroying one army.
November 2: General MacArthur announces that the Chinese constitute a serious threat. Under attack by the Chinese, the
U.S. Eighth Army retreats south.
November 4: A massive Chinese counteroffensive begins. MacArthur reports that the Chinese are in Korea in such
numbers that they threaten his command, and demands reinforcements.
AP United States History - Terms and People – Unit 12, Chapter 36 (13th Ed.)
HONOR PLEDGE: I strive to uphold the vision of the North Penn School District, which is to inspire each student to reach his or her highest potential and
become a responsible citizen. Therefore, on my honor, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work.
November 6: Abandoning their concealment tactics, a million Chinese move into Korea. U.S. pilots watch a steady stream
of Chinese troops cross the Yalu River separating Korea from Manchuria. MacArthur announces a plan to bomb the Yalu
bridges, but it is overruled by Washington. MacArthur begins a political offensive in favor of all-out war against the
Chinese that will not only reunite Korea but topple the Communist government in China, allowing Chiang Kai-shek to
retake the mainland. In his worst strategic maneuver, MacArthur has split his armies, and the Chinese easily drive through
the center of the UN forces.
December 5: In the face of enormous Chinese manpower willing to accept huge casualties, UN troops abandon Pyongyang
and are eventually pushed out of the North. The Chinese continue their offensive, promising to drive the Americans into the
sea, MacArthur reports to Truman, “We face an entirely new war.”
December 8: President Truman announces an embargo on U.S. goods shipped to China.
December 16: President Truman declares a national emergency and calls for an army buildup to 3.5 million men. Three
days later, Dwight Eisenhower, who is serving as president of Columbia University, is named supreme commander of
Western European (soon to become NATO) defense forces.
December 29: General MacArthur announces that the United States should attack China, and advocates atomic attacks on
China and the use of half a million Nationalist Chinese troops to overthrow the Communist government in China.
1951
January 4: Chinese troops capture Seoul. MacArthur complains about being hampered by Truman’s decision not to bomb
Chinese supply dumps in China. UN troops eventually regroup and halt the Chinese offensive.
March 14: UN forces recapture Seoul and eventually push Chinese troops back across the border.
April 5: In the United States, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are sentenced to death on their conviction of passing atomic
secrets to the Soviet Union. The execution will be carried out in June 1953.
April 11: President Truman removes General MacArthur as commander in Korea after MacArthur openly defies Truman’s
plan to negotiate a Korean peace. In March, General Matthew B. Ridgeway takes command of forces in Korea. Returning to
the States as a national hero and greeted by huge crowds (some reports put New York crowds welcoming MacArthur in a
ticker- tape parade at 7 million). On April 19, MacArthur addresses a joint session of Congress with a speech urging an
expanded war against China. He concludes his speech by saying:
I am closing my fifty-two years of military service. When I joined the army, even before the turn
of the century, it was the fulfillment of all my boyish hopes and dreams.
The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plain at West Point, and the
hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular
barracks ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier
who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good-by.
There is a huge popular outcry against Truman, and thousands of letters calling for his impeachment descend on the White
House and Congress.
July 10: While fighting continues, the United States joins peace talks between the UN and China. The U.S. goal is a
negotiated truce confirming the status quo before the war — a return to the containment policy.
1952
January 24: Peace talks with the Chinese are declared stalled. The war continues, fought primarily in a seesaw battle in
North Korea’s cold, rugged mountain terrain. These battles, for Heart break Ridge, Bloody Ridge, the Punchbowl, and
other hills essentially end in a bloody stalemate, bringing to mind the trench warfare of World War I.
November 4: Dwight D. Eisenhower, promising to go to Korea if elected, is elected President. Richard M. Nixon is his
Vice-President. His opponent, Democrat Adlai Stevenson, has won only nine states.
December 5: President-elect Eisenhower visits troops in Korea and attempts to break the stalemate in truce talks.
1953
July 27: An armistice is signed at Panmunjon, halting the Korean fighting. The fighting ends where it started, at the 38th
parallel. A peace treaty has never been signed by the two sides.
What were the results of the Korean War?
The war cost America more than 54,000 dead and another 100,000 casualties. More than 2 million Koreans were killed in
the fighting. After three years, the situation in Korea was almost exactly what it had been when the North first attacked the
South. All of the fighting and deaths had changed almost nothing, and it has remained that way to this day. At home, the
war produced a massive call for militarization and a buildup of American conventional and nuclear forces—strengthening
what President Eisenhower himself would later label “the military-industrial complex.”