A.P. U.S. History, Cold War America 1945~1954, Study Guide
Where are we “at” as a country, by 1946? Davidson writes that Betty Bayse and Timuel Black came back
to an America filled with uncertainty. How is that different from or the same as experiences of Americans
in 1784, 1849, 1865, 1898, 1919?
The Rise of the Cold War
Pay attention to the sources of American suspicions and the lessons of Munich – how they affect U.S. attitudes about
dealing with the Soviet Union.
Pay attention to locations around the world where the Soviets seemed to be aggressive. Compare them to the map
on page 805. Does Time note those places as quarantined, infected, or exposed? Later, you’ll see that their graycolored China is a grievous error.
Pay attention to paragraph 4 on page 803: What does Stalin really think about the West?
Who wrote that and when?
“The most war-like
pronouncement uttered by
any top level statesman
since V-J Day.”
Who were they writing that about?
What did he say that was so “war-like”?
Who wrote that, when, how?
“the traditional and instinctive
What was his point?
Russian sense of insecurity …
[causes it] to move inexorably
along a prescribed path …
So what did he propose:
stopping only when it meets an
unanswerable force …”
Define that policy:
Situation in Iran:
Britain:
In early 1947, President
Truman asks congress for
$400M in military and
economic aid to Greece and
Turkey
______ - The Marshall
Plan
Who proposed it:
Results:
The Soviet reaction to the Plan:
______ - The Berlin Airlift
(the first one)
______ - Formation of
NATO (write it out)
Pay attention to Truman’s support for the formation of the State of Israel. This will prove to be a very critical
action; few Americans realized the challenges it would bring for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
For discussion: Agree or disagree and explain: President Truman is to blame for the ‘rise of the cold war’.
Examine the map on page 807. Note the locations of the
Note divided Berlin. For discussion: How will these divisions
______ The McMahon
Act
Define it:
two alliances NATO and the Warsaw Pact.
of Europe add to cold war tensions?
What was the AEC?
Who controlled it?
Why did the U.S. retain a (temporary)
monopoly on nuclear weapons?
Define deterrence:
Pay attention to why it developed.
For discussion: Select three things from the reading that gave the reasons for Soviets to fear or distrust the West /
the United States and vice-versa. Use them to explain why the Cold War arose between the U.S. and the USSR.
Postwar Prosperity
1)
2)
Note here the passion Davidson, et al. has for “public spending” and
notice just how much spending was driven by tax dollars.
The Postwar Economic
Boom, ~1950~1970
Daily Lives: Jackie Robinson What is the link between Jackie Robinson and the “Postwar Adjustments”
sub-section of the text.
They publish:
______ - Truman
appoints a committee
on civil rights
which showed:
So Pres. Truman issued:
______ - GI Bill
_____ - “What decent
American would pull a
rail strike at a time like
this?” (who said that?)
______ - Taft-Hartley Act
What does it do?
What does Truman do with it?
What does the Republican Congress do
in turn?
For discussion: Why would
Republicans push “right to work”
laws? Why would labor not like
that?
Caption: “Stick with me kid
– and you’ll wear bracelets.”
Consider also this cover for a
pamphlet about Taft-Hartley by
Lee Coe.
Who is the little guy?
Who is the big guy?
What “slave law” ?
Tell me about Lee Coe.
“Price 5 cents”
(continued)
Progressives
Candidate:
Election of 1948
Dixiecrats
Democrats
Candidate:
Candidate:
Platform:
Main issue:
Platform:
Republicans
Candidate:
Platform: Moderate on
the New Deal
Winner:
Coalition:
Define the Fair Deal:
For discussion: What does it mean that he became a “conservator” of the New Deal?
Discussion: Davidson calls this sub-section “postwar prosperity” … doesn’t seem very prosperous, does it.
But do Americans have any new “understandings” or political beliefs by 1950?
The Cold War at Home
Pay attention to the targets of conservatives animosity over suspected – sometimes correctly so –
communist ties.
The Shock of ‘49
1)
2)
3)
4)
For discussion: Notice the political polarization on the Shocks of ’49.
In 1947 Truman established the
Loyalty Review Board
______ - HUAC convenes
meetings
Define it:
Hollywood Ten:
Hollywood producers:
Hollywood studios:
The McCarran Act:
____-_____ Senator
Joe McCarthy holds
Senate hearings
Who were the targets of McCarthy’s accusations?
Note: The State Department will attract special attention from McCarthy and anti-communist
investigators.
For discussion: Consider this
editorial from Herb Block,
1952. What does he want
you to understand? In what
ways does it corroborate or
refute Davidson et al.’s
discussion of “the Cold War
at Home”??
From Cold War to Hot and Back
______ - NSC 68 is published
Define it:
How is it related to the statement “Korea came along and saved us.”
After WWII:
What does the U.S. do that encourages that 
______ - North Korea invades South Korea
The Korean War … it was called a ____________ _____________ at the time.
1) The U.N. orders a _________________, North Korea _________________.
2) Truman administration wanted:
3) Actual U.S. action:
4) Gen. Douglas MacArthur counterattacks and crosses _________________
5) The Chinese do what?
Who said “I want him fired!” and why?
Who said “There is no substitute for victory” and
why?
Notice how these two views reflect the global view of how to fight the Cold War.
For discussion: Why is MacArthur a problem for Truman’s goal for this war? Why is MacArthur’s
aggression a more significant problem than, say, Admiral Dewey at Manila Bay 1898? What other general
has been a problem for what other executive?
Election of 1952
Democrats
Republicans
Candidate:
Candidate:
Platform:
Platform:
Say, what happened to Truman? (Won’t be the last time
New Hampshire sent a message to a Democrat
Presidential candidate.)
Winner:
Who said that?
The U.S. might take action
“under circumstances of
our choosing.”
What point was he making?
For discussion: So does this point of view agree more with Truman’s policy
for Korea or more with MacArthur’s before he was fired?
Pay attention to the bizarre politics of the McCarthy
investigations, especially how Ike plays both sides
of the fence.
Consider this HerBlock editorial 
(“Have a care, sir” means “I’m warning you, sir, be careful.”)
Based on what Davidson, et al., tell you about
Eisenhower’s handling of McCarthy’s investigations,
is this Herblock cartoon fair? (hints: images on page 818
and 841 will help you figure out who they are.)
Complete:
_______ The Senate votes to ___________
McCarthy. He’s done. Can you tell Davidson really
hates him? Must be a communist. Well, he does
like the New Deal.
For
the
For
the
discussion: Davidson, et al. title this sub-section “From Cold War to Hot and Back”. In what sense did
cold war go from ‘cold’ to ‘hot’ and ‘back’ to cold?
discussion: Did any other war – whether called a war or not like Korea – end the political fortunes of
party / president in power?