AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AMSCO AP US History Chapter 26 Flashcards

AMSCO United States History 2015 Edition, Chapter 26 Truman and the Cold War 1945-1952

Terms : Hide Images
9824085950Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (GI Bill)Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22, 1944, it was also known as the GI Bill. It provided veterans of the Second World War with funds for college education, unemployment insurance, and housing. (p. 557)0
9824085951early marriagesOne sign of confidence in post World War II era was an explosion of marriages at a younger age and new births. (p. 558)1
9824085952baby boomBetween 1945 and 1960, 50 million babies were born. This generation would profoundly affect the nation's social institutions and economic life. (p. 558)2
9824085953suburban growthLow interest rates on mortgages that were government-insured and tax deductible made the move from the city to the suburb affordable for almost any family. In a single generation the majority of middle-class Americans became suburbanites. (p. 558)3
9824085954LevittownWilliam Levitt used mass production techniques to build 17,000 inexpensive homes on Long Island, New York. It became a symbol of the movement to the suburbs in the years after World War II. (p. 558)4
9824085955SunbeltAfter World War II, many Americans moved to southern states. They were attracted by a warmer climate, lower taxes, and defense-related industry jobs. (p. 558)5
9824085956Harry TrumanA moderate Democrat, he became president when Franklin Roosevelt died. He was a decisive, honest and unpretentious leader. (p. 558)6
9824085957Employment Act of 1946President Truman's act included progressive measures such as increased minimum wage and efforts to maintain full employment. (p. 559)7
9824085958Council of Economic AdvisersEstablished by Truman's Employment Act of 1946, they counseled the president and Congress on promoting national economic welfare. (p. 559)8
9824085959inflation and labor unionsRelaxed controls on the Office of Price Administration resulted in an inflation rate of about 25 percent during the first year and a half after World War II. Workers and unions wanted wages to increase after years of wage controls during World War II. (p. 559)9
9824085960Committee on Civil RightsIn 1946, President Truman used his executive powers to create this committee to challenge racial discrimination. (p. 559)10
9824085961racial integration of militaryIn 1948, President Truman ordered the end of racial discrimination throughout the federal government including the armed forces. The end of segregation changed life on military bases, many of which were in the South. (p. 559)11
982408596222nd AmendmentIn response to Franklin Roosevelt's four elections, Congress passed this constitutional amendment, which limited a president to a maximum of two full terms in office. (p. 560)12
9824085963Taft-Hartley ActIn 1947, President Truman called it a "slave labor" bill and vetoed it, but Congress overrode his veto. It established limits on unions by outlawing the closed shop, permitting states to pass "right to work" laws, outlawing secondary boycotts, and giving the president the power to invoke an 80-day cooling off period for some strikes. (p. 560)13
9824085964Progressive PartyIn 1948, liberal Democrats who thought President Truman's aggressive foreign policy threatened world peace, formed this new party. (p. 560)14
9824085965Henry WallaceIn 1948, this former vice president was nominated as the Progressive party's presidential candidate. (p. 560)15
9824085966States-Rights party (Dixiecrats)In 1948, Southern Democrats formed this new party in reaction the President Truman's support of civil rights. (p. 560)16
9824085967J. Strom ThurmondThe South Carolina Governor, who the States-Rights party (Dixiecrats) chose as their 1948 presidential nominee. (p. 560)17
9824085968Thomas DeweyThis Republican New York governor started the 1948 presidential election as the expected winner. He lost to Harry Truman after running a cautious and unexciting campaign. (p. 560)18
9824085969Fair DealPresident Truman's attempt at extending the New Deal with national health insurance, federal aid to education, civil rights legislation, public housing, and a new farm program. Most of the Fair Deal was defeated because of Truman's political conflicts with Congress and the pressing foreign policy concerns of the Cold War. (p. 561)19
9824085970Cold WarFrom the late 1940's to 1991, it dominated international relations. The Communist empire of the Soviet Union against the Western democracy of the United States. It was fought mainly through diplomacy rather than armed conflict, but brought the world dangerously close to a nuclear war. (p. 561)20
9824085971Soviet UnionA Communist nation, consisting of Russia and 14 other states, that existed from 1922 to 1991. (p. 561)21
9824085972Joseph StalinThe leader of the Soviet Union during World War II. In the Nonaggression Pact of 1939, he and Hitler agreed to divide up Eastern Europe. The Soviets later fought Hitler in World War II. They were unhappy when the British and Americans waited until 1944 to open a second battle front in France. (p. 562)22
9824085973United NationsIn the fall of 1945, this worldwide organization was founded and allowed membership of all countries. It had a 15-member Security Council that was to maintain international security and authorize peacekeeping missions. It is often referred to as the U.N. (p. 562)23
9824085974Security CouncilWithin the United Nations, this council consisted of 15 members. There were five permanent members that had veto power: United States, Great Britain, France, China, and the Soviet Union. (p. 562)24
9824085975World BankCreated at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944. The bank's initial purpose was to fund rebuilding after World War II. Also know as International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The Soviets declined to join because they saw the bank as an instrument of capitalism. (p. 562)25
9824085976Communist satellitesCentral and Eastern European nations ruled by Communist dictators, most of them loyal to the Soviet Union. They included: Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, and others. (p. 562)26
9824085977Occupation zonesAt the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four regions controlled by the Soviets, United States, Britain, and France. These areas were supposed to be temporary but the Soviets maintained control of the eastern area. (p. 563)27
9824085978Iron CurtainThe term popularized by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the Soviet Union's policy of isolating and controlling the Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe. (p. 563)28
9824085979Winston ChurchillAfter World War II he declared, "An iron curtain has been descended across the continent". He called for a partnership between Western democracies to halt the expansion of communism. (p. 563)29
9824085980historians: traditionalists vs. revisionistsTraditional historians believe the Cold War was started by the Soviet government subjugating the countries of Eastern Europe in the late 1940s. In the 1960s, revisionist historians began to argue that the United States contributed to starting the Cold War. (p. 572)30
9824085981George KennanHelped formulate Truman's containment policy. Expert on Soviet Affairs, in an influential article he wrote that only "a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies" would eventually cause the Soviets to back off their Communist ideology of world domination and live in peace with other nations. (p. 563)31
9824085982Dean Achesonundersecretary of state who helped formulate Truman's containment policy (p.32
9824085983containment policyIn 1947, President Truman adopted the advice of three top advisers on how to contain Soviet aggression. This policy called for a long-term, firm, and vigilant containment of the Soviet's expansion tendencies. They believed this would eventually cause them to back off their Communist ideology of world domination. (p. 563)33
9824085984Truman DoctrineThis doctrine was in response to a Communist-led uprising against the government in Greece and Soviet demand for some control of a water route in Turkey. In 1947, President Truman asked Congress for $400 million in economic and military aid to assist Greece and Turkey against totalitarian regimes. (p. 564)34
9824085985Marshall PlanA 1947 plan of U.S. economic aid to help European nations revive their economies and strengthen democratic governments, after the devastation of World War II. This plan offered $12 billion in aid to western and southern Europe. The Soviet Union refused to take any of the aid and the result was a deepening rift between non-Communist West and the Communist East. (p. 564)35
9824085986Berlin airliftThe Soviets cut off all access by land to West Berlin. The United States flew planes in with supplies to help the people. At the same time, the U.S. sent 60 bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs to bases in England. Stalin chose not to challenge the airlift and war was averted. (p. 564)36
9824085987East GermanyAfter World War II, this country was the German Democratic Republic, a satellite of the Soviet Union. (p. 564)37
9824085988West GermanyAfter World War II, this country was the Federal Republic of Germany, a U.S. ally. (p. 564)38
9824085989North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationA military alliance, commonly known as NATO. It consists of the United States, Canada, and ten European nations. Its purpose was to defend Western Europe against outside attack. (p. 565)39
9824085990National Security ActIn 1947, this act provided for 1) a centralized Department of Defense to coordinate the operations of the military, 2) creation of the National Security Council (NSC) to coordinate the making of foreign policy in the Cold War, 3) creation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to employ spies to gather information on foreign governments. (p. 566)40
9824085991Nuclear arms raceSoviet and American scientists were in an arms race to develop superior weapons systems. From 1945 to 1949 the U.S. was only country to have atomic bombs. In 1949 the Soviets tested their first atomic bomb. President Truman responded by approving the development of a hydrogen bomb which would be 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb. (p. 566)41
9824085992NSC-68A 1950 secret report in which the National Security Council that U.S must fight the Cold War by: 1) quadruple U.S. defense spending to 20% of GNP 2) form alliances with non-Communist countries 3) convince Americans that a costly arms build up was necessary for defense (p. 566)42
9824085993U.S. - Japanese Security TreatyA 1951 treaty, in which Japan surrendered its claims to Korea and islands in the Pacific and the U.S. ended formal occupation of Japan. U.S troops remained on military bases in Japan to protect it from external enemies. (p. 567)43
9824085994Douglas MacArthurPopular general who aggressively directed American forces during the Korean War. He clashed with President Truman, who removed him from command in 1951. (p. 566)44
9824085995Chinese civil warThe war between Communist Mao Zedong and Nationalist Chiang-Kai Shek. The United States gave $400 million in aid to the Nationalists, but 80 percent of it landed in Communist hands. The Communists took over China and forced the Nationalists to retreat to Taiwan. The U.S. did not recognize the People's Republic of China until 1979. (p. 567)45
9824085996Chiang Kai-shekNationalist leader of China, forced out of China by the Communists. He retreated to Taiwan, where the U.S. continued to support him. (p. 567)46
9824085997TaiwanWhen the Communists took control of the China mainland, the Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek were forced to retreat to this island. (p. 567)47
9824085998Mao ZedongThe Communist leader of the People's Republic of China. He overthrew Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalists. (p. 567)48
9824085999People's Republic of ChinaCommonly known as China, it is the largest country in East Asia. A socialist republic ruled by the Communist Party of China under a single-party system. (p. 567)49
9824086000Korean WarOn June 25, 1950 the North Korean army invaded South Korea. General Douglas MacArthur led a United Nations force consisting of mostly U.S. troops to help the South Korean army. By the time a peace agreement was signed in 1953 the north and south border was nearly in the same location, but 2.5 million people, including 54,000 Americans had died. (p. 568)50
9824086001Kim Il SungThe Communist leader of North Korea during the Korean War. (p. 568)51
9824086002Syngman RheeThe nationalist leader of South Korea during the Korean War. (p. 568)52
9824086003U.N. police actionThe term to describe the Korean War because Congress supported the use of U.S. troops under the U.N. but had never declared war. (p. 568)53
982408600438th parallelAfter World War II Japan gave up its former colony Korea and the country was divided along this parallel. The northern area was occupied by the Soviet forces and the south by the U.S. forces. (p. 568)54
9824086005soft on communismThe Republican's term to describe the Democrats after China adopted Communism and the Korean War stalemate. (p. 569)55
9824086006Loyalty Review BoardIn 1947 under pressure from the Republicans this board was established to investigate the background of more than 3 million employees. (p. 570)56
9824086007Smith ActIn 1940, this act made it illegal to advocate or teach the overthrow of the government by force or belong to an organization with this objective. (p. 570)57
9824086008Dennis et al. v. United StatesIn 1951, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Smith Act. (p. 570)58
9824086009McCarran Internal Security ActIn 1950, Congress passed this act over Truman's veto which did the following: 1) Made it unlawful to advocate or support the establishment of a totalitarian government. 2) Restrict the employment and travel of those joining Communist -front organizations. 3) Authorized the creation of detention camps for subversives. (p. 570)59
9824086010House Un-American Activities CommitteeAfter World War II, this House of Representative committee investigated Communist influence in the government and within organizations such as the Boy Scouts and Hollywood film industry. Many were called to testify before the committee and some were blacklisted. (p. 570)60
9824086011Hollywood blacklistsThe House Un-American Activities Committee created a list of people who would be denied work in the film industry. (p. 570)61
9824086012freedom of expression in artsThe Second Red Scare, the search for Communists, had a chilling effect on freedom of expression. (p. 570)62
9824086013Alger HissHe was a state department official who assisted Roosevelt at the Yalta conference. He denied that he was a Communist and had given secret documents to Whittaker Chambers. In 1950, he was convicted of perjury and sent to prison. (p. 571)63
9824086014Whittaker ChambersA confessed Communist and witness for the House Un-American Activities Committee. (p. 571)64
9824086015Rosenberg caseThis couple, Julius and Ethel, were charged with running a spy ring for the Soviets in New York. In 1953, they were convicted of treason and executed. (p 571)65
9824086016Joseph McCarthyA Republican senator from Wisconsin, who recklessly accused many government officials of being Communists. In December 1954 censured by the Senate which brought an end to his era. (p. 571)66
9824086017McCarthyismDuring the early 1950s, this term was applied to the process of recklessly accusing people in the government and the arts of being Communists. (p. 571)67

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!