1. Peacetime Adjustments and The Cold War
Chapter 14 Section 1
Peacetime Adjustments and
The Cold War

2. Levittown, New York
Many returning veterans wanted housing – the GI Bill would pay for it
Huge Demand for Housing for families
William Levitt used assembly line techniques to house building
Created Levittown, NY out of this system

3. Levittown – the start of “planned” suburbs in America

4. Labor Unrest
Workers in the auto, steel, meatpacking, and railroad industry went on strike in 1946
President Truman was worried about the railroad workers going on strike the most

5. Civil Rights after WWII
Many Blacks returned from war – the Civil Rights situation hadn’t changed
Blacks were still harassed, threatened from voting, and killed
Truman established Commission on Civil Rights & ended segregation of the military
Southern Democrats resisted Truman on other Civil Rights proposals

6. Problems for Harry Truman – looking for re-election
1946 – Republican Congress in the majority now
Many Truman programs were blocked by Congress (no federal funds for education, health care, housing; Taft Hartley Act)
Trailed in the polls to NY Gov. Thomas Dewey

7. More Problems for Truman in the 1948 Election
Democrats were divided into three parts:
Harry Truman (current president)
Henry Wallace (more liberal than Truman / supported by the “New Dealers”
Strom Thurmond (member of the “Dixiecrats” – part of the movement that left the Democratic Party when it put in a strong Civil Rights platform at the convention)
**Truman feared…Would this divide our party and ensure that the Republican would win??

8. Election of 1948 Truman took his message directly to the people
Went on an eight-week, non stop train tour across country
Scored a big “upset” win over Dewey in the election
After the win – Truman pushed the “Fair Deal” – projects aimed at creating jobs, ending discrimination, and ensuring fair housing
So many people believed Dewey would win the election. Even newspapers (like this one) printed early editions with the headline that Dewey had won. Here, Truman holds up the “incorrect” headline

9. Cold War Map of Europe Blue=Capitalist/Democracy Red=Communist Yellow=Neutral

10. Truman’s Policy toward Communism
Believed in the Containment Policy
Means stopping the spread of Communism to new areas
Based on the belief that Communists wanted to “spread” their influence
Use military and non-military means

11. The Truman Doctrine
Stated that the U.S. would give “assistance” to nations that were threatened by Communism

12. Western Democracies form NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Alliance of Western Democracies (U.S., Canada, France, Britain, etc.)
Soviets respond with their own alliance called the “Warsaw Pact”
NATO
Warsaw Pact

13. Berlin, Germany: A divided city
Germany – as a nation – was divided after WWII (Western Democracies – US / Britain / France – controlled the Western half……..The Soviets controlled the East
The city of Berlin (even though lying in the Eastern half of the country) was divided as well (The Western countries had access to it)

15. Blocking Access to Berlin
Soviet Forces tried to block access to the city – so the West couldn’t get in
Stalin surrounded the city with troops and prevented all Western democracies to enter the city
Truman needed to make a decision…
Can he just let the Soviets have the Western half of Berlin?
That wouldn’t go well with his “Containment” policy

16. Truman’s Decision
Truman approved a massive “Airlift” of food, medicine, and other relief supplies to the western half of Berlin
People are overjoyed with American generosity

17. The Berlin Airlift

18. The Berlin Airlift

19. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Accused of passing atomic secrets to the Russians in 1951
Members of American Communist Party
Executed in 1953 for Espionage (spying)