The 50’s & the beginning of the cold war1

Truman & the Truman & the beginnings of beginnings of the Cold Warthe Cold War

““Now, truth is not always a pleasant thing. Now, truth is not always a pleasant thing. But it is necessary now to make a choice, But it is necessary now to make a choice,

to choose between two admittedly to choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless regrettable, but nevertheless

distinguishable, postwar environments: distinguishable, postwar environments: one where you got twenty million people one where you got twenty million people

killed, and the other where you got a killed, and the other where you got a hundred and fifty million people killed.hundred and fifty million people killed.””

- - Buck TurginsonBuck TurginsonDr. Stranglove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Dr. Stranglove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to

Love the BombLove the Bomb

““Give Give ‘‘em Hell em Hell HarryHarry””

• FDR’s running mate & eventual VP in 1944.

• Chosen b/c of his centrist views• VP for less than 3 mo before

becoming president

“Is there anything we can do for you? For you are the one in trouble now."

Demobilization after Demobilization after WW IIWW II

Problems at Problems at HomeHome

Inflation

Labor issues

Employment Act of 1946

Taft Hartley Act

Development of the Cold

Development of the Cold

WarWar

Stalin argued thatStalin argued thatcapitalismcapitalism and and

communismcommunism could could never coexist. never coexist.

Churchill respondedChurchill respondedthat an that an ““Iron CurtainIron Curtain

had descendedhad descendedacross theacross theContinentContinent..””

““The The Iron Iron

CurtainCurtain””

Truman & the Cold WarTruman & the Cold War

Containment Policy • Argued USSR was

trying to do TWO things:

1.defeat capitalism2. expand the Soviet

sphere of influence.– US would stand firm,

restrict and halt Soviet and Communist expansion.

HOW?HOW?• Help countries who

were threatened by Communism with financial and economic assistance, propaganda -politically and militarily.– Adopted by President

Truman in 1946. – Opposite of

Appeasement