EARLY COLD WAR/1950S

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS
How did the United States and the
Soviet Union become adversaries?
Before the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union have a great
partnership. However, those days would not last long. Soon, The United States and
the Soviet Union will become enemies. This is caused by Europe being weakened
and destroyed after they were defeated in the war. The United States tested its
first atomic bomb while Truman was attending the Potsdam Conference where he
was finalizing post-World War II plans for Europe. He mentioned the weapon to
Stalin and Stalin is angered and now suspicious and distrusts the United States.
The United States and the Soviet Union also envisioned have very different
versions of postwar Europe. This causes a lot of tension between the two
countries. They both also wanted to be superpowers which is a nation that is so
powerful that it influences or controls less powerful states.

Analysis:
After Germany was defeated, the Allied leaders convened again in July, this time in Potsdam,
near Berlin. President Harry S. Truman now represented the United States, due to FDR’s death
three months prior. Churchill, who was later replaced by new British prime minister Clement
Attlee, and Stalin also attended. At this Potsdam Conference, the Allied leaders finalized their
postwar plans for Germany, including the division of Berlin into occupation zones.

Liberty Opportunity Rights

As a founding ideal, Liberty
means to be free or restrained
from violence towards others.
The United States and the
Soviet Union did not
accomplish liberty towards
each other because they
constantly had conflicts.
Since liberty was not The Soviets rigged the
accomplished, the opportunity election to ensure a
was also not offered. Russia has communist win. Therefore,
become communist and the The citizens didn't get to
west tries to interfere and try to actually vote for
stop it. There is no opportunity themselves. This process is
because the Soviets helped rig lacking the citizens right to
elections in Poland to ensure a vote since the Soviets
rigged the election.
communist win.
 Were the methods used by the United
States to contain communism justified?
The United States' methods for communism were justified because they tried to
avoid violence in the process. Avoiding violence was very important during this
time. Instead of ending nuclear weapons to communist countries, they simply just
didn't offer to help them financially or with needs and goods. I believe the
methods are justified because of how much they did help other struggling
countries. For example, they take action with the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan
supplied Europe with money and help after the war. The United States also
supported Greece so they can rebuild their economy.

Analysis
Instead of violence, The United States chooses to be helpful to
the countries they agree with and not do anything with the
countries they disagree with. This was is big for the United States
because it is likely other countries would use violence in a
disagreement. The Truman Doctrine is a U.S. foreign policy,
established in 1947 by President Harry S. Truman, of providing
economic and military aid to countries—initially Greece and
Turkey—that were attempting to resist communism. This is a
good example of the United States being nonviolent.

Democracy Liberty Rights

Democracy is absent during this
time because communist
countries were not putting the
power in the people's hands.
Instead, all the power was in one
person. For example, all property
is publicly owned.
These events show The citizens of communist
liberty since the United countries do not have
States is restrained rights. The country is
from violence. Instead,
basically controlled in a
they are offering help
horrible way that the
to the countries that
United States does not
need support and
agree with
help.
Why were the 1950s remembered
as an age of affluence?
The 1950s are remembered as the age of affluence because the
physical well-being of America was as good as their economic health.
Advances in medicine were made such as the Polio vaccine and open-
heart surgery could be performed. Medical advances improved the
physical well-being of Americans. There is also a high standard of living
due to the increase in consumer spending. This standard shows the
Americans' economic health.

Analysis
During the 1950s, President Eisenhower cut federal spending,
supports businesses, funded the interstate highway system, and
extended some New Deal programs America enters a period of
postwar abundance, with expanding suburbs, growing families, and
more white-collar jobs. During this time, computers began a business
revolution.

Equality Opportunity Rights

The Americans had the Americans had basic
All Americans had access opportunity to be
to new revolutions like conditions guaranteed
unemployed and qualify for during the 1950s. They
vaccines or televisions.
unemployment. Farmers also also have an opportunity
Everyone had an equal
had the opportunity to get to get more than basic
opportunity to all the
aid from the government. conditions. For example,
new advancements and
suburbs. televisions.
 How did the anxieties raised by the Cold
War affect life in the United States?

HUAC investigated the loyalty of people in many occupations. Its probe of the
movie industry prompted movie studio heads to blacklist anyone thought to be
a communist or communist sympathizer. Senator Joseph McCarthy launched a
highly publicized crusade against government subversives. The term
McCarthyism came to refer to personal attacks against innocent people with
little or no evidence to support the charges. Fears of subversion intensified
during the Alger Hiss case and the Rosenberg trial. Hiss served a prison term,
while the Rosenbergs were executed for transmitting atomic secrets to the
USSR.

Analysis
Like earlier wars, the Cold War created fright and anxiety on the home
front. Fearful of attacks from within, the U.S. government sought to
root out communist subversion. Faced with the threat of nuclear
attack from the Soviet Union, it promoted civil defense and
preparedness planning

Liberty Rights Opportunity

Liberty is absent during Rights are also absent People didn't really have the
this time. There is during this time. People opportunity to believe in
blacklisting to people didn't have the right to what they wanted to. They
who are thought to be believe in communism are afraid that what
communists. Blacklisting otherwise they would be happened to the
is often violent. blacklisted. Many people Rosenbergs will happen to
feared subversion. themselves.
 How did poverty persist in the United
States in an age of affluence?
Pauperism was once considered a moral failure. Today, poverty is defined by income
level. People below the poverty line do not have sufficient income to live adequately.
Michael Harrington argues in The Other America that the poor are “invisible” for many
reasons. Although they lived far differently than the middle class, the poor looked similar.
Impoverished Americans also held no political roles. Federal government efforts to
“terminate” its responsibility for American Indian tribes led to increased poverty among
American Indians. The Voluntary Relocation Program helped American Indians move to
cities, but many had trouble adjusting to urban life.
Analysis
Michael Harrington’s The Other America revealed that despite the general affluence of the
1950s, millions of “socially invisible” Americans lived in poverty. Although people’s views and
understanding of poverty have changed over time, the problem persists. The growth of
agribusiness harmed many farmers. Migrant workers on corporate farms were not paid
enough to lift them out of poverty. One of the poorest rural regions, Appalachia, suffered
from poor farming conditions and declining coal industry.
Impoverished minorities concentrated in decaying cities after the middle class moved out. The
Housing Act of 1949 launched urban renewal programs to eradicate slums and build new housing.
However, many of these housing projects became slums.

Rights Opportunity Equality

The Americans living in
It is not okay to consider
poverty sometimes got the People living in poverty
poverty moral failure. The were definitely not
opportunity to be a part of the
people in poverty should equal to the other
Voluntary Relocation Program.
have been treated the
However, some didn't adjust Americans. They have
same as everyone else.
to living very well. They also two very different living
They shouldn't be
had the opportunity for styles with no political
considered failing.
unemployment to help them a role.
bit.
Frey, Wendy. History Alive! : the Ancient World / [Author, Wendy Frey ; Contributing Authors, John Bergez, Amy Joseph]. Palo Alto,
Calif. :Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 2004.