Standards of Learning (SOL)

Unit 8

USII.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the economic, social, and political transformation of the United States and the world between the end of World War II and the present by

a) describing the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War II, the emergence of the United States as a superpower, and the establishment of the United Nations; b) describing the conversion from a wartime to a peacetime economy; c) identifying the role of America’s military and veterans in defending freedom during the Cold War, including the wars in Korea and Vietnam, the Cuban missile crisis, the collapse of communism in Europe, and the rise of new challenges;

1 Note Page / USII.8a Page 1 Rebuilding Europe and Japan after WWII

Following World War II, much of Europe and Japan were in ruins. Fifty million people had lost their lives, millions were homeless, and 70 percent of the transportation and communication systems, industries, roads, and buildings had been destroyed. As a new world superpower, the United States felt that it was in its best interests to rebuild the war-torn areas in order to bring economic and political stability.

In contrast to World War I, most of the victorious Allies of World War II did not ask for compensation, or payment from the defeated nations. The United States realized that the huge war reparations, or payments demanded after World War I had actually worsened the world-wide depression. Instead, the United States instituted the Marshall Plan, which was named after President Truman’s secretary of state, General George C. Marshall. This plan provided billions of dollars in financial aid to help rebuild European economies.

The United States hoped that the Marshall Plan would also prevent the spread of communism. Communism is a system of government in which all land, industries, and businesses are owned by the government and people have few rights.

Although the United States and the Soviet Union had been allies during the war, this alliance changed. The U.S. grew concerned by the spread of Soviet influence and communism in post-war Europe. The U.S. strategy was to use the financial aid offered through the Marshall Plan to create strong economic allies who would not be tempted by communist propaganda. The United States did not want communism to spread as fascism had after World War I.

2 1 Europe and Japan in ruins

2 Marshall Plan

3 Prevent the spread of Communism

3 Note Page / USII.8a Page 2

Rebuilding Europe and Japan after WWII (continued)

After World War II, the world had two new superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. In addition, Europe was divided into two main areas of influence: those countries helped by the U.S. led Marshall Plan and those who would fall under the control of the Soviet Union.

Countries under Soviet control were located in Eastern and Central Europe. They included Albania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and the Baltic States.

“Free” or capitalist countries included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.

Germany was also divided. It was partitioned into East and West Germany. East Germany would remain under the domination of the Soviet Union and communism. West Germany, however, would be occupied by the United States, Great Britain, and France. It would become a democratic nation and govern itself within a few years.

The United States also took a leading role in the rebuilding of Japan. At the close of World War II, Japan’s major cities, industries, agriculture, and transportation systems were severely damaged. Beginning in 1945, Japan was occupied by American forces, and the remains of its war machine were destroyed. A new constitution and a democratic form of government were adopted. It gradually resumed self-government and became a strong ally of the United States.

After World War II, the nations of the world once again wanted an organization that would help them safeguard world peace and prevent future global wars. This time the United States agreed and the result was the United Nations, or U.N. By joining the United Nations, the U.S. adopted a long-term foreign policy of internationalism.

4 5 5 Two superpowers

8 East and West Germany

9 Rebuilding Japan

10 United Nations

Note Page / USII.8c Part 1 Page 1

6 The Origins of the Cold War

During World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were Allies united in the common goal to defeat Germany. After the war, however, tensions arose between these two superpowers that would continue over the course of more than 40 years. This period of history was called the Cold War. The Cold War was a state of tension between the two superpowers without actual fighting that would divide the world into two camps.

As the United States and Soviet Union emerged from World War II, their goals and ideologies, or beliefs differed greatly. The United States was a democratic nation with a capitalist economic system. The capitalist economic system rewarded individual achievement and competition. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, was a communist state where all land, industries, and businesses were owned by the government and people had few rights or freedoms.

The two superpowers also had different goals after World War II. The Soviet Union claimed the countries and territories that it had liberated from Germany during the war. This area of Soviet domination, or control included many of the nations of Eastern Europe and East Germany.

The United States was concerned by the spread of Soviet influence and communism in post-war Europe. They instituted, or set up a policy of containment to stop the spread of communism. Under the Truman Doctrine, the U.S. was prepared to send money, equipment, or military force to any country threatened by a communist government. U.S. policy would stop at containment. It would not attempt to liberate, or free countries under communist control.

7 8 2 Cold War

3 Capitalism vs. Communism

5 Policy of containment

Note Page / USII.8c Part 1 Page 2 9 The Origins of the Cold War (continued)

Fueled by European fears of Soviet aggression, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was formed in 1949. The U.S. and 11 Western European countries formed the peacetime alliance to protect member nations from communist aggression. The 12 countries agreed to come to the aid any member nation that was attacked.

The Soviet Union responded. In 1949, it tested its first nuclear weapon. That event started an “arms race” between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Americans became extremely concerned about a possible nuclear war. Many feared that communists might even infiltrate, or gain access to the U.S. Government. The Soviet Union would also form the Warsaw Pact in 1955. Most of the communist states of Central and Eastern Europe would sign and pledge to defend each other if one or more members were attacked.

10 6 NATO

7 Warsaw Pact

Note Page / USII.8c Part 2 11 Page 1

Major Conflicts in the Post-World War II Era

Since World War II, the United States has been directly involved in a number of conflicts. Many of these were the result of divisions created by the Cold War. The Cold War didn’t involve actual fighting. It was a state of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union that forced the rest of the world to take sides.

During World War II, the country of Korea was invaded and occupied by Japan. At the close of the war it was divided into two sections like Germany. North Korea formed a communist government and was supported by the Soviet Union and China. South Korea formed a republic and was supported by the United States.

In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. With China’s help, they hoped to create a communist government in South Korea. President Truman and the UN sent troops to stop the North Korean aggression in what would be called the Korean War.

The conflict ended three years later in a stalemate with approximately 33,000 U.S. soldiers killed and over 100,000 injured. The high number of American casualties made it a very unpopular war, and President Truman decided not to run for re- election. Dwight D. Eisenhower would become the next president of the United States.

Less than 10 years later, the U.S. would be involved in another dispute called the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1962 the Soviet Union began to ship nuclear missiles to Cuba and build launching sites. With the communist island country of Cuba only 90 miles south of the tip of Florida, President John F. Kennedy was very concerned. He was afraid that Cuba might use the missiles to attack the United States.

12 2 Korea

3 Korean War

5 Cuban Missile Crisis

Note Page / USII.8c Part 2 Page 2

13 Major Conflicts in the Post-World War II Era (continued)

President Kennedy decided to order a blockade. On national TV, he announced that the U.S. Navy would set up a blockade around Cuba to stop all Soviet ships carrying missile site materials from reaching the island. President Kennedy also demanded that the missile sites be dismantled. The nations of the world held their breath and hoped that they would not be pulled into a third world war. After four long days the Soviets agreed to remove the missiles if the U.S. ended the blockade, removed U.S. missiles in Turkey, and promised not to invade Cuba.

Another conflict started during Kennedy’s presidency. This time it was in Vietnam. Formerly a French colony, Vietnam had been divided into two parts after World War II. North Vietnam was controlled by communists and South Vietnam was a republic. In the late 1950s, North Vietnam and communists from South Vietnam, called the Viet Cong, tried to take over the South Vietnamese government.

U.S. political leaders were afraid that if South Vietnam fell to communism, the rest of Southeast Asia would eventually follow. This was called the Domino Theory. As a result the United States intervened to stop the spread of communism into South Vietnam. During the 1950s the U.S. began sending military advisors to assist the South Vietnamese army. Finally in the early to mid-1960s, the U.S. sent combat troops to South Vietnam. The Vietnam War had begun.

14 6 Blockade of Cuba

7 Viet Nam War

8 Domino Theory

15 Note Page / USII.8c Part 2 Page 3

Major Conflicts in the Post-World War II Era (continued)

The fighting in Vietnam was very different from previous wars. The U.S. had experience fighting conventional wars with tanks, air strikes, and big battles. It was not prepared to fight a guerrilla war in dense jungle terrain. To make matters worse, U.S. soldiers had trouble identifying the enemy. South Vietnamese, who were sympathetic to the communists, would appear to be civilians, yet attack U.S. troops.

As the Vietnam War continued, people in the United States began to question why U.S. troops were engaged there. This mounting opposition caused a vocal minority to begin protesting the war. Protests took the form of marches, sit-ins, and the burning of draft cards. America was divided over whether the United States should continue to be involved militarily in Vietnam.

The Vietnam War continued through the presidencies of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. The U.S. involvement in this conflict ended in January of 1973, when President Nixon agreed to a cease-fire and withdrew U.S. troops. Without U.S. support, the government of South Vietnam was forced to surrender to the forces of North Vietnam in April of 1975.

16 9 Guerilla warfare

10 Viet Nam protests

11 Nixon withdraws U.S. troops/South Viet Nam surrenders

17 Note Page / USII.8c Part 3 Page 1

The Collapse of Communism in Europe and New Challenges

The Collapse of Communism in Europe

For more than four decades, the tensions of the Cold War influenced the world. Everything from education to medicine to sporting events seemed to be driven by the conflicts between the Free World and the Communists. However, events began to change in the 1980s.

In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became the new leader of the Soviet Union. He met with President Ronald Reagan to discuss better relations between the two nations. A “thaw” in the Cold War had begun. Treaties were signed limiting nuclear missiles, and by the early 1990s, the Soviet Union had begun to break apart into independent countries. In addition, a number of Soviet-dominated governments in Eastern Europe began to be replaced by more democratic governments.

In 1989 the communist government of East Germany removed their guards from the wall that had separated the citizens of East and West Germany since 1945. Within weeks the German people tore down the Berlin Wall, and in 1990 they reunited their country.

New Challenges

As America approached the end of the twentieth century, communism in Europe was crumbling. The United States emerged as the world’s only true superpower. With its new status and the end of the Cold War, the United States faced new challenges.

Although the end of the Cold War ushered in a “new world order,” conflicts between nations and groups of people continued. The role of U.S. military intervention in these conflicts changed. In recent years, the U.S. military has increasingly taken part in international peace and humanitarian operations. These peace operations include monitoring and maintaining agreements between disputing parties, using military force, or the threat of military force to convince disputing parties to cease hostilities, and sending military forces to discourage violence in areas of possible conflict.

18 19 2 A “thaw” in the Cold War

3 Tearing down the Berlin Wall

4 U.S. emerges as world’s only superpower

5 New role of U.S. military