Week 4: Discussion 1 and 2

Week 4 - Instructor Guidance

HIS 206: United States History II

Instructor Guidance

Week 4

Congratulations to everyone to making it to week four! We are officially past the half way mark. This is a good time to take a step back and take stock of everything you have learned so far. If you are behind on your work for the course, it might be a good time to reach out to your instructor to see what you can do to get caught up.

This is also a good time to go over the sources that you have found for your final project, reading carefully and closely. It might help to keep researching at the Ashford Library (see the week three guidance for more help finding sources). As you read over your sources, ask yourself “what are they saying about the topic, and how can I use what they are saying to support what I want to say”. Also, take notes as you read, so that you can go back and use useful materials from sources. Use quotes sparingly and make sure that you explain the quote and put it in the context of your own thinking.

This week’s guidance will cover the following areas:

1. Utilizing Feedback

2. Checklist and Assignments for Week 4

3. Topics covered this week

4. Source list

Utilizing Feedback

Video Transcript

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Checklist and Assignments for Week 4

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Topics Covered This Week

Timeline

The Cold War

The Cold War was a conflict between the United States (the West) and the Soviet Union (the East) that was global in scope and lasted from 1945 to 1991. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for dominance in world politics, with each side defending their spheres of influence from the perceived expansionist tendencies of the other. The threat of nuclear annihilation (also known as MAD, Mutually Assured Destruction) kept them from directly waging war on each other. That is there was fear of another nuclear bomb attack since both sides had nuclear weapons. Keep in mind that the US had dropped the Atomic Bomb on Japan which brought WWII to an end.

Instead, a number of proxy wars broke out (that is the US and Soviet union did not engage in direct conflict but supported others in conflict that served their interests), These included the Greek Civil War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War and wars in Africa including the Angolan and Mozambique wars for independence. These proxy wars took place in smaller nations but the United States and the Soviet Union backed the opposing sides, giving them greater global significance and making their outcomes representative of the larger balance of power. While ostensibly, the conflict between the two powers was over political and economic systems, the two nations had different goals for the post-war world. The United States wanted open markets for American goods while the Soviet Union sought security by creating a buffer of friendly nations all around it to protect from invasion.

Watch this short video on the road to the Cold War

Media Rich Learning. (2009). The Cold War--Part 1: From World War to Cold War. [video online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYCplyBknI

Last week we saw that relations between the United States and the Soviet Union became tense during World War II, even though they remained allies for the duration of that war. As the Allies were poised to defeat Germany and the Axis Powers, the Big Three (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin) met at Yalta (on the coast of the Black Sea) in February 1945 to discuss the conditions for Germany’s surrender as well as the shape of the post-war world.

The Truman Doctrine

In 1946 Truman announced the Truman Doctrine - dividing the world into “two rival worlds” - basically he pledged to support free peoples who resisted totalitarian regimes signaling an open-ended intent to oppose the Soviets anywhere in the world. During the Cold War while the US might advocate freedom and democracy in reality, US foreign policy often led to support for dictatorships because they were anti-communist but who severely curtailed people's freedom using torture and imprisonment for their opponents. (It is important to keep this in mind as we look at US and World relations today).

During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union competed to have the most allies. For this reason, both nations interfered in the domestic politics of a variety of other countries in an effort to affect the economic and political systems. The Soviets were looking for security, first from Germany (which had rebuilt itself and invaded Russia multiple times in the past), and then from the United States.

President Eisenhower first articulated the domino theory (the idea that once one nation falls to communism, others are bound to follow), which shaped US foreign policy for many years. In an effort to contain communism, the United States intervened overtly (providing funding to anticommunist efforts and/or sending troops to fight) in some countries, like Greece, Korea, and Vietnam. It used the CIA to intervene covertly to effect a change in leadership or to prevent the election of an undesirable leader.

For example, in 1953 the CIA instigated the overthrow of Mohammed Mossadeq, the democratically elected leader of Iran who was not a communist but did work to build a coalition with a variety of parties, including the communist party. The United States replaced Mossadeq with the Shah of Iran (who was not democratically elected) because he was more easily controlled.

Aside from Iran, recently declassified documents show that the CIA also interfered in Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, Cuba, and other nations in an attempt to “contain” communism. To complicate the world picture, a number of former European colonies declared independence during the Cold War. While the United States did nominally support freedom and self-determination for these colonies, fear of the spread of communism led the United States to repeatedly intervene on the side of the colonizers and then to manipulate the results of elections.

You can see declassified CIA documents from the CIA covert programs in the early Cold War here:

National Security Archive. (2013, August 19). CIA Confirms Role in 1953 Iran Coup. Retrieved November 3, 2014, from http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB435/

National Security Archive. (2009, August 16). Brazil Conspired with U.S. to Overthrow Allende. Retrieved November 3, 2014, from http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB282/index.htm

National Security Archive. (2002, December 13). U.S. Propaganda Activities in the Middle East - Essay. Retrieved November 3, 2014, from http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB78/essay2.htm

The Cold War at Home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFT8hLjHtuE

Duck and Cover 1951 (This is a propaganda film put out by the US government to warn the US population of what to do in a nuclear attack). It is really quite amusing to watch now in some ways if we think of the devastation that had been a result of the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Do take a look (especially the last minute or two but keep in mind that the fear was real).

Initially, average Americans viewed the Soviet Union as a wartime ally and not a threat. However, in just a few years, hysteria about Soviet expansionism and communist infiltration caused the Red Scare. Senator Joseph P. McCarthy made a name for himself by claiming to have a list of an ever-changing list of communist spies who were working in the State Department but he was hardly the only politician to benefit from the Red Scare. He and many other members of HUAC (the House Un-American Activities Committee) Fear of communist infiltration was not limited to federal employees, but also teachers, professors, and entertainers. McCarthy even accused the Army of harboring communists. While there were communist spies in the United States, neither McCarthy or any of the other politicians knew who they were. The Red Scare was characterized by paranoid unsubstantiated allegations against individuals who were then subpoenaed to testify in front of HUAC and it cost many innocent people their jobs, reputations, and even their lives as some of the accused committed suicide. The Red Scare also contributed to a wave of conformity during the 1950s and early 1960s because Americans feared calling attention to themselves, lest they be accused of communism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAur_I077NA

Americans returned from World War II eager to forget the war and get on with life. Many veterans quickly married and started families, kicking off the Baby Boom. So many people followed that path that there was an intense shortage of housing and schools. Arthur Levitt immediately recognized an opportunity and built Levittown, as suburban neighborhood of identical but quick to build tract houses. Many others similar neighborhoods followed, creating the expanding suburbs. A new emphasis on the nuclear family emerged, creating pressure for Americans to conform to the domestic ideal in which men worked and women stayed home with the children. However pervasive that ideal was, not all women could or wanted to return home after the expanded opportunities for women in the workforce during WWII. In addition, the GI Bill offered veterans free college educations, opening the nation’s colleges and university for the first time to the population outside of the upper class and causing a massive expansion the country’s higher education system.

Explore an interactive exhibit on Levittown here

State Museum of Pennsylvania. (2003, January 1). Levittown, Pa.: Building the Suburban Dream. Retrieved November 3, 2014, from http://statemuseumpa.org/levittown/one/f.html

Housing Segregation

One of the more enduring forms of racist oppression was housing segregation. In the years after World War Two, when the GI home loan made home ownership a possibility for an entire generation of Americans, only white families were allowed to buy homes in neighborhoods such as Levittown where the property values went up. People of color were forced to buy homes in restricted "red-lined" areas where the values never went up. While white families in upwardly mobile suburbs were able to build generational wealth on the value of their homes, the value of homes owned by people of color stagnated, making it much more difficult to build generational wealth. This process is explored in-depth in the video The House We Live In.

Even today, the impact of red lining can be felt, not only in the wealth gap, but in the gentrification which has occurred now that red-lining has ended. There are maps like this for every city. In our internet age, you don't need to go to city archives to find these maps for your area, you can find one by "googling" the name of your city and the term "red lining". These maps are oddly congruent with the demographics today, just as the wealth gap which "red lining" created can still be seen in today’s economic disparities.

The Korean War

The Korean War (1950-1953) disrupted the domestic tranquility that so many Americans sought after WWII. Often called the “forgotten war,” the Korean War was the first UN sanctioned military action. It pitted the United States against the Soviet Union on Korean soil. Korea was liberated after WWII from Japan, with Soviet forces in the North and US forces in the South. In the aftermath of WWII, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed that the 38th parallel would divide their respective regions. However, in 1950 forces from the North crossed the 38th parallel, prompting the United Nations to put President Truman in charge of reestablishing the division at the 38th parallel. The United States (and other nations) sent troops to Korea under the auspices of the United Nations, commanded by Douglas MacArthur. Although initially unable to stop the North Korean forces, the UN troops did finally turn the tide and force the North Koreans back across the 38th parallel. However, MacArthur did not stop there but continued into North Korea, bringing the Chinese into the war on the side of North Korea and resulting in a stalemate. In 1953, President Eisenhower took a more aggressive approach to the war just as Stalin died, distracting Soviets from the Korean War as they concentrated on maintaining political stability and determining a successor to Stalin. Although an armistice was signed, there was not a peace treaty. Korea remains divided today and, technically, since there was no peace treaty, the war is still going on.

Civil Rights

Although we often think of Civil Rights as a purely domestic issue, during the Cold War it took on international proportions. The United States vocally endorsed freedom and self-determination for the colonial world while still practicing segregation. This proved to be an issue as more African nations achieved independence, joined the United Nations, and sent their delegates to New York, where many faced discrimination. They often had difficulty finding housing, getting taxis and other transportation, as well as staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. This made a negative impression on the delegates from the newly formed nations and they (and their countries) were less likely to align with the United States. In addition, the Soviet Union used segregation for propaganda against the United States, pointing out that while the United States liked to talk about freedom and equality, they did not practice it at home. Both the leaders of the Civil Rights movement and US politicians understood this political reality, creating the ideal moment for actual change.

During WWII, Civil Rights leaders pressed for the desegregation of the military. They argued that African American soldiers were overseas fighting for democracy and the freedom of others. Why couldn’t those same soldiers enjoy the same freedoms here? In 1948, President Truman signed an executive order that desegregated the military. However, as many historians have pointed out, Truman had showed little interest in Civil Rights but he was under intense pressure to demobilize after WWII while he was also facing increasing tension with the Soviet Union.

Desegregation was a way to make the most efficient use of the troops left in the military after the war. Similarly, when President Eisenhower sent federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to carry out the Supreme Court’s order (Brown v. Board of Education) that schools should be desegregated, he did not actually agree with school desegregation but the international political situation forced him to act. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, a number of events (like the murders of Emmitt Till and Medgar Evers, the Birmingham Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, the Freedom Riders) focused international attention on US racial issues and forced the United States to finally extend full Civil Rights to minorities with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.

Here are some clips from the Civil Rights Movement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f82cAuXM4IE

The following was made by someone 5th graders but it very well puts together images and clips that I urge you to view if you are not familiar with the movement.

The best documentary is the PBS series Eyes of the Prize:

"Eyes on the Prize is an award-winning 14-hour television series produced by Blackside and narrated by Julian Bond. Through contemporary interviews and historical footage, the series covers all of the major events of the civil rights movement from 1954-1985." This series is a must see for anyone who wants a good understanding of African American History

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/

Vietnam

At the end of WWII, Vietnam was a French colony. However, Vietnamese nationalists (who eventually aligned with communists) wanted independence and were fighting a war of independence from France. During WWII Japan had occupied the area and so after WWII the Vietnamese hoped for independence. France wanted to hold on to Vietnam. The fight for independence continued and in 1954 the Geneva Accords were signed promising elections and the unification of North and South Vietnam. The Vietnamese in the North were led by the popular leader Ho Chi Minh a nationalist and communist. Fearing that Ho Chi Minh would win any elections the US helped delay elections.

However, President Truman was afraid that if Vietnam fell to communism, other countries would follow and he sent money and advisors first to the French and then to the South Vietnamese government in an effort to defeat the communist North Vietnamese. Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy followed the same course of action although Kennedy was considering pulling US advisors out of the country at the time of his assassination. President Johnson took office in 1963 and he immediately escalated the war, sending troops and heavy armaments. However, the United States could not win the war against guerillas fighting for their own country. In 1968, President Nixon ran on the promise of a secret strategy to get the United States out of Vietnam. Many American interpreted that as a promise to begin pulling troops out. While Nixon did pull some troops out, he intensified aerial bombing. The last US troops and personnel only left Vietnam when the North Vietnamese took the entire country and Saigon fell in 1975.

Many Americans, especially those of military age, began in the 1960s to disagree with the US involvement in the Vietnam War, seeing it as civil war in which the United States did not belong. Large antiwar protests took place all over the country. The antiwar movement often combined forces with the Civil Rights movement and the Women’s Liberation movement, creating a time of turmoil, conflict, and change in the United States.

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Sources

Barnes, L. & Bowles, M. (2014).The American story: Perspectives and encounters from 1877. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Bernard, S. C. (Writer). (2000). A struggle for educational equality: 1950-1980 [Series episode]. In School: The story of American public education. Retrieved from https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=11764&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=

Coontz, S. [UChannel]. (2010, Sept. 29). The way we never were: American families and the nostalgia trap [Video]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/MIeAnU7_7TA

Gutiérrez, J. A. (2011). The Chicano movement: Paths to power. Social Studies, 102(1), 25-32. doi:10.1080/00377996.2011.533043

Hanchett, T. W. (2001). The other 'subsidized housing'. Journal of Housing & Community Development, 58(1), 18. Retrieved from the http://www.nahro.org/housing-journal

Hannigan, B., Hawksworth, R., & Spencer, S. (Producers & Writers). (2009). Cold war [Series episode]. In R. Hawksworth (Executive producer), America in the 20th century. Retrieved from https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=47587&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=

Hannigan, B., Hawksworth, R, & Spencer, S. (Producers). (2009). The post-war years [Series episode]. In R. Hawksworth (Executive producer), America in the 20th century. Retrieved from https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=47585&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=

May, E. (2008). War and peace: Fanning the home fires. In Homeward bound: American families in the Cold War era (pp. 58-88). Retrieved from the ebrary database.