USA unit 1

• Impact of WW1 (1914-18):

  • USA involved for 19 months after several German attacks on US shipping and Germany's promise to help Mexico invade California
  • USA loaned Britain 2 billion dollars before 1917
  • War boosted US economy but many Americans believed involvement was a mistake
  • 34 million men drafted, 5 million didn't believe in the war
  • War Industries Board took control of the economy and set prices
  • Espionage and Sedition Acts passed, making it illegal to criticize the government
• • USA didn't join the League of Nations as Congress was nervous about too much involvement in foreign affairs
• Return to Normalcy:

  • WASPs wanted things to go back to pre-war conditions
  • Small economic depression after the war, rise in unemployment, protests, strikes, riots
  • President Harding defined 'normalcy' as a steady way of life and focused on shifting back to the USA
  • Harding advocated reducing taxes, introducing tariffs, providing countrywide radio, and studying 'the race question'
• Isolationism:

  • US should be supportive of other nations but not become 'entangled with them'
  • Not joining the League of Nations
  • Congress passed neutrality acts restricting US help to other countries in case of war
  • Great Depression in 1929 forced focus on domestic problems
• How the Presidency Changed:

  • President Wilson's behavior led people to turn to Republican ideals
  • Wilson replaced by Republican Harding, starting 12 years of Republican dominance
  • Harding advocated laissez-faire, minimal government intervention in the economy
  • Harding's administration focused on reducing government spending and avoiding international politics
  • Harding appointed friends to government positions
• US Politics in the 1920s:

  • Open door policy to migrants, increased immigration
  • New immigrants considered different, leading to concerns about job competition and accusations of being 'job stealers' or 'communists'
  • Red Scare in 1919-20 due to Russian communist revolution, leading to fear and suspicion in the US
  • Palmer Raids in 1919-20 targeted suspected anarchists and communists
  • Prohibition implemented in 1919, banning alcohol production and sale
  • The Roaring 20s saw economic growth, increased productivity, migration of African Americans to northern cities, and increased leisure time
• Rugged Individualism:

  • Hoover's adaptation of Republican laissez-faire policy to focus on individual responsibility
  • Belief that individuals should prosper on their own, limited government intervention
  • Isolationist approach, restricting immigration and avoiding international involvement
• The Great Depression 1929:

  • Caused by excessive lending, stock market crash, and out-of-control share trading
  • Unemployment soared, people lost homes, banks and businesses failed
  • Republicans favored letting the economy self-correct, limited government intervention
• Republicans in the White House:

  • Warren G. Harding (1921-23) focused on reducing government spending, faced scandals like the Teapot Dome
  • Calvin Coolidge (1923-29) promoted tax cuts, limited government, and supported tariffs and road building
  • Herbert Hoover (1929-33) believed in American individualism, resisted federal intervention during the Great Depression
• FDR's New Deal and Presidency:

  • FDR's New Deal aimed to save the country from disaster, increased federal government involvement in welfare and policy-making
  • FDR's effective communication, manipulation of Congress, and public image led to his re-election in 1936
  • FDR's fireside chats reassured Americans during the banking crisis and restored confidence
  • FDR's first 100 days saw the establishment of alphabet agencies for relief, recovery, and reform
  • FDR's policies expanded federal power, faced opposition from wealthy businessmen and Republicans
• FDR and WW2:

  • FDR supported the Allies during WW2, led the USA out of the Great Depression
  • Maintained neutrality but supported the Allies, aware of public sentiment against entering another European war
  • FDR's leadership during WW2 solidified his legacy as a transformative president
• Neutrality legislation 1935 aimed to keep the US out of war, prohibiting the selling of arms or granting loans to countries involved in war
• FDR convinced that Germany could attack the US with air strikes, so he determined to help Britain
• FDR gave Britain destroyers in exchange for bases in a deal made with an executive order, violating the constitution as only congress can declare war
• Land lease policy aimed to ensure Britain got what it needed to fight Hitler, with supplies valued at 51 billion dollars by the end of the war
• FDR accused Germany of an unprovoked attack on the American destroyer Greer as an excuse for his growing power
• FDR was commander in chief, choosing when and where to deploy armed forces and negotiating with US allies UK and Soviet Union
• Eg: Churchill and FDR drew up the Atlantic Charter, a declaration of war aims
• WW2 impact on US economy:

  • War production boosted industry and farming, leading to a significant rise in employment
  • USA entered the war in December 1941 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
  • Unemployment dropped and women took over positions in farming and industry as men joined the armed forces
  • War was good for the economy as industry profits rose dramatically, but the human cost was high with 400,000 men dead and 600,000 wounded or captured
• FDR's legacy:

  • Truman inherited a very different presidency from FDR, with more involvement in forming legislation and policy
  • White House had many more boards and committees, and presidents were expected to inform the media and the public about policy
  • Fed gov became responsible for welfare throughout the country
  • Presidents after FDR also made welfare packages, referring to the name of the 'New Deal' like Truman's Fair Deal and Kennedy's New Frontier
  • FDR was credited when things went well, but his advisors got blamed when they didn't
• Truman:

  • Used an executive order to seize control of steel mills during the Korean War when workers' strike threatened the manufacture of essential munitions
  • Authorised the use of atomic bombs in Japan
  • Truman Doctrine provided economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism
• Eisenhower:

  • Asked congress for military power to protect Taiwan from China in 1955
  • Signed the Fed Aid Highway Act in 1956, authorising the construction of a vast network of railways connecting cities across the US, transforming travel
• JFK:

  • Handled the Cuban missile crisis, resulting in the removal of missiles from Cuba and Turkey
  • Drafted civil and voting rights acts during the Civil Rights movement
• LBJ:

  • Signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, aiming to end racial segregation in public spaces and ban employment discrimination
  • Escalated US involvement in the Vietnam War, authorising the use of US troops
• Nixon:

  • Watergate scandal exposed political espionage and illegal activities, leading to his resignation and eroding public trust in the government
  • 1972 visit to China led to the normalisation of diplomatic relations, a pivot in cold war tensions
• • Members of the 'China Lobby' accused Truman for China turning to communism, leading to fears of Truman's China policy
  • Media questioned the government's efforts to fight communism and protect its citizens
• The second Red Scare 1947-54:

  • Followed by WW2
  • Fears of Communist governments emerging in eastern European countries occupied by USSR during war
  • USSR spied on the USA to obtain atomic weapon secrets
  • Spy's reported to Moscow, including high-profile individuals like Alger Hiss who had been an advisor to FDR
  • China became communist in 1949, and the USSR held its first nuclear weapons test
• Key Cold War events:

  • 1945: Soviets promoted a communist state in North Korea while Americans sponsored South Korea
  • 1949: Soviets tested their first atomic bomb, and China became communist
  • 1950: Senator Joseph McCarthy accused the Truman state department of having communist sympathisers
  • 1960: Soviets shot down an American spy plane, revealing it was spying
• Joseph McCarthy:

  • Made accusations of communists working in the state department
  • Accused Senator Tydings of being a communist sympathiser, leading to Tydings losing his seat in 1952
  • Attacked political opponents and journalists who questioned him
  • Had support from vigilante groups called 'red baiters'
  • Investigated the army, but his evidence was proven to be faked
• FBI:

  • Truman signed an executive order in 1947 for fed gov employees to be reviewed regarding their loyalty to the US
  • FBI helped investigate claims against employees, resulting in only 300 being fired due to security risks
  • FBI given power to investigate people and bring them to be questioned by HUAC on little evidence
  • Allowed to open letters, tap phones, bug offices, and homes
• HUAC:

  • House committee on Un-American activities
  • Looked into the film industry, leading to many individuals being blacklisted if they refused to answer questions
  • Alger Hiss accused of being part of a spy ring, convicted of espionage
  • The Rosenbergs named as Soviet spies, tried and executed
• Anti-communism:

  • People's freedom of speech and expression were limited
  • Librarians removed books like the works of Karl Marx to avoid being accused of having communist sympathies
  • Huge anti-communist demonstrations when the leader of the USSR visited the USA
• Cold War:

  • Began after WW2, with the US becoming a leading world power to affect world events
  • Truman Doctrine aimed to contain communist influence by helping countries at risk of becoming communist
  • Cold war impacted all US foreign and domestic policy
• Nuclear defence:

  • USA prepared for nuclear attack once USSR had nuclear weapons
  • Federal defence administration set up to organise evacuations and give advice
  • Interstate Road Act Network designed for rapid evacuation of cities
• The arms race:

  • US and USSR stockpiled nuclear weapons, leading to a costly arms race
  • Funding of the arms race became a political issue
• The armed services:

  • Creation of a large, permanent military force affected the domestic economy
  • Military provided jobs and was a major customer for many businesses
• The space race:

  • Congress voted to spend money on space exploration due to the cold war
  • USSR launched the first spacecraft in 1957, leading to the establishment of NASA in 1958
  • USA put the first man on the moon in 1969
• Cold War impact on Presidency:

  • President's power to go to war or make treaties without congress grew
  • President's attention shifted to international policy, impacting domestic policy
  • President had more freedom to act alone in foreign affairs
• Korean War:

  • Korea divided into North and South in 1945
  • North invaded South in 1950, leading to a 3-year war to restore South Korea's freedom
  • War ended with an armistice agreement in July 1953, maintaining the 38th parallel
• Impact of Korean War on domestic policy:

  • Congress took over policy making at home due to the expensive war
  • Defence spending increased significantly
  • Truman's threat to use nuclear weapons led to worldwide protest