The superpower 1945-1975

• What year was the Grand alliance made?

  1941
• What 3 countries was the grand alliance between?

  US, USSR, UK
• What was the significance of the grand alliance ?

  the superpowers working together
• However what was the realist of the grand alliance ?

  portrayed as a united front but in reality was ideological different
• What year were the Yalta and Potsdam conferences ?

  1945
• What did yalta disscuss?

  Planned post war peace
• What did Potsdam discuss ?

  Germanys split to 4
• Why were tensions high at potsdam?

  • mutual suspicions
  • balance of power tipped towards us after successful atomic bomb
• What year did the atomic bomb succesfully exploded?

  1945
• What year was the USSRs first successful atomic bomb?

  1949
• What year was the Truman doctrine ?

  1947
• What was the Truman doctrine ?


  a statement of intent of their policy of containment
• What year was the Marshall plan?

  1948
• How much money did the Marshall Plan give to Europe?

  $13 billion
• What was the Marshall plan in comparison to the Truman doctrine ?

  statement of intent vs how they’d execute intent
• What year was the Berlin blockade?

  1948
• What happened during the Berlin blockade?

  Soviet Union blocked West Berlin from receiving supplies. US and Brit reacted by airlifting supplies
• How long did the Berlin blockade last?

  10 weeks
• Why was the Berlin blockade great for americas image ?


  indicated their power : portrayed as superheroes
• What year was NATO?

  1949
• What type of alliance was NATO?

  Military
• Why was Suez significant for America ?

  Showed how dependent Brit and France were on US
• three examples of Cold War relations getting better cause of Khrushchev ?


  1. relaxed controls previously made by Stalin 2. Decreased Red Army by half a million
  2. 3. Discussed peaceful use of the atomic bomb
• How much did American spend per year on the arms race?

  $ 40 - 50 billion
• What % of foreign aid was spent on military spending?

  90 %
• What years was Truman president for?

  1945 - 1953
• What years was Eisenhower president for?

  1953 - 1961
• What two welfare measures did Truman pass?

  Full employment deal

  Fair deal
• What year was the full employment bill passed?

  1945
• What did the full employment bill do?

  higher min wage and public works programme
• Why was Truman not super strong?

  Lacked political support : congress watered down many of his proposals
• How was Truman in terms of labour relations ?

  hostile towards unions

  e.g after miner strike threatened to put army in charge of railroads
• Why was eisenhowers domestic policy strong?


  Built and strengthened predecessors work
• What was Eisenhower determined to do in terms of foreign policy?

  reduce the role of federal gov : ended price and wage controls
• Why did Eisenhower lack empathy?

  shielded from the depression
• Why was it argued Eisenhower was too conservative ?


  .did little for civil rights
• However was did Eisenhower support in terms of civil rights ?


  supported attempts to desegregate schools in the south
• Three reasons for affluence from 1945 - 1960?

  1. Post war prosperity
  2. growing mobility
  3. car industry
• what % did home ownership rise by from 1945 - 60?

  55 %
• Stat that proves post war prosperity ?


  per person income was double Britain’s