Although the Soviet Union and the United States had been allies during World War II, their alliance quickly unraveled once they had defeated Germany, their common enemy. The Cold War emerged because the United States and Soviet Union had radically different visions of the post-war world. American politicians believed that the nations of the world were interdependent and should provide open markets for American goods and services. In this vision, free and open trade was necessary to prevent another Depression. In addition, many Americans were proud of their democratic system, believed in Manifest Destiny, and wanted to "share" their version of enlightened self-determination with the rest of the world, especially with the newly-independent states of Asia and Africa. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, had an entirely different vision of the post-war world. The Soviets were largely concerned about establishing greater security. By some estimates, the U.S.S.R. had suffered military and civilian losses of 20 million during the war. Many more had died in Stalin's brutal political purges. The Soviet government, for example, often executed as traitors returning Red Army soldiers who had had the misfortune of being prisoners of war. Stalin feared that Germany would regain its strength in a matter of decades and launch yet another attack on Russian soil. In this atmosphere of xenophobia and obsession with security, the Soviet Union wanted to: ward off another attack, establish defensible borders, and encourage friendly regimes on its western borders. Soviet leaders believed that they could meet these goals if they could foster friendly states to the west. For this reason, Stalin and other Soviet leaders extended their control over much of Eastern Europe during the decades after World War II. Soviet domination in this area denied the United States both free access to markets and the opportunity to export its vision of democracy.
Cold war is a term used to describe the relationship between America and the Soviet Union 1945 to 1980. Neither side ever fought the other - the consequences would be too appalling - but they did ‘fight’ for their beliefs using other countries who fought for their beliefs on their behalf e.g. South Vietnam was anticommunist and was supplied by America during the war while North Vietnam was pro-Communist and fought the south (and the Americans) using weapons from communist Russia or communist China. In Afghanistan, the Americans supplied the rebel Afghans after the Soviet Union invaded in 1979 while they never physically involved themselves thus avoiding a direct clash with the Soviet Union
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Politics in the 50s
The issue in the 1950s was not civil rights as the nation moved from the domestic-oriented politics of the 30s and 40s to a new politics centered on communism, corruption, Korea. Though all surrounding social and economic impetus played an integral role in shaping the political arena of the fifties, the underlying theme seemed to be McCarthyism. It is politically motivated practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The most famous examples of McCarthyism include the speeches, investigations, and hearings conducted by Senator McCarthy on Hollywood blacklist. McCarthyism was a widespread social and cultural phenomenon that affected all levels of society and was the source of a great deal of debate and conflict in the United States.
Economy in the 50s
The economy during the 1950s thrived. From the end of World War II up until the sixties, the United States became the richest nation in the world. Major corporate growth occurred in the 1950s. A few huge firms began to dominate certain industries; for example, General
Motors, Ford, and Chrysler controlled the car industry. Many technological advances helped the growth of the economy. Computers, calculators, transistors, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and microwaves became popular, and most were very affordable. The biggest item to have was the television which was developed in the'30s. It became very widespread in the '50s. By 1953, two thirds of American families owned televisions, and by 1955, the average family watched four to five hours a day (Wikipedia). The commercials on TV also helped the economy; not only did they provide money to the broadcaster, but viewers were strongly influenced by these commercials and many went out and bought the advertised items.
Presidents
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was a five-star general in the United States Army and the 34th President from 1953-1961. During WWII, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe. In 1951, he became the first Supreme Commander of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). As president, Eisenhower oversaw the cease-fire of the Korean War, maintained pressure on the Soviet Union during the Cold War, made nuclear weapons a higher defense priority, launched the Space Race, signed legislation that enlarged the Social Security program, and began the Interstate Highway System. He was the last WWI veteran to serve as U.S. president, and the first term-limited president in accordance with the 22nd AmendmentFitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963) was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. After Kennedy’s military service as commander of the Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 during WWII in the South Pacific, his aspirations turned political. He served as democratic in the U.S. Senate from 1953-1960. Kennedy defeated then Vice President Richard Nixon in the 1960 U.S. presidential election to become the second youngest president after Theodore Roosevelt, and is the only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” was the famous quote that shot JFK to popularity. Events during his administration include the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, the African American Civil Rights Movement, early stages of the Vietnam War, and instrumental in making the Soviets remove nuclear missiles from Cuban bases.
Work Cited
Oshinsky, David M. A Conspiracy So Immense: The World of Joseph McCarthy. New York: Macmillan, 1983.
"The 1950s: Business and the Economy: Overview." American Decades. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Apr. 2010
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/dwightdeisenhower/
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