Main Themes 1. How a legacy of mistrust between the United States and the Soviet Union combined with the events of World War II to cause the Cold War. 2. How the policy of containment led to an increasing United States involvement in crises around the world. 3. How World War II ended the Depression and ushered in an era of nervous prosperity. 4. That the turbulent postwar era climaxed in a period of hysterical anticommunism.
| Learning Objectives A thorough study of Chapter Twenty-Nine should enable the student to understand: |
|
|
|
The background of United States relations with the Soviet Union before World War II. |
|
|
|
The extent of collaboration between the United States and the Soviet Union during World War II and the differences of view that developed between the two nations concerning the nature of the postwar world. |
|
|
|
The meaning of the doctrine of containment and the specific programs that implemented containment. |
|
|
|
The problems of postwar readjustment in the United States, especially controlling inflation. |
|
|
|
The nature of the Fair Deal -- its successes and failures. |
|
|
|
The significance of China's becoming communist to American foreign policy in Asia. |
|
|
|
The circumstances that led to United States participation in a "limited" war in Korea. |
|
|
|
The reaction of American public opinion to President Harry Truman's handling of the "police action" in Korea, including his firing of General Douglas MacArthur. |
|
|
|
The nature and extent of American fears of internal communist subversion during the early Cold War years. |