1. How did the Cold War emerge after W.W.II? How did the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. view actions such as the Berlin Blockade and a policy stance such as the Truman Doctrine differently?
First off, after WW2, the U.S emerged as the sole superpower, mostly because of its nuclear bomb capacity. In addition, the Soviet Union had millions of citizens and was in no position to engage in any new militaristic operations. At that time, the US and the Soviet Union were uneasy allies, because of their mutual fear of the Nazi influence. Their partnership was “born of a common foe rather than long-term common interests” (Foner 709). As the restructuring process began, diplomatic tension increased between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. because the U.S. championed Democratic rule while the Soviet Union championed communism. These ideological differences escalated into the Cold War after the Soviet Union successfully tested its first nuclear bomb. The world had two nuclear powers, and any outright war would cause mutually assured destruction (MAD).
President Truman did not trust the USSR. Therefore, he used a policy stance of the Truman Doctrine so as to limit the expansion of the Soviet Union. The US even went ahead to withdraw military and financial support from Greece and Turkey (Foner 710). It is evident that the Soviet Union took little interest in Greece and Turkey. Despite Truman’s political stance, the Soviet Union took an interesting turn through the Berlin Blockade: “the Soviets cut off road and rail traffic from the American, British and French zones of occupied Germany to Berlin” (Foner 713). This was the first significant clash of the Cold War.
2. What were the major initiatives of Truman’s Fair Deal? Was it an important expansion of the welfare state for certain individuals? What was the place of workers at this time when it came to labor organizations?
When the Great War ended, returning troops entered the job market. American workforce was in disarray as the nation struggled with a wartime economy. According to Foner, even “the majority of returning soldiers entered the labor force” (722). President Truman sought to revive the then plateaued New Deal. Backed by organized labor and party liberals, Truman launched the “Fair Deal” in 1945 (Foner 723). The Fair Deal was meant to help ordinary Americans improve their living standards. In the Fair Deal, Truman sought approval from Congress to enact the expansion of public housing, improvement of social security and to aid public education. The Fair Deal also needed the approval of Congress to increase the minimum wage bill and to set up a nationwide health insurance cover.
Truman’s Fair Deal increased the safety net for economically unstable Americans, many of whom were jobless. The government had made it so that even the unemployed had access to the most basic of needs. Workers had unionized throughout the country by 1946. President Truman had done away with wartime price controls and spiraling inflation. Industrial workers bore the brunt of this as their income dwindled. According to Foner, “.The AFL and CIO launched Operation Dixie a campaign to bring unionization to the South.” (723). Following on from Operation Dixie, initiated by AFL and CIO, over five million workers went on a strike. They were drawn from the textile, steel, coal and auto industries. That incident proved that unionization had far-reaching appeal.
3. What were the effects of anti-Communism on American politics and culture, particularly considering artists, authors, actors, women, etc.? How did Joseph McCarthy become so influential and powerful at this time? How was this connected to civil rights?
Anti-communism in America came with the haunting fear of war with the Soviet Union. The country was gripped by paranoia that was indeed justified, given the devastating effects of a potential nuclear attack. A new highway system connected the country, inspired by the need for haste evacuation of cities in case of a nuclear attack (Foner 727). Supporting Communism was akin to being un-American. The whole country had to rally against communism. Truman even established a loyalty review system that targeted suspected demographics where the public workforce could be ‘used’ as proxy agents for the Soviets (Foner 727). Firebrand Senator Joseph R. McCarthy was a loud proponent of ‘national loyalty.’ In 1950, the controversial senator claimed to have 205 names of communist sympathizers. McCarthy became so ingrained in American culture that anti-communist crusading took his name ‘McCarthyism’.
According to Foner, “White supremacists employed anticommunism as a weapon against black civil rights movements.” (Foner 731). Anti-communism soon became a clever ruse used to fight the black civil rights movement. Like a mad witch hunt, anti-communism also targeted feminist movements to return the society to traditional normalcy. Doing this would increase the fighting resolve of the country. In 1947, there was suspected communist influence in Hollywood and in the same year, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) initiated hearings to investigate this. The committee charged actors and screenwriters; they became known as the ‘Hollywood Ten,’ and they represented the protection of the freedom of speech and political association. According to Foner “more than 200 others were accused of communist sympathies” (Foner 729). The entire creative arts industry was under siege because it relied heavily on the freedom of expression.
Works Cited
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! 4th Ed. New York: W.W & Norton Company, 2012. Print.
