2/26/13

Cold War Presidents

President Harry Truman 33^rd 1945-53
Became vice president for FDR in January 1945
Took over FDR when he died in April 1945
On the most unpopular presidents of all time when he left office-22% approval rating, but it improved as the years went on
Accomplishments
Was president when WW2 ended with Germany and Japan
Potsdam
Conference/Declaration-(Germany consequences/Japans surrender or else face destruction)
Decided to use the atomic bomb against Japan
Had to deal with transitions from wartime economy to peacetime economy
Helped organize and later join the United Nations
Took a hardline stance against communism and the soviet Union-Policy of containment
Desegregated the US military
Truman Doctrine and Marshal Plan were passed
Created the CIA and the National security council

The fair deal

Similar to FDR’s New deal of the 1930’s
Aimed to promote economic development and social warfare
Faced a lot of opposition from Southern Democrats and Republicans
Most fair deals proposals did not get passed: civil rights, housing, social security, minimum wage, health, labor, education, agriculture
Recognized Israel as a home place for the Jewish people
Berlin airlift, NATO established, Chinese Civil war ends
McCarthyism
The corean Conflict and firing of General Douglas MacArthur

1948 election

President Dwight Eisenhower(R)- 34^th 1953-61

Accomplishments

Dominated by the cold war-containment policy
Used CIA to do covert-ops to disrupt communist governments abroad(Iran/Guatamala)
Open relations with spain
Ended the Korean Conflict as promised in his 1952 election campaign
Defence aliances were signed with South Korea and Twain
SEATO was formed
Increased US involvement in Southeast asia US advisor sent
Developed idea the nuclear weapons would be defensive weapons(deterrence)
NASA created due to Soviet Sputnick launch
US spy plane(U-2) was shot down over the USSR
Allowed McCarthy to do his things but did not privately approve
Believed in laissez0-fair(the government stays out of capitalism)
Believed in balanced budget
He imported 1 million illegal immigrants
Sent federal troops to little rock, Arkansas to help in the desegration of all pubic schools 1945 Brown case
Helped pass the federal Aid Highway act of 1956 which created the united states, interstate Highways

President JFK – 35^th president Democrat 61-63

Served in WW2
Was a US Representative and senator from Massachusetts before becoming president
The reason America does not want a catholic president is because we’re afraid that the Pope will run our country
First and only catholic president
Youngest elected president and second youngest president
Assassinated in 1963 Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald

1960s election

Kennedys accomplishments

“ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”
Cold War issues dominated Kennedys presidency
Berlin wall was built in 1961
Bay Pigs invasion 1961
Cuban mussel Crisis
Alliance for Progress with Latin America
Kennedy increased the number of helicopters
The CIA helped with the new Ba’ath Party government overthrow communist in Iraq
This new party murdered large numbers of Iraq’s educated people
Saddam Hussein is said to have participated in this massacre
He was big in civil rights
Nuclear test ban treaty was signed in 1963

The new frontier

accomplishments

President Lyndon Johnson(D) 36^th 63-69

Accomplishments

Put together the Warren Commission to investigate the JFK assassination
Passed Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed most forms of racial segregation
Passed voting rights to black people in 65
Started affirmative action laws

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