History Cards

Front 1

Alger Hiss

Back 1

Alger Hiss- A prominent official in the State Department who had assisted Roosevelt at the Yalta Conference. In 1950, he was convicted of perjury and sent to prison.

Front 2

Whittaker Chambers

Back 2

confessed Communist who became a star witness for the House Un-American Activities committee in 1948.

Front 3

Yalta Conference

Back 3

meeting of FDR, Churchill, and Stalin, where the Big Three leaders laid the foundations for the postwar division of power in Europe, including a divide Germany and territorial concessions to the Soviet Union

Front 4

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Back 4

anticommunist sentiment is increased when they are convicted of passing atomic secrets to the Soviets during WWII; they are executed.

Front 5

Mao Zedong

Back 5

The Communist leader in China. He established his regime in Beijing (the people's Republic of China) but the US refused to recognize it and continued to support the nationalist govt in Taiwan.

Front 6

NATO

Back 6

North Atlantic Treaty Organization, military alliance of Western European powers and the United States and Canada established to defend against the common threat from the Soviet Union, marking a giant stride forward for European unity and American internationalism

Front 7

Warsaw Pact

Back 7

treaty signed in 1945 that formed an alliance of the Eastern European countries behind the Iron Curtain; USSR, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania

Front 8

NSC-86

Back 8

A document that pushed for a large build up of the U.S military. It allowed the U.S to quickly build up its military for the Korean conflict. National Security Council memo #68 U.S. "strive for victory" in cold war, pressed for offensive and a gross increase ($37 bil) in defense spending, determined US foreign policy for the next 20-30 years

Front 9

GI Bill

Back 9

1944, Provided for college or vocational training for returning WWII veterans as well as one year of unemployment compensation. Also provided for loans for returning veterans to buy homes and start businesses.

Front 10

38th Parallel

Back 10

Where the nation of Korea was split after the defeat of Japan by the victors. The Soviet armies occupied the territory north of the border, and the US armies South. Also where most of the fighting took place during the war.

Front 11

Bretton Woods

Back 11

Meeting of Western allies to establish a postwar international economic order to avoid crises like the one that spawned World War II. Led to the creation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, designed to regulate currency levels and provide aid to underdeveloped countries

Front 12

2nd Ammendment

Back 12

two term limit for President

Front 13

Taft Hartley Act

Back 13

essentially anti-union, outlawed closed shops, allowed “right to work” states (no union shops), outlawed secondary boycotts, 80 day cooling off period called by president

Front 14

George Kennan

Back 14

An expert on Soviet affairs, he was part of the trio that Truman consulted regarding Soviet aggression.

Front 15

HUAC

Back 15

House Un-American Activities Committee,investigated the motion picture industry in the late 1940s, and placed the Hollywood Ten in jail.

Front 16

Berlin Airlift

Back 16

Truman's move to prevent the removal of US troops from Berlin, while also helping the troops to survive. He ordered US planes to fly in supplies to the people of West Berlin, and also sent 60 bombers capable of carrying atomic bombs to bases in England.

Front 17

Fair Deal

Back 17

Truman's ambitious reform program which included urges to enact national health care insurance, federal aid to education, civil rights legislation, funds for public housing, and a new farm program. Most of the proposals were blocked by Conservatives in Congress except for the raise in minimum wage from 40 to 75 cents an hour, and the inclusion of more workers under Social Security.

Front 18

Marshall Plan

Back 18

Submitted in December 1947, this was a plan proposed by George Marshall to help the nations of Europe revive their economies and strengthen democratic govts. It outlined $17 billion dollars for distribution to European countries over a four year period.

Front 19

Truman Doctrine

Back 19

Pledge to give financial support to any country that resisted communism; first test came in Turkey and Greece.

Front 20

Containment

Back 20

Truman's policy developed in early 1947 to "contain" Soviet aggression to hopefully prevent yet another war.

Front 21

Communist Satellites

Back 21

Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, all of these were satellites, or nations under the control of a great power; in this situation, the Soviet Union

Front 22

Iron Curtain

Back 22

term coined by Churchill to describe the separation of Eastern (communist)and Western Europe (non-communist)