A-Level History- America
Key Terms, Events, and Figures: Post-War America (1945-1957)
1. Intransigence: The refusal to change one's views or agree about something.
2. FDR Dies and Truman Becomes President: On 12th April 1945, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt passed away, and Vice President Harry S. Truman
assumed the presidency.
3. The Great Migration: A significant demographic shift involving the
movement of over 6 million African Americans from the rural South to
urban areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970.
4. Social Mobility: The capacity for individuals or groups to move between
different social classes within a society.
5. Executive Order: A directive issued by the President of the United States
that carries the force of law without requiring Congressional approval.
6. Truman's Secretary of State: Dean Acheson served as Harry S. Truman's
Secretary of State.
7. Potsdam Conference: A meeting held in July 1945 among the Allied
leaders (Truman, Stalin, and Churchill/Attlee) to discuss the post-war order
in Europe and Asia.
8. Yalta Conference: A crucial wartime meeting in February 1945 between
the "Big Three" Allied leaders (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin) to plan the
post-war reorganization of Europe.
9. Marshall Plan: Officially the European Recovery Program, launched in
February 1948, this was a U.S.-led initiative providing significant
economic aid to Western European nations to facilitate their recovery after
World War II.
, 10.The Idea of Containment of Communism: This strategic foreign policy,
aimed at preventing the spread of Soviet and communist influence, is most
closely associated with the Truman Doctrine.
11.Monetary Boost into Western Europe by the U.S.: This refers to the
Marshall Plan, which provided substantial financial assistance to aid the
economic recovery of Western European countries.
12.Berlin Airlift: From March 1948 to May 1949, the U.S. and its allies
conducted an aerial operation to supply West Berlin with essential goods
after the Soviet Union blockaded land and water routes.
13.Communist China is Established: In October 1949, following a protracted
civil war, the Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong, established
the People's Republic of China.
14.Korean War Begins: The conflict on the Korean Peninsula commenced in
June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea.
15.The Smoothing of the Transition from War to Post-War by Truman:
This effort is encapsulated in The Fair Deal, Truman's domestic agenda
aimed at social and economic reform.
16.An Act That Gave Returning Soldiers Benefits: The GI Bill of Rights
(officially the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944) provided various
benefits to World War II veterans, including education, housing, and
employment assistance.
17.NSC-68: A highly influential top-secret policy paper issued in April 1950
by the National Security Council.
18.A Top Secret Document That Suggested an Increase of Defense
Spending to $50 Billion a Year: This describes NSC-68, which advocated
for a significant expansion of U.S. military capabilities to counter the
perceived threat of Soviet communism.
Key Terms, Events, and Figures: Post-War America (1945-1957)
1. Intransigence: The refusal to change one's views or agree about something.
2. FDR Dies and Truman Becomes President: On 12th April 1945, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt passed away, and Vice President Harry S. Truman
assumed the presidency.
3. The Great Migration: A significant demographic shift involving the
movement of over 6 million African Americans from the rural South to
urban areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1910 and 1970.
4. Social Mobility: The capacity for individuals or groups to move between
different social classes within a society.
5. Executive Order: A directive issued by the President of the United States
that carries the force of law without requiring Congressional approval.
6. Truman's Secretary of State: Dean Acheson served as Harry S. Truman's
Secretary of State.
7. Potsdam Conference: A meeting held in July 1945 among the Allied
leaders (Truman, Stalin, and Churchill/Attlee) to discuss the post-war order
in Europe and Asia.
8. Yalta Conference: A crucial wartime meeting in February 1945 between
the "Big Three" Allied leaders (Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin) to plan the
post-war reorganization of Europe.
9. Marshall Plan: Officially the European Recovery Program, launched in
February 1948, this was a U.S.-led initiative providing significant
economic aid to Western European nations to facilitate their recovery after
World War II.
, 10.The Idea of Containment of Communism: This strategic foreign policy,
aimed at preventing the spread of Soviet and communist influence, is most
closely associated with the Truman Doctrine.
11.Monetary Boost into Western Europe by the U.S.: This refers to the
Marshall Plan, which provided substantial financial assistance to aid the
economic recovery of Western European countries.
12.Berlin Airlift: From March 1948 to May 1949, the U.S. and its allies
conducted an aerial operation to supply West Berlin with essential goods
after the Soviet Union blockaded land and water routes.
13.Communist China is Established: In October 1949, following a protracted
civil war, the Communist Party of China, led by Mao Zedong, established
the People's Republic of China.
14.Korean War Begins: The conflict on the Korean Peninsula commenced in
June 1950 when North Korea invaded South Korea.
15.The Smoothing of the Transition from War to Post-War by Truman:
This effort is encapsulated in The Fair Deal, Truman's domestic agenda
aimed at social and economic reform.
16.An Act That Gave Returning Soldiers Benefits: The GI Bill of Rights
(officially the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944) provided various
benefits to World War II veterans, including education, housing, and
employment assistance.
17.NSC-68: A highly influential top-secret policy paper issued in April 1950
by the National Security Council.
18.A Top Secret Document That Suggested an Increase of Defense
Spending to $50 Billion a Year: This describes NSC-68, which advocated
for a significant expansion of U.S. military capabilities to counter the
perceived threat of Soviet communism.
