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'''''Homework: begin preparing for the final exam in two weeks'''''.

'''''Homework: begin preparing for the final exam in two weeks'''''.

This lecture covers from the end of World War II (1945) to the election of Ronald Reagan as President in 1980.  The next and final lecture will then complete the course, covering from 1980 through the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 (known simply by its date, "[[9/11]]"), to today.

This lecture covers from the end of World War II (1945) to the election of Ronald Reagan as President in 1980.  The next and final lecture will then complete the course, covering from 1980 through the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 (known simply by its date, "[[9/11]]"), and up until today.

The period of 35 years from 1945 to 1980 saw a huge transformation in American culture that began with over a million young men returning from the war, marrying, having families, and benefiting from the rapidly growing economy in the 1950s.  Then, in the 1960s, great cultural upheaval began with counterculture, rock music, questioning of authority and institutions, and outright rebellion.  This upheaval continued into the 1970s, resulting in harsh political conflict that included the resignation of a President and a massive battle over an attempt to amend the Constitution.

The period of 35 years from 1945 to 1980 saw a huge transformation in American culture that began with over a million young men returning from the war, marrying, having families, and benefiting from the rapidly growing economy in the 1950s.  Then, in the 1960s, great cultural upheaval began with counterculture, rock music, questioning of authority and institutions, and outright rebellion.  This upheaval continued into the 1970s, resulting in harsh political conflict that included the resignation of a President and a massive battle over an attempt to amend the Constitution.

Let's begin by reviewing some key aspects of the Cold War that lasted from 1945 to 1991.

Let's begin by reviewing some key aspects of the Cold War that lasted from 1945 to 1991.

First recall that in 1947 President Truman announced what became known as the Truman Doctrine to counter the growing communist threat:  "Support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures."  Truman declared that assistance shall be "primarily through economic and financial aid."  Also in 1947, a theory of "containment" became popular to keep communism from spreading beyond the Soviet Union.  But communism continued to spread.  China became communist in 1949.

First recall that in 1947 President Truman announced what became known as the Truman Doctrine to counter the growing communist threat:  "Support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures."  Truman declared that assistance shall be "primarily through economic and financial aid."  Also in 1947, a theory of "containment" became popular to keep communism from spreading beyond the Soviet Union.  Despite this, communism continued to spread.  China became communist in 1949.

The United States sought to protect western Europe against inroads by communism by enacting The Marshall Plan of 1947, which provided financial assistance to European economies struggling in the wake of World War II.  A primary motive of this assistance was to strengthen the countries to the point when they could resist communist revolutions.  The Marshall Plan was extremely effective, and led to a period of the most rapid growth in European history.

The United States sought to protect western Europe against inroads by communism by enacting The Marshall Plan of 1947, which provided financial assistance to European economies struggling in the wake of World War II.  A primary motive of this assistance was to strengthen the countries to the point when they could resist communist revolutions.  Historians say the Marshall Plan was effective, and European economies grew rapidly after the war, as in the United States.

Similarly, the United States sought to protect Latin America from communism by founding The Organization of American States in 1948.  It was an organization of Latin American nations.  The United States thereby sought to stop communist expansion in the western hemisphere, promote democracy, improve communication and encourage cooperation among its members.  The Organization of American States, or OAS, continues to function today, but Cuba was suspended on 31 January 1962 because of its communist government and its threat to regional stability, 9 months prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The United States also sought to protect Latin America from communism by founding The Organization of American States in 1948.  It was an organization of Latin American nations.  The United States thereby sought to stop communist expansion in the western hemisphere, and to promote democracy, improve communication and encourage cooperation among its members.  The Organization of American States, or OAS, continues to function today, but Cuba was suspended on January 31, 1962, due to its communist government and the threat it posed to regional stability, nine months prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis discussed later in this lecture.

Alarmed by the growing ''internal'' threat of communism in the United States, in 1950 Congress passed The McCarran Internal Security Act.  It required every communist organization to register with the Attorney General, and members of such an organization were not allowed to work in any national defense-related job.  This strong law even authorized the use of internment camps for communists if that became necessary.  

Alarmed by the growing ''internal'' threat of communism in the United States, in 1950 Congress passed The McCarran Internal Security Act.  It required every communist organization to register with the Attorney General, and members of such an organization were not allowed to work in any national defense-related job.  This strong law even authorized the use of internment camps for communists if that became necessary.  

Beginning in 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy took the lead in opposing communist infiltration in the United States government.  Contrary to misunderstandings caused by media distortions, McCarthy complained about and opposed only communists who held high-level government jobs.  He did not complain about private citizens.

Beginning in 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy took the lead in opposing communist infiltration in the United States government.  Contrary to misunderstandings caused by media distortions, McCarthy complained about and opposed only communists who held high-level government jobs.  He did not complain about private citizens.

McCarthy was highly effective in exposing communists in key government jobs, and liberals hate him for it to this day.  Ultimately his opponents were able to foment public pressure against him, and other senators "censured" him near the end of his career after McCarthy was embarrassed during hearings in 1954 concerning communists in the Army.  '''The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's attempts to expose communists, became synonymous with the overzealous use of innuendo, rumor and guilt-by-association to destroy someone's reputation.'''  In fact, McCarthy and Congress had a duty to uphold the Constitution and guard against infiltration of government positions by anyone committed to overthrowing our constitutional system, as communists were.

McCarthy was highly effective in exposing communists in key government jobs, and liberals vilify his name to this day because they are angry at what he accomplished.  Ultimately McCarthy's opponents were able to foment public pressure against him, and other senators "censured" him near the end of his career after McCarthy was embarrassed during hearings in 1954 concerning communists in the Army.  '''The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's attempts to expose communists, became synonymous with the overzealous use of innuendo, rumor and guilt-by-association to destroy someone's reputation.'''  In fact, McCarthy and Congress had a duty to uphold the Constitution and guard against infiltration of government positions by anyone committed to overthrowing our constitutional system, as communists were.

One of the newsmen who criticized McCarthy in the 1950s was Edward R. Murrow, who then became a hero in the minds of liberals, and enjoys an inflated reputation by historians as a result.  

One of the newsmen who criticized McCarthy in the 1950s was Edward R. Murrow, who then became a hero in the minds of liberals, and he enjoys an inflated reputation among historians as a result.  

In 1952 and again in 1954 the United States tested the hydrogen bomb, or "H-bomb", which was 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.  "Unlike that device which tapped energy by splitting atomic nuclei, the [H-bomb] forced together nuclei of hydrogen to unleash an even greater destructive force."<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/1/newsid_2781000/2781419.stm</ref>  Soon the Soviet Union had its version also.

In 1952 and again in 1954 the United States tested the hydrogen bomb, or "H-bomb", which was 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.  "Unlike that device which tapped energy by splitting atomic nuclei, the [H-bomb] forced together nuclei of hydrogen to unleash an even greater destructive force."<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/1/newsid_2781000/2781419.stm</ref>  Soon the Soviet Union had its version also.

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, or SEATO, was formed in 1954 in an effort to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia (where Vietnam is located).  Its members included the United States, Great Britain, France, Thailand, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Pitcairn Island, Tristan de Cunha, and the Philippines.

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, or SEATO, was formed in 1954 in an effort to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia (where Vietnam is located).  Its members included the United States, Great Britain, France, Thailand, Pakistan (which resigned in 1973), Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and smaller island-nations.

In 1957, when World War II General Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, he announced the "Eisenhower Doctrine":  the United States would use armed force to oppose communist aggression in Middle East.  This was inspired by the "Domino Theory," which was the view that when one country falls to (becomes controlled by) communism, then like dominoes its neighbors will also fall to communism.

In 1957, when World War II General Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, he announced the "Eisenhower Doctrine":  the United States would use armed force to oppose communist aggression in Middle East.  This was inspired by the "Domino Theory," which was the view that when one country falls to (becomes controlled by) communism, then like dominoes its neighbors will also fall to communism.

The United States responded to Sputnik by starting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA") in 1958, which is a government-run space program that continues to this day.  In 1961, President Kennedy started "Project Apollo" with the goal of beating the Soviet Union to the Moon. As it turned out, the Soviet Union never tried to get to the Moon.  On July 20, 1969, a simulated broadcast<ref>http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/nasa.html</ref> of American Neil Armstrong stepping foot on the Moon was broadcast to a record television audience, with Armstrong's words, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."<ref>http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/F_Apollo_35th_Anniversary.html</ref>

The United States responded to Sputnik by starting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA") in 1958, which is a government-run space program that continues to this day.  In 1961, President Kennedy started "Project Apollo" with the goal of beating the Soviet Union to the Moon. As it turned out, the Soviet Union never tried to get to the Moon.  On July 20, 1969, a simulated broadcast<ref>http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/nasa.html</ref> of American Neil Armstrong stepping foot on the Moon was broadcast to a record television audience, with Armstrong's words, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."<ref>http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/F_Apollo_35th_Anniversary.html</ref>

In the late 1950s, communism spread to a country only 90 miles from Florida:  Cuba, where we still hold a military base as an artifact of the Spanish-American war under President McKinley.  Recall that America gave Cuba freedom from Spain, but in 1959 the communists moved in with a revolution led by Fidel Castro.  The Soviet Union communist dictator Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop an atomic bomb on us if we intervened.  Castro has ruled Cuba as a brutal dictator ever since, imprisoning or killing those who disagree with him.

In the late 1950s, communism spread to a country only 90 miles from Florida:  Cuba, where we still hold a military base as an artifact of the Spanish-American war under President McKinley.  Recall that America gave Cuba freedom from Spain, but in 1959 the communists moved in with a revolution led by Fidel Castro.  The Soviet Union communist dictator Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop an atomic bomb on us if we intervened.  Castro then ruled Cuba as a brutal dictator for more than four decades, imprisoning or killing those who disagree with him.

Many Cubans fled to the United States to escape communism, and still flee by risking their lives in handmade boats.  These emigrants from Cuba are fervent opponents of communism because they see how it destroyed their own country, and many long to return to restore freedom there.  Marco Rubio, a conservative Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, was born to Cuban immigrants in Miami.

Many Cubans fled to the United States to escape communism, and still flee by risking their lives in handmade boats.  These emigrants from Cuba are fervent opponents of communism because they see how it destroyed their own country, and many long to return to restore freedom there.  Marco Rubio, a conservative Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants.

President Eisenhower developed a secret or "covert" plan to free Cuba from its communist dictatorship, which Kennedy continued after becoming president in 1961.  It consisted of having about a thousand "Cuban exiles" who had been forced to leave Cuba form an army to invade and overthrow Castro.  But President Kennedy backed away from the plan at the last minute, and apparently someone in the United States government leaked word of the planned invasion to Castro.  He waited with a much bigger force and captured or killed the Cuban exiles when they invaded at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba in 1961.  America was humiliated by this tragedy.

President Eisenhower developed a secret or "covert" plan to free Cuba from its communist dictatorship, which Kennedy continued after becoming president in 1961.  It consisted of having about a thousand "Cuban exiles" who had been forced to leave Cuba form an army to invade and overthrow Castro.  But President Kennedy backed away from the plan at the last minute, and apparently someone in the United States government leaked word of the planned invasion to Castro, who then waited with a much bigger force and captured or killed the Cuban exiles when they invaded at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba in 1961.  America was humiliated by this tragedy.

President Kennedy was himself assassinated two years later in 1963 in Dallas by a communist sympathizer, Lee Harvey Oswald, who had once tried to become a citizen of the Soviet Union and who supported Castro.  An official commission headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren later concluded that Oswald acted alone, but unanswered questions remain concerning the assassination of President Kennedy.  An independent poll conducted in 2003 (by ABC) showed that 68% of Americans believed that the government covered up the real truth about this assassination and that Oswald did not act alone.

President Kennedy was himself assassinated two years later in 1963 in Dallas by a communist sympathizer, Lee Harvey Oswald, who had once tried to become a citizen of the Soviet Union and who supported Castro.  An official commission headed by Chief Justice Earl Warren later concluded that Oswald acted alone, but unanswered questions remain concerning the assassination of President Kennedy.  An independent poll conducted in 2003 (by ABC) showed that 68% of Americans believed that the government covered up the real truth about this assassination and that Oswald did not act alone.

In 1961, soon after the inauguration of the new President John F. Kennedy (the only Catholic president, who had defeated Richard Nixon in a very close election in 1960), the communists built the "Berlin Wall" quickly while Kennedy was enjoying a long vacation weekend.  This Wall sealed off the East German section of Berlin from the West German section in order to stop the migration of people from communism to freedom.  It was a humiliation to Kennedy that he did nothing to stop this, and many Americans were outraged by this barbarism of a massive wall to cage people in and extinguish their freedom to leave.

In 1961, soon after the inauguration of the new President John F. Kennedy (the only Catholic president, who had defeated Richard Nixon in a very close election in 1960), the communists built the "Berlin Wall" quickly while Kennedy was enjoying a long vacation weekend.  This Wall sealed off the East German section of Berlin from the West German section in order to stop the migration of people from communism to freedom.  It was a humiliation to Kennedy that he did nothing to stop this, and many Americans were outraged by this barbarism of a massive wall to cage people in and extinguish their freedom to leave.

Then, in 1962, the Soviet Union challenged President Kennedy again, whom the communists did not respect.  They installed missiles in Cuba, which the communist Fidel Castro had taken over, and aimed them directly at American cities and targets.  Cuba, a mere 90 miles from Florida, could then destroy American cities in a very short period time.  This created the "Cuban Missile Crisis" when U-2 spy planes photographed these missiles, and an Air Force general immediately put bombers on high alert for the possible bombing of Cuba.  President Kennedy then ordered a blockade of Cuba until the missiles were removed, and the Soviet Union backed down and apparently took the missiles back by ship.

Then, in 1962, the Soviet Union challenged President Kennedy again, whom the communists did not respect.  They installed missiles in Cuba, which the communist Fidel Castro had taken over, and aimed them directly at American cities and targets.  Cuba, a mere 90 miles from Florida, could then destroy American cities in a very short period time.  This created the "Cuban Missile Crisis" when U-2 spy planes photographed these missiles, and a United States Air Force general immediately put bombers on high alert for the possible bombing of Cuba.  President Kennedy then ordered a blockade of Cuba until the missiles were removed, and the Soviet Union backed down and apparently took the missiles back by ship.

Throughout the 1960s, both the United States and the Soviet Union built ever-bigger nuclear weapons, pointing them at each other.  This became known as the "arms race," and newspapers began to clamor for peace treaties that would limit the building of these weapons.  In 1972, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treat ("SALT") was ratified by the U.S. Senate and contained promises to reduce these "arms" or weapons pointed at the enemy.  Conservatives opposed this treaty because it embraced the approach of "Mutual Assured Destruction" and prevented each side from building defensive systems.  In addition, there was no way to enforce the communists' side of the bargain; many expected the communists to break their own promises, while the Americans abode by theirs.

Throughout the 1960s, both the United States and the Soviet Union built ever-bigger nuclear weapons, pointing them at each other.  This became known as the "arms race," and newspapers began to clamor for peace treaties that would limit the building of these weapons.  In 1972, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treat ("SALT") was ratified by the U.S. Senate and contained promises to reduce these "arms" or weapons pointed at the enemy.  Conservatives opposed this treaty because it embraced the approach of "Mutual Assured Destruction" and prevented each side from building defensive systems.  In addition, there was no way to enforce the communists' side of the bargain; many expected the communists to break their own promises, while the Americans abode by theirs.

The overriding military strategy of the Cold War became even more dependent on "Mutually Assured Destruction," whereby each side (the U.S. and U.S.S.R.) built more and more nuclear weapons as a deterrent to aggression by the other side.  Under this approach, each side was discouraged from attacking because it could set off a massive nuclear war and assure the mutual destruction of both sides.  This theory, humorously abbreviated as "MAD", lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s, when conservative President Ronald Reagan urged a shift to a more defensive military approach (the Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars) rather than a purely offensive approach (if you attack me, then I'll counterattack and we will both be destroyed).

The overriding military strategy of the Cold War became dependent on "Mutually Assured Destruction," whereby each side (the U.S. and U.S.S.R.) built more and more nuclear weapons as a deterrent to aggression by the other side.  Under this approach, each side was discouraged from attacking because it could set off a massive nuclear war and assure the mutual destruction of both sides.  This theory, humorously abbreviated as "MAD", lasted from the 1950s to the 1980s, when conservative President Ronald Reagan urged a shift to a more defensive military approach (the Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars) rather than a purely offensive approach (if you attack me, then I'll counterattack and we will both be destroyed).

Democratic President Jimmy Carter agreed with the Soviet Union to reduce "arms" further by signing "SALT-II" in 1979.  This time conservatives were successful in defeating it in the U.S. Senate (because the treaty was better for the Soviet Union than the U.S.), and it was never ratified to become law.

In 1979, Democratic President Jimmy Carter agreed with the Soviet Union to reduce "arms" further by signing "SALT-II".  This time conservatives were successful in defeating it in the U.S. Senate (because the treaty was better for the Soviet Union than the U.S.), and it was never ratified to become law.

The Cold War lasted until the early 1990s, when communism was overthrown in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.  But communism continues to this day in China (the world's most populated country), Cuba, Venezuela (with oil, one of the most powerful countries in South America), Vietnam and North Korea.  Some view communism as being good in theory, but bad in practice as it requires suppressing freedom of speech, religion, the press, and even education in order to survive.  But others view communism as evil in theory, as it imposes material equality on all with complete disregard for God's different gifts and purposes for different people.

The Cold War lasted until the early 1990s, when communism was overthrown in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.  But communism continues to this day in China (the world's most populated country), Cuba, Venezuela (with oil, one of the most powerful countries in South America), Vietnam and North Korea.  Some view communism as being good in theory, but bad in practice as it requires suppressing freedom of speech, religion, the press, and even education in order to survive.  But others view communism as evil in theory, as it imposes material equality on all and overrides God's will for different people to have different gifts and purposes.

'''Debate:  What is your view of communism, and the American response to it?'''

'''Debate:  What is your view of communism, and the American response to it?'''