how did war shape the course of american history in 1945 - 1975?

by Maybelle Trantow 8 min read

By the time of the armistice, more than four million Americans had served in the armed forces and 116,708 had lost their lives. The war shaped the writings of Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos. It helped forge the military careers of Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and George C. Marshall.

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What happened in 1945 in the United States?

Dec 11, 2018 · One example is the Cuban missile crisis, which caused high tension within the USA as the missiles in Cuba could reach the USA at any time. Until the U-2 planes found the missiles in Cuba, the fear was not significant as people knew that the missiles in the USSR could not cover such long distance to reach the USA.

How did World War I Change America?

Sep 11, 2001 · 1945-: Postwar and Contemporary America. Cold and "hot" wars cast long shadows across the exuberance of post–World War II prosperity, while social, cultural, and technological revolutions changed how and where we live. In the 21st century, America continues to grapple with complex social, economic, and political issues in an increasingly …

How was the war a turning point in American history?

Nov 28, 2015 · Influence of 1945 -1975 on Present Day Higher Education. Finances during this era reflect the earlier influences from the Colonial era just as they impact the financial future of American higher education. Colsson (2010) states three ways in which the study of historical events contributes to current events.

How did the Cold War shape global politics?

The war shaped the writings of Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos. It helped forge the military careers of Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and George C. Marshall. On the home front, millions of women went to work, replacing the men who had shipped off to war, while others knitted socks and made bandages.

How did world war I shape the United States?

In addition, the conflict heralded the rise of conscription, mass propaganda, the national security state and the FBI. It accelerated income tax and urbanisation and helped make America the pre-eminent economic and military power in the world.Apr 6, 2017

How did world war 2 shaped America?

The war production effort brought immense changes to American life. As millions of men and women entered the service and production boomed, unemployment virtually disappeared. The need for labor opened up new opportunities for women and African Americans and other minorities.

How did world war 2 shape history?

World War II also marked the beginning of trends that took decades to fully develop, including technological disruption, global economic integration and digital communication. More broadly, the wartime home front put a premium on something that's even more crucial today: innovation.Jul 18, 2015

How did world war 2 influence and change the identity of the United States?

Following World War II, the United States emerged as one of the two dominant superpowers, turning away from its traditional isolationism and toward increased international involvement. The United States became a global influence in economic, political, military, cultural, and technological affairs.

How did World War 2 transform the United States domestically?

Many businesses moved from the production of consumer goods to the production of war supplies and military vehicles. American companies began producing guns, planes, tanks, and other military equipment at an unbelievable rate. As a result, there were more jobs available, and more Americans went back to work.

Was World War 2 the biggest war in history?

World War II was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.

How did WW2 change technology?

Radar, computers, penicillin and more all came out of development during the Second World War. Radar, computers, penicillin and more all came out of development during the Second World War. One of the most infamous World War II inventions is the atomic bomb.Apr 26, 2021

What did World War 2 change?

The large-scale ways in which WWII changed the world are well-known: the Holocaust's decimation of Jewish people and culture, the use of atomic bombs on Japan, and the wide swath of death and destruction caused by the Axis powers in Europe. But there are also more indirect ways that WWII impacted modern society.

What were the results of World War 2?

The war in Europe concluded with the liberation of German-occupied territories, and the invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, culminating in the fall of Berlin to Soviet troops, Hitler's suicide and the German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945.

What were the social changes after ww2?

New families were created as women married servicemen of other nations and moved overseas; children were born in fatherless homes as a result of demobilised troops leaving the UK to return to the US or Canada or due to a death as a result of the war; and the divorce rate spiked as many families struggled to re-adjust ...

How did the US military reflect the diversity of American society during World War 2?

How did US military reflect the diversity of American society during World War 2? women were now able to serve in noncombat positions thanks to the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. How did the Federal Government's actions influence civilian life during World War 2?

How did World War 2 affect international relations?

After the World War II, the weakened position of the European imperial powers and the strengthened spirit of national self- determination and liberation among the colonies became instrumental in initiating a process of end of colonialism and imperialism in the World.

What was the role of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in the Civil Rights Movement?

The organization worked for legislation and court rulings to secure basic liberties guaranteed by the constitutional amendments of the 1870s.

When did women's roles change?

Women’s roles in the home, at work, and in society changed dramatically between 1923, when Alice Paul first proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution, and 1972, when Congress passed it.

When did the American people get the right to vote?

American politicians have courted ethnic voters since 1868 , when the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed the right to vote to all people born or naturalized in the United States, expanding suffrage to millions of immigrants.

When was the Equal Rights Amendment passed?

Women’s roles in the home, at work, and in society changed dramatically between 1923, when Alice Paul first proposed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the Constitution, and 1972, when Congress passed it.

Why is medical innovation important in warfare?

Whether in a lab or on the battlefield, solutions for trauma care have advanced rapidly to meet the needs of wounded soldiers. New treatments and technologies, along with better transportation, mean that more soldiers now survive devastating injuries.

What was the first scientific breakthrough of the 20th century?

Francis Crick and James Watson’s discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule responsible for our genetic inheritance, was one of the great scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century. It opened up the world of genetic testing, crime scene forensics, and even genetic engineering.

When was the Apple II introduced?

Computers transformed how Americans experience daily life. Introduced in 1977, the Apple II series was affordable and commercially successful. It helped usher in the age of personal computing and make the United States the world leader of the computer revolution.

Why did Wilson propose the League of Nations?

But joining the League required the United States to sacrifice a measure of sovereignty. When judged against the butcher’s bill of this war, Wilson thought it was a small price to pay.

Who said the world must be made safe for democracy?

In April 1917, President Wilson stood before Congress and said, “The world must be made safe for democracy.”.

How much money did the Library of America receive from the NEH?

Library of America received $500,000 from NEH for nationwide library programs, a traveling exhibition, a website, and a publication of an anthology exploring how World War I reshaped American lives. For more information about the project, visit ww1america.org

Who was Wilson's nemesis?

Others, like Wilson’s longtime nemesis Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, believed that the United States should be free to pursue its own interests and not be beholden to an international body. America hadn’t fought a war only to relinquish its newfound stature as a military power.

What was the unemployment rate in 1939?

Unemployment, which had reached 25 percent during the Great Depression and hovered at 14.6 percent in 1939, had dropped to 1.2 percent by 1944 —still a record low in the nation’s history. A new assembly line at Detroit Tank Arsenal operated by Chrysler which turned out 28-ton tanks by mass-production methods.

What was the richest country in the world in 1960?

By 1960, it had topped $500 billion, firmly establishing the United States as the richest and most powerful nation in the world. READ MORE: When WWI, Pandemic and Slump Ended, Americans Sprung Into the Roaring Twenties.

When did the anti-war movement take place?

On November 15, 1969, the largest anti-war demonstration in American history took place in Washington, D.C., as over 250,000 Americans gathered peacefully, calling for withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. The anti-war movement, which was particularly strong on college campuses, divided Americans bitterly.

What was the Vietnam War?

The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including ...

What was the NLF in Vietnam?

In December 1960, Diem’s many opponents within South Vietnam—both communist and non-communist—formed the National Liberation Front (NLF) to organize resistance to the regime. Though the NLF claimed to be autonomous and that most of its members were not communists, many in Washington assumed it was a puppet of Hanoi.

When did Vietnam split?

The subsequent treaty signed in July 1954 at a Geneva conference split Vietnam along the latitude known as the 17th Parallel (17 degrees north latitude), with Ho in control in the North and Bao in the South. The treaty also called for nationwide elections for reunification to be held in 1956.

How many people died in the Vietnam War?

The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War, and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians.

Where is Vietnam located?

Vietnam, a nation in Southeast Asia on the eastern edge of the Indochinese peninsula, had been under French colonial rule since the 19th century. During World War II, Japanese forces invaded Vietnam.

Who was the leader of the Republic of Vietnam in 1955?

In 1955, however, the strongly anti-communist politician Ngo Dinh Diem pushed Emperor Bao aside to become president of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam (GVN), often referred to during that era as South Vietnam.

How did World War II affect the United States?

World War II affected nearly every aspect of life in the United States, and America’s racial relationships were not immune. African Americans, Mexicans and Mexican Americans, Jews, and Japanese Americans were profoundly impacted.

Who was the Secretary of the Treasury during the war?

Late in the war, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, himself born into a wealthy New York Jewish family, pushed through major changes in American policy. In 1944, he formed the War Refugees Board (WRB) and became a passionate advocate for Jewish refugees.

Did black people serve in the military?

Wikimedia. While black Americans served in the armed forces (though they were segregated), on the home front they became riveters and welders, rationed food and gasoline, and bought victory bonds. But many black Americans saw the war as an opportunity not only to serve their country but to improve it.

What was the double V campaign?

The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading black newspaper, spearheaded the “Double V” campaign. It called on African Americans to fight two wars: the war against Nazism and Fascism abroad and the war against racial inequality at home.

What was the purpose of the Federal Bureau of Investigation?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation targeted numbers on suspicions of disloyalty for detainment, hearings, and possible internment under the Alien Enemy Act.

What was the Wagner-Rogers Bill?

In 1938 and 1939 the U.S. Congress debated the Wagner-Rogers Bill, an act to allow 20,000 German-Jewish children into the United States. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt endorsed the measure but the president remained publicly silent. The bill was opposed by roughly two-thirds of the American public and was defeated.

Who was the leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters?

In early 1941, months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the largest black trade union in the nation, made headlines by threatening President Roosevelt with a march on Washington, D.C.

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Cold War

  • Origins
    While Roosevelt was confident he could deal with Stalin after the war, Truman was much more suspicious. The United States provided large-scale grants to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan (1948 - 1951), leading to a rapid economic recovery. The Soviet Union refused to allow its s…
  • Containment
    For NATO, containment of the expansion of Soviet influence became foreign policy doctrine; the expectation was that eventually the inefficient Soviet system would collapse of internal weakness, and no "hot" war (that is, one with large-scale combat) would be necessary. Containment was su…
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Society

  • Wartime rationing was officially lifted in September 1945, but prosperity did not immediately return as the next three years would witness the difficult transition back to a peacetime economy. Twelve million returning veterans were in need of work and in many cases could not find it. Inflation became a rather serious problem, averaging over 10% per year until 1950 and raw mate…
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Civil Rights Movement

  • Following the end of Reconstruction, many states adopted restrictive Jim Crow laws which enforced segregation of the races and the second-class status of African Americans. The Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) accepted segregation as constitutional. Voting rightsdiscrimination remained widespread through the 1950s. Fewer than 10% voted in the Dee…
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Presidential Administrations

  • Truman: 1945–1953
    Truman, a self-educated farm boy from Missouri, stood in sharp contrast to the urbane and imperious Roosevelt who kept personal control of all major decisions. Truman was a folksy, unassuming president who relied on his cabinet, remarking "The buck stops here" and "If you can…
  • Eisenhower: 1953–1961
    Eisenhower had been a prospective presidential candidate since the end of World War II, and although he publicly announced himself a Republican, he declined the party's offers to run in 1948. However, four years later, he reconsidered, in part because he believed the Democratic Party ha…
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