-
Bolshevik Revolution
Red Scare(Fall of 1917)- Czar Nicholas overthrown by force by Lenin. The workers unite in this; which Americans start to associate workers uniting as communism which is no no. -
Race and the 1920s
The Red Summer (1919)- Chicago beach segregation; black boy go to white side; everyone crazy; whites scared because black men in army return feeling like Americans. Lynching becomes popular. Birth of a Nation caused more to join KKK; not confined in south. Believed in 100% Americanism(Catholics loyal to Pope; Jews loyal to other places); numbers of WASPS declining. Campaigned on Temperance, morality, protestantism, and mother in the home. Failed due to emotion base not reason. -
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Girlfriend breaks up with him for not fulfilling aspirations; finally becomes famous writer through writing about love can be warped by greed (i.e. his situation) and status; theme of disillusionment. Becomes famous writer through This Side of Paradise; girlfriend comes crawling back to him. -
Palmer Raids
Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer
1919- Series of bombs in American cities which Americans believed were done by communists, but it was Italian anarchists following the works of Luigi Galleani. Palmer Raids: series of raids conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General; arrested not always the right people; scared citizens. Believed people were guilty by association. Palmer predicted May 1, 1919 there would be an uprising, but there was none. Red scare overblown. -
Culture of Disillusionment
Americans lost faith in institutions (cynical view). They questioned the purpose of war and America kind of lost its innocence due to WWI. People tired of ware and big government. Rise of KKK; reborn/revived everywhere in nation. -
Post WWI Problems
4 Million men looking for work after war (including proud black males who served, which upset the white man). The economy is bad because the government stopped doing price controls. Americans wonder: where is uncle Sam now after I just helped him? Fear and hysteria. -
Return to Normalcy: The Rise of the Republicans
Harding won 1920 election; laissesz-faire; worst president; immigration restriction; tax cuts for wealthy; dies of heart attack. Coolidge, new pres, clean up scandals: 1) fire attorney general (Harry Dougherty sold pardons), 2) hires committee to investigate Albert Fall Albert Fall- Secretary of the Interior sentenced to 4 years in prison for leasing/selling government property to oil companies for bribe Charles Forbes- Director of Veterans Bureau took money; ignored Veterans health needs -
The Culture of Consumption
Installment buying: credit. People used credit to buy things that make them happy such as cars and houses. Consumer spending increases along with debt. Saving less; spending more. 75% of car purchases in 1920s bought on credit. 4 out of 9 Americans in debt. 200 corporations hold 50% of national wealth: leads to crash of stock market and the start of Great Depression. -
New Woman
-Sexual Liberation: acceptance of sex and appearing sexual
-Flapper
-Close dancing/jazz (saxophone is devil's instrument)
-makeup before 20s for prostitutes
Margret Sanger: pro birth control for women empowerment (enjoy sex) and eugenics (way of population control/nativism/certain people should not populate). Published the Women Rebel magazine caused her to break Comstock Law (no distributing anything in mail that is sex related). -
Themes of 20s
Modernity; consumerism; self-gratification (carpe diem); disillusionment. What led to this? End of WWI, technological developments, movement to cities, and CREDIT. Status determined by purchasing power; mass production and consumption; age of assembly line; by 1920 65% of households had electricity- leads to more products; Taylorism: efficiency and increase productivity; Thorstein Veblen: Wrote the Theory of the Leisure Class (1898) "conspicuous consumption:" people buy to display wealth. -
The Automobile and the Economy/Advertisement
Ford creates automobile that everyone owns due to being cheaper cause assembly line. Business Boom: economy growth through 1) mass production, 2) machines, 3) factories. Cycle- mass production led to better machines led to higher production/wages led to higher demand for goods led to more mass production. Productivity increased, more freetime, incomes growing -> encourages people to spend. Advertising: psychologists help business sell products that make Americans feel good (radio/mag) -
Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti
Italian anarchists. Armed robbery of Shoe Company in Braintree, Massachusetts. Blamed for killing paymaster and security guard. Evidence was grey; hostile investigators that asked about their political views; lied about whereabouts and then they go to trial where witnesses were contradictory. Prosecution believed them guilty; found gun of Saco, which was same type used in shooting. They were sentenced to death, case appealed, executed. Americans disillusioned by justice system; origin act made. -
Adolph Hitler
-National Socialist Workers Party(NAZI)
-Started hating jews cause they like: I don't like you art
-Joined Nazi party when small cause background in German army
^Utopia for all German people, goals: unification of Germans, conquer land(Lebensraum), restore economy, protect aryan race.
-Anschluss: Germany gets Austria
-Beer hall putsch: tried to overthrow government; tried to get nazis signed into power; Hitler sent to prison and propagates ideas from Mein Kampf.
-Hitler builds Nazi popularity -
Nativism
WASPS afraid of foreigners. National Origins Act(1924): a quota system was established to limit the number of immigrants allowed in the U.S. from South and East Europe mainly. This stays in law until 1965 Mexicans were not included in quota because they were seasonal/cheap labor. -
The Crime of the Century
Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb; met in grad school in Chicago and got involved with petty crime. Loeb wanted to commit the perfect crime: getting away with murder; see themselves as Supermen wanted to test Niche's theory. Lured little boy into car and bash skull in; drive to Indiana; dump body in marsh; ransom note to Franks. Boy's body found with glasses. Glasses traced back to Leopold; authorities search apartment; handwriting/typewriter matches note; Darrow was lawyer avoided death penalty. -
The "Scopes-Monkey Trial"
Evolution vs. Fundamentalism
William Jennings Bryan grassroot campaign against Darwinism especially in classroom (undermined Bible). Fundamentalists more concerned after WWI because they believe Armageddon is coming. 1925- Tennessee passes Butler Act; illegal for teachers to teach evolution
American civil liberties union wants to test Butler Act. John Scopes is charged and ACLU hires Darrow. Says Act is unconstitutional due to prior law. Darrow lost case; 1968 overturned by Supreme Court. -
The Myths of the Crash
Great Bull Market: prolonged period of time where investment prices raised faster than average.
Leading up to the crash: -no regulation for buying/selling stocks, increased wages so more people could buy stocks, easy access to credit to speculate in stock market (increased value of product when shares were bought ((inflate)) no money to back it up because of credit).
Myth: Hoover did not take action; believed crash was normal; would situate self out. Belief good times would roll forever. -
Hoover's Presidency
-Reconstruction Finance Corp (RFC): money given to business/corporation with philosophy of trickle down economics; money never trickled down.
-Hoovervilles
-The Bonus Army: Veterans promised money; set up hooverville on top of Capital to demonstrate
-Hoover believed in American Individualism (self-made man) because he was orphan and worked way up to millionaire.
-Smoot-Hawley Tariff: mistake; raise tariff to highest in world; prolonged depression; damaged trade for Europe
-belief lassiez-faire -
Al Capone
100% Gansta; made 60-100 mil per year; bribes judges, layers, etc. Added to disillusionment: Americans either thought he was a hero or against morals. Mobs were able to profit from prohibition; he did it best, was in charge of brothels, speakeasies, casinos, etc. Drinking expensive during time period. He made people like his agreements. VDay 1929- Massacre; 7 men killed; everyone knows Capone did it. FBI makes him public enemy #1. Income tax evasion sentences him to 8 years of prison. -
The Crash
Warning signs:
-Black Thursday October 24, 1929: when stock market took dip and investors got nervous and started selling their stock
-Black Tuesday October 29, 1929: the great crash/wall street crash
-Banks panicked (people start selling stocks)
-Depression was vicious cycle
-Recession in Europe
-Exports stopping
-Less consumer consumption Everyone affected by crash; 89% of Americans did not own stock at time of crash. -
The Causes of the Great Depression
-Overproduction: unsold goods (farmers/automotive companies).
-Underconsumption: cannot consume all that is produced.
^Causes: unequal wealth distribution (top 10%=46% wealth; cannot consume much), unhealthy business structure (profits increase; worker wage stay same), rural depression (dust bowl/over production), European Depression (let sell to US; Us nah; US let sell to Euro; Euro nah), Tech problems (electricity shortage), Federal reserve board fails (bank not under fed; get fucked) -
Crisis of "Rugged Individualism"
American dream shattered; no jobs; no self-made man (rugged individualism: if you could work hard you could do anything). African Americans hit twice as hard in period (first fired; last hired). Unemployment landed upon most vulnerable (elderly/young, least skills, least intelligence). 15 million people out of work. NO HOPE! -
Hoovervilles
-insecurity/anxiety
-men felt like failures for not being able to provide for their families; left family
-People begging for food, looting, and dying
-Men turn to drinking
-More women working in 30s than 20s
-Teens leaving high school to get job
-Fewer children
-Collective action/cooperation (group of farmers form association)
-People believed capitalism failed; socialism way to go
PEOPLE WANT SENSE OF SECURITY -
"Only Yesterday"
Explaining American disillusionment (breakdown manners/morals) through WWI (PTSD men; nativism), New Women (liberated during WWI; Americans afraid of women leaving the home); Freud (subconscious urges them to tap into instincts; sex; instant gratification; "petting parties"); Automobile (bedroom on wheels; freedom; mobilization); movies (hollywood actors idealized); prohibition (ignored laws; bootleggers; government regulation; WASPS assert dominance because mostly new immigrants drink). -
FDR/100 Day Presidency
-only president re-elected three times
-"fireside chats": effectively used radio to reach voters
-Promised 3 Rs: reform, relief, and recovery (Americans wanted security)
First 100 Days of Presidency (aims to provide security/New Deal): -emergency bank act (closed the banks so government could inspect; only stable banks would reopen; lie so people trust banks), Fed now works, Glass-Stegall Act (make deposit; money guaranteed), prohibition was repealed (21st amendment) -
New Deal
-More government
-Modern welfare state
-Provide SECURITY Additional info 100 days:
-AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act): gov pay farmers to stop overproducing; only benefited farmers w/ large plots of land
-FERA (Federal Emergency Relief Administration): allowed gov to give money to states to allocate
-NIRA (National Industrial Recovery Act): gov allows corporations to set cartels (businesses set fixed prices/wages) and respecting collective bargaining (business must bargain with labor union). -
Germany Economy
-Hyperinflation undermining German economy
^Nazis tried to expand power by using people's fear
-Hitler becomes dictator creates totalitarian government
-Gave people work (army)
-By 1933, Nazi party most power party in Germany
-When Hitler became Chancellor he told the people that only he could change things
^then he becomes dictator and mobilizes government (mobilizing plans to persecute jews)
-Anti-semites: believed jews were inferior; Hitler uses to advantage (jews killed create utopia). -
Dust Bowl - "Black Blizzards"
-Dust ammonia
-People dying
-Forced 300,000 people to leave home to go to California (myth of jobs)
-Grass ripped up, soil hardened, dust blew when wind blew
-Could not escape dust (got inside homes/inside body) -
US Issues
-The Nye Commission: investigated the arms industry lead by Senator Nye, why US in WWI? Arms industry wanted money; pressured Wilson into war so banks would get paid; WWI was not fought for peace, but for profits.
-Neutrality Acts passed in result of commission. Three acts: 1) cannot sell/ship arms to nations at war; 2) American institutions cannot provide loans to nations at war; 3) Cash/carry policy: to purchase goods for nations at war they must have the money and be able to pick up. -
Second New Deal
Wagner Act: protect collective bargaining (union)
Social Security Act: pension system for elderly/helped injured; funded by payroll taxes
Works Progress Administration (WPA): gov created jobs for people that improved infrastructure in country; will not discriminate
-did not help neediest Three things achieved:
1) resorted faith in economy
2) restored faith in democracy
3) new deal political coalition: established new roots for democratic party that last until 1960 -Received lot of criticism -
Problems in the Pacific
-Japan's leaders are dealing with depression (lack of resources); US slowly stops sending resources after indo-China is taken over, Japan needs land for resources. US places embargo on goods sent to Japan after they show no sign of stopping taking over land in Pacific.
-Emperor leading nationalistic/militaristic regime and wants to take over Manchuria and fight for China
-Axis Power: Japan joining Germany in WWII -
Nuremberg Laws
-Must wear yellow Star of David
-Concentration Camps
-Anti Semitic laws of Nazi Germany -
FDR Wins Election
Because he pledged to keep American out of war. Made americans feel safe. -
Contraceptive
Doctors could now disseminate birth control; however, doctors were males and asshats so females did not always get birth control unless they were married and did not want kids. Supreme court ruling in 1936 gave doctors this privilege. -
Nazi Olympics
-Uses games to showcase a powerful/perfect Germany
-No one knew the extent of brutality of the Nazi party -
Treaty of Versailles
-Hitler goes against; he remilitarizes Rhineland (League of nations said no troops)
^advisor said not to cause France and Great Britain will be PISSED
-Hitler confidence growing so he Anschluss (annexed Austria)
-Sudetenland, takes from Czechoslovakia because it has factors (more guns) and "reunite Germany" (bs)
-March 1939, Germany army invades Czechoslovakia; wants to conquer world
^France and Britain scared
-Germany establishes military pact w/ Italy: Munich Pact
-Non-agression act w/ USSR -
FDR's Re-Election
-FDR faces resistance from supreme court
-FDR tries to create children's programs; supreme court like nah
-FDR says supreme court overburdened cannot handle work load cause they old
-Court Packing Scheme: bill that allowed FDR to appoint new justice when old justice turned 70 (allowed him to put more liberal justices in court... failed; people called him a tyrant because of it)
-Faces more criticism when US falls back into recession
-1938 more republicans in government; cannot pass legislation -
Evaluating the New Deal
-The New Deal did not end the Depression (WWII did; more production needed for war)
-The New Deal did not help people equally (relationship between people and gov changed: 1) provide assistance to needy, 2) help people unionize; Wagner Act, 3) regulating market (WPA); none of this helped domestics/needy people)
-The New Deal created a new role for the government (going away from lassiez-faire)
-The New Deal created a new Democratic Party coalition -
John Steinbeck's: The Grapes of Wrath
Shift from self centered views to traditional community values. The book celebrates the common man. Family is foreclosed on; have to leave farm. They have dream of better life in California. Importance of Story: coming together/compassion. -Tax Payer Protection League: Hold sit-ins so people could not be evicted from home -
Race and the War
Intensified racism; Second Great Migration (1940-1950) blacks moving north in pursuit of better life; Blacks not enlisted originally; Uncle Sam like nah until they need more bodies. A. Phillip Randolph, he believed that blacks must compel the government to stop segregation in wartime industry to protect rights; threatens to organize a March on Washington of 100,000 black protestors; FDR signs executive order 8802 (fair employment) did not end up desegregating the armed forces. -
Back in Europe
1940s: Germany gets more land even France
Great Britain needs more ships to fight. Destroyers for bases: Britain gave US land (bases) for 50 destroyers (old); violation of Neutrality Acts. Roosevelt signs in the Lend-Lease Act: US will lend-lease to any nation that the US deems their security to be needed for US security.
Battle of Britain: Royal Air Force defends UK against German Air Force; first major military campaign fought solely in the air. -
Operation Barbossa
-Fulfill the destiny of moving Eastward
-Kiling jews in Poland and Russia
-Justify attacking Russia because Germany media says Russia is planning on attacking them
-Non-aggression gone; Russia against them
-Forces German army to fight two side war; Hitler not afraid of Russia.
-Russia throws unarmed bodies at Germany because Stalin gives no fucks. -
Atlantic Charter
-Roosevelt and Churchill are like Germany needs to stop but we need more people like them Russians.
-Atlantic Charter: priority to defeat Germany, when war is over it is ensured that there will be self-rule for all nations; foundation for the United Nations.
-USS Reuben James: 95 Americans die; first ship destroyed in war; showed FDR didn't want to enter war -
Pearl Harbor
-Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
-Makes US join Allies in WWII
^reasons: Japan created rallying point for Americans (unlike WWI)
-Japan realizes this was only a partial victory -
Battle of Midway
-Turning point in the Pacific
-Yotomoto wanted to attack midway to drawl US Navy out; make them exposed; attack for 2nd time
-US intercepted Japanese messages; know attack is coming
-US takes out 4 Japanese air craft carriers and much more
^shift in naval war
^Japan retreats
^US on the offensive; island hopping campaign -
Battle of Stalingrad
-Stalingrad: cultural significance for Russians; named after Stalin
-Most destructive battle in the war
-In Russia, by Vulga River
-Germans vs. Russians
-Hitler wants oil in Caucasus
-Hitler order Germans to keep fighting; Stalin ordered unarmed bodies to go against to overpower
-Germans get fucked; weren't prepared for climate/supplies
-Hitler humiliated
-Russians on offensive -
Gender and WWII
Rosie the Riveter: women entered exclusively male industries; undermines women should be in kitchen ideology; 6 million more women working; expectation was for women to go back to kitchen after the war, but women were like ha fuck that. -
Double V Campaign, Detroit, and Hughes
Double V Campaign: Two victories; one in war; one in ending slavery through desegregation in war.
Detroit June 20, 1943; large group of whites and blacks at amusement park; blacks distrusted whites; whites fear blacks (nativism); riots break out 6,000 federal troops sent to stop it by FDR; many blacks killed at hands of white police.
Hale Strikes: white employees going on strike to keep segreation
Hughes: Harlem Renaissance; hope for better tomorrow; "I, Too, Sing America" -
"The Good War"
World war two was seen as being good (fighting to preserve democracy) because we were fighting to protect our nation against the evil people in Japan, Italy, and Germany. America was united on the war.
The American Creed: all americans are equal (ironic cause racial tensions)
The Four Freedoms: religion, speech/dissent, freedom from want (depression a distant memory), and freedom from fear; this came from FDR's fireside chats. -
Japanese-Americans
-Pearl Harbor create hysteria in nation
-Fear of spies
-FDR under pressure to create internment camps
-Camps pop up mainly on west coast; Japanese-Americans (100,000) had to leave everything behind to go to "temporary-residence." (Executive Order 9066)
-Fred Kerimutzo, goes to work. Boss says he is fired. He goes to look for work elsewhere. Cannot find employment; arrested; ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) want to push case to supreme court (1944); rules it constitutional -
D-Day
-Operation overlord
-Invasion into northern beaches of France (Normandy)
-Lead by Dwight Eisenhower
-Single largest invasion in history
-Stalin wants two sides of war again; took US and Britain a year to accomplish (more distrust in West for Stalin)
-Paris liberated in August
-Ally troops in Germany 1944 -
End of War in Europe
-April 30, 1945 Hitler commits suicide because he realized he lost the war
-May 7, 1945 Berlin is taken back; victory for allies; only thing left is Japan -
Yalta Conference
-In Southern Ukraine
-Meetup of Churchill, Stalin, and re-elected FDR (health diminishing)
-Germany is defeated divided into four occupational zones; ensures that Germany is defeated
-Debates on how to treat Germany after war
^Stalin: want to oppress to keep homeland safe; keep troops in Poland (Churchill and FDR want Poland to be democracy)
^Churchill and FDR want to make Germany democracy as well and Stalin ain't bout dat life.
-FDR dies two months later; Truman takes over. -
The War in the Pacific
Truman is president, trying to figure out how to get Japan to surrender. Difficult due to the Bushido Code: Japanese soldier's honor; better to die in battle than to surrender. So, Truman's answer was the atomic bomb (Manhattan Project). This gives America huge power and is the beginning of the cold war between US and USSR. -
Bombing Japan
-FDR had US troops drop thousands of pamphlets warning the Japanese about their imminent death unless they get the emperor to surrender; emperor doesn't surrender
-August 6, Hiroshima (70,000 killed)
-Emperor Hirohito refuses to surrender
-August 8, Russians declare war on Japan and invade Manchuria
-August 9, Nagasaki bombed
-August 14, V-J(victory in Japan) Day (emperor surrenders)
-US remains in Japan until 1952
-New constitution created for Japan w/ a Prime Minister -
Consequences of WWII/Origins of Cold War
-Two world powers emerge: US (American Hegemony; country that is richest, best military, and global leader), and USSR (France and Britain broke; Japan not control pacific)
-US joined the United Nations
-Second bombing in Japan was warning really to Russians; Psychological impact on Stalin
-League of Nations failed; United Nations formed to maintain peace and protect nation's self-determination
-Stalin does not trust west; sees soviets in war with capitalists; wants to build WMD like America -
The Potsdam conference
-Truman, Churchill, and Stalin present
-Stalin wants a permanently weakened Germany; wants them to have to pay 10 million to Russia.
-Churchill and Truman want to create partnership (more distrust in west for USSR)
-War will not end until Japan surrenders
-Truman hints to Stalin about a WMD, which he pretends to not to know about because he secretly has Russian spies on the project. -
Goals after War US/USSR
US Goals:
-International trading community; help west recover and spread capitalism
-prevent spread of communism due to fear of another depression (communists won't trade)
USSR:
-permanently weaken Germany/seize boarders
-encourage communist regimes throughout Europe (US interprets this as Stalin wanting to expand power and to do this with force if necessary; scared of WWIII) -
George Kennan's Long Telegram
George Kennan was American expert on Russians. February of 1946, Stalin says he will not stop at trying to pass American weaponry. Kennan's long telegram gives points: 1) Soviets actions are shaped by a permanent sense of insecurity, 2) Soviets have an intense anti-capitalist outlook, 3) think they are at war with capitalists, 4) Russia has history of brutality, 5) Soviets will continue with their expansion policy (Turkey/Greece, threatens US interest), 5) this threatens American security. -
The Production Miracle
War Production Board: allocated resources, regulated production, and rationed items.
America's capacity to build more weapons gave allies advantage because they could out run the axis powers (why Americans thought we would win).
Sacrifice at home front: rubber, meat, etc. save some for soldiers.
FDR passed the GI Act to help Veterans: create opportunities for veterans after war; provide financial assistance.
National War Labor Board: prevent disruption in production/strikes
WAR BONDS AGAIN -
Truman Doctrine
-Ambassador from Britain schedules meeting with Truman. Britain financed Turkey and Greece to keep communism out, but cannot do this anymore. Fear implanted in US that communism will take over these countries.
-Truman speech on radio: scare shit out of AMericans and congressmen; get Americans to want to support Turkey/Greece; provide financial security.
-Truman Doctrine: support democratic countries resisting communism -
Containment
"Mr. X" (pseudonym) - "Sources of Soviet Conduct" in Foreign Affairs. Communism is like a religion it will spread unless contained. Soviets will try to convert neighboring states. It is US's duty to stop it because who else can? FOR CONTAINMENT
Walter Lippmann - The Cold War: A Study of US Foreign Policy: argues policy of containment is dangerous. Forces US to be defensive; may force US to support countries that it doesn't agree with. AGAINST CONTAINMENT -
The Marshall Plan
-George Marshall: chief of staff/secretary of state; believes in containment and supports the Truman Doctrine.
Marshall Plan: European economic recovery plan: 12 billion in aid to ensure countries thrive in a capitalist system, and his plan works. -
Berlin Blockade
-Germany split into four regions: Britain, France, US, and USSR.
-Soviets want Germany weak; others disagree
^Western countries have plan to make secret democracy
^USSR hears; distrust west more
-Stalin wants to make Berlin dependent on Russia; doesn't want western nations to rebuild Germany (takes everything from factories)
June 1948- closes all connections between East and West Berlin
Berlin Airlift- US/Britain response; give supplies to make independent; blockade ends in 1949 -
Truman and The Soviet Union
-1949 communist revolution taking place in China
-US thought it had so much influence that it could stop China from becoming a communist nation
-Nationalists (Chiang Kai-Shek) had corrupt government; flees to Taiwan after communist party attacks (Mao Zedong); US had provided them aid to prevent communism... that worked out well
-China cannot be US ally; US changes opinion on Japan; Japan needs to become ally
1949-Russia successfully detonates atomic bomb -
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Attack on any member of NATO will be viewed as an attack on all. First US military alliance during peacetime. -
NSC-68
National Security Council 68: American's official foreign policy defense strategy. USSR wanted more weapons to conquer world, so US adopts global view of communist revolutions. Containment becomes foreign policy. Develop bigger military and the CIA. -
Korean War: Testing Containment
-During WWII Japan occupied Korea; then troops go to north Korea, Us troops in South. Korea tried to unify but failed.
-The Korean War (1950-1953): North Korea (communist) and South Korea (capitalist America) divided at 38th parallel
-America's commitment to containment
-June 1950: clusterfuck of pushing (US troops north; then China troops push south); US fear this is part of global communist revolution/WWIII. McArthur says fuck Truman, Truman fires. Stalemate for years; remain divided at 38th