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CHAPTER 27
The Cold War and the Fair Deal, 1945–
1952
This chapter covers domestic and foreign affairs in the Truman administration. It begins by outlining the
origins of the cold war and containment policy, the division of Germany, and the role of the Marshall Plan
in the reconstruction of Europe. The chapter then turns to the postwar recovery effort at home, including
the introduction of the GI Bill of Rights. Important topics of discussion include the state of civil rights at
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Truman and the Cold War
A. Origins of the Cold War
B. Conflicts with the Soviets
II. The Containment Policy
A. The Truman Doctrine
B. The Marshall Plan
C. Divided Germany
G. Shaping the Fair Deal
H. The Election of 1948
I. The Fair Deal Rejected
IV. The Cold War Heats Up
A. “Losing” China
viii. The Impact of the Korean War
V. Another Red Scare
A. The Hollywood Ten
B Alger Hiss
C. Atomic Spying
E. The McCarran Act
F. The Red Scare and the Cold War
G. A Cold War Government
H. Assessing Harry Truman
LECTURE IDEAS
1. An overview of the origins of the cold war is essential. Discuss the origins and the realities of this
postwar development in American diplomatic history. For the cold war contributions of a great
2. An overview of Truman’s Fair Deal will enable the students to gain a good perspective on the postwar
economy. A critical look at Truman’s Fair Deal is Barton J. Bernstein’s “America in War and Peace: The
3. Use the integration of baseball to illustrate the strengthening of the civil rights movement in the
period immediately following World War II. Such a lecture is an excellent way to show students how
sports history can be a powerful tool for the study of American society and culture. Good sources
include:
• Jules Tygiel’s Baseball’s Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy (2008)
• John R. M. Wilson’s Jackie Robinson and the American Dilemma (2009)
4. Divide the class into groups and have them look at the events that led up to the Korean War. A good
starting place would be to examine the cold war, the development of the United Nations, postwar Asia,
and the peace with Japan. You might also consider having them read Dean Acheson’s Press Club
speech on the Defensive Perimeter Strategy
5. You should deliver at least one lecture on McCarthyism. See Robert Griffith’s “American Politics and
the Origins of ‘McCarthyism,’“ in The Specter: Original Essays on the Cold War and the Origins of
6. A really entertaining and insightful presentation for students would be on the Red Scare in Hollywood,
which reminds us that the fear of domestic subversion predated the activities of Senator McCarthy.
(1997)
• Larry Ceplair’s The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community, 1930–1960 (2003)
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Divide the class into two groups and have each group explain Harry S. Truman’s response to the
Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe following World War II. Then have each group present their
findings and determine how many causes the class can identify. Broaden the class discussion to
consider the nature of the Cold War in general, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the
plans for dividing Germany, and NATO. Russian critics have long complained that the American
2. Have each class group discuss the specifics of Truman’s Fair Deal. Then have them compare it with
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.
3. Assign groups the task of determining the roots of McCarthyism and have them compare it with prior
“Red Scares” in the United States. Are there any similarities they can describe in the world today? Are
“witch hunts” an effective means of maintaining order?
4. The Korean War has long been referred to as the “forgotten war.” Why is this the case? Research on
5. How did the experiences of African Americans and Mexican Americans in the 1940s set the stage for
the Civil Rights campaigns of the later 1950s and 1960s? Consider, for instance, the African American
petitions to President Truman to address lynching and other inequalities, Executive Order 9981, the
experiences of Jackie Robinson, and the creation of the GI Forums. You could also incorporate the
6. The National Security Act of 1947 resulted in major changes to the military and intelligence
communities. In addition to establishing the National Security Council and the CIA, it merged the army
and navy and created the department of the air force. The Army Reorganization Act of 1950 initiated
the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ask your students to outline and
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the issue of containment during the Cold War. What was the idea surrounding this policy? Who
were the major players? Was it successful?
2. Describe the experiences of returning African American servicemen. In what ways were inequalities
at home used against the United States in the Cold War? What was President Truman’s response?
3. Discuss the election of 1948, paying particularly close attention to the role of the third-party
candidate in determining the outcome.
4. The Korean War is often called one of the first major “proxy wars” of the Cold War. A proxy war is an
armed conflict at the instigation of other countries. Is this a good definition of the Korean War?
PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP
This chapter refers to President Truman’s unsuccessful effort to establish a program of national health
insurance as part of his Fair Deal program for domestic reform. Through the election of Barack Obama to
the presidency, this remains one of the most contentious public policy proposals. Do some basic research
so that you can be an informed citizen on this matter. Begin by defining terms such as national health
insurance and socialized medicine. What are the differences, and how do both approaches differ from the
traditional system of health care in the United States? Next, find out how the United States compares to
other advanced countries in key measures such as average per capita expenditures for health care, life
expectancy, and infant mortality rates. What explains these outcomes? Finally, have friends and
