Impact of Cold War

National Security Act (1947)

Created a new Dept. of Defense Combined War & Navy Depts. Headed by a civilian

Created a National Security CouncilCreated the CIAGave President/White House expanded powers

Election of 1948

Thomas Dewey, Governor of NY Had lost election of ‘44 to FDR

Surprise victory for TrumanPolls had written him off in fall of ‘48He continued to campaign vigorously

Traveled 30K+ miles “Victory Special”

“Give ‘em hell Harry”

NSC-68

National security report from 1950U.S. could not expect other countries to stop

communismU.S. must est. itself as active leader in

noncommunist worldCalled for an expansion of the military

power/defense budget

McCarthyism

Republican Senator from Wisconsin, 1947-1957Burst into national spotlight in 1950Claimed to have a list of 205 known communists in State

Dept.Repeated & expanded accusationsIn 1952 he was appointed chairman of a special

subcommittee that investigated subversion w/in gov’tWent after Army & General George Marshall in 1954;

televised hearings showed his tasteless tactics; damaged reputation

Election of 1952

Eisenhower defeats Stevenson in a landslide

55% of popular vote, 442 to 89 in EC

“I Like Ike” & “K1C2”Stevenson=Governor of IllinoisEisenhower’s VP=NixonCheckers Speech

Economically

Military spending increased:Between 1900-1930, military spending was less than

1% of GDPBy 1961, that number was 10% (chart, p. 807)

Industrial

Arms Race!Affected all Americans with a climate of fear and

uncertaintyBomb shelters, civil defense drills, atomic research

testingConcern over radioactivity of above ground tests,

later found to be a health issueVery expensive which bothered Ike who wanted a

balanced budget

Industrial

1960: Ike tried to negotiate an arms limitation agreement with the Soviets

May 5, 1960: Soviets shot down an American U-2 spy plane over their territory and captured and imprisoned its pilot

Ike later admitted he authorized the mission and others like it, and therefore his chance to negotiate an arms agreement was gone

Pentagon

1960: became its own democracyFederal funds overwrote 90% of the cost of research

on aviation and spaceSubsidized the scientific, auto, and electronics

industriesThis allowed for rapid creation of products

Pentagon

Created a strong defense industryBoeing, Lockheed were examples of companies that

did its work almost exclusively with the PentagonPeople owed their jobs to this buildup, and many

areas of the US received a lot of money (especially in the south and west)

Final thoughts

Drawback: little money was spent on domestic needs due to amount going to military

Ike’s last speech: warned of a “military-industrial complex”

Quotes

Its influence “is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government”

“guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex”

“never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes”