The USA after world war II

World War II began on September 1, 1939. At first America stayed out of the war. But on December 7, 1941 Japanese planes bombed the US military base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. The United States declared war on Japan on December 8. Three days later Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. On May 7, 1945, after a long bitter struggle the Allies forced the mighty German war machine to surrender. Vice President Harry S. Truman had become president upon Roosevelt`s death about a month earlier. The Allies demanded Japan`s surrender, but the Japanese continued to fight on. Truman then made one of the major decisions in history. He ordered the use of the atomic bomb, a weapon many times more destructive than any previous weapon. An American aeroplane dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August, 6, 1945. A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9. Japan formally surrendered on September 2, and World War II was over.

After the War the Soviet Union and China took strategic decisions top spread Communism to other countries. The United States as the world`s most powerful democratic country took on the leading role as the opponent. The containment of Communism became the major goal of US postwar foreign policy. The postwar struggle between the American-led non-Communist nations and the Soviet Union and its Communist allies became known as the Cold War. Both the United States and the Soviet Union built up arsenals of nuclear weapons. The nuclear weapons made each nation capable of destroying the other. The threat of nuclear war made both sides cautious. As a result Cold War strategy emphasized threats of force, propaganda and aid to weak nations. The United Nations Organization (UNO) founded in 1945 provided a forum where the nations could try to settle their Cold War disputes.

The Korean War resulted from the Cold War friction. On June 25, 1950, troops from Communist North Korea, equipped by the Soviet Union invaded South Korea. The UN called on member nations to help restore peace. Truman sent American troops to aid South Korea and the UN sent a fighting force made up of troops from many nations. The war lasted for three years, ending in a truce on July 27, 1953. The shortage of goods during the war and other factors combined to create a vast market for American products. A population boom increased the number of consumers. Between 1950 and 1960 alone the population of the United States grew by about 28 million. Trade unions became stronger than ever and gained high wages. Wage laws and other government regulations also helped give workers a greater share of the profits of business. These developments also meant that more Americans had more money to spend on goods. A new life style resulted from the prosperity. After the war millions of people needed and were able to afford new housing. Construction companies quickly built huge houses in suburbs around the nation`s cities. The suburbs attracted people for many reasons. They offered newer housing, more open space and usually better schools.

Prosperity and technological advances changed American life in other ways. Television became a feature of most American homes during the 1950-s. This wonder of modern science brought scenes of the world into the American living room at the flick of a switch. New appliances made house work easier. They included automatic washing machines, driers, dishwashers and waste disposal units.

The period of American history since 1960 has been marked by a continuation of many post-war trends. For much of the period the country`s foreign policy remained focused on the containment of Communism. The economy continued to expand despite recurring periods of inflation and recession. The movement of people from cities to suburbs continued steadily. The 1970 US Census showed that for the first time more Americans lived in suburbs than in cities.

The Vietnam War began in 1957 as a battle for control of South Vietnam between the non-Communist government and Communists. In the late 1950-s and early 1960-s presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy sent military aid and advisers to support the South Vietnam government. Soon after Johnson became president the Communists threatened to topple the government. Johnson responded to the threat by sending hundreds of thousands of American combat troops to help South Vietnam fight the Communists. By the mid-1960-s the United States was deeply involved in the Vietnam War. A majority of Americans supported the war effort at first but others bitterly opposed it. In the late 1960-s opposition to the war grew. The war critics argued that the United States had no right to interfere in Vietnamese affairs. Throughout the nation university students and others staged antiwar demonstrations. Johnson, discouraged by the criticism of his Vietnam policy, refused to run for reelection in 1968. The people elected Richard Nixon partly because he pledged to end US involvement in the war. But as the 1960-s ended US troops were still in Vietnam. The chief US foreign policies in the 1970-s were aimed at ending the Vietnam War and easing world tension. Nixon removed America`s last ground forces from Vietnam in 1973. Nixon also took steps to reduce tensions between the United States and China and the Soviet Union, the two leading Communist powers. In 1972 he visited these countries. Nixon reached agreements with the Chinese and Soviet leaders that seemed to improve US relations with the Communist powers. Richard Nixon is unfortunately best remembered for Watergate scandal, an American political scandal and constitutional crisis of the 1970-s, which eventually led to resignation of the Republican President Nixon. The affair was named after the hotel where the burglary that led to a series of investigations occurred. The events were exposed and chronicled by the Washington Post newspaper. A failed attempt to install wire-taps at the Democratic Party Congress led to a series of cover-ups and illegal involvement by the FBI and the CIA on behalf of Nixon. Further lies and media manipulation resulted in the impeachment of Nixon and eventually his resignation.

The economy became the main concern of President Ronald Reagan, who succeeded Jimmy Carter in 1981. Reagan wanted to slash the inflation rate and balance the federal budget. Inflation slowed due to a recession that began in mid-1981. To stimulate the economy Reagan proposed the largest federal income tax reduction in US history. Congress approved the tax-cut program which scheduled cuts in 1981, 1982 and 1983. But high interest rates continued to limit spending by consumers and investment by business. The recession worsened and the nation experienced its highest rate of unemployment since 1941. An economic recovery began in 1983 and unemployment fell sharply. Inflation remained low. But the tax cuts and heavy government defence spending helped bring about record deficits in the federal budget. The former actor Reagan struck a chord with the American naion and he and his ultra-conservative “Reaganomics” policies are remembered with great affection by many in the USA.