United States History: 1877 to the Present

The United States Since World War II

USII.7

The student will The student will demonstrate knowledge of the economic, social, and political transformation of the United States and the world between the end of World War II and the present by

a) describing the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after World War II, the emergence of the United States as a superpower, and the establishment of the United Nations;
b) describing the conversion from a wartime to a peacetime economy;
c) identifying the role of America’s military and veterans in defending freedom during the Cold War, including the wars in Korea and Vietnam, the Cuban missile crisis, the collapse of communism in Europe, and the rise of new challenges;
d) describing the changing patterns of society, including expanded educational and economic opportunities for military veterans, women, and minorities.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Begin the unit by asking students how the United States helped rebuild postwar Europe and Japan.
Explain that, learning from the mistakes of the past, the United States accepted its role as a world superpower, helping to rebuild Europe and Japan and taking the leading role in establishing the United Nations.
Discuss that much of Europe was in ruins following World War II. Soviet forces occupied most of Eastern and Central Europe and the eastern portion of Germany. The United States felt it was in its best interest to rebuild Europe and prevent political and economic instability.
Explain the rebuilding efforts following World War II.

The United States instituted George C. Marshall's plan to rebuild Europe (the Marshall Plan), which provided massive financial aid to rebuild European economies and prevent the spread of communism.
Germany was partitioned into East and West Germany. West Germany became democratic and resumed self-government after a few years of American, British, and French occupation. East Germany remained under the domination of the Soviet Union and did not adopt democratic institutions.
Following its defeat, Japan was occupied by American forces. It soon adopted a democratic form of government, resumed self-government, and became a strong ally of the United States.

Discuss the establishment of the United Nations.
Explain that the United Nations was formed near the end of World War II to create a body for the nations of the world to try to prevent future global wars.
Provide a short lecture on the immediate changes that occurred in Europe and the Pacific after World War II. Explain to students that as the United States emerged as a "superpower," the country developed a plan to help rebuild Europe and bring economic and political stability to the war-torn area. The U.S. launched the Marshall Plan to provide financial aid to Europe and prevent the spread of communism. Show students a sampling of the aid packages for various European nations. The Web site at http://www.turnerlearning.com/cnn/coldwar/cw_start.html offers an interactive map that shows which countries accepted U.S. aid under the Marshall Plan and in what dollar amounts. Additionally, point out that the U.S. also oversaw the establishment of a democracy in Japan and took an active role in establishing the United Nations.
Distribute outline maps of post-World War II Europe. Have the students illustrate their map, including the following:

Countries that came under the control of the Soviet Union (highlight the division of Germany into East Germany and West Germany.)
The "free" or capitalist countries of the West
Countries that benefited from the Marshall Plan
Names of major cities, such as London, Paris, and Berlin.

Remind students to label all countries and include a legend. Encourage students to use color, and allow them to use resources such as atlases and textbooks.
After students have completed their maps, prompt them to think about the foreign policy concerns of the Cold War by answering the following questions:

How does this map illustrate the Soviet Union's attempt to protect itself from the capitalist countries of the West?
Why might the United States have been concerned about the spread of communism in Europe?
What possible strategies might the United States have pursued to protect itself against the Soviet Union?
How does this map illustrate the importance of the Marshall Plan?
What possible problems could have arisen from a divided Germany and Berlin?
What role might the United Nations have played in a divided Europe?

WEB SITES

http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/
World War II provided by PBS

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook45.html
Resources on World War II

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/libraryarchives/ww2guide/
Resources on World War II in the archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/
Achievements of General Douglas MacArthur

http://my.execpc.com/~dschaaf/mainmenu.html
Attack on Pearl Harbor

http://www.jmu.edu/madison/center/main_pages/teacher/curriculum/chap12.htm
Unit on World War II

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/wwii/wwii.htm
World War II documents

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/marshall/
For European Recovery: The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Marshall Plan

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/marshall/large/index.php
Establishing the Marshall Plan

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1947marshallplan1.html
Marshall Plan

http://www.un.org/
Welcome to the United Nations

http://www.unicef.org/
United Nations Children's Fund

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/
Cold War information from CNN

http://www.cia.gov/csi/books/19335/art-1.html
At Cold War's End: US Intelligence on the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 1989-1991

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/coldwar.htm
Avalon Project at Yale Law School

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