Thursday, January 31, 2013
Iron Curtain Separates Europe
1. What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)
• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?
I do agree with the statement that it was a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims based on facts. I agree with that because the things said in this document were true. In line 2 he says that the Soviet Union were not willing to co-operate with the other sides, that was true. The Soviets didn't want to co-operate with the other sides because they didn't the other sides didn't have the same ideals about communism. Also when he says that the Soviet Union wanted to extend their control into continental Europe is true. He wanted the whole world to be red(communist) and to get that he would have to start near him in Europe and then spread.
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?
Yes it does seem likely that the American government was producing the same sort of documents. It seems that way because they were allies and we had the same viewpoints on the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union wanted to take over the world and that the Soviet Union was the enemy.
3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. AND Explain how each factor helped.
1. In Bulgaria a left-wing coalition won the government in 1945, the Communists then killed all the leaders in the opposing parties. This factor helped because when you get rid of all your competitors, you are the only one left and they have to give it to you. So they got control of the government by killing off everyone else.
2. In Hungary the Communist party became the largest party by imprisoning leaders of the other parties and attacking church officials. This factor helped in that when you kill off the opposition you win, like they did in Bulgaria, and when you attack people they are less likely to speak up against you.
3. In Poland they forced the non-communist into exile. Again when you get rid of the other side you have won outright. That is what the did in Poland except they didn't kill them this time. They just forced him into exile, a lot better than killing him :).
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The Potsdam Conference
1.
Read Source 17 (p 68). At Yalta, Churchill and Roosevelt had agreed
with Stalin that eastern Europe would be a Soviet ‘sphere of influence’.
Do you think Source 17 is what they had in mind?
No I do not think that is what they had in mind. They didn't want communism to spread even more and that is what Stalin is suggesting. That he will do whatever he wants with his territory, whether it is what Roosevelt and Churchill agree with or not.
2. Would they agree with Stalin’s views expressed in Sources 17 and 18? Explain your answer.
No they would not agree with Stalin's views expressed in sources 17 and 18. They wouldn't because they don't want Communism to spread into other parts of the world. They want those countries to be able to be a democracy not influenced by the U.S.S.R. to be communism.
3. Explain how each of the three developments described in the text might affect relationships at Potsdam.
Each of these developments makes is so that the relationships are not as great as they were at Yalta. Each country is mad at each other because of these events. Mostly it is both Great Britain and the United States are mad at the Soviet Union because of all they have done, lied about the free elections, trying to convert other countries to communism, just all around they are mad at them.
No I do not think that is what they had in mind. They didn't want communism to spread even more and that is what Stalin is suggesting. That he will do whatever he wants with his territory, whether it is what Roosevelt and Churchill agree with or not.
2. Would they agree with Stalin’s views expressed in Sources 17 and 18? Explain your answer.
No they would not agree with Stalin's views expressed in sources 17 and 18. They wouldn't because they don't want Communism to spread into other parts of the world. They want those countries to be able to be a democracy not influenced by the U.S.S.R. to be communism.
3. Explain how each of the three developments described in the text might affect relationships at Potsdam.
Each of these developments makes is so that the relationships are not as great as they were at Yalta. Each country is mad at each other because of these events. Mostly it is both Great Britain and the United States are mad at the Soviet Union because of all they have done, lied about the free elections, trying to convert other countries to communism, just all around they are mad at them.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Origins of the Cold War: Yalta Conference
1. What month and year did the Yalta Conference place?
The Yalta Conference took place in February of 1945.
2. While the conference was taking place who were the Allies (Big Three) still fighting? Be specific. (Consider as well, what hadn't taken place yet that you've already studied.)
While the conference was taking place the Allies were still fighting Germany and Japan. Even though technically they were still fighting against Germany the war was already over, the only one who didn't believe that was Adolf Hitler. The war in Japan although was still going strong.
3. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?
Roosevelt was anxious to make concessions to Stalin because he didn't want Stalin to get too much control and go overboard with it. Like taking over Germany making them part of the Soviet Union, or with Japan have that split into two different parts (North and South). Also he didn't want to make him make promises that he could ultimately break.
4. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?
At the Yalta Conference the "Big Three" came up with some huge decisions. They would separate Germany into four different parts, one for the United States, Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. Roosevelt also got Stalin to agree to join the United States in Japan once Germany was defeated, and to get him to come to a conference in San Francisco about the United Nations, which became a reality.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Nuclear Arms Race Since 1945 - part 2
1. Summarize the basic argument for and the basic argument against nuclear weapons.
The basic argument for nuclear weapons is the they actually make the world safer, because countries are less willing to risk the use of force. The basic argument against nuclear weapons is that because imperfect human beings are involved, deterrence is not a fool-proof system.
2. What is the difference between a strategic and a tactical nuclear weapon?
The difference between a strategic and tactical nuclear weapons is there size and distance they can hit. Strategic weapons are a lot bigger and can hit targets up to six thousand miles away in thirty minutes or less. Tactical nuclear weapons can be concealed in something as small as a briefcase or a backpack and are used to hit targets near them.
3. What is nuclear proliferation?
Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons.
4. What role has the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty played in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons?
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has played a big role in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Only four countries have not signed this Treaty. People say that if the treaty wasn't made President Kenndey's worry of 25 more countries having nuclear weapons by the 1970s would have come true.
5. Explain Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal. (See her quote on page 16 of your reading.)
Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal is all about them being secured. She is worried that if they aren't protected the can just be walked in by a thief and the nuclear weapons just be stolen. For this reason she want's their nuclear weapons to be dismantled so no one will ever have to worry about them being stolen.
6. How as the threat of terrorism changed thinking about nuclear weapons?
Terrorism has drastically changed the thinking about nuclear weapons. People are so scared of a terroist group getting a hold of a nuclear weapon, some think they already do. No one knows what they would do if they had one so that is what makes everyone so scared about it. What if they come after us if they have one? is a big question. People want to get rid of them because of this factor, if they got them who knows what they would do with it.
The basic argument for nuclear weapons is the they actually make the world safer, because countries are less willing to risk the use of force. The basic argument against nuclear weapons is that because imperfect human beings are involved, deterrence is not a fool-proof system.
2. What is the difference between a strategic and a tactical nuclear weapon?
The difference between a strategic and tactical nuclear weapons is there size and distance they can hit. Strategic weapons are a lot bigger and can hit targets up to six thousand miles away in thirty minutes or less. Tactical nuclear weapons can be concealed in something as small as a briefcase or a backpack and are used to hit targets near them.
3. What is nuclear proliferation?
Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons.
4. What role has the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty played in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons?
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has played a big role in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Only four countries have not signed this Treaty. People say that if the treaty wasn't made President Kenndey's worry of 25 more countries having nuclear weapons by the 1970s would have come true.
5. Explain Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal. (See her quote on page 16 of your reading.)
Secretary of State Rice's high level of concern about the Russian nuclear arsenal is all about them being secured. She is worried that if they aren't protected the can just be walked in by a thief and the nuclear weapons just be stolen. For this reason she want's their nuclear weapons to be dismantled so no one will ever have to worry about them being stolen.
6. How as the threat of terrorism changed thinking about nuclear weapons?
Terrorism has drastically changed the thinking about nuclear weapons. People are so scared of a terroist group getting a hold of a nuclear weapon, some think they already do. No one knows what they would do if they had one so that is what makes everyone so scared about it. What if they come after us if they have one? is a big question. People want to get rid of them because of this factor, if they got them who knows what they would do with it.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Nuclear Arms Race Since 1945
1. Explain how Dragonfire's report on October 11, 2001 highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons.
Dragonfires report on October 11, 2001 highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons because no one had ever used a nuclear bomb since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, let alone use one against the United States. It also highlighted that no one had every brought a nuclear bomb into a country unknowingly especially into a major city like the heart of New York City.
2. Why is proliferation such a strong concern for the United States?
Proliferation is such a strong concern for the United States because it is linked to the United States' most complex and challenging foreign policy problems. It is also a strong concern for the United States because we don't want them getting into the wrong hand, like our enemies.
3. What is deterrence?
Deterrence is the idea that if you trick someone into thinking you would retaliate big time if the did something to you. In this case if one side were to attack the other with nuclear Weapons, the other side would launch a nuclear response that would devastate the original attacker, knowing that they faced certain both sides would be deterred from attacking.
4. Explain the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis is the Soviets and their nuclear weapons were getting extremely close to us, on 90 miles off our shores in Cuba. They were so close if we fired a missile at them they would hit us first from Cuba. It also got the two leaders of the countries to realize what this could do to their countries/ the world. They decided to back down from Cuba if the US removed their artillery from Turkey.
5. President John F. Kennedy worried that twenty-five nations would have nuclear weapons by the 1970s. Why do you think his worry did not come to pass?
I think that his worry did not come to pass because the other nations in the world could see what it did to countries and what it could do it the nuclear war had actually begun. They saw what it was instilling in the US/USSR and they probably didn't want that. Lastly they probably knew that if they gained the nuclear weapons they would join in this "battle".
6. What was the Cold War? How long did it last?
The Cold War was a period of hostility and tension between, mostly, the US and the USSR from 1946 to 1991. The two countries were making an enormous amount of nuclear weapons incase there actually was a nuclear war. It was basically all talk. It lasted about 45 years.
Dragonfires report on October 11, 2001 highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons because no one had ever used a nuclear bomb since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, let alone use one against the United States. It also highlighted that no one had every brought a nuclear bomb into a country unknowingly especially into a major city like the heart of New York City.
2. Why is proliferation such a strong concern for the United States?
Proliferation is such a strong concern for the United States because it is linked to the United States' most complex and challenging foreign policy problems. It is also a strong concern for the United States because we don't want them getting into the wrong hand, like our enemies.
3. What is deterrence?
Deterrence is the idea that if you trick someone into thinking you would retaliate big time if the did something to you. In this case if one side were to attack the other with nuclear Weapons, the other side would launch a nuclear response that would devastate the original attacker, knowing that they faced certain both sides would be deterred from attacking.
4. Explain the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis is the Soviets and their nuclear weapons were getting extremely close to us, on 90 miles off our shores in Cuba. They were so close if we fired a missile at them they would hit us first from Cuba. It also got the two leaders of the countries to realize what this could do to their countries/ the world. They decided to back down from Cuba if the US removed their artillery from Turkey.
5. President John F. Kennedy worried that twenty-five nations would have nuclear weapons by the 1970s. Why do you think his worry did not come to pass?
I think that his worry did not come to pass because the other nations in the world could see what it did to countries and what it could do it the nuclear war had actually begun. They saw what it was instilling in the US/USSR and they probably didn't want that. Lastly they probably knew that if they gained the nuclear weapons they would join in this "battle".
6. What was the Cold War? How long did it last?
The Cold War was a period of hostility and tension between, mostly, the US and the USSR from 1946 to 1991. The two countries were making an enormous amount of nuclear weapons incase there actually was a nuclear war. It was basically all talk. It lasted about 45 years.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Works Cited
Ambrose, Stephen E. D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. New York:
Touchstone, 1994.
Ricks, Thomas E. Fiasco:
The American Military Adventure in Iraq. London: The Penguin Press, 2006.
Seager, Robin Pompey:
A Political Biography. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1979.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Mobilizing for Defense
1. How did the American response to the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor differ from Japanese expectations? The Japanese did not believe that the Americans were racially pure enough to withstand their attack. They truly believed that the Americans would
just give up and let them take over the Pacific.
2. What difficulties did women and minorities face in the wartime work force?
The difficulties that women and minorities faced in the wartime work force was a lowered pay. They were not getting the same amount of pay a white man was doing for the same amount of work. They were normally getting only 60% of what the white male was getting.
3. Why did President Roosevelt create the OSRD, and what did it do?
President Roosevelt created the OSRD to bring scientists into the war effort. The OSRD improved sonar and radar, the use of pesticides to fight insects, and pushed the development of "miracle drugs" such as penicillin. The OSRD also came up with the Atomic Bomb
4. What basic problems were the OPA and WPB created to solve?
The OPA was created to solve the problem with the inflation of needed goods. The WPB was created to make sure the companies making war necessities got what they needed fast.
5. What type of items were rationed and why were they limited?
Materials that the men fighting in the war overseas was rationed like meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, and gasoline. They were limited because most of the items were sent overseas to the men fighting so they would have enough of the necessities.
6. What is the message of the World War II poster on this assignment's blog posting? Why was this message important?
The message of the World War II poster is that when you dont carpool, you drive alone, that you are helping Hitler out, you are wasting gasoline. The message was important because it got Americans to stop wasting gas so it gave our soldiers overseas more gas to use.
2. What difficulties did women and minorities face in the wartime work force?
The difficulties that women and minorities faced in the wartime work force was a lowered pay. They were not getting the same amount of pay a white man was doing for the same amount of work. They were normally getting only 60% of what the white male was getting.
3. Why did President Roosevelt create the OSRD, and what did it do?
President Roosevelt created the OSRD to bring scientists into the war effort. The OSRD improved sonar and radar, the use of pesticides to fight insects, and pushed the development of "miracle drugs" such as penicillin. The OSRD also came up with the Atomic Bomb
4. What basic problems were the OPA and WPB created to solve?
The OPA was created to solve the problem with the inflation of needed goods. The WPB was created to make sure the companies making war necessities got what they needed fast.
5. What type of items were rationed and why were they limited?
Materials that the men fighting in the war overseas was rationed like meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, and gasoline. They were limited because most of the items were sent overseas to the men fighting so they would have enough of the necessities.
6. What is the message of the World War II poster on this assignment's blog posting? Why was this message important?
The message of the World War II poster is that when you dont carpool, you drive alone, that you are helping Hitler out, you are wasting gasoline. The message was important because it got Americans to stop wasting gas so it gave our soldiers overseas more gas to use.
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