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 that they help preserve the peace and U.S. security and also that deterrence continues to protect the U.S. from aggression. The basic argument against nuclear weapons is that their very existence threatens all of humanity and also that deterrence cannot be relied upon to preserve the safety of nations.

2. What is the difference between a strategic and a tactical nuclear weapon?      

The difference between strategic nuclear weapons and tactical nuclear weapons is that strategic ones are long-range and can hit targets a lot farther away and tactical ones are short-range and are usually things like land mines.       

3. What is nuclear proliferation?      

Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons such as other countries creating 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 role in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons by having nations not give any nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons technology to any non-nuclear weapons state and to reduce their nuclear weapons stock piles.

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 that they don't know if their facilities are well secured or not and there are many possibilities of what could happen to them.

6. How was the threat of terrorism changed thinking about nuclear weapons?

The threat of terrorism was changed thinking about nuclear weapons because there are many ways that a terrorist could get hold of a nuclear weapon or worse, create one and how they would use it, we really don't know. It is not likely that they would use military ways of using it. They would probably smuggle it into the U.S. and that is why are security has tightened but we are still vulnerable. Terrorists seem more scary today than ever because of nuclear weapons.      

Nuclear Arms Race Since 1945

1. Explain how Dragonfire's report on October 11, 2001 highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons.                

Dragonfire's report highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons when it was suddenly possible that some other country could threaten the U.S. with one. They were concerned that Al Queda had brought a bomb into New York City and that would cause devastating destruction. It would kill half a million people, instantly. The U.S. now had a new out look on what a nuclear weapon could possible do to the United States.

2. Why is proliferation such a strong concern for the United States?             

Proliferation is such a strong concern for the U.S. because if other countries got hold of nuclear weapons, it would cause total chaos and destruction of the world. It would cause major destruction of the U.S. and millions, maybe even billions, of people would be killed if the world had a nuclear war and it would all happen in a short time.

3. What is deterrence?                  

Deterrence is/was a plan to prevent nuclear war. Simply put, deterrence was the idea of nuclear retaliation would stop a war from happening because the attacker would not want to be attacked.

4. Explain the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis.                  

The importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis was that it showed the U.S. and the Soviet Union how close they could get to nuclear war. They then installed and communication system between the two countries so there would be no misunderstandings that ended in nuclear war. Both countries were still on the fence with each other, though. Both presidents realized they had to prevent future confrontation.

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 his worry did not come to pass because every nation was afraid of nuclear power and what it could do so most nations stayed out of it. The U.S. and the Soviet Union were even afraid of there own weapons because of the destruction they could cause.

6. What was the Cold War? How long did it last?                     

The Cold War was the war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union after World War II and it was caused because the Soviet Union took over all of Western Europe and turned it into Communism so the U.S. wanted to free those countries and it eventually ended; after 40 years.

Mobilizing for Defense

1. How did the American response to the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor differ from Japanese expectations?     

The Japanese expectations about Pearl Harbor were that they thought the Americans would fear them and not fight with them but the U.S. was not scared of the Japanese. The attack on Pearl Harbor just enraged them and to declare war of Japan.

2. What difficulties did women and minorities face in the wartime work force?    

They all faced discrimination. The women only did non-combat jobs and were not offered the benefits that male workers were given until a little bit after the WAAC was established. Minorities were originally not able to do combat jobs in the war but in the last year, they were allowed.

3. Why did President Roosevelt create the OSRD, and what did it do?          

President Roosevelt created the ORSD to bring scientists into the war effort. The OSRD made improvements in Sonar and Radar, encouraged the use of pesticides to kill insects, pushed the development of "miracle drugs, and they secretly created the Atomic Bomb.

4. What basic problems were the OPA and WPB created to solve?          

The OPA was created to solve inflation during the war and WPB was created to give war industries and armed forced what they needed.

5. What type of items were rationed and why were they limited?      

Meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, and gasoline were some of the rationed items and they were limited because they were items that were needed for the war or the soldiers.

6. What is the message of the World War II poster on this assignment's blog posting? Why was this message important?

The message was that if you ride in your car alone, then you are supporting Hitler because there are other families who can't afford gasoline and need rides so you should help them out during the war. This message was important because it would influence people to carpool.

War in the Pacific

1. In what ways were the American victory at Midway and the Japanese triumph at Pearl Harbor alike?     

They were both alike because in Pearl Harbor, the Japanese bombed U.S.'s Pacific Fleet and then in Midway, the U.S. bombed the Japanese fleet and both scenarios were devastating.

2. Why was the Battle of Leyte Gulf so crucial to the Allies?     

The Battle of Leyte Gulf was crucial to the Allies because the Japanese threw their whole Navy into it so if the U.S. defeated them and won, which they did, they would destroy most of the Japanese Navy.

3. Why was Okinawa a significant island in the war in the Pacific?     

Okinawa was a significant island in the war in the Pacific because it was the last Island the U.S. conquered and it was the beginning of the end which is when the U.S. won. Also, it was one of the bloodiest and cost the most lives for Japan.

4. What was the Manhattan Project? And who was J. Robert Oppenheimer?       

The Manhattan Project was the building of the Atomic Bomb and the planning to drop two of them on Japan. J. Robert Oppenheimer was the scientist who developed the Atomic Bomb.

5. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?     

He was anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany because Stalin was set on splitting up Germany into four parts and he was an evil dictator that could do a lot of damage if he did not agree with Roosevelt.

6. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?       

The decisions that they made at the Yalta Conference were to split Germany up into four parts, Stalin agreed to help with the war against Japan, and he agreed to take part in an international conference which led to the beginning of the United Nations.

7. At the trials, many Nazis defended themselves by saying they were only following orders. What does this rationale tell you about the German military? Why was it important to negate this justification?  



It was important to negate this justification because every person is responsible for his/her own actions. People can influence those actions but it is still the persons responsibility for those actions. Also, the rationale tells us that the German military was heartless and listened to orders even if they were drastically horrible.

War for Europe and North Africa

1. Why had the tide turned in the Battle of the Atlantic by mid-1943?   



The tide had turned  by mid-1943 because the U.S. was making more ships than there were sinkings so they eventually had the lead in the battle against the U-boats.
 
2. What two key decisions determined the final outcome at Stalingrad?     

The two key decisions that determined the final outcome of Stalingrad was Hitler's insistence to keep fighting and also Stalin's insistence to keep fighting.

3. What was the outcome of the North African campaign?      

The outcome of the North African Campaign was that the U.S. and G.B. invaded North African cities and fought eastward and then in May of 1943, the Afrika Korps surrendered. The U.S. and G.B then took control of North Africa.

4. What were the results of the Italian campaign?         
   
The results of the Italian campaign was that Mussolini was made to resign and was the most hated man in Italy and the plan to free Italy didn't happen until 1945 when Germany collapsed.

5. Was the Allied invasion of Europe successful? Explain your answer.     
      
The Allied invasion of Europe was successful because they invaded France and the Germans originally didn't see them coming so it was sort of like a sneak attack and then they had a huge, bloody war with the Germans on Omaha Beach but they eventually won and freed France, Luxembourg, and Belgium.

6. Why was the Battle of the Bulge important?             

The Battle of the Bulge was important because it weakened Germany greatly. They lost machinery and men and tanks and all they could do now was retreat. It was vital things that they lost and also, if they had succeeded in their plan, G.B. and the U.S. would have lost.

7. What the significance of V-E day?         

V-E day stands for Victory in Europe day and the significance of it is that that was the day the war ended in Europe.

8. Who was Dwight D. Eisenhower?           

A former president who was an American General in WWII
9. Do you agree with the decision made by Roosevelt and Churchill to require unconditional surrender by the Axis powers? Why or why not?

I agree because Germany had fallen so there was no point for the Axis powers to fight anymore because they had nothing to fight for and so the war would end immediately once Germany fell.

The Great Depression Widens

From Great Depression 22-2 Reading

1. How did the Great Depression affect minorities?    

It affected minorities because they had it harder than white Americans. They wouldn't get any jobs because they were a lower class than white people so white people would fight for the jobs and get them rather than the minorities. They were lower paid anyway and their unemployment rates were higher. Latinos were targeted because white people wanted them deported even if they were born here. Some just left on their own but others were deported by the Federal Government. Also, twenty-four African Americans were lynched in 1933 over the fight for jobs.

2. Why did so many men leave their homes during the Depression?   

Men didn't have jobs so they would wander the streets each day in search for them. After about a year or so and they could not find a job they would get discouraged. They would hate seeing their family suffer for so long so they just left. They became "hoboes" as they were called. They would wander the country in search of money and they were dirt poor and would end up in homeless shelters in big cities. They would hitch hike and catch rides on boxcars and sleep under bridges.

3. How did the Great Depression affect women and children?   

 The Great Depression affected women and children in many ways. Women often canned food and sewed clothes just to make a little money to try and support they're families. Women who had jobs were resented and envied because there were men who didn't have jobs and they thought it was the mans job to support families. In reality though, women were starving to death but they were too ashamed to admit it. Married women were denied jobs as schoolteachers, also. Children also suffered, though. Since everyone was poor, they had no money to buy food so they starved and most had malnutrition and diet diseases such as rickets. Other children searched for jobs and worked in sweat shops. There were kids that traveled all across the country in search of jobs but also for adventure. A lot were killed or injured by criminals or patrol men. They were called "Wild Boys" or "Hoover Tourists". 

From Great Depression 22-3 Reading

4. What were some of Hoover’s key convictions about government?    

One of Hoover's key convictions about government was that he believed that the governments chief function was to "foster cooperation between competing groups and interests in society". He said that Government should encourage cooperation, not control it. Hoover, also, opposed any federal welfare or help to the needy because he believed that they should not depend on the government to help them in their time of need. He said it would weaken their self respect and moral fiber.

5. Why do you think people blamed Hoover for the nation’s difficulties?   

I think that they blamed Hoover for the nation's difficulties because he just happened to be the president at the time that the Great Depression happened. Also, I think that they blame him because he didn't really help the nation that much once the Depression happened. He wouldn't help the needy or poor because he believe in "self respect" but they really needed the help and he didn't give it to them. The only good thing he did was build the Boulder Dam which kind of helped.

6. What were some of the projects proposed by Hoover, and how effective were they?   

One project proposed by Hoover was Boulder Dam and that seemed to be effective because it helped energy costs and it produced a regular water supply. Another project that Hoover passed was the Federal Home Loan Bank Act which lowered mortgage rates for homeowners and allowed farmers to refinance their farms and avoid foreclosure. Another project of his was the Reconstruction Finance Corporation which authorized up to $2 billion for emergency financing banks, life insurance companies, and railroads. Neither of these acts were effective.

7. What did the Bonus Army want?  

The Bonus Army came to Washington D.C. to support a bill called the Patman Bill. They Army was made up of War Veterans and their families who wanted the money they should have gotten after World War I. That is what the bill was about because the person, who created the bill, wanted them to get their money right away instead of in 1945. Hoover disagreed though and did not pass the bill so they did not get their money.

The Crash Occurs and the Great Depression Begins

1. What industrial weakness signaled a declining economy in the 1920s?       



Industrial weaknesses that signaled the declining economy were that industries such as railroads, textiles, and steel were barely making a profit. No one wanted mining or lumbering anymore and coal mining was hit hard because no one needed that either because of all the new energy sources such as hydroelectric energy. Even the booming industries like automobiles were weakening. The thing that was hit the hardest, though, was housing starts. Once that started falling, so did jobs that were related to it. Although, Agriculture suffered the most.

   

2. What did the experience of farmers and consumers at this time suggest about the health of the economy?      

Farmers over estimated everything and bought more land and more tools and made more crops but there wasn't enough buyers for them to sell it all. Consumers were spending less which made the farmers have more crops to sell but they couldn't sell them because the consumers weren't buying. Everyone was buying things on credit, though, before they stopped spending so much; both consumers and farmers. It then led to the Great Depression because no one had the money to pay off their debts.

3. How did speculation and margin buying cause stock prices to rise?     

Speculation and margin buying caused stock prices to rise because easy money was available to investors and the unrestrained buying and selling made the stock prices skyrocket. The investors got the easy money from margin buying because people would make a down payment on a bond and then borrow the rest. Speculation was when people bought bonds and stocks to try and make an easy profit but ignored the risks and by buying bonds and stocks, that gave money to investors.

4. What happened to ordinary workers during the Great Depression?     

Many ordinary workers lost their jobs. Banks closed and lots of people lost all their savings and the people that tried to withdraw all their savings, couldn't because the bank had no money because they invested it all. Unemployment rates skyrocketed from 3 percent to 25 percent. The people that were able to keep their jobs faced budget cuts and less hours. One out of every four workers was out of a job.

5. How did the Great Depression affect the world economy? 

The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act was passed and it was supposed to help farmers and manufactures from foreign competition but it did the opposite. The tariff made unemployment worse in industries. Many countries then raised their own tariffs because of ours which would cause world trade to fall more than 40 percent. During the 1920's, no country was really doing that well.        

Prohibition

1. How did small-town life and city life differ?  

The small town life was safe, with close ties, hard work, and strict morals while the big city world had anonymous crowds, moneymakers, and pleasure seekers. Small towns had lower numbers of population while cities had larger numbers and booming numbers. The city also had a lot more jobs than small towns and was more lively and out going. Cities also had a lot more people immigrating from all over.

2. Why do you think the Eighteenth Amendment failed to eliminate alcohol consumption?  

I think that the Eighteenth Amendment failed to eliminate alcohol consumption because it was not very well funded. It was also not enforced very well so it was easy for people to sneak in alcohol and do things behind the governments back. Plus, it just made people want to do it more now that it was outlawed because that's how peoples minds work; they want to do things that they aren't supposed to do so they broke the law. Others just loved drinking so they broke it anyway.

3. How did criminals take advantage of Prohibition?  

They took advantage of it by smuggling alcohol all the time and in creative way such as bootleggers who were women that had containers of alcohol strapped to their legs. Their were also speakeasies which were places that you could consume alcohol secretly and it was mostly middle and upper-middle class men and women. Prohibition also created organized crime such as Al Capone is Chicago. He killed off all the other illegal sellers of alcohol so he would be number one.

4. What was the conflict between fundamentalists and those who accepted evolution?  

The conflict between fundamentalists and those who accepted evolution was that the fundamentalists did not accept evolution and wanted to outlaw it from being taught. They wanted everyone to believe in what the bible said. Eventually it was outlawed and stayed outlawed for a while and that clashed with a lot of Science teachers ideas because they believed in evolution and they wanted to teach it.

5. How might the overall atmosphere of the 1920s have contributed to the failure of Prohibition? 

The overall atmosphere of the 1920's was that the U.S. was growing so the cities were booming so a lot of people wanted to have a lot of fun and by taking alcohol away, it prohibited a lot of people from having fun. Also, the 1920's was all about how the war had ended and everyone was free and happy and then they set another law in place which was immediately from the start, set up for failure.

Presidential Debate News Story Analysis

News Analysis on the First Presidential Debate

Source Information      

Date:  October 4th, 2012

What news organization (or individual) produced this?:  FoxNews.com

What is the type of news source?: online article

 

Content
 

What is the main headline?:  Obama, Romney battle over economic policies in first presidential debate

What facts (statistics, important events, etc.) are included?:  Obama says that Romney wants a $5 trillion tax cut, Romney wants a 20% all-across-the-board rate cut, Romney wants to replace "ObamaCare".

Is anyone quoted? If so, who? What did they say?:  Yes, Romney was quoted and said:    “Under the president’s policies, middle-income Americans have been buried.”

 

What information or ideas might have been left out?: Foreign Policy and International Policy   

 

Message

Who is the intended audience?: People that can vote  

Does the author seem to have an opinion? If so, what is it?: No not really. The author discussed both candidates fairly equally.   

What is the tone of the source?: The tone is very informational and serious in a way because politics can be a serious matter.  

What words or phrases create the tone?: All the quotes from Obama and Romney create the tone.

   

Is any one person or group discussed positively? Negatively?: No but the author does say that Obama was off his game.   

Wilson and the League of Nations' Legacy

1. In what ways was the League successful after World War I? Unsuccessful?

Some of the successes of The League of Nations were that they solved several disputes. Some examples of the disputes were that they settled a dispute between Sweden and Finland over a group of islands, responded to a humanitarian crisis in Turkey, and prevented a war between Greece and Bulgaria over boundary issues. The League of Nations also had failures as well. Some of their failures were that the league lacked troops of its own, lacked the power to enforce their own decisions and a military backbone, were not very powerful when it proved unable to force Poland to leave a Lithuanian town, and showed their powerlessness on many other occasions. Many of their problems were that the three greatest nations did not join The League of Nations so they were not as powerful.

2. Many historians suggest that the terms of the Versailles Treaty were a major cause of World War II. Support that argument.    

The reason so many historians believe that the Treaty of Versailles was a major case of World War II is because the treaty had been especially harsh on Germany and the Germans were not happy about that. The treaty fostered deep resentment and bitterness towards Germany and the victors. Germany wanted the lands that they lost in the war, back. The Treaty of Versailles also seemed to provoke Adolf Hitler in a way because of how the economy was doing in Germany and all the hardships and hunger that was happening to the people. He swooped in and became a leader of what they wanted to hear and do but also tricked them. Which led to Hitler breaking parts of the treaty and all the other nations getting mad about it and getting ready to start another war.

3. Some historians characterize U.S. policy during the interwar period as isolationist. What actions, described in the reading, could be called isolationist?       

One way that the U.S. could be construed as isolationist is that they enacted legislation to limit immigration into the country which isolated many immigrants that would want to come into the country but were not allowed so the U.S. isolated themselves from foreign persons. During the interwar period, the U.S. mostly focused on itself which has historians to believe that it was isolationist. They only signed things that were in their favor and would help them in any way. They did interact somewhat with other nations but it was only for their benefit and no one elses.

4. How was U.S. foreign policy different in the Cold War from the interwar period?   

U.S. foreign policy was different in the Cold War than in the interwar because the Cold War had many affects on it. The U.S. wanted to contain Soviet communism during the Cold War and it spread their involvement abroad. They were afraid that the communism would spread to places that were vital to the U.S. so they created U.S. foreign aid to contain it. This cost the U.S. a lot of money that they lent to other countries such as Greece and Turkey. Containment of the Soviet Union led to the creation of NATO which was states pledging to protect the freedom and security of member nations. In the end, it became clear that the U.S. wanted peace and security throughout the world.

5. What is "Wilsonian" thought? Why do some support it and some oppose it?

Wilsonian thought is the fourteen points that Wilson made and the concepts of multilateralism and collective security. Some people support it because they like his ideas and the way he thought. Some people oppose it because they think humans are predisposed toward power politics rather than peaceful diplomacy and that the United States should focus on its domestic problems. They think that multilateralism will threaten U.S. security. Wilsonian thought is supported by some but thought as naive and unrealistic by others.