Cold War
29. The Dropping of the Atomic Bomb:The Blaze in the Icy waters: The Dropping of the Atomic Bomb by Jeffrey Chang
...ed Little Boy on Hiroshima on August 9th, 1945. Rotter describes in depth the reasoning behind why the bomb was created and specifically why the decision to drop the bomb was made. The destruction and agony that occurred on that day was not only contained to that day, year, or even decade - “More than sixty years after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people still have nuclear nightmares.”1
The beginnings of the methodology and reasoning behind the first atomic bomb be...
30. Wartime Conferences: Friend to Foe: World War to Cold War by Nikita Ganeshan
..., a very powerful alliance, contained Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin as he leaders of the United States, Great Britain, and Soviet Union. With Roosevelt and Stalin’s charisma and charm and Churchill’s enthusiasm, they turned the century into a new era at the end of the Second World War. “Personality, emotion, ideology, and culture” were the largest parts of the effectiveness of the group.1 However, these qualities also had the power to destroy...
31. Postwar Reorganization: Postwar Reorganization: The Creation of U.N by Kevin Necochea
...were not aware of the functions and the origins of the United Nations. Having experienced the terror and devastation the wars brought to their countries, world leaders thought it was time for a global organization that would be responsible for the preservation of peace. Two of our presidents in the 1940s, Roosevelt and Truman were strong supporters of the League of Nations and the ideals behind it. As WWII came to an end, Roosevelt eagerly stressed the need to create a global organization that c...
32. American Occupation of Japan: America's Japan by Ivan Lianga
...ings his knowledge and the intimate details of the occupation from his time deep in the workings and policies of the General Headquarters. As a primary source, Remaking Japan is invaluable to the study of America’s foreign policies as a whole and as an account to America’s attempt to convert nations to democracy.
The Japanese Occupation was the first of its kind, an exploration into the unknown in an attempt to, “remake 70 million Japanese, to that time ‘feudalist...
33. The Policy of Containment: The Policy Predicament: Containment by Cory Ye
...uch of Eastern Europe and Asia into its satellite empire. This “iron curtain” that was founded on the ideals of Bolshevism and communism started an episode of history that challenged the military power, economic presence, and political security of the United States. George F. Kennan, an introverted and wise historian and diplomat, took charge of U.S. foreign policy in the Policy Planning Staff of the State Department and National Security Council, and became the architect and “...
34. Hary Truman: The Shadow of Truman by Lance Ostrea
...just as politically corrupt as anyone, perhaps even to a certain extent, as Richard Nixon. In Miller’s book Truman, the Rise to Power, he introduces the belief that Truman isn’t a politician with invigorating honesty, but a man with a suspicious air about him, a machine politician that used interesting yet illegal tactics to take control of the political scene. Miller begins with Truman’s childhood all the way into his dealings with a variety of businesses, some profitable but ...
35. The Truman Doctrine: Progression of NATO by Thimanthi Withana
...England’s Churchill and Bevin in a dramatic fashion to provide the most significant facts that had culminated in the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Cook also discusses how the special relationship between the U.S. and Great Britain with their common heritage, values, and traditions contributed to their common goals of peace and security. Although the events which led up to the birth of NATO have faded away, the treaty still remains as the longest standing allianc...
36. The Marshall Plan: The Legacy of the Marshall Plan by Airan Habibi
...conomist Robert Marjoin “the Marshall plan became an instrument for unification of Europe”1 said French economist Robert Marjoin. Not only did the Marshall Plan ultimately unify Europe, it also planted a seed for growth in the European markets and diplomatic affairs. Marshall’s plan was a set of very complex recovery programs set for European nations. To understand the European recovery programs implemented after World War II, it is important to understand the man who crafted t...
37. The Berlin Airlift: Journey Across the Berlin Wall by Annie Wang
...nding their ground. Throughout the book, he follows the lives of “…kids-real, live innocents abroad who…were called ‘angels in uniform.’”1 Reeves does not focus solely on political contentions, however; he also incorporates first hand documents that give his readers an opportunity to comprehend the social factors as well.
Beginning with 1948, Reeves documents the Berlin Airlift with a professional outlook through his equal emphasis on both the social a...
38. America and China: Sino-American Suspicions by Emily Jiang
...rns. Before the start of the Second World War, America was focused on expanding its commercial interests in China. As war ravaged China’s economic system, inflation caused issues with the exchange rate. The United States turned towards military affairs by trying to keep the Japanese from becoming the largest and strongest power in Asia. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, the United States shifted its focuses to politics by trying to unify China under Kuomintang rule. Relations between the...
Pre-McCarthyism
39. H.U.A.C and Hollywood: Naming Names and Breaking Society by Gabriel Rocha
..., accusing people of being communists based only on circumstantial evidence. The only way for people to clear their names, to prove that they were no longer communist, was to perpetuate the witch hunt by giving names. Navasky notes that naming names wasn't a means to an end, but rather it was the end, a test of character, and not a hunt for more targets. Most of the accused faced three options: they could “invoke the First amendment. . . and risk going to prison . . . to invoke the Fifth ....
40. The Alger Hiss Case: Was Alger Hiss a Communist Snake? by Daniel Hwang
...eories regarding this controversial case that leaves readers unsure of Hiss’ culpability. “What is the truth about Alger Hiss?” , and was he “an American Dreyfus” or “one of the most colossal liars and hypocrites in history?” Both Cook’s The Unfinished Story of Alger Hiss and Jacoby’s Alger Hiss and the Battle for History present interesting takes on whether or not Alger Hiss was guilty of espionage.
The Unfinished Story of Alger His...