Watergate

Watergate Project

Caitie Pollard

         John Dean played a major role in covering up for the Watergate scandal. John Dean fabricated the cover story for Watergate; ‘coordinating alibis and lies” ( Defining Moments: Watergate p.93) in order to conceal the truth from the public. Dean also, in the beginning stages of Watergate, read confidential reports made by investigators. Then, using the information he had gathered, Dean would hinder the investigations into Watergate. Additionally, Dean bribed the Watergate men who were arrested in order to buy their silence.

                                                          WORKS CITED

Denton, Robert E. "12: William Jefferson Clinton and the Symbolic Dimensions of the American Presidency: Issues of Character and Public Trust." In Images, Scandal, and Communication Strategies of the Clinton Presidency, edited by Robert E. Denton and Rachel L. Holloway, 299-324. Praeger Series in Presidential Studies. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003. http://www.questiaschool.com/read/120261682.

Hillstrom,Kevin. Defining Moments:Watergate. Omnigraphics, Inc, 2004.

Garment, Leonard. In Search of Deep Throat: The Greatest Political Mystery of Our Time. New York: Basic Books, 2000. http://www.questiaschool.com/read/85908477.

Genovese, Michael A. The Watergate Crisis. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. http://www.questiaschool.com/read/15308459.

America Enters the Vietnam Conflict

1. What European country controlled (ruled) Vietnam before, during and immediately following World War II?      
Vietnam was ruled by France before World War II. During World War II Vietnam was conquered by the Japanese, and after World War II, France fand the Viet Minh fought each other, each hoping to gain control on the country.



2. Who led the Viet Minh (anti-Japanese resistance group)?       
The Viet Minh, the anti-Japanese resistance group, were led by Ho Chi Minh, a communist.



3. Which country helped France keep Vietnam and why?       
The United States helped France keep Vietnam in order to prevent Vietnam from becoming communist. The Viet Minh, who were communists backed by Mao Zedong, attempted to gain control of Vietnam in 1945. The United States considered the Viet Minh to be puppets of Mao and communist China, and so the United States aided France in thier war against the Viet Minh by giving France $500 million a year into the French war effort.



4. What is the Domino Theory?       
The Domino Theory was the theory that, the USSR and China were planning on spreading communism in Asia, and that if Vietnam fell to communism then many other Asian countries would fall as well.



5. In 1955 the United States installed this man as the leader of the Republic of South Vietnam. Who was he and why was he placed into power?           
The United States installed Ngo Dinh Diem as the leader of South Vietnam because he adamantly anti-communist, in fact he was prepared to imprison or exile any communist. This way the United States hope to stop the spread of communism.



6. What was the Ho Chi Minh Trail? How was it used?           
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a border at the 17th parallel that separated North and South Vietnam. This border was used by the Viet Cong (  the Communist-lead National Front for the Liberation of the South Vietnam ) to send reinforcements and to get supplies to guerrilla fighters.



7. What was the Tonkin Gulf Resolution? What powers did it give President Johnson? 
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution was a resolution that effectively gave Lyndon Johnson the power to take the United Sates into a full fledged war against the communists of Vietnam if he felt that this was necessary.



8. Look at the timeline on page 256. Why is 1965 considered a "turning point" year for American involvement in Vietnam?               
1956 is considered a "turning point" year for the American involvement in Vietnam because in this year the Americans stepped up there attack on the Vietnamese communists, the United States dedicated itself to defeating the communist Vietnamese.



9. Why, according to Source 3 on page 255, were U.S. troops put into a difficult position in Vietnam?        
According to Source 3, the U.S troops were put into a difficult position in Vietnam because of  the Vietnamese, the very people the U.S troops were fighting for, disliked the United States due to the fact that the United States forced the Vietnamese to  " work with pay to dig moats,plant bamboo stakes and ercet fences against any enemy that didn't threaten them" (Source 3).  Therefore, the U.S soldiers were fighting for a people that didn't support them. 

The Communist Takeover of North Korea

              In 1910 the Japanese took over Korea.  In August 1945 ( the end of World War II ) the Japanese north of the 38th paralleled surrendered to the Soviet Union, and the Japanese south of the 38th parallel surrendered to the United States. Therefore, with the Soviets occupying, communist North Korea was established.
             In 1948 the North Korean government was set up, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The government was led by Kim II Sung. Kim II Sung set up and followed the policy of "Juche", in other words self-reliance. Ironically however, the North Korean government's unrelenting hold on its people has led to the people being dependent on the government.
            The North Korean government neglects its people. An estimated two million people have died since the mid 1990's due to famines that resulted from natural disasters and bad management of the economy. Reports of torture, slave labor and public executions have also been recounted.
            In June 1994 Kung II Sung died and was replaced by his son Kim Jong II. Kung Jong II was in turn replaced by his son Kim Jong Un.
           Today North Korea is still communist, and ruled by Kim Jong Un. Currently North Korea is developing and alarming the world with nuclear weapons.
           
           

The Communist Takeover of Cuba

             Communist Cuba began on January 1, 1959 when revolutionary forces drove out the previous dictator, Fulgencio Batista (who was supported by the United States), and replaced him with Fidel Castro, a communist, as the Prime Minister of Cuba.
             Very quickly relations between Cuba and the United States deteriorated as Castro demonstrated his desire for control. For example although Castro had promised free elections, the elections never took place and Castro remained the Prime Minister. Also, Castro made it illegal to leave the island without government consent. On the other hand relations between the Soviet Union and Cuba were strengthened. In February 1960 Cuba signed a trading agreement with the Soviet Union which caused Cuba , instead of relying on the United States for support, to depended on the Soviet Union. In 1962 the Soviet Union stored nuclear weapons and some of their army on Cuba ( the Cuban Missile crisis) alarming the United States. 
          In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed. This was a heavy blow for Cuba, who considered the Soviet Union a valuable asset. However, the Cuban government survived, due to tourism and investments from Canada and European countries. 
          In February 2008 Fidel Castro officially stepped down and his brother ,Raul Castro, replaced him as Prime Minister. To this day Cuba remains communist.


Works Cited:
 http://cuba.globalmuseumoncommunism.org/cuba/history?page=2
http://www.historytoday.com/john-swift/cuban-missile-crisis
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/castro-sworn-in

Cold War Heats up in Asia

1. Who was Chiang Kai-shek?         
                   Chiang Kai-shek was the leader of the Nationalists in China. He ruled southern and eastern China, and the government he ruled, according to the U.S officials who dealt with him, was inefficient and corrupt. Chiang was abusive towards the peasants, and he relied heavily on U.S.A's aid. 

2. Who was Mao Zedong?      
                 Mao Zedong was the leader of the Communists in China. He worked hard to win the  peasant's support, and relied heavily of the Soviet Union's financial aid. Mao ruled northern China.


3. How were the Communist able to take over China?     
                 The Communists were able to take over China because the Nationalists military government was weak, corrupt and ready to fall. Also, the Nationalists abusive practices drove the peasants to the Communist side. On the other hand, the Communist government was strong, and had many peasent recruits. Therefore the Communists were able to take over China.


4. How did the State Department respond to critics that Truman's "Containment" policy didn't extend to Asia?               
                  The State Department responded to the critics that Truman's "Containment" policy didn't extend to Asia by saying that what had happened in China was a result of "internal forces", and that the United States had failed to influence these internal forces. Also, the State Department said that if the United States had tried to do anything more than influence, the U.S would start another war, this time in Asia, that the U.S wasn't prepared to fight.  


5. How did Korea become a divided nation after World War II?      
                     Korea became a divided nation after World War II because, in 1910 Japan took over Korea. Then in August 1945 Japanese troops north of the 38th parallel surrendered to the Soviet Union, and Japanese troops south of the 38th parallel surrendered to the Americans. Therefore Korea was seperated into two parts, North Korea being communist and South Korea being democratic.  


6. What is the importance of the Yalu River and what prompted the Chinese to enter the Korean War?     
                    The importance of the Yalu River was that the Yalu River formed the border between North Korea and China, therefore the UN troops, who had fought from South Korea all the way up to North Korea, got close to that border, the Chinese fought back against the UN troops and stopped the UN troops from takeing over northern Korea. The Chinese entered the Korean war because the Chinese wanted North Korea to be a communist buffer zone for themselves.  


7. Who is General Douglas MacArthur and what did he want to do against China?     
                        General Douglas MacArthur was the American commander of the troops in the Korean War. MacArthur wanted an extension of the war into China, and then he wanted to use nuclear weapons against many Chinese cities.


8. Why did Truman relieve MacArthur from duty?       
                       Truman relieved MacArthur from duty because MacArthur was continually criticizing Truman's policy through magazines and newspaper despite many warning from his superiors; until finally Truman tired of his policies being criticized fired MacArthur. 


9. How did the war end?       
                       The War ended with the Soviet Union and the United States agreeing on a date for a cease-fire, June 23, 1951, at the location of an existing battle line, and setting up a demilitarized zone between the oppsing sides. After another year the exchange of prisoners was agreed upon. Finally in July 1953, the Soviet Union and the United States signed an armistice ending the war. 


10. He is the current leader of North Korea and was also named the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2012.      
                         Kim Jong-Un is the current leader of North Korea and was also named the "sexiest an Alive" in 2012

Origins of the Cold War Outline

        The U.S.S.R is to blame for the Cold War, because of the Berlin Blockade, the U.S.S.R takeover of eastern European countries, Stalin's demands at Yalta and Potsdam, the U.S.S.R's refusal to take help from the Marshal Plan, and the U.S.S.R having very different goals than the U.S.A. However, some people say that the U.S.A is to blame for the Cold War because of the Truman Doctrine.

The Berlin Blockade

• By separating the U.S.S.R's zone,  Stalin clearly demonstrated that the U.S.S.R and the U.S.A were on bad terms to the world, which created more tension between the U.S.A and the U.S.S.R
• Stalin went against the wishes of Roosevelt  ,who wished that Germany be reunited, creating tension for the United States 
• By separating the U.S.S.R's zone, Stalin demonstrated his power over East Germany and demonstrated that he could easily operate without the Allies, creating fear and tension in the U.S.A
• By closing off East Germany from West Germany, Stalin demonstrated 

The Takeover of Eastern European Countries

• Stalin outlawed the democratic party in the eastern European countries, which forced the countries to be communist which created tension in the U.S.A
• By forcing the eastern European countries to be communist Stalin broke the promise he had made at Yalta, which created tension in the U.S.A
• By taking the eastern European countries and making them be communist the U.S.S.R spread communism, which was directly against the U.S.A's dream of spreading democracy. 

Stalin's demands and actions at Yalta and Potsdam

• Stalin wanted to cripple Germany to ensure safety from further invasions, while Roosevelt didn't want the Treaty of Versailles to happen all over again; these different goals created tension between the two leaders and thus tension between the two countries
• At Potsdam Stalin refused to give up any power that he had over the eastern European countries in his control, therefore the U.S.A believed that this was evidence that Stalin was planning on taking over Europe to build a Soviet Empire, which created fear and tension for the U.S.A and caused Truman to adopt a 'tough' attitude towards Stalin which amplified the tension between the two leaders and made it even harder to come to any agreements at Potsdam
• At Poland Stalin demanded the U.S.S.R's border to move into Poland, which created more tension and fear in the U.S.A that the U.S.S.R was aiming for world domination. 

 The U.S.S.R's refusal to take help from the Marshal Plan

• Stalin refused to take money from the Marshal aid
• Stalin demanded that the eastern European countries in his control not take any of the money from the Marshal Aid. 
• 
  

U.S.S.R having very different goals than the U.S.A.

• The U.S.S.R wanted to spread communism, while the U.S.A wanted to spread democracy
• The U.S.S.R wanted to have a closed market, while the U.S.A wanted to have a free market
•  The U.S.S.R wanted to keep Germany divided and weak, the U.S.A  wanted to reunited Germany

The U.S.A is to blame because of the Truman Doctrine

• The purpose of the Truman doctrine was to prevent the spread of communism  and Stalin's dream was to spread communism and so this created tension in the Soviet Union
• The Truman Doctrine was meant to make sure that the U.S.S.R didn't take over Greece or Turkey, which created tensuion in the U.S.S.R
• The Truman Doctrine demonstrated the U.S.A's distrust in the U.S.S.R which created tension in the U.S.S.R

The Berlin Blockade and Airlift

1. What is Source 37 (p. 75) saying about Josip Tito, leader of Yugoslavia?     
                Yugoslavia is a communist country and so, Source 37 is saying that Josip Tito,the leader of Yugoslavia, is betraying communism by taking money from the United States, because the money that Tito is accepting is money that is suppose to make countries stronger, and so make the countries strong enough to get rid of communism. 


2. Why do you think Stalin was so hostile to Tito?        
               Stalin was so hostile to Tito because, Yugoslavia, the country that Tito ruled, was the only eastern, communist, European country that did not follow Stalin's orders. And so, Tito began accepting money from the United States, something that Stalin had forbade the eastern, communist, European countries to do, which further angered Stalin.     


3. Look back at the map in Source 27 on page 71. How does the geographical position of Yugoslavia help to explain why Stalin did not take any direct action (such as sending in troops) against Tito?     
                  The geographical position of Yugoslavia helps explain why Stalin didn't take direct action   against Yugoslavia in that, Yugoslavia was one of the farthest away countries from the Soviet Union, therefore it would have taken much more time, food, supplies, and fuel to take any direct action against Yugoslavia. 


4. Read Source 40 (p. 77). What reasons did the Soviet Union give for cutting off West Berlin?       
                  The Soviet Union gave the reasons that there were technical difficulties, and so all traffic  had    to be stopped, and using a similar reason the Soviets stopped all barge traffic, finally the Soviets said that that there was a shortage of coal, and so, the Soviets had to disrupt electrical power from Soviet power plants to Western sectors. 


5. Why do you think the USA did not believe these were genuine reasons?           
                  The United States did not believe that these reasons were genuine because all of the reasons happened convenientally at the same time, relations with the Soviet Union had been shaky in recent times, and so the United States would have been more suspicious at any actions that the Soviet Union took, and  because all of these reasons were obviously the perfect cover for the Soviet Union to seperate West Germany from East Germany. 


6. How do Sources 41–43 differ in their interpretation of the blockade?            
                  The Sources differ in that Source 41, which was written by an American Historian, says that it was the Soviets fault that the blockade continued for many years, and Source 43, which was written by a Soviet Historian, says that the blockade continued for many years because the Americans "refused to yield".   


7.  Which do you think is the most useful source for a historian studying the Berlin Blockade?       
                  I think that Source 43 is the most useful source for a historian studying the Berlin blockade, because Source 43 shows the historian what it was like living in West Berlin during the blockade. However, the historian would have to be careful about trusting the source too much because the Source was written by a Soviet historian during the Cold War and so the author may have exaggerate how bad it was lving in West Berlin during the blockade. 



8.  Which source do you think gives the most reliable view of the blockade?    
                    I don't think that either source is more reliable than the other, because both sources were written when the Cold War was still going, and both sources were written by historians from the          opposing sides; Source 41 was written by an American historian , and Source 43 was written by a Soviet historian.

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)      
          Source 26 represents a reasonable assessment of Stalin's aims based on facts. Source 26 states that, "  physical control of Europe and Asia and eventual control of the whole World is what Stalin is aiming at". Stalin was slowly taking over as much as he could. At first eastern European countries were simply in "the Soviet sphere of influence". Then Stalin began to take over the countries' governments, for example in Poland, Stalin only allowed Communists to run for the leaders.  Stalin then turned on his portion of Germany, walling it off from the outside world. Stalin probably would have continued claiming countries but the United States stopped him, using containment. 
  
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?    
It is very likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government, because the United States also feared that the Soviet Union would take over the world, and wanted its people to fear and oppose Stalin taking over the world. Also, the United States was in the begging of the Cold War with Stalin and so, the United Sates would want to make Stalin appear to be "the bad guy". 




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.   
      Three different actions that the Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe was to execute leaders from other parties, ban other all parties other than Communism, and by severely punishing those who opposed the Communist party. By executing the leaders from other parties, the Communists created fear for opposing Communism, and ensured that the people who were the most vocal about their anti-communist views ( the leaders from other parties ) were killed. By banning all other parties except for Communism, Communists ensured that a Communist leader would be voted in. Finally, by severely punishing those who opposed communism, the Communists made many people be too afraid to oppose communism.

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?   
                     Churchill and Roosevelt didn't have the message in Source 17 in mind when they agreed with Stalin that eastern Europe would be a Soviet 'sphere of influence'.  In Source 17 Stalin says that," Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army has power to do so". This statement is different from what Roosevelt and Churchill had agreed to. Roosevelt and Churchill had agreed to countries being influenced by the Soviet Union, Stalin was not only talking about influencing the countries but also 'imposing his own system' on the countries that he occupied.




2. Would they agree with Stalin’s views expressed in Sources 17 and 18? Explain your answer.       
                    Churchill and Roosevelt wouldn't agree with Stalin views expressed in Sources 17 and 18, that Stalin had to occupy the eastern European countries in order to protect itself from further invasions.. They wouldn't agreed because Churchill and Roosevelt would have recognized that Stalin wasn't simply using the countries to protect itself, the Soviet Union was also taking over the countries governments and spreading communism; and the spread of communism was something that neither Roosevelt or Churchill wanted.





3.  Explain how each of the three developments described in the text might affect relationships at Potsdam.
                  The Soviets occupying most of Eastern Europe, America having a new president and, the U.S.A developing a atomic bomb all affected relationships at Potsdam. Due to the Soviets occupying most of Eastern Europe, Trueman and Churchill were fearful of the Soviet Union's growing power and didn't want to allow the Soviet Union to claim anymore territory. America had a new president, Trueman, and Trueman was less willing to compromise with Stalin than F.D.R had been. Finally because America had the atomic bomb,  Trueman was even less willing to compromise for Stalin because Trueman knew that had power over Stalin.

Origins of the Cold War: Yalta Conference

1. What month and year did the Yalta Conference place?      
 The month the Yalta Conference took place in was February. The year the the Yalta Conference took place in was 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.)        
  The Allies ( Big Three )  that were still fighting while the Yalta Conference was taking place were Great Britain , The United States and the Soviet Union.

 

3. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?  
         Roosevelt was anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of the postwar Germany for two reasons. First of all, Roosevelt was hoping that the Stalin would join the war against the Japanese; fulfilling his commitment.  Second of all Roosevelt wanted Stalin's support for the new world peace keeping organization, the United Nations.  


 

4. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?      
At the Yalta Conference Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin decided that Germany would be temporarily divided into four separate zones. The Americans would control one, the British would control one, the French would control one, and the Soviets would control one zone . Also, Stalin promised " free and unfettered elections" for all of the soviet occupied countries, such as Poland. Stalin promised to join the fight against the Japanese as well. Finally, Stalin promised to participate in the international conference, where the United Nations would become a reality.

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 deference keeps the world safer. Because of nuclear weapons countries are less willing to risk attacking another country for fear of being wiped out of existence. The basic argument against nuclear weapons is that humans are imperfect and so deference is not a fool-proof system; The system of deference could be shattered through accidents, false alarms, unauthorized use, and the danger of political instability. 
      

2. What is the difference between a strategic and a tactical nuclear weapon?       
Strategic nuclear weapons have longer ranges, and tactical nuclear weapons have shorter ranges. Also, tactical weapons tend to be smaller. 
        

3. What is nuclear proliferation?       
Nuclear proliferation is the 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 played a part in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons by binding nearly every country to the terms that, no country may give a nuclear weapon to a country that doesn't already have nuclear weapons, and the non-nuclear countries are not allowed to produce nuclear weapons. 


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 was due to the fact that Russia's recent economic problems had resulted in a loosened grip on Moscow's nuclear weapons program. And so, The Secretary of State was highly concerned that someone could steal raw materials from the Russian nuclear arsenal and make a bomb and, this bomb could have the potential of killing thousands of people.
    

6. How as the threat of terrorism changed thinking about nuclear weapons?          
The threat of terrorism changed the thinking about nuclear weapons in that if a terrorist group obtains a nuclear bomb, deference will no longer be an option. And so, protecting nuclear weapons has become a higher international concern. 
       

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 on October 11, 2001 highlighted a new threat from nuclear weapons by demonstrating the possible damage that a nuclear weapon could cause and. The bomb could have ( if it had existed ) killed a half a million instantly, completely flatten buildings within a 1/3 mile radius causing hundreds of thousands more people to die, and initially cause radiation within a 1 1/2 mile radius.

2. Why is proliferation such a strong concern for the United States?              
Proliferation is such a strong concern for the United States because nuclear weapons are so powerful and so destructive. The more countries that have nuclear weapons, the more likely a nuclear war would be fought. Such a war has the potential to destroy humanity.

3. What is deterrence?                   
Deterrence is if one side were to attack the other side with nuclear weapons, the other side would retaliate by using nuclear weapons on the original attacker. And so, neither side would never attack in the first place because they both know that attacking the other side with nuclear weapons would mean certain destruction.


4. Explain the importance of the Cuban Missile Crisis.                   
The Cuban Missile Crisis was important because the crisis show the dangers of making nuclear threats and, shows the dangers of how much tension was building between the United States and the U.S.S.R. Both countries recognized how close they had come to beginning a nuclear war, and both countries embarked on a new path to prevent nuclear war.


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?                           
President John F. Kennedy's worry did not come to pass because The United States relations with the Soviet Union improved and so the threat of a nuclear war diminished. And so, countries no longer needed to depende upon deterrence to prevent and defend against nuclear war.


6. What was the Cold War? How long did it last?   
The Cold War was a war fought by the United States and the Soviet Union in which neither side never physically attacked. The Cold War lasted from 1945 to 1991.                     

Works Cited

Wadeley, Alison, Ann Birch and Tony Malim. Perspectives in Psychology.New York: Palgrave Macmillan,1997

Crystal,David.The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press,2003

Mitsch,William J. and James G. Gosselink. Wetlands. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.,2000

Duetsch, Babette. Poetry Handbook A Dictionary of Terms. New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1969

Millar,David,Ian Miller, John Miller, Margaret Miller.The Cambridge Dictionary of Scientists. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 2002

Mobilizing for Defense

1. How did the American response to the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor differ from Japanese expectations?      
  The American response to the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor differed from Japanese expectations in that Japan expected Americans to be intimidated by the attack on Pearl Harbor and shrink from further contact. Instead of shrinking back enraged Americans rose up against Japan. 5 million Americans volunteered to fight,  thousands of woman joined the WAAC, a program that included nearly every war duty except for direct combat.


2. What difficulties did women and minorities face in the wartime work force?     
  In the wartime work force woman and minorities faced prejudice and discrimination. Traditionally there were mostly white men working, but in the absence of white men, factories were forced to hire woman and minorities, and because woman and minorities were not traditionally hired, at first they faced prejudice and discrimination from their employers. 


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 made new or improved technology and developed new medicines. The OSRD made improvements on radar and sonar, and created a new weapon, the atomic bomb. The OSRD also encouraged the use of DDT which allowed Soldiers to be free of lice. Also, the OSRD developed new medicine such as penicillin which saved many lives.


4. What basic problems were the OPA and WPB created to solve?           
The OPA and WPB were created to solve basic problems such as controlling inflation and providing sufficient supplies for the armed forces and war industries. The OPA controlled inflation by freezing prices on goods. The WPB decided which companies should change from peacetime to wartime production, allotted raw materials to certain industries, and collected and recycled materials such as paper, rags, and cooking oil for the war effort.


5. What type of items were rationed and why were they limited?       
Goods such as meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, and gasoline were rationed during World War II. These goods were rationed because American soldiers needed these goods and so because American soldiers were using a large quantity of them, it made the goods scarce. Thus there was a limited supply of the goods available to Americans not fighting, and so the U.S government rationed the goods.  


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 by lavishly using rationed goods you are not doing your duty in helping  defeat Hitler. I know that this is the message because of the words on the poster that say " when you ride alone you ride with Hitler" , meaning that when you do not carpool you hurt your country by wasting the important good,gas;  ( your country that is fighting against Hitler) and by hurting your country you help Hitler. This message is important because the message shows to the far extent the American people were willing to go in order to defeat the Axis powers. 

War in the Pacific

1. In what ways were the American victory at Midway and the Japanese triumph at Pearl Harbor alike?      
The American Victory at Midway and the Japanese triumph at Pearl Harbor were alike in that, both ended with one clear victor, both attacks were made on islands, and both attacks ended in the same way. Both in the Battle of Midway and the attack on Pearl Harbor ended with one clear victor  In the Battle of Midway the U.S was the clear winner, having destroyed four aircraft carriers, a cruiser, and 250 planes. In the attack on Pearl Harbor the Japanese were the clear winner, having destroyed nearly the entire U.S fleet, and damaged or destroyed 300 airplanes. Both attacks were made on islands. The Battle of Midway was fought on Midway Island and Pearl Harbor was fought on Oahu, Hawaii. Finally both countries used the same strategy. Japan sent a multitude of airplanes to destroy American ships  at Pearl Harbor and the U.S also sent airplanes to destroy Japan's ships during the Battle at Midway.  


2. Why was the Battle of Leyte Gulf so crucial to the Allies?      
The Battle of Leyte Gulf was so crucial to the Allies because in this battle nearly all of Japan's navy was destroyed and many other arms. The Allies destroyed three battleships, four aircraft carriers, 13 cruisers and almost 500 planes of the Japanese. The Allies also accomplished this without suffering heavy losses themselves. 


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 the Island of Okinawa was the the final obstacle between the Allies and their final assault on Japan. If the Allies could claim the island of Okinawa, then the Allies could finally make an attack on Japan, which would probably lead to Japan surrendering.  


4. What was the Manhattan Project? And who was J. Robert Oppenheimer?        
The Manhattan Project was a project dedicated to making a new, much more destructive kind of bomb, the atomic bomb. J. Robert Oppenheimer was the American who lead the experiments. On August 6,1945 the U.S dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan. 


5. Why was Roosevelt anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany?      
Roosevelt was anxious to make concessions to Stalin concerning the fate of postwar Germany because Roosevelt hoped that the Soviet Union would help the Allies in the fight for the Pacific and Roosevelt want Stalin's support for the new world peacekeeping organization, the United Nations. 


6. What decisions did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?        
Roosevelt,Churchill, and Stalin made the decisions, at the Yalta Conference. Stalin decided to join the war against Japan, to participate in the United Nations, and Stalin agreed to let the U.S.S.R occupied countries to have "free and unfetter  elections. Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt also decided to split up Germany into four parts, with the U.S, Great Britain, France, and the U.S.S.R each caring for one part. 


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? 
This rationale tells me that  the German Military did not question or think about the brutality that they were administrating; The German Military followed their orders, not their morals. It is important to negate this justification because the people who have committed such inhuman crimes,even if they were "only following orders", must be punished to establish the important idea that people are reasponisble for their own actions.