United States v. Nixon

The Cover-up

1. Regardless of the outcome, should the President of the United States have a right to privacy in regards to the Oval Office tapes? Explain.
I believe the president of the US should not have a right to privacy in regards to the Oval Office tapes because the tapes were needed as evidence. In normal cases obtaining private information as evidence can be easily done with a warrant but the President felt he was above the Constitution with his executive power. This is not his fault because through the last couple of Presidents it did seem as if the power of the executive branch slowly increased due to certain actions taken by these previous Presidents. Nixon continuously denied having knowledge about the scandal but the question of his intelligence needed to be answered through a reliable source. The tapes would answer the question of "what and when did Nixon know what he admitted to know". Nixon had no right denying the tapes to the judicial branch or the federal government during the investigation especially since it was a national crisis.

2. Was President Nixon justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox? Explain.
President Nixon was not justified when he fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox because he was basically abusing his power as President to avoid self-incriminating evidence from being obtained for the case. Nixon offered a summary of the tapes but that is not enough to indict a person for crimes because it is not a reliable source. Archibald Cox wanted the real, hard evidence so the truth can be known to everyone and he vigorously pursued that obtainment of these tapes. Nixon knew there was self-incriminating evidence on the tapes so he refused to issue them to the federal government and asked the Cox be fired because he knew Coz would be persistent in his efforts. In conclusion Cox was fired because Nixon did not want to get caught in his lies. This is unjustified for any person from an average citizen to the President of the US.

3. Was Nixon creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes? Explain.
Nixon was creating a Constitutional crisis by refusing to hand-over the tapes because he was abusing his executive power and broke the law by withholding this evidence in a national court case. Everyone has a right to privacy but some these rights can be denied if it is vital to an ongoing investigation especially since it was a national affair. Through the Watergate scandal revealed that trusted leaders who were supposed to be abiding by the Constitution and taking action in the country's best interest were not doing so. The executive branch had taken on an air of imperial authority over the other branches, making it the most powerful branch or government. Nixon's inner circle also shared his desire for secrecy and the consolidation of power. They believed they were somewhat above the law. It is not possible to be above the law because he Constitution gives everyone equal rights, making no one greater than another, or being above the law allowing them to break the law and not pay consequences. These men believed they could do exactly so but in reality they couldn't and had to be stopped.

Closure

4. Why do you think the American public was so outraged by Watergate?
The American public was so outraged by Watergate because it made the feel as if there trusted leaders were not abiding by the laws as they are supposed. It also made them lose trust for their government because their leaders are supposed to be carrying out actions which are best for the country and setting an example of modesty. They couldn't grasp the idea that their leaders were capable of such things because Nixon abused his executive power and went with what was in his best interest and not the people's.

5. Do you think President Nixon should have resigned? Explain.
I believe President Nixon should've resigned because the tapes clearly proved he was guilty and would be eventually impeached. Even without the tapes the federal government had enough evidence to charge him for crimes such as obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress for refusing to obey congressional subpoena to release the tapes. Nixon clearly violated the law and abused his executive power so he should've resigned without conflict or faced impeachment.

6. Do you think President Nixon should have been prosecuted? Explain.

I believe it would only be just if President Nixon was prosecuted but again it was not in the country's best interest. Nixon's taking part in the scandal already caused great uproar amongst the American public. A trial would be too much to handle. Also because of the scandal the country was in a domestic crisis. If a trial was pursued then it would have caused a global crisis as well. It would ruin the American image, which was already tarnished by the loss in the Vietnam War, to other nations. After the scandal the United States was in a vulnerable position. I believe it was a smart decision to not prosecute Nixon and weaken the country any further.

Watergate: Nixon's Downfall

1. How were the "plumbers" connected to President Nixon?

They were Nixon's inner circle of advisers.

2. Who was the judge? Why did he hand out maximum sentences?
The trial's presiding judge was John Sirica. He handed out maximum sentences because he wanted to prove that no one could be above the law.

3. How were Mitchell and Dean connected to Nixon?
Mitchell was Nixon's former attorney general and resigned to run Nixon's reelection campaign and was director of the Committee to Reelect the President (CPR). Dean was Nixon's presidential counsel. They were highly trusted by Nixon in that he helped direct White House policy and they played a key role in Nixon's 1968 election victory. They also shared in Nixon's need for secrecy and the consolidation of power.

4. How were Haldeman and Erlichman connected to Nixon?
Haldeman was Nixon's White House chief of staff, while Erlichman was Nixon's chief domestic adviser. They also played key roles in Nixon's 1968 election victory and then helped the president direct White House policy. They also shared in Nixon's need for secrecy and the consolidation of power.

5. What did the following men tell the Senate about Nixon?

a. Dean

In late June, Dean testified that the former White House counsel declared the President Nixon had been deeply involved in the cover-up of the break-in of Watergate. He backed this up by declaring that he himself was involved in a meeting in which the president and several adviser discussed strategies for continuing the deceit.

b. Butterfield

Butterfield was Nixon's presidential aide who revealed the Nixon had taped virtually all of his presidential conversations. He later claimed the the taping system was installed "to help Nixon write his memoirs". The Senate used these tapes for the purpose of revealing what Nixon knew and when he knew.

6. Who was fired or forced to resign in the "massacre"?
In the Saturday Night Massacre, Attorney General, Richardson refused to fire Coz and resigned. Then, the deputy attorney general also refused to fire Cox and was fired himself. Next in line, Solicitor General Robert Bork finally fired Cox.

7. Why weren't investigators satisified with the transcripts?
Nixon released edited transcripts of White House conversations about Watergate. Investigators demanded the unedited tapes.

8. What did the tapes reveal?
The tapes contained many gaps including one which contained an 18 1/2- minute gap which was a conversation between President Nixon and H. R. Haldemen. Supposedly it was accidentally erased by President Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods. More importantly one tape dated six days after the Watergate break-in, contained information revealing that the president had known about the role of members of his administration in the burglary and he agreed to the plan to obstruct the FBI's investigation.

9. Why did Vice President Spiro Agnew resign?
Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned after it was revealed that he accepted bribes from engineering firms while being governor of Maryland.

10. What did the House Judiciary Committee charge President Nixon with?
The House Judiciary Committee charged President Nixon with obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress for refusing to obey congressional subpoena to release the tapes.

11. How did the Watergate scandal create a constitutional crisis?

The Watergate scandal revealed that trusted leaders who were supposed to be abiding by the Constitution and taking action in the country's best interest were not doing so. The executive branch had taken on an air of imperial authority over the other branches, making it the most powerful branch or government. Nixon's inner circle also shared his desire for secrecy and the consolidation of power. They believed they were somewhat above the law. It is not possible to be above the law because he Constitution gives everyone equal rights, making no one greater than another, or being above the law allowing them to break the law and not pay consequences. These men believed they could do exactly so but in reality they couldn't and had to be stopped. This is how the Watergate scandal created a constitutional crisis.

Women Fight for Equality

1. Experiences in the workplace

In the 1950s only on out of three women worked for wages but by 1960 the number increased by 40 percent.Still, certain jobs were considered men's work and were shut out from women. This discrimination was largely ignored until President Kennedy called for a Presidential Commission on the Status of Women to be appointed in 1961. In 1963, it reported that women were paid much less than men even while doing the same jobs. Also women were almost never promoted to higher positions. This was regardless of their education, experience, and ability. These newly founded facts informed women about their unequal status in society.

2. Experiences in social activism

When becoming involved in the civil rights and antiwar movements, women began to feel discriminated. Men who usually led the activities, ignored women's protest to being assigned lesser roles. These experiences led to women organizing their own small groups to discuss their concerns. During these meetings, women shared their lives with each other, discovering their experiences were similar. This caused them to reflect on patterns of sexism.

3. "Consciousness raising"
These were sessions when women shared their lives with each other and discovered that their experiences were not unique. This was reflected upon and resulted in the large pattern of sexism.

4. Feminism

The belief that women should have economic, political. and social equality with men. The idea gained momentum in the mid-1800s and in 1920 women won the right to vote. The movement declined in but in the 1960s it was started up again by the political activism of the times.

5. Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique
She helped create the National Organization for Women (NOW) to pursue women's goals. The Feminine Mystique captured the very discontent that many women were feeling. It quickly became a bestseller and helped galvanize women across the country.

6. Civil Rights Act of 1964

This act prohibited discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and gender. It also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to handle discrimination claims.

7. National Organization for Women (NOW)
The National Organization for Women pursued women's goals when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission would not. NOW members pushed for the creations of child-care facilities helping mothers pursue jobs and education. NoW also pressured the EEOC to enforce better the ban on gender discrimination, prompting them to declare gender segregated job ads illegal and to issue guidelines to employers not allowing them to refuse to hire women. Their membership grew to 1750,000 members.

8. Gloria Steinem and Ms. Magazine
She was a journalist, political activist, and supporter of the women's liberation movement, who made her voice heard on the subjects of feminism and equality. Steinem inherited her passion and conviction from her grandmother who served as president of Ohio Woman's Suffrage Association from 1908-1911. In 1971 Steinem helped to find the National Women's Political Caucus, a group which encouraged women to seek political offices. By 1972 she, with the help of other women, designed a magazine called Ms., created to treat contemporary issues from a feminist perspective.

9. Congress
In 1972 Congress passed a ban on gender discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. This was a part of the Higher Education Act. Also Congress had passed the ERA and by 1983, 24 seats were held by women in Congress

10. Supreme Court

In the case of Rove v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that women have the right to choose an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy.

11. The Equal rights Amendment would have guaranteed equal rights under the law, regardless of gender. Who opposed this amendment? Why?

Conservative Religious Groups, political organizations, and many anti-feminists felt that the ERA would lead to horrible things such as the drafting of women, the end of laws protecting house makers, the end of husband's responsibility to provide for his family, and same-sex marriage.

Why did the USA lose the Vietnam War?

1. US military tactics in Vietnam
The US lost the war in Vietnam because their military tactics were not very efficient. The US military used bombing and the method of search and destroy. The chemical weapons not only hurt soldiers but civilians. Bombing alone couldn't defeat a guerilla army so a policy if search and destroy was created.This policy had many flaws. First raids were often based on inadequate information which easily allowed innocent villages to be mistaken for Viet Cong strongholds. Casualties were extremely high in the raids especially amongst civilians and unexperienced US troops who walked into traps. Finally a major downturn to the tactic of search and destroy was it made US and South Vietnamese troops very disliked by the local people, pushing them towards support for the Viet Cong. Also the military constantly kept replacing experienced soldiers with new ones. This made rookies have to face experienced guerilla fighters on their own soil. (Source 41-44)

2. The unpopularity of the South Vietnamese regime

The South Vietnamese regime quickly began losing support after the war began. Before the war even started Diem's regime, supported by the U.S., was already disliked for their ways. Diem did not respect the Buddhist religion, which most Vietnamese peasants followed. Diem's regime was also very corrupt in that he appointed family or other supporters into powerful positions.He also refused to hold elections. Even though all this occurred, still the US supported him. Even after Diem was thrown out of power and the government which took over was equally corrupt, the US still supported them. Soon the South Vietnamese peasants formed the Viet Cong to rebel. (Source 33, 34)

3. The experience of the Viet Cong and the inexperience of the American soldiers

Viet Cong troops grew up in the area and became well aware of their environment. When the war started they new their surroundings and fought constantly to gain experience. They did not stop fighting unless they had to due to an injury or were killed. American soldiers were constantly being replaced after one year. So once the soldier finally began becoming experienced and could do his job well enough, he was sent home and replaced by fresh meat. Especially because of the US military tactic of search and destroy, inexperienced US troops often walked into traps. (Source 43)

4. Domestic opposition to the war in the U.S.
Media played a large role in the Vietnam War to gain American sympathizers against war. Through pictures and radio and televised broadcasts, people back home could see exactly what was going on. The media depicted the effects of the use of chemical weapons and bombings. They also showed the brutality of the South Vietnamese to innocents civilians. This began affecting Americans at home. Those drafted decided to dodge it and hundreds of students began demonstrations at universities all over the country. Some were deadly like the one at Kent State University. The My Lai Massacre only gained more American sympathy for civilians and caused Americans to become vigorously fighting against further warfare. (Source 47, 49, 50)

5. Chinese and Soviet support for the Viet Cong
The Chinese and Soviets supplied the Viet Cong with an ample amount of weapons. Geographically China surrounds all of Vietnam so the only way for the US to reach North Vietnam was through Vietnam or from the coast. The USSR had nuclear weapons so it wouldn't have been a smart move for the U.S. to attack using nuclear missiles.

6. 'But did they really lose?' Summarize the argument put forward in Source 57, and your view on it.
Source 57 suggests that the American did not really lose in Vietnam. First the US forces did not actually lose any battles and the Tet Offensive was considered to be a major victory. The next argument is that the South Vietnamese lost the war in Vietnam an not the US. The US fought to an agreed stalemate then left the country. The fall of South VIetnam happened two years after the American military left. Also when the fall of South Vietnam occurred it was civilians and Vietnamese military fleeing for their lives and not the American military.

Vietnam War Opposition

1. Note all of the reasons why you feel the war in Vietnam is wrong.

• waste or American money and resources (Tet Offense)
• destruction of ancient cities
• deaths of numerous civilians
• not effective in stopping Domino Theory if we lose

2. Note what you are trying to achieve with this poster. (e.g. to convince people to write to their Congressmen to get the troops out.)

• trying to convince people to NOT support the war

3. List possible images for your poster. Think about: background (e.g. destroyed villages); the central image (e.g. picture of a young soldier); whether you will need words to explain your image.

• Buddhist priests burning themselves
• destroyed communities due to bombings
• pictures from My Lai Massacre
• pictures from the results of the Tet Offensive

4. List some possible slogans for your poster.

• stay calm forget about Vietnam
• war is bad, war makes everyone sad
• don't waste money. war costs millions. think about not only the money but the civilians.

Vietnam War Turning Points

1.

Why was the Tet Offensive a turning

point? Explain your answer.

The Tet Offensive was a turning point because the event raised many questions in America. The US was spending $20 billion dollars a year in the war and put nearly 500,000 troops in Vietnam. This usually would quell opposing forces but the Tet Offensive proved the opposite. This is because the Communists had been able to launch a major offensive that took the US forces by surprise. The Americans began wondering why their effort put into the war was not working. Also the US and South Vietnamese forces were able to quickly regain control of the towns but it required enormous amounts of gun power and air support. In the process it killed many civilians and the ancient city of Hue was destroyed. The Americans began wondering if all this destruction was righteous and worth it.

2.

Are Sources 51 and 52 making the

same point about the My Lai Massacre?

Yes both sources talk about how what happened was what was not intended. Source 51 states that the US soldiers went to Vietnam to do something courageous and not slaughter a whole village of women and children. The source goes on to compare the massacre as something the Nazis would do and states that no one went to Vietnam to be like Nazis. Source 52 clearly states that the US forces were not in My Lai to kill humans. They were there to destroy the idea that these people carried which was Communism.

3. Why do you think it took 12 months for

anyone to do anything about the

massacre?

It took 12 months for

anyone to do anything about the

massacre because the army treated the operation as a success. The initial report stated that only 20 non-combatant, opposed to the real 300 to 400 civilians, were killed by accident and the rest were Viet Cong. The people involved were praised but the soldiers really knew what happened and kept it a secret until 12 months later. 12 months later Ronald Ridenhour claimed he had evidence about what really happened and insisted the government investigate.

4. Why was the massacre so shocking to the American public?

The massacre was so shocking to the American public because it was clear evidence that the war had gone wrong.

The U.S. struggles against the Communist in Vietnam

Stage 2: Thinking it through

Step 3: in each row of column 3, draw some scales to show which way the balance falls for this quality. Did the USA or the Viet Cong have the advantage? The USA

Now think about the overall picture - how the strengths and weaknesses work together.

1a) Were the armies finely balanced or was the balance strongly weighted to one side or the other?
The US with the help of the South Vietnamese greatly outnumbered the Viet Cong forces of 170,000 soldiers.

1b) Which quality was most important in determining who won the war? Was one feature so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter?

Whichever side remained majorly popular amongst the Vietnamese won the war because once the war was over the people would choose a leader who represented a particular form of government, such as a Democracy or Communism. They would choose whichever leader they liked better thus making it a win or loss for Communism. Yes one feature was so important that being ahead in that area meant that other advantages or disadvantages did not matter. This feature was the fact that the Viet Cong used guerilla warfare. Guerilla tactics always kept the US soldiers in constant fear of being ambushed or booby trapped. After an attack the Viet Cong would simply blend in with the local population or go back to their complex tunnel system in the jungles. This made it difficult for US soldiers to pursue and capture them.

Stage 3: Explaining your conclusions
The failure of the U.S. army to beat the Communist in Vietnam was the result of its own weaknesses and Viet Cong strengths.

2. Now write up your answer. Use this structure:
a. The U.S. weaknesses were: limited knowledge of the area, guerilla tactics used against them, search and destroy made them unpopular amongst peasants, continuous replacement of experienced soldiers with unexperienced soldiers

b. At the same time, the Communist strengths were: well supplied the Viet Cong, guerilla tactics, well developed knowledge of area, courteous and respectful of Vietnamese people (gain support)

c. The U.S. forces did have some successes. For example: heavily outnumbered and outgunned Viet Cong, search and destroy, chemical weapons, bombing

d. However, there were some major failures as well. Examples of these were: the My Lai massacre, backlash from bombings (loss of American support), backlash from search and destroy (loss of support from Vietnamese peasants)

e. The Viet Cong had some major successes, such as: Tet Offensive (Enormous amounts of artillery and airpower were used by US), guerilla tactics

f. However, they also suffered defeats, for example: Tet Offensive (Viet Cong lost around 10,000 experienced fighters and were badly weakened by it)

g. If I had to identify one major American weakness, it would be [not knowing how to respond to the Viet Cong's guerilla warfare] because: all responses to the Viet Cong's attacks ended up having some sort of backlash which did not help the Americans cause in gaining support in fighting against Communism. The American used guerilla tactics to a degree but could not use them properly because they could not blend in with the population. Next the Americans used search and destroy but frequently innocent villages were mistaken for Viet Cong strongholds, civilian casualties were high, and these tactics made US and South Vietnamese forces very unpopular with peasants. Bombing were also used but they only slowed down the Communists not defeat them. The final straw was the My Lai massacre which was supposed to be a search and destroy mission that claimed to kill 200 Viet Cong soldiers but in reality it killed 300 to 400 civilians and discovered only 3 weapons.

h. The key Viet Cong strength was [the use of guerilla tactics] because: they surprised Americans who had little knowledge of the area. The US soldiers were always in fear of ambushes or booby traps. The Viet Cong blended in well with the local population and could easily escape into their tunnels in the jungle. The Viet Cong's use of guerilla tactics forced the Americans to use bombs, chemical weapons, and search and destroy. All three of these tactics helped to lose American and Vietnamese support for the US cause in Vietnam.

The U.S. Enters the Vietnam War

1. Many neutral observers in Vietnam were critical of US policy. Explain why.

Many neutral observers in Vietnam were critical of US policy because their policy was a strange combination of determination and ignorance. First of all The US helped put Ho Chi Minh become powerful but when they realized what his real intentions were , the US began aiding the French. The U.S. believed that the Domino Theory would take effect through Asia. The Americans were determined to resist the further spread of Communism to Vietnam. Their ignorance was not shown until they began to to enforce their methods and policies. Ngo Dinh Diem took control of the Republic of South Vietnam in 1955 with the help of the Americans. The Americans believed he was anti-Communist. Diem treated the Vietnamese peasants with respect but he was a Christian and showed close to none respect for the Buddhist religion. Most peasants were Buddhist. His reign was also filled with corruption. Diem filled the government with family members and supporters and refused to hold elections. The Americans still supported Diem's regime with $1.6 billion only to have him overthrown by his own army leader. The government that followed was equally as bad but continued to be well supported by the Americans. These actions taken by the anti-Communist government caused support for the Communist-led National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam also known as the Viet Cong. The group intimidated the peasants who did not join. Soon the Viet Cong started a war with South Vietnam's anti-Communist government. By 1962 President Kennedy began sending military personnel to fight the Viet Cong. After Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Lyndon Johnson took his place and sent 3500 US marines to aid in the fighting after the incident in the Gulf of Tolkin. Basically the Americans had fueled the start of a war which they intended to avoid.

2. Explain how US politicians would have defended their policies.

US politicians would have said they were doing the best thing for the region because they didn't know any better. The se politicians believed in the Domino Theory which was the idea if one asian country would fall to Communism then the rest would too inevitably making all of Asia Communistic. Vietnam was the first in line so they thought they should step in and help. They tried to put an anti-Communist into power to prevent the state from turning towards Communism. They would've said this didn't work because the leader was unpopular for his ways but he needed to be strict to prevent Communism from spreading. The politicians did not like his ways but then again like Dulles said, "we knew of now one better." The politicians supported Diem to stop Communism from spreading in any way he could because they feared if they let a country hold elections itself then the Communists would win.

3. The following events are not listed in correct date order. Place them in the correct chronological order. (Write the year inside the parenthesis, i.e. (1965). Then note the reason for each U.S. action, and how it brought the U.S. into deeper involvement in Vietnam.

The reasons you can choose from are: No direct involvement; financial support; political involvement; military involvement. Also, note what events triggered the increased involvement.

( 1963) Assassination of JFK - Johnson becomes president (military/political involvement)- Lyndon Johnson was more prepared to commit the Us to a full-scale conflict

(1954) Formation of South Vietnam (financial support)- vietnam was split into two different countries at the Geneva peace conference in 1954

(1964) Gulf of Tonkin Incident (military involvement)- North Vietnamese patrol boats opened fire on US ships

( 1962) Number of 'advisers' reaches over 11,500 (military involvement)- Kennedy sent military 'advisors' to Vietnam to fight against the Viet Cong gradually the number of advisors increased

( 1962) JFK sends military advisers (military involvement)- Kennedy sent military 'advisors' to Vietnam to fight against the Viet Cong

(1965) U.S. Marines land at Da Nang (military involvement)- this causes the Vietnam war to start and it was Lyndon Johnson's call after the Gulf of Tonkin incident

(1954) U.S. stops elections in Vietnam (political involvement)- The US prevented elections from taking place because they feared a Communist would win

(1963) U.S. supports South Vietnam government after army overthrow Diem (political involvement)- they might have been corrupt leaders but the US supported them because they were anti-communist

(1960-1962) Viet Cong attacks on U.S. and South Vietnam bases (military involvement)- Viet Cong attacked American air force and supply bases

(1960) Viet Cong formed (political involvement)- Viet Cong gain support from both the North and Southern Vietnamese and intimidated and threatened the people who did not join with violence

4. Choose two events that you think were critical in getting the U.S. involved in a war in Vietnam. Explain

your choice. Viet Cong formed because it intimidated and threatened the people who did not join with violence. They started a guerilla war with the South Vietnamese government making life in the country very unsafe. The Viet Cong go on to attack American air force and supply bases. This caused a growing tension and Kennedy began sending the first of many military personnel to come to Vietnam. The Gulf of Tonkin Incident because North Vietnamese patrol boats opened fire on US ships. This made the US furious so Congress passed the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which gave Johnson the power to take all necessary measures to prevent further aggression to achieve peace and security. It allowed Johnson to do exactly what he was prepared for. Johnson could now take the US into a full scale war if it was needed and later on he did exactly so.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

1. Kennedy described Wednesday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 27 as the darkest days of the crisis. Use the information on page 350 to explain why.

These were the darkest days of crisis because both instances foreshadowed an attack possibly leading to the use of missiles. On October 24 instead of causing a confrontation with the Americans, the Soviets turned around at the last minute. This put pressure on Kennedy to decide whether to attack or be attacked first. If he had attacked first it could've led to a nuclear war that could be blamed on him. On October 27 Khrushchev sends a letter to Kennedy stating that if Kennedy removed his missiles located in Turkey then he would remove Soviet missiles in Cuba. Kennedy could've been unsure as to whether or not the Soviets were going to remove all their missiles from Cuba so he decided to keep them in. Then again Kennedy denying to withdraw missiles from Turkey could suggest he did not trust the Soviets and there was still the possibility of being attacked.

2. Do you think that nuclear war was ever a possibility in this crisis?

I believe nuclear war was a possibility in this crisis because the main focus of this conflict was the debate over nuclear weapons. Both sides wanted spread the location in which they had controlled nuclear missiles set up to launch. Neither side would remove their missiles unless the other did. The Americans spied on the Soviets who were constructing missile bases rapidly in Cuba. The Americans also blockaded Cuba to prevent the Soviets from delivering missies to them. There was a great presence of nuclear weapons so if there happened to be an attack on one country from another than I believe it is entirely possible for nuclear weapons to be used and lead to a nuclear war.

3. Is Source 26 a Soviet or an American cartoon? Explain your answer by referring to the details in the cartoon.

Source 26 is an American cartoon. First Kennedy and Khrushchev are arm wrestling and Kennedy has a stern expression but looks calm and Khrushchev is breaking a sweat trying to keep up with him. Both are sitting on hydrogen bombs. They both also have a finger over a button which sets off their opponents bomb. Khrushchev's finger is closer to the button suggesting he is being pressured by Kennedy to do it or not because if he does do it then Kennedy has an equally powerful response.

4. Using Source 27 list any evidence you can find for and against each of the explanations.

Why did the Soviet Union place nuclear missiles on Cuba?

To bargain with the USA

For: The two sides could now equally bargain.

Against: U.S. would have to give up some of its concessions.

To test the USA

For: They tried to prove how strong theAmericans were.

Against: Just added more stress to the Cold War politics.

To trap the USA

For: The U.S. shouldn't even argue with

Against: The missiles were an obvious trap that Khrushchev didn't even try to hide.

To get the upper hand in the arms race

For: The sides would be equally powerful so the idea of attacking each other would just cause equal destruction on both sides. This would force the two sides to settle matters diplomatically.

Against: U.S.S.R was edging closer in on the arms race preventing America to have an initial attack.

To defend Cuba

For: The missiles were meant for Cuba's defense

Against: Cuba was friends with the Soviets so if the Soviets asked they could bomb America in the matter of minutes from the comfort of their country.

5. Choose the explanation(s) that you think best fit what you have found out about the crisis. Explain your choice.

I believe the explanation of testing the U.S. would be the best explanation because it suggested that the Soviets were not going to use them and the Soviets just wanted to see the Americans' reactions. The U.S. could attack or not do anything which shows the Soviets how strong the U.S. is and to what extent they'd fight back.

The U.S. Attempts to Contain Cuba

1. Why was Cuba so important to the United States?
Cuba was so important to the U.S. because it was a longtime ally of America. Most of the businesses on Cuba were American owned and the Americans had a huge naval base located there. Cuba was also only 160 km from Florida. This means Cuba is one location which America had great influence over.

2. Why do you think the Americans chose to equip Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves?
I believe the Americans chose to equip the Cuban exiles rather than invading themselves because Castro expected the Americans to invade after the U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba. A reason as to why the Americans broke their relations with Cuba was because the Cubans were receiving arms from the Soviets. The U.S. did not want to tolerate a Soviet presence in the location which it had great influence over. The U.S. also did not want to become involved in a conflict with the Soviet Union which had ties to Cuba; so the attack on Cuba might cause the Soviet Union, which has nuclear weapons and satellites, to come to its aid. This is why the Americans called upon the Cuban exiles to indirectly attack Castro and Cuba.

3. Why did the invasion fail?
The invasion failed because the Cuban exiles were greatly outnumbered, ill equipped, and did not receive the aerial support promised to them by the Americans. The Cuban troops numbered 20,000 and were armed with tanks and modern weapons.

4. Compare Source 17 on page 345 (in the Arms Race.pdf reading) with Source 24 on page 348. Describe how the Soviet Union missiles on Cuba changed the Cold War balance of power.

If the Soviets did not have more power in Source 24 due to the Soviet Union missiles in Cuba then it definitely at least had and equal amount of power. The Soviet long range missiles only took 20 minutes to hit a larger variation of locations within the U.S. while the American long range missiles took 30 minutes to hit a spot in the U.S.S.R. The Soviets' missiles could easily reach the U.S. naval base in Cuba and the American space research center in Florida. Also the varied locations the Soviets could hit consisted of important and prominent American cities. The missiles could cover 3/4 of American territory. So if the United States decided to attack then the Soviets could have easily countered them.

The American Dream in the 1950s

1. Baby Boom
The sharp increase in the U.S. birthrate following WWII. This was due to soldiers returning from WWII and becoming settled again into family life. The baby boom had a tremendous impact on child care, American economy, and the education system.

2. Dr. Jonas Salk
Dr. Jonas Stalk developed a medicine for polio. In the 1950s polio was one of the most feared diseases but thanks to the vaccine, which was extremely effective, the number of people afflicted with the disease tremendously decreased.

3. Interstate Highway System
The Interstate Highway System was built to link major cities with schools, shopping centers, workplaces, and the residential suburbs. They encouraged the development of new suburbs father from cities. They also made high-speed, long-haul trucking possible and the system of highways also helped unify and homogenize the nation.

4. Franchise
A business that has bought the right to use a parent company's name and methods, thus becoming one of a number of similar businesses in various locations. This type of business expansion became immensely popular especially with fast-food restaurants.

5. In a paragraph, describe in detail how Americans spent their leisure time in the 1950s

Since Americans had labor-saving machines they could invest more time in leisure. There were a number of ways they spent their time. On immensely popular recreational activity was through sports. People participated int sports such as fishing, bowling, hunting, boating, and golf while others watched on tv or attended baseball, basketball, and football games. Americans also began reading everything from religion to cooking to do-it-yourself books. They enjoyed mystery, romance,and fiction novels. Magazines and comic books also became extremely popular amongst the public.

The Arms Race

1. Read Source 12. What methods do you think Dulles had in mind to 'liberate captive peoples' without a war?
Dulles might have wanted a more peaceful way of freeing the captive nations. Although, he does go on and say that "liberation can be achieved by processes short of war" meaning that methods similar to those used in war might be used. This could intend that he will try and be peaceful and solving problems through discussions but will use some small force if needed.

2. Look at Source 13. Would you agree that the Communist world was encircled? Explain your answer.
Yes I would agree that the Communist world was encircled because most of the areas around their area of control had some form of alliance with the United States and anti-Communists. Dulles did this purposely so that Communism can not expand any further to nations neighboring the area under Communist control.

3. Carefully examine the verticle timeline on page 343. Then look back at Source 12. Do you think the development of nuclear weapons was what Dulles might have had in mind?
Yes Dulles probably realized that it would't be such a smart idea to start a war when both sides had atomic weapons. If a war was started the results would be disastrous and the U.S. would be in shambles due to the bombings. Dulles probably thought containing Communism from spreading would be a better idea than launching into a war trying to remove it completely.

4. Look at Source 16. What is the Soviet cartoon saying about the U-2 plane?
The cartoon is trying to say that the U.S. just wants to be able to fly their planes over the Soviet Union to spy and gain needed intelligence about Soviet weapons technology. The U-2 is in the shape of a spyglass on one end, which is hovering over the U.S.S.R.

5. Read the Factfile on page 344. Explain why the USSR was so angry about the US spy flights.
The U-2 is the plane used which contained flied so high that it couldn't be shot down by the Soviet fighters or anti-aircraft missiles. It contained sophisticated listening devices and powerful cameras. This was ideal for spying and kept the U.S. informed about the Soviet weapons technology through the late 1950s. Once Soviet missiles improved they were able to shoot down a U-2 and accuse with evidence that the U.S. was spying. At first Eisenhower denied the claims but then admitted to them proving that the Soviets were right about their accusations.

6. How would the USA justify this violation of Soviet territory?
The U.S. can just say the Soviets had spies in America. Some of these spies played a key role in U.S. weapons technology such as Klaus Fuchs. Some didn't play such as important roles but still sold important U.S. information to the Soviets such as Alger Hiss, Greenglass, and the Rosenbergs. All of these spies were caught and found guilty of selling secrets to the U.S.S.R.

7. If the USSR had had U-2 planes, do you think it would have used them? Why?
The U.S.S.R might have used them but there was no point because they already had spies within the U.S. successfully transmitting information back to the U.S.S.R.

8. Look at Source 17. Why do you think the USA had missiles based in Europe?
I think that the U.S. had missiles based in Europe because if they happened to be attacked then the short-range missiles located in Europe could react and hit the U.S.S.R in minutes rather than waiting 30 minutes for the long-range missiles located in the U.S. to hit the U.S.S.R.

9. Define the term 'nuclear deterrent' in not more than 20 words.

Concept in which neither side would attack the other first knowing that they in turn will be attacked equally forcefully.

Eisenhower & The Cold War

1. The Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb in 1949.

THe United States embarked in am arms race with the Soviet Union. They wanted to see who could first create the H-Bomb and have a counterattack to a nuclear attack. It tremendously increased both the number and destructive power of weapons.

2. In 1951, the Iranian prime minister placed the oil industry in Iran under the Iranian government’s control.
The CIA gave several million dollars to anti-Mossadegh supporters because they feared that Mossadegh might turn to the Soviets for help so they wanted the former, pro-American Shah of Iran to return.

3. The Guatemalan head of government gave American-owned land in Guatemala to peasants.
The CIA trained an army which invades Guatemala because Eisenhower believed that Guatemala's government had Communist sympathizers. The Guatemalan army refused to defend the president and he resigned. The army's leaders then becomes dictator of the country.

4. In 1956, Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt and occupied the Suez Canal.

The UN quickly stepped in to stop the fighting. It persuaded Great Britain, France, and Israel to withdraw but it allowed Egypt to keep control of the canal. The U.S. got involved because the canal was supposed to be open to everyone.

5. Soviet tanks invaded Hungary and fired on protesters in 1956.
Even though the Truman Doctrine had promised to support free peoples who resisted communism, the United States did nothing to help Hungary break free of Soviet control. No help came from the UN either because the Soviet Union vetoed the Security Council from taking any actions.

6. In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik.
Americans did not like being beaten and started pouring money into their own space program. Scientists worked quickly to catch up to the Soviets and on January 31, 1958 the U.S. successfully launched its first satellite.

7. In 1960, the Soviet Union brought down an American U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers.

Eisenhower denied that the U-2 had been spying but the Soviets had evidence so he finally admitted it. Khrushchev demanded and apology and the flights to be halted. Eisenhower agreed to end the flights but would not apologize. Khrushchev called off the summit and withdrew his invitation to Eisenhower to visit the U.S.S.R. The U-2 incident caused greater tension amongst the two nations.

The Red Scare (1950s)

1. HUAC

The House Un-American Activities Committee investigated Communist influence in the movie industry. Ten men, the Hollywood Ten, who refused to cooperate because they believed that the hearings were unconstitutional were sent to prison.

2. Blacklist

A list of people who Hollywood executives condemned for having a Communist background. The people on the list had their careers ruined because they could no longer work.

3. Alger Hiss

He was accused, by a former Communist spy named Whittaker Chambers, of spying for the Soviet Union. In the end he was convicted of perjury and sent to jail. He claimed he was innocent and that Chambers forged the papers, which Chambers claimed came out of Hiss's typewriter. There was no stable evidence.

4. Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were minor activists in the American Communist Party, who were persecuted for their Jewish religion and radical beliefs. They were found guilty of espionage and sentenced to death even though the evidence was too weak. They became the first two U.S. citizens executed for espionage.

5. Joseph McCarthy

Joseph McCarthy was Senator of Wisconsin and a famous anti-communist activist. He was known as an ineffective legislator and needed a winning issue to be reelected so he claimed Communists were taking over the government.

6. McCarthyism

McCarthyism is the attacks, often unsubstantiated, by Senator Joseph McCarthy and others on people suspected of being Communists in the early 1950s.

7. In a paragraph, describe the motivations and actions of Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s. What prompted his actions? What did he do? What happened as a result of his actions?

Joseph McCarthy was known as an ineffective legislator and needed a winning issue to be reelected so he claimed Communists were taking over the government. He took advantage of people's fear of communism. McCarthy accused others of being Communists without supporting evidence. His attacks became known as McCarthyism and are now referred to the unfair tactic of accusing people of disloyalty without evidence. The Republicans did not do much to stop McCarthy's attacks because they believed it would help him to win the 1952 presidential election but a small group of senators did speak out. Finally McCarthy saw his downfall when he made accusations against the U.S. Army. The senate investigation was televised and his bullying of witnesses led him to lose public support.

Korean War Lesson

Due to the recent war in Korea the United States can benefit from the lessons learnt. The U.S. had reasonable goals when entering the war. They wanted to remove the North Koreans from South Korea. This would be achieved with the help of member forces supplied by the United Nations. As time went on, General MacArthur quickly reached success by pushing the North Koreans back to the 38th parallel, or better known as the border, which separates North from South Korea. The United Nations allowed MacArthur to advance into North Korea, despite warnings made by China's leader, Mao Tse-tung. The U.S. forces continued pushing and by October had reached the Yalu River. Now Truman and MacArthur aimed to do more than just drive out North Korean troops from South Korea; they wanted to completely remove Communism from Korea.

This stage in the war could not have been reached without the help of the United Nations. The U.S. was the single biggest contributor to the UN budget. This provided them with some influence over the UN decision especially when they needed it the most; for example when North Korea invaded South Korea, President Truman asked the UN Security Council to condemn the actions of the North Koreans and tell them to withdraw their troops. The United Nations assisted South Korea in restoring international peace and security. They did exactly so by providing troops or support of some kind.

The Chinese stuck with their word and 200,000 Chinese troops, along with USSR supplies, were sent to North Korea in aid. MacArthur underestimated their power. The fighting pushed the UN forces back to the 38th parallel. After this, Truman realized saving South Korea was good enough because Truman's allies in the United Nations saw that MacArthur's idea of attacking China was too risky. They believed it might start a war, in which the USSR could possibly become involved. The attack became ruled out after Truman agreed.

MacArthur and Truman obviously didn't see eye to eye after Truman agreed with the UN. MacArthur blatantly ignored UN instruction to stop attacking and openly threatened attack on China. Truman immediately removed Mac Arthur from his position and brought him back home because he disagreed with MacArthur's aggressive policy towards Communism. General Omar Bradley agreed with Truman and the UN. He believed MacArthur's approach would have "involved America in the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and with the wrong enemy." Even though Truman too was strongly against Communism it is a good thing he was pre-cautious or an invasion into China would cause many new and worse problems for America.

In the end, the price in successfully fighting against Communism was not cheap. Civilian deaths made up a significant portion of the deaths during the war. Now the U.S. can learn a couple of things from the war. First is the United Nations can be depended on as long as the United States has some influence over them, like through the budget. Second is to make sure to control your generals. They will not always listen to your commands especially if they have a history of following their own policies like MacArthur did. Next it is to be cautious and listen to the advice of others before putting your own beliefs ahead. Truman and MacArthur both were strongly against Communism but Truman did what was best for the U.S., UN, and South Korea at the time instead of abusing his power to continuously fight for what he believed in. Then we learn that we must not underestimate the power of our opponent. The Chinese only sent only a portion of their troops and they matched the power of the force of the United Nations. Their whole army would be a larger and definitely more difficult challenge to fight against and overcome. Finally we should learn that liberty comes with a cost. Freedom from Communism is costly in the lives of not only soldiers but more so civilians. It affects everybody. These are the lessons which the United States can learn from the war.

Dropping the Atomic Bomb

1. What factors have affected viewpoints on Truman's decision?

• number of causualties for the Allies


• length of the war


• Japanese signals- showed that the Japanese military were determined to fight to the finish


• Military advice- US military officers wanted to use the bomb as weapon of war and try to achieve complete surprise

2. Do you think he made the right decision? Give your reasons.



I believe Truman made the right decision. This is so because of a couple of reasons. First the Japanese showed that they had no means of backing down or surrendering. Two examples were the battles for the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The Japanese fought fiercely and even used kamikazes, ritual suicides in which aircraft pilots would purposely crash their planes into American fleets, instead of surrendering. After the bomb on Nagasaki, Japanese Emperor Hirohito and most of his government wanted to surrender but even then some of the Japanese military leaders attempted to overthrow Hirohito and continue the war. With the Japanese not wanting to surrender countless lives of the Allies and Japanese would be taken. It was also predicted that the war would continue on for one more year if the bombs were not used, inevitably taking even more lives. Finally most leaders of countries, such as Truman, trust their military adivsors to make the best decisions for the country in a state of war. The military wanted to end the war as soon as possible to prevent further loss of lives and thought weakening the moral of the Japanese people would do exactly so.

War in the Pacific

1. What was the importance of the Battle of Midway?

The Japanese wanted to move towards the Island of Midway to get closer to Hawaii but they were successfully stopped by the Allies. The Americans knew they would be attacking the island because they broke the Japanese code. When American Admiral Chester Nimitz attacked with torpedo and bomber planes, while the Japanese planes were still on the decks of their fleets, the results were devastating. The Battle of Midway was important because it was the turning point in the Pacific War. Soon after the Allies began regaining territory from the Japanese by conquering island by island. Every island captured allowed the Allied forces to move closer to Japan and inevitably attack.



2. What strategy did the United States adopt in fighting Japan?

The United states adopted the strategy of island hopping. Island hopping is moving from island to island, winning back territory from the Japanese. Every island captured allowed the Allied forces to move closer to Japan and inevitably attack.



3. Why did the Japanese fight so hard on Iwo Jima?

Iwo Jima was probably the most heavily defended spot with 20,700 Japanese troops entrenched in tunnels and caves. This is because Iwo Jima was critical to the United States as a base from which heavily loaded bombers might reach Japan. Also if the Allies capture Iwo Jima than just one obstacle, the island of Okinawa, stood in in between them and a final assault on Japan.



4. Why did the Allies believe Okinawa was a foretaste of an invasion of Japan?

The Allies believed Okinawa was a foretaste of an invasion of Japan because the Japanese fought extremely hard, this includes using ritual suicide, instead of surrendering in shame. Casualties were devastating. More than 7,600 Americans had died and 110,000 Japanese.



5. What was the Manhattan Project?


The Manhattan Project was a secret project led by General Leslie Groves with the help of research directed by American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The project was the development of the atomic bomb.


6. Ultimately, why did President Truman decide to drop atomic bombs on Japan?


Truman did not hesitate to use the bomb as a military weapon to end the war.

War for Europe and North Africa - Part II

6. What was D-Day?
General Eisenhower was planning an attack on Normandy. Under his command, the Allies gathered nearly 3 millions troops. The Allies tried to keep their plans a secret by setting up a huge fake army, which had its own headquarters and equipment. Allied commanders sent orders through the radio to this fake army and made sure the Germans could understand them. The orders were to attack the French port of Calais so as a result Hitler ordered his generals to keep a large army at the port of Calais. Due to bad weather the invasion was delayed a day. On June 6,1944 Eisenhower gave the signal to attack and the first day of the invasion became known as D-Day.

7. What happened at the Battle of the Bulge?
By October 1944 the American had captured their first German town, Aachen. Hitler hoped to disrupt the enemy's supply lines and demoralize the Allies by ordering his troops to break through the Allied lines and recapture the Belgian port of Antwerp. On December 16th, eight German tank division broke through the weak American defenses with the help of dense fog to cover them. The tanks drove 60 miles into Allied territory, which created a bulge in the lines. The Germans continued westward, capturing 120 American soldiers. Then German troops moved the prisoners to a large field and shot them dead. The battle continued for a month. In the ended the Germans had been pushed back and took a loss of 120,000 troops, 600 tanks, and assault guns, and 1,600 planes. Little could be done for the Germans now.

8. What did Allied troops find in Germany?
In Germany Allied troops came across Nazi death camps in July 1944. When the Soviets grew close to a camp called Majdanek in Poland the German officers began to bury and burn all evidence of their horrible crime. When the Soviet soldiers captured Majdanek, they found prisoners barely alive, the world's largest crematorium, and a storehouse containing 800,000 shoes. Later on Americans liberated Nazi death camps in Germany and were equally horrified.

9. What happened to Hitler? What happened to F.D. Roosevelt? Who became U.S. President?
On April 29, Hitler married his long time companion, Eva Braun. The same day he wrote his last address to the German people, preparing for the end. In this address he blamed the Jewish people for starting the war and his generals for losing it. The next day Hitler shot himself and his new wife swallowed poison. According to Hitler's orders, the two bodies were carried outside, soaked with gasoline, and burned. On May 8, 1945 the Allies celebrated V-E Day, victory in Europe day; the war in Europe was finally over. It was too bad that Roosevelt did not live to see this day. On April 12, 1945 the president had a stroke and died. The same night Vice President Harry S. Truman became the 33rd President of the United States.