History Courses For Dr. Christopher C. Lovett
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History Courses For Dr. Christopher C. Lovett |
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Updated as of 2 October 05 Today in History: On October 2, 1780, Major John Andrι, a British spy associated with Benedict Arnold, was executed on this day in history. Quote of the Day: "In my view we are much worse off now than when we went into Iraq. This is not a partisan position. I voted for these guys." A senior figure at a military-sponsored think tank as told to James Fallows in "Bush's Lost Year" in The Atlantic Monthly (Oct. 2004) Take the Ann Coulter Quiz Where are you politically? Take the Neocon Quiz and find out. "History is Far too Important to be left to History Professors" Teaching isn't such a novel idea
Bibliography:
History of Disease Contemporary Terrorist Organizations Map of Islamic Terrorist Cells in the U.S.A.
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The Cold War: The Division of EuropeModern World CivilizationSpring 2008General Considerations All wars results in a series of myths. For the Germans they developed their own legend. They called it the Stab-in-the-Back legend. For the Americans it was the myth of Yalta. To the political right that is wrong more often a dying Roosevelt sold out China and Eastern Europe. The whole New Deal was subverted by Communists. It was a short step from this to the crazed witch hunts of the 1950s and the excesses of Joe McCarthy. At the heart of the Cold War, it was a contest between the Soviet Union and the United States that divided Europe and brought ht world to the brink of nuclear war.Churchill Seeks a Deal with Stalin Churchill wanted to reach an agreement with Stalin so he could have a free hand in Greece. Lord Halifax inquired in Washington how would the U.S. feel if the Russians controlled Rumania and London controlled Greece. The U.S. didnt like this arrangement. London approached Moscow anyway.Churchill Meets Stalin in October 1944 Both Moscow and London kept Washington informed of what was happening. In Oct. 1944, Churchill and Eden travel to Moscow. There they worked out an arrangement with the Soviet dictator. When they finished, Churchill passed the paper to Stalin who placed a blue mark on it. Churchill wanted the paper destroyed. 90% Soviet influence in Rumania. 90% British influence in Greece. 50/50 for both in Yugoslavia. 50/50 for both in Hungary. 75% in Bulgaria.Establishing the Meeting Site The meeting was delayed because of Roosevelts health. Many didnt like the meeting place but Stalin would not leave Russia. Americans did not like Roosevelt traveling so far from home. Despite everything, FDR was in ill health. The Army wanted to assure Soviet entry into the Asian war and wanted to guarantee the Soviets the concessions they sought in Manchuria/Asia.The Key Players This was the last meeting of the Big Three before the wars end. Stalin FDR Churchill With the American delegation was the Alger Hiss of the State Department. He was a GRU agent. This led some to assume that FDR sold out to the Soviet Union.Agenda at Yalta Soviet Agreement for Soviet entry into the Pacific War. Number of Soviet votes in the UN. Veto power in the UN. Control of Germany. Borders of Poland. Situation in Eastern Europe.American Concessions at Yalta for Soviet Entry into the Pacific War Recognition of autonomy for Outer Mongolia. The return of the southern half of Sakhalin Island. The return of the Kurile Islands. Recovery of a warm water port for in Manchuria for the Soviets. Soviet control of the Chinese Eastern Railroad.The UN Moscow wanted three votes in the UN Lithuanian, Belorussia, and the Ukraine. Lithuania was dropped. The purpose was to give the USSR more weight in the General Assembly. Soviets offered to give more votes for the U.S. too. FDR disregarded this point. Veto power would be given to the major belligerents. All nations at war with the Axis would be eligible for membership.Germany The German armed forces will be disarmed. Germany would be dismembered including Austria and the respective capitals. Germany would have to pay reparations of which 80% would go the Soviet Union in industrial plant. The Germans would have to pay $20,000,000 and half going to the Soviet Union. War criminals would be tried.Polands Borders Set at Yalta The Polish border with the USSR was set as the Curzon line. The Polish-German Border was set at the Oder-Niesse Line. Germany lost all of East Prussia, Silesia, Pomeria, and portions of Brandenburg. This included the city of Stettin. Six to nine million Germans were forced out of the region.The Polish Government Their were two governments the Lublin and Government in Exile. The government was supposed to be reorganized. Free and unfettered elections. All democratic and anti-Nazi parties were allowed to run. The issue of Poland divided the Allies. Churchill saw it as a matter of honor. Stalin saw it as matter of life or death.FDRs Last Days Following the meeting, trouble started over Poland. Molotov only wanted Poles acceptable to the Lublin government to become members of the new government. FDR didnt like this and neither did many in the State Department. Then the decision of Gen. Karl Wolf to surrender in March 1945.The Tensions Start FDR rarely meet with Truman. Truman was not privy to the status of US-Soviet relations. Many within the inner circle wanted to take a tougher line with the Russians. On April 23,1945 he locked horns with Molotov over Poland. With the end of the European war Lend-Lease was cut with Moscow and so was any talk of a loan for the Russians.Growing Tensions Between the Soviet Union and the West The meeting started on July 17, 1945. The Americans stressed that the Yalta agreements had not been reached in reference to Eastern Europe. The Soviets wanted a trusteeship for Italian possessions in Africa. Moscow also wanted two Turkish provinces and access to a base near the Straits. Agreements were reached for the denazification and demilitarization of Germany. Moscow was upset that they did not receive $6,000,000 in credits for reconstruction. Also issued the Potsdam Declaration.The Atomic Impasse Gen. Leslie Groves did not think that the Soviets could develop an atomic device as quickly as possible. Washington had yet to realize that Moscow already knew about the bomb and was developing their own bomb. The Americans were also discussing who would control atomic energy. Truman authorized the Acheson-Lilienthal Report that made proposals for the use of atomic energy. The report was attacked by many quarters of never being totally serious.Acheson-Lilienthal Report David Lilienthal was the director of the TVA. By March 17, 1946, the report was ready. It opposed internationalization of the bomb. Favored the creation of an Atomic Development Authority that would monitor and control access to all nuclear materials and plants.Soviet Reactions to the Lilienthal Report Moscow would never allow free access to foreign nationals to travel freely and check on atomic weapons and nuclear materials. Especially when they considered them vital to national interests. Western observers would have discovered the violations of human rights in the USSR. Stalin would never approve of international control of nuclear weapons. The Soviets would see this as a violation of Soviet sovereignty.Soviet Counter Proposals Andrei Gromyko made the Soviet reponse at Hunter College in New York on June 19, 1946. Soviets advocated the outlawing of the use and production of atomic weapons. Soviets called for the destruction of nuclear stockpiles. Serious punishments for violators.The Baruch Plan Barach believed the world had a choice between the quick and the dead. He advocated strict penalties for violators of nuclear arms control. Illegal possessions of atomic weapons. Illegal possession of atomic materials. Any plant licensed by the IAA seized would bring retribution. Interference with the IAA. Continuing atomic research.The Carnegie Plan Create a international control mechanism. The IAEC could regulate and control all atomic energy. Full inspection powers granted to the IAEC. The IAEC would be composed of three of the Big Five powers. The decisions of the IAEC were to be by majority vote. The powers of the IAEC were to be delegated to the national AECs. All military activity of the AECs was outlawed. The Security Council could not kill those measures.The Cold War: The Early Years, 1945-50 Establishment with Britain of Bizonia (May 27, 1946). The Truman Doctrine (March 12, 1947). Sources of Soviet Conduct in Foreign Affairs in July 1947 signed by X (George Kennan). Marshall Plan (June 5, 1947). Communist Coup in Czechoslovakia (Feb. 23-25, 1948). Berlin Blockade (June 24, 1948 May 12, 1949). North Atlantic Treaty (April 4, 1949).Walter Lippmanns Take on the X Article He accepted the view that conflict with the USSR was real. He disagreed on the wisdom of the Truman Doctrine. He believed that Containment left no margin for error. He thought that the stakes were too much to ask our whole national security to contain the Soviet Union. He thought that in the long run, the American people would not support such an endeavor. He also believed that it was asking too much of the U.S. military to contain Red Fred.Lippmanns other Points of Contention with Kennan The Soviet Union was not aggressive in the Hitlerian sense of the term. Russias interests were ignored. No attempt was made to reach a termination with Moscow. It weakened the United Nations.George Marshall Outlines His Plan at Harvard on June 5, 1947 He noted the destruction in Europe. Only help from the U.S. could avoid a catastrophe. The American aid should be real not a palliative. The European governments must come up with a list of their needs. The program was not to be directed against any government. He warned that no one should profit from Europes misery.The Soviet Response to the Marshall Plan The Soviets believed that each nation should submit their own requirements to Washington. The Soviets thought that the current plan would divide Europe. The Soviets thought that the Marshall Plan was just a continuation of the Truman Doctrine. Much of the information that Washington wanted was considered a state secret. Would the U.S. Congress really give money to Moscow?The World of George Orwell He was a child of Empire. But he was opposed to imperialism. He was a socialist, but not a communist. He fought in Spain and was linked to the anarchists. But they were crushed by the Communists. After that he became committed to anti-communism and all forms of totalitarianism.Animal Farm He was pleased by Animal Farm. It was a well-balance allegory of the Russian Revolution. But it also can be read as an animal story. T.S. Elliot thought it was a distinguished piece of writing but it feels that the effect is simply one of negation. The book ought to excite sympathy with what the author wants, as well as with his objections. Your positive point of view, which I take to be generally Trotskyite, is not convincing.Another Point of ArgumentNineteen Eighty-Four Orwell was not to predict the future, but warn of the dangers of totalitarianism. The title comes from 1948 backwards, hence 1984. The book is effective because most readers believe it to be possible. Orwell was worried that the Cold War would force people to give up their freedom during periods of perpetual war. He is portraying the illusion of freedom in a totalitarian society. An escape from freedom.The Illusion is Freedom was not NewThe Analysis of Orwells Work Doublethink is the capacity to believe that Poland is a Peoples Democracy and that South Africa is part of the Free World. Goldstein is Trotsky. Orwell marginalized the Proles and at times, simply left them out. They [the proles] are helpless, like the animals. Humanity is the Party. The others are outside and irrelevant. The moral to be drawn from this dangerous nightmare situation is simple: Dont let it happen. It depends on YOU.Background Following the end of the war tensions continued to mount between Moscow and Washington. Some in the Administration believed that accommodation could be reached with the Russians. This was Henry Wallace who went public in Sept. 1946. Truman fired him. Likewise London notified Washington that they could no longer live up to their commitments in Europe and elsewhere. Truman then went forward on March 12, 1947. But what did it mean?What Does This Mean? Truman pledged to support any peoples resisting aggression from armed groups from either within or without their country. This included a military package for Greece and Turkey. The whole package amounted to $400,000,000. And noted that the U.S. may have to send military advisers too. What impact would this have?The Crisis in Europe During 1947-48 The U.S. all ready had made numerous loans to European countries but with no impact. The Europeans lacked the capital to purchase needed supplies and capital goods f.or recovery. Likewise the U.S. had a huge trade surplus that imperiled further trade and inflation. Something bold was needed. On June 5, 1947, Sec of State George Marshall made a bold proposal.The Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan cost the U.S. taxpayer more than $11.8 billion. The goal was to (1) increase production; (2) expand European foreign trade; (3) encourage European economic integration and cooperation; and (4) control inflation. As a result, Marshall received the Noble Prize in 1953.Impact of the Marshall Plan Stimulated the European economy. Fostered economic growth in the U.S. While it was opened to the Eastern Bloc, they refused to participate. Harding relations between East and West. Overall aiding the European recovery that helped bring about the European miracle.
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