Category: World War 2

Introduction

President Eisenhower is one of the most remembered historical figures among all the U.S. presidents, because majority of his promises were action oriented, although like any other leader, he had his own flaws. The president was a great advocator of peace, justice, and desegregation; practices the former American presidents failed to provide workable solutions to.

In addition to his leading role as a peace and desegregation crusader, prior to his election as the 34^th American president and even after his rise to the top seat, Eisenhower was a well known and respected military general; hence, the tendency of many individuals to associate him with military service.

In addition, because throughout his early life in the military and in presidency, President Eisenhower helped America and other nations that sought his governments help in ending many wars they faced for example, the Korean War. To many individuals, he was a leader with a difference hence, the many accomplishments he helped America achieve all throughout his time as a general and in presidency (National Achieves and Administration Libraries 1).

Historically, he was the first Military personnel to receive the highest five star rank, because of his active participation in military service and delivery of quality results.

In addition to receiving this rank, because of his active participation in the military, more so during World War II, Eisenhower was the first military commander to receive the honor of becoming the most powerful NATO commander. It is important to note that, although he was a great military man, his ruling principles were democratic and not military based, although he faced many external pressures to engage in war.

This and his practice of bringing people together, as a methodology of formulating workable or practical solutions to any problems that arose in America, made many to question whether he was truly a republican. Although such questions arose, most individuals and countries liked his ruling orientation, because he respected the American people and other nations political, social, and economic rights (National Achieves and Administration Libraries 1)

President Eisenhowers term in the oval office that commenced in 1953 ended in 1961, as the American constitutions only guaranteed every president two terms in office (Rousch 1). As research studies show when comparing the best and worst of Americas presidents, President Eisenhower is among best presidents, who brought to America many changes, some of which are evident today.

To President Eisenhower, listening and respect of the publics opinion was the greatest policy that determined the success of the ruling class. Therefore, respect of such opinions and cries from the American citizenry was the primary factors that contributed to his success, for his government never took any public outcry for granted.

President Eisenhowers early days Before Presidency

Born in Denison Texas on 14 October 1890, Dwight Eisenhower grew among a family of parents with a Swiss origin. His stay never lasted for long, as his parents later on moved to Abilene Kansas, because of change of occupation. He grew in a low-earning family, a fact that many attribute to his life struggles and levels of hard work to better his family.

For example, to assist his parents provide a livelihood for his family, he engaged himself in some form of vegetable trade. In addition, sometimes he spent his free time offering help at the local milk plant, where his dad worked (Darby 11-16). Although Dwight engaged himself in all this activities, he never missed his classes in Abilene High School, because of his determination to succeed in life.

His completion of high school in 1909 marked the point of change in his life, as it marked the onset of his military life and later rise to power. After engaging himself for two years in different kinds of odd chores, which were of great support to his family, Eisenhower received an appointment to join the Annapolis Naval School, which he never joined, because his years exceeded the age limit that the government set for one to be eligible to join the college (Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation 1)

Although this was a great disappointment to him, later on in 1910, he received an admission to West Point. This marked the onset of his achievements in life, as the military life gave him a good and respectable rapport among the American citizenry. It is important to note that, at entry time, Eisenhower had no objective of becoming a military person, but rather he wanted to advance his education.

One primary factor that made him secure the chance of joining West Point was his success in West Points entry exams. Through hard work and dedication, Eisenhower passed well in his final exams whereby, according to the schools ranking he was position sixty one out of one hundred and sixty four students who sat for final exams, guaranteeing him a chance of graduating in 1915. In addition to hardworking in class, Eisenhower was a very good sports man.

Because of his love for sports, Eisenhower was optimistic of becoming a professional baseball player, a dream that he never achieved, because the college denied him a chance of joining its main baseball team. Although this was the case, his ambition to excel in sports never died, because later on he got a chance of joining the schools football team, where he helped the team achieve many victories.

In addition to this, Eisenhower also was an active athlete, whose role was an active linebacker in the colleges athletic team. Such achievement granted him the chance of serving as the schools football coach and later as a Yell director (Summers 1 and Ater 1)

Early Military Service

Immediately after his graduation, the government posted him to Texas, as a second lieutenant; hence, officially marking the commencement of his military life. Later on in 1916, the government posted him to Fort Sam Houston, where he actively he actively took an infantry role. In addition to his infantry roles, Eisenhower also served as a tank cop.

His good performance in most of the centers where the federal government had posted him for example, Pennsylvania, Camp Wilson, Georgia, Maryland, Camp Dix, and many other military camps, prompted the government to promote him to a higher military rank; hence, his becoming a First Lieutenant in 1916.

In addition, in early 1917, the government promoted him further to be a captain, because of his dedication and success oriented performance. Later on that year the government further although transitory, promoted him to the Major rank position.

His continued military prowess made the government to promote him further in 1918 to a transitory Lieutenant Colonel position, which led to his eventual promotion into a captain position in mid 1920, and finally as a Major in later the same year (Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation 1).

As the years continued passing and his performance improved, Eisenhower received more promotions. For example, his willingness to act as a Tank Corp observer in 1919 and his good performance in his daily chores, prompted the government to promote him to be an director of the General Fox Corner and Panama Canal zone for a period of almost three years from 1922.

Such rise in ranks continued up to 1925, when Eisenhower joined the Command and General Staff School, for further studies. His further studies took one full year up to 1926. After completion, Eisenhower joined the 24^th Infantry, where he took an active role of a battalion commander up to the year 1927, when the federal government assigned promoted him to serve in the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Later on that year, the government promoted him to serve in the Washington D.C. military office, where he was actively involved actively in drafting a manual about World War I. Because of the technological advances that the world was going through at that time, which primarily changed war tactics, to improve his military experiences, Eisenhower joined the Army War College of Washington D.C. for one year from august 1927.

After completion of studies, later on for a period of three years from 1929, the government appointed him as an executive military administrator to assist General George Moseley in Washington D.C. Later on that same year, he took another administrative role as a chief military assistant to General MacArthur, whom was then the Army Chief of Staff.

He assumed that position until late 1935, when the federal government gave him a new position in the military, which involved the provision of advisory services to General MacArthur on issues that concerned Americas military relationship with the Philippines. His good performance prompted the government to promote him further to the Lieutenant Colonel position in the following year (Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation 1).

Further, to appreciate his good and make use of his military proficiency, which he had demonstrated in his previous assigned duties, the government promoted him to serve under General DeWitt Clinton, who was the leader of the 15^th Infantry.

Later on in 1940, after working in Ft. Ord and California on transitory basis, the government permanently deployed him to Ft. Lewis, where he acted in full capacity as a regimental officer, where he worked under the command of General Thompson, who was the leader of the third Division.

Later on in 1941, due to his increased prowess in military activities, the government promoted him to be the Chief of the General Staff, serving under General Walter Krueger, who was then the leader in charge of the third Army of Ft. Sam, Texas (Kerry 34-73).

Major Military Duties

Although many previous military ranks were of great importance to his later rise into presidency, his fame grew more immediately after the December 1941 bombing of the Pearl Harbor. Such was the case, because of the U.S. needed to protect its territories, which lead to the calling of the most talented military personnel, as the country tried to formulate revenge measures.

One primary reason why the government assigned Eisenhower a leadership role in the military is because, he one of the most important and talented military men and the fact that, he had successful completed all of his state assigned roles in both the United States and other countries. To the government, this was a clear sign of his sacrifice and dedication to serve his country.

With the deteriorating or worsening American military condition in the Pacific region, under the command of general Marshall, Eisenhower had to help the government draft a plan of action to save the Pacific situation, which was deteriorating with more security threats. To work closely with the troops, the government posted him to the War Plan Division, to help in drafting the required military action to control the pacific situation.

Because of his military prowess, organizational, management, and innovative abilities, satisfied with his competence, through influence of the then the Army Chief of Staff General Marshall, the government promoted Eisenhower to the rank to a Major General (Kelly Para.1-5).

Contrary to his early his parents and siblings anticipation of him coming home soon, this marked the long days that their son could be out of their sight, for it marked the onset of the many journeys he was to make between the U.S. and its affiliate countries, as the country sought a solution to the Pacific problem. In May 1942, Eisenhower attended to his first assignment of traveling to the Britain, as the U.S. sought to tighten its ties with its allies, as a mechanism of dealing with its Pacific enemies.

In November the same year, because of his military prowess the federal government appointed him the Commander in Chief of the Allied forces of North America. Immediately after his appointment, the government assigned him his first mission to the pacific called Operation Torch. This marked the onset of subsequent military duties, for example, the American military attacks on Italy and Sicily.

As the war intensified and the need for more ground military action arose, Eisenhower had the duty of organizing the American Military to avoid defeat in ground war. To have full control of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, countries allied to America appointed him the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, with one primary goal in mind; execution and proper implementation of the Operation Overload plan (Eisenhower 75-87).

His success in steering the allied forces, which marked the commencement of the surrendering of most nations involved in the war by 1944, prompted the federal government to promote him to the General of the Army Rank. This was the only rank with the highest number of stars; five, and it was the most honorary rank that no military personnel had received early.

End of World War II in 1945; marked by the surrendering of Germany, the United States government honored Eisenhower by assigning him the seat of the Military Governor. Although the end of World War II to some extent marked the end of his military work, to some extent it gave him the fame and expertise required to face other more challenging tasks, which were unseen by that time.

After celebration of his safe home return, as if his honorary appointments were not enough, in November 1945, the federal government named him the Chief of Staff. Later on, because of his leadership expertise and the nature of respect the Americans accorded him, in 1948, the federal government appointed him the Colombian University President Seat, which lasted for 2 years.

With his increased fame and military prowess, the following years saw the rise of Eisenhower to a very powerful international military seat namely the Supreme Allied Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO) (National Park Service 1).

The appointment into this seat caused a stir in the American continent, as his fame grew beyond uncontrolled levels, a fact that many research findings attribute to his winning of the presidential elections in 1952. Because of his increased fame, Eisenhowers life ambition changed, because later on that year, for he resigned from all the international and national duties bestowed on him hence, his returning to his home and subsequent announcement of his interests in presidency in 1951.

One primary thing that the world will always remember in Eisenhowers military life is his disagreement with President Trumans decision to drop an atomic bomb in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. To Eisenhower, there was no need of using an atomic bomb on a country that had already surrendered, a suggestion that Truman opposed hence, commanding the dropping, whose impacts are evident even today, although numerous years have passed (Baliles Para. 5-8).

As research studies show, Eisenhower is one of the most firm military leader decision makers, a fact that was evident during the World War II, as many condemned his act of allowing the Red Army to fight in the Berlin Liberation War, a decision that he defended and respected.

In addition to allowing the Red Ribbon Army to fight in the war, sometimes Eisenhower had other military leadership wrangles, a good example being the taking over of duty from the then Military leader of Bavaria George Patton, because he had gone against military rules, which prohibited the use of Nazi armies in the war (Baliles 1).

Eisenhowers Campaign Policies

Due to the good rapport that Eisenhower built in his role as a military leader, the American citizenry granted him a lot of respect and honor, a fact that made his campaigns a success, for many Americans believed that, if he had succeeded in the hardest international wars, them leading the country was to be of no problem to him.

During his first nomination quest, his primary opponent was Robert Taft, whom he defeated hence, taking his presidential bid on a republican seat. One main promise that Eisenhower promised he could achieve is finding a lasting solution to the Korean War, which had lasted for a very long time and wasted many resources.

To Eisenhower ending the war was the only way of fulfilling his second promise of reducing the amount of resources that government had dedicated to all military operations. It is important to note that, because of the many wars that the U.S. government was involved in; war needs had forced the government to increase its overall expenditure to the defense department, a fact that jeopardized other economic development sectors.

To many Americans, this was a promise they were sure he was to achieve, because of his military expertise learnt from his early days in the military.

On the other hand, to Eisenhower ending the war could achieve another of his primary goals of ensuring there was peace and stability all over the world, as it was the only way of mending Americas bad name. Such was the case, because most global societies affected by war considered America a bully nation, which wanted to achieve control of global societies using any means possible (Eleanor Roosevelt Papers 1).

To ensure his development policies favored all departments and as mechanism of offsetting budgetary deficits, Eisenhower promised in his campaigns that, if the Americans elected him as president he could adopt policies that could ensure his government developed a balanced budget.

According to Eisenhower if mothers could approximate and do correct budgetary allocations for their household spending, then how could leaders fail to do that. It is important to note that Eisenhowers campaigns primary used women to pass messages across the political divide, for he considered them the most vulnerable members of the community who had suffered most, because of the previous governments inadequacies (Frum 7-11).

Because of the looming corruption that was prevalent in Trumans administration, to make sure make sure America was a free corruption country, Eisenhower promised to adopt and implement policies and measures necessary to end all the corruption practices within the government.

In addition to ending corruption, adopting a balanced budget, and ending the Korean war, Eisenhower promised to commit all that was at his disposal to control the spread of communism, a fact that he intended to achieve through collaborations and working with NATO (Eleanor Roosevelt Papers 1).

Although Eisenhower was a respected and one of the most adored American leaders, he also had many campaigning difficulties. One of such difficulties was when the public demanded Eisenhower to convince them the he was to eliminate corruption from public offices in reference to Nixons act of diverting some campaign slush funds for his private upkeep.

To counteract this allegations Nixon went public and denied the allegations hence, to some extent winning the public confidence. The second campaign difficulty he faced concerned his associations with the Wisconsin Senator McCarthy, a senator who has accused the government of allowing communist to interfere with governmental departments, a practice that Eisenhower had promised to eliminate.

Eisenhower never agreed with McCarthys allegations, because he took sides with general Marshall, who according to McCarthy was behind the communism infiltrations. Convincing the public about his stand was never an easy undertaking, although finally the public criticisms subsided (Baliles Para. 8-9).

Success and Failures of President Eisenhower

To many Americans, Eisenhower was a historic champion, whom they trusted could achieve the American dream of being the most economically, socially, democratically, and politically developed nation. All throughout his reign one primary thing that Eisenhower believed in is the principle of dynamic conservatism.

The Eisenhowers government never underscored previous governments achievement, although his government brought in more innovations, which greatly boosted all sectors that constituted the American economy (Baliles 1).

One primary thing that his government achieved is bringing into the social security program more innovations. One example of such innovations was extension of the program to a level that it became a cabinet-level agency. Such innovations enabled the program to offer its services to numerous American workers who lacked social security cover. In addition to social security cover, President Eisenhowers government adopted new wage policies, which led to the increment of all employees minimum wages.

To ensure that all governmental and non-governmental institutions implemented all the new policies, he formed three new departments namely Welfare, Health, and Education, which were under government supervision and control. It is necessary to note that, this was one primary reason why most of his endeavors succeeded hence, the nature of reputation individuals up to today accord his leadership style(Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation 1).

Another primary achievement of his government was acceptance of the bill that authorized the construction of the Interstate Highway system, whose main role was to aid military activities in case security threats arose.

It is important to note that, Eisenhower came into power during the Cold War, a period whose main characteristic was enmity between many nations, which were either pro or anti-America. In addition to aiding military activities, the highway was important in the movement of logistics around the U.S., for such logistics movements were necessary for the economic well-being of United States (American History Central 1).

In addition, to such constructions, Eisenhowers governments improved not only the U.S. States security but also other countries security, as it was the only mechanism of ensuring it protected its local and international development. Most security endeavors were in the bid to keep his campaign promises of ensuring that peace and stability reigned in the United States.

Eisenhowers endeavors to ensure peace prevailed globally started with his early visit to Asia in an endeavor to sign a peace pact, which later led to the signing of the New Look agreement, marking the end of the war. Another security endeavor was evident in 1957, when his government declared that any Middle East country that showing some communism aggression towards the United states its allied countries could face extreme military action.

This was the primary method of dealing with communism, although at some level some Arab countries opposed this notion. An example of his governments attempt to stop the spread of communism was 1957, when his government offered some economic help to Syrias neighbors, as mechanism of enticing them to stage attacks against Syria, it being one of the countries that opposed its Middle East dominance.

Another example is during the time his government deployed over fifteen thousand soldiers in Lebanon to aid in the military action named Operation Blue Bat. The primary goal of this operation was to help the Lebanese government deal with a far-reaching revolution that was almost taking over the country, in addition to ensuring western powers maintained their rule over this region.

In addition to Lebanon Eisenhowers government also participated actively during the Vietnam War, for it supported the Frenchs rule in Vietnam, although to some extent President Eisenhower never liked the idea. Further, as concerned the Vietnam War, his government provided some economic support to the then South Vietnam government, although there were many oppositions from his general and other military personnel (Hahn 38-47).

Eliminating of racial segregations was another primary goal that his government endeavored to achieve. Racial segregation was a prevalent practice in almost all previous governments; however, a revolution came into America immediately after Eisenhowers win. Eisenhowers government abolished the practice by abolishing the racially segregated schooling orientation, that ensured whites and blacks never shared the same school settings.

To fully abolish such segregations, President Eisenhower ensured the congress enacted and passed into law a legislation that was necessary for elimination of such segregations, for example civil rights laws of 1957 and 1960. Although some states complied with these new provisions, some refused hence, prompting even military action to implement the orders, a good example being the deployment of army officers in 1957 to safeguard t nine black students who schooled in Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas (Dudziak 23-45).

Economically, President Eisenhowers government helped America rebuild its economy, an economy that had suffered many blows because of cold war and other domestic problems. His government was able to reduce the inflation rate to less than two percent, hence the expanding of Americas economy throughout his reign.

In addition to reducing the inflation rate, his government adopted job creation policies, which drastically reduced the unemployment rate in America, an achievement that research attributes to his ability to provide Americans with a balanced budget.

Such economic developments were evident in the U.S., because the stable and booming economy gave Americans an opportunity of purchasing new properties hence, a clear sign of the success of his governments economic policies. Although this was the case, it is important to note that, still some American natives lived below the poverty line, primarily individuals who lived in the southern sections of North America (National Endowment for Humanities Para. 2-3 and Saulnier 1-8).

Failures

One primary failure of President Eisenhower is his inability to prevent power misuses in his government, a case that was evident with McCarthys actions. It is important to note that, Eisenhower never failed completely to deal with Senator McCarthys case, but rather his inability to deal with the case directly was the primary reason behind abuse of office power by this senator. Hence, considering this President Eisenhower failed to protect other senators civil rights, for his actions clearly indicated some form of biasness.

This is because; Eisenhower lacked the will of using his office power to reprimand a bad action from one of his fellow republican. Another failure to protect all Americans civil rights was during the periods of the schools desegregation wars.

Although to some extent, he supported the notion of eliminating the school segregation concept by providing some military security to black students who attended Central high School in Little Rock, Arkansas, his support never lasted all throughout his reign. This was a major shortfall of his government, because after 1958, some schools readopted the segregation concept (Baliles 1).

On the other hand, although he is one of historical figures accredited with numerous successes in war, his policies of giving peace dialogues a first priority, created many loopholes in the U.S.s security endeavors. This was evident immediately after his retirement, because of the escalation of the cold war between the Middle East countries and Western powers (Baliles p.1).

Conclusion

In conclusion, President Eisenhower is one of the greatest historical personalities in the American History, because of his numerous achievements that are evident in the present U.S., as the United States is one of the most advanced and developed nations in terms of military prowess and activities.

Works Cited

American History Central. Dwight D., Eisenhower. History Central. 2010. Web.

Ater, Gary. President Dwight D. Eisenhower: a democrat in GOP clothing. American Chronicle, 5 Jan. 2010. Web.

Baliles, Robert. American president, an online reference resource for U.S. Presidents: Dwight Eisenhower. Miller Centre of Public Affairs. 2010. Web.

Darby, Jean. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Minneapolis: Lerner publications, 2004. Web.

Dudiziak, Mary. Cold war, civil rights: race and image of the American Democracy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2000. Print.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation. Biography: Dwight David Eisenhower. 2000. Web.

Eisenhower, Dwight. Crusade, volume 1. Baltimore, Maryland: Doubleday and Company, 1948. Web.

Eisenhower, Dwight. The military complex: with an introduction by Jesse Smith. New York: Basementia Publications, 2006. Web.

Eleanor Roosevelt Papers. Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969). Eleanor National Historic Site. 2003. Web.

Frum, David. How we got there: the 70s. New York: Basic Books, 2000. Print.

Hahn, Peter. Securing the Middle East: the Eisenhower doctrine of 1957.

Presidential Quarterly 36.1(2006): 38-47. Print.

Kelly, Martin. Dwight D. Eisenhower-Thirty-fourth president of the United States. 2010. Web.

Kerry, Irish. Apt Pupil: Dwight Eisenhower and the 1930 industrial mobilization Plan. The Journal of Military History 70.1 (2006): 31-61. Print.

National Achieves and Administration Libraries. Post presidential years. 2010. Web.

National Endowment for Humanities. Legacy: Dwight D. Eisenhower. National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation For Public Broadcasting. 2009. Web.

National Park Service. Eisenhower Military Chronology. National Park Service. 2010. Web.

Rousch, Jim. Dwight David Eisenhower, democrat. No! Really! News Vine, 2010. Web.

Saulnier, Raymond. Eisen economic strategy: promoting growth and personal Freedom by creating conditions favorable to the operation of a market Based economy. Forum for Social Economics 34.1(2004): 1-8. Print.

Summers, Robert. Dwight David Eisenhower. Potus President of the United States, 16 May. 2009. Web.

Introduction

It all started on 1^st September 1939 when Germany attacked Poland without warning and that was when the world entered into war with itself. For a period which lasted for 6 years, manhood was under the threat of extinction since men slaughtered fellow men like goats and destruction of property took centre stage. World War 2 began in 1939 and ended in the year 1945.

The United States of America dropped two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing more 120000 in the two islands leaving thousands of the populace suffering from the radiation effects. World War II ended (1945) and the world swore never to go to war with itself ever again. The impact of this war was felt everywhere in the world but this study will concentrate on the impacts the war had on Asia (Anon World War 2 in the pacific1).

Decolonization of most of the East Asian Countries

With the main colonial powers coming from Europe, the 2^nd world war had been left weak and unable to manage their colonies due to the scarcity of resources. They were preoccupied with own problems and the rise of anti- imperialist sentiments back at home lessened the process of decolonization (Neher 1).

Colonies were not ready to be colonized again after what they saw during the 2^nd world war. Colonies which had helped their colonial masters during the war were granted independence after the war ended examples of the countries that regained their independence were the Philippines from the United States of America in 1946, India from Britain followed in 1947, Ceylon and Burma in 1948 among others (Linter 1).

Expansion of the Asian Economy

The period after the Second World War saw the emergence and expansion of the world economies. As a result of business liberalization, technology advancements, and industrial growth nations (such as China and India) have undertaken dynamic growth of manufactured goods thus narrowing the massive per capita income gap that separated the European nations and their Asian counterparts (Findlay & ORourke 13).

Countries such as Japan and China started rebuilding their economies so as to compete with the rest of the world. Evidence shows that after the 1945 bombing Japan has improved and at present they are the strongest economy after US and china (Barboza 1).

The use of Women as comfort during the War

Situated throughout Asia were the comfort women; this is recorded as the ugliest mass rape of women where the Japanese soldiers abducted women as young as eleven years old and imprisoned them in rape camps. It was estimated that these comfort women could serve as many as 50 soldiers a day.

Not only were they beaten and starved but as well as forced to procure abortions in case any of them got pregnant. The little fraction that survived endured physical injuries and emotional breakdowns throughout their lives (Anon Japanese sex slavery before, during and after World War II. 1).

Changing Sex Ratio on Marriages and Fertility

Following the devastating losses during the 2^nd world war, the disproportionate death of young men resulted to drastic changes in sex ratios among the populations surviving the war. This resulted in lower rates of marriage and fertility and high rates of children born out of the wedlock. As a result of the war most women were now involved in work which their husbands used to be involved with in order to feed themselves.

Nuclear Weapons

With the Second World War countries in the Asia improved their war technologies and started arming themselves in readiness of any war in case it ever explodes (Neher 4). Countries began devising strategies on how to protect themselves. Of late we have had the missiles testing of North Korea and the suspicion of Iran developing atomic bombs all as a result of countries trying to guard their interest.

Use of Technology

The Second World War also brought about technology advancements. As the world swore never to fight again there was formation of the League of Nations whose main aim was to steer cooperation and peace among member states.

This was followed by the establishment of GATT (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs) whose main aim was to ease trade among world countries by reducing trade barriers and tariffs. The exchange of goods and services was easier thus the faster transfer of technologies among different economies in Asia. These among others were the impacts of this war on Asia

Conclusion

The World War II had both its positive and negative repercussions though loss of human lives cannot be equated with any economic or technology empowerment. it is advisable to note that Asia also gained some benefits from the war example the economies expansion and technology advancements.

One thing should remain clear is that as the countries develop and compete with others never again should the world ever fight against itself. We should always find alternative ways of solving our problems other than fighting with fellow humans. Preach Peace.

Works Cited

Anon. Japanese sex slavery before, during and after World War II, 2009. Web.

Anon. World War 2 in the pacific, 2010. Web.

Barboza, David. China Passes Japan as Second-Largest Economy, 2010. Web.

Findlay Ronald and ORourke, Kevin. Power and Plenty: Trade, War and the World Economy in the Second Millennium, 2007. Web.

Linter, Bertil. How World War II Shaped Burmas Future, 2005. Web.

Neher, Arlene. Southeast Asia during World War II. Web.

Introduction

The post World War II (WW2) period is significant because many new states emerged in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, gaining independence from their colonizers. The people living at that time were engaged in nationalist movements, although they manifested differently in various parts of the world. For instance, in China, the communist movement was the leader of the people in gaining independence. In other parts of the world, independence was achieved through negotiations and agreements. This paper aims to examine the post-WW2 period and explain the decolonization in Asia and Africa, its specifics, and how the people living at that time experienced these events.

Major Events after WW2

WW2 affected the world order and resulted in significant rearrangements. According to Tignor et al. (2014), WW2 resulted in the following  the war itself left the unresolved issues of WW1 and heightened them, such as plans of Germany and Japan to expand their political impact on other states, and the United States and the Soviet Union becoming superpowers. Moreover, WW2 greatly affected Europe, since the majority of the states were left in ruins, and this inevitably had an impact on the people living there. Japan was recovering from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, while the United States was engaged in helping rebuild Europe to form an alliance against the Soviet Union (Tignor et al., 2014). The weakened states could not resist the demands of their colonies for autonomy.

This allowed people in colonized countries to reconsider their nationalistic views and fight for their independence. The colonization had a negative effect on the people living in the colonies, not only because the natural resources and labor were exploited by the colonies, but also because the presence of them created boundaries where none existed (Office of the Historian, n.d.). Thus, a lack of national, ethnic, linguistic, or even political affinity was present across the colonies.

Decolonization in Asia

The period after WW2 is notable for the Asian and African regions because of the extensive decolonization, since people engaged in civil wars, conflicts, or negotiations to gain independence. Between 1945 and 1960, more than ten states in these regions achieved autonomy from the colonial countries in Europe (Office of the Historian, n.d.). The process of decolonization was not heterogeneous and occurred differently in different regions.

In some, it was peaceful, while others achieved statehood through protests and conflicts, depending on the context and the view of nationalism in a particular state. Moreover, the development of these states after the decolonization was different as well, with some falling under a dictatorship and others developing a democratic rule (Tingor et al., 2014; Office of the Historian, n.d.). In some cases, the European states welcomed independence, while other conflicts arose.

Notably, this process occurred during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and The United States, which also affected the process. Additionally, according to the Office of the Historian (n.d.), during World War II Japan, itself a significant imperial power, drove the European powers out of Asia. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, local nationalist movements in the former Asian colonies campaigned for independence rather than a return to European colonial rule (para. 10).

The decolonization process had the following pattern  civil war, negotiated independence, and incomplete decolonization (Tignor et al., 2014, p. 755). For example, in China, the communists led the nationalist movement. Tignor et al. (2014) argue that in Asia, people did not want to restore the colonial or quasi-colonial rule of Japan, especially considering the fact that the state was weakened by the war.

The increasing tensions affected the development of the Manhatten Project, which affected the aftermath of WW2. Overfieled (2013) cites the letter from Neville Chamberline, who warned the United States about an atomic bomb project in Germany and advised developing a similar one. The bomb was later used to destroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was the final stage of WW2 and affected Japans impact within the Asian region.

Overfield (2013) provides some primary sources to help understand the aftermath of WW2, specifically for Japan. The diary of Iwao Nakamura, in which he portrays the events that happened in Hiroshima, helps understand how Japan dealt with the post-war consequences. More specifically, the boy recalls the day of the bombing, stating that he was used to alarms because the city was often targeted by the military.

The bombing erased some of the citys regions within minutes, which later resulted in many debates regarding the use of nuclear weapons. Henry Stimson published the decision to use the atomic bomb, explaining the thought process of President Truman and the Interim Committee (Overfield, 2013). Notably, in the aftermath of the events, the classification of the states as First World, Second World, and Third World emerged.

India and some African states were able to gain independence through negotiations, although in some states such as Algeria and South Africa the process of nationalization was obstructed by the fact that many European settlers still resided in the countries. According to Tignor et al. (2014), Indian nationalists and many African leaders achieve independence through negotiations, although the process involved a little bloodshed(p. 782; p. 756). India was ready for independence, and because the British were afraid of coercion, they decided to withdraw their forces and grant independence. However, India did struggle with defining the type of governance it should have and the state organization, which almost led to a civil conflict.

People were thinking about and experiencing historical events differently since different ideologies were dominant in different parts of the world. In China, communists carry out a revolution, led by Mao Zedong, which continued the unresolved conflict between communists and nationalists from WW1 (Tignor et al., 2014). The latter was diverted in 1937 by the Japanese troops, providing the change to regroup and restore power for the communists.

Once Japan surrendered, the conflict between the nationalist and communist forces was reinforced. The communist movement was popular mainly with the people living in rural parts of China. From 1937 to 1945, the number of people who joined the communists increased from approximately 40,000 to 1,000,000 (Tingor et al., 2014). As a result, Mao Zedong established a so-called peoples state while the nationalists retreated to Taiwan.

Conclusion

Overall, this paper examined the development of events after WW2. This period is significant for Asia and Africa because many states gained independence from colonizers. This process was not heterogeneous, with different attitudes towards independence from the colonizers and different approaches to autonomy by the actual states. Hence, the people experienced these historical events differently, although the general trend of wanting to gain independence persisted across different regions.

References

Office of the Historian. (n.d.). Decolonization of Asia and Africa, 19451960. Web.

Overfield, J. H. (2013). Sources of global history since 1900 (2nd ed.). Cengage.

Tignor, A., Kotkin, A., & Tsin, M. P. (2014). Worlds together worlds apart/ Volume C: 17750 to present (4th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.

The Marshall plan or ERP (European Recovery Plan) produced the following effects on the design after World War Two:

1. increasing emphasis on cost-reduction and minimalism;
2. orientation toward industrial needs;
3. populism or appeal toward a very wide audience.

These are the most important legacies of the Marshall or European Recovery plan. It should be noted this initiative was aimed at restoring the industry and infrastructure of all countries, which sufferer severe losses after the war. Another objective of the Marshall Plan was to strengthen the influence of the United States in Western Europe and prevent the Soviet Union from assuming control in this region.

During the years after World War II, the United States provided more than 12 billion dollars to its allies. Much American government as well as some private companies made considerable investment into manufacturing companies of these countries. European enterprises embraced the production models, used in the United States, and these models manifested themselves in the works of many post-WWII designers.

To some degree, one can argue that the effects of the Marshall Plan on design can be accounted for by the increasing economic influence of the United States on Western European countries. These economic and social changes found their reflections in the works of many designers, who were working in different areas such as construction, interior, and furniture design. Moreover, these trends manifested itself in many countries like Italy, Switzerland, or even Japan.

To, some extent, the impacts of the Marshall on design can be explained by the economic situation in Europe at that time, and especially the necessity to reduce the costs of production. This is the main rationale for a minimalistic approach to design. For example, one can mention furniture of that period, especially chairs, designed by Joe Colombo and Giancarlo Piretti (Figures 1 and 2).

The main feature of Colombo and Pirettis designs is that it is possible to launch the massive production of these chairs and make these products affordable for the growing European population. These examples show how the Marshall plan affected the design of that period and they illustrate several of its legacies: the tendency toward cost-reduction and minimalism and orientation toward industrial needs.

As it has been said before, the Marshall Plan was aimed at restoring the economy and industry of Western Europe. Thus, designers and artists had to adjust their work to this need. By adopting this minimalistic approach many companies were able to increase the speed of production, and this was very important for people, many of whom were lacking the most essential goods such as furniture.

Furthermore, the designer had to accommodate their works to the needs of many corporations which employed thousands of workers. The furniture, designed in such a way proved to be quite suitable for the needs of these companies since they were ergonomic and relatively inexpensive. This tendency has not disappeared nowadays. The furniture of modern office buildings, fast-food restaurants is very reminiscent of the designs of Joe Colombo and Giancarlo Piretti. Thus, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the effects of the Marshall Plan are very diverse and long-stranding.

As it has been mentioned before, orientation toward the needs of mass production was an inherent characteristic of post World War II design. In this case, one can speak about different kinds of industries, including construction. The main peculiarity of exterior design in the late sixties is the ease of reproduction. After this war, many European countries were virtually lying in ruins, and it was necessary to provide decent housing to people as quickly as possible. To some degree, this situation was reflected in the works of many designers of that time. For instance, one can refer to Romaldo Giurgola and his designs Dayton House (Figure 3).

Again, it is possible to say that austerity is the key feature of this building. More importantly, this austerity can be observed in the design of suburban areas. Minimalism can also be observed in interior design, especially in the works of Monta Mozuna (Figure 4). One of the goals that the European Recovery Plan had to attain was to restore infrastructure, especially housing. It could be done only if the design of the buildings was minimalistic and relatively simple. Their works are not as sophisticated especially in comparison with the exterior designs of the early twentieth century. However, this minimalism was one of the ways to resolve the housing problem.

This trend produced a lasting impression on the designers who witnessed this recovery. Romaldo Giurgola and Monta Mozuna represent this tendency in post-WW-2 design and they are not the only ones. It has to be admitted that the tendency to minimalism emerged before World War II; even at the beginning of the twentieth-century exterior designers began to exclude those elements which did not serve any practical purpose.

Nonetheless, after the war, this trend became much more prominent. The works of Romaldo Giurgola and Monta Mozuna clearly illustrate this point. Certainly, Giurgola and Mozuna are not the only designers, who stressed the importance of minimalism, but they represent the trend that emerged after World War II.

The most important objective of the Marshall Plan was to revive the economy of Western Europe. In part, it could be done by reducing the cost of manufacturing and by making the products accessible to a wide range of audiences.

However, it was also vital to make goods appealing to people. This is the main reason why populism became a typical characteristic of the design. It combined both minimalisms and appeal to a persons self-esteem. The most eloquent example that can illustrate this point is the design of vehicles. One can look at the works of Gae Aulenti, who designed many of Fiat vehicles (Figure 5). He treated the cars as dynamic objects; one of their distinctive features was streamlining, which can be seen in curved lines.

This approach to vehicle design was widespread among American car manufacturers and European automakers adopted them. On the whole, this populistic approach to design greatly contributed to the growth of many European companies. At this point, we can argue that the effects of the Marshall plan on the design were caused by the economic and demographic situation in Western European countries.

It should be noted that some legacies of the Marshal plan have not disappeared even now. Minimalism remains a typical characteristic of modern design. This argument is particularly relevant when we are speaking about interior design and furniture. There are numerous examples, which prove this point; one of them is the interior design of the Red Bull Office in London (Figure 6).

Certainly, the economic situation has dramatically changed since that period, and the purchasing power of modern people has enhanced in comparison with the first decades after World War II. However, contemporary design is more inclined toward austerity and minimalism rather than a luxury. This is probably the most important legacy of the Marshall plan.

Thus, we have said at the very beginning, the main legacies of the Marshall plan are minimalistic design, orientation toward the needs of mass producers, and populism. These trends can be observed in different areas such as exterior and interior design, furniture, vehicles, etc. In the years, following World War II, they were largely motivated by economic restraints and the demographic situation in Europe.

Yet, the legacies of ERP are palpable even nowadays. The discussion shows that art and design reflect the changes in society and international relations, and one cannot study the history of our without in-depth knowledge of economic and social development. In addition to that, it is possible to argue that the design of that period throws much light on the needs of people, their major concerns, and their financial capabilities.

Introduction

Russia occupies two continents; a large part of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The countrys climate is close to generally continental, even though as it rises from west to east the influence of the Atlantic Ocean reduces. Continental climate is found in the East Siberia and an Artic climate is found in the northern parts. The monsoonal climate in the Far Easts southern parts is under the influence of the Pacific Ocean that results in fairly warm and rainy conditions during summer but winter is cold with slight snow. Within the country, summers are hot in the south and warm elsewhere but during winter it becomes cold all over the country (Atlapedia online, Para. 2).

The mean temperature for the year in European Russia is under the freezing point and the mean for the most part of Siberia is at freezing or under the freezing point. Russia has basically only two seasons, that is, winter and summer that have very small intervals between them. The countrys temperature extremes recorded are -94° for the lowest recorded in Verkhoyansky and the highest is 38° recorded in many southern weather stations (Anonymous, Russia Climate Para. 3).

The effects (of long and cold winter) determines the kinds of crops to be grown and the place they are grown since there is no all year round growing season anywhere in the country, the length that people work, where they live and the length of time they live. The duration of the winter and its severe effects and the sharp continuous variations in the average temperatures both during the summer and the winter, bring in many special needs in various sectors of the economy. In areas where permanent freezing occurs, machines have to be manufactured using special steel, buildings have to be set up on pilings and transportation structures must be constructed in a manner that they will have to work well in both extremes of the temperatures. Also, during the cold season, there is a higher need for special clothing, medical care and energy. It is from these same effects of winter that the Russian soldiers, the Red Army, were able to defeat the Germany soldiers in the World War II who were not used to this climate.

The Russian Climate and the German Progression in World War Ii

The Germany soldiers faced very severe winter conditions some months after invading Western Russia in the month of June during the year 1941. This was quite out of line of the usual weather patterns in the climatic records in a long period of time. Therefore, the Germany soldiers were got unawares and found themselves in a helpless state. This was a state in which the Russian soldiers had earlier on found themselves in while fighting in Finland in the Winter War towards the end of the year 1939 (Anonymous, Seacom climate Para. 9). However, even though it is quite acceptable that the Russian soldiers, the Red Army, had done badly in Finland, there had been justifying conditions. The 1939  1940 winter was one of the severest during the century and the Russian soldiers had not received training to operate under such conditions. For instance, in the first phase operation there was poor coordination among the arms and also there was inadequacy in terms of intelligence and preparation.

Even though the Russians had won the war but their victory had come at a cost. They accepted that 48,000 of their own people were dead while 158,000 sustained major injuries and they had also lost several tanks together with planes. But all the same, Russia was in a position to bear such losses and the valuable thing they obtained from the war was the experience of fighting in a modern war (Trueman, 2000b, Para; last).

The Red Army worked very hard in the year that followed the Winter War, 1941, with the goal that in that year the army would be a much extra successful armed machine (Coutsoukis Para. 11). Therefore, the harmful experiences in the Winter War led to an all-inclusive re-evaluation of the soviet winter combating strategy (Armstrong & Welsh Para. 4).

So, at the time Germany attacked Russia, the Russians had had some training on how to fight in severe climatic conditions. Whoever sets foot in Russia for the first time experiences a new strange environment. Just in the same way, the Germany soldiers had this strange feeling of entering in to a strange environment. They felt they were entering a whole new world where they were not just opposed by the powers of the foe but also by those of nature. Nature is a supporter of the Red Army and an attack against this union needed great sacrifices. To win a war against the powerful fundamentals of nature was the hardest thing since their anger and effect were not fully comprehended by the Germany Soldiers who had no training to overcome them. The Germany Army had originally had an impression that the Russian soldiers could be finished at Dniepers west and it would be needless for them to stage operations in snow, cold, and mud (United States Army para.1).

The severe winter occurred in the year 1941  1942 during the World War 2. Germanys defeat may be attributed to Hitlers failure to implement Operation Barbarossa plans in time before the start of the severe cold season. His overconfidence in his strategies and self-assurance of victory and having no time to get ready for even the likelihood of winter combat in Russia led to his failure. The loss of time resulted from the implantation of orders that Hitler had given to the Germany soldiers to capture the Russian prisoners and to destroy Russian equipment. This resulted in the incurrence of the impact of winter before the Germans meeting the Hitlers goals. Very few German soldiers were prepared to cope with the severe winter conditions and so; most of the soldiers were heavily affected by the low temperatures. At this point, the war became an attack by the severe cold weather that would prevent any soldier leave alone one that is ready for such severe conditions (Trueman, 2000a, Para. 15).

The freezing, ice, and snow conditions were very severe on the entire frontline from the west of Kalini, Leningrad, Murmansk, Moscow, Rostov and Krim. The temperature during the day from the middle of November 1941 was -3°C and went further lower during the night to -7° C. The temperatures further fell low to -25°C in the month of November in the Eastern Front. This caused blocking of the mechanized operations by Germany. This blocking was by the snowballs. In December, the temperatures had gone to a low of -40° C and this led to a declaration by the Germany high commander to postpone all major operations in the north until spring. Therefore, the first winter war that the Germany soldiers fought in Russia began in 1942 in the month of January. The fight in Moscow went on until the month of April in the same year. This battle involved over three million people, about 3000 tanks, over 2000 aircrafts and about twenty two thousand guns.

Just before the onset of the severe cold that hit the Eastern Front, from the beginning of October to the time the low temperatures started, we had quite a heavy mud  period. This began at around the seventh day of October with snow and went on with rain. Up to the end of the year in the month of December, Germany had lost 174,000 soldiers and over a half a million were having injuries and in addition about 36,000 were no where to be seen. In addition, Germany lost a total of 1336 of bomber and fighter planes among other types of aircrafts (Anonymous Seacom climate Para.15).

In conclusion, just as in Napoleons military prior to them, the Germany soldiers were not able to rise above geography and demolish the Russians. The Russias geography caused a holdup in taking actions. Several mistakes were made by the German commanders and among them was the assumption that the whole organization of the Russian government will be overturned after the first beat of the Russian army. Geography, in the end, played a major role as a protection of Fortress Russia (Caldwell, Ehlen & Harmon Para. 1).

Works Cited

Anonymous. Russia Climate, 2009. Web.

Anonymous. Seacom climate, 2009. Web.

Atlapedia online. 1993. Web.

Chris, Trueman (a). Operation Barbarossa. 2009. Web.

Chris, Trueman (b). Winter War, 2000. Web.

Douglas R. Caldwell, Judy Ehlen and Russell, S. Harmon, Studies in Military Geography and Geology, 2004. Web.

Photius Coutsoukis. Winter War, The Library of Congress Country Studies, 1998. Web.

Richard, N. Armstrong and Joseph, G. Welsh. Winter warfare: Red Army orders and experiences, 1997. Web.

United States Army. Effects of Climate on Combat in European Russia. Center of Military History. 2005. Web.

Introduction

Aircraft manufacturing changed a lot after the end of World War 2. Changing markets, increasing needs in the commercial market, the emergence of a new enemy, and new emerging technologies created many new opportunities and challenges during the post-war era. After so many years of war, the new era of peace brought with it a feeling of exploration and a time to get out and experience new things. Civilians now wanted to utilize these new air routes that cris-crossed the globe, making the world a smaller place.

Meanwhile, after a time of demobilization and drawdowns, it became apparent that a new enemy from the other side of the world was building up their military strength and waiting to see which side would blink first. Military contractors knew that they would have to keep innovating and developing to propel the United States into the second half of the twentieth century.

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A Changing World for Aircraft Manufacturing Post World War 2

In the years following World War 2, the aircraft manufacturing industry began seeing a shift from government to commercial use. As the war ended, the need for a buildup of equipment and aircraft was no longer there, yet the public saw airliners as a new and efficient way to travel across the continent or across the globe. Turbofan engines became more fuel efficient than turbo-prop over long distances. With the global conflict over and airlines competing against each other, it was a great time for customers to experience the new way of travel.

The introduction of new technology meant businesses needed to ensure their pilots, crew, and maintainers were familiarized with the new equipment. So companies like Boeing introduced schools where they could educate their employees about working on and operating the new pressurized body. During the war, Boeing nicknamed their school in Seattle the “Fortress school” after their flying fortress, where they taught military personnel how to fly and maintain their epic flying machine, but after the war, they transformed the “Fortress school” into the “Stratocruiser school.” This Stratocruiser school helped pilots make the leap from piston aircraft to jet-powered ones. Douglas Aircraft Company, later called McDonnell Douglas before merging with Beoing in 1997, had similar schools in California.

Global Connectivity and Maintenance

The globe began to shrink with all these aircraft reaching new and distant locations with airplanes traveling so far from home. Companies realized it was far cheaper to keep representatives out near these remote sites to recover or repair anything that might happen to the aircraft, for example, in case one crashed and needed to be repaired enough to fly home.

Although military sales had almost come to a stop after the war, the government soon realized that they needed to keep pace with the military complex of the USSR. So contracts were made for newer aircraft that utilized the new jet-powered engines, aircraft that are still in use today, like the B-52 and the KC-135, which were built to traverse the globe quickly and efficiently during a tumultuous time in our history. The United States aircraft was designed to carry nuclear and non-nuclear munitions; even fighter aircraft had been modified to obtain this ability. This mindset helped lay down ideals still used in developing aircraft to this day. New jet engines were not only fuel efficient but possessed more horsepower than traditional piston-driven motors, meaning they could still perform at the required levels while still carrying heavier loads.

Conclusion

The post-war period saw many changes in the aircraft manufacturing industry, creating many challenges and opportunities. Some of these were how to overcome power output and fuel consumption. The greatest minds of the time were brought together to innovate the way we move about the globe, learning from what they have experienced during the war; they say necessity breeds innovation, well these individuals used what they learned in the war and came back home to develop new technologies to stay competitive on the world stage.

References

1. Boyne, W. J., & Bilstein, R. E. (2016, August 04). History of flight. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/history-of-flight/From-airmail-to-airlines-in-the-United-States
2. Clarke, M. A. (2008, December 3). The Evolution of Military Aviation. Retrieved from https://www.nae.edu/TheEvolutionofMilitaryAviation.aspx
3. Why did the turbojet replace the piston engine? (2018, February). Retrieved October 25, 2018, from https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/48953/why-did-the-turbojet-replace-the-piston-engine
4. Winship, W. (n.d.). Boeing & Douglas: A History of Customer Service. Retrieved from https://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_01/textonly/ps01txt.html

Introduction

During the year 1941, America was still trying to recover from the great depression. Many people had no jobs. When the United States entered the war, it changed the nation. The war created many jobs and opportunities to have a better economy for citizens. Soldiers enter and join the war in hopes of having a better future and helping their families.

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Mexican American Contributions, Challenges, and Impact during World War II

Leaving behind farming and agriculture jobs. Programs like the Bracero program also had a big impact on the economy of war. The Mexican American society helped the nation’s economy by providing cheap labor and agricultural goods during the war. The Bracero workers faced many challenges, like discrimination and racism. The Braceros program changed the United States. Mexican American workers fought and persevered through racism and discrimination.

The war had made the united states very scarce in resources. Many men and women work to try to help the nation. Farm laborers went looking for higher wages and joined the soldiers. This left United States farms with no workers.

Latinos had a big impact on world war two. More than 300,000 Mexican Americans workers participated. The participation that Latinos contributed during the war was very well needed due to the lack of workers. The Bracero Program is a program that contributed to the nation during world war two. “The Bracero program was an agreement between the U.S. and Mexican governments that permitted Mexican citizens to take temporary agricultural work in the United States” (Marentes pg.1). This agreement helped the united states face the challenges that the war had brought.

The braceros’ program was predominantly Mexican citizens as well as Mexican Americans. The braceros’ program helped the United States meet the economic need that the war brought upon the country. The Bracero program impacted not only the United States during World War two but also after the war. “The braceros converted the agricultural fields of America into the most productive on the planet.” (Marentes pg 23). Even with the program, many Latinos faced discrimination after the war ended. The braceros were not the only ones faced with discrimination; so were the Latino soldiers that fought in the war.

Bracero Program’s Influence

The Bracero program had an agreement that protected the workers from being discriminated against. “Mexican workers shall not suffer discriminatory acts of any kind.” (Campbell Pg. 2) The Mexican government wanted to ensure that the people were safe, but even with the agreement, the conditions were disregarded by the government and the landowners. When the war was over, the agreement was that the workers were set to go back to Mexico. It took about fifteen years later for the program to end. This creates a sense of resentment among many American workers who came back from the war and had no jobs in the fields.

A letter to a Dallas newspaper explains why people were opposed to Mexican labor. The language that is used to describe the worker is degrading and insulting. “the wetback labor was no recourse to law or this country” (Idar pg.1). In the interview of a father who worked as a bracero in Arizona, he is reminiscing about the times he works in the fields. “I used to get paid $1.25 an hour.” (Marquez 11). The agreement of the braceros’ pay was at least $3.00 an hour. Due to necessity, the workers would stay and work for less than minimum wage. The discrimination made the Mexican government forbid the workers from working in states like Texas.

Not only was discrimination a problem in the field but so was racism against the workers. The braceros would deal with different types of racism. “The workers would not only experience the abuse from racist extremists but the average American as well.” (Marentes pg. 26). Even though many Mexican braceros were Mexican Americans and the contribution they had to help during the war. The farmers still faced abuse. A simple act of getting a cup of coffee would become difficult for a worker.

In a journal, a worker writes a time when he wanted a cup of coffee and was denied because of his race. “The owner stated flatly: I’ll serve you, but I don’t serve Mexicans.'(Kibbe pg.2). The racism against the braceros was very notable. The braceros had to live through it because there were always more people that could take their place.

Conclusion

The Bracero Program is a very criticized program. The war ended, and the program continued, which caused a lot of controversial discussions. Having the braceros work on farms during the war helped the United States achieve a better economy. Having the braceros work after the war ended created segregation within Mexican American societies. Understanding what the Braceros’ program was and how it impacted the nation during world war two and after the war is important. By understanding the program, it allows people to see the impact it had in the United States.

Understanding the downs sides of the program, such as discrimination and racism, is a part of how the nation was affected. Especially the Mexican American people who were working in the field or who came back from the war. The Braceros Program created a gateway for the Chicano movement and the laborer activist to fight for the civil rights of farm workers in the united states.

Bibliography

1. Abbott, Franky, and Hillary Brady. “Mexican Labor and World War II: The Bracero Program.” Mexican Labor and World War II: The Bracero Program | DPLA, dp. la/primary-source-sets/mexican-labor-and-world-war-ii-the-bracero-program.
2. Franky Abbott, Hillary Brady. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/mexican-labor-and-world-war-ii-the-bracero-program/additional-resources#tabs
3. Idar, Eduardo, Jr., “Press statement and telegram from Ed Idar, Jr., to E. M. Dealey,” Digital Public Library of America, http://dp.la/item/46389f80435feed6d6da4cfda727261d.
4. Marquez, Luis and José Marquez, “Oral History with Luis Marquez and José Marquez,” Digital Public Library of America, http://dp.la/item/810aad4d4402c50919a1a31af41ea729.

Introduction

World War 2 was fought between the Allied powers and Axis power in the year 1939 to 1945 (A&E Television Network, 2018). Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939 (History plex. 2018). Britain and France, who promised military support to Poland asked Germany to withdraw their armies from Poland, but Germany turned a deaf ear, so Britain and France declared war against Germany and eventually World War 2 had begun (History Plex, 2018). World War 2 is considered a good war to have fought because of its many advantages. New technologies were developed noted are rocket technology, nuclear energy, jet engines, and new medicines (Altman, P., 2015). It was after the war that stronger peace-maintaining bodies Were formed and worked to promote peace and strengthen the relations of different countries.

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Advantages and Technological Progress

European colonialism came to an end. The war provided opportunities for women to work beyond housewives; while men were out fighting the war, the vacuums in the industrial sector were filled by women (Kid Port., 2012). This made women Independent even after the war ended. Since World War 2 took the lives of millions of civilians, there are critics of the good war fought. World War 2 has negative impacts on the social, economic, and political systems of the countries.

Human Tragedy and Negative Consequences

World War 2 has huge social impacts. World War 2 can never be a good war fought as; it took 80 million of civilian lives (Altman, P., 2014). Hitlers concentration camps And the holocaust took 6 million Jews’ lives. (Kid Port, 2012). War fought was never a good one as the victory of the Russians was celebrated with the gang raps of millions of German women (Geoffrey, W., 2014). The bombing and the nuclear Power destroyed millions of homes, leaving people homeless, hungry, and cold on the streets.

As a result of this, many civilians died from various diseases and malnutrition. War was not a good one as, across countries, entire cities were ruined, landscapes were ravaged, and millions of citizens were left homeless. Institutions such as police, transport, and national government were ineffective as a result; crime rates were high, and the defeated countries were treated as puppets by victorious countries. The war also had a mental effect on people; the survivors of the wars were left with grief and longing for their lost ones. So, the war was definitely not a good one to have happened.

World War has an economic impact. The war resulted in an employment crisis as soldiers who returned from war had no jobs. World War 2 will never be a good war fought as; the countries had to bear the huge expenditure of constructing the things which were destroyed during the war, and bringing back stability in the economic and political system took way too many years.

The war had a negative impact on the political relations of the countries. The allied powers which had control over Europe now fought among themselves over the rule of these countries. The ill-treatment of Germans further resulted in hatred for allied countries. The use of atomic bombs by the US resulted in other countries spending on nuclear weapons in order to protect their nations.

Conclusion

To conclude, World War Two is considered a good war, but there will always be critiques of this phrase. World War 2 has caused major destruction to the world, humanity, and economies. World War 2 took as many as 8o million lives. On the other hand, World War 2 can be viewed as a good war because European colonialism ended after the war.

People learned that in order to prevent future wars and promote peace, they should develop good relations with other countries and work towards mutually benefiting each other. War also resulted in the formation of stronger bodies, such
as the United Nations. However, World War 2 also laid the stage for the cold war, which was later fought between USA and Soviet Union (Star and Stripes, 2018). Therefore, World War 2 had a more negative impact on the social, economic, and political systems of the countries.

References

1. (A&E Television Networks, LLC, 2018). World War 2 History. Retrieved from: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history
2. History plex, 2018. The real causes of World War 2 and its devastating effects. Retrieved from:
   https://historyplex.com/causes-effects-of-world-war-2
3. (Tim, K., 2012). Was the “Good War” really good. Retrieved from: https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/was-the-good-war-really-good/
   (Geoffrey, W., 2014).
4. The myth of the good war. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2014/dec/09/-sp-myth-of-the-good-war  (Purdue, A., W, 2016).
5. The transformative impact of World War 2. Retrieved from: http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/alliances-and-wars/war-as-an-agent-of-transfer/a-w- Purdue-the-transformative-impact-of-world-war-ii
   (Altman, P., 2015).
6. What were the benefits of World War II? In what ways are we indebted to World War 2 when we consider the things that we now take for granted? Retrieved from: https://www.quora.com/What-were-the-benefits-of-World-War-II-In-what-ways-are-we- indebted-to-World-War-2-when-we-consider-things-that-we-now-take-for-granted
7. (Dinesh, n.d.). Changes in post second world war regarding international relations. Retrieved from:
   http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/war/changes-in-post-2nd-world-war- regarding-international-relations/48502
8. (Star and Stripes, 2018). Retrieved from: https://www.stripes.com/news/a-bomb-ended-world-
   war-ii-but-set-stage-for-the-cold-war-1.365555

Introduction

In Salt to the Sea, many people are trying to evacuate and get transported out of Germany and into safety. The story tells of a group of these people and their experience in trying to clear out of Germany.

Body

The Enigmatic Amber Room

In the story, one of the main characters, Florian, is a former art restorer. Because of this, he had a greater understanding of the art during this time and even had connections to the Amber Room. Florian had an amber swim, which was stolen from the Amber Room. The Amber Room is a mystery that remains unsolved. For many years, people have tried to find the Amber Room, which is made completely out of amber (Lemmon DB). The Amber Room was originally located in the Catherine Palace until the Nazis raided the palace and abducted the Amber Room during World War II (Andrews W). At that time, amber was twelve times more valuable than gold, making it very rare and desirable to the Nazis (Scott-Clark and Levi 4). The Amber Room was even considered the eighth wonder of the world (Lusted DB).

The Monuments Men’s Quest

To this day, the location of the original Amber Room remains unknown (Lemmon DB). Although many have looked for it, there seems to be no information about where it could be located now (Scott-Clark and Levy 7). Almost every official that had ties to the Amber Room is either dead or missing, leaving us with very little information as to where it could be today (Scott-Clark and Levy 7). There are multiple theories about where the Amber Room is now (Andrews W). Some believe it is still here and secluded in a vault, while others believe it is somewhere at the bottom of the Baltic Sea and gone forever (Andrews W). Others think that the Amber Room is hidden in an old silver mine (Lemmon DB).

Although there is a replica of the Amber Room, many still desire to find the original (Andrews W). This new Amber Room is located in the Catherine Palace and was unveiled on May 31, 2003 (Lemmon DB). The Monuments Men was a group of volunteers that was committed to saving artwork stolen by the Nazis (Edsel and Witter 2). During World War II, the Nazis stole many famous artworks and sculptures (Edsel and Witter 3). The Monuments Men felt it was their duty to save these valuable artworks and documents (Leeper DB). They dedicated their lives to saving and restoring these works of art looted by the Nazis (Santoro DB). Works of art by Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, and more were saved and restored by the Monuments Men (Edsel and Witter 3). These Monuments Men were made up of volunteers (Edsel and Witter 5). They were all ordinary people, usually in their forties (Edsel and Witter 3).

Conclusion

Most of them came from the pasts of artists or museum workers, leading them to have a greater understanding of the artwork stolen by the Nazis. (Santoro DB). These men and women made the courageous decision to leave their families to help restore Europe’s culture (Santoro DB). Around 350 people total served as Monuments Men during this time (Edsel and Witter 3). Although their group was made up of ordinary, everyday people, they made a big impact (Edsel and Witter 2). Some even call the Monuments Men’s work the greatest treasure hunt in history (Edsel and Witter 2). World War II was a significant time for art.

References

1. Lemmon, C. (DB). The Amber Room
2. Andrews, W. (W). The Mystery of the Amber Room
3. Edsel, R. M., & Witter, B. (2, 3, 5). The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
4. Leeper, J. (DB). The Monuments Men: Rescuing Europe’s Treasures

Introduction

The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact was signed by Hitler and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in August 1939, inciting a flurry of concern in London and Paris. The invasion of Poland, a nation to which Great Britain and France had guaranteed military support if Germany invaded, had long been planned by Hitler. The pact with Stalin meant that once he invaded Poland, Hitler would not face a war on two fronts and would have Soviet help in conquering and dividing the nation itself (History.com, 2009). “On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland from the west; two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany, beginning World War II.” (History.com, 2009)

Body

World War II Takes Shape

Soviet forces invaded Poland from the east on September 17. Poland came rapidly under attack from both sides and, according to a secret protocol appended to the Nonaggression Pact, Germany and the Soviet Union had divided power over the country by early 1940. The forces of Stalin then advanced to conquer the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and, in the Russo-Finish War, defeated a resistant Finland.

During the six months following the invasion of Poland, the lack of intervention by Germany and the Allies in the West led to a ‘phony war’ being debated in the news media. “At sea, however, the British and German navies faced off in heated battle, and lethal German U-boat submarines struck at merchant shipping bound for Britain, sinking more than 100 vessels in the first four months of World War II.” (History.com, 2009) World War II was affecting the world, and now I will tell you how.

World War II Around the World

Germany simultaneously invaded Norway and occupied Denmark on April 9, 1940, and the war began in earnest. In what became known as ‘blitzkrieg,’ or lightning battle, on May 10, German forces marched through Belgium and the Netherlands. Hitler’s troops crossed the Meuse River three days later and attacked French forces at Sedan, situated at the northern end of the Maginot Line, an extensive chain of fortifications designed after the First World War and known as an impenetrable defensive barrier. Actually, with their tanks and aircraft, the Germans broke through the line and proceeded to the rear, making it useless.

Conclusion

At the end of May, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was evacuated by sea from Dunkirk, while a doomed resistance was mounted in the South of France. With France on the brink of collapse, Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini formed an alliance with Hitler, the Steel Pact, and on June 10, Italy declared war on France and Britain.

References

1. History.com. (2009). German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/german-soviet-nonaggression-pact
2. History.com. (2009). World War II. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history
3. History.com. (2009). German Invasion of Poland. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland