PART I - The "most powerful and vital nation in the world. "
Based on your advanced study of United States History, choose THREE events from 1945 to 1975 that can be used to support or illustrate the United States role the most powerful and vital nation in the world.
For EACH event you choose please provide the following
#1 Brief historical context of the event
#2 Why you feel the event depicts the US as the "most powerful and vital nation in the world. "
ZENITH
| Event |
Historical Context |
Explanation/Justification |
|
The use of the first atomic bomb (1945)
|
On July 16, 1945, the world’s first atom bomb was exploded at Alamagordo, New Mexico. This successful test marked the culmination of the three-year Manhattan Project. The top secret project cost more than two billion dollars and employed over 100,000 people. The force of the explosion blasted a crater over twelve feet wide in the earth and was equivalent to fifteen thousand tons of dynamite. President Truman received a full report on the successful test on July 21 while attending the Potsdam Conference. After he talked with his advisors at Potsdam, Truman decided that if the Japanese rejected a final surrender ultimatum that was issued on July 26, the bomb would be used against Japan in early August. The first bomb was to be dropped on one of four cities chosen not solely for their strategic importance but also because they had remained relatively untouched by regular bombing, which would make the devastating effects of the atomic bomb more evident to the Japanese people. On August 6 the Enola Gay released the atomic bomb “Little Boy” over Hiroshima, Japan. The bomb leveled the city and left between 70,000 to 100,000 dead. When the Japanese government still refused to surrender, a second bomb, “Fat Man,” was dropped three days later on the city of Nagasaki, killing another 50,000 to 70,000 people. On August 14, the Japanese surrendered, ending World War II. |
I believe that this event shows the US as the most powerful and vital nation in the world for many reasons. First off, we were the only nation to have such devastating firepower at our disposal until the soviets detonated their first atomic weapon in August of 1949. However until that moment, all nations listened to what we had to say due to the devastation they saw at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through soviet espionage (rosenbergs) they were able to achieve a successful detonation, which marked the beginning to the cold war because now the rivalry for who was most powerful, and the arms race was ignited. Both nations stockpiled enough bombs to blow up the world many times, and nuclear war was an ever present fear. But when the US detonated the first bomb, they were clearly the most powerful and vital nation in the world at that point in time. |
|
Apollo 11 Lands on the Moon (1969)
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After the soviets launched Sputnik in 1957, the Eisenhower Administration poured millions of dollars into the space race. This effort was to not only gain prestige and respect, but to develop the technology necessary to launch nuclear missiles in an attack across the world. This led to competition that drove our nation’s science program forward for many years, and eventually lead to the culmination of NASA’s efforts in 1969 under Johnson. The nation watch as we put three brave men in space and on the moon for the first time in human history. MURICA
|
I think it is very evident that mankind has always had an interest in exploration and technological advancement. The landing on the moon of the United States in 1969 symbolized both. We as a nation came together to overcome space, science, and the Soviet Union. No generation prior had ever made such a significant leap in technological innovation as the generation that landed us on the moon. No other single event in human history was as unbelievable and progressive as the landing on the moon. The landing essentially began our future space programs and travels to other planets with robots. The victory was so symbolic because it ended an era of imprisonment to our own atmosphere. |
|
Marshall Plan (1947)
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After World War II the US was one of two superpowers in the world along with the USSR. Our power surpassed others to an extent that we could destroy a nation with the launching of a couple bombs and our economy was thriving while war torn Europe was in shambles. Western Europe was especially torn apart after the German invasion had shredded a path right through it only a few years ago. While Eastern Europe was under the control of the Soviet Union, the US made sure that the political and economic stability of Western Europe was in their hands and the Marshall Plan was issued. |
I believe the Marshall plan shows just how powerful and vital the US was in the world. The Marshall plan basically took control of the Western European economy. It basically established the US as the leader of the free world, while the USSR was creating its strict control over the Eastern European nations. We became one of two superpowers that basically ran the show. The prosperity in the 1950s was a direct result of the benefits of the Marshall Plan, the plan made us the economic power house of the world. |
PART II - "collapsing sense of "global superiority"
Based on your advanced study of United States History, choose THREE events from 1945 to 1975 that can be used to demonstrate the United States collapsing sense of "global superiority"
NADIR
| Event |
Historical Context |
Explanation/Justification |
|
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (1968)
|
The point of the Civil Rights movement was to fight for the rights of all races of people. It challenged the southern way of life in an effort to change the political and social makeup of our nation for the future generations. Martin Luther King Jr was the pacifist leader of this movement, and was extremely dedicated to it as well. He spoke at major rallies and made speeches like his famous “ I have a dream” speech for hundreds of thousands of people to hear. King was influenced by Gandhi to use peaceful methods of protest and civil disobedience in his resistance. |
I belive this shows the decline is US power because the assassination of MLK Jr is one of the darkest days in our history. One of the most inspirational humans ever to walk the planet was killed as if he was nothing. It was a sad day because after all of the success of the movement, there were still people in our nation who disagreed with the movement, and wouldn’t let their racism go away. The many steps that had been taken forward were suddenly countered by the killing of MLK Jr, and new leaders like Malcom X had to step in and contribute a more radical side to protest. |
|
Tet Offensive (1968)
|
On January 30, 1968 the North Vietnamese forces attacked major cities in South Vietnam. The purpose of the Tet Offensive was to strike with the element of surprise and use simultaneous attacks to confuse the Americans throughout South Vietnam. The US was surprised, but was able to counter these attacks and beat back the forces of the North. The Offensive showed that the US could not win this war, and the morale of the US troops was affected greatly. The American people saw this and were outraged because they didn’t agree with the war at first, and now they saw that there could be no victory. |
This shows a collapsing sense of global superiority because even though the offensive was a military defeat for the North, it had a serious effect on the US government and especially the US public, who had been convinced by their leaders that the communists were incapable of victory or even such an attack. This led to the beginning of government distrust and as Americans were reading how great the war effort was, they saw destruction and terror on TV. |
|
Bay of Pigs (1961)
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After Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in 1959, he quickly implemented changes to the government. He quickly became allies with the USSR due to his communist ideas. Within 6 years Communism was instilled in Cuba and the US had a communist neighbor just miles from American soil. President Kennedy rounded up a small force of Cuban exiles and sent them to invade Cuba after months of training. The invasion was a bust, and the US was embarrassed in front of the whole world as Castro paraded around after defeating the exiles. |
I believe that the invasion shows the decline of US global superiority because it was a complete failure. The Cubans defeated the rebels in just 3 days, and JFK had admitted that the rebels were supported by the US. He launched the invasion just 3 months into his presidency which made it an awful start. The embarrassment made Castro wary of future US intervention in Cuba and to make things even more embarrassing, Che Guevara sent a letter to the US thanking them for the increased morale. |
For EACH event you choose please provide the following
#1 Brief historical context of the event
#2 Why you feel the event contributed to the US as a "collapsing sense of "global superiority"
WORKS CITED:
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. 13th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.
Presidential Highlights." Ballstonapush. Web. 03 June 2012. http://ballstonapush.pbworks.com/w/page/54082739/Presidential%20Highlights.
"The Presidential Timeline." The Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century. Web. 03 June 2012. http://www.presidentialtimeline.org/html/index.php.
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