US History paper: note cards

Destructive as it was, the Hiroshima bomb was a baby compared to the weapons developed during the Cold War nuclear arms race. Although the Cold War is over and the U.S. and Russia are destroying a good part of their arsenals, the nuclear threat remains.
PL-3

Each country has 8,000 or more nuclear warheads, and although they have agreed to scrap most of them, they'll still have 3,500 warheads each eight years from now. Moreover, with the breakup of the Soviet Union and turmoil within Russia, experts are concerned over the security of nuclear weapons and nuclear materials there.
PL-4

Since Hiroshima, the world has had to live with the fact that the nuclear genie is out of the bottle, and we've managed to do so despite the tensions and vicious local wars. But we can't be complacent. The explosive atom can best be kept under control by agreements to reduce nuclear arsenals, by preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, by stopping all nuclear tests, and by resolving international disputes by peaceful means.
PL-5

Stimson, Henry L. Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb, 2009, p1, 12p Great Neck Publishing

HS

Alperovitz, Gar, and Sanho Tree. The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb. New York: Vintage, 1996. Print.

Caldicott, Helen. Missile Envy: the Arms Race and Nuclear War. New York: Morrow, 1984. Print.

Scoblic, J. Peter. "What Are Nukes Good For?" New Republic 421.6 (4/29/2010): p.22. Print.

A Bio. of America: World War II - Transcript." Learner.org. 2000. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://www.learner.org/biographyofamerica/prog22/transcript/page02.html>.

ABA

There in the Northern Pacific, total war would merge with racial hatred to produce fighting of unimaginable ferocity and destruction such as the world had never seen before
ABA-1

Davidson, James West., and Mark H. Lytle. After the Fact: the Art of Historical Detection. New York: Knopf, 1982. Print.

JWD

"Avalon Project - The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." Avalon Project - Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy. 2008. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/mp24.asp>.
AP

The atomic bomb did not alone win the war against Japan, but it most certainly ended it, saving the thousands of Allied lives that would have been lost in any combat invasion of Japan.
AP-1

Pierpaoli, Paul. "Cold War (Overview)." World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society.

Simply put, the Cold War can be defined as a state of mutual hostility, distrust, and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

PP-1

The arms race and the need to maintain large, permanent military establishments cost trillions of dollars. Money spent on defense and weaponry was money taken away from social welfare programs, education, health care, and housing. As the arms race accelerated and defense budgets ballooned, inflation and economic stagnation became problematic in the West. In the East, periodic consumer goods and food shortages plagued many communist countries.

PP-2

On the downside, nuclear weapons, numbering in the tens of thousands by the end of the period, threatened the world with complete destruction. Nuclear power made all-out war among the major world powers suicidal. In that sense, some historians have argued, these weapons may have prevented World War III. By the late 1950s, nuclear-powered submarines had revolutionized naval warfare and fundamentally altered defense strategies.

PP-3

Nuclear power, a byproduct of World War II, came into its own during the Cold War. On the positive side, nuclear technology revolutionized health care, electrical power generation, and many of the sciences.


PP-4

"Cold War." American Government.

The hostility and mistrust that defined the relationship was all the more intense because it pitted not only two great powers against each other, but two clashing ideological systems—communism and capitalism. The Cold War finally ended in 1991 with the collapse and breakup of the Soviet Union.

CW-1

The atomic bomb, such as used at
Bikini, is the most concentrated blast
of energy that man has ever set loose.
BAB-1

Temperatures at the center of the
atomic bomb explosion-which is all over
in less than a millionth of a second are
so high, some 10,000,000,000 degrees
Fahrenheit, that it is as though a star
had been brought to earth. Nothing else
in the world is quite so hot and so
bright
BAB-2

The action may have been necessary for the purpose of saving American lives. But it was not merely another episode in the long history of man's in humanity to man; and it was even more portentous than the final victory over Japan which quickly followed.

AAW-1

Even before August 6, Japan was hopelessly beaten. The only unresolved questions was whether she would continue a futile struggle and make us pay still further in lives and time, or whether her leaders would accept the inevitable and bow in defeat. The atomic bomb speeded their decision; but the strategic situation in the Pacific, especially our capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, which unlocked the gateways to Japan, was a decisive factor.

AAW-2

(Okinawa) The island was declared to be securely in our hands on June 21. Enemy casualties were estimated at 118,000, including some 10,000 prisoners. Our own casualties were heavy: Army, 3,761 killed, 14,415 wounded, and 236 missing; Navy, 4,907 killed and missing, 4,824 wounded; Marines, 2,573 killed and missing, 12,565 wounded.

AAW-3

Barton, William S. "Atomic Power and Research." Los Angeles Times 2 Jan. 1946: 1-2. Print.
BW

…an unsuspecting human race into the Atomic Age this “greatest event of history” found California prepared to assume world leadership in research to exploit the unspeakable power in the atom for peace instead of war

BW

LEVIERO, ANTHONY. "UREY FOR SACRIFICE TO BAN ATOM BOMB." THE NEW YORK TIMES 30 Nov. 1945: 5. Print.
LA

Asserting that the United States is guilty of starting a nuclear armaments race, prof. Harold Urey of the university of Chicago told the special senate committee on atomic energy that this country should stop making and stockpiling the bombs and yield control of nuclear energy to the United Nations
LA-1

Professor Urey said the international atmosphere was being poisoned by the continuing manufacture of atomic bombs...

LA-2

HENNING, ARTHUR SEARS. "ATOMIC BOMB STORY!" Chicago Daily Tribune 1 Jan. 1946: 1. Print.
HAS

the secret of the weapon is being shared with Britain and Canada, but is not to be imparted with Russia, France, and other countries pending a survey of the image-baffling implications of it's uses for war and peace.
HAS-1

Moreover the bomb was said to be capable of making the United States invulnerable to attack and open the way to a revolution in the production of energy for industry and transport
HAS-2

"SOVIET ATOMIC PILE REPORTED GROWING." New York Times 21 June 1953: 1. Print.
accessed Jan 22nd 2011
SAP

The Russian threat to peace has not diminished, The United states from a military standpoint alone, should increase funds for it's air force and increase mutual security aid.
SAP-1

McKain, Mark. Making and Using the Atomic Bomb. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2003. Print.

As to the present war, there was a feeling that no matter what else might happen, we now had the means to ensure it's speedy conclusion and save thousands of American lives.
MKM-1
pg 113

Words are inadequate tools for the job of acquainting those not present with the physical, mental and psychological effects. It has to be witnessed to be realized.
MKM-2
Pg: 113

It could be suggested that the danger of destruction by nuclear weapons can be avoided---at least as far as this country is concerned---either by keeping our discoveries secret for an indefinite time, or else by developing our nuclear armaments at such a pace that no other nations would think of attacking us from fear of overwhelming retaliation.
MKM-3
pg: 127-128

Gay, William, and Michael Pearson. The Nuclear Arms Race. Chicago: American Library Association, 1987. Print.
GW

Tal, David. "missile gap." American Government. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.
TD

The reports concluded that the Soviet Union had the technical and industrial capability to manufacture 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in 1960 and some 500 ICBMs during 1961–1962. However, those figures were based on pure speculation, as U.S. intelligence had no idea of the real size of the Soviet missile force or of the Soviet industrial capability that would allow the manufacture of the missiles, and certainly of the actual scale of the missiles' manufacture.

TD-1

Another influential voice was that of the prominent journalist Joseph Alsop, who charged that the Soviet Union "will have unchallengeable superiority in the nuclear striking power that was once our specialty."

TD-2

The dilemma was resolved following Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's unplanned admission, during a press conference in February 1961, that there was no missile gap. With that, the subject gradually sank into oblivion, and Kennedy's national security policy was conducted on the basis that the United States enjoyed strategic superiority over the Soviet Union.

TD-3

"Coping with Crisis: Need To Know." American Government. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
AG

Although certain patterns are evident, each incident was handled differently depending on the leaders involved and the larger geopolitical situation at the time. These diplomatic crises, although usually short-lived, often impacted the tenor of superpower relations for years to come.

AG-1

Allen, Thomas B., and Norman Polmar. Code-name Downfall: the Secret Plan to Invade Japan and Why Truman Dropped the Bomb. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. Print.

In the battles of Iwo Jima 20,000 American soldiers died and in Okinawa, over 46,000 American service men died. (numbers and statistics)

CNDF

Japanese casualties were counted to be at least 144,000 soldiers

Johnson, Paul E., and Woloch, Nancy. "United States History." Microsoft® Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2006

JPE

Germany, Italy, and Japan had to surrender unconditionally, give up all conquered territory, and renounce the ideologies that spurred aggression

JPE

“1949: Atomic Energy" Microsoft® Student 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2006.

1-AE

"Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (1988)." American Government.

In accordance with the provisions of this Treaty which includes the Memorandum of Understanding and Protocols which form an integral part thereof, each Party shall eliminate its intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles, not have such systems thereafter, and carry out the other obligations set forth in this Treaty.
IRN

The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, hereinafter referred to as the Parties,

Conscious that nuclear war would have devastating consequences for all mankind,

Guided by the objective of strengthening strategic stability,
IRN

Convinced that the measures set forth in this Treaty will help to reduce the risk of outbreak of war and strengthen international peace and security, and

Mindful of their obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
IRN