Premium Essay

World War Ii Events Through the 1970s

In:

Submitted By trust490
Words 1597
Pages 7
Significant events World War II through the 1970’s
Assignment 3 “World War II through the 1970’s”
Tim Truster
Professor Michael Curran
26 August, 2012

Abstract
My history assignment 3 “World War II through the 1970’s” will identify two major historical turning points during this period and what impact they had on current society, economy, politics, and culture. It will also explain two reasons Americans in the late 1930’s wanted to stay out of the European conflict that became World War II. I will explain the role women played to help win World War II. I will describe two civil rights breakthroughs after World War II that moved the cause of African-Americans forward. An explanation to why the Vietnam War brought political awareness to a new generation of young Americans. Finally two programs under President Johnson’s “Great Society” agenda that are still with us today will be discussed.

Two historical turning points during the period of World War II through the 1970’s I will discuss in my paper will be the ending of World War II by defeating Japan and the Civil Rights movement. World War II itself was a major turning point in history. In 1945, Japan was lightly defended against the American attack; huge firebombing of Japanese cities went unanswered. America estimated that an invasion of the Japanese home islands would cost 50,000 American casualties in the first phase of the attack. The battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa demonstrated the extent to which Japanese soldiers would fight to avoid capitulation. President Truman was realizing he had power to use the atomic bomb the end the war. Truman decided to use it on the city of Hiroshima after the Japanese government failed to respond to an Allied ultimatum to surrender or face “utter devastation.” So on August 6, 1945 the B-29 Bomber Enola Gay dropped the bomb and then a second bomb dropped on

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

World War Ii Through the 1970s

...World War II through the 1970s Miguel A. Jarquin HIS 105 Professor Simmons August 25, 2013 World War II through the 1970s Major historical turning points World War II one of the most devastating event in human history. It cost the lives of millions of people. During World War II through the 1970s, there were many major historical turning points. (Ganzel, 2010) “October 24, 1945 the United Nations was established. It was the second multipurpose international organization created in the 20th century. The United States, United Kingdom and the Soviet Union took direction in designing, structure and decision making of the new organization”(P.1). With a worldwide membership and scope, the purpose of the United Nations was to maintain security and peace among countries, as well as working on developing friendly relations. According to the United Nations Charter, it aims: “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.” Another turning point was the creation of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization also known as NATO was established by military alliance on April 4, 1949. Its quest was to develop a counterweight to Soviet armies. (Ganzel, 2010) “Original NATO members were Belgium...

Words: 1327 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

History Www Ii

...* Essays » * History World War Ii Through the 1970's By micahneisha33, March 2013 | 9 Pages (2,045 Words) | 402 Views | Report | ------------------------------------------------- This is a Premium essay Sign Up to access full essay * * * * * * March 3, 2013 In this paper I will go into details explains two major historical turning points that occurred during the period of World War II through the 1970’s, and the effect it had on today’s society, economy, politics and culture. In this paper I will also give two reasons why in the late 30’s Americans wanted to remain out of the European conflict. In this paper I will talk about the role women played to helped win World War II, will describes two civil rights breakthroughs, explain two ways the Vietnam War brought political awareness to a new generation of young Americans and I will talk about two programs that president Lyndon Johnson Great Society Agenda had put into effect and that are still into effect today. A turning point was in 1962, the world experienced a threat so real, so dangerous, and so deadly; that any believed Armageddon was approaching. The Cuban Missile Crisis was undoubtedly the closest the world has come to nuclear war in its entire existence. The presence of Soviet nuclear warheads on Cuban soil, less than 100 miles from the coast of Florida shocked the world. The discovery of the missiles was completely unexpected; the public's reaction was not. Thousands...

Words: 715 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Economy After Cold War

...------------------------------------------------- Post–World War II economic expansion From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Golden Age of capitalism" redirects here. Other periods this term may refer to are Gilded Age and Belle Époque. In the United States and several other countries, the boom was manifested insuburban development and urban sprawl, aided by automobile ownership. Many Western governments funded large infrastructure projects during this period. Here the redevelopment of Norrmalm and theStockholm Metro, Sweden. The post–World War II economic expansion, also known as the postwar economic boom, the long boom, and the Golden Age of Capitalism, was a period of economic prosperity in the mid-20th century which occurred, following the end of World War II in 1945, and lasted until the early 1970s. It ended with the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971, the 1973 oil crisis, and the 1973–1974 stock market crash, which led to the 1970s recession. Narrowly defined, the period spanned from 1945 to 1952, with overall growth lasting well until 1971, though there are some debates on dating the period, and booms in individual countries differed, some starting as early as 1945, and overlapping the rise of the East Asian economies into the 1980s or 1990s. During this time there was high worldwide economic growth; Western European and East Asian countries in particular experienced unusually high and sustained growth, together with full employment. Contrary to early...

Words: 3190 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

World War Ii Through the 1970’s

...Assignment 3: “World War II Through The 1970’s” Joseph L. Carter History 105 June 11, 2012 Professor Everett Hardy Strayer University Delaware County Campus Analyze the facts that war and propaganda had on American society World War 2 and the 1970’s. Looking at the history of the United States, never had the country seen such dramatic changes in the social, economic, and political structure that happened at the end of World War II. Multiple events throughout this period guided the direction of the United States government and the attitudes of Americans. This paper will provide a look into the evolution of the United States by analyzing the most significant events in the five decades after World War II. The 1950s brought about a new look into the foreign affairs for the United States government and the American people. After the victory of World War II, two allies of the war, the United States and the Soviet Union became bitter enemies that tried to secure a position of world leader. The Soviet Union had its Communist Manifesto that according to the Decades Project (1999) website stated, “a mission statement that provides that communism requires a world revolution and the destruction of capitalism in order to succeed”. This was a direct threat to the American Way of life, and started the beginning of the Cold War. With different ideals and hunger for power, both sides began to build up military strength, especially...

Words: 1643 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

The Seventies

...Marvin Frohock March 5, 2008 The Seventies and Nixon’s Legacy “Streaking to the 1970s” was a phrase a group of former high school students made up as they reminisced about the butt dancing, cheek planters, also known as the BBITNs (pronounced BEE-bittens), which meant buffalo buffs in the nude who dashed brazenly, almost daringly across a playing field, the heart of a school campus, and even across a television screen during a major award ceremony. Such was the decade that preceded the conformity and complacency of the 1950s, and the sexual revolution and cultural renaissance that echoed during the 1960s. The decade of the 1970s ushered in the resignation of a president, the ending of a major Southeast Asian conflict, and the birth of two new forms of youth culture identity – streaking and disco. The 1970s began with the Beatles releasing Let It Be, which would be their last album, the Kent State shooting involving the death of the four students, the conviction of Charles Mansion for the murder of actress Sharon Tate, and the conviction of American soldiers for killing entire towns of Vietnamese villagers. This action marked the beginning of the end for America’s support of the American soldier. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War lasted between 1959 and 1975, ending with the fall of Saigon. This war or police action as some Americans referred to the `war would cost the American taxpayer billions of dollars and countless lives. Vietnam,...

Words: 1041 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

War and Politics

...Jamie Johnson War through the 1970’s History 105 Professor Nowak Strayer University June 2, 2013, 2013 The United States went through a major transformation between the period starting with World War II and ending in the 1970’s. Two major turning points that changed America as well as the entire world forever were the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the moon landing of Apollo II in 1969. On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese industrial city of Hiroshima. The intent of President Harry Truman was simple: He wanted to end the war, end it decisively and end it without a large amount of American casualties. It was determined by the President and his military commanders that a full blown ground invasion of Japan could risk the loss of up to one million American lives. The atomic bomb, however, could bring the war to a swift end with minimal loss of American life. After the first bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy” was dropped, Japan refused to surrender. Three days later, America dropped the second atomic bomb, “Fat Man” on the city of Nagasaki. The following day, Japan offered its surrender to the Unites States. These bombings had both positive and negative effects within the United States and abroad. On one hand, the American allies saved many lives by avoiding a full blown ground invasion of Japan. They also sent a message to the international...

Words: 1777 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

World War Ii Through the 1970s

...World War II through the 1970s Professor Stephen Hudson History 105 March 2, 2013 World War II through the 1970s United States was determined to stay out of European conflicts that would eventually lead to World War II. The period before Second World War, most European countries and the US was characterized by major tensions due to provocations of the countries allied to the German Nazis. The major turning point in the United States decision to join the Second World War against the Nazis was after a brutal attack by the Japanese in 1941. The Japanese forces on 7th December 1941 attacked and bombed the United States pacific fleet killing 2,403 Americans and injuring many others (Schultz, 2012). The Japanese at the same time attack major American positions in Philippines, Midway Islands and Guam as well as Malaysia and Hong Kong. These offensives are responsible for President Roosevelt declaration of war against Nazis with Hitler declaring the same against US making it a world war. The other turning point after the World War II was what was referred to as the Cuban crisis. This was a serious thirteen day confrontation between the United States’ administrations under J F Kennedy regime and the Cuban communist regime under Castro in October 1962. Cuba’s leader, Castro had given permission to the Soviet Union to have a few of its dangerous nuclear missiles in Cuba (Renn, 2012). This was a potential trigger to a nuclear war between...

Words: 1484 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Financial and Sovereign Debt Crises: Some Lessons Learned and Those Forgotten

...Stijn Claessens December 2013 This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF. The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate. Abstract Even after one of the most severe multi-year crises on record in the advanced economies, the received wisdom in policy circles clings to the notion that high-income countries are completely different from their emerging market counterparts. The current phase of the official policy approach is predicated on the assumption that debt sustainability can be achieved through a mix of austerity, forbearance and growth. The claim is that advanced countries do not need to resort to the standard toolkit of emerging markets, including debt restructurings and conversions, higher inflation, capital controls and other forms of financial repression. As we document, this claim is at odds with the historical track record of most advanced economies, where debt restructuring or conversions, financial repression, and a tolerance for higher inflation, or a combination of these were an integral part of the resolution of significant past debt overhangs. JEL Classification Numbers: E6, E44, F3, F34, G1, H6, N10 Keywords: Financial crises, sovereign debt crises, deleveraging, credit cycles, financial repression, debt...

Words: 6787 - Pages: 28

Free Essay

1970s

...III Honors 2 May 2012 Events and Facts of the 1970s I. Introduction Thesis: During the 1970s our President was forced to resign, the economy was in a recession, books were written and interpreted differently, and great accomplishments occurred in sports. II. Economy A. Inflation 1. The peacetime inflation 2. Rising prices B. The unemployment rate C. Tax rate D. Oil Shortage E. Oil Embargo III. History A. The Presidency 1. Nixon as President 2. Why he resigned B. The end of the Vietnam War 1. The outcome on America 2. The year the war ended C. The Watergate Scandal 1. What the scandal was about 2. The people involved 3. The outcome IV. Sports A. Babe Ruth’s homerun being broken B. “Battle of the Sexes” tennis championship C. Mark Spitz Olympic record D. George Foreman becomes World Heavyweight champion E. OJ Simpson’s rushing record F. Muhammad Ali defeats George Foreman V. Literature A. Characteristics B. Famous authors C. Genre and Style VI. Concluding statements A. . The 1970s had many troubles with the economy including inflation and the oil embargo. The Watergate Scandal forcing President Nixon to resign was on everyone’s mind. However, the 1970s saw some positive events as well as Hank Aaron setting a new homerun record and new styles on how books were written and interpreted. B. Although the 1970s was a tough time for Americans we were still able to pull through and have a positive outlook...

Words: 254 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Wwii Through the 70s

...The United States went through a major transformation between the period starting with World War II and ending in the 1970’s. Two major turning points that changed America as well as the entire world forever were the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the moon landing of Apollo II in 1969. On August 6th, 1945, the first atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese industrial city of Hiroshima. The intent of President Harry Truman was simple: He wanted to end the war, end it decisively and end it without a large amount of American casualties. It was determined by the President and his military commanders that a full-blown ground invasion of Japan could risk the loss of up to one million American lives. The atomic bomb, however, could bring the war to a swift end with minimal loss of American life. After the first bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy” was dropped, Japan refused to surrender. Three days later, America dropped the second atomic bomb, “Fat Man” on the city of Nagasaki. The following day, Japan offered its surrender to the Unites States. These bombings had both positive and negative effects within the United States and abroad. On one hand, the American allies saved many lives by avoiding a full blown ground invasion of Japan. They also sent a message to the international community that they had the firepower necessary to defend or destroy. They also had the scientific knowledge to create a weapon of mass destruction. Internationally, the killings...

Words: 1764 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

1970

...1970s From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search "Seventies" redirects here. For decades comprising years 70–79 of other centuries, see List of decades. From left, clockwise: U.S. President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil crisis put the nation of America in gridlock and caused economic damage throughout the developed world; Both the leaders of Israel and Egypt shake hands after the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1978; The 1970 Bhola cyclone kills an estimated 500,000 people in the densely populated Ganges Delta region of East Pakistan (which would become independent as Bangladesh in 1971) in November 1970; The Iranian Revolution of 1979 ousted Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi who was later replaced by an Islamic theocracy led by Ayatollah Khomeini; The popularity of the disco music genre peaked during the middle to late 1970s. Millennium: | 2nd millennium | Centuries: | 19th century – 20th century – 21st century | Decades: | 1940s 1950s 1960s – 1970s – 1980s 1990s 2000s | Years: | 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 | Categories: | Births – Deaths – ArchitectureEstablishments – Disestablishments | The 1970s, pronounced "the Nineteen Seventies", refers to a decade within the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 1970, and...

Words: 11872 - Pages: 48

Premium Essay

The Cold War

...The Cold War was the time of rivalry and conflict between the USA and the Soviet Union. It started at the end of World War II and ended with the collapse of communism at the end of the 1980s. It was a time of political tension, in which both superpowers tried to prevent each other from gaining too much power. Even if the conflict did not result in a real war, there were many situations in which the world was very close to it. After World War II Although the United States and the Soviet Union were allies during World War II, they had different ideas about the future of the world. At the end of the war the Soviets controlled much of Eastern Europe and installed Communist governments there. The United States, on the other side, wanted to stop Communist ideas from spreading. It helped Western European countries to stay free and also gave them big sums of money to help rebuild their weak economies. The border between the Communist east and the free west was called the Iron Curtain and ran straight through the middle of Europe. The Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain blue = NATO countries red = Warsaw Pact Countries green = bloc-free Grey = neutral Military Blocs after World War II After World War II two military organizations emerged. In 1949 the United States and other western countries founded NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), on the other side the Soviets led the Warsaw Pact, a military organization of eastern European countries. Both military blocs...

Words: 974 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Signifigant Events in the Decade After Ww2

...Phoenix University History 135 Instructor, Student, Assignment: Significant events in the decades after World War II Due date, Preface Americans faced many challenges in their lives; challenges on a variety of fronts shattered the American consensus. In the 50s, African Americans launched a crusade, joined later by other minority groups and women, for a larger share of the American dream. In the 60s, politically active students protested the nation's role abroad, particularly in the corrosive war in Vietnam, and a youth counterculture challenged the status quo of American values. Americans from many walks of life sought to establish a new equilibrium in the United States, the following time synopsis will shed some light on turning points in our American history. * 1940s, Civil Rights, a time for change. Harry Truman supported the civil rights movement. He believed in political equality, though not in social equality, and recognized the growing importance of the black urban vote. When apprised in 1946 of lynching’s and other forms of mob violence still practiced in the South, he appointed a committee on civil rights to investigate discrimination based on race and religion. The report, issued the next year, documented blacks' second-class status in American life. It asserted the need for the federal government to secure the rights guaranteed to all citizens. Truman responded by sending a 10-point civil rights program to Congress. When Southern Democrats...

Words: 2010 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Lone

...Why American society needed heroes in the aftermath of World War II- Paul Gallico, described athletic stars as "the Golden People", nothing that in the years following World War I  sport had " its first million-dollar prizefights, and the adulation of sports heroes rose to the point almost of national hysteria". As World War I came to a close, however, the " Golden People" were anything but. The horrible devastation of the war and its terrible new weapons had shattered the idealistic notions of the Progressive reformers. The decade of the 1920s was termed the "Golden Age of Sports", and the media's creation of sport heroes during this time provided a stabilizing influence in a rapidly changing American culture. Sports stars were lionized as All-American types who exemplified American cultural values. The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame represented the American ideology of spirit, teamwork, and assimilation of diverse groups within society. Babe Ruth, the most famous of all the athletic heroes, symbolized the American dream, the land of opportunity and meritocracy, where one could succeed despite humble origins. The depiction of such heroes presented a more homogenous culture and solidified an American cultural identity, but it also masked social tensions inherent in the United States in the aftermath of World War I and during the Great Depression and World War II The media's role in constructing a popular culture- The new communication medium of radio became commonplace...

Words: 2019 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

The Height of Slave Trade in Africa

...trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean routes. Between the 15th and the 19th centuries (500 years), the Atlantic slave trade took an estimated 7–12 million slaves to the New World. In West Africa, the decline of the Atlantic slave trade in the 1820s caused dramatic economic shifts in local polities. The gradual decline of slave-trading, prompted by a lack of demand for slaves in the New World, increasing anti-slavery legislation in Europe and America, and the British Royal Navy's increasing presence off the West African coast, obliged African states to adopt new economies. Between 1808 and 1860, the British West Africa Squadron seized approximately 1,600 slave ships and freed 150,000 Africans who were aboard. Action was also taken against African leaders who refused to agree to British treaties to outlaw the trade, for example against "the usurping King of Lagos", deposed in 1851. Anti-slavery treaties were signed with over 50 African rulers. The largest powers of West Africa (the Asante Confederacy, the Kingdom of Dahomey, and the Oyo Empire) adopted different ways of adapting to the shift. Asante and Dahomey concentrated on the development of "legitimate commerce" in the form of palm oil, cocoa, timber and gold, forming the bedrock of West Africa's modern export trade. The Oyo Empire, unable to adapt, collapsed into civil wars. Areas of Africa under the control, influence, or claimed control, of the colonial powers in 1913. Belgium Germany Spain France United Kingdom Italy ...

Words: 1034 - Pages: 5