1. What were the goals of the isolationists? Why is "isolationism" a misleading term?
The goals of the isolationists were to stay our of the war, keeping the peace, and staying neutral by not taking any sides. Isolationism is a misleading term because the term implies that the United States wants to isolate itself completely from other nations but that was not the case. Most supporters of isolationism favored international trade and a certain bilateral agreements in the 1930's. Most also respected the international laws that had been put up in place since WW1.
2. What did some isolationists feel that there was no need for Americans to feel threatened by developments in Europe and Asia?
Most isolationists felt that there was no need for americans to feel threatened by developments in Europe and Asia because the vast pacific and atlantic oceans insulated the country from troubles in those regions, and the United States had formed friendly alliances with all the other nations in the Western hemisphere.
3. What were the purposes of the Nye Committee hearings?
The purposes of the Nye Committee hearings was to investigate the reasons why the United States had entered WW1, uncover these reasons to make the public aware, and to make the sure the United States would stay out of the brewing troubles.
4. List two impressions that the Nye Committee hearings created.
First, they created the impression that American soldiers had died in WW1 because corporations looking to turn a profit had convinced President Wilson in 1917 to go to war. Secondly, they created the impression that it made Americans believe that big business again would drag them into another war.
5. What were the purposes of the Neutrality Acts?
The purposes of the Neutrality Acts were to:
-keep america from choosing sides in the war
-bring the armament industry under the control of the government
-prohibit the shipping of arms and weapons to nations at war
-make it so no americans on warring country's ships or american ships in the war
6. List two reasons that some Americans considered Roosevelt's leadership radical and dangerous.
One reason that some Americans considered Roosevelt's leadership radical and dangerous is that he tried to pack the supreme court with leaders favoring his own opinion that made him look more as a dictator. Another reason, is that FDR attempted to become president a third term which therefore convinced people that he was becoming too powerful and therefore dangerous.
7. What was "Cash and Carry"?
"Cash and Carry" was the main thrust of the new act, passed in November of 1939. This new neutrality act allowed the United States to continue trading with belligerents, but required that the warring nations pay cash for what they wanted and that they carry the goods themselves.
8. Why did President Roosevelt freeze Japanese assets in the United States?
President Roosevelt freezed Japanese assets in the United States because he believed that Japan was moving too aggressively and after Japan took control of northern French Indochina FDR could not take it anymore and thought action needed to be taken.
9. What was the purpose of the America First Committee?
The purpose of the American first committee was to devote itself to keeping the Untied States out of war.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
World Events Set Stage for Isolationism
1. What was the Japanese reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?
The reaction was different for the Japanese. Some believed that their country should
engage the great powers and support the international systems. Others on the other hand, believed that the great powers, particularly Britain, France, and the U.S. would never treat Japan fairly and with respect. In Japan, some often worried that the proposed League of Nations would be used to keep Japan as a second-tier power.
2. Read the pull-out box on page 4 entitled, "Japan Becomes a Great Power." Cite specific evidence Japan was becoming a strong power that rivaled European & American interests. And, why specifically was Japan threatened by U.S. actions?
Japan was becoming a strong power that rivaled European and American interests. An example of Japan's rapid increasing power would be how between 1885 and 1920 its gross domestic product, or all of the goods produced by Japan, increased threefold. Manufacturing and mining increased six-fold. Also, in 1905 Japan defeated Russia in the Russo- Japanese War and gained access to Manchuria. Japan was also interested in expanding into China. But other powers, such as Britain and the United States saw Japaneses interests in conflict with their own designs.
3. Why was the Washington Naval Conference convened and what was accomplished?
The Washington Naval Conference came together because Japan's growth as a naval power in the Pacific threatened U.S. interests. Participants in the conference aimed at limiting a naval arms race and to discuss issues related to nations of the Pacific ocean and the Far East. It's accomplishments were the limitation of the sizes of naval ships, the placing of a moratorium on building new battle ships, the outlaw of the use of poison gases, and the limitation of the role of submarines in future wars.
4. The Senate's willingness to ratify the Kellogg-Briand Pact relected two strong and widely held sentiments. What were they?
First, the United States was entitled to act in self-defense militarily and second, that it was not required to enforce the treaty by taking military action against those who violated it.
5. Why did Hitler enjoy popular support in Germany for most of the 1930s? Give three reasons.
Because he improved the economic situation, reduced unemployment, and restored national pride for Germans still humiliated by the defeat in WWI and by how poor they became.
6. Japan voiced its intentions to invade China for what two reasons?
One, for obtaining raw materials, and two to increase Japan's power.
7. Compare the Reichstag fire and the explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria. What did they accompllish?
The Reichstag fire was blamed on German communists who Hitler claimed were trying to overthrow the government by inciting civil war. As for accomplishment for Hitler, Hitler used the fire as an excuse to suspend the freedoms garaunteed by the German constitution, including the right of speech, press, and assembly. The explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria was blamed on Chinese dissidents by the Japanese. These two explosions/fires are similar because historians today argue that Japanese bombed their own railways so that they could blame the Chinese and use it as an excuse to invade them. Historians had also believed that the Nazi's themselves had started the fire in Reichstag.
8. Why was the united States unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930s with a significant military force?
The United States was unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930's with a significant military force because their army became the most powerful bureaucratic institution in the government, and became more influential in the decision-making. By the late 1930's japan had become a militarized state intent on expanding into China and beyond.
9. Describe the major similarities and differences among liberal democracy, fascism, and socialism.
Fascism is an authoritarian form of government that emerged in Italy and then was later adopted by the Nazi Party in Germany. Fascism puts the economy under government control, and emphasizes the control of state over the individual. Socialism hoped to create a classless society that would end the exploitation of the workers. Both socialist and fascist leaders saw their systems as the wave of the future and therefore as a challenge to liberal democracies of Europe and the united states. Liberal democracies have a constitution, with elective representatives whose decision-making is regulated by a rule of law that emphasizes the rights and freedoms of individuals. Liberal Democracies are very different from fascism because it cares more about the rights of the people, and the power of the people before the government.
The reaction was different for the Japanese. Some believed that their country should
engage the great powers and support the international systems. Others on the other hand, believed that the great powers, particularly Britain, France, and the U.S. would never treat Japan fairly and with respect. In Japan, some often worried that the proposed League of Nations would be used to keep Japan as a second-tier power.
2. Read the pull-out box on page 4 entitled, "Japan Becomes a Great Power." Cite specific evidence Japan was becoming a strong power that rivaled European & American interests. And, why specifically was Japan threatened by U.S. actions?
Japan was becoming a strong power that rivaled European and American interests. An example of Japan's rapid increasing power would be how between 1885 and 1920 its gross domestic product, or all of the goods produced by Japan, increased threefold. Manufacturing and mining increased six-fold. Also, in 1905 Japan defeated Russia in the Russo- Japanese War and gained access to Manchuria. Japan was also interested in expanding into China. But other powers, such as Britain and the United States saw Japaneses interests in conflict with their own designs.
3. Why was the Washington Naval Conference convened and what was accomplished?
The Washington Naval Conference came together because Japan's growth as a naval power in the Pacific threatened U.S. interests. Participants in the conference aimed at limiting a naval arms race and to discuss issues related to nations of the Pacific ocean and the Far East. It's accomplishments were the limitation of the sizes of naval ships, the placing of a moratorium on building new battle ships, the outlaw of the use of poison gases, and the limitation of the role of submarines in future wars.
4. The Senate's willingness to ratify the Kellogg-Briand Pact relected two strong and widely held sentiments. What were they?
First, the United States was entitled to act in self-defense militarily and second, that it was not required to enforce the treaty by taking military action against those who violated it.
5. Why did Hitler enjoy popular support in Germany for most of the 1930s? Give three reasons.
Because he improved the economic situation, reduced unemployment, and restored national pride for Germans still humiliated by the defeat in WWI and by how poor they became.
6. Japan voiced its intentions to invade China for what two reasons?
One, for obtaining raw materials, and two to increase Japan's power.
7. Compare the Reichstag fire and the explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria. What did they accompllish?
The Reichstag fire was blamed on German communists who Hitler claimed were trying to overthrow the government by inciting civil war. As for accomplishment for Hitler, Hitler used the fire as an excuse to suspend the freedoms garaunteed by the German constitution, including the right of speech, press, and assembly. The explosion on the Japanese railway in Manchuria was blamed on Chinese dissidents by the Japanese. These two explosions/fires are similar because historians today argue that Japanese bombed their own railways so that they could blame the Chinese and use it as an excuse to invade them. Historians had also believed that the Nazi's themselves had started the fire in Reichstag.
8. Why was the united States unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930s with a significant military force?
The United States was unable to oppose Japan in the early 1930's with a significant military force because their army became the most powerful bureaucratic institution in the government, and became more influential in the decision-making. By the late 1930's japan had become a militarized state intent on expanding into China and beyond.
9. Describe the major similarities and differences among liberal democracy, fascism, and socialism.
Fascism is an authoritarian form of government that emerged in Italy and then was later adopted by the Nazi Party in Germany. Fascism puts the economy under government control, and emphasizes the control of state over the individual. Socialism hoped to create a classless society that would end the exploitation of the workers. Both socialist and fascist leaders saw their systems as the wave of the future and therefore as a challenge to liberal democracies of Europe and the united states. Liberal democracies have a constitution, with elective representatives whose decision-making is regulated by a rule of law that emphasizes the rights and freedoms of individuals. Liberal Democracies are very different from fascism because it cares more about the rights of the people, and the power of the people before the government.
Friday, February 5, 2010
New Deal Essay
How, and with what success, did the United States government try to solve the problems caused by the Great Depression?
Paragraph #1: (Thesis)
The United States tried to solve the problems caused by the Great Depression by creating acts aiming at relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform. These attempts were moderately successful in solving the problems caused by the Great Depression. Though they did have some success in relief, reform and recovery, there were other problems that occurred after for example, unemployment, unfair taxes on the wealthy, the constant battle between big business and labor, and FDR being seen as a dictator.
Paragraph #2: (How -economic reform)
-FDIC Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
-Securities Exchange Commission
-how it helped --> how it effected Americans
Paragraph #3: (How- financial reform)
-Emergency Banking Act
-how it helped--> how it effected Americans
Paragraph #4: (How- relief for the needy)
-Federal Emergency Relief Administration
-how it helped--> how it effected Americans
Paragraph #5: (Opposition- Unemployment)
-FDR laid off many workers who had been employed by the New Deal's own organisations and the cut in spending triggered other cuts throughout the economy.
-When Roosevelt cut the New Deal budget in 1937, the country went back into recession.
-6 million unemployed in 1941.
Paragraph #6: (Opposition- FDR as dictator)
-packing supreme court
-lost many supporters of him
Paragraph 7: (Opposition- Big Business v. Labor)
-caused violence
-big business remained immensely powerful in the USA despite being challenged by the government.
-big business companies controlled local police forces.
Paragraph #8: (Opposition- unfair taxes on the wealthy)
-FDR making taxes on the wealthy
-wealthy complain that this is not fair that they get treated differently because they worked hard for their money
Paragraph#9: Conclusion.
Paragraph #1: (Thesis)
The United States tried to solve the problems caused by the Great Depression by creating acts aiming at relief for the needy, economic recovery, and financial reform. These attempts were moderately successful in solving the problems caused by the Great Depression. Though they did have some success in relief, reform and recovery, there were other problems that occurred after for example, unemployment, unfair taxes on the wealthy, the constant battle between big business and labor, and FDR being seen as a dictator.
Paragraph #2: (How -economic reform)
-FDIC Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
-Securities Exchange Commission
-how it helped --> how it effected Americans
Paragraph #3: (How- financial reform)
-Emergency Banking Act
-how it helped--> how it effected Americans
Paragraph #4: (How- relief for the needy)
-Federal Emergency Relief Administration
-how it helped--> how it effected Americans
Paragraph #5: (Opposition- Unemployment)
-FDR laid off many workers who had been employed by the New Deal's own organisations and the cut in spending triggered other cuts throughout the economy.
-When Roosevelt cut the New Deal budget in 1937, the country went back into recession.
-6 million unemployed in 1941.
Paragraph #6: (Opposition- FDR as dictator)
-packing supreme court
-lost many supporters of him
Paragraph 7: (Opposition- Big Business v. Labor)
-caused violence
-big business remained immensely powerful in the USA despite being challenged by the government.
-big business companies controlled local police forces.
Paragraph #8: (Opposition- unfair taxes on the wealthy)
-FDR making taxes on the wealthy
-wealthy complain that this is not fair that they get treated differently because they worked hard for their money
Paragraph#9: Conclusion.
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