When analyzing the ways in which the Cold War manifested itself in the American psyche throughout the post-war period, the need to maintain order at stability at home are central. Beginning after WWII, Americans looked for a “return to normalcy” to cope with the losses of wartime; the results were magnificent—large economic boom following a short recession, massive consumer revolution, and advances in science, health, and technology. Together, this created an overall wave of optimism that provided safety and insulation from the undercurrents of domestic and foreign issues during the era. Early civil rights issues like segregation became known due to the 1954 Brown v. Board decision as well as the Montgomery Bus Boycotts; clandestine, CIA-led…
In the novel Their Eyes Were watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, love and the main character’s personal development throughout the story plays a very important role. The protagonist, Janie Crawford, encounters three major relationships that will develop her own personal growth and independence. Each encounter, Janie will experience different problems and solutions that will better her to develop self-confidence. As the novel progresses, her relationships with Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, and Tea Cake develops her independence from a dependent and shy, flat character, to a round, strong character with a voice for herself.…
In the late 1940’s, the United States and Soviet Union had become locked in a Cold War. The war was a dreadful time for both sides, keeping all citizens on edge. The war didn’t only affect the two superpowers prepared to fight though; it also affected the rest of the world. The Cold War had a large impact on developing countries like India, Cuba and Egypt. Depending on whom each country allied with, it either prevented or helped each country’s reform, development and independence.…
Which was more important in developing the Cold War, the Berlin Crisis or the Korean War?…
In the years since the Second World War, the European powers had begun withdrawing from Africa. This process of decolonization is in response to nationalist movements within Africa, international pressure from the USA and the Soviet Union, and the European countries' own awareness of their economic weakness after two world wars. Decolonization was mostly completed within a few years of 1960, though white minorities effectively continued colonial rule in South Africa, while the Portuguese remained in Angola and Mozambique for the most part. Since independence, African countries have experienced many issues such as political instability, corruption, harsh poverty, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. With the end of the Cold War, however, rivalries in Africa began to condense and more constructive approaches to Africa's problems have been evident, both on the part of the international community and within Africa…
The prohibition movement in the United States was very successful during the era of progressive reform, from 1900 to 1919. This is because of the social composition of the prohibitionists, their motives, strategy, and pressure-group tactics, and the relationship of prohibitionism to progressive reform. The prohibitionists attacked saloons with a passion, they appealed to women's rights, and they tried every mean possible to keep their areas dry.'…
After the end of World War Two, the world was split into two, east and west. This marked the beginning of an era called the Cold War. The Cold War was the most subtle war in history, but the world came very close to a nuclear war that had the potential to inevitably wipe out mankind. The two main opponents in this war were the Soviet Union and the United States. With Canada being the United States neighbour to the north and close to The Soviet Union geographically, Canada allied itself with the United States. This union cause a lot of political trauma, but it brought a lot of new technology to Canada and helped strengthen our relationship with the United States. Therefore Canada did ally with the United States, but at the same time Canada remained a sovereign nation and remained able to make its own independent decisions despite being allied with one of the world’s superpowers.…
From 1945 and beyond, leaders have selected different paths to affect change. Some encouraged independence through violence, peaceful actions, diplomacy, and the commitment of their struggling nation. Others sparked revolutions by appealing to the peoples’ needs. Through policy, and sometimes uniting a people, trailblazers changed the face and structure of their nation. A column from a journalist during the time period would help to see a broader perspective during such varying and exciting time. Decolonization, revolution, and nation building are all goals of any effective leader willing to make a change.…
Competition for land to create new colonies began to destabilize the European balance of power. this was also a significant cause of World War I. As the British Empire began to crumble. In the mid-20th century the United States began to rise as an economic and military power. The United States growing power,the consequences of two world wars, and the Cold War. Saw to the contraction and collapse of European empires, a process called decolonization. And by the end of the 20th century most of Europe’s colonies had fallen. This prompted Europe to find new ways of interactions among its own nations and the rest of the world. At the same time migration of non-Europeans into Europe increased. Changing the ethnic and religious composition of Europe.…
During the Scramble for Africa in the late 19th century, European powers divided Africa and their resources into political partitions at the Berlin Conference in 1884-85. One of the countries that had been colonized was Cameroon. The colonial powers that had imperialized Cameroon are France, United Kingdom and Germany. The territory was first colonized by the Germans in 1884 and after the end of WWI, Cameroon was mandated to the French and British governments. France took the larger sector, known as the East Cameroon, while Britain took over the West Cameroon. On January 1st 1960 the French sector became independent and was named Cameroon Republic,…
John F. Kennedy once said, “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” During the Cold War, there was a need for people to assist their country and come together as a nation. Nowadays, people view serving their country in many different ways, such as military service, being in the medical field and even volunteering. The way people view serving one’s country has changed over the decades.…
For me living under the threat of nuclear war would have been horrendous for me and my family. Living in fear everyday knowing that at any moment a country could drop a nuclear bomb on me and my family and annihilate us is a very scary thought. To live under threat of a nuclear war is to have the realization that your destiny and your family destiny is in the hands of a country that your country may be at odds with. It is the realization that you may not have control over what is going to happen tomorrow.…
Détente was a permanent relaxation in the international affairs during the Cold War. It was a term generally associated with the relations between USA, USSR and China. The détente was witnessed in the 1970s, mainly because there was a growing fear of a nuclear holocaust especially with the growth in those countries that had nuclear weapons, such as USA and USSR. The détente consisted of many events, right from the decisions made after the Cuban Missile Crisis, to the Helsinki agreement in 1975. In doing so, it seemed to ease tensions between the USA and USSR in the 1970s.…
There are situations in life that can arise at any moment, without our control. Nuclear war and terrorism are two of these situations. There are things we can do to prepare for these situations, but are we ever really prepared?…
Westphalia encouraged the rise of the independent nation-state, the institutionalization of diplomacy and armies. This particular European system was exported to the Americas, Africa, and Asia via colonialism and the "standards of civilization". The contemporary international system was finally established through decolonization during the Cold War. However, this is somewhat over-simplified. While the nation-state system is considered "modern", many states have not incorporated the system and are termed "pre-modern". Further, a handful of states have moved beyond the nation-state system and can be considered "post-modern". The ability of contemporary IR discourse to explain the relations of these different types of states is disputed. "Levels of analysis" is a way of looking at the international system, which includes the individual level, the domestic nation-state as a unit, the international level of transnational and intergovernmental affairs, and the global level.…