Sem2.HW5

"How real was the threat of Communist spies within the USA?"

The threat of Communist spies was not very real; most of the fear was generated by McCarthyism. Claiming that he had a list of communists working in the government was just one of his unproved accusations. His actions lead the public to perceive the threat as real, but it was not.

However, despite the fact that many of the accusations were false, some instances like the Alger Hiss case and the Rosenberg Trials confirmed that there were spies operating in the US at that time, so therefore the threat of communist espionage was present.

"Is it fair to say that the anxiety caused in the US due to Nuclear threat, was useful and 'healthy?' (security of the nation . . . = its health)"

It is fair to say that the anxiety caused by the nuclear threat was useful during the Atomic age, because money could be made off that fear. Items that became popular included the 'atomic cocktail' and bikinis, and places like Nevada profited off tourism due to the atomic testing there.

The drills created by the the FCDA, who were responsible for planning civil defense, were not useful or healthy because they were ineffective. An example was Operation Alert, a large scale drill that showed that millions of people would have died had the attack been real.

Sem2.HW4

"How does the CIA's activities in Iran show that the US behaves undemocratically in its foreign policy?"

The CIA's use of bribery in Iran shows its undemocratic behavior in it's foreign policy. One example of this was when the CIA gave Iranian agents $50,000 to produce a crowd posing as communist agitators. This covert action was blatantly used to sabotage the democratically elected government, and is therefore undemocratic.

The CIA trained and equipped SAVAK, which served as the shah's personal secret police. This action taken by the CIA was undemocratic because instead of promoting freedom and fairness in the new government, they supported SAVAK, and by extension also supported the dictatorship-like conditions there.

The CIA's use of propaganda shows that they behaved undemocratically. They used $150,000 to create pamphlets and posters containing slanderous messages about the democratically elected leader, Mossadeq. The spreading of misinformation is evidently very undemocratic.

Sem2.Hw3

"How convincing was America's attempts to influence other parts of the world to side with them in the Cold War?"

The use of the anti-communist radio broadcasts in Soviet Bloc countries by the US was unconvincing. This was because the government's of these countries actively disrupted broadcasts by jamming signals, therefore rendering them obsolete.

The US's support of anti-communist dictators was an unconvincing attempt. The US was under the impression that everyone under communist rule was suffering, and therefore funded dictatorships in countries like Nicaragua and Haiti. To the people of these countries this seemed hypocritical of the US, and they resented the aid.

The use of covert action by the US was ineffective in gaining support. For example, the US was opposed to the reform plans of the Guatemalan government, and therefore sent the CIA to help overthrow the leader, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. This caused many Latin Americans to view the US as an enemy of social reform.

How wise were America's decisions to produce advanced weapons during the Cold War's first 20 years?"

The decision to produce the H-bomb was not wise. Tensions were already high between the US and the USSR, and producing the h-bomb only caused the USSR to scramble to create their own. This dangerous pattern continued, with both countries stockpiling extremely powerful weapons.

The production of advanced weapons was wise because it prevented a possible armed conflict between China and Taiwan. When China started shelling the Taiwanese islands of Quemoy and Matsu, the US threatened the use of its nuclear weapons, causing China to back down.

Sem2.HW2

"Were the Methods the US used to Contain the spread of Communism justified?"

The U.S. sending U-2 spy planes over the USSR, and various other forms of spying, was not justified. Instead of containing the spread of communism in an open, productive and honest way, the US resorted to spying and espionage. These actions were not justified.

A justified method the US used was founding and joining NATO. By the late 1940s the USSR had drastically tightened it's grip on it's satellite nations, with democratic parties in these nations being unfairly persecuted. The US joining the anti-communist organization to contain communism was justified.

Ending relations with China from the 1950s onward was an unjustified method the US used. Congress and the American people viewed the USSR and China in the same negative light, but instead China followed it's own interests and rejected Soviet control. Cutting off relations with China was not justified.

Sem2.HW1

“could the US and the Soviet Union have avoided the Cold War?”

The cold war could have been avoided if Kennen had not sent the Long Telegram that put the USSR in a threatening and bad light. It fueled the uneasiness that US leaders already had

about the spread of Communism in Eastern Europe.

In 1946, the US conducted tests of two atomic bombs at Bikini Atoll. Had they taken steps to disarm after Hiroshima and Nagasaki instead of continued testing, the USSR would not have felt threatened and the arms race could have been avoided.

In 1946, the USSR refused to withdraw troops from Northern Iran, thus breaking an agreement made with Britain stating that both countries would withdraw within six months of the war’s end. Had they followed through with the agreement, tensions wouldn't have risen and the cold war could have been avoided.

Scholars debate that both sides didn't fully understand the motives and aims of the other. The US saw the USSR's actions as threatening democracy, while the USSR wanted to improve security. If they had communicated more openly and clearly, they could have resolved their problems.

The cold war could have been prevented if the Truman Administration hadn't "worked to create an atmosphere of crisis" (Zinn 1), with the goal of continuing the successful war-economy in the US. If the government hadn't actively made the USSR look like the enemy, the cold war could have been avoided.