Life of Pi

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What makes Life of Pi appeal to me? Maybe it was the overuse of magic realism that made the film seem so surreal at times. It might also be the visual effects that stunned me. Most likely is the mind boggling conclusion to the film that required the audience's own interpretation. Life of Pi is an astounding story that is made with excellent visual effects and cinematography.




First, the story of an Indian boy who grew up at a zoo in an atheistic family learns religion on his own is a remarkable adventure. As a young boy, we see Piscine struggle with the concept of spirituality when he attempted to claim Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism at the same time. We notice that he can feel the animal's soul. However, it might just be his own reflection reflected back at him. The author of the original story, Yann Martel, employed magic realism to make the reader perceive the animals are alive. Director Ang Lee uses a unique camera view to make capture those moments on film. When Pi is feeding the tiger, we got a sense that the tiger was a human. It approached Pi slowly. We noticed a peculiar look in its eye. For a brief second, we almost forgot that those were the eyes of a fearsome tiger.




Second, the visual effects and the cinematography in some scenes reminded us of Avatar. When Pi looked at the glimmering stars, the camera showed us a view of the stars reflection in the water. The 3D effects made the water seem tangible to the audience. As whales and dolphins pass underneath the life boat, we watched them swim in crystal clear water. The glimmering light from the cosmos made Pi's journey look spiritual. The light from the stars made the water look more blue than usual. It reminded us of the glow in the dark trees on Pandora.




Finally, the conclusion of the film became an enigma. Audiences around the world began to analyze the events that unfolded in the film. We asked ourselves questions. Such questions include: Was his journey with the animals a metaphor for the grueling events that occurred on the boat? What really happened on the island? Did the island even existed? Was there even a tiger on the boat? Was the tiger a image of himself as an animal?




To conclude, Life of Pi was a deeply philosophical film, where the audience has to think deeper thoughts. It made us wonder about our own religious beliefs. Pi's journey across the Pacific Ocean made him grow into a man with more mature outlooks on life. People go through this rite passage when they transition from a child to an adult.

SkyFall

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A dark hallway steps out a shady man. His name is Bond. People call him James Bond. Skyfall is the twenty third James Bond film. It is Daniel Craig's third appearance as James Bond. What makes me attracted to Skyfall? Maybe it is the dramatic music sung by Adele. It could also be the high flying, jaw dropping, and action packed scenes. It could also be that the film is shot in international locations like Shanghai, Macau, and Istanbul.

First, SkyFall starts with heart-pumping music. Music becomes a key element in the film because it is one of the few aspects that make the film believable. As the conflict in the beginning mellows, the music mellows with it and the audience is immersed in a somber mood. Adele's talent for singing captures my attention immediately and her voice suits the animation of Bond very well.

Secondly the structure of the film makes us feel like we are in the film. The car chase goes through a populated marketplace in Turkey brings back memories of when we were in a crowded marketplace not unlike the one in the film. The structure also includes cinematography at its best. The camera rapidly shifts from London to Turkey several times. It is a juxtaposition of the industrialized nation of Great Britain and the developing nation of Turkey. It also brings into account the reason that Bond goes to third world countries. It is to maintain stability in those regions.

Third, I really enjoy the change in location from Turkey to Mainland China. Rarely in motion pictures do we see images of cities in China that are not well known. Skyfall manages to take us on a journey through Shanghai's roads. Shanghai is expanding by leaps and bounds. It is China's shining city on a hill. When Bond fights in the top floor of the Skyscraper, we notice the glamorous lifestyle of the Chinese compared to the agrarian lifestyle of the Turkish people. Macau is the next city. It is a casino city that is rarely mentioned in the news, but the director chose to give us a glimpse at the mix of old China and new China in Macau.

Lastly, the visual effects and cinematography was amazing.The smooth transition from real life to animation told the events that unfolded afterwards well. The animation was gracefully crafted to make it pleasing to the audience's eye. On top of the flawless animation sequences, the music sung by Adele told us more than we should know about the story. Adele's voice reverberated throughout the theater; as a result, we felt touched by our beautiful voice.

Skyfall is an entertaining film for three reasons.The music, the cinematography, and the filming locations make this movie entertaining. It captured my attention immediately. 

 

Olympic medalist visits wwp north

Read my article about this Olympic swimmer visiting wwp north

Crisis Ministry Volunteer

Barron SAT Vocabulary Word List 2 | Word Dynamo

Barron SAT Vocabulary Word List 2 | Word Dynamo

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays Book Notes

Today I finished the book, 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays. Although I am not going to Harvard, this book has provided me with many ideas for my own personal essay. The commentary provided at the end of each essay tells me what to do and what not to do. It also tells me what the author did right and what the author did wrong. This is key because the purpose of the essay is to make me stand out among the piles and piles of essays in the College Application process. I highly recommend this book for many rising seniors because it will give people insight into how to right the almost perfect essay.

The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar

Today I finished The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar. This reference source reads like a novel. The author is incredibly knowledgable about all the types of grammar errors that will appear on the SAT Writing Sections. The author has also concisely categorized the entire Blue book into different grammar concepts, so that I can do the Writing Sections in the blue book and use her book again as a reference source.
I highly reconmend this book for anyone taking the SAT for the first , second, third, or hundredth time. This book has all the grammar types that you will need to know for the SAT.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly, is an allusion to the biblical stories in the Genesis, but Frankenstein is also a warning to humanity that playing god creates moral issues.

These moral issues include social disorder between the creature's race and the creator's race. When Frankenstein's monster asked Doctor Frankenstein for a mate, he referred to a companion to keep him sane and happy in the human world. As the only creature of his race, the monster asks for a mate, but Frankenstein refuses to make another. As a method of retaliation, the monster killed members of Frankenstein's immediate family. This social disorder puts man and monster into a constant struggle that will never end until the monster is extinguished.

As I read that page, I wondered if God created one man and one woman as stated in the Genesis for the same reason.
All in all this classical novel is a great read to understand how the other creature feels about creation. It has a unbiased and two perspective viewpoint.

From my perspective, Frankenstein is a novel allowed the reader to gain insight into a strongly religious society. It also taught people about how to write in Proper English. For a while now, the English language has been dessicated in America by immigration and the media. As a result, many people speak in an ungrammatical way. This novel refreshes the mind about how people in the past spoke English and it allows people to preserve English's linguistic integrity. 

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary Words in Practice Test 8 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary Words in Practice Test 8 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 7 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 7 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 6 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 6 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 5 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 5 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 4 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 4 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 2 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 2 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 3 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 3 | Word Dynamo

Shooting in aurora movies people shot

Shooting in aurora movies people shot

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 2 | Word Dynamo

New Blue Book SAT Vocabulary in Practice Test 2 | Word Dynamo

Cannary Row Novel Notes 2

Cannary Row is a novel that takes place after the Great Depression. Through this novel, the reader is able to comprehend the struggles that these people face. These people also fear a lost of money. However, they are generous enough that they want to drink a lot of alcohol. This is a response to the repeal of the Prohibition amendment in 1933. After the amendment was repealed, people were filled with excitement for alcohol. They drank lots and lots of liquor.

Cannary Row Notes

Today I read my third Summer Reading Book called Cannary Row by John Steinbook. This novel is highly recommended because of the style that Steinbeck chose to write this book. He uses long sentences to capture the landscape. The landscape becomes a metaphor for individualism. Like the other books, Cannary row also emphasizes the importance of family in one's life. This family does not need to be blood related. The community in the end ended up treating each other like family. Also like the other books, Cannary row teaches the importance of individualism and hard work.

Waiting Notes for Essay

The next book that I read took a bit longer to read, but it was just as good as A Hope in the Unseen. This book is called Waiting by Ha Jin. Ha Jin's experiences in the years after 1949 allows him to craft a novel that reflects China's political and social problems during the Cultural Revolution. From the eyes of Lin Kong , we saw a bureaucratic government that was filled with corruption and bad leadership. We also a social system that was struggling to come out of the traditional feudal society.

A Hope in the Unseen Notes for Analysis

Finally, I got  a chance to read , A Hope in the Unseen. This novel, which   was published in 1998,  is truly a masterpiece. The details that Ron Suskind wrote in this novel make people want to take action.The novel details the High School and College life of Cedric Lamar Jennings.

As I was reading this novel, I began to be more convinced  of the argument that Parent Support is one of the most important aspects of a child's education. This biographical novel employs imagery and allusions to support the point that young adults in inter-city schools need parent support and religious support to guide them to success. In the novel , Cedric says that everyday he would go to school, church and the apartment. The church and its leader have led Cedric to success.
Race is another aspect of this novel because it details the struggles that minority students go through as they transition from inter-city schools to a mostly white college. This struggle is no surprise to the  people who have lived through the Civil Rights Era , where the Chief of Police would order police to use water to roll children down the road. This employment of force on protesting Black Americans during the 1960s shows how some white people treat black people like dirt. This memory is very strong in the mind of Barbara Jennings, Cedric's Mother. As a result, Barbara has spent more time with her son because she wants to protect Lamar from gang violence and illicit drug trades . Barbara taught Cedric that he needs to mind his manners around others and not to use violence. These are very simple lessons, yet violence happens spontaneously in inter-city schools. Barbara's lessons are aligned with the lessons of the church. As a result, Cedric went off to college as a more mature adult. He refrains from attending parties that serve alcohol , despite the pressure from his friends. This strong dose of religion made Cedric very focused on his goal to reshape the image of inter-city black students.

How to Parallel Park

1. First find an empty parking lot.
2. Next, put four cones near a planter with trees.
3. Then stick four sticks into the cones. (Make sure the cones are the proper distance apart by consulting your Driver's Manual)
4. Afterwards , you should get into the car and reverse the car three hundred feet.
5. Then drive the car forward and keep the car close to the place where you will be parallel parking.
6. As you approach the cone with the stick closest to you, drive slowly because you need to match the car frame with the stick.
7. After the stick and the car's window frame are matched, you should turn your steering wheel one and a quarter turns to the right and reverese the car into the space. You should stop when a small pen and the stick closest to the planter is matched up. (You would need to put the small pen in the rear seat that is directly behind you.
8. After the pen and the stick is matched up, you need to turn the steering wheel back to home position. Then reverse the car and match the front frame with the cone closest to the car.
9. After the frame and the cone are matched up, you need to turn the steering wheel one and a quarter turns to the left and reverse further into the spot.
10. You should stop reversing when you have noticed that the space between the curb and the right side wheels are one inch apart. For this to work, you must buy one small circular mirror and place it on the right rearview mirror.
11. Now that you are comfortably in the parking spot, You need to remember to drive forward a little bit to make the car at the center of the spot.
12. Finally, pull the car into the parking gear.
13. That's it. You have successfully parallel parked.
14. Thank You for reading

APUSH: Four Steps to a Five

Junior Prom Article

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APUSH Exam study notes

Nixon's Issues
Tapped phones, used the IRS, and dirty tricks to stop leaks For example, he tried to discredit Ellsberg, the Psychiatrist by having people break into his office and steal his psychiatric files and have him discredited. He formed CREEP and hired some low level burglers. The burglers broke into the Democratic Party Headquarters to ensure his victory. The headquarters was at the Watergate Office Complex. Woodward and Bursnteen investigate the low level burglers. They found a note in one of the people's wallets a phone number to the Oval Office. They start to investigate and sparks a Congressional Committee that starts investigating the President because President Nixon tried to cover up Watergate. John Dean went to Congress to discuss what he knows. While he was begining to anwser questions, he spoke of tape recordings in the Oval Office. The Congressmen looked at each other and found out that the President was taping every conversation in the white house. When he was asked to hand them over , he said that the tapes belonged to him and it was his executive priviledge. Supreme Court rules against him. He hands over the tapes. Congress begins Impeachment proceedings. Then President Nixon resigned August 8,1974. President Ford became the first unelected President of the United States. His previous Vice President was removed for Tax evasion. Nixon then selected Ford as Vice President. War Powers Act Nixon vetoes the War Powers Act because it limited his powers.

 Nixon's Southern Policy

 President Nixon need the South to win reelection. Te South was disatisfied with the Democrats and Civil Rights Amendment. He backed Strom Thrumond in an attempt to suspend school desegregation. This is to win the South's votes.

 Nixon's Domestic Policy

 Expanded Social Security aid to dependent Children Protection of air and water EPA and OSHA Title IX Philadelphia plan is a plan for affirmative action with Federal contracts. He tried to reduce the Great Society and New Deal with a welfare cheats. Competition from Japan and Germany increased because the Japanese and German cars used less gas than the cars from big three. This resulted from the OPEC oil embargoes. Eastern Liberal Academia and Liberal press were blamed by Vice President Agnew. He tries to put blame on other people. He tried to increase Presidential power and reshape the courts. More

APUSH Nixon Foreign Policy

 In Chile, the people elected a leftist president. The CIA overthrew him. They replaced him with a ruthless dictator. This is in the name of Containment. In 1973, Kissinger tries to broker deals with a cease fire. The US was walking a tightrope with Israelies and Arabs. The OPEC oil embargo increased oil by 5 percent for each month that the situation was not solved.

 Nixon's Foreign Policy

President Nixon went to China and got away with it because he was a staunch communist fighter. It goes back to his time on the House of Un American Activities Committee. He signed the SALT I with the Soviet Union. His policy with Mainland China and Soviet Union was called detente.

 Vietnam War Protests
Neil Young Wrote "Ohio". He was very frightened at the time and he wanted to make Nixon's enemies list.

Nixon's Mad Man Policy
He wanted the communists to know that he is very unpredictable. He uses this to get the North Vietnamese to the bargaining table. In 1970, President Nixon expanded the Vietnam War. He wins the election and bombs Hanoi and mines Haipong Harbor. He also bombs Cambodia. He expands the war to Cambodia. This supports his peace with honor.

Easy Rider
 Easy Rider sets up a really growing culture. It shows the society of two cultures that are along generational lines. It shows the new generation likes to experiment, while the old generations like to remain the same as the past.

 Nixon
 President Nixon When he was inaugurated, massive protests crowded the streets. Protesters called for America to get out of Vietnam. They burned flags and disrupted the motorcade of newly inaugurated President Nixon.

 Marshall Court
John Marshall was a Supreme Court Justice appointed by President John Adams. He was not the first Chief Justice. John Jay was the first Chief Justice. Chief Justice Marshall established judicial review and the power of contracts. As a staunch Federalist, he supported buisness. As a result, he voted in favor of contracts in Fletcher v. Peck and Dartmouth College v. Woodward. Fletcher v. Peck was the land fraud in Georgia. Marshall concluded that the state could not pass a law invalidating a contract. The state law was declared unconstitutional and void. This decision could be made because Marbury v. Madison established Judicary Review. Judicial Review allowed the Supreme Court to decided the Constitutionality of a law passed by the Legislative Branch. Dartmouth College v. Woodward decided that New Hampishere could not alter a contract of a private institution. Therefore, the state law of New Hampishere was declared Null and void and unconstitutional.

 APUSH Supreme Court Cases
 John T.Scopes Trial was deciding the legality of a Tennessee law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in the state's public schools. It illustrated the cultural clash between fundamentalism and modernism in the 1920s. Korematsu v. United States of America decided that it was constitutional for the government to relocate the Japanese Americans to internment camps during World War Two because it was a war time necessity. The Warren Court used its power to promote social programs. Baker v. Carr decided the principle of one man and one vote. The Supreme Court required the reapportionment of districts for some state legislatures. Griswold v. Connecticut struck down a law prohibiting contraceptives. The court proclaimed the right to privacy that soon provided the basis for Women's abortion rights. Miranda v. Arizona ruled that no confession could be admissible unless a suspect had been made aware of his or her rights and the suspect had waived them. This is called Miranda rights. Roe v. Wade upheld abortion rights for women.

Chapter 27 Timeline

1945 ---Yalta Conference; Roosevelt dies; Truman becomes President; Relations between the US and the Soviet Union began to break down; Potsdam Conference


1946---American Plan for Control of Atomic energy fails;Atomic Energy Act;Iran Crisis in which US Forces USSR to leave ; Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech; Iron Curtain speech states that Europe had been divided into two separate parts;


1947--Truman Doctrine; Federal Employee Loyalty Program; House Un American Activities committee investigates movie industry


1948--Marshall Plan launched; Berlin Airlift; Berlin Blockade;Israel created by the United Nations through a partition of Palestine; Hiss-Chambers Case; Truman elected President


1949---Soviet Union tests atomic bomb; NATO established with 12 original members; George Orwell's 1984 is published;Mao Zedong wins the Civil War and Jiang Jie-shi loses and flees to Formosa;


1950---Truman authorizes development of Hydrogen bomb; Alger Hiss convicted;Joseph McCarthy's Wheeling Speech on Subversion;NSC-68; McCarren Internal Security Act


1950-1953---Korean War


1951--Japanese American Treaty


1952--Dwight D.Eisenhower was elected to president; McCarthy heads Senate Permanent investigations Sub-committee;


1953--Stalin dies; Khruschev consolidates power;East Germans stage Anti-Soviet Demonstrations;Shah of Iran returns in a CIA supported coup


1954---Fall of Dien Bien Phu ends French Control of IndoChina;Geneva Conference on Vietnam; Guatemalan Government overthrown with CIA help;Mao's forces shell Quemoy and Matsu;Army-McCarthy hearings


1956--Suez incident; Hungarian Freedom Fighters suppressed;Eisenhower reelected


1957--Russian launched Sputnik


1958---US troops sent to support Lebanese government


1959--Castro disposes Batista in CubaAtomic Energy Act resulted in a possibility for a civilian nuclear industry because it covers the law for development, disposal, and regulation of nuclear waste and facilities in the United States.


Hiss and Chambers Case convicted Hiss of being a communist and a member of the Communist Party.1984 denounced communism and socialism and the Soviet Style Totalitarian state.   Hiss was a distinguished New Dealer. Richard Nixon took up the case and got an admission out of Hiss tat he had known Chambers. Hiss sued Chambers for libel while Chambers accused Hiss of being a Soviet Spy.  Hiss indicted for lying under oath. Hiss case demonstrated to Americans that Communist threat was real and within America. SoS under Truman, Dean Acheson was resented for supporting Hiss, and Truman himself was mistrusted. Red Scare also targeted homosexuals, who were viewed as insecure and posing a security risk. 




McCarren Internal Security Act required Communist organizations to register with the US Attorney General. The Subversive Activities Board created by the Attorney General investigated all persons suspected of subversive activities to establish a totalitarian regime.


For Additional AP US Study Aides: 
Please visit:
http://wps.ablongman.com/long_nash_ap_6/9/2314/592574.cw/index.html
http://www.historyteacher.net/USQuizMainPage.htm

Hunger Games Movie Review

What makes me attracted to movies such as the Hungar Games? It must be the thrilling action packed and breath-taking adventure story. I feel that I am part of the game of survival of the fittest. I feel like I can be part of an adventure where I am able to fight back against those who want to hurt me. However, I am not part of movie. I have also dreamed of a movie technology that would make the audience join the main characters. The Hunger Games is the new "Harry Potter", but I doubt it would be as financially successful. Hunger Games has captured my attention through its creative use of the camera and the creative acting of its actors. 


When Rue was shot and Katniss attempted to protect Rue, the camera did something odd. The way the cinematographer used the camera to convey the passing of a loved one was unique because it attempted to let us feel that emotion before we see it. This is an unsual concept because we have rarely thought about how the person passing away would feel. The blurring of the trees and Rue's entire vision fading were commonly used, but the feelings that this scene evoked was different. I felt a sudden chill down my spine.


Furthermore, the acting of Jennifer Lawerence's role as Katniss was very convincing and appropriate for this film. She may not be the best actress, but she does introduces an element of uncertainty. As we watch her perform, we feel like we have to hold our breath because we don't know what will happen next. This feeling is evoked with the help of the somber mood created by the music. 


In addition, Music is one of the most important elements in a motion picture; however, it is often neglected because the audience pays too much attention to the plotline. Without music, the film would not evoke the same feelings. These feelings of fear come across my mind because the music tries to tap into our unconcious portion of the brain.


Music, cinematography, and realistic acting skills are hard to come by these days in Hollywood, but the Hunger Games pulled it off. It told us that we will be surprised when we watch the film. They told us that this film will make us laugh, cry, or cringe. I felt all of these emotions. I have good feeling about this film. Who knows? It might be the next "Harry Potter".Anyways , we need a film like the Hunger Games because we need to take our minds off work, school, and SATs. 

STAND 4 Hope Article April 14, 2012

In response to a comment

Recently I toured the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. The tour guide and the ambassador of Israel to the United States are very biased and conceited in their position towards the Palestinians. It was pure politics. A smart and analytically inclined historian would begin by analyzing the situation starting in 1945 with the partition of Palestine. We would begin by looking at the primary documents that tell us what the Palestinians did and what the Israelis did because both sides have had done something wrong.

Day 4 Washington Seminar Trip Capitol Steps

Capitol steps is a hilarious satire. This type of satire is about the politics and the bureaucratic system of the united states federal government. From the current republican candidates to the do nothing congress, they have skits for everything that happened in Washington d.c in the last few years. Capitol Steps is a must see show that only happens in the Ronald Reagan building. Across the street, you can see the Occupy movement going strong in Washington d.c, but don't get too close because they might carry disease and other nasty things.

Chapter 27 Study Guide for AP US History

Chapter 27 Study Guide

By Henggao Cai

You will be taking an exam consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions each worth two points.  You should be well versed in the following topics:

1)     Soviet concerns at the end of World War II  

a)     The Soviet Union was afraid of another Western invasion. First, Neapolitan’s France invaded Russia. Then Hitler’s Germany invaded the Soviet Union or formerly Russia.

b)     Stalin led the Soviet Union to rebuild for security; therefore, they demanded defensible borders and political stability in the regions closest to them.

2)     American fears at the end of World War II

a)     America came out of World War 2 as the world’s greatest nation and was afraid of the growing communist threat because it wanted to spread equality, liberty, and democracy. The United States viewed communism, socialism, dictatorship as threats to America’s democracy and liberty.

b)     One of America’s fears came true when Josef Stalin possessed almost absolute powers.

3)     Issues that arose between the US and Soviet Union immediately following WWII

a)     The United States and the Soviet Union relations soured when the public officials and the media pointed out that Germany and Russia had similarities. Such similarities include total control over communications and the ability to eliminate political opposition. They also pointed out that both nations used terror to silence protesters.

b)     Both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany created inhumane camps.

c)     The United States believed Capitalism, a type of ideology, would prevail over Communism. Stalin, dictator of the Soviet Union, said that Communist system would prevail over Capitalism.

d)     Then Winston Churchill said that a Iron curtain has been covered all of Europe and it is the duty of English Speaking Nations to contain the Soviet Union.

4)     Poland

a)     The Soviet Union wanted Poland to be under the communist influence and system.

b)     The United States wanted Poland to have its own self-governing government.

5)     Yalta

a)     This conference decided how to deal with Germany after the war.

b)     FDR, Churchill, and Stalin attended the conference.
At this conference , FDR tries to appease Stalin by mentioning rifts between FDR and Churchill. Stalin also got what he wanted when the Red Troops went into Czechoslovakia and Poland. 

6)     Potsdam

a)     A post war conference

i)      Issued a warning to Japan to surrender unconditionally

ii)    To hold war crime trials of Nazi Leaders

(1)  Nuremburg Trials
Since two big leaders were switched out, the relationship between the Ally leaders were beginning to deteriorate. Truman also tells Stalin that he will no recognize some of the new governments that had been set up. As a result , the ideological rift began to pry open. 
7)     Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech

a)     Churchill said that Europe has been split into two ideological halves. One half is Democratic and free and the other half is heavily controlled and Communist.

b)     He said it was the duty of the English speaking peoples to stop the Communist threat.

8)     Kennan

a)     He was responsible for coining the concept of America’s containment policy toward the Soviet Union’s ideological belief known as Communism.

9)     Truman Doctrine

a)     The Truman Doctrine said that it was the United States’ goal to support free peoples resisting subjugating by armed minorities. Congress passed the Truman foreign aid bill that appropriated $400 million for military and economic aid to Turkey and Greece.

10) Containment

a)     The Truman administration adopted this policy because they want to stop the spread of the Soviet Union’s Communist ideologies. The first test of this policy was in Korea. The North Korean forces under Kim il Sung had almost took control of the entire peninsula, but the United States led the United Nations to push the North Korean army back. This was successful because it showed containment had worked.

11) The Marshall Plan

a)     This plan called for the United States to pour billions of dollars into the recovery in Europe because the United States want to prevent more countries from turning communist.

b)     Secretary of State Marshall developed this plan.

12) Berlin Airlift

a)     The Soviet Union has cut off Berlin from West Germany. Therefore, America and Great Britain decides to fly supplies in and out of Berlin because Berlin is within Soviet controlled East Germany.  
The Berlin Airlift broke down the Berlin Blockade by the Soviet Union. This allowed West Berlin to be connected to the rest of West Germany. 

13) NSC-68

a)     Explains that the Truman Administration intends on stopping the Soviet Union at all costs

b)     It also explains that the United States has the military capabilities of stopping the Soviet Union in case it invades the Western Hemisphere.

c)     It also justifies United States involvement by saying that America is the defender of the free world including its principles of freedom, liberty, and democracy.

14) Communism in China

a)     After the Second World War, the Communists and the Nationalists continued its Civil War that started in 1925. However, the Soviet Union assisted Mao Zedong and the Communists by supplying them with weapons and military expertise. The United States supplied Chiang-Kai Shek and the Nationalists with military expertise and weapons.

b)     Chiang Kai Shek lost and led the Nationalists to Taiwan where he continued to run the Republic of China. The United States continued to recognize the government under Chiang Kai Shek as the government running all of China until 1972.

15) Korean War and Truman

a)     Truman did not use a Declaration of War because the war was a ‘police action’ to enforce a UN Security Council resolution.

i)      They could only pass this resolution because the Soviet delegation temporarily boycotted the Security Council.

b)     On July 25, 1950, the North Korean Army launched a surprise attack on South Korea.

i)      However, the US led army pushed the North Korean army as far back as the Yalu River. Then the People’s Liberation army led by Mao Zedong pushed the UN troops back. They reached a near stalemate near the 38^th Parallel.

c)     Even though the Korean War stalemated, the United States was the ultimate winner because it proved that containment worked. In addition, the United States also stopped an entire communist takeover of Korea.

16) Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam during the early cold war

a)     After the Suez Canal Crisis, the United States replaced Britain and France as a major power in world affairs. President Eisenhower announced that the United States pledged to provide economic and military aid to any Middle Eastern country that was under threat from Communism.

i)      In 1958, Eisenhower pledged to help Lebanon by breaking up a conflict between Christians and Muslims.

17) Truman and Eisenhower’s administrations and dealings with the Middle east

a)     Both President Truman and Eisenhower worked hard to maintain access to petroleum resources, access to military bases, and lines communication in the Middle East. They maintained all these connections and attempted to deny the Soviet Union from these assets.  

18) American involvement in Latin America

a)     Cuba

i)      Fidel Castro confiscated all US property.

(1)  As a result, President Eisenhower cut off all exports and severed economic ties.

(a)   Because of Eisenhower’s response, Castro turned to the Soviet Union.

19) Eisenhower Doctrine

a)     President Eisenhower pledged military and economic aid to any Middle Eastern country threatened by Communism.

i)      His first test of this doctrine was in Lebanon.

(1)  There was a civil war in Lebanon.

(a)   The fighting was between Christians and Muslims.

(i)    President Eisenhower sent 14000 marines to Lebanon to prevent such a war.

1.     These 14000 marines propped up a right wing government because there is a huge vacuum in the Middle East. The United States must fill it first before the Russians do.

20) Policy of Massive Retaliation – what it was and who did it

a)     Secretary of State Dulles advocated for a greater reliance on nuclear weapons and air power and spending less on the conventional army and navy. This was a idea would save money and balance the federal budget and increase pressure on potential enemies. In 1953, the United States developed the Hydrogen bomb. Then the Soviets also developed the Hydrogen bomb. This plan was more like mutual extinction. Even though this plan prevented all-out war between two big superpowers, the plan could not prevent the small brushfires from occurring in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

21) Truman’s loyalty program

a)     On March 21, 1947, President Truman signed an executive order that set up a program to check the loyalty of Federal Employees. He wanted Federal Employees to demonstrate “Unswerving loyalty”.

i)      As a result loyalty boards were set up in every Federal department. These Loyalty boards depended on the investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. If there existed reasonable grounds, then the employee will be dismissed.

ii)    An employee can appeal to the Loyalties appeal board set up by the Civil Service Commission.

(1)  As a result, this quieted many criticisms from the Republican Party that Truman was too soft on the Communists.

22) HUAC – Members and accusations

a)     The House Committee on Un American Activities questioned members of the screen actors guild in Hollywood because they felt that the screen writers and directors were able to brain wash the American people easier if they had been communist spies.

23) Spies of the time

1. Soviet spies had discovered that America developed the Atom bomb, even though America tried to prevent spies. America sent spies to the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union sent more spies to the United States. The United States attempted to smoke out the Soviet Spies by questioning people in front of the House Committee on Un American Activities and a reciprocal Senate Committee led by Joseph McCarthy. 

24) Joseph McCarthy and McCarthyism

a)     The People of Wisconsin elected Joseph McCarthy to the United States Senate. In his first term of Office, McCarthy exacerbated the Red Scare by delivering a speech that told the American public about two hundred communists within the state department.

b)     He exacerbated the problem and created fear and panic. He painted a picture in the American people’s minds that communism is bad and McCarthyism is Americanism.

c)     Because of Joe McCarthy’s actions, the Americans started scrutinizing employees and workers. In New York, Subway workers were laid off because they failed to answer questions about their political leanings.

25) Second Red Scare

a)     The Second Red Scare occurred after World War 2 when the Iron Curtain separated Western Europe and Eastern Europe.

i)      This second red scare resulted in many employees laid off by employers because of the suspicion of communism.

ii)    This was a result of the Soviet Union testing its first atomic bomb and a fear of communist invasion by the Soviet Union. This fear was exacerbated when Mao Zedong and Communists won the Chinese Civil War.

26) Eisenhower interstate highway system

a)     Eisenhower wanted to create an interstate highway system that could evacuate the people from large cities in case of a nuclear attack. He got this idea from the German interstate highway system when he was serving as general of the allied forces in Europe. He saw how convenient it was for the military to travel from one side of the country to the other side of the country.

b)     Another effect that came with the Interstate highway system was the fast food industry. McDonalds spread across the country by using the Interstate highway system.

27) Vietnam and US attitudes toward it as well as involvement

a)     As a communist organizer and a revolutionary, Ho Chi Min sought to expel the Japanese invaders from Vietnam.

i)      Ho Chi Min established the Democratic Republic of Vietnam by 1945.

(1)  The French and the Vietnamese began fighting because France wanted to regain Vietnam as a colony.

(a)   This war was a larger Cold war battle because of the Democratic ideals of France and the Communist ideals of Vietnam.

(i)    However, President Truman recognized the French’s puppet government in Vietnam because he believed that Ho Chi Min was taking orders from Moscow. Therefore, the United States in 1954 was already taking more than three quarters of the cost of France’s Indochina war.

1.     July 26,1950

a.      President Truman authorizes $15 million of aid to France.

(ii)  The United States involved during the Eisenhower administration when President Eisenhower sent the CIA spies to assist the French. The United States needed the French to balance the Soviet Union in Europe.

28) Suez Canal Crisis

a)     When the United States refused to finance Egypt’s construction of the Aswan High Dam, the Egyptians turned to the Soviets. The Soviets provided the Egyptians with limited finances for construction. Then Nasser sought another place for funds by nationalizing the British and French owned Suez canal. Loss of the Suez canal threatened Western Europe’s supply line to Middle Eastern oil. In response, Israel, Britain, and France carried out a surprise attack on Egypt. Since Eisenhower had been kept out of the dark on the invasion, he condemned the attack. After the United States gave Britain and France pressure, Britain and France withdrew its troops. As a result, they never participated in another role of major powers in world affairs

29) Middle East situations

a)     The Soviet Union took over Afghanistan.

b)     The CIA overthrew the democratically elected Prime Minister Mosadeggh because the United States wanted to reap from the Iranian oil wealth and prevented Iran from aligning with the Soviet Union.

i)      The CIA replaced the prime minister with the Shah’s son because the prime minister attempted to nationalize foreign oil companies. When the shah was restored to power in 1953, he provided the West with favorable oil prices.  In 1979, the Iranian Revolution replaced the shah’s son with a dictator and established the Islamic Republic of Iran.

30) CIA coups

a)     The National Security Act of 1947 created the National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA employed spies to establish coups around the world. Some of the CIA coups were in Iran and Guatemala.

31) Latin America

a)     Guatemala

i)      In Guatemala, the United Fruit Company owned a lot of land to plant the bananas.

(1)  The elected government leader nationalized the land.

(2)  The United States secretary of state Dulles sniffed Communist activities; therefore, he advised President Eisenhower to send the CIA spies to Guatamala and oust the government of the reform minded Colonel Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. They trained Guatamalans to overthrow the legitimate regime because they appropriated US property.

(a)   The right wing takeover succeeded and the United Fruit Company’s land was restored; however, the right wing government turned into a dictatorship.

(i)    Because of the coup, Anti-American sentiment was all over Latin America.

32) Know the chronological order of major events in the early cold war years

Detente is the easing of strained relations. Both the United States and the Soviet Union strived for Detente. This is one of the reasons that the Eisenhower administration had the policy of Massive Retaliation to scare the Soviets. 

When President Eisenhower took office, he slimmed down the military. He slimmed it down by cutting the number of troops, but increasing the number of powerful weapons. As a result, the United States can still compete with the Soviet Union , but still spend within our financial capabilities.

Under President Truman, the United States had the Truman doctrine that pledged money to any country in danger of a communist threat. This was largely aimed at the area known as the Middle East.