History - Final Research Project

Dakota Bush

History - Final Research Project

Nuclear Weapons: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Beginning in August, 1942, with the Manhattan Project, the United States has been researching nuclear power (partly) for the purpose of obtaining a nuclear arsenal. This discovery- the atomic bomb- revealed to be a huge step in the field of science, all the while bringing an entire amplitude of problems to face. On July 16, 1945, the United States conducts its first ever nuclear weapon, code-named "Trinity," in New Mexico. This test marks the beginning of a rather precarious age to come, of which the world is certainly not yet prepared to meet. Following their first nuclear test and less than a month later, on August 6, the United States drops a uranium bomb named the "Little Boy" over the Japanese city of Hiroshima, destroying 94% of the city and killing over 140,000 people in just a few months. Three days later, the United States drops a plutonium bomb named the "Fat Man" over the city of Nagasaki, destroying 44% of the city and killing an estimated 74,000 by the end of the year. Six days later, Japan surrenders.

Clearly distressed by the demonstration of sheer obliteration capable by nothing other than the atomic bomb, the UN calls for the elimination of atomic weapons on January 24, 1946. At this assembly, the UN General Assembly requests the complete elimination of nuclear weapons and any armaments capable of such "mass destruction," as they set up a commission to deal with the problem of the atomic discovery. Despite the assembly announcing the problems uprooted by the discovery of atomic energy, it did not slow down nuclear expansion at the slightest. Three years later, on August 29, the Soviet Union tests its first nuclear weapon, code-named "First Lightning." The Soviet Union now becomes the second nation to successfully develop and test a nuclear device. Another three years later, the UK conducts its first nuclear test off the coast of Australia. Less than a month afterwards, the United States tests the first hydrogen bomb, named Ivy Mike, which is supposedly 500 times more powerful than the Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki. The following year, the Soviet Union tests a thermonuclear (hydrogen) device, and less than twenty years later, seven nations have constructed thermonuclear bombs. Although the discovery of the hydrogen bomb is a leap forward in studying the next stage of atomic weaponry, it only accomplishes in speeding up the arms race.

Six years after the first successful test of the thermonuclear bomb, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is formed. This organization retains a strong pacifistic perspective, as it entirely opposes war and nuclear power, while the campaign later sparks the flame for many marches and protests against the use of nuclear weapons. The next year, the Antarctic Treaty is established, prohibiting any nuclear tests in Antarctica. This treaty is not fully enforced until 1961, a year after France tests their first nuclear weapon and the same year that the Soviet Union detonates the most powerful bomb ever created (on October 30), called the "Tsar Bomba." Almost a year later, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurs, when the US discovers Soviet missiles in Cuba, resulting in the US blockading Cuba for nearly two weeks, as the US and the Soviet Union are brought to the brink of nuclear war. This caused a much greater recognition towards the power and tension brought by nuclear weapons, with more arguments forming that surround the "uselessness" of nuclear forces: "'Nuclear weapons,' McNamara recently argued, 'serve no military purpose whatsoever. They are totally useless---except only to deter one's opponent from using them.'"[7]  Less than a year later, following several large protests against nuclear testing, and with the Cuban Missile Crisis setting forth a clear demonstration of the ability for military and political power to be influenced by nuclear weapons, the Partial Test Ban Treaty is sanctioned (August 5, 1963), banning nuclear testing in the atmosphere, underwater, and outer space. This advances the campaign of disarmament against countries who hold nuclear weapons. Although, only three countries sign this treaty: the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and the United States.

A year after the Partial Test Ban Treaty is enacted, China tests its first nuclear weapon, having not signed the treaty. Three years later, on February 14, 1967, the Treaty of Tlatelolco is signed at Mexico City, with the countries of Latin America agreeing to not manufacture, test, or acquire nuclear weapons, resulting in Latin America becoming nuclear-free. The next year, on July 1, the Non-Proliferation Treaty is enacted, where non-nuclear-weapon states agree to never acquire nuclear weapons, and the nuclear-weapon states make an effort towards nuclear disarmament. This treaty accelerates the movement to attempt nuclear disarmament as, just a little more than a decade later on June 12, 1982, a million people rally in New York City's Central Park in support of disarmament, claiming this protest to be the largest anti-war demonstration in history. Three years after the demonstration, the South Pacific becomes nuclear-free under the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which prohibits the manufacturing, testing, or stationing of nuclear weapons within the region. The next year on October 11-12, US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev discuss the reality of possibly achieving nuclear abolition. Over the next decade several efforts are made in the attempt to stop the expansion of nuclear weapons, with South Africa joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Southeast Asia, Ukraine, and Africa becoming nuclear-free. On July 8, 1996, the International Court of Justice states that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is contrary to international law, as later that year on September 24, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is enacted, stating that all countries signed onto the treaty agree to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments, for civilian or military purposes. This final treaty closes the manufacturing and use of nuclear weapons for many countries, with only four of the nine countries containing nuclear weapons not being legally recognized nuclear weapon states (North Korea, Israel, Pakistan, India).

Through this project, I have learned a great amount of history of which I did not know before writing this, specifically relating to my study of Hiroshima and Nagasaki following the bombing. I had no true perception of the ethics surrounding the use of the atomic bomb in Japan from the point of view of someone living in Japan. During my research, I found several accounts of the incident that were recorded by the survivors, which gave me an insight into their experiences during the frightening circumstances that they were put through. Also, there were records of what was said inside of the plane before dropping the bomb on Hiroshima, and even a record of the diary of Robert Lewis. At the end of this project, I can say that my perspective on the usage of nuclear weapons has changed from what it was prior to the project, as before, my stance stood directly with the pursuit of science and advancing that through researching nuclear power, but now my opinion has shifted to be more centered as I would rather not pick a "yes" or "no" side in the matter, as it may sway towards one side or the other depending on the circumstances given.

CITED INFORMATION:

[1]: Kurzman, Dan.  Day of the Bomb.  New York:  McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1986.  412

[2]: http://www.csi.ad.jp/ABOMB/Hibakusha/h04.html

[3]: Lifton, Robert Jay, Greg Mitchell.  Hiroshima in America: Fifty Years of Denial.  New York:  G.P.  Putnam's Sons, 1995. 233.

[4]: Publishing Committee for 'Children of Hiroshima.' Children of Hiroshima.  1980. London:  Taylor &  Francis

[5]:Kurzman, Dan.  Day of the Bomb.  New York:  McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1986.  412

[6]:Wyden, Peter.  Day One.  New York:  Simon & Schuster, 1984.  293-294

[7]: Trachtenberg, Marc. The Influence of Nuclear Weapons in the Cuban Missile Crisis. 1985. 139

PICTURES:

The Little Boy, used on Hiroshima (left) and the Fat Man, used on Nagasaki (right).

"Trinity," the first nuclear bomb ever created.

"First Lightning," the first Soviet nuclear bomb.

The "Tsar Bomba," the most powerful nuclear bomb ever created.

The mushroom cloud created by the bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

SOURCES:

The Devastation of Nuclear Weapons

This site gave me useful information regarding the Manhattan Project as well as information surrounding the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, such as the numbers for the death toll and the severity of health issues brought upon survivors by the nuclear weapons.

Steps in Abolishing Nuclear Weapons

This site (/book) explained (in detail) the steps taken during the campaign to abolish nuclear weapons.

Nuclear Weapons: Who Has What?

This site told me what countries are labeled as “nuclear weapon states,” and which ones legally possess nuclear weapons.

Atomic Age - Timeline

This site contained a great timeline stating the important events during the Atomic Age, as it was a perfect reference source for knowing the important events from the site while using other sites to explain those events in detail.

The First Hydrogen Bomb

This site explained the use and creation of the first thermonuclear bomb, as it gave me information regarding the intensity of the bomb and how the following year, the Soviets replicated the process and had created a thermonuclear bomb of their own.

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

This site, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (of the UK), allowed me to see more in-depth towards the abolitionists viewpoints, also explaining why it is that they feel that way towards nuclear power/weapons.

Cuban Missile Crisis

This site (/book) explained the fears of nuclear war and the Cuban Missile Crisis, while also allowing me to cite McNamara’s words that were attacking the usage of nuclear weapons.

USH - Research Project

5/8/2015:

So far, I have discovered many important dates relating to the inventions of the first nuclear weapons, as well as the dates of many treaties put in place to thwart the proliferation of nuclear weapons (July 16, 1945 - "Manhattan Project" tested; 1963 -Limited-Test Ban Treaty enacted; July 1,1968 - "NPT", or Non-Proliferation Treaty enacted). Also, I have found records of the countries who withdrew of the NPT, and evidence stating the illegal development of nuclear weapons in countries that were not signed on to the treaty. Currently I am looking to find out accounts of peoples' opinions on the matter of nuclear weapons and their development, and whether the choice to make them was truly ethical and, in their opinions, even a good idea to begin with.

History - In Class Esssay - Cinderella Man

A truly inspirational story displaying the rise of one man from poverty to prosperity, Cinderella Man tells the biography of James Braddock, a man who became impoverished when the Great Depression hit, as he climbed his way to fame and wealth through his skill and sheer amount of luck in the boxing ring. Many factors of this movie display the suffering and adversity brought by the Depression, such as the incredible facial expressions shown throughout the film. Whether it is Russell Crowe's (playing Jim Braddock) distressed face telling the audience his emotions felt upon losing a boxing match, or Paul Giamatti's (playing Joe Gould) bitter expression he gives when telling Braddock to keep on fighting.

This movie allows the audience to have an insight into the rough times felt during the Depression as it displays a vivid image of the strenuous times brought upon America, with examples such as Braddock's effort at working at the docks each day, as a line of individuals stand behind a gate, waiting to hopefully be picked for work, when only about 7 of the people would be selected. On each of these people's faces, you see the expression of a father who must go home that day to tell his children that they will not be able to eat tonight, and someone who is unsure of how they will afford their next meal. Other examples include the scenes of Braddock with his family, such as in one scene where he tells them how he will not be able to afford the electric bill for the month, as they appear desperate, hungry, and awfully weary, or in another scene where Braddock tells one of his children that he will never send him away, as he appears worried and unsure of what is to come in the future.

This movie realistically portrays peoples' attitude towards one another as well as themselves, in scenes such as Braddock begging his former boxing companions for money to pay his bills so that he may get his kids back, or in another scene where people are lined up to receive relief money, as Braddock is clearly embarrassed at where he has fallen. There are many other factual aspects in the film, such as the fact that Joe Gould, Braddock's manager, "did" actually give up everything he had to bring Braddock back into the ring. Also, upon Braddock breaking his right hand and losing the lightweight championship title, his career plummeted. And while this movie portrays an incredibly realistic story, and one comparable to the tough times brought on by the Depression, there were a few slight changes to the true story of Jim Braddock.

As this movie is slightly "hollywood-ized," the only real changes in the story were those relating to Max Baer, Jim Braddock's championship opponent. Max Baer is portrayed as the villain in this movie, appearing as a "fur-wearing womanizer who had killed two men in the ring," when in reality, he had only killed one man in the ring (Frankie Campbell), and had nightmares for the rest of his life because of that. He had also sent a generous amount of money to the family of Frankie Campbell and lost several matches following that match, as he was afraid to pummel his opponents and cause injury as he had done to Campbell. Also, the Star of David that was placed on his shorts that appeared to be quite vivid in his actual fight against Braddock was drawn to be hardly visible and nearly unnoticable on Baer's shorts in the film. However, these slight inaccuracies do not take away from the film as it continues to convey an accurate feel for the Great Depression through its costumes, scenery, and facial expressions shown on each actor.

Braddock (right) in his championship fight against Baer (left).

 Sites:

https://sites.google.com/site/apusmoviereview/brooke-spenser-emily--cinderella-man

http://markdroberts.com/htmfiles/resources/cinderellaman.htm

http://daflo05.umwblogs.org/cinderella-man-as-a-secondary-source/

Dakota's Trip to Vegas

Well, Dakota didn't really go to Vegas, but it would have been cool if he did, right?
Now, back to the REAL topic.


On the field trip that the school had taken to Birmingham to visit the Civil Rights Institute as well as the 16th Street Baptist Church, and through watching the film, The Children's March, Dakota had learned the value of civil rights and equality within society, and its importance. He never quite understood what white people thought of blacks during the 60s, and now he knew that they thought of blacks as nothing other than livestock. He was disgusted by the sight of signs depicting blacks as animals, and photos showing blacks being hanged, beaten, and treated as slaves to a white society. His opinion of civil rights' issues remains the same as it did before, as the news today unravels new information regarding racism that people may say is brought by the other race, when in reality, it is brought by themselves. In modern times, 50 years after the peak of racism in America, a black person is elected president- proving that despite the possibility of facing racism or prejudice, your goals can always be accomplished, and change can always happen. However, even with the clear symbol that racism can't hold you back from everything in life, people continue to dwell on that idea and hold themselves back as they pull others down with them, all in an endless cycle of media and entertainment for the game of who-blames-who amongst the remnants of seemingly ironic racism in modern society.

History - 1918 Flu Pandemic

Sources:

Textbook, pg. 621

National Geographic
This page, written by Dan Vergano and published on April 28, 2014, explains the phenomenon based around healthy adults being particularly vulnerable to the Spanish Flu.
Flu.gov
This site gave me the majority of my information as it is government-based and contains strict numbers and statistics around the 1918 flu pandemic.
Stanford
This page, written by Molly Billings in June of 2005, describes claims and reports by physicians during the 1918 flu pandemic and how the virus spread across the world.




Nurse handling a patient during the 1918 Flu pandemic


Poster created in an attempt to help prevent the spread of the flu


Sick patients crammed into a building


Patients with the flu at a hospital


Policemen wearing face masks during the flu outbreak

My topic for this project was to study the flu pandemic of 1918, also known as the Spanish Flu. I chose this as I was interested to how America coped with this horrific pandemic and what the virus had done to not only America, but the entire world. The influenza had spread across the world quickly and without warning at about the time the war was coming to an end, in 1918. As America had entered the war towards its end, around half of their casualties (112,000 deaths) were from the influenza alone. However, further research proved to me that America was not the only nation to have suffered greatly from this pandemic. Around 20-40% of the world population was infected with the virus, resulting in nearly 50 million deaths (675,000 of which were in America). But the real question remains: how did this virus spread, and so quickly? How was it stopped, and what preventive measures were placed in the communities to help prevent the spread of the virus?

The flu had come in three waves, and began to appear as nothing other than the common cold. But by the time that it had become a reportable disease (on September 27th) and it was discovered that over 1/5 of the world population had been infected, it was too widespread to control and so widespread that it revealed to actually be impossible to properly treat and difficult to keep records. WWI had already left communities with a shortage of medical personnel and supplies, and the majority of medical personnel that remained had become sick themselves. The Public Health Services were constantly asked for assistance in providing medical personnel, but there were not nearly enough healthy medical personnel available to help. In some cases, medical personnel would be dispatched to a community to bring assistance, but they would actually become sick on their way there. In cases where the medical personnel had successfully arrived, they proved to be generally unprepared and not helpful in assisting sick patients. The pandemic was so devastating that it has been recorded as the most catastrophic pandemic in world history. It had caused more deaths in a single year than four years of the Bubonic Plague (Black Death). Over ten times the amount of Americans that died in WWI were killed by the influenza, causing the average lifespan of Americans to drop by ten years.

The pandemic had spread across the world through human carriers, along trade routes and shipping lines. Outbreaks had swept across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Brazil, as well as the South Pacific. The origins of the pandemic were unknown but widely speculated upon, with theories such as it being the result of trench warfare, as it was the possible creation by the combination of chemical fumes that arose from biological weapons such as mustard gas. Other theories (quite hilariously) claimed it to be a biological warfare tool created by the Germans. However, despite all of these speculations, the true origin of the rather devastating virus is thought to be from China, where the pandemic was the creation of a rare genetic shift of the regular influenza virus.

As the pandemic swept through the nation and across the world, vast preventive measures were issued in communities. It was impossible to truly protect oneself from the virus, but in an attempt to do so, the Public Health Departments distributed gauze masks to be mandatorily worn in public. Also, as a result of the virus, stores could not hold sales and funerals had a 15 minute limitation. Certain towns required a signed certificate to enter and railroads would not accept passengers without them. People who had ignored the flu ordinances had to pay steep fines that were enforced by extra officers. As the pandemic spread, bodies continued to pile up, causing a shortage of not only supplies and health care workers, but also a shortage of coffins and gravediggers. There was also such a vast shortage in hospital beds and doctors that schools and community centers were used as hospital facilities, with students being drafted as medical staff.

One physician claimed "that patients with seemingly ordinary influenza would rapidly develop the most viscous type of pneumonia that has ever been seen" and later, when cyanosis appeared in the patients, "it was simply a struggle for air until they would suffocate." Another physician recalls that the influenza patients died struggling to clear their airways of a blood-tinged froth that sometimes gushed from their nose and mouth. However, through this horrific pandemic, one odd fact still remained, and one that presented plenty of questions. This was that high illness and mortality rates were particularly among healthy adults, from ages 20-50. The explanation for this is that people born after 1889 had not been exposed as kids to the kind of flu that struck in 1918, thus leaving them particularly vulnerable to the virus. Older people had already been exposed to similar flu strains, as they had built some immunities to the influenza. This pandemic had brought immense devastation to the world, however, through this pandemic, it brought communities together, as it also proved a greater importance to science.

How Do You Analyze a Political Cartoon?

To analyze a political cartoon, you must look deeper into the context of whatever is being said in the cartoon, while keeping in mind that these cartoons generally speak upon a serious subject (of which the reader should be able to understand) but do not do so in the way that people should become offended. It is a "political cartoon," as it shows an important subject throughout politics, but describes in it a way that everyone can view and consider without becoming too offended.

This guide that describes how to analyze political cartoons (source below) differs from my suggestions in that it vividly tells the reader how to look into a political cartoon, not only understanding the meaning of the subject given, but doing so by noticing specific things in the cartoon, such as the first thing that draws your attention, or how the cartoon might look different than it would in a photograph.

I never thought about looking as deep into a political cartoon to understand it as this guide had explained, and that is why I chose this guide as the one that I will use to analyze other political cartoons. In the future, I will look further into the cartoon to understand what the picture is really trying to depict, not only an opinion or a certain topic, but the importance of that opinion or topic.

Guide to Analyzing Political Cartoons




Philippines Political Cartoon

This cartoon shows Aguinaldo, as the person holding the shovel, under the massive boot of the US, trying to pry the US off of the island. The sign behind him states: "NOTICE: The U.S. is requested to withdraw P.D.Q. -Signed, Aguinaldo." This shows how even though it is clear that Aguinaldo wants the US to withdraw from the Philippines, they were there to stay, as shown by the massive boot that demonstrates the US' power and strength against the Filipinos.


Spanish-American War Political Cartoon

This cartoon represents the US and how they attempted to reform the Spanish culture of many different colonies, such as the Philipines, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii. In this cartoon (again showing the US as a large character to demonstrate the nation's power) the US  is depicted as a teacher, trying to teach the classroom full of students (representing the Spanish colonies), while it is obvious that the students dont want to listen or cooperate at all. This shows how the US was trying to force the Spanish colonies to assimilate to American ways, and it is clear that they didn't want them to.


Spanish American War - Imperialism

This cartoon depicts the US (again) as the hulking Uncle Sam, as he stands over the United States, while reaching to grab for Cuba and the Philippines, This illustrates how the US, while already a giant among empires, continued to reach towards the Spanish colonies for conquest.