The Red Nightmare documentary

1. In the beginning of the film, it appears to be an ordinary American small town, but where is it? (Between 1:00 and 2:30).        

     The small town appears to be an ordinary American town, but it is in the Soviet Union. 

2. What is the father's (Jerry) attitude toward his responsibilities, such as attending a Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTA) and going to Army Reserve training (6:20)?      

     Jerry feels it is alright not to take control of his responsibilities, such as attending a Parent-Teacher meeting and going to Army Reserve training. He feels that if he doesn't feel like going, he doesn't have to. Because it is his decision whether or not he goes, it doesn't bother him that much not to go, therefore, he makes up excuses to get out of his responsibilities.  

3. According to the film, if all people had the attitude that Jerry has, what is the Red Nightmare? (To answer this question, what does Jerry witness or experience in a Communist America at the: 

• Town Square
• His Daughter's depature (note the soldier is her boyfriend, Bill)
• the PTA
• His job
• His younger children's' education    
• and at the church     

If all people had the attitude that Jerry has, the Red Nightmare would be a spread of Communism throughout the United States where children would volunteer to work for the communists leaving their families behind. You would have no freedom and would be told exactly what to do. People would be brainwashed by the communists to hold communist beliefs and you would have to work for as long as you are told.  

4. What is Jerry's experience like at trial?      

     Jerry is placed at a trail where he pleads innocent yet no believes him. Even worse, they have no evidence  other than reports written by those who are his close friends and family yet accuse him of being guilty. They couldn't even really tell him what he was being accused for. He was not given a chance to prove his innocence as the trail was unfair and in Soviet command.  
 

5. Consider this film in the context of the Red Square Era. If you were a high school student 50 years ago, how would you have reacted to this film in a history class?

    If I were a high school student 50 years ago, I definitely would have felt terrified and worried from this film. The film makes you thank the fact that you live in a place where you are given freedom and the right to make your own decisions. The film would have made me much more cautious about scared of communism if I were living in this time. 
  

The Race to Control Space

“We have vowed that we shall see space filled not with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding"
-President Kennedy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, September 12, 1962

President Kennedy was eager for the United  States to lead the way in exploring space.  The Soviet Union was ahead of the United States, having launched the first satellite Sputnik in 1957 and the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to orbit around the earth in 1961.

President Kennedy said, “No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space.” In 1961 Kennedy asked Congress to approve more than twenty two billion dollars for Project Apollo, which had the goal of landing an American man on the moon before the end of the decade.

First, go to this website at the JFK Museum. Read the introduction and the JFK and Space material. 


Read the telegram and the two memos and answer the SIX questions that follow:

Telegram A.
On April 12, 1961 cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin from the Soviet Union orbited around the 
earth in 108 minutes. The same day President Kennedy wrote a telegram to Premier Nikita 
Khrushchev congratulating the Soviets on the first successful manned flight.

Memo B.
A few days later President Kennedy wrote a memo on April 20, 1961 to Vice President 
Lyndon B. Johnson, who was the chairman of the Space Council.

Memo C.
Eight days later, Vice President Johnson responded to President Kennedy’s memo.


1. In the telegram to Premier Nikita Khrushchev, how does President Kennedy say he would like the United States and the Soviet Union to work on exploring outer space?      


     In the telegram to Premier Nikita Khrushchev, President Kennedy congratulates the Soviets for being the first nation to send a man into space. Kennedy also states that he hopes the United States and the Soviet Union can work together on exploring outer space.  

2. In the memo to Vice President Lyndon Johnson, what is President Kennedy's main objective?        

     In the memo to Vice President Lyndon Johnson, President Kennedy's main objective is to beat the Soviets in the race for space. He desires for the Chairman of the Space Council to make a survey of where they stand in space. Kennedy wants to know how much it will cost, if they are working 24 hours a day on existing programs and if not, why not, should they put an emphasis on nuclear fuel, chemical, or liquid fuel, and if they are making the maximum effort. 


3. What is the main difference between what President Kennedy says in the telegram and what he says in the memo in terms of how the Americans and the Soviets should explore
outer space?        

       There is a big difference between what Kennedy says in the telegram and what he says in the memo in terms of how the Americans and the Soviets should explore outer space. In the telegram, Kennedy suggests that the space race is not a competition and that he hopes the Soviets and the United States can work together to explore outer space. Kennedy seems happy and congratulatory towards the Soviets for their success in being the first nation to put a man in space. However, in the memo Kennedy seems very determined in having the United States beating the Soviets. He wants to know how they can beat the Soviets and how much it will cost. Also, he wants people working on their existing programs 24 hours a day and wants recommendations on how they can speed up the work.     

   
4. Why do you think President Kennedy appears to be giving two conflicting statements?      

     I think President Kennedy appears to be giving two conflicting statements so he doesn't make the United States seem weak and the Soviets seem superior to them. If he acts like he is happy for the Soviets and has them believing he wants to work together, then the Soviets don't know how worried he actually is. Also, letting the Soviets think they beat the U.S would do nothing but determine them to work harder. In the telegram, Kennedy wants it to appear as if he isn't worried about the Soviets while he is secretly trying to increase U.S power in space through his memo to the Vice President. 

5. How does Vice President Johnson connect the space race with the Cold War in his April 28th memo to President Kennedy?       


      President Johnson connects the space race with the Cold War in his April 28th memo to President Kennedy by stating that in order for the U.S to achieve such leadership, they need to make the necessary  hard decisions and to use their resources since they have greater resources than the U.S.S.R. Johnson indicates that other countries tend to align themselves with the country that they think will be the world leader. With the Soviets ahead of the U.S in the space race, other countries would aligning themselves with the Soviets. The main goal of the Cold War was to stop the spread of Communism and be superior to the Soviet Union. Johnson states that in order for the United States to pass the Soviets, they need to act now if they want to gain leadership.  


6. What are Vice President Johnson’s suggestions for the President?      


     Vice President Johnson's suggestions for the President are to start making a strong effort in beating Stalin because if they continue to wait leadership will have gone so far under Russian control and the United States will not be able to catch up. Johnson wants more effort and resources put into their space programs, however, in order to do that they would need a lot of money. Johnson suggests that the United States should pursue programs such as communications satellites, meteorological and weather satellites,  and navigation and mapping satellites. Vice President Johnson suggests that if the United States acts now and starts becoming very determined and serious with their efforts in improving their space programs, they have a chance of beating the Soviet Union in the race for space. 

NSC-68 and the Arms Race

1. Study Source 7. According to this source, how serious was the Soviet nuclear threat?      

     According to Source 7, the Soviet nuclear threat was serious, however, the report focused on the future of the Soviet nuclear threat more than the present threat. Source 7 states that the atomic capability of the Soviets is increasing and that a Soviet attack could be in the near future. The American National Security Council questions whether Britain with its present air defense, could be relied upon as a base for which the US could launch an attack. The Soviet nuclear threat was becoming very prominent and the U.S were beginning to worry about a possible Soviet attack.   

2. What measures is Source 7 calling for?     

     Source 7 was calling for an increased air warning systems, air defenses, and vigorous development of a civilian defense program which would be integrated with the military defense systems. Source 7 was calling for these measures as an effective opposition plan against the Soviet threat.  

3. How would you describe the tone of Source 7? Use examples of words and phrases in the text to support your answer.     

     The tone of Source 7 is very careful and fearful. The author of the Source is very aware of the present Soviet threat but it more worried about the future and what could happen between the US and the Soviets. Saying, " It is estimated that, within the next four years, the USSR will attain the capability of seriously damaging vital centres of the United States," shows that the author is certainly concerned about what the future holds and wants to be prepared for a Soviet attack. 

4. Study Source 8. What criticisms are made of Source 7?    

     Source 8 criticizes Source 7 by saying that the source intentionally exaggerated Soviet nuclear power. Source 8 states that Source 7 was exaggerated "bludgeon the mass mind of
“government”. Source 8 also states that the American stockpile of weapons would be an insufficient  amount to counter a Soviet threat. 

5. Do you think the author of Source 7 wanted to increase tension and the risk of war? If not, what were his motives?     

     No, I do not believe the author of Source 7 was trying to increase tension and the risk of war. There was already a lot of tension between the U.S and the Soviets and after the end of World War 2, no one really wanted to get into another war. I think the author was afraid that the Soviet's nuclear power was increasing and wanted the U.S to be more aware and start taking the initiative step to prevent a Soviet attack. The author obviously thought a Soviet attack would happen in the near future so he exaggerated the Soviet power hoping the U.S would take action.

6. Do the criticisms in Source 8 mean that Source 7 is not a useful historical source? Explain your answer.

The criticisms in Source 8 do not mean that Source 7 is not a useful historical source. Source 7 is a report from the American National Security Council, so you know that it is reliable because it was written by a government run council. Although some of the information might be exaggerated, it is still useful because it was written near the time that the Soviets had their own atomic bomb and started increasing their nuclear power.   

The Formation of NATO

1. Look at Source 2. What did NATO members agree to do?    

     NATO members agreed to keep up their individual and collective captivity to resist armed attacks. The countries also agreed that an attack against one or more of the countries in Europe or North America would be considered an attack on all of them.   

2. The members of NATO argued that this was a defensive alliance. Explain why Stalin was not convinced about this.    


Stalin was not convinced that the formation of NATO was a defensive alliance because once a country was attacked, the others would join in. The countries in the formation of NATO were against communist control and formed an alliance to back each other up in case the Soviets attacked. Therefore,   Stalin didn't believe it was a defensive alliance because if he attacked a country in Europe, other countries in NATO would join in to back up the country attack, not to defend their own country. If 


3. Study the cartoon in Source 4. Does the cartoon give the impression that Stalin feels threatened by NATO?     

Source 4 gives the impression that Stalin feels threatened by NATO. In the picture he is shown alone while the Western leaders watch him waiting for him to make a move. Once NATO was formed, the Western leaders waited for Stalin to make the next move. Stalin knew he he decided to attack one of the countries in NATO, he would be up against all of them, so he wasn't making any quick moves. He felt threatened and unsure about what to do.

4. Explain how Sources 4 and 5 present NATO in different ways.   

Sources 4 and 5 present NATO in different ways. Source 4 presents NATO waiting for Stalin to make a move. They formed their alliance and know that Stalin feels threatened by them, so they are waiting to see what he is going to do. The tone of the cartoon is tense and anxious. Source 5, however, presents NATO in a much more violent way. Source 5 shows NATO as a dog about to attack the German Democratic Republic. Source 5 depicts that NATO was formed as a weapon of war instead of a defensive alliance.  


5. Now explain why they present NATO in different ways.   

The two sources present NATO in different ways because they are taken from the perspective of the Soviets and the Americans. Source 4 is drawn by David Low, an American. Source 4 shows the American view on the NATO formation as being an alliance against communism and waiting for Stalin to make a move. Neither of the countries were waging war against Stalin, only waiting. If Stalin attacked one of them, all would considered attacked. Source 5, is a Soviet cartoon drawn from the Soviet view of NATO. Source 5 is the view that NATO was formed as a war tactic against the Soviets; as depicted as a violent dog ready to attack. Both sides had a different interpretation of why NATO was formed which is represented through two different cartoons.  

Berlin Blockade Document Analysis

Document Analysis

1. What type of document is this? What is its purpose?      


     Source A and Source B are both government reports from the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) to President Truman. The purpose of the documents are to mention to the president the possible threat they could be facing from the Soviets and what options are available for them to take. 
 

2. When was it written? Why is that significant?  


     The documents were written on June 30, 1948. The date the documents were written is significant because the reports were written during the time of the events taking place between the Soviets and America. Source A, was written 2 days after the conference held in Karlshorst, between Russian officials and members of the German industrial committee. Source B, was written 7 days after the justice administration of the Soviet Zone issued a directive on the judicial measures to be taken in connection with currency reform.   


3. Who created the document? Who received the document?     
 
     The documents were created by the Director of Central Intelligence, R.H Hillenkoetter and were received by president Truman. 

4. Who is Marshal Sokolovsky?     
 
     Marshal Sokolovsky was a Russian official who led the other Russian officials at the conference in Karlshorst. Sokolovsky was the one who stated the three possibilities the Soviets could take in regards to the United States including; starting a war, lift travel restrictions in Berlin, or leave Berlin to the West.   


5. How did the CIA get information of the meeting between Marshal Sokolovsky and German members of the German industrial committee? 


      The CIA got their information of the meeting between Marshal Sokolovsky and German members of the German industrial committee from a spy, a trusted comrade to the United States who obtained information from the conference and reported it back to U.S officials.   
 
  

6. What were the three Soviet alternatives as they presented themselves when this document was written? What policy did the Soviets pursue over the course of the next nine months? Why?   


     The three Soviet alternatives as they presented themselves when this document was written were; to start a war with the U.S, lift travel restriction on Berlin, or leave Berlin entirely to the West, giving them the rail line. The Soviets knew war was impossible due to bad harvest prospects. They didn't want to lift travel restrictions on Berlin because they thought that would make the Russians loose control. Therefore, the Soviets figured the West could feed all of Berlin. Tulpanov, stated that 2,000 tons of food would be needed daily in order to feed the Germans in the Western sectors. 




7. Stalin stated in a speech on February 9, 1946, "he [Stalin] blamed the last war on 'capitalist monopolies' and warning that, since the same forces still operated, the USSR must treble the basic materials of national defense such as iron and steel, double coal and oil production, and to delay the manufacture of consumer goods until rearmament was complete." Who are the "capitalist monopolies?" How does this statement enlighten the Soviet viewpoint against the United States? Were the Allies justified in cancelling the shipments of German reparations to the Soviets at the end of World War II? Why did the Soviets rely so heavily on Germany for food and industry?        


     The "capitalist monopolies" are the enemies of Stalin; the U.S.A, Britain, and France. This statement enlightens the Soviet viewpoint against the United States because it exemplifies the  Soviet viewpoint that the United States was their enemy even though they were supposed Allies. The Allies were justified in cancelling the shipments of German reparations to the Soviets at the end of World War II because they were preventing war with the Soviet Union and reducing communist threat to the U.S. After the war, the Soviets needed iron, steel, coal, and oil to build up their troops and their defense. The soviets relied so heavily on Germany for food and industry because Germany was able to produce more amounts of food and supplies due to Germany's industrial advantages. They had industries that the Soviets didn't have, which made the Soviets rely on Germany for food and industry.      

The Berlin Blockade and Airlift

1. What is Source 37 (p. 75) saying about Josip Tito, leader of Yugoslavia?     

Source 37 is depicting Josip Tito as a traitor to the Communist party. He is shown accepting money from the U.S through the American policy of Marshall Aid, which Stalin was against. He is depicted wearing a cloak labeled Judas, who was famously known for betraying Jesus. 

2. Why do you think Stalin was so hostile to Tito?        

     Stalin was so hostile to Tito because Yugoslavia was the only country who refused to follow Stalin's direction and resist aid from the United States. Therefore, Tito loosened Stalin's control over Yugoslavia, focusing Stalin's attention on making sure other countries didn't follow Tito's path. Stalin kept up an ongoing propaganda war with Tito. 

3. Look back at the map in Source 27 on page 71. How does the geographical position of Yugoslavia help to explain why Stalin did not take any direct action (such as sending in troops) against Tito?     

     The geographical position of Yugoslavia helps to explain why Stalin did not take any direct action such as sending in troops against Tito. Yugoslavia is on the far edge of the European countries and is far away from the Soviet Union. Also, Greece is boarding Yugoslavia and Stalin knew Greece was being protected from both Britain and the United States, therefore, he didn't want to risk getting into a conflict. 

4. Read Source 40 (p. 77). What reasons did the Soviet Union give for cutting off West Berlin?       

     The Soviet Union stated that technical difficulties made them cut off West Berlin. They also stated that there was a shortage of coal, therefore, they needed to disrupt electrical power from Soviet power plants to the Western sectors. 


5. Why do you think the USA did not believe these were genuine reasons?           

    The USA did not believe these were genuine reasons because they knew Stalin was trying to gain control of the Eastern European countries without completely breaking their alliance with the US. They saw Berlin as a test case and were not willing to give up. They knew a coal shortage was just an excuse and not a genuine reason for cutting off supplies and food for 2 million people. The United States knew this was just one of Stalin's plans to make Berlin entirely dependent on the Soviets. 

6. How do Sources 41–43 differ in their interpretation of the blockade?            

     Source 41 states that neither side gained any advantage from the blockade. The Soviets did not gain control of Berlin, and the West had no guarantees that there would not be another blockade. Historian Jack Watson states that the blockage only made both sides more stubborn. Source 42 demonstrates the commitment the US had in Berlin refusing to leave the city. Truman states how the Truman Doctrine brought the people of Western Europe closer to the US politically. Truman says that the blockade was a test of US ability to resist communism. However, Source 43 states that the US planned to help Berlin to  as a war plan against communism. Source 43 says that the United States were forced to yelid at Berlin because of the conduct of the U.S.S.R.

7.  Which do you think is the most useful source for a historian studying the Berlin Blockade?       

     I think the most useful source for a historian studying the Berlin Blockade is Source 41. Source 41 is most useful because it is written by a historian who is retelling the outcome of the blockage without taking a side. The other two sources are either from the Soviet view of the American view, therefore, the two sources could be a little biased favoring their side. 


8.  Which source do you think gives the most reliable view of the blockade?      


     I think Source 41 gives the most reliable view of the blockade because it isn't favoring either side, only stating the facts and the outcome of the blockage. Neither side gained any advantage from the blockage. Both Source 42 and 43 could be limited because they are written from either the Soviet or American view. Truman is trying to make the Untied States sound superior to the Soviet Union while Source 43 is trying to make the US sound weak saying that they were forced to yield at Berlin due to actions taken by the Soviets. Source 44 gives you a picture of American aid to Berlin but it could be staged to make the US look better. Overall, I think Source 41 gives the most reliable view of the blockade since it is written by a historian who isn't taking sides.

Iron Curtain Separates Europe

1. What is your overall impression of Source 26 (p. 70) and use extracts from the source to support your view. (No fence sitting; you must choose one but not both)      

• a reasonable assessment of Stalin’s aims based on the facts
• an overreaction to Stalin’s actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR?        

     My overall impression of Source 26 is that is was an overreaction to Stalin's actions based on fear of and prejudice towards the USSR. They are fearing the worst outcome, which is Stalin taking over the world, to scare people and make them even more anti-communist then they already are. They are exaggerating communist power by saying that because Stalin has taken control of Eastern Europe, he will eventually be able to take control of the whole world. 

  
2. Source 26 is a British source. Does it seem likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government?      

     It seems likely that similar documents were being produced by the American government because the United States and Britain shared similar views on communism and Stalin. They both believed communism was wrong and didn't trust Stalin. Also, the United States and Britain were very close allies, therefore, it would seem likely that their documents being produced about communism would hold similar views. 

3. Study Source 27 (p. 71) and make a list of three different actions that Communists took to achieve power in eastern Europe. Explain how each factor helped.     

1. In Czechoslovakia, Communists banned any other party except Communism in 1948, making Czechoslovakia a Communist one-party state. This helped Communists achieve power in Eastern Europe because Czechoslovakia was now completely under Communist control. 

2. In Romania, Communists abolished the monarchy in 1947.This left Romania under Communist control with a Communist prime minister adding to their power in eastern Europe. 

3.  Communists imprisoned opposition politicians, and attack Church leaders in Hungary. This ensured Communist power in eastern Europe as Communism was able to become the largest single party.