DOCSLIB.ORG

Cold War 1945-1960

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Cold War 1945-1960 COLD WAR 1945-1960 A. INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THE 'COLD WAR'? Cold War is the conflict between the Communist nations led by the Soviet Union and the democratic nations led by the United States. It is fought by all means - propaganda, economic war, diplomatic haggling and occasional military clashes. It is fought in all places - in neutral states, in newly independent nations in Africa, Asia and even in outer space. The historians have so far not reached any agreement on the time in which the Cold War began. It is, however, quite safe to say that since 1947 when President Truman of the United States declared an anti-communist policy, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union has begun. B. CAUSES OF THE COLD WAR There were deep-rooted ideological, economic and political differences between the United States and the Soviet Union before the Second World War. These differences were intensified as a result of their mutual suspicions immediately after the Second World War. (1) Underlying Causes a) Ideological: The United States and the Soviet Union represent two opposing systems of government. In the United States, the government is elected by free elections. The people can form political parties to voice their political opinions. They also possess the right of assembly, of speech and of the press. In the Soviet Union, the government is formed by the Communist Party. The people do not have the right to form their own political parties. They do not enjoy the right of assembly, of speech and of the press. Since these two systems of government are diametrically opposed to one another, there can be little compromise between the United States and the Soviet Union. b) Economic: The United States wanted to encourage free trade throughout the world. The Soviet Union wanted to shield off her own sphere from international commerce. Russia feared that trade with the West would involve the risk of Russia being opened to western influences which would have eroded the strength of the totalitarian regime. These differences led to much ill feeling between the United States and the Soviet Union. c) Power rivalry: After the Second World War, with the decline of Europe, power was largely shared between the Soviet Union and the United States. As one wanted 'to dominate the other, conflicts were inevitable. (2) Immediate Causes Leading to the Cold War Incipient conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States began at the peace-time conferences. Their conflict was intensified after President Truman declared the Truman Doctrine and launched the Marshall Plan in 1947. a) Extension of Russian influence in Europe: Even before the end of the war, the Soviet Union had gradually extended her influence in Europe. By the fall of 1944, the Red Army had liberated and controlled a large part of eastern Europe. By 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union obtained the Curzon Line as her new boundary line with Poland and also the control of the eastern zone of Germany. As the war was drawing to a close in May 1945, the Soviet Union quickly consolidated her control of eastern Europe. The Red Army began by influencing the post-war elections. They intimidated the voters and changed the voting lists as they desired. Although the non-communists could still gain some votes, most of the votes went to the communists. Thus the coalition governments formed immediately after the war were largely dominated by the communists. Two of the key ministries - Defence and Military (Police) - were always under communist control. Stalin was not satisfied with communist control of eastern Europe. In the meantime, he encouraged the communists to take an active part in the immediate post-war elections in western Europe. In late 1946, the French and Italian Communists were becoming the most powerful parties in France and Italy. b) The reactions of the United States: Despite the increasing Russian influence in eastern and central Europe, many politicians in the United States were optimistic about the chances of co-operation with the Soviet Union after the war and did not advocate strong resistance against Russian expansion. But from May 1945 onwards, the situation was changed. The U.S. government favoured a policy of strong resistance against Russia. The first reason was that President Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945. He was succeeded by Harry S. Truman. President Roosevelt was an optimistic man. He seemed to have believed that although Eastern Europe had fallen under the influence of Russia, she would keep her promise (made at Yalta) by setting up freely-elected parliamentary governments in the area. So Roosevelt did not advocate strong resistance against Russian expansion. The new President, Truman, was a complete contrast to Roosevelt. He did not believe the communists. He thought that the communists would not set up democratic governments in Eastern Europe. He also believed that after the Soviet Union had established her control in Eastern Europe, she would continue to extend her influence into Western Europe. Thus President Truman favoured a policy of strong resistance against Russian expansion. The second reason was that just before the Potsdam Conference was to take place, the United States had successfully exploded her atomic bomb. President Truman thought that since the United States alone possessed the atomic bomb, she could adopt a stiff attitude towards Russian expansion in Europe. The third reason was that President Truman was disgusted at the non-co-operative attitude of the Russians at the Potsdam Conference. Russia was determined to exact heavy reparations from Germany. Russia also accused the British of upholding a reactionary monarchy in Greece and supporting an Italian Fascist regime in Trieste. Stalin also blocked Truman's proposal on the internationalization of all principal waterways. c) Poor relations between the United States and the Soviet Union: The deteriorating relations between the Soviet Union and the United States were reflected in two minor incidents in the year. Land-Lease was abruptly terminated by the United States and the Russian request for American economic aid for the purposes of post-war reconstruction was ignored by the government of the United States. (During the Second World War, the U.S. supplied much war material to the Allied nations through a Lend and Lease programme. As the Lend and Lease programme was suddenly stopped, the war-ravaged Soviet Union could not obtain American material support to help her post-war economic reconstruction.) The poor relations between the East and West were also reflected in a speech by Churchill. In March 1946, Churchill made a speech at Fulton, Missouri in which he said, "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent .... Behind that line lie all the capitals of the central and Eastern Europe - all are subject in one form or another not only to Soviet influence but also to a very high and increasing control from Moscow." The Fulton speech increased the American suspicion of Soviet aggressive designs in Europe. C. Beginning of the Cold War The American alarm of Russian expansion in Europe greatly increased when Britain declared on February 24, 1947 that she could no longer give the much-needed financial and military aid to the Greek government which was in danger of being overthrown by the communist guerillas. Another country threatened by Russian-directed communist guerillas was Turkey. America did not have any doubt about the great increase in power which domination over Greece and Turkey would give to Russia. (Both Turkey and Greece had a population composed largely of poor peasants. These two countries were liberated by Anglo-American troops from German control in 1944. After the liberation, the communist guerillas in these two countries threatened to overthrow their governments. The communist guerillas received military aid from Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. The government of Greece received military support from the British government.) On March 12, 1947, President Truman enunciated the Truman Doctrine. The essence of the Doctrine was that "it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressure." This was clearly an anti-communist doctrine. This amounted to an American declaration of war upon Communist Russia. President Truman followed his speech with massive military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey. (The communist guerillas were defeated by the American troops in 1948 in both Greece and Turkey.) The U.S. government also realized that a prosperous Europe would be the most effective barrier to Communism. On June 4, 1947, the U.S. Secretary of State, George Marshall, speaking at the Harvard University, stated that, "It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace." Immediately after the speech the United States invited all European countries to put forward plans for economic reconstruction so that the United States would provide the necessary financial aid to them. The Soviet Union refused to accept the American financial aid. The first reason was that the state which applied for Marshall Aid was required to disclose her economic records to the American government - this was regarded by the Soviet Union as an American interference in the internal affairs of another state. The second reason was that receiving American aid would involve the risk of opening the Soviet Union to western influences which would weaken the totalitarian system of government. (In the eyes of the Soviet Union, the United States was giving economic aid to all European countries to make them anti- communist.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Marshall Plan & Berlin Airlift
    Objectives: 1. Explain how the Marshall Plan, the Berlin airlift, and the creation of NATO helped achieve American goals in postwar Europe. 2. Assess the impact of two Communist advances on American foreign policy. 3. Summarize the effects of the cold war on American life. Main Idea: As the cold war intensified, American policy focused on rebuilding and unifying Western Europe. At home, emotionally charged spy cases raised fears of Communist infiltration into American society and government. Marshall Plan & Berlin Airlift • Secretary of State George C. Marshall created an economic plan to rebuild Europe after World War II. The Soviet Union and their Eastern European allies refused to take part in the Marshall Plan, but 16 European countries did accept economic aid from the U.S. ($13 billion over 4 years). • In 1948, to keep people from fleeing communism, Stalin blockaded Berlin. To avoid a war, the U.S. and Britain airlifted supplies to Berlin for 15 months called the Berlin Airlift. 1948 Berlin Airlift NATO & Warsaw Pact In 1949, NATO created a military alliance between 10 Western European countries, the U.S., and Canada. The countries viewed an attack against one country, as an attack against them all. In 1949, China becomes communist and Soviets create their atomic bomb, causing the U.S. to drastically increase peacetime defense spending to enforce Containment. In the 1950s, President Eisenhower will continue with Containment, even though his Secretary of State John Dulles wanted to end communism. The U.S. did not interfere in situations involving Soviet Satellite Nations. President Eisenhower did not want the Cold War to become an actual war.
    [Show full text]
  • A Review of the Social Science Literature on the Causes of Conflict
    Research Report Understanding Conflict Trends A Review of the Social Science Literature on the Causes of Conflict Stephen Watts, Jennifer Kavanagh, Bryan Frederick, Tova C. Norlen, Angela O’Mahony, Phoenix Voorhies, Thomas S. Szayna Prepared for the United States Army Approved for public release; distribution unlimited ARROYO CENTER For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/rr1063z1 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2017 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.html. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface The recent spike in violence in places like Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen notwithstanding, the number of conflicts worldwide has fallen since the end of the Cold War, and few of those that remain are clashes between states.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Science Department United States History II May 11-15 Content
    Social Science Department United States History II May 11-15 Content Standard: Content Topic 5: United States and globalization: Cold war Flashpoints Practice Standard(s): 2. Develop focused questions or problem statements and conduct inquiries 3. Organize information and data from multiple primary or secondary sources 6. Argue or explain conclusions, using valid reasoning and evidence Weekly Learning Opportunities: 1. Cold War Primary Source Analysis 2. Cold War Annotated Timeline 3. Cold War Guided Readings 4. Newsela Text Set: Cold War Hot Spots Long Term Opportunities: 1. Cold War Impact on Other Countries DBQ 2. Historical Film Review Additional Resources: • The Cold War-CNN- The Complete Series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3H6z037pboGWTxs3xGP7HRGrQ5dOQdGc • California History Social Science Project: https://chssp.ucdavis.edu/programs/historyblueprint/coldwar • American Experience: Cold War Road Show on PBS.org: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/roadshow/ Note to students: Your Social Science teacher will contact you with specifics regarding the above assignments in addition to strategies and recommendations for completion. Please email your teacher with specific questions and/or contact during office hours. Cold War Source Analysis Answer the following questions based on the resources provided. You should answer in complete sentences with evidence from the documents. Answer the questions in a new Word Document or handwrite the answers on a piece of paper. Send the file or a picture of your answers to your teacher. Soviet-American Confrontation 1.) From Stettin on the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of central and eastern Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter One: the US and the Cold War: Historical Background
    Dedication 1 I dedicate this Standard Essay to my beloved parents and my sister whom without their help, support, advices, cooperation, motivation, and prayers, I would not have taken up this study nor completed it. I also dedicate this work to all my friends who have supported me throughout the process. Also, to my teacher of secondary school “Mr. Moubarek” I’m thankful for all that he have done. Thank you all. Kenadessa Marwa I Dedication 2 I dedicate this work to the dearest, greatest and closest person to my heart, to my dear mother who passed away seven years ago. May Allah send his mercy upon her soul This was her dream; dear mother I did this work just for you. Goreini Amina II Acknowledgments First and foremost, all our gratitude, gratefulness, and thankfulness are directed to “ALLAH” for enabling us to complete this work. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our supervisor “Dr. Zeghoudi Yahia”, who has gone with us through the ups and downs of this work and been invaluable source of knowledge and thoughtful advice. Thank you for giving us a wealth of ideas and generosity of time. Our utmost gratitude goes to Mr. Rahmoun Omar for his support and help. Personally, me Goreini amina, I would to thank you for your encouragement and due to your motivating words that I reach this stage of success. Special thanks go to our wonderful and greatest teacher Dr. Mouro Wassila for her assistance and guidance who without her help and support this work would not be done Great thanks to our teachers ‘Dr.Bensafa Abdelkader’, ‘Mr Kamech Mohamed’, ‘Benmeki Amine’ for their helpful advices We were fortunate to have been taught by such outstanding teachers during all the five years Finally, we would like to thank our beloved friends and families for their sustainment and their prayer for us without forgetting any name, thank you all.
    [Show full text]
  • N I~ ~L 'Ш Я .N OI ~V Wl Lo ~N I
    .NI~~l'ШЯ .NOI~VWllO~NI .Edltorlal This issue of СА/В focuses on the fascist connection, in par­ in Latin America or the U.S. The Kameradenwerk-the Nazi ticular the U.S. role in helping hundreds, perhaps thousands, old Ьоу network-remained active over the years, vigorous of prominent Nazis avoid retribution ·at the end of World War enough to have planned and carried out · the 1980 coup in 11. The CIA (originally the OSS) and the U.S. military, along Bolivia, for example, and to have held high places in with the Vatican, were instrumental in exfiltrating war crimi­ Pinochet's govemment in Chile. And they are major figures in nals not just to Latin America, but to the United States as well. the intemational arms and drug trades as well-traffic which As the Reagan administration attempts to rewrite history, it the U.S. tries to Ыаmе on the socialist countries. is worthwhile to examine carefully the wartime and postwar Hundreds of Nazis have been set up in scientific institutions machinations of the extreme Right. The President goes to Bit­ in this country. Ironically, it now appears that Star W ars is burg claiming it is time to forgive and forget, when in reality merely an extension of the Nazis' wartime rocket research. he is merely cutting а crude political deal with the reactionary Much of the U.S. space program was designed Ьу them. When West German govemment for its approval of Star Wars Ьу giv­ the Justice Department's Office of Special Investigations leam­ ing his absolution to the SS.
    [Show full text]
  • The Third World Perspective on the Cold War: Making Curriculum and Pedagogy Relevant in History Classrooms
    Journal of International Social Studies, v. 7, n. 2, 2017, pp. 121-135 The Third World Perspective on the Cold War: Making Curriculum and Pedagogy Relevant in History Classrooms Iftikhar Ahmad Long Island University Abstract: American and global history curriculum frameworks for high schools across the 50 states generally present the topic of the Cold War from the Western political perspective and contain material about the impact of the US-Soviet ideological rivalry on American society. This article argues that since the Cold War impacted the lives of people in the Third World as well, their stories deserve a place in the history curriculum. This article also suggests that since American society is culturally diverse, it is imperative for history educators to teach history in the learners' social and cultural contexts. Therefore, both the Cold War history content and pedagogy should include perspectives from the Third World so that the past is relevant and meaningful for all students learning about the global Cold War. Key words: Cold War, Third World, social history, pedagogy, curriculum Introduction An examination of the state curriculum frameworks for secondary American and global history suggests that the Cold War is recognized as an important topic for teaching and learning. With different emphases, content knowledge about the Cold War is included in both American history and global history standards. Whereas the American history curriculum presents an interpretation of the Cold War from the American domestic perspective, the global history curriculum includes some additional topics such as colonization, decolonization, revolutions, and nationalism in the Third World. However, both American history and global history curricula present interpretations that are top-down, and Cold War history is presented solely as a history of political conflicts.
    [Show full text]
  • The Geopolitics of Great Power Intervention, 1815-2015
    ‘For the Happiness of the World’: The Geopolitics of Great Power Intervention, 1815-2015 by Christopher David LaRoche A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science University of Toronto © Copyright by Christopher David LaRoche 2019 For the Happiness of the World’: The Geopolitics of Great Power Intervention, 1815-2015 Christopher David LaRoche Doctor of Philosophy Department of Political Science University of Toronto 2019 Abstract Why do great powers sometimes invest significant resources in efforts to secure approval from other great powers for their interventions, but other times do not? This dissertation argues that explicit or implicit agreements between great powers called geopolitical bargains have shaped great power intervention by delineating where they can acceptably intervene. When a great power intervenes in an area that a geopolitical bargain delimits as its own area of preponderance—its sphere of influence—it need not worry about making its intervention acceptable to its peers, and it can tailor its intervention coalition to closely meet its military needs. When it intervenes outside of its sphere, the great power must resort to other methods to legitimize its actions, such as formal multilateralism and legal approval. I trace the effects of geopolitical bargains across three periods of great power peace: the Concert of Europe, the Cold War, and the post-Cold War era. ii Acknowledgments Gustav Mahler said “a symphony must be like the world… It must embrace everything.” Anyone who has heard a Mahler symphony will know this is dangerous advice for a doctoral student already predisposed to excess.
    [Show full text]
  • The Origins of Contemporary Conflict
    The Origins of Contemporary Conflict A Comparison of Violence in Three World Regions P.S. Douma September 2003 NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ‘CLINGENDAEL’ CIP-Data Koninklijke bibliotheek, The Hague Douma, P.S. The Origins of Contemporary Conflict; A Comparison of Violence in Three World Regions / P.S. Douma B The Hague, Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael. Clingendael-Study ISBN 90-5031-086-9 Desk top publishing by Birgit Leiteritz Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael Conflict Research Unit Clingendael 7 2597 VH The Hague Phonenumber # - 31 - 70 - 3245384 Telefax # - 31 - 70 - 3282002 P.O. Box 93080 2509 AB The Hague E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.clingendael.nl The Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael is an independent institute for research, training and public information on international affairs. It publishes the results of its own research projects and the monthly ‘Internationale Spectator’ and offers a broad range of courses and conferences covering a wide variety of international issues. It also maintains a library and documentation centre. 8 Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyrightholders. Clingendael Institute, P.O. Box 93080, 2509 AB The Hague,
    [Show full text]
  • The Effect the Cold War Had on Military Interventions Johnathan Robert Vonderhaar Iowa State University
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2017 Heating up after the Cold War: The effect the Cold War had on military interventions Johnathan Robert Vonderhaar Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the International Relations Commons Recommended Citation Vonderhaar, Johnathan Robert, "Heating up after the Cold War: The effect the Cold War had on military interventions" (2017). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 15447. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/15447 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Heating up after the Cold War: The effect the Cold War had on military interventions by Johnathan Robert Vonderhaar A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Major: Political Science Program of Study Committee: Ellen Pirro, Co-Major Professor Richard Mansbach, Co-Major Professor Timothy Wolters The student author and the program of study committee are solely responsible for the content of this thesis. The Graduate College will ensure this thesis is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2017 Copyright © Johnathan Robert Vonderhaar, 2017. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION I dedicate this paper to my parents, whose unrelenting support and encouragement buoyed my spirits even during the hardest moments of this work’s process.
    [Show full text]
  • Cold War Practice Test
    Cold War Practice Test 1 During the Cold War Era, the easing of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union resulted in (1) the organization of the Warsaw Pact (2) the invasion of Hungary and Czechoslovakia (3) the Berlin Airlift (4) a treaty banning nuclear tests Base your answers to questions 2 and 3 on the quotation below and on your knowledge of social studies. ... We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans–born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage–and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.... To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required–not because the communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.... – President John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961 2 According to this quotation, President Kennedy wanted to (1) assert United States leadership in world affairs (2) follow a policy of neutrality (3) adopt appeasement as a foreign policy (4) abandon the policy of
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of the Cold War Dominant Skill: Making Connections Explain How a Historical Development Or Process Relates to Another Historical Development Or Process
    Period Unit 4 8 Effects of the Cold War Dominant Skill: Making Connections Explain how a historical development or process relates to another historical development or process. NATO & WARSAW PACT NATIONS and THEIR ALLIES Learning Objective 8C: Compare the ways in which the United States and the Soviet Union sought to maintain influence over the course of the Cold War. Thematic Focus: POLITICAL Historical Development: The Cold War produced new military alliances, including NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and led to nuclear proliferation and proxy wars between and within postcolonial states in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) When NATO was established in 1949, one of its fundamental roles was to act as a powerful deterrent against military aggression. This was initially specifically aimed at stopping the aggressive spread of Communism. Warsaw Pact A treaty establishing a mutual-defense organization composed originally of the Soviet Union and Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The treaty (which was renewed in 1985) provided for a unified military command and for the maintenance of Soviet military units on the territories of the other participating states. Illustrative Examples: Proxy Wars -Korean War -Vietnam War -Angolan Civil War -Sandinista-Contras conflict in Nicaragua Korean War After the split of Korea into a communist North and democratic South along the 38th parallel, the North Korean troops invade the south in 1945 in an attempt to unite the Korean peninsula under communism. U.S. troops engage and push North Korea back to their border with China. China enters the war and pushes the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Covert Action Information Bulletin : Number 25: Special: Nazis, the Vatican, and Cia(1986)
    INFORMATION BULLETIN Number 25 $3.00 Special: Nazis, the Vatican, and CIA Approved For Release 2010/06/03 : CIA-RDP90-00845R000100170004-5 Approved For Release 2010/06/03 : CIA-RDP90-00845R000100170004-5 E(fitotSaI This issue of CAIB focuses on the fascist connection, in par¬ in Latin America or the U.S. The Kameradenwerk—^ihQi Nazi ticular the U.S. role in helping hundreds, perhaps thousands, old boy network—remained active over the years, vigorous of prominent Nazis avoid retribution at the end of World War enough to have planned and carried out the 1980 coup in II. The CIA (originally the OSS) and the U.S. military, along Bolivia, for example, and to have held high places in with the Vatican, were instrumental in exfiltrating war crimi¬ Pinochet's government in Chile. And they are major figures in nals not just to Latin America, but to the United States as well. the international arms and drug trades as well—traffic which As the Reagan administration attempts to rewrite history, it the U.S. tries to blame on the socialist countries. is worthwhile to examine carefully the wartime and postwar Hundreds of Nazis have been set up in scientific institutions machinations of the extreme Right. The President goes to Bit- in this country. Ironically, it now appears that Star Wars is burg claiming it is time to forgive and forget, when in reality merely an extension of the Nazis’ wartime rocket research. he is merely cutting a crude political deal with the reactionary Much of the U.S. space program was designed by them.
    [Show full text]