Americas Role in World War II

America's Role in World War II When events began happening in Europe that would eventually lead to World War II, many Americans took an increasingly hard line towards getting involved. The events of World War I had fed into Americas natural desire to isolationism, and this was reflected by the passage of Neutrality Acts along with the general hands-off approach to the events that unfolded on the world stage. Increasing Tensions While America was wallowing in neutrality and isolationism, events were occurring in Europe and Asia that were causing increasing tension across the regions. These events included: Totalitarianism as a form of government in the USSR (Joseph Stalin), Italy (Benito Mussolini), Germany (Adolf Hitler), and Spain (Francisco Franco).A move towards fascism in Japan.The creation of Manchukuo, Japans puppet government in Manchuria, beginning the war in China.The conquest of Ethiopia by Mussolini.Revolution in Spain led by Francisco Franco.Germanys continuing expansion including taking the Rhineland.The worldwide Great Depression.World War I allies with large debts, many of which were not paying them off. America passed the Neutrality Acts in 1935-37. These created an embargo on all war item shipments. Americans were not allowed to travel on belligerent ships, and no belligerents were allowed loans in the United States. The Road to War The actual war in Europe began with a series of events: Germany took Austria (1938) and the Sudtenland (1938)The Munich Pact was created (1938) with England and France agreeing to allow Hitler to keep the Sudetenland as long as no further expansion occurred.Hitler and Mussolini created the Rome-Berlin Axis military alliance to last 10 years (1939)Japan entered an alliance with Germany and Italy (1939)The Moscow-Berlin Pact occurred promising nonaggression between the two powers (1939)Hitler invaded Poland (1939)England and France declared war on Germany (September 30, 1939). The Changing American Attitude At this time despite Franklin Roosevelts desire to help the allies (France and Great Britain), the only concession America made was to allow the sale of arms on a cash and carry basis. Hitler continued to expand taking Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium. In June 1940, France fell to Germany. Obviously, this quick expansion got America nervous and the US began to build the military up. The final break in isolationism began with the Lend-Lease Act (1941) whereby America was allowed to sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government....any defense article. Great Britain promised not to export any of the lend-lease materials. After this, America built a base on Greenland and then issued the Atlantic Charter (August 14, 1941)- a joint declaration between Great Britain and the US about the purposes of war against fascism. The Battle of the Atlantic began with German U-Boats wreaking havoc. This battle would last throughout the war. The real event that changed America into a nation actively at war was the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was precipitated in July 1939 when Franklin Roosevelt announced that the US would no longer trade items such as gasoline and iron to Japan who needed it for their war with China. In July 1941, the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis was created. The Japanese began occupying French Indo-China and the Philippines. All Japanese assets were frozen in the US. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor killing over 2,000 people and damaging or destroying eight battleships greatly harming the Pacific fleet. America officially entered the war and now had to fight on two fronts: Europe and the Pacific. After America declared war on Japan, Germany, and Italy declared war on the US. America actually followed a Germany First strategy, mainly because it posed the greatest threat to the West, it had a larger military, and it seemed the most likely to develop newer and more lethal weapons. One of the worst tragedies of World War II was the  Holocaust  in which between 1933 and 1945 it is estimated that from 9-11 million Jews were killed. Only with the defeat of the Nazis were the  concentration camps  closed down, and the remaining survivors freed. Events Leading up to World War II The events in Europe unfolded as follows: Early German Victories  - The Germans successfully fought off the Russians in 1942. England was being bombed, and U-Boats harassed American shipping.North Africa  - The allies led by  General Dwight D. Eisenhower  fought against the French forces who were working in conjunction with Germany in Morocco and Algeria. The allies did take Tunisia in May 1943.Battle of the Atlantic  - The allies were able to control the Atlantic sea lanes by May 1943 though the battle continued to rage throughout the rest of the war.Italy  - The allies captured Sicily in July 1943 leading to Mussolinis downfall. The Italians then joined the allies. Germany still occupied much of Italy including Rome.Normandy Invasion  - This began on D-Day, June 6, 1944. General Eisenhower led the allies onto the beaches of France. They were able to liberate Paris on August 25, 1944.Battle of the Bulge  - Germany launched a counteroffensive in December 1944.  General Patton  led the 3rd Army to victory by January 1945.The Battle of Germany  - Early in 1945, Russians invaded Germany from the East while the allies moved in from the West defeating Germany. Hitler along with many top officials committed suicide. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 - V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day). America followed a defensive policy in Japan until the summer of 1942. Following is a list of the events that occurred during World War IIs War in the Pacific:Early Japanese Victories  - Japan was able to have many victories in the Pacific and began attacking the Philippines. The Americans eventually had to surrender after  General Douglas MacArthur  and his troops failed to hold the  Bataan Peninsula  and the island of Corregidor. This was when MacArthur said his famous line, I will return.Pacific Offensive  - America began an offensive campaign during the summer of 1942. They defeated the Japanese at  the Battle of the Coral Sea  and  the Battle of Midway. In August 1942, America invaded Guadalcanal and by May 1943 had freed the Aleutians.Island Hopping  - The Americans led by  Admiral Chester W. Nimitz  took back many Japanese held islands on their way to the Japanese mainland. In June 1944, Saipan fell and then in July America captured Guam. In March 1945, America took  Iwo Jima  and held Okinawa by June. Philippines  - MacArthur kept his promise and returned to the Philippines after important victories in the  Battle of Leyte Gulf  (led by  Admiral William Halsey). By January 1945, they had landed at Luzon to battle for the Philippines.China  - Chiang Kai-Shek led the Chinese against the Japanese. In January 1945, the Ledo Road was opened, and the allies were able to get supplies to the Chinese who then expelled the Japanese.Atomic Bombs  - Throughout the war, America had been working on the creation of atomic bombs  through the  Manhattan Project. In August 1945, America led by  Harry Truman, who took over the presidency after FDRs death, decided to  drop atomic bombs on two cities in Japan.  Part of the rationale for this decision was that they wanted to avoid the loss of life that would accompany an invasion of the Japanese mainland.  Hiroshima  was the first target on August 6th and then Nagasaki was hit on August 9th. The two bombs killed approximately 100,000 Japanese instantly. By September 2, 1945, the Japanese had unconditionally surrendered. This was V-J Day (Victory over Japan day). American Rationing   Americans at home sacrificed while soldiers fought overseas. By the end of the war, more than 12 million American soldiers had joined or were drafted into the military. Widespread rationing occurred. For example, families were given coupons to purchase sugar based on the size of their families. They could not buy more than their coupons would allow. However, rationing covered more than just food- it also included goods such as shoes and gasoline. Some items were just not available in America. Silk stockings made in Japan were not available- they were replaced by the new synthetic nylon stockings. No automobiles were produced from February 1943 until the end of the war to move the manufacturing to war specific items. Many women entered the workforce  to help make munitions and implements of war. These women were nicknamed Rosie the Riveter and were a central part of Americas success in war. Japanese Relocation Camps Wartime restrictions were imposed on civil liberties. A real black mark on the American home front was the  Executive Order No. 9066 signed by Roosevelt in 1942. This ordered those of Japanese-American descent to be removed to Relocation Camps. This law eventually forced close to 120,000 Japanese-Americans in the western part of the United States to leave their homes and move to one of ten relocation centers or to other facilities across the nation. Most of those relocated were American citizens by birth. They were forced to sell their homes, most for next to nothing, and take only what they could carry. In 1988, President  Ronald Reagan  signed the Civil Liberties Act that provided redress for Japanese-Americans. Each living survivor was paid $20,000 for the forced incarceration. In 1989, President  George H. W. Bush  issued a formal apology. However, nothing can make up for the pain and humiliation that this group of individuals had to face for nothing more than their ethnicity. America and Russia In the end, America came together to successfully defeat fascism abroad. The end of the war would send the US into a  Cold War  due to concessions made to the Russians in exchange for their aid in defeating the Japanese. Communist Russia and the United States would be at odds with each other until the downfall of the USSR in 1989.

Humility and Humiliation

Humility and Humiliation Humility and Humiliation Humility and Humiliation By Maeve Maddox I heard a television interview subject express compassion for previously independent Gulf Coast fishermen whod had to go through the humility of accepting financial help. The word wanted in that context was humiliation, not humility. Wanting to see if it were a common error, I did a web search. Sure enough, I found more examples: †¦each member of our family suffered humility and loss of face in public †¦having to submit to the humility of having to ask for new shoes †¦the humility of having to ask for so many payment options †¦hope they never know the humility of having to ask for help. In some religious writing the words humility and humiliation may overlap, but in modern secular usage, the words have distinct meanings. humiliation: the act of humiliating or condition of being humiliated; abasement. humility: The quality of being humble or having a lowly opinion of oneself; meekness, lowliness: the opposite of pride or haughtiness. Humiliation is a bad thing. Its a painful emotion that we feel when weve been shamed. No one should be treated in such an unfeeling, bureaucratic way as to be humiliated. Humility is a good thing. It is a virtue that has become very rare in a culture that even goes so far as to begin sentences with me and myself. A humble person gives credit where its due. A humble person acknowledges others and respects their dignity, talents, and opinions. Humility is not weakness; its a spirit of self-examination that prevents one from becoming selfish and arrogant. The word humiliation applies to a negative state of debasement inflicted by persons or conditions outside oneself. Verbs that go with the word humility are not suffer or endure, but practice or cultivate. NOTE: One often sees the word humbleness, but it seems wasteful to use a -ness form when the distinctive abstract noun humility exists. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†50 Idioms About Fruits and Vegetables25 Favorite Portmanteau Words

Women and Poverty in the Philippines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women and Poverty in the Philippines - Essay Example Bear in mind that in a lot of these cases the women are primary income earners, and in their quest for high-paying jobs they often rolling the dice with a heavy heart. A lot of the income earned by these women fuel the economies of their home countries to the tune of millions of dollars annually. The question is, have the effects of poverty effectively dehumanized the women living in developing countries Let us take a closer look at the situation of women in the Philippines, one of the world's leading providers of woman migrant workers because of the seething poverty that is prevalent in the country. (United Nations Development Fund for Women, 2008) Women in the Philippines are considered the backbone of its society, being a Roman Catholic country. While most men are still the primary wage earners, a significant portion of women are the breadwinners of an increasingly large number of single-parent households. Now, the main point of contention here is that the Philippines is not exactly an equal opportunity employer. The majority of the well-paying jobs still go to the men, and women are oftentimes relegated to low-paying, menial work such as secretarial jobs or clerking posts. And that's if they choose to do it the " honorable" way. Rampant stories run abound about with nursing school graduates saddled with an unwanted pregnancy, and are then forced to work as prostitutes to support the child as the husband had abandoned her. The Philippines is a country seemingly built for infidelity, and the practice is as socially accepted as it can ever get.. Thus, women are often saddled with unwanted babies, and with no good-paying jobs t o support them, are forced to turn to drastic measures. (Department of Social Welfare and Development, 2008) While not all women are keen on exploring prostitution as a living , the next best alternative is to look for jobs abroad as a migrant worker. A lot of times these women would roll the dice and pay exorbitant "placement fees" to recruitment agencies just to land jobs overseas. These fees can go as high up as $1000- $2000, and some agency contracts will automatically deduct the amount through monthly installments from whatever will be earned overseas. For a country where the daily minimum wage is approximately Php 365 (roughly about $9), these placement fees oftentimes have these migrant worker aspirants committing their entire life savings in the hope for a better life. (Department of Labor and Employment, 2008) Because of poverty, it truly is a shot in the dark for these women, and they are willing to risk everything in order for their families to live comfortably. Once again, the burden of sacrifice is left on their shoulders. If the Filipina is lucky enough to indeed land the job she was promised, one last pitfall is to be at the mercy of an abusive employer. These all the more illustrate the sorry state of poverty in the Philippines, where economic status is terribly disproportionate, just like in India. The rich are ridiculously wealthy, while the rest of the country toils in crippling poverty. There is no defined middle class, hence no decent-paying jobs are available for majority of these women. (Countrystudies : Philippines, 2008) In the

Company report and promotion plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Company report and promotion plan - Essay Example This report seeks to provide a competitive analysis of British Airways and create a promotional plan for the company. The promotional plan will include a marketing mix analysis, time plan, and a brief budget forecast for the expenses and revenues of the promotion. British Airways has several competitors offering the same services and which lie in the same operating area. However, the airline industry in the UK has five strategic categories, which include specialist, non-schedule, no frills, local, and mass service (Kotler, 2002:139). British Airways falls in the mass service category, with other competitors such as Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, KLM, and Air France. No frills airline includes Ryan Air and Easy Jet, while non-schedule airline include Thomson. In local airlines, there is BMI and Palm Air in the specialist category (Bucks, 2010). The other four categories do not offer stiff competition compared to the mass service strategic group. British Airways’ main competition comes from serious contenders, who include Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines incorporated in the Star alliance that is controlling BMI. Despite not being in the same strategic category, no-frills airlines are a significant challenge to the British Airways, especi ally due to their low cost fares (Kotler, 2002:134). In addition, the recent sharp increase in oil prices and the economic downturn has led to a war price between the three major airlines plying the London Dubai route, British Airways, emirates, and Virgin Atlantic. Consequently, fare prices have gone down by almost thirty percent, which indicates that competition is still fierce. The marketing mix, or the 4Ps, is a marketing business tool used for determining the selling point of products and services. This analyzes the current marketing mix of British Airways, emphasizing on the price, product, and promotion elements. The report neglects the place

goals :: essays research papers

Aspiring to Achieve   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I firmly believe that if one plans on achieving his aspirations, setting goals is a very important step. Having goals not only gives you a clear focus on things, it also helps you to organize your plans by allowing you to give yourself time limits and boundaries. That is why I try to set goals for myself routinely, whether it is just for one day, or for the rest of my life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One goal that I work hard at daily is to try to do well in high school. I try to involve myself in any activity that I can, both academically and socially, so that I can graduate with honors. The reason why I do this is because I plan on going to college, and I would like to be able to get accepted into any school that I apply to. Going to college alone would be a major achievement for my family and I, because I will be the first person in my family to attend college. Immediately after I graduate, I want to start my career as police investigator/detective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By age 25, after gaining some experience as a policewoman, I would like to make a career switch to become an FBI agent. This is because being an FBI agent has been a dream of mine since I was a child, and to be good at what I do, I need some familiarity in that line of work, among other things. After becoming settled into my second career, I would like to begin a family. By this time, I plan on already being married to my current boyfriend, and preparing to have another child. I will also be ready to buy my first car, and then, my first home. My intentions are to live in Philadelphia, in a beautiful four bedroom house in the suburbs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before I turn fifty, one of my major goals is to own a private investigator business, as well as a computer store with my husband. My children will be put through college and out of my house, and my husband and I will be on our way to retirement, after we sell our businesses. By then, I plan on being very well off, if not rich. Either way, I will be able to donate money and give back to my community what they have given to me.

College Students Essay

The number of international students enrolled in U. S. institutions has grown by 23 percent in the last five years. This is because the international community recognizes education in the U. S. All credit is given to University administrators who make sure that the courses students take are rigorous and prepares them for the real world ahead of them. The only problem is that Universities make students take some courses that are irrelevant to their major, thereby wasting precious time and money. Engineering is one of the most popular majors offered in United States’ Universities. It is a gateway to job opportunities but most Universities waste student’s time by forcing them to take classes that are not engineering related during their first two years of college. In most Universities, students majoring in Engineering have to take classes like fine art, government, history etc. Instead of giving these students specific courses that would prepare them for the rigorous work of engineering and reduce the time they would spend in school, Universities rather choose to introduce them to broader aspect of college, forcing them to take classes they do not need and increasing the time, they spend in college. Higher Institutions increase the time and courses college students have to take, because the more classes they take the more money the University pockets. They use this method to rip students off, thereby making college expenses ridiculously high and almost unpayable for some students. Education is not supposed to be costly, but student’s bank accounts are constantly punished by greed and bad decision making by University officials. This is why most American students abstain from furthering their educations in higher institutions after high school. The cost scares some of them, and they do not see the need to spend all their money on education. Universities should not scare Americans away from Higher Institutions by making them take classes that would dry up their bank accounts and waste their time. Instead they should give them the privilege of going to intern after high school and come back to take only the courses they need for their major. This saves students valuable time, money, and at the same time makes college more attractive to those Americans who have shunned Higher education because of the cost. When students are given the opportunity of interning before they choose their path in life, they not only get an idea of what they will wake up to every morning, but they also gain experience. This makes the courses and classes they would take later on a lot easier and understandable to them. The experience they gain from interning gives them a sense of direction on whether to continue in that career or if they should do something more profiting and interesting to them. . In order for us to get more Americans into college and reduce the competition coming from the international community, higher institutions need to make college more affordable and more meaningful for students. To make Universities affordable, students should be allowed to do all those classes that are required but relevant to a student’s major in high school. After graduation, students should have the opportunity of choosing between being an intern in their desired field for a year, before registering for that major, or going the normal route of wasting time taking classes they do not need.

The Dangers of the Government Controlling Thought Based on...

Many countries believe that propaganda helps to institute a necessary level of patriotism in their citizens. Most authoritarian governments, the type of government that Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell illustrates, use propaganda. However, the use of propaganda also limits the freedom of people since propaganda can control thought and speech. Propaganda can influence people to believe that their country is the best country by either exaggerating the positive events that are happening in their country or by showing negative events that are happening in other countries. Nineteen Eighty-Four is more about the dangers of the government controlling people’s thoughts by propaganda than the dangers of an authoritarian government system.†¦show more content†¦Winston concludes that writing a diary about his discontent of the Oceanic government may result in his â€Å"vaporization† (Orwell 19) because he is afraid that the government may spy on him through the t elescreen. The Oceanic government limits the freedom of thought by spying on the Oceanic citizens. Therefore, the Oceanic citizens postulate that their thoughts can result in their death or nonexistence. The Oceanic government believes that the control of thought limits the chance of any rebellions that may result in the overthrow of the government and the Oceanic government is all about power. Propaganda can also control people’s thoughts through the portrayal of the country and the government’s attitude to resistance. In Oceania, the movies are more propaganda than entertainment, which is typical of many authoritarian countries (Varrachio 4). The government informs the citizens about the important events through this type of propaganda. The portrayal of only the positive events that are occurring in Oceania helps the citizens to exhibit a form of extreme patriotism. 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