From 1939 to 1943 the United States went from a period of total opposition to the Soviets to a gradual acceptance of its new ally. The "New York Times" editorial page shared in this trend: moving cautiously from complete rejection of the Soviets to acceptance of the Russian people, next the Red Army, and finally the Soviet government.…

In many respects the 18 months from June 1941 to December 1942--from the German assault on Soviet Russia to the conclusion of the first year of actual United States participation in World War II--was a brief interval of realism in the United States perception of the Soviet Union. The editorialists of "The New York Times" (probably the…

The history of international education is intimately connected to the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the second half of the twentieth century. Graduate programs established at colleges and universities in the United States were the outgrowth of a need to create cosmopolitan experts, capable of demonstrating the…

Identifies the characteristics of rhetoric in American justification for war and the portrayal of the enemy as a savage aggressor. Discusses the use of contrasts--force and freedom, irrationality and rationality, aggression and defense--to generate values which subordinate the ideal of peace to the necessity of preserving freedom. (JMF)

Maintaining that baseball presents a view of American society in microcosm, this article reviews the Cold War history of American baseball, showing how the statements and concerns of the players and managers reflected popular values of that era. (JDH)

Examines studies of Fritz Fischer's works (1961 and 1969) concerning Germany's responsibility for World War I and the influence of this work upon later interpretations. Presents an integrated interpretation of the causes of the war based upon recent research findings. (RKM)

Briefly reviews conventional reasoning about the start of the Cold War. Describes contemporary revisionist views of the Cold War and the reasons they arose. Maintains that American leaders exaggerated the Soviet ideological and military threat, spurring an American arms build-up which ultimately led to the present-day arms race. (JDH)

Shows how the photographs, valedictorian addresses, nicknames, cartoons and other material contained in high school yearbook can yield information regarding the world views of Americans at the start of the Cold War. (JDH)

Provides a lesson plan, complete with readings and teaching procedures, for teaching students about the revisionist interpretations of Cold War history. Students are challenged to think critically about the differences in the traditional and revisionist interpretations. (JDH)

Describes fifteenth-century Spain's tendencies that proved central to the Columbian enterprise: experience as a conquering and colonizing kingdom, interest in Atlantic expansion, and missionary inclination. Argues that Columbus's arrival in Spain came at the perfect time in Spanish history. Stresses Spain's long history of religious war, conquest,…

Provides discussion questions, activity suggestions and sample quotes to provoke further examination of the Cold War era values evidenced in the baseball subculture (see SO 515 377, "Baseball and the Cold War: An Examination of Values). (JDH)

The major policy debate touched off by President Reagan's March 1983 speech announcing the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was the reopening of one that had begun 35 years before. Then and now the ultimate question is what kind of strategic posture is most likely to contribute to mutual strategic stability? The answer is central to national…

Part of a larger project, "The U.S. and the USSR: Choices for the 21st Century," that is aimed at developing curricular materials for use at the secondary, undergraduate, and adult education levels, this book helps high school students to think through some of the complex issues surrounding U.S.-Soviet relations and the nuclear arms race…

This curriculum project focuses on U.S.-Soviet relations and the choices that U.S. citizens face today in addressing the Soviet Union and the threat of nuclear war. This book is intended as a resource guide to accompany a 22-minute video presentation and student text that are part of the "Four Futures" curriculum. The resource book…

The 1990 Great Decisions program, part of an annual series on foreign policy issues, is intended to create better better public understanding through information and analyses of important international issues. Current information is presented so that participants may be stimulated toward discussion, form opinions and contribute to the policy…