History and Political Science - Essay Example

History and Political Science Question President Roosevelt used to urge his people to fight for four freedoms which he stated as freedom of speech, worship, want and the freedom from fear. However, his mode of leadership went against his principles thereby leading to contradictions. This was portrayed when the Negroes serving in the war were completely segregated from the whites participating in the same course. The question that arose was that of failed democracy whereby, colored races were enlisted to fight in a war that was based solely on getting freedom and justice for all yet they were discriminated by the very people they fought alongside. Question 2 a) Lenin beliefs on socialism stemmed from the idea that a democracy led by a hint of dictatorship, and held in support by the class of working citizens would help overthrow the government in power at the time, leading to a change of power from the rich to the poor. In this statement, he tries to emphasize that by choosing the working class as the bearers of power for the poor, so that proper governance would take place. Question 2 b) Karl Marx believed that the poor and the rich were in a constant struggle for dominance thereby leading to strikes that were meant to fight for justice in areas of wages and proper working environments. He believed that the transition from capitalism to socialism happens as a result of changes in human history and it was inevitable. This was different from Lenin’s views dictating that certain working class of people should hold power so as to pave way for the lower class to gain a piece of the national cake. Question 3 Hitler believed that the Aryan race was much superior to all other races and thus he strongly opposed the Jews who were a minority race with no human rights to him and thus did not belong to the human race. This made him contemplate creating a Roman Empire in the 20th century as it had been before which was contrary to what his counterpart believed in the freedom of the Jews. Question 4 In the late nineteenth century, there were no major historical events that were taking place as was the case seen in the Great Depression. The term of service for the Presidents was very short as it consisted of only one year. Their responsibilities were very minimal at the time and consisted of small duties to the Congress and thus acted only as custodians of the State. Question 5 President Hoover did his part in curbing the effects of the Great Depression though his efforts were futile at the time. He took up the role of administrator rather than president of the people and even donated his salary to charity. He set up a program to assist the unemployed and added value expenditure to the public. He even increased aid for states in the form of monetary help from the federal government. Question 6 President Kennedy supported the fight against racial discrimination and the right to civil justice for all and it was for that reason that he supported the freedom riders by signing the freedom marshals and mediating for the release of the wife of Martin Luther King’s wife. The latter had been arrested due to the ongoing racial segregation in departmental stores. He then made the famous civil rights address in support of the demonstrations that arose when an African American was denied public admission to school. Question 7 The terms of disagreement between the Soviets and Americans lay in the fact that Truman presidency claimed a breach of contract by Stalin on the Yalta promises. It was declared that the Soviet leader was on a mission of expansion in part of Europe and was contemplating to spread communism to most countries. Question 8 Richard Nixon as a supporter of foreign policy made some moves that were aimed at fostering good relations with the Soviet Union and the China republic. He was responsible for escalating the war in Vietnam by enacting bombs in Cambodia but later retreated which temporarily resulted in peace but a return of war without his involvement. He met with the Soviet leaders in an attempt to make peace between the two regions and some settlements were made. It was also his greatest achievement to become the first president to visit China and work out strategies of pulling USSR and China together politically. Domestically, he was a civil rights dire hard who made policies aimed at curbing racial discrimination employment. He was also interested in environmental issues and thus helped coin the Environmental Protection Agency. Grants were made to states objectively to improve financial condition of his citizens. I believe he was more successful in his foreign policies since he became the first President to successfully withdraw troops from the Vietnam War. However, he did not help the economic situation for his people since inflation continued to rise even after he made some price adjustments. Question 9 The Spanish-American war was a platform that paved the way for the Americans to display great military valor and intelligence led by the famous Rough Riders. With the help of other American troops, they were able to defeat the Spanish army and gain dominance over the Western region politically and other territories thus aiding in their expansion. This war was ground for the evolving and renowned intelligence units such as the Naval Office Intelligence that is pivotal to the military success of the Americans. Closer ties were fostered among the people since they were joined together in the war against the Spanish hence their differences in civil matters had to put aside at the time. The possession of the Oversees states influenced Americans to enact policies of propagating their influence globally in their goal of becoming a super power while attending to domestic issues. In fact to declare their superiority, their president ordered a grand fleet into North Africa after building the Panama Canal in a fit to display their strength and pride. Question 10 The major turning points in the history of America can be traced to the treaty that they signed with France that ended the French wars against the Indians. This added to their dominance in military strength and efficiency. Later they were able to gain independence against their colonists and form a successful government under the leadership of President George Washington. There then able to gain victory over the British in the Battle of Saratoga in which the France was compelled to add to their military combat and finance. In 1862, the Homestead Act that saw the greatest migration of Americans in the hope of settling in the 600 million acres of land purchased for them. All of this was crowned by the end of the Great Depression attributed to President Franklin Roosevelt who put in place several laws and policies tuition hat ensured the economic situation was under control. Work Cited Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. Print. Read More