Atomic Power

Atomic Power

Atomic power in current days is used as a means of deterrence, an example would be the Cold War. Though it was not at actual war with no direct conflicts the United States and Soviet Union were both massing and stockpiling nuclear weapons. There are two cases of a Nuclear or in this case Atomic bomb being used on another country. If that decision were made today it is almost guaranteed that the country responsible would face a war or worse retaliation with more nuclear weapons.

Albert Einstein did not help directly build the atomic bomb, he was more of the father of the atomic bomb. With his Theory of Relativity he put forth the intriguing point that a large amount of energy could be released from a very small amount of matter. Bombs were not what Einstein had in mind though as he considered himself to be a pacifist. But after Adolf Hitlers rise to power in Germany he no longer fit his position of an absolute pacifist. His greatest role in the building of the atomic bomb was his letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt urging him to build one. Five months before his death he summarized his feelings about his role in the atomic bomb, “I made one great mistake in my life, when I signed the letter to Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made” (1).

Robert Oppenheimer became the director of the laboratory at Los Alamos. This site would be where the Americans developed the Atomic Bomb. He welcomed the chance to support the war effort calling the Manhattan Project “technically sweet”. Almost everyone considered him to be their intellectual superior, they marveled at how he seemed to understand the concept of the project instantly. The scientific panel to the president advised for the sake of international relations that the Soviet Union should be informed of the atomic bomb before it was used on Japan. Nearing the end of his life he displayed mixed feelings on the development and use of the atomic bomb, “I have no remorse about the making of the atomic bomb and Trinity. That was done right. As for ho we used it , I understand why it happened and appreciate with what nobility those men with whom I’d worked made their decision. But I do not have the feeling that it was done right ...our government should have acted with more foresight in telling the world and Japan what the bomb meant”. (2)

Harry Truman gave approval to drop the Bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Truman staunchly defended the atomic bombings, shortening the war, and saving American lives and even revenge as reasons he gave for using them. He may have used the bombs as a means of retaliation for Japans attack on Pearl Harbor. In defense of using the bombs he mentioned the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the brutality that American Prisoners of War suffered in Japan.

1.Ronald Clark. Einstein: The Life and Times. pg. 752.

2.Lansing Lamont. Day of Trinity, pg. 332-333

The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties were a time of great economic prosperity in America and London. The time after World War I when jazz music was blooming, huge industrial growth, higher demand and strong desire from consumers as well as significant changes in lifestyle and culture. Social and cultural features in places such as Chicago, New Orleans, New York, London and Paris spread widely after Word War I. During the Roaring Twenties the United States became dominant in world finance.

Everything seemed likely to create through modern technology, especially cars and moving pictures. Decorative items were shed for more practical ones, in daily life as well as architecture. Mass production made technology affordable to the middle class. Technology such as the automobile that was a luxury before World War I, through mass production became commonplace on the roads. Urbanization would climb to its highest levels in the 1920's, with the nation being fascinated with huge cities such as New York and Chicago that were building huge skyscrapers.

Since the United States was dominant after defeating the Germans and the Germans had to pay reparations America came up with the Dawes Plan. Which was an attempt to solve the reparations and war debts that Germany owed. The Dawes Plan relied on capital lent to Germany by American investment banks such as Morgan Guarantee Trust Company. Although the plan began to help businesses grow in Germany eventually the Germans could not sustain the high annual payments which were set at a deliberately crushing level and in 1929 the Young Plan replaced the Dawes Plan.

The Young Plan was also set to make the Germans repay the war debts that they owed to European country’s. These were also deliberately crushing set at 269 billion gold marks equal to 100 thousand tonnes of gold which was more than half the gold mined. Once again it became clear that Germany could not afford this amount over an indefinite period of time. Eventually the war debts were lowered to 112 billion gold marks.

This was a time of great prosperity in America as well as most of the world. That would all come to a screeching halt on Black Tuesday with the Stock Market Crash. On this day 16 million shares of stock were traded, a record that wouldn't be matched for 40 years. This would lead to the time known as the Great Depression, which had devastating effects in nearly every country.

Hunt, Martin, Rosenwein, Smith. The Making of the West. Roaring Twenties P, 780, 803

Young plan, 802

Dawes Plan, 802

Great Depression, 826

Fashion of the 18th and 19th century

Jacob Maples

HIS 102-W1

1/27/12

Fashion of the 18^th and 19^th century

During the 18^th century a popular style of shoe was the Mule. The mule was often backless, closed toed and square toed as well. This style of shoe was worn mostly indoors and it looked quite uncomfortable to wear. In today’s world it was often associated with prostitutes until the 1950's when Marilyn Monroe helped break its bad image. Men's shoes of the 18^th century often had buckles, I would associate them with pilgrim style shoes. They had fairly pointy tips, were low cut in the heel and appear to be more comfortable than the Mules.

During the 18^th century a distinction was made between the full dress worn at Court and the undress worn during normal activities. Formal dress for women consisted of stiff-bodiced mantua, a corset, and very white makeup sometimes made from white lead and egg whites. Casual wear for women consisted of a close-bodied gown, also referred to as the nightgown. Men continued to wear the same three piece suit which consisted of a coat, waistcoat, and breeches. During the decades of the 18^th century fewer occasions rose for a person to wear full dress and it had almost completely disappeared by the end of the century.

In the early 19^th century as revolutions were taking place another one happened with the fashions that people wore. Women's fashions followed classical ideas and tightly laced corsets and the stiff-bodiced mantua was abandoned for highly waited and natural figures. While men's fashion was also changing. As fire arms became more common and swords were disappearing a concealed sword was favored, such as the sword cane. Men adopted dandyism which was placing importance on physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies.

The trend of Romanticism with its strong emphasis on emotion was reflected in fashion as much as other forms of art. The world of fashion was changing immensely in the 19^th century. The Victorian era of fashion was eloquent. Delicate floral prints on light backgrounds became popular, instead of the solid colors of earlier eras. Women's and men's fashion showed width at the shoulder above a tiny waist. Men's coats were padded at the shoulders and across the chest, while women's shoulders led to huge sleeves.