pw+foreign+quotes

x JML: "There was no discussion on that point, we are going to stay, period." - Truman Harry Truman said this statement on June 27th 1948 during an emergency meeting at the pentagon discussing Stalin’s blockade in Berlin that had begun on the 24th and how the United States should react, Truman felt it was obvious that it would stay in Berlin. Truman was the current president of the United States and had a major role in the Cold War, including his involvement in the Berlin Airlift which was the response to the blockade. His point of view is that America would not leave Berlin and that that topic was not up for discussion. The other members of the meeting would be the first to hear his words as they were the ones present. The larger historical issues are the Cold War, anti-communism beliefs, and repercussions from World War Two, as Berlin was divided due to Germany’s loss of World War Two. It would help to know that the United States did stay in Berlin, that the air lift was successful, and that East Berlin was eventually liberated from the U.S.S.R. and that the wall. It would also be helpful to know about the conflicts with the U.S.S.R. in general, that the United States had been hesitant to even recognize them, the strong anti-communist feelings in America that started with the Red Scare after World War One and reappeared after World War Two, and about the Cold War. The “we” is meant to mean the United States. Truman said these words to the other Americans at the meeting on June 27th, thus they were the intended audience, and their wariness to his ideas showed that his words were not biased to please them. Americans and British, those against the U.S.S.R., and Russians and the population of Berlin would be likely to pay attention to Truman’s words as the situation in Berlin affected all of them. The British would be happy with this sentiment, the American would probably have a mix of pride for not quitting but feel uneasy about the decision to stay due to the risks, and the Russians would be upset that the blockade meant to make the Western Allies change their policies or leave Berlin had not done so. Truman said it, and said it when he did, because he needed to affirm United States’ perseverance in Berlin even in the face of the blockade. Truman argued that the United States will stay in Berlin and that that is that. This attitude reflected a value of determination and doing the right thing. The point was that the United States is most certainly not leaving Berlin and that there would be no talk to the contrary. This material is important because it reflects the United States adamancy to help Berlin during this time period. The political implications were that the United States would not give in to the U.S.S.R. ad would continue occupying Berlin. This material might have lead to the ultimate freedom of East Berlin and the air lifts that occurred.

NMD:

We have walked blindly, ignoring the lessons of the past, with, in our century, the tragic consequences of two world wars and the Korean struggle as a result.

This quote was taken from General George C. Marshall, a commander in the US Army during World War II, and a major component in the reorganization of Europe and its reinvestment after World War II with his contributions to what is now referred to as the Marshall Plan. His leadership in the latter part of World War II resulted in Churchill referring to him as "the organizer of victory in Europe". This quote was taken from Marshall's acceptance speech for the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. Marshall had previously served in World War I and was mentored by General John Pershing, and was the second most powerful American general, behind Eisenhower, during World War II in the European theater. He was also the United States Army Chief of Staff from the beginning of the war in Europe in 1939 under Roosevelt to its conclusion in 1945 under Truman. Marshall was then named Secretary of State under the Truman Administration, presided over the economic and infrastructural reconstruction of Europe under the Marshall Plan, and was later named Secretary of War, and them stepping down in 1951. The audience for which this quote was created not only included the European dignitaries who attended the speech in Norway, but for the European people as a whole, many of whom praised Marshall for his work in rebuilding Europe. They also could sympathize with the quote because of the enormous emotional weight which two devastating and seemingly unnecessary wars created on those who had suffered and lost so much. The reason the quote was created was because since Marshall had seen first hand the enormous effort which went into picking up the pieces of the second World War, that those who fail to learn their history and give it any sort of merit, are forever doomed to make the same mistakes over and over, with the people of Europe clearly recognizing that World War II was the direct result of the lessons which Clemenceau and Lloyd George had failed to learn and failed to utilize at Versailles after the War to End All Wars. The main idea of the passage is to show how over and over, those who do not learn from their mistakes are forever destined to repeat them, a lesson which the European people had painfully learned,and one which could be backed up by one of the men who had resolved such mistakes and picked up the pieces from said mistake, and one which the world clearly was not learning with the conflict at the time on Korea in containing the spread of global Marxism. The significance of this quote is mostly derived from the man it is coming from. Marshall is still the only US general to win the Nobel Peace Prize, he orchestrated the largest US military operations in Europe of all-time, yet when he was forced to see the damage which was done and was given the duty of organizing the clean up, he realized the horrifying truth of war, and became one of the biggest pacifist advocates which the US ever saw. Therefore, because of where the words are coming from and the enormous respect and reputation which this man had, the quote still carries a lot of historical weight.

SL:

"I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way"-Harry Truman Harry Truman said this quote during an address to Congress on March 12, 1947. Within this speech about American support for Greek and Turkish governments, Truman introduced the concept of the Truman Doctrine. During 1947, Great Britain declared that it could no longer provide economic support for Greece and Turkey, leading these countries to petition the United States for aid. Truman recognized the importance from preventing these countries from falling under communist influence, and wanted to support them, asking Congress for 400 Million in economic and military aid. Truman's view was that the United States was obligated as a world power to help free countries remain free from communist influence. To understand Truman’s motives, it is necessary to look back to the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union during WWII. Starting with FDR's reluctance to officially recognize the Soviet Union, the threat of Soviet communism spreading became a reality after WWII. To prevent the Soviet government from providing aid to Greece and Turkey and thus influencing them with communism, Truman proposed the Truman Doctrine to Congress. Truman's basic argument was that because American had resources and was a model of democracy, the nation was obligated to help free countries remain free and independent. This speech was important because, like FDR's Four Freedoms Speech, Truman was using American ideals as the basis of his argument. It also marked the end of isolationism as the United States became committed to providing foreign aid to nations in need.

WMA “Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don't ever apologize for anything.” – Harry S. Truman Following WWII Communism became a seemingly increasing threat to American ideals. As US politicians, including Harry Truman, grew more wary of Soviet Russia and Stalin, they additionally grew to fear Communist uprisings in Asia. During Truman’s presidency a popular belief was that America’s only option of stalling the expansion of Communism was to participate in foreign war against Communist forces. The popularity of this philosophy most likely motivated Truman to issue this quote, and pursue US involvement in the Korean War. “The battle” could refer to the US anti-Communist struggle that occurred after WWII and “bring it to you” addresses Truman’s decision to fight in Korea. Truman’s quote could be perceived as a motivational statement towards the US military, whom would be the individuals battling Communists abroad. This quote was probably intended to incite patriotism and support for the Korean War amongst Americans. Furthermore Truman’s assertion was most likely successful because he keyed into American fears of Communist expansion. This statement serves to not only foreshadow US actions in Korea, but also the US position against Soviet Russia during the Cold War.

CHE-- “Korea is the Greece of the Far East. If we are tough enough now, if we stand up to them like we did in Greece…they won’t take any steps.” –Harry Truman

President Harry S. Truman said this after North Korean troops invaded South Korea in 1950. Truman, having just experienced the Second World War, held his position in that he wanted to avoid another large-scale war; Truman also felt a need to prove that he could stand up against Soviets and Chinese. In referring to Greece’s recent Civil War which had left the country politically and economically unstable, Truman suggested that the same actions that had been taken to block communists pressures in Greece should be used in Korea. At the beginning of the Greek Civil War, President Truman presented to Congress the idea of a communism-stopping intervention that would later be named the Truman Doctrine. Similarly, the Truman Doctrine (which by definition was the policy of the United States to intervene in situations where free peoples faced threats of subjugation to outside forces) was applied to the Korean War, in which the Soviets supported North Korea’s divide. It can be inferred that Truman presented this statement to Congress to get permission to back South Korea. In short, this statement was made to advocate foreign intervention to lessen the severity of communist threats. Unfortunately, the ultimate situation is comparable to how Greece had been left divided and in despair after her Civil War; Korea was still divided at the end of the Korean War. Still, this quote is important as it reflects how the United States remained diplomatically involved in the business of other countries after World War, despite the previous warnings of Washington’s Farewell Address and the Monroe Doctrine to stay isolated.

2/13

checked

JML: " Of course, there are dangers in religious freedom and freedom of opinion. But to deny these rights is worse than dangerous, it is absolutely fatal to liberty. The external threat to liberty should not drive us into suppressing liberty at home. Those who want the Government to regulate matters of the mind and spirit are like men who are so afraid of being murdered that they commit suicide to avoid assassination. All freedom-loving nations, not the United States alone, are facing a stern challenge from the Communist tyranny. In the circumstances, alarm is justified. The man who isn't alarmed simply doesn't understand the situation — or he is crazy. But alarm is one thing, and hysteria is another. Hysteria impels people to destroy the very thing they are struggling to preserve. Invasion and conquest by Communist armies would be a horror beyond our capacity to imagine. But invasion and conquest by Communist ideas of right and wrong would be just as bad. For us to embrace the methods and morals of communism in order to defeat Communist aggression would be a moral disaster worse than any physical catastrophe. If that should come to pass, then the Constitution and the Declaration would be utterly dead and what we are doing today would be the gloomiest burial in the history of the world." - Harry Truman Truman, President of the United States during the beginning of the Cold War, made this statement. He believed that communism was bad, but that the fight against communism should not be immoral, that hysteria regarding it was also bad, and that in the fight against communism one must recognize people’s rights otherwise liberty will be dead. He said this December 15th 1952 at the National Archives whilst dedicating a shrine to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence, giving his statement relevance in that during that time America was involved in the Cold War and with the day’s emphasis on American rights and liberty his assertion regarding protecting those rights while also combating communism was also relevant. Also it clarifies what the “burial” mentioned in his quote would be, as it would be that day’s shrine dedication. People encountered this at the National Archives. It also addresses the basic idea that American rights and liberty ought to be protected and upheld throughout American history, despite some people currently going against freedom of religion in response to anti-Muslim feelings. The fact that at the time America was a bit hysteric regarding anti-communist feelings and that the Cold War was an ideological war allows for further comprehension of his words, as he emphasizes how horrid it would be should the United States stoop to the USSR’s level in order to conquer communism. It would also be beneficial to understand that anti-communist beliefs were not a novel occurrence in America; anti-communist feelings had first surged after World War One with the Red Scare and had simply resurfaced after World War Two. This material was meant to be heard by Americans and Russians and they were the ones likely to pay attention to his speech, the Americans as he was advising them on what not to do, and the Russians as he was talking about the fight against them. Americans that were severely anti-communist might have believed Truman as taking the Cold War too lightly and have thought that radical actions would ultimately be best, other Americans would have understood his point and recognized that hysteria and the breeching of rights was bad, and the Russians would have been insulted that he insinuated that the American way of combating communism was morally and methodically superior to how communists combated American ideals. This material was produced to warn Americans against becoming hysteric and acting like the communists in order to defeat communism, saying that doing so would be the death of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and that an ideological takeover by the communists would be just as bad if not worse than a militaristic one. He said it and said it when he did as that was when both the threat of communism and the upholding of American ideals were both relevant. He argued that Americans must uphold American rights, not fall into hysteria, and not become like the communists in order to defeat them as this would be tantamount to the end of American rights expressed in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and that a communist ideals conquering America would be just as bad or worse than their military conquering it. The material asserts that American rights should be upheld at absolutely all times. This material was important as it addresses the ideological warfare that was the Cold War. The political implications were that American ideals were better than communist ideals and that the American method of fighting the communists was methodically and morally superior. His words may have incited Americans to become less hysterical when regarding the fight against communism.

GEB //"I will defend Korea as I would my own country—just as I would California."// -Gen. Douglas MacArthur General Douglas MacArthur was known for his stubbornness that often led him to ignoring official commands for his own. Born in 1880, MacArthur was a prominent leader during WWII, especially in the Pacific Theater. He received a Medal of Honor for his war efforts during WWII, despite the fact he was ordered to retreat to Australia. During the Korean War, MacArthur was the closest general to the country and it was decided he would lead the troops in. Truman, the president at the time, was not particularly fond of MacArthur because of his tendency to go rogue and ignore commands but MacArthur was a United States hero. Putting aside personal differences, Truman okayed MacArthur to push troops into Korea. This quote obviously was said during the Korean War, from 1950 to 1953. MacArthur would get ideas into his head that he was feared across China and Korea and that no one would dare go against him and his troops. Even though he was hard headed and at times disrespectful to Truman and the army (his hat), MacArthur was a renown battle general who at one point was a five star general, a true war hero. When he said he would defend Korea as if it was his own country, he meant it. That did not mean it would work well for him, but his ideas were from his immense determination to win this war. Unfortunately he did not really grasp the concept that the UN was fighting this war, not the US so he began to push for nuclear weapons to create a no man’s zone. The first battle in Korea was a stunning success because MacArthur, instead of going to Pusan, used a more dangerous inlet that allowed for a complete surprise attack. However from there on it was a downhill battle because the Chinese were sneaking in their own troops. The audience of this quote would definitively have been the American people because to them, MacArthur was the “it” man, the epitome of a war hero, and he was hailed across the country for his bravery. His popularity hurt Truman when MacArthur was blatantly fired from duty for disobeying direct command of the President. Truman ended up being taken to court to possibly be impeached, however once the witnesses (Joint Chiefs of Staff) began, it was clear that MacArthur had it coming and Truman clearly warned him that if he went off plan once more he would be taken out of command. The main idea of this quote is to show how determined MacArthur was, even though he did have his huge downfalls. When he did what was wanted, it usually turned out fabulously but it was his inclination to go off track that led to his demise in the military. The significance is the fact that he did land a huge successful battle in the start, but really messed up the relations and the rest of the war. From getting thousands of troops killed stuck in the Chosin Reservoir to taking matters into his own hands and threatening PRC that the United States would bring them to its knees if they did not remove troops, MacArthur was a large character that played a pivotal role in many battles but also proved to be a huge obstacle for Truman.

SLW-- "It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressures . . . . We must assist free peoples to work out their destinies in their own ways . . . . If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world – and we shall surely endanger the welfare of our own nation.”

Harry Truman Truman Doctrine March 12, 1947

The Truman Doctrine, created by Harry Truman, was largely based off of George F. Kennan’s “containment” theory. This theory supported the idea that the United States could help prevent the USSR from spreading communism by not allowing the domino effect to occur. Kennan thought that the hindrance of communist aggression in individual states could stop the USSR from fulfilling their goal of communism domination throughout the globe. The statement above is an excerpt from the Truman Doctrine on March 12, 1947. It was created at this time because Greece and Turkey were about to fall to Communist rebels. Truman decided to follow along with Kennan’s idea and asked Congress for four hundred million dollars to not only stop Greece and Turkey from succumbing to the USSR’s power, but also to prevent other nations in the future from yielding to communist rule as well. Truman declared in his doctrine that the United States would support foreign governments resisting “armed minorities” or “outside pressures”, meaning Communist revolutionaries or the Soviet Union. He portrayed this idea to US citizens in a way that made it seem as though this tactic of foreign policy was created to directly aid US citizens. Truman did a very good job in gaining American support for this idea, because he showed citizens that direct involvement was necessary to prevent communism from spreading to the United States. This measure by Truman was very similar to the measure taken by Franklin Roosevelt when he conveyed to US citizens that direct involvement in World War II was necessary to keep the war away from the American home front. People have reacted quite differently to the Truman Doctrine. While some think that the Truman Doctrine was a necessary reaction to the USSR and their goal of communist conquest, others feel that it was a belligerent action that helped polarize the US and the USSR and was a major contributor to the Cold War. The tactic of foreign policy deemed in the Truman doctrine, however, did shape the actions that were taken throughout the Cold War.

SL:

"Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose"-President Eisenhower President Dwight D. Eisenhower said this quote during his Farewell Address on January 17, 1961. During his presidential term, Eisenhower tended to let his trusted cabinet make important decisions and actions, frequently taking a backseat to actual involvement in foreign diplomacy. However, Eisenhower was firm in his belief that communist countries, such as the USSR and China were looking for world domination, and was against any socialist regimes. During his presidency, Eisenhower's Secretary of State, John Dulles proclaimed that "communist containment" was not enough and the United States needed to take a strong stand against communism, which contributed to the Cold War efforts in the United States, with the nuclear arms race and eventual development of the Hydrogen bomb. This address was targeted to Congress and the American public, and completely contradicted Eisenhower's previous statements by claiming that the United States should diffuse conflicts without violence or threat of war. Much like Washington's Farewell Address, Eisenhower's speech emphasizes the importance of neutral diplomacy. This idea was significant because following World War II, the United States had engaged into the Cold War with the USSR and built up its nuclear weaponry in case of attack, which Eisenhower stressed needed to change in future presidencies. His Farewell Address was also significant because it contained a warning against repeating his and Truman's mistakes in foreign diplomacy, and to push for disbarment between countries instead of creating destructive weapons. After building up "buffer zones" in Asia, Eisenhower's speech called for a change in foreign policy tactics, and urged his successor, John F. Kennedy to make these changes.

KLM: //There was a turtle by the name of Bert// //and Bert the turtle was very alert;// //when danger threatened him he never got hurt// //he knew just what to do...// //He'd duck!// [gasp] //And cover!// //Duck!// [gasp] //And cover!// //(male) He did what we all must learn to do// //(male) You (female) And you (male) And you (deeper male) And you!'// //[bang, gasp] Duck, and cover!'// “Duck and Cover”

World War II was ended in Japan through nuclear warfare. Although this action alleviated the danger of further losses of lives in the war, it opened up a whole new fear: the fear of nuclear warfare, especially between the USSR and the United States. Like as with the English during the Blitzkrieg of WWII, Americans were under the constant threat of bombing, something that has remained a possibility even until today. Although the United States was the first to develop nuclear weapons, which were kept secret from the USSR during WWII, the USSR began nuclear testing in 1949. Schoolchildren were subsequently taught that a nuclear attack could occur at any moment; for there immediate protection, they must “duck and cover.” Recent testing had proven that the dangers of nuclear weapons were not solely related to heat and blast damage but with radiation as well. According to government propaganda, ducking and covering would lessen the effect of gamma rays as thermal radiation travels in a straight line for the most part for those not at ground-zero. In addition, by being taught to “duck and cover” upon seeing the signs of the blast or hearing the warning siren, people would learn to not gawk at the explosion and find safety from flying debris. However, in close proximity to a nuclear blast, ducking and covering would not save somebody; they would likely fall victim to the heat or nuclear wind if not the radiation.However, this campaign, teaching people what to do in the case of an attack, was also implemented to increase morale. It alleviated the perception of helplessness from the lack of any clear protection from nuclear warfare. The best way to disseminate a message is to present it to children: not only is it then engrained during their developmental years but they then bring the message home to their parents. With the civil defense tape “Duck and Cover,” released in 1952, children were taught to respond to nuclear bombs in the same way that Burt the Turtle responded to dynamite, by ducking and covering. The catchy rhythm of the tape made the children remember the “lesson” by remembering the lyrics to the jingle. In the absence of a clear nuclear fallout shelter, one must “duck and cover” like Burt does by creating his own shelter. The film was created by Anthony Rizzo and Raymond Mauer of Archer Productions with the assistance of New York schoolchildren and the US government to educate the people for “civil defense.” Civil defense aimed to teach the non-combatant public how to respond in the case of a disaster, an important of the Cold War since there was no explicit fighting between the USSR and United States. By demonstrating that a protective reaction to a nuclear blast could be as simple as “Duck and Cover,” the US government downplayed the severity of the nuclear threat, alleviating the threat of public panic in the case of an explosion and public uproar at the government’s continued manufacturing of such weapons. Disseminated messages such as these promoted the naivety of the American public regarding nuclear warfare and are clear depictions of the US government’s manipulations of the public’s perception of international events, such as the Cold War and the threat of nuclear warfare. By having children involved in the production, they increased the appeal to children, improving its effectiveness. 1951, the year of the film’s production, began the US governments’ quest to find effective responses to nuclear warfare; during November 1951, the first military exercises for nuclear warfare with infantry troops began in the Nevada desert.