Changes

In 1928 the Kellogg-Briand Pact (or Treaty) was a silly international attempt to outlaw war.  It proved to be ineffective because there was no way to enforce it.  A country would have to start a war to make another country obey!

In 1928 the Kellogg-Briand Pact (or Treaty) was a silly international attempt to outlaw war.  It proved to be ineffective because there was no way to enforce it.  A country would have to start a war to make another country obey!

== Stock Market Crash ==

== The Great Depression ==

Herbert Hoover won the presidency in 1928 as a Republican more liberal than Coolidge and Harding.  Hoover liked big business and sought its cooperation.  He opposed trust-busting and unions.  Hoover did cut taxes and was critical of Europe.

Herbert Hoover won the presidency in 1928 as a Republican more liberal than Coolidge and Harding.  Hoover liked big business and sought its cooperation.  He opposed trust-busting and unions.  Hoover did cut taxes and was critical of Europe.

The Great Depression caused voters to switch to the Democratic Party, which took control of the Presidency (through FDR) and Congress in 1932.  After winning control of Congress and the White House, the Democrats ended Prohibition by passing an amendment to repeal it.  They began enacting many new laws and programs to try to generate jobs.

The Great Depression caused voters to switch to the Democratic Party, which took control of the Presidency (through FDR) and Congress in 1932.  After winning control of Congress and the White House, the Democrats ended Prohibition by passing an amendment to repeal it.  They began enacting many new laws and programs to try to generate jobs.

== FDR, the New Deal, and Preparing for War ==

== FDR, the New Deal, and Preparing for War ==

:I have never felt able to describe my emotional reactions when I first came face to face with indisputable evidence of Nazi brutality and ruthless disregard of every shred of decency.... I have never at any other time experienced an equal sense of shock.

:I have never felt able to describe my emotional reactions when I first came face to face with indisputable evidence of Nazi brutality and ruthless disregard of every shred of decency.... I have never at any other time experienced an equal sense of shock.

The end of the war came quickly. On April 28, 1945, the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini was captured and hung by Italians, and the Allied army took controle of Venice.  The next day the U.S. 7th Army liberated Dachau, the site of one of the concentration camps.  The following day after that, April 30, Adolf Hitler committed suicide.

The end of the war came quickly. On April 28, 1945, the Italian fascist dictator Mussolini was captured and hung by Italians, and the Allied army liberated Venice.  The next day the U.S. 7th Army liberated Dachau, the site of one of the concentration camps.  The following day after that, April 30, Adolf Hitler committed suicide.

A week later, on May 7, 1945, the German troops unconditionally surrendered, and the world rejoiced.  A month later, on June 5th, the Allies divided up Germany into western and eastern sections, and three weeks after that, on June 26, the Charter for the United Nations was signed in San Francisco.

A week later, on May 7, 1945, the German troops unconditionally surrendered, and the world rejoiced.  A month later, on June 5th, the Allies divided up Germany into western and eastern sections, and three weeks after that, on June 26, the Charter for the United Nations was signed in San Francisco.

But the war continued with Japan, and Japanese soldiers had a religious fanaticism that prevented them from surrendering at any cost.  But by then America had developed the atomic bomb.  Years earlier some physicists, including a friend of Albert Einstein who persuaded him to write a letter, feared that Germany was developing an atomic bomb and they urged the President to develop it before Germany did.  (In fact, Germany was not making any progress.)  The President did not act on Einstein's letter, but later he did begin the Manhattan Project to develop our own atomic bomb at a secret facility in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  Top physicists led the project.  Roosevelt never lived to hear of its success.  It was only after Truman replaced Roosevelt as President that the physicists had been successful in testing the new atomic bomb that they developed.

But the war continued against Japan, and Japanese soldiers had a religious fanaticism that prevented them from surrendering at any cost.  But by then America had developed the atomic bomb.  Years earlier some physicists, including a friend of Albert Einstein who persuaded him to write a letter, feared that Germany was developing an atomic bomb and they urged the President to develop it before Germany did.  (In fact, Germany was not making any progress.)  The President did not act on Einstein's letter, but later he did begin the Manhattan Project to develop our own atomic bomb at a secret facility in Los Alamos, New Mexico.  Top physicists led the project.  Roosevelt never lived to hear of its success.  It was only after Truman replaced Roosevelt as President that the physicists had been successful in testing the new atomic bomb that they developed.

As president, Truman was an impulsive and not very bright man.  He still holds the record for the lowest approval rating (only 23% of the country approving of his performance) in his last year in office (1952).  When there was an ugly strike against a steel company, he impulsively ordered a government takeover of the entire company (the Supreme Court later invalidated his action).  When a reporter wrote a negative review about his daughter’s piano recital, Truman said he wanted to punch the reporter in the face for it.  When General Douglas MacArthur wanted to be more aggressive in the Korean War, Truman simply fired him.   

As president, Truman was an impulsive and not very bright man.  He still holds the record for the lowest approval rating (only 23% of the country approving of his performance) in his last year in office (1952).  When there was an ugly strike against a steel company, he impulsively ordered a government takeover of the entire company (the Supreme Court later invalidated his action).  When a reporter wrote a negative review about his daughter’s piano recital, Truman said he wanted to punch the reporter in the face for it.  When General Douglas MacArthur wanted to be more aggressive in the Korean War, Truman simply fired him.   

But Truman's impulsiveness may have served the country well at this critical moment.  As soon as the atomic bomb was developed, the top military leaders were anxious to use it to save any further loss to American soldiers fighting Japan.  They urged Truman to approve dropping the atomic bomb on Japan.  Do it, Truman decided quickly, and later said he slept a good night's sleep after his decision.  Truman's impulsiveness may remind you of President Andrew Jackson.  Truth be told, Truman hated the Japanese with a passion, as many Americans at the time did.

But Truman's impulsiveness may have served the country well at this critical moment.  As soon as the atomic bomb was developed, the top military leaders were anxious to use it to save any further loss to American soldiers fighting Japan.  They urged Truman to approve dropping the atomic bomb on Japan.  Do it, Truman decided quickly, and later said he slept a good night's sleep after his decision.  Truman's impulsiveness may remind you of President Andrew Jackson.  Truth be told, Truman hated the Japanese with a passion, as many Americans at the time did.  Unlike the war against Germany, the war against Japan stirred racial dislike and distrust.

On August 6, 1945, America dropped its first atomic bomb on the entire city of Hiroshima, Japan.  Three days later, America dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.  Japan then unconditionally surrendered on August 15th.

On August 6, 1945, America dropped its first atomic bomb on the entire city of Hiroshima, Japan.  Three days later, America dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.  Japan then unconditionally surrendered on August 15th.

In another dramatic moment, Chambers recalled that he had received secret documents from Hiss on microfilm, which Chambers had hidden inside pumpkins on his farm in rural Maryland.  Nixon actually drove out to the farm with Chambers and opened up the pumpkins to find microfilm just as Chambers said.

In another dramatic moment, Chambers recalled that he had received secret documents from Hiss on microfilm, which Chambers had hidden inside pumpkins on his farm in rural Maryland.  Nixon actually drove out to the farm with Chambers and opened up the pumpkins to find microfilm just as Chambers said.

Eventually Hiss was convicted of perjury (lying during his testimony), and served five years in jail.  He maintained his innocence for the rest of his life but when communism ended in the Soviet Union and documents about spies were released in the 1990s, it was proven that Hiss was indeed a communist spy.

Eventually Hiss was convicted of perjury (lying during his testimony), and served five years in jail.  He maintained his innocence for the rest of his life but when communism ended in the Soviet Union and documents about spies were released in the 1990s (the Venona project), it was proven that Hiss was indeed a communist spy. Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan concluded in a special government investigation in the late 1990s, ""Hiss was indeed a Soviet agent and appears to have been regarded by Moscow as its most important."<ref>Moynihan, Daniel Patrick (1998). Secrecy: The American Experience. Yale University Press, pp. 145-147. ISBN 0-300-08079-4.</ref>  Hiss had apparently fallen in with the communist movement after marrying a communist woman who was unrepentant after having an abortion.<ref>http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=777&theme=hiedu&page=2&loc=b&type=cttf</ref>

In the 1950s, another controversial trial was the conviction of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg for selling atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union.  They were executed.

In the 1950s, another controversial trial was the conviction of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg for selling atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union.  They were executed.  For decades some defended the Rosenbergs and asserted their innocence, but in September 2008 the co-conspirator Marton Sobell, age 91, admitted to the New York Times that Julius really was guilty.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/nyregion/12spy.html?em</ref>  He also confirmed the view of historians that Ethel knew about the conspiracy but was not an active participant.

== United Nations ==

== United Nations ==