Cold War Historical Overview

Do you ever wonder about America's place in the world? Maybe my age is showing, but I seem to remember a time when our economy wasn't bolstered by arms sales to every 'Tom, Dick, and Harry nation' one could think of. And I'm sure I remember a time when we didn't intervene in every conflict that came along, large or small. Am I just longing for a simpler past, or is there … [Read more...] about What Was the Cold War: American Grand Strategy Redux

1. October 1945: The first Chinese Nationalist soldiers arrived in Keelung on the northern tip of Taiwan. The troops (from Mainland China) anticipated a short stay on Taiwan. At that time, the island was occupied by the Japanese, and the sole purpose of the Chinese Nationalist troops was to accept the Japanese surrender, disarm the Japanese occupation forces, and make sure … [Read more...] about 11 Cold War Events: What Is It About October?

It's St. Patrick's Day today and in New York, where I live, everybody is smiling and wearing green.  Since I'm a Finnegan, I'm smiling too. But President Harry S. Truman wasn't smiling on March 17, 1948, when he spoke before a hastily convened Joint Session of Congress. (The Truman Presidential Library has a copy of the speech. You can read it here.) In his speech, Truman … [Read more...] about ST. PATRICK’S DAY 1948

Do you know that today is a special day?  I didn't. But then my granddaughters sent selfies of the Dr. Seuss costumes they're wearing to school this morning.  So I looked up Dr. Seuss Day and found that each year, National Read Across America Day is celebrated on March 2nd, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. The annual event is part of Read Across America, an initiative on reading … [Read more...] about Dr. Seuss and the Cold War

On August 19th, 1989, near the city of Sopron, Hungary, thousands of people called for an end to the cold war at an event dubbed the Pan-European "Freedom" Picnic. However, if you think the picnic is remembered because it was a highly organized event analogous to the highly publicized Dîners en Blanc ¹ so popular today, you would be wrong. The gathering was intended as an … [Read more...] about Pan European “Freedom” Picnic: August 19, 1989