Shiloh WeaverBlock 1BAmerican History

The Korean war had a giant impact on the Cold war. On 25 June 1950, the young

Cold War suddenly turned hot, bloody and expensive. Within a few days, North Korea's invasion of South Korea brought about a United Nations' "police action" against the aggressors. That immediately produced heavy military and naval involvement by the United States. While there were no illusions that the task would be easy, nobody expected that this violent conflict would continue for more than three years.

Throughout the summer of 1950, the U.S. and the other involved United Nations' states scrambled to contain North Korea's fast-moving army, assemble the forces necessary to defeat it and simultaneously begin to respond to what was seen as a global military challenge from the Communist world.

Though America's Armed Forces had suffered from several years' of punishing fiscal constraints, the end of World War II just five years earlier had left a vast potential for recovery. U.S. materiel reserves held large quantities of relatively modern ships, aircraft, military equipment and production capacity that could be reactivated in a fraction of the time necessary to build them anew. More importantly, the organized Reserve forces included tens of thousands of trained people, whose World War II experiences remained reasonably fresh and relevant.In mid-September 1950 a daring amphibous invasion at Inchon fractured the North Korean war machine. In the following two months UN armies pushed swiftly through North Korea. However, with victory seemingly in sight, China intervened openly, and the Soviet Union not-so-openly, on the side of their defeated fellow Communist neighbor. The UN was thrown back midway into South Korea. Early in the new year, the Chinese army was in turn contained and forced to retreat.

By the middle of 1951, the front lines had stabilized near where the war started twelve months earlier. Negotiations began amid hopes that an early truce could be arranged. But this took two more frustrating years, during which the contending forces fought on, with the U.S. Navy providing extensive air and gunfire support, a constant amphibious threat, relentless minesweeping and a large logistics effort.

Finally, on 27 July 1953, with a new regime in the USSR and the blunting of a final Communist offensive, negotiations concluded and fighting ended. However, the Cold War, considerably warmed up by the Korean experience, would would maintain its costly existence for nearly four more decades. Cited: "Korean War." Naval History and Heritage Command. Ed. United States Navy. United States Navy. Web. 07 Mar. 2012. <http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/kowar/kowar.htm>. Picture Information: Vought F4U-4B "Corsair" Fighters,of Fighter Squadrons 113 and 114 (VF-113 & VF-114) Prepare for launching aboard USS Philippine Sea (CV-47), during strikes on North Korean targets, circa 19 October 1950.

Note small bombs, with fuse extensions, on the planes' wings. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, National Archives. The Energy Department will announce today a contract to develop the nation's first new hydrogen bomb in two decades, involving a collaboration between three national weapons laboratories, The Times has learned.

The mushroom cloud of the first test of a hydrogen bomb is seen in a 1952 file photo. The Bush administration is planning to develop a new hydrogen bomb -

undermining efforts to stop nuclear proliferation. (Handout/Reuters)

The new bomb will include design features from all three labs, though Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the Bay Area appears to have taken the lead position in the project. The Los Alamos and Sandia labs in New Mexico will also be part of the project.Teams of scientists in California and New Mexico have been working since last year to develop the new bomb, using the world's most powerful supercomputers.The weapon is known as the reliable replacement warhead and is intended to replace aging warheads now deployed on missiles aboard Trident submarines.The contract decision was made by the Nuclear Weapons Council, which consists of officials from the Defense Department and the National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the Energy Department. Plans were underway Thursday to announce the award this afternoon.The nuclear administration will issue the contract and run the program.The cost of the development is secret, though outside experts said it would cost billions of dollars perhaps tens of billions to develop the bomb, build factories to restart high-volume weapons production and then assemble the weapons.If Livermore does become the lead laboratory, confidence in the facility is likely to be bolstered, and political suggestions that its role in weapons development is unnecessary could be quelled.A lead role by Los Alamos would help extract that facility from deep political problems growing out of security breaches.The program is not expected to create a surge in employment at any of the labsThe program marks the first time the military has fielded a nuclear weapon design without an underground test. The last time scientists set off a hydrogen bomb was in 1991 under the

Nevada desert.President Clinton ordered a testing moratorium, and it has been continued by President Bush.Since the reason for building the new bomb is to maintain confidence in the nation's nuclear deterrent, experts say, the Nuclear Weapons Council will want the most conservative design, which gives Livermore the upper hand.The design details are secret, but Livermore's version utilizes major components that had been tested though not produced for a Navy bomb about two decades ago.By contrast, Los Alamos selected a design that involved an atomic trigger and a thermonuclear component that had been tested individually.However, the two elements were never tested together, said Philip Coyle, who serves on scientific advisory committees and formerly was deputy director at Livermore.The Los Alamos design is said to contain highly attractive features, including innovative mechanisms that would prevent terrorists from detonating the bomb should they gain access to it, experts said. Those use controls were cited by military officials as a key factor in developing the weapon.Proponents of the effort say that the nation's existing nuclear stockpile is getting old and that doubts will eventually grow about weapons reliability. They say the new bomb will not have a greater nuclear yield and could not perform any new military missions beyond those of existing weapons.So far, those arguments have attracted bipartisan support, including from Democrats who have long played a leading role in nuclear arms issues.Critics say the existing stockpile is perfectly reliable and can be maintained for decades. The new bomb will undermine U.S. efforts to stop nuclear proliferation, they say. In addition, a recent study showed that plutonium components in existing weapons were aging much more slowly than expected. "US to Develop New Hydrogen Bomb." Common Dreams. Ed. Ralph Vartabedian. Ralph

Vartabedian, Summer 2007. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0302-02.htm>.

When Stalin became the undisputed leader of Russia in 1929, he realised that Russia was far behind the west and that she would have to modernise her economy very quickly if she was to survive. Also a strong economy would lead to a strong military if Russia was going to survive threats from external forces. A modernised Russia would also provide the farmers with the machinery they needed if they were going to modernise their farms - such as tractors.Stalin knew that Russia needed a strong army. However, such was his fear of 'enemies within', that he purged the Red Army of most of its senior commanders. Only one marshal out of five was left alive and the Red Army became all but leaderless. It was a massive army but it was like a huge body with no brain to it. Hence when Hitler launched 'Operation Barbarossa' in June 1941, the Red Army was all but swept aside by the Wehrmacht.Despite the Germans reaching the outskirts of Moscow, Stalin did not leave his capital and played his part in defending his country against the Wehrmacht. As Commissar of Defence, Stalin ordered those who fought in the battle at Stalingrad not to give an inch to the Germans and he was very much the leader of his nation throughout the war. Recent released records from Russia does show Stalin's other side, however. The heroics of the people of Leningrad - besieged by the Germans between September 1941 and January 1944 - was recognised by many people as a feat of huge heroism. For the duration of the siege, the city's leaders had

to make their own decisions as they were frequently cut off from Moscow and could not follow orders from Moscow. Such an independent spirit was not tolerated by Stalin and after the war, those city leaders of Leningrad during the war were dealt with by Stalin in what was effectively a second purge of those he did not trust.During the war, Stalin met the other 'Big Two' - Winston Churchill and F D Roosevelt. It was at these conferences that the origins of the Cold War were sown especially as Stalin had not been invited to the meeting at Casablanca which did a great deal to arouse Stalin's suspicions as to what the others were planning. General George Patton so distrusted Stalin that he wanted the Allies in the west of Europe to take on the Russians when it was clear that the Germans had been beaten.Stalin was especially angered when the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima. President Truman had told him that America had a new and potent weapon but had said no more. The massive power of 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' completely altered the Arms Race that Stalin's Russia had been winning regarding conventional weaponry - few tanks could equal the T-34 while manpower was no object. The Stormavik was a well respected fighter plane as well. But all this counted for little after the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. With bomber bases easy to build in western Europe, Stalin knew that Moscow could be a potential target and he had to adapt his foreign policy accordingly.After the end of the war, Stalin's position in Russia had been elevated by his leadership of the nation in its time of need. He maintained an iron grip on Russia and the east European satellites Russia controlled, until his death in March 1953.

"Joseph Stalin." History Learning Site.

Javascript:linkTo_UnCryptMailto('qempxs.iruymvmiwDlmwxsvcpievrmrkwmxi2gs2yo');. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/joseph_stalin.htm>.

History changed on October 4, 1957, when the former Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world’s first artificial satellite was about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.The story begins in 1952, when the International Council of Scientific Unions decided to establish July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958, as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) because the scientists knew that the cycles of solar activity would be at a high point then. In October 1954, the council adopted a resolution calling for artificial satellites to be launched during the IGY to map the Earth’s surface.In July 1955, the White House announced plans to launch an Earth-orbiting satellite for the IGY and solicited proposals from various Government research agencies to undertake development. In September 1955, the Naval

Research Laboratory’s Vanguard proposal was chosen to represent the U.S. during the IGY.The Sputnik launch changed everything. As a technical achievement, Sputnik caught the world’s attention and the American public off-guard. Its size was more impressive than Vanguard’s intended 3.5-pound payload. In addition, the public feared that the Soviets’ ability to launch satellites also translated into the capability to launch ballistic missiles that could carry nuclear weapons from Europe to the U.S. Then the Soviets struck again; on November 3, Sputnik II was launched, carrying a much heavier payload, including a dog named Laika.Immediately after the Sputnik I launch in October, the U.S. Defense Department responded to the political furor by approving funding for another U.S. satellite project. As a simultaneous alternative to Vanguard, Wernher von Braun

and his Army Redstone Arsenal team began work on the Explorer project.On January 31, 1958, the tide changed, when the United States successfully launched Explorer I. This satellite carried a small scientific payload that eventually discovered the magnetic radiation belts around the Earth, named after principal investigator James Van Allen. The Explorer program continued as a successful ongoing series of lightweight, scientifically useful spacecraft.The Sputnik launch also led directly to the creation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In July 1958, Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act (commonly called the “Space Act”), which created NASA as of October 1, 1958 from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and other government agencies. "The Cold War Museum." Cold War Museum. Cold War Museum. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. <http://

www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/sputnik.asp>. IESBADEN, GERMANY — So far as most people knew, Domenico Pace and Gaetano Puzzangaro were simple Italian peasants who earned a modest living working in the Ai Trulli pizzeria in the Cologne suburb of Leverkusen.But German authorities, who recently extradited the two men to Italy, said they were professional sicari (assassins) for the Sicilian Mafia, who had traveled from Germany to Sicily in 1990 to murder an anti-Mafia judge, Rosario Levatino.In Czechoslovakia, police say the Mafia recently signed a secret deal with criminal gangs from the former Soviet Union to set up a ring trafficking in narcotics and nuclear weapons materials. They said former members of the KGB, the Soviet secret police, had been recruited to protect their trafficking routes into Iran and other countries.From the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains in Russia, organized crime is spreading its net across post-Cold War Europe. The collapse of Communist police states has created a fertile ground for Mafia money laundering and activities that range from drug pushing to organized car theft on a huge scale.Officials of Interpol, the international police organization based in Lyons, France, said Italian Mafiosi living in Austria, Germany and Switzerland have begun moving into Eastern Europe, investing in shops, hotels and restaurants as a means of laundering money.Home-grown organized crime groups have sprung up in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and other eastern countries, threatening the stability of fragile economies still making the transition from communist to free-market policies.Russian and Ukrainian gangs are reported to be battling local criminals for control in Prague, the Czech capital. This year a Russian believed to be involved in organized crime was shot dead on a main street in Prague and a Ukrainian was stabbed. Two members of the new Czech criminal organization have been jailed.Colombian drug dealers have been moving to establish closer links with the Mafia in Europe. Italian and U.S. authorities said they documented the Mafia-Colombian link in September in a series of raids known as Operation Green Ice.

The raids resulted in 200 arrests and the seizure of more than $1 billion worth of cocaine, cash, jewels and securities. Police said they broke up a money-laundering operation that was filtering $900,000 in drug earnings into Colombia each week, and arrested Jose Duran, a Colombian drug kingpin, as he was negotiating to give the Mafia a monopoly franchise on cocaine dealing for all of Europe.Robert Bonner, administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, warned an audience in London recently that Western Europe could be on the brink of an explosion in cocaine traffic coming from Colombia.He said 200 tons of cocaine were imported into Europe last year, most of it undetected. The primary route was through Spain, but some came in via the``back door`` through Czechoslovakia and Poland, Bonner said.Most of the European Community nations, he said, seem ``oblivious to the fact that Western Europe has become a major export market for cocaine.``Some complacency about the threat of organized crime generally is evident in Europe. French officials, for example, deny that the Mafia represents a problem for France, despite evidence to the contrary.One security source said the attitude in the French police services was similar to that in the FBI in 1954, when the FBI was still denying the existence of the Mafia in the U.S.`` . . . They don`t want to acknowledge that the Mafia might be using their system,`` he said. ``It is difficult to get them motivated and directionalized.``But, in other ways, Europe does seem gradually to be awakening to the growing menace of organized crime. The 12 nations of the European Community have begun moves to coordinate laws on money laundering, improve police cooperation across frontiers and establish Europol, an organization that could become a European equivalent of the FBI to deal with cross-border crime.The Mafia itself made authorities conscious of the need for action when it carried out one of its most audacious challenges to the authority of the Italian state earlier this year.On May 23 a Mafia bomb blew up Judge Giovanni Falcone, the leading scourge of the Mafia, along with his wife and five bodyguards. Then on July 19 his deputy, Paolo Borsellino, and three bodyguards were killed in similar fashion.Italy has struck back with a series of raids that have netted hundreds of criminals, including the Mafia`s No. 2 figure, Giuseppe Madonia, and the head of the Naples-based Camorra organized crime group, Carmine Alfieri.Eight of the top 20 figures in the Mafia are under arrest, although Salvatore ``Toto`` Riina, the reputed capo di tutti capi (boss of all bosses), remains at large. Some of the leaders have been moved to prisons on two Italian islands, since the Mafia was believed to have collaborators among prison staff on the mainland. "Cold War`s End Opens Door For Mafia In Europe." Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune, 29

Dec. 1992. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-12-29/news/9204280194_1_sicilian-mafia-colombian-drug-operation-green-ice>.