Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
I have a dream. -Dr. King
Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE
Transcription of the speech: http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdfPaola
Interesting facts about the Cold War
http://www.kickassfacts.com/25-interesting-facts-about-cold-war/
Paola
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
McCarthy's Life
Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy charged that communists had infiltrated the U.S. State Department. He became chair of the Senate's subcommittee on investigations.
IN THESE GROUPS
FAMOUS PEOPLE IN U.S. POLITICS
FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO DIED IN BETHESDA
FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN IN APPLETON
FAMOUS PEOPLE NAMED JOSEPH
Show All Groups
Synopsis
Joseph McCarthy was born November 14, 1908, near Appleton, Wisconsin. In 1946 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and in 1950 he publicly charged that 205 communists had infiltrated the U.S. State Department. Reelected in 1952, he became chair of the Senate's subcommittee on investigations, and for the next two years he investigated various government departments and questioned innumerable witnesses.
Early Years
Joseph McCarthy was born on November 14, 1908, near Appleton, Wisconsin. After high school, McCarthy attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, where he was elected president of his law school class. A few years after earning his law degree in 1935, McCarthy ran for the judgeship in Wisconsin’s Tenth Judicial Circuit, a race he worked at relentlessly and won, becoming Wisconsin’s youngest circuit judge ever elected.
McCarthy took a leave of absence in July 1942 and entered WWII as a first lieutenant in the Marines. He was still on active duty when he embarked upon his next political campaign: for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate. He was defeated but soon began planning for the 1946 Senate race.
U.S. Senate
In 1946, McCarthy won his race and entered the U.S. Senate as the youngest member of the Senate. As a senator, McCarthy leaned toward conservatism and generally flew under the radar, working on such issues as housing legislation and sugar rationing. All that would change in 1950, when it became suspected that communists had infiltrated the U.S. government in the wake of high-profile espionage trials.
Taking the lead on the issue, McCarthy claimed that 205 communists had infiltrated the U.S. State Department, and soon after he claimed to have the names of 57 State Department communists. As he released his charges, he called for a wide-reaching investigation that would lead to what was termed the “red scare.”
Red Scare
McCarthy was reelected in 1952 and became chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Government Operations, where he occupied the spotlight for two years with his anti-communist investigations and questioning of suspected officials. McCarthy’s charges led to testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, but he was unable to substantiate any of his claims against a single member of any government department.
Despite this setback, McCarthy’s popularity nevertheless continued to rise, as his claims had struck a nerve with an American public tired of the Korean War and concerned with communist activity in China and Eastern Europe. Undaunted by his testimonial shortcomings, McCarthy ratcheted up the rhetoric, going on a colorful anticommunist “crusade” through which he cast himself as an unrelenting patriot and protector of the American ideal. On the other side of the argument, his detractors claimed McCarthy was on a witch hunt and used his power to trample civil liberties. His aggressive tactics, in the end leading to the persecution of countless innocent people, came to be known as McCarthyism.
His charges affected more and more powerful people, including President Eisenhower, until 1954 when a nationally televised, 36-day hearing illustrated clearly to the nation that he was overstepping his authority and any ideas of common sense. (The hearings also famously prompted special counsel for the Army Joseph Nye Welch to ask McCarthy, “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”)
Later Years
In the aftermath, McCarthy was eventually stripped of his chairmanship and condemned on the Senate floor (Dec. 2, 1954) for conduct “contrary to Senate traditions.” That turned out to be the final nail in the coffin of the McCarthyism era, and Joseph McCarthy himself fell from the public eye.
Just a few years later, on May 2, 1957, McCarthy died of acute hepatitis at the Bethesda Naval Hospital outside Washington, with his wife, the former Jean Kerr, at his side.
Mafer
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. It also means "the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism."[1] The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from 1950 to 1956 and characterized by heightened political repression against communists, as well as a campaign spreading fear of their influence on American institutions and of espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.
During the McCarthy era, thousands of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment and/or destruction of their careers; some even suffered imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts later overturned,[2] laws that were later declared unconstitutional,[3] dismissals for reasons later declared illegal[4] or actionable,[5] or extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute.
The most notable examples of McCarthyism include the speeches, investigations, and hearings of Senator McCarthy himself; the Hollywood blacklist, associated with hearings conducted by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC); and the various anti-communist activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under Director J. Edgar Hoover. McCarthyism was a widespread social and cultural phenomenon that affected all levels of society and was the source of a great deal of debate and conflict in the United States.
Mafer
De-Stalinization
De-Stalinization (Russian: десталинизация, Destalinizatsiya) refers to a process of political reform in the Soviet Union that took place after the death of long-time leader Joseph Stalin in 1953. The reforms consisted of changing or removing key institutions that helped Stalin hold power: the cult of personality that surrounded him, the Stalinist political system, and the Gulag labour-camp system, all of which had been created and dominated by him as General Secretary, among other titles, from 1922 to 1952. Stalin was succeeded by a collective leadership after his death in March 1953, consisting of Georgi Malenkov, Premier of the Soviet Union; Lavrentiy Beria, head of the Ministry of the Interior; and Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). These men had all been loyal Stalinists, but they also knew that the excesses of Stalinism threatened everyone, even the very top loyalists, with arbitrary execution. They thus embarked on a process of disassembling one-man rule and rehabilitating some of the persons who had met undeserved fates.
Contemporary historians regard the beginning of de-Stalinization as a significant turning point in the history of the Soviet Union. It began during the Khrushchev Thaw. However, it subsided during the Brezhnev period and remained so until mid 1980s, when it accelerated once again due to policies of perestroika and glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev.
Mafer
Nikita Jrushchov
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev[a] (April 15 [O.S. April 3] 1894 – September 11, 1971) was a Russian politician who led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964. Khrushchev was responsible for the de-Stalinization of the Soviet Union, for backing the progress of the early Soviet space program, and for several relatively liberal reforms in areas of domestic policy. Khrushchev's party colleagues removed him from power in 1964, replacing him with Leonid Brezhnev as First Secretary and Alexei Kosygin as Premier.
Khrushchev was born in the village of Kalinovka in 1894, close to the present-day border between Russia and Ukraine. He was employed as a metalworker in his youth, and during the Russian Civil War was a political commissar. With the help of Lazar Kaganovich, he worked his way up the Soviet hierarchy. He supported Joseph Stalin's purges, and approved thousands of arrests. In 1938, Stalin sent him to govern Ukraine, and he continued the purges there. During what was known in the Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War (Eastern Front of World War II), Khrushchev was again a commissar, serving as an intermediary between Stalin and his generals. Khrushchev was present at the bloody defense of Stalingrad, a fact he took great pride in throughout his life. After the war, he returned to Ukraine before being recalled to Moscow as one of Stalin's close advisers.
Mafer
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Hitler was a master politician and manipulator. In Germany in the 1930s people were out of work, poor, and desperate. They sought answers and solutions, and were very vulnerable and receptive to a skilled manipulator. Hitler told the Germans that the situation was not their fault, that the blame belonged to the Jewish bankers, that Jews had stabbed Germany in the back (regardless of the fact that many Jewish men died fighting for Germany in World War I), and that Germany could be restored to its past glory. He told them that they were the master race and all others should be their servants. The moderates and voices of reason were drowned out by extremists like Hitler.
The victims of the Holocaust were somewhat surprised. Germany before Hitler wasn't the most anti-Semitic country in the world; the late 19th century had seen pogroms in Poland and Russia that caused millions to flee for the New World. Germany was one of the most modern, cosmopolitan and advanced societies in the world at the time. Jews were somewhat integrated. It was France that had experienced l'affaire Dreyfuss, not Germany. But unfortunately Germans were persuaded to go against people whom they had lived alongside for decades and fought alongside during the Great War.
I hope we can learn from our mistakes in history and keep a healthy skepticism towards politicians, especially those who are particularly bombastic.
The victims of the Holocaust were somewhat surprised. Germany before Hitler wasn't the most anti-Semitic country in the world; the late 19th century had seen pogroms in Poland and Russia that caused millions to flee for the New World. Germany was one of the most modern, cosmopolitan and advanced societies in the world at the time. Jews were somewhat integrated. It was France that had experienced l'affaire Dreyfuss, not Germany. But unfortunately Germans were persuaded to go against people whom they had lived alongside for decades and fought alongside during the Great War.
I hope we can learn from our mistakes in history and keep a healthy skepticism towards politicians, especially those who are particularly bombastic.
Famous Bitches in History: Adolf Hitler
This article is the demostration of the social impact and people's curiosity. I found it really funny and true, I think is is a very good and understandable way to see history.
Basically, there was this little knobgobbling bitch named Hitler. He was a sensitive little guy and went to art school to express his stupid feelings. He failed. Miserably. Instead of killing himself early on, like he should have, he turned to militant fascism and world domination. Essentially the natural evolution of a crazed hipster.
Hitler had excellent oratory skills, probably from all the shafts he tongue sculpted for “extra credit” in art school. He convinced the German people of all sorts of crazy bullshit. One of the crazy ass things those morons believed was that there was a superior Aryan race of human beings that is entitled to rule over all others. It’s strange that Hitler was able to convince people of this, because he himself was not a blond haired blue-eyed Aryan. Hitler wasn’t even German. He was Austrian. God people are stupid.
He built up a huge ass army and started acting sketchy. He invaded Poland and quickly zergrushed across Europe. Instead of immediately crushing him, all the other genius countries tried to appease Hitler. They sent him candygrams and flowers, hoping that he would stop being an asshole. He flattered them and said he’d call back… but he never did. He just kept on fucking them over. Italy got wind of the easy pussy and joined forces with Germany. So did Japan, for some stupid reason. Japanese people are just about the farthest thing from being Aryan, but whatever.
Every morning, Hitler had to have his vitamin shots. It’s reported that he barely had the energy to get out of bed in the morning. But after his vitamin shots, he was super charged and ready to conquer the world. His personal doctor later came forward and revealed that his “vitamin shots” were actually methamphetamines, which in retrospect makes a lot of sense. He was also addicted to cocaine, received injections of bulls semen, was a vegetarian, and had what I assume are politely understated sharting issues.
Credit where credit is due, German technology was pretty boss. They completely fucked Europe up with it. Between the Panzer tanks, the Luftwaffe, and the U-boats, Germany was one of the most powerful militaries of its time. France pretty much surrendered immediately. Big surprise. It looked like all of the children in Europe would soon be reciting “Mein Kampf” at bedtime until Hitler made the biggest mistake of his entire career. He declared war on the Soviet Union. The Soviets were total tools, don’t get me wrong. The USSR lost more soldiers than any other nation, but that was probably because they were given brooms to fight with instead of rifles.
However, the Soviet winter is what undid Hitler’s grand plans. Parts of Eastern Europe are so fucking cold that gasoline freezes. The Germans did not anticipate this and their tanks stopped working. In fact Hitler was so fucking stupid sure that his army would quickly beat the Russians that most German units didn’t even have winter clothing when they invaded. Hitler assumed he’d be able to take Moscow and end the war before winter really set in. Never mind the fact that Napoleon took Moscow 130 years prior, and you know who didn’t give a fuck? The Russians. They just kept fighting until their winter reminded him that he was commanding the French. Sending your troops into Russia without FUCKING JACKETS is so hilariously stupid that I can barely figure it out. It’s like going to a Congolese whorehouse without a condom because you think pulling out will keep you AIDS free. But back to the tanks, since the Soviets grew up in that winter wonderland of suck, they had already figured out ways to keep their tanks moving. An army is not an army without tanks. No matter how shitty your enemy is, if they have tanks and you don’t, you are completely fucked. Hitler was now fighting a multi front war, one of which he had absolutely no hope of winning.
Now America, this whole time, had been TFTC. We didn’t give two shits about all those Europussies and their problems. We were just hanging out. America was a whole bunch of Fonzies about WWII up until the day that those dirty Japanese sons of bitches bombed Pearl Harbor. After that Hitler declared war on the U.S. of A., inviting the two kids with the biggest dicks on the block to Eiffel Tower him.
That’s exactly what happened. While the Soviets curb stomped the Wehrmacht in the east America had to go rescue France’s pathetic country from the Nazis. We landed in Normandy and began one of the most awesome goddamn boner inducing military campaigns in American history. As the Axis powers retreated, Allied forces began to discover Nazi death camps all over the place. We realized that Hitler had been systematically killing millions of Jews. His reasoning for killing Jews was based on the “sound logic” of eugenics, totally not the demon meth voices in his head.
As Allied forces closed in on Berlin. Hitler knew that he was screwed. Of all the Allied forces, the Soviets were the closest to taking Berlin. Hitler knew that if the Red Army captured him, they would mercilessly butt fuck him and parade his corpse around Russia as a sex doll. Instead of being publicly sodomized again and again, Hitler chose to kill himself before the Soviets could reach him… like a bitch.
So remember kids, don’t do meth… and if you ever fail out of art school, don’t be a dick and try to take over the world. If you feel so inclined then do us all a favor and off yourself…
Reference: http://totalfratmove.com/famous-bitches-in-history-adolf-hitler/
-Lucía
Special War Quotes
We no longer demand anything, we want war. - Germany's foreign minister, August 1939.
Air superiority is a condition for all operations, at sea, in land, and in the air. - Air Marshal Arthur Tedder.
Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue. - Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (March 16, 1945)
No other island received as much preliminary pounding as did Iwo Jima. - Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet
The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years. - James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy (February 23, 1945)
Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake! - General George S. Patton, Jr (addressing to his troops before Operation Overlord, June 5, 1944)
We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender. - Winston Churchill.
The world must know what happened, and never forget. - General Eisenhower, while visiting nazi death camps, 1945.
History knows no greater display of courage than that shown by the people of the Soviet Union. - Henry Stimson.
Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue - Admiral Nimitz.
I believe it is peace in our time.- Neville Chamberlain, 1938
Today we rule Germany, tomorrow, the world. - Adolf Hitler
I am asking of no man more than I myself was ready throughout four years to do - Adolf Hitler
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. -Albert Einstein
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. - Winston Churchill, about R.A.F fighter pilots.
We want to get the hell over there. The quicker we clean up this Goddamned mess, the quicker we can take a little jaunt against the purple pissing Japs and clean out their nest, too. Before the Goddamned Marines get all of the credit. - General George S. Patton, Jr (addressing his troops prior to Operation Overlord, June 5, 1944)
I shall return. - General Douglas Macarthur, Supreme Allied Commander of South-West Pacific (speaking about the Philippines, when he was forced to retreat to Austrailia, 1942)
History - in every century, records an act that lives forevermore. We'll recall - as in to line we fall, the thing that happened on Hawaii's shore.
United in this determination and with unshakable faith in the cause for which we fight, we will, with God's help, go forward to our greatest victory. - General Dwight D. Eisenhower (1944)
They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines. - Lieutenant General Thomas Holcomb (1943)
I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. - Winston Churchill.
The gallantry and aggressive fighting spirit of the Russian soldiers command the American army's admiration. - George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
The scale and grandeur of the Russian effort mark it as the greatest military achievement in all history. - General Douglas Macarthur, Supreme Allied Commander of South-West Pacific
Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me! - Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe (Guadalcanal, January 13, 1943)
Casualties many; Percentage of dead not known; Combat efficiency; we are winning. - Colonel David M. Shoup (Tarawa, November 21, 1943)
*Mafer Jimenez
Stalin's Life
than two decades, instituting a reign of terror while modernizing Russia and helping to defeat Nazism.
IN THESE GROUPS
FAMOUS PEOPLE IN MILITARY HISTORY
FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO DIED IN MOSCOW
FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN IN GORI, GEORGIA
FAMOUS PEOPLE NAMED JOSEPH
Show All Groups
1 of 4 « »
QUOTES
“History shows that there are no invincible armies.”
—Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin - The Secret Police (TV-14; 1:42) As dictator of the Soviet Union, Stalin exerted full state control over the Russian people. Citizens were encouraged to accuse and turn-in each other.
Synopsis
Born on December 18, 1879, in Gori, Georgia, Joseph Stalin rose to power as General Secretary of the Communist Party, becoming a Soviet dictator upon Vladimir Lenin's death. Stalin forced rapid industrialization and the collectivization of agricultural land, resulting in millions dying from famine while others were sent to camps. His Red Army helped defeat Nazi Germany during WWII.
*Mafer Jimenez
Mussolini's Life
enito Mussolini created the Fascist Party in Italy in 1919, eventually making himself dictator prior to World War II. He was killed in 1945.
IN THESE GROUPS
FAMOUS POLITICAL PARTY
FAMOUS LEOS
FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO DIED IN 1945
FAMOUS PEOPLE NAMED MUSSOLINI
Show All Groups
1 of 6 « »
QUOTES
“It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do.”
—Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini - Full Episode (TV-14; 46:03) The full biography of Benito Mussolini.
Synopsis
Born in 1883 in Dovia di Predappio, Forlì, Italy, Benito Mussolini was an ardent socialist as a youth, following in his father's political footsteps, but was expelled by the party for his support of World War I. In 1919, he created the Fascist Party, eventually making himself dictator and holding all the power in Italy. He overextended his forces during World War II and was eventually killed by his own people, on April 28, 1945, in Mezzegra, Italy.
circa 1920: Italian dictactor Benito Mussolini (1883 - 1945). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
*Mafer Jimenez
Hitler's Life
Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. He initiated World War II and oversaw fascist policies that resulted in millions of deaths.
IN THESE GROUPS
FAMOUS GERMANS
FAILED ASSASSINATIONS
FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO DIED ON APRIL 30
FAMOUS DROPOUTS
Show All Groups
1 of 15 « »
QUOTES
“Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live.”
—Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler - Mini Biography (TV-14; 4:54) Adolf Hitler was leader of the Nazi Party and became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. As leader of the Third Reich, he invaded Poland, which started World War II. He orchestrated the Holocaust, which resulted in the death of 6 million Jews.
Synopsis
Born in Austria in 1889, Adolf Hitler rose to power in German politics as leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, also known as the Nazi Party. Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and served as dictator from 1934 to 1945. His policies precipitated World War II and the Holocaust. Hitler committed suicide with wife Eva Braun on April 30, 1945, in his Berlin bunker.
*Mafer Jimenez
«The migrant mother»
http://www.moma.org/collection/artists/3373
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/lange/
-Paola Torres
10 Things You Didn't know about MacArthur
In 1917, a 37-year-old colonel named Douglas MacArthur help to lead the men of the 42nd “Rainbow” Division onto the battlefields of France during World War I. The battle-tested MacArthur later commanded the Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific during World War II as well as United Nations forces in the Korean War. Explore 10 surprising facts about the controversial five-star American general who remains a military icon 50 years after his death.
1. MacArthur’s father was a Union veteran, his mother from a Confederate family.
When Mary Pinkney Hardy wed distinguished Union general Arthur MacArthur Jr. in 1875, her Virginia family hardly approved. Two of Hardy’s brothers who had attended the Virginia Military Institute and fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War even refused to attend the nuptials.
2. He was part of the first father-son duo to both receive the Medal of Honor.
Although just 18 years old, Arthur MacArthur Jr. displayed such valor at the 1863 Battle of Missionary Ridge that he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Although nominated twice before, Douglas MacArthur did not receive the same accolade until 1942 for his service in defense of the Philippines during World War II. (When Theodore Roosevelt posthumously received the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his service during the Spanish-American War, he and son Theodore Roosevelt Jr. became the second father-son pair to receive the award.)
3. Only Robert E. Lee and another cadet surpassed his West Point performance.
When MacArthur enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy, his mother moved to West Point as well and stayed at a hotel on campus grounds. MacArthur’s mother had told him he “must grow up to be a great man,” either like his father or like Lee, and her watchful eye apparently worked as MacArthur graduated first out of 94 cadets in the class of 1903 by earning 2,424.2 points out of a maximum of 2,470. Only two other cadets in West Point history had matched MacArthur’s 98.14% performance—an 1884 graduate as well as the iconic Confederate general in 1829.
4. MacArthur was president of the American Olympic Committee (AOC).
When the AOC president died suddenly in 1927, the organization recruited MacArthur, who was a booster of amateur athletics, as his replacement to prepare the U.S. team for the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam. MacArthur paraded with the team during the opening ceremonies and exhorted the athletes like a general leading his men into battle. When the American boxing team manager withdrew his fighters to protest a bad decision, MacArthur ordered the team back into the ring and barked, “Americans don’t quit!” The U.S. team left Amsterdam with seven world records and twice as many gold medals as any other country.
5. He assisted in establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
Although best known for his wartime exploits, MacArthur played a crucial role in the formation of one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signature New Deal programs. After Congress authorized the creation of the CCC in March 1933, the president wanted to enroll 250,000 men by July 1, an ambitious goal that only the military could implement. The task fell to MacArthur, who surpassed the goal by mobilizing nearly 300,000 recruits by the deadline.
6. He vomited on the front steps of the White House.
When Roosevelt proposed large military cuts in 1934, MacArthur visited the Oval Office for a heated meeting. The general later recounted that he “spoke recklessly and said something to the general effect that when we lost the next war, and an American boy, lying in the mud with an enemy bayonet through his belly and an enemy foot on his dying throat, spat out his last curse, I wanted the name not to be MacArthur, but Roosevelt.” After the outburst, MacArthur on the spot offered his resignation as Army chief of staff, but Roosevelt refused. Still nauseous from the confrontation, MacArthur got sick on the White House steps after leaving the meeting.
7. MacArthur had presidential ambitions.
Although on active duty and prohibited by military regulations, MacArthur did little initially to tamp down a movement to draft the general to be the Republican Party’s nominee against Roosevelt in 1944. MacArthur even won the Illinois primary before the party nominated Thomas Dewey. Four years later, MacArthur again flirted with the presidency but lost decisively in the Wisconsin primary to Harold Stassen. In 1952, the Republican Party once again bypassed MacArthur, this time for another war hero, Dwight Eisenhower.
8. MacArthur received a ticker tape parade after his firing.
On April 11, 1951, President Harry Truman relieved MacArthur from his Korean War command for insubordination after the general publicly criticized the president’s conduct of the war. Truman, who favored a “limited war” over MacArthur’s more aggressive approach, told the country he fired the general in part “to prevent a third world war.” MacArthur, more popular than the president at the time, received a hero’s welcome upon his arrival back in the United States. On April 20, 1951, confetti and cheers rained down on him as he rode in a limousine through the streets of New York. The day before, he had been interrupted by 50 ovations during an address to a joint session of Congress in which he closed with the words: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”
9. A trophy in his honor is awarded annually to college football’s top team.
Although MacArthur played on the West Point baseball team, football was his true love. He was the student manager for the military academy’s football team and one of the founders of the National Football Foundation, which since 1959 has awarded the MacArthur Bowl to the top college football team in the United States. The 25-pound silver trophy is shaped like a football stadium and features this quote from the general: “There is no substitute for victory.”
10. MacArthur designed his trademark corncob pipes.
The publicity-conscious general personally fashioned his signature look that included his ornate hat, aviator sunglasses and corncob pipe. A long-time cigarette smoker, MacArthur provided the Missouri Meerschaum Company with precise specifications for the deep-bowled, long-stemmed pipe that he used as a distinctive prop during public appearances. The outsized pipe was good for show but difficult to smoke, so Missouri Meerschaum gave the general other pipes to use for his pleasure. Missouri Meerschaum continues to craft replicas of MacArthur’s customized pipe, and Ray-Ban named a sunglass line after him in 1987
-Daniela
Top Ten Facts about World War II
1.World War II was the most destructive conflict in history. It cost more money, damaged more property, killed more people, and caused more far-reaching changes than any other war in history.a
2.The country with the largest number of WWII causalities was Russia, with over 21 million.i
3.For every five German soldiers who died in WWII, four of them died on the Eastern Front.c
4.It is estimated that 1.5 million children died during the Holocaust. Approximately 1.2 million of them were Jewish and tens of thousands were Gypsies.i
5.Eighty percent of Soviet males born in 1923 didn’t survive WWII.c
6.Between 1939 and 1945, the Allies dropped 3.4 million tons of bombs, which averaged to 27,700 tons per month.c
7.Russia and the Red Army were accused of several war crimes, including systematic mass rape (over 2 million German women aged 13-70 were allegedly raped by the Red Army) and genocide.h
8.Many historians believe that the Battle at Stalingrad (1942-1943) is not only arguably the bloodiest battle in history (800,000-1,600,000 casualties), but also the turning point of WWII in Europe.f
9.Bergen Belsen camp Many severely ill concentration camp prisoners died after liberation
10.Even after the Allies arrived, many concentration camp prisoners were beyond help. In Bergen-Belsen, for example, 13,000 prisoners died after liberation. Nearly 2,500 of the 33,000 survivors of Dachau died within six weeks of liberation.
-María Fernanda
Pearl Harbor Documentary
http://youtu.be/Vpbt0Cxze60
This documentary talks about life before, during and after the Pearl Harbor attack happened. It has interviews with American and Japanese people. Is one of tha best documentaries about this theme.
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