American Military History Homework for Week of March 30
Ongoing homework - read book and submit 30 page summaries - if you do not have a book currently, GET ONE or ASK for ONE - you MUST submit your summaries (each week) to me in class as part of your homework below - if I receive no summary, you will receive a zero for the week.
Prepare for and conduct your veteran’s interview when ready - your video or audio recorded interview is due NO LATER than April 20 (changed from April 13) BE WELL PREPARED before conducting the interview and submit a written copy of the interview for extra credit (this can be done in a question/answer summary of the interview or the veteran may provide you with a written statement of his/her own thoughts and remembrances.
The homework listed below is to be turned in next week (April 6) in class - if homework is late, turn it in or e-mail it to me NO LATER THAN Monday April 13 - homework will not be accepted after then and you will receive a zero. Homework turned in late will receive a deduction. Visit the site located at
http://www.archives.gov/research/ww2/photos/#iwo In the National Archives collection of World War II photos (located at College park, MD), there are many incredible and powerful images recorded of that terrible conflict. This site has 202 photos listed in 23 different sub-headings. Read the sentence about each photo, click on it and view each photo and pick out the photo from each subheading that impacted/impressed you the most. You will have 23 photos chosen once you are finished. Then pick out ANY seven other photos you wish to give you a total of 30 photos…
Write a paragraph or two about each photo, explaining what it is and WHY you chose it for your list - what specifically about it impressed you the most?
Finally, make a list of your top ten photos and rank them 1 through 10, 1 being THE most impressive of all. To choose and rank your photos, I encourage you to get the advice of friends and family and get their opinions and insights as well…
NOTE - A few of the photos ARE intense in their content, particularly the photos in the Holocaust section - be aware of this before viewing…You MAY choose to not view this section…If you choose not to view this section, you will have 28 photos instead of 30. Please DO NOT view Photo #41 -- It’s content may be offensive and inappropriate.
ANY QUESTIONS? - contact me at rust5532@hotmail.com
A VERY GOOD SOURCE ON THE STORY OF THE WHITE ROSE IS LISTED BELOW - thought you might enjoy reading it
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/rose.html
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
HOMEWORK FOR WEEK OF MARCH 23
Ongoing homework - read book and submit 30 page summaries - if you do not have a book currently, GET ONE or ASK for ONE - you MUST submit your summaries (each week) to me in class as part of your homework below - if I receive no summary, you will receive a zero for the week.
Prepare for and conduct your veteran’s interview when ready - your video or audio recorded interview is due NO LATER than April 20 (changed from April 13) BE WELL PREPARED before conducting the interview and submit a written copy of the interview for extra credit (this can be done in a question/answer summary of the interview or the veteran may provide you with a written statement of his/her own thoughts and remembrances.
The homework listed below is to be turned in next week (March 30) in class - if homework is late, e-mail it to me NO LATER THAN Wednesday April 1 - homework will not be accepted after then and you will receive a zero. Homework turned in one day late will receive 5 point deduction, two days late a 10 point deduction. Visit http://www.sptimes.com/2003/webspecials03/koreanwar/ This site has many articles about the Korean War - often called The Forgotten War - all are excellent - you may choose ANY 5 articles to read and write a brief summary for each (this comes out to 1 per day Mon through Friday, but do them any way you wish)- about a ½ page in length per summary is fine. BEFORE reading the five articles, (articles are personal accounts of Vet’s experiences and are at the bottom of the home page in blue headings) click on to links at top left of homepage and read the sections titled: “the conflict, “key players” and “Q and A”. After reading these main sections, write a brief summary of each, telling me three things you learned from each section. These sections will give you an overview of the war and put the events and articles in context for you. You may do as many extra articles as you want for extra credit.
To summarize - visit the site - read the 3 main articles FIRST at the top left of the homepage. Write a summary for each, telling me 3 things you learned from each section. Then, read 5 articles (vet’s accounts highlighted in blue toward the bottom of the homepage) and write a ½ page summary for each. There is a total of 8 summaries in all.
ANY QUESTIONS? - contact me at rust5532@hotmail.com
NOTE - Read article below on missing US pilot for extra credit (submit summary for it) Very interesting!
Prepare for and conduct your veteran’s interview when ready - your video or audio recorded interview is due NO LATER than April 20 (changed from April 13) BE WELL PREPARED before conducting the interview and submit a written copy of the interview for extra credit (this can be done in a question/answer summary of the interview or the veteran may provide you with a written statement of his/her own thoughts and remembrances.
The homework listed below is to be turned in next week (March 30) in class - if homework is late, e-mail it to me NO LATER THAN Wednesday April 1 - homework will not be accepted after then and you will receive a zero. Homework turned in one day late will receive 5 point deduction, two days late a 10 point deduction. Visit http://www.sptimes.com/2003/webspecials03/koreanwar/ This site has many articles about the Korean War - often called The Forgotten War - all are excellent - you may choose ANY 5 articles to read and write a brief summary for each (this comes out to 1 per day Mon through Friday, but do them any way you wish)- about a ½ page in length per summary is fine. BEFORE reading the five articles, (articles are personal accounts of Vet’s experiences and are at the bottom of the home page in blue headings) click on to links at top left of homepage and read the sections titled: “the conflict, “key players” and “Q and A”. After reading these main sections, write a brief summary of each, telling me three things you learned from each section. These sections will give you an overview of the war and put the events and articles in context for you. You may do as many extra articles as you want for extra credit.
To summarize - visit the site - read the 3 main articles FIRST at the top left of the homepage. Write a summary for each, telling me 3 things you learned from each section. Then, read 5 articles (vet’s accounts highlighted in blue toward the bottom of the homepage) and write a ½ page summary for each. There is a total of 8 summaries in all.
ANY QUESTIONS? - contact me at rust5532@hotmail.com
NOTE - Read article below on missing US pilot for extra credit (submit summary for it) Very interesting!
In the first hours of the Gulf War, he flew his F-18 into the night skies from the deck of the USS Saratoga, never to return, and never to be found. His airplane was struck by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile.
U.S. Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher was the first American casualty of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 - but his disappearance was anything but conclusive.
Over the years, Capt. Speicher's status was listed as killed in action, body not recovered; missing in action; and missing/captured. Now it has changed for a fourth time.
On Tuesday, Navy Secretary Donald Winter reverted Capt. Speicher's status to missing in action - countering a recent recommendation by a status review board that the pilot still could be held by enemy forces. But Mr. Winter did not close the case, either.
"My review of the board proceedings and the compelling evidence presented by the intelligence community causes me great concern about the reliability of the board's recommendation," Mr. Winter said.
He questioned the review board's conclusions about Capt. Speicher's ejection from his aircraft and the lack of physical evidence or emergency radio transmissions that could indicate he survived that night.
"There is currently no credible evidence that Captain Speicher is 'captured.' For Captain Speicher to be in captivity today, one would have to accept a massive conspiracy of silence and perfectly executed deception that has lasted for over 18 years and that continues today," Mr. Winter said.
He has ordered another review of the situation within the next year. Meanwhile, the U.S. is not abandoning the pilot as a matter of policy.
"Absolutely, we will continue to search for him. We have 88,000 missing service members from all conflicts. It is a top priority to bring them home. Captain Speicher is an American hero, and returning him to his family and country will also remain a top priority for the Navy and the nation," said Lt. Sean Robertson, a Navy spokesman.
"This is neither good news nor bad news," said Cindy Laquidara, spokeswoman for the Speicher family, who said she was somewhat "puzzled" by the decision.
ASSOCIATED PRESS The official status of U.S. Navy F-18 pilot Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, shot down during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, was changed Tuesday for a fourth time to missing in action.
"We're still optimistic. We want Captain Speicher back - or his remains. And we look forward to working with the Navy to resolve this in the foreseeable future. There was evidence Captain Speicher was in captivity, and there are still those who may know what happened. Every time we've had active-duty personnel go searching for him, they have brought us good and valuable information," Ms. Laquidara said.
"They are very good at what they do," she added.
A native of Jacksonville, Fla., and the son of a World War II-era pilot, Capt. Speicher was 33 when he disappeared, leaving behind a wife and two small children.
The dramatic and often poignant details or speculations about his fate have surfaced frequently in the form of intelligence reports, official investigations and hearsay. The mix included a report that the initials "MSS" were found in 2004, carved in the wooden beam of a Baghdad prison. Other claims said he had been shot down by a MiG fighter, and that his flight suit had been found with his name cut out of the front of it.
In 2008, Capt. Speicher's children - now adults - urged the Navy to continue the search, suggesting that the efforts could help set a standard for future investigations of missing troops and airmen.
"This change in status will have no effect on the ongoing search to determine Scott's fate," said Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who has pushed the Navy to re-examine Capt. Speicher's status since 2002. Earlier this year, he accused the U.S. government of "walking away from a downed pilot."
"As our presence in Iraq decreases, we need to take this last opportunity to determine his fate," Mr. Nelson said. "This is our duty as a nation to any missing service memberSunday, March 15, 2009
Homework and STUDY GUIDE for week of March 16
American Military History Homework for Week of March 16
Ongoing homework - read book and submit 30 page summaries - if you do not have a book currently, GET ONE or ASK for ONE - you MUST submit your summaries (each week) to me in class as part of your homework below - if I receive no summary, you will receive a zero for the week.
Prepare for and conduct your veteran’s interview when ready - your video or audio recorded interview is due NO LATER than April 20 (changed from April 13) BE WELL PREPARED before conducting the interview and submit a written copy of the interview for extra credit (this can be done in a question/answer summary of the interview or the veteran may provide you with a written statement of his/her own thoughts and remembrances.
The homework listed below is to be turned in next week (March 23) in class - if homework is late, e-mail it to me NO LATER THAN Wednesday March 25 - homework will not be accepted after then and you will receive a zero. Homework turned in one day late will receive 5 point deduction, two days late a 10 point deduction. Visit http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/w2frm.htm. This site has over 40 articles about World War II - all are excellent - you may choose ANY 10 articles to read and write a brief summary about (this comes out to 2 per day Mon through Friday, but do them any way you wish)- about a ½ page in length per summary is fine. HW is to be turned in next Monday March 23 in class. HW emailed to me one day late will receive 5 points off, two days late 10 points off - no HW will be accepted beyond two days late! You may do as many extra articles as you want for extra credit.
Next Quiz - Monday March 23 - the quiz will cover the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War and World War I material - I will provide a study guide on March 16
ANY QUESTIONS? - contact me at rust5532@hotmail.com
Study Guide for March 23 Quiz
Indian Wars after the Civil Wars lasted from roughly 1870-1890
After the Civil War, the United States Army had shrunk to about 14,ooo soldiers west of the Mississippi River - over 270,000 Indians of various tribes lived west of that river
The Indians used an ambush, attack, and guerilla type warfare - the US army had to adapt to that style of fighting.
Conflict began as Americans continued to move westward for land, wealth, and opportunity. The building of the first transcontinental railroad, finished in 1869, helped encourage westward expansion
The Indian Wars consisted of three main battle campaigns. The first, against the Sioux Indians of the Black Hills of the Dakotas and Wyoming, involved fighting against three main Indian chiefs - Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse. Gold was discovered in the hills and American officials attempted to purchase the land and relocate the Indians, who refused and fought for the land. The Sioux were finally subdued by the early 1890's by American forces under the command of Col. Nelson Miles. Sitting Bull was killed.
Miles fought in all three major Indian campaigns and was perhaps the most successful Indian fighter of his time. One not so successful was George Armstrong Custer, or "Yellow Hair" as the Indians called him for his long locks. Custer commanded the U.S. 7th Cavalry and his force of about 650 troopers met several thousand Indian warriors at the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. Custer was unaware of the Indian strength and attempted to attack the enemy by surprise across the river after dividing his forces into 3 equal forces. The Indians were aware of the attack and attacked first, killing all of Custer's 250 man battalion.
The second major campaign was against the Nez Perce Indians under Chief Joseph. American forces pursued the Nez Perce, who attempted to escape into Canada. After a 1,500 mile pursuit, the Indians were captured and Chief Joseph surrendered, saying, "I am tired, my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."
The last major campaign was against the Apaches of the American Southwest under leaders such as Cochise and Geronimo. Geronimo, a great Indian fighter, fought for over 20 years against great odds - he was eventually captured by over 8,500 American troopers under Col. Miles. Geronimo converted to Christianity, became a farmer and a Republican, supporting Teddy Roosevelt for president!!
Spanish-American War
Cuba rebelled against Spanish rule in 1895
The U.S. sent the USS Maine, a warship to Havana harbor to observe the situation
On Feb 15, 1898, the Maine exploded and sank, killing 266 American sailors. The cause is still disputed - some say the Spanish blew it up with a mine or torpedo, some believe a boiler exploded. American forces prepared for war - a 9 ship US Navy fleet under the command of Commodore George Herman Dewey blockaded 40 Spanish ships in manila Bay in the Philippines.
The US Congress recognized Cuban independence 0n April 19, 1898 and Spain cut off all relations with the US. On April 25, 1898, the US Congress declared war on Spain.
The US fleet won the battle of Mainla Bay due to superior firepower - American ships fired and destoyed the Spanish fleet while staying out of range of the Spanish guns. The battle on May 1, 1898 was over by lunch time - Us casualties were 6 wounded and 0 killed - this battle marked the birth of the modern US Navy and American Naval power. Dewey became a national hero and was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral ( as a side story,
my grandfather was born in 1898 and named George Herman in honor of this naval hero!)
Back in Cuba, the American Army and Marines landed at Guantanimo Bay and marched toward the town of Santiago. To take the town, two large hills had to be taked, Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. To get to the town and hills, American forces had to go through jungles and take paths that were crisscrossed with enemy rifle and machine gun fire. US forces made it to the base of the hills, then attacked the heights on June 30/July 1, 1898 led by the US 1st Volunteer cavalry, "The Rough Riders," whose second in command was Lt. Col. Thoedore Roosevelt. The Americans, wearing uniforms made by Abercrombie and Fitch (true!!), charged the hills and took them in fierce, sometimes hand to hand combat. Roosevelt led the charge on his horse, Little Texas, totally exposed to enemy fire. When Little Texas went down wounded, Roosevelt continueed on foot and leaped into the Spanish trenches, firing away with a pistol recovered from the sunken Maine. For his actions, Roosevelt was awarded the Medal of Honor, the only U.S. president to be so honored.
At the same time, the US Navy blockaded and forced the Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor to surrender after an escape attempt was blocked and 1,800 Spanish POW's were fished out of the water. On July 3, Rear Admiral William Sampson sent a telegram to President McKinley saying, "We present you the entire Spanish fleet as a 4th of July present."
Spain officially surrendered on July 17, 1898 - the war lasted 4 months and the US gained Cuba, Guam, Philippines, and Puerto Rico and the Spanish ceased to be a power in the Western Hemisphere.
Cuba was granted independence and remained so until the Communist takeover in the late 1950's. The Philippines were also granted independence but not until 1946 - US forces conducted it's first venture in "nation building" in the Philippines, bringing food, schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, etc... to the islands - many Philippinos resented US rule however and the US had to defeat a rebellion among the native peoples. The war ended by July 1902 - unfortunately atrocities had been commited by both sides - the US continued aid and many Philippinos fought alongside Americans against the Japanese during World War II
US ambassador John Hay (Abraham Lincoln's former secretary!) declared, "It has been a splendid little war."
World War I
The war lasted from 1914-1918 - it began with the assassination of the Austrio-Hungarian empire's heir to the throne, Archduke Ferdinand being executed by a 19 year old Serbian independence fighter. This set off a chain reaction of disputes and declarations of war by the nations and empires in Europe. The Central Powers were led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria. The Allied Powers were led by Britian, France, and Russia.
The war was a terrible one - armies used modern weaponry, including the machine gun, artillery, tank, airplane, and gas warfare. The continent was covered in trenches and units fought for yards of ground. The area between the trenches was covered in barbed wire, mines, and fire so that the area was known as "No Man's Land."
The US did not enter the war until April, 1917. The war was turning in the favor ogf the Central Powers - Britian was barely holding on, France's soldiers were leaving the field, Italy had been forced out and Russian forces left the field to return home to deal with a Communist takeover attempt and civil war.
US public opinion was to stay out of the war, even as German U-boats (subs) sank US and British ships and killed many. In April 1915, the British ship Lusitania was sunk with 1,195 being killed, including 124 Americans.
The final push to get the US involves was the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram in March of 1917, a message from German officials to Mexico encouraging the Mexicans to enter the war and attack the mainland US and to convince the Japanese to enter the war and take Hawaii, the Philippines, and perhaps California.
Over 15,000 Americans went to Europe to fight before the US entered the war, but the Zimmerman issue made the Allied cause in Europe America's cause and President Wilson said the "world must be made safe for democracy."
The draft was begun in May 1917 and the US military grew from 200,000 to 3.7 million - almost 2 million Americans went "Over There" led by General John "Black Jack" Pershing. US soldiers entered the war with high morale and very confident of victory!
The Germans launched a spring offensive in the west led by General Erich Ludendorff. Many units could have been pulled from the Russian Eastern front to fight in the West, but the Germans wanted that esatern land - a mistake Hitler would made again in 25 years!!
In March 1918, the British held back a furious German attack. The Germans pulled back and attacked the French 6th Army which gave way - the Germans were stopped by American forces just in time. Told to retreat, one American yelled, "Retreat, we just got here!" US forces stopped the Germans at the Second Battle of the Marne and at Belleau Wood. In 20 days, the US marines fought it's largest battle to date. Called "Devil Dogs" by the Germans, the Marines were victorious, but suffered 5,000 casualties, including 1,000 KIA
The US 38th Infantry (an Army unit, not Marine) was given the nickname "The Rock of the Marne" for their holding out despite being surrounded on three sides.
US Marine Sgt. Dan Daly, a two time medal of Honor recipient, was a hero here also, charging German lines and calling to his men, "Come on, Do you want to live forever!"
In three days time, the German offensive was stopped. Never again would they attack. They would retreat through France as the Allies won the Battle of Saint Michiel and the lst German defense line was breached after the great battle of the Meuse-Argonne. The battle lasted for over a month from Sept 16, 1918 to Nov 3, 1918 when Allied forces broke through.
The Germans now requested a negotiated peace. American commanders insisted on unconditional surrender, but the war ended as a negotiated end or armistice was signed on Nov 11, 1918. The war was over.
The Treaty of Versailles later put the blame for the war on Germany and punished that country severely. Many Germans resented this treatment and vowed revenge upon those who had "stabbed Germany in the back." One such bitter German was a brave veteran of the war, Adolf Hitler
Many American veterans who served in World War I would also fight in World War II and lead in that war - they include: George Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, George Marshall and Douglas MacArthur. All would become national heroes
Ongoing homework - read book and submit 30 page summaries - if you do not have a book currently, GET ONE or ASK for ONE - you MUST submit your summaries (each week) to me in class as part of your homework below - if I receive no summary, you will receive a zero for the week.
Prepare for and conduct your veteran’s interview when ready - your video or audio recorded interview is due NO LATER than April 20 (changed from April 13) BE WELL PREPARED before conducting the interview and submit a written copy of the interview for extra credit (this can be done in a question/answer summary of the interview or the veteran may provide you with a written statement of his/her own thoughts and remembrances.
The homework listed below is to be turned in next week (March 23) in class - if homework is late, e-mail it to me NO LATER THAN Wednesday March 25 - homework will not be accepted after then and you will receive a zero. Homework turned in one day late will receive 5 point deduction, two days late a 10 point deduction. Visit http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/w2frm.htm. This site has over 40 articles about World War II - all are excellent - you may choose ANY 10 articles to read and write a brief summary about (this comes out to 2 per day Mon through Friday, but do them any way you wish)- about a ½ page in length per summary is fine. HW is to be turned in next Monday March 23 in class. HW emailed to me one day late will receive 5 points off, two days late 10 points off - no HW will be accepted beyond two days late! You may do as many extra articles as you want for extra credit.
Next Quiz - Monday March 23 - the quiz will cover the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War and World War I material - I will provide a study guide on March 16
ANY QUESTIONS? - contact me at rust5532@hotmail.com
Study Guide for March 23 Quiz
Indian Wars after the Civil Wars lasted from roughly 1870-1890
After the Civil War, the United States Army had shrunk to about 14,ooo soldiers west of the Mississippi River - over 270,000 Indians of various tribes lived west of that river
The Indians used an ambush, attack, and guerilla type warfare - the US army had to adapt to that style of fighting.
Conflict began as Americans continued to move westward for land, wealth, and opportunity. The building of the first transcontinental railroad, finished in 1869, helped encourage westward expansion
The Indian Wars consisted of three main battle campaigns. The first, against the Sioux Indians of the Black Hills of the Dakotas and Wyoming, involved fighting against three main Indian chiefs - Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse. Gold was discovered in the hills and American officials attempted to purchase the land and relocate the Indians, who refused and fought for the land. The Sioux were finally subdued by the early 1890's by American forces under the command of Col. Nelson Miles. Sitting Bull was killed.
Miles fought in all three major Indian campaigns and was perhaps the most successful Indian fighter of his time. One not so successful was George Armstrong Custer, or "Yellow Hair" as the Indians called him for his long locks. Custer commanded the U.S. 7th Cavalry and his force of about 650 troopers met several thousand Indian warriors at the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. Custer was unaware of the Indian strength and attempted to attack the enemy by surprise across the river after dividing his forces into 3 equal forces. The Indians were aware of the attack and attacked first, killing all of Custer's 250 man battalion.
The second major campaign was against the Nez Perce Indians under Chief Joseph. American forces pursued the Nez Perce, who attempted to escape into Canada. After a 1,500 mile pursuit, the Indians were captured and Chief Joseph surrendered, saying, "I am tired, my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."
The last major campaign was against the Apaches of the American Southwest under leaders such as Cochise and Geronimo. Geronimo, a great Indian fighter, fought for over 20 years against great odds - he was eventually captured by over 8,500 American troopers under Col. Miles. Geronimo converted to Christianity, became a farmer and a Republican, supporting Teddy Roosevelt for president!!
Spanish-American War
Cuba rebelled against Spanish rule in 1895
The U.S. sent the USS Maine, a warship to Havana harbor to observe the situation
On Feb 15, 1898, the Maine exploded and sank, killing 266 American sailors. The cause is still disputed - some say the Spanish blew it up with a mine or torpedo, some believe a boiler exploded. American forces prepared for war - a 9 ship US Navy fleet under the command of Commodore George Herman Dewey blockaded 40 Spanish ships in manila Bay in the Philippines.
The US Congress recognized Cuban independence 0n April 19, 1898 and Spain cut off all relations with the US. On April 25, 1898, the US Congress declared war on Spain.
The US fleet won the battle of Mainla Bay due to superior firepower - American ships fired and destoyed the Spanish fleet while staying out of range of the Spanish guns. The battle on May 1, 1898 was over by lunch time - Us casualties were 6 wounded and 0 killed - this battle marked the birth of the modern US Navy and American Naval power. Dewey became a national hero and was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral ( as a side story,
my grandfather was born in 1898 and named George Herman in honor of this naval hero!)
Back in Cuba, the American Army and Marines landed at Guantanimo Bay and marched toward the town of Santiago. To take the town, two large hills had to be taked, Kettle Hill and San Juan Hill. To get to the town and hills, American forces had to go through jungles and take paths that were crisscrossed with enemy rifle and machine gun fire. US forces made it to the base of the hills, then attacked the heights on June 30/July 1, 1898 led by the US 1st Volunteer cavalry, "The Rough Riders," whose second in command was Lt. Col. Thoedore Roosevelt. The Americans, wearing uniforms made by Abercrombie and Fitch (true!!), charged the hills and took them in fierce, sometimes hand to hand combat. Roosevelt led the charge on his horse, Little Texas, totally exposed to enemy fire. When Little Texas went down wounded, Roosevelt continueed on foot and leaped into the Spanish trenches, firing away with a pistol recovered from the sunken Maine. For his actions, Roosevelt was awarded the Medal of Honor, the only U.S. president to be so honored.
At the same time, the US Navy blockaded and forced the Spanish fleet in Santiago harbor to surrender after an escape attempt was blocked and 1,800 Spanish POW's were fished out of the water. On July 3, Rear Admiral William Sampson sent a telegram to President McKinley saying, "We present you the entire Spanish fleet as a 4th of July present."
Spain officially surrendered on July 17, 1898 - the war lasted 4 months and the US gained Cuba, Guam, Philippines, and Puerto Rico and the Spanish ceased to be a power in the Western Hemisphere.
Cuba was granted independence and remained so until the Communist takeover in the late 1950's. The Philippines were also granted independence but not until 1946 - US forces conducted it's first venture in "nation building" in the Philippines, bringing food, schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, etc... to the islands - many Philippinos resented US rule however and the US had to defeat a rebellion among the native peoples. The war ended by July 1902 - unfortunately atrocities had been commited by both sides - the US continued aid and many Philippinos fought alongside Americans against the Japanese during World War II
US ambassador John Hay (Abraham Lincoln's former secretary!) declared, "It has been a splendid little war."
World War I
The war lasted from 1914-1918 - it began with the assassination of the Austrio-Hungarian empire's heir to the throne, Archduke Ferdinand being executed by a 19 year old Serbian independence fighter. This set off a chain reaction of disputes and declarations of war by the nations and empires in Europe. The Central Powers were led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria. The Allied Powers were led by Britian, France, and Russia.
The war was a terrible one - armies used modern weaponry, including the machine gun, artillery, tank, airplane, and gas warfare. The continent was covered in trenches and units fought for yards of ground. The area between the trenches was covered in barbed wire, mines, and fire so that the area was known as "No Man's Land."
The US did not enter the war until April, 1917. The war was turning in the favor ogf the Central Powers - Britian was barely holding on, France's soldiers were leaving the field, Italy had been forced out and Russian forces left the field to return home to deal with a Communist takeover attempt and civil war.
US public opinion was to stay out of the war, even as German U-boats (subs) sank US and British ships and killed many. In April 1915, the British ship Lusitania was sunk with 1,195 being killed, including 124 Americans.
The final push to get the US involves was the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram in March of 1917, a message from German officials to Mexico encouraging the Mexicans to enter the war and attack the mainland US and to convince the Japanese to enter the war and take Hawaii, the Philippines, and perhaps California.
Over 15,000 Americans went to Europe to fight before the US entered the war, but the Zimmerman issue made the Allied cause in Europe America's cause and President Wilson said the "world must be made safe for democracy."
The draft was begun in May 1917 and the US military grew from 200,000 to 3.7 million - almost 2 million Americans went "Over There" led by General John "Black Jack" Pershing. US soldiers entered the war with high morale and very confident of victory!
The Germans launched a spring offensive in the west led by General Erich Ludendorff. Many units could have been pulled from the Russian Eastern front to fight in the West, but the Germans wanted that esatern land - a mistake Hitler would made again in 25 years!!
In March 1918, the British held back a furious German attack. The Germans pulled back and attacked the French 6th Army which gave way - the Germans were stopped by American forces just in time. Told to retreat, one American yelled, "Retreat, we just got here!" US forces stopped the Germans at the Second Battle of the Marne and at Belleau Wood. In 20 days, the US marines fought it's largest battle to date. Called "Devil Dogs" by the Germans, the Marines were victorious, but suffered 5,000 casualties, including 1,000 KIA
The US 38th Infantry (an Army unit, not Marine) was given the nickname "The Rock of the Marne" for their holding out despite being surrounded on three sides.
US Marine Sgt. Dan Daly, a two time medal of Honor recipient, was a hero here also, charging German lines and calling to his men, "Come on, Do you want to live forever!"
In three days time, the German offensive was stopped. Never again would they attack. They would retreat through France as the Allies won the Battle of Saint Michiel and the lst German defense line was breached after the great battle of the Meuse-Argonne. The battle lasted for over a month from Sept 16, 1918 to Nov 3, 1918 when Allied forces broke through.
The Germans now requested a negotiated peace. American commanders insisted on unconditional surrender, but the war ended as a negotiated end or armistice was signed on Nov 11, 1918. The war was over.
The Treaty of Versailles later put the blame for the war on Germany and punished that country severely. Many Germans resented this treatment and vowed revenge upon those who had "stabbed Germany in the back." One such bitter German was a brave veteran of the war, Adolf Hitler
Many American veterans who served in World War I would also fight in World War II and lead in that war - they include: George Patton, Dwight Eisenhower, George Marshall and Douglas MacArthur. All would become national heroes
Monday, March 9, 2009
Homework for week of March 9
American Military History Homework for Week of March 9
Ongoing homework - read book and submit 30 page summaries - if you do not have a book currently, GET ONE or ASK for ONE - you MUST submit your summaries (each week) to me in class as part of your homework below - if I receive no summary, you will receive a zero for the week.
Prepare for and conduct your veteran’s interview when ready - your video or audio recorded interview is due NO LATER than April 20 (changed from April 13) BE WELL PREPARED before conducting the interview and submit a written copy of the interview for extra credit (this can be done in a question/answer summary of the interview or the veteran may provide you with a written statement of his/her own thoughts and remembrances.
The homework listed below is to be turned in next week (March 16) in class - if homework is late, e-mail it to me NO LATER THAN Wednesday March 18 - homework will not be accepted after then and you will receive a zero. Homework turned in one day late will receive 5 point deduction, two days late a 10 point deduction.
Visit medalofhonor.com - you will find on the homepage a summary of the medal of honor and it’s history - read it
After reading the summary on the home page, click on “recipients by war” and you will see a link to Civil War, WW I, WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam - 5 wars, 5 days of homework. Click on EACH war and read 5 summaries of medal of honor recipients for EACH war and then write a summary of your own of those 5, giving name, branch of service, and how the recipient earned his medal - write the summaries in your own words - DO NOT copy and paste - I want YOUR words and thoughts on each recipient. Each summary should be about ½ page of lined notebook paper You must have 25 summaries written by next week (5 summaries for each of the 5 wars) - you may do more for extra credit and feel free to visit any area of the site to get any extras you want…
SOME HAVE NOTED A PROBLEM WITH GETTING TO CIVIL WAR SECTION - IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE USE http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html
Next Quiz - Monday March 23 - the quiz will cover the Spanish-American War and World War I material - I will provide a study guide on March 16
ANY QUESTIONS? - contact me at rust5532@hotmail.com
Ongoing homework - read book and submit 30 page summaries - if you do not have a book currently, GET ONE or ASK for ONE - you MUST submit your summaries (each week) to me in class as part of your homework below - if I receive no summary, you will receive a zero for the week.
Prepare for and conduct your veteran’s interview when ready - your video or audio recorded interview is due NO LATER than April 20 (changed from April 13) BE WELL PREPARED before conducting the interview and submit a written copy of the interview for extra credit (this can be done in a question/answer summary of the interview or the veteran may provide you with a written statement of his/her own thoughts and remembrances.
The homework listed below is to be turned in next week (March 16) in class - if homework is late, e-mail it to me NO LATER THAN Wednesday March 18 - homework will not be accepted after then and you will receive a zero. Homework turned in one day late will receive 5 point deduction, two days late a 10 point deduction.
Visit medalofhonor.com - you will find on the homepage a summary of the medal of honor and it’s history - read it
After reading the summary on the home page, click on “recipients by war” and you will see a link to Civil War, WW I, WW II, Korean War, and Vietnam - 5 wars, 5 days of homework. Click on EACH war and read 5 summaries of medal of honor recipients for EACH war and then write a summary of your own of those 5, giving name, branch of service, and how the recipient earned his medal - write the summaries in your own words - DO NOT copy and paste - I want YOUR words and thoughts on each recipient. Each summary should be about ½ page of lined notebook paper You must have 25 summaries written by next week (5 summaries for each of the 5 wars) - you may do more for extra credit and feel free to visit any area of the site to get any extras you want…
SOME HAVE NOTED A PROBLEM WITH GETTING TO CIVIL WAR SECTION - IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE USE http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/civwaral.html
Next Quiz - Monday March 23 - the quiz will cover the Spanish-American War and World War I material - I will provide a study guide on March 16
ANY QUESTIONS? - contact me at rust5532@hotmail.com
Monday, March 2, 2009
Homework for week of March 2
Hey guys - Due to the snow today, class was canceled but homework trudges on...For this week, add the following to your homework for last week - remember last week's and this week's homework will be collected IN CLASS on Monday the 9th:
1. Visit http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/ and click on "enter exhibit", then visit the links to WW I and WW II - look over each section carefully and write a half page to a page summary on both the WW I and WW II sections as a whole...what interested you the most, surprised you the most, impressed you the most, etc... For extra credit, visit any and all other war sections and do the same....This is an excellent site with a lot of items of interest and information - it would be a good place to get some extra credit points for your HW grade -- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY!!!
2. President Obama made an important speech to Marines at Camp Lejeune this past week discussing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Go to http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/28/obama-outlines-withdrawal-from-iraq/ and read the article on his speech and write a brief opinion piece on the president's plans - do you agrree or disagree with them? Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-erfuHSXW8 to watch the last ten minutes of the president's speech - I think you will find it VERY interesting - let me know what you think in a brief paragraph
3. Visit http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/w1frm.htm and read ANY 3 articles on WW I and write a brief summary of what you read - you can do as many more as you want for extra credit...
1. Visit http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/ and click on "enter exhibit", then visit the links to WW I and WW II - look over each section carefully and write a half page to a page summary on both the WW I and WW II sections as a whole...what interested you the most, surprised you the most, impressed you the most, etc... For extra credit, visit any and all other war sections and do the same....This is an excellent site with a lot of items of interest and information - it would be a good place to get some extra credit points for your HW grade -- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY!!!
2. President Obama made an important speech to Marines at Camp Lejeune this past week discussing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Go to http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/28/obama-outlines-withdrawal-from-iraq/ and read the article on his speech and write a brief opinion piece on the president's plans - do you agrree or disagree with them? Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-erfuHSXW8 to watch the last ten minutes of the president's speech - I think you will find it VERY interesting - let me know what you think in a brief paragraph
3. Visit http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/w1frm.htm and read ANY 3 articles on WW I and write a brief summary of what you read - you can do as many more as you want for extra credit...
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