Download Cold War Research Topics

Afghanistan
Topic 1: Afghanistan 1920s-1950s – Amanullah
Kahn, Nadir Khan, Zahir
Shah, Daud Kahn.
-Afghanistan before the
Soviet invasion.
Topic 2: Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan 1979-1989;
Role of the US in
Afghanistan 1979-1989.
HW Topic 3: Tindall
5-7 bullet points:
Cold War Context:
932—937, 1085-89
1114—1119
1122-1123
1137-1139
Topic 4: Soviet
withdrawal from
Afghanistan.
US involvement in
Afghanistan during
and after Soviet
withdrawal.
Afghanistan in the
1990s.
HW Topic 5:
Harper’s Article: On the
Supreme Power of money
in Afghanistan.
In Class Topic 6:
US declaration of war on
Afghanistan. Describe the
negotiations between the
US and the Taliban leading
up to the US invasion. What
were US interests in
Afghanistan?
HW Topic 7:
Zinn
In Class Topic 8:
Current plan for
future of US
involvement in
Afghanistan.
Cuba
Topic 1: Cuban
Revolution and the role
of the United States in
Cuba under Batista.
Topic 2: US assets lost to
the revolution; US
attempts to undermine
revolution leading up to
the Bay of Pigs; Bay of
Pigs.
HW Topic 3: Tindall 5-7
bullet points:
Cold War Context: 932-937
993-994
1012-1014
1076-81
In Class Topic 4:
Bay of Pigs.
-Effect on Cuba.
-Effect on US politics.
HW Topic 5: Effect of
Sanctions.
Topic 6: Cuban Missile
Crisis
HW Topic 7:
Zinn
In Class Topic 8:
Current Events—
Normalizing
Relations with Cuba
Laos/Cambodia
Topic 1: Ho Chi Minh
Trail; Origins of the
Pathet Lao and Khmer
Rouge.
Topic 2: Khmer Rouge genocide;
Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia;
US support for the Khmer Rouge.
HW Topic 5:
Article:
America’s long affair
with Pol Pot
In Class Topic 6:
Watch Documentary:
http://johnpilger.com/videos/yearzero-the-silent-death-of-cambodia
Take 1 pg notes.
HW Topic 3: Tindall
5-7 bullet points:
Cold War Context:
932--937
984-987,1025-1030
1049-1052
1062-1064
HW Topic 7:
Zinn
Topic 4:
Pathet Lao.
US tactics in combating
the Pathet Lao.
Collaboration with the
Hmong.
US interests in Laos.
In Class Topic 8:
Iran
Topic 1:
Mossadegh’s
presidency and US
role in overthrowing
him.
Topic 2: Oil Industry under
Mossaddegh; Operation Ajax;
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s
return to power.
HW Topic 3: Tindall 5-7
bullet points:
Cold War Context:
932—937, 1085-89
988-90
1064-1067
1078, 1080-1083
Topic 4:
-How did Carter and
Brzezinski see their
relationship to the
Shah and US options
in Iran before the
revolution?
-Who was Ayatollah
Khomeini?
-Hostage crisis.
HW Topic 5:
What was the IranIraq war about?
In Class Topic 6:
What was the Iran-Contra
scandal?
HW Topic 7:
Zinn
In Class Topic 8:
Obama’s nuclear
deal with Iran
What role did
America play in the
Iran-Iraq war?
Iraq
Topic 1: British
Mandate in Iraq after
WWI. Iraq during WWII.
HW Topic 5:
Operation Desert Storm
Topic 2: What is the
Baath Party? Explain the
rise to power of the
Baath Party. What was
their relationship to the
US and to the Soviet
Union when they came to
power?
In Class Topic 6:
Sanctions on Iraq
Weapons of Mass
destruction and the 2003
invasion.
HW Topic 3: Tindall 5-7
bullet points:
Cold War Context:
932—937; 1085-89
988-92
1090-91; 1098-99
1109-1110
1117-1123
1127-1130, 1139
HW Topic 7:
Zinn
Topic 4:
Understanding the
Iraqi oil industry in
the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Rise of Saddam
Hussein to power.
Iran-Iraq War. US
support for Iran, US
support for Iraq.
In Class Topic 8:
Sunnis, Shia, Kurds
and ISIS in Iraq.
What role is each
group playing in the
current conflict?
Israel/Palestine
Topic 1: British Palestine;
Balfour Declaration;
McMahon-Hussein
Agreement; 1929 riots;
1936-39 Arab Revolt.
Topic 2: UN Partition of
Palestine after WWII;
Creation of the State of
Israel; 1948 war; alNakba; refugee crisis of
1948
HW Topic 5:
Article: Israel and
Palestine, Where to go
from here.
In Class Topic 6:
Israeli settlements: Is a
two state solution
possible?
HW Topic 3: Tindall 5-7
bullet points:
Cold War Context:
932—937, 1085-89
937-938
1054-56, 1059
1062-1065
1076-1079
1108-1110
HW Topic 7:
Article: Brokers of
Deceit: How the US has
undermined Peace in
the Middle East.
Topic 4:
1967 war and its
consequences.
HW Topic 3: Tindall 5-7
bullet points:
Cold War Context:
932—937
708-709
902 Tehran Meeting
943-950
979-984, 1000
1137-38
HW Topic 7:
Zinn
Topic 4:
Role of China and
Russia in North
Korea.
In Class Topic 8:
Obama and
Netanyahu
Korea
Topic 1: Origins of the
Korean War; What were
US interests in Korea?
Early US involvement.
Topic 2: Turning points
in the Korean War;
Outcome of the Korean
War.
HW Topic 5:
Three short articles.
In Class Topic 6:
Understanding the
Armistice and DMZ.
In Class Topic 8:
Obama’s policy on
Korea.
Latin America
Topic 1: Choose one
country in Latin
America and read
about the history of
US involvement in
that country in the
20th Century.
Topic 2: Choose another
country in Latin America and
read about the history of US
involvement in that country in
the 20th Century.
Suggestions: Chile,
Guatemala, Nicaragua,
Venezuela, Colombia, El
Salvador, Panama, Grenada
HW Topic 3: Tindall 5-7 bullet
points:
Cold War Context: 932—937
Topic 4:
Choose third country in Latin
America.
Use index to find all sections
relating to your three
countries since WWI (page
numbers above 776).
List pages referenced.
Research history of US relations.
How did the Cold War shape US
policies and interventions in this
country?
Describe the context of three turning
points.
HW Topic 5:
Current Events:
Read three news
articles on recent US
relations with
country 1.
In Class Topic 6:
Current Events:
Read three news articles on
recent US relations with country
2.
HW Topic 7:
Zinn
In Class Topic 8:
Current Events:
Read three news articles on recent
US relations with country 3.
Poland
Topic 1:
Revolution 1989
Chapters 1-2.
Topic 6:
Revolution 1989
Chapter 5.
Topic 2: Shock
Doctrine, Chapter
9 171-84, 191-193
HW Topic 3:
Tindall 5-7 bullet
points:
Cold War Context:
932--937
993-994
1012-1014
1076-81
Topic 4:
Continue reading
Revolution1989
Chapters 3-4.
HW Topic 5:
Zinn 5-7 bullet
points.