HNR 223 - Summary A Patriot\'s History of the United States PDF

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Summary

Important notes for the final exam on the required book RUMOR OF WAR by CAPUTO, as well as the required book A Patriot's History of the United States. ...

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Age of Upheaval by Schweikurt and Allen 676 ● Domino theory - if Vietnam became a communist country then so would all of Southeast Asia 677 ● Authors say that Kennedy didn’t wanna give up on Vietnam, they blamed Kennedy for the quagmire Vietnam 678 ● To what extent did Kennedy escalate the war in Vietnam? ● He was the first to order US military troops to Vietnam, by 1963 almost 17000 US military forces were stationed in South Vietnam ● What did Diem do to alienate his American supporters? ● He persecuted buddhists, oppressed buddhist leaders ● What policy towards Diem did Kennedy support? ● Supported south Vietnamese generals overthrowing Diem 678-9 ● The authors were critical of the leadership of the campaign in Vietnam 689 ● LBJ passes civil rights legislation ● Authors say LBJ handled Vietnam quietly, so as to not interfere with his other agendas 690-1 ● If enough vietnamese were killed, LBJ and Robert McNamara thought VC would give up ● Authors considered this an invasion rather than a civil war 692 ● In 1965 Johnson approved the “Rolling Thunder” bombing as a gradualist strategy rather than a use of intimidating power. McNamara and Johnson picked specific targets and ordered American aircraft fighting over the North to not attack any North Vietnamese air bases unless they were being attacked. The authors found this decision to be “immoral and wasteful” and one that “was guaranteed to produce a more determined enemy while at the same time doing nothing to limit the North’s ability to fight” 693 ● VC tended to drag their dead people off so as to not let the enemy have an accurate body count ● Ho Chi Minh told the French in the 1940s that those running the war in Hanoi had little regard for human life, and would willingly sacrifice a large chunk of their own people for a strategic victory.

Rumor of War ● Caputo joined the marine corps ● Wanted his manhood back

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In order to please his parents, he needed to go to college Many dropped out but he completed the course Moved onto advanced course Dozens collapsed during They were brainwashed and forced into chants Only 500/750 graduated Moved onto military school that wasnt as intensive He liked being active and doing the combat first hand rather than learning at a desk He wanted to be an adventurer rather than general - vietnam would be a good fit for him he thought He didnt fit in in normal school so he wanted to prove himself in the marine corps

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Caputo didn’t know what to do when he was called to go to war on a Sunday, was unsure what he needed to pack Ended up packing 65lbs Packed up all of his other belongings to put in storage Everyone is handed a map of vietnam, Caputo thought it was funny that no one knew where vietnam was but we were at war with them 1965 - beginning Arvn - South Vietnamese army; american allies Viet Cong - South Vietnamese army against americans and supported by North Vietnam

153-158 ● Caputo returns to Danang from Japan on June 15 ● Lance Corporal Kazmarack picks him up from the airfield ● They drove through an opening in the barbed wire, passing two marines sitting in a sandbagged emplacement when an eight-inch howitzer from the battery across the road fired a round ● Caputo was embarrassed when Kazmarack noticed him flinching from the sound ● He asked how Japan was compared to this, Caputo asked him what he thought the answer would be and Kazmarack guessed that Japan would be much better ● Caputo agreed but realized he was happier in Vietnam, being with his friends and his outfit. He had a sense of belonging and felt at home. ● Caputo reported in to his new boss, Captain Anderson, he was surprised of Anderson’s size and appearance compared to his old boss ● Caputo was replacing Lieutenant Schwartz, so he showed him to his cot in a filthy tent next to the road. Bugs covered the dirt floor and dust would get into the tent whenever vehicles passed ● Caputo went to Hill 268 to pick up his personal gear ● When he walked into C Company’s bivouac he could sense something was off. Even though nothing looked physically askew, and the smells of oil and solvent were familiar. he claims that people in an infantry company become so close that a fifth sense is

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developed, and its easy to tell when somethings wrong much like when something is wrong with a close family member. Men seemed cool and distant Lemmon asks why Caputo didnt try to stay in Japan longer, Caputo said he stretched it out as long as he could Tester asks about Japan, Caputo says he spent a few nights with a half russian, half japanese bargirl named Ayako. Lemmon said if that were him, he would still be in Japan. Caputo says they would bring him back and throw him in the brig, but Lemmon retorts by saying you cant get killed in the brig Caputo claims that there’s not much chance of getting killed at regiment, and thats when Lemmon tells him Sullivan is dead Images of Sullivan flash in Caputo’s mind. He was Tall, skinny, and young looking even at 22 years old. He remembered being told In March that his wife was having a baby boy Lemmon tells Caputo a sniper got him, with what they suspected to be a Russian rifle with a scope because of the clean shot Caputo felt like a deserter because this happened a few days after he left for Japan.

164-172 ● Caputo was in charge of documenting statistics - casualties ● Caputo calls himself a deathcount keeper, says all the dead look alike and smell worse than dead fish/deer 184-5 ● Regimental command react to VC attacks by ignoring it, they aren’t on the tips of their toes, everyone’s having free time 188-9 ● Most of the other high ranking officers didn’t realize how weak the front lines were, Walt realized this and noticed a lot of men weren’t cutting edge 221-4 ● Walter Levy went through training with Caputo, he’s the ideal marine and ended up dying trying to save someone else on the field ● War deaths end up becoming statistics, even though Levy was so admirable, Caputo says the country for which he died wishes to forget him and the war he fought in 230 ● Caput got bored counting casualties, felt guilty counting the bodies of his friends, so he volunteers to transfer to a line company in 1st Battalion ● He feared he would go mad counting bodies and that was a catalyst for joining the front lines 257-8 ● Platoon leader is sick of fighting, feels like he’s fighting the same person in different locations 254

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After a woman he questions doesnt tell him how many Viet Cong are around, he fantasizes about the beet juice in her mouth being blood, and imagined himself slapping her with the back of his hand and making her tell him everything he wanted to know, but his conscience prevented him from actually doing any of this

276-7 ● US Troops start to have more in common with Viet Cong than they do with their own people because they’re in the same area, eat the same things, fight the same way, catch the same illnesses ● Adds to the alienation of the Vietnam war 284-5 ● Destroying a village might end in VC death, but will most likely end in deaths of mostly if not entirely innocent citizens and children ● This is one step forward, one step back, because it only makes civilians want to support VC because US and allies are just killing their loved ones 288-9 ● The Vietnam War was different because there was always a constant uncertainty -didn’t know if they’d be going into a battle on any given day ● Most contact with VC was through mines and booby traps rather than actual combat -these could be laid out by kids, old women, any civilian who supported the VC ● When soldiers came back they typically would discredit it/be against it and some would join anti-war movements 293-4 ● Helicopter assaults were effective and a large part of US strategy because they could go longer distances in less time ● Helicopters made them feel helpless because they didn’t have parachutes 304-5 ● Their helicopter assault destroyed a village, they went in a frenzy and torched huts ● Psychological effects of the war turned the american’s into savages ● Captain Neal said that if it happened again, Caputo would be relieved of his position 310-11 ● Captain Neal said that the men weren’t killing enough VC, so he said for every VC killed, men would receive extra beer rations and time to drink it 312-14 ● What did these recollections say about how the war was going 315-16 ● 316-19 ● 321 ● One of the men they killed was an informant who was helping them 321-3 ● Caputo is charged for premeditated murder

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Caputo didn’t see it as murder, he saw it as sending men on patrol and capturing VC, as he was ordered to kill VC

324-5 ● 327 ● 329-330 ● 333-35 ● 342 ●

Pre-Vietnam ● Women and african americans did the factory work and had job they wouldnt have had before during WWII ● Doctrine of Containment - containing the spread of communism ● America’s level of defense spending spiked in the 1940s ● After 9/11, America now had Homeland security ● 1949 First time America had a war treaty during peacetime ● Berlin was split in half - soviet union didnt like this so they blockade berlin in, America airdrops food and supplies to berlin ● Berlin Airlift made the Soviet Union pull back ● Marshal Plan - after WWII Europe is in complete disarray, so huge amounts of aid is pumped into helping these countries ● Cold War ● America wanted Europe to not become communist, capitalism failed them and their starving so the aid was needed ● Alger Hiss was a spy during the Cold War ● Hiss denies everything whittaker says, lied on trial ● McCarthyism - encourages paranoia of communist americans and spies - could be anyone ● Communist spies and communism did exist in America ● 1949 - China falls to communism, making people freak out that we’re losing the Cold War ● Mentality that communism had to be stopped was heightened, seemed like Vietnam was inevitable ● Soviets prove they had an atomic bomb -- hysteria ensued -- people wondered if spies stole it, people theorized that they couldve made it themselves but it probably wouldve taken a few more years than it did ● Korean War ● North koreans thought they could get away with attacking and overtaking south korea and no one would care because its a small country and the US is on the other side of the world, but the USA sides with south korea, China helps north korea ● 40,000 americans killed, but a lot more chinese and koreans ● Ended in Stalemate - still today

In The Garden Of The Beasts (27-35) ● Dodd goes to Washington to meet with FDR ● FDR doesn’t want to condemn what Germany is doing to jews ● He’s being urged by jews to speak against Nazi Germany ● Lots of people don’t want jewish immigrants because of the great depression and lack of jobs ● American Jewish Congress wanted to boycott German goods, but this would probably make things worse for German goods, and US debt would get worse ● Jewish activists accused US officials of secretly and unofficially letting less jews into the country ● FDR tells Dodd he can’t do anything bc they aren’t american citizens, all he can do is help his own citizens ● FDR doesn’t want to get involved in foreign affairs ● Germany is becoming a war machine ● Without the Great Depression, Nazi’s probably wouldn’t have come to power (49) ● The Dodd’s sense of Germany on July 13th, 1933 was that it was beautiful “I wanted to proclaim the warmth and friendliness of the people” (50) (53) ● Ingrid Schultz was American and a correspondent in the chicago tribune, said negative stuff about Germany ● She brings up the violence between Jews and Americans, Martha refuses to believe this (56-7) ● Nazi policy of coordination is the policy that universities have to teach Nazi values ● Germany changed over 5-6 months ● People turned on each other and would report minor grievances (57) ● Aryan clause banned Jews from government jobs, practicing medicine, and becoming lawyers ● Jewish population wasn’t large in Germany- 160,000 in berlin ● Consul General Messersmith describes seeing the Hitler salute in his august 8 dispatch, if anyone didn’t do the salute they would be reported (59) ● Dodd did the Hitler salute satirically and Messersmith didn’t think it was funny (61) ● Dodd is small and bland in the picture on pg. 51 (63) ● Mentally disabled were eventually exterminated in Nazi Germany, to get a stronger population ● Dodd learned the Germans were intercepting diplomatic correspondence (64)

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Dodd started seeing how prominent the Nazi party was- Nazi flags in the streets, it was policy to flood the country with Nazi imagery Hitler’s superior was President Hindenburg (85 y/o)-- fear of communism brought in Hitler and his ideals because they appealed to the working class, which old aristocrats were never popular with Rift developed between Hitler and the Stormtroopers (SA), because they’re not under control and make the party look bad to the rest of the world

(66-7) ● Dodd hoped Hitler would rectify Germany’s future, believed the citizens would replenish normalcy ● Phillip Zuckerman and his wife were walking through town during a parade, a stormtrooper started beating him and his wife, wife had to have surgery and could never have kids ● American tourists couldn’t believe Nazi Germany horrors because they had pleasant experiences when touring Germany (70) ● Martha hung around young officers and high ranking officials, met Hitler, went to parties (71-3) ● Putzi was their first high ranking Nazi official martha hung out with, he was large and loud, cordial with Americans, went to Harvard, Hitler’s secretary, knew Theodore Roosevelt Jr. from school, knows the most elite people in the country, He thought Martha’s dad was unimpressive (74) ● Edgar Mowrer was a famous corresponder in Berlin, Germans asked him to leave, he wrote a bestselling book that made Germany look bad so his friends worried he was in danger (94) ● Dr. Daniel Mullyhill ● Berlin head of the SA (Ch.13) ● Martha was wanted by nearly everyone, she would manipulate men who wanted to court her ● Play off her innocence ● Martha’s divorce was pending ● Brief affair with Putzi ● Stayed out late with nazi officials ● Most dissaproved of these affairs due to secrets she was told ● 1948-49 FBI is on to Martha so she flees ● Putzi ends up leaving germany and leaking information to america (Ch.15-16) “The Jewish Problem” ● Dodd protesting ● Dodd recognized that Americans also had prejudice against jews ● Allegations that Hitler had Jewish ancestry

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Germany didnt have a big military-- this was a rule for them after WWI, during this time

(147-150) ● Dodd’s speech tells Germany that their ways will lead to their own demise ● Dodd believes in free trade and open economics ● Dodd’s speech got major applause, he wrote that even Schacht applauded, and all other present Germans, he felt like he was saying what Germans couldnt say ● Official of the Deutsche Bank called to tell Dodd that Germany is thankful that Dodd can say what they cannot say ● Dodd said he hoped to find decent people surrounding hitler, but all nazi’s turnedo ut to be a “horde of criminals and cowards” ● Andre Francois-Poncet said he is glad Dodd isnt subverted by flattery/honor ● Dodd told Roosevelt that “My interpretation of this is that all liberal Germany is with us--and more than half of Germany is at heart liberal” ● Goebbels blocked publication of Dodd’s speech, but there were 3 large published excerpts ● Hitler got angry in the meeting with Dodd, but dodd was still convinced that hitler wanted peace Ch.30 ● Boris takes Martha out to dinner ● Embassy ● Boris’ daughter walks in and talks to him ● Boris and his daughter are Russian ● He cries a lot (223) ● (223-224) ● 1934 Germans felt like they could be safe to talk in central park because phones were being tapped, its where Dodd would meet other ambassadors ● Dodds thought it was funny their phones were tapped, but then they realized they had to watch everything they said-- its typical for ambassadors to be bugged (227) ● Dodd’s didnt feel physically threatened because their ambassadors ● Martha’s friends were in a lot of danger, especially the journalists (229-230) ● SA were disrespected by Hitler’s proposal to limit them and make them border control, Hitler believed he couldn’t control stormtroopers anymore so he wanted the SA to be limited ● Hitler was on the side of the army ● Army doesn’t respect the SA either; they’re unprofessional (231) ● Neurath called Dodd into his office and demanded he do something about the mock trial in New York for Hitler-- held by Jewish, left-wing and anti-nazi organizations

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Larson implies that if the state department was critical about hitler that would have an impact on germany itself Americans thought this mock trial was too confrontational, US doesn’t want a crisis with germany -- but no one did anything about it

(235) ● Dodd complained to Hitler about the nazi propaganda in America, Hitler just blamed it on the jews-- “jewish lies” ● Hitler wanted to remind German-Americans that they’re still German-- nationalism ● Dodd told Hitler about a program encouraging jews to peacefully relocate ● Hitler blamed Germany being seen as criminal on the jews ● Hitler still saying Germany wants peace (236-237  ) (1934) ● Hitlers impression of Dodd● Dodd believes that Hitler wants peace but only so he can prepare for war ● Dodd sees who Hitler really is but Dodd still has hope that Germans will overthrow Hitler for normalcy ● Hitler didn’t like or respect Dodd (241) ● FDR was reluctant to officially criticize Nazi Germany because the US had their own problems-- the racism and segregation between whites and blacks-- this would be seen as hypocrisy -- this idea couldve been a factor that led to the civil rights movement (331) ● How did Hitler explain the night of the long knives to the german people? ● Told the public he was protecting them from the revolution, he was the supreme court of the land that day, real supreme court wouldve taken too long (333) ● Reaction of America to the night of the long knives ● Wasn’t much of a reaction, General Hugh Johnson made a statement against it and there was a disclaimer saying that Johnson was speaking as an individual (334) ● How did the world misinterpret the Night of the Long Knives? ● Merely an internal settling of scores “a type of gangland bloodbath redolent of al capone’s st. valentine’s day massacre” (335) ● What did Hitler do after Hindenburg’s death? ● He assumed the role of president and chancellor , achieving absolute power over germany ● How did the German public React? ● Accepted the change without protest (336) ● Who did the Germans love? ● Animals, horses and dogs specifically

(337-339) ● What happens between Martha and Boris? ● Boris encouraged her to work with him, which forced them apart ● What do you think Boris is really up to? ● Just wanted to draw her into spy work (340) ● What was Dodd explicitly warning the US about by August of 1934? (340-341) ● What were FDR’s beliefs at this point? ● How did the Germans handle Dodd? ● Saw him as an opponent (341) ● What were some of the ominous developments in 1936 Germany? ● Jews continually separated from society ● Reoccupied Rhineland ● Armies moving closer to Fresh border (342) ● What did William Bullitt say about Dodd? ● He Hates the nazi’s too much ● What did Journalist Drew Pearson say about Dodd? ● He Was a complete failure; president agreed (343-344) ● What was happening to Dodd’s health? ● Stomach troubles and headaches ● What were his wife’s remark at this time, 1937? (345) ● What did FDR urge Dodd to do? ● Give as many lectures as possible in America (345) ● How did the pretty good club get in a shot to Dodd’s pride? (346-347) ● How did Dodd’s career as ambassador to Germany end? ● FDR anxieties, but dodd pushed to keep his job until march 1 1938, “partly because i did not wish to have the german extremists think their complaints… had operated too effectively”(346) ● Dodd left for berlin but FDR was pressured by the state dept and by the german foreign office to have him leave berlin by de...