Five short years after the last shots of world war ii had been fired, the United States army had been reduced to an active force of 600,000. A great number of these were scattered about the world on occupation duty. But the armed forces of the communists, soviet russia and red china, remained on a strong wartime footing and in belligerent posture. Aggression was soon to come. Americans would be fighting against tyranny for the third time in 32 years. Korea, a crowded Little Finger of land, but of key importance to the free world in the far east. What happened here opened the next major chapter in the history of the United States army. The war began here, at the 38th parallel. Just how did this imaginary line become the fuse for a threeyear explosion . Before the japanese surrender in world war ii, we made an agreement with the russians who were then our allies. When surrender came on the asian mainland, Russian Troops would accept the surrender of Japanese Forces north of the 38th para
Stalin declared their participation in the United Nations organization. Rushing germany from the east and the west, they met at the river and joined hands in the celebration of victory. They fought the good fight together, final victory was in sight. Mans hopes of lasting peace were high. But the great architect of victory was not to see the final fight. Franklin roosevelt was dead. He left the United Nations organization, the framework for lasting peace on earth. World war ii to end, and in tokyo bay, general mcarthur spoke for all people. And that god will preserve it always. Meanwhile in san francisco, delegates of 50 nations have met to form the United Nations organization. President truman came from washington for the signing of the historic charter. Minister molikov of the soviet union lent his voice to the hopeful expression of mans resolution to live in peace. The nations were united. They launched the rule of International Law and human rights, a rule of law they believed no n
[applause] this occasion [inaudible] a tradition which began with president theodore roosevelt. The great and the new great have addressed this audience, but tonight we welcome a man whom history will record as renowned among World Leaders in the hour of greatest need. [applause] i had in mind the rapid secession communist aggression as millions of people were involved behind the farreaching iron curtain. Ivan mine the stalemate of korea, the rampaging inflation in our homeland which was eating up the savings, and traveling our Free Enterprise economy. Here then is the man trained in war, who will be unclaimed by future generations as the man who laid the foundations of peace. [applause] and more, he is our president whom we love with a deep and abiding affection. [applause] welcome to t common with clifford on george hammond, chair of the communities from ich put together todays program, along with the staff at theommonwealth club, the staff is helping to putogether all these online p
By the spring of 1950, only five short years after the last shots of world war ii had been fired, the United States army had been reduced to an active force of 600,000. A great number of these were scattered about the world on occupation duty. But the armed forces of the communists, soviet russia and red china, remained on a strong wartime footing and in belligerent posture. Aggression was soon to come. Americans would be fighting against tyranny for the third time in 32 years. Korea. A crowded Little Finger of land, but a key importance to the free world in the far east. What happened here opened the next major chapter in the history of the United States army. The war began here at the 38th parallel. Just how did this imaginary line become the fuse for a threeyear explosion . Before the japanese surrender in world war ii, we made an agreement with the russians who were then our allies. When surrender came on the asian mainland, Russian Troops would accept the surrender of Japanese For
National security advisers Henry Kissinger. In some ways, nixon is one of the most brilliant people to occupy the white house. He had incredible political gifts. But on the other hand hes one of the worst people to occupy the white house because he had a broad streak of para nnoia and course in the end ruined himself by bringing about his his own catastrophic downfall in the watergate scandal of 1972 to 1974. Were going to look at the good and bad side of the nixon presidency with National Security adviser kissinger. Im going to share the screen so we can look at powerpoint pictures as we go through the sequence. First of all, here is president nixon himself. He had been born back in 1913 in california and grew up in a lower middle class family. Went to the local college there with the college. He graduated and went to Duke University law school and this is in the worst years of great depression. The mid1930s. During the second world war, he joined the u. S. Navy. You can see the photo