Vocabulary: collapse, arms buildup, deterrent, aggression, foreign policy, arms reduction, dismantle, resistance, military coup, disintegration
The election of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States ushered in a new era in relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. When he was first elected as president, Reagan believed in a policy of reversing Soviet control over Eastern Europe. He believed that superior American technology, military might, and economic power would defeat the communist super power. To do this he emphasized arms buildups as a deterrent to the aggression of the Soviet Union. Upon his election to a second term, President Reagan changed his foreign policy. He believed that the economic struggles of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin wall were signs of American success. Therefore, he worked to improve American relations with the Soviet Union by encouraging Mikhail Gorbachev to enact reforms in his country and he actively pursued arms reduction agreements. He wanted to end the cold war with the Soviet Union. After nearly a half-century of Cold War conflict, the nations under Soviet control began to dismantle their Communist governments. Economic and social reforms were occurring within the Soviet Union through the leadership of their leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. He had begun to increase personal freedoms and provide more economic opportunities to Soviet citizens. As reforms spread throughout this region of the world, the Soviet Union was no longer stable. Thus, in 1991, Gorbachev faced resistance within his own country. Communist hardliners within the government were poised to change the country back to its traditional communist system. Their plan was to accomplish this through a military coup but this failed, due to their soldiers’ unwillingness to cooperate. As a result, the Soviet Union disintegrated into fifteen newly separate countries. These countries became loosely aligned in a “Commonwealth of Independent States,” with each existing as a separate independent country.
The War on Terrorism began in the aftermath of terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Terrorists attacked the United States by seizing control of airplanes and forcing them to crash into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The terrorists involved in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were identified as belonging to a terrorist group called Al Qaeda from the Middle East. By using military force in the countries under Al Qaeda or Taliban control, the United States government decided to locate, prosecute, and possibly eliminate, the group and its leaders who perpetuated this crime. United States troops entered Afghanistan, and were successful in overthrowing the Taliban regime. However, pockets of resistance remained in Afghanistan. The rough terrain in Afghanistan and the use of guerrilla tactics resulted in a prolonged war. In 2003, the United States continued the War on Terror with an invasion of Iraq. When the attack was initiated, President Bush argued that the Iraqi government, under Saddam Hussein, was supporting terrorists and violating earlier agreements during the first Gulf War. American troops invaded the country, Hussein’s reign as a dictator ended, and a new government was elected. Due to the continual conflict in the region, American troops remained in Iraq until December 15, 2011 and remain in Afghanistan to the present.
On September 11, 2001, life in America changed forever. Here are some useful resources to help you learn the basics of what happened on that infamous day. The BrainPop movie linked here will give you a quick overview of the events of 9/11.
Here is former President Bush's speech to the American people on the evening of September 11th.
Vocabulary: personal computer, Internet, affordable, accessible, prevalent, essential, computer literacy, information acquisition
Since 1975 personal computers have become more affordable and accessible to average Americans. Prior to that, their size and the cost of manufacturing limited their use to scientific and industrial purposes. As more and more Americans purchased computers, their use became prevalent. Today, computers are essential for nearly all professions and that they make many tasks easier and more efficient. Computers have become a part of people’s everyday lives, and being computer literate is a necessary skill. With personal computers everywhere, engineers and scientists expanded the possibilities of communication between computers. This computer to computer communication or Internet, increased significantly in the 1990’s. Initially, the Internet was a small network of research computers communicating with one another, which has now developed as a communication tool used worldwide by ordinary people. In addition, the speed of this communication has allowed people to access information almost immediately. This has had both positive and negative consequences.