History of foreign and military relations between Japan and the Soviet Union since World War II, examining additional material on relations between the nations since the Soviet collapse and the rise of the new Russia.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 3 sources, 1993, $ 95.95
Relations between Japan and the Soviet Union have been much affected by the strategic position of Japan. It is relatively near the Atlantic coast of the old Soviet Union and current Russia. Japanese foreign policy has been conducted in terms of the geography of the country, with the four main islands of Japan standing off the coast of East Asia, near the peninsula of Korea, and surrounded by other islands, including the currently disputed Sakhalin and Kurile Islands to the north. Relations have shifted over the years, and Japan has drawn closer to the rest of the world as technology has improved:
The power of Russia, China, and the United States and the policies of these countries toward Japan have changed dramatically during the past fifty years. But ..."
An analysis of pro- and anti-Stalin historical interpretations and its effect on post-Stalin liberalization. Includes politics, World War II and economics.
2,700 words (approx. 10.8 pages), 8 sources, 1993, $ 95.95
From the Paper "The Soviet Union as it existed until 1991 was essentially the legacy of Josef Stalin. More than Lenin--who died in 1924, only seven years after the Revolution, and who was in failing health for some time before that--it was Stalin who shaped the Soviet political and economic system. It was Stalin who shaped the image of Communism as a system based on labor-camps and mass terror. On the other side of the balance, it was also Stalin who forged the Soviet Union into a military and industrial superpower and who played perhaps the greatest single role in the defeat of Nazi Germany.
In the eyes of official Soviet propaganda, and of his apologists in Stalin's own day and to a degree for many years thereafter, Stalin was presented as a sort of demigod (see for..."
A critical analysis of the work on the causes, effects, evolution and demise of the conflict including economics, the military, detente, propaganda and the future.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1994, $ 47.95
From the Paper "This study will provide a critical analysis of Walter LaFeber's America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1945-1992. The study will argue that LaFeber gives a portrait of the Cold War, its origins, development and demise, which is comprehensive, fair, and insightful.
LaFeber focuses on the role of the United States in the Cold War, but he cannot be said to be a biased reporter. He tries to discover the causes and effects of the Cold War from both sides, and he does this effectively, without blaming either side. He shows how the Cold War actually had its origins in the last century, when the United States and Russia met, one expanding westward and the other expanding eastward. Both sides in the Cold War had their own mixed motivations for their part in the conflict, which LaFeber sees as the result..."
Abstract Discusses Russia's transition to a western-style Capitalist country after 1991. Russian socialist system development of a market economy built on legal (collective farm markets) and illegal (underground) market economy. Population statistics. Economic data. GDP. Investing in Russia. Foreign trade. Russian budget deficits. Labor force. Exports/Imports. External debt.
From the Paper "Since the time of the failed coup attempt in 1991, the Russian economy has been in a transition to a Western-style capitalist country. This only partially identifies the goal, since there are several different types of Western capitalist country. Each of the Western models is sufficiently similar, though, that the path taken by the Russian socialist system will be clearly in a new direction (Leitzel, 1995, 1).
Russia developed a market economy and has included capitalist-style behavior for as much as 25 percent of all economic activity in the pre-reform USSR, some of which was even legal. The legal portion was dominated by collective farm markets. Prices at these markets were more or less unregulated. In addition, some 100,000 Soviet citizens engaged legally in small-scale crafts and trades. The rest of the Soviet market ..."
This paper discusses that the United States and the international community should refrain from intervention into ethnic conflicts within sovereign nations except in the cases of extreme violence.
Abstract This paper defines international ethnic conflicts as disputes between communities within a sovereign nation that see themselves as having distinct rights over the power relationship between these communities, such as in Bosnia. The author believes that such ethnic conflicts should be monitored to identify a point at which it appears peace is deteriorating; and, at that time, substantial diplomatic effort should be expended to prevent further deterioration. The author concludes that only in cases of extreme violence should the United States and the international community rely on a military intervention to end the conflict.
From the Paper "The ambivalence in the American public's reaction to the international community's recent military intervention in Bosnia reveals a general ambivalence toward the use of military force where no tangible strategic interests are at risk. However, Milosevic did offer a tangible target against which the military force could be directed. The international community was able therefore to generate support against a common, identifiable enemy. Unfortunately, as Richard Betts points out, intervention in a civil war usually becomes an issue only when the sides are closely enough matched that neither can defeat the other quickly. Thus, in many cases, the international community may be unable to identify an enemy against whom they can rally support or they may be forced to wait until the situation deteriorates until choosing the better side becomes only a matter of degree. Unfortunately, the latter can often be the case in ethnic conflicts."
Tags: clinton, bosnia, community, deterioration, military
Abstract Joseph Stalin was not a theorist, but he was a consummate politician. In the 1920s, Marxist-Leninist theoretical grounding was a primary mode of legitimation for those who aspired to leadership of the Russian Communist Party. The paper shows that Stalin was, therefore, always able to elucidate an appropriate theoretical pedigree for whatever he believed was the best course for the new nation or, not incidentally, for his own political ends. The paper shows that Stalin's first Five Year Plan -- adopted, modified and approved between September 1928 and April 1929 -- was just such a course of action. It explains how he changed his previously stated intentions and ideologies in order to develop the Five Year Plan and remain in power as the leader of Communist Russia.
From the Paper "From his earliest study of Marxist theory Stalin was attracted to dialectical materialism as a world view that provided "a coherent overall philosophical image of the world" and conceived of society past and present "as a great battleground whereon two hostile forces -- bourgeoisie and proletariat -- are locked in mortal combat" (Tucker 118, 119). Socialism flowed inevitably, logically from Marx's systematic thought and justified the revolutionary extremism that had a special appeal for Stalin. In his early political incarnation Stalin sided with the so-called "hards" who were opposed to the moderation of the left. He became a leading proponent of Lenin's militant interpretation of Marx and, as a leading advocate of Bolshevism, Stalin "found himself in his spiritual element" (121)."
Abstract This paper looks at the nature and long duration of Ottoman rule in the Balkans. The writer reviews the deep and long lasting effects on the nations which today make up the Balkan Peninsula. The first part examines how during the first several centuries of Ottoman rule, its legacy was conducive to the maintenance of order, prosperity and ethnic and religious toleration. The second part explores how certain facets of Ottoman policy and practice, also contributed to the stunting of the area's political, economic and intellectual growth.
From the Paper "The term Balkans, which means in Turkish 'chain of wooded mountains,' refers to the southeastern peninsula of Europe, the largely mountainous lands which lie between the Adriatic Sea on the west, the plains of Central Europe to the north, the steppes of Russia/Ukraine to the east, the Black Sea and Asia Minor to the southeast and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It contains the modern nations of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Romania and all of the nations which have emerged from the breakup in the 1990s of the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia."
Abstract Copsa Mica is a small town in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvanian central Romania. Originally a small Lutheran hamlet built in 1402 and known for its Saxon churches, it descended into hell under the communists; a hell comprised of poorly built concrete housing caked black with the leaden fumes of a nearby smelting plant. The paper shows that Copsa Mica gained international notoriety in 1990, following the downfall of the Ceausescu regime, for being one of the most heavily polluted cities in Eastern Europe. According to a CNN report, two out of every three children suffered from a form of mental retardation due to the devastating effects of the town's carbon plant and metal works. The paper shows that this real tragedy reflects the legacy of Transylvania, an area of Romania known to the West for the Dracula legend. Since the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, this area has been a point of conflict between empires, ethnicities, religions and ideologies.
From the Paper "The aftermath of the First World War also gave rise to Communism. Communist agitators had first arrived from Germany to destabilize Romania. Russian communists, who wished to expand communist influence after 1917, complimented their numbers. Romanian communism was originally small and limited to academic circles, but agitators were backed by the powerful Soviet regime and managed to blow up the Senate building in Bucharest. Their efforts served but to cauterize Romanians against Communist influence. However, the Russians seized Bessarabia in 1940, compelling Romania under Marshal Ion Antonescu to join the Germans. The Germans, in turn, allowed Hungary to re-annex part of Transylvania including Copsa Mica. Romania regained this territory after the Soviet Union invaded Hungary, causing Romania to switch sides and ally with the United Nations."
Abstract Constantin Stanislavsky is the father of modern acting theory. His theories which he extols in his four books, "My Life in Art" (1924), "An Actor Prepares" (1936), "Building a Character" (1941) and "Creating a Role" (1961) have had an unparalleled effect on actors and acting instructors throughout the world. Acting theorists such as Vsevelod Meyerhold, Uta Hagen and Bertold Brecht have all taken his theories into account while developing their own. Indeed, entire movements in world drama have been in part inspired by the work of Stanislavsky.
This paper focuses on Stanislavsky's influence on Russia. During his life and his career, Russia went through many changes. Two major events in Russian history would determine the fate of theatre and as a result Stanislavsky. The first was the failed revolution in 1905, or ?The Great Rehearsal,? as Lenin called it. The second major event which affected Stanislavsky (which in turn affected Russian theater) was the 1917 revolution.
From the Paper "Konstantin Stanislavsky developed the Moscow Art Theatre in 1898. The creation of this particular theatre was important in that it differed from many of the other theatres of the time. It was a fully professional theatre organization and it emphasized new plays as opposed to older work. Stanislavsky believed that new plays would bring the theatre to life. His theatrical philosophy was that the actor was an educator and that plays were tools of education. As a result the initial work produced at the theatre was not successful. It wasn?t until Stanislavsky partnered with a young playwright named Anton Chekhov that the theatre attained any commercial success."
Abstract This essay will argue that a strong element of decentralization in the Hungarian system under Communism was an important factor in easing the country's transition from Communism to Capitalism.
Abstract This paper examines the expansion of McDonald's into Russia. Ritzer's theory of McDonaldization as an extension of Weber's theory of the 'iron cage' of bureaucracy is applied to the situation. It is concluded that McDonald's is McDonaldizing Russia economically and culturally.
Abstract This paper will cover the Russian immigration from the beginnings of the Nineteenth century until the Twentieth century. A history will be presented to explain what the circumstances were in the integration of this culture into this country. Also, a comparison will be made with a contrast, as well, of the American immigration process and how the Jews were treated in the light of their arrival to this country. By analyzing both cultures and their reactions to the Jewish religion and people, we can clearly see how the religion was a factor in helping to create their foundations of colonization.
Abstract This sixteen-page postgraduate research paper discusses the validity of the Independent International Commission's statement that NATO's action in Kosovo was "illegal but legitimate." It also deals with NATO's action as "humanitarian intervention." It is discovered through critical analysis that NATO's action was perhaps humanitarian, illegal and legitimate. And new international laws are needed to discard the "illegal" element in such actions.
Abstract This paper examines the history of anti-Semitism in Europe during the 19th century. The paper explores the similarities between the anti-Semitic prejudices that engulfed France and Russia in the late nineteenth century and then shows how in France, anti-Semitism was largely a right-wing Catholic movement, peppered with socialist support in the aftermath capitalistic change. The paper also provides a broad definition of anti-Semitism in general.
From the Paper "Anti-Semitism is not an "identical phenomenon" similar to all countries, but rather based on individual national histories. The anti-Semitic prejudices that emerged in France and Russia in the late nineteenth century were both preceded by defeat in war, economic instability, and political change; circumstances exploited by the Judeo-phobic press and literature. However, while French anti-Semitism was derived from traditional religious dogmatism, and encouraged by the potent political force of anti-Republican Catholicism, the Russian experience was based on an ideological imperialism that was promoted by the government, and common to all "true" Russians."
This paper discusses the Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation between President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev over the placement of Russian missiles in Cuba in October, 1962.
Abstract This paper discusses that the Cuban Missile Crisis confrontation involved an American blockade around Cuba to prevent the Soviets from delivering any more missiles or other weapons to Cuba. The author points out that the event recently was compared to September 11, 2001, as a time when Americans realized that the oceans no longer protected us from enemy attack. The paper stresses that the speeches Kennedy made on American television demonstrated his concern about public opinion and his desire to have the American people watch carefully as he challenged the Soviets.
From the Paper "Kruschev believed that if he could get the missiles into Cuba, he would close the gap between the Soviet Union and the United States and gain a strategic advantage. Kennedy certainly saw this possibility as well. Kennedy knew that American strategic interests lay in keeping the Soviets from gaining this advantage and in keeping the Soviets out of the Western Hemisphere, asserting the Monroe Doctrine that told all other powers to keep out of this part of the world. Kennedy also knew the Soviet capacity in terms of missiles and other weaponry, though he could not be sure that the Soviets would not use those weapons even if they could not follow up an attack with as much power as could the United States. Morgenthau also cites the mass of intelligence data gathered from the Russian spy Penkovsky, a trove called Ironbark, which told the United States what weapons the Soviets had and much more about their operations."
