Abstract
This paper evaluates the impact of the Marshall Plan for European recovery after the Second World War. It discusses the Marshall Plan, not merely for its economic achievements, but for its ambitious political agenda and its inadvertent shaping of subsequent European history. It describes its stated goal of bringing about economic recovery to the war-ravaged countries of Western Europe and also its involvement in setting in motion forces that changed the political face of Europe and set the stage for the subsequent emergence of the European Union. Finally, it looks at its contribution to the escalation of the Cold War and the eventual collapse of the former Soviet Union.

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From the Paper
"The European Recovery Program, more commonly known as the Marshall Plan (after its creator, U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall), is widely considered to be one of the most successful foreign-aid programs in the history of American foreign policy. Most historians have nothing but praise for the Marshall Plan, and analyses of its achievements generally focus on the favorable circumstances in Europe that contributed to its success. However, with the hindsight of over half a century, one might legitimately ask if this unqualified praise is justified. Did the Marshall Plan really make a significant difference in the difficult process of European post-war recovery? This paper will argue that it did, that it played an integral role not only in the rebuilding of Europe, but also in establishing a new world order after World War II. The paper will discuss: (1) the economic and political situation in Western Europe after World War II that led to the creation of the Marshall Plan; (2) the conception and goals of the Marshall Plan; (3) the various European responses to the Marshall Plan and European participation in it; (4) the economic accomplishments of the Marshall Plan; and (5) the impact of the Marshall Plan on Europe as a whole. The paper will conclude that the influence of the Marshall Plan extended far beyond what the plan was originally intended to achieve."

Tags:World, War, II, economic, crisis, communism, CEEC, Soviet, Union, expansionism

Abstract
This essay discusses several themes found in the newspapers of the time of the Second World War on the day of December 15 1941 , showing the usefulness as well as ineffectiveness of these sources for historians. The author examines sources that include authentic documents, personal accounts, diaries, memoirs, and newspapers.

From the Paper
"By researching and studying various aspects of newspapers from times of war, we are able to determine their usefulness to historians as sources. Newspapers contain a wide variety of information on many different subjects, some of which are useful and some of which prove inadequate. Newspapers, especially during times of war, contain large amounts of factual information, such as accounts of battles and gains and losses of military assets. By studying the way in which this information is expressed in newspapers, and by comparing it to other sources, we are able to conclude that this factual information contained in newspapers is usually incorrect, inaccurate or misleading. In this sense, newspapers prove useless to historians as a source. In contrast, newspapers prove to be extremely useful as a source for determining both social and political attitudes of the time."

Tags:second, war, world, globe, mail, times, london, battle, age, german

Abstract
Historical paper on the little known accidental release of toxic mustard gas during WWII by the Americans. The paper examines in great deal the attack on Bari and discusses many of the battles before and after this attack. It questions whether the American's use of chemical agents was useful in achieving their goals and how this impacted the rest of World War Two.

From the Paper
"During World War II, one of the main goals of the Nazis in Germany was to destroy as many "unwanted" populations as possible. To accomplish this, many of the "unwanted," including Jews, Gypsies, Disabled people and Homosexuals, were imprisoned in death camps. Finding quick and efficient ways of exterminating these people was a continuous challenge throughout the war. The gas chambers finally became the most efficient way, and the most common chemical used in the chambers was Zyklon B. However, Himmler, the Reichsfuhrer-SS, was never satisfied with the operation of the death camps, nor the success of Zyklon B. Himmler was constantly searching for more economical methods to exterminate large segments of the unwanted population, and ironically, an allied catastrophe in 1943 gave him an opportunity to test a toxic war gas. The Luftwaffe bombing of allied merchant ships in the harbor at Bari, Italy, on December 3, 1943, was one of the German Air Force's most successful missions of the entire war. Twenty five ships were sunk, instantly killing 2000 persons. It was the worst allied naval disaster except for Pearl Harbor; and it seriously delayed allied efforts to overrun Italy. But the real horror of the event and one of the best kept secrets of Word War II was the unleashing of 100 tons of poison gas! "

Tags:allies, chemical, gas, germany, himmler, mustard, nazis, war

Abstract
This paper examines how the Empire's role in imperial defence and security declined from the beginning of the twentieth century to 1968 largely due to the maturing status of Britain's White Dominions, which increasingly held diverging views on defence and security from the mother country. It looks at how in Britain's greatest hours of need during the two world wars the Empire contributed heavily in terms of manpower, resources and hamlets for training. It also shows how paradoxically, the Empire, which Britain battled to preserve in the two world wars was lost in the post-war environment, as the Dominions' increased autonomy coupled with Britain's inability to match its resources to imperial demands weakened the Empire beyond sustainability.

From the Paper
"With the fall of Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway and France, Britain's position became extremely perilous, and for the first time since 1806 it lacked allies on the Continent. For over a year between France's surrender and Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 Britain and the Empire was forced to single handedly face the Axis powers. Initially, the British Empire had been relatively safe because of Britain's supremacy in the seas, but in the summer of 1940 the security of the British Isles became paramount, as aerial attacks and threats of a cross-Channel invasion increased."

Tags:europe, churchill

Abstract
In his attempt to achieve global domination, Adolf Hitler made many crucial decisions which ultimately affected both the outcome of World War II and the fate of his own regime. This paper examines three major decisions made by Hitler that eventually changed the direction of the war. It looks at how the first of these was his failure to give his full support to a Mediterranean campaign and how many of his advisors felt that the capture of Egypt and the Suez Canal would have weakened Britain considerably and might even have lead to eventual capitulation. It then examines his postponement and eventual cancellation, of Operation Sea Lion. Finally, it discusses his decision to invade Greece and Yugoslavia and the effect it had upon Operation Barbarossa.

From the Paper
"On October 3, in an address to the German people, Hitler announced the collapse of the Soviet Union. He declared that Russia was finished, and that Britain's dreams of a two front war were dead. His optimism seemed justified, especially after the fall of Kiev on September 19, followed by the victory in the Battle of Kiev on September 26, which resulted in the capture of some 665,000 Soviet prisoners, according to German reports. (7 1124) Hitler viewed this battle as "the greatest victory in the history of the world," though some of his generals did not share his views on its strategic importance. Heinz Guderian, among others, felt compelled to speak to Hitler about the capture of Moscow."

Tags:barbarossa, german, greece, key, lion, mussolini, russia, sea, soviet, union, yugoslavia

Abstract
This paper examines how the state of Europe was completely transformed by the shooting of Franz Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princip at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. It looks at how, although it is impossible and inaccurate to place entire responsibility of the First World War on one nation, a sufficient argument can be made that Germany was most accountable for the outbreak of war in 1914. .

From the Paper
"Undoubtedly Austria saw the assassination of Francis Ferdinand and Sophie as an opportunity to take punitive action against Serbia. News of the assassination was well received in Austria, and it was seen as a blessing in disguise since the Emperor Francis Joseph hated Hungarians. By exploiting the killing of Ferdinand and blaming the actions of the terrorist group "The Black Hand" on the Serbian government, Austria-Hungary could destroy Serbia forever, which would reduce Russian power, and consequently would allow Austria-Hungary to control the Balkans. A precondition for action against Serbia, however, was that Germany would fully support them in the event that it provoked the intervention of other powers."

Tags:alliance, edward, franz, ferdinand, germany

Abstract
This paper explores the details of the post-World War II trials of Nazi officials. It concludes that while these individuals certainly deserved punishment, the manner in which the trials were conducted violated many international standards of justice.

From the Paper
"Documentation reveals that many Germans who were peaceful and kind citizens before 1933, participated in acts of genocide for nearly twelve years and then became quiet, good people again afterwards. It has been theorized that a psychological break occurred during this time. Another personality emerged from the human psyche, summoned by the Nazi leadership. When the war was over, this evil nature disappeared as quickly as it had been created. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that executing Nazi war criminals was a matter of safety. They posed no real danger upon the war's conclusion."

Tags:crimes, genocide, germany, humanity

Abstract
This paper attempts to demonstrate how Timothy Findley's World War I novel "The Wars" is historically correct. It examines how Findley creates the effect of psychological warfare as well as his depiction of living conditions through symbols, trench warfare, homosexuality, hospitals and battles such as Passchedaele and Ypres.

From the Paper
"In his writing, Findley uses historic battles to influence his superb historical writing. Findley's use of history begins with the battle of Passchendaele. The battle of Passchendaele was an exceedingly traumatic battle, particularly concerning terrain. Robert's experience in Passchendaele was not without a near death experience, as so many men had actually perished. "Passchendaele was all mud, muddy trees, rocks - everything was covered in thick mud."(C.W. Tilbrook, Buried Alive: Canada at War, 55) Private Tilbrook exhibited the realism of Findley's writing in his quote. Private Tilbrook's quote ascertains to Robert's experience in a similarly horrendous situation."

Tags:trench, warfare, homosexuality, ww1

Abstract
This essay explains the tensions between Germany and the Allies created by the Treaty of Versailles. It explains how the failure of the League of Nations to preserve peace around the world became a major contribution to the declaration of war. It explains the fact that the war was the only way to create jobs and end the Great Depression. It also explains why the rise of the Nazi Party and the German invasion of Poland led to the declaration of War.

From the Paper
"The Second World War erupted in 1939, and resulted in the greatest human suffering and human devastation in history. In fact, more than 50 million people lost their lives during this war. The fighting in this war was more savage than ever before or since, the latest technology was used and death camps were introduced for the first time. The Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations, the Great Depression and the Rise of the Nazi Party were the main causes for this dreadful war."

Tags:nazi, party, peace

Abstract
This paper deals with the causes of the Battle at Somme and gives an outline of the factors surrounding it as well as the consequences once it was over. It describes tactics used by the Allies as well as the men involved in this major First World War battle.

From the Paper
"During 1916, two factions of the Triple Entente, Britain and France, were heavily engaged in battle against Germany on the Western Front with no signs of any group gaining an upper hand in the First World War. Germany struggled to maintain their grip on the Western Front with their small but determined army, and after awhile, it became apparent to them that if they hoped to continue being a major force in the war, they had to defeat Russia on the Eastern Front first in order to transfer hundreds of thousands of troops back to France. Germany hoped that this in turn would balance the scales of power on the Western Front in their favor."

Tags:allies, major, war, world