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The British first discovered oil in the Iraqi region (then part of the Ottoman empire) in 1908, and they fought in the region during World War I, helping Iraq to overthrow the Ottomans. Although there was a nationalist movement in Iraq after World War I, the San Remo Conference established Iraq as a British Mandate. The British installed King Faisal I at this time. In 1930 the British granted Iraqi independence and, in return, received exclusive control...
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In 1967, Israel attacked the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan to start what came to be known as the Six-Day War. In defeating the Arab coalition in six days' time, Israel doubled the size of its territory and reunited the two halves of Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinians, however, lived in areas that Israel took control over, which laid the foundation for several subsequent regional conflicts.
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When British colonial rule in India and Pakistan ended in 1947, the territories of Jammu and Kashmir were hotly disputed between the two newly independent countries. In 1962, China entered the war, prompting the United Nations (UN) to issue Security Resolution 211, which called for a ceasefire, and to establish the United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM) in 1965. Millions of people fled the conflict.
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"...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..." These words grace The Declaration of Independence, written in 1776, which remain as true today as when it was conceived. It is critical for American citizens to understand their importance in defining our freedoms and the foundation of...
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Russia is close, closer than we think. But for most people in the West this vast sprawling country remains a mystery, a distant and undiscovered place. Russia covers nine different time zones, stretches from Finland to Japan and has an uneasy border with Europe to the West. It was once the bedrock of both the reviled and revered Soviet Union, until it's sudden and unexpected collapse in 1991. But the specter of Cold War that hung over this place for...
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Soon after taking office in 2009, President Obama ordered an additional 17,000 troops and another 30,000 at year's end in the hopes of stanching a rapidly deteriorating situation. Has the surge failed, or does it need time to take its course? Panelists debate the consequences of U.S. withdrawal, the degree of progress, and the chances of success of counterinsurgency. They debate whether the Taliban is a threat to the U.S. and discuss whether it is...
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In Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How the Changed America 1789-1989, author Michael Beschloss profiles nine presidents, their families,and their decisions that changed the history of the United States. In this interview, Beschloss explains why hedecided to write the book and shares insight on the men featured within its pages.
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Is Western democracy in trouble? Some argue that authoritarian movements in Poland, Hungary, and other European countries, as well as recent elections in the United States and United Kingdom, signal a threat to democratic values and liberal institutions. Others argue that these populist- and nationalist-fueled developments are simply a healthy and regenerative reaction to economic policies that have ignored and marginalized vast numbers of voters....
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A government of the people, by the people, and for the people isn’t possible without the laborious process of nominating and electing candidates, in a manner fair and free to all citizens. How did this process begin and how has it evolved over the course of American history? Does it even remotely resemble—for better or for worse—the manner in which the Founding Fathers gained high office? Using the 2000 election of George W. Bush and the uncertainties...
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California tried. And then it failed. Uniquely charged by its constitution to guarantee the "happiness" of its residents, the state empowered voters to demand by referendum whatever they wanted to spend money on-from better schools to bigger prisons-and to refuse by referendum to pay the bills. A legislature paralyzed by both gridlock and a requirement that taxes can only be raised by a two-thirds vote combined to dig the state into a deep, deep hole,...
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Learn about reformers' efforts to address the miserable living and working conditions of industrial workers, and new labor laws that followed the galvanizing events of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the Bread and Roses Strike. Also study the movements to eradicate child labor and to federally regulate food and medicines.
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Travel into the world of American workers, and view the poignant social problems that accompanied industrialization. Learn how technological changes in industry affected living conditions for workers, and follow the rise of labor movements, violent strikes, and intense conflict between labor unions and management.
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This program reveals how the American bureaucracy delivers significant services directly to the people, how it has expanded in response to citizen demands for increased government services, and how bureaucrats sometimes face contradictory expectations that are difficult to satisfy.
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This program examines the search for balance between the original Constitution and the need to interpret and adjust it to meet the needs of changing times. It explains the original Jeffersonian-Madisonian debate, the concept of checks and balances, and the stringent procedures for amending the Constitution.