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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Isaacson claim George Kennan served the government in lieu of paying the expenses of attending law school?

2. For what purpose had Robert Lovett's father been grooming him and Averell Harriman since their graduation from college, according to Isaacson?

3. Who does Isaacson report to be the U.S. ambassador to Russia immediately after WWII?

4. What does Isaacson suggest started becoming a concern to the six "Wise Men" shortly after WWII began?

5. What exclusive club did Chip Bohlen join at Harvard according to Isaacson?

Short Essay Questions

1. After WWI, how does Isaacson show Averell Harriman's process of making business deals with Leon Trotsky of Communist Russia?

2. What does Isaacson report to be the difference between George Kennan's approach to training for the foreign service and that of Chip Bohlen?

3. What military action did Joseph Stalin demand from his British and American allies once the United States entered WWII, according to Isaacson?

4. What were the roles of George Kennan and Chip Bohlen in President Franklin Roosevelt's successful effort to open official diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1933, according to Isaacson?

5. What does Issacson suggest comes between 20th century isolationism and a utopian dream of a world order based on international law?

6. What does Isaacson report to be Averell Harriman's first achievement after he was named as transportation adviser to the National Defense Advisory Commission by President Franklin Roosevelt?

7. What were the major declarations of the Atlantic Charter, according to Isaacson?

8. What does Isaacson claim to be the "warning" issued through the Potsdam proclamation by the Allied Powers to Japan regarding the dropping of the atomic bomb?

9. What does Isaacson claim to be Averell Harriman's qualification for Skull and Bones?

10. What did Isaacson report regarding a meeting between Averell Harriman and Max Beaverbrook that foretold the change in the balance of power between England and the United States?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The "Wise Men" joined President Johnson in taking a hard line on Vietnam and committing more than 500,000 combat soldiers to that war. Why did Vietnam cause the social and political turmoil that overtook the U.S.? What were the human and economic costs of the Vietnam war to the U.S.? Were the positions the "Wise Men" took regarding Vietnam consistent with their record or had they lost some foresightedness of how the war would affect the rest of the country? Use information from the book and outside sources to support your position.

Essay Topic 2

Franklin Roosevelt chose Harry Truman as his running mate for his final election in 1944 when his health was failing and it appeared he would not survive his final term. Vice President Truman was not included in decisions regarding the end of the war or agreements with allies. Do you believe this was an oversight or by design? How did the "Wise Men" benefit from the exclusion of Truman from important policy decisions? How did this exclusion affect the future of foreign policy? Support your position with evidence from the book and other reliable sources.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout WWII Joseph Stalin was depicted in The Wise Men as an unreliable ally and he was considered a threat to American interests after the war. Yet when the destructiveness of the atom bomb was exposed, members of the Truman Administration considered making the Soviet Union part of a system of regulating the use of the weapon and even considered sharing the technology with the Soviets. What were the reasons for inviting the Soviets to share strategic information regarding atomic weapons with the U.S.? Are these reasons contradictory to the distrust that the six "Wise Men" had for Stalin and the Soviets? How so or how not? Did the eventual development of nuclear weapons in the Soviet Union act to preserve peace or lead to justifications for more military build-up? Explain your answers with information from the book.

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