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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. In what town does Isaacson claim that George Kennan was born?

2. What does Isaacson report that John McCloy called, "Something that is worse than anything probably that ever happened in the world"?

3. What does Isaacson cite as the difference between Kennan's and Chip Bohlen's approach to preparing for their chosen field?

4. With whom did John McCloy and Robert Lovett serve as advisers to the Secretary of War, according to Isaacson?

5. What two post-secondary schools does Isaacson report George Kennan attended?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. Which of the "Six Wise Men" does Isaacson report came to know the family of another through his father's employment?

3. 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?

4. Why did Russian soldiers dismantle German factories and send the assets back to their homeland at the end of WWII according to Isaacson?

5. What kind of jobs did John McCloy's mother find for him during his youth, according to Isaacson?

6. What does Isaacson claim motivated George Kennan to apply for a job with the foreign service?

7. Where does Isaacson report Dean Acheson started his career after WWI?

8. What was the title does Isaacson claims that John McCloy earned during his career in government and as a corporate lawyer?

9. What does Isaacson claim to be Averell Harriman's view regarding Russia building a tier of states friendly to its system in Eastern Europe?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Truman Administration was at odds with General Douglas MacArthur even before he took command over the UN troops in Korea. The attitudes of the administration demonstrated themselves with the order to MacArthur forbidding him from bombing bridges between China and Korea across which Chinese soldiers and equipment were traveling to support North Koreans. Was the conduct of the Truman Administration and the "Wise Men" an extension of President Truman's spoken disdain for MacArthur, or did MacArthur cause his own problems with the Truman Administration. Use comments and decisions by members of the Truman Administration and the "Wise Men" pertaining to or directed at MacArthur as well as MacArthur's actions and statements to support your position.

Essay Topic 2

Connections with the Soviet Union became a connecting point between each of the "Wise Men" and other world leaders. Detail how the "Wise Men" established connections with the Soviet Union, what leaders affected their connections with it, and events that shaped their future perspectives of the Soviet Union.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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