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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. How does Isaacson report that Averell Harriman's support for the successful presidential candidacy of Franklin Roosevelt was rewarded in 1932?

2. Which of the six "Wise Men" does Isaacson report Roosevelt's Secretary of War asked to work on German espionage?

3. Who wrote the top-secret "recommendations for the use of nuclear weapons"?

4. What Assistant Secretary of War does Isaacson cite as fearing American isolationism after WWII?

5. Where does Isaacson claim Averell Harriman was when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. What does Isaacson report that George Kennan believed Marxism offered to Soviet Russian leaders?

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

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

5. As the Allied powers began to close in on Germany, what does Isaacson expose to be the main concern of the British and American governments for the post-war era?

6. What does Isaacson report to be a prerequisite for being tapped for Skull and Bones at Yale?

7. What military action did Joseph Stalin demand from his British and American allies once the United States entered WWII, 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 view regarding Russia building a tier of states friendly to its system in Eastern Europe?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Wise Men examines the life long connections of six men and how they shaped America's foreign policy for nearly 40 years. How were the early lives and experiences of the "Wise Men" intertwined and how did their elite upbringing give them access to the seats of power where they were given opportunity to direct American foreign policy?

Essay Topic 2

Dean Acheson and John McCloy followed different legal careers to become very important influences throughout the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Explain how their different legal experiences and connections led to their accessing positions through which they shaped policies from the 1930's throughout the 1970's.

Essay Topic 3

The "Wise Men" made decisions that they knew would have affects on the voting public. Identify three such decisions, the elections that they influenced and the candidates whom they were intended to assist. Use support from the book to validate your positions.

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