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At the end of World War II, the democratic and capitalist United States became estranged from its wartime ally, the communist Soviet Union. The Soviets prevented elections in the parts of Europe it occupied and forcibly imposed communist regimes backed by Soviet power. The competition between the Soviets and the U.S. was the Cold War. In an age of atomic bombs (the Soviets had one by 1949), no one wanted a hot war. Moreover, in 1949 another U.S. wartime ally, China, became the Communist People's Republic of China. In 1950 the U.S. sent troops to Korea to prevent its southern half from falling into communist hands. A stalemate with communist North Korea continues to this day. In the 1960s the U.S. sent troops to Vietnam to keep its southern half from being seized by the communists. The resulting war was costly and unsuccessful for the U.S.
To compete in the Cold War, the Soviet Union devoted an enormous amount of its resources to maintain military parity with the United States. By the 1970s, Soviet economic growth lagged far behind that of Western Europe and such westernizing nations as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. Soviet leaders recognized the detrimental effect the arms race was having on their economy and entered into arms control agreements. It was too late, however, to save their system. By 1991 the Soviet Union ceased to exist, splitting into a multitude of former soviet republics.
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"V for Victory" banner given to George C. Marshall (1880–1959)
Translation of the Chinese: "Protector of the Peace, 1946. In Honor of Special Envoy Marshall, Republic of China, Shandong Provincial Authorities."
(Anonymous Loan) |
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Grand Cordon of the Order of Propitious Clouds medal awarded to Walter S. Robertson (1893–1970)
Grand Cordon of the Order of Propitious Clouds, medal (and certificate) awarded to Walter S. Robertson in Taiwan, China, July, 1959, by President Chiang Chung-cheng and Minister of Foreign Affairs Huang Shao-ku.
(Virginia Historical Society, Gift of Mrs. Herbert A. Claiborne) |
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David K. E. Bruce (1898–1977)
Ambassador David Bruce in 1961 on his way to Buckingham Palace in a gilded carriage to present his letters of credence to Queen Elizabeth II.
(Virginia Historical Society, Gift of Mrs. David K. E. Bruce) |
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Tiffany clock given to David K. E. Bruce (1898–1977)
Tiffany clock/thermometer/barometer/hygrometer inscribed "David K. E. Bruce with great esteem and much affection from his friends in O.S.S." Bruce began working for the Office of the Coordinator of Information as special assistant to William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan in 1941. When the C.O.I. became the Office of Strategic Services in 1942, Bruce became head of its secret intelligence branch.
(Virginia Historical Society, Gift of David K. E. Bruce) |
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Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction awarded to
David K. E. Bruce (1898–1977)
Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction was awarded to David K. E. Bruce by President Gerald Ford on February 10, 1976. It is the nation's highest civilian award and was established by President Truman in 1945 to recognize notable service in World War II. President Kennedy reintroduced the medal to honor distinguished civilian service in peacetime.
(Virginia Historical Society, Gift of David K. E. Bruce) |
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His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with Ambassador John W. McDonald (b. 1922)
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in his office in Dharamsala, India, with Ambassador John W. McDonald. This is the official site of the Government of Tibet in Exile.
(Courtesy of the Ambassador John W. and Christel G. McDonald) |
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Sindhi cap, Torah pointer, and Tibetan prayer wheel given to Ambassador John W. McDonald (b. 1922)
The hand-embroidered Sindhi cap, a traditional gift of honor, was presented to Ambassador McDonald in 2004 by the leaders of the Sindhi community in Washington, D.C. The Torah pointer, or Yad, was given to Ambassador McDonald in Jerusalem in 1999 after he gave a course in multilateral diplomacy to a group of Israeli diplomats. The Tibetan prayer wheel was given to Ambassador McDonald during a 1996 visit to Dharamsala, India.
(Courtesy of the Ambassador John W. and Christel G. McDonald) |
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Decorated headdress and stirrups, Howard K. Walker (b. 1935)
Decorated headdress and stirrups typical of those worn by horses at a durbar—a celebration among the Hausa-Fulani Muslim people in northern Nigeria to honor the local emir or visiting dignitaries.
In addition to his service as a diplomatic officer and ambassador in Africa and as the director of the Office of West Africa for the Department of State, Walker also held an administrative post as vice president of the National Defense University.
(Courtesy of the Honorable Howard K. Walker) |
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