Historic Voices: Global History and Culture

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(Bonus PDF) Backstory to President Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace Speech Mar 26, 2017

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In this podcast episode, we feature President Eisenhower delivering a speech named by others as Atoms for Peace at the United Nations in 1953. This speech was delivered during high tensions of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Berlin Blockade had only been resolved a few years earlier in 1948. That event nearly triggered a military confrontation between those who countries then. Both nations were rapidly developing new weapons with even more destructive force than used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War Two.

This critical entry from Wikipedia providing more context for this speech and the U.S. intentions to influence the European allies and the Soviet Union. I was impressed with the deep analysis of the article. Rather than offering a commentary after this speech, I recommend reading the Wikipedia entry about the speech and the bigger issues.

(Bonus PDF) Transcript of Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" Speech Mar 26, 2017

Show notes

To improve their nuclear weapons, both countries were conducting open air tests. The Limited Test Ban Treaty would not be signed by these countries for another decade to prohibit such tests. Both sides were also building many more nuclear weapons that could be used in a war of annihilation against one another or as a deterrent that would discourage a nuclear exchange.

President Eisenhower previously was General Eisenhower serving as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe during World War Two. After the war ended, he retired from the military and was elected President of the United States in 1953. Eisenhower was now in a position to take nuclear energy as a weapon and help repurpose it for peaceful purposes. This speech to the United Nations was part of an intentional campaign called "Operation Candor" to discuss the risks and hopes of a nuclear future for the American people.

In addition to this transcript, I also included another PDF that is a critical entry from Wikipedia providing more context for this speech and the U.S. intentions to influence the European allies and the Soviet Union. I was impressed with the deep analysis of the article. Rather than offering a commentary after this speech, I recommend reading the Wikipedia entry about the speech and the bigger issues.

(S01-E14) HV President Eisenhower - "Atoms for Peace" Speech to the U.N. - December 8, 1953 Mar 26, 2017

Show notes

In addition to an available download transcript of this speech, I also included another PDF that is a critical entry from Wikipedia providing more context for this speech and the U.S. intentions to influence the European allies and the Soviet Union. I was impressed with the deep analysis of the article. Rather than offering a commentary after this speech, I recommend reading the Wikipedia entry about the speech and the bigger issues.

(Bonus PDF) Overview of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Mar 17, 2017

Show notes

This entry from Wikipedia provides an excellent overview of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that Eleanor Roosevelt and many other world leaders wrote and proclaimed. It was not an easy task to gain agreement among the nations to this universal declaration. You are encouraged to compare this document with the U.S. Constitution and other documents from nations around the world.

(Bonus PDF) The Life Story of Eleanor Roosevelt as Advocate for Those Without Voices Mar 17, 2017

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This entry from Wikipedia (41 pages) is a comprehensive overview of her life with special emphasis on advocacy for marginalized groups that were too often targets for systematic discrimination. Her public life before Roosevelt took office as President, during the four terms of presidency, and afterwards is a testament of fierce loyalty to principles of dignity for all lives.

(Bonus PDF) Universal Declaration of Human Rights document Mar 17, 2017

Show notes

This is the actual declaration document approved by the United Nations by all except for six votes of abstentions by several countries that disagreed with some of the freedoms contained within it: six Communist countries, South Africa still operating under racial segregation, and Saudi Arabia that disagreed with application of the some of the principles with women.

(Bonus PDF) Eleanor Roosevelt - Universal Declaration of Human Rights Mar 17, 2017

Show notes

This document is a transcript of Eleanor Roosevelt delivering a speech about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights shortly after World War Two. With the rampant disregard for human life and dignity leading up to and during World War Two, world leaders agreed to clearly affirm the rights of individuals wherever they lived.

In April 1946, Eleanor Roosevelt became the first chairperson of the preliminary United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Roosevelt remained chairperson when the Commission was established on a permanent basis in January 1947. She played an instrumental role, along with others, in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Eleanor spoke in favor of the Declaration, calling it "the international Magna Carta of all men everywhere" in a speech on the night of September 28, 1948. The Declaration was adopted by the General Assembly on December 10, 1948.

(S01-E13) HV Eleanor Roosevelt - "On the Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" Speech for the U.N. - December 9, 1948 Mar 17, 2017

Show notes

In this podcast episode, we feature Eleanor Roosevelt delivering a speech about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights shortly after World War Two. With the rampant disregard for human life and dignity leading up to and during World War Two, world leaders agreed to clearly affirm the rights of individuals wherever they lived.

(S01-E12) HV Paul Harvey - The Rest of the Story Radio Series, "The Boxer's Second Career" Feb 14, 2017

Show notes

In this podcast episode, we feature Paul Harvey and one of his signature radio programs. The Rest of the Story was a Monday-through-Friday radio program hosted by Paul Harvey beginning during the Second World War on the ABC Radio Networks. The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects with some key element of the story (usually the name of some well-known person) held back until the end. The broadcasts always concluded with a variation on the tag line "And now you know the rest of the story." So I do not spoil the ending, I will not say anything else about this episode.

(S01-E11) HV - Orson Wells as Prof. Moriarity - Sherlock Holmes, "The Final Problem" Radio Episode - 1940 Feb 06, 2017

Show notes

In this podcast episode, we feature the voices of two great British Shakespearean actors, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson, and the great radio and movie actor, director, producer, and writer, Mr. Orson Wells. Sir Gielgud appeared in many great Hollywood films including Gandhi, Elizabeth, Chariots of Fire, and The Elephant Man. Mr. Wells is best known for the film Citizen Kane and 1938-radio show, War of the Worlds.

The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was an old-time radio show which aired in the USA from October 2, 1939 to July 7, 1947. The radio stories were action packed, filled with atmosphere, and featured great music by Lou Kosloff, as well as excellent sound effects. Originally, the show starred Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Together, they starred in 220 episodes. In 1955, NBC re-ran the BBC series with the great British actors Sir John Gielgud as Holmes, and Sir Ralph Richardson as Watson, and in "The Final Problem," Orson Wells is the voice of Holmes' greatest nemesis, Dr. Moriarty. That is the subject for this podcast episode.

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