Modern History Questions! Answers needed!

[SKILORD]

1. Did the Japanese Have a secret Police during World War Two? What were they called?

2. When did the Soviet Union get it's first Nuclear Weapon? How?

3. When Was Sputnik launched?

4. Anything else about the Space Race?

 

[Kennelly]

Sputnik was launched on October 4th 1957 causing the 'Sputnik-shock' in the USA and its western allies.As the American space program much work was done by German scientists.

 

[Michiel de Ruyter]

2. 1947 I think, how? Espionage by the Rosenberg(?) couple.

 

[Hamlet]

1. Yes, 'Kempei Tai'?

 

[Hitro]

I think the most important spy for Russia was Klaus Fuchs.

 

[Damien]

Fuchs=fox in german

 

[Lucky]

1. Yes they did! The "Kempei Tai"(sp?), feared throughout Asia.

2. The Russian detonated their first bomb on the 29th of August, 1949, almost exactly 4 years later after the US.
And they BUILT their first nuclear weapon using Nazi engineers and stolen intelligence from the US.

3. As Kennelly stated, on the 4th of October, 1957, Sputnik I became the first man-made object in space, orbiting Earth in 90 minutes. Transmitting on 20 and 40 MHz the characteristic beeps which scared the "sh*t" out of the Americans!

4. Well, the Space Race was long and so full of great achievements, I don´t know where to start, be more specific.

Russians:
First object in space (Sputnik I), 1957
First dog(animal) in space (Laika), 1957
First probe landing on the moon (Lunik I), 1959
First human in space (Juri Gagarin), 1961
First probe on Venus (Venera 3), 1965
First probe on Mars (Mars 2), 1971
First space lab
First space capsule connection
First space station

Even bigger and better Space Shuttle (Buran), not started though

US:
First manned Moon landing (Apollo 11), 1969
First probe to leave solar system (Pioneer 10), started 1971, left 1986
Farthest away probe (Voyager 2), 1977
First Space Shuttle, 1981


That´s what I can answer to these questions from memory, not enough time for more.

 

[MajorGeneral2]

It may be noted that Kruschev did not realize the political affect Sputnik I would have on the Western world. When he did notice it, he of course took full advantage and turned the Russian Space Program into a propaganda campaign. He, like Kennedy, cared little for the scientific implications of space. In fact,Kennedy threatened NASA with major funding cuts if they didn't beat Russia to the moon!

 

[Rodgers]

Re the Japanese secret police - was their function to quash insurrection etc in the occupied areas? Or did they have more functions? Counter intelligence work? Did they have anything to do with the biological warfare tests in Manchuria or was that a seperate Army function?

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

The Kempi Tai operated everywhere, think of it as the American FBI or Britain's Scotland yard.

 

[dannyevilcat]

Originally posted by Alcibiaties of Athenae
The Kempi Tai operated everywhere, think of it as the American FBI or Britain's Scotland yard.

And only slightly less committed to terror than the SS.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Originally posted by Rodgers
Re the Japanese secret police - was their function to quash insurrection etc in the occupied areas? Or did they have more functions? Counter intelligence work? Did they have anything to do with the biological warfare tests in Manchuria or was that a seperate Army function?

The biological tests in Manchuria was the responsibility of Unit 731, an Army medical unit I believe.

The Kempeitai was the Japanese military police and operated much like the secret police. There're old people in S'pore and M'sia who still remembered in terror the tortures committed by the Kempeitai to extract information fr captured or suspected rebels or Allied agents. It is very popular stuff/material for local dramas and the like.

 

[SKILORD]

Tell more about these Biological testings please.

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

Originally posted by dannyevilcat
And only slightly less committed to terror than the SS.

I never said they were sweetharts, they operated more harshly then the western organizations, but wern't quite on Gestapo level.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Originally posted by SKILORD
Tell more about these Biological testings please.

I'm not really into the details but they conducted medical 'experiments' on live victims i.e. Chinese civilians and captured Allied POWs (Soviet, American etc). Mostly dealing with biological weopans, or maybe chemical. After the war, the Americans took in their work for use in their own biological weopans program. I remember reading somewhere too that doctors in the unit were never prosecuted and allowed to resume life as civilian practitioners.

 

[Mîtiu Ioan]

Originally posted by Alcibiaties of Athenae
I never said they were sweetharts, they operated more harshly then the western organizations, but wern't quite on Gestapo level.

Oh really ?

Japanese use chinese POW as target for a more "realistic" instruction. When they occupied Nanking more than 300000 people was killed in brutal street-massacre ...
Hundred of young girls from Koreea was kidnaped and forced to prostitute for Kwantung Army.

And so on ...

If today many people wouldn't be so anti-american in almost fanatical sense then probably the Japan Emipre wouldn't excuse its atrocities behind atomic bombardaments ...

 

[Demetrias]

Dude, you do know those atrocities you just described where commited by the regular army not the secret police. Thats what the other guys mean. the Gestapo its self was better then the Japs version at creating terror.

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

Originally posted by Mîtiu Ioan
Oh really ?

Really.

Japanese use chinese POW as target for a more "realistic" instruction. When they occupied Nanking more than 300000 people was killed in brutal street-massacre ...
Hundred of young girls from Koreea was kidnaped and forced to prostitute for Kwantung Army.

By the Imperial Army, not the secret police, which were under different commands.
The Kempeitai were responcible for counter intelligence and POW interigation, were they did indeed carry out many war crimes, but as i said, they were a cut below the Gestapo, they could not get at all areas of Japan, they could be blocked by both the Navy and Army when the the target of their "investigations" were military personel, or had a powerful patron.
The Gestapo could and did take action against anyone, as the SS had Hitler's full support.

So you see, loathesome as the Kempeitai may be, they were indeed a cut below the Gestapo.

And so on ...

If today many people wouldn't be so anti-american in almost fanatical sense then probably the Japan Emipre wouldn't excuse its atrocities behind atomic bombardaments ...

Not the place for that argument, but it was a world war and Japan refused surrender, a method was needed and used, atomic weapons.

In 1945 they didn't know the long term effects of radiation, nor was it considered a "terror" weapon, they thought of it as a better bomb.

As for people being anti-American, that is their opinion, but they should bare in mind that if the Axis won the war, or the Soviets had their way, they wouldn't be allowed to express any negative opinion on anything concerning a nation without fear of arrest and imprisonment, possibly death.

 

[Mîtiu Ioan]

Originally posted by Alcibiaties of Athenae
By the Imperial Army, not the secret police, which were under different commands.
The Kempeitai were responcible for counter intelligence and POW interigation, were they did indeed carry out many war crimes

Correct - but the subject was the Kempeitai actions external of Japan islands ...

And Gestapo and S.S. role is a little bit exagerated - those guy recived "free hands" after 20 Jul 1944 - and unfortunatelly they use this extremely "effective".