Example research essay topic: Put An End Spy Plane - 635 words

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I got a basketball jones. I got a basketball jones. Oh baby. Hey papi/ Even if they dont understand the flow, they understand the dough, the ladies going, hey papi. The U- 2 spy plane incident was one of the major turning points in the Cold War with Russia.

A temporary break in the Cold War had begun in the spring of 1959. (Kaufman, 776). The United States and the USSR had been on good terms before this whole ordeal came about. The U- 2 incident involving Francis Gary Powers quickly put an end to the peace that had reigned. Francis Gary Powers was the pilot of the famous U- 2 spy plane. He was a U. S.

military officer employed by the CIA. Although this wasn't the first time spy planes had flown over the USSR, this one is significant because it caused a bitterness to rise among the two prosperous countries. It was also unique, because Francis Gary Powers survived being shot down and after a while was allowed to return home. U- 2 spy planes began flying over the Soviet Union in 1956.

The Soviet Union knew about the planes, but didn't have a sufficient way to destroy them. No spy plane could be sent off unless it had clearance by the president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was somewhat reluctant to send Gary Powers out in the plane, for fear that something would go array. Power's flight was the last flight in which Eisenhower intended on authorizing. (Gann; 32) On May 1, 1960 the U- 2 spy plane Gary Powers was flying fell to pieces. It is still not known if the plane was shot down by the Soviet military, or if the engine had problems and crashed on its own.

Although the Soviet Union claims that they shot down the plane, there are still doubts that the Soviet Union had a missile that had the capabilities to destroy the plane. It is also possible that the U- 2 could have been destroyed because of high altitude. A quick change in temperature or turbulence can easily take down a U- 2. The most popular belief out is that a Soviet missile shot the plane down. Powers chose to manually extract himself from the plane instead of ejecting himself. He feared he might break his legs if he were to eject. (O'Leary, Schulzinger, 97).

Powers was shot down near Sverdlovsk. The Soviet military ended up capturing him. He did not want to be shot and killed, so he divulged some information to the Soviets. He tried to give out the least amount of information as he possibly could. He confessed that the spy planes had been flying over the USSR and taking pictures for four years. He was tried in a Soviet court were he was convicted of espionage and the act of spying.

His verdict sentenced him to ten years of solitary confinement. However, he was released in February 1962 in exchange for a Soviet spy, Rudolph Abel. During his two years of confinement Powers kept a secret diary and journal. On May 16, 1960 the summit meeting in Paris was supposed to take place between the heads of the three Great Powers.

As well, the heads of government of the US, the Soviet Union, France, and the United Kingdom were invited. After the Powers incident Nikita S. Khruchshev, the Russian Premiere was furious. He demanded that Eisenhower apologize, to this Eisenhower refused.

Khruchshev then withdrew Eisenhower's invitation and that put an end to the Paris Summit. This was an important event in the Cold War because it ended a temporary segment of peace. The Paris summit could have changed many aspects of the Cold War. The countries may have resolved their differences if Eisenhower had not sent out a spy plane.

Research essay sample on Put An End Spy Plane