Process Paper

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Upon receiving the History Day project requirements, we knew we wanted to involve WWII because all three of us had family who had fought in it and because it was a flexible topic which we could approach in many different ways. Suggested to us, early on, was the idea of looking into foreign relations during this time. Because one of our great grandfathers had worked directly with Chiang Kai Shek in leading 6 boats to aid China's Navy, this led our group to focus in on the relations between China and the US during WWII, specifically between 1937-45. This project, for us, defined the word alliance. We found that, ultimately, when broken down to its simplest form, alliance meant friend. We believed that, as a friend, you have the right to rely on someone, as well as an equal responsibility to help them in return. As we dove into the complexity of the relations' history, we ultimately discovered how it would fit into this year's theme, Rights and Responsibilities. We entertained the idea of presenting through an exhibit however shifted to a website because all three of us kept busy schedules. Through Weebly, we were able to build our project in different locations and learned the importance of design when addressing our topic. Presentational organization and appearance mattered. The material of our website consisted of multiple sources. We made several trips to a number of Hennepin County libraries and one big trip, with our class, to the U of M's Wilson Library. A majority of our information was found in books. While narrowing down our topic, we found that our job was to find a topic, expand its entirety to really grasp its significance, and then break it down into presentable simplicity on a website based on only 1,200 self-written words.

Because of this, we were challenged to pull out the most vital information and tell a story virtually through photographs and quotes; this was why those were our two most valued resources. Through these sources, we were able to tell a story. In ultimate vulnerability, due to both a civil war and a war against Japan, China searched for allies. Though no formal alliance was established until the US official entrance into WWII in 1941, the US was in a state to help from 1937 to the end of war. While Chinas government, in turmoil, had the responsibility to reach out to protect its people, the US also had a responsibility to protect its people and found that, in Chinas time of need, an alliance was a necessary way to eliminate the threats of WWII. Both countries had the right to rely on one another. By 1945, Japan forcefully surrendered ending WWII. Although US aid ultimately saved China, post WWII, the US deserted China to its civil war, thus leaving them vulnerable to Communist influences still negatively effecting their people today.