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Contemporary History
Week 6
In the second reading in the Journal of Asian and African Studies, it suggests that the cause of the Mau Mau insurgency was the murder of Waruhiu. This was seen to be shaking the government of the time that the threat of insurgency was near as the violence was on a fast rise to the reserves of the Kikuyu. The reading goes on further to suggest that the Mau Mau insurgency lasted for a significant period of time. This was due to the hunger and overcrowding.

The readings both identify the reasons behind the reasons of Mau Mau insurgency. It is evident that this was due to land and freedom. Not only had the British colonialist taken away the rights of the Kikuyu, they had also not recognized the grievances and demands they had experienced. This however, caused problems as the second reading examines that the insurgency lasted for a significant period of time leading to hunger and overcrowding.

It is also evident in both readings that both sides, that is the British and the people of Kenya were violent in the insurgency. This is due to the pressures and demands that were coming from both sides. The Kikuyu people wanted there land and independence and the British wanted to settle this issue.

Week 7

There are two major reasons why the United States intervened in the Vietnam Wars, this included communism, the domino theory and the policy of containment. Communism was a major issue affecting the world during this era. It was the fear that communism would spread, that essentially involved into the war. The Domino theory meant that if one country would fall to communism, then others would follow. The United States policy on containment was in place to prevent the spread of communism. This was another reason as to why the united States become involved in the Vietnam War. However, I also believe that in order to look at the US involvement in the Vietnam War, one must explore the situation of the Cold War against the Soviet Union.

There are

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