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The Soviet Military: Pressures For Change 1981-1991, William C. Dughi

History Theses & Dissertations

The US-Soviet arms race entered a new stage in the late 1970s and early 1980s which created a revolution in military-technological affairs including new weapons systems possessing revolutionary levels of sophistication. The rapid development and acquisition of these weapons systems by the United States created pressure on the Soviet Union to continue the economically debilitating arms race. By 1985, in the midst of this military-technical revolution, Mikhail S. Gorbachev began his reform of Soviet system, including Soviet military doctrine, creating pressure on the Soviet military. These two pressures on the Soviet military are the subject of this thesis. How were …

Real Time Texture Analysis From The Parallel Computation Of Fractal Dimension, Halford I. Hayes Jr.

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

The discrimination of texture features in an image has many important applications: from detection of man-made objects from a surrounding natural background to identification of cancerous from healthy tissue in X-ray imagery. The fractal structure in an image has been used with success to identify these features but requires unacceptable processing time if executed sequentially.

The paradigm of data parallelism is presented as the best method for applying massively parallel processing to the computation of fractal dimension of an image. With this methodology, and sufficient numbers of processors, this computation can reach real time speeds necessary for many applications. A …

Towards A Universal Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, T. P. Radhakrishnan

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The 1968 Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) came into force in 1970 and expires in 1995. In 1995 an extension conference has to be convened to decide whether the treaty continues in force indefinitely or will be extended for an additional period or periods.

The treaty, cosponsored by the us, the USSR, and the UK, has 155 signatories, but a few countries like Israel, India and Pakistan have refused to be bound by it. They have done so mainly on the formal grounds that the treaty is structurally discriminatory between nuclear and nonnuclear weapons states.

What are …

The Impractical Ideal Costa Rica, The United States And Central America Reunification, 1902-1932, Donald R. Lam

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the motivations of Central American Unionists and the failure of their movement in the early years of the twentieth century. The existing literature attributes the failure of Central American unification during this era to U.S. policies meant to maintain a divided isthmus in order to economically and politically exploit the region. A closer analysis of the primary sources, however, reveals that union failed because of internal factors, and that Washington's actions generally favored efforts to rejoin the nations to reduce isthmian tensions. Attempts to reunite the republics failed because of regional and domestic political rivalries, weaknesses in …

A Sociotechnical Approach To The Study Of Semiautonomous Work Group Communication In Technical Organizations, Elizabeth B. Varnes

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The sociotechnical aspects of group communication in semiautonomous technical work teams were investigated to understand how team members define "effective" group communication and what impact technical tools have on the group communication process. A team of workers with various technical backgrounds was selected for study. The study involved videotaped group sessions, a group training educational briefing and individual group member questionnaires. The results indicate that group members believed sharing information among group members was critical to successful communication and that certain technical tools could be effective during group meetings. The findings are congruent with the general theory that group communication …

Improving Team Performance By Identifying And Targeting Back-Up Behaviors: A Training Strategy, Rosalynn M. Peron

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine if training workshops of short duration (one-to-three hours) could contribute to enhanced teamwork and hence improved team performance for teams at the primary level (first production level) of a natural gas service and installation organization.

The teamwork characteristic of back-up behaviors (i.e., actions to help other team members that require adaption or anticipation and improve team performance by contributing to successful task completion) was the focus of workshop activities. Other strategies were employed to enhance the process such as team-building, goal setting and feedback. Feedback consisted of posting back-up behavior scores (i.e., …

Large Capacity Missile Carrier (Cmx), C. N. Calvano, J. M. Berner, J. M. Bradley, K. A. Tosiello, D. T. Hooker, C. F. Merrill

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

A systems engineering approach to the development of a radically different kind of surface combatant ship is presented, followed by a preliminary design of the ship shown by the analysis to be most effective. The requirement for the project was the development of a ship which would provide a major increase in the missile firepower of a battlegroup. The study conducts an analysis of four warfare scenarios and evaluates the effectiveness of replacing some Aegis ships with the missile carrier (CMX) and examines the relative utility of varying missile loads for the CMX. An alternative is chosen for further development …

Increasing International Military Interdependence: Defense Cooperation In The New World Order, Sheila Callaham-Gay

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines whether military interdependence among states is increasing or decreasing. Although it is impossible to predict the future, it can be deduced that military interaction is increasing as a result of current world events and stated Presidential policy objectives. In order for interdependency to reach fruition governments must create policy which allows mutual goals to be realized. If military-to-military programs contribute to U.S. political objectives then government policy toward military interdependence should allow the U.S. military to act as a catalyst for international cooperation as well as the guardian of U.S. security interests. Whether global peace and security …

The Implementation Of The Reagan Administration's Counterterrorist Policy, Howard Lawrence Steinberg

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the implementation of President Ronald Reagan's active counterterrorist policy. The paper attempts to determine why the stated policy of "swift and effective retribution" was not carried out. This paper concentrates on the discrepancies between the numerous statements advocating retaliation made by Reagan and his top officials and the failure of these officials to administer the necessary orders for such retaliatory policies. This research indicated numerous causes, although the primary cause is attributed to the divergent opinions of the reticent Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and the more retributive views of the two successive Secretaries of State, Alexander …

The Riga Mission: The Reports Of The First American Outpost On The Soviet Border, 1924-1933, Jeffrey Acosta

History Theses & Dissertations

From 1917 to 1933, the United States did not recognize the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In 1920 the United States established conditions for recognition. First, the Soviet Union had to pay all debts owed to the United States government and its citizens by previous Russian and Soviet governments. In addition, all propaganda and subversive activities sponsored by the Soviet Union in the United States had to cease. During this period, the Division of Eastern European Affairs (DEEA) studied and collected data about the Soviet Union from its main "outpost" at the United States Mission in Riga, Latvia. The Russian …

Attacks On U.S. Submarines By Friendly Forces In World War Ii, Britt C. Skogstad

History Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzes cases in which U.S. submarines were attacked by friendly forces during World War II and identifies the causes of those incidents. Each case is interpreted in the context of the warfare doctrine, tactics, training, and procedures current at the time of the incident. The study determined that friendly attacks were primarily caused by the physical limitations of visually identifying a submarine. Contributing to the problem were inadequate recognition signal systems, poor communications, the latitude given to on-scene commanders to disregard safety procedures, the general attitude that any submarine detected was a threat, a sense of urgency to …

Wising Up The Marks: The Later Works Of William S. Burroughs, Stephen L. Starck

English Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the later works of Williams. Burroughs, focusing on them as they articulate his theories of the individual. Following a brief look at each work (The Wild Boys, Exterminator!, Port of Saints, Cities of the Red Night, The Place of Dead Roads, The Western Lands) is a discussion of Burroughs' concerns about the individual, as expressed in his theories of government, religion, the body, and language. Burroughs instructs individuals, attempting to educate them to all the restraints imposed by society. The overall narrative structure of these six works is also discussed and then …

A Case Study In Software Reuse: The Rntds Architecture, Barry J. Stevens

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

It has been asserted that the most significant gains in software productivity will come from increased levels of software reuse. Some economic models for predicting savings through software reuse exist, but none are based on actual project experience. This paper surveys those models and presents the results of a case study, the Restructured Naval Tactical Data Systems (RNTDS) architecture, in the light of those models. According to the models, software reuse via the RNTDS architecture has enabled the production of fourteen major computer programs at five to twenty-one percent of the cost to create them without software reuse. Organizational characteristics …

From Pillage To Conquest: The Normans In Ireland, 1167-1185, Ray E. Etheridge

History Theses & Dissertations

The history of Ireland and England has been intertwined since the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the last half of the twelfth century. It is easy to view this invasion as a well planned and state sponsored endeavor of the Angevin kings and the Anglo-Norman nobility. However, this is a great simplification of Irish Anglo- Norman history. It is the purpose of this study to determine to what extent and when the Anglo-Norman adventures in Ireland became an invasion. The two primary sources for doing so are the works of Gerald Cambrensis, and the anonymous Son of Dermot and the …

The Effects Of Social Support On The Psychological Adjustment Of Navy Wives Experiencing Deployment, Marci A. Harris

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The military, particularly a Navy deployment, provides unique challenges and stresses to the military family. The present study investigated the effects of social support on the psychological well-being of Navy wives experiencing spousal deployment. Sixty-three Navy wives in the Tidewater, Virginia area completed questionnaires on depression, self-esteem, and daily stress, as well as on the size of and satisfaction with affective and instrumental support. Assessments were made before, during, and after the deployment. Results of stepwise regressions showed that satisfaction with various aspects of social support significantly (p < .05) predicted levels of depression, self-esteem, and daily stress at all three phases of deployment. Results also showed that psychological wellbeing was lowest at middeployment. Findings demonstrate the importance of developing satisfactory social support systems prior to, during, and after deployment.

J. Robert Oppenheimer And His Role In The Development Of The United States Nuclear Weapons Policy 1945-1953, Craig M. Harris

History Theses & Dissertations

J. Robert Oppenheimer played a highly visible role in the development of nuclear weapons policy for the United States. He was very influential in President Harry S. Truman's Administration after the Second World War. Following the Soviet Union's first atomic bomb blast in August 1949, Oppenheimer became out of step with those who made nuclear weapons policy. He continued to give advice on disarmament issues. In 1953, the first year of Dwight D. Eisenhower's Administration, Oppenheimer questioned the utility of the Superpower's nuclear arms build up, particularly the hydrogen bomb, while leaving the American people ignorant of the impact such …

John Bankhead Magruder And The Defense Of The Virginia Peninsula, 1861-1862, Leonard W. Riedel Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

The viability of the Confederacy depended on its ability to organize a government and military defense force. Two early concerns were the operation of Gosport Naval Shipyard and protection of the Confederate capital at Richmond. Poised between them was Fortress Monroe.

With undisputed Union mastery of the Chesapeake Bay, Fortress Monroe was a constant reminder of the tentative security of these critical points. The man chosen to protect the Peninsula was Virginian, John Bankhead Magruder. Less than one year later, his efforts were denigrated by Commanding General Joseph E. Johnston who wanted to pursue his own strategic plan.

Under constant …

Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) An Attempt To Explore The Role Of Khomeiniism In The War, Masoud Bonyanian

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates the impact of Khomeiniism on the Shi'ites of Iraq. Specifically it seeks to determine whether the rise of Khomeiniism in Iran inspired Iraq's Shi'ite majority to rise against the Ba'athist leaders of Iraq with the object of establishing an Islamic Republic. The paper focuses on the political activities of the Iraqi Shi'ites from Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power in Iran in February 1979 to the beginning of hostilities between Iraq and Iran in September 1980. The evidence indicates mounting anti-Ba'athist political activity by the Shi'ites which included daily rioting, attempted assassinations, and a rise in the number …

Inter-American Indemnity: Internal Security And The Mutual Security Program For Latin America (1951-1961), Robert George Baker

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the purpose of U.S. military aid in the American Republics from 1951 through 1961 and proves that concern for internal security became dominant during that period. At first military aid supported hemispheric defense against communist aggression, which Washington orchestrated through mutual defense agreements, but by 1953 maintenance of internal security emerged as the major aim of aid to several Central American nations. In 1956 the National Security Council determined that internal security was a vital goal of the military aid program for Latin America. The ascendance of internal security concerns is described and analyzed in three parts: …

Signal Intelligence And Macarthur's Use Of Military Intelligence (G-2) During The Second World War, James Walter Zobel

History Theses & Dissertations

Though signal intelligence significantly benefited MacArthur 's conduct of military operations during the Second World War, each of his campaigns from July 1942 to August 1945 was marred by his reliance on inaccurate intelligence provided by his G-2 organization. An examination of the production and use of intelligence during MacArthur's campaigns displays these mixed aspects of his use of intelligence. Historical analysis shows MacArthur made effective use of signal intelligence, and despite instances of his reliance on inaccurate estimates the result was never disastrous. A detailed view of MacArthur's use of intelligence can be found in the records of his …

Antisubmarine Warfare In The Fifth Naval District During World War Ii: The Defenses Of The Chesapeake Bay, James R. Powell

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis investigates how the United States Navy, with assistance from the Army and Coast Guard, utilized the various aspects of antisubmarine warfare to protect, the Chesapeake Bay and the maritime trade within the Fifth Naval District from the menace of Germany's U-boats during World War II. The details of how these efforts began and were carried out are described.

This thesis complements the other histories of antisubmarine warfare during World War II, which have not emphasized the defenses established for the Chesapeake Bay and the Fifth Naval District. The strenuous, and successful efforts by America's armed forces and the …

Information Technology And Wealth: Cybernetics, History And Economics, Elin Whitney-Smith

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Capitalism developed where and when it did because there was high information access. There was high information access because of a major advance in information technology--the press. Where the technology was not controlled by the "powers that be" there was economic growth and a shift in the entire social structure. Where it was controlled there was no structural change and there was economic ruin. The development of capitalism is a major step change in economic growth. It is also a major change in the way people organize themselves into groups.

Major step changes in the growth and in the organization …

United States Tactical Doctrine, 1855 To 1861: The Mismeasure Of Technology, Marion Vincent Armstrong Jr.

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis illuminates the state of United States Army tactical doctrine at the beginning of the Civil War. In 1855, the weapons available to the United States Army left much to be desired in terms of firepower. Their limited range and lack of accuracy meant that they could not be relied upon to render the final decision in battle. The tactical system of 1855, however, blended this firepower with the shock action effect of bayonets and sabres, permitting the capabilities of the weaponry to be maximized on the battlefield while at the same time minimizing the deficiencies.

This harmony between …

Compressed Digital Video Instructional Delivery: A Study Of Student Achievement, Student Attitude, And Instructor Attitude, Eddyth Niceler Worley

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate compressed digital video as an instructional delivery system for distance learning. The independent variable was delivery mode. Two levels of this variable were considered. Level 1 was one-way video/two-way audio. Level 2 was two-way video/two-way audio. Student achievement, student attitude, and instructor attitude were measured as dependent variables.

A quasi-experimental study comparing the two delivery modes was conducted. Two treatment groups were established. Both groups received instruction simultaneously from the same instructors. Instructors used both treatment modes (delivery systems) during instruction.

Instructor and student subjects were naval, civilian and military personnel involved …

A Comparison Of Decision-Making Variables Used By Dual-Career Couples, Margaret K. Conrad

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The increasing number of households transitioning from traditional oneworker families to dual-career families has created complex issues for the individual, the family, employers, and society in general. Learning more about how these dual-career couples make decisions will help provide a better capability to tailor counseling needs to these individuals, as well as guide policy for employers. This study examined 115 dual-career spouses from four different occupational groups: Air Force, Army, Navy, and civilian organizations. The participants consisted of 54 husbands and 61 wives who completed a questionnaire designed for this study. The survey measured 12 decision-making variables identified in a …

The Evolution And Implementation Of Eisenhower's "New Look" Foreign Policy: Guatemala, Jonathan Joseph York

History Theses & Dissertations

In 1954, a United States assisted coup ousted the freely elected Jacobo Arbenz Guatemalan government. The Eisenhower administration took action because it believed the Guatemalan government was influenced by a communist movement directed from Moscow. Eisenhower's "New Look" foreign policy, a continuation of the containment theory, utilized and revitalized the inner core of the Executive Branch to achieve its objective of eliminating the communist menace emanating from Guatemala. The strategy that supported Eisenhower's policy was successful largely due to conducive political and public opinion in the United States and instability within Guatemala. The "New Look" strategy incorporated use of diplomatic …

From Roman Britain To Norman England Continuity And Change - C. A. D. 284 - 1066, Gary Philip Priolo

History Theses & Dissertations

Prior to the Norman Conquest English Society was different in many ways. To understand these differences one must look at the various influences that over eight centuries combined to create Saxon England. This study examines how Saxon English society was created from the contributions of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, church, and Vikings.

Contemporary authors such as Bede and Gildas, and supporting archeological evidence indicate that the invaders and Christian missionaries had a significant impact on the native population of medieval Britain. Evidence suggests that the Romano-Britons were either killed or put to flight by the Anglo-Saxon settlers, the church first converted …

The American Influence On The Mindanao Resistance During The Second World War, Michael Anthony Balis

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the American participation in the development of resistance against the Japanese on Mindanao Island in the Philippines, 1942-1945. Americans directed the overall resistance movement and commanded most of the provinces. As leaders Americans played a key role in the evolution of the resistance from an independent guerrilla force to a partisan force that gave U.S. forces combat and intelligence assistance. The most important information for the thesis came from the MacArthur Archives, the Hayden Papers at the University of Michigan, the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, and correspondence with 14 men who served with …

Towards The 21st Century: Long Cycles And The Future Of The United States, John Davis

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

With a plethora of declinist literature positing the decline and eventual dissolution of the American order, "Towards the Twenty-first Century: Long Cycles and the Future of the United States" offers a new perspective on the world leadership position of the United states. Using the literature on long cycles as its instrument, this study argues that there will be a continuation of U.S. systemic leadership through the twenty-first century.

Three American Resistance Leaders In The Philippine Islands During World War Ii, Brian W. Mclean

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis compares the effectiveness of three Americans who led major guerrilla groups against the Japanese in the Philippine Islands during World War II. It is limited to Wendell Fertig on Mindanao, James Cushing on Cebu, and Russell Volckmann on Luzon. Previous works addressed only individual leaders; this thesis compares different leaders.

The thesis concludes that although differences did exist in how each individual officer rose to command, all three were effective in leading resistance efforts against the Japanese. The greatest differences among them were the amount of support they received from MacArthur's General Headquarters Southwest Pacific Area (GHQ SWPA) …