Twilight Struggle in Life

OK, so I am a really die-hard board game fan. My all-time favorite is probably Twilight Struggle, a two-person competition game that attempts to revive the decades of the Cold War through true historical events. You can find a biref explanation here on Board Game Geeks.

One of my random hobbies when exploring the world is to find places where that place made a historical connection via one of the cards in Twilight Struggle. The game has a little over 100 cards, and I have been making my attempts in corresponding them. So below are my progress so far, as well as short explanation of why I think there is a connection between the card and the place I was at.

Note: the historical part of these cards are from Twilight Strategy.

06 - The China Card

Historical Time: 1949 – Present

History: The People’s Republic of China played a pivotal role during the Cold War. While the PRC’s influence was largely limited to satellites in Asia, the country was important to the uneasy balance of power that ultimately descended upon the post-WWII world. While beginning as an ally of the USSR, China became a counter-balance to Soviet influence in Asia during the later stages of the Cold War.

Picture Taken: April 2024

Picture Place: Historical site for the First CCP Convention, Shanghai, China

Rationale: A brilliantly designed card that captures the position of China in the Civil War in such an eloquent fashion, to the extent that this is the only card that the designers talked about in the original rule book. While the first instinct is to shoot this in front of the Tian’anmen Square or the People’s Monument, the political symbolism can be applied to many of the China event cards. So I travelled to Shanghai to take this, to the little house in more than 100 years ago, back to where it all started…

07 - Socialist Governments

Historical Time: 1947

History: Beginning with the end of the Second World War, the US was challenged by democratic leftist movements within its sphere. Italy, under de Gasperi, was particularly contentious with communists and socialists participating in government. The CIA funded an extensive propaganda program against these movements. Socialist governments would be the topic of concern again during the 1960s in France, and with left-wing labor party in the UK.

Picture Taken: July 2024

Picture Place: Streets of Bologna, Italy

Rationale: As my dear Italian friend Giulia Ganovelli told me, the city of Bolonga is known as “Bologna la Rossa (Red Bologna)” for the locals. As to why, allow me to quote the Bolognians themselves:

“Bologna la Rossa peculiarity derives from the use of bricks with which towers and palaces were built in the Middle Ages. “Il mattone bolognese” (the Bolognese brick) represents the tradition of masonry that over the centuries, especially since the dissolution of the Roman Empire, has remained mainly in those territories that go from Romagna to Lazio).

But red, as we know, is also the color of the Communist Party, which in the capital of Emilia, had particularly taken root, especially during the period of the Resistance. Here the population has always favored left-wing parties, so much so that in the Seventies, many Red Brigade members were born within the various collectives of the city and even today the bond between the people of Bologna, the students, the workers and the socialists is very strong.“

Also, this is especially fitting thinking about the game itself, as Socialist Governments is especially powerful as a Turn 1 Headline followed by an AR1 play into Italy, brutally dominating Europe at the very beginning of the game.

09 - Vietnam Revolts

Historical time: 1946

History: Ho Chi Minh tried repeatedly to enlist the aid of the Truman Administration for independence. His letters never received a response. The French government, with support from the US and Britain, attempted to reestablish its colony in Indochina. The attempted was doomed and would lead to disaster at Dien Bien Phu.

Picture taken: July 2022

Picture place: U.S. Vietnam War Memorial, Washington DC, United States

Rationale: although Vietnam Revolt itself is a domestic event lef by Ho Chi Minh, the fear of Vietnam becoming red is what feared the U.S. government, thus the commencement of the Vietnam War and all the unnecessary lives lost in on foreign soil. Vietnamese might learned their history and the rules of international relations better than anyone else (Poland might be the strong contender), that it is a barbaric system, that whoever had the larger fist has the more rightousness, that truth is within range of the artillery. But it should never be only cast with a patriotic rhythm, for the nationalist undertune might darkens the melody. Think Brexit. Or more pop-culture, the Graduate. Are happy endings really endings? What comes next?

11 - The Korean War

Historical time: 1950 – 1953

History: Sparked by a North Korean invasion across the 38th parallel, the Korean War would be the first war sanctioned by the United Nations. There were 15 nations beyond the US and South Korea with combat forces attempting to defend South Korean independence. MacArthur’s campaign to the Yalu River provoked a Chinese response that reset the war to its starting positions on the 38th parallel.

Picture taken: February 2024

Picture place: Broken Bridge to North Korea, Dandong, China

Rationale: My hometown Dandong is a boarder city between China and North Korea. To me, the idea of North Koreans defecting to the China side of the river is simply quotidien life. Many restaurants here are bilingual in Chinese and Korean, and most North Koreans spend the rest of their life in this city, for they don’t have the proper ID to get on public transportations to leave. When I got older, I travelled to the West, to hear the Europeans and Americans talk about North Korea as some distant idea of a joke. To me I never resonated — to me, North Korea is always that country on the other side of the river.

I’m not sure which photo the designers used to depict the event from the American perspective, but I am absolutely certain this is the definitive photograhic memory from the Chinese perspective — “中国人民志愿军跨过鸭绿江”.

15 - Nasser

Historical time: 1954 – 1970

History: One of the giants in the Pan-Arab movement, Gamal Abdel Nasser rose to power through military coup. Attempting to steer an independent course during the Cold War, he provoked western governments by accepting Soviet aid, and nationalizing commercial property—the Suez Canal being the most prominent example. Egypt, under his leadership, was viewed as a Soviet client, and would serve as a Russian proxy during repeated wars with Israel. He died in office after 18 years of service, having frustrated the attempts of a variety of domestic and international enemies.

Picture taken: June 2024*

Picture place: Nasser Metro Station, Cairo, Egypt

Rationale: I did not actually take this picture. As you can clearly verify, no card with Nasser is in the picture. This is ebcause I did not bring my Twilight Deck to Cario, and while I could get the card out on my phone, I have no other device to take this picture.

17 - De Gaulle Leads France

Historical time: 1958 – 1969

History: Founder of France’s Fifth Republic, De Gaulle’s role during the Cold War is generally viewed through the lens of his second presidency. While still a western ally, De Gaulle attempted to establish France as an independent voice within the confines of the western camp. He developed an independent nuclear deterrent, withdrew from NATO’s unified command structure, and criticized US policy in Vietnam. He also pursued increased trade and cultural relations with the Soviet Bloc. He sought in all things to restore France to her former place of greatness in world affairs.

Picture taken: February 2022

Picture place: Charles de Gaulle Statue, Paris, France

Rationale: attending a conference on Valentine’s Day 2022 in Paris, I was not in the particular state to recall packing some Twilight cards on the way. However as I take the free time walking the entirety of Avenue de Champs-Élysées, I looked up and found Mr. De Gaulle right there. Salute to you then, sir, and to the legacy of this republic. Viva la France!

21 - NATO

Historical time: 1949

History: The second part of the US strategy to rebuild Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) became synonymous with the West’s opposition to the Soviet Union. An oft repeated maxim for NATO’s purpose captures it nicely: “NATO was created to keep the Soviets out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.”

Picture taken: March 2022

Picture place: Dwilight E. Eisenhower Birthplace, Denison, Texas, United States

Rationale: although Truman founded NATO, it is unfortunate that I found myself in the Eisenhower’s birthplace and not Truman’s, and I had to make shift of what I had. Eisenhower was supreme Commander of NATO before he resigned to campaign for this presidency, to which he was eventually successful in the Election of 1952. This picture was also taken in a time where this long-forgotten organization in the eyes of public has suddenly revived from history: it was taken two weeks after Russia’s failed blitz to conquer Ukraine.

23 - Marshall Plan

Historical time: 1947

History: On June 5, Secretary of State George C. Marshall announced to the world the US plan to reconstruct all of Europe. Due to Soviet pressure, Eastern European states did not participate. However, for the 16 nations of Western Europe that did, the Marshall Plan marked the first step on the road to recovery and ultimate victory in the Cold War.

Picture taken: March 2022

Picture place: National World War II Historical Museum, New Orelans, Lousianna, United States

Rationale: who would have thought that the National World War II Historical Museum would be in New Orleans??? My top guesses would have been the DC, New York, or Honolulu. I would have even accepted Norfolk, but apparently New Orleans is vital. Anyone who has played the game knows the power of Marshall, especially as an U.S. Turn 1 headline. Marshall is a smart guy — he’s always got a plan.

Coda: when I was in Prague taking Eastern European Unrest, I showed my Czech friend the deck and told him about the project. He scrolled through the deck and found Marshall. His reaction? “This was the plan that we should have gone on.”

25 - Containment

Historical time: 1947

History: A term coined by diplomat and Sovietologist George Kennan, it came to form the cornerstone of US policy toward the Soviet Union during the early Cold War. It found early application in the Truman Doctrine and sought to “contain” Communism to those areas where it already existed.

Picture taken: March 2022

Picture place: Dwilight E. Eisenhower Birthplace, Denison, Texas, United States

Rationale: again, this is a Truman idea Truman but taken outside Eisenhower’s birthplace. Truman is much more the founder of this containment, for it’s part of Truman’s Doctorine, not Eisenhower’s Doctorine. But, I consider the Truman-Eisenhower relationship on Containment (and liekwise NATO) much like Caesar and Augustus: Caesar drew the blueprint, but Augustus finished the job. Although Truman’s presidency overlapped with the beginnings of Cold War, the hallmark of that Era — McCarthyism, for example — occured under the Eisenhower Administration.

26 - CIA Created

Historical Year: 1947

History: In an effort to bring to a close the inter-service bickering that marred U.S. intelligence during WWII, President Truman created the United States’ first independent agency capable both of intelligence analysis and covert operations. Its 40 year cat-and-mouse game with its Soviet counterpart, the KGB, would be the stuff of legend, and one of the hallmarks of the Cold War.

Picture taken: July 2022

Picture place: CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia, United States

Rationale: as I am completing the great graduation road-trip around the United States, how is this not complete without a try at the gates of CIA? Obviously I cannot go inside the actual headquarters, but I guess they are fine with me camping outside taking a picture with the “Do Not Enter” sign. I also thank my friend Shannon Dong for hoping on the passenger seat althought she has no idea what I’m up to. Those were the days.

27 - U.S./Japan Mutual Defense Pact

Historical time: 1951

History: On September 8th the United States quietly extended its nuclear umbrella to its former Pacific rival. In doing so, it also soothed the nerves of Japan’s neighbors about a remilitarized Japan appearing on the world scene. In exchange, Japan played host to America’s forward presence in Asia. Japan effectively became an unsinkable aircraft carrier for both the Vietnam and Korean wars. Obviously, US reliance on Japanese products during the ensuing conflicts greatly aided Japan’s economic recovery and eventual economic might.

Picture taken: March 2022

Picture place: National World War II Historical Museum, New Orelans, Lousianna, United States

Rationale: one might interrogate why something in the World War II museum mgiht shed light on the cold war; but closer examination on the background of this photo would explain it much more. Ten years before the Mutual Defense Pact, the Japanese “staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor”, as the sign suggests. Who would have thought on the day which will live in infamy that ten years later, Japan would be virtually occupied by the United States, and they would now be instead allies.

30 - Decolonization

Picture taken: September 2023

Picture place: In front of Buckingham Palace, London, United Kingdom

Picture taken: April 2024

Picture place: In front of the Hong Kong Parliament, Hong Kong SAR, China

Historical time: 1947 – 1979

History: While it is hard to put precise dates on the decolonization process, those dates chosen represent two of the most significant decolonization successes. Sparking the retreat from empire was Britain’s fulfilled promise of independence for India in 1947. At the other extreme, Rhodesia’s first majority elections spelled doom for the apartheid system.

Rationale: only after I began my studies in a master in education where I find that the word “decolonization” actually means more than just a 2 Ops Soviet event, or a simple political event that is about independence. The chain of political impact necessarily carried social implications to what is “colonial” in the way that we think and we do, forming a formidable part of my curriculum. However, at the end of the day, perhaps it is appropriate to look back where it came from. The British Empire’s set might have finally set.

Coda: it is imperative that this word is spelled with a “z”, not a “s”.

32 - UN Intervention

Historical time: 1947 – ?

History: The United Nations remained generally unable to influence the struggle between the superpowers due to Security Council veto power throughout the Cold War. However, it occasionally stood as a gauge for world opinion, and could mediate in stalled conflicts throughout the Third World. It was also the backdrop for a number of quintessential moments of the conflict, including the Soviet Korean War walkout, the “We Will Bury You” speech, and of course, the Cuban Missile Crisis—don’t wait for the translation Mr. Zorin!

Picture taken: June 2022

Picture place: United Nation Headquarters, New York City, New York, United States

Rationale: on the graduation trip from DC to Boston, I planned an eight hour drive that will essentially exhaust me. Two hours in I realize that I am passing through NYC, and thus, UN Intervention. I never was fold of the city and understand the impact of this detour. But I judged that if I don’t do this, it’d be never. I paid $16 through the Lincoln tunnel, switch the emergency lights on to avoid parking fee of $14 per 15 minutes, and in front of the UN Headquarters, quickly shot UN Intervention. I arrived Boston around midnight, fell aslepp directly, only to wake up next day and found my car towed and a $152 tow fee awaits. Who would have understood anything I did I would never know; but a part in me said that all of this was worth it.

35 - Formosan Resolution

Historical time: 1955

History: Reacting to the “loss of China” the United States Congress extended to President Eisenhower open ended authority to defend Taiwan—technically known as the Republic of China on Taiwan—with military force. The resolution came at a time when the United States faced challenges from the People’s Republic in Indochina as well as the Korean peninsula. Effectively, Taiwan sat under the US nuclear umbrella, and the balance of power within the Taiwan Straits would now remain a question of strategic importance to the United States.

Picture taken: March 2022

Picture place: National World War II Historical Museum, New Orelans, Lousianna, United States

Rationale: it should be made clear first that “Formosa” is simply another term for Taiwan, as it often creates much confusion to rookies. Same thing that the person “Chiang Kai-shek” is not a random John Doe but the Generalissimo Jiang Jieshi himself. When Truman laid the Seventh Fleet on the Taiwan Strait, he might knew that the militray implications of such action has written history for China as well. This photo demands a re-take if I ever visit Taiwan sometime in my life later, to which I am fairly confident I will. But as to which flag and ideology the island will swear alligiance to at the time of visit — for that I am much less sure.

40 - Cuban Missile Crisis

Historical Year: 1962

History: The mere mention of this event elicits fears of the nuclear holocaust that almost was. For 14 days in October 1962, the two superpowers seemed destined to clash directly about the Soviet emplacement of Medium Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBMs) and Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) in Cuba. To prevent the installation of additional offensive weapons in Cuba, John F. Kennedy declared a naval quarantine around Cuba. Tensions reached a near breaking point when a U-2 flight was shot down over Cuba, and Khrushchev demanded US missiles be removed from Turkey in exchange for Soviet missiles being removal from Cuba. Ultimately, Khrushchev was compelled to settle for a US pledge not to invade Cuba, and a private agreement to resolve NATO’s missile bases in Turkey.

Picture taken: March 2023

Picture place: The Sixth Floor*, Dallas, Texas, United States

*Note: Oswald fired the shots in the sixth floor of a building seeing the streets of Dallas. That floor is now turned into the JFK memorial museum, named “The Sixth Floor”. Thus the place is really about Kennedy’s legacy.

Rationale: This deal always reminded me of Monopoly. We knew that if we start with similar beginning cash it’d always be hard-fought or down to luck; if someone else begin with two or three times the capital they’d almost never lose. On paper USSR traded Cuba for Turkey; on another perspective, US traded one of the bases for the only threat that the USSR had in the Americas. The U.S. learned from never being held at gunpoint (or more precisely, nuclear-warhead-point), and turned the New World as their backyard. You see, if they have more chips than you, they don’t need too much to beat you into an all-in.

And you’d frankly, lose.

42 - Quagmire

Historical time: 1964 – 1975

History: It is hard to put a precise date on when US involvement in Vietnam ceased to be support for an anti-communist counter-insurgency and became instead an inextricable quagmire. However, Congressional passage of the Gulf of Tonkin resolution seems like as good a point as any. With hindsight, it is clear that the United States confused the very nature of the conflict that they were fighting. Vietnam was fundamentally a war of national liberation—a struggle that had begun centuries before against Chinese dominance, then French, then Japanese and finally the United States. While the American government may have never realized that they had fallen into the role of “foreign oppressor,” that fact did not diminish Vietnamese resistance. Like most colonial wars, it came down to a calculus of cost. US interests were simply not worth the costs in national morale, military manpower and economic resources that Vietnam was consuming. But humbling a superpower is a long process, and so it was in Vietnam.

Picture taken: July 2022

Picture place: U.S. Vietnam War Memorial, Washington DC, United States

Rationale: My last semester at college, I took a “safety” class in United States History to secure my U.S. teaching licensure. Little did I knew that it turned out to be my favorite class. What the U.S. did to Vietnam, its every choice and decision, leading up to the Saigon moment, and a whole lot of Henry Kissenger, I was lectured — from an American point of view. From the Chinese point of view, is it really a good idea that Vietnam is united? Or should it be kept separated, like Germany and Korea? Americans can fly their people out of Vietnam, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan can call it a day; its geographical neighbors suffer the consequences of American intervention. To those who died under Vietnam forests: did you really knew what you were fighting for? Or was the answer really blowing in the wind?

55 - Willy Brandt

Historical Year: 1969

History: An ardent socialist and opponent of the Nazi party during his youth, Willy Brandt led the West German Socialist Democratic party to the Chancellorship in 1969. There he implemented the same pragmatic approach to east-west linkages that had characterized his mayorship of West Berlin. Termed Ostpolitik, under Brandt, West Germany normalized relations with the Soviet Union, Poland and Czechoslovakia. While not abandoning the notion of German reunification, he acknowledged the inviolability of existing borders and went on to normalize relations with East Germany. Ultimately, his government was brought down by an internal spy scandal.

Picture taken: March 2023

Picture place: The Sixth Floor*, Dallas, Texas, United States

Rationale: One German friend once asked me why East Asian countries are so hostile to each other, as European countries are much nicer and they would learn each other’s languages even though they have fought each other for centuries. I think Willy Brandt might such a good answer. Germans reflect the past, understand the apst, and know twhat to do to not repeat the past. Although the Jewish community will not forget, but they might forgave Germany that they when he knelt in Warsaw. Countries need to do what they need to do to be forgiven, to be re-accepted, and to move on. Some countries don’t.

58 - The Cultural Revolution

Historical Year: 1966 – 1977

History: While primarily representative of an internal power struggle within the People’s Republic of China, the Cultural Revolution had profound international implications. As Mao Zedong felt increasingly marginalized by moderates within the Chinese Communist party, he lashed out to restore ideological purity and train the next generation of revolutionaries. The resulting turmoil of purges, denunciations, and creation of the Red Guard brought China to the brink of civil war. It also made more pronounced, the rupture between China and the Soviet Union. However, the anarchy and isolationism that reigned made rapprochement between the United States and the PRC impossible. As the Nixon administration took office, the gulf between the two nations appeared wider than ever.

Picture taken: March 2024

Picture place: Mao Zedong Memorial Fine Arts Park (橘子洲头), Changsha, China

Rationale: Error 404 — comment not found

59 - Flower Power

Historical Year: 1965 – 1970

History: A term reportedly coined by the poet Allen Ginsberg, “flower power” came to represent the nonviolence and peace movements of the 1960s. The classical context for the phrase was the placement of daisies into rifle muzzles, and the anti-war slogan “make love, not war.” Flower power is also representative of the general ambivalence to the use of military force that resulted from the American experience in Vietnam.

Picture taken: November 2022

Picture place: Radcliffe Camera, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Rationale: Two historical events were pictured in the same spot in a place that seemingly has no connections, but Flower Power, like the other event (Solidarity), transcends its original historical context because of its inherent political nature. After the Urmuqi Fire in November 24, 2022, hundreds of protests were organized within China and worldwide for vigils, as well speak-outs against China’s COVID policy. The protests ultimately gave enourmous pressure for China to open up, as many restrictions were lifted in early Demeber. By end of 2022, most restrictions have been lifted. I am very glad to be a witness of the patroitism demonstrated by Chinese students in Oxford, for all of its flowers and candles. Indeed, 逝者安息，人民万岁 (let the dead rest in peace; let the people long live forever). The images of the Shanghai protest, as well as the original Flower Power protests, has struck me deep in thinking about the power of public voice. So here they are again.

62 - Lone Gunman

Historical Year: 1963

History: While campaigning in Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. Two commissions, the Warren Commission, and the House Select Committee on Assassinations, differed over whether or not Oswald acted alone. In any case, the circumstances of the President’s death threw the country into a panic and created ample opportunity for conspiracy theories ranging from the Mafia, the Cuban government, the KGB and America’s own CIA. It also marked the beginning of a string of high profile political assassinations in the United States that would include Dr. Martin Luther King and John Kennedy’s brother (and Democratic Presidential candidate) Robert Kennedy. These untimely deaths shook American confidence and added to the malaise of the Vietnam era.

Picture taken: March 2023

Picture place: The Sixth Floor*, Dallas, Texas, United States

Rationale: Lee Harvey Oswald. John Wilkes Booth. Why do successful asssains of U.S. Presidents were always known by their full full name? I shall not know. There’s always speculation of what happened that day — were there one man or where there two? Were there three shots fired or four? There were some people outsid ethe building that were explaining multiple theories of the assasination, but like mnay things, we shall never know.

One thing I knew, and I advocated for, was the impact of the Lone Gunman event in gameplay. I have been a proponent that “Ask Not…” can no longer be played for the event if Lone Gunman has already been played for event. The reason is simple: how can Kennedy gives his inaugural speech if he’s already dead? I mean, sure you can argue that this might also hold for Alliance for Progress, One Small Step and other stuff, but I feel like it’s just balancing the Mid War a bit more, and incentivizes the USSR player to play Lone Gunman for the event, and Ask Not is such a strong card that it should make an interesting connection here.

63 - Colonial Rear Guards

Historical time: 1946 – 1988

History: The Cold War was instigated in the context of an evolving international system. As the world relinquished a multi-polar system comprised of polyglot empires, it replaced it with a bi-polar system dominated by continental nation states. Anti-colonial movements tended to have strong anti-western sentiments, as the foremost colonial powers were now in the western camp. However, the drive to independence was not uniform, nor uniformly successful. Several long rear-guard actions were fought by the colonial powers that either lengthened their stay or maintained a quasi-colonial relationship with the newly independent country. British intervention in Malaya (1948), the French resistance to Algerian independence (1954) and South African intransigence in Namibia (1966) all serve as examples of this aspect of the post colonial experience.

Picture taken: April 2024

Picture place: In front of the Hong Kong Parliament, Hong Kong SAR, China

Rationale: These are curious times for the island. The old days with the colonizers are long gone, but they might not be fully content being a client state of a nearby superpower. Perhaps the current trend to stick with the British way may not be genuine adorance of the past; perhaps they are indirect protests to the reality of the present.

66 - Puppet Governments

Historical time: 1949 – Present

History: Not a concept unique to the Cold War, the term “puppet governments” refers to a regime that holds power due to, and with the support of, either the Soviet Union or the United States. A derisive term, it is almost always used by the opponents of a state to undermine the government’s legitimacy. Both the Soviets and the Americans would apply the term to any closely allied state, but it might be better understood in the context of the Diem government in South Vietnam or Mariam government of Ethiopia.

Picture taken: April 2024

Picture place: In front of the Hong Kong Parliament, Hong Kong SAR, China

Rationale: The revolts in 2019 had great impact for Hong Kong. From the introduction of the National Security Law, to reshuffles in the Parliament and the head of Hong Kong, no one knows what the future holds at 2047, when the promsied time runs out for Hong Kong to keep its capitalist structure. But who can really say they understood “one country, two systems”? What does it mean to identify with Hong Kong? The British have something to say, the Chinese have something to say, the world have something to say — but when did we hear the voice from the local Hong Kong people?

68 - John Paul II Elected Pope

Historical time: 1978

History: The first non-Italian to be elected Pope since the 16th Century, Pope John Paul II represented a rejuvenation of Catholic influence upon the world stage. The United States gave formal diplomatic recognition to the Papacy for the first time in its history. As a Pope elected from communist Poland, John Paul II presented an enormous challenge for Poland’s leadership. To criticize the new papacy would only alienate the public, to embrace it would be antithetical to communist doctrine. Furthermore, John Paul II was known to be an ardent critic of communism. John Paul’s election marked a turning point in internal Polish political dynamics that would culminate in the Solidarity movement. Mikhail Gorbachev remarked that the fall of the iron curtain would have been impossible without John Paul II.

Picture taken: July 2024

Picture place: Grave of John Paul II, Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, Vatican City

Rationale: I was completely off gaurd on my Italy trip, and I thought I was visiting Vatican City just because it was free on that Sunday. Only when I was exiting that museum I saw the hallway of the Popes, and alas, there stood John Paul. With some time left in the day, I visited the Basilica, and alas, I did not knew this is where also his grave was.

72 - Sadat Expels The Soviets

Historical time: 1972

History: Anwar Sadat was an early participant in anti-colonial activities against the British-sponsored Egyptian monarchy. He became vice president under Nasser, and inherited a deteriorating relationship with the USSR when he transitioned into the presidency. The Soviets refused Egyptian demands for increased economic and military aid, and the Egyptians were trying hard to keep a foot in both camps. In reaction, Sadat expelled the 5,000 Soviet military advisors and 15,000 air force personnel in Egypt. After the brokered Mideast peace following 1973 war, Sadat became convinced of the need for closer relations with Washington.

Picture taken: June 2024

Picture place: Nasser Metro Station, Cairo, Egypt

Rationale: Again, I had no chacne to take an actual picture as I did not have the deck with me. It is worth noting that in the Ciaro System, both Sadat and Nasser are stations in downtown Cairo, with stations adjacent to each other.

74 - The Voice of America

Historical time: 1947

History: Formed in 1942 under the War Information Office, the VOA initially broadcast war news into Nazi occupied Europe. In 1947, it altered its mission to begin broadcasting into the Soviet Union. Voice of America has become one of the best known international broadcast efforts in the world. It provided a powerful outside link to the state-controlled media systems of the Eastern Bloc. Together with Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, Voice of America became a hallmark of US public diplomacy efforts during the Cold War.

Picture taken: June 2022

Picture place: In front of Voice of American Headquarters, Washington D.C., United States

Rationale: many people thought that the Voice of America must got diabanded after the Soviet Union collapsed. Actually this is not the case. VOA remained and thrived, but its work focus is now primarily covering Chinese affairs. If you want to see all the terrible things that China is doing, look no further than VOA China’s Home Page! As one of the scariest events that the U.S. can play, it is a constant reminder that the free press, although holds no political position in public office, can be equally destructive than an atomic bomb in the political sense, sometimes much more. I end with an all-timer favorite Soviet political joke.

When Gorbachev first took office as General Secreatary, he is troubled by the Soviet State and often times has hard time sleeping. During an early morning he walked to the balcony of his bedroom with only his underwears to think about the future. A moment later, he hears his wife Misha to tell him to at least put his pants on.
Gorbachev was shocked. “Dear Misha, how do you know? You are in your own bedroom, how can you even see me?”
Misha replied, “I can’t see you dear, but I’m listening to the Voice of America.”

77 - "Ask Now What You Can Do"

Historical Year: 1961 – 1973

History: The seminal line of perhaps the most powerful inaugural address ever given by a US president, President Kennedy ushered in an era of American confidence and resolve during the Cold War. Popular with American youth, Kennedy inspired a renewed dedication for public service both with ambitious goals for government sponsored science and youth oriented public service like the Peace Corps. His call for selfless dedication to the needs of the nation reflected the passion of a restless generation of young Americans eager to make their mark upon the world.

Picture taken: March 2023

Picture place: The Sixth Floor, Dallas, Texas, United States

Rationale: “Ask what you can do for your country”. Or, more simply, “Ask what you can do”. That’s a pretty cool slogan. Maybe some college school of government should take it and use it as theirs. Kennedy remain the only U.S. President in history that is not a declared Protestant; he is a Catholic. And what a charming person that can overturn the hidden rules of the American Society in his favor. I wonder if Americans look back at the “dark days” where equal rights were still being achieved, that the country’s economy is not booming, but the days where a country is gallant, brave, and above all, United — what would they make of the days that got us to today?

78 - Alliance for Progress

Historical Year: 1961 – 1973

History: Initiated by President Kennedy as a counter for growing Cuban influence in Central and South America, the Alliance for Progress was to help integrate the economies of North and Latin America. Emphases for the program included land reform, democratic reform and tax reform. By the late 60’s the United States had become fully embroiled in Vietnam and South Asia, thus aid for Latin America waned. Furthermore, few Latin American countries proved willing to undertake the required reforms. As a result, the Organization of American States disbanded its “permanent” Alliance for Progress Committee in 1973.

Picture taken: March 2023

Picture place: The Sixth Floor, Dallas, Texas, United States

Rationale: While the USSR made its Eastern Euroepan countries its “alliance” countries under the Warsaw Pact, similarily the United States does its mirror in the Americas. Although not a military agreement, the U.S. wanted absolute control of the Americas so that there is no fire in the backyard. That is also a good explanation of why there are constant political coups in Central and South Americas, most to the favor of the U.S. This is also evident in gameplay that the USSR is at a signficiant disadvantage in the Americas (besides from the measly Allende and Liberation Theology, while the US has a host of options). Ortega might be DEFCON suicide but it’s out way too late to be a game-changer. It still is the case today: most of the American countries can be visited visa-free if the bearer of the passport has already recieved an U.S. visa.

80 - One Small Step

Historical Year: 1961 – 1969

History: After years of lagging behind Soviet space exploits, the United States put its full intellectual and economic weight behind the “race to the moon”. President Kennedy initiated Project Mercury. Ultimately, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration would overcome enormous technological hurdles to place a man on the moon. As Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot upon the moon’s surface, descended from the space craft, he uttered the immortal line “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” In so doing, he confirmed an American come-back victory in the space race between the superpowers.

Picture taken: March 2022

Picture place: NASA Space Center, Houston, Texas, United States

Rationale: “Houston — we have a problem.”

This picture remains one of my all-time shots and it is part of my PC wallpaper series. I get to get inside NASA, and the backdrop are previous versions of launch pods, where astranauts and cosmonauts actually train to prpare their journey to space. How cool is that? I hope that one day our Taikonauts will do likewise: placing a man (or a woman) on the Moon and returning them safely back to Earth.

Space — out final frontier. Who wouldn’t geek out?

83 - The Iron Lady

Historical Year: 1979 – 1990

History: In many ways presaging the “Reagan revolution” in the United States, Margaret Thatcher led a rejuvenation of the conservative movement in the United Kingdom. An ardent anti-communist, Thatcher received the moniker “Iron Lady” from the Soviet newspaper, “The Red Star.” Thatcher provided the perfect partner for Ronald Reagan, and together, they renewed the “special relationship” that formed the lynchpin of the post-war Atlantic Alliance. Thatcher’s finest moment may have been her vigorous defense of Britain’s colonial outpost in the Falkland Islands. The military junta ruling Argentina launched an invasion of what they referred to as the Malvinas Islands. In a sharp, short military action, the UK expelled the Argentinian forces, and restored some small luster to Britain’s former imperial pretensions. Thatcher reigned through the close of the Cold War, and is Britain’s longest serving prime minister.

Picture taken: August 2023

Picture place: Margaret Thatcher Center, Somerville College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

Rationale: T’was the day before I leave Oxford, and Jessie agreed that we should find Margaret Thatcher inside Somerville College. And after seven turns, of course we would end up in nowhere else than an entire center for her namesake. It was an opportunity for me to learn about Thatcher really as a person, and what she advocated, and how she and Reagan together saw the end of the Soviet Union. But despite what people believed about her policies, I believe her as a person — the fact that SHE is the Prime Minister will encourage so many women to be involved in becoming politicians.

96 - Tear Down This Wall

Historical Year: 1987

History: In a speech that hearkened back to Kennedy’s address in front of the Berlin wall, Ronald Reagan challenged newly installed Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan, with the Brandenburg gate in the background, declared: “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” While provocative, the speech leveled a difficult criticism at the Soviet Union. Successful countries do not have to wall their citizens in. Two short years later, the Berlin Wall would come down.

Picture taken: September 2022

Picture place: Underground City, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Rationale: I was doing my Canada road trip and it was a day for me to citywalk Montreal (such a cool place, there should be a special issue on this coming). Underground city was such a marvelous place, but I couldn’t help but notice the oddity of some concrete brick in this palace. Only when reading the signs I realize that a part of the real Berlin Wall stood before me — when the Wall fell, the government preserved parts of the wall and gifted it to various cities of the world, and apparently one of them was sent to Underground city Montreal. Unprepared, I did not come with the card, so my phone did the job.

101 - Solidarity

Historical Year: 1980 – ?

History: A trade union movement originating in the Polish shipyards of Gdansk, Solidarity became the focal point for anti-communist resistance within the Eastern bloc. Solidarity quickly moved beyond a simple worker’s movement and rallied pro-Catholic, intellectuals and other social dissidents to its banner. Its toleration within a Warsaw Pact nation was unprecedented, and involved a cat and mouse game heavily reliant on public scrutiny of Soviet intentions, the prestige of the Polish Pope, John Paul II, and the political courage of its leader Lech Walesa. While Poland’s communist led government under Wojciech Jaruzelski did crack down on Solidarity and imprison much of its leadership, the organization went underground and began to regrow. By 1988, Solidarity led strikes had forced the Polish Communists into open negotiations.

Picture taken: November 2022

Picture place: Radcliffe Camera, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Rationale: Two historical events were pictured in the same spot in a place that seemingly has no connections, but Solidarity, like the other event (Flower Power), transcends its original historical context because of its inherent political nature. After the Urmuqi Fire in November 24, 2022, hundreds of protests were organized within China and worldwide for vigils, as well speak-outs against China’s COVID policy. The protests ultimately gave enourmous pressure for China to open up, as many restrictions were lifted in early Demeber. By end of 2022, most restrictions have been lifted. I am very glad to be a witness of the patroitism demonstrated by Chinese students in Oxford, for all of its flowers and candles. Indeed, 逝者安息，人民万岁 (let the dead rest in peace; let the people long live forever).

104 - The Cambridge Five

Historical Year: 1934 – 1963

History: The Cambridge Five (Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, John Cairncross, and Donald Maclean) were British civil servants who, unbeknownst to the British government, had become Communists while at university, and recruited as Soviet agents shortly thereafter. The spy ring was one of the most effective Soviet intelligence efforts of the Cold War, as all five rose to positions of great responsibility and trust in the civil service. Maclean, in particular, was privy to a large number of nuclear secrets; the information regarding the size and readiness of the Western nuclear arsenal played a key role in Stalin’s decisions to blockade Berlin and to arm the North Koreans for their invasion of South Korea. The spy ring fell apart when the U.S. VENONA project exposed Maclean; he and Burgess defected in 1951. Philby was able to elude exposure until 1963, passing secrets all the while; he too managed to defect. Blunt was unmasked around the same time, but secretly gave a confession, exposing other agents (including Cairncross).

Picture taken: August 2023

Picture place: King’s College Chapel, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Rationale: I had a 22-hour stay at Cambridge as part of my masters graduation trip, and I remembered to pack this card in my backpack before I left. Punting on the River Cam I wondered what life was like for the Five back in the days. Did they actually believe in the Socialist experiment? Or were they just keeping themselves alive from the KGB? Theses are Cambridge faculty, so they shoudn’t worry too much about making their bread. What did the Soviets do to turn them???

105 - Special Relationship

Historical time: 1946 – ?

History: The Special Relationship is a phrase used to describe the exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military, and historical relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, following its use in a 1946 speech by British statesman Winston Churchill. During the Second World War, the development of the atomic bomb required collaboration and trust between the British, Canadian, and American governments to a degree perhaps previously unimaginable. Additionally, in 1943, Britain made the crucial decision to share ULTRA codebreaking results directly with US intelligence. This relationship blossomed into the BRUSA Agreement, whose terms guided intelligence sharing throughout the Cold War. Even today, the UK and US remain the closest of allies, sharing military bases and economic ties throughout the world.

Picture taken: September 2023

Picture place: In front of U.S. Embassy to the United Kingdom, London, United Kingdom

Rationale: Where else would be a better place to capture this relationship, I could not think of. Occured to me that I should do a Twilight shot here, I did not thought of when I applied my tourist visa to the United States first. But it was done. Although the text is ambiguous about the power dynamics of this special relationship, one might say that as far as the U.S. is concerned, the U.K. might be a second child in their alliance framework…and of course, the favorite is Israel. Why even bother asking?

Epilogue

Of course, I hope to make constant updates to this page as I travel to more places of the world. Some new cards that I anticipate that I will hit in the near future include:

Olympic Games (Paris)
Nixon Visits China (Tian’anmen Square)
Five Year Plan (Ministry of Finance)
Ussuri Skirmish (Ussuri River)
Red Scare/Purge (ByteDance Headquarters)