Mikhail Gorbachev and the collapse of Communism

The definition of Glasnost is the declared public policy within the Soviet Union of openly and frankly discussing economic and political realities: initiated under Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985. Perestrokia was an economic and political reform in the USSR which occurred during the Russian Revolution. Upon being elected Gorbachev followed and pursued his own ideas. He followed his own ideas and demonstrated what a real government should be while straying away from Stalins ideas. Russia's history was ran by totalitarian rulers Gorbachev represented a turning point because he didn't follow this way of government. In 1985 he announced a glasnost, this marked a turning point because churches were opened, books were published and freedom of the press rised. Perestrokia was another policy Gorbachev brought to the Russian economy. This policy allowed people to own their own small businesses which weren't owned buy the government. This in a way marked the end of Communism, it proved that Communism wasn't affective and small businesses were needed for the success of the economy. He also introduced democratization, this allowed people to elect their own national leader through a list of candidates. Mikhail Gorbachev was one of the first leader who slowly strayed away from communism.He opened up the economy and allowed for positive change in Russia.

Collapse of Communism

The collapse of communism was a result of the end to the cold war. Russians did not have enough money to support other allied communism countries like Cuba. The arms race had taken the little money they had. The people of Germany were long separated due to their different political and economic systems. When the Berlin wall was torn down East and Western Germany once divided by communism and democracy were now able to reunite, join together and form social and economic ties. The reason the wall was torn down was because people began to want to travel more to eat and western Germany. Roads were being built, but the people became tired and attacked the wall and destroyed it. Communism became so unpopular because of leaders who took advantage of their positions like Stalin. There was a lot of money being robbed and dictatorships being formed. Communism was suppose to be an equal government and way of life for everyone, instead of having everyone be in the middle class, people just became very poor, this decreased the popularity of communism tremendously. After the fall of Communism The Soviets had to start all over again. Communism weighed down the USSR, and its collapse made the United States one of the biggest powers in the world.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid.

Apartheid was a racial segregation policy in Africa. It ran from 1948 to 1994. This policy did not give any rights to the black, mixed or Indian population of Africa.
Nelson Mandela was tired of the Apartheid policy, he wanted the liberation of Africans and minorities in Africa, throughout his life he constantly fought for the unity of the people, because this was the only way to beat the Europeans. His constant plea and struggles for freedom, lead him to jail which gave him more popularity and lead him to presidency in Africa. He was a good president who's 27 years spent in prison allowed him to become stronger and wiser creating journals and books of idea for his people and the road to independence. His ideas of "civil disobedience" were inspired by Ghandi and used by Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders such as AL Sharpton. His mission was to free the "oppressed and the oppressor". Which is why he is so admired by thousands of books and sites. Nelsons and Ghandi's ideas served as the basis for other black or national leaders. Promoting civil disobedience and eliminating the need some people have of getting physical or killing others as a way to prove their point. All his struggles awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

African Independance

Africa changed so much during 1955-1975, the African to began to study and become more educated. Many young men were enrolling and collage and a steady middle class began to emerge.They made the negritude movement, celebrating all Africans. One African leader who really made a difference was Kwame Nkrumah. He studied in the United States and went to the University of Pennsylvania. He often held boycotts and strikes and was often imprisoned by the British. Other leaders included Leopold Senghor, he was a poet and a politician. Through his poetry he was able to support African traditions and emphasized the need for Africa to separate from Europe.He later on became president of Africa. Finally in 1957 Africa gained its independence and established one of its first nations ran only by blacks, which was Ghana. The Africans were regaining power of Africa and slowly becoming stronger. The Africans were creating a middle class, people began to advance. Other African leaders included, Marcus Garvey, who although being Jamaican born focused on having Africans rise to full power of Africa. Jomo Kenyatta was another African leader, who studied and educated himself in London. He was a nationalist who led the African people toward independence.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

After the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Fidel Castro and many other governmental officials in Cuba felt that another attack was inedible. Cuba felt threatened by America and was looking for a way to defend themselves in case of an attack from the United States. Russia on the other hand, was considerably behind in Nuclear arms, during the Arms race. The United States quickly became a country to be feared. With their overwhelming amount of nuclear arms, we could easily attack anyone, and other countries like Russia had great to fear.
In order to protect themselves, Russia came up with a plan to put missiles in Cuba. Do to Cubans proximity to the United States this location was ideal. This would serve as one of Russia's strategic plans against the U.S in case of an attack. Fidel Castro quickly agreed to the missile plan from the Soviets, do to their need of protection as well. This way both Russia and Cuba would have benefits from the missile. The Cuban missile crisis became the closest time in period were Nuclear war became possible, this is why it is considered the hottest moment during the war.
When Kennedy found out about the missiles being built in Cuba, which was suppose to be a secret, he immediately launched the EX-COMM. It was a group of 12 important advisers who were capable of handling and managing the crisis. Kennedy's main focus now became to prevent more Soviets from arriving on the island of Cuba. On October 28th, teh situation was finally resolved, after a long time of tension, the United States finally came to an agreement with the Soviets, promising not to attack Cuba. Once the Russians felt sure of this promise they returned the missiles back to Russia.

NATO and the Warsaw Pact

The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was established April,4,1949. It was an agreement which involved 12 nations, some of these nations included the United states and the United Kingdom.The NATO was established with the singing of the North Atlantic Treaty. The NATO was basically a defensive system of alliance for some European countries and North America. The system was used as defense against the soviets and other countries, stating that if any country in the NATO, had to go to war, the other countries of the NATO would come to their aid. The NATO became very important the to the U.S, as the Soviets expanded in territory and spread communism, the NATO became an even greater symbol of the Unites States power.
The Warsaw pact was made up by the Soviet Union and its Satellite Countries. Satellite Countries were bordering countries around Russia. They were a method of protection for the Soviets. The Warsaw pact like the NATO was the Russians defense system. The Soviets kept military in their other countries, this was the Soviets first attempt to strengthen themselves after the war.

The right stuff

The United States and the Soviet Union were competing during the space race in the movie. When Russia sent the first satellite into space, America was infuriated. We wanted to win this race and by them putting the first satellite, it showed them to look better. The United States needed something more powerful, but putting a person in space was to risky, so instead we decided to send out a monkey into space. We looked really foolish when right after Russia followed up by sending the first Man into space. Although they seemed to be the victorious ones, at the end we one the space race because we were able to send the first man to the moon. The scene that I will most remember about the movie was when the man was trying to break the sound wave. I thought this scene was an important part of the movie because it showed the frustration of the US trying to break the sound barrier, and also our reaction when we were able to actually break it. This is the beginning of the movie and I feel it sets the tone for the rest of the film. The Warsaw pact was successful in showing neighboring European countries that they in fact were the biggest military and political power.

Schindler's List

Schindler's List, in my opinion did a great job in showing the
hardships that the Jews and others went through during the holocaust.The most powerfulscenes in the movie were, when the people were thrown from the ghettos and into the cramped trains. Many people were brutally shot and killed in the process of removing people from the ghettos.This scene was the most powerful in the movie, because since it's in the beginning it seems to follow you throughout the whole movie. Every time a new train arrives the scene of them being kicked out seems to reappear over and over again. These images stayed with me throughout the entire film, because putting my self in there shoes and having to be taken out of my home and possessions, is devastating to for those who tried to hide in there homes the way the Nazis stormed the homes at night and just started to shoot up everything killing all of those who were hiding. The man who tied himself under the bed, the lady in the piano, the woman and children under the floor boards and the man in thesewer system all these images were so powerful. They showed the risk or the extent that some people went through in order not to die or be taken away. It also made some look very smart,those who hid knew what was coming there way. Although in the movie they didn't survive it is those scenes which to me speak the most.

Night and Fog.

My reaction to Night and fog is that's, you can seem remnants and artifacts left behind by the victims. You can see the crematoria or the "hospital". You can see flashbacks and see the cabins or the latrines. Everything is left only you can't see the sounds, cries and hopelessness of the people. The camp is alone and quiet. This film is a very impactful because while the man is visiting the camp they show flashbacks and videos of the time were the Jews still lived in the camp. I thought, that the film was successful in getting it's point across. Schindler's List,in my opinion was just as good as the documentary, or maybe even better. I liked the movie slightly more because the movie, I felt gave me a better understanding of the Holocaust and all the suffering the Jews went through. The Hollywood movie, showed them starting in the ghetto, and how people hid and how many were shot and killed. I thought the movie was more effective because, It showed us how everything progressed from the beginning. This is why I liked the movie better. They showed us the journey of the people from beginning to end. Overall I feel that the hollywood version was more effective because I was able to understand the overall concept better.

The Treaty of Versailles (Ends WWI)

After WWI, Germany was blamed for the whole war. The war cost them nearly 10 percent of their land. Even their overseas colonies, were taken away by allies, who blamed Germany for their losses. German's economy was ruined along with their products and produce. After the War the German people, were left with nothing but their bitter feelings.
So what was the treaty of Versailles? It was an official peace treaty which officially ended the war. It was signed exactly 5 years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand,which was the same reason why the war started in the first place. Germany had been the second most powerful industrial nation in the world, after the United States. After WWI, Germany was lead to a dead end and was forced to accept all the terms the allies provided. It was a powerful humiliating defeat for Germany. All they were left with, was their guilt for starting the War, something they had to accept. Even though it wasn't fair. Later on Germany was again blamed for the causes of WW2. Many other countries used the excuse of the war to gain or take away power from Germany, who was one of the biggest powers in the world, at the time. After the war, many new countries formed such as Poland, who's land lies on what used to be Germany before the war. WWI and the treaty of Versailles lead to the great Depression in Germany. Many people lost their jobs and starved. The panic and fear of the people, led to the uprising of Hitler.

Mustaf Kemal (Ataturk) and the modernization of Tukey

"The major challenge facing us is to elevate our national life to the highest level of civilization and prosperity."


Secular means,not pertaining to or connected with religion. Mustaf Kemal, modernized Turkey by first getting rid of the Ottoman dynasty. This made a huge turning point, since the Ottoman dynasty lasted more than six centuries. After winning many wars, and taking them out of power, he was able to start a real government. He created the republic of Turkey, in 1923. There he was president for 15 years. He brought many reforms to his country, in things like politics, and economical aspects. His principals, of humanism and his vision of a united country, helped Turkey become what it is today.
In his path or way,to modernizing Turkey, a secular way of life and thinking allowed Turkey to advance. He was able to create a secular government and secular education. Do to his way of thinking, Turkey unlike many other countries in the world, is fully secular. He made it possible for people to be able to live normal equal lives, not mattering or depending on what religion you're a part of. He made a state, of the people and by the people. Under his control, the country became better, and more equal. He gave everyone their rightful place, even the peasants, who were neglected for many years. He stressed their importance in society.
Another way in which Kemal modernized Turkey was by changing the way people dressed. He brought many reforms to the people. Eventually people stopped wearing their religious clothing and began to wear, suites etc.. This was another way in which he helped modernize Turkey. Not only by what they wore but also by how they looked. Kemal truly modernized Turkey, in all aspects of life.

Gandhi

Gandhi,helped lead his nation of India to freedom, by first uniting the people, who were of all different religions. Those being Muslim,Hindu and Sik. The people were the only way which they could fight the British. By uniting to create one strong force, which was the goal of freedom. If they weren't united then the British could easily defeat them, which was what they had been doing to the Indians all along. They used their weaknesses to take power.
The biggest thing that Gandhi was known for was fighting using civil disobediences. He never encouraged his people to fight back. He taught them that violence was not the answer to solving their problems. Fighting using civil disobedience made the British look really bad. They tortured them, killed and arrested the Indians. After a while the Indian people grew tired and started to fight back. One of the major things that symbolized the outbreak of violence was the massacre at the field which killed many people, including children and women. The people responded using violence. All over India reports of Indians killing or beating guards came through. Gandhi became very disappointed. From the beginning all he ever taught his people was to protest using peace. He responded to these outbreaks of violence by going on a hunger strike.
Soon reports of Ghandi dying, scared the people into stopping the violence. Ghandi's acts of civil disobedience, formed the center of many civil leaders in America. One being DR. Martin Luther King Jr. Ghandi became the voice of the people. Do to his leadership and courage, India is now free. Of course it would have happened eventually but thanks to Ghandi, this happened using non violence. Which later spoke more than words. At the end Ghandi died, fighting for what he knew was right. Ironically, one of his own people killed him. Not the British but a Hindu extremist. Because of Ghandi India is what it is today.

Joseph Stalin and Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state. Stalin came into rule after Lenin died. He used his position in the Party to get all his supporters and followers in key positions of the Communist Party. In time, this worked and Stalin gained control of the Soviet Union after Lenin died. Stalin made a "five year plan in order to make the Soviet Union one of the most industrialized nations in Europe, making them powerful and having and giving them an upper hand. The five year plan was made in oder to get more people working in factories. Stain made people give up their own land, in order to turn it into farms or factories. If people didn't obey, they would be killed Stalins harsh dictatorship, was what made him famously known among history.This leads to the Great Purges. This was when people were forced to join labor camps. Many people were killed and sent to exile. The economy raised, at the peoples expense. Stalins one and main concern was to gain economic power. He didn't care about his people. Stalin, is a symbol of the dark side of communism, and a great example of how far people are willing to go to gain money and power. This can very much compare to modern day government.

Film Lesson Doctor Zhivago

Th film depicted the Russian Revolution because it showed all the cayuse caused by the Russian Revolution. Reasons why the Russian people wanted change was because The mo, they wanted equality. They wanted to run things themselves, and have some control of their country. This represents the idea of communism. In the movie, you were able to see the struggles that the soldiers faced. They showed, all the wounded and killed solders, which eventually led to them surrendering. During the movie, both sides called a trues. Because it was Christmas, they came together shared belongings and sang songs. They also took time to collected the dead bodies of their soldiers. But at the end, the long hard days of the war on the battle field became to much. The Russians called quits and pulled out of the war.In turn they sent Czar, the political ruler, to jail. This allowed the people to live their free lives, which depict a communist way of living. This is how Communism was born. Doctor Zhivago, witnessed communism when he returned to Moscow and saw all his belongings being split up among different families. His house was also split and numerous families lived their. Because according to communism, this was the fair thing to do because it allowed for equality.

Cause of WWI

Causes of the World War were, Nationalism, Militarism, Assassination of Frans Ferdinand and the collapse of the alliance system. The first cause was nationalism, nationalism can turn other countries against each other because it can cause competition among other nations.This was one of the basic most common problems countries faced against each other. For example Nationalism posted a problem for Austria-Hungary and the Balkans. These areas were made up of conflicting national groups. Another strong reason as to why the Great War started was because of Imperialism. IT greatly contributed to the rivalry in Europe, and was one of the main reasons for it's increase.When the increase in manufacturing during the Industrial revolution occurred, Great Britain, Germany, and France needed foreign markets. Things that led to the war was the feud of Germany against Britain and France. Other issues, were that of the falling Ottoman empire to Austria-Hungary and Russia. Another reason to blame for the start of the War was the Alliance, which overall led o the immediate result of the War.Their were two alliances, they were the triple alliance and the triple entente. The triple alliance consisted of the countries of, Italy, Germany, Austria and Hungary. The triple entente was Russia, France, and Britain.