Chris's Global Blog

Mikhail Gorbachev and the end of Communism

2008-05-05T05:07:00.000-07:00

Gorbachev started the change by starting a policy called glastnost or openness. He encouraged Soviet citizens to disscuse making their society a better place to live. Also in 1985 he introduced perestroika or economic restructuring. In 1986 he made changes to revive the Soviet economy. Local managers gained greater authority over their farms and factories, and people were allowed to open small private businesses. Gorbachev’s goal was not to throw out communism, but to make the system more efficient and productive. Gorbachev paved the way for the failure of communism. When the Berlin Wall came down communism came with it. The Berlin Wall was the only thing seperating East and West Germany. If any won tried to cross they were shot. After communism collapsed the Soviet Union got split up into 15 different countrys: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Lativa, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Collapse of Communism

2008-05-02T05:15:00.000-07:00

When the cold war ended thats when communism ended. It all started when Mikhail Gorbachev policies tried to open up and reform the old fashioned system of communism. Next the Berlin wall came down. Opening ties between East and West Germany. When the wall was knocked down Communism came with it, With that the Soveit Union ended and made up into many countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Lativa, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

2008-04-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

Aparthied is racial-segragtion policy of the government of South Africa from 1948 to 1991. In the Aparthied system non-white, colored, and Indian people didn't share full rights of citizenship with the white crowd. Nelson Mandela was so big in Africa because every since he realized that his people weren't being treated farely in the Apartheid system. He started out in the African National Congress (ANC). In 1964 he was sentence to life in prison in the notorious Rivonia Trials. It was a plan to put Mandela in prison by the white government to shut him up. But that didn't stop him from trying to free his country. When he got out of prison in 1991 after serving 27 years the African people made him their leader, five years after getting out of prison he was honored with the Nobel peace prize. Thanks to Mandela apartheid was outlawed, Everyone in Africa now has equal rights.

African Independence

2008-04-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

Between 1955 to 1975 Africa went through some major changes in its country. In a 20 year span Africa was trying to be independent. After World War II British colonies that were still there since the late 1800, Africans set their sites on making those country under British control independent countries. Nkrumah an independence leader and the first Prime minister of Ghana helped create and make Ghana independent. Jomo Kenyatta was the man that gave Kenya its independence after 10,000 black Kenyans and 100 white Kenyans died. Kenyatta became president of the newly found nation. Patrice Lumumba was the first prime minister of Conga after Belgium granted independence to the country. Those are just some of the independence leaders of Africa though Africa is made up of a number of countrys and backrounds its idependence was a biud deal to Africans

The Cuban Missile Crisis

2008-04-01T05:14:00.000-07:00

The Cuban missile crisis started right after the failed bay of pigs attack. Fidel Castro the dictator of Cuba felt that there was another attack coming from the U.S. so he approved of the Khrushchev plan. Which was to put missiles on the island which was a great plus for the USSR, it made it easier for them to send missiles from Cuba to the U.S. cause there only a couple of miles away. This sent a fear to Kennedy and his organization when he found out the news what the Soviet union was doing in Cuba. Kennedy threaten that if any missiles were launched from Cuba he would hold the Soviet Union accountably. With hearing that the Soviet Union pulled out and took there missiles back to their country. There was another request the U.S. demanded that Soviet light bombers be removed from Cuba, and specifying the exact form and conditionsof the United States assurance not to invade Cuba.

Film Lesson - "The Right Stuff"

2008-03-31T05:13:00.000-07:00

It all started with the successful launch of Sputnik by the russians. Thats what started this race to space. The U.S. and Russia were fighting a "cold war" at the time, each country thought the other was going to bomb them. When Russia sent there little satilite into space it scared the crap out of Americans. The government felt if the Russians had control of space they could drop nuclear bombs on us, like dropping rocks from a highway over pass. "The Right Stuff" was a movie about getting the first man to space. The Russians were winning at first but of course the U.S. won in the end. The movie started with trying to break the sound barerier, when they broke it they kept getting faster. Then USSR sent up Sputnik and the race started. The U.S. went on a nation wide search for the best pilots to become the first astrounots. The U.S. was the first to send a living thing into space we sent a monkey. Then in the end we toped it all of with sending a man to the moon.

Film Lesson: "Schindler's List"

2008-03-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

There are a number of scenes that will stick with me for the rest of my life. The scene were the camera is following this little girl through out the ghetto when the Nazi's are taking all the Jews and moving them out of the ghetto. The camera follows her walking through the streets were all around her people are being killed there stuff being thrown all over the streets. Then she finally goes into a building goes up the stairs and hides under a bed.
Another scence is when the Jews are in a concentration camp the guy thats in control walks out of his room to the balcony looks around smoking a cigarrete, he picks up a sniper looks through the lense then takes his eyes out of it. Then he looks in it again and he is looking around for somthing to shoot, when he finds a woman fiddling with somthing on the ground when she stands up real quick as if she see's the man with the sniper. He then shoots her in the head for no reason.
Another secene were the war is almost over and there at a camp and there buring thousands of dead bodys the mountain of bodys was at least 4 stories high maybe higher. And Schindler is there watching this then all of a sudden he looks away from the pile and see's that same little girl he was watching for so long walking through the streets of the ghetto on a wagon with two other bodies getting ready to go into the burning pile. He had a look of shjock on his face like no other.

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

2008-03-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

I believe this was a very powerful film the most powerful i have ever seen. "Night and Fog" is a film about this guy taking a camera to Auschwitz's a concentration camp known for killing 6,000 jews a day. It was filmed 10 years after WWII ended. Its funny when your watching the documentary Auschwitz looks so peaceful you wouldn't imagine that a genocide had taken place there. The documentary also showed film from 10 years earlier, it showed how skinny the jews were and how many bodys there were it was horrible thing to watch but it was important to watch. I believe that the documentary shows the Holocaust to its fullest , it shows were the jews slept three in each wooden bed. It shows the gas chambers that they sent thousands of jews a day. It also showed you the ovens they burned the jews in after they killed them.

The Treaty of Versailles (ended WWI)

2008-02-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty to end WWI between the allied forces, Associated Power and germany. Ironicly it was sighed exactly 5 years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand which basically started the world war. Germany took a lot of the blame for WWI being blamed for starting it. Germany had to pay loads of money under the treaty, because of the treaty Germanys citizins were dealing with a lot of problems like hungery, no money and much more. The economy was destroyed not able to bounce back because of all the payments it had to make to the allied forces.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey

2008-02-08T05:09:00.000-08:00

Mustafa Kemal won many fights in 1915 and in 1919. In the 1920's he destroyed any invaders that came into his country and they were all impressive wins. After even more victorys he gained independence for his country kicking the Ottoman Empire out and created the Republic of Turkey. Also establishing a new government truly a represented of the nations will.

He became there first president ever serving for 15 years, while in his terms he came up with several reforms in political,social,legal,economic, and cultural spheres. Because of all his achivments and what he did to get freedom for his country they called him Ataturk which means father of the Turks.

He once said " I look to the world with an open heart full of pure feelings and freindship"

Film Session "Gandhi"

2008-02-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

Gandhi helped his country gain independence in several ways. One thing he did was get a rally going and burn all the papers the British government gave the Indian people. While trying to burn them the Brtish police force beat him up with sticks. Another was he walked down to the ocean and made his own salt because the British government was unfair on its salt so Gandhi made people make there salt to boycott the British salt. Then the British were being unfair on cloth so Gandhi told the people to make there own cloth and they did boycotting that as well. But the most important thing he did to defeat the British was a none violence policy he refused to use violence even though they beat him. He encouraged the Indain people to do the same not to fight back but fight back the Gandhi way.
There are two reasons why the Indian people got there freedom. One: Gandhi harass them for years in his anti-voilence ways. Two:WWII the war started and all of the British atention went to the war thats what got the Indian people there freedom.

Joeseph Stalin and totalitarianism

2008-01-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

Joseph Stalin is one of the biggest dictators in the world. He ruled the Soviet Union for 25 years after Lenion died. He enforced the five year plan for all people. He launched it in 1928, the plan had two goals: rapid growth of heavy industry and increased farm production through collectivization of agriculture. Stalin used the resources into building, steel mills and electric power stations. Stalin envented totalitarianism but Hitler and Mussolini embraced it. Citizens have to obey the government without question. Stalin used propaganda, censorship, and terror to force his will on the Soviet people.

Film Lesson: Doctor Zhivago

2008-01-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

The reason the Russian people wanted change was the fact people were starving and they were in war. The war was the spark that let all the anger out from the Russian people. It started the revolution. Soldiers left there places all over the country to go home not caring. Killing there commanding officers and not caring that the germans were coming into there country. Doctor Zhivago when he came home from the war he found out that his home wasn't all his anymore there was 13 other familys living in the big house. All he had for his family was a small room in the house.

Causes of WWI

2008-01-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

Militarism is one of the big reasons WWI happened. Country's like Germany, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, France Started in a big arms race building up there military in a short amount of time because they thought that a war was on its way and they were right.
Nationalism When the Congress of Vienna was finished 1815 Germany and Italy were left as divide states but they were a strong supporter of Nationalism. But Nationalism caused a big problem for Austria-Hungary. The ardent Panslavism of Serbia and Russia's willingness to support its Slavic brother conflicted with Austria-Hungary's Pan-Germanism.
Imperialism is another factor that contributed to the increase in rivalry in Europe. Great Britain, Germany and France needed foreign markets after the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial Revolution. They all competed for Africa as well. Britain and France settled their differences but several crisis happened and began a feud between France Britain Against Germany.

The Opium Wars

2007-12-14T07:49:00.000-08:00

The Opium wars all started when the English wanted to start trade with the Chinese but the Chinese didn't want any of it. The English got there way and started trade with the Chinese by giving out opium to the Chinese people and get them addicted. Then after a period of time the English came back and the Chinese wanted more so they decided to trade tea for the drug. As time went by people that were not addicted stared to despise the English and try to get out of the trade between them. Which started the war and the war wasn't fair. The English were more highly advanced there war ships were steamed powered while the Chinese war ships were still sail boats because of there isolation to the world. The English won easily and went on to what they were doing.

"The Scramble for Africa"

2007-12-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

The scramble for Africa started in 1881. The reason for the big scramble was the vast recources that Africa had. Like rubber, gold, wood, ivry, silver, copper, tin. One of the famous europeans that went to Africa and had succes was Cecil Rhodes. He own 90 percent of the worlds diamonds production. During the African scramble millions of people died and or were in slaved for the europeans doings. When europeans got there their health coudlnt take the vast dieseases Africa had thats my most europeans that went to Africa died or got sick over time.

Film Session: "Mountians of the Moon"

2007-12-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

The Europeans had a lot of hard ships being in Africa. They faced disease,enemy tribes,low food and water. The reason the source of the Nile river (Lake Victoria) is named after the British Queen is because when John Speak found it he called it that to show that Europeans discovered it. The Europeans had a big advantage over the African people and that advantage was guns.The African people never seen anything like it before, Africans carried around spears and Shields as there weapons. Then when the machine gun was invented the Europeans went back to Africa and took it over with ease.

The Meiji Restoration Of Japan

2007-11-27T07:57:00.001-08:00

The reason Matthew Perry got what he wanted was because the Japanese were amazed by the boats Perry and his man were sailing. They were so amazed that they gave him what he wanted. Which was coal,food,water. He just bullied them by anchoring 26 miles away from the capital city with sails down and a Naval force that was far greater than any other Japanese war ship. They had no choice but to give in to his demands. A year later in 1854 the treaty was signed to open two ports. With the amazement of the technology the Americans had, the Japanese sent men all around the world to find out new ideas so that the could keep up with the world change in technology.

Karl Marx and Communism

2007-11-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

Karl Marx was Communisms best man. He hated the Industrial Revolution so much him and Engels basically created it. He hated the pollution and the child labor him and Engels made a book called "The Communist Manifesto". He dislike for capitalism, is which drove him to make communism. Communism was a form of socialism that eliminated private ownership, and favored a classless society. The reason he made communism was becasue of the workers that had to work 16 hour days everyday with poor working habitats and low pay. Karls plan for communism was genius everyone would be paid the same the government owned everything so there would be know fighting. But the thing with communism was that ot looked good on paper but it didnt work to well in real life, doctors were being paid the same as wood chipers thats why it never worked but there are some country that have communism like China.

Karl Marx and the Industrial Revolution

2007-11-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

Karl Marx was disgusted with the Industrial Revolution. He hated it for many reason. Reason like poor working conditions, pollution, and child labor. The reason he dislike the poor working comditions was that the work was vigorous and unsafe if a fire were to occur there was no safe route out of the building owners locked there workers in. Pollution destroyed the inviroment during the Revolution. Rivers were slim with crap on its banks smoke was being poured into the air all day and night. The worst is child labor children worked in places were grown men were suppose to work. They work 16 hours a day and were paid next to nothing.

Nationalism and the Creation of Italy

2007-10-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Nationalism means national spirit or aspiration a devotion and loyalty to ones own nation. It is also the the desire for national advancement or independence. The policy or doctrineof asserting the interest of ones own nation, viewed as separate from the interest of other nations or the common interest of all nations. I live in a country that has nationalism. Itlay was a country of bad leaders until one man visited the United States and saw it was done over here and decided to go back to Italy and change the governmet

Simon Bolivar and Latin American Revolutions

2007-10-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Simon Bolivar had won independence for Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. He traveled all over the world when he went to the U.S.A. which just got there independence from Great Britian it motivated him to go back to his country and win there independence. He also participated in the declaration of Venezuelen independence. He almost liberated a whole continent, having a whole country named after him (Bolivia) also sometimes referred as the George Washington of South America.

Robespierre and The Reign of Terror

2007-09-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

"Liberty cannot be secured unless criminals lose there heads" Robespierre said of the new developments of the french revolution. The middle class and the poor had more power than they ever had because things in France was more democratic. With the new power people went a little crazy with it that's when there was a period of time called the Reign of Terror. Robespierre took over with his power he just started cutting peoples heads off. For instants there was this gang called the Jacobin's they went around looking for people that were connected with the old regime cutting there heads off with the famous guillotine. They even killed Louis the 16 finding him for treason. Robespierre scared the crap out of people cutting people heads off left and right you could be a friend of Robespierre and the next you were on the guillotine. He changed the days of the week and got rid of Sunday saying that it was to religious so all the Church's were closed. The Reign of Terror ended when Napoleon Bonaparte stepped in and brought everything Robespierre destroyed to an end.

French Revolution

2007-09-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

The French Revolution all started because the states general.Then the Bastille was stormed and taken over by the citizens of Paris. Louis the 16 and his family were taken and kidnapped from their home the Versailles and taken into Paris. He was then kept there for a couple of years before he went on trail in 1792 and then executed in early 1793.Then the revolutionary government declared war on Britain a world for world domain which had been coming for a while. The French Revolution had such a huge impact on Britain for a long time that the intellectual, philosophical, and political life of Britian was changed.

Copernicus and the Trail of Galileo

2007-09-11T07:44:00.000-07:00

Galileo was put on trail for something he believed in and that belief was the Copernicus doctrine. He was interrogated on April 12 1633, He was treated as a special prisoner he was not sent into the prison cells he was put in a apartment that was used by inquisition officials.Then on June 22 1633 he was sent to live in prison for disobeying the rules to not defend the Copernicus or teach it. In 1992 the Roman Catholic Church said they made a error dealing with Galileo. Which is a little to late if I say so come on now it was 300 years ago now u say it was wrong the way they treated Galileo.

Scientific revolution:Scientific Method

2007-09-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

Science is best defined as a logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of the best available evidence and always subject to correction and improvment upon discovery of bigger better evidence.What's left is fake and magic, and doesnt makes sense or work. Thats the Scientific Method full of evidense and lies.

Evolution vs Creation

2007-09-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

Evolution is thought to be that all living things came from a common ancestor when, Creation or Creationism is the belief that humanity, life, the earth and the universe were created by the form they are in now by a Deity (the Abraham tic god Judaism, Christianity and Islam). There is a big debate over the evolution and creation theory no one really knows how life started either if god mad it or we evolved. In my opinion I think that we evolved evidence shows our ancestors had the the attributes of us and monkeys in Darwin's theory we started out as little molecules and over time our gentic codes changed to make species today the way they are. there is no way that we all were created out of no were that doesn't make sense history shows that we have changed over time but the people who believe in creation wont here it so i am going to go with evolution because creation makes no sense in any way

Test

2007-09-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

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