Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The Collapse Communism

This was a shock to everyone because people thought communist was building up.
The people of Russia were disapointed with how things were in their communist country and were feed up. So they gathered up and overthrew the communist party for Democrat party. Many of the countries that were in the Warsaw Pack drop communism also, this was because of Russia the most biggest country in the world failed at keeping a communist goverment so they dropped it as well. On New Year's Eve 1991 USSR finally collapsed and at the same time the Berlin Wall fell. Berlin wall was that separated West Berlin from East Berlin. People tore down the Berlin Wall because their wasn't two different system they both were the same. Many countries became capitalism and democratic. The only countries that remained communist is North Korea and Cuba.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Mikhail Gorbachev And Collapse Of Communism

Peristrokia- economic restructuring people were finally able to open their own small business.
Glasnost- openness, meaning the society had the ability to use speech to the government to improve its society.

Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the President of Russia at the age of 54. Gorbachev was very well educated on economics and politics. Gorbachev wasn't as strict as Joseph Stalin and opposed the idea of Totalitarianism. Knowing that Communism was an ineffective system of government and was bringing down the economy. It was only obvious that communism in Russia was going to collapse. Then Glasnost was made so people can talk about the government and take somewhat part in the government affairs. Peristrokia was a increase of rights they were able to receive they were able to own their own business before they couldn't. By doing this people started not liking communism it made it seem like a bad idea and made the people think about how life was in America and other Democrat countries.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Nelson Mandela and the Aparthied

The Apartheid was a policy of segregation among the black and white people. This policy was established by the British which were controlling South Africa during 1948-1994. This policy stated that whites were superior than everyone else. This forced the whites and the Bantu to separate. The Bantu was any race that was black colored, or Indian(not white). The Bantu people had no rights what so ever meaning they didn't have citizenship and the right to vote, the British had taking everything from them. Many people went against this policy because it unfairness to colored people and because of this the ANC(African National Congress) formed. ANC was a organization formed to fight for the rights of the Bantu people. Nelson Mandela was one of the ANC member that stood out and went against this policy and fought against the British to gain rights. Nelson Mandela was then arrested and put into jail for 26 years.

After Nelson Mandela was released prison he continued his fight for independence in South Africa from the European. Nelson Mandela had all the support from the Bant people after he got out of jail. Nelson used non-violence methods to fight against the Europeans for their independence of South Africa, just like Ghandhi did for India. Nelson then wrote a book called the Long Walk to Freedom, this inspired many people such as writers and helped him get elected in 1991. After his election he continued fighting for the independence of South Africa. By 1994 South Africa received their Independence from the British.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

African Independence

During 1955 and 1975, African countries have progressed a lot in their independence from European rule. Europe controlled all of Africa for their natural resources during the 1800's. In the past 20-40 years many countries in Africa have started a revolution against the Europeans to gain their independence. The Europeans were very racist and believed they could take over the Africans because they were gonna "domesticate" them. Africans grew tired of being under the country of the Europeans and started fighting against the Europeans. Europeans also named a country after Cecil Rhodes called Rhodesia which is funny. Rhodesia is a example of the the African up rise against Europe and changed their name to Zimbabwe.

There was many African leaders that lead their people to freedom. Jomo Kenyatta was a African leader. Jomo Kenyatta was an African from Kenya, he was a very educated person growing up. Jomo attended school in Europe for his school years and learned many things. The time Jomo spent in Europe he also fought for African Independence. He then returned to Kenya and was arrested after arriving for his actions in Europe. He spent 7 years in prison and when he got out, he was elected president of Kenya just like Nelson Mandela did. After Jomo was elected President of Kenyatta he led his country to a revolution and eventually won the revolution and Kenya gained their independence from the Europeans.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Film Lesson The Right Stuff

U.S and the USSR were competing in everything during the Cold War. In the movie The Right Stuff it shows how competitive the Americans and Russians got during the Cold War. In The Right Stuff Americans finally broke the sound barrier while the Russians already sent a empty ship up to outer space. This was the beginning of the Space Race, who was going to be the first country to send someone to outer space. Then the Americans started trying to build Space ships to send to outer space but that didn't work out so well. Then the Americans were finally able to send a monkey to outer space, but the Russians beat them by sending the first man to outer space. This really upset the American's but the Americans were finally able to catch up and beat the Russians by sending the first man to the moon Launched on July 16, 1969. A sence from the movie that will remind me its during the Cold War is when they are making all the Astronauts go through crazy funny looking training.

Monday, April 12, 2010

NATO and The Warsaw Pact.

The NATO was a defensive pact made in the during the Cold War by the USA with European countries that were not communist so they could be able to fight off the communist countries. This was their only way to fight communism if it was to spread by the Russians. Another reason why alliance system was formed to protect each other if one of the countries were attacked by communist countries.

The Russians felt threaten because of the NATO pact and made their own. The Russians created the same defensive pact which was called the Warsaw pact with the eastern communist countries incase NATO was to attack they would be able to fight against them.
Its a good thing they didn't fight but if they were maybe WW111 would have happen because of all the Alliances going on in the time.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Film: Schindler's List

Schindler's List was somewhat of a powerful movie. It wasn't as bad as Night and Fog but it had its moments. The reason it cant be as powerful as Night and Fog is because its a movie with actors and they have to act it out. In Night and Fog the Jews weren't acting you could really feel the pain in them. Night and Fog had real footage of what happen to them in the Death Camps, just waiting to die. Its the worst thing knowing your gonna die but having to wait until they decided to kill you is worst.

The only part that really affected me in Schindler's List was when the Nazi lined up couple of Jews in a straight line and then shot one bullet to save up ammo, it left me shocked that they cared more about the cost of the bullets then the lives of the Jews they were taking with the one bullet. I though it was a great thing that Oscar Schindler did for the Jews. He wasn't able to save all but he did the best he could and managed to save couple hundred of them.