Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid was a term given by the South African Bureau for Racial Affairs which forced separate development of the races. It was first legislated in 1948. It prohibited any sexual relations or any marriage between mixed races it also required all black people over the age of 16 to carry identity documents and ordered separate transportation and other public facilities for blacks. This brought up the Separate Amenities Act of 1953.

Nelson Mendela was president of South Africa from 1994-1999 but before all of this he was one of the anti-apartheid leaders. He got arrested in 1962 and spent 27 years in jail for fighting against the apartheid. Originally he was sentenced to 5 years funny thing is, on my birth day April 20th in 1964 Nelson's statement was reopened and further researched and they came up with life imprisionment. During this time he wrote books about his life and how he still was anti-apartheid when he was released he still fought for freedom and became the leader South Africa needed.

African Independence

1955-1975 A 20 year time period, Africa had gained most of its independence from Europe. Ghana was the first nation to be governed by Africans. The nationalist Jomo Kenyatta was a strong leader of Kenya that helped many of the countries to gain independence.

A huge reason that African began to gain its independence is because the Europeans had to much to handle. Europe was trying to keep Africa and its own country as well as other in command and that was pretty hard to do. Especially after WWII. They were in the hole and they had to handle problems within the own nation. Another reason that they gained their Independence was because of modernization. They went to school to learn to be smarter than the European leaders. Most of them went to school in other countries but when they came back they fought for their rights just like many other great nations.

The Cuban Missle Crisis

In 1962 the USSR wanted to attack the US. Soviet missiles weren’t strong. It could only be affective against Europe. US missiles were capable to destroy the whole USSR. So in 1962 soviet planned to attack the U.S from Cuba. They thought U.S would be easier from there. So then the USSR put their missiles in Cuba.

The US found out in October of 1962, this was found with photographs, which revealed the construction of missiles in cube. As soon as it was found out president John F. Kennedy was informed. He immediately put his best advisers to handle the crisis. Kennedy order to seise the whole area around Cuba. They also ordered to stop things being shipped to Cuba. In a conference president Kennedy stated that any missile attack from Cuba and the US will come after the USSR. Everyone knew about October 1962. Both sides were worried bout it. They negotiated and resolved that the US move missles from Turkey and the USSR will move theirs from Cuba.

The Cuban missile crisis was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. Both side were ready to attack each other. It was ended all because of negotiation and the care of both leaders of each of the conflicting countries.

Film Lesson "The Right Stuff"

The Right Stuff was based on the events of the Cold War and the Space Race. They completed each other to see who would develop the first rocket ship to make it to space.

The Right Stuff showed how test pilots who would be the astronauts would compete to go into space and be the first group of men into space

The USSR was winning but then US took over by having the first man land on the moon

This movie showed actual footage from the actual rockets going up, crashing and the creation of the rockets. They showed the test they gave the Pilots for them to become astronauts. It must have been a real tuff competion.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

NATO stands for National Atlantic Treaty Organization, and includes countries in Europe and North America. NATO was an organization of defense alliance, that if any problems, NATO would come to their aid.

Western leaders felt offended by the USSR and their installation of a Communist government in Eastern Europe and their increasing demands. In 1979, NATO made new programs. These new programs helped build up defense, and also helped stop the USSR from building up their nuclear and atomic weapons. The signing of the Intermediate Nuclear Treaty in 1987 began the Warsaw Pact.

The Warsaw Pact was a pact that consisted of mostly the USSR and other Eastern countries. The Warsaw Pact was like NATO, a defense alliance but the USSR dominated it and kept weapontry in other countries.

In 1985, they tried to renew the alliances for an additional 20 years, but by 1991 everyone in the pact dissolved out. It is said that the building of nuclear weapons is what stopped the war from actually happening between the USSR and the US.

Film Lessons "Schindlers List"

Schindler's List is a black and white filmbased on the real life events of the Holocaust. Oskar Schindler was a business man at the time who saved Jews lives by employing them to work in his factories.

Schindler's List showed Holocaust and all the horror that came with it. Even though I wasn't there I still felt the pain some of the people faced and I imagined my self there and I don't think I would have survived.

The movie showed how it looked like it was snowing when it really was people ashes flying around. It showed people getting shot, people getting taking away from there family and homes. What touched me most was that they killed babies and small children just because they were small. Oskar Schindler saved thousands of lives.

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

When I saw Night and Fog it was actually scary. I never seen so many dead body's ever. What makes it worst is that this actually happened and it wasn't just something in a movie. They showed people working to death if not damn near. In the documentary they showed the Nazi's trying their best in the completion genocide.

This was a very powerful film. Even thought it was i French I couldn't understand what it was saying but there wasn't any need for it the images explain its self. Some of the things shown was gruesome.

I think this wasn't as good as Schindler's list because Schindler's list showed every little detail. From the showing ashes of the burnt bodies flying around as it was snow. Even doe it wasn't better then Schindler's list this was still a great document.

WWI & The Treaty of Versailles

After WWI, the France and other winning countries was happy because of victory but disapointed about the damages done. They wanted to still get Germany for their actions. They blamed Germany for everything and made them suffer by making them sign a document. All the countries that took place in war gathered at the Palace of Versailles and sign the treaty. This treaty is called The Treaty of Versailes.

In this treaty the German's had to pay reperations for the damages done to the other countries. Their miltary was disarmed. All the colonies the German's had were free and they lost alot of land. I don't think the treaty was fair but I think the German's were wrong in the first place.

Because of a man, Adolf Hitler stood up and tried to bring his countryback. He tried this before but he was jailed for his actions. When he was released he was back at it and was suceessful the next time. The German's were impressed in the way he walked, talked, looked and carried himself. Hitler said theat the other countries caused their nation's problems and it was the govrnment fault and he blamed it for having a non pure German's (Jew's) who he said caused some of the problem's.

Because of the weak govrnment, this gave Hitler a chance. Germany was anxious to get back power that they didn't care who brought it for them as long as they gained back power. His actions brought WWII.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey

"Ataturk" Kamal was known as the father of Turkey. He was a liborator and tried to bring his country out of the dark. He modernized Turkey and tried to advance them even further.

Kemal wanted he people to do different. He wanted them to dress like the American's and Europeans. He didn't want them to wear sandals or fezes. He brought secularation to school's which pervented the preaching of religion. He wanted independence for all of his people.

Film Lesson - "Gandhi"

During Gandhi's lifetime he fought for everyone but mostly people who resided where ever he stepped. When He was first in South Africa, where he fought to help them to get freedom from the British. He lead a march to protest a iron works factory. He did whatever it took to help the people. He got arrested dozens of times just to show his people that he was there for them. He showede them he cared and wanted to help to get equality.

Then Gandhi came back to India after being released from jail. At this time he was a National hero. He didn't really think he was a hero, he just considered himself as a man doing what was right for his people. He lead marches for salt, clothes everything that the British tried to keep from the people. The British didn't just give up them beat them brutally even killed them. The Amritsar Massacre was one of the things they tried to do which didn't stop them. What was so amazing about Gandhi's protestes and mareches is that they all were non-violent. This later influnced the famous leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gandhi lead his people to independence but he still didn't get exactly what he wanted he wanted Hindu's and muslum's to live together but instead the creation of pakistan taken place which changed that. He was assinated for trying to bring them both togther. He idea's still lived on.

I think without Gandhi India would have been still under Britsih rule a little longer but not for a very long time. At this time WWII was happening which also involved the British. The Britsih who had a neopolic complex tried to take over the world but because of revolutions this the British lost all power and Many gained their Independence.

The Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution was after the Russians backed away from WWI. Also the Russians were ftired of with their czar and decided to overthrow him, it was also the start of communism. During the Russian revolution there were series of other revolutions within it like the February revolution and the October revolution/Bolshevik revolution. The February revolution was when the Russian people removed their czar Nicholas II, their wasn't much uprising during this revolutions but them removing the czar and having a temporary government after.
The Bolshevik revolution was led by Vladamir Lenin who's ideas were similar to Karl Marx. Lenin spread the ideas of communism and the people supported his ideas because they knew it was time for change.

World War I

World War I had many causes on why it began. Europe and the America periods of peace since their revolutions. There was alot of changes around that time. The west side, grew in trade and colonies, but rival counties gradually grew and alliance camps emerged. Economic competition and arms race also became intense. The Balkans became a hotspot of western society. Then war broke out in 1914, a war which was unexpectedly disastrous and destructive. The war was caused by a number of factors. Factors Such as militaryism, nationalism, colonizing. The economies that were rivals, competed to find the better country. Countries such as Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and Germany paid money for there military but Germany was on top of all. They had money and weapons and a get military to begin with. From the beginning this treathen the other countries and it was hard for them to keep all the weapons they bought and waste them.a