During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union were competing with each other to see which of the two would be more advanced in modern time. In this film "The Right Stuff" it shows how both these two superpowers we're trying to be better than the other. The United States was the first to break the sound barrier by the 1950's. The sound barrier is when an aircraft goes from transonic to supersonic speed. These were one of the things that the United States did not want to inform Russia in because the United States wanted to be the only ones with it at that time. Another example of the Russians and American's competing in this film was the space race. The space race was a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to see who could make the furthest advancements into space first. In the film, the Russians beat the United States with getting into space first which led the United States to gather up the United States best test pilots out there and put them into many different tests to see if they meet the requirement the United States ask for. As a result the United States had their first 7 astronauts chosen to go outer space. The United States was unsure if to or not send humans outer space and instead sent up a chimp to go. Then not so long after that, the Soviet Union got ahead and put a man up and made the United States look bad because they sent up a monkey. Then again, the United States desperate to get ahead of the Soviet, they sent up a man to go to the moon and winning the space race.
The scenes that would make me remember the Cold War events are the sound barrier attempts and achieving it by the United States and the Space Race attempts and both the United States and Soviet Union having their achievements. These scenes would remind me of the Cold War event is because, it shows how much the United States could accomplish if they have a rival that is almost equal to the U.S how much modern technology could grew in just a minor of time.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
NATO and The Warsaw Pact
NATO also known as North Atlantic Treaty Organization was an alliance between the Western countries in Europe and the United States in April 4 1949. After the World War II had ended in greatly damaged the European's economy and military, and the U.S agreed to give them supplies. It was an organization constitutes a system of collective defense where its members agreed to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. Around that time period, the east use to be communism and NATO was made to stop communism from spreading to the west side of the world.
The Warsaw Pact was an organization of communist states in Central and Eastern Europe in May 14, 1955. The Warsaw Pact was created in response to West Germany joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1955. They were similar to NATO in ways such as political Consultative Committee, followed by a civilian secretary-general, while down the chain of command there was a military commander in chief and a combined staff, other than that their similarities ended around that point. NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries never engaged each other in armed conflict, but fought the Cold War for more than 35 years often through proxy wars. Proxy wars is a war that results when two powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly. Their plan were the complete opposite from the NATO, they were trying to spread communism and stop western influence.
The Warsaw Pact was an organization of communist states in Central and Eastern Europe in May 14, 1955. The Warsaw Pact was created in response to West Germany joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1955. They were similar to NATO in ways such as political Consultative Committee, followed by a civilian secretary-general, while down the chain of command there was a military commander in chief and a combined staff, other than that their similarities ended around that point. NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries never engaged each other in armed conflict, but fought the Cold War for more than 35 years often through proxy wars. Proxy wars is a war that results when two powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly. Their plan were the complete opposite from the NATO, they were trying to spread communism and stop western influence.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Flim Lesson: Schindler's List
Schindler's List is based on the true story of a Nazi soldier who saved more than a thousand Jews. During the film, Schindler witnesses the harsh treatments of the Jews and begins to hire them as factory workers. He does this so that would not have to face terrible death in the gas chambers. Schindler also allowed children to work in his factory which was unusual.
The movie illustrated the Holocaust very well because it showed two different points of views. It showed how the Nazis thought of Jews as savages that deserved to be killed, and the fear the Jews had while they were living in the concentration camps. In many parts of the films the Nazis kill countless of Jewish people for no reason at all. Schindler and his wife stood on top of a hill which overlooked the ghettos and watched as the brutal attacks below.
The scenes that were very powerful and violent to me were when the Nazis came back to the ghettos during the night to see who was hiding. They crept silently throughout the house and began to shoot everyone who was hiding. The worst part was when the shot the little boy various of times. When the woman's train were accidentally led to Auschwitz, the Nazis shaved their hair and began to separate the children from their mothers. Schindler who was present and was trying to lead all the women back on the train to his factory, he threatened the Nazi who was taking the children away. He informed the soldier that the children were essential workers.
Schindler protected his workers in every way possible. He saw the evil that were taking place in the concentration camps and the images of the dead bodies being burned to hide the evidence. Schindler informed his workers that Germany had lost the war and that they were all free to go. He admitted that he was a criminal as well and he left his factory. The end of the movie showed his grave where the Jewish people were showing him they're respect. He was a great man and a hero.
The scenes that were very powerful and violent to me were when the Nazis came back to the ghettos during the night to see who was hiding. They crept silently throughout the house and began to shoot everyone who was hiding. The worst part was when the shot the little boy various of times. When the woman's train were accidentally led to Auschwitz, the Nazis shaved their hair and began to separate the children from their mothers. Schindler who was present and was trying to lead all the women back on the train to his factory, he threatened the Nazi who was taking the children away. He informed the soldier that the children were essential workers.
Schindler protected his workers in every way possible. He saw the evil that were taking place in the concentration camps and the images of the dead bodies being burned to hide the evidence. Schindler informed his workers that Germany had lost the war and that they were all free to go. He admitted that he was a criminal as well and he left his factory. The end of the movie showed his grave where the Jewish people were showing him they're respect. He was a great man and a hero.
Flim Lesson: Night and Fog
Night and Fog is a black and white, 32 minute documentary film about the Nazi concentration camps made in 1955. The film concentrated on violent images of the concentration camps and the consequences of the Nazis hatred.
Some of the powerful scenes of the movie were the sick Jews, the hangings, and the real footage that the Nazis took themselves. The doctors would experiment on the sick Jews, causing more damage and leaving them for dead. They decapitated the heads of the bodies and did tests on them. Throughout the camps, there were piles of dead bodies. There were even some Jewish prisoners who tried to escape but their attempts failed. They were hung on the gates of Auschwitz and others tried to break their way out of the gas chambers.
The Nazis would use the hair of the Jewish people to make carpets and sell it for money. They made soap by using the dead bodies. They kept all of their belongings such as their passports, shoes and their jewelry. The Nazis kept a tally of how many people they had killed for each day. The remaining Jews were starved, and were forced to work day and night. The Nazis enjoyed to humiliate the Jews. They would do a selection in which they would kill off the weak ones by doing a series of tests.
Schindler's List does not compare with Night and Fog. The film has more graphic scenes which depict the cruel treatments the Jews had to endure. The documentary has more haunting images, and show the immoral beings that Nazis were. Night and fog captures every inhumane act of the Nazis more effectively than the Hollywood Version.
Some of the powerful scenes of the movie were the sick Jews, the hangings, and the real footage that the Nazis took themselves. The doctors would experiment on the sick Jews, causing more damage and leaving them for dead. They decapitated the heads of the bodies and did tests on them. Throughout the camps, there were piles of dead bodies. There were even some Jewish prisoners who tried to escape but their attempts failed. They were hung on the gates of Auschwitz and others tried to break their way out of the gas chambers.
The Nazis would use the hair of the Jewish people to make carpets and sell it for money. They made soap by using the dead bodies. They kept all of their belongings such as their passports, shoes and their jewelry. The Nazis kept a tally of how many people they had killed for each day. The remaining Jews were starved, and were forced to work day and night. The Nazis enjoyed to humiliate the Jews. They would do a selection in which they would kill off the weak ones by doing a series of tests.
Schindler's List does not compare with Night and Fog. The film has more graphic scenes which depict the cruel treatments the Jews had to endure. The documentary has more haunting images, and show the immoral beings that Nazis were. Night and fog captures every inhumane act of the Nazis more effectively than the Hollywood Version.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Treaty of Versailles (ended WW I)
When World War I ended on November 11, 1918, the Allied leaders were giving out speeches, wanting to punish the enemy and dividing the spoils of the war. Due to this, a formal agreement to end the war was made and was called "the Treaty of Versailles." The Treaty of Versailles was either a treaty of peace or a vengeance for the Germans.
When the treaty was first introduced to the Germans, they declined to sign it. It forced the Germans to accept full responsibility for the war and strip themselves of its colonies, coal fields, and the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. It also made them pay reparations to the Allies.
However, on June 28, 1919, the Germans unwillingly signed the treaty because the Allies didn't want to change the treaty. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles helped set the stage for another world war less than 20 years later because the Allied wanted to stop Germany from ever becoming imperialistic again and still have them pay the war reparations. Germany was desperate to find a new leader to get out of their depression, that leader was no other than Adolf Hitler.
I personally think that the treaty was just, because Germany did cause the outbreak of the war by invading Belgium to try to reach France.
When the treaty was first introduced to the Germans, they declined to sign it. It forced the Germans to accept full responsibility for the war and strip themselves of its colonies, coal fields, and the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. It also made them pay reparations to the Allies.
However, on June 28, 1919, the Germans unwillingly signed the treaty because the Allies didn't want to change the treaty. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles helped set the stage for another world war less than 20 years later because the Allied wanted to stop Germany from ever becoming imperialistic again and still have them pay the war reparations. Germany was desperate to find a new leader to get out of their depression, that leader was no other than Adolf Hitler.
I personally think that the treaty was just, because Germany did cause the outbreak of the war by invading Belgium to try to reach France.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey
Mustafa Kemal, was known as a Turkish army officer and founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as the first president of Turkey (President for 15 Years). Mustafa tried to copy Europe and reform their system. One of his ways is by changing the way Muslims dress with their long dress-like shirts and replace it with regular shirts, pants and hats. He was able to ban the Turkish people from wearing the fez on their head.
Secular- Separation of state and religion. Mustafa made up the Six Arrows to help Turkey become more modern. Secularism is part of the fundamental plan, the other five are Republicanism, Populism, Reformism, Nationalism and Statism. Mustafa changed Turkey to a republican country, he gave more rights to certain people and taught the Turkish people to look over their difference of class because they were all part of the one country, he wanted to unify Turkey. He westernized Turkey and stressed that they shouldn't make other nations feel inferior to them. They should have cordinal relationships with one another. He wanted to make technological advances so that the country wouldn't fall back, the economy with the help of education would strengthen Turkey's power.
He made other postive reforms such as giving women the right to vote. Before he came to be president the Turkish people did not take education seriously has they should and he wanted to change that. He cared about his country's education, so he made every grade up to university free.
Mustafa Kemal was a military hero and a great leader. He used his power in a positive unlike most leaders. He wanted to bring a new life to the Turkish people. Throughout his presidency, the turkish people were loyal to him and even gave a second last name Ataturk which meant "Father of the Turks. Even generations later Mustafa Kemal is one of the most honored icons in Turkey.
Secular- Separation of state and religion. Mustafa made up the Six Arrows to help Turkey become more modern. Secularism is part of the fundamental plan, the other five are Republicanism, Populism, Reformism, Nationalism and Statism. Mustafa changed Turkey to a republican country, he gave more rights to certain people and taught the Turkish people to look over their difference of class because they were all part of the one country, he wanted to unify Turkey. He westernized Turkey and stressed that they shouldn't make other nations feel inferior to them. They should have cordinal relationships with one another. He wanted to make technological advances so that the country wouldn't fall back, the economy with the help of education would strengthen Turkey's power.
He made other postive reforms such as giving women the right to vote. Before he came to be president the Turkish people did not take education seriously has they should and he wanted to change that. He cared about his country's education, so he made every grade up to university free.
Mustafa Kemal was a military hero and a great leader. He used his power in a positive unlike most leaders. He wanted to bring a new life to the Turkish people. Throughout his presidency, the turkish people were loyal to him and even gave a second last name Ataturk which meant "Father of the Turks. Even generations later Mustafa Kemal is one of the most honored icons in Turkey.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Film Lesson - "Gandhi"
Mohandas Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was known as the main figure of India because of his civil disobedience against the British Empire. In the film, Gandhi wanted to free India from the British Empire by gathering both Muslims and Hindus to fight back against them using civil disobedience. While Gandhi's attempt to fight back against the British, he was imprisoned four times. The British Empire tried arresting Gandhi because they didn't want Gandhi to gain more power. Visiting different parts of India and giving out his famous speeches Gandhi encouraged Indians to boycott British goods and buy Indian goods instead. Int he beginning of the movie Gandhi started burned their documents from the British Empire. The soldiers ran up to Gandhi to try to stop him, he didn't obey them and the soldiers started to beat him up.
In the film Indians wanted to help Gandhi in anyway possible, the Indians started using violence against the British and Gandhi disliked that. Hes plan to try to make the Indians people stop was by fasting and prefer to kill himself instead of people using violence. He would get ill and do this for numerous amount of times. Although he got India to be independent, he wasn't really satisfied because he wanted Muslims and Hindus to be together in India. Due to this, he was murdered because some people didn't want both Muslims and Hindus together. He accomplished a big thing and was brave and strong for standing up to the British for a long period of time.
In the film Indians wanted to help Gandhi in anyway possible, the Indians started using violence against the British and Gandhi disliked that. Hes plan to try to make the Indians people stop was by fasting and prefer to kill himself instead of people using violence. He would get ill and do this for numerous amount of times. Although he got India to be independent, he wasn't really satisfied because he wanted Muslims and Hindus to be together in India. Due to this, he was murdered because some people didn't want both Muslims and Hindus together. He accomplished a big thing and was brave and strong for standing up to the British for a long period of time.
Friday, February 6, 2009
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