Michelle's Global Blog

Joseph Stalin and Totalitarianism

2008-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

A totalitarian government is one which there is absolute control by the state or the government. Which the nation is run by a group of dictators--people who approve of totalitarianism. Joseph Stalin took over Russia, he was a dicator and he controlled the public and private lives of the people. Creating a 5 year plan which he just wanted Russia to be more advance, technologically, industrially and more ways. People who went against his says were killed, which were called "The Great Purge".

Film Lesson: Doctor Zhivago

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

"Doctor Zhivago" is in WWI, which it shows Russia's role. Being tired of the war, they decided to go back because their solders were tired and they missed their families. The Czar, the people in power were sent to jail after the solders came back and people rebelled. Going back to Russia, he noticed that living in a communist government wasn't as hyped up as it was thought to be. Back then he was a very rich man who owned a very large house, but since Russia became communist everyone had to be equal. So he had to share his large house and his possessions with 13 other families that now live there with him. He realized that communism isn't a good idea as he thought it to be.

Causes of WWI

2008-01-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Nationalism
Strong nationalism from each country led to the hatred to WWI. It turned everyone against each other, everyone thought they were more superior.
Militarism
Every country were building large armies and navies before the war started (pre-war years). The higher officials and military officers came up with plans to mobilize and all that was needed was the go signal. It was rumerd that there were always secret battle plans, which only made everyone more angry and fearful.
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914 the Archduke Francis Ferdinand (the heir to the Austrian throne) was shot dead along with his wife by a Serbian nationalist of the Black Hand. He was killed because he wanted to turn Austria-Hungary's monarchy into a triple monarchy which planned to include Serbia.
Collapse of Alliance System
German Chancellor Bismarck, announced that he gave up ideas to gain land. Which made him come up with the Alliance System to maintain Germany's good terms with other Eurpoean countries. France was determined to fight this Alliance System since Germany defeated them back in 1871 and was forced to give up some land (Alsace-Lorraine) to them. Bismark tried to get on good terms with Austria, Russia, Italy and Britian in order to leave France alone and by itself.

The Opium Wars

2007-12-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

The Opium Wars were between England and China. Opium is a drug that is illegal in England, but the English sold it/traded it to the Chinese anyways. The Emperor or China wanted England to stop trading Opium to his people, because it was servilely damaging China's economy, and its people. Chinese men were getting addicted to Opium, and even though the Emperor wrote a letter to England to stop the Opium trading. They still continued to do so, in the end England won because of China's lack of advanced technology compared to England.

"The White Man's Burden"

2007-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

The White Man's Burden is something that the English men declaired on themselves. To introduce, teach, and enlighten the other nations. About economy, weapons, factories, technology, anything and everything. They thought it was their duty to go and force people their ways of civilization, to be proper civilized people. To agree or disagree with the analysis would be wrong, you just have to read it, and accept it. It happened, is it still happening today? I'm not sure, maybe it is, maybe it isn't (I'm not up to date on international news).

"The Scramble for Africa"

2007-12-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

The "Scramble for Africa" was between Britian, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Protrugal-who wanted a part of Africa (or whole) for their own. Every coutnry wanted to expand and gain more land, but every country had its specific special reasons too. For Britain Africa was an important port to sea route to India, since they already acquired the Cape Colony in Africa. Frances interest was in the slave trading, then they later became interested in palm oil and lumber that was in Africa. Belgium mainly wanted more land after they had gain independence, the Kind of Belgium bought land eighty times his own countries size. Which inhabated the Congos who were relentless. Germany was very late into entereing the colonization of Africa, which left them with little to nothing. They did not want to colonize distant land but business men and nationalist were pressuring the government. Eurpoean countries took over other non European areas because they had power from industrialization and the nation state organization. This effected the Africans and made tribalism which mixed up different tribes together, and they still suffer from tribalism and have many civil wars inside the same tribe (they are confused).

Film Lesson: "Mountains of The Moon"

2007-12-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Europeans didn't know what was in store for them when they went into Africa to explore the land and find the source of the Nile River. Of course they had the upperhand of being more technological advanced then the Africans, but the only disadvantage was that they didn't know the land. Along with the new found disesas of melaria, they have alson been attacked by other tribes who own land that they tresspass on. Having many hardships on their journey to find the source of the nile river, came many accidents (bug in his ear...ow much?/ew...) and incidents (leg disease). Europeans had the advantage of guns and weapons (guns, powerder, and machine guns). They named the lake which John Speak guessed was the source, after Queen Victoria in, because the whole point was to discover something and name it after their magesty Queen Victoria. After discovering the land geografically and having the techincal advancements, they could charge in and take over Africa easily with their guns and killing away.

Miji Restoration

2007-11-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry perpously showed off the U.S. ships technology and advances to intimidate the Japanese. Who had no choice but to cooperate fully with the U.S. because their ships were no where in comparisson with the U.S.'s. He impressed the Japanese with his impressive naval force which overpowered their's by far.

Miji Era

Japan soon realized they needed to update their nation and educate the uneducated people. So they observed and learned from the Westerns and adopted some of our ways. They put themselves under new government rule, took the methods of production and military orginization. Japan sent thousands of students to study abroad and learn the foreign cultures, methods, industry, military etc. Then from all this information from many different foreign countries, Japan decided which methods to adopt to their own country.

Archipelago

Karl Marx and Communism

2007-11-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Marx want Communism

Communism in Karl Marx's mind "was the inevitable end to the process of evolution begun with feudalism and passing through capitalism and socialism." Marx saw the "good guys" as workers all around the world and the "bad guys" were the controlling governments. He wanted the workers to control the government but communist governments are actually strict and dictorial.

Karl Marx and the Industrial Revolution

2007-11-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

Karl Marx and Communism

Karl Marx didnt like the Industrial Revolution, he felt that the Inudstrial Revolution was unsafe, and dangerous. He argued with workers to go control the farms and factories and argued to make a "world wide revolution." Mark believed that wealth should be shared between the communist society, "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs." He did not like the poverish life of factory workers so he wanted to take charge and change things. "Marx described communists as those who best understood the class struggle. They would unify the proletariat, lead it in the revolution, and take control of the government." He thought that the lower class understood pain, struggle, and suffering which would get them all together and make a revolution happen (take over the government).

Nationalism and Italy

2007-10-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

Nationalism
Nationalism is a belief of haveing loyalty to ones country and people of common bonds, instead of the king/queen. We American (me) have our American flag, 13 strips and 50 stars. Our English language, social security number, the map, education system, baseball and more. We say the pledge of allegence every morning along with millions of other kids/people.

Italy and Nationalism
Nationalism united Italy and its people together to believe in their land. Revolutiuons broke out, battles were won and lost.

Simone Boliviar

2007-10-15T20:16:00.001-07:00

Simon Bolivar and Revolutions

Bolivar fought for Spanish land (back to their rightfull owners) and helped Antonio Jose de Sucre (and many others) they both (Antonio and Bolivar) defeated the Spanish cavalry on Aug 6, 1824. Then on Aug 6, 1825 the Congress of Upper Peru, created the Republic of Bolivia. Bolivar is one of the few people in history to have a country named after him. The constitution had infulences of the French and Scottish Enlightnment ideas.
His dreams were to create a American Revolution-like federation between all the new countries. A government set up to defend for rights of the people, surrender to authorities and have principals for each country. Since South America was on the verge of breaking up, Blivar had to do something. So he created a Gran Colombia a centralist government, which included some of his own written laws on the constitution.

Robespierre and the Reign of Terror

2007-09-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Reign of Terror and Max Robespieere
Max Robespieere slowly gained power, and his followers tried to erase Frances past nobility and monarcy. From the jacks in the card deck to the people with the last name Leroy ("king"). In 1793, Robespieere became the leader of the Comittee of Public Safty.

The French Reolution: Social Causes

2007-09-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Three Estates
There were three estates: the privlaged estate which is a group of two estates together, and the third estate. The first two estates are made up of clergy and rich nobles. The third estate is the lower class or "everyone else". Who works their life off just to provide the good and weathly life for the other two high estates. They pay the most taxes event though they make the least money.

Causes and Enlightment Influence
Even though the third estate already dislikes the first two estates. Then the people of France heard about the Enlightnment and structure of society about equality, liberty and democracy. The win of the American Revolution inspired the French people to revolt and make a revolution themselfs. On July 14th the French people revolted and successfully captured the Bastille with gunpowder.

Copernicus and the trial of Galileo

2007-09-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Theories of the Solar System
The heliocentric theory (heliocentrism) is the theory that the sun is in the center of the Universe (our Solar System). The Geocentric model was a different theory that contridicted heliocentrism. Ancient Greece, Greek philosophers, and ancient China believed in the geocentric model. Which was the theory that the Earth was in the middle of the universe and the planets revolved around us. The geocentric theory was introduced to mankind first, then in the 16th century it was soon replaced by the heliocentric theory. Which was proved to be correct by Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler (three laws of planetary movement).

The Trial of Galileo
Galileo promoted a book that expressed his theory of the Earth revolving around the Sun. Which clearly contridicted the idea of the church; the Sun revolves around the Earth. Since the Catholic Church held power of Scholasticism and absolutism, they refused to accept Galileo's beliefs and theories.

Scientific Revolution: Scientific Method

2007-09-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Scientific Method
The scientific recolution is a time in history where people wondered how/why/is that true. Aristotle had his theory that heavy objects fall faster than a lighter object. Galileo challanged his theory, went up to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and dropped stones of different weights. He challanged Aristotles theory by using the scientific method: testing, observing and recording down the experiments. They would experiment many times to prove the original out-dated theory wrong and theirs to be right. Thus the scientific method was created, it contains four steps:

1. Observe and describe a theory or idea about the universe.

2. Create a scientfic guess, a hypothesis about the theory/idea.

3. Come up with a conclusion of what you think is the correct theory/idea about some part of the universe.

4. Conduct properly preformed experiments many times, to prove your theory/idea.

Evolution vs. Creation

2007-09-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Darwin's Theory of Evolution
He belives that everyone and everything has started from one point of origin in life. He belives that everything is connected at one point of evolution . Then there is his theory of natural selection, everything has started out as simple anamals. Now they have become complex, because the genes that are passed down to each generation are being mutated to aid survival. The new creatures are totally new forms of life, not just different types of the original. These new skills give the creatures the advantage to survive in the wild, unlike the others who have a disadvantage and eventually die out (survival of the fittest). His theory of natural evolution is definatly happening, but its a slow process.
Some people do not believe in Darwin's Theory of natural selection. Saying that the heart, eyes, and ear are "examples of irreducible complexity". Some just cannot believe that natural selection has made our heart, eyes, and ears and all their complex funtions that they have.

Creationism
Creationism is a belief that life, humanity, the Earth, the Univserse was made by a God.

Test

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

Test