Steffy's Global Blog

Mikhail Gorbachev and the end of Communism

2007-05-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mikhail Gorbachev was the youngest Soviet Union leader after Stalin, he had become the communist party leader. Mikhail's opponent for the communist part was Victor Grishin. He wanted to convince new ideas for the Soviet Union. By the year 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev had passed on a policy called the Glanost. The Glanost is a meaning that is means openness. He had realized that if he didn't follow this policy the Soviet Union would not Social and Economic reforms. With this policy passed on people were allowed to rights like for example reporters were allowed to talk about Social and government problems, something that was not allowed with the Soviet Union was a totalitarian country. But the policy brought down fall people began to complain about economic situations to the government. So Mikhail made another policy called perestroika. This policy was for economic restructuring.

Collapse of Communism

2007-05-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Collapse of the Communism was such a negative turning point because the Berlin wall had come crashing down, the cold war that had been going on for a while had ended. Everything was getting more complicated, for example people were not allowed to cross the border Communist East Germany to Democratic West Germany or Democratic West Germany to Communist East Germany. The Soviet Union had also separated into 15 different Republics. The 15 different Republics were Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Lativa, Lithuania, Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. And no longer was the Soviet Flag with a red hammer, it had been changed into many different flags. The collapse of the Soviet Union changed the world because when capitalism came to Russia and the countries split up. During this split people started to think more about themselves. No longer farming was a high paying job.

Creation of Israel

2007-05-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

Zionism is a political movement that supports a homeland for the jewish people. During the war of 1948 the jwes believed that, during the war they were by themselves. This time in history was so selfish, and greedy because People would kill each other for the land. And Isral was not only attacked by one force, it was attacker by Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. The Arab was not proud of the war it was humilated. But this war drove the Palestinians of there land. After the end of the war, by the year 1949 the Palestinians had left there homes and had moved into this area called West Bank.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

2007-05-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Apartheid was a Racial Segregation policy were non-whites were classified as Bantu(Black), Colored(mixed races), and Indians didn't share full rights of citizenship's with the whites. This system was during the year 1948 to 1994. It has only been around 13 yrs since it has been ceased to exist. The word Apartheid was developed in the late 1930s by the South Africans Bureau, which had called for policy "separate development of races." This system was first approved when the Afrikaner National Party came to power. Nelson Mandela was a hero because unlike other people that just did what the Apartheid told him to do, he was a fighter and a Warrior to free the horrible things that were happening in South Africa

African Independence

2007-04-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Over the years africa has changed because there were less colonies. In the year 1955 there was about 34 Colonies and then 20 yrs later there was only 3 colonies. There are so many more Independent countries in 1975 then there was in 1955.

9th Grade Review - Neolithic Revolution

2007-04-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Neolithic Revolution is a term used for the first Agricultural revolution. It was describing the change from hunting and gathering to agriculture. They were divided into groups of men and women, the women did the gathering of fruits , berries, and other use of food. The men did the hunting game animal. During this period of time, the spears, axes made from bone, wood, and stone. Humans lived like this until about 10,000 BCE, then they started to grow crops and domesticate animals. People changed from hunting and gathering to social classes, permanent settlements, and later on to the rise of civilizations. As agriculture kept growing Neolithic villages had continued to divide the work but the men still took the led in most areas of these settlements. A persons social class was known by the work they did farmers,craftsman, priest, and warrior. Like in most Social classes Priest and Warrior were the top of the Social classes and farmers and craftsman. Another thing that was developed during this period of time was technology for example the created a simple calendar, metal tools, and also metal weapons to protect the valuable resources.

The European Union

2007-04-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

The European Union is an alliance today of 25 nations because in the period of 1870 and1945 France and Germany fought each other three times. European leaders thought that the only for this countries to stay in peace with each other is by uniting them economically and politically. This Union has caused a Competition between the USA. Before the European Union the Nations with the superpowers were the USSR and the USA but after the collapse in 1991, its only USA and the European Union. Now the 25 European Nations that make up the Union all share the same currency, the Euro.

When the Euro first came out people were disbelieving in it, but after it has been introduced in Jan 1 2002. The Euro has become one of the leading currencies in the world.Now a days the Euro is traded more then the US dollar and the value of the Euro counties to grow. I think that the European Union is a good thing because it has prevented fights between France and Germany. I also think its a good thing because now traveling is much easier.

"The Right Stuff"-- How the Future began

2007-04-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

The US and USSR competed a lot like who would send the first man to space, who could fly the fastest airplane. Whenever the US accomplished something they weren't allowed to tell the media. But as the US was trying to hide there accomplishments Russia has already send the first man into space. US was so frustrated about it that they wanted to make a space shuttle and send a man to space to. All the space shuttles they did would either go up a little bit and come back right down. As the competion kept going the USSR was ahead and US was behind. US trained around 7 men and a monkey to see if they had what it took to go to space. Even though US were not the first to send someone to space they were the first to send a monkey. US were also the first to go around the world with the space shuttle.

Cuban Missile Crisis

2007-04-13T15:40:00.003-07:00

The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world ever came for a nuclear war. The Soviet Commanders were prepared to use battlefield nuclear weapons if the island was invaded. President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev and the bravery was the reason that the war did no happen. The Soviet Unions Missile were powerful enough to be launched against Europe but the United States missile were powerful of striking the entire Soviet Union. The Crisis for The Untied Stated began on October 15,1952 when a photograph revealed that there was Soviet missiles were under construction in Cuba. The next morning after Kennedy found out about the missiles he made an organization called the EX-COMM. This group is with his twelve most important advisers to handle what was going on.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

2007-04-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

The NATO was an organization that included the countries Europe and North America. The reason for this was that the countries involved wanted mutual defense alliance, where the countries fight for each other like if one country gets attacked the NATO would join in. An also since The western European nation was not very good economically at the end of WWII, this agreement would help them economically under the Marshall Plan. The Warsaw Pact included mostly of the Soviet Union and its satellite countries. The Pact was suppose to be like the North America alliance but the Soviet Union dominant the alliance. The program was undertaken by Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolay Bulganin.

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

2007-03-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

My reaction towards the movie is that its so horrible how the missed treated the Jews. I think the scenes for this movie were so much powerful then the ones in then the ones in "Schindler's List" because they actually showed the bodies of the Jews. I think the Documentary because it shows the really people and not the ones that are acting. I do think that "Schindler's List" represents the Holocaust but "Night and
Fog" is the one with the pictures and how the Concentration Camps looked. Night and Fog is so powerful in my opinion because i wasn't able to see the whole thing, it's something that is so horrible that you won't believe happened because it's so evil. To me it was is the one with the pictures and how the Concentration Camps looked. Night and Fog is so powerful in my opinion because i wasn't able to see the whole thing, it's something that is so horrible that you won't believe happened because it's so evil. To me it was much more disturbing to see how they didn't care on who they killed. It showed images of the shower heads, where they slept. They even showed how some feel asleep with there eyes wide open.

Film Lesson: "Schindler's List"

2007-03-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

In my opinion the "Schindler's List" did illustrate how the holocaust was because people are crying, innocent little kids hiding, being taken away from their mothers is something really heartbreaking. The scenes that will stay with me are the ones where the little kids run away and try to save them selves. Another scene is the one where a little kid puts a little girl in the "good line" where she won't get killed. Also when they passed the little girl in the red, she hid to stay alive. I got so upset to see how they ended up killing her and then burn her, that's something so evil because she hadn't done anything to them. I really didn't like how they killed a girl for trying to help hilter.

US Atomic Bombing of Japan in 1945

2007-03-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

I do agree that the Atomic Bomb should have been the number one news of the century because a lot of people died and also Japan was going to surrender, so I think that they should have not thrown the bomb. I would change the order of number six and seven because i think that the Horrors of Nazi Holocaust was something more important because innocent little kids died and also they had no heart for anyone. The bombing is something that needs to be number one because there is no worst news that could be as bad as killing like kids and innocent adults. I think that number 93. Hitler launches "Kristallnacht," ordering Nazis to commit acts of violence against German Jews. 1938. is something that needs to be higher because it's something heartless.

Germany at War-WWII

2007-03-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Propaganda is when you are promoting information. The anti-Bolshevik motif was the central of the Nazi. That movement has created an environment where Communist, togetherr with Jews had formed a target of the Nazi Propaganda and their violence. The Anti-Bolshevik poster is proclaiming that Germany has destroyed Great Britain. In the poster the symbol represented by that is W.Churchill's grave. And also the metal fist shows how Germany is trying to get attention by the east. So he's threaten a "knock out blow" for Stalin and The Soviet Union.

The Treaty of Versailles (Ended WWI)

2007-02-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Treaty of Versailles affected Germany at the end of World War 1 because it was blamed for the entire War. Germany was greatly affected, because they were forced to pay allies.In addition, Germany lost 10% of there lands. All of their colonies were taken away and they divided them between allies. 12.5% of Germany's population were leaving outside of the new Germany borders. The Treaty of Versailles made life very difficult, so that they could pay the allies, they had to borrow a lot of money America in order to pay its war debt to England and France. On the other, The United States had a great depression and were no able to lend Germany any more money. With the problem thatgermany did not have any finical help from the United States, they were unable to pay war reparations to England and France. German people we angry because according to them The Treaty of Versailles was unfair and their money was worthless.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey

2007-02-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

Mustafa Kemal wanted to modernize Turkish life because he wanted he wanted his country to have a new sense of dignity, Equality, and Happiness. But after more than 3 centuries of their high achievement, the Ottoman Empire had declined it from 17th to the early 20th Century. Atatürk tried to resolve it by leading his country out of the crumbling past into a brave new future. In Mustafa's program of modernization, secular Government and Education had played a major role. As he was making religious faith a matter individual conscience. Atatürk created secular system in Turkey, in this system a large amount of Moslem and the small Christian and Jewish were free to practice their faith. On the other hand, Turkey unlike the other countries- has fully secular institutions. This leader inspired freedom and equality for all. Secular is someone who is not a clergyman or is a professional person. In addition Secular is also has another meaning someone that is Not religious.

Gandhi

2007-02-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Gandhi helped India gain Independence from Great Britain by encouraging Indians to boycott British goods and only buy Indian goods instead. In the years 1922, 1930, 1933 and 1942 Gandhi was imprisoned.On the other hand while he was imprisoned he went on a hunger strike. In the year 1920 when the british when the British government had failed to amends, Gandhi had organized a campaign of non-cooperation. But the Indians in the public office did not accept. The British East India Company had considerded salt taxes something necessary. Gandhi being telling people to pick up salt from the earth or distil it from the sea as their natural right. Ganshi had a philosophy of non-violence t hat had to be expressed through civil disobedience.