Thursday, May 19, 2011

General Debate 5/19

2.5% added to term paper for General Debate on 5/19
Italy: Jen Kreis and Jay Etkins

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

First Exam Practice


  • questions that asked who was the most or which factor was the most

  • exploration

  • artistic movements

  • "except" questions

  • 1900's questions

  • the Interregnum

  • the biggest medical advancement of the 18th cent.

  • Napoleon's Continental System

  • specific attributes to specific countries

  • the philosophes

  • Metternich

  • Zwingli

  • Greece

  • scientific method

  • the Thermidorean Reaction

  • Warsaw Pact

  • Thirty Years War

  • Zollverein

  • Yugoslavia then and now

  • Directory period of French Revolution

Friday, April 15, 2011

DBQ - World War I

World War I occurred during a time of alliances and a want of power in Europe. Serbia and Austria-Hungary were the two countries that began what was known as “The Great War”. Many causes resulted in this war, which ended up killing millions of people. Despite alliances being a factor of World War I, the reason for rising tensions was the want of more control and the feeling of superiority, resulting in Serbia killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which in turn stirrued up conflict that began World War I.

Austria-Hungarian Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated, which was the one event which began the whole series of the war. It was present that Serbia wanted to expand their power, and one way they were going to do that was to have the Archduke killed. The want for more power is prevalent in Germany’s Yearning for Expansion and Power by Eyre Crowe (doc. 1). Crowe says, “The world belongs to the strong. A vigorous nation cannot allow its growth to be hampered by blind adherence to the status quo (doc . 1). It is visible that a nation would do whatever it can to avoid being overthrown and avoid the loss of control. Willaim II sent a letter to tsar Nicholas, which read, “The spirit which made the Servians murder their own King and his consort still dominates that country. Doubtless You will agree with me that both of us, You as well as I, and all other sovereigns, have a common interest to insist that all those who are responsible for this horrible murder shall suffer their deserved punishment…” (doc. 8). The killing of the Archduke led Willaim II to want to attack Nicholas II and his nation. Revenge is evident here, along with the need to remain in control. A nation would do what it could to maintain dominant control where it wanted it. In order to do this, and in order to avoid defeat, countries made alliances, which when it came time for war, involved many more countries than what was originally at hand.

The Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente were made to keep ties between countries known. It is said in the Triple Alliance that “If one, or two, of the High Contracting Parties, without direct provocation on their part, should chance to be attacked and to be engaged in a war with two or more Great Powers non-signatory to the present Treaty, the casus foederis will arise simultaneously for all the High Contracting Parties” (doc. 2). When one country in an alliance was attacked, all of the allies would be dragged into the war as well, creating more havoc. The reason that allies were created was to keep countries in control and stabilized, therefore solidifying the fact that tensions rose because countries wanted more power and went to drastic measures to maintain their power. Europe in the Twentieth Century states that “more and more people had acquired a larger stake in defending the state” (doc. 5). More and more people joined the defense, creating more tensions and racism leading to the war because more of different types of people were involved. In a book by Chamberlein, he states, “Physically and mentally the Aryans are pre-eminent among all peoples; for that reason they are by right, as the Stagirite expresses it, the lords of the world” (doc. 3). Chamberlein is being biased in this statement in saying that the Aryans are the best among all people. This remark demonstrates that countries or areas thought that they were better than others, leading them to think that they could overthrow other powers. The feeling of superiority, therefore ultimately the feeling of wanting to have the most, led to tensions before World War I.

In By-Laws of the Organization Union or Death, it says that Serbia will “organize revolutionary action in all territories inhabited by Serbs; Beyond the frontiers of Serbia, fight with all means the enemies of the Serbian national idea” (doc. 6). The Serbians are biased in the fact that they will fight any enemy of their, even if the enemy has done nothing particularly wrong to Serbia itself. The Serbians were a main cause of World War I, in that they wanted more power, and they were setting up their country to be able to hold a revolution because they knew war was coming. Serbia’s feeling of superiority allowed them to think that they were above others and did not have to respond to enemies. War was declared on Serbia exactly for this reason: they did not respond. The Austro-Hungarian Declaration of War of Serbia says, “The Royal Serbian Government not having answered in a satisfactory manner the note of July 23, 1914, presented by the Austro-Hungarian Minister of Belgrade, the Imperial and Royal Government are themselves compelled to see to the safeguarding of their rights and interests, and, with this object, to have recourse to force of arms. Austria-Hungary consequently considers herself henceforward in state of war with Serbia” (doc 7). The feeling of dominance by Austria-Hungary is evident because they declared war merely because Serbia did not answer their note in a way that was satisfactory for Austria-Hungary.

Tensions before World War II led to the first battle and the first declare of war between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. The need to be in control is the reason that tensions rose, causing alliances to be formed in Archduke Ferdinand to be killed. The feeling of ultimate power and the biased of this countries preceding World War I caused one of the biggest wars in history.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Second Peer Edit

This is my second peer edit already corrected with Rebecca's suggestions.
Her final remarks on my paper were:

Your paper is good, although I feel like the first half of the paper is spent explaining the relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and not analyzing or arguing. This can be easily fixed: every now and then, just insert a little sentence that relates directly back to your thesis. Also, you can change the topic sentence of each paragraph to an argument. Overall, it was very good.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Animal Farm Extra Credit Song

Ballad of A Thin Man - Bob Dylan
(references Mr. Jones from Animal Farm)


You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man ?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home.

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is ?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you says, "What's mine ?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is ?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone ?"

But something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak ?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone.

And something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To all give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations.
You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known.

But something is happening here
And you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan".

And you know something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason ?"
And he says, "How ?"

And you say, "What does this mean ?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home".

Because something is happening
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones.

Does something is happening
And you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones ?

Animal Farm Discussion

Animal Farm Discussion Link

Friday, March 25, 2011

Socialism and Marxian DBQ

IDEAS:

Impressionistic with the blurred colors and with no fine lines, showing the low class

Realistic with distinct figures – but showing the upper class and the

Europe became more industrialized with a better economy

More industrialized society can be seen Manet’s portrait of a girl at a bar, and on the bar are bottles of Bass Ale, portraying the fact that mass production was occurring.

Another picture done in the 19th century portrays a girl and mother. The mother is sitting holding a dog, while the girl is looking at a passing train. This hint of industrialization is what is evident in Figure 2. Professionals are seen

-------------------------------



In the 19th century, Europe went through transformations such as socialism, impressionism, and realism. Socialism was the want for a better economy which would consist of better wages for workers. Marxian socialism was a type of socialism that focused on having the proletariat, that is the working class, rise up against the bourgeois, the factory owners. Impressionism and realism were evident in artwork and literature. Despite economic improvement during the 19th century in Europe, Europe remained a society full of class rank, which goes against the socialist point of view demonstrated by Karl Marx.

Karl Marx was a German man who moved to France and became influenced by people involved with socialism. There were three major things that he was against, which he demonstrated in his book Das Kapital. Marx’s first idea was the “subsistence theory of wages,” in which he said the working class would remain the working class if they did not rebel because workers paid their employees only enough so that they could live. Figure 1 demonstrates this theory, and it also demonstrates the depression of those stuck in the working class. The painter of this picture displays bias; he is making the women and children look tired, depressed, and sad. This picture is drawn with an impressionistic influence because the colors are blurred and the shapes of the people are not distinct. This picture portrays exactly what Marx was against. Because the working class and those supporting their children at home worked so much, these people were tired and gave all their energy to sustaining their family (Figure 1). Figure 1 is drawn to mock the poor and the decrepit. The people depicted, mainly the men in the back, are the ones who are working to better the economy, but they are not reaping benefits and therefore are in this painting looking upset and worn down.

Figure 2 portrays advancements in Europe, in fashion, business, and in the economy. This painting is a realistic painting with distinct figures (Figure 2). The people are drawn very distinctly, and it is trying to show the world as it was seen in Europe at this time. This figure also displays bias because it is only showing the upper class of the society. The man and woman seen walking are elite people, but this picture does not display the dynamics of the European society. Because this is picture of realism, it looks very real, but it is not portraying the fact that not everyone in Europe was walking around in tuxedos and dresses. The industrialization of Europe; however, can be seen in other paintings as well. Industrialized society can be seen Manet’s portrait of a girl working at a bar, and on the bar are bottles of Bass Ale, portraying the fact that mass production was occurring. Another picture done in the 19th century portrays a girl and mother. The mother is sitting holding a dog, while the girl is looking at a passing train. This hint of industrialization is what is evident in Figure 2. It is very evident in Figure 2 that an elite class was still existent in Europe, even when the economy was sustained and industrialization was occurring. It can also be known that there was still a working class and an elite class because labor unions became legal, along with strikes, and unions were implemented to keep wages high and prices low. Figure 2 displays a more modern Europe, and in modern Europe, classes are still evident.

The bias of the painters can be seen in both Figure 1 and Figure 2, and this can translate to demonstrate the bias of many of those in the 19th century. The working/middle class was looked at to be poor and unworthy, (Figure 1) while the elite were prestigious and more renown (Figure 2). Marx was trying to allow the working class to get passed this bias and rebel in order to be in charge, but his ideas did not follow through. The legalizing of labor unions and the fact that labor unions are still evident today give way to the reality that classes were still prevalent in Europe when it was industrialized. Figure 1 only portrays the poor of the society, and figure 2 only portrays the elite of the society.

Socialism, impressionism, and realism are all factors of modern Europe and the role that men and women have in society. Class ranking is still seen, along with and the elite class ruling the working class. Figure 1 and Figure 2 display a biased point of view in regards to the people living in the 19th century in Europe. Marxian socialism applies to the industrializing of Europe, and his ideas did not continue to the industrialized Europe, which means that class rank was still in effect.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Mazzini, Garibaldi, and French Revolutionaries Free Response

Contrast Mazzini and Garibaldi's revolutionary views with those of revolutionaries in France.

Mazzini Garibaldi contributed to the unification of Italy in the 19th century. French revolutionaries during the French Revolution tried to overthrow power and gain rights for the people. The French Revolution could be seen as being similar to the Egyptian revolution that occurred in February 2011. Mazzini and Garibaldi were interested in conquering and unifying Italy rather than holding a revolution, while the French revolutionaries were going against Louis XVI and wanting rights for the people in France.

Garibaldi had the spirit of Mazzini and carried on his traits throughout the 19th century. Garibaldi revolutionized by holding control and making alliances that would better Italy. He allied quickly with different countries, such as Austria. Garibaldi was a smart man working slowly and efficiently to keep Italy under control and ultimately unify the industrialized north and the agricultural south, although they would not be geographically unified because the papal states were separating them. Garibaldi was not trying to eradicate a ruler. Garibaldi was a single force working to revolutionize, although Emmanuel and Cavour were also trying to unify Italy, while the French revolutionaries were a group of people trying to overthrow the power of Louis XVI.

The French Revolution was about overthrowing the dominant power in France, Louis XVI. The French protested and fought so that the rights of the common people were protected. The French Revolution can be looked at as being similar to the Egyptian revolution in 2011 when the Egyptians overthrew their controller, Mubarak. The French people rallied and protested, which is nothing like Mazzini or Garibaldi. Garibaldi’s way of being a smart revolutionary was to make alliances that would help him keep the French away and the Vatican and Pope’s control limited. The people were rallying together in order to overthrow one dominant force, while Garibaldi was not trying to overthrow anyone because he enough power and was not against Victor Emmanuel or Cavour.

Garibaldi carried out Mazzini’s wishes in Italy. Another man was trying to unify Italy along with Garibaldi, and that was Emmanuel, who ended up becoming King of Italy when Italy was unified. Garibaldi worked without harm to the Italian people; he actually did more good than harm by finally unifying the country into one. In the French Revolution, it was the people revolting against their leader, causing much upheaval and confusion in France. It was all against one, while Garibaldi was not specifically against any one person. Garibaldi worked seamlessly and without much disturbance. He was trying to do a good thing for Italy by unifying the north and south into one country. The French revolutionaries were trying to do a good thing for their country as well, gaining freedom and rights, and in this way the French revolutionaries and Garibaldi are similar.

The French revolutionaries and Garibaldi and Mazzini were really trying to do two different things. While Mazzini and Garibaldi wanted to unify Italy and create a relationship between the north and south, excluding the Vatican, the French revolutionaries wanted to overthrow Louis XVI in an attempt to bring good for the common people, just like the Egyptian revolution of 2011. The revolutionaries in France compared to Garibaldi and Mazzini had very different views on revolutionizing.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Unit Four Review Questions P. 174

17/20

Romanticism Free Response

Romanticism came as a result of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. Romantic thinkers rebelled against the neo-classic mindset and the way that scientists and philosophers wanted an answer to everything. The Enlightenment thinkers wanted an explanation as to how everything goes on, while Romantics explored all that cannot be measured or scientifically figured out. Romantic views challenged Enlightenment views of human beings and the natural world by not wanting to seek an answer, rather exploring the unexplainable in the world, and this illustrated changes from Enlightenment to Romantic views of the relationship between God and individuals because poets such a Byron, Shelley, and Keats were able to express their disbelief in God and their personal feelings towards nature and passion.

The Enlightenment thinkers were very much set on fact and the literal meaning and explanations of science and mathematics. Romantic thinkers rebelled against Enlightenment thoughts in order to express individual feelings and opinions and break away from doing things specifically for the Church or state. Enlightenment thinkers were not worried about ideas or abstract things. If they were looking at nature, they wanted to know why and how things were happening. Romantics were not like that. In Literature, one of the first Romantic works was produced by Coleridge and Wordsworth. They set the tone for the writing that could now be done in the Romantic period. Writers, poets, and musicians were able to focus on personal feelings rather than science and mathematics. Poets such as Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and Keats were able to become in tune with their lonely and deep side, which made them very popular. One of their most revered attributes was the fact that they talked about the unexplainable: nature, personal feelings, relationships, and love. One poem that displays the ability of poets to honor nature is The Tintern Abbey by William Wordsworth. This poem expressed the way that Wordsworth viewed an old abbey, and it did not need to have any explanation or format; he could write it because it was what he was feeling at the moment. This was one of the highlights of the Romantic period, being able to express thoughts and feelings.

The Romantic period was a time when Romantics broke away from the Church and state in the sense that they were writing and producing music for themselves and not for the approval of the Church or state. In this way, some Romantics abandoned God. They were able to become in tune with their dark side, and they were able to question whether or not God existed. Music changed from the Enlightenment to the Romantic period by becoming less strategically planned and instead appealing to one’s emotions. Composers such as Beethoven and Liszt began composing music that expressed emotion and feeling. These pieces did not have to be created a certain way because these composers were only writing these pieces in result of how they personally felt. Because nothing had to be made for the Church, Romantics were able to free themselves from including God in their work. Byron, Keets, and Shelley expressed dark views on life, leading one to believe that they did not find God to be present in their lives. Romantic literature, music, and poetry allowed Romantics to express deeper views on the world, nature, and feelings than they ever could before, and if they were reaching into these deep and dark places, they were leaving God behind.

A dark side of poetry came about during the Romantic period. Gothic views were taken on by writers such as Percy Shelley’s second wife in Frankenstein. Another work where gothic views are seen is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These books expressed supernatural creatures that would have been unexplainable and unheard of by Enlightenment thinkers. The gothic period during Romanticism suggest that these writers were not focusing on God and his powers, but rather supernatural powers and far-off ideas. These works, Franestein and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, demonstrated the fact that explained ideas were not being utilized during the Romantic age, but rather imagination and abstract thoughts.

The main difference between the Enlightenment and the Romantic age is that Romantics were able to express their own personal feelings and thoughts without having to conform to Church or state standards. They could choose to stay with God or leave God in their writings, and as explained before, many seemed to become dark and serious into a depressing state where faith was not found. Romantics were focused on exploring the unexplainable and personalizing all of the music, art, literature, and poetry they did.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Second Draft of Formal Outline

Thesis:

Investment in Germany was a direct result of US / Soviet relations during the Cold War; in effect, unified Germany could never have become the economic powerhouse of Europe without going through the experience of the Berlin Wall.

Definitions:

East Germany - the former independent nation created in 1949 from the area of Germany occupied by the former Soviet Union after World War II. It was reunited with West Germany after the fall of its communist government in 1990.

West Germany - After being defeated in World War I, Germany was taken over in the 1930s by the Nazi dictatorship that led to a policy of expansionism and eventually to complete defeat in World War II. Germany was occupied for a time by the victorious Allies and was partitioned. The western part (including West Berlin), which was occupied by the US, Britain, and France, became the Federal Republic of Germany or West Germany.

Berlin Wall - a fortified and heavily guarded wall built on the boundary between East and West Berlin in 1961 by the communist authorities, chiefly to curb the flow of East Germans to the West. It was opened in November 1989 after the collapse of the communist regime in East Germany and subsequently was dismantled.

USSR - a former federation of communist republics that occupied the northern half of Asia and part of eastern Europe; capital, Moscow. Created from the Russian empire in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Soviet Union was the largest country in the world. After World War II, it emerged as a superpower that rivaled the US and led to the Cold War. After decades of repression and economic failure, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved in 1991. Some of its constituents joined a looser confederation, the Commonwealth of Independent States

Types of Sources:

Secondary Sources – I have a book specifically on the Berlin Wall that can be used also as a primary source because it had pictures from the years that the Berlin Wall was up. Another book I have to use is A History of Berlin. I have another book about the Berlin Wall that deals with the construction of the wall and what happened after the wall was knocked down. Another book to be used is The Second World War, focusing on WWII that I may use to explain and analyze how Germany was before the Berlin Wall was put up and then knocked down.

The Second World War – John Keegan

The Berlin Wall – Cindy Mur

The Berlin Wall: A World Divided – Frederick Taylor

Faust’s Metropolis: A History of Berlin – Alexandra Richie

Primary Sources: I have photographs to use as primary sources. I am also using primary source websites, one being the Chronology of International Events, which was issued by the Department of State in 1941. I also have many books with direct quotes from people during this time period.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/events/events.html

http://www.bartleby.com/33/21.html

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=bel71807&tabID=T003&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&contentSet=GALE|CX2687500116&&docId=GALE|CX2687500116&docType=GALE&role=

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/germanunification.html

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=article&id=History.BackgrndDocs&did=History.BackgrndDocs.i0127&q1=west%20germany

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=article&id=History.omg1951April&did=History.omg1951April.i0022&q1=west%20germany

1. “Berlin’s symbolic significance to capitalist and Communist forces during the Cold War brought about the Berlin crisis” (Craig, 1999).

- Berlin was in the middle of a military and political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union.

- This rivalry continued from the end of World War II until the Berlin Wall was built in 1961.

- The powerful countries in the West refused to abandon West Berlin, and they were supported by the United States who had superior nuclear capabilities (Craig, 1999).

- The occupation of the United States, Britain, France, and Soviet troops in Germany was a constant reminder of the political and military effects of the cold war. (Craig, 1999)

- Berlin was the only place where Russian and American forces could face each other directly.

- “The evolving status of Berlin from 1948 to 1961 represents quite accurately the growth of the Soviet military power to the point of effective thermonuclear parity with the United States (Craig, 1999).

- The Cold War turned the United States, Britain, and France into enemies against the Soviet Union.

2. There were many differences between East and West Germany.

- West Germany was controlled by France, Great Britain, and the United States

- East Germany was controlled by the USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, making it a Communist country.

- West Germany was able to have advanced technology and up-to-date living situations because it was controlled by advanced countries.

- East Germany did not see the advances in technology prevalent in the United States and Great Britain.

- One of the main concerns of President Kennedy was what was going on in East Germany.

- When the Wall was built and the Soviet Union was not going to advance to West Berlin, Kennedy said, “This is the end of the Berlin crisis. They’re not going to overrun Berlin” (Reeves, 1999).

3. The United States Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, suggested Western support for the rebuilding of Europe.

- Marshall thought that food should be supplied, along with other products.

- The United States was supplying money to sustain Western Germany so that it was in competition with Russia who was controlling East Germany.

- President Harry S. Truman agreed that an economically recovered Europe would be more politically stable and would therefore have a less chance of becoming completely Communist.

- West Germany would have to give up money and put forth products to subsidize East Germany’s economy and get them up to par with the rest of the world.

4. East Germany was a “struggling social experiment” (Taylor).

- The West was booming in pursuit of political freedom and a higher standard of living.

- Between 1945 and 1961, around two and a half million people fled to West Germany.

- East Germany was losing educated professionals and skilled workers.

5. The expansion of the Soviet Union into Eastern Germany worried liberal democracies of the west, specifically the United States.

- “By 1947, the Cold War (1945–91) clearly was the most threatening issue dominating international affairs.” (Endangered Berlin)

- There was a battle of social and political ideas between the United States and the Soviet Union.

- John F. Kennedy: "It would be a mistake for others to look upon Berlin, because of its location, as a tempting target. The United States is there; the United Kingdom and France are there; the pledge of NATO is there—and the people of Berlin are there.” (John F. Kennedy: Berlin Crisis)

- There was not a peace treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union even in 1958, and Nikita Khrushchev sent a letter to Western powers. (John F. Kennedy: Berlin Crisis)

- "It shall be the policy of this Nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union." (John F. Kennedy: Soviet Arms Buildup in Cuba)

- There was much hostility between the Unites States and the Soviet Union.

- The United States was fighting to keep West Germany safe and under control. If the wall was not up and East Germany was not under Communist rule, then the United States would not invest so much into West Germany.

6. “And let us hear at that time from the two and one-half million refugees who have fled the Communist regime in East Germany. (JFK)

- This displayed that the people were voting for Western-type freedom.

7. German people were hesitant about the unification of East and West Germany.

- “Anxiety concerning the possibility of German reunification has been voiced, from time to time”

(http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/items/show/324).

- These fears cannot be dismissed because that would be like concentrating too much on

“demarcation” propaganda statements from East Germans.

8. West Germany was not in a good geographical area to be fighting East Germany and its controller.

9. West Germany itself bounced back from an economic decline in 1949. (Taylor, 2009)

- Steal industry was prevalent in West Germany.

- February 1951 – economic policy reached a turning point with the Federal Government’s decision to suspend trade liberalization.

- It was ruled by up-to-date and modern countries, while East Berlin was ruled by Communists who did not have technological advancements, and East Germans were lucky to have clean water.

- The United States was feeding money to West Germany.

10. People were overwhelmed at the fall of the Wall.

- Andres Ramos writes his personal account of experiencing the fall of the Wall.

- “We could hear the sound of heavy machines. With a giant drill, they were punching holes in the wall. Every time a drill poked through, everyone cheered” (Ramos, 1989 p. 92).

Reeves, Richard. (1999). How the wall prevented world war 3.

Craig, Campbell. (1999). Berlin crisis p. 24- 27

Taylor, frederick. (2009). The berlin wall: a world divided. New York:

"Endangered Berlin." Cold War Primary Sources. UXL-GALE, 2005.eNotes.com. 2006. 8 Mar, 2011 http://www.enotes.com/cold-war-primary-sources/
endangered-berlin

"John F. Kennedy: Berlin Crisis." Cold War Primary Sources. UXL-GALE, 2005. eNotes.com. 2006. 8 Mar, 2011 http://www.enotes.com/cold-war-primary-sources/
john-f-kennedy-berlin-crisis

"John F. Kennedy: Soviet Arms Buildup in Cuba." Cold War Primary Sources. UXL-GALE, 2005. eNotes.com. 2006. 8 Mar, 2011 http://www.enotes.com/cold-war-primary-sources/
john-f-kennedy-soviet-arms-buildup-cuba

Mur, Cindy. (2004). The berlin wall. Farmington Hills:

Ramos, Andreas. (1989). A personal account of the fall of the berlin wall: the 11th and 12th of november 1989

Friday, March 4, 2011

Industrial Revolution Free Response Essay

Explain how the Industrial Revolution influenced the rise of conservative and liberal philosophies and explain how those philosophies competed with or related to nationalism in Greece and Germany.


The industrial revolution was a historic period in Europe during the time of 1815 to 1848. The major place affected by the industrial revolution was initially England. Other countries, such as France, were not being as industrialized as England was. Factories were allowing workers to work jobs that did not require much skill. Conservatism and liberal ideas, that is, wanting a reign of aristocracy and the idea of doing what is good for the people, prospered because of the Industrial Revolution. Although the Industrial Revolution is thought of as influencing conservatism and nationalism, it influenced the rise of liberal philosophies more than the rise of conservative philosophies; meanwhile nationalism in Greece and Germany contradicted conservative philosophies but was in accordance with liberal ideas.

Liberalism during the time period between 1815 and 1848 was when the people wanted a government like a democracy; they wanted to have a say and they wanted to be kept in mind. Liberal thinkers looked out for the good of the common people. Liberalism was a direct result of the Industrial Revolution because at the end of the industrial revolution, laws were made to protect the rights of workers, and workers were ordered to only work 10 hour shifts. Laws were made on how long children and women could work. Laws also arouse on the amount of money that workers in factories could or should be paid. These laws were made in order to protect all people and maintain their rights. Liberalism is the same idea in that the rights of the people in the state should be a priority. The end of the Industrial Revolution gave leeway to liberal philosophies because people continued to be considered and their opinions continued to matter.

Conservative philosophies were not as much influenced by the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution did give leeway to conservative philosophies, but it did not majorly lead to the idea that the aristocracy should always be the ruling power. It is true that wealthier people owned factories where poor and lower class people worked, but these cotton lords had restrictions because laws were made in order to protect the rights of their workers. They did not maintain complete control over worker’s pay or hours. These conservative philosophies also contradicted nationalism. Conservative believers wanted the aristocracy to rule the state. They believed everything should be done for the aristocracy, and the upper class should be the ones with the power. Nationalism is the want for independent states to rule themselves and have their own government. This is the opposite of conservatism; instead of being rules by the aristocracy, the nationalist thinkers wanted to have an autonomous state that ruled itself and was in control of what happened to their own individual state.

Nationalism was in accordance with liberal philosophies. Liberal thinkers wanted the good of the people to be considered. Nationalist people wanted separate autonomous states that ruled themselves. If there is a state ruling itself, then the good of the people can be the first priority because the ruling forces are making the decisions for their state, and ultimately, for themselves as well. Liberal thinkers would more likely be inclined to want to be ruled by a government of their own state than an aristocracy that has little or no relation to them in order to receive what it is that they deserve. Nationalism is a result of liberal philosophies.

The Industrial Revolution led to nationalism, conservatism, and liberalism, but it did not affect all of these things equally. Liberalism was affected the most, and therefore nationalism was also a result. The period from 1815 to 1848 was a distinct time of change and improvements in Europe. The Industrial Revolution led to changes in Europe and ultimately led to outbreaks and revolutions whose impacts would later cause World War I.

Monday, February 28, 2011

First Draft of Formal Outline

Thesis:

West Germany would have been a stronger country had the Berlin Wall not been knocked down in 1989 because it had to subsidize East Germany's economy.


Definitions:

East Germany - the former independent nation created in 1949 from the area of Germany occupied by the former Soviet Union after World War II. It was reunited with West Germany after the fall of its communist government in 1990.

West Germany - After being defeated in World War I, Germany was taken over in the 1930s by the Nazi dictatorship that led to a policy of expansionism and eventually to complete defeat in World War II. Germany was occupied for a time by the victorious Allies and was partitioned. The western part (including West Berlin), which was occupied by the US, Britain, and France, became the Federal Republic of Germany or West Germany.

Berlin Wall - a fortified and heavily guarded wall built on the boundary between East and West Berlin in 1961 by the communist authorities, chiefly to curb the flow of East Germans to the West. It was opened in November 1989 after the collapse of the communist regime in East Germany and subsequently was dismantled.

USSR - a former federation of communist republics that occupied the northern half of Asia and part of eastern Europe; capital, Moscow. Created from the Russian empire in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Soviet Union was the largest country in the world. After World War II, it emerged as a superpower that rivaled the US and led to the Cold War. After decades of repression and economic failure, the Soviet Union was formally dissolved in 1991. Some of its constituents joined a looser confederation, the Commonwealth of Independent States


Types of Sources:

Secondary Sources – I have a book specifically on the Berlin Wall that can be used also as a primary source because it had pictures from the years that the Berlin Wall was up. Another book I have to use is A History of Berlin. I have another book about the Berlin Wall that deals with the construction of the wall and what happened after the wall was knocked down. Another book to be used is The Second World War, focusing on WWII that I may use to explain and analyze how Germany was before the Berlin Wall was put up and then knocked down.

The Second World War – John Keegan

The Berlin Wall – Cindy Mur

The Berlin Wall: A World Divided – Frederick Taylor


Primary Sources: I have photographs to use as primary sources. I am also using primary source websites, one being the Chronology of International Events, which was issued by the Department of State in 1941. I also have a speech by John F. Kennedy.

http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/events/events.html

http://www.bartleby.com/33/21.html

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=bel71807&tabID=T003&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=1&contentSet=GALE|CX2687500116&&docId=GALE|CX2687500116&docType=GALE&role=

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/germanunification.html

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=article&id=History.BackgrndDocs&did=History.BackgrndDocs.i0127&q1=west%20germany

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=article&id=History.omg1951April&did=History.omg1951April.i0022&q1=west%20germany


1. Allied parties agreed to divide Germany and its capital into four separate zones.

- West Germany was controlled by France, Great Britain, and the United States

- East Germany was controlled by the USSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, making it a Communist country.

- West Germany was able to have advanced technology and up-to-date living situations because it

was controlled by advanced countries.

- East Germany did not see the advances in technology prevalent in the United States and Great Britain.


2. The United States Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, suggested Western support for the rebuilding of Europe.

- Marshall thought that food should be supplied, along with other products.

- President Harry S. Truman agreed that an economically recovered Europe would be more politically

stable and would therefore have a less chance of becoming completely Communist.

- West Germany would have to give up money and put forth products to subsidize East Germany’s

economy and get them up to par with the rest of the world.


3. East Germany was a “struggling social experiment” (Taylor).

- The West was booming in pursuit of political freedom and a higher standard of living.

- Between 1945 and 1961, around two and a half million people fled to West Germany.

- East Germany was losing educated professionals and skilled workers.


4. East Germany was governed by people wanted to control every aspect of the East German’s lives.

- “The state was all-powerful, determining where people could live, where they could go to school..etc” (Richie).

- These people were unstable and could not fend for themselves, being governed so closely by ruling powers.

- These people were used to being controlled and may not know what to do with freedom that West Germany experiences.

5. “And let us hear at that time from the two and one-half million refugees who have fled the Communist regime in East Germany. (JFK)

- This displayed that the people were voting for Western-type freedom.


6. German people were hesitant about the unification of East and West Germany.

- “Anxiety concerning the possibility of German reunification has been voiced, from time to time”

(http://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/items/show/324).

- These fears cannot be dismissed because that would be like concentrating too much on

“demarcation” propaganda statements from East Germans.


7. West Germany was not in a good geographical area to be fighting East Germany and its controller.


8. West Germany itself bounced back from an economic decline in 1949.

- Steal industry was prevalent in West Germany.

- February 1951 – economic policy reached a turning point with the Federal Government’s decision

to suspend trade liberalization.

- It was ruled by up-to-date and modern countries, while East Berlin was ruled by Communists who

did not have technological advancements, and East Germans were lucky to have clean water.