Mikhail Gorbachev and the end of Communism

Mikhail Gorbachev helped to open the soviet union by modernizing the economy and introducing a market economy to Russia. This led to other countries establishing a market economy and become independent. Glasnost was a program to rid the soviet union of corruption and political abuse. Perestroika was an economic program. Russian for reconstructing its goal was to restructure the soviet economy to a market economy.

Collapse of Communism

Communism collapses in eastern Europe because there was shortages in goods, the economy was weak and the people wanted freedom. The citizens of Berlin tore down the Berlin wall to unify Berlin. The collapse of the soviet union changed the world because the U.S became the worlds only superpower and the threat of nuclear war decreased.

Creation of Israel

Zionism was a political movement during the late 19th century to create a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Israel had to fight wars with their neighbors because the Arab Muslims hated them and wanted that land. Israelis and Palestinians don't get along because they feel they should control that land, not the other.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid is a policy of racial segregation that existed in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Under Apartheid blacks were not even allowed to be citizens. Apartheid ended in 1994 with the election of Nelson Mandela as President. Nelson Mandela is a hero because he endured 27 years of hard labor in prison and the government couldn't break him. He's so admired the South Africans and by the author of the book because he never called for violence and because he was willing to forgive the white population of South Africa.

African Independence

After the second world war the major colonial powers of Europe were weakened. They could not maintain their colonies in Africa and were forced to grant them independence. Some countries tried to prepare them for Independence like Great Britain, others tried to maintain control, like the French and the Portuguese. The first colony to gain Independence was Ghana. Its first president was Kwame Nkrumah. He was the ruler of Ghana until 1966. The countries has been in civil war ever since. Other countries in Africa who gained Independence were Algeria (France 1962 lead by Ahmed Ben Bella), Kenya (Britain 1963 led by Jomo Kenyatta), The Congo (Belgium 1960 led by Mobutu Sese Seko), and Angola (Portugal 1975 led by the MPLA)

The Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution was a point in history about 10,000 years ago that humans started to grow plants and domesticate animals. This was important because Humans could settle down in one place. This allowed the population to expand, and cities to grow. Most Cities were near river valleys because they had easy access to drinking water and water to grow food.

The European Union

The European Union is an alliance between 25 European nations. Members of the EU can cross the borders of other member nations easily, they have a common military, and a common currency. The EU is a good thing because it will prevent war in Europe.

The Right Stuff

In the movie "The Right Stuff" the U.S and The Soviet Union were competing to become the first in space. The Russians were winning the competition because they sent the first man in space in 1961. The scene that will help me remember the cold war best was when they showed the 2 soviet rockets being fired because it shows the soviets as cold and dark.

The Cuban Missle Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13 day period between October 15 1962 and October 28 1962 when the U.S and the U.S.S.R almost fought a nuclear war. It started when the soviets decided to install nuclear missiles in Cuba to attack the U.S in case of war. On the 15th the missile sites were found. On the 22nd president John F. Kennedy told the American People of the situation. On the 26th Nikita Khrushchev sent a letter telling Kennedy that he'll remove the missiles if he promises not to invade Cuba. The crisis ended in October 28, when Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles and return them to the Soviet Union.

NATO and the Warsaw Pact

NATO and the Warsaw pact are military alliances. NATO was founded by the United States in 1949, to protect Western Europe from a Soviet invasion. The founding countries included the U.S, Canada, Great Britain, and France. In response the Soviet Union created the Warsaw Pact to defend Eastern Europe against NATO. Its members included the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Albania.

Night and Fog

I thought night and fog was powerful, but a bit to short. I found it powerful mainly because of the dead bodies, especially the part that showed the decapitated bodies, and when a bulldozer pushed dozens of bodies into a mass grave. I think Schindler's list illustrates the Holocaust more effectively because it deals with the lifes of individuals and the viewers feel connected to them.

Schindler's List

Schindler's list illustrates the Holocaust in a personal level. It also shows the German side, and the mentality of the guy in charge of the camp. The most powerful scene in the movie was when the commandant of the camp killed the Jewish engineer because She was an educated Jew "like Karl Marx." Another powerful, but disturbing scene was when the head commandant told the old Jewish worker to make a hinge. When He was done making the hinge, the Commandant thought that the pile of hinges were to little so he took him outside to shoot him, but his gun didn't work, so he took out his other gun and that one didn't work either so he let him live.

US Atomic Bombing of Japan in 1945

I agree with the list's conclusion that the use of the atomic bomb was the biggest story of the century. The atomic bomb is the biggest news story of the century because it killed thousands of people, and because it revolutionized warfare. I wouldn't change the list. I believe that the list is complete and i can't think of any major story left out.

Garmany at War- WW2

Propaganda is a type of message that tries to influence what people think. This poster is trying to convince the German people that war with Russia is necessary. According to the poster Great Britain has already been defeated and is represented as a graveyard, with Winston Churchill's tombstone standing out. The poster also says that the invasion of Russia is necessary because of the security, of Germany, represented by the cradle, and for more living space for the German people, represented by the Farm. It also shows an iron fist delivering a knockout blow to Stalin and the Russians.

Treaty Of Versailles

The treaty of Versailles had a very negative affects on Germany. Under the treaty the Germans had to accept responsibility for starting the war. They had to pay reparations to the allied nations for the cost of the war, they had to give all their overseas colonies to England and France, they ceded parts of Germany to Poland, and Denmark, they also had to return Alsace-Lorraine, which the Germans had seized during the Franco-Prussian war back to France. They were also not allowed no build any fortifications along the Rhine. Once one of the largest industrial power in Europe, their production of coal and iron fell 16% and 48%.
Most people believe the treaty of Versailles led to the rise of Adolf Hitler. Most historians believe that because his platform when running for office was that he would make Germany a European power again. He promised the German people he would fix the German economy, and regain all the territory it lost after the war.

Ghandi

Mahatma Gandhi was an important person in history. He is the person most responsible for India gaining Independence and the breakup of the British Empire. The reason he was so successful was because his philosophy of non-violent protest was unorthodox at that time. This form of civil disobedience was not common, nation who wanted freedom usually took up arms against their occupiers I think Gandhi believed in no-violent protests because he was a peaceful man,and because he also knew that the Indian people could not revolt against the British Empire, one of the largest, most powerful empires in history, along with the Roman Empire and Mongol empire. He also knew that the British would not know how to react to non-violent protest, so they would overreact and used force to suppress them. These acts of violence would outrage the world and pressure would be put on the British to grant Indian Independence.
Gandhi was very important figure during the Indian Independence movement, but the British Empire was on a rapid decline since the end of the first world war and was destined to fall. The British Empire was the larges overseas empire in history, covering about two-fifths of the earth's surface, from Canada to Singapore. The British defeated the German during the second world war but it was a Pyrrhic victory. The British economy was in ruins, their cities were destroyed by German bombing, and millions of their soldiers, and citizens died. They just didn't have the resources needed to maintain such a large empire. Within years after the second world war ended India was granted independence. Within 20 years the granted Independence to their possessions in Africa, Asia, and South America. In 1997 they lost their last important colony, returning Hong Kong to China. Today, Britain is a shell of its former
self. Once the largest empire in history, the are now confined to the British Isle, (England,Scotland,Wales) Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Island

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