The Collapse of Communism.

Communism collapse in Eastern Europe and in USSR because so people can leave the country without exit visas and caused a migration to east germany. The Countries formed a union against communism called the warsaw pact. Which denied communism into countrys. So this started the beginning of the collapse of communism.

Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of Communism

Mikhail Gorbachev was the president of Russia. He was so far the youngest president who was at age 54. Mikhail decided that since Russia was a totalitarian state, and nothing was getting done, he thought that he should open up Russia more so that free fresh new ideas will come and make Russia more economic and new with social reforms. This was called the "Glasnost". This was to promote Openness in Russia.

In 1985, Gorbachev decided to make something new called "Peristrokia". This was to make economic reforms. Local managers gained full rights to their farms and property and people were allowed to own privately owned small businesses. So that way this could help with creating jobs.

Also it helped take down the Berlin wall and end communnism.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

In my own words, Apartheid was a policy of government of South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The policy was that colored people could not vote, especially in primarily elections.And it also like that people that were not white did not get full citizenship. So mainly apartheid was a racial segragation policy in South Africa that very much similar to the one in the US. This policy stated that white people were above everyone else and can vote, while the "Bantu" which is everyone else that is black mixed or Indian is nit able to. Nelson Mandela was put into jail because of this.

Nelson Mandela was a man who fought for the independence of South Africa. He was involeved in the ANC's fight to make sure that there was no violence was used and that non- violence was the methods to get freedom and justice and to stop the Apartheid. He was a hero because of this. He was in jail for 26 years and he got out, wrote a book, and still continued to fight for his country and the people admired that and when elections came in 1991, he was elected over the other person with 61% of the votes.

African Independence

Africa back in the times were once ruled by different types of European countries.Like the English, the Germans, the Italians, not the Spanish because they conquered most of south America. Africa was divided into many different countries for this European countries. As the time passed, the Africans wanted their own independence. They wanted to become their own countries. So during the 1950s, the countries began to independence them from the English. One perfect example of the leaders was Ahmed Ben Bella. He was a leader of the fln who was in prisn of France and when he got released, he was named the 1st presedent of Algeria. He began land forms and developed new plans for education. So he was perfect example of what he did in order to make one of the many African nations to become independence.

Film Lesson: The Right Stuff

Both the US and USSR were both competing to see who was the 1st to see who gets to space faster. And in some point, the US was very embarrass because they 1st sent up a monkey and instead of a man. A few nights later, Russia sent up their very first man up in space. That was why the US was very embarrass. The Russians got a head start for the space race. But the ones who one the race was the US because we were the first man to land on the moon. The scenes from the movie that will help me remember about the cold war would most likely when the scientist was testing out the rockets, and who all of them failed. The reason why that would remind me of the cold war is because it shows me how funny it was when the Americans and the Russians were on a race to see who is smarter, stronger and better then each other.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

NATO is a organization of countries that are from Europe and North America. The reason why they were created was because just in case one of the countries were attacked all of the other countries in NATO would come to their side and fight against to who ever attacked the country of NATO. The Warsaw pact was the exact same thing as NATO but involved other countries. The reason why is was made was because Russia felt treated by NATO, so they created it in order to be cool. NATO was against communist, so that another main reason in why NATO was created.And the Warsaw pact was created also because they wanted to keep their communist thing together.

Film Lesson: "Schindler's List"

I thought that Schindlers list explained alittle more better about the halocaust then the other film. I liked this film better because it had more imagination in how the jews were treated, it showed more details. I think that the scenes that were very powerful was when the Nazis soilders were out burning the bodies and how the nazi's were killing innocent families that were still in the ghetto and hiding from them. That i thought was very sad. The images from that film that will stay with me is when the nazis are taking away the childern from the mothers while the mothers were being checked for sicknesses, that will stay with me because that was also very sad. For the viewer i think that the movie of Night and fog was more powerful because it has real footage of how the deadbodies were found.

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

When I frist watched this film, I very shocked at the results. I never thought that it would be that bad in the way the jews were treated. I knew that they treated badly but i never pictured it that way in the film. I found this film very powerful. Cause it shows scene I never thought i would see from the Halocaust. Bodies all piled up and being burned. All the clothes that was left behind. And now I know how the Death camps had those Burners to burn the body. i thought that i would never see that. Compared to Schandlers list, this had the real footage, in Schandlers list, they were actet out. But the movie did have more information about it. I think that this one illustared more about the hallocaust because it had real footage. If only the camentator was in english i could of understanded it more. But the hollywood version was more interesting.

The Treaty of Versailles (ended WW1)

The Treaty of Versailles affected a lot on Germany. I really think they went over board on the Germany. Germany was forced to give up land to other countries when they lost, and because of this Germany lost everything. Every damage that was caused during WW1 was blamed on Germany. And so the conclusion of this, Germany got angry, they grew stronger as the years past with great leader known as Adolf Hitler. So many of the countries think that the treaty of Versailles was the cause of WW2. Some rule of the Treaty was that Germany was forced to give up lands to certain amount of Countries, so they lost land. Another important rule that affected Germany was that they had to have a limit of solders in the Army of Germany.
I personally think that the treaty was not fair. If the treaty was more fair then most likely World War 2 could of been avoided. That what i think. What they did to Germany was too much. I know that they started World war 1 but they didn't have to blame everything on them.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey.

Mustafa Kemal was first a very brilliant commander. He was commander during the time in when Greek solders invaded Turkey. After this had happened, he became the 1st president of the modern Turkey. as he took over he changed a lot of laws and things and tired to be different. He created new laws, new religious courts and created new Legal system based on the European law. Those many new things that Kemal gained also granted women more freedom. Another huge difference that he did. Granted women to vote and get to hold public office. What i think was really weird to me was that he even set out rules about clothes. He said " a civilized, international dress is worthy and appropriate for our new nation. And we shall wear it. Boots and shoes on our feet, trousers on our legs." I think what he tired doing here was trying to make Turkey look good.
He even asked workers to like wear some special type of clothes to make them look like as if they are really working. He required his government workers to wear some kind of western style business suits and banned the fez. He did all this in order to make Turkey a modern country of Europe.

Film Lessons; Gandhi

Gandhi was a great man. For all the things he did for his country. Which is India. The things that he did was pretty incredible. He didn't want violence in order to make the British notice them. Eventually India got there independence. Gandhi deserved to have his own holiday for what he did. Gandhi made the British hear them. The most incredible thing that impressed me the most when Gandhi found out that the Indians used violence, he would punish himself for what other peoples mistakes. The way that he punished himself was by not eating any food or drink anything until the violence would stop. Then he would start eating. Not only did he get people to not to do violence but he was getting what he wanted.And soon enough he got India Independence. Plus during that time, Britain was involved in World War 2. So I blame Great Britain to let them go.