Mikhail Gorbachev and the end of Communism

Explain how Mikhail Gorbachev opened up the Soviet Union and paved the way for the end of Communism.

-->Mikhail Gorbachev was a Russian politician. He was one of the last leaders of the Soviet Union, who served from 1985 until the collapse of 1991. His supporters praised his youth, energy, and political skills that they admired. He was one of the youngest leader of the Soviet Union, since Stalin. He didn't need to follow other people ideas, he just came up with new ones that were more better and useful.
He opened up the Soviet Union and paved the way to end communism by opening the soviets citizens to help them out in their society. Due to this he started a thing called Glasnost that was an opening to help his citizens and make them feel comfortable with him as a leader, and to be not afraid of any losses. However, he had many ideas that he created another was called Perestroika.perestroika was an idea on economic restructuring throughout the Soviet Union. As Gorbachev made new reforms communism started to get weaker and weaker. His main idea was to make communism more efficient and a productive development. Many changes came along the years where he finally ended communism and dramatically living to a new reform called capitalism where many things changed and where not the same.


Define Glasnost

-->The declared public policy within the Soviet Union of openly and frankly discussing economic and political realities initiated under Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985.

Define Peristrokia

-->The restructuring of the Soviet economy and bureaucracy that began in the mid 1980s.

Collapse of Communism

Why did Communism collapse in Eastern Europe and the USSR?

-->Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe and the USSR, because of many reasons. This was one of the major events in history that had happened. They wanted to separate the East and West Germany by breaking down the Berlin Wall and having great disaster. Due to this both sides of Germany had economic and social ties. Even thought is was a disaster, later on it came with great support that they were able to make their financial situations more better. When Communism fell there was less need for concerns about nuclear annihilation. Many people turned against Communism and followed democratic rules.

Why did people tear down the Berlin Wall?

-->They teared the Berlin Wall because it was a gigantic structure separating the Eastern and Western Germany and was a cause of concern. The Berlin wall went up on August of 1961. Due to this wall the East and West Germany were very angry because they couldn't cross the border. However, many people tried to cross, but there was consequences of being killed or shot. But because of this East and West of Germany were blocked for 28 years from each other. So for this reason, many people went and tear down the Berlin Wall with sledgehammers and broke down the Wall forever.


What happened to the Soviet Union and how did the collapse of the Soviet Union change the world?

-->It caused the union of the East and Western to become as one unified country that was from the start. Germany accepted capitalism and had finally removed communism from Europe. There was big changes when the Soviet Union fell, because of this they were creating smaller countries.

♣ Creation of Israel ♣

♣ Define Zionism. ♣

--> Zionism was the jewish movement the rose up in the late 19th century in response to growing and reestablishing jewish homelands in Palestine.

♣ Explain the conflict that occurred when Israel was created. ♣

-->The conflict was that they where srounded by country's that didn't like them. like for instence jordan Jerusalem and more, but the main reason why all this countries were fighting against Israel was because they belong to a very different religion is which is Judaism.


♣ Why do the Palestinians and Israelis not get along? ♣

-->They do not get along because a lot of people used to be discriminated because of there race or religion even if their was a small possibility that they can be related from the same country or the same religion this created a huge conflicts between them. And some must had to move out, to other places.

♥Nelson Mandela and Apartheid♥

♥Define Apartheid.♥

--> Apartheid is a policy of segregation practices in the republic of south Africa. Which discriminated anybody that was non-white.

♥Explain why Nelson Mandela is such a hero. What did he do?♥

--> Nelson Mandela was a hero because he went through with believing in him self and that his race should be free from racism and oppression and all races in general should be equal in everything. He then became the president of south Africa because of his helping to liberate south Africa.

♥Why is he so admired by the authors of these articles and sites?♥

-->The author of this book admires Nelson Mandela so much because of his struggled through and through for his country and total equality in that country.

♣ African Independence ♣

♣Explain how and why Africa changed so much in the 20 year period from 1955 t0 1975.♣

--> Africa changed in the past 20 years in the time period of 1955 to 1975 because of many reasons.in 1955 the British colonies decided to develop the first ever African colony in southern part of Africa which is Sahara so they could achieve their independence called the gold coast.It was a British colony.It was organized by kwame Nkrumah who organized the party so he would be able to help the gold coast free from the British. he made this happen by boycotting,protesting and striking against the British.And so due to all accepted and gave Independence to the gold coast and receiving its independence it took its name as Ghana and then Nkrumah became Ghana's first prime minster. In 1975 Africa had more independent countries than in 1955, because the Africans thought it was necessary to separate from Europe. Due to this it was more effective because there was independent countries in 1975. In a British colony named Kenya, their leader was Jomo Kenyatta who led them to independence. He spoke for the Kikuyu people who were let out of their land by the European settlers. However, Kenyatta refused to the MauMau ( was mainly to frigthen the white farmers to leave the highlands) connection so he was imprisoned by the British for a time for his refusal. In 1963, the British granted Kenya Independence, so Kenyatta became the first prime minister of an Independence Kenya. he worked very hard to unite the various ethic and language groups in the country.

9th Grade Review - Neolithic Revolution

--> Before the Neolithic Revolution there was another different society, these people were call nomads, most of the time they spend ed hunting and gathering plants, animals, instead they also made simple tools such as, spears and axes made from bone, wood, and stone.
Right after this time, came the Neolithic Revolution in which was a period of farming, domesticating animals, and agriculture was also introduced but in a modern way.
The Neolithic Revolution is a major turning point in human history, because it eventually rise of new civilizations, in order to discover the new world of progress and socialism.commercial Intensive agriculture is farming that involves large fields and numbers of animals, large resource, and a high level of mechanization.

The European Union

Explain the European Union.

--> The European union was a union of 27 states in Europe and was made in the 1992 by a treaty called the maasstricht treaty and was founded by the sixth member of the European economic community in 1957.It was an economic and political union.Later in the 1995 more countries decided to join like Austria,Finland,Sweden.Nine years later more countries decided to join like Czech republic,hungry,Malta,Lithuania,Poland,and Slovenia.When it finally got established the European union kept expanding the political scope of Europe economic community more in the fields of foreign and security policy.It provided them with the creation of the European bank and if currently what is called today a common euro.

Why was it a good thing?

--> It is a good thing because now in days when you are traveling to Europe its more easier and they wont stop you at the border and you wont get stropped every time you travel and wont have to show Ur passport and you can just keep going where ever you are going to go to.They where also allowed to work anywhere in Europe and before they couldn't they had to have jobs near where they lived.

The Right Stuff

--> In the film there was two different countries competing against each other.They had a space race which involved also trying to get the best astronauts and best rockets up in space.They also try ed to make better nuclear weapons.It was the USSR to first send a monkey to space and it was the us who was going to send the first human bring.The scene i think that Will help me remember is the scene where they where trying to see which spaceship was going to be the first to re fly to the moon and outer space and that their would be something to enable human to go into space as well.But the one that was winning was the us because they had better technology and they picked people that where qualified to go into space and they had allot of people working on only one project and made it better for them to be advanced.

Cuban Missile Crisis

Explain the Cuban Missile Crisis.

-->The Cuban missile crisis was a confrontation during the cold war between the Soviet union and the united states regarding the soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba.They where placed their in case so that they would be prepared planned by the united states.the crisis began because after the united states invasion of bay of pigs invasion and that the u.s. reconnaissance imagery revealing soviet nuclear missile installations on the island where presented to the us president john f Kennedy after the soviet premier announced that the missile installations would be dismantled.


What happened and why is it considered “the hottest moment in the Cold War”?

-->It was considered the hottest moment in the cold war because it came close to being a nuclear war.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

What were NATO and the Warsaw Pact?

-->The NATO pact was a military alliance established by the signing of a north Atlantic treaty which was on April 4,1949.It was an established system of security where its members where to state and agree to mutual defense in corresponding to any attack by any other party{external party}.it was in north America.The Warsaw pact was a organization containing most of central and eastern European communist states on may 1 1995.It was the counter alleged threat from the NATO alliance.It was a strong alliance that helped prevent major conflict.



Who formed these alliances and why?

-->Leaders from different nations decided to come together in order to gain more power and take over different parts of the world.And so they can avoid have major conflicts that would involve other country's and start another war.

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

What are some of your reactions to "Night and Fog"?

-->It was kind of sad because it showed about people and children getting killed and some very bad scenes.And the sad thing is is that they where buried along with different people and some didn't have their own graves.They had no compassion to the dead and the ones that where going to be buried.

Did you find the film as powerful as I did?

-->It was because in a way it shows you how fortunet you are to be alive and not have to suffer what other people back then went through and how prisoners and victims where treated at the camp.

How did it compare with the scenes you viewed from "Schindler's List"?

-->It compares to people being treated bad in the camp and how the jews where treated from the German people.it shows on how things where made and how people worked hard but still treated and killed (By:the Germans) because they where jews.

Which film illustrates the Holocaust more effectively - the Hollywood version, or the documentary?

-->I think the film that illustrates more effectively is the documentry version because it puts more details and you can make a picture in your head of whats going on and how things acually where way back then.it has real people not actors.its something that acually took place around that time and not years later.

Film Lesson: "Schindler's List"

Explain how "Schindler's List" illustrated the Holocaust?

-->It illustrated the holocaust because it showed you how people and things where back then and how people where treated and killed because they where jews

Which scenes were most powerful for you as a viewer: The liquidation of the Krakow ghetto, the labor camp, the children, Auschwitz, etc.?

-->I think the most powerful scenes where where they entered the ghetto because they where still being treated bad no matter if they where rich or poor and they had more than one family in each room. And the labor camps because even thought they worked hard for the Germans they where still being treated bad. Also when the jewish children try ed to hide under the floors and under beds that tried to escape and the Nazi's had no compassion and killed them like they did with animals.

What images from the film will stay with you?

-->The most is the one where there was this one man that could save the jews named Schindler,and if you where on his list you would work for him and you had many chances of surviving and not being killed like other people.

US Atomic Bombing of Japan in 1945

Do you agree that the US Atomic Bombing of Japan is the #1 news story of the century?

-->I Think i agree because it was the only weapon used to end the war and also because there was no need to have solders come in and out and fighting .But then again many young and old people lost their lives.it also because it lead them to surrender world war two.It was the most impacting news and some people where already having the knowledge of a harmful weapon.It brought them to other conflicts and a lot of deaths

Can you think of a bigger news story?

-->Yes.I think the World Trade Center (Twin Towers) because this happened 5 years ago (Sept.11.2001) was a terrible event because it did killed many people that worked there and lived around there. This happened due to an terrorist attack that made two planes crash on both towers and made them collapsed killing many people that even tried to get out, but they couldn't because it was too late. Still now they are finding some parts of human body parts which is very terrible to hear because it affects many families that had victims died due to that attack.

Would you add or change anything on the list? Explain why?

-->I don't think it needs to add more information, because each event needs to have more info about what happened and some aren't even that important that are on the very top they need to be put almost to the end and put the really important ones on tops which people would like to be interested in more in finding more information of why it happened.

Germany at War - WW II

Define:Propaganda
Propaganda: Information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause.

-->The poster says that if Europe wins everyone will be successful and they will prosper in order to get more forces and to get allies and stuff.and it also proclaims that Germany destroyed great Britain.The poster also attracts people to see it.And if the poster says anything it can also cause conflict and violence between two nations.Also it could be covering up for many people like their defeat to invade great Britain and other stuff like that so the people wouldn't know the truth and cause a lot of confusion.

-->They are illustrated with violence and the one that would win would take over the country and that they would be taking over.Also that with that much power gained they could want to take up other nations and steal land.the illustrate where they are going to attack and declaring war.

-->In the poster church hill is trying to stop the invasion of great Britain.Also what seems to be going on in the poster is a planing invasion.And one country might try to start something.And others are trying not to get involved.

-->Well the poster has many symbols.The first symbol which is church hill meaning it is a graveyard basically.And the fist proved to Germany a huge knock out turning its attention to the east threating Stalin and the soviet union.The symbol of justification is meaning that it is an invasion of the USSR.The cradle stands for security.And prosperity stands for a living space for Germany.

The Treaty of Versailles (ended WW I)

Explain how the Treaty of Versailles affected Germany at the end of WW I?

-->it affected Germany because it made them agree to take full responsibility for the causing of the war and was to make reparations to certain countries that had formed allies during the war.the four nations that were excluded from the negotiations were Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Russia.

Why do you think historians say this?

--> i think that they say this because there was a lot of problems and that a lot of contributions and more people came into power especially after the great depression

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) and the Modernization of Turkey

-->He made it more made it more secular he gave women the right to vote.
He also wanted to give his nation a new sense of dignity, equality, and happiness.he also created the vast Moslem majority and the small Christian and Jewish minorities that are free to practice their faith.to help modernize his country he introduced many reforms for example European hats replaced the fez; women stopped wearing the veil; all citizens took surnames; and the Islamic calendar gave way to the Western calendar. A vast transformation took place in the urban and rural life.

-->Secular means Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body it can also mean the separation of religion from educational, cultural and legal affairs. It means independence of thought and independence of institutions from the dominance of religious thinking and religious institutions.

Film Lesson: "Gandhi"

-->Gandhi help Indians get free from Britain by putting together Indians and Hindus which would worry Britain.And he gave speech's about the benefits and what would happen.He also show them that their was discrimination.for example being thrown off a train because the seats were reserved for whites and they had to move him to a section of only Hindus.

-->He boycotting and they protested they stopped buying things made from Britain,they made their own salt.They made their own clothing and they pass down certain laws during his time.he went getting national support from people that soon became his followers.he believed his people were as equal as everyone else and shouldn't be treated differently.he went against Britain government.

-->Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence was that he would make India indent from Britain and that it would be free but in a peaceful way without resorting to violence and war.And they would all live in prosperity.This idea would get him more people and they would support him because they were probably living in shadows and fear of losing their lives for themselves and for their family.