Glasnost is a policy of the Soviet government allowing freer discussion of social problems.
Perestroika was the term given to the reform process launched in the Soviet Union under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985. Meaning "reconstruction" or "restructuring," perestroika was a concept that was both ambiguous and malleable.
With Stalin's death in 1953 the Soviet Union began a period of political and intellectual ferment. In 1956 Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin and paved the way for a major restructuring of the Soviet Union's political system and economic administration. For young party activists like Gorbachev this was a period of exciting innovations and challenges.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Collapse of Communism
The causes of the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe were that it had no popular support, political downfall, and economic problems.The fact that the USSR had gained all of its money from the Eastern European states (after world war 2), Stalin's paranoia of the West forced him to put all that money into defensive arms and therefore none of that money was being channeled into the country. Many historians would argue that it was at this point that the USSR began its downward spiral and this is were the country began its snowball effect.
They did because they wanted to reunify Germany.Germany was split into four sectors-the Soviet, American, French, and English after WWII. Germany had fallen apart. The Soviets ran their sector as a communist one. The wall was built in 1961 to prevent the Soviets' people in the east from escaping into the West which was better. People still tried to get over. They dug tunnels and jumped out of windows. People died trying to cross-a total of 239 deaths from the wall. There were about 5000 escapes. Ronald Reagan had came over to the Brandenburg gate to give a speech to the Soviet Leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the West Berliners. East Berliners heard the speech through their radios. He wanted the wall down since their was tension between the US and USSR with the Space Race and Nuclear Weapons that had happened in the past. He wanted to be on better terms with the Soviets and realized the struggle of the people. He wanted Germany reunified.
And later in 1989 things heated up. East Berliners held demonstrations against their communist government. Authorities had to handle the situation with matters of force. East Berliners were beaten and arrested that night, some even took sledgehammers and tried to break apart the wall to get into east Berlin. Finally in like Nov they started to take the wall down. Families that were separated were reunited after not seeing each other for years. All was better but it took a while for things to be cleaned up. In 1991 the USSR fell. Also Gorbachev had made peace with Reagan and Gorbachev had won the Nobel peace prize.
Soviet labor did not allow the Soviet Union to compete with the world economy on favorable terms. This low productivity, and this is where a profound connection between the internal and external life of the Soviet Union existed, could only have been boosted by the energy and initiative of the masses. Such input was not forthcoming.
They did because they wanted to reunify Germany.Germany was split into four sectors-the Soviet, American, French, and English after WWII. Germany had fallen apart. The Soviets ran their sector as a communist one. The wall was built in 1961 to prevent the Soviets' people in the east from escaping into the West which was better. People still tried to get over. They dug tunnels and jumped out of windows. People died trying to cross-a total of 239 deaths from the wall. There were about 5000 escapes. Ronald Reagan had came over to the Brandenburg gate to give a speech to the Soviet Leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the West Berliners. East Berliners heard the speech through their radios. He wanted the wall down since their was tension between the US and USSR with the Space Race and Nuclear Weapons that had happened in the past. He wanted to be on better terms with the Soviets and realized the struggle of the people. He wanted Germany reunified.
And later in 1989 things heated up. East Berliners held demonstrations against their communist government. Authorities had to handle the situation with matters of force. East Berliners were beaten and arrested that night, some even took sledgehammers and tried to break apart the wall to get into east Berlin. Finally in like Nov they started to take the wall down. Families that were separated were reunited after not seeing each other for years. All was better but it took a while for things to be cleaned up. In 1991 the USSR fell. Also Gorbachev had made peace with Reagan and Gorbachev had won the Nobel peace prize.
Soviet labor did not allow the Soviet Union to compete with the world economy on favorable terms. This low productivity, and this is where a profound connection between the internal and external life of the Soviet Union existed, could only have been boosted by the energy and initiative of the masses. Such input was not forthcoming.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Nelson Mandela and Apartheid
Apartheid was the government of south Africa. the apartheid system was no whites classified as colored people or Indians did not share full rights. Apartheid has also loosely applied to similar movements and other forms of racial separation. Apartheid was coined in the late 1930s the SABRA which called for a policy separate development of the races. Mandela 's election , South Africa rejoined the commonwealth in June 1994, and a committee was set up to draft a new nonracial constitution. In 1995 a truth and reconciliation commission was appointed to investigate human-rights abuses that taken place during the apartheid era.
Nelson Mandela and Apartheid South African Anti-Apartheid leader and first black President Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was a dominant figure in the South African liberation movement, burning his pass as a peaceful protest. Apartheid had similarities to segregation in the American South, but was much worse. In addition to not being able to vote and separation from the whites in public businesses, blacks (which made up seventy percent of the population) were forced to live in a small area of the country, and could not leave without a “pass,” which very few people had and were very hard to get. Also, apartheid laws were explicitly stated laws, not just de facto rules that society followed, which South African blacks were forced to follow for nearly fifty years. Nelson Mandela rose up as leader of the African National Congress and major speaker against the evils of Apartheid, becoming the voice of the movement to end apartheid.There were a number of attempts to free Mandela, including a major campaign in 1980. He was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in 1982 and to Victor Vester Prison in Paarl in 1988. During this time he was allowed increasing contact with his wife, Winnie Mandela, and their two daughters. Mandela began negotiations with the South African government for his freedom and the end of apartheid while at Pollsmoor.
The ANC, PAC, and SACP were legalized on 2 February 1990, and Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Vester Prison on 11 February 1990. When elected president in 1994, Mandela sought to create a "Rainbow Nation," and the ANC collaborated with other political parties to form a "Government of National Unity."
Nelson Mandela and Apartheid South African Anti-Apartheid leader and first black President Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela was a dominant figure in the South African liberation movement, burning his pass as a peaceful protest. Apartheid had similarities to segregation in the American South, but was much worse. In addition to not being able to vote and separation from the whites in public businesses, blacks (which made up seventy percent of the population) were forced to live in a small area of the country, and could not leave without a “pass,” which very few people had and were very hard to get. Also, apartheid laws were explicitly stated laws, not just de facto rules that society followed, which South African blacks were forced to follow for nearly fifty years. Nelson Mandela rose up as leader of the African National Congress and major speaker against the evils of Apartheid, becoming the voice of the movement to end apartheid.There were a number of attempts to free Mandela, including a major campaign in 1980. He was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison in 1982 and to Victor Vester Prison in Paarl in 1988. During this time he was allowed increasing contact with his wife, Winnie Mandela, and their two daughters. Mandela began negotiations with the South African government for his freedom and the end of apartheid while at Pollsmoor.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
african independence
Between the two world wars, an educated middle class had began to emerge to African cities, Young men went to abroad for college and graduate studies. They listened to American jazz musicians and read literature of the Harlem Renaissance. they were influenced by African Americans such as W.E.B. du Bois as well as by such older african as Blaise Diagne, who organized Pan-African congresses in 1919 and 1921. French-speaking Africans and West Indians began to express their growing sense of black consciousness and pride in traditional Africa. They formed the Negritude. This movement viewed the black experience as unique. One of the movement's leaders, Leopold Senghor, later became the first president of Senegal.
one of the movement leaders, Leopold Senghor later became the first president of Senegal. African soldiers in world world 11 fought alongside Europeans to defend freedom. this experience mad then unwilling to accept colonial domination when they returned home. the postwar world changed the thinking of European too. They began to question the cost of maintaining their colonial abroad. The leader of their largely nonviolent protests was Kwame Nkrumah. He was a former teacher who had spent several years studying the united states. in the 1940s, he worked to liberate the Gold coast. he became president of the African organization of the united states and Canada. Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast in 1947. He helped to stage strikes and riots against the government. One was the strong leadership of Kenyan nationalist Jomo Kenyatta , a Kikuyu educated in London. The second was the rise of the Mau Mau. By the time the British granted Kenya independence in 1963, more than 10,000 black Kenyans and 100 white Kenyans had been killed. Kenyatta became president of the new nation. He worked hard to unite the various ethic and language groups in country.
one of the movement leaders, Leopold Senghor later became the first president of Senegal. African soldiers in world world 11 fought alongside Europeans to defend freedom. this experience mad then unwilling to accept colonial domination when they returned home. the postwar world changed the thinking of European too. They began to question the cost of maintaining their colonial abroad. The leader of their largely nonviolent protests was Kwame Nkrumah. He was a former teacher who had spent several years studying the united states. in the 1940s, he worked to liberate the Gold coast. he became president of the African organization of the united states and Canada. Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast in 1947. He helped to stage strikes and riots against the government. One was the strong leadership of Kenyan nationalist Jomo Kenyatta , a Kikuyu educated in London. The second was the rise of the Mau Mau. By the time the British granted Kenya independence in 1963, more than 10,000 black Kenyans and 100 white Kenyans had been killed. Kenyatta became president of the new nation. He worked hard to unite the various ethic and language groups in country.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban missile crisis occurred in October 1962 when the United States learned that the Soviet Union had secretly installed missiles in Cuba. The missiles could have been used to launch nuclear attacks on American cities. The crisis was one of the most serious incidents of the Cold War, a period of intense U.S.-Soviet rivalry that had begun after World War II. The Soviet Union had placed the missiles in Cuba earlier in 1962, after Cuban leaders became convinced that the United States was planning to attack Cuba. During the Cold War, Cuba was an ally of the Soviet Union. President John F. Kennedy of the United States learned of the missiles' presence on October 16 and demanded that the Soviet Union remove them.
On October 22, he ordered a naval blockade of Cuba to stop further shipment of arms.The Soviet Union offered to remove the missiles if the United States would promise not to invade Cuba.The agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev was kept secret because many Americans opposed such a deal. Almost all Americans thus thought that Kennedy had forced the Soviet Union to remove the missiles simply by threatening war.
These things that happened at that time was considered "the hottest moment in the cold war" because this was the only time that the Cold War was very close to begin into a Nuclear War.
At the beginning of September 1962, U-2 spy planes discovered that the Soviet Union was building surface-to-air missile launch sites. There was also an increase in the number of Soviet ships arriving in Cuba which the United States government feared were carrying new supplies of weapons. President John F. Kennedy complained to the Soviet Union about these developments and warned them that the United States would not accept offensive weapons were considered to be defensive) in Cuba.
On October 22, he ordered a naval blockade of Cuba to stop further shipment of arms.The Soviet Union offered to remove the missiles if the United States would promise not to invade Cuba.The agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev was kept secret because many Americans opposed such a deal. Almost all Americans thus thought that Kennedy had forced the Soviet Union to remove the missiles simply by threatening war.
These things that happened at that time was considered "the hottest moment in the cold war" because this was the only time that the Cold War was very close to begin into a Nuclear War.
At the beginning of September 1962, U-2 spy planes discovered that the Soviet Union was building surface-to-air missile launch sites. There was also an increase in the number of Soviet ships arriving in Cuba which the United States government feared were carrying new supplies of weapons. President John F. Kennedy complained to the Soviet Union about these developments and warned them that the United States would not accept offensive weapons were considered to be defensive) in Cuba.
Film lesson : the right stuff
The US and the USSR were competing both sides of the space race (US and USSR) used experienced Germany engineers and rocket scientists. In a particularly humorous moment in the film , Senator Lyndon Johnson attends a meeting where the politicians are reacting to the news of Sputnik launch.Later, Johnson, as vice president, advances President Kennedy's initiative to stay on top in the space race, and a celebration he hosts at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, the new headquarters of NASA (that Johnson personally lobbied for his home state), highlights the surreal aspects of the competition.
As the film continues into the final launches and orbit missions of Glenn and Cooper, the overall atmosphere of competition against a backdrop of Cold War tension seeps into the family lives of the astronauts.Glenn's mission to become the first American to completely orbit the Earth nearly turns tragic, as concerns mount that the heat shield on his capsule may have loosened, which would expose him to the searing heat of re-entry. Glenn lands safely and is accorded perhaps the largest hero's welcome since that of Charles Lindbergh.
As the film continues into the final launches and orbit missions of Glenn and Cooper, the overall atmosphere of competition against a backdrop of Cold War tension seeps into the family lives of the astronauts.Glenn's mission to become the first American to completely orbit the Earth nearly turns tragic, as concerns mount that the heat shield on his capsule may have loosened, which would expose him to the searing heat of re-entry. Glenn lands safely and is accorded perhaps the largest hero's welcome since that of Charles Lindbergh.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Nato and The Warsaw Pact
NATO (North Altantic Treaty Organization) is an organization that includes North America and Europe. The major formation of NATO was that the countries involved wanted a mutal defense alliance so that if one of them were attacked all of the other countries in NATO would come to their aide. NATO alliances were France and United Kingdom through the Brussels Treaty was found to be miniuscule when compared to communist soviet union. Very little time passed before this weakness was realized and Western Europe turned to a more inclusive North Altantic Treaty, an agreement that involved a total of 12 nations including the United Kingdom and the United States. NATO was officially established on April 4,1949.
The Warsaw Pact was formed as communist military alliance to maintain power over Eastern Europe. It was established 6 years after the NATO. The pact considered mostly over the Soviet Union satelite. it was supposed to be another mutal defense alliance like the North Altantice Treaty , and was created in response to it. The Soviet Union dominated the alliance. The Soviet Union gained both control over European nations and indicated to other nations and it was major military and political force. Although the ground forces of possessed by the Warsaw Pact were far superior to those of NATO , their technology fall behind.
The Warsaw Pact was formed as communist military alliance to maintain power over Eastern Europe. It was established 6 years after the NATO. The pact considered mostly over the Soviet Union satelite. it was supposed to be another mutal defense alliance like the North Altantice Treaty , and was created in response to it. The Soviet Union dominated the alliance. The Soviet Union gained both control over European nations and indicated to other nations and it was major military and political force. Although the ground forces of possessed by the Warsaw Pact were far superior to those of NATO , their technology fall behind.
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