Hector's Global Studies Blog

A Series of Revolutions

2009-01-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

"Peace, land and bread"- The quote was the demand of the Bolsheviks to stop the war, it meant what it meant "Give us Peace, land and bread".

The Russian Revolution refers to a series of popular Revolutions in Russia. The revolutions began during world war one, when the Russians were forced to fight with a limited amount of weapons along with a bunch of other unfair treatment. Eventually the Russians pulled themselves out from the war, although the unfair treatment continued and they began getting tired of it. That was actually a major cause in their revolution. They had lost an unnecessary number of people and a victory seemed hopeless. Czar Nicholas II became associated with a faith healer named Rasputin who's scandalous behavior shocked Russia. After one year being involved in the war it had already begun taking its toll on the people. Because of the many food shortages people began demanding it, but Nicholas instead sent troops in to keep the people from demonstrating. Most people started viewing communism as a successful way to live their lives by and soon the Workers and peasants revolted against the landlords and factory owners. Peasants took over land and overturned the interim provisional government resulting in the establishment of the Soviet Union. This revolting by the people was named The October Revolution or more commonly known as The Bolshevik Revolution. The Revolution was led by Vladimir Lenin and was based upon Lenin's writing on the ideas of Karl Marx who was the first to speak of communism. Lenin led a civil war against the provisional government and met with little resistance. Communism was eventually established for the people but ended 1990.

World War I & It's Causes

2009-01-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

World War I was the cause of a number of interwoven factors that further escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of war. The assassination of one of Austria's arch dukes, Franz Ferdinand, by Serbia set off a chain of events. Austria attacked Serbia, Russia attacked Austria, Germany attacked Russia, and so on and so forth. Okay now to get to a more detailed cause, many rivalries sprouted all over Europe due to nationalism. At the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the principle of nationalism was ignored in favor of preserving the peace. Nationalism posed a problem for Austria and the Balkans, which were areas compromised of many conflicting national groups.
Another cause which contributed to the start of the war was imperialism. The Industrial Revolution caused a need for foreign markets because of the increase in manufacturing products.
Great Britain, Germany and France competed for economic expansion in Africa. Several events foreshadowed the war between European nations during this competition.
Finally I'd say the biggest cause would be Ferdinands assassination, which wasn't explained fully at the top. The arch duke and his wife were shot dead by a young Serbian nationalist of the Black Hand at Sarajevo. The Black Hand assassinated him because he wanted to convert the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy into a Triple Monarchy by the inclusion of Serbia. Franz was also heir to the Austrian throne and so his ideas might have a chance for realization very soon. The reigning monarch , Francis Joseph, was 84 years old and seemed to be nearing his peak so his death was expected soon. The black hand decided to act fast and assassinate the heir that would bring a change they didn't want to their nation.

The Meiji Restoration of Japan

2008-12-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

The Japanese have always held themselves to be of a superior lineage than other cultures. It's this kind of pride over themselves that led them to ban Christianity in 1597, and kill those who were found to be practicing Catholicism in the following decades. The Japanese shut themselves out from the outside world and for 250 years lived in peace and prosperity. The Japanese felt that they had nothing to learn from the barbaric people of the west but they did not know how much European technology had advanced.
Commodore Matthew Perry then arrived on the coasts of Japan to “negotiate” opening trade relations with the United States, but of course the Japanese refused, so they ended up bullying them into doing it with their military might. Even so the Japanese were impressed with these new aged weapons, one cannon could take out several of their most fiercest samurai. The Japanese ended up being controlled by the Europeans and Americans which had forced Japan to sign treaties that limited its control over their own foreign trade and any crimes be committed tried in a western court not Japanese.
Eventually, with the death of the emperor in 1912, Japan began regaining control over their area's again. Japan had finally caught up with modern times and established a highly centralized, bureaucratic government, a constitution establishing an elected parliament, a well-developed transport and communication system, a highly educated population free of feudal class restrictions, an established and rapidly growing industrial sector based on the latest technology, and a powerful army and navy.

Japan is an archipelago, which is is a chain or cluster of
islands that is formed tectonically.

China:The Opium Wars

2008-12-10T10:00:00.001-08:00

The Opium Wars was the very first drug war started by thee Europeans. This drug war made China's economy weaken. Soon China began to tell off the Europeans to stop selling Opium to their people. Of Course the Europeans ignored them and continued selling the addicting drugs by using privately own vessels. The Europeans bringing the Opium ended up making a huge profit off of the growing number of chinese addicts, but not until 1838 did they start making serious efforts to prevent opium smoking.
The Opium wars was of course fought over Opium, which is gathered from poppy seeds that come from the poppy flower. You boil down the seeds to create opium. The British Won the war with their supperior technology and China was forced to sign a peace treaty. This was, of course, one of the first of many "unequal treaties" with the west.

"Mountains of the Moons"

2008-12-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

As Richard Burton and John Spekes made their way through Africa they encountered many hardships. One of which was the African Tribes who were very hostile towards anyone who were unfortunate enough to come into their territory. John Spekes legs were messed up while Richard Burton had a spear thrown through his throat. After going through many hardships crossing East Africa to reach the source of the Nile River they finally arrived at the third largest lake in the world. Now since they "discovered the source" they got to name it, they named it after Queen Victoria. The Europeans did have a huge advantage over the Africans, which was better technology. The Europeans brought machine guns and easily conquered the African People. Alas the Europeans sold of the land afterwards.

Karl Marx Founder of Communism

2008-11-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Karl Marx was the known founder of communism. He supported it greatly during his time and urged others to join as well, most were workers. What led Marx to find communism was the fact that workers were getting unfair treatments at their jobs. Karl Marx felt during that time that rich were getting richer while the poor remained poor. Marx really saw the poor as the good guys and the rich as the bad since they never really did anything to contribute to the economy and their workers.
Communism basically means everyone lives equally under the rule of their government. Everyone gets paid the same no matter what job they might have. Everyone isn't aloud to get ahead and the governmen owns literally almost everything you have. Karl Marx really did want everything in the world to be this way and this wasn't the way to live. You're almost taking away a persons freedom this way seeing as their not aloud to decide many things or aloud to do what they want especially when they want to get ahead. In some ways this would also be an easier way to scam others so they can get more money because greedy people will always find a way to gain more money.
I know Karl Marx ment well by introducing communism but it just wouldn't work. The world would probably be more corrupted if we were ruled under communism.

Karl Heinrich Marx

2008-11-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

Karl Heinrich Marx was a great German Philosopher who was credited as the founder of communism. His ideas and views formed the basis for the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Marx felt the treatment of workers in factories was harsh and unfair. So its obvikously known that he felt the Industrial Revolution was bad. He felt workers should get a better working environment, better pays, a better break time, etc. He urged the "workers of the world to unite" in a world wide revolution. His words led Communism to be born, a word formed for common, which led him to inspire other workers. He wrote that wealth should be distributed "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs."
Many other things inspired Marx's Communist ideas. His work with Friedrich Engels led the Communist Manifesto to be published, which became the definitive text for socialism and communism. The Industrial Revolution led him to be inspired to fight against it and led him to discover and find communism. It was only after his death that people took communism into consideration. Although Russia stayed a communist country for only 70 years there are still other communist countries still sticking with communism(Cuba, some parts of China, North Korea, and Vietnam).

What is Nationalism?

2008-10-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Nationalism is basically backing up your country or belonging to the country while defending or supporting it through anything. The US is a nationalist country because we are united to defend this country. What also makes a country a nationalist country is a common language, a common currency, our borders, a symbol that defines us, etc. Nationalism mostly represents independence, which allows a nation's identity to develop. Nationalism was the most powerful ideals 1800's and it still influences people today, and because of its influence it affected many lives in many ways.
What mostly makes me a nationalist is the fact that I really treasure freedom and I never take it for granted. I also am a citizen of The United States and I support my country in any decisions that the people make for it. I respect the way people use their freedom here to help make the economy better, but mostly those people because some take their freedom for granted and decide to do whats mostly best for them and their desires. What also makes me a nationalist is I respect this country but I respect my own country, where I was born, and the people I care about there and the family living with me here.
Before Italy became an independent nation it was under the rule of Austria, which led to the Italians becoming tired of foreign rule and form from the territory of crumbling empires because of nationalism. Eventually, amid growing discontent, two leaders appeared to lead Italy into nationalism. Both men had their differences in personalities and goals-one being practical and the other idealistic-in which they both concentrated in the unification of Italy.

Simon Bolivar:The Liberator

2008-10-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Simon Bolivar was a famous war general who won the freedom for Bolivia, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Because of his accomplishments the people had named him "El Liberator" and later named a country after him in his honor. Bolivia's parents had died when he was still young and he ended up inheriting their fortune. Of course in order for him to be a great leader he had to be educated, one of which he ended up getting familiar with the works of the Enlightenment and of Greece and Rome.
Bolivar helped defeat many areas under Spain's control. He had lost respect for Napolean for betraying the republic ideals. He also had witnessed the proclamation of Napoleon as Emperor of France and later the coronation of Napoleon as King of Italy in Milan. When Napolean appointed his brother, Joseph, as king of Spain it launched a great revolt known as the "Peninsula War". Many things influenced Bolivar in his quest for revolution, the enlightenment thinkers and the French and American revolutions were some of these and the rest included his studies as a child.
Simon Bolivar was a great independence leader who's actions have influenced many of us today, along with the other revolutions, and has been honored in many ways. A monument of Simon is located in Chile, Santiago, along with every city and town in Venezuela and Columbia is named Plaza Bolivar, that usually has a bust or statue of Bolivar.

Robespierre's Reign of Terror

2008-09-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

The reign of terror's aim was to eliminate all internal opposed elements, so they can raise new armies, and assure food supplies for the armies and cities. During the summer of 1794 France was threatened by internal enemies and so the responsibility lay with the committee of general security, which had control over the local committees formed to ferret out treason. This occurred fifteen months after the onset of The French Revolution, influenced by the conflict between two rival political factions. The Reign of Terror was marked by a mass of executions of "enemies of the revolution" brought on by Robespierre's own paranoia. The other political faction had as much to do with this as Maximilien.
France was desperate in finding a ruler for their country and at times Street Gangs roaming around Paris had as much power as the government. The Jacobins were a radical club that took control and tried to rid France of the old regime. They were the ones that began the reign of terror, using the guillotine they cut the heads of anyone who might be against them. The Jacobins tried Louis the XIV for treason and found him guilty. By a very close vote they sentenced Louis to death and on January 21, 1793 he walked with calm dignity up the steps of the scaffold to his death.

The French Revolution

2008-09-22T10:02:00.001-07:00

1.) The kings, nobles, and clergy enjoyed certain privileges that the peasants didn't, like for instance only the higher estates could hold important positions and even though the higher estates were the richest they did not have to pay taxes.
2.) In 1789 a French peasant would've probably complained about maintaining the burden of carrying the higher estates on their back as if they were put here to do everything someone rich tells them to do.
3.) The cartoonist was probably pointing out that they are being used as mules to carry and maintain everything a higher estate commands. Then with the quote he is asking when all this unfair or unequal treatment will end.
4.) The author of source B describes the lives of French peasants as really unfair because they barely have enough to live by and they still have to pay taxes to the nobles. The author was joined by a poor woman who complained her husband only had a morsel of land , one cow and a poor house, she exclaimed "The taxes and feudal dues are crushing us".
5.) Yes, sources A, B, and C are part of the reason peasants resented the rich but their was also other reasons. The peasants and the rest of the third class always had to carry the weight of the Upper classes on their backs: they payed more in taxes and earned less for their hard work.
6.) The ones influenced by Rousseau's words would most likely be the third class and down. Being treated like dirt for such a long time, they would be inspired by his words and lead a revolution towards their king.
7.) The pamphlet was banned because the first and second class probably thought that this might inspire the third class to lead a revolt, which they were right and the king ruling above all was brought down.

John Locke's Influences

2008-09-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

John Locke was a great influence in the writing of the US Constitution. Thomas Jefferson used many of his words and ideals when writing the Declaration. Jefferson wrote that the people have "unalienable rights", which meant that the people have a right to speak their mind, live by their own rules, and pursue whatever dreams or goals in mind. John Locke believed when your born ,whether slave or free man, you have rights to do what you want, this of course led to the famous quote "all men are created equal" which is written in the Declaration. The governments power comes directly from the people so the people have the right take it down if it goes against the constitution, this was of course also influenced by John Locke. Although the governing of a King stopped in the Americas we still needed a leader, and thats when a president was brought in. This wouldn't be like a king because this time the people chose the leader and the leader must always think of the people not himself. Now the people were free from the ruling of idiot kings and their heirs.

Theory of Heliocentrism and Geocentrism

2008-09-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

Geocentrism and Heliocentrism are to theories about the center of the universe. Geocentrism is the theory that the earth is the center of the universe and all other things revolve around it. The church is behind this belief and it was considered to be the truth by them, anyone who opposed this theory was thrown into jail and an example of this is Galileo. Heliocentrism is the opposite of Geocentrism because it states that the earth revolves around the sun. Heliocentrism also stated that this wasn't the universe just a small part of it and in this solar system the sun was of course the center. Both theories opposed each other, bringing the old conflict of Science vs Religion.

Now Galileo was a scientist who opposed the theory of "the earth is the center of all things". He was one of the scientists who proved that the earth and its solar system were just one part of a bigger thing(the sun is the center of this solar system). It was hard for the people to believe that the earth was moving because what they were standing on didn't feel like it was moving at all. Galileo for a time did not speak his theory out in public, only to a few trusted friends, instead he decided to see if he could come up with more evidence. In 1616 he brought out his theory but was turned away and jailed by the church for speaking lies and was forced to kneel before the church and take back his words. Of course in 1992 the church took it back.

The Scientific Method

2008-09-11T09:57:00.000-07:00

The scientific method is a method used to prove your theories on an experiment. Many scientists use the scientific method to prove their own theories about something or prove someone else wrong about their theory. With the scientific method scientists are able to reach their own conclusions about a new or old experiment. The scientific method is the base used for all conducted experiments.

One experiment using the scientific method is maybe proving which runner, in a marathon, will win the race. Each runner did three different things to prepare for the race: one ate pasta, one drank coffee, and one slept four extra hours prior to the race. Now all you need to do is come up with an educated guess on which will reach the finish line before the others, then time the time it took for them to reach each mile until the end. Now was the first one to reach the finish line the one you guessed was going to make it first? Your conclusion is written from the results you got.

Evolution vs Creation

2008-09-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Many People have argued over evolution and creationism. They refer to this argument as the "Great Debate". The only one thing both sides agree on is that the universe has not existed forever. There are two different theories to evolution and creation(the creation model of origins & the evolution model of origins). The creation model of origins is backed up by religion in which all living things have a creator, like the bible which tells of gods creation of the world in 7 days. The evolution model of origins is backed up by science or facts of science. They argue that the creation of the world and its life forms was by chance and a certain period of time having to go by in order to develop into todays human beings.

I guess I believe in both these theories. I believe in evolution because many facts have been shown proving the theory of evolution. Fossils are one example of evidence, along with different manmade tools discovered by archeologists. Still science could be wrong because we often just take a wild guess to explain something then later show evidence for it. The greatest minds in the world once thought the world was flat until a ship disappeared into the distance. I also believe in creationism because catholism is my religion believing in an afterlife is something I can't let go of. I'd want to be able to see the people I cared about again so I do still believe in God. Of course alot of things can be proven against creationism but I'm sticking to both beliefs.

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2008-09-04T10:23:00.001-07:00

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