After Germany's humiliating loss of WWI, they took most of the blame. This was because even though they didn't start the war, they did the most damage to other nations. Mostly the english and the french were outraged. They wanted revenge but Woodrow Wilson felt that they needed to be more direct so he presented the other nations his fourteen points at the meeting in Versailles.
Germany had suffered many losses in the war but nothing compared to what the Treaty of Versaiiled took from them. The Treaty cost them 13.5% of the territory which also made them lose some seven million people. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France, Germany lost all its overseas colonites, their army had to be no more than one-hundred thousand men. It also lost many shipping privelages of many heavy-machinery. Also, they were forced to pay reperations but had no money so they took loans from the US. However, when the US entered the great depression in 1929, they couldnt loan Germany any more money. They started an inflation.
I believe the treaty was fair. Germany did do the most damage and even though they were helping an ally of theirs, this did not mean they had to put all their military resources in it. They purposely caused the most damage so they shouldnt have thought it was unfair and as a nation accept the responsibility.
Looking back on history, it is no surprise they believe that this treaty was being unfair to them. Adolph Hitler felt he had to unite this nation that was falling apart and he gave his nation a sense of pride and spoke to them promising them what they wanted to hear. This is how Adolph Hitler rose to power.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Mustafa Kemal and the Modernization of Turkey
Mustafa Kemal believed that the Ottoman Empire weakened throughout the sixteenth and twentieth centuries because of the religious restrictions. Mustafa Kemal became the leader of a new republic because of his surprising victories in several outstanding wars. When he started the nation, he believed it had to be a nation without special privileges or classes. He also believed it was a state of the people and by the people. Therefore, from that belief also came the belief that peasants are the real producers of the state.
The meaning of secular is to not be restricted by religious views. Mustafa Kemal had a very secular point of view. To look more traditional and modern, he made European hats replace the fez, women could stop wearing the veil, all citizens took surnames, and a western calendar replaced the islamic calendar. He also allowed freedom of religion in his country. Obviously he was effective because he recieved many praised from world leaders. Mustafa Kemal is a legend
The meaning of secular is to not be restricted by religious views. Mustafa Kemal had a very secular point of view. To look more traditional and modern, he made European hats replace the fez, women could stop wearing the veil, all citizens took surnames, and a western calendar replaced the islamic calendar. He also allowed freedom of religion in his country. Obviously he was effective because he recieved many praised from world leaders. Mustafa Kemal is a legend
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Gandhi
India had always been well known throughout history but it had never been recognized as an independent nation. It was a colony of Great Britain. Mahatma Gandhi wanted to free India from the British Empire. He believed that the way to gain support for his cause was by peaceful means. He used non-violence to unite the colony of India for his goal. If the British Empire would strike him and he would not do anything back, the people who ened up looking bad are the British.
An example or rather the pillar of the noble cause of Gandhi would be the Amritsar Massacre. In the streets of Amritsar, an english woman claimed she had been molested. The local British authorities passed laws that required the Indians to crawl on their hands and knees on these streets and also legalized the public whipping of Indians who came too close to the local authorites. Gandhi being the peaceful man he was, protestede nonviolently at a festival. However, British troops appeared out of nowhere and started shooting every Indian on sight for eight to ten minutes. Around four-hundred were dead and fifteen-hundred injured.
Why Gandhi became so important was people often stop and think what would happen if he was a violent man. He would look like a tyrant and man who believes Niccolo Machiavelli's philosophy of "The ends justify the means". However, he was a sheer genius for using non-violence. Each time he protested peacefully. the British ended up looking worse each time while India was gaining national and even international support for their cause. His philosophies will always be remembered because they were effective beyond belief. Out of it finally came the independent nation of India.
An example or rather the pillar of the noble cause of Gandhi would be the Amritsar Massacre. In the streets of Amritsar, an english woman claimed she had been molested. The local British authorities passed laws that required the Indians to crawl on their hands and knees on these streets and also legalized the public whipping of Indians who came too close to the local authorites. Gandhi being the peaceful man he was, protestede nonviolently at a festival. However, British troops appeared out of nowhere and started shooting every Indian on sight for eight to ten minutes. Around four-hundred were dead and fifteen-hundred injured.
Why Gandhi became so important was people often stop and think what would happen if he was a violent man. He would look like a tyrant and man who believes Niccolo Machiavelli's philosophy of "The ends justify the means". However, he was a sheer genius for using non-violence. Each time he protested peacefully. the British ended up looking worse each time while India was gaining national and even international support for their cause. His philosophies will always be remembered because they were effective beyond belief. Out of it finally came the independent nation of India.
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