Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of Communism

In 1985, the assumption of power in the Soviet Union by a reformer, Mikhail Gorbachev, paved the way for political and economic reforms in east central Europe.Gorbachev’s supporters praised his youth, energy, and political skills. Soon he was voted as the the political secretary. Gorbachev abandoned the "Brezhnev Doctrine". Which was the Soviet Union's policy of intervening with military force, if necessary, to preserve communist rule in the region. Instead, he encouraged the local communist leaders to seek new ways of gaining popular support for their rule. In Hungary, the communist government made reforms in 1989 that led to the banning of a multiparty system and competitive elections. In Poland, the communists went in a round table talks with discussions of Solidarity.Solidarity formed the first non communist government within the Soviet bloc since 1948.In 1985, he announced a policy called "glasnost".It meant openness. He encouraged Soviet citizens to discuss ways to improve on their society. In the same year, Gorbachev introduced the idea of perestroika or economic restructuring. In 1986, he made changes to revive the Soviet economy.This allowed changes to come pouring in. Churches were opening. Book that were banned were brought back into the country.Many of the citizens were finally able to complain about all the economic problems. People were able to state their mind and give ideas of how things should be done.The revolutions of 1989 marked the death knell of communism in Europe. As a result, not only was Germany reunified in 1990, but soon, revolution spread to the Soviet Union itself.

The Collapse of Communism

213434 Americans thought that them being involved in the arms race was mostly what helped bring down the curtain on communism. But it was much more then that. In the 1980s, many people started to reject communism. That was the problem, no one believed in it anymore. communism was like a vision to change society that needed followers which it didn't have anymore. Everybody who went to communist party went there for career choices, not to spread to spread communism So in the end, there was nothing to back up communism.
12323Germany was split into four sectors-the Soviet, American, French, and English after WWII. Germany had fallen apart. The Soviets ran their part of Germany as a communist section.The wall was built in 1961 to prevent the Soveits' people in the east from escaping into the West which was better. There were about 5000 escapes. Ronald Reagan had came over to the Brandenburg gate to give a speech to the Soveit Leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the West Berliners. East Berliners heard the speech through their radioes. 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 Soveits and realized the struggle of the people. He wanted Germany reunified. Finally in like Nov they started to take the wall down. Families that were separated were reunited after not seeing each other for years.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

32323The Africans word meaning separation or segregation was called Apartheid. Apartheid was the racial policy brought about by the National Party government of South Africa in 1948. Everyone who wasn't considered whites didn't have the same rights as those who were white. That included black people,mixed, and Indians. African Americans weren't able to do a lot of things in Africa, their own country. They weren't able to vote, use many public facilities, including bathrooms and institutions until 1990. It was because these places were restricted to the use of one race only. Which was usually the whites. If you failed to follow these rules, then you would probably be killed if you were black.
22t2But there was this man that Africa considered a hero because of the results he brought to the table. His name was nelson Mandela. He helped them in the fight for freedom. He lived in the streets of South Africa were if you don't abide by the rules of apartheid you would be thrown in jail.He began as a leader in the African National Congress, but he was work to fight for freedom was cut short because he was sentenced to death. His trail is now seen as nothing more than a cruel and evil plan used by the white South African government to silence Nelson Mandela. Even though he was in jail for a few decades, the hope he left helped his people to fight against the struggle of Apartheid while he was gone. He was thanked for that and was given awards for it. Plus his people were so happy that they finally received freedom from apartheid

African Independence

2343Well based on the map, Africa has changed way then a little. It changed dramatically. In 1975, like 95 percent of Africa was taken over by the colonies. The Europeans ruled most of Africa. The only places that were taken over was: Liberia,Libya,Egypt,Ethiopia, and the union of south Africa. But the fight for independence started 1951.Some leaders who lead the fight to freedom were, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Nelson Mandela of South Africa. The leading country in the independence was Ghana in 1957. But prior to the independence, it was the British colonies gold coast. Once countrys gained their independence, the changed their name and the gold coast changed theirs to Ghana. This name honored a famous West African kingdom of the past. Ghana became the first nation ruled by Africans to join the British Commonwealth. They were ver excited to be free but the wasn't prepared to rule yet. The Africans weren't educated on how to govern properly. They were being ruled for over 20 years so what do you expect?

Film Lesson: "The Right Stuff"

23In the movie "The Right Stuff", it was a fight between America and Russia which took place in 1947. It was more like a race then a fight though. It was called the space race. It was a race seeing who can get to outer space first. The Americans thought they were winning the race when they built a air plane that was able to pass the sound barrier.So the americans got excited when this happened. They got confident that they were the strongest.But when the russians had built a space ship ti go in space, the Americans were afraid. they were afraid that the Russians could just drop nucks down from space or something. Then the Americans caught up and got into space but was ridicualed when the first American i n space was a monkey. So we lost the war for the first to space. But we won the race which was getting to the moon first.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

324324NATO means "North Atlantic Treaty Organization". The organization included countries in Europe and North America. The organization was established on April 4, 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty. Since America was the country leading the race of nuclear weapons, Western European powers relied on their massive nuclear arsenal to keep the evil soviet union away.After a while, the soviet union realized that they cant do anything because of the united states' nuclear weapons.After this, communism fell and the need for military assistance was over,so it turned into a political organization.
5435The Warsaw Pact formed six years after NATO.The Warsaw Pact included the Soviet Union and its satellite countries.Which were: Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Albania, and Bulgaria. The act was created because of NATO.It was signed in Poland in 1955 and was called 'The Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance'.Even thought it sounded like a nice name, it was a military treaty that stated that the country's included in the treaty will come to each others aid in case it was attack by country's outside of the treaty.By 1991, the pact was over with.

Film Lesson :" Night and Fog"

Between the two movies, i think that night AND fog was more of a powerful movie. I say this because it showed some graphic stuff. It was actually footage of what happen. So actually graphic footage would give a better message then a movie based on something that happened then. Because the footage would make you really understand. Like Night and fog , it showed the actual dead bodies. How the Jews were really treated. How hen you look at the dead bodies, you could see how the were deprived . You would see the body super skinny showing that they didn't have food. That their hair was basically bald because their hair was shaved off. Alot of the bodies were decapitated and just so sad looking. You would see the field of dead bodies because they had no more coal to burn them. I felt bad for the soldiers and others who had to see, smell, and to carry the dead bodies I just thank God i wasn't living at the time to see these horrible actions. I especially wouldnt want to be a Jew at the time!