ToK/IRL II

-Can one talk meaningfully of a historical fact? How far can we speak with certainty about anything in the past?

History can be spoken with certainty to a certain point in the past. We can say that we generally understood what happened, but we may not have all the information, and some information may be ignored. For example, the biography of John Marshall at http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1953/marshall-bio.html shows him to be a very peaceful man. However, if we look at other evidence he created the Marshall Plan.

Another example is Kruschev's so-called secret speech. Many thought that this speech was intended to reach a larger audience. However, the information at http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/history_workshop_journal/v062/62.1rettie.html shows that Kruschev never wanted the speech to be secret, and took special steps so that it wouldn't be.

A third example is the biography of David Ben-Gurion, listed at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/ben_gurion.html. It gives the impression of a peaceful leader. But it was later proved that Ben Gurion's men started many of the wars in the middle east.

These sources show how we should be cautious in being certain about history.

In-Class Work 4/15/10

1. What were the results of the six day war?
Israel completely defeated the Arabs, winning the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai and the Golan Heights. They kept these territories. They also now had air superiority.
2. Why did Egypt and Syria attack Israel in 1973?
They wanted their land back, and now they had enough support from oil-bearing states and the USSR, as well as USSR surface-to-air missiles. They also had a perfect attack plan.
3. What happened in the early stages of the war?
At first, the Israelis were completely defenseless. Because of the perfect planning of the attack and the fact that it was on a holy day, it took 3 days to mobilize their troops.
4. What steps led to an Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty?
The US helped the Saudis get back on their feet so they would sell the US oil again. President Sadat and the Israeli Prime Minister agreed to peace.
5. What were the results of the Camp David meeting?
A treaty was made to withdraw Israeli troops from Sinai, to give Egypt Sinai over three years, and to give Israelis passage through the Suez canal.

IRL 17

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/ben_gurion.html

The link above is a biography of David Ben Gurion. It relates to what we've learned because Ben Gurion was the leader of the struggle for an Israeli state as well as the Prime minister for a number of years. It adds information about other parts of his life as well as his policies. For example, he tried to re-establish trade with West Germany despite criticism. He left his post as Prime Minister just a few years before the 6 day war and many other conflicts. He was also involved in one of the first farmer's communes. This source is valuable because it comes from an Israeli-American cooperation for a virtual library. However, Israel's political views may have hidden some of Ben Gurion's involvment in wars, limiting him.

SGQ12

Crisis in the Middle East p. 3-9

What was the Jewish claim to Palestine?

That is was given to them by God and they had lived in it for thousands of years.

What was the importance of the Balfour Declaration?

It gave land from the Palestine to Jewish settlers, but the Arabs didn't want the Jews there and did not think the Jews deserved the land.

What was the Arab claim to Palestine?

They had lived there ever since the Jews had left and made up the majority of the people. The Arabs also wanted the land because it was holy to them.

To what extent was WWI a turning point in the struggle for Arab independence?

The Arabs thought of it as a turning point. They felt they would gain their independence, but in reality the land was technically owned by the British and French, although the government was Arabic.

Why did Britain and France want mandates in the Middle East?

They wanted the natural resources and land that resided there. They also wanted to overthrow the Turks.

IRL 16

http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/history_workshop_journal/v062/62.1rettie.html

The article at the above link speaks about Kruschev's secret speech. We have briefly mentioned Kruschev's speech as a reason that the Chinese were angry at the USSR. The link shows how Kruschev's speech was not really meant to be secret, and also shows the reactions of the Georgians to his speech. The Georgians, like the Chinese, were angry at him for denouncing Stalin. The source is from an article from a journal published in 2006, which gives it the advantage of having more sources to work from. It is also from a .edu site, which are generally reputable and are concerning education. However, it does not show its sources for the observation of events in 1956.

Sino-US cooperation? (Question #5)

There is some evidence in sources A-C that the changes in relations between USA and the PRC in 1971 were less fundamental than is sometimes supposed. In source A, it is mentioned that China's foreign policy is still very hostile towards other countries. It is said that they are booth aloof and suspicious. Source B initially seems to support the idea that the change in Sino-US relations was great, but later on it goes on to mention that the relationships between the countries had been suspended for twenty years. Source C mentions that three-corner diplomacy was advantageous to the United States, showing that the US is still sticking to their own ways. There is façade of agreement, but really every country is still looking out for their own interests.

Sino-Russian Collaboration Activity

How might the sources A-E be used to illustrate the importance in an authoritarain state of the media in the process of molding public opinion?

When considering the origin, content, and purpose of these sources, the importance of the media in the process of moulding public opinion in an authoritarian state can be seen. The first part of source A is an excerpt from a Chinese book, the other part is an open letter from the CPSU. The Chinese source intends to denounce Russian actions. It is very evident that this sentiment towards Russia is carried through China as well. The other Chinese sources reflect the same ideas. China’s media in source B exposes a similar sentiment from Khruschchev. Because the purpose of this article is to incite anti-Russian feelings in China, we do not know if this is an accurate The Russian part of source A is denouncing Chinese actions, showing that both countries viewed each other equally. Source B caries the same ideas about China from the Soviet Central Committee. Source C conveys similar sentiments back and forth between Russia and China. Russian media paints the Chinese as the aggressor blowing the boarder dispute out of proportion. The Chinese say similar things about the Russians. Source D was a Chinese newspaper article posted with the purpose to mar the reputation of Khrushchev, calling him a traitor to the communist cause. This shows us the tension between China and Russia, the media influences the public opinion about Russia. Source E consists of two speeches, one from Brezhnev. This source shows a change in mood from the other four sources. Brezhnev wanted to unite the socialist countries. However, the Chinese speech states that they do not want to be united with the USSR. All five sources reflect the social climate of that time. All but Brezhnev’s speech in source E convey the tension between China and Russia at this time. We can see how the media can mould the public opinion through their origin, content, and purpose.

Sin-Russian Conflict A

A cult of personality refers to a leader's ability to make himself godlike in his people's eyes, or the people's ability to think of their leader as absolute evil. This was the cause of a rift between the Chinese and the USSR residents, because the USSR looked at him as a god. They thought his “puppet governments” were defensive against the imperialist Eastern forces. The Chinese thought we was oppressing those countries, including their own.

IRL 15

http://www.ena.lu/treaty_prague_11_december_1973-020302438.html

The document provided at the link is the full text of the Prague treaty that we read about in class. It gives greater detail and insight into the nature of the mutual relations between Czechoslovakia and Germany, discussing the 1938 Munich Agreements as well as general mutual cooperation. The source is valuable because as a .lu adress in orginates from Luxembourg in Europe. It is also not a commercial site. However, no sources for the articles are given.

IRL 14

http://reds.linefeed.org/bios/castro.html

The above is a biography of Fidel Castro. He was a main player in the Cuban Missile Crisis which we learned about in class. The source adds information about previous attempts for revolution and Castro's and Cuba's history in the Communist Party. It is limited because no sources are cited and the site seems outdated. However, it is valuable because it is a non-for-profit (.org) site.

IRL 12

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1953/marshall-bio.html

This link is to a biography of George Marshall, one of the creators of the Marshall plan. This adds to what we have learned in class because the Marshall Plan is a main part of the Cold War. The article mostly mentions Marshall's military and diplomacy achievements, but the most intriguing is the source of the biography;the biography is from the Nobel prize website, and the main heading is Marshall's award of the Nobel peace prize in 1953. This also provides a backdrop in terms of the Swedish view of the Marshall Plan. It is limited in the respect that a biography describing a man chosen for the Nobel prize would not be critical.

SGQ11

IBSL2 SGQ11

Guiding questions:

Why did the Cold War spread from Europe to other parts of the world after 1950?

For what reasons, and with what results for East-West relations, did the superpowers become involved

in the affairs of one of the following: Korea; Vietnam; the Middle East?

What were the effects of the Korean War on international relations?

MWH p. 143-147

1. Background

a. Explain the evolution of control of Korea from 1910 to 1948

Japan had occupied Korea, so the US and Russia split up the country for the purpose of eradicating the Japanese. The US thought there would be free elections, but there was a disagreement and Korea became part of the Cold War conflict.

b. What was the leadership situation in Korea in 1949?

Russian and American troops withdrew themselves, and leaders from North and South Korea claimed themselves as leaders of the country.

2. Why did the North invade the South?

Possible answers:

a. Kim's idea - It was Kim's idea, inspired by the lack of a mention of Korea in the USA's list of countries to defend.

b. Chinese role - Kim was encouraged by the Chinese Communists.

c. Russian role - The Communists wanted to take over all of Korea

d. S. Korea's role - Syngman Rhee's troops crossed the 38th parallel.

3. What did the USA do?

Attacked.

a. Why did Truman decide to intervene?

i. Felt it was part of Stalin's Communist Revolution

ii. Remembered Hitler's policies, appeasement did not work

iii. Wanted to back the UN

iv. Was undergoing criticism from Republicans, had to dispel claims of Communist infenstation

b. What nations joined the US in support of S. Korea?

14 Countries of the UN, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

c. Briefly summarize the course of the war in 1950

When the UN went in, Korea was almost all Communist. They pushed it back to the border, then invaded North Korea.

d. How and why did China get involved?

Chinese felt Manchuria was threatened, summoned huge force to push UN troops back.

e. How did the war end?

Treaty with boundary lines around 38th parallel.

4. What were the results of the war?

a. Korea -

4 mil dead, 5 mil homeless, armed to the teeth

b. the US -

Truman felt containment was a success, Republicans felt they missed their chance for a North Korean invasion.

c. the UN -

Looked at by the Communists as a Capitalist tool.

d. China -

Huge military effort highlighted missing UN seat

e. the Cold War -

Asia now involved. Permanent conflict between USSR/China and US. SEATO created, fails.

ToK/IRL

Can history provide a guide to understanding contemporary affairs? Can it provide a guide to the future? What might be “the lessons of history” for future generations?

History can provide a guide to understanding contemporary affairs, albeit a very rough one. Although historical events cannot be predicted exactly using past events, these past events do affect current ones. For example, censorship in China is discussed in a BBC article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8124735.stm . The specific way in which information would be censored (through the internet) was not a repeat of history, but the idea of censoring was existent in Communist China.

In some case the prediction is not very accurate at all, for example at http://worldatwar.net/timeline/other/league18-46.html it notes that Iraq and Iran joined a peace pact with other eastern nations, yet that fact alone cannot be used to predict today's middle eastern wars. Other knowledge is needed.

IRL11

http://worldatwar.net/timeline/other/league18-46.html

The Source above is a timeline of the League of Nations, including the countries that joined and exited, as well as events. It relates to our classwork because the actions of the League of Nations were a major cause of WWII. It adds a better sense of perspective to our knowledge. It is from a .net address, which means that it is not commercial. It also provides books as sources, and compiles data from the United Nations offices in Geneva. However it ends its history where the League of Nations becomes the United Nations.

SGQ9

MWH p.69-84

1. Relations between Japan and China
a. Japanese invasion of Manchuria
i. why? Japan wanted to control the province
ii. who supported them? who was opposed? China against, British League of Nations rep. for
iii. what was done? Japan was given Port Arthur and part of Southern Manchuria

b. Japanese advance from Manchuria
i. explain - Japan started moving into Chinese territory, controlled a large area politically and economically by 1935.

c. Further invasions
i. explain - Japan starting invading other parts of China, Prime Minister could do nothing
ii. what did the League of Nations do? Condemned Japanese aggression but could not act.

2. Mussolini's foreign policy
a. 1923-1934 (summarize)
i. Attended the Locarno Conference
ii. Friendly towards Greece, Hungary, Albania
iii. Cultivated good relations with Britain
iv. Recognized the USSR as a country
v. Supported anti-Nazis

b. after 1934 - how had Mussolini's attitude changed? examples:
i. Britain and France's refusal to mention the Abyssinian crisis showed how self-centered they were
ii. The Italians invaded Abyssinia
1. what did the League of Nations do? They condemned Italy and banned supplies, but not coal and oil, so the Italians were still able to defeat the Abyssinians.
iii. Mussolini sent help to Franco during the Spanish Civil War
iv. Italy joined Japan and Germany against the other European countries.
v. He participated in the Munich agreement
vi. Italian troops occupied Albania
vii. Mussolini signed a full contract with Germany which promised Italy full military support.


3. Hitler's foreign policy
a. aims
i. Destroying the Versailles treaty
ii. Building up military
iii. Recovering lost territory
iv. Bringing all German speakers into the Reich.

b. successes
i. Hitler carefully moved himself out of the League and the World Diarmament Conference.
ii. Hitler signed a 10 year non-aggression pact with the Poles.
iii. The Autrian Nazis killed off their chancellor.
iv. The Saar was returned to Germany.
v. Hitler re-introduced conscription.
vi. Hitler signed a pact with Britain allowing a navy that was 35% of Britain's size.
vii. Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland and was met with only protests.
viii. Hitler signed a pact with Japan and later Mussolini.
ix. The Chancellor tried to make free elections in Austria after Nazi demonstrations, and Hitler had the Nazis invade. Austria became part of the Third Reich.

4. Appeasement
a. what is appeasement? summarize the two phases:
i. A vague feeling that war should be avoided, not very strict
ii. The making of claims through negotiation rather than force.

b. how was it justified?
i. It was "essential" to avoid war.
ii. Many felt Germany and Italy had genuine sorrows.
iii. Chamberlain thought disputes should be settled by personal contact between leaders.
iv. Economic co-op between Britain and Germany was beneficial to both countries.
v. Fear of communism was great, it was believed Nazi Germany could be a buffer against its spread.
vi. Britain was totally unprepared for a full-scale war.

c. what was the role of appeasement leading up to WWII?
i. No action was taken to check German rearmament
ii. The Anglo-German Naval agreement was signed
iii. Action against the Abyssinian invasion was half-hearted
iv. The French did not mobilize their troops
v. Neither Britain nor France intervened in the Spanish Civil War.
vi. Many Britians saw the Anschluss as the natural union of two German groups.

5. Munich to the outbreak of war
a. Czechoslovakia - what were the three steps to the conquest of Czechoslovakia?
i. The Propaganda Campaign in the Sutenland
ii. The Munich Conference
iii. The Destruction of Czechoslovakia

b. Poland - what were the two steps to the conquest of Poland?
i. Hitler demanded the return of Danzig
ii. Hitler invaded Poland