Remember Belgium

A German Soldier on the Western Front

At the start of the war France was west from Germany and Russia was east of Germany. Having two enemy countries surrounding them put them in a scary situation. Germany had to get Russia out of the war so that it would be easier for them to win World War I. Belgium was right in between Germany and France and since the boarder of Germany and France was a rocky/mountainy type of land Germany thought it would be easier to attack France from Belgium. Germans terrorized Belgium even though they were a neutral country and so this is the propaganda used to turn people and countries against the Germans.

Remember Belgium Propaganda Poster

This propaganda poster was to encourage people to buy liberty bond and enlist in the army against Germany. If people were convinced that the Germans were bad people they would become furious. As they became furious that would make them want to enter the against German, causing the Germans to be defeated. If the Germans would owe money to other countries and they would have to rebuild their army, making them unfit and unprepared for causing more conflicts. Also at the end communism will be spread even more.

Sources:

1.http://www3.northern.edu/marmorsa/worldwarIlecture2010.htm
2.http://www.ireference.ca/search/Western%20Front%20(World%20War%20I)/
3.http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/ww1/bourneessay.htm



WWI

World War I had four major causes; one of them was nationalism. Nationalism is when you have great pride in your country. Another cause of WWI was imperialism. Many countries thought that by ruling more land or having colonies would give them higher power. Militarism is also a cause because countries wanted to have a power military and if one country's military grew than others would want to do the same. Having alliances was a major cause as well because with alliances more countries had to get involved due to their vow to protect another country. What triggered the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. 

        The United States was dragged into WWI in 1917 after trying to remain neutral. There were two events that got the U.S. involved. One of them was the sinking of the Lusitania. The Lusitania was a ship sank by a U-boat. There were 128 American passengers in it; they weren't the majority of the passengers just a small part. The reason was the Zimmerman telegram. This telegram from Britain insisted that Mexico enter the war. Britain wanted Mexico to enter the war as being against the United States, and this angered the U.S. 

Eighteenth & Twenty-first Amendments

 Prohibition Protest

Repeal of 18th Amendment

   

      The eighteenth amendment was the prohibition of alcohol. This was drafted by Wayne Wheeler. After it was ratified by states, it was passed in 1919, by Congress. The amendment was put into act in 1920. This amendment said that the production, transport, and sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited.

       The twenty-first amendment was the repeal of the eighteenth amendment. It said that the prohibition of alcohol was no longer in effect. Congress passed this in February of 1933. The states also ratified it, and so the amendment went into effect on December fifth 1933. During the thirteen years prohibition was in effect, they called it the "Great Experience".

Splendid Little War

1. A reason often given for taking a territory was that the backward people who lived there needed the blessings of civilization. Would you agree with that attitude? Why?
- I honestly wouldn't agree with that attitude. No other country should be taking over any territory unless they are asked to do so or asked for their "blessings". Every country should stay out of eachothers' business and leave them to figure things out on their own. It would be like a "every man for themselves" kind of thing. If countries don't fight their own battles they will not be able to learn from their mistakes.

2. Do you think newspapers (and now television) can stir up so much feeling that they can create wars? Why?
- I think that it depends on what the newspapers and television are saying. For example if they're talking about abolishing slavery then that can cause a civil war, if the country has controdicting opinions. That was what happened here in the United States, during the years of 1861-1865. I also think that the media can exaggerate the news. If the media does exaggerate the news then that can arouse feelings that can cause war; either between two or more countries or within that country.

Japan Crisis.

Japan is going through tough moments at the time. They have just experienced a tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear crisis. After a tsunami, in north of Japan, and an earthquake of about 9.0 magnitude there have been reports of nuclear power plant explosions in Fukushima. In Japan they are telling people near the power plant to leave the area. They are also telling the people of a 19 mile radius to stay indoors, due to radiation levels. Japan has reported that they have found some radio contamination in some foods and in water. They have also mentioned that they shouldn't consume any of the food from the areas near the power plant because of the contamination.

Japan Earthquake Picture

 Earthquake and Tsunami

Tsunami

Nuclear Crisis: Fukushima

Sources:

Japan Tsunami and Earthquake
Japan Nuclear Crisis
2011 Japan Crisis

W.E.B Du and Booker T. Washington

 W.E.B Du Bois

W.E.B. Du Bois:
         W.E. B Du Bois like any reformer fought against things that were injustice and also fought for freedom. He was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, on February 23, 1868. When Du Bois was in high school he began to be uneasy about how his race was developing into society. He began to notice how in his neighborhood there had been signs of racism. He took his first trip to the south, to Nashville, Tennessee. He furthered his education at Fisk for three years and there too he witnessed discrimination. This is when he became a writer and editor.

Booker T. Washington 

Booker T. Washington:
Booker T. Washington was born a mulatto slave born in Franklin County, on April 5th, 1856. His mother was the slave of James Burroughs and his father was a white man. Booker T.'s mentor was Sammuel Armstrong believed that the freed slaves should have an education. Booker T. Washington believed that as well. He also beleived that they needed to have an education before going into politics. Washington was able to build a school with a loan from Hampton Agriculture Institute. In 1888 the school covered and owned five hundred forty acres and had over four hundred students. The school had many good teachers; for example Olivia Davidson, who was later assistant principal. 

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. In my blog I will be posting things about American History that I am learning and discussing in class with my teacher.