Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of Communism

Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the President of Russia at the age of 54. Elected at a very young age, Gorbachev was very well educated on Economics and Politics. Very different from other Russian Leaders such as Joseph Stalin, Gorbachev wasn't as strict and opposed the way of Totalitarianism. Knowing that Communism was in fact bringing down the economy, Gorbachev knew that Communism was soon going to collapse, and didn't hesitate one bit to keep it a secret. This led to what is called Glasnost. Glasnost was a way to open the government secret, and let everyone know what was going on. Additionally, Gorbachev created the Peristrokia which was a way for people to open small businesses and local managers to have control over their farms and factories. Though these ideas failed, Communism collapsed.Russia is still presently adjusting to the change of Capitalism.

The Collapse of Communism

Little Support, Political Downfall and Economic Conflicts, were some reasons why Communism in Eastern Europe collapsed. Joseph Stalin's poor decision making, led the USSR to collapse. Putting money into Defensive Arms as opposed to the country itself led to the collapse. The Soviet Union collapsed due to the fact that there was no money. Socialism and numerous competitions also led the Soviet Union to collapse. The Collapse of Communism did in fact change the world because numerous countries changed in to Capitalists in a blink of an eye.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid was a Racial Segregation Policy in South Africa. Very similar to Racial Discrimination in the United States, Apartheid lasted from 1948 - 1990. The policy showed how Whites were superior over Blacks. Colored Africans (also known as Bantus) weren't privileged enough to do as many things as Whites were. Due to the fact that many people opposed this policy, the African National Congress (ANC) was formed. One of the most notable members of this Political Party was Nelson Mandela. Following his mind and heart lead Nelson Mandela to serve 26 years in prison. After 26 years, on February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released out of prison with the independence of South Africa still on his mind. Writing the book "Long Walk to Freedom" represents Mandela's struggle to overcome apartheid and gain freedom. Nelson Mandela is such a hero because of his will to better South Africans. All though Mandela was imprisoned for 26 years, he still had the determination to receive independence for South Africa. Authors admire his character and will to never give up!

African Independence

After the notable World War II, numerous African Nations disliked living under European Control. Europeans exploited African resources many times. As a way to depart from this torment from Europeans, Ghana gained independence in 1957. Though the people of Ghana were happy for finally being independent, they were very unprepared. Living under European Rules for over 20 years, many African Nations such as Ghana didn't have much knowledge about Government, hence the change. Some notable leaders who lead their nations were, Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya,  Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Nelson Mandela of South Africa.

Film Lesson: "The Right Stuff"

In the movie "The Right Stuff", United States and Russia competed against each other. Both countries competed to see which country was Advanced in Technology and Science. In the movie, there were many rocket scenes showing how both the USSR and USA competed against each other. It took time for the US to launch a rocket ship into space. Though USA took many time and worked so hard in trying to launch the rocket ship, Russia was far ahead. Russia beat USA every scene. Since the Cold War wasn't exactly a "war", meaning no violence was in effect, the competitive scenes between USA and USSR attempt to launch a rocket on the moon will help me remember the Cold War.  Both United States and Russia disliked each other, however rather than having a "hot war" (killing), they had a cold war.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

NATO was an organization between North America and Europe formed during The Cold War. The "Big Idea" for the formation of NATO was so that countries involved, had the right of a mutual defense alliance. A Mutual Defense Alliance is very similar to a gang. If one country is attacked, the Mutual Defense Alliance allowed all the other counties in NATO to aid them. Very similar to NATO, Soviet Union decided to make the Warsaw Pact as a response. The Warsaw Pact gained control of many European countries. By gaining these countries, the Soviet Union attracted many foreign citizens to its strong military and political force. Though the Warsaw Pact gained control of many countries and attracted many, NATO's Technology was just too advanced. In the year 1991, the Warsaw Pact was labeled nonexistent.

Film Lesson: Schindler's List

The film Schinlder's List illustrates the Holocaust by showing the audience the suffering many Jews faced during this time. The remake of Concentration Camps, Death Camps, SS Doctors, Gas Showers, and many more really gave us the audience a visual meaning of how Jews were treated during this miserable time. The most powerful scene for me was the Train to Auschwitz scene. Nazi Police Officers forced hundreds of Jews onto crowded train cars with one window making it very hard for some people to breathe well. What really got to me was the little amount of water given to the Jews. Nazi Police Officers used a hose to give the water. This angered me very much due to the fact that Jews are humans not dogs. Though Schindler's List was a Hollywood movie, I believe that "Night and Fog" was more powerful due to the fact that we saw actual clips from the Holocaust. Schindler's List was very entertaining and a pleasure to watch, however at the end of the day, "Night and Fog" was just more powerful.