The Treaty of Versailles (ended WW I)

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.

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) 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

Film Lesson: "Gandhi"

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi also known as Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869. He helped his nation India to get independence. He helped by boycotting and using non-violence, he boycotted buying British clothing because it wasn't fair that the Indian made clothing and then the British sold it to them again, so Gandhi told the Indian to make their own clothing and if the British had a problem they shouldn't use violence to get what they want. Gandhi also boycotted buying British salt. Gandhi made a march called the "Salt March" in which he walked 240 miles to the ocean to make his own salt and sell it. The Indians followed Ganhdi and respected him, he was a civil rights activist. In the film it showed how serious he was about using non violence like for example when the Indians were using violence by setting fire where the police were Gandhi was upset and stopped eating to demonstrate that he was serious about non violence.
Gandhi was respected and he didn't even have much power he was poor, it just goes to show that anyone can make a difference. Gandhi had to go to London and meet with the high people so he could make India independent and not be ruled by the British anymore and live under the threat of being beaten or told what to do. He was murdered in the year of 1948, but he is now a legend.