Mikhail Gorbachev and the Collapse of Communism

Mikhail Gorbachev was the president of Russia. At age 45 he was the youngest president. He believed that nothing good was being done in Russia. That they should have fresh new perspectives new ideas to make Russia wealthier with new ideas. He called it the "Glasnot" , it was said that this will open Russia to a become a new country. Then he wanted to make economic reforms. he called it "Peristrokia". this helped to make new jobs to help the people.

The collapse of Communism

The collapse of Communism began because many people were tired of the soviet system and began fighting for democracy. In Germany, the Collapse of Communism meant that the two Germany's had to become 1 so the Berlin Wall was taken down. Seeing the results of that other countries that were in the Iron Curtain began rejecting communism. Countries like Poland East Germany and Hungary. Then The USSR collapse alone.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid was a policy of segregation in South Africa in the years 1948-1990. It was made because white people thought they were superior to the colored people. the colored people were forbidden to vote. Nelson Mandela was put in prison because he fought for the independence of South Africa. He used the method of non-violence to free the people from Apartheid. He was in jail for 26 years. Fought for freedom and was a hero.

African Independence

Africa was conquered by varies countries in Europe. The people of Africa was tired of Following everything the conquering countries say. Some of the conquering countries were Great Britain and Italy. In the 1950's the Africans began to fight for their independance. A good example in Algeria, which won its independence was Algeria. With the leader from the FLN or the Algerian National Liberation Front, Ahmed Ben Bella. He was the president of Algeria in 1963. He made Land reforms and made new plans foe education.

Film Lesson: "The Right Stuff

The film "The Right Stuff" was released in the year 1983. The movie shows the Cold War between The United States and Russia. The Russians were so advanced in space that The U.S started to compete with them. Instead of sending a man to space they sent a monkey. When they heard the Russians send a man to space they were embarrassed because they could have been the first to send a man to space but they decided to sent a monkey. The scenes that made me remember are when they were training the monkey and the humans and realized that they could do the same tasks as the humans. Eventually the U.S. won the "war" against Russia.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

NATO was an organization that started in the year 1950. It includes countries in Europe and North America like the U.S., Great Britain and 11 other nations. The purpose for NATO was if a country in the organization was attacked by an enemy the other from the organization would back up the country in a war. At the moment NATO was against communist which means they were against Russia (Soviet Union). it includes 12 nations including Great Britain and the United States. The Warsaw Pact was the treaty made by the communists to keep the Eastern Europe communist and for mutual support in case of an attack from NATO. It was formed by Russia, Poland, East Germany Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. They formed it because they saw NATO as a threat to communism.

FILm Lesson: "Schindler's List"

The movie" Schindler's List" was a good movie. It showed us the way the poor Jews were treated by the Nazi. It was unbelievable how people could treat others the way the Nazi treated the Jews. the move showed us what happened from before the Jews were sent to the Ghettos and how they killed them. the scenes that i remember was when the Nazis came out of nowhere and simply took the Jews to the camps. also the adorable little girl with the pink coat that went into the house to hid under the bed. Or the man that was taped on the bottom of the bed and was shot a lot of times. Schindler's List was a powerful movie that illustrated the days the Jews suffered under Adolf Hitler's rule.