Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid was basically the same as the Jim Crow Laws in the U.S. Nelson Mandela helped free South Africa and he became the first president of South Africa.

African Independence

Africa realized that they didn't want to be run by Britain anymore. They thought that Britain was the best country suited for leading them, until they saw what Britain was really like. They weren't the best country ever, so they wanted their independence.

Film Lesson: "The Right Stuff"

The US and the USSR were competing to see who could get to space first. This was called the Space Race. The US managed to break the sound barrier first, but Russia got a satelitte into space first. Russia was winning, and they even managed to get the first man in space, but we eventually beat them to the moon in 1969. The scene with the sound barrier will help me remember it.

NATO and The Warsaw Pact

NATO was an alliance of nations formed during the cold war. It was made up of the U.S., Canada, Great Britan, and other countries from Europe. The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet answer to NATO. It consisted of Russia, Poland East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. These organizations were formed in case of a nuclear war broke out. An attack on one country would lead all the other countries in that organization to retaliate.

Film Lesson: "Schindler's List"

"Schindler's List" portrayed the Holocaust in a dramatic way. It let you get to know the characters so that you were worried about thair safety when they were force into the camps. I think the scene with the children was the hardest on me because they were sining a happy song while they were being shipped off the be slaughtered. That scene will stay with me for a long time. I think "Schindler's List" was more powerful for me. It was more emotional than "Night and Fog".

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

I felt really bad after watching "Night and Fog". The scenes were much more graphic than "Schindler's List". I think that "Schindler's List" was more effective at portraying the Holocaust because there were characters that you got to know, and you were actually worried about them. In the documentary, it just showed nameless people in the camps.

The Treaty of Versailles (ended WW I)

At the end of WWI, Germany had to agree to the Treaty of Versaillse. This treaty stated that Germany had to give up part of their land, part of their population, limit their military, and give up all of their African territories. This treaty was completely unfair. It was basically a way to kick Germany while it was down. The German economy suffered a depression as a result of manufacuring restrictions. I think that historians believe that this treaty lead to Fascism and the rise of Hitler because Germany was so desparate after the war, they just agreed to anything.