World History Final Quiz

Not only am I amazed that I was able to read an entire history book in one semester, but I have to say that I’ve also learned so much.  I haven’t opened up a history book for over 30 years and before this class, could not tell you anything about it. Yes, it was that interesting….   So in a sense, this was like taking history for the very first time.

Although it felt like the chapters would never end, because of the reading tied in with the class discussions and activities, over the course of the semester I gained a solid base of understanding of the different eras in time.  From the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Ancient, Classical and Modern, and although many aspects of the particular eras have changed, so many things remained the same.  It’s like history repeating itself.  I liked how Professor Andrews compared and contrasted the key points in each era and our discussions about how each developed from one to the next. 

There were some topics that I was more passionate about;  such as the treatment of women and how even though we as a society have become so much more advanced; technology and otherwise, why not socially; why have we not learned to treat each other with more respect and dignity..  

Learning about the Muslim world and the Mongols made me realize just how much influence and power a few people can have over thousands.  And how people centuries ago used any and all means possible to achieve victory… I guess that hasn’t changed though.    Oh yeah, and Allah’s great vision for equality and respect for men and women.. sure, unless the women are disobedient, then you can beat them.   

I think I connected most to the Modern era, that’s probably because it was the most familiar to me.  In the last few chapters, I was really intrigued to learn about the Christmas truce of WWI.  I still can’t get over how an army of men can set aside all the emotional and physical effects of war, celebrate the holiday as though they were with family and then jump right back to killing each other.  Pretty amazing, what’s more, I would have never known that if I hadn’t taken this course.  `And then the rest of the chapters just got depressing; reading about the Great Depression, WWII, and the reign of Hitler. 

The class activities were great.  I really enjoyed when the class role played the EPIC of Gilgamesh.  I liked how the class was split up and acted out the different scenes.  This gave us the opportunity to have fun and learn from eachohter.  When we wrapped it all up at the end, the transition of the Mesopotamians from beast to civilization all made sense!  I also really enjoyed the class discussions; they made learning the course material interactive; informative; and fun.

Thank you Professor Andrews and classmates !

World History Reflection Ch 21-24

The Christmas truce of 1914.  This is the type of historical information that really sparks my interest.  And unless there is a man still alive to talk about it, how would we ever know?  The fact that right in the midst of WWI, German and British soldiers actually had a truce, exchanged gifts, played football in neutral territory; and then proceed back to killing each other amazes me.   

In reading about WWI, I never realized that if not for this war, the United States may have not become the Global Power nation that it is today.  Similar to when China pulled back and opened the gate way for Europe to take over huge territory.  The end of WWI brought about many changes, some good and some terrible.  On a positive note,   it makes me pleased to learn that social mobility was surfacing and that higher level jobs were available to commoners.  I’m particularly pleased to read about the progression of the women’s movement.   As well as an overall increase in consumerism.  Little did we know that in the decades to follow tragedy awaits; the Great Depression and the crash of the stock market..

If that’s not bad enough,  look at the destruction one man can achieve.. Yep, I’m talking about Hitler.. What a jack ass… this man created such genocide; I just don’t know how he slept at night..  which leads us to WWII, I knew that this war was far worse than the Great War  or WWI but it saddens me to learn that the total estimated death toll was 60 million or 6 times that of WWI.  More than half were civilians (due to new technology; bombers, jet fighters; atomic weapons).  More than 40 percent of the total deaths were in Soviet Union.  This is due to Hitler’s racial war, he was destined to destroy all of Russia; with “unprecedented, unmerciful, unrelenting harshness” (Ways of the World p. 649).  One of my good friend’s mother and family had to flee from Russia and grew up in China during the German invasion.  

The chapter on the Rise and Fall of Communism was quite interesting.  In reading about communist feminism I was surprised to learn that communist countries were in fact the ones that pioneered forms of women’s liberation, I was sure that this would have started in the West.  As I read through the chapter, it angers me to think about US involvement in various wars such as the Korean and Vietnam.  None of our business.  These wars ended in fruitless bloodshed of thousands of Americans. 

Its interesting comparing the freedom struggles between India and South Africa.  While India’s fight for freedom let by Mohandas Gandhi had a religious focus, South Africa’s led by Nelson Mandela was focused on race, ethnicity and ideology.  And most of all the end of apartheid.  It doesn’t seem logical that white settler minorities (a mere 20% of the entire population) had total control over South Africa.  What’s worse, these people were not even in their own Country.  I can’t imagine what it was like for the Country’s black African majority to have to follow these ridiculous segregation “pass” laws in their own Country.  Then you have the Islamic law of Iran which was to promote moral purification of the country under state control.  Discos and bars were closed, alcohol was forbidden, boys and girls had to attend separate schools, women were required to wear a veil and loose fitting clothing to conceal their figures.  After reading this chapter , I have to say, we as Americans just don’t know how fortunate we are to have freedom.  Some of the things that other Countries are fighting for, we just take for granted.  Certainly puts things into prospective.  

 The final chapter!  I was most interested in reading about Globalization, as the rest of the chapter seems to be similar to what we have studied in the previous chapters.   I imagine that Globalization is necessary in order to expand the Country’s Global relationships with other Countries, and I am fine with importing and exporting of goods as every Country specializes in something that each of us require to thrive.  However, I am opposed to the US outsourcing jobs;  India for example (A World Economy p 725) and this is why.  There are thousands of Americans right now that are in need of work!!!  Not only is it wrong to deprive our own people of a means to survive, it is happening all because of some corporations bottom line…  it is also morally wrong to pay employees of these foreign Countries “sweat house” wages just because you can.  It is also frustrating from a customer’s perspective, in which  I have firsthand experience.  The organization where I work recently laid off the entire IT department and outsourced to a company in India, the communication barrier makes it almost impossible to effectively resolve issues in a timely manner.  

World History Reflection ch 17-20

 The American Revolution: interesting to know that the American experience was not the revolution itself, but instead the existent emergence of the colonies and the independence from Britain.   Was this the hope and model of the human race?  Sure, except for the black slaves and women…

The Haitian revolution on the other hand was epic in that they had the only successful slave revolt in world history; they became equal, free independent citizens.  That makes me feel

On the coattail of the Haitian revolution opened the door to additional echoes of revolution with the goal of crushing oppression and inequality; Abolitionists sought to end slavery, Nationalists hoped to end disunity and foreign rule and feminists to do away with male dominance.

The feminist movement of course sparks my interest; I have mixed emotions about this I’m glad that women finally found their voice butt it makes me angry that it took so long to find it… The twentieth century!  Interesting that Elizabeth Cady Stanton published a Women’s Bible, in which she omitted the parts that were offensive to women.  At some point I may delve a bit deeper into this, sparks my curiosity.  There is always an opponent in the crowd.  It’s silly though the reasoning that they used, they really thought that by going to school and having a life outside of the home would cause reproductive damage???  Oh my gosh, don’t read that book, may cause birth defects..  They even claimed that women were selfish and how could they be willing to sacrifice their home and “nation” … and these are the same men that fought for our independence and helped build our Country..  What’s wrong with that picture..

The Industrial Revolution: after reading the chapter, one thing that stands out to me that I wasn’t aware of is that the steam engine was a very important invention, and that in the twentieth century industrial revolution became global.  I actually feel that it paved the way to our current global economy.  I wonder, if the industrial revolution would have never transpired, where would we as a society be right now, would we still be hunting and gathering???…

Great Britain was the first Industrial Society,  In 1800 the British Textile consumed 52 million pounds of cotton,  in 1850 they consumed 588 million pounds, it’s amazing that within a matter of fifty years, the amount of cotton has increased by over 500 million pounds, could it be because by 1891 it went from agriculture society to industrial only?  I was surprised to know that by then only   8% of the National income was created by agriculture.  Because of the industrial revolution the population of people that were once farming were now working in the factories.  I think this had a huge long term impact on our farming systems today. 
   
There was an overwhelming abundance of forced labor in the twentieth century, I was alarmed to learn that in French Africa all natives were legally obligated for statue labor; they were round up like cattle and brought off to work.  What really stood out was the harsh cruelty and abuse that was administered to the people in the Congo if they did not collect enough rubber.  The photos of these poor boys that literally had their hands severed because they did not meet the expectations.  It certainly puts things into prospective, as rough as it appears that things can be, it hardly holds a candle to how rough people had it back then.  Even though there is still an enormous amount of struggle to survive, it’s comforting to know that there has been major milestones around labor, compensation, working laws.