The Collapse of Communism

During the Cold War the USSR and the U.S. were the world's leading superpowers. After WW2 these two world powers were competing in a race. Both of them being world powers and armed with atomic weapons they did not get in to any actual fighting. The mere cost of keeping up with each other was high for both countries. For the USSR it was to much. Their economy soon collapsed at the high price of competing with the U.S. With the collapse of the USSR the communist countries that they supported soon also collapsed due to the fact that their main source of money came from Soviet Russia.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

Apartheid is a word created by the South African Bureau for Racial Affairs (SABRA). They argued about the policy of "separate development" of the races. Nelson is such a hero beacause, he Fought for Unity and Liberation. He hold the future of Africa. Growing under the Apartheid system was tough and harsh. But, Nelson was a fighter. He became a lifelong warrior in the battle to free South Africa. He spent 27 years in the prison and became the symbolic body and blood of the anti-apartheid campaign.He was a man of peace, but he headed a guerrilla group that waged a campaign of violence.

During the 1950s Mandela played a key role in the ANC's non-violent campaign to undermine apartheid, South Africa's system of racial segregation, through strikes, civil disobedience, and demonstrations. After he was released by the white government, Mandela negotiated with the white government to end apartheid. Four years later he was elected president and served for five years.

African Independence

Africa has changed so much in the 20 year period from 1955 to 1975 by having more independent countries in Africa. The only colonies were the South West Africa and Spanish Sahara. There had been more independent countries in the 20 year period because some countries in Africa fought to be independent against colonists. Africans wanted to show the world and other people that they can run its own country and industrialized Africa. Some of the leaders in Africa was Leopold Senghor who was the first president of Senegal. Another leader was Jomo Kenyatta, who was a nationalist leader of Kenya. Then there was a leader named Mobuto that ruled the country Zaire.

Film Lesson - "The Right Stuff"

The U.S and the USSR were competing in a race to get to space. This film shows the old days on how NASA was back in the days of the space program. The Russians were able to launch their first satellite in space which was called spudnik. The U.S were terrified about the satellite and they were afraid that the Russians will be one ot two steps ahead of them. The U.S decided to send the first man to space.

The U.S were searching for candidates that were perfect and found test pilots. The U.S tried to test the rockets to see if they were able to launch it in space. Many months have passed and there had been alot of failed test. While trying, they also decided to send a chimp up to space. The first man up was a Russian and the chimp was the first American. The U.S were really behind the Russians. They felt embarrased and threatened.

The U.S tried to send the first American man up to space, but they still used the chimp for testing. There was about seven people who were able to go to space, the others failed the test.

NATO and the Warsaw Pact

NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was an organization that involved in the countries of Europe and North America. If any countries were to be under attack, then the other allies will come to their help. The NATO also helped with economic aid of the European nations.

The Warsaw Pact was another mutual defense alliance like NATO but an organization of communist states in Central and Eastern Europe. The Warsaw Pact was ran by the Soviet Union in the Cold War. The Soviets were able to create a nuclear bomb in Cuba to use while they were in the war. This alliance was created as a response to the NATO.

Film Lesson: "Schindler's List"

Schindler's list was a great and pretty updated movie on the Holocaust. It was a good idea to make it in black in white, it would easily allow actual footage to be put into the movie, as they were all in black in white. Some of the scenes which i found very disturbing and that i will never forget is when the lady came to the Nazi guards and gave them an idea about what they were constructing. She told them that she was an engineer, when they saw she was trying to show she was smart they shot her in the back of the head.Also the scene when the Nazis came into the hospital where they were keeping Jewish sick people and the Nazis shot them several times just to make sure they were dead.

Another image from the film that will stay with me is when they showed the entrance to Auchwitz, when Schindler's women workers were accidentally transported to the death camp. It was a pretty scary sight from knowing so much of the terrors that occured there. It was also a crazy sight when they showed all the burned bodies being packed up, when the camp was being rid of evidence, as everyone including the Nazis were goin crazy from the killing and smell.

Film Lesson: "Night and Fog"

Some of my reactions to "Night and Fog" were overwhelming. I found this film interesting yet scary. It's incredible to see how much people suffered over one person that just felt like getting rid of them for no reason. The black and white images are devastating and powerful. The women's hair all shaved off and thrown in a pile as if it was fur to make clothes out of was a sad image to see. I was shocked to see that the film had been made soon after the war. Resnais' treatment of this subject will still burn the images right onto your head.

I have also seen another film referring to the Holocaust, "Schindler's List". But "Night and Fog" is still the one that will shock you the most. Although, I find "Schindler's List" the better movie when it comes down to the illustration of the Holocaust. It had more action and made you feel more of the horrible circumstances as if you had been there at the time. "Night and Fog" was more of a picture film, which I don't enjoy as much as regular films. Such films as these should give us all the courage to stand up for our rights, understand when something unfair shouldn't be done, and to stand together to stop it.