IRL 12

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/the_p_word/newsid_10000000/newsid_10002800/10002848.stm

News Report.

BBC's Duncan Crawford

It connects to what we are studying in class because we've just learned about the blockade on Berlin by Stalin that will eventually lead to the Soviets blocking off West and East Berlin with a wall.

It gives the perspective and history review of what happened in Berlin in 1961 and how some 20 years later since the wall's collapse how the people feel.

The only limitations I see are they don't say exactly who the world leaders were that came to Berlin to celebrate, making me wonder if the Russian Federation leaders were allowed.

SGQ 12 Origins of the Cold War

How did the Cold War develop?

MWH p. 117-140

1. What were the effects of WWII?

a. evidence of enormous destruction?

40 million people killed, destruction of lives, homes, industries, and communications.

b. no all-inclusive peace settlement - what was there?

Italy lost African colonies, USSR took land that Hitler invaded, Romania recovered Transylvania, Trieste became a free territory and Japan surrendered all Chinese territory.

c. examples social changes?

They put bout 10 million Germans from other German speaking places back into West Germany.

d. nuclear weapons - so what?

USSR and US saw how destructive they could be and wanted to avoid all costs from using it.

e. European domination of the world ended - why?

Due to costs of war it caused Germany, Italy, France, and Britain to become almost bankrupt

f. emergence of the superpowers - who?

USSR and US

g. decolonization - what happened to the territories?

They also suffered due to the colonizers fighting in war but they also pushed for being decolonized.

h. the United Nations - so what?

Was the successor of League of Nations and also their main gold was to keep the peace.

2. What caused the Cold War?

a. what are the differences of principle?

The communist system and the capitalist system.

b. what were Stalin's foreign policies?

To strengthen Russian influence in Europe by controlling as much as Germany as possible.

c. what were US and British policies?

To try to create a trust with the Soviets but also be able to defend themselves. But essentially contain communism in Russia.

3. How did the Cold War develop between 1945 and 1953?

a. what four things were agreed upon at the Yalta Conference?

i. United Nations

ii. Germany was divided into zones Russian, American, British zone while Berlin was split into corresponding zones.

iii. Free elections would be allowed in the states of eastern Europe.

iv. Stalin promised to join the war against Japan on condition that Russia received the whole of Sakhalin Island and some territory in Manchuria.

b. why were Germany and Poland the major concerns at the Potsdam Conference?

Because they didn't know whether to they would unite Germany again and what the consequences of causing the war would be. Also Poland had left a pro communist leader in charge which frighten the west.

c. how was Communism established in eastern Europe?

Pro-communist leaders were put in charge and anyone who opposed them were imprisoned or murdered.

d. how did Russia exert its influence in eastern Europe?

He promised all countries free elections though they were rigged so communist leaders could be put in place.

e. what were the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan?

They were plans to help European countries come out of debt and paid back over time as long as the country promised to remain capitalist.

f. what was Cominform?

The soviet version of Marshall Plan to help gain support and spread of Communism

g. what happened to Czechoslovakia?

It became communist and had rigged elections and all other government members who were not communist were killed.

h. what happened in Berlin?

Closed off east and west Berlin over disagreements.

i. what is NATO?

North Atlantic Treaty Organization was a deffence group of countries against Communist threat.

j. what happened to Germany?

Split into West Germany and Eastern Germany controlled by super powers.

h. what developed with nuclear weapons?

The fear of nuclear war both super powers began building up arsenal of weapons.

4. To what extent was there a thaw after 1953?

a. why was there a thaw?

i.Death of Stalin

ii.New leader wanting peace.

b. how do we know there was a thaw?

i. Signing of peace agreements.

ii. The Russians made important concessions in 1955

1. They agreed to give up their military bases in Finland

2. They lifted their veto on the admission of 16 new member states to the UN.

3. The quarrel with Yugoslavia was healed when Khrushchev paid a visit to Tito

4. The Cominform was abandoned, suggesting more freedom for satellite states.

c. what evidence suggests only a partial thaw?

i. The Warsaw Pact (1955) signed between Russia and her satellite states.

ii. The Russians continued to build up their nuclear armaments.

iii. The situation in Berlin caused more tension.

iv. The most provactice action of all was when Khrushchev installed Soviet missiles in Cuba, less than a hundred miles from the American coast (1962)

v.

5. The nuclear arms race and the Cuban missile crisis

a. how did the arms race accelerate?

The making of new and powerful weapons than before.

b. what happened in Cuba? how was it resolved?

The Russian's put weapons on Cuba to launch, US and Soviets made piece with it.

c. what happened to the arms race in the 1970s?

Submarines that could fire powerful missiles.

d. how effective were anti-nuclear protests?

It worked but countries still refused to get rid of weapons fearing that once they put their guard down they'd be attacked.

IRL/TOK

Can history provide a guide to understanding contemporary affairs? Can it provide a guide to the future? What might be “the lessons of history” for future generations?

In my IRL 11http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/league_nations_01.shtml it is an overview of League of Nations and United Nations. It shows that we as a country learned from our first mistakes in making a League of Nations and not being able to enforce any of its power or not having enough "major powers" involved. But after the Second World War we made the United Nations which has existed over 60 years to help keep the peace in the world. Yes using the League of Nations as a example it can be used as a guide for the future, the leaders in charge in 1919 helped essential pave the way for united nations so when the chance came again in the 40s to correct the mistakes and fix the problems so another world war never broke out again it was taken. The lessons of history is that the League of Nations were so afraid of another great war they were willing to use appeasement to satisfy the complaining countries who they tried to satisfy no matter what the demand but if Versailles had been a better written treaty Germany would have not gotten away with this. So the lesson is you can do something and hope for the best trying to satisfy both sides, you have to do it for the well being of every person.
In my IRL 09 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4436275.stm, the Holocaust is an important historical event to learn from because without learning what one length one Regime would go to rid the world of a race/ethnicity is important so it does not occur again. I think it can provide a guide to the future of what will happen the Nazi's killed 11 million people though some choose not to follow the guide in killing instead of following this tragic event and not killing. Stalin killed 3 times as much and the genocide Hitler committed is still going on some 60 years later in Africa, which shows some didn't learn from history and we are force to see it repeat again.
In my IRL 04 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6991349.stm shows the people in Germany still fear the rise of a single party state or more importantly a Nazi regime again. After the first Nazi regime fell in 1945 the world saw how far one man would go to make his country the best. Hitler paved the way with his ideology throughout history and some still see this as a positive direction to move the country in. It’s not only Germany and other European countries but there is a small but still there Neo Nazi party in America would love to make our Democracy a Single Party State but fortunately we haven’t gone through the “factors” that essential leads to a SPS. The Neo Nazi’s in Eastern Germany that the German people are afraid of either want to things, one they didn’t learn from Hitler with the Holocaust and World War II or two they some 60 years later they want to improve or learn from his mistakes to make his plan successful this is a scary thought to know that some people see Hitler’s Nazi regime in guiding the way in what the world should be. There are two lessons to be learned from Hitler, either to prevent genocide and the rise of a regime or learn from and resurrect the regime and learn from its flaws and mistakes.
In my IRL 02http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=1271, we’ve learned about the Arab-Israeli issue that’s been going on for over 60 years, it’s an issue over land essential. This started in the 1940s and worked its way up to 2009. It can be a guide to a positive future or a negative future when viewing this. Positive because we could learn about the extremes two countries will go to for land and a negative because this has occurred before them and certainly after them showing that history repeats itself, the war for land has been going on forever. It also has future lessons because we see that it’s involved other countries and this can be seen throughout the world with issues involving the Middle East.
Therefore these sources show that they can be used as an understanding for future lessons and a guide for contemporary affairs.

IB HL1 SGQ 11 Origins of WWII

IBHL1 SGQ11

Why was the time period 1933 to 1939 such a crucial era in world history?

MWH p.69-84

1. Relations between Japan and China

a. Japanese invasion of Manchuria

i. why?- Because there were important trading ports and Japan felt since they had put the money and effort into the place that should be able to control it.

ii. who supported them? who was opposed? British Foreign Secretary Supported them while the Chinese opposed this.

iii. what was done? Nothing was done.

b. Japanese advance from Manchuria

i. explain - In 2 years Japan had taken most of China which they had no claim over to begin with. They controlled it politically and commercially

c. Further invasions

i. explain - They planned to take over other parts of China.

ii. what did the League of Nations do? Although China complained no one could stop China they could only condemn them.

2. Mussolini's foreign policy

a. 1923-1934 (summarize)

i. He attended Locarno Conference but was upset that he wasn't guaranteed protection from Austria.

ii. He and other countries; Greece, Hungary, Albania, and Yugislavia signed agreements of economic and defense.

iii. He kept good relations with Britain

iv. Signed a non-aggression act with USSR in 1933

v. Tried to keep Austria non nazi.

b. after 1934 - how had Mussolini's attitude changed? examples:

i. Joined British and French in condemning German after they announced conscription.

ii. Invasion of Ethiopia

1. what did the League of Nations do? It condemned Italy as a aggressor and put a economic sanction on them.

iii. Tried to establish a 3 fascist state in Europe by helping Spain

iv. Roman - Berlin Axis

v. Munich agreement to help keep peace for his people

vi. Invasion of Albania

vii. Full Alliance with Germany (Pact of Steel) 1939. Promising Germany full military support if war came.

3. Hitler's foreign policy

a. aims

i. Destroy the Versailles settlement

ii. build up army

iii. recover lost territory

iv. bring all German speaking people inside the Reich.

b. successes

i. Removed Germany from World Disarmament Conference and League of Nations.

ii. Signed 10 year non aggression act with Poles

iii. Tried to form a union with Austria

iv. The Saar was returned to Germany

v. Conscription in 1935

vi. Anglo- German Naval Agreement

vii. Sent troops into demilitarized Rhineland

viii. Roman- Berlin Axis and Comintern Pact with Japan

ix. Joining of Germany and Austria in 1938

4. Appeasement

a. what is appeasement? summarize the two phases:

i. War must be avoided at all costs.

ii. Negotiation rather than force.

b. how was it justified?

i. Avoiding war at all costs.

ii. Revising the hated parts of Versailles.

iii. Personal contact between leaders.

iv. Economic co-operation between Britain and Germany

v. Preventing the fear of Communism

vi. Preventing full scale war

c. what was the role of appeasement leading up to WWII?

i. No action was taken to check the obvious German rearmament.

ii. The Anglo- German Naval Agreement did not include France and Italy.

iii. Half hearted British action towards Italian invasion.

iv. French were shocked to see German soldiers in Rhineland

v. Neither France nor Britain stepped in the Spanish Civil War.

vi. Divided on whether Germany and Austria should be rejoined.

5. Munich to the outbreak of war

a. Czechoslovakia - what were the three steps to the conquest of Czechoslovakia?

i. Taking of Sudetenland.

ii. Hitler set up a meeting with Britain and Italy but not the Czechs and told if they resisted Germany they would receive no help.

iii. Hitler was able to essential take 70% of Czech heavy industry.

b. Poland - what were the two steps to the conquest of Poland?

i. Hitler demanded back Danzig and British didn't find this unreasonable but promised to start a war if they did.

ii. The Polish were attacked from both sides which caused Britain to declare war on Germany.

IRL 11

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/league_nations_01.shtml

A news story.

Charles Townsend

We are briefly studying the causes and effects of World War II, and to do that we are going into the League of Nations after it was shown the League of Nations essential failed it was time to make a even better league of nations known as United Nations. This article also gives essential timelines and reasoning for the fact that it was nesseray to change.

It adds value because it tells what happen to the League of Nations and what improvements were made to make the Untied Nations strong and even what problems they face today.

Limitations are the author of this can state his own personal opinions or beliefs which may or not be relevant to the articles true importance.