Homework 10; term 3

Compare/contrast the practices of the Iran Iraq War with the practices of WWI.

Iran/Iraq War:

-Religion was used to motivate soldiers.

-Iraq used poison gas.

-Aerial Bombing

-Naval Warfare (similarity)

-Develops into a stalemate/war of attrition! Similar to WWI

WWI:

-Also has Naval Warfare (similarity)

-Stalemate (similarity)

-Total War

-Use of civilians as shields

-Tear Gas

Thus, the naval warfare was a similarity between the two wars. Another similarity is that both wars developed into a stalemate or a war of attrition. Something that isn't completely the same, but the same idea is with the tear gas and poision gas which was used in both wars. Both of these were poisions/chemicals which affected the enemies, so it can be seen as somewhat of a similarity. However, a difference is that WWI was seen as a total war and the Iran Iraq war was not. Also, there was really no religious motivation for the soldiers in WWI like there was in the Iran Iraq War. In WWI, the soldiers used civilians as shields, but this never occured in the Iran Iraq war, and nothing this harsh seemed to be present in the Iran Iraq war either.

Homework 9; term 3

Create a compare/contrast graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the causes of WWI with the causes of the Iran/Iraq war.

Iran/Iraq War

Hussein was afraid of militant Islam spreading across the border into Iraq.
Iran was in a state of chaos for a while after their Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Border dispute.
The Ottoman Empire disintegrated after WWI , and the Allies divided up the former Empire, and formed Iraq. (related to WWI, but its not a cause of both.)

Miscalculation of Saddam Hussein

WWI

The Moroccan Crisis

The British agreement with Russia

The Bosnia Crisis

The Agadir Crisis

The First & Second Balkan War

Assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Economic Rivalry

Alliance System

Naval Race between GB and Germany

Thus, a huge contrast between the two wars is that the Iran/Iraq War was religiously motivated, whereas WWI was not. A similar idea is involved with the leaders, Saddam Hussein has a miscalcuation, and Franz Ferdinand was assasinated. However, these could be differences as well, because with the Iran Iraq war it was an error of the leader, whereas it wasn't Franz Ferdinand's fault that he was assasinated.

Paper 1 Test; term 3

1a. What, according to Source A, were the successes of the first Five Year Plan?

-They were ready to move from private property to socialist ownership as the basis of economy.

-Peasant farms were grouped into collective farms.

-Capitalist businesses were either taken over outright, or converted to state-private joint enterprises.

1b. How, according to Source A, did China's economic policies follow the pattern of Soviet economic plan?

-The farms for the peasants were equivalent to the kolkhoz that were in the Soviet Union.

-The chief goal was to develop heavy industry as quickly as possible, and light industry and agriculture was the second most important thing, except in Russia they were neglected more.

2. Compare and contrast the views on people's communes as expressed in Sources B and C.

-One very big comparison between these two sources are that Source C focuses on the negative aspects of the communes, whereas Source B focuses on the positive aspects of the communes. This is because the time of source B was written only in the very first part of the communes, in 1958, whereas source C was written in 1996 by a survivor of the famine. However, Source C does state that during the first year of the commune, things were good, which is a similarity, because Source B only talks about the year of 1958. Thus, it can be said that both of these sources agree that the communes were effective in 1958. Another contrast between these two sources is that Source B talks about everything being built up, whereas Source C is talking about everything being gone (food, linens, etc.)

3. With reference to their origin and purpose, assess the value and limitations of Source D and Source E for historians studying Mao's economic reconstruction.

- The origin of source D is an extract from Mao: The Unknown Story, written by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday, published in London in 2005. The purpose of this excerpt is to inform people of China's relations with Russia, and more importantly what happened with the technology that China received from Russia. The origin of this source provides a value, because it was written by a Chinese person, it may be more accurate, because this person may have lived in China while this was occurring. Also, because it wasn't published until 2005, it is a value, because the author had time to gather details, and look back on the past, rather than just writing this out of anger because he was in he heat of the moment. A limitation comes with the purpose of this source however, because it is trying to give alternate interpretations to Mao's life that were never heard before. Thus, some of this source may be exaggerated a bit to make it look significantly different from the other stories that were already told about Mao.

-The origin of Source E is a table of China's Agricultural Record in 1954-1962, which was entitled "The People's Republic of China Since 1949," and published in 1998. The purpose of the table is to compare the difference in grain and meat production from 1954 to 1962, (before and after The Great Leap Forward.) A value of this source is because it is a table with solid number values, the values are probably correct, because it is not opinion based. However, a limitation may be that it is only showing the grain and meat production- maybe it would be more valuable if it also showed the production of other things before and after the Great Leap Forward so that they could be compared and see if any positives came out of the Great leap Forward.

In Class Paper 1

1a. What evidence is there in Source C of the limitations of the Great Leap Forward 1958-59?

-The people in this picture don't appear to look very happy, thus they might not be motivated to work.

-There is no food shown anywhere in the picture- there is a lot of dirt.

-It looks as though it is a very hot day, which can be seen by the sun shining in, which maybe be a limitation cause the men are dressed in pants, and they might be really hot and not able to work to their maximum capacity.

1b. Why, according to Source A, was there a fall in the grain output after 1957?

-There were floods in some areas.

-Other areas suffered from droughts.

2. Compare and contrast the views expressed in Sources D and E about the Great Leap Forward in China in 1958-59.

-Source D and E both mostly agree that the Great Leap Forward was a failure, however Source E focuses specifically on the problems with agriculture, whereas Source D mentions the agriculture as well as talking about the lives of the people effected. Source E talks about the effect of the industry on the women and children, whereas Source D focuses on the life of the peasants. Also, Source D views the Great Leap Forward as two leaps, separated from 1958 and 1959-1960, and Source E only focuses on the year of 1958.

3. With reference to their origin and purpose, assess the value and limitations of Source A and Source B for historians studying the Great Leap Forward in China 1958-1961.

The origin of source A is an excerpt from a talk, "Restore Agricultural Production," by Deng Xiaoping who was the General Secretary of the Communist Party. The purpose of this talk was to encourage the people that they need to find a way of restoring the grain production, so that they can get their good back from the droughts and floods. Because the origin of this source is a speech, there may be a limitation in that he is making things seem a bit different than they actually are (either not as bad, or better), and therefore the people may not be receiving the entire truth. However, the purpose of this talk provides a value because it is trying to get the people of China to improve their lives and come out of the terrible famine that they were experiencing.

The origin of source B is an excerpt from a book, entitle "The Complete History of China," which was published in 2003 in the United Kingdom. the purpose of this book is to give an alternative view as to why the Great Leap Forward failed. The origin of the book provides a limitation because it is not written by a Chinese person, but rather it is published in a text book, so it is not a first hand account, and some of the interpretations may have varied throughout different countries. However, the purpose of the source provides a strength because it is stating that it is looking for alternative viewpoints in the very first sentence.

4. Using these sources and your own knowledge, to what extent do you agree with the statement in Source D that the Great Leap Forward "proved an unmitigated (total) disaster for the Chinese economy and people"?

All of these sources seem to back up the quote from source D that the Great Leap Forward proved an unmitigated disaster for the Chinese economy and people.

Although Source A does not directly state that the Great Leap Forward was a disaster, it talks about the terrible conditions and famine as a result of it. This supports that the Great Leap Forward hurt the economy, because grain production decreased a tremendous amount, as well as hurting the people, because people were without food and money.

Source B does directly state that the Great Leap Forward was a failure, and it gives insight as to the different reasons that it failed. Thus, source B gives the same opinion as Source D does.

Homework 8; term 3

Please explain two causes, two practices and two effects of the Cultural Revolution

The conditions for the "Cultural Revolution" were set when Mao let Liu and Deng help to try and stop the famine. He started to let private farmers to work again, and he finally admitted that the commune system was a failure. So, this can kind of be seen as a cause of the Cultural Revolution, because Mao was finally able to admit the failures from his idea for a "Great Leap Foward."

Another condition for the Cultural Revolution was from 1962 to 1966, the Communist leaders were arguing about which "road" to take for China to go down... basically how their future should be. This kind of goes with the above cause, but I can't really find any other causes besides the failures of the Great Leap Foward.

One practice of the Cultural Revloution was that schools were closed for six months so that the curiculum could be rewritten for school children. The purpose of doing this was to focus the curriculum more on the ideas of communism, so that the young people would be aware of this, and that communism wouldn't die out.

Another practice of the Cultural Revolution is with the Red Guards, who used violence in acheiving their aims. They shaved off the hair of women who had "Western-style" haircuts, and they ripped off their "Western-style" clothes. They also smashed the windows of anything that sold "borgeuois products," such as fur coats, records, cosmetics, etc.

An effect of the cultural revolution is that Liu and Deng were hated by everyone. They were expelled from the government, and Liu was held in prison, where he died in captivity. However, everyone loved Mao.

Another effect of the cultural revolution was that order was finally restored in China. Schools and colleges were reopened, and people were allowed to return to their studies. In the places where the Red Guards were using violence, the PLA got involved and diarmed them. The PLA set up Revolutionary commitees of peasants, Red Guards, and soldiers.

Homework 7; term 3

1. Identify and explain four of Mao's main aims as ruler of China (from notes also).


-Mao's first aim was to make China a single party state. He wanted to unite China under one signle government and maintain control of it. This was a success; it is still a saignle party state today.


-He wanted to rebuild a "Shattered" China and improve the living conditions for the Chinese people. By doing this he hoped to maintain the support of peasants, which was mostly a success.


-He wanted to turn the PRC into an industrialized state, so that the industrial output could be increased.


- He also wanted to improve the agriculture so that China could feed its people without famine. This also would enable China to build up their economy and catch up to larger nations.








2. Identify and explain four major methods he used to try to achieve those aims.


-One method that Mao used to acheive his aims was gaining support of the peasants. He decided to focus on gaining the support of all of the peasants, rather than focussing on the more industrialized towns.


-Hundred Flowers Campaign was used so that open discussions between different classes of people could be held. A new class of people (technological people) developed as a result of this campaign. However, Mao decided to end the hundred flowers campaign as he felt that it was not working. This is still an example of a domestic policy though.


-The Great Leap Foward was another example of Mao's domestic policy. He used this to help making the PRC into an industrialized state. However, it seems as though this plan wasn't very well planned at all, which is somewhat of a downfall to his method.


-Changes in industry were also part of his method. A 5 year plan was created, and the government ended up nationalizing most businesses. The main concentration of this was on heavy industry.





3. Give examples of two legal methods and two examples of force Mao used to achieve his aims.



-Force: "Swat the Fly Campaign", also there was the other campaign where they banged pans to make the pigeons die, which was an example of force.

-Legal: Wouldn't the legal methods be things such as the hundred flowers campaign, or the speak biterness campaign, and the Great Leap Foward? (This is basically the same as question 2...?) There was also the Land Law..





4. Explain the cause-and-effect relationship between the "Great Leap Forward" and the "Three Bitter Years"

-The Great Leap Foward was something that was planned by Mao, hoping to improve the lives of the Chinese people. It consisted of creating communes for people to live in, and its main focus was to try and increase the industry, so that China could be seen as an industrialized state. However, Mao was not the best planner, and the "Great Leap Forward" didn't turn out to go as well as he had hoped. It wasn't very well planned... people weren't happy living in these communes, and ultimately there was a famine. So, right after the "Great Leap Forward" came the "Three Bitter Years," which were the three years after this attempt at a great leap, because everyone was so unhappy with the conditions in China (especially the lack of food due to famine.) Thus, the Three Bitter Years was caused by the Great Leap Foward, and that is the cause-effect relationship between the two.





5. Please give three examples from the reading of Mao using propaganda to achieve his aims.
-Well, at one point Mao would go out into the field to work with the peasants for a very short amount of time to make it look as though he was doing work, which would encourage the peasants to work harder.
-There were propaganda photos of children playing on crops that were so thick that they actually held the children up.
-Tibet ended up having a famine, and Mao issued propaganda photos which showed Tibet having large amounts of crops and harvests.

Homework 6; term 3

1. Explain three tactics/methods Mao used to conquer China and secure power acording to this source.

-Pitilessness was considered to be one of Mao's tactics, and it says in this source that it was was on the most powerful of his weapons.

-People were banned from leaving the city, as they wanted to turn Chanchun into a "city of death."

-There were massive civilian deaths.

-"Veto by silence."

2. What are three major differences between the way this source portrays the Communists' treatment of the common people with other sources we've read?

-This source seems to portray the treatment of the common people as much worse and more harsh than the other sources we have read. This source talks a lot about the use of terror to win the war, where I think that the other sources focus more on him winning the support of the peasants. I think that this source talks about him winning the support of the peasants, however I think it is not as signifcant as with the other sources. For instance, the other sources don't talk specifically about the cruel treatment towards children (like how they were pulled apart at the limbs, and other things similar to that.)

3. Explain at least two practices of the Chinese Civil War you learned from this source.

-Soldiers beat up, abused, and tied up refugees, and someimtes they even set them on fire so that they would die.

-There were rallies, which all of the people had to attend. There were people who were designated to be targets, and they had to stand and face the crowds, so that all of the people in the crowd could yell at them with their grievances. They were even allowed to hit them, or use other farm tools against the people.

4. The Communists fought a "total war." Cite two pieces of evidence from this passage that support that view.

-"The entire population was made to live and work flat out, night and day, for the war, and very often in the thick of it."

"Civilians in the communist-held territories were also ruthlessly exploited."

5. According to this source, what part of land reform really mattered to Mao?

-He liked that they worked for a long time without getting tired, even though they only did this because of the terror which Mao put on them.

6. Mao's main aim was to secure power, not to improve the lives of the peasants. To what extent do you agree with that claim?

-I agree with the claim significantly. He treated the people so badly, so that had to be his aim. If he only wanted to improve the lives of peasants, a lot less harsh things could be done. Instead of punishing everyone and making everyone suffer, he could have done things that only aimed at improving the lives of the peasants, instead of destroying everyone else's life as well. Therefore, it is pretty obvious that his main aim was to secure power, because he used terror, which is how people in the past have worked at securing their power as well.

Causes, Practices, and Effects of the Chinese Civil War (test)

1.

The opium wars are a long term cause of the Chinese Civil War. They began when the Chinese started growing opium and selling it to the Chinese so that the British could profit. The Chinese ended up being angry that the British were profiting and that the Chinese were using opium, so as a result they outlawed opium. They also burned the "storage" areas where the British kept their opium, which made the British angry. Then, as a result, the British attacked the Chinese. (The British were much stronger than the Chinese, and they defeated China very easily. As a result of this, "unequal treaties" were formed, which was humiliating to the Chinese people. The people of China became very angry, and some even hated the Manchu Dynasty, for signing these unequal treaties. Thus, the Manchu Dynasty became weak, and people were rebelling against it, but the Manchu Dynasty worked with the Europeans to end the rebellion, and as a result killed millions of people. This showed the instability of the Chinese government, which led to a lot of tension between the Chinese people. Therefore, this can be seen as a long term cause to the Chinese Civil War.

The Communist/Guomindang split is an immediate cause of the Chinese Civil War.

2.

The nature of civil wars tend to be more personal and violent than other wars. In the Chinese Civil War, one example of this is with the way children and mothers were treated. For example, one mother had her clothes ripped from her, so that her milk was dripping on the floor and the baby, who was hungry, was licking the milk up off the ground to drink. Babies were also ripped apart at the limbs, which is extremely harsh to do to anyone (especially a baby.) Torture seems to be very common in civil wars, especially in the Chinese Civil War. One more example of torture was that oil was poured on peoples heads, so that they would die.

Another practice of the Chinese Civil War that makes it seem very personal and violent was class warfare. This was when different social statuses would fight against each other basically. One specific example is with peasants and landlords. The peasants actually killed the landlords, so that they could find food to eat, and to give to the others who had nothing to eat. This appears to be very personal because it is like they are killing their master in a sense- the person who had given them a house- even though the treatment wasn't the best, it is still very extreme.

3.

One social effect of the Chinese Civil War was the improvement in the treatment of women. A specific example of this was with the "Marriage Law of 1950." This ended arranged marriages, which was a huge downfall of the life of Chinese women. Along with this, the minimum age for men to marry was 18, and the minimum age for women to marry was 20. This prevented older men from marrying really young women, which also is improvement in the treatment of women. Husbands and wives now owned property together, and divorce had to be a mutual agreement. Also, it was illegal to kill unwanted babies. Overall, all of these things resulted in much better treatment of women, which was a social effect of the Chinese Civil War.

Another social effect of the Chinese Civil War was the "Land/Agrarian Reform Law" of 1950. This enabled peasants to work with other people on one huge farm, to learn better farming methods, and collaboration. Also, there were "speak bitterness campaigns" in which peasants were allowed to gather in groups and have rallies where they would speak "bitterly" about their previous landlords, and basically denounce them for having treated them badly. This was a social effect because it improved the lives of peasants, much like the life of women were improved. (It could also be argued that it was political... but I won't talk about that, because the question is about social effects.)

4.

One political effect of the Chinese Civil War was the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. This was basically the point in which the people began to form a "people's democratic dictatorship". As a result of this, four social classes were formed... the peasants, the workers, the bourgeoise, and the nationalist-capitalists. The PRC enabled the people to have a say in how they felt about certain situations which were occuring in China, and a lot of peace was formed. As a result of this political change, a lot of social effects came to be, because now people were concerned for the individual people. Thus, the establishment of the PRC was a very important effect of the Chinese Civil War.

Another political effect of the Chinese Civil War was the Agrarian Reform Law, which could be considered a social effect as well. This is when peasants began to learn how to work in the same social class as other people of their society. Also, poor people were encouraged to meet and talk about life as a poor person, and basically to denounce their previous landlords who had treated them badly.