Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Two videos about the other face of prosperity in the USA during the Roaring Twenties

These two videos show some negative aspects of the USA during the Roaring Twenties. The first one is about Prohibition and the development of the mafia and the second one is about the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a racist organization appeared in the 19th century which reached 4 million members during the 20s: 





Presentation about the USA in the interwar period and some videos

This is the presentation about the USA during the 20s and 30s. Have a look on it to undertand the contents of the scheme I gave you:




And here you have some documentaries: 

- two chapters of a TV series about the history of the USA in the 20th century (America in the 20th century). The first one is about the Roaring Twenties and the second one about the Great Depression:







- a very good mini-series by ARTE channel about the Great Depression






Tuesday, May 24, 2016

24th May 2016

Hello ! I'm Benjamin and today is my turn to make the journal, so let's go !

At the beginning of the class we have handed in the project "Art Catalogue", and Jaime and Antonio had made the exam of this unit. Then we have reviewed quickly what we saw yesterday (createion of the USSR and Stalinism).

After that we have continued with the unit.

First we have seen "Cult of Stalin's personality", which was propaganda which presented Stalin as a big leader, as a good person, a man who is always in command, a man who takes care of his people...


http://www.modelgovernment.org/images/great-stalin1.jpg

http://www.modelgovernment.org/images/great-stalin1.jpg
We have also seen "Stalin Purges", which were constant repression against anyone suspected of critizicing the regime. The Communist Party was purged several times and many of its leaders were killed. More than 1,5 million people were arrested and 700.000 were killed in the 1930s

They also eliminated the memebers of the Communist Party that had falled from grace from the official pictures
http://englishrussia.com/images/soviet_photoshop/1.jpg
http://englishrussia.com/images/soviet_photoshop/3.jpg


But they only could erase the photos the had, so there were also a lot of original copies of this photos.

The people who opposed the ideas of Stalinist were carried to Gulag, which were forced labour camps created across the USSR. Millions of people were confined there, accussed of being enemies of the country.


http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l103/VidenteGris/stalin_gulag.jpg

http://www.larepublica.ec/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Gulag.jpg


NEW VOCABULARY

Cult of personality: Culto a la personalidad
In command: al mando
Stalinist purges: purgas estalinistas
NKVD: secret police
Forced labour camps: campos de trabajos forzados
Serve a sentence: cumplir condena

Monday, May 23, 2016

Hello, I am Carlota.
Today in social class, Paqui has started putting dates of the last exams for this course. 
Then she has spoken of the Creation of the USSR: The Union of  Soviet Socialist Republics was created in 1922: federal State formed by 11 republics.
Totalitarian State:
-One/ Single-party system: the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, considered to be the representatives of the proletariat. The Communist Party controlled all the institutions.
- No division of powers: ruled by Supreme Soviet which controlled both, the executive and the legislative powers.
-Those who opposed the government were persecuted and punished.

Resultado de imagen de ussr

Structure of power in the USSR
The people elected into two chambers, Soviet of the union and Soviet of the nationalities and this pass to the Supreme Soviet. The General Secretary of the Communist Party was the Presidium.

The New Economic Policy.
Economic policy launched by Lenin in order to recover production after the wars and the awful consequences of food requisition. Lenin defined it as State capitalism:
-privatization of lands and small factories.
- the State kept the control of the big industries, banks and foreign trade.
Results: economy quickly recovered.

Fight for power: STALIN AND TROTSKY.
-Trotsky wanted to export revolution to other countries (proletarian internationalism)
-Stalin wanted to consolidate revolution in the USSR.
Finally Stalin managed to control the Communist Party, eliminated his enemies and became the leader of the USSR in 1927. Trotsky had to exile and was killled by Stalin's order in 1940.

Resultado de imagen de stalin                  Resultado de imagen de trotsky


STALINISM (1927 - 1953)
Period under Stalin's government.
He changed the orientation of the foreign policy. His priority was to transform the USSR into an industrial power. He imposed:
-Collectivization of all the private properties: lands, factories, transports and banks became State property.
-Centrally planned economy: the State controlled and planned economy through the Ministry of Planning. They elaborated Five-Year Plans, in which they decided on all the production of the USSR. All the producers had to carry out these plans.
-Priority to heavy industry, to the detriment of light industry.
Results: quick industralization of the USSR but permanent lack of consumers' goods and consolidation of the black market.

Resultado de imagen de stalinism


Thursday, May 19, 2016

Thursday, 19th of May

Today in Social Sciences lesson Paqui has explained us the creation of the USSR
The Union of Social Socialist Republics was created in 1922 and it was formed by 11 republics but later other 4 were added so the 15 republics were: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhistan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkemistan,Ukranie and Uzbekistan.




http://maps.nationmaster.com/country/sr/1

Paqui has also explained us that the USSR was a totalitarian state in which there was only one party which was the Communist Party of the Soviet Union which was considered to be the representative of the proletariat. This party helds the power of the three institutions of the government. Those who oposed the government were persecuted and punished.

People could choose one of these options, to vote the representative of the camber of the Soviet of the Union or the Soviet of the Nationalities, both of them belonged to the Comunist Party.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Tuesday, 17th of May

Today in class of social sciences Paqui has been explaining to us a bit of other unit:
NSDAP RESULTS IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS


•THE NUMBERING LOWS
The Nuremberg Laws were antisemitic laws in Nazi Germany.The two laws were the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour, which forbade marriages and extramarital intercourse between Jews and Germans and the employment of German females under 45 in Jewish households, and the Reich Citizenship Law.

•RIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS



After this , we continious with our unit:
THE CREATION USSR
The union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created in 1922: federal State formed by 11 Republics
--One-party system : the communist party controlled all the institutions .
--No division powers; ruled by a parliament called System Soviet.
--Those who opposed were persecuted and punished.


GLOSSARY
SCOPEGAT=CHIVO EXPIATORIO
RALLY=UNIFICAR
ZIONIST=SIONISTA
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJETUR= OBJETO DE CONSCIENCIA
CRIMINAL RECORD=ANTECEDENTES PENALES



Monday, May 16, 2016

Monday, 16th of May

Today in class of social sciences Paqui has continius to explain the russian revolutions.
•RUSSIA DURING THE WORLD WAR I
--The Russian army suffered continious defeats against the Germans.
--The Tsar took personal command of the army.
--Two million of Russian soldiers and two million of civilans were killed.
--Start the shortage of food , an increase of prices and hunger.
--Increasing desertions and strikes in cities.
1917 THE FEBRUARY REVOLUION
NicholasII  abdicated , so the Republic was proclaimed and a Provitional Governament was formed.
It decided to continiue with the war and make some reforms for the democracy.
Decepcion spreed and desertions in the army increased.


1917 APRIL
The Bolshevik faction opposed to continue with the war . The Germans facilitated Lenin's comeback to Russia from Swizterland , where he was exailed.

The April Theses:
--No support to the Provitional Governament.
--All the power to the soviets.
--Consfiscation and Nationalization of the lands of the country
--Collectivization of factories.


•1917 JULY-AUGUST
The Bolsheviks tried to seized power in Petrogard but it failed. In augut General Kornilov tried to depose the Provisional Government. They contribuated to stop the Kornilov's thread.
In september they took control of the Petrogard soviet.
•OCTOBER : THE BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION
The Bolsheviks took control of some important things like stormed the  Winter Palace.
The provitional Gouvernment was deposed and Keronsky fled.
They formed a new government.


•FIRST DECISIONS OF THE BOLSHEVIKS
--Signature of the Brest Litovsk Treaty with Germany.
--Expropiation of lands.
--Factories under worker's control.
--Eight hour day.
--Religion was banned.
-- Dictatorship of the proletariat.
--The Checa started arresting.

GLOSSARY
MENSHEVIK=MANCHEVIQUE
BOLSHEVIK=BOLCHEVIQUE
APRIL THESES= TESIS DE ABRIL
PAMPHLET= PANFLETO
REQUISITION= REQUISA
BLACK MARCKET= MERCADO NEGRO
STARVATION=HAMBRE