The Weimar Republic

  After Germany's surrender to the Allied Powers during World War I, Germany was forced to form a brand new government.  After centuries of living under the rule of monarchs, German citizens were now living under democratic rule.  The new German government referred to as the Weimar Republic, was faced with severe problems:
   1. Anger and unrest amongst the German population
 
   2. wide spread unemployment

   3.  a war time debt towards the Allied Powers worth over $2 Billion.

          From 1919-1924, life in the Weimar Republic was harsh. Prices of food began to rise due to shortages that were caused by the war.  Inflation became part of the daily struggle for everyday Germans.  As the economic woes continued to mount, the German government sought to relieve some of pressure by printing out more money to lower prices.  As more German money entered circulation the value of German currency began to decline.  Soon Germany entered a stage of hyperinflation.



   When Germany was unable to pay back France its war reparations France invaded the Ruhr Valley in 1924.  The Ruhr Valley was one of the most industrialized parts of Germany.  The French army occupied several mines and factories and informer the Germans that they would be working for the French and not be paid for their labor.
   Many Germans living in the Ruhr Valley protested the seizure of German property and protested the actions taken by the French.  To assist the workers and in hoped of stimulating the economy, the German government began to issue more money leading to further hyper inflation.  It appeared that war would soon break out between Germany and France over the crisis.
    Hoping to secure the fragile European economy, the United States offered a solution.  The Dawes Plan would provide Germany with a series of loans to help pay off their debt to the Allied Powers. Since the Allies owed the United States money from World War I, the Dawes Plan would help the U.s. regain its previous investment faster.  
    Once the Dawes Plan was enacted and the effects began to be felt in Germany the German economy began to stabilize.  The German Banking system was reorganized and soon prices returned to normal.
 


  Beginning in 1925 and lasting until 1929 the Weimar Republic enjoyed a period of enoncomic success and stability.

Here are the Weimar Republic Notes

For Tonight

    Today in class we reviewed last night's homework questions comparing the works of Wilfred Owen and Alfred Lord Tennyson.  We discussed how Tennyson's description of war glorified the fighting and while Owen's poem depicted war in a more horrific manner. Generations of Europeans grew up knowing only the romanticized version of war where the battlefield was filled with heroics and death was described valiantly.  World War I changed that.  Dying in battle was no longer depicted as a heroic and many men and women began to question their culture's values and traditions.
       After reviewing the homework we continued with our notes on W.W. I and the end of the fighting.

Today for H.W.

please answer pages 24 and 25 in your Facing History Book.    Here is a link for the World War I notes

Dulce et Decorum es pro patri mori

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori or

      ~ Horace

     The Roman poet Horace published a collection of poems that glorified Roman culture and values. He encouraged citizens of Rome to become a military power to frighten and defeat their enemies. Horace proclaimed that "It is sweet and right to die for your country." 

   Thousands of years later students across the world have studied Horace's work and teachers have used his poetry to teach lessons of nationalism.  Glorifying the military and sacrificing one's life for their country were considered one's duty to their country. As nations became more nationalistic more and more students were taught in school about the importance of sacrifice.

    In 1854, Alfred Lord Tennyson published his poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" based on reports from the Crimean War.  Tennyson was the poet laureate of Great Britain and regarded as a celebrity in the U.K. After reading a newspaper report on a British defeat, Tennyson was inspired to write a poem glorifying the actions and heroics of British soldiers. His poem was an immediate success and copies were distributed to soldiers on the front lines as well as to the Royal Family.

   Wilfred Owen was a  talented college student when World War I broke out.  He studied Theology and English and at one point was working a private tutor.  In 1915, Owen enlisted in the Officer's Training Corps and achieved the rank of Lieutenant in 1916.  While recovering from wounds he received from a mortar shell Owen became friends with poet Siegfried Sassoon.  Owen began to write poems about his war time experiences while recovering and after he returned to the front.  Owen died during the final week of the war and his poems were published by his family afterwards.

For H.W. tonight:

Part I.

Read "Charge of the Light Brigade"  and then answer the following questions.

1. What images does Tennyson used to describe the battle?

2. Briefly explain what occurred during the battle? What was the goal of the Light Brigade?  Explain outcome?  

3.  Explain why this poem is an example of militarism or an example of nationalism.

Part II.

Read Dulce et decorum Est

1. What are images that Owen used to describe the soldiers? 

2. Both Tennyson and Owen are writing about the hardships of war.  How is the fighting  depicted differently in Owen's poem?

3.  Explain why Owen titled the poem Dulce et Decorum est. 

Little Things are Big

  In 1917, sixteen year old Jesus Colon moved from Puerto Rico to live with his brother in New York City.  Colon found work as a waiter, postal clerk, and a dishwasher to survive.  It was during this time that he developed a sense of empathy for the working class and experienced discrimination first hand.  The combination of Colon's dark skin and his struggles learning English made it challenging for him to advance his career.
      During the 1920s and 1930s Colon became involved in various organizations that support Puerto Ricans and Latinos living in New York  City.  His political associations helped him get involved in the labor movement and he became involved in the Communist Party. In the 1950s, he became a featured columnist in The Daily Worker a communist newspaper.
   Later in his life Jesus Colon wrote the short story Little Things are Big, reminiscing about an experience he had on a New York subway in the 1950s.


Here is a link to the Colon Reading

For H.W.

Read "We and They" by Rudyard Kipling and answer the questions on the back of the handout.

Masks and Camouflage

     I really enjoyed our class discussions on Children Learn What They Live by Dorothy Law Nolte. Some of you agreed with the message that Nolte was conveying.  I really appreciated hearing from those of you that disagreed with certain parts of the poem and were open to explain your opinions.  Understanding how others can impact our sense of identity is an essential lesson from Facing History.
    In class we looked at some images of camouflage that certain animals have developed in order to survive in nature.  Camouflage helps hide some creatures from dangerous predators like this fish     or it can be used to hide a predator from its prey like this lion. 

    People are capable of camouflaging themselves as well.  In certain situations, in order to fit in, people will sometimes put on a "mask".  Like camouflage, a mask is a survival mechanism that some people use.  Wearing a mask can range from laughing at a joke that you do not think is funny to fit in to pretending you like a certain type of music to impress somebody.  Sometimes you put on a mask to protect people, by not showing you are afraid to try and calm other people down.
    Today a student today talked about that in a certain class he wears a mask so it will look like he knows what the teacher is talking about because he does not want to ask any questions in front of the teacher.
   

For Friday, I would like to read the poem on page 12 and answer the questions on page 13 in your Facing History Book.

Best of Luck with MCAS

The Bear that Wasn't

   Our first topic of Facing History is Identity where we examine how we identify ourselves and how we believe others identify us.  Last Thursday in class we discussed the roles that the media, family, and peers play in helping to shape our identity.  All of these agents of socialization play a significant role in the development of our identity.
     At a young age boys and girls learn what colors are considered "boys colors" and "girl colors" and what toys are "boy toys" and which ones are "girl toys".  Children learn these lessons from watching commercials on T.V. and the lessons are often enforced by their peers.
   On Friday you read The Bear that Wasn't, a book that offers an excellent lesson on how someone's identity can be changed because of the influence of others. When we study the history of Germany during the 1920s and 1930s, that lesson will be important to remember in helping to explain the rise of anti-Semitism and the rise of the Nazi Party.
    This week we will continue our conversations on Identity as well as the concept that sometimes people put on a "mask' in certain situations for protection.

On Friday your Paper Bag Assignment is due.  If you have any questions please contact me or see me during school.

 

Radical Reconstruction

      Andrew Johnson was Vice-President for six weeks when Abraham Lincoln was murdered.  In an emergency meeting with the Cabinet, Johnson promised to follow through on Lincoln's Reconstruction Plan and asked the Cabinet to work with him during his term.  Many Republicans were skeptical about Andrew Johnson but following his meeting with the Cabinet, they were more confident that the new President would work with them.  They would be proven wrong in less than a year.
    Andrew Johnson believed that the federal government should not be controlling Reconstruction and that the Southern states should be the ones handling Reconstruction.  Like Lincoln, Johnson offered amnesty to Southerners to help reunite the nation.  In addition to offering amnesty, the President officially pardoned 7,000 former Confederate veterans and officials.  By providing these men with a Presidential pardon, Johnson made it possible for former Confederates to return to politics and not suffer any legal repercussions for their actions in the Civil War.  Many Northerners and Republicans were outraged by this and criticized Johnson for being too lenient with the South.
     A faction of Republicans became known as Radical Republicans for their views on Reconstruction. Radical Republicans wanted to completely reshape the South and called for harsher penalties towards former Confederate states.  Led by Senators Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stephens the Radical Republicans grew in influence as it became clear that President Johnson would not cooperate with Congress.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
here are the Battle for Reconstruction Notes.