Quiz Tomorrow for Periods 1,6, and 7

Here is a check list for the quiz tomorrow.

1. Be able to define militarism and nationalism.  How did those two beliefs help cause World War I?

2. What was the Treaty of Versailles?  How did it impact Germany?

3. Define inflation.  What caused the inflation in Germany in the early 1920s?

4. Describe two positive aspects of the Weimar Republic.

5. What was the Dawes Plan?

Life in Weimar Germany...Print this 3 and 4 and Pat Mac

The Weimar Republic 1918-1933

German soldiers returning from World War I came home to a very different Germany. Gone was the German Empire with colonies in Asia and Africa led by the Kaiser Wilhelm II. Gone was the industrial Rhineland, as well as the port city of Danzig. Many came home to find that their homes or businesses had been destroyed in the conflict. The capital of the German Empire had been the proud city of Berlin; the new government had the capital in the city of Weimar.

The new Republic faced an uphill battle of rebuilding a nation that had lost over 1.7 million men in combat, had over 4.2 million men return home wounded. In addition to the loss of human life, many German farms and factories had been destroyed in the fighting. Soldiers and civilians lost their jobs and unemployment soared. The “War Guilt Clause” made it nearly impossible for the German nation to begin rebuilding. The Treaty of Versailles placed Germany responsible for the War, and had to pay damages to Great Britain, France, and Belgium.

1919-1923

From 1919-1923, the Republic faced years of crisis. Many conservative groups in Germany wanted a return to an authoritarian style of government like the old German Empire. The groups began to blame the Republic for the defeat of Germany during the first World War, claiming that the Republic had allied itself with Jews and Socialist, brining Germany to defeat. Many veterans of W.W.I joined these groups, fueled by their anger and resentment.

The Republic’s economy faced a severe depression during this time period as well. Prices for basic goods soared throughout the country. The Weimar Republic began to print out more money to try and help the German citizens deal with high prices, this proved to be a disaster. The value of the German deutschemark (German currency) before W.W.I was 4.2 to 1 U.S. dollar. By August 1923, 1 million deutschemarks equaled 1 U.S. dollar.

By 1923, the German government was unable to pay the reparations to Britain, France, and Belgium. As a result the French and the Belgium governments sent in troops to occupy the Ruhr Valley in Germany. The Ruhr Valley was the industrial center of Germany, home to coal mines, factories, iron deposits, and steel mills. German workers refused to work for the French or the Belgiums and went on strike. Fights broke out between the Germans and the French, and some German workers were killed. The rest of Germany demanded that the French and Belgium troops leave Germany, and protests took place all over the country.

1924-1929

The United States looked on the crisis in Germany with growing concern. The last thing that the U.S. wanted was another war in Europe. Charles Dawes was asked by Britain and the United States to formulate a plan that would bail out the German economy. The Dawes Plan, had the United States loan Germany money so that the German government could pay off its debts to the Allied nations of Europe. In addition to this the German economy was going to be restructured and issue a new type of currency. One the loans were put in place, France and Belgium agreed to withdraw their troops from the Ruhr Valley.

This eased the economic burden that was placed on Germany. For the next five years the German economy would grow and the Weimar Republic flourished. Germany became one of the leading nations in architecture, music, math and science, and fashion.

The Bauhaus style of architecture revolutionized modern buildings in cities across the world. The type of design was radically different from the previous style of the 19^th century.

Arnold Schoenberg was a composer living in Germany. He developed a new twelve tone technique that influenced an entire generation of composers across the world. Along with Richard Strauss, Germany was at the center of the Classical Musical World.

During this period Fritz Lang produces what many consider the first scientific film, Metropolis. The film painted a dark future where the population of the world had been divided. Planners and Thinkers live on Earth in luxury, while the workers live underground. The German film industry of the Weimar Republic influenced American Hollywood film studios during the 1920s and '30s. 

In October of 1929, the stock market crashes in America and the U.S. enters what historians call, “The Great Depression.” As the American economy worsened, banks and businesses began to close. The American government cancels the Dawes Plan, and the Depression spreads to Germany.

1929-1933

The Depression quickly ended the period of economic growth that Germany had briefly enjoyed.  The numbers of unemployed Germans grows at an alarming rate, from 1.8 million in 1928 to over 6 million in 1932. As more and more Germans lose their jobs and savings, many blamed the Weimar Republic for failing to provide for them. The people of Germany felt that the democratic system had failed them and that it would take a strong leader, like the kaiser to bring the country out of the Depression.

Practice Test Questions

1. What were the Southern advantages during the Civil War?


2. What were the Northern advantages during the Civil War?


3. Why did Confederate forces fire upon Fort Sumter?


4. What was the first state to secede from the Union?

5. Why did Robert E. Lee attack Union forces at Antietam?


6. How did the Confederates attempt to gain support from European powers during the Civil War?


7. Why is the Civil War considered a modern war? What changes in technology modernized warfare?


8. Why was General McClellan fired by Lincoln?

9. What was the Northern strategy to win the war? Why was it not followed in 1861?

10. What state was the regiment in Glory from?

11. What was the significance of the Gettysburg Address?

12. Explain what was the Emancipation Proclamation. Why was it issued? When was it issued? Who was impacted by it?

Thursday's Test

The test on the Civil War is on Thursday, April 29th.

This will be your last Social Studies test at W.M.S.,that is  kind of exciting. 

For your test you can bring in a "cheat sheet" and use it during the test.  Your sheet can either be typed or on a piece of loose leaf.  When the exam is over you will be turning in your "cheat sheet" so be sure to put your name on it.

It may be a good idea to bring in a rough draft of your sheet for me to go over on Wednesday.

Survey

Please complete this survey and bring to class tomorrow.

1. What was your Research Topic?

2. How many sources did you find?

3.  What source was the most useful?   Why?

4. What source provided the least amount of information?

5.  What part of this project did you find the most challenging?  Explain Why?

6.  Where the databases helpful?  Why or Why not?

7. If you can change any aspect(s) of this project what would it be?

Dark Days for the Union

In 1861, General Winfield Scott designed a plan to defeat the Confederate forces.  Scott did not believe that the war could be won quickly, so he designed a plan that would slowly but surely bring an end to the war.   The plan called for a naval blockade of all Southern ports, cutting the South off from money and supplies from Great Britain.  The second part of the plan, had the Union army take over the Mississippi River, isolating Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas from the rest of the Confederacy. This plan became known as the Anaconda Plan.

      While Scott's plan was being carried out by Lincoln, many had hoped the war would end much quicker.  To achieve that goal, Lincoln wanted the Confederate capital of Richmond to be taken.  Lincoln promoted General George B. McClellan (Little Mac) to command the U.S. military.  McClellan led a large Union force into Northern Virginia hoping to capture Richmond.

    For seven days Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan engaged in six battles outside Richmond.  The Seven Days Battle may have an unoriginal name but when the week was up, McClellan and his army limped out of northern Virginia back to Washington D.C.  Lincoln then orders General John Pope to try and take Richmond.  Pope is a highly ambitious soldier and takes bold chances on the battlefield. McClellan writes in his journal that Pope would be "trashed. "Pope tells his troops, "let us look before us and not behind.  Success and glory are in the advance."   Little Mac is right.  Pope and his men get badly beaten at the Second Battle of Bull Run.

      As the Union army is being defeated by Robert E. Lee, the popularity of the war in North is fading past.  Lincoln meets with his Secretary of War, Edward Stanton and his Sec. of State William Seward and discuss the situation.  Lincoln wants to issue an proclamation to free the slaves in the Confederate held territory.  Such a proclamation would cause damage to the Southern economy.  Lincoln can not issue the proclamation following an Union defeat.  If he did then it would make the north look desperate to win.  The President needed a victory.

      Victory would arrive courtesy of a box of cigars.  Union troops in Maryland discover battle plans for General Robert E. Lee's forces wrapped in a cigar box.  The Confederate government ordered Lee to head north and try to earn a victory on Union controlled land.  The South hoped that a Confederate victory on Union controlled land would have the U.S. government call for an end to hostilities.   

        With Lee's plans, McClellan knows where the Confederate forces are heading.  The two armies meet near Antietam Creek in Maryland.  The fighting lasts for several hours and both sides suffer heavy casualties.  In one day of fighting 12,500 Union soldiers and 13,700 Confederate troops would die.  Lee knew that his army was badly beaten and needed to return to Virginia for supplies and rest.  McClellan was given the opportunity to peruse Robert E. Lee but hesitates.  McClellan's hesitation would lead to his dismissal by Abraham Lincoln who ordered that Little Mac, "destroy the rebel army is possible." 

    Antietam remains the bloodiest day in American history.  From this battle though, Lincoln has the victory that he needs to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.  This document inspires slaves to flee their owners when they hear that a Union army is nearby, giving hope to millions.  

Civil War Research Project Dates

The week of research in the library is over, now the bulk of the work is expected to be completed on your own time.

 

 

Here are some upcoming dates and the assignment that needs to be completed by them.

 

 

Monday, April 12^th: Your 6 Rough Draft Research Questions.

These questions should be based on the research that you have done and can be answered using the sources that you have cited.

 

 

Tuesday, April 13.  At this point you should have at least four sources on your Noodle Bibs account.  Each of these sources needs to have:

1. direct quotations

2.    have been paraphrased

 

Thursday, April 15^th.  You are brining in your Questions and Answers to those   questions. The Answers should be at least 5-7 sentences.