The Treaty of Versailles (ended WWI)

The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, states that Germany was to be blamed completely for all the damages they did (e.g., deaths, destruction of the cities). Germany was to also limit its army and navy. The Allies had confiscated all of Germany's colonies in Africa and parts of the German Empire. Some of Germany's former lands had been shared upon the Allies.

I'm not sure if the treaty was fair. After all, Austria-Hungary declared a war on Serbia. Also, Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary, since Russia and Serbia are allies. Then other countries declared war on each other, trying to defend their allies. Austria-Hungary should also get blamed for starting a war.

Some historians say that the treaty was the cause of Fascism and Adolph Hitler. I agree, because I think that it also started WW2. Germany had a hard time in their time period, being humiliated from the Allies and having financial problems. They needed someone who could lift their spirits and make them believe in the fact that they are still a strong country. That's when Adolph Hitler came into the picture.

Mustafa Kemal and the Modernization of Turkey

Secular means having objects that are not religious in any kind. Mustafa Kemal, otherwise known as the Ataturk, made many secular changes to the country of Turkey. He made the Turkish men wear hats instead of a fez, which is a headgear but with no border to protect the face from sunlight. Men are also to wear clothes like the Westerners (suit and tie, pants, and either boots or shoes). He also made women stop wearing a veil that covers the face. Mustafa believed that wearing the Ottoman clothes is being barbarians, according to a document that I read yesterday.

When it came to voting, Mustafa gave women the right to vote. He replaced the original law of the former Ottoman Empire and replaced it with a secular law. His motto, "Peace at home, peace in the world," signifies that Turkey is avoiding conflicts within the country and in the outside world.

Film Lesson: "Gandhi"

In the film "Gandhi" (based on history), Mohandas Gandhi used nonviolence to gain independence of India from the British. He had organized marches, like the Salt March, in which he and a group of people has to walk about 240 miles to the Indian Ocean and make their own salt. It was to represent the hatred of the rule that Indians can only buy English salt. He also made the Indians boycott English products and, in the movie, burn the government passes that allowed the Indians to enter the govenment buildings. He showed them how to spin cloth so that they could make their own clothes.

In the movie, he told the Indians not to defend themselves and not to engage in violence. However, in one part of the movie, a protest group chased a group of police officers to the police station andburned the building down. When Gandhi heard of this, he started a fast and didn't ate until the Indians decided not to react in violence.

I think that India's independence was all Gandhi's doing. If he hadn't stepped in to get British rule out of India, the country would have still be under Britain's control. After all, it was the British who got control of India during the time of Imperialism. If India was still under British control, they would have been forced to fight for the British in World War II.