Archives


 * 2009-2010:**
 * September 2**: Today we took our first Unit Exam: Mussolini and Fascism.


 * September 3** : Today we begin reading one of the most powerful books in all of historical literature. It's called 'Night' by Elie Wiesel. It's the story of a boy who is taken to the Auschwitz death camp with his family and survives to tell the tale. Most did not.

**September 4:**
 * So...I hope you guys are enjoying your surprise vacation. This will surely be a senior year you won't forget.**


 * Our Assignment for Class is to read __Night__ and finish it by the time we return to school (Thursday the 17th of September).**


 * On that day we'll talk about the book and take a quiz.**


 * Be careful and have a great time!**


 * September 19:** This week we are continuing our discussion about the Holocaust. We will delve further into the development of the twisted Nazi ideology that brought this atrocity into the world, as well as some specifics concerning life in concentration camps, the stages of the Holocaust and related World War II issues.

Also, for IB students, we will begin the process of the Historical Investigation. The H.I. is essentially a 2,000 word essay that focuses in on a single narrow topic. It's a very manageable project and we will walk through every step together. All the elements of the Historical Investigation will be due in total on November 25th. That gives us over 2 months to work on it. No problem.

Stay tuned. More specifics later...


 * September 20:** See Historical Investigation page (over on the lefthand side).

So, let's get down to doing some schoolwork, shall we? 1) Here's a list of terms that you must define and understand. Several of them will be on the Holocaust Museum website below:
 * September 24:**


 * pogroms, Holocaust, genocide, //Kristallnacht//,**
 * Aryanization, eugenics, anti-semitism, //Anschluss//,**
 * //leibensraum//, Nuremberg Laws, Fuhrer, Third Reich,**
 * SA, SS, //einsatzgruppen,// dehumanization...**



2) Go to this website to get started: [|Holocaust Museum] Once you're inside, hit the 'Education For Students' drop-down. Then click the 'antisemitism' link and start exploring. Read all of this section as well as the 'Early Stages of Persecution' section. You'll find several of your terms in these sections. The others you can find on your own. Use good sources.

This will be due the next time we have class together (Monday or Tuesday). And we will have a quiz on these terms next week after we discuss them.

See the Historical Investigation page.
 * September 25:**


 * If you were absent on Thursday September 24th**, you need to get a copy of the Historical Investigation handout. Also, you need to get a copy of our reading, Chapter 13--The Jewish Question. Before reading it, make a chart with 4 columns: Identification; Separation; Violence; Extermination. As you read the chapter, you will encounter examples of each of these 4--events where the Nazi's forced identification, separation, etc. on the Jewish people. Categorize and write that example in the appropriate column. This will be due with the above terms on Monday (or Tuesday for Period F).

Today we dealt with the notes we took on 'Chapter 13--the Jewish Question' and we began discussing our terms definitions. **We will have a quiz on these 16 terms on Wednesday.**
 * September 28:**



This is some pretty amazing stuff. If you have a couple minutes it is well worth your time: Sand Animation of a Family's World War II Experience Fighting Against the Third Reich media type="youtube" key="518XP8prwZo" height="364" width="445"

September 29th: **Today we reviewed our terms and reviewed for tomorrow's quiz.**

September 30th:
 * Guys, here's your turnitin.com info--**
 * Senior History C (Khaled, Leo, Jeanette and the gang) your code is **2915060**.**
 * Senior History D (Sofia, Diego, Ceci, etc.), yours is** 2915066**.**
 * Senior History F (Rodolfo, Ricardo, Muna...) you guys are** 2915061.
 * Senior History H (Paulina, Daniel, Tony...) you guys are** 2915064.


 * password for everyone is:seniorsrock**

The Plan of Investigation is due Thursday, October 1st. You can turn it in anytime up until 11:59 p.m.


 * Today, in class we took our quiz on the 16 key Holocaust terms and we began our look at 'How Could The Holocaust Happen?' If you are absent you need to get a copy of the worksheet and source reading.**

October 1st and 2nd:
 * We watched our documentary 'A World At War: Genocide'. Monday, we will discuss it and turn in our worksheet on 'How Could the Holocaust Happen?'**


 * Check these pictures out that Muna has provided for us from her visit to Europe:**
 * Graves outside Terezin Concentration Camp in the Czech Republic**


 * The Walls of Terezin Ghetto and Prison**
 * Alone Inside Terezin**


 * Another one from Terezin. The end of the line for many Jews. At least 33,000 died here. Many others were sent on to Auschwitz and we know what happened there.**

October 5th: **Today Periods C,D and H talked about last week's Holocaust film; turned in our worksheet on 'How Could the Holocaust Happen?'; and began a reading on Hitler's Rise to Power.**


 * Due for next class (for Periods C,D and H): review and complete the reading we began (section entitled 'The Problems of the Weimar Democracy')**



October 6th: **Today we talked about the Weimar Democracy and the conditions that made Hitler's rise to power possible. For Period C, D and F, there is homework. Define these terms using your reading and other good sources:**

1. Weimar Democracy 2. November Criminals 3. hyperdeflation 4. Mein Kampf 5. Reichstag Fire 6. Beer Hall Putsch 7. Bolsheviks 8. Enabling Act 9. Night of the Long Knives 10. Stab-in-the-Back Myth



October 7th: **Today and tomorrow we are discussing our terms and taking a short quiz on them;**
 * we are having a graded discussion on the Weimar Democracy and the Rise of Hitler;**
 * and we are returning to our documentary, 'A World At War'**


 * Homework for Thursday (Periods F & H): define the terms and finish your reading**
 * Homework for Thursday (Periods C & D): quiz on the 10 terms**


 * For those of you who are checking the blog, here's a little reward. Check out docs and print out the 'Roots of Anti-Semitism' notes for tomorrow...**


 * And here's a little nugget for you...some of Hitler's 'masterpieces':**

October 9th: **Enjoy your weekend. Test next Thursday.**

October 12th: **Today we reviewed our notes on the Roots of Anti-Semitism; and did some source reading--perspectives inside Germany.**


 * The Homework for periods C,D and H is to finish those readings. Tomorrow and Wednesday we will finish our notes on the Rise of Hitler and Nazism and review for our Test.**

An explanation of the Test:
 * -on Wed. we will review; also I will give out the options for essay questions.**
 * -in class on Thurs, we will take the objective part of the exam (multiple choice, matching, etc.)**
 * -the essay will be turned in online at turnitin.com. I will open the assignment on wednesday and it**
 * will close on thursday at midnight. So, every student will have over 24 hours to write and turn in**
 * the essay online. You may use your notes and resources but, of course, you cannot use each**
 * other. Be careful because TURNITIN will catch you if you cheat! Also, I will expect much better**
 * work because you have access to your notes.**

October 13th: **Today we reviewed for the Test. Tomorrow, we will take the objective part of the test (multiple choice, short answer, etc.). The essay section will be turned in by midnight Thursday night on TURNITIN. The essay question is 'What is Nazism and how was it possible?' You will be able to use your notes and resources, which is good for you, but I will expect a higher caliber of work. Good Luck.**


 * Here's a reminder of you class ID's:**


 *  Senior History C (Khaled, Leo, Jeanette and the gang) your code is **2915060**.**
 * Senior History D (Sofia, Diego, Ceci, etc.), yours is** 2915066**.**
 * Senior History F (Rodolfo, Ricardo, Muna...) you guys are** 2915061.
 * Senior History H (Paulina, Daniel, Tony...) you guys are** 2915064.


 * password for everyone is:seniorsrock**

October 27th: **Today we began looking at Appeasement and the process that led to the War. Here are your questions for the sources reading:**


 * 1. What was the international significance of the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936?**
 * 2. What is Appeasement & why was this approach considered meritorious or logical by many people at the time (1930s)?**
 * 3. What was Neville Chamberlain's role in Appeasement?**
 * 4. What was the role of Italy in the 'build-up' to War?**
 * 5. What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939? What were the motives behind it and what was the Pact's significance?**
 * 6. To what extent do you agree with the judgement that the Nazi-Soviet Pact made WWII 'inevitable'?**

ID These People and Terms: **Appeasement Blitzkrieg Ultimatum Sudetenland** **Neville Chamberlain Remilitarization Locarno Treaties Polish Corridor** **Rhineland Rearmament Molotov** **Maginot Line Autarky Siegfried Line**


 * What is the meaning of this?**


 * October 30th:**


 * November 4th:** Today and tomorrow during your block we are working on the Evaluation of Sources for the Historical Investigation (which is due tomorrow night by midnight in case you've forgotten). Also, we're watching the film, 'Conspiracy' about the Wannsee Conference of 1942--the event where Hitler's henchmen met to solve the 'Jewish Question'.

If you missed class today, you need to make up a short quiz on Appeasement.


 * November 10th:** Today, we're working on Map Marking Europe during Appeasement and the early stages of the War. Also, we are talking through a worksheet review of Appeasement, that also deals with the first three chapters of Global War. There will be a quiz on Thursday.


 * November 12th:** Your class took a quiz that covered the map and the worksheet.

-in your first period class, we will talk about Phase 4: Analysis -next we will go back through the Summary of Evidence and Peer Edit -then we will work back through the Evaluation of Sources -**Also, your block (on Wed or Thurs) we will be in the Comp. Lab to work on the**
 * Next week, we are returning to the Historical Investigation:**
 * Analysis. Bring your research.**


 * Phase 4: Analysis is due Monday the 23rd.


 * November 23rd**: **This week we're continuing our discussion about the major battles of WWII.**


 * Classwork: finish our Worksheet on Global War (Chapters 5-11)**


 * Quiz on Wednesday**


 * November 30th**: **Homework--Using a reliable internet source, distinguish between these 3 Wartime Conferences: 1) Tehran 2) Yalta 3) Potsdam; by determining 1) when they occured 2) who was there and 3) what was discussed.**

December 2nd: **After you have read pgs. 40-43 of the handout, respond in one of three ways:**
 * a. you may choose one of the sections (the Allied advance into Germany, for example) and create something like a graphic novel or animated strip of that event--use computer paper and colored pencils**
 * b. choose one section and do some journalism work: interview a soldier at Okinawa or Iwo Jima and write a newspaper article about it**
 * c. create your own worksheet (with 20 questions and an answer key) using all four pages of the handout--maybe some of your questions will make it onto one of our quizzes or the test...**

Jan 27th: Virtual Day!


 * [[image:marx.jpg caption="Karl"]] ||
 * Karl ||


 * -For class today, there are 2 parts to your assignment:**
 * 1) First, read the entire excerpt I gave you yesterday from the 'Communist Manifesto'. You might even have to read it twice, actually. (It's ok that the sections are cut off. This is just a sample.) Then, answer the questions below. (Don't try to answer them as you read. You won't know what the heck you're talking about!) And lastly, post your answers on TURNITIN.COM by midnight.** Some of these questions require some real deliberation. So, do your best and give me some thoughtful answers**:**


 * a. A spectre is a ghost. Why does Marx refer to communism as a specter?**
 * b. What does Marx mean by the statement, 'Communism is already acknowledged...to be a Power.'?**
 * c. In the 'Bourgeois and Proletarians' section, Marx simply states that all people, whether freeman or slave, lord or serf, etc, belong in one of two categories. What are those two categories? (not Bourgeois and Proletarian)**
 * d. In 'Proletarians and Communists', Marx states that Communists are not their own separate party. Why not?**
 * e. According to Marx, how do individual nations relate to Communism?**
 * f. Marx envisions communists as having a certain influential role among the Proletariat. What is that role?**
 * g. It's interesting that Marx does not wish to take any credit for 'inventing' or 'discovering' communism. Nor does he attribute that achievement to someone else. According to Marx, why does communism exist?**
 * h. Marx sums up communism in one sentence. What is it?**
 * i. What does Marx mean, 'Capital is, therefore, not a personal, it is a social power.'?**

If you weren't in class yesterday you can read the excerpt here: [|Manifesto of the Communist Party.doc]


 * 2) Take a look at my definitions of our 15 terms and compare them to yours. They might help you clarify your understanding. Study for the quiz on Thursday (it's only on these terms)**

These three are from the end of the Soviet era rather than the beginning:
 * a.** Marxism**--the philosophical basis for communism; the central idea is that all human history is a result of class struggle and that struggle will result in REVOLUTION!!!!!!**
 * b.** proletariat**--the poor, landless, working class**
 * c.** bourgeois**--the elite owners of land and owners of the means of production**
 * d.** bureaucracy**--the administrative machinery needed to organize a large gov't**
 * e.** capitalism**--system based on free markets, private ownership and consumerism; Marx considered it antithetical to communism**
 * f.** dialectical materialism**--borrowed from the philosopher Hegel; simply put, it is the principle that all historical growth, change and development results from the struggle of opposites;**
 * thesis + antithesis=synthesis; Marx applied this to class struggle**
 * g.** utilitarianism**-the idea that the moral worth of something is determined by its utility (usefulness) in providing happiness to the greatest number of people; aka the 'greatest happiness principle'**
 * h.** division of labor**-the specialization of labor so that a big job can be done more efficiently**
 * i.** feudal society**--socioeconomic structure that benefits the landowner and oppresses the peasant; think Middle Ages and knights and castles and stuff...**
 * j.** means of production**--the tools, goods and natural resources necessary for something to be produced; think about what kinds of things are necessary to make your clothes...**
 * k.** mode of production**--let's drop this one; i don't think it's essential at this point**
 * l.** utopia**--the vision of a perfect society where everyone is completely content with life and all needs are met**
 * m.** glasnost**--literally 'openness'; a new openness to discuss problems within Soviet Russia, as well as openness to the ideas and products of the West; i.e. MTV in Moscow**
 * n.** perestroika**--literally 'restructuring'; the reconfiguration of the political system and especially the economy to begin including elements of capitalism**
 * o.** detente**--literally 'to relax'; a new era of the intentional relaxing of tensions between USSR and the West--so that nobody blows up the entire world...**the thawing of the Cold War

And don't forget to finish your Historical Investigation. C Block needs to bring in a hard copy on Thursday and H &F Blocks need to bring in a hard copy on Friday. We will do some peer editing and start polishing up the paper. If I haven't posted your grade and comments for the Analysis on turnitin.com yet, it's coming soon. Like tomorrow...

__2010-2011__

__August 12th, 2010__ Fascism is a word that's thrown around constantly. If you want to insult someone just call them a fascist. It's one of the few indefensible accusations out there...but what does it actually mean? Check this out.

media type="youtube" key="b9yLKJKX59U" height="385" width="480"

Hmm...that doesn't actually clear anything up, does it? It only further begs the question,

'What the heck is fascism?'

Why can't somebody just give me a simple, straightforward definition?

Because there isn't one...

Instead, there's this...sorry:

The 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism **according to Dr. Lawrence Britt**

> **Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.**
 * 1) Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

> **Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.**
 * 1) Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights

> **The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.**
 * 1) Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause

> **Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.**
 * 1) Supremacy of the Military

> **The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid.**
 * 1) Rampant Sexism

> **Often the media is directly and openly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.**
 * 1) Controlled Mass Media

> **Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.**
 * 1) Obsession with National Security

> **Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.**
 * 1) Religion and Government are Intertwined

> **The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.**
 * 1) Corporate Power is Protected

> **Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed .**
 * 1) Labor Power is Suppressed

> **Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.**
 * 1) Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

> **Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.**
 * 1) Obsession with Crime and Punishment

> **Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.**
 * 1) Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

> **Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.**
 * 1) Fraudulent Elections

There will be a Quiz on these 14 Characteristics on Wed. the 18th for all 4 classes.

__August 17th, 2010__
 * IB Writing Assignment--Due Thursday 19th: **

It's just a class I have to take. **Or** It's whatever has happened in the past. **Or** It's whatever old guys write down in books.
 * Have you ever stopped to ask the question, **'What is history?' **Probably not, right?**
 * Maybe. Or then again, it might not be that simple...what do I mean by that? **


 * Consider: **

Winston Churchill said, 'History is written by the victors.'


 * If that's true, and Churchill would know, then how does that affect things? **


 * Or consider this: Ambrose Bierce, a famous American satirist, defined history as: **

//History, n.// an account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.

So, apparently it matters who is telling the story. And who's defining things. Think about your own life. Have you ever had an argument with your brother or sister over how or if **something happened? Was it important that your parents believed your side of the story? How did that affect the way you told it?**

The idea of history is actually kind of complicated. It's not nearly so clear-cut as we might imagine.

And then there's the whole question of 'Well, what's it good for?'

Plato said that Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. And Henry Ford said that The only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the history that we make today**.**


 * So...does it even matter that we learn history? Maybe we should just focus on other stuff...like what's going on right now. **


 * But... **


 * Of course, there is the famous quotation that says that **'those that do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it'.


 * Where does that leave us then? **


 * Here's your assignment. You are to write a 5 paragraph essay answering the question, **'What is history?'


 * Now, that might sound difficult but... **

'what isn't history?' 'what is history good for?' 'what is history good at?' 'what is it not good at or not good for?' 'what are the problems with understanding history?' 'is it important or not to understand history?' 'can we even understand history at all?'
 * Within that main question, there are many sub-questions. **
 * Like: **
 * and maybe even **


 * Also, in your essay, you might ask someone else what they think and include some of their thoughts. You might even use a couple quotes from famous people or work with a dictionary definition. But in the end, it is important for you to decide what you think of history and articulate that for yourself. **


 * I'm simply looking for a thoughtful essay that will help me gauge where you are at in your ability to analyze and write. **

Use proper citations where necessary. Be creative. And do not simply write what you think I as a history teacher want to hear (because you don't know what I think anyway)... Bring a hard copy to class And Submit a copy to turnitin.com.


 * __ Here is your class ID: __ **


 * 3393337 Senior History C Block **
 * 3393341 Senior History D Block **

Your password is seniorsrock

welcome back seniors! get strapped in and ready for a year you'll never forget...

here's your syllabus. check it out.



__August 19th, 2010__
 * Today, we are looking at the biographical details of Hitler's early years. **


 * As we've discussed, it's not always important to study the personal lives of world leaders; but Hitler is an exception. His biography is important, to an extent, because in many ways, Hitler became the Nazi Party, and for a time, the nation of Germany. All the paranoia, dysfunction and obsession of his personality was exacted in full force on Germany, Europe and the world. **


 * So, it's right to ask, 'Who was he? and why?' **


 * And most importantly, **//How did the madman depicted above manage to paint this cute puppy dog// **?**



__August 26th, 2010__


 * -This week we are looking at Hitler's rise to power. What shaped him ideologically? How did he seize control of his party and ultimately his country? **


 * -Our work consists of readings, lectures and watching a bit of film, 'The Rise of Evil'. **


 * Also, we're taking a look at the **25 Points Hitler developed for the Nazi Party**:**

** • The Programme of the German Workers' Party is designed to be of limited duration. The leaders have no intention, once the aims announced in it have been achieved, of establishing fresh ones, merely in order to…ensure the continued existence of the Party. ** ** • 1. We demand the union of all Germany in a Greater Germany on the basis of the right of national self-determination. ** ** • 2. We demand equality of rights for the German people in its dealings with other nations, and the revocation of the peace treaties of Versailles. ** ** • 3. We demand land and territory (colonies) to feed our people and to settle our surplus population. ** ** • 4. Only members of the nation may be citizens of the State. Only those of German blood, whatever be their creed, may be members of the nation. Accordingly, no Jew may be a member of the nation. ** ** • 5. Non-citizens may live in Germany only as guests and must be subject to laws for aliens. ** ** • 7. We demand that the State shall make it its primary duty to provide a livelihood for its citizens. If it should prove impossible to feed the entire population, foreign nationals (non-citizens) must be deported from the Reich. • 8. All non-German immigration must be prevented. We demand that all non-Germans who entered Germany after 2 August 1914 shall be required to leave the Reich forthwith. • 9. All citizens shall have equal rights and duties. • 10. It must be the first duty of every citizen to perform physical or mental work. The activities of the individual must not clash with the general interest, but must proceed within the framework of the community and be for the general good. • //We demand therefore:// ** __August 26th, 2010-IB Assignment__ 
 *  11. The abolition of incomes unearned by work. • //The breaking of the slavery of interest// **
 *  12. In view of the enormous sacrifices of life and property demanded of a nation by any war, personal enrichment from war must be regarded as a crime against the nation. We demand therefore the ruthless confiscation of all war profits. • 13. We demand the nationalization of all businesses which have been formed into corporations (trusts). • 14. We demand profit-sharing in large industrial enterprises. ** ** • 19. We demand that Roman Law, which serves a materialistic world order, be replaced by a German common law. • 20. The State must consider a thorough reconstruction of our national system of education (with the aim of opening up to every able and hard-working German the possibility of higher education and of thus obtaining advancement). The curricula of all educational establishments must be brought into line with the requirements of practical life. The aim of the school must be to give the pupil, beginning with the first sign of intelligence, a grasp of the nation of the State. We demand the education of gifted children of poor parents, whatever their class or occupation, at the expense of the State. • 21. The State must ensure that the nation's health standards are raised by protecting mothers and infants, by prohibiting child labor, by promoting physical strength through legislation providing for compulsory gymnastics and sports, and by the extensive support of clubs engaged in the physical training of youth. • 22. We demand the abolition of the mercenary army and the foundation of a people's army.  ** **<span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> • 23. We demand legal warfare on deliberate political mendacity and its dissemination in the press. To facilitate the creation of a German national press we demand: • (a) that all editors of, and contributors to newspapers appearing in the German language must be members of the nation;  **
 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> (b) that no non-German newspapers may appear without the express permission of the State. They must not be printed in the German language; • 24. We demand freedom for all religious denominations in the State, provided they do not threaten its existence not offend the moral feelings of the German race. • The Party, as such, stands for positive Christianity, but does not commit itself to any particular denomination. It combats the Jewish-materialistic spirit within and without us, and is convinced that our nation can achieve permanent health only from within on the basis of the principle: //The common interest before self-interest//. • 25. To put the whole of this programme into effect, we demand the creation of a strong central state power for the Reich; the unconditional authority of the political central Parliament over the entire Reich and its organizations; and the formation of Corporations based on estate and occupation for the purpose of carrying out the general legislation passed by the Reich in the various German states. • The leaders of the Party promise to work ruthlessly -- if need be to sacrifice their very lives -- to translate this programme into action. **
 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">1. From the first two paragraphs, how would you describe the historic German conception of the ideal leader? **


 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> 2. What is the meaning of the term ‘pluralist’? **


 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> 3. In your own words, paraphrase the final sentence on pg. 17. **


 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> 4. After reading the final paragraph on pg. 18 thru the top of 19, determine what sort of religious meaning became attached to the concept of ‘heroic leadership’ and describe how or why this took place. **


 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> 5. According to the first full paragraph on pg. 19, how did the ‘heroic’ or //volkisch// leader differ from that of a monarch or dictator? And how did this conception differ from the notion of leadership offered by the Weimar democracy? **


 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> 6. Understanding the context, unpack this statement from the bottom of pg. 19, **
 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> //‘The Leader cannot be made, can in this sense also not be selected. The Leader makes himself in that he comprehends the history of his people.’// **


 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> 7. Affirm and Challenge the quotation from the middle of pg. 20. **

__ August 31st, 2010 __
 * <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.25in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> 8. Why did the belief in ‘heroic leadership’ migrate from the fringes of early 1920s German society to the mainstream by the mid-30s? ** <span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">**9. <span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Based on your knowledge up to this point, how did Hitler measure up to this ideal of the 'heroic' or volkisch leader? ** <span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Provide specific examples. ** <span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;">

<span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> Test day is coming. Thursday we will have a unit test over the Rise of Hitler and Nazism. Basically, everything we've covered: from the readings, to the worksheets and notes. Until then... <span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="direction: ltr; display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.38in; margin-top: 3.84pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.38in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border-collapse: separate; font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Questions on Stoessinger for IB: -Due on Monday, Nov. 15**

__pg. 27-38__ 1. What is Stoessinger's thesis? 2. What were Stalin's beliefs about Hitler? 3. How did those beliefs shape his policy toward Germany? 4. How did Hitler view Communists and Slavic peoples in general? 5. Why did Hitler ally himself with Stalin? 6. What military actions were taken by Stalin that provoked Hitler? 7. How did Hitler's fixation on the Soviet Union impact his handling of Britain? 8. What sort of scheme was pitched to Molotov by Ribbentrop? 9. What 2 events delayed Barbarossa? Why did this make a difference? 10. How did Hitler justify his decision to inhumanely brutalize Russia during the invasion? 11. What 2 strange ironies loomed over the German Invasion of Russia?

__pg. 39-52__ 12. Describe the damage inflicted upon Russia by the Germans in the first month of Barbarossa. 13. Stoessinger suggests that probably the single greatest reason for the devastation of this first phase of the Invasion was the Great Purge of the 1930's. According to pgs. 39-42, explain a. what the Great Purge was; b. why it happened; and c. what impact it had on the Red Army 14. After reading pg. 43 and 44, what could Stalin have done differently? Brainstorm 2 or 3 ideas. 15. Pgs. 45-48 detail the intelligence information that came to Stalin warning of Hitler's strength. List a few: 16. Why did Stalin doubt the validity of this intelligence? 17. How is the typical German father described on pg. 49? Summarize. 18. From our sources we've read concerning the 'Volkisch Leader', we know that, for many, Hitler became a 'father figure'. However, on pg. 50, we see that 'Hitler did not fill the role of the father image' for the German youth. Explain how this seeming contradiction is possible. 19. How did Stalin rouse the Russian people to bounce back from the devastating blow of the first phase of Barbarossa?

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">//**Happy New Year! Welcome to your final semester in your high school career! Make it count!**//

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**__January 13th, 2010__**

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So here we are, drawing closer to the pinpoint, the flashpoint, the assassination of the archduke Ferdinand, the invasion of Poland--of the Cold War.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Just what is it? When do we start referring to whatever this thing is as--the “Cold War”? Google it. What do you think?

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">How much of the Cold War is due to Truman? How much is due to Stalin? How much is due to measures beyond their control? To what extent did it become inevitable?

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">__**January 14th, 2010**__ <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I've told some of you before about my college friend Maga Kisriev who used to argue with me that Stalin was a great hero of the Russian people...and that was only 12 or 13 years ago.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Well, Stalin is still a hero to many Russians. Check this out:

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/world/Stalin-still-a-hero-to.3310187.jp

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And take a look at the comments. Always interesting...

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Also...remember BLOOD LIBEL? Have a look: <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2042176,00.html