...World War one is now seen as one of the bloodiest wars in history and one of the wars that had the highest number of causalities. But at the time when WWI was occurring there was a great deal of nationalism, which as a consequence, the war was seen as a necessity. In my opinion, the purpose why a WWI veteran wrote this book was to show the truth behind what actually happens in war and what is the reality of being a soldier. The author tried to achieve this by writing about the main character’s experiences when he got recruited, his actual experiences in war, and his experiences when he went back home and attempted to tell people his experiences in the war. In the beginning of the movie, there is propaganda coming from the professor who is motivating the students to sign up for the war as can be seen in this line from the movie “You are the life of the fatherland, you boys. You are the iron men of Germany. You are the gay heroes who will repulse the enemy when you are called upon to do so” (All Quiet on the Western Front). Here he is painting war to be a custom that they all must complete to be honorable German people, almost like a rite of passage. Furthermore, what they are imagining they will gain from war also goes along with this propaganda such as one student imagines that when he becomes a soldier all the...
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...The Crusades Through Arab Eyes: Part I The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, by Amin Maalouf, originally published in 1983, takes a new approach to telling an old history from the point-of-view of Muslim historians. Throughout the text, Maalouf focuses on how Muslims perceive the nearly 200-year-long slaughters by Western religious zealots that took Arab cities and holy grounds, regardless of how violent the means and how those perceptions have lead to contemporary ideological wars in the Middle East. Through Arab Eyes presents a compelling history of the series of wars by European Christians that sought to seize holy places under Muslim control between the 11th and 13th centuries. Maalouf tells the story of the seizure of Muslim people and their lands. Between the two disparaging accounts —the Arab view, a bloody slaughter from the historical accounts of exclusively Muslim experts and the same events portrayed as dignified religious conquests by Western historians — Maalouf pulls off not only a convincing argument but one that explores the breach of the Islamic nations by Christian crusaders. Part one, “Invasions” reveals that the Muslim people’s incomprehension of the crusades themselves and the lack of organization among their ranks, lead to their devastation during the invasions. To understand the Muslim perspective from which this book is told, it’s worth knowing a thing or two about its author, Amin Maalouf. Maalouf is perhaps the best-fit person to construct a book like...
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...The War’s Effect’s Towards Soldiers World War I was one of the most significant wars in U.S. history. It was significant because it created a gateway for new tactics, weapons, and it carved the way for a whole new style of warfare. In the book All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, Paul Baumer, the main character, and his comrades go through horrifying experiences that affect them both physically and mentally. Throughout the book Paul shows how war is a dehumanizing experience, but he continues to find ways to make him more human by appreciating the little things that he didn’t notice before his previous war experiences. Throughout the war Paul witnesses things that make him more empathetic and compassionate. These specific war experiences have influenced Paul in both negative and positive ways. For example when Paul comes to realize that the Russian prisoners are suffering he suddenly shows sympathy towards them by, “I take out my cigarettes break each one in half and give them to the Russians.” (194) As Paul overlooks the violence and fighting of the war he realizes that the so called “enemy” is just another man fighting for the same reason as he is. Paul now has a new outlook on the war and he is showing a very unexpected sensitive side, which is most definitely him being “human”. During the intensity of the war Paul was holding nothing back while being in battle with the men shooting at them with no feelings or regret. As Paul now looks at the enemy...
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...In the war novel All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, Paul Baumer is a very significant character. Paul is a character that conveys Remarque’s experiences and point of view to the readers. Paul and his friends are faced with the intensity of the war, which causes them to disconnect their feelings and lose their emotions. Soon, Pauls lifestyle is shaped to be around war. The war diminished Paul and turned his life into constant suffering. Paul’s character undergoes a changes throughout the novel, when he is induced with the horror and anxiety of the war. Paul Baumer is a character representative of all soldiers because he faces the same difficulties a typical soldier would face. In the war, Paul had seen his close friends...
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...All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, tells the story of Paul Baumer, a German soldier, and his comrades’ experiences in combat during World War I. Paul Baumer, along with a few other men, enlisted in the military after being persuaded by their school master, Kantorek. Although “no one [had] the vaguest idea what [they] were in for” (Remarque 11), the men still decided to join the war. Throughout the story, Paul instantly discovers that the war is not all that it is made out to be. Paul and his comrades struggle to survive on a daily basis. The men realize that the only way for them to stay alive is to develop friendships between one another and stick together. The horrifying images of death and the sacrifices they are required to make cause the soldiers to lose their identity. Through the eyes of the “Lost Generation,” Remarque is able to portray the sacrifices, comradeship, and the brutality of war a typical soldier of World War I endured....
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...toys to adult bar room brawls the way we approach them is important to the outcome. Currently the USA is lodged in the global war on terrorism. Although it is labeled as a war the correct term of it is conflict. My article represents this to a certain extent. It is mainly about the conflict with in the countries themselves and do the western civilizations have the best interests in the outcome. The Middle East has always been a hotbed for conflict. From religious wars amongst the different sects of Islam to the corruption of the governments that control the people. They war with in themselves to control the people and are divided because of class systems. Over time the western super powers took interest due to oil causing these countries to battle for control of their countries natural resources. Dictators spread throughout the region because of unrest with false promises of resolving the conflict. By exploiting the extreme poverty levels and needs of these people while flooding them with propaganda they resolve these conflicts by means of war against other would be dictators. The reason that the west takes interest in these conflicts is simple. If they war against themselves, the natural resources become limited. If a dictator is in power in oil or other mineral rich Middle Eastern countries, we do not have complete control of them. The western countries in the best interest of themselves, and not the actual Middle East as a whole, oust the dictators and place a leader...
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...the founding of Islam, Christians and Muslims have almost never been able to see eye to eye. After decades of colonialism and orientalism, the Muslim East and the Christian West were left at a great divide. Whereas most Muslims view Christian Westerners as fellow practitioners, or “people of the book,” many Europeans (and Americans) view Muslims as inferior to the Christian man. From the earliest days of Muslim practice, to the period of Muslim rule in Spain, to present-day society, Christians and Muslims have struggled to coexist in a frenzied world. Through arguments seen in Muslim Spain, as well as arguments seen by Fundamentalist Christians such as Franklin Graham today, it is clear that the modern-day Fundamentalist...
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...War is glorified by many people who have not experienced it. Many people who have experienced war suffer from a horrible condition called shellshock. The historical events of world war I influenced Erich Maria Remarque to write All Quiet on the Western Front. Some people don't understand the mental pains the men were forced to endure during war. Shellshock is a psychological disturbance caused by exposure to active warfare, especially being under bombardment. According to Professor Joanna Bourke “ In the early years of World War One , shell shock was believed to be the result of a physical injury to the nerves. In other words, shell shock was the result of being buried alive”. Shellshock was treated in many ways. According to"Life after Trauma." 'Life after Trauma' N.p., n.d. Web. “soldiers with shellshock were first sent to clearing stations near the front. After two weeks, if soldiers did not recover, they were sent home. They were then, treated at a number of hospitals designated for this purpose. The treatments varied from shaming, use of electric shock, isolation and even...
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...The Cold War was a period starting in around 1946, consisting of political and military tension and economic competition. The Cold War was ‘fought’ between the Communist Soviet Union, and the Capitalist West, mainly the United States. As opposed to a hot war, wherein two nations or faction conflict in an armed battle, in a Cold War, the major military forces never engage in physical warfare with each other. Instead, the conflict is expressed via military occupations of various nations, propaganda, strategic conventional force deployments, for example the Berlin Airlift, and providing aid to vulnerable nations, like the Marshal and Molotov Plans. The two superpowers also competed against each other in terms of technological and military advancements; the Space Race and Arms Races respectively. The main reason for this tension was the opposing systems of government and their ideologies, with each seeing a threat in the other. Though the two nations acted as allies in the war against Nazi Germany, their conflicting beliefs and ideologies soon left them as enemies. The Soviet Union soon occupied Eastern Europe, while the Western Allies occupied West Europe. Unsurprisingly, tension began to rise. The US’ Marshall Plan was put into effect to provide financial aid in the rebuilding of nations ravaged by the war in Europe. However, the Soviets denied their nations they occupied to participate. The USSR also funded and aided in communist revolutions in countries occupied by the West...
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...the course of events. During this time in history having power was at the top of every leaders list. Defending our country and our political beliefs were truly defined in the first half of the twentieth century. World War II bred relations out of necessity, the “Big Three” rallied together to defeat Nazi Germany. U.S. President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill and Soviet leader Stalin played the political game during WWII. Roosevelt and Churchill reached out to the betrayed Stalin in aiding the western powers in exchange for backing the communist supporters which allowed Stalin to influence the Soviet-Polish border. The relations of the three continued throughout the war but suspicions lingered between the West and Soviet Union....
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...Abdullah Saleh and Libya’s Muammar Ghadafi. The two articles attempt to delve deep into the consequences of such historical actions, drawing precedence from nations such as Turkey and Lebanon. Khalidi and Rozenman are both keen on the influence of a new democracy in the Arab nations and the impact that such “fresh rule” would have on the society; especially the Arab and Western worlds. The Arab world as a better place Khalidi (2011) is keen on stating that the Arab world has become a better place. This, he says, is due to the ability of Arab countries to shake themselves loose from the shackles of dictatorship that have bound them over the years. Evidence of this could be seen through the positive press coverage that Arab countries are getting from the west. Rozenman is, however, of a different opinion. He opines that the end of autocracy in the Arab world is something worthwhile. Despite the downfall of the despots in Egypt, Syria and Lybia; the democracy model that the said countries are eager to develop would be retrogressive. He further writes that Arab democracy drawn from Islamist ideas ,which are Anti-western and anti-Jew, would only impact society negatively. The Arab nations tend to draw examples on democracy from very wanting corners. The Turkish model to which most Arab countries have sought precedence from is an example of double-standard democracy. It is only democracy prima facia which underneath lays majority dictatorship of the minority (Rozenman, March 2011). Khalidi...
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...Outline of Article Arabs and the West (Failure of West to understand Arabs) - Main focus is the bad perceptions gained by Europeans on Arabs Perception of Western Attitude on Arabs - Ideas developed from past - Divided into 3 strands 1. Battle between Christian Europe and Islam - 7th century - 18 century - Fears, animosities and suspicions reflected in European Education - Normally Western deny but subconscious is another story (prejudice) - Oriental is defined with adjectives: duplicity, cruelty, servility, despotism. - Another possibility is the misunderstanding of Islam 2. European Expansion - 17th century - End of First World War. - Euopean Imperialism (destruction of literacy) - British Global Supremacy (lead non-europeans to civilization) - sincerity from British was due to belief that non-european are not modern - Heightening European Power and ideals over non-european - British Outlook in Arab Territories was based on British Ideals (not looking at arab culture) 3. Struggle between Imperialistic Power versu Growing National Movements - After World War I and still existing today - Attempt of Nationalists to remove foreign power yield: - Rebellion and repression - Loss of life - Bitterness of opinion - British handicaped due to 2 reasons a. Failure to realize impact of superior strength on weaker nations - Weaker nation feels suffocated when under superior power - Believes they are stopping their aspirations b. National liberation...
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...The films watched during this course took me by surprise. I am not normally one that goes for these sorts of films; I rarely watch anything action packed. War films in general make me cry and wish that there weren’t reasons to attack each other. Saving Private Ryan, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Grave of the Fireflies all definitely tugged at my heartstrings and brought new information to light. One movie stood out over the others in regards to emotional impact and all-around enjoyableness but they were all truly great. Enjoy is a tough word to use when settling on a film from this course. Grave of the Fireflies was by far the most enjoyable film. I cried from start to finish so it was a wonder I could see what was really happening on...
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...Vienna vs. Versailles Among the myriad peace settlements that various countries, even various great powers, have agreed upon throughout western history, two tend to stand head and shoulders above the rest: The Congress of Vienna in 1815, which ended the Napoleonic Wars—perhaps the first true “world war”; and the various Paris settlements which ended the first world war which is generally referred to as such in 1919, which I will call collectively the Versailles Treaty for convenience’s sake. Largely the same countries were the major players: France, Britain, and Russia took part in each settlement. Meanwhile, Germany and Austria, major players at Vienna, were excluded from the Versailles talks, as punishment for being the defeated and supposedly responsible party. Similarly, the United States was a major force in shaping the Versailles settlement, while a century before, it had stayed out of the Napoleonic conflict, and besides did not have enough power at that time to merit a major role at the table even if it had become involved. Nonetheless, the inherent similarity remains; both the Vienna and Versailles treaties were attempts by the major western powers to realign and redraw large portions of the world map in order to create a lasting peace. Both treaties were concerned with statecraft, either consolidating old entities into new ones, or breaking apart empires ostensibly in the name of nationalism, on a scale which no other treaty has attempted before or since. All this...
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...6) How did two major conflicts, the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War a decade later, influence Western perceptions of Japan and Asia? The Sino-Japanese War from 1894-1895 and the Russo-Japanese War a decade later were monumental events in the history of Asia and its ripples were felt in the Western world. In the Sino-Japanese War, the Western world witnessed the fruits of Meiji Japan’s modernization program, its modern military, routed the Chinese hitherto the dominant Asian power. Japan’s victory defeat of Russia became a significant milestone in modern history, marking the first major modern conflict where an Asian nation had defeated an European power. As such, this study seeks to present in detail the changes in Western perception towards Japan, as it became a modern military power and its image of the Asian people in the aftermath of both events. Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) The outcome of the Sino-Japanese War meant that Japan had successfully displaced Qing China as the dominant power in East Asia, marking a remarkable shift from millennia old power arrangements in the region centered on China. This turn of events did not escape Western observations and led to Japan being recognized as the dominant Asian power. According to the historian Sarah Paine, ‘Before the war, the most widespread Western image of Japan was undoubtedly provided by William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, the famous operetta duo. The year 1885 marked the premiere of what...
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