Mikhail Gorbachev and the end of Communism

Mikhail Gorbachev became the Communist Party General Secretary. He was elected by popular choice. Gorbachev, at the age of 54, was younger then the people that were elected before him. He spoke about change for the Soviet Union, and introduced two Russian words to the SU international vocabulary: "perestroika", meaning restructuring, and "glasnost", meaning openness. Gorbachev idea of glasnot ended the totalitarian government that was established by the past leaders and made the government open. People had the freedom to say what was on there mind to make the country better. This system allowed churches to become open again, libraries could print banned books, and reporters had the right to freedom of speech. They could publicly view there thoughts and critize the government. Under his policy of perestoika mangers were allowed to rein freely over their farms and factories. Civilians were able to open there own small businesses. Before perestokia people were demotivated because no matter how productive they were they still weren't making enough money, and maked the country better.

Collapse of Communism

The Collapse of Communism happened because many people were afraid, they were being threatened by nuclear annihilation. Many people were annoyed at the fact that they couldn't cross the borders, without worrying about their lives, because those who tried to cross the borders between the Eastern and Western were shot and faced tear gas. So in turn they tore down the Berlin Wall, so that Eastern and Western Germany could form a more balanced economic and social ties with one another. But getting the cooperation they needed with one another wasn't very easy. The Soviet Union then separated into fifteen different Republics. Many ethnic tensions arose across the country because everyone all of a sudden wanted self-rule and others wanted religious freedom. They were mostly afraid of losing their power and privileges. The sudden urge for them to overthrow the government lead to the end of the Soviet Union, which gave way for countries within the Soviet Union to gain their independence.

Creation of Israel

Zionism was a Jewish movement that led to the development of Israel. After Israel was made a country many conflicts began between the new country and its neighboring countries. Israel was surrounded by Arab countries. In 1948, the independent country was attacked by several of the surrounding countries.The creation of the Rhodes Armistice would solve the war which lasted for about a year. An Armistice is a compromise, but even with this in effect the countries still had their differences. The differences among the countries, mostly between Israel and Palestine, was that the Arabs that made up Palestine felt that they should have been given the same things the Jews were given. The Palestinians believe that their God gave them that land , but the Jews had the same belief. These beliefs are one of the main causes of conflict between these countries to this day. There is still alot of fighting in the country because of the land that they are on is holy land and other people think that they should have more of the land than others.

Nelson Mandela and Apartheid

In Feb., 1990, a man by the name of Nelson Mandela, came out of jail with a dream. A plan to better South and take away all its misery and pain. His plan was to bring the white supremacists government down. His dream when he got out of prison was to liberate the oppressed and the opresser, for he knows how it feels, for he spent 27 years in prison. Apartheid took place in the late 1930's by the South African Bureaus for Racial Affairs. The law was designed as a separation method. It band mix marriages. It caused a resettlement policy,where in certain area , only certain people live in that area. Later international pressure started to overcome South Africa's policies, so the President at the time had no choice but to open the door for protests against apartheid. Then after this it opened the door to a new constitution being signed in 1990 to abolish the Separate Amenities Act. Within that same year Nelson Mandela became the new leader of South Africa.

African Independence

African began going from coloions to country's in 1955. In 1975 more thn 1/2 of african became a country.Between the two world wars, an educated middle class had begun to emerge in African cities. Some African Americans such as W. E. B. Du Bois as well as by older Africans like Blaise Diagne, who organized Pan-African congresses in 1919 and 1921. One of the movement’s leaders, Leopold Senghor became the first president of Senegal. African soldiers in World War II fought with Europeans to defend freedom. The postwar world changed the thinking of Europeans too. They began to question the cost of maintaining their colonies abroad.

The European Union

The EU is a very good thing. It makes the EU easyier to travel. Easyier to trade good with between each other. This was an alliance of 25 nations that has changed Europe. This union has been so successful that it has created a new superpower in the world. The only two super powers in the world today are the EU and the US (after the USSR's fallin 91'). It is like the US, but now the states are countrys. It also made trading money easyier because the euro was made within the EU. It prevents the European nations from going to war also.

9th Grade Review - Neolithic Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution is a agricultural revolution that is the change from nomadic hunting and gathering to agriculture and settlement. The first agricultural revolution had major social changes. It increasied population density, the organization of a hierarchical society, standing armies, state institutions, barter, trade and the expansion of human "control" over nature.
In particular, in opposition to the moveable personal property and communal property of the nomadic hunter-gatherer, a new way of life began that introduced private property, private ownership of land and buildings, valuable artifacts. Slavery also started in human evolution, in almost all continents, where captured humans were considered as "things", the private property of wealthy individuals and families. Also introduced inheritance and marriage.