Propaganda in WW1 and WW2
In times of war, men are often told they cannot understand the complexities of it, but "must have faith", do their duty and not to question the righteousness of the government.1 But war times were stressful times, and citizens were asked to sacrifice their sons and daughters, land, properties and rations to supply for total war. Thus propaganda, the "attempt to influence behavior...[and] manner in which a mass audience perceives and ascribes meaning to the material world... through the use of mass media" was regarded as an imperative military device and used aggressively in World War II to battle for confidence and support on the home front. 2 Of all propaganda mechanisms, audiovisual technology was considered most crucial because of its availability and its ability to appeal to both senses of sight and sound at the same time. These abilities, consequently led to film's significant capacity to "mobilize emotions and immobilize the mind" through the creation of "overpowering illusions" while captivating audience in an entertaining manner. 3 During World War II, both the enemy- the Nazi Germany, and the hero- the United States recognized the influential quality of propaganda films and utilized the medium to gain support from the public. However, convincing American and German citizens into believing in the Second World War was no easy task. Both countries embarked on their
Thucydides. hucydides draws sharp distinction between his work and that of his predecessors. He describes the care, which he took in ascertaining the truth about the events he writes of.
Thucydides Thucydides may be said to be one of the most highly regarded and respected historians of all time. His work perhaps having one of the most important influences on the writing and recording of history itself. Thucydides own ambition as a respected and unique writer are clear as he writes on himself "My work is not a piece of writing designed to meet the needs of an immediate public but was done to last forever". During Thucydides time (c.460 - 400) as a writer it is thought that literacy was considered relatively new to the world. It was much more common to write poetically rather than on a historic basis and even so, most other historians such as Heredotus chose to focus on a narrative style of writing. Contrary to this Thucydides dedicates himself to a level of accuracy in his writing rather than merely telling a story. He gained enormous prestige over the centuries for this and his work was quickly established "classic". His concern with objectivity exerted a strong influence on such later Greco-Roman historians as Polybius and Dio Cassius. Thucydides highly regards the Peleponesian war as the greatest war in Greek History. He bases this on the belief that both rivals; Athens and Sparta were at their peak of power and preparedness just before the immediate cause of the war. Thucydides argues that the events, which he relates, command attention because they
India has been described as the "country over our shoulder". To what extent does Arundhati Roy both explain and exploit the culture of Kerala for the English reader in 'The God of Small Things'?
India has been described as the "country over our shoulder". To what extent does Arundhati Roy both explain and exploit the culture of Kerala for the English reader in 'The God of Small Things'? In 'The God Of Small Things', as the reader we are introduced to a culture that we will ultimately struggle to understand because the values within a country such as India are so very different to the principles and ethics that we are brought up upon, as a Western reader. The book itself is written by an Indian, is about Indian culture and therefore it is fair to assume that we will be introduced to new ideas and ways of life throughout the book. One critic believed that "The God of Small Things rapidly reveals its disinterest in trying to encapsulate India" and that it "completely immerses in one community 's, one family's universe."[1] And on the whole it is hard to disagree. Most characters in the novel suffer some form of heartache and pain, which is an attempt by Roy to show that although the death of Sophie Mol, the death of Velutha and the family decay are relatively small things to the rest of the world, their impacts on those surrounding them are far greater and damaging. I believe Indian culture and its constraints do have much more of a bearing on life compared with the western world (a credible generalization), and that prejudices and social bigotry is inherent in
How far, and why, did traditional Catholicism decline during the reign of Elizabeth?
Alex Jockelson How far, and why, did traditional Catholicism decline during the reign of Elizabeth? Considering that on the accession of Elizabeth I the majority of men and women in England and Wales were Catholic - from the evidence of wills Protestant loyalty was limited to the south-east where even there it represented a minority - and that by the end of the reign English Catholicism had diminished to only one or two percent of the population, it is fair to say that the extent of the decline in traditional Catholicism was great. The reasons for this can be found by splitting the reign into three time periods where the presence and threat of Catholicism differ significantly. An interesting argument has arisen concerning the explanation of the decline of Catholicism. The historian J. Bossy argues that conservative gentry and clerical leadership did not produce any organized resistance to the 1559 settlement and instead allowed the laity to drift into conformity by attending Protestant church services. He goes on to suggest that it was only the later arrival of the seminary priests from Douai and the Jesuits that saved English Catholicism from complete extinction. Another historian C. Haigh counters this suggesting that Catholic survivalism was strong in the 1560s and that its demise can be attributed to 'strategic and logistical errors' made by the seminary priests and the
The scale of the raids, the density of the settlements and the degree of destruction have been greatly exaggerated'. Discuss this assessment of Viking activity in England in the ninth and tenth centuries
'The scale of the raids, the density of the settlements and the degree of destruction have been greatly exaggerated'. Discuss this assessment of Viking activity in England in the ninth and tenth centuries. The entry in the northern version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 793 tells how "In this year terrible omens appeared over the land of the Northumbrians...: these were immense lightning flashes and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky". It goes onto describe how "the ravaging of heathen men miserably destroyed God's church in Lindisfarne through plundering and slaughter". These apocalyptic images helped to support a view of the Vikings, whose name means literally 'pirates', as a mass of (pagan) barbarian invaders who overwhelmed the British Isles. This interpretation of events, notably accepted by Frank Stenton in the 1940s, was (in)famously questioned by Peter Sawyer in an essay of 1958, who argued that the number of invaders, the density of the Danish settlements and, to a certain extent, the degree of Viking destruction had been greatly exaggerated. Sawyer's theory then led to a wave of 'post-revisionism' by historians, including Alfred Smyth, who claim Sawyer's argument is flawed and paints too rosy a picture of Viking activity in England. We must now set out to forge a middle ground between these two sides (for which, Patrick Wormald reminds us, it is necessary
Warlords, Artists and Emperors: Power and Authority in Premodern Japan. Ancient Japan Portfolio - commentaries on passages.
Warlords, Artists and Emperors: Power and Authority in Premodern Japan Entry#1 (Week 2): Reading: Bock, F. 'The Rites of Renewal at Ise', Monumental Nipponica, 29 (1974); 55-68. This reading focuses and explores the rites of renewal of the Great Shrine of Ise. Through the reigns of Emperor Temmu and Empress Jito, the Shrine of Ise rose in importance and eventually became the ancestral clam shrine of the Imperial House and later continued to develop as it took on the image of a national shrine and claimed widespread support (p.57). The pure Shinto architecture of this Shrine may exist in other places in Japan yet the affect it has on the area of the Shrine of Ise furthers its unending succession. This reading looks at the significance of the continual and ritual renewal of the Shrine of Ise. This rebuilding is seen as a means of preservation of traditions and culture as even the materials- purified ceremonial axes and saws of ancient style (p.58) - which are used in the rebuilding show key characteristics of the Japanese culture. Religious notions are also preserved through this rebuilding; one example is the 'august mirror' which is place in a sacred container as a symbol of the Sun Goddess which is associated with the origin of the shrine and the kami belief (pp.59-60). To sum it up, the ritual rebuilding of the Shrine of Ise is seen as a symbol of the renewal of life
Why was Hadrian's Wall constructed?
Why was Hadrian's Wall constructed? Stuart Edwards 2003 Hadrian's Wall was built between Carlisle in the west and Newcastle in the East. The wall is 55 miles in length. It was constructed in 120 A.D under the order of the visiting Roman emperor Hadrian. The wall was built 80 years after the Roman conquest of Britain. The Roman Empire now at its prime had expanded form a small city state into a large empire spanning most of the ancient world, had just come out of a period of expansion, Hadrian decided that this had to change and ordered defensive frontiers to be built all along the empire's borders. There was an original front line further into Scotland, Antoine's wall, but it was found too rural and distant to supply or support so it was abandoned and the Romans fell back to The Stanegate road. The Stanegate road was built by Agricola and served as a major supply routes for the legionnaires defending the northern frontier Rome normally used natural defences to protect its borders these defensive lines included deserts and rivers but in northern Britain it was built out of stone, which was a common resource in that area. When the wall was being built the resources and the manpower came form the legions guarding the frontier. Each centurion was given a part of the wall to build; along this stretch of wall they would place a hallmark stone so their commander would know who
How and why did America's role in the world change in the 20th century?
Michelle Winship Year 1 Themes in American History and Culture Tutor: Dr. C. Kitching Tuesday 13th May 2003 Essay: How and why did America's role in the world change in the 20th century? How and why did America's role in the world change in the 20th century? During the 20th century it can be seen that America's role in the world changed from an isolationist role to one of intervention. The main change can be seen in America's changing foreign policy. Events that happened in Asia and Europe caused the United States to remake its foreign policy and adapt is role in the world accordingly. It is impossible to assume that America's role in the world will stay how it is today; the role of the United States in global affairs is still under fire. America now appears to have abandoned its policy of isolation, and has seen its role in the world change immensely over the past century. The Monroe Doctrine had been set up by US President James Monroe in 1823. The U.S. promised to not intervene in the internal affairs of Europe and in return Europe should not intervene in American affairs. At the beginning of the 20th century it can be seen that American foreign interests were concentrated on relations with Latin America. After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1898 America dominated Cuba until US troops left in 1902. The Platt Amendment, authorised America to establish a
Why did Plato think women could be legitimate political Guardians?
Why did Plato think women could be legitimate political Guardians? Melody Richards HS1107 Why did Plato think women could be legitimate political guardians? Plato is often mistaken as a promoter of women's rights. He was not however interested in liberating women from their low status in society although for some women this may have been a consequence of his proposals. Instead, Plato was interested in what was best for his ideal state. Plato thought women could be legitimate political guardians as he reasoned that although they were physically inferior to men, women would be able to fulfil the same roles as men if they were educated in the same way. In book five (449-457b) of The Republic the reader can discern from the reasoning and discussion between the philosophers that Plato did indeed think women could be legitimate political Guardians. For something to be legitimate, it should be lawful, proper and should conform to the standard type. Legitimacy is used when describing a system of government and is based upon whether people accept the validity of a law or type of ruling. If the standard type to become a guardian was for men to be trained based on their natural capacities, then it would be legitimate for women to be trained in the same way if the differences between them was based only upon strength and the natural ability to conceive. The Guardians of the
bowling for columbine
Bowling for Columbine Michael Moore made this documentary to influence our opinion on whether we think guns are beneficial for protection or a justification to shoot someone. The film starts out as Moore goes to the bank and has an interview with a banker; civilians can get a gun at no cost from the bank if they register for an account. He later went to the barbers for a haircut and discovered that he could purchase bullets there! America is saturated with guns since the people of America have lived in fear since they sailed there thousands of years ago. It is stated in the law book that anyone over the age of 18 has the right to own a gun. Moore tells us and interesting but bloodcurdling fact about gun related deaths in different countries were; In Germany 381 people are killed a year, In France 255 In Canada 165 In Britain 68 In Australia 65 In Japan 39 In America 11,127 PEOPLE ARE KILLED A YEAR!!! This is a huge number just for gun deaths. But who is to blame for all these gun crimes and deaths? The Media? The President of the USA? Marilyn Manson? Bowling? (This is a joke that Moore makes during the film because that is what the two boys did before they killed all those children at Columbine school). He leaves you to decide but hints that it could be all 3! Marilyn Manson comes into the picture because he got sued for
