Essay on
World War 2
War is one of the most tragic things in our world today. It is even sadder that usually it comes around at least once in our lifetime. In the 20th century alone we have already had two huge wars. These wars were call the World Wars simply because they involved most of the big countries of the world. Many people have died in these wars.. especially the second World War. That is my focus for this essay.
The leader of Germany at the time of WW2 and the person who most think started WW2 was a man named Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria. By the time that World War 1 started in 1914, he was living in Germany. He served well in the German Army and for that he earned a medal for bravery. At the end of the war Hitler decided to take up politics. By 1921 he was already the founding leader of the Nazi party. Hitler was an incredibly racist man and he had a great hate for Jews. By 1933, Hitler gained political power by winning the election. Soon after he made himself absolute dictator, calling himself the Fuhrer which means "Leader". By the end of the 30's he was already sending Jews off too concentration camps to meet a horrible death.
I believe that Hitler was one of the greatest causes of World War 2. Although there are many other reasons, he was definitely one of them. Another reason was the Treaty of Versailles. This was the treaty that was signed at the end of World War 1. This treaty outlined the rules that Germany must follow because of their defeat by Britain and France. Many Germans were angered by the treaty, for most of the rules in the treaty were unfair and Germany lost a great amount of wealth. One of the cruelest reasons for the war was Hitler's racist hate for Jews. He would send them off in cattle cars to places called concentration camps were they would be slaughtered by the thousands.
World War 2 was huge and involved a lot of countries. There were thousands of battlefronts and warsites. The two main battlefronts were the battle front between Britain and Germany and the battlefront between the Japanese and the Americans. These battlefronts were split up into smaller battlefronts even still. Many lives were lost in the air, on land and in the sea. Some of the most notable battles were: The Battle of Britain, The Battle of Midway and The Battle of the Atlantic.
Since the US and Canada were at war with the Japanese, Japanese Canadians were treated very poorly. The government had decided that all or most Japanese Canadians, even if they were born in Canada had either go home or go and live in one of the camps.
These camps were made to keep all the Japanese Canadians together in one location. But the fact was that these camps were very dirty and not fair treatment. Also, the government took away all Japanese possessions and without the Japanese knowing, they were auctioned off at a fraction of their original value! This treatment went on for all of World War 2 and Japanese Canadians were not treaty fairly for many years after. Just recently the government of Canada has decided to pay compensation for their losses but most agree that it doesn't even come close to what they lost.
One of the greatest outcomes of the war was the great world power shift. For more than a century Great Britain had been the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. But they used up too many resources in the wars and their status greatly decreased. One person even wrote that it is not Great Britain any more... it is just Britain. People all over the world suffered through this war. Hundreds of thousands of people died. All for the sake of their countries. And you know what? No one actually gained anything from it. The fact is that all of the countries (excluding the US) lost much, much more than what they gained. Britain lost their power, France lost lives and land, Germany lost everything and
Japan lost thousands of civilians in their suicidal attacks called Kamikazes.
In my opinion the war was a total waste. Although some people will tell you that we fought and gained the peace that we have today and have had for almost fifty years. People fought for 5 years and lost more than 50 billion dollars. Do think it was worth it? Now, maybe if governments use the past as a guide to the future we won't have to fight such a bloody battle ever again. Especially with nuclear weapons so easily obtainable.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
The Taiwanese Development Model from 1960 on
The Taiwanese Development Model Since 1960
According to Thomas Gold Taiwan offers a text book case of an elite-led revolution leading to social transformation. The stability of hard authoritarianism of the Taiwanese government laid the groundwork for Taiwanese development. The KMT's cohesiveness and political domination plus the economic development aid supplied by the United States also helped to provide good conditions for Taiwanese growth in the beginning. Once the KMT gained control of Taiwan they redistributed the land and launched a program of rehabilitation and industrialization. This period was responsible for the nationalization of many businesses formerly owned by the Japanese and the start of industrial production in Taiwan marked by a shift away from agriculture to industry. During the early period of industrialization Taiwan tried to create domestic markets for its goods. During the period from 1960 to 1973 Taiwan pursued export expansion in the area of industrial goods. During this period U.S. aid directed at Taiwan declined as did the islands geopolitical significance. To make up for this decline Taiwan focused on increasing its exports. The growth of the Taiwanese economy during this period according to Gold laid the ground work for the growth of opposition movements and loosening of the KMT"S grip on power. According to Gold this was because the changes in the Taiwanese economy brought about a middle class, a better educated populace, and a dispersion of industry through out the country. The Period from 1973 to 1984 Gold calls the time of industrial upgrading and the emergence of a political opposition. During this period Taiwan faced the oil shock, and increase in export prices due to a labor shortage that doubled workers salaries, a further loss of geopolitical prestige, and the growth of dissent and political opposition. Taiwan industrially during this time improved the quality and quantity of its exports.
The Taiwan industrial model was that of a elite run bureaucracy that tightly controlled its nations citizenry in authoritarian ways. This authoritarian government was able to effectively channel the energies of Taiwan toward modernization. This authoritarian government became a victim of its own success because as living and education standards rose the citizenry demanded a shift away from hard authoritarianism.
Taiwan is not a very good industrialization model for other countries to use outside of East Asia. This is because many of the factors that allowed Taiwanese industrialization were unique to Taiwan. First, Taiwan was colonized before 1950 by a developmentalist power, Japan to which is had close ties even after 1950. Second, Taiwan was the recipient of financial aid during its critical early years because of a inter-core competition for hegemony between China and the United States. Third, Taiwan benefited by having a implacable foe with a very different vision of development. Fourth, Taiwan was given breathing space following 1949, this enabled Taiwan to revive production and consolidate power without foreign powers interfering. All these factor make Taiwan unique from other nations that would try to copy it. One of the elements that nations should not copy from the Taiwan Model according to Gold is Taiwan's harsh authoritarian government which was much too strictly authoritarian and had a hard time changing as the attitudes of the Taiwanese people changed. (Gold's book was published years before the 1996 democratic elections in Taiwan) But Gold does say that Taiwan's development model does have some lessons that could be copied in other nations seeking to industrialize. These are a official commitment to development, land redistribution, fostering of agriculture, creation of extra-ministerial ministries to guide development, strategic credit allocation, collection and efficient management of data concerning the economy, investment in infrastructure and human capital, and proper allocation of foreign assistance. Taiwan's development model was a combination of an orwellian state and effective ways of industrializing. Taken as a whole the repressiveness of the Taiwanese model makes it undesirable for government to adopt; but other aspects of Taiwan's industrial policy could prove effective for countries outside of the pacific rim.
According to Thomas Gold Taiwan offers a text book case of an elite-led revolution leading to social transformation. The stability of hard authoritarianism of the Taiwanese government laid the groundwork for Taiwanese development. The KMT's cohesiveness and political domination plus the economic development aid supplied by the United States also helped to provide good conditions for Taiwanese growth in the beginning. Once the KMT gained control of Taiwan they redistributed the land and launched a program of rehabilitation and industrialization. This period was responsible for the nationalization of many businesses formerly owned by the Japanese and the start of industrial production in Taiwan marked by a shift away from agriculture to industry. During the early period of industrialization Taiwan tried to create domestic markets for its goods. During the period from 1960 to 1973 Taiwan pursued export expansion in the area of industrial goods. During this period U.S. aid directed at Taiwan declined as did the islands geopolitical significance. To make up for this decline Taiwan focused on increasing its exports. The growth of the Taiwanese economy during this period according to Gold laid the ground work for the growth of opposition movements and loosening of the KMT"S grip on power. According to Gold this was because the changes in the Taiwanese economy brought about a middle class, a better educated populace, and a dispersion of industry through out the country. The Period from 1973 to 1984 Gold calls the time of industrial upgrading and the emergence of a political opposition. During this period Taiwan faced the oil shock, and increase in export prices due to a labor shortage that doubled workers salaries, a further loss of geopolitical prestige, and the growth of dissent and political opposition. Taiwan industrially during this time improved the quality and quantity of its exports.
The Taiwan industrial model was that of a elite run bureaucracy that tightly controlled its nations citizenry in authoritarian ways. This authoritarian government was able to effectively channel the energies of Taiwan toward modernization. This authoritarian government became a victim of its own success because as living and education standards rose the citizenry demanded a shift away from hard authoritarianism.
Taiwan is not a very good industrialization model for other countries to use outside of East Asia. This is because many of the factors that allowed Taiwanese industrialization were unique to Taiwan. First, Taiwan was colonized before 1950 by a developmentalist power, Japan to which is had close ties even after 1950. Second, Taiwan was the recipient of financial aid during its critical early years because of a inter-core competition for hegemony between China and the United States. Third, Taiwan benefited by having a implacable foe with a very different vision of development. Fourth, Taiwan was given breathing space following 1949, this enabled Taiwan to revive production and consolidate power without foreign powers interfering. All these factor make Taiwan unique from other nations that would try to copy it. One of the elements that nations should not copy from the Taiwan Model according to Gold is Taiwan's harsh authoritarian government which was much too strictly authoritarian and had a hard time changing as the attitudes of the Taiwanese people changed. (Gold's book was published years before the 1996 democratic elections in Taiwan) But Gold does say that Taiwan's development model does have some lessons that could be copied in other nations seeking to industrialize. These are a official commitment to development, land redistribution, fostering of agriculture, creation of extra-ministerial ministries to guide development, strategic credit allocation, collection and efficient management of data concerning the economy, investment in infrastructure and human capital, and proper allocation of foreign assistance. Taiwan's development model was a combination of an orwellian state and effective ways of industrializing. Taken as a whole the repressiveness of the Taiwanese model makes it undesirable for government to adopt; but other aspects of Taiwan's industrial policy could prove effective for countries outside of the pacific rim.
The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire: Focus on Society
By the 16th century, the vast and mighty empire of the Ottomans
had reached the zenith of its power. The lands under Ottoman
rule stretched from the heart of Central Europe to the deserts of
Arabia. In nearly every respect, the Ottoman Empire was strong
and well-organized. As such, it comes as no surprise that the
people under Ottoman rule were organized in a neat power
structure as well. From the royal Sultan to the villagers in the
rayyah class, the people of the Empire each had a unique position
in Ottoman society.
At the very top of the pyramidal societal structure was the
Sultan, absolute commander of all, and executor of decisions
concerning politics and state wealth (for the purposes of serving
the state's interests). A step below the Sultan were a small
group of wealthy, esteemed leaders, who were ascribed special
status because they were essentially the Sultan's "slaves". The
main duties of this select little group were to protect and
enlarge the financial assets of the state for the benefit of
the Sultan and the Empire. These leaders also ruled and defended
the far-flung Ottoman Empire.
While the Sultan invested wealth and the leaders protected it,
the majority of commoners, the rayyahs, had the task of actually
producing the wealth. The rayyahs had to pay part of their
profits from industry, commerce, and farming to the state in the
form of taxes. Townsfolk, villagers, and pastoral peoples made up
the eclectic mix of the rayyah class. The word "rayyah" literally
translates into "the protected flock of the Sultan".
While Ottoman society was clearly divided into distinct social
classes, these classes were neither closed nor confining, meaning
that with the proper attributes and luck, a man could raise his
social status. For example, to be a member of the small ruling
class below the Sultan, one had to possess the following three
qualities:
- deep-rooted patriotism and loyalty for the Empire and the
Sultan.
- acceptance and practice of Islam, which was integrated into the
Ottoman lifestyle.
- knowledge and practice of the Ottoman Way, which consisted of
complex customs, behavior, and language.
If a rayyah possessed these qualities, he had a chance of
becoming one of the numbered leaders. On the other hand, if a
leader appeared to be lacking one or more of these qualities, he
could just as easily be removed from his position and sink to
being a rayyah again. The shaping force behind the Ottoman Empire
was most definitely the religion of Islam. As a result, religion
became a foremost guiding factor in people's lives. To maintain
religious harmony and unity among the diverse Muslim and non-
Muslim sects of the Empire, the rayyah class were given the right
to organize themselves as they wished. What happened next is that
people gravitated towards religion-dictated groups. The people of
each important religion and/or sect organized themselves into
self-centered, self-governing communities called millets.
Millets were like mini-states, that regulated smaller civic
matters such as marriages, deaths, etc. In a sense, the Ottoman
Empire was like the United States is today; a powerful "federal"
government that ruled from the seat of power in Istanbul, while
"millet state" governments ruled over their small vicinities. The
significance of millets is that they kept diverse peoples from
clashing too much, since each cultural/religious group maintained
a dignified distance from each other. This is not to say that the
populace of the Ottoman Empire could not get along together
though. The people of the Ottoman Empire were united through
other common interests, morals, and ideals, as well as by an
overwhelming unanimous loyalty to the Sultan himself.
Such was the harmonious and organized society of the Ottoman
Empire, the huge empire that left its mark on Turkey - and the
world - forever. Neatly categorized into unique positions, each
individual in the Ottoman Empire had his or her own part to play
in society, a role to fulfill in order to contribute to the
overall success of the state.
Word Count: 614
By the 16th century, the vast and mighty empire of the Ottomans
had reached the zenith of its power. The lands under Ottoman
rule stretched from the heart of Central Europe to the deserts of
Arabia. In nearly every respect, the Ottoman Empire was strong
and well-organized. As such, it comes as no surprise that the
people under Ottoman rule were organized in a neat power
structure as well. From the royal Sultan to the villagers in the
rayyah class, the people of the Empire each had a unique position
in Ottoman society.
At the very top of the pyramidal societal structure was the
Sultan, absolute commander of all, and executor of decisions
concerning politics and state wealth (for the purposes of serving
the state's interests). A step below the Sultan were a small
group of wealthy, esteemed leaders, who were ascribed special
status because they were essentially the Sultan's "slaves". The
main duties of this select little group were to protect and
enlarge the financial assets of the state for the benefit of
the Sultan and the Empire. These leaders also ruled and defended
the far-flung Ottoman Empire.
While the Sultan invested wealth and the leaders protected it,
the majority of commoners, the rayyahs, had the task of actually
producing the wealth. The rayyahs had to pay part of their
profits from industry, commerce, and farming to the state in the
form of taxes. Townsfolk, villagers, and pastoral peoples made up
the eclectic mix of the rayyah class. The word "rayyah" literally
translates into "the protected flock of the Sultan".
While Ottoman society was clearly divided into distinct social
classes, these classes were neither closed nor confining, meaning
that with the proper attributes and luck, a man could raise his
social status. For example, to be a member of the small ruling
class below the Sultan, one had to possess the following three
qualities:
- deep-rooted patriotism and loyalty for the Empire and the
Sultan.
- acceptance and practice of Islam, which was integrated into the
Ottoman lifestyle.
- knowledge and practice of the Ottoman Way, which consisted of
complex customs, behavior, and language.
If a rayyah possessed these qualities, he had a chance of
becoming one of the numbered leaders. On the other hand, if a
leader appeared to be lacking one or more of these qualities, he
could just as easily be removed from his position and sink to
being a rayyah again. The shaping force behind the Ottoman Empire
was most definitely the religion of Islam. As a result, religion
became a foremost guiding factor in people's lives. To maintain
religious harmony and unity among the diverse Muslim and non-
Muslim sects of the Empire, the rayyah class were given the right
to organize themselves as they wished. What happened next is that
people gravitated towards religion-dictated groups. The people of
each important religion and/or sect organized themselves into
self-centered, self-governing communities called millets.
Millets were like mini-states, that regulated smaller civic
matters such as marriages, deaths, etc. In a sense, the Ottoman
Empire was like the United States is today; a powerful "federal"
government that ruled from the seat of power in Istanbul, while
"millet state" governments ruled over their small vicinities. The
significance of millets is that they kept diverse peoples from
clashing too much, since each cultural/religious group maintained
a dignified distance from each other. This is not to say that the
populace of the Ottoman Empire could not get along together
though. The people of the Ottoman Empire were united through
other common interests, morals, and ideals, as well as by an
overwhelming unanimous loyalty to the Sultan himself.
Such was the harmonious and organized society of the Ottoman
Empire, the huge empire that left its mark on Turkey - and the
world - forever. Neatly categorized into unique positions, each
individual in the Ottoman Empire had his or her own part to play
in society, a role to fulfill in order to contribute to the
overall success of the state.
Word Count: 614
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