MIDTERM PEOPLE Flashcards
Karl Marx
Wrote the Communist Manifesto which outlined the new economic system that would end in the overthrow of the bourgeois supremacy(by the rising of the proletariat). His ideology would be the basis for other countries seeking the way to overthrow their governments, such as Mexico, Turkey, and Russia during their respective revolutions.
Jules Ferry
Made a Speech to the French National Assembly where he discussed the arguments for France to get involved in imperialism. In particular, he worried about getting left behind in the game of global pursuit and also focused on the economic opportunity that imperialism would allow.
J.A Hobson
Wrote Imperialism, which went over the negative aspects of imperialism, including the lack of noble reasons(an excuse to exercise greed instead of civilizing the “savages”) and the funneling energy and resources away from more important establishments, such as the military, politics, and the economy. Provided a counter to both Jules Ferry’s Speech to the French National Assembly and Rudyard Kipling’s White Man’s burden by mentioning the reckless behavior that comes out of unqualified people being backed up by government officials to do as they will in foreign countries.
Anna Manning Comfort
Wrote Home Burdens of Uncle Sam in order to redirect the attention back to the countries that were focusing on colonizing Africa. As a direct response to Rudyard Kipling’s White Man’s Burden, Comfort illustrates the effects of imperialism(i.e. The slewing of the native Americans and the enslaving of black people, as well as the lack of rights for women- white women even) and emphasizes the need to fix problems within your country before trying to better others. For domestic problems in other countries she points to the corrupt government and the fact that while there isn’t a monarchy, the conditions of freedom are still limited.
Sigmund Freud
Wrote Civilization and Its Discontents as a response to the destruction caused by World War I in order to define man’s natural state and show that society hasn’t advanced as was expected after the enlightenment. His writing went over the trade-offs of living in civilization as well as the use of the feeling of guilt in order to curb violent instinct. Indicated that the feeling of disillusionment was to be expected after the war and that it wasn’t going to go away as long as man remained in society.
John Maynard Keynes
Wrote the Economic Consequences of the Peace where he argued the effectiveness of the Versailles Peace Treaty after World War I. He demonstrated the lack of economic planning for Europe, the increasing dependence on America and how the treaty set the place for increasing German bitterness, even more, he indicated that the lack of discussion with the Germans allowed for no reconciliation, despite there being peace made. He argued for a more generous peace for the economic well-being of Europe(not really for Germany’s sake).
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
In Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Inaugural Address, he outlines his method of improving the nation’s economy after the Great Depression. He starts by instilling a sense of patriotism to encourage the nation to get back on its feet then continues with the difficulties that need to be overcome: inflation, rising of taxes, lack of markets, lack of government income, and especially unemployment.
Joseph Stalin
Wrote the Tasks of the Economic Executives in order to push for a system that is free from capitalism and even has advantages over capitalism. He refers back to Lenin’s speech during the October Revolution that the nation either “perish, or overtake and outstrip the advanced capitalist countries”, generating the idea of “building socialism”, which is the elimination of backwardness(like destroying an old crumbling building to establish a new one in its place).
Benito Mussolini
Wrote the Doctrine of Fascism where he defined what fascism meant and what values were upheld by it. He spoke of fascism in a way where for political liberties, only those necessary are preserved and are determined by the state. Mussolini outlines the political structure as having a single ruler, which ends up being better than the alternatives in the long run(with a democratic government, you end up with exclusive circles of power at the top that is worse); Socially, there is a doctrine of ethics, where war will be used to maximum human energies to the revolutionary effort.
Toge Sankichi
Wrote the Poems of the Atomic Bomb where he details the devastation that followed the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Vividly captures the image of dead schoolgirls with only one eye, skin peeled off and bald. Demonstrates the shift to weapons of mass destruction and the capabilities to wipe out entire cities at once. This leads to questions about how far will people go with these weapons during the Cold War.
Primo Levi
Recounted his experience by writing Survival in Auschwitz- The Nazi Assault on Humanity. As a survivor, he illustrates not only the prior separation before the Jews were moved to the camps but also the feeling behind the concentration camps: the lack of clarity, the false hope, the loss of life before actually being executed. He later goes into the change of character and throwing away of morals for one man to better his living slightly during this dire situation(backstabbing those who were once on the same low level as he).
