Intro: On the 6th of June in 1944 the Allies landed in northern France. This opened the long-awaited "Second Front" against Hitler's Germany. The men had been fighting for nine long hard months over in Italy, despite this Normandy was in a strategically more important region. This was the setting to drive the Germans out of France destroy the National Socialist regime. Despite this the Germans were ready, this day in history would be one of the saddest, but greatest single victories in American history.
The war had been going on for a few years at the time of the invasion. Everyone had been locked in a gory, seemingly endless struggle for victory. By this time the Germans had been stopped and they were retreating into eastern Europe for further protection. The Germans occupied France but their defenses were being exhausted. The United States, with help from its allies had taken out thousands of German planes and locked down their vicious submarine warfare. Now the invasion of France seemed not only plausible but a necessary task the troops needed to accomplish if they were going to defeat he all-powerful Germany. Now was the time to act and everybody knew it.
Commanded by U.S army general Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Normandy assault phase was scheduled. It was codenamed "neptune" while the entire operation was given the alias "Overlord." Weather predicted satisfactory conditions on June 6th, the troops prepared for battle, but I don't think anyone could have expected the sheer magnitude of what was to take place.Followed by dozens of minesweepers, Hundreds of amphibious ships and craft, with warship support crossed the English channel. In addition three divisions of paratroopers dropped inland. Following a brief attack from the ship's guns thousands of troops stormed the shores. There were six divisions in total, three American, two British and one Canadian. After hard fighting and thousands of casualties, the day's end brought a strong foothold.
As the German counter-attacks were put to rest, the Allies consistently poured resources into France.With two months time sufficient reinforcements made it possible to break out from the Normandy perimeter. With this constant advancement and the Soviet's aggressive push in the east, Hitler's armies were showing immense signs of weakness. They were slowly being forced back into their homeland. The second world war had entered its climatic phase, one which would later lead to any ally victory. Had it not been for the brave men at the battle of Normandy, it is very possible the War could have shifted into German control.
Conclusion: The battle at Normandy was one of the single greatest triumphs in a single battle in American History. The brave men knew going into the battle that it would be difficult and most likely gruesome but realizing the battle needed to be won and that their countries livelihood depended on it, they charged into the fray. D-Day is a defining moment in American history, in many people's eyes it is the moment that changed the momentum of the war and ultimately lead to our victory. We the brave men and women who lost their lives defending our country our freedom, without them it could be a very different story.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
Sacco-Vanzetti Case
Sacco-Vanzetti Case
A mid-afternoon armed robbery of a shoe company in South Braintree, Massachusetts leaves a paymaster and security guard dead. What followed this unremarkable crime was unpredicted by most, it would become one of the most famous trials in American history and a huge case in understanding forensic crime detection.
The two men shot were Fred Parmenter and Alessandro Berardelli, they had taken sever shots as they attempted to move the payroll boxes of their New England shoe company. The two armed thieves were identified as italian and fled in a Buick. The car was found several days later and evidence found suggested a man named Mike Boda was involved in the robbery. However this man had already fled the country in route to Italy. The police did catch his colleagues, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, who each possessed loaded weapons at the time of their arrest. Sacco had the same type of weapon used to kill the security guards with bullets from the same manufacturer as those used to kill the two workers. In addition Vanzetti was identified as a participant in a previous robbery.
Both men were anarchists who believed that social justice would only occur through the destruction of governments. In the 1920s America developed a fear of communism and radical politics that resulted in an anti-immigrant hysteria. They used this fear to their advantage by getting support from the left wing with claims that the prosecution was politically motivating. Millions were raised in their defense and bombings even ensued because of this case. This money helped create a great defense, bringing forth more than 100 witnesses to testify on their behalf. However the crucial issue was the ballistic tests on the murder weapon possessed by Sacco. Prosecution experts claimed it was the murder weapon while defense experts stated otherwise. Whatever the case the two men were found guilty on July 14, 1921 and were given the death sentence.
More controversy ensued as a result of the verdict imposed on the two men. As they waited for death row a jailhouse confession by another criminal stirred more controversy. However better forensic advances proved without a doubt that the weapon Sacco was carrying was indeed the murder weapon. In August 1927 the two men were finally executed. However the new evidence still didn't halt all the controversy. In October 1961 and again in March 1983, more investigations were conducted but both came to the same verdict. On August 23, 1977, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis issued a statement that Sacco and Vanzetti had not received a fair trial.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Letter Home from a Soldier
Hello dearest family, have I missed you greatly. I hope everything at home is good, I know America is fighting to conserve resources to support this massive war effort. Everything about this war is scary. There are weapons that cause mass destruction and death everywhere. My basic training was short and I feel adequately prepared however the imminence of death is always in the back of my mind.
My journey started over 6 months ago. I was placed into basic training with my comrades, we were all fresh as they come. In a few short weeks I was considered ready for war. I was able to shoot my gun moderately well, I knew how to use my equipment and I was able to follow orders precisely. This was all I had. The training felt inadequate. Despite my fears I was ready, willing to do whatever necessary to win the war for my country, even at the cost of my own life.
Myself along with a group of several hundred other men were escorted by convey across the atlantic to Britain. The trip was agonizing, everyone had it in the back of their minds that a U-boat was stalking beneath us, ready to shoot and cause certain death for everyone on board. Despite this the trip was easy, we reached Britain in good time ready to join up with our allies. The squad stationed in Britain for a few days. We rested up from the trip and prepared to fight. Later that week we were officially set for battle, marching toward the french battlefront. What I saw was a maze of trenches as far as the eye could see. In between them were barren patches of land filled with barbed wire and bodies. The sight was the most gruesome and horrible thing I had ever seen.
War began immediately, we jumped in with a mixture of French, Britain and what appeared to be a few Italians although I don't speak the language. The trenches were harsh. There were men with legs blown off, others who had nasty defects on their faces from gases, unable to breath effectively. Despite this men didn't seem to slow down. Every so often a brigade of men would charge toward the enemies defenses. They would heave ever explosive and gas they possessed into the enemies trench. This sometimes caused mass death for the opposition but in most cases the charges would face a quick and easy death. Machine guns watched over this "no mans land" and anyone caught in its wake would not last long. This charging and submission would reoccur often, both sides taking part in the charging. I could hear the screams of my comrades and enemies alike pierce the air. It made me sick to my stomach but I had to fight. Finally after weeks in the trenches with sub-par food and seeing thousands of men die we managed to prevail.
The Germans were running out of resources. My men told me they had resorted to using seniors and boys for the war. Exhausting every last resource they had trying to prevail. Despite this resistance to defeat they could not hold on any longer. We received the official word of surrender from our American commander, the room was overjoyed. Not another man would die before seeing his family one last time. I was giddy and the festivities were immense. From what I see now I will be returning home in due time. Able to once again care for those dearest to me. This is a great day for the allies, one that puts an end to the terrible events that have taken place.
My journey started over 6 months ago. I was placed into basic training with my comrades, we were all fresh as they come. In a few short weeks I was considered ready for war. I was able to shoot my gun moderately well, I knew how to use my equipment and I was able to follow orders precisely. This was all I had. The training felt inadequate. Despite my fears I was ready, willing to do whatever necessary to win the war for my country, even at the cost of my own life.
Myself along with a group of several hundred other men were escorted by convey across the atlantic to Britain. The trip was agonizing, everyone had it in the back of their minds that a U-boat was stalking beneath us, ready to shoot and cause certain death for everyone on board. Despite this the trip was easy, we reached Britain in good time ready to join up with our allies. The squad stationed in Britain for a few days. We rested up from the trip and prepared to fight. Later that week we were officially set for battle, marching toward the french battlefront. What I saw was a maze of trenches as far as the eye could see. In between them were barren patches of land filled with barbed wire and bodies. The sight was the most gruesome and horrible thing I had ever seen.
War began immediately, we jumped in with a mixture of French, Britain and what appeared to be a few Italians although I don't speak the language. The trenches were harsh. There were men with legs blown off, others who had nasty defects on their faces from gases, unable to breath effectively. Despite this men didn't seem to slow down. Every so often a brigade of men would charge toward the enemies defenses. They would heave ever explosive and gas they possessed into the enemies trench. This sometimes caused mass death for the opposition but in most cases the charges would face a quick and easy death. Machine guns watched over this "no mans land" and anyone caught in its wake would not last long. This charging and submission would reoccur often, both sides taking part in the charging. I could hear the screams of my comrades and enemies alike pierce the air. It made me sick to my stomach but I had to fight. Finally after weeks in the trenches with sub-par food and seeing thousands of men die we managed to prevail.
The Germans were running out of resources. My men told me they had resorted to using seniors and boys for the war. Exhausting every last resource they had trying to prevail. Despite this resistance to defeat they could not hold on any longer. We received the official word of surrender from our American commander, the room was overjoyed. Not another man would die before seeing his family one last time. I was giddy and the festivities were immense. From what I see now I will be returning home in due time. Able to once again care for those dearest to me. This is a great day for the allies, one that puts an end to the terrible events that have taken place.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
WW1 Causes
The Spark that led to the War:
The spark that led to the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. On June 28, 1914 he and his wife were visiting the Bosnian Capital of Sarajevo. Franz ignored warnings of potential terrorist attacks and carried out his visit as planned. They were parading around the city in a convertible car when a revolutionary named Gavrilo Princip rushed their open car and shot them both to death. He was a member if a Serbian nationalist group nicknamed the "Black Hand." The Austria-Hungary empire had been looking for an excuse to take down Serbia for a period of time, now they had their excuse. War was declared after Austria-Hungary ensured their alliance with Germany. This declaration of war opened a network of alliances that were already in place, 'World War I' was in full effect.
Main Causes of World War I:
Militarism, alliance system, imperialism and nationalism.
-Militarism is the idea that a country should have a strong military and they should be able to use it when necessary. The navies for this war were so powerful because of the competition. Initially Britain had the strongest navy and had for hundreds of years. Germany saw this and began expanding theirs as well. It was a race to see who could build the most ships and be best equipped for battle. This prepared countries for the war with a strong naval force.
-This was the formal agreement that countries made with each other. They were agreeing that in case of a war they would back each other up. This made the war bloodier because instead of two countries there was a web of others in the alliance system who were brought in.
-Imperialism is the idea that a bigger, more powerful country takes over a smaller weaker company either to annex it or get some gain. Countries also did this to gain military forts in different locations around the world so they could be closer if a fight broke out. Building their colonies was a big thing and countries competed heavily to imperialize, especially in the early 1900s. This rivalry sparked argument and confrontation among countries.
-Nationalism is a deep loyalty to one's country. Gavrillo Princip was a Serbian nationalist who triggered the war by killing the archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. Because Austria-Hungary controlled Serbia at the time this killing was an example of a deep loyalty to one's country. Unfortunately this little spark led to WWI and opened a web of alliances.
A) Unrestricted submarine warfare(January 1915-1918). Germany announced they would sink any ship they found in the waters around Britain. This angered the United States and other alike, this broke a treaty saying U-boats couldn't attack civilian vessels. This led to the sinking of the Lusitania and was a main reason to why the U.S entered the war.
B) The Lusitania was a British passenger liner that entered the German war zone despite warnings. A German U-Boat fired on the ship, killing nearly 1,200 people-including 128 Americans on May 7, 1915. Many Americans were outraged and regarded this as an act of terrorism not war. This was one of the sparks that influenced the Americans to enter World War I.
C) The sussex pledge occurred as a result of Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare. In Late March, 1916 President Wilson demanded that the German government abandoned its methods of submarine warfare or risk war with the United States. Germany, not wanting to strengthen the allies further, agreed with certain conditions not to sink the ships without warning. The Sussex Pledge met the foreign policy goals of both Germany and President Wilson and kept the U.S out of the war a little longer.
D) In January 1917, a German official named Arthur Zimmerman cabled the German ambassador in Mexico to propose an offer to the Mexican government. This proposed Mexico to ally with German incase they went to War with the U.S. In return Mexico would return some of its lost territory in the U.S. This message was intercepted by British intelligence and they informed the U.S. Now the furious Americans concluded war with Germany was necessary. This helped the U.S join the allies side and become part of WWI.
The spark that led to the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. On June 28, 1914 he and his wife were visiting the Bosnian Capital of Sarajevo. Franz ignored warnings of potential terrorist attacks and carried out his visit as planned. They were parading around the city in a convertible car when a revolutionary named Gavrilo Princip rushed their open car and shot them both to death. He was a member if a Serbian nationalist group nicknamed the "Black Hand." The Austria-Hungary empire had been looking for an excuse to take down Serbia for a period of time, now they had their excuse. War was declared after Austria-Hungary ensured their alliance with Germany. This declaration of war opened a network of alliances that were already in place, 'World War I' was in full effect.
Main Causes of World War I:
Militarism, alliance system, imperialism and nationalism.
-Militarism is the idea that a country should have a strong military and they should be able to use it when necessary. The navies for this war were so powerful because of the competition. Initially Britain had the strongest navy and had for hundreds of years. Germany saw this and began expanding theirs as well. It was a race to see who could build the most ships and be best equipped for battle. This prepared countries for the war with a strong naval force.
-This was the formal agreement that countries made with each other. They were agreeing that in case of a war they would back each other up. This made the war bloodier because instead of two countries there was a web of others in the alliance system who were brought in.
-Imperialism is the idea that a bigger, more powerful country takes over a smaller weaker company either to annex it or get some gain. Countries also did this to gain military forts in different locations around the world so they could be closer if a fight broke out. Building their colonies was a big thing and countries competed heavily to imperialize, especially in the early 1900s. This rivalry sparked argument and confrontation among countries.
-Nationalism is a deep loyalty to one's country. Gavrillo Princip was a Serbian nationalist who triggered the war by killing the archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. Because Austria-Hungary controlled Serbia at the time this killing was an example of a deep loyalty to one's country. Unfortunately this little spark led to WWI and opened a web of alliances.
A) Unrestricted submarine warfare(January 1915-1918). Germany announced they would sink any ship they found in the waters around Britain. This angered the United States and other alike, this broke a treaty saying U-boats couldn't attack civilian vessels. This led to the sinking of the Lusitania and was a main reason to why the U.S entered the war.
B) The Lusitania was a British passenger liner that entered the German war zone despite warnings. A German U-Boat fired on the ship, killing nearly 1,200 people-including 128 Americans on May 7, 1915. Many Americans were outraged and regarded this as an act of terrorism not war. This was one of the sparks that influenced the Americans to enter World War I.
C) The sussex pledge occurred as a result of Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare. In Late March, 1916 President Wilson demanded that the German government abandoned its methods of submarine warfare or risk war with the United States. Germany, not wanting to strengthen the allies further, agreed with certain conditions not to sink the ships without warning. The Sussex Pledge met the foreign policy goals of both Germany and President Wilson and kept the U.S out of the war a little longer.
D) In January 1917, a German official named Arthur Zimmerman cabled the German ambassador in Mexico to propose an offer to the Mexican government. This proposed Mexico to ally with German incase they went to War with the U.S. In return Mexico would return some of its lost territory in the U.S. This message was intercepted by British intelligence and they informed the U.S. Now the furious Americans concluded war with Germany was necessary. This helped the U.S join the allies side and become part of WWI.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz, Austria, on December 18, 1863. He was a member of a prestigious group who ruled the Holy Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Spanish Empire. His early life was spent in the military. Beginning at age 12 he worked hard to receive the rank of major general by 31. After his father's death from typhoid fever and the suicide of the emperor's son Franz was in line to take the throne. After some complications because of her background he married Countess Sophia Chotek under the agreement that his successors could not take the throne because they would be related to her.
Franz was a cold, sharp-tongued and short-tempered leader. Despite this, he had many important contributions to the country. He advocated giving equal treatment to the country made up of a variety of races and nationalisms. He continued to work toward improvements and tried his best to ignore those who threatened and went against him. Then in the summer of 1914, Franz and his wife Sophia accepted an invitation to visit the capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo. He had been warned before hand of terrorist activity but he ignored the warnings. The couple arrived by train and were driven through town in a car with the top rolled down to give the crowds a good view. As they were driving a grenade was thrown at the car, this assassination attempt angered Franz and he yelled at the spectators in disgust. On the route back to the palace the archduke's driver took a wrong turn where nationalist Gavrilo Princip was waiting. He shot the couple and they both died before they could reach the hospital.
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand gave the people of Austria-Hungary an excuse to take action against serbia and put an end to their fight for independence. In July of 2014 the situation escalated after demands were not meant by the serbians. War was declared and the web of alliances formed before were activated. As Russia declared was on Austria-Hungary, Germany did the same to Russia. France,Britain and later the U.S declared war on Germany. World War I had officially begun. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand would be known as the spark that lead to the war.
Source: http://www.biography.com/people/franz-ferdinand-9300680?page=2
Monday, December 9, 2013
Books I would like to read, fitting into our curriculum.
http://www.amazon.com/The-War-That-Ended-Peace-ebook/dp/B00CNQ9PFK/ref=zg_bs_5030_4
This book looks very interesting, from first glance it looks like a book relating to the events leading up to the war. Books are always going over the war and what happened. However it would be nice to have a book specifically focused on the what caused the war as they are usually summarized in textbook readings.
http://www.amazon.com/Holocaust-Books/lm/RC42EX9NIQM3N
Any of these books about the holocaust intrigue me. In my opinion this is one of the biggest tragedies, if no the biggest in human history. In past classes we've spent little more than a couple of weeks on the subject so it would be cool to read a whole book on it in order to truly grasp the tragedy in full.
This book looks very interesting, from first glance it looks like a book relating to the events leading up to the war. Books are always going over the war and what happened. However it would be nice to have a book specifically focused on the what caused the war as they are usually summarized in textbook readings.
http://www.amazon.com/Holocaust-Books/lm/RC42EX9NIQM3N
Any of these books about the holocaust intrigue me. In my opinion this is one of the biggest tragedies, if no the biggest in human history. In past classes we've spent little more than a couple of weeks on the subject so it would be cool to read a whole book on it in order to truly grasp the tragedy in full.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Progressive Era- The Jungle
1) What qualities did Sinclair believe a person must have to succeed in Packingtown?
The person had to be a knave. The man who told tales and spied upon his fellows would rise.
2)According to the passage, what is the plant owner's main goal.
The plant owners main goal was to make as much money out of it as he could and he didn't care how he did it.
3) What does Sinclair mean when he says, "...there was no place in it where a man counted for anything against a dollar....?"
He's saying that men didn't mean anything to the owners. They were measured by how much work they could do and how much money they could make the company. Afterwards they were thrown out, there were no emotional ties or hard feelings just strictly business.
4)Research an area that our government enforces now (meat packing, environment, pharmaceuticals) and report how this is enforced today.
I focused on meatpacking. Today the government has a number of laws regarding meat packing. I chose to highlight a few of the standouts. First off they inspect the conditions of the factory. Specifically how sanitary it is kept, to make sure safety is a top priority and how the meat is inspected and shipped. They also enforce hours; there are certain regulations governing how long a worker can be in the factory during one day. These laws specifically are enforced by supervisors and health inspectors. Their job is to go to factories and make sure everything is in order. They often pose as workers to make sure there is no deceiving by management. Workers are also interviewed to make sure factory life is safe, respectful and strictly professional. Meat is inspected often to make sure they are taking proper precautions to make sure the meat is produced properly. There a number of laws focusing on meat packing that are standard for each state. The meatpacking industry employees over 500,000 workers so enforcement of laws and sanitation are very important.
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