Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The war started in July 17th, 1936 when the right wing of Spain made a first attempt to make a coup d’etat, but it failed. The war consisted in the fight between the dominant groups of Spain during the restauration and the workers and bourgois, the first ones mentioned believed that a revolution was comming and after the elections they opted to do the coup d’etat.

Mexico and URSS provided the republic with guns and militar asesory through the Communist party and international brigades of people who wanted to fight against the fascism. In the other hand,  the kingdom of Italy, the Nazi Germany and the republic of Portugal supported Francisco Franco with guns and the Condor Legion in eschange of minerals and other products. Italy sent the Corpo Truppe. UK, USA and France were really prudent and didn't get involve.

This way both sides were becoming bigger and stronger until May 5th, 1937 in Barcelona, when the anarquists lost this encounter and it caused the rupture of the governement. After that day, another government was formed but it couldn’t stand the progress of Franco’s troops, so Juan Nergín formulated a treat called "Thirteen Point Program", which wanted to end the war by stablishing the republic again.

Finally, the lack of food and supplies and the recognition from France and Great Britain to Hitler’s Sudetes caused discouragement to the republicans who finally lost Cataluña in 1939 and ended with the recognition of Franco’s government in Spain. 

Lusitania

The Lusitania

In may of 1915, the RMS Lusitania sailed into warring waters. After being hit by a torpedo, the Lusitania sank in 18 minutes taking down 1200 souls with her. A torpedo from a german U-boat made impact with the Lusitania in its hull, and the impact made all the people aware of the terrible position of the ship. Then the Lusitania began to fail, and also explosions were presented. T

he ship was seriously damaged. The boat crew planned a way to evacuate the boat and also to solve the problem in the boat and also they sent the SOS signal for help, but because of the huge impact of the torpedo the water got really quickly inside to the boat, so the captain ordered to quickly evacuate the boat in the lifeboats. The electricity was totally off and the screams were presented in every single part of the boat. 

  

The crew shouted "Women and Children first!" so they can go first in evacuating the boat. The lifeboats were going away and some people who fell down to the sea were swimming for surviving

After 18 minutes of terror, the Lusitania finally sunk, taking lots of lives with her.

Forrest Gump

Movie Report

Forrest Gump is a movie that tells us about so much history about the USA and how a person influenced in those events of history (is a movie, so it is not true).

Forrest Gump is a boy who had a problem with his legs and he used a type of orthopedic equipment so he can walk. With this orthopedic equipment he taught a dance passage to a musician (Elvis Presley), and Forrest tells that later that musician was known as “The king”. After time he didn’t needed more those equipment and he could walk and run normally.

He played football with the University of Alabama because he noticed he could run so fast, he became part of the All-America of football and met the president John F. Kennedy. When he grew up he list in the USA army, there is where he met Bubba, who became his best friend in that time. He went to Vietnam because it that time USA and Vietnam had troubles and there was a war. Over there Forrest helped all his colleagues to survive but when he found Bubba he was in a bad status and died over there. After he returned to USA and he was awarded with a medal of honor because of being in war and survived. He formed part of a Hippie movement in that years, but he didn’t have idea of what it was. After his services for the army he join the ping pong team of USA and went to the Olympic Games in Asia. After winning the gold medal he came back and again visited the white house and met Richard Nixon.

He also appeared in a TV show together with John Lennon. With the money of playing ping pong he dedicated his life to the shrimping with his ex Lieutenant Dan of the USA Army, at the beginning they were failing with their mission but after a hurricane they were alone in the competition of shrimping. Both of them became rich and invest part of their money in a company of technology named Apple.

In the final of the story, Forrest marries Jenny because he discovers that they had a son, but later Jenny dies of a strange type of virus and Forrest takes care of his son for the rest of his life. The story ends when Forrest send his child to school and sits down in the same trunk as his mother sat when sent Forrest to school.

In summary this movie tells us the life of a common person but with some psicological problems and how he formed part of the history of his country. He formed part of wars, politics, movements, sport events, actual worldwide companies and social events.

Wartime letter

Wartime letter

Dear Mom & Dad:

Here I am in the middle of the war. I have seen my colleagues die in war, it's terrible to see how they fall to the ground and don't respond to my screams. 

Also I have 2 terrible notices,  I lost one arm in battle i was hit by an enemy gun and doctors needed to amputate it, but don't worry I'm totally fine. The other one is that my brother is in vegetal state because he received a bullet in his brain protecting me. I hope hi gets better in the future but the doctors say that he won't.

Hope to see both of you soon in home.I will come back to home in 2 months.

Your son, Alejandro

Modernism and Upstairs & Downstairs

Modernism Arts

Modernism was a movement in which happened during the 19th and 20th century. In this blog I will show you some pieces of art from this movement and talk about a chapter from the serie "Upstairs Downstairs".

This is a oil on canvas piece of art from the modernism. Was made by Georges-Pierre Seurat in the years between 1884 and 1886. This painting shows the landscape of a common day on the island "La Grande Jatte" in Paris.

This video was created in 1928 and published in 1929 by Anton Webern. It has the style of the early 20th century. It starts with a low tone until the half of the piece; then it turns stronger and then again low.

William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) United States

“This Is Just to Say”

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

I don't like at all poems, but in my opinion this one shows a way to apologise because of the actions a person did and also because the author found the way to express it on a poem, that's why i share it with you.

Upstairs, Downstairs

"Upstairs, Downstairs" is a British television serie based in the years between 1903 and 1930, and it  is about a high class family, the Bellamys, who lived in London, who live upstairs, and the servants of this family, who live downstairs. The serie show us a lot of things about how was life in Britain , specially the social and technological changes from then to now. 

the episode i watch of this serie, The King Edward XII went to dinner at their house. Sarah the exmaid because she got pregnant(the father was James). Unfortunately the baby wasn't able to born and died, so Sarah got back downstairs and serve the family. King Edward XII governed  from 1901 to 1910. He was the son of the Queen Victoria. His wife was Alexandra, but she just got married for politics interest.

• The servants don't go usually upstairs, just when they are required for and they are well treated.
• Manchester United is a football club from England and existed since those times.
• Houses in those years were so old but beautiful.

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

The British Empire

The Clapham Sect

• A group of reformers from London and the request was accepted by the Parliament in 1807
• They wanted to Christianize India
• Indians didn’t let the Clapham Sect christianize them.

David Livingstone

• Scotish explorer and missionary
• He was in the anti-salvery movement and wanted to start a commerce in Africa
• He spent several years exploring Africa
• He also wanted to spread the Christianity in Africa

British experiences in Africa and India

Africa:

• Accepted easily the Christianity religion
• Didn’t do a rebellion against Britain
• Became the British slaves

India:

• Rejected the Christianity religion
• After two years British got into India they started a rebellion
• Didn’t let the British make them their slaves

The Sepoy Mutiny

• Indians rejected Christianity
• The mutiny was used beacause the process of Christianize was succeding too slow
• This cause a war between India and British, but the Indians died in a cruel way, as prisioners and being executed
• A lot of British and Indians died in the battle 

Henry Morton Stanley

• American explorer and journalist
• He wanted to conquer Africa
• He found Livingstone in a village of Africa named: Tangayika

LINK TO THE VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZclmgPRrgM (remember it is just part 1, there you can find the other 4 parts)