Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for History

The novel Oroonoko: A Critical Analysis

The novel Oroonoko, written by Aphra Behn (1610-1689), is one of the most important works of its time. Behn tells the story of Oroonoko, the prince of Coramantien in Africa, who becomes a slave after his woman, Imoinda, is captured. Behn, who was against slavery, contributed to the beginning of the novel in England. This essay aims to discuss the signs of racism in the novel, where Behn, despite her anti-slavery stance, makes some racist comments that reflect the prevailing attitudes of the time.

Throughout the novel, Behn idealizes Oroonoko, using a literary technique known as the idealization of the hero. However, she also makes racist comments, such as describing Oroonoko's nose as 'rising and Roman,... Continue reading "Racism in Aphra Behn's Oroonoko: A Critical Analysis" »

Solutions to the Great Depression

Maynard Keynes, an economist, proposed state intervention in the economy to stimulate investment, employment, and consumption.

Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed an economic program called the New Deal:

• Banks were forced to offer low-interest rates.
• Subsidies for agriculture were implemented to reduce production and eliminate surpluses.
• Working hours were reduced.
• Minimum wage and unemployment benefits were created.
• Public investment in infrastructure was increased to reduce unemployment.

Other countries adopted similar policies, and the economy began to recover.

Totalitarian Regimes: Fascism and Nazism

Characteristics of Totalitarianism

• Authoritarian System:
  • Controlled by a charismatic leader.
  • No freedom; only one political

1931 CONSTITUTION: The constitution was of left influence. It was approved on December 9, 1931.

State: Democratic Republic and National Sovereignty

·State: democratic republic and national sovereignty

Power Organisation:

• Legislative: congress (only one chamber)
• New figure: president of the Republic (elected for 6 years)
• Constitutional court was created

Women's Right to Vote

Many left-wing parties voted against it because women weren't prepared and they were very religious and easily influenced. They were afraid of left-wing parties obtaining more votes.

Citizens' Rights

Individual rights were accepted for the first time, including education, work, health, and housing.

Limit of Property Right

It was possible to disentitle lands in favor of general interests.

Postcolonial Writers and Themes

African Writers

• Buchi Emecheta - The Joys of Motherhood (Lagos, Nigeria)
• Wole Soyinka - Telephone Conversation / The Lion and... (Nigeria)
• Niyi Osundare - Not My Business (Nigeria)
• Gabriel Okara - Once Upon a Time / Spirit of the Wind (Nigeria)
• Nadine Gordimer - WSA - The Train of Rhodesia (South Africa)

Caribbean Writers

• Jamaica Kincaid - A Small Place (Antigua)
• Dolores Prida - Coser y Cantar (Cuba)
• V.S. Naipaul - "The Mystic Masseur" / "The Suffrage of Elvira" (Trinidad and Tobago)
• Derek Walcott - "Dream on Monkey Mountain" (Saint Lucia)

Indian Writers

• Salman Rushdie
• Bharati Mukherjee - The Management of Grief
• Arundhati Subramaniam - The Welsh Critic Who Doesn't Find Me Identifiably Indian
• Rabindranath Tagore

Other Writers

• Alice

Greece: An EU Member State

Greece joined the EU in 1981.

Location

Greece is located in southeastern Europe, bordering Turkey, Bulgaria, Albania, and North Macedonia.

Capital City

The capital city is Athens.

Currency

The euro is the official currency.

Religion

95% of the population belongs to the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Language

Greek is the official language.

Economy

Historically agriculture-based, Greece's economy is now led by industry. Tourism and shipping are also vital economic sectors. However, the Greek economy faces challenges, including high unemployment, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption. The financial crisis and austerity measures have led to public discontent and protests.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate in Greece has increased... Continue reading "Greece: Essential Facts, Economy, Culture, and Business Practices" »

Civil War: Examining Key Issues and Events

1. Frederick Douglass's Argument Against Slavery

How did Frederick Douglass argue against the institution of slavery? What evidence of the evils of slavery did he present?

Frederick Douglass highlighted that enslaved people were treated as property, lacking control over their own bodies. He pointed out that enslavers could buy, sell, and bequeath enslaved people like any other possession. Enslaved people were dictated what to eat and drink, when and where to speak, and whom to marry, and were often separated from their families.

2. Georgia's Reasons for Seceding

What reasons did Georgia give for leaving the Union?

Georgia argued that the Northern states had strived to weaken their security, disturbed their

The Black Death

Many people died in the 14th century as a result of crop failures, wars, or diseases. The plague appeared in Europe in 1347. It was a deadly epidemic caused by a bacterium that is transmitted to humans by fleas or black rats. More than a third of Europe's population died, and it took 150 years to recover. As a result, there were fewer farmers, abandoned lands, bad harvests, and declining revenues of the nobles and monasteries...and more fights to improve them. The nobles reinforced serfdom, which led to peasant revolts. Food shortages and the decline of craftwork were also causes of riots in the cities, which often ended up paying minorities due to religious fanaticism.

Castile and Aragon in the Middle Ages

The Crown of Castile

Although... Continue reading "The Black Death and the Iberian Kingdoms in the Middle Ages" »

Russian Revolution: The Path to Change

Russia Under Tsarist Rule: Seeds of Discontent

His government was unpopular for several reasons:

• The Tsar held absolute power; there was no parliament. The country's wealth and land were primarily owned by a noble class, and the Church was firmly on the Tsar's side.
• Peasant villages were controlled by the ‘mir’ (local council), which interfered in business and had the power to decide what peasants were allowed to own.
• The growth of industry led to a large working population, but workers faced poor conditions and low wages.
• In 1905, Russia suffered a humiliating defeat by Japan.
• There were widespread strikes and demonstrations, such as Bloody Sunday. Workers marched to the Tsar's Winter Palace asking for better

The Restoration (1815-1848)

The Restoration was a return to the political system of the Ancien Régime imposed by the victorious European powers (Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain) after Napoleon's defeat in 1815.

Supporters of the Restoration believed that the monarch was the only person capable of leading a country. Popular sovereignty and constitutions were seen as limitations on the monarchy's power.

Measures Adopted at the Congress of Vienna:

• Absolute monarchies were reinstated.
• Europe's borders were changed.
• European powers agreed to support any monarch threatened by revolution or attempts to limit their power.
• Two European alliances were formed to enforce the agreements:

1. Holy Alliance (Russia, Prussia, and Austria):

The monarchs... Continue reading "The Restoration and Liberal Revolutions" »

Germany

Weimar Republic

Economy

As the chart shows, parliamentary representation of certain groups declined as the Nazis took control of Germany and the country's economy began to deteriorate. However, from 1930, their representation began to increase, and with the establishment of capitalism, the economy improved until it collapsed (we can see a small dip in November 1932) and then recovered.

Key Events

Reichstag Fire

An arson attack on the Reichstag building on February 27, 1933, which resulted in the German parliament building burning down.

Night of the Long Knives

The night between June 30 and July 1, 1934, when Adolf Hitler, Gregor Strasser, Ernst Röhm, and Herman Göring were victims of a purge.

Night of Broken Glass

The night between November... Continue reading "20th Century European History Overview" »