Modris Eksteins presented a tour-de-force interpretation of the political, social and cultural climate of the early twentieth century. His sources were not merely the more traditional sources of the historian: political, military and economic accounts; rather, he drew from the rich, heady brew of art, music, dance, literature and philosophy as well. Eksteins examined ways in which life influenced, imitated, and even became art. Eksteins argues that life and art, as well as death, became so intermeshed as to be indistinguishable from one another. The title of the book, The Rites of Spring, and the plunge into the world of the Ballet Russe in the first chapter, made clear that Eksteins intended to use Stravinsky's ballet as an image for thinking about The Great War. (The ballet itself was a microcosm of war and the events surrounding the presentation of this ballet involved a war of a different sort.) He showed that, just as Anglo/Franco music and dance were stagnant and ripe for being changed, so were the political and social constructs of those nations heavy with the accumulated weight of their own self-importance. Britain, long self-satisfied, set herself as guardian of the status quo. Although she purported to be a champion of liberty and democracy, this was only true when it suited her goals. One did not need to look far to find examples of British resolutely and unashamedly trampling opposition when she felt it in her interest to do so. France, on the other hand, although supremely confident of herself in matters of taste be it art, music, fashion or literature had never developed a clear and exact idea of itself as a political entity. After the defeat of the Second Empire, she entered into a period of self-doubt and he... ... middle of paper ... ...onger. But a generation later, the game was on once again; the war aims were much the same. Germany felt it must defend its way of life and stand up for progress. Britain wanted to defend the status quo but it used the excuse of the invasion of another country as the immediate pretext for entry: first Belgium, later Poland. In both world wars, Germany was the innovator, morally and technologically. Britain and France were fighting previous wars while Germany led the way in technology, techniques and tactics. Eksteins provided no concrete conclusion to his work. He ended by hinting to the future as Germany faced her worst disaster, she was envisioning an everlasting Spring. But he did not venture to predict or preclude any events. He presented his work and the audience was free to hoot and whistle, or cheer and clap, just as they were back in Paris, 29 May 1913.
Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many European nations began to increase their military spending. Between 1910 and 1914, “France increased her defence expenditure by 10%, Britain by 13%, Russia by 39%, and Germany was the most militaristic as she increased by 73%” (World). Europe industrialized throughout the eighteenth century, which allowed them to develop and produce large volumes of new and deadly weaponry. Many Europeans also increasingly began to use military strength as a way to prove nationalism, which is why there was such a large increase in military spending during this period. In Germany and the Next Great War, which was written in 1911, Friedrich von Bernhardi stated that the Germany “must secure to German nationality and German spirit throughout the globe that high esteem which is due them” (Bernhardi). Bernhardi was a strong supporter of the German military, as he saw it as a way to assert German nationalism and prove that Germany was a dominant force. He, along with other Germans, thought that increasing the German military would enable Germany to become a powerful nation. Brandon Brown, the author of the textbook Causes of World War I (The Great War), stated that these European nations quickly found a “reason to use their militaries against each other in an attempt to prove who is superior” (Brown). European nations used military power as a way to assert global power throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This resulted in growing tensions throughout Europe, which contributed to World War
I read a book about the Boston Massacre the was originally named the bloody massacre. The amount of killed persons is generally accepted to be 5 people. The Fifth of March is a 1993 novel about the Boston Massacre (of March 5, 1770) by historian and author Ann Rinaldi, who was also the author of many other historical fiction novels such as Girl in Blue and A Break with Charity. This book is about a young indentured servant girl named Rachel Marsh who finds herself changing as she meets many people, including young Matthew Kilroy, a British private in the 29th regiment.
Germany continued to push buttons resulting in the world jumping into a World War. Nations desired to grow and gain more influence. Danger increased while others selfish dictators were trying to bloom. In The Treaty of Versailles an article stated that German troops were forbidden from entering
Germany was economically frail subsequent to World War I. The Treaty of Versailles had held them accountable for the cause, and the Great Depression further deteriorated their condition. Germany was ambitious for power and resources. Envisioning world domination, Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany, led his Nazi Party to invade Poland in 1939. France and Britain guaranteed to offer military support if Poland were to become attacked; they declared war, initiating World War II.
Fischer believes that the First World War was not a preventative war, but that it was planed and launched by Germany aggressively in order to dominate whole Europe. Furthermore Fischer sees Bethmann Hollweg in the role of the main constructor of the German policy during the July Crisis in 1914, and also as a central figure in the development of Germany’s expansionist goals once the war started.
Johnson, Priscilla and Leopold Labdez (eds.). Khrushchev and the Arts: the politics of Soviet Culture, 1962-64. MIT Press, 1965.
Over the decades, art has been used as a weapon against the callousness of various social constructs - it has been used to challenge authority, to counter ideologies, to get a message across and to make a difference. In the same way, classical poetry and literature written by minds belonging to a different time, a different place and a different community have somehow found a way to transcend the boundaries set by time and space and have been carried through the ages to somehow seep into contemporary times and shape our society in ways we cannot fathom.
This might come as a surprise to some, but Germany almost won the First World War. Germany was once very close to winning the war. Their submarine warfare was taking a hard toll on Britain. Between February and June, one of every four of Britain’s large freighters never returned. The French and British armies were weakening. The French and British had worn themselves out by taking the offensive, Germany having had taken the defensive. Germany held their trench positions while they took the offensive position against the Russians, in the East. They wanted to defeat Russia and then move their Eastern armies to the West, to defeat the weakened French and British. When Russia pulled out of the war because of their new leadership under Vladimir Lenin and his Bolshevik Party, the Allied troops suffered greatly. Russia’s exit exposed French and British troops to a much bigger German force. When Russia left, Lenin published secret Allie treaties revealing that Britain and France had expected to expand their nations and empires through war, this hurt the Allies greatly. In March and April of 1918, Germany began a vast offensive attack against the British and French. The German troops eventually reached the Marne River. They were in striking distance of Paris. Right then, American troops came to reinforce the French. Germany had just lost its best chance for vi...
§ Britain was almost always ahead yet they continuously felt threatened. § Failure to accommodate Germany as a major power. Para3: § Military rivalry. § The arms race between Germany and Russia.
Winter in the Blood, a Native American novel written by James Welch, takes place on a cattle ranch in Montana, around 1970. On the surface, this is a story of a Blackfoot Indian sleepwalking through his life, tormented by visions, in search of a connection to his heritage. Welch's language is, at once, blunt and poetic, and the pictures it conjures are dreamlike and disquieting. Furthermore, the narrator of the novel is disheartened by the loss of his brother, Mose, and his father, First Raise ? the two most cherished people in his life. After struggling with guilt, sorrow, and alcoholism, the narrator overcomes these down falls through re-identifying with himself and his culture? specifically through the help of his grandfather, Yellow Calf.
The first underlying cause of WWI was greed. People always want more than what they have. The countries from the Triple Alliance wanted more land, power, or wealth than what they owned. Germany despised Great Britain at the time, because of the number of colonies they had. In Document --, a German cartoonist drew a propaganda poster, claiming "England is the bloodsucker of the world". This appears that Germany is very fearful of England taking control of the world. It also shows that Germany aspires to be as large of a country of Great Britain. Also, in document 16, in the spring of 1914, before the war started,
Elements of this piece that helped shape a new musical language for thee twentieth – century would consist of Stravinsky experimenting with rhythm and new combinations of instruments. The way he uses dissonance in his pieces as well polyphonic and polytonal textures. His ballets were strongly nationalistic but contained rites of Russia in ancient times. On the opening night of The Rite of Spring, he caused a riot to ensue because it wasn’t like a regular ballet, it was totally different. It consisted of no ballet dancing at all, but more of a chant dance, the different melodies and the change in dissonance caused the ballet to be viewed as a frightening experience to some. Spring is something that is viewed as beautiful, light, loving and this ballet showed none of this, from the point of view of those who attended that night.
As the twilight of Russian Realism was approaching, Russian modernism was on the way to its awakening. Due to the modernism movement, many different styles of art, and not to mention poetry, came to be. So, what exactly is modernism, one might ask. Modernism is described as breaking up with the past and promoting innovation along with creation; coming up with the next new thing. It is looking for new forms or ways to express one’s self. Modern artists and poets agreed that works of art shouldn’t be created for utilitarian purposes, rather for art’s sake; doesn’t necessarily have to have a purpose or meaning behind it. One shouldn’t have to make art solely to depict the common lifestyle, but rather to experiment with colors, shapes, forms, and textures. Thus, making art that is fresh and new. Ultimately, modernism is the exact opposite of realism, which strictly emphasizes the everyday life, the average, and the typical. Thus, the Silver Age has arose and continued for a couple of decades of the 20th century.
Art and literature work independently of each other, however, they can be linked together to help a reader or observer understand in new ways and create new possibilities. Within this context, the perspective of Jacob Lawrence and the authors address that it takes work to build the ideal society and family. However, the authors give the stark reality of both society and family demonstrating that our reality is nothing like the ideal.
For over two thousand years, various philosophers have questioned the influence of art in our society. They have used abstract reasoning, human emotions, and logic to go beyond this world in the search for answers about arts' existence. For philosophers, art was not viewed for its own beauty, but rather for the question of how art and artists can help make our society more stable for the next generation. Plato, a Greek philosopher who lived during 420-348 B.C. in Athens, and Aristotle, Plato’s student who argued against his beliefs, have no exceptions to the steps they had to take in order to understand the purpose of art and artists. Though these two philosophers made marvelous discoveries about the existence of art, artists, and aesthetic experience, Plato has made his works more controversial than Aristotle.