Vietnam

Vietnam. The war America lost, and I believe, never truly recovered from. Here, I will go over a history of Vietnam from prior to World War II, all the way through the Vietnam War. This wide range of years is necessary to study to gain true insight into the country of Vietnam, rather then just the years in which war took place.

So, Vietnam was an independent country that, after multiple years of conquest by the French, became part of French Indochina in 1885. While the French made multiple changes to the country, such as a western-styled set up of modern education and the like, the French also forced Vietnam to be based on a plantation economy, forcing them to grow tobacco, coffee, tea and indigo for export. Many Vietnamese were upset at the French for ignoring their arguments for self-government and civil rights. Several attempts at breaking free from French control occurred, but all failed. That is, until after World War II.

During World War II, France was invaded by Nazi Germany, and taken over. Part of France, named Vichy France, joined with Nazi Germany. This caused the French forces in Vietnam to surrender to the Japanese, who then took over and used all the natural resources of Vietnam in its' war efforts.

We Need More Dragons!

A leader for the Vietnamese emerged during this time. In 1941, the Viet Minh – a communist and nationalist liberation movement – emerged under Ho Chi Minh to seek independence for Vietnam from France as well as to oppose the Japanese occupation.

Pretty Clear What They Wanted

As World War II came to an end, the Japanese left Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh took control. At the same time, France was sending troops down to take back control of Vietnam. This did not sit too well with Ho Chi Minh and his followers. On November 20, 1946, triggered by the Haiphong Incident, the First Indochina War between Viet Minh and the French forces ensued, lasting until July 20, 1954. Eventually, a cease fire was reached, splitting Vietnam into two parts--the Communist North, and the Democratic South, with a Demilitarized Zone in between. This would not last long, however.

As time went on, it became clear that neither North or South Vietnam were the "utopias for the people" they claimed to be. Both were totalitarian governments, with the Communist government in the North killing those it believed were trying to undermine it, and the government in the South jailing thousands it believes to be "subversive Communists". Thousands were jailed or killed in both North and South. Then came the Buddhist demonstrations. Angry with the way Buddhist religion was being treated in South Vietnam (the Buddhist flag was banned, and innocent Buddhist civilians were shot and killed). Unlike most demonstrations, these Buddhist demonstrations were a bit more hardcore. Like they lit themselves on fire in protest kind of hardcore.

WARNING: DISTURBING IMAGES COMING UP! SCROLL QUICK IF YOU DON'T WISH TO SEE!

Yes, This Is Real

Yeah, the Buddhists were not happy at all. As the instability in the region continued to grow, with coup after coup taking place. the Communists began to gain ground. As part of it's Domino Theory, where if an area fell to Communism, the other countries in the area would be quick to follow, the United States began to send troops to South Vietnam in an effort to prevent the Communists from taking complete control.

United States:  Damn! There goes the entire southern hemisphere!

This would become the second longest war America has ever fought, second only to Afghanistan. At its peak, over 500,000 troops were stationed in Vietnam, and fighting was constant. The war saw the largest use of military helicopters of any war, before or after.

GET TO THE CHOPPA!

As the war dragged on, and U.S. casualties mounted, it became clear that the citizens of the United States were tired of the war. Mass anti-war rallies were taking place, and the counter-culture at the time was pretty pissed off.

"End The War, Man! And Give Us More Weed!"

The Last Photo Of These Hippies Before Eric Cartman Got To Them.

Eventually, under the Nixon administration, the United States began to pull out, under the slogan "Peace With Honor". It would be one of the only good things Nixon did with his term as president.

"Now Shut Up, You Damn Hippies!"

The North Vietnamese Army eventually took control of South Vietnam, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was formed. The forced mass collectivization of farms and factories the Communist government enforced led to a huge famine, and many tried to flee the country. This caused a huge humanitarian crisis.

Being On A Boat--Definitely Not As Cool Back Then

Eventually, the government would change things up and things began to improve. Now, Vietnam holds diplomatic relations with over 172 countries and is involved in organizations such as the United Nations, ASEAN, NAM, etc.

The storied past of Vietnam is often overlooked by those in the United States, who tend not to think of the small nation, but I believe it is important to learn everything one can about other nations. This world is a small place, and with the advance of technology and economical markets being so interdependent on each other, knowing everything one can is of much importance.

Until Next Time!

World War II Vs. The Entertainment Industry

 Well, this is my first attempt at my hybrid rant. I am going to try and combine education, along with an issue that I bothers me (and I'm sure other people possibly as well). I am going to try and make this educational, but at the same time, entertaining and insightful.

There are some points in here that are disturbing, and which I will not attempt to take lightly, so just a warning.

True, I know history is known as a boring subject, and as one girl I know said

"Yeah, History is kind of boring, the teacher is blah blah blah old dead guy, blah blah blah 1947 blah blah"

So I am going to attempt to make this article interesting as possible, while retaining historical accuracy.

Shown: Total Historical Accuracy

As many know (I would really hope they know, anyway), World War II was fought from 1939 to 1945, between the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan, versus the Allied powers of England, France, Russia and eventually, America.

Hitler invaded Poland and quickly worked his way through France. After failing at the Battle of Britain, Hitler apparantely got jealous  of Stalin's moustache and decide to invade Russia. This would be his greatest mistake, as it would cost him the war.

Hitler is sad his facial hair will never be as awesome as Stalin's

During this time, Germany was also rounding up and killing Jews, Gypsies, the disabled, homosexuals, etc. This is the key point I make. If you fast forward to today, when one thinks of Nazi Germany, what do they think of? The nations conquest of the world? No, the first thought if the mass murder and atrocities it committed. While this is important, it has also blinded us to what Nazi Germany was.

The United States committed many atrocities against Native Americans, but very few people look back on that with much thought. It was just seen as "land expansion" for the U.S.

Yeah, we're kind of douche bags like that

In many of the movies and video games involving WW II, the Germany military is seen as evil in its own right. Killing German soldiers is not only seen as a normal thing, but it is encouraged, and turned into a sport even, n some movies and games.

Inglorious Basterds (copy and paste to view)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOMKloOEKcU&feature=related

Brothers in Arms: Furious Four Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA_gXXU21jQ

My main issue here is the Brothers in Arms game. This series has sevral games out that are FOCUSED primarily on REALISTIC combat and tactics in World War II.

Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway--Realism Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMWMgX9DKWs

Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa6E2414sYY

The characters each have a story, everyone is important, and the loss of anyone guy resonates with the player. To have that idea tossed to the side for a cheap Inglorious Basterds knock-off infuriates me.

Now, I know that these are works of fiction, and are made for entertainment,but they blur the idea of "Nazis" and the"Wehrmacht". The Wehrmacht was the Germany military, and served on campaigns on all fronts of the war. Being in the Wehrmacht did NOT make you a member of the Nazi party, though some did join. Many of the soldiers in the Wehrmacht actually disliked the Nazi party, and only fought for the glory of Germany.

To those who are saying "but, they attacked innocent countries, blah blah blah", what do you think Alexander the Great did? Napoleon? The Kings and Queens of the Middle Ages? They went on conquests for land and glory, and that is seen as fine. The only difference is that they did not have a government based upon mass murder and corruption.

In the video game industry, almost no game lets you play as the Germans in Wolrd War II, unless it is a multiplayer game with other people. No single player campaign is addressed to them. Yet, a single player campaign is given to the Russians, who did many bad things themselves during the war.

Such as the Rape of Berlin, where over two MILLION women were raped by conquering Soviet soldiers--many of these rape victims committed suicide as a result.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1080493/Stalins-army-rapists-The-brutal-war-crime-Russia-Germany-tried-ignore.html

Very few movies have ever covered this topic, as it is still a very touchy subject between Germany and Russia. Even still, the idea that it has forgotten is disturbing, just based on the simple fact that many saw it as the Germans "getting what they deserved."

While it is true that many of these games and movies strive away from reality, the point still remains, they are teaching the children of today (and yes, young children do play these kind of games. I was one of those kids.) that German soldiers = Nazis. and that they should be killed. Now I know not every child is a stupid dunderhead, and many will grow up and realize how faulty this logic is, there are still those who don't realize it.

Take That, Fascism!

Killing Nazis is like beating a dead horse--it's been done so much it is pointless now. The only reason Nazis are even still a major enemy in video games is because Nazi Germany was the last enemy the U.S. had a strong, moral battle with. Good versus Evil and all that. Ever since then, the U.S. has been the big kid on the block, putting their hands in everyone else sandbox, whether they like it or not. You can't really make games based on that (until the terrorist attacks). because it was an ambiguous battle. Now we have a new enemy again--the Terrorists! Now we will do games about killing them until a new threat comes and passes and we will recycle the same ideas over....

Nazi Zombies: The Game

and over...

Nazi Zombies: The Movie

How...original

As I close, I'm not saying all movies and games like these are bad. Not at all. But there has to be some kind of line drawn, otherwise, we just cover up the truth with a bunch of explosions and bullet holes. Not everything needs to be historically accurate, but when you are basically calling the entire German race during that time Nazis, I'm pretty sure you're an idiot.

Until Next Time!

The French Revolution--Part One

Ah. the French Revolution. Filled with violence, liberty, and something about cake. Oh, sorry that's Portal. My bad.

I Can Haz Cake?

Seriously though, The French Revolution. A time in which a monarchy of many centuries dissolved in  just three years, lots of beheading with the infamous guillotine occurred (I'll get to a few of them here) , and a change in the countries ideals of equality and liberty.

So, to start off, the French Revolution began in 1789, with many different events occurring.

 One of the first major events was the storming of the Bastille, which occurred on July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a fortress and prison held by the French Monarchy and was a sign of the regimes strength. The attack was formed after a large mob of demonstrators, who had already gathered muskets in a prior raid elsewhere, were now headed towards the Bastille in search for musket  powder and shot.

   The Bastille had about 114 soldiers and near 30 artillery pieces protecting it, while the mob
of demonstrators was almost about one thousand people strong. In essence, one security guard trying to keep a horde of angry customers out of a restricted area of the mall, but with guns. Oh fun!

Still Better Then This Guy

At first, it was peaceful negotiations between the mob and those stationed at the Bastille, but soon gunfire erupted, which in turn  killed several women and children. This caused the mob to storm into the Bastille and the fighting began.

For Rohan----Oh--wait--oops, my bad...

The leader in control of the Bastille, Governor de Launay, quickly realized they're would be a massacre unless he acted. He attempted to offer his terms of surrender to the mob, which denied him quickly. Nevertheless, Launay capitulated and opened the inner doors of the Bastille. One defender and under one hundred attackers died, but the mob of demonstrators still captured Launay, took him out and executed him, cutting off his head and putting it on a pike to carry around.

They Did WHAT?!

After succeeding in taking the Bastille and making one of the worst trophies of victory imagineable, the mob gathered and took to the streets, preparing for a counter-attack. The Royals decided not to counter, however, which would in turn be a terrible mistake for them. At the same time, there is little chance the Royals could have mounted much of an attack, as most of the French military refused to listen to the Royals, and usually sided with the French mob.

Another major step towards Revolution was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen which was passed in August of 1789. This, basically, was the declaration that everyone had fair and equal rights, and should be treated as such. It went against the idea of a monarchy and stated that the government should support the people, not the other way around. It was, in essence, a French take on the Declaration of Independence.

If Only A Bit More Artsy

A third major event that took place, in October of 1789, was the Women's March on Versailles. This march took place due to the anger French citizens had at the very high cost and scarcity of bread. At the same time, the royal family was having a banquet with many soldiers in attendance. In comparison to the low amounts of available food the average citizen had, the banquet was a luxury that only the very highest in power could attend. This upset many people, who, with help from those wishing for revolution, began to gather weapons from local armories and march on Versailles.

Oh, Its ON!

After a six hour march which involved over ten thousand marchers, bearing arms, as well as dragging along cannons, the marchers reached Versailles, where they met with different members of the House and the Assemble. (Yes, I have reached the boring part, but bear with me). After discussing options, a few women went and met with the King to discuss what they wanted.  They had a successful meeting with the King, who promised immediate disbursal of food from royal stores, with more to come. This satisfied some of the marchers, who left. Many more remained, however, believing that the food would not be distributed, and believing the Queen would make the King go back on his promise (yes, these women HATED Marie Antoinette).


The next morning, a small, unguarded entrance into Versailles was found, and many of the mob began to stream in, looking for the queens bedchamber. Guards began locking down the building, barricading entrances and blocking the marchers. Eventually, the marchers began to overpower the guards, and the guards opened fire, killing some marchers, including a young child. This enraged the marchers, who began to invade the chateau. Guardsmen attempted to turn back the crowd, only to be brutally killed, one having his head torn off and stuck on a pike. (The French LOVE putting head's on pikes). The queen fled through the halls, attempting to reach the kings bedchamber. She was let in, narrowly avoiding the attacking mob.

Eventually, the mob was calmed down enough, and the mob exited the chateau, and waited in the courtyard. The king, and then queen each came out, both stating their willingness to return to Paris, which was something the marchers had wanted. The return to Paris soon took place, involving over sixty thousand marchers (many of whom were still armed), and many armed National Guardsmen leading the group. The marchers seemed happy, but it was obvious that the King was still at their mercy.

WHOPPERS FOR ALL! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

As the group reached Paris, it became obvious that the rigid monarchy that had run France for so long was coming to an end. The King was forced to accept legislation that severely weakened his role politically, and gave more power to other parts of the government. He and the royal family were forced to stay at the Tuileries Palace, a dilapidated structure that hadn't been used for many years. Eventually, they would be moved to Temple Prison, where their fates awaited.

If You Try To Escape, I Shall Taunt You A Second Time!

First, King Louis XVI, was sent to the guillotine. His precarious position with the French people had all but imploded after a failed escape attempt and after his subsequent recapture, it was obvious people were angry. After a large vote on his fate, it was decided he would be executed by guillotine. On January 21, 1793, the blade fell, killing him instantly. Many in the crowd ran up to dip their handkerchiefs in his blood. Whether to have a piece of history, or sell it for money, who knows.

E-bay, Here I Come! Ha Haa!

Marie Antoinette would be executed nine months later, on October 16, 1793. Many charges came against her, but the one that did her in was the charge of treason. She was found guilty and quickly executed.

This ended the monarchy, but did not end the revolution. Mass hysteria, killings and other things are just around the bend!

Thus ends my first note on the French Revolution. Don't worry, there will be a part two....eventually.

Will You Get On With It?!

Hey, I'm doing what I can I--

GET ON WITH IT!

OK! Jeez! Chill out! Well, I guess it will be sooner then I thought....

Until Next Time!