Spanish Colonial/ Simon Bolivar
An Excerpt from Proclamation To The People of Venezuela
June 15, 1813
Simon Bolivar, Liberator of Venezuela, Brigadier of the Union, General in Chief of the Northern Army; to his fellow countrymen, the Venezuelans:
"An army of our brothers, sent by the Sovereign Congress of New Granada*, has come to liberate you. Having expelled the oppressors from the provinces of Merida and Trujillo, it is now among you. We are sent to destroy the Spaniards, to protect the Americans, and to reestablish the republican governments that once formed the Confederation of Venezuela. The states defended by our arms are again governed by their former constitutions and tribunals*, in full enjoyment of their liberty and independence, for our mission is designed only to break the chains of servitude which shackle some of our towns, and not to impose laws or exercise acts of dominion to which the rules of war might entitle us. Moved by your misfortunes, we have been unable to observe with indifference the afflictions* you were forced to experience by the barbarous Spaniards, who have ravished you, plundered* you, and brought you death and destruction. They have violated the sacred rights of nations. They have broken the most solemn agreements and treaties. In fact, they have committed every manner of crime, reducing the Republic of Venezuela to the most frightful desolation. Justice therefore demands vengeance, and necessity compels us to exact it. Let the monsters who infest Colombian soil, who have drenched it in blood, be cast out forever; may their punishment be equal to the enormity of their perfidy*…..
Key Terms *- New Granada- Modern day Colombia
- Tribunals- A court of justice
- Affliction- Something that causes pain and suffering
- Plundered- To steal goods
- Perfidy- Untrustworthiness
Bolshevik Revolution
The Execution of Tsar Nicholas II, 1918
The mounting pressures of World War I, combined with years of injustice, toppled the rule of Tsar Nicholas II* in March 1917. Forced to abdicate*, he was replaced by a Provisional Government committed to continuing the war.
German expectations were realized on the night of November 6-7 whenVladimirLenin* led the Bolsheviks*in a successful attempt to grab the reigns of power in St. Petersburg. Anti-Bolshevik forces (the White Russians) immediately took up arms to oust the Communist regime and Russia was plunged into a brutal civil war. The following March the Communist regime signed a treaty with the Germans ending Russia's participation in World War I.
Against this backdrop of political chaos, the Tsar and his family were kept as prisoners near St. Petersburg and then transported beyond the Ural Mountains finally ending up in the town of Ekaterinburg in the spring of 1918. The seven members of the imperial family and their small retinue* were confined to the house of a successful local merchant, N. N. Ipatiev, which had been commandeered* by the Bolshevik's for this purpose.
A contingent of the White Army was approaching Ekaterinburg and the sounds of gunfire could be heard in the distance by the royal prisoners and their Bolshevik captors. The arrival of their potential liberators sealed the fate of the Tsar and his family.
During the early morning hours of July 17 the Tsar, his wife, children and servants were herded into the cellar of their prison house and executed.
Key Terms*- Tsar Nicholas II- The last emperor of Russia
- Abdicate- Renounce one’s throne
- Vladimir Lenin- Russian communist revolutionary
- Bolsheviks- Part of Lenin’s party that wanted to overthrow Russia
- Retinue- advisors and assistants
- Commandeered- taken control of
Cuban Revolution
New York Times
March 11, 1957, Pg. 11
BATISTA CHARGES CASTRO IS A RED
Cuban President Minimizes Rebel Leader -- Deplores 'Rumors' to Build Him Up
By R. Hart Phillips
Special to The New York Times
HAVANA, March 10-- President Fulgencio* Batista said today that Fidel Castro*, a rebel leader in the Sierra Maestra was an "agent of the Soviet Union."
"There is no doubt that the movement headed by Castro is Communist and is aided by communism" the President said.
He spoke to an armed forces gathering honoring him with a luncheon at Camp Columbia, Army headquarters, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the seizure of power by Señor Batista. Radio and television carried his words throughout the island.
The alleged participation of Señor Castro as one of the leftist leaders in the disorders in Bogota, Columbia, in April, 1948; his contact with meetings held behind the Iron Curtain*, and the dialectics of all proclamations of the rebel movement prove, according to the President, that the rebel leader is a Communist agent.
Señor Batista assured the people that the rebels had been reduced to scarcely a dozen men and that the Government considered the movement of no importance.
He said armed forces formerly fighting the rebels in the Sierra Maestra were now engaged in aiding the people of that district to reconstruct their homes and in furnishing them medical aid and other types of assistance.
The Cuban President deplored* reports and rumors that were attempting to build up Señor Castro as a rebel hero both at home and abroad. He said a "distinguished newspaperman of a great newspaper" had attributed to Señor Castro "camps with organized rebels" that were completely unfounded. This apparently was an allusion to Herbert L. Matthews of The New York Times, whose interview with Señor Castro, published Feb. 24, caused a sensation in Cuba.
Reviewing the five years since he seized power, the President said his Administration had brought excellent economic conditions to the island, reestablished public order, greatly increased foreign and local investments, and given stability to the nation.
Revolution in Ukraine
September 5, 2014
Cease-Fire Announced in Ukraine
Following meetings in Minsk*, Belarus* between representatives of the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russian separatist forces, President Petro Poroshenko*announced that a cease-fire has been reached in Ukraine. It is set to go into effect within hours at 6PM local time. The full details of the agreement have not yet been released, though reports indicate that the agreement consists of 14 points covering a range of issues including exchange of hostages, the creation of a humanitarian corridor*, and other issues. According to reports, the exchange of captives is likely to begin tomorrow and a working group will meet on Monday to work through other issues relevant to the agreement, most importantly the political issues at place in eastern Ukraine.
In a statement, President Poroshenko said: “The entire world strives for peace, the entire Ukraine strives for peace, including millions of Donbas* residents. The highest value is human life. We must do everything possible and impossible to terminate bloodshed and put an end to people's suffering.”
While Poroshenko stated that it is his hope that the cease-fire is observed by all sides, continued fighting around the port city of Mariupol* and the comments of some rebel leaders have drawn the stability of the cease-fire into question. Igor Plotnitsky, a rebel leader in the Luhansk region, stated that “the ceasefire does not mean the end of (our) policy to split (from Ukraine).”
Key Terms*- Belarus- Country bordering Russia
- Minsk- The capital of Belarus
- Petro Poroshenko- President of Ukraine
- Humanitarian Corridor- A demilitarized zone intended to allow humanitarian aid for refugees
- Donbas- 3 providences in Ukraine
- Mariupol- A city in Ukraine
Agricultural Revolution
Technological Revolution
Document 1
Source: R. Guest, A Compendious history of the Cotton Manufacturer,
A.M. Kelley, First published in 1823 (adapted)
Document 2
Source: The Illustrated London News, August 25, 1883