Industry and Business 20th Century by David Colbert

The blog post that caught my attention was David Colbert’s Industry and Business of the 20^th century. Essentially it was David’s presentation that really made me interested in it because she seemed to be very knowledgeable about his topic. In my opinion, when a presenter knows what he or she is talking about it makes it a lot easier for the audience to learn about the thing that they are presenting. To be honest, I find business and industry to be a little boring but I paid attention and was actually interested in it by the way that it was presented to me. The overall presentation was done really well and David definitely knew what he was talking about.

The topic that I would like to expand on from the presentation is the Marshall Plan and what affect it had on Germany. The marshal Plan was aide program set in place to help rebuild European economies after World War ll. It is also said that the plan was put in place to prevent communist expansionism throughout Europe. Under the Marshall Plan West German manufacturing recovered and many other European nations became stable after the economic crisis. The Marshall Plan is credited with opening up Europe to the free-market. Germany of course had a lot more to go through after the Marshall Plan was put in place but it is said that the plan got the ball rolling towards reconstruction. Productivity skyrocketed with the plan and Germany, along with the other European countries all benefited.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan#German_level_of_industry_restrictions

http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/Ritschl.Marshall.Plan

The Role of Women in the 20th Century

Role of Women

Talking Points for All Quiet on the Western Front

Some thoughts that I had while reading the novel:

• A generation of men that went from high school to the war and completely lost out on many things in between
• The idea that one must detach themselves from their feeling in the war because the feeling would overcome them if they allowed it to.
• Paul felt weird when he was on leave because all he knew was the trenches and he did not feel normal being around civilians.
• No happy ending, everyone dies in the end. -idea that there is no happy ending in any war, whether you win or lose.
• The concept that the soldiers weren't fighting for their country, but they were fighting war itself. Both sides could relate to each other because they both were in the same harsh conditions. The soldiers in the trenches had more in common with their enemies than the people that they were supposedly fighting for.

Character Analysis of Corporal Himmelstoss from All Quiet on the Western Front

Corporal Himmelstoss is a character from All Quiet on the Western Front. He is not the main character, however in my opinion he plays a very important role in portraying a flaw that many people have. Corporal Himmelstoss was a post-man before the war and led a rather ordinary life. Once he was recruited into the army and was put in a position of power everything about him changed. He was a cruel, relentless leader who took pleasure in the punishment of those beneath him. His power and rank meant everything to him.

In a way, Himmelstoss’s harsh leadership reflects his own insecurities as a person. Clearly he felt the need to embarrass and torture his soldiers to make himself feel better.  Nevertheless, the things that he subjects his men to somewhat help them when they are put out on the front line. For example when Himmelstoss made the boys stand outside with no gloves on when it was really cold out; it was cruel and mean to do that, but the men were also more prepared and appreciated their gloves after that point.

Finally, Corporal Himmelstoss was put on the front line, where his authority meant nothing and he was subjected to the same things the men under him were subjected to. He began to understand the horror of the trenches and how normal human things don’t matter when you teetering between life and death. He tried to make amends for the torture that he put his men through but many of the grudges were too deep. The men actually ended up beating and whipping Corporal Himmelstoss to express how unwelcome he was among them and how they were not quick to forget the punishment that he put them through.

Himmelstoss is a perfect example of a man overcome with power and petty insecurities. The way that he acts once put on the front line is also an example of how postitions and rank don’t matter on the battle field and one doesn’t even have their humanity to govern things. He let his power get to his head and he became an cruel, power-hungry leader.

Summary of Chapter Three of All Quiet on the Western Front

     Chapter three of All Quiet on the Western Front begins with new recruits piling into the war camp. Now with the younger “infants” as referred to by Kropp, make Paul and his friends feel like seasoned veterans. Kat then gives some of the new soldier’s beans he got from the cook. He then tells the new soldier that if he wants more food from Kat he needs to bring him tobacco. Kat then goes on to express the idea that if everyone in the army was given equal pay the war would end shortly. Paul and his friends then go on to make fun of their old drill sergeant Himmelstoss and talk about humanity and its beast nature. They toss around the idea that if a man is pushed far enough he will become an animal, no longer civilized.

              They then go on to say that the army is just a man in power over another man. Kat feels commanders have too much power in war.  Himmelstoss is a postman back home yet in time of war the power gets to him making him a relentless jerk. The men in conversation, Haie, Paul, Kropp, and Tjaden have a grudge against Kimmelstoss and so plan some vengeance on him. One night they all get together and corner Himmelstoss covering his head with bed blankets and start to beat him. They take his pants off and whip him. After this they all ran away and Himmelstoss never found out who were apart of the attack on him.

                This is the first chapter of the novel to begin to develop characters. Because of this I began to develop a sense of empathy for the characters eventual deaths. Kat is also seen as a hero type bribing for extra food and plotting against Himmelstoss. He is a tragic character being he is eventually killed. He is symbolic of a free spirit. He is a self-aware person despite being changed by war. He is characterized as resistant to being dehumanized through the war effort. He is raising questions for why the men are fighting and offers solutions for these problems. Then the beating at the end of Himmelstoss suggests that these men although disgusted by this mistreatment by their superiors, are also capable of terrible things such as beating Himmelstoss. This chapter’s essence shows these men slowly breaking down. Slowly becoming dehumanized.