Holocaust Remembrance: An Offering of Online Resources

(Though I’ve been working on a post about the liberation of Auschwitz, I've decided to begin with a broader collection of resources. For readers who regularly teach about the Holocaust this post may be “old hat” so to speak.  But I've discovered that well-known websites often have good stuff hidden away, requiring a few clicks to find it.)   

CONTENTS

MEDIA WEBSITES

EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES

TEACHING AND TALKING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

MEDIA WEBSITES

This January mainstream media published a great deal about the Holocaust and in particular about the Auschwitz-Birkenau complex of Nazi camps in Poland.  January 27th marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the day in 1945 when the Soviet Army arrived and freed its prisoners.  More than two hundred Holocaust survivors attended the official events at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum.  They joined world leaders or their representatives and other dignitaries in memorializing the liberation, mourning those who died in the Holocaust, and reflecting on the great evil that the Nazi regime had perpetrated. Everyone at this commemoration realized that next time perhaps only a handful of survivors would be able to attend.  

In addition the media reported on the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, organized by the Forum Foundation and Yad Vashem and held in Jerusalem on January 23rd.  Its theme, “Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Antisemitism,” acknowledged the current rise in  antisemitism.  The agenda stressed the need “to educate about the dangers of antisemitism, racism and xenophobia and foster Holocaust commemoration, education and research” (https://www.yadvashem.org/holocaust-forum-2020/about.html).

While search engines provide easy access to recent content, I highly recommend visiting the news media’s own websites.  That way you can get a sense of the scope of an outlet’s coverage.  Searching for older items is also worthwhile.  The 60th and 70th anniversaries of the liberation elicited similar coverage, such as feature articles/videos about Holocaust survivors–with their first-hand accounts (primary sources to read and discuss); photo  essays about the Holocaust, Auschwitz, or other camps; description of special exhibits; and commentary by journalists and scholars. 

Here are links to some major outlets–with a few tips for using their search boxes. Both the New York Times and the Washington Post have paywalls but anyone can access a limited number free items per month. I’d also expect that they can be accessed at local schools and libraries.

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com 

 • For best results, put quotation marks around search item. Search “Holocaust” for list sorted by “Relevance” but you can switch to “Newest” or “Oldest” • From the top of this list, click on “Times Topic”: OR type this URL directly into your search engine: https://www.nytimes.com/topic/subject/holocaust-and-the-nazi-era 

 • “Times Topic” page shows “Latest”; click button directly to the right that says “Search” and another menu comes up below it–where you can switch from “newest” to “oldest”; “oldest” list begins with February 1999. 

 • No items from before 1999? Using filters is clumsy (results for “All since 1851" are ridiculous). Instead, try different search items and then switch to “Oldest”: e.g. search “Nazi concentration camp”(oldest item is February 14, 1937); search “Auschwitz” (oldest item dated November 12. 1948); 


Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com

 • Search “Holocaust” to find recent items. Then scroll down and click on “Last” to reverse the order (new list begins with 2005--scroll down for a 1996 item).

 • From original list, clicking on “Advanced Search” reveals that what you have are “All Since 2005" items, sorted by “Relevance.” Switching to “Date” results in a list that begins with the most recent items; go to bottom of this page and click on “Last” (scroll down this page for item dated 1993).


Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com

 • Search “Holocaust” to access recent items. Select “Oldest” for list that begins with 1971, then skips ahead to 1985. There are 1254 pages of links so a lot to check out, but if you have time, worth a try. 


Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com

 • Search “Holocaust” to access more than 1650 items OR go directly to https://www.theguardian.com/world/holocaust

• Search “Auschwitz 60th" for items appearing in 2005

• "Night Will Fall review – unflinching footage reveals true hell of the Holocaust." Guardian (18 September 2014): http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/18/night-will-fall-review-holocaust-documentary-hitchcock-liberation-belsen-auschwitz 

BBC News: https://www.bbc.com 

 • Search “Holocaust” for most recent items; from this list use filters to find items from various branches/programmes.  Bitesize (a program with Primary/Secondary/ Post-16 sections) has material suitable for US K-12 students. Check-out filter buttons for “Teach” and “Sport.” 

 • For items from January 27th and recent updates: https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/c34vxewp0ykt/the-holocaust 

 Le Monde: https://mondediplo.com

 • This is the English edition. Search “Holocaust” to access 122 items, clicking “sort by date” for list that begins with recent items. Click “relevance” for pages that mix in a few older (intriguing) items. 

CNN: https://www.cnn.com 

 • Search “Holocaust” to access 1281 items; click on relevance to access older items dating back to 2011. 

 DW: https://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/s-9097 

 • Search “Holocaust” to access 2524 items. From these results, click on Related Subjects, including Auschwitz.

EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES

For history and background on the Holocaust there are so many reliable online resources that just sorting through them can be overwhelming.  Websites that serve as portals have many pages and sub-pages within the site and often include sections with links to external sites. Nearly all of these sites are designed to educate and feature ample material for use by K-12 students and their teachers.

Using search engines it is possible to find specific information about a person or place or a narrowly defined topic.  However, I’ve discovered content deep within portal sites that isn’t readily available in a search engine’s results. 

The sites listed here all deserve thorough investigation–as much as time permits.  Prepare a “digital document” to help students get started by clicking on links.  This will take them to content that you have vetted–that is age-appropriate and meets the needs of your district’s curriculum.  

In class, students might work through a structured roadmap of links as part of a lesson plan, focusing on your specific objectives and taking into account your students’ backgrounds.  The child of a Ukrainian immigrant–even if she doesn’t understand the language--might like hearing an interview in Ukrainian (https://legalinsurrection.com/2016/01/anatoly-shapiro-a-name-to-remember).  Students of color may connect with the short film “This is our story - visit to Auschwitz - February 2010” (listed below under Haringey London).  

If possible, give students a chance to explore independently (homework?), but devise a way for them to report on what they find.  What questions do they have?  Did they bump into any questionable content?  Did they discover something very special?

 

A good place to start is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum site, where students can read a concise introduction and then explore the site’s many resources.  Using the 850+ articles in USHMM’s “Holocaust Encyclopedia,” they can narrow or broaden the focus (for example, as part of a unit on The Rise of Fascism). For an overview of the liberation of Auschwitz, send students to “Liberation of the Camps,” where they can watch a short video (3:10 mins.) and then read a short text. 

United States Holocaust Museum: https://www.ushmm.org

• View “What Was the Holocaust,” then explore these sections: Learn About the Holocaust, Remember Survivors and Victims, and Confront Genocide| Antisemitism.  OR begin with “Introduction to the Holocaust”: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/introduction-to-the-holocaust

• Find fascinating content in the Holocaust Encyclopedia using “Browse A-Z”: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/en/a-z/landing

• The Encyclopedia is searchable.  Here’s a sample article: “Liberation of the Camps”: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/liberation-of-nazi-camps 

• To learn by examining primary sources, enter the tool “Experiencing History”: https://perspectives.ushmm.org 

• “Key Videos”: https://www.ushmm.org/teach/key-videos

• “Poster Sets”: https://www.ushmm.org/teach/poster-sets

• “Podcasts and Audio”: https://www.ushmm.org/learn/podcasts-and-audio

• “Bibliographies.”  For a long list of topical bibliographies, listing only items in USHMM’s Library or online: https://www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography

• For STATISTICS: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/documenting-numbers-of-victims-of-the-holocaust-and-nazi-persecution

Yad Vashem: http://www.yadvashem.com 

• Click on “Education and E-Learning” for many excellent educational videos, including historical videos and survivor testimonies; also lesson plans, newsletter for educators, link to a free course on the Holocaust, and more:  https://www.yadvashem.org education.html

• Browse the “Yad Vashem Photo Collections”: https://photos.yadvashem.org

• View the “Auschwitz Album,” an exceptional primary source: https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/album_auschwitz/index.asp

• For “The Righteous Among the Nations” (information about those who rescued Jews during the Holocaust): https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous.html

• The vast “Documents Archive” is divided into nine sections: https://documents.yadvashem.org

Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum: http://auschwitz.org/en

• Basic information is available in more than a dozen languages.  From the English homepage click the Chinese button; then, from the left-side menu, click and hold  the Chinese button for a list of languages.  Select a language; then click again to display a table of contents for pages in PDF format. (Lots of possibilities here for foreign language and ESL teachers.)  The entire website is available in Polish: http://auschwitz.org

• On the “History” page, use the left-side menu for a long list of topics: http://auschwitz.org/en/history/kl-auschwitz-birkenau

• On the “Education” page there are sections for Middle, Upper Secondary, and University students and for Teachers/Educators; also use the left-side menu a range of resources: http://auschwitz.org/en/education

• For lesson plans and news about teaching select “Resources for teachers”: http://auschwitz.org/en/education/resources-for-teachers

• For visual material go to “Historical Pictures and Documents”: http://auschwitz.org/en/gallery/historical-pictures-and-documents; also “Photo Gallery”: http://auschwitz.org/en/gallery/exhibits and “Exhibits”: http://auschwitz.org/en/education/exhibitions

• Bill Hunt assembled an excellent selection of photos for the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau (exhibited in 2005 at the Art of Propaganda Gallery in the United Kingdom): http://www.auschwitz-birkenau.org/index3.htm

• For STATISTICS: http://auschwitz.org/en/history/the-number-of-victims

Holocaust Teacher Resource Center:  http://www.holocaust-trc.org

• THIS SITE IS THE VICTIM OF A CYBER ATTACK THAT GOES TO A VIAGRA-ADVERTISING PAGE.  I WAS ABLE TO ACCESS THE REAL PAGE FROM THIS URL: http://www.hopesecondarylibrary.com/teacher-resources---holocaust.html

• A useful collection of links: http://www.holocaust-trc.org/links

• The most special item here is an amazing account, well-written and full of suspense by David Katz, “Autobiography”: http://www.holocaust-trc.org/david-katz-a-holocaust-survivor/autobiography

Facing History: https://www.facinghistory.org

• The Holocaust section consists of more than 1300 items but these are also sorted into 15 themes (right below the title).  Some themes place events in their historical  context (e.g. Transforming Germany in the 1930s, Trials and Justice, Memory and Memorials) while others focus on human agency or lack of it (Perpetrators and Mass Murder, Victim and Survivor Voices, Bystanders): https://www.facinghistory.org/topics/holocaust

• “Holocaust and Human Behavior” is a self-paced workshop for teachers.  It draws on the site’s resources but is designed to help teachers who may have only a few days to cover the Holocaust, including issues of ethics and responsibility, without neglecting its complexity. For details and to sign up: https://www.facinghistory.org/professional-development/ondemand/getting-started-holocaust-and-human-behavior

• Check out a primary source from the workshop, "To Remember," by Ilya Ehrenburg,  which appeared in  Pravda on (17 December 1944):  https://www.facinghistory.org/holocaust-human-behavior/to-remember-ilya-ehrenburg

Jewish Virtual Library: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

• On the home page, select “Holocaust” for a wide-ranging list of topics: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-holocaust

• Go deeper by clicking on items on the Holocaust page–and discover that many have their own tables of contents, e.g. “Concentration Camps” lists major camps, some of the sub-camps, and maps: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/concentration-camps

• The “Timeline of Jewish Persecution” (March 1932 through December 1945) draws together great deal of specific information:  https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/timeline-of-jewish-persecution-in-the-holocaust    

• For students doing research this is a site where they can to find detailed information by searching names of people and places.  Search from the home page.

The Nazi Concentration Camps: http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk

• A site created by Dr Nikolaus Wachsmann in collaboration the Centre for Holocaust Studies at University College London and other partners (including the United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum. 

• The scope is broader that the name suggests because it aims to situate the camps in their proper historical context.  Access resources from buttons on the homepage: Overview, Themes, Timeline, Camps, Documents, Films and Testimonies; Maps, Teaching and Resources. Click on “Documents” for a large collection, sorted into 13 thematic sets (e.g. Perpetrators, Slave Labor, Resistance): http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk/documents.html

• The double-sided vertical timeline (both sides begin in 1933) can serve as both an overview and reference tool. The LEFT side covers the political and military history of the Nazi regime. The RIGHT side begins with the mass arrests of the regime's leftist opponents and the subsequent opening of Dachau; then continues with the history of the major camps.  Entries on the RIGHT side are linked to related documents. To access directly: http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk/timeline.html

• Also useful for research is the map series, ""SS Concentration Camp System (Main Camps) by Year."  Series begins with 1934 and ends in 1945: http://www.camps.bbk.ac.uk/maps/maps-1934.html

PBS: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz

• PBS created this site to accompany “Auschwitz: Inside The Nazi State,” a six-part documentary that aired on PBS in 2005.  Well-designed, with plenty of high-quality resources, it is still one of best sites for both teachers and students.

• NOTE: The series was produced by the BBC and first broadcast in the UK in January 2005 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.  The British title is “Auschwitz: The Nazis and 'The Final Solution.”

• In an introductory essay Laurence Rees, the writer and producer, explains the significance of Auschwitz and why this series is different--for its conscientious approach to re-enactment as well as for its new content): http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/about

• “The History of Auschwitz” (buttons for nine topics) is filled with links to the site’s other resources: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/40-45

• For each episode there is a complete transcript.  This makes it possible to use the embedded testimonies of survivors and other witnesses as primary sources. Access directly: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/about/transcripts.html

• “Timeline” provides a deep historical context, beginning in 1917 and extending into the post-war era to end in 1963: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/learning/timeline

• The “Teaching Guides” are in PDF format, one for each episode.  They include four additional readings (more background or literary excepts) that can be printed for use in the classroom: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/learning/guides

• “Maps and Plans” contains archival material and an interactive map: http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/maps

• For the recent PBS documentary,”Secrets of the Dead: Bombing Auschwitz,” go to this page for a list of interviewees and a timeline of events covered in the film: http://thejewishvoice.com/pbs-presents-secrets-of-the-dead-bombing-auschwitz

Anne Frank House: https://www.annefrank.org/en

• Resources created especially for young people and their teachers–in more than 50 languages!  Select a language on the Education page: https://www.annefrank.org/en/education 

• For lessons, activities, and workshops that bring today’s concerns into the classroom: human rights, antisemitism, racism, discrimination.  A good example is “Free2choose”: https://www.annefrank.org/en/education/product/94/free2choose

• Schools or youth groups with a service learning component should check out the “Anne Frank Youth Network”:  https://www.annefrank.org/en/education/anne-frank-youth-network

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust: http://hmd.org.uk

• For this year’s Holocaust Memorial theme, "Stand Together": https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme

• Access to resources and guidelines for teachers: http://hmd.org.uk/content/for-educators

Holocaust Educational Trust: https://www.het.org.uk

• “Survivor Stories” presents 16 stories, each with a photo of the survivor: http://www.het.org.uk/education/outreach-programme/survivor-stories

• “Memories of Kristallnacht”:  https://www.het.org.uk/blog/entry/memories-of-kristallnacht

Haringey London: Visit this UK local government site for two special (though short) films:

• “The Y-Word.”   Three young footballers (i.e. soccer players) speak put in a film taking on the issue of  anti-Semitism  among soccer fans: https://www.haringey.gov.uk/local-democracy/about-council/equalities/holocaust-memorial-day/y-word

• “This is our story - visit to Auschwitz - February 2010.” Two young women of color from Haringey, Funmi Abari and VyVy Nguyen, went to to Auschwitz in February 2010 and made this TrueTube film. https://www.haringey.gov.uk/local-democracy/about-council/equalities/holocaust-memorial-day/our-story-visit-auschwitz-february-2010

Holocaust Survivors: http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org

• For the stories of six survivors: http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/survivors.php

• “Bibliography” (memoirs and works based on survivors’ accounts): http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/data.show.php?di=list&da=bibliography&so=title

Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive (University of Michigan- Dearborn): http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu

• Click on “Interviews”: http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu/interviews.php.  Select the online filter.

• For a brief description of  student projects drawing on these interviews (with three examples), go to “From the Director - Spring 2019 Creating Spatial Narratives of Holocaust Survivors”: https://voicevisarchive.tumblr.com/post/185506114015/from-the-director-spring-2019

Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies (University of Minnesota): https://chgs.elevator.umn.edu

• Find the stories of 37 Minnesota residents in “Browsing Minnesota and the Holocaust: Survivors, Witnesses, Liberators”: https://chgs.elevator.umn.edu/search/s/e500c03c-4063-4ffb-9435-c799f4eaffb7

• For a broader perspectives, with provocative visual resources, explore “Browsing Visualizing Otherness: Racism and Antisemitism in Popular Media”: https://chgs.elevator.umn.edu/search/s/3614b4c3-b4d3-47f6-be13-abb3ad13f332

USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education (University of Southern California): https://sfi.usc.edu

• Steven Spielberg’s collection of video testimonies is now part of the foundation’s “Visual History Archive”: https://sfi.usc.edu/vha

• Register for free to enter the “Visual History Archive.”  Its broad scope makes it an excellent resource for comparative research.  The archive preserves the testimonies of more than 54,000 survivors and witnesses of genocide; about 3,000 of these are online.

• “Share the Same Sky” is a seven-episode, testimony-based podcast. Rachel Cerrotti recounts her grandmother’s escape from the Nazis–a journey from Czechoslovakia to Denmark to Sweden and finally to America.  She adds  the story of her own journey–as she retraced that of her grandmother. Available to stream or download (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts) OR access directly: https://sfi.usc.edu/we-share-the-same-sky.  Scroll down to find a link to classroom resources.   

The National Holocaust Centre and Museum: http://www.nationalholocaustcentre.net 

• For residents and visitors to the UK, the museum’s virtual reality exhibit, “The Eye as Witness,” is a ground-breaking resource ( currently on tour):  https://witness.holocaust.org.uk

• Visit the museum’s blog for news, commentary on artifacts, and reflections by staff and visitors: https://www.holocaust.org.uk/Blogs/blog

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme:  https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance

• Created “to remind the world of the lessons to be learnt from the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.”

• View classroom resources (e.g. posters) to order by mail and other items  available in PDF format: https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/2018/educational2018.shtml

• For thought-provoking essays of interest to teachers, consult the “Discussion Papers Series”: https://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/docs.shtml

Holocaust History Project: https://phdn.org/archives/holocaust-history.org

• An archive of documents, photographs, audio and video recordings, videos. and essays, with focus on refuting views of Holocaust deniers. 

• This website was offline until PHDN.ORG (a French site) succeeded in saving parts of it and put it back online.  PHDN is a non-profit, non-governmental organization “devoted to providing documents about the Holocaust and tools against Holocaust denial.” 

• Access other archives preserved by PHDN (Pratique de l’Histoire et Dévoiements Négationnistes): https://phdn.org/archives/index.html

Wiener Library: http://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk

• For information about events, exhibits, the library’s archive, educational opportunities, and more.  From the homepage click on Collections for content to use in the classroom: https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/Collections

• “The Holocaust Explained” section, for students ages 13-18, is user-friendly and its timeline (1923-1945) has lots of images to keep students interested: https://www.theholocaustexplained.org

• On the Colllections page, click on “Digital Collections” to find items sorted thematically (Kristallnacht, Refugee Families, Women, more) and a link to Audio-Visual Resources: https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/Digital-Resources 

• On the Education page, select External Resources, which opens a page with six sets:  https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/External-Resources.  One set, “Holocaust Education Centres and Trusts,” offers listings sorted by the country where they are located or hosted: https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/digital-holocaust-resources

Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/toc.html

• A site for teachers and advanced students, offering the results of specialized research; for example, the section on “The Holocaust – Economic Exploitation”: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/economics/index.html

• For a detailed account of Aktion Reinhard (Nazi code name for the extermination of Polish Jews in 1942-1943): http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/ar/index.html

• Explore the “Essays & Editorials” by students and faculty of the Department of History, University of Northampton: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/essays&editorials/index.html

Simon Wiesenthal Center: http://www.wiesenthal.com 

• To learn how the Holocaust is relevant to today’s current events, check out the News and Twitter listings on the homepage.

• Encourage students to explore how this “a global human rights organization” is fulfilling its mission of  “researching the Holocaust and hate in a historic and contemporary context.”

TEACHING AND TALKING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

“Fundamentals of Teaching the Holocaust.” ”  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: https://www.ushmm.org/teach/fundamentals

• Six sections, covering how to teach with sensitivity, rationale, learning objectives, fundamental content, age-appropriate concerns, lesson plans, and more.

 “Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:  https://www.ushmm.org/teach/fundamentals/guidelines-for-teaching-the-holocaust 

• A section of the “Fundamentals” page.  Covers issues related to terms and language, balancing perspectives, pitfalls of making comparisons, answering difficult questions, and more.  

"Guidance for Schools: Resources for Holocaust Memorial Day.”  Awareness Mystery Value:  http://awarenessmysteryvalue.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/HaringeySACRE-HMD17-schools-guidance.pdf

• For discussion relevant to teaching about the Holocaust in schools where many students are immigrants and refugees.  Also a list of websites (p.3), followed by an extensive bibliography on the Holocaust plus links to content about other genocides (e.g Armenaia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Yugoslavia). 
• The link to this PDF is on a page with additional resources: http://www.awarenessmysteryvalue.org/2017/g11-resources-for-holocaust-memorial-day
• “The theme for HMD 2017 is: How Can Life Go On?”  Scroll down the page to find the Essay for HMD 2017: http://www.awarenessmysteryvalue.org/2017/g11-resources-for-holocaust-memorial-day

"Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust."  International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance: https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/education

• For 12 articles click on “Educational Materials” or go directly to https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/education/educational-materials
• This resource draws on input from an international panel–experts from the United States, Netherlands, Hungary, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, France, and Spain. The IHRA mission is "to place political and social leaders' support behind the need for Holocaust education, remembrance and research both nationally and internationally."  It emerged from the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust (2000) that involved 46 governments. 
• See also “Research in Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust: A Dialogue Beyond Borders,” which asks how students make sense of what this difficult topic:   https://www.holocaustremembrance.com/education/publications

Siebert, Detlef.  “Historical Accuracy in Drama Documentaries.”  BBC News (17 February 2011): http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/genocide/history_drama_01.shtml

• Siebert writes about how he dealt with the challenges of making a documentary about Auschwitz (BBC's six-part docudrama series, “Auschwitz - The Nazis and the Final Solution.”)

Finland: The Mouse That Roared?

(Here’s another Baltic-oriented post, but its purpose is much broader. By calling attention to a small country’s ability to "roar" and make the world listen, I’m making a pitch for bringing the so-called periphery into the mainstream. I encourage history teachers to use this example of a small country’s supersized ability to shape events--at a specific juncture when the global economy’s recovery is still fragile–to help students understand what we expect when we ask them to consider the "bigger picture," a.k.a. "the world historical context." For Finland’s place in the world economy see the sections on Nokia and Rovio in my ... post,"Thanks, Finland!")

INTRODUCTION

Finland held a parliamentary election on April 17th and the results have stirred up plenty of anxiety among Europe’s worry-worts, and in particular among bureaucrats in the eurozone (the seventeen countries using the euro as a common currency). All previous Finnish governments have been staunch supporters of the European Union. Until now the EU could count on Finland–but a new coalition government must be formed and it is expected to include the True Finn Party, which represents a decidedly anti-EU and Euro-skeptic bloc of voters.

The True Finn Party’s success at the polls indicates a weakening of support for the euro that, depending on what compromises it extracts during the coalition-forming process, may have a very negative impact on the soundness of the euro as a global currency. This is scary because what’s at stake, ultimately, is the future existence of a common currency zone in Europe. This shift in attitude in Finland comes at a critical time, when the terms of a bailout for Portugal are being negotiated. If Finland refuses to go along with the bailout, "the whole support mechanism for the euro could unravel" (1). And the worst case scenario (though rather unlikely) would be severe damage to the EU that might bring about its dissolution.

This election produced "a big, big bang in Finnish politics" (2). As predicted, there was a backlash against the three parties that have been running the show in Finland for decades. Since no party won a majority in Finland’s 200-seat parliament, the party with the most seats, the National Coalition Party (NCP),will need to form a coalition with parties that up to now have been in the opposition. The biggest loser, the Centre Party (whose leader is the current prime minister), had been a strong supporter of the EU. Now it will voice its support as the main opposition party. The True Finns came in third, with nearly 20% of the votes, giving them 39 seats in Parliament, but compared to their showing in 2007, this was a dramatic increase, generally seen as a sign that more and more Finns are having serious doubts about "the European project."

As soon as the election results were announced the leader of NCP tried to reassure his fellow Finns as well as the outside world: since Finns are such reasonable people, "solutions always will be found" (3). Given Finland’s tradition of conducting politics by consensus, it was hope that a coalition, based on compromises, would emerge. There will be compromises–but not on the issue of the Portugal bailout. Today (May 3rd) the breaking news from Helsinki is that the True Finns have rejected the bailout–and no way it could be modified to make it acceptable. Moreover, they are adamantly opposed to the creation by the EU of a "permanent stability mechanism" (i.e. bailout funding agency) (4). Evidently, the True Finns don’t think that jeopardizing the euro, in the long-run, might be detrimental to Finland’s national interests. (Yesterday I thought that perhaps EU and European Commission bureaucrats, as well as euro-leaning economists and financiers, had gotten too worried too quickly? I was wrong.)

The source of all this anxiety stems from the fact that in Finland (unlike other eurozone countries) the Parliament gets to vote on EU policies, including bailouts. So the True Finn Party, with its anti-European Union and especially its anti-euro position, could "roar" if it wanted–and sabotage a bailout.  Right now Finland’s pledge to the EU bailout fund is 8 billion euros. The fund total is 440 billion euros ($639 billion), but that amount is expected to increase and, if Spain and/or Italy had to be bailed out, it would have to increase substantially (5). Since any bailout requires a unanimous vote, Finland can effectively veto any proposal. Already, euro countries are thinking about how to get this roadblock. One path would be a series of bilateral agreements though a consensus

During the recent campaign the True Finns said they would block any bailouts. Nevertheless, speaking right after the election results had came out, their leader suggested that they were aiming at changing the terms of Portugal bailout–not totally nixing it. The outgoing prime minister, explaining that the bailout issue is too important for any interim government to decide, announced that he would not put it to a vote in Parliament. Moreover, the incoming prime minister also pledged to get push for tougher loan terms for Portugal. Since the EU wanted Finland’s position to be clear by May 16 (when euro zone finance ministers will be meeting in Brussels), pressure was building on the new coalition partners to resolve the issue. The True Finns still intend to join the coalition, despite their rejection of the bailout. Their position is totally in line with a recent poll in which nearly 80% of the party voiced opposition to loan guarantees (6).

When I first read about the possible European repercussions of Finland’s election--that a party coming in third in an election in a country of 5.4 million–could pose such a threat to the eurozone and perhaps even damage the global recovery--what leapt to mind was "the mouse that roared." This phrase comes from a 1950s satirical novel, The Mouse That Roared, with Cold War themes that were very relevant in the 1960s, when high school teachers encouraged their Boomer students to read it (7). The "mouse" is the imaginary Duchy of Fenwick, a tiny mini-state in the Alps that gets into a spat with the United States and then, with great bravado declares war. Amazingly, by accident, Fenwick’s invading army (a Field Marshall and twenty-odd men) lands in New York and obtains a mighty bomb. Thus, a tiny country manages to intimidate all other countries into accepting its terms (the inspection of all nuclear weapons, a ruse to effectively disarm them).  Today, it seems that Finland is roaring, in the context of increasing resentment in the euro zone, where economically stronger countries keen to impose austerity measures on those requesting assistance. 

Here’s my general point: Whenever a mouse roars, we ought to tune in and listen to the global channel–rather than dismiss that roar as background noise. We can tune in by asking: What is the global context? What is the "mouse" trying to accomplish by making such a racket? This applies to world history, too, where students taking the AP World History exam are expected to write about the "world historical context." . Whenever historians ignore a mouse that roared or simply do not hear it (because its roar is being drowned out by the roaring of history’s lions and tigers), we may miss a critical piece of the puzzle. This is a vulnerability in the field of world history--where, in my opinion, there is too much emphasis on the numerically, territorially, culturally dominant so-called "civilizations."

So Finland is roaring now--at least the Euro-skeptic portion of the electorate. During the campaign the True Finn message was loud and clear: Stop! We can’t keep bailing out the "squanderers" of the Euro zone (8). But most of those in charge of Finland’s industrial sector don’t agree. They argue that the country’s export-driven economy (one million jobs depend on exports) could be severely harmed by another financial crisis (9). And the Social Democrats (the other coalition partner), though they too would like to modify the plan for Portugal, have a record of strong support for the EU and the euro. Thus, Finnish pragmatism may still win out–if the new government decides, however reluctantly, that rescuing Portugal is in their own country’s national interest. Of course, the two coalition parties favoring a bailout would have to find additional votes–since the True Finns say they won’t vote for it.

Another aspect of the larger context is the anti-immigrant stance of the True Finns, a party perhaps better described as populist rather than right-wing party. Although name "True Finns" seems to echo claims made by the Tea Partiers in the US (we are the true Americans, the real patriots) and by the propagandists of Ivoirité (we are the real, natural-born Ivorians), I’d rather not (yet) jump to such a conclusion . From comments I’ve read I’ve gotten the impression that it is not a party of raving fanatics (aren’t Finns just too calm to rave?). It doesn’t seem so very right-wing by American standards (10). Yet, its stunning gains in this election suggest it may be another harbinger of a European shift to the right, motivated by concerns over immigration policy, the status of immigrant communities, and a failure to sufficiently integrate immigrants into the national milieu. To the extent that Americans are even aware of immigration issues in Europe, their attention is focused mostly on Britain, France and Italy (since the influx from North Africa is in the news). But debates about immigration policies are also a factor in the politics of Sweden and Belgium, too–indeed across much of Europe. As these debates continue, they bring forward nationalistic sentiments that seem to strike a chord with more and more voters (11). 

Well, if the right-wing mice raised their voices in the recent election, they were amplified by those of the Euro-skeptics (or vice versa). There are good reasons to think that much of this roaring was in two-part harmony. Just as certain right-wing voices in the US are typically raised in two (or three or four)-part harmony.

In any case the most immediate threat is to the proposed plan to rescue Portugal. Like Finland, Portugal is a small country and in other circumstances it might (or has) played the role of the roaring mouse. Alas, Portugal is in no position to roar back.

Portugal and Bailout Politics

Looking at a map of Europe, it is obvious that Portugal’s size and location put it on the periphery. Geographically, it is on the southwestern edge, a position that, back in the 15th century (when the Atlantic world was opening up), was an advantage. Compared to its larger neighbors Spain and France, Portugal is a relatively resource poor country (this partly explains why it took to the seas five centuries ago). After joining the EU in 1986, it received EU subsidies that transformed its economy. 

Is the Portuguese economy really facing a severe crisis? Taking into consideration how quickly Portugal emerged from the financial crisis of 2007-2008 (largely explained by the fact that its banks had not sponsored a housing boom), it is puzzling to see what has happened to its credit rating. With a level of accumulated debt below that of Italy, why should Portugal (and not Italy) have its rating downgraded to the point where its government has had to ask for relief? And, though its budget deficit has been revised upward, to 9.1% of GDP, it is still below that of several other Euro zone countries. Robert Fishman has pointed a finger at speculation and the bias of market fundamentalists among bond traders and credit analysts (12). In any case, the Portuguese sovereign debt crisis might have been prevented (or forestalled) by an EU bridge loan but no EU country was interested in a bilateral loan. The European Cental Bank might have averted a panic by quickly buying more Portuguese bonds.

When Portugal requested assistance from the EU on April 6th, it became the third country to do so, following Greece and Ireland. The European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund are also participating in the rescue, in the form of loans, for which the estimate is 80 billion euros ($118 billion) over three-years. What brought Portugal’s sovereign debt crisis a tipping point was an impasse in Parliament, reached when a much needed austerity package was voted down for the fourth time. The Socialist government of Prime Minister José Sócrates fell and an election was scheduled for June 5th.  But the Social Democrats, who are expected to head a new coalition, also accept the need for deficit-lowering budget cuts (13).

For Greece, Ireland, and now Portugal, aid in the form of bailouts is alarming because it can become a "debt trap." Tough terms, forcing a government to drastically cut spending, can make it impossible for a government to generate growth and so "the pile of debt gets bigger with every passing day" (14). If a country uses it own currency, it can escape by devaluing it. Members of the euro zone do not have this option.

UPDATE: Yesterday (May 3rd) Portugal agreed to an a plan, for aid amounting to 78 billion euros ($116 billion), with terms more favorable than expected (and less onerous than those imposed earlier on Greece and Ireland). Outgoing Prime Minister José Sócrates, pleased with the longer timetable for cutting the deficit, called it "a good deal that defends Portugal" (15). Opposition parties will have to endorse it, but since the terms are reasonable this should not be a problem. The European Union must also approve the plan, which will be discussed at the May 16^th meeting. The major obstacle will be Finland, Europe's roaring mouse.

During the bailout negotiations, a critical issue was whether the donors will allow Portugal to defer the targets being set for cutting its budget deficit. Such a deferral would mitigate the economic impact of the necessary austerity measures and, since drastic cuts in both Greece and Ireland have seriously damaged their economies, there are good reasons for agreeing to more lenient terms. In addition, it was feared that harsh terms, stimulating a flow of money out of the country, would lead to the "Zombie bank" phenomenon. This has already happened in Ireland, where investers are putting money in safer external banks because they suspect that the Irish government might suddenly secede from the euro zone (16).

Anxiety and resentments over member countries debts, deficits, and stagnant or shrinking economies will continue to plague the euro zone.  The governments of Greece and Ireland, although they have received bailouts, have almost no cash to spend in ways that would help to grow their economies. And there are large deficits and weak economies in several other euro zone countries, particularly Spain, Italy, and Belgium. As Tyler Cowen points out, "All the ways forward look ugly" (17). But choices must and will be made. Will those choices bring forth new growth, stagnation, or a new economic crisis? What’s at stake is the viability of the European Union.

Other Examples

Are there other recent or historic examples that fit the "mouse that roared" scenario? Finding these might be a challenging assignment for students in economics and history classes.

In the euro zone, the governments of Slovakia and Hungary are also critical of bailouts, both passed and pending. Exploring their positions would fit well with any discussion of the True Finns rejection of the Portugal plan.

A closely related topic would be the 2008 Irish referendum in which voters rejected the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, deemed critical for European integration. Since all 27 EU states had to ratify it–before it could be implemented–and Ireland was the only country where ratification depended on a public vote, Ireland’s voters had great leverage. When the Irish anti-EU faction roared, there was angst in Europe. But a second Irish referendum passed late in 2009 and the Treaty came into force on December 1, 2009 (18).

A 2009 editorial in the Washington Times identifes another credible example–this time from Central Asia (19). This region’s spinoff republics (formerly part of the Soviet Union) seem remote (to most Americans) but very occupy strategic positions. From an American perspective its geopolitics are tied closely to the Afghan war, extending southwards to Pakistan and India, but Russia and China are players, too. Kyrgyzstan is one of the regions’ spoorest countries. In 2009, when the Kyrgystan mouse roared, the big lion blinked. That lion was the US, stunned when the Kyrgyzstan government decided to close the US air base at Manas, from which the US was ferrying troops and supplies to Afghanistan. It was fairly obvious that Russia--concerned about American influence in its backyard-- was the instigator here, having just agreed to provide Kyrgyzstan with a $2 billion aid package. In subsequent negotiations the US agreed to pay a much higher rent and to call the base a "transit center" so it remained open. The Kyrgyzstan mouse, with some help from the Russian bear, got a very good deal.


ACTIVITIES

Some of these topics, such as the mock meeting, would be suitable post-AP exam projects (AP World History, Ap/European History, AP/Economics).

EXPLAIN how a parliamentary system works and why Finland’s political parties must now form a new coalition.

RESEARCH: Can you think of other mice that have roared recently? How about historical examples?

SHOW the video "Portugal Seeks E.U. Bailout" (only 2:15 mins.) to introduce the bailout topic and its importance in the larger context of the European debt crisis. Then READ/DISCUSS Erlanger’s article about "Europe’s ‘Debt Trap.’" Why are economists pessimistic about the ability of Europe’s weaker countries to grow their economies? What does Erlanger mean when he says "We have a banking crisis interwoven with a sovereign debt crisis"?

READ/DISCUSS: Students read Cowen’s article about "Zombie banks." ASK: Why does Cowen think creating the euro was a mistake? Does he make points that Finnish voters
　
DISCUSS news articles that link Finland’s recent election results, the Portugal bailout negotiations, and the implications of both for the well-being of the euro zone.  EXPAND the this discussion by asking students to imagine how Finnish voters from different parties might respond to views of Erlanger, Cowen, and/or Fishman in their respective articles.

GEOGRAPHY of European Debt: Send students to "Debt Rising in Europe" to do map work or answer questions based on this set of interactive maps (see Resources). Begin by having students use Map 1 to make two lists: 1) EU countries in euro zone; 2) EU countries not in the euro zone.

RESEARCH: Students (individually or in small groups) research the economic health of countries that are key players in the European debt crisis, their policy options with respect to bailouts, include the option of remaining or exiting the euro zone. Then hold a mock meeting of the European Commission in Brussels, with students representing different countries, to discuss policy issues and options.


RESOURCES: FINLAND

Helsingin Sanomat-- International Edition: http://www.hs.fi/english/

• Short, easy to read news articles–in English
• Archive is excellent resource for all kinds of information about Finland!
• Click "Old Archive" and go back to 2000, then "Old Daily Archive to go back to September 14, 1999

"True Finns Reject Portugal Bailout." Helsingin Sanomat (May 3, 2011):
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/True+Finns+reject+Portugal+bailout+/1135265848625

"Poll: Portugal Bailout Splits Finns." Helsingin Sanomat (May 3, 2011):
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Poll+Portugal+bailout+splits+Finns/1135265848718
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13107620

"Truly Amazing." The Economist (April 18, 2011): http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2011/04/finlands_election

"A Suomi Shake-Up." The Economist (April 20, 2011): http://www.economist.com/node/18587287

"Eurosceptic Parties Make Gains in Finland." news24 (April 18, 2011):
http://www.news24.com/World/News/Eurosceptic-parties-make-gains-in-Finland-20110418#

"Finland Leads Rise of the Fair Right Across the EU."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8458477/Finland-leads-rise-of-the-far-right-across-the-EU.html

• Recommended for its SIX links to other articles about the European debt crisis
• Link to blog of Carl Bildt (Sweden’s foreign minister)

Daley, Suzanne and James Kanter. "Finland’s Turn to the Right Sends Shivers Through Euro Zone." New York Times (April 21, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/world/europe/22finland.html?ref=europeansovereigndebtcrisis

FEATURE FILM DVD: "The Mouse That Roared." (Walter Shenson; Jack Arnold; Roger MacDougall; Stanley Mann; Peter Sellers). Culver City, CA: Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, 2002, 2003. (Also check the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com)


RESOURCES: EURO ZONE AND THE PORTUGAL BAILOUT

European Commission: Home: http://ec.europa.eu/
English Welcome: http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

International Monetary Fund: http://www.imf.org

European Center for International Political Economy: http://www.ecipe.org/

Times Topics: Euro: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/currency/euro/index.html?scp=3&sq=cowen%20euro%20vs%20invasion%20zombie&st=cse

Times Topics: European Sovereign Debt Crisis (2010-)
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/e/european_sovereign_debt_crisis/index.html?scp=2&sq=cowen%20zombie%20banks&st=cse

VIDEO: "Portugal Seeks E.U. Bailout." Reuters Business (2:15 mins). New York Times (April 7, 2011): http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/04/07/business/100000000763313/portugal-seeks-eu-bailout.html?scp=2&sq=portugal%20bailout&st=cse

NYT INTERACTIVE: "Debt Rising in Europe." New York Times (December 20, 2011):
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/06/business/global/european-debt-map.html?ref=global-home

Erlanger, Steven.  "In Portugal Crisis, Worries on Europe’s ‘Debt Trap,’" New York Times (April 8): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/world/europe/09portugal.html?scp=1&sq=erlanger%20debt%20trap&st=cse

Minder, Raphael. "Bailout for Portugal Will Put Politicans in a Vise." New York Times (April 10, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/business/global/11iht-bailout11.html?scp=2&sq=minder%20bailout%20vise&st=cse

Cowen, Tyler. "Euro vs. Invasion of the Zombie Banks." New York Times (April 16, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/business/17view.html?scp=1&sq=cowen%20zombie%20banks&st=cse

Armitstead, Louise.  "Finland Leads Rise of the Far Right Across the EU."  The Telegraph (April 18, 2011):

"Bailout May Ease Portugal Budget Targets, No Consensus Yet." Reuters (May 2, 2011):
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/02/portugal-bailout-idUSLDE7410U420110502

Shorto, Russell. " Marine Le Pen, France’s (Kinder, Gentler) Extremist."
New York Times Magazine (May 1, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/magazine/mag-01LePen-t.html?scp=2&sq=shorto%20russell&st=cse:

NOTES

1) Fredrik Erixon, director of the European Center for International Political Economy, as quote in Suzanne Daley and James Kanter, "Finland’s Turn to Right Sends Shivers" (April 21, 2011): see Resources.

2) Jan Sunderland (University of Helsink), as quoted in Louise Armitstead, "Finland Leads Rise of the Far Right," Telegraph (April 18, 2011): see Resources. Confirmed by the observation that it is "a watershed moment in Finnish politics" (news24). To make this post more accessible to students (who might be overwhelmed by too many names) I refer to political parties rather than their leaders. Timo Soini, head of the True Finns, is described as charismatic and fairly moderate relative to others in the party.

3) Quoted in news24 (April 18, 2011): see Resources.

4) "True Finns Reject Portugal Bailout," Helsingin Sanomat (May 3, 2011): see Resources.

5) "Political Situation in Finland Problematic for EU," Helsingin Sanomat (May 3, 2011):
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Political+situation+in+Finland+problematic+for+EU/1135265848913

6) Terhi Kinnunen, "Finland PM-Elect Says 5 Days to Decide On Portugal," Reuters (April 29, 2011): See "Poll: Portugal Bailout Splits Finns," Helsingin Sanomat (May 3, 2011): see Resources.

7) Leonard Wibberley, The Mouse That Roared (Boston: Little, Brown, 1955). Used paperback editions are still widely available. Translated into Korean (2005, 2010 editions) and Romanian (2009) according to information at www.worldcat.org. DVD of the 1959 movie (see Resources). Also check public libraries for older VHS videotapes (early 1990s). Christopher Segal, The Mouse That Roared (1963), a stage adaptation of the original novel, appears in searches and bibliographies.

8) See news24 (April 18, 2011); also Armitstead, Telegraph (April 18, 2011); see Resources

9) See news24 (note 3).

10) See Historylynx post, "Birther Bigotry–in American and Ivory Coast" (April 29, 2011). Also based on reading online comments, especially on Armitstead, Telegraph (April 18, 2011).

11) Armitstead, Telegraph (April 18, 2011); Daley and Kanter, "Finland’s Trun to Right," New York Times (April 21, 2011); Russell Shorto, " Marine Le Pen, France’s (Kinder, Gentler) Extremist," New York Times Magazine (May 1, 2011); see Resources.

12) For comparative data, based on 2009 figures, see "Debt Rising in Europe" (esp. Maps 2, 5, 6), New York Times (December 20, 2010): see NYT INTERACTIVE in Resources. Steven Erlanger, "In Portugal Crisis, Worries on Europe’s ‘Debt Trap,’" New York Times (April 8); Robert Fishman, "Portugal’s Unnecessary Bailout," New York Times (April 12, 2011); also David R. Cameron’s letter-to-the-editor rejoinder to Fishman, New York Times (April 18, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/19/opinion/l19portugal.html?ref=europeansovereigndebtcrisis; see Resources

13) Raphael Minder, "Bailout for Portugal," New York Times (April 10, 2011):http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/business/global/11iht-bailout11.html?scp=13&sq=minder%20portugal&st=cse

14) Erlanger (see note 12).

15) Raphael Minder, "Portugal Agrees to a $116 Billion Bailout," New York Times (May 3, 2011):

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/business/global/04portugal.html?scp=1&sq=minder%20portugal&st=cse

16) Tyler Cowen, "Euro vs. Invasion of the Zombie Banks," New York Times (April 16, 2011); see Resources.

17) See note 16).

18) Tom Peterkin, "EU Referendum: Ireland Rejects Lisbon Treaty," Telegraph (June 2008, 2010): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/2122654/EU-referendum-Ireland-rejects-Lisbon-Treaty.html

19) "Editorial: The Mouse That Roared," Washington Times (February 11, 2009): http://www.washingtontime.com/news/2009/fed/11/the-mouse-that-roared;  "In Reversal, Kyrgyzstan Won't Close a U.S. Base," New York Times (June 23, 2009):
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/world/asia/24base.html?ref=transitcenteratmanaskyrgyzstan

Update IV

With so much breaking news, teaching current events is a challenge. The Lynx has found a way to cover a couple (or more) major stories in a minute! Just use the BBC’s "One Minute World News" video--any day, any time–to bring international current events into your classroom: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/

This post provides updated or additional resources for reent posts on these topics:
1) Ivory Coast
2) Libya and the Mideast
3) 1848 and 2011
4) China’s Crackdown

Ivory Coast

BREAKING NEWS: As I write President Gbagbo is still in his bunker in Abidjan–but he will soon be gone. Three of his "generals" (the heads of the armed forces, the police, and the republican guard) are negotiating safe passage for Gbago and his family and judicial and security protection for others in his camp. For those commanding Gbagbo’s army, after strategic attacks by French forces, who were asked by UN to ..., the best option was to stop fighting and ask for a ceasefire–which they did. Though people in are breathing sighs of great relief, they must also be wondering, given the violence and brutality, how soon will the winds of reconciliation begin to blow?

Check any major news agency for this and other news about the transition in Cote d’Ivoire. For example, from the BBC: for text "Ivory Coast; Laurent Gbagbo ‘Negotiating’ surrender," BBC News (April 5, 2011): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12975539; for video:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12977830

Last night’s BBC World News (a program available on PBS station’s in the US) led with two segment on Ivory Coast, where reporter Andrew Harding is on the scene. The second of these gives the basics of what brought the country to civil war. View these online (though perhaps they will soon be superseded): 1) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12966464 2) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12932427

For coverage of UN and French attacks on Gbagbo’s bases and residence–and the UN argument justifying them as necessary to protect civilians, see "Strikes by U.N. and France Corner Leader of Ivory Coast," Bases and Residence," New York Times (April 4): http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/world/africa/05ivory.html?ref=todayspaper

Pundits critical of President Obama’s decision to intervene in Libya have asked, repeatedly, "What about Ivory Coast?" While I give them credit for bringing Cote d’Ivoire into the foreign policy debate, I do sense that in some instances there is a partisan motive lurking in the background. I sense this especially when the correspondent or commentator is clearly ignoring how–from an operational foreign policy perspective--the circumstances in Cote d’Ivoire are/were quite different from those in Libya. In Cote d’Ivoire, in addition to several thousand UN peacekeeping troops, there were already French boots on the ground. No doubt President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton knew that at a certain point the French would be willing to step in and help the UN. Of course, the extent to which the French may have ulterior motives is a matter of debate (though the existence of such motives is not up for debate).

Libya and the Middle East

REMINDER: You can go to The Lede (New York Times blog) for extensive coverage. The most recent installment is "Latest Updates on Mideast Protests and Libyan War" (April 4, 2011): http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/latest-updates-on-mideast-protests-and-libyan-war/?ref=africa

• Here you can find 13 embedded videos from various sources! So this is one of the best places to go for visual media. And it’s put into context by a media savvy journalist.
• Scroll to end to find earlier posts ("Updates on Libya War and Mideast Protests") dated March 21, 25, 30, 31, April 1.

Also on the New York Times web site, a SLIDESHOW called "A New Generation Finds Its Voice" (March 20, 2011): http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/20/world/middleeast/middle-east-voices.html?ref=africa#

• Each slide consists of a photo of a young person, with his/her name, age, country, and occupation (but some are still students) plus a brief brief statement.
• These statements express a wide variety of views. These POVs reflect not only personal differences but how different circumstances vary from one country to another. For example, Ruba al-Bream, a Jordanian woman thinks that "Democracy will reduce religious radicalism." This may be more likely in Jordan than in other countries. On the other hand, perhaps she is just being overly optimistic.
• Select a few slides to stimulate discussion about what is happening and what the future may bring in a number of countries.
• A great resource to connect American youth with the aspirations of 25 of young adults across the Arab world.
• See the related links at the very end of the slideshow.

One link merits special mention–the "Country-by-Country Roundup": http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/world/middleeast/middle-east-hub.html

• Breaking news and most recent articles
• Clock showing current local time
• Twitter messages
• Link to "Complete Coverage"

Revolutions in 1848 and Uprisings/Revolutions in 2011

There’s been a lot of buzzing about possible parallels between previous eras of rebellion/revolution/transformation and the current upheavals in the Middle East. References to "The Arab Spring" tell us that what’s resonating for some reporters and analysts is the "Prague Spring of 1968," which evokes not only what happened in Prague and elsewhere behind Eastern Europe’ Iron Curtain but protests in the France, Mexico, and the US.

But for those who know something abut the history of the 1848 revolutions in Europe, that year seems a much better fit. I suspect 1848 and 2011 analogies are being examined in many graduate seminar rooms–as well as undergrad survey courses and even high school world history classes.

I find it more than ironic that the events of 1848 are being considered in AP World History–rather than being confined to AP Euro. Many APWH instructors are loath to spend much time on European history topics that seem too "Eurocentric" (e.g. the Reformation), yet here is another instance where we can make a good argument for inclusion rather than exclusion. (DISCLOSURE: When I taught a college-level survey, I too spent little time on 1848–because there is just so much to cover that more than fifty per cent of I wanted to cover had to be turncated. But I did always include it.)

In an earlier post (February 22) I recommended Anne Applebaum’s column, "In the Arab World, It's 1848 - not 1989." Here’s another resource--an exceptionally well-done essay by Leon Neyfakh, "Is This 1848?" that appeared in Boston Globe (March 27, 2011): http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/03/27/is_this_1848/
Two aspects of this essay that I especially like:

• The illustrations–Vienna and Paris in 1848, Egypt and Yemen in 2011. (These can be saved for projection in class.)
• The author’s informative but cautious approach to making comparisons. If you use this in class (highly recommended), be sure students pick up on both the plus/minus aspects of trying to make this kind of analogy. What works? And what doesn’t?

Thanks to History Bobcat for this link (from a colleague who had passed it along to him).

China’s Crackdown on Dissidents　

In China the government’s paranoia over any possible unrest continues. And so the crackdown on dissidents continues, reaching farther and farther into the ranks of the country’s human rights activists and the attorneys who have represented them. Some dissidents just disappear, others are more formally arrested. For a fascinating look at what Chinese dissidents are up to–despite the repression, visit "2011 Chinese Protest" (under Resources).

The latest of these is the artist Ai Weiwei, arrested just as he was about to board a plane for Hong Kong. Ai Weiwei, highly regarded both in and out of China as the artistic director of China’s Olympic Stadium, the marvelously innovative "Bird’s Nest" structure, had had previous unpleasant run-ins with the authorities. He was badly beaten in 2009, presumably for his out-spoken critiques of the government. On Twitter on February 24th he posted an audacious message: "I didn’t care about jasmine at first, but people who are scared of jasmine sent out infomation about how harmful jasmine is often, which makes me realize that jasmine is what scares them the most. What a jasmine!" (as quoted in the Washington Post, see Resources).

The web is full of material about Ai Weiwei but I saw the PBS Newshour segment last night and strongly recommend it. It lets the artist speak for himself about his motives and predicament (in footage shot before his arrest). It comes from last week’s Frontline but this excerpt is easier to use in class. Also, you can print the transcript

Resources

There is now an extensive list of "2011 Chinese Protests" and information abut them on FilePie: http://www.filepie.us/?title=2011_Chinese_protests

See Keith B. Richburg, "Chinese Artist Ai Weiwei Arrested." Washington Post (April 3, 2011): htp://washingtonpost.com/world/chinese-artist-ai-wei-wei-arrested-in-latest-government-crackdown

"Chinese Artist, Activist Weiwei Arrested." PBS NewsHour (aired April 4, 2011, 4:49 mins):
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june11/china1_04-04.html

"Who’s Afraid of Ai Weiwei?" Frontline. PBS (Aired March/April 2011):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/ai-wei-wei/

• Watch the full program online
• View a slideshow of the artist’s work
• Read an interview with a reporter who profiled Ai Weiwei for The New Yorker
• More good stuff (check all it out)