Schedule of Events

Declassified CIA documents from the Reagan Administration show the resurgence of ethnic nationalism in Soviet republics throughout the 1980s, as well as the Soviet regime’s failure to respond accordingly.  These two issues became an underlying, yet powerful factor, in the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Brought on by economic and political tensions, the division between those who identified as Russians and those who identified as non-Russians across Soviet republics resulted from the regime’s crackdown on cultural liberties and practices accompanied by the growing interest in religion among all ages. Although these sentiments were prevalent across the Soviet Union, regions such as the Ukraine, Central Asia, and Georgia emphasized the failures of Soviet leadership through widespread public dissent and a general decline in the acceptance of the core Soviet values of a secular state and uniform national identity.

To be a learned Englishman in the 17th century meant being globally aware, involved in the political sphere, and deeply devoted to personal religious beliefs. It also meant dealing with decades of uncertainty marred by bloodshed and paranoia. The events of the 17th century marked England’s emergence into modernity and set into place the roots of a national identity that continues into the current century. The discontent of the 17th century that ultimately culminated in the revolution of 1688 can be described as the first modern revolution due to its focus on religious and civil liberties and inalienable rights. The study of 17th century England is so significant because it marks a shift in the relation of citizens to their monarchs as well as the emergence of Enlightenment-era ideas of inherent and inalienable rights. This analysis aims to highlight the many important events of the 17th century through political, religious, and economic primary sources in order to support my thesis that that the Glorious Revolution was foremost caused by the desire of Protestant Englishmen to protect their own inherent civil rights from a corrupt monarchy.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon arranged a trip to the People’s Republic of China to better communicate similarities and differences with the Chinese government following a period of diplomatic hostilities. The President’s visit happened during a perilous time in international affairs, with continued conflict in Vietnam, concern from our allies, and the ever-present struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. Eventually, they came to an agreement that changed the international landscape forever.  Through an analysis of hundreds of declassified White House documents, memoirs, and speeches, it is clear that the Peking summit was a crucial turning point in Cold War and Chinese history. President Nixon’s visit to the People’s Republic of China in 1972 was beneficial to both nations as it affirmed China as a major player on the world stage, created a working dialogue about existing points of disagreement, and promoted peace while strengthening Cold War military directives.

A famous story in Japanese history that shares the importance of decision making is that of The Forty-Seven Ronin. This story is written based on true events that took place in the beginning years of the 18th century, in Japan’s Edo period. The actions of avenging their master’s death, leading to their own deaths through seppuku, in the story of The Forty-Seven Ronin was morally justified for these samurai. It was justified, regardless of legality, because the samurai honor code far outweighed the laws in this period as a result of Japan’s deep roots in Confucian ideological relationships, the formation of the Shogunate, and the influence of Zen Buddhism.

Following hundreds of years of oppression at the hands of the British, the twentieth century marked the beginning of a series of notable Irish attempts to regain independence.  Key events that sparked the reinvigoration of the drive for Irish self-governance included the executions of 14 leading Irish nationalists after the Easter Rising and Great Britain’s forced conscription of Irish citizens during World War I.  These two factors contributed to the pro-independence Sinn Fein controlling an overwhelming majority of parliamentary seats in the Catholic-dominated south.  Although the Irish independence movement was founded in hopes of establishing self-governance based on high-minded ideals such as egalitarianism, religious freedom, and the end of oppression in Ireland, a sacrifice of these very ideals transpired as Irish revolutionaries quickly strayed from diplomatic negotiations and turned toward guerilla warfare that promoted the use of violence.  This paper will examine the long-term and immediate causes of the Irish War of Independence, as well as its ultimate successes and shortcomings via the analysis of both primary and secondary sources.  Although some may argue that diplomacy would have been a more acceptable method of acquiring political autonomy, it will be posited that the use of violence was a justified tactic for regaining independence due to the inherent right of the Irish to rectify past injustices and restore territorial integrity. 

During the seventeenth century, imperial attitudes for the British began to rise in favor of expansion into the new world. The Virginia Company, comprised of two smaller Joint stock companies: the London Company and Plymouth Company, made its way to the Eastern seaboard of the soon to be British colonies. The London Company was allotted roughly one hundred miles of land, stretching from the thirty-eighth parallel up towards the forty-fifth. This gave the Joint Stock company a wide range of locations to begin its settlement. On the fourteenth of May 1607, the London Stock Company formed Jamestown, named after King James I, which became the first permanent English settlement in the new world. Using a variety of primary sources from Captain John Smith’s own writings to records from the Library of Congress it is determined that this might have never been the case without the assistance of the Polish settlers who arrived in 1608. The settlement of Jamestown flourished due to the handiwork, craftsmanship, ingenuity, economic benefit, and enfranchisement of the Polish settlers who were drafted by the Virginia Company to save the colony before it collapsed.

Irish folk music became the primary voice of anti-imperialist outcry following the failed Easter Rising of 1916. The music of Post Easter Rising Ireland fomented republicanism and anti-imperialism through appeals to nationalism, demonization of the British imperialists, and lionization of the republican leaders of the Easter Rising.

When asked to name the colonies owned by the British Empire, Ireland is often forgotten: the first "colony" before England transformed into a global empire and one which remained under British control until the early twentieth century. The period between the mid-nineteenth century and early twentieth century is one in the 400-year occupation of Ireland where Irish stereotyping and subjugation became more prominent and harsh. Applying different theories regarding why the British continued this treatment of their closest colony and how the Irish responded still inspires debates in the present day, including the beginnings of nationalism. The British suppression of the Irish, in the form of land ownership, racist ideology, and mistreatment led to a unique form of nationalism within Ireland in the early twentieth century. To determine the formation and uniqueness of Irish nationalism, primary sources such as letters, speeches, laws of Parliament, and revolutionary writings were utilized in the research.