Questions based on different handouts - Essay Example

Final Paper - Questions based on different handouts According to what you have studied, how did or did not the Mandate for Palestine fulfill points 5 and 12 of Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points? Contextualize and reason your answer. Feel free to cite your notes and textbook (12.5 points) Point 5 of the Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points states that “an open-minded, absolutely impartial, and free adjustment of all claims-colonial-, on the basis of strict adherence to the principle that in determining all questions of sovereignty, the interests of all concerned populations must have equal measure with equitable claims of the government whose sovereignty is being determined” (Halsall 5). The mandate for Palestine did fulfill this point in its recognition of the connection of the Jewish, historically, with the Palestine and by asserting that a national home be constructed for them in Palestine. This declaration put into consideration the interests of the concerned population, in this case, the Jewish population. The Mandate for Palestine managed to clearly offer a clear distinction between political rights with regards to the Jewish civil and religious rights and self-determination as an emerging polity, referring to guaranteed of equal individual freedoms to non-Jewish residents within select communities and as individuals (Halsall, “Modern History Sourcebook: League of Nations: The Mandate for Palestine, July 24, 1922”). However, the mandate failed to satisfy point 5 of the Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points by failing to mention, not even once, Arabs as a people. The document fails to identify and granting any rights to Arabs as it did the Jews, thus not satisfying the requirement of putting into consideration all interests of concerned population. Point 12 of the Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points asserts that, “Turkish portions of the current Ottoman Empire should be guaranteed of a secure sovereignty, and the other nationalities, now under the Turkish rule, must be guaranteed of an absolutely unmolested autonomous development opportunity and undoubted security of life, and the Dardanelles should permanently be opened for a free passage for ships and that trade of all nations should be under international guarantees” (Halsall, “Modern History Sourcebook: Woodrow Wilson: Speech on the Fourteen Points Jan 8, 1918” Point 12). The Palestine mandate fails to satisfy this point-point 12 of the Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points-by entrusting a Mandatory, in this case, Great Britain, to have full power of administration and legislation-according to article 1 of the mandate- over the Palestine Territory, formerly belonging to the Turkish Empire. In so doing, the mandate goes against the principle of guaranteeing secure sovereignty. The Palestine Mandate also seems to satisfy point 12, at least according to article 2, which states that, “…for safeguarding religious and civil rights of all Palestine inhabitants regardless or religion and race,” requirement that undoubted security for life should be provided for all those nationalities under the Turkish rule (Halsall, “Modern History Sourcebook: League of Nations: The Mandate for Palestine, July 24, 1922”). Article 3 of the mandate also encourages local autonomy, which is in line with pint 12 of the Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points, which advocates for equal, unmolested autonomous development opportunities. Additionally, article 5 of the mandate satisfies point 12 requirement of guaranteed sovereignty by advocating for the mandate to ensure that no territory in Palestine is leased or ceded, or placed under the control of another government’s foreign power in any way. It is also very clear that, the Palestine mandate satisfies the requirements of point 12 of the Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points, that, “nationalities under the Turkish rule must be guaranteed of an absolutely unmolested autonomous development opportunity and undoubted security of life, and the Dardanelles should permanently be opened for a free passage for ships and that trade of all nations should be under international guarantees,” (Halsall, “Modern History Sourcebook: League of Nations: The Mandate for Palestine, July 24, 1922”) at least according to Article 11 of the mandate. 2. What do you think have Alain Resnais’ documentary about the Holocaust, Night and Fog, and Fanon’s chapter on colonial violence (The Wretched of the Earth) have in common? What do they tell the historian about the history of violence in the twentieth century? Contextualize and reason your answer. (12.5 points) Alain Resnais’ documentary about the Holocaust, Night and Fog, and the chapter “Concerning Violence”, from Fanon’s book The Wretched of the Earth, all talk about what happened during colonial era when states wanted to independence from the colonialists and what befallen them, as a result. For instance, when states asked for independence from the colonialists, the colonialists responded by, “when a colonialist country was faced by the claims for independence from the colony, it proclaimed to the nationalist leaders that if they wished for independence, they should take it and go back to the Middle Ages” (Fanon 96-97). In fact, the colonialists withdraw its technicians and capital, and impose on them a regime of austerity despite their starving situation. This is the same theme also in the documentary by Resnais which asserts that the duel has fundamentally been between anti-colonialism, and colonialism between socialism and capitalism. It basically documents the events that occurred before the famous, “night of fog” in Germany. It is worth noting that, just as colonialist acted in ways that frustrated in inhumane ways cries by colonies for independence, the Nazi Germany also threatened those people resisting the Third Reich with deportation and consequent disappearance without trace. The film vividly illustrates the extent of sadism in form of torture, medical and scientific experiments, prostitution and executions inflicted upon those who resisted the Nazi German rule. All these stories, the documentary and the chapter on colonial violence from Fanon’s book, teach historians of how the violence perpetrate in the 20th century came about. It makes historians understand the reasons as to why violence was predominant during that period. Additionally, it offers a clear explanations as who perpetrated such violence and why. For instance, in Fanon’s book, The Wretched of the Earth, the United States organizes counterrevolutionary brigades against Castro’s Cuban government and the populace at large. The reason is; Castro, on taking over power, gave the power to the Cuban people. This is because, by giving power to the people, Castro denies and ends the United States dependence on slaves from Cuba. Additionally, it is seen that, when colonialists refused to give independence to the colonies they controlled, they accepted those challenges and in some cases, such as in Africa, took to arms in order to gain independence. This is also illustrated in the film or documentary on Holocaust, Night and Fog, by Alain Resnais, in which violence is perpetrated against those who resisted the rule of the Nazi Germany. Those resisting the Nazi Germany rule were threatened with deportation from their countries and into Germany, and eventual disappearance without trace. They were sadistically tortured, scientific experiments and medical experiments were done on them; more shockingly, prostitution and executions were also inflicted on them (Resnais). The bottom line is, the colonialists did not accept, in many circumstances, their colonies to resist their rule or make decrees or claims for independence. They, in one way or the other, inflicted violence on their colonies either by starving them or depriving them of technologies, as in the case of Cuba (Fanon 97), or by, as in the case of Nazi Germany, physically injuring and killing them (Resnais). Therefore, it is clear that, both colonialists and nationalist, in the 20th century, perpetrate violence in one way or the other for the sake of either independence or maintain status quo. Works Cited Fanon, Frantz. “Concerning Violence.” The Wretched of the Earth. Grove Press, 2004. 95–100. Print. Halsall, Paul. “Modern History Sourcebook: League of Nations: The Mandate for Palestine, July 24, 1922.” Fordham University. 1998. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. ---. “Modern History Sourcebook: Woodrow Wilson: Speech on the Fourteen Points Jan 8, 1918.” Fortham University. 1997. Web. 7 Dec. 2012. Resnais, Alain. Night and Fog. Argos Films, 1955. Film. Read More