Category Archives: Uncategorized

What is Fascism?

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1) Political: Highly efficient but unilateral. Mussolini’s Fascism highly contrasts common democracy because it dismisses the ethical philosophy that the majority is always right due to it being the most beneficial for the greater good. Although decisions that are non-consensual to demographic representation are often interpreted as inherently chaotic, this type of government can accomplish its political agendas more efficiently due to less required processes.

2) Economic: The opposite of Marxian Socialism. The economic ideology of Mussolini’s original fascism revolves around the individuals motives for “heroism” rather than materialism. Therefore, workers who embrace this principle will discard their desire of upward class mobility and replace it with the intent to work for the power of the State, as “Fascism believes in…actions influenced by no economic motive.” This can potentially serve as a powerful incentive for production due to laborers impression that greatness is achieved through effort rather than status.

3) Military: Expansionist. Mussolini believed what marked a powerful nation was its momentum, and there was no better way to achieve this than through expansion and imperial prowess.

How did Fascism manifest itself given the cultural and political history of Italy? Would Fascism have arisen had Italy played a larger military role in World War I?

It is easy to understand why American’s view of Fascism is dark. “The pursuit of happiness” is an American phrase that is embedded in our Declaration of Independence, while fascism regards happiness as a “myth.”

Document Analysis

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From the beginning paragraph this paper, a document analysis of Peter the Great and Catherine II, clearly warranted an A. The information within each paragraph developed a clear path that aimed towards the goal of proving the thesis statement. The thesis itself expressed a clear and focused argument as well as a well organized perspective, which according to the “writing rubric” is required in order to receive an A. Furthermore only when necessary did the author include quotations in order to further prove his argument. Besides it being absolutely necessary, the majority of the paper was composed of paraphrasing of the historical documents, rather than quoting, in order to further their argument.

Each of the topic sentences within the paper expressed a controvertible statement in which always related back to the thesis statement, thus providing another requirement in receiving an A. Each sentence following the topic sentences also followed the “writing rubric” by staying within the focus of the topic sentence along with working towards proving the thesis statement.

Specifically speaking, the authors paragraph about Catherine’s reforms, which were the “Statute on Provincial Administration”, the “Charter to the Nobility”, and the “Charter to the Towns”, expresses the necessary requirements for an A. The author states and explains each of Catherine’s reforms as well as discusses Catherine’s reasons for creating each document, such as providing a response to the rise of the serf and peasant rebellion known as Pugachev’s Rebellion; thus providing the answers to the “five W questions” like “what?” “how?” and “why?”, which are crucial to any history paper.

When looking at the mechanics of the document analysis it, like the other aspects of the paper, expresses the requirements in order to receive an A. The author uses the correct Chicago formatting style by including footnotes on each page. The author writes with an active voice instead of a passive voice as well, which is also particularly important when writing a paper about history. The only mechanical error found within this otherwise mechanically flawless paper consists of a few grammatical errors.

Ultimately this paper provides every aspect needed for an A. It  initially presents a logical and well organized argument that directly answers the prompt. Furthermore each following paragraph continues in a detailed, logical way with the author writing in chronological order of Peter and Catherine’s reforms all the while remaining in the focus of proving the thesis statement.

Fascism

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Main Points:
1. “Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace.” Perpetual peace is not a realistic goal, nor is it a useful one. Fascism holds that problems and conflicts can only be ultimately solved by war, and that all other solutions to problems are only substitutes for war. War is not necessary detrimental, and pacifists have unrealistic world views.
2. “…Fascism [is] the complete opposite of…Marxian Socialism, the materialist conception of history of human civilization can be explained simply through the conflict of interests among the various social groups and by the change and development in the means and instruments of production…. Fascism, now and always, believes in holiness and in heroism; that is to say, in actions influenced by no economic motive, direct or indirect.” Economics have little bearing on the history of man. History cannot be explained by social and economic issues or differences between estates and classes. Class warfare has no real effect on politics and conflict and cannot be the primary mechanism for change in society.
3. “After Socialism, Fascism combats the whole complex system of democratic ideology, and repudiates it, whether in its theoretical premises or in its practical application. Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a majority, can direct human society; it denies that numbers alone can govern by means of a periodical consultation, and it affirms the immutable, beneficial, and fruitful inequality of mankind, which can never be permanently leveled through the mere operation of a mechanical process such as universal suffrage….” Fascism maintains that the majority cannot be held to be correct based solely on the fact that it is the majority. Universal suffrage is a useless practice, since the majority opinion does not matter. Not all individuals are equal, and therefore cannot have equal political standing; Fascism outright denies the democratic principles of political equality and perpetual progress.

Questions:
1. Why is it that fascism and socialism are thought of as being related by many people, when in actuality they are opposites?
2. Why does Fascism get its name from ancient Rome, the government of which is the inspiration for many of the world’s modern democracies?

Observation:
“…The Fascist accepts life and loves it, knowing nothing of and despising suicide: he rather conceives of life as duty and struggle and conquest, but above all for others — those who are at hand and those who are far distant, contemporaries, and those who will come after…” Mussolini’s definition of fascism includes the stipulation that the Fascist despises suicide and knows nothing of it, yet Adolf Hitler, one of the foremost fascists in history, took his own life.

Document Analysis

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The writer of this paper fulfills the requirements of the rubric very well and structured his/her essay properly to make the essay clear and easy to understand.
The topic sentence is set up well by the rest of the intro paragraph. By the time the reader gets to the topic sentence, he/she has a good understanding of the situational context. The sentence itself is concise, but very clear and describes effectively what the paper will be focusing on. The thesis is proven relevant by answering “so what?” and it is also an arguable statement.
The position of the author is well defined and clear. Evidence is effectively used to clarify points. The author analyzes a wide variety of resources to prove his/her points. The numerous resources are also properly cited.

The sources are well placed and agreeing with the claims made by the author. They effectively convey and respond to the points analyzed in the document.

Very few errors in the document overall, grammatically or structurally. The document appears to be very well-revised (probably three times at least).

The document also does a good job of maintaining my attention.

Overall, the paper was very well structured, well revised, and analyzes an interesting, arguable point.

Essay Review

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The essay we are given to explain the grade for makes sense as an A given your standards. It does not appear to run afoul of any of the parts that would make it lose an automatic ten percent, the font, spacing etc. all appear correct. The thesis is takes a large topic and is able to answer the given topic clearly and concisely. The paper flows chronologically and addresses the ideas presented the thesis in order. The topic sentences each present the ideas that will be addressed in the following paragraph. Each source that is used is analyzed and then conclusions are drawn in a logical manner from the document. In my albeit not exhaustive reading of the essay it appeared that it had very few grammatical and punctuation errors. It appears to have been proofed several times. The vocabulary is clearly educated but none of it should be hard for a college student to understand. While obviously we where not allowed the length to explain everything mentioned in depth but the essay is able to give a reader, even one who does not necessarily know about the topic enough information to understand what it is about. The author of this essay approached had a clear plan for how they would write it. Either outlined before or after their first draft they set up a logical order that would address every part of the thesis. The lack of errors and the fact that no sentences are just off the wall confusing makes me assume it was done in several drafts, very likely with an outside reader as well. The essay makes use of several primary sources which are all cited. They all add to the readers understanding and the conclusions drawn from them are central evidence in the essay. The essay follows almost all of the guidelines set pout in various documents for writings in this class. It also achieves A level in all the categories of the rubric.

Grade A

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According to the rubric, an ‘A’ paper keeps the thesis clear and is original in thought. This paper does both exceptionally well. The author lays out all of the documents he/she will present in the paper (no surprise documents) prior to the thesis, and uses these documents as a nice segue into the thesis statement. Every point the paper is carried by an affirmative assertion followed by solid blocks of evidence used to back these assertions, each linked together in a good flow. For example:

“Catherine’s “Statue on Provincial Administration,” by dictating the rankings of persons of power within these provinces, furthermore attempted to eliminate the possibility of another rebellion. For instance, the Statute stipulates that, in the absence of a monarch, rule would pass to each province’s commander in chief. This delegation affirmed that strong authority would govern each province, regardless of the monarch’s physical presence.” (Page 2 of the essay)

 

 

Although this phrasing is full of elongated sentences, each phrase beautifully parlays into the next one, and, by building on the preceding phrase, concisely gets the authors point about said document across. The author also doesn’t lose track of his/her own opinion throughout the paper. This is evident when the author writes, “…More likely, Catherine used this stratification to keep track of free peasants. Because each townsperson had to apply for a guild membership, the legal rankings allowed the government to document and oversee its citizens” (Page 3). With very careful diction (use of the words ‘more likely’ to imply the author’s opinion) the author keeps his/her opinion present throughout the paper without losing sight of the focus. The author further gives his/her own insight onto the establishment of these codes, which is evident in the author’s saying:

 

“Because each townsperson had to apply for guild membership, the legal rankings allowed the government to document and oversee its citizens, consequently reducing the possibility of a rebellion”

With sentences like these and a concise, coherent structure flowing consistently throughout the entire paper, it is easily understandable how it attained an ‘A’.

 

Document Analysis Paper

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The introduction of this paper sets up a complex analysis of the primary documents because it links the documents through change over time between the two rulers.  The thesis statement is clear and direct, summarizing the most important aspects of the documents as a whole.

The topic sentences of each body paragraph are also easily identifiable and have the ability to be discussed from multiple viewpoints.  Within the paragraphs, the author uses specific aspect of each document to illustrate the point of the topic sentence.  For example, the Table of Ranks discusses the fines and articles written into the document.  It answers all of the contextual information about the document in a way that also provides analysis.  Also, when direct quotation of the document is used, it is accompanied with an explanation of the quote, which furthers its use as a supplement to the factual discussion.

The sentence structure throughout the entire paper varies between complex and simple sentence, creating a paper that is both easy to read and sophisticated.  There are no glaring grammar or spelling errors, which show careful paper construction and an attention to detail mirrored throughout the intellectual discussion as well.  The analytic interpretations come across with as much confidence as the factual information.

By the end of this paper, I felt like (had I not know this subject) I had a complex knowledge of the topic.  It was also useful how the conclusion incorporated secondary source material that corroborated the thesis statement and gave further validity to the argument taken in the paper.  However, the best part of the paper was that it did not have to rely on secondary source materials, and I really got the sense that all of the points came directly from the person that wrote this paper and that they understood all of the facts that enhanced their argument.

The paper also adhered to all of the “Tips on Writing for Me,” which definitely kept this paper at the level it deserved.  Good job and congratulations!

3-2-1 Fascism

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3 Points

1: Fascism does not believe in the possibility or the practicality of peace. Those who repudiate peace and have courage to rise up to face war and have the courage to fight, are “stamped with nobility”.

2: Fascism is the complete opposite of Marxist Socialism. Fascism propagates holiness and heroism, therefore, in actions that are not influenced by economic motive. UNlike Marxist Socialism, Fascism does not believe that class wars are the main force in the transformation and change in society.

3: Fascism goes against democracy and rejects its idea that having a majority in numbers means that that majority should direct society. It believes in the inequality of all mankind and denies the “truth” of political equality, the myth of happiness, and the possibility for society to have indefinite progress.

2 Questions:

In what way does fascism have a similar view to imperialism?

How do the principles of Fascism support what the Italian people wanted after WWI?

1 Observation:

Fascism used some of the same theories and terminology that socialism uses, but instead of focusing on class wars, it put the focus on conflict between nations and races.

Document Analysis 2 Paper Review

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This document analysis, which discussed the reforms of Peter I and Catherine II, deserved the A it received. The writer included necessary contextual information for their audience, ensuring that readers would understand the topic. The writing itself is very concise, with each sentence aiding in proving the analysis’s thesis. When absolutely necessary, the author chose to use quotes to prove their point, but mostly paraphrased the historical documents in order to further his argument.

The topic sentences are controvertible and relate directly back to the thesis statement of the document analysis. Making these statements controvertible rather than factual is one of the many reasons that this paper is deemed an ‘A’. The sentences within each paragraph all stay within the constraints of the topic sentence and work towards the ultimate goal of proving the thesis.

In particular, the first body paragraph about Peter’s Table of Ranks incorporates all of the features necessary for receiving an exemplary grade. The paragraph concisely explains the Table of Ranks (providing the “what?” and “how?”) and discusses some of Peter the Great’s motivations for penning the document (providing the “why?”). Direct quotations are completely absent from the paragraph, as the author instead decided to paraphrase information from the document.

Overall, the document analysis provides a well thought out, logical argument, which answers the prompt given. The progression of the analysis is also logical, as the author chose to first discuss Peter I’s reforms and then transition to the reforms of Catherine II. The discussion of Catherine II’s reforms makes the transition seamless because the author first discusses those reforms which were similar to Peter the Great’s, and then continues on to discuss the reforms which were different from those of Peter the Great.

In regards to mechanics, the author correctly cites documents within footnotes on each page. The paper is written using active (rather than passive) voice, which is an important component of any papers written discussing history. Aside from a few grammatical errors and a few spelling errors, the document analysis is completely free from mechanical error.

Document Analysis Paper Review

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This paper deserved an A because aside from a perfect spelling and punctuation, the author’s writing was to the point. The paper had no superfluous statements, and each sentences worked toward answering the thesis. In addition, the author does a great job at contextualizing his topic thus making it accessible to any readers.  The usage of quotes followed the same pattern: quotations from the text were only given to illustrate his point while additional references were simply paraphrases.

The argument itself was well constructed: The author’s interpretation of the reign of Peter the Great and Catherine II were correct and logical. Furthermore, the author’s analysis of the documents was used as a mean to both analyze the continuation of the reformist ideals throughout the century, but also changes within reigns, particularly that of Catherine II, thus providing solidity and depth to the argument. Such analysis of the sources allows the author to both give context and prove the thesis.

The structure of the paper was also interesting. In the case of Peter, the author started the argument through a description of the table of ranks, only referring to Peter to articulate that Russia was in need of centralization, therefore making a good usage of topic sentences. Following this brief description, the author then explained Peter’s aim behind the table of ranks as well as the consequences it had on Russia. In the case of Catherine II, this time the author first focused on the environment in which Catherine was at the beginning of her reign, period in which the Charter to the nobility was written. Then proceeded to explain why this environment caused her to create the Charter to the towns. While such method permitted the author to emphasize on Catherine’s reign, it also allowed tying the two periods in a manner that solidified the argument. In other words, the structure of the paper is organized well enough so that it eases the flow of the argument.