History Archives - More Letters to the Corinthians

Dates a Person Should Know

If you’re one of those students who enjoy timelines for learning, here is your assistant to understanding Western Civilization. In general, Antiquity runs from 500 BC to the fall of Western Rome in 476 — and mostly focuses on the Greeks. The Middle Ages run the next thousand years, of which the first 500 are considered Dark. The Renaissance then occurs in the 1500s. It was a period of renewed interest in art, literature, science, and humanism in Europe, leading to significant advancements and a rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman ideals.

The Age of Enlightenment, also founded in Europe, started in the mid-1600s. It was an intellectual and philosophical movement that emphasized reason, skepticism, and the pursuit of knowledge, challenging traditional authority and promoting progress and individual freedoms. This period was followed by Romanticism, a cultural and artistic movement that emphasized emotion, imagination, individualism, and a fascination with nature, rejecting the rationality and conventions of the preceding Enlightenment era.

400 BC Plato – Known philosophical writing dates back to circa 400 BC and from these many authors, Plato was dominant. Not only did he bring us the concept of soul and a better world above, he co-founded Christianity. And because this eventual belief system brought forth the current systems of the world, let’s rank him first.

400 BC Aristotle – A student of Plato, Aristotle agreed with the concept of another world and the conclusion of soul, but was much more practical in his views. His style was to make the best of this planet. Not only called the father of science, he wrote 17 manuals (treatises) on how to run a society. From politics to ethics, Aristotle was organized in his detailed thoughts. Unfortunately, much of his writings didn’t survive — and what did was lost to the Romans and Christianity until 1100, when Tomas Aquinas reinstated it. During the 800s, he was discovered by the Arab Empire and translated from Greek into Arabic. Aquinas then had him transcribed from Arabic into Latin approx. 300 years later. (The language of Rome and the Church.)

400BC Buddha and Confucius – Buddha inspired many religions, namely Hinduism; and Confucianism was practiced by millions over thousands of years. Both dealt with the reality of living within this world; and neither gave shape to an imminent creator like the gods of the Greeks and Romans (or many others).

146 BC Rome conquers Greece – and adopts much of its culture. Along with white columns influencing Roman architecture, the Romans incorporated Greek characteristics in art, music, drama, and dance. They also adopted the concepts of individual freedoms and democracy, and the Greek system of religion — copying their gods, one for one (Zeus became Jupiter, Aphrodite became Venus, Eros became Cupid, etc.).

100 BC Judaism is recognized – Created circa 1800 BC, Judaism wasn’t respected until around the time of Christ. Prior to, this faith was one of many circulating in an unorganized world. People lived in small tribes and communication systems hadn’t been invented. So though Rome may claim a state religion, implementing it was quite a different story. Convincing the ignorant into changing their belief system doesn’t happen overnight. It takes generations. Anyway, Jews in every community started to get noticed and they became regarded as successful. Roman intellectuals then began associating their belief system with output. Not just economic but socially Jews worked hard, studied, saved their money, and stayed out of trouble. Model citizens of the day. (Kinda like today’s Asians.)

325 AD Counsel of Nicaea – Rome decides it needs a new religion. This belief in multiple gods isn’t working. Too confusing for the people. Jewish monotheism (one god) seems better. Also appears people like knowing who their god is — want to know more about his personality. And while we’re at it, let’s incorporate Plato and other Greek thoughts. Religion should have some philosophy to it. Plus, this Christ preaching about a loving god and “love thy neighbour” still seems mighty powerful. Followers are willing to die for it.

Obviously, this project took time. Along the way, Rome granted Christians the right to practice their religion in 313, ending years of persecution, and Emperor Constantine himself converted. In 380, the Empire adopted Judeo-Christianity as its state religion.

476 AD The Fall of Western Rome – The Eastern Empire, administered from Constantinople, continued until 1453, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. The West, meaning most of modern-day Europe, became a mess. The ensuing period is known as the Dark Ages. It was a time of small kingdoms warring against nomadic tribes and other small kingdoms. And without centralized control being provided by Rome, the only thing keeping it together was the Church. After the fall, literacy took a nosedive and violence erupted everywhere. Why? Because without law and order people take matters into their own hands. Us modern folk complain about the role of government but without a police department, registries for property, some sort of centralized military, and departments for things like taxation, societies tend to fall apart.

700 AD The Arab Empire – Spirituality aside, Muhammad made desert people see something larger than themselves. Saudi was a land of nomads constantly fighting among tribes. So the region was going nowhere. Then he created a belief system, not much different than Judaism or Christianity, and it unified a nation. Power then turned this natural belligerence into a caliphate that spread eastward to India and as far west as Spain. Over time they brought forward many achievements. The scientific knowledge of Greece was translated into Arabic and numbers were imported from India. They enhanced trigonometry, devised decimal fractions and square roots, created pi to 16 decimal positions, and invented algebra. They also bettered astronomy, medicine, and geography. So thanks go to Mecca.

1054 AD East separates from West in the Catholic Church – After the schism, East no longer recognizes the pope in Rome. This is the beginning of Eastern Orthodox (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox) and the expression Roman Catholic.

1066 AD William the Conqueror – William of Normandy, a region in France, defeating the existing king of England at the Battle of Hastings. He declared himself (and any future monarch) as the sole holder of land, but introduced a feudal system whereby certain subjects were bestowed nobility (through the title of baron) and granted rental use of land to profit from. He then sought the advice of barons, along with the clergy, before making laws.

1215 AD Magna Carta – A group of rebel barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta (Latin for “the great charter”), granting them some rights. It was the first time an English monarch had ever agreed to share power. In theory, this baron group became the first parliament. Some monarchs respected Magna Carta, others didn’t—so early parliaments were primarily seen as advisory committees.

1642-1651 AD The English Civil War – This war was fought between the Parliamentarians (“Roundheads”) and the Royalists of King Charles I (called “Cavaliers”). The Parliamentarians won, executing King Charles and replacing him with a stronger parliament headed by Oliver Cromwell. This parliament lasted 10 years before people lost confidence and supported a counter-revolution, won by King Charles’s son, Charles II. Charles II eventually died and was succeeded by his brother, King James II.

1651 AD Thomas Hobbes publishes Leviathan – a significant work in political philosophy, in which Hobbes argues that in the state of nature, life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. In such a condition, humans are driven by self-interest and the pursuit of personal desires, leading to conflict and insecurity. To escape the perils of the state of nature, Hobbes proposes the establishment of a social contract. This contract involves individuals surrendering some of their rights and freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for protection, stability, and the preservation of their lives. Hobbes argues for the necessity of a strong, absolute sovereign to maintain order and prevent the chaos inherent in the state of nature. The book’s title refers to the authority as a metaphorical “leviathan” or a giant sea monster. The sovereign, according to Hobbes, has absolute power over the state and is responsible for maintaining law and order, ensuring peace and security, and resolving conflicts within society. The book has had a significant influence on subsequent political and social thought, shaping the understanding of the role of government.

1688 AD The Glorious Revolution – In 1688, parliamentarians assisted by the Dutch and William of Orange, defeated King James II in the Glorious Revolution. Never again would an English monarch rule with absolute power. This victory, along with the British Bill of Rights of 1689, established the basic tenet that parliament was supreme. The monarchy continued to exist but it became a constitutional monarchy (as opposed to an absolute monarchy) where its powers were defined and limited by law. As an expression of gratitude, William of Orange and his wife, Mary, were inaugurated as the very first king and queen under this new system. They are commonly known as William and Mary.

1776 Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations – Some think the US Declaration of Independence was the pinnacle event of this year but a declaration is just that — you still have to win the war. (Which in this case didn’t happen for another 5-7 years.) What was significant was Adam Smith’s textbook on economics. The first educational attempt at describing the modern era of providing goods and services, thus paving the way for economics to became a recognized discipline.

First Nations

When it comes to knowing your nation’s history, Canadians surely rank last on the planet. Why? Because it’s never been taught. Yet for those willing to take a peek into the past, our formation is an example for the world. (Yes, for the world.)

Canada is the amalgamation of ancient hunter gatherers with the moderns of England and France. Not an easy combination considering these two systems are miles apart. But managing a merger without much for violence is an accomplishment claimed by no other. So let’s get started.

Tribalism

When societies first began forming, activities were centered around food. You see, Krog had to eat. So hunting and gathering in the form of vegetation and berries was happening everywhere–not just in North America. You could easily say, from a cultural perspective, that nowhere in the world was any different. Sure, some folks ate more fish but what’s the difference–we needed to survive. And this meant living in tribes.

Residing alongside nature, a few thousand inhabitants would cuddle together and separate chores. But constant exposure to the elements came with brutalities. Not just in terms of physical conditions, like too hot and too cold, intellectually there wasn’t much for schools. Not only could people not read or write, they didn’t know math. Why would you? There wasn’t anything to calculate. And neighbours weren’t exactly friends. Hatred flourished as tribes competed for scarce resources. Yes, people still got married and everyone loved their kids, but murder, enslavement, and torture were commonplace (occurring much more often than we care to admit). Scholars of the day famously referred to those living under such conditions as barbarians or savage. (And remember, everyone did it.)

Anyway, no better or worse than anywhere else, before British or French explorers existed, native Canadians resided in tribes. Generation after generation undertook the very same practices for thousands of years, until one day they saw a boat.

1600-1800

Samuel Champlain arrived on the shores of Quebec in 1608–one year after Britain had established its first colony in America. And natives loved him. Why not? Sammy and others like him brought practical goods that improved everyday living. Exchanging items like pots and pans for a beaver pelt was more than a great deal for everyone. Traders opened up stores and every time a new shipment arrived it was like the dickie-dee ice cream guy coming down a summer street.

Crack any book on history and you’ll see the years 1608-1830 were considered good. The general relationship between Natives and Europeans (Brits and French) was purely business and customer-vendors became friends. Why wouldn’t they? Natives helped the voyageurs explore the land inward and goodies kept coming. Over time, the fur trade delivered items made from steel (like tools and knives), fabrics including wool, sugar from the Caribbean, and guns that could be used for hunting. All of which were great. Yes, the times were good but those home improvements didn’t fall from the sky. They were a consequence of the Western European system.

Agrarian / industrial society

This may sound surprising but Europeans were previously hunter gatherers too. They just switched to another style. One that involved staying stationary and the theory of individualism. The agrarian introduction of farming allowed one family to produce bushels of potatoes to trade for everything they needed. It was amazing and a gigantic step in economics. And not only could we feed ourselves, excess capacity through the market system created unlimited possibilities. Add to this top-notch institutions for learning and you see the mother of big-time science and engineering.

Hunter gatherers could never build a massive ship to transport goods. Tribal infighting would never allow it. Let alone trade all over a country or the world. That’s why characterizations of chiefs yelling “get off our land” are misleading. Senior leaders hardly disagreed. But don’t kid yourself, Europeans didn’t make this transition in a lifetime. Unifying small tribes into a nation; adding legal and financial systems so individuals could do business with complete strangers; implementing organized religion to pound hard work and discipline into everybody’s head; and figuring out things like private property took hundreds of years.

Treaties and agreements

The fuss you hear over government and First Nations comes by way of the 1800s. The French had ceded their parts of Canada (New France) to the British in 1763 (through the Treaty of Paris), then the damn Americans broke away 20 years later. So after the British-American war of 1812, Britain decided to get serious about forming a country to keep what they had.

Former agreements were renegotiated to allow immigration to settle the West and a railroad was planned to be built. A misconception is that native leaders fought these reforms but that was hardly the case. Everyone knew Americans were mounting pressure from the south and the fur trade was dying. Leaders were just looking for their slice. So since reforms were inevitable, and in contrast to Americans who went to war with their tribes, people said, “Hey, we’ve been working together for 200 years. Let’s make a few deals.” Of course, the most controversial of these was residential schools.

Residential schools

Modeled after a similar program in America, Sir John A authorized the establishment of residential schools in 1883 with a clear and defined purpose: to ensure aboriginal children could read and write in English or French, and learn the standard curriculum including mathematics. At the time, native languages totaled over 60, and this system was central to the government’s model of assimilation. Upon Macdonald’s insistence, these schools were initially “optional” and operated this way for the first 37 years. They didn’t become mandatory until 1920. The system was then slated for closure in the early 1950s and dismantling soon began. As of 1979, 28 schools remained. The last one closed in 1996. At max, there were 80 in 1931.

I don’t have to tell you about the abuses reported at these institutions but given the circumstances, they had to be residential. And remember back then, many shipped their kids off to boarding schools voluntarily, including the parents of Winston Churchill (who hated it). In those days, even the wealthy considered family separation over education acceptable. And for the sake of information, Boy Scouts of America recently settled with 92,000 claimants over sexual abuse. No one is saying any of this was right, but it was a different time and money wasn’t plentiful. And I have a hard time believing Macdonald, Sir Wilfred Laurier, William Lyon Mackenzie King, and Pierre Trudeau (or his minister for Indian Affairs, Jean Chretien) believed they were subscribing to something evil. That being said, audits and commissions over these same years found native children to be in overtly poor health and poverty was a circumstance of reservations along with native living in general.

Summary

Canada is and always has been a great nation. Shameable only by ignorance. Don’t blame schools for not teaching history. What nine-year-old needs to hear about murder, torture, and enslavement. Topics like these should be left for those who study as adults. But I think kids should know about the assembly of this nation. Natives, French, British, and immigrants, all pieced together in a reasonably amical way. That’s why Canada is a test case for the world. We might yell at each other from time to time, but generally we keep the peace.

Americans surely know their history better than we do ours, but memorizing battles and generals isn’t it. Looking at the past means measuring progress and determining how advancements came to be. In our case, it’s by negotiating and renegotiating until tiny steps moved us forward. Yes, there was definite stubbornness towards the policy of assimilation because natives were afraid of losing their culture. They were okay with abandoning the economic part. It was nothing new and had been around for thousands of years. But folks were afraid of losing their home. You see, when an Italian immigrant jumps into the melting pot, they retain a motherland across the ocean. Somewhere they can return to. But in the case of North American Indians, this is the motherland. And once you wipe out their ways, they have nowhere to go.

The majority of complaints against assimilation were, and still are, social. Leaders don’t desire the entire European package. They find it too money-oriented, always focused on attaining more, and it doesn’t allot enough time for The Creator. So we’ve arrived at a hybrid. Today, 56% of First Nations live off-reserve and many who live on, pop off to work. 600,000 Canadians describe themselves as Metis, meaning of mixed blood. And though few solutions have been found to support communal economics, 60-70 reservations now operate under self rule. In non-indigenous Canada, aboriginals are recognized often and best efforts are employed to preserve elements of native culture. Perhaps godless capitalists will one day see a piece of the puzzle lies right beneath their feet.

Note: I went easy on the government over residential schools. That’s because the first rule of history is to view everything in context. The current messaging suggests we’ve developed genetically over the past 100 years. We have not. There was savagery in the British system as well, and it still exists today. The only path forward is through decent economic conditions, education, and encouraged civility in everyday life.

The Dark Ages

Atheism is getting popular these days—it’s sort of becoming cool. But any good non-believer knows to recognize the historical significance of the Catholic Church, especially after the fall of the Western Empire. This period is known as the Dark Ages.

The Middle Ages go from around 500 to 1500 AD—it’s the first 500 that were considered dark. This was a time of small kingdoms warring against nomadic tribes and other small kingdoms. And without centralized control being provided by Rome, the only thing keeping it together was the Church.

After the fall, what we know of Europe became a mess. Literacy took a nosedive and violence erupted everywhere. Why? Because without law and order people take matters into their own hands. Us modern folk complain about the role of government but without a police department, registries for property, some sort of centralized military, and departments for things like taxation, societies tend to fall apart.

War

Many believe old time rulers were greedy but that wasn’t always the case. Often the objective was plunder. Victors stole gold, silver, wheat, and land for personal survival. As a matter of fact, that’s how most armies got paid. Why else would anyone take such risk? Soldiers would often receive a share of the bounty or something substantive as a reward.

The other reason was fear. In the words of Alcibiades, it’s rule or be ruled. So if you’re not conniving against your neighbour, they’re conniving against you. Even at home, regular folk were always edgy about riders in the night. Personal safety is a major concern of happiness. Without it, societies tend to get nervy. And that’s how it was after the loss of Rome.

Faith

Buddhism and Confucianism were both devised around 500 BC. Almost 900 years before the construction of the Catholic Church. They provide ways of accepting the circumstance of humanity—the human condition—but neither identifies nor tries to explain a higher power. These systems deal only with introspection to find meaning. Perfect for the poor but ineffective with rulers of the day.

Sure many thought the thoughts but neither hosted a sophisticated organization like the Catholics. They didn’t have the wingspan of churches and monasteries. Why? Because this religion of Rome was different. Like the empire itself, it was administratively organized and things were clear from the start that this institution would participate alongside power.

Catholicism

In addition to stories about Jesus, Catholicism is the merger of the old Jewish faith with philosophies of the Greeks. It kept the monster god of the Old Testament (for fear) and added a more loving one that speaks of thy neighbour. This dualism of love and fear connects with our innermost instincts, plus the guy could perform miracles. Perfect for a spooky time.

Bishops and kings debated like peers and the church really did comfort the weak. As a result, it was greatly respected. Monasteries were the only stable locations of learning and priests were generally considered the smartest guy in town. And don’t kid yourself, these teachings got into your head.

The psychological presence of Christianity was powerful, no matter your position. A good example comes by way of France. The queen of a small kingdom lost two sons to dysentery and blamed the tragedy on her selfish ways. She proceeded to burn the records of all those who owed the king money. Later, in an attempt at atonement, they both became generous to the poor. So from a tactical perspective, this religion was brilliant. It provided multiple levers for different situations. As one historian puts it, “this period wasn’t the rise of Christianity, it was the use of it.”

Genres

This time also marked the end of the Mediterranean as being somewhat homogeneous. Prior to, most everyone was the same. Augustus would travel to Egypt on a regular basis. But after the fall, regions developed personalities. You had the Northern Europeans of Germany and the Franks (French), Scandinavian countries with Vikings, and Byzantine went through its own challenges. And though the story of Charlemagne is interesting, the empire of Islam accomplished the most.

Spirituality aside, Muhammad made desert people see something larger than themselves. Saudi was a land of nomads constantly fighting among tribes. So the region was going nowhere. Then he created a belief system, not much different than Judaism or Christianity, and it unified a nation. Power then turned this natural belligerence into a caliphate that spread eastward to India and as far west as Spain. Over time they brought forward many achievements. The scientific knowledge of Greece was translated into Arabic and numbers were imported from India. They enhanced trigonometry, devised decimal fractions and square roots, created pi to 16 decimal positions, and invented algebra. They also bettered astronomy, medicine, and geography. So thanks go to Mecca.

Summary

Studying antiquity is like listening to music from the 1950s. After a while it all sounds the same. Learning about the Middle Ages is more like sounds from the 60s. There were genres and weird things going on. The fall of Rome was similar to the removal of Saddam in Iraq, there was chaos in the streets. Multiple groups clamoured for control and you never knew who to believe. With no police force or public registries, it was a basic disaster. The only constant was the Church.

The Dark Ages ended with the introduction of feudalism. Economies were getting stronger and something new could now work. The best example is William the Conqueror in Britain. After defeating the current monarch in 1066, Billy decreed that all land was now his and taxed out large portions to barons, who could re-rent them for a profit. In return they gave him a standing army. Shared power was starting to take shape. 150 years later, King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta, limiting his power to raise taxes. Another step forward, at least in the West.

In closing, though many choose to see the negative side of faith, the psychological perspectives were perfect for this time. Dogma aside, organized religion provides a moral compass and fills in when government is gone. And frankly, I think we still need it today. There’s nothing wrong with a little fear to keep you on the straight and narrow, or virtual love to get you through the day. Even if it does come from a little man in the sky.

Note: Information for this article was taken from a free online course provided by Yale University.

Antiquity

When it comes to history, the word prehistoric doesn’t mean dinosaurs. It means the time before writing. Only then from the pen did we start to get details. The first thousand years from around the Mediterranean and Iran is called classical antiquity. This period includes Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, a bunch of different religions, and interesting people like Alexander the Great. Go online and you’ll find an awesome overview by the Khan Academy that only takes a few hours. So in the span of watching a movie, you can scrunch in 1,000 years.

What’s so special about this period is that it’s had great effect on you. Why? Because Persia affected Greece, Greece influenced Rome, Western Rome became most of Europe, and Europeans incorporated much of Canada and the US. So a lot of our culture comes from this era.

Persia and Greece

Writing began around 800 BC, but the good stuff came a few hundred years later. Herodotus started recording history, Hippocrates is the father of medicine, Pythagoras and Euclid were really good at math, Plato started the first university, and Aristotle devised the subjects we still study today. These weren’t the first smart people on Earth, they were just the first to write everything down. That being said, they were also pretty smart since many of their philosophies and theories are still being taught today. Not to mention tons of our words and phrases still come from this time.

The Romans

When most people think of Rome, they imagine the empire but that’s not fair. There were three periods. From its founding in 743 to 509 BC, it operated like a regular kingdom with one major exception—sometimes the kings were elected. So it was initially a city-state like everywhere else. Then from 509 to 27 BC, Rome was a republic with senators and consuls. Sometimes senators were elected (by the army) and sometimes they were appointed, while consuls were generally elected by the senate. This system operated in various forms until Julius Caesar won a civil war and declared himself dictator for life. His rule includes the expansion of Rome beyond the Italian peninsula and the story of Cleopatra (who was basically a tramp).

After Julius, came his nephew—later renamed Augustus. That’s when Rome became known as an empire. Further expansion continued under a number of emperors—some good, some bad—until Constantine, who made the strongest impression by launching the conversion to Catholicism.

The empire then split into East and West, and the West fell in 476 to Germanic tribes. The East, known as the Byzantine Empire, lasted until 1453, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. So it’s over 2,000 years from commencement to the Eastern fall, but historians say the official empire only lasted from Augustus in 27 BC to the fall of the West. Still a very long time.

Summary

CanAmerica is the amalgamation of First Nations people and those previously ruled by Western Rome. This means that in addition to long houses, lacrosse, and the canoe, we have been heavily influenced by Europeans. And this greatly affects you. Why? First, it’s why we have so many Latin words and Greek philosophies. Second, it’s why you were probably born a Christian.

The period after antiquity is called the Middle Ages. It goes for another thousand years and is when small kingdoms and the Catholic Church run most of Europe. It’s also when Charlemagne (a king in France) teams up with the Pope to form the Holy Roman Empire (something completely different), and when you get the formation and expansion of Islam.

The Middle Ages end around the 1500s when things really start to cook. The Protestant Reformation splits up the Catholic Church, we get modern day democracy and capitalism, Michelangelo and da Vinci hit the scene, and of course there were oodles of inventions. We’ll have another piece on this sometime in the future, which means watching another film. In the meantime, be happy for your past. Among all the gore, a lot of great people did a lot of great work.

P.S. Check out the article on Ancient Greece.

Israel

Without a doubt, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the dominant news of our time. Not so much lately, but we’ve gone through long periods when this topic constantly occupied the major headlines. So what is it that makes this conflict so special and why hasn’t it been resolved? Well, it all starts with the Jews.

The Jews

If you stood up a Jew beside an Arab you couldn’t tell them apart. That’s because there’s no physical difference separating these two ancient neighbours, not even the nose. What sets them apart is their way of life. Jewishness (or being Jewey) is based on four principles:

work hard
be a good person
go to school
save your money

Perfect rules for anyone that build not only strong individuals but entire civilizations. What’s unique about Jews is that they’ve had this figured out for thousands of years. So even when wandering around a desert they were essentially first world people living in undeveloped space. That’s why their stars didn’t shine until they migrated to Europe.

Jews brought serious talents to industrialized nations and success followed. So much so they were admired by elites but loathed by the masses (like foreign students taking good medical jobs over here). Back then people weren’t so polite and this jealousy-hate thing grew to where discrimination was common against these should be role models. (Hitler didn’t start it.)

Christianity

Christianity played a significant role in building Western Civilization and it’s no secret Judaism had a hand in making Christians. That’s why it’s called Judeo-Christianity. And many Western leaders take this to heart. Much of their tradition is entrenched in our system and their history is partially ours. That’s why pro-Christian nations strongly support the Jewish homeland. And why America, the most Christian of all, is heavily involved.

The British

Right after WWI, the allies came into possession of the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire was on the wrong side of the war and this area became part of the spoils. Back then nobody knew there was oil so the territory consisted of regular farmers, living in villages, identifying with tribes, being administered by Turks.

Anyway, Britain got the land they called Palestine and that’s when the party started. They decided Jews were to be rewarded for contributions and compensated for woes by welcoming them back to their home. Immigration soon followed and people moved in by the thousands. Interstate conflict began. (You see, Arabs don’t like immigrants either.)

Now moving these folk in wasn’t like expropriating land for an airport. Nor was it like forcibly transplanting people from Eastern Oregon to the coast. In all cases, you simply write a cheque. In this case it was damn principle. Countryside conflict continued until the British got sick of it.

In 1948 they turned matters over to the UN, who declared a two-state solution. Palestinians didn’t agree and neighbouring Arab nations immediately attacked. Of course, Israel won the war because they were armed to the teeth but these sorts of battles continued for some time—often resulting in border changes. As of 2019, there were peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, and other than Palestine, all Arab nations had lightly acknowledged Israel’s right to exist. In 2020, four more agreements were signed. Which brings us back to the start.

Palestinians

Jews have a lot to brag about. Scientists who’ve set records (theory of relativity) and in business they’ve done well. But when Canada sends 21 players to bring back hockey gold, it doesn’t mean we can all skate. So lots of them are knobs like the rest of us. And truth be told: none of us are anything if not for our leaders.

If Gandhi was an Arab and Oprah a Jew, this whole thing would have been settled. But that’s not how it’s played out. Palestinian leaders stubbornly implore violence and Israeli defenses always freak out—leaving the region without the stability it requires to implement a 50-year plan. And if you take the Israeli-UN position, it’s mostly one side’s fault.

Before striking oil in some places, the Middle East was a collection of poor nations. Sure money is great but this area was never brought into the first world. And Palestine isn’t a resource rich nation (no oil, just lemons) but Israelis have managed to bring their part up to par. How? They used the system they helped to create.

This battle is between the first and third worlds—and it’s all in the head.

George W. used to say “I don’t know much about Muslolalism” but Islam isn’t to blame. Central and South America are just as screwed up. The third world is whacked for a number of reasons. They’re mired in strict religion, corrupt institutions, poor education, and a non-ambitious culture that can be easily stoked into violence. And that’s always the difference between “us” and “them.” Move a Haitian baby into Canada and he or she grows up fine. It’s not our features that make up the difference, it’s the system.

And you can’t get there by just schooling and hard work, you need rule of law, private property, and a department for transgender rights. So if the PLO and Hamas would stop lobbing bombs, Israelis wouldn’t be so tight. And if they’d change their tactic from “Israel has no right to exist” to “let’s talk land and money,” chances for success would be far greater.

Summary

It’s never the people, always the politicians. Because all babies are born good. There are 15 million Jews in the world and six of them live in the States. Israel has seven million. If you apply modern day birth rates and the melting pot in New York, you’ll see truly Jewish people have at best 100 more years. In that time, they’re the gateway for Arabs to join the first world.

Judaism has never tried to inundate the planet, it would rather be left alone. No one tries to convert you and they don’t go knocking on doors. They simply live a principled lifestyle, which they’re happy to share. This whole conflict reminds me of two kids wrestling in a yard. The little guy has fight but the other is too big. It only ends when the little guy says “uncle.” Wake up Palestine, you don’t have to be poor (no country does). You have a first world neighbour that’s internationally bound to play fair. Take advantage of this opportunity to move yourselves up in the world. It might be the last gift from the Jews.

Then again, one could disagree with the UN resolution and say it never should have been implemented in the first place. Israel could have become a province with special cultural provisions like that of Quebec or sent up north to tell jokes to the Inuit. And why do Jews need a homeland, anyway? Didn’t they leave the Middle East for Europe? One step further, and you could say that based on behaviour, namely the disproportionate suffering borne by Palestinians always in the name of defense, Israel doesn’t deserve to be a nation.

Long story short, history is easy to summarize when you’re talking about the past. This conflict is still going on.

Note: For a good book on the details see Jimmy Carter’s Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (remember, Jimmy was there). You can also view Wikipedia or this card presentation from Vox.

World War II

There were two components to WWII: Japan’s aggression in the South Pacific and Germany’s in Europe and North Africa. Germany and Japan became allies, and together with countries like Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, were called the Axis. Japan’s attack on China (July 7, 1937) could be considered the beginning of the war but being Eurocentric, we say it started two days after Germany invaded Poland (when Britain and France declared war).

The war in Europe had four phases: German advances prior to Poland, the German invasion of Europe (starting with Poland), the German offensive against Russia, and American involvement.

Early advances

Germany made four moves before the official start of the war.

March 1936 – Sending military troops into the Rhineland
March 1938 – Annexing Austria
October 1938 – Annexing the Sudetenland
March 1939 – Annexing the rest of Czechoslovakia

The Rhineland was an area of Germany designated as a demilitarized zone after WWI (part of reparations). When Hitler’s troops marched in, Britain declared it a violation of the Treaty of Versailles but said it wasn’t to be met with resistance (map of Europe, 1936).

Austria and the Sudetenland (the north-west part of Czechoslovakia that borders Germany) were both taken without firing a shot. Austria by way of ultimatum and the Sudetenland by means of negotiation by French and British officials, without any Czechs at the table. Both had a long association with Germany. Bavaria initially included much of these areas, the Sudetenland was formerly part of Austria, and the Austrian language is essentially German. So when all this happened, there was no great uproar (e.g., regarding Austria, many locals welcomed the move and the US recognized it in less than a month).

The negotiation of the Sudetenland is called, The Munich Agreement. It highlights Britain’s policy of appeasement (attributed to Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain). Taking the rest of Czechoslovakia was not greeted as warmly. Germany wanted its manufacturing capability and due to Hitler’s pre-negotiations, little resistance was met. (P.S. it should be noted that Hungary and Poland helped.)

Europe

The war officially started after Germany invaded Poland. One month prior, Germany signed a non-aggression pact with Russia. Among others, this included the sharing of Poland.

August 1939 – Germany and Russia sign pact
September 1, 1939 – Germany invades Poland
- Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada declare war against Germany
September 17, 1939 – Russian troops enter Poland
September 27, 1939 – Poland surrenders, Nazis and Soviets divide up the spoils

In April 1940, Germany started invading its neighbours. In May, Italy aligned itself with the Axis and Winston Churchill was appointed Britain’s PM. The Battle of Britain and the Blitz began in July that same year. (Knowing the difficulties of a seaborne attack, the Germans tried to get Britain to agree to a negotiated settlement by bombing British cities and towns for over a year.)

By June 1941, Germany had successfully invaded 11 countries (Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Yugoslavia, and Greece); most of them falling within weeks. They were basically kicking ass.

Russia

Germany invaded Russia in June 1941. The code name was Operation Barbarossa. For more than a year Germany had its way, recording numerous victories, but in August of ‘42 they invaded Stalingrad and The Battle of Stalingrad became known as one of the bloodiest in the history of warfare. Between them, nearly 2 million people were wounded, killed, or captured, in a ratio of 1:1. (Amazing since, up to that point, Russia had been losing 3 to 1.) Many regard this as the turning point of the war.

The Germans got off to the early lead but the Russians launched a massive counter-offensive and after a few months, the Germans were forced to surrender. This marked a major defeat for Hitler’s forces and the Russians continued their gains until marching into Germany, two years later, and leading the fall of Berlin.

Sure, Russia picked up a few countries along the way and went on to terrorize the world with communism, but don’t kid yourself—when it came to Europe, Russia did the heavy lifting.

Americans

Before entering the war, America instituted a lend-lease policy to deliver equipment and arms to the allies. Once the party started, they helped Britain’s Montgomery against Rommel in North Africa, assisted with the bombing of Germany, and led the liberation of Italy. (Once the Italians saw their beloved country invaded, they quickly disposed of Mussolini and surrendered within two months, but the Germans fought on in Italy until the end of the war.)

They also led the allied invasion to open the much promised western front (starting with D-Day on June 6, 1944) and did most of the heavy lifting against Japan.

Summary

The Japanese and German aggressions were completely different wars. They just happened at the same time. The war in Europe ended on May 7, 1945. War against the Japanese waged on another three months and, of course, included the dropping of two atomic bombs.

Military deaths, civilian deaths due to military activity, plus civilian deaths due to war related famine and disease, total over 70 million. Among them, 20-25 million Russian, 15-20 million Chinese, 7 million German, 6 million Poles, and almost 3 million from Japan. The British and Americans lost over 400 thousand each, and Canada lost 45,000.

They say it was a war of technology. The motor and electricity were now well established so factories could really pump it out. And it was the unveiling of new mechanisms like military airplanes and panzer tanks. It was also the first time radio was used to speak to the public. WWII will be remembered for Britain’s determination to “never surrender,” the Luftwaffe’s inability to crush the RAF, and the tremendous civilian war effort that included daily sacrifice, rationing, and the buying of war bonds. It will also be remembered for the thousands of concentration camps.

Before America entered the war, FDR and Churchill met to draw up the Atlantic Charter. In it was the formation of an international body to ensure that nothing of this nature could happen again. It was called the United Nations and its primary mission is to bring about an end to imperialism. So far it works.

Note: For further reading you might enjoy the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Italian Campaign, and the French and British policy of Appeasement. You may also like this video.

Russia

Before the First World War, Russia was a regular kind of place. Included in its past were the likes of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Ivan the Terrible, and the great grandparents of a really hot left-winger named Ovechkin. They also had a long history of being ruled by czars.

Their military had saved Europe from Napoleon’s ambitions in the early 1800s, and Russia had freed the serfs (their version of slaves) in 1860. But after heavy casualties in WWI, severe food shortages (caused by the war), and old-style government thinking—it was time for a revolution.

Russian revolution

Like their global counterparts, Russian workers in the early 1900s were fed up with selfish monarchs and capitalists. They’d been hosting strikes and socialist organizations for years, pushing for a better life. Early gains forced Czar Nicholas to grant them a parliament, the Duma, to assist with running the country. But being the obstinate fellow that he was, Nicolas abolished and restarted the Duma a number of times.

In 1917, while the war was still going on, Nicholas was overthrown and replaced by a provisional government (the Duma) made up of mostly liberals. This government was then overthrown, eight months later, by the communist Bolsheviks headed by Vladimir Lenin (John’s evil twin).

Civil war

Because not everyone wanted to be a commie, the revolution turned into a civil war that lasted three years. A number of groups were vying for control but we’ll summarize into three:

Bolshevik Reds – those subscribing to the communist beliefs of Marxism
Whites – those aspiring to become a democracy with left-wing ideals
Loyalists – those who were happy to remain with the czar

Britain’s Winston Churchill screamed for allied support to anyone but the Reds, but allied ambition was drained after the loses of the just fought war. And working class people everywhere were sympathetic to the communist cause. As the war went on, Loyalists got lumped in with the Whites but in the end the communists won.

Lenin and Stalin

Upon retaking power, Lenin was faced with converting a nation that didn’t totally agree with him and his interpretation of Marx (what we now call Marxist-Leninism). He chose to persuade them through a reign of terror. Over the next two years, until his death, and long after by his successor, Joseph Stalin, the communist party imprisoned, murdered, and terrorized its own people through acts of barbarism.

Targets included loyalists, liberals, capitalists, and the religious (since communism abolishes all religion). In total, over 30 million people were killed from a population of 184. (And Nazi Germany learned its tricks of concentration camps from Siberia.)

Post WWII

Like many others, old time Russia was in the empire business. Its empire was one of the world’s largest and, in 1922, it became the Soviet Union (made up of 15 nations—Russia plus 14 others). After WWII, the UN was formed with the intent of ending imperialism. This made Stalin change course. His ambitions moved away from acquiring land to spreading communism.

Because of heavy contributions in defeating the Nazis, a tired world agreed to Russian demands by granting them communist influence over countries they’d taken during the war, plus others they negotiated. These countries were called the Eastern Bloc. They included Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Hungary, and East Germany.

Due to social uprisings in the above countries and financial instability in the Soviet Union, soviet influence in these areas fell in 1989 and everyone gained back their independence. Two years later, the Soviet Union itself fell, granting the same independence to the nations they’d acquired through their empire (e.g., Ukraine, Georgia, Belarus, Armenia, Lithuania, and Latvia).

Communism

In total, communism in Russia lasted for 70 years. Idealists rejected Western actions to improve worker conditions and introduce a welfare state—believing they could do better. (Remember, Britain was making changes in 1910, so things were well afoot by the time of the revolution.)

So how was it? This great social experiment of equality for all and everyone by their own needs. Horrible. Communism broke the country’s spirit, instilled fear, restricted freedoms, and promoted jerks. Oppression became the name of the game and people were conditioned into an attitude of defeatism. This bred depression, alcoholism, and incompetence. Poland fared better since they maintained much of their religion (social control wasn’t as strong in the Bloc) and they were still Polish (occupied by a foreign land). So they had hope. But Russians brought this upon themselves.

You can’t stifle ambition and expect to get things done. You can’t accomplish much without stability. And you can’t be successful with powerful jerks. One guy said, “You know in Canada how we have community leagues to promote friendship and provide activities for kids? We didn’t have anything like that in Russia.”

Conclusion

Today, Russia is a seven-foot teenager—looks like an adult, acts like a kid.

Germany went through the same process rebuilding its image. Tie yourself to culture and forget about the past. German identity is now focused on cars, good beer, and those funny little outfits they wear in October. Russia is doing the same thing by highlighting its kick-ass vodka, beautiful women, and those really cool Easter eggs.

Most of the world gets it, for we all have blood on our hands. The only way to relinquish your past is to rebirth your nation through a new identity. Germany has become a highly productive, socially minded country, that’s completely different than at any point in its past. Russia is now doing the same, but it takes time for the ugliness to rinse through. Anyone in Germany who remembers the war is now well over 80 and anyone who participated is over 90. Russia has only been free for 26 years.

Russia today is a capitalistic democracy. Yes, many of the elections are rigged, but not all and not everywhere. (The same can be said for most early democracies.) Yes, the economy is mostly run by oligarchs, but again, this is true for most countries coming to capitalism. And yes, many of the jerks are still around.

In order to understand Russia you have to identify with its past. When people say “Russia is,” remember it’s a nation in transition. So Russia isn’t anything for long because it’s a body in motion. And right now, it’s a seven-foot teenager.

Note: For a good book, try The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister by John O’Sullivan. You can also watch, The Russian Revolution (2017) available on Netflix.

China

With respect to the intricacies of history, China was governed by a bunch of dynasties until 1912. The Qing dynasty, its last, fell during a revolution of the Nationalist Party led by Sun Yat-sen. The country then became the Republic of China (also called the ROC). Sun’s vision was for China to have an open government and one day, democracy. This vision was greatly respected by the citizenry and Sun is widely regarded as the father of modern China.

In 1921, China’s Communist Party was formed around the ideologies of Marxism-Leninism. A founding member was Mao Zedong. Sun Yat-sen died in 1925 and Chiang Kai-Shek became the new Nationalist leader. His government didn’t care much for commies and suppressed them whenever they could. But Chiang’s group was also known for widespread corruption and increasing the divide between rich and poor, which only fueled the growth of communism.

This Communist-Nationalist thing was bigger than just two party rivals. People identified strongly with one side or the other, and Nationalist suppression often led to killing or imprisonment. But the two groups fought together for China during WWII.

After the war, Mao’s communists revolted against the Nationalists in a civil war (1949). Communists won and Nationalists retreated to the island-province of Taiwan. There they continued to lay claim to all of China. So there were two groups alleging to be in charge—the old Nationalist ROC and Chairman Mao’s People’s Republic of China.

The United Nations was founded in 1945. At the time, China was the Republic of China (the Nationalist version). After the communist revolution, the UN continued to recognize only the ROC (not the commies) and things stayed this way for more than twenty years.

During this period, there were few contacts, limited trade, and no diplomatic ties between China and countries like the US. Things changed in the early 1970s, when President Nixon made his historic trip to reinitiate relations and brought back two panda bears. Eventually, the UN and the US would officially recognize the People’s Republic of China and severe relations with Taiwan.

Taiwan

If you look at a map, Taiwan is between the coasts of China and Japan. It hosts the world’s 22nd largest economy and is currently not a member of the UN. It too has a convoluted past. Mainly inhabited by Taiwanese aborigines before the 17th century, the island was annexed by the Qing dynasty in 1683 and then ceded to Japan in 1895 (after the Sino-Japanese War). Following the Japanese surrender in 1945, China took back control of Taiwan. And in 1949, when the communists overtook the mainland, the old Nationalist government moved there. (Remember?)

In the early 1960s, Taiwan entered a period of rapid economic growth and created a stable industrial economy. In the 1980s and early 1990s, it changed from a one-party dictatorship (the Nationalists) to a multi-party democracy. It’s now ranked highly in terms of freedom of the press, health care, public education, economic freedom, and human development. The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most highly educated countries (states? places?) in the world. So they don’t really want to become communist.

Summary

In brief, here’s what happened:

China was run by dynasties
The nationalists took over in 1912
The communists took over in 1949, and the nationalists buggered off to Taiwan
For over 20 years, America and the UN ignored the communists, recognizing only the Taiwanese nationalists as the true government of China
Nixon went over and got some bears, and now everyone recognizes the People’s Republic of China
Taiwan has since become a rock ‘n roll jurisdiction just like Canada

This is what everyone’s talking about regarding the “China One Nation Policy.” China consistently claims sovereignty over Taiwan and pushes for unification over Taiwanese independence. They’ve offered special statehood, like that given to Hong Kong, but have also threaten to use military force (and since Taiwan isn’t a member of the UN, there isn’t anybody there to defend them).

As China moves towards Sun’s vision of democracy, by first implementing their version of capitalism, it’s believed things will eventually work themselves out. In the meantime, it’s probably best to do nothing.

See Brian Mulroney’s interview with Conrad Black, starting around the 28-minute mark. Specifically, the 35-minute mark.

Ancient Greece

The effects of Ancient Greece are strewn throughout the Western world. We use Greek terms, acknowledge Greek gods, and admire Greek philosophers, but why? Western Civilization was formed under the old Roman Empire, which was heavily influenced by the ways of Ancient Greece. Rome overtook Greece in 146 BC and quickly discovered it was a more advanced society, so they adopted much of Greek culture. Hundreds of years later, Rome split into east and west. The West became known as Western Civilization and included most of Europe. Since early North Americans were predominantly of European descent, many elements of ancient Greek culture are still ingrained within us.

Greco-Roman

The time period between the conquest of Greece and the splitting of the Roman Empire is known as Greco-Roman civilization. Along with white columns influencing Roman architecture, the Romans incorporated Greek characteristics in art, music, drama, and dance. They also adopted the concepts of individual freedoms and democracy, and the Greek system of religion—copying their gods, one for one (Zeus became Jupiter, Aphrodite became Venus, Eros became Cupid, etc.).

Alphabet and language

The first true alphabet was established by the Greeks in the 8th century BC. It was preceded by earlier writing systems of the Middle East but they consisted of only symbols or consonants. The Greeks enhanced the consonant system by adding vowels. And though Latin was the language of Rome, Greek was a fuller, more developed language that was used for many documents of the time, including the New Testament. (Note: like Canadian students take French, children in England used to study Latin and Greek.)

Literature

Greek literature begins with Homer, who is believed to have lived around 800 BC. Homer is known for two famous poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. These pieces are believed to be the oldest available literature in Western culture.

The 24 books of the Iliad describe the mythical war between the Greeks of Sparta and the walled city of Troy (believed to be somewhere in Turkey). It starts with Paris of Troy abducting Helen from the King of Sparta. It ends with the Greeks deceiving the Trojans by sailing away and leaving them a gift of a giant wooden horse. But the horse was filled with soldiers, who exited in the middle of the night and destroyed the sleeping city, thereby winning the war.

Democracy

Back then, people identified with city-states—they didn’t really have countries. In Athens and the area around it, people practiced democracy for 200 years, between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. They convened 40 times per year and practiced true democracy, where individuals voted. It wasn’t a representative democracy like we have today.

Only 20% of the population were eligible since women, slaves, and foreigners engaged in trade were excluded from citizenship. So, from an Athenian population of around 250,000, only 50,000 could vote. They conducted themselves in a theatre that held 10-15,000 people and a quorum was 6,000.

Philosophy

Socrates taught Plato, Plato taught Aristotle, and Aristotle taught Alexander the Great. Each will have their own article but take this for now.

Plato wrote volumes about Socrates, while Socrates himself didn’t write anything down.
Socrates is known for the Socratic Method, which is to admit one’s ignorance about a given subject and then draw conclusions about it from an adversary by means of direct questioning.
Plato was a celibate bachelor who established the Academy, which is recognized as the first institution of higher learning in the Western world (the first university). It lasted for hundreds of years. He’s also known for the idea that humans can be divided into body and soul, and that the soul lives on after the body’s death. His views inspired many religious beliefs and the term “platonic relationship.”
Aristotle is considered the father of science and much of our modern curriculum can be traced back to him. Though he studied under Plato for 20 years and agreed with the principle of afterlife, he’s not very existential, preferring instead to look for hard evidence. So Aristotle is the practical guy while Plato is the airy-fairy, mystic.

Religion

Though Greek religion was better and more exciting than what Rome had to offer, it was still a belief system that rested in destiny. The Judeo-Christian faith rested in hope. Not only because it offered a peaceful afterlife but also because it taught that each life was unique (therefore worth living). As a result, after incorporating Greece’s religion into their own, the Roman Empire later converted to Christianity.

Western Civilization

The West is widely described as the meeting of Greco-Roman culture and Judeo-Christian faith. Initially, Greco-Roman civilization was the merger of Roman power and Greek culture. It started with Rome overtaking Greece in 146 BC. Major steps forward include the following.

In 285 AD, the empire had grown so vast that East was divided from West. The Eastern Empire became governed from Byzantium in modern day Turkey (later to become Constantinople, then Istanbul). To Romans, there was hardly a difference—this was mostly an administrative split.
In 313, Western Emperor Constantine and Eastern Emperor Licinius granted Christians the right to practice their religion, ending years of persecution. Constantine himself converted.
In 324, Constantine united the two empires by defeating Licinius, and ruled over them until his death in 337, moving the capital from Rome to Constantinople.
In 380, the reunited Roman Empire adopted Judeo-Christianity as its state religion.
In 395, the East-West division became permanent and the East eventually became known as the Byzantine Empire. It changed its language to Greek (instead of Latin) and would lose much of its traditional Roman flavour.
In 476, the Western empire fell to the northern barbarians (the Germans). But life in the Byzantine Empire continued generally unchanged until the mid-fifteenth century when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. Along the way, in 1054, Eastern Christianity severed itself from Roman Catholicism to form its own sect called, Eastern Orthodoxy.

Greco-Roman culture and Judeo-Christian faith are the initial tenets of the Western world. Sure, Britain later contributed economics and the Americans invented disco, but these guys started it all.

Note: Read a little more about the Iliad and you can watch the movie, Troy, starring Brad Pitt. See also Civilizations, History of Western Faith, and this video about Socrates.

Iraq and Syria

Over the years, we’ve heard much about the Middle East. More recently it’s been about Iraq and Syria. So here’s your background information (as of January, 2016)

Iraq

The population of Iraq is 37 million. In terms of religion, 65% are Shia Muslim (like most of Iran) and 35% are Sunni (like most of Saudi Arabia). They also have a couple of Christians.

Iraq was ruled by a monarchy under the eyes of the British Empire from 1921 to 1958. In 1958, it was overthrown by a bloodless military coup. Saddam Hussein became the country’s fifth president in 1979, serving for 24 years until the US led invasion in 2003. Prior to becoming president, he was VP to his older cousin. Saddam was a Sunni Muslim. During his reign, positions of power in the country were mostly filled with Sunnis. This added to the discriminatory rift that already existed between the two religious groups.

After the US led invasion, the country was governed by an interim council. This council formed the country’s new constitution, which, among other things, changed the top position from president to prime minister. In 2006, the country elected Nouri al-Maliki, a Shia Muslim, as its first prime minister.

After the complete withdrawal of American forces in December 2011, Maliki immediately initiated discriminatory actions against the Sunni minority. Since they couldn’t rely on their government for protection (and now that Americans were gone), in order to defend themselves, the Sunnis spawned the formation of the group that eventually became ISIS.

ISIS was initially run by former military and government personnel from Saddam’s regime (who’d now been banned from holding any such positions), but it also included a radical core that had existed within the country for decades.

Syria

The population of Syria is 18 million. In terms of religion, 15% are Shia, 10% are Christian, and 75% are Sunni. Syria became independent of France in 1945 and was an original member of the United Nations. The country suffered political instability until 1970, when Bashar al-Assad’s father came to power. Hafez al-Assad was in office for 30 years, from 1970 to 2000. Bashar has been president since 2000.

Bashar graduated from medical school in 1988 and attended postgraduate studies at the Western Eye Hospital in London, specializing in ophthalmology. In 1994, after his elder brother Bassel was killed in a car crash, Bashar was recalled to Syria to take over Bassel’s role as heir apparent. Bashar is a Shia Muslim. So, like Saddam Hussein was a Sunni living within a Shia majority, Bashar is a Shia living within a Sunni majority.

The civil war uprising against Bashar started in March 2011. Shortly thereafter, ISIS joined in on the confusion to claim land within Syria for itself. This land was then added to what they’d already captured within Iraq to form a caliphate.

ISIS

ISIS is now a military gone wild. The problem isn’t that they kill people—leaders like Maliki and Bashar have killed many more—the problem is they’ve twisted the initial mission of defending Sunnis into one of radical fundamentalism. One intent on extremism, including ethnic cleansing.

To many, the solution for dismantling ISIS seems to be to eliminate its initial need. For Syria, this means ousting Bashar; and in Iraq, it meant the removal of Maliki. If Iraq’s new prime minister, also a Shia, can produce inclusive government so that Sunnis feel equal, the need for ISIS in Iraq may disappear. And if Syrian rebels defeat Bashar, the majority Sunni population will surely produce someone more sympathetic to their cause.

In reality, it will probably result in larger discrimination of the majority against the minority, which is why Bashar and Saddam aggressively held power in the first place. Plus, ISIS has become a fundamentalist organization with its own cause.

Summary

Sunni and Shia are different types of Muslims—you can’t visually tell them apart. People liken their conflict to the one once held between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.
In Iran, 90% of people are Shia (10% Sunni). Because of these numbers, Iran is seen as the champion of the Shias.
In Saudi Arabia, 90% are Sunni (10% Shia). Because of these numbers, Saudi is seen as the champion of the Sunnis.
In Iraq, 65% are Shia and 35% are Sunni.
- Saddam was from the minority Sunni population. To hold power and prevent discrimination against his group, he favoured Sunnis and discriminated against Shias.
- Maliki was from the majority Shia population and discriminated against Sunnis once he took power.
- ISIS is a Sunni organization that arose out of Maliki’s discrimination. It was initially filled with former Saddam military people plus a radical core that already existed within the country. This radical core has now taken charge.
- Because the US couldn’t trust Maliki, they eventually insisted on his removal. He has been replaced by Haider al-Abadi, also a Shia, who once served in Saddam’s government.
In Syria, 15% of people are Shia, 10% are Christian, and 75% are Sunni.
- Bashar al-Assad is from the minority Shia population (the opposite situation to that of Saddam).
- Iran is said to be on Bashar’s side because of the Shia thing. They were also friendly with Maliki for the same reason.
- Turkey may be aiding rebels because they are majority Sunni.
- Putin is friends with Bashar because Russia has oil interests in the area.

You’re now ready to watch PBS Frontline’s episode, The Rise of ISIS, this interview with General David Petraeus, and Frontline’s latest on the topic, Once Upon a Time in Iraq.

Note: For simplicity, we often amplify the conflict between Shia and Sunni. Many times, it’s not that bad. Remember, people are people and we all want the same things.