Trial Bay Gaol is located within the Arakoon State Conservation Area, not far from South West Rocks in New South Wales, Australia.

The gaol was originally built in the 1870s and was used during World War I as an internment site for Germans. There is a small cemetery located outside the gaol grounds for those who died during their internment.

For more information visit:

http://www.kevinswilderness.com/NSW/arakoon.html

Anul 1918, ultimul an de război, din Primul Război Mondial (1914-1918), a început cu speranţe şi iluzii pentru Puterile Centrale în ceea ce priveşte obţinerea victoriei militare decisive, iar pentru Antanta, cu şanse şi certitudini, motiv pentru care a fost numit în istoria “Marelui Război” “1918 – Victoria militară a Antantei”. La sfârşitul anului 1917, armele au tăcut pe Frontul austro-ungaro-rus din Bucovina. Siretul, aflat la extremitatea sudică a frontului, a fost devastat de război.

Semnarea Păcii de la Brest-Litowsk, la 3 martie 1918, a însemnat prăbuşirea frontului şi încetarea războiului în Bucovina. Armata rusă, infestată de bolşevism, se retrage din Bucovina la începutul lunii martie. Un martor ocular descrie astfel retragerea militarilor ruşi din oraşul Siret: ,,…Între 4-5 martie 1918, s-au retras ruşii din Siret. În retragere ruşii jefuiau şi luau tot ce le cădea în mâ-nă…”. Pe data de 6 martie 1918, oraşul Siret este reocupat de armata austro-ungară. În oraş şi district este reinstalată adminis-traţia austro-ungară. În fruntea oraşului, în calitate de primar, a revenit pro-fesorul Sylwester Jariczew-ski, iar în fruntea dis-trictului, căpitanul Peter Josiphowicz. Populaţia refugiată în vara anului 1917 începe să se reîn-toarcă acasă. Pe data de 7 martie, autorităţile încep arestările în rândul româ-nilor care nu au plecat în refugiu în anul 1917. Românii erau acuzaţi de trădare şi cola-borare cu inamicul. Au fost arestaţi: judecătorul Apollo Pătraş, Eugen Colomiţchi cu copii săi Arcadie şi Olimpia, Victoria şi Olga Nastasi şi Simion Silion. În ziua următoare sunt arestaţi intelectualii: Liviu Marian, profesor la gimnaziu, avocatul Eusebie Antonovici, preoţii Constantin Gramatovici şi Ioan Vo-robchievici. După o scurtă anchetă, o parte din ei sunt eliberaţi, iar restul sunt condamnaţi şi internaţi în lagărele din Stiria. Cei eliberaţi au fost puşi sub stricta supraveghere a poliţiei. Preotul Constantin Gramatovici, parohul bisericii “Naşterea Sf. Ioan Botezătorul”, fost primar al oraşului în timpul ultimei ocupaţii ruseşti (1917-1918), este condamnat la ani grei de închisoare şi internat în lagăr. La sfârşitul lunii martie, a încetat subit din viaţă primarul oraşului, Sylwester Jariczewski. În locul lui a fost numit bancherul evreu Abraham Pariser. În luna aprilie s-au întors din refugiu germanii, care au fost evacuaţi în toamna anului 1914, în provinciile Stiria şi Carintia. Ei au găsit gospo-dăriile devastate de război, iar ogoarele presărate cu tranşee, mine şi reţele de sârmă ghimpată, lăsate de beligeranţi. Din această cauză, o parte din terenul agricol a rămas neînsămânţat. La începutul lunii septembrie au fost deschise cele două şcoli poporale din oraş, sub conducerea învăţătorilor Dora Kahan şi Alexander Odowiczuk. Deoarece clădirea gimnaziului a fost grav avariată la sfârşitul anului 1917, gimnaziul şi-a reluat activitatea abia la 24 ianuarie 1919, în clădirea Şcolii Poporale de Băieţi, sub conducerea profesorului Michael Babor, întors şi el din refugiu din Boemia natală. Revoluţia de la Viena din 30 octombrie 1918 a însemnat începutul sfârşitului Austro-Ungariei. La 3 noiembrie 1918, Austro-Ungaria a semnat Armistiţiul de la Villa Giusti: pentru supuşii austro-ungari războiul s-a terminat, iar pentru bucovineni începea un nou capitol al istoriei. Fostul profesor al gimnaziului Alecu Proco-povici face necrologul imperiului în articolul “Dumnezeu să o ierte!”, publicat în ziarul ,,Glasul Bucovinei”. În Bucovina, suc-cesiunea imperiului şi competiţia pentru putere între români şi ucraineni s-a transformat în rebeliunea celor din urmă. La chemarea românilor din Bucovina, ameninţaţi de pericolul anexării provinciei la Ucraina de Vest, Divizia VIII Infanterie primeşte din partea regelui ordinul de a intra în Bucovina. Militarii diviziei au fost împărţiţi în trei detaşamente: “Dragoş” comandat de colonelul D. Gheorghiu, “Alexandru cel Bun”, comandat de colonelul V. Tomoroveanu, şi “Suceava”, comandat de colonelul I. Rotaru. În dimineaţa zilei de 6 noiembrie, deta-şamentul “Suceava” trece graniţa şi eliberează oraşul Suceava. După aproape un secol şi jumătate, a doua capitală a Moldovei, oraşul Suceava, se reîntoarce la Patria Mamă. În aceeaşi zi, soseşte de la Cernăuţi vestea că foştii deputaţi în Dieta Bucovinei Aurel Onciul şi Omelian Popowicz au hotărât să împartă Bucovina în două: partea de nord să revină Ucrainei de Vest, iar partea de sud, României. Graniţa între cele două părţi ale provinciei urma să treacă la sud de satul Bălcăuţi, la est de satul Verpolea şi la sud-vest de satul Dorneşti. Datorită intervenţiei energice a siretenilor, oraşul Siret a rămas la sud de „Linia Onciul-Popowicz”, care urma să împartă provincia în două. În dimineaţa zilei de 9 noiembrie, generalul Iacob Zadik, comandantul Diviziei VIII Infanterie, înainte de a da ordinul de intrare în Bucovina, a spus soldaţilor: „…Vouă v-a păstrat soarta norocul de a păşi cei dintâi pe pământul scump al Bucovinei. Fiţi mândri, arătaţi-vă demni de încrederea ce s-a pus în voi… Doresc spornicie pasului ce faceţi voi şi vă zic: Cu Dumnezeu înainte!…”. Apoi în fruntea detaşamentului „Dragoş” trece graniţa austro-ungaro-română, prin punctul Verpolea (Pă-dureni). Detaşamentul „Alexandru cel Bun” a intrat în Bucovina prin punctul Sinăuţii de Jos. Cele două detaşamente au făcut joncţiunea în oraşul Siret. Ultimul primar austriac, Abraham Pariser, a predat conducerea oraşului fostului judecător Apollo Patraş, întors recent din lagărul Thalerhof. În fruntea distric-tului, în locul căpitanului Peter Josiphowicz a fost numit avo-catul Dimitrie Popovici (Truţă). După 144 de ani de stăpânire străină, oraşul şi districtul Siret s-au întors la Patria Mamă. Iacob Zadik a stabilit cartierul general în „Casa Sbierenilor”, fostul sediu al Jandarmeriei austriece. A doua zi, armata a plecat cu trenul spre Hliboka (Adâncata), pentru ca la 11 noiembrie să ajungă la Cernăuţi, capitala provinciei. La Congresul Gene-ral al Bucovinei, din 28 noiembrie 1918, Siretul a trimis trei delegaţi: Ilie Berlinschi, Damian Nimigean şi Apollo Patraş. La congres a participat şi sireteanul Octavian Gheoghian, medic la Cernăuţi. Din partea polonezilor, la congres a participat fostul deputat de Siret Stanislaus Kwiatkowski. Întruniţi la Siret, delegaţii comunelor lipoveneşti din Bucovina, la 25 februarie 1919, au recunoscut Unirea Bucovinei cu România. Peste câteva zile, preşedintele Comunităţii Israielite din Siret şi preşedintele organizaţiei P.S.D. din Districtul Siret, Carl Wittus Wagner, au recunoscut în numele comunităţii actul de la 28 noiembrie 1918. Ulterior şi liderul germanilor, fostul consilier Peter Kopp, a recunoscut Unirea Bucovinei cu România. La nouă decenii de la aceste evenimente, în oraşul Siret, în afară de străzile Unirii, 28 Noiembrie şi Iancu Flondor, nimic nu aminteşte de Unirea Bucovinei cu România. Statuia Unirii din piaţa omonimă, opera regretatului sculptor ieşean Vasile Condurachi, după spusa autorului şi a culturnicilor sireteni, nu este închinată Marii Uniri, ci provinciilor detrunchiate din România Mare, care se află şi astăzi sub stăpânire străină. Pentru a eterniza acest eveniment măreţ din istoria oraşului şi a provinciei, ar fi bine ca nomenclatorul străzilor oraşului să cuprindă şi denumirile: Strada General Iacob Zadic, Strada Cernăuţiului, Strada 9 Noiembrie 1918 etc. Pe clădirea în care a fost cartierul general al Diviziei VIII Infanterie, respectiv Casa Sbierenilor, să fie pusă o placă comemorativă cu următoarea inscripţie: ,,…În această casă a fost sediul comandamentului Diviziei VIII Infanterie, condusă de generalul Iacob Zadik, care pe data de 9 noiembrie 1918 a eliberat oraşul Siret de sub stăpânire străină. Locuitorii oraşului.” Cred că eliberatorul oraşului, generalul Iacob Zadik, merită din partea siretenilor să i se ridice un monument sau măcar un bust.

Prof. FRANZ PIESZCZOCH

Şcoala „Petru Muşat” Siret

sursa:www.crainou.ro

Danielle Steel is my dirty little secret! I should hate them, the grammar is appalling (gotten is so not a word!) and the stories are far fetched but they tickle my reading tastebuds in a strangely hypnotic way. Whenever I see a new one has come out I get positively giddy as sad as that is.

A Good Woman is the story of Annabelle Worthington who is 19 when we join her in 1912. Her life is one of privilege and wealth but tragedy comes when her parents and brother are on board Titanic and only her mother survives. As a year of mourning commences her mother worries that she won’t find a husband as she had only just come out in society.

In comes Josiah Millbank who worked at the bank Annabelle’s father owned. A fine upstanding citizen by all accounts who is 20 years older than her but as she is greatly matured by the death of her father and brother he is an excellent candidate for a husband. Sadly he forgot to mention he was gay and having it off with his best friend and has been for the last 20 years! I try not to give spoilers but in this case it’s essential as otherwise it doesn’t explain the rest of the story.

When Annabelle’s mother dies, hubby decides he has to tell her the truth. He also has syphilis and is planning on going to Mexico with the boyfriend where he will end his days. He wants to set her free so tells her to divorce him but as she refuses he does it naively believing it will mean she can find someone else and lead a happier life. Sadly at that time the only way you can divorce someone is on the grounds of adultery so in one fell swoop she loses her friends and her respectability.

She’s been volunteering at hospitals and at Ellis Island for many years so has a lot of practical experience although there has never been the opportunity to take this any further as obviously she was meant to be at home as wife and mother. So with no reason left to stay in America she goes to France to work in a hospital on the front lines as WWI is in its full horror. She is approached by one of the doctors who thinks she would make an excellent candidate for medical school but study is broken up after the first year as WWI continues and they are desperate for medical staff.

 Unfortunately she comes across the wrong man at the wrong time and ends up pregnant but manages to complete medical school and sets herself up in practice in Paris. Her story isn’t finished yet but I have to leave something of it untold as otherwise what would be the point in reading it.

I must say I loved the book. It flows really well and while I’m sure it’s not exactly how life was in pre war New York, there must be an element of truth and it was fascinating to see just what can happen to a woman who loses her virtue – regardless of wealth and status. Whatever you might think about Danielle Steel I would urge you to give them a go, you could pretend it was a history book you were reading!

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/steel/

Shot and Model- nici Sewell – more Fashion and Styles by Flickr

Luna´s Neuer VIP Dress….

Style Card:

• Kleid/Dress/Boots: Luna´s Boutique VIP Black
• Haare/Hair: WWI Ami Blonde
• Tattoo: niciARTLINE Stars black —>>>Xstreet Shopping
• Schmuck/Jewelry: Vincenca Rosca Cycling Moon Collection —>>>Xstreet Shopping

Ein kleiner Tip….Tretet in die Gruppe von Vincenca Rosca ein, es lohnt sich auf jeden Fall ….mehr wird nicht verraten.

Very busy these past few days with driving to and from Colorado and other associated activities, so here’s a quick update:

1a: Had a nice trip to Colorado Springs. Darling Daughter (DD) got her USAF Academy tour. I figured she’d come out of it either scared out of her wits or excited about the possibility of going there for college. Excitement won. I hadn’t been there myself in about ten years, and it was encouraging to see a lot of modest improvements in the facilities and the preservation of a lot of the things I love about the place. I’ll post some pictures from our trip on Facebook soon, and will link here when I do.

1b: Had a great visit with fellow writers Paulette Harris, John Patterson, and Kristine Pratt. Talked about my experience writing The Muse and a variety of other writing-related topics. Drank coffee! Ate scones! Sold a few books!

1c: Reconnected with an Air Force buddy who’s teaching at the Academy, and his family. DD had fun riding 4-wheelers in the snow with his daughter.

1d: Took DD to Garden of the Gods, an awe-inspiring area of uplifted sedimentary rock spires nestled at the foot of the Rockies near Colorado Springs. She was suitably impressed.

2. Another interview online, this one on the Lost Genre Guild blog.

3. Got a short story idea on the road to Colorado and finished drafting it today. Still needs a bit of tweaking, but I’m feeling pretty good about it. A superhero story–never written one before.

4. E-mail from Lyn Perry at Residential Aliens–he wants to put one of my stories, “Of All Things, Seen and Unseen,” into the first Res Aliens print anthology. Very happy about this–Lyn is quietly doing some great work creating a home for spec fic with a spiritual element. If that sort of writing floats your boat, keep an eye on his ‘zine.

5. Got a quick comment to my Armistice Day post with an outstanding link to diary entries from a WWI soldier. Check it out!

Goering-a biography

These are indeed interesting times.  These are not peaceful times, nor are they times that showcase a group of world leaders interested in freedom for their countries or people.  These are interesting times in that the level of manipulation being done, the plans that have been made years and decades ago are coming close to fruition for the power hungry control freak rulers of the world.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it could turn that way depending on how people handle themselves in the short and long run, of course.

The progressive liberals have been planning to reshape the United States into a controllable entity for some time. This dates back to before 1910.  Even back then the progressives were impatient and pushing hard to overcome this inconvenient ‘freedom’ thing so prevalent in the United States.  Ultimately, it ended up teaching the progressive fascists a lesson (NOT an ‘early’ lesson by any means),  with the advent of World War I resulting directly from their overt and covert pushing at the walls of freedom.

The progressives were forced at this point to take a lesson of patience.  The lesson wasn’t immediately learned though. The world fought 2 major worldwide wars resulting in the explosive growth of yet another competitor, the Soviet Union.  Lost are you?  You shouldn’t be if you’ve been at all following your history since you were a kid.  See, the progressives aren’t communists, they aren’t interested in setting up a goose-stepping clone army or some silly crap like that.  The progressives are about changing the foundation of the country to something compatible with their ideas of how to control a population to meet their needs.  Control is key, but in order to control a free nation like that you can’t start in the middle, you can’t start at the top, you have to start at the bottom and grow your noxious weed from seed, then allow it to take over and kill off the rest of the garden.

These progressives, because of their pushing for control, ended up causing some of the worst world history known to memory.  World War I was the direct cause, World War II was an indirect cause.  After this, the progressives stopped pushing hard and implemented a far more long term and clandestine plan. ….Get ‘em young.

I saw the implementation take full effect as I was in school in the 70’s.  Dumbing down everything starting with the recalculation of American history and social studies.  The ideology was planted as tiny particles of misinformation, distraction, redirection, and omission in the schools, then using the progressive push of the 1960’s kids turned parents, the manipulation began in earnest.  It took a long time to set up, from the mid 1940’s to 1960, finally getting implemented wide scale across the USA, but more intensely in “blue states” in the 1970’s.  It only got worse from there and nobody saw it coming.  If opposition did see it coming, they dismissed it or flat out ignored it, some may have even went along with it thinking it was the best thing to do for the long term social re-ordering of the country….get rid of those stick in the mud conservatives that believe in that pesky constitution thing so everyone can benefit from the work of the few smart enough to capitalize on a system geared to reward success by TAKING IT FROM THEM and redistributing it.

First, let me say that of course it’s an idiotic philosophy and it won’t work. Never has, never will.  The first time it was used in this country was as punishment against a few unscrupulous money makers (Like….Joe Kennedy? Hell no, farther back than that) but it backfired.  The progressives saw it as a way to climb on top and control the whole thing though, a tool to achieve the end game.  If everyone is at the same level, their heads make a far smoother pavement on which to tread.  Planning was required though, and an old lesson in winning games came from China. The three ‘P’s’, perseverance, patience, and planning are required to win the strategic game long term.  So the planning went, and the plans set to motion.

Now, here we are in 2009, looking at incomplete plans yes, but plans well implemented over the span of the last 60 plus years.  The problem is, at least for the progressives, is that once again they became impatient.  Why?  Well, it’s their own undoing really.  Today’s politicians and power brokers were not raised in seclusion with the long term planned being drummed into their heads.  They weren’t taught patience, they became as much dependent on instant gratification as the rest of America has, and the entitlement philosophy that they so carefully bred has found it’s way into the very people they hoped would implement the last 1/3 of their planned gutting of America and reshaping into their own image.

They pushed again, and now they’re going to lose. Again.  This time though, the perpetrators need to be called out, identified, and dealt with once and for all.  People like George Soros, an America hating, power mongering, control freak need to be dealt with permanently and held as an example of what happens to those that would attempt to destroy a free nation.  His effigy should be burned for centuries to come in annual celebrations.

I’m jumping ahead however.  The news item that caused me to write this out finally is the unusual turn that has been taken.  Remember the old Soviet Union?  The old red, better dead than red, cold war Soviet Union that began it’s expansion right after World War II?  These fellows actually hate the progressives, and these fellows, now simply Russians versus Soviets, are our key to blowing apart the progressive movement and burying it’s dessicated corpse once and for all.

For now, without expounding in further detail, let me just say the progressives have met their match here.  The Soviets planned badly and failed relatively fast, seeing the end under Ronald Reagan.  Reagan was smarter than even he gave himself credit for, because in out powering the Soviets and causing their downfall with his policies, he actually smashed the shit out of any hope for the progressives to succeed.

The progressives NEED a free, or semi-free Eastern europe.  The Russians want to rebuild the old Soviet block countries into a union once again, before the progressives absorb it into an increasingly progressive western europe.  The Chinese are quiet about Russia now, for the moment publicly treating them as an ally of sorts….”the enemy of my enemy is my friend”….but even the Chinese can’t untwist the pretzel that Ronald Reagan purposely made.

All that has to happen at the moment for progressives to completely implode is two things; exposure of their plans, and the reconstitution of the Soviet block countries into one trade union again, much as western europe has formed the European Union.  This will set China back at minimum 50 years in their own plans, but more likely it will do far worse damage because they have escalated their plans in concert with what Obama and his cronies have been doing to the US economy for the last year.  They’re committed now, and if the Russians can rebuild an economic union with the eastern countries while allowing them the same freedoms they have now, China’s hopes of domination through economy will be crushed in mid-step, and the progressives will take a major fall.

This time though, the progressives won’t recover, and China will sink back to 3rd world status and actually have to hit their own ‘reset button’ on their plans or face complete failure.  A 50 year setback for the Chinese is the best case scenario for them.  The progressives won’t recover this time, because it’s becoming plainly and painfully obvious that they are responsible for making a disaster out of a mess which was a planned disaster in the first place….planned by the progressives.

They’d be lucky to survive at all, ending up in prison for the long term.  I believe it’s more likely that the progressives are going to suffer a violent end, at least the public progressives. The rest will deny them and creep to the shadows, but it’s too late for them. The lessons this time, the third time they tried to grab power, will be well learned.  The death penalty may just be snatched from the hands of the state and issued by the people.  That’s not a certainty, but a likelihood for sure.

I for one will be warming my hands by the pyres of  burning progressive fascists, with a huge grin on my face.

Read more here:

http://felidaepunkneko.wordpress.com

Greetings Sugar

Skin:  *Lelutka*  Eclat Jade dark make up 4

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LeLutka/247/128/23

Shape:  *Carpe diem*  Emma

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zephyra/74/213/23

Hair:  *LH*  hair67 simon black

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LITTLE%20HEAVEN/115/74/23

Tee:  *SweetLeonard&Needful things*  Wool Rib Tee

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zephyra/153/65/24

Jeans:  *Worldwide Industries*  RolledUp Pants stars

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zephyra/37/158/24

Necklace:  *Manna*  Perle`d Automne

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zephyra/170/103/24

Gloves:  *Devol*  Leather belt gloves

http://slurl.com/secondlife/dEVOL/96/163/34

Boots:  *TheAbyss*  NAU Combat Boots

http://slurl.com/secondlife/The%20Abyss/96/136/237

http://felidaepunkneko.wordpress.com

Greetings Sugar

A caricature map of Europe, 1914 by Keith Thompson. The explanation is as follows:

The Clanker Powers:

Germany is a massive military machine with weapons aimed outwards to all surrounding countries. It points threateningly at Britain, not so much as a sign of direct aggression, but more as an indicator that it was now Germany’s turn to start a grand global Empire to challenge the world’s current one.

Austria Hungary is an aggressive armoured giant, teetering on shoddy foundations. It is also the primary aggressor in a land grab against Serbia, with two bayonets piercing the border.

The Ottoman empire is a teetering automaton, collapsing under the weight of a paranoid and ungainly spying network that gazes at Europe through many lenses and spy glasses. Istanbul is labeled Constantinople following the period’s English naming conventions.

The Swiss watch ticks away the time, comfortable to wait it all out.

The Darwinist Powers:

Britain is an militaristic lion with a Roman Imperial italic-type helmet. It sits upon a mound of riches gathered from its Empire.

France’s elephant beast (wearing the French kepi they started the war with before adapting their firefighter helmets) is influenced by the Elephantine Collossus built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 in Paris (later it ended up going to the Moulin Rouge.)

Russia is a huge imperialist bear, rotting and filled with maggots.

Serbia’s imagery is an indicator of the huge amounts of civilian deaths and suffering they’ll find themselves subject to.

Norway and Sweden are both Scandinavian trolls in the style of John Bauer, an inspirational illustrator from the era who produced a lot of phenomenal work during the war.

Portugal is a parrot for the Entente trying to goad a slumbering Spain into the war.

Ireland looks askance to Britain and brandishes a shillelagh. An indicator of their very rough relationship at the time, and of their upcoming involvement with the Central powers.

Italy is a clutch of snakes with intents on the Central powers despite existing agreements. A foreshadowing of their arrangements at the secret 1915 Treaty of London where they were promised land in exchange for involvement. It was heavily influenced by Italian Prime Minister, Antonio Salandra’s open policy of serving Italy’s “divine self-interest.”

A bigger version is here.

After the end of WWI, and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian empire, a new state called Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918, consisting of the regions of Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, Slovakia, and Carpathian Ruthenia. Many different ethnicities resided within this newly formed country, including Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians, and Ruthenians, living alongside the majority Czech population.

In the western-most region of the country, in the provinces of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, there lived a majority German-speaking population, many of whom had been former subjects of the Kaiser before the fall of the Second Reich. This region was known in German and English speaking countries as Sudetenland, named for the Sudeten mountain range that ran thru Silesia along the Polish border.

At the end of WWI, these Sudeten Germans, known as Sudetendeutsche, pushed hard for unification with Austria, in the ultimate hopes of being incorporated into Weimar Germany. The Czechs, however, pushed US President Woodrow Wilson equally hard for the annexation of Sudetenland to Czechoslovakia. Wilson responded by sending an ambassador to the region to access the situation. At this time in European history, oppression of ethnic and religious minorities was common, and the situation was no different in a figurative melting pot like Czechoslovakia. After witnessing a violent crackdown on Sudeten German protesters by the Czech authorities, Wilson’s ambassador suggested that most of Sudetenland would be better off under German or Austrian rule, but his suggestion was ignored. Those observing the situation knew that Sudetenland would one day become a problem in the future, either for the Czechs at the hands of Germany, or for the Sudeten Germans at the hands of Czechoslovakia, but given the region’s ample resources, and massive industry, which the Czechoslovak State would come to depend on, the Prague government insisted that Czechoslovakia could not survive without it.

During the years after the end of WWI, the Czechoslovak government undertook a massive program of fortifying the Sudetenland along their border with Germany, in fear of invasion. Many of these fortifications were nestled into the Sudeten mountains, and were thought by most military analysts at the time to be even more formidable than the infamous Maginot Line in France. Naturally assuming that any German invasion would have to come thru Sudetenland, the Czechoslovak government didn’t spend nearly as much time, money, or resources fortifying the rest of the country, although there were a similar, though less formidable set of defenses along the Hungarian border as well.

When the Great Depression devastated the worldwide economy in the 1930’s, Sudetenland was hit particularly hard by the downturn, as most all of Czechoslovakia’s industry was located there; armaments, textiles, glassworks, etc… Many ethnic Germans lost there jobs when the factories were forced to lay off workers, and a majority of them blamed the Czech government for their problems. Given their newfound hardships, they became all the more susceptible to communist and socialist messages. Marxist and Fascist parties gained popularity amongst the Sudeten Germans and many Pan-German organizations were formed. One party in particular, called the Sudetendeutsche Party (SdP), an ultra-nationalist/separatist group led by Konrad Henlein (ironically an anti-Nazi until the pro-Nazi element within Czechoslovakia attained power), gained a rather large following amongst Sudeten Germans, after aggressively agitating for union with Nazi Germany and making impossible demands that the Czechoslovak government couldn’t possibly accept. His philosophy was summed up by the following statement; “We must make demands that cannot be satisfied”. Adopting the Nazi phrase “Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer” (one people, one empire, one leader) as his own, Henlein’s SdP attained a majority vote in Sudetenland by the late ’30s, and was behind a number of terrorist attacks and coup attempts against the Czechoslovak government. These attacks failed and Henlein was forced to flee to Nazi Germany in 1938, where he then became a guerilla leader and launched covert attacks on Czechoslovakia from the north. He was instrumental in influencing Hitler’s enthusiasm in regards to the Sudeten Crisis and also played a major role in shaping the Munich Agreement. 

On Sept. 30th, 1938, Hitler signed the Munich Agreement, or Munich Pact, with a number of other signatories, including British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, and Fascist Italian leader, Benito Mussolini. After making numerous threats against Czechoslovakia, demanding the handover of the Sudetenland, the major European powers, England, France, and Italy, moved quickly to appease Hitler, as they had done only months earlier when Austria was annexed to the Third Reich in “Anschluss” (meaning link-up). A conference was held in Munich, as the title Munich Agreement would imply, in which the fate of Czechoslovakia was to be determined, yet Czechoslovakia had no say in the matter. Their ambassadors were barred from the conference altogether, at the behest of Hitler, and were forced to sit by quietly as their country was mutilated by Nazi daggers wielded by the very countries (i.e. Britain and France) who had guaranteed to protect Czechoslovakia from the very actions their own statesmen were undertaking. With a stroke of the pen, and a friendly handshake with der Führer, Neville Chamberlain and Édouard Daladier signed over virtually all of the Czechoslovak defenses and industry to Nazi Germany. In addition to the formidable mountain fortifications, which Hitler personally inspected after the pact was made, the famous Škoda Works armaments plant, which was responsible for the production of most all of Czechoslovakia’s armaments, was ceded to the Nazis as well. In fact, the Škoda Works was responsible for the production of the LT-35 and LT-38 tanks, more commonly known by the German name Panzer 35(t) and the Panzer 38(t), which were originally Czech creations. Both models would ultimately serve as the foundation in the invasions of both Poland and France. 

After the Munich Agreement had been signed, Czechoslovakia lost all faith in the West, and would not forgive the governments of Britain and France for their backstabbing until many years later. Oddly enough, Hitler was just as angry. He reportedly loathed the diplomatic dealings of Chamberlain and felt he had been made to act like a democratic bourgeois, threatening that “If that silly old man (Chamberlain) comes interfering here again with his umbrella, I’ll kick him downstairs and jump on his stomach in front of the photographers”. Fearing war might result if nothing could be agreed upon, the British population received the pact favorably and felt they had dodged the bullet, literally and figuratively. In what has become one of the most infamous moments in history, Chamberlain returned to London waving around Hitler’s signature in his hand, exclaiming that he had delivered “peace for our time”… which, in retrospect he most obviously did not. The French ambassador to the conference, Édouard Daladier, however, sensed that the worst of it was yet to come, stating that he believed Hitler’s aim was, “domination of the Continent in comparison with which the likes of Napoleon were feeble”. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, Daladier was right and Chamberlain was wrong. 

By signing the Munich Agreement, Britain and France neutered Czechoslovakia by handing their most formidable defenses to Hitler. This laid the groundwork for the total annexation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi forces, which would take place the following year when the Wehrmacht entered Prague. In addition to this, virtually all of Czechoslovakia’s industries, including the Škoda Works, were made part of Hitler’s war machine, and many of the Panzers that came off of the Škoda production lines were responsible for the deaths of Allied soldiers, in addition to the capture of Paris and Warsaw. Without a doubt, the Munich Agreement set the Allies back for years in terms of their struggle with Hitler. The pact strengthened Hitler’s hand, and weakened the Allies all in one fell swoop. While the goal of “peace in our time” was a noble one, Chamberlain’s dreams of a pacifist Europe were not met by reality. Hitler was very clearly on the warpath and had Britain and France recognized that before it was too late, and had they actually lived up to the obligations they made with countries like Czechoslovakia, Hitler’s war machine may have been stopped years sooner than it was, and millions of lives would’ve been spared. The Škoda Works alone were responsible for untold carnage within the Allied ranks… the same Škoda Works that had belonged to the Allies prior to 1938.

Miramare

The Saturday following the travel week we took a class field trip to Redipuglia, Miramare, and Trieste with European Cultural Studies class. It was cool to get off campus and see the surrounding area, I feel like every weekend we’ve been jetting of to other countries (and we pretty much have!). We boarded the bus early in the morning to go to Redipuglia where they have a huge WWI memorial and a small museum. The memorial has all the names of the soldiers who died, and I saw a lot of surnames that I recognized. I found a Battinelli as well, Catullo Battinelli. I don’t recognize the name but its cool nonetheless! I also found a Colosi and a few Conte’s among others. The view from the top was amazing as well.
The next stop on the trip was Castello di Miramare, a white castle right on the Adriatic Sea with beautiful gardens. This was also used as a headquarters for the US Army during the world wars. Had the best tiramisu ever in a little cafe in the gardens!

Castello Miramare

The last stop on our grand tour of Northeastern Italy was the city of Trieste itself. We were given time to run around and explore the city as long as we were back on the bus by a certain time. We were each given a map and the emergency cell phone number in case we got lost, and then we were off. The girls wanted to stop for Chinese food again (I feel like we’ve been eating that a lot) so instead of going with them I went exploring with some of the guys. After wandering aimlessly for a few minutes we decided to try to find the Castello S. Giusto in the center of the city. It was up on top of a big hill where we ran into a few more Cimbites. Kendall, Jeremy and I were the only ones willing to pay the 3.50 Euro to look around inside. It was pretty cool– the dungeon area downstairs was full of Roman antiques like statues and mosaics, while the upstairs was full of weapons like swords, pikes, and crossbows. It was pretty sweet.

View from Castello S. Giusto

Yes, we did make it back to the bus on time!

Here are all of my pictures from the trip. The second half is from our second formal dinner! Trieste and Barbesin

So, Christmas is coming, its end of the month soon which means tier time *sighs* and money really is, too tight to mention – so what do you do ? Recycle – it is one of my favourite things to do with my inventory, turning old into new and bringing things bang up to date with your own lil’ twist – and this is exactly what i have done here. The skirt, was actually one of the first items i bought with linden dollars in SL way back in 2007 from Canimal! I’ve mixed it up with some not so older items and a few newer pieces to make it work well. The texture still rocks with this skirt after all this time, as does the sweet cutesy flexi movement of the skirt and petticoats.

Head to Toe

Skin: Belleza – Jesse Deep Tan 0 HB (Cleavage)

Eyes: Slink – Eyescream Eyes (Flecked Forest)

Hair: Truth – Mini (Espresso)

Glasses: Steinwerk – Poe

Lip Piercing: Skream – The Beauty mark Piercing

Tie: Calypso Giano – TIE

Vest: Coco – Tank Top (White)

Bracelets: Cake – 80’s Pop Bracelets

Nails: LoveSoul – Prim Nails Aurora Glitter

Skirt: Canimal – Punk ROck Skirt (Red)

Socks: WWI – Boyfriend Garter Socks (White)

Boots: [ON] – Wo Boots

Photography(Raw Shots) By Laya Felisimo

Modelled and Styled by Laya Felisimo

“It is much easier to make war than peace” — Georges Clemenceau (French ambassador at the Paris Peace Conference) 

When the Great War, WWI, had ended, and the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th, 1919 by the victorious Allied Powers and the defeated Germans, it set in motion a chain of events that ultimately led to the greatest catastrophe in world history, WWII. 

The Kaiser’s army had been quite different from that of the Nazi’s. Yes they had been ruthless, yes they had committed atrocities, but so did many other armies at the time. What made the Kaiser’s forces so much different from Hitler’s was ideology. The Kaiser viewed all Germans, including Jews, as his subjects. In fact, many German-Jews took up arms in the name of the Kaiser and had even served as officers in the war. This is not to say restrictions were not in place; Jews could not join the ranks of the nobility, which in German meant receiving the noble particle “von” before the surname, unless they renounced Judaism and converted to Christianity. This meant they could only rise so high within the ranks of the military, which was not uncommon throughout Europe, as many countries slighted minority groups during the age, be they religious or ethnic, but many Jews served in the Kaiser’s court, and had long established themselves as a well-assimilated, and appreciated community within German society. German-Jews, under the Kaiser, were, for the most part, very proud of their country, culture, and nationality, and thought of themselves as nothing but German. Ashkenazi Jews were actually very closely linked to Germany at the time, and adopted many aspects of German culture into Judaism. Yiddish, for example, was a dialect of German that was widely spoken by many Jews worldwide before the rise of Hitler. 

When Germany surrendered at the end of WWI, one must realize that the Allies didn’t even possess a single square-inch of German soil. For the most part, the British naval blockade, and the protracted nature of trench warfare, was what defeated the German army and the German people’s morale. At the time the armistice was signed, German troops actually occupied French and Belgian territory. Many of the German troops who were told they had to surrender, Pvt. Adolf Hitler included, could not understand why, since it was they, and not the Allies, who occupied their enemy’s countries. They had already technically won the war on the Eastern Front, after signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Russians in 1918, and had come close to winning the war in the West as well, on a number of occasions, even coming to within 30 miles of Paris at one point in the war. What these soldiers could not see, due to the fact it was intentionally being hidden from them by their government, was the fact that the German empire was running out of food, resources, and money, and morale had dwindled so low at home, and in some divisions, that the Kaiser had been deposed and many of his beloved divisions had begun to surrender their positions to the Allies wholesale. The German war machine had essentially been choked out, rather than smashed altogether, and German defeat was more of a matter of circumstance rather than fact. Most parties, such as the British, were simply happy to end the war, given the fact it had been the most costliest in human history up to that point. The French, however, having suffered German invasions for centuries, advocated a march on Berlin that would disable German war capabilities once and for all. The Allies undoubtedly had the upper hand at the time, but the Germans wouldn’t have stood by quietly had the Allies pursued such a strategy. It would’ve cost far more lives and could’ve extended the war for years on end… and, as is always the case in war, there was no guarantee of success either. 

Without being directly exposed to conditions on the home-front, bitter WWI vets, like Adolf Hitler, could not fathom how they had lost the war. From their bunkers and foxholes, all they could see were German boots on French and Belgian soil, yet they were being told that they had lost the war. Various conspiracy theories quickly started to spread amongst the soldier’s ranks, one of which was the Dolchstoßlegende, which translates in English as the “Stab-in-the-Back Legend”. The Dolchstoßlegende was a belief that gained widespread popularity in post-war Germany that claimed communist Jews, who were not believed to be “true Germans at heart”, had sabotaged the war effort both at home and in the field, causing the German war effort to fail. Only reinforcing the people’s belief in this conspiracy, two prominent German-Jewish bankers, Max Warburg and Carl Melchior, were sent to Paris as part of the delegation to negotiate the Treaty of Versailles and procure the “best possible financial terms” for Germany. When the Versailles Treaty turned out to be as harsh as it was, the two bankers were pointed to as evidence of a Jewish conspiracy that was trying to destroy Germany (Max Warburg’s role in financing the Bolshevik movement in Russia didn’t help things either). Jewish bankers and businessmen were accused of profiteering off of Germany’s defeat and the German-Jews as a people were viewed as an alien-element within Germany by much of the population from that point forward; making the people all the more susceptible to Hitler’s anti-Semitic message. The Weimar Republic was also thought to be responsible for the terms of the treaty, due to their ineptitude and corruption. This created a very hostile climate within the country against the government, which led to various coup attempts throughout the Weimar regime’s short reign. 

An astute statesmen, whose name I cannot recall (thought it was Woodrow Wilson but it doesn’t appear to be) said, “If you treat the Germans like enemies, they will not disappoint”. The exceedingly harsh conditions laid out in the Versailles Treaty, designed to break Germany for several generations, were obviously not very well received in the Fatherland. What really bothered many Germans, more so than the loss of territory/colonies, military reduction, or the reparations, was the forced admission of war guilt on the part of country. In the eyes of many, Germans and neutral parties alike, the Allies were at least partly to blame for backing Serbia after Serbian agents assassinated the crown prince of the Austrian Empire, the archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Allies believed that Kaiser Wilhelm simply used the archduke’s assassination as a pretext for war, and that he had been craving new territory for some time. There was no denying that Kaiser Wilhelm was a militarist-expansionist, and that he had a particular distaste for both France and Russia, but claiming that Germany would’ve declared war on the Allies even if Franz Ferdinand had not been shot is pure speculation. The German people begrudged this condition of the treaty so much because they felt it was the source of all the other terms, such as the territorial loss and reparations. Had Germany’s cause for war been declared legitimate, the Allies would’ve had no justification in sticking it to Germany in the fashion that they did. 

These perceived injustices, combined with the ineffectiveness of the democratically elected Weimar Republic, caused widespread resentment in Germany towards the West (i.e. France, Britain, USA, etc..). Democracy, capitalism, materialism, civil rights, etc… were disdained by many, and a rash of anti-Semitism spread like wildfire. Post-WWI, the German people essentially split into two camps, neither of which were democratic; Marxists and National Socialists. Various communist coup attempts took place throughout the reign of the Weimar Republic, which partly led to a rise in ultra-nationalism. In response to these Marxist agents, many of which were Jewish, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party began to make headway on the political scene. It wasn’t long after that that Marxists and Nazis were openly killing each other in the streets. Promising to save the wealthy businessmen in Germany from communism, Hitler gained the support of many capitalists, even though he had no more love for capitalism than the communists did. 

The chaotic political conditions mixed with the miserable economic conditions in Germany set the stage for a demagogic, savior-like figure to rise to the forefront of the political scene. The Germans believed they had been unfairly treated by the Allied powers and believed communist Russia was covertly attacking them, in an effort to dismantle their sovereignty and subjugate them to Soviet rule. When Adolf Hitler promised to put the people back to work, rearm the nation, recover lost territory, and rid the country of foreign/communist/Jewish influence, it resonated with many of the people. Although the Nazi Party never gained a majority in the Reichstag by the vote of the people, they did become the most powerful political party in the country by the late ’20s, and their popularity only grew when Hitler started delivering on his promises (i.e. economic revival, rearmament, territorial reclamation, etc..). 

Had the Allied Powers not alienated, punished, and isolated Germany at the end of the war like they did, they would not have fanned the flames of ultra-nationalism within the country and soured the German people’s taste for democracy. On the other hand, had the Allies not totally destroyed the Kaiser’s system and replaced it with a corrupt faux-democracy, there would’ve been no need for a demagogue to create a new system of his own. On the other side of the spectrum, had the Allies, at the very least, driven the Germans out of France and Belgium, there would’ve been no need on the part of the German soldier to reach for conspiracy theories as to why their government had told them to surrender. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but one can make a pretty good case that the Versailles Treaty was to Hitler as Dr. Frankenstein was to the Frankenstein monster.

In the opinion of most all historians, the first turning point of WWII came decades before Hitler came to power; decades before the second worldwide conflagration was ignited. Had the Allies either dealt with Germany more leniently, or pressed their advantage all the way to Berlin, the course of world history would’ve unquestionably played out much, much differently. 

“I don’t know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war” — Georges Clemenceau 

The signing of the Treaty of Versailles may have been WWII’s first turning point, but it was by no means its last. I will further elaborate on WWII turning points in upcoming posts.

Murphy, Jim. 2009. Truce. New York: Scholastic.
“[I]f I had my way, some person in authority would proclaim that Christmas will not be celebrated this year….Enemy, Death, and a Christmas tree – they cannot live so close together.” German Captain Rudolf Binding (from Truce)

Jim Murphy’s Truce, tells the remarkable true story of the spontaneous truces that broke out all along the entrenched battle lines of Europe in December, 1914. It is estimated that tens of thousands of British, German and Belgian soldiers took part in the cease-fires that lasted, in some instances, for several weeks. More than a cessation of hostilities, the hiatus was almost joyful as soldiers fraternized with each other – singing, exchanging gifts, and taking photos.

In six chapters, Murphy provides ample background information to give meaning and context to the remarkable occurrence of the many spontaneous truces and celebrations. One chapter recounts enemy soldiers praying together, translating the sermon from English to German, and burying their dead in solemn ceremonies. In another instance, German and British soldiers sing Christmas carols, alternating verses, one in English, one in German, and then joining in Latin to sing Adeste Fideles.

The truces ended, not because the men desired to resume fighting, but rather, because they could no longer hold out against the will of their commanders.

The German High Command … issued a terse order: “Commander Second Army directs that informal understandings with enemy are to cease. Officers …allowing them are to be brought before a court-martial.” In some areas, these orders had immediate results. British private Bernard Brookes was standing guard at midnight on December 25 when “our artillery sent over … four shells of small caliber to let them know that the truce, at which the whole world would wonder, was ended, and it its place, Death and Bloodshed would once again reign supreme.” The Germans countered with an artillery barrage of their own.

The award-winning, Murphy, has meticulously researched his topic, and includes a Timeline, Notes and Sources, More about World War I, an Index, and a wealth of photographs, maps, period art and newspapers. The Epilogue, while factual, is more editorial than informational in nature.

The text is large and sepia-toned, to match the many accompanying photographs. Photographs of the desolate and razor-wired No Man’s Land and the hideous trench conditions offer a stark contrast to those of smiling enemy soldiers posing for posterity.

To read this story in the men’s’ own words, is both compelling and thought-provoking. Readers will not come away unaffected.

Best for ages 10 and up. Truce should be a Sibert Medal contender.

I know I made this recipe before and it turned out heavenly…perfect Gingerbread! Did I really not get around to blogging this recipe yet? I must remedy this asap! This recipe is included in a book by one of my new favorite food authors, MFK Fisher. How to Cook a Wolf The book dates from the early 1940s and it’s a fascinating look at enjoying the best food you can during times of war and deprivation: WWI, The Great Depression, & WWII (she even discusses when desperate measures are required to not starve.)

The Recipe for Edith’s Gingerbread:
(Note: it’s a soft gingerbread not hard like cookies)

1/4 Cup Shortening (I used butter instead)
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Molasses
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ginger
Pinch of Cloves
Pinch of Salt
3/4 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda (Yes, Baking Soda is listed twice.)
1 1/4 Cups Flour (Used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Mix)
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 beaten egg

Steps:
1. Cream the butter and sugar together (Easier if you use a mixer.)
2. Sift the spices, flour, and baking powder together. (Does anyone still really sift these days? I don’t have a one.)
3. Beat the 1/2 teaspoon of soda into the molasses until it is light & fluffy, and add to the butter and sugar.
4. Add the 1/4 teaspoon of soda to the boiling water, then add it alternately with the dry ingredients.
5. Fold in the beaten egg when all is well mixed.
6. Pour into a greased and floured pan.
7. Bake at 325 Degrees F for ~20 minutes. (NOTE: Took me ~ 40 minutes for the batter to cook fully so don’t worry if it takes you longer too – just keep an eye on it.)
Note: This mixture will seem much to thin to make a cake but do NOT try to increase the quantity of flour as many doubting cooks have tried to do.

I’ll admit I wasn’t sure how closely I followed all the mixing, boiling, fluff, etc of the recipe alchemy exactly…but even with my relaxed style of baking this recipe turned out FAB!

I am aware that I am late, and I apologize. This is what happens when I can’t afford internet. Lol.

Most of the people I know didn’t do anything at all in honor of Rememberence day. It was a day off work and thereby a day for shopping, being hung over, or, for those in the retail industry, working. It seems like many people have lost the reverence for those people who died in WWI and WWII. I know that that is a constant complaint of older people.

For myself, I didn’t do anything specific to honour those soldiers, however, this day did bring about thoughts of war and thoughts of my ancestors.

In many cultures its very important to honour ones ancestors. Ancestors help and guide people through their lives and most of us in the West don’t even think of our ancestors. We don’t think of our guides, and we don’t usuallly honour them. Our world is just one with people we can see and thats it, even though our ancestors stand beside and behind us, whispering to us their guidance in the hopes that we will live our true purpose. I think that if we don’t honour them and if we don’t listen to them that eventually they will leave us and their help won’t be as forthcoming.

As for wars, I have no idea how many of my ancestors died in wars or battles throughout history. I have no idea who is with me either. I had the thought though that I should be honouring my ancestors, and November 11th seems like a perfect time to do it.

It also brought up the topic of war. I’ve read a lot about wars; we were taught all about WWI and WWII and Vietnam, and all of that in schools. There are hundreds of books that are written about the topic. Its something that would be terrible to experience and be a part of, yet we still have them. We have the genocide in Rwanda, and the wars in the middle East. We have the people being displaced out of their own country in Tibet and nothing being done about it.

The more I thought about it the more I wondered what is the use of war? Why do we have wars? How could any person kill another human being? To me thats the biggest thing I don’t understand. I know I could not kill another human. To me that also makes war impossible to have. Soldiers come back with different psychological affects on them, and they all react to war differently. My great grandfather drank until he had no mind left. He was in so much pain that he had to numb himself so much it killed him. Anything that causes anything similar to that in people shouldn’t be done.

I ended up having a conversation with my grandfather about wars that day at supper. He told me that the majority of wars were for political reasons, and the majority of the time nowadays the politicians keep their families safe out of harms way and war never touches them. They seem to have no problem sending other people into war, but if it down to it, and they had to send their family into war or go themselves things would change.

The “political reasons” that wars are started for as well seem to be, for lack of a better word, goofy. I guess if I were to look at it from a world leaders point of view it wouldn’t be goofy, but from my standpoint there is no good reason to start a war or instigate one. There is no good reason for thousands of people to die because someone else has what you want. Not at all.

I’m not sure how we can change the world so that wars are no longer needed. Maybe if we can all learn to be more open minded to each other and to listen to our fellow human beings many of the wars might not happen. It seems that we need to learn to act with love towards each person we encounter. I think this would change our perspectives so much that wars might become extinct.