Niccolo Machiavelli (see super-hot picture above) can easily be considered one of the greatest individuals in history, in that he was one of the most influential theorists in the realm of politics. As political agendas tend to have an effect on economics, social standards, and even culture, one could even say Machiavelli has affected every aspect of history we as Mr. Smart’s AP students have been taught to consider relevant.

In fact, the very manner in which students were prepared for the AP test was an implementation of Machiavelli’s principal theory that “the ends justify the means”, because they were allowed to choose from a wide variety of means in order to gain the highest score on the test. Students could look at key terms, actually read the book, buy a 5 steps to a 5 test prep book, use practice questions, play online games, learn from discussions amongst themselves, or even in the case of one student: create color-coded flashcards. Which method each of them chose, whether it was silly or obsessive or full of procrastination, was unimportant because the end result, the scores, was what had value to both Mr. Smart and to his students. So as long as one got the end he/she desired, his/her method was considered to have been an appropriate choice. But not only do Machiavelli’s political philosophies have impact on our everyday lives, but also were at the root of many huge moments in the world’s history.

To understand why Niccolo Machiavelli should be considered so immensely influential, we must examine his life’s story as well as consider the global after-effects of his being alive. Machiavelli was born in 1469 in Florence, Italy, as the son of a middle-class juror. So as a child he got to witness the way “justice” was carried out in Florence.

He grew up and entered politics by participating in the faction that brought down Savonarola, the religious leader who held political power in Florence. Machiavelli worked his way up to being secretary and a second chancellor for Florence. This lead him to go on political “missions” and introduced him to the murdering, scheming Cesare Borgia. Many hypothesize that Borgia was Machiavelli’s inspiration for The Prince because of the man’s willingness to even resort to poisoning people in order to further his political objectives (like staying in power). Unfortunately for Machiavelli, he was kicked out of his government position when the Medici family took power in Florence. They also happened to torture him and exile him for being a republican (not the GOP kind, the “we want a republic like in ancient Rome” kind).The cruelty of the Medici family may have been another inspiration for Machiavelli’s theories on maintaining power at any cost. At any rate, he never was able to regain his political position of power in Florence, and he died in 1527.

His writings (he had many others besides The Prince, such as The Discourses on Livy)  really only became famous after his death. Yet the basic theories in his writings are put into practice throughout history, across cultures in different areas of the world. This man is great because he was able to observe how different politicians worked, and was brave enough to tell the truth about what he saw happening. Even though he was subjected to torture by the Medici, that is the same type of ruler he writes of as being effective at keeping power.It is true. The Medici had ruled Florence for centuries, were exiled, and managed to come back and attain absolute power again and keep it for many years. Bitter as he should have been about what he noticed, he put into words what others would subconsciously act upon but would not say: that if the outcome has enough value for an individual, he/she will feel morally justified in the means he/she must use to attain that outcome. Also, that if the outcome is power, the means often must include unpleasant actions on the part of the ruler.

You may be thinking, well this is cool, but why can one argue that Machiavelli’s philosophies actually affect the course of human history?

The answer is because of rulers like Stalin, who was willing to kill his opposition to keep control, to let people starve, to control every aspect of life in the USSR, in order to get to his “ends” of Socialism, Industrialization of the USSR, and continuous power for himself (naturally). Stalin used  Machiavellian theory, whether intentionally or not. If he had not, it is likely the Cold War would have ended much sooner than it did, and the Korean and Vietnam wars might not have occurred, there might have been no Space Race, the list of historical events goes on.

The answer is because of Hitler, who used Machiavellian philosophy in order to gain and to maintain control over Germany. The end he desired, that of a prosperous, world-dominating, pure Aryan race to Hitler was worth enough to justify the means. These means included militarization, which ended up leading to expansion into neighboring states and contributed to the start of WWII. They also included the violations of human rights of over 11 million people (the Holocaust) who Hitler considered to be impure and “parasites”. Without use of Machiavelli’s political principle, Hitler would not have been able to justify his violent actions to the German people and the German soldiers serving him, and would have lost favor in Germany which likely would have meant he never would have gotten into the position of global influence that he did, the Holocaust would never have occurred, so Israel probably never would have been created, and a TON of the Middle Eastern conflicts in the later half of the 20th century would not have occurred.(The Israeli-Palestinian conflict going on currently probably wouldn’t be happening, either).

The answer is because of Henry the VIII, who was willing to change the religious affiliation of his entire nation, and behead two of his wives, in order to try to reach the “end” of having a male heir…these are merely a few examples of Machiavellian philosophy in play.

It does not matter whether these men actually read Niccolo Machiavelli’s books,the point is that the philosophy Machiavelli wrote about is what happened when those choices, those rationalizations, were made by all of these historically influential figures. Without Machiavelli, there would have been no written, fully formed expression of HOW these people did what they did when the methods were so immoral. He said what others thought subconsciously. Niccolo Machiavelli is the greatest individual in history for understanding the hows and whys of the decision-making people who had a large effect on their world used, use, and will continue to use in the future.

Could any building, road, or even this very laptop exist without a2 b2 and c2? Could anyone ever pass a math class more advanced than Algebra without the knowledge of the Pythagorean theorem? And does this make Pythagoras, the person who discovered this relationship between the sides of right triangles, the greatest individual, ever?

Triangles:The Unsung Heroes

As an age of discovery, science and technology, mathematics is the basis upon which our society is built. In our modern world, it is nearly impossible to go through one minute without depending upon one triangle. Within a home, sky scraper, school, or office, hundreds of triangles support the stress of the building effortlessly. Often times these triangles are right angle triangles.  Right angle triangles are used because of their structural superiority over equilateral, isosceles or other triangles. Right triangles are also versatile and are combined to make other shapes (squares, rectangles, octagons). There are an incalculable amount of triangles used in our world today, they often just go unnoticed.

Pythagoras’s Life is Kind of “Sketch”… Was This Theorem Stolen?

There is evidence of knowledge of a relationship between the length of sides of a triangle and the right angle. It is believe that Egyptians used a triangle, whose sides were measured with equidistant knotted rope, to construct perfect corners on their buildings and temples. These triangles measured 3 units on the shortest side, 4 units on the middle side, and 5 units on the longest side. A traditional Pythagorean Triple. There is no evidence that Egyptians had any knowledge of the a2, b2, c2 relationship, but there is evidence that Pythagoras learned from Egyptians and may have derived his formula and used this triangle as a basis.

Pythagoras Did Not Discover the Triangle, So Why Him?

Although Pythagoras did not discover the triangle, the relationship that he discovered is the basis for other mathematical terms and theorems of high importance. For example, the pythagorean triple is a relationship between three numbers, each of which represent the length of a side of a triangle, that can be combined to make a right triangle. These triples are used in several contractor tools, like the Contractor’s Triangle. Pythagoras’s discovery opened a door that lead to other theorems and a more advanced community mathematically.

So… What Else Did This Triangle Man Do?

Pythagoras did not only spend his days fooling with triangles. He left influences in religion, music, literature and science. Pythagoras believed that everything had a mathematical relationship and that these relationships often repeated in patterns. Pythagoras started schools in Samos, the island of his birth, and Croton, a city in Italy. Pythagoras taught mathematics along with the sciences, music, and morale. He taught about the justice within equality and the importance of having respect for elders within one’s community. Pythagoras also developed a brotherhood where members worshiped mathematics and attempted to reduce all relationships into mathematical terms.

What About Those of Us Who Hate Math? What Does He Have To Do With Us?

Pythagoras not only discovered a crucial relationship within triangles, but he applied mathematics to every and any situation mankind could be faced with. Pythagoras is believed to have made several predictions involving the universe, relationships, etc. This may make Pythagoras seem like a bit of a “dork” but his experimenting and rigid love and passion for the art of mathematics is exactly what lead him to make the discoveries that he made and open the doors that he opened for future generations to come. Pythagoras is considered the “Father of Numbers” because of this passion that he seemed to have possessed like no one before, or after, his time.

So Wrap It Up. Why Is This Guy More Then Just A Square?

Pythagoras is more than just a square. He is the Greatest Individual in history. Pythagoras had passion in THE GREATEST subject of time. Mathematics. Some might just consider him a math freak, but aren’t we all? Don’t we all interact and depend upon math in one way or another, everyday? Don’t we all use some derivation of this beautiful theorem in every class? Even a student with psychology as a major has to have some mathematic credits under their belt. Mathematics is universal, it is the same in every language, it explains anything, in one way or another.

Pythagoras is the man. Point, blank and simple. He is, single handedly, the greatest individual in history because history, or ourstory, would not be the same with out him.

Plus, he could probably karate chop you with his mind.

“Choose rather to be strong of soul than strong of body.” -Pythagoras

      ^^^^^^^^ I should not have to continue after you viewing this picture ^^^^^^^^

This blog is dedicated to one of the most influential and greatest individuals in history, Alexandros Philippou Makedonon.  He was one the greatest military leaders that walked the Earth, conquering much of the civilized world at that time. His legacy alone has been identified in scared texts such as the Bible, Qur’an, and the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi (one of the oldest books written in modern Persia). His legacy is still evident in our society, containing 11, 600 hits on Youtube.com and 39, 400, 000 hits on the site Google.com under the query entry “Alexander the great”.  Not many other historical figures are on the same plateau.

Not many compelling and genuine historical figures can claim that they have:

• Opened a new era in World History that historians call the Hellenistic Age.
• At 16 becomes the Regent of Macedonia, and in the same year founded a city called Alexandropolis.
• Created an Empire that was one of the largest empires at that time that would reign for three centuries.
• Defeated the great Persian army, shattered the Achaemenid forces, extending the empire from the Meditteranian to India.

In honor of the great individual a movie, directed by Oliver Stone, was released in 2004 called “Alexander”. This movie, stars actors such as Colin Farrell, playing as Alexander(Greatness Implied), Angelina Jolie, playing as Queen Olympias, and Val Kilmer, playing as Hephaestion. This cast just embodies the makings of a great film.

A brief Synopsis of the film for those who have not yet watched the film:

                       ”ALEXANDER, Oliver Stone’s sweeping historical saga that charts the life and legend of one of the greatest figures in world history. The story is an epic that is as daring and ambitious as its subject, a relentless conqueror who by the age of 32 had amassed the greatest empire the world had ever seen. Past and present collide to form the puzzle of the protagonist, a tapestry of triumphs and tragedies in which childhood memories and Alexander’s rise to power unfold side by side with the later day expansion of his empire, and its ultimate downfall. From his youth, fueled by dreams of glory and adventure, to his lonely and mysterious death as a ruler of a vast state, from the tumultuous relationship with his parents-a powerful king and a queen determined to put her child on the throne at any cost-to the rousing brotherly bonds with his closest companions and vast army, as they fought from the sun-scorched battlefields of the Persian Empire across the snow-peaked mountains of India, the film chronicles Alexander’s journey to become a living legend, a man who embraced the ideal that power has a destiny. ”

All credits given to http://www.cinema.com/film/8022/alexander/synopsis.phtml

Many critics and the movie review site Rottentomatoes.com  gave this film a 4 out of 10. Frankly, many feel that this film does not do Alexander justice in his struggles in his achievements. Robert Travers, a critic from for Rolling Stone, said, “The film fails, crucially, in getting us inside the head of a man who models himself on myth”.                                                                           

 This Film may not due this great historical figure justice, but only a few historical figures can say that they had two movies, “Alexander the Great”(1956) and “Alexander”(2004). Not to mention a video game to follow their success!!!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Released in 1956, Directed by Robert Rossen.

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Alexander the video Game. Released on PC in 2004. An RTS(Real Time Strategy) game in where the gamer experiences the epic scope of Alexander’s conquests via historical campaigns, each with unique characteristics and resource management challenges, and featuring heroes from Alexander the Greats era. Players will fight real-time battles using formations, combat and authentic military tactics, while commanding vast armies in foreign lands.

 Alexander also received a song in his honor performed by Iron Maiden, which can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y89vfNpxbW0.

 Alexander’s Life…….

Alexander III of Macedonian was born at Pella, Macedonian in 356 B.C.E. His parents were King Phillip, father, and Olympias, mother. Alexander was a descendant of Achilles and Hercules, as told by his mother.

When Alexander was 13 he went under the wing and teachings of the wise Aristotle, a Greek philosopher. Aristotle sparked many interests of reading and learning, philosophy, science, and medicine.

At the age of 16, Alexander received one of his first true accomplishments. While his father was away, Alexander was called to Macedonia to put down a Thracian rebellion. In that event, Alexander did just that, he put down the rebellion and renamed the rebel’s stronghold after himself, Alexandropoulos.

In 336 B.C.E., Alexander took the throne as the King of Macedonia after his father was assassinated. By the age of 22 he had an army of 30,000 foot soldiers and 5,000 cavalrymen under his command. At this age, many men would be lucky to own a piece of land or some sort of ownership.

Alexander’s first engagement was against the Persians at the Granicus River in modern day Turkey. He defeated the Persian’s vast army. The next Autumn the second major encounter against the Persians took place at Issus, in the south eastern corner of Asia Minor. Persian King Darius III had amassed an army of about half a million to wipe out the Greek threat. But the vicious and tactically superb attack mounted by Alexander routed the Persians, despite being outnumbered about 13 to 1. How can this individual become even more impressive you may ask?

            After an eight year campaign Alexander was now ruler of a massive empire. He was keen to push further west but his men were weary and intent on returning to their families. Reluctantly he complied with their wishes. Alexander was a caring military leader. He would visit his men after the battle, examining their wounds and praising them for their valiant efforts. What a nice guy! He would also arrange extravagant funerals for the fallen. He would arrange games and contests for his men. The affection for their leader was what galvanized his troops.

Returning to Babylon Alexander assumed the role he had coveted for so long – The great Conqueror. Eventually, however, he gave way to a immoral lifestyle of excessive drinking. He also gave way to fits of rage and paranoid suspicion. One night he even murdered his closest associate, Clitus, in a fit of rage. Every great Greek individual has their slight downfall though. This act was to haunt for the remainder of his short life.

In June, 332 B.C.E Alexander fell victim to malarial fever. He never recovered. The man who no man could defeat died on June 13, 323 B.C.E. He was just 32 years and 8 months old. “A tomb now suffices him for whom the whole world was not sufficient.” ~ Alexander

 Why was he Great?

I will summarize this part for readers in points:

• By the age of 22 was crowned a Pharaoh, and to the Egyptians was considered a god.
• Was the son of King Phillip, another great conqueror.
• For three years was under the teachings of Aristotle.
• He was always on the front line directing the attacks.
• He was undefeated on the battle field.
• Every time he defeated an army and captured a city, he would eventually set them free, and if they practiced a different religion he would let them continue doing so freely.
• Was a fair leader who could have easily sat around and ruled 1 or 2 cities, but instead attempted in conquering the world.
• Facilitated an enormous change in our world. 

In conclusion, Alexander’s legacy leaves behind many important lessons in life. It is important to set goals in your life, but you must take the proper steps to ensure the achievement of those goals. Do not put any limits on your abilities. When times get rough and it seems like there is no way that you can make it, be strong, challenge yourself, and don’t give up! Once you begin to achieve your goals, make sure that you respect everyone you come across. It’s better to have people on your side–it makes things easier. And above all be confident in yourself. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. You can be a leader no matter how old you are. Alexander began working toward his goals at a young age. With hard work, respect for people, and a drive to succeed, you can meet any goal you put your mind to!

Source List:

• http://www.wc.pdx.edu/alexander/alex.html
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great
• www.essortment.com/all/alexanderthegr_rxdz.htm
• pc.gamezone.com/gamesell/p24664.htm
• www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alexandert391181.html
• www.usefultrivia.com/biographies/alexander_the_great_001.html
• www.azete.com/preview/51789
• www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alexander/

 

“The greatest individual in history”. Such a broad statement, open to so many interpretations. What makes someone “great”? I mean, honestly, an argument could be created for anyone to be considered “great”. However, when it comes to people, the greatest would be the one who had not only a profound impact on his (or her) generation but subsequent generations as well. If this is the case, then Wernher Von Braun is the greatest individual of the twentieth century, and quite possible all of history.

The Man

Wernher Von Braun was born in 1912 in what was technically called the “German Empire” in central Europe. As a young boy he read the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. These sparked an interest in space in Von Braun.
By 1932, Von Braun was working for the German Government building Ballistic missiles, and received a Ph.D. in physics in 1934. Yes, he was a member of the Nazi Party, but only after he was awarded an honorary membership in the SS, which he accepted because of fear of retribution had he not. Von Braun worked to create the V2 rockets at the secret research site Peenemunde and at a site called Mittlewerk. These places were known to use forced slave labor, but it is generally considered that Von Braun was not involved heavily in this practice. Before the end of the war, Von Braun led the surrender and defection of 500 top rocket scientists, along with test vehicles and plans for the development of rockets.
This defection was part of a program called Operation Paperclip, a program to bring top Nazi scientists to the United States. By Presidential order, however, it was illegal to allow members of the Nazi party to immigrate to the United States, but the degree of knowledge these scientists possessed, made the entire operation worth it. After being based in Texas for a while the team moved to Alabama and created the Jupiter missile for the Army. The next step was being transferred to NASA to design and build the Saturn 5 rocket. Von Braun was soon appointed head of this program. After retiring from NASA in 1972, he worked for Fairchild Industries and died in 1977.

Just Some Technical Things About his Work

This is a diagram of the V2 rocket Von Braun helped design. The rocket was a single stage, liquid fueled rocket with almost no guidance. The rocket burned a mixture of alcohol, water, and hydrogen peroxide. Similar to the fuel used in October Sky.

The Saturn rocket is much more complex. This was a three stage rocket, designed to put the Apollo spacecraft into space. The first stage used a form of kerosene called RP-1, Rocket Propellant -1. The second and third stages used liquid hydrogen as fuel. Note the people at the bottom and the sheer size of the rocket.

But Why so Great?

The extent of Von Braun’s greatness is twofold. He performed work on both the military and civilian side of rocket engineering. There was another post arguing for Mikhail Kalashnikov as the greatest individual. While Kalashnikov developed a gun, useful for relatively small battles, Von Braun worked on the strategic side. The current evolution of guided rockets can make or break a battle, equipping everything from ships, to aircraft, to individual soldiers. More importantly, however, are the ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) which shaped the world during the latter half of the twentieth century. The development of these missiles, capable of reaching the United States from Russia, and the almost simultaneous development of atomic weapons which could be carried on these missiles, and of course the various socioeconomic issues (I love that word), were a major factor in the development of the cold war. That’s just the military side though.

His expertise was a great help in the space race on the U.S. side after he was defected to the United States as well. Von Braun’s team worked to create the Saturn 5 rockets which carried the first Americans, and first Humans, to the moon. This was important in maintaining the balance which the Soviet Union upset when they launched Sputnik in 1957. Apart from being something simply awesome, sending Americans to be the first on the moon perpetuated the Cold War as a cold war, since it restored the balance between the competing superpowers. If the Cold War had turned hot, then Von Braun’s generation would have been wiped out, and there wouldn’t be any subsequent generations. This makes the development of rockets powerful enough to put men on the moon deserving of the label “Great”.

Some extra Pictures

I think this picture is amazing for the size of the engines. Thats Von Braun in front there.

A good picture of Von Braun.

The model V-2 at the Musee de l’Armee in France. I’ve seen this in person

The launch of a V-2 rocket during World War 2 at Peenemünde.

http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/vonbraun/excerpts.html
http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/vonbraun/bio.html
http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/vonbraun/bio.html
timothyministries.org
www.studentie.ro

     Mikhail Kalashnikov, shown above holding an AK-47, or Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947, has had arguably the greatest impact on the modern world out of any other individual in history. The AK series of assault rifles, designed by Kolashnikov for use by the Red Army, is the most recognizable and feared weapons platform in the world. It has claimed more lives than any other weapons system ever designed. Its ease of use and reliability has made the AK the favorite weapon of over 50 countries, as well as both criminals and freedom fighters worldwide. Without a doubt, the AK is the most well known weapons platform in the world. The man behind the gun, however, is far less famous.

Early Career

     Kalashnikov began his military career in 1938, when he was conscripted into the Red Army. He was assigned to the 24th Tank Regiment of the 12th Tank Division and was made a Senior Sergeant, or tank commander, because of his skills as both a tank driver and a mechanic. In 1941, at the Battle of Bryansk, Kalashnikov received a wound that would end up changing the world for ever. While recovering in the hospital, which he walked to by himself while injured, Kalashnikov suffered frequent flashbacks to the battle. He blamed the slaughter of Soviet troops on the German’s superior submachine gun, the MP-40. At the time, the Nazi war machine’s main strategy was known as Blitzkrieg, or Lightning War. The strategy involved rapidly swooping through a city, eliminating resistance all the while. Without the reliable rapid-fire the MP-40 offered, Blitzkrieg would likely have been significantly less effective. In his hospital bed, he began working on preliminary designs a submachine gun he hoped would give the Red Army an edge over the Germans. This marked the beginning of Kalashnikov’s career as a weapons designer.

The AK Is Born

     Even though Kalashnikov’s original smg was rejected by the Soviet higher ups, it was not a complete failure. His commanding officers recognized his talent and appointed him to the Central Scientific-Developmental Firing Range for Rifle Firearms of the Chief Artillery Directorate. There, he designed his first rifle, a gas-operated carbine that chambered the new 7.62 x 39mm cartridge, a shortened version of the 7.62 x 54mmR round. The new cartridge was developed in response to the shorter rifle round utilized by the German StG-44, a Nazi assault rifle that heavily influenced the AK-47. The carbine was rejected in favor of the SKS rifle. Third time, however, proved to be the charm. In 1947 Kalashnikov’s third gun was adopted as the main battle rifle of the Red Army. Christened the AK-47, it was quickly circulated throughout all the countries of the Soviet Union.

Changing The Face Of War

     The AK-47 brought about a new era of warfare. Because of the ease-of-use and reliability of the AK, poor, untrained soldiers could fight well trained national armies effectively. Perhaps the best example of this is the Vietnam War. Once U.S. troops entered Vietnam, they found themselves up against a new kind of enemy. The Viet Cong, equipped with Soviet AK-47and Chinese Type 56 rifles, were able to ambush American troops with rapid firepower. The American main battle rifle at the time, the M14, despite its superior accuracy and larger, more powerful round, could not compete with the AK’s rate of fire. In response, the U.S. based company ArmaLite, headed by Eugene Stoner, developed the AR-15, an assault rifle that chambered the intermediate 5.56 x 45mm NATO round. Later purchased by Colt and renamed the M16, it became the main battle rifle of the U.S. forces in Vietnam. Variants of the M16 are still used today. The M16 matched the Ak-47 in rate of fire, but was still not nearly as effective. Unlike Kalashnikov’s design, the M16 had a nasty tendency to jam in the less-than-perfect firing conditions of Vietnam. This flaw would prove fatal. By 1971, the U.S. began withdrawing troops from Vietnam. Communist forces, armed with Kalashnikov’s guns, had taken Vietnam. Clearly, war had changed. In Iraq, similar things are happening. Islamic extremists armed with AK-47 and AK-74 rifles are creating havoc for U.S. troops armed with M4 carbines, which, like the original M16s, jam in less than perfect environments like the sandy Middle East. Thanks to the AK, smaller, poorly trained forces could defeat the armies of superpowers.

The Greatest Weapon Ever Created

“I am still ready to shake hands with anyone who designs a better assault rifle than mine.”

-Mikhail Kalashnikov

     It is accepted amongst numerous weaponologists that the AK is the best assault weapon ever made. In a world where assault rifles are the main battle implements of nearly every fighting force in the world, Kalashnikov’s rifles are the top of the line. While it is certainly not as accurate as other rifles like the M16 or FN-FAL, its reliability and simple design makes it truly exceptional. The Military Channel, a division of Discovery, named the AK-47 the #1 combat rifle of all time. The AK series of rifles has enabled small forces to over power well trained armies because anyone can use it.

Mozambique features it on its flag.

Osama Bin Laden was rarely seen without it.

Criminals love it.

Even 9 year olds can be trained to use it.

Kalashnikov Today

Today, Mikhail Kalashnikov is viewed differently in different parts of the world. In countries who gained independence with the AK, he is viewed as a hero. In much of the West, he is cast as a villian that profits of the death of others. It is true that without the AK-47, the world might be a better place. Perhaps, without Mikhail Kalashnikov, there might even be world peace. No one can know this for sure. All we do know is the Kalashnikov’s invention changed the world forever. Kalashnikov got no more than a government pension for his invention. He had no intention of making money when he designed the most effective assault weapon of all time. In fact, most of his wealth comes from the brand of vodka he also created. He was simply a patriot that wanted his comrades to be well equiped. For a long time, he has defended his fellow arms makers. In 2002, however, he showed a surprising level of remorse.

“I’m proud of my invention, but I’m sad it is used by terrorists. I would prefer to have invented a machine that people could use and that would help farmers with their work-for example, a lawnmower”

-Mikhail Kalashnikov

 In fact, Kalashnikov did invent a lawnmower which he still uses to cut his grass today. It looks like a mixture between a locomotive and a weedwacker and is held together by blue gaffer’s tape, but it works perfectly. It isn’t overly fancy, but it gets the job done, a trait common in all of Kalashnikov’s inventions.

Even Gandolf loves The AK!!!

“Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.”- Pablo Picasso

This type of thinking is what made Pablo Picasso the Greatest Person in History. Instead of simply conforming to 19th century ideas and practices, he dared to think in ways that no one had thought before. When the standards for art were realism, following mainstream designs, and detailed attention to actuality, Picasso painted and created abstract and abnormal figures and images that reflected independent thinking as well as commented on the changes and events going on in the world during his time.

Pablo Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 as Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Crispiniano de la Santísima Trinidad in Malaga, Spain (the long name was a commemoration to various saints and relatives). His father was an artist and professor at a school of crafts (and later on school of fine arts) and he grew up involved in art, taking to it at an early age. In fact, according to his mother, his first words were the nickname for pencil in Spanish. Picasso did so naturally well with art and painting that he was sent to the prestigious and renowned art school, Royal Academy of San Fernando, for advanced instruction. Unfortunately, or not unfortunately, he had trouble accepting formal instruction and soon left the school to continue on his own. This independence and desire to avoid conforming to school standards and a teacher’s formal instruction helped him to become the magnificent person we know him today to be.

Picasso later on moved to France and spent much of his time there, creating art, becoming famous, and developing ideas uncommon and unheard-of for his time period. Many experiences, including those with growing up middle class, World War II, communism, fame, and simply every day interactions helped to shape the unconventional mind that produced wondrously abnormal (yet intriguing) artwork.

Not only was he different in his work, but he was also one of the few people in history whose work (in their lifetime, mind you) was so extensive that it was able to be categorized in its own way. Picasso created around 50,000 pieces of work including, but not limited to thousands of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings, prints, tapestries, and rugs. This alone is mind-boggling and amazing that one person can create this much art. Not just copies of works but pure art- creations, innovations, expressions of inner feelings, emotions, and points of view. Art that speaks more by itself than can ever be spoken or articulated by a human in words. This alone is a reason why he is the greatest person ever. Because of the magnanimity of his work, it is divided into periods, including the Blue Period (1901 –1904), the Rose Period (1905 –1907), the African-influenced Period (1908 –1909), Analytic Cubism (1909 –1912), and Synthetic Cubism (1912 –1919).

The Blue Period:

Just looking at these paintings makes you feel blue. This is the power that Picasso has over viewers. Without having to say a thing orally, he makes the observer see the pain and sadness that he felt-or is it that the man in the painting’s feelings? Nevertheless, he makes you think about what feelings and emotions are expressed by the old man sitting with his guitar. He makes you think about what the blind man is thinking as he eats his meal. As depicted by the title, the Blue Period consists of solemn, dark, gloomy, and melancholy paintings that were mostly painted with shades of blue. The suicide of one of his friends as well as a trip through Spain have been thought to have influenced the mood and tone of the paintings from this period.

The Rose Period:

The paintings from this period are more lively and cheerful and use more vibrant and warm colors. They also include more positive themes, thought to be influenced by increased exposure to French art and a friendship with a French muse. Again, Picasso’s paintings cause you to think (without realizing it too) who are those poor, seemingly lost souls from the circus? What is that boy with the pipe thinking? What must he be feeling to have that expression on his face? Picasso’s work never fails to make one think…think….think…

The African-Influenced Period:

The artwork from this period reflect a widening horizon of his artistic views, encompassing more variety and diversity in his subject matter. These paintings also represent a transition into Cubism and more abstract, avant-garde works. One looks at the painting above and is taken back by the difference it has from the average painting. Most people would paint a realistic portrait of someone, or maybe a picture of a bowl of fruits? No, Picasso may have painted a portrait but this portrait is unlike any other. This portrait is from his perspective, his point of view, albeit an abstract one, of what a certain individual looked like, if not in the physical sense maybe in an emotional or psychological sense.

The Analytic and Synthetic Cubism:

The work involved in this area involve even more obscure and profound designs, venturing further into uncharted territory in the ways that he hatched his creations. As seen in his works, there are more defined shapes, colors, designs. Objects stop looking realistic and become more unconventional, surreal, and innovative. In fact, with this work, Picasso helped the concept of surrealism to come about. Shapes and designs take on whole new meanings and they take thinking and conceptualism to a new level.

His 50,000 plus creations not only changed the standards for art, but also the standards for thinking. Instead of following set standards and guidelines, he dared to think outside of the proverbial box and he dared to be different. By coercing society to be more accepting of different and abnormal concepts, he broadened the horizons for many people to be able to come after him and develop new ideas. New concepts such as psychology, womens rights, and advanced science and technology were allowed to flourish after his work stretched the boundaries for thinking. By opening new windows and opportunities for all of us today through his fame and success, Picasso will be remembered as a great individual.

Sources:

http://www.biographyonline.net/artists/images/picasso4602.jpg

http://www.picasso.com/life/index.php

http://www.theartistpablopicasso.com/s2-picassoblueguitar-2.jpg

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_50.188.jpg

http://www.nga.gov/image/a0000e/a0000eb9.jpg

http://www.pablo-ruiz-picasso.net/images/works/61.jpg

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/p/picasso/uhde.jpg

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/p/picasso/ma_jolie.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/245/2818/640/italiangirl.3.jpg?force=1

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/P/picasso_syntheticcubism.html

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/p/picasso/rembrndt.jpg

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/p/picasso/self8.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Gar%C3%A7on_%C3%A0_la_pipe.jpg

What is it that makes a person GREAT? Is it their wealth? Is it their character? Or, is it their impact? Every individual has some impact on society, no matter how large or small, so greatness can come in degrees. However, a truly great person has a long lasting and influential impact upon society. The individual I have chosen is Frederick Wilhelm Nietzsche (Pronounced: Knee-Cha), German born philosopher, great for his thought-provoking and original ideas. After such a long and formal introduction, I hope I can meet your expectations.

SOME BIO

Born October 15, 1844 and died August 1900, the majority of Nietzsche’s life was destitute. At the age of four, his father died,He was sickly for a majority of his life (suffering from insomnia, weakness, etc.) and, towards the end of his life, fell into fits of strokes and seizures. Before this, however, he spent much of his time writing (and composing), eventually producing over 15 published books and a countless number of unpublished notes. It’s no surprise that he has such an extensive library considering how little sleep his must have gotten.

While he is most commonly known for his cryptic and seemingly depressing aphorisms, his works propose the importance of the physical world (over the spiritual or supposed) and the questioning of all beliefs (no matter how popular they may be).

GOD IS DEAD

Nietzsche is perhaps most famous for the phrase, “God is Dead,” and is usually seen as an atheist. However, he admired Jesus and the faith, but resented modern interpretations. Basically, he believed that instead of leading to a fulfilling life, adherence to modern interpretations leads a person to sink into submission.

“In Christianity neither morality nor religion has even a single point of contact with reality. Nothing but imaginary causes, ‘God,’ ’soul,’ ‘ego,’ ’spirit,’ ‘free will’- for that matter ‘unfree will,’ nothing but imaginary effects (’sin,’ ‘redemption,’ ‘grace,’ ‘punishment,’ ‘forgiveness of sins.’)(1)

Furthermore, Modern Christianity puts unnecessary restrictions on the individual. Guilt, a “bad conscience” is the result of “bad Christian morality that turns an evil eye to our natural inclinations.” This encourages that we act NOW in this life, on this plane, rather than accepting and hoping for a Heaven. The belief and Founder are fine, but the interpretations of their meanings are misconstrued, to Nietzsche. These ideas are important because they force society to look past the herd.

UBERMENSCH

Since God is now dead, the worst sin that one can do is not against their creator, but now against the Earth. (By sinning “against the Earth,” it is meant that man continues to live in his decadent ways, to not overcome what separates him from realizing his true potential. (and by “he,” I do mean both genders… ))

“All beings so far have created something beyond themselves… What is the ape to man? A laughingstock or a painful embarrassment. And man shall be just that for the overman: a laughingstock or a painful embarrassment…” (2)

Contrary to the Ubermensch (”overman”) is the Last man. The Ubermensch is not the Last Man because the Ubermensch will be overcome soon enough (ape to man, man to overman). However, the Last Man is the Last Man because he chooses to not work. “His race is as ineradicable as the flea; the last man lives longest.” (2)

He proposes these ideas as possible outcomes for mankind. If man chooses to surpass his faults and work towards greatness, he will go the way of the Ubermensch. However, if man falls into decadence, he will go the way of the Last Man.

PERSPECTIVISM

Perhaps his most important contribution to society is his idea of Perspectivism, which boils down to there being no absolutely neutral view of life, no “‘God’s eye’… from which one can survey everything that is” (Solomon). Think of it as making a Point of View comment on everything.

Nietzsche applies this to Science, believing that it can become slightly dogmatic at times. Although science claims that its truths are not absolute, it offers no other perspective for finding them. He offers another perspective, the “aesthetic” perspective. Take for example, a musical composition. In one way, a person can view the parts that make up the song (key and time signature, chord progressions, etc.) while in another way, they can simply admire the piece as a whole. He does not say that one is greater than the other, for both give different ideas, but that it would be wrong to wholeheartedly think through one perspective.

THE END

Earlier, I stated that a person’s greatness depends upon the impact upon society. In one view, Nietszche ’s impact on society depends on how his ideas have been accepted and interpreted. If few people have accepted his ideas, then his influence would be nil. However, his ideas have been used in many contexts.

Please do not take my words as the gist of Nietzsche’s ideas, for it would not do him justice to judge his ideas based upon my interpretations. For more information, check out the sources at the bottom. Good day to you all.

Thanks to these sites for the pictures…

Hey there 5th period WHAP friends! As everyone here knows our assignment was to determine. “Who is the Greatest Individual in World History?” Now this seemingly one dimensional question, in fact isn’t so one dimensional but rather a question with many facets. According to Websters Dictionary Greatest can mean, ” distinguished; famous, of noble or lofty character, important; highly significant or consequential,   wonderful; first-rate; very good,  of extraordinary powers; having unusual merit; very admirable.” As we can see there are a plethora of acceptable definitions, thus this one-dimensional question becomes a multidimensional problem. However, luckily I think I may have found the answer to this complex problem, the answer being…THE GREAT MUSTACHED MAN, JOSEPH STALIN!

Okay so I know what you’re thinking, “Sure, sure, of course you have the greatest individual in world history… so does every other person in 5th and 2nd period. But the real question is how does Joseph Stalin define himself, from all the other “greats” or “wannabe greats”.” My answer to this is well… it isn’t simply his facial hair that makes him the greatest individual to ever roam this earth: it is his standing as the world’s greatest political force, his impact on the life and death of 60 million people, and his role in defining the identity of Russia for the following 65 years, that makes him the greatest person to ever live in human history. Sure Stalin did terrible things as we will find out later in this post but the terrible things sure did change the face of modern politics, modern culture, and the way we as humans and even we as students view the world today. (P.S. although these claims may seem a little bombastic , I’ll just ask you to stick with me and I’ll prove their absolute validity!)

JUST A TINY, TINY BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Alright, I’m not here to write a biography on Stalin BUT it is important to have a basic understanding of Stalin’s upbringing to give some sort of insight into the method of his madness. Born in Georgia in 1879 to a highly dysfunctional family, it’s fair to say little baby Stalin didn’t have the easiest upbringing. WIth an absent family and a life filled with poverty little baby Stalin had to rough it out. Even when given the opportunity to study to be a priest (a strange career path for a man who would become history’s greatest cutthroat politician) Stalin flunked out and instead joined various revolutionary circles. Additionally, he was mildly disabled by a mangled arm, and developed a ,”strong, romanticized desire for greatness and respect, combined with a shrewd streak of calculating cold-heartedness towards those who had maligned him. He always felt a sense of inferiority before educated intellectuals, and particularly distrusted them.” (PBS, 1999).

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??

Now when we are talking about Stalin we are talking about a ruthless leader, one who staged the assassination of his top aide so he could have an excuse to execute 100+ politicians thus ending the age of the Bolsheviks and getting rid of any political opposition. Could his harsh actions be traced back to his childhood and the resentment he felt towards intellectuals, the answer is yes. The significance is that, in part, his ruthlessness bred from a very young age aided his genius as a political leader and enabled him to rule Russia with an iron fist. Trotsky, the communist leader and intellectual before and during Stalin’s rule, was ousted and sent into exile in 1929. Lenin and his group of highly intellectual communist revolutionaries were politically crippled by Stalin’s smash mouth, all business no play attitude towards politics. To put Stalin’s political tactics in perspective or even something easier, one word, it would be Machiavellian. Stalin is to be considered the great unifier of Russia because he simply destroyed all of those that would get in the way of his political agenda to unify Russia. Now some may say, “How can you justify a man who killed supposedly 20,000,000 people directly with his political policies and another 30,000,000 + indirectly through starvation, war, etc..?” My answer would be: How is Stalin any different from the long line political attacks done by the United States against small defenseless countries. It is no secret that the U.S. has done a lot of unjustifiable, and cruel actions to advance its political agenda or to raise its wealth. Click here>>>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6WstddMJZQ for more insight. In fact, it is fair to say that Stalin offers the world the very personification, the archetype of the Machiavellian Theory, as well as an archetype for how communism can practically be put to use. Sure Karl Marx might have looked down  upon Stalin’s no holds style of politics (if he was alive) but did Karl Marx ever raise a small crumbling country into an industrial super power?? NO! How about Lenin? Or Trotsky? Sure they were great communists, they read their books! How nice…But there comes a time when one has to put down one’s communist manifesto or books about how nice a revolution would be, and simply DO WORK. Stalin didn’t have the intellectual backing but he was a natural politician and he knew how to get what he wanted, what he thought was best for Russia.

A MAN WITH GOALS

As discussed before, Stalin was a “Machiavellian”, he had a plan for Russia and he would do anything this to achieve that plan (essentially to turn Russia into an industrial powerhouse, military powerhouse, and political superpower). Stalin also did a lot, A LOT, A LOT of terrible things to achieve his goals, but one question should come to mind,” How did he sustain power?” Well the answer has two parts to it. One he destroyed any political opposition and, two, he was able to put much of Russia into disillusion about his true character. Meaning that he had one darn good public image council. Below we can see Mr. Dictator Stalin playing with children, a tactic used to make him seem like a benevolent father figure.

AWWWW ISN’T THAT CUTE!!!

Well if you think that’s cute why not take a peak at this next picture. It kind of serves as a reality check on the whole benevolent father figure thing. Sorry.

Children Sent to Labor Camps to Starve because of Their Country’s Political Opposition to Stalin.

Stalin was the master of Propaganda. He was so deft in his abilities to blind the masses that EVEN TODAY we all consider Adolf Hitler to be the worlds most atrocious mass murderer, however, this blind assumption is no where close to being true. Between the years 1937-1938 Stalin initiated the Great Purge killing 1,704,230 people. From 1946–1948 nearly 1,500,000 people died from Soviet Economic Policy and the Soviet entitlement system A.K.A Starvation. During the Holodomor Famine or The Ukrainian Genocide Stalin cut off food from Ukraine causing 7 to 10 million deaths. At the height of the famine 25,000 died per day or 1,000 per hour or 17 per minute. These examples show the reign of terror under Stalin but they also exemplify the ignorance that much of the world lives under. Besides the Great Purge I had no idea that Stalin had killed 7 to 10 Million people in Ukraine in only two years! This is mind blowing stuff because it has unseen modern day implications. 10 million people disappearing from your country is a major deal, that could very well be an entire generation gone. 10 million people is equivalent to the entire Maryland population dying one year, being re-born the next year, and then again dying the following year. You can imagine that losing that many people, even in Maryland, would drastically change the way of life for future generations and for the following decades.

LET”S HEAR WHAT STALIN HAS TO SAY

From the words of Stalin, I believe we can learn a voluminous amount of information about the impact he made on the world simply from his words. I encourage you, as the reader, to draw your own inferences on what his words mean for humanity, for politics, for war, for peace, and for human condition. Why while you’re contemplating what Stalin’s words mean  why not enjoy the USSR National Anthem performed by the Red Army Choir =DDD.

• Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem.

• Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs.

• I trust no one, not even myself.

• Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.

• In the Soviet army it takes more courage to retreat than advance.

• One death is a tragedy; one million is a statistic

MY REFLECTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

What I took out of these very enlightening quotes is idea that I mentioned before, the idea that the ends justify the means. Russia at the time of Stalin coming to power (1924) was stuck in an era of uncertainty, however, Stalin was able to look at life and look at the building of a nation in the most simplistic way possible. It was a game to him and people where merely pieces. Every game has its obstacles, sometimes you can finesse your way around them or in Stalin’s case you knock the living hell out of them. Nonetheless, when these obstacles fall they leave imprints. If it were not for Stalin immobilizing Russia the Nazi’s could have rolled into Asia and beyond. (Look here>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2d8fSZfXoE&feature=fvw for a video of the annual celebration parade that commemorates the Russia victory against the Nazis.) Stalin was even an inspiration to Mao Zedong and his establishment of the Communist Republic of China (a communist regime which still exists today). Stalin was a ruthless leader in ruthless times. It is impossible to endorse his methods or qualify his actions but at the same time only he can be credited for Russia becoming a modern country. He exemplifies the Machiavellian approach to politics, the pragmatic side to communism, and through his cutthroat political agenda, not only did he affect his own people but the citizens of the world. Yes, Joseph Stalin was a mass murderer but no human, no great individual will ever be able to affect the lives of generations upon generations of people like he did. For these reasons Mr. Joseph Dictator Man Stalin is THE GREATEST INDIVIDUAL IN WORLD HISTORY!!!

Thanks to These Sources:

1. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/joseph_stalin.html
2. http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/bios/all_bio_jos
3. http://www.google.com/search (THANKS FOR THE PICS)
   
4. http://www.youtube.com
5. http://www.lonympics.co.uk/holocauststats.htm
6. http://www.infoukes.com/history/famine/
7. http://www.merriam-webster.com/