World History Essays

Newsletter for October 6-10 Musui’s Story is a samurai’s autobiography that portrays the Tokugawa society as it was lived during Katsu Kokichi’s life (1802 – 1850). Katsu Kokichi (or Musui) was a man born into a family with the hereditary privilege of an audience with the shogun, yet he lived a life unworthy of a […]

Concentric lines versus grid circles In this paper, we will describe the ethical dilemma between concentric line and grid circle thinking, in what I believe the Japanese warrior tradition, bushido, terms as the dilemma between “giri” and “ninjo”, or loosely translated, duty and compassion. Let us first begin by describing examples of these ethical dilemmas. […]

Seven Samurai is a film by Akira Kurosawa is hailed as one of the greatest films of all time. The basic story line is centered on the historically chronicled rift that existed between the Samurai and the farmers in post-industrialist Japan eventually caused the extinction of the Samurai. The story does not dwell on the […]

Since the 1800’s, Japan shows an enriching history that displays its growth in government and gender ideologies. In 1868, the Meiji era shifted Japan from feudalism in the Tokugawa era to a more modern state. Also, the Taisho era in 1912 continued Japan’s journey to modernity by adopting more Western cultures. The gender construction of […]

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and the first shogun of the Tokunawa shogunate. He was able to seize power in Japan in 1600 after the battle of Sekigahara between Tokugawa and the other daimyos that were against him. Although Tokunawa was essentially the ruler at that time with his headquarters in Edo (present-day Tokyo), it […]

Paul Varley’s book, “Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War Tales,” examines various war narratives from different periods of Japanese history, including the rise of the samurai culture. These tales, like the Shomonki and Taiheiki, depict changes in battleground customs and warrior society as they evolve over time. Despite the societal changes, the warriors […]

The film in question is a Japanese period film released in 1990. The main theme of the film is war and its impact on warriors and common people. For a student of history, the film presents a fairly accurate presentation of costumes, art and architecture of 16th century Japan. Watching the film was like going […]

Although China and japan are similar when it comes to cultural independence, japan however, was interested in technological advancements influenced by the westerners causing interaction, while china stayed isolated causing a power shift, meaning Europeans were able to gain power and control over most of Asia and Africa during the nineteenth century. For 250 years, […]

The Tradition of the Onnagata: Cross-dressed Actors and Their Roles on the Classical Japanese Stage Theatre History I Dr. Kevin Browne December 7, 2011 Japan, like most cultures, has a long history of men playing the stage roles of women. This paper, The Tradition of the Onnagata: Cross-dressed Actors and Their Roles on the Classical […]

Seppuku is a Japanese suicide ritual. It is a “unique phenomenon only existing in Japan” (Li Jian-jun). “The word seppuku comes from the words setsu ‘to cut’ and fuku ‘abdomen’” (Kallie Szczepanski). This exquisite ritual was most common in the samurai, it gave the samurai an honorable death, and honor was the most important thing […]

The warriors of Japanese history the samurai belongs to the upper class of the society. During the Warring States and before that samurai were used as killing machines ready to slay anyone who was against with their masters. But during this time of peace, samurai have no war to fight anymore. Despite their high status […]

Musui’s Story is an extraordinary autobiography of a samurai named Katsu Kokichi who lived during the last decades of Tokugawa period of Japan. It is special because the book provides readers with a vivid insight of the life of a samurai during the period. Moreover, the author depicts a very different image of the samurai […]

Minamoto no Yoritomo The first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. What the significance of Yoritomo in Japan? ? Growing up Minamoto no Yoritomo wasborn in 1147 and died in 1199 at the age of 51. He ruled from 1192 untill 1199. At his last mission he tried to destroy 50 boats but he […]

The term Shogun means general. Later, it refered to the leader of the Shogunate (Samurai’s government). From 1192-1867, the Shogun ruled Japan. The Emperor reigned but did not rule. The Shoguns were a type of warlords that governed providences and states as a type of Japanese check and balance of the 16th century. The name […]

In the minds of the public, espionage is often the result of financial considerations. A government employee, possibly living beyond his or her means spies in exchange for money. The recent case of Robert Hanssen is one such example. This is certainly not the only motivation for spying, however.In the 1930s, the Soviets established a […]

Joseph Stalin’s name is second only to Adolf Hitler’s when it comes to the death and destruction of the twentieth century. When Stalin died in 1953, people had mixed emotions about his actions (Roberts 2003). Some saw him as an ideal cult figure, while others viewed him as a relatively benign dictator. The general population […]

Lenin was born Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov in 1870. At this time Russia was under rule by the Tsar who ruled Russia autocratically.Lenin was scared at an early age by witnessing the execution of his brother who was hanged for treason; he tried to assassinate the Tsar Alexander III.At an early age, in his early twenties […]

Purges refer to “cleansing out”. Purges regularly took place in Russia especially when the leaders wanted to reshape the party or exercise more control.Three phases in the purges of 1930’s can be identified 1. Chistka of 1932-35. 20% of the party was expelled non-violently. 2. Show trials Prominent old Bolsheviks were publicly tried and executed. […]

Background – The New Economic Policy (NEP) 1921-28.1. Communists take their ideas from the writings of Karl Marx (1818-83) see page 4 of Nichol & Shephard. Marx argued that private ownership led to exploitation. Instead, Marx wanted all shops, businesses and farms to be owned by the community and the profits spent on schools, hospitals […]

Stalin came to power in 1928 after cleverly outsmarting his political opponents by playing them off against each other, while he remained an unlikely source of leader until only he remained. Stalin changed the economic footing of Russia enormously. Industrialization, the development of industry was massive. After 13 years, production figures for almost all products […]

Stalin’s economic policies were successful to an extent, especially when looking at the increases in production of heavy industry. However they also failed in several important areas such as agriculture, meaning the overall success was limited. Also, when evaluated in terms of the effects on the people of the Soviet Union, the policies had, in […]

Upon the commencement of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Lenin came back from his overseas exile to implement his strategies for the Bolsheviks. Despite holding only a small area of the country initially, the Bolsheviks managed to win the Civil War and seize power. This was due to the Red’s own organization and the failure […]