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Simirpreet Gill Period 2 World History May 14, 2010 Benito Mussolini



Benito Mussolini was the dictator of Italy and leader of the [|fascist] party in 1922-1943. Benito Mussolini was born in 1883 an began his political career as a socialist. He was the editor of a socialist newspaper called //Avanti.// However, once Mussolini advocated Italy's entrance into battle, he was exiled from the Socialist party. Following this incident, Mussolini formed another paper, Il Popolo d'Italia. He created the new group, Fasci d'Azione Rivoluzionaria which was for war. Mussolini believed that should Italy go to war, society might fall apart, bringing him into power. Benito spread propaganda that there might be high unemployment and communism, allowing him to gain many followers. Soon thereafter, he created the group, Fasci de Combattino. This was the rise of fascism. The fascist groups tried to terrorize the socialist base. They wreaked havoc on the nation through strikes and revolutions, and gained many followers, especially from the middle class and war veterans. He then became the leader when King Victor appointed him out of fear of a possible civil war. Thus, at first, Mussolini was a strong supporter of [|Karl Marx], Friedrich Nietzsche, and Auguste Blanqui. Mussolini believed in the idea that the proletariat should become one giant group in order to seize power. However, he left his socialist contemporaries, to pursue a more fascist approach. He ended up rooting for Italy to go to war. Mussolini wanted to bring Italy back to the greatness of the Roman empire by ruling with absolute authority. He believed in complete socioeconomic control as well as centralization. In addition, he though the only way to suppress oppposition, was through terror and censorship. He was extremely nationalist and racist; he inspired Hitler. Many aggressive action were taken by Mussolini. In 1925-1926, Mussolini introduced a new type of election so that he could have full dictatorial power and destroy other political parties. He also introduced strict censorship. Then, after 1922, he took complete control of corporation, army, public works, colonies, and foreign affairs. As the leader of the Fascist party, he formed an armed Fascist militia. He abolished the parliament, and forced teachers, schools, and newspapers to spread fascist ideas. He transferred industries to private ownership. Lastly, Mussolini followed the [|Nazis], by furthering racial discrimination and persecution of the Jews.

Simirpreet Gill December 3, 2009 Period 2 World History Famous Explorer- Bartholomeau Dias



Born in 1457 of a noble familly, Bartholomeu Dias was a portuguese navigator and explorer. In 1481, Dias explored the gold coast of Africa with Diogo de Azambuja. Five years later, King John the second of Portugal appointed Bartholomeu Dias as the leader of the exploration to [|round the southernmost tip of Africa] called the Cape of Good Hope. He was supposed to make contact with a christian ruler in the Indies called Prester John, King of Ethiopia. Marco Polo and Vasco de Gama had first to the Portuguese rulers about him. Dias first went around the Sao Jorge de Mina which was a portuguese fortress on the Gold Coast for extra provisions. He then sailed past the coast of Angola and soon reached the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. However, Dias called it the Cape of Storms (Cabo Tormentosa). By discovering these routes from Europe to Asia, he gave the Portuguese valuable and profitable trade routes to the east indies free of land tolls and taxes from the Turks. Also, he was pivotal in the explorations of famous explorers like Christopher Colombus, Vasco De Gama, and Pedro Alvares Cabral; he drew and mapped out their charts. In 1497, Dias went with Vasco de Gama to India. Then in 1500, he went with Pedro Alvares Cabral in a trip that resulted in the discovery of what is now Brazil. He then headed back, but towards the Southern Coast of Africa. Later that year, he died in a violent storm in the Cape of Good Hope.

St. Peter's Basilica



St. Peter's Basilica was originally built as a resting place for Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, but many other popes have been buried there also. It was founded by Emperor Constantine in 324 A.D, but it was rebuilt in 1506-1615 by many [|renaissance]art masters under the order of Pope Julius ll. These artists included the renowned [|Michelangelo], Bramante, and Bernini just to name a few. By looking at St. Peter's Basilica, it is clear it was an advanced work of Renaissance art. There are no longer flying buttresses supporting the arches of domes and high walls like in gothic style architecture; technology to build domes had been invented. Also, you can see an emphasis on symmetry, porportion, and geometry throughout the building. The identical mini-domes on both sides and the perfect [|paintings crafted on the interior of the dome]show the precision and math used at the time. In addition, many columns decorate the exterior which was a major renaissance art influence as well as a classical influence. Lastly, you can see the detail of the statues on St. Peter's Basilica from the curly hair to the capes as well as the movement they show and the realism they portray. In St. Peter's Basilica, you can see the effect of [|humanism] on renaissance art. The [|contrapposto] style of making sculptures, originating from the ancient Greeks, is used in many of the statues seen atop St. Peter's Basilica. The human form is celebrated in the sculptures as well; you can see the meticulous crafting of muscles and body parts. These styles were frequently used by Michelangelo for he was a master sculptor. Also, the effects of classical art can be seen by St. Peter's Basilica use of columns and domes. These two art forms were pimarily used by the Romans in buildings such as the [|Parthenon], Pantheon, and Coliseum. To conclude, the celebration and detail of the human form in statues as well as the classical use of columns, domes, and contrapposto show the humanist influence on St. Peter's Basilica.