Reaction to Badder-Meinhof Complex

I was really confused through the majority of the movie.  I think that if I would have researched the RAF previous to watching the movie I would've understood it better.  Regardless, I found it to be shocking.  I feel like for all of their efforts in trying to change the way the government operated by attacking innocent bystanders accomplished very little.  If they were really trying to make a political point it seems to me that they fell short of it.  From what I read they were all well educated with the exception of Baader which I find shocking because of the means they used to accomplish their goals.  I understand the feeling of powerlessness they may have felt in trying to push their opinions without taking action to accomplish them.  But through all the innocent lives they took and damage they caused there was very little change made in response to all their work.  In addition, it seemed to me through parts of the movie that they were just enjoying a long joyride filled with partying without consequences.  I understand their motivation but not their action. 

Research on the RAF

Previously known as the “Baader-Meinhof Complex,” the “Rote Armee Fraktion (Red Army Faction) or RAF” was named after two of its founders Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof in 1970.  They considered themselves to be “communist and anti-imperialist urban guerrillas”.  The first generation existed from its founding date until the mid-1970’s when the second generation took over and operated until the late 1970’s.  Finally, the third and final generation took over and operated from the 1980’s to the 1990’s.  The group dissolved on April 20, 1998 according to a letter with the symbol of the RAF stamped on it that was sent to a newspaper.  I believe the purpose behind the “Baader-Meinhof Complex” was to resist the way the government was running things in Germany.  From my understanding they didn’t want to protest because that wouldn’t cause any changes.  In order to produce the effects they wanted they felt the need to take action which involved arson, bombings, robbing banks, killing, and kidnapping.  They also operated as a group to break their leader Andreas Baader out of prison which was when Ulrike Meinhof joined the resistance.  Gudrun Ensslin was not only Andreas Baader’s girlfriend but also the group’s second leader.  The original members were imprisoned and during their incarceration they objected to their conditions through a group hunger strike during which one of the group members died.  In a final act of resistance following Ulrike Meinhof’s suicide the remaining RAF members imprisoned participated in a group suicide.    

The Generations of RAF according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Baader
First Generation: “Brigitte Asdonk · Andreas Baader · Gudrun Ensslin · Ulrike Meinhof · Horst Mahler · Horst Söhnlein · Thorwald Proll · Jan-Carl Raspe · Irmgard Möller · Holger Meins · Astrid Proll · Beate Sturm”
Second Generation: “Siegfried Hausner · Brigitte Mohnhaupt · Sieglinde Hofmann · Margrit Schiller · Verena Becker · Gabriele Kröcher-Tiedemann · Norbert Kröcher · Siegfried Haag · Adelheid Schulz · Peter-Jürgen Boock · Angelika Speitel · Rolf Wagner · Stefan Wisniewski”
Third Generation: “Wolfgang Grams · Birgit Hogefeld · Eva Haule · Andrea Klump”

I think some of the similarities are that most terrorist groups use violence as a method to get attention.  It doesn't seem to matter if innocent people are involved.  Both the RAF and today's terrorist groups use bombs and guns to commit their acts.  I haven't heard about terrorists today robbing banks or setting buildings on fire which the RAF did do.  Terrorists today set up ransom instead.  Also, I haven't heard about terrorists today highjacking cars like the RAF did but both highjacked airplanes. 

Works Cited:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Army_Faction

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baader-Meinhof_Complex

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Baader

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrike_Meinhof

Why the EU will continue to be a pivotal organization for German in the 21st Century

1. Germany is protected by the strength of the EU because through the creation of the EU Germany and its neighboring countries that were previously at war were able to make peace and work toward a common goal.
2. The EU provides an open market for Germany's products to be sold to so being a part of the EU is extremely profitable economically to Germany.
3. As long as Europe is at peace Germany being its biggest producer of products stands to make a profit.
4. The unification of one type of currency has allowed Germany to become competitive at a global level.
5. If the economy in the EU is allowed to become one providing a new middle class Germany will have more people that have the ability to buy their profits and so will benefit from this change.
6. The common currency has helped Germany through reunification.
7.  Germany is in position of being the greates economic power in Europe
8. Germany benefits from the continent at peace and benefits most when it can sell its products to all of Europe
9. Germany is no longer seen as a threat and is instead seen as a powerful ally
10. With Germany and Europe unified they provide a stronger voice to global decision making.

*Used notes from class and summarized

Top 3 Blogs

1. Krystal Dube: interesting background, nice pictures, everythings on blog.
2. Lacey Rovang: like the background, nice pictures, not missing blogs
3. Kevin Andresen: background is interesting, nice pictures, not missing blogs.

"All Quiet On The Western Front"

Our in class discussion was on the loss of identity which I feel was one of the main focal points in this book.  The idea of being young and going off to war before you even know who you are.  It's scary to think about going to war in the first place but everything you have to face with either surviving or not surviving the war is a difficult concept to relate.  I think that a lot of people when they come back from war especially a war as drastic as WWI would in some ways have preferred not to have made it home.  It's scary when you have no idea who you are and have nothing to keep you going.  Everyone needs something in their lives that is important to them that they can identify themselves with.  Being in a war would be dehumanizing and will bring out a more animalistic side of a person because of the need to survive.  I can't imagine people that come back from a war and be "okay" with all of the killing that they had to do or see done.  Coming back from that to our trivial world of I "need" that new pair of shoes would be an extremely difficult transition.  The way that this book was written you could really see things from Paul's perspective (1st person) and take a walk in his shoes.  I think it would be difficult from not knowing who you are and what kind of person you are and then going to war where you either let your animal instincts take over or wind up dead.  It's a kill or be killed situation.  So only knowing yourself as an animal (if you choose to kill) and then coming back to a civilized world where animalistic instincts are punished and having no use for the only thing you know would be scary.  It would be difficult to look in the mirror and know all that you have done and it would be hard to see or discover another side of yourself.  I thought it was a really interesting book and really got me thinking about identity which is a really important concept that can really make a difference in someone's life.

Final Questions for Class Competition

Question. Which political party had the greatest percent of votes in the May 9th, 2010 election in NRW?
Ansewer. Christian Democratic Union, with 34.6%

Question. What was the precursor to the treaty of Westphalia?
Answer. The Concordat of Worms

Question. What street is this building on? (picture of a building)
Answer. It is the Friedrichswerdersche Kirche, located on Werderscher Strasse in Berlin.

Question. This structure is a key location in which German film? (picture of a structure)
Answer. Run, Lola, Run or Lola Rennt

Question. Held in Berlin, what are the German equivalent to the British Pop Awards?
Answer. Echo Awards.

Question. What famous novel, anonymously written in the early 13th century, ends with the death of all key characters?
Answer. Nibelungenlied.

Question. Where is this statue and what is it depicting? (picture of statue of animals)
Answer. It is in Bremen, Germany, and it is depicting the Bremen town musicians.

Question. Which German car was the first one to be built solely outside of Germany?
Answer. The BMW Z3

States Presentation: Bremen

Bremen Germany

By: Krystal Dube and Jen Teachout

•Population- ~661,716 (2009)

•Area- ~157.5 sq mi

•Capital- Bremen

•It is the smallest of the 16 states in Germany.

•Located on the river Weser

•86,943 square miles of Minnesota

•So you can fit about 552 Bremen’s in Minnesota

The town of Musicians of Bremen

  

•The Brothers Grimm- Wrote The Town Musicians of Bremen

•The story is about a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster, who were mistreated by their masters

•They fled to Bremen which was known for its beauty, freedom and art.

•On there way to a cottage there was 4 thieves inside and so they stood on each others backs and sang a song in hopes to receive food. 

But the music was so horrible the thieves ran out

 

•Largest port in Germany second only to Hamburg and is the oldest port city in Germany

•Bremen is involved in industrial and commercial trading and production of ships, and machinery. 

•Bremen and Bremerhaven were joined together in 1947 to create the State of Bremen.

"Free Hanseatic City of Bremen”

 

market settlement ---> city--->merchants' town--->

In 1806 Bremen independent sovereign free state called itself "the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen"---> "Federal state of German Empire in 1871"--->temporarily lost independence and then regained in 1947---> after WWII Bremen was an American occupation zone--->Today is the "largest port after Hamburg"

Sources

•http://www.itcwebdesigns.com/tour_germany/map_german_states.gif - German state picture

•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen_(state) – basic information

•http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/mn_geography.htm - Minnesota Information

•http://www.knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/4/49/Bundeslaender_germany_hb.png - German State Picture

•http://www.shopsandsalons.com/images/50%20STATE%20MAPS/us%20map%20Minnesota.jpg – U.S. picture

•http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/zento/eandl2006/1189255980/tpod.html - Musicians information

• http://www.world-tourer.com/images/bremen-musicians.jpg - Bremen statue

•http://earthlingsoft.net/ssp/misc/BremerHaus/Bremen_gb.html - location information

•http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Bremen.aspx - port information

•http://insurance.essentialtravel.co.uk/tg-europe/germany/bremen-history.asp - city information