VIDEO ARCHIVE
GENERAL/THEMATIC
REGION/COUNTRY
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AFRICA
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ASIA
Afghanistan |
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Poland |
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LATIN AMERICA
Argentina |
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Cuba |
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Meet the Instructor (0:46): This
very brief clip from 2009 tells a little about the instructor Jeff Jones and
his early work history. (Source: UNCG MALS program).
“Truman and the
Bomb” (23:15): Discussing the
Potsdam Conference in July 1945, which coincided with the successful testing of
the first atomic bomb in the desert of New Mexico, this clip explores US
President Harry S. Truman's controversial decision to drop atomic bombs on
Japan in August 1945. **Required
for the 1st Paper Assignment. (Source:
PBS Documentary "The American Experience: Truman").
COLD WAR
Cold
War Medley (2:16): Music from the Cold War period, featuring Bob Dylan;
Peter, Paul, and Mary; Phil Ochs; Barry McGuire; The Byrds;
Edwin Starr; and Sting, interspersed with footage of important events and
speeches of Cold War leaders. (Source: ABC
News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
“Atomic
Café” (1:25:26): The entire classic 1982 documentary of 1950s
and 1960s school filmstrips, newsreels, etc., put together with no narration or
commentary. (Source:
YouTube Domini Public channel).
The Marshall Plan Speech
(11:38): In his famous speech at the Harvard commencement in June 1947,
Secretary of State John Marshall spelled out the need and justification for the
Marshall Plan to give loans to the nations of Europe to help them recover from
the ravages of World War II. This clip includes audio of the speech
interspersed with images from the era. (Source:
The Marshall Foundation).
Cold War (3:13): A good overview of the early period of Cold War tensions with footage of war torn Europe, the announcement of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and the Soviet blockade of West Berlin that led to the formation of NATO. (Source: ABC News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
Early Cold War Perspectives, Part I (3:03): This clip begins with Winston Churchill’s famous “iron curtain” speech in Fulton, Missouri, comparing how the West perceived the Soviet Union in the early stages of the Cold War, then shows how the Soviet side saw the West in popular films as well. (Source: PBS Series The People’s Century—Brave New World).
Early Cold War Perspectives, Part II (6:23): This clip from the popular movie “Atomic Café” starts with US newsreels on the beginning of the Cold War and the perceived threat of a communist takeover in Europe. It also deals with a feigned communist takeover in a small town in Wisconsin (see below), school meetings to cope with the threat of a nuclear attack, and footage from the famous “Burt the Turtle” “duck and cover” school filmstrip (see also “Civil Defense” below). (Source: Atomic Cafe).
Berlin Air Lift (4:40): This clip deals with the controversy over Berlin, in the Soviet-controlled Eastern Zone of Germany but divided into Eastern and Western sectors. The Soviets tried to take control by blocking off the Western Sector of Berlin, but the US and its allies responded with a highly successful airlift that sustained the city’s population and broke the blockade. (Source: PBS Series The People’s Century—Brave New World).
Civil Defense (1:00): Footage from 1950s US newsreels and classroom filmstrips, including the famous “Burt the Turtle” “duck and cover” tape. (Source: ABC News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
Communist Town in Wisconsin (1:47): This footage covers the ploy of a small Wisconsin town pretending to be taken over by communists at the height of Cold War fears. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Brave New World episode).
US Anti-Communism (3:06): This clip documents the US response to the Soviet detonation of an atomic bomb in 1949, complete with anti-communist music, scenes from Congressional Trials during the Joseph McCarthy period, and an FBI film on how to combat communism. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Brave New World episode).
The Soviet Union during Late Stalinism (4:04): This clip deals with the Soviet response to the 1949 Chinese Revolution and also the celebration of Stalin’s 70th Birthday, contrasting official propaganda with the harsh living conditions of Soviet citizens at the time. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Brave New World episode).
US and Soviet Perspectives on the Korean War, Part I (1:21): These two newsreels give entirely different points of view on the war in Korea that began in 1950 and lasted until 1953. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Brave New World episode).
US and Soviet Perspectives on the Korean War, Part II (1:04): This brief clip highlights the Cold War context of the Korean conflict. (Source: ABC News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
Khrushchev meets Nixon (1:16): This is the famous 1960 meeting at which Khrushchev promised that the Soviet Union would soon surpass the USA. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Brave New World episode).
The
Construction of the Berlin Wall, Part I (1:27): Footage of East Berliners
fleeing to the West and commentary about the construction of the wall in 1961
and its importance in the broader Cold War context. (Source: ABC
News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
COLONIALISM/DECOLONIZATION
European Colonialism
(5:22): An excellent overview of colonialism from the European perspective
based on European newsreels from the 1930s. The newsreels emphasize the
colonial mission of bringing health care, education, and general
“care” for the native populations around the world as part of their
“burden” of “civilizing” the world’s
savages. (Sources: PBS Series The People’s
Century—Freedom Now 1947).
Nehru and Gandhi, Part I (3:51): This clip from the PBS Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty deals with Gandhi’s strong influence on the Nehru family, from the Spinning Wheel Movement (1920s) and Amritsar Massacre (1919) to, ultimately, their rejection of Western clothing, food, and even the English language. (Source: PBS Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty).
Nehru and Gandhi, Part II (4:33): A continuation of the previous clip, this one deals with Nehru's discovery of the impoverished side of India, his conversion to socialism, the Salt March led by Gandhi, and the frequent arrests of opponents of British colonialism like Nehru. It ends with an excerpt of an interview with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 1960s remembering her father, independent India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. (Source: PBS Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty).
French Colonialism in Vietnam (5:46): This clip documents the impact of the French on traditional Vietnamese society and the rise of a nationalistic Vietnamese elite under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. (Source: PBS Series Vietnam).
Colonial
Rule and Conflict in Kenya (6:01): This clip shows how Kenya was settled by
British citizens, transforming the native Kikuyu into wage laborers. The
Kikuyu responded by organizing the Mau Mau Rebellion
and fighting for their independence from British rule. (Source: PBS Series The People’s
Century—1947).
ENVIRONMENT
China’s “Kill a
Sparrow” Campaign (1:10): In the mid-1950s Mao Zedong and the CCP
decided that the country’s harvests of grain and rice would be much
larger if sparrows did not eat such a large portion of it every year, so they
launched a campaign to kill all the sparrows, which ended in failure because
insects subsequently ate a far larger portion of the harvest than usual. (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Contemporary China and the Environment, Part I (1:25): This clip from the Chinese English News depicts government efforts to save the Yangtze (or Chinese) Alligator, formerly an endangered species, which shows a growing awareness of environmental problems in contemporary China. (Source: Chinese English News).
Contemporary China and the Environment, Part II (1:47): This clip deals with efforts to handle a major environmental problem in China—the erosion of soil around the Yellow River, which is vital to Chinese history and culture. (Source: Chinese English News).
Pollution in Paris (2:07): Pollution from car exhaust is a major problem in many of the world’s major cities, including Paris. This clip from the French Evening News in the summer of 1998 warns residents that pollution is reaching dangerous levels (note: this one is in French with poorly visible subtitles). (Source: French Evening News).
Environmental Devastation of the Gulf War (1:25): The 1991 conflict in the Gulf left a devastating legacy of environmental damage throughout the region which is discussed in this brief clip. (Source: Cost of the Gulf War: Behind the Flag).
Nigeria
and Shell Oil (3:45): This 1995 documentary film shows the environmental
devastation in the Ogoni region of the Niger River delta. (Source: “The Drilling
Fields”).
GENDER
The
Role of Women in Pakistan (2:28): This clip relays statistics on
women’s role in Pakistan, contrasting unequal gender roles and conditions
in the country with Koranic verses on women’s equality. (Source:
Behind the Veil).
Religion and the Role of Women in Pakistan (0:58): This brief clip gives a religious mullah’s interpretation of women’s role in this Muslim society amid the dramatic changes being brought by Westernization. (Source: Behind the Veil).
Women and the 1949 Chinese Revolution (3:40): This clip shows the benefits brought to women by the revolution, including an end to foot-binding, better health care and greater educational opportunities. Government propaganda films capture the revolutionary euphoria of the time as party workers went from home to home to make sure housework was done properly. (Source: PBS Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Women and the Nicaraguan Revolution (2:46): This clip centers on the changes brought to peasant women in a rural Nicaraguan village as a result of the Sandinista Revolution. (Source: Mecate—The New Song of the Sandinistas).
Kenya: “With These Hands” (10:35): This clip shows how one small village in Kenya converted to sugar (cash crop) production. In particular it documents the impact on gender relations of this major economic transformation. (Source: With These Hands).
Women in French Politics (2:19): This clip from the French Evening News in 1997 deals with the problem of gender parity in French politics and efforts by the French legislature to deal with the problem (note: this one is in French with poorly visible subtitles). (Source: French Evening News).
Argentina:
“Evita” (4:52): This clip discusses the rise and fall of Juan
and Eva Peron, who played a major role as a political activist on behalf of her
husband and as an organizer of women's rights in Argentina. (Source: A&E Biography of Evita
Peron).
GENOCIDE
Genocide
in the post-Cold War World (0:30): This brief clip gives an overview of
where some of the many cases of genocide worldwide have occurred since the end
of the Cold War. (Source: PBS Series People’s Century
“People Power: 1991” episode).
The Bosnian Conflict (4:34): This clip covers the siege of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, by Serb forces in the early 1990s, and the ethnic hatreds stemming from the war. (Source: PBS Series People’s Century “Fast Forward” episode).
CNN Report on Pol Pot’s Death (2:44): This brief news report on Pol Pot’s death includes a reference to a museum at the end; find out more about this museum and Pol Pot's reign by visiting the Cambodian Genocide Program online. (Source: CNN News).
Pol
Pot’s Death (2:07): This brief report on the death of Pol Pot in
March 1998 reviews some of the horrors of his reign during the “killing
fields” of Cambodia in the late 1970s; it includes interviews with
victims of his repression. (Source:
ABC Evening News).
GLOBAL
ECONOMY
Indonesia
and the Asian Economic Crisis, Part I (6:07): This news report from April
1998 focuses on the impact of the Asian economic crisis in Indonesia prior to
the fall of the Suharto government, pointing out the increasing gulf between
rich and poor in the country and the economic distinctions between native
Indonesians and an ethnic Chinese minority engaged primarily in trade and
commerce. (Source: The
PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
Indonesia and the Asian Economic Crisis, Part II (2:05): This clip from early May 1998, only weeks before Suharto’s resignation, briefly reviews Indonesian history under his rule, concentrating on recent economic turmoil in the country and the problems arising from an IMF-sanctioned austerity program. (Source: The PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
A Brief History of the International Monetary Fund (3:26): This brief clips traces the history of the IMF from the rubble of Europe after WWII to the Third World in the 1970s and 1980s. (Source: Banking on Life and Debt).
The Global Economic Crisis in Brazil (13:19): This clip from July 1999 shows the lingering effect of the international financial crisis. This clip documents the social and political impact as a result of the economic woes, and reveals criticism of the International Monetary Fund as well. (Source: The PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
The IMF in Brazil (4:35): This clip looks at the role of the IMF and World Bank in Brazil, the world’s most indebted country, arguing that the policies of these organizations have lowered living standards in the country. (Source: Banking on Life and Debt).
The IMF in Ghana (4:38): This clip traces Ghana’s post-independence history of dealings with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which have funded several projects in the country. The producers of this video argue that the IMF have exploited Ghana, its policy leading to negative social affects and increasing poverty. (Source: Banking on Life and Debt).
Japanese
Capitalism and the TV Industry (11:40): This clip traces Japan’s rise
to global economic prowess in the postwar period, concentrating on the role of
Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry and emphasizing the
differences between US and Japanese capitalism. It ends by explaining how
Japan managed to gradually take over television production. (Source: PBS Series The
Pacific Century).
MUSIC
“The end of the
world as we know it (and I feel fine)” (4:04): A compilation of
images to go along with the classic R.E.M song. (Source:
YouTube).
“The
end of the world as you know it” (2:10): This clip from a live
concert by R.E.M. is a good introduction to this course, which challenges
students to think of the world in new ways. (Source:
YouTube).
Cold War Medley (2:16): Music from the Cold War period, featuring Bob Dylan; Peter, Paul, and Mary; Phil Ochs; Barry McGuire; The Byrds; Edwin Starr; and Sting, interspersed with footage of important events and speeches of Cold War leaders. (Source: ABC News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
“99 Red
Balloons” by Nena (3:14): A huge hit by the German artist in 1984
this song is an allegory for Cold War tensions and the possibility of nuclear
annihilation. (Source: YouTube).
“Winds of
Change” by the Scorpions (4:43): Live footage of the German group the
Scorpions performing their hit 1991 song interspersed with news footage amid
the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. (Source:
YouTube VEVO channel).
US Anti-Communism (3:06): Documents the US response to the Soviet detonation of an atomic bomb in 1949, complete with anti-communist music, scenes from Congressional Trials during the Joseph McCarthy period, and an FBI film on how to combat communism. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Brave New World episode).
Soviet Music (0:46): A chorus to Stalin’s greatness song by the youth of the Soviet Union in the 1930s. (Source: PBS People’s Century Brave New World episode).
Soviet World War II
Propaganda (2:46): This 1941 animation is entitled “Fascist Boots
Shall Not Trample Our Motherland.” The soundtrack is from the popular
marching song “Our Armor is Strong and Our Tanks are Fast.” (Source: YouTube).
Chinese Rock-and-Roll (1:53): The song from the 1980s “Nothing to my name” by Cui Jian, one of China’s first and most popular rock-and-roll stars, was an inspiration to students during the protest movement in Tiananmen Square in 1989. (Source: PBS Series on China, “Born Under the Red Flag,” Part II).
Music from the Vietnam Era (0:42): A brief snippet of Country Joe McDonald singing “What are we fighting for?” with background footage of anti-war protests in Washington DC during the war. (Source: CNN Documentary Series Cold War, Episode 11 “Vietnam”).
Music from the Vietnam Era (2:53): Country Joe McDonald singing his well-known Vietnam era rag “Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die” at Woodstock in 1969. (Source: Woodstock).
Iranian Music and Popular Culture (4:30): This clip with a popular Iranian song in the background shows scenes from a number of well known Iranian films from the postwar period. (Source: Iran Through the Passage of Time 1996).
Ghana—Music of the
Ashanti People (0:45): This brief clip shows a ceremonial dance and song of
the Ashanti people, Ghana’s largest ethnic group. (Source: PBS series “The Wonders of
Africa”).
Brazilian Music 1 (1:48): This song celebrates Afro-Brazilian culture, asking “are we really free today?” (Source: Benedita da Silva).
Brazilian Music 2 (1:20): This song celebrates Benedita da Silva’s role as a black woman Senator in Brazil. (Source: Benedita da Silva).
Song about the Literacy Campaign in Nicaragua (3:13): This song from the 1980s celebrates the literacy campaign instigated by the revolutionary Sandinista regime in an effort to improve the education of peasants throughout the country. (Source: Mecate—The New Song of the Sandinistas).
The US
after World War II (1:39): This clip starts with
“When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and shows the hope and promise
for postwar prosperity in the US with a couple of newsreel clips and an
interview with a US war veteran. (Source:
PBS Series The People’s Century—Brave New World episode).
NUCLEAR AGE/THE BOMB
First
Bomb Tests
(2:09): This clip shows an interview with a photographer at the first bomb test
in Los Alamos, New Mexico in July 1945. (Source: PBS
People’s Century Series Fallout episode).
Hiroshima
and Nagasaki: The Bomb’s Consequences (3:30): This clip includes
interviews with survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and some
very gruesome footage that was kept secret for decades. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Fallout episode).
The Cold War and the Bomb
(6:23): This clip from the popular movie “Atomic Café”
starts with US newsreels on the beginning of the Cold War and the perceived
threat of a communist takeover in Europe. It also deals with a feigned
communist takeover in a small town in Wisconsin (see below), school meetings to
cope with the threat of a nuclear attack, and footage from the famous
“Burt the Turtle” “duck and cover” school filmstrip
(see also “Civil Defense” below). (Source: Atomic
Cafe).
Civil
Defense (1:00): Footage from
1950s US newsreels and classroom filmstrips, including the famous “Burt the
Turtle” “duck and cover” tape. (Source: ABC News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
Nuclear Tests by
India and Pakistan (3:35): Showing that nuclear proliferation remains a
problem this news report in June 1998 deals with the aftermath of nuclear tests
by India and Pakistan amidst increasing tensions between the two countries over
control of the disputed region of Kashmir. (Source: The
PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
RELIGION
Muhammad—Legacy of a Prophet: Part 1 (4:59); Part 2 (4:51); Part 3 (5:11); Part 4 (4:05); Part 5 (5:01); Part 6 (5:02); Part 7 (5:16); Part 8 (3:54) These clips from a PBS Documentary
depict the early history of Islam from the pre-Islamic youth of the Prophet
Muhammad to the eventual rise of an early Islamic Empire at the time of his
death in 632. (Source:
PBS Documentary “Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet).
The Christian Crusades and their Legacy: Part 1 (4:11); Part 2 (3:58) These clips trace the lead up the first
of the Christian Crusades in 1099, including the decision by Muslim leader Al
Hakeem to destroy the Church of the Sepulcher, the holiest church in Jerusalem,
earlier that century, to the Christians’ bloody and brutal conquest of
Jerusalem. (Source: PBS documentary
“Empire of Faith”).
Debate Over 2002 UNC-CH Freshman Read: Part 1 (5:22); Part 2 (6:01) This
two-part clip from the PBS Newshour captures the
heated debate over UNC’s controversial Freshman Read selection, Approaching the Quran by Michael Sells,
in the months following 9/11. (Source:
PBS Newshour, August 9, 2002).
USSR/Russia
Stalinism (6:35): This
lengthy clip describes the adoration felt for Stalin by the Soviet people
during the Stalin Revolution of collectivization and industrialization in the
early 1930s, as well as the terror and poverty on which his rule was based,
documenting the sharp contrast between socialism in theory and Stalinism in
practice. (Source:
PBS People’s Century Series Red
Flag episode).
Soviet Music
(0:46): A chorus to Stalin’s greatness sung by the youth of the Soviet
Union in the 1930s. (Source:
PBS People’s Century Series Brave
New World episode).
Soviet World War II
Propaganda (2:46): This 1941 animation is entitled “Fascist Boots
Shall Not Trample Our Motherland.” The soundtrack is from the popular
marching song “Our Armor is Strong and Our Tanks are Fast.”
(Source: YouTube).
Collectivization and Famine
in Ukraine (4:58): This clip shows the
opposition to Stalin’s policy of collectivization among peasants in the
Soviet Republic of Ukraine, were rebels were crushed by the Red Army and,
according to this source, the state created a famine in order to crush peasant
resistance. (Source:
YouTube).
The
Soviet Union during Late Stalinism (4:04): This clip deals with the Soviet
response to the 1949 Chinese Revolution and also the celebration of
Stalin’s 70th Birthday, contrasting official propaganda with
the harsh living conditions of Soviet citizens at the time. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series
Brave New World episode).
Khrushchev’s
Secret Speech (5:45): This clip emphasizes the impact the
Khrushchev’s denunciations of Stalin at the Twentieth Party Congress of
the Communist Part in February 1956 had on international relations, especially
Sino-Soviet relations. (Source:
PBS Documentary The Soviets).
The Second Russian-Chechen
War: Part 1 (4:23); Part 2 (4:08) French
reporter Anne Nivat, author of the book Chienne de Guerre (“Bitch of War”),
describes her efforts to document Russian atrocities in Chechnya during the
Second Chechen War in 1999. (Source: PBS Newshour,
April 30, 2001).
CNN Report on the Second
Chechen War: Part 1 (3:30); Part 2 (4:34) CNN’s
Christine Amanpour reports on the Second
Russian-Chechen War in the early 2000s.
(Source: CNN, June 22,
2002).
The
2008 Russian-Georgian Conflict (13:49): In this 2009 video Dr. Jeff Jones
of UNC-Greensboro gives a thorough breakdown of the conflict between Russia and
Georgia that erupted in August 2008. (Source:
UNCG MALS course “Emerging Powers”).
FOX
News Aborted Interview (3:47): This infamous 2008 interview with Amanda Kokoeva, a 12-year old girl who was in South Ossetia when
the Russian-Georgian Conflict began in August 2008, sparked controversy,
especially in Russia, when FOX News apparently cut the interview short. (Source: YouTube).
Extended Interview with Kokoeva and her aunt on Russian Television: Part 1 (9:25); Part 2 (7:09)
This extended 2008 two-part interview (in Russian with subtitles in English)
with the young 12-year old Amanda Kokoeva and her aunt
appeared on Russian News soon after their appearance on FOX News. For some reason in Part 2 Kokoeva twice refers to “north” (severnyi) Ossetia
but it is mistranslated in the subtitles as “south” Ossetia;
otherwise the translation is good. (Source:
YouTube page of Vlad Olegovich).
UK
Guardian report on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (2:43): The UK-based
Guardian report on the early stages of the war on August 9, 2008; the report
emphasizes the significance of Kosovo’s proclamation of independence in
February of that year. (Source: UK
Guardian).
CBS
News Report on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (1:22): This
CBS News report from the early stages of the conflict, August 9, 2008,
mentions, among other things, Georgia’s desire to join NATO. (Source: CBS News).
Colin
Powell Discusses the Russian-Georgian Conflict on CNN (3:08):
In a moderated panel discussion on CNN former US Secretary of State Colin
Powell discusses the conflict. (Source:
CNN).
Al
Jazeera Report on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (8:05):
This report from the Middle East-based Al Jazeera News network deals with the
Russian-Georgian conflict as it spreads several days after it began, with field
reports on the hasty evacuation of the Georgian city Gori, the situation in the
Georgian capital Tbilisi, and on diplomatic efforts to end the war. (Source: Al Jazeera English).
A
Russian Documentary Film on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (9:53):
This report from the main Russian state-controlled News Channel 1 focuses
primarily on the Georgian attack on Tskhinvali, the main city in south Ossetia,
depicting Russian forces as fulfilling a humanitarian mission in coming to the
rescue of the south Ossetians. (Source:
Russian News Channel 1).
Corruption
in Russia (5:44): In this 2010 video New
York Times reporter Brent McDonald deals with the problem of corruption in
Putin’s Russia through the eyes of a YouTube whistleblower. (Source: The New York Times).
Crimean
Tartars Amid Conflict (7:57): Ukraine’s Crimean Tatar Muslim
population has persevered through centuries of persecution, including being
exiled from their homeland by Soviet-Russia during World War II in 1944, and
with Russia’s controversial annexation of Crimea in March 2014 the Tatars
are once again facing persecution. (Source: PBS Newshour,
05-19-2016).
UKRAINE
Crimean
Tartars Amid Conflict (7:57): Ukraine’s Crimean Tatar Muslim
population has persevered through centuries of persecution, including being
exiled from their homeland by Soviet-Russia during World War II in 1944, and
with Russia’s controversial annexation of Crimea in March 2014 the Tatars
are once again facing persecution. (Source: PBS Newshour,
05-19-2016).
HUNGARY
Rebellion
in Hungary 1956 (4:45): This amazing clip chronicles the attempt of
Hungarians to overthrow Soviet rule in 1956, the inaction of the West during
the uprising, and the swift Soviet response to crush the rebellion. It includes the emotional recollections
of one of the participants. (Source:
PBS Series The People’s Century—Brave New World).
GERMANY
Berlin Air Lift (4:40): This clip deals with
the controversy over Berlin, in the Soviet-controlled Eastern Zone of Germany
but divided into Eastern and Western sectors. The Soviets tried to take
control by blocking off the Western Sector of Berlin, but the US and its allies
responded with a highly successful airlift that sustained the city’s
population and broke the blockade. (Source: PBS Series The People’s Century—Brave New World).
The
Construction of the Berlin Wall, Part I (1:27): Footage of East
Berliners fleeing to the West and commentary about the construction of the wall
in 1961 and its importance in the broader Cold War context. (Source:
ABC News Laser Disk The Cold War and Communism).
FRANCE
Pollution in Paris (2:07): This clip from the
French Evening News in the summer of 1998 warns residents that pollution is
reaching dangerous levels (note: this one is in French with poorly visible
subtitles). (Source: French Evening News).
Women
in French Politics (2:19): This clip from the French
Evening News in 1997 deals with the problem of gender parity in French politics
and efforts by the French legislature to deal with the problem (note:
this one is in French with poorly visible subtitles). (Source: French Evening News).
The Bosnian Conflict
(4:34): This clip covers the siege of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, by Serb
forces in the early 1990s, and the ethnic hatreds stemming from the war. (Source: PBS
Series People’s Century “Fast Forward” episode).
Kosovo
and the NATO Bombing Campaign (0:56): A report on the first day of the NATO
bombing strikes in Kosovo in March 1999. (Source:
The PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
Kosovo and the NATO
Bombing Campaign, Part II (2:16): A continuation of the
story introduced in Part I; good historical background on the Balkan
conflict. (Source: The PBS
News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
GEORGIA
The
2008 Russian-Georgian Conflict (13:49): In this 2009 video Dr. Jeff Jones
of UNC-Greensboro gives a thorough breakdown of the conflict between Russia and
Georgia that erupted in August 2008. (Source:
UNCG MALS course “Emerging Powers”).
FOX
News Aborted Interview (3:47): This infamous 2008 interview with Amanda Kokoeva, a 12-year old girl who was in South Ossetia when
the Russian-Georgian Conflict began in August 2008, sparked controversy,
especially in Russia, when FOX News apparently cut the interview short. (Source: YouTube).
Extended Interview with Kokoeva and her aunt on Russian Television: Part 1 (9:25); Part 2 (7:09)
This extended 2008 two-part interview (in Russian with subtitles in English)
with the young 12-year old Amanda Kokoeva and her
aunt appeared on Russian News soon after their appearance on FOX News. For some reason in Part 2 Kokoeva twice refers to “north” (severnyi) Ossetia
but it is mistranslated in the subtitles as “south” Ossetia;
otherwise the translation is good. (Source:
YouTube page of Vlad Olegovich).
UK
Guardian report on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (2:43): The UK-based
Guardian report on the early stages of the war on August 9, 2008; the report
emphasizes the significance of Kosovo’s proclamation of independence in
February of that year. (Source: UK
Guardian).
CBS
News Report on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (1:22):
This CBS News report from the early stages of the conflict, August 9, 2008,
mentions, among other things, Georgia’s desire to join NATO. (Source: CBS News).
Colin
Powell Discusses the Russian-Georgian Conflict on CNN (3:08):
In a moderated panel discussion on CNN former US Secretary of State Colin
Powell discusses the conflict. (Source:
CNN).
Al
Jazeera Report on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (8:05):
This report from the Middle East-based Al Jazeera News network deals with the
Russian-Georgian conflict as it spreads several days after it began, with field
reports on the hasty evacuation of the Georgian city Gori, the situation in the
Georgian capital Tbilisi, and on diplomatic efforts to end the war. (Source: Al Jazeera English).
A
Russian Documentary Film on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War (9:53):
This report from the main Russian state-controlled News Channel 1 focuses
primarily on the Georgian attack on Tskhinvali, the main city in south Ossetia,
depicting Russian forces as fulfilling a humanitarian mission in coming to the
rescue of the south Ossetians. (Source:
Russian News Channel 1).
AFGHANISTAN
The Soviet-Afghan War: Part 1 (6:03); Part 2 (5:11) This two-part report deals with the
Soviet-Afghan War, including an interview with popular mujahadeen leader Ahmed Shah Masoud (Source: PBS Series “People’s
Century” Episode “Guerrilla Wars”).
The Soviet-Afghan War: Introduction (2:11): This brief clip raises some of the key broader aspects of the Soviet-Afghan War. (Source: Vestiges of the Cold War).
The Soviet-Afghan War
(29:25): In this 2014 interview Dr. Laurie Zittrain
Eisenberg, Professor of Modern Middle East History at Carnegie Melon
University, traces key aspects of the Soviet-Afghan War. (Source:
Vestiges of the Cold War).
The Soviet-Afghan War
(28:40): In this interview in 2014 Dr. Jeff Jones, Professor of Russian/Soviet
history at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, addresses key
historical questions on the Soviet-Afghan War in a Skype interview. (Source:
Vestiges of the Cold War).
Taliban Destroys Buddha Statues in Bamiyan: Part I (6:24); Part II (7:23) A very interesting PBS Newshour Report entitled the “Agony of
Afghanistan” that depicts among other things the Taliban’s
destruction of the ancient giant Buddha statues in Bamiyan
at a very interesting moment in history—March 2001, about six months
prior to 9/11. (Source: PBS Newshour,
3-29-2001).
INDIA and
PAKISTAN
Independence
Day in India 1997 (1:55): A brief summary introduction to a PBS special
about the rule of the “Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty” in India. (Source: PBS
Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty).
India-Pakistani
Dispute over Kashmir (3:35): This news report from the
PBS News Hour in June 1998 gives great background information on the tensions
between the two countries over control of this disputed region. (Source: The PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
Nehru and Gandhi, Part I
(3:51): This clip from the PBS Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty
deals with Gandhi’s strong influence on the Nehru family, from the
Spinning Wheel Movement (1920s) and Amritsar Massacre (1919) to, ultimately,
their rejection of Western clothing, food, and even the English language. (Source: PBS Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty).
Nehru
and Gandhi, Part II (4:33): A continuation of the
previous clip, this one deals with Nehru’s discovery of the impoverished
side of India, his conversion to socialism, the Salt March led by Gandhi, and
the frequent arrests of opponents of British colonialism like Nehru. It
ends with an excerpt of an interview with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
in the 1960s remembering her father, independent India’s first Prime
Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. (Source: PBS
Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty).
Violence in India in 1947
(4:30): This gruesome clip includes footage from the civil war that broke out
between Muslims and Hindus in India after the country received its independence
from Britain but at the cost of partition. (Source: PBS
Documentary The Nehru-Gandhi Dynasty).
Tragedy
Strikes India and the World (4:25): No sooner had India
returned to some degree of stability following the conflict over partition and
resettlement in 1947 than the country was once again struck by a terrible
tragedy in early 1948. (Source:
the film Gandhi 1982 dir. by Richard
Attenborough).
The Role of Women in Pakistan (2:28):
This clip relays statistics on women’s role in Pakistan, contrasting
unequal gender roles and conditions in the country with Koranic verses on
women’s equality. (Source: Behind
the Veil).
Religion and the Role of Women in Pakistan
(0:58): This brief clip gives a religious mullah’s interpretation of
women’s role in this Muslim society amidst the dramatic changes being
brought by Westernization. (Source:
Behind the Veil).
TURKEY
The Legacy of Kemal Ataturk and the Debate over the
Headscarf in Turkey: Part 1 (5:19); Part 2 (4:50) This clip deals with the role of Kemal
Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, and the impact of his Westernizing reforms
in his county, including the modern conflict over laws banning women from
wearing the headscarf in public buildings and institutions. (Source: PBS Frontline Episode
“Muslims,” 5-9-2002).
Turkey’s
Headscarf Debate (6:38): This New
York Times report looks at the reactions of three Turkish women to the
controversy over the headscarf in their country. (Source: New
York Times International, 10-14-2008).
CHINA
Civil
War and Revolution (3:56): This clip includes amazing footage of Chiang
Kai-shek’s repression of Chinese Communists in the 1920s as well as of
Mao Zedong and the CCP’s Long March in the 1930s and their attempts to
gain the support of the peasants in their drive to power in 1949. (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Land
Reform (2:30): This clip uses Chinese government
newsreels to explain the process of Land Reform carried out in China
immediately after the 1949 Revolution, in which peasants themselves were
encouraged to denounce former landowners in “speak bitterness
meetings.” (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Revolution
and the Business Sector (2:40): This segment shows the government’s
attempt to coopt business leaders into supporting the revolution but also notes
the repression meted out to those who did not follow the communists’
lead. (Source: PBS Series The
People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Women
and the 1949 Revolution (3:40): This clip shows the
benefits brought to women by the revolution, including an end to foot-binding,
better health care and greater educational opportunities. Government
propaganda films capture the revolutionary euphoria of the time as party
workers went from home to home to make sure housework was done properly. (Source: PBS Series The People’s
Century—1949: The Great Leap).
“Bugging Out” in Korea
(1:23): This brief clip shows the significance of Chinese intervention in
the Korean War. American troops retreated in the face of the onslaught,
and the term “bugging out” was coined. (Source: Learning Channel Documentary Eastern
Philosophy and the Art of War).
“Kill a
Sparrow” Campaign (1:10): In the mid-1950s Mao
Zedong and the CCP decided the country’s harvests of grain and rice would
be much larger if sparrows did not eat such a large portion of it every year,
so they launched a campaign to kill all the sparrows in the country, which
ended in failure because insects subsequently ate a far larger portion of the
harvest than usual. (Source:
PBS Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Great Leap Forward, Part I (4:52): Mao
decided to push China into the modern world by relying on its tremendous supply
of labor power, eradicating private ownership of land and attempting to
undermine the family unit in an effort to double production in one year. (Source: PBS Series The People’s
Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Great Leap Forward, Part II (5:15): A major focus of Mao’s attempt to push China toward modernization was the creation of Backyard Steel Furnaces in peasant villages all over the country, which led to the decimation of the country’s forests and produced useless steel. Peasants neglected their crops and a drought compounded a bad agricultural situation, leading to what is believed to be the worst famine in human history. (Source: PBS Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Cultural Revolution, Part I (1:04):
With images from China’s Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s, this
brief clip gives a good sense for the breakdown of power accompanying
Mao’s campaign to revolutionize society. (Source: PBS Frontline Documentary Tiananmen Square).
Cultural Revolution, Part II (3:44):
This clip shows how after the failure of the Great Leap Forward Mao stayed in
the background for a few years before unleashing his Cultural Revolution.
The first signs of the new campaign were the publication of Mao’s Little
Red Book of sayings, his swimming of the Yangtze River at age 72, and his
attack on traditional Chinese opera. (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Cultural
Revolution, Part III (6:10): Rich with personal
recollections of the Cultural Revolution, this clip shows that Mao relied on
youth to carry out his campaign, encouraging students to attack
authority. (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Cultural Revolution, Part IV (3:39):
This segment includes interviews with instigators of the Cultural Revolution as
well as victims, including a rural district party secretary and a
teacher. (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
Cultural
Revolution, Part V (3:51): This clip documents the chaos and
anarchy that resulted from the Cultural Revolution. Two years into the
new campaign Mao was forced to call in the Red Army to restore order, and many
of the Red Guards who had led the Revolution were sent to the
countryside. The Cultural Revolution officially ended with Mao's death in
1976. (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1949: The Great Leap).
China’s
Student Protests in 1986 (4:11): Portrays the clashes between police and
students during the 1986 student protests in China that began in Shanghai.
One witness describes how the police sprayed water on Tiananmen Square in
Beijing, which created a sheet of ice in the December cold, making the capture
of protesting students much easier. (Source: PBS
Series on China, “Born Under the Red Flag,” Part II).
Chinese
Rock-and-Roll (1:53): The song from the 1980s “Nothing to my
name” by Cui Jian, one of China’s first and most popular
rock-and-roll stars, was an inspiration to students during the protest movement
in Tiananmen Square in 1989. (Source: PBS
Series on China, “Born Under the Red Flag,” Part II).
Tiananmen
Square Protests (6:15): This clip begins with one of the
most famous incidents of the Tiananmen Square protests when an unknown man held
up a line of tanks from the Chinese Army. It then follows the government
crackdown after the protests and traces the history of student protests in
China to the May 4 Movement of 1919. Finally, it ends with Mao’s
proclamation of the People’s Republic of China and the expansion of
Tiananmen Square in the early years of the PRC. (Source: PBS Frontline Documentary Tiananmen Square).
Tiananmen Square Protests (cont’d) (1:53): A continuation of the previous clip, this segment discusses the importance of Tiananmen Square in Chinese history, the transformation of party leaders to a bureaucratic elite, and the reverence for Mao that many Chinese felt after the revolution. (Source: PBS Frontline Documentary Tiananmen Square).
Tiananmen
Square Protests (cont’d): Part
I (5:49) Part
II (8:04) Part III (9:58)
This
powerful series of clips traces the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square from the
very beginning to the bitter end with detailed information. (Source: PBS Series on China,
“Born Under the Red Flag,” Part II).
After Tiananmen—China Since 1989 (8:45): This clip, a
continuation of the previous documentary, brings the story into the 1990s, a
decade of continuing economic reform and political dictatorship. (Source: PBS Series on China, “Born
Under the Red Flag,” Part II).
Environmental
Issues in China, Part I (1:25): This 1997 clip from the Chinese English
News depicts government efforts to save the Yangtze (or Chinese) Alligator,
formerly an endangered species, which shows a growing awareness of
environmental problems in contemporary China. (Source: Chinese English News).
Environmental
Issues in China, Part II (1:47): This 1997 clip deals with efforts
to handle a major environmental problem in China—the erosion of soil
around the Yellow River, which is vital to Chinese history and culture. (Source: Chinese English News).
US and Soviet Perspectives on the Korean War, Part I (1:21): These two newsreels
give entirely different points of view on the war in Korea that began in 1950
and lasted until 1953. (Source: PBS
People’s Century Series Brave New World episode).
US and Soviet Perspectives on the Korean War, Part II
(1:04): This brief clip highlights the Cold War context of the Korean conflict.
(Source: ABC News Laser Disk The
Cold War and Communism).
“Bugging Out” in Korea
(1:23): this brief clip shows the significance of Chinese intervention in
the Korean War. American troops retreated in the face of the onslaught,
and the term “bugging out” was coined. (Source: Learning Channel Documentary Eastern
Philosophy and the Art of War).
VIETNAM
French
Colonialism in Vietnam (5:46): This clip documents the impact of the French on
traditional Vietnamese society and the rise of a nationalistic Vietnamese elite
under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh. (Source: PBS Series
Vietnam: A Television History: Episode 3
“America’s Mandarin”).
Buddhist Opposition to Ngo Dinh Diem (3:09): This clip shows the growing
opposition to Diem’s regime among Buddhist monks, including several who
burned themselves in protest, and ends with a television interview with
“Madame Diem,” as Diem’s wife was known, referring to these
incidents as “Buddhist Barbecues.” (Source: PBS Series Vietnam: A
Television History: Episode 3 “America’s
Mandarin”).
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
(8:02): This clip discusses the incident off the coast of North Vietnam in 1964
that led to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and an escalation of US involvement
in the war. It includes a US Navy newsreel of the incident and interviews
with CIA operatives and North Vietnamese leaders. It ends with a famous
press statement by one of only two Senators who voted against the Gulf of
Tonkin Resolution. (Source: PBS
Documentary Series Vietnam: A Television Series).
The Tet Offensive
(1:16): This brief clip is on the Tet Offensive undertaken by the Vietcong
during the Buddhist New Year in 1968. It lists the cities targeted by the
communist forces and emphasizes the psychological impact of the offensive,
especially with regard to Vietnam’s ancient capital city Hue. (Source: Learning Channel Documentary Eastern
Philosophy and the Art of War).
Protest music from the Vietnam Era (2:53): Country Joe McDonald singing his well known Vietnam era rag “Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die” at Woodstock in 1969. (Source: Woodstock).
Protest
music from the Vietnam Era (0:42): A snippet of Country Joe McDonald
singing “What are we fighting for?” with background footage of
anti-war protests in Washington DC during the war. (Source: CNN Documentary Series Cold
War, Episode 11 “Vietnam”).
CAMBODIA
CNN
Report on Pol Pot’s Death (2:44): This brief CNN news report on Pol
Pot’s death on April 15, 1998 includes a reference to a museum at the
end. Find out more about this museum and Pol Pot's reign by visiting the Cambodian Genocide
Program
online. (Source: CNN News).
Pol
Pot’s Death (2:07): This brief ABC news report on the death of Pol
Pot in April 1998 reviews some of the horrors of his reign during the
“killing fields” of Cambodia in the late 1970s; it includes
interviews with victims of his repression.
(Source: ABC Evening News).
INDONESIA
Indonesia
and the Asian Economic Crisis (6:07): This news report from April 1998
focuses on the effect of the Asian economic crisis in Indonesia prior to the
fall of the Suharto government. It points out the increasing gulf between
rich and poor in the country and the economic distinctions between native
Indonesians and an ethnic Chinese minority engaged primarily in trade and
commerce. (Source: The PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
Chaos
in the Streets of Jakarta (2:20): Major riots broke out in Jakarta, the capital of
Indonesia, in May 1998 while President Suharto was out of the country. The demonstrations eventually led to his
resignation. One of the main
reasons for the protests was the rampant corruption of the Suharto family,
which is pointed out in this report. (Source: The PBS News Hour
with Jim Lehrer).
The Impending Resignation of Suharto
(2:05): This clip from early May 1998, only weeks before President
Suharto’s resignation, briefly reviews Indonesian history under his rule,
concentrating on recent economic turmoil in the country and the problems
arising from an IMF-sanctioned austerity program. (Source: The PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
Conflict
in East Timor, Part I (3:00): This news report from September 10, 1999
shows refugees fleeing from East Timor in the cover of darkness as they fell under
attack from Indonesian militia forces after the vote for independence. It
includes interviews with Western observers of the situation there. (Source: The PBS News Hour with Jim
Lehrer).
Conflict in East Timor, Part
II (4:43): This report entitled “What Price Freedom” from
September 10, 1999 includes an extensive interview with Indonesian President B.
J. Habibie at a time when he seemed to be losing control of the country. (Source: The PBS News Hour with Jim
Lehrer).
Political Turmoil in Indonesia (3:15):
This news report from November 1999 documents the continuing political and
economic problems after the crisis in East Timor. It includes a reference
to other regions of Indonesia like Aceh that are threatening to seek
independence. (Source: The
PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
Women and Islam in Malaysia: Part I (6:17); Part II (6:47) These
clips shows how the ruling government of Malaysia has accommodated calls for
Islamic law (Sharia) and how this has
impacted Muslim women in the country, many of whom question religious
authorities’ interpretation of Islamic law. (Source: PBS
"Frontline" Episode "Muslims," 05-09-2002).
JAPAN
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Bomb’s Consequences (3:30): This clip includes
interviews with survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and some
very gruesome footage that was kept secret for decades. (Source: PBS
People’s Century Series Fallout episode).
1960—A
Year of Crisis (7:16): This clip documents a key turning point in
Japan’s history, the pivotal year of 1960 when a new Security Treaty with
the US led to widespread protests and brought down the government of Prime
Minister Kishi. The clip ends with a very
gruesome political assassination. (Source: PBS
Series The Pacific Century).
MITI
(11:40): This clip traces Japan’s rise to global economic prowess in the
postwar period, concentrating on the role of Japan’s Ministry of
International Trade and Industry and emphasizing the differences between US and
Japanese capitalism. It ends by explaining how Japan managed to gradually
take over television production. (Source: PBS
Series The Pacific Century).
Syria’s Civil War Explained
(5:24): An excellent, succinct
breakdown of a very complicated conflict, the Syrian Civil War, that traces it
from its beginning in March 2011 to the state of affairs as of November
2015. (Source: Vox Media).
EGYPT
Suez Canal Crisis (1:19): This brief clip details
the significance of the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis in Africa’s drive for
independence. It includes a press conference by Abdul Nasser to Western
journalists. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series Independence
in Africa episode).
“The
Jon Stewart of Egypt”: Bassem Yousseff (14:08): An in-depth report on Egypt’s
first-ever TV political satirist, Bassem Yousseff, dubbed “Egypt’s Jon Stewart,”
that originally aired in March 2014. (Source:
CBS’ “60 Minutes”).
King Faisal’s Rule (1964-1975) in Saudi Arabia: Part 1 (5:03); Part II (5:11); Part III (4:44); and Part IV (5:38) These
clips trace the reign of Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal, noting the reforms
he carried out as the country’s monarch, through the 1965 protests by
religious purists against the country’s first television broadcasts to
the Saudi reaction to the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, including its role in the OPEC
oil embargo, to finally the tragic assassination of King Faisal in 1975. (Source: PBS series
Frontline “House of Saud” Episode, 02-09-2005).
IRAN
Iranian Music and Popular Culture (4:30): This clip with a
popular Iranian song in the background shows scenes from a number of well known
Iranian films from the postwar period. (Source:
Iran Through the Passage of Time 1996).
CIA’s 1953
“Operation Ajax” (2:51): This brief clip reviews the history of
the CIA operation to overthrow Iran’s elected Prime Minister Muhammad Mossadeq in 1953 and also deals with documentation
pertaining to the operation in the years since. (Source: “Alltime
Conspiracies” on YouTube).
CIA’s 1953
“Operation Ajax” (cont’d): Part I (7:27); Part II (8:39) This more
detailed clip deals with the 20th century history of relations
between Iran and the Western powers, primarily Great Britain with its oil
interests in the country beginning in the early 20th century, and
the US with its key role in the 1953 coup.
The clip ends by bringing the consequences of the coup down to the 1979
Islamic Revolution in Iran. (Source: documentary
on YouTube).
CIA’s
1953 “Operation Ajax” (cont’d) (3:49): This clip likewise
covers the overthrow of Muhammad Mossadeq’s
government by the CIA in 1953, but mistakenly lists the date of the coup as
April 19 (it was actually August 19). (Source: British documentary on YouTube).
The
US Secret Government and its Actions in Iran (7:43): This clip is an
excerpt from a documentary made by Bill Moyers entitled “The Secret
Government: The Constitutional Crisis” that aired on PBS in 1987. It refers to then CIA Director William
Casey and then US President George Bush Sr., and also deals with CIA actions in
Chile in the 1973 coup there that overthrew the government of Salvador Allende.
(Source: “The Secret
Government: The Constitutional Crisis,” PBS documentary hosted by Bill Moyers
that aired in 1987).
US-Iranian
Relations (6:19): In this clip from a documentary film made in the 2000s
Stephen Kinzer, author of All the
Shah’s Men, and others discuss how Iran’s nascent democracy of
the early 1950s was toppled by the 1953 CIA-orchestrated coup “Operation
Ajax,” leading eventually to the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. It bemoans the possibility of an
invasion of Iran by George Bush Jr.’s administration, which obviously did
not happen. (Source: documentary
on YouTube).
Television and the Iran Hostage Crisis
(5:53): This documentary concentrates on the important role of television
during the Iran-Hostage crisis (1979-81). It includes excerpts of an
interview done by NBC with one of the hostages and an Iranian student who
proclaims “We are not terrorists.” It ends with
Reagan’s inauguration and the release of the hostages in January
1981. (Source: A&E
documentary film Television and Global Politics).
Iran-Iraq War (2:18): This clip gives a brief synopsis of the war very much from the Iranian perspective, concentrating on Iraq’s alleged use of chemical weapons in the war (as well as against Kurdish separatists inside Iraq) and on the Western intervention in the war on the side of Iraq. (Source: Iran Through the Passage of Time 1996).
The Coming Storm—Iran’s
Revolution of 1979: Part 1 (5:43); Part 2 (6:55) These two clips deal with developments
leading up to Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution from the Shah’s
profligate spending habits, as seen in its outrageously expensive 2,500 year
anniversary celebration of ancient Persia at Persepolis in 1971, to its
repressive measures aimed a religious and other political opponents, to the
street battles that eventually toppled the Shah and brought the Ayatollah
Khomeini to power. (Source:
unknown).
Iranian
Revolution of 1979 (53:28): An excellent documentary on the 1979 Iranian
Revolution that deals with the Shah’s rule, the collapse of his regime,
and the religious rule imposed by the revolutionaries who topple him led by
Ayatollah Khomeini. (Source: PBS People’s Century
Series 1979: God Fights back episode).
Iran’s
Revolutions: Crash Course World History (13:40): A very good summation of
the 1979 Iranian Revolution within the context of broader Persian/Iranian history.
(Source:
John Green’s Crash Course World History Part II).
Clip
from “Zinat” (2:20): This is a brief
clip of a crucial moment from the 1994 film “Zinat”
directed by Ebrahim Mokhtari.
(Source:
“Zinat,” 1994).
Report
on Crackdown on Attire in Iran in 2011 (2:11): An Al-Jazeera news report
from June 2011 about an Iranian government crackdown against Western-style
clothing in Iran. (Source: Al-Jazeera).
IRAQ
Fireworks over Baghdad (1:45): This brief clip
interviews American pilots who bombed the Iraqi capital on the first night of
the First Gulf War in 1991 with footage of the so-called “fireworks over
Baghdad.” (Source: PBS Documentary The
Gulf War).
Biography of Saddam Hussein (10:26):
This biography of Saddam Hussein tells how he killed someone at age ten and
how, as a terrorist, he gradually rose through the ranks of Iraq’s Baath
Party to become leader of Iraq. It includes amazing footage of meeting in
which Saddam purged political enemies. (Source: A&E
Biography: Saddam Hussein).
Kuwaiti Ambassador Daughter’s Testimony (3:53): This clip shows the infamous (false) testimony of the Kuwaiti Ambassador’s Daughter to the US Congress in the First Gulf War (1991) claiming that Iraqi troops in Kuwait City had ripped premature babies from their incubators and thrown them on the floor. It also lists several of the reasons given by the Bush administration for US involvement in the conflict. (Source: PBS documentary The Gulf War).
Iran-Iraq War (2:18): This clip gives a brief synopsis of the war very much from the Iranian perspective, concentrating on Iraq’s alleged use of chemical weapons in the war (as well as against Kurdish separatists inside Iraq) and on the Western intervention in the war on the side of Iraq. (Source: Iran Through the Passage of Time 1996).
US Media Coverage of the First Gulf War (5:16): This clip details an incident from the 1991 Gulf War in which a reporter for NBC could not get footage of Iraqi civilian casualties aired on the network’s evening news. (Source: PBS documentary Fear and Favor in the Newsroom).
Media Coverage and “Pool Reporting” in the First
Gulf War
(1:54): Christine Amanpour, chief international
correspondent for CNN, comments on the restrictions put on her and other
reporters by the US military during the First Gulf War of the early 1990s. (Source:
YouTube).
Environmental Devastation from the First Gulf War
(1:25): The 1991 conflict in the Gulf left a devastating legacy of
environmental damage throughout the region which is discussed in this brief
clip. (Source: Cost of the
Gulf War: Behind the Flag).
ISRAEL/PALESTINE
Arab-Israeli Conflict—Breakdown of the Peace Process (2:47): This report is from
March 1997 at a time when the peace process had stalled. Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat called for an international conference to discuss
continued Jewish settlements in disputed areas and pressure the new Israeli
government to hold to the Oslo Agreement. (Source:
CNN Headline News).
Arab-Israeli Conflict—Reviving a Stalled Peace Process (2:51): This report deals
with an October 1998 meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu and Yasser Arafat in
Washington to discuss the stalled peace process. The report spells out
Palestinian demands and describes Yasser Arafat’s concern that the
independent state he promised his people by May 1999 may not be forthcoming. (Source: CNN Headline News).
Arab-Israeli Conflict—Palestinian views on Oslo (2:42): This clip (mostly in Arabic
with English subtitles) shows a discussion of the Oslo Agreement among
Palestinians from different political tendencies, i.e. Hamas, Fatah, etc. (Source: Documentary Road to Peace).
Arab-Israeli Art (2:33): This clip
about a play for children shows that relations between Arabs and Israelis are
not always conflictual. (Source: Documentary
Road to Peace).
Suez Canal Crisis (1:19): This brief
clip details the significance of the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis in Africa’s
drive for independence. It includes a press conference by Abdul Nasser to
Western journalists. (Source: PBS
People’s Century Series Independence in Africa episode).
Palestine in the 1920s-30s
(6:22): This video clip describes the situation in Palestine at a crucial time
in the development of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the 1920s-30s. (Source:
unknown).
Early Arab-Israeli Conflict (6:29):
This clip traces the history of the Arab-Israeli Conflict from World War I and
the early 20th century to the Israeli drive for independence after World War
II.
(Source: “Behind the Hatred” Discovery Channel).
Camp David Accords and Their Aftermath
(6:49): This video clip offers a good review of events from the 1979 Camp David
Accords to the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to the horrible
massacres at Sabra and Shatila and, finally, the
first Intifadah of the late 1980s. (Source:
“Behind the Hatred” Discovery Channel).
The
1973 Arab-Israeli War: Part I (4:43); Part II (4:16) These clips depict the surprise attack
on Israel by Egypt and Syria in September 1973, prompting a major war in the
region that included the OPEC Oil Embargo against Israel’s allies, mainly
the US. (Source: Unknown).
Report on the Arab-Israeli Conflict in 2002
(11:16): This excellent PBS Newshour report from
March 2002 illustrates the complex emotional and political aspects involved with
the settlement issue by looking at perspectives from both sides of the
conflict. (Source: PBS Newshour).
Palestinian Villagers
Protest Land Seizures (2:37): A 2009 report about non-violent protests by
Palestinian villagers in Bil’in and the violent
crackdown against them by the Israeli Army. (Source:
Al Jazeera English, 09-04-2009).
GHANA
Ghana—Music of the
Ashanti People (0:45): This brief clip shows a ceremonial dance and song
of the Ashanti people, Ghana’s largest ethnic group. (Source: PBS
series “The Wonders of Africa”).
Cocoa in Ghana (1:40): This brief clip
discusses the importance of cocoa production in Ghana during the period of
British colonial rule, when the crop was introduced. Note the
significance of the colonial administration’s role in controlling the price
of cocoa, a policy that continued after the colony’s independence. (Source: PBS People’s Century Series
Independence in Africa episode).
The IMF
in Ghana (4:39): This clip traces Ghana’s post-independence history
of dealings with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, which have
funded several projects in the country. The producers of this video argue
that the IMF and World Bank have exploited Ghana, their policies leading to
negative social affects and increasing poverty. (Source: Banking on Life and Debt).
Kwame Nkrumah (3:31): This clip
describes Ghana’s struggle for independence against British rule.
The struggle was led by Kwame Nkrumah, a socialist who became the
country’s first president and ruled it for nearly a decade before being
deposed in a coup in 1966. (Source: PBS
People’s Century Series Independence in Africa episode).
KENYA
“With
These Hands” (10:35): This clip shows how one small village in Kenya
converted to sugar (cash crop) production. In particular it documents the
impact on gender relations of this major economic transformation. (Source:
With These Hands).
The Struggle for Independence (6:01):
This clip shows how Kenya was settled by British citizens, transforming the
native Kikuyu into wage laborers. The Kikuyu responded by organizing the
Mau Mau Rebellion and fighting for their independence
from British rule. (Source: PBS
Series The People’s Century—1947).
NIGERIA
Nigeria and Shell Oil (3:45): This 1995
documentary film shows the environmental devastation in the Ogoni region of the
Niger River delta. (Source: “The Drilling Fields”).
Elections in
Nigeria (3:05): This clip deals with the elections in
Nigeria in late February 1999, which were won by former General Olusegun
Obasanjo. However, the voting results were highly disputed, both by
Obasanjo’s opponent, former Nigerian Finance Minister Olu
Falae, and by international observers like Jimmy
Carter. (Source: The PBS
News Hour with Jim Lehrer).
SOUTH
AFRICA
Apartheid, Part I (3:47): This clip begins
with a British newsreel about the imposition of apartheid in South Africa under
the tutelage of Hendrick Verwoerd, leader of the
Nationalist Party that won the country’s (white vote only) 1948
elections. Nelson Mandela discusses the early protests against apartheid
and especially the hated pass laws. (Source: Mandela:
Son of Africa, Father of a Nation).
Apartheid,
Part II (6:37): This clip starts with the Sharpeville Massacre of peaceful
protestors in 1961, showing how the state and the African National Congress
responded, with Mandela going into hiding and giving a famous interview on the
ANC’s abandonment of non-violence. It ends with his dramatic
trial. (Source: Mandela:
Son of Africa, Father of a Nation).
Apartheid, Part III (6:40): This clip
covers some of the basic features of the Apartheid system and includes some
incredible footage of black resistance to Apartheid. (Source: PBS Series South Africa: The
Struggle for Freedom).
Apartheid, Part IV (4:10): This clip covers resistance to Apartheid and police violence in response to it. (Source: PBS Series South Africa: The Struggle for Freedom).
Report on the 2000 International
AIDS Conference (3:58): This is a PBS Newshour
report on the 13th International AIDS Conference held in Durban,
South Africa to try and come up with ways of dealing with the disease,
especially in Africa where its impact is worst. (Source: PBS Newshour).
ARGENTINA
Juan and Evita Peron (4:52): This clip discusses
the rise and fall of Juan and Eva Peron, who played a major role as a political
activist on behalf of her husband and as an organizer of women’s rights
in Argentina. (Source: A&E Biography of Evita Peron).
Argentine Economic Crisis 2002 (2:01):
A news report from the BBC in November 2002 about
Argentina’s horrible economic crisis and its impact on the population,
including the country's children. (Source: BBC News, November 2002).
The Global Economic Crisis in Brazil (13:19): This clip from July
1999 shows the lingering effect of the international financial crisis.
The clip documents the social and political impact as a result of the economic
woes, and reveals criticism of the International Monetary Fund as well. (Source: PBS
Jim Lehrer News Hour).
The IMF in Brazil (4:35): This clip looks at the role of the IMF and World Bank in Brazil, the world’s most indebted country, arguing that the policies of these organizations have lowered living standards in the country. (Source: Banking on Life and Debt).
Brazilian Music 1 (1:48): This song
celebrates Afro-Brazilian culture, asking “are we really free
today?” (Source: Benedita da Silva).
Brazilian
Music 2 (1:20): This song celebrates Benedita da
Silva’s role as an Afro-Brazilian woman Senator in Brazil. (Source: Benedita
da Silva).
CHILE
The
US Secret Government (7:43): This clip is an excerpt from a documentary
made by Bill Moyers entitled “The Secret Government: The Constitutional
Crisis” that aired on PBS in 1987.
It refers to then CIA Director William Casey and then US President
George Bush Sr., and deals mostly with US relations with Iran, including the
1953 coup in that country, but also discusses CIA actions in Chile, namely the
1973 coup that overthrew the government of Salvador Allende. (Source: “The Secret Government: The
Constitutional Crisis,” PBS documentary hosted by Bill Moyers that aired
in 1987).
“Secrets of the
CIA”—Chile (4:58): This clip highlights events leading up to
the coup d’état in Chile on September 11, 2001, that overthrew the
elected Socialist government of Salvador Allende and brought the military
dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet to power.
(Source: “Secrets of
the CIA”).
CIA, Chile & Allende
(10:22): This clip looks at events in the early 1970s in a
Cold War context, including the CIA campaign to oust General René
Schneider, a supporter of Allende assassinated presumably by internal enemies
in October 1970. (Source: “CIA, Chile & Allende).
News Report on
Clinton’s 1998 Visit to Chile (3:09): This PBS Newshour
report deals with some of the country’s recent history and the economic
situation in Chile in the late 1990s during a visit to the country by US
President Bill Clinton. (Source: PBS Newshour).
Report on
Chile’s Economic Transformation (9:11): A clip from the 2003 PBS
Series “Commanding Heights” that starts with the overthrow of
Salvador Allende’s socialist government in September 1973 and traces the
country’s economic transformation under dictator Augusto Pinochet and the
guidance of the “free market” reforms preached by the
“Chicago School” advisers.
(Source: PBS Series
“Commanding Heights,” 2003).
NICARAGUA
Song
about the Literacy Campaign (3:13): This song from the 1980s celebrates the
literacy campaign instigated by the revolutionary Sandinista regime in an
effort to improve the education of peasants throughout the country. (Source: Mecate—The New
Song of the Sandinistas).
Women and the Revolution (2:46): This clip centers on the changes brought to peasant women in a rural Nicaraguan village as a result of the Sandinista Revolution. (Source: Mecate—The New Song of the Sandinistas).
GUATEMALA
CIA Intervention in Guatemala: Part I (9:36) Part II (7:06) Part III (9:48) Part IV (10:00) Part V (8:20)
A very detailed five-part
account of the CIA’s intervention and Guatemalan coup in 1954 that
overthrew the government of Jacobo Arbenz and the bloody aftermath that followed. (Source: Documentary “A Coup: Made In America” by Alan Mendelsohn and Nadine Pequeneza; the documentary aired on Canadian
television’s series “Turning Points of History” in 2001).
MEXICO
Massacre
in Chiapas (2:11): This news report from December 1997 deals with a
massacre of Native Americans in Chiapas, Mexico, carried out with the complicity
of government and army officials. (Source: ABC News).