September 14, 2007, A modern revolutionary calendar, By Kennedy Poyser, LETTERS

Revolutions are distinct from civil wars, invasions, or squabbles between princes. To some extent, revolutions are all civil wars or internal uprisings, though often to expel an outside occupier. They differ in their popular support from the self-interest of military coups. Their aim is to change a social order, not plunder a neighbor.

The customary causes of revolution are defeat at war, a financial crisis, peasant rebellion, or a disgruntled military. They can produce profound change at great speed, overthrow heavily protected regimes, and replace privileged elites with new power structures.

1861–(N)The French intervention in Mexico was an invasion by the army of Napoleon III of France, supported initially by the British and Spanish. It followed President Benito Juárez’s suspension of interest payments to foreign countries on July 17, 1861. The French suffered a resounding defeat at Puebla the next year, celebrated today as Cinco de Mayo.

Conservatives tried to institute a monarchy when they helped bring the Austrian archduke Maximilian to Mexico with the military support of France, which wanted to exploit the country’s rich mines. Maximilian “went to the wall” in Querétaro in 1867, depicted in Édouard Manet’s painting The Execution of Emperor Maximilian. Many think the French acted when they did because the US was embroiled in the Civil War and unlikely to assert its Monroe Doctrine through armed intervention.

1899–(N)The Boer War was the second conflict between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal.

The Boers revolted in December 1880, winning autonomy in this first war for their two republics. However, some Dutch farms were on the gold reefs near Johannesburg, the De Beers brothers gave up crops for diamonds, and a patch of ground east of Pretoria yielded the Cullinan stone. Sudden British interest in what lay beneath those Dutch farms led to the war in 1899. The British Empire absorbed the two republics after a long, hard war.

1910–(N)The Mexican Revolution was over a decade of political, social and military conflict that began with Francisco Madero’s call to arms on November 20, 1910 and ended in1921. The war killed more than 1 million of the 1910 population of 15 million.

Initially, rebels overthrew dictator Porfirio Díaz and installed Madero as president. Madero was deposed in 1913 and the civil war became a brawl, as armed groups fought for control. The constitution of 1917, the official end of the Revolution, helped cool the conflict, but unrest such as the Cristero War persisted through the twenties.

The Revolution should not be confused with the War of Reform of Benito Juárez of the 1850s, or the War of Independence, 1810-1821. The Mexican Revolution was a social and cultural movement which brought the beginnings of change to Mexico. Under Porfirio Díaz, foreign investors gained title to large sections of land which had been considered the property of the people of Mexico. The revolution ended his 35-year rule, curtailed US influence, and detoured Mexico from a capitalist economy.

1917–(N)The Russian Revolution usually refers to the October 24 Bolshevik seizure of power, the first Marxist revolution in history. Tsar Nicholas II had abdicated in February 1917, twelve years after the uprising against him in 1905.

Sergei Eisenstein's film The Battleship Potemkin deals with that mutiny. The Bolshevik overthrow of the provisional government was followed by five years of civil war and creation of the Soviet Union in 1922.

1927–(N) The Chinese Civil War of 1927-1950, also known as the Communist Revolution, led to the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Four revolutions preceded it in a 15-year period. The Republican Revolution of 1911-12 established the Republic of China, though a second revolution followed in 1913. The Constitutional Protection War covered the same period (1917-22) as the Russian civil war. The Northern Expedition of 1926-28 against three powerful warlords in the north of China allowed Chiang Kai-shek to unify the country briefly.

After two decades of struggle against Mao Zedong, he retreated to Taiwan in 1949. Mao probably surpassed Hitler and Stalin for mistreatment of his own countrymen during the starvations of the Great Leap Forward in the fifties and the suppressions of the Cultural Revolution in the sixties.

1936–(N)The Spanish Civil War started after an attempted coup d'état by parts of the army against the government of the Republic. The civil war devastated the country for three years, ending with an army victory and the dictatorship of Nationalist General Franco. The Soviet Union and Mexico supported the Republicans while Nazi Germany and fascist Italy supported the Nationalists. Germany used the war as a rehearsal for blitzkrieg tactics. The war became notable for atrocities committed on both sides and for the passion it inspired. Hemingway´s For Whom the Bell Tolls and Picasso’s Guernica were two reactions.

1947–(N)The Indian Independence Movement battled the British Empire for nearly a century, beginning with the Rebellion of 1857. At the end of World War I, the Indian National Congress adopted policies of nonviolent agitation and civil disobedience led by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. World War II saw the twilight of the Raj, culminating in the independence of the subcontinent and the formation of India and Pakistan in August 1947.

India adopted its constitution in 1950 and became a republic. Pakistan proclaimed itself a republic in 1956, but in the 1971 civil war East Pakistan seceded to form the nation of Bangladesh.

Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance inspired the American civil rights movement and the African National Congress’s struggle against apartheid in South Africa.

1956–(N)The Hungarian Revolution was a spontaneous nationwide revolt lasting a little over two weeks. When State Security Police fired on students demonstrating outside the Budapest radio station, disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital. Militias battled police and Soviet troops, former prisoners were released and armed, and a new government disbanded the police, promised to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and pledged free elections.

The Soviet Politburo moved to crush the revolution on November 4, killing thousands of civilians in the invasion of Budapest. Mass arrests began a week later after organized resistance ceased. An estimated 200,000 Hungarians fled as refugees.

1959–(N)The Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement ousted General Batista’s regime on January 1, 1959. It also refers to the ongoing implementation of Marxist social and economic programs by the new government.

1959–(N)The Vietnam War ended April 30, 1975, with a North Vietnamese victory after more than 15 years and 1.5 million people dead on both sides. After the Fall of Saigon, the country was unified under the communist government of the North.

Vietnam was part of China for a thousand years. The French gained control of Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) during colonial wars of 1859–(N)1885.

During World War II, the US Office of Strategic Services (later the CIA) funded and trained Ho Chi Minh’s guerrillas. They reported Japanese troop movements and rescued downed American pilots.

Franklin D. Roosevelt opposed a revival of European colonialism, but power politics intervened. The US needed France in NATO to deter communism in Europe, so had to indulge its Indochina aspirations.

A long, bloody struggle with heavy French casualties ended with their defeat in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. Peace accords partitioned the country into north and south, and in 1956, US military advisers began training the South Vietnamese army. President Johnson began the massive build-up of US troops in 1965

1968–(N)Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia starting January 5, 1968 when Alexander Dubcek came to power, and running until August 21 of that year when the Soviet Union invaded the country. The term Prague Spring, coined by Western media, referred to the “Springtime of Peoples,” a lyrical title given to the Revolutions of 1848.

1978–(N)The Iranian Revolution transformed Iran from a monarchy under Shah Pahlavi to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini. Aimed at freeing Iran and the Third World from colonialism, it has been compared in importance to the French and Bolshevik revolutions. Iran became an Islamic republic April 1, 1979 and the new theocratic constitution approved the following month made Khomeini the Supreme Leader.

The 80-year-old exiled religious scholar surprised the world. For some, the era marked the beginnings of a world Islamic state. For others, Iran has yet to recover from damage to its economy and prestige.

1989–(N)The Berlin Wall, an iconic symbol of the Cold War, divided East and West Berlin for 28 years. Between 125 and 1,245 people were killed trying to escape, depending on whether you believe officials or victims’ groups

After weeks of civil unrest, propaganda minister Günter Schabowski prematurely announced on November 9, 1989, that East Berliners would be allowed to cross the border, “effective immediately, right now.” Thousands of East Berliners heard Schabowski live on television and flooded the checkpoints. Mauerspechte (wall woodpecker) demolished most of it and military units dismantled the rest by November 1991. Only a few short sections and watchtowers were left standing as memorials.

On Christmas Day, 1989, Leonard Bernstein gave a concert in Berlin celebrating the end of the Wall. Roger Waters performed the Pink Floyd album The Wall in Potsdamer Platz on July 21, 1990.

The fall of the Wall was the first step toward German reunification, which formally concluded on October 3, 1990.

Kennedy Poyser, a notorious revolutionary dilettante, compiled the basic data for this article from Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org, the beloved online source of information about everything.

LETTERS

Editor,

We would like to thank all the volunteers who helped make our last spay and neuter blitz so successful. Over the two-day campaign, 161 animals in Colonia San Martin were sterilized.

Cathy Eignus, Amigos de Animales

Editor,

One of the endearing virtues of San Miguel is its open-mindedness. Mine was put to the test recently at the Santa Ana screening of what was billed as one of the “Special Cuban Movies: The Myth of Che Guevara.”

The fact that the documentary revealed Che as a treacherous bully was unexpected but provocative. The fact that the film was represented as a product of Cubans was downright misleading; true or false, it came across as one-sided propaganda. The presenter of the “factual” film, when questioned about misrepresentation, reacted by withdrawing the business card he first offered, and thereafter refused (“look it up yourself”) to provide any information about the background of the filmmakers, listed as the Instituto de la Memoria Cubana (which I've since learned is based in Florida).

By all means let us welcome points of view of every kind, and I respect the library for presenting an anti-Castro position. In the interest of integrity, however, I feel it’s the responsibility of the film program to make clear from whom we are hearing.

Cuban films come from Cuba. The filmmakers from Miami are Cuban exiles, and the audience deserved to know the real source in the case of this, or any other documentary.

Sincerely, Irina Posner

Editor,

Observations about the interview published in the August 31 edition of Atención are as follows:

Gloria’s search for a compatible donor is ongoing. She DOES NOT YET HAVE A DONOR; additional siblings are being tested at present.

Clearly, she is not scheduled for a bone marrow transplant, not having a donor as yet. Furthermore, we have not yet raised the funds necessary to pay for the possible bone marrow transplant procedure and/or medical treatment options.

The clarifications are as follows:

Jay Vlasak is chairing a leadership committee that meets at 9am on Mondays at Bagel Cafe devoted to the organization and activity of “A San Miguel de Allende Community Fundraiser: The Gloria Espino Bone Marrow Transplant/Medical Treatment Project.” Jay can be reached at 154-9390, Ext. 108 or 044 (415) 153-5097. Jay's email is jayvlasak@gmail.com.

The mission is to raise US$20,000 for the possible bone marrow transplant procedure or to apply that money toward treatments for Gloria that will cost about $3,000 per month for twelve months, totaling some US$36,000.

As of September 3, the committee has raised about 25,000 pesos; these funds are being managed and audited strictly by Monex located at Mesones 80.

An art gallery benefit was successful on August 23. Parker and Young will entertain at an October 18 event at Romano’s Italian Restaurant. Gloria will be introduced, art will be displayed and donations accepted. Additional activities are being planned, including the possible involvement of a major musical celebrity. Please look for future additional publicity regarding these and other events to help the popular and inspiring Gloria Espino, local resident and artist.

Funds can be deposited on Gloria’s behalf at Monex. A check written in US dollars can be made out to either Jose Luis Arias or Jay E. Vlasak. Note on the bottom left of the check—(M)Gloria Espino, Account #1026145.

A check written in pesos would be made out to Monex Casa de Bolsa, SA de CV. Note on the bottom left of the check—(M)Gloria Espino, Account #1026145.

The following information pertains to electronic wire transfers to Monex from American banks: JP Morgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, (212) 270-6000. Routing: 021000021. Beneficiary: Monex Casa de Bolsa, SA de CV. Account: 01059036. Instructions: Pay to the order of Jose Luis Arias or Jay Edward Vlasak.

For additional banking inquiries, call Josefa Jonguitud Zuniga 52 (415) 154-9996 or email jonguitud@monex.com.mx.

Jay Vlasak