Unit 8: Latin America in the 20th Century

HSLN

Introduction to Latin American Politics: Your substitute teacher will give you a short reading assignment with this syllabus on Friday. Please read thorugh it and answer the questions/note headings on the accompanying worksheet (*This is Lesson 1)

NOTE: This syllabus is not complete and will get longer once we get back from break. PLEASE CHECK MY WEBSITE PERIODICALLY TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES!!!!

*Lesson 1: Read Chapter One: "Why Latin America?" from Modern Latin America by Thomas Skidmore and Peter Smith. Complete notes by following handout given to you by substitute. This assignment is due Monday, February 28.

Lesson 2: Read Speilvogel pp. 759, starting at bottom of page with "In the early 1820s . . ." to pp. 762 ending at "Section Review."

Note Headings:
1. The Monroe Doctrine
2. Mexico's "War of Reform"
3. Caudillos, good and bad
4. The reasons for widespread poverty
5. Improvements after 1870
6. Diaz rule in Mexico
7. Actions by Madero and Zapata (The Mexican Revolution)
8. US Interventions in Latin America during the beginning of the 20th century.

Lesson 3: Read Speilvogel pp 890 - 893 ending at "Culture in Latin America."

Note Headings:
1. U.S. businesses in the 1920's Latin America - "banana republics"
2. "Good Neighbor" policy
3. Export-import economy
4. Effects of Great Depression on Latin American governments
5. Why did Argentina and Brazil "follow the authoritarian path?"

Lesson 4: Read Speilvogel pp. 943 - 944 down to "Confrontation" AND pp. 1022 - 1026 down to "Upheaval"

Note Headings:
1. What was the Cold War?
2. Batista's tie to the United States
3. Why did Castro win? (Thought Question)
4. Why did relations between the United States and Cuba deteriorate so rapidly? (Connect to Cold War)
5. Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis
6. Evaluate the Cuban Revolution in relation to its successes and failures after victory over Batista.

Lesson 5: Read Speilvogel pp. 1028 - 1031 down to "Brazil" including brown section on "Evita"

Note Headings:
1. Juan Peron: Who was he? How did he seek to win over the support of the workers?
2. How did the Peron's maintain power and support? (the good and the bad)
3. Answer the four questions in your book on Evita.

Lesson 6: Read Speilvogel 1033 - 1034 down to "Colombia" AND Handout "Operation Condor"

Note Headings:
1. Chile: Anaconda and Kennecott
2. Allende as president of Chile (Although the book says differently, Allende should be considered a "Revisionist Marxist.")
3. Pinochet - a) How he came to power AND b) How he ruled
4. U.S. involvement in Chilean politics
5. What was Operation Condor?
6. What was the U.S. involvement in the Operation?
7. Thought Question: Why would the U.S. involve themselves in such an obviously illegal operation?

Lesson 7: Read Heading South, Looking North (HSLN) Chapter 1, pp. 3-10. Also read these movie summaries and chose one that you would like to watch.

Taking Notes on HSLN: We will not have specific note headings for this book, however you certainly need to take notes. You may want to start highlighting in the texts important information, things you don't understand, and making notations in the margin on your thoughts. I will post some though questions and things to pay attention to for each assigned chapter. REMEMBER the entire book will not be assigned however I will expect you to include information in your paper from pages unassigned.

Chapter 1:
1. What event is occuring in this chapter?
2. Why is Ariel Dorfman (our author) safe for the moment?
3. Focus note taking on the story of the indigenous woman at the end of the chapter.

Lesson 8: Read HSLN Chapter 3 pp. 30-40. Its long so focus on answering the questions below.

word to know: junta - a junta is the Spanish word to describe a group of military leaders that run the government after a military coup d'etat.

1. Why are Dorfman and his fellow commrades (supporters of Allende) relunctant to use violence? Why are they unprepared to do so?
2. How does Dorfman know that the CIA (and by extension the CIA) is involved in the truckers strike?
3. What is Dorfman's job in the government of Allende?
4. Who is Susana de Semilla and why was she supposed to "save Allende's life?"

Lesson 9: Read HSLN Chapter 5 pp. 52-59.

1. According to Dorfman what are the two basic dilemmas of resistance?
2. Give two places in which Dorfman references the history of political violence in Latin America.
3. In his story about his meeting with Allende's daughter, Taty how do we see that Dorfman and his family can't escape the effects of "Operation Condor?"
4. What method of resistance does Dorfman choose?

Lesson 10: Read HSLN Chapeter 7 pp. 87-99 (take two days to complete, get through question 4 on the first day)

1. The first paragraph points to the instability and volitility of politics in Latin America. Why?
2. Why do you think Pinochet and the ruling junta impose a curfew (a set time that all people must be in their houses at night)?
3. What is life like in Chile during a coup d'etat according to the rumors of his friends wife?
4. Describe the military officer that Dorfman and his friend meet in the streets of Santiago outside the presidential palace. What does it say about the military in Latin America?
5. Why do Dorfman and his friend Alberto refuse to steal the gun from the officer?
6. In Dorfman's flashback to his university days, he talks about resistence in school. Describe the kinds and types of resistance and protest that he participates in at the university.
7. How does Castro's revolution in Cuba inspire Dorfman and the youth of Latin America?
8. Why were all of the revolutions in Latin America up until the victory of Salvador Allend and Unidad Popular (the Socialist Party of Chile) violent?
9. Thought Question: After reading this very moving chapter (at least I hope you think so) make a argument for why democracy hasn't be as stable in Latin America as it is in the United States.

Lesson 11: Read HSLN Chapter 9 pp. 135-150 (take two days to complete, get through question 4 on the first day)

1. An important them in this chapter is "solidarity." What does the word mean? (You may have to look it up) Give me two examples of solidarity in this chapter.
2. What does Companero mean and stand for to Ariel and Latin Americans?
3. List an example of Anti-Communist sentiment in this chapter. Why do you think people would hate communists?
4. There are several pieces of evidence for the existence of Operation Condor. Where on pg. 139 is there one specifically?
5. Why do you think exile is so hard for Ariel to except?
6. Describe this "informal network" that is discussed on the botton of pg. 141.
7. Why does Ariel become "accutely aware of his body" on pg. 142?
8. Fear is a powerful force and its impact on the actions of ordinary people is the theme of chapter 9. What are some of the possible reactions to living in a state of fear, that are listed in chapter 9?

Lesson 12: Read HSLN Chapter 10 pp. 150-172 (take two days to complete)

Notes from here on out will be on your own. In this Chapter we go back to his college days. For those of you doing anything on US-Latin American relations, nationalism and identity in Latin America, inequality and violence, this chapter has got some really good information.

Lesson 13: Read HSLN Chapter 11 pp. 174-183