In class for April 8 and 9th

EMPIRES IN DISTRESS Project

There will be four groups around the room.  Each group is responsible for creating something (paper or digital) that communicates information about the Empire in distress to share with the rest of the class. There are categories below, but in general, you are to address the following questions:

1. What the problems are, when they arise and why they arise;

2. What the proposed reforms are when they arise;

3. Who the players are on both sides--for and against reform;

4. What the outcome is both short term and long term: If the reforms fail, why do they fail?  If they succeed, why do they succeed?

The group’s creation is to be shared with the class by the end of the period on Wednesday.

As an individual, you are responsible for composing a political cartoon that represents either the issues/problems or the reforms for your empire. This cartoon is on a topic of your choosing; the group does not need to all do the same thing! This cartoon must be done on paper, to be handed in at the start of the class on Thursday.  The cartoon must be accompanied by two typed paragraphs; the first should explain the historical context of the cartoon, and the second should be an explanation of the cartoon itself. (Imagine telling a person who can't see it what it contains.) This is to be printed out and ready to hand in on Thursday as well.  The cartoon will not be graded on the basis of your artistic abilities!

Some prompts to guide your thinking:

What are the problem(s) the empire faces?

Who in the empire is affected by these problems?

Who are these troublemaker(s)

Ottoman: Muhammad Ali (1805-1848), Young Turks

Russian: the Intelligentsia, The People’s Will,

Chinese: Hong Xiuquan, British Opium Traders, The Boxers

Japanese: Commodore Matthew C. Perry

Who are the reformer(s)

Ottoman: Sultan Mahmud II, Tanzimat

Russian: Tsar Alexander II, Sergei Witte

Chinese: Self-Strengthening Movement, Emperor Guangxu, Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao

Japanese: Emperor Mutsuhito/Meiji,

Who are these resistor(s)

Ottoman: Religious conservatives, Abdul Hamid II

Russian: Tsar Nicholas II

Chinese: Empress Dowager CiXi

Japanese: none in Japan! (why is that???)

Rubric for the cartoon is linked up here. The item you share with the class is not going to be graded.

Groups:
Japan 1 -- Nikhil, Paul, Aman
Russia 1 -- Michael, Eric, Hammad
China 1 -- Colin, Prateek, Danny
Ottoman 1 -- Twinkle, Jay, Hiren, Anu

Japan 2 -- Kevin, Praveen, Xavier
Russia 2 -- Ashwini, August, Yash
China 2 -- TJ, Harsha, Ansh
Ottoman 2 -- Stuti, Julia, Manas