World Revolutions for Students, Series (7 Parts)

Synopsis

This series of 7 programmes examines the underlying causes and dramatic effects associated with revolutions throughout world history. It explores the revolutionary philosophies and strategies of world leaders, and determines the social, political and economic conditions that helped spark popular uprisings. It aims to provide students with an understanding of the historic motivations for revolution, such as poverty, oppression and foreign domination, and relate how concepts such as human rights, popular sovereignty and nationalism combined with the power of dynamic and influential figures have inspired people to struggle for reform and seek a better way of life. Individual programmes cover Castro and the Cuban revolution; Gandhi and India’s independence; revolutionary Mexico; the Chinese recolution; the French revolution; the Russian revolution; the South African anti-apartheid movement.

Language

English

Country

United States

Year of production

2005

Subjects

History; Politics & government

Keywords

apartheid; Castro, Fidel; Chinese cultural revolution; Cuba; Gandhi, Mahatma K; Mandela, Nelson; Mao, Zedong; Mexico; Russian revolution; South Africa; revolutions (political); Indian independence

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£158 (set) £32.00 (each)

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

23 minutes each

Year

2012

Sections

Title

Castro & the Cuban Revolution

Synopsis

Shortly after Cuban guerrilla leader Fidel Castro helped oust unpopular military dictator Fulgencio Batista, he began remaking the country into a communist society. Castro and the Cuban Revolution relates how the controversial Castro championed Cuban independence and sought to meet the social and economic needs of the country’s peasants while maintaining his power through harsh political repression. Students will trace Cuba’s turbulent political past, moving from Spanish colonial rule to American intervention to a close association with the Soviet Union and ultimately true independence. Striking footage, primary accounts and expert interviews clearly illustrate the dramatic events of this important historical revolution and provide insight into its contemporary themes.

Duration

23 mins

Title

Gandhi & India’s Independence

Synopsis

Throughout much of its long history, India has been an unsettled place ruled by a series of empires and foreign powers. Centuries of British influence in the subcontinent resulted in outright British colonial control beginning in the 19th century, a rule characterized by European privilege, oppression and subjugation of the Indian people. Propelled by Mahatma Gandhi’s passive resistance movement, India finally gained its independence from Great Britain in 1947. Through excellent footage, primary source documents and expert commentary, students will not only understand Gandhi’s non-violent struggle for India’s independence, but will also discover the movement’s tragic aftermath.

Duration

23 mins

Title

Revolutionary Mexico 1910 - 1940

Synopsis

Mexico experienced extreme political instability in the period following its independence from Spain. Under the dictator Porfirio Diaz, power, wealth and land were concentrated in the hands of very few, while injustice, poverty and domination by foreign interests grew. Revolutionary Mexico (1910-1940) reveals how various groups, such as nationalists, democrats and socialists, united to overthrow the Diaz dictatorship, triggering a prolonged and violent power struggle for control of Mexico. Through striking archival images, expert commentary and primary documents, students learn that this revolutionary period was characterised by repeated confrontations between rich and poor, peasant and landowner, native peoples and conservative governments - a series of clashes that resulted in social reforms and political changes that have had a lasting impact on Mexican society.

Duration

23 mins

Title

Chinese Revolution, The (1911-1989)

Synopsis

China, today an emerging world industrial power, underwent almost continuous revolutionary change throughout the 20th century. In the fierce battle for control of China in the years following the 1911 revolution, Mao Zedong emerged as the dominant leader, promising a society free of inequality, poverty and foreign control. In The Chinese Revolution, archival footage, primary sources and expert insight will help students understand how Mao’s communist ideals helped unify China and restore the country’s national pride, but also led to political oppression and failed economic policies that resulted in the deaths of millions.

Duration

23 mins

Title

French Revolution, The

Synopsis

Ruled by an absolute monarchy and trapped in a system of feudal relationships, nearly all segments of French society were unhappy in the late 18th century. Despite widespread hardships, ongoing financial problems and challenges by enlightenment thinkers, King Louis XVI was more concerned with his own personal affairs than matters of state. The French Revolution examines how all classes of French society revolted against the King’s regime and rejected a society based on heredity and privilege, resulting in an often-violent struggle to determine the future of France. Expert commentary, primary documents and archival images bring the themes of the revolution to life, and students learn that while the revolution failed to permanently overturn the old order, the ideals and reforms of the revolution spread throughout the world.

Duration

23 mins

Title

Russian Revolution, The

Synopsis

Years of war and political and economic oppression destroyed the faith of the struggling Russian people in their once-beloved leader. This led to the October Revolution, which established the world’s first Communist government. The Russian Revolution depicts how this movement was driven by the new ideas and strong leadership of Vladimir Lenin, and was sparked by the hope for a better way of life. Through superb archival footage, primary documents and expert commentary, students will learn how the political upheaval of 1917 led to a radical departure with the Czarist past and set Russia on the communist path - a utopian dream that went largely unfulfilled.

Duration

23 mins

Title

South Ffrican Anti-Apartheid Movement, The

Synopsis

Nelson Mandela, an international symbol of resistance to oppression, led the global effort in the 20th century to dismantle South Africa’s racist government. In The South African Anti-Apartheid Movement, rare footage, detailed primary accounts and expert commentary will provide students with a comprehensive look at the colonial history of South Africa, the devastating social, political and economic effects of apartheid, and the difficult, sometimes violent struggle of Mandela and the African National Congress to eliminate apartheid and create a free, democratic society.

Duration

23 mins

Production Company

Name

Schlessinger Video Productions

Distributor

Name

Viewtech Educational Media

Contact

Lynda Morrell

Notes

NB. Viewtech ceased trading in 2014 and the company’s products are no longer in distribution For over 30 years Viewtech distributed programmes from leading specialist educational producers from around the world and since 2002 it included titles previously distributed in the UK by Educational Media Film & Video. The extensive collection covered all subjects within the primary and secondary curriculum and some materials, particularly in the areas of study skills and business, are applicable to further/higher education.