Empress Dowager Cixi and Catherine the Great

April 29, 2012 ricbretz 5 Comments

The two powerful women featured in this comparison are significant because they knew how to assess their situation, develop influential followers, and then create a plan of action. In fact, few men in history have been so effective at gaining power and then keeping it for as long a period as these two women. Readers may note that one difference between the two seems to be that Catherine the Great had a more positive influence on her country than the Empress. However, the Empress Dowager Cixi had to use her power behind the curtains, influencing decisions within the Emperor or Regent’s power structure.

Similarities

Empress Dowager Cixi	Catherine the Great
Ruled Manchu Qing Dynasty and expanded her power	Ruled Russia and expanded its boundaries
Outmaneuvered Existing Power Elite	Outmaneuvered Palace Power Elite
Instituted Social Reforms	Instituted Social Reforms
Wielded Power within Family	Wielded Power within Family
Held Power for Long Time	Held Power for Long Time
Suppressed Rebellions	Suppressed Rebellions
Live long life for her day	Lived long life for her day

Tz’u Hsi or Empress Dowager Cixi (November, 29 1835 – November, 15 1908)

Tz’u Hsi is a testament to not underestimating someone who is small in stature and comes from a modest background. She held power as a regent or as a

defacto ruler of China for 47 years until 1908, when she died. Born in 1835, she began her rise to power as the Emperor Hsein-Feng’s concubine. Since she produced the only heir to the Emperor, her power increased exponentially until she achieved Imperial Concubine status and then Noble Consort, second in influence only to that of the Empress. She gave birth to their son a couple of years before the emperor died. Her son became Emperor Tung-Chih. Since he was too young, at five years, to make decisions, Tz’u Hsi was given the power with two other partners. She soon became a force in this triumvirate. The Empress gained power when she talked military leaders and ministers into supporting her after the 8 regents selected to run the government alienated them. She was persuasive and influential. According to many scholars, despite pushing through reforms such as instituting foreign languages in schools and creating the Chinese Foreign Service Office, she also had a reputation for corruption and amassing a huge fortune and accumulating wealth. She used the country’s revenue funding for her own pleasure. She retired from office in 1889. Nevertheless, all decision-making ran through her for approval until her death. The new emperor wanted to clean out corruption in China’s government but Hsi didn’t want this to happen so she took the power of the regency again and confined him to the palace. In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion forced her to flee Peking and accept the peace agreement. Toward the end of her life, she changed her mind and worked to eliminate corruption in government the best she could at her advanced age. The Empress Dowager Cixi died in Peking on November 15, 1908, a day after the real emperor, Guangxu. The Empress Dowager is known for political maneuvering, accumulating wealth, and instituting reforms. She is also remembered as the most successful concubine in history. After she evaluated her circumstances and assessed her friends and enemies, she acted without hesitation. It seems her years as a concubine weren’t wasted. She understood the personalities working around the family dynasty and the Forbidden City so that when she moved, she knew who to rely on and who were her enemies. In that time, one false step would have meant death.

Catherine the Great or Catherine II (Born Sophia Augusta Fredericka) May 2, 1729-November 17, 1796

Since history is written by the living or the victors, the fact that Catherine II became known as

Catherine the “Great” is a testament to her leadership and reforms during her reign as Russia’s Empress Consort of all Russians. History’s timeline does not record many people with “Great” after their names. So she must have been doing something right while serving as ruler of “all” Russians. She gained power through her understanding of the personalities around her in the royal palace.She came to the Russian Palace from Prussia as a political union to strengthen the Russian-Prussian alliance. Her wedding to Peter III and her conversion to Russian Orthodoxy as well as her ability learn the Russian language endeared her to citizens and won her favor in the royal family. After her spouse Peter III’s succession to the throne, the new King made several poor decisions that alienated the his advisors and military leaders. These decisions were siding with Prussia’s King Frederick the II and wearing the colors of Austria for his uniforms. His eccentrities alienated the same groups that Catherine had cultivated, showing political savvy beyond her years. Six months after assuming the throne, Peter III left Catherine in St. Petersburg and that’s when her supporters decided to remove Peter III from power, arrest him and put Catherine in the position as leader of Russia. Eight days later, Peter III was murdered in prison by Alexei Orlov, the brother of Gregory Orlov, a supporter of Catherine.

Catherine the Great’s ability to cultivate supporters within the nobility, military and government leaders served her well early by consolidating her power until time developed her own reputation. Catherine, like Peter the Great, believed in Western influence and culture as a way to further Russia’s stance in the world. She believed in education and opened schools for russian girls to further their studies. In addition, Catherine expanded the Russian Empire after victories against the Ottoman Empire so that the country had access to the Black Sea. She was also a champion of arts and culture as well as finance reform. Catherine the Great died from complications from a stroke on November 17, 1796.

One thing can be stated about the Empress Dowager Cixi and Catherine the Great, they knew how to move within houses of power. Once they were in a position to gain power, they used their political savvy, intelligence, positions in the royal hierarchy, and their supporters’ willingness to help them, to achieve goals. If any of those aspects had not been present, historians or the victors might have written a different story.

What do you think? Write a comment or suggest any other people to compare.

The Top Eight List

The Top Eight Wingmen

April 25, 2012 ricbretz 4 Comments

Let’s face it. If you are going out on the town, you want to take the best guy who will have your back in case there is trouble. The following is a list of the top eight “wingmen” that you would want to call on to help you take care of business. In today’s terms, they would be people, who if they cut you off when driving, you would just let go, smile, and wave as if to say, “That’s OK, anytime, it’s your world and I’m just trying to get along in it.” On the other hand, if you needed a wingman for a night out, these people would be your “go-to” guys. For any misunderstanding, they would make the offending people “understand.”

1. President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

During Teddy Roosevelt’s early years, especially after college, he became a tough guy. He went out to the Dakota Territory in the late 1800’s to start a ranch. During that time, he learned to ride a horse well and went on hunting trips. One story from the book, “TR: The Last Romantic”, notes that he tracked down

some thieves over several days who stole some of his property by following them down a cold river. He caught them, brought them back to town so the authorities could deal with them. He took on big business monopolies, corruption in government, and when they told him it was impossible to build a canal, he did it anyway. He also was a big game hunter and explored Africa with his son fighting off disease and other hazards associated with trekking off deep into the jungle. He’s at the top of the list also because his sons were tough also. By awarding Teddy Roosevelt the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his actions on San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War, he is one of only two father/son combinations to earn the Medal of Honor. (The other being General Arthur MacArthur and General of the Armies Douglas MacArthur) His son Brigadier General Teddy Roosevelt, Jr., earned a Medal of Honor for his actions on D-Day while Allied Forces assaulted Utah Beach. He said about diplomacy, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” That means, he’ll reason with you to a point but after that back up. He was a tough guy, but also was a prolific writer and the Nobel Committee awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for settling the Russo-Japanese War. So if you had President Roosevelt as a wingman along for night out, he could help you fight your way out of a situation or negotiate a way out also.

2. Genghis Khan (1162-1227)

Ghengis Khan monument, Terelj National Park (Photo credit: Michael Foley Photography)

If Genghis Khan was on your trail, you are in big trouble. The only way he is not number one is he is one of those guys that will always have you in a fight when you go out on the town. There is no negotiating with this warrior. He was ruthless and took his mean streak out on the towns and villages he conquered by killing every man and young male in sight and then taking the women with him. Researchers say that if you checked today’s citizens in the Far East and European regions he rode through during his salad days (I don’t think he ate much salad) for DNA samples, that 1 out of 500 people could be traced back to his gene pool. That’s a lot of riding. One of his more famous quotes as he formed his Mongol Empire is, “It is not sufficient that I succeed-all others must fail.” So for today’s standards, he would go into a night club, drink everything, run everyone out of the place, and then have all the girls to himself.” This guy had one purpose, take all of the money, the land, and pretty much everything he saw.

3. General and President George Washington (1732-1799)

Several authors have covered the particulars about the Father of our Country. Historians have documented and published his life several times. This is about his worthiness to be a “Wingman” on a night out. Washington was tall measuring at 6 feet 1 inch to 6 feet 2. This meant that he was taller than most men at that time, height being an automatic intimidator. Washington also had a temper that he fought to control. He learned to keep his anger in check because he wanted to keep control and a clear mind when making decisions. Foremost in his mind, he thought that a Virginia man of status should conduct himself with the utmost integrity and demeanor. A Wingman with a temper isn’t all bad. He was courageous in battle and did not tolerate cowardice or anything less than bravery from his soldiers and leaders. He was also prepared to make tough decisions, like executing deserters to show his men that he would not tolerate undisciplined soldiers in his Army. Recently, in a British poll listing their greatest military enemies, George Washington came in first. It’s been 229 years since the end of the Revolutionary War and the United Kingdom still ranks him above Napoleon and Hitler. Taking the colonies away from them has been a rock in their shoe for a long time. Forget about him being your wingman. You would want to be his wingman on any excursion into the concrete jungle for that matter.

4. Chief Crazy Horse (1840-1877)

The Lakota Chief Crazy Horse gave the War Department fits during the western territory expansion in the middle 1800s. Crazy Horse began stealing horses

from the Crow tribe at the young age of 13. He led his first war party before he was 20 years old. Crazy Horse was known for his bravery in battle. He fought with Red Cloud to keep settlers out of Wyoming as well as many other battles during the nation’s westward expansion. He was a fierce defender for the Lakota Indian way of life. He surrendered due to the decline in the Buffalo population which severely limited the food supply. While he stayed in the United States to fight the US Army. his contemporaries, Sitting Bull and Gall, retreated to Canada. Crazy Horse fought General Nelson Miles’ unit and eventually surrendered. He was arrested for leaving the reservation to take his sick wife to her parents. General George Crook thought he was getting a war party together. He was killed while being led to the guardhouse on the reservation by a soldier’s bayonet. Chief Crazy Horse is one fighter who you hate if you are on the other side. If he’s on your side, however, you are thinking, “Well, we’re out numbered but we got Crazy Horse with us. We got a good chance to make it out of here.”

5. Lt. General Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller (1898-1971)

Lt. General Lewis “Chesty” Puller was a Marine’s Marine. He once said, “They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can’t get away from us now!” He was awarded five Navy Crosses for his actions in battle beginning in 1930 with the Haitian Campaign and ultimately receiving his last one for his actions during the Korean War in 1950. He is the most decorated Marine in history. He was a tough Marine who didn’t like to retreat in battle. He fought guerillas in Haiti and Nicaragua. He commanded units and fought alongside his men in the Pacific Theater in World War II as well as the Korean War. There are many tough leaders and officers but Chesty Puller was a tough, take no prisoners, Marine wearing an officer’s uniform. For that enlisted Marines loved him. In boot camp, recruits before hitting their bunks, “Good Night Chesty, wherever you are!” Yes, Lt. Gen can be my wing man any day.

6. King Leonidas I (Died August 480 BC)

King Leonidas is on the list for a couple of reasons. He was at the front of the force at the Battle of Thermopylae, taking on a far superior Persian Army with the purpose of wiping out Sparta. Leonidas is also on the list because he was one of the few Spartan kings to successfully complete the public school for Spartan youth in order to qualify for Spartan citizenship. This “school” was not the ordinary books, learning, and sitting by the fireside and chatting school. This was more like a military beat you up so we can toughen you up, I wish this was over soon, school. This school prepared young Spartan men for battle so that one of them could fight like 20 or 30 ordinary men. They were taught tactics, weapons, hand to hand combat among other Spartan necessities. At the Battle of Thermopylae and the Persian King Xerxes large Army, Leonidas brought 300 of his best Spartan soldiers along with and augmented force from other Greek city-states that numbered close to 7,000. Xerxes Persian Army is believed to have been between 100-300 thousand strong. Leonidas’ force held off the Persians for seven days while fighting for three of those days, inflicting a mass number of casualties on the Xerxes forces. Leonidas and his forces made a historic last stand at the Thermopylae pass but were over run. However, his forces taught the Greek City-States what could be accomplished if they joined forces in defense of their homeland. Any guy that can go through Spartan training has to be someone you need at the local pub if you get in a jam.

7. President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)

President Andrew Jackson, a self-taught, effective lawyer, did not like people sullying his reputation and honor. He was born near the border of South and North Carolina. He made his way to Tennessee. With a name like, “Old Hickory”, he had to be tough and he was. If someone made a disparaging remark toward him, Andrew Jackson would fight or challenge you to a duel. He killed a man during a duel because he utterred a slur against his wife, Rachel. He fought as a civilian and as a member of the military. He was a Major General during the War of 1812 and was a hero of the Battle of New Orleans. He considered himself a representative of the average person. He drank, fought and it known to political leaders that they didn’t need to make a career of politics. He was for a simple and stream lined government. He also recommended the elimination of the Electoral College because he favored a democratic majority vote rules system. Like another President, George Washington, he was tall, 6 foot, inch. He was someone who liked to do it his way. He would listen but the decision would be his and that would be the end of it. If you crossed him at the local pub, you had better be prepared to throw punches or face off in a duel.

8. Colonel Jim Bowie (1796-1836)

He has a knife name after him. That should be enough but he also volunteered to defend the Alamo along with several other people against General Santa Anna’s forces. By all accounts, Colonel Bowie met his end at the Alamo while sick in bed. He went out fighting. He was firing at his attackers as they stormed his room. He was also a brawler and fighter who didn’t hesitate to accept an impossible mission, the defense of the Alamo. He is also on this list for another reason, David Bowie, the musician and singer, changed his last name from Jones to Bowie because he said; it was the “ultimate American knife. It is the medium for a conglomerate of statements and illusions.’ You can’t argue with that. Well, you could, but Col Bowie would have my “six.”

That’s my list. If you have any one else you think needs to be on the list, or you want to leave a comment or suggestion, feel free to do so and I will respond.

On the Bench but a Phone Call Away

General “Black Jack” Pershing, Hannibal, Alexander the Great, Davey Crockett, General Chuck Yeager, All of the “Original Seven” in the Mercury Space Program (Scott M. Carpenter, Gordon L. Cooper, Jr*., John H. Glenn, Virgil I ‘Gus’ Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, and Donald K. ‘Deke’ Slayton)

Event Paths

The Assassinations of Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin

April 14, 2012 ricbretz 8 Comments

Certain people in history have tried to change the current political climate. They make an effort to reverse the trend and push the tide in another direction. Sometimes in their effort to change their corner of the world, they meet with resistance and hate and are killed along with their goals and ideas. Such is the case of Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin. Sadat was the leader and military hero of Egypt and Rabin the Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Israel. Both leaders played an important role in the formation of their country’s development and status in the world.

A military lieutenant, who obtained a Fatwa (an opinion) approving the assassination, cut down Sadat and several others on the stand during a victory parade on October 6, 1981.

A far right-wing religious Zionist who despised the Oslo Accords signing killed Rabin during a rally supporting the Oslo Accords on November 4, 1995.

Despite the best efforts of people who have a chance to make a difference, there are others who want to create disharmony.

Similarities

Anwar Sadat	Yitzhak Rabin
Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1978)	Nobel Peace Prize Winner (1994)
Assassinated by over zealous internal military officer (1981)	Assassinated by over zealous internal citizen (1995)
Military Officer	Military Officer
Served in other government positions before assuming top government post	Served in other government positions before assuming top government post
Respected by western leaders for taking a stand for peace	Respected by western leaders for taking a stand for peace
Saw peace negotiations as a way to prevent further casualties in his country and bring stability to the country	Saw peace negotiations as a way to prevent further casualties in his country and bring stability to the country
Astute Politician	Astute Politician
Leader in modern formation of Egypt	Leader in modern formation of Israel

Muhammad Anwar El Sadat

(25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981)

Anwar Sadat served as President of Egypt for 11 years and during this time he moved away from the principle of Nasserism by promoting the multi-party government system and changing the economic policy. He was a member of the Free Officers Group that overthrew the Muhammed Ali Dynasty in 1952.

He assumed the Presidency in 1970 after Gamel Abdel Nasser. He led Egypt in the October War in 1973 against Israel. Afterwards he engaged in peace negotiations with Israel and signed the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1979. This earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. This led to Egypt and Sadat becoming unpopular within the Arab community and the Arab League, despite wide support among Egyptians.

Sadat was breaking away from pan-Arabism espoused by his predecessor, Nasser. In addition, he was moving away from the USSR as an influence and towards a more friendly relationship with the United States. All of these events led to Lieutenant Khalid Islambouli leading a charge toward the VIP stand during the annual victory parade and assassinating Sadat along with several others including a Cuban Ambassador and an Omani General on October 6, 1981.

Vice President Hosni Mubarak and four US military liaison officers were wounded in the barrage of gunfire. Islambouli was sentenced to death and executed in April 1982. Hosni Mubarak assumed the duties as President after the assassination. Sadat’s funeral was attended by three former Presidents (Ford, Carter, Nixon).

Yitzhak Rabin

(1 March 1922-4 November 1995)

Yitzhak Rabin served two terms as Israeli Prime Minister, from 1974-1977 and 1992-1995, when he was assassinated. He did not finish his policies

Israeli generals Yitzhak Rabin and Yigal Allon... — Israeli generals Yitzhak Rabin and Yigal Allon in 1949. Česky: Izraelští generálové Jicchak Rabin a Jigal Allon v roce 1949 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

during his second term due to a far right religious Zionist who was angry about Rabin’s peace negotiations. Yigel Amir, a law student, fired several shots at Rabin after a rally in support of the Oslo Accords at the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv on November 4, 1995. Rabin died at the hospital less than an hour later.

Rabin was a fighter for Israeli statehood from the beginning. He rose to take command of the Heral Brigade in the military and served as an Israeli General. Under his command of the IDF, the Israeli gained significant ground against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in the Six Day War in 1967. During his first term as Prime Minister, Rabin successfully ordered the rescue of hostages by an Israeli commando unit after an airline hijacking in Entebbe, Uganda, on July 4, 1976.

According to many theories, the assassin Amir had come to believe that Rabin was a rodef, meaning a “pursuer” who endangered Jewish lives. Amir believed he would be justified under Jewish law by killing Rabin and removing a threat to the Jews. Apparently, this is a misinterpretation of the law. The law applies to removing a “pursuer” where they may be a threat to an individual. Moreover, the law does not apply to elected representatives because if a person removes the elected official, that person would have to remove each voter who elected the government official. The assassin acted under flawed logic and reasoning concerning Jewish law. Thinking about it, most assassination attempts begin under flawed logic to begin with, except in the cases of taking out someone who is evil personified such as Adolf Hitler.

Rabin was buried the day after the assassination on November 6, 1995, at the Mount Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem, where 80 heads of state attended the funeral. A monument to Rabin rests at the location of the assassination. The monument erected with broken rocks that represent the political destruction the assassination brought to the peace process.

In other notes concerning the assassination, Rabin’s pocket carried a blood-stained paper with the lyrics of an Israeli song “Shir Lashalom” (“Song for Peace”). The song was used at the rally and outlines the futility of bringing a dead person back to life. This means that peace should be foremost in everyone’s mind. The Knesset has set the 12th of Heshvan, the assassination date according to the Hebrew calendar, as the memorial day of Rabin. What is your opinion? Make a comment and I will respond.

pastparallelpaths

Monthly Archives: April 2012

Empress Dowager Cixi and Catherine the Great

Similarities