Otto von Bismark-by Ryan Coffey

In World Civilization II class the other day we discussed a primary source document entitled, "Bismark 'Goads' France into War." This document showed the way that a telegraph written for those in charge in France as sent by King William I of Prussia, and it showed the document after being altered by Bismark. He deleted some key phrases that ultimately changed the meaning of the document.
The situation was that Karl Anton, the son of a Prussian prince was a candidate for the throne of Spain. Napoleon III feared such a move. Already uneasy at the prospect of northern and southern Germany (Prussia included with northern Germany), he now had to worry about being even more outmatched. So, Napoleon sent his ambassador, Bendetti, to ask King William not to allow Anton to take the throne. The king sent him away without meeting with him physically, saying that he didn't want any involvement in the issue. Bismark, as Foreign minister was charged with translating this message into French so the telegraph could be dispatched to Paris. His version simply said that the King sent the ambassador away without seeing him and did not want to hear any proposals (true, but the meaning was changed). Not only did Bismark do this, but the telegraph reached Paris on the eve of Bastille Day, a day celebrating French patriotism.
This was the smoking gun that ignited the Franco-Prussian War which lasted from 1870-1871. Prussia won with relative ease after they had already taken parts of Denmark and Austria. King William I was crowned emperor of the new unified German Empire at Versailles. Bismark was named Chancellor, a position he maintained until his death in 1898.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/bismarck_otto_von.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R_jcZHuBTc&feature=related

Group Blog-Ryan Coffey

In the early sixteenth century, members of the German clergy of the Cathloc Church sent a list of grievances about some of the church's practices including the matters of indulgences, communion, etc. The papacy ignored the eastern Europeans and instead decided to continue as planned. But in 1517, a man named Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Thesis criticizing various practices that he felt were either corrupt or needed tweaking. Johann Jetzel, a prominent seller of indulgences was going to come by and give his sales pitch, which Luther knew about. Luther was reported to the papacy as a possible problem. His thesis was published thousands of times over. His translation of the Bible into German also angered the papacy. Before he could be sentenced to death, the papacy decided it needed the help of Prince Frederich in order to keep the Hapsburgs and Charles the Fifth out of power. Of course this did not work, but the political nature of the church saved him. As he grew more popular amongst the north and eastern European rulers, Luther was increasingly protected. In Worms he participated in a debate with other Cathloc leaders. He was declared a heretic, but the princes hid him.
The Cathloc church refused to change its ways for the most part, but the new protestant church had its problems as well. Zwingli and Luther got in a debate about whether the bread that was broken at communion was really the body of Christ. Zwingli believed it was figurative and took a group of followers and started their own religious sect. As differences in beliefs surfaced, the protestant church became increasingly fractured. But because many were dissatisfied with the Cathloc Church, the protestant churches continued to grow. The Anglican church was popular because it had many of the beliefs of Luther, but continued on with the traditional Cathloc worship, meaning that it was not too unfamiliar. Indulgences were done away with and the belief that one could have a personal relationship with God became the cornerstone of the protestant belief system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5P7QkHCfaI
http://padresteve.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/martin-luther.jpg

"My 5 Do's and Dont's from Audie :)"

My top 5 Do's when it comes to packing and preparing:

1. Do bring school supplies. you won't regret it.
2. Don't forget less is more. Bring what you KNOW you'll wear.
3. Do remember that your flat irons won't work with out a good adapter. I promise you.
4. Don't forget the stuff you don't think about the night before: scissors, extra plastic bags, febreeze, cotton swabs.
5. Do make sure your luggage is under 50 pounds. Don't be like me and have to unpack in a busy airport and give your parents an armful of stuff!!

:)

"Get Out of Purgatory for Free Card....?"

This week in our fabulous World Civ class, we all focused on the beginning stages of the Reformation. In a nutshell: the reformation is a time where people started to branch away from the Catholic Church in the 1500's. Led by Martin Luther, people felt that the Catholic Church held too much power, accumulated too much money and according to Luther, "the idea is wrong.. If God is in your heart, and you will be saved." Luther felt that the Catholic Church overly stressed the concepts on confessions, indulgences, fasting, prayer, repentance, and other things of that nature. He and his followers believed that there was a "direct light to god" and there was no need to habitually go to confession, and sure as HECK not pay for the indulgences... Which brings us to our main point.

Indulgences.

Again, in a nutshell: indulgences were pieces of paper that basically removed your sins from the Catholic Church. Okay, well that sounds like a good plan. How does one get them you ask?

Simple: You pay about a week's worth of work to get a teeny, tiny, EXPENSIVE "get out of purgatory card" that may or may not save you from the fiery pits of hell.



Catholics would stock up on these cards in hope that their souls would be going straight to heaven. People like Luther thought this was ludicrous and was yet another reason why he wrote his infamous "95 Theses".

These indulgences proved how much power the Catholic Church once had on their followers. Though it is just one of many reasons why Luther and his supporters broke apart, it was a "scheme" that gave the church more unnecessary power. This is the beginnings of the Reformation.


External Links for more information:

http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/95_theses.html

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07783a.htm

DEAD PEOPLE

buried under the streets here in Pontlevoy.....creepy!!!!

I wish I would have known...

Just a few helpful tips to those who are getting excited to head to beautiful Pontlevoy:

First of all, there are many plugs around the rooms and it would be convenient to bring more than one adapter for using appliances such as your hairdryer and computer. Also, I brought a ton of pictures to put up around my room of my family and friends and nothing to hang them with, so be sure to pack some tacs or tape if you're planning on doing the same. And maybe it's just me, but I'm glad I brought my own toothpaste because I'm picky about things like that. Hopefully these tips will help you as you get ready for your semester at L'Abbaye! Actually, now that I've listed these things, I'll add to not be afraid to learn them for yourself because that's part of what makes traveling and living here such an adventure. Finally, be prepared to open your mind and fall in love with Pontlevoy because I know for me, it's already been more than I could have imagined and we still have 3 more months to go!

Here's a helpful website and some pictures from our room at L'Abbaye!

http://www.eurabbey.com/