An Interactive Timeline running from 1550 to 2015.;xNLx;;xNLx;This timeline consists of notable political, social, economic and scientific events.;xNLx;;xNLx;Embedded within the timeline are quotes form the book that are relevant to the events, which they correspond to.;xNLx;;xNLx;We have also included multimedia sections in the form of video clips and images.;xNLx;;xNLx;There are two Case studies that are also embedded within the timeline, The Katyn Massacre and The Totalitarian Dictatorship of North Korea. Both of these are backed up with quotes from the book and have been analysed carefully in order to tackle the theme of the timeline which is the re-writing of history.;xNLx;;xNLx;Yet, they overlap with other themes that have been looked at.
‘No man has discoursed of the duty of magistrates, the enacting of laws, and the common weal, without beginning with religion and divine worship.’ – John Calvin
When writing his illicit diary, Winston starts; :To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone – to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone: From the age of uniformity, from the age of solitude, from the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink – greetings!’ ‘Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime IS death.’ Not just a spiritual death, but a societal one and a physical one. In the 19th Century history book; History of the Life, Works, and Doctrines of John Calvin, Jean Marie Audin recounts the following; ‘The overthrow [in 1555] of the "Libertines" [which was the name Calvin had given his major political opponents, though they called themselves "The Children of Geneva" -- E.T.B.] had given power to the Consistory, and offenders could now be punished with more success than formerly. Adultery, which, before Calvin's return [to Geneva], was punished only by an imprisonment of some days, or by a trifling fine, was now punished with death. An adulteress was drowned in the Rhone. Thus two citizens of the best families (Heinrich Philip and Jacques le Nevue) were beheaded.
In the year 1563, a young girl who had insulted her mother was kept confined, fed on bread and water, and obliged to express her repentance publicly in the church. A peasant boy who had called his mother a devil, and flung a stone at her, was publicly whipped, and suspended by his arms to a gallows as a sign that he deserved death, and was only spared on account of his youth.
Another child in 1568, for having struck his parents was beheaded. A lad of sixteen, for having only threatened to strike his mother, was condemned to death; on account of his youth the sentence was softened, and he was only banished, after being publicly whipped, with a halter about his neck. Ronald S. Wallace, Calvin, Geneva, and the Reformation, (Scottish Academic Press, 1988), p. 114 - picture, (1568) ‘The Christian must realise that he himself cannot break away from all the outward associations of the civil society in which he is meant to give his witness clearly.’
· Divorce is viewed as the norm, as a necessity in 1984. Winston and his wife parted as they had tried for children but were unsuccessful. Divorce is encourage in 1984 as the perceived concept of marriage was to procreate. Kollontai’s writings link with the ideas of the book as she states that divorce had been ‘made easier in Soviet Russia’ and that divorce could occur by ‘mutual agreement’. · Kollontai asserts that ‘we are used to the fact that a young girl is expected to remain a virgin until marriage’. This is taken further in 1984 with the concept of the ‘Junior Anti-Sex League’ and the idea that ‘all children were to be begotten by artificial insemination (artsem)’
· ‘…which rights and duties would best harmonise with the conditions of life’ on Soviet Russia. This belief harmonises with the concept in 1984 that everything people did was ‘for the party’; it was their ‘duty to the party’. · Both writings agree on the opinion that men and women are equal. Kollontai: ‘formerly only the man was considered a breadwinner’. In 1984, men and women were all doing the same jobs, everyone was called ‘comrade’.
Hitler who valued children extremely highly. His creation of a Hitler youth or Hitlerjugend only one year after the adult organisation was formed in 1921 shows his knowledge of the importance of support and loyalty from children and young adults; it formed a participation that the whole family could get involved in. Orwell’s creation of the Spies in ‘1984’ mirrors many of the same characteristics of this youth group. Significance was placed on regular meetings, as well as patriotic parades and music being created to rally support.
Kollontai’s belief that ‘the family is ceasing to be necessary either to its members or to the nation as a whole…. the old family structure is merely a hindrance’ is imitated in Orwell’s 1984 where people were forbidden to marry if a physical attraction was noticed between a man and woman. No emotions or feelings were permitted; therefore the notion of family was of no benefit to the ‘party’. Winston’s relationship with his mother and sister shows that the idea of a family was something that had been forgotten. · The education of children is an issue addressed in both pieces of work. Kollontai states how ‘…the instruction of the child had ceased to be the duty of the parents’. This is shown in 1984 through the creation of the spy clubs that children were permitted to be members of – ‘they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages’. Referred to as ‘child hero[s]’.
The Start of the 900 day siege of Leningrad where the Germans besieged the Soviet city. The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation undertaken by the German Army Group North against Leningrad—historically and currently known as Saint Petersburg—in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. The siege started on 8th September 1941, when the last road to the city was severed. Although the Soviets managed to open a narrow land corridor to the city on 18th January 1943, the siege was finally lifted on 27th January 1944, 872 days after it began. It was one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history. Siege of Leningrad, R. Conrad Stein, (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983). The 900 days: the siege of Leningrad, Harrison E. Salisbury, (New York: Harper & Row, 1969).
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, by the Japanese the USA entered the War. The controversy surrounding this can be seen in the fact that American High Command knew that the attack was coming. This event can be seen a s major turnng point in the 20th century.This was due to the fact that America, the Economic superpower of the world was now producing Tanks instead of Cars, Guns instead of toys and so on. Leading to the development of Nuclear Weapons.
Perpetual warfare is defined as a war with no clear conditions for ending or a situation of ongoing tension such as exemplified by the cold war. The 20th century in particular is seen as in a state of perpetual war itself. The Perpetual War in the novel is between the 3 Superstates; Oceania (roughly governing the Americas, Britain and Australasia), Eurasia (Roughly Russia and the European Continent)and Eastasia (Roughly China, Japan and IndoChina).
The Americans begin the project to create the Atomic Bomb.
A constant state of war is used to maintained the socio-economic status quo within Airstrip One. It leaves 85% of the population (the proles) in uneducated poverty, 13% (the outer party) under constant surveillance and 2% (the inner party) with all the power. Within the ‘War is Peace’ Chapter in Goldstein’s book it is proclaimed that increased productivity would lead to a great socio-economic change. Thus Perpetual warfare is used to ensure this doesn’t happen, war being the perfect consumer for the economic surplus. It is also interesting to note the use of doublespeak language in the media about warfare in the present day. For example, invading forces being called ‘peace keeping’ forces.
The Katyn Massacre was a series of mass executions carried out by the Russian NKVD in 1940. The victims were the 25,000 or so members of the Polish Officer Corp. Varying in rank from a basic lieutenant through to two Generals. The number did include NCOs too. This case study is intersesting to look at due to the fact that it is a perfect example of how War distracts people from crimes that are committed, and also how history has been altered or changed. An example of this in the novel being: “It might very well be true that literally every word in the history books, even the things that one accepted without question, was pure fantasy. For all he knew there might never have been any such law as the jus primae noctis, or any such creative as the capitalist, or any such garment as a top hat.” P.78 The NKVD covered up the graves and they were hiddenin the forests of Katyn until 1943, when Germany invaded Russia. The discovery then shocked the world. Yet, despite this evidence that the Germans unearthed the USSR denied the accusations for the best part of seventy years. until its collapse in 1991, where the final admittance was made. “Who controls the past... controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.” P.37 “And if all others accepted the lie which the party imposed - if all records told the same tale - then the lie passed into history and became truth.” P.37 “The past, he reflected, had not merely been altered, it had been actually destroyed. For how could you establish even the most obvious fact when there existed no record outside your own memory?” P.38 Attatched are images taken of the corpses unearthed at Katyn and evidence of what the USSR covered up.
The uniforms created a sense of camaraderie and unity amongst your friends; it was also a method of isolating to those who did not join urging them to take part in the activities. As with both the Hitler Youth and the Spies their time was dedicated towards showing their admiration for Hitler and Big Brother respectively, increasing intellectual and physical ability in addition to becoming what was deemed to be a good citizen.
The US announces they have the capabilities to make the Hydrogen Bomb. The H-Bomb, was the most destructive force ever invented and therefore it was a force to be reckoned with. The US ahd already proven they were willing to resort to nuclear weapons, with the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. This act was the first and remains the only use of Nuclear weapons ever.
‘Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it… All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children.’
working classes of today may aspire to be better off, the proles will aspire to rise in the party ranks and therefore encouraging their status. This would naturally involve an "improvement" of their language from Oldspeak to Newspeak. Only the proles still use Oldspeak. The proles are in effect aspiring to enter the world of censorship constructed by the party. The proles are deemed to be so insignificant that they are not as greatly encouraged to adopt Newspeak, this is how Winston believes the party could be destroyed.
Similarities between the 20th century leaders and Big Brother include control and distribution of media (propaganda), the control of the Youth (established of Youth movements), the changing of historical events (Trotsky and Yezhov removed from photographs), economic plans that consisted of very high demands over a number of years, and a force to instigate and carry out that intended terror (NKVD, Gestapo) Differences, Big Brother has absolute control of the mind, the constant surveillance of the population. These are extremely important.
“The bomb had demolished a group of houses two hundred metres up the street... there was a pile of plaster lying on the pavement ahead of him, and in the middle of it he could see a bright red streak. When he got up to it he saw that it was a human hand severed at the wrist... he kicked the thing into the gutter, and then, to avoid the crowd, turned down a side-street to the right.” P.87-88 The above quote from Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is a good indication of the first hand account of the devastation that a 'bomb' causes. The description is extremely graphic and this can be put down to Orwell's horror when the bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima
George Orwell publishes his highly controversial 1984. “How could you communicate with the future? It was of its nature impossible. Either the future would resemble the present, in which case it would not listen to him: or it would be different from it, and his parliament would be meaningless.” P.9
The People's Republic of China is declared. “Tragedy, he perceived, belonged to the ancient time, to a time when there was still privacy, love and friendship, and when the members of a family stood by one another without needing to know the reason.” P.32 “In the old days, before the glorious revolution, London was not the beautiful city that we know today... The capitalists owned everything in the world, and everyone else was their slave.” P.76 “In a way, the world-view of the party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it... by lack of understanding they remained sane.” P.163
“Another bomb fell on a piece of waste ground which was used as a playground, and several dozen children were blown to pieces.” P.156
The USSR signs the Warsaw pact in retaliation to NATO, strengthening and entrenching the Eastern Bloc. This act tied all the Eastern Bloc counries together under the government of the USSR. Meaning that they had limited say and had to run everything past Moscow first. “In the end the party would announce that two and two and made five, and you would have to believe it.” P.83
Khrushchev delivers his famous speech. Denouncing Stalin as a despot and tyrant. He proposes a policy of De-Stalinisation. This act in relation to the book would be the same as if Winston denounced the party. It is a very dangerous move and one that sees him end up in Room 101.
The first nuclear weapon was detonated as a test by the United States at the Trinity site on July 16, 1945, with a yield approximately equivalent to 20 kilotons of TNT.
A U.S Reconnaissance plane strays in to Soviet Airspace and is shot down without warning.
The Civil Rights Movement becomes famous worldwide and takes a move towards equality and desegregation the states. The idea of Civil Rights in 1984 is somewhat alien, the citizens are controlled by the party in everything they do. Freedom to think or express ones feelings is somethink that is oppressed and stamped ou to avoid any rebellion.
John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States of America, beating Richard Nixon by 303 votes to 219.
The Russians get the first man into and back from space successfully, before their American counterparts. A major victory for Russia as they win the space race against America.
The USSR erect the Berlin Wall to protect the Eastern Bloc from the Fascist West. Becomes a permanent structure until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
First meeting between Kennedy and Khrushchev to discuss Cold War issues, e.g. nuclear weapons and espionage
USA and Russia sign a treaty banning the testing of nuclear weapons underwater in the atmosphere and underground.
JFK delivers his famous speech in West Berlin, where he announces that America will support the DDR against the Eastern Bloc threat.
Assassinated by Harvey Lee Oswald, a disgruntled ex-Marine, and an employee of the Texas School Book Depository.
Soviet forces shoot down an unarmed US reconnaissance bomber that strayed into East German airspace: The US state that they have found over forty microphones hidden in walls of their Moscow embassy: “If you kept the small rules you could break the big ones.” P.135
After The Watergate Scandal, Congress passed this Act allowing the general public access to Government records and information.
Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva, applied for Political Asylum in the US after she became disillusioned by Communism. This can be linked to Julia denouncing the party.
The US land the first man on the moon successfully and return to earth as victors in the moon race. Soviet Union and US on level par.
British Soldiers open fire on protesters killing 14 civilians in Ireland (Bloody Sunday) Example of miscommunicatiobn and the power of fear.
Watergate Scandal “Whatever happened you vanished, and neither you nor your actions were ever heard of again. You were lifted clean out of the stream of history. And yet to the people of only two generations ago, this would not have seemed all-important, because they were not attempting to alter history.” P.172 This event has been greatly contested due to the missing tapes that dissappeared without trace, leading to a mass coverup by the Nixon regime. Leading to Nixon resigning on charges of impeachment.
Six of Europe's biggest countries get together to deal with terrorism, immigration, law and order. (Uk, France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Italy).
Louise Brown the world’s first test tube baby is born in Manchester: “The Proles had stayed human.” P.172
The first computer virus, the Elk Cloner, written by 15-year old Rich Skrenta, is found in the wild, It infects Apple II computers via floppy disk
United States President Ronald Reagan, during a voice check for a radio broadcast remarks, "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes". Ronald Reagan during his re-election broadcast during a radio mike test, joked about the above quote a parody to the opening line of his speech. Despite, the fact that this comment was made off air and never meant for public domain, it was leaked to the general populace. The Russain East Army was placed on high alert and was not stood down until 30 minutes after the order was given to mobilise for an incoming American attack. This statement nearly led to World War Three.
US department of Education reported more than half of all public schools used security cameras during 2007-2008, 30% increase over the amount in schools over the last 8 years. The Fourth Amendment prohibits the seizures or searches in public schools- cameras get around this.
Edward Snowdon revealed the existence of the massive domestic surveillance programs operated by NSA. British intelligence had been spying on leaders at G20. NSA had a court order forcing Version (biggest phone provider) to hand over all phone data-proving that the US has a secret apparatus violating citizens privacy. NSA has been operating since1954. Mining information from US internet companies. NSA and FBI tapped 9 internet servers-code named Prism. GCHQ did the same. Prism was launched in 2007 by president Bush, first contract was Microsoft. GCHQ has not been convicted. Leaked by Snowdon- GCHQ was paid £22.9 million in 2009, £39.9 million in 2010 and £34.7 million in 2011/2012 by NSA. Yahoo web camera users have had images taken by GCHQ spy programs, codenamed Optic nerve. However Yahoo have denied being aware of the surveillance. The images showed people in their homes with 11% showing undesirable nudity. In six months in 2008 more than 1.8 million uses around the world. Nick Pickles: ‘It is perfectly proper for our intelligence agencies to use any and all means to target people for whom there are reasonable grounds for suspicion of terrorism. It is entirely improper to extend such intrusive surveillance on a blanket scale to ordinary citizens’.
Perpetual War - Endless war on terrorism… Helping to safeguard freedom and democracy. 'Justness' of war has been embedded into people over the decades. Fear has helped the government enforce the Patriot Act and the amendments to the FISA act.
In the far distance a helicopter skimmed down between the roofs, hovered for an instant like a bluebottle, and darted away again with a curving flight. It was the police patrol, snooping into people's windows. - 1984
Tracking through video game consoles: Xbox One Connect- live feed into people’s homes, adverts require participation- market research. Filed a patent for a per-view licencing system for set-top boxes, the Xbox will be able to tell how many people are in the room while you are viewing a program. The Kinects camera will also be able to track your emotions during gaming or movies, it can also distinguish between voice patterns (can tell if someone visits an Xbox in another location). Can also detect heart rate and pulse. It is also able to see in the dark due to an active IR. Xbox requires the Kinect to function. 3D camera which has a 60% larger view than the previous Kinect, read up to six skeletons at once, compared to the current two. One tester found that the camera could distinguish between folds of clothing to show a person’s ‘build’. Track heart beats and peoples actions in the darl (IR). Xbox kinect hacked days after release, by Hector Martin.
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