Selwyn House School - Yearbook (Montreal, Quebec Canada)

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SIQLWYN HOl,'S1i SCHOOL NIAGAZINI-Q The Qtrasb nf the jflilnnarcbiss anh the Rise uf the Republics. The crash of the monarchies and the springing up in their place of republics is large- ly due to the fact that in many cases the monarchs show'ed themselves to be tyrannical slave-drivers, and to care nothing for the welfare of the lower classes. The French Revolution was the lirst of its kind to occur in Europe, and was, as we know, fully successful in deposing and executing its monarch Louis XVI. In the year 13-13 there began in lfurope a general series of revolutions which oc- curred in nearly every country of laiurope. These were started, not to set up Bolshevist states, but purely to de-pose monarchs and to wrest the power from the nobles, and they were in no small way to shake the foundations of the great monarchies. But again as in 1790 revolution started in Paris. On Feb. the 22nd the streets of Paris were hlled with armed, idle crowds, who shouted, Hurrah for reform l Down with the Ministers 1 and in a few days Louis, last King of France, abdicated. There was at this time a great deal of discontent in the countries of Italy, owing to the fact that the people were stirred up by such radicals as Mazzini and Mani. On January 12th the people of Palermo, Sicily, rose in arms against its Bourbon Government. On January 27th the people of Naples followed suit, and only a popular constitu- tion proclaimed by lferdinand II averted revolution. Similar outbreaks broke out all over Italy and in the North, then dominated by .-Xustria, the Austrian Commander, Radetzky, was forced to proclaim martial law. A revolt now broke out in Berlin, where troops and rioters clashed, barricades were thrown up, and for a day street lighting continued, until the streets were cleared. The Czechs ot' Bohemia now rebelled for independence, and barricades were thrown up in the City of Prague, where the governor threatened to bombard the city unless the barricades were removed. This was not done, so accordingly the city was taken by storm and martial law prevailed. ln February of 13-W, Don Carlos the Spanish Pretender joined a revolution in Catalonia under Carbera, but was soon arrested, and Carbera, deprived of his assistance, soon Hed the country. Although the revolutions of 18-18 and 13-19 failed, they were in no small way, as I have said, to weaken the prestige of practically all the great houses of Europe. The year 1870 was a critical one for France. The Prussians under Von Moltke were driving everything before them owing to the folly of the French Emperor, and were fast advancing on Paris. On September lnd the French army, under the Emperor Louis 12411

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FOR THE SCHOOL YF.-XR 1939-1940 Of the films shown, some were exceptionally good. There were excellent Swiss ski Elms, which were greatly enjoyed, and of special interest to those boys who are keen on skiing. They were very good in showing the position of the skis before and during the various turns. This was made even clearer by the use of Slow Motion Photography, which enabled one to see actions too fast for the unaided eye to distinguish. These films also showed jumping done successfully and otherwise. Another interesting film was The Plough that broke the Plains . This showed the gradual transformation of the grassy western plains, with their Buffalo herds, first into profitable wheat fields and, finally, into a dusty desert. Man's folly in wasting good land through poor agricultural methods and overgreediness was very well demonstrated. The scenes showing the trek into California by the ruined and dispossessed farmers were very realistic. Wheels across Africa was an interesting picture of the difificulties and adventures encountered in attempting to cross that continent by car. Stopping first at Fez, where interesting scenes of the town were shown, the travellers progressed, with a car and two trucks, through desert and jungle, often under very trying conditions, and finally reached their destination, which was the Red Sea. Many scenes showed antelope, leopards, lions and numerous other animals in their natural surroundings. Several Native tribes were also encountered and amusing pictures made of their ways of living and of their dances. This expedition was sponsored by the Dodge Company, whose car and trucks were the ones used in making the trip. 'L Forest Treasures and Saga of the Silver Horde were two commercial films dealing respectively with the making of veneers and the Salmon fishing industry on the Pacific coast. Both were interesting and instructive, and gave little known details of these two great industries. The film Big Fish showed the ways and means of fishing for the larger types of deep sea fish. Tuna, Sailfish, Barracuda, and several others were shown, and the pic- tures made this sport seem a very fascinating one. To those who had not seen films of the visit of Their Mabiesties to this side of the Atlantic, the pictures of the Royal Visit were particularly entertaining and instructive. Their tour across Canada was very well depicted. The geographical subjects, while of a more serious nature than the above men- tioned films, were nevertheless equally interesting and instructive. As they were in a rather condensed form it was necessary to show each one twice in order that it might be thoroughly understood. The films dealt with the effect of the atmosphere, wind and water on the Earth's surface. Films were obtained from the following sources: - the Overseas League, the Eastman Kodak Co. and the Erpi Co. Many were supplied free of charge, and the School is much indebted to those who kindly lent them. The general opinion seems to be that the movies U have been a very successful venture, and it is hoped that they will, in fu- ture, be a regular feature of the school programme. J. E., Form 6. l19l

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FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 1939- 1940 Napoleon, had been forced to surrender with all baggage after the battle of Sedan. The Empress Eugenie had been forced to Hy, France was proclaimed a republic and at length on Jan. 29th, 1871, France yielded. But even now, France was not to have peace, as the Members of the Paris Com- mune procured some cannon and pointed them against the city, but at length, after a week of fighting, they were crushed on the barricades of Paris. .-Xt this time and Communists. a great number of east, and partly to who by stirring up Russia was undergoing a great deal of trouble owing to the Nihilists The first serious Russian revolution occurred in the year 1905, when the lower classes rioted, owing, partly to the Russian failures in the Radicals such as Lenin, Bronstein or Trotsky, Chicherin and others the innocent people caused many deaths among them. A typical incident occurred in this revolution, which made splendid propaganda for the revolutionaries, both in Russia, and abroad. A great mob had been stirred up by a priest named Father Gapon, who was really just a revolutionary in disguise, to go to the emperor bearing ikons and other instruments, to ask him to form a more democratic form of government. No sooner had they reached the gate of the palace than the guards shot them down. The monarchies suffered another blow in Portugal when King Manuel was de- posed prior to the war, after which a republic was declared which has existed ever since. Russia again throughout the early years of the war suffered greatly. The country was in the hands of the dishonest priest Rasputin, who imposed himself on the Empress, and owing to the corruption of the ministers the people became dissatisfied. At last in March 1917 the Czar was forced to abdicate, and the government was put in the hands of Kerensky, who although a great talker, was utterly unfit to run Russia at that time, and after a brief term of office was driven out by the violent Communists such as Lenin, who came back to Russia by the famous Sealed train from Switzerland, where they had been forced to stay since the last revolution of 1905. From that time the VYhite, or Czarist, cause steadily lost ground, and the armies of Denikin and later of YVrange1 were finally driven into the sea in 1921. Another great empire was also tottering all through the war, that of .-Xustria-Hung- ary. The first signs were in Bohemia, where whole regiments of Czechs deserted to the Russians. Up to 1917, however, the Empire had been held together by the strong in- fluence of the old Emperor Franz Joseph, but at his death in 1917, and the accession of his nephew Carl, who was a weak man, it fell to pieces like pins from a worn-out magnet, and in 1918 Carl fled the country. In October 1918 Gen. :Xllenby brought to a close the campaign of the Holy Land bv breaking the Turkish line and by capturing Damascus and all the Turkish bases, thus forcing the Turks to sue for peace. By the breakdown of the Turkish Army Abdul Hamid was forced to abdicate in favour of Mohammed YI, whose reign was cut short by the rising of Mustapha Kemal. 1211