Reflections on the rise of great powers 1 By watching the rise of great powers, the story of division and unity, decline and rise of Germany is told. A country that has been divided many times, a country that has brought the greatest disaster to the world, a country that has got rid of all historical misfortunes and re-entered Europe and integrated into the world, becoming the third largest economic power, is very admirable and respectable.
Experienced many ups and downs, mixed with sorrow and joy. Germany, with its infinite charm, affects the whole European continent and the whole world. I believe that many people who have seen the rise of great powers will be deeply impressed by Germany, a legendary country, not only because of its strength, but also because of its wrong attitude towards the past. It is even more thought-provoking to contact the current tense moment of Sino-Japanese relations!
In episode 12, The Rise of Great Powers, the theme of Germany is "The Spring and Autumn of the Empire". As the largest country in Central Europe, it is nourished by classical music and radiates the rational brilliance of classical philosophy. Unity and strength have always been the biggest driving force for Germany's development, and the ups and downs of fate constantly test the Germans. The goddess of peace on the Brandenburg Gate is a sacred symbol of Germany. When France swept the whole European continent 200 years ago, the goddess of peace was transported to France as a trophy, and humiliation followed. Because of its geographical location, it is called the main battlefield of the European corridor and was invaded by neighboring countries. Germans even kill each other on their own land. 1648, the separatist state was finally determined in the form of law. Schiller once lamented: Germany, where, I can't find that land; His friend Goethe once lamented that there is not a city or even a piece of land for us to believe.
This is Germany. In the19th century, the theme of unity and freedom has been running through Germany. 18 14 years, with the defeat of Napoleon, France returned to the goddess of peace, but it had to face a divided Germany. Fortunately, the thought of unity and freedom in the French Revolution liberated people from the feudal thought that had been imprisoned for a hundred years, and a bright dawn came. From the economist Liszt's proposal of economic union before political unification, to the establishment of the German Customs Union in 1834, and to the middle of 19 century, Germany's total industrial output value has ranked third in Europe. The growth of economic strength has brought rapid development to Germany. 187 1 year, Bismarck came to power, and the increasing military strength made Germany a "barracks in peacetime". Bismarck won a good development environment for Germany with his unique foreign policy. He believes that no country is not aligned, and no country will not become its own enemy. 187 1 In the Franco-Prussian War, Germany was born at the Palais de France, and a brand-new Germany was coming. During Bismarck's reign, he also attached importance to the cultivation of national education and established a modern university with equal emphasis on education and scientific research. Twenty-nine university professors have won the Nobel Prize, and intelligence has become an important resource for Germany's development. Therefore, Germany launched the second industrial revolution. 19 13 years, Germany's economy jumped to the second place in the century, and its economic development stimulated it to seek greater benefits in the world. Therefore, 19 14 years, the first world war began; 1939, since World War II, Germany has become the source of two world wars. The war destroyed both the world and Germany. Germany once again split in two. 1970, Federal Chancellor Brandt came to the Jewish Monument in Warsaw, Poland, to commemorate the Jews who paid a painful price for World War II. On that day, Brandt made a move that shocked the world. Facing the tombstone of the deceased, he knelt on the ground and sincerely repented. It can be said without hesitation that Germany's attitude towards World War II is completely different from that of Japan. Instead of evading, they bravely admitted their crimes, which made the world quickly accept Germany again and even respect Germany more. After years of hard work, the Goddess of Peace at the top ten gates of Germany once again witnessed a historic scene on 19901October 3, and Germany, which was divided for 4 1 year, was reunited. With its continuous development, Germany has become the third largest power after the United States and Japan. As a major member of the European Union, it has found a way to strengthen itself by revitalizing Europe.
As the latter, the Second World War has passed for a long time, and the war trance is far away from us, but it brings us not only pain, but also our attitude towards world peace. We can't entangle the right and wrong of history, let alone our present and future. The joys and sorrows of a history are always thought-provoking. Facing the past, we are constantly feeling. We still have a long way to go on the road of rejuvenating the motherland. My future in China is still very long. China needs to be strong and self-reliant, and it depends on our continuous struggle. The lesson that history teaches us is that the hard truth that backwardness will be beaten is not empty talk. I believe that our motherland will stand among the world's great powers in continuous development.
Reflections on the Rise of Great Powers 2. The historical documentary "The Rise of Great Powers" shows the rise and fall of nine world powers in a short episode of 12, or it is the epitome of a development process of mankind in the past 500 years and France's reflection on the rise of great powers. The past 500 years have been very shocking. Humans developed from land to sea, then began to conquer the sky and then developed into space. It is true that all the feats are the crystallization of the wisdom of people of all nationalities in the world. I feel that this historical documentary is well shot, with accurate text explanation and patience. What is more commendable, however, is that many documentaries used the words of aggression and plunder when talking about developed countries in the past. However, this documentary treated other countries with a rational eye and gave China profound enlightenment. I believe that China is also in an important period of development, and it will take several generations of efforts to become a truly influential country. We should acknowledge the achievements of other countries with a broad mind and learn from the successful experiences of big countries with an open mind, instead of always looking down on everything with a lofty attitude. "About in the year 1500, China was under the rule of the Ming Dynasty. Zheng He's fleet made seven voyages to the West, not to open up trade, but to publicize the emperor's virtue and prestige. After Zheng He's death, China people disappeared from the ocean. " Portugal and Spain, two small island countries, conquered the ocean with fearless courage and belief, and thus gained the world. After Portugal and Spain, why did the Netherlands, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the United States become world powers?
In interviews with many experts and scholars, I found that everyone's views on the mystery of great powers are quite different, but in summary, there are the following points: First, the influence of ideology and culture. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously said: I would rather lose an India than a Shakespeare. In the process of becoming a great country, the playwright Shakespeare's works carried forward the British humanistic spirit, the scientist Newton's laws of mechanics opened the door to the British industrial revolution, and the economist Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations provided a new economic order for Britain. Their names are strikingly written on the road of great countries that Britain has traveled. Second, institutional innovation. /kloc-In the 7th century, the Netherlands, with an area only two and a half times that of Beijing, created a global business empire with the establishment of a series of modern financial and commercial systems. After the Netherlands, Britain established a global market by promoting free trade and gradually established a free market economy model; When the disadvantages of this model triggered a social crisis, the United States joined the means of government intervention in the 1930s. Since then, the interaction between "visible hand" and "invisible hand" has changed people's understanding of the traditional market economy model.
The third is the emphasis on talents. In the Panthé on, the holy land of French thought and spirit, the main entrance is engraved with the following words: "To the great men, the motherland thanks them." There are 72 French historical figures buried here, of which only 1 1 is a politician, and most of the rest are thinkers, writers, artists and scientists. There is also the importance a country attaches to education. In Prussia, education is regarded as a necessary obligation of citizens as well as military service, and the state must provide citizens with opportunities for education. Free education began in the middle of19th century. On the eve of German reunification, the enrollment rate of school-age children reached 97.5%. When Prussia was still paying huge war reparations to Napoleon, Humboldt University in Berlin was born. The king took out his last possessions and donated the luxurious king's uterus as a university building. At the same time, he also accepted a request put forward by the university, that is, the state must give material support to teaching and scientific research activities, but must not interfere with education and academic activities. But in the final analysis, comprehensive national strength ultimately determines whether a country is strong or not. History has proved and will continue to prove that the strength of a single force cannot determine the ultimate strength of a country.
After reading The Rise of Great Powers, many scenes of the development of various countries are constantly replayed in my mind. I feel that there are still many shortcomings in China that need to be worked hard, but at the same time, I also feel that China's steps towards becoming a big country are getting louder and stronger!
Reflections on the Rise of Great Powers 3 CCTV Economic Channel recently launched 12 TV documentary "The Rise of Great Powers", which aroused strong repercussions. For many people in China, this documentary is undoubtedly a "history teaching film" and a collective study of the development history of nine countries in the world since A.D. 1500.
Showing the rise and fall of great powers on TV is obviously not as profound as the vast history books. Television can vividly impress the public by replacing the three primary colors of light and shadow with historical glory, honor, bloody battle and prosperity. This is a useful attempt to move historical reflection from the study of elite class to the thinking at the grassroots level. In the short space of 12, CCTV condensed the 500-year history of the rise and fall of nine great countries. This is by no means a fast-food TV series for mass entertainment, but a mirror for reading history and thinking deeply about the future of China.
In the past 500 years, China's so-called prosperous period lasted until the Qing Dynasty, during which Zheng He's huge fleet sailed to the Western Ocean in the early Ming Dynasty. But this is just a flash in the pan of the ancient loong. In the 300 years from14th century, the Renaissance of European literature broke the theological shackles of medieval religions, liberated people from obscurantism, asceticism and mysticism, and laid a spiritual foundation for the establishment and development of modern capitalist system. Starting from 1500, European powers, you sing and I will come on stage, leading Europe to a new era as a global leader.
Whether it is the maritime hegemony achieved by Portugal and Spain on the Iberian Peninsula through maritime adventures, or the commercial empire founded by the Netherlands with a series of modern financial and commercial systems, or the "the sun never sets" empire of Great Britain that took the lead in launching the industrial revolution to promote free trade, and the subsequent rise of France and Germany. These European powers regard commerce and free trade as the basic elements of the rise of great powers through institutional and institutional innovation, scientific and cultural development. As for the rise of the United States, which inherited the European cultural pedigree, on another continent, the latecomers of Japan and Russia, in addition to their conscious sense of catching up, also experienced the pain of institutional transformation. Of course, the glory of these nine great powers is also tainted with the cruelty of war and the original sin of invading other countries and even destroying different cultures. In any case, these big countries may have their ups and downs for more than 500 years since 1500, but in 2 1 century, one or more of them still occupy a dominant position in the world. That is, the general trend of western society dominating the world has not been reversed.
For China, understanding the rise and fall of these nine great powers plays a vital role in the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. These nine great powers have had direct contact with China in the past 150 years, which is more painful memories for China. But it is meaningless to immerse yourself in the pain and hatred of history, and it is even more meaningless to ridicule and condemn the evil of capitalism based on ideological prejudice. Today, with the tide of globalization sweeping the globe, China should take the lead in integrating into the world if it wants to realize national rejuvenation and rise as a great power. Reform and opening up, system innovation, the concept of harmonious society and harmonious world, etc. These are not only the experiences that China summed up from the prosperity of powerful countries in the past, but also the lessons of the demise of some powerful countries.
Half a century ago, when President Mao Zedong answered a question from a democrat, Mr. Huang Yanpei, about how the new China could get rid of the "prosperity and neglect" of past dynasties, he prescribed a prescription of "people's democracy". Today, this sentence still has practical significance for China to realize national rejuvenation and re-rise. When comprehensive strength becomes the standard to measure the status of a big country, economic and military strength as hard power and political and cultural influence as soft power are both indispensable. The road to a powerful country in the United States has fully verified this. China's new generation of leaders also juxtaposed "political civilization", "material civilization" and "spiritual civilization" with extraordinary political wisdom.
It must be clarified that, unlike the above-mentioned nine great powers, China's road to becoming a great power has a profound foundation of 5,000 years of peaceful and inclusive culture, and rarely intrudes into the cultural traditions of other countries. It is precisely because of this that China can learn from the advantages of the nine great powers, and at the same time, it can avoid the historical fate of the final "extinction" of other great powers.
However, only peaceful rationality, economic strength and enlightened politics can still not realize the dream of becoming a strong country. For example, in the Song Dynasty of China, the economy and culture developed very well, and the politics was quite enlightened, but it was still a corner of peace, and was finally destroyed by the foreign race. On May 22nd last year, The New York Times published a commentary by Christopher, a famous columnist, with a Chinese title: "From Kaifeng to new york-Brilliant as a fleeting cloud". Although this is a warning to the United States, it also gives us a warning. On the road to a strong country, we must maintain a comprehensive balance between soft and hard power, and there must be no deviation in any element of comprehensive national strength.
Reflections on the Rise of Great Powers 4 This summer vacation, I watched another TV documentary with an episode of 12 called The Rise of Great Powers. This film not only let me know a lot of historical knowledge, but also told me how to think and analyze some meaningful problems from historical stories.
History is so interesting! So profound and wonderful!
The documentary The Rise of Great Powers tells the story of the rise and fall of Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia (the former Soviet Union) and the United States, which once had brilliant experiences on the world historical stage. Their prosperity is inseparable from the important figures and leaders who change the destiny of the country. From Columbus, William Beckers, Watt, Shakespeare, Adam Smith and Rousseau to Queen Chabert, Napoleon, Charles de Gaulle, Bismarck, Peter the Great and Washington. There is a profound truth in the story of the rise of every country that deserves our consideration and study. The real way to govern the country comes from here.
Every big country that has experienced ups and downs can be our teacher. Spain and Portugal tell us that it takes courage and curiosity to explore the unknown world, so that we can have things that others will not have; The Netherlands tells us that endless capital power can create miracles; Britain tells us that the rise of a country needs the support of scientific and cultural concepts; France tells us that conquering the world by force cannot make the conqueror stand in the position of king for a long time; Germany further confirmed the lessons of France with the failure of World War I and World War II; Germany also tells us that only a unified and complete country can embark on the road to a strong country; Japan tells us: to make the country rise, we need to keep learning and constantly improve ourselves; The rise and fall of the former Soviet Union tells us that great social changes need not only courage, but also wisdom. The United States of America tells us to find the way forward that suits us best.
I once read an article-"China 1000 years ago", which interviewed China in the prosperous times of Tang and Song Dynasties, and described it like this:
"More than a thousand years ago, only China was a megacity with a population of more than one million; A thousand years ago, there were many welfare facilities in China. More than a thousand years ago, Europe was chaotic, poor and backward, America was underdeveloped and Africa was primitive. A thousand years ago, China was far ahead of the world.
More than a thousand years ago, China was developing towards becoming a maritime power.
More than a thousand years ago, the annual output of iron and steel industry in North China reached1250,000 tons, while when the industrial revolution began in Europe in 1788, the annual output of British iron and steel industry was only 76,000 tons.
A thousand years ago, China's agriculture, commerce, manufacturing, handicrafts and entertainment industries were the most developed in the world. ...
A thousand years ago, the gap between the world and China was not a little, not several times, but more than ten times. A thousand years ago, China was far ahead of the world. "
China made China people extremely proud a thousand years ago, but in the late Qing Dynasty, China was bullied by foreign powers by the Qing government. History tells us that if we lag behind, we will be beaten, and the people will fall into pain and anger.
Now China has finally stood up from the bottom of the world stage like a giant, but we don't have the pride and confidence of China people a thousand years ago, because we haven't stood at the top yet.
How can China reappear on the big stage of history?
After reading The Rise of Great Powers, I have many ideas of my own: First, the people of the whole country should serve the country wholeheartedly, and both officials and ordinary people should do their best to contribute to the country. Remember: "The rise and fall of the country is my responsibility." Only by uniting and cooperating can our motherland move towards victory. Second, national leaders should attach importance to children's education, build more free primary and secondary schools, and let all people receive a good education, so that the country can cultivate a large number of talents and realize its dream of becoming a strong country. Third, wise leaders are as important as wise people. Every move of national leaders may affect the future and destiny of the country, and only excellent leaders can formulate correct systems and strategies. Fifth, even with the above four points, there is still a long way to go without historical opportunities. Important historical opportunities can make a country rise rapidly, which is very important. In addition, there is a special influence in the rise of great powers, that is, a long cultural history. Its advantage is that people can gain experience and lessons from what their predecessors did, but its disadvantage is that when learning from other countries and improving themselves, it is easy to have some contradictions and conflicts with their own traditions.
The rise and fall of the country is my responsibility. Let's all strive to be outstanding talents, create a bright future for our motherland in the future, and let China people take off in the 2 1 century and once again be far ahead of the world!
Reflections on the rise of great powers 5 seems to be a natural law. Behind the rise of every great country in the world, there is a clue, which contains all kinds of accidents and inevitability of its rise and eventual glory.
From my personal point of view, to analyze the beginning of Britain's rise, we should start with science, technology and management respectively. This is also the three rounds of modern flowers.
From the point of view of science and technology, an ignorant people will not advocate science, and their thoughts are insensitive. Britain is a country influenced by the Renaissance earlier. In this great and brilliant ideological and cultural liberation movement, a large number of ideological and literary masters emerged, among which Shakespeare is an outstanding representative. The British people at that time had a broad vision. They oppose autocracy and ignorance, actively pursue personal democracy and freedom, persistently explore the laws of nature, and are full of vitality everywhere. In this context, a great scientist like Newton was born naturally, guiding people to understand this mysterious world with a more scientific and rational vision. The establishment of classical mechanics and the discovery of the law of universal gravitation have greatly enhanced people's confidence in exploring nature. When Newton discovered the law of the universe, the scientific spirit penetrated into British society; When Watt finally solved the core power problem with the universal steam engine, British industrialization began to spread out in an all-round way at an alarming speed. When Adam Smith pointed out the market law of free competition with The Wealth of Nations, the British began to promote free trade and expand the global market with the support of their strong industrial capabilities.
From the perspective of management: I think the most important reason for the rise of Britain lies in the wisdom and proper management of the Queen. 1。 The queen can seize the opportunity. 1558 When Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne, news came from the other side of the English Channel that Spanish and Portuguese explorers had succeeded in making a fortune. This information is a clear signal to the ignorant people in the coming era. It means: in the face of a world that has just been rediscovered, whoever can seize the opportunity faster, accept new ideas and break old values will become rich and powerful faster. In the rules of the game in the new world, winning the ocean is more important than winning the land. The cruelty of the queen. The Queen encouraged privateers, pirates such as Raleigh and Drake, and others to expand British trade, open up colonies such as Virginia, and even attack Spanish trade. 3 the queen's revelation. In dealing with art, the monarch is often the villain in Shakespeare's historical plays. Queen Elizabeth certainly knows this. She didn't order the performance of Shakespeare's plays to be banned. When dealing with state affairs, she understands that the foundation of power is a nation composed of all British people. Without the support of the people, this dynasty could not survive. Kings and nobles are well aware of their status and know what they should and should not have according to their duties. Although there is no written law, for a long time, it has become a common rule in British society that kings and nobles abide by their mutual commitments, fulfill their obligations and enjoy their rights. 4 the queen's cleverness. With the British colonial expansion and the maturity of overseas markets, the demand for goods is increasing, and the production of manual workshops can no longer meet the needs. In order to encourage invention, Britain promulgated the earliest patent law in the world. All this has led to a scene in Britain where the whole people are keen on invention, production and trade.
On the contrary, the management wisdom of several kings after the Queen was somewhat unsatisfactory, and even almost killed Britain. 1 King John is also known as the "Land Lost King". In order to maintain the war, King John intensified the exploitation of citizens and nobles. In this way, the unwritten but long-standing agreement between the nobility and the king was destroyed. 12 15 In the spring, the angry nobles rallied and armed against the king. After Charles I succeeded to the throne, he soon encountered a financial crisis. The complicated religious war between Britain, Spain and France led by him personally made the national treasury empty and the finance tight. In order to maintain the war, the most important means that comes to mind is to increase taxes. In this way, the contradiction between parliament and king became more and more serious, and the opposition became more and more acute, which eventually led to the outbreak of the 1642 war, which was a very famous English civil war in modern history. James II didn't realize this. He went his own way and broke away from parliamentary rule, threatening the interests of the City of London and many other towns. Act like an absolute monarch. He made most British production elites feel that they had to overthrow him. William invaded England peacefully and James escaped. There is no war.
These kings are really willful. They're all self-righteous They want to surpass the queen, but they don't read the story of her success. They are bent on their own way. I didn't know that my predecessors had paved the way for you. There must be something unique about this road, but you just want to keep paving in the other direction. Isn't that suicidal?
I have been to Portugal four years ago, only two cities, Lisbon, the capital, and Porto, which is rich in wine. Watch the CCTV documentary "The Rise of Great Powers". In the first episode of the Ocean Age, two countries on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and Spain, Sagrish, Cabo· Rocca, Enrique, Diaz, Da Gama and Camons, started the modern civilization in Europe ... familiar place names and names keep coming to mind. On that occasion, I followed in their footsteps and searched for historical memories in Portugal. ...
Portugal is located at the westernmost tip of the European continent, and Cape Rocca is the last place on the European continent to see the sunset every day. On the edge of the vast Atlantic Ocean, stands a cross monument, which reads "The earth stops here and the ocean begins here". At that time, Diaz, Columbus, Da Gama and Magellan set out from here, opened up new sea routes and discovered the new continent …
Why Portugal? Just because he is close to the ocean, he has a unique advantage? In fact, there are too many inevitable and accidental factors in opening history. Portugal is the first independent monarchy in continental Europe, and its powerful royal power provides sufficient material and spiritual conditions for great navigation. In fact, the rise of Portuguese navigation is closely related to Prince Enrique of the Portuguese royal family. Such a lifelong unmarried saint was punished in Sagrish for 45 years. Under his organization and inspiration, he gathered experts and scholars from Europe and Arabia, improved the compass, improved sailing, and opened a sailing school, which laid a solid foundation for ocean navigation. Although Prince Enrique himself has never been abroad in his life, every pioneering voyage in early Europe is closely related to him. It is precisely because of the powerful state machine that the Portuguese started from Cape Roca, bypassed the southernmost tip of the African continent, arrived in India, and Magellan traveled around the world ...
Khroni Moose Cathedral in Lisbon is the spiritual shrine of Portugal, where the great navigator da Gama and the great poet Camons have deeply influenced the history of Portugal. Seen from the front of the church, there are two exquisite sarcophagus entering the door, with Dagama on the left and Camons on the right. Da Gama arrived in India and brought back gold and spices from there, which was the earliest oriental wealth dream of Europeans. Camons's long poem Song of the Portuguese was also inspired by the sea. He recited the spirit and soul of the Portuguese.
Actually, I prefer Porto to Lisbon, which is the political center. I think this is a place that took the lead in opening up marine civilization and better reflected Portugal's short-term prosperity. The Douro River runs through the city and extends to the Atlantic Ocean. On both sides of the river, churches can be seen everywhere, elegant and luxurious. You can imagine the wealth plundered by the Portuguese from Asia, Africa and America, and the belief accumulated with gold and ivory ... The Portuguese broke through the physical and psychological limits and opened up new routes with their adventurous spirit, desire for wealth and infinite enthusiasm for religion. But in the end, it was not transformed into productive forces like the later Netherlands and Britain, but was used to enjoy and maintain the existing spiritual rule. When a new country competes with them at sea, it soon declines ~
Walking on the streets of Lisbon and Porto, the sun is shining, the air is warm, the pace is slow, the price is low, and the buildings are exquisite. I can feel a declining aristocratic atmosphere. There is a temperament that cannot be cultivated without deep accumulation and long-term precipitation. The atmosphere of Lisbon and Porto, like Camons's poems, symbolizes the spirit and soul of the Portuguese on the one hand, and is a totem-like existence, but on the other hand, it also has the true singing of life and love like passers-by ~
When I leave: When I leave, those bright eyes are full of affection and tears. Who can tell me what they are now? Do you miss me? Do you remember my sadness when I said goodbye? Have you thought about my mood to see you tomorrow? Are you counting the sun, the moon and the stars, lamenting that life is like life, or worrying about birds and the breeze? Ah, happy acacia, why do you want to deceive my sad heart with sweet fantasy in this parting …