The Universal History Notebook

Transcription

THE UNIVERSAL
HISTORY NOTEBOOK
BELÉN GACHE
Fin del Mundo Ediciones
Belen Gache is a Spanish-Argentinian writer. She has published
the novels Lunas eléctricas para las noches sin luna
(Sudamericana, 2004), Divina Anarquía (Sudamericana, 1999)
and Luna India (Planeta 1994). Her novel La vida y obra de
Ambrosia Pons was shortlisted in the Premio Herralde de novela
(Barcelona, 2005). She has published numerous essays on
literature and visual arts, among them Escrituras nómades, del
libro perdido al hipertexto (Gijón, Trea 2006). Since 1996 she has
worked with experimental literature and electronic poetry
publishing books like El libro del fin del mundo (2002) and
Wordtoys (an online anthology of net-poems). She has participated
in Post Cagean Interactive Sounds, (Machida City Museum,
Japan), Hypertext 01 (University of Aarhus, Denmark), FILE,
(Museum of Image and Sound of Sao Paulo, Brazil), ARCO
(Madrid), the Biennial of Merida (Mexico), the Biennial of the End
of the World (Ushuaia, Argentina), the Biennial of Mercosur (Porto
Alegre, Brazil) and Cyberpoem (Barcelona). She has exhibited her
work in the Tamayo Museum (Mexico DF) and the Museum of
Modern Art of Buenos Aires. She is an art historian and has a
Master in Discourse Analysis (University of Buenos Aires), where
she gave seminars on narratology and nonlinear writing for several
years. She wrote her master’s thesis on the work of Julio Cortázar.
www.belengache.com.ar
THE UNIVERSAL HISTORY NOTEBOOK
Belén Gache
Fin del Mundo Ediciones
© 2009 - Belén Gache
“The past was erased, the erasure
was forgotten; the lie became true”
George Orwell.
MEGALOMAN MANIAC
Dominating continental Europe through its military victories, crowning
himself Emperor in 1804, Napoleon gave form to the European politics in the
beginning of the XIX century. Either considered a usurper and a tyrant or a
genius, a great warrior and a man of great charisma; he turned to be an
undisputed figure of universal history. The admiration for his person grew in
France, but also in Great Britain, Germany and Russia. The Russian writers
of the first half of the XIX century, for example, rendered their tribute to him.
In spite of Russia been devastated by the Napoleonic troops and that
hundreds of compatriots have died, these writers found in him a paradigm of
spiritual leader, surrounded by romantic aura. The following adjectives have
been extracted from several poems written by the Russian poets Alexander
Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov and Feodor Tyutchev, pertaining to this period.
9
CHOOSE YOUR AGGRESSIVE PHRASE
WRITE YOUR OWN REVOLUTIONARY SLOGAN
DRAW YOUR OWN BORDERS
DIE PICKELHAUBE
The Pickelhaube was designed in 1842 by King Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia,
who was declared officially lunatic in 1856. The disadvantages in the design
of this peculiar helmet were put in evidence from the beginning. It was too
high, too heavy and tended to fall during military training. In addition, the
metal shone so much that it exposed the presence of the soldiers even at
great distance. In 1871, the Germanic Empire was created with 9 kingdoms,
5 duchies, 7 counties and 3 free cities. Although very few things previous to
the creation of the Empire were conserved in the unified Germany, the
Pickelhaube was one of them. Being probably the more recognizable military
ornament of the world, the absurd and useless Pickelhaube conserves certain
Majesty that sends to the years of splendor, elegance and stylishness of Old
Europe.
13
ÉGALITÉ DES HOMMES
HAVE YOUR OWN POLITICAL DELIRIUM
The Chimborazo (6310 m), is the highest volcano in Ecuador. The city of
Riobamba lies at its feet. During many years it was considered as highest
mountain on Earth, before being overthrown by the Himalayas. Even
Alexander Von Humboldt tried to climb it without managing to arrive at his
top. In his poem My delirium on the Chimborazo (1822), Simon Bolivar
imagines himself at the top of the volcano, owned by the God of Colombia.
There, he meets Time, looking as a venerable old man. Bolivar introduces
himself as a man taller than any other man in the world: he dominates the
Earth with his feet and he can reach God with his hands. The Latin-American
caudillo can even read in the face of old man Time the past history and the
designs of Destiny. The old man gives a task him: to take Truth to the men.
15
THE MONUMENT OF REASON
(París 1789)
The XVIII Century was the century of the Lights, the Age of Enlightenment,
the Encyclopedia and the goddess Reason. The town of Paris finally realized
that it was the moment for using the head. As allusive monument, a
sharpened and brilliant guillotine was constructed in center of Place de la
Concorde. Designed to make fastest and less painful executions, its blade
took less than a half second in slicing the head of the victim. Once sliced, it
could take the victim up to 30 seconds to lose consciousness and die.
16
SECRET MAP
EQUESTRIAN MONUMENTS
Modernity was the time of great men, soldiers, rescuers, liberators, models
of imperialistic masculinity. These great men have been immortalized in
equestrian monuments. The magnitude of their heroic bodies forged in
brilliant and immortal bronze; the horse, the domesticated beast, was a
metaphor of the ability to dominate the wild fury of the enemy. Regarding
the aesthetic conventions, the construction of equestrian monument has a
series of codes: if the horse has its four legs on the floor, it means that his
rider was not killed in action. In this case, he should be represented with
his hat on and without brandishing his sword. If the horse has three legs
in the ground and the fourth rose, it means that his rider was hurt in
battle. In this case, the rider will appear brandishing his arms but his head
should remain covered. When the horse has his two back legs on the floor
and his two front legs raised, this means that the rider was killed fighting.
In this case, he should be represented with the head not covered and
brandishing his sword.
Of these three equestrian monuments, two have conserved, at least, their
epic position: one is a neon sign, the other a souvenir dish. The third one
has the virtue to turn into a hero he who mounts it.
THE EQUESTRIAN MONUMENT OF FRIEDRICH THE GREAT
A souvenir (from French, memory) is
an object that it wakes up memories
with him associated, maybe a trip to
a certain geographic zone. This dish
is a typical souvenir, not of
geographies or spaces, but of time. It
is a souvenir from History. It shows
Friedrich the Great monument, at
Unter der Linden Boulevard, in
Berlin, one of the most outstanding
equestrian monuments of the XIX
century. Berliners call it Alte Fritz. It
18
was made by sculptor Daniel Rauch
and it served as model for several
pieces constructed in the second half
of the century. Raised on an
important pedestal, the statue
represents emperor Friedrich (who
made Berlin a prosperous imperial
capital) mounting its horse and
dressed with his uniform: an ermine
skin coat and a tipped tricorne.
19
LES CHEVALLIERS DU ROI
During the reign of Enrique IV,
different nobles and members of
cavalry in France played a game. It
consisted in forming a circle of
horses. On their running horses, the
soldiers tried to grasp a ring from
brass located outside circle. In
century XVII, a toy maker in Paris
created a spinning platform on which
he placed a series of wooden horses
20
for every one and not only nobility to
play it. He named the game
“carrousel”. The horses of the merrygo-round were placed in groups of
three. Throughout the years, other
motifs were added, for example,
banks for those who did not want to
mount a horse. The construction of
these banks, denominated “seats for
lovers”, was strongly influenced by
the aesthetic of Venetian gondoliers.
VEGAS VIC
Imprisoned at the intersection of
Freemont Str. and Vegas Boulevard,
this equestrian version of Vegas Vic
is one of the most recognizable icons
of the city of Las Vegas. A cowboy,
wearing his hat and boots with
spurs. Beginning like a simple dusty
stop in the road towards the distant
West, Las Vegas conserves even
today its bond with cowboys culture,
for example, with the organization of
the National Roundups. Since XIX,
the cowboy’s image has been
strongly idealized. A loner working in
natural and separated spaces, they
forged
independent
and
individualistic personalities, creating
a particular culture and even a code
of their own. The Cowboys code
establishes, among other things, that
a member should not lie, he should
help those who are in problems and,
most important thing, he should
never shoot first.
21
COSIMO I OF MEDICI AND HIS AUTOREPRESENTATION
IN FLORENTINE ART AND CULTURE (DESIGN YOUR
OWN MONUMENTS)
Under the government of Cosimo de Medicis, the city of Florence reached the
highest tip of its political importance and material prosperity. It even doubled
its territories. Besides being a great statesman, Cosimo loved art, science and
the philosophy. He was a great collector and also a patron and he used to be
surrounded by famous artists (Donatello, Bronzino, Verocchio, Pontormo,
Ticiano, Benvenutto Cellini), architects and poets. This patronage was not
disinterested. Each work of art that Cosme ordered contributed to the
prestige of the Medicis. Through pictures, monuments, under-reliefs, busts,
sculptures, coins carved with his face and celebratory poems, he made a cult
of his own image.
22
WRITE YOUR OWN SPEECH
BRILLIANT PLANS TO DESTROY THE PLANET
Throughout history, the political and military leaders of the world have
perpetrated all class of paranoid masterful plans to dominate it or to
destroy the enemy, turning him into a sinister model of maliciousness,
cruelty and power, wishing to twist the normal course of history. Being
completely evil, the enemy must be completely destroyed.
PLAN TO MAKE THE CITY OF LONDON DISAPPEAR
FROM THE MAP
PLAN TO TURN THE ENEMY INTO ASHES
PLAN TO FLOOD THE CITY OF VENICE
PLAN TO DISARM THE EIFFEL TOWER
LITTLE HISTORY OF CHINA
MATCHING PAIRS 1
Excerpt from Benito Musolini's speech, June 10th, 1940. Roma, Piazza Venezia.
SECRET MESSAGE
LOUIS NAPOLEON’S PARIS
Charles-Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon III), was Napoleon Bonaparte’s
nephew He was last king and second Emperor of France. During his reign
France had a time of great development and prosperity. One of the main
activities that Napoleon III carried out was the gigantic urban transformation
of Paris. In order to make it, he called Georges-Eugène Baron Haussmann
who modernized the city constructing wide boulevards and new bridges and
prestigious buildings to give account of the prosperity of the country. In this
way, he would demonstrate the world to what extent this modernization made
him the most popular between the masses.
31
GENERAL DON JOSE OF SAN MARTIN CROSSES THE
ANDES (1817)
DRAW YOUR OWN TYRANT
THE REBEL
THE GAME OF THE GOOSE OF THE MARQUES OF
SOBREMONTE (VICEROYALTY OF THE RIO DE LA
PLATA, 1807)
Rafael de Sobremonte was a military man. At the beginning of the XIX
century he was the Spanish colonial administrator in Río de la Plata. He
even became Viceroy. During the second English Invasions, when the
enemy troops surrounded the city, he fled from Buenos Aires carrying with
him several coffers the public treasure.
INSTRUCTIONS
42 The Viceroy celebrated sumptuous
celebrations
inviting
the
most
outstanding personages of the city and
ornamenting his palace with candelabra
and mirrors. Go forward 5 spaces.
6 Viceroy Sobremonte was called to live
in a critical time. His colony was attacked
by English sailors and soldiers that
decided to invade Buenos Aires in order
to take away the succulent treasure of
gold and the silver belonging to the King
of Spain. Go forward to 12.
52
There were serious doubts on the
nobility condition of the Viceroy, with
high possibilities of it being false. You
lose 6 turns.
12 When Sobremonte heard about the
invasion, he decided to flee from Buenos
Aires. Many took his attitude as a sign of
caution. Others took it as sign of
cowardice. Go back to 6.
53 The Viceroy was suspected to have a
close friendship with certain foreigners
who were working in favor of the British
during the English Invasions. Among
them there were spies and intriguers who
frequented assiduously the Viceroy’s
residence. Go back to 26.
19 In the colony it was considered that
Sobremonte
had
neglected
the
administrative norms and he was
criticized for a certain lack of control of
contraband. But some understood that
this was so only because of his
progressive spirit. You lose two turns.
56 Rafael de Sobremonte had a long life.
He was judged, declared innocent of all
possible corruption and he was
vindicated. Its name still is honored in
Spain. Go forward to the end of the game.
26 The Viceroy flees to the city of
Cordoba to put the Spanish treasure out
of
danger
and
searching
for
reinforcements. There he tried to organize
an army of 3,000 men in order to
reconquer the capital of the Viceroyalty.
But once in Cordoba, he heard that
Santiago de Liniers had won the battle to
the English and Buenos Aires did not
want to know nothing with him. Go
forward to 53.
58 When remembering to the Marques,
the Creoles used to recite these verses:
“With the first loyal cannon was heard,
Sobremonte with the gold went away”. Go
back to the beginning of the game.
Coins: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54 and 59. Go
to the next coin.
31
Many consider the Marques of
Sobremonte the first corrupt governor of
the Rio de la Plata. You must wait until
another player replaces to you.
35
SEND YOUR OWN TREASONS (BY MAIL FOR THE
FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE)
July 13th, 1793, the young Carlota Corday went to Jean Paul Marat’s house,
in the Rue Cordeliers n 30, with a letter. She pretended to be a military widow
and declared to need the signature of the ideologist of the Reign of Terror to
get a pension for his supposed children. Marat received her in the bathtub. A
skin affection forced him to take constants baths with salts. Finding him
defenseless, Corday stubs him with a kitchen knife in the chest. Numerous
examples connect the mail with death: for example, the killing to the
messenger or the messengers of death. Correspondence, on the other hand,
appears frequently related to secrets, conspiracies and treasons.
38
THE COUNTESS OF LALANDE LOST IN THE FOREST
THE GENEALOGICAL TREE OF ALEXANDER IV
BUILD YOUR OWN CASTLES
The word “castle” comes from the Latin “castellum”, diminutive from
“castrum”, that is to say, a fortified place. The first castles arose like
defensive places in Europe in IX century, during the Carolingian times. The
incorporation of new military technologies in XIII century, for example,
guns and powder determined that the castle walls were constructed higher
and heavier. Nevertheless, the castles were still taken by assault, their
walls were scaled and they underwent sieges. The use of catapults throwing
stones or inflammable projectiles motivated that the castle were even
surrounded with several concentric walls. Many had towers in order to
observe the arrival of the enemies at the distance. The castles were
residence of feudal gentlemen and monarchs. Here are some instructions
in order to build castles.
CASTLE IN THE AIR
Built with dreams and illusions, and not with stones or bricks.
41
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN CARD CASTLE
Building card castles is not easy. When incorporating each card to our
structure, we run the risk of make them all fall down. Here some tricks go to
avoid this.
MATERIALS
Cards and a pair of scissors.
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut of a centimeter of depth in each
sides of each card. When all cards
have cuts, begin to build a structure,
inserting the cuts one in the other.
Try to make the structure as high as
possible.
42
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SAND CASTLE
INSTRUCTIONS
In order to construct a sand castle,
you must begin to dig a hole in the
sand. This hole mustn’t be very deep
because if it is, it will be completely
filled with water. Using the hands,
remove the wet sand from the bottom
and use it. In order to build the
towers, we must make sand cakes,
piling them one on another in
delicate form. We will use more and
smaller cakes if we want the towers
to be higher. In order to construct
the walls, we will have to place wet
sand cakes one next to the other,
flattening them with our palms until
reaching the length of wall we wish.
In order to finish our castle, we will
need to carve also the battlements of
the towers, the doors and the
windows.
43
BE THE FOOTMAN OF YOUR OWN NOBILITY
MATCHING PAIRS 2
(GUESS WHICH IS THE KING SWAN)
Known as the King-swan, Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886) lost all interest in
the subjects of State and dedicated himself to construct strange and beautiful
castles. The castle of Neuschwanstein, for example, constructed in the top of
a mountain with medieval turrets and fairy aura, even inspired the castle of
Sleeping Beauty in Disneyland. Due to his eccentricities and wastes of
money, the members of the court concluded that the king was crazy. Three
days after he was declared lunatic, Ludwig I appeared drowned, floating in
Lake Starnberg.
45
THE DESERTER
NOBODY WINS IF NOBODY LOSES
RECIPE FOR MAKING A REVOLUTION (CANTON, 1368)
CRUST
4 cups of flour
4 spoonfuls of brown sugar
½ spoonful of salt
110 gr. of margarine
1 egg
1 spoonful of sesame oil
FILLING
50 gr. of peanuts
50 gr. of sesame seeds
50 gr. of almonds
50 gr. of nuts
50 gr. of raisins
100gr of sugar
50 gr. of margarine
50 gr. of rice flour
1 revolutionary flyer
INSTRUCTIONS
Throw the flour, the sugar and the
salt in a bowl. Incorporate the
margarine in pieces and mix it. Add
water as needed to form grazes.
Cover with a rag. Toast the peanuts.
Add sesame. Put peanuts and
sesame in a processor and process
incorporating the rest of the
elements needed for the filling.
Stretch the crust, fill with the
revolutionary flyer. Cover with
sesame seeds and bake for
approximately half an hour. See if
the pies begin a to acquire a golden
brown tone. (This prescription comes
from Shanghai. Usually, the moon
pies are baked here in circular molds
of about seven centimeters of
diameter. The molds can also have
the form of Chrysanthemums).
48
Mongoles invaded China in 1279 and dominated the country during a
century, exerting a rigid control in the conquered territory. The Chinese of
Canton, tired of this situation, looked for the occasion to rebel themselves
but they did not know how to inform their intentions to the other Chinese
regions. Chu Yuan-chang, the leader of the rebels, devised a form to deceive
the Mongol’s control. During the Autumn Festival, the Chinese used to eat
traditional cakes denominated “moon pies” due to their round form.
Mongols refused to eat these pies because they feared o be poisoned by
their enemies. Chu Yuan-chang decided to introduce messages in the pies,
informing the rest of the Chinese of the rebellion and asking them to join
it. During the Autumn Festival of 1368, all the Chinese found a rebellious
note in their pie. That same night they attacked the Mongols, forcing them
to back behind the Chinese wall.
49
ALWAYS WARN ON THE DANGERS OF THE
ENEMY (AND NEVER ON YOURS)
Poster of propaganda of the federal Administration of civil defense, created in
1950 by President Truman, warning on the dangers of the Communism and
the nuclear war.
50
INDEX
51
52
MEGALOMAN MANIAC
CHOOSE YOUR AGGRESSIVE PHRASE (THE VIOLENCE OF LANGUAGE)
WRITE YOUR OWN REVOLUTIONARY SLOGAN
DRAW YOUR OWN BORDERS
DIE PICKELHAUBE
ÉGALITÉ DES HOMMES
HAVE YOUR OWN POLITICAL DELIRIUM
THE MONUMENT OF REASON (PARIS 1789)
SECRET MAP (TERRITORIES TO BE CONQUERED BY ALEXANDER IV)
EQUESTRIAN MONUMENTS
THE EQUESTRIAN MONUMENT OF FRIEDRICH THE GREAT
LES CHEVALLIERS DU ROI
VEGAS VIC
COSIMO I OF MEDICI AND HIS AUTO-REPRESENTATION IN FLORENTINE ART
AND CULTURE (DESIGN YOUR OWN MONUMENTS)
WRITE YOUR OWN SPEECH
BRILLIANT PLANS TO DESTROY THE PLANET
PLAN TO MAKE THE CITY OF LONDON DISAPPEAR FROM THE MAP
PLAN TO TURN THE ENEMY INTO ASHES
PLAN TO FLOOD THE CITY OF VENICE
PLAN TO DISARM THE EIFFEL TOWER
LITTLE HISTORY OF CHINA
MATCHING PAIRS 1
SECRET MESSAGE
LOUIS NAPOLEON’S PARIS
GENERAL DON JOSE OF SAN MARTIN CROSSES THE ANDES (1817)
DRAW YOUR OWN TYRANT
THE REBEL
THE GAME OF THE GOOSE OF THE MARQUES OF SOBREMONTE (VICEROYALTY
OF THE RIO DE LA PLATA, 1807)
SEND YOUR OWN TREASONS (BY MAIL FOR THE FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE)
THE COUNTESS OF LALANDE LOST IN THE FOREST
THE GENEALOGICAL TREE OF ALEXANDER IV
BUILD YOUR OWN CASTLES
CASTLE IN THE AIR
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN CARD CASTLE
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SAND CASTLE
BE THE FOOTMAN OF YOUR OWN NOBILITY
MATCHING PAIRS 2 (GUESS WHICH IS THE KING SWAN)
THE DESERTER
NOBODY WINS IF NOBODY LOSES
RECIPE FOR MAKING A REVOLUTION (CANTON, 1368)
ALWAYS WARN ON THE DANGERS OF THE ENEMY (AND NEVER ON YOURS)
53
09
10
11
12
13
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16
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21
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23
24
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
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38
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42
43
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46
47
48
50
This e-book was downloaded from:
www.belengache.com.ar
54
Modernity believed in Reason, Truth and Science as monolithic
categories. It understood Reality as a cause-effect rational system.
Following a model of scientific objectivity, it tried to organize the
things of world reducing them as measurable and manipulable
entities. Modernity was both a Universal and a Western project
resting on an optimistic view on technological development and
with an evolutionist conception of History.
According to its way of thinking, History should have its great
supporting stories, being these imperialistic, colonialist, or - like
the other side of the coin- of heroic resistance and revolution.
Corresponding with this kind of narrations, we will find strong
individuals: kings, tyrants, dictator, commanders. They are
protagonists of these stories of conquest, liberation and
emancipation. The Universal History Notebook relates to the great
modern subjects: the hero, the king, the monument, the military
strategy - the attack, the defense, the revolution. But here, they
have lost their power, their substance, their reason of being, and
their importance. Some of them show us their dark face: they are
imposters, treasonous, narcissists and, first of all, cruel. Some of
them are even seen as paranoid maniacs.

The Universal History Notebook

Transcription

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