Week 2 Assignment: Essay – Video Analysis. Mussolini’s Invasion of Ethiopia.
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 4, 5, 6
Lesson
Link (video): Benito Mussolini (Links to an external site.) (53:48)
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources (in addition to the textbook)
Instructions
Watch the entire video on Benito Mussolini (noted in the Required Resources). Identify and describe 3 aspects of the video you found most interesting that align with each of the following:
Foreign policy.
Violent and/or non-violent movements for social, economic, and political change
Governmental authority/loss of personal liberties
Conduct additional research to provide an analysis of those 3 aspects. What information did you find that the video left out? How did the video enhance your understanding of those aspects?
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 2-3 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page
Grading
This activity will be graded using the W2 Essay Grading Rubric.
Course Outcomes (CO): 1, 3, 4, 5
Due Date: By 11:59 p.m. MT on Sunday
Reference
Stevenson, M. (Director), & Cameron, P. (Producer). (2018). Benito Mussolini [Video]. Public Broadcasting Service. Academic Video Online.
Rubric
Week 2 Essay Grading Rubric
Week 2 Essay Grading Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLength
5 pts
Meets length requirement
0 pts
Does not meet length requirement
5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent
10 pts
Paper addresses all aspects of the assignment.
8.5 pts
Paper addresses most aspects of the assignment.
7.5 pts
Paper addresses some aspects of the assignment.
6 pts
Paper addresses few aspects of the assignment.
0 pts
No effort
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis
20 pts
Throughout the whole work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
17 pts
Throughout most of the work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
15 pts
Throughout some of the work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
12 pts
Throughout little of the work, content expresses original thoughts or interprets the subject matter in a different perspective.
0 pts
No effort
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSupport
20 pts
Throughout the whole work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
17 pts
Throughout most of the work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
15 pts
Throughout some of the work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
12 pts
Throughout little of the work, claims are supported with detailed and persuasive examples; accurate facts and circumstances are used for support.
0 pts
No effort
20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting: Mechanics & Usage
10 pts
The writing is free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that would detract from a clear reading of the paper.
8.5 pts
The writing contains a few errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but the errors do not detract from a clear reading of the text.
7.5 pts
The writing contains some errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that need to be addressed for a clearer reading of the paper.
6 pts
The writing contains several errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation that impede a clear reading of the paper.
0 pts
No effort
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClarity & Flow
10 pts
The writing contains strong word choice that clarifies ideas and masterful sentence variety aids with the flow of ideas.
8.5 pts
The writing contains varied word choice and sentence structures that clarify ideas and aid with the flow of ideas.
7.5 pts
The writing contains word choice and sentence structures that can be revised for better clarification of ideas and flow of ideas.
6 pts
The writing contains wording and sentence structures that are awkward and/or unclear, impeding the clarity and flow of ideas.
0 pts
No effort
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSource Integration
10 pts
Paper includes reference to 2 scholarly sources and properly integrates the sources.
7 pts
Paper includes reference to 2 scholarly sources but does not properly integrate the sources.
0 pts
Paper does not make reference to a scholarly sources.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA: Citation and Reference Formatting
10 pts
All sources are properly cited in the text and references page demonstrating a mastery of resource and APA citation reference format.
8.5 pts
Most sources are cited in the text and references page. Some minor errors may exist in citation, but it does not interfere with understanding the source of the information.
7.5 pts
Most sources are integrated, structured, and cited in the text and references page. Some errors may exist in citation that need to be addressed to clarify the source of information.
6 pts
Sources are not properly cited in the text/references page. Formatting contains several errors that suggest a lack of understanding of APA format.
0 pts
Sources are not cited.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPA Paper Format
5 pts
Paper is properly formatted in APA style throughout (i.e. title page, spacing, font, in-text citations and references).
4 pts
Paper is mostly properly formatted in APA style (i.e. title page, spacing, font, in-text citations and references).
3 pts
Paper is somewhat properly formatted in APA style (i.e. title page, spacing, font, in-text citations and references).
2 pts
Paper is improperly formatted in APA style throughout.
0 pts
No effort
5 pts
Total Points: 100
Week 2 Assignment: Essay – Video Analysis
Student’s Name
Institution
Week 2 Assignment: Essay – Video Analysis
The video by Stevenson and Cameron (2015) provides an account of the life and actions of one of Europe’s greatest dictators in the 20th century, Benito Mussolini. While he began his political career as a socialist, Mussolini was expelled from the party after calling for Italy to join World War I. Three important aspects that I found interesting in the video are Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia, the Fascist Movement, and censorship of the press. These aspects respectively align with foreign policy, violent movements for change, and government authority/loss of personal liberty.
Mussolini’s Invasion of Ethiopia
Despite commanding the support of the majority of Italians, the poor performance of the economy and rising unemployment in the mid-1930s gave rise to discontent among the citizens and the fascist leader had to employ a key tactic of dictatorship: the use of war (Stevenson, 2015). Such a tactic is instrumental in not only uniting the public under one nationalist agenda, but it also plays a big role in preventing opposition. Ethiopia was one of the few countries that had not been colonized and Mussolini saw an opportunity for expansion of his empire. It is important to recognize that Ethiopia had 40 years earlier defeated the Italian army and therefore, the move to attack the country was meant to reclaim lost honor. Mussolini expected a short war but the fierce resistance by Ethiopians pushed the war to several months. The Italian army broke the provisions of the Geneva Convention by using poison gas on civilians. Although the dictator claimed victory, it came at a great cost with more than a thousand soldiers being killed or wounded.
The invasion of Ethiopia was one of the few foreign policies pursued by Mussolini. The imperial expansion, however, was opposed by other European powers like the British and the French (Duiker, 2015). One thing that appears to be left out in the video is Haile Selassie’s efforts to avoid the war. As informed by Strang (2016), Selassie, the emperor of Ethiopia, appealed to the signatories of the Kellogg-Briand Pact to help prevent the invasion by Mussolini. However, no meaningful action was taken by any of the signatories. The video helped me understand that Mussolini wanted to invade and conquer Ethiopia at all cost, and that’s why he used poison gas to poison to kill even civilians. I have also understood that one of the motivations for the attack of Ethiopia was growing dissent in Italy due to the deteriorating economy and rising unemployment.
The Fascist Movement
A common aspect described throughout the video is the fascist ideology that was developed and promoted by Mussolini. Right from a young boy,...