Remember the Alamo? It reminds me of Ukraine

People in Michigan don't think much about the battle of the Alamo anymore. But a visit to that old Spanish mission where Texans held off the Mexican army for almost two weeks reminded me of the present day war in Ukraine.  I enjoyed thinking about the similarities and that prompted me to write this analysis.

The Alamo

Heroes of the Alamo plaque
In 1836,  Mexican soldiers under the command of General Santa Anna stormed the Alamo after holding the fort hostage for almost two weeks. 

The Texans defending the fort--including Davey Crockett, Jim Bowie, James Bonham, and William Travis--had vowed to fight to the death rather than surrender. 189 soldiers died that day.

The old wall

General Santa Anna thought that the defeat would demoralize the Texans and lead to an easy victory for Mexico. 

The outcome had the opposite effect: it galvanized the cause and resulted in Texas fighting for sovereignty from Mexico and ultimately becoming part of the United States.



Inside the courtyard at the Alamo


Ukraine

Ukrainians took refuge in this factory
 In late March, 2022, Ukrainian citizens and soldiers took refuge in Mariupol's Iron and Steel Works factory, where they have been besieged by Russian troops for over a month.  The Ukrainians refused to surrender and have been staging a dramatic last stand for weeks.  



As of this month, May,  the Russians have started to evacuate women and children. But the soldiers aren't leaving, "Mariupol is Ukraine,"  Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Tuesday. "It was Ukraine, it is Ukraine, it will be Ukraine."

Lose the battle and win the war

We don't yet known the outcome of the war on Ukraine. But the people's commitment to freedom and the example of their leaders, particularly President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who aims to make the whole world experience this war as a matter of survival, reminds me of the Alamo.

Given the outcome of the Alamo, Zelenskyy may lose the battle and win the war. 

The old stone church is one of the only buildings still standing from the 1836 siege of the Alamo


Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 5, 2022 at 10:59 AM

    This blog is awesome! Love that you are doing it. I'm mobile these days, when you need a house sitter in the future! ; )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristy OlendorfMay 5, 2022 at 11:05 AM

      Forgot to put my name to the comments!

      Delete
    2. Donna OlendorfMay 5, 2022 at 12:37 PM

      Thanks for the encouraging words and reading this blog. We’ d love to have you as a house sitter and will definitely follow up for future travel.

      Did your job go fully remote? Are you still in your cute downtown apt?

      Delete
  2. Donna OlendorfMay 5, 2022 at 12:35 PM

    Thanks for the encouraging words and reading this blog. We’ d love to have you as a house sitter and will definitely follow up for future travel.

    Did your job go fully remote? Are you still in your cute downtown apt?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Señor BetoMay 8, 2022 at 12:17 PM

    Unlike the Mexican defenders of their countrys' territory, I hope it turns out different for the Ukrainians and they are able to defeat and expel the invaders.
    America stole the name too.
    Tejas is the Spanish spelling of a Caddo word taysha, which means "friend" or "ally". In the 17th century the Spanish knew the westernmost Caddo peoples as "the great kingdom of Tejas" and the name lived on to become the name of the 28th state of the United States—Texas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousMay 9, 2022 at 8:55 AM

      Dear Señor Beto,
      Thank you so much for reading my blog post and sharing your insights. It's a reminder that we don't all share the same point of view. The United States certainly used Manifest Destiny to carry out inexcusable behavior and perhaps this falls into that category. I am glad however that we seem to agree on Ukraine. I hope to hear from you again. Thank you.

      Delete

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