Five Forces Model: U.S. Automobile Industry

Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model is a model used to analyze a particular environment of an industry. An industry is a group of firms that market products which are close substitutes for each other, such as the automobile industry. According to Porter, there are five forces that determine an industry’s long-run profitability and attractiveness. These five competitive forces are the threat of entry of new competitors, or new entrants; the threat of substitutes; the bargaining power of buyers; the bargaining power of suppliers, and the degree of rivalry between existing competitors. In the auto manufacturing industry, the threat of new entrants is generally very low. For this threat, factors to examine include all barriers to entry such as upfront capital requirements since it costs a lot to set up a car manufacturing facility. They also need to look at brand equity since a new firm may have none. Also, legislation and government policy are considered and this includes safety, EPA, and emissions. Finally, they’ll look at the ability to distribute the product. The emergence of foreign competitors with the capital, management skills, and required technologies began to undermine the market share of North American companies. The bargaining power of suppliers must be examined. Historically, the bargaining power of automakers went unchallenged. The American consumer, however, became undeceived with many of the products being offered by some auto companies and began looking for alternatives, particularly foreign cars. On the other hand, while consumers can be very price sensitive, they do not hold much buying power since they never purchase a large volume of cars. If buyers can look at the competition or other comparable products, and switch easily, there may be a high threat competitive rivalry. The switching cost is high with new cars because you can't sell a brand new car for the same price you paid for it. You also need to look at public transportation and the likelihood of people taking the bus, train or airplane to get around. The higher the cost of operating a vehicle, the more likely people will look for alternative transportation options. The price of gasoline has a big impact on consumers' decisions to buy vehicles as well. SUV’s and trucks have higher profit margins, but they also consume more gas compared to smaller sedans and light trucks. Product differentiation is important too since there are usually many cars that are similar. The automobile supply business tends to have many firms. Many suppliers rely on one or two automakers to buy a majority of their products. If an automaker decided to switch suppliers, it could be devastating to the previous supplier's business. So, suppliers are extremely susceptible to the demands and requirements of the automobile manufacturer and hold very little power. But some suppliers are small firms who rely on the carmakers, and may only have one carmaker as a client. So this can be a tricky force to evaluate. In most countries, all auto makers are engaged in fierce competition. Price slashes, product developments, and ad campaigns keep them on the edge of innovation and profitability. Margins are low and pressure between rivals is high. Highly competitive industries generally earn low returns because the cost of competition is high. The automobile industry is considered to be an oligopoly, which helps to minimize the effects of price-based competition. The automakers understand that price-based competition does not necessarily lead to increases in the size of the marketplace. In the past, they have tried to avoid price-based competition, but more recently the competition has intensified – rebates, preferred financing and long-term warranties have helped attract customers, but they also put pressure on the profit margins for vehicle sales. Works Cited CarFreaks. Porter's Five Forces Analysis of the Automobile Industry. 24 January 2010. 13 October 2011 . Hitt, Michael A. , Duane Ireland and Robert E. Hoskisson. Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization: Concepts, Ninth Edition. Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2011. Investopedia. The Industry Handbook: Automobiles. 2011. 13 October 2011

Global Mindset

Global Mindset Student: Althea A. Tulloch [email  protected] com Program: Bachelors in Organizational Management Nyack College November 30, 2011 Introduction What does it mean to have a global mindset? . Advancements in technology, especially the Internet for e-commerce, have led to globalization, where different economies, societies and cultures of the world are integrated through a global network . It is the capability to operate a business within various cultures. Globalization has affected the world in many different ways including, Industry, Financial arkets, Economically and Diversity where respectively there has been an increase of worldwide markets where countries now have better access to foreign products and raw materials for production and finished goods exportation, different economies of the world have better access to loans and an increase in job opportunities in underdeveloped countries thereby reducing poverty . It has increased the competition among different count ries, and has opened the world to better communication and understanding among people. With the growth in globalization individuals and organizations are forced to develop a lobal mindset to keep abreast of the times. Having a global mindset, to me, is having the ability to analyze, appreciate and utilize the beliefs, customs, behaviors and business practices of individuals and organizations from different parts of the world, to influence global success in the marketplace. It is necessary that global leaders hone this skill as they â€Å" require both business – related and culture-related competencies to operate effectively on a global basis† (Terrell, 2010, p. 2). There are five characteristics of an effective global leader, according to Goldsmith et al 2003): 1. thinking globally 2. appreciating cultural diversity 3. developing technological savvy 4. building partnerships and alliances 5. sharing leadership. Without first acquiring a global mindset, a global leader will not be as effective as he or she should be in the diverse cultural arena. These skills are all required in addition to those typically associated with general leadership which involves managing, strategizing and decision-making. Having a global mindset gives a global organization a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Cultural intelligence (CQ) provides a research-based model for becoming a more effective leader in culturally diverse and cross- cultural settings and is the core of developing a global mindset . This is a necessary skillset for every manager who deals with diverse teams of employees and customers. According to Van Dyne et al (2009) CQ is a person’s capability to understand and adapt effectively to new cultural contexts. Its structure is comprised of cognitive, motivational and behavioral elements. As CQ is relevant to the increasingly global and diverse workplace, it s a requirement in developing a global mindset. However, it is insufficient to rely on awareness through experience and thought, to attain the high CQ necessary to become a superior global leader, responsible for managing multinational teams. According to Shapiro et al (2005, p. 14) â€Å" Knowledge of self is insufficient for high CQ because awareness does not guarantee flexibility †. Flexibility of self- awareness is highly desired as cultures are evolving, and reshaping one’s outlook is necessary for a better understanding. Sowell (1994) states in regard to culture that cultural competition is what dvances the human race, as there are transfers of cultural advances from one group to another. Culture affects decision-making, as well, and the required decision model needs to be determined on an individual nationality basis. According to Wilson (2010) some of the relevant categories to determine which model a nation’s culture falls under are: rational / classical: making presumptions that each group member has common goals and can reach desired conclusions by identifying and assessing problems emotional: exhibiting feelings like mood and verconfidence political / coalitional: a behavioral attitude with emphasis on negotiation, cooperation, or often chaotic but works out in the end garbage can: appease the majority of stakeholders through consensus By understanding decisi on-making models which guide decisions more successfully, leaders are more effective and can better influence problem solutions across cultures. What behaviors are necessary that allows a leader to develop a truly global mindset? A leader can develop a truly global mindset by learning from experience, whether this nvolves learning the language and customs of the countries within which he or she works, by participating in diverse meetings and communicating with a diverse group of business leaders or by living in or frequently visiting global countries or by attending training programs or similar to the ones offered at the Thunderbird Institute. Dr. Mansour Javidan’s programs offer assessments and suggestions on improvement to achieve superior global leadership qualities. The programs focus on three concepts, or capitals: 1. Intellectual Capital – how much one knows about global industries and governments in ther parts of the world 2. Psychological Capital- which influen ces the emotions, and questions how willing a person is to put himself / herself in uncomfortable situations 3. Social Capital – how able is someone to build relationships with people from different countries An organization has a responsibility, as well, in developing the global mindset of the leader by communicating its strategic intent and interest of being a global company. It can also provide clarity on the kinds of skills needed for global executives. Conclusion An organization that intends to expand globally must develop a global mindset if it is to recognize and capitalize on opportunities in the marketplace. Cross-cultural training is imperative for organizations that expand globally. Managers need to get more involved with activities that are diverse in order to learn more about cultures and how we are similar or unique. The organization should have a foundation of openness and dedicate itself to becoming well informed on different cross-cultural issues, values and systems and different assumptions regarding reality. Additionally, it should accept diversity as natural (as the world gets closer through high technology), and also as a source of opportunity and strength. . References: Goldsmith, M. , Greenberg, C. , Robertson, A. , & Hu-Chan, M. (2003). Global leadership:the next generation. Financial Times Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ. Javidan, M. (2011). Global mindset. Macguire graduate school of Management. Shapiro, D. L. , Von Glinow M. A. Y. , Cheng, J. L. , & Hitt, M. A. (2005). Managing Multinational Teams: global perspective. Advances in International management, 18(1). Elsevier Ltd : San Diego, CA. Sowell, T. (1994). AWorldview. In Race and culture: A worldview (pp. 1-31). Retrieved from: http://www. tsowell. com/spcultur. html Terrell, S. (2010) How global Leaders develop: a phenomenological study of global leadership development. Retrieved from http://www. proquestllc. com Van Dyne, L. , Ang, S. , Livermore, D. (2009). Cultural intelligence: a pathway for leading in a rapidly globalizing world. Ccl casebook-cq chapter. Wilson, J. H. (2010). Closing the deal: influencing a decision in two cultures. Leadership Advance online. Issue xx.

The Gendered and Gendering Institutions

When describing something that influences your gender, most people would assume that your â€Å"sex† or our biological identification given to us at birth would be the most definite source; however there are multiple factors and processes that contribute to one’s gender identity. The multitudes of institutions that assist in the socialization of an individual vary from person to person, but are all beneficial in creating a sense of gender. According to Michael Messner, there are two types of institutions, the gendered and the gendering.The gendered institution is described by Messner as â€Å"an institution constructed by gender relations. As such, its structures and values (rules, formal organizations, sex composition, etc. ) reflect dominant conceptions of masculinity and femininity† (p. 133). The gendering institution can be described by Messner as an institution that constructs the current gender order and genders people’s bodies and minds, it creates the masculine and feminine identities.These institutions are both detrimental to the construction of gender and personal identity; for me the involvement in CYO sports at a young age and the household in which I grew up (all girls) allowed me the freedom to develop an identity of my own outside the traditional masculine/feminine identity. As an 10 year old girl joining an all girls basketball team for the very first time, my parents thought this would be a helpful and constructive pastime for me to be involved with as a distraction from their divorce.Already struggling with personal issues at home, this institution became a very prominent source of development. The rules and expectations of this particular institution were that if we could work as hard as the boys, we could eventually be as good as the boys. My team was strong and extremely competitive, and certain values were instilled in us by our coaches at a young age. Being resilient to injury, maintaining a competitive attitud e against teammates and opponents, and not displaying emotion were all values that I had picked up from being involved with a contact sport.The idea that an all girls sport is incorporated with femininity simply because the team is made up of girls just does not ring true. Instead, we were seen as more masculine simply because of values that we had picked up from being involved in the sports complexity. I began placing importance on things such as working out and practicing basketball instead of playing with dolls and playing dress up, going against the traditional role of a female adolescent. From third grade, to eighth grade, I continued as an active participant in the institution.Practice everyday after school for 5 days a week, with league games on the weekends; basketball slowly consumed my childhood. I believe that being involved in a contact sport as competitive and aggressive as basketball, I was gendered with a more masculine approach rather than a feminine one. Certain ten ants of the masculine gender are traditionally associated with sports; like being strong, being competitive, and displaying emotions of anger only, most of these which I picked up in my 5 years of participating in sports.While other girls my age were involved in activities like Girl Scouts, dance classes, and music lessons, I dedicated all my free time to my sport of choice. This was the most gendered institution I had participated in at such a young age and really shaped the differences between masculine girls and feminine girls. From here, I had a solid idea of which end of the spectrum I fell under and how although I may differ from the other girls, there was nothing wrong with me. I chose to work out while girls my age chose to shop at the malls, I wore a short, hassle free haircut, while others girls had hair down past their shoulders.Christmas meant new equipment and sports apparel instead of the traditionally asked gifts of dolls and makeup. I still to this day see a reflecti on of that in my daily practices of gender. Jeans and t-shirts take priority over dresses and heels, I spend maximum of 30 minutes to get ready for the day while my extremely feminine roommates take a minimum of 2 hours. I still find myself watching and participating in sports, although not as passionately as I once had, but it is always in the back of my mind.I believe that I relate easily to the male sex because I understand their topics of interests that a lot of other girls my age do not. While I do identify as a girl, my interests, style of dress, laid back attitude, and casual appearance seem to identify more with the masculine identity. Whether this is due to the institution of sports or biological genetics, is a completely different argument. While basketball had an extremely big influence on my gender identity, growing up in a house of predominantly women; myself, my mother, and my two sisters, had an extreme impact on me, and how I viewed femininity.My Mother, extremely pr oud of us all, held no reservations, no expectations of gender, and was open to anything we wanted to try as children to establish an identity for ourselves; a true gift in which not everyone is exempt to. Growing up in a household that was flexible and fluid about personal identity and gender, I found this to be an extremely influential gendering institution. The expectations of the household were pretty fair and straightforward, the chores must be completed by Sunday nights, didn’t matter who did them as long as they got done.Curfews never changed, if you were coming home it had to be by midnight and if you were staying at a friend’s, call to say goodnight. These simple yet constructive guidelines allowed a certain flexibility to make my own decisions yet always take responsibility for them, the freedom to deviate away from the rules was there but somehow I never wanted to. Living in a home of all girls, there was always a certain aspect of masculinity missing from t he house; who will kill bugs, who will mow the lawn, change the light bulbs, unclog the toilets, fix the broken things?These small but important tasks I began to take on for myself. Slowly but surely taking on the role of â€Å"the man of the house†. Despite the sense of togetherness in our home, I always felt like the odd man out, displaying predominantly masculine emotions towards personal issues while my mother and sisters had no problem letting their tears and emotions spill. To this day I do not feel fully comfortable with â€Å"opening up† or crying in general, I would rather let them sit in the pit of my stomach and shake it off and this is considered a trait of a male.The lack of rules and rituals regarding feminine gender allowed me to fluctuate between the two until I found one I was comfortable with, a happy medium. Through my involvement in multiple structures and institutions, I believe that my gender came from a process of social agency, which is the abil ity of individuals to act independently and make their own free choices. Active participation in a gendered institution like Catholic Youth Organization Basketball, provided me with structure to be strong and confident even as a young girl.Although it went against social norms of femininity, I knew from a very young age that I was not the typical girl. Sitting on the opposite end of the spectrum, was the gendering institution of my family life. I was taught to be a polite and kind member of society, with no labels or expectations of gender attached to it. My mother always told me that as long as I was kind and civil to people, it should not matter how I dress or whom I choose to love. From all this, as a 21 year old openly gay woman in an institution as big as a California University, I found that while the endered and the gendering institutions are incredibly important in developing an identity for ourselves, I believe that even without strict and precise constraints of gender, one may develop and begin to flourish on their own. References Lorber, Judith. 2009. â€Å"The Social Construction of Gender. † Pp. 112-118 in Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology by Estelle Disch. Boston. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Messner, Michael. 2009. â€Å"Boyhood, Organized Sports, and the Construction of Masculinities. † Pp. 119-135 in Reconstructing Gender: A Multicultural Anthology by Estelle Disch. Boston. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

PROTEST AND REFORM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PROTEST AND REFORM - Essay Example Malcom X supported his belief by using intensity within his argument that separation of White and Black Americans is the only way to achieve success for the Negros. The use of voice inflection, hand gestures, and body language are important factors in this style of speech oration. Continual repetition of facts that Negros were not welcome in the United States further stressed the message being delivered to the public audiences (The Ballot, 2000). While Malcom X was suggesting that solution was segregation, King was offering love and unity to solve the problem. Compare and Contrast Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Fredrick Douglass, Rosa Parks, and Oliver Brown supported the Civil Rights Movement that allowed African American individuals the right to every benefit afforded the White population. Fredrick Douglass was named the father of Civil Rights as he pushed for the abolishment of slavery in the 1800s (Fremarjo, 2011). Rosa Parks was a black woman who refused to give up her s eat on a bus to a White person and move to the back of the bus (Parks, 2012). Her actions sparked monumental actions toward desegregation. Oliver Brown petitioned the school to allow his student to attend a school that was closer to their home. The ruling on this court case â€Å"Brown vs. ... Even though it did not happen overnight, women did earn the right to vote and were allowed into the workforce. Susan B. Anthony was a staunch supporter of Women’s Rights from the beginning of the idea. For over 50 years, she promoted the idea that women suffrage was needed (Lindor, 2001). In 1872 Anthony saw her voting ballot drop into the ballot box. The trial that ensued allowed her to spread her message to a larger audience than previously encountered. Elizabeth Stanton named her occupation as a Women’s Rights Activist. Not only did she promote the right to vote for women, but she also supported the abolishment of slavery. Stanton delivered speeches that accused the bible and men of denying women their rights. Stanton published a critique of the bible and received considerable from religious groups and community members alike (Stanton, 2012). The difference between the Civil Rights Movement and Women’s Rights was that one dealt with ethnicity rights and the ot her dealt with gender rights. The similarities existed in the fact that each group was fighting for the right to benefit from all the privileges afforded to other individuals who were not confined by color or gender. The use of violent and nonviolent protests were present in each movement. The individuals who supported the movements were in danger of jail or torture in each historical event. Persuasive Attempts Many types of persuasive action has been enacted to convince another person of accepting or changing beliefs that were not originally their own. Influence has been the practice of orators around the world. Techniques that have been used throughout history include: Getting the audience’s attention Creating or identifying a need, problem, or desire Offering a solution

Advertisement Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Advertisement Analysis - Assignment Example In this advert, all the car’s occupants comprise youths who have had an accident though the two teens occupying passenger seats seem to have already died. There is a phone showing incomplete statement, â€Å"We’re already ther†¦.† which afterwards rings; probably their friends are inquiring victims where they have reached once they fail to receive a reply text within the anticipated period (â€Å"Eberhard Productions†). In order to make this advert work effectively, producer chooses to use an extremely catching tune while showing the accident’s severity. Hence, bringing a feeling which normally follows tension sound tracks mostly used in movies to evaluate or show consequences of a calamity especially when victims are trying to come into terms with the reality (â€Å"Eberhard Productions†). The advert also utilizes both continuous and immobile animations features like dented vehicle, tree, passing car as well unconscious children who are lethally injured. Other animations include ringing phone, which has prompted the young woman to cause an accident with an incomplete message though the person they were rushing to meet is calling. It is intriguing how the producer integrates actions in the film to relay his or her message. Instead of the warning statement of texting while driving being at the start of the film, he or she chooses to have it towards the end. These encompass unconscious injured victims, dented car, ringing phone and screaming young woman due to shock of what has befallen them though her shout is not audible in the movie (â€Å"Eberhard

Influence of Arabic on Spanish language up to the 15th century Essay

Influence of Arabic on Spanish language up to the 15th century - Essay Example This paper will argue the impact of Arabic language on the Spanish language by exploring factors that contributed to the influence. Arab Muslim invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and conquered it. The invasion ended the Visigothic Kingdom. The settlement of the Muslim Arab in the Iberian Peninsula influenced the lifestyle as evident by the immortalisation of the first Muslim general Tariq in the Ar. Gabal, previous referred as Calpe (Beale-Rivaya 9). The activities of Muslim Arab in the peninsula included converting the people of the Peninsular into the Islamic faith. Pharies argues in his book, A Brief History of the Spanish Language, that the presence of the Arabic speakers among the Spanish speakers influenced the language and the culture of the Spanish. Initially, the Spanish people were not Muslim (Penny 2). The Muslim Arabs taught the Islamic religion in Arabic, thus influencing the Spanish language. Penny (2) argues that the nature of influence that Arabic language and activity had to Spanish in the Peninsular of Bipartite nature. That is, the contribution through borrowing of thousand of thousands of wo rds and political perspective that explains how Castilian managed to establish itself in the present day Spain. The dominance of the Arabic language among the Ibero-Romance was probably due to the following factors: first, the Muslim invaders inhabited the Latin speaking population and settled among the Latin speakers for several centuries, second, the forces that invaded the peninsular did not carry their women. Thus, the generation after the settlement of the invaders was a result of mixed marriages. Muslims in the early centuries tolerated their subjects. Scholarship on influence of Arabic language to the Spanish language has mentioned the above aspects as probable factors that promoted the influence of the Arabic language among the Latin speakers (Beale-Rivaya 8). Scholarships that attempt to explain the transmission of the Arabism to the Spanish language have argued that Mozarabic bridged between the Spanish and Arabic (Isabelli 5). Mozarabic is a language that is much closer to the Arabic language. Pharies posits that the Arabic language was the super stratum language in the Andalusia Ro mance and ad stratum to peninsular Romance. This argument believes that the influence of Arabic language did not only occur because of the superiority of the Muslim regime whose official language was Arabic, but also the influence of the other minor communities. Thus, the influence to the language did not only influence the Ibero-Romance but also other communities the felt the influence of the Arabic rule in Andalusia. Historians believe that a superior culture institute its influence through language instruction (Penny 8). The same is must have applied in influencing the language of the Spanish. The influence of the Roman Empire to Andalusia is evident through Italianisms of the Spanish vocabulary during the Renaissance. In the above case, bilingual interaction did not occur between the Italian speaking communities and the Spanish speaking communities. This attribute has influenced some scholars to believe that language borrowing does not only occur in an instance of bilingual inte rac

Treatment of Adult Mentally Ill Offenders Research Paper

Treatment of Adult Mentally Ill Offenders - Research Paper Example   Besides, the number of inmates has tripled in the last threes decades with the notion that jails and prisons in the U.S have been converted to new mental hospitals. In recent research, an infamous prison in the state registered 33.8 % inmates who are mentally ill as per psychiatric diagnosis with chronic mental illness registering a higher rate as compared to non-chronic mental illnesses. Among all offenders in prison, depression, substance use disorders and anxiety or panic disorders are the three most common categories of diagnoses (Langan & David, 2002). â€Å"In the movie, The New Asylums by Miri Navasky & Karen O’Connor (2005), today there are over 500,000 mentally ill people who are held in jails and prison throughout America, 10 times the 50,000 that remain in the mental hospitals, although, most part of this movie shows higher percent of male inmates as compared to female inmates, numerous scenes of mentally ill people are common in the streets throughout America. According to Fred Cohen, Prison Mental Health Consultant, those who are mentally ill in the streets end up going to mental hospitals. ... Treatment in Prison All over the world and more so in the United States of America, there have been differing theories that concern the treatment that is given to prisoners as well as the services that should be provided to them in the current penal system (Langan & David,2002). In any criminal system, there are simple choices of the verdict that are given to the convicts; they are either reformative or punitive. The main aim of any reform system is to take criminals and ensuring that they are helped to move past the issues they have at hand. Punitive treatment entails the use of physical pain and torture as punishment for committing crimes. In fact, United States has been described as a punitive nation. Langan & David, 2002 argues that the main goal of the punitive system is to ensure that criminals see and understand that participating in crimes is not worth at all. A good example of a punitive method to offenders is by taking them to boot camps. Booty camps are governmental correc tional and penal systems that are predominant in the United States. Having modeled to resemble the armed forces recruit training camps, these programs are based on distress incarcerations that have military techniques. Offenders get punishment such as stocking although it has been scalped off in the recent past. In essence, critics say that these kinds of programs serve only to frustrate the offenders and do not make much distinction in their lives as is intended apart from having them pay for their crimes in harsh ways. In addition, most of the sentences that are given to these offenders cannot be easily reduced even if the offenders show sign of improvement or change. Rehabilitative penalty simply means re-enabling or making fit again prisoners to enable them to rejoin society.  Ã‚  

Addressing human rights abuses in post Gaddafi Libya Essay

Addressing human rights abuses in post Gaddafi Libya - Essay Example The revolution pitted the forces that were loyal to the then Libya leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi against those who were seeking to oust Gaddafi’s government. What began as clashes between protesters in Benghazi with security forces later escalated into a revolution across Libya with those opposed to Gaddafi’s government establishing the National Transitional Council; their interim governing body. During the revolution, various atrocities were committed against the Libyan people thus violating the human rights provisions. The forces that were loyal to Gaddafi committed most atrocities; there are also allegations that those who were opposed to Gaddafi’s government committed some atrocities as well. There were crimes against humanity such as murder, torture, rape, enforced disappearance of people, and extermination among other inhumane acts that caused serious physical and mental injuries to the people of Libya. It is for this reason that Truth and Reconciliation C ommission (TRC) is necessary in order to address the spirit injuries of all kinds that occurred during the revolution. According to Sunga (2009), a Truth and Reconciliation Commission refers to a commission mandated with the responsibility of discovering, investigating, and revealing the past atrocities, injustices, and any other kind of wrongdoing by actors, with an aim of addressing the injuries caused by those acts, hence resolving the conflict that may be within the conflicting parties. The actors can be the government or non- state actors depending on the circumstances. The main aim of TRC is to ensure that the conflicting (or that conflicted) parties are able to co- exist peaceful, and that there will be no recurrence of such acts in the future (p. 4). In the case of Libya, there is no guarantee that the Libyans will accept TRC due to varying reasons. Assuming that they have rejected TRC to address the spirit injuries of all kinds that occurred during the revolution, there are proposed legal alternatives based on international, regional or national laws. First, it is important to state two major possible that would make the Libyans reject TRC. First, they may feel that TRC will allow those who committed crime against humanity to get away with it hence denying justice to the victims. Secondly, they may fear that TRC will take long to address their injuries thus delaying justice to the victims; justice delayed is justice denied (Hayner 2001, p.9). Based on the international law, the legal alternative to TRC in addressing the crimes committed is on prosecution of those accused of perpetrating the atrocities. Since Libya is not a State party to the Rome Statute, the situation in Libya was referred to the ICC Prosecutor by the UN Security Council through the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1970, on 26 February 2011. The Crimes against humanity committed in Libya during the revolution are defined under Article 7 (1) of the Rome Statute (Rome Statute of the In ternational Criminal Court, 1998). As such, the legal alternatives to TRC based on international law will be prosecution of the crimes’ suspects in the International Criminal Court (ICC). Concerning legal alternatives to TRC based on regional laws, the laws will fail to address the spirit injuries of all kinds committed during the revolution. This is because the rule 26 of African Court on Human Rights and Peoples Rights state that the court do not have jurisdiction to hear criminal cases. Therefore, since the atrocities committed in Libya were of criminal nature, the regional court will not provide any suitable alternative since the victims will feel aggrieved. The national law may provide alternative to TRC

Learning Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Learning Contract - Essay Example Inclusion of time spans of learning and the methods of assessment enables the tutors meet specific aims and objectives of the teaching and learning. Learning contracts, according to Knowles (2008) incorporate skills and values ought to be learnt by the students in a specific period of time. Malcolm Knowles model of learning contracts include the approaches that ought to be used by the tutors so as to achieve the set goals and objectives of a lesson. Targets are mandatory in setting up a lesson in order for the learning objectives to be attained. Malcolm’s model indicates that for objectives to be met it is important that target dates are put in place. Time factor enables the tutors and learners work towards a specific goal based not on assumptions but on factual terms designed by time factor. For learning to be proven successful, evidence based on response by learners has to be portrayed by learners. If the evidence brought forward has an element of validity, then learning may be described as successful. Learning contracts are beneficial in terms of ability to deal with all manners of learners in a classroom setting. Learning contracts also motivate learners to strive to attain their maximum best for the reason that majority are aware of what is expected of them at the end of the learning session. Learning contracts instill a sense of responsibility between the instructor and learners during the learning

Europe’s Interaction with Africa, Asia Essay Example for Free

Europe’s Interaction with Africa, Asia Essay In the mid-15th century, European nations started sending merchants, explorers, colonizers and missionaries to various parts of the world. Historians often referred to this phenomenon as the Age of Discovery, an era in which unknown seas were traversed, new lands and peoples were discovered and an astounding new phase in global encounters was initiated (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). The Age of Discovery played an important role in the political and economic development of Western Europe. Some of its key legacies included colonization, the development of large-scale horticultural industries and the spread of Christianity. The Age of Discovery, however, is usually portrayed as exclusively European and historically unique. It must be made clear that such a description is misleading and incomplete. Exploration and expansion are not historical novelties, and neither are they uniquely European. Furthermore, they have other motivations, attitudes and cross-cultural perceptions apart from the desire to discover other lands (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Muslim and Chinese explorers and traders have been traveling across Asia, Arabia and Africa centuries before Christopher Columbus set out from Spain in 1492. The journeys of Ibn Battuta in the mid-14th century, for instance, took him through the vast extent of the Islamic world. Zheng He, a fleet admiral who lived during the Ming Dynasty, sailed as far as the coast of east Africa in the mid-15th century (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Tunisian philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun traveled as far as Spain in the 14th century (Ahmed 102). But European and non-European explorers differed in terms of the motives behind their respective journeys. Non-European explorers traveled primarily to create extensive religious and trade networks. Muslims were partially bound by religion and commerce as a form of compensation for the near-absence of political unity in the Islamic world. Despite ethnic and regional differences, their adherence to Islamic laws and values provided them with a sense of unity and shared identity. The establishment of long-distance trading networks, meanwhile, allowed Muslim producers and consumers from different regions to communicate with one another, as well as with peoples of different religions (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Muslim traders therefore organized camel caravans to the frontiers of India and across the Sahara in Africa. They likewise established equally profitable trade routes by sea across the Indian Ocean. By the late 15th century, the commercial activity in most of the regions surrounding the Indian Ocean was almost under their control. Furthermore, certain localities in the Islamic world were gaining recognition for their excellence in specific industries. Persia, for example, was renowned in the 14th century for its exquisite glassware, jewelry and pottery (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Extensive trade and industry, in turn, provided the Islamic world with urbanized and cosmopolitan societies. Sophisticated commercial centers such as Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Timbuktu and Zanzibar attracted residents from distant regions that eventually converted to Islam. These new converts subsequently spread Islam and elements of Islamic culture to their respective homelands. The Delhi Sultanate of India and the West African kingdom of Mali are some examples of regions that were not originally Islamic but were later Islamized (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). In sharp contrast, the motive behind most European explorations was the pseudo-revival of the Reconquista (the struggle of the Spanish and Portuguese Christians to expel the Moors from their respective countries). In the 14th and 15th centuries, anti-Moor sentiment was still strong in Spain and Portugal – it was during these periods that Spanish and Portuguese Christians successfully expelled the Moors from Iberia. But this victory soon left many knights idle and looking for new adventures. Many knights thus joined overseas expeditions, viewing these as new opportunities to vanquish the hated Moors (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Certain economic conditions in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries were also responsible for the xenophobic attitude that many European explorers had during the Age of Discovery. In these eras, most European economies were still small, largely agrarian and geared towards meeting local needs. Muslim merchants and middlemen were the sole sources of spices and other luxury goods. In addition, Europe was politically fragmented – the continent’s monarchs wasted scarce resources and manpower in the numerous wars and conflicts that they waged against each other. Lastly, the Black Death (bubonic plague) killed millions and further weakened economies, adding to the pervasive atmosphere of dread and xenophobia (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Given the insular, backward and unsophisticated nature of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was no longer surprising that the expeditions from the continent had mostly detrimental effects. Many explorers viewed the natives that they encountered in foreign lands as â€Å"barbarians† that must be â€Å"civilized† by being subjugated to them. By the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore, many countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas ended up being the colonies of Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and France (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). In addition, the transatlantic slave trade occurred from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Mainstream historians had indeed painted a misleading and incomplete picture of the Age of Discovery. By claiming that the Age of Discovery was an exclusively European and historically unique phenomenon, they are implying that it was an event that was born out of Europe’s benevolent desire to discover other lands. But the truth is that the Age of Discovery should not be glorified. Exploration and expansion have already been taking place long before it happened – proof that the inhabitants of the regions outside of Europe are not savages. The Age of Discovery occurred at a time when Europe was still insular, backward and unsophisticated. Thus, many of the continent’s explorers exhibited a fearful and xenophobic attitude when it came to dealing with people not of their own race. This paranoia, in turn, led to the colonization of several nations in Africa, Asia and the Americas. In addition, slavery became a centuries-old practice. Works Cited Ahmed, Akbar S. Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society. New York: Routledge, 1989. Sanders, Thomas, Stephen Morillo, and Samuel H. Nelson. Encounters in World History: Sources and Themes from the Global Past, Volume II: From 1500. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Exploring The Darkness Within Kurtz English Literature Essay

Exploring The Darkness Within Kurtz English Literature Essay The Heart of Darkness stands as a profound examination of the hypocrisy of imperialism, and the darkness that results from it. This imperialism embodies itself in the form of Kurtz, the antagonist of the story. Kurtz initially exists as a remarkable man, an emissary of light who enters the Congo with noble intentions. (Conrad) However, as he enters the heart of darkness that is the Congo, his own heart becomes dark as well. This novella explores Kurtzs transformation in three consecutive chapters. The darkness foreshadows itself in part one, describes its path in part two, and finally presents itself in part three. Conrad depicts this darkness with his skillful use of imagery and metaphors. Carefully crafting the message of the story, Conrad utilizes imagery and metaphors as the paints to his palette. Foreshadowing permeates every moment of this narrative. Although it can be found in the entirety of the story, it predominates in part one. The foundations for the consistently dark imagery lie in Conrads prolific sentence structure, which tends to meditatively wonder, both in the scenery and his own philosophical speculation. (Lachotta) Through the vivid imagery, many metaphors arise, and contribute to the foreshadowing as well. The foremost metaphor of part one exists as the Congo River itself, which resembles an immense snake uncoiled. (Conrad) One usually associates a snake with evil, which foreshadows the actuality that lies in the Congo. As a metaphor, it represents the European imperialism, and thus, it represents Kurtz. Another metaphor lies within the two woman at the doctors office, who are knitting black wool. Marlow states his uneasiness in regards to them, how they seem to be guarding the door of Darkness. (Conrad) Conrad capitalizes Darkness in this sentence to emphasiz e the imagery of his message. Indeed, these women stand as an omen for the dark months that lie ahead, for once Marlow enters that door, he officially becomes part of the dark world that leads him to Kurtz. Numerous metaphors in part one foreshadow Kurtz transformation into madness. The story of Fresleven, who was the gentlest, quietist creature to ever walk on two legs, exemplifies this dark dissent. After a couple of years engaged in the noble cause, he attempts to assert self respect by beating a native mercilessly, all for the frivolous reason of two black hens. (Conrad) The fact that the doctor wants to measure Marlows head, along with the Swedes story of the man who hangs himself, both serve as key elements of foreshadowing Kurtzs own destiny. (HoD, Symbolism) Once the foreshadowing takes place, Conrad further explores Kurtzs darkness in part two. Now that Marlow physically stands in the Congo jungle, he vividly describes the darkness that part one preludes to. As the managers uncle extends him arm out to the forest, Marlow states that he seems to beckon to the lurking death, the hidden evil, the profound darkness of its heart. (Conrad) This ominous atmosphere of the Congo exists as the same atmosphere that drives Kurtz to madness. Once Marlow and his crew descend up the river to reach the inner station, Conrads vivid imagery presents further metaphors. Marlow explains that going up the river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. (Conrad) Comparing this journey to the beginning of the world represents the colonists journey, which moves away from civilization and towards a primitive existence. As they move away from civilized society, they become cl oser to the heart of darkness that Kurtz physically and psychologically lives in. Another metaphor presents itself with the personification of the trees as kings. This alludes to Kurtzs proclamation of himself as a god to the natives, something of which he accomplishes only through his primitive location. Overall, the imagery of Africa Conrad deploys in part two provides a backdrop for Kurtzs moral dissolution. (Mwikisa) Once the path up the river comes to an end, part three begins. In this final chapter, Conrad presents the core of the darkness Kurtz himself. The entire novella leads up to this point, in which Kurtzs corruption establishes itself. Presiding over the inner station, Kurtz becomes addicted to his power. (Rekue) He grows tired of being a mere man, and through force and violence, transforms himself into an omnipotent figure. The scene where the natives carry him on a stretcher indicates how he completely abandons European morals and norms of behavior. (Lachotta) In the beginning of this chapter, Conrads phenomenal imagery illustrates the inner station. As Marlow observes his surroundings, he assures that never before did this land, this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and so dark. (Conrad) This not only explores Kurtzs darkness, but preludes to his hopeless death. Kurtz gives in to the immoral temptation within the Congo, and thus, his inn er darkness takes over. In further speculation of the chapter, Conrads imagery and metaphors explore the characteristics of darkness itself. Three elements must correlate in order to constitute darkness. These elements include anger, fear, and aggression. (Lachotta) Throughout this chapter, Kurtz exemplifies all three of these characteristics. After Marlow witnesses Kurtz being carried on a stretcher, the harlequin tells the story of how Kurtz threatened to shoot him over a small lot of ivory. Kurtz reasoning was that he could do so, and had a fancy for it. (Conrad) This, along with the chastisement of the manager, represents Kurtzs anger. The heads of the rebels on the sticks represent his aggression in gaining complete power; his ivory hunts represent his aggression in obtaining ivory. In regards to fear, Kurtz fears being taken away from the dark place of which he feels comfortable. In the desperation that arises from his fear, he tries to escape by crawling away the night before the departure. Kurtz ple ads that he has his plans, but his efforts remain futile. (HoD Study Guide) Through these three elements, Conrad explores the darkness of the human soul. Kurtzs moral degeneration in the Congo epitomizes that darkness, which in the end, completely envelops him. Kurtz initially exists as a man of morals, who travels to the Congo full of philanthropic ideals. (HoD, Kurtz) However, these ideals become devoured by the darkness of imperialism. The Heart of Darkness explores this transformation through the three chapters of the novella. The darkness foreshadows itself in part one, describes its path in part two, and presents itself in part three. Conrad depicts this darkness through his aesthetic use of imagery and metaphors, which work to intertwine throughout the entire story. During the last moments of his life, Kurtz, in realization of his darkness, utters the words, The horror! The horror! (Conrad) In the end, he succumbs to the darkness, for once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny; consume you it will. (Yoda Quotes)

Effect Of Nazi Propaganda On Society History Essay

Effect Of Nazi Propaganda On Society History Essay Imagine a world without TV, independent radio, internet, or mobile phones. Imagine that the only information you had was in the form of propaganda and images designed to provoke a reaction and, ultimately, a form of control over you. This was the reality of people living in Germany during the 1930s. Hitler was a destructive man, and it cannot be doubted that Nazi Germany was the most destructive political regime of the twentieth century, not only because it unleashed World war II but because of its impact on society. Hitlers propaganda in the form of images and information alone had a very profound impact on German society. After the seizure of power by the Nazis in 1933, Hitler established a Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda headed by Joseph Goebbels. The ministrys goal was to ensure that the Nazi message was successfully communicated through art, music, theater, film, books, radio, educational materials, and the press. Propaganda is the name for such materials, which is the understood systematic manipulation of an anonymous audience with the help of mass media.(Stout 12) Nazi propaganda was very successful in portraying the Germans as supermen and making Hitler seem almost godlike. What Nazi propaganda did best was make the German people think that world conquest was their destiny and possibly their duty to conquer all people who were inferior to them. It pushed the notion that they were the master race, Joseph Goebbels did a very effective job as Minister of Propaganda in many ways. Not only were posters an effective tool but also the speeches Hitler gave were very carefully orchestrated. The way he would begin the speech very calm and work himself into a frenzy by the end of it, that was a great piece of acting. For the Nazis, propaganda was not only a tool for acquiring new followers, it also took a lead role in the integration of new party members. During wartime, propaganda showed aggression to the opponents of the Nazi Party. Propaganda continuously operated in a very comprehensive sense. Adolf Hitler became the chief propagandist. In autumn 1919, he took responsibility for the propaganda work of the entire party. In 1933, Joseph Goebbels was appointed the Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Gobbels worked to make better previously developed the principles of Adolf Hitler Nazi propaganda. These basic rules he published in his book Mein Kampf. The Principles of Nazi propaganda were not original, but they fit the contemporary thought. In that same book Hitler wrote about his realization that his propaganda was not only effective but that it had the ability to convince and coerce as art. As author Alan Robbins points out in Dire Image: The Art of Persuasion Hitler was, no toriously, an artist first. In fact thousands of watercolors, oils, and drawings have been attributed to him.(Robbins 165) Now putting these ideas together we see how he was able to manipulate so well, he was a fine artist and coupled with his leadership abilities made him simply unstoppable. Hitler was no ordinary artist however but he was very devoted to it . In the Mein Kampf he even states art is the only truly enduring effort of human labor.(Hitler 215) Hitler himself said All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach. Hitler acknowledged that the images and slogans he produced to rally support needed to be easily recognized and read by everyone. They had to be simple yet powerful at the same time. This relates back to Read Schuchardts point in The Perfect Icon for the Imperfect Postliterate World and his example of the Christian icthus. Schuchardt says But to Christians the text less symbol still signified silent rebellion against the ruling authorities. Within three centuries, the faith signified by the fish had transformed Rome into a Christian empire.(Schuchardt 76) Now thinking back to Germany, we see this is the exact same situation. Hitlers propaganda and images did the same thing, allowing him to rise to power easily and without much opposition at first. His pro-Nazi symbols and posters were easily recognizable by the general popul ation and quite hard to miss. Two of the key points of a successful public propaganda event are the location and time of day. Hitler knew from his own experience that events evenings and other prestigious venues such as sports stadiums, brought the best success. The events were also supported with banners, fanfare, marching columns, flames, torches and banners. At the time people felt well cared for, connected, and thus susceptible to the propaganda messages of Hitler. A prime example of a powerful image produced by Hitler is shown in figure one below. In the poster, it is very hard not to notice the appearance of light around Hitler, almost giving him a halo. Furthermore, the presence of a winged bird lends angelic characteristics to the poster, and this is only enhanced by the presence of wreath-like flowers around the poster. We can also see what appears to be thousands of men behind Hitler holding Nazi flags presumably to show the growing support for him. The major part here is the German phrase below the picture. It means Long live Germany meaning that Hitler is planning to lead the crusade to make Germany the all powerful nation. There is also an Eagle overhead symbolizing majesty and power. Now all else aside, a person viewing that poster would associate Hitler with power and majesty which are two positive characteristics for a leader to have. We soon realize why he rose to power so quickly; it was through images like this. It is clear that certain images can have a profound effect on society. Hitler used the visual effects of poster to show that things were good in the Nazi party. He used images of himself to show the image of unity and reassurance that everything was ok and that people will be treated as a friend. This was a quite effective as the posters and leaflets were put up around the towns and cities in Germany and so the people could gather certain images and information off the Nazi party easily. We can see the overall combined effectiveness of this by looking at history, and what Hitler was able to do with the power that he was granted by using this propaganda. In the end it all comes down to one thing, an image is only effective if the person who views it interprets it as the author intended. Hitler was a very good with images and people who viewed his images interpreted them exactly the way he intended. Consequences from this can still be seen today, after all no other image in history car ries such a shock of recognition as the swastika or a pro Nazi poster. http://www.southaxholme.doncaster.sch.uk/subjects/animations/page1/main%20page/anim%20work/warposters_files/image003.jpg Figure 1

Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam? Essay -- essays research

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Q. Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In April of 1956 the last remaining French troops would leave Vietnam. After over 200 years of influence and rule, the French at last realized that the occupation and control of Vietnam was an unreachable goal. In consideration of the many blunders (both militarily and political) , and the outright ignorance of the French high command, any efforts to stabilize Vietnamese nationalism and to maintain french rule over Vietnam were thwarted. Thus the French were defeated by an inferior force, and the question of how such an anomaly could occur lies within the 200 years of rule, and the many mistakes made through out way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To completely understand how France could be defeated by a simple army of Vietnamese peasants, one must first acknowledge a brief history of the Franco-Vietnamese relationship. French Jesuits first arrived in Vietnam in 1634, in hopes of bringing over â€Å"souls† to the catholic church. The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist, and many locals opposed the presence of the French. By the mid 1700's France would sign a treaty with the Vietnamese gaining protection for the Jesuits in return for French assistance in helping the Vietnamese fight their Chinese invaders. With the rest of Europe carving up the world in the mid 1800's, France now looked to Vietnam as an extension of its Empire. A successful invasion of Vietnam in 1859 gave the french control over Saigon. The invasion was in response to the murder of French Catholics, and looked to be for a time a just cause. However it was just a cover story for the French to settle in and eventually rape Vietnam of it’s raw materials and its culture. Thus from 1861 to the birth of Ho Chi Minh in 1890, French troops would conquer most of what is modern day Vietnam to their own discretion. The discretion of the French must be noted as racially bias. The term â€Å"white man’s burden,† best describes the presence of the French in Vietnam from the period of 1890-1939. Essentially the french believed everything about them was superior to the Vietnamese. Culture, language, religion, and race. This would not settle to well with many Vietnamese, however things would turn worse for the French with the outbreak of WWII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would like to argue that the tr... ... the Viet Minh. However by April it was clear that the French forces were losing the battle, and it was now it was clear that the French were putting their last remaining efforts in to Dien Ben Phu. It was an all or nothing situation. The French high command had hoped that Giap would throw his army in to the will of the occupying French forces and in the end be forced to retreat and regroup with a battered down weak force. However this was not the case and by May 7th the remaining French forces at Dien ben Phu will surrender. Peace talks between the French and Viet Minh open up in May of 1954. The agreement at Geneva would once again split Vietnam in to two. The North would be a pro Communist government at Hanoi led by Ho Chi Minh, and the South a pro democratic government backed by the United States out of Saigon. By 1956 the last remaining French forces would leave Vietnam, and a new struggle would begin in the South. The beginning of the American War in Vietnam was just around the corner. The Viet Minh had defeated a major European power, however it would be another 20 years before the reunification was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam? Essay -- essays research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Q. Why did the French loose the war in Vietnam?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In April of 1956 the last remaining French troops would leave Vietnam. After over 200 years of influence and rule, the French at last realized that the occupation and control of Vietnam was an unreachable goal. In consideration of the many blunders (both militarily and political) , and the outright ignorance of the French high command, any efforts to stabilize Vietnamese nationalism and to maintain french rule over Vietnam were thwarted. Thus the French were defeated by an inferior force, and the question of how such an anomaly could occur lies within the 200 years of rule, and the many mistakes made through out way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To completely understand how France could be defeated by a simple army of Vietnamese peasants, one must first acknowledge a brief history of the Franco-Vietnamese relationship. French Jesuits first arrived in Vietnam in 1634, in hopes of bringing over â€Å"souls† to the catholic church. The majority of Vietnamese are Buddhist, and many locals opposed the presence of the French. By the mid 1700's France would sign a treaty with the Vietnamese gaining protection for the Jesuits in return for French assistance in helping the Vietnamese fight their Chinese invaders. With the rest of Europe carving up the world in the mid 1800's, France now looked to Vietnam as an extension of its Empire. A successful invasion of Vietnam in 1859 gave the french control over Saigon. The invasion was in response to the murder of French Catholics, and looked to be for a time a just cause. However it was just a cover story for the French to settle in and eventually rape Vietnam of it’s raw materials and its culture. Thus from 1861 to the birth of Ho Chi Minh in 1890, French troops would conquer most of what is modern day Vietnam to their own discretion. The discretion of the French must be noted as racially bias. The term â€Å"white man’s burden,† best describes the presence of the French in Vietnam from the period of 1890-1939. Essentially the french believed everything about them was superior to the Vietnamese. Culture, language, religion, and race. This would not settle to well with many Vietnamese, however things would turn worse for the French with the outbreak of WWII.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would like to argue that the tr... ... the Viet Minh. However by April it was clear that the French forces were losing the battle, and it was now it was clear that the French were putting their last remaining efforts in to Dien Ben Phu. It was an all or nothing situation. The French high command had hoped that Giap would throw his army in to the will of the occupying French forces and in the end be forced to retreat and regroup with a battered down weak force. However this was not the case and by May 7th the remaining French forces at Dien ben Phu will surrender. Peace talks between the French and Viet Minh open up in May of 1954. The agreement at Geneva would once again split Vietnam in to two. The North would be a pro Communist government at Hanoi led by Ho Chi Minh, and the South a pro democratic government backed by the United States out of Saigon. By 1956 the last remaining French forces would leave Vietnam, and a new struggle would begin in the South. The beginning of the American War in Vietnam was just around the corner. The Viet Minh had defeated a major European power, however it would be another 20 years before the reunification was complete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Essay --

The 1960s was one of the most eventful and perhaps the most troublesome decade in India’s post-Independence era. This decade saw major events like the two wars – one each with China and Pakistan, the annexation of Goa, the deaths of Nehru and Shastri, the Bihar famine,the abolition of privy purses etc. Near the end of the decade, the then prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, took another major policy decision -- the bank nationalisation. In 1969 the Government of India decided to nationalise 14 major private commercial banks. Bank nationalisation was not a new concept for India as in 1955 the Imperial Bank of India was nationalised and renamed as State bank of India (SBI). In 1959 seven subsidiaries of SBI were formed by nationalising seven state banks. But it was the 1969 nationalisation that caused maximum impact on political and economic spectrum so much so that even Jayaprakash Narayan called this step as ‘a masterstroke in political sagacity’. Decision to nationalise the banks, which has both political and economic undertones, has to be analysed by considering the then prevailing conditions. After centuries of foreign rule and economic exploitation, the independant India had just started its march towards socio-economic development with a dream of creating equitable society by alleviating the widespread poverty. India had adopted the path of planned economic development which envisaged social i.e. governmental control over the means of production. First two plans laid stress on creating heavy industries which would serve as base of economic development. From third plan major emphasis was given on agricultural development with the aim of achiving self-sufficiency in food production and thus tackle the grave issue of ... ... like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa etc. After nationalisation the professional management made way for public maganemet which caused lower efficiency. As social welfare took precedance over profits many banks started suffering heavy losses. The political interference in daily administration of banks increased which led to rampant corruption. Although the banking habits in rural areas improved significantly menace of illigal moneylenders could not be curbed in large parts of India. In conclusion, it has be accepted that despite all the demerits the nationalisation of banks was a major step in towards the creation of equitable society. Public sector banks later went on to become catalyst in success of green revolution. In an agrarian economy, bringing banking system under public control was a major shot in the arm for the socialist government of Indira Gandhi.

How My Children Helped Change My Life Essay

When my children were born, I knew my life was going to change. I started to feel complete with my life the day my son arrived. Even more complete when my little girl was first placed in my arms. My children have been my rock over the last three and a half years. They have helped me learn, grow, and love by showing me the world through their eyes. My children have helped me become a better role model and friend. They have helped me through my education. With my children I’m always learning something new. Most importantly my little ones have taught me how to love in a whole new light and it’s the small things in life that matter. A few years ago when I was about the age of 16 I knew that I had always wanted to be a mother. At that time I was going through a very difficult stage. I had my head wrapped around alcohol and a not so pleasant drug. As I proceeded to live the life I knew I never wanted, I had a lady a couple years older than me express that she loved her children but she loved the drug we chosen to do and that would never change. I threw my hands up, walked out the door and never returned to that life. I knew I was not destined to be that person. At the age of 18 I had found I was pregnant with my son. My old life was behind me and I knew this child was going to change my life forever. It had changed me into a mother. A month after my son’s first birthday when got the news I was pregnant with my second child. Even though Alieric was only a year old, I think the little man was more excited for a baby than me. He helped me as much as his little fingers could during his my pregnancy. He would grab me trash cans, rub my tummy, and talked to the baby every day. He loved his sister before she even arrived. He touched my heart in more ways than one and showed me even as a tiny person, love still had the power to conquer all. The day my daughter was born, I had to leave my son with a friend until his sister actually arrived. It broke his heart. I promised him that as soon as she was here he would be one of the first people to see her. I reassured him that she was going to love him as much as he had already loved her. That was the day I vowed never to break a promise to him or our new little bundle of joy. Now my children are hitting 4 years and 2 years. As they have grown I have tried my best to show them right from wrong and encourage them to help others as much as they can. Respect and appreciation is something that has been a huge part of my life and now that I have passed that down to my children, I get scolded from them when they think I’m being rude. They teach me right from wrong , and put their mommy in check. â€Å"Say bless you mommy†, â€Å"You’re excused†, â€Å"Mommy that wasn’t nice†, â€Å"I think you owe grandma an apology mom†. Those are the statements you might hear my children say on a daily basis. As I instill respect in them, they also instill respect and courtesy in me. I started school at the Goal Academy in 09 right after my son was born. I pushed myself for him so I could give him a future but that schooling wasn’t working for me. I moved on to the Alternative High School Diploma Program at PCC. Through that program I was pregnant with my little girl and with another baby on the way I pushed myself even harder to get through the program to graduate for them. Every day before I left my son would wish me luck, tell me to do a great job and that he knew that I could do it. That was all the motivation I needed. I made it through it 6 months! My little man guided me through it. He was there to watch me walk across the stage at graduation and all I could hear was him rooting for me. I was on proud momma that my son had so much faith in me. Now as I walk out the door each morning for college and my kiddos stay home , it fills my heart to hear them say things like â€Å" kill that test mom†, â€Å"you got it mommy†, â€Å"see you later, I know you can do it†, â€Å"Have a good day at school†. They are my inspiration and guidance to stay in school. They move me to better and get good grades so I can get the degree I want so I can give them a great life. With my children encouraging me and always being there for me through school , I know I will never give up. They won’t allow it. My children have so much faith in me and knowing that helps me have faith in myself. They teach me compassion and love . They have taught me that every day is a blessing . That god has given me these children for a reason and they have a purpose in life. To my children I’m wonder women for everything I do. They teach me something new with each new passing day, whether it be how to let loose and be free or how to care for their own owies. They teach me how to care for them by just being the little unique individuals that they are. They teach me different things through their personalities. In life they are going to teach me who they are, and along the way, even now, they have taught me who I am. I am a mother. It’s an amazing feeling to say that my children are two of my biggest accomplishments in life. As the end of November 2013 rolls around we will be welcoming a new baby into our little family and I couldn’t be more excited. Just like when I was pregnant with my daughter and how my son helped out, he has now taught his sister to help mommy and how to love this little baby even though he/she isn’t here yet. I could be anymore grateful or proud of my children than I am now. My children are my role models, my blessings and most of all my best friends. They have changed my life more ways than I can count and helped me mold into the person I am today. I honestly wouldn’t change one thing in my life and I’m proud to carry the title â€Å"Mommy†. I will forever hold that title dear to my heart and will never forget who was and still is there for me the most, my beautiful amazing children.

Better Weight-Loss Tool: Dieting Vs Exercising

A major factor leading to obesity in developed countries is the ready availability of inexpensive and tasty food. In addition to it a sedentary lifestyle, including desk jobs and time spent watching TV, using a computer, and other â€Å"activities† that require little or no physical effort are some other reasons. People are showing more interest in eating foods in restaurants and fast food out lets than the home made foods. Excess body fat has been linked to such health problems as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, arthritis and certain forms of cancer.There are different ways of loosing weight. One of them is by dieting and another is by exercising. But many people diet simply to reduce their weight to look better and slim. They think that the best way to achieve it is â€Å"Eat less, weigh less†. There's nothing wrong with looking good and losing weight but they should realize how healthy and strong they are. To be successful, the we ight loss should be gradual. The best way to shed body fat and reduce the weight is by dieting or temporarily changing eating habits. Sticking to a sensible eating program can also involve some discipline and sacrifice.A successful weight loss diet must include adequate amounts of all essential nutrients that the body needs to maintain health. The diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and a few processed foods is the best diet for people who want to loose weight in long term. Plan your diet carefully, avoiding fast foods and any other high-fat, high-sugar foods, foods such as fish, tofu, and the leanest cuts of meats with major protein source are advised instead of burgers and pizzas. An adult woman who is moderately active needs about 2,000 calories per day to meet all her nutrient requirements and maintain a healthy weight.She must therefore choose her diet carefully which in the long-term should not have any health problems such as kidney problems, bone minera l loss, and other unknown long-term risk factors (Eisenstein, et al. , 2002). People soon become tired or give themselves a vacation from dieting and gain the lost weight back, plus some more. A person’s effective approach to stay slim depends on whether ones weight goal is short- or long-term. If one strictly wants to become slim, they should be strong and determined towards the diet they eat.If your objective is to reduce body fat and keep your weight at a healthy, comfortable level, research has confirmed that regular exercise is the most important factor for long-term success . Exercising regularly will avoid depositing excess body fat. This is the most important component of your weight loss plan. Exercise will enhance what you're doing with your diet, but exercise alone will never take the place of changing your diet. Exercise can change the way you look, feel, and perform, as well as have a tremendously positive impact on your health and almost every aspect of your lif e.Setting up a simple, economical home gym will also help overcome some of the time limitations by cutting out travel to and from the gym. With a small initial investment and a few square feet of floor space, you can add convenience to the list of why an exercise program can be so effective. A proper diet coupled with regular exercise is the staple to a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes, we don't commit to dieting until we are sure we can commit to exercise. Or we focus on exercising to the exclusion of our diet. You can exercise every single day for a whole year and I loose t only five pounds because you didn't correct your diet.Even to lose weight, one need energy. The best way is avoiding the high-calorie foods. That enables you to pack a tremendous amount of calories into a short amount of time. But it is better to avoid eating too many calories in the first place. An hour's worth of exercise will not undo the damage of eating 5,000 calories a day. In fact, if you don't exercise at a ll, yet you clean up your diet, you'll lose weight. If you only exercise and don't clean up your diet, will you lose weight? Maybe, but not much, if your uncorrected diet is anything like mine was.Research has proven that the only long-term way to reduce body fat (and not body protein and water, which can be quick but ineffective) is to reduce the intake of high-fat and sugary foods and to exercise regularly. Ross et al. , (2000) reported that men in both the diet and the exercise–weight loss programs lost an average of about 16 pounds. Weight did not change in the control group or in the group assigned to exercise without weight loss. Body fat decreased in both weight loss groups, but men in the exercise–weight loss program lost more body fat than men in the diet–weight loss program.Men assigned to exercise without weight loss lost some abdominal fat. Physical fitness improved in both exercise groups. The tests for early signs of diabetes improved in both weigh t loss groups. In any weight loss attempt the goal is to lose the excess fat that has been accumulated in the body, rather than to lose weight. Food prepared at home offers the easiest way to make healthy choices about fat, sugar, salt, and so forth, but in today's world, convenience often wins out over a home cooked meal. A healthy diet along with exercise improves the quality of health and life expectancy.Health is wealth, what else one need rather than a good health. Being healthy will make a profound difference on anyone's life, and that should be motivation enough to start your diet and get going on that exercise program—and to keep it up indefinitely. For the best of both worlds, don’t choose between diet and exercise, take the comprehensive approach and allow the two to support one another. Reference: Eisenstein, J. ; Roberts, S. ; Dallal, G. ; and Saltzman, E. (2002).â€Å"High-Protein Weight-Loss Diets: Are They Safe and Do They Work? A Review of the Experime ntal and Epidemiological Data.† Nutrition Review 60:189–197. Lejeune, M. P. G. M. , van Aggel-Leijssen, D. P. C. , van Baak, M. A. and Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S. (2003).Effects of dietary restraint vs exercise during weight maintenance in obese men. Volume 57, Number 10, Pages 1338-1344 R. Ross, D. Dagnone, P. J. H. Jones, H. Smith, A. Paddags, R. Hudson, and I. Janssen. (2000).â€Å"Reduction in Obesity and Related Comorbid Conditions after Diet-Induced Weight Loss or Exercise-Induced Weight Loss in Men. A Randomized, Controlled Trial. † It is in the 18 July 2000 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 133, pages 92-103).

Admission essay formph

I strongly believe in the convincing statement of Albert Einstein, which states that â€Å"the important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.†Ã‚   Relating it in my own terms, my intention to study MPH is in effect the furtherance of my own understanding of medicine, research, and the pharmaceutical industry and a way of contemplation of the wonders of drugs juxtaposed with research and statistics.The importance of the interdisciplinary approach in understanding health and my few years of working as a medical doctor are the two main foundations why I am interested to apply for the Master of Public Health with Biostatistics as the field of concentration.Through the years, I have learned a lot about the substance of doing research vis-à  -vis the development of state of the art medical interventions as well as in t he discovery of new drugs that would cure long lasting illnesses. I also realized that health and medicine as a social institution is not solely for the biomedical scientists but also for social scientists and managers. Thus, taking the MPH will surely give me a taste of the other schools of thought that would enhance my managerial and social skills.It is in my consciousness that health issues are correlated with economic, social, political, cultural, and behavioral aspects. Thus, medical doctors nowadays should equip themselves with the theories and practices of the social sciences and management to be able to solve health predicaments in a holistic fashion. Thus, this has prompted me to seek admission to the MPH program.In the future, I would also like to involve myself in the pharmaceutical industry. Hence, I see the need to equip myself with the theories and technologies of biostatistics that would be helpful in my chosen career. In the pharmaceutical industry, biostatistics is of great use particularly in carrying out laboratory tests and clinical trials for new drugs and medical interventions.My entry to the program will not only improve myself but will surely help in making the pharmaceutical industry within the bounds of empiricism. By learning the tools and techniques of biostatistics, I will be able to know the other fields of medicine such as epidemiology which is also vital amongst the pharmaceutical personnel.Taking Biostatistics would help me come up with good work decisions through the use of hard evidence. Statistics and data will also enhance my management skills through evidence based problem solving. My previous background in medicine and the learning I will gain from the program will also surely help me ensure good medical practice, hence promote bioethics.My good mathematical ability and my work experience as a medical practitioner are good guarantees that I will be able to finish the degree. Coupled with these cognitive assets, my passion for the course will also help me to be able to finish the course with flying colors.Given my life experiences that brought me up to this point of my career, I am cognitively and physically prepared enough for me to make a good graduate student. I am looking forward to my future career in my chosen field with great keenness.

Was the Provisional Government Doomed from the Beginning? a Russian Revolution

History Dissertation Was the Provisional Government Doomed from the Beginning? word count: 3999 Josh Blake Candidate No. 031276977 Contents †¢ Introduction P 3 †¢ Chapter 1: Nature of the Provisional Government and Structuralist opinions. P 4 – 6 †¢ Chapter 2: Structuralist response P 7 – 8 †¢ Chapter 3: Intentionalist response P 9 – 12 †¢ Conclusion P 13 †¢ Bibliography P 14 †¢ Annotated Bibliography P 15 – 16 Was the Provisional Government doomed from the beginning? After the February revolution on 1917 which saw the abdication of the Tsar, Russia was in turmoil. It had gone (in a matter of days) from being one of the most repressed countries in the world to being totally free with nobody in any real position of power or authority, and this was a massive change for the population of Russia. As a result of this confusion two bodies were set up to temporarily control Russia until a constituent Assembly could be elected. These two bodies were the Provisional government, (made up of leading Liberal parties, and Kadets), and the Petrograd Soviets (made up of workers, soldiers, socialist revolutionaries, and had both Menshevik and Bolshevik members. However this reign did not last long as in October of the same year the Bolsheviks seized the Tauride Palace overthrowing the Provisional government (PG) in the name of the Petrograd Soviet. There are many reasons to why the PG did not manage to consolidate its power; primarily there were a lot of internal problems that gave them a big disadvantage. However there were also external pressures from the pe asants, workers and the war that the PG could simply not cope with. As historians have studied the question in depth different schools of thought have been established. The Structuralist School believes that the PG was doomed from the beginning, because of the problems they faced such as Dual Power, the War and Order No1; however Darby who is a popular Structuralist historian believes that there was a â€Å"window of opportunity. †[1] However they failed to use this to their advantage and it cost them dear in October 1917. On the other hand the Intentionalist school believe that the PG was not in fact doomed from the beginning and collapsed due to outside pressure from the peasants, workers and impact of revolutionary leaders such as Lenin. Lenin’s revolutionary slogans such as â€Å"peace, land and bread†[2] shifted the support hugely from the PG to the Bolsheviks and other factors such as the July Days meant Lenin could undermine the PG completely. And gain support for the Bolsheviks. Chapter1: Nature of the Provisional Government and Structuralist opinions On the 2nd March 1917 the PG was declared and on the 4th minister’s were appointed. The Petrograd Soviet was also declared as a leading body in Russia and this initial system of Dual Power presented an immediate problem for both groups. Having two Bodies trying to run the same country immediately causes difficulties as there would be disagreements between them. This is exaggerated between the PG and Petrograd Soviet because their views and ideologies are so distinctly different. The PG wanted to contain the revolution, whereas the Soviets wanted to deepen it. John Bradley agrees with this, stating: â€Å"The Soviet and the PG although coexisting, would never act in harmony, both preferring to follow separate roads in the pursuit of different goals. †[3] This initial rivalry deepened with the introduction of Order No. 1 which was granted to the Soviets. Order No. 1 essentially gave the Soviets control of the armed forces in Russia. It states that: armed forces are subordinate to the Petrograd Soviet in all their political actions; and one delegate from each company was to be elected to the Petrograd Soviet. Also all weapons were to remain under the control of company and battalion committees, and in no circumstances to be handed over to officers. This meant that, â€Å"the armed forces were disabled from enforcing the PG’s will. [4] Mosley supports this and states that: â€Å"The PG has no real power, troops, railroads; post and telegraph are all in the hands of the Soviet. †[5] The PG’s liberal nature also played a large role in their lack of effective policies and knowledge. When they were appointed the PG immediately: abolished the secret police; abolished censorship; introduced civil liberties; abolished the death penalty; granted civil rights to soldiers; aboli shed discrimination based on class or religion; and gave amnesty to political prisoners. All these things (contrary to the PG’s beliefs) were seen to be giving to much freedom to the population, to soon and this had a knock on effect throughout their reign. For example, when the state was threatened during April, July and October they were unwilling to use force. Orlando Figes sees this as a major reason for their downfall: â€Å"Intoxicated by their own self image as their heirs of 1789, they were deluded into believing that they could resolve the problems by 1917 by importing western constitutional practices and policies, for which there were no precedents, nor the necessary cultural base in Russia. [6] The PG had destroyed the original bureaucracy under the Tsar and did not replace it with anything; this resulted in the population not really knowing what they were supporting. Other aspects that cost the PG dearly were internal problems such as the members within the body. After the abdication of the Tsar on the 2nd March 1917 the population expected the Duma t o take control of Russia. The Duma was a secondary government set up by the Tsar in reply to the October Manifesto after the 1905 revolution to keep the population of Russia happy. However as the Tsar Nicholas was still sovereign and there was a chance that he could come back into power the Duma felt they could not establish a leading role over Russia because if the Tsar were to return they could be accused of treason. They were simply trying to save their backs in case this was to happen. As a result of this they set a Provisional committee separately which was to act as a temporary body in control of Russia until a Constituent Assembly could be elected later in the year. In contrast to the Soviets the PG was chosen by the Duma whereas the Soviet was elected by the people emphasising the PG’s lack of connection with the workers and peasants in Russia. It seems today that historians feel the Duma should have accepted their opportunity to control Russia but they had a dread of responsibility and did no want any blame if anything was to go wrong, Richard Pipes wrote: â€Å"It has been argued that the failure of the Duma to proclaim at once, in an unequivocal manner, the assumption of power had disastrous effects. [7]This suggests that the PG was a second option for the Duma and was not a well established institution and this immediately suggests that the PG was doomed from the beginning. Bernard Paves emphasises the poor quality of the PG in his book: â€Å"The PG was what the country had to offer in experience of government outside the administrative machine; but they amounted only to a few fairly competent critics, without authority, educated in a Duma which had hardly been listened to. †[8] Initially the Duma had announced that the PG was to handle restoration of order. The PG felt a political revolution was needed, not a social revolution. However a social reform or revolution was a necessity in Russia as there was mass unrest in both the countryside and cities. This dissatisfaction needed to be sorted out as soon as possible and although the PG tried they did not recognise what was needed to transform Russia. As Lenin wrote, Russia was in the second phase of the revolution and it was now the turn of the proletariat to continue it. The PG however was trying too hard to contain both the working class and peasants without ever giving them any of their demands making them restless. This was another key reason why they were not able to consolidate their power. Although the PG was predominantly a liberal body there was one exception. Aleksandr Fyodorovich Kerensky was a member of both the PG and the Petrograd Soviet and was the only representative in the body with moderately socialist ideologies. This resulted in disagreements within the party and his key role as prime minister after Lvov came as a disadvantage as he adopted a new self arrogance and cost the PG dearly. There was a huge contrast between Lvov and Kerensky. Lvov was seen largely as a â€Å"figure head†[9] and was an effective leader however he was forced to resign over the issue of regional nationalities. Kerensky on the other hand was not such an effective leader and sought his own goals although appearing popular through the early years of the 1900’s. As the PG was a liberal body they felt a republic was where Russia should be heading. However this contrasted with Kerensky’s ideology’s and was another reason for them being unable to consolidate their power. Milyukov was also a key member in the party. As Mosley wrote, â€Å"he was an outstanding personality in the party. †[10] Milyukov was appointed minister of foreign affairs, and he played a huge role in formulating the policies which the PG adopted. However in connection with the War Milyukov made a grave mistake that ended in his resignation. This lack of knowledge was typical of the members of the PG. Chapter 2: Structuralists response The Structuralist response believes that the PG was doomed from the beginning due to their poor response to the demands of both the peasants and the workers, and the pressure put on them by the war. There were serious problems in Russia however there were also very high expectations of the PG, putting pressure on them, and making it hard for them to effectively consolidate power. These key issues included: the war, land distribution, national minorities, economy, and social reform, and in March of 1917 it was important the PG made a good first impression. The key question involving the war was whether or not Russia should sue for immediate peace. This however would have implications as it would be very embarrassing and humiliating along with the severe loss of territory that would incur. If they were not to call for immediate peace they faced another problem. Should they continue fighting alongside with their allies and try to gain territory or fight a defensive war and simply try not to lose any more territory? The PG made a good choice in only fighting a defensive war. This however backfired when the Milyukov affair became apparent, and this cost the PG dearly. Although this problem could be seen to be a result of outside pressure and not an initial reason for their downfall, their initial reaction was simply the starting point from which the problems involving the war escalated out of control. The question involving the distribution of land was whether they should take land from the nobility and landowners and hand it over to the peasants or should they wait for the Constituent Assembly to organise it in a more controlled way. They immediately opted to stand back from these demands, and stated that they would wait for the Constituent Assembly to be elected so that they could deal with it more appropriately. The PG adopted the same approach when answering the vital question of the demands of the working class in Russia. The Working class wanted much better conditions for both working and living; they also wanted eight hour working days and elected members on factory committees. Beryl Williams wrote: â€Å"Labour legislation was brought in by the PG: the right to strike, and to elect factory committees, an eight hour day, freedom and land reform†¦ however these were postponed until the promised Constituent Assembly. †[11] This made the workers and peasants restless and as the year progresses they simply put more pressure on the PG. The dilemma involving national minorities was that neighbouring countries to Russia such as Finland, Ukraine, and Poland wanted independence. They decided to grant these countries independence as they thought they did not really have any control over them anyway. However this sparked disagreements within the party and turned out to be more important than the PG had originally thought. It resulted in the Kadets leaving the PG and this came as a huge loss of support and meant Kerensky took over Lvov position as prime minister. The economic situation in Russia was not good and supply of food and fuel needed to be increased. These key issues in March 1917 were very important to the PG’s downfall. They gave them an opportunity to excel however due to bad decisions and poor policies the PG was not able to consolidate power. The Structuralists School sees these problems as a chance for the PG to show Russia they were capable of leadership and the historian Darby refers to these times as a â€Å"window of opportunity. †[12] However the PG’s inability to cope with such stresses among other strains put them immediately on a downward spiral. Chapter 3: Intentionalist response Although there is a lot of evidence to suggest that the PG was doomed from the beginning there is also evidence which supports the contrary. Many of the issues that the PG failed to deal with in March escalated and caused big problems within the body. There were also key mistakes made that put support in the hands of the Bolsheviks and gave them a prime opportunity to seize power in October. As Beryl Williams wrote, â€Å"the PG created a climate in which its political opponents could return and flourish. †[13] The initial policy that the PG had set up in response to the war was one of the only vaguely effective policies they had adopted; this however did not last long. On the 20th April of that year a message from Milyukov (The Minister of Defence) that had been sent to the PG was leaked to the public and sparked various protests throughout Russia. The note told the PG that the army was to go on the offensive; however this was deeply unpopular with both the Soviet and the Russian people. Figes sees this as, â€Å"waving a red rag in front of the soviet bull,†[14] In response the Soviet called upon the people of warring countries to force their governments to negotiate peace and in doing so condemned Milyukov’s pledge. It is clear that the PG underestimated how much the Russian people, and soldiers wanted peace. As Mosley wrote, â€Å"not fully aware then of the widespread unwillingness of the Russian people to continue the war. [15] The Milyukov note is a key example of the outside pressure that helped in the collapse of the PG and it emphasises how even a policy that seemed effective in March had backfired due to poor decisions made by key members in the body. This incident put the PG in a bad light and it was only to get worse. Another initial policy that affected the PG badly was the problem involving small ne ighbouring countries to the USSR and their desire for independence. Initially the PG had overlooked these demands, however as the demands grew the PG was forced to make a decision. They made a quick decision as they felt that this issue would not affect anybody within the party or population. They gave these countries independence, however in doing so sparked unrest within the party. Many of the Kadets’ including Milyukov were very unhappy that these countries (Ukraine especially) had been granted independence, and as a result they left the PG. With the loss of Milyukov, Kerensky was appointed minister of war and Paves sees this as: â€Å"gravity shifting very predominantly to the left. [16] This resulted in the PG losing their impact on the population; it also cost them a lot of members and support and signalled another step towards their destruction. As the weeks went by the PG was failing to answer the peasant’s demands for the distribution of land. This meant that the PG was losing support as the peasants’ opinion of them became increasingly bad. Kowalski argues this: â€Å"The problem was that the peasant restraint was not rewarded. The PG with the support of the soviet procrastinated on the land question. [17] Iganev, a leader of a popular socialist party said: â€Å"We are always being told, ‘later, later, not now, not until the Constituent Assembly’†¦ however the land question must be resolved now! †[18] This is a clear example of the pressure put on the PG. This view is supported by many historians such as Richard Pipes and over the years an Intentionalist School has been developed. They believe that it was the outside pressure put upon the PG that cost them, arguing that it was revolutionary leaders such as Lenin that led to the popularity of the PG diminishing whilst the popularity of other revolutionary groups grew. Another example of the outside pressure put upon the PG is the political transformation of the Petrograd Soviet. They had transformed from (in March) being an institution supporting parliamentary democracy into instruments for revolutionary socialism, and there are consequences of this. According to Mosley there are two main reasons for this transformation: Primarily the Soviet’s were annoyed because the PG postponed for future determination by the Constituent Assembly the solution of such pressing problems. The second reason is largely a consequence of the first as there were growing opinions of the workers and peasant against the PG because they had failed to meet any of their demands, and conditions in Russia had not improved. This meant that the soviets felt they had to branch themselves away from the failing PG to keep their reputation intact. The Bolsheviks also used this to their advantage as when they saw this poor reputation of the PG and their lack of support the Bolsheviks took a radical move to wipe the PG out completely. The Bolsheviks saw this opportunity: â€Å"At the Russian conference of the Bolshevik workers party on March 29, there was only one speaker who opposed the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks and establishment of a proletariat dictatorship. And he was rules out of order. †[19] This emphasises how from very early on in the PG’s reign people were looking to overthrow it and using Lenin’s intelligence they found a perfect opportunity. Using Propaganda they adopted a new party slogan of: â€Å"all power to the soviets. In doing so the Bolsheviks felt that they could rise to power through the Petrograd Soviet and then disband it when they got to a dominant position within the party. As a result of this the PG were left with very little support. As opposition to the PG grew there was one key incident that sparked the Bolshevik engine and this was the return of Lenin on the 3rd April 1917. Previously to this Lenin had been in exile and had not been able to ignite Bolshe vik movement. When he returned the Bolshevik workers parties were already willing to overthrow the PG but simply did not have the means to do so, and that is what Lenin brought to the table. Lenin’s initial opinion was that he welcomed the revolution but saw it as only being in its first stage, the April thesis was Lenin’s radical program to introduce the second phase. The April thesis was announced almost immediately after Lenin’s return on the 16th April and it promised the population of Russia exactly what they wanted, which put the PG in a very bad light. The thesis included: No support to the PG; an immediate end to the war; arming the workers to defend the revolution; the introduction of a worldwide socialist revolution; and most importantly it promised, â€Å"Land, peace and bread. [20] That was all the things that the PG had been to scared to do, as they waited for a Constituent Assembly. The July days followed the PG’s summer offensive and were another key reason for the PG’s downfall. On 3rd July there were military uprisings against the army’s poor attempt at an offensive against the Germans on the western front. Ther e were 400,000 casualties and this failure played into the hands of the Bolsheviks and made the PG look very bad for initiating the offensive. On the 4th July 20,000 sailors embarked on the city from Kronstadt naval base. As the PG was to blame all the protestors wanted the soviet to take power. However when the soviet refused to do so they crowds were not sure what to do, and were restricted by the 176 regiment who were used to protect the government. This emphasises the opinions towards the PG and is another example of a poor decision made by them which pushed them closer to being overthrown. However the July days also had a knock on effect on the Bolsheviks, because it was not uccessful in overthrowing the PG people wanted someone to blame and that person was Lenin. However some historians such as Figes argue that Lenin did not actually have any role in organising the uprising. [21] The Kornilov affair was another example of outside pressure which resulted in a large loss of support for the PG and gave the Bolsheviks a more convincing role in the country as they gained support and spread the word of another revolution. By the end of August Kerensky felt that the only course open to him was to restore law and order in the cities and to boost moral and discipline within the army. In doing so he hoped he could put pressure back on the Bolsheviks and potentially deal with any threat that they were to present. Kerensky appointed General Kornilov as new supreme commander of the Russian forces to try and boost moral. However General Kornilov had other ideas that emphasise his poor political mind and it rubbed off very badly on the PG and Kerensky. Kornilov felt that in his new position he could rally soldiers and he saw this as an opportunity to crush the radical socialists and restore military order through counter revolution. However Kerensky realised this and had to call for help from both the Petrograd Soviet and Bolsheviks which reinforced the public’s suspicions that they could not effectively govern Russia. Conclusion: There is a lot of evidence that supports both arguments: that the PG was doomed from the beginning and that it was outside pressure that resulted in their collapse in October 1917. There are also various historians who support these arguments. Evidence suggesting that the PG was doomed from the beginning is supported by famous historians such as Orlando Figes and Beryll Williams who agree with the Structuralist School. Important factors such as the immediate demands from peasants and workers were too strong for the PG to handle appropriately and they made a grave mistake in ignoring them. â€Å"The problem was that the peasant’s restraint was not rewarded. The PG procrastinated over the land question. †[22] This was also the case when they tried to deal with the national minorities demands and this to had severe consequences resulting in a great loss of support and members. On the contrary however there is lots of evidence that supports the counter argument, stating that the PG collapsed under outside pressure put on them throughout their rule. Issues such as the War and Bolshevik movement made the situation even harder and it became too much pressure for the PG to cope with. Also the increasing demands from peasants and workers after the PGs initial ignorance became much stronger and became a real problem for them which they failed to cope with. After looking in detail at both responses it is clear that the PG inherited problems however it was their inability to deal with these problems that immediately put them under a lot of pressure and made it much more difficult for them to consolidate power. This initial hesitance tied the PGs hands behind their back and because the internal problems had not been dealt with by April they had no chance against the external threat from the Bolsheviks who were bent on their destruction. It can also be argued that the PG although being seen as the rulers of Russia did not actually do anything to meet any of the peasants of workers demands and did nothing to increase the standards of Russia at all. As Bernard Paves wrote: â€Å"The PG, although acknowledged as such for eight months cannot be said to actually have ruled Russia. [23] Bibliography †¢ Bernard Paves – A History of Russia (published 1947 in London) †¢ John Bradley – The Russian Revolution (published 1988 in London) †¢ Beryl Williams – Lenin, Profiles in Power (published 2000 in London) †¢ Robert Service – Stalin, a Bibliography (published2004 in London) †¢ Richard Pipes – Russia Under the Old Regime (published1974 in Grea t Britain) †¢ Leon Troski – Stalin (published 1947 in London) †¢ Orlando Figes – A Peoples Tragedy (published 1996 in London) †¢ Orlando Figes – The Whisperers (published in London) Chris Ward – Stalin’s Russia (first published 1993, second edition 1999 in London) †¢ Chris Corin, Terry Feihn – Communist Russia Under Lenin and Stalin (Published 2002 in London) †¢ Tamara Pimlott – The Russian Revolution (first published 1985 in London) †¢ Caroline Kennedy – Russia and the World (first published 1998 in Great Britain) †¢ Philip. E. Mosley – www. emayzine. com/lectures/russianrev †¢ https://mars. wnec. edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/rev1917 †¢ Beryl Williams – new perspective Volume 1. Number 2. (December 1995) †¢ En. wikipedia. org/wiki/russian_Provisional_Govt Annotated Bibliography Bernard Paves – A History of Russia (published 1947 in London): This book was useful as it gave me an insightful view of this period in history and gave me an in depth structuralist opinion. John Bradley – The Russian Revolution (published 1988 in London): This book was useful as it gave me a greater understanding of some of the different opinions that surround this topic. Beryl Williams – Lenin, Profiles in Power (published 2000 in London): This was useful as it gave me a wider conception of Lenin’s involvement in the destruction of the Provisional Government. Robert Service – Stalin, a Bibliography (published 2004 in London): This book provided me with an array of quotes and deepened my understanding of the Provisional Governments policies and mistakes. Richard Pipes – Russia Under the Old Regime (published 1974 in Great Britain): Gave me an insight to the Bolshevik policies that lead up to the Provisional Governments downfall. Leon Troski – Stalin (published 1947 in London): This book was very interesting and gave me a look at the lead up to Stalin’s reign which was the downfall of the Provisional Government. Orlando Figes – A Peoples Tragedy (published 1996 in London): Was very interesting and gave the views of the population of Russia along with the policies and thoughts of the leading bodies in Russia. Orlando Figes – The Whisperers (published in London): This book gave me more back ground knowledge about the topic and helped me understand some of the reasons behind the revolutions of 1917. Chris Ward – Stalin’s Russia (first published 1993, second edition 1999 in London): This book was helpful because it gave me a lot of statistics and views that emphasised some of the main points throughout the Provisional Governments reign. Chris Corin, Terry Feihn – Communist Russia Under Lenin and Stalin (Published 2002 in London): Gave in more detail some of the main points behind Lenin’s campaign and how he managed to overthrow the Provisional Government. Also was helpful in other parts of the course. Tamara Pimlott – The Russian Revolution (first published 1985 in London): Was helpful in giving me quotes and facts throughout the middle months of the Provisional Governments reign, things such as the July days and onwards to October. Caroline Kennedy – Russia and the World (first published 1998 in Great Britain): Some information about the day the Bolsheviks seized power from the Provisional Government at the Tauride Palace. Philip. E. Mosley – www. emayzine. com/lectures/russianrev: This book was useful as it gave me information about the members of all the parties and some of the internal problems the Provisional Government faced. https://mars. wnec. edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/rev1917: Gave me an overview of the topic and helped me understand the bases of the Provisional Government leadership. Beryl Williams – new perspective Volume 1. Number 2. (December 1995): This article was useful as it provides some quotes and helped me understand the role of Kerensky better. En. wikipedia. org/wiki/russian_Provisional_Govt: Gave me an overview of the year and put all the events into context whilst giving some opinions of popular historians. ———————– [1] A time from March to April where the Provisional Government could have satisfied the people and had they done so would have been able to consolidate their power however they failed to do so. 2] Slogan used by Lenin to rile up the people of Russia and undermine the Provisional Government prior to overthrowing them. [3] John Bradley, The Russian Revolution, London (1988) p56 [4] Robert Service, Stalin, a bibliography, London (2004) p129 [5] Phillip. E. Mosley www. emayzine. com/lectures/russiarev [6] Orlando Figes, A Peoples Tragedy, London (1996) [7] Richard Pipes, The Rus sian Revolution, New York (1990) [8] Bernard Paves, A History of Russian, London (1947) p531 [9] Mosley www. emayzine. om/lectures/russiarev [10] Mosley, www. emayzine. com/lectures/russiarev [11] Beryl Williams, Lenin, profiles in power , London (2000) p63 [12] Robert Darby agrees with the Structuralist School. Argues it was the ignorance of Provisional Government that resulted in their failure. [13] Williams, Lenin, profiles in power, p 63 [14] Figes, A people tragedy [15] Mosley, www. emayzine. com/lectures/russianrev [16] Paves, A History of Russia, p 533 [17] Kowalski, Russian Revolution 1917-1921, p 133 18] Kowalski, Russian Revolution 1917-1921, p 134 [19] Mosley, www. emayzine. com/lectures/russianrev [20] Quote from Lenin’s April thesis emphasises how Lenin gave them exactly what they wanted. [21] Figes, A Peoples Tragedy [22] Kowalski Russian Revolution 1917-1921, p 133 [23] Paves A History of Russia, p 532 ———————â⠂¬â€œ Word count: 350 Word count: 403 Word count: 478 Word count: 260 Word count: 439 Word count: 167 Word count: 431 Word count: 434 Word Count: 442 Word count: 222 Word count: 373