Principles of Learning to Play the Piano Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principles of Learning to Play the Piano - Essay Example When learning to play the piano, the first thing that is important is to find the right teacher, someone who is calm, patient and willing to help one understand the importance of practice and form. When playing the piano for the first time it is common to make many mistakes and feel as though one is not capable enough or adequate for this activity. Playing the piano can be complex and that is why it is important to find a teacher who is willing to help and has the patience to guide the student through the process of playing the piano. What is also important is that a teacher will be able to show the student how not to learn to play with bad habits. Once these habits become common-place they are difficult to break, this is why it is essential that my teacher showed how to play the piano corrected for the first time. From then on I was playing properly and playing this lovely instrument with ease. I felt confident knowing that I have selected the appropriate instructor and looked forwa rd to learning more. After finding the proper instructor, the next step in learning how to play the piano involves practice and lots of it. Yes, as they say, practice makes perfect and this is very true when it comes to playing the piano. The more one practices the better he or she will become and regular practice is essential when playing the piano. Step by step people will slowly improve and become memorization is so important when playing the piano, it is very important that practice is regular and consistent.  

We Real Cool Essay Example for Free

We Real Cool Essay 1) Rhyme Gwendolyn Brooks makes great use of rhyme throughout the poem. She uses words such as cool, school, sin, and gin (Brooks 684-685). These are rhymes that appear at the end of lines. The rhyme scheme used compliments the theme, since it is the directed to a young audience. It is known that Brooks is trying to attract a young crowd because she is talking about young people who are supposed to attend school. The poem has an up tempo beat, almost like a rap. This rap-like sound may also help to appeal young readers. 2) Literary Devices  But as if the rhyming werent enough, Brooks also uses alliteration, the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words or phrases, usually a consonant. â€Å"Lurk late. We†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Strike straight. We† (684)  Sometimes the rhyming doesnt even stop with the two end words: â€Å"Sing† â€Å"sin† â€Å"thin† â€Å"gin† (685). She also uses dialect, a black dialect. 3) Theme This poem describes the lifestyle of young rebels. They are cool having left school, and die soon. The seven players in the poem were victims of self-destruction. Brooks makes the theme evident to the reader with the use of irony. The first line of the poem reads We real cool (684)and the last line read We die soon (685). So, in other words the pool players were too cool for their own good. Brooks expresses the way she feels about school drop outs in a short, yet forceful poem. 4) We Real Cool is very unique definitely has a powerful message behind it. Gwendolyn Brooks illustrates the essence of troubled teenagers who will eventually suffer the ill-fated possibility that life will render a human being if they continue the lifestyle of the streets — â€Å"Die soon†. The poem was written in 1950 (685) during the struggle for African-American civil rights messages and, to appeal to young African Americans of the time. It expresses the problems and also the dangers which affected the young African-American community; and it serves as a way to help the youth realize the ways of their problems and change themselves for their own good and the good of the community.

Solution To Hanjin Problems Information Technology Essay

Solution To Hanjin Problems Information Technology Essay Shipping by its nature is a very competitive and a very complex industry. Martin Stopford, 1997 Shipping companies have to operate on a global scale and manage offices all around the world and work with a diverse work force. Merchant shipping is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. Hence information systems play a very important role in the management of the shipping company. In this essay we will analyse a case study of how Hanjin shipping used information systems grow as a leading shipping company. Hanjin is a global transportation and Logistics Company. (Hanjin shipping, 2010).The company operates around 200 ships, mainly container vessels, gas tankers and bulk carriers. Hanjin ships are trading worldwide. Hanjin transport cargo to more than 100million tons a year to 6000 destinations worldwide. (Hanjin shipping, 2010) Companys sales network includes 200 international branch offices and 30 corporations. Over all the company is expanding rapidly on a global sca le and is also venturing into new shipping related business. Business problems Hanjin was increasing its global operations by opening new container terminals, buying new large ships, going in alliance with container lines. Hanjin lacked the logistics required to be competent in the container industry. Its 10 year old ERP systems lacked functionality and flexibility required to operate such a complex and big organisation (Oracle 2008). Hanjin understood that without end to end logistics solutions they cannot compete in container business. Hanjin also faced problems controlling procurement costs and to meet the global regulatory requirements (Oracle 2008). The data collection system was done manually and hence it was time consuming and prone to errors. Hanjin have a work force of around 4000 which are employed all around the world. It was increasing difficult for Hanjin to manage such a large and diverse work force. Solution to Hanjin problems As a solution to the problems Hanjin was facing due to its global expansion it decided to launch Process innovation project. The process innovation purpose was to establish advanced management structure and strengthening its organisational capabilities. (Sustainability report, 2006). The project applied to business process and organization structure as well as the corporate cultures based on adopting the advanced IT infrastructure. (Sustainability report, 2006, p.27). Hanjin decided to re-engineer their business process using best practice models for their ERP systems so as to gain global competitiveness. This system was going to be a long term solution, it will not directly show on balance sheet but it will be platform for launching new business projects (Business report 2006). Hanjin also decided to shift to customer based business by ensuring good service and increased customer satisfaction. Process Innovation Project The process innovation project team was assembled in October 2004 and then they spent 5 months for mapping the new systems and the process. The project will be implemented gradually on a step by step basis. The process innovation project was to be implemented during a period of 3 years. Source: (Hanjin Sustainability report, 2008, pg.27) The main aim of process innovation was to be customer centred and a profitability oriented management company. The information system used to re-in force the organisational capabilities and will prepare the management to be more customers focused. The information system development contracts were given to companies which were best in the business (Oracle, 2008). ERP was given to ORACLE while others were given to Siebel and Hyperion. During the process of project Oracle acquired Siebel and Hyperion which resulted in seamless integration and customer support. (Oracle, 2008). Information Systems (ERP) Enterprise Resource planning: Enterprise system integrates the key business processes into single system. In this system the flow of information is seamless throughout the organisation (Laudon laudon, 2007). Hanjins Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Internal system Internal system Source: Author generated Hanjin integrated business process such as finance and accounting, capital asset planning, human resource, procurement process. They used these for smooth flow of information in their internal system. The companys senior management was involved in the projects implementation. The Managing director and CIO of Hanjin Shipping said that To improve our global competitiveness, we needed an IT solution that supported extensive process reengineering (Oracle, 2008, pg.1). Hanjin decided to invest about 57.7 million USD on this project. They standardised the management and data collections methods, restructured the flow of data between their business systems and prepared a dictionary so as to make it easier for the staff to follow new system. As the system was implemented on a step by step basis, gradually the staff could see the benefits of the system and they were not resilient to changes, but they were will to share information in between different divisions. Company also adopted other bes t practice guidelines such as training and educating the staff, use of software support and maintenance. Benefits of Information system Source: (Hanjin Sustainability report, 2008, pg.27) The above diagram is explained using the generic model of 6Cs for explaining business benefits. Lower Cost: The e-sourcing system assisted them to procure products from a list of suppliers and they were benefited from competitive pricing which resulted in procurement costs. Cost saving per customer was increased due to increased efficiency (Oracle, 2008). Improved Communication: As the data was consolidated into a single system, hence staff gained an integrated view of operations (Oracle, 2008). Improved Management Control: New ERP systems and re-engineering process helped in improved business management. This gave the managers a complete view of the companys operations and also equipped the staff with detailed information they required to plan, execute and evaluate complex initiatives. The managers were also able to make decisions and ensure problems were addressed immediately. Performance evaluation was easier and could be easily done on a global basis and medium and long term strategy planning could be done due to data availability. (Oracle, 2008) New Capability: HR platform helped in improving the efficiency of the department. The new system helped the managers to view complete history of the staff and also discard applications. This resulted in increased efficiency of HR staff which could focus more on attracting and retaining skilled employees and also train them. (Oracle, 2008) Improved Customer Service: Due to its service network it could respond faster to customers demands. Detailed sales and marketing plans could be developed. (Oracle, 2008) Competitive Advantage: Hanjin got the recognition of a reliable logistics partner. (Sustainability report, 2008). In April 2008 Hanjin got the highest awards in logistics in Korea. (Sustainability report, 2008). Future business plans The project improved the overall performance of the company process. In future company aims to invest more in their IT systems which aims to complement their management systems as well as front office work. (Business report 2007). As the internal system implementation was completed the company now is ready to develop shipping/logistics related business which will become the companys next driving forces. Banking on their internal system they are stepping closer to become a Global logistics company. They are also planning to expand its 3PL (3rd party logistics) business by extending its global network (Hanjin Shipping, 2008). In line with their Process Innovation project they have also launched another project Knowledge management. (Sustainability report, 2008) Conclusion: The project taken by Hanjin to rebuild its business process by the use of information systems was strategically very important. Hanjin is a global organisation with different functions, organisational levels and many business processes; hence ERP system was the correct choice of information system. This project became the base to implement advance business process which complement their information systems and also increase the efficiency of the company. It helped the company to be more customers focused which is a key strategy in current times. They could venture into new aspects of business such as logistics. The selection of Oracle and Siebel was also correct because they were the best in the business. Hanjin made correct decision by integrating all systems together. The acquisition of Siebel and Hyperion by Oracle ensured that the systems have seamless integration and continuous support. The information systems which they used were in line with their business strategies which res ulted in success of the project.

Natural Law :: essays research papers

Natural Law The School of Natural Law Philosophy was an intellectual group of philosophers. They developed new ways of thinking about religion and government. Natural law was based on moral principles, but the overall outlook changed with the times. John Locke was a great philosopher from the middle of the 17th century. He was a primary contributor to the new ideas concerning natural law of that time. He argued that humans in the state of nature are free and equal, yet insecure in their freedom. When they enter society, they surrender only such rights as are necessary for their security and for the common good. He also believed that each individual retains fundamental prerogatives drawn from natural law relating to the integrity of the person and property. This natural rights theory was the basis of not only the American, but also the French revolution. 1 During his lifetime, he wrote many essays and letters to his colleagues on a variety of topics:2 †¢ Letter on Toleration (1689) †¢ Second Letter on Toleration (1690) †¢ Two Treatises of Government (1690) †¢ Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) †¢ Some Considerations of the Consequences of Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value of Money (1691) †¢ Third Letter on Toleration (1692) †¢ Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) †¢ Further Considerations Concerning Raising the Value of Money (1693) †¢ The Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) †¢ A Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) †¢ A Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity (1695) †¢ A Letter to the Bishop of Worcester (1697) †¢ Discourse on Miracles †¢ Fourth Letter for Toleration †¢ An Examination of Father Malebranche's Opinion of Seeing All Things in God †¢ Remarks on Some of Mr Norris's Books †¢ Conduct of the Understanding Locke's greatest philosophical contribution is his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In the winter of 1670, five or six friends were talking in his room, probably in London. The topic was the "principles of morality and revealed religion," but arguments arose and no real progress or serious discussion took place. Then, he goes on to say, "it came into my thoughts that we took a wrong course, and that before we set ourselves upon inquiries of that nature, it was necessary to examine our own abilities, and see what objects our understandings were, or were not, fitted to deal with." At the request of his friends, Locke agreed to write down his thoughts on this question at their next meeting, and he expected that a single sheet of paper would suffice for the purpose. Little did he realize the importance of the issue which he raised, and that it would take up his free time for nearly twenty years.

Belonging creativwe writting Essay

It has been a year since I moved out of home to attend a prestigious school. I have met new people, made new friends, and gotten use to moving around this town since when I first arrived. Although I am extremely happy about where I stand today, I’ve started to get this uneasy feeling, is it because I haven’t been feeling well or is it because I’ve started to dream more about those back at my home town. I’m running late to school again, if mum was here I wouldn’t hear the end of how I’m going to be scolded by the teacher, as much as I hated hearing it I wonder why I’m remembering it now. I got to school 10 min late for the first period. I got scolded by the teacher and got held back in class for the time I lost. I looked out the window and remembered back at school at my home town, always causing mischief and constantly being scolded, I felt a little bit happy and nostalgic mesmerising the past. It was time for roll call. I had to give a note to the teacher explaining why I was late. Rather than being scolded, he gave me short lesson of advice on how to prioritize my time. At some point I looked around the class seeing all my friends talking and laughing, it reminded me back of back at school in my home town. It was the same, although when the teacher would try to give me advice I would argue, and frustrate the teacher. I acted like a child always thinking I was right. It made me giggle a bit of how much mischief I use to get myself into. The teacher asked me if I found anything he said was funny, I apologised for being rude and listened to what he had to say until the bell for recess rung. My close friends weren’t at school today, they had a field trip for biology so I sat by myself on the silver seats in the shade and took out my recess. Watching everyone talk and play made me feel a bit lonely, it reminded me of when I first moved here, I thought I wasn’t going to make any friends and I was too shy and afraid to talk to anyone so I sat by myself at recess. Although now it’s different I have good friends here that make me happy. Then I remembered my childhood friends, all the games we played, all the laughs we had, all the arguments and fights, it felt nostalgic it brought a smile to my face that I haven’t shown in a while and it also hurt me just as much when I remember the day I left to come to this school. I wonder if they still think about me, I wonder how they all are, are they fine, are they doing well, are they still the same even without me being there and causing mischief. I wonder. Recess finished, and now I have my Health and PE class. When I arrived at class, I found a substitute teacher. He announced that our teacher will not be teaching for the rest of the week as they are sick. Instead of giving out the work he allowed us to have PE for both periods, he gave out a range of sports for us to choose form, once we decided we were playing. Everyone was sweating and laughing and enjoying themselves. I remembered back at my old school in my hometown when we would trick the substitute teacher in letting us play for two periods and the ruckus we caused because of it, it made me laugh a little bit and continued to play. ` Class ended, everyone is tired and exhausted. I went down for lunch and saw my friends; they had come back from their trip. I felt a little relieved it let me forget about a little about leaving my old friends. We talked about their trip and what they did, it seemed like they had a lot of fun. As we finished our lunch and headed towards the field and we lie down in our usual spot and relax and talk about what ever came to our mind. Without noticing the lunch bell rang and we stayed, everyone was leaving but we were too busy chatting we didn’t notice. Then a girl came running to tell us we’d be scolded again if we were late again after lunch. As we walked towards class I couldn’t take my eyes off her, I’ve had a crush on her since I came to this school, I don’t know why but it feels as though I’ve known her from somewhere. Then once again I remembered the girl I liked in my old school, I could never talk to her, I was too shy despite my mischievous self. I felt a little down because in the end I never told her before I moved and kept thinking if the same would happen again. During the last two periods I slacked off a little trying to think why I’ve been thinking so much about my old friends, about my home town. I couldn’t come up with an answer, but it hurt, it hurt so much, that I didn’t feel like I belonged here, but why? I’ve made good friends here; I feel at ease, I even have someone I like so why does it hurt so much. The final bell rang and it was time to head home, I didn’t feel like going home so I took a detour and went the longer way around, a longer way than usual that I didn’t know where I was going but kept going. I found myself on top of a hill; there was a small field of grass going down the hill. I took my bag off and sat down. I remembered that when I always felt upset and lonely I’d run off to a secret spot behind the woods of the park in my home town. There would be a grass field just like this. It calmed me down it made me feel like I was back at home, I felt a little relieved. I stayed there for a while, until it started to get dark so I headed back home. On my way I bought a few things to make food at home, on my way home I kept thinking how much I wanted to see my friends and family once again, just once would be enough. I got towards my apartment and saw my light on, I ran, I ran as quick as I could, I swung open the door and said â€Å"Mom, dad I’m home.† I looked around and there was no one; it looks like I forgot to turn off the light before I left again. All these old memories of my home town made my edgy, and showed me just how empty I really was. I finally realised why it hurt so much, and why it wouldn’t go away, and why it kept hurting more and more every time I thought about it. The truth was I was trying to cover up the fact that I truly don’t belong here no matter how much I try my heart and memories are anchored back at home and that’s where they’ll stay.

The Female Archetype in Shakespeare: Marriage and Love

The thesis for the following paper will be presented as marriage as a theme in Shakespeare’s play as it is applicable to character development in female characters.   Shakespeare’s   portrayal of women in A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be one focus of the paper.   Another theme and thesis supporter of the paper will be presented in the fact that in Shakespeare’s play the theme of love is integral to the plot for both a comedy and a tragedy, as such the presence of love in women will be examined as a transitional tool. Other avenues of discussion in this analytical paper will include mothers, female prophecy, and virginity, and as Rackin states, â€Å"No woman is the protagonist in a Shakespearean history play.   Renaissance gender role definitions prescribed silence as a feminine virtue, and Renaissance sexual mythology associated the feminine with body and matter as a opposed to masculine intellect and spirit.† (329), thus, women could not be considered even a main character in these plays unless she became married, or as in A Midsummer Night’s Dream the woman sacrificed herself for her male counterpart. Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not only an allegory, but within the story there exists another allegory.   Shakespeare creates a play in which events take place as they would in the real world, or seemingly so, but juxtaposed with this storyline Shakespeare includes a second story with Oberon and Titania thus presenting to the audience a layered story.   Aristotle wrote that art is an action which is defined through mimesis; as such, the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream is written partly as a dialogue of the possibilities of life (as can be witnessed with the humans of the story) and partly as a dialogue for the fantastical (as is written pertaining to the faeries of the play). The argument then arises from, Jacobus, that offers, is drama an imitation of life, or is life an imitation of drama, and in Shakespeare’s play, the answer is cleverly disguised between his layering of reality in fantasy in which the real becomes so engrossed in the fantasy, as if the scenes set in the forest are each under the spell of Puck.   It is in Puck’s reality that all of the protagonists exist and thereby the answer to Jacobus’ question may be analyzed. The theme of Shakespeare’s play can aptly be stated as ‘love in idleness’ since this is also the name of the flower Robin Goodfellow or Puck uses to cause the characters to fall in love with each other (Lysander with Helena then Demetrius with Helena and as Oberon uses it to cause Titania to fall in love with Bottom) Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell: It fell upon a little western flower, Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound, And maidens call it love-in-idleness. (Shakespeare 2004; Act 2 Scene 1) In this plot, it is revealed that drama in part is imitating life.   Love in idleness is a circular event in life that seems abysmal in its foreplay, and desperate in its reality.   As each character falls in love with the wrong character, or is forced to fall in love with another person, Jacobus’ claim that characters are the building blocks of allowing the audience to identify with the actions of the play as they relate to their life, is succinctly pandering to Aristotle’s concepts of drama in imitation of art. The characters frolic around the wood, hopelessly in love with one another, and loved by the wrong person, as is shown in the four couples Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena while the faeries in turn present the audience with how ridiculous this love in idleness is defined in showing Titania in love with Bottom who has been transformed into a donkey.   Aristotle’s definition for a tragic hero is one who is not in control of his own fate, but instead is ruled by the gods in one fashion or another (Jones 1962). The theme of Shakespeare’s play delves into the morality of his intent to present the audience in stride with how to perceive their own lives and loves in relation to the events that transpire in the woods.   In context of the play, Aristotle’s mimesis gives the audience a chance to pause and consider the motive of love both in terms of the reality that Shakespeare delivers with Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena and the motivation of love when it is juxtaposed with Titania and Bottom. As Jacobus states, although drama has the ‘capacity to hold up an illusion of reality like the reflection in a mirror: we take for granted while recognizing that it is nonetheless illusory’ (Jacobus 2005; 1-2).   Thus, it may be extolled from this statement that illusion transforms the allegory of the play into applicable terms whereby the audience becomes not only immersed in the play and its actions and characters, but also takes those actions and characters to stand as testaments to their life experiences. The fact that the characters lose themselves in a maze of darkness and fog and awake approached by Theseus and Hippolyta who are likened to the gaurdians of the play or the characters of reason, stand in testement to the actions of the characters and it is accepted that Lysander and Hermia are united and Demetrius and Helena join together in a group wedding. Shakespeare’s play however does not end there but continues with the theme of love in idleness with the mechanicals performing the myth Pyramus and Thisbe in which both lovers kill themselves because each assumes the other is dead.   This is Shakespeare’s way of contributing both the graceful and loving end of one story, with the humans in the forest, as well as showing with this play, how love may go awry and become a tragedy.   The love in idleness theme is subsequently debunked in Shakespeare’s play merely by the endings in which even Oberon and Titania reunite. Jacobus states, â€Å"The action of most drama is not drawn from our actual experience of life, but from our potential or imagined experience† (Jacobus 2005; 1-2), thereby exhibiting the idea that a play can give the audience different proscenium displays or possibilities by which they may lead their life, or a review of what life may become.   The subject of drama as it applies to life then becomes more focused on avenues of probability and possibility. Thus, in Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream the audience envisions three different chances of love; with the humans, with the faeries and with the doomed lovers as performed by the mechanicals. Drama then is a way in which a person may identify with fictitious characters and design their own possibility of pleasures through that character.   Often times drama leaves an audience member questioning life, be it positive or negative and thereby adhering to Aristotle’s ideas of reflection, and it is this reflection that makes us human.   In being given these different paths of love in A Midsummer Night’s Dream the audience is given the oppurtunity to envision life differently and vicariously through these characers. In fact that is the purpose of drama, to present the audience with a vicarious option of examining life.   Although there is no ritual or religious interpretation associated with drama today (unless the playwright intends it) the genre of drama is best described as not only entertainment but a tool by which reality may be examained through make-believe characters in real life situations and themes. In the theme that is present in Shakepeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream love in idleness is a very prevalent topic.   Although each character in the play has a deep devotion to another character such passion is lost in the woods when the characters are left to the devices of Puck, and his chicanery.   The guiding light of love in this play may best be seen with Oberon and Titania as they are the ruling factors of love.   Their love however has been thwarted due to the presence of an Indian child and the jealousy of Oberon and the bullheadedness of Titania.   The theme within the theme in this context may best be described as compromise. The relationship between Oberon and Titania my be defined as a quintessential part of the character develoment between male and female, â€Å"†¦Shakespeare depicts male protagnosts defending masculine†¦projects against both female characters who threaten to obstruct those projects and feminine appeals to the audience that threatedn to discredit them.   IN shakespeare’s later†¦plays thos rfeminine voice become more insistent. They both threaten to invalidate the great, inherited†¦myths that Shakespeare found in his historiiographic sources and imply that abefore they masculine voice†¦can be accepted as valid,it must come to terms with women and the subversive forced they represetn.   However, as soon as Shakesperae attmpts to incorporate those feminine forces, marryign words and things, spirit and matter†¦(it) becomes problematic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Rackin 330). This statement suggests that if Shakespeare did not marry off his female characters the audience would believe it as possible nor would they accept it.   In the case of Titania and Oberon, it is Oberon’s masculinity that must make Titania’s will submissive to him and to give him what he wants (in this case her Indian).   In this case, the two characters are already married and this struggle of wills suggests that a man must constantly be domineering and gain what he wants through force and trickery. This shows that the dynamic of marriage in Shakepseare’s plays is exhibited with force.   In the other characters in the play, the one’s who are not yet married, that is Hermia and Helena, they are full of anticipation to get married but both had to first experience what it was like to not have their counterpart and suffere through the period of not being love; neither of the men truly suffer in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which suggests that Shakespeare’s female characters must prove their love, while the men of the play have no such duties. The difference then between the marriad and the unmarried woman in A Midsummer Night’s Dream is that the unmarried women must convince the men that they are loved while the married woman, Titania, must re-learn obedience. The theme of love is envisioned well in this play as Shakespeare chooses to focus on the power of love through marriage as a tool of union.   In union is found the relevance of transisiton.   The characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream only become fully aware of their own intentions and feelings after they are given the drug from Puke and spend the night in the forest.   When awakened each character realizes their true desires.   In these desires in the morning the women are quieted because they feel as though they have seen the measure of their desire reflected in their male counterparts and as such it is only through marriage that they may be tamed.   Thus, Shakespeare’s female characters are revealed to be counterparts. This essay has argued for the interpretation of Shakespeare’s characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream to be the classical female archetypes such as wife, or lover.   The plan in the play reveals how women are induced to persuasion and almost hypnotized by love and desire as is seen with Titania, Hermia, and Helena.   Each character is in love, and at the end of the play this love becomes true instead of the farce of the beginning and middle of the play.   Love is the conquering power over women in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Work Cited Jacobus, L.   The Bedford Introduction to Drama.   Bedford St. Martins.   2005. Jones, John. On Aristotle and Greek Tragedy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962. Levin, R.   Feminist Thematics and Shakespearean Tragedy.   PMLA, Vol. 103, No. 2 (Mar.,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1988), pp. 125-138. Price, J. R.   Measure for Measure and the Critics: Towards a New Approach. Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 2. (Spring, 1969), pp. 179-204. Rackin, P. Anti-Historians: Women's Roles in Shakespeare's Histories. Theatre Journal, Vol. 37, No. 3, Staging Gender. (Oct., 1985), pp. 329-344. Shakespeare, W.   A Midsummer Night’s Dream.   Washington Press.   2004.

10 Powerful Habits for Career Success

10 Powerful Habits for Career Success Every day, we’re inundated with information about how to become our best selves†¦and too often there’s a price tag attached. Take this seminar! Buy this energy drink! Wear this power outfit! There’s seemingly no end to the number of things we can buy and use to make ourselves wealthier or more successful. Now, I don’t want to say those products are all bunk (and for the low, low price of $299.95, you can take my seminar on why all other success-promising products are terrible), but†¦they’re kinda bunk. You actually already have a lot of the tools you need to become more successful and productive. Or at least you can pick them up and develop them, with no additional cost to you and yours. The changes to make your day more effective and productive start with you, like any good changes. Basically, some of the habits that can make you more successful are already within your grasp†¦you just need to figure out how to work them in throughout your day.1. Morning Habits2. Workday Habits3. Anytime HabitsMorning HabitsBecoming a morning person can have great benefits for your health and motivation overall. If you’re already a morning person, you probably just have to make a couple of tweaks to your routine here and there to maximize the benefits. If you’re not a morning person, well, now’s as good a time as any to start becoming one!1. Get up earlier.I hear that groan from some of you, and I sympathize- I too am a snooze button enthusiast. But adjusting your wake-up routine by just 30 minutes  (or ideally, an hour) will make it feel like there really are more hours in the day. It has the benefit of easing you into the day without feeling rushed, and allows for more time to do things like #2 and #3 (spoiler alert). â€Å"I’m gonna wake up earlier every day† is easier said than done, so here are some ways you can actually get to the â€Å"doing† phase:Stop hitting the â€Å"snooze † button. The snooze button almost always leads to overestimating how much time you have before you really need to get up and go.Find an alarm clock you can’t ignore. Like one that runs away from you. Or an app that nudges you awake at the optimal time in your sleep phase. It can be as simple as a phone or radio alarm set to music you dislike, so that you have an incentive to get up and shut it off†¦and while you’re up, you might as well start moving, no?2. Eat a good breakfast.Your parents and Saturday morning cartoons were right on this one†¦a healthy, balanced breakfast primes your brain and your body for a busy day.3. Work out in the morning.If you don’t have time for a trip to the gym, you can do other things, like lengthening Fido’s morning walk, or taking a few extra minutes to do yoga. Think of it as an extra jolt to get your body in motion so it stays in motion for the day.Workday HabitsThese are especially crucial at work, but yo u may find yourself applying them to other daily habits and routines as well.4. Stop procrastinating.You can do this later, but will you? Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, and in this case that means acknowledging that this task will be put off until tomorrow, and then probably Friday, and then after that who knows. Even if no one’s watching or especially cares about this task getting done, you do. It’s important to set and keep your own deadlines.5. Don’t get caught in a downtime vortex.We all need breaks sometimes- that’s non-negotiable for anyone who wants to maintain sanity, or give their eyes a break from staring at screens incessantly. Managing those breaks more efficiently will help tune up your day.For example, if that personal email check slides into a peek at your fantasy baseball team, then a Twitter conversation with your college roommate, and then maybe a bathroom break, it can be tough to get back on task. Charley M endoza at Keepinspiring.me recommends a 15-minute trick to keep a two-minute break from sliding into a 30-minute break in productivity: â€Å"Next time you don’t feel like working, keep calm and use the Force. And by that, I mean, force yourself to work for just 15 minutes then see what happens. Usually, those 15 minutes will be enough to give you some momentum.†It can help to have mini agendas for your breaks†¦for example, have two or three specific social media breaks during the day where you peek at Facebook doings quickly, then go back to your main task at hand. The next break can be the check of your baseball team, to see if you really should play that center fielder, then go back to the task at hand. Free-form breaks can get dangerous to all things productive, so it’s good to have a quick in-and-out plan so that you can get back to work before inertia sets in.6. Stay informed.This goes for the world in general (maybe work in some news breaks alongside the social media ones), but especially on matters that directly affect you, your company, or your industry. It can be as simple as following a few influential people in your field on social media, and doing a quick daily check to see what they’re discussing.Also, read more in general. Current events, magazines, novels about teenage werewolves in love, biographies of famous First Ladies†¦the subject matter and format don’t matter as much as cultivating a habit of daily reading. Superman entrepreneur Elon Musk is rumored to have read four hours a day when he was younger, but that seems a bit excessive for most people with busy lives. If you have a train or bus commute, that’s a way to work in a few minutes of reading. It can also be a nightly ritual, just 15 minutes before you go to bed. It’s all about finding a few minutes to decompress and read about something outside of your own perspective.7. Find a way to decompress when stress is high.If you sta rt from a place where you feel frazzled and stressed out, your day is not likely to improve from there. However, stress will almost always come into play in your work life at some point, no matter what you do. So how can you reconcile those? Work on compartmentalizing, and developing small ways to alleviate that stress at work. Meditation is a good way to stop everything from swirling around your head or your desk for a moment. And in fact, it turns out that the workplace may be one of the best places to meditate, because it has the potential for immediate benefits. Here are three basic meditations to get you started, and help you get back to a less stressed spot where you feel more ready to tackle the rest of the day.Anytime HabitsEven when you’re not technically working, keep working on  yourself. The benefits will seep into all parts of your life: personal and professional.8. Keep moving.A sedentary day can be one of the biggest energy sucks around, especially if you go from desk chair to couch. Throughout your day, try to get up and take a short walk in between tasks, or try some office yoga to get your body in the game. At home, get up and do something small (a chore, a trip upstairs, playing with your pet iguana) in between episodes during a Netflix binge. Again, as with the morning exercise, it’s not what you do so much as that you’re moving and keeping your mind and body alert.9. Prioritize your health.Making conscious choices about what you eat, and how/when you exercise is a great start, but this also means doing a lot of basic maintenance: like regular check ups, using stress relief methods when you need them, and actually taking sick days when you really just need a day to heal up and watch some daytime TV while you sniffle. Trying to plow through discomfort, pain, or illness is going to knock you off your game, and taking the time and effort to make sure you’re present and healthy is a big contributor to everyday succ ess.10. Say yes more often.Maybe not to everything that comes along, but when you find yourself about to say â€Å"no† to doing something (taking on a new task, trying something different), ask yourself why that is. If saying yes wouldn’t hurt you or cause hardship, and could very well lead to you experiencing and enjoying something different, then be bold and change your answer. [via Giphy]These are all pretty manageable, no? And there’s no need to be a hero and introduce all of them at once. Find the ones that work well with your routines, and start there. Small steps, small wins = big results as you get more comfortable making changes to your routine.

Asthma Essays - Respiratory Therapy, Asthma, Free Essays

Asthma Essays - Respiratory Therapy, Asthma, Free Essays Asthma subject = Heath title = Asthma Asthma What is Asthma ? Asthma is a disorder that affects 20% of Australians in their childhood. It causes airways to narrow making it difficult to breathe. Symptoms may include loss of breathe in cold weather, wheezing and whistling. It may occur periodically in sudden sharp attacks. When an attack occurs - The muscles around the wind pipe tighten shrinking the airways. The wind pipe lining then swells (picture) and a mucus called phlegm develops causing the cough to intensify and slightly more painful. What are the Causes and Triggers for asthma ? Attacks of Asthma occur due to a blockage in the bronchial tubes. This blockage results from a spasm that narrows the windpipe causing breathing difficulty for the sufferer. Asthma Triggers are things that make Asthma worse. Usual triggers are - Respiratory infections eg. Colds, flu, sore throats and bronchitis Allergic reactions sometimes cause Asthma eg. Pollen, foods, dust, animal fur or some seed. Air irritants (similar to Allergic reactions) eg. Cigarette smoke, gases or dust. Excessive/strenuous exercise can cause an Asthma attack. Emotional Stress can also trigger an Asthma attack. Symptoms of Asthma Symptoms include wheezing from the chest or a slight whistling is heard when inhaling. It's even louder when exhaling. Tightness of the chest, lung and lung area are closely associated with Asthma. Treatment for asthma There is no cure for Asthma but there are steps that doctors take to help relieve the symptoms of Asthma. As a first step doctors try to remove or get the patient to avoid Asthma triggers such as "animal dander" (eg. Fur or hairs). These are very likely to trigger an Asthma attack. Places where animals dwell are advised to be kept clear of for a sufferer. Since it is impossible to remove or avoid all triggers there are medications that can be taken. Such as - - Anti - Inflammatory Drugs : these reduce swelling of the windpipe and it's lining. Oral Steroids - prednisone and prednisolone quickly reduce inflammation during an attack. Inhaled medicines - such as cromoyln sodium and inhaled corticosteroids keep inflammation from flaring up. - Bronchodilators : relax the muscles which have tightened around the windpipe. Adrenergic bronchodilators ("Beta 2 agonists") provide temporary relief but do not treat inflammation. These are available as an Inhaler or a tablet form. Unfortunately the tablets are slower and have a few side affects. Theophylline is available in a liquid, capsule or tablet form. This drug has a long duration of action making it a very good soother for "night time" Asthma. Ways of preventing asthma There are no ways of preventing Asthma because it is usually genetic, allergically related or following a dose of bronchitis, but there are ways to prevent it from flaring up and turning into an attack. A sufferer can be very careful about his or hers diet because the diet can greatly affect the Asthma. Due to allergic reactions etc. Staying away from pollens and animal fur settles down Asthma. The allergic reactions are the highest causes of Asthma. Make sure you always have medication with you such as Intal and Becotide. These preventative medicines will stop an attack occurring. Summery For an Asthma sufferer breathing can sometimes be a great difficulty due to the fact that at any time their wind pipe can shrink due to inflammation, making it very hard to breathe. But with the right medication eg. Inhalers and Theophylline their life can be much easier. If they also stay away from triggers such as pollen, fur and cigarette smoke the air ways may not be so vulnerable. Even if you don't have Asthma you should keep an eye out for the symptoms which are - chest and lung tightness, wheezing and loss of breath especially in cold weather.

Baseball History

Baseball is the oldest and oldest professional group sports in North America. Of course, even after years of existence, baseball fans of all ages still have many moments to remember. I remember catch in the first game of the home run of the 1954 World Series and the 1960 Bill  · Mazero Ski World Series. Players like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson surpass them. These players remain in the mind and head of the country for a long time after the game. In my opinion, the lack of baseball history is the last five letters. Since baseball's history is a historical department of a toy shop rather than the average writing history of the United States (baseball is called a toy division in the newspaper), it is moved by the event, moved by the character, the cargo train I will move the story. Like a novel, there must be a wise truth illuminated by the truth and wisdom of the truth. In other words, you can not precisely ignore speculative and aesthetic possibilities in the history of baseball. Problem-driven baseball history is simply unread for baseball history But the history of baseball may begin and the history of baseball history starts with most of us from Henry Chadwick. He remembered the first experience of playing baseball in 1848 - his comment showed that Nick Bock's rule did not wipe out everything before - if it is true - England cricket What is ~? Today, most people think that Father Chadwick and Nick Bock are playing together at Irisian battlefield. Just to invent scoring system and box score, or to sneak into the bad impact of gambler and tire. However, as Rankin pointed out during the first few years of the next century, Chadwick has been on for decades. Campaign on est moi's platform. I remember that subsystem trust is not Chadwick, but Herald's Michael Kelly.

Marketing Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Marketing Plan - Coursework Example ice is essential for everyone and this means that with a diverse menu, the right place and innovation the restaurant can be a success in the face of tough competition. Restaurants exist to meet the needs of customers and this is the only way in which they can make a profit. Although habits and social construction influence culinary taste and preferences, the price charged for a culinary experience has an impact on demand (Sloan, 2000, Chapter 1). In addition, it is important to decide about the requirements of customers who will patronize a restaurant, depending on its location. Thus, if a restaurant is within a locality that will attract busy business executives during their lunch hour, it is only proper to try to entice these with the proper cuisine and marketing. Business executives are unlikely to want relaxed gourmet meals in a business district at lunchtime, although they may want to bring in their business guests. Thus, the healthy eating restaurant must provide a wholesome, nourishing, healthy and fulfilling culinary experience at the right price to attract a maximum number of customers to maximize profits. The following presents a discussion about the needs of the customers within the locality in which the restaurant is situated. Other restaurant marketing plans provide insights into expectations from a marketing plan for a restaurant (Palo Alto Software, 2008, â€Å"Sandwich Restaurant Franchise Marketing Plan† and â€Å"Sigmund’s Gourmet Pasta Restaurant†). The Lighthouse restaurant situated near busy office complexes that are at their busiest during the day, while operating at reduced capacity during night, is likely to attract those who must eat out but who want healthy meals. Customers can pay slightly more than the price for junk foods, but want something equally exotic, fulfilling and healthy. Sky rise office blocks near Lighthouse restaurant guarantee customers, but the competition is tough because a large number of other restaurants also

Torture of bomb suspect Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Torture of bomb suspect - Research Paper Example The main purpose of the research is to present that many cases of torture have been reported especially for terrorist suspects who are alleged to be involved in various bombings across the country and abroad. Abd al Rahim Hussein Mohammed al Nashiri is one of the victims of torture. Nashiri is the suspected terrorist bomber of the USS Cole bombing of 2000 in Yemen. The suspect who was detained in Guantanamo Bay was tortured by the military to an extent of admitting to the accusations. According to a report that the Pentagon released about the Nashiri torture, the suspect was tortured to a point that he could not take it anymore and thus admitted to have been responsible for the bombings so that he would be freed from the torture. This illustrates violation of professional ethics in the questioning of bomb suspects. Most of the suspects who are interrogated are normally tortured to a point where they would rather admit to have been involved in the bombings so that the pain they are su bjected into is put into an end. The legal-ethical rights of suspects are thus violated by such tortures because the interrogation processes are usually less objective. This is because the interrogators aim at eliciting responses from the suspects which makes them responsible for the crime. This is usually as a result of the fact that some suspects would refuse to say the truth regardless of the pain that the interrogation process puts them through.... After he admitted to the bombing, Nashiri’s captors became happy and stopped further interrogations. This shows that the captors of bomb suspects engage in unsupervised interrogation which leads to the violation of the constitutional rights of suspects who are legally considered innocent until proven otherwise by a court of law. Unnecessary torture is therefore a form of ethical malpractice because it causes a lot of dehumanizing pain to the suspects and thus violates their human rights (Lolita, 2007). Additionally, excessive torture of bomb suspects would lead to injustice because if victims are forced to admit to the crimes that they are not guilty of, then justice would not have been served. The fact that Nashiri was forced by the torture to admit into the responsibility of the Cole bombing shows that justice was not served because the actual bomber would be somewhere free and likely planning to commit other crimes. The bombing that led to the death of seventeen US sailors and injury to thirty nine others was blamed on Nashiri by the US military whom they considered to be an al Qaeda official who was responsible for arranging the Cole bombings. The evidence that the US military presented to the FBI revealed that Nashiri bought the explosives and the boat that was used during the bombings. The evidence that the military presented to the FBI is said to have been an adjunct of the admission of the suspect to the crimes when he was under torture (BBC World, 2007). This presents an ethical dilemma because the use of evidence that emanates from the response of the suspect at a time when he is subject to torture in prosecution leads to the questioning of the credibility

Analyze the football motif in The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick Essay

Analyze the football motif in The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick - Essay Example The novel, The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick written by Peter Handke is about a former goalkeeper of a football team and his life, after he is ejected from a game for foul play. As discussed above, author Handke has used football as an important motif to reveal intricate aspects of the central character, Josef Bloch as well as the whole story. The author shows how Bloch’s life mirrors the game of football, and also how his life exhibits moments similar to the ones, which will be undergone by a goalkeeper during the match, especially when the ball is about to be shot into the goal post. The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick was originally written in German and is the first of Handke’s novels to be translated and published in English. As Josef Bloch indulges in foul play and gets sent off from the game, he starts facing various repercussions, which shows how the game of football plays a crucial role in changing his life. These repercussions does no t happen due to some external forces, it was carried out by Bloch himself as a form of self-destruction without any valid motive, including the murder of a female cashier. â€Å"The self-destruction of a soccer goalie turned construction worker who wanders aimlessly around a stifling Austrian border town after pursuing and then murdering, almost unthinkingly, a female movie cashier.†1 Apart from how the game of football diverts the life of Bloch in a different and at the same time problematic direction, the motif of football is aptly used to denote the isolated existence of Bloch. That is, throughout the novel, Bloch seems to live in a secluded manner, without maximally living with his family and friends. This existence of Bloch can be correlated through a goalkeeper, who will be far away from the main action, standing and operating in an isolated manner. In any football game, the role of goalkeeper will be mainly under the bars of the goalpost, without directly involving the mselves in the match play. On the same lines, Bloch led an isolated existence away from the actions, only coming into the picture due to his own actions. Even his firing from the job did not evoke any reactions from his colleagues and also he lived in the city where he had no friends. As he read the newspaper and saw the classified sections featuring advertisements for materialistic things, he further felt his isolated survival. Quite strikingly, he was the first one to come out of the football stadium even before the final whistle goes off, as he did not want to be in the midst of a large crowd. Being a goalkeeper of a better known club, he might have played in front of large crowds and could have even enjoyed performing in front of those huge crowds. In addition, a football fan (even if he/she is not a football player) will be in the stadium till the final whistle is blown and could even extend their stay watching all the post-match celebrations and other activities. However, in B loch’s case, he does not felt comfortable with the huge crowds and had no interest and enthusiasm to watch a full game. His eviction from a game and the resultant depression made him prefer isolation, and prevented him from merging with the crowd and enjoying game. Handke portrayed him as a goalie, who is isolated from the frantic activities that were taking place around him. Thus, the motif of football and a how goalkeeper will operate in an isolated manner in a football match can be clearly seen in the actions and the characteristics of Bloch. There are

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 30

Case Study - Essay Example It is worth noting that for increased size and ability to sustain global positioning, Logitech have acquired some companies such as Intrigue Technologies to harmonize its remote controls, Connectix for its webcams, Slim Devices for its music systems, and Labtec for its audio functionings (Cellich, 1997). Logitech has also retained its strength in the market due to its ability to innovate and diversify. This is shown through the introduction of; computer keyboards, a digital still camera, a headphone/microphone, coupled with a joystick gaming applications. In addition, there is a web camera on a flexible arm. The innovation ability has to be continuous since the attitude and taste of consumers always changes, and this gives designers and obligation to continue to be at their best to ensure they continuously meet the consumer demands. The growth and subsequent increase in size of Logitech will affect the speed of decision making as the organization and management structure become more and more complex (Zoltay Paprika, Wimmer & Szanto, 2008).This is because most of the company follow a decision structure that is long and tedious wasting a lot of time in the process before the top management that has the power to make a decision get enlighten. However, key decision that involves expansion and positioning are discussed by the top organ of the management and that has to take patients and time. Therefore, it is logical to point out that the global dominance and expansion will affect the speed of decision-making, and various strategic method exist that can be used to improve such time and make Logitech more competent. Business success depends fully on the decisions of the management and such simple measures if not well handle can result in the downfall of a company (Ilori & Irefin, 1997).In large organization, decision -making runs from the executives to the

Discussion Forum 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Forum 4 - Essay Example In this regard, this paper discusses appropriate solutions to the problem of brownouts using a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, supporting the proposed solution on both economic and environmental grounds. Fundamentally, the non-renewable energy sources, which are the most commonly exploited energy sources, normally deplete at their respective deposits (Walker, 2010). This means that the continued exploitation of the non-renewable sources is not sustainable as compared to the renewable energy sources (Heinberg, 2004). The major sources of non-renewable energy include fossil fuels whose deposits cannot guarantee the energy demands of the future generations. On the other hand, renewable energy sources such as nuclear, hydro, wind and solar energy play an important role in ensuring that the world attains a sustainable energy exploitation and use (Johnston & Master, 2004).   Unfortunately, the non-renewable energy sources are heading for depletion leading to rampant situations of brownouts. This is particularly so because the current level of exploitation of the renewable energy sources is not adequate to meet the global demand (Johnston & Master, 2004). This is despite the fact that major players channel enormous amounts of resources to the project each year in attempts to promote the use of cleaner energy for both domestic and industrial purposes. In addition, brownouts occur majorly because a vast majority of the energy created is lost through wastage rather than conservation (Walker, 2010). In this regard, the best suggestion would be that the world be more cautious with the non-renewable energy due to the numerous environmental challenges such as waste disposal and interruption to the ecosystem. An approach that leans towards storing energy would work best for many countries in the reduction of cases of brownouts

Analyze the football motif in The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick Essay

Analyze the football motif in The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick - Essay Example The novel, The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick written by Peter Handke is about a former goalkeeper of a football team and his life, after he is ejected from a game for foul play. As discussed above, author Handke has used football as an important motif to reveal intricate aspects of the central character, Josef Bloch as well as the whole story. The author shows how Bloch’s life mirrors the game of football, and also how his life exhibits moments similar to the ones, which will be undergone by a goalkeeper during the match, especially when the ball is about to be shot into the goal post. The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick was originally written in German and is the first of Handke’s novels to be translated and published in English. As Josef Bloch indulges in foul play and gets sent off from the game, he starts facing various repercussions, which shows how the game of football plays a crucial role in changing his life. These repercussions does no t happen due to some external forces, it was carried out by Bloch himself as a form of self-destruction without any valid motive, including the murder of a female cashier. â€Å"The self-destruction of a soccer goalie turned construction worker who wanders aimlessly around a stifling Austrian border town after pursuing and then murdering, almost unthinkingly, a female movie cashier.†1 Apart from how the game of football diverts the life of Bloch in a different and at the same time problematic direction, the motif of football is aptly used to denote the isolated existence of Bloch. That is, throughout the novel, Bloch seems to live in a secluded manner, without maximally living with his family and friends. This existence of Bloch can be correlated through a goalkeeper, who will be far away from the main action, standing and operating in an isolated manner. In any football game, the role of goalkeeper will be mainly under the bars of the goalpost, without directly involving the mselves in the match play. On the same lines, Bloch led an isolated existence away from the actions, only coming into the picture due to his own actions. Even his firing from the job did not evoke any reactions from his colleagues and also he lived in the city where he had no friends. As he read the newspaper and saw the classified sections featuring advertisements for materialistic things, he further felt his isolated survival. Quite strikingly, he was the first one to come out of the football stadium even before the final whistle goes off, as he did not want to be in the midst of a large crowd. Being a goalkeeper of a better known club, he might have played in front of large crowds and could have even enjoyed performing in front of those huge crowds. In addition, a football fan (even if he/she is not a football player) will be in the stadium till the final whistle is blown and could even extend their stay watching all the post-match celebrations and other activities. However, in B loch’s case, he does not felt comfortable with the huge crowds and had no interest and enthusiasm to watch a full game. His eviction from a game and the resultant depression made him prefer isolation, and prevented him from merging with the crowd and enjoying game. Handke portrayed him as a goalie, who is isolated from the frantic activities that were taking place around him. Thus, the motif of football and a how goalkeeper will operate in an isolated manner in a football match can be clearly seen in the actions and the characteristics of Bloch. There are

Discussion Forum 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Forum 4 - Essay Example In this regard, this paper discusses appropriate solutions to the problem of brownouts using a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, supporting the proposed solution on both economic and environmental grounds. Fundamentally, the non-renewable energy sources, which are the most commonly exploited energy sources, normally deplete at their respective deposits (Walker, 2010). This means that the continued exploitation of the non-renewable sources is not sustainable as compared to the renewable energy sources (Heinberg, 2004). The major sources of non-renewable energy include fossil fuels whose deposits cannot guarantee the energy demands of the future generations. On the other hand, renewable energy sources such as nuclear, hydro, wind and solar energy play an important role in ensuring that the world attains a sustainable energy exploitation and use (Johnston & Master, 2004).   Unfortunately, the non-renewable energy sources are heading for depletion leading to rampant situations of brownouts. This is particularly so because the current level of exploitation of the renewable energy sources is not adequate to meet the global demand (Johnston & Master, 2004). This is despite the fact that major players channel enormous amounts of resources to the project each year in attempts to promote the use of cleaner energy for both domestic and industrial purposes. In addition, brownouts occur majorly because a vast majority of the energy created is lost through wastage rather than conservation (Walker, 2010). In this regard, the best suggestion would be that the world be more cautious with the non-renewable energy due to the numerous environmental challenges such as waste disposal and interruption to the ecosystem. An approach that leans towards storing energy would work best for many countries in the reduction of cases of brownouts

Greek Debt Crisis Essay Example for Free

Greek Debt Crisis Essay Europes debt crisis is a continuation of the global financial crisis and also the result of how Europe attempted to solve the global financial crisis that brought an end to a decade of prosperity and unrestricted debt. European attempts at defending itself against a deep recession, has now created a new crisis of unsustainable and un-serviceable sovereign debt. In early 2010 fears of a sovereign debt crisis, the 2010 Euro Crisis developed concerning some European states including European Union members Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain,(affectionately known as the PIIGS) and Belgium. This led to a crisis of confidence as well as the widening of bond yield spreads and risk insurance on credit default swaps between these countries and other EU members, most importantly Germany. Concern about rising government deficits and debt levels across the globe together with a wave of downgrading of European government debt has created alarm in financial markets. The debt crisis has been mostly centered on recent events in Greece, where there is concern about the rising cost of financing government debt. On 2 May 2010, the Euro zone countries and the International Monetary Fund agreed to a â‚ ¬110 billion loan for Greece, conditional on the implementation of harsh Greek austerity measures. On 9 May 2010, Europes Finance Ministers approved a comprehensive rescue package worth almost a trillion dollars aimed at ensuring financial stability across Europe by creating the European Financial Stability Facility. Europes heavyweights spent massively on stimulation packages. However such attempts at defending themselves against a deep recession, has now created a sovereign debt crisis. The crisis in Europe has to do with the fear that some countries may be unable to pay back their use more money than they earn. Governments were able to borrow so cheaply in the past decade that running a deficit was often used to stimulate economic growth. One of the ways governments can raise money is through selling bonds, which are bought back after a number of years with interest added. Interest on government bonds has been low for most European countries because bonds were considered secure investments. The market worked on the assumption that governments would always be able to afford buying them back. But what if a country can’t pay back their loans? If a business or individual is in this position, they default and are found bankrupt. But countries can also default on their loans. Argentina defaulted on almost $100 billion of debt owed to the World Bank in 2002. Unemployment soared to 25 percent, GDP dropped by over 10 percent and the Argentine peso lost half its value overnight. This is the scenario that European leaders wanted to avoid when in 2009 concern started to mount over Greece’s ability to pay off its debt. Should Greece default, it would probably be forced to pull out of the euro with unknown but potentially grave consequences for the global economy debt. But debt in itself is not always considered a problem and European governments often. INTRODUCTION A DEBT CRISIS deals with countries and their ability to repay borrowed funds. Therefore, it deals with national economies, international loans and national budgeting. The definitions of debt crisis have varied over time, with major institutions such as Standard and Poors or the International Monetary Fund (IMF) offering their own views on the matter. The most basic definition that all agree on is that a debt crisis is when a national government cannot pay the debt it owes and seeks, as a result, some form of assistance. In the real world, of course, things definitely get messy. People are optimistic, hence they offer themselves for jobs they are not quite qualified for; they borrow money on more of a hope that their business plan will work out than a real knowledge of the difficulties and the problems ahead. There is also the government, who has entered the credit system to borrow money to finance its wars. If the wars turned out well then the bond holders got their money back. If the war was a disaster then the credit system crashed and bond-holders were lucky to get anything back. The causes of the current debt crisis are complex, rooted in economic policies and development choices going back to the 1970s and 1980s. When the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) quadrupled the price of oil in 1973, OPEC nations deposited much of their new wealth in commercial banks. The banks, seeking investments for their new funds, made loans to developing countries, often hastily and without monitoring how the loans were used. Some of the money borrowed was spent on programs that did not benefit the poor, such as armaments, failed or inappropriate large scale development projects, and private projects benefiting government officials and small elite. Meanwhile, as inflation rose in the U.S., the U.S. adopted extremely tight monetary policies that soon contributed to a sharp rise in interest rates and a worldwide recession. The irresponsible lending on the part of creditors, mismanagement on the part of debtors, and the worldwide recession all contributed to the debt crisis of the early 1980s. Developing countries were hurt the most in the worldwide recession. The high cost of fuel, high interest rates, and declining exports made it increasingly difficult for them to repay their debts. During the rest of the decade and into the 1990s, commercial banks and bilateral creditors (i.e., governments) sought to address the problem by rescheduling loans and in some cases by providing limited debt relief. Despite these efforts, the debt of many of the worlds poorest countries remains well beyond their ability to repay it. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES At the end of this assignment my aim is to learn: ââ€" ª What a Debt Crisis is? ââ€" ª The European countries affected by a Debt Crisis. ââ€" ª In detail about the Greek Debt Crisis. ââ€" ª The causes of the European Debt Crisis ââ€" ª The effects of the European Debt Crisis ââ€" ª The various solutions undertaken to resolve the European Debt Crisis The European Debt Crisis The European debt crisis is the shorthand term for Europe’s struggle to pay the debts it has built up in recent decades. Five of the region’s countries – Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, and Spain – have, to varying degrees, failed to generate enough economic growth to make their ability to pay back bondholders the guarantee it was intended to be. Although these five were seen as being the countries in immediate danger of a possible default, the crisis has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond their borders to the world as a whole. In fact, the head of the Bank of England referred to it as â€Å"the most serious financial crisis at least since the 1930s, if not ever,† in October 2011. This is one of most important problems facing the world economy, but it is also one of the hardest to understand. Greece In the early mid-2000s, Greeces economy was one of the fastest growing in the eurozone and was associated with a large structural deficit. As the world economy was hit by the global financial crisis in the late 2000s, Greece was hit especially hard because its main industries — shipping and tourism — were especially sensitive to changes in the business cycle. The government spent heavily to keep the economy functioning and the countrys debt increased accordingly. On 23 April 2010, the Greek government requested an initial loan of â‚ ¬45 billion from the EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF), to cover its financial needs for the remaining part of 2010. A few days later Standard Poors slashed Greeces sovereign debt rating to BB+ or junk status amid fears of default, in which case investors were liable to lose 30–50% of their money. Stock markets worldwide and the euro currency declined in response to the downgrade. The downgrading of Greek government debt to junk bond status in April 2010 created alarm in financial markets, with bond yields rising so high, that private capital markets practically were no longer available for Greece as a funding source. On 2 May 2010, the Eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed on a â‚ ¬110 billion bailout loan for Greece, conditional on compliance with the following three key points: ââ€" ª Implementation of austerity measures, to restore the fiscal balance. ââ€" ª Privatization of government assets worth â‚ ¬50bn by the end of 2015, to keep the debt pile sustainable. ââ€" ª Implementation of outlined structural reforms, to improve competitiveness and growth prospects. The payment of the bailout was scheduled to happen in several disbursements from May 2010 until June 2013. Due to a worsened recession and the fact that Greece had worked slower than expected to comply with point 2 and 3 above, there was a need one year later to offer Greece both more time and money in the attempt to restore the economy. In October 2011, Eurozone leaders consequently agreed to offer a second â‚ ¬130 billion bailout loan for Greece, conditional not only the implementation of another austerity package (combined with the continued demands for privatization and structural reforms outlined in the first programme), but also that all private creditors holding Greek government bonds should sign a deal accepting lower interest rates and a 53.5% face value loss. This proposed restructure of all Greek public debt held by private creditors, which at that point of time constituted a 58% share of the total Greek public debt, would according to the bailout plan reduce the overall public debt burden with roughly â‚ ¬110 billion. A debt relief equal to a lowering of the debt-to-GDP ratio from a forecast 198% in 2012 down to roughly 160% in 2012, with the lower interest payments in subsequent years combined with the agreed fiscal consolidation of the public budget and significant financial funding from a privatization program, expected to give a further debt decline to a more sustainable level at 120.5% of GDP by 2020. The second bailout deal was finally ratified by all parties in February 2012, and became active one month later, after the last condition regarding a successful debt restructure of all Greek government bonds, had also been met. The second bailout plan was designed with appointment of the Troika to cover all Greek financial needs from 2012-14 through a transfer of some regular disbursements; and aimed for Greece to resume using the private capital markets for debt refinance and as a source to partly cover its future financial needs, already in 2015. In the first five years from 2015-2020, the return to use the markets was however only evaluated as realistic to the extent, where roughly half of the yearly funds needed to patch the continued budget deficits and ordinary debt refinance should be covered by the market; while the other half of the funds should be covered by extraordinary income from the privatization program of Greek government assets. Mid May 2012 the crisis and impossibility to form a new government after elections and the possible victory by the anti-austerity axis led to new speculations Greece would have to leave the Eurozone shortly due. This phenomenon became known as Grexit and started to govern international market behaviour. Due to a delayed reform schedule and a worsened economic recession, the new government immediately asked the Troika to be granted an extended deadline from 2015 to 2017 before being required to restore the budget into a self-financed situation; which in effect was equal to a request of a third bailout package for 2015-16 worth â‚ ¬32.6bn of extra loans. On 11 November 2012, facing a default by the end of November, the Greek parliament passed a new austerity package worth â‚ ¬18.8bn, including a labor market reform and midterm fiscal plan 2013-16. In return, the Euro group agreed on the following day to lower interest rates and prolong debt maturities and to provide Greece with additional funds of around â‚ ¬10bn for a debt-buy-back programme. The latter allowed Greece to retire about half of the â‚ ¬62 billion in debt that Athens owes private creditors, thereby shaving roughly â‚ ¬20 billion off that debt. This should bring Greeces debt-to-GDP ratio down to 124% by 2020 and well below 110% two years later. Without agreement the debt-to-GDP ratio would have risen to 188% in 2013. Causes Many experts agree that the eurozone crisis began in late 2009, when Greece admitted that its debts had reached 300 billion euros, which represented approximately 113% of its gross domestic product (GDP). Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) had already warned several countries about their debt levels, which were supposed to be capped at 60% of GDP. In early 2010, the EU noted several irregularities in Greeces accounting systems, which led to upward revisions of its budget deficits. The negative sentiment led investors to demand higher yields on sovereign bonds, which of course exacerbated the problem by making borrowing costs even higher. Higher yields also led to lower bond prices, which meant larger countries and many eurozone banks holding sovereign debt in troubled countries began to suffer, requiring their own set of solutions. After a modest bailout by the International Monetary Fund, eurozone leaders agreed upon a 750 billion euro rescue package and established the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) in May of 2010. Eventually, this fund was increased to about 1 trillion euros in February of 2012, while several other measures were also implemented to stem the crisis. Countries receiving bailout funds from this facility were required to undergo harsh austerity measures designed to bring their budget deficits and government debt levels under control. Ultimately, this led to popular protests throughout 2010, 2011 and 2012 that culminated in the election of antibailout socialist leaders in France and likely Greece. In January 2010 the Greek Ministry of Finance highlighted in their Stability and Growth Program 2010 these five main causes for the significantly deteriorated economic results recorded in 2009. ââ€" ª GDP growth rates: After 2008, GDP growth rates were lower than the Greek national statistical agency had anticipated. ââ€" ª Government deficit: Huge fiscal imbalances developed during the past six years from 2004 to 2009, where the output increased in nominal terms by 40%, while central government primary expenditures increased by 87% against an increase of only 31% in tax revenues. ââ€" ª Government debt-level: Since it had not been reduced during the good years with strong economic growth, there was no room for the government to continue running large deficits in 2010, neither for the years ahead. ââ€" ª Budget compliance: Budget compliance was acknowledged to be in strong need of future improvement, and for 2009 it was even found to be A lot worse than normal, due to economic control being more lax in a year with political elections. ââ€" ª Statistical credibility: Problems with unreliable data had existed ever since Greece applied for membership of the Euro in 1999. In the five years from 2005–2009, Eurostat each year noted a reservation about the fiscal statistical numbers for Greece, and too often previously reported figures got revised to a somewhat worse figure, after a couple of years. Effects Many economists have argued that Greek should default and pull out of the euro. But according to a study released this September by UBS bank, Greece would suffer a painful economic contraction if it were to do so. According to its figures, a weak euro country such as Greece pulling out of the Euro would face a drop in GDP of between 40 and 50 percent, or a per person cost of between â‚ ¬9,500 and â‚ ¬10,500. According to Diego Valiante from the Centre for European Policy Studies, the effects on global financial system could be more severe than we could imagine. â€Å"We have discovered that the financial system is enormous and is just too big and interconnected to fail. We have to save the financial system from a collapse which would have repercussions on the economies and competitiveness of countries.† Valiante argued that if Greece went down, it would inevitably affect the rest of the global economy due to intertwined the relationships of global banks. If Greece defaults, then banks across Europe who bought billions of euros of Greek debt – because it was considered safe – would suddenly be left with worthless assets. This is where contagion kicks in. Other banks, unsure of who has bought Greek debt, will then start calling in debts out of fear that they cannot reclaim their loans. This then trickles down to businesses which would then be unable to raise the capital they need and Europe’s economies would inevitably experience another recession. Sigurd Nà ¦ss-Schmidt, from the think tank Copenhagen Economics, believes this process has already started. â€Å"Banks are losing trust in each other again. They don’t know who has enough assets and credit markets are freezing up,† he said at a recent lecture in Brussels. Solutions The failure to resolve the eurozone crisis has been largely attributed to a lack of political consensus on the measures that need to be taken. Rich countries like Germany have insisted on austerity measures designed to bring down debt levels, while the poorer countries facing the problems complain that austerity is only hindering economic growth prospects further. Perhaps the most popular solution proposed has been the so-called Eurobond, which would be jointly underwritten by all eurozone member states. The problem with this solution is mostly that of complacency. Some experts believe that access to low interest debt financing will eliminate the need for countries to undergo austerity and only push back an inevitable day of reckoning. Meanwhile, countries like Germany could face the brunt of the financial burden in the event of any Eurobond defaults or problems. With disagreements between rich and poor countries in the region, there is a risk that nothing will be accomplished and the situation will only worsen. In the end, there may not be any easy answer to the eurozone crisis, but financial markets continue monitoring the situation in hopes that a solution amicable to all countries arises. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY My source of knowledge was mainly the INTERNET, through which I used various sites wikipedia and related sites. CONCLUSION In conclusion I would like to say that, the EU finance ministers in their latest efforts to turn things around, have reached a deal on cutting Greek debt and given the green light for the country to receive the next pot of bailout money. Its been waiting since June for the cash and it means the government there will be able to pay workers wages and pensions in December. I also learnt that Greek debts will be cut by 40bn euros ( £32bn) and the country will get another 44 billion euros ( £35billion) of bailout loans. Several countries in the eurozone have borrowed and spent too much since the global recession, losing control of their finances. Greece was the first to take a multi-billion pound bailout from other European countries, followed by Portugal and Ireland. Their governments had to agree to spending cuts before the loans were approved. Greece is still in trouble though and needs more money. Many Greek people dont want any more tax rises and job losses, but tough spending plans have been pushed through so the government can receive its bailout cash. There have been angry protests on the streets and strikes at power stations. The Greek government is relieved at the latest deal, but the main opposition party, Syriza, doesnt think it goes far enough and called it a half-baked compromise. If Greece is unable or unwilling to keep paying what it owes, the country will effectively go bankrupt and probably become the first country to leave the euro currency. There are worries that other countries could do the same, threatening the strength of Europe. Life would also become even tougher for Greek people, who would feel much poorer as their money wouldnt be worth as much. Governments in other eurozone countries like Ireland and Portugal would have to pay more to borrow money and might have to raise taxes and cut spending to balance the books As the UK doesnt have the euro, it hasnt contributed to the bailout except through its membership of the International Monetary Fund, which lends to countries around the world. But some British banks have lent money to Greece and would lose billions if the country went bankrupt. They would lose even more if the problems spread to other countries like Spain and Italy. If the banks are hit hard there could be another credit crunch, making it much harder for British people and businesses to borrow cash for loans and mortgages. Companies in the UK also do many of their trade deals with firms in Europe, so financial problems overseas would affect British business too.

Overview Of Wilhelm II Foreign Policy

Overview Of Wilhelm II Foreign Policy Historiographical Debate: War Guilt Clause of Treaty of Versailles created popular perception that Germany was to blame for WWI. [You should beware such a determinist stance!: you must remember that Wilhelm II presided over 24 years of peace before war broke out in 1914.] In the 1920s and early 1930s, the general appeasement and conciliatory policies of the western powers modified this perception somewhat. Germany was seen, in this period, as having stumbled into war. However, by the late 1930s Hitlers aggression was making people re-think, again, the nature of German foreign policy, and the extent to which it was inherently expansionist and aggressive. In 1961 Fritz Fischer published his famous book (Germanys Aims in the First World War), which once again suggested that Germany bore prime responsibility for the outbreak of WWI, and that this had been systematically planned for since 1911. You must make some decision on this, after studying the evidence, as you will be expected to know about, and comment on, the Fischer debate. Wilhelms foreign policy can be subdivided/periodised into: End of the Bismarckian system 1890-1897 Emergence of Weltpolitik 1897-1907 Descent into war 1907-1914 End of the Bismarckian system: Lapse of reinsurance treaty with Russia Resulted in dual alliance between France and Russia 1894. This alliance between Russia and France was perhaps unavoidable. Caprivi had to make a strategic decision between Germanys alliance with Austria-Hungary and the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. He therefore allowed the Reinsurance Treaty to lapse, which pushed France towards Russia anyway, resulting in the Franco Russian alliance of 1894. Attempts to foster a British alliance failed: first Navy law emerged 1897 antagonistic competition with British fleet 1897 Italy joined Austro-German alliance Concluding remarks: in 1897 Germany fairly safe. Alliances existed which excluded her and there was the potential risk of encirclement, but neither France nor Russia really wanted conflict with a formidable military power such as Germany: Russia couldnt afford it (pre-industrial) and France had imperial interests to protect. However, H Holger pointed out that where foreign policy lies in the hands of an individual there is always a risk that their personality will influence affairsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Bismarck had played chess, Wilhelm II played poker 2. Emergence of Weltpolitik 1897-1907 Fritz Fischer saw 1897 as a turning point in Germany foreign policy. This was mainly because of the increased role of the Kaisers men in politics: Tirpitz, Posadowsky, Bulow you have already met, plus Holstein at the Foreign Office and von Miquel, the Prussian Finance Minister. Term used by Bulow, Wilhelm II and Hollweg Not an easy term! Basically 2 forms: Economic imperialism. This was informal and was based on the expansion of trading markets rather than political control. Political expansion / lebensraum, either overseas or in Europe. Economic imperialism was favoured by industry, who wanted new markets for goods. Economic expansion had been pursued earlier in Wilhelms reign, for example, into the near East, which threatened Russian grain trading interests there, and prompted a Russian move towards France. There were some industrialists who favoured political expansion, because it would give them direct access to raw materials. However, most industrialists preferred mere access to markets which economic imperialism would generate. Political expansion was favoured by the Kaiser, certainly, then mainly by the mittelstand (lower middle class) and agricultural workers, who saw their decreasing economic status in Germany and wanted opportunity for emigration and new start. This sentiment was partly reflected in internal migration and was such internal colonization (mainly of eastern territories) was facilitated by the Settlement Commission and Expropriation Law of 1908 (this can be seen as extension of Bismarcks policies!), but greater horizons were desired. In fact, G Geiss has argued that weltopolitikà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦came into existence as a red herring of the ruling classes to distract the middle ruling classes from social and political problems at home. Obviously, the army also favoured political expansion, as this would in turn increase their role, status and influence on government. Germany had entered the Empire Race late. She had acquired overseas colonies in Africa by 1890 (Togoland, the Cameroons, East Africa). By 1899 she acquired Pacific islands of Samoa, the Carolines and Marianas, and a strip of the French Congo in 1911 as part of the Moroccan Crisis deal. However, none of these colonies were profitable. For example, South-West Africa didnt cover the costs of administration, even once diamonds were found in 1908. Informal empire was much more lucrative, e.g Latin America and south east Europe. Government, banks and businesses cooperated well, for example, in providing financial backing for the completion of a Baghdad to Berlin railway, which would open up access to the oil reserves of the Ottoman Empire. This cooperation of multiple interest groups is Fischers hallmark of Weltopolitik in action. Impact of imperialism: Required an increase in military strength to pursue. The role of the army in foreign policy has been much debated. Porter and Armour argue that it would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the army in Wilhelmine Germany was a state within a state G Craig also shares this view. Must remember that there was no German Army, except in war time. There existed four armies of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Wurttemberg, Prussian was the biggest. However, since 1874 the Army budget only reviewed by Reichstag every 7 years Septennat. After 1893, increased to once every 5 years. Army therefore financially independent. Plus, since 1883, the Army had direct access to Emperor. The Kaiser was personally very militaristic and had natural sympathy for the armys aims. The international situation was increasingly tense: ancient hostility of France exacerbated by imperial competition, the growing threat of Russia, brought about by economic competition. This gave the army an additional reason to push for expansion. In addition, the army chiefs sold the army to Wilhelm as the last stronghold against socialism and revolution. The status of the army as above the law was proven by the Zabern incident. Although Hollweg received rough treatment from the Reichstag over the incident, no action was taken against the army officers involved. In fact, there was widespread sympathy for the army! M Kitchen goes so far as to argue that the army was one of the most popular institutions in the Second Reich. This is possibly linked to the fact that the unification of Germany was largely owed to the Army, who had created the state without defeat and was seen to be able to defend it in similar fashion. Nevertheless, Germanys army not significantly increased until army laws 1912-13 This was because: -army officers mainly Junker aristocrats didnt want increased middle-class element in officer class which would have been inevitable result of expansion in armed forces -the army didnt have the ability to train a larger army effectively. Descent into war 1907-1914 You could be forgiven for thinking that was must have been inevitable, if strategies to cope with a two front war had been developing since the late 1890s (even though Schleiffens plan wasnt made public till 1905). However, the situation in 1900 was not entirely unstable. Yes, Russia was growing in strength and in hostility to Germany, as a result of economic competition in the near east. Certainly, Britain and France were becoming concerned about Germanys Imperial ambitions. Yet, in 1900, even though Russia and France were allies since 1894, this threat was balanced by the counterweight of British neutrality. In addition, none of these powers were interested in war if it could be avoided Russia didnt have the might, and Britain and France had priorities elsewhere. So, why did war break out in 1914 and why has Germany often been held responsible? It could be argued that the biggest miscalculation in German policy was Tirpitz risk theory. He thought that if Germany built a navy to rival Britain, Britain would be intimidated and would seek an alliance with Germany. Bulows views compounded this miscalculation. He believed that a conflict between Britain and Russia was inevitable (?!). He preferred to side with the Russians, but only once he was sure they would win. So, for Bulow, building a navy to rival Britains would help Germany maintain a free hand where they could preserve good relations with both nations and await the outcome, which would be Britains defeat, at which point having a powerful navy would enable Germany to supplant Britain as the major world power! The reality of Britains reaction was the opposite to what Tirpitz and Bulow anticipated. The Navy Laws of 1898 and 1900 made Britain nervous and hostile. As a result, she sought alliance with France and Russia instead. In 1904 the Entente Cordiale was signed by Britain and France. In 1905 the German attempt to undermine Anglo-French relations by provoking the first Moroccan crisis backfired. Spain had granted France a virtual protectorate in Morocco. In direct challenge, the Kaiser landed in Morocco in 1905. It seems likely that the Kaiser wanted to test the Entente, to see if Britain, in particular, would support Frances claim. She did. The attempt to divide France and Britain had failed spectacularly. The resulting Algericas conference, called to resolve the crisis, was a diplomatic failure for Germany in 1906; Germany was forced to accept a French protectorate in Morroco. In addition, Bulows attempt to divide Britain and Russia also failed. Bulow attempted to stir up trouble between Britain (Japans ally since 1902) and Russia during the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5. Both parties were annoyed. By 1907 Russia and Britain had joined a Triple Entente with their mutual ally, France. Moreover, Britain made it clear that she was not prepared to allow Germany to dominate the seas, and entered a naval race. Even Bulow, in 1908, voiced his reservations with existing policy and suggested that Britain may be able to blockade the German navy in her harbours, should conflict arise. This would render Germanys expensive navy useless. Bulow further suggested to Tirpitz that it may be worth investing rather in improving coastal fortifications and creating a strong submarine fleet. Tirpitz disagreed. It is interesting to speculate on how differently the first world war would have turned out had investment been made along the lines Bulow suggested! Yet, even at this point, Europe was still about 7 years away from war! Germany could have neutralized Britain had she removed the threat of a naval race and limited her Imperial ambitions. Yet Bulow persisted in his policy. The naval laws of 1906 and 1908 prompted Britain to build the Dreadnought a battleship more powerful than anything the Germans held! Germany then supported the Austrian annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1908, which only served to anger Russia, to de-stabilise the Balkans and, at the least, to irritate Britain and France on Russias behalf. The appointment of Hollweg in 1909 was a possibility for rapprochement. He actively sought an Anglo-German alliance. However, the Kaiser, Tirpitz and the army continually thwarted him. In addition, Tirpitzs propaganda techniques had created such popular support for naval expansion that it became impossible for Hollweg to back down from this policy without losing public support, particularly given the stalemate that existed in the Reichstag. In 1911 France contravened the Algeciras agreement and Germany was awarded a strip of the French Congo in compensation. But this further damaged Anglo-German relations, as Britain came to the support of France against what she saw as German bullying. The alliances were crystallizing into military camps. The Balkan wars of 1912-13 were a further de-stabilising influence, as the crumbling Ottoman Empire created a power vacuum in the region, which brought Austrian and Russian interests (and, therefore, those of their allies) into direct conflict. The Kaiser called a war council in 1912, resulting in an increase in the size of the army in a law of 1913. However, no real war planning was in evidence. In addition, Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary, was still pushing peace talks as late as 1914 (although this doesnt necessarily imply similar German desire for rapprochement!). Was Germany foreign policy the result of domestic policy? This is sometimes called social imperialism where expansion is the result of an attempt to distract people from problems at home. VR Berghahn argues that Germanys foreign policy was dictated by rapid industrialisation If one considers sammlungspolitik the alliance of steel and rye (industry and agriculture) from 1897 in their joint bid to crush socialism, one can perhaps see that domestic issues were perhaps pressing enough to warrant distraction! However, this is a somewhat simplistic argument and you should offer a variety of alternative causes for Germanys foreign policy such as -the power of the army -Wilhelms personality -industrial interests (in their own right, rather than as a challenge to socialism) -competitive imperial climate of the time -recent unification set militaristic tone for nation and also encouraged expansion as means of further consolidating status of nation in Europe -anything else you can think of! So, was Germany set on war in 1914? 4 interpretations: Germany deliberately unleashed war for continental and even world hegemony Fischer (not born out by the evidence) Hollweg provoked a diplomatic crisis which he knew might lead to war, because he was more afraid of Germanys isolation than he was of war. (unlikely, not really much evidence that anyone was concerned about isolation, even after the Moroccan crises) All nations were equally responsible for the outbreak of war (wishy-washy, fence-sitting argument avoid) War wasnt planned or pre-determined, but was an acceptable option as the German government expected war to be both short-lived and winnable (very plausible the Kaiser was influenced by the armys advice, the army believed they could win as they had a great track record and a now expanded force, and the chaotic nature of the Wilhelmine government meant that Hollwegs moderating influence would not be heard)) Porter and Armour argue that the German government, by 1914, was looking for a chance to break out of encirclement, confident of its strength and determined to seize on the first suitable pretext for demonstrating this Hollweg continually maintained that German expansion required agreement with Britain and that, if he could pick on Russia over an issue which didnt involve British interests, he would be successful, and war would be avoided. The assassination of France Ferdinand provided just such an opportunity. Russia came to the aid of Serbia against an unjustifiable Austrian ultimatum. It is true that Germany was secretly complicit with Austria in drafting the terms of the ultimatum. This could be seen as deliberate provocation of war. The terms of the Triple Alliance allowed Germany to see Russian mobilization as a threat to Austria, and therefore an occasion to defend her. The Schlieffen Plan, with its necessary killer blow to France to be delivered first, required speed. Thus once Russian mobilization began, war in Europe was inevitable. On 1 August Germany declared war on Russia. On 3rd August Germany declared war on France. On 4 August Britain reacted to the violation of Belgian neutrality and declared war on Germany. So, it seems that war in 1914 was really little more than a ludicrous miscalculation on the part of Germany. Agree or disagree? The choice, as ever, is yours! Timeline of Foreign Policy, 1890-1914 1890 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Bismarck is dismissed. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Germany refuses to renew the Re-insurance Treaty with Russia, who therefore starts to look to France for friendship. 1891 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Franco-Russian Entente: Germany anticipates a war on two fronts and draws up the Schlieffen Plan. Looks to Britain for an alliance. 1894 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Franco-Russian Alliance confirms Germanys fears she now looks more to Britain. 1896 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Kruger Telegram: Germany tries to show Britain how isolated she is to frighten her into an alliance, but merely infuriates Britain. 1898 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ First Naval Law hopes to scare Britain into an alliance. Germany demands a high price for her friendship, reasoning that British alliances with France and Russia are unlikely due to their ancient enmity. Therefore Germany rejects Britains alliance propositions, thinking that they are too favourable to Britain. 1899 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Fashoda incident aggravates Anglo-French Relations (or so Germany thinks). Encourages Germany to demand a still higher price. Britain feels isolated. 1900 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Second Naval Law attempts to frighten Britain and fails. 1901 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anglo-German talks once again collapse. 1902 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anglo-Japanese Treaty: France doesnt want to be drawn into a Russo-Japanese war (and therefore have to fight Britain) due to the Franco-Russian alliance, so she seeks agreement with Britain. Germany begins to feel uneasy. 1903 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Murzsteg Agreement: Austria-Hungary and Russia agree to maintain the status quo in the Balkans for 5 years. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Serbian pro-Habsburg monarchy overthrown in favour of a pro-Romanov one: signifies beginning of Austro-Hungarian enmity for Serbia. Austro-Russian relations remain tense. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Edward VII makes a triumphant visit to Paris. 1904 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Entente Cordiale: Alliance of friendship between France and Britain. Germany feels increasingly isolated and sees the chances of an Anglo-German alliance diminishing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Dogger Bank incident after Russo-Japanese declared: Germany hopes it will aggravate Anglo-Russian relations, but France keeps them on good terms. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Defeat of Russia in the Russo-Japanese war. Russia turns back to the Balkans instead of the Far East for expansion and Britain no longer sees Russia as a threat and is therefore more willing to ally with her. 1905 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Germany sees this and arranges the Bjorko Treaty with Russia, but it is incompatible with Franco-Russian alliance and so is rejected. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Germany tries to split the Entente Cordiale in the Moroccan Crisis, but only succeeds in revealing the weaknesses of the Triple Alliance (as Italy deserts her), strengthening the Entente and bringing Britain and Russia closer as they are on the same side for once. Germany falls back even more on Austria-Hungary. 1907 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Anglo-Russian Entente confirms Germanys fears of being encircled and she relies even more on Austria-Hungary. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Third Naval Law does little to worry Britain. 1908 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Daily Telegraph Article by Wilhelm fails to persuade Britain that Germany is friendly and that her naval building is purely defensive. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Young Turk Revolution makes Austria-Hungary eager to annex Bosnia before the Turks become too strong to resist. Henceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Bosnian Crisis: Germanys virtual isolation forces her to support Austria-Hungary, which has the unpleasant side-effects of (a) making Austria-Hungary more aggressive (b) Increasing the Ententes enmity towards Germany. Russia is diplomatically defeated and is determined never to be again. Austria-Hungary becomes more cocky. Germanys support for Austria-Hungary now becomes certain. 1911 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Agadir Crisis: Shows how Germany was more eager to extend her influence than to improve her foreign relations. Once again her isolation and her unpopularity are brought home to her. 1912 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Balkan Wars make a strong Serbia: Austria-Hungary is determined to crush her before she gets too strong. 1913 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Britain, France, Russia and Germany all make military improvements. 1914 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Assassination of Franz Ferdinand gives Austria-Hungary an excuse to attack Serbia. Tasks: A. Research: If you are working as a group, divide the main events (highlighted in bold) between yourselves. Each person should research their event in more detail using any sources available to them, and then report back to the group with either a handout or a presentation. B. Analysis: (i) What was the main turning point in international relations between 1890-1914? Explain your answer. (i) To what extent can Wilhelm II be blamed for the outbreak of the First World War? F:AQA Germany Option GEra of Wilhelm IIRel between Wii Foreign and Domestic Policy SWK ex.pdf Discussion Identify When was Schlieffens war plan unveiled? 1905 Name the historian most associated with the theory that Germanys planned aggression was primarily responsible for the outbreak of WWI Fritz Fischer In what years did Germany pass Army Laws? 1912-13 In what years did Germany pass Navy Laws? 1898 1900 Describe How was the Schlieffen plan supposed to work? -as soon as Russia mobilised, Germany to attack France. This was because Russia would take 6 weeks to fully mobilize and, if G could defeat F in that 6 week period, she could avoid war on 2 fronts. Attack on F would be through Belgium, in violation of Belgian neutrality protected by GB. G didnt think GB would get involved despite treaty, as GB only had small army and didnt really want to involve herself in European affairs. If G could defeat F quickly, may be no point in GB mobilizing. Also G didnt really see GBs army as much of a threat, so was risk worth taking. G to march round the rear of Paris and seize capital before F troops could return from Maginot line forts. Once capital secured, country defeated. Holding force could then be left and main G army returned to east to fight Russia. What was Tirpitz risk theory? -if Germany built a navy to rival Britain, Britain would be intimidated and would seek an alliance with Germany What is H Holgers quote on the difference between the FP of Bismarck and Wilhelm? Bismarck had played chess, Wilhelm II played poker How have Porter and Armour described the army in Wilhelms Germany? -state within a state Explain Why was the army so powerful? -financially independent sinceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ -had ear of Kaiser since.. -Kaisers personal interest in militarism -public support -since unification and also because Tirpitz Navy League (1898) created a propaganda campaign to mobilize public support Why did the size of the army not really increase until 1912-13? -army elites didnt want increase in middle-class presence -no facilities for training Why did Britains hostility towards Germany grow? -Tirpitz risk theory Navy Laws of 1898, 1900 -imperial competition -irritation at Germanys meddling during the Russo-Japanese war -Germanys support for A-Hs annexation of Bosnia 1908 Why was Hollweg unable to achieve an Anglo-German alliance? -thwarted by military interests -public support for militarization Why did Russia feel threatened by Germany?  ­-economic competition for grain markets in near east -German support for Austrian destabilization of/expansion into the Balkans Why is Wilhelms foreign policy in the years preceeding WWI such a hot topic for debate amongst historians? -because of the later aggression displayed by Hitler.in trying to understand the nazi regime, historians try to decide whether Hitler was an aberration or whether aggressive expansionism of Hitler part of a wider trend in German history. Why does Fischer see 1897 as a turning point in Germanys Foreign Policy? -Kaisers men in key positions How could the Morocco crisis of 1905 be seen as an attempt to challenge the Entente? The Kaisers direct challenge to French interests there was a deliberate attempt to see if GB would support French claim Analyse Was Weltpolitik a genuine threat to peace? How serious a threat was encirclement to Germany in the period 1904-1914? Was Germany seeking war in 1914?