The Treaty Of Versailles Essays (2944 words) - Treaty Of Versailles

The Treaty Of Versailles One of the greatest conflicts in the history of the world, that of World War II, changed the course of events in Western societies for the rest of the 20th Century. Its effects are felt today even today with the final ascent of the United States as a superpower and the decline of Europe. In fact, World War II was the final judgment concerning European domination of the world. However, many have said that World War II was a continuation of World War I, a war which destroyed much of Europe, crippled its domination of the world with its ruinous economic ramifications, and created the ?lost generation? of millions of wounded and dead soldiers. These changes contributed to the downfall of European society. John Maynard Keynes observes, ?Perhaps it is historically true that no order of society ever perishes save by its own hand.? (1) In fact, the victorious Allies of World War I condemned themselves to another world war with the Treaty of Versailles, particularly with respect to its effect s on the vanquished country of Germany. The conditions of the Treaty of Versailles and their inherent weaknesses set the stage in Germany for yet another world war. French insistence upon crippling Germany influenced many of the conditions set forth in the treaty. The chief aims of the French towards the disabling of the German state were concerned the disarmament of Germany, the demilitarization and occupation of Allied military forces in the German Rhineland and Saar Basin for fifteen years, the severe reparations, the cession of German territory. (2) The Germans ultimately resented the harsh conditions of the treaty, promoting even more animosity between the two nations when plenty had already existed earlier. Germany was forced to give up all overseas possessions, which the Allies administered as mandates. (3) In addition, France resurrected Poland to dismantle Germany's eastern borders. (4) This separated East Prussian from the rest of Germany by the Polish Corridor (5), which contained a large German population. (6) These conditions would later resurface as major issues in Hitler's Germany twenty years later. Furthermore, Article 102 of th e treaty established the town of Danzig?as a Free City.? (7) The controversy surrounding this provision developed as a sensitive issue to the Germans since the population of Danzig was largely German. To the Germans, these conditions added insult to injury. Unfortunately, the treaty did not stop with these conditions. The Treaty of Versailles has become infamous for the harsh reparations it imposed on Germany. Perhaps even more notorious is the ?War Guilt Clause? contained in the peace. The ?War Guilt Clause,? Article 231 in the treaty, arose out of a controversy during the negotiations in the spring of 1919 concerning the nature of reparations that would be collected. It was argued whether or not to include war costs in the reparations to be levied or ?just? civilian damages suffered. Prime Minister David Lloyd-George of Britain and Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, unsure of whether or not war costs would be include, insisted that the treaty assert at least the moral right of the Allies to recover the cost of the war forced upon them by Germany.? (8) Lloyd-George maintained that if we do not exact it [war costs], it is not because it would be unjust to claim it (9) This sentiment, though meeting opposition from President Wilson's delegation, resulted in the inclusion of Article 231 in the treat y. The provision, after Germany's Weimar Republic delegates signed the treaty on June 28, 1919, bound the German nation to accept full moral responsibility for all damages to the citizens of the Allied countries and for the precipitation of the war itself. (10) The provision blatantly ignored Austria-Hungary's culpability in the conflict, as that country was completely dismantled by a separate treaty. The effects of Article 231 were far-reaching. Besides the obvious discontent such a provision would cause in any nation, German governments used it to rally their people against the Allies in combination with the controversial French occupation in the western regions of Germany, most notably Hitler in the 1930's. (11) In addition, although David Lloyd-George supported the clause, Great Britain throughout the 1920's and 1930's showed their ironic guilt over the

First Battle of El Alamein in World War II

First Battle of El Alamein in World War II The First Battle of El Alamein was fought July 1-27, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). Having been badly defeated by Axis forces at Gazala in June 1942, the British Eighth Army retreated east into Egypt and assumed a defensive position near El Alamein. Pursued by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the British constructed an elaborate array of defenses. Commencing attacks on July 1, Axis forces proved unable to break through Eighth Army. Subsequent British counterattacks failed to dislodge the enemy and by late July a stalemate ensued. In the wake of the fighting, command of Eighth Army passed to Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery who would lead it to victory at the Second Battle of El Alamein that fall. Fast Facts: First Battle of El Alamein Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)Dates: July 1-27, 1942Armies Commanders:AlliesGeneral Claude Auchinleckapprox. 150,000 menAxisField Marshal Erwin Rommelapprox. 96,000 menCasualties:Axis: approx. 10,000 killed and wounded, 7,000 capturedAllies: approx. 13,250 casualties Background Following its crushing defeat at the Battle of Gazala in June 1942, the British Eighth Army retreated east towards Egypt. Reaching the border, its commander, Lieutenant General Neil Ritchie, elected not to make a stand but to continue falling back to Mersa Matruh approximately 100 miles to the east. Establishing a defensive position based on fortified boxes that were linked by minefields, Ritchie prepared to receive Field Marshal Erwin Rommels approaching forces. On June 25, Ritchie was relieved as the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Command, General Claude Auchinleck, elected to take personal control Eighth Army. Concerned that the Mersa Matruh line could be outflanked to the south, Auchinleck decided to retreat another 100 miles east to El Alamein. General Claude Auchinleck.   Public Domain Auchinleck Digs In Though it meant conceding additional territory, Auchinleck felt El Alamein presented a stronger position as his left flank could be anchored on the impassible Qattara Depression. The withdrawal to this new line was somewhat disorganized by rearguard actions at Mersa Matruh and Fuka between June 26-28. To hold the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the depression, Eighth Army constructed three large boxes with the first and strongest centered on El Alamein on the coast. The next was situated 20 miles south at Bab el Qattara, just southwest of Ruweisat Ridge, while the third was located on the edge of the Qattara Depression at Naq Abu Dweis. The distance between the boxes was connected by minefields and barbed wire. Deploying to the new line, Auchinleck placed XXX Corps on the coast while the New Zealand 2nd and Indian 5th Divisions from XIII Corps were deployed inland. To the rear, he held the battered remnants of the 1st and 7th Armoured Divisions in reserve. It was Auchinlecks goal to funnel Axis attacks between the boxes where their flanks could be assaulted by the mobile reserve. Pushing east, Rommel increasingly began to suffer from severe supply shortages. Though the El Alamein position was strong, he hoped that the momentum of his advance would see him reach Alexandria. This view was shared by several in the British rear as many began preparing to defend Alexandria and Cairo as well as readied for a retreat further east. Rommel Strikes Approaching El Alamein, Rommel ordered the German 90th Light, 15th Panzer, and 21st Panzer Divisions to attack between the coast and Deir el Abyad. While the 90th Light was to drive forward before turning north to cut the coast road, the panzers were to swing south into the rear of XIII Corps. In the north, an Italian division was to support the 90th Light by attacking El Alamein, while in the south the Italian XX Corps was to move behind the panzers and eliminate the Qattara box. Rolling forward at 3:00 AM on July 1, the 90th Light advanced too far north and became in entangled in the 1st South African Divisions (XXX Corps) defenses. Their compatriots in the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions were delayed getting started by a sandstorm and soon came under heavy air attack. Finally advancing, the panzers soon encountered heavy resistance from the 18th Indian Infantry Brigade near Deir el Shein. Mounting a tenacious defense, the Indians held through the day allowing Auchinleck to shift forces to the western end of Ruweisat Ridge. Along the coast, the 90th Light was able to resume their advance but was stopped by South African artillery and forced to halt. On July 2, the 90th Light attempted to renew their advance but to no avail. In an effort to cut the coast road, Rommel directed the panzers to attack east towards Ruweisat Ridge before turning north. Supported by the Desert Air Force, ad hoc British formations succeeded in holding the ridge despite strong German efforts. The next two days saw German and Italian troops unsuccessfully continue their offensive while also turning back a counterattack by the New Zealanders. July 12, 1942 - 25-pounder guns of the 2/8th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, in action on the coastal sector near El Alamein, Egypt.   Public Domain Auchinleck Hits Back With his men exhausted and his panzer strength badly depleted, Rommel elected to end his offensive. Pausing, he hoped to reinforce and resupply before attacking again. Across the lines, Auchinlecks command was bolstered by the arrival of the 9th Australian Division and two Indian Infantry Brigades. Seeking to take the initiative, Auchinleck directed XXX Corps commander Lieutenant General William Ramsden to strike west against Tel el Eisa and Tel el Makh Khad using the 9th Australian and 1st South African Divisions respectively. Supported by British armor, both divisions made their attacks on July 10. In two days of fighting, they succeeded in capturing their objectives and turned back numerous German counterattacks through July 16. With Germans forces pulled north, Auchinleck commenced Operation Bacon on July 14. This saw the New Zealanders and Indian 5th Infantry Brigade strike the Italian Pavia and Brescia Divisions at Ruweisat Ridge. Attacking, they made gains on the ridge in three days of fighting and turned back substantial counterattacks from elements of the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions. As fighting began to quiet, Auchinleck directed the Australians and the 44th Royal Tank Regiment to attack Miteirya Ridge in the north to relieve pressure on Ruweisat. Striking early on July 17, they inflicted heavy losses on the Italian Trento and Trieste Divisions before being forced back by German armor. Final Efforts Utilizing his short supply lines, Auchinleck was able to build a 2-to-1 advantage in armor. Seeking to utilize this advantage, he planned to renew the fighting at Ruweisat on July 21. While Indian forces were to attack west along the ridge, the New Zealanders were to strike towards the El Mreir depression. Their combined effort was to open a gap through which the 2nd and 23rd Armoured Brigades could strike. Advancing to El Mreir, the New Zealanders were left exposed when their tank support failed to arrive. Counterattacked by German armor, they were overrun. The Indians fared somewhat better in that they captured the western end of the ridge but were unable to take Deir el Shein. Elsewhere, the 23rd Armoured Brigade took heavy losses after becoming mired in a minefield. To the north, the Australians renewed their efforts around Tel el Eisa and Tel el Makh Khad on July 22. Both objectives fell in heavy fighting. Eager to destroy Rommel, Auchinleck conceived Operation Manhood which called for additional attacks in the north. Reinforcing XXX Corps, he intended for it to break through at Miteirya before proceeding to Deir el Dhib and El Wishka with the goal of cutting Rommels supply lines. Moving forward on the night of July 26/27, the complex plan, which called for opening several routes through minefields, quickly began to fall apart. Though some gains were made, they were quickly lost to German counterattacks. Aftermath Having failed to destroy Rommel, Auchinleck ended offensive operations on July 31 and began digging in and fortifying his position against an expected Axis assault. Though a stalemate, Auchinleck had won an important strategic victory in halting Rommels advance east. Despite his efforts, he was relieved in August and replaced as Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Command by General Sir Harold Alexander. General Sir Harold Alexander. Public Domain   Command of Eighth Army ultimately passed to Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery. Attacking in late August, Rommel was repulsed at the Battle of Alam Halfa. With his forces spent, he switched to the defensive. After building Eighth Armys strength, Montgomery commenced the Second Battle of El Alamein in late October. Shattering Rommels lines, he sent Axis forced reeling west.

Using the Rare Apostrophe in Spanish

Using the Rare Apostrophe in Spanish The apostrophe is almost never used in modern Spanish. Its use is limited to words of foreign origin (usually names) and, very rarely, poetry or poetic literature. Spanish students should not imitate the common uses of the apostrophe in English. Foreign Words Me siento vieja. Pero, cest la vie. I feel old. But such is life.Un jack-o-lantern es una calabaza tallada a mano, asociada a la festividad de Halloween. A jack-o-lantern is a pumpkin carved by hand and associated with Halloween festivities.Sinà ©ad Marie Bernadette OConnor es una cantante nacida en Dublà ­n, Irlanda. Sinà ©ad Marie Bernadette OConnor is a singer born in Dublin, Ireland.McDonalds ofrece una gran variedad de alimentos de alta calidad. McDonalds offers a big variety of high-quality foods. Note that in all the above cases the words would be recognized as being of foreign origin. In the first two cases, the use of the words with apostrophes would be seen as a Gallicism and Anglicism, respectively. Literature and Poetry The apostrophe can occasionally be found in centuries-old poetry or literature as a way of showing that letters have been omitted. Such use is very rarely found in modern writing, and then only for literary effect. Nuestras vidas son los rà ­os / que van a dar en la mar, / ques el morir. Our lives are the rivers / that flow to give to the sea, / which is death. (From Coplas de Don Jorge Manrique por la muerte de su padre, 1477.) ¿ ... quà © me ha de aprovechar ver la pintura / daquel que con las alas derretidas ...? ... what could it help me to see the painting of that one with the melted wings ...? (From the 12th sonnet of Garcilazo de la Vega, c. 1500-1536.) One exception in modern usage is the slang spellings of mijo and mija for mi hijo and mi hija (my son and my daughter, respectively). Such a spelling should not be used in formal writing. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the apostrophe should not be used in the following instances, which are considered Anglicisms: To shorten years, such as using 04 for 2004. Simply 04 can be used instead.To make plurals. The Spanish word for apostrophe is apà ³strofo. An apà ³strofe is a certain type of insult.

Law Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law Master - Essay Example (ii) to remove a temporary surplus of the like domestic product, or, if there is no substantial domestic production of the like product, of a domestic product for which the imported product can be directly substituted, by making the surplus available to certain groups of domestic consumers free of charge or at prices below the current market level; or (iii) to restrict the quantities permitted to be produced of any animal product the production of which is directly dependent, wholly or mainly, on the imported commodity, if the domestic production of that commodity is relatively negligible. Any contracting party applying restrictions on the importation of any product pursuant to subparagraph (c) of this paragraph shall give public notice of the total quantity or value of the product permitted to be imported during a specified future period and of any change in such quantity or value. Moreover, any restrictions applied under (i) above shall not be such as will reduce the total of imports relative to the total of domestic production, as compared with the proportion, which might reasonably be expected to rule between the two in the absence of restrictions. In determining this proportion, the contracting party shall pay due regard to the proportion prevailing during a previous representative period and to any special factors* which may have affected or may be affecting the trade in the product concerned. Brief Explanation of the Article XI: As the title suggests Article XI is concerned with the General Elimination of Quantitative Restriction from Trade. It goes on to say that a contracting party whether importing goods or exporting them shall maintain no prohibition or restrictions on them except in the form of duties, taxes and other charges that can be effective through quotas, import and export licences or other measures, Article XI advocates for the tariff regime to be put in place as trade measures. It further puts prohibition on either of the contracting parties for introducing fresh quotas and they are also required to eliminate the existing ones. However, it also lays a exception to the quantitative restrictions in case of certain domestic agricultural programs. I found the text of the Article XI by accessing the WTO website and in it the legal documents section of WTO. The URL that I accessed is 2) The cases decided by the WTO Dispute Panels and Appellate Body relating to the interpretation of Article XI are the following : Turkey - Textiles EEC - Imports from Hong Kong. India - Quantitative Restrictions US - Wool Shirts and Blouses EC - Hormones Canada - Periodicals US - Shrimp EC - Asbestos United

To what extent was John Maynard Keynes' principal contribution to Essay

To what extent was John Maynard Keynes' principal contribution to political economy a re-conceptualisation of optimal relation - Essay Example This is often the case between Keynesian economists and other reformists’ theories. Keynesianism or Keynesian economics is an economic theory based on the ideas John Maynard Keynes, as put forward in his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, available in 1936 as an answer to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Keynesianism advocates for a mixed economy, in which the state as well as the market or the private sector have both significant functions to operate. It should be noted that the advent and eventual rise of Keynesianism saw the collapse of laissez-faire economics which was of the view that both the state and the market could function, each on its own. Keynesianism also emphasizes of the significance of aggregate demand for goods as the lashing factor of the economy, particularly in periods of recession. For this reason, government plans or policies could be made use of to promote demand at a macro level, to counter high unemployment as well as deflati on. A significant conclusion of Keynesianism is that there is not a tough and automatic propensity for output and employment to move to full employment levels. Effective demand is therefore the fundamental idea underlying Keynesianism. Post Keynesian Criticisms After Keynes, a good amount of concentration has been dedicated to the problem of probability and uncertainty in Keynes’s General Theory by a set of economists frequently called ‘Post-Keynesians’. Over the years, there have risen a lot of economic theories and propositions which no longer see Keynesianism as a spur. As Chick and Tily (2004) mentions in mainstream economics, Keynes is dead1. Leijonhufvud (2008)2 gives explanations on the hypothetical blindness of the economic profession vis a vis interpretations from Keynesianism of the present financial crisis to conventional reliance on market efficiency theory, expectations based on reason as well as the representative agents3. Wray and Teymogne (2008) m ake us reminiscent of the fact that â€Å"the efficient market hypothesis, like all approaches derived from the old neoclassical theory, relegates money and finance to the sidelines.4† A latest volume, cataloguing the commentary of twelve prominent economists on Keynes’s Economic possibilities for our Grandchildren5, offers an outstanding incident to assess the space between conventional Keynesian views of capitalism with ‘love of money’. Keynes’s disapproval for the money drive and the demanding â€Å"purposeful money-makers (who) may carry all of us along with them into the lap of economic abundance† is dismissed as the befuddled and elitist phrase of moralistic narrow-mindedness and an ideal case in point of an irrational approach to economics. For example, Boldrin and Levine (2009) challenge Keynes for not being clear between real and monetary factors6. On his part, Phelps (2009) considers Keynes condescending approach towards the pursuit for wealth as unusual for an economist7, representative of anti-materialism as well as obscure to every scholastic satisfaction in business. Ohanian (2009) illustrates Keynes’ approach as that of a judgmental and critical social commentator who uses his economist’s pulpit to make a rather puritan-based vision of the future8. Fitoussi (2009) acknowledges that Keynes’ negative response to capitalism, with its acquisitiveness and inconsiderate conduct, is not so badly founded9. He however goes on to coin Keynes’

Heraldry :: essays research papers

Heraldry is a system of signs and symbols, which originated in the Middle Ages as means of recognizing warriors on the battlefield. Since armor or coat of mail was worn, it was not difficult to distinguish friend from enemies even at some distance, for each man wore a uniquely designed shield. Medieval Heraldry originated early in the 12th century in Europe. Back in the earlier centuries when they battled, the knights could not distinguish between the opponents or their own kind, because the armors were very similar. So the knights began to decorate their shields with different colors and shapes so they can know who to kill and who is on their side. Also it helped see them from a distance. The design wasn?t the only thing. The knights wore a simple coat to protect them from the sun. By doing this it became known as heraldry. As a result of their success, families of the winners displayed the arms as a sign of accomplishment. Heraldry began as an art and has developed into a complex science with its own rules. The coat of arms consists of the shield, the mantle, the helmet, the wreath, and the crest. Kings and queens first used them. The shield shapes vary according to time period. The colors on the shields meant different things. For example, yellow and gold meant generosity, blue meant loyalty, and white and silver meant peace and sincerity. The shield also has fur, and that suggest a mark of dignity. The mantle represented the cloth that hang from the wreath, and it was also used to protect the head, back, and neck. The helmet varies with the bearer's rank and the century represented. The wreath is usually a primary color and is metal. The crest is whatever appears above the helmet, and there is always a crest on a coat of arms. Blazon is a formal description of, most often, a coat of arms or flag, which enables a person to construct or reconstruct the appropriate image. The officers of arms developed the system of blazoning arms that is used today since the dawn of the art. This includes a description of the shield, the crest, and, mottoes. An understanding of these rules is one of the keys to sound practice of heraldry. The rules do differ from country to country, but there are some aspects that carry over in each jurisdiction.

Ethnographic Observation

I set out to find a place to begin my observations, not knowing what to fully expect, what I may find. So I decided to look around at what is close to my home that isn’t a place I frequent or have even visited at all. Then it came to me, the Starbucks that is only about a mile away is a perfect place for me to observe subjects that I would consider different from myself, seeing as how I consider such obscene prices for coffee ridiculous. Starbucks is a very popular chain of coffee vendors that describe their product as more about quality than what Americans are used to in typical coffee joints. Although I know it is poor technique of me as an anthropologist to have prejudice about any place or people that may be at that place, but I have to admit I already had set in my mind that these people would be â€Å"stuck-up† â€Å"more money than sense† type of people. So upon entering the establishment I decided to blend into as much as possible by ordering one of their Grande size coffees, which is just their basic coffee in a medium size. Then, I found a spot in the corner and began to pretend I was reading the newspaper I had brought as a prop to further help me blend into my surroundings. The aroma of the building was very pleasant blend of coffee and various mixtures of chocolate and hazelnut. It also did have a very friendly feel and accepting sense to the whole thing. So after being in Starbucks for approximately thirty minutes I decided I had enough data to discuss my findings. The business definitely drew in a particular social group. It seemed to consist of mainly white males and females that appeared to be in their early twenties to upper twenties. Also most of them seemed to be more affluent to at least upper middle-class status. I came to this conclusion by the vehicles they drove and also the clothing they were wearing. Most of them were adorned in such brands as Columbia and The North Face, which are higher-end winter apparel. Most of their vehicles appeared to be if not new only a couple of years of age and were in very nice condition. Most of the groupings were either just singular people or couples coming to pick up either a plain coffee or most of the females ordering some mixed espresso or something to that degree. There were a couple of oddities in the data such as a one older couple that came by and also one black male also stopped by to pick up some coffee. Most the behavior I observed was a very casual and relaxed as the people seemed to all be friendly and enjoying their absurd priced beverages. Once in awhile someone would recognize a fellow customer and they would proceed to great each other with either a handshake or hug. Spatial arrangement between people was typical of most American norms. They typically had about a person length in between each person making sure not to get to close to bump into one another which is considered rude in this country. I did my research at approximately 1pm to 1:30pm in the afternoon. I do believe this did influence the type of people I saw in the establishment. If it were early in the morning I believe there would have been slightly older gathering of people going to their respectable jobs. Instead a majority of the customers were college students that were coming in for that mid day pick-up. As for the norms I witnessed they were typical for American establishments, the people working greeted the customers in an almost fake friendly manner that is supposed to comfort and make the customer feel â€Å"at home† in the environment. Then, the customer would reply with what they would like to order and then finish by paying for the product, in this case coffee. In conclusion I have to say that for the most part my presumptions were reinforced which is consistent with what I figured would be the case. Although, it isn’t entirely fair because I didn’t get to truly meet my subjects and understand them fully. I only observed how they behaved in that instance which may have been completely out there norm and even their first time at Starbucks.