Critical reading assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical reading assignment - Essay Example The scientist argued that the Jews-Muslim convivencia had contrasting political motives or goals. Some state that Jews and Muslim existed in fully harmony that time. Others state that they were under pressure all the time, and their rights were impaired. For better understanding the Jews position, Cohen in his article used a comparative approach, and in such way explained lots of gaps. Undoubtedly, it was the period of harmony existence of the Jews and the Muslims, but nevertheless there were some restrictions and exceptions. Cohen tries to show how different were life the Jews in Islamic and Christian world. According to the article, Jews had lots of rights in Muslim world, they were well informed and took part in Muslim courts and economic life, and at the same time their position among the Christian were between the horns of dilemma (Cohen 4). According to the archives, it is possible to make a conclusion that the Jews adopted in some way the elements of culture of the Muslims. It to study the culture of Jews carefully, it is possible to find many similarities between their culture and the culture of Muslims. Those who lived in the Christian lands suffered along the whole history. Those who lived in Ashkenazic world suffered much less than historians stated in theirs book. Cohen provides in the article much approval concerning this point. He claimed that they had rights; moreover, they had integrated some Christian motives into Judaism as well. It is essential to pay attention to what attitude Islam and Christianity had to the Judaism. Speaking about religion, Islam treated Judaism much more positively than Christianity. If we read the New Testament we can find that Jews were rejected on theological basis. The Qur’an is not rejecting religious pluralism, but at the same time considers Islam to be the prevailing religion. The difference is that Islam is monotheistic religion, as opposed to the Christianity, with its Trinity. The other significant diffe rence is that Muhammad died naturally in contrast to the Christ, who was crucified. These differences caused quite different attitude to the Jews and their position among the Reconquista Spain and the Ashkenazic lands (Cohen 4). The Jews had a legal status in Muslim world. They had to pay some per year taxes, they had no restrictions on the manifestation of their religion, they only had to wear a special clothes, in order to be recognized among Muslims. They were trusted enough to hold the official positions. There was a period when both the Jews and the Christian can participate in the political life of the Islamic states. They could be translators or diplomats. Cohen in his article pays especial attention to the economic factor. The Muslims and the Christians had absolutely different approach and attitude towards the Jews. The Jews were associated with luxury, they were international traders. But later they Christians developed bad attitude towards them. Quite different attitude c ould be noticed in the Islamic world. They not only served some goods, but also had some functions, wrote letters etc â€Å"For other reasons, too, Jews occupied a more stable and enduring place in the social order of Islam than they did in northern Christian Europe. Islam, like Christendom, is a hierarchical society. Jews occupied a place on the hierarchical ladder-- a lowly place but a place nonetheless. The same was true of Christendom in the early middle

Stranger on a Train - Alfred Hitchcock Essay Example for Free

Stranger on a Train Alfred Hitchcock Essay The very first scene when Bruno meets Guy, Bruno is depicted as a baddy by having shadows of blinds cast across his face. These symbolised the bars of a prison. There also is a close up shot of his shoes, which shows them as being very expensive and posh. In Medcafe, when Guy meets his wife Miriam to have the meeting with the counsellor, it is based in a very sinister environment in a music shop. This is when Miriam cheats on Guy and says that she is going to stay married to him. When Bruno visits Guy on the evening of the murder outside Guys house, they both end up standing and talking to each other behind a barred gate from the cameras point of view. It is at this point when Guy calls Bruno crazy. Bruno begins to invade Guys life after murdering Miriam, as he wants Guy to kill his father. Bruno has a close up shot done of his hands when his mother is acting as though she is his servant and this shows that Bruno has no respect for his mother, but more than his father. This is shown when Bruno says that his mothers painting looks just like his father. Brunos mothers painting is very strange and sinister, and could symbolise that Brunos mother has a twisted mind too. While Bruno is at his house we also see him dressed in an expensive silk dressing gown, which symbolises his wealth. He also has a personalised tie and very smart suit, which he says he doesnt like but his mother bought for him so he wears it to impress her. Bruno always wears a hat but Guy never does. This is because the hat causes a shadow to be cast across his face, which shades his eyes. Bruno first meets Guys family and friends at a tennis match and he pretends he is Guys friend and his admirer. Anne Morton then begins to wonder about him as he keeps staring at Barbara and her glasses. Guy gets a package delivered to him, which contains a gun and a plan of Brunos house to show where Brunos Fathers bedroom is. Guy next sees Bruno at a party where all his friends and family and acquaintances are. Here Bruno starts a conversation with a lady about how to murder someone without other people hearing or seeing. He then says he will show her how to, and when he goes to demonstrate it he sees Barbara, who looks like Miriam and falls into a trance. Anne Morton worked out that it was Bruno who murdered Miriam and wanted to go to the police but Guy explained that he couldnt tell the police because Bruno would say that they had planned it together. Anne Morton then went to Brunos house to try and explain to Brunos mother that she had a lunatic for a son but Brunos mother would not hear a bad word against him. So Guy phoned Bruno to tell him that he would kill his father and agreed on the date as that night. When Guy arrived at Brunos House he followed the instructions to get to Brunos fathers room and once there he woke up Brunos father. Brunos father, it turned out, was not at home that night but instead, Guy found Bruno lying there and had an argument; Bruno said he would get Guy caught somehow. Guy explained this to Anne Morton and they remembered that Bruno had Guys lighter. Anne and Guy came up with a plan to give the police the slip and get to the fairground before Bruno and stop him framing Guy. The plan would only work really well they decided, if Guy won the first three sets of the tennis competition, but the plan went wrong as Guy was beginning to get tired. He finally won the tennis match and got away temporarily from the police but not successfully. The police caught up with Guy and tried to take him back to jail but Guy and Bruno started to have a fight on the merry-go-round at the fairground. Here Bruno wants revenge so much because Guy has not killed his father you can see it in his eyes and the way he acts, he is so eager to get back at Guy. The man in charge of the boating lake pointed out the man who he had seen follow Miriam onto the boating lake and the police assumed it was Guy but when the got hold of Guy the man corrected them and said it was Bruno not Guy. Even when Bruno was lying dying on the destroyed merry-go-round he was still trying to get Guy into trouble and it was only when he finally died that the police believed Guy and found Guys lighter in Brunos hand.

Armand Fernandez :: Armand Fernandez Artists Painters Essays

Armand Fernandez Born as Armand Fernandez in 1928 at Nice, the son of an antique dealer. His first lessons in painting were given him by his father. He took his Baccalaurà ©at in philosophy and mathematics in 1946 and began to study painting at the École Nationale d'Art Dà ©coratif, Nice. In 1947 he met Yves Klein and Claude Pascal in Paris and accompanied them on a hitch-hiking tour of Europe. Completing his studies in Nice in 1949, he enrolled as a student at the École du Louvre, where he concentrated on the study of archaeology and oriental art. His pictures at this time were influenced by Surrealism. In 1951 he became a teacher at the Bushido Kai Judo School. He completed his military service as a medical orderly in the Indo-Chinese War. He did abstract paintings in 1953. He took part in actions with Yves Klein, with whom he had been discussing subjects such as Zen Buddhism and astrology since 1947. He married Eliane Radigue. He was impressed by a Kurt Schwitters exhibition in Paris in 1954 which inspired him to begin his work with stamp imprints, the Cachets. He earned his living during this period through occasional jobs, selling furniture and harpoon fishing. He had his first one-man exhibitions in London and Paris in 1956. In 1957 he travelled in Persia, Turkey and Afghanistan. In 1958 he dropped the "d" in his name, inspired by a printer's error. He started his monotypes using objects, his Allures. In 1959 he did his first Accumulations and Poubelles. The Accumulations were assemblages of everyday objects and similar consumer articles displayed in boxes. The Poubelles were similar, but used collections of rubbish. In 1960 he became a founding member of the Nouveaux Rà ©alistes. Through this group he made contact with members of the Zero group. H e showed in New York and Milan in 1961 and made his sliced and smashed objects (Couples, Colà ¨res). In 1962 he showed in various European cities and also in Los Angeles, where he was assisted by Edward Kienholz. He started his so-called Combustions, or burned objects, in 1963. He also took up part-time residence in New York. In 1964 he had his first museum retrospectives at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Polyester now became his most important material. In 1965 and 1966 he was given large retrospective exhibitions in Krefeld, Lausanne, Paris, Venice and Brussels.

The Result of Sin Essay -- Literary Analysis, The Scarlet Letter.

Sin is the â€Å"wrongful conduct of a moral code selected by either society or the transgressor.† Sin is one of the main themes in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The Puritan society that Hester Prynne resides in does not accept people who deny to follow the moral code of the town. Throughout the novel three main characters are involved with the act of sin, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. Adultery by definition is voluntary having sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse. It is part of the ten commandments and a law that the Puritan village frowns upon. During the Puritan time period, crimes for adultery ended in execution. However Hester is only forced into wearing the scarlet letter due to the unknown information of who her husband and her lover were. Through adultery Hester Prynne and her daughter are forced to reside to the outskirts of town and be neglected by the rest of society. Hester is forced to wear the scarlet letter embroidered to her chest. This is to symbolize the adultery she has committed. "It [has] the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself " (Hawthorne 49). This spell, the scarlet letter is "so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom" (Hawthorne 49). The scarlet letter is what separates Hester from the rest of society because it symbolizes her sin. To make up for her sin Hester â€Å"bestowed all her superfluous means in charity, on wretches less miserable than herself†. (Hawthorne 76) However, although Hester tries her best to contribute to the less fortunate than even herself citizens continue to â€Å"[insult] the hand that [feeds] them†... ...t that out of the three characters Roger Chillingworth has the darkest conscience. This is apparent considering he feels no remorse or guilt from the people he is hurting. It is obvious that Roger does not think of the impact of his actions and does things for self gratification. There are many moral lessons demonstrated in the novel The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne is able to get the point across that it is better to confess your sins rather than hide them. It may ruin ones reputation, or destroy a career, but it is better for yourself than to live in guilt forever. This is proven significantly through Hester Prynne at the end of the novel. Hester is able to overcome her sin and learn from her mistakes. She is discovered to be a woman who helps others and eventually regains the respect of the town. She is eventually is finally accepted by herself, society, and God.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 9

Fifteen minutes later I stood next to my brother at the outskirts of the dance, waiting for the music to stop. Everyone twirled around, their skirts swishing in perfect synchronicity to the music, all of them oblivious to the fact that two dangerous murderers stood among them. â€Å"Follow my lead,† Damon said out the side of his mouth. â€Å"Go to hell,† I said out the corner of mine, smiling at Margaret as she passed. â€Å"Been there. Not to my liking,† he answered, taking two glasses of champagne off a tray and handing one to me. â€Å"There you are,† Bridget squealed, running up to me. She bounced up and down with excitement, causing all of the flounces on her dress to rise and fall like a giant stinging jellyfish. She grabbed my arm. â€Å"What were you talking about all this time? Me?† I turned and looked at her. She was beautiful and completely off-putting – self-centered, immature, always vying for attention. But Bridget Sutherland didn't deserve to die. I had been responsible for enough deaths in my short time as a vampire. I could never put to right the wrongs I'd committed in those early days, but saving this family from Damon's vengeance was my responsibility. I would not have their blood on my conscience. â€Å"Yes. Yes I was,† I answered, and then I drained my drink and motioned for the waiter to bring me another. â€Å"Attention please,† Damon called out, tapping on his glass with a silver spoon. The master of the dance, Reginald Chester, squinted at Damon curiously. The orchestra, looking confused, put down their instruments. Mrs. Chester first seemed put out that someone else was taking charge of the dance – but when she saw who it was, she began to beam like Damon was her own son. The murmuring crowd turned to us: young, old, with feathers, with gems, in wide lace shawls and massive silk dresses, like a flock of tropical birds at a zoo awaiting the keeper who would scatter grain for their supper. They whispered to one another and nodded, trying to claim connection to him: â€Å"I had dinner with him last week.† â€Å"He was having drinks with the Knoxes, that's where I met him.† â€Å"I recommended my best tailor to him.† It was difficult to tell if the crowd had been charmed by Damon's natural charisma, or if there was powerful compelling at work. But I wondered again how a vampire as young as Damon could command such Power. â€Å"My new friend and I have an announcement to make,† Damon called out, assuming his fake Italian accent once more. Lydia quietly slipped to the front of the crowd, coming to stand near Damon. â€Å"Many of you know the story of the night Miss Sutherland and I first met†¦ I, a stranger to your shores, and she, a beautiful damsel in distress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The crowd smiled adoringly. Hilda and one of her girlfriends exchanged envious looks. â€Å"And in a shocking coincidence, my friend here, Stefan Salvatore, rescued her sister, the equally beautiful and charming Bridget Sutherland, just last night. I can't speak for him,† he said, drawing close to Lydia, his glass still raised, his attention still on the crowd, â€Å"but for me, it was love at first sight. I've already spoken to her father, and so before anyone else can grab her away from me, I, Count Damon DeSangue, beg Lydia for the honor of her hand in marriage, though I have nothing to offer her beyond my good name and lifelong devotion.† He got down on one knee and whispered, â€Å"Lydia?† Lydia's face flushed prettily. She was taken off guard. Though she was not the sort of girl who really looked forward to being asked to wed in front of a large crowd, she beamed. â€Å"Of course, Damon, with all my heart!† she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. The Sutherland family stood together at the front of the crowd. The look on Margaret's face wasn't so much a scowl as disgusted shock and sheer confusion. I knew how she felt, but wondered at her response. Wasn't she under Damon's compulsion to accept him – and me – completely? Bridget's reaction was equally human, and far more horrible. Her eyes burned with pure, searing jealousy. Maybe there was a tiny bit of relief that her older sister was getting married, which meant that now in turn she could. But it was obvious that the youngest Sutherland had been dreaming her whole life of exactly how her perfect suitor would propose, and that it involved being done in public, in front of all her friends and an admiring audience. The admiring crowd clapped and then Damon's eyes flicked back toward me. Just once. Like he had the power to compel me. And in a manner of speaking, he did. I knew exactly what he wanted me to do. I drained my second champagne before stepping forward, turning toward Bridget. Here I went again. It seemed only yesterday that I was in Mystic Falls, yearning to go to school in Charlottesville, waiting out the war in the lazy, endless summer, and being forced to court Rosalyn. Each time I called upon her it was with a leaden ball in my stomach, and each visit was an exercise in frustration and despair. I never wanted to marry her – our parents wished us to marry. My father expected us to marry. And so I was forced into an engagement I didn't want, anticipating a marriage I didn't desire. Once again I was being being forced into a marriage. But perhaps this was all part of the punishment I deserved. And if it meant saving lives†¦ â€Å"Bridget.† I turned to her, bent at my waist and holding my drink out, toasting her. I was the very form of romantic etiquette, exuding Southern charm the like of which these Yankees rarely saw. â€Å"From the very moment I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Saw your near-lifeless body covered in blood in Central Park and almost finished you off. â€Å"†¦ had the fortune to come to you in the hour of your direst need, I just knew you had to be mine. And thanks to the generosity of your parents, I already feel like family. Bridget, will you make this the happiest night of my life?† With a porcine squeal Bridget threw her arms around me – after first carefully handing her glass of punch to Hilda. â€Å"Good show,† Bram clapped, his cheeks flushing even redder. â€Å"I knew you were a decent chap! I could tell right away!† The crowd exploded with cheers and thunderous applause; buckets of champagne were ordered all around. Winfield Sutherland looked so puffed up with pride and joy I feared he would explode. Mrs. Sutherland looked quietly pleased now that the last of her daughters were matched. Only Margaret shook her head angrily before freezing her face into a good show of sisterly pride. The leader of the dance had a Nebuchadnezzar of champagne brought forth, a giant glass bottle that held the equivalent of twenty bottles' worth of champagne. In an elegant display of sabrage, he took a sword from his butler and dramatically sliced along the bottle, causing the neck to fly off in a beautiful explosion of sparkling golden liquid. â€Å"Let's have the weddings this weekend!† Damon cried out, as if caught up in the general excitement. â€Å"We've waited our whole lives to find these ladies – why wait now?† Yes, why wait? I thought. Let Damon's games begin.

Eminem Biography essays

Eminem Biography essays Marshall Mathers aka Eminem aka Slim Shady causes controversy wherever he goes but that hasn't stopped him becoming one of rap's biggest stars. Call him what you want but he is one of the most successful rappers in todays rap industry. The critics fail to see that he is making these lyrics because he knows that they will talk about him and if people dont know about him they might just buy his CD in curiosity. In this paper I will try the best I can to take you through Eminems life to educate you about why he writes such angry lyrics. Eminem was born as Marshal Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972 in Kansas City. Eminem soon moved to Detroit when he was only 12 years old. During his childhood he moved around a lot so, it was very tough for him to make friends. Marshal began rapping in the school lunch room and soon dropped out of school to pursue his rap career. In high school, he battled with other classmates and was soon gained a reputation as a nimble rhymer. In 1997, Marshal he released his first LP called Infinite. "I was getting a lot of feedback saying I sounded like Nas or Jay-Z," Marshal admitted. (ezzzy.com/Eminem/biography.shtml) Later on that year he was in The Source Magazine for Unsigned Hype. Also that year, he won The Wake up Shows Freestyle Performer of the Year and second place Rap Sheet Magazines Freestyle Olympics. A couple years down the line Dr. Dre heard a demo tape of Eminem and loved what he heard. Dr. Dre immediately got in touch with him and signed him to the Aftermath label. His major label debut - 'The Slim Shady LP', co-produced by Dre - was a huge success, by hitting Number 2 on Billboard's album chart on its first week of release. The lyrics provoked more controversy with Eminem being accused of promoting homophobia and encouraging date rape and drug abuse. The track '97 Bonnie & Clyde' also caused outrage...

Free Essays on The Lord Of The Rings

‘The Lord Of The Rings’ series was written by J.R.R Tolkien and has been around for many generations. Despite being around for so long it is still a favourite amongst the majority of the community constantly being inside the top three best all time books. The movie for this series has been filmed and completed but it will not be released until December and that is only the first part, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, with the next two parts to be released at yearly intervals. This book has two titles. The main one, which is the title of the series, is ‘The Lord Of The Rings’. This is very significant to the story because Sauron, who is the main enemy, is the ‘Lord Of The Rings’. This is due to the fact that he has the power to control the nine magic rings but only if he has possession of the One Ring. The other title of the book is ‘The Fellowship Of The Ring’. This is the title for only this book in the trilogy with the other two being ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return Of The King’. This first part of the story is titles ‘The Fellowship Of The Ring’ because during the story a ‘fellowship’, which is a selected group of nine, is formed to set out to destroy the Ruling Ring. This book is definitely a fantasy story although it is very believable. It contains ‘hobbits’, elves, dwarves, wizards, men (although they are not fictional) orcs and many other fictional characters. All these are in someway all connected whether they are friends or foes. Throughout the book all these races are depicted with such close detail they almost pop out of the book in front of you whilst reading. The book is also set in a different world called Middle-earth and a fantasy time that has gone through several eras including such times as the ‘Dark Age’ when evil ruled, although this time doesn’t occur in this book there are several references to it. If this story was set in the earth that we know it woul... Free Essays on The Lord Of The Rings Free Essays on The Lord Of The Rings ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ series was written by J.R.R Tolkien and has been around for many generations. Despite being around for so long it is still a favourite amongst the majority of the community constantly being inside the top three best all time books. The movie for this series has been filmed and completed but it will not be released until December and that is only the first part, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, with the next two parts to be released at yearly intervals. This book has two titles. The main one, which is the title of the series, is ‘The Lord Of The Rings’. This is very significant to the story because Sauron, who is the main enemy, is the ‘Lord Of The Rings’. This is due to the fact that he has the power to control the nine magic rings but only if he has possession of the One Ring. The other title of the book is ‘The Fellowship Of The Ring’. This is the title for only this book in the trilogy with the other two being ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return Of The King’. This first part of the story is titles ‘The Fellowship Of The Ring’ because during the story a ‘fellowship’, which is a selected group of nine, is formed to set out to destroy the Ruling Ring. This book is definitely a fantasy story although it is very believable. It contains ‘hobbits’, elves, dwarves, wizards, men (although they are not fictional) orcs and many other fictional characters. All these are in someway all connected whether they are friends or foes. Throughout the book all these races are depicted with such close detail they almost pop out of the book in front of you whilst reading. The book is also set in a different world called Middle-earth and a fantasy time that has gone through several eras including such times as the ‘Dark Age’ when evil ruled, although this time doesn’t occur in this book there are several references to it. If this story was set in the earth that we know it woul...

Distinctive Features of the Grammar of Irish English

Distinctive Features of the Grammar of Irish English If you celebrate St. Patricks Day with plastic pitchers of green beer and rousing choruses of Danny Boy (composed by an English lawyer) and The Unicorn (by Shel Silverstein), you may be roaring just about anywhere in the world on March 17except in Ireland. And if your friends insist on hollering top o the mornin and begosh and begorrah, you can be pretty sure theyre not Irish. The English language as spoken in Ireland (a variety known as Hiberno-English or Irish English) has many distinctive featuresnone of which should be confused with your friends Celtic clichà ©s or the Hollywood brogues of Tom Cruise (in Far and Away) and Brad Pitt (in The Devils Own). As examined by Markku Filppula in The Grammar of Irish English: Language in Hibernian Style (Routledge, 1999), Irish-English grammar represents a unique combination of elements drawn from the two principal partners in the contact situation, Irish and English. This grammar is characterized as conservative because it has held on to certain traits of the Elizabethan English that helped shape it four centuries ago. Here are just a few of the characteristics of Irish-English grammar: Like Scottish English, Irish English has unmarked plurality in nouns indicating time and measuretwo mile, for instance, and five year.Irish English makes an explicit distinction between singular you/ye and plural youse (also found in other varieties): So I said to our Jill and Mary: Youse wash the dishes.Another characteristic of Irish English is nominalization, giving a word or phrase a noun-like status that it doesnt generally have, as in If I had the doing of it again, Id do it different.A direct borrowing from the traditional Irish language (also known as Irish Gaelic or Gaeilge) is the use of after in noun phrases such as Im only after my dinner.Like Scottish English, Irish English often uses progressive forms of stative verbs (I was knowing your face).Another salient feature is the use of sentence tags initiated by so, as in Its raining, so it is. (adapted from World Englishes: An Introduction, by Gunnel Melchers and Philip Shaw. Oxford University Press, 2003)   Thats just a small sample of the many distinctive features of Irish-English grammar. Discussion of its rich vocabulary (or lexicon) and patterns of pronunciation (phonology) will have to wait until next years St. Patricks Day. Until then, if youre interested in learning about Gaeilge (the historical language of the Irish people, now spoken by only a small minority of the population), visit Michelle Gallens website, Talk Irish. This award-winning site provides a social network for teachers, speakers and learners of traditional Irish. Sln go fà ³ill. Goodbye for now. More Varieties of English: Australian EnglishCanadian EnglishChicano EnglishChinese EnglishDublin EnglishEuro-EnglishHinglishIndian EnglishPhilippine EnglishScottish EnglishSingapore EnglishSouth African English

Islame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Islame - Essay Example He was able to mobilize faithful under the Muslim religion and the contemporary objective among religious leaders, to ensure converts and spiritual nourishment of faithful, influences them to draw inspiration from Muhammad’s success as a spiritual leader. Muhammad’s ability to attract people and convert then to his opinion also had political aspects that politicians look regard. Success as a political leader is another feature that has established Muhammad as a religious and political role model. His service to the state was adorable and is what most politicians want to convey, as their potential, to the public. The role of faithful in building the society also establishes Muhammad’s leadership as a trait that religious leaders wish to emulate. Muhammad’s was also a moral personality who ensured just judgements and the role of ethics in attaining and maintaining leadership positions established the prophet as a standard for religious and political leaders to emulate. These features have influence on the Muslim community and they consider Muhammad a religious and political role

Study 1 Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

1 - Case Study Example Question 1: Elements that impact on the school culture School organizations are affected by various issues, both internal and external, that ultimately shape the culture of the school. The culture of the school will eventually determine the performance of the students, staff and the general performance of the school as judged against other schools in similar category (Reiser and Dempsey, 2012). There are four main elements in the instructional leadership development model that help to shape the culture of the school (Reiser and Dempsey, 2012). Decisions regarding various aspects of the school such as resource allocation, staffing patterns, time management, course offering and use of space focus around the four main elements. The elements include the course curriculum, student to teacher ratio, authority of the teachers as well as community involvement. In developing a positive school culture, it is important for school heads to focus on a model that the four main elements of collabor ation, continuous improvement, high expectations and learner centeredness. In order to create a positive culture for the new school I will be heading, I will Endeavour to put in practice the key elements of instructional leadership development model. ... I will promote a collaborative approach to learning. Team work is essential in achieving the objectives of the school as a whole. Finally, I will develop a school culture that is based on continuous improvement, with continuous planning, monitoring, evaluation and assessment of the progress made after specific periods of time. Question 2: Students’ performance review A critical analysis of the students performance from the data gathered indicates that there is a lot need to improve the performance. The school is currently in unacceptable academic standards but there is still room for improvement. The data shows that students with a white ethnic background perform better than those from the other races in all subjects. The other students need to work much harder so as to help the school improve its academic status in the district and the state. As the new head of the school, I will make it my mission to improve the academic performance of the entire school and for every student in the various subjects. Based on the continuous improvement process model, the main goal and objective I will set to improve the performance is to encourage a more interactive and student centered learning process (Reiser and Dempsey, 2012). In achieving this objective, I will encourage teachers to move from a learning process focused on skill and drill exercises and adopt a more interactive student centered learning process that will require more involvement of the students in terms of complex thinking. The learning process will involve teachers giving stimulus to students so as to encourage them to gain attention throughout the lesson. Learners will also be shown the objectives and expectations of the

ACTIVITY 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ACTIVITY 5 - Essay Example By isolating possible areas of discussion, which would have to be researched, it became evident that a particular aspect of the general topic was most attractive to me: immigrant populations in new societies, and their potential to achieve. This will still have to be refined – a country of choice, and immigrant populations able to be defined in that country as well as the choice of the type of achievement to be studied – and hence this proposed topic: Influences on Academic Achievement/Non-achievement on Newly-arrived Immigrant Populations in the United States. And it is clear that some research will be necessary before a study can be started: are there clearly definable immigrant populations available; what would the time-frames have to be; would it be ethically correct to identify groups in society so overtly; which definitions of achievement would be used – the local or the â€Å"old country† definitions; what levels of academic achievement would form the focus of a study? In addition, research available on the hereditary factors that influence academic achievement would have to be considered, and their impact on this study gauged. Nonetheless, the topic, and consequent research could provide valuable insight into interventions that could be implemented if non-achievement is occurring, or factors that encourage achievement could be identified. In a working environment within psychology, mind-mapping could be a valuable process to define ideas: one may want to embark on some research, within a field of interest. The initial idea, such as mine was, may be within a personal and general area. By free-association of ideas, all one’s thoughts are made concrete in the initial stage of brainstorming. Then, it becomes clear that certain ideas logically fit together. Some are at this point able to be dismissed – others, it becomes clear, need to be developed. The action of mind-mapping helps

Thomas Paine Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Thomas Paine Questions - Coursework Example Paine believed that his work was going to be remembered for a long time – may be forever. He argued that though his work would not have obtained general favor from readers, after some time its objectives was going to be achieved as more people were going to like it - â€Å"Time makes more converts than reason† (Paine, 1776, p. 1). Therefore his belief was that in the long run, his document was going to gain some favor from the readers. Question Two In the views of Paine, society and government are two very different organizations. They are the very opposite of each other. Paine argued that society and government are not the same and even their origin is not the same. The origin of society comes out of our wants but that of the government is from our wickedness. While the society enhances people’s happiness my uniting their great moments, government bring gloominess unto our lives by restraining our vices. Furthermore society enhances intercourse while government brings about classifications. While a society is viewed as a blessing a government is said to be punisher. Paine described a government as a necessary evil when it is in its best state. To Paine, government is badge of lost innocence. Society and government are therefore very different from each other and cannot be compared. In the description of Paine, they seem to oppose each other. It is very interesting how Paine contrasted society and government. In his description he was indeed able to show that though the two are different from each other they cannot be separated from each other. He used such words as necessary evil in describing government showing that government was evil but all the same it cannot be done away with. Question Three Though Paine described government as an evil and a badge of lost innocence, he still argued strongly that it was necessary for the society. Paine saw a great need for regulations and government in general in the society. Government and regulation become necessary because a society grows to a point whereby its members lose commitment and attachment to each other. At first, regulations will be set up to be observed by all the members of the society whereby all the members will have some form of say in the formulation of such regulations. But as the society grows, the need to leave legislation to a legislative body will raise and thus a government would have to been formed. In the views of Paine, regulations and government are simply necessary for the sake of ensuring that there is order in the society. Paine argued that it is the failure of the members of the society to uphold moral virtues that give raise to regulations and government. Along this thinking, he described government as â€Å"a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the world† (Paine, 1776, p. 1). Therefore, in simple terms the need for regulations and government is for the purpose of keeping order in the society. Question Four Paine finds two â€Å"tyrannies† in the English Constitution in the form of the Monarchy and Aristocracy. This is because it is a complete opposite of what he

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Reflective journal - Essay Example Therefore before a claim is written a good research should be done to gather enough information to substantiate the claim. My approach for research differs with the type and purpose of that research. In most cases I prefer doing research that will enable me to gather as much information as possible while minimizing costs. I mostly prefer a quantitative approach in which one gathers some quantitative data and then analyses and interprets them to answer the research question or the various hypotheses designed. Although this is the approach I like using most, sometimes I find myself using a qualitative approach in which one gathers some qualitative data which she analyzes and interprets to answer the research problem. Each of the two approaches is suitable for specific kind of research and thus one should be careful when choosing which one to use. Research, as every other study faces several challenges. One of the major challenges is developing and improving research methodologies that will explore the complexity of the research. As we advance in research we find ourselves dealing with complex situations in which we do not adjust our methodology to suite them we might end up gathering misleading research information. The solution for that is using internet and intranet that provide excellent opportunities for exploring new research methods. Another challenge is trying to have a balanced program of research among the researchers. Correlational research should be undertaken by several researchers with an aim of comparing the findings and thus minimizing errors so that the results are compared and thus better decisions realized. The ethical issue that comes up in every research undertaking is another challenge that needs to be faced. The ethics of research requires the researcher to fully be responsible for the safety of his res pondent or even the general population he aims to use in his research. One of the major tips, which I think can assist

Thomas Paine Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Thomas Paine Questions - Coursework Example Paine believed that his work was going to be remembered for a long time – may be forever. He argued that though his work would not have obtained general favor from readers, after some time its objectives was going to be achieved as more people were going to like it - â€Å"Time makes more converts than reason† (Paine, 1776, p. 1). Therefore his belief was that in the long run, his document was going to gain some favor from the readers. Question Two In the views of Paine, society and government are two very different organizations. They are the very opposite of each other. Paine argued that society and government are not the same and even their origin is not the same. The origin of society comes out of our wants but that of the government is from our wickedness. While the society enhances people’s happiness my uniting their great moments, government bring gloominess unto our lives by restraining our vices. Furthermore society enhances intercourse while government brings about classifications. While a society is viewed as a blessing a government is said to be punisher. Paine described a government as a necessary evil when it is in its best state. To Paine, government is badge of lost innocence. Society and government are therefore very different from each other and cannot be compared. In the description of Paine, they seem to oppose each other. It is very interesting how Paine contrasted society and government. In his description he was indeed able to show that though the two are different from each other they cannot be separated from each other. He used such words as necessary evil in describing government showing that government was evil but all the same it cannot be done away with. Question Three Though Paine described government as an evil and a badge of lost innocence, he still argued strongly that it was necessary for the society. Paine saw a great need for regulations and government in general in the society. Government and regulation become necessary because a society grows to a point whereby its members lose commitment and attachment to each other. At first, regulations will be set up to be observed by all the members of the society whereby all the members will have some form of say in the formulation of such regulations. But as the society grows, the need to leave legislation to a legislative body will raise and thus a government would have to been formed. In the views of Paine, regulations and government are simply necessary for the sake of ensuring that there is order in the society. Paine argued that it is the failure of the members of the society to uphold moral virtues that give raise to regulations and government. Along this thinking, he described government as â€Å"a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the world† (Paine, 1776, p. 1). Therefore, in simple terms the need for regulations and government is for the purpose of keeping order in the society. Question Four Paine finds two â€Å"tyrannies† in the English Constitution in the form of the Monarchy and Aristocracy. This is because it is a complete opposite of what he

Environmental Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Environmental Law - Essay Example As per RCEP ( Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution) , pollution is one, which has been introduced by human being into the environment of energy or substances, which is responsible to create an injury to health of human beings , hazards to ecological systems and living resources , harm to amenity , structure or interference with the lawful uses of the atmosphere2. Pollution is related with harms to health of humans, plants, property, habitats, animals and ecological structure. Pollution is not limited to the effect of chemical materials either on the environment or on human beings3. If chemical energy or substances are released into environment unauthorisedly, it would be tantamount to pollution under the environmental law. Thus, pollution can happen in the following ways. If a person or a legal person (company) releases energy or chemicals into the atmosphere in violation of its licence stipulations; If a person or a legal person (company) releases energy or chemicals into the atmosphere without obtaining any valid licence4. As per Keith Hawkins, pollution is a conception by the administration, and the regulator manages the issue of licenses, and it is having authority to decide, which discharge tantamount to pollution and if the discharge surpasses the licence conditions, then, that will be regarded as unlawful5. Offences under UK environmental laws fall under strict liability offences, and thus it minimises the onus on the prosecutor, and the defendant has to prove that there has been no infringement from his side to escape from the offence. In the early nineteenth century, when it was found that enforcement officials were lacking capability to assess the internal intricacies of business operations, the strict liability is introduced for environmental offences6. In UK, the environmental offences will fall under the category of strict liability offence. One of the salient features of strict liability offence is that it facilitates the prosecutor to puni sh a company for any environmental offences where the infringement was due to inaction or action of its employees, or due to failures of mechanical systems or other equipments7. In UK, there are about twenty-five environmental statutes specifically provide for initiating action against officers with regard to about 175 separate punishable offences under UK’s environmental law ,which may be perpetrated by the companies. For instance, the National Rivers Authority can recoup reasonable costs of mitigating or remedying pollution in groundwater or surface from the persons who have knowingly permitted or caused the threatened pollution or the pollution. The Environment Act 1995 authorises the costs to be recouped from the â€Å"appropriate persons† who have permitted or caused such pollution. Thus, the term â€Å"persons† include of course both the officers and the directors of the company8. Oil and Gas production and exploration is to adhere to its own environmental regulations. Environmental safeguard provisions are introduced in the exploration and development licences itself under s.4 of the Act9. Oil pollutions offences like releasing of oil mixture or oil into territorial waters of UK is a punishable crime under the above Act10. For instance, the US Environmental Protection Agency levies administrative penalties whereas the Department of Justice award criminal punishments for the most serious infringement. Likewise, under German laws,

Good Members of Society Essay Example for Free

Good Members of Society Essay Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this. Discuss both these views and give your opinion Education plays an important role in our lives for shaping us to become good members in society. Nowadays, both parents and schools actively take part in the process educating their children. While some people view that the parents are primarily responsible for teaching their children to become responsible members in society, others believe that it is the responsibility of the schools. However, in my opinion, both parents and schools have a role to play in guiding children in the right path for a peaceful society. Home is the first school and parents are first teachers of ours. Because during the childhood they teach us how to speak and behave to someone in society. Other way parents own behavior is also affect to their children and they get these easily while they are child. Then they are going to be formed how they see and hear. Subsequently children will show their experience to the others what they learn from their parents. That`s why parents must be careful while they are teaching their children because they are seriously responsible from their children. Although school is the best place for the children to learn and to be o good person. At school they meet with many people and do their activities together with their classmates. Children can learn how to act and have a good attitude. Teachers, except teaching many subjects they also teach to the children how to have o good behavior with their friends, parents or neighborhoods. That`s why, parents always have a big hope from school to help them for creating their children to be o good person. In my view I think that good parents are good teachers and both of them have their own role in our society.

Investigating General Motors Chevy Volt Project

Investigating General Motors Chevy Volt Project What does the Chevy Volt case tell you about the nature of strategic decision making at a large complex organization like GM? In a complex organization such as GM, it appears that decisions concerning Chevy Volt project were reached without giving thorough plan outlay to the planning groups in the company. There was a lot of thing that put the company at stakes from the wrong strategic decision undertaken. All aspects of the project were done at the individual and subjective level. Take for example the proposal presented by Larry Burns and Bob Lutz concerning Chevy Volt to the top management presents a missing link of strategic leadership that should have been a transformational force. Yet the sad state of affairs is that strategic formulation and its implementation also were all compromised upon, which happened when the Chevy Volt concept car was launched. This shows that managerial level function, their involvement and leadership were not collaborative in a sense as far as implementation processes goes. Together with it, shareholder values and business plan also were not emphasized upon when decisions were made, which appears that the responsibility attached with managerial role and their expertise were all taken for granted that put the company in the threshold of a gamble and a joke. Explain briefly the changes in the external environment that made it favorable to undertake the Chevy Volt Project? As we relate to the given case, rising fuel prices, new environmental regulations, new entrant for green concepts cars and stiff competitors give abundant evidence to the changes in the external environment. There is some relevancy that microenvironments also were emphasized upon in context of Porter five forces model and SWOT analysis. Thus, the Chevy Volt project can significantly foster the CSR of GM, which is favorable. As a green concept car, the Chevy Volt scores a point as far as cost saving for users goes in context of rising oil prices then. However, what is crucial also can be exemplified in context of sustainable development process that the Chevy Volt can impact, let say limiting carbon gas emission in the backdrop of global warming and greenhouse effect and most importantly presents a wider socio-economic relevancy and impact. What internal obstacles do you think existed within GM that were unfavorable to the pursuit of the Chevy Volt project? Cost factor also is one unfavorable point that existed, given that GM have already invested billion of dollars for the development of Lithium-Ion batteries, which did not registers with the top management. The relevant cause for that also can be emphasized in context of the internal obstacles at GM as can be observed in respect of top management who were skeptical of Chevy Volt project, especially when the EV1 Hybrid model, a green concept electric car that run on conventional fuel cell introduced by the company way back in the 90s did not succeed and was a sheer loss in term of resource and brand image. Besides leadership in the company also have it flaws, and were not wholly involved. That is to say, strategy planning, its formulation and lifecycles that guaranteed the outcome of project was a missing links, which are the internal obstacles that are unfavorable for the pursuit of Chevy Volt project. The plan for the Chevy Volt seems to be based partly on the assumption that oil prices would remain high, and yet in late 2008, oil prices collapsed in the wake of a sharp global economic slowdown: What does this tell you about the nature of strategic plans? Chevy Volt project which is partly based on the assumption of fuels prices is rather skeptical. Plan outlay in context of rising oil prices, and environment sustainability only does not in a sense constitute total business plan layout. External environment analysis such as the macro and micro-economic factors also should have been focused, so that an alternative plan layout to develop new innovation for its benchmark cars model that run on fuel and that which should meet the tighter regulation in the future. Yet that was not the case, which we feel posit the flaws in the nature of strategic plan concerning Chevy Volt, and presents the uncertainty of such development course, which in the other case economic factor should have been given more emphasis for strategy, wherein economic theory of demand and supply also should have been brought in contention in regard of decision and strategy. How do falling oil prices affect the Chevy Volt project? The Chevy Volt project strategic plan was based on factor that kept rising oil prices in contention to market its electric car model for profitability. That is true to some extent. Yet, buying a car is long-term investment for buyers. That factor also should have been given due importance. Besides, investment made by GM in the Chevy Volt project also posed huge cost factor. In business context, Chevy Volt is less competitive and cost already incurred for the project means that the company has to compromise with its benchmark to foster a profitable outcome from situation of spiraling oil prices. Thus, falling oil prices can affect Chevy Volt project in terms of profitability directly from the sale of electric cars. However, such marketing concepts pose many risks and uncertainty, which in simple economic sense can be justified in context of supply and demand rule applicable to economics, be it for oil prices or the Chevy Volt car models and its demands in situations when oil prices would remain high. Do you think oil prices will remain low? There is no reason to think that oil prices will remain low, because it happened in a situation when demand for the product was low in the market. Rising oil prices defines the simple economic basis of the law of demand, which depends on market equilibrium for a product in influencing the inflation and deflation of particular product. Thus, it is very likely and in simple economic sense that once the demand for oil increases, prices also is also likely to surge accordingly. Besides there are no substitute product as far as fuel goes and in the case of Chevy Volt cars the case is otherwise, wherein substitute product can be emphasis in context of internal combustion engine cars which pouts competitors in a favorable situation as far as car model goes. a) What are the external conditions that need to be present for the Chevy Volt to be a successful car? For the success of the Chevy Volt Project effective marketing strategy has to be formulated. Marketing aspects also should capitalize on the internal and external forces that influence the products within the industry and against its rival for the competitive factor. From our understanding, the Chevy Volt is a high-tech car. Hence, external analysis from operational and business perspective should focus on the competitive structure of the industry and factors such as; innovations, socio-economic, and environmental impact that defines value added product, and the opportunistic cost that comes with it. Thus, a lot of innovation in the development process of the car should be fostered as one factor to benchmark against rivals and competitors in the industry, which is critical for success for a profitable outcome and goals achievements. Part of it also should focus on the strategic marketing aspects that give the car and its salient feature to reach the people through advertisement and awareness created in that regard are interrelated and need to be present for the Chevy Volt to be a successful car. Given its long presence in the market GM may not lack competency and skills, however, its strategic planning and decision making is stifled by strong resistance from its managers. This may be due to the complexity of the organization and resulting problems associated with strategic decision making. What would you suggest for GM to make its strategic planning and decision making effective and relevant? To facilitate effective strategic, it is advised that GM managers should take into account the following:- Response to the competition that the market posed and demands. Management Responsibility in decision undertaken. Knowledge sharing as a basis for project formulation and effectiveness. Cost factor analysis. Collaborative leadership as a means to negotiate against redundant formulation process. Do away with subjective and unreasonable reasoning and decisions. Transformational change has to be initiated. Management and supervisors involvements in any given projects. Business plan and layout should be effectively defined for any major outcome and long-term effects. Apart from these point and list of suggestion, we feel that strategic group in the company should be given ample hand to empanel for strategic plan layout, given that there are huge stakes for any given undertaking. After all, strategic group are expert panel. Yet, decision being reached is more or less subjective. Hence, a collaborative approach to management thinking, leadership and strategy formulation should be the core cultural basis in the company, which can effectively and relevantly drive the strategic planning and decision making in the course of goals achievements. In light of your analysis, what are the costs of failure in this project for GM? The cost of failure as far as Chevy Volt car concerns is huge and tremendous, as far as operation and economic consequences goes. Less involvement from the managers also brought to fore the cost and its effect to directly hit the company that brought it to the stage of total shutdown of its operations. Since the company is already in the threshold of bankruptcy, the Chevy Volt project that failed to impact the company strategic goals and its achievements posed the total effect of bankruptcy of GM and huge economic consequences as an aftermath, because the company is already on the process of huge public debt facilitated by the government to save itself from bankruptcy. Thus, it is suggested that either the plan have to be charted out to bring into effect the following:- Capitalize on the capability and expertise the company posits. Effective strategic management of operational process and procedures. Top Management involvement. Responsibility. Collaborative approaches to leadership. Cultural and structural upgrade of the corporate echelon and strategic management panel and groups. Standardization of managerial role, decisions and business plan layout. Capitalizing on the opportunities and threat. Facilitate a dynamic leadership culture. What are the costs for GM of not pursuing the project? There are tremendous and direct effects as far as Chevy Volt project concerns, since it is not pursued at all. Take for example the following cost factors:- The huge opportunistic cost lost in between. Operational and business capability that went for a toss. Marketing research that has not been capitalized effectively and efficiently for result outcome. Change factor and organizational learning. Cost factor in term of direct financial investments to investors, and stakeholders. Resource accumulation. Brand image and identity. Corporation competencies that have not been capitalized Sustainable development plans Corporate Social Responsibility Economic consequences. Bankruptcy. Business process and procedures.

Reverse Discrimination and Affirmative Action Essay -- Papers Quota Ra

Reverse Discrimination and Affirmative Action Discrimination in employment has been an issue that has plagued our society throughout history. At the turn of this century it was acceptable to advertise job openings and specifically state that people of a certain race, color, religion, gender, or national origin "need not apply". A lot has changed over the last 100 years. The proverbial "pendulum" has swung in the direction of federal protection of certain people, but the problem now is that it has swung too far. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act states that it is unlawful for an employer "to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin†¦" 42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(a)(1). This law was enacted in an effort to set right the wrongs of the past and instill equity in the workplace; yet a new set of wrongs and social injustices have been created. This newly created set of wrongs and injustices are referred to as reverse discrimination. Reverse discrimination is discrimination against a majority class, and is ever increasing in public-sector employment. Social Equity and Affirmative Action Affirmative action was instituted to redress the social inequities of past discrimination in employment against what became known as a 'protected class' (women and minorities). The goals of affirmative action plans are to increase the representation of historically disadvantaged people in the workplace equal to their representation in the corresponding community and relevant labor market. This formula is how affirmati... ...regardless of skin color or gender, feel the same effects: a brick wall placed between them and their constitutional right of prosperity and equality. Over the last hundred years our societal values (in employment) have swung from an anything goes mentality to the other end of the spectrum, the era of "political correctness" where you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Uncertainty prevails. It is apparent, though, that the proverbial "pendulum" is in an evening-out process and trying to find middle ground. Discrimination is discrimination regardless of what type of form it takes. There is truly only one kind if discrimination and that is where an individual's rights are infringed upon due to traits in which they have no power to control. Each and every one of us deserves to have the right to freedom and equality given to us by our forefather's.

Theme of Forgiveness in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Theme of Forgiveness in The Scarlet Letter "The public is despotic in its temper; it is capable of denying common justice when too strenuously demanded as a right; but quite as frequently it awards more than justice when the appeal is made, as despots love to have it made entirely to it's generosity." The Scarlet Letter (156) One of themes that Hawthorne conveys in The Scarlet Letter is that society is more willing to forgive people who ask for forgiveness with humility and generosity than those who demanded it as a right. This theme was conveys using Hester Prynne, a young women who committed adultery. This was considered to be one of the worst crime someone could commit in the Puritan society during the eighteen hundreds, where she resides in. As punishment, Hester was required to wear a scarlet letter "A" upon her garment in order for everyone to recognize her crime. Her society had condemn her, they believed that she "has brought shame upon all of us, and ought to die..."(59) Yet, as time went by, because of the way in which Hester carried herself wearing the scarlet letter, the symbol had taken a new meaning. Although, when the scarlet letter was first place on her bosom it was a symbol of Hester's crime, burden, seclusion, and shame. However, as a result of Hester's generosit y and humility the scarlet letter had come to symbolize Hester's strength, philanthropy, and gained her very high respectability in her society. "Let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart."(59). The scarlet letter was place upon Hester Prynne bosom as a punishment for the crime she committed; the letter A to signified adulteress. The letter A on her bosom was there as a reminder the townspeople, strangers and Hester herself of the crime she committed. Likewise, it was there to ensure that such a crime would not again befell upon their Puritan community. " "Drink, then," replied he, still with the same cold composure. "Dost thou know me so little, Hester Prynne? Are my purposes wont to be so shallow? Even if I imagine a scheme of vengeance, what could I do better for my object than to let thee live-than to give thee medicines against all harm and peril of life so that this burning Shame may still blaze upon thy bosom?

Gcse History Revision Notes – Germany

History Revision Notes – Germany Weimar – strengths and weaknesses The Weimar Republic After Germany lost the First World War, the Kaiser fled and a new democratic government of Germany was declared in February 1919 at the small town of Weimar. It was too dangerous to make a declaration in Berlin where there had just been a revolt by a Communist group called the Spartacists. STRENGTHS †¢ A Bill of Rights guaranteed every German citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law. †¢ All men and women over the age of 20 were given the vote. †¢ There was an elected president and an elected Reichstag (parliament). The Reichstag made the laws and appointed the government, which had to do what the Reichstag wanted. WEAKNESSES †¢ Proportional representation – instead of voting for an MP, like we do in Britain,Weimar Germans voted for a party. Each party was then allocated seats in the Reichstag exactly reflecting (proportional' to) th e number of people who had voted for it. This sounds fair, but in practice it was a disaster it resulted in dozens of tiny parties, with no party strong enough to get a majority, and, therefore, no government to get its laws passed in the Reichstag. This was a major weakness of the Republic. Article 48 – this said that, in an emergency, the president did not need the agreement of the Reichstag, but could issue decrees [Decrees: Laws passed by one minister in a parliament, which have not been approved by the majority parliament. ]. The problem with this was that it did not say what an emergency was, and in the end, it turned out to be a way that Hitler used to take power legally. Weimar – problems 1919-1923 The Weimar Republic faced opposition from the outset in 1919, after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Economic hardship affected the whole nation and led to uprisings and assassinations.Key problems The Weimar Republic was created at a time of confusion and ch aos after Germany had lost the First World War. Many people felt that Germany had received a very harsh deal in the Treaty of Versailles and they resented the government for signing it and agreeing to its conditions. The Weimar Republic faced violent uprisings from various groups, not to mention economic problems. Germany between 1918 and 1919 was in chaos. People were starving, the Kaiser had fled and people hated the government for signing the armistice to end the war in November 1918 – they called them the November criminals.Bands of soldiers called Freikorps refused to disband and formed private armies. It was not a good start for the Republic. There was continuous violence and unrest: †¢ In March 1920, there was a rebellion – the Kapp Putsch – that aimed to bring back the Kaiser . †¢ Nationalist terror groups assassinated 356 government politicians. †¢ Many of the people in Germany were communists who wanted to bring in a Russian-style commun ist government. There were a number of communist uprisings. For instance, in 1919 the Spartacists rebelled in Berlin. [pic] The Kapp Putsch march in March 1920, the right-wing nationalist Dr Wolfgang Kapp took over Berlin. The army refused to attack him; he was only defeated when the workers of Berlin went on strike. The Weimar government's main crisis occurred in 1923, when the Germans failed to make a reparations payment ( payments made for damage caused in WW1. Part of T of V) on time, which set off a train of events that included: †¢ a French invasion of the Ruhr †¢ a general strike †¢ hyperinflation †¢ a number of communist rebellions †¢ an attempted Nazi putsch in Munich Weimar – crisis of 1923The 1923 crisis began when Germany missed a reparations payment. This situation spiralled out of control and once again the German people were unhappy and in financial difficulty, so uprisings occurred throughout the country. Hyperinflation The sudden floo d of paper money into the economy, on top of the general strike – which meant that no goods were manufactured, so there was more money, chasing fewer goods – combined with a weak economy ruined by the war, all resulted in hyperinflation. Prices ran out of control – eg a loaf of bread, which cost 250 marks in January 1923 had risen to 200,000 million marks in November 1923.German's currency became worthless. But remember: †¢ Some people made fortunes during the crisis. One man borrowed money to buy a herd of cattle, but soon after paid back his loan by selling one cow. †¢ People on wages were safe, because they renegotiated their wages every day. †¢ Pensioners on fixed incomes and people with savings were the most badly hit. One woman sold her house with the intention of using the money to live on. A few weeks later, the money wasn't even enough to buy a loaf of bread. The Early Nazi Party The Nazi ideology: †¢ Lebensraum – the need for ‘living space' for the German nation to expand. A strong Germany – the Treaty of Versailles should be abolished and all German-speaking people united in one country. †¢ Fuhrer – the idea that there should be a single leader with complete power rather than a democracy. †¢ Social Darwinism – the idea that the Aryan race was superior and Jews were ‘subhuman'. †¢ Autarky – the idea that Germany should be economically self-sufficient. †¢ Germany was in danger – from Communists and Jews, who had to be destroyed. The appeal of the Nazis In the 1920s, the Nazis tried to be all things to all people.The 25-Point Programme had policies that were: †¢ Socialist – eg farmers should be given their land; pensions should improve; and public industries such as electricity and water should be owned by the state. †¢ Nationalist – all German-speaking people should be united in one country; the Treaty of Versaille s should be abolished; and there should be special laws for foreigners. †¢ Racist – Jews should not be German citizens and immigration should be stopped. †¢ Fascist – a strong central government and control of the newspapers. The Nazis did not appeal to: †¢ working men who voted Communist intellectuals such as students and university professors They were popular with: †¢ nationalists and racists †¢ farmers †¢ lower middle-class people such as plumbers and shopkeepers who were worried about the chaos Germany was in †¢ rich people worried by the threat from Communism Rebellions Unsurprisingly, the hardships created by hyperinflation led to many uprisings as groups struggled to take power from Weimar. The Munich Putsch 1923 In November 1923, Hitler tried to take advantage of the crisis facing the Weimar government by instigating a revolution in Munich.It seemed like the perfect opportunity, but poor planning and misjudgement resulted in failure and the subsequent imprisonment of Adolf Hitler. Summary At first, the Nazis were just a terrorist group. Hitler assembled a large group of unemployed young men and former soldiers, known as the storm troopers (the SA), which attacked other political groups. Hitler hoped to take power by starting a revolution During the crisis of 1923, therefore, Hitler plotted with two nationalist politicians – Kahr and Lossow – to take over Munich in a revolution.Hitler collected his storm troopers and told them to be ready to rebel. But then, on 4 October 1923, Kahr and Lossow called off the rebellion. This was an impossible situation for Hitler, who had 3,000 troops ready to fight. [pic] Hitler waved a gun at Khar and Lossow On the night of 8 November 1923, Hitler and 600 storm troopers burst into a meeting that Kahr and Lossow were holding at the local Beer Hall. Waving a gun at them, Hitler forced them to agree to rebel – and then let them go home. The SA took over the army headquarters and the offices of the local newspaper. 16 Nazis were killed in the scuffleThe next day, 9 November 1923, Hitler and his Nazis went into Munich on what they thought would be a triumphal march to take power. However, Kahr had called in police and army reinforcements. There was a short scuffle in which the police killed 16 Nazis. Hitler fled, but was arrested two days later. Why did Hitler attempt the Munich Putsch in 1923? 1. By 1923, the Nazi party had 55,000 members and was stronger than ever before. 2. The Weimar Republic was in crisis and about to collapse. 3. In September 1923, the Weimar government had called off the general strike, and every German nationalist was furious with the government. . Hitler thought he would be helped by important nationalist politicians in Bavaria. 5. Hitler had a huge army of storm troopers, but he knew he would lose control of them if he did not give them something to do. 6. Hitler hoped to copy Mussolini – the Italia n fascist leader – who had come to power in Italy in 1922 by marching on Rome. Results of the Munich Putsch The Munich Putsch was a failure. As a result: 1. The Nazi party was banned, and Hitler was prevented from speaking in public until 1927. 2. Hitler went to prison, where he wrote ‘Mein Kampf'.Millions of Germans read it, and Hitler's ideas became very well-known. 3. Hitler decided that he would never come to power by revolution; he realised that he would have to use constitutional means, so he organised: o the Hitler Youth o propaganda campaigns o mergers with other right-wing parties o local branches of the party, which tried to get Nazis elected to the Reichstag o the SS as his personal bodyguard, which was set up in 1925 It was this strategy of gaining power legitimately that eventually brought him to power. How did the Weimar Republic survive?In 1923 the Weimar Republic was teetering at the brink of a very large cliff with problems such as hyperinflation, attem pted revolutions and public discontent, pushing it increasingly towards the edge. How could the Republic possibly survive? Gustav Stresemann and Charles Dawes In 1923, the Weimar Republic was on the verge of collapse, but, surprisingly, the crisis was the start of a period of stability and success. The period 1923-1929 was a time when the economy boomed and cultural life flourished in Germany. This dramatic turnabout happened because Germany was saved by two people – Gustav Stresemann and Charles Dawes.Gustav Stresemann had been a nationalist, but he realised that something needed to be done to save Germany. Under Stresemann's guidance, the government called off the strike, persuaded the French to leave the Ruhr and even got the rest of the world to allow Germany to join the League of Nations in 1926. Stresemann also introduced reforms to help ordinary people such as job centres, unemployment pay and better housing. Charles Dawes was the US budget director. In 1923, he was se nt to Europe to sort out Germany's economy. Under his advice, the German Reichsbank was reformed and the old money was called in and burned.This ended the hyperinflation. Dawes also arranged the Dawes Plan with Stresemann, which gave Germany longer to pay reparations. Most importantly, Dawes agreed to America lending Germany 800 million gold marks, which kick-started the German economy. Was Weimar stable during 1923-1929? Despite all the successes, many historians believe that the stability of the Weimar republic was illusory: 1. The nationalists and fascists did not win many seats in the Reichstag, but they were allowed to exist and campaign, so they were just waiting for the right opportunity to attempt a takeover again. . Everything depended on American money – if that stopped, Germany was ready to return to crisis. 3. No political party had a majority. Coalition gov’t struggled to agree and get laws passed. 4. Dawes Plan and new currency meant eco was stable Hitler 's rise to power Hitler's rise to power cannot be attributed to one event, but a mixture of factors including events happening outside Germany, the strengths of the Nazi party, and the weaknesses of other parties within Germany. Hitler used these factors to his advantage and in 1933 he legitimately gained power to become chancellor.In 1929, the American Stock Exchange collapsed, and caused an economic depression. America called in all its foreign loans, which destroyed Weimar Germany due to the Dawes Plan. Unemployment in Germany rose to 6 million. The government did not know what to do. In July 1930 Chancellor Bruning cut government expenditure, wages and unemployment pay – the worst thing to do during a depression. He could not get the Reichstag to agree to his actions, so President Hindenburg used Article 48 to pass the measures by decree. The Nazis gain support Anger and bitterness helped the Nazis to gain more support.Many workers turned to communism, but this frightened wealthy businessmen, so they financed Hitler's campaigns. Many middle-class people, alarmed by the obvious failure of democracy, decided that the country needed a strong government. Nationalists and racists blamed the Treaty of Versailles and reparations. [pic] In 1928, the Nazis had only 12 seats in the Reichstag; by July 1932 they had 230 seats and were the largest party. The government was in chaos. President Hindenburg dismissed Bruning in 1932. His replacement – Papen – lasted six months, and the next chancellor – Schleicher – only lasted two months.Hindenburg had to use Article 48 to pass almost every law. In January 1933, Hindenburg and Papen came up with a plan to get the Nazis on their side by offering to make Hitler vice chancellor. He refused and demanded to be made chancellor. They agreed, thinking they could control him. In January 1933, Hitler became chancellor, and immediately set about making himself absolute ruler of Germany using Articl e 48. Reasons why Hitler rose to power 1. Hitler was a great speaker, with the power to make people support him. 2. The moderate political parties would not work together, although together they had more support than the Nazis. . The depression of 1929 created poverty and unemployment, which made people angry with the Weimar government. People lost confidence in the democratic system and turned towards the extremist political parties such as the Communists and Nazis during the depression. 4. The Nazi storm troopers attacked Hitler's opponents. 5. Goebbels' propaganda campaign was very effective and it won support for the Nazis. The Nazis targeted specific groups of society with different slogans and policies to win their support. 6. Hitler was given power in a political deal by Hindenburg and Papen who foolishly thought they could control him. . German people were still angry about the Treaty of Versailles and supported Hitler because he promised to overturn it. 8. Industrialists ga ve Hitler money and support. How Hitler consolidated power 1933-1934 Dates and events 1933-1934 |Date |Event | |27 Feb 1933 |Reichstag Fire Hitler used the fire to his advantage in two ways: | |[pic] |It gave him an opportunity to imprison many communist leaders, which stopped them campaigning during the election. | |It allowed the Nazis to say that the country was in danger from the communists during its election campaign. | | |Both these actions helped the Nazis to win more seats in the election. | | |When the courts convicted Dutch Communist van der Lubbe, but did not convict otherCommunist leaders, Hitler was furious and | | |replaced the courts with the Nazi People's Courts. | |5 Mar 1933 |General Election – only 44 per cent of the population vote for the Nazis, who win 288 seats in the Reichstag. |[pic] |Although it did not give the Nazis the majority that Hitler had hoped for in the Reichstag, it gave them enough seats – after | | |Hitler had arrested all the co mmunist deputies and the other parties had been intimidated by the SA – to get the Enabling Act | | |passed, which is all Hitler needed to do. | |23 Mar 1933 |Enabling Act – the SA intimidates all the remaining non-Nazi deputies. The Reichstag votes to give Hitler the right to make his | |[pic] |own laws. | |Arguably the critical event – it gave Hitler absolute power to make his laws. | |26 April 1933 |Local government is reorganised – the country is carved up into 42 Gaus, which are run by a Gauleiter. These Gaus are separated | |[pic] |into areas, localities and blocks of flats run by a Blockleiter. Hitler sets up the Gestapo. | | |This put the Nazis in control of local government, and allowed the Gestapo to rule by terror. | |2 May 1933 |Trade unions are abolished and their leaders arrested. |[pic] |Abolishing the trade unions allowed Hitler to destroy a group that might have opposed him. It also gave Hitler the opportunity | | |to set up the German La bour Front, which gave him control over German workers. | |20 June 1933 |Concordat – Hitler makes an agreement with the Pope who sees him as someone who can destroy communism. This agreement allows | |[pic] |Hitler to take over political power in Germany as long as he leaves the Catholic Church alone.Hitler's agreement with the Pope | | |was a temporary truce that allowed Hitler to ban the Catholic Zentrum party without opposition from the Catholic Church. | |14 July 1933 |Political parties are banned – only the Nazi party is allowed to exist. | |[pic] |Banning political parties made Germany a one-party state and destroyed democracy in the country. | | |After this action, Germans could no longer get rid of Hitler in an election. |24 April 1934 |People's Courts – Hitler sets up the Nazi people's courts where judges have to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis. | |[pic] |These were set up to give Hitler greater control over the judgements made in courts. Hitler w as furious because the courts did | | |not sentence the communists to death for starting the Reichstag fire. | |30 June 1934 |Night of the Long Knives – some SA leaders are demanding that the Nazi party carry out its socialist agenda, and that the SA | |[pic] |take over the army.Hitler cannot afford to annoy the businessmen or the army, so the SS [SS: Also known as the Blackshirts. A | | |German police/ military style organisation created to serve as the personal bodyguards of Adolf Hitler. In Hitler's Germany they| | |eventually controlled the intelligence, security and police forces, and extermination of those they considered undesirable. ] | | |murders perhaps 400 of the SA members, including its leader Rohm, along with a number of Hitler's other opponents. | |This destroyed all opposition within the Nazi Party. It gave power to the brutal SS. It also showed the rest of the world what a| | |tyrant Hitler was. | |19 Aug 1934 |Fuhrer – when Hindenburg dies, Hitler dec lares himself jointly president, chancellor and head of the army. This formally made | |[pic] |Hitler the absolute ruler of Germany. | Many historians believe that Nazi Germany only appeared to be a dictatorship.In fact, officials were left to make most of the decisions themselves, and the Nazi government was badly-organised, and chaotic. Hitler and the army It is important to note that in 1934, the army was not subject to Hitler's authority. At this point, he still needed the army's support, which is why he destroyed the SA in the Night of the Long Knives. In 1938, army leaders hoped Hitler's plan to conquer the Sudetenland would fail and give them an opportunity to depose [Depose: To remove a ruler or monarch. ] him.When he suceeded, their attempt to get rid of him fell apart, and Hitler dismissed the chief of staff and 60 other generals. Thereafter, the army was also subservient to Hitler. The structures of control in the Nazi state Hitler introduced many policies and measures to ensure the Nazis remained in control, once he declared himself Fuhrer. These measures dealt with political opponents, as well as ordinary people, who suddenly found their private, social and working lives controlled by the Nazis. Seven key structures The Nazi party aimed to control every aspect of people's political, social and working lives.It maintained control through a mixture of propaganda [Propaganda: A type of advertising for an idea or cause, produced by supporters or opponents of that idea or cause. It is usually produced to influence how the people of a nation think. ] and intimidation. 1. Government (political) The way Hitler consolidated power in 1933-1934 meant that the Nazis had absolute control of national and local government. 2. Religion (social) †¢ Hitler believed that religion was a threat to the Nazis' control over people's minds, so he tried different ways to reduce the power of the church over people.Non-Nazi Catholic priests and Protestant pastors such a s Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoffer were sent to concentration camps. †¢ Jews and Jehovah's Witnesses were openly persecuted. †¢ Hitler set up a state Reich Church, which banned the Bible and the cross. †¢ Nazis encouraged people to revive the old Viking myths and ceremonies. 3. Culture (social) †¢ Hitler ordered Nazification – the imposition of Nazi values – on all aspects of German life. Artists had to produce acceptable paintings that portrayed Nazi values. †¢ Jazz music was banned. †¢ Books written by Jews were publicly burned. Homosexuals were persecuted; they did not fit the Nazi image of the ideal family. †¢ The Olympic Games of 1936 were a huge Nazi propaganda success. 4. Work (working) †¢ Dr Robert Ley, head of the DAF [DAF: German Labour Front ], boasted that he controlled workers' lives from the ‘cradle to the grave'. The RAD (National Labour Service) sent young men on public works. †¢ Hitler introduce d conscription in 1936; most men went into the army after the RAD. †¢ The DAF (German Labour Front) controlled workers' conditions at work. †¢ The KdF (Strength through Joy) movement regulated their leisure time. . Education and youth (working) †¢The lives of young people were controlled both in and out of school to turn them into fanatical Nazis. Non-Nazi teachers and university professors were sacked; teachers had to join the National Socialist Teachers' League. †¢ Textbooks were re-written to include Nazi political and racial ideas. †¢ History was taught to glorify Germany. †¢ There was a concentration on physical fitness. †¢ Girls were taught cookery; boys were taught science and maths. †¢ The Hitler Youth was compulsory; it indoctrinated boys and prepared them for war. The Nazi Girls' youth organisation – the BDM – was compulsory; it indoctrinated girls and prepared them for church, children and cooking. 6. Terror (method of control) †¢ Germany became a country where it was unsafe to do or say anything critical of the government. SS and Gestapo (Secret State Police. ) †¢ Blockleiters in each block of flats and street informed on ‘grumblers'. †¢ Arrests of thousands of people terrified opponents. †¢ Set up Nazi people's courts. †¢ Concentration camps.7. Propaganda (method of control) Josef Goebbels controlled the Propaganda Ministry, which aimed to brainwash people into obeying the Nazis and idolising Hitler. Mass rallies at Nuremberg. †¢ Newspapers were censored. †¢ People's radios were sold very cheaply, but broadcasts were controlled. †¢ Films were controlled to make films that glorified war and pilloried the Jews. †¢ Loudspeakers in public places blared out Nazi propaganda. †¢ Cult of personality – Hitler's picture was everywhere, and he was portrayed as Germany's saviour. Women in the Nazi state Hitler had very clear ideas about the wom an's role in the Nazi state – she was the centre of family life, a housewife and mother. Hitler even introduced a medal for women who had eight or more children!The role of women The Nazis had clear ideas of what they wanted from women. Women were expected to stay at home and look after the family. Women doctors, teachers and civil servants were forced to give up their careers. Even at the end of the war, women were never asked to serve in the armed forces. Their job was to keep the home nice for their husband and family – their life should revolve round the three ‘Ks': †¢ church †¢ children †¢ cooking Goebbels said: â€Å"The mission of women is to be beautiful and to bring children into the world. † Hitler wanted a high birth rate, so the population would grow.The Nazis even considered making it law that families should have at least four children. Girls did keep fit in the BDM [BDM: Bund Deutscher Madel – the German group for girls age 14+ ] to make themselves healthy for childbirth, but they were discouraged from staying slim, because it was thought that thin women had trouble giving birth. The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave newly wed couples a loan of 1,000 marks, and allowed them to keep 250 marks for each child they had. Mothers who had more than eight children were given a gold medal.Unmarried women could volunteer to have a baby for an Aryan [Aryan: a person of European decent (not Jewish) often with blond hair and blue eyes – the Nazis viewed as the superior human race ] member of the SS Women were supposed to emulate traditional German peasant fashions – plain peasant costumes, hair in plaits or buns and flat shoes. They were not expected to wear make-up or trousers, dye their hair or smoke in public. Opposition Those who spoke out against Hitler and his policies faced intimidation and threats from the Gestapo or imprisonment and in some cases execution.However, there were so me brave individuals and groups who openly opposed Hitler and his policies. Who opposed Hilter? It was difficult – and dangerous – to oppose Hitler. However, some brave people did try: 1. The Catholic Archbishop of Munster, von Galen, led a successful campaign to end euthanasia of mentally-disabled people. 2. Some Catholic priests opposed Hitler. In 1937, the Pope's message ‘With Burning Concern' attacked Hitler as ‘a mad prophet with repulsive arrogance' and was read in every Catholic church. 3. The White Rose group was formed by students at Munich University.They published anti-Nazi leaflets, but were discovered and executed in 1944. 4. A paramilitary wing of the Social Democratic Party, called the Reichsbanner, sabotaged railway lines and acted as spies. 5. During the war, ‘swing' groups were formed. These were young people who rejected Nazi values, drank alcohol and danced to jazz. More violent groups were called the Edelweiss Pirates. They daubed anti-Nazi slogans, sheltered deserters and beat up Nazi officials. In 1944, the Cologne Pirates (the Edelweiss Pirates based in Cologne) killed the Gestapo chief, so the Nazis publicly hanged 12 of them. . Many Protestant pastors, led by Martin Niemoller, formed the Confessional Church in opposition to Hitler's Reich Church. Niemoller was held in a concentration camp during the period 1937-1945. Another Protestant pastor, Dietrich Bonhoffer, took part in the 1944 bomb plot and was executed. 7. In 1944, a group of army officers and intellectuals called the Kreisau Circle tried to bomb Hitler. The bomb was planted by Colonel Stauffenberg. It exploded, but Hitler survived. In retaliation, 5,000 people were executed. Persecution Who did the Nazis persecute?The Nazis believed that only Germans could be citizens and that non-Germans did not have any right to the rights of citizenship. The Nazis racial philosophy taught that some races were untermensch (sub-human). Many scientists at this time believed that people with disabilities or social problems were genetic degenerates whose genes needed to be eliminated from the human bloodline. The Nazis, therefore: †¢ Tried to eliminate the Jews. †¢ Killed 85 per cent of Germany's Gypsies. †¢ Sterilised black people. †¢ Killed mentally disabled babies. †¢ Killed mentally ill patients. †¢ Sterilised physically disabled people and people with hereditary diseases. Sterilised deaf people. †¢ Put homosexuals, prostitutes, Jehovah's Witnesses, alcoholics, pacifists, beggars, hooligans and criminals – who they regarded as anti-social – into concentration camps. How the Nazis persecuted the Jews: key dates 1933 †¢ Boycott of Jewish businesses. †¢ Jewish civil servants, lawyers and teachers sacked. †¢ Race Science lessons to teach that Jews are inferior 1935 †¢ ‘Jews not wanted here' signs put up at swimming pools etc. †¢ Nuremberg laws (15 September) Je ws could not be citizens. They were not allowed to vote or to marry a German. 1938 †¢ Jews could not be doctors. Jews had to add the name Israel (men) or Sarah (women) to their name. †¢ Jewish children forbidden to go to school. †¢ Kristallnacht (9 November) – attacks on Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues [Synagogues: These are places of Jewish worship and community. ]. [pic] A shop damaged during Kristallnacht 1939 †¢ Jews were forced to live in ghettoes. 1941 †¢ Army Einsatzgruppen squads in Russia started mass-shootings of Jews. †¢ All Jews were forced to wear a yellow star of David. 1942 †¢ Wansee Conference (20 January) decided on the Final Solution, which was to gas all Europe's Jews.The main death camps were at Auschwitz, Treblinka and Sobibor. Economic policies and benefits Hitler's economic policy had four main ideas: 1. Full employment – the idea that everyone should have a job. By 1939, there was virtually no unemploym ent in Germany. 2. Beauty of Work – the Nazis set up the SdA (Beauty of Work) to help Germans see that work was good, and that everyone who could work should. In fact – because the Nazis had abolished the trade unions, banned strikes, and given more power to the industrialists – real wages fell and hours were longer under Hitler. 3. Re-armament begun in 1935 – the idea of ‘guns before butter'. . Autarky – there was an unsuccessful attempt at making Germany self-sufficient.The good life in Nazi Germany Despite the loss of political and religious freedom, life improved in Germany for many ordinary people who were prepared to ‘toe the line' and look the other way. †¢ Everybody had a job, and a wage. To people who had been unemployed and starving, ‘work and bread' was a wonderful blessing worth every civil liberty they lost. †¢ The Nazis set up KdF (Strength through Joy), which gave workers rewards for their work – ev ening classes, theatre trips, picnics, and even free holidays. The Nazis devised a scheme to allow workers to buy a Volkswagen Beetle car for a small weekly payment. †¢ People appreciated the public works – eg new schools and hospitals. †¢ Nazi Youth groups provided activities and holidays for young people. How Hitler increased employment Hitler introduced many policies to fulfil his goal of full employment: †¢ He stopped paying reparations and invested the money in German companies. †¢ He began a huge programme of public works including planting forests, and building hospitals and schools. He also built public buildings such as the 1936 Olympic Stadium.The construction of the autobahns created work for 80,000 men. †¢ Rearmament created jobs in the armaments industry. †¢ The introduction of national service meant all young men spent six months in the RAD [RAD: The labour service in which young men in Germany had to do a six-month compulsory stint . ] and then they were conscripted into the army. By 1939, 1. 4 million men were in the army, so they were not counted as unemployed. †¢ Many Jews were sacked and their jobs given to non-Jews. †¢ Many women were sacked and their jobs given to men.

Book Cover Analysis on the Pinocchio Effect Essay

Upon going through the vast artwork, one particular piece grabbed my attention. It was of a line up composed of men in boxer shorts in different colors. The overall look of the work gave it almost a vintage feeling because of the way the figures were drawn. It gave a sort of â€Å"pin-up† feel. Although composed of men, you can not help but be transported through time just by the visual aspect. The book was entitled â€Å"The Pinocchio Effect: On Making Italians, 1860-1920†. It dawned on me that these were Italians lined up, in a way that is reminiscent of a group of new recruits waiting to get their gears for war. As I further observed, these figures were progressing, starting from left to right. And taking this into consideration, I realized that this was a crude depiction of the evolution of an Italian man. The use of this illustration was very effective in stirring up intrigue in the work and as well as reinforcing what the book was about. Further research on the contents of the book revealed that this was indeed a book about the progression of the Italians after different Italian states began uniting into one nation (Stewart, 2007). This artwork was done by Isaac Tobin, an artist particularly renowned for his works on graphic design. The original look of the figures depicted in the work was compromised by the addition of color on the trunks. This added a comical feel to the overall mood of the figures, but is nonetheless effective in drawing out attention and to provide a contemporary feeling for the art. Overall, this artwork leaves a lasting impression and certainly a valuable addition to the cause of the book. It took the theme of the book and properly wielded the appropriate sources to tell its story at a moments glance.