To what extent did victory or defeat in war in the period 1792-1918 depend on the quality of generalship Essay Example Essay Example

To what extent did victory or defeat in war in the period 1792-1918 depend on the quality of generalship Essay Example Paper To what extent did victory or defeat in war in the period 1792-1918 depend on the quality of generalship Essay Introduction Between 1792 and 1918 there were many battles fought whose outcome relied on a variety of factors of differing importance. The quality of generalship was one of those factors, however no individual factor solely decided the outcome of wars. The quality of generalships importance on the outcome of wars was indeed significant in the Napoleonic period and the German Wars of Unification as both Napoleon and the Prussian General Staff showed, however in WW1 its importance declined, as despite poor French and British generalship the allies were still victorious. More important than the quality of generalship to the outcome of wars over the whole period was tactics.Despite drastic changes in tactics it remained consistently the most important factor in the whole period in deciding the outcome of wars. Another factor that was of less magnitude than tactics but still more important than the quality of generalship in deciding the outcome of wars was quality and numbers of soldiers. Throughout this period numbers of soldiers were consistently crucial, with the quality of soldiers becoming of increasing importance over the period as power was delegated more. Overall, to some extent victory or defeat in war did depend on generalship in both the Napoleonic period and the German wars of Unification, however in World War 1 its importance was of less significance.The area of warfare that to the largest extent victory or defeat in war in the period 1792-1918 depended on was tactics. Despite changing radically over this period tactics was consistently the most important factor in the outcome of wars from 1792-1918. During the Napoleonic period the use of envelopment to encircle the enemy was crucial to determining victory in war. Envelopment relied on fitness and commitment from soldiers as marching long distances at fast paces was common and so could also be seen to link in with growing quality of soldiers. The greatest example of envelopment being used to determine the outcome of a battle was at Ulm in 1805, which has been recognised as a victory achieved as much by marching as by fighting.This is because the French marched 500 miles from North East France to the Rhine and then the Danube to envelop the Austrians at Ulm, leading to an Austrian surrender as they were surrounded and could not unite with the Russians. The importance of Napoleon’s generalship in relation to tactics should not be undermined as he used different tactics for different battles making predicting the course of attack difficult for the enemy. Despite evolving to supporting the defender due to increased technology, tactics were equally important during the German Wars of Unification.One example that highlights the importance of tactics over numbers of soldiers and weapons was at Konnigratz in 1866 where the Prussians used battlefield concentration, converging multiple units at the same location to trap the Austrians, despite the fact the Austrians outnumbered the Prussians 240 ,000 to 130,000 and also had superior weapons. However, this victory once again also links in with the quality of generalship to some extent as the Austrian general Benedek had dithered, failing to capitalise on the numerical advantage of his army. The rate of change between the German Wars of Unification and WW1 in relation to tactics was larger than that of Napoleonic wars to German Wars of Unification due to the new strategy of trench warfare which was a key turning point in the nature of warfare, however despite this, tactics maintained their importance in defining the outcome of war. One tactic in WW1 that led to huge casualties and thus failure in battle was advancing en masse towards enemy trenches after artillery bombardment.The importance of this tactic in relation to failure was particularly prevalent at the battle of the Somme where most of the British infantry advanced en masse in open line towards enemy trenches that had not been destroyed and were subsequently cut down by German machine guns and artillery leading to 20,000 deaths. In contrast to advancing en masse the use of infantry advancing in small groups had a much more effective impact on the outcome of battles in WW1 as was shown by the German stormtroopers who used this tactic to break through Allied lines during the Battle of Caporetto in 1917. This therefore shows that tactics was the most important factor in determining the outcome of wars in this period.The area of warfare that to the second largest extent determined victory or defeat from 1792-1918 was quality and numbers of soldiers. The impact of numbers of soldiers on the outcome of war showed continuities throughout the whole period particularly as countries moved toward total war and needed to harness increasing numbers. The impact of numbers of soldiers was never more obvious than in Napoleonic warfare. The levee en masse which was ordered in 1793 conscripted all men aged 18-25, and in doing so recruited over 1 million.The larg e army allowed Napoleon to conduct his plans for European domination and the advantage of numbers was obvious in battles such as Valmy where the French won as they outnumbered the Prussians by 2000 and Jena Auerstadt where the French won as they outnumbered the Prussians by 8000. The impact of numbers of soldiers on the outcome of war was also equally important in WW1 when the key turning point came in the war with the influx of American troops, who despite lacking quality, allowed the allies to push for victory. The importance of numbers of troops can be compounded by the fact that Ludendorff attempted to launch his final offensive before the Americans were present in Europe because he knew with increased numbers on the allies side it would be difficult for the Germans to be victorious. The importance of quality of soldiers in determining the outcome of battles increased over this period.The huge numbers in Napoleonic warfare outweighed the need for soldiers of high quality and thu s many soldiers were often just ordered to bayonet charge the enemy. However in the German Wars of Unification there was a key turning point as the education of soldiers by the Prussians allowed for ‘thinking soldiers’ who could be flexible in battle, this allowed power to be delegated and in doing so increased the likelihood of victory. Despite mass conscription from most nations involved, the increased quality of soldier was evident in WW1. This was shown through highly trained and disciplined German storm troopers who were utilised effectively for penetrating enemy lines, significantly increasing the chance of victory as was shown at Caporetto in 1917. This therefore shows that quality and numbers of soldiers were the second most important factor in determining the outcome of wars in this period.Despite being of less importance than tactics, and quality and numbers of soldiers, generalship still had a significant impact on the outcome of war in the period 1792-1914. The importance of generalship varied over this period with it initially being very important, however as whole countries moved towards total war the importance of the individual general declined. The importance of one single general on the outcome of war can not be exemplified better than Napoleon. Napoleon’s ability to take risks and improvise was unrivalled in his period and led to numerous victories. One key example of the impact of Napoleon on the outcome of a battle was at Austerlitz where Napoleon constantly manouevred his troops so that he took on each section of the Russians and Austrians separately and nullifying the advantage of greater numbers as the Russians and Austrians had 86,000 to the French’s 67,000. The ingenious principle was always to try to have superior numbers at a given place.This was aided by poor communication between the Russians and Austrians which allowed Napoleon to pick them off. Generalship maintained its importance in the German Wars o f Unification, however rather than being solely reliant on one man, there was a key turning point in that power was delegated, this was largely made possible by the increased education, and thus quality, of soldiers. It was the work of the Prussian General staff which was one of the main factors responsible for the unification of all the independent German states. One of the crucial changes the General Staff enforced that contributed to victory was to state that newly developed rifled artillery would no longer be placed in the rear of the order of march for employment behind the infantry; instead, a significant detachment would travel with the advanced guard of the leading corp, and the remainder would march with the front of the main body, providing immediate artillery coverage of the advanced guard on contact and of the main body during subsequent deployment on the field.This change led to definitive victories such as Spicheren in 1870 where despite the French having the technolog ical advantage of the Chassepot, the superior organisation of the Prussian artillery led to victory. However, the importance of quality of generalship decreased in WW1 as is shown by the fact that the Allies were victorious despite possessing far less able generals than the Germans. This can be exemplified by the battle of the Somme in 1916, where Haig failed to realise that German trenches had not been destroyed by Allied bombardment and continued to send British infantry to advance en masse only to be confronted by German fire, leading to 60,000 casualties. This therefore shows that initially quality of generalship was important on the outcome of war, however this importance declined in WW1.Overall to a significant extent generalship did influence the outcome of wars in both Napoleonic warfare and the Wars of German Unification, however in WW1 it had less impact. The area of warfare that to the largest extent decided the outcome of wars from 1792 to 1914 was tactics, and this was consistently the case throughout the period despite changes in tactics, notably the key turning point being the introduction of trench warfare. Quality and numbers of soldiers were also consistently important in dictating the outcome of wars during this period, with the importance of quality increasing as more and more countries conscripted untrained soldiers. To what extent did victory or defeat in war in the period 1792-1918 depend on the quality of generalship Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Jamestown essays

Jamestown essays In what ways might the European encounter with the Americas be seen as a disaster or tragedy, and in what ways might it be seen as an inevitable development in the history of humanity with long-run positive results. What would the world be today without the United States of America? Humanity itself may have never evolved into what it is today with the advance technology brought forth. From here we go back to the 1600s when plans to sail to find a so called New World, were inevitable. But even though the benefits of finding the new world were so great, could it have really been a disaster in the making? From Slavery and conflicts with the Indians to the new cash crop, all of these are enough reason to conclude that the European encounters with the Americas were a disaster. Although there was a scare when John Smith was captured by the Indians during the early years of the Americas it was soon resolved. Moreover as the years continued the Indians as well as the settlers had several good and bad meetings. And over the course of several years they became better allies to each other. But one event in particular stands out among the most deceiving. In 1622, the Indians and the Settlers created a close bond together which was believed to be everlasting. But with the Indians now knowing the pilgrims hideouts, procedures, routines, and weak points they took great advantage of it. On March 22nd, 1622 the Indians ambushed the settlements and killed nearly 347 stunned men, women, and children. It is said that, ...most of them falling by their own instruments and working tools (Robert Beverleys Description of the1622 Indian Attack). The Indians had taken the Americans by storm while at work. And because of this the settlers now had no trustworthy allies and coul dnt defend against brutal attacks on a foreign land. This is yet another conflict of the European encounter with the Am ...

The theme of the display will be representative examples of Saints and Martyrs created during the Reformation, the theme is to display the notion of the Catholic Church as the one true church separate and distinct from the Protestantism. Art works developed in the Catholic Church at this time were to be unique and focus on specific aspects of the Catholic dogma. The art pieces I have selected are strong examples of the beliefs of the time that art should focus on: Jesus Christ, Mary the Virgin Mother, Saints, and martyrs. This exhibition would be a balanced representation, as it shows an uplifting painting in The Dream of Saint Catherine as well as the suffering of those who, literally, gave up their lives for their faith in the Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew and in Saint Sebastian, showing both central figures suffering for what they believed in and the splendor of angels taking Saint Sebastian to his savior. The use of vivid colors interspersed with blacks and grays was typical and used to draw the viewer closer to see what lies in the darkness of the images. The viewers should learn that art of this time was limited, somewhat, in terms of subject and content, but was unlimited in each artist’s different rendition of the Saints and Martyrs of the day. I chose this topic and these images because they are excellent examples of the church’s vision of what constituted appropriate art at the time, â€Å"prior to the Reformation, the Catholic Church was considered elitist, rather than a place for the masses. The Counter-Reformation changed this approach and the Catholic Church tried to be open and transparent to all audiences. Art was a way to teach both the literate and illiterate about Christianity† (Crocker Art Museum).   The Catholic Church’s view of what was acceptable and expected in art, was, in many ways,   prescriptive, i.e., pious individuals were to be a main focus to encourage piety in those who gazed upon it. It forced the artist to meet the criteria established by the church, to include what subjects were favored, how the images should be direct and compelling in the narration and should be presented in a clear manner, without unnecessary embellishments. Finally, the art was to be simple enough tha t ordinary people could easily understand the story being portrayed, to the extent possible. The three pieces fit together as a collection because they represent the subjects giving up something for their faith. Saint Catherine gives up the possibility of being a wife and a mother through her imaginary marriage to Christ. This sacrifice is reinforced by the images of Mary and the infant Christ accompanied by angels both in the forefront and in the darker portions of the painting. Saint Sebastian is an image of the saint’s â€Å"state of emotional transport and transcendence of bodily pain.† He is accompanied by angels that are supporting him, representing the notion that he is not alone. Get high quality custom written essay just for $10 The angels appear to be taking Sebastian to a better place as a reward for his suffering and persecution of being a Christian under the reign of Diocletian. The last painting, Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew, is another representation of someone giving up their lives for their church, but it is slightly different in that Bartholomew is alive in every sense of the word and although he is a sympathy inducing subject, he does not dwell in the suffering, but looks towards heaven. â€Å"The viewer is meant to empathize with Bartholomew, whose body seemingly bursts through the surface of the canvas, and whose outstretched arms embrace a mystical light that illuminates his flesh. His piercing eyes, open mouth, and petitioning left hand bespeak an intense communion with the divine; yet this same hand draws our attention to the instruments of his torture, symbolically positioned in the shape of a cross.† The three pieces placed together represent the artist’s interpretation of ev ents in a manner that comes across as almost three dimensional. The figures in each of the paintings, particularly the main figure, appears as though they could burst off the canvas with ease. The Dream of Saint Catherine of Alexandria was painted by Logovico Carracci, c 1593. Lodovico was the oldest of the three Carracci’s from the family of Bolognese artists who are recognized as having â€Å"inaugurated the age of the baroque.† His work was in high demand due to the fact that his depictions of Saints were known for eliciting piety in those who laid eyes upon his work. The piece was completed when Carracci was about 38 years old. The painting at one time was even owned by the French Royal Family. The figure of Saint Catherine asleep was based on an ancient Roman statue. Saint Sebastian by Tanzio De Varallo. Tanzio da Varallo (Antonio d’Enrico) was born c. 1575 in Varallo in the mountains north of Milan and orphaned at 11 when he moved to live with his brothers who were working on the Sacro Monte, where he first received his artistic training. In 1600 he was given permission to go to Rome for the Jubilee Year. There is strong evidence he traveled to Naples and Venice, where he continued to work and study. He died in Varallo Sesia in 1633. De Ribera was a Spanish Tenebrist painter. A great deal of his best known work was done in Rome, Italy, and Naples where he finally settled. This painting was done while he was living in Naples. Little is written about the specific reasons for each piece, other than the pious nature of the subjects and the similarities to paintings made by each artist in the time period. The Dream of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, c. 1593, exemplifies the goals of the Guidelines for Church art following Council of Trent: Be clear, intelligible, realistic, to be an emotional stimulant to the faithful, emphasis on the mystical, and a tool for instructing the illiterate. The image is of Saint Catherine dressed in the finest of clothes sound asleep accompanied by two angels, Mary and infant Jesus looking down at her spiritually and supportively. The colors, where they are used, are bright and inviting, and the darker portion of the painting is mystical as the shadows seem out of proportion, â€Å"at the same time, the quirky folds and pleats cascading down Catherine’s garments impart a vertiginous sensation — the dizziness of sleep.† Rely on professional writers with your college paper and take a load off your mind. Relax while we are working on your essay. Your peace of mind is just one click away

How have existing fiscal mechanisms (rules and practices) tried to Essay

How have existing fiscal mechanisms (rules and practices) tried to overcome or alleviate a "tragedy of the commons" dilemma - Essay Example Practically, though, it is not easy to ascertain whether the most favorable size of government has been achieved. Although, the provision of services and public goods can promote growth, revenue-raising mechanisms and inefficient provision of services and goods can impede growth (Schick 1998, p18). Evidence from Central Asia and Europe lists factors such as fiscal consolidation and budget deficits, size of government, quality governance, and composition of taxes and expenditure as some factors that affect fiscal growth. In this regard, public fiscal systems play a huge role in economic growth of any country. Enacting a stable fiscal position need a sustainable fiscal consolidation. In most cases, these have to be recurrent. Indeed, they are largely considered as a basic characteristic of the evolution of the market. Such consolidations are undertaken across Central Asia and Europe, albeit with relative degrees of success (Berthà ©lemy & Varoudakis 1996, p72). Fiscal growth for any country would require successful financial adjustment. On the other hand, unsustainable financial consolidation is counterproductive and can sometimes discourage investor confidence since they fail to establish sound financial position for the government (Scartascini 2004, P37). Sustainable government adjustments are required to create long-lasting financial space for expenses that propagate growth. Indeed, evidence from financial bodies such as the Organization of Economic Co-operation and development suggest that make-up of financial adjustment is paramount for fiscal sustainability (Berthà ©lemy & Varoudakis 1996, p12). Consolidations, which heavily rely on, tax cuts and increases in public ventures have been unsustainable while consolidations with structural reforms in their public expenditure reforms have lasting effects and financial growth by extension. Perhaps this is

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 9

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Human resource management (HRM) is a practice through which an organisation can control and supervise their workforce. In order to define good practice of human resource management, it can be stated that this HRM is embrace by an organisation to attract potential individuals towards the organisation for working purpose. Apart from this, human resource practice helps an organisation during selecting and training new employees. Moreover, the practice of HRM also facilitates in supervising organisational leadership and culture. On the contrary, personnel management is a method through which organisations eventually maintain people and their workforce in order to establish satisfaction relationship within the organisation. Moreover, through practicing personnel management an organisation can ensure commitment of its people and employees to contribute their participation towards the organisation in order to attain organisational goal.In order to evaluate the role and responsibilities of line manager, it can be apparently affirmed several individuals and even a team can be work directly under the line manager. Simultaneously, most of the managers who are controlling few individuals or a team also took order from the supervising authority.

Bible 105 Essay Example for Free

Bible 105 Essay Proverbs poetically presents Hebrew teachings on the topics of wealth, marriage, family, self-control, and relationships. It distinctly outlines the differences between wisdom and folly as well as diligence and laziness. Wisdom and diligence will bless your life and the lives of those you touch, while laziness and folly bring nothing but failure and heartache to everyone involved. Hebrew wisdom literature provides sound advice in our daily walk with Christ. â€Å"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction†. Proverbs 1:7) The foundation of knowledge and wisdom is to fear the Lord. As a Christian, knowledge and wisdom are what we seek in our relationship with Christ. To despise these would mean that we don’t want a relationship with Him, and we would continue to walk in the ways of the world. Solomon’s wise sayings give fair warning about what it means to be wise in learning, and the consequences of rejecting God’s commands. â€Å"The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall†. Proverbs 10:8) Our hearts need to be diligent in making godly decisions so that God can continue to work in and through us. By choosing to hear God’s commands and following through with carrying them out day to day, we are preparing for our home in heaven. No one sets out to fail in life but when we are not open to applying the Word of God in all aspects of life then we will surely fall. â€Å"The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly†. (Proverbs 14:24) The only reward for the fool is more folly which will result in total destruction. Foolishness may seem fun at the time, but before you know it your marriage has fallen apart, your family is gone, and you no longer have self-control over your actions. In order for our character to point to Christ, we must first have a heart that listens to His commands, actions that follow through with the commands, and by doing these others will witness Christ in us. â€Å"Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established†. (Proverbs 16:3) Submission to the will of God fulfills your righteous plans. This will give evidence to those around you that you are walking with God. It’s a testimony to your wife and family that you are committed to being a spiritual leader which points them to the will of God. A fool’s life is characterized by pleasure. The problem occurs when we no longer find pleasure in God, but find it solely in one’s own resources. â€Å"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, while the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure†. (Ecclesiastes 7:4) Solomon reminds us to think clearly about death. In doing so it allows us time to examine the direction of our life and time to confess our sins, and find forgiveness from God. Eventually we all die and it makes sense to plan ahead which will allow us to experience God’s mercy rather than spending eternity separated from Him. The wise is honored and their soul is redeemed while the foolish is destroyed. â€Å"Notice the way God does things, then fall into line. Don’t fight the ways of God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked†. Ecclesiastes 7:13) God is sovereign and controls all of creation. Our destiny is in His hands, and only doing things His way leads to wisdom and knowledge. One of my favorites is from Proverbs 3. â€Å"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths†. (Proverbs 3: 5-6) Trusting in God means to let go and give Him full control over your life. He knows the plans He has for you and by submitting to Him those plans can be fulfilled. Don’t try to be wise in your own eyes, but be willing to listen to God and make Him a vital part of everything you do. Let Him guide you because you are working to accomplish His purposes. The book of Proverbs has much to teach Christians today. Its wisdom will help us to avoid trouble and honor God in all we say and do. We don’t want to be the fool that ignores God. He wants His people to be wise, it shows that we seek to know and love God above all else. God views our success as having a good reputation, moral character, and the spiritual diligence to obey Him.

Repression in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Yellow Wallpaper: Repression "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Gilman is sad story of the repression that women face in the days of late 1800's as well as being representative of the turmoils that women face today. Gilman writes "The Yellow Wallpaper" from her own personal experiences of having to face the overwhelming fact that this is a male dominated society and sometimes women suffer because of it. The narrator, being female, is suffering from a "temporary depression". She states right from the beginning that "John is a physician, and perhaps--(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)-- perhaps that is the one reason I do not get well faster." The narrator sets up the story to convey a certain opinion of the repercussions a woman faces in the care of a man. She obviously loves her husband and trusts him but has some underlying feeling that maybe his prescription of total bed rest is not working for her. The story mentions that she has an older brother who is also a physician and concurs with her husbands theory, thus leaving her no choice but to subject herself to this torment of being totally alone in this room with the yellow wallpaper. She stares at this wallpaper for hours on end and thinks she sees a woman behind the paper. "I didn't realize for a long time what the thing was that showed behind, that dim sub-pattern, but now I am quite sure it is a woman." She becomes obsessed with discovering what is behind that pattern and what it is doing. "I don't want to leave now until I have found it out". The narrator with absolutely nothing else to do is reduced to staring ... ... indeed imprison the woman because you have no way of knowing what has happened before or what is to come. We imprison her more because we make judgments of a thirty second clip that could possibly affect our bias for the movie or the story itself before we have a chance as an individual to read the story or watch the movie. As a female in 1995 reading this story, I had this overwhelming desire to free this narrator from her husband and the rest of the males in her life. She wanted company, activity and stimulation. Which any woman of that time or this time should be freely allowed to have. Gilman did an outstanding job of illustrating the position that women of that time, and to an extent, of this time as well, hold in their society. This story should hold a place in every woman's heart who is struggling to find her place.