Descriptive Essay - Original Writing - 1262 Words

Sitting silently I pick up the very same pen that I had just recently moments ago put down in frustration. I go in for another attempt to write and build up a large assortment of words. As a few seconds pass, with the pen firmly gripped in my right hand, the pen and paper come together. Disregarding my momentary lapse of a creative flow, I stare down at the endless rows of horizontal blue lines. Memories surface of myself being in this situation many times over, especially being creatively stuck before I break through. Finally, contact is made to the page and the tip of the pen where the ink seems to gently glide across the paper. Creating a universe and giving life to anything I choose to declare. The words begin to flow freely†¦show more content†¦He made sure that I too was developed artistically. He decided to take me on a drive with the sole intention of turning me on to a form of poetry I was unfamiliar with. As we drove in the Jemez Mountains thunder clapped and roared around us. Slowly a drizzling rain evolved into an echoing thunderstorm. The beauty of the trees all around us, with the simplicity of drops of rain trickling down each branch. My father pulled into a private area, then pulled out an album and inserted the CD inside. â€Å"I used to drive around Albuquerque listening to this tripping acid Austin† â€Å"What?† I replied with a deep level of interest. â€Å"Just listen,† my father said as he turned the volume up on An American Prayer â€Å"Awake, shake dreams from your hair, my pretty child, my sweet one† vibrated out of the speakers. The very words gave me goosebumps, flowing deep within my soul, I was instantly mesmerized. Entirely captured with the words, and transfixed on understanding the meaning. As I was listening, I was also reading the album, which consisted of the poems typed out. Reading the words, I moved my lips in unison with the calm voice over the speakers of James Morrison. As the album ended I felt a level of creativity that I had never experienced Never before had I encountered words expressed so creatively with a delicate touch. I began to study more of the writings of James Douglas Morrison also known as Jim Morrison of The Doors. With a unique style of writing he had that I wasShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Essay - Original Writing1110 Words   |  5 PagesI don’t know how I got to wh ere I am, but I’m here now, and I have to win if I want to live. I am in a game, and in order to live, I have to escape. That’s the thing, though: I don’t know how to escape. I was running for my life around this old house that looked like it came straight out of a horror movie. I doubled over and held my head in pain as I saw the static, which meant it was coming. I was being chased by what looked like a person but in no way acted like one. 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A blustery March wind whipped the steam coming out of the manholes, and people hurried along the sidewalks with their collars turned up. I was stuck in traffic two blocks from the party where I was heading. Mom stood fifteen feet away. She had tied rags around her shoulders to keep out the spring chill and was picking through the trash

Impacts of Cultural Differences Free Essays

string(64) " to go on a negotiation, thus knowing more about the opponent \." Hunan Information Science Vocational College Graduation Thesis Subject: Impacts of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiation Name: Chen Xiujuan Student No. : 0 8 5 1 0 3 4 0 Specialty and Class: Business English, Class 3 Department: Department of Humanities and Arts Supervisor: Liu Mifan Date: 2011-3-02 Contents Introduction1 1. Types of Cultural Differences2 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Impacts of Cultural Differences or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1Value View2 1. 2. Negotiating Style2 1. 3. Thinking Model2 2. Impact Of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiations4 . 1Impact of Value Views Differences on International Business Negotiations4 2. 1. 1Impact of Time View Difference on Negotiation. 4 2. 1. 2Impact of Equality View Difference on Negotiation. 5 2. 1. 3 Impact of Objectivity Difference on Negotiation. 6 2. 2 Impact of Negotiating Style Differences on International Business Negotiations. 7 2. 3 Impact of Thinking Model Differences on International Business Negotiation. 8 3. Coping Strategy Of Negotiating Across Cultures. 9 3. 1 Making Preparations before Negotiation. 9 3. 2 Overcoming Cultural Prejudice. 10 3. Conquering Communication Barriers. 10 Conclusion11 Bibliography12 Acknowledgements13 Abstract The business negotiations under different cultural conditions come to cross- cultural negotiations. With the economic globalization and the frequent business contacts, cultural differences seem to be very important; otherwise they could cause unnecessary misunderstanding, even affect the result of the business negotiations. This means it is very important to know the different culture in different countries and the ways to avoid the culture conflicts in the international business negotiations. The article commences from the types of culture differences, then it explains the impacts of these culture differences on international business negotiation and finally it analyzes how to deal with the problem of the cultural differences correctly in negotiation process. Such a standpoint is emphasized: In the business negotiations between different countries, negotiators should accept the other party’s culture, and try to make him be accepted; then make a correct evaluation with the help of valid communication and discover their real benefits between them. Besides, we should know clearly and try to accept the culture differences as possible as we can. It is very important for the success of culture negotiations. Key words: Culture; Cultural differences; Business negotiation; Impact Introduction Along with the advancement globalization and China’s WTO entry, business enterprises in China have to face more and more business negotiations with foreign enterprises, especially with American enterprises. In these negotiations, Chinese negotiators sometimes feel uncomfortable, puzzled, lost, irritated and the alike, because of unfamiliar custom and behaviors demonstrated by American negotiators. Meanwhile, American negotiators confront the same situation. Cult rural differences between China and west countries could cause many problems. Therefore, understanding cultural differences and overcoming them is crucial in international business negotiations. Although the definition of culture is numerous and vague, it is commonly Recognized that culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, values, attitudes and expectations. Culture is a major determinant in business negotiation. So have a clear picture of culture differences if of great significance. . Types of Culture Differences The east countries and west countries have produced different cultures on the different continents. Among the different cultures, value views, negotiating style and thinking model appear more obvious. 1. 1Value View Value view is the standard that people use to asses objective things. It includes time view, equality view and objectivity. People may draw a different or even contradictory conclusion abo ut the same thing. Value view is one of the most important differences among the many factors. It can influence the attitude, needs and behavior of people. The value view varies from nation to nation, people know that the eastern person focus on collectivism, while the western people pay more attention to individualism. 1. 2. Negotiating Style Negotiating style refers to the tolerance and graces which the negotiator shows in the negotiation. The negotiators show their negotiating style through behavior, manners and the method of controlling negotiation process during the negotiation. The negotiator’s negotiating style has a bearing on their culture background. According to the culture differences, negotiating style falls into two types: the east negotiating style pattern and the west negotiating style pattern. 1. 3. Thinking Model Thinking model reflects the culture. Because of the influences of history background, continents, words and living method, different nations generate different thinking models. Surely, there is more than one thinking model of a nation, but one is more obvious compared with others. As a whole, east people, especially Chinese have strong comprehensive thinking, image thinking and curved thinking, while analytical thinking, abstract thinking and direct thinking are possessed by the west people. 2. Impact of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiations With the rapid development of economy, we need to do business with businessmen under different culture background, so in order to reach trade agreement, it is necessary for us to study the impact of culture differences on international negotiation in global business activities. The impact of culture differences on international negotiation is extensive and deeply. Different cultures divide the people into different group and they are also the obstacles of people’s communication. Accordingly, it is required that the negotiator should accept the culture of each other. Furthermore, through culture differences, it is important that the negotiator reveal and understand the other party’s goal and behavior and make him or herself be accepted by the opponent to reach agreement finally 2. 1Impact of Value Views Differences on International Business Negotiations Value Views Differences on International Business Negotiations fall into three types: time view, negotiation style, thinking model. Each has big influences on business negotiation 2. 1. 1 Impact of Time View Difference on Negotiation. The time view which affects the negotiator’s behavior varies from east countries to west countries. The oriental or the Chinese negotiators are usually cautious and patient. They need to go through the phrases of coming up with proposes, bringing up objections and ending the trade which takes a longer time. And they hope to arrange rich time to go on a negotiation, thus knowing more about the opponent . You read "Impacts of Cultural Differences" in category "Papers" They are good at long and continuous battle. While west people or we could say American people, consider time is precious. They tend to resolve problems swiftly. So, in business negotiation, American businessmen often complain about the delay and the lack of efficiency of negotiators from other countries, while these countries also make a complaint that the Americans lack patience. There is a popular saying among American negotiators and businessmen: It is prohibited to steal time. That shows the time view of Americans. To them, time means money. The time view of Chinese is cyclic. They use long-term and systematic viewpoints to value the importance of the topic. A famous people classify the time view into two kinds: straight-line time viewand cyclic time view. The former pay more attention to concentration and speed, and the later stress doing many things at one time. That they insist on different time view leads to different negotiating style and method. The American people represent the straight-line time view and they have a strong awareness of modern competition. They look for speed and efficiency. So they value time badly and consider time as a special commodity whose value could be assessed. They often use minute to calculate time . They hope to reduce negotiation time at every phrase and want to complete the negotiation quickly. But the Chinese time view is cyclic and they place emphasis on unity. Moreover, it is necessary to be punctual at negotiations. West people have a strong time view, if you don’t comply with the appointment time, they may give you a punishment and they will regard you as unreliable and irresponsible person. Being late for negotiation will give the west businessmen opportunities to exert pressure onyou, and then you will lose the status of being initiative. 2. 1. 2 Impact of Equality View Difference on Negotiation America went through the bourgeoisie revolution of striving for the equality and freedom, so they take equality into their heart. Americans stick to equality and fairness in business, and hope that both could gain benefit. When introducing the topic or situation, the west people would like to use concrete method, particularly data. Their negotiating method is that they will describe their viewpoint and propose at the beginning in order to get initiative. Under this principle, they would come up with a reasonable resolution which they think is very fair. In business relationship, the sellers from America regard the buyer as a counterpart. Americans are fairer than Japanese is sharing benefits. A lot of American managers think fair division of profits is more important than how much they could get. At this point, the east people are different. Because of the deeply influence of class view, they don’t pay much attention to equality. They usually adopt single-win strategy in business negotiations. When involving economic benefits they think much about their own benefits and profits and don’t give so much attention to the benefit of their partners. The market economic system of developed countries is quite mature, so west countries take win-win strategy more in negotiation; basically, they could take the benefits of both into consideration. 2. 1. 3 Impact of Objectivity Difference on Negotiation The objectivity in international business negotiation reflects the degree to which people treat any things. West people especially Americans have a strong objectivity on the understanding of issues. At negotiation table, Americans don’t care much about relationship between people. They don’t care if the status of the opponent is equal to theirs. They make decision based on facts and data, not people. The saying that public things use public ways is a reflection of American objectivity. Therefore,Americans emphasize that Businessmen should distinguish people and issues, what they are really interested in is the actual problems. But in the other parts of the world, it is impossible for them to distinguish people and issues. . 2 Impact of Negotiating Style Differences on International Business Negotiations The impacts of negotiating style differences on international business negotiation mainly exist in negotiating method and negotiating structure. Take the negotiation between America and China as a example, since the oriental care more about unity in thinking, they method they adopt in negotiation is from unity to parts, from the big to little, from the abstract to the concrete, that is to say they should each agreement on general terms, then begin to talk about the concrete terms. And usually not until the end of the negotiation do they make compromise and promise based on all the items, and then to reach agreement. The west people are influenced by analytic thinking, so pay more attention to logical relations between things. They consider more about concrete things than integrity. And they tend discuss the concrete items at the beginning of negotiation, so they often resolve the price, delivery and issuance respectively at first. And they may make compromise at every detail, so the final contract is the combination of many little agreements. The negotiating structure is linked with cultures. Negotiating structure mostly refers to the number of the participants. In business negotiation, the foreign delegation is usually composed by 3-5 people, while the Chinese one could be more 15 people. The foreign negotiators not only need to negotiate with their counterparts but also need to discuss with related person in charge or the government. When making the final decisions, the Chinese negotiators often discuss the results repeatedly from the workers to the board to avoid being decided by a single person. That results from the influence of collectivism. So they often said to their partners: Let us think about it. Let us discuss it. But the west negotiators could make the final decision without going back for discussion. That because their admire individualism and hard working. They have strong independence. They would carry on according to the best ways after knowing their goals. What’s more, most west people think that they have the ability to deal with the negotiation situation on their own. And truly, they are brave enough to take responsibility. 2. 3 Impact of Thinking Model Differences on International Business Negotiation The thinking model of Chinese tends to be comprehensive, concrete and curved, while the Americans are usually analytic, abstract and straight-line. We Chinese are accustomed to talking about general principles at first and then move onto details. To Chinese negotiators, the core is the general guideline, and the details are subject to the guideline. After figuring out the big picture, other problems are easier to resolve. It is the most obvious feature of Chinese negotiators. But west businessmen, especially Americans are likely to discuss the details first and try to avoid the principle. They value details very much and think noting about the unity. Accordingly, they want to discuss the details at the beginning of negotiation. They are direct and simple in negotiation. As a matter of fact, many facts show that General principles first have impact of constriction on the parts and details. For instance, our government insists on the principle that Hong Kong and Macao are undivided parts of China’s territory. In the important diplomatic negotiations such as Entering into relationship with America, Hong Kong’s and Macao’s Coming back into their motherland. It is under such principle that we established the tone of the negotiation and controlled the skeleton of the negotiation, thus we get the advantage and prompt the success of negotiation. 3. Coping Strategy of Negotiating across Cultures The culture differences in cross-cultural communication have various impacts on operation of enterprises. These differences will influence negotiation and management of transnational operation; what’s more, it may have bad effects on the harmonious relationship between our country and foreign countries. Maybe that will lead to the missing of market opportunities, the increase of trade cost and the low efficiency of company management. So, it is really necessary for us all to eliminate and avoid disadvantageous effects. 3. 1 Making Preparations before Negotiation. The negotiators must make good preparations if they want control the development of negotiation successfully in the complex situation. Only do they make good preparations can they make changes freely according to the situation of negotiation and avoid the happening of conflicts. Because the international business negotiation involves extensive aspects, more preparations are needed. The preparations often include the analysis of the negotiators themselves and the opponents; the constitution of negotiation group, elaborating the negotiating goal and strategy and going on imitation negotiation when necessary. When making preparations, you should try to know the opponents while you analyze yourselves. Analyzing yourselves mainly refers to studying if the project is feasible. To knowing about the opponents means understanding their strength such as credit status, the policy? business customs and regulations of their countries and the conditions of their negotiating members and so on. . 2 Overcoming Cultural Prejudice Tolerating different cultures and overcoming cultural prejudice contribute to better communicating with each other and understanding each other. West people often think that they are powerful, capable and experienced, so sometimes, we need to recognize then and give then some good comments. We should learn about the foreign cultures before negotiation a nd accept and understand their cultures in negotiation, because every country regard their own cultures as a matter of course and hope that their culture could be recognized and accepted. 3. Conquering Communication Barriers Two trains running at different railways in the opposite direction will collide with each other; maybe this is the best arrangement for trains. But to communication between people, there won’t be communications if people go ahead according to their own ways. Trains will collide with each other if they run on the same railway at the opposite direction. But if we measure by the objective of people’s communication, only we meet each other, can we have communication and friendship. In negotiation, sometimes we can’t make much progress although we have talked for long time. And sometimes both parties are not satisfied. After thinking, that is caused by communication barriers which happen easily in cross-cultural negotiation. We should make sure if there appear communication barriers, if so, we must overcome them. Generally speaking, we should pay more attention to the following three communication barriers in cross-cultural negotiation: the communication barriers caused by culture background of both; the ones caused by misunderstanding of the contents and information from the partner; the ones caused by not being willing to accept the opponent’s contents and ideas. Conclusion â€Å"Social Customs varies in different countries†. In a word, cross- cultural communication will meet the problem of culture differences surely. In turn, culture differences also influence all aspects of international business communication. To avoid or to resolve the culture differences is a huge task in international business negotiation. In order to step into the international market successfully, we must have the awareness of culture differences, acknowledge culture differences and understand different cultures. Try to know yourself and know them. What’s more, we should respect different behavior of businessmen under different culture background, and then we could reduce unnecessary conflicts resulting from not respecting the opponents. It is beneficial for both to form an atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation, reduce culture differences and turn disadvantages into advantages and benefits. Thus, we could avoid conflicts and obstacles, then to promote communication and harmony in international business negotiation. Bibliography 1]George Yule. The study of Language[M]. Cambridge University Press,2000:202-209 [2]Harvey, Paul,,â€Å"The Oxford Companion to English Literature† [M]. London: Oxford University Press. 1978:23-25 [3]Philip R Harris, Managing Cultural Differences [M]. Gulf Publishing Company, 1987:234-260 [4]Wang Cheng fa. A Glimpse of Foreign Land [J]. Kaifeng: Henan Univesity Press, 2000:58-62 [5]. [M]. : ,2000:2-6 [6]  · —— [M]. : ,2004 [7].. [M] : ,2003:340-342 [8]. [M]. : ,2001 Acknowledgements As acknowledgements for my paper, only I — the writer is responsible for the shortcomings. I much acknowledges my thanks to all my teachers, especially to Miss Liu Mifan, my supervisor, who has provides me support, critical ideas and careful suggestions. I also want to thank my family who always give me time, encouragement and secretarial services, especially my parents. Finally, my classmate and friends, who provided thoughtful and thorough reviews of my paper, must be acknowledged. How to cite Impacts of Cultural Differences, Papers

Music and Its Influence on the Caribbean free essay sample

The mass media, which refers collectively to all media technologies such as the radio, internet, television, elm and smart phones, has the ability to constantly communicate messages to extremely large audiences across the globe and therefore is a major influence on the way the environment affects our colonization process. Mass media is a significant force in modern culture; sociologists refer to this as mediated culture, were the media reflects and creates culture.Although family is suppose to be the most important agent of colonization the development of new technologies has bridged an increasing gap between the older and younger generations. Newer generations are drawn into the entertaining and appealing world of technology and are being constantly bombarded with messages from a multitude of media sources, these messages not only promote products, but moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not important.With lesser and lesser interaction between the older and younger generations cultural traditions, values, morals and attitudes of institutions and families are being disintegrated and replaced by the mass Medias ideas and perceptions. We will write a custom essay sample on Music and Its Influence on the Caribbean or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This social conditioning is spread mainly through Music, television, the internet and print media. Music exerts significant influences on its listeners as it can express, convey and illicit powerful emotions that its listeners find relatable.Music has a major positive and negative influence on the way individuals dress and speak, as well as their behaviors and moods. Individuals create role models out of their favorite artists and use the various media sources to monitor these celebrities, they then copy how they dress and try to imitate the different slang they use. This gives them a sense of belonging and provides them with an opportunity to fit into a certain social groups. For instance, Jamaican danceable artist VBG karate is a major role model to adolescence, teens and even kids in Jamaica; he is well known and often imitated.In 2010 he created such songs as Clacks and Straight Jeans and Fitted, this lead to a rise in the sales of Clacks in as well as a new way of dressing that quickly spread across the country; the style consisted of a white v-neck t-shirt, straight jeans, a rosary chain and a fitted cap. In 201 1 VBG karate also came up with his signature words Oh and ahoy which quickly became popular sayings. The imitation the fashion and slang used by these artists are not always positive as they have their negative side effects such as inappropriate dressing, segregation and increase in profanity.Music videos often show artists and their back up dancers in skimpy clothes or sagging jeans which older members of society may deem inappropriate but because younger impressionable viewers see their favorite artists dressed in that particular manner th ey are convinced that it is k to wear such outfits. For instance, In the asss hip hop artists would wear jeans below their groin which lead to a eave of men all over the world sagging their jeans.What many men did not know was that the style had developed in prison as criminals could not wear belts which caused their pants to sag. Segregation among teens may also arise as different groups dress to match the various musicians they listen to. For example, in places such as the U. S. A people who listen to rock music would wear all black and heavy chains to identify themselves with a particular group such as The Punks or The Goths, while people who listen to pop would wear colorful clothes and they would be identified with The preps.Slang individuals copy may also create controversy as many songs relay harsh languages, after listening to a song with numerous curse words individuals tend to use these profane languages, most times without noticing. A little profanity may be harmless, for instance if adults are having a conversation they may use it to add emphasis to their stories as colorful words can make a story funnier, but profanity becomes a problem when a child is exposed to it. When a child hears a curse word he will not immediately recognize that he shouldnt be using the word himself as growing children e nd to mimic what they hear around them. Our behaviors and moods can be greatly influenced by music whether it is uplifting or downtrodden, the tone of music can and usually does have some effect on the listener, both positive and negative. Music can bring a calmness relaxation and stimulate the brainwaves but it can also lead to the use of drugs and alcohol and violent or taboo behavior. Music has the power to create calm and relaxing ambiance as well as a romantic atmosphere, it is also capable of putting the listener in a reflective state of mind or influence them to suddenly jump up ND dance.The right song can put anybody in a better mood and soothe emotions as music can verbalize and express our feelings for us in a way we could not do ourselves, with numerous songs to match the different situations we might find ourselves in, this prevents our stress responses from wreaking havoc on our bodies thus giving music the capability to keep depression and anxiety at bay. According to health educator Elizabeth Scott, researc h has shown that your brain waves can be stimulated by strong beats, this is due to the brain resonating in sync with the beat.A faster beat rates faster concentration and more alert thinking while a slower beat can create a calm meditative state. A great example of how music affects the brain is an experiment done by David Merely, a high school student in Suffolk, VA, to test the effect different genres of music have on mice. He used 72 male laboratory mice, a stopwatch, a maze and music from Mozart (classical) and Anthrax (rock). He separated the mice in three groups of twenty-four; a control group, a hard rock group and a classical group.He put the mice in the maze before exposing them to music and found that each one kook a base time of 10 minutes to navigate the maze. Then David started playing music 10 hours a day to the classical and rock group. The results showed that the control group which had no music was able to cut five minutes off the ten minutes it originally took them to navigate the maze while the mice that navigated the maze with Mozart where able to cut eight and a half minutes off their time.What were most shocking were the rues Its of the mice that were exposed to rock music, they bumped through the maze dazed and confused and tripled the time it took them to navigate the maze originally. What was most horrific about the mice that listened to rock was that when grouped together they k illed themselves. The lyrics some artist use in their songs can have grave effects on its listeners. Many artists glamorous drugs and alcohol, kids and teens who tune into popular music get an earful of drinking, snorting or smoking.According to a report done by The Archives Of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Teenagers listen to an average of nearly 2. 5 hours of music per day and One in three popular songs contains explicit references to drug or alcohol use which means kids are achieving about 35 references to substance abuse for every hour of music they listen to. This encourages them to want to try these drugs, they are likely to think it is cool or the hip thing to do as their favorite artists use these drugs all the time.For instance, popular, new artists such as Mac Miller and Wiz Kalmia have gained instant fame due to the numerous songs they have produced about the use of marijuana and other drugs, such songs include; Wiz Khalids young wild and free in which the lyrics of the chorus are: So what we get drunk, so what we smoke weed, were just having fun we dont are who sees, living young and wild and free. Attitudes, values behaviors portrayed in lyrics may influence how young listeners think and act. This can lead to violent behavior, suicidal thoughts and even body modifications.

Take an email break - Emphasis

Take an email break Take an email break Heres one to tell your manager about: taking time out at work to dip into your personal email can be good for employees morale. Research by email provider GMX has found that 69 per cent of UK workers will spend time working through their own inboxes on company time (or at least thats how many admitted to it). And one in three of these people said that these brief breaks actually offered much-needed light relief in the midst of daily responsibilities (they would though, wouldnt they?). Be it exchanging a joke with a friend, sorting out your evening plans or merely a moment of writing in an informal style for a change, youll probably return to the task at hand the fresher for it. While no-one is suggesting that spending hours on end scouring YouTube or throwing virtual sheep at people is a valuable or reasonable use of your workday, reminding yourself that youre not a report-writing automaton (before getting back to writing that report of course) is definitely worth a cheeky five minutes. Happy workers are productive workers, right?

World War I Campaigns of 1917

World War I Campaigns of 1917 In November 1916, Allied leaders again met at Chantilly to devise plans for the coming year. In their discussions, they determined to renew the fighting on the 1916 Somme battlefield as well as mount an offensive in Flanders designed to clear the Germans from the Belgian coast. These plans were quickly altered when General Robert Nivelle replaced General Joseph Joffre as commander-in-chief of the French Army. One of the heroes of Verdun, Nivelle was an artillery officer who believed that saturation bombardment coupled with creeping barrages could destroy the enemys defenses creating rupture and allowing Allied troops to break through to the open ground in the German rear. As the shattered landscape of the Somme did not offer suitable ground for these tactics, the Allied plan for 1917 came to resemble that of 1915, with offensives planned for Arras in the north and the Aisne in the south. While the Allies debated strategy, the Germans were planning to change their position. Arriving in the West in August 1916, General Paul von Hindenburg and his chief lieutenant, General Erich Ludendorff, began construction of a new set of entrenchments behind the Somme. Formidable in scale and depth, this new Hindenburg Line reduced the length of the German position in France, freeing ten divisions for service elsewhere. Completed in January 1917, German troops began shifting back to the new line in March. Watching the Germans withdraw, Allied troops followed in their wake and constructed a new set of trenches opposite the Hindenburg Line. Fortunately for Nivelle, this movement did not affect the areas targeted for offensive operations (Map). America Enters the Fray In the wake of the Lusitania sinking in 1915, President Woodrow Wilson had demanded that Germany cease its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. Though the Germans had complied with this, Wilson began efforts to bring the combatants to the negotiating table in 1916. Working through his emissary Colonel Edward House, Wilson even offered the Allies American military intervention if they would accept his conditions for a peace conference before the Germans. Despite this, the United States remained decidedly isolationist at the beginning of 1917 and its citizens were not eager to join what was seen as a European war. Two events in January 1917 set in motion a series of events which brought the nation into the conflict. The first of these was the Zimmermann Telegram which was made public in the United States on March 1. Transmitted in January, the telegram was a message from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the government of Mexico seeking a military alliance in event of war with the United States. In return for attacking the United States, Mexico was promised the return of territory lost during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, as well as substantial financial assistance. Intercepted by British naval intelligence and the US State Department, the contents of the message caused widespread outrage among the American people. On December 22, 1916, the Chief of Staff of the Kaiserliche Marine, Admiral Henning von Holtzendorff issued a memorandum calling for the resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare. Arguing that victory could only be achieved by attacking Britains maritime supply lines, he was quickly supported by von Hindenburg and Ludendorff. In January 1917, they convinced Kaiser Wilhelm II that the approach was worth the risk of a break with the United States and submarine attacks resumed on February 1. The American reaction was swift and more severe than anticipated in Berlin. On February 26, Wilson asked Congress for permission to arm American merchant ships. In mid-March, three American ships were sunk by German submarines. A direct challenge, Wilson went before a special session of Congress on April 2 declaring that the submarine campaign was a war against all nations and asked that war be declared with Germany. This request was granted on April 6 and subsequent declarations of war were issu ed against Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. Mobilizing for War Though the United States had joined the fight, it would be some time before American troops could be fielded in large numbers. Numbering only 108,000 men in April 1917, the US Army began a rapid expansion as volunteers enlisted in large numbers and a selective draft instituted. Despite this, it was decided to immediately dispatch an American Expeditionary Force composed of one division and two Marine brigades to France. Command of the new AEF was given to General John J. Pershing. Possessing the second-largest battle fleet in the world, the American naval contribution was more immediate as US battleships joined the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, giving the Allies a decisive and permanent numerical advantage at sea. The U-boat War As the United States mobilized for war, Germany began its U-boat campaign in earnest. In lobbying for unrestricted submarine warfare, Holtzendorff had estimated that sinking 600,000 tons per month for five months would cripple Britain. Rampaging across the Atlantic, his submarines crossed the threshold in April when they sunk 860,334 tons. Desperately seeking to avert disaster, the British Admiralty tried a variety of approaches to stem the losses, including Q ships which were warships disguised as merchantmen. Though initially resisted by the Admiralty, a system of convoys was implemented in late April. The expansion of this system led to reduced losses as the year progressed. While not eliminated, convoys, the expansion of air operations, and mine barriers worked to mitigate the U-boat threat for the remainder of the war. The Battle of Arras On April 9, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, opened the  offensive at Arras. Beginning a week earlier than Nivelles push to the south, it was hoped that Haigs attack would draw German troops away from the French front. Having conducted extensive planning and preparation, the British troops achieved great success on the first day of the offensive. Most notable was the swift capture of Vimy Ridge by General Julian Byngs Canadian Corps. Though advances were achieved, planned pauses in the attack hampered the exploitation of successful assaults. The next day, German reserves appeared on the battlefield and fighting intensified. By April 23, the battle had devolved into the type of attritional stalemate that had become typical of the Western Front. Under pressure to support Nivelles efforts, Haig pressed the offensive as casualties mounted. Finally, on May 23, the battle was brought to an end. Though Vimy Ridge had been taken, the strateg ic situation had not changed dramatically. The Nivelle Offensive To the south, the Germans faired better against Nivelle. Aware that an offensive was coming due to captured documents and loose French talk, the Germans had shifted additional reserves to the area behind the Chemin des Dames ridge in Aisne. In addition, they employed a system of flexible defense which removed the bulk of the defensive troops from the front lines. Having promised victory within forty-eight hours, Nivelle sent his men forward through rain and sleet on April 16. Pressing up the wooded ridge, his men were not able to keep up with the creeping barrage that was intended to protect them. Meeting increasingly heavy resistance, the advance slowed as heavy casualties were sustained. Advancing no more than 600 yards on the first day, the offensive soon became a bloody disaster (Map). By the end of the fifth day, 130,000 casualties (29,000 dead) had been sustained and Nivelle abandoned the attack having advanced around four miles on a sixteen-mile front. For his failure, he was relieved on April 29 and replaced by  General Philippe Pà ©tain. Discontent in the French Ranks In the wake of the failed Nivelle Offensive, a series of mutinies broke out in the French ranks. Though more along the lines of military strikes than traditional mutinies, the unrest manifested itself when fifty-four French divisions (nearly half the army) refused to the return to the front. In those divisions which were affected, there was no violence between the officers and men, simply unwillingness on the part of the rank and file to maintain the status quo. Demands from the mutineers generally were characterized by requests for more leave, better food, better treatment for their families, and a halt to offensive operations. Though known for his abrupt personality, Pà ©tain recognized the severity of the crisis and took a soft hand. Though unable to openly state that offensive operations would be halted, he implied that this would be the case. In addition, he promised more regular and frequent leave, as well as implementing a defense in depth system which required fewer troops in the front lines. While his officers worked to win back the mens obedience, efforts were made to round up the ringleaders. All told, 3,427 men were court-martialed for their roles in the mutinies with forty-nine executed for their crimes. Much to Pà ©tains fortune, the Germans never detected the crisis and remained quiet along the French front. By August, Pà ©tain felt confident enough to conduct minor offensive operations near Verdun, but much to the mens pleasure, no major French offensive occurred prior to July 1918. The British Carry the Load With French forces effectively incapacitated, the British were forced to bear the responsibility for keeping the pressure on the Germans. In the days after the Chemin des Dames debacle, Haig began seeking a way to relieve pressure on the French. He found his answer in plans that General Sir Herbert Plumer had been developing for capturing Messines Ridge near Ypres. Calling for extensive mining under the ridge, the plan was approved and Plumer opened the  Battle of Messines  on June 7. Following a preliminary bombardment, explosives in the mines were detonated vaporizing part of the German front. Swarming forward, Plumers men took the ridge and rapidly achieved the operations objectives. Repelling German counterattacks, British forces built new defensive lines to hold their gains. Concluding on June 14, Messines was one of the few clear-cut victories achieved by either side on the Western Front (Map). The Third Battle of Ypres (Battle of Passchendaele) With the success at Messines, Haig sought to revive his plan for an offensive through the center of the Ypres salient. Intended to first capture the village of Passchendaele,  the offensive  was to break through the German lines and clear them from the coast. In planning the operation, Haig was opposed Prime Minister David Lloyd George who increasingly wished to husband British resources and await the arrival of large numbers of American troops before launching any major offensives on the Western Front. With the support of Georges principal military advisor, General Sir William Robertson, Haig was finally able to secure approval. Opening the battle on July 31, British troops attempted to secure the Gheluvelt Plateau. Subsequent attacks were mounted against Pilckem Ridge and Langemarck. The battlefield, which was largely reclaimed land, soon degenerated into a vast sea of mud as seasonal rains moved through the area. Though the advance was slow, new bite and hold tactics allowed the British to gain ground. These called for short advances supported by massive amounts of artillery. Employment of these tactics secured objectives such as the Menin Road, Polygon Wood, and Broodseinde. Pressing on despite heavy losses and criticism from London, Haig secured Passchendaele on November 6. Fighting subsided four days later (Map). The Third Battle of Ypres became a symbol of the conflicts grinding, attritional warfare and many have debated the need for the offensive. In the fighting, the British had made a maximum effort, sustained over 240,000 casualties, and failed to breach the German defenses. While these losses coul d not be replaced, the Germans had forces in the East to make good their losses. The Battle of Cambrai With the fighting for Passchendaele devolving into a bloody stalemate, Haig approved a plan presented by General Sir Julian Byng for a  combined attack against Cambrai  by the Third Army and the Tank Corps. A new weapon, tanks have not previously been massed in large numbers for an assault. Utilizing a new artillery scheme, Third Army achieved surprise over the Germans on November 20 and made quick gains. Though achieving their initial objectives, Byngs men had difficulty exploiting the success as reinforcements had trouble reaching the front. By the next day, German reserves began arriving and fighting intensified. British troops fought a bitter battle to take control of Bourlon Ridge and by November 28 began digging in to defend their gains. Two days later, German troops, utilizing stormtrooper infiltration tactics, launched a massive counterattack. While the British fought hard to defend the ridge in the north, the Germans made gains in the south. When the fighting ended on De cember 6, the battle had become a draw with each side gaining and losing about the same amount of territory. The fighting at Cambrai effectively brought operations on the Western Front to a close for the winter (Map). In Italy To the south in Italy, the forces of General Luigi Cadorna continued attacks in the Isonzo Valley. Fought in May-June 1917, the Tenth Battle of the Isonzo and gained little ground. Not to be dissuaded, he opened the Eleventh Battle on August 19. Focusing on the Bainsizza Plateau, Italian forces made some gains but could not dislodge the Austro-Hungarian defenders. Suffering 160,000 casualties, the battle badly depleted Austrian forces on the Italian front (Map). Seeking help, Emperor Karl sought reinforcements from Germany. These were forthcoming and soon a total of thirty-five divisions opposed Cadorna. Through years of fighting, the Italians had taken much of the valley, but the Austrians still held two bridgeheads across the river. Utilizing these crossings, German General Otto von Below attacked on October 24, with his troops employing stormtrooper tactics and poison gas. Known as the  Battle of Caporetto, von Belows forces broke into the rear of the Italian Second Army and cau sed Cadornas entire position to collapse. Forced into headlong retreat, the Italians attempted to make a stand at the Tagliamento River but were forced back when the Germans bridged it on November 2. Continuing the retreat, the Italians finally halted behind the Piave River. In achieving his victory, von Below advanced eighty miles and had taken 275,000 prisoners. Revolution in Russia The beginning of 1917 saw troops in the Russian ranks expressing many of the same complaints offered by the French later that year. In the rear, the Russian economy had reached a full war footing, but the boom that resulted brought about rapid inflation and led to the break down of the economy and infrastructure. As food supplies in Petrograd dwindled, unrest increased leading to mass demonstrations and a revolt by the Tsars Guards. At his headquarters in Mogilev, Tsar Nicholas II was initially unconcerned by events in the capital. Beginning on March 8, the February Revolution (Russia still used the Julian calendar) saw the rise of a Provisional Government in Petrograd. Ultimately convinced to abdicate, he stepped down on March 15 and nominated his brother Grand Duke Michael to succeed him. This offer was refused and the Provisional Government took power. Willing to continue the war, this government, in conjunction with the local Soviets, soon appointed Alexander Kerensky Minister of War. Naming General Aleksei Brusilov Chief of Staff, Kerensky worked to restore the spirit of the army. On June 18, the Kerensky Offensive began with Russian troops striking the Austrians with the goal of reaching Lemberg. For the first two days, the Russians advanced before the lead units, believing they had done their part, halted. Reserve units refused to move forward to take their place and mass desertions began (Map). As the Provisional Government faltered at the front, it came under attack from the rear from returning extremists such as Vladimir Lenin. Aided by the Germans, Lenin had arrived back in Russia on April 3. Lenin immediately began speaking at Bolshevik meetings and preaching a program of non-cooperation with the Provisional Government, nationalization, and an end to the war. As the Russian army began to melt away at the front, the Germans took advantage and conducted offensive operations in the north which culminated in the capture of Riga. Becoming prime minister in July, Kerensky sacked Brusilov and replaced him with anti-German General Lavr Kornilov. On August 25, Kornilov ordered troops to occupy Petrograd and disperse the Soviet. Calling for military reforms, including the abolition of Soldiers Soviets and political regiments, Kornilov grew in popularity with Russian moderates. Ultimately maneuvered into attempting a coup, he was removed after its failure. With Kornilovs defeat, Kerensky and the Provisional Government effectively lost their power as Lenin and the Bolsheviks were in the ascent. On November 7, the October Revolution began which saw the Bolsheviks seize power. Taking control, Lenin formed a new government and immediately called for a three-month armistice. Peace in the East Initially wary of dealing with the revolutionaries, the Germans and Austrians finally agreed to meet with Lenins representatives in December. Opening peace negotiations at Brest-Litovsk, the Germans demanded independence for Poland and Lithuania, while the Bolsheviks wished for peace without annexations or indemnities. Though in a weak position, the Bolsheviks continued to stall. Frustrated, the Germans announced in February that they would suspend the armistice unless their terms were accepted and take as much of Russia as they desired. On February 18, German forces began advancing. Meeting no resistance, they seized much of the Baltic countries, Ukraine, and Belarus. Panic-struck, Bolshevik leaders ordered their delegation to accept Germanys terms immediately. While the  Treaty of Brest-Litovsk  took Russia out of the war, it cost the nation 290,000 square miles of territory, as well as a quarter of its population and industrial resources.

Nonverbal communication - observation studying Essay

Nonverbal communication - observation studying - Essay Example Moreover, a few of the women surrounding me were also observed to burst into tears due to the sudden outburst of emotion and happiness within the wedding ceremony. Additionally, I also observed that two of the attendees were having conversation from which the person who was having higher level of social status was becoming apparent. The main factor which was noticed was that a person who seemed to be having a lower social status was standing politely, listening carefully and nodding. Conversely, the person apparently having higher social status was quite comfortable to speak his mind. In terms of physical layout, the site seemed to be quite spacious and people were gathering in certain small groups as well as having conversation. This site has been selected in order to determine the variation different body movements and facial expressions of human beings epically at the time of being emotional. On the other hand, the 2nd observation site had been an extremely crowded Starbucks betwe en 8:20am to 10:00am. In accordance with the observation, it has been witnessed that different types of communication among people were taking place. The morning environment of Starbucks brought with it an abundance of mixed emotions and gestures during the process of communication. The environment was quite hurried where one of the women seemed to become quite weary after standing for a long time in the queue, which reflected in her body movement and gesture. There were certain other female guests at Starbucks who displayed a variation of gestures such as enjoyment, distraction driven nodding, formal posture and serious face and body movement. The site was quite cozy where a number of people were sitting close to each other. This site had been selected as it provided a very natural place of observation related to body movement and gesture as people were quite open in their body movements and emotions. B. DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERACTIONS OCCURRED IN BOTH THE OBSERVATIONS In relation to the 1st observation, it had been observed that there were emotionally driven communications and expressions made by the attendees in the wedding ceremony. As per the observation, three interactions have been explicitly discussed in the following section. Firstly, the interaction to be highlighted was of my Korean friend, whom I met in the wedding ceremony, but in quite a different outlook. There was a surprising change in dressing sense from the common attire and outlook she represents. In accordance with the physical expression made by her, it significantly seemed to incorporate major changes relating to her dress within the ceremony as she never used to wear white wedding dress and high-heeled black shoes. In terms of interactions driven out of surprise, a few women were gathering around her and were touching her dress as well arm. This unwanted attention of other women resulted in making my friend quite shy as she was observed to be blushing. Therefore, in this regard, it can be identified that her facial expression had changed because of the gestures and unanticipated expressions of the people surrounding her. The second interaction that has been identified in the

International Money and Finance (Final stage 3) Essay - 1

International Money and Finance (Final stage 3) - Essay Example This is the second consecutive downgrade in our US forecast, which came into the year at 3.1%. We are clearly less optimistic now than we were even a few months ago, but the overall view is the same as it has been for the past three years: the US recovery will be characterised by fairly weak and erratic growth and low inflation, but we do not expect a double-dip recession. We continue to expect growth between 2.5-3.5% over the coming couple of years, which is way below where it 'should' be coming out of such a bad recession. Occasionally, the US economy may post some great quarters, and may post some really poor ones. The Q111 real GDP growth estimate, of 1.8% q-o-q annualised (as per the second estimate released on May 26), could be lumped into the latter category. Deceleration Across The Board In Q1 US - Real GDP Growth By Expenditure Category (q-o-q SAAR) Source: BEA, BMI Below Trend, Par For The Deleveraging Course Growth really should be somewhere north of 4.0% just to get the o verall level of output back to trend. Without faster growth, the unemployment picture will remain bleak. With such a disappointing pace of growth recovery, the US economy is roughly tracking the trajectory of other countries that experienced a major financial crisis and a prolonged period of deleveraging. We see some similarities in this respect to Japan, Sweden in the mid-90s, South Korea post-Asia crisis, etcetera. There is a rebalancing going on in the US away from consumption and housing and toward manufacturing and exports. We reiterate that this makes it an unusual US recovery, if only because American recoveries typically consist of residential investment and consumption picking up the slack, and this time around it is going to be, and has been, net exports and business investment. Not only was Q111 data pretty poor, it also revealed a downward revision to private consumption, and a boost from inventories, making the composition of growth pretty poor as well. This was especia lly a disappointment because the payroll tax cuts announced in December were expected to give a strong boost to consumption in the first quarter, but it looks like their effect was offset in part by higher oil prices. The house price double-dip and high unemployment obviously haven't helped. Our new forecasts have lowered our expectation for private consumption in 2011, if only modestly (from 3.1% to 3.0%; we had already revised down our estimate earlier in the year). On the upside, credit growth is showing some signs of life, and the labour market is slowly healing, so we do not believe that there is sufficient reason to get too pessimistic on the consumer. If oil prices drop in H211, and this is reflected by lower prices at the pump, real private consumption could get a boost. But if oil prices head higher again, expect more bad news from the consumer. High Oil Prices Remain A Risk US - Real Retail Sales (% chg y-o-y) Source: BMI Investment: Healthier, Ex-Housing Residential const ruction remains a drag on overall growth (just under 0.1pp in Q111), and data since then have not been good either. We would expect at least some contribution from residential investment later in the year, however, if only because the homebuilding industry cannot mathematically sink too much lower. Non-residential structure investment is also very weak (subtracting 0.48pp from growth in the quarter). We see few prospects for improvement in this sector in this environment. On the upside, though, equipment and software investment contributed 0.81pp