Why Trenches Were Used in World War I

During trench warfare, opposing armies conduct battle, at a  relatively close range, from a series of ditches dug into the ground. Trench warfare becomes necessary when two armies face a stalemate, with neither side able to advance and overtake the other. Although trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, it was used on an unprecedented scale on the Western Front during World War I. Why Trench Warfare in WWI? In the early weeks of the First World War (late in the summer of 1914), both German and French commanders anticipated a war that would involve a large amount of troop movement, as each side sought to gain or defend territory. The Germans initially swept through parts of Belgium and northeastern France, gaining territory along the way. During the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the Germans were pushed back by Allied forces. They subsequently dug in to avoid losing any more ground. Unable to break through this line of defense, the Allies also began to dig protective trenches. By October 1914, neither army could advance its position, mainly because war was being waged in a very different way than it had been during the 19th century. Forward-moving strategies such as head-on infantry attacks were no longer effective or feasible against modern weaponry such as machine guns and heavy artillery. This inability to move forward created the stalemate. What began as a temporary strategy evolved into one of the main features of the war at the Western Front for the next four years. Construction and Design of Trenches Early trenches were little more than foxholes or ditches, intended to provide a measure of protection during short battles. As the stalemate continued, however, it became obvious that a more elaborate system was needed. The first major trench lines were completed in November 1914. By the end of that year, they stretched 475 miles, starting at the North Sea, running through Belgium and northern France, and ending in the Swiss frontier. Although the specific construction of a trench was determined by the local terrain, most were built according to the same basic design. The front wall of the trench, known as the parapet, was about 10 feet high. Lined with sandbags from top to bottom, the parapet also featured 2 to 3 feet of sandbags stacked above ground level. These provided protection, but also obscured a soldiers view. A ledge, known as the fire-step, was built into the lower part of the ditch and allowed a soldier to step up and see over the top (usually through a peephole between sandbags) when he was ready to fire his weapon. Periscopes and mirrors were also used to see above the sandbags. The rear wall of the trench, known as the parados, was lined with sandbags as well, protecting against a rear assault. Because constant shelling and frequent rainfall could cause the trench walls to collapse, the walls were reinforced with sandbags, logs, and branches. Trench Lines Trenches were dug in a zigzag pattern so that if an enemy entered the trench, he could not fire straight down the line. A typical trench system included a line of three or four trenches: the front line (also called the outpost or the fire line), the support trench, and the reserve trench, all built parallel to one another and anywhere from 100 to 400 yards apart. The main trench lines were connected by communicating trenches, allowing for the movement of messages, supplies, and soldiers and were lined with barbed wire. The space between the enemy lines was known as No Mans Land. The space varied but averaged about 250 yards. Some trenches contained dugouts below the level of the trench floor, often as deep as 20 or 30 feet. Most of these underground rooms were little more than crude cellars, but some, especially those farther back from the front, offered more conveniences, such as beds, furniture,  and stoves. The German dugouts were generally more sophisticated; one such dugout captured in the Somme Valley in 1916 was found to have toilets, electricity, ventilation, and even wallpaper. Daily Routine in the Trenches Routines varied among the different regions, nationalities, and individual platoons, but the groups shared many similarities. Soldiers were regularly rotated through a basic sequence: fighting in the front line, followed by a period in the reserve or support line, then later, a brief rest period. (Those in reserve might be called upon to help the front line if needed.) Once the cycle was completed, it would begin anew. Among the men in the front line, sentry duty was assigned in rotations of two to three hours. Each morning and evening, just before dawn and dusk, the troops participated in a stand-to, during which men (on both sides) climbed up on the fire-step with rifle and bayonet at the ready. The stand-to served as preparation for a possible attack from the enemy at a time of day—dawn or dusk—when most of these attacks were likeliest to occur. Following the stand-to, officers conducted an inspection of the men and their equipment. Breakfast was then served, at which time both sides (almost universally along the front) adopted a brief truce. Most offensive maneuvers (aside from artillery shelling and sniping) were carried out in the dark when soldiers were able to climb out of the trenches clandestinely to conduct surveillance and carry out raids. The relative quiet of the daylight hours allowed men to discharge their assigned duties during the day. Maintaining the trenches required constant work: repair of shell-damaged walls, removal of standing water, the creation of new latrines, and the movement of supplies, among other vital jobs. Those spared from performing daily maintenance duties included specialists, such as stretcher-bearers, snipers, and machine-gunners. During brief rest periods, soldiers were free to nap, read, or write letters home, before being assigned to another task. Misery in the Mud Life in the trenches was nightmarish, aside from the usual rigors of combat. Forces of nature posed as great a threat as the opposing army. Heavy rainfall flooded trenches and created impassable, muddy conditions. The mud not only made it difficult to get from one place to another; it also had other, more dire consequences. Many times, soldiers became trapped in the thick, deep mud; unable to extricate themselves, they often drowned. The pervading precipitation created other difficulties. Trench walls collapsed, rifles jammed, and soldiers fell victim to the much-dreaded trench foot. Similar to frostbite, trench foot developed as a result of men being forced to stand in water for several hours, even days, without a chance to remove wet boots and socks. In extreme cases, gangrene would develop and a soldiers toes, or even his entire foot, would have to be amputated. Unfortunately, heavy rains were not sufficient to wash away the filth and foul odor of human waste and decaying corpses. Not only did these unsanitary conditions contribute to the spread of disease, they also attracted an enemy despised by both sides—the lowly rat. Multitudes of rats shared the trenches with soldiers and, even more horrifying, they fed upon the remains of the dead. Soldiers shot them out of disgust and frustration, but the rats continued to multiply and thrived for the duration of the war. Other vermin that plagued the troops included head and body lice, mites and scabies, and massive swarms of flies. As terrible as the sights and smells were for the men to endure, the deafening noises that surrounded them during heavy shelling were terrifying. Amid a heavy barrage, dozens of shells per minute might land in the trench, causing ear-splitting (and deadly) explosions. Few men could remain calm under such circumstances; many suffered emotional breakdowns. Night Patrols and Raids Patrols and raids took place at night, under cover of darkness. For patrols, small groups of men crawled out of the trenches and inched their way into No Mans Land. Moving forward on elbows and knees toward the German trenches and cutting their way through the dense barbed wire on their way. Once the men reached the other side, their goal was to get close enough to gather information by eavesdropping or to detect activity in advance of an attack. Raiding parties were much larger than patrols, encompassing about 30 soldiers. They, too, made their way to the German trenches, but their role was more confrontational. Members of the raiding parties armed themselves with rifles, knives, and hand grenades. Smaller teams took on portions of the enemy trench, tossing in grenades, and killing any survivors with a rifle or bayonet. They also examined the bodies of dead German soldiers, searching for documents and evidence of name and rank. Snipers, in addition to firing from the trenches, also operated from No Mans Land. They crept out at dawn, heavily camouflaged, to find cover before daylight. Adopting a trick from the Germans, British snipers hid inside O.P. trees (observation posts). These dummy trees, constructed by army engineers, protected the snipers, allowing them to fire at unsuspecting enemy soldiers. Despite these strategies, the nature of trench warfare made it almost impossible for either army to overtake the other. Attacking infantry was slowed down by the barbed wire and bombed-out terrain of No Mans Land, making the element of surprise unlikely. Later in the war, the Allies did succeed in breaking through German lines using the newly-invented tank. Poison Gas Attacks In April 1915, the Germans unleashed an especially sinister new weapon at Ypres in northwestern Belgium: poison gas. Hundreds of French soldiers, overcome by deadly chlorine gas, fell to the ground, choking, convulsing, and gasping for air. Victims died a slow, horrible death as their lungs filled with fluid. The Allies began producing gas masks to protect their men from the deadly vapor, while at the same time adding poison gas to their arsenal of weapons. By 1917, the box respirator became standard issue, but that did not keep either side from the continued use of chlorine gas and the equally-deadly mustard gas. The latter caused an even more prolonged death, taking up to five weeks to kill its victims. Yet poison gas, as devastating as its effects were, did not prove to be a decisive factor in the war because of its unpredictable nature (it relied upon wind conditions) and the development of effective gas masks. Shell Shock Given the overwhelming conditions imposed by trench warfare, it is not surprising that hundreds of thousands of men fell victim to shell shock. Early in the war, the term referred to what was believed to be the result of an actual physical injury to the nervous system, brought about by exposure to constant shelling. Symptoms ranged from physical abnormalities (tics and tremors, impaired vision and hearing, and paralysis) to emotional manifestations (panic, anxiety, insomnia, and a near-catatonic state.) When shell shock was later determined to be a psychological response to emotional trauma, men received little sympathy and were often accused of cowardice. Some shell-shocked soldiers who had fled their posts were even labeled deserters and were summarily shot by a firing squad. By the end of the war, however, as cases of shell shock soared and came to include officers as well as enlisted men, the British military built several military hospitals devoted to caring for these men. The Legacy of Trench Warfare Due in part to the Allies use of tanks in the last year of the war, the stalemate was finally broken. By the time the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, an estimated 8.5 million men (on all fronts) had lost their lives in the so-called war to end all wars. Yet many survivors who returned home would never be the same, whether their wounds were physical or emotional. By the end of World War I, trench warfare had become the very symbol of futility; thus, it has been a tactic intentionally avoided by modern-day military strategists in favor of movement, surveillance, and airpower.

Abortion Too Choose Or Not - 1451 Words

Abortion: Too Choose or Not To Choose Abortion has been the center of the women’s movement for centuries since the 1970s in the United Sates. Over the years, people have been split between the choice of pro-choice or pro-life. During the 70s time period, women were found self-sufficient and made decisions on how they felt, and not what the world felt on those decisions. In the 70s women of all kind leaned towards the decision of abortion even though abortion was illegal. The Supreme Court didn t legalize abortion procedures until the year of 1973 in the Roe v. Wade case. Women believed in the right to be able to make their own decisions, but as time went on studies started to show a decrease in the support for abortion. More states in†¦show more content†¦Many people make the decision of getting an abortion a difficult decision because they have not experience or been the position to make the decision. Many of abortions have occurred during the ages of 16 to 23 or even at an earlier age for women. About 51% of these abortions in America are unintended pregnancies, and 20 % are unwanted pregnancies. That is not including the pregnancies that lead to a miscarriage. 42% of women lean towards abortion because their income is below 100% of the federal poverty level. Some women just find the process of bringing a child into the world without having both parents in the home can sometimes have an effect on the child while growing up. This case leads to about 45% of all abortions. The majority of women say they choose abortion because they do not want to become a single parent or have any problems with their partner. Women of a young age have big dreams and goals they want to achieve, but by having a child those dreams and goals would have to be put on hold. Therefore, a lot of young and middle-aged adults feel that abortion is a good choice, while the ages of 55 and older believe that it is just a disgrace to have an abortion. In the chart below from Gallup Daily News and Polls, you can see that gender, regions, and politics play a role in the views of abortion. Not only does those three things have an effect on abortion but marital status, ethnicity, workforce and religion

Thomas Jefferson on Slavery and Race Free Essays

B. Jefferson on Slavery and Race The terms of the emancipation proposal considered by Virginia legislators were all slaves born after the act would go on with their parents to tillage, arts or sciences, until girls (18) and boys (21) would colonize to places that â€Å"render the most proper† out with arms and domestic animals to declare them free and independent and extend the alliance and protection. Jefferson believes blacks are inferior to whites, he differentiates the two races by stating the obvious first, color, figure, hair, odor, he also states how they are harder working and don’t require as much sleep. We will write a custom essay sample on Thomas Jefferson on Slavery and Race or any similar topic only for you Order Now He also includes how adventuresome they are, they desire love more and are more sentiment and their â€Å"griefs are transient. † â€Å"This quality is the germ of all education in him. † Slavery influenced masters and other whites in ways of creating â€Å"boisterous passions† that created degrading comments to one another. This is spread through the children and other whites seeing or being raised only one way of seeing a â€Å"master† degrade his slaves. Slavery influenced slaves that they prefer ways that avoid areas that can or have made work for them. Jefferson said â€Å"l tremble for my country when I reflect that God is Just† because e believes slavery is not right, he hopes for the total emancipation and that slavery is â€Å"disposed in the order of events with the consent of the masters. Jefferson’s hopes for the end of slavery differed from his fears because he hoped of an emancipation, which happened. Rather than slaves taken from â€Å"masters† which would anger them. Jefferson’s notes do not seem to be something typical of the era or that most would agree on, slavery and segregation were very strong and blacks were not even considered or thought of to have human rights like they have today during that era. How to cite Thomas Jefferson on Slavery and Race, Papers

Transportation Science Social Choices

Question: Discuss about the Transportation Sciencefor Social Choices. Answer: Introduction Planning of a particular location of a highway in is one of the major problems and is a political issue; it represents the possible allocation of urban space. The interests of the urban inhabitant have not been sufficiently represented in most State Highway Departments, the broad range of goals, social choices and the values that should come within the scope of the planning of the urban highway that have neither been recognized nor included. This issue can be considered as political one in the development of the highways in the urban area (Slater, 1997). The main reason for the declination of mass transit in 20th century can be of the following causes. The first is the early and continues for embracing the private cars as form transportation in the urban areas (Moreira-Matias et al., 2015). Secondly, as metropolitan cities were designed to meet the necessity of the motorist, mass transit systems that had been owned by private companies were neglected or effectively dismantled. As a result, municipalities had to take over the responsibilities. Deregulation rules in transportation industry had put the common theoretical as well as legislative structure. The dominant common theme of the rules were to reduce theobstacles for the entrythe market of the transportation and for promoting the more competitive, independent, pricing among the service providers in the transport industry, alternating the freed-up cutthroat market forces for thorough entry control in the regulatory, exit, and cost-making in transportation industry. The government was forced to transfer air-mail services to the private entities. This development was one of the initial and most important footsteps towards the establishment of a high profitable private sector in U.S. Planes usually fly around mountains, at night flights can be insecure, and these needs to land frequently to refuel. Airplane travelling was painful and some of the passengers wore helmets, and even dark-glasses. Planes were built of un-shielded thin metal, sheets and passengers had to put cotton in their ears to avoid loud noise. Concrete have long durability, but asphalt driveways are cheap for installing. Asphalt needs more maintenance, but is generally easier to repair. Asphalt needs regular maintenance every few years but concrete can sustain durability for long lasting life (Guthrie et al., 2014). Iron triangle is known for the making of the policy making relationship among the congressional committee, the bureaucracy and the groups of interest (Dimitriou, Ward Wright, 2013). The Iron Triangle Interest Group LegislativeCommittee BureaucraticAgency Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Transportation Safety Advancement Group United States Senate Committee onCommerce, Science and Transportation Programs, Contracts, Regulations Lobbying, Jobs Constituent Benefits Jurisdiction, Budget, Promotions Contributions, Information Access, Policy Appointments Regulation Subpart A-Discrimination in operations of interstate motor common carriers of passengers. In 1893, the Office of Road Inquiry (ORI) was established. Following several changes in 1939, it was finally known as the Office of Public Roads Administration (PRA). It finally got shifted to theFederal Works Agencythat was eliminated in 1949 and its name was reverted to Bureau of Public Roads under theDepartment of Commerce. Its key purpose was to oversee federal finances for National Highway System construction and maintenance. American shipping changed greatly as it became the central role model in the development of the economy, the mechanism of the sea transportation mechanization and the fossil fuels, evolution of the ships and the shipping industry also took place. Reference List: Dimitriou, H. T., Ward, E. J., Wright, P. G. (2013). Mega transport projectsBeyond the iron triangle: Findings from the OMEGA research programme.Progress in planning,86, 1-43. Guthrie, W. S., Bytheway, R., Dye, J. B., Eggett, D. L. (2014).Comparison of Wintertime Asphalt and Concrete Pavement Surface Temperatures on US Route 40 Near Heber, Utah(No. UT-14.03). Moreira-Matias, L., Mendes-Moreira, J., de Sousa, J. F., Gama, J. (2015). Improving mass transit operations by using AVL-based systems: a survey.IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems,16(4), 1636-1653. Slater, C. (1997). General motors and the demise of streetcars.Transportation Quarterly,51, 45-66.

A Birth of a Nation essays

A Birth of a Nation essays Birth of a Nation is the single most important and key film of all time - it contains many new cinematic innovations and refinements, technical effects and artistic advancements, including a color sequence at the end. It became a formative influence on future films and has had a recognized impact on film history and the development of film as art. In addition, at almost three hours in length, it was the longest film to date. Its pioneering technical work includes: the special use of subtitles graphically verbalizing imagery, the introduction of night photography, the use of outdoor natural landscapes as backgrounds, the definitive usage of the still-shot, the technique of the camera "iris" effect (expanding or contracting circular masks to either reveal and open up a scene, or close down and conceal a part of an image, moving, panning camera tracking shots, the use of total-screen close-ups to reveal intimate expressions, the use of vignettes seen in or iris-shots in one portion of a darkened screen, high-angle shots and the abundant use of panoramic long shots, the dramatization of history in a moving story, an example of an early spectacle or epic film with historical costuming, staged battle scenes with hundreds of extras, extensive cross-cutting between two scenes to create excitement and suspense, and the cumulative building of the film to a dramatic climax. Many of these techniques are now standard features of films, but they were first used in this film. However, it still provokes conflicting views about its message. First off, there are questions about whether or not the government should give funding to preserve this film. Next, because the film is explicitly racist and is used for Ku Klux Klan recruitment one must question whether the film is suitable for today's society. The government should give funding for this film to be preserved. It is a piece of history in two senses, one, ...

The Power of The Alphabet

The Power of The Alphabet Free Online Research Papers Education is that crucial weaponry that every citizen needs to be armed with. This is an essential prerequisite for not only the betterment of one’s own condition, but for the larger goalbenefit of the nation as a whole. It does not take much time to figure out how this magical remedy can became a panacea for all the ailments that seem to have taken the country in their vice like grip. Once the masses are educated, his chain reaction is likely to follow-birth rate gets regulated, economy receives a boost, individual standard of living goes up, social evils take a beating, etc. No doubt, the dreamlike picture would take time to happen; nonetheless it is not a pipedream if efforts are made concertedly and conscientiously. With independence, the people inherited a system of education which was not only unsatisfactory in its reach, but was also characterized by the presence of large inter-regional as well as structural imbalances. Only 14 percent of the population was literate, and only one child out of three had been enrolled in primary schools. The low levels of participation and illiteracy were ignored by sharp regional and gender disparities. Since independence in 1947, India has taken major steps in tackling the problem of illiteracy. According to the 1951 census, only18.33 percent of the population was literate. This figure has increased over the years to touch 52.21 percent in 1991 and 65.38 percent in 2001. The increase in literacy figures in the post independence era is no mean achievement. However, worry steams from the fact that 34.62 percent are illiterate despite the innumerable programs that have been launched to tackle illiteracy. The magnitude of this problem is very high and constitutes a serious handicap for the socio-economic development of the country. The number of illiterates in the age group 15 and above is the largest for any country in the world. About 40 percent men and 60 percent women in India are illiterate, even if one sticks to the basics minimum definition of literacy adopted by the government. For several decades, India was reluctant to allow external funding in the primary education sector, but this changed in the early 1990s. Initially, the government formulated its policy and plans, outlined its financial requirements and then approached the international agencies for funds. Increasingly, however, International agencies are participating in drafting the policies and plans from the outset. This has been the experience, for instance, with regard to the World Bank-sponsored District Primary Education Programme (DPEP). The funding by external agencies could lead to serious and undesired consequences, as is made clear by the World Bank’s role in the education sector in India. On one hand, it expresses interest in improving the literacy situation, but quite unnervingly it has pressured the country to go in for cheaper alternatives to education, such as literacy drives and non-formal education. Instead of elementary education, governments were encouraged to provide five years of primary education, the rationale being that eight years of universal free elementary schooling was too much for a developing economy to promise its people. Poor countries have been pushed to opt for adult literacy and non-formal education, minimum levels of learning and multigrade teaching with fewer teachers. The policy of the World Bank innovations, such as introduction of parallel systems of education and the replacement of the regular teacher is so critical, and it is tantamount to institutionalizing discrimination against the poor, a majority of whom would be Dalits (the oppressed castes), the tribal people and religious or cultural minorities, two-thirds of each segment being girls. Most of the disabled children will also fall in this category, earmarked for discrimination. The government needs to do a reality check of the situation. It may take another decade to arrive at its targets if it goes by its own resource use and indigenous policies. However, if it falls into the trap of achieving minimum goals, even if one would like to term it mediocrity, through external funding, India will still be far from achieving the true power of the world. It will be having robotic minds that can perform basic tasks involving reading and writing, without having learnt the essential lessons in analysis, discrimination or appreciation. Research Papers on The Power of The AlphabetPETSTEL analysis of IndiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationStandardized TestingQuebec and CanadaAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeResearch Process Part OneRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Marketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Ethical Issues In Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Ethical Issues In Business - Assignment Example Such companies should be responsible for all the punitive measures levied against them by the governmental authorities for failure to observe environmental health and conservation in their practices (Ferrel et al, 67).  In the case presented, it is prudent to note that Jared had realized that there was a very big problem with the company’s disposal system. Relevant to the above, he had already addressed some problems associated with the cause. Moreover, he has also set in place several procedures to employ in the future in order to ensure that the problem does not happen again. Following the above, it is important to acknowledge the fact that Jared has shown a strong element of environmental responsibility and conservation. This is aimed at achieving environmental sustainability.  Relevant to the above, it is important for Darwin Chemical Company to report something credible, logical and rational to the authorities about the situation without any fear of the consequences t hat may follow. The company should report that they suspect some waste products may have been infiltrating into the water bodies surrounding several industries and companies. However, the DCC holds in its values and virtues the notion that â€Å"it should be a responsibility of all the industries to ensure that all their operations are ecologically friendly. This is because compromising the environmental health is associated with the compromise to human health and other biodiversity†. In this regard, the Darwin Chemical Company should request the authorities to allow them to conduct some chemical and physical assessments within their surrounding environments, especially the river in question.

Legal Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Legal Environment - Essay Example In this case, an agreement was made to exhibit advertisement on the defendants' hotel for a period of seven years. During this time, Manchester Corporation, exercising statutory powers, acquired the hotel and demolished it. It was held that the defendant should have been aware of the risk of compulsory purchase, and must be taken to have implicitly accepted the risk. The contract could also have been discharged by frustration due to government interference. The government interfered causing a fundamental change of circumstance from the contemplated by the parties when the contract was made. This is because the government prohibited with immediate effect the manufacture and export of relevant weapons systems hence there was need for Maldrive to purchase the machine. This caused the termination of the contract. In this case, the defendant had agreed to construct a reservoir for the plaintiff. Before the defendants had done so, the government acting in pursuance of war-time powers, stopped it. It was held that the contract was discharged through government interference. A contract is discharged by breach; that is failure of one of the parties to perform his obligation under the contract. Every breach of contract provides remedies to the innocent party, and this does not necessary discharge the contract. Thus if a party breaks a term of contract going to its root, known as condition the other party will be released from his obligations under the contract. But if the term broken is one collateral to the main term of the contract, known as a warranty, the innocent party will not be released from performance and can only claim damages. Maldrive, the manufacturers of weapons systems for exports had agreed to buy a machine from Planright but failed to perform his obligation under the contract. Failure of Maldrive to buy the machine from Planright discharged the contract. Rights and Remedies available to Maldrive and to Planright if contract is terminated by frustration. Maldrive could recover his deposit of |1000 pounds and was not liable to pay the balance. The law reform (Frustration Contracts) Acts 1943 England, amended the common law rule and provides what shall happen if the contract is discharged by frustration: All money paid before discharge is recoverable Money which become payable before frustration ceases to be payable. The court allow the parties to recover sums of money paid out in expenses incurred in connection with the contract, or to retain such sums from money already received under the contract. Where one party has received benefits, other than the money payment, the court may permit the other party to recover a reasonable sum as compensation for such benefit on quantum Meruit. A relevant case

International management 2 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International management 2 - Term Paper Example TUI is the largest integrated tourism group in Europe, lagging far behind its competitors with a turnover of about â‚ ¬ 21,866 million and 70,200 employees in 2008. One of the unmatchable entrepreneurial landmarks of TUI is its continuous structural progress and upgrading services offered to worldwide customers. Contrary to its rivalry, TUI is very successful in both the tourism and shipping divisions because of its advanced attractive products and services as well as the expansion of new and strong brands. However, the performance of TUI has been affected badly due to ongoing war against terrorism, natural calamities, global recession and lack of customer confidence. Prior to 9/11, TUI had more dynamic growth from 1995 to 2001. Post 9/11 effects, really restricted the TUI’s expansion strategy especially in various countries of Asia. Since China is an emerging market, therefore TUI had planned a broad strategy but war in Afghanistan and its further effects in Pakistan, kept TUI to hold up its TUI China brand till 2006. In such political and military situations, ABC Tourism Company decided to launch its new branch in Greece instead of Asia. Before deciding about the Greece, ABC planned the following strategy. Greece is one of the leading tourism countries in Europe due to its quality of life, mild climate, low crime, comparatively low cost of living, competitive construction rates, and recreation facilities. TUI is the largest and No.1 Tourism Company in Europe and looking for to enhance its business horizon up to Greece which has been remained an attractive place for tourists throughout the history. Almost 16 million tourists visit this country each year. And it has a contribution of about 15% to the national GDP. Greece tourism industry is so stable and confident in its economic strength and potential that has spent huge money on its tourist attraction highlights like large scale

Performance and goals of RHB Bank Berhad Malaysia

Performance and goals of RHB Bank Berhad Malaysia As the Department of IT (2011) states RHB Bank Berhad is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It covers variety of financial aspects of people and organizations such as commercial banking, corporate and investment banking. The merger of Kwong Yik Bank and DCB Bank on 1997 resulted to RHB bank, RHB Bank is a part of RHB Capital Berhad financial. The Department of (2011) explins that Today, the bank is the control of the EPF (Employee Provident Fund) after a recent successful bidding. RHB offers different services such as Commercial Banking, Corporate and International Banking services, and currently has more than 200 branch network across the country. To centralize its based hub, a multi-million complex along Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur is now becomes the main headquarter. As the Department of IT (2011) believes RHB Bank specialises in consumer banking and other entities like Islamic Bank, Delta finance to its name. Main focus of RHB bank is on industrial and commercial lending in Singapore, despite it being a fully qualified bank. RHB Group is currently the fourth largest integrated financial service group in Malaysia. Its core businesses can be divided into seven Strategic Business Groups: Retail Banking Business Banking Group Transaction Banking Corporate Investment Banking Islamic Banking Global Financing Banking Group Treasury These businesses are offered through the main subsidiaries, RHB Bank Bhd and RHB Investment Bank Bhd, which are fully owned by RHB Capital and RHB Insurance Bhd which is 79.5% owned by RHB Capital. RHB Islamic Banking Unit, RHB ISLAMIC Bank Bhd, is wholly owned by RHB Bank, while our asset management and unit trust businesses are held under RHB Investment Management Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of RHB Investment Bank. Swot analysis: Strengths: RHB bank is 4th largest bank in Malaysia. It has more than 200 branches and thousands of employees make this bank one of the largest and most successful financial institutes in Malaysia. This shows that there is slight growth in bank. Offer a comprehensive range of financial product and services RHB bank provides variety of services for individuals and organizations. So, it can attract more customer and also Strong cash flow Cash flow of 507,078,000 USD at December 2009. Strong financial performance. There are proven records for the last 7 years which shows great performance of this organization. Ranked in top 30 Malaysia brands 2008. Ranked 17 among 30 best companies in Malaysia worth: 187 million USD Weaknesses: Lack of advertisement and promotions. Comparing to other major banks such as HSBC and May bank it has less activities in these areas. Weak online banking image. RHB not performing strongly in the online banking field specially in user friendliness of their applications. Moderate rank in banking industry value. Opportunities: Growing demand for Islamic banking Islamic banking has seen huge demand in last few years which is a great chance for RHB group to develop in this sector and as Malaysia is considered as a leader in Islamic banking therefore they can expand their services in other Islamic countries as well. Increase usage of online banking Moderate users and people tend to do more of their transactions and banking activities online where as several services can be provided for companies and organizations via online system. With respect to that there is a good market for developing online applications where should be attracting, secure and user friendly. Expansion in ASEAN region. By opportunities which have been provided between ASEAN countries and the amount of export and import among these countries RHB can play a big role in facilitating financial transactions for these transports. Advancement of technology There are new technologies come to the market every day. RHB bank has this chance to acquire new technologies and provide better services which will result to gain more customers Threats: Online banking security. The security of online banking transaction should be considered very seriously as one tiny problem may destroy banks reputation and also treats of computer hackers is a very serious issue. Competition among Malaysia major banks. The strategies and policies taken by other competitors should be monitored and studied closely and carefully and fast and effective actions should be considered. Economic crises in the world This crisis has affected every financial institute all over the world and RHB is not an exception, therefore appropriate acts should be taken to minimize the lost in every way. Porter five forces analysis: More than two decades ago, Michael Porter suggested some driving forces which could analyse the attractiveness of any industry as well as its competitive positioning. Porter invented this model and this was published in his book in 1980. Whether the business is service oriented or physical goods, there are always competitive forces in any perfect competitive business environment. Threats of new entry: Figure 2: minimum amount of capital As above table shows the capital need that Malaysian central bank requires for new banks and with respect to the facts that confirm how complicated this business is, it is not very likely to see new entries every day. The point was entering foreign banks to Malaysia which concerns local banks to rebuild their strategies. Commercial Bank 7 Fully Qualified Foreign Banks Affin Bank Berhad Alliance Bank Berhad AmBankBerhad CIMB BankBerhad EON BankBerhad Hong Leong BankBerhad Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) Public Bank Berhad RHB BankBerhad Muamalat BankBerhad Citibank HSBC Bank Malaysia Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation(OCBC Bank) The Standard CharteredBank (StanChart) The Bank of Nova Scotia(Scotiabank) The Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS)-Former ABN Amro United Overseas Bank(UOB) Bangkok Bank Berhad Bank of China Malaysia Berhad Bank of America Malaysia Berhad Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Berhad Threats of substitutes: With respect to advancement of technology and foreign banks which are operating in Malaysia the degree of competiveness will definitely be raised every day as each bank tries to come with new products and services to gain more customers so these threats will consider high. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The core business of the banking industry is service which mainly focuses on safety of wealth. The suppliers do provide some tangibles like chequebooks, furniture and etc. The impact of this in business is not significant since they are not really like the raw material. Therefore this is a favourable force in this industry. Bargaining power of customers: RHB considers as one of biggest and busiest banks in Malaysia and more or less provides all the services which its competitors also do. So as the degree of differentiation in its product is also high and in some cases the obligations for services are lower that other banks the bargaining power of customers considered low. Competitive rivalry: In the traditional economic model, competition among rival banks drives profits to zero. However, competition has never been perfect and firms are sophisticated passive price takers. Banks strive for a competitive advantage over their rivals. The degree of rivalry among firms varies across industries, and strategic analysts are interested in these fluctuations. These differences give some firms a competitive advantage while to others a disadvantage. When a rival acts in a manner that elicits a counter-response by other firms, rivalry will change. The intensity of rivalry is referred to as being intense, moderate, or weak, based on the firms degree of aggressiveness in attempting to gain an advantage. In pursuing an advantage over its rivals, a firm (in this case a bank) can choose from several competitive moves: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changing in price: change prices to gain a temporary advantage. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More product differentiation: more features, innovations in the manufacturing process and in the product itself. The banks can reposition themselves from the old way the customers have been known them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distribution creativity: by vertical integration and using a distribution channel that is novel to the industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exploiting relationships with suppliers. It is clear that market stability and changes in supply and demand affect rivalry. Cyclical demand tends to create cutthroat competition. Current analysis of RHB bank: RHB bank is a Malaysia based investment company which principally offers commercial and corporate banking services. Its range of services includes banking, leasing, insurance and etc. As of December 31, 2009, RHB network has expanded to network of around 241 branches in Malaysia; 7 branches in Singapore; a branch in Brunei and Thailand and the headquartered is at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. So with respect of the above explanation and the pervious analysis RHB performing successfully but more work and effort should be putted on online banking in future. Area of improvement and possible approaches: While it is obvious that the core legacy environment needed to be replaced to meet current IT requirements, RHB also wanted to build the best possible infrastructure for its future business needs. There are no simple replacement strategies therefore the current environment can be a bit complex. Approach Assessed current issues with the core platform, investment and operating aspects, and organizational implications Determined future requirements for the next 10 years for example and arrange them into a set of capabilities that the system should provide to ensure success. Undertook evaluation against key strategic capabilities and technical architectural considerations IT department: Information technology Department manages the scientific plans and mechanism as well as all that is related to information systems in the Bank which includes following-up the maintenance, upgrading of the systems. In addition to that, this department is responsible to supervising the upgrading of all the systems for the administrative and financial works as well as communication networks. Applications Development: This section will prepare development plans for the information systems and studying other requirements of the Bank. It also develops databases and systems. The Section is also responsible for conducting technical studies and finding the criteria for the systems which the Bank interested to utilize. Network Security: Network and  Security Section of the IT department supervises the communication lines network and internet services and arranges their follows up the repair of faults in the network and set up a security system to protect the networks. Operations Technical Support: The Section undertakes the responsibility of supervising the backup process of data from the various databases. It also follows-up the maintenance contracts technical-wise (and coordinates with the Banks authorities. SWOT analysis of IT department: Opportunities: Advancement of technology provides new opportunities for IT department in order to come out with new application and services. By increasing the security and other counter measures they can attract more customers to their online applications. Threats: Time is very important in competition specially when it comes to IT field and products. Online thieves and hackers can be considered another threat for IT department. Strength: Having one of the most qualifying IT personnel in their team. Updating their online system and improve it constantly. Weaknesses: Its online banking that is not user friendly neither as popular among Malaysian people as its competitors. Having less branches comparing to other local banks such as CIMB and May bank. According to these result and other information gathered, it seems that although RHB has put so much man power and budget on their IT and online applications, still they didnt completely look at it from the customer perspective. Therefore its strongly advisable to them to reconsider and redesign their online banking in the manner which attract more users and therefore more customers as the best way of marketing is word of mouth. According to other research may bank and cimb are the significant samples for online banking which RHB currently competing with. Area of improvement: As far as I understand they dont need much consideration on security issues as according to their CIO they are already very advanced in the subject. The point they have to consider is attractive design for their website and other online applications as well as it should be easy to use as much as possible. It is very important for any online application and specifically in Malaysia it will attract people. Risk: 1. Human error: This risk has existed and we will face this error in future. There are some ways to reduce the rate such as trainings, but it will always be there. 2. System failure: The happening rate of this error has been reduced thanks to many facts such as technology advancement but precautions should still be made. 3. Cyber attacks: These attacks will be faced by any financial institute during time. Rising security measures, using new methods a consistent monitoring will result to reduce the possibility of this problem to occur. In addition to these issues the IT department has a very sophisticated plan for their crises management in order to keep data safe and consistent. These problems hopefully are not likely to happen, but they have to take measures as they dealing with lots of people and huge amount of data which no one can think what to do if this data some hoe lost. Conclusion: Rhb vision is to be among the top three financial institutions in ASEAN by the year 2020. In order t o achieve this goal they have a long way to go. One of their most vital assets in this road would be Information technology and IT related services which they could provide for their customers. The point here to remember is that IT applications can be very complex and miss leading due the security aspects; therefore simplification is vital for these applications to success. Beside that there are other points that should be improved along the way such as CUSTOMER FOCUS, TEAMWORK, RESPECT, INNOVATION, and QUALITY SERVICE.

Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot Essay -- Waiting for Godot Essays

Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett asks what it is that we are really doing on Earth. He feels that God plays a key role in the solution to the human condition, however, since we do not truly know if God exists, life it would seem is simply a quest to search for an alternate explanation. Most of the time we attempt to distract ourselves from the issue and try desperately to bring some sort of meaning into our life while silently waiting for someone or something to come and give us an answer. According to Beckett, the definition of human existence is waiting to ascertain if the possibility of salvation with a possible God exists, or if all that lies ahead is darkness; he feels that all other aspects of life are insignificant and essentially can be reduced to nothing. These ideas are illustrated in a play where time seems to be irrelevant, nothing of importance ever happens, and the main characters are left waiting for someone who may or may not ever come. At the very beginning, Beckett hints at his proposal to the solution to the human condition. Vladimir tells the ignorant Estragon the story from the Bible of the two thieves that were crucified at the same time as Jesus. Apparently, one of the thieves believed in God, the other did not--the one who believed was saved. In Vladimir's opinion, this is not that bad a deal: "One of the thieves was saved. (Pause.) It's a reasonable percentage" (8). It seems that according to the story, reward or punishment is handed out depending on behavior (or at least belief). Vladimir's thoughts are somewhat parallel to those of the French philosopher Pascal who rationalized that given the possible outcomes, one is better to bet that God exists. However, ... ...after waiting so long and nothing positive ever happens (besides a few leaves on a tree) that even the persistence of the 'conscious' seems to begin to fade as well. Beckett poses some interesting questions. If all we are doing on Earth is waiting--waiting for answers whose meanings we may never comprehend--is anything that we do significant at all? As humans, it seems that in a sense we do, somewhere in us, realize our condition. However, we try to remain ignorant of it. We look for distractions; we look for something that seems to have meaning just so the absolute absurdity of our life remains masked. We search for answers--answers that may or may not ever come. In our continued waiting nonetheless, it seems our situation continues to become more hopeless.   Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Trans. Samuel Beckett. New York: Grove Press, 1982. Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot Essay -- Waiting for Godot Essays Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett asks what it is that we are really doing on Earth. He feels that God plays a key role in the solution to the human condition, however, since we do not truly know if God exists, life it would seem is simply a quest to search for an alternate explanation. Most of the time we attempt to distract ourselves from the issue and try desperately to bring some sort of meaning into our life while silently waiting for someone or something to come and give us an answer. According to Beckett, the definition of human existence is waiting to ascertain if the possibility of salvation with a possible God exists, or if all that lies ahead is darkness; he feels that all other aspects of life are insignificant and essentially can be reduced to nothing. These ideas are illustrated in a play where time seems to be irrelevant, nothing of importance ever happens, and the main characters are left waiting for someone who may or may not ever come. At the very beginning, Beckett hints at his proposal to the solution to the human condition. Vladimir tells the ignorant Estragon the story from the Bible of the two thieves that were crucified at the same time as Jesus. Apparently, one of the thieves believed in God, the other did not--the one who believed was saved. In Vladimir's opinion, this is not that bad a deal: "One of the thieves was saved. (Pause.) It's a reasonable percentage" (8). It seems that according to the story, reward or punishment is handed out depending on behavior (or at least belief). Vladimir's thoughts are somewhat parallel to those of the French philosopher Pascal who rationalized that given the possible outcomes, one is better to bet that God exists. However, ... ...after waiting so long and nothing positive ever happens (besides a few leaves on a tree) that even the persistence of the 'conscious' seems to begin to fade as well. Beckett poses some interesting questions. If all we are doing on Earth is waiting--waiting for answers whose meanings we may never comprehend--is anything that we do significant at all? As humans, it seems that in a sense we do, somewhere in us, realize our condition. However, we try to remain ignorant of it. We look for distractions; we look for something that seems to have meaning just so the absolute absurdity of our life remains masked. We search for answers--answers that may or may not ever come. In our continued waiting nonetheless, it seems our situation continues to become more hopeless.   Works Cited Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. Trans. Samuel Beckett. New York: Grove Press, 1982.