The Persian Gulf War Essays - Kuwait, IraqUnited States Relations

The Persian Gulf War subject = U.S. History title = The Persian Gulf War The Persian Gulf War-the Feat of the Western Countries On August 2nd, 1990 Iraqi military forces invaded and occupied the small Arab state of Kuwait. The order was given by Iraqi dictatorial president Saddam Hussein. His aim was apparently to take control Kuwait's oil reserves (despite its small size Kuwait is a huge oil producer; it has about 10 per cent of the world's oil reserves ). Iraq accused Kuwait, and also the United Arab Emirates, of breaking agreements that limit oil production in the Middle East. According to Saddam Hussein, this brought down world oil prices severely and caused financial loss of billions of dollars in Iraq's annual revenue. Saddam Hussein had the nearly hopeless task of justifying the invasion. He plead the fact that Kuwait had been part of the Ottoman province of Basra, a city in the south of Iraq. However, the Ottoman province collapsed after World War I and today's Iraqi borders were not created until then. There was also a further and more obvious blunder in a bid to justify this illegal invasion. Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, had namely recognized Kuwaiti independence in 1963. Furthermore, Hussein claimed that Kuwait had illegally pumped oil from the Iraqi oil field of Rumaila and otherwise conspired to reduce Iraq's essential oil income. By invading Kuwait, Iraq succeeded in surprising the entire world. The USA ended her policy of accommodating Saddam Hussein, which had existed since the Iran-Iraq war. Negative attitude toward Iraq was soon a worldwide phenomenon. The United Nations Security Council passed 12 resolutions condemning the invasion. The ultimate decision was to use military force if Iraq did not withdraw unconditionally by January 15, 1991. Then, when the deadline was set, it was time to start preparing for the worst-the war. President George Bush confronted little difficulty in winning Americans' support for the potential war against Iraq. However, the government found it difficult to decide upon and state one overriding reason for going to war. Was it to oppose aggression or was it just to protect global oil supplies? Other powers were more directly concerned as consumers of Persian Gulf oil, but they were not as eager to commit military force, to risk their youth in battle and to pay for the costs of the war. Critics of President Bush continued to maintain that he was taking advantage of the issue of energy supplies in order to manipulate the U. S. public opinion in favor of war. After consulting with U. S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in early August 1990, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia invited American troops onto Saudi soil. He had seen Kuwait's destiny; therefore, he wanted protection. It was also the interest of the USA to stop any further advantage of the Iraqi army. The deployment was called ?Operation Desert Shield.? These troops were armed with light, defensive weaponry. On November 8, 1990 President Bush announced a military buildup to provide an offensive option, ?Operation Desert Storm,? to force Iraq out of Kuwait. The preparation of the operation took two and a half months and it involved a massive air- and sea lift. Finally, in January 1991, the U. S. Congress voted to support Security Council resolution 660. It authorized using ?all necessary means? if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15. Shrugging off this final warning, Saddam Hussein resolutely maintained the occupation of Kuwait. The United States established a broad-based international coalition to confront Iraq militarily and diplomatically. The military coalition consisted of Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Honduras, Italy, Kuwait, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The war also was financed by countries which were unable to send in troops. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait were the main donors. More than $53 billion was pledged and received. Before the war, it appeared obvious that Iraq would have very little chance against the Coalition. The relative strength between the parties was extremely unequal. The most critical difference was that the Coalition had a total of 2600 aircraft, over three times more than Iraq's 800 aircraft. Most Arab observers thought Hussein would not last more than six months. Lieutenant General Khalid bin Sultan, the commander of the Arab coalition forces, gave Iraq's leader only 40 days, and repeated this prediction many times. Iraq's

Biography of Joseph Stalin, Dictator of Soviet Union

Biography of Joseph Stalin, Dictator of Soviet Union Joseph Stalin (December 18, 1878–March 5, 1953) was an important leader in the Russian Revolution who became the head of the Communist Party and Dictator of the Soviet state known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics  (USSR). During World War II he maintained an uneasy alliance with the United States and Great Britain to fight Nazi Germany, but dropped any illusions of friendship after the war. As Stalin sought to expand Communism throughout Eastern Europe and around the world, he helped spark the Cold War and the subsequent arms race. Fast Facts: Joseph Stalin Known For: Bolshevik leader, Russian revolutionary, Head of the Communist Party in Russia and Dictator of the USSR (1927–1953)Born: December 18, 1878 (official date: December 21, 1879) in Gori, Georgia  Parents: Vissarion Dzhugasvhil and Ekaterina Georgievna GeadzeDied:  March 5, 1953 in Kuntsevo Dacha, RussiaEducation: Gori Church School (1888–1894), Tiflis Theological Seminary (1894–1899)Publications:  Collected WorksSpouse(s): Ekaterina Svanidze (1885–1907, married 1904–1907), Nadezhda Sergeevna Allilueva (1901–1932, m. 1919–1932)  Children: with Ekaterina: Yakov Iosifovich Dzhugashvili (1907–1943), with Nadezhda: Vasily (1921–1962) Svetlana Iosefovna Allilueva (1926–2011)Notable Quote: â€Å"A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.†Ã‚   Early Life Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) at the time when he entered Tiflis seminary. (1894). (Photo by Apic/Getty Images) Joseph Stalin was born Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili in Gori, Georgia (a region annexed by Russia in 1801) on December 6, 1878 by theJulian calendar then in use; using the modern calendar, that converts to December 18, 1878). He later claimed his official birthdate as December 21, 1879). He was the third son of four children born to Ekaterina Georgievna Geadze (Keke) and Vissarion (Beso) Djugashvili, but he was the only one to survive past infancy. Stalin’s parents had a turbulent marriage, with Beso often beating his wife and son. Part of their marital strife came from their very different ambition for their son. Keke recognized that Soso, as Joseph Stalin was known as a child, was highly intelligent and wanted him to become a Russian Orthodox priest; thus, she made every effort to get him an education. On the other hand, Beso, who was a cobbler, felt that working-class life was good enough for his son. Education The argument came to a head when Stalin was 12 years old. Beso, who had moved to Tiflis (the capital of Georgia) to find work, came back and took Stalin to the factory where he worked so that Stalin could become an apprentice cobbler. This was the last time Beso would assert his vision for Stalins future. With help from friends and teachers, Keke got Stalin back and once again got him on the path to attend seminary. After this incident, Beso refused to support either Keke or his son, effectively ending the marriage. Keke supported Stalin by working as a laundress, though she later secured more respectable employment at a womens clothing shop. Keke was right to note Stalins intellect, which soon became apparent to his teachers. Stalin excelled in school and earned a scholarship to the Tiflis Theological Seminary in 1894. However, there were signs that Stalin was not destined for the priesthood. Prior to entering the seminary, Stalin was not only a choirboy, but also the ruthless leader of a street gang. Notorious for his cruelty and use of unfair tactics, Stalin’s gang dominated the rough streets of Gori. Stalin as a Young Revolutionary A card from the register of the St. Petersburg imperial police on Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. (1912). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) While at the seminary, Stalin discovered the works of Karl Marx. He joined the local socialist party and soon his interest in overthrowing Czar Nicholas II and the monarchical system outstripped any desire he might have had to be a priest. Stalin dropped out of school just a few months shy of graduating to become a revolutionary, giving his first public speech in 1900. The Life of a Revolutionary After having joined the revolutionary underground, Stalin went into hiding using the alias â€Å"Koba.† Nevertheless, the police captured Stalin in 1902 and exiled him to Siberia for the first time in 1903. When free from prison, Stalin continued to support the revolution and helped organize peasants in the 1905 Russian Revolution against Czar Nicholas II. Stalin would be arrested and exiled seven times and escape six between 1902 and 1913. In between arrests, Stalin married Ekaterina Svanidze, a sister of a classmate from seminary, in 1904. They had one son, Yacov, before Yekaterina died of typhus in 1907. Yacov was raised by his mothers parents until he was reunited with Stalin in 1921 in Moscow, though the two were never close. Yacov would be among the millions of Russian casualties of World War II. Vladimir Lenin Stalins commitment to the party intensified when he met Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, head of the Bolsheviks in 1905. Lenin recognized Stalins potential and encouraged him. After that, Stalin held the Bolsheviks in any way he could, including committing several robberies to raise funds. Because Lenin was in exile, Stalin took over as editor of Pravda, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, in 1912. That same year, Stalin was appointed to the Bolsheviks Central Committee, cementing his role as a key figure in the Communist movement. The Name Stalin Also in 1912, Stalin, while writing for the revolution while still in exile, first signed an article Stalin, meaning steel man, for the power it connotes. This would continue to be a frequent pen name and, after the successful Russian Revolution in October 1917, his surname. (Stalin would continue to use aliases throughout the rest of his life, though the world would know him as Joseph Stalin.) 1917 Russian Revolution Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin address the proletariat during the Russian Revolution. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Stalin missed much of the activity leading up to the Russian Revolution in 1917, because he was exiled to Siberia from 1913–1917. Upon his release in March of 1917, Stalin resumed his role as a Bolshevik leader. By the time he was reunited with Lenin, who also returned to Russia a few weeks after Stalin, Czar Nicholas II had already abdicated as part of the February Russian Revolution. With the czar deposed, the Provisional Government was in charge. The October 1917 Russian Revolution Lenin and Stalin, however, wanted to topple the Provisional Government and install a Communist one, controlled by the Bolsheviks. Feeling that the country was ready for another revolution, Lenin and the Bolsheviks began a nearly bloodless coup on October 25, 1917. In just two days, the Bolsheviks had taken over Petrograd, the capital of Russia, and thus became the leaders of the country. Not everyone was happy with the Bolsheviks ruling the country, thus Russia was thrust immediately into civil war as the Red Army (the Bolshevik forces) battled the White Army (made up of various anti-Bolshevik factions). The Russian Civil War lasted until 1921. Russian revolutionaries and leaders Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, and Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin at the Congress of the Russian Communist Party. (March 23, 1919). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) In 1921, the White Army was defeated, leaving Lenin, Stalin and Leon Trotsky as the dominant figures in the new Bolshevik government. Although Stalin and Trotsky were rivals, Lenin appreciated their distinct abilities and promoted both. Trotsky vs. Stalin Trotsky was far more popular than Stalin, so Stalin was given the less public role of General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1922. Trotsky, who was a persuasive orator, maintained a visible presence in foreign affairs and was perceived by many as the heir apparent. However, what neither Lenin nor Trotsky foresaw was that Stalins position allowed him to build loyalty within the Communist Party, as an essential factor in his eventual takeover. Head of the Communist Party Tensions between Stalin and Trotsky increased when Lenins health began to fail in 1922 with the first of several strokes, raising the difficult question of who would be Lenin’s successor. From his sickbed, Lenin had advocated for shared power and maintained this vision until his death on January 21, 1924. Ultimately, Trotsky was no match for Stalin because Stalin had spent his years in the party building loyalty and support. By 1927, Stalin had effectively eliminated all of his political rivals (and exiled Trotsky) to emerge as the head of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Stalins Five Year Plans Soviet Communist dictator Joseph Stalin. (circa 1935). (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) Stalins willingness to use brutality to achieve political aims was well established by the time he took power; nevertheless, the Soviet Union (as it was known after 1922) was unprepared for the extreme violence and oppression that Stalin unleashed in 1928. This was the first year of Stalins Five Year Plan, a radical attempt to bring the Soviet Union into the industrial age. Famine In the name of Communism, Stalin seized assets, including farms and factories, and reorganized the economy. However, these efforts often led to less efficient production, ensuring that mass starvation swept the countryside. To mask the disastrous results of the plan, Stalin maintained export levels, shipping food out of the country even as rural residents died by the hundreds of thousands. Any protest of his policies resulted in immediate death or relocation to a gulag (a prison camp in the remote regions of the nation). The Disastrous Effects Kept Secret The first Five Year Plan (1928-1932) was declared completed a year early and the second Five Year Plan (1933-1937) was launched with equally disastrous results. A third Five Year began in 1938, but was interrupted by World War II in 1941. While all of these plans were unmitigated disasters, Stalin’s policy forbidding any negative publicity led the full consequences of these upheavals to remain hidden for decades. To many who were not directly impacted, the Five Year Plans appeared to exemplify Stalins proactive leadership. Stalins Cult of Personality Soviet Communist leader Joseph Stalin (1879-1953), with Galia Markifova, at a reception for the elite of the workers of the Biviato autonomous socialist republic. In later life, Galia was sent to a labor camp by Stalin. (1935). (Photo by Henry Guttmann/Getty Images) Stalin is also known for building an unprecedented cult of personality. Presenting himself as a paternal figure watching over his people, Stalins image and actions could not have been more distinct. While paintings and statues of Stalin kept him in the public eye, Stalin also promoted himself by aggrandizing his past through tales of his childhood and his role in the revolution. However, with millions of people dying, statues and tales of heroics could only go so far. Thus, Stalin made it a policy that showing anything less than complete devotion was punishable by exile or death. Going beyond that, Stalin eradicated any form of dissent or competition. No Outside Influences; No Free Press Not only did Stalin readily arrest anyone remotely suspected of having a different view, he also closed religious institutions and confiscated church lands in his reorganization of the Soviet Union. Books and music that were not to Stalins standards were banned as well, virtually eliminating the possibility of outside influences. No one was allowed to say a negative thing against Stalin, especially the press. No news of the death and devastation in the countryside was leaked to the public; only news and images that presented Stalin in a flattering light were allowed. Stalin also famously changed the name of the city of Tsaritsyn to Stalingrad in 1925 to honor the city for its role in the Russian civil war. Second Wife and Family Nadezhda Alliluyeva Stalin (1901-1932), the second wife of Joseph Stalin and mother of his children, Vassily and Svetlana. They married in 1919 and she killed herself on November 8th, 1932. (circa 1925). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) In 1919, Stalin married Nadezhda (Nadya) Alliluyeva, his secretary and fellow Bolshevik. Stalin had become close with Nadyas family, many of whom were active in the revolution and would go on to hold important positions under Stalin’s government. The young revolutionary captivated Nadya and together they would have two children, a son, Vasily, in 1921, and a daughter, Svetlana, in 1926. As carefully as Stalin controlled his public image, he could not escape the criticism of his wife, Nadya, one of the few bold enough to stand up to him. Nadya often protested his deadly policies and found herself at the receiving end of Stalins verbal and physical abuse. While their marriage began with mutual affection, Stalins temperament and alleged affairs contributed greatly to Nadyas depression. After Stalin berated her particularly harshly at a dinner party, Nadya committed suicide on November 9, 1932. The Great Terror Soviet leader Joseph Stalin after the completion of a series of governmental purges in which most of the Communist Party old guard were dismissed or executed. (1938). (Photo by Ivan Shagin/Slava Katamidze Collection/Getty Images) Despite Stalin’s attempts to eradicate all dissent, some opposition emerged, particularly among party leaders who understood the devastating nature of Stalin’s policies. Nevertheless, Stalin was reelected in 1934. This election made Stalin keenly aware of his critics and he soon began to eliminate anyone he perceived as opposition, including his most substantial political rival, Sergi Kerov. Sergi Kerov was assassinated in 1934 and Stalin, who most believe was responsible, used Kerovs death to extol the dangers of the anti-Communist movement and tighten his grip on Soviet politics. Thus began the period known as the Great Terror. Few leaders have culled their ranks as dramatically as Stalin did in during the Great Terror of the 1930s. He targeted members of his cabinet and government, soldiers, clergy, intellectuals, or anyone else he deemed suspect. Those seized by his secret police would be tortured, imprisoned, or killed (or a combination of these experiences). Stalin was indiscriminate in his targets, and top government and military officials were not immune from prosecution. In fact, the Great Terror eliminated many key figures in government. Widespread Paranoia During the Great Terror, widespread paranoia reigned. Citizens were encourages to turn each other in and those captured often pointed figures at neighbors or coworkers in hopes of saving their own lives. Farcical show trials publicly confirmed the guilt of the accused and ensured that family members of those accused would remain socially ostracized - if they managed to evade arrest. The military was particularly decimated by the Great Terror since Stalin perceived a military coup as the greatest threat. With World War II on the horizon, this purging of the military leadership would later prove a severe detriment to the Soviet Union’s military effectiveness. Death Toll While the estimates of death tolls vary greatly, the lowest numbers credit Stalin with killing 20 million during the Great Terror alone. Beyond being one of the greatest examples of state-sponsored murder in history, the Great Terror demonstrated Stalins obsessive paranoia and willingness to prioritize it over national interests. Stalin and Nazi Germany Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov checks over the plan for the Demarcation of Poland, while Nazi Foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop stands in the background with Joseph Stalin. (August 23, 1939). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Stalin and Hitler Sign a Non-Aggression Pact By 1939, Adolf Hitler was a powerful threat to Europe and Stalin could not help but be concerned. While Hitler was opposed to Communism and had little regard for Eastern Europeans, he appreciated that Stalin represented a formidable force and the two signed a non-aggression pact in 1939. Operation Barbarossa After Hitler drew the rest of Europe into war in 1939, Stalin pursued his own territorial ambition in the Baltic region and Finland. Although many warned Stalin that Hitler intended to break the pact (as he had with other European powers), Stalin was surprised when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, a full-scale invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. Stalin Joins the Allies The Big Three met in person for the first time in Teheran to discuss the co-ordination of allied war efforts. Left to right: Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, U.S President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. (1943). (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, Stalin joined the Allied powers, which included Great Britain (led by Sir Winston Churchill) and later the United States (led by Franklin D. Roosevelt). Although they shared a joint enemy, the communist/capitalist rift ensured that mistrust characterized the relationship. However, before the Allies could come help, the German army swept eastward through the Soviet Union. Initially, some Soviet residents were relieved when the German army invaded, thinking that German rule had to be an improvement over Stalinism. Unfortunately, the Germans were merciless in their occupation and ravaged the territory they conquered. Scorched Earth Policy Stalin, who was determined to stop the German army’s invasion at any cost, employed a scorched earth policy. This entailed burning all farms fields and villages in the path of the advancing Germany army to prevent German soldiers from living off the land. Stalin hoped that, without the ability to pillage, the German army’s supply line would run so thin that the invasion would be forced to stop. Unfortunately, this scorched earth policy also meant the destruction of the homes and livelihoods of Russian people, creating massive numbers of homeless refugees. It was the harsh Soviet winter that really slowed down the advancing Germany army, leading to some of the bloodiest battles of World War II. However, to force a German retreat, Stalin needed greater assistance. Although Stalin began to receive American equipment in 1942, what he really wanted was Allied troops deployed to the Eastern Front. The fact that this never happened infuriated Stalin and increased the resentment between Stalin and his allies. The Atomic Bomb Another rift in the relationship between Stalin and the Allies came when the United States secretly developed the nuclear bomb. The mistrust between the Soviet Union and the United States was obvious when the U.S. refused to share the technology with the Soviet Union, causing Stalin to launch his own nuclear weapons program. The Soviets Turn the Nazis Back With supplies provided by the Allies, Stalin was able to turn the tide at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943 and forced the retreat of the German army. With the tide turned, the Soviet army continued to push the Germans all the way back to Berlin, ending World War II in Europe in May of 1945. Stalin and the Cold War Soviet Communist leader Joseph Stalin (1950). (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) Once World War II ended, the task of rebuilding Europe remained. While the United States and the United Kingdom sought stability, Stalin had no desire to cede the territory he had conquered during the war. Therefore, Stalin claimed the territory he had liberated from Germany as part of the Soviet empire. Under Stalin’s tutelage, Communist parties took control of each country’s government, cut off all communication with the West, and became official Soviet satellite states. The Truman Doctrine While the Allies were unwilling to launch a full-scale war against Stalin, U.S. President Harry Truman recognized that Stalin could not go unchecked. In response to Stalins domination of Eastern Europe, Truman issued the Truman Doctrine in 1947, in which the United States pledged to help nations at risk of a being overtaken by Communists. It was immediately enacted to thwart Stalin in Greece and Turkey, which would ultimately remain independent throughout the Cold War. The Berlin Blockade and Airlift Stalin again challenged the Allies in 1948 when he attempted to seize control of Berlin, a city that had been divided among the victors of World War II. Stalin had already seized East Germany and severed it from the West as part of his post-war conquest. Hoping to claim the entire capital, which was located entirely within East Germany, Stalin blockaded the city in an attempt to force the other Allies to abandon their sectors of Berlin. However, determined to not give in to Stalin, the U.S. organized a nearly year-long airlift that flew massive amounts of supplies into West Berlin. These efforts rendered the blockade ineffective and Stalin finally ended the blockade on May 12, 1949. Berlin (and the rest of Germany) remained divided. This division ultimately manifested in the creation of the Berlin Wall in 1961 during the height of the Cold War. The Cold War Continues While the Berlin Blockade was the last major military confrontation between Stalin and the West, Stalin’s policies and attitude toward the West would continue as Soviet policy even after Stalin’s death. This competition between the Soviet Union and the United States escalated during the Cold War to the point where nuclear war seemed imminent. The Cold War ended only with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Death Soviet Communist leader Joseph Stalin lying in state in the hall of Trade Union House, Moscow. (March 12, 1953). (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) In his final years, Stalin tried to reshape his image to that of a man of peace. He turned his attention to rebuilding the Soviet Union and invested in many domestic projects, such as bridges and canals – most were never completed. While he was writing his Collected Works in an attempt to define his legacy as an innovative leader, evidence suggests that Stalin was also working on his next purge, an attempt to eliminate the Jewish population that remained in Soviet territory. This never came to pass since Stalin suffered a stroke on March 1, 1953 and died four days later. Stalin maintained his cult of personality even after his death. Like Lenin before him, Stalin’s body was embalmed and put on public display. In spite of the death and destruction he inflicted upon those he ruled, Stalin’s death devastated the nation. The cult-like loyalty he inspired remained, although it would dissipate in time. Legacy A crowd of people surround the demolished head of a statue of Joseph Stalin, including Daniel Sego, the man who cut off the head, during the Hungarian Revolt, Budapest, Hungary. Sego is spitting on the statue. (December 1956). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) It took several years for the Communist party to replace Stalin; in 1956, Nikita Khrushchev took over. Khrushchev broke the secrecy regarding Stalin’s atrocities and led the Soviet Union in a period of de-Stalinization, which included beginning to account for the catastrophic deaths under Stalin and acknowledging the flaws in his policies. It wasn’t an easy process for the Soviet people to break through Stalin’s cult of personality to see the real truths of his reign. The estimated numbers of dead are staggering. The secrecy regarding those â€Å"purged† has left millions of Soviet citizens wondering the exact fate of their loved ones. No Longer Idolize Stalin With these new-found truths about Stalin’s reign, it was time to stop revering the man who had murdered millions. Pictures and statues of Stalin were gradually removed and in 1961, the city of Stalingrad was renamed Volgograd. In October of 1961, Stalins body, which had lain next to Lenin’s for nearly eight years, was removed from the mausoleum. Stalin’s body was buried nearby, surrounded by concrete so that he could not be moved again. Sources Rappaport, Helen. Joseph Stalin: A Biographical Companion. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 1999.Radzinsky, Edvard. Stalin: The First In-depth Biography Based on Explosive New Documents from Russias Secret Archives. New York: Doubleday, 1996.Service, Robert. Stalin: A Biography. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press, 2005.

Office Art Memo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Office Art Memo - Research Paper Example From this paper it is clear that  the impressionist paintings include: A Matador, Young Woman with Ibis, and View of Vetheuil. ‘A Matador' impressionist art has color painted side by side with a little mixing, and it has a strongly colored ground. It was made by French, Edouard Manet. The ‘View of Vetheuil’ impressionist art was created in the year 1880 by Claude Monet, from France. The artwork also has a more vivid color with a light colored background. Besides, the painting is out- door with the shadowy effects detailed. On the other hand, the ‘Young Woman with Ibis’ impressionist work was an out- door painting and had no use of black color. The painting was made by a French woman, Edgar Degas, who was an impressionist. It was made in the year 1860 to 1862 and had an emphasis on natural light. The colors in the painting are placed side by side with no mixing.This discussion stresses that  there are several post-impressionist paintings and they in clude ‘Still Life with Teapot and Fruit’, ‘Tahitian Faces: Frontal Views and Profiles’, and ‘Road in Etten.’   Ã¢â‚¬ËœStill Life with Teapot and Fruit’ is non- naturalistic, even though simplified, and a trait that defies the principles of impressionist art. It has flowers hanging on their own without obeying the force of gravity. The artwork also has flat patches in bold colors, esoteric symbolism, and decorative line. Paul Gauguin, a renowned post- impressionist, made the artwork.

Advertising Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Advertising Analysis - Essay Example Technical effects are aimed at adding value to the adverts. These include: Sound effects add value to the products, thus giving them emotion. Close-ups give emphasis. Lighting is used to attract viewers’ attention to certain details. Accessories such as models, props and clothes used alongside the products improve them. Editing is focused on generating and pacing excitement; most products are marketed using three primary emotions: humor, sex and fear. These emotions should be independent on intellectual analysis. Unique effects bring inanimate things into life, thus making them exciting. This feature is usually prevalent in children-targeted ads. Camera angles add value to perspectives. For instance, low angles often give the product or subject power; and popular songs and music provide pneumonic devices to ads, and trigger observer’s memory (Berger 14). Common attention –getting hooks are aimed at attracting viewers’ attentions. They include humor, symbol s, repetition, fear, sex, flattering, big lies, macho, femininity, ordinary people, famous people, hype, testimonials, cute and vague promises (Berger 17). These are described as follows: Humor is commonly used since it makes the observers more attentive and memorable. Symbols such as crosses and flags are easily recognizable elements that generate powerful emotions. Repetition is used to repeat sales pitch over and over again. Fear messages are focused on addressing observers’ insecurities. It is one of the commonly used techniques since extra attention is needed to resist these messages. And sex often sells without exception. Cute images and people always add value to the show, especially in cartoon and family programs. Most adverts feature celebrities giving testimonials why certain products are recommendable. This is because people respect products endorsed by celebrities such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Famous people like Tiger Woods make products attractive and a ppealing through associations. Ads that target family or community such as Wal-Mart use ordinary people in their shows. Femininity is a gender stereotype that is commonly used in a variety of products like alcohol ads and make-up commercials. Macho is commonly used in adverts that target male community, but not exclusively. It represents male stereotype and masculinity. Such ads include tobacco and military adverts. Exotic is the appeal of the other option. It maybe a tribal person, mountain location, beach location, or something unfamiliar or strange. Film effects, music, fashion and images depicting a certain period in history are focused to represent demographic featured in the advert. This may include pop and classic rock music (Berger 34). Culture is a feature that is essential when designing an advert. An advert should be designed in accordance to specific ethnic groups. For example, Latino-targeted adverts may include particular uses of language or family scenes (Berger 34). There are two key analytical frameworks used to describe adverts and other visuals. These are content analysis and semiotic analysis. The two techniques are not often used when analyzing an ad because they both originate from different ideological stances (Berger 41). Active interpretation is primarily concerned with the act of interpretation. From this, the meaning of the advert is obtained from the process of interpretation, but not from the content of the advert. Such adverts are designed to bring the viewers to a common understanding. There is also diversity of interpretation method, which focuses on the different views presented by the viewers regarding the same advert. This method takes into account factors such as ethnicity, age, class and

Identifying Risk of Harm to Child

Identifying Risk of Harm to Child Child Protection Scenario What indicators of risk of harm can you identify in the scenario? Georgia appears rather agitated when her brother comes to pick her up Georgia pulls away when her eldest brother Peter goes to pick her up Staff members are noticing that Georgia is seeming withdrawn from activities lately Staff members have noticed that for the past two weeks Georgia has been regressing in toilet training has been wetting her bed every day When having a conversation with Georgia she tells you how she doesn’t like when Peter comes into her room at night when she’s asleep What would you say to Georgia in response to the above conversations? What action would you take based on the scenario? Talk to your director about what you have observed and conversations you have had with Georgia. Keep written documentation on everything you have observed kept in a locked cupboard in the child’s file. Access the Mandatory Reporters Guide and answer the questions and from there it will direct you on what to do next. Always follow the correct steps and remember that best interest of the child is paramount. Protecting a child’s wellbeing is a shared issue between a number of different organisations and individuals. (Council of Australian Governments, 2010) What are the key points to remember in responding to a child’s disclosure (verbal and non-verbal)? When responding to a child’s disclosure keep your facial expressions calm and don’t act shocked. Always listen very closely, getting down to eye level and thank the child for confiding with you. Let the child know that she/he isn’t the first person this has happened to and always talk age appropriately. (Child Wise, 2012). Never ask direct questions and wait for the child to come to you first. Ensure that you don’t pass any of your own personal judgement onto the child and respond in ways that make her feel safe and that you genuinely care about her. (Briggs and Buttrose, n.d, pp. 238-239) According to the policy, outline the steps you would take in response to the situation; The Make Believe Pre-School has a duty of care and obligation to defend the child’s rights to care and protection. The Pre-School must abide by all relevant Child Protection Legislation and must have procedures in place to ensure this and by promoting child protection awareness in the community through support of parents. There are various legislative requirements that the Make Believe Pre-School management committee can use to help them to develop a framework for the protection of children and also to ensure that staff know what needs to be done in relation to child protection. Their Child Protection Policy clearly states that; All staff have the responsibility to report to Department of Community Services (DoCS) for suspected Risk of Significant Harm (RoSH). Observe and document all signs of RoSH and keep in a locked file in the childs folder Report to the authorised supervisor Refer to the MRG to determine what process to follow Ensure children know that they never deserve to be harmed or abused What record keeping and documentation would be necessary in this situation? Take extreme care that all documentation for a child at risk of significant harm is kept confidential and in a locked file under the child’s name. Observe the child closely and document any further conversations always including a clear description, date and time. Any personal opinions or judgement should not be included in documentation. (Farrell and Sheringham, n.d, p. 186). If you have any telephone conversations with outside agencies be sure conversation is on speakerphone with another person present. Consult with your director on a regular basis on the situation of the child and print off any MRG decisions and keep in a confidential folder. Identify the potential ethical concerns. How might you respond to this concern? Who would you seek support from? There is clearly a cultural and family issue in this scenario. There is also a language barrier as an interpreter is needed for the mother. This has the potential for information to be misunderstood and the correct information not to be communicated successfully. The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) encourages diversity and respecting cultures. Georgia belongs to two different cultures, Australian and Chinese and as educators we need to respect the diversity of the child. (DEEWR, 2009, p. 13) We also need to understand the long term concerns for the child and the family, if it is found that Georgia is being abused. The (Early Childhood Australia, 2006) Code of Ethics encourages us to learn as much as we can about the culture, customs, lifestyle and language of our children. The school should express its concerns to the Department of Education’s Children’s Wellbeing Unit or a Family Referral Service (Farrell and Sheringham, n.d, p. 191). We should seek support from the local church which the family attend, other family members, other people in the community who know the family well and a Chinese language interpreter. We must ensure that all information regarding the child remains confidential and any information passed on is on a ‘need to know’ basis. What strategies would you put in place to protect the rights of the child and maintain your professional relationship and duty of care with Georgia and her family? As the (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, 2012), expresses in Standard 2.3, Element 2.3.4, that â€Å"every educator, co-ordinator, family dare care educator assistant and staff member has legal and ethical obligation to act and protect any child who is at risk of abuse or neglect.† Australia is a part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and as signatories to this, we recognize that every child has the right to protection and never to be hurt by others, also to always have the best interests of the child first (The United Nations, 1989). To maintain a professional relationship and duty of care to Georgia we need to remember to never be judgemental and that Georgia knows she is respected and trusted in the Pre-School. The privacy of Georgia and her family is essential in any discussions regarding Georgia’s safety and wellbeing. If the child is deemed to be RoSH the family may not be informed of the process as it co uld cause risk to the child and it’s their interest which are a priority. As Georgia’s family has a. high status in the community there is potential for disbelief of the proposed sexual abuse. (Briggs and Buttrose, n.d, pp. 238-239). Staff are not allowed to become overly involved or emotional in this situation, follow the correct process, act when you need to and always keep information clearly documented. References Briggs, F. and Buttrose, I. (n.d). Child Protection: The Essential Guide for Teachers Other Professionals Whose Work Involves Children. Australia: JoJo Publishing. Child Wise (2012). Wise up to sexual abuse. Available at: http://childwise.blob.core.windows.net/assets/uploads/files/Online%20Publication/W iseUp_to_Sexual_Abuse_Booklet.pdf (Accessed: 26 March 2015) Council of Australian Governments (2010). Protecting children is Everyone’s Business. Available at : http://www.dss.gov.au/site/default/files/documents/pac_annual_rpt_0.pdf (Accessed: 30 March 2015) Department of Education, Employment and Workplace relations (DEEWR) (2009). Belonging, Being Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra: DEEWR Early Childhood Australia (2006). Code of Ethics. Available at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/code_of_ethics_-brochure_screenweb_2010.pdf (Accessed: 28 March 2015) Farrell, M. and Sheringham, M. (n.d). Protecting Children and Young People: Identify and Respond to Children and Young People at Risk. Australia: TAFE NSW Divisions Resource Distribution Centre. Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) (2012). Guide to the National Quality Standard. Sydney, N.S.W. The United Nations (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx (Accessed: 28 March 2015) M Lyons1 of 5

Club Owners Must Not Allow Underage Drinking Essay -- Argumentative Es

Prohibiting nightclubs from admitting people under age twenty-one will take some weight off of parents, club owners, drivers and innocent bystanders. With the economy sinking, many owners are making what they believe a wise financial decision by allowing eighteen to twenty year olds in their clubs. They are mixing eighteen to twenty in with the twenty-one and up crowd, as failing clubs owners only see more people more money. Every night thousands of young adults eighteen to twenty years old are let into nightclubs and everyone is at a great risk. Fewer and fewer clubs are now allowing those under the drinking age into their establishment. To eliminate a cause leading to more underage drinking, young adults eighteen to twenty should not be allowed into nightclubs serving alcohol. Throughout the course of this essay, I intend to prove that banning those under the legal drinking age from nightclubs serving alcohol not only benefits the community as a whole, but it helps each under age d rinker as well. It is often argued that young adults eighteen to twenty are financial savors to club owners. Patron’s eighteen to twenty are considered adults; therefore they are responsible enough to be allowed in clubs serving alcohol, bringing more money into the club every night. This argument does not address the fact that when people under the legal drinking age are in an environment where they have access to alcohol one of them will drink. They will become irresponsible due to the amount consumed. The club owners will then be fined, as well as their liquor license. Young adults, eighteen to twenty, are not nightclubs financial savors, under the influence they cost more money then made. Nightclubs are trying to keep their doors open and popula... ...ablishment. Owners will not have to worry about losing money, liquor license, or part of the twenty-one and up crowd. Allowing people under the drinking age limit into a club serving alcohol can result in death, rape, fights, and car accidents. Although, many club owners are worried about losing revenue they should consider the cost of just one teen caught drinking in their club. Denying entry to anyone under the age twenty one into a club not only benefit the twenty one and up crowd but also club owners, parents, and teens themselves. Works Cited "Alcohol and Development in Youth-A Multidisciplinary Overview." Alcohol Research and Health 28.3 (2005): 111-20. ProQuest. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. Wagenaar, Alexander C., et al. "Sources of alcohol for underage drinkers." Journal of Studies on Alcohol 57.3 (1996): 325. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Mar. 2011

College Scholarship Essay

Being involved in my community wasn’t a priority in my schedule, I really had overlooked the importance of really being involved in my community and the beneficial aspects that it will have on me rather then I would have on my community. Community service lately has become a big consumption of my weekends, which have had multiple positive effects on me and only has it brought hope and happiness to people, but it also lead to spiritual and personal growth. It is an experience that cannot be bought with any amount of money. A volunteer benefits himself or herself because they get to see how their contribution has made a difference. This experience contributes to personal development especially in areas such as self-fulfillment, self-confidence, and self-esteem that often flourish in the midst of volunteering experiences. The contributions that I have made to my community, volunteering countless hours at the local two general hours during weekends and summers has really impacted me as a person. I now am more involved with my community then ever through a club that I have joined at school (California scholarship foundation) and have started the year off by volunteering with AID’s walk Los Angeles and many more to come over the year. I now don’t see volunteering as a sacrifice of my time rather an opportunity to become a better person through community outreach.