A look at some of the characteristics that define Western Civilization through four periods of history: ancient, early church, Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
1,150 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 5 sources, 2002, $ 44.95
Abstract This paper is written about the foundations of western civilization. This paper will look at some selected defining characteristics of the West that can be traced back to four of these contributing periods of human history ---- ancient, early church, Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. An attempt will be made to explain as to why these are amongst some of the most important contributors to the development of Western civilization.
Abstract This piece is asurvey of Napoleon's military career, written in non-technical terms for an undergraduate audience. The piece first describes Napoleon's early successes as the leader of several artillery regiments, followed by an impressive squelching of an insurgency which threatened the French Directory. The narrative then discusses Napoleon's ability to, with a small, efficient, and tightly controlled army, isolate and conquer France's enemies by building strategic alliances and removing dissent. Napoleon's growing ambition to control Europe when he became Emperor, his inability to enforce his own economic policies, his failure to control large armies, and his growing arrogance are described as causing the eventual downfall of this brilliant but flawed military strategist.
Abstract This six-page undergraduate paper examines the role of Simon Bolivar in the war of independence that South Americans waged against the Spanish in the 19th century.
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the Vietnam War with both World War I and World War II. It will explain how these wars were similar in causes, reasons for participation, military tactics and propaganda and winners and losers.
Abstract This paper is a comparison of the Presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. It contends that Jefferson introduced political parties and the political structures of the American national government while Jackson introduced actual Democracy to the nation. It concludes that while each were remarkable in their Presidencies, it is Jackson's which has had the most lasting of impacts.
Abstract This paper is a critical analysis of the Solzhenitsyn story, "Matryona's House". It looks at the symbolism heavily at work within the story that ties the past and future of Russia together within the character of Matryona. The paper discusses the symbols of destruction, the meaning of Matryona herself, and the representations of the past and future of communism in the Soviet Union.
Abstract This paper examines how the three great civilizations of Persia, Greece and Rome relied heavily on the strength and success of their armies. It looks at how each nation, during its time of reign, trained and equipped their armies to better their chances on the battlefield. It discusses how the Persians with their vast numbers of troops armed with bows and sword and how he Greeks and Romans with their superior weapons and war strategies, earned the reputation of the most feared and respected armies in the known world.
From the Paper "A large portion of the foundations of any successful army relied upon the type of weapons each soldier was armed with and how effective the arms were against the enemy. It did not take long for an army equipped with the best weaponry and siege weapons to completely slay an entire opposition that was armed with mere sticks and clubs. During their reign of power, the Romans had over time devised new weaponry technology, which continued to make their weapons ever increasingly more effective killing machines in battles. Each legionary was equipped with a spear amongst their other surplies and tools."
Tags: advantages, battles, civilisations, history, others, over, stratergies, time, weapons
Abstract This paper examines the political and social structure in the late 1920s and early 1930s in Germany that led to Hitler's rise. It also discusses external factors that led to his image and success.
From the Paper "Germany suffered from many problems that set the stage for Hitler and his Nazi party. The country suffered a devastating depression, which led to an increase in unemployment. The worst time during the depression was when, "one in three of the working population was out of work" (54). The already weak Weimar Republic of Germany suffered greatly during this time. The last coalition of the Republic collapsed over the cost of rising unemployment benefits (54-56)."
Abstract This paper explains the political build-up to the Cuban Missile Crisis and discusses how, even though this event lasted only 13 days, it had long-term ramifications. The writer discusses how the crisis reformed the relationships between the Soviet Union, Cuba, and the United States.
From the Paper "The events of October 1962 have been recognized internationally under three different terms: "Cuban Missile Crisis" by the United States (U.S.); "Caribbean Crisis" by the former Soviet Union; and "Crisis of October" by Cuba. The entire incident, which lasted thirteen days, was the culmination of a series of American and Soviet actions. In this era the United States and the Soviet Union were the worlds leading powers, each with unique global interests. In the early 1960's the United States lead the international community in developing and deploying strategic missiles; basing them in countries such as Turkey which is less than 240 kilometers from Soviet borders. As a means of countering the U.S. measures, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev placed intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Cuba, which once operational would have the ability to produce a nuclear attack on the U.S. These actions were also a means of protecting Cuba from any United States invasions, such as the failed attempt of the Bay of Pigs in 1961 (Sorenson). On October 16, 1962 the United States government learned of the installations in Cuba and their potential to be operational within days. Regardless of the Soviet Unions denial of their existence the news sparked intense policy debate among the U.S. government. The next thirteen days saw the use of diplomatic and military efforts from both sides in an attempt to resolve the conflict."
Tags: conflict, america, nuclear, bay, pigs, Khrushchev, cuba
Abstract The paper describes the magnificence of the Ancient Greek culture, including the architectural, intellectual, and political development of that great civilization. The countless achievements of the Greeks and their influence on Western civilizations are discussed.
From the Paper "Many are the reasons that helped Ancient Greece become what it was during the Golden Age. Located on the crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia, Greece managed to take the best of all cultures that passed through its territories and was influenced by cultures as far away as Egypt, Syria, Phoenicia and others. These influences, combined with the rich Mycenaean and Minoan heritage along with a good political system helped Ancient Greece in reaching the Golden Age."
Abstract This paper provides a brief time-line of the history of the development of the current prison system. It begins with the methods used by the Quakers in the early settlement days and how these methods were adapted with the growth of the population. It discusses how the system was finally centralized and turned into a government body and how it developed into the organization it is today.
From the Paper "The Department of Corrections is an agency that is responsible for the supervisions and management of convicted felons. This Department allows the protection of the community by maintaining secure facilities that keep offenders under firm supervision. It is this Department that maintains the safety of our society.
The history of the Department of Corrections in the United States dates back as far as the mid-1600?s. At the time, the general punishments for crime were brutal and bloody, often ending in death. The Quakers sought to end the bloodshed by creating a new punishment. Thus, they began to substitute imprisonment for the violence (Clear & Cole, 2003)."
Abstract This paper looks at how effectively Hitler managed to use manipulation to build the Third Reich and the extent to which the German public believed and supported Hitler's propaganda. Examples of Hitler's genius at manipulating emotions are discussed, and the man largely responsible for Hitler's successful propaganda, Dr. Joseph Goebbels, is also discussed. The media, military displays, censorship, intimidation, symbolism, and extreme awareness of public responses are all mentioned as techniques employed by the Nazi propaganda machine.
From the Paper "The amazing thing about the propaganda of the Nazis was both the extent to which it was successful and the extent to which it was supported. No one can dispute that Hitler was a master of manipulating the people's emotions, and he arrived at a time when the people of Germany were struggling to find purpose in the post-war environment. The Weimar Republic was wracked with debt repayments and the infant democracy had nothing to stand on in terms of tradition and respect from the common people."
Tags: germany, goebbels, hitler, nazi, nazis, propaganda, reich, third, war, world
Abstract This paper examines how the core of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the State of Israel,created when, in 1947, UN decided to split Palestine into two separate Arab and Jewish states. It discusses how the countries have since not seen peace, how there is constant conflict, and how Palestinians have waged a never-ending war with Israel and vice versa. It analyzes how the countries are now interlinked due to this major conflict, and all efforts of bringing peace to this region have failed. The author proposes a potential two-state solution to the problem similar to the one implemented in India and Pakistan.
From the Paper "Peace talks which had been going on for several years led to the historic agreements between Israel and the PLO led by Yasser Arafat, in Sept. 1993. The Palestine Liberation Organization agreed to the existence of Israel while Israel recognized PLO as the Palestinians' representative. The two later signed an agreement on September 13 which allowed limited Palestinian self-rule and the West Bank and Gaza. (Heilbrunn, 1995) The country in a bid to achieve more political stability in the region signed an agreement with Jordan in 1994, which brought an end to the 46-years of war and conflict between the two states. On October 26, that year a formal peace treaty was signed."
Abstract This paper explains that, despite Paul Renner's strict upbringing during which he learned the value of duty, of leadership, and of responsibility, he was an artist in every sense. The paper describes him as a painter, a designer, an author, but he is perhaps best remembered for his skills as a graphic designer, and in particular, as a designer of fonts.
From the Paper "Paul Renner studied architecture and painting in Berlin, Munich and Karlsruhe; he then worked as a painter in Munich. From 1907 until 1917, he worked as a Production Assistant and Presentation Manager for Georg M"ller Verlag in Munich. In 1911, he became one of the founders, along with Jan Tschichold, of a private school for illustration in Munich. During the years 1925-26, he was Head of the commercial art and typography department at the Frankfurter Kunstschule, and in 1926, he became Director of the city of Munich's Grafische Berufsschulen, and from 1927, the Meisterschule f"r Deutschlands Buchdrucker."
Abstract This paper is about the increase in freedom Japanese women experienced during the Meiji and Taisho periods in Japan and the subsequently greater role they had in both the family and the political life of the country. The paper explains how, unwittingly, the Samurai revolution contributed to women's greater liberation and how the combination of increased urbanization along with a higher degree of mobility tended to loosen the traditional strictures on women's physical and social mobility. The paper also points out how the increase in a Japanese middle-class after the Samurai revolution and their corresponding demands for more rights also contributed to greater freedoms for women. The paper makes it clear, however, that the status of Japanese women during this period was never close to being equal to that of Japanese men, but their social and political gains were significant.
From the Paper "The Meiji period, as Gordon outlines in Chapter Five, "The Samurai Revolution", began with a political revolution that returned the country to direct imperial rule under the Emperor Meiji and brought to an end the era of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The emperor took advantage of the restoration of his power to try to push Japan towards the West and to introduce Western concepts of modernization. The effect ? over the period of Meiji rule from 1868?1912 included the rise of a much larger and more powerful middle class in Japan. This came about in no small way because the samurai who lead the restoration understood that their own rising power ? as well as that of the imperial house ? was dependent upon the diminishment of power by the feudal lords."
Tags: role, sex, traditionally, imperial, rule, emperor, tokugawa, shogunate, fuedal, tokyo, edo, shufu
