World War I Causes

World War I Causes Causes of World War OneThe long-term origins to World War One start back in 1870 with the Franco-Prussian War. In the Franco-Prussian war France lost to Germany which lead to the two countries never being in an alliance with one another. Once the war was over it lead to the forming of the triple Alliance which was one of the main alliances during the first world war. The Triple alliance was made up of the countries - Germany, Austo-Hungery and Italy, and it was first formed because Germany needed help to guard Alsace-Lorrain from France as France wanted to get back its stolen land.Another of the long-term origins to World War One was Weltpolitic. Weltpolitic was a policy Kaiser Wilhelm the second, who believed that Germany had a right to become a global imperial power and should develop an army and navy to support its colonial objectives.Boundaries on the Balkans after the First and the ...Kaiser Wilhelm's personality and his policy of Weltpolitic were seen as contributing to interna tional tensions. The policy lead Germany to construct a huge navy which lead to domestic problems as the navy cost heaps, It also lead into the start of the Boer wars and the Morrocan Crisis. Many Historians have said, 'Weltpolitic was only a half-hearted policy' (Paul Schroeder), and that it was only inviting the other countries to go to war. Fritz Fischer argued that - 'Germany provoked war and ensured that compromise was impossible in order to achieve Weltpolitic, to economically dominate central Europe, to create an colonial empire and to solve its own internal political and economic problems'. Fischer was an Historian that believed that the majority of the responsibility for the Start of the war relied in Germany.Another of the long-term origins to World War One was the Morrocan Crisis of 1905 and 1911.

B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II

B-17 Flying Fortress in World War II B-17G Flying Fortress Specifications General Length: 74 ft. 4 in.Wingspan: 103 ft. 9 in.Height: 19 ft. 1 in.Wing Area: 1,420 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 36,135 lbs.Loaded Weight: 54,000 lbs.Crew: 10 Performance Power Plant: 4 Ãâ€" Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone turbo-supercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp eachRange: 2,000 milesMax Speed: 287 mphCeiling: 35,600 ft. Armament Guns: 13 Ãâ€" .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gunsBombs: 4,500-8,000 lbs. depending on range B-17 Flying Fortress- Design Development: Seeking an effective heavy bomber to replace the Martin B-10, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) issued a call for proposals on August 8, 1934. Requirements for the new aircraft included the ability to cruise at 200 mph at 10,000 ft. for ten hours with a useful bomb load. While the USAAC desired a range of 2,000 miles and top speed of 250 mph, these were not required. Eager to enter the competition, Boeing assembled a team of engineers to develop a prototype. Led by E. Gifford Emery and Edward Curtis Wells, the team began drawing inspiration from other company designs such as the Boeing 247 transport and XB-15 bomber. Constructed at the companys expense, the team developed the Model 299, which was powered by four Pratt Whitney R-1690 engines and was capable of lifting a 4,800 lb. bomb load. For defense, the aircraft had five mounted machine guns. This imposing look led Seattle Times reporter Richard Williams to dub the aircraft the Flying Fortress. Seeing the advantage to the name, Boeing quickly trademarked it and applied to the new bomber. On July 28, 1935, the prototype first flew with Boeing test pilot Leslie Tower at the controls. With the initial flight a success, the Model 299 was flown to Wright Field, Ohio for trials. At Wright Field, the Boeing Model 299 competed against the twin-engined Douglas DB-1 and Martin Model 146 for the USAAC contract. Competing in the fly-off, the Boeing entry displayed superior performance to the competition and impressed Major General Frank M. Andrews with the range that a four-engine aircraft offered. This opinion was shared by the procurement officers and Boeing was awarded a contract for 65 aircraft. With this in hand, development of the aircraft continued through the fall until an accident on October 30 destroyed the prototype and halted the program. B-17 Flying Fortress- Rebirth As a result of the crash, Chief of Staff General Malin Craig cancelled the contract and purchased aircraft from Douglas instead. Still interested in the Model 299, now dubbed YB-17, the USAAC utilized a loophole to purchase 13 aircraft from Boeing in January 1936. While 12 were assigned to the 2nd Bombardment Group for developing bombing tactics, the last aircraft was given to the Material Division at Wright Field for flight testing. A fourteenth aircraft was also built and upgraded with turbochargers that increased speed and ceiling. Delivered in January 1939, it was dubbed B-17A and became the first operational type. B-17 Flying Fortress- An Evolving Aircraft Only one B-17A was built as Boeing engineers worked tirelessly to improve the aircraft as it moved into production. Including a larger rudder and flaps, 39 B-17Bs were built before switching to the B-17C, which possessed an altered gun arrangement. The first model to see large-scale production, the B-17E (512 aircraft) had the fuselage extended by ten feet as well as the addition of more powerful engines, a larger rudder, a tail gunner position, and an improved nose. This was further refined to the B-17F (3,405) which appeared in 1942. The definitive variant, the B-17G (8,680) featured 13 guns and a crew of ten. B-17 Flying Fortress- Operational History The first combat use of the B-17 came not with the USAAC (U.S. Army Air Forces after 1941), but with the Royal Air Force. Lacking a true heavy bomber at the start of World War II, the RAF purchased 20 B-17Cs. Designating the aircraft Fortress Mk I, the aircraft performed poorly during high-altitude raids in the summer of 1941. After eight aircraft were lost, the RAF transferred the remaining aircraft to Coastal Command for long-range maritime patrols. Later in the war, additional B-17s were purchased for use with Coastal Command and the aircraft was credited with sinking 11 u-boats. B-17 Flying Fortress- Backbone of the USAAF With the United States entrance into the conflict after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USAAF began deploying B-17s to England as part of the Eighth Air Force. On August 17, 1942, American B-17s flew their first raid over occupied Europe when they struck railroad yards at Rouen-Sotteville, France. As American strength grew, the USAAF took over daylight bombing from the British who had switched to night attacks due to heavy losses. In the wake of the January 1943 Casablanca Conference, American and British bombing efforts were directed into Operation Pointblank, which sought to establish air superiority over Europe. Key to the success of Pointblank were attacks against the German aircraft industry and Luftwaffe airfields. While some initially believed that the B-17s heavy defensive armament would protect it against enemy fighter attacks, missions over Germany quickly disproved this notion. As the Allies lacked a fighter with sufficient range to protect bomber formations to and from targets in Germany, B-17 losses quickly mounted during 1943. Bearing the brunt of the USAAFs strategic bombing workload along with the B-24 Liberator, B-17 formations took shocking casualties during missions such as the Schweinfurt-Regensburg raids. Following Black Thursday in October 1943, which resulted in the loss of 77 B-17s, daylight operations were suspended pending the arrival of a suitable escort fighter. These arrived in early 1944 in the form of the North American P-51 Mustang and drop tank-equipped Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. Renewing the Combined Bomber Offensive, B-17s incurred much lighter losses as their little friends dealt with the German fighters. Though German fighter production was not damaged by Pointblank raids (production actually increased), B-17s aided in winning the war for air superiority in Europe by forcing the Luftwaffe into battles in which its operational forces were destroyed. In the months after D-Day, B-17 raids continued to strike German targets. Strongly escorted, losses were minimal and largely due to flak. The final large B-17 raid in Europe occurred on April 25, 1945. During the fighting in Europe, the B-17 developed a reputation as an extremely rugged aircraft capable of sustaining heavy damage and remaining aloft. B-17 Flying Fortress- In the Pacific The first B-17s to see action in the Pacific was a flight of 12 aircraft that arrived during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Their expected arrival contributed to the American confusion just prior to the attack. In December 1941, B-17s were also in service with the Far East Air Force in the Philippines. With the beginning of the conflict, they were quickly lost to enemy action as the Japanese overran the area. B-17s also took part in the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway in May and June 1942. Bombing from high altitude, they proved unable to hit targets at sea, but were also safe from Japanese A6M Zero fighters. B-17s had more success in March 1943 during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. Bombing from medium altitude rather than high, they sank three Japanese ships. Despite this victory, the B-17 was not as effective in the Pacific and the USAAF transitioned aircrews to other types by mid-1943. During the course of World War II, the USAAF lost around 4,750 B-17s in combat, nearly a third of all built. USAAF B-17 inventory peaked in August 1944 at 4,574 aircraft. In the war over Europe, B-17s dropped 640,036 tons of bombs on enemy targets. B-17 Flying Fortress- Final Years: With the end of the war, the USAAF declared the B-17 obsolete and the majority of the surviving aircraft were returned to the United States and scrapped. Some aircraft were retained for search and rescue operations as well as photo reconnaissance platforms into the early 1950s. Other aircraft were transferred to the U.S. Navy and redesignated PB-1. Several PB-1s were fitted with the APS-20 search radar and used as antisubmarine warfare and early warning aircraft with designation PB-1W. These aircraft were phased out in 1955. The U.S. Coast Guard also utilized the B-17 after the war for iceberg patrols and search and rescue missions. Other retired B-17s saw later service in civilian uses such as aerial spraying and fire fighting. During its career, the B-17 saw active duty with numerous nations including the Soviet Union, Brazil, France, Israel, Portugal, and Colombia. Selected Sources Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.†Ã‚  National Museum of the USAF, 14 Apr. 2015The Life and Times of Antoine De Saint-Exupry, www.aviation-history.com/boeing/b17.html.

Health Policy in Florida Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Policy in Florida - Assignment Example According to the research, it can, therefore, be said that  a few reasons when combined produce the effect of the unusually high price of healthcare in the state of Florida. For example, the state has passed many statutes and regulations since 1985 that require transparency disclosures from physicians and hospitals but this disclosure does not include insurance companies. Ultimately, they exploit this opportunity. For example, a website administered by the state authorities called www.floridahealthfinder.gov provides consumers average and medical services charged by the hospitals but it does not mention reimbursement rates. Keeping this prices as secrets prevent lawmakers and healthcare policymakers from making better policies. Florida healthcare Coalition has put out many reports pointing out flaws in the system over the past years but they did not sit well with the hospitals. According to Becky Cherney, FHCC President and CEO, they blame the committee for coming up with biased da ta. There are also some genuine hurdles in making the process transparent. For instance, providing healthcare pricing to consumers in a form that they can readily understand is complicated because every patient has unique needs. One cannot just put a standard for disclosing to the public to which every healthcare facility would adhere to. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 supports the notion that healthcare is a right and not a privilege. The intent of the law is to secure the maximum number of US citizens with healthcare. Making health care available to every individual at an affordable price is the motive of such an act. The affordable care act tends to create new incentives for changing clinical practices. The change in such practices as needed to provide better coordination and quality. Such coordination also gives physicians more information so they can practice their medical skills better than before. However, wasting funds and abusing health care programs cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

World Cup Impact on South Africas Tourism Sector Essay

World Cup Impact on South Africas Tourism Sector - Essay Example The FIFA 2010 world cup contributed to a massive increase in the number of international tourists arrivals. In this regard Francheska (2011) stated that most of South Africa’s tourists are drawn from other African countries and Europe, which offers the country the highest number of tourists arrivals annually. Among the major tourists, attractions in South Africa include the country’s national parks, world heritage sites, and cultural and historic sites. Additionally, the country has a vibrant wine sector that has also been able to attract high number of tourists and even the Robben Island where the country’s iconic figure, Mr. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-five years has been a key attraction sites mostly for scholars in the field of history, this is according to Mattner et al. (2012). Equally, it is of essence to that the tourism sector in the country has substantially contributed to the country’s growth in terms of job creation, infrastructure development, and source of foreign exchange. The weather pattern affects South Africa’s tourism sector in equal measures as it does in other countries. This is to say that during harsh climatic conditions such as winter the tourism sector usually experience low activities or low tourists arrivals while during favorable climatic conditions such as summer it experience a boom in the sector. Altbeker (2009) stated that the key factor that negatively affects the South Africa’s tourism sector is the crime level in the country, which makes many international tourists shy away from visiting the country for fear of their own safety. Â  

The Garden Essay -- Agriculture, South Central Urban Farm

The Garden, a documentary about the South Central urban farm, demonstrates the plight of the disadvantaged; it sheds light on decisions, made by the city of Los Angeles, which did not take into account the struggles and the livelihood of the three hundred farmers who planted crops to feed their families on plots of land in the South Central Farm. The city’s usage of eminent domain and the seizure of the land that leads to the destruction of the South Central Farm—which provided sustenance for more than three hundred local families—is an example of corruption in the government that further creates an hourglass economy. The Garden, which tells the story of three South Central families who fight against corruption to save their farms, unmasks the true story behind the destruction of the South Central Farm. This documentary reveals how political corruption along with personal greed further disrupts the growth of an economically disadvantaged community, allowing the v iewer to experience the emotions and struggled that are undermined by mainstream media. This political documentary allows the viewer to analyze the South Central Farm crisis through its moving presentation of how the farmers struggle to have their voices heard against politicians who refuse to listen. The Garden, exposes the blindness of the politicians to the struggles of the underprivileged in a way that allows the viewer empathize with the farmers The interview of the families delves into their backgrounds, creating a well rounded character that all can relate too. The depiction of the empowerment the farmers feel when they have land to work and food to grow appeals to the audience’s sense of justice. These farmers who live all their lives in uncertainty of being abl... ...s happening in society. This documentary would make the viewer feel that he should lobby the Los Angeles City council to better manage Eminent Domain cases so that the poor and the powerless are protected against the rich and the powerful, such as Horowitz. Documentaries are a powerful tool. By exploring personal and anecdotal perspectives, Documentaries such a The Garden successfully informs people about the political and cultural circumstances in a crisis. Albeit modern day documentaries, appeal to the sensationalism of a mainstream audience that leads to the fudging of some facts, it also leads educates the viewer about a particular problem instead of leaving them ignorant of a particular political crisis. People need not take documentaries at face value, but for more politically conscious and educated society, more people in the world must watch documentaries.

American Dream in Great Gatsby

The American Dream was an important theme in the book, The Great Gatsby. Every single character was somewhat involved or motivated by the American Dream vision. In the Great Gatsby, American Dream symbolized the â€Å"freedom and opportunity to better yourself and your situation. Characters had different ideas of going through the American Dream. Gatsby loved money, reinvention, and the American Dream.He planned to reinvent himself for a woman that was put on such a igh pedestal, that when brought down, his world had become something of an illusion. Daisy became a sort of goal, a symbol for wealth, that he basically makes her lose her humanity in his eyes. A sort of paradigm in which she was an object, when he won her it meant he was what he always wanted to be. By the end, the real shocker that brought him back to earth, that made him realize Daisy was an actual human, was seeing Patricia, Daisy's daughter. Another character that symbolized the American Dream was Myrtle.Her only go al was to better her situation, such as being very materialistic and greedy. She decided to have an affair with one of the most unavailable and wealthiest men in the city. She was in the â€Å"relationship† not because of love or lust, but because of money. Someone that symbolized the American Dream in a positive way was Nick. He was from a family of old money yet he was willing to give up his family money and work hard. Nick wanted to build up his old name. Money was never very important to him as it was for the others.He actually understands how the American Dream corrupts the minds of all trying to achieve it. Nick was disillusioned with the American Dream by seeing how it immorally unethical it was. Yellow (such as silver and gold) that means corruption wealth and dishonest and white that means fapde and pure are colors that represent an egg which is a major symbol in the Great Gatsby. A theme of Self-Discovery and Intolerance was directly directed to Nick. He knew he wan ted to find himself and create his name not live off of what his family has.The theme of the green light represented Gatsbys hope, renewal and rebirth of this new relationship with Daisy. Gatsbys motivation to move forward and better his situation Just to be with Daisy starts with that green light. It basically Just means plain wealth to him. Red was a symbol connected to Nick because he is the only one that does not think corruptly. Red symbolizes death in which Nick has seen people's true self die out because of the American Dream.

Exploratory Essay on Why Soap Operas Are So Popular

Exploratory Essay on Why Soap Operas Are So Popular Why Are Soap Operas So Popular? Watching soap operas is one of favorite pastimes for a considerable number of people. Why? What kind of people usually watches them? I will try to find out. It is no secret that the greatest fans of soaps are women, especially of elderly age. I think, it is conditioned by the fact that women’s psychology differs greatly from the one men have. They are much more emotional, hearty, empathetic and like to experience many different emotions. Without them they just can’t enjoy life to full extent and can even lose the will to live. When being young and having a lot of work to do and a lot of things to take care about, women rarely resort to watching soaps, as they already have saturated and interesting life. Other situation is when they don’t live the life they want – their work doesn’t bring them pleasure and too many things disappoint them. Then, watching soaps is a way of escaping the gloomy reality and making life more interesting. For elderly people, who have grown-up children and have already retired, soap operas become one of the few things that let them feel the variety of emotions they did when being young. Thus, it reminds them of how interesting and exciting life can be and distracts them from their own, often lonely, reality. On balance, I think that soap operas are popular for the fact that they let people experience many different emotions and make their life much more interesting. But I think that living interesting and happy life is the best way, in which people should organize their life and to which they should strive. Of course, it is easier to watch TV instead of