The Blame for the Cold War Essay Example

The Blame for the Cold War Essay Example The Blame for the Cold War Essay The Blame for the Cold War Essay The blame for the Cold War cannot be placed on one person it developed as a series of chain reactions as a struggle for supremacy. It can be argued that the Cold War was inevitable, and therefore no ones fault, due to the differences in the capitalist and communist ideologies. It was only the need for self-preservation that had caused the two countries to sink their differences temporarily during the Second World War. Yet many of the tensions that existed in the Cold War can be attributed to Stalins policy of Soviet expansion. It is necessary, therefore, to examine the role of Stalin as a catalyst to the Cold War. Stalins foreign policies contributed an enormous amount to the tensions of the Cold War. His aim, to take advantage of the military situation in post-war Europe to strengthen Russian influence, was perceived to be a threat to the Americans. Stalin was highly effective in his goal to gain territory, with victories in Poland, Romania, and Finland. To the western world, this success looked as if it were the beginning of serious Russian aggressions. The western view of the time saw Stalin as doing one of two things: either continuing the expansionist policies of the tsars that preceded him, or worse, spreading communism across the world now that his one-state notion had been fulfilled. It also must be mentioned that Stalin is seen as wanting unchalleged personal power and a rebuilt Russia strong enough to withstand caplitalist encirclement.'1 Admittedly, the first view of Stalin, as an imperialist leader, may be skewed. The Russians claim, and have always claimed, that Stalins motives were purely defensive. Stalins wished to create a buffer zone of Communist states around him to protect Soviet Russia from the capitalist West. In this sense, his moves were not aggressive at all they were truly defensive moves to protect the Soviet system. His suspicions of Western hostility were not unfounded: the British and U.S. intervention in the Russian Civil War (1918-1920) were still fresh in Stalins memory when he took power. Furthermore, Stalin was bitter because he was not informed of U.S. nuclear capabilities until shortly before the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Compounding tensions was the fact that Stalins request that Russia be allowed to participate in the occupation of Japan was denied, even though Russia had declared war on Japan on 8th August (the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 10th August) and had been respon sible for annexing south Sakhalin as agreed to at Yalta. This failure to be included in the Western worlds politics created an even deeper rift between the two superpowers. Clashes between Stalin and the West first appear at the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences in February and July 1946, respectively. Though the mood at Yalta was more or less cooperative, Stalin agitated matters by demanding that all German territory east of the Rivers Oder and Neisse be given to Poland (and thus remain under Soviet influence). Both Roosevelt and Churchill refused to agree to these demands. The Soviet Union responded bluntly, saying ..the Soviet Government cannot agree to the existence in Poland of a Government hostile to it.2 The atmosphere at the Potsdam Conference was noticeably cooler, with Truman replacing Roosevelt as the representative from the United States. Trumanhad been kept in complete ignorance by Roosevelt about foreign policy,3 which meant that Truman was not aware of the secret assurances of security Roosevelt had made to Stalin. His policy towards Soviet Russia, then, was much more severe than that of Roosevelt. He was quoted as saying We must stand up to the RussiansWe have been too easy with them.4 Both Truman and Churchill were annoyed because Germany east of the Rivers Oder and Neisse were being occupied by Russian troops and were being run by the pro-communist Polish government, who expelled over five million Germans. This went directly against the agreements made at Yalta earlier in the year. The west viewed this as an act of aggression on the part of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union responded with a statement saying Poland broders with the Soviet Union, what [sic] cannot be said of Great Britain or the United States.5 From this point, the Cold War truly becomes a chain reaction. In March of 1946, Churchill presented his Iron Curtain speech at Fulton, Missouri, in response to the spread of communism in eastern Europe. He called for a western alliance to combat the threat. Stalins response was hostile: rather than trying to negotiate a peaceful settlement, Stalin continued to tighten his grip on eastern Europe. Communist governments were installed in every area of eastern Europe (barring Czechoslovakia) by the end of 1947. These governments were implemented by guerrilla tactics: elections were rigged, non-communist members of the governments were expelled, with many being arrested or executed, and eventually, Stalin dissolved all non-communist political parties. Stalin began to implement a reign of terror using the Russian Army and his secret police force. Moreover, Stalin had increased his influence in the Russian zone of Germany as if it belonged to Russia. He allowed only the communist party and drained the area of its vital resources. The West reacted. It appeared to them that Russias attitude went against all of the promises that Stalin had made at Yalta namely, that Stalin would permit free elections in the eastern European states. Russia argued that it needed to maintain a sphere of influence in the area for security reasons: to this, even Churchill agreed in 1944. Further, Russia argued that the areas had never had democratic governments, and that a communist system would allow these backward countries to progress and flourish. Stalins policy of expansion worried the West: in response, the West introduced the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, both of which sought to arrest the spread of communism. Stalins aggressive tactics did not end with creating a sphere of influence. Stalin re-established Cominform in September 1947. Cominform represented a union of all of the communist states within Europe, including representatives from the French and Italian communist parties. Even within this communist structure, Stalin had to exert his influence. It was not enough for a state to be merely communist: it had to adopt the Russian-style communism. Furthermore, the states within Cominform were expected to keep trade within the Cominform member states, and were discouraged from making any contact with the Western world. Russia strengthened the ties with the Cominform countries through the Molotov plan, which offered Russian aid to the satellite states, and the establishment of Comecon, which served to coordinate the economic policies of the communist states. These actions on the part of Stalin only increased the rift between the capitalist and the communist systems, and made future comprom ise and negotiations more difficult. Perhaps the most aggressive move that Stalin made, however, was the takeover of Czechoslovakia in February 1948. Several key issues arose in this conflict. First, the U.S. felt alienated when Czechoslovakia rejected Marshall Aid, which the U.S. blamed on the influence of the communist party. Second, the Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia was a communist, the President and Foreign Minister were not. Finally, the fact that the communists took power in Czechoslovakia by means of an armed coup sent waves of fear through the western world, causing the iron curtain to fall even further. The U.N. had its hands tied, because there were free elections (the candidates were all communist) and there was no proof of Russian involvement. While it cannot be proved that Stalin ordered the coup, the signals were clear: Stalin had likely encouraged the coup, and it was not coincidental that Russian troops in Austria were moved up to the Czech border. Czechoslovakia was the final east-west bridge, and wi th the fall of it, the iron curtain was complete. The final hostile movement of Stalin of importance was the Berlin blockade and airlift. When Russia grew dissatisfied with the economic disparity that had developed in Berlin, it responded by closing all road, rail and canal links between West Berlin and West German. The goal was to force western powers from West Berlin by reducing it to the starvation point. While the blame for the Cold War cannot be placed on a single man, Stalins expansionist policy was clearly an ever-present catalyst in the war. Certain Truman was not blameless, but the U.S. was not expanding its empire the Soviet Union was. Whether the expansion was for self-preservation, or whether it was merely imperialistic expansion, is relatively immaterial. What Stalins actions unarguably did was start a string of chain-reactions within the western powers, and therefore, a good deal of the blame must rest with him.

Agency And Liability In The B.C. Partnership Act †Free Samples

It can be stated that a relationship of agency is established between two people when one of the two acts as a principal and the other as the agent. The agent derives the authority to perform his function from the principal[1]. Such authority to be derived may be express or implied. In cases where the agent is involved in any wrongful act, it has been held that the principal is not required to expressly order his agent to commit such wrongful act. However the principal is held liable in some circumstances for the wrongful acts of his agent.   Vicarious liability in the context of a principal agent relationship is referred to as the liability imposed on the principal for the wrongful act committed by the agent of such principal[2]. It is to be mentioned that according to section 7 of the British Columbia Partnership Act that a firm or a company’s partner will be considered to be the agent of such firm or company when conducting business in the name of the firm or company. Further in accordance with section 7 it can be stated that any act of a partner of a firm which is done for the purpose of carrying on the business of the firm will be binding on all the partners. However there are two exceptions to the aforementioned rule as contained in section 7(2) which states â€Å"(a) the partner so acting has in fact no authority to act for the firm in the particular matter (b) the person with whom he or she is dealing either knows that the partner has no authority, or does not know or believe him or her to be a partner†. According to section 8 of the British Columbia Partnership Act any act done in the name of the firm with the intention to leally bind the firm by any authorized person will be legally binding upon the firm and all its partners. However as quoted in subsection 8(2) it can be said â€Å"This section does not affect any general rule of law relating to the execution of deeds or negotiable instruments.† Thus in light of the above provisions of the British Columbia Partnership act it can be stated that liability is imposed on the principal for the tortuous acts of the agent primarily for the following reasons[3]. Thus after analyzing the legal provisions of the principal agent relationships in accordance with the British Columbia Partnership Act it can be said that the all the partners of the firms act as agents of the firm while conducting business in the name of the firm. Therefore by the application of the principle of vicarious liability it is to be stated that the firm acts as the principal will therefore be liable for the acts of the partners. 'Partnership Act' (Bclaws.ca, 2018) accessed 25 February 2018 Chamallas, Martha. "Two Very Different Stories: Vicarious Liability Under Tort and Title VII Law."  Ohio St. LJ  75 (2014): 1315. Cole, Jeffrey. "Agency-Vicarious Liability-Abrogation of the Both Ways Rule."  DePaul Law Review  16.2 (2015): 478. West, Henry. "Vicarious Liability."  American Legal Encyclopedia  (2017).

The Greeks and The Romans civilizations Research Paper

The Greeks and The Romans civilizations - Research Paper Example Having its origin in the Etruscan ethnicity, socio-cultural traits of the city-state of Rome had been greatly influenced by the north. Also, in the south, it was exposed to the influence of Greece. The Greek influence had already spread along the Mediterranean Sea centuries before the Romans established their city-state. Due to the geographical nature, Greek cities were highly isolated from each other. As a result, Greek influence surrounding the Mediterranean Basin was merely the extension of their isolated city states. Indeed, the geographical features also contributed to the â€Å"fierce exclusiveness of the Greek city-states from one another, stemming from their geographical isolation† (Comparisons, pars. 2). Moreover the Greek Polis maintained a strict prohibition on the extension of citizenship, since the citizenship of any of the city-states was determined by the socio-cultural uniqueness of the people of a particular land. Patterns of Greek and Roman History Whereas th e Greek polis began around 750 BCE, the Rome as the Republic started around 400 BCE. The Greek civilization reached its peak point around the 15th century, when the Roman Empire was at its twilight. Meanwhile, the Romans were expanding both westward and eastward under the leadership of Alexander the Great in the late 300s BCE. After Philip II, Alexander’s father conquered Macedonia, Greek philosopher Aristotle was appointed the tutor of Alexander the Great. The influence of the Greek culture on Alexander was overwhelming; as a result, Hellenism as the conglomeration of the Roman and the Greek civilizations began to emerge. Unlike the Greeks, the Romans were more liberal to absorb the people under their control. Though the Roman civilization began to expand in response to their effort to mitigating the threats from neighboring countries, the foundation of the Roman Empire was further boosted up by the Romans’ inclination to grant citizenship to the people of the conquer ed states. On the contrary, the Romans brought â€Å"other communities on the Italian peninsula under their control, first by conquest, and then by extending Roman citizenship to elements of the conquered peoples† (Comparisons pars. 3). This success on the Roman part to pull the conquered people into a Roman identity helped the Roman to survive even during the fierce Punic war. But in comparison with the Romans, the Greeks failed to lately build their empire due to their reluctance to give the conquered people an imperial identity. Though they endeavored to establish their own empire by dominating the Delian League, it was marred during the Peloponnesian Wars. By the time of the Punic War, the Roman had been able to unite all the city-states on the Italian Peninsula under the Roman identity. It is commented on this success as following: There are, therefore, two key components in the success of the Romans in building an empire. One surely was their military prowess, and the o ther was their organizational/political/legal skill in extending their governance over the conquered peoples into the empire. (Comparisons pars. 3) Greek and Roman Political Institutions Both the Greek and the Roman civilizations included a variety of political institutions, systems and forms. Though these two civilizations

International Terrorism and the Meaning of Islam Essay

International Terrorism and the Meaning of Islam - Essay Example According to Rashid (2002), Muslim militants have been known to engage in a variety of terror acts ranging from beheadings, bombings, kidnappings, suicide attacks, hijackings and spree killings. Such incidences of terror have been witnessed in numerous places around the world such as America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, and Middle East. The Muslim militants commonly referred to as Jihadists, usually net out violence to non-Muslims, terming it Jihad. Many people in different parts of the world who have been hard hit by these acts of terror are usually left wondering whether Islam is a religion of piece, violence, or both. The social meaning of Islam has been to inculcate peace and love for one another. Muslims claim that Islam teaches them to be compassionate and to care for everyone in society. However, confusion is brought about by Islamic teachings which propagate that Muslims should wrestle all those who do not trust or worship Allah, and those who do not adopt the religion of Islam. This has been one religious teaching that they have used to justify their acts of terror. This has been the main reason why the Western mind has a skewed meaning about the social meaning of Islam because it is not clear what they stand for. On one hand, they purport to teach and preach peace and love among one another, yet, on the other hand, they continuously engage in acts of terrorism, mostly against non-Muslims, which lead to mass deaths, loss of life, and destruction of property (Avner, 2008).

I Hate Needles :: Personal Narrative

I Hate Needles    Dr. Ross’ comments: As part of our study of American Literature, my class and I explore the continuing theme of â€Å"connection to community† as revealed by the writers. I also offer my students bonus points for performing a community service and writing about their own â€Å"connection to community† as discovered through their act of service. This student chose to donate blood and writes a surprisingly delightful description of her experience. She humorously finds her own good connections. I hate needles. That doesn’t come as a shock to most people who know me. I’m a wuss. I have a fairly long list of phobias, but needles rank right up there at the top. I once read somewhere that public speaking is the number one fear of most Americans. Coming in a not-so-close second place was death. So the way I interpret that statistic, that must mean that at a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. That’s pretty shocking. So what does this have to do with my fear of needles, you may ask? Not much. I just figured that since this paper is for extra credit, I can pretty much write whatever I want and not have to worry about getting a bad grade for being creative, so I just thought I’d throw that in there for giggles and make it a little more entertaining. But it actually does tie in. Can you guess what the third-ranking fear of most Americans is? Needles. (Okay, not really. I made all that up, but I hear t hat 90% of all statistics are made up anyway, so I guess it is possible that I could’ve read that somewhere.) So I’m terrified of needles, but they say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I am certainly banking on that to be true every time I go to the Blood Center to donate blood, which is about every two months. I don’t like it, but it’s just such a good thing to do. I used to give whenever they would come around in those buses, but I stopped doing that after my first visit to the Blood Center. I discovered that you get much more individual attention when you go to the Blood Center at about seven o’clock on a Thursday night.

German method of defence was well suited to the terrain while the British method of attack was unsuitable?

All of the sources that I have studied all have a different view of the situation in had but they are all still portraying the same theme of the conditions of the battle field and the Germans advantages over the British. Even though, they still have been unable to show some things that the other sources have been able to. After looking at the sources I can see that they have shown the German advantages over Britain in all of the maps and in source J. Instead of the old linear systems of trenches they developed a system of disconnected strong points and concrete pill boxes†. This is just one quote from source J, but it goes on to tell us about the new strategy they had. It was to hold as much land as they could by the concrete pillboxes and as little land held by men as possible. The Germans were also at an advantage due to there position on higher ground and on suitable terrain as shown on the maps. The Germans have used the land here very well, because of the land terrain the British would funnel through the narrow gap of dry lad and this would be an easier target for the German machine gun. Also the Germans were also ready for the British attacks so they were always prepared for the attack before the British were. â€Å"†¦ two months passed before preparations for the main advance were completed† This was due to the un organisation of the British during this period of time. The British have also had any other disadvantages because of they're attack. A shown in the maps they are having to advance uphill through waterlogged and flooded terrain. Because of the Germans strategic positioning of the pill boxes the British were sitting ducks foe the Germans. All of the sources agree about the above facts but they portray them in a different way because they are very different sources. But because of this so of the sources can show things that the over sources can. For instance the maps can show the terrain much better than source J because they can put the image right in front of you rather than leaving that to your imagination. But then again source J can give a detailed and descriptive view on the conditions and the terrain. Source J can also tell us things that may not be able to be shown on the map. An example of this would be that source J speaks of the pill boxes all along the German defence line but because of the map scale they can not show this, and therefore they cannot give a complete picture of the situation. After analysing all of the sources I have come to the decision that the sources all maps in source I have reinforced the view of J. Which is that the Germans had all of the advantages of being on higher ground and being dug in well and Britain had all of the disadvantages of being attacking up hill and attacking over flooded and waterlogged terrain. This is why source I does prove sources J's view that the German method of defence was well suited to the terrain while the British method of attack was unsuitable.

The Devil And Miss Prym And The Movie Seven Pounds

The idea of creation is perfection, it is good. The manifestation of creation in the physical realm is flawed, it is evil. The novel The Devil and Miss Prym and the movie Seven Pounds share a common tale of tragedy, human suffering, and a quest to discover the true nature of humankind. Both ultimately decide upon whether their subjects are deemed â€Å"worthy† of a life-changing gift. These two tales ideally demonstrate the reality of human nature. A side of humanity which is rotten, despicable, and suppressed, but ever so present, and a side that is honest, loving, pure, praised, and always refuted. As G.F.W Hegel said, â€Å"There is One reality, but two layers to that reality.† Which may be about the good and evil we all hold within. The evil,†¦show more content†¦She asks, â€Å"why me, and why my village?† He responds, â€Å"It has nothing to do with you or with your village. I’m simply thinking of myself; the story of one man is the story o f all men. I need to know if we are good or evil.† (Coehlo, pg. 17). The man is on a journey to answer the question that has haunted him since the murder of his family. Was it just bad luck on him and his family’s part? Maybe an uncomical trick on him for God’s personal entertainment. Or is it that mankind is inherently evil? The stranger explains to Miss Prym: â€Å"Let’s say I’m a man who, for some time now, has been searching for a particular truth,† and, â€Å"I am a man who went beyond all the usual limits in his search for both pleasure and knowledge.† (Coehlo, pg. 15-16). On the contrary, there is Ben Thomas, the protagonist of the movie Seven Pounds. Interestingly, in the opening he says, â€Å"In a good sales pitch, you tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then, tell them what you told them.† (Muccino, Seven Pounds). Ben was traveling with his newly-wed wife in their car when he glances at his phone. Suddenly, he head-on collides with a Van carrying six passengers, all of which died except for himself. He believes the blood of their deaths are on his hands, and sets out to redeem himself in the most valuable ways he sees possible. His quest is to find seven people who are decent, well rounded, deserving individuals of valuable blessings. In the beginning of the movie, he visits aShow MoreRelatedThe Devil And Miss Prym And The Movie Seven Pounds1259 Words   |  6 PagesThe idea of creation is perfection, it is good; simultaneously, manifestation of creation in the physical realm is flawed, it is evil. The novel The De vil and Miss Prym and the movie Seven Pounds share a common tale of tragedy, human suffering, and a quest to discover the true nature of humankind. Both ultimately decide upon whether their subjects are deemed â€Å"worthy† of a life-changing gift and ideally demonstrate the reality of human nature. A side of humanity which is rotten, despicable, and suppressed The Devil And Miss Prym And The Movie Seven Pounds The idea of creation is perfection, it is good; simultaneously, manifestation of creation in the physical realm is flawed, it is evil. The novel The Devil and Miss Prym and the movie Seven Pounds share a common tale of tragedy, human suffering, and a quest to discover the true nature of humankind. Both ultimately decide upon whether their subjects are deemed â€Å"worthy† of a life-changing gift and ideally demonstrate the reality of human nature. A side of humanity which is rotten, despicable, and suppressed, but ever so present, and a side that is honest, loving, pure, praised, and always refuted. As G.F.W Hegel said, â€Å"There is One reality, but two layers to that reality,† which could exemplify the good and evil we all hold within. The evil,†¦show more content†¦She asks, â€Å"why me, and why my village?† He responds, â€Å"It has nothing to do with you or with your village. I’m simply thinking of myself; the story of one man is the story of all men. I need to know if we are good or evil.† (Coehlo, pg. 17). The man is on a journey to answer the question that has haunted him since the murder of his family. Was it just bad luck on him and his family’s part? Maybe an uncomical trick on him for God’s personal entertainment. Or is it that mankind is inherently evil? The stranger explains to Miss Prym: â€Å"Let’s say I’m a man who, for some time now, has been searching for a particular truth,† and, â€Å"I am a man who went beyond all the usual limits in his search for both pleasure and knowledge.† (Coehlo, pg. 15-16). On the contrary, there is Ben Thomas, the protagonist of the movie Seven Pounds. Interestingly, in the opening he says, â€Å"In a good sales pitch, you tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then, tell them what you told them.† (Muccino, Seven Pounds). Ben was traveling with his newly-wed wife in their car when he glances at his phone. Suddenly, he head-on collides with a Van carrying six passengers, all of which died except for himself. He believes the blood of their deaths are on his hands, and sets out to redeem himself in the most valuable ways he sees possible. His quest is to find seven people who are decent, well rounded, deserving individuals of valuable blessings. In the beginning of the movie, he visitsShow MoreRelatedThe Devil And Miss Prym And The Movie Seven Pounds828 Words   |  4 PagesThe idea of creation is perfection, it is good. The manifestation of creation in the physical realm is flawed, it is evil. The novel The Devil and Miss Pr ym and the movie Seven Pounds share a common tale of tragedy, human suffering, and a quest to discover the true nature of humankind. Both ultimately decide upon whether their subjects are deemed â€Å"worthy† of a life-changing gift. These two tales ideally demonstrate the reality of human nature. A side of humanity which is rotten, despicable, and suppressed