Battle of Verdun in World War I

The Battle of Verdun was fought during World War I (1914-1918) and lasted from February 21, 1916 until December 18, 1916. The longest and largest battle fought on the Western Front during the conflict, Verdun saw German forces attempt to gain the high ground around the city while drawing the French reserves into a battle of annihilation. Striking on February 21, the Germans made early gains until increasing French resistance and the arrival of reinforcements turned the battle into a grinding, bloody affair. Fighting continued through the summer and saw the French commence counterattacks in August. This was followed by a major counteroffensive on October which ultimately reclaimed much of the ground lost earlier in the year to the Germans. Ending in December, the Battle of Verdun soon became an iconic symbol of French resolve to defend their country. Background By 1915, the Western Front had become a stalemate as both sides engaged in trench warfare. Unable to achieve a decisive breakthrough, offensives simply resulted in heavy casualties with little gain. Seeking to shatter the Anglo-French lines, the German Chief of Staff Erich von Falkenhayn began planning a massive assault on the French city of Verdun. A fortress town on the Meuse River, Verdun protected the plains of Champagne and the approaches to Paris. Surrounded by rings of forts and batteries, Verduns defenses had been weakened in 1915, as artillery was shifted to other sections of the line (Map). Despite its reputation as a fortress, Verdun was selected as it was located in a salient in German lines and could only be supplied by a single road, the Voie Sacrà ©e, from a railhead located at Bar-le-Duc. Conversely, the Germans would be able to attack the city from three sides while enjoying a much stronger logistical network. With these advantages in hand, von Falkenhayn believed that Verdun would only be able to hold out for a few weeks. Shifting forces to the Verdun area, the Germans planned to launch the offensive on February 12, 1916 (Map). The Late Offensive Due to poor weather, the attack was postponed until February 21. This delay, coupled with accurate intelligence reports, allowed the French to shift two divisions of the XXXth Corps to the Verdun area prior to the German assault. At 7:15 AM on February 21, the Germans commenced a ten-hour bombardment of the French lines around the city. Attacking with three army corps, the Germans moved forward utilizing storm troopers and flamethrowers. Staggered by the weight of the German attack, the French were forced to fall back three miles on the first day of fighting. On the 24th, troops of XXX Corps were compelled to abandon their second line of defense but were buoyed by the arrival of the French XX Corps. That night the decision was made to shift General Philippe Petains Second Army to the Verdun sector. Bad news for the French continued the next day as Fort Douaumont, northeast of the city, was lost to German troops. Taking command at Verdun, Petain reinforced the citys fortifications and laid out new defensive lines. On the final day of the month, French resistance near the village of Douaumont slowed the enemy advance, allowing the citys garrison to be reinforced. Changing Strategies Pushing forward, the Germans began to lose the protection of their own artillery, while coming under fire from French guns on the west bank of the Meuse. Pounding German columns, French artillery badly bled the Germans at Douaumont and ultimately forced them to abandon the frontal assault on Verdun. Changing strategies, the Germans began assaults on the flanks of the city in March. On the west bank of the Meuse, their advance focused on the hills of Le Mort Homme and Cote (Hill) 304. In a series of brutal battles, they succeeded in capturing both. This accomplished, they began assaults east of the city. Focusing their attention on Fort Vaux, the Germans shelled the French fortification around the clock. Storming forward, German troops captured the forts superstructure, but a savage battle continued in its underground tunnels until early June. As the fighting raged, Petain was promoted to lead the Centre Army Group on May 1, while General Robert Nivelle was given command of the front at Verdun. Having secured Fort Vaux, the Germans pushed southwest against Fort Souville. On June 22, they shelled the area with poison diphosgene gas shells before launching a massive assault the next day. French General Philippe PetainGeneral Robert Nivelle30,000 men (Feb. 21, 1916) Germans Erich von FalkenhaynCrown Prince Wilhelm150,000 men (Feb. 21, 1916) Casualties Germany - 336,000-434,000France - 377,000 (161,000 killed, 216,000 wounded) French Moving Ahead Over several days of fighting, the Germans initially had success but met increasing French resistance. While some German troops reached the top of Fort Souville on July 12, they were forced to withdraw by French artillery. The battles around Souville marked farthest German advance during the campaign. With the opening of the Battle of the Somme on July 1, some German troops were withdrawn from Verdun to meet the new threat. With the tide stemmed, Nivelle began planning a counter-offensive for the sector. For his failure, von Falkenhayn was replaced by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg in August. On October 24, Nivelle began attacking the German lines around the city. Making heavy use of artillery, his infantry was able to push the Germans back on the east bank of the river. Forts Douaumont and Vaux were recaptured on October 24 and November 2, respectively, and by December, the Germans had been nearly forced back to their original lines. The hills on the west bank of the Meuse were retaken in a localized offensive in August 1917. Aftermath The Battle of Verdun was one of the longest and bloodiest battles of World War I. A brutal battle of attrition, Verdun cost the French an estimated 161,000 dead, 101,000 missing, and 216,000 wounded. German losses were approximately 142,000 killed and 187,000 wounded. After the war, von Falkenhayn claimed that his intention at Verdun was not to win a decisive battle  but rather to bleed the French white by forcing them to make a stand at a place from which they could not retreat. Recent scholarship has discredited these statements as von Falkenhayn attempting to justify the campaigns failure. The Battle of Verdun has assumed an iconic place in French military history as a symbol of the nations determination to defend its soil at all costs.

Justice In Crime And Punishment, By Fyodor Dostoevsky

Unanswered Questions In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky discusses justice, questioning who or what determines this ideal. Primarily, he focuses on a man named Raskolnikov, who murders two women and then wrestles with his motives. As Raskolnikov’s hopeless outlook drives him to madness, his friend Sonia reveals an alternative view of justice, which allows for redemption. Through analyzing his character’s viewpoints, Dostoevsky never explicitly defines justice; instead, he exposes his audience to different interpretations to form their own conclusions. However, by depicting Raskolnikov spiraling into madness, Dostoevsky guides his reader to reject justice as determined by man in favor of it established by a higher power.†¦show more content†¦From declaring he wanted to become a Napoleon to wishing for financial independence to murdering for his own sake, he rattles off various motives, showing his obsessive rationalization (394-397). By presenting his con flicting intentions, Dostoevsky exhibits the chaos within Raskolnikov’s mind. After the murder, his restless conscience tortures him, leading him into madness. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky describes Raskolnikov as â€Å"delirious† and â€Å"fanatical,† likening him to a madman. Stemming from his guilt, this condition, remarked upon by his friend Razumihkin, the doctor Zossimov, the inspector Porfiry Petrovich, and others, consumes him and manifests as a physical disease. By portraying him as diseased, Dostoevsky links his murder with corruption – a corruption so great that it infects both his mind and body. This focus on corruption may also imply that man is inadequate when determining justice for himself. Another character, Svidrigailov, operates according to his own judgements and experiences similar decay, manifesting in madness and despair. When sharing his view of a despicable eternity, the old man declares, â€Å"More just? And how can we tell, perhaps that is just, and, do you know, it’s what I would certainly have made it† (277). Svidrigailov scoffs at the presumption of definite justice and relies on his own reasoning as he jokes about eternity. However, without a standard, heShow MoreRelatedCommon Themes in Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov2032 Words   |  8 Pages Russian author and philosopher, Fyodor Dostoevsky, was best known for his literary contributions between 1866 and 1880. Of his substantial work, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Devils, and The Brothers Karamazov are the novels he remains most recognized for. In each of these novels, Dostoevsky examines and interprets several social, physical, mental, and emotional situations and conditions, which he believed to, influenced the nature of humanity. His theories concerning the causes and effectsRead More Dostoevskys The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment3948 Words   |  16 PagesGod Answers the Questions Presented by Dostoevskys The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   In Dostoevskys novels pain and some heavy burden of the inevitability of human suffering and helplessness form Russia. And he depicts it not with white gloves on, nor through the blisters of the peasant, but through people who are close to him and his realities: city people who either have faith, or secular humanists who are so remote from reality that even when they love humanityRead MoreAn Analysis Of Dostoevsky s The Brothers Karamazov 1344 Words   |  6 PagesPermission and Punishment In Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, Rakitin responds to a central question throughout the novel, â€Å"What is permitted?† when he proudly states to Dmitry that â€Å"An intelligent man can do anything he likes as long as he’s clever enough to get away with it† (788). While Rakitin has found his answer to this question, multiple characters in the novel are still stuck on that question. Throughout the novel, Dostoevsky seems to separate these characters into two groups: the charactersRead MoreControversy Between the Existence of God Essay example1451 Words   |  6 PagesIn â€Å"The Brothers Karamazov† by Fyodor Dostoevsky made a famous claim that establishes the link between the existence of God and morality. Apart from the controversy related to the scope of the quotation, the discussion on the proper translation and interpretation of the words of Ivan Karamazov. For instance, in his article â€Å"Dostoevsky did not say it† D.Cortesi claims that Dostoevsky did not make such claim (Cortesi 1). However, the research by Russian-speaking authors shows that the original textRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Be Abolished Essay1293 Words   |  6 PagesApproaching the topic of capital punishment is difficult when looking at society as a whole. In the opinion stated by my class group, capital punishment should be entirely abolished due to the possibility of mistakes while sentencing. This idea relies on the basis that capital punishment has absolutely no purpose or benefit. Members of my group mistakenly used a utilitarianist point of view to argue their case, even though this view can be stretched to fit almost any argument. This paper will exploreRead More Reason for the Weak1992 Words   |  8 Pagesof acknowledging human nature and the spiritual and natural laws of life. Nihilism, the rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless can lead to chaos and suffering of a society. With Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky portrays that Russian nihilism, a philosophy based on extreme rationalism, will never successfully exist because it inherently contradicts human emotions, through the relentless examination of Raskolnikov’s experiences in a MarxistRead MoreThe Deconstruction of Raskolnikov as ÃÅ"bermensch Essay examples1427 Words   |  6 Pagesword (Part 3, Chapter VI of Crime and Punishment), the stranger’s direct label is a stabbing remark in opposition of Raskolnikov’s assumed identity. It is the debasement of a man-god, to be more apt a superman, who is ever so close to falling off the perch and into the abyss. â€Å"It was impossible to be sure, but it seemed to Raskolnikov that his face again wore its coldly hostile and triumphant smile† (231). Raskolnikov as the extraordinary man seeks not greatness but justice to serve his pursuits. TheRead MoreBook Review : Crime And Punishment2578 Words   |  11 PagesTi tle of Work: Crime and Punishment Author’s Name: Fyodor Dostoevsky Date of Publication: 1866 Genre: Philosophical fiction, Psychological novel, Crime Fiction Characteristics of the genre the work does/doesn’t meet: The characteristics of the genre the work does meet is provide the reader thought provoking questions over their morals of what is considered a crime and what punishment should be made by delving into the mind of a criminal tormented by the guilt of a murder which presented psychologicalRead MoreLiterature and Politics the Impact of Dostoevsky9582 Words   |  39 PagesLITERATURE AND POLITICS: THE IMPACT OF FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY Dostoevsky and the Legend of the Grand Inquisitor, by Vasily Rozanov. Translated and with an Afterword by Spencer E. Roberts. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1972. Pp. xi. 232. $12.50. Political Apocalypse. A Study of Dostoevskys Grand Inquisitor, by Ellis Sandoz. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1971, Pp. xviii. 263. $13.50.* ostoevskys great novels have spawned a vast library of critical 1/literatureRead MoreContentious Expert Testimony Case Study: R vs. Smith4529 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿R v. Smith: Contentious Expert Testimony Life does not frequently imitate art. The case of R v. Smith [2011] EWCA Crime 1296 is evocative of the famed and beloved masterpiece by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment. The convicted murderer, Peter Smith, is very much a modern day Raskolnikov, though its doubtful that he will reach the level of redemption that Dostoevskys protagonist achieves. The case of R v. Smith [2011] EWCA Crim 1296 arose because of the murder of Hilda Owen, a 71- year old

Qantas Dispute Free Essays

Qantas dispute heads to umpire, more pain possible Kelly Burke, Matthew O’Sullivan, Jessica Wright November 22, 2011 [pic] Alan Joyce†¦ â€Å"the winners out of this are our customers†. Photo: Dallas Kilponen THE Qantas dispute will drag into next year and there is a threat of further legal action, with negotiations between the three unions and the airline collapsing within hours of the mandated deadline. Despite a push by the Transport Workers Union to extend the 21-day negotiation period, yesterday afternoon airline management walked away from talks with its ground crew, including baggage handlers and catering staff, less than an hour after doing the same with its long-haul pilots. We will write a custom essay sample on Qantas Dispute or any similar topic only for you Order Now Late in the afternoon, Qantas and the third union locked in dispute, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, agreed to call it quits and hand the remaining unresolved issues – the use of contractors and hiring staff from outside Australia – over to the industrial relations umpire. The process of binding arbitration under Fair Work Australia is expected to take months as the umpire gathers evidence and calls for expert witnesses and written submissions. Although unlikely, disruptions to the holiday plans of thousands of Qantas passengers cannot be ruled out, with the TWU to decide on Thursday whether it will mount a legal challenge to Fair Work’s order on October 31 to terminate industrial action. The union has said it will seek a stay if it decides to challenge, which would allow its members to resume work stoppages over the Christmas and New Year period. The pilots’ union has already begun legal action against Fair Work’s decision with the first directions hearing in the Federal Court set down for December 1. But industrial law experts are skeptical about the likely success of the TWU and pilots’ legal challenges. Emeritus Professor Ron McCallum, from the Sydney Law School, said it was highly unlikely the Federal Court would grant the TWU a stay, which would allow its members to take legal strike action. ‘The [union’s case] would have to successfully argue that Fair Work acted contrary to the law, that they misconstrued their powers †¦ and that will be very hard to do,† he said. The Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, said there was a lack of goodwill and respect from all sides and the government’s position on union moves to take legal action was iron clad. †We don’t support people taking legal action. We have an umpire and the umpire should be allowed to make their d ecision. We’re confident the courts would uphold that,† he said. The Workplace Relations Minister, Chris Evans, warned that further industrial action by any party would be unlawful. The federal secretary of the TWU, Tony Sheldon, said Qantas had decided to drag its employees through the courts rather than agree to an extension of the conciliation period, where the issue of job security, including the number of contractors Qantas wanted to use, were the sticking points. †Qantas has not displayed good faith in these negotiations. The TWU wanted a sprint to the finish but Qantas just hopped on the treadmill. It looked like they were moving but they weren’t going anywhere. † The vice-president of the Australian and International Pilots Association, Richard Woodward, said negotiations had ended after the two sides failed to agree over the terms for efficiency gains of up to 20 per cent in areas such as pilot rostering. †Management obviously believes that a decision achieved through arbitration is preferable,† he said. â€Å"It is a pity that Qantas as an airline will have to be subjected to this long, drawn-out process when a negotiated outcome was possible. ‘ Qantas’s chief executive, Alan Joyce, conceded that binding arbitration could take months but said it would eventually lead to agreements that could last as long as four years. He dismissed claims from the pilots’ union that Qantas never intended to reach an agreement during the 21 days. †Passengers can now travel with confidence. The winners out of this are our customers. The winne rs out of this are employees and our shareholders. They have certainty,† he said. http://www. smh. com. au/business/qantas-dispute-heads-to-umpire-more-pain-possible-20111122-1nrgj. tml Overview This article is a well-publicized national dispute between Qantas and it’s employees about; pay, job security, and working conditions. The Qantas employee’s involved in this dispute are; pilots, baggage handlers, engineers and the catering department. Analysis This industrial dispute between Qantas and its employees has been dragging on for quite some time now, and I would have to agree with some of the comments made in the article by the Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, when he said, â€Å"there was a lack of goodwill and respect from all sides†. I agree with those comments made by the Transport Minister, because there appears to have been very minimal progress made during the bargaining process, prior to Fair Work Australia’s (FWA) intervention. Now that the dispute is going to arbitration it will be extremely interesting to see how the term bargaining in good faith will be justified and measured. I believe the term bargaining in good faith to be quite open to disagreement, and it will be rather difficult to prove that any particular party was not acting in good faith. On the FWA website there is a description for good faith bargaining which explains that; the good faith bargaining requirements that a bargaining representative for a proposed enterprise agreement must meet: †¢ attending, and participating in, meetings at reasonable times †¢ disclosing relevant information (other than confidential or commercially sensitive information) in a timely manner †¢ responding to proposals made by other bargaining representatives for the agreement in a timely manner †¢ giving genuine consideration to the proposals of other bargaining representatives for the agreement, and giving reasons for the bargaining representative’s responses to those proposals †¢ refraining from capricious or unfair conduct that undermines freedom of association or collective bargaining †¢ recognising and bargaining with the other bargaining representatives for the agreement. The good faith bargaining requirements do not require a bargaining representative to: †¢ make concessions during bargaining for the agreement †¢ reach agreement on the terms that are to be included in the agreement†. (http://www. fwa. gov. au/index. cfm? pagename=agreementsdeterminations#good) I believe that globalization may have played a part in the lack of good faith bargaining in this EBA dispute, because the major sticking point in this dispute is job security for the employees, and Qantas can’t g uarantee this whilst pursuing its organizational strategic objectives. Part of Qantas’s long-term strategic plan is to increasingly use contractual part time employees within Australia, as well as establishing some offshore workforces to fulfill roles such as engineering. Therefore, I think that Qantas had always intended to eventually use FWA to intervene and assist in settling this dispute. I can completely empathize with the employee’s desires to ensure job security into the future, but I can also understand the strategic organizational needs of Qantas management. Some people would argue that globalization is just a convenient management excuse for cost cutting, but there are definitely global pressures in today’s economic environment that make issues such as this extremely delicate to strike a balance. Left-wing critics, however argue that the demon of globalization is just a convenient management excuse for cost-cutting and anti-union behavior designed to decollectivize the workplace and promote market forces. The real problems for Australia’s competitiveness, according to such critics, are not in unproductive workplaces, but in the boardrooms of banks, large corporations and other centers of financial power†. (Stone. R – pg. 541, 2008) Conclusion It is hard to know whether there was good faith bargaining displayed from both Qantas management and the unions during these negotiations, and that is some thing that the FWA tribunal will decide on. However, I do believe that if there were more consultation, honesty and eventually trust built between both parties, there would have been more progress made before the FWA intervention. I would have also recommended that both parties begin these negotiations by deciding which issues that they agree on going forward, and then start trying to negotiate the more difficult issues. By doing this both parties will slowly build some small amounts of trust, which helps to facilitate more consultation. References Book Stone. J Raymond -Human Resource Management 6th Edition, 2008. John Wiley Sons Australia, Ltd. Milton, QLD 4064 Online http://www. smh. com. au/business/qantas-dispute-heads-to-umpire-more-pain-possible-20111122-1nrgj. html http://www. fwa. gov. au/index. cfm? pagename=agreementsdeterminations#good How to cite Qantas Dispute, Papers

Interview Project free essay sample

The reason why I thought he would be a perfect person to Interview Is because my goal Is to be a FBI agent after I graduate and have experience being a police officer. Much Like Special Agent Tomlinson, I plan to get my associates degree In criminal Justice and become a police officer. When I get some experience I hope to also become a S. W. A. T. Team member. I believe that after at least three years of being a police officer I will have enough experience to apply for the FBI Before and even more so after my interview with Special AgentTomlinson, I did some research on being an FBI agent and also a police officer. What I found out about being a police officer I mostly already knew, but the things I learned about becoming and being a FBI agent really amazed me. First, being a police officer is a very rewarding career, when you are a police officer you deal with your community, county or state. When you are a town cop you Interact with the community you work In. If your work in a smaller community then you will probably be able to get to know people by their names and Interact more and have conversations with.As a sheriff you would be able to have the same but you would patrol more than Just one town, so that gives you even more of a chance to get to know people from a different community. As a state trooper you wont have as much of the personal connection with a certain community. More than likely you will be on the interstates and state highways, not in a community getting to know people. Now as a FBI agent you deal more with the blue-collar crimes and the national crimes. A good example of this is a personal experience Special Agent Tomlinson shared with me. He told me that his most memorable case was one in which he and is team where trying to catch a drug dealer who lived in the United States. Mr.. Tomlinson explained that he had to fly to California and Mexico in order to gather information for the case that he was conducting. After they got all the evidence needed he and his team arrested the man and sent him to prison. Becoming a FBI agent Is not an easy task, there are a lot of steps Involved so you have to be committed If It Is the path you would Like to choose.First of all you have to have at least four years of college in certain areas (technical degrees are an increasing career here years of career experience at one Job. After you have those requirements you can apply for a position in the FBI If they decide that you could be an essential part of the FBI then you will have to pass a detailed back-round check included criminal back-round, credit check, experience and drugs. During the back-round check they will also interview your family and friends and even people that would most likely not say only good things about you.The reason they do this is to see what kind of person you are and if you can be trusted. After that step they will give you a polygraph test o see how truthful you are, and again if you can be trusted. Even if you pass all of these steps there is still the physical, oral and written test. Now if you pass all these test to this point then they will let you know when you will go to the FBI academy and start your intensive training. About six weeks into the academy they will let you know where you will be located after you graduate. You dont really have much say in where you will be located. You can put in a request but if you are not needed in the area you ask for you will not be located there. After you graduate the academy you ill then be a Special Agent, all FBI agent have the title of special agent because each one has a special background in a certain field. In conclusion, I learned a lot about becoming an agent from my research and also from my interview with Special Agent Craig Tomlinson. This project did not deter me in any way from the goal that I already set, it made me want it more.I see now that there are more challenges than I thought to become an agent, but that is why the FBI is an elite group and why I would love to be a FBI agent. References The Federal Bureau of Investigations website www. Bi. Gob Special Agent Craig Tomlinson with the federal bureau of Investigation Waterloo, Iowa Appendix 1 . How many years of service do you have? From l have been an agent for 14 years, I have been in law enforcement for a total of 27 years. 2. What made you want to become a FBI agent? Well I have been a deputy police officer and I have been on the S.W. A. T. Team so I just wanted to step it up and go farther with my career 3. Do you have any background in the military? No I dont, no military 4. Does everyone that wants to be in the FBI have to go to Quantico, Virginia for raining? Miss, for 21 weeks. After you are there for six weeks then they will let you know where you will be placed 5. Did you have any say in where you where assigned? No, Im originally from Florida. My wife and I never even heard of waterloo, Iowa that wants to be a FBI agent know if they could be one? Well you have to have a four year degree, and three years at a single Job, it could be at Wall-Mart or a gas station, it doesnt matter as long as its three years. It also helped if you know a foreign language, there are (FBI) offices all over the world so knowing a foreign engage could help you get to a different country even. I mean it takes $75,000 to hire a new agent, so the FBI wont hire Just anybody. 7. What is it like being an agent? It is a very rewarding career. I look forward to coming to work everyday.When you are an agent you have to work 10 hours a day and twice a year you have mandatory legal training. You get your own desk and you get to take out all the big bad guys. 8. Are there any geographical limitations to your authority? No, in the United States I can carry a weapon where ever I please and can arrest anyone anywhere. Now I can also go out of the United States if say an agent was vacationing in Spain and someone kidnapped or killed them, then I will be able to go there and.