Second World War Essay Example for Free

Second World War Essay The First World War was truly a significant event in history. The tension that began in Europe evolved into a global conflict which lasted for four long years. The war claimed the lives of both soldiers and civilians, and resulted in the massive destruction of property. After the war ended, the countries involved undertook measures which sought to avoid another global conflict. One of those measures was the drafting of several peace settlements, including the Versailles Treaty. This agreement punished Germany and made it solely responsible for the occurrence of the war. Unfortunately, the treaty caused bitterness from the Germans and paved the way for another world war to occur. Coincidentally, it was the Second World War which resolved the unaddressed issues of the first Great War. Indeed, the Versailles Treaty caused the occurrence of the Second World War, which ended the problems of the First World War. The Versailles Treaty considered Germany to be the only nation liable to the occurrence of the First World War. It must be noted that Germany did initiate the establishment of the alliance system, which guaranteed increased conflict in Europe (Perry, 1989). As an outcome of its triumph in the Franco-Prussian War, Germany acquired the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. In an attempt to secure these former French territories and prevent France from regaining them, the Chancellor of Germany Otto von Bismarck allied with Italy and Austria-Hungary. Germany continued its aggression after Bismarck was removed from office. When William II assumed the throne, Germany demanded more territory and began to increase its naval strength. However, Germany was not the only nation to blame for the First World War. In fact, Serbia was responsible for starting the war. It was a shooting incident which triggered the widespread conflict: a Serbian named Gavrilo Princip shot Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife (Heyman, 1997). Austria sought to attack Serbia in return, and turned to Germany for assistance. Hence, the starting point of the First World War was the conflict between Austria and Serbia (Perry, 1989). The end of the First World War brought about several attempts at the restoration of peace, but it was prevented by intentions of the affected parties. Prior to the end of the First World War, U.  S. President Woodrow Wilson had already drafted a program for peace which he presented in Congress through the â€Å"Fourteen Points† speech (Perry, 1989). One of the major points he suggested in his speech was â€Å"peace without victory† (as cited in Perry, 1989, p. 647). Wilson wanted the other countries to practice fairness towards Germany, for he thought that severely penalizing the nation would only force it to avenge their losses. He simply wanted a fair settlement which would guarantee improved foreign relations between the victors and the defeated countries. Unfortunately, Wilson’s hopes ran against the bitter feelings which were developed during the war. The European Allies suffered massive losses, which in turn caused hatred between countries. Among all Allies, France was most affected by the First World War; majority of the battles which happened in the western front took place in French territory. While more than three million French citizens were wounded, more than a million French soldiers died in the war. Hence, it was to be expected that France desired severe punishment for Germany and sought to be compensated for its damaged properties (Perry, 1989). The Versailles Treaty did not guarantee fair treatment towards Germany, as it imposed harsh sanctions on the defeated nation. The settlement was evidently disadvantageous for Germany; it was created to decrease their power and territory. The treaty was beneficial for France; not only did it regain Alsace-Lorraine, but it also obtained control over the Saar coal mines (Halsall, 1944). Germany also lost territory to Poland and Britain (Perry, 1989). In addition, the Versailles treaty significantly reduced the military capability of Germany. The agreement required the German army to be limited to 100,000 people, all of which were to be volunteers (Halsall, 1944). Germany was also asked to demilitarize their territories in both sides of Rhine River. More importantly, the treaty demanded Germany to pay other nations due to the damages which resulted from the war. Germany was supposed to pay $33 billion worth of reparations, an amount only determined two years after the nation signed the treaty (Perry, 1989). In general, the Versailles Treaty blamed Germany for the First World War and severely punished it as a result. Consequently, the Germans were angered by the conditions of the Versailles Treaty and provoked them to start yet another world war. Germany was enraged by the demands for reparations; they thought that the amount given for them to pay exceeded the nation’s financial capacity (Perry, 1989). Germans also disagreed with treaty on grounds of being solely responsible for the outcome of the war. They upheld the belief that Germany must not be singled out, for all the nations involved in the war must be held accountable for its consequences. After the First World War, Germany became a part of the League of Nations, the organization which was created for the purpose of developing peace and cooperation between countries. The country also participated in other postwar activities directed at maintaining peace. Despite these efforts, majority of the Germans were still not ready for peace. Most of them remained bitter towards the Versailles Treaty. The animosity was derived from humiliation after defeat; after all, the settlement disarmed their nation, reduced their territories and required them to pay a great sum (Bergen, 2002). The Weimar government attempted to modify the treaty through peaceful means. When Adolf Hitler came into power, he completely undermined the Versailles Treaty (Perry, 1989). With Hitler as leader, Germany violated the Versailles Treaty and started the path to the Second World War. Hitler quickly broke the conditions of the treaty; he disregarded the limitations imposed on the country. He immediately increased the army to 550,000 men and rearmed it (Sulzberger, 1985). Hitler also sent troops in Rhineland; this action was clearly a violation of the demilitarization in the area as demanded in the treaty. In what seemed to be a response to the loss of lands due to the Versailles Treaty, Hitler sought to expand German territory by uniting all German-speaking people (Sulzberger, 1985). All of the aforementioned aggressive acts committed by Hitler sparked another global conflict and eventually resulted in what everybody feared: the Second World War. Ironically, the problems of the First World War were resolved by the Second World War. One of the problems of the Great War was self-determination, the principle wherein national groups choose their own political state (Perry, 1989). The reason behind Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination was the Serbs’ desire to unite all Slavic peoples. President Wilson included the principle of self-determination in his â€Å"Fourteen Points,† yet it proved to be problematic. Hitler even used the principle to invade other countries. After the Second World War, self-determination was no longer proposed. Instead, the Atlantic Charter drafted by U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposed the self-government to peoples. Meanwhile, the restoration of peace was also a dilemma after the First World War. The nations tried to restore peace through various peace settlements, including the Versailles Treaty. However, the treaty exacerbated the war problem. After the Second World War, there was already an international organization established to maintain peace among countries. Rather than make individual peace treaties to each Axis power, the Allied countries sought peace as the United Nations. This move proved to be more effective in restoring global peace and order (Perry, 1989). The First World War was a genuinely significant experience. The armed conflict was caused and characterized by tension, so there were many efforts to avoid yet another war from taking place. The Versailles Treaty was a peace settlement, but it did not contribute to the restoration of peace. Rather, it caused the Second World War by provoking Germany to seek revenge over its sanctions. Fortunately, with the occurrence of the Second World War, the problems of the Great War were settled.

Avoidant Personality Disorder :: essays research papers

Avoidant Personality Disorder From the moment a person is born, his or her personality begins to take shape. In infancy, childhood, and later adolescence, the individual explores a multitude of behaviors. Of all the behaviors, or personalities, the person experiences, one of them will stick with them until the day they die. Unfortunately, each specific personality also contain a personality disorder. Personality disorders can result in anxiety attacks, depression, and to a certain level, suicide. One of the most unique personality disorders is the Avoidant Personality Disorder. The DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) describes Avoidant Personality Disorder as: a persuasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, beginning by early childhood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following traits: 1.) avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection 2.) is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked 3.) shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed 4.) is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations 5.) is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy 6.) views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others 7.) is usually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in nay new activities because they may prove embarrassing Avoidant Personality Disorder usually starts at early adulthood. The American Psychiatric Association is convinced that an equal amount of men and women experience this personality disorder. According to one other study by Greenberg & Stravynski, more men are being referred for professional help than women (Long). The reason for this is because society usually expects men to be the initiators in relationships with women. People that suffer from Avoidant Personality Disorder display traits such as timidity, shyness, and a withdrawing behavior. Avoidants, people that suffer from Avoidant Personality Disorder, use these traits to hurt others so that they can avoid a close relationship with them. They like to display their hostility in an â€Å"open† manner by insulting people who try to be friendly. The reason for this is so that they can handle feared rejection by becoming rejecting themselves. Avoidants reject other people first so that they are not the first to be rejected. Most of the time avoidants reject people who would have never rejected them in the first place. A victim of this personality disorder is usually affected in one of three ways. First, some avoidants put in considerable time and effort into making themselves attractive to others. They do this so they will at least be liked for their looks, if not for

Animal Experimentation 1

Some people think that using animals for experimentation purpose is cruel, but other people think that it is necessary for the development of science. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Animals are living beings, like humans, that also have an important role in the world. However, instead of treating the animal with love and respect, we subject it to cruel and inhumane scientific and medical experiments to further human development. What a cruel fate for the unfortunate animals, and all because of human selfishness. On the other hand, in life, as in the jungle, the concept of survival of the fittest applies, and so, as the most intelligent animal, humans are just exercising our right to dominate and use other animals as we wish. For many people the issue of using animals for science is black and white. It is either they are very pro-animal rights, or very much in favour of using animals since we are the highest-level creature. On the one hand, some people say that subjecting animals to pain and torture is truly barbaric. All animals also have feelings, thoughts, and behaviours, and so we should look after them and respect them. They may also feel that if we are so unsure about the effects of a drug, for example, then we should chemical testing before doing live, and sometimes cruel, animal testing. Others, however, believe that we must use animals for the benefit of our own species. We should use them to test drugs, cosmetics, and new developments in science, which will provide a safer and better lifestyle for us. Very few people are inherently cruel, but they still believe it is either them or us. In truth, it is better to test the drugs on a monkey rather than on a person. In my opinion, being cruel for the sake of being cruel and with no tangible results to show is definitely stepping over a boundary of acceptable behaviour. However, at other times, if the benefits of the research are explicit, tangible, and valuable, then I feel that the research is justified. Thus, whether the use of animals is right or wrong should be based on the purpose of what they are doing.

Andy Warhol s Influence On Modern Art - 1561 Words

When studying artists, styles of art and their respective time period, it is always important to find a few key artists that were responsible for the rise of new art trends. Traditionally, art has often a reflection of the most important elements within its respective time period, such as wars, religions, royalty, culture and expression. This is why the study of art history is needs to look deeper than simply understanding how certain artworks were created. Among the various artists studied in the course, Andy Warhol is definitely one of the most influential. Far ahead of his time in thinking and talented in several media forms, Warhol was a product of his time and defined his era with the use of his artwork, giving rise to other artists within the same time period. This paper will argue that Warhol was not only an influence to modern art, he defined the concept of pop art, which combined consumerism and pop culture, creating works that questioned the norm of society at the time, whi le providing a strong influence to future artists. Warhol was hugely successful in his artistic efforts and several of his staple works will be discussed in regards to its significance and representation of its respective period of time, as well as Warhol’s influence on the history of art. Born in August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Andrew Warhola began his artistic pursuit at the age of 8 years old when he developed chorea, a disease that affects the nervous system, causing him toShow MoreRelatedAndy Warhols Influence on the Art World Essay1063 Words   |  5 PagesWhen you go to an art show do you understand the symbolic interpretation of the pieces? Don’t feel bad, most people don’t. 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In 1962, he started working on the Marilyn MonroeRead MoreAndy Warhol Essay1218 Words   |  5 PagesI selected Andy Warhol because I have long admired his crazy, quirky, unconventional style of producing works of art from normal, everyday subjects ranging from inanimate, normally unnoticed objects to pop culture celebrity icons. I first heard of him in 1986 when his show Andy Warhols Fifteen Minutes aired on MTV. The show featured Andy interviewing what he thought was the next up-and-coming music al sensations about to get their fifteen minutes of fame. Two years later on a poster in theRead MoreAnalysis of album art of the 20th Century Essay1618 Words   |  7 PagesMusic has always had a strong influence on people everywhere in the world and nothing points to this ever changing. There is an enormous amount of genres and sub genres, new hits and old classics, songs and compositions for everyone and this number is forever increasing. It is virtually impossible to listen to all songs ever written and hardly anyone would try to attempt that, yet each band and singer would want to have their music noticed. This is why album art is an essential part of any musicRead MoreEssay about Pop Art’s Response to Mass Consumerism1133 Words   |  5 PagesPart One: Introduction to Pop Art The Pop Art movement â€Å"uses elements of popular culture, such as magazines, movies, †¦ and even [brand name] bottles and cans† to convey a message about the artist’s views on society. Using bold coloured paintings, soft sculptures, and printmaking, artists would create facsimiles, similar reproductions of popular merchandise and collages. The purpose was to emphasize the banality of any given mass culture. This was a response the post-war conservative society whichRead MoreThe Pop Art Movement Essay1303 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pop Art Movement Pop art got its name from Lawrence Alloway, who was a British art critic in 1950’s. The name â€Å"Pop Art† reflected on the â€Å"familiar imagery of the contemporary urban environment† (kleiner, 981). This art form was popular for its bold and simple looks plus its bright and vibrant colors. An example of this type of art is the oil painting done by Andy Warhol, â€Å"Marilyn Diptych† (Warhol, Marilyn Diptych) in 1962. The Pop art movement became known in the mid-1950 and continued asRead MoreThe Rise Of Pop Art1657 Words   |  7 Pagesrise of Pop Art. It paved the way for iconic artist such as Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns . With the rise of this bona fide American phenomenon also brought critics. Critics asked and wondered how a can of soup or a soft drink could be considered art. Pop artist, Andy Warhol responded by stating, †Art is what you can get away with.† What made pop art popular? It was brash, transient, witty, hostile, young, mass produced, and most importantly it was low-cost . Pop art was the new art movement of