Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Chevauche Organised Medieval Murder

The chevauchà ©e was a particularly destructive kind of military raid prominent during The Hundred Years War (and especially used by Edward III of England). Rather than besieging a castle or conquering the land, soldiers on a chevauchà ©e aimed to create as much destruction, carnage and chaos as possible to both break the morale of enemy peasants and deny their rulers income and resources. Consequently, they would burn crops and buildings, kill the population and steal anything valuable before enemy forces could challenge them, often systematically laying regions to waste and causing great starvation. Comparison with the modern concept of Total War is more than justified and the chevauchà ©e makes an interesting counterpoint to the modern view of chivalrous medieval warfare and the idea medieval people avoided civilian casualties. The Chevauchà ©e in the Hundred Years War The chevauchà ©e used during the Hundred Years War emerged during the wars of the English and Scots, along with the defensive longbow tactics of the former. Edward III then took the chevauchà ©e to the continent when he warred with the French crown in 1399, shocking his rivals for his brutality. However, Edward was being careful: chevauchà ©es were cheaper to organize than sieges, needing far fewer resources and not tying you down, and far less risky than open battle, as the people you were fighting/killing were poorly armed, not armored and proved little threat. You needed a smaller force if you weren’t trying to win an open battle, or blockade a town. In addition, while you saved money it was costing your enemy, as their resources were being eaten away. Edward and fellow kings needed to conserve money as raising funds were very difficult―even if Edward did break new ground in marshaling England’s funds―making the chevauchà ©e even more attractive. Edward III of England and Chevauchà ©e Edward made the chevauchà ©e key to his campaign for his entire life. While he did take Calais, and lower ranking English and allies kept taking and losing smaller scale locations, Edward and his sons favored these bloody expeditions. There is a debate about whether Edward was using the chevauchà ©e to draw the French king or crown prince into battle, the theory being you caused so much chaos and destruction that moral pressure mounted on the enemy monarch to attack you. Edward certainly wanted a quick show of god given right at times, and the victory at Crecy occurred at just such a moment, but many of the English chevauchà ©e’s were smaller forces moving swiftly precisely to avoid being forced to give battle and take that larger risk. What Happened After the Losses of Crecy and Poitiers After the losses of Crecy and Poitiers, the French refused to battle for a generation, and chevauchà ©es became less effective as they had to move through areas they’d already damaged. However, while the chevauchà ©e certainly harmed the French, unless a battle was won or a major target took the English populace questioned whether the expense of these expeditions was worth it, and the chevauchà ©es in the later years of Edward III’s life are considered failures. When Henry V later reignited the war he aimed to take and hold rather than copy the chevauchà ©e.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Effects Of Falling Gas Prices On Operation Management...

The Effects of Falling Gas Prices on Operation Management Decision Making Dylan Knight Robert Morris University Abstract This paper briefly takes a look at how the price of gas has changed over the past ten years and what has caused the drop in fuel prices within the past few years. It then looks at the fuel price’s effect on business operation through the eyes of the Operations Manager and the key aspects in decision making that they have to consider when the gas prices fall, like they have recently. I then give you an idea of how the falling prices effect the Apartment Management industry and the operations involved in renting and renovating apartments. Falling Gas Prices Effect on Operations†¦show more content†¦The one downfall of the increased production here in the United States is the drilling has slowed down drastically leaving many oil workers without a job and forcing some companies out of business. (Krauss) Another cause of the gas prices dropping, according to an article on CNN, is the economic slowdown of the Chinese economy. They also mentioned the increased production in the United States and finally the tentative nuclear deal which would make their oil more readily available to our country. In the article they also predicted that by the time football season came around that tens of thousands of gas stations across the country will be below the $2 a gallon mark. (Isidore) Even though we have seen it come close here in Pennsylvania, it has not gone below $2 here in the greater Pittsburgh area. A few times that I have been home in Ohio I have seen it drop below $2 but it ultimately just depends on which area you are in. With winter quickly approaching gas prices are expected to continue to drop as stations mix a less expensive blend of gas for the winter months. (Isidore) So it is a possibility that we could see prices here in the Pittsburgh area fall to the $2 a gallon area. If I were placed as the Operations Manager in any industry gas prices play a huge factor in business andShow MoreRelatedBusiness Strategy And Managing Changing Environmental Standards, Sustainable Business Initiatives And Global Market Conditions1596 Words   |  7 Pages1980 is to 1990s price reduction and falling profits were the problems faced by paper and pulp industry. Therefore, in order to counter the problems that were being faced; Management of USA and Scandinavia European countries with slightly difference of Methods and Technology and Research and Development, found and implemented various methods in terms of Market trends, Cost-effectiveness, Environment and Sustainability concerns, Supply chain Management and Reorganization/decision making. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Drug Trafficking in the Caribbean free essay sample

The paper discusses the drug problems of the people of the Caribbean and the drug trafficking that goes on there. It also deals with the dangers that drug trafficking causes to other countries and their people. This paper is about the drug trafficking problems of the Caribbean. The author examines the Caribbean region as a long standing area where illegal substances have been grown and sold. The people are poverty stricken and sell drugs as a means to make money. The author looks into the Caribbeans climate and location which make it an ideal place to grow and sell drugs. The people are able to transport drugs to other countries through the use of planes, boats, etc. The paper goes on to discuss how this poses as a threat to all countries because it makes drugs available which leads to drug problems for their citizens. From the paper: The Caribbean is known for its agriculturally equipped weather conditions, which makes for most islands to be very fertile. We will write a custom essay sample on Drug Trafficking in the Caribbean or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Many farmers in the Caribbean grow drugs as part of their produce to earn more money. They can then sell the illegal substances to islanders, tourists, and then ship the rest off to be sold to other countries citizens. This poses as a threat to the health of all people who are able to buy drugs as a result of drug trafficking in the Caribbean. It also poses a threat to governments because they have to use their funding on programs to educate citizens about the dangers of drugs as well as rehabilitate those citizens that are addicted to drugs and suffer from drug abuse.

Monday, December 2, 2019

King Lear - Theme Of Blindness Essays - King Lear, British Films

King Lear - Theme of Blindness In Shakespearean terms, blinds means a whole different thing. Blindness can normally be defined as the inability of the eye to see, but according to Shakespeare, blindness is not a physical quality, but a mental flaw some people possess. Shakespeare's most dominant theme in his play King Lear is that of blindness. King Lear, Gloucester, and Albany are three prime examples Shakespeare incorporates this theme into. Each of these character's blindness was the primary cause of the bad decisions they made; decisions which all of them would eventually come to regret. The blindest bat of all was undoubtedly King Lear. Because of Lear's high position in society, he was supposed to be able to distinguish the good from the bad; unfortunately, his lack of sight prevented him to do so. Lear's first act of blindness came at the beginning of the play. First, he was easily deceived by his two eldest daughters' lies, then, he was unable to see the reality of Cordelia's true love for him, and as a result, banished her from his kingdom with the following words: ?..................................for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of her again. Therefore be gone Without our grace, our love, our benison.? (Act I, Sc I, Ln 265-267) Lear's blindness also caused him to banish one of his loyal followers, Kent. Kent was able to see Cordelia's true love for her father, and tried to protect her from her blind father's irrationality. After Kent was banished, he created a disguise for himself and was eventually hired by Lear as a servant. Lear's inability to determine his servant's true identity proved once again how blind Lear actually was. As the play progressed, Lear's eyesight reached closer to 20/20 vision. He realized how wicked his two eldest daughters really were after they locked him out of the castle during a tremendous storm. More importantly, Lear saw through Cordelia's lack of flatterings and realized that her love for him was so great that she couldn't express it into words. Unfortunately, Lear's blindness ended up costing Cordelia her life and consequently the life of himself. Gloucester was another example of a character who suffered from an awful case of blindness. Gloucester's blindness denied him of the ability to see the goodness of Edgar and the evil of Edmund. Although Edgar was the good and loving son, Gloucester all but disowned him. He wanted to kill the son that would later save his life. Gloucester's blindness began when Edmund convinced him by the means of a forged letter that Edgar was plotting to kill him. Gloucester's lack of sight caused him to believe Edmund was the good son and prevented him from pondering the idea of Edmund being after his earldom. Near the end of the play, Gloucester finally regained his sight and realized that Edgar saved his life disguised as Poor Tom and loved him all along. He realized that Edmund planned to take over the earldom and that he was the evil son of the two. Gloucester's famous line: ?I stumbled when I saw? (Act IV, Sc I, Ln 20-21) was ironic. His inability to see the realities of his sons occurred when he had his physical sight but was mentally blind; but his ability to see the true nature of his sons occurred after having his eyes plucked out by the Duke of Cornwall. Fortunately, the consequences of Gloucester's blindness throughout the play was minimal, after all, he was the only one to die as a result of his tragic flaw. Albany was another character suffering from the classic case of blindness, but luckily for him, he survived his battle. Albany's case of blindness was purely a result of the love he had for Goneril. Although he disapproved of Goneril's actions, he would only mildly argue his case. When Goneril forced Lear to reduce his army so that he could stay in their castle, Albany protested: ? I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear You -? (Act I, Sc IV, Ln 309-310) Albany's deep devotion to Goneril blinded him from the evil she possessed. His inability to realize how greedy and mean Goneril was after she