Stalin`s Purges Essays - GermanySoviet Union Relations, Soviet Union

Stalin`s Purges Less than a month before Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II, he signed a non-aggression pact with Stalin. Less than two years later, he broke the pact and invaded the Soviet Union in the early morning hours of June 22, 1941. There were plenty of evidence for German aggression before the war broke out, yet Stalin nevertheless signed the pact which contained the secret protocol that divided Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union. The reason for signing the pact were complex, yet one of the most important ones were the domestic factors. Among them, the terrible effect of the purges during the 1930s on the population, economy and especially the army. The purges were set off on December 1, 1934 with the murder of Sergei Kirov. He was a member of the Politburo, leader of the Leningrad party apparatus and had considerable influence in the ruling elite. His concern for the workers in Leningrad and his skill as an orator earned him considerable popularity. Stalin used his murder as a pretext for launching a broad purge that would claim hundreds of thousands of victims and have lasting repercussion felt to this day. Stalin never visited Leningrad again and directed one of his most vicious post-War purges against the city -- Russia's historic window to the West. No segment of the society was left untouched by the purges. Anyone who caused the slightest suspicion was removed and numerous legislature was enacted to help enforce them. In 1935 a law was passed which lowered the age of criminal responsibility. That meant the death penalty could be applied to twelve-year-old children (McCauley, p.93). There was also a panic response in the primary party organizations to expel and "expose" people in order to protect oneself and to show "vigilance" (Getty, p.213) The slaughter of armed forces began on 12 June 1937 when Tukhachevsky and some top army men were executed, then spread to lower ranks and then to political comissars. The nave was completely decapitated, all eight admirals perishing. Here's a grave list of the top dead: " 3 out of 5 marshals, 14 out of 16 Army commanders Class I and II, 8 out of 8 Admirals, 60 out of 67 Corps Commanders, 136 out of 199 Divisional Commanders, 221 out of 397 Brigade Commanders" (McCauley, p.95) In November 1939, Stalin ordered an attack on Finland to move the frontier further away from Leningrad after the Finns did not agree to the concessions Soviets offered. This expedition was a complete fiasco. It cost the already decimated Red Army around 200,000 dead and more were wounded, while only 23,000 Finns died (McCauley, p.101). A peace treaty was signed on 12 March, 1940, but the incompetence and weakness of the Red Army was revealed to the rest of the world. This is something Hitler filed it away for future use. After that, and faced with increasing German aggression, Stalin could not risk being embroiled in a war. Hitler was in a great hurry. An attack on Poland was scheduled for late August. By the end of July the Nazis realized that they must reach agreement with the Soviets very soon if these plans were to be safely implemented. Hitler agreed to pay the Soviet price for a pact. The public text of the Nazi-Soviet Pact was simply an agreement of nonaggression and neutrality, referring as a precedent to the German-Soviet neutrality pact of 1926 (Berlin Treaty). The real agreement was in a secret protocol which in effect partitioned not only Poland (along the line of the Vistula), but much of Eastern Europe. To the Soviets were allotted Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Bessarabia; to the Nazis, everything to the West of these regions, including Lithuania. Each of the two signatories was to ask the other no questions about the disposition of its own ''sphere of interest." This nonaggression pact, coupled with the trade treaty and arrangements for large-scale exchange of raw materials and armaments, amounted to an alliance. Appeasement in Eastern Europe would deflect German aggression to the west. Taking into account the disastrous condition of Russian forces brought about from within and the severe problems of the economy, this was necessary for Stalin. In a way, by signing the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, he was buying as much time as possible to try prepare for the inevitable. The inevitable happened on June 22, 1941. Molotov broke to the Russian people the grim news about the German attack. Stalin, as if embarrassed by the disastrous collapse of his

Comparisons Between The Tenant and Lust essays

Comparisons Between The Tenant and Lust essays In Mukherjees story The Tenant, Maya is an Indian woman who immigrates to the United States at the age of nineteen. She only remembers a little of her childhood, but what happens to her grandmother and her great-aunt still has impact on her. She recalls her grandmother had been married off at the age of five in a village now in Bangladesh. Her great-aunt had been burned to death over a dowry problem (102). These two incidents give us a sense that in what kind of society she is being brought up. It also reveals that women are always the ones who get suppressed in Indian. As she is growing up in Indian, Maya also has to undergo a lot of things that Indian women ought to go through at their adolescent period. She had been trained to speak softly, arrange flowers, sing, be pliant (102). This makes her very feminine. Not only does Mayas Indian cultural background and experiences determine her behavior, it also gives her an impression that there are no good Indian men. As she pro claims that all Indian men are wife beaters (101), we can see that Maya does not like Indian men and does not get along with them well. Her strong resistance to Indian men also influences the way she chooses her sex partners. Maya has slept with married men, with nameless men, with men little more than boys, but never with an Indian man. Never (103). Maya is the type of person who rarely shares her private sexual life with her friends. But most people know that she has plenty of men whom she sleeps with. The reputation shed gained, before Cedar Falls, for indiscretions (101) tell us that she sometimes makes love with the men she picks up only for the sakes of sex, not for the sakes of love. The reason she has this kind of attitude towards sex is because she does not really know what love is. She thinks when two people are having sex th...

Bronze Age in Ireland Essay Example for Free

Bronze Age in Ireland Essay The arrival of the Bronze Age in Ireland was a gradual process, as there is no sharp division between the last Stone Age and the early Bronze Age. The Bronze Age is broken up into three groups including the Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, and Late Bronze Age. Nevertheless there is a general agreement that the Bronze Age started around 2000 B. C. and lasted until about 500 B. C.  As the era suggests, it was the new metal work technology practiced most effectively by the Beaker people in the north-eastern part of the country that caught the attention and imagination of those with artistic talents. As well as that it was the transition of the use of a different harder heavier metal from stone. Armor, weapons, daggers, and awls area few of the new items produced. The Bronze Age cannot be denied as a time of development. Gold items were also produced however there were mainly for ceremonial or decorative purposes. Silver, copper, and gold of which were the raw materials were all found around Ireland including West Cork, Tipperary, and Wicklow. The knowledge of how to make bronze came to Ireland from Europe. It is made from an alloy of tin and copper. The copper was mined in Ireland, chiefly in county Kerry at Ross Island; however the tin was imported from Britain, which is believed to have been obtained by a trading of gold already available in Ireland. Due to the richness of copper and gold in the country, Ireland had developed great trading power which was most definitely used to its greatest advantage. This is evident because Irish Bronze and gold objects are found in many parts of Western Europe. (Appreciation and history of Art). There are a mass quantity of many spectacular pieces of gold jewelry from this era that has been found over the years however many have been known to been lost or destroyed. The majority being found in bog land. The beginning of this time was more considered a Copper age as it was the main use. But later on, the introduction of tin made it possible to forge better and more sophisticated tools and weapons from the new alloy. However these tools and weapons would have been available to just a few sections of society and this brought about social changes which saw hierarchies established with the ownership and access to the new metal being the overriding factor in where one ranked in this hierarchy. Bronze Age in Ireland. (2017, Jan 08).

Implementing and Evaluating Public Policy Simulation Summary_303 Essay

Implementing and Evaluating Public Policy Simulation Summary_303 - Essay Example Lobbyists have been known and branded for their influence on how policies are developed and which ones are actually seen by the light of day. Influence peddlers are rampant in the halls of Congress. Lobbying has turned into a profession and has since been regulated. â€Å"A professional lobbyist – one who has mastered the techniques of lobbying†¦Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is a valuable ally to any interest group seeking to influence government† (Sidlow and Henschen, 2009, p.141). They represent the loud minority view and quite often are fuelled by large corporations with deep pockets. In the given case involving Governor Nunez and outsourcing, one member of his team is Sylvia Baldwin, a corporate lobbyist for Levine & Associates closely associated to Information Technology. Another is Dr. Ramona Gaitanis who is an advocate of free trade and global competitiveness, which is the very essence of outsourcing. Seemingly, the only neutral member of the team is William Morrison who is an e xpert in policy initiatives but his stance on the issue was not made clear. Upon looking at the qualifications of the team members, it is apparent that they are one-dimensional which makes it understandable why the Governor voted for outsourcing. Without powerful interest groups, lobbyists are bound to get their way with impunity disregarding other stakeholders. To reiterate, there is no black without white and that both must co-exist for the general good. There is a great possibility that continued fine-tuning in policy implementation renders the implementer to overlook the core problem he is trying to solve. By trying to translate the spirit of the policy through its implementation, or at least make it workable, the implementer somewhat develops tunnel vision and forgets the main purpose of the policy. Program implementation is different from development and this

Does the amout of Solution effect the Crystalization of Copper Sulfate Research Paper

Does the amout of Solution effect the Crystalization of Copper Sulfate - Research Paper Example The experiment requires the following; Boiling tube, thermometer, Source of heat and 8.5g of CuSO4 Procedurally, transfer 8.5g of CuSO4 into a dry clean beaker. To the boiling tube, add distilled 20cm3 water and warm the mixture until all the solid has dissolved. Place the thermometer in the boiling tube and remove the flame and allow the solution to cool while stirring with the thermometer. Note the temperature at which crystals appears. Add 6cm3 distilled water into the mixture in the boiling tube and repeat the procedure. Continue adding 6cm3 portions of distilled water until the total volume of water is 50cm3. Record the temperature at which crystals appear in each case. It’s noted that is noted that crystal appear faster, in the beaker that is highly concentrated than those that are highly diluted. A solid that dissolves in a solvent is a solute. Solvent of a given mass dissolves a fixed amount of a given solute at a particular temperature. The fixed amount of solute form s a saturated solution at that particular temperature. ... When temperature increases more solute dissolves because of the increase in molecular energy of water molecules that increases the interaction of water and solute particle (Giulietti, 1996) However, the amount of solution does not either increase or decrease the rate of crystallization. This is because volume is a constant and has no effect on the rate of crystallization. The rate of crystallization varies when the temperature and concentration of the solution are altered. When the concentration is decreased the capacity to hold on water molecules is increased because of large surface area of intermolecular spaces between water molecules. This is therefore increases the capacity of water molecules to hold the solute thereby decreasing the rate at which crystals form from a cooling solution. However, when the solute concentration of the solution is increased, the capacity of liquid molecules to hold solutes decreases because of reduced intermolecular spaces. This therefore increases t he ease with which crystals reform from the solution thereby increasing the rate of crystallization. A crystal formed consists of the various atoms or molecules arranged in a uniform repeating pattern based on its unique shape. This results in the material having a specific shape and color, and having other characteristic properties. Crystals may be big or little, but they all have the same "shape" Water can only hold a certain amount of solute at a given temperature. When the temperature of the solution is increased, the capacity of water to hold solids substance is increased than cold water because increased energy, making room for more solid substance to dissolve. When no more of the solid substance can be dissolved, the solution termed as saturated. As the solution

The Brave Fighters of Islam Essay Example for Free

The Brave Fighters of Islam Essay â€Å"Those who were sure that they would meet their Lord said: How often has a small group vanquished a numerous group by Allah’s permission, and Allah is with the patient. † [AlBaqarah 2:249] â€Å"Every time they (Persians Turks Empires) come against you, they are defeated. Now, the Arabs have defeated you although they are the weakest of all creation. Their bodies are naked and their stomachs are hungry. They have neither gear nor weapons. Yet they still defeated you at Busra, Hawarn, Ajnadayn, Damascus, Ba’labakk Hims† said the Roman Emperor Heraclius. After a ridiculous argument with his priests and generals, Heraclius decided to gather his largest force to be assembled from all corners of his kingdom to face against the Muslims. Although there are differences in opinion regarding the size of the army ranging from 200,000-350,000! However others state that it ranged from 600,000-1,000,000! When the 40,000 Muslim force lead by Abu Ubaidah Amr ibn Al Jarrah found out about such a number, they decided to march towards the plains of Al-Yarmouk due to its strategical advantages. When the Roman army arrived there, they sent out an initial army of 60,000 Christian Arabs lead by Jabalah bin Al-Ayham. After numerous negotiations and pitiful diplomacy with the arrogant Romans, Abu Ubaidah slammed all talks saying: â€Å"There can never be peace between us until you pay either Jizyah or accept Islam! Failing that the sword will decide between us! By Allah! Were it not for the fact that we consider treachery to be an evil deed, I would have struck you down with my sword right now! †. The Sahabah discussed among themselves of how many soldiers they should send to face the 60,000. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb Saifullah Khalid bin Waleed were among the ones who were consulted. Khalid bin Waleed gave his opinion to fight them with the elite of Muslims and not the full army in order to drive fear into the hearts of the enemies. Abu Sufyan agreed and enquired how many should they send out. The Sword of Allah SWT, Khalid confidently replied â€Å"I propose 30 horsemen! Each of whom will have to face 2000 Christians! †. Confounded by such a ludacris answer, Abu Sufyan was the first to reply from the astonished crowd that it was ludicrous to send that much and proposed sending out 60 men, as the ayah in the Qur’an says: â€Å"if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand. † [Al-Anfal 08:65]. Abu Ubaidah agreed to Abu Sufyan’s opinion. The individuals that Khalid choose were based on â€Å"Their patience, steadfastness and the way they forge ahead in battle†. Now dear brothers and sisters, who do who think that Khalid bin Waleed choose for this monumental task? Was it just the average Abdullah like you and me? No! Wallahi, the individuals he selected are among the best of people. ] He called out for 60 Sahabah’s! He called out the veterans of Badr! He called out the Ansar! He called out the Muhajireen! He called out the scribes of the Prophet (peace be upon him) Suhrabil bin Hasanah Amr At-Tamimi! He called out Hudaifah bin Al Yaman who Raslullah (peace be upon him) trusted with the secret list of the hyprocrites! He called out the honest Ka’ab bin Malik! He called out the brother in laws of Raslullah (peace be upon him) Abdullah ibn Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Abdur Rahman ibn Abu-Bakar As-Saddique [The sons of the 1st two Caliphs of Islam]! The cousin of Raslullah (peace be upon him) AlFadl ibn Al-Abbas. He called out Dhirar ibn Al-Azwar the bare-chested warrior descried as a â€Å"devil† by the enemies and brother of the brave female companion Khawlah bint AlAzwar! He called out Yazid ibn Abu Sufyan who was one of Khalid’s best generals brother of Amir Mua’wiya ibn Abu Sufyan! He even called out the disciple of Raslullah (peace be upon him) and one of the 10 promised paradise AzZubair ibn Al-Awaam! [May Allah SWT be pleased with them all]. After choosing 60 of the â€Å"La creme de la creme (cream of the cream,) among the Muslim army. Khalid told them â€Å"You have already defeated the legions of Rome, so when you defeat these Arabs fear will descend in their hearts and they will turn in defeat†. The 60 replied in â€Å"Oh Abu Sulayman, do with us as you please! †¦Ã¢â‚¬  in the affirmative. Next morning after Fajr, The 60 bare farewell the their loved ones and marched out with the Lion of Islam, Khalid bin Waleed in the centre of the pride. The two armies met under the blazing sun. Like a true champion, Khalid shouted to the Christians: †Oh worshippers of the sallib! Oh enemies of Ar-Rahman (The Most Merciful), come to the battle and slaughter! † Jabalah and his army shrugged off the taunt due to the pitiful size of the Muslims who were at a 1000-fold disadvantage in numbers. The 60,000 Christians charged forward but the Muslims remained solid and firm. The battle was ferocious and nothing but the roars of battle-cry could be heard. Both armies fought with the clashing of bone and sinew, No one whether it be Roman or Muslim thought that the 60 would survive. The onlooking Muslim army looked anxiously at their brethren and wept with sadness, some even said â€Å"Khalid has deceived and destroyed the Sahabah of Rasullah (peace be upon him)†. On the other side the Romans were content as they were convinced that they had won. The battle continued with the Sahabah fighting with full vigour, zeal, honor, strength, determination courage. Shining knights Khalid, Az-Zubair, Abdurahman ibn AbuBakar, Abdullah ibn Umar, Al-Fadl and Dhirar fought side by side, shoulder to shoulder, sword to sword heart to heart in the intense flames of war whilst never separating. As Allah SWT says the in Qur’an: †Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall. † [Surah As-Saff 61:4]. Kh alid then cried out to rally the Muslims at a certain point whilst he himself penetrated to the centre of the enemies and was surrounded. Al-Fadl bin Abbas rushed to aid alongside the brave Az-Zubair, shouting â€Å"Leave our friends alone. That is Az-Zubair ibn Al-Awwam and I am AlFadl ibn Abbas, the cousin of Rasulallah (peace be upon him)†. The Muslims then launched a great counter strike against the Romans and fought until Maghrib time! Now the onlooking Muslim army was really worried, especially Abu Ubaidah who anxiously said â€Å"O companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Khalid and his men have doubtlessly been destroyed† and got them ready for battle. But suddenly as the smoke cleared and the dust settled. The thunderous roar of â€Å"Laillah illalah Wallahu Akbar† was heard. Each sahabah shouting the Islamic testimony â€Å"I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone, He has no partner, and Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger! †. Khalid bin Waleed emerged from the midst of the turmoil with clear signs of fatigue and exhaustion. The army of 60,000 was humiliated by a crushing defeat by 60 heroes, 10 of whom were blessed with martyrdom and 5 of them captured.

Signs Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The movie â€Å"Signs† by M. Night Shyamalan is an excellent movie that explains how reflections and occurrences of the past can influence your overall perceptions and views of the future. It takes place in a small farm town where everyone knows each other very well. A single father is forced to continue raising his two young children due to the tragic death of his wife who was involved in a fatal car accident. This causes him to resign from his preaching career and become a stay at home farmer due possibly to his question of faith. Being a preacher, this man must have thought that nothing would have ever happened to him because of the way that he reacted to the stimuli. He was probably one preacher of only a few in the whole area. With the arrival of extra terrestrials all over the globe, including in the corn crops of his farm, this already upset father ends up with his hands full of problems that he is unwilling to accept and face. It is hard to understa nd what this man has had to deal with. There is an extreme lack of communication in this household and something happened for a reason to bring them back together and much more tightly knit. The presence of the uncle has been positive and well received during these tough times for the whole family. There are many theories that can describe what is happening. They are the attribution theory, causal attribution theory and the social penetration theory which will be included in the following paragraphs.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the social penetration theory is a theory that we as people disclose to others in stages like pieces of a pie. Each piece is different facets of self and has the potential to be superficial or deep. It was very interesting to analyze how things were, or more the less weren’t communicated in this seemingly lifeless household. The children did not talk or play like most children grow up doing. There was a blank stare on their faces most of the time and their voices were monotone. The father would experience flashbacks of the incident where his wife was killed which was sending him a message that he needed to change his ways of non communication towards his children. Even in the case of traumatic events, it is necessary to talk about them to ensure closure and strength to the survivo... ...the children live their lives the way that they should. He was punishing himself as well as his surroundings for something he could not have controlled. A main point that his wife made for him which he recalled was that everything happens for a reason. That is what triggers his change of attitude and communication skills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overall, this movie made me realize how important interpersonal communication is. If there were to be a sequel to this movie, I think that there would be a significant change in communication between everyone. Especially after the father is faced with the possibility of his son dying because of an asthma attack. There are many theories that can explain what causes the actions and behaviors in the movie. The one that best explains what is going on is the attribution theory because of the given circumstances and how the events that occurred caused a chain reaction that affected everyone in the family. It created a snowball effect of denial until finally the father decides that he must stand up and face reality. Interpersonal communication is and will always remainideal to the success in families whether they suffer from trauma or not.