Transportation Management System Essay Example for Free

Transportation Management System Essay Abstract Transport industry employs 9.6 million people and there are 450,000 companies in United States. In fact the chain of transport is an essential source for expanding domestic and global business. It also interconnects companies, customers and partnerships through the medium of service of goods transporting from one place to another. There are huge successful multinational brands who have earned professional excellence in transport industry viz., Blue dart, FedEx, DHL worldwide express and many more. This paper details the essentials of logistics and management system in transport industry. Introduction The definition of â€Å"Logistics† provided by Council of Logistics Management (1991) is as follows. â€Å"part of the supply chain process that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customer’s requirements†. There are many important factors in transportation management in terms of packing the goods, labeling, shipping and the mode of transport viz., truck, air cargo or shipment. Airbus 380 jumbo jet carries a huge cargo attending to different destinations around the world which is a great successful task and responsibility without which global business is not made possible. Likewise, ship cargo which carry oil and diesel, fish and other animal products requires excessive care in preserving the shipment from hazards and explosions. Apart from the above, there are numerous goods that are loaded into transport industry such as electronics, motorcycles, textiles, FMCG, paper mail and even precious metals viz., gold, platinum, diamonds, pearls etc., Therefore transport industry enables meet the demands of companies and customers whereas customers require goods and services and companies require business volume and turnover. This has been made possible by transport industry which is why management system and functioning of transport industry is important with the fact that the role played by transport industry is vast and intermediary. From the point of production / manufacturing unit, finished goods are arranged in transport for enabling dispatches to customers at different destinations. Logistics services are available throughout the world by air services, shipping services and truck services. In the global context of business B2B and B2C requires the collaboration of companies and transport systems for quick and prompt delivery of goods. For instance, Oracle Transport Management clearly works towards gaining customers loyalty, reducing costs of transport, maintains supply chain through a single working system which integrates all geographical areas of operations, taps new markets through the use of technology to manage logistics world wide and works for greater margins of profit while reducing costs on operating expenses. There are many other software solutions apart from Oracle which have developed TMS as a one-stop-shop for meeting all requirements of TMS. ARC advisory group which was incorporated in 1986 has emerged as a leader in providing solutions for logistics and supply chain which is an important element for transport business companies. ARCs esteemed clients include Boeing, Microsoft, General Motors, Siemens and many other reputed companies. Methods Logistics and supply chain management is all about materials, finished goods and products. Materials are covered under materials management, distribution of finished goods to the customer whereas supply chain management and logistics are inter-linked as a network of communication with clients and customers. Logistics is a process of transporting goods, materials from the point of production to the end of production, distribution of goods, sale and waste disposal to meet the satisfaction of customers and increase business turnover. Some of the important services of logistics include, transportation, storage of goods, supply chain, appointment of contractors and calculation of freight. There are several functioning areas of logistics which are essentially consists of production, storage, whole sale chain, retail chain, warehousing, production units, manufacturing units and merchant distribution. For the purpose of general understanding logistics can be explained as, at the time of production, materials have to be moved to the manufacturing units, and at this point inventory management and materials management has to be taken care of as a part of logistic system. After the production is completed goods are stored in warehouses, where again inventory management has to be taken care of for the purpose of keeping total cost of production and value of goods stored in warehouse. When finished goods have to be moved or sold to wholesalers, retailers this is considered as merchandising and distribution of goods is taken care of by transport management system. T herefore logistics include several other services including human resources, operating cost and expenses. Many companies world wide, spend and allocate budget for transport expenditure as products are delivered to customers by means of transport. Therefore this process of TMS and logistics is a recycling process that works on routine and minimized operating costs such as fuel, diesel, maintenance expenses will add to the profits of company. Both for global and domestic management of business TMS and logistics have to be applied and practiced for best results in business. Poor quality service may hamper business and many clients never rely on late deliveries, damaged goods in transport or causing accidents while carrying goods from one place to another. There are excellent software solutions available to carry on TMS and to transact global business of transport. Results Whether it is tourism or e-business, e-commerce TMS plays a significant role in global business. Time being an essential factor in global business, goods have to be shipped or transported with optimum care and monitoring. There are success stories in many parts of the world such as Europe, Asia and U.S, in fact, with the advantage of e-business, several new logistics companies were commenced and have been expanding business due to the increasing demand for transport management systems. Although logistics began in 1950, until 1960s, it was confined to supplies to military and defense organizations. 21st century has attached a great importance to transport management systems as nations became inter dependent for global trading. This business is worth billion dollars and requires huge trained manpower and skill both in terms of labor and in technical knowledge. With the advent of e-commerce and Internet security, on line booking of goods and shipping has become much easier process, which helps companies booking of orders at a fast pace as compared to the manual method of booking goods for transport. Further this has also facilitated creation of many more jobs enabling employees to equip with the skills required for TMS and logistics management. Future prospects are bright for TMS due to the increasing demand for global business and this would further offer employment both on labor and skilled level of jobs. Collaborations, partnerships and acquisitions are much common in these times for expansion of business and also to add capital strength to the companies. Therefore there is huge potential and scope for transport business whether operated at domestic level or at international level, at both ends, TMS has scope for making profits and in extending services of good and products. Figure 1. Working of TMS Figure 2 Cost cutting No company is small or big until it records growth and indicates business turnover. Especially transport business is a 365 day business as there is movement of goods almost everyday either by means of truck or railway for domestic areas and air and ship for international business. Therefore, professionally maintained organizations which deliver quality service would invite more customers and business organizations for extending services. Timely delivery and quality service is what is most required by the organizations without giving any excuses or reasons. Only in case of exceptional instances such as natural calamities, delivery of goods can be delayed and otherwise, goods have to be delivered on time meeting the satisfaction of client. Discussion Beginning from super mar to the transport of people, TMS plays a vital role in delivering goods by the chosen means of transport by companies. The assistance of logistics in TMS means planning of goods packing, loading, transporting, unloading to the destination point, all these are included in planning of TMS which will enable companies to ship goods and services from one place to another by safe means of transport without causing any theft, damage or pilferage. The companies which rely on TMS keep a bona fide and conduct for the services extended to its clients. There are many transport companies which have built reputation of good will by extending quality services to its clients. Logistics enable to companies to strategical planning in cutting transport costs, increasing asset turnover, costs for maintenance of inventory, improving CRM, and reducing fines and penalties that arise with custom authorities or such other transport personnel in rural and urban areas and in maintenance of excellent customer relation with companies. Further logistics management lays out a clear picture of transport business, its strengths, weaknesses and threats and how to encounter such problems and conflicts that arise in the course of business. At every step of logistics management beginning from production unit, the execution of logistical planning begins viz., route planning, transport management, parcel shipping and delivery. This planning is applied both in domestic and international transport logistics. Transport Asset Management is also a major factor, in adding trucks, cargo planes and ships to the respective companies in order undertake a big volume of business for larger turnover. Insurance, warranty, budget for asset procurement, cost per mile and preventive and cautionary measures for any unforeseen risks that may be encountered at the time of loading of goods. Via the medium of TMS, there are several advantages for global customer for purchase of goods. For instance on line purchase of precious metals such as gold, jewellery and pearls facilitates safe and secured delivery of items ensured by the seller. Further purchase of computers, mobiles, DVDs, Cameras, clothes, shoes and even groceries have become much easier and these goods are being door delivered. Therefore, the customer is being offered with lots of benefits of choosing specific model and design. Whereas extra care and attention must be paid while providing credit card numbers and bank accounts for making on line payments to companies. TMS performs a remarkable job for delivering mail services around the world through DHL and blue dart courier service. The massive success of blue dart for courier services is another example for quality and timely service executed with efficiency and trained and skilled personnel. In transport industry, excessive training is to be provided at every level of employment from the point of production till the point of packing and loading and unloading and even includes delivery of goods. Much advantage can be drawn from available software solutions and net working technology to enable information flow from one place to another as transport industry moves and works with the flow of information at every level. Emails, telephones, mobiles are some of the best methods to communicate at a fast pace which prevents delays and enables quick and speed mode of work. Although the success rate of transport industry is very huge, unless an organization is equipped with proper management systems and qualified and knowledgeable staff, with trained and skilled labor, it is very difficult to carry on business either at domestic level and at international level. Conclusion The global challenges of transport management system are vast with extended responsibilities in terms of service and quality. Practice of TMS has been essentially yielding good results and achievements for companies. Apart from being a good management practice, TMS early signs of hazards, hassles that can be prevented in transport business. Every meticulous care and monitoring in TMS will add to the quality service whether it is in transport, air or shipping business. Changing times evolve new concepts and new working systems in every sphere of business and these changes come with a proportionate success rate for businesses for adaptability and compatibility. These have to be worked with much vigor and research before any task for business is undertaken. References The Role of Transportation in Logistics Chain Accessed 21 July 2007 http://www.easts.info/on-line/proceedings_05/1657.pdf

Influence of Religion and Education on Moral Judgement

Influence of Religion and Education on Moral Judgement Morality Education How do people explain what is moral? Or what is right or wrong? Morals signify what is right or wrong and it mainly depends on the cultural context. According to Lalonde in lecture, morality is the behaviour that people regard to be right or wrong, morality depends on culture and as a result morals are culturally imbedded into a person in a particular geographical area. There have been so many researches done on the topic of morality, but the main focus of this research is on how people living in multicultural countries relate to other cultures around them and what they judge to be right or wrong. Morality has become a broad topic for most researches and it is not only fascinating but it is how it has developed and still shapes individuals behaviour regardless of where they are or who they are with. In recent discussion about morals, moral reasoning develops from childhood. When a person is born into a particular society, mainly the he or she learns the morals associated with that cu lture. Society is a leading influence on morality thus, the terms in-group favouritism and out-group derogation support this argument. In-group favouritism is associated with members in a particular group, whiles members outside the group are treated differently. Hence morality has to do with the wrong and right behaviours where, members in particular groups’ behaviours are perceived to be right and outsiders behaviours’ are perceived to be wrong. This paper will cover some literature reviews of other research study and a proposed study on how religion and education influence moral judgements, methods been used and the conclusion. Moreover, Larin, Geddes Eva performed cross sectional study which compares moral judgments within two groups of students who underwent a physical therapy and was measured by ‘Defining Issues Test’ (DIT). According to Larin, Geddes Eva, many researches have used Kohlberg’s concept of moral reasoning which have been criticised in many dimensions, so the results of this research was not characterized under Kohlberg’s theory but mainly on the religious effect on morality in testing different groups across cultures (2009). In this research, two different groups of students in different cultures underwent a physical therapy and were tested after a period of time. One group of students were from a western culture whiles the others were from an Islamic religious background (Larin, Geddes Eva, 2009). The main reason was to test the judgements made by students and to determine how education influence peoples moral judgement. The two groups of students were present ed with a moral dilemma and were tested on how they will respond in such a situation. It was concluded that, DIT scores in the western culture increased while the DIT scores in the Islamic culture remain constant over time. Therefore, education can influence peoples judgement in a western culture where there is no specific religious background but not for people who are all associated with one religious body. Religion becomes the main factor in shaping morals because the students were still confined to the morals of their religion and even education could not change their judgments in anyway (Larin, Geddes Eva, 2009). In relation to the previous study, this study is also a cross-cultural study which also discusses morality based on the concept by Shweder, known as â€Å"the Big 3 Moral Ethics (CAD)† (Guerra Sorolla, 2010). Ethic of Community, Ethic of Autonomy and the Ethic of Divinity has been used in so many researches in countries like India, Brazil, Japan, Philippines and United States and there have been many different responses (Guerra Sorrolla, 2010). The participants were British-born students across different ages, and Western European students, where the research focuses on how people in similar settings respond differently on moral judgements. However, they introduced a new â€Å"novel approach by also measuring how ethics relate to approval of moral actions as right† (Guerra Sorrolla, 2010) and how effective Shweder moral ethics proposed. Different students and their responses were categorized under the Community, Autonomy and Divinity Scale that Guerra Sorrolla devel oped. The scale was designed in horizontal and vertical lines, where horizontal represented equality, whiles vertical was hierarchical system. Autonomy falls under both individualism and collectivism horizontal because each of them is associated with the notion of equality. Another relation was between divinity and community which is associated with vertical collectivism and the prediction was that British student will fall more on the individualism horizontal than the western Europeans who are more collective. The results were valid and that the study they proposed was proven and consistence across culture (Guerra Sorrolla, 2010). In addition, another study was conducted among students in Kuwait University, in order to know the effect of gender and education on moral reasoning. According to AL- Ansari, many literature reviews have mainly certified morals development as a result of education and in his study, 3 questions was constructed. First, what is the overall moral reasoning pattern for the students in Kuwait? Secondly, are the gender differences in moral reasoning? And lastly, are there differences in the moral reasoning of students in higher or lower educational levels? Students were randomly selected in ages ranging from 18-24 and were categorized under freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors (AL- Ansari, 2002). The method used in this study was the short form of DIT and before the study all the participants were registered in a short semester at the university. In order to consider different cultures, 3 different stories were used in the testing the moral reasoning of the student. Ultimately, the sta ge at which the students in Kuwait reason in making moral judgements is at the conventional level of Kohlberg’s theory (AL-Ansari, 2002). There was also no difference in making moral judgements between the females and male, and lastly, there is an effect on moral judgement when there is an introduction of formal education (AL-Ansari, 2002). When all the reviews are put together, the main focus is how morality has been influenced by the introduction of formal education. PROPOSED STUDY The introduction of formal education into people’s lives has influenced their responses on making moral judgement. The development of the mind into different cultural practises as a result of higher education, the more similar judgement a person has with his or her other mates. However different cultures have different morals but as a person mingle with other cultures and study these varieties, the more open-minded they become in making judgements. This study is about how individual from different cultures become similar in making moral judgements as a result of education. METHOD Furthermore, I assembled about 20 immigrants from different cultures, such as Africans, Indians, Europeans and others who have been introduced to formal education but with different curricular. Their education was mainly based on their cultural activities and they were based on scholarships to continue their education in the higher. I was able to gather these people based on a class I took at York know as English as a second language. The incentive for this research was to help them learn English language, so we meet at the end of every semester to discuss our experiences and as a result I developed this study. It is a longitudinal study which is studying the same group of participants across a long period of time. HYPOTHESIS Introduction of formal education influence peoples moral judgements in a similar context. STUDY The participants were given a questioner to answer after reading a moral dilemma. These participants were new in Canada and still had their morals associated with their cultures. The questions were what would you do if you were in such a situation and what do you think about the behaviour of person in the situation. Their answer was characterised under the 3 stages of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning. Level 1: Preconventional, what is bad is determined by the physical consequences, Level 2: Conventional where morality is based on external standards such as what maintains the social order in relation to the family and society and lastly, Level 3: Post conventional where moral reasoning is based on internalised standards of abstract ethical principles regarding justice and individual rights. These students were studies across time with the similar moral dilemmas, thus during their first, second, third and final years. The study was very effective and there were tremendous results. RESULTS In the first year there was a variety of responses between the participants but as more educated they became, the more similar they thought in their moral reasoning. In their final years most of the participants gave answers which focussed more on the conventional level of moral reasoning regardless of their backgrounds. CONCLUSION The hypothesis was proven to be right, thus the moral educated people become; the more alike they are in making moral judgements. This research might not be valid because there might be other factors that influenced the responses of the participants. References Al-Ansari, E. M. (2002). Effects of gender and education on the moral reasoning of Kuwait  University Students. Social Behavior And Personality: An International Journal, 30 (1),  pp. 7582. Guerra, V. M. Giner-Sorolla, R. (2010). The community, autonomy, and divinity scale  (CADS): A new tool for the cross-cultural study of morality. Journal Of Cross-Cultural  Psychology, 41 (1), pp. 35-50. Larin, H. M., Geddes, E. L. Eva, K. W. (2009). Measuring moral judgement in physical  therapy students from different cultures: a dilemma. Learning In Health And Social Care,  8 (2), pp. 103113.

The History Of The European Union Politics Essay

The History Of The European Union Politics Essay The European Community was an institutional framework for the construction of a united Europe. The European Community is commonly called the (EU) and later officially became known as the European Union (EU). It was created after World War II to unite the nations of Europe economically and politically by uniting their resources into a single economy. By doing so, another war would be less likely among neighboring countries. A number of European leaders became convinced that the only way to secure a lasting peace between their countries was to unite them economically and politically. This was the framework for the building of the early European Community which expanded into the European Union. The EU was set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between its neighbors, which culminated in the World War II. In 1950, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) began to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace The organization oversees cooperation among its members in diverse areas, including trade, the environment, transport and employment. (BBC) The six founding countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Based on the Schuman plan, these six countries signed a treaty to run their heavy industries of coal and steel. Thus under a common management no country could, on its own, make weapons of war to turn against the other as in the past. The founding fathers of the European Union, and regarded by many as the principal architects of European integration following the end of the World War II were: Konrad Adenauer Sir Winston Churchill Alcide de Gasperi Walter Hallstein Jean Monnet Robert Schuman Paul Henri Spaak Altiero Spinelli In 1957, the Treaty of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC), or Common Market. Building on the success of the Coal and Steel Treaty, those six countries expanded cooperation to other economic sectors. They signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the EEC determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe. (Goldberg, 2003) The idea was for people, goods and services to move freely across borders. In the 1960s, the early European Community continued to progress. The EU started its common agricultural policy in 1962, giving their countries joint control over food production. All farmers were paid the same price for their produce. The EU grew enough food for its needs and farmers earned well. There were unwanted side-effects, such as overproduction with mountains of surplus produce. Later in 1963, the EU signed its first big international agreement, a deal to help 18 former colonies in Africa. To date, this has expanded to 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) regions. In 1968, the original six countries removed customs duties on goods imported from each other, allowing free cross-border trade for the first time. They also applied the same duties on their imports from outside countries. The worlds biggest trading group was born. Trade among these six countries and of the EU and the rest of the world grew rapidly. In the beginning of the 1970s pollution was starting to become a problem especially in Scandinavia and Germany because of acid rain which was destroying forests. The EU eventually adopted laws to protect the environment, introducing the notion of the polluter pays for the first time, and since then Institutions such as the EU with its countries like the Netherlands and Germany have made it a cornerstone of their environment. (Bruyninckx, 2009) This led to the founding of pressure groups such as Greenpeace. In 1973, the original six countries expanded to nine when Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom formally enter the EU. As a result, in 1974 to show their solidarity the EU leaders set up the European Regional Development Fund. Its purpose was to transfer money from rich to poor regions to improve roads, communications, attract investments, and create jobs. This came to account for one third of all EU spending. In 1979, EU citizens directly elected the members of the European Parl iament for the first time. Previously they were delegated by national parliaments. Members sat in pan-European political groups (Socialist, Conservative, Liberal, Greens, etc.) and not in national delegations. The influence of the Parliament was constantly increasing. Figure . European Summit at work.The EU continued its economic growth, political expansion, and industrial modernization. Membership of the EU reached double figures when Greece joined. They had been eligible to join since its military regime was overthrown and democracy restored in 1974. In the industrial sector, computers and automation were changing the way people lived and worked. To stay in the forefront of innovation The EU organized ESPRIT, the European Strategic Program for Information Technology in 1984. (Grande, Hanson, Lackman, 1994) That was the first of many research and development programs. Automated robots soon joined car factory production lines in the 1980s as well. In 1986, Spain and Portugal entered the EU, bringing total membership to 12. However, trade was not flowing freely across EU borders because of certain obstacles and differences in national regulations. european summit.jpg The Single European Act of 1986 launched a vast six year program to sort out those trade problems. The Act also gave the European Parliament more input and strengthened EU powers on environmental protection. Next in 1987, The EU launched the Erasmus program to fund university students that wanted to study in another European country for up to one year. Since then, more than 2 million students have benefited from this and similar EU plans. The collapse of communism across Central and Eastern Europe which began in Poland and Hungary, symbolized the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Faced by a mass exodus of its citizens to West, the East German government opened the gates. Germany was united after more than 40 years, and its Eastern part joined the EU in1990. The fall of the Berlin Wall led to some economic issues At the same time, consumers suddenly had access to goods and services that hadnt been available behind the Iron Curtain, and, for the first time in decades, entrepreneurs were able to start their own companies. (Tucker, 2009) More major expansions took place in the 1990s for the EU, and later the European Community was officially recognized as the European Union. In 1992, the Treaty on European Union (TEU) was signed in Maastricht. The Treaty established Community policies in six new areas: trans-European networks, industrial policy, consumer protection, education and vocational training, youth, and culture. (EU Legislation, 2007) It was a major EU milestone setting clear rules for the future single currency, foreign policy, security policy, and closer cooperation in justice and homeland affairs. Under the treaty, the name European Union officially replaced European Community. With old barriers gone, people, goods, services, and money moved around Europe as freely as within one country. In 1993, the single market and its four freedoms were established: the free movement of goods, services, people, and money had become reality. As the EU has expanded, more than 200 laws have been agreed on since 1986 covering tax policy, business regulations, professional qualifications and other barriers to try and open more frontiers. Unfortunately, free movements of some services were still delayed. In 1995, Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the EU which increased membership to 15 countries which covered almost all of Western Europe. In the late 1990s, the Schengen Agreement took effect in seven countries: Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Travelers of any nationality could travel between all of those countries without any passport control at the borders. Other countries have since joined the passport-free Schengen area. In 1997, there was the signature of the Treaty of Amsterdam. It built on the achievements of the treaty from Maastricht by laying down plans to reform EU institutions, to give Europe a stronger voice in the world, and to concentrate more resources on employment and the rights of its citizens. Later that year, EU leaders agreed to start the process of membership negotiations with 10 countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. The Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta were also included in negotiations. In 1999, the Euro (European Currency) was introduced in 11 countries for commercial and financial transactions only, notes and coins would come later. The Euro countries were Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland (Greece later incorporated the Euro in 2001). However, a countrys old currency must have had a stable exchange rate for two years and because of that Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom decided to stay out of the Euro area for the time being. There were other conditions as well, such as interest rates, budget deficits, inflation rates, and the level of government debt. Moving into 2000, changes to the Treaty of Nice agreed to open the way for enlargement by reforming EU voting rules. In 2001, the EU stood firmly alongside the United States in the fight against international terrorism after the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center killing over three thousand people. Moving into 2002, Euro notes and coins were introduced. Printing, minting, and distributing them in 12 countries was a major logistical operation. More than 80 billion coins were involved, and notes were the same for all countries. Coins had one common face, giving the value, while the other carried a national emblemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all currency circulated freely. Figure . EU PeacekeepersIn 2003, as part of its foreign and security policy, the EU took on peace-keeping operations in the Balkans. Their main concern was in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and then in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In both cases, EU-led forces replaced the NATO units. Internally, the EU agreed to create an area of freedom, security, and justice for all citizens by 2010. EU Peacekeepers.jpg In 2004, the EU finally finished the process of membership with eight countries (Bulgaria and Romania still remained candidate countries) of Central and Eastern Europe: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia joined the EU. This finally ended the division of Europe which had been decided by the Great Powers 60 years earlier at Yalta. Next, twenty-five EU countries signed a Treaty to establish a European Constitution in 2004. It was designed to streamline democratic decision-making and management in an EU of twenty five or more countries. It also created the post of a European Foreign Minister. The Constitution had to be ratified by all 25 countries before it could go into force. When citizens in both France and the Netherlands voted No to the Constitution in referendums in 2005, EU leaders declared a period of reflection. (EurActiv, 2007) The constitutional treaty signed in 2004 was meant to make the EU more efficient. In 2007, two more countries from Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and Romania, joined the EU. This brought the total number of member states to twenty-seven. Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey were candidates for future membership, but have not yet been accepted. Later that year, the twenty seven EU countries signed the Treaty of Lisbon, which amended the previous Treaties. It was designed to make the EU more democratic, efficient and transparent, and thereby able to tackle global challenges such as climate change, security, and sustainable development. The Treaty of Lisbon aimed to make the EU primarily act more efficiently in security matters. Also in 2007, a Council decision was made determining the order in which the office of President of the Council should be held. The position is held for six months by each Member State on a rotational basis. The Council is the main decision-making body of the European Union. The ministers of the Member States meet within the Council of the European Union. Depending on the issues on the agenda, each country is represented by the minister responsible for that subject (foreign affairs, finance, social affairs, transport, agriculture, etc.). Council responsibilities included: The Council passes laws, usually legislating jointly with the European Parliament. The Council coordinates the broad economic policies of the Member States. The Council defines and implements the EUs common foreign and security policy, based on guide lines set by the European Council. The Council concludes, on behalf of the Community and the Union, international agreements between the EU and one or more states or international organizations. The Council coordinates the actions of Member States and adopts measures in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters. The Council and the European Parliament constitute the budgetary authority that adopts the Communitys budget. In 2008, Cyprus and Malta incorporated the Euro, increasing the size of the Eurozone to 15 Member States. The value of the Euro reached an all time high on July 18th at 1.5843 to the U.S. dollar. However, later in the year, the worldwide recession began to take its toll on the currency and European economies. Also in 2008, Sweden ratified the Lisbon Treaty. Slovakia incorporated the Euro in 2009, and the Eurozone now included 16 Member States. In December, the worlds three main credit ratings agencies downgraded Greeces debt, sending financial markets tumbling and raising concerns about other weak European economies like Portugal, Spain, Ireland and Italy. Concerns started to show as The leaders of the European Union gathered in Brussels in an emergency summit meeting that seemed to highlight the very worries it was designed to calm: that the world economic crisis has unleashed forces threatening to split Europe into rival camps. (Castle Erlange, 2009) Later that year, the previously signed Lisbon Treaty entered into force. As the EU struggled in 2010 to contain the debt crisis, Standard Poors in April downgraded Greeces sovereign debt to junk status, and cut Portugal and Spains credit ratings. The Eurozone finance ministers met in May to approve a à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬110 billion ($146 billion) loan package to Greece. That June, the Euro reached a four year low, falling below à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬0.862017 ($1.19). Eventually the Euro began to comeback the EU recovered from the global financial crisis faster than expected, with business investments growing by an estimated 2% in 2010, but with public investment and housing development lagging. Strong corporate profits should enable this recovery to continue in 2011. (The World Factbook) To date, the EU continues to progress and move forward amid untimely setbacks. In closing, the European Community formed as a result of WWII with the intent of preventing European countries from another war, devastating destruction, and the loss of lives within its soon to be member States. The European Community gradually evolved into the European Union with the purpose of increasing economic integration, citizen socialization among its member States, modernizing industrialization, and to centralize a monetary currency among its member States. European citizens now have the freedom to live, work, and study in any part of the EU. Since the European Community began over half a century ago, the EU has taken great strides in achieving a greater sense of unity among its members States and throughout Europe. The future of the European Union rests in its ability to balance supranational (social) and intergovernmental (monetary) issues. While the EU decision-making process might become bogged down as the number of member States around the table increases, the EU has a solid foundation to evolve and prosper with the right unified leadership from within its member States.

Which Paper Towel Works Best -- science

Which Paper Towel Works Best When you come to the paper towel aisle in the grocery store do you ever get frustrated and annoyed by all the brands to choose from? Every brand is telling you that they are the strongest and that their brand will absorb the fastest. Have you ever actually taken the time to figure out which brand is indomitable and absorbs the quickest? Well today I will fill you in on this mysterious secret and tell you not only which brand is not lying to you but also which brand you are getting your money’s worth and if paying that extra dollar is worth the name brand I think that the most expensive paper towel will be the strongest based on an ice cube suspended over a paper towel over a bowl held by a rubber band. The materials that I used in this experiment were six different bands of paper towels; Scott, Giant Eagles â€Å"Clean and Tuff†, So- Dri, Brawny, Viva, and Bounty. I also used twelve 88.7 milliliter dixie cups, 50 milliliters of red colored water and a freezer holding the temperature of a negative twenty degrees Celsius. In addition I used a plastic bowl with the dimension of 18 by18 millimeters. And finally I had a piece of elastic string. The procedure for my experiment was not too difficult it just took quite a bit of time. I started with a paper towel, an 18 by 18-millimeter bowl and a rubber band. I also had twelve 88.7-milliliter dixie cups filled with 50 milliliters of frozen, red colored water. The first step in this experiment was ...

The Parallels Between Animal Farm and Soviet History Essay -- George O

The Parallels Between Animal Farm and Soviet History Prior to writing Animal Farm, George Orwell had stated: "History consists of a series of swindles, in which the masses are first lured into revolt by the promise of Utopia, and then, when they have done their job, enslaved over again as new masters" Together this statement and Soviet History provided a basis for a political allegory which is depicted through Animals and tells of the tribulations which surround certain political ideals. In many ways, the story parallels to an era of soviet history from the revolution in 1917 to the Teheran Conference in 1943. When many critiques review this book they fail to realize how each significant detail parallels to an entity in soviet history. The story, Animal Farm, begins with a speech by Old Major. Old Major believes that 'man' is taking from the 'working' animals and he feels that the animals should unite and commence a rebellion to overthrow man. Similarly, Major's speech is an accurate account of Marxism and it is very similar to the last paragraph of the Communist Manifesto (1848): The communists openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible over throw of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at the Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains; They have a world to win. WORKING MEN OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE! After the Animals had overtaken the farm and the Animal Farm was established, "Everyone worked according to his capacity," (pg 27, Orwell). The similarities between Russia and Animal farm are well noted here, "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs"; were the words used by Marx in his c... ...mal Farm is a brilliantly allegorized political tale and the significance of the story becomes much clearer when compared to the actual political history. It tells the story of Russian history but at the same time it can be compared to other countries in their struggle for power. The struggle is not restricted to governments but people as well. Animal Farm is just simply about power in different political ideals and what it does to those that yield it. Lord Acton once said in a letter that: "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, good men are always bad men. George Orwell did an excellent job in portraying this reality through the animals of Animal Farm. BIBLIOGRAPHY Orwell, George; Animal Farm (Great Britain: Martin Secker & Warburg, 1945 Meyers, Jeffrey; A reader's guide to George Orwell (London: Thomas & Hudson, 1975)

Lyndon B. Johnson: An Inspiration Essay

Recently, I had the opportunity to be a â€Å"Presidential Classroom† student in which I attending a two week forum in Washington D.C. While there, I was awarded the opportunity to meet with a multitude of public officials and to discuss domestic and foreign policy with students from across the nation. While in Washington D.C., it is clear the city has not forgotten its history as images of past presidents adorn many walls. When looking at the pictures past presidents, there is one president who does not appear as prominently as other. That president is Lyndon B. Johnson, a former president whose legacy influences me a great deal. Johnson was one of the most care-giving of all the presidents as his Great Society concept provided a variety of social programs with the intention of eliminating wide scale poverty in the United States. Sadly, President Johnson’s original plans for the Great Society were curtailed by the escalation of the Vietnam War, but several aspects of the Great Society did survive and remain helpful to many people in the United States to this very day. This is among the noblest goal that a president could seek and remains a goal that resonates a great deal with me today and had so in the past as it guided me on my academic and scholastic path. In my senior year, I served as one of the 12 International Ambassadors at Poly High School. The purpose of the Ambassadors is to represent the various ethnic groups at the school. This was the most prestigious of the school civics positions and is reserved for members of the senior class who have achieved high academic standards and a willingness to represent the needs of the numerous groups that make up the student body. Again, Lyndon Johnson remained a major influence on me as I served in this position. When Johnson first entered congress, he sought to fairly represent the poor Texas towns that sent him to Washington as a representative. Often times, the needs of the people in poor, rural Texas towns were often neglected. This was not because there Admission Essay was anything set in place to exclude these people; it was that they did not have any providing a voice for them. Johnson eschewed seeking the interests of the big money lobbies and stuck to his convictions and early promises. Johnson drove a great deal of legislation through congress that aided these people and, when elected to the office of the president, Johnson used a great deal of his experience helping people in the rural town to successfully draft the famous Civil Rights Act of 1964. As an International Ambassador, it was easy to see how certain voices could be overlooked. When reading about Lyndon Johnson’s successful exploits serving his constituency, I was inspired by the fact that he showed a voice could be heard if there is effective help. Many students have serious concerns, but are either unaware of as to how to have their voice heard or are too intimidated to initiate a dialogue. Considering that President Johnson provided a voice for the many people, I would frequently review his past deeds as a way of understanding the skills required to perform such tasks. As such, President Johnson was then and remains today, a huge influence on my life.

Armed forces Essay

This section provides information on the soldiers, sailors and airman who gained, maintained and then lost an empire. It must be remembered that the vast majority of the empire’s military manpower was recruited from outside the mother country. It is interesting to note that some of the fiercest resistors to the British went on to become the staunchest allies and defenders of her empire; Highlanders, Sikhs and Gurkhas are perhaps the best examples of this phenomena. The military history of the empire is rich in colour and variety but is also inevitably linked to the darker and more sinister side of the empire through conquest, pacification and destruction. The tentacles of the military spread throughout the empire and beyond, the armed forces were not only the conquerors and defenders of the empire but also provided the garrisons that policed the vast expanses of territory and enabled communication over the vast distances involved. The military was very much the most important institution of the empire. Land forces Infantry The years around 1783 were tumultuous ones for the army and things were about to become even more difficult in the near future. The Army was coming to the end of its actions in the 13 colonies. Political and military defeat hung heavily over Britain at the time. The army had borne the brunt of the unsuccessful campaign and so were associated with the failure. Life was to become even more dangerous and precarious for the British army as it become embroiled in the highly difficult task of containing the expansion of Revolutionary and then Napoleonic France. The army would therefore be forced to expand to an unusually large size and would be strained to its limits. The prominent role played by the British army in ultimately defeating Napoleon would restore its pride and prestige both at home and overseas. In the period following victory in 1815, the British army was regarded as the fire brigade of the Empire – being sent to wherever there were disturbances or problems. It would become involved in countless small wars in far flung corners of the globe, most of which would be successful endeavours. However, the army would be sorely tested by the events of the Crimean war and the Indian mutiny. The problems encountered in these actions provided the rationale for the Cardwell army reforms which were implemented progressively from the late 1860’s to the early 1880’s. The numbering system used by the British army in order to determine precedence was first used in 1751. The year 1782 is interesting because it is the first time that many of these regiments were associated with a specific local area. Theoretically, this was to be where their depot was to be based and their recruiting to take place. However, constant strategical and manpower needs meant that these regiments could be posted anywhere and were keen to take recruits from wherever they could find them. In this period of history, the numbers were the more important of the designations and would be used on a day to day basis. However, the territorial titles would later form the basis of the next major overhaul of the regimental system almost exactly 100 years later: the Cardwell Army reforms. Foot guards Number Title 1st The First Regiment of Foot Guards 2nd The Second (Cold stream) Regiment of Foot Guards 3rd His Majesties Third Regiment of Foot Guards Cavalry First troop of life guards Badge Nicknames The Bangers Lumpers The Cheesemongers The Fly-slicers The Piccadilly Butchers The Roast and Boiled The Ticky Tins The Tin Bellies The Patent Safeties Motto Honi soit qui mal y pense Evil be to him who evil thinks Regimental Marches Millanollo (Quick) Val Hamm The Life Guards Slow March (Slow) Regimental Anniversary Waterloo Day 18th June Colonels 1660 – 1788 Soldiers 1660 – 1788 Successor Units 1st Life Guards (1660 – 1788) The Life Guards (1922 – ) Suggested Reading History of the Household Cavalry by Sir George Arthur (Constable: 1909, 1926: 3 vols) The Story of the First Life Guards (Harrap: 1922) Historical Record of the Life Guards (London: Clowes: 1836) Regimental Museum Household Cavalry Museum Combermere Barracks Windsor More go to http://www.btinternet.com/~britishempire/empire/forces/armyunits/britishcavalry/1sttroopofhorseguards.html Artillery Horse artillery Battery Sergeant-Major The other picture of the Battery Sergeant-major is a coloured engraving from a photo. He has gold braiding. The back end of a 12-pounder is accurately shown. Officer 1890 The Officer is in full dress on his charger. Sergeants with 12 Pounder The Sergeants are in various forms of dress. The one in the forground is in full dress or parade dress, the others are in different combinations of working dress. Mounted SergeantThe gold cord braiding on his jacket indicates that he is a Sergeant. F Battery in Second Afghan War Science and technology Transport Railways The nineteenth century saw many technological changes, but none of them were to have as wide repurcussions as the invention of the train. The power of steam had been known for some time but applying this power to moving heavy goods and people over long distances was one application that would have profound consequences and serve the British and their Empire for well over a hundred years. It was George Stephenson who realised the full power and potential of the steam engine when he designed a machine that could take advantage of narrow copper tubes which could be heated to create the all important steam power. The Rocket was the first such steam engine to take advantage of this new technology as it operated between Liverpool and Manchester from 1830. However, technical change was to become rapid and the train was to change its appearance and technical specifications again and again. Inevitably, it was the mother country that first saw her landscape transformed by this new invention. Navvies from Ireland, Scotland and the North of England scarred the landscape with viaducts, bridges and tunnels in the pursuit of the smooth gradients that trains required to travel at their most efficient level. They were paid a pittance for excruciating and dangerous work. In many ways, these navvies represented one of the largest migrations of Imperial settlers as they moved over from Ireland or as they followed the train tracks around the country and ended up settling in the last place they found work. In 1847 there were a quarter of a million navvies digging and blasting their way over the British landscape, their travels are one of the lesser documented migrations of history. However, the job they did is still plain to see in the British landscape some 150 years later and will be for many more years to come. The amount of track laid in Britain increased from only 500 miles in 1838 to over 8,000 by 1855. This expansion of track also brought down the cost of travel so that all but the poorest could afford to travel by train. In the stagecoach days, a ticket from London to Manchester and back would have cost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3 10s but by 1851 the train fare for this same journey was only 5s (a seventh of the stagecoach fare) for a far quicker and more comfortable journey. Of course, the expansion of the railways didn’t just rest on the invention of the steam train. Iron was needed for the rails and its mass production helped to reduce the costs to the railway industry. In addition, iron girders and glass were used to construct magnificent looking railway stations. Even older industries, like stonemasonry were given a new lease of life as vast quantities of stone and rock were needed for sleepers, bridges and stations. The railway age was an enormous boost to the economy of Britain, and would provide the country with one of the most efficient infrastructures for the remainder of the century. It wouldn’t take colonial administrators long to see the benefits that such an infrastructure could bring to the colonies they were in charge of. Particularly, as some of these colonies could be immense in size and with little existing infrastructure. Horses and ships had provided the most efficient means of transport to date, but ships obviously couldn’t reach the interior and horses could not match the speed and power of this latest invention. The old established colonies like India, leapt at the railway opportunities and built a railway structure that would even rival the mother country’s in scope and scale. They were often financed by British industrialists keen to move the primary and secondary products of India to the ports ready to be exported to Britain and her factories. Cotton, spices and teas would all provide the economic model for railway building that would later be copied in other colonies by other crops and industries; rubber in Malaysia, coffee i n South America, grains in Canada and livestock in Australia and New Zealand. In some colonies, railways were used more as the initial spur to encourage colonisation of an area. In Africa, railways were built to provide an infrastructure that would lure white colonists into an area in order to farm the area and turn it into a profitable colony. South Africa, Rhodesia and Kenya all wanted to increase their white population and increase the economic activity of their lands and all spent copious amounts of money and effort into building railways in what were very often inhospitable areas to European settlers. They all had varying degrees of success, but were built nonetheless. Indeed, one of the burning issues of late nineteenth century was Cecil Rhodes’ burning ambition to build a Cape to Cairo railway line that passed through British territory all the way. And this dream, although not realised by a train network, certainly influenced a great deal of Central African colonisation during the period. Another spur to the railway building in the nineteenth century was the British army. They too, quickly identified the advantages in being able to move troops and supplies around in a quick and efficient manner. The army would often try to influence local colonial administrators and get them to build railway lines to places which had little business or economic rationale. Alternatively, the army would build its own railway lines in areas they felt were necessary. In the case of Kitchener’s Sudan campaign in the late 1890’s, the army travelled down the Nile slowly but surely, not just out of tactical considerations, but because they were building a railway line as they travelled. In fact, this railway line is still in use as Sudan’s major railway line over a hundred years after it was built by the British army. Likewise in the Boer war, the British army came to depend on the strategic advantages of the railway network, but would also be exposed to the vulnerability of this network as the Boers transformed themselves into a guerilla army and destroyed bridges and lines at will. Despite this costly lesson, the British army maintained its respect and use of trains for many more years to come. Railways transformed the Empire in many ways, it increased business activity and allowed businesses to flourish in areas that previously would have been impossible to make a living in. It allowed officials to move rapidly over the areas that they governed. It allowed troops to be dispatched over great distances in short periods of time, indeed this speed of response removed much of the burden of having to station so many troops in a colony in the first place. Populations could benefit from access to cheaper goods as the factories of Europe could unleash their products to the far flung corners of the empire: tinned goods, newspapers, boot polish and toys could all be moved at a fraction of the cost from previous days. The people themselves could move around the empire whether for business or for pleasure; families could be reunited more regularly, farmers could travel longer distances to get their products to market, businessmen could entertain clients from further afield. Even within relatively short distances and in crowded areas people wanted to enjoy the benefits of the train system. Therefore, in London, one of the more interesting railway innovations was devised in the 1860’s; the underground system, or the tube. Using Victorian ingenuity and technical engineering expertise an elaborate underground system of trains was built that would be envied and copied by Metropolises the world over. And again, it reinvigorated the economic life of the City of London and allowed for yet another relocation of businesses and housing for the masses of that city. The advantages of the railways were apparent to virtually everyone. These were the days when progress was seen as a universal good and the railways were a prime example of this beneficent progress. Ships England was a small island nation off the coast of the very powerful and dynamic continent of Europe proper. There were three options open to the English ruling classes. First of all, she could immerse herself into European politics and economics. However, the competition on this front was particularly fierce; French, Italians, Austrians and a myriad of other powerful nations would ensure that England would only be one player in a field of many. Besides, wars and religion made dabbling in this arena a very expensive one. Second, she could turn in on herself and try to stay aloof from the goings on of the world. This strategy suited the Japanese in their dealings with their continental rivals. However the English were already keen traders and had acquired tastes and business practices that made this option an unpalatble one. Her third choice was to turn to the opportunities offered by the rest of the world. And it is because she chose this path that first England, and then Britain, tu rned herself into the preeminent maritime nation of Europe and indeed the world. England’s rise as a maritime nation started with the reign of King Henry VIII. His ambitions were guided more to Europe, but he did manage to lay down financial and military foundations that would be taken advantage of by his successors. The Mary Rose is testimony to the size and power that the King sought to develop. He wanted a navy to project his power and influence onto the European political scene. Unfortunately, his plans and schemes were not fully realized during his reign. However, his treasury was full, the ports were protected by new castles and coastal defences and he had started a naval tradition that would bequeath valuable skills and experience to later generations of sea goers. By the time Queen Elizabeth came to the throne, the most powerful maritime nations were Spain and Portugal. These nations had encouraged explorers to find new, exciting and highly profitable trade routes. However, there were deep religious and philosophical divisions between these Catholic nations and the Protestant English. Queen Elizabeth had no love for these religious and economic rivals and basically sanctioned piracy on the high seas as a means of prosecuting war against the Catholic monarchies. Chief amongst her officially sanctioned privateers were Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins. These, and other sailors, wreaked havoc with Spanish and Portugese trade routes to the East Indies and particularly to the New World. The Caribbean became particularly notorious for rampant piracy. This rivalry turned into something of a naval arms race as the Spanish and English tried to outdo each other in terms of offensive power or in terms of speed to escape potential privateers. Military and commercial ships of both nations would benefit from new technologies, techniques and skills. The naval rivalry between these two nations would reach a head in 1588 with the Spanish Armada. This Spanish attempt to stamp out her English rivals was a gamble that did not pay off. Bad weather and English seamanship saw that the Armada failed in its bid to land an army on English soil. More importantly, the destruction of much of the Armada left the English mariners in a very powerful position and particularly in the Caribbean and in the New World. In the East Indies with its spice trade, the English still had to deal with the Portugese and the Dutch as serious competitors. But with the removal of the Spanish, the English were free to develop an unprecedentedly successful economic venture. There were two main commercial activities that allowed the English to maximise there maritime advantage: Sugar and Slavery. In fact, these were two complemantary activities that would work very closely together. Slaves were needed to tend and harvest the sugar crops of the New World. The same ships that transported these slaves could then be loaded up with sugar and brought back to Europe. With the advent of industrialisation in Britain, the third leg of this trip could also be made profitable. Cheap manufactured goods were taken from Liverpool and Bristol to West Africa and exchanged their for slaves, the slaves were exchanged for sugar in the Caribbean, and the sugar would finally be sold in Europe at a huge profit. The profits involved meant that few people overly concerned by any humanitarian or ethical issues. Indeed, the economic success of this trade would mean that even more time, money and skills were ploughed into the British commercial and Royal Navies. The more and better the British ships became the more she took the world’s trade and the faster she developed into the world’s preeminent naval power. By the mid to end of the eighteenth century, the British could claim to have the largest and most successful naval forces in the world: Both militarily and commercially. By this time, naval traditions, experience and expertise had been fully augmented by advances in science and the latest industrial products and techniques. British ships were familiar sites to ports and coastal regions the world over. However, two events would test this faith and confidence in the maritime forces of the nation. Soon, the British would realise that although they were a match for any nation on even terms, a combination of forces might lead to her undoing. The first test of this theory was the American War of Independence. French and Spanish involvement in supplying and maintaining the insurrection. Combine this with Royal Naval ships and sailors fighting on the side of the colonists and the British could see that they were not as invincible as they would have liked to have believed. However, the real test of the strength and importance of the Naval forces of Britain was to come with the rise of Napoleon on the European continent. A brilliant tactician and strategist, Napoleon swept most of Europe before him. As he took effective control over these powers he also took control of their navies. The British tried their best to thwart these plans with some success in Holland and especially Denmark. However, the Spanish and French fleets combined again to form a most formidable force. Unlike the days of the American War of Independence, it was clear that the only way the British could dispense with the threat of Napoleon was to confront and defeat this Navy in an open battle. The stakes for the island nation had not been higher since the days of Drake and the Spanish Armada. Fortunately for the British, a new hero rose to the hour. Admiral Nelson successfully defeated the combined fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar. He paid for this victory with his life, but he laid down a sense of security for the island nation that would remain intact for another century. Although disappointments and setbacks did occur, most notab ly in the War of 1812-14, essentially the Royal Navy returned to being the preeminent maritime nation. Indeed, the only serious threat to the Royal and Merchant Navies were the sailors, captains and admirals themselves. Complacency and a lack of serious rivals meant that the British maritime forces lay essentially unchanged for most of the nineteenth century. Half a century after the death of Nelson and the Royal Navy had barely changed at all; even the ships were the same. The only serious innovation that made serious inroads into these traditions was the advent of steam. Even then, the Admiralty were reluctant converts to this latest technology and pined for the days of sail. It would be left to commercial forces and entrepreneurs to explore and develop this means of power. The most important name associated with these developments is that of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. This man built the first steamship to cross the Atlantic: the Great Western. The first ocean screw steamer: the Great Britain. And what for 40 years would be the largest ship ever built: the Great Eastern. And although these ships were not the greatest of commercial triumphs the combination of ingenuity, expertise and industrial technology would mean that Britain would remain at the forefront of maritime power for some time to come. Steam power would open up other avenues for exploration that had previously been difficult if not impossible for mariners to pursue. The ability to power a vessel upstream would mean that many of the world’s rivers could be opened up to European explorers and traders. This would allow for new parts of the world to be explored and new commerical and political relationships to be established. Africa would see this technology employed along its many rivers. Indeed, steamships would even be taken overland to operate on the great lakes of the African interior. One side effect of the introduction of steampower was that coaling stations would become a strategic necessity to the Royal and Merchant Navies. All of a sudden, the Royal Navy became concerned at the placement of Naval bases particularly with regards to how far a ship could steam before it needed refuelling. This new strategic thinking would be augmented and amended by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The world was becoming a smaller place at a rapid rate and maritime necessities would be prime in consideration for much of the Imperial expansion of the day. Cash crops would be the new cash cows that provided the financial impetus for maritime ventures at the Imperial level. Tea, cotton, rubber, even opium would all take their turn in providing the imperatives and returns in investing in Britain’s maritime fleets. Combine these financial considerations with regular British trade patterns with Europe, Latin America and the United states and the fact that populations were willing and able to move about the planet in unprecedented numbers and the importance of ships and maritime policy to the British Empire is easy to comprehend. The next challenge to British supremacy of the waves was to be by the Germans. By the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries European and imperial rivalries combined to form ominous and powerful blocks of nations. On one side lay the French and Russians, on the other the Germans, Italians and Austrians. Britain tried to remain aloof for as long as possible, but when the Germans declared that they wanted a Navy that was the equal of the Royal Navy, the gauntlet had been laid and the British joined with the French and Russians. A naval arms race between the British and Germans was proving costly to both countries, it didn’t help matters when one of Britain’s own innovations nearly bankrupted the nation. The development of the Battleship Dreadnought in 1906 kept the British at the front of Naval technology but at the cost of making their entire existing fleet obsolescent. The Germans would easily be able to catch up to the British with this new technology and, if it hadn’t been for competing claims on the German military budget, might have succeeded in doing so. As it was, during The Great War, the British were just able to keep ahead of the Germans and successfully bottled them up in their Baltic ports for most of the war. However, another military development would provide fresh worries and portents enough for the British. The submarine did not effect the war as much as their German commanders had hoped, but their potential for disrupting existing Naval balances of power were clear to all. These concerns would be played out at a much more lethal level during the next war. Meanwhile, the interwar period saw cutbacks to both the Royal and Merchant Navies. With little appetite left for armed forces, British politicians cut back defence expenditure on all of the services. The Royal Navy was no exception. These cutbacks came just as new maritime rivals could be seen on the horizon. During The Great War, the Americans had turned their massive industrial might to outfitting her armed forces in a very short period of time. At the same time, the Japanese had been left unchallenged to develop in the Pacific Ocean. When the war ended they quickly sought to establish some kind of parity with the Royal Navy; the result was the Washington conference. This conference established the so called 5:5:3 ratios for capital ships. America and Britain were to be equal in size and number of ships whilst the Japan maintained 60% of these numbers. The effect of the conference was that Britain, for the first time since Drake, admitted that she would only be the equal of another power. No longer would she aim to be the preeminent naval power. In reality, she had also given the Japanese a local superiority in the Pacific region. A superiority the Japanese would use to dismember much of the British Asian Empire. The Second World War was to put Britain in as much, if not more, peril than in the first. Her naval commanders rightly identified submarine warfare as being the biggest threat the island nation. The Royal and Merchant Navies took horrendous losses as these commanders developed ways of dealing with this silent menace. Convoys and ASDIC did most to redress this balance. But it was a long, hard fight and one that left Britain militarily and economically exhausted by the end of the war. Britain would never reclaim its former maritime glory. The United States and Soviet Navies would eclipse the Royal Navy in size, technology and power. Aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and the rise of Air Power in general would mean that the strategic balance had been tipped forever. Withdrawal from Empire speeded up this process even more, bases in the Far East, South East Asia, the Middle East and even the Mediterranean seemed like expensive anachronisms that no longer served any purpose. At a commercial level, the rise of air transport killed off much of the passenger business of the shipping lines. Also, new trade patterns were established as Imperial trade was replaced by much shorter European destinations. The fall from grace of the British naval heritage is only so precipitate when you realise how long and how deep that tradition has been the lifeblood of the nation. Generations of citizens grew up with the unquestioning belief that Britannia Ruled the Waves. Now that she is a middle ranking European nation, it is not hard to see why so many people lament the passing of an era and why it inspires so many more to be fascinated and interested in this area of British history. Communications The telegraph system was one of the technological wonders of the nineteenth century. It transformed communications in a profound way and helped to give the British Army a technological superiority over most of her competitors. Its invention was a product of the enthusiasm and skill of industrial revolutionary Britain. William Fothergill Cooke and Charles Wheatstone, a scientist and an entrepreneur, teamed up to forge a devastatingly effective alliance that combined the savvy of both individuals to produce the ‘needle telegraph’. Wheatstone came up with the technological aspect whilst the Cooke had the foresight to approach the railway companies in order to run their lines along side the railway tracks. On 25 July 1837 the first experimental line with the new telegraph was started. The Great Western Railway Company connected the stations Euston Square and Camden Town over a distance of 2.4 kilometres. It was an outstanding success that not only amazed Victorians but displayed obvious applications for its use. When it was used to broadcast such news as the birth of Queen Victoria’s second son, or to catch a murderer who had attempted an escape by train, its acceptance and usefulness was plain for all to see. In fact, the only problem with this initial invention was that it the code to transmit messages was rather cumbersome – and in fact only twenty letters were used of the alphabet. Credit for the simplification of the both the hardware and code was to cross the Atlantic to a certain Samuel Morse. Samuel Morse had a mission in life. A devout Christian, his world had turned upside down when he missed the funeral of his wife due to a message being delivered late. He never wanted anyone to go through the pain that he had endured and so set about perfecting an easy to use message system. His revolution centred around the idea of sending pulses of electricity of two fixed lengths – dots and dashes. The subsequent morse code was so much easier to for all to master. He too saw the logic in following the railroad lines and telegraph poles continued their close relationships to the railway lines that were gradually spreading out over the continents of the world. Of course, there were larger scale boundaries that also needed crossing. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean with a submarine telegraph line was one of the holy grails of Victorian technological advances. So much so that Sirus Field, a very rich American businessman, personally financed the hiring of two warships, one American and one British (USS Buchanan and HMS Victoria), to simply start in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and pull the wire to the opposing sides of the Atlantic. After a couple of attempts, they did indeed manage to succeed in their endeavour. The President of the United States and Queen Victoria managed to exchange pleasantries across all those thousands of miles. Unfortunately, the line only worked for just over two weeks. The Victorian scientists had not anticipated the high voltages that were required to send messages across those thousands of miles. The cable simply burnt out. It would be seven years before the line was reconnected. The problem being that the new, low voltage, well insulated wires were just too thick for any ship to be able to carry. Until, that was, the SS Great Eastern was launched. This was a behemoth of a ship that dwarfed all other ships by its size and speed. In 1866 she easily connected the two continents together. Submarine telegraph lines were now spreading across the world as the British government realised the full potential for governing and communicating with its far flung empire. By 1890, of the inhabited British territories, only Fiji, British Honduras, Tobago, the Falkland Islands, Turks Islands and New Guinea had no cable at all. The importance that Britain personally invested in this world wide infrastructure is borne out by the statistic that by 1914, 75% of all the world’s submarine lines were held by the British. Indeed, within hours of the outbreak of the First World War, the first action taken by any of the British and Imperial Forces around the world was actually taken in Melbourne in Australia. A German merchant ship was fired on by coastal batteries as she attempted to leave port. The fact that this took place on the exact opposite side of the world illustrates how much smaller the empire had become with the advent of telegraphy. Before the advent of this technology, the British government had had to entrust a great deal of local powers to its representatives across the world. When it took three months for a message to travel from a colony back to the capital, waiting for a reply was a luxury that frequently could not be tolerated. The man on the spot was a very powerful figure indeed. With the advent of the telegraph, London could have virtually instantaneous contact with the capitals of her colonies and dominions and conduct business from afar. Cables Being Laid in Canada The value of Britain’s world wide telegraphic system actually contributed to Britain’s strategic worries. The cables were kept in British colonies or under British controlled seas as much as possible, but this was not always avoidable. Whenever this occurred the British worried about interceptions of messages or of cutting the link altogether. For example, the link to Australia passed over Dutch Java, the South American cable ran through Portugese Madeira, but probably the biggest headache of all to Britain’s strategic thinkers was the cable that ran from London to Calcutta. In fact, there were three such cables. One ran from Lowestoft to Germany, through Russia, Persia and in to India. Apart from the strategic nightmares of this essential line of communication was the fact that the Germans and Russians were in a position to keep the costs of using this cable artificially high. The second cable was not much better. It ran across Europe to Constantinople, across Turkey to the Persian Gulf and then by cable to Karachi. Little reliance could be placed on the Ottoman empire. The third cable ran from London to Gibraltar to Malta, Egypt to Aden and then on to Bombay. This looked secure enough, but still relied on using Spanish relay stations to boost the signals. Besides, it was generally more economic to send the messages up over France from Malta. To add to the strategic difficulties the vagaries of the currents and weather caused yet further headaches. Storms, winds, silt, even fishermen could all accidentally disrupt the sending of messages. Combined with the distances involved, it is little wonder the tariffs could be so high. 4 shillings per word to India, and 6s. 9d. to Australia. And yet, the British were convinced that the value of the system was worth the price. All over the world, Englishmen were employed laying or maintaining cables or operating booster stations along the line. The cable manager often became a key member of society for the further flung outposts of imperial society. In Australia, Alice Springs actually came to life as the central station for the overland 2000 mile Telegraph line stretching from Adelaide to the North. These 36,000 telegraph poles were built years before any road or railway line crossed the continent. And it could be dangerous too. In 1874, two cable men were speared to death by Aborig ines. The laying and maintaining of this enormous network must rank as one of the most important achievements of the British Empire. It’s scope and utility is hard to imagine in a world where instantaneous communications are taken for granted. Before the invention of the Telegraph the speed of communication had changed little since the time of the Romans. Within thirty years of the first twitchings of Cook’s and Wheatstone’s needle telegraph, the world had been made substantially smaller.