Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War Free Essays

This essay will examine Russia’s advantages and disadvantages pre-war, war and post-war that could have changed the course of history and enabled Russia to defeat Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. Russia, despite major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, lost the Russo-Japanese War to Japan, a rising power whose military strength and power were grossly underestimated. Why? What could Russia have done differently to defeat Japan in the war? Summarizing and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of Russia’s poor leadership, lack of strategic planning against Japan, and logistical differences will help clarify what it did wrong and what it could have done to defeat Japan in 1904. We will write a custom essay sample on Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Diplomatic and economic factors before and during the war In 1854, Japan had reopened her doors to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russian after 200 years of isolation from all Western powers, except the Netherlands (Koda 12). Of these powers, Britain and Russia had the strongest impact on the national security policy of the Japanese government. By the 1890s, given the growing competition among European Powers in Asia, Japan had begun to implement policies to increase the nation’s military and economic modernization. They recognized that failure to do so would lead to the â€Å"nation’s dominance or dismemberment† by foreigners (Francis 1). Between 1888 and 1904, the Russian Empire’s economy was booming. As the financial heath of the government improved, it can be expected that the Minister of War would be allowed to share in this bounty. The Ministry was able to fund two discrete rearmament programs: the acquisition of magazine rifles and the introduction of the first quick-firing field artillery piece (Fuller 363). Both programs helped enhance and put Russia at an advantage in military readiness and innovation compared to other powers within the region. In 1894, Russia had a new Tsar in Nicholas II, who was â€Å"young, dreamy and ambitious†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and noted by biographers as â€Å"a weak man and easily led† (Fuller 370). Another important figure to Russia’s government was Count S. Iu. Witte. Witte, the Minister of Finance, 1892-1903, rapidly became one of Nicholas’s most influential ministers in the early part of his regime as Tsar (Fuller 370). Witte was the prime mover of the Trans-Siberian and Chinese Eastern railroads, which allowed Russia to become a monopoly over resources and markets of Manchuria (Fuller 370). In March 1900, War Minister Kuropatkin delivered a speech in which he summarized the ways in which Russia had used its’ military power in the past two hundred years and a series of predictions on upcoming challenges the nation would have to face. He argued that Russia â€Å"neither needed nor desired war with any of the other Great Powers; it simply had nothing to gain by it† (Fuller 377). Yet, Russia was not a satisfied Power and in a report to the Tsar, Kuropatkin had to endorse the continued economic exploitation of Manchuria and the expansion of Russia influence in the East (Fuller 378). Moreover, Russia had concluded an alliance with China against Japan and, in the process provided the finance China needed in exchange for railway and industrial monopolies and won rights to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese-held Manchuria to the Russian seaport of Vladivostok, thus gaining control of an important strip of Manchurian territory (Warner 113). Unfortunately, the unfinished state of the Trans-Siberian railroad in 1904, logistical problems, and heavy costs meant only about 100,000 Russian troops and supporting units had been deployed to the Far East. However, this continuous crash collusion over the â€Å"spheres of influence† in Manchuria, Port Arthur, and finally in 1903 when Russia developed an economic interest in Korea further exasperated Japan (Koda 16). Start of the War The Russo-Japanese War took place from February 1904 to September 1905; it was a war that originated out of rival imperial ambitions of the Japanese and Russian Empires over Manchuria, Port Arthur, and Korea. The Russians had been pursuing a course of steady aggression and contrary to what Japan considered her â€Å"vital interests and national honor† (Mahan 172). The Russians had countless chances to gain an advantage and a better diplomatic position over Japan. After negotiations back and forth concerning â€Å"spheres of interest† between the two nations were not met and in Japanese eyes were ignored due to the arrogance of the Tsar; Japan severed diplomatic relations on 6 February 1904 (Answer. com). Late at night on the 8th of February, a force of Japanese torpedo boats entered into Port Arthur. Through the dense fog, they launched a surprise attack that not only surprised the Russian naval squadron, but also surprised the world. Only one ship, the Novik, was not caught entirely napping and was able to give chase (Warner 17). Three of Russia’s biggest ships took severe hits: the cruiser Pallada, Retvizan and Tsarevitch (Warner 17). Russia was shocked and definitely not prepared! Although gunfire stirred some in the evening, many knew nothing of the attack until the next morning. Some had heard and assumed that the fleet had been carrying out exercises and few people â€Å"expected that the first attack by Japanese- or any attack at all- would take place in Port Arthur† (Warner 17). Crafting a War Plan The Commander of Russia’s Far Eastern Armies, General Kuropatkin was tasked with developing Russia’s war plan; his idea was to deny Japan an early victory by alternating tenacious holding actions and strategic withdrawals in order to gain the time needed to bring thousands of additional troops from European Russia (Fuller 379). â€Å"Inso far as possible,† he wrote, â€Å"our forces must avoid decisive engagements in order to escape being defeated in detail prior to concentration of forces sufficient for the defeat of the Japanese† (Fuller 400). He expected the Japanese to invade Manchuria, they did; he anticipated that the Japanese would attack Port Arthur, they did; so, his plan was absolutely accurate and unquestionably foreboded the events that were about to unfold in this Russian nightmare. But no matter how intelligent or administratively talented Kuropatkin may have been, he committed the gravest of errors by underestimating his enemy. The Japanese army was highly motivated and trained and ready to implement their war plan. In an attempt to avoid war, Japan presented Russia with a treaty that would be relatively fair to both sides. Russia, to the surprise of no one, declined the terms and Japan was left with no choice other than to declare war. In July 1903 at pre-war negotiations, the Japanese Minister in St. Petersburg as instructed to present Russian Minister, Roman Rosen, with his country’s views and desires. After the proposal, Russia provide a counter-proposal and Japan provided another proposal by which â€Å"Manchuria would be outside the Japanese sphere of influence and, reciprocally, Korea outside Russia’s† (Answers. com). One month later on 4 February when no formal reply had been received, Japan severed ties and went about achieving everything that they asked for at the pre-negotiations. According to Karl von Clausewitz, a renowned theorist of war, two parties need to want peace for a war to be terminated and both sides must be able to overcome internal and external oppositions to end the war. Because of Russian leaders’ incompetence, arrogance, and inability to respond promptly and compromise negotiations, Japan’s pre-war requests and Kuropatkin’s predictions of Japan’s war strategy were developing in what would be known in history as the Russo-Japanese War. Elements of the Land Campaign At the outbreak of the war, Russia had the world’s largest standing army, but most of it was in Europe. The Japanese knew that Russia could not fully concentrate its’ army in the Far East because â€Å"it had to keep some forces in western Russia as a counter to Turkish, German, and Austrian forces† (Koda 22). Russia was not ready for the war with Japan, and the Japanese knew it. All Japan had to do was concentrate its’ forces in Manchuria and match the strength of Russian forces there. For the Japanese to establish superiority, they had to overcome their handicaps: shortage of strategic reserves, an insufficient stockpile of ammunition, and poor field heavy artillery (Koda 23). In order to overcome these handicaps, Japan had a well thought out operational plan and effective tactics on the battlefield, which yielded perfectly to the warfare of Manchurian plain. In my opinion, all Russia had to do was delay Japanese forces while they built up their strength in the west and bring forces south from the Chinese Eastern railway. Without the Trans-Siberian Railway to assist in reinforcing Russian forces, Russia would be left without â€Å"a real plan of campaign† (Warner 319). Therefore, the longer the war went on, the more likely an eventual Russian victory would have been in a battle of industrial attrition due to the continuing flow of reinforcements along the railway. Synchronizing ground and naval efforts Japan had to deliver a severe blow before Russia had time to prepare and execute whatever war plan that they may have established. In the words of Admiral â€Å"Bull† Halsey, Japan needed to â€Å"Hit hard, hit fast and hit often. † In March the Japanese landed an army in Korea that quickly overran that country. In May another Japanese army landed on the Liaotung Peninsula, and on May 26 it cut off the Port Arthur garrison from the main body of Russian forces in Manchuria. Russia needed to stop playing on the defense and start being on the offensive. With the help of reinforcements received via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Russia continued attacks, but it proved indecisive owing to poor military leadership. An example of the Russian’s impotence in leadership occurred at the siege of Port Arthur. After believing that the purpose of defending the city was lost due to the defeat of the fleet, Major General Stessel decided to surrender his post without consulting the other military staff present, or the Tsar and the military command. All disagreed with his decision because the garrison was still well stocked and had months of food and ammunition. In 1908, Stessel was convicted by a court-martial and sentenced to death, though later pardoned for his offenses (Answer. om). More aggressive naval power The Japanese Combined Fleet was slightly superior to the Russian Pacific Fleet (Koda 22). Japan was at an advantage to Russia, because Russia’s fleet had to be divided in two forces, one at Port Arthur and the other at Vladivostok (Koda 22). The fleets at Port Arthur and Vladivostok were also smaller and less ready, which left Russia’s land and naval forces outnumbered at the start of the war. Japan’s strategy was to engage each force separately and prevent any Russian reinforcements. Japan’s Combined Fleet had to destroy the Pacific Fleet before the arrival of reinforcements and it was necessary for Admiral Togo â€Å"to preserve his strength, to ensure that he had a fleet capable of destroying the reinforcements when they arrived† (Koda 23). The Russian fleet in Port Arthur presented a menace to the sea lines of communication for Japan and was a determining factor of the war. The attack, although successful, was not executed as planned. It continued long enough to afford Russia the opportunity to bring into play her other naval forces from the west and if other circumstance would not have accorded, may have caused Japan their victory. For example, the Baltic Fleet was on its last leg of its 18,000 nautical mile journey to Vladivostok, when they were spotted by the Japanese Combined Fleet. The Baltic Fleet had been successfully traveling at night to avoid discovery. Unfortunately, one of her hospital ships exposed a light, which was sighted by a Japanese ship. The ship reported the sighting to Admiral Togo, who was able to position his fleet and engage in the battle of Tsushima. The Russian fleet was annihilated at Tsushima. If the Russian fleet would have positioned their cruisers, designed for speed and endurance, at Vladivostok, Russia would have had a better chance at counter-attacking Japan’s fleet. Unlike Port Arthur with only one way in and out, Vladivostok had two exits, to the Japan Sea and to the east coast of the islands by way of the Tsugaru Straits. The Japanese vessels out numbered the Russian vessels and they probably would have still picked off the Russian vessels one by one, but positioning the cruisers at another port would have allowed for continued freedom of commerce. Although this is an indirect effect to the war, it directly affected the already unstable economy and a growing rebellious status to war efforts in Russia. One of the most important things to remember is not just the multiple locations of the Russia fleets, but that they were divided into fractions individually smaller than those of a possible enemy. If the Russian divisions at Port Arthur, Vladivostok, and in the European ports of Russia would have been united, they would have outweighed the Japanese fleet; hence causing the Japanese fleet to re-evaluate their plan and possibly changing the course of the war. Additionally, Admiral Makarov, Commander of the Baltic Fleet, suggested that more ships should assist the Port Arthur and Vladivostok, but with his death a conference of the Higher Naval Board with the Tsar presiding was needed. For the next three months, the new commander, Admiral Rozhdestvenski, struggled with â€Å"the inevitable tangle of Russian red tape† and prepared his fleet for the long journey and they set sail in October of 1904 (Warner 402). The Baltic fleet should have been sent east the instant the Japanese declared war and would have arrived in ample time to assist and been able to provide much needed reinforcements and a more aggressive naval power. Conclusion Despite Russia’s major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, they lost to an up and coming power, Japan. Furthermore, they could have negotiated out of starting a war, and never have been put in a situation that caused undue hardship on their ill-prepared naval and land forces. If it wasn’t for poor leadership, lack of strategic planning, and logistical differences, Russia could have defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. How to cite Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War?, Papers

Impact of Selfishness on Personal Life free essay sample

Every day, people make several decisions that more or less influence their live. However, it is necessary to consider other people and results before the decisions were made, since selfish decisions can cause lots of problems. The selfish choices that selected by the main characters in both â€Å"On the Rainy River† and â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stocking† cause regret and raise conflict between the main characters and themselves . Regret can be caused by selfish decisions. On the one hand, O’Brien, the narrator of the â€Å"On the Rainy River† felt guilty and worried about his families during the way to Canada because he fled away from the war: â€Å"I would go to the warI would kill and maybe die –because I was embarrassed not to. That was the sad thing† (O’Brien 12). Clearly, O’Brien explained why he decided to go to Canada and continued his life without contradicting his own beliefs. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Selfishness on Personal Life or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Here he lost his chance at having personal happiness and would have to live with regret from then on. Even though, O’Brien went back and join the army in the end, he still could not get away from the guilt that rose by his decisions: â€Å"I survived, but its not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war† (O’Brien 14). Unlike most people, O’Brien did not regarded surviving form the war as a fortunate thing for him, instead, O’Brien considered himself as a coward and did not forgive himself for making the inappropriate decision from now on. On the other hand, Mrs. Sommer, the major character of â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings† also felt guilty about her family, for the mother used up all the fifteen pounds to purchase accessories and entertained herself instead of buying â€Å"so and so many yards of percales for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag†(Chopin 1). The fifteen pounds were supposed to spend on the clothing of their children according to Mrs. Sommers’s plan at beginning, but she spent all for herself. By the end of day, she did not want to go home: â€Å"in truth he saw noting—unless he were wizard enough to detect a poignant wish, a powerful longing that the cable car would never stop anywhere, but go on forever† (Chopin 3). Mrs. Sommers’s thought reflected her regret since she wished the cable can run forever, so that she did not need to go back home and face her families. Obviously, personal happiness cannot be achieved by selfishness, doing this can create nothing but regret that will follow a  person through their life. Furthermore, the selfishness gives raise to conflict between people and themselves. In â€Å"On the Rainy River†, on the one side, OBrien felt he was â€Å"too good for the war. Too smart, too compassionate, too everything† (O’Brien 3) since the war is completely unreasonable for him. He did not want to be killed or kill anyone else. On the other side, he found himself is completely irresponsible for both his family and country, for the simple reason that he neither supported his country nor protected his family during the most dangerous time. Due to his strong sense of morality and the honourable values like bolstering his own country, OBrien struggled with two conflicting forces in himself. Similarly, Mrs. Sommers struggled against herself to repress the urges and temptation of the luxury items. At first, she planned to spend the money on her children. However, as soon as she entered the department store, she had a powerful desire for a moment of luxury. She tried to hide the desire because of her economic situations. Eventually â€Å"she went on feeling the soft, sheeny luxurious things—with both hands now, holding them up to see them glisten, and feel them glide serpent-like through her fingers. Two hectic blotches came suddenly into her pale cheeks† (Chopin 2) and undoubtedly she succumbed to her desires. By the end of the short story, Mrs. Sommers was extraordinarily desperate for the luxurious life to never end â€Å"a poignant wish, a powerful longing that the cable car would never stop anywhere, but go on and on with her forever† (Chopin 3). The cable in some way symbolized her dream life since at that time only wealthy people were able to afford cable. Her wish represented she still wanted to enjoy the feeling of that unrealistic luxurious life and was unwilling to return back to reality. Ultimately , being selfish leads to the conflicts between people and themselves and annoyance in their life. Overall, the two short stories namely â€Å"On the Rainy River† and â€Å"A Pair of Silk Stockings† emphasized the negative impact of selfishness on human life. Both O’Brien and Mrs. Sommer suffered the regret and conflicting forces that rose by their selfishness. Therefore it is necessary to consider the result before making a decision since selfish decisions, in long term, cannot bring any happiness and self-satisfactory.

Business Accounting Financial Transactions

Question: Discuss about theBusiness Accounting for Financial Transactions. Answer: Introduction The terminology accounting implies a recording process that records all the financial transactions in a systematic as well as in comprehensive way. In other words, it can also be said that accounting is an effective process that helps an accountant to analyze, report and summarize all the financial transactions related to the business with the aim to lapse both the tax collection agencies and entities. According to Parry (2015), accounting is considered as the basic language of any type of business. Therefore, it is a vital factor to gather knowledge about the basics of business accounting. Reflective Learning Journal In order to gather knowledge in the field of basic accounting, it has been found that there are various terminologies that are counted as the important term. Therefore, a list of terms and terminologies or an accounting glossary has been prepared below that will help me to learn and gather knowledge and will also clear my concepts and theories regarding business accounting along with various formulae and equations. Cash Management and Budgeting The terminology cash management is mainly used in case of any growing or new business, where, this broad term refers to collection, disbursement and concentration of cash (Ebert and Griffin 2015). The objective of this management is to manage and balance the total amount of cash of a business of an organization in a peculiar way that will help to maximize the cash availability not invested in inventories or fixed assets. This involves the avoidance of risk regarding insolvency. The factors that are monitored as a cash management include the management of cash balances within an organization, level of liquidity of a firm and the strategies of short-term investment. On the other hand, budgeting is defined as a plan for the future of any business that provides a plan regarding future expenditure and income along with its savings. In other words, it can also be said that budgeting is a guideline that helps the management team of an organization to predict and understand the future spending and saving of an organization (Brinca et al. 2016). Depending on the future expenditure and saving, an organization is operated. In addition to this, a cash budget is defined as an estimation of the total cash outflows and cash inflows for a particular business of an organization over a specified period of time (Collier 2015). Therefore, it can be said that cash budget helps an accountant or the management team of a firm to assess whether the specified entity has sufficient amount of cash to operate successfully. Therefore, it can be said that from this concept of budgeting, cash budget and cash management, I have learned the importance and their role in implementation. I have got a clearer idea regarding the concepts of budgeting and cash budget and its basic difference. I have also understood that the cash management is dependent on the budgeting or cash budget and vice-versa. This basic concept of business accounting will help me in my future as I have gained knowledge that cash management is an important factor for any start-up business or any new business. Therefore, if I would like to be an entrepreneur in future, then I will be able to implement these concepts and can run my own business successfully. In addition to these, all these basic knowledge, concept and theories will also help me to take part in any inter-college competition or quiz competition as these concepts have helped me to differentiate between each of these related terminologies. Periodic and Perpetual Inventory system - Periodic Inventory system is the procedure of valuating the inventories with the aim to prepare a financial report, where, at a specified time interval, a physical inventory count is occurred (Mintz 2016). In addition to this, Periodic Inventory system helps to keep and maintain a pathway of the inventory at the beginning of the phase; both the purchases and sales that are done at same phase of time are also traced under the section asset of a financial statement. On the other hand, the perpetual inventory system is the bookkeeping procedure for inventory that helps in recording the sale and/ or purchase of stock by using the method of point-of-sale (computerized) and endeavors the asset management software (Wier, Stone and Hunton 2015). In addition to this, the perpetual system of inventory gives a exhaustive view about the adjustments within the inventory with an urgent coverage of inventory amount in the stock. Therefore, it can be said that this imitates the goods level on hand. Thus, a detailed study on the periodic Inventory system and perpetual inventory system has helped to clear my concept regarding their definition, importance and implementation. In addition to this, I have also learned their main difference regarding implementation within an organization. I have gained knowledge about the merits and demerits of periodic Inventory system and perpetual inventory system. Additionally, this concept will help to self-evaluate and therefore, it will encourage involving myself in the self-assessment examination as well as in quiz competition. Moreover, the teaching in the prior subject inventory has facilitated me to gather knowledge regarding these two types of inventory systems. Thus, it can be said that these basic knowledge will facilitate me to gather additional information about the business accounting. Inventory valuation - The inventory valuation is the expenditure which is associated with the stock of an organization towards the end of a specified period of time. The inventory valuation is counted as an important element that helps in calculating COGS and can be used for loans as collateral (Ahadiat and Martin 2015). It has been found that generally the inventory valuation is expressed in the balance sheet of the organization as the current asset. Usually, the inventory valuation is made based on the costs or expenses that are sustained by an organization to gather the inventory and also to transform them into a particular circumstance where it will make ready to sell. It has been found that the costs which are involved within the inventory valuation concept are - import duties, handling, freight, production overhead, direct materials and direct labor. It can be said that this concept has also enriched my awareness about the fundamentals of business accounting. The detailed study has helped me to study more regarding the terms and terminologies of business accounting. The strong understanding of business accounting will facilitate me to earn further information about the topic and this in return will assist me in my future to turn out to be an expert in the ground of business accounting (Kaplan and Atkinson 2015). In addition to these, the clear and detailed concept regarding the basic of business accounting will also help to take part in the corporate quiz and self-assessment examination. All these participations will also give me an opportunity to learn more new things and all these will help me in my future to become a successful entrepreneur. Inventory costing methods It is the cost of holding products in store. The capital, taxation, depreciation, shrinkage costs, warehousing, obsolescence and insurance are also involved as a percentage of inventory value (Gibson and Haynes 2015). Generally, the smaller businesses mainly use four types of methods for calculating inventory costing and to account for cost of goods sold (COGS). These include - Last in First out (LIFO), First in First out (FIFO), Specific Identification Method and Average Cost Method (O'Connell et al. 2015). Additionally, each type of these methods is best suited to different financial aims and different conditions. Thus, it is an important factor for the entrepreneurs to have knowledge regarding the various types of inventory costing methods, as they should implement the most appropriate one for the most accurate accounting system. Thus, this specified learning about the kinds of methods of inventory costing will facilitate me in self-assessment examination and also in self-evaluation. These concepts will improve my awareness concerning the basic topic of business accounting, thus, it will encourage me to take participation in the quiz competition. Therefore, it can be said that these basic concepts, theories and information regarding the basics of business accounting will help me to recognize the other concepts that are dependent on these concepts and theories. Thus, I can say that these basics will assist me to collect more information in future regarding the business accounting. Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that, business accounting is a very important theme for any person who wants to be a successful entrepreneur in future. In addition to this, an individual who wants to become a specialist in the ground of accounting and want to rule the business world should learn this business accounting subject. The reason behind this is that the accounting is measured as the basic language of any business, whereas, the basic knowledge regarding the business accounting is the key to become a successful business person. Therefore, the basic concepts and theories of business accounting should be clear, as this will help an individual in future. I have made a glossary of different terms and terminologies that are associated with the subject business accounting such that it can provide me with different types of knowledge regarding the particular topic. References Ahadiat, N. and Martin, R.M., 2015. Attributes, Preparations, and Skills Accounting Professionals Seek in College Graduates for Entry-Level Positions vs. Promotion.Journal of Business and Accounting,8(1), p.179. Brinca, P., Chari, V.V., Kehoe, P.J. and McGrattan, E., 2016.Accounting for Business Cycles(No. 531). Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Collier, P.M., 2015.Accounting for managers: Interpreting accounting information for decision making. John Wiley Sons. Ebert, R.J. and Griffin, R.W., 2015.Business essentials. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Gibson, J.L. and Haynes, W.W., 2015.Accounting in small business decisions. University Press of Kentucky. Kaplan, R.S. and Atkinson, A.A., 2015.Advanced management accounting. PHI Learning. Mintz, S., 2016.Ethical obligations and decision-making in accounting: text and cases. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. O'Connell, B., Carnegie, G., Carter, A., De Lange, P., Hancock, P., Helliar, C. and Watty, K., 2015. Shaping the future of accounting in business education in Australia. Parry, S.N., 2015. The influence of neoliberal economics on small business accounting research: A critical evaluation of agendas and methodologies.International Small Business Journal, p.0266242615600508. Wier, B., Stone, D.N. and Hunton, J.E., 2015. Retraction: Does Graduate Business Education Contribute to Professional Accounting Success?.Accounting Horizons,29(3), pp.745-745.

Agrarian Discontent In The Late 1800s Why The Farmers Were Wrong The P

Agrarian Discontent in the Late 1800's "Why the Farmers Were Wrong" The period between 1880 and 1900 was a boom time for American politics. The country was for once free of the threat of war, and many of its citizens were living comfortably. However, as these two decades went by, the American farmer found it harder and harder to live comfortably. Crops such as cotton and wheat, once the bulwark of agriculture, were selling at prices so low that it was nearly impossible for farmers to make a profit off them. Furthermore, improvement in transportation allowed foreign competition to materialize, making it harder for American farmers to dispose of surplus crop. Finally, years of drought in the midwest and the downward spiral of business in the 1890s devastated many of the nations farmers. As a result of the agricultural depression, many farm groups, most notably the Populist Party, arose to fight what farmers saw as the reasons for the decline in agriculture. During the last twe nty years of the nineteenth century, many farmers in the United States saw monopolies and trusts, railroads, and money shortages and the demonetization of silver as threats to their way of life, though in many cases their complaints were not valid. The growth of the railroad was one of the most significant elements in American economic growth. However, in many ways, the railroads hurt small shippers and farmers. Extreme competition between rail companies necessitated some way to win business. To do this, many railroads offered rebates and drawbacks to larger shippers who used their rails. However, this practice hurt smaller shippers, including farmers, for often times railroad companies would charge more to ship products short distances than they would for long trips. The rail companies justified this practice by asserting that if they did not rebate, they would not make enough profit to stay in business. In his testimony to the Senate Cullom Committee, George W. Parker stat ed, ...the operating expense of this road...requires a certain volume of business to meet these fixed expenses....in some seasons of the year, the local business of the road...is not sufficient to make the earnings...when we make up a train of ten of fifteen cars of local freight...we can attach fifteen or twenty cars...of strictly through business. We can take the latter at a very low rate than go without it. Later, when asked the consequences of charging local traffic the same rate as through freight, Mr. Parker responded, Bankruptcy, inevitably and speedy.... While the railroads felt that they must use this practice to make a profit, the farmers were justified in complaining, for they were seriously injured by it. A perfect example of this fact can be found in The Octopus by Frank Norris. A farmer named Dyke discovers that the railroad has increased their freight charges from two to five cents a pound. This new rate, ...ate up every cent of his gains. He stood there ruined. (Doc . H). The railroads regularly used rebates and drawbacks to help win the business of large shippers, and made up this loss in profit by increasing the cost to smaller shippers such as farmers. As a result, many farmers, already hurt by the downslide in agriculture, were ruined. Thus, the farmers of the late nineteenth century had a valid complaint against railroad shippers, for these farmers were hurt by the unfair practices of the railroads. Near the end of the nineteenth century, business began to centralize, leading to the rise of monopolies and trusts. Falling prices, along with the need for better efficiency in industry, led to the rise of such companies as Carnegie Steel and Standard Oil, which controlled a majority of the nations supply of raw steel and oil respectively. The rise of these monopolies and trusts concerned many farmers, for they felt that the disappearance of competition would lead to erratic and unreasonable price rises that would hurt consumers. James B. Weaver, the Populist partys presidential candidate in the 1892 election, summed up the feelings of many Americans of the period in his work, A Call to Action: An Interpretation of the Great Uprising. He wrote, It is clear that trusts are...in conflict with the Common law. They Agrarian Discontent In The Late 1800s Why The Farmers Were Wrong The P Agrarian Discontent in the Late 1800's "Why the Farmers Were Wrong" The period between 1880 and 1900 was a boom time for American politics. The country was for once free of the threat of war, and many of its citizens were living comfortably. However, as these two decades went by, the American farmer found it harder and harder to live comfortably. Crops such as cotton and wheat, once the bulwark of agriculture, were selling at prices so low that it was nearly impossible for farmers to make a profit off them. Furthermore, improvement in transportation allowed foreign competition to materialize, making it harder for American farmers to dispose of surplus crop. Finally, years of drought in the midwest and the downward spiral of business in the 1890s devastated many of the nations farmers. As a result of the agricultural depression, many farm groups, most notably the Populist Party, arose to fight what farmers saw as the reasons for the decline in agriculture. During the last twe nty years of the nineteenth century, many farmers in the United States saw monopolies and trusts, railroads, and money shortages and the demonetization of silver as threats to their way of life, though in many cases their complaints were not valid. The growth of the railroad was one of the most significant elements in American economic growth. However, in many ways, the railroads hurt small shippers and farmers. Extreme competition between rail companies necessitated some way to win business. To do this, many railroads offered rebates and drawbacks to larger shippers who used their rails. However, this practice hurt smaller shippers, including farmers, for often times railroad companies would charge more to ship products short distances than they would for long trips. The rail companies justified this practice by asserting that if they did not rebate, they would not make enough profit to stay in business. In his testimony to the Senate Cullom Committee, George W. Parker stat ed, ...the operating expense of this road...requires a certain volume of business to meet these fixed expenses....in some seasons of the year, the local business of the road...is not sufficient to make the earnings...when we make up a train of ten of fifteen cars of local freight...we can attach fifteen or twenty cars...of strictly through business. We can take the latter at a very low rate than go without it. Later, when asked the consequences of charging local traffic the same rate as through freight, Mr. Parker responded, Bankruptcy, inevitably and speedy.... While the railroads felt that they must use this practice to make a profit, the farmers were justified in complaining, for they were seriously injured by it. A perfect example of this fact can be found in The Octopus by Frank Norris. A farmer named Dyke discovers that the railroad has increased their freight charges from two to five cents a pound. This new rate, ...ate up every cent of his gains. He stood there ruined. (Doc . H). The railroads regularly used rebates and drawbacks to help win the business of large shippers, and made up this loss in profit by increasing the cost to smaller shippers such as farmers. As a result, many farmers, already hurt by the downslide in agriculture, were ruined. Thus, the farmers of the late nineteenth century had a valid complaint against railroad shippers, for these farmers were hurt by the unfair practices of the railroads. Near the end of the nineteenth century, business began to centralize, leading to the rise of monopolies and trusts. Falling prices, along with the need for better efficiency in industry, led to the rise of such companies as Carnegie Steel and Standard Oil, which controlled a majority of the nations supply of raw steel and oil respectively. The rise of these monopolies and trusts concerned many farmers, for they felt that the disappearance of competition would lead to erratic and unreasonable price rises that would hurt consumers. James B. Weaver, the Populist partys presidential candidate in the 1892 election, summed up the feelings of many Americans of the period in his work, A Call to Action: An Interpretation of the Great Uprising. He wrote, It is clear that trusts are...in conflict with the Common law. They

Albert Durer essays

Albert Durer essays Albert Durer was a very great artist. Some people consider him one of the best artists in the Renaissance period, or the best artist of the renaissance period in Germany. He only left Nuremberg three times to visit Venice and the Netherlands. Albrecht Durer was born in Nurembourg in May 21, 1471. His father, Albrecht Durer was a goldsmith, he had come from Germany to Nurembourg in 1455 and married Barbara Holper. Barbara's father was Albrecht's master. Albrecht was his father's third son. He was apprenticed by Michael Wolgumut in 1486 and began to work with woodcuts. He finished his apprentiship with Michael Wolgumut after four years. Than, in 1494, he married Agnes Frey and left Nuremberg to go to Venice the same year. He became very fascinated by their style and worked on woodcuts, drawings, paintings, wood and copper engravings. From that period on, the Italian influence was unmistakable in his work. Since paintings were very costly and not many people could afford them. Durer decided to work on woodcuts so that he could easily create copies of his work. These copies were used to educate people in religious and classical history. In 1507 Durer made another trip to Venice; he stayed there for a year and a half. After he returned, he seemed to have given up painting, and instead spent most of his time to his copper and wood engravings. In 1513 and 1514 he completed his three best-known copper engravings: 'Knight, Death and Devil', 'St. Jerome in His Study', and 'Melancholia'. Durer also researched about the mathematics of proportion and perspective and published two works on this topic during his life. He was a friend of Martin Luther and several other leaders of the Reformation. He died in Nuremberg on April 6, 1528. ...

Author's tone and purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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