"Ludendorff gambled on a quick victory but his offensive stood little chance of success" Do you agree or disagree?

2 / "Ludendorff gambled on a quick victory but his offensive stood little chance of success" Do you agree or disagree? In the beginning stages of the Ludendorff offensive, it did appear as though the offensive stood a chance of success. The Germans had brought across an extra million troops from the Eastern front to give the Offensive an even better chance of success, by outnumbering the allies. Source C tells us how the Germans opened with a massive attack of 6000 big guns. Some shells released mustard gas, to blind and suffocate the allies. Source C also tells us how 65 German divisions followed up the attack, quickly and efficiently, as source A shows. The allies were caught off guard by this attack and they were soon on the retreat. . This offensive became a massive problem for the allies, they were unable to hold the line and were being forced back great distances. The allies came to the conclusion that to be able to better resist the Germans better they would have to act as one unit rather than separate ones. A Frenchman Ferdinand Foch was employed to take control of all the armies, now they were acting as one, they would be able to fight and resist the Germans advance more effectively. The Germans continued to advance pushing the allies right back, by July they had advanced 65km reaching the river Marne. The attack was going very well, for the second time in the

  • Word count: 524
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

"Nothing can be more misleading than to apply such a concept to the discussion between Germans and Jews during the last 200 years." - Gershom Scholem. Discuss this in relation to the texts and issues that you have studied.

"I deny that there has been such a German-Jewish dialogue in any genuine sense whatsoever, i.e. as a historical phenomenon. It takes two to have a dialogue, who listen to each other, who are prepared to perceive the other as what he is and represents and to respond to him. Nothing can be more misleading than to apply such a concept to the discussion between Germans and Jews during the last 200 years." Gershom Scholem Discuss this in relation to the texts and issues that you have studied Natalie Conn 3024022 The age of emancipation in Germany began in 1871 with the famous treatise by the Prussian state councilor Christian Wilhelm Dohm. It ended only with the constitution of the German Reich of 1871, which definitively declared the equal status of the Jews of Germany before the law. The age of emancipation simultaneously marked the epoch of the rise of bourgeois society in Germany, and both processes were interwoven. Many German-Jewish theorists claim there was a Judeo-German Symbiosis, which is the illusory interaction or exchange between German and Jewish cultures once the Jews of Germany were emancipated. Underneath this image of a symbiosis, there was another much darker image surfacing on top of it. This was the picture of a growing tension between the Jews and the Germans and furthermore, a failed relationship that would merely end up in devastating conflict. Gershom

  • Word count: 2886
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

Were there any significant ideological differences between Nazism and Fascism during the inter-war period?

NAZISM + FASCISM * Were there any significant ideological differences between Nazism and Fascism during the inter-war period? * Behind the official image of the new regimes in Italy and Germany was to be found the decomposition of nineteenth century liberalism. The 'new orders' established a different set of values and purposes as a reaction to western individualism and the laissez-faire society that was seen as decadent. The entry of the masses into politics and the intellectual revolution in social thought where 2 important developments at the turn of the century. In contrast to Britain and France, Italy had achieved national unification in the 1860's. Strong regionalism and weak inefficient governments presiding over an agricultural economy created social tensions. These were greatly heightened in 1896 when Italy was defeated in Ethiopia whilst trying to expand its fledgling empire. In Italy, in 1919 Mussolini's Fascist movement emerged onto the political scene. A revolutionary radicalism of the right, action orientated, ultranationalism, anti-Marxism, anti-liberalism, anti-democracy, anti-pacifism. Later that year a similar movement but far more racist and violent, Adolf Hitler's National Socialism, emerged in Germany. Ideologically the state, not the individual, counted. Politically, dictatorship from above, not consent from below was imposed.

  • Word count: 1582
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

Why was Eire neutral during the Second World War?

Why was Eire neutral during the second World War? Introduction. In order to fully answer this question, it is necessary to identify any ambiguities within the title - the most important being the expectation that the reader agrees with the statement that Ireland did in fact hold a position of neutrality during WW2. There are several points that contrast this statement - The British Prime Minister himself never accepted Ireland's neutrality- he held the belief that she was still a part of the Commonwealth and was therefore legally 'at war - but skulking'. There are some differences between Irish neutrality and the traditional types of neutral states, the most notable of which regards the consent of foreign military within neutral territory - Ireland allowed military aircraft of different nations to refuel at Shannon airport. A neutral state may, however, allow its citizens to serve in the armed forces of other nations, whether they are belligerent or not. Ireland did not in any way restrict its citizens from serving in foreign armies and as such around 200,000 men and women served in the Allied Forces against the Axis Powers. Ireland followed the guidelines in some cases, but in others, such as in the repatriation of Allied airmen but not Germany's, chose to act in such a way that made certain states question her neutrality. It can therefore by ascertained that

  • Word count: 2284
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

Propaganda in WW1 and WW2

In times of war, men are often told they cannot understand the complexities of it, but "must have faith", do their duty and not to question the righteousness of the government.1 But war times were stressful times, and citizens were asked to sacrifice their sons and daughters, land, properties and rations to supply for total war. Thus propaganda, the "attempt to influence behavior...[and] manner in which a mass audience perceives and ascribes meaning to the material world... through the use of mass media" was regarded as an imperative military device and used aggressively in World War II to battle for confidence and support on the home front. 2 Of all propaganda mechanisms, audiovisual technology was considered most crucial because of its availability and its ability to appeal to both senses of sight and sound at the same time. These abilities, consequently led to film's significant capacity to "mobilize emotions and immobilize the mind" through the creation of "overpowering illusions" while captivating audience in an entertaining manner. 3 During World War II, both the enemy- the Nazi Germany, and the hero- the United States recognized the influential quality of propaganda films and utilized the medium to gain support from the public. However, convincing American and German citizens into believing in the Second World War was no easy task. Both countries embarked on their

  • Word count: 3111
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

To what extent was the breakdown of the Soviet-American "Grand Alliance" 1946-1948 the inevitable result of a fundamental clash of interests over the future of Europe?

To what extent was the breakdown of the Soviet-American "Grand Alliance" 1946-1948 the inevitable result of a fundamental clash of interests over the future of Europe? Insecurity and vulnerability were two characteristics which dominated foreign policy in the post-war era, triggering a spiralling deterioration in US-Soviet relations. This nature of insecurity was rooted in the Second World War where beneath the surface of the Grand Alliance, tensions were rife. It is easy to look at the post-war years in retrospect but it is important when analysing foreign policy in this era to think how the events which arose would have appeared to the US and Soviets at the time and in order to gain a full understanding, one must examine the limits and constraints on the options they had by incorporating both domestic and international factors into the equation. Underlying tensions throughout the war may have provided the framework for declining cooperation between the powers but in essence it was the constant drive for security in the post war years which provided the bones of contention which ultimately led to the breakdown in US-Soviet relations. It was primarily in Europe where the two superpowers chose to assert their interests in order to protect their borders from future threats. In 1945 numerous states suffered defeat and there was an obvious shift in the balance of power in

  • Word count: 2427
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

Choose a comic of my preference and explain why I like it and convince a person to hold my opinion, this was an easy choice.

Comics In American Culture L384 Paper 2 -Maus by Art Spiegelman I have been asked to choose a comic of my preference and explain why I like it and convince a person to hold my opinion, this was an easy choice. Maus is a fantastic representation of an aural history; many people don't appreciate or realize what useful information lies within the heads of the old people we know. Thankfully Art Siegleman did and wrote the master peace that is Maus which later proved to be a huge success; it was a best seller in New York and won the Pulitzer Prize. Maus even though starting out a fictitious peace of work was a great portrayal of the anguish suffered by the Jews in the Holocaust, Spiegelman was not happy that his work was under the fictitious category and rightly so, wanted it changed to fact, this I totally agree with. Many people could not even come to imagine the ordeals and hardships that the Jewish people had to suffer during the Holocaust. Throughout our lives we have read, listened and watched films, that have portrayed an image of the Holocaust in our minds, such fantastic films as "Shlinders List" which have given us a good portrayal of what actually happened, but these secondary presentations do not even come close to experiencing the Holocaust first hand as did Vladek, Art Spiegelman portrays the Holocaust in a very different and original manner. Spielgelman's

  • Word count: 1635
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

Out of the rival political factions in interwar time Albania how were the communist able to take control of the country by 1944? When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, there

Question: Out of the rival political factions in interwar time Albania how were the communist able to take control of the country by 1944? When Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, there was no such thing as a structured communist movement in Albania. Yet by November 1944, a mere three years later, the Albanian Communist Party (ACP) led by Enver Hoxha emerged as the rulers of the country. What is even more amazing is that they did so without the military might of the Soviet Union and were able to install a communist run government before the end of World War Two, in contrast to other eastern European communist states. However the path to power was not straightforward, nor without opposition. During the interwar period Albania's communist movement drew few supporters. This was due to the illiterate, agrarian, and Muslim dominated society which was under constant scrutiny by King Zog's security police. In 1930 the Comintern (the soviet sponsored association of international communist parties) sent Ali Kelmendi, an excellent public speaker to Albania to organise some communist cells. However Albania did not have a working class to exploit and the ideology of communism only seemed to appeal to intellectuals, peasants and miners who were not happy with Albania's obsolete social and economic structures. Kelmendi who had been forced to flee Albania eventually

  • Word count: 1774
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

The Russian Federation.

The Russian Federation, which covers one-eighth of the earth's surface, spans Eastern Europe and northern Asia, and ranks as the world's largest nation in terms of its territory. Russia is followed by Canada, China and the United States. Russia's northern regions are bordered by the Arctic Ocean, with the Baltic Sea bordering its western territories. The Russian Far East is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, with the Black Sea bordering southern Russia. This country stretches 2,500-4,000 km from north to south and another 9,000 km from west to east. Russia's westernmost point is located on the Polish border; its easternmost point is situated on Ratmanov Island (Bering Straits). The southernmost point is located on the Russian-Azeri border, and the northernmost point is on Franz-Josef Land islands. Russia's borders stretch for a total of 58,562 km (with 14,253 km bordering other states and 44,309 km bordering the sea). Vast plains cover most of Russia's territory. The Eastern European (Russian) Plain, replete with low plateaus is found in western Russia. The Mid-Siberian plateau, which is gradually transformed into the Central Yakut plain, can be found between two rivers, the Yenisei and the Lena. Mountain ranges are mostly located in Russia's eastern regions and in some of its southern areas, as well. The Ural mountain range, for one, constitutes a natural boundary separating

  • Word count: 1639
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay

Coco Chanel-Biography

Ezel Poslu 10 May 2007 French Culture & Society Instructor: Francie Seder COCO CHANEL In the 1920s, a woman called Gabriel Bonheur Chanel1 created a complete new fashion, which held thousands of peoples' attention at the time. She not only created a new fashion in clothing, but she also made cultural innovations by not only rejecting the old idea but also creating new ones without being extreme. She was brave, innovative, ambitious, determined and inventive, which made her the most famous designer of the era. Gabriel Bonheur Chanel did not have a pleasant childhood. She was born in 1883 in Saumur. Her mother gave birth to her in a poorhouse where she worked. She became an orphan at the age of six when her mother died. Her father was left with six children, and he could not handle all of them.2 Chanel ended up in a convent orphanage where she was educated by nuns until she was seventeen. She gained her sewing skills there, which brought her huge success later on. In the summer time, she visited her aunts who taught her the basics of being a lady such as sitting up straight and speaking politely. Besides, her aunts had a passion for hats, which was passed on to Chanel. Her new interest helped her take the first steps toward success as a designer.3 Even though

  • Word count: 1872
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Historical and Philosophical studies
Access this essay