The Decline Of The Slave Trade - 1107 Words

The lacking workforce and the profit Europeans knew that they would gain from slaves caused African slaves to be traded. European empires desperately wanted power, and to gain power, they needed money. At the time, they thought trading African slaves was the easiest way to gain money and eventually reach their biggest goal, power. Power was the biggest goal for all empires. As a result, this began the Atlantic slave trade. The Atlantic slave trade was the biggest deportation in history. Often called the first system of globalization was the Atlantic slave trade. This well-known system is associated with triangular trade. This was a three-leg voyage of trading between three continents. First, the ships from Western Europe left and transported their goods to Africa. These goods were weapons, gunpowder, rum, and other manufactured textiles. After arriving in Africa, the goods were traded for slaves. These slaves included men, women, and children. They were taken from their homes, stripe d of their belongings, and chained up. Then, they were ready to be sold. Many tried to escape, but if they were captured they would be ferociously punished. The most common punishment was whipping. These victims were severely whipped and in some occasions, killed. On the second leg, the slaves crossed the Atlantic Ocean under the deck of the ships. These horrific voyages could last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. This is commonly called the Middle Passage because it is the middle legShow MoreRelatedThe Decline Of The Slave Trade900 Words   |  4 Pagestaxing of foreign trade. These nations were dependent largely on the trade in gold and other various resources, but also on imposing of import customs and taxes. Further to the rise colonialism is the era of the Atlantic slave trade. The Atlantic slave trade existed in Africa for over three hundred years and introduced to the African continent to systems of European trading methods. Although, these markets existed before, increase in trading brought about by European demand for slaves in the AmericasRead MoreThe Decline Of The Atlantic Slave Trade2406 Words   |  10 PagesThe Atlantic Slave Trade took place subsequently to the breakthrough discovery of the New World, also acknowledged today as North and South America. The Trade established a global exchange or Triangular trade between the Americas, Europe and Africa. The exchange between the Old and New world occurred to satisfy the enormous European demands for African labor on the plantations and for the colonization across the newly uncovered land. Prior to the Atlantic Slave Trade, Slavery had stood alive andRead MoreEffects of the Industrial Revolution on Slavery Essays957 Words   |  4 Pagesfarms began to decline and those labor forces of slaves were s ent to work in factories. Soon after this surge of innovation, slavery began to dissipate in places like America, Britain, and France. But many people believe that the Industrial Revolution had nothing to do with the decline of slavery. On the contrary, slavery began to fall in places where industrialization was occurring because of industrialization itself. Machines were out-producing slaves, laws were passed to stop slaves from taking jobsRead MoreThe Decline Of The Imperial Collapse Of Rome And Greece1725 Words   |  7 Pages Unlike that of China, the decline of Rome was much more upsetting having a much larger impact on the surrounding world. The Decline and fall of the Mediterranean and Chinese civilizations was a result of population decrease, weak government, a frail economy, and invasion. The causes of the imperial collapse in Rome and Greece(The Mediterranean region)with the causes of imperial collapse in the East Asia during the period 600 BCE toward 600 CE has had an remarkable achievements but those sameRead MoreImpact Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade885 Words   |  4 PagesThe transatlantic slave trade played a pivotal role in European nations and greatly impacted the economy financially. The transatlantic slave trade also known as the triangular trade was the network of three continents where men, women and children of African background were enslaved and deported from their homes. The trade itself had three steps. Ships with goods left Western Europe to leave to Africa where they exchanged them for slaves. Goods would include of weapons, gunpowder, textile pearlsRead MoreWest Africa during the Nineteenth Century1563 Words   |  7 PagesThe Atlantic slave trade was abolished by the British parliament in 1807. This caused great problems for West African slave traders who had witnessed a period of vast growth in the industry towards the end of the eighteenth century. They now had to focus on more lawful, legitimate means of trading. The types of industry that often replaced the slave trade were produce based, agricultural goods such as palm oil. The potential problems faced by traders were ‘exacerbated by the fact that it coincidedRead MoreThe Impact of Slavery on African Society Essay1149 Words   |  5 Pageseconomy. Beginning around the 7th century, two groups of non-African slave traders significantly altered the traditional African forms of slavery that had been practiced in the past. Native Africans were now being forced to leave the country to be used as slaves. The two major slave trades, trans-Saharan and trans-Atlantic, became central to the organization of Africa and its societies until the modern era. Slavery and the slave trade strongly affected African society, and left long term impacts on theRead MoreSlavery 1680-18601039 Words   |  5 Pagesfree with rights. Indentured servants were quite scarce and expensive and the issue of equal rights presented a major challenge to developing slave sta tes like Virginia. Indentured servants slowly became life long servants, having no chance of release at a certain age. By 1660, laws were being enacted that defined the regulated slave relations. By 1680, slaves were chattel, nothing but property sold as commodities and traded. With slavery came empowerment to the white man and land ownership and allRead MoreAp World Midterm Study Guide856 Words   |  4 PagesIn Arabian peninsula spread through trade and missionaries, contagious 11. Sense of Unity, peace among the clans, sacred texts were stored 12. Housewives 13. Each invasion caused the capital to move north 14. LEFT BLANK 15. LEFT BLANK 16. Missionaries 17. Started to decline 18. Many were animistic, salt as a substitute for gold 19. Christian, rich due to slaves 20. United the people 21. Arabian Peninsula, Red or Black sea, 22. Barter 23. Major trade routes influenced Kiev Russia 24.Read MoreModern Historical Debate Surrounding The Anglo-American1682 Words   |  7 Pages Modern historical debate surrounding the Anglo-American Atlantic slave trade stems directly from the publication of Eric Williams’ transformative Capitalism and Slavery in 1944. Dismantling with fierce efficacy the long-dominant interpretation of abolition as a function of humanitarian enlightenment, Williams’ thesis instead contends that after providing the material foundation and trade infrastructure for Europe’s industrial revolution, slavery had fulfilled its purpose and was thus replaced

Medieval England An Important Part Of All Aspects Of Life

Medieval England was a society that was ruled by three different courts: the ecclesiastical court, the criminal courts and the civil courts. These courts determined the laws from both a religious and secular governmental perspective. Christianity and its rules and regulations defined the culture of Medieval England. Religion was an important part of all aspects of life. This did not exclude the legal system. In this case, the legal system defined what was right and wrong from both a legal and religious perspective. In ecclesiastical, criminal and civil cases, juries made decisions based on their own understandings of cultural values. As the decisions of juries towards a certain crime changed, the cultural understanding of that act changed, as well. Therefore, juries were one of the most shapers of cultural acceptance in Medieval England. They were able to collectively decide what was culturally acceptable in each small town in which they operated. The juries of medieval England reinf orced the Christian social norms of the time through their harsh or merciful attitudes towards certain crimes. Historians have been studying the history of juries for quite some time. The concept of a jury of peers developed in medieval England. One of the most complete histories of juries in medieval England was written by John H. Langbein. In his article regarding the power of the jury in medieval England, he wrote that, â€Å"The jury system, in which local laypersons decided civil and criminalShow MoreRelatedThe Middle Ages1747 Words   |  7 Pagesdeterioration following the decline of the exuberant Roman Empire. However, a variety of important events that took place in that period, mainly in England, helped shape society as we know it today. Feudalism was created in the middle ages with the king at the top of military, political, and economic hierarchy, nobles owning the land, and peasants, or vassals working on the land. Living conditions were hard in general, but life was especially hard for peasants. The crusades marked the period with knights sentRead MoreA Womans Role in Todays Society1381 Words   |  6 Pagesmajor company. The question really is more important with regards to what was a womens roll was in the society in the 1500s or earlier. One naturally asks what a woman in the house hold of the business. Further will probably ask rights if any women had and how did women live back then and if they had any power at all. It is these types of issues that this short essay will attempt to probe. Issues of Power and Sources As Tina Cooper puts it, it all depends on how you define power. Depending onRead MoreThe Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Times Essay1295 Words   |  6 Pages In the Medieval times, the Roman Catholic Church played a great role in the development of England and had much more power than the Church of today does. In Medieval England, the Roman Catholic Church dominated everyday life and controlled everyone whether it is knights, peasants or kings. The Church was one of the most influential institutions in all of Medieval England and played a large role in education and religion. The Churchs power was so great that they could order and control knightsRead MoreTo What Extent Did Feudalism Affect the Societies in the Middle Ages?1518 Words   |  7 Pagesa portion of his land and protection to a peasant in return for the service on the manor. The system came about, for the most part, because during his reign of England, King William had two major hardships: he couldnt keep the people from rebelling and he couldnt take care of all the land. This social structure became known as the feudal system. In most of medieval Europe, society was dependent on the feudal system. It typically consisted of kings, lords, peasants, and others who held influenceRead MoreThe Historical Development That Truly Define The Renaissance As Rebirth1441 Words   |  6 PagesItaly in the fourteenth century, spread to the north, counting England, by the sixteenth century, and ended in the mid-seventeenth century. the Renaissance were more than a rebirth. First historical development that truly define the renaissance as rebirth is The compass. It’s important for navigation. Printing press is key in spreading info such as books. Second, the hundred years’ war, this lasting conflict between France and England saw the reinforcement of new imperial powers, and the death ofRead MoreThe Hundred Years War And Feudal Society1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Hundred Years’ War and Feudal Society Why did the feudal order of Medieval society fall apart? The feudal order of the Middle Ages was a system of local rule, where powerful lords gave land and protection in exchange for loyalty and military service from lesser lords. Tradition dictated that this exchange would be held in place by the feudal contract, consisting of multiple pledges. This resulted in small communities consisting of one powerful lord, peasants, and serfs who worked for the lordRead MoreThe Historical Developments That Truly Defines The Renaissance As Rebirth1443 Words   |  6 PagesItaly in the fourteenth century, spread to the north, counting England, by the sixteenth century, and ended in the mid-seventeenth century. the Renaissance was more than a rebirth. First historical development that truly define the Renaissance as rebirth is The compass. It’s important for navigation. Printing press is key in spreading info such as books. Second, the hundred years’ war, this lasting conflict bet ween France and England saw the reinforcement of new imperial powers, and the death ofRead MoreFeudalism and How It Affected Old England792 Words   |  3 Pages Feudalism was a very important aspect in developing the political organization in medieval England. It was one of dominant governments used by the nobles. Feudalism was when one of the king’s noblemen would give land to a man known as a fief and give the fief people to work the land for him. These people are known as serfs. The fief would then protect the serfs from being attacked as long, as long as the serfs worked the land to provide an income for the fief. If the fief accepted the noblesRead MoreThe Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer952 Words   |  4 PagesIn The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the life of the nobility compared to that of the poor proves to be a much harder life to live because of the many obligations and responsibilities. Chaucer ironically portrays this notion in The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, contrasting the easy life of the widow, who is poor, with Chanticleer, a rich rooster. The widow’s life is much easier because she d oes not have to worry about keeping up with the societal expectations of the rich. Whereas, Chanticleer, theRead MoreMedieval Morality Plays Essay1482 Words   |  6 PagesMedieval Morality Plays Throughout time, there have been many books, plays, songs, pamphlets, sermons, lectures, etc. written. These writings were all written with some kind of purpose to either inform, persuade, entertain, or teach their audience. One such form of literature not too widely known about is that of the medieval morality plays. These plays were not aimed to entertain, but to teach morals and religion to the uneducated lower classes of people in medieval Europe. The morality plays

The Impact of Aerial Forces in the First World War Free Essays

string(100) " it was still a minute threat when factored into the whole grand scheme of war-induced devastation\." The Italo-Turkish war, which lasted from 1911-12 and was predominantly fought in Libya, was the first recorded event of a bomb dropped from an aeroplane onto the enemy. The 1912-13 Balkans also witnessed elementary aerial bombing executed against the opponent from aeroplanes and airships. However, World War One was the first major conflict to implement forces on a large scale that would literally elevate the battlefield. We will write a custom essay sample on The Impact of Aerial Forces in the First World War or any similar topic only for you Order Now The aeroplanes and zeppelins of the Great War opened the door to an entirely new way to wage battle, which has unquestionably altered the nature of war forever. Nevertheless, despite being the war that ornamented the importance of military aviation, it is unclear whether or not this monumental achievement in military technology actually affected the course of WWI. Did the vividly coloured bi-planes and cumbersome airships flying over the muddy, blood-soaked trenches actually alter the course of the war, or were they just prototypes seen to have a great deal of potential? The key objective of this essay is to examine the impact that aerial forces had on the war; to determine if and how they shaped the outcome. Therefore, it is not the purpose of this essay to prove the monumental significance of military aviation in the First World War, but rather to investigate the importance of the role that it played. For the purposes of precision and brevity, we will focus mainly on the British –and to an extent, German- involvement in aviation during the First World War. Although other nations that were involved, such as France, USA and Austria-Hungary, contributed significant achievements to the field of military aviation in WWI, analyzing the impacts made by the air forces of these countries would make an essay –meant to be concise- far too complex. However, it is difficult to understand the impact of Britain’s Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) on the war without comparing them to the opponent. Therefore, we will also occasionally examine the Imperial German Army Air Service (Luftstreitkrafte) and its role in the skies above Europe during the Great War. We will first ascertain an understanding of the magnitude of aerial contributions to the war by comparing the number of those enlisted in the aerial services to those enlisted in the other military branches. We will then examine the various duties of the air services in the war and analyze the impact that these roles had on the war. Finally, we will discuss the psychological attitudes held towards the aircraft and pilots during the war, and whether or not these shaped the course of WWI in any way. By looking at these various components of military aviation during this period, we will be able to determine the impact it made on its debut large-scale conflict. For the purpose of clarity, it is important to define a few terms that will be used frequently throughout the course of this essay. For example, when attempting to determine the impact that military aviation made on WWI, we are trying to determine how large a role it played throughout the war and whether or not the war was drastically altered due to the inclusion of air services on a large scale. Moreover, an obvious –but also crucial- clarification to make is that aircraft and aviation are not terms strictly limited to areoplanes, but to all vessels capable of flight. Consequently, zeppelins and balloons are also encapsulated by the term aircraft in this essay. Keeping in mind these clarities will certainly enhance the focus when reading this report. Throughout the course of the war, British planes were operated either by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) or the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In 1918, the two services amalgamated to form the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the war-time statistics of both services were also conjoined. Throughout the course of the war, roughly 30,000 officers and 300,000 enlisted men served in either the RFC or RNAS. This figure of men who served in the aerial branches of the British military made up only 6% of the 5,397,000 British soldiers mobilized in the Great War. Of the men who served in the RFC and RNAS, 6,166 were killed; 7,245 were wounded; 3,128 became missing or POWs; and 84 were interned. Therefore, the total number of casualties sustained by the RFC and RNAS was 16,623, which was only 5% of the total number who served in air services. Of the 2,367,000 British military casualties in the war, less than 1% of that figure was comprised of RFC or RNAS casualties. Similarly, of the 5,952,000 German war casualties, only 16,000 of those were members of the Luftstreitkrafte. We can gather from this statistical analysis that the British and German (similar trends for the air forces of other nations) air forces did not have a great quantitative presence in the war in comparison to the other military branches of WWI. Furthermore, because WWI was a war in which success and victory relied heavily upon the number of troops deployed, the combat contributions made by aerial forces cannot measure up to the combat contributions made by the armies and navies of WWI. Military aviation was still in its prototypical stage, which prevented it from making a serious impact on the actual fighting of the war. However, as we will discuss later on, aviation played a crucial role in observation and reconnaissance, which was a hugely significant strategic impact. The impact that aviation had on the bombing campaigns of the Great War was rather miniscule. For example, C. G. Grey, an aviation historian, wrote: â€Å"During 1914-18 the damage done in England by [aerial] bombing was practically negligible. A few houses were damaged in a few English towns. About 1,500 people altogether were killed. No armament factory of any importance was destroyed. † Germany –considering her geographic location was closer to the war epicenter- was slightly more prone to bombings than Great Britain was but it was still a minute threat when factored into the whole grand scheme of war-induced devastation. You read "The Impact of Aerial Forces in the First World War" in category "Essay examples" Nevertheless, aerial forces did play an ample role as support units during land and sea battles. For example, during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the RFC played a substantial part in providing support for the British and French troops on the ground. The Luftstreitkrafte was also present at the battle, but the British, with the assistance of the French Armee de l’Air (Army of the air), had the strength in numbers. Tactics would comprise of bombing and gunning the enemy trenches as a means of cover for advancing infantry and patrolling the skies for enemy aircraft. However, reconnaissance and observation was undoubtedly the most useful role conducted by the aerial forces of WWI and probably the way in which it made the greatest strategic impact. Artillery was arguably the deadliest risk to the soldiers on the battlefield, as one shell explosion could jeopardize a multiplicity of soldiers. Airships, balloons and aeroplanes all assumed the task of scouting out artillery positions and relaying the information to the ground forces. Moreover, aerial photography was becoming more popular with the military, which allowed suspected locations of enemy activity to be confirmed with photographic evidence. In this sense, aviation affected the Great War to a considerable extent, as it allowed both sides to see the enemy prior to combat engagement. Furthermore, at the battle of Jutland in 1916, the largest naval battle of the war, aeroplanes were used by the British to observe the activities of the German fleet. The HMS Engadine was able hold up to four seaplanes -in a hanger on her deck- that could be lowered into the water to take off. Short Type 184 seaplanes took off from beside the Engadine in the first recorded instance of aerial reconnaissance of an active enemy fleet. Although these Short Type 184s were capable of carrying torpedoes and bombs, they were only used for reconnaissance during the battle of Jutland. The HMS Engadine and other ships of her class were the initial models for the modern day aircraft carriers, the flag ships of contemporary navies for their ability to dispatch aerial units. Although the HMS Engadine and her four Short Type 184 seaplanes did not seriously affect the course of the battle (Britain maintained naval supremacy in the North Sea but suffered greater losses than Germany), it did demonstrate the potential of naval aviation to determine the movements and position of an enemy fleet before it comes into contact with the home fleet. Two years before Jutland, Winston Churchill, when he was Lord of the Admiralty, described the importance of using seaplanes in the military: â€Å"Seaplanes, which when they carry torpedoes, may prove capable of playing a decisive part in operations against capital ships. The facilities of reconnaissance at sea, where hostile vessels can be sighted at enormous distances while the seaplane remains out of possible range, offer a far wider prospect even in the domain of information to seaplanes than to land aeroplanes, which would be continually brought under rifle and artillery fire from concealed positions on the ground, among trees, behind hedges, etc. This clearly shows the potential that seaplanes were believed to posses, and despite the rather limited role they played in fighting the war, they certainly captured the attention of some notable figures in the hierarchy of the British military, like Churchill. We can conclude that the strategic value of aviation in the First World War was not as precious as the other components of the military (infantry, artillery, navy, etc), simply because aviation was still in its elementary phases and was not yet implemented on as large a scale as the other components. However, the psychological impact aviation had on the war was undoubtedly staggering. The idea of man flying through the air in a winged contraption was essentially unimaginable twenty years prior to the war, but the aeroplane, which only took off for the first time in 1903, was now being implemented against the enemy in armed conflict. The pilots who flew these aeroplanes were encapsulated by the imagery of pioneers exploring the vast unknown, and those who excelled in the cock pit, the flying â€Å"aces†, became national heroes. For example, Manfred von Richtofen, popularly known as ‘The Red Baron’, became such an icon for the German people in WWI for his number of â€Å"kills† (Richtofen shot down 80 enemy planes) that the Luftstreitkrafte was hesitant to continue sending him on missions. This was because it was feared his death would affect the morale of the entire nation, which could potentially alter the course of the war. This fear was partially due to the fact that the German government propagandized the image of Richtofen to build up morale in the first place. It seemed obvious to choose a man who excelled in flying, the exciting new novelty, to be a national hero. His face could be seen on postcards throughout Germany and his tales of impressive bravery were embellished by the government to create a hero that the German people could love and support throughout the war. In Britain, the government took precaution to avoid the risk of losing national morale, which meant the government would not publish the names of the ‘Aces’ until they either died or exited the service (the government did, however, embellish stories of the British ‘Aces’ a few years after the war to create a sense of national pride). The aviation historian J. M. Spaight wrote: â€Å"Her pilots were magnificent, though it was not the practice in the British service, as it was in all other services, to publish regularly the names of the ‘Aces,’ i. . of those pilots who had brought down five enemy machines or more. † Britain (including the Commonwealth countries) was the country with the most ‘Aces’, although only a few had their identities published during the war, because it was a concern that these pilots would become idealized as national war heroes, lifting morale with every enemy kill and diminishing it their own fatalitie s. This precaution certainly makes clear the impact that aviation had on the wartime morale. A brave pilot who would shoot down the opponent in a thrilling dogfight in the clouds certainly caught the attention of the masses, and because of this, it shaped a significant mentality of WWI. The zeppelins of WWI also contributed to the psychological impact. Even though the balloon had been used since the days of the Franco-Prussian War, WWI was the first war that witnessed the military zeppelins capable of traveling long distances (German zeppelins were able to travel impressive distances across the English Channel to conduct bombing raids on Britain) to inflict damage on the enemy. The zeppelins, which were predominantly used by the Luftstreitkrafte, also conducted important observation and decoy missions. The way the zeppelins created a psychological impact, however, had to do with their bombing abilities, as they were able to transcend the battlefield and bomb areas not directly affected by combat. Even though the damage caused by zeppelin raids in Britain was minimal, as we discussed earlier, it did eliminate the feelings of safety and isolation that were once a great reassurance to the British population when their country was at war. C. G. Grey wrote: â€Å"The psychological moment of the populace of any country is likely to be much more affected by air [zeppelin] bombing than by any artillery bombardment. † The British government capitalized upon this by publishing posters saying: â€Å"It is far better to face the bullets than to be killed at home by a bomb: join the army at once and help to stop and air raid. †The fact that the British government was able to capitalize on the fear of aerial raids certainly suggests a deep impact caused by the potential of these zeppelins. Therefore, it would be acting outside the realms of validity to say that the zeppelins in WWI delivered no impact. However, Winston Churchill believed the zeppelins to be a minimal threat once the aeroplane started to achieve greater potential: â€Å"I believed that this enormous blabber of combustible and explosive gas would prove to be easily destructible. I was sure the fighting aeroplane, rising lightly laden from its own base, armed with incendiary bullets, would harry, rout and burn these gaseous monsters. This theory – the aeroplane being able to easily destroy the zeppelin- which Churchill called the ‘Hornet Theory’, proved to be true throughout the war. Therefore, even though the zeppelins did impact the psychological moment of the British populace to an extent through the use of bombing campaigns, aeroplanes were the predominant victors in the skies over WWI. It goes without saying that there was not one universal opinion on military aviation within the highest ranks of the British military and government. It is important to consider the attitudes of powerful figures in the government and military, as they wer e the ones who could control the degree of impact aviation had on the war. There were some stout advocates who stressed the importance of deploying aircraft into military affairs, like Winston Churchill, who was mentioned earlier, and Hugh Trenchard, the â€Å"father† of the RAF. Churchill considered aviation (aeroplanes and airships) to be the most efficient approach in conducting reconnaissance missions. However, there were feelings of the contrary held by Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, who a starch opponent of the implementation of areoplanes into the army for reconnaissance purposes (arguably the most important function of the aeroplane at that time) and was caught saying in 1914: â€Å"I hope none of you gentlemen is so foolish as to think that aeroplanes will be able to be usefully employed for reconnaissance purposes in war. There is only one way for a commander to get information by reconnaissance, and that is by the use of cavalry. Haig commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 until the end of the war, leading the British armies in some of the greatest battles of the war. It is a valid conclusion to say that British military aviation would have taken off to a greater extent had the commander of British forces in Europe been a greater advocate for flight. However, despite being an old-fashioned soldier who preferred the use of infantry and mobilized ground units, Haig saw that the nature of war was changing. It was no longer practical to send cavalry units across the field charging the enemy now that artillery and rifles were more advanced and powerful. Furthermore, Haig knew that a hussar could not stand up to the newly implemented battle tanks rolling across the fields. Therefore, the use of aviation may not have been preferable to Haig’s military taste, but it was not dismissed by him, as the changing nature of war meant it had to be recognized. Hugh Trenchard, who would become the first Marshall of the RAF in 1918, said to the Haig in 1916: â€Å"As far as at present can be foreseen, there is absolutely no limit to the scale of its future independent war use. And the day may not be far off when aerial operations with their devastation of enemy lands and destruction of industrial and populous centres on a vast scale may become the principal operations of war, to which the older forms of military and naval operations may be secondary and subordinate. † Trenchard, among other politicians and high-ranking officials in the RFC and RNAS (Frederick Sykes being another igure who emphasized the importance of military aviation) , may have convinced Haig that aviation was a serious thing, but there is no record of Haig ever embracing military aviation as a monumental achievement in military technology. To specify, it is not being stated that Haig was not in awe of the technical capabilities of aviation, but he did not consider it the most valuable tool on the battlefield. By analyzing the various components of WWI aviation, we can agree that our findings were rather varied. For example, by comparing the quantitative presence –as well as casualty figures- of air force servicemen to the enlisted men of the other branches of the military, we reached the conclusion that there were far less men and resources invested into the aerial theatre of the war than the amount invested in the other theatres of the war. Furthermore, we examined the extent of damage caused by aerial bombing raids during the First World War, and concluded that the impact was not nearly as intense as the other factors of war-induced devastation. However, we did explore the ways in which aviation benefitted the process of observation and reconnaissance. In this sense, aviation in WWI displayed a hugely significant strategic value that undoubtedly helped save the lives of soldiers on the ground. Moreover, the aeroplanes used in the naval campaigns of the war demonstrated the potential value of observing an enemy fleet before an actual engagement. Therefore, the strategic impact aviation made on the war was mainly due to reconnaissance. Although the bombing and support roles of aircraft did make a humble impact on the war, getting ‘a bird’s eye view’ of enemy activities proved more valuable than imprecisely dropping a bomb on an enemy target. However, the realization of its potential and the psychological attitudes associated with it are arguably the greatest impacts that military aviation had on WWI. The pilot ‘Aces’ became national heroes that their countries could idolize as symbols for great military achievement in the war. With their successes came high morale, and with their deaths came iconic losses. Moreover, aviation introduced the idea of the battle transcending the battlefield to the factories and farms at home that aided the war effort. Consequently, psychological attitudes of those on the home front were seriously affected. When we determine the impact that aviation had on the First World War we must ask one question: would the war have had a different outcome had aerial forces been exempt from the equation? The answer is probably not. Nevertheless, it did open the doors to an entirely new way to conduct warfare, which has changed the nature of war forever. How to cite The Impact of Aerial Forces in the First World War, Essay examples

Plastics Recycling and Heat Essay Example For Students

Plastics Recycling and Heat Essay Plastic. Hard plastic. Oozing plastic. Multi coloured plastic. Plastic you put in your mouth. Synthetic plastic fibres you wear. Space plastic. Plastic you work with. Life saving medical plastic. Our planet is abounding with this unique and fantastically handy petroleum product. As I flitter through the endless number of web pages devoted to this new fandangled invention I have come to realise there is no way anyone could know everything about it. So instead I focus my sight in the process of recycling plastic and the S.T.E.E.P. issues related to it, and there are many. The fleshy aura if imminent disaster always fills the room when the subject of environmental awareness is brought up. Indeed the devastating effects of plastic on the environment are news to nobody, but the issue never ceases to carry with it a sense of urgency rivalling that of a heart attack. Well, with me at least. While there has been a tremendous amount of research and effort devoted to the betterment of plastics recycling it remains in its infancy when compared to other materials. The problem with plastics recycling is that it requires too much heat and energy making it borderline cost ineffective which, in terms of economics and society, is a disaster. For a plastic to be recycled it must be soft. Oozing, almost. This entails heating the material to a scorching 200* Celsius. The dollar signs involved with this process are astronomically high due the amount of energy needed. In addition to money, the heating process severely taxes the strength of the microscopic polymer chains that make up the material. Companies exploring the recycling market see this as a crippling blow to the resale value of the material and overall profit of the process and that scares em all away. In terms of the environment, it can be debated that the amount of energy and resources need to recycle plastic outweigh the benefits of the process. So where does all this leave us? It would not be feasible to remove plastic from consumers shelves as it has integrated itself into almost every aspect of our daily lives (Im glad my shampoo bottles arent made of glass). We must instead orient our gaze towards the creation of a plastic which can be cost-effectively recycled. We must orient our gaze towards the American scientists which have done just that. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researcher Anne Mayes and colleagues believe they have found the answer to the high cost of recycling with the creation of polybutyl acetate; a rigid yet soft mixture of polystyrene. This plastic can be recycled at room temperature, requiring only a pressure of 340 atm (the amount of pressure used in conventional recycling) to be re-molded. Furthermore, polybutyl acetate does not lose its strength after the recycling process with samples remaining as strong as ever after 10 cycles. If this new material is proved on the industrial scale it will significantly reduce the amount of disposed plastic, which can take decades to biodegrade. While MIT researchers are not hoping this will replace plastic (meaning that it will have to be sorted by hand for recycling), they are hoping it will be a large substitute. Indeed the future is a little brighter for our petroleum based friend and for the planet the houses the beings who created it. .