Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta Josie Essay Example for Free

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta Josie Essay In this novel (Looking for Alibrandi) Josephine Alibrandi is seen as an illegitimate 17-year-old girl who is self-centred, ignorant and sensitive about her illegitimacy and her reputation and what people say about her behind her back. She is also described as confused because she isnt sure where she stands in life, whether she is an Australian or and Italian, and is paranoid in thinking because she is of Italian background she is constantly being victimised and society wouldnt see her for who she is as an individual instead as an Italian or an Australian. During her final year in High School, many events take place in her life that changed her attitudes towards both her self and others, those events ranged from the most life changing events like the discovering of Nonna Katias secret, the reunification of herself and her long lost biological father and the tragic suicide of her best friend John Barton to the most least important events like the incident involving one of the beautiful people Carly Bishop. Firstly, the sudden and unexpected suicide of Josephines best friend John Barton turns her life around, The day John died was a nose-dive day and I hit the ground so hard that I feel as if every part of me hurts. I remembered when we spoke about our emancipation. The horror is that he had to die to achieve his. The beauty is that Im living to achieve mine. John Barton was one of the closest people to Josephine and they shared many things in common, she later realises how lucky she is to have to choose her own path and destiny and that some people like John Barton had their life planned out by others for them and they had no freedom over their future. Although Josephine is portrayed as a confused teenager who doesnt who she really is and where she stands in society, her emancipation changes all that, even though her emancipation didnt happen like the way she expected it to Id wake up one morning and see the light. Feel liberated from everything. Maybe one particular incident would see me through it. Her emancipation began after she believed she was wrong on what she did on St. Marthas day and she had put little kids in danger, as a result of that she became more accepting in the fact that you are not always right, and just because she wore a badge saying she was school captain doesnt make her one, its whats inside her that makes her a leader. Furthermore, Josephines emancipation-in my opinion- was the main reason for her change in maturity and personality, because after she realises she is emancipated she begins to know who she really is and where she stands in life asks me what nationality I am, Ill look at them and say Im an Australian with Italian blood flowing rapidly through my veins. Ill say that with pride, because its pride that I feel. This proves that she is proud in being an Australian with an Italian heritage. Additionally, Josephine overcomes her nature in being paranoid when it comes to racism and multiculturalism, and how she is always being victimised by society because of her upbringing, her incident with Carly Bishop makes her realise that not everyone understands multiculturalism, Im not sure whether everyone in this country will ever understand multiculturalism and that saddens me, because its as much part of Australian life as football and meat-pies. Her relationship with Jacob Coote teaches her that not everyone has a problem with her been an Italian and that it is only a small minority of people who are racist, and she learns that its not because she is Italian that she and Jacob are separated. In conclusion, Josephine makes major changes in her life, which were somehow provoked by inevitable incidences, she learns to accept the fact that no matter what happens people wont stop whispering behind her back If I lived by the rules and never committed a sin, people would still talk. She learns what responsibilities really is about and learns to appreciate and cherish every minute of her life and to not take life for granted.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Risks and Treatment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Risks and Treatment Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Bryan Hines Abstract Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a very dangerous mental health condition. It effects a great many people who have been victims of traumatic events that change their outlook on life and the world around them. The purpose of this paper is to provide basic insight to the disorder, the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options used by the many trained professionals to assist people with PTSD. Keywords: PTSD, Cognitive Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), intrusive memories. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined as a mental health condition thats triggered by a terrifying event by either witnessing it or experiencing it. According to Dr. Matthew Friedman, Ph.D, M.D., â€Å"Individuals can only develop PTSD if they have been exposed to a traumatic event. As operationalized in the DSM-IV (2) and shown in Table 1 (as the A1 criterion), traumatic events involve actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others. (Friedman, 2000). Post-Traumatic Stress is not new to us. For most, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is mainly associated with military veterans and active duty soldiers who have been deployed to a combat zone and have been involved in or have witnessed very traumatic events. However, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder does not just affect military members. It can affect first responders, such as Police, Fire Fighters, and hospital Emergency Room staff. People who have been in natural disasters such as floods, tornados, hurricanes, Tsunamis, to name a few can also be inflicted with PTSD. PTSD can and does affect a great many people. There is a difference, however, from PTSD and severe stress. Not everyone is susceptible to PTSD. Many who experience a traumatic event or an extremely stressful event often after a few months have no further thoughts or dreams about the event. PTSD refers to the individuals who have these symptoms for a prolonged period and for those who may never lose these symptoms. The hard part is to identify these symptoms and help those who need help but do not believe they have problems. The key is being able to identify these symptoms. Symptoms The symptoms are grouped into four types according to the Mayo Clinic. The first is intrusive memories. Intrusive memories involve reliving the event again as if it were happening all over again in the present. Having recurring memories of the event over and over again and not being able to get away from it. Intrusive memories also include having recurring dreams about the event as we all have seen in movies where the person affected by these â€Å"dreams† and seems to be reliving these events in the dreams. Intrusive memories also include being very emotional and distressed about something that reminds them of the event. Anything could trigger this reaction in someone. A certain noise or surroundings, something someone says which may have occurred prior to the event or during the event could trigger these intrusive memories. Avoidance, is exactly what it implies. Some people go to extremes to avoid anything that will remind them or trigger anything that will remind them of the event. Often going miles out of their way, when it involves and accident they witnessed or were in, to avoid bringing up the negative images in their minds. They will avoid people they knew for many years, because they remind them of the incident or event. For those who have driven on the streets of Iraq, they are often very aware of their surroundings when driving even when they get back home. If closely observed, one can see the anxiety and the â€Å"head on a swivel† motion of these individuals, where they look rapidly and in all directions. They become very anxious when they see debris on the side of the road or new construction, or even dead animals in the middle of the road, often slowing down or avoiding the spot all together. Negative changes in thinking and mood are often the most obvious signs of PTSD but certainly not the only signs. These changes deal with how the person perceives themselves. They have lost self-worth, and see very little hope into the future. They have problems dealing with loved ones and often fail to have or remain in a relationship for any length of time. This may be because they no longer feel anything emotionally. Inability to feel love, or affection toward anyone or anything. They once loved t o do things and now have no desire to do anything they once did, such as sports or socializing. They do not see the point of doing anything because they have no desire to or have no thought about the future. They often have memory issues, especially when it comes to the traumatic event. Emotional reactions, or as they are often called, Arousal Symptoms (AS), include difficulty sleeping, concentrating on little things, anxiousness or extreme angst, always on guard as in the example above. Individuals will always be looking for something to happen, and can be easily scared or startled, which may bring along with it a very negative and destructive reaction. This is caused by irritability, anger, and outbursts or aggressive behavior, which are prominent emotional reactions in those that are affected by PTSD. The severity and frequency of these symptoms are dependent on the nature and severity of the traumatic event and the ability of the person to cope with these emotions. Risk Factors Risk factors vary with respect to the individual. Theses certain risk factors include family history of mental illness, depending on age what childhood years were like, what life was like prior to traumatic event, having other mental or health issues, and of course how often one is exposed to traumatic events. Being exposed repeatedly to these types of risk factors has a significant effect on whether one develops PTSD. However, if a person has strong support system of family, friends, and trained psychiatric personnel significantly diminishes the effects that these stressors have on a person, and can often help to ward off significant stress and the potential to develop a stress disorder. For some, however, no matter how often we are able to talk to someone, these events can trigger a reaction from any event in the past. According to Dr. Friedman physical attributes also play a part in PTSD, he states â€Å"Abnormalities in brain structure and function have been demonstrated in PTSD patients. In three independent laboratories, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown reduced hippocampal volume among male and female PTSD patients who had been exposed to combat trauma, sexual assault or motor vehicle accidents† (Friedman, 2000). If identified then one should expect that identification of such findings could result in identifying potential PTSD issues in individuals attempting to join the military, first responders, and even those jobs which are susceptible to higher stressors. This could lead into some rather serious discussions into what would be legal into prescreening candidates for certain positions. But that is a different subject. If risk factors are pre-identified then it should be possible for those individuals to obtain the necessary treatment to and to learn strategies to manage their stress levels. Women according to the Veterans Administration are more likely to succumb to chronic PTSD than their male counterparts. Which is probably the result of women being more at ease with talking about their concerns and thoughts and seeking treatment. Men are less likely to do so. It is also noteworthy that recent openings of combat jobs in the military has exposed women to more stressful and traumatic events than in previous years. Coupled with the fact that women more likely the victims of sexual assault, or at least more likely to report it, than men are. According to studies 34% of women will experience some sort of sexual assault in their lifetime both as adults and as children. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with PTSD as men are. Children are especially susceptible for obvious reasons, especially in their younger years since they have not built up the cognitive skills required to deal with such stressors as child abuse, sexual molestation, being neglected, the death of a parent or sibling, or domestic violence. Younger children are often susceptible when one or both parents have PTSD and would possibly suffer the same consequences as they grow older because the neural development occurs faster when children are at a younger age and is determined by their experiences. Extended exposure to this type of trauma at such an early age can change the development of the brain and cause major damage to the mental state of a child. It has been shown that the elderly also are at risk for PTSD. There a few reasons for this. One reason is that with age cognitive function is diminished somewhat. With this declining function it becomes more difficult to cope with stressors that occur during this period of time. The fact is that elderly people feel a decreased role in society as they are often â€Å"pushed† aside for younger people in the workforce and often times in to nursing homes when they reach a certain age. These health problems show us that we are slowly but surely withering away, which is a depressing thought. Our desire to feel needed is also affected as we get older. Children often become too busy to visit, or have others take care of their aging parents and relatives. Money also is an added stressor for the elderly. It is quite often the case that once the retirement age is reached financial income is not the same as it used to be, and the ability to create more income is extremely difficult. The c ost of medications from chronic illness, which normally increase as we get older. Even if one prepares for retirement, it is a burden to live within means based upon a fixed income and having no means of adding income to counter rise of medication dn healthcare costs, insurance, and growing living costs. Military personnel and first responders are at an increased risk for PTSD simply based upon the operational environment that they may find themselves in. For the military the constant stress of daily life of being combat situations plays a tremendous role on the psyche. The images and horrors of war, having been viewed or seen can have an extreme traumatic effect on one’s mental state. These exposures are often the major cause of PTSD in military veterans. First responders also have to deal with very gruesome events when responding to accidents, shootings, or just death in general. It is quite possible that just one event could trigger PTSD. Even while remaining in this type of environment, the individual can show signs and symptoms and need to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. There is increased risk for all of these different groups when these individuals have dealt with some sort of traumatic event in the past or have other mental health issues that may make them more susceptible to a new traumatic event. Without a strong support system many of these individuals will certainly be more at risk to succumb to PTSD. Delayed diagnosis makes treatment more difficult. There are numerous treatment options available depending on what stage the individual is in and what severity the traumatic event occurred. Treatment Although there are many potential treatments for PTSD, the primary treatment is psychotherapy. In some cases medication may be prescribed to assist with the therapy and will be combined to assist the more extreme or difficult cases. Exposure therapy is a behavioral treatment for PTSD. For PTSD patients it targets the behavior that the patient has learned in order to â€Å"deal† with the traumatic event. Most often this deals with avoidance. In this treatment type, these individuals are asked to try and recount the traumatic event, without the trauma of the event, with hope that new learning via extinction will occur and allow the patient to hinder the effects of the traumatic thoughts versus eradicating them entirely. Cognitive therapy assist the person by allowing them or giving them a new way to deal with the detrimental thoughts they are having about the traumatic event and to help them understand the event or events that took place. It helps by showing how the event changed the thought process of how they view the world, people, and themselves. The way we see things and what we perceive to be accurate has been skewed by the traumatic event. By learning about the symptoms, the way they view things and the way they feel, and understanding how the event changed what they believe in, cognitive therapy arms the person with a new way of dealing with this trauma. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) according to the Mayo Clinic, combines exposure therapy with a series of guided eye movements that help you process traumatic memories and change how you react to traumatic memories.† (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014). EMDR is a therapy based upon physiology and helps a person see, in a similar way to what they see during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, these disturbing events in a new and less troublesome or traumatic way. After going through the session EMDR a patient should no longer view these events in a similar view that they had prior to the therapy session. The event will still be in memory, however, how the patient views the event should be less traumatic for them. Pharmacotherapy is another approach to dealing with PTSD. While most drugs cannot remove symptoms they can offer assistance in dealing and coping with them. Antidepressants, anti-anxiety, and other drugs that assist with sleep issues may be prescribed. Pharmacotherapy should not be viewed as a primary treatment. According to The Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, â€Å"While à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst-line pharmacotherapy for PTSD, depression, and anxiety/panic disorder is a SSRI, consensus statements recommend that patients with PTSD also have specialized MH counseling, with structured cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or psychotherapy, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.† (73521271) Patients requiring drugs to assist in the treatment of PTSD should ensure that a list of current medications is provided to their therapist in order to prescribe proper medication and avoid negative interaction. Summary Posttraumatic stress can affect anyone at any given moment. Exposure to any type of traumatic event could set off previous events that have been buried in the past. As we get older we develop new ways to avoid thinking about certain events that have occurred in our lives. If we are no longer bothered by the event after a few months then it would not be classified as PTSD, rather a stressful event that was traumatic. If another event triggered a more significant and longer lasting effect, then it would be considered PTSD. For those of us who have seen PTSD and have known or have had traumatic events may recognize the symptoms. Even if there is any doubt, the first thing one should do is to let the person know that there is no shame in getting assistance and we are all there for them. It is essential to have a great support group and it is even more essential that the one affected by a traumatic event knows there is help and support. We are often too ashamed or unaware of what we do, o r how we act unless someone else points it out to us. The key here is to know the signs and symptoms and then do something about it. References Meltzer, E., Averbuch, T., Samet, J., Saitz, R., Jabbar, K., Lloyd-travaglini, C., Liebschutz, J. (2012). Discrepancy in Diagnosis and Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Treatment for the Wrong Reason. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services Research, 39(2). (2012, April 1). Retrieved August 10, 2014. Yehuda, R. (1999). Biological Factors Associated With Susceptibility to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 44(1), 34-39. (1999, January 1). Retrieved August 12, 2014. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, April 15). Diseases and Conditions Post-Traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD). Retrieved August 10, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/con-20022540 Friedman, M. (1995, January 1). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved August 9, 2014, from http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000111/CH109.html

The Arrogance of The Lie by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Essay -- Kurt Vonnegut

The Arrogance of The Lie   The Lie, written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., is a story that stands as a mirror to reflect the ugly image of a condescending faction obsessed with grades and numbers, not actual learning.   Even though it took place years ago, the sickening mind frames still exist in some of today’s people.   They are namely the â€Å"elite group† or middle to upper class families.   In the story, Doctor Remenzel is obsessed with Eli having a high standard of excellence, Eli getting special treatment because he is part of the higher group, and for those reasons, Eli is ashamed of himself, and terrified of telling his father and mother that he failed the entrance examinations.   All of these things are examples of what happens in the arrogant sub culture which exists today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      During the beginning of the story, Doctor Remenzel is obsessed with the idea of his son Eli looking good.   An example of this would be when Doctor Remenzel meets his friend Tom on the way to the school.   â€Å"Doctor Remenzel pointed to the chaos of the back of Eli’s head; beamed that his news was the same.†Ã‚   The word beamed, and the whole fact that the Doctor had to point out that his son was too going there implies that he is proud and wants to show him off.   A comment that Doctor Remenzel makes that implies his son is â€Å"better† than others is when referring to another person getting in, he makes the remark of, â€Å"If he’s smart enough.†Ã‚   The Doctor is obviously saying that Eli is much smarter than some.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This relates to the condescending faction because the parents of these... ...d constitute â€Å"failing† in their case) they feel ashamed because they did not meet the expectations created by their parents or other authorities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion the whole idea is alarming.   How could anyone possibly get so egotistical and self-centered?   The Lie is one prime example of how our culture has been divided and distorted.   Some put their own well being into others, perhaps because of a missed opportunity, or maybe just because of their state of mind.   Image, special privileges, and fear of disappointing are just some of the things that classify both the story and our sub culture.   It is a wonder if we will ever stop putting so much on numbers and grades, and start focusing on what is really important: learning.   The sub culture sure needs to.      

The Canadian Town of Cheltenham :: Canada

The Canadian Town of Cheltenham PART A ------ Cheltenham is located in the town of Caledon. Cheltenham was found in 1822 by Charles Haines. Cheltenham is located close to the Credit River and the Canadian National Railway known as the C.N.R. The absolute location of Cheltenham is 43 45' North and 79 55' West. The setting of Cheltenham is a valley with the Nigara Escarpment behind it. Cheltenham is located at the south west point of Caledon. Cheltenham is located north of Toronto. Now in 1989 Cheltenham is mostly residential. There is some open space but very little industry now. There is one general store located in the centre of cheltenham. There is a cemetary located opposite of The Fire Hall. Cheltenham was chosen as a town because of the Credit River and the Canadian National Railway. The railway produced trasportation for goods to be delivered to other cities. The cheap efficient rail transportation also ment that Cheltenham's businesses had to compete against goods manufactured by mass production in larger urban centers to the south. Therefore the economy of Cheltenham would rise. The Credit River produce lots of Hydro electric power for the people of Cheltenham. The two main reasons why the site was chosen for a town was the transportation produced by the C.N.R. and the hydro electric produced from the Credit River. Part B ------ The land use at the mill pond area between 1850-1870 in Cheltenham was mostly industrial uses. Most of the industries or buildings were located very close to each other because they all depended on each other. The industries in Cheltenham were located close to the Credit river.

Effects of Child Abuse on Psychological Development :: Effects of Child Abuse on Behavior

Most people do not know how to cope with abused children. I became interested in this topic because when I was a teenager I had a friend who was abused by her stepfather and I didn’t know how to help her. I would like to know how children’s psychological development is affected, and how we can help these children cope with their misfortune. The most common effect is that maltreated children are, essentially, rejected. These destructive experiences impact on the developing child, increasing the risks for emotional, behavioral, social and physical problems throughout life. The purpose of this paper is to outline how these experiences may result in such increased risks by influencing the development of the child’s psychology. Psychological Development Child abuse is not a new problem. Each year in the United States alone, there are over three million children who are abused or neglected by their parents or caregivers. Many are brutally beaten and permanently injured. Child abuse has been a problem that has existed through out history and in recent years many researchers have begun dealing with this issue. There is a variation among researches on their approach to the topic. Child abuse is not only the mental or physical injury it is also sexual. These kinds of abuses harm the child’s mental and physical health. The emotional and psychological effects of maltreatment may be far more harmful to the well being of the child than the apparent physical injury. Many studies indicate that abused children are at increase risk of becoming like their parents and repeating the abusive pattern of child rearing to which they were exposed (national committee for prevention of child abuse 1983). Background Child abuse and neglect has recently become the focus of attention of all prevention centers and organizations for children care. Mistreatment of children has existed through history. Children are unable to protect themselves of physical abuse. They have been abandoned, terrorized, beaten, killed and sexual abused. A major portion of the literature of my review focused on child abuse has dealt with the personality characteristics of the abusive parent and the abused child rather than focus on the psychological damage sustained by the abused child. When we think of a â€Å"family† in a typical setting around the fireplace we may picture a beautiful and calm environment where everything is perfect. The reality here in this domestic tranquility is when we realize that the concept of â€Å"family† is the most frequent place of all types of violence (Gelles, 1979).

The Rearmament of Germany in the 1920s and 30s

Looking back on the history, people begin to ask questions about why things happened the way that they did. Looking specifically in the field of World War 2, a popular question is â€Å"how was Germany such a successful force on the battlefield? † There are many explanations as to why Germany was so successful in all of its earlier military campaigns, but the largest reason is because of the secret rearmament that took place within Germany, years before the war. Several years before Hitler and The Second War, World War 1 ended in the humiliating defeat of Germany as a country.The conditions of Germany’s surrender were even more humiliating than the losses on the battlefield. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles, which Germany was forced to sign, the entire cause of the war was placed on Germany. Therefore Germany was forced to pay large sums of reparations and suffered several consequences militarily and economically. Those consequences were set up mainly by the Brit ish and French as a way to ensure that another war of aggression by Germany will not be able to happen again. First off, Germany’s military was disarmed and downsized.The number of troops allowed in the German army was never to exceed 100,000 men. Germany’s army was further disarmed when the victories allies forbade the use of tanks, poison gas, and large artillery pieces. 1 The German navy was forced to hand over all its battleships, heavy cruisers, and U-boats, effectively making the navy useless against any power in a possible naval confrontation. 2 The number of sailors allowed in the navy was also limited to 15,000 men as the maximum at any time. 3 Lastly, the German air force was disbanded all together, as Germany was not allowed to possess any warplanes.Also to add to the limitations of the German military, the German economy was also limited as another way to prevent a German rearmament. The factories in the Ruhr area, where much of Germanys manufacturing took place, were taken over by the French. 4 With no materials and no factories, the allies believed there was no way Germany could ever rearm themselves for war. However after a period of time, the allies began to forget about Germany and the previous war. The allies lost interest in German affairs, as they faced their own economic problems at home.Britain and France both had to now focus on the economic depression of their own countries, and had little time to worry about the affairs in Germany. However in Germany, through a string of political moves, Adolf Hitler becomes named chancellor of Germany. Whenever the president Paul Von Hindenburg dies in 1933, Hitler proclaims himself the dictator, which officially puts an end to the Weimar government. 5 One of Hitler’s very first objectives as new leader of Germany was to personally oversee the rearmament process of Germany. Germany immediately began secretly rearming itself for war.However in France, Britain, and even America, the y were still suffering from the effects of the depression. No democratic nation had the resources or money to be building weapons of war. As a matter of fact, the democratic powers were actually downsizing their military spending while Germany was quickly rearming. This rearmament period in Germany is probably the biggest reason for all of Germany’s success on the battlefield during the early stages of the war. While the world is building projects of peace, Germany is building up weapons of war.It only makes sense that Germany was able to conquer most of continental Europe after they have been rearming and preparing for years, while the democratic powers had been disarming their own militaries. It can be quite obvious that due to Germanys prolonged period of secret rearmament, they had become so successful over the other world powers once fighting broke out again. Contrary to popular belief, German rearmament of Germany did not begin under Hitler and the Nazis; Hitler was jus t the one that massively expanded rearmament. Secret policies for German rearmament were created almost immediately after the defeat of Germany in World War 1.However due to the strict sanctions of the Versailles Treaty, very few of these rearmament policies were possible. Following the disarmament of Germany after World War 1, the official army, or the Reichswehr consisted of 4,000 officers, 20,000 noncommissioned officers, 38,000 Gefreite, and 38,000 soldiers, for the maximum number of 100,000. 6 However, there were still militaristic units in Germany not counted towards the 100,000 total. At the beginning of the Weimar Republic, during the demobilization and the formation of the new troops, there was no clear distinction between legal and illegal parts of the army.Returning soldiers from World War 1, when removed from the army would join organizations which acted like an army, such as the Freikorps, border patrols, and home guards. 7 It is in these unofficial military units, that Germany is able to fight off the Communist revolution within its borders, and keep a large portion of its military intact. While the military factories in Germany had mostly been shut down or taken over by the British and French soldiers, Germany was still able to produce an abundance of new weapons, despite several bans on them.Many of the major German arms manufacturers had subsidiaries in other countries, particularly the countries neutral in the First World War, such as Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, and Spain. 8 These served as branches of the German companies engaged in armament production, research, and development. The use of neutral countries to produce weapons was a great way for German companies to continue making weapons that would have been outlawed in Germany. However since the weapons themselves were not allowed in Germany, the factories had to then ship them elsewhere for sale.German export trade flourished with arms trading to China, the Baltic States, and Czechoslo vakia. 9 This greatly helped the German economy which would have been doomed to fail had it not been for this illegal selling of German arms. Ironically the greatest country responsible for the pre-Hitler German rearmament, is the country that suffered the most from it, Russia. Russia not only allowed the production of arms in its borders, it allowed the secret training of members of the German army.This began in 1921 with the Rapallo Treaty signed between the two countries which had both been severely weakened by the First World War. 10 This connection between the two countries led to the construction of the early German air force, or the Luftwaffe. The Junkers airplane factory located in Dessau, built airplane factories in Russia. Airplane factories were built near Moscow, and in Samara and Saratow, all deep within Soviet territory to hide the information from the rest of the world. 11 Military air personnel got their instruction in Russia.German officers dismissed from the army w ent to Russia as civilians and, after a period of training there, returned to the army with a higher rank. 12 The German Army used this to effectively train men for the future air force. In addition to airplanes, the army also built a poison gas factory in Samara Oblast, a tank school at Kazan, and a naval base to hide and train Germanys navy. 13 The German company Krupp, was one of the larger factories that had a firm in Russia which produced heavy artillery, especially howitzers, that would eventually be used in war. 14All of the rearmament up to this point was almost strictly confined and controlled by the leaders in the German army. The first known German politician in the Weimar government that becomes aware of this rearmament is the chancellor in the 1920’s, Heinrich Muller. 15 Muller did nothing to stop the re-arming, and actually passed cabinet orders to encourage secret German rearmament. However Muller did place a ban on the paramilitary units in the Freikorps. Howe ver that only led to one of the Freikorps refusing to disband and marching on Berlin in the Kapp Putsch. 6 This began to show the true weakness of the Weimar government. The Weimar government will continue to fail at its policies which will lead to the eventual ascent to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. After the Nazi takeover of power, the re-armament became the topmost priority of the German government. Hitler would then spearhead one of the greatest expansions of industrial production and military buildup the world has ever seen. Once Hitler had gained power in 1933, he immediately continued the secret rearming of Germany.Hitler had made it plain what the basis of his foreign policy would be. He had clearly stated that he would undo what had been imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles and re-unite all Germans into one nation. Hitler however before rearming the German military, first had to rearm the German economy and industry before expanding the army for war. B efore Hitler could rearm Germany any further, he had to first make Germany a self-sustaining country that is able to maintain a continued war without suffering severe supply problems, such as the ones that were common in the First World War.Hitler and his economic ministers devised a ‘Four Year Plan’ that would in theory establish an economically independent Germany. The Four Year Plan sought to reduce unemployment, increase synthetic fibre production, undertake public works projects, increase automobile production, initiate numerous building and architectural projects, and further develop the Autobahn system. 17 The plan also emphasized building up the nation's military defenses, in direct violation of the terms set by the Allies of World War I at the Treaty of Versailles. One large project of this plan was the creation of the autobahn highway system.The autobahn was a highway system that was devised as a massive public works project by Hitler, but in reality it was a system of transportation devised for fast transportation of tanks and troops of the German army once war broke out. Hitler's autobahn construction began in September 1933 under the direction of chief engineer Fritz Todt. 18 The 14-mile expressway between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, opened on May 19, 1935, was the first section completed under Hitler. By December 1941, once America had entered the war, Germany had completed 2,400 miles (3,860 km), with another 1,550 miles (2,500 km) under construction. 9 This highway system was one of Hitler’s first devious plots to construct a way to wage war on a massive scale. Rearmament in Germany during the 1930’s also sought to improve the German industrial buildup. Archival research shows that German published industry statistics attempted to hide sensitive armament industries during this buildup. The industry census of 1936 lists 1. 22 million employed in â€Å"construction and other branches of industry†. 20 Unpublished arc hival documents from the Statistical Office reveal that this total includes about 167,000 employed in aircraft and firearms industry. 1 This is a third larger than Germany’s motor industry at the same time. This is during the same time that Hitler is claiming to be industrializing Germany’s economy to create jobs and to produce cars and roads for the German citizen. The table found below can provide details on Hitler’s policy of rearming Germany’s factories. Table Depicting 1936 Census Results of German Industry in War making facilities Once Germany’s economic situation had been settled, Hitler was satisfied enough to begin his next phase of the rearmament of Germany.Hitler saw Nazi Germany as being at the center of Europe and as the great power of Europe, so the nation needed a strong military. Up to this point, Germany had been technically keeping to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles but in reality she had been bending the rules regarding tra ining. The Treaty of Versailles had not stated that Germany could not train submarine crews abroad or that pilots for the banned German Air Force could train on civilian planes. Therefore, on paper Hitler inherited a weak military but this was not in reality the case. However, Hitler knew that publicly NaziGermany was still seen within Europe as being held to the terms of Versailles and he was determined to openly break these terms and re-assert Germany’s right to control its own military. In 1933, Hitler ordered his army generals to prepare to triple the size of the army to 300,000 men, and ordered the Air Ministry to plan to build 1,000 war planes. 22 Military buildings such as barracks were built. Hitler withdrew Germany from the Geneva Disarmament Conference when the French refused to accept his plan that the French should disarm to the level of the Germans or that the Germans should re-arm to the level of the French.Hitler is quoted as saying â€Å"Either way, the two m ain powers of Europe will be balanced. †23 Hitler knew that the French would not accept his plan and therefore when he withdrew from the conference, he was seen by some as the politician who had a more realistic approach to foreign policy and the French were seen as the nation that had caused Nazi Germany to withdraw. For two years, the German military expanded in secret. By March 1935, Hitler felt confident enough to go public on Nazi Germany's military expansion, which broke the terms of the Versailles Treaty.Europe learned that the Nazis had 2,500 war planes in its Luftwaffe and an army of 300,000 men in its Wehrmacht. 24 Hitler felt confident enough to also publicly announce that there would be compulsory military conscription in Nazi Germany and that the army would be increased to 550,000 men. 25 Now Hitler had to wait and see how France and Britain would respond to his massive rearming policies. The French and British however did nothing. Britain was still recovering fro m the Depression which had devastated the British economy.She could not afford a conflict. The French preferred a defensive policy against a potential German threat and she spent time and money building the vast Maginot Line, which was a series of vast forts on the French and German border. To Hitler, it even seemed that Britain was supporting Germany’s breaking of the Treaty of Versailles. Britain knew that Germany was rebuilding its navy and could do little to stop it other than going to war, which she was not prepared to do. As a result, Hitler signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement with Britain. 6 This treaty had clearly gone against what was stated in the Versailles Treaty on what Germany’s navy should be; â€Å"no submarines and only six warships over 10,000 tons. † In June 1935 the Anglo-German Naval Agreement was signed, which allowed Germany to have one third of the tonnage of the British navy’s surface fleet and an equal tonnage of submarines. That now allowed for Germany to build up their navy, or Kriegsmarine, without fear of condemnation from Britain. As an addition to expanding the Army and Navy, arguably the most effective tool for Hitler and the Nazis, would be his air force, or Luftwaffe.Aircraft technology developed quickly after the First World War and by the 1930s it was clear to Hitler that air power would play an important role in modern warfare. Hitler had an opportunity to give combat experience to his pilots during the Spanish Civil War. In 1937 the German Condor Legion bombed the town of Guernica in support of the fascist rebel leader General Franco. 27 In 1936, again Hitler took a major risk by moving German troops into the Rhineland. 28 This remilitarization was yet another clear contradiction of the Treaty of Versailles, but it was again unopposed by Britain and France.The Abyssinian Crisis in Africa and the shift of Mussolini towards an alliance with Hitler distracted Britain and France. In Britain, ma ny felt that it was only fair that Germany should be able to protect her borders, after all the Rhineland was Germany’s territory. The success of the remilitarization and further rearmament emboldened Hitler to attempt a series of foreign policy adventures in the certain knowledge that Britain and France would be reluctant to go to war with Germany unless directly threatened. This policy has come to be known as appeasement.By 1939, Hitler had an army of nearly 1 million men, over 8,000 aircraft and 95 warships. 29 This military strength had not been used in conflict, but the threat of it had helped him to achieve the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936, the Anschluss with Austria in 1938, the annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938 and the invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. 30 All of this had been achieved without a shot being fired. A graph depicting Hitler’s forces can be found below. German rearmament| 1932| 1939| Army| 100,000| 950,000| Warsh ips| 30| 95|Aircraft| 36| 8,250| Graph showing a close estimate of the rearming of the German military under Hitler All during the rearmament process in Germany, the other countries such as Britain, France, and America are downsizing their armies and navies. The major naval powers of Britain, the United States, and Japan recognized the financial costs of a naval arms race. Organized and hosted by Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes, the first naval disarmament conference was held in Washington during the winter of 1921-22, with eight nations in attendance.The agreement reached is known as the Five Power Treaty, which established a stoppage on the building of new warships for 10 years and set a tonnage ratio for Britain, the United States, Japan, France, and Italy. 31 Respectively and bound by the treaty, the signatories scraped 66 capital ships. 32 In addition to naval disarmament, Secretary of State Frank Kellogg and French Foreign Minister Aristide Briand engineered a pact at the 1927 Geneva conference that outlawed war entirely. 33 It is most likely that out of these weaknesses of the democratic nations, Hitler saw his opportunity to confidently rearm Germany.As a result, Germany continued to rearm continually once Hitler gained power in 1933 up to the break out of war in 1939. Britain and France, still suffering from earlier disarmament efforts, and still feeling the effects of the Depression, were unable to rearm to counter the German rearmament until 1937. By this time, it was too late to compete with the German armament. Once war broke out in 1939, Hitler was equipped with an all-powerful army, unlike the world had seen before. Due to the rearmament policies of Hitler, the German army had a massive force of tanks and planes, that the allies were unable to compete against.In the Battle for France, the Germans were equipped with 141 divisions, most of them motorized, 2500 modern tanks, and over 5500 modern planes. 34 On the British and French sides, t hey had 144 divisions, but most were still simple infantry divisions using outdated World War 1 era rifles and machine guns. 35 They were equipped with 3300 tanks which actually outnumbered the Germans, but again due to the lack of allied armament in the 1930’s, all of their tanks were outdated and inferior to the newer German tank designs. 6 Lastly, the allies could only amount 2200 aircraft, who were severely outnumbered and outgunned by the superior German Luftwaffe due to Germanys emphasize on rearming the Luftwaffe as the most important priority in modern warfare. 37 Germanys newly created and updated armed forces were able to easily defeat the outdated armed forces of most of Europe all the way up until late 1941 and 1942. Germany’s rearmament process from the 1920’s and 1930’s was definitely one of the most defining reasons as to why Germany was able to become such a successful military force.If German rearmament had been stopped during the interwa r period, it would have been impossible for Germany to wage any serious war against the allied powers. The tragedies of the war also could have been prevented if the allies were able to immediately respond to the German armament, instead of appeasement policies and not rearming their armies. After years of a struggling war, the allies were able to slowly defeat the German army through eventually rearming and reequipping their armies with the modern equipment that Germany had done years before the war. Notes 1.Slavicek, Louise C. The Treaty of Versailles, 48. New York City: Facts on File Inc, 2010. 2. Ibid. , 52 3. Ibid. , 56-57 4. Reprint Old Magazine Articles. â€Å"Germany's Triumph of Despair. † Literacy Digest, February 10, 1923. Accessed December 5, 2012. 5. Abraham, David. The Collapse of the Weimar Republic: Political Economy and Crisis, 262-271. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986. 6. Slavicek, The Treaty of Versailles, 47. 7. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s . v. â€Å"Freikorps,† accessed December 05, 2012, http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/218844/Freikorps 8.Manchester, William. â€Å"The Krupp Bloodline. † Inicio. Accessed December 5, 2012. http://www. bibliotecapleyades. net/bloodlines/krupp. htm. 9. Ibid. 10. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s. v. â€Å"Treaty of Rapallo,† accessed December 05, 2012, http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/491362/Treaty-of-Rapallo. 11. Suchenwirth, Richard. The Development of the German Air Force, 1919-1939, 14-19. Modesto: University Press of the Pacific , 2005. 12. Ibid. , 21 13. Encyclopedia Britannica, Treaty of Rapallo 14. Ibid. 15. Abraham, Collapse of the Weimar Rupublic, 120-134 6. Ibid. , 132 17. Taylor, Blaine. In Hitler's Engineers: Master Builders of the Third Reich, 1st ed. , 48-72. Houston: Casemate Pub, 2010. 18. Taylor, Blaine. â€Å"Fritz Todt. † In Hitler's Engineers: Master Builders of the Third Reich, 1st ed. , 52-58. Houston: Casemate Pu b, 2010. 19. Ibid. , 58 20. Fremdling, Rainer. â€Å"The German industrial Census of 1936: statistics as preparation for the war. † Ideas, Blog. Accessed December 5, 2012. http://ideas. repec. org/p/dgr/rugggd/200577. html. 21. Ibid. 22. Trueman, Chris. â€Å"Germany and Rearmament. † History Learning Site.Accessed December 5, 2012. http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/germany_and_rearmament. htm. 23. Steiner, Arthur H. â€Å"The Geneva Disarmament Conference of 1932. † In Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 212-219. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2008. Accessed December 5, 2012. 24. Trueman, Germany and Rearmament 25. Ibid. 26. Maiolo, Joseph. The Royal Navy and Nazi Germany, 35-36. 27. Aviation History Magazine. â€Å"Spanish Civil War: German Condor Legion's Tactical Air Power. † History Net. Last modified June 12, 2006. 28. Macdonogh, Giles. 938: Hitler's Gamble, 13. New York: Basic Books, 2009. 29. Trueman, Germany and Rearmament 30. Macdonogh, 1938: Hitler's Gamble, 88-123. 31. EDSITEment. â€Å"From Neutrality to War: The United States and Europe, 1921–1941. † EDSITEment. http://edsitement. neh. gov/curriculum-unit/neutrality-war-united-states-and-europe-1921-1941. 32. Ibid. 33. Ibid. 34. Warner, Phillip. The Battle of France, 1940, 74-75. Johannesburg: Cassel ; Co. , 2001. 35. Ibid. ,82 36. Ibid. , 90 37. Suchenwirth, German Air Force, 144 Bibliography Bennett, Edward W. German Rearmament and the West, 1932-1933.Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1979. Print. Evans, Richard J. The Third Reich at War. New York: Penguin, 2009. Print. â€Å"Germny's New War Spirit. † Literary Digest 4 Feb. 1933: n. pag. Old Magazine Articles. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. oldmagazinearticles. com/how_did_germany_change_under_Hitler_pdf;. â€Å"German Threat and Rearmament. † The Cabinet Papers. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. nationalarchives. gov. uk/cabinetpapers/themes/ger man-threat-rearmament. htm;. Hickman, Kennedy. â€Å"Disarmament: Washington Naval Treaty. † About. om Military History. N. p. , n. d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. ;http://militaryhistory. about. com/od/militarystrategies/p/washingtontreat. htm;. â€Å"Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928. † The Avalon Project : Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928. Yale University, n. d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. yale. edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/kbpact. htm;. Murray, Williamson. â€Å"Winston Churchill's Prewar Effort to Increase Military Spending. † History Net Where History Comes Alive World US History Online Winston Churchills Prewar Effort to Increase Military Spending Comments. MHQ Magazine, 12 June 2006.Web. 15 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. historynet. com/winston-churchills-prewar-effort-to-increase-military-spending. htm;. Shirer, William L. Rise and Fall of the Third Reich : A History of Nazi Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2011. Print. Spielvogel, Jackson J. , and David Redles. Hitler and Nazi Germa ny: A History. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988. Print. Trueman, Chris. â€Å"Germany and Rearmament. † Germany and Rearmament. History Learning Site, n. d. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/germany_and_rearmament. htm

Matter and its Properties Essay

The fundamental building blocks of matter are atoms and molecules. These make up elements and compounds. An atom is the smallest unit of an element that maintains the properties of that element. And element is a pure substance made of only one kind of atom. A compound is the substance that is made from the atoms of two or more elements that are chemically bonded. Water is an example of a compound because it is one of many compounds that consist of molecules. The hydrogen and oxygen molecules are chemically bonded to form a water molecule. Properties and Changes in Matter Every substance, whether an element or compound, has characteristic properties. Chemists use these properties to distinguish different substances and then use their knowledge of characteristics to separate them. A property may be a characteristic that defines an entire group of substances. That property can be used to classify an unknown substance within that group. For example, are large groups of elements is metals. The property that sets than apart from anything else is that they conduct electricity well. Therefore, if scientists find an unknown element, and test it for electricity conduction, and it turns out to conduct electricity well, it is, in fact, a metal. Properties also define subgroups or substances. And can also help to reveal the identity of an unknown substance. However, identification usually cannot be made based on only one property. Comparisons of several properties can be used to determine the identity of an unknown. Properties are either intensive or extensive. An extensive property depends on the amount of matter that is present. These properties include volume, mass, and the amount of energy in a said substance. Intensive properties, however, do not depend on the amount of matter present. These properties include the melting  point, boiling point, density, and ability to conduct electricity and heat. Regardless of how much of a substance is present, these properties will always be the same. Chemical and Physical Properties and Changes Physical Properties and Physical Changes A physical property is a characteristic that can be measured or observed without changing the identity of the substance. Physical properties describe the substance itself. Examples of these properties are properties such as melting point and boiling point. A change in a substance that does not involve a change in the identity of the substance is called a physical change. Examples of physical changes include grinding, gutting, melting, and boiling a substance or material. These changes do not change the physical identity of a property. For example: If you rip a paper in half, does that change the identity of the two torn parts? The answer is no, it is still a paper, just smaller and ripped. If you bend a paper clip, is it still a paper clip? Yes. Melting point and boiling point are part of an important classification of physical changes called change of state. A change of state is a physical change of a substance from on state to another. The three common states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. Matter in the solid shape has a definite volume and definite shape. Matter in the liquid state has a definite value, but not a definite shape-a liquid can be molded or formed into many different shapes. Matter in the gas state has neither definite volume nor definite shape. Chemical Properties and Chemical Changes Physical properties can be observed without changing the identity of the substance, but chemical properties cannot. A chemical property relates to a substance’s ability to undergo changes that transform it into different  substances. Chemical properties are easiest to see when substances react to form (a) new substance(s). For example, when charcoal burns, it combines with oxygen in air to become a new substance, carbon dioxide gas. After this chemical change, the original substances of the charcoal, carbon and oxygen, are no longer present. Another example is the ability of iron to rust by combining with oxygen in the air (moisture). A change in which one or more substances are converted into different substances is called a chemical change or reaction. The substances that react in a chemical change are called the reactants. The substances formed by the chemical change are called the products. By burning charcoal, carbon and oxygen are the reactants in a combustion, or burning reaction. Carbon dioxide is the product. Chemical changes and reactions, such as combustion and decomposition, form products whose properties differ greatly from those of the reactants. Chemical changes, however, do not affect the total amount of matter present before and after a reaction. The amount of matter, and total mass, remain the same.