The Battle of Passchendaele - World War I

The Battle of Passchendaele - World War I The Battle of Passchendaele was fought July 31 to November 6, 1917, during World War I (1914-1918). Meeting at Chantilly, France, in November 1916, Allied leaders discussed plans for the upcoming year. Having fought bloody battles earlier that year at Verdun and the Somme, they decided to attack on multiple fronts in 1917 with the goal of overwhelming the Central Powers. Though British Prime Minister David Lloyd George advocated for shifting the main effort to the Italian Front, he was overruled as the French commander-in-chief, General Robert Nivelle, desired to launch an offensive in Aisne. Amid the discussions, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, pushed for an attack in Flanders. Talks continued into the winter and it was ultimately decided that the main Allied thrust would come in Aisne with the British conducting a supporting operation at Arras. Still eager to attack in Flanders, Haig secured Nivelles agreement that, should Aisne Offensive fail, he would be permitted to move forward in Belgium. Beginning in mid-April, Nivelles offensive proved a costly failure and was abandoned in early May. Allied Commanders Field Marshal Douglas HaigGeneral Hubert GoughGeneral Sir Herbert Plumer German Commander General Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin Haigs Plan With the French defeat and subsequent mutiny of their army, the onus for carrying the fight to the Germans in 1917 passed to the British. Moving forward with planning an offensive in Flanders, Haig sought to wear down the German army, which he believed was reaching a breaking point, and retake the Belgian ports that were supporting Germanys campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare. Planning to launch the offensive from the Ypres Salient, which had seen heavy fighting in 1914 and 1915, Haig intended to push across the Gheluvelt Plateau, take the village of Passchendaele, and then break through to open country. To pave the way for the Flanders offensive, Haig ordered General Herbert Plumer to capture Messines Ridge. Attacking on June 7, Plumers men won a stunning victory and carried the heights and some of the territory beyond. Seeking to capitalize on this success, Plumer advocated for immediately launching the main offensive, but Haig refused and delayed until July 31. On July 18, British artillery began a massive preliminary bombardment. Expending over 4.25 million shells, the bombardment alerted the German Fourth Armys commander, General Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin, that an attack was imminent. The British Attack At 3:50 AM on July 31, Allied forces began advancing behind a creeping barrage. The focus of the offensive was General Sir Hubert Goughs Fifth Army, which was supported to the south by Plumers Second Army and to the north by General Francois Anthoines French First Army. Attacking on an eleven-mile front, Allied forces had the most success in the north where the French and Goughs XIV Corps moved forward around 2,500-3,000 yards. To the south, attempts to drive east on the Menin Road were met with heavy resistance and gains were limited. A Grinding Battle Though Haigs men were penetrating the German defenses, they were quickly hampered by heavy rains which descended on the region. Turning the scarred landscape to mud, the situation was worsened as the preliminary bombardment had destroyed much of the areas drainage systems. As a result, the British were unable to press forward in force until August 16. Opening the Battle of Langemarck, British forces captured the village and surrounding area, but additional gains were small and casualties were high. To the south, II Corps continued to push on the Menin Road with minor success. Unhappy with Goughs progress, Haig switched the focus of the offensive south to Plumers Second Army and the southern part of Passchendaele Ridge. Opening the Battle of Menin Road on September 20, Plumer employed a series of limited attacks with the intention making small advances, consolidating, and then pushing forward again. In this grinding fashion, Plumers men were able to take the southern part of the ridge after the Battles of Polygon Wood (September 26) and Broodseinde (October 4). In the latter engagement, British forces captured 5,000 Germans, which led Haig to conclude that enemy resistance was faltering. Shifting the emphasis north, Haig directed Gough to strike at Poelcappelle on October 9. Attacking, Allied troops gained little ground, but suffered badly. Despite this, Haig ordered an assault on Passchendaele three days later. Slowed by mud and rain, the advance was turned back. Moving the Canadian Corps to the front, Haig began new attacks on Passchendaele on October 26. Conducting three operations, the Canadians finally secured the village on November 6 and cleared the high ground to the north four days later. Aftermath of the Battle Having taken Passchendaele, Haig elected to halt the offensive. Any further thoughts of pushing on were eliminated by the need to shift troops to Italy to aid in stemming the Austrian advance after their victory at the Battle of Caporetto. Having gained key ground around Ypres, Haig was able to claim success. Casualty numbers for the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as Third Ypres) are disputed. In the fighting British casualties may have ranged from 200,000 to 448,614, while Germany losses are computed at 260,400 to 400,000. A controversial topic, the Battle of Passchendaele has come to represent the bloody, attrition warfare that developed on the Western Front. In the years after the war, Haig was severely criticized by David Lloyd George and others for the small territorial gains that were made in exchange for massive troop losses. Conversely, the offensive relieved pressure on the French, whose army was being struck by mutinies, and inflicted large, irreplaceable losses on the German Army. Though Allied casualties were high, new American troops were beginning to arrive which would augment British and French forces. Though resources were limited due to the crisis in Italy, the British renewed operations on November 20 when they opened the Battle of Cambrai.

105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project

105 Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for Any Project SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you struggling to find good persuasive speech topics? It can be hard to find a topic that interests both you and your audience, but in this guide we’ve done the hard work and created a list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. They’re organized into ten categories and cover a variety of topics, so you’re sure to find one that interests you. In addition to our list, we also go over which factors make good persuasive speech topics and three tips you should follow when researching and writing your persuasive speech. What Makes a Good Persuasive Speech Topic? What makes certain persuasive speech topics better than others? There are numerous reasons, but in this section we discuss three of the most important factors of great topics for a persuasive speech. It’s Something You Know About or Are Interested in Learning About The most important factor in choosing and creating a great persuasive speech is picking a topic you care about and are interested in. You’ll need to do a lot of research on this topic, and if it’s something you like learning about, that’ll make the process much easier and more enjoyable.It’ll also help you sound passionate and informed when you talk, both important factors in giving an excellent persuasive speech. It’s a Topic People Care About In fourth grade, after being told I could give a persuasive speech on any topic I wanted to, I chose to discuss why the Saguaro cactus should be the United State’s national plant. Even though I gave an impassioned talk and drew a life-size Saguaro cactus on butcher paper to hang behind me, I doubt anyone enjoyed the speech much. I’d recently returned from a family vacation to Arizona where I’d seen Saguaro cacti for the first time and decided they were the coolest thing ever. However, most people don’t care that much about Saguaro cacti, and most people don’t care what our national plant is or if we even have one (for the record, the US has a national flower, and it’s the rose). Spare yourself the smattering of bored applause my nine-old self got at the end of my speech and choose something you think people will be interested in hearing about. This also ties into knowing your audience, which we discuss more in the final section. It Isn’t Overdone When I was in high school, nearly every persuasive speech my classmates and I were assigned was the exact same topic: should the drinking age be lowered to 18?I got this prompt in English class, on standardized tests, in speech and debate class, etc. I’ve written and presented about it so often I could probably still rattle off all the main points of my old speeches word-for-word. You can imagine that everyone’s eyes glazed over whenever classmates gave their speeches on this topic. We’d heard about it so many times that, even if it was a topic we cared about, speeches on it just didn’t interest us anymore. The are many potential topics for a persuasive speech. Be wary of choosing one that's cliche or overdone. Even if you give a great speech, it’ll be harder to keep your audience interested if they feel like they already know what you’re going to say. An exception to this rule is that if you feel you have a new viewpoint or facts about the topic that currently aren’t common knowledge. Including them can make an overdone topic interesting. If you do this, be sure to make it clear early on in your speech that you have unique info or opinions on the topic so your audience knows to expect something new. 105 Topics for a Persuasive Speech Here’s our list of 105 great persuasive speech ideas. We made sure to choose topics that aren’t overdone, yet that many people will have an interest in, and we also made a point of choosing topics with multiple viewpoints rather than simplistic topics that have a more obvious right answer (i.e. Is bullying bad?). The topics are organized into ten categories. Arts/Culture Should art and music therapy be covered by health insurance? Should all students be required to learn an instrument in school? Should all national museums be free to citizens? Should graffiti be considered art? Should offensive language be removed from works of classic literature? Are paper books better than e-books? Economic Should all interns be paid for their work? Should employees receive bonuses for walking or biking to work? Will Brexit hurt or help the UK’s economy? Should all people over the age of 65 be able to ride the bus for free? Should the federal minimum wage be increased? Should tipping in restaurants be mandatory? Should Black Friday sales be allowed to start on Thanksgiving? Education Should students who bully others be expelled? Should all schools require students wear uniforms? Should boys and girls be taught in separate classrooms? Should students be allowed to listen to music during study hall? Should all elementary schools be required to teach a foreign language? Should schools include meditation or relaxation breaks during the day? Should grades in gym class affect students’ GPAs? Should teachers get a bonus when their students score well on standardized tests? Should children of illegal immigrants be allowed to attend public schools? Should students get paid for getting a certain GPA? Should students be allowed to have their cell phones with them during school? Should high school students be allowed to leave school during lunch breaks? Should Greek life at colleges be abolished? Should high school students be required to volunteer a certain number of hours before they can graduate? Should schools still teach cursive handwriting? What are the best ways for schools to stop bullying? Ethics Should prostitution be legalized? Should people with more than one DUI lose their driver’s license? Should people be required to shovel snow from the sidewalks in front of their house? Should minors be able to drink alcohol in their home if they have their parent’s consent? Should guns be allowed on college campuses? Should flag burning as a form of protest be illegal? Should welfare recipients be required to pass a drug test? Should white supremacist groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places? Should assault weapons be illegal? Should the death penalty be abolished? Should beauty pageants for children be banned? Is it OK to refuse to serve same-sex couples based on religious beliefs? Should transgender people be allowed to serve in the military? Is it better to live together before marriage or to wait? Should affirmative action be allowed? Should prisoners be allowed to vote? Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Government/Politics Should the government spend more money on developing high-speed rail lines and less on building new roads? Should the government be allowed to censor internet content deemed inappropriate? Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state? Should Scotland declare independence from the United Kingdom? Whose face should be on the next new currency printed by the US? Should people convicted of drug possession be sent to recovery programs instead of jail? Should voting be made compulsory? Who was the best American president? Should the military budget be reduced? Should the President be allowed to serve more than two terms? Should a border fence be built between the United States and Mexico? Should countries pay ransom to terrorist groups in order to free hostages? Health Should minors be able to purchase birth control without their parent’s consent? Should hiding or lying about your HIV status with someone you’re sleeping with be illegal? Should governments tax soda and other sugary drinks and use the revenue for public health? Should high schools provide free condoms to students? Should the US switch to single-payer health care? Should healthy people be required to regularly donate blood? Should assisted suicide be legal? Religion Should religious organizations be required to pay taxes? Should priests be allowed to get married? Should the religious slaughter of animals be banned? Should the Church of Scientology be exempt from paying taxes? Should women be allowed to be priests? Should countries be allowed to only accept refugees with certain religious beliefs? Should public prayer be allowed in schools? Science/Environment Should human cloning be allowed? Should people be allowed to own exotic animals like tigers and monkeys? Should â€Å"animal selfies† in tourist locations with well-known animal species (like koalas and tigers) be allowed? Should genetically modified foods be sold in grocery stores? Should people be allowed to own pit bulls? Should parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn children? Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school? What is the best type of renewable energy? Should plastic bags be banned in grocery stores? Should the United States rejoin the Paris Agreement? Should puppy mills be banned? Should fracking be legal? Should animal testing be illegal? Should offshore drilling be allowed in protected marine areas? Should the US government increase NASA’s budget? Should Pluto still be considered a planet? Sports Should college athletes be paid for being on a sports team? Should all athletes be required to pass regular drug tests? Should professional female athletes be paid the same as male athletes in the same sport? Are there any cases when athletes should be allowed to use steroids? Should college sports teams receive less funding? Should boxing be illegal? Should schools be required to teach all students how to swim? Should cheerleading be considered a sport? Should parents let their children play tackle football? Technology Will robots reduce or increase human employment opportunities? What age should children be allowed to have a cell phone? Should libraries be replaced with unlimited access to e-books? Overall, has technology helped connect people or isolate them? Should self-driving cars be legal? Should all new buildings be energy efficient? Is Net Neutrality a good thing or a bad thing? Do violent video games encourage players to become violent in real life? 3 Bonus Tips for Crafting Your Persuasive Speech Of course, giving a great persuasive speech requires more than just choosing a good topic. Follow the three tips below to create an outstanding speech that’ll interest and impress your audience. Do Your Research For a persuasive speech, there’s nothing worse than getting an audience question that shows you misunderstood the issue or left an important piece out. It makes your entire speech look weak and unconvincing. Before you start writing a single word of your speech, be sure to do lots of research on all sides of the topic. Look at different sources and points of view to be sure you’re getting the full picture, and if you know any experts on the topic, be sure to ask their opinion too. Consider All the Angles Persuasive speech topics are rarely black and white, which means there will be multiple sides and viewpoints on the topic. For example, for the topic â€Å"Should people be allowed to own pit bulls?† there are two obvious viewpoints: everyone should be allowed to own a pit bull if they want to, and no one should be allowed to own a pit bull. But there are other options you should also consider: people should only own a pit bull if they pass a dog training class, people should be able to own pit bulls, but only if it’s the only dog they own, people should be able to own pi tbulls but only if they live a certain distance from schools, people should be able to own pit bulls only if the dog passes an obedience class, etc. Thinking about all these angles and including them in your speech will make you seem well-informed on the topic, and it’ll increase the quality of your speech by looking at difference nuances of the issue. Know Your Audience Whenever you give a speech, it’s important to consider your audience, and this is especially true for persuasive speeches when you’re trying to convince people to believe a certain viewpoint.When writing your speech, think about what your audience likely already knows about the topic, what they probably need explained, and what aspects of the topic they care about most.Also consider what the audience will be most concerned about for a certain topic, and be sure to address those concerns. For example, if you’re giving a speech to a Catholic organization on why you think priests should be allowed to marry, you don’t need to go over the history of Catholicism or its core beliefs (which they probably already know), but you should mention any research or prominent opinions that support your view (which they likely don’t know about). They may be concerned that priests who marry won’t be as committed to God or their congregations, so be sure to address those concerns and why they shouldn’t worry about them as much as they may think. Discussing your topic with people (ideally those with viewpoints similar to those of your future audience) before you give your speech is a good way to get a better understanding of how your audience thinks. More Resources for Writing Persuasive Speeches If you need more guidance or just want to check out some examples of great persuasive writing, consider checking out the following books: Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History by William Safire - This collection of great speeches throughout history will help you decide how to style your own argument. The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking by Sims Wyeth - For quick direct tips on public speaking, try this all-purpose guide. Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Mindsby Carmine Gallo - This popular book breaks down what makes TED talks work and how you can employ those skills in your own presentations. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie andMake Good Artby Neil Gaiman - These two recent speeches by contemporary writers offer stellar examples of how to craft a compelling (and engaging) argument. Conclusion: Persuasive Speech Ideas Good persuasive speech topics can be difficult to think of, but in this guide we’ve compiled a list of 105 interesting persuasive speech topics for you to look through. The best persuasive speech ideas will be on a topic you’re interested in, aren’t overdone, and will be about something your audience cares about. After you’ve chosen your topic, keep these three tips in mind when writing your persuasive speech: Do your research Consider all the angles Know your audience What's Next? Want a great GPA?Check out our step-by-step guide to getting good grades in high school so you can have a stellar transcript. Interested in learning about other great extracurricular opportunities? Learn more about job shadowing, community service, and volunteer abroad programs. Still trying to figure out your courses? Check out our expert guide on which classes you should take in high school. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Strategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Strategic management - Essay Example Aims of an organization. The way by which an organization can serve its clients, suppliers, distributers, shareholders and other stakeholders. Present organization’s situation in terms of explaining their business segment. It can include the declaration of organization’s core purpose of existing. Sense of Mission Sense of Mission creates a strong behaviour among the individuals so that they can fulfil their Mission of life. Creating the â€Å"Sense of Mission† is not creating the purpose only but it helps to achieve the purpose. â€Å"Sense of Mission† is a very important marketing principle. It states that an organization must define its mission in such a way that it should not only focus on their product and profit. They should focus on the broader social concept rather than the mere product orientation. The new generation managers are trained with a sense of social responsibility and they have a passion for achieving of bigger causes. Corporate Social R esponsibility Every organization has some obligations towards its society in which it operates. Every organization should take some initiatives to work for the environment. CSR is the contribution of an organization to the society. Corporate Social responsibility means sustaining the equilibrium between economic welfare of the organization with the social welfare. The trade off between two components can provide a balance sustainable growth for the organization. Many companies are engaged in serving the society through their corporate social responsibility. Following ethics and serving responsibility towards its society is an important part of the today’s business. For this analysis, Pepsi-Co organization has been chosen. Pepsi Co Ins. Is a multinational food and beverage company headquarter is in New York, USA. They are in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of food items and beverages and other products also. PepsiCo started its business after the merger of Pepsi- Coca and Frito-Lay. Now PepsiCo has expanded their business in many dimensions. In 2012, Pepsi-Co was able to generate more than $1 billion of retail sales. PepsiCo is the second largest food and beverage company in the World. The Mission of Pepsi-Co is to be the World’s premier consumer products in foods and beverages. Their Mission is to serve financial benefits to its investors, the opportunities for growth to their employees, business partners, other stakeholders and the society in which they operate. They want to achieve this mission in the right ethical way with honesty and transparency. PepsiCo has a strong sense of mission also. Their sense of mission states that they are not focusing on the product orientation, they focus on Customer orientation. They emphasise on satisfaction of the customers. The focus of achievement is very strong. Not only the customization but also they believe that serving customers consistently and efficiently can create a stable customer rela tionship management. Retaining customers sometimes causes a conflict between its short term objectives. Pepsi-Co‘s sense of mission says that they are not in the business for profit purpose only but their goal is to serve people (Randall, 2008, p.45). Objectives including CSR: Pepsi-Co supports continual growth of shareholders. Their objective is to use best class design for packaging. Meets value, cost and performance criteria for customer satisfaction. Maintaining hygiene standards. Strives for least environmental footprint. Pepsi-Co strives for