Sunday, January 19, 2020

Reasons for the Defeat of Napoleon in Russia in the Campaign of 1812

This essay will examine the factors that led to Napoleon and his enormous army retreating from Russia and eventually losing a great majority of soldiers as well as their notoriety of being â€Å"invincible† after invading Russia in 1812. It will also consider the effects that that particular war had on the downfall of Napoleon’s empire in the subsequent years. The Campaign of 1812 was to be Napoleon’s crowning achievement. His Grand Armee of over 600,000 men from all corners of his empire was the largest he had ever assembled. The Emperor of France was notorious to his enemies. His armies were said to be invincible and his tactics in battle were second to none. This was at least how he was perceived at the time. On the 23rd of June, 1812 he invaded Russia with the hopes of ultimately dominating Europe. Napoleon did not anticipate, however, the harsh Russian weather that they had to face coupled with the scorched-earth policy that the Russians employed. He also overlooked the resolve of Tsar Alexander in that the Russian Tsar would not surrender to Napoleon under any circumstances. Napoleon was also fighting a losing battle within himself. His age was beginning to get the better of him and his unwavering confidence in himself blinded him from making correct decisions. The campaign of 1812 was a disaster for Napoleon. Worse than the loss of over 500,000 men in Russia was the realization of France’s enemies that Napoleon was no longer the ‘Invincible’ conqueror that he was. Napoleon’s Russian campaign failed due to the culmination of these various factors, but above all, it was Napoleons faulty judgment and unwavering confidence in himself that led to his demise. Furthermore, this great defeat exposed Napoleon’s weakness to his enemies and as a result his reign as emperor came to an end. The weather was a worthy opponent to Napoleon and his Grand Armee during his campaign in Russia. However, casualties could have been prevented if Napoleon prepared properly for this grand campaign. Russia experiences extremely cold winters that arrive rapidly. It also gets very hot in the summer months. At the start of Napoleon’s campaign his army experienced very hot weather. As the campaign entered July the heat became unbearable. Napoleon and many of his men were struck with diseases. [1] Napoleon was losing soldiers to exhaustion, sickness and desertion at a rate of 5,000 per day. It is reported that after two months, without even fighting a battle Napoleon had lost 150,000 soldiers. [2] General Clausewitz wrote, â€Å"The bad water and the air-borne insects caused dysentery, typhus, and diarrhea. â€Å"[3] However, if Napoleon had planned to bring more doctors and medicine with him then many thousands of lives would have been saved. I believe this is Napoleon’s first in a series of mistakes that stems from faulty planning. Napoleon’s army suffered even worse during their retreat from Moscow. The soldiers were shattered by the bitter cold of the harsh Russian winter. Again, Napoleon had not planned properly for this. In fact, he had not even planned that he would be in Russia during the winter, another fatal mistake. Napoleon proclaimed before the campaign began that he expected it to last 20 days. [4] And according to another source he prepared 40 days worth of food for his army. [5] Either way this gross miscalculation by Napoleon in the preparation stages of his campaign. It is evident that Napoleon did not thoroughly plan for the Russian campaign, nor did he make the correct calculations that would ensure a decisive victory. I think that this is due to his slowly deteriorating heath as well as Napoleon’s overconfidence and irrational belief that he could not be defeated. It seemed as though Napoleon failed to display his true genius in 1812 that had won him countless battles in the past. He displayed much caution, which was uncharacteristic of his once vigorous and dominating demeanour. It is still unclear whether this was due to his illness at the start of the campaign or a more deeply-seated issue in Napoleon’s age and irrational beliefs. This is what Napoleon said on the subject of his own health: â€Å"Health is indispensable in war†; and, a few years later :†There is but one season for war; I shall be fit for it six years longer, and then I shall myself be obliged to stop. † He had passed the limit set by himself when the highest efficiency could be expected. [6] â€Å"Napoleon was 42 years of age in 1812 and clearly his best years as a youthful and energetic leader were behind him. As he entered into this midlife crisis he became more restless and he wanted to fully control Europe before he grew too old to do so. Napoleon also maintained this sense of destiny, he found it incredible that others even tried to oppose his strength. â€Å"Russia is now being led to her fate, let her destiny be fulfilled! â€Å"[7] This quote is evidence to the claim that Napoleon allowed his ego to get the better of his judgement. In Napoleon’s mind, it was god’s will for him to crush Russia and seize control of Europe. It was impossible for him to lose this campaign against Russia, especially with the greatest army the world had ever seen at his disposal. With such a tremendous force Napoleon overlooked the finer details of the campaign that were essential to assuring its success. Another factor that greatly contributed to the failure of Napoleon’s 1812 campaign was the tactics that the Russians employed to deter his Grand Armee. The Russians would retreat deeper inland as soon as they saw the Grand Armee approaching, which worked to exhaust their enemy. The Russians had no choice but to retreat when they saw Napoleon’s massive approaching army. As a result of this, the Grand Armee suffered. [8] It is unclear whether the Russians retreated as they were aware that facing the enormous invading force was suicidal or they did it on purpose in order to intentionally tire out the enemy. Either way, the retreat worked wonders against Napoleon’s Army. A French General said this: â€Å"We (the French cavalry) deploy, and boldly advance to the attack, and already reach their line; but they disappear like a dream and we see only the bare pines and birch trees. An hour later, when we have begun to feed our horses, the dark line of Cossacks again appears on the horizon, and we are again threatened with an onslaught. We repeat the same manoeuvre, and, as before, our operations are not attended with success. Thus one of the best and bravest cavalry forces the world has ever seen was tired out and disorganised by those whom it considered unworthy foes, but who were the real saviours of their country. â€Å"[9] As the Russians retreated, they gained in strength, and exhausted the resources of country on the path that was to be trailed by the invaders. This has come to be known as the ‘scorched earth policy. ’ This strategy was designed to deplete the enemy’s resources so that they may only survive on the provisions that they brought along with them. The Russians burned their own countryside as they fell back. Napoleon did not anticipate the use of this tactic. It was greatly effective in depleting the numbers of the Grand Armee by starving the enemy. The Russians were determined to defend their country from almost certain defeat. They fought knowing that their entire country was relying on them to keep it from falling into Napoleon’s hands. This incentive and confidence in battle that the Russians had was also not anticipated by the French Emperor. He expected the Russians to roll over and be crushed as he had done in previous campaigns. Also to his horror he found that the discipline in his own ranks was slowly fading†¦ As previously stated, Napoleon had amassed his army from all corners of his empire. Among the French there were Germans, Italians, Poles, Spaniards, Portuguese, Swiss and Croatians. Even though the numbers of this army were staggering, their cohesion as a unit was compromised due to the simple fact that they were all from different countries. This mixture of languages and cultures, although very large and well organized, made efficiency and discipline an issue for Napoleon. Also, only the French troops were the ones who were well equipped and well trained, they were inspired to fight under their beloved Emperor. The same cannot be said of the rest of the troops. [10] The foreigners were fighting because they had no choice, they were allies to Napoleon but they shared no special bond with him, nor were they particularly motivated to be fighting in his name and in the name of France. This was another key factor that played a large role in the dismantling of the army during Napoleon’s retreat form Moscow. Napoleon also failed to realize that the Tsar Alexander would not surrender as easily as he thought. Napoleon thought that after a handful of decisive victories the Tsar would agree peace terms and Napoleon would have his way. He also mistakenly thought that if he were to occupy the Russian capital of Moscow then the country would be at his mercy. â€Å"A Single blow delivered at the heart of the Russian Empire, at Moscow the holy, will instantly put this whole blind, apathetic mass at my mercy. [11] Napoleon, despite having extensive relations with Tsar Alexander had underestimated his character. The Tsar’s resolve was strong and unwavering in his decision to not accept terms of peace with Napoleon. He did not even respond to Napoleon, even though the French Emperor now occupied the capital city. [12] It is important to note that as the Grand Arme e entered into Moscow it was in flames, set ablaze by the Russians themselves in accordance with their scorched earth policy. This denied Napoleon’s men the provisions and plunder that they so desired and had been promised. The occupants had fled to the countryside and the city was left deserted and up in flames. Napoleon had again been bested by the Russians. His army was now 1/5th of what it was. Two of my sources hold very different views when it comes to the morale of Napoleon’s men at this time. One maintains that the officers maintained their confidence in Napoleon while the troops, although not happy with the fact that they had no provisions â€Å"retained their thoughtlessness† and were still content under the Emperor’s guidance. [13] The other source depicts more of a sense of disillusionment within the ranks. The fires by which the place was devastated reacted on the discipline of the troops. The men abandoned themselves to disorder, and marauding did not cease until the Emperor took stringent measures to restore discipline. †[14] Napoleon was left with a dilemma to ponder. He could either continue the campaign and make a final push to defeat the weakened enemy with the disgruntled and famished troops that he had left or he could quickly retreat and leave Russia knowing that he had been outmanoeuvred by his enemy. Napoleon took a third option. He waited for word from Tsar Alexander. He was optimistic that the Tsar would sign a peace agreement. Napoleon was unaware of the fact that Alexander could not possibly surrender, it was his duty as Tsar to never accept terms. This led to Napoleon hesitating in Moscow for five weeks. With no word from Alexander and winter fast approaching. A decision needed to be made quickly. Napoleon gave the order to retreat and they marched out of Moscow on the 19th of October. [15] This hesitation from Napoleon would soon come back to bite them. Napoleon lingered in Moscow for far too long. His stay should not have exceeded two weeks and he should have retreated in September. By hesitating so long he brought about the horrors that would face him and what was left of his army in the following weeks. Three weeks after Napoleon and his army exited Moscow the winter emerged. As they marched westward the cold gradually increased until it became almost unbearable. As the temperature dropped to -20 degrees the retreating soldiers began dropping like flies from starvation, disease and the bitter cold. Discipline declined. The famished soldiers no longer did what they were told. They had no honour left to do battle, instead the main goal of every soldier was to stay alive. Men fought over food supplies and clothes. Some abandoned the unit in search of provisions elsewhere. The army was no longer a fighting force. [16] This, however was not the retreating army’s only problem. The Cossacks attacked the army from all flanks, they were vicious and relentless to Napoleon’s army, and they showed no mercy to anyone who fell behind the main unit. 17] Napoleon’s army was slowly fading away, little by little each day. Napoleon even wore a vial of poison around his neck in the event of him being captured. Less than 90,000 soldiers escaped Russia even after Napoleon had abandoned what was left of his army when he heard of a coup developing in Paris. The campaign in Russian was colossal failure. With what looked like a sure victory for Napoleon at the start of the campaign ended in shambles. Napoleon was outwitted and undone by the tactics of the Russians. Something Napoleon did not consider possible. Napoleon’s failure to understand that the Russians would fight with such desperation to defend their motherland was a costly mistake. Napoleon greatly underestimated his enemy, as well as the amount of necessary provisions to feed such a massive force as the Grand Armee. Everything seemed to conspire against Napoleon in the Russian campaign and in some respects he was hopelessly unlucky. His belief in himself and his army was so great, his ‘star’ so bright that he became blinded. He failed to think through the battle plan thoroughly enough and the result was a great failure. This failure did not go unnoticed by the rest of Europe. After it became obvious that Napoleon had lost with such a large army at his disposal Britain, Russia, Prussia and Sweden decided to strike Napoleon when he appeared weakest. His reputation as an invincible conqueror took a massive hit. The rest of Europe realized that it was possible to defeat Napoleon. Napoloen was able to rally another army to defend his empire from the forces that were now conspiring against him but it was too late, the initial damage had been done through the Russian campaign and Napoleon’s empire would never again ascend to what it once was prior to the campaign of 1812.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

The Heliocentric Science

Samir Okasha showed in his book, â€Å"Philosophy of Science: A very short introduction†, what makes science a distinct body of knowledge which make use of â€Å"observations, experiments and theory-constructions† as can be reflected on the works of `De Revolutionibus` by Nicholaus Copernicus and `Letter to The Grand Duchess, Christina` by Gallileo. The works had been both controversial since they are against the normal view during their time. Okasha’s book is useful in understanding the concept of scientific revolutions, or the changes in scientific paradigm which can be reflected in the works of Galileo and Copernicus. This essay would like to show how Okasha’s work can help in understanding the works of great scientists, specifically Copernicus and Gallileo. The essay would focus on the theme of scientific revolution. The essay would start with an introduction of science prior to the time of Copernicus and Galileo. The prevailing science and the role of religion would be highlighted to emphasize the difference between the roles of these two. The highlights of Copernicus’ work would be discussed. It will be followed by the defense made by Galileo against his retractors. Finally, the concept of scientific revolution would be defined and the works of Copernicus and Galileo would be analyzed based on this context. Okasha explained that prior to the development of modern science that started during the 1500, science had largely been Aristotelian. This means that most of the things that are regarded as scientific are based upon the findings and writing of Aristotle. Aristotle was a Greek philosopher who studied several areas of knowledge including astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology. Particularly, he put forward that the earth is spherical and finite. Aristotle believed that the movement of the planets is in circular motion. Aristotle also supports the notion that earthly bodies are composed of â€Å"four elements: earth, water, air and fire†. Another important figure in pre-Copernican science was Ptolemy. The well-known geocentric model was set upon by this man before 170 AD. According to his model, the Earth is the center of the Solar System. Everything revolves around Earth. He used the concept of epicycles and equant to describe the movement of the planets and other heavenly bodies. Both Aristotle and Ptolemy hold that the Earth is stationary or does not move. They believe that the heavens –the sun, the planets and the stars are the ones that move. Both also believe that the stars are fixed in the heavens. They imagined that there are shells that hold the heavenly bodies. Science, especially astronomy, had been based on these two thinkers for over 1000 years. Thus, knowledge had been highly dominated and is profoundly based on their ideas. Being able to survive from generations after generations and being unchallenged for more than 1000 years, it is only apparent that these sciences are considered as normal and at some point natural. More particularly, Christianity as a religion gained authority which controlled or dictate knowledge based on their interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. Since the geocentric model is compatible with what is written in the Christian doctrines, it was considered as an absolute truth. During this period new discoveries would only be accepted if it does not contradict the Bible and if the evidences are too compelling that it cannot be disregarded by common sense. Nonetheless, no matter how perfect a normal science is -at first, anomalies would arise which produces doubt about normal science. There will be instances that run contrary to the accepted facts. At some point, these anomalies are treated as exceptions to the rule. However, as mentioned above, Okasha mentioned that one of the defining marks of science is the ability to construct theories which almost always generalizable. As anomalies builds up, the reliability of the theory weaken. New explanations are sought through experiments and observations. New theory is formulated which displace the previous theory. This process of change in accepted science is regarded as Scientific Revolution. One of the most prevalent examples of this shift in scientific belief is the Copernican Revolution. This revolution happened shortly after Nicholas Copernicus published his work â€Å"De Revolutionibus†. This work explicates the possibility that the sun is the center of the Solar System and not the earth. Copernicus tried to explain, at his best, the proof for this change in the model of the universe. Copernicus, himself, had been wary of publishing this discovery. It was not until he was sure about his explanation that he decided to publish his work. He received the first copy of his work before he died. Since Copernicus served as a canon in Frauenburg, Copernicus undertook extreme caution not to upset the church with his discover. Thus, although he had his discoveries in 1515, he decided not to announce his views publicly. Instead he tried to gather more evidence and revised his work. The book consists of six volumes. The first part explained the heliocentric model and the reason why this is so. According to Copernicus, he decided to try the sun-centered model due to the massive contradictions and inconsistencies that he found in the Ptolemaic model. The great number of anomalies involved calls for a new approach. Copernicus explained that the Earth is not fixed or is not stationary. He described the movement of the planets on their axis. This movement, now known as rotation, denotes the movement of the sun and the heavens from east to west. Copernicus also acknowledges that the planets revolve around the sun. He identified the number of days before the known planets can complete one revolution around the sun. Furthermore, the Copernican model also explained the changes in seasons and the advent of eclipses. In the later volumes, Copernicus tried to explain the movements of the other planets and he also explained the process on how he arrived to his conclusion. Since the book detailed explanation about the movement of the planets that are contrary to the literal meaning of the words in the Bible, it is expected that few people would consider and accept the idea. Removing Earth in the center of the universe seems to be a very strange idea that would overthrow the thought that God had made man as something special and that everything exists or was made for man. Okasha cited that the book was â€Å"banned in 1616 based on the assessment of the Catholic Church that the contents of the book contravene with those of the Holy Scriptures†. Copernicus had managed to gain popularity despite being criticized by the Catholic Church. Upon the invention of the telescope by Galileo Galilee, new evidences that support Copernicus findings arose. One of the critical observations made by Galileo was the presence and movement of sunspots. This discovery reiterated the fact that indeed heavenly bodies move in their axis or rotates. As Galileo published his discoveries, he gained negative response and was even accused of being a heretic. To this end, he wrote the `Letter to The Grand Duchess, Christina` with the purpose of clearing his name. In this letter he explained his current situation and his findings. Galileo identified his retractors to include those who judge his work without reading and understanding its contents. Galileo stated that those who are against him are the people â€Å"who has greater fondness to their opinions than truth†. As it appears, this seems to be the case since those that accused Galileo as a heretic did so despite overwhelming evidence from Copernicus and from the findings of Galileo himself that indeed hat is in the center of the Solar System. Galileo tried to clear his name by arguing that his retractors tried to show that his ideas are novel. It appears therefore that the action towards Galileo is a personal attack since previous authors or â€Å"confirmer† such as Copernicus was not mentioned during discussion of his work. He argued that Copernicus was not mentioned because his actions and findings were supported by the Catholic Church. To ensure that Copernicus book will be published, the preface was edited and it was explained that the book only reflects the hypothesis of a single man. Copernicus also addressed the pope in his book regarding the possibility that someone would â€Å"dare to condemn and censure this hypothesis †¦ upon the authority of some scriptural passage twisted to their purpose (Galilei and Finocchiaro, 1989)†. Being accused as a heretic, Galileo argued that his findings are not contradictory to the Bible. He explained that the words in the bible should not be taken literally. Galileo defended himself by making clear that the bible was made in a language and with the information that the masses or the common people can understand. For instance the higher mysteries such as the essence of God himself where described using human qualities and by referring to nature. Galileo elucidate the fact that the Bible did not necessarily discuss the heavens. The writers of the Bible only include those things that are necessary for people to live a â€Å"blessed life†. Galileo summed this argument by citing a statement he heard from an ecclesiastic â€Å"the intentions of the Holy Ghost is to teach us how one goes to heaven, not how the heaven goes†. In the end, the heliocentric model is now accepted as the legitimate model of the solar system. This fact had been confirmed by several sense-experience evidences. The process whereby science changes from normal to revolutionary and back to normal science again is known as the Scientific Revolution. The process is continuous since everything known as science is fallible. Although it is hard to think that there are other models of the solar system other than the heliocentric version, there had been several additions and further discoveries that might change the normal concept of the solar system. With respect to the idea of scientific revolutions, Okasha discussed the arguments put forward by Thomas Kuhn regarding the nature of scientific change. Kuhn coined the term paradigm to represent normal science. A paradigm is consists of â€Å"fundamental assumptions accepted by the scientific community and had solved theoretical problems with the aid of the fundamental assumptions (Okasha, 2002)†. The old paradigm are replaced ones anomalies, such as those mentioned above, exists continually. Scientist and thinkers would try to find a new way of explaining things by taking into account the corrections that must be made. The geocentric model had been accepted as true for more than 1000 years. Although there had been accounts and beliefs that the sun is at the center of the Solar System, they all remained as hypothetical assumptions. The work of Copernicus paved the way for an exposure of the anomalies while establishing a new paradigm. Galileo succeeded in convincing the scientific community, through the use of his invention, to accept the new paradigm. With the aid of Okasha’s book, one is able to get a better view of how the works of Copernicus and Galileo represent the concept of scientific revolutions. It also showed how resistance can affect the acceptance of new paradigm and how new sciences are produced. The process of revolution in the sciences does not take overnight but it takes decades or even centuries to develop.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Personal Narrative My Heart Is Heavy - 982 Words

As I write this assignment, my heart is heavy. This week began with romantic heartbreak, continued with supporting my dear friend whose mom is in the ICU, and has gone on today with one of my best friends grieving with me that his grandma has two malignant tumors in her lung. I share this firstly to ask for prayers for the family’s of Emily and Thomas, but also as I’m looking back at my time in meditation on these two passages I know am leaning so deeply on God’s sovereignty and sustainability for the lives of my friends. Also, as I look back on these passages, I realize that God is not done using them to mold me yet. I am grateful for how Isaiah 46 helped to change my internal soundtrack and began to impact my relationships and plans over the course of my meditation in it. I found this passage harder initially to dive into because I needed to decode the stylistic layers of Jewish poetry and prophecy, but the fruit that it yielded is incredible. This passage forc ed me to dwell on God’s jealousy for us; also I found solace for my struggles and sin in Isaiah’s words. This passage begins with God exhorting his people to bring their idols before Him - confident they will not match up to his standards. What really resonated with me over the weeks was how Isaiah described the toil with which people brought their idols before God attempting to put them in the place that only God belongs. The people have to lift them on their shoulders, they carry them, they put them in their highShow MoreRelatedThe Life Of A Slave Girl By Harriet Jacobs1292 Words   |  6 Pagesfocus on two texts: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. 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Thursday, December 26, 2019

Baker Hughes Incorporated ( Bhi / Nyse ) - 858 Words

Baker Hughes Incorporated (BHI/NYSE) Baker Hughes is a top-tier oilfield service company that is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company provides oil and gas exploration and production companies worldwide with products and services for drilling, formation valuation, production, and completion. Baker Hughes also provides services for downstream segments of the oil and gas industry. Technological innovation is at the center of Baker Hughes’ success. The company is over 100 years old, with 60,000 employees in more than 80 countries. Baker Hughes has a far larger market capitalization than Newpark. Baker Hughes has a higher P/E ratio (22.60) and lower EV/EBITDA (7.88) than Newpark, indicating mixed opinions on whether the firm is over or undervalued from the market’s perspective. However, it does have a higher diluted EPS of 2.88 and ROE of 7.16, which would show inferior performance but superior return to shareholders. Meanwhile, both companies have shown similar trends in their amount of debt carried by decreasing debt. Baker Hughes is not focused on Newpark’s niche mat segment. Baker Hughes’ main source of growth in revenue this past year in the Gulf of Mexico region is its drilling and completion fluids segment, which could be a problem for Newpark. However, these fluids are for both the drilling stage and the completion stage, where all the growth is due to gas, while Newpark only supplies fluids for drilling. Also, Baker Hughes’s growth in the U.S. onshore drilling

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

A Brief Description of Alex Rodriguez - 692 Words

The star third-baseman, the man with the incredible swing, and the quarter billion dollar man. All these things can be used to describe Alex Rodriguez but now you can add cheater, liar, and drug abuser. Alex Rodriguez, also known as A-Rod, has been involved in an investigation going on for over a year about his use of performance-enhancing steroids. Starting on January 29th, 2013 Alex Rodriguez’s name was included in an article by the Miami New Times that link him to Biogenesis, an anti-aging clinic that had been discovered to be supplying MLB players with performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez, along with star right fielder Ryan Braun and 17 others, became part of the longest doping suspension in history. All of the other players accepted the 50-60 game suspensions, but Rodriguez would receive an unprecedented 211 game suspension. This caused Rodriguez to appeal. The MLB released the following statement explaining the extended suspension of Rodriguez. â€Å"For use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing drugs substances, including Testosterone and Human Growth Hormone, over the course of multiple years. For attempting to cover-up his violations of the Program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioners suspension.† Rodriguez announced that he would continue his appeal. When the hearing for Rodriguez’s case began on September 30th 2013, the MLB stated their case first. A fewShow MoreRelatedSalsa and New York2959 Words   |  12 Pagesattitude, dress code, and others. The presence of one or more of particular elements does not necessarily define a particular style. For example, many styles can be danced On One or one style may be danced On One or On Two. The following are brief descriptions of major recognizable styles. 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Monday, December 9, 2019

Managing Volunteers in Sports and Events †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Managing Volunteers in Sports and Events. Answer: Introduction Volunteers are considered as the lifeblood of any sports and event as the successful running of any event is dependent on the volunteers (Waikayi et al., 2012). Smart clubs are involved in generating many techniques to recruit, manage and retain their volunteers. In order to manage the volunteers in any sports events, it is crucial for the organization to gather information regarding the specific volunteer policy, award and the induction. Volunteers may be paid or unpaid hence theirmanagement is necessary for sports and events to give shape such programs. In the context of the sports club or other organization, the volunteer work depends on the characteristics of the organization. This review of the literature reveals a critical analysis of thevolunteer management process by the club and organization during sports or other events. This study includes a brief discussion of the practices that are encountered in the volunteer management. Apart from this importance of the volunteer manag ement for the organization to give shape the sports or other events will be discussed in this section. Concept of the volunteer in sports and events Volunteers refer to those people who donate their times without expecting any benefit from their work. However, the volunteers are crucial for the successful outcome and continuity of any sport and event that are organized by club and organization. The volunteer aims to help the people during the event and they have the great interest in their work (Safrit Schmiesing, 2012). For the sports club and other organization, volunteer management is necessary to develop a positive situation in the context of sports and events. Volunteers do their work according to their interest that is the main reason for their success. Volunteer lifecycle Volunteer lifecycle includes motivation, interview, learning, development, feedback, giving help and the retention. However, it is important for the club and the organization to understand the lifecycle of the volunteers to manage them properly (Vecina et al., 2012). The application is an element volunteer life cycle that focuses on the interest of the volunteers in order to manage them. The interview is another element of such lifecycle that reveals the strength of the volunteers. Learning and development are the major areas of the volunteer management. However, the sports club can identify the goal of the volunteer and their specific duty as it enables this organization to manage the volunteers during the sports and events based on their goal. Training is a part of volunteer management provided by the organization to develop the existing skills of volunteers as it will make them effective in their work (Wicker, 2017). The staff and supervisor of the organization provide support to the volunteers to make them comfortable to undertake their duty. Therefore, the volunteers are able to understand their role and they also involve in decision making regarding their work. Organizational support enables the volunteers to make good relationship with their co-workers and the supervisor empowers the volunteers to exhibit their own thought regarding their work. Collecting feedbacks from the volunteers about their issues is another vital area of volunteer life cycle and their management. Volunteer motivation Volunteer management needs the high motivation of the volunteers by the organization that is involved in the selection of volunteers for sports and events. The organization can motivate the volunteers through the intrinsic and extrinsic process (Blackman, Benson Dickson, 2017). Intrinsic motivation is associated with intrinsic reward. However, to manage the volunteers it is crucial for the sports club to motivate the volunteers. For this reason by providing intrinsic reward is an effective process to encourage the individual volunteer in their work. Autonomy and self-esteem are the common needs of paid employees and the volunteers in an organization. Volunteers do not expect money from their work thus intrinsic reward or nonfinancial reward will give them pleasure and develop their self-esteem (Vecina et al., 2012). On the other hand, by providing financial award extrinsic motivation can be done in the context of volunteers. Therefore, by applying motivational theories as for exampl e, Maslow's hierarchy theory, Herzberg's two-factor theories the organizations are able to motivate the volunteers. Maslows theory is beneficial to fulfill the self-esteem needs of the volunteers, which insists them in their work. However, by following Maslows theory the organization gives respect and value to the volunteers that enhance their self-esteem (Nichols, 2017). On the other hand, Herzberg's two-factor theory includes extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors, which allow the organization to motivate their volunteers and maximize their performance by satisfying their needs. However, motivation is mandatory for volunteers to manage them during sports or events as highly motivated volunteers will be interested in their work. Application of motivational theories allows the sports club and the organization to increase the interest of the volunteers and to manage them by satisfying their needs (White, 2016). Giving award and the non-financial reward is crucial to managing the volunteers during the sports and the events. Volunteer management through psychological contract theory Sports club and event management organization need to understand the interest of the volunteers as it helps the organization to encourage the volunteers by maximizing their interest level. In order to manage the volunteers, the organization should understand the needs of the volunteers (White, 2016). This study deals with the management of newham volunteers by the sports club. Application of psychological contract leads the organization to understand the expectation of the volunteers regarding their work and from the organization. However, through the psychological contract, it has been recognized that there are many rewards apart from the paid work that encourage the volunteers in their work. The social reward is effective for the volunteers that maximize the interaction of the volunteers with their colleagues. During the major events, the volunteers should be managed competently. A clear communication is required to manage the volunteers by understanding their expectations. However , the involvement of the volunteers in prestigious event that is conducting in their own city leads them to feel valued. This is a big approach to encourage the volunteers by identifying their expectations (Nichols Ojala, 2009). Psychological contract reveals that the expectations of club administration and the volunteers are different from each other. Hence, the club administration wants to make the volunteers more professional while the volunteers provide their concern to the rewarding work (Lee, Kim Koo, 2016). For this reason, the management of volunteers needs to make resemblance between the expectation of the club administration and the volunteers. Volunteer management is a process between the membership management and the program management. However, the psychological contract reveals a promising framework in order to understand the expectations of the volunteers. The psychological contract allows the club administration to identify the emotion and feelings of the volunteers that are associated with their work. However, by understanding the psychology of the volunteers the club administration is able to fulfill their needs by giving them more respect and value. This research methodology includes qualitative method in order to understand the expectation level of the newham volunteers. However, interview has been conducted over the six event managers and the result is recorded. However, the qualitative method reveals the differences of the perceptions between the event managers and the volunteers (Johnson et al., 2017). Apart from this the findings of the research focuses that enthusiasm is very important for the volunteers to manage them during the sports and event management. Enthusiasm enables the volunteers to be competent during their work. Significance of volunteer management in sports and events Various factors are involved in motivating the volunteers and they need the different type of management tools. This situation leads the club authority to manage the volunteers. However, proper management of the volunteers develops a win-win environment that encourages the sports organization as well as the volunteers (Kim Cuskelly, 2017). The relationship between the clubs and the volunteers may vary based on the volunteer management process. Therefore, often the clubs try to develop the volunteers without understanding their particular needs that affect the volunteer management process. The volunteers are an integral part of a sports club thus it is vital for the organizations to make the positive environment for the volunteers that lead them to feel respected and valued as a part of the sports club. If the volunteers feel respected and rewarded by the sports organization then their confidence level increase. This insists them to contribute more effort for the success of the clubs (Vecina et al., 2012). Management of the volunteers makes a balance between the needs of the volunteers and the clubs as it is important for the success of any sports and event. However, a proper balance between the volunteers and the club enables the club to get more efficient work and support from the volunteers in the coming future. Conclusion The above study highlights on the management of the volunteers in sports and events. However, it has been found that different motivational factors are associated with the volunteer management. It is important for the sports organization to understand the expectation of the volunteers regarding their work. For this purpose, the psychological contract is beneficial to understand the expectation level of the volunteers. On the other hand, providing intrinsic and extrinsic reward will be an effective approach to the volunteer motivation. Application of the Maslow's hierarchy theory and Herzberg's two-factor theory are beneficial for the sports organization to motivate their volunteers in their work. Research reveals that intrinsic reward is good for the volunteers as it maximizes their confidence and belief in the organization. References Blackman, D., Benson, A. M., Dickson, T. J. (2017). Enabling event volunteer legacies: A knowledge management perspective.Event Management,21(3), 233-250. Johnson, J. E., Giannoulakis, C., Felver, N., Judge, L. W., David, P. A., Scott, B. F. (2017). Motivation, Satisfaction, and Retention of Sport Management Student Volunteers.Journal of Applied Sport Management,9(1). Kim, E., Cuskelly, G. (2017). A Systematic Quantitative Review Of Volunteer Management in Events.Event Management,21(1), 83-100. Lee, Y., Kim, M., Koo, J. (2016). The impact of social interaction and team member exchange on sport event volunteer management.Sport Management Review,19(5), 550-562. Nichols, G. (2017). Volunteering in Community Sports Associations: A Literature Review.Voluntaristics Review,2(1), 1-75. Nichols, G., Ojala, E. (2009). Understanding the management of sports events volunteers through psychological contract theory.VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations,20(4), 369. Safrit, R. D., Schmiesing, R. (2012). Volunteer models and management.The volunteer management handbook: Leadership strategies for success,, 3-30. Vecina, M. L., Chacn, F., Sueiro, M., Barrn, A. (2012). Volunteer engagement: Does engagement predict the degree of satisfaction among new volunteers and the commitment of those who have been active longer?.Applied Psychology,61(1), 130-148. Waikayi, L., Fearon, C., Morris, L., McLaughlin, H. (2012). Volunteer management: an exploratory case study within the British Red Cross.Management Decision,50(3), 349-367. White, M. D. (2016).Volunteer Management: Understanding Volunteer Motivation and Recognizing Critical Tactics for Managing the Volunteer Workforce(Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland University College). Wicker, P. (2017). Volunteerism and volunteer management in sport.Sport Management Review.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Way to Rainy Mountain Analysis. Rhetorical Essay

In 1969, N. Scott Momaday created a story about the journey of Momaday’s Kiowa ancestors and called it The Way to Rainy Mountain. The author traces his roots, starting from the Kiowa Indians. To present a considerably informative and educative picture of his own past, Momaday chooses an unusual way for his story and tells about his grandmother’s death, his desire to visit her grave and add more information about grandmother’s life. The Way to Rainy Mountain essay aims at analyzing the text from the course of existential aspects.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Way to Rainy Mountain Analysis. Rhetorical Essay specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Way to Rainy Mountain: Rhetorical Analysis of the Text From the very first sentences, it turns out to be rather clear that Kiowa tribes respect the land and nature where they live. He underlines that it is not enough to take the earth and its gifts for granted, because it is crucially important to care about it and conserve it. The Way to Rainy Mountain analysis shows that the work under consideration presents several Kiowa legends through the story about the narrator’s grandmother, her life and death, and introduces some Kiowa myths. This information cannot but captivate the reader and opens for everyone a new world, full of hope, belief, and trust. People have to believe in something to get a sense of life and enjoy it. The author puts a deep meaning in his text from the very beginning. â€Å"My grandmother had a reverence for the sun, a holy regard that now is all but gone out of mankind. There was a wariness in her, and an ancient awe. She was a Christian in her later years, but she had come a long way about, and she never forgot her birthright.† (Momaday) This very quote helps to summarize and recognize the major trends, which were inherent to the Kiowa Indians. The life of Momaday’s grandmother was not simple; she faced certain problems and wanted to choose the best ways to live her life properly. However, she never forgot her roots and respected her history, her ancestry, and her past in general. The Kiowa tribes respected lots of things, and sun was one of them. With the help of this citation, the reader can learn that Kiowa people not only respected the sun, but also were afraid of its power and energy. Momaday’s The way to Rainy Mountain is not a simple description of how the Kiowa people developed, learned, and protected their knowledge. This way is a description of their culture, their preferences, activities, and beliefs. The author concentrates on three different visions: historical, personal, and cultural. In the citation mentioned above, Momaday unites all these three visions and creates a clear picture of how people treated the nature and what was so special about it. Conclusion The main The way to Rainy Mountain thesis is that the characters could change the ir faith, they could find some other places to live, they could meet new people and choose the other preferences. But still, their history, their memories, and their rights remained the same. The author mainly refers to the theme that people got one simple right to live and be the people of Kiowa. Nothing can change this truth, and no one can forget it.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The story created by Scott Momaday is unique, indeed. It helps the reader to comprehend that our history should be respected and studied thoroughly. People of Kiowa demonstrated the importance of the belief and how powerful the belief could be and how it is easy to forget about it and even lose faith. The chosen quote and the text in general open eyes to numerous details that people should take into consideration in order to be free, have a sense of living, and respect the world they live in. This essay on The Way to Rainy Mountain Analysis was written and submitted by user Aniyah N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.