Memoirs Free Essays

Anne Frank is the best known of these two people, far more than Romeo Dallaire. Her struggle for survival and her eventual plight of death in a concentration camp have awed the world for the last sixty years. Just a young girl who had the rest of her life to look forward to and her youthful plans for that life that were snuffed short by a war machine and the hatred of a man she would never see, Adolph Hitler. We will write a custom essay sample on Memoirs or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hitler’s madness and his intricate hatred for followers of the Jewish faith subsequently brought a halt to millions of lives of people that had never seen him, known him or would have ever harmed him. His fanatical crusade for the â€Å"Arian† race to populate the world and do an ethnic cleansing of any other race, creed or religion created one of the most horrendous and infamous atrocities in world history, the Holocaust. Everyone who has ever read Diary of a Young Girl could not help but be moved by Anne Frank’s courage and optimism during her enforced hiding with her family and the other residents in that attic as she tried to maintain hope in the ominous face of an adverse society that had invaded her native country. It is truly amazing how she managed to maintain her sanity and her outlook on life through such a horrific ordeal. Just fifteen years old with very little experience at life, she seemed to possess a profound ability to see things as they â€Å"really were† and not as she or the others would have wished them to be. Yet, it did not seem to quell her belief that there was good in people and that only a few were responsible for the misery that is often imposed upon others simply because of another’s beliefs or policies. It has to make one wonder if it were not partly because it was a more innocent time in the world when children were not constantly besieged by violence, crime or prejudice. Though probably one of the world’s most famous victims of prejudice, Anne Frank maintained that innocence through her whole life. She was a child caught in a nightmare not of her own making and she along with millions of others suffered because of that nightmare. Romeo Dallaire was a military man that by choice involved him in these types of matters. A Canadian Major General, Dallaire, headed a small United Nations peacekeeping force, UNAMIR, in Rwanda, Africa. Horrible atrocities became evident to him and he set out to appeal for help in these murders that were so ethnic in nature. It involved a conflict that the ruling regime, the Hutu, had begun mass massacres of the Tutsis, a different sect within the country. It was totally classified as ethnic in policy. When Dallaire faxed for advice in 1994, his fax was treated with little or no attention. The United Nations refused to acknowledge it as genocide and would not allow Dallaire to do anything beyond the regular rules that his small military unit was allowed to pursue. Dallaire had to sit back helplessly and watch this atrocity go unchecked. Unlike Anne Frank, he was not a personal victim but he was just as helpless in changing the effect of what was happening. In his writings later, Shake Hands With The Devil, Dallaire expounded on the ineffectualness of Genocide Committees, such as the UN had, when it was doubtful if a particular action within a country can be termed as ethnic genocide. Time has proven constantly that other countries or even the United Nations in these more modern times are extremely hesitant to act despite sometimes often insurmountable proof that ethnic cleansing is occurring and it should be stopped immediately. So what similarities would be between Anne Frank and Romeo Dallaire? They both wrote important works on the results and after effects of ethnic cleansing and genocidal war. Anne Frank’s viewpoint came from an innocent bystander. Her only crime? She was a Jew. She had led a quiet gentle life within a loving family structure and she was only aware of the persecution of the Jewish population by what was happening around her. Once in seclusion, her writings intensified as she grew more and more aware of the plight of other people and of her childhood friends and their families either frantically trying to escape or captured by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camps where most of them never returned. Her diary, which she referred to as â€Å"Kitty†, was begun before she and her family were forced into hiding. It shows all the normal qualities of a young girl her age. Her young hopes and dreams and the beginnings of puberty. Her delightful and expectant views of what life would be like when she was grown were the strongest proof of her innocence. She was a friendly, astute and open person and those qualities did stand her in good stead while she remained in hiding for two years. She managed to maintain a very mature calm while some of the older adults around her were literally â€Å"falling to pieces.† She seemed to rise above the petty squabbles and accusations that formed when so many people are crammed into such close quarters for so long. She tried not to dwell on the lack of food, fresh air, or miserable living conditions that she existed in but instead took a very philosophical point of view of what was happening around her and to her. Her incredible courage has inspired people constantly through the years since her untimely death and the publication of her diary. She very clearly knew the difference between right and wrong. Through her diary, she made a world wake up to how quickly one group can impose its values on another and if the imposed group refused those values, then violence and mass death could erupt from it. To quote the old phrase â€Å"Out of the mouths of babes†, whether trite or not, in this instance, a child taught an adult world what was wrong with prejudice, stupidity and the aggressiveness of war. Romeo Dallaire’s own writings have been a good source for endless purposes as far as a teaching and informative guide to how not to miss the very clear signs of ethnic war. Because Dallaire’s hands were tied in the military sense and the United Nations’ refusal to act upon his advice from the situation that eventually escalated into a full scale war. Dallaire is often quoted by writers on war and genocide because his graphic description of how the massacring of the Tutsis people in Rwanda should have been clear warning signs of what was going to happen. It is one thing to set of councils against genocide but to refuse to act upon situations that fall under the jurisdiction of these councils is almost as heinous as the very acts of war themselves. In an odd comparison, Anne Frank and Romeo Dallaire were exactly alike as they were both witnesses to these atrocities and they were both completely helpless to do anything to stop them outside of writing about them. It is perhaps some comfort that through both of their written observations, we, as a world, are better able to see the fallacy in these types of confrontations and hopefully in the future, take more steps to insure that they never happen again. Works Cited/ References: 1.How to Prevent Genocide: A Guide for Policymakers, Scholars, and the Concerned Citizen by John G. Heindenrich, Praeger Publishing, 2001 2. The Door of Opportunity: Creating a Permanent Peacekeeping Force:   Journal Article by Lionel Rosenblatt, Larry Thompson, World Policy Journal, Vol. 15, 1998 3. Understanding Anne Frank’s the Diary of A Young Girl, A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents by Hedda   Rosner Kopf, Greenwood Press, 1998 4. Anne Frank: The Biography: Magazine Article by Martyn Bedford; New Statesman, Vol. 129, April 2, 1999 How to cite Memoirs, Essay examples

Problems In Intercultural Communication Essay Example For Students

Problems In Intercultural Communication Essay Word Count: 1681 Humans have been communicating since four million years. On the other hand, the birth of culture is estimated to have token place about 35,000 years ago. Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on our thoughts and behaviors. Since each culture has its distinct aspects, intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder. There are three main issues which are at the root of the problem of intercultural miscommunication : language as a barrier, cultural diversity and ethnocentrism. I will analyze these three notions in situations in which intercultural communication is frequent such as : the workplace, the classroom and vacation trips. The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Language has always been perceived as a link between people but it can also constitute a barrier. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of yes varies from maybe, Ill consider it; to ;definitely so,; with many shades in between . Furthermore, communication between cultures which do not share the same language is considerably more difficult . Each culture, has its distinct syntax, expressions and structure which causes confusion in intercultural communication. For example , in Asian countries the word no is rarely used, so that yea can mean no or perhaps. Therefore, an American traveling to Japan might be considered impolite if he ignores this rule. Furthermore, individuals who are not comfortable with a certain language may not be taken seriously. Such is the case in the classroom, where a student who has a perfect knowledge of the subject in question may have difficulty expressing his idea due to his inability to write properly and therefore he would not receive the grade he truly deserves. Similarly intercultural communication is dominant in the workplace. In the past, many companies and organizations could operate entirely within their country of origin and conduct their activities exclusively in their own native language. But now, due to an increasingly amount of intercultural business, some American companies require for their employees to have a good knowledge in languages such as Japanese, German, Italian Sociolinguists examine social and cultural influences on language behavior. Among the most important concepts to emerge are those relating to dialects and language standards. Sociolinguists have documented the presence of dialects in every language. These dialects, all of which are legitimate, are associated with educational, economic, social and historical conditions. Hence, even if an individual scrupulously studies all the possible dictionaries of a random language, he would still be somewhat of a stranger to that language since he is unaware of all the dialectal changes. In addition to differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammatical structures among cultural groups, variations also exist in the rules for general discourse in oral communication, covering such specific acts as narratives and conversation. In communicating with one another, teachers and students naturally will follow the assumptions and rules governing discourse within their respective cultures. Discourse rules govern such aspects of communication as: opening or closing conversations; taking turns during conversations; interrupting; using silence as a communicative device; interjecting humor at appropriate times and using nonverbal behavior. Once again, an American student studying in the middle east, who would constantly interrupt the teacher in order to clarify the professors opinion, would be considered to be extremely rude since he would be defying his authority. Atomic Bomb EssayBesides language other intercultural differences may be the cause of conflict. Hence, in this specific case, diversity is considered to be at the root of miscommunication. In comparison to verbal communication, non verbal communication takes a different form in different cultures. Gestures and facial expressions play a key role in communication. However, each culture incorporates different types of gestures and disregards others. For example, in most western societies , it is customary to shake ones hand upon introduction. However, in most oriental countries shaking ones hand is frown upon, since they believe bowing is the only .

A Midsummer NightS Dream Essays - Fiction, Hermia, Demetrius

A Midsummer NightS Dream Essays - Fiction, Hermia, Demetrius A Midsummer NightS Dream William Shakespeare intensifies the emotion of love and foolishness in the epic tale of four lovers and an enchanted forest in his classic Midsummer Nights Dream. Early in this work, we learn of two young maidens, Hermia and Helena, and their unfulfilled passions. Hermia, the daughter of a gentleman, is cast into the burden of marrying a suitor, Demetrius, chosen by her father for which she does not love. Instead, she has fallen for Lysander. To agitate further, Helena is madly in love with Demetrius, who treats her as if she does not exist. As a result, Helenas emotions can be shared by everybody: infatuation, betrayal, jealousy, and spite. Therefore, it is Helenas character that answers to comedy as a tortured soul among lovers in fairyland. Everywhere in the play, Helena plays the victim of Demetrius apathy. We find pity for poor Helena when she finally catches up to Demetrius in the forest and says Ill follow thee and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand I love so well (336). In desperation, Helena cries we cannot fight for love, as men may do; we should be wood and were not made to woo (336). So unrequited is her love that she begs him Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius (340). Helenas jealousy of her friend Hermia emerges from her soliloquy Happy is Hermia, wheresoeer she lies, for she hath blessed and attractive eyes (340). When she finally receives the attention and affection from Demetrius, she becomes mortified at the thought that Hermia and Demetrius have plotted to humiliate her even further by mocking her. Helena vehemently protests O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent to set against me for your merriment (345). When she finally encounters Demetrius and Hermia, she questions the decency of their motives Have not set Demetrius, who even but now did spurn me with his foot, to call me goddess, nymph, divine and rare, precious, celestial? (346). Her torment is so real that she slowly embraces the fate of her existence. But fare ye well. Tis partly my own fault, which death, or absence, soon shall remedy (346). Fortunately, as with all comedies during the Elizabethan era, the play ends and everything turns out exceptionally well (327). With the help of the fairies, Demetrius pairs with Helena and she becomes a tortured soul no more. The only question left to ponder is the view of humanity as seen in this play a just view of love or that of infatuation, lust, and merriment?

Terrorism Essays

Terrorism Essays Terrorism Essay Terrorism Essay Terrorism Name: Institution: Date: Terrorism The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on U.S soil made the country realize its vulnerability to terrorist attacks. A decade later, the terror threat remains present despite the efforts made by the United States to thwart terror agents across the globe. The Western countries such as the UK, Spain and the US have been some of the major targets. Israel being aligned to western ideals has also been an object of terror attacks. Terrorism in U.S soil in 2001 changed the face of the United States in terms of domestic security and foreign policy. Terrorism in the world varies since terror attacks are heavier in other areas as opposed to others. Areas that are the most vulnerable are countries that harbor terrorist and extremist groups and the countries next to them. Pakistan, for example, saw one of the highest terror attacks in 2011 with 1,436 attacks (NCTC 2011, p10). The country’s proximity to Afghanistan makes it more vulnerable to terror attacks since the Afghanistan harbors the Taliban extremist group. The only other countries with high terrorist attacks were Afghanistan and Iraq. The sites of terror activities usually enjoy freedom from government interference. An example is the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan or the Al-Shabaab in Somalia. The lawless nature of these countries gives them the opportunity to operate freely within these countries. The failed attacks of an Israeli jetliner, for example, the terrorist were said to have come in through Somalia where lawlessness makes it impossible to control terror groups (Shinn 2004, p33). As a result, several terror attacks have taken place because of the operational freedom terror groups have to further their causes. Laws and procedures need to be applied stringently to ensure that terror groups are not allowed to operate. The Wars on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan by the international community are some of the efforts made to ensure that countries have legitimate governments that protect the rule of law. United States have embarked on a scheme to monitor the communication among its citizens after the events of September 11, 2001. If law enforcement agencies were monitoring communication, in realtime, maybe the attacks would have been averted. However, the most important thing is to advocate for strengthening terror laws in countries where these laws do not exist. Government should be at the forefront of designing policy, law and organizations to carry out the procedures requirements set out in the laws and policies. The government has the mandate to provide security to its citizens. It is only right that they should be accorded the mandate to determine anti-terror laws and agencies fit to enforce such law. However, while the government play a major role in anti-terror activities, it is also necessary that it includes other parties such as the public and private sector since the laws directly affect them. It should also liaise with other countries to ensure that terror attacks involving terror attacks on American people in foreign lands are under control (Shinn 2004, p37). The moral obligation or practical reason of the United States has been questioned with regard to being involved in terror activities in other countries. However, they have both a practical reason and a moral obligation to fight terrorism in the world. A practical reason would be that America cannot stand by yet they have felt the full effects of terror on their own soil. America standing by means that they leave room for the terror groups to strengthen and cause more harm to the world and to the American people at home and away from home. In 2004, armed assailants stormed into the American embassy in Jeddah Saudi Arabia resulting in five deaths. If America is not concerned with the terror implications to its people from other countries, then it will have failed in its mandate to protect its citizens. Morally, the United States is obliged to interfere in terror activities in other countries since these activities usually perpetrate human rights violations. The vast military resources are unwarranted if they cannot be used to safeguard global citizens who have the right to a peaceful existence. Since 9/11, the idea of terrorism has affected every American in one way or the other. The immediate impact was the fear that gripped the nation and the many lives lost in the bombings were unbearable. Security measures have been felt across the country so that people can feel much safer since the terror attacks inspired fear. This fear has had negative effects to the Islam community living the United States and abroad (Elshatain 2003, p20). These Americans have been considered enemies in their own countries despite the fact that they had no involvement in the attacks and were as equally shocked like other fellow Americans. In this sense, the events of 9/11 have brought about racial tensions between people of Mid East Asian descent and other American people (Elshatain 2003, p33). The terror attacks also destroyed the picture Americans had about how the country was perceived around the world. The American people realized that they were not a beloved nation all over the world. The nati on also entered into two wars that have been some of the longest wars the U.S has ever fought. As a result, American lives have been lost in these wars leaving loved ones behind. The American people are now concerned with how safe they are. Security remains among the top priorities for the American people. This has made the government increase expenditure on security issues both internally and externally. Its main aim is to ensure that terrorism in the world is finished. The United States have recorded successes in the battle against terror. For example, the killing of the Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the Al-Qaeda showed the commitment of the country with regard to terror. The levels of terrorism in the world have reduced by 12% in 2011 (NCTC 2011, p9). America has been an effective contributor in achieving these results. References Elshtain, J. B. (2003). Just war against terror: The burden of American power in a violent world. New York: Basic Books. National Counter Terrorism Center. (2011). The National Counterterrorism Center Report on Terrorism. The U.S Government. Retrieved from nctc.gov/docs/2011_NCTC_Annual_Report_Final.pdf Shinn, D. (September 2004). â€Å"Fighting Terrorism In East Africa and the Horn†, Foreign Service Journal, pg 36-42. Retrieved from afsa.org/FSJ/0904/index.html#/1/

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Total Quality Management - Essay Example This approach to quality helps in sustenance of success and business profits in the long run. Moreover, adopting TQM approach is also a long-term commitment and cannot be achieved through simple practices. TQM is more of a philosophy and a culture that infuses focus on quality, improvement, as well as innovation. Hence, this approach uses a combination of different practices, tools and techniques. The present discourse explains application of one such technique at the accounting section of Al Faisaliah, in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in an overall improvement and sustenance of their performance in terms of key results; further this approach helped in identifying non-performing areas and in stabilizing new practices that replaced conventional methods of working in order to sustain high performance. Basically, application of TQM happens in two phases namely the human resources phase and application of tools and techniques phase. The process of TQM requires commitment from employees an d effective coordination and communication along with new methods of working. Both phases are closely linked to each other in the process of TQM application because achieving total quality is possible only through strong commitment, teamwork and application of various tools, techniques and practices produce high-quality and/or sustainable results. One such comprehensive approach, or tool, to achieving continuous improvement in all business areas is the Six Sigma methodology. About Six-Sigma, Tennant (2001) suggests that Six Sigma, as an approach to TQM, can be viewed as a vision and philosophy that can direct an organization, department, and team or function towards highest quality standards; as a metric, a symbol, a goal and a methodology to help an organization maintain highest quality standards. However, this approach cannot be considered as the end solution or guarantee of success; and is a complex mix of different tools and techniques. This methodology can be applied to manufac turing as well as service industries. Just as TQM is a measure of continuous improvement, Six Sigma methodology is most suitably applicable to achieve continuous improvement in quality, productivity, customer satisfaction, timeliness, and any other measurable business attribute; however, six sigma cannot be applied to situations or processes that lack historical data and tangible metrics. Intangible objectives such as employee motivation, commitment etc can also be improved by using Six Sigma methodology only if these subjective attributes can be converted to measurable objectives and can be measured to derive a quantifiable number that can describe the present status. Despite presence of proven and efficient quality tools and techniques in the market, some companies have embraced Six-Sigma methodology as their guiding force towards TQM. The pioneers of this technique are Motorola and General Electric (GE), both adopted this technique to improve their manufacturing quality and waste reduction. General Electric embraced Six Sigma much more rampantly than any other firm in their manufacturing as well as service sectors. They attribute cost reduction, customer satisfaction improvement, Wall Street recognition and corporate synergies to application of Six Sigma methodologies. Six Sigma is embedded into GE’s culture. This company employs over 4000 Black Belts and 10000 Green Belts across its businesses, and has set a benchmark for Six

How Setting Goals Lead to Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 19

How Setting Goals Lead to Success - Essay Example Goal setting is one of the most likely natural things that we do as humans.   We tend to move from one region to the other with goals.   The challenge is that most people fail to harness the power of it fully.   Therefore, I learned that there is a magic in setting goals.   More specifically, a written down goals is essential towards my success as the writing clarifies my thoughts.   It helps in committing towards something that I am passionate about, be it in the short term or the long run.   Therefore, a well-written goal instils the inspiration on how to move forward having the goal in mind (Rouillard, 2010).Goals give a direction in all areas of success, be it in personal life or career. It gives a purpose to carry on with a particular task. Working on a well-set goal gives hope and determination to succeed in all activities. Without goals, it is rather difficult to focus and to have a direction in a particular task. Therefore, goal setting provides a benchmark for de termining whether one is succeeding or not. A well-set goal is a secret to success. As the saying goes, â€Å"a goal well set is halfway accomplished† (Rouillard, 2010). Setting goals is the foremost and the most important step towards any achievement in life. The action level, as well as the action itself, stands as the catalyst to turn a particular goal, which is inert, into something that is dynamic. Therefore, to realize the objectives, it is recommendable to know how to set the goals. It is not a matter of merely saying, â€Å"I want it, â€Å" and it happens all of a sudden. Goal setting starts with a careful consideration of what should be achieved and ends with hard work in the process of obtaining it. At the intermediate, there are rules that one has to embrace to make the set goals a success (Rouillard, 2010). The rules noted as follows. At the foremost, it is important to set a goal that motives a person. It is substantial that the set goal is valuable to the set ter, and similarly, there should be an interest in the outcome. It is important to set goals that relate to the high priorities in life. Without such focus, it is possible to end up with too many goals leaving less time to devote to each objective. Hence, goal achievement needs a commitment to maximizing the likelihood of success.

French Maginot Line A Defensive Failure History Essay

French Maginot Line A Defensive Failure History Essay The plan of investigation is going to be an analysis and evaluation of the history behind the French Maginot Line and why it failed. To undertake this study, the following was used: visiting a local library and researching in the reference section, researching at Troy High Schools Library, and going to a bookstore to purchase secondary sources. With these starting points, I found articles, journals, and documents, that may be able to offer important information and details to my research reinforcing my arguments. Through the usage of the information gathered in these sources, I will formulate a conclusion of the importance of why the French Maginot line was a defensive failure from Germany in WWII. B. Summary of Evidence The Maginot Line, named after French Minister of Defense Andrà © Maginot, was a French defense structure comprised of concrete fortification, anti-tank barriers, artillery armaments, machine gun turrets, and much more (Allcorn). France built this structure to protect its borders from Germany and Italy based on experiences during the First World War, and preliminary Second World War (Kaufmann). The reasoning behind the construction of the Maginot line comes from the immense French losses during the WWI. By the time the war had ended November 11, 1918, the eastern sector of France was invaded and occupied by enemies for four years (Allcorn). Within these years, the war had caused the deaths of over one million French citizens and, as a result, had a major impact on demographics in France, such as a steep drop in the national birth rates (Maurois). Being a witness to the repercussion of the war, France asked itself a vital question: what could France do to defend itself in the future? The Maginot Line seemed to be the answer. If Germans were to attempt another invasion in France, a defense fortress like the Maginot Line would prevent them from doing so. The construction of the Maginot Line consisted of multiple phases throughout the 1930s (Kaufmann). The STG (Service Technique du Gà ©nie) ran the project and was supervised by CORF (Comission dOrganisation des Rà ©gions Fortifià ©es) (Allcorn). The majority of construction was completed during 1939, costing about three billion francs (Allcorn). The Maginot Line seemed to be the pinnacle of defense structures at the time: it was a linear structure, with a succession of forts constructed in an continuous line (Jurga).   Each fort was placed about 15 km apart from the next, varying amongst terrain. Between each forts were casements, armored buildings from where machine-gun are fired, that further reinforced the Lines defenses (Jurga). The forts and interval casemates were adjoined by anti-tank barriers and barbed wires (Jurga). In essence, the ligne de principale rà ©sistance, with all of its forts, casements, and barriers, seemed to be the ultimate defensive structure. In theory, an invading German army would have to battle the Line as wholly conjoined system, not as series of individual forts and turrets (Robertson).   However, as the German Army drew closer to France, the French Commanders withdrew troops and artillery troops that connected the individual forts and turrets and deployed them elsewhere (Maurois).   This choice weakened much of the Lines firepower and infantry.  Hence, when the Germans attacked, they did not battle the  Line as envisioned by  its constructors (Kaufmann).   The WWII German invasion plan of 1940 (Sichelschnitt) was created to deal with the Line (Allcorn). A decoy force sat opposite the Line to instigate the Phony War: for 8 months, the Germans gave the impression that they were planning to invade the French at the Maginot Line by shooting artillery salvos on an area nearby (Feuchtinger). In the meantime, another German force cut through the Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as through the Ardennes Forest, which lay north of the main French defenses (Allcorn). Hence, the Germans were able to avoid directly attacking the Maginot Line. On May 10th, German forces had penetrated deep into France continued to advance until for fourteen days (Kaufmann). The French Prime Minister, Marshal Philippe Pà ©tain, realizing that France was overrun, proceeded to surrender and requested an armistice with Germany, which Adolf Hitler agreed to (Maurois). C. Evaluation of Sources Maurois, Andre. The Battle of France. Right Book Club, 1940. Print. Origin: The author of this document is Andre Maurois, a French author born in Normany, who served in the French army during several wars, including the First and Second World. Purpose: The purpose of this document is to describe what Maurois witness firsthand during his time in the Second World War, mostly the Battle of France and what lead up to it. During his times as a traveler for the French army, Maruois had several duties that required speaking to people from different nations, primarily the British and Americans. Value: The value of this document is that it provides firsthand insight into knowledge of what occurred in World War II. A behind-the-scenes look at what happened during the war is provided as insight through this source. Not to mention that it also includes several different perspectives and ideas because Maurois spoke to people from various international countries. Seeing how Maruois spoke to French, American, and British soldiers throughout the war, including those that had posted at the Maginot Line, this document will provide me with useful information regarding the Maginot Line. Limitation: This document is limited in that it may be biased from a French perspective. Despite the fact that it includes the opinions of those who are from America or Britain, Maurois, as a Frenchman, could have easily filtered out facts or ideas that he did not appreciate. Jurga, Robert. Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II. Da Capo, 2002. Print. Origin: The author of this document is Robert Jurga, an American historian who studies specifically the era of the Second World War. Purpose: The purpose of this document is to look into the different types of defense structures that existed throughout Europe during the Second World War such as forts, bunkers, anti-tank barriers, and more. It describes in detail the sizes and fortifications of notable defense structures that were constructed during this time period, including the Maginot Line. Value: This document is valuable because it provides detailed descriptions of the Maginot Line such as the specific structures, building phases, and groups important to the construction of the Maginot line such as the STG (Service Technique du Gà ©nie) and CORF. Limitation: This document is limited in that it may be biased from an American perspective. Jurga, may have found certain defensive structures throughout Europe to be better than certain other ones. If he somehow considered the Maginot Line to be inferior, he may have put less effort into making a more detailed description of the design of structure. D. Analysis France had experienced catastrophic damage in World War I. After the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, France had a strong intent that it would never have to suffer from such a disaster again (Kaufmann). In 1920, both the government and military favored implementing a military tactic that would prevent any further German invasion (Allcorn). Many powerful figures in the French military, such as Marshall Foch, assumed that the German anger over their humiliating treatment at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles guaranteed that Germany would seek revenge (Kaufmann). As a result, the French military intent was to solely embrace the power of the defense (Kaufmann). When Andrà © Maginot took government office in 1929, he lead France to spend a fortune (nearly 3 billion francs) to construct a complete defense blockade, the Maginot Line, across the German border (Allcorn). He rashly opposed any objections to his plan, his only argument that the structure would surely prevent any further terrible bloodshed, like that of WWI, should there be another war (Kaufmann). The intended Line would run through the French-German and French-Italian borders (both foes during the war) and would have two functions: to deter an assault long enough to fully mobilize the French army, and to act as a bunker to fend off the assault (Kaufmann). Hence, any combat would occur on the French borders, avoiding internal harm and occupation. However, France made a critical error when they ceased to construct northern fortifications, which is where Germans would invade from (Feuchtinger). This was because Belgium, an ally, was north of France, and it was unthinkable that either one build such a colossal construction on their shared boundary: the Ardennes Forest. Furthermore, the French had believed that even if the Germans invaded through Belgium, they had considered the Ardennes Forest to be impenetrable due to its hilly and woody terrain (Maurois). As a result, the French decision to not extend the Maginot Line across the Ardennes Forest partly contributed it to become a defensive failure. On another note, many critics at the time claimed that the original design of the Line was too large and costly, which lead the project to become downsized (Jurga). Some of even proceeded that the only reason why the project did not extend across Belgium was because funds had been running out. In 1934, Chief of State Philippe Pà ©tain obtained a billion francs for construction, and many people saw this as definite overspending (Allcorn). Seeing how much was invested into a project that did not fulfill its purpose, it becomes evident why many people consider the Maginot Line a defensive failure. The errors of the French ultimately culminated in Frances failure to suspect and deter the Nazi invasion plan, the Sichelschnitt. Germany gave the impression that it was going to attack the Line; it posted a diversion army across the Line, whose mere presence prevented French soldiers at the Line to be used as reinforcements elsewhere (Kaufmann). On May 10th 1940, Germany attacked the Netherlands, through Belgium. France, at this point, was not worried-the war seemed to be according to plan, where troops at the Maginot Line would be used as a hinge to advance and deter the invasion through Belgium (Allcorn). However, the French did not expect that the German forces would cross Luxembourg, Belgium and go through the Ardennes. With well over one million troops and a thousand tanks, the German army easily crossed the impenetrable forest (Feuchtinger). They were faced with small resistance, and the French army began to wither. By June, Germans had swung behind the Line and cut it off fro m the rest of France, leading France to surrender and ultimately manifesting the Line as a defensive failure. E. Conclusion Though the Maginot Line had been considered by the French as the perfect defensive structure that would fend off an enemy invasion, it is clear that was not the case. Several factors contribute to why the Maginot Line was a defensive failure against the German invasion: the belief that the Line would be the only invasion entryway into France for the Germans, the wrong assumption that the Ardennes Forest was impenetrable, the failure to see that the German army opposite the Line was a diversion, the incompleteness of the Line (failing to extend across Belgium and the Ardennes Forest), and the high cost and time-consumption that went into it. The French had become paranoid from the damage it took from the World War I and invested too much time and money embracing the concept of defense without considering other possibilities such as from invasion elsewhere. As a result, the Maginot Line, the seemingly ultimate defensive structure, failed to perform its duty: to defend France. F. Bibliography Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928-45. Grand Rapids: Osprey, 2003. Print. Feuchtinger, Edgar. 21st Panzer Division in Combat Against American Troops in France and Germany. United States Military, 1940. Print. Jurga, Robert. Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II. Da Capo, 2002. Print. Kaufmann, J. E., and H. W. Kaufmann. Fortress France The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II (Stackpole Military History Series) (Stackpole Military History Series). New York: Stackpole, 2007. Print. Kaufmann, J. E. Maginot Line none shall pass. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1997. Print. Maurois, Andre. The Battle of France. Right Book Club, 1940. Print. Robertson, Harry S.. Report on French Defenses: Maginot Line. United States Military, 1940. Print. H. Additional O.P.V.Ls Feuchtinger, Edgar. 21st Panzer Division in Combat Against American Troops in France and Germany. United States Military, 1940. Print. Origin: The author of this document is Edgar Feuchtinger, a German General (Generalleutnant) during the Second World War. He was the Commander of the 21st Panzer-Division and participated in many critical German battles such as the Battle of Normandy. Purpose: This document is a debriefing of German General Feuchtinger by the United States after he and the rest of the German 21st Panzer Division were captured by the British. Feuchtinger kept records and logs of what he encountered throughout the war. The debriefing document includes what Feuchtinger had known about the Line at the time, including the number of forces encountered there and what kinds of artillery and weaponry the French had in possession. Value: The value of this document is that it provides firsthand insight into knowledge of what occurred in World War II. Not only is it from the perspective of a German, but a General, a critical military position which requires much knowledge and skill. This document will be able to provide me with inside details about the Maginot from a position that I would normally not be able to get from a document that is taken from an American perspective. Limitation: This document is limited in that it may be biased from a German perspective. The German general may have withheld important information due to the fact that the war wasnt actually over when he was being debriefed. Robertson, Harry S.. Report on French Defenses: Maginot Line. United States Military, 1940. Print. Origin: The author of this document is Harry S. Robertson, an American Colonel during the Second World War, who was part of the 75th Infantry Division and the 291st US infantry Regiment. Purpose: Harry S. Robertsons duty was to investigate the Maginot Line for American intelligence. Robertson, along with his unit, went inside the Line and took firsthand observations to debrief what they witnessed there such as weaponry, troop count, and artillery. Value: The value of this document is that it provides firsthand insight of what occurred in World War II. Unlike many other sources, Robertson was there to witness what the Maginot Line was like at the time of the War: he saw what types of armaments the French were in possession of or what the structural layout of the Line was like. More recent documents attempting to investigate the Maginot Line are not likely to provide as much detail as this document due to the fact they are not deduced from firsthand experiences. Limitation: This docume nt is limited in that it may be biased from an American perspective. Due to the fact that it was an Americans job to debrief what he sees in a French fortress, it is plausible to believe that Robertson may not have found the assignment to have been too interesting and that he may failed to provide a completely accurate investigational analysis of the structure.