Critical inquiry in Practical Nursing Essay

Question 1- According to Kerr et al (2012), the purpose of the study is to examine the nurses’ opinions on the introduction of a medical administrative to the enrolled nurses and its impact in the error rate of medication. Question 2- The author’s rationale was to: -To examine nurses’ opinions on enrolled medical administration -To analyze whether the enrolled nurses introduction effects of the medication error in organizations. Question 3- Quantitative, experimental.Question 4-The sample used was the different types of nurses who answered questions online at the website of the organization. The selected lot answers specific questions in a questionnaire related to the topic of discussion. Question 5-a)Descriptive b)InferentialQuestion 6-Education Question 7-Demographic data – Response to nurses’ survey items – Rates of medication errors- Collected within twelve months Question 8-Â  Survey question regarding support for administration of medications by qualified ENs RN SupportiveIn %RN Non-SupportiveIn %Statistically Significant? 73.8%,26.2%Yes / No Survey question measuring positive change EN SupportiveIn nEN non-supportiveIn nStatistically Significant? 73.626.4Yes / No Survey question regarding the level of education for ENs who administer medications ENME SupportiveIn %ENME Non-SupportiveIn %Statistically Significant? 73.726.3%Yes / No Question 9- Population 118, 268-256, 302 Question 10- It is true to say that A significant result (p=0.265, p

Communal Harmony Essays

Communal Harmony Essays Communal Harmony Essay Communal Harmony Essay Mankind demands the realization of diverse values to ensure their individual and collective well being. It is also observed that certain communal forces in the society engage in exploitation, oppression, persecution, and other forms of deprivation resulting in disturbing communal harmony. Based on these observations are the beginnings of what today are called human rights and the legal processes, national and international, associated with them. The principle of human rights has widespread acceptance domestically and internationally, however, there is no complete agreement on the nature of such rights or their substantive scope. Despite this lack of consensus, certain fundamental aspects are widely accepted. Regardless of their ultimate origin or justification, human rights are understood to represent individual and group demands for the shaping and sharing of power, wealth, spiritual pursuit, and other cherished values in community process. Most fundamental are the value of respect and its constituent elements of reciprocal tolerance and mutual forbearance in the pursuit of all other values. Consequently, they imply claims against persons and institutions that impede realization, and standards for judging the legitimacy of laws and traditions. The Charter of the United Nations (1945) begins by reaffirming a faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small. It states that the purposes of the United Nations are, among other things, to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self determination of peoples . . . [and] to achieve international co-operation . . . in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion . . . . And, in two key articles, all members pledge themselves to take joint and separate action in cooperation with the Organization for the achievement of these and related purposes. In our society, it is the responsibility of every individual to preserve harmony and protect individual rights. Recently Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu was rocked by bomb blasts on February 14th 1998, and since then the police in various parts of the state have discovered a huge quantity of explosives. These terrorist actions were blamed the police on Al-Umma, a Muslim fundamentalist organisation that has its base in Kottaimedu, a predominantly Muslim area in Coimbatore. Many looked with suspicion on their Muslim neighbors and men and women who had lived earlier in love and harmony now considered their neighbors as their enemies.

Symmetry and Proportion by Vitruvius and Da Vinci

Symmetry and Proportion by Vitruvius and Da Vinci Architecture depends on symmetry, what Vitruvius calls the proper agreement between the members of the work itself. Symmetry is from the Greek word symmetros meaning measured together. Proportion is from the Latin word proportio meaning for the part, or the relationship of the portions. What humans consider beautiful has been examined for thousands of years. Humans may have an innate preference for what looks acceptable and beautiful. A man with tiny hands and a large head may look out of proportion. A woman with one breast or one leg may look asymmetrical. Humans spend an enormous amount of money every day on what they consider is a beautiful body image. Symmetry and proportion may be as much a part of us as our DNA. Diagram Of ManS Proportions From Vitruvius Translation, 1558. Bettmann/Getty Images (cropped) How do you design and build the perfect building? Like the human body, structures have parts, and in architecture those parts can be put together in many ways. Design, from the Latin word designare meaning to mark out, is the overall process, but design outcomes depend on symmetry and proportion. Says who? Vitruvius. De Architectura Ancient Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio wrote the first architecture textbook called On Architecture (De Architectura). Nobody knows when it was written, but it reflects the dawn of human civilization - in the first century B.C. into the first decade A.D. It wasnt until the Renaissance, however, when the ideas of ancient Greece and Rome were reawakened, that De Architectura was translated into Italian, French, Spanish, and English. During the 1400s, 1500s, and 1600s, what became known as The Ten Books on Architecture was widely distributed with a number of added illustrations. Much of the theory and construction basics spelled out by Vitruvius for his patron, the Roman Emperor, inspired Renaissance architects and designers of that day and even those in the 21st century. So, what does Vitruvius say? Leonardo da Vinci Sketches Vitruvius Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) is sure to have read Vitruvius. We know this because da Vincis notebooks are filled with sketches based on the words in De Architectura. Da Vincis famous drawing of The Vitruvian Man is a sketch directly from the words of Vitruvius. These are some of the words Vitruvius uses in his book: SYMMETRY in the human body the central point is naturally the navel. For if a man be placed flat on his back, with his hands and feet extended, and a pair of compasses centered at his navel, the fingers and toes of his two hands and feet will touch the circumference of a circleAnd just as the human body yields a circular outline, so too a square figure may be found from it.For if we measure the distance from the soles of the feet to the top of the head, and then apply that measure to the outstretched arms, the breadth will be found to be the same as the height, as in the case of plane surfaces which are perfectly square. Note that Vitruvius begins with a focal point, the navel, and the elements are measured from that point, forming the geometry of circles and squares. Even todays architects design this way. Drawing of the Proportions of a Head by Leonardo da Vinci. Fratelli Alinari IDEA S.p.A./Getty Images (cropped) PROPORTION Da Vincis notebooks also show sketches of body proportions. These are some of the words Vitruvius uses to show relationships between elements of a human body: the face, from the chin to the top of the forehead and the lowest roots of the hair, is a tenth part of the whole heightthe open hand from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger is a tenth part of the whole bodythe head from the chin to the crown is an eighth partwith the neck and shoulder from the top of the breast to the lowest roots of the hair is a sixthfrom the middle of the breast to the summit of the crown is a fourththe distance from the bottom of the chin to the under side of the nostrils is one third of itthe nose from the under side of the nostrils to a line between the eyebrows is a thirdthe forehead, from between the eyebrows to the lowest roots of the hair, is a thirdthe length of the foot is one sixth of the height of the bodythe length of the forearm is one fourth the height of the bodythe breadth of the breast is also one fourth the height of the body Da Vinci saw that these relationships between elements were also the mathematical relationships found in other parts of nature. What we think of as the hidden codes in architecture, Leonardo da Vinci saw as divine. If God designed with these ratios when He made man, then man should design the built environment with the ratios of sacred geometry. Thus in the human body there is a kind of symmetrical harmony between forearm, foot, palm, finger, and other small parts, writes Vitruvius, and so it is with perfect buildings. Designing with Symmetry and Proportion Although European in origin, the concepts written down by Vitruvius seem to be universal. For example, researchers estimate that Native American Indians migrated to North America from Northern Asia about 15,000 years ago - well before even Vitruvius was alive. Yet when European explorers like Francisco Vsquez de Coronado from Spain first encountered the Wichita people in North America in the 1500s, symmetrical huts of grass were well-built and proportioned large enough to house entire familes. How did the Wichita people come up with this conical design and the proper agreement described by the Roman Vitruvius? Wichita Native American Grass House. Edward S. Curtis/George Eastman House/Getty Images (cropped) Concepts of symmetry and proportion can be used purposefully. Modernists of the early 20th century defied Classical symmetry by designing asymmetrical structures. Proportion has been used in spiritual architecture to accentuate the holy. For example, the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong shows not only the symmetry of the San Men Chinese mountain gate, but also how proportion can bring attention to the outlandishly large Buddha statue. Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, China. Tim Winter/Getty Images (cropped) By examining the human body, both Vitruvius and da Vinci understood the importance of symmetrical proportions in design. As Vitruvius writes, in perfect buildings the different members must be in exact symmetrical relations to the whole general scheme. This is the same theory behind architectural design today. Our intrinsic sense of what we consider beautiful may come from symmetry and proportion. Sources Vitruvius. On Symmetry: In Temples and in the Human Body, Book III, Chapter One, Ten Books on Architecture translated by Morris Hicky Morgan, 1914, The Project Gutenberg, gutenberg.org/files/20239/20239-h/20239-h.htmRaghavan et al. Genomic evidence for the Pleistocene and recent population history of Native Americans, Science, Vol. 349, Issue 6250, August 21, 2015, http://science.sciencemag.org/content/349/6250/aab3884Wichita Indian grass house, Kansas Historical Society, kansasmemory.org/item/210708

Aircraft fuel system Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aircraft fuel system - Coursework Example The most optimum engine operation can be realized by supervisory engine management since it enables the pilot to select the most appropriate thrust setting quickly and accurately. Irrespective of the changes in atmospheric conditions, the engine thrust can be maintained at a level predetermined and set by the pilot who can change again the thrust settings to his requirement by changing the thrust lever angle, in which case, the engine adjusts to the new thrust setting without overshooting of N2 or temperature. Thrust is not controlled directly by supervisory control unit, which calculates the value of the main control parameter (N1 or EPR) corresponding to the demand thrust to obtain N1 command or EPR command. This function is called ‘power management’ and the calculating unit is called ‘power management control’ (PMC) (Diesinger 89). Supervisory engine management is used in proven hydro-mechanical fuel control to obtain complete control over all engine func tions and is characterized by a mechanical backup which monitors engine control in case of failure of the electronic control. Supervisory engine management systems, thus, perform functions necessary for engine operation and protection enabling reduction of crew work load and maintenance costs and constitute the last designs using hydro-mechanical control systems (Diesinger 89). The FADEC engine management system uses an electronic control system with a digital computer as the only control unit. The FADEC engine management has taken over all steady state and transient control intelligence replacing most of the hydro-mechanical and pneumatic elements of the supervisory engine control system (Maclsaac and Langton 70). The capability of the digital computer to process a large number of parameters is fully utilized by the FADEC system. The FADEC engine management system provides engine system regulation and scheduling for thrust control in addition to

Global Positioning for Financial Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Global Positioning for Financial Services - Essay Example In investment banking, investors were taxed on investment income but retail banking customers were taxed on savings (BROWN, 2007). The circular flow of income describes the reciprocal circulation of income between producers and consumers. The interdependent entities are producers, referred to as firms, and consumers referred to as households. These entities provide each other with factors, thus facilitating the flow of income. The firms produce and supply to consumers. The consumers intend to use the goods to meet their wants (RANDALL & MILLWOOD, 1983).Consumers’ expenditure is the income on the firms’ side. On the other hand, households provide the firms with factors of production and in return, they receive the reward which is income on their part. The structure for financial services regulation in the United Kingdom changed tremendously 1st April 2013. The then banking regulator, the Financial Services Authority was abolished and replaced with two institutions. First, the Financial Conduct Authority; mandated with watching the behavioral conduct, mainly regulating conduct related to the marketing of financial products. Secondly, the Prudential Regulation Authority; its mandate is to ensure the stability of financial services. The Bank of England was empowered to have direct supervision on the entire banking system through one of its part, Financial Policy committee (JOHNSON, 2000).

Some of the Most Significantly Changing Musical Trends Essay

Some of the Most Significantly Changing Musical Trends - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that collection agencies are evolving in large basically to cut off the revenues spent on the continuous exercise of supervising and evaluating the task of copyrights both in the local as well as international market. So the member of the music industry should be able to understand the legislation regarding the copyrights as well as a core knowledge should be there about the delivery of the music to the consumers in addition to the basic trends of users of this industry which are all the time changing. Collection agencies also need to develop the latest technology to have a continuous record of the inward flow of the copyright capital and the income related to the royalty. At large, collection agencies are usually playing an important role in the industry, by making lobbies among the policymakers of the music industry, by exploiting the information about the business and these agencies can be beneficial in promoting this talent by awarding sc holarships to the deserving ones. The major portion of the capital in the music industry are created with the help of musical concepts which is done by collaborate effort of the market and the members of the instrument industry. As in all the other industries, these ideas have to be protected and that is done by the means of copyrights creation. But there is one exception in this regard as in the music field the main idea of the artist is not protected rather it is some modified fixed form of that idea which comes under the copyright act. In addition to this, the copyrights are not issued and instead these are kept by the author or the publishing authority. Capitals in the music industry are built through the musical innovations with the aid of specialized institutions and market support. Like in other industries copyrights hold utmost importance for the capital generation but in contrast to other industries, in music field the copyrights does not protect the idea of the artist itse lf rather its expression to certain extent is given copyrights, for example, a certain form of music cannot be protected through copyrights but its expression by certain artist can be protected.

German military Essay Example for Free

German military Essay The overwhelming tactics unleashed by the Nazis at the beginning of World War Two signaled a shocking advance in the art of warfare. The allies struggled to devise defenses against the blitzkrieg of the German military. Eventually, they were able to repel the Germans. However, the nations of the world learned a great deal from the blitzkrieg. This frightening tactic would be emulated and modified in the decades to come. As the Blitzkrieg inspired fear in its opponents, it also eventually inspired overconfidence in the Germans. Many of the nations that the Germans attacked in the first years had antiquated militaries and were ill prepared for the onslaught of the German Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe. In the first years of the conflict, the Luftwaffe seemed both omnipresent and nearly invincible as it fought on fronts as distant as North Africa and Northern Russia. 1 The Allies would be forced by the Blitzkrieg to rapidly retool their militaries and their military strategies. In the mean time, the Blitzkrieg would cause devastation across Europe. War in the early 20th Century World War One served as a major turning point in the conduct of warfare. Prior to this war, the idea of honor for ones opponent still existed to a certain degree. Many commanders frowned upon sneak attacks and civilian casualties. By 1914, the technology of weaponry had advanced significantly. It was now possible to kill large numbers of 1. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (16). soldiers easily. The tremendous number of casualties eliminated any sense of battlefield chivalry that remained. The machine gun, deadly gases, air power and more accurate and deadly shells resulted in unprecedented casualties. Yet, neither side was gaining any substantial ground. The war settled into a deadly stalemate in which soldiers were routinely sacrificed in large numbers with little hope of gain. With the exit of the newly formed Soviet Union and the entry of the United States into the conflict it became clear that Germany would run out of manpower before the allies. The eventual peace levied a punitive price on Germany. The nation was forced to accept full blame for the war, change its form of government, pay reparations and reduce the size of its military. Feeling the humiliation of the Versailles treaty, the Germans who would later come to power were determined not to make the same mistakes as their predecessors. After World War One, a committee was formed to assess war issues and strategies. It was decided that strategies emphasizing maneuver and surprise would be necessary in the future. Carl von Clausewitz and other German military theoreticians had successfully used such tactics in prior wars. 2 The new German command would draw on these principles, and merge them with rapidly advancing military technology. The Germans knew that, for them, a war of attrition was unwinnable. Yet, there were some who wanted to avenge the harsh terms of the Versailles treaty. The Nazis only held a minority in the Reichstag, but Hitler managed to maneuver his way into absolute power. From the early 1930’s, the Germans violated the terms of the treaty and rebuilt 2. Larry H. Addington. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. their military to frightening levels. Military leaders, such as Goring and Himmler studied the theories of J. F. C. Fuller and Liddell Hart in order to craft military strategies that took advantage of cutting edge technology. 3 Shades of the future could be seen even before the end of World War One. The Germans used Blitzkrieg-like attacks in Russia and in France during 1918. By that time, however, attrition had decimated the German forces and they were ultimately unable to capitalize upon these successes. What is Blitzkrieg? Blitzkrieg, or â€Å"Lightning War† was a startling advance on warfare first used comprehensively in the Nazi attack of Poland in 1939. The tactic was used extensively in the following years. The Blitzkrieg provided great success for the regime throughout Europe, in North Africa, and initially in Russia. The term â€Å"Blitzkrieg† is now a general term used to describe a variety of military actions. In all cases, it is a well-planned, widespread attack used to decimate the enemy’s defenses swiftly. In World War Two, the Nazi blitzkriegs often consisted of a specific sequence of actions. Any definition of Blitzkrieg should include the following elements: a decentralized command structure, the avoidance of combat in favor of targeting infrastructure, the use of air support, and the use of mobile, mechanized artillery. Engineering assets must also be prevalent in order to keep the force moving quickly. 4 3. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003 4. Alexander B. Rossino. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. The term itself came into use in the mid 1930’s, although elements of the strategy had been around for centuries. It came into widespread use after Time magazine used it to describe the German attack on Poland in 1939. First, infrastructure, communications, and the front and back line troops are attacked by air. Any air forces were to be neutralized immediately. This is done by heavy, concentrated bombing sorties. The goal was to effectively blind the enemy and gain air superiority. Following closely behind, tank divisions break through and advance quickly. Other mechanized units follow the tanks, engaging the enemy and establishing strategic strongholds. Communication is critical for such an attack. Advances in radio technology allowed the Germans to create a seamless network in which commanders could receive, and react to, real time information from any sector of the battlefield. Meanwhile, the infantry is engaging the enemy forces. Those forces are then unable to pull back and defend against the fast-moving mechanized forces. The enemy flanks are also attacked. Ground forces continue the process of encircling the enemy forces, while the tank units plunge ever further into enemy territory. The highly concentrated, fierce attacks often caught enemies off-guard. The mechanized units advanced at such a rate that they were able to continually out flank defenders. Often within weeks the enemy forces would be circled and cut of from reinforcements. To enhance the effectiveness of these attacks, the Germans usually did not declare war. In some cases, Hitler had even made non-aggression pacts with countries he later attacked. Unleashing the new war machine The Nazi war plan was the product of years of preparation. Although the Blitzkrieg is a name specifically describing actions that began in 1939, the Nazis had already experimented with the idea prior to the war. The Spanish civil war of the late 1930’s provided a proving ground, of sorts, for a new theory of war. German high command participated in the war, evaluating and honing tactics for the larger conflict to come. According to Dale M Brown in The Luftwaffe: The eruption of that conflict in 1936 had been welcomed by Hitler and his Generals as a heaven sent opportunity for the young German air force to test its planes, train its air crews and develop new fighting techniques under modern battle conditions. 5 In 1939, the Nazi government manufactured a border dispute with neighboring Poland. The Polish army was accused of entering German territory and committing murder. Coincidentally enough, German forces were already poised at the border and ready for an offensive attack. What would occur next would come to be known as the Blitzkrieg. Poland and the other European nations were ill-prepared for the German onslaught. German forces poured in to Poland with lightning speed, while the Luftwaffe quickly neutralized the Polish Air Force. The Blitzkrieg had achieved its first major success. Edwin P. Holt writes in Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe: The effect was terrible. In minutes the roads were scenes of devastation and carnage. It was a case of a modern war machine 5. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (19). fighting a nineteenth-century army. 6 The speed of the attack was unprecedented. It was both physically and psychologically devastating for the Polish populace. Centers of population thought safely within the country’s interior were now reachable in a matter of days. The stunning attacks struck fear into both the civilian and military population. This, in fact, was a critical part of the Blitzkrieg plan. A population that feels utterly vulnerable is likely to submit quickly. The eyewitnesstohistory. com website provides a diary entry fro a German tank commander. He writes of the later French campaign: The people in the houses were rudely awoken by the din of our tanks, the clatter and roar of tracks and engines. Troops lay bivouacked beside the road†¦Civilians and French troops, their faces distorted with terror lay huddled in the ditches. 7 The Blitzkrieg later used against the French would be ruthlessly efficient. Historians disagree as to whether the Polish campaign was technically a Blitzkrieg, citing many of its conventional elements. It has come to be known as the beginning of Blitzkrieg none the less. It was devastatingly fast, and nearly impossible to defend against. The Polish defenders fought valiantly, but they were over matched. Polish troops repeatedly charged the German tanks in what amounted to a suicide mission. Nazi commanders, secure in their tanks spoke arrogantly of the Polish campaign. In Tank, Patrick Wright described the Nazi’s attitude: 6. Edwin P. Hoyt. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. (146). 7. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. Hitler’s tank General, Heinz Guderian, claimed that the Polish Lancers took this desperate step â€Å"In ignorance of the nature of our tanks† and suffered â€Å"tremendous losses† as a consequence. 8 After the successful campaign against the Poles, the Nazi regime turned its sights toward the other neighboring countries. Some of them, intimidated by the Blitzkrieg, fell without a fight. Others were quickly overwhelmed by the ever more efficient blitz tactics. Before the end of 1940, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium had all fallen into German hands. With military confidence at an all-time high, Hitler unleashed the blitz on Russia in 1941. In short order, German troops surrounded Moscow and Leningrad. In the East, Hitler stood triumphantly in Paris. France had been conquered in less than two months. After the First World War, the French had constructed a system of border defenses called the Maginot Line. It was thought that this line could prevent any invasion, or at least delay it long enough for defenders to assemble. The Germans studied the line intensively and found its weak points. This illustrates the theory of schwerpunkt – a maximum concentration of integrated forces at one focal area. 9 From there, mechanized forces could get behind, and eventually encircle defenders. Ultimately, the Maginot line could not stand up to the much-advanced German tanks and artillery. Mechanized units plunged through the line, fanned out, and quickly drove remaining French forces underground. The process would be repeated many times throughout Europe. 8. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232) 9. Bryan Perrett and John Hacket. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. German forces under Gen Erwin Rommel also used Blitzkrieg tactics in North Africa. Initially, they faced little resistance. Deception was often a part of the North African version of Blitzkrieg. Tanks and the Luftwaffe were still the spearheads of the attack, but Rommel also used the natural elements to his advantage. From The War in the Desert by Richard Collier: Behind them [the tanks] groaned trucks whose drivers were doing their best to obey Rommel’s order: â€Å"Rear vehicles to raise dust – Nothing but dust. † 10 Small deceptions such as this allowed the Germans to stretch their forces farther than otherwise possible. The Germans streaked across the desert, acquiring strategic positions and valuable natural resources. The allies had seen the devastating Blitzkrieg in Europe and now they faced a foe of unknown strength in Africa. That was how the Germans wanted it. From The War in the Desert: It was becoming increasingly clear that the enemy believed us to be far stronger than we actually were, Rommel said, â€Å"A belief that was essential to maintain. 11 In addition, the bombing of London is commonly referred to as â€Å"the Blitz†. From the perspective of those being bombed, this is understandable. Militarily, however, these attacks did not meet the technical definition of Blitzkrieg. Still, the whistle of the dive- bombing German Stukas provided the intimidation that could have made a later invasion easier. 10. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (64). 11. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (65). A key aspect of Blitzkrieg is the integration of all branches of the military in a well-coordinated attack. Air power was still relatively new to the battlefield. It had existed in WWI. Initially, balloons had been used for reconnaissance and occasional bombing. Later in the war, fighter aircraft were developed to the point of effectiveness. Strategy, however, was in its infancy. Using air power in concert with the army was rare and often ineffective. The Nazi’s were innovative in using the rapidly developing flight technology to its best advantage. If air power was important to the success of the blitzkrieg, the tank was critical. The mobility, firepower and defenses of the tank were substantially better than their WWI counterparts, due mainly to the innovation of the Germans. In World War One the tank was still relatively new. It showed potential as an offensive weapon, but it had many problems as well. WWI tanks frequently got stuck, broke down or were sabotaged. Some were very lightly armored. By the end of the war, the Germans had realized that the tank was ineffective in a stalemate situation. However, it showed great promise in swift, mobile attacks. Some of Germany’s potential foes also realized the military potential of mechanized warfare. British generals, including Sir Basil Liddell, were simultaneously developing the strategy of mechanized warfare. George Parada writes: They all postulated that tanks could not only seize ground by brute strength, but could also be the central factor in a new strategy of warfare†¦. All of them found the tank to be the ultimate weapon. 12 Speed was the central aspect to the Blitzkrieg. The Nazi’s had to cut off 12. George Parada. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. reinforcements and prevent enemy troops from regrouping to be successful. All of the actions of the Blitzkrieg were aimed toward those ends. Technological advances allowed for that speed. If the first wave of potential defenders could not be completely destroyed, at the logistics and communication that support those defenders could be interrupted. Further reinforcements would then have a difficult time catching up to the speedy German attack. The differences in military hardware between WWI and WWII are stark. Aircraft, for example, had become many times faster and more deadly. Tanks, also, were far more powerful and mobile than in the First World War. The changes in strategy that created the Blitzkrieg soon followed. From the eyewitnesstohistory. com website: This was a new kind of warfare integrating tanks, air power, artillery and motorized infantry into a steel juggernaut emphasizing speedy movement and maximization of battlefield opportunities. 13 The end of the Blitz? The success of the Blitzkrieg was reliant on many factors. For years, the Germans had been planning out every detail of their actions. One critical element, however, was beyond their control. The lack of enemy preparedness was as important as anything the Germans did in the attacks. As the war dragged on, German resources waned and the preparedness of the Allies increased. The blitz proved to be devastatingly effective against Germany’s European neighbors. Most were overrun within weeks. The blitz had its limitations, though. When the Nazi’s attacked the Soviet Union success appeared imminent. Russia is a massive 13. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. landmass with a vast amount of resources and often severe weather conditions. These forces would spread the German military too thin, and eventually turn it back. In the West, the English Channel provided a natural barrier against the Germans. The same fast, well-coordinated and overwhelming attacks that had brought great success in Europe were simply not possible against Great Britain. Germany was never able to gain air superiority over England and never launched an invasion. By 1944 the Blitzkrieg attacks had run their course. The Soviets had outlasted the Germans on the Eastern front. In the east, the Americans had joined Allied forces for the successful D-Day invasion. On the defensive, Germany was no longer able to mount massive blitz attacks. During their retreat, they were able to perform one final coordinated attack, at the Ardennes in France. The Blitzkrieg was undoubtedly effective in the early going. The stealth and speed of the attacks allowed the Germans to quickly conquer territories that might not have been possible with conventional tactics. As effective as it was, the Blitzkrieg could not counteract one maxim of conventional warfare – The side with the most resources will eventually win. The Germans simply could not match the resources the Allies could muster. The element of surprise was also gone by 1943. In the face of overwhelming force, the Blitzkrieg was neutralized. Pointing toward the future The Blitzkrieg advanced warfare to shocking levels. At least in the early going the Germans were successful in avoiding long wars of attrition. The Blitzkrieg also provided an intimidating image in which civilians were often in the crosshairs of the war machine. From Tank by Patrick Wright: †¦the image converts the opening weeks of the Second World War into a collision between eras; petrol against muscle, faceless mechanized power against personal valour. 14 It was a rude awakening to a new era of warfare. Killing was now impersonal in many cases. It could now be done from great distances in any conditions. Te days of two armies warring endlessly along a well-defined front were over. The Germans cannot be given all of the credit for developing what would become the Blitzkrieg. Mobile warfare had, in fact, been around for centuries. German commander Guderian and others gave credit to British theoreticians Liddell Hart and J. F. C. Fuller, although the extent of their influence is still a matter of debate. 15 During the late 1920’s the British had created an experimental force to test the effects of fully mechanized warfare. Fuller created new battle plans emphasizing the role of the modern tank. The Germans studied these actions closely, and improved upon them. Germany had also emerged as an industrial and scientific power. This was critical in the development of their new military. The advances in machinery in the early twentieth century allowed for unprecedented military speed. The Germans learned well from their World War One experience. Other nations were also developing Blitzkrieg-like tactics before WWII. The Germans, however, were the first to use the new strategy in a comprehensive way. In a world still war weary and suffering an economic depression, the Blitzkrieg achieved maximum shock value. 14. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232). 15. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. Anything successful is bound to be copied. The Allies were not oblivious to the new German tactics. The innovative German tactics would now be used against them. George Parada describes the process of adaptation: At the same time [the] potential of Blitzkrieg and related tactics was fully appreciated by the Allies, who implemented its tactics on both fronts†¦George Patton used Blitzkrieg and mobile warfare tactics in his European operations of 1944. 16 Echoes of the German blitz can be seen in modern warfare. The â€Å"shock and awe† campaign of the United States military against the Iraqi regime is one such example. It was a well-prepared and widespread attack on a vast number of pre-designated targets. Unlike the German attacks, this was not initially an invasion. The advances in air and missile technology allowed for this. The Iraqi regime, unlike the European nations in WWII, had plenty of warning that the attack would occur. The goals of the blitz and the â€Å"shock and awe† campaign remain the same, however. The attacks were designed to target military assets and the infrastructure that supports them. At the same time, the attackers want to intimidate and overwhelm their foes. The ultimate goal is to avoid a bloody stalemate such as that in World War One. Today, weaponry has advanced to the point where the element of surprise is no longer necessary for a major power. Guerrilla wars are also far more prevalent today. These types of wars limit the effectiveness of Blitzkrieg-type attacks. In short, the Blitzkrieg has greatly influenced attack strategy. However, the strategy is not as invincible as it once was. 16. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Notes 1. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (16). 2. Larry H. Addington. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. 3. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003 4. Alexander B. Rossino. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. 5. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (19). 6. Edwin P. Hoyt. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. (146). 7. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. 8. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232) 9. Bryan Perrett and John Hacket. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. 10. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (64). 11. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (65). 12. George Parada. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. 13. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg : 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. 14. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232). 15. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. 16. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Sources Addington, Larry H. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. Brown, Dale (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. Collier, Richard. The War in the Desert. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. Corum, James S. The Roots of Blitzkrieg. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1992. Ferguson, Niall. The War of the World: twentieth-century conflict and the descent of the West. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. Hoyt, Edwin P. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. Macksey, Kenneth. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Perrett, Bryan and Hacket, John. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. Rossino, Alexander B. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. Rutherford, Ward. Blitzkrieg 1940. New York: Putnam Sons, 1979. Sheperd, Alan. France1940 Blitzkrieg in the West. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. Wernick, Robert. Blitzkrieg. New York: Time-Life Books, 1976. Wright, Patrick. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003.