Physiological Impacts of World War Two Essay Example for Free

Physiological Impacts of World War Two Essay When a soldier enlists into the military forces they know they are going in to fight for their country and freedom for everyone. They spend months training and preparing for the war and what to come. They learn to fight, shoot, and kill enemies, but what they do not learn is how to cope with the after math of the war. Soldiers in war every year come home with many post traumatic effects from what they had witnessed. During world war two this was known as shell shock; however what can be concluded is that world war two impacted the soldiers emotionally and physiologically from the time they entered to post war. World War Two was one of the biggest struggles nations everywhere have ever seen. â€Å"It killed more people, costs more money, damaged more property, and affected more people†¦than any other war in history† (The History on the Net Group). People everywhere were in panic when the War started. With all the damage done during the war it can be imagined how the soldiers were traumatized by losing their fellow soldiers. â€Å"The number of people killed, wounded, or missing between September 1939 and September 1945 can never be calculated, but it is estimated that more than 55 million people perished† (The History on the Net Group). Soldiers were devastated by the tragedies that occurred at the time of war. However, before the war started there were a lot of causes that went into why everything ended up in war. World War Two began in September 1939 when Britain and France declared war on Germany following Germany’s invasion of Poland. The war was triggered by Germany’s invasion of Poland but the causes of the war are far beyond this fact. After World War One had occurred Woodrow Wilson, the president of the United States of America wanted to make a treaty on his four point plan to bring peace to Europe. Other countries involved in this treaty did not have the same idea as President Wilson. George Clemenceau wanted revenged. He wanted to make sure Germany would never be able to start a war again. When Germany received this treaty they were very surprised with the terms. The terms included, war guilt clause, which meant Germany accepted all the blame for  World War One. Reparations, Germany had to pay millions in damage from the war. Disarmament, Germany could not have tanks or air force and land was taken away from them and given to other countries. The Germans were not happy with this treaty and thought of it as very harsh. However the Germans took responsibility and continued on in hope to get revenge later. In 1919, to help keep the world safe for democracy the League of Nations was set up. League of Nations would intend that if there were disagreements between countries they would negotiate rather than fight. The failure of the League of Nation can be summarized by points such as, not all countries joining in such as Germany as a punishment and Russia because of the spread of communism. The League of Nations had no power or any army. Countries were hesitant to get involved with an aggressive country and taking direct action against them. These things led to the fall of the League of Nations. People were angry because they did not want to cut off resources with other countries, even if they were aggressive because during the late 1920’s depression hit most of them. â€Å"The depression destroyed the market for imported silk from Japan, which had provided the country with two fifths of its export income’’ (The History on the Net Group). Economic problems played a fundamental part in the cause of World War 2. Germany, one of the poor countries became crippled in power and vulnerable. When Adolf Hitler came into power he immediately began placing blame on other countries and making Germany at the top of resources again. All these aspects lead to the start of World War two in Europe. As the war in Europe continued President Franklin D. Roosevelt told America he did not want to get involved. He thought it was better to stay neutral in this matter and let them handle their own battle. The United States decided to eventually join the war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, however the issues had started years before Pearl Harbor was attacked. It starts with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, China. The Japanese invade Manchuria on September 18th, 1931. China was in the middle of a depression, so the Japanese had the upper hand. When Russia found this out they were enraged meaning America was as well, being alliances with Russia. Also, â€Å"the Japanese invading China violated the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 which renounced war as national policy† (Ketchum). The United states told Japan  if they dont get out of China, they would stop trading oil with them. Japan stayed in China so the U.S stopped trading oil. Japan disliked this and held a grudge on America for years. Besides this, The US was already trading with other countries through the Lend-Lease Act, a document allowing the US to lend countries like Britain war materials in exchange for money. Germany was also angry that America was helping their enemies. As a result the Nazi’s decide to sink the U.S supply ships to help keep them from sending resources to other countries. However, President Roosevelt did not want to enter war until the attack of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii occurred. This pushed the United States into the war officially on December 8, 1941. Right after we entered the war Hitler declared war on the United States. Followed by a United States declaration of war against Germany, and then the United States was fully involved in the war. America did not want to go to war but when America was targeted they decided to counter attack, however they did not plan on going to war with Germany but once they did it lead to one of the biggest and bloodiest wars of all time in history. My grandfather, Edward Weil was lucky and un lucky enough to be able to experience World War 2. As a veteran of war he tells me all his stories about what the war was like. â€Å"The war was a very hard time.† He tells me, â€Å"it was rough but it also brought the nation closer together and America’s pride shined.† When I asked my grandfather why he joined the war he has told me about the attack of pearl harbor and how everyone had to stand for the pledge of allegiance out of respect and when he put his hand to his heart a navy officer came up to him and told him, â€Å"You would look very good in a uniform.† It really made my grandfather look at what he wanted to do and how he wanted to protect his nation. At the same time joining the war also impacted him in a negative way. During the war my grandfather was nervous but knew this was what he wanted to do. He saw the Japanese bomb his mother ship and his sailors being killed and put on the edge of the deck to take back and bury. These experiences get scarred into soldiers minds forever. They cannot escape what they saw and those horrific actions done to one another. My grandfather was only 17 years old when he entered war. He wanted freedom and security for the American people. However, as a young teenage boy still the war affected his emotions and to this day it is still  a very sentimental and emotional topic to him. During my interview with my grandfather as I talked about what he wished he could change about the war, he started to tear up and told me about all the people lost to the war and his friends. His ship pulled next to another ship while it was burning and the people were asking for help and they tried to save as many people as they could. My grandfather even lost his left hearing due to the war. He is very proud to show his metals from the war and how he helped our nation. My grandfather is very proud to be a world war to veteran.

A Good Man is Hard To Find: “Good” When Faced With Conflict Essay examp

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, there are eighty-one entries for the small and seemingly simple word, â€Å"good.† The first definition given defines â€Å"good† as an adjective meaning â€Å"of a favorable character or tendency† ("Good"). In this case a â€Å"good person† must be someone who exhibits those qualities of â€Å"favorable character.† In the world of today, a subject of much debate has been the concept of what qualifies a person as a â€Å"good person.† In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† the unnamed grandmother struggles to discover an individual with the traits of a â€Å"good person† both in others and ultimately, in herself. This is apparent when the grandmother suddenly repents and her â€Å"good† qualities show when the Misfit has a gun pointed to her head. â€Å"Good† qualities are found in a person if he is faced with a confli ct. Flannery O'Connor uses dark humor, grotesque characters and situations, and religious themes to lead the readers to an epiphany about their faith and their belief in God. Flannery O'Connor uses dark humor and grotesque situations to grasp the reader’s attention. O’Connor was born into a Catholic family in the predominantly Protestant Georgia. She learned shortly after her college education was complete that she suffered from lupus, an autoimmune disease that had killed her father ten years earlier (Meyer). She uses the dark humor and the grotesque characters and situations because she felt that people were actually truer and became â€Å"good† people when faced with conflicting situations. Her characters experience horrific moments that eventually leads to an epiphany. The belief in miracles and the â€Å"good† in people is what all people want to discover in others, but for many ... ...rary Journal 36.1 (2003): 46+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. "Good." 1a. Merriam-Webster. Online ed. 2012. N. pag. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Hendricks, T.W. "Flannery O'Connors' 'Spoiled Prophet'." Modern Age 51.3-4 (2009): 202+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. Meyer, Michael. Introduction. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 362-67. Print. O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012. 367-77. Print. Owens, Mitchell. "The Function of Signature in 'A Good Is Hard to Find.'." Studies in Short Fiction 33.1 (Winter 1996): 101-106. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 61. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.

Gilgamesh and Odysseus Essay

Odysseus main challenge is to help defeat the Trojans in the battle of the Trojan horse. All the men who survived the war and the sea were safely back at home, other than Odysseus, he still had a long journey ahead of him. In the beginning of his journey, his challenge was brought upon him by the powerful God of the sea Poseidon. Poseidon became Odysseus enemy after a Cyclops held him and his crewmates captive. After escaping the Cyclops, Odysseus blinded it with fire and his sword. The Cyclops was the son of Poseidon, after telling his dad what happened Poseidon became full of rage and swore to Odysseus that he would pay for what he had done, and he would wander the seas for ten years as his punishment. After leaving the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus encountered Aeolus, who gave him a bag of winds that would have directed him back to Ithaca. However, one of the crewmembers was anxious to see what was in the bag, that he opened the bag while Odysseus was sleeping. Seeing that Odysseus was the only one that was directed to open the bag this caused terrible winds to come out which blew the men further off course. After many other challenges, at sea Odysseus ended up the only survivor. A few days later, he came to the island of the goddess Calypso; she fell madly in love with him, and held captive on her island for seven years. Upon that seventh year things started to change for Odysseus. Athena, daughter of Zeus and Odysseus’ protector, discussed his fate with the other gods that who assembled in Zeus’ home. All of the gods besides Poseidon sympathized with Odysseus, because of what he did to his son. Zeus however told the God Hermes to tell Calypso to let him go and give him a raft, food, and clothing for his journey to Ithaca; this did not settle will with Poseidon. Poseidon again wrecked Odysseus’ raft and which led him to have to swim to an island naked and exhausted. He woke with laughing women around him, who took Odysseus to meet there parents. They later found out who he was and his role in the Trojan war and helped him on his journey back home. A few more things that took place in his journey back home. When Odysseus finally got home back to Ithaca to be with his family he appreciated what he left behind even more. Odysseus when through many tests, all physically, mental, and emotional but he still survived and overcame his adversities. A woman- a goddess formed Enkidu from clay, by the name of  Aruru. A woman (Shamhat) seduced Enkidu. Gilgamesh sent Shamhat, the harlot to Enkidu as a gift but Enkidu was too full of himself to understand the depth and implications of it. The intercourse was for six days and seven nights. Shamhat was supposedly helped Enkidu become a man and a civilized human being. They learned that the love of a woman was valued above all others. In conclusion, the main comparisons between the journeys of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey were men facing several trials and tribulations that women had been the main cause of the problems and challenges. In Gilgamesh, Enkidu had challenges from the goddess and in Odyssey; Odysseus had challenges from the gods and goddess.

Is Egypt a Democracy

Egypt is not yet a democracy, despite the big potential of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that swept away Egypt’s long-standing leader, Hosni Mubarak, who had ruled the country from 1980. Egypt is effectively run by the military, which has deposed an elected Islamist president in July 2013, and handpicked an interim president and a government cabinet. Elections are expected at some point in 2014. A Military-Run Regime Egypt today is a military dictatorship in all but name, although the army promises to return power to civilian politicians as soon as the country is stable enough to hold fresh elections. The military-run administration has suspended the controversial constitution approved in 2012 by a popular referendum, and disbanded the upper house of parliament, Egypt’s last legislative body. Executive power is formally in the hands of an interim cabinet, but there is little doubt that all important decisions are decided in a narrow circle of army generals, Mubarak-era officials, and security chiefs, headed by General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the head of the army and acting defense minister. The top levels of the judiciary have been supportive of the July 2013 military takeover, and with no parliament there are very few checks and balances on Sisi’s political role, making him the de-facto ruler of Egypt. The state-owned media has championed Sisi in a manner reminiscent of the Mubarak era, and criticism of Egypt’s new strongman elsewhere has been muted. Sisi’s supporters are saying the military has saved the country from an Islamist dictatorship, but the country’s future seems as uncertain as it was after Mubarak’s downfall in 2011.   Failed Democratic Experiment Egypt has been ruled by successive authoritarian governments since the 1950s, and before 2012 all three presidents – Gamal Abdul Nasser, Mohammed Sadat, and Mubarak – have come out from the military. As a result, Egyptian military always played an important role in political and economic life. The army also enjoyed deep respect among ordinary Egyptians, and it was hardly surprising that after Mubarak’s overthrow the generals assumed the management of the transition process, becoming the guardians of the 2011 â€Å"revolution†.  Ã‚   However, Egypt’s democratic experiment soon ran into trouble, as it became clear that the army was in no rush to retire from active politics. Parliamentary elections were eventually held in late 2011 followed by presidential polls in June 2012, bringing to power an Islamist majority controlled by President Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi struck a tacit deal with the army, under which the generals withdrew from day-to-day government affairs, in exchange for retaining a decisive say in defense policy and all matters of national security. But growing instability under Morsi and the threat of civil strife between secular and Islamist groups appeared to have convinced the generals that civilian politicians botched the transition. The army removed Morsi from power in a popularly-backed coup in July 2013, arrested senior leaders of his party, and cracked down on supporters of the former president. The majority of Egyptians rallied behind the army, tired of instability and economic meltdown, and alienated by the incompetence of the politicians.   Do Egyptians Want Democracy? Both mainstream Islamists and their secular opponents generally agree that Egypt should be governed by a democratic political system, with a government chosen through free and fair elections. But unlike Tunisia, where a similar uprising against a dictatorship resulted in a coalition of Islamist and secular parties, Egyptian political parties could not find a middle ground, making politics a violent, zero-sum game. Once in power, the democratically-elected Morsi reacted to criticism and political protest often by emulating some of the repressive practices of the former regime. Sadly, this negative experience made many Egyptians willing to accept an indefinite period of semi-authoritarian rule, preferring a trusted strongman to the uncertainties of parliamentary politics. Sisi has proven immensely popular with people from all walks of life, who feel reassured that the army will stop a slide toward religious extremism and economic disaster. A fully-fledged democracy in Egypt marked by the rule of law is a long time away.