Hideki Tojo was born in Tokyo on Dec. 30, 1884, th Essays (1695 words)

Hideki Tojo was born in Tokyo on Dec. 30, 1884, the eldest son in a family of samurai descent. Tojo entered military school in 1899, following in the footsteps of his father, a professional military man who served as a lieutenant colonel in the Sino-Japanese War and as a major general in the Russo-Japanese War. Tojo likewise saw service, though briefly, in the latter war. In 1915 he graduated with honors from the army war college and was subsequently sent abroad for 3 years (1919-1922) of study in Europe. After his return he served as an instructor in military science at the war college. Brusque, scrupulous, and hardworking, Tojo came to be known as kamisori (the razor) for the sharp, decisive, impatient qualities that he manifested as he rose rapidly through the military hierarchy. He was assigned first to the War Ministry and subsequently to the general staff and various command posts. Promoted to lieutenant general in 1936, Tojo became chief of staff of the Kwantung Army in Manchu ria, where he worked effectively to mobilize Manchuria's economy and strengthen Japan's military readiness in the event that war broke out with the Soviet Union. When full-scale hostilities broke out instead between China and Japan following the Marco Polo Bridge incident, Tojo in his first real taste of combat experience led two brigades in a blitzkrieg that quickly brought the whole of Inner Mongolia under Japanese control. In 1938 he was recalled from field service to become vice-minister of war, a position in which he pressed resolutely for preparations that would allow Japan to wage a two-front war against both China and the Soviet Union. In mid-1940 Tojo was appointed war minister in the second Fumimaro Konoe government, which proceeded at once to sign the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy. Relations with the United States gradually worsened during succeeding months as Japanese troops moved south into Indochina; but Tojo hewed to a hard line. Convinced of the righteousness of the imperial cause and of the implacable hostility of the Americans, the British, the Chinese, and the Dutch, he stoutly opposed the negotiations and concessions that Konoe contemplated. Speaking for the army command, Tojo demanded a decision for war unless the United States backed away from its embargo on all exports to Japan. When Konoe hesitated, Tojo is reported to have told him that "sometimes it is necessary to shut one's eyes and take the plunge." Konoe, however, was reluctant to take the plunge and instead tendered his resignation. Leadership in War An imperial mandate was then given to Tojo in October 1941 to become premier and form a new Cabinet. It was thought that only Tojo had full knowledge of recent developments and an ability to control the army. Tojo was given an imperial command to "wipe the slate clean, " review all past decisions, and work for peace. But a reconsideration of Japanese policy failed to reveal alternatives acceptable to the army, and the decision for war was taken. Within hours after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Tojo broadcast a brief message to his countrymen, warning them that "to annihilate this enemy and to establish a stable new order in East Asia, the nation must necessarily anticipate a long war." Tojo had great power at the beginning of the war and in the West was often likened to Hitler and Mussolini. Besides serving as premier, he was a general in the army, war minister, and, for a short time, home minister. Later in the war he also served as chief of the general staff. In 1942 a tightly restricted national election resulted in a pro-Tojo Diet. Nonetheless, while wielding great power, Tojo was still not a dictator like Hitler or Mussolini. The senior statesmen, the army and navy general staffs, and, of course, ultimately the Emperor still exercised considerable power independent of Tojo. By early 1944 even though the tide of battle had turned decisively against Japan, and Tojo admitted to the Diet that the nation faced "the most critical situation in the history of the Empire, " he stood firmly opposed to increasing sentiment in favor of negotiation. The fall of Saipan in July 1944, however, put American bombers within range of the home-land,

How to Write a Contract

How to Write a Contract Learning how to write a contract can save you a lot of money and aggravation. Typically people find themselves in a position where they need to hire a lawyer to negotiate the terminology of a contract. This can get quite costly, especially when the parties keep going back and forth changing certain items. By knowing how to write a contract you’ll be aware of each word and phrase that’s being utilized in this document. This puts you in a better position of knowledge. Many have tried to save money by writing their own contract only to find that they’ve neglected to include details that may be needed to make the contract binding. These are very important documents and should not be attempted unless you learn how to write a contract. Contracts can be long and complicated documents or they can be short and sweet. Knowing how to write a contract is simply a matter of common sense. You must be aware of what information is essential to the matter at hand and including details that will avoid any future confusion should the matter ever come to a dispute. Keep in mind that you need to clearly state any detail that could be attacked in court. Ask how certain terms would hold up against a skilled lawyer in a courtroom. If you find yourself able to argue points included in your contract then perhaps you need to go back and rephrase or make your point clearer. The whole point of knowing how to write a contract is to make it so that there is no question surrounding the terms of the document. Before beginning a contract, write out an outline of the terms included in the agreement. Ask questions about those terms outlined to try and foresee any possible complications. Know and understand the terminology that is typically used in a contract. Many times confusion over a simple word or phrase can break apart a contractual agreement between parties. Using a good contract form is essential to knowing how to write a contract. The proper form provides a strong foundation upon which to build a contract. Typically one begins with the parties involved in the transaction. It’s important to include their full legal names as well as nicknames so that there is no confusion over who is involved. Throughout the document, always refer to the parties by the names you have them listed as in the beginning of the contract and avoid any misspelling. Another important thing to know is that the date should be listed in the first paragraph of this paper. Key a blank space within the paragraph so that the date can be written in as the parties both sign the agreement. Knowing how to write a contract means being organized with your thoughts as you type this document up. Keep it simple yet concise. Avoid any loose terminology that could be misinterpreted. Avoid any creative writing and do not rely on grammatical rules that you may have learned in school. Contract writing needs to be absolutely clear leaving no room for misinterpretation. Never try to speed read through your contract when editing it, as you will certainly leave lots of room for misinterpretation that can cost you a lot of money. Once you have learned how to write a contract, you’ll find that it is quite simple as long as you know and understand the rules. Knowing how to write a contract can be quite profitable for those who engage in business practices regularly but find that attorney fees for writing contracts can get quite steep. In the beginning, it may be helpful to seek out advice from an experienced person but once you have the essentials of contract writing down, you should be able to write contracts with ease.

Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge - Essay Example Tall towers, long and thick cables, and the largest underwater foundation piers ever to be built were all part of the construction requirements for the bridge. There were many who considered this task impossible in the violent open seawater conditions in which the construction was to take place (Hemenway, 2009). In those days the fatality average in such constructions was one fatality for every million dollars spent and $35 million was spent on the construction, meaning that in these conditions the fatalities should have been more than 35 constructions workers. Yet, the bridge opened on time, with a much lower fatality rate (Hemenway, 2009). This was the result of safety precautions taken in the form of strict rules preventing dangerous behavior at the construction site and the use of protective head gear. However the stand out precautionary measure was the use of a safety net that was strung out underneath the bridge floor from one end of the bridge to the other, and was the safety lesson learnt from the construction of the bridge. In the first three years of the construction only one fatality occurred, and more importantly the utility of the safety net was demonstrated, when nineteen men accidentally fell during construction onto the safety net and survived the normally fatal fall. These men later came to be known as the Halfway to Hell Club.

Prsosecution of a Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prsosecution of a Case - Essay Example Homicide and terrorism are the two chosen cases for this illustration. There is voluminous amount of work that requires to be done with the witnesses, evidences, statements and items prior to the case being brought before the jury and the judge subsequent to the information of the original misdeed. A number of ethical considerations should be put into considerations from the establishment of a particular case say homicide. The exploration of particular cases should remain in the hands of law enforcement workers who are directly connected to the information and case concerning the suspect's true identity, the approach and procedure followed to retrieve information from the said suspect and the fact that neither coercion nor excessive force was employed so as to attain a confession etc (Schmalleger, 2006). It is important that the investigation observes legal and professional standards from the commencement till completion of a case so that it can be prosecuted successfully. The requirement that an investigator be of high ethical and moral standards is o f great importance to the suspect himself, the whole case, the prosecution, the victim and the department. All of the parts should become clear rather than be changed or forced to fit a particular crime as it happened. Terrorism and homicide are considered to the most ruthless crimes common in human society. To minimize the ethical problems involved in the investigation of these crimes, investigators should seek to curtail the ethical issues such as: getting confessions through exercising of force, coercion or unjust intimidation of the suspect; turning down a request by a suspect to his/her attorney representative; bullying and bribing; torture and beatings of suspects or worst of all straight out/ pre-judicial murder of the suspects. Investigators should uphold professionalism and follow the set techniques for investigating a crime i.e. Interview every witness as well as the victim(s) if doable. Scrutinize the scene to ascertain a hypothesis as to what took place. Take pictures of the scene to obtain visual evidence of all substance and potential evidence. Draft should be prepared of the sight as to the site of evidence or body etc. Process every information and tangible evidence that was gotten and follow through on it. Prosecution problems that can arise when the case is presented for trial if the investigator was unethical In case a case is presented for trial deficient of the ethical principle of the investigator, a number of prosecution problems may arise: if the whole or part of the terrorism or homicide inquiry is pushed or rushed through devoid of the whole thing being handled in a professional and thorough manner, a mistaken suspect might be held convict under sham pretenses or worse still the case in question might be thrown out of the court; a legal malpractice claim might be filed against the investigator, the unprofessional and improper handling of the relationship between the attorney and the client results to negligence claims which are not founded on the definite services given. Even if lawyers encounter unique realities and difficulties in

Modern Germany in the span 1648 to the present day Term Paper

Modern Germany in the span 1648 to the present day - Term Paper Example Germany in dealing with its enemies to win a war makes them be the hammers as opposed to the Anvil. For example when France declares war in 1870, the Germans reluctantly places their army under the command of the Prussian King, this act is purely seen as a German cause (Heath pg. 78). After the victory of the war in sedan, Germany achieves unification and in November, the same year a deal is struck resulting into a single state under the Prussian leadership. In the arrangement, William I is extremely reluctant to accept the title of emperor of which Bismarck later convinces him and he proclaims the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles and his s the symbol of French power and Triumphalism. The occurrences of this period are just a form of strategy as later an added twist of the knife comes in when victory is imposed by Bismarck of the Prussian troops through the streets and Germany becomes the hammer once more (Taylor pg. 76-9). The ancient German Reich gets reconstituted into a modern, comp act, national form in which the Reichstag comes back as a form of parliament. A meeting is held in Berlin of all the delegates elected all over the new nation. The Reichstag at this stage is only a legislative body that command very little control over the executive arm of the government. this makes Bismarck be the executive himself more than ever before and by an extent qualifies him as the first imperial chancellor. He commands the whole of the German empire that consists of 4 kingdoms, 5 grand duchies, 13 duchies, principalities and other free cities. This period marks the unification of Germany into a nation of federal in nature and with a strong central control making the story of Prussia be that of Germany (Heath pg. 128). Concisely, this is he period in German History where the country experiences a rise in nationalism in the face of Napoleon’s Conquest. Thereafter, Germany became united under the auspice of Prussia where Australia is left out. The country prospers fur ther through the growth in agricultural sector and an end to serfdom; such developments are followed by a growth of industry and railroads (Taylor pg. 224). The next face in the history of Germany is the duration between 1890 and 1945, which begins by the signing of the Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty, which made Germany gain control of a strategic Island near its main seaports and gained agreement on its colonial holdings in Africa (Solsten pg. 59). This saw Germany turn its colony, Zanzibar to Britain. It is within the same period that the Rudolf Diesel engine is invented as well as the Kruger telegram sent. For the better part of he century after Bismarck’s fall, a political paralysis is realized in Germany as a result of the political system that he left in place. This is largely attributed to the lack of reforms that existed between the democratic Reichstag, the parliament of the new united Germany, which came in place through an election by universal suffrage, in the mix, is also the parliaments of the individual states (Heath pg. 223). Bernhard Von Bulow, the new Reich Chancellor announces the second proposal for a German fleet in which he expresses his belief on an expansionist German foreign policy. This is because he believed that political expansion was necessary for the sole reason of protecting Germany from other powers. He metaphorically uses, â€Å"the hammer and anvil, phrase as he speaks to his fellow citizens (Taylor pg. 72).

Preparing a Home for Resale

Preparing a Home for Resale While staging a home or apartment is technically optional during the selling process, it really shouldnt be. The home youre trying to sell is the same as any other commodity: it needs to be marketed. It should be made appealing to the type of person you are trying to sell it to, and if you skimp on this step, you run the risk of ending up with less than your asking price or dealing with a longer marketing period. If youre an investor who makes a living flipping houses, these risks arent worth the time youd save skipping the staging. When you stage a house, what youre really doing it setting it up so that the prospective buyer, when viewing the outside and walking through the home, can see themselves living there. You want them to walk in and think that this is the perfect place for them, to start imagining how theyll decorate this room, or where theyll put that furniture, or the lovely dinner parties theyll have in the kitchen. Staging is the way realtors accomplish this. The definition of staging is evident in the word itself: its like setting the stage for a play. Everything should be intentional, pleasing to the eye, unoffensive or obtrusive. You want it to appeal to the type of person you would like to sell it to, and if youre just trying to flip the house, chances are you want it to appeal to many different types of people. There are several ways that realtors stage houses. Cleaning Deep clean the house: Possibly the most important step, if not the easiest, is to deep clean the entire house. You want the walls to sparkle, the floors to shine, everything down to the grout should be scrubbed. There shouldnt be dust anywhere, and windows should be gleaming. You want the prospective buyer to walk through and see the house itself and all it has to offer, not the dust on the air vents or the smudges on the fridge. Youre trying to sell something, and while buyers obviously know that the house has been lived in, its not brand new, you want them to feel like it was made just for them. Declutter: Almost as important as scrubbing the house is decluttering it. Clear counters, tidy bookshelves, and open floor space all serve to open up the house and make it welcoming, while at the same time leaving space for the buyer to invisage their own belongings in the house. If the house is full of nothing but personal knick-knacks, it doesnt allow room for the buyers imagination. It also detracts from the feature your house has to offer. A buyer is less likely to be excited about the bult-in bookshelves in the childrens room if the shelves are covered in toys scattered haphazardly around. Clutter also makes it seem like the house doesnt have enough storage space. After all, if there is space for all of these things to be stored out of sight, why arent they? Also important to note is that buyers will likely be interested in seeing cabinets and closet spaces, so tossing everything into a closet may not be the best solution. Often an outside storage unit will come into play, or a kind friend or family members garage. Make it smell nice: A buyer shouldnt walk into your home and smell your pets, or last nights dinner, or laundry. These things, as well as kids, a mildewy bathroom, and garbage disposals can all contribute to a less-than-attractive home smell that you may not even notice. The sense of smell is very closely linked to memory, and when a buyer is later trying to decide between properties, their memory of your home will likely be swayed by the type of scent it had. There are easy ways to ensure that these memories are good ones. Coating an apple in cinnamon and baking it in the oven gives off a homey vibe reminiscent of the holiday season, which many find to be comforting and warming. Other methods are to pop a tray of slice and bake cookies in the oven, burn a vanilla scented candle, or put a pot of water on to boil with a homemade potpourri of lemon slices, cinnamon sticks, and other aromatics. Another good tip is to put pieces of lemon into the garbage disposal to help get rid of food odors. You could use disinfectant and scented sprays to rid your home of unwanted odors, but often they leave a more industrial, artificial scent behind, while the tips listed above serve to make the house feel more homey, which is, after all, what staging is about. If you smoke in the home, try to limit yourself to smoking outside. Making sure all fabrics are freshly washed before an open house also helps to keep the home smelling fresh, as well as ensuring the carpets are clean, though thats a step that should be taken care of when deep cleaning the house. Decoration Maximize curb appeal: This may be something youve heard over and over on home decorating shows, but the truth is its actually very important. Many prospective buyers will drive by a house before ever deciding to do tour or attend an open house, and often they make their decision based solely on how appealing the outside of the house is. Make sure your home makes a good first impression by taking care of the following: Ensure the house numbers are large, well-placed, and easy to read Plant greenery and blooming flowers Repaint or stain the porch, shutters, and other wooden fixtures if needed Wash the windows Power wash the siding and sidewalks Another way to make your home appealng on the outside is to turn your front porch into a welcoming space. Put out a clean, attractive door mat, some blooming potted flowers, and if theres room, a piece or two of neat porch furniture. Make sure the porch light works, and leave it on after dark, in case buyers drive by late. Grouping furniture: Most people believe that rooms feel bigger if the furniture is pushed against the walls, leaving floor space in the middle. That isnt the case. Rather than pushing the furniture away, bring it together in conversational groups in the middle of the room, placing pieces so that the traffic flow of the room is clear. This method of furniture placement makes the room feel more user-friendly, as well as opening up the room. Also give yourself permission to move pieces from room to room. You may have bought that chair for the living room, but that doesnt mean it wont look better in a bedroom as a little sitting area. Painting and color: A fresh coat of paint throughout the house can do wonders to make it feel open, welcoming, clean, and new. Now is not the time to be creative or show your personality through wall colors, however. Go for neutral tones to make everything look pulled together and sophisticated, as well as providing a blank canvas for a homeowner to be able to envision whatever wall color they would like, rather than your adventurous lime green living room wall. Painting is also a great way to make room feel larger. If your kitchen is a bit small, considering painting it the same color as the adjacent dining room, or even the hallway. The seamless look makes the space look bigger. Another trick is to hang curtains the same color as your wall, this also makes the space look bigger. Paint isnt the only color you should be thinking about when staging a house. Also important are draperies, accent pieces, and bedroom color schemes. Just as with the paint, its a good idea to go for a neutral color scheme. However, dont be afraid to play with color a bit in more intimate spaces like the bathroom or a bedroom. Painting a single accent wall a darker color, or using darker fabrics on the bed and windows can give the room a more intimate, welcoming feel. For the master bedroom, consider going gender-neutral in the coloring and decorations; you want all buyers to be interested in it and be able to see themselves relaxing in the space. Decorate: While you want to get rid of clutter, you also want the house to seem able to be lived-in, and this is where decorating comes in. Thoughtfully placed accent pieces or coordinating knick-knacks can do a lot to draw in a buyer and make them want to see more of the house. A good rule is the rule of threes: things in groups of three are pleasing to the eye. Rather than lining up three candlesticks on the coffee table, however, consider varying the pieces in height, grouping them together in the center of the table. Make it look effortless, but polished. For maximum effect, group pieces by color or type. Other elements that will make a home feel welcoming are things like a bowl of fruit on the table or a vase of cut flowers on the kitchen counter. There are smaller elements that should be paid attention to that you may not notice but a prospective buyer may. In the bathroom, make sure that any towels you may have out are fluffy and clean, not pilling or old. Soaps should be new, mirrors should be cleaned. In the kitchen, an easy way to spruce things up is to replace the front of the cabinets and drawers, as well as the drawer pulls. Be sure to open the windows for at least ten minutes before an open house or tour, so its not stuffy inside. Lighting: Proper lighting can make a home feel warm and welcoming. Increase the wattage of bulbs in your lamps and fixtures, aiming for 100 watts per 50 square feet. Vary the type of lighting, not relying on all overhead lights or all lamps. A good way to do this is to make sure that you have three types of lighting: ambient lighting (overhead), task lighting (pendant lights or desk lamps), and accent lighting (on tables and walls). Another way to maximize your homes lighting is to make use of natural light. Open the blinds and curtains, letting sunlight stream in. It makes the house feel more welcoming, as well as more open. The bottom line when it comes to staging a home for resale as an investor is to strike a balance between spending too much money and not enough. If you skimp, you run the risk of having to settle for less than your asking price, as buyers might not be as taken by your house as they could have been if youd put in a little more effort. If you spend too much, thats money thats coming out of your pocket, and in the end, making a profit is what investing is about. Its important to set the stage for the sale, and if you take care, youll find the house will sell itself.

U.S. and Global Media Perspectives on Afghanistan: Evaluating the Roles of the United States and the United Nations in Preserving World Peace :: Essays Papers

U.S. and Global Media Perspectives on Afghanistan: Evaluating the Roles of the United States and the United Nations in Preserving World Peace I. Intro Afghanistan was a neutral country in the 20th century, receiving aid from the United States and Soviet Union until the 1970s. In the 1970s, Afganistan’s King Muhammad Zahir Khan was forced to deal with serious economic problems caused in large part by a severe national drought. These economic problems caused a general unrest among the people of Afghanistan, and in July of 1973 a group of young military officers took things into their own hands. King Zahir Khan was unseated, and this group proclaimed Afghanistan to be a republic with Zahir Khan’s cousin, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Daud Khan, becoming president and prime minister. Daud’s reign was short-lived; in Afghanistan’s coup d'Ã ©tat of 1978, Daud was deposed by a group led by Noor Mohammed Taraki, who instituted Marxist reforms and aligned the country more closely with the Soviet Union. These events marked the beginning of what would become known as the Afghanistan War, a devastating conflict between anti -Communist Muslim Afghan guerrillas (mujahadeen) and Soviet forces and Afghan government. Mohammed Taraki was killed in September of 1979 and Hafizullah Amin took power. With Amin taking the throne, the USSR did not hesitate to send troops into Afghanistan and had Amin executed, with the Soviet-supported Babrak Karmal becoming president. The United States, along with China and Saudi Arabia, channeled funds through Pakistan to the mujahadeen. The civil war ensued, and through the course of this war over six million people of the Afghanistan population fled the country, giving it the largest refugee population of any country in the world. By 1991-92, the US finally reached an agreement with the USSR that neither would continue to supply aid to any faction in Afghanistan. Out of these previously US funded factions rose the Taliban, an armed Aghan faction which apparently was an Islamic movement. The Taliban, funded by the CIA during this war, fought with other factions for supremacy following the departure of Soviet troops; as history would show, the Taliban became the dominant force in Afghanistan in the 1990s. The Taliban did not really exist as a coherent politico-military faction or movement before late 1994; prior to this time, they were members of other factions such as Harakat-e Islami and Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi, or operated independently without a centralized command center.