Principles of war

Principles of war CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study. Principles of war are key considerations that commanders use as an academic start point when contemplating combat operations. They range from strategic, and operational, to tactical factors which serve as guiding rules which must not be violated in order to ensure success in any operation. The Principles of war range from; selection and maintenance of the aim, offensive action, flexibility, sustainability, concentration of force, cooperation, economy of effort, surprise and security. A new fundamental principle of war which though yet to be acknowledged as such in tactical manual books, has been born. This birth resulted from the rapid advancement in technology coupled with the proliferation and growth of television and radio new in the 1960s.[1] For the first time in history, the gruesome reality of warfare was brought into American living rooms on nightly newscasts. This powerful visual medium altered the entire interplay between the news media and government policy making. In part icular, it would no longer be possible to wield the military instrument of national power without first considering how it would play in the news media.[2] The media in todays society serve the role of an informant, especially in the cases of distant violence in times of war. They provide the eyes and context through which the public view events and the formulation of policy. The agendas of the media often reflect that of the government and the corporate interests that control them. While freedom of the press gives journalist free reign to criticize or provide alternative views to government activities, there is evidence that reliance on official sources and competition censors the resultant news product (Kracke,2004). The independence of the media from the government exists in principle but does not manifest itself in practice. Given this perspective and the understanding that the media serve as the primary conduit of information from the battlefield to the public, and often the po licy makers, facilitating a relationship with the media has been a challenge for the military. An examination of the relationship between the military and the media may provide a valuable perspective on how to capitalize on this relationship and provide greater input into framing the news that reaches the public and policy makers.[3] Military commanders could never again afford to ignore the way combat operations would be portrayed in the news media. This essential consideration for any would-be combat commander constitutes the new principle of war. 1.2 Statement of the Problem. Ghana has after half a century of independence experienced intermittent military intervention which brought in its wake limiting roles of the media in accessing military related information. The cumulative effect of this has been an extended gap between the military and the media as both parties seem to lack the basic understanding of a reasonable coexistence through realistic collaboration. The study will attempt to answer the following questions such as; What are the principal roles of the military in accounting to the wider population?, how well positioned is the military in addressing their obligations to the wider population? and what measures dictate the media environment that has made the media so powerful as to be regarded as the Forth arm of Government? The research will also seek to determine what are the contemporary challenges in military- media relationship? and lastly, how can the Ghana Armed Forces contribute to the development of a viable military à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ media relationship? 1.3 Objectives of the Study The objectives of this study are to provide information that may lead to a better understanding of the nature of military à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ media relations that should exist in a democratic Ghana as well as to determine how military-media relations in Ghana can be enhanced. 1.4 Research Methodology A combination of primary and secondary sources of data collection is used in the study. Primary data was sourced from personal interview of both serving and retired military officers as well as civil servants and journalists. Data was also sourced from books, journals, official government documents, conference papers, news-magazines and newspapers. The collected data were analyzed qualitatively using logical arguments and sequential presentation of points. 1.5 Significance of the Study The study will contribute to existing knowledge and current discussions on military-media relations. It will also assist the Ghana Armed Forces in adopting training strategies for the reorientation of the Public Relations Department to deal with the media. 1.6 Limitations of the Study The limitation faced in this study is the paucity of written material on the Ghanaian situation. The lack of adequate time for proper research will also affect the quality. However, the research will try and authenticate all documents assessed to remove all inconsistencies. 1.7 Literature Review In searching for material to support this study it was anticipated that limited amounts of printed literature would be available on this topic particularly with reference to the Principles of War. This was assumed because Principles of War is a relatively tactical doctrine that can be found mostly in military training manuals. Upon filtering the questions for each area of research this study will address, the literature is grouped into two to deal with the media perspective and the tactical perspective. Distorting Defense by Stephen P. Aubin[4] and General Ferdinand Fochs book The Principles of War [5]will be reviewed. In the book Distorting Defense, Stephen P. Aubin arouses ones interest in the medias coverage of defense issues. Even though Aubins book does not address the military media relationship specifically, however, it delves into how the media has covered defense-related issues. Aubin presents a content analysis of evening broadcasts of major media networks as NBC and CBS on defence related issues during the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations. He posits that the American People and their media have since colonial times been very suspicious and even to some extent hostile to defence related issues. Aubin highlights that the Americans would rather opt for cheaper routes in achieving the nations security.[6] Aubins content analysis revealed that about 32 percent of the evening news coverage on defence issues were problematic.[7] Aubin defined problematic coverage as; overemphasis on drama or bad news at the expense of substance and context, lack of knowledge on the part of the correspo ndent, lack of context as a result of brevity, general lack of balance or context, loaded labelling or advocacy; and bad news judgment. Aubin presents a historical review of an American people who he finds difficult to convince about the need for new weapon systems, an increase in defense spending or the deployment of US troops into a conflict.[8] Juxtaposing his historical review with the content analysis on problematic coverage of defense issues, one observes that the US military public affairs need to do a lot to tell the military story the right way. This is not limited to the US alone as such hurdles permeate wider societies especially young democracies such as in Ghana. The media will continue to be very critical of military operations because they are the agents of collecting, interpreting and transmitting information to worldwide audiences and therefore have tremendous power to affect the outcome of military operations. Aubin however was unable to capture this vital relation ship between the media and the military. This is the aspect that this study seeks to reveal by drawing on some of the characteristics of the media environment as put forward by Aubin. Fochs book The Principles of War is an excellent starting point when reviewing what factors and guidelines that men in arms must take into consideration when planning for and executing wars. Foch, who was a Commander of the Allied Armies on the Western Front during the final campaigns of World War I presents the picture that War is so important that it must be studied in detail and it is for this reason that nations have War Colleges. Foch emphasises on theories that one needs to understand and execute in order to be victorious in war. These include having large numbers, better armament, bases of supplies and the advantage of terrain. Foch enumerated a number of principles such as economy of power, freedom of action, protection, intellectual discipline, strategic surprise and strategic discipline. These he stated, must not be violated in order to be successful. Foch related his principles mostly to the Napoleonic wars in the organisation and disposition of forces. In modern battles, Foch opined that the decisive attack in the battle of today is not to be sought indifferently on any point yet it can be imposed on us, or as an opportunity suddenly arise, in spite of all that theory may teach.[9] Fochs principles amongst others have over time been reframed into modern day principles of war as is contained in present day military manuals and aide memoires. Foch however fails to highlight the fluidity of the operational environment as directed by political interference and the demands of accountability by the people through the media. These are very relevant and actually do affect the modern day battle environment. This study takes advantage of the Fochs principles of war as it relates to contemporary times and the relevance of other factors of the modern day battle environment. 1.8 Organisation of the Study The scope of the study will cover four chapters. Chapter one will present a background to the study and a statement of the research problem as well as a literature review and the methodology of the research. Chapter two will highlight on the mission and role of the military as well as strategies employed in achieving its goal. It will also cover the media environment and activities of the media. Chapter three will dwell on the challenges of the military-media relationship and the role of the Ghana Armed Forces in building a healthy relationship between the media and the Armed Forces. Chapter four expounds on the conclusion and recommendations. References Mac D Felman The Military/Media Clash and the New Principle of War: Media Spin, (Air University USAF, 1992) Tina S. Kracke Mass Media: The Ether Pervading the Clausewitzian Trinity, (USACGSC,2004) Stephen P. Aubin, Distorting Defense (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 1998). JB Synder Seeing Through The Conflict: Military-Media Relations, (USAWC, 2003). Ferdinad Foch, The Principles of War, (AMS PRESS,1970). RESTRICTED [1] Mac D Felman The Military/Media Clash and the New Principle of War: Media Spin, (Air University USAF, 1992). [2] Ibid. [3] Tina S. Kracke Mass Media: The Ether Pervading the Clausewitzian Trinity, (USACGSC,2004) [4] Stephen P. Aubin, Distorting Defense (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 1998) 6. [5] Ferdinad Foch, The Principles of War, (AMS PRESS,1970). [6] Ibid. [7] Ibid. [8] JB Synder Seeing Through The Conflict: Military-Media Relations, (USAWC, 2003). [9] Ibid,372.

Part Three Chapter VI

VI Things denied, things untold, things hidden and disguised. The muddy River Orr gushed over the wreckage of the stolen computer, thrown from the old stone bridge at midnight. Simon limped to work on his fractured toe and told everyone that he had slipped on the garden path. Ruth pressed ice to her bruises and concealed them inexpertly with an old tube of foundation; Andrew's lip scabbed over, like Dane Tully's, and Paul had another nosebleed on the bus and had to go straight to the nurse on arrival at school. Shirley Mollison, who had been shopping in Yarvil, did not answer Ruth's repeated telephone calls until late afternoon, by which time Ruth's sons had arrived home from school. Andrew listened to the one-sided conversation from the stairs outside the sitting room. He knew that Ruth was trying to take care of the problem before Simon came home, because Simon was more than capable of seizing the receiver from her and shouting and swearing at her friend. ‘†¦ just silly lies,' she was saying brightly, ‘but we'd be very grateful if you could remove it, Shirley.' He scowled and the cut on his fat lip threatened to burst open again. He hated hearing his mother asking the woman for a favour. In that moment he was irrationally annoyed that the post had not been taken down already; then he remembered that he had written it, that he had caused everything: his mother's battered face, his own cut lip and the atmosphere of dread that pervaded the house at the prospect of Simon's return. ‘I do understand you've got a lot of things on †¦' Ruth was saying cravenly, ‘but you can see how this might do Simon damage, if people believe †¦' ‘Yes.' Ruth sounded tired. ‘She's going to take those things about Dad off the site so, hopefully, that'll be the end of it.' Andrew knew his mother to be intelligent, and much handier around the house than his ham-fisted father. She was capable of earning her own living. ‘Why didn't she take the post down straight away, if you're friends?' he asked, following her into the kitchen. For the first time in his life, his pity for Ruth was mingled with a feeling of frustration that amounted to anger. ‘She's been busy,' snapped Ruth. One of her eyes was bloodshot from Simon's punch. ‘Did you tell her she could be in trouble for leaving defamatory stuff on there, if she moderates the boards? We did that stuff in comput – ‘ ‘I've told you, she's taking it down, Andrew,' said Ruth angrily. She was not frightened of showing temper to her sons. Was it because they did not hit her, or for some other reason? Andrew knew that her face must ache as badly as his own. ‘So who d'you reckon wrote that stuff about Dad?' he asked her recklessly. She turned a face of fury upon him. ‘I don't know,' she said, ‘but whoever they are, it was a despicable, cowardly thing to do. Everyone's got something they'd like to hide. How would it be if Dad put some of the things he knows about other people on the internet? But he wouldn't do it.' ‘That'd be against his moral code, would it?' said Andrew. ‘You don't know your father as well as you think you do!' shouted Ruth with tears in her eyes. ‘Get out – go and do your homework – I don't care – just get out!' Yet the deletion of the post could not remove it from the consciousness of those who were passionately interested in the forthcoming contest for Barry's seat. Parminder Jawanda had copied the message about Simon Price onto her computer, and kept opening it, subjecting each sentence to the scrutiny of a forensic scientist examining fibres on a corpse, searching for traces of Howard Mollison's literary DNA. He would have done all he could to disguise his distinctive phraseology, but she was sure that she recognized his pomposity in ‘Mr Price is certainly no stranger to keeping down costs', and in ‘the benefit of his many useful contacts'. ‘Minda, you don't know Simon Price,' said Tessa Wall. She and Colin were having supper with the Jawandas in the Old Vicarage kitchen, and Parminder had started on the subject of the post almost the moment they had crossed the threshold. ‘He's a very unpleasant man and he could have upset any number of people. I honestly don't think it's Howard Mollison. I can't see him doing anything so obvious.' ‘Don't kid yourself, Tessa,' said Parminder. ‘Howard will do anything to make sure Miles is elected. You watch. He'll go for Colin next.' Tessa saw Colin's knuckles whiten on his fork handle, and wished that Parminder would think before she spoke. She, of anyone, knew what Colin was like; she prescribed his Prozac. Vikram was sitting at the end of the table in silence. His beautiful face fell naturally into a slightly sardonic smile. Tessa had always been intimidated by the surgeon, as she was by all very good-looking men. Although Parminder was one of Tessa's best friends, she barely knew Vikram, who worked long hours and involved himself much less in Pagford matters than his wife. ‘I told you about the agenda, didn't I?' Parminder rattled on. ‘For the next meeting? He's proposing a motion on the Fields, for us to pass to the Yarvil committee doing the boundary review, and a resolution on forcing the drug clinic out of their building. He's trying to rush it all through, while Barry's seat's empty.' She kept leaving the table to fetch things, opening more cupboard doors than was necessary, distracted and unfocused. Twice she forgot why she had got up, and sat down again, empty-handed. Vikram watched her, everywhere she moved, from beneath his thick eyelashes. ‘I rang Howard last night,' Parminder said, ‘and I told him we ought to wait until we're back up to the full complement of councillors before we vote on such big issues. He laughed; he says we can't wait. Yarvil wants to hear our views, he said, with the boundary review coming up. What he's really scared of is that Colin's going to win Barry's seat, because it won't be so easy to foist it all on us then. I've emailed everyone I think will vote with us, to see if they can't put pressure on him to delay the votes, for one meeting †¦ ‘†The Ghost of Barry Fairbrother†,' Parminder added breathlessly. ‘The bastard. He's not using Barry's death to beat him. Not if I can help it.' Tessa thought she saw Vikram's lips twitch. Old Pagford, led by Howard Mollison, generally forgave Vikram the crimes that it could not forget in his wife: brownness, cleverness and affluence (all of which, to Shirley Mollison's nostrils, had the whiff of a gloat). It was, Tessa thought, grossly unfair: Parminder worked hard at every aspect of her Pagford life: school ftes and sponsored bakes, the local surgery and the Parish Council, and her reward was implacable dislike from the Pagford old guard; Vikram, who rarely joined or participated in anything, was fawned upon, flattered and spoken of with proprietary approval. ‘Mollison's a megalomaniac,' Parminder said, pushing food nervously around her plate. ‘A bully and a megalomaniac.' Vikram laid down his knife and fork and sat back in his chair. ‘So why,' he asked, ‘is he happy being chair of the Parish Council? Why hasn't he tried to get on the District Council?' ‘Because he thinks that Pagford is the epicentre of the universe,' snapped Parminder. ‘You don't understand: he wouldn't swap being chair of Pagford Parish Council for being Prime Minister. Anyway, he doesn't need to be on the council in Yarvil; he's already got Aubrey Fawley there, pushing through the big agenda. All revved up for the boundary review. They're working together.' Parminder felt Barry's absence like a ghost at the table. He would have explained it all to Vikram and made him laugh in the process; Barry had been a superb mimic of Howard's speech patterns, of his rolling, waddling walk, of his sudden gastrointestinal interruptions. ‘I keep telling her, she's letting herself get too stressed,' Vikram told Tessa, who was appalled to find herself blushing slightly, with his dark eyes upon her. ‘You know about this stupid complaint – the old woman with emphysema?' ‘Yes, Tessa knows. Everyone knows. Do we have to discuss it at the dinner table?' snapped Parminder, and she jumped to her feet and began clearing the plates. Tessa tried to help, but Parminder told her crossly to stay where she was. Vikram gave Tessa a small smile of solidarity that made her stomach flutter. She could not help remembering, as Parminder clattered around the table, that Vikram and Parminder had had an arranged marriage. (‘It's only an introduction through the family,' Parminder had told her, in the early days of their friendship, defensive and annoyed at something she had seen in Tessa's face. ‘Nobody makes you marry, you know.' But she had spoken, at other times, of the immense pressure from her mother to take a husband. ‘All Sikh parents want their kids married. It's an obsession,' Parminder said bitterly.) Colin saw his plate snatched away without regret. The nausea churning in his stomach was even worse than when he and Tessa had arrived. He might have been encased in a thick glass bubble, so separate did he feel from his three dining companions. It was a sensation with which he was only too familiar, that of walking in a giant sphere of worry, enclosed by it, watching his own terrors roll by, obscuring the outside world. Tessa was no help: she was being deliberately cool and unsympathetic about his campaign for Barry's seat. The whole point of this supper was so that Colin could consult Parminder on the little leaflets he had produced, advertising his candidacy. Tessa was refusing to get involved, blocking discussion of the fear that was slowly engulfing him. She was refusing him an outlet. Trying to emulate her coolness, pretending that he was not, after all, caving under self-imposed pressure, he had not told her about the telephone call from the Yarvil and District Gazette that he had received at school that day. The journalist on the end of the line had wanted to talk about Krystal Weedon. Had he touched her? Colin had told the woman that the school could not possibly discuss a pupil and that Krystal must be approached through her parents. ‘I've already talked to Krystal,' said the voice on the end of the line. ‘I only wanted to get your – ‘ But he had put the receiver down, and terror had blotted out everything. Why did they want to talk about Krystal? Why had they called him? Had he done something? Had he touched her? Had she complained? The psychologist had taught him not to try and confirm or disprove the content of such thoughts. He was supposed to acknowledge their existence, then carry on as normal, but it was like trying not to scratch the worst itch you had ever known. The public unveiling of Simon Price's dirty secrets on the council website had stunned him: the terror of exposure, which had dominated so much of Colin's life, now wore a face, its features those of an ageing cherub, with a demonic brain seething beneath a deerstalker on tight grey curls, behind bulging inquisitive eyes. He kept remembering Barry's tales of the delicatessen owner's formidable strategic brain, and of the intricate web of alliances that bound the sixteen members of Pagford Parish Council. Colin had often imagined how he would find out that the game was up: a guarded article in the paper; faces turned away from him when he entered Mollison and Lowe's; the headmistress calling him into her office for a quiet word. He had visualized his downfall a thousand times: his shame exposed and hung around his neck like a leper's bell, so that no concealment would be possible, ever again. He would be sacked. He might end up in prison. ‘Colin,' Tessa prompted quietly; Vikram was offering him wine. She knew what was going on inside that big domed forehead; not the specifics, but the theme of his anxiety had been constant for years. She knew that Colin could not help it; it was the way he was made. Many years before, she had read, and recognized as true, the words of W. B. Yeats: ‘A pity beyond all telling is hid at the heart of love.' She had smiled over the poem, and stroked the page, because she had known both that she loved Colin, and that compassion formed a huge part of her love. Sometimes, though, her patience wore thin. Sometimes she wanted a little concern and reassurance too. Colin had erupted into a predictable panic when she had told him that she had received a firm diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, but once she had convinced him that she was not in imminent danger of dying, she had been taken aback by how quickly he dropped the subject, how completely he reimmersed himself in his election plans. (That morning, at breakfast, she had tested her blood sugar with the glucometer for the first time, then taken out the prefilled needle and inserted it into her own belly. It had hurt much more than when deft Parminder did it. Fats had seized his cereal bowl and swung round in his chair away from her, sloshing milk over the table, the sleeve of his school shirt and onto the kitchen floor. Colin had let out an inchoate shout of annoyance as Fats spat his mouthful of cornflakes back into his bowl, and demanded of his mother, ‘Have you got to do that at the bloody table?' ‘Don't be so damn rude and disgusting!' shouted Colin. ‘Sit up properly! Wipe up that mess! How dare you speak to your mother like that? Apologize!' Tessa withdrew the needle too fast; she had made herself bleed. ‘I'm sorry that you shooting up at breakfast makes me want to puke, Tess,' said Fats from under the table, where he was wiping the floor with a bit of kitchen roll. ‘Your mother isn't â€Å"shooting up†, she's got a medical condition!' shouted Colin. ‘And don't call her â€Å"Tess†!' ‘I know you don't like needles, Stu,' said Tessa, but her eyes were stinging; she had hurt herself, and felt shaken and angry with both of them, feelings that were still with her this evening.) Tessa wondered why Parminder did not appreciate Vikram's concern. Colin never noticed when she was stressed. Perhaps, Tessa thought angrily, there's something in this arranged marriage business †¦ my mother certainly wouldn't have chosen Colin for me †¦ Parminder was shoving bowls of cut fruit across the table for pudding. Tessa wondered a little resentfully what she would have offered a guest who was not diabetic, and comforted herself with the thought of a bar of chocolate lying at home in the fridge. Parminder, who had talked five times as much as anybody else all through supper, had started ranting about her daughter, Sukhvinder. She had already told Tessa on the telephone about the girl's betrayal; she went through it all again at the table. ‘Waitressing with Howard Mollison. I don't, I really don't know what she's thinking. But Vikram – ‘ ‘They don't think, Minda,' Colin proclaimed, breaking his long silence. ‘That's teenagers. They don't care. They're all the same.' ‘Colin, what rubbish,' snapped Tessa. ‘They aren't all the same at all. We'd be delighted if Stu went and got himself a Saturday job – not that there's the remotest chance of that.' ‘ – but Vikram doesn't mind,' Parminder pressed on, ignoring the interruption. ‘He can't see anything wrong with it, can you?' Vikram answered easily: ‘It's work experience. She probably won't make university; there's no shame in it. It's not for everyone. I can see Jolly married early, quite happy.' ‘Waitressing †¦' ‘Well, they can't all be academic, can they?' ‘No, she certainly isn't academic,' said Parminder, who was almost quivering with anger and tension. ‘Her marks are absolutely atrocious – no aspiration, no ambition – waitressing – â€Å"let's face it, I'm not going to get into uni† – no, you certainly won't, with that attitude – with Howard Mollison †¦ oh, he must have absolutely loved it – my daughter going cap in hand for a job. What was she thinking – what was she thinking?' ‘You wouldn't like it if Stu took a job with someone like Mollison,' Colin told Tessa. ‘I wouldn't care,' said Tessa. ‘I'd be thrilled he was showing any kind of work ethic. As far as I can tell, all he seems to care about is computer games and – ‘ But Colin did not know that Stuart smoked; she broke off, and Colin said, ‘Actually, this would be exactly the kind of thing Stuart would do. Insinuate himself with somebody he knew we didn't like, to get at us. He'd love that.' ‘For goodness sake, Colin, Sukhvinder isn't trying to get at Minda,' said Tessa. ‘So you think I'm being unreasonable?' Parminder shot at Tessa. ‘No, no,' said Tessa, appalled at how quickly they had been sucked into the family row. ‘I'm just saying, there aren't many places for kids to work in Pagford, are there?' ‘And why does she need to work at all?' said Parminder, raising her hands in a gesture of furious exasperation. ‘Don't we give her enough money?' ‘Money you earn yourself is always different, you know that,' said Tessa. Tessa's chair faced a wall that was covered in photographs of the Jawanda children. She had sat here often, and had counted how many appearances each child made: Jaswant, eighteen; Rajpal, nineteen; and Sukhvinder, nine. There was only one photograph on the wall celebrating Sukhvinder's individual achievements: the picture of the Winterdown rowing team on the day that they had beaten St Anne's. Barry had given all the parents an enlarged copy of this picture, in which Sukhvinder and Krystal Weedon were in the middle of the line of eight, with their arms around each other's shoulders, beaming and jumping up and down so that they were both slightly blurred. Barry, she thought, would have helped Parminder see things the right way. He had been a bridge between mother and daughter, both of whom had adored him. Not for the first time, Tessa wondered how much difference it made that she had not given birth to her son. Did she find it easier to accept him as a separate individual than if he had been made from her flesh and blood? Her glucose-heavy, tainted blood †¦ Fats had recently stopped calling her ‘Mum'. She had to pretend not to care, because it made Colin so angry; but every time Fats said ‘Tessa' it was like a needle jab to her heart. The four of them finished their cold fruit in silence.

The American Revolution

The American Revolution Women's lives began to change significantly with the American Revolution. Every war means more women taking charge during the absence and after the deaths of husbands and fathers, their active role in the war was very important. After the war, talk of rights raised issues of women's rights education. Religions also play an important role for women in the American Revolution. Women's roles were limited in the colonial times. Marriage and motherhood were the primary goals for women. They lost property and legal rights upon marriage; therefore, women were not expected to participate in the war. Despite their low positions in society, women did participate. One example was Pennsylvania Mary Hays McCauley carried water to troops in battle. When her husband fell at the battle, New Jersey, in 1778, she took his place. For this action, she receives a pension from the state of Pennsylvania for all the services rendered in the revolution war. On the home front, they sewed uniforms and knitted stockings for the soldiers. With their husbands away fighting, some women had to take over as weavers, carpenters, blacksmiths, or shipbuilders. Women had to adjust to be alone and to handling the day to day affairs of running a farm or managing a business in a husband’s absence. Their independence management proved to be one of their most significant roles in the revolution era. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005). â€Å"Through women's eyes†, page 80- 84. The revolution affected the lives of Native American women. They gained some independence from their confining roles because of their efforts in the war and in maintaining their communities in the men’s prolonged absences. The necessity to improve education accelerated after the war, for practical and ideological reason. The American believed that a new republic needed an educated people. As the new nation began the long process of industrialization, this complex economy required to have better skills. Some critics disagree with the education for women since they believed that fully educated women would make them less feminine, but others agree that women needed for education was very important because of the vital roles in educating their children. The new thinking about the importance to educate women was very important; many different schools were design for middle class. They agree that education for women could help them to instruct their son in the principles of patriotism, could make a better home, better wife for a happy marriage. Some women became writers, missionaries and even teachers. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005), page 95-96. For African American women, the revolution left a differently legacy. At the end of the war, many slaves were sold into slavery again. For some African American who had not joined the British, the most important legacy was the freedom. The ideological issue at the center of the revolution encourages some whites American to examine the institution of slavery. African American were active participants in the emancipation process. In 1781 Elizabeth Freeman petitioned a Massachusetts county court for her freedom. She suit, combined with several others. In others places like Vermont provide immediate emancipation. Still discrimination limited their opportunities. Most women work at jobs similar to those they had when they were salves. As they worked at their job and cared for the family, many free black women participated in building their church. These institutions were a source of strength and pride for the community. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005), page 88-90. In addition to education, religion plays an important role in white women in the eighteen century. The Great Awakening established churches with different denomination like Methodist, Baptist and others. Women voices were heard in their churches, they also made their presence known by their physical manifestations of the spirit. Little by little women were able to speak openly in the churches. In the South the separate Baptist permitted women official roles appointing them as deaconesses and eldresses, their role in churches were very important. Throughout her life, she continued to exert considerable influence within her congregation. For African American religion also touched the lives of many women. Yet during and after the revolution, the Great Awakening had an impact on slave’s women lives. A few evangelical churches condemned the institution of slavery. In the eighteen-century evangelical churches, black women were not permitted to be preachers; they were able to create a sphere of influences and power for them. This role was very important in the nineteenth century when the majority of slaves had adopted Christianity. Dubois, E, C, Dumenil, L (2005), page 99-101 In conclusion, women contributed a great deal to the American Revolution. Their actions on the home front and on the battlefields relieved the men from the extra planning, mobilizing, and combating that they would have had to execute without the help of the women. This allowed the Continental Army to fully concentrate on defeating the British and acquiring sovereignty. America could not have been the powerful independent nation it is today without the service of the women. The truth is, women were fiercely active in the independence cause and made gains for themselves. Nguyen, T, A. â€Å"Women in revolution†. Women in the eighteen century have played an important role of ideology, work and sacrifice. Their roles help to expand more opportunities for a better future. Reference: Dubois, E, C (2005). Through women's eyes. Boston, NY: Bedford/ST. Martin. Nguyen, T, A. Women in revolution, from http://www. americanrevolution. org/nguyen. html The American Revolution The American Revolution was a period in American history that caused controversy even amongst the most dedicated Colonists. The question of whether or not America should free itself from British rule and become it’s own nation, independent of the Crown, was a major issue that came to the forefront in the late 1700's and it was during this time that the colonies were split into two very diverse groups: the Colonists who wished to create an independent American nation, and the Loyalists who wished to remain a part of Great Britain.The reasons for each were widely varied depending on the individual, but Edmund Burke is best known as one of the strongest supporters of reconciliation with Great Britain and the avoidance of war through political means and a meeting of the minds between Great Britain and its colonies in the New World that would one day become the United States of America.Edmund Burke was a leading member of the British Parliament who remained on the side of the colon ists in that he believed the British should try to work with the American colonists to create a better relationship, and these beliefs are seen within his writings from the period of time in American history that is known as the Revolutionary period.The works written by Burke in the 1770’s share a glimpse into the world and thoughts of the man, and give historians the ability to get a strong sense of this differing opinion on the Revolutionary War that existed at the time, as it is often the fight for independence that is mostly studied as our country did become an independent nation free of British rule, but men like Burke and his ideals were also prominent and that is why his writings are so important to the understanding of Revolutionary history.The viewpoint of Edmund Burke is best summed up as the hope for peace between Great Britain and its American colonies. He does not seem to believe that revolution is necessarily a sure thing for the American people and, in fact, ur ges against it. In his Speech to Parliament on March 22, 1775 Burke said, â€Å"My proposition is Peace† (Johnson 111). Burke did not feel that a war was the answer to the problems plaguing the American Colonies and their continuing struggle over taxation with Great Britain.He reminds the British that â€Å"America†¦ is an object well worth fighting for† but that war is not â€Å"the best way of gaining them† (Johnson 112). Within his speech on reconciliation, Burke mimics this opinion by claiming that the goal for the American colonies must be peace, and he explains this by saying, â€Å"It is peace sought in the spirit of peace, and laid in principles purely pacific (Burke)†.This clearly means that war was becoming a major issue on the minds of everyone in the American colonies and it was beginning to become a focal point of many important men, both loyalists and patriots. Burke’s solution is the exact opposite that which men such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were hoping for and worked towards, of course, because it meant that they would always be connected to Great Britain; however, Burke’s solution was meant to please both parties if put into practice.It appears, from his opinions stated in his speech on conciliation, that he saw value in not pursuing the types of taxation that the British government was seeking to impose on the Americans, because in doing so it was losing the support and loyalty of the American people. This clear fact meant that if Great Britain were to find a way to please the American people, they would not only benefit by keeping the revenues produced by the colonies, but also their loyalty and support that would only grow over time as the population across the ocean grew in size.Burke states in his defense of developing a relationship with their counterparts in American that would foster loyalty and love of the Crown, â€Å"It is the love of the people; it is their attachmen t to their government, from the sense of the deep stake they have in such a glorious institution, which gives you your army and your navy, and infuses into both that liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble, and your navy nothing but rotten timber(Burke).† In essence, without the fostering of good relations between Britain and her colonies, they would lose a chance at a peaceful and powerful ally in the New World that was growing each year.It seems that when Edmund Burke viewed the American colonists, he was not surprised at all by their conduct, because he recognized that â€Å"in this Character of the American, a love of Freedom is the predominating feature which marks and distinguishes the whole†, and goes on to say that, â€Å"This fierce spirit of Liberty is stronger in the English Colonies probably than in any other people of the earth and this from a great variety of powerful causes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Johnson 112).He also says, in his concili ation speech, that â€Å"the more ardently they love liberty, the more perfect will be their obedience. † He believes the two go together–liberty given to them would result in obedience to the Crown and the Empire. He is adamant that the Colonists are this way because they left England when the English were dedicated to freedom: â€Å"The Colonists emigrated from you when this part of your character was most predominant; and they took this bias and directions the moment they parted from your hands† (Johnson 112).He views the problem as being taxation, and seems to think that peace would be easy to obtain and war easily averted if not for the imposition of taxation on the American colonies. He believes that American revenue should not be ignored as important to the British Empire because it was financially beneficial to keep the American colonies underneath the umbrella of British rule for many various reason. Burke states, â€Å"Let us get an American revenue a s we have got an American empire. English privileges have made it all that it is; English privileges alone will make it all it can be (Burke).† By this he means that Americans want to be treated with the same respect and given the same privileges as their British counterparts, and therefore, if they treat them that way, war could be averted. It is obvious from the letter and speech written by Burke and quoted within this paper that the man was staunchly dedicated to the British Empire and the idea of conciliation, and it makes sense from his way of thinking because it would benefit both countries to give the colonies the benefits of being British while still retaining the good relations between the two.Yet, it was not to be and without men like the Founding Fathers who would urge for independence, America and Great Britain would certainly have just continued to have disagreements because the way of life developing across the ocean was vastly different from what existed in Engl and, and that would eventually have led to war, not over taxes, but over the desire to be masters of their own destiny. Works Cited Burke, Edmund. Burke's Speech on Conciliation with America. Project Guttenberg. Johnson, Michael P. Reading the American Past. Vol. 1. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004. 108-114.

The Stars in Van Goghs World - 774 Words

The Stars in Van Gogh’s World â€Å"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day .† He demonstrated this ideal through his painting â€Å"The Starry Night,† one of the most iconic paintings of nineteenth century. Through this painting, Vincent van Gogh shared a very personal experience with the viewer. The nature of the night became a symbolic image to van Gogh. The representation of the small town resembles the small scale of human life. The Church points directly upward, to the Heavens. Although van Gogh was not mentally stable, â€Å"The Starry Night† was created in moments of great clarity to him . Fig 1, Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889. Oil on Canvas. New York Museum of Modern Art. This painting was a composite of different painting and sketches, done by him and by other well-known painters. A great insight to his imagination, this painting challenged many viewers. Many believe this imaged was conceived months after he was in the hospital since he spent a lot of time sight seeing outside his window. Yet, most of the painting was conceived through his own imagination. Both the church and the crescent moon were drawn and painted from his memory, while the hills and cypresses were drawn from realistic perspective. Van Gogh wrote about his desire to paint a starry night to many of his close friends and family members, months before the actual painting was created. After months of contemplating the painting, he finally created theShow MoreRelatedVan Gogh s Starry Night1671 Words   |  7 PagesIn Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night there are many aspects of the artwork that are symbolic of Van Gogh’s life struggles. It is easy for the viewer to assume that the aspects of Starry Night represent van Gogh’s time in the asylum, however, not all aspects represent his insanity and isolation. 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His landmarkRead MoreStarry Night By Vincent Van Gogh1433 Words   |  6 Pages A Cypress Tree in the Midst of the Stars Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch artist who painted Starry Night, was disrespected and unappreciated for his works during his life. However, today he is considered one of the greatest Dutch painters. Today, his work is known for its detail, beauty, and emotion. One might claim that Vincent Van Gogh’s painting Starry Night depicts his supposed insanity. However, his painting Starry Night depicts hisRead MoreVisual And Contextual Analysis Of Vincent Van Gogh s The Starry Night961 Words   |  4 PagesA Formal Visual and Contextual Analysis of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night When I first saw Vincent van Gogh’s painting of The Starry Night, I was immediately drawn to the peaceful luminescent stars emanating outward like vibrant yellow halos into the captivating striking blue sky. I felt a sense of calm and tranquility as the bright orange moon shone intently over the serene village below. The sprawling mountain range, grassy hills and fields of wheat intensified this feeling as a soft windRead MoreAnalysis Of Starry Night 882 Words   |  4 PagesNight For many, the painting Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh, is simply paint on a canvas. Created in the summer of 1889, while Van Gogh was in a mental asylum, others perceive the painting as a message of Van Gogh’s desire for acceptance and normalcy. Heavily influenced by the Expressionist movement, Starry Night is a physical representation of Van Gogh’s feelings of melencholy during his stay in the asylum. His troubled mind allowed Van Gogh to create a painting with a yearning mood. ThroughoutRead MoreEssay on Vincent Van Goghs Starry Night at St. Rà ©my1191 Words   |  5 PagesVincent Van Goghs Starry Night at St. Rà ©my Vincent van Goghs Starry Night at St. Rà ©my of June 1889, expresses the comforting power and spirituality of the infinite night sky over the humbler, earthly brand of nature through a synthesis of exceptional visual power, elements of religious allegory, and of modern spiritualism. This work is the product of van Goghs refusal to depict the purely imaginary, but willful manipulation of what is real in order to achieve a more powerful work, bothRead MoreEssay about Vincent Van Gogh 1358 Words   |  6 PagesVincent Willem van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh was born on March 30th 1853, in Zundert, The Netherlands. Van Gogh spent his teenage year’s working for a firm of art dealers; however, he did not embark upon his art career until 1880. Originally, he worked only with dark and gloomy colors, until he came across the art movements developed in Paris known as, Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism (Meier-Graefe 4). Van Gogh than included their brighter colors and unique style of painting intoRead More Vincent Van Gogh Essay1492 Words   |  6 Pagestime.quot; - VINCENT VAN GOGH, 1890 What could be a more disturbing image than the one of Vincent Van Gogh as the wanderer? Of his time spent in poverty and isolation he sought to help those around him, and perhaps to find himself in the process. Picture Vincent as he gives his first Sunday sermon in Isleworth, outside of London. He was so passionate about his beliefs, but never really connected with the religious world. His sermon must have really been something. Van gogh traveled to BrusselsRead MoreExpressionism Of Vincent Van Goghs The Starrry Night1505 Words   |  7 Pagesartist Vincent Van Gogh, remains engrained in the minds of many, as an expression of his tempestuous state of mind. Painted in June of 1899, the painting represents the symbolic, and highly personal meanings that proved to be particularly important to Post-Impressionist artists. This deeply distinctive, emotionally evocative style has continued to influence artists residing within twentieth century and up to the present day, promising Van Goghs prominence in the near future. Van Gogh’s expressionismRead MoreAnalysis Of The Starrry Night Painting By Vincent Van Gogh1373 Words   |  6 PagesThe first four sources I will be using are related to â€Å"The Starry Night† painting from Vincent van Gogh. The first source, located on MOMA Learning, is titled Vincent van Gogh: The Starry Night, 1889† which does not appear to have an author or publication date. The MOMA Learning article provides insights into the interpretations of the artwork, including insights into Van Gogh’s mental state at the time that the painting. Additionally, the article provides relevant information regarding the post-impressionists