Expansion of Trade in the 15th Century essays

Expansion of Trade in the 15th Century essays ?Throughout history, many different civilizations have branched out into the world looking for new trade routes, land, and desirable goods that could not be found in their home land. In the mid-15th century China had massive fleets of ships that were several times larger than the average seagoing craft of the day. Chinese admiral Zheng He led these fleets as far as Africa, where he brought back new and fascinating things that the Chinese had never seen before. In 1492, the discovery of the new world by Christopher Columbus caused Spanish conquistadors to leave Spain in search of gold and wealth. The discovery of the new world sparked a global trading system between Europe, Africa, and the Americas that would last for centuries to come. I can only imagine what it would have been like to see the massive Chinese treasure fleets floating on the horizon as they approach the shore. It must have been a truly impressive sight to see, and must have been intimidating at first, but upon seeing that these new faces were friendly and wished to trade, I certainly would have been happy to see them. "All the ships of Columbus and da Gama combined, according to a recent account, could have been stored on a single deck of a vessel in the fleet that set sail under Zheng He." (Strayer, p. 575). They would have very little effect on my life aside from increased trading and more wealth that they would provide for my country. Overall I would feel happy about their presence, and the wealth and trade they would bring with them. At the same time, I don't know how I would react to the looming presence that the fleet would have over me. The story is a little bit different when it comes to being an Aztec witnessing the events that followed arrival of the Spanish fleets. For an Aztec native to see the towering ships on the horizon it must have been a mixture of emotions. Fear, awe, curiosity, excitement, and confusion would have been my feelings toward thei...

The effects of the P-51 Mustang in World War II Essays - Free Essays

The effects of the P-51 Mustang in World War II Essays - Free Essays The effects of the P-51 Mustang in World War II P-51 Mustang w/ WWII The effects of the P-51 Mustang in World War II The Effect of the North American P-51 Mustang On the Air War in Europe by David Buckingham [emailprotected] IBH 20th Century History Mr. Peloquin George Mason High School Falls Church, Virginia March 27, 1995 [Unfortunately, we don't have a digitized image of this photo.] [Photo caption] Harry R. Ankeny, Jr., the author's grandfather, with his P-51, "Betsy," (named for the author's grandmother) at the end of his combat tour on August 16, 1944. Abstract This paper deals with the contributions of the P-51 Mustang to the eventual victory of the Allies in Europe during World War II. It describes the war scene in Europe before the P-51 was introduced, traces the development of the fighter, its advantages, and the abilities it was able to contribute to the Allies' arsenal. It concludes with the effect that the P-51 had on German air superiority, and how it led the destruction of the Luftwaffe. The thesis is that: it was not until the advent of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, and all of the improvements, benefits, and side effects that it brought with it, that the Allies were able to achieve air superiority over the Germans. This paper was inspired largely by my grandfather, who flew the P-51 out of Leiston, England, during WW II and contributed to the eventual Allied success that is traced in this paper. He flew over seventy missions between February and August 1944, and scored three kills against German fighters. Table of Contents Introduction Reasons for the Pre-P-51 Air Situation The Pre-P-51 Situation The Allied Purpose in the Air War The Battle at Schweinfurt The Development of the P-51 The Installation of the Merlin Engines Features, Advantages, and Benefits of the P-51 The P-51's Battle Performance The Change in Policy on Escort Fighter Function P-51's Disrupt Luftwaffe Fighter Tactics P-51's Give Bombers Better Support Conclusion Introduction On September 1, 1939, the German military forces invaded Poland to begin World War II. This invasion was very successful because of its use of a new military strategic theory blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, literally "lightning war," involved the fast and deadly coordination of two distinct forces, the Wermacht and the Luftwaffe. The Wermacht advanced on the ground, while the Luftwaffe destroyed the enemy air force, attacked enemy ground forces, and disrupted enemy communication and transportation systems. This setup was responsible for the successful invasions of Poland, Norway, Western Europe, the Balkans and the initial success of the Russian invasion. For many years after the first of September, the air war in Europe was dominated by the Luftwaffe. No other nation involved in the war had the experience, technology, or numbers to challenge the Luftwaffe's superiority. It was not until the United States joined the war effort that any great harm was done to Germany and even then, German air superiority remained unscathed. It was not until the advent of the North American P-51 Mustang fighter, and all of the improvements, benefits, and side effects that it brought with it, that the Allies were able to achieve air superiority over the Germans. Reasons for the Pre-P-51 Air Situation The continued domination of the European skies by the Luftwaffe was caused by two factors, the first of which was the difference in military theory between the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force. The theories concerning the purpose and function of the Luftwaffe and RAF were exactly opposite and were a result of their experiences in World War I. During WW I, Germany attempted a strategic bombing effort directed against England using Gothas (biplane bombers) and Zeppelins (slow-moving hot-air balloons) which did not give much of a result. This, plus the fact that German military theory at the beginning of WW II was based much more on fast quick results (Blitzkrieg), meant that Germany decided not to develop a strategic air force. The Luftwaffe had experienced great success when they used tactical ground-attack aircraft in Spain (i.e. at Guernica), and so they figured that their air force should mainly consist of this kind of planes. So Germany made the Luftwaffe a ground support force that was essentially an extension of the army and functioned as a long- range, aerial artillery. The RAF, on the other hand, had experimented with ground-attack fighters during WW I, and had suffered grievous casualty rates. This, combined with the fact that the British had been deeply enraged and offended by the German Gotha and Zeppelin attacks on their home soil, made them determined to develop a strategic air force that would be capable of bombing German soil in the next war. Thus, at the beginning of WW II, the RAF was mostly a strategic

Long-Term Investment Decisions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Long-Term Investment Decisions - Research Paper Example Internal factors are the factors that are influenced by the business establishment internally while external factors are factors that affect an investment where the business establishment has no control over. An example of such factors is government involvement. Why Government Regulation is or is not needed Normally, market structures and systems are formed by the various aspects of demand and supply. However, governments intervene in the market systems in various ways. Such ways include taxation, subsidies, allocation of rights, and rules and regulations among others. One reason why the United States of America government intervenes in the market economy is to ensure that there is free and fair competition. This, it does in various ways the notable one being putting various rules and regulation in the market economy. This is especially done to allow new business establishments entry into the market. Major corporations are known to merge or acquire another business establishment in o rder to ensure that they maintain their control over the market. This makes it hard for small business establishments especially new ones to enter the market thus discouraging entrepreneurship which repels investments. Another reason why there is the need for government intervention in the market economy is to ensure that indigenous companies and business establishments are safeguarded. This is especially the case when it comes to the farming industry where the United States of America government offers help to farmers through subsidies and tax exemptions to farmers in order for them to compete with International Corporation, which has an advantage of the farmers in terms of various factors such as availability of cheap labor. There is the need for government’s intervention in the market economy when it comes to goods and services which are sensitive to nature. For example, the government must control the production, sale, and buying of firearms and ammunition since this is a n issue which is sensitive. Another sector that the government intervenes as a necessity due to sensitivity is the provision of public services such as health, water, education, security, and electricity. There is need of government intervention is such instances due to the fact that these are human needs that when left to the private-sector control they might lead to chaos due to various factors. Finally, yet importantly, the government intervenes in a market economy to ensure that it has access to enough revenue to meet the country's needs. This is usually done through taxation where the government influences the market economy in order to generate its revenue. The rationale for the Intervention of Government in the Market Process in the U.S The need for government intervention in economic markets in the United States of America provides the rationale for the government’s involvement in the market process in the country. Firstly, the fact that government intervention in the market process in the United States of America results in social equity is a major motivator for the government to regulate the business processes in America.  Ã‚