Customer Relationship Management For The Birmingham New Library Essay

Customer Relationship Management For The Birmingham New Library - Essay Example These strategies are vital for assessing both the internal and external environments, which are favourable or unfavourable to the successful business activities. The researcher incorporated varied marketing strategies vital for enabling the Birmingham Library to accomplish their goals successfully. The researcher provided varied recommendations which the company should take into considerations in order to achieve successful business performance. The action plan was formulated that attempted to reveal the way the objectives of the company will be achieved. Lastly, the conclusion was included that provided a concise summary of the market report. Customer Relationship Management for the Birmingham New Library Introduction The customer relationship management (CRM) has evolved as an effective approach for enabling companies to interact with their customers effectively in order to achieve their business goals successfully. CRM is a business strategy that enables the company to understand the needs of the clients, retain customers through customer experience, reduce management costs and increase profitability (Kangal, 201, p. 45). Senn, Thoma andYip (2013, p.28) defines CRM strategy as the management process accountable for predicting, identifying customers and satisfying their demanding needs for shared benefit. The CRM strategy integrates sales, services, technology solutions; thus it attempts to bring together every part of the business, which touches the client in order to achieve effective business organizational performance. The Birmingham Library is a new library, which is under construction in the Birmingham centre in England; thus employing effective strategy will enable the company to achieve their intended goals. Therefore, employing CRM strategy will be an effective means that will enable the company to assign, create and manage customer requests; thus contributing to effective business performance. The Birmingham Library will employ CRM strategy because this approach often integrates social media services in order to communicate, share customer opinions and experiences; thereby, building up successful customer relationship. Key Objectives The market report aims to examine the marketing strategies vital for increasing performance in the Birmingham Library. It analyses the internal and external factors that may

Entry barriers of Underground construction industry in Russia Essay

Entry barriers of Underground construction industry in Russia - Essay Example Market structures that are likely to be found within an industry include perfect competition, monopolistic competition, monopoly and oligopoly (Etro, 2009, p.273). While these are the most common, others like oligopsony, monopsony and price discrimination (Etro, 2009, p.275) also exist. The defining variables to each of the listed market structure acts as the source of barriers to entry in the markets. These barriers, however, vary across the markets, with some markets having substantial barriers than others. Barriers to entry are simply defined as hindrances or factors that prevent firms from entering specific markets (Edgerton, 2008, p.107). Barrier levels as already mentioned vary from one market to another, with some markets being characterized by easy access, while others remain hard to enter. For instance, pure competitive markets are characterized by free entry and exit, while monopoly markets are substantially hard to enter (Spulber, 2006, p.135-152). Sources of these barriers are diverse and dynamic over time. They are spread across cost of operation, brand loyalty by consumers, number of buyers and sellers, reaction of incumbent firms, government regulation and licencing (OECD, 2008, p.141-142). The Russian construction industry is one of the many industries in the economy that faces market entry barriers, prior to the different market structures evident in the industry. Amid the aforementioned sources of entry barriers, Porter’s five forces are critical to account for. They include rivalry, threat of substitutes, buyer power, supplier power and entry barriers (Etro, 2009, p.303). These forces account for the markets trends and business undertakings that make one market hard to enter compared to other markets. Markets that are hard to enter enjoy market powers that allow the firms operating in it set prices that are in most cases higher than competitive prices. The evaluation of entry barriers of Russian underground

Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Today

Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Today Chirag Patel The world has come very far with respect to technology. In reality, technology, social media, and smart phones have breached the mainstay in our everyday lives in a short period of time. Gone are the days of cassette and VHS tapes. Gone are the days of typewriters and cursive handwriting. Those outdated technologies have been replaced with tablets, smartphones, and social media websites like Facebook. The same types of technologies have found its way into healthcare. Lambert, K., Barry, P., Stokes, G. (2012) state that, â€Å"Social media has infiltrated all of our lives both personally and professionally.† For better or for worse these technologies have blended into our everyday lives with no end in sight therefore, knowing they aren’t going away and how we use them will say as much about ourselves and as society as a whole. Today’s technologies allow us to be more connected to one another. Both patients and healthcare providers have information available at their fingertips including a patient’s personal health information (PHI). On concern could be stated as such, â€Å"How safe are today’s technologies and will patient’s personal health information be compromised?† The U.S. Department of Health and Human services created HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). HIPPA is a federal law that protects medical information of patient’s and is enforced by the Office of Civil Rights. According to Lambert, K., Barry, P., Stokes, G. (2012), â€Å"The use of social media may expose professionals and healthcare entities to liability under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as well as individual state privacy laws. HIPAA, as modified by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), governs the permitted use and disclosure of PHI by covered entities, including hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers. The HITECH Act provides breach notification requirements and expands various requirements to business associates.† So why take the risks? Like anything in this world sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. A few advantages of today’s technologies and social media sites include accessibility. Patients can now play an active engagement in their health care. Social media and various apps allow an individual to do their own research on their conditions. It can give a patient a feeling of empowerment when otherwise they would feel helpless. Social media and varying apps allow for individuals to connect with support groups and message boards that can lend much needed empathy from people who are going through similar situations. We’ve heard the stories of bullying on Facebook but on the flip side there are stories of triumph and support when used in a way that garners sympathy and empathy. Facebook can be both an advantage and disadvantage depending on how it is used. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers have advantages as well. They too can have the latest research and decision making support tools available to them at palm of their hands. Access to real time information such as the latest prescription recall or access to the most recent white paper of medical breakthroughs benefits both the healthcare provider and ultimately the patient. This collective online and mobile brain trust allow for healthcare providers to create robust medical strategies that can help in the decision making. Online and smart phone resources include mobile apps like Epocrates  ®, Medscape, and even AHRQ ePSS an app designed by the United States Department of Health Human Services (HHS). Online communities’ such as American Medical Association provide resources from varying topics including: managing your practice; medical ethics; legal issues; and career development. In general, most individuals prefer to keep their health status confidentiality hence, the patient-doctor confidentiality relationship. But with smartphones and use of social media the totality of a person’s health information could be vulnerable if safeguards are not in place. Solomon, P., et al. (2012) suggests that healthcare providers who have access to patient information made aware of strategies and facility policies in order to safeguard patient privacy. They should also be mindful and place themselves in a situation where access can be vulnerable i.e. leaving a computer on and unsecure. Solomon, P., et al. (2012) state emphatically that â€Å"Confidentiality is a legal right for clients as well as a professional ethical responsibility of providers.† A break in trust serves to weaken the relationship between the healthcare provider and the patient. Let’s go back to our original scenario. The nurse worked a night shift while her friend attended a concert. The lead singer of the concert the nurse missed is now her patient. At the end of her shift, what does she do? Our group chose the following conclusion: You go on Facebook, on your day off, and talk about the night you had at work and how you didn’t really feel as bad having to miss the concert, because you actually got to meet Jerod in person and even â€Å"Got his number!† You then post a picture of Jerod on Facebook and Instagram, figuring that most of your contacts would never recognize him anyway. It’s your day off and your personal time, so no harm, no foul, right? The scenario above is a plausible outcome in the world with which we live in. However, there are a lot of things wrong with the nurse’s line of thinking. It is not unreasonable for the nurse to think that her personal Facebook page is her private business. However, in the New York trial of Romano v. Steelcase (2010) the Supreme Court stated that, It is reasonable to infer from the limited postings on plaintiffs public Facebook ® and MySpace ® profile pages that her private pages may contain material and information that are relevant to her claims or that may lead to the disclosure of admissible evidence. To deny defendant an opportunity to access these sites not only would go against the liberal discovery policies of New York favoring pretrial disclosure, but would condone plaintiffs attempt to hide relevant information behind self-regulated privacy settings.† In other words, what the nurse posts on her Facebook could be used against her for several reasons 1). The p hoto was taken while she was working, 2). The photo violates a patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality and 3). By violating the patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality she could be setting herself for termination of employment and/or criminal or civil violations. Those are possible consequences that may prove costly in the long run. The nurse should stop and ask herself if the notoriety would be worth losing her reputation and career over. In summary, there are many advantages and disadvantages to smartphones and use of social media. Advantages include active engagement for patients in their health status; readily available resources in real-time; and ease of use and accessibility for all users both front-end and back-end. Some disadvantages include lack of privacy; accountability for posts on personal social media sites; and data integrity and vulnerability. Do the Pro’s outweigh the Con’s? One can only say that training, awareness, and professional and ethical responsibilities should dictate an individual’s actions. As the old saying goes, â€Å"Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.† A good warning that should be heeded by all. References Kosieradzki, J. (2011). Social media and privacy: when personal posts intersect with the business of litigation. Journal of Legal Studies in Business. (17), 51-64 Lambert, K., Barry, P., Stokes, G. (2012). Risk management and legal issues with the use of social media in the healthcare setting. American Society for Healthcare Risk Management. 31(4), 41–47. doi: 10.1002/jhrm.20103 Romano v. Steelcase, 907 N.Y.S.2d 650, 658 (N.Y. Sup. 2010) Solomon, P., Molinaro, M., Mannion, E., Cantwell, K. (2012). Confidentiality Policies and Practices in Regard to Family Involvement: Does Training Make a Difference?. American Journal Of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, 15(1), 97-115. doi:10.1080/15487768.2012.655648

My Best Friend Died Essay -- Friendship Essay Personal Narrative

My Best Friend Died Dr. Munter's comments: The purpose of this assignment was to relate an event that changed the direction of your life. Not only does this student successfully accomplish this task, he does it with a certain amount of understatement. The instruction â€Å"to show, not tell† is beautifully and subtly completed. There is also a nice balance of long and short sentences, unusual similes, and the sense that the author allows the reader to view this event through the eyes of an eight-year-old. Overall, the writing is clean, simple in technique, yet powerful in its message. I remember the van. It was the gray of dry clay, and it had maroon stripes on the sides that were the same color as maple leaves during the fall, but it was winter now. It was my mom's van, and I was riding in the back seat. I was eight years old, and she had pulled over on the side of the road because she had â€Å"some sad news† to tell me. My legs didn’t touch the ground. They just dangled with my sorrels about to fall off. I was all bundled up in the puffy winter clothes that mothers dress their chi...

Pacific Theatre in World War II

On 1 September 1939 the country of Germany led by Adolf Hitler invaded Poland using blitzkrieg tactics or in other words â€Å"lightning war†. As Germany is capturing Europe one country at a time Japan is doing the same except with Asia and Japan is also preparing for the attack of the United States naval base on the island of Oahu called Pearl Harbor. The attack on Pearl Harbor caused the United States to declare war on Japan, break isolationism and get deeply involved in World War II.On 7 December 1941 at 7:30 am army privates George Elliot and Joseph Lockard were operating in a radar station when they noticed a large amounts of aircraft incoming but they did not sound the alarm because there was supposed to be a group of B-17 bombers due to Pearl Harbor (Michael 10). At 8:00 am the words â€Å"Tora Tora Tora† sounded over Japanese radios meaning that the Japanese have achieved complete surprise on the Americans and that the attack was a go and the dive bombers starte d to drop their deadly payloads on the American airfields, aiming specifically for United States war planes (Michael 11).As the Japanese attacked the airfields they also simultaneously attacked the harbor with more dive bombers and torpedo planes equipped with torpedoes specially made for the shallow waters of the harbor (Michael 12). During all of the chaos a dive bomber dropped its deadly payload on to the USS Arizona, with a single bomb hit to the magazine, the whole bow of the ship was severed from the rest and 1,000 men died instantly (Michael 12). At 8:45 am even more Japanese torpedo planes and dive bombers attacked the harbor targeting repair yards and any other ships that the pilots saw.The attack was planned months before 7 December, the Japanese built a model of the actual harbor to help prepare for the attack and they practiced on it until each and every pilot knew exactly which target to hit and how to hit it and until they could achieve an 80% hit rate on the American ships (Michael 47). The task force the Japanese used consisted of 6 aircraft carriers each equipped with hundreds of planes and 20 other ships including battleships, heavy cruisers, destroyers and a few submarines (Michael 49).The attack killed 2,388 Americans and injured another 2,000, the attack destroyed 21 ships out of 92 total in the harbor, nearly 300 American aircraft were destroyed and only 29 Japanese aircraft were destroyed (Reid 219). The Americans were infuriated with the attack, they felt as if they were vulnerable and they wanted the United States government to declare war on Japan. On 8 December 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt makes a speech to congress asking them to declare a state of war on Japan. Later that day with a vote of 388 to 1 the United States is at war with Japan.The industry skyrocketed as the United States prepares for war; everything from food to weapons is rationed and made in a method called mass production. On 9 December 1941 Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. The United States is now deeply involved in World War II, but the United States has a difficult decision to make whether or not they should concentrate their forces over in Europe to fight the Italians and Germans or concentrate their forces in the Pacific and get revenge on the Japanese and avenge Pearl Harbor.On 8 April 1942 Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle launched an air attack consisting of B-25 medium range bombers. The attack was designed to inflict damage on Tokyo and to destroy the Japanese morale and avenge Pearl Harbor. The plan was for 16 B-25s to be launched off the coast of Japan and their mission was to bomb the city of Tokyo and land on American air bases in China. Most of the 16 B-25s, each with a five-man crew, attacked the Tokyo area, with a few hitting Nagoya (â€Å"The Doolittle Raid†).However none of the planes made it to China and most of the crews were captured, but this attack was considered a success because it deeply embarrassed the Japanese High Command and it greatly boosted the morale of the Americans, this attack would lead to the desire of the Japanese to completely destroy the American aircraft carriers and would lead to the Japanese defeat in Midway a month later. The Battle of Midway was fought over and near the tiny United States’ mid-pacific base at the Midway island atoll.The objective of the Japanese was to draw out and destroy the Unites States aircraft carrier striking forces which had embarrassed the Japanese in the Doolittle Raid. The Japanese’s plan was to soften up the defenses on Midway, invade it, capture the island and hope that the United States would come out with their aircraft carriers in order to take back the island and the Japanese would the quickly destroy them and have a decisive victory.However, the United States had brilliant code breakers and knew exactly when, where and how the Japanese were going to strike so the Americans were waiting. On 7 June 1942, the Japanese with a force of 4 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 15 support ships and 248 carrier based aircraft started the attack. Starting with bombing the American base the Japanese weren’t able to soften up the American defenses well enough because the Americans had knew in advance that Japanese were coming so they built up their defenses and brought in additional reinforcements.As the Japanese were focusing their attacks on the island, the American aircraft carrier strike force consisting of 3 carriers, 7 heavy cruisers, 1 anti-aircraft cruiser, 15 destroyers, 233 carrier based aircraft and 16 submarines attacked the Japanese forces. After 4 days of bitter combat, the Americans had only lost 1 carrier, 1 destroyer, 150 aircraft, and 307 sailors and airmen, while on the Japanese side, they had lost 4 carriers, 1 cruiser, all of their aircraft, and 3,057 sailors and airmen (â€Å"Battle of Midway†).The Battle of Midway was a huge success in American c ode breaking and proving that the use of the aircraft carrier would definitely be a vital resource in the Pacific Theater (â€Å"Battle of Midway†). Three months later the Americans pressed forward setting their eyes on a near Australia called Guadalcanal. This battle would be the first allied offensive on the Empire of Japan. On 7 August 1942 American forces landed on the islands of Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands with the objective of denying their use by the Japanese to threaten the supply and communication routes between the US, Australia, and New Zealand.The Allies also intended to use Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases to support a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabal on New Britain (â€Å"Battle of Guadalcanal†). Powerful United States naval forces had supported the landings. Surprised by the Allied offensive, the Japanese made several attempts between August and November 1942 to retake Hende rson Field. Three major land battles, seven large navalbattles, and continual, almost daily aerial battles culminated in the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in early November 1942, in which the last Japanese attempt to bombard Henderson Field from the sea and land with enough troops to retake it was defeated. In December 1942, the Japanese abandoned further efforts to retake Guadalcanal and evacuated their remaining forces by 7 February 1943 in the face of an offensive by the US Army's XIV Corps, securing the island to the Allies.The Americans originally started with a strength of 60,000 men and lost 7,100 while the Japanese forces were almost completely wiped out, starting out with only 36,200 they had lost 32,000 (â€Å"Battle of Guadalcanal†). The Guadalcanal campaign was a significant strategic combined arms victory by Allied forces over the Japanese in the Pacific theatre The Battle of the Philippines was the American campaign that lasted from 1944-1945 and the obje ctive was to completely expel the Imperial Japanese Forces occupying this long chain of islands that was captured by the Japanese during the first half of 1942.The Battle of the Philippines started on 20 October 1944 with the amphibious landings on the eastern Philippine island of Leyte. The operation would last through the end of the war in august of 1945. During this campaign the Japanese showed how desperate they were in not giving up when they started utilizing kamikaze attacks where they would purposely fly planes equipped with explosives into the American forces. This campaign was very successful however, because the Americans had driven out the Japanese and liberated the Philippines.The Battle of Iwo Jima fought on 19 February through 26 March 1945 was a major battle in which the United States Armed Forces fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese Empire. The American invasion had the goal of capturing the entire island, including its three airfields, t o provide a staging area for attacks on the Japanese main islands. This five-week battle comprised some of the fiercest and bloodiest fighting of the War in the Pacific of World War II.After the heavy losses incurred in the battle, the strategic value of the island became controversial. It was useless to the Army as a staging base and useless to the Navy as a fleet base; however it was of limited use by the United States Army Air Force only for emergency landing of planes coming back from missions over Japan. The Japanese positions on the island were heavily fortified, with a large network of bunkers, hidden artillery positions in the mountains, and nearly 11 miles of underground tunnels.This invasion was the first American attack on Japanese home territory, and the Japanese soldiers and marines defended their positions tenaciously with no thought of surrender. The Americans had a force of 70,000 marines and had high losses of 6,821 killed and 19,217 wounded. The Japanese, however h ad a smaller force of 22,060 soldiers and lost 18,844, but they had nearly 3,000 in hiding until long past the end of the war and because of their extensive network or tunnels and bunkers they were able to inflict heavy damage on the Americans (â€Å"Battle of Iwo Jima).Later in the summer of 1944 the United States had set their eyes on the largest island in the Marianas, Guam. There was a major strategic advantage of Guam because of its very large size and its location to the Japanese mainland mad it ideal for the American forces to establish airfields for B-29 Superfortress long range bombers. Guam, ringed by reefs, cliffs, and heavy surf, presents a formidable challenge for an attacker. But despite the obstacles, on July 21, the Americans landed on both sides of the Orote peninsula on the western side of Guam, planning to cut off the airfield.By nightfall the Americans had established beachheads about 2,000 meters deep, Japanese counter-attacks were made throughout the first few days of the battle, mostly at night, using infiltration tactics. Several times they penetrated the American defenses and were driven back with heavy loss of men and equipment. Rain and thick jungle made conditions difficult for the Americans, but after an engagement at Mount Barrigada from August 2 to August 4, the Japanese line collapsed; the rest of the battle was a pursuit to the north.As in other battles of the Pacific War, the Japanese refused to surrender, and almost all were killed. On August 10, after 3 long weeks of bloody and ferocious fighting, organized Japanese resistance ended, and Guam was declared secure. The Battle of Okinawa was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theatre. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan,  and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only 340 mi away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Ja panese mainland.Okinawa provided a fleet anchorage, troop staging areas, and airfields in close proximity to Japan. The U. S. cleared the surrounding waters of mines in Operation Zebra, occupied Okinawa, and set up the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, a form of military government, after the battle. The Americans started out with 183,000 men and by the end of the battle 12,000 were killed and 38,000 were wounded.The Japanese started out with 160,000 men and more than 110,000 were killed and 7,000 were captured (â€Å"The Battle of Okinawa†). While the Pacific war rages, the United States had conducted many air raids on Japan during World War II, causing extensive destruction to the country's cities and killing anywhere from 241,000 to 900,000 people. From June 1944 until January 1945, B-29s stationed in India staged through bases in China to make a series of raids on Japan, but this effort proved unsuccessful.The strategic bombing campaign was greatly expanded from November 1944 when bases in the Mariana Islands became available as a result of the Mariana Islands Campaign. The air raids concentrated mainly on industrial facilities but the fire bombings were concentrated on the civilian population since most of the homes were made from paper and wood (â€Å"Skies on fire†). With the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 the United States was ultimately forces to break isolationism and get very involve in World War II.From the Doolittle raid in 1942 to the massive bombing campaigns in 1945, from the battle of Midway to the invasion of Okinawa, the United States was very involved in the Pacific theatre and the loss of life was very high. Along with the Pacific Theatre the United States also had a very high death toll in the European Theatre but not as high of one as in the Pacific. Had the Japanese not have attacked Pearl Harbor, the turn out of the war could have been so much different and the United States probably would not have gotten involved until late in the war like they did in World War I

Edith Cavell Essay

In 1914, Edith Cavell had already finished her nurse training and was giving four lectures a week to doctors and nurses, taking care for her friend’s daughter who was a morphia addict, a runaway girl, and also her two dogs. She lived a fairly mundane and busy life as a nurse; however, that changed on August 3rd, 1914 when she was back in Brussels dispatching the Dutch and German nurse homes and also making sure everyone knew that his or her first duty as a nurse was to take care for the wounded irrespective of nationality. The place she worked in became a Red Cross Hospital and so she treated anyone – including the Germans and Belgians. With war going on – Brussels fell and so the Germans commanded for the wounded and sixty nurses to go back home. Edith Cavell was one of the two people who remained in Brussels. By autumn of 1914, two stranded British soldiers discovered Edith Cavell’s training school and stayed there for two weeks. Others followed suit and then came the birth of an ‘underground’ lifeline created by the Prince and Princess de Croy at a chateau at Mons. Within this ‘underground’ lifeline, about two hundred allied soldiers were helped to escape and this secret organization lasted for one year, despite all the risks. Many of those who took part in this dangerous covert ‘mission’ knew that once they were caught for harboring allied soldiers, they’d definitely die. And Edith Cavell was one of them. Although Edith Cavell knew better to not stay involves, as she was a ‘protected’ member of the Red Cross, she made the strong decision to sacrifice her own life for the sake of her fellow men – her country. She thought her action to protect and hide the allied soldiers to be the same as tending for the sick and wounded. Edith Cavell knew very well of the consequences and by august 1915, only just a year after all the events; someone from Belgian found out and uncovered the truth. Her nursing school was searched at the same time as the soldiers escaped out through the back garden. Edith Cavell was calm throughout the whole search and not a single bit of evidence was found of such actions. She had managed through the year of keeping her ‘underground’ activities well hidden. Nurse Cavell may have been successful of not getting caught; the group of soldiers that  had escaped was not. On July 31st, 1915, two members who were escaping were caught and arrested. Five days later, Edith Cavell was arrested and ready to be interrogated. After hearing that several people had already confessed, she too admitted to all the charges against her and confessed. Following the confession, she was going to be executed. United Stated and Spain heard the news about Edith Cavell and tried their hardest to commute her sentence, but failed to do so. And so on October 13th, 1915, Edith Cavell was sentenced to death for hiding and protecting allied soldiers. It was revealed that Edith Cavell was very willing to use anything in her power to save the soldiers. She has said she would have rather died and sacrificed herself than have the soldiers get shot. Her whole life, she had been trained to protect others and heal them and even risk her own life – and so she did. On the night before her execution, Edith Cavell had said to Reverend Horace Graham one of her now most famous quotes: â€Å"I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred of bitterness towards anyone.† Her execution led people in the United States and Great Britain to form an anti-German group. They used her as a heroic martyr to the war and honored with a statue. Works Cited: â€Å"British nurse Edith Cavell executed .† 2013. The History Channel website. Oct 31 2013, 7:00 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-nurse-edith-cavell-executed. â€Å"War Declared.† War Declared. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. http://www.revdc.net/cavell/page41.html

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essays

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essays Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essay Archduke Franz Ferdinand Essay There were many causes leading up to World War l, but it wasn’t until June 28, 1914 the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered World War l. His assassination took place in Sarajevo, leading Austria to declare war against Serbia. Austria declaring war to Serbia caused Serbia’s allies to declare war on each other, for example France, Russia, and United Kingdom. From all this chaos World War I began. Franz Ferdinand, eldest son of Carl Ludwig, the brother of Emperor Franz Josef, was born in 1863. He joined the Austro-Hungarian army in 1883. He was young when he entered the military. He didn’t receive any formal traning but he was considered eligible for command. He was frequently and quickly promoted. His great work in the army led to promotions: lieutenant around age 14, captain around age 22, colonel around age 27, major around age 33. In 1889, the son of Franz Josef committed suicide. Due to his death, throne was passed down to Ferdinand’s father, Carl Ludwig. When Carl Ludwig died in 1896, Ferdinand’s life would completely change. Ferdinand became the new heir to the throne after his father’s death. (Miller, P. Frederic. 58. ) A few years before Ferdinand’s father had passed away, he met a woman named Sophie von Chotkovato at a ball in 1888. They deeply fell in love but Sophie coming from a noble family caused a controversy, on how she shouldn’t be the one for Ferdinand. To be able to marry Ferdinand, she had to come from one of the ruling dynasties of Europe. Franz Ferdinand refused to marry anyone else but Sophie Von Chotkovato. Emperors and Popes spoke if that marriage were to happen it would be a corruption towards the stability of the monarchy. In the year 1889, Emperor Franz Josef made a deal with Ferdinand. Ferdinand was allowed to marry Sophie but her descendants could never have power to the throne, she couldn’t share Ferdinand’s rank, title, or be seen much in public with him. The wedding took place in Bohemia, Chez Republic. Franz Josef did not attend Ferdinand’s wedding. His brothers nor family were nowhere to be seen either. Weeks after the wedding Ferdinand wrote his stepmother Maria Theresia a letter where he said, â€Å"Sophie is a treasure, I am indescribably happy. She looks after me so much, I am doing wonderfully. I am so healthy and much less nervous. I feel as though I had been born again. † He felt nervous that he wouldnt be able to be together with Sophie, since she wasnt in the ruling dynasties in Europe. Years after their marriage they had three children; Sophie, Maximilian, and Ernst. (Shepherd, Gordon. page 154. ) In 1913 he was appointed as Inspector General of the Austro-Hungarian Army. Ferdinand was popular with the armed forces and well experienced. In 1914 General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia, invited Ferdinand, to watch his troops on maneuvers. Potiorek let Ferdinand know that his wife would also be welcomed; Franz Ferdinand gave the yes to make the visit. With him still being heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand knew his visit to Bosnia would be dangerous. Despite it being dangerous to go, he still went. Plenty of people in Bosnia were unhappy with Ferdinand’s rule. Bosnia was in union with Serbia. In 1910 a Serb, Bogdan Zerajic, had attempted to assassinate General Varesanin, the Austrian governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina, when he was opening parliament in Sarajevo. Zerajic was a member of the Black Hand who wanted Bosnia to leave the Austro- Hungarian Empire. The Black Hand went by Unity or Death. The leader of the group was Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, the chief of the Intelligence Department of the Serbian General Staff. Dimitrijevic was worried that Ferdinand would become a threat. Worried that Ferdinand would make an independent Serbia state harder to reach. Gilfond, Henry. Page 240. ) When it became official that Ferdinand was going to visit Bosnia in June 1914, Dimitrijevic started to make plans to assassinate Ferdinand. Dimitrijevic send three people of the Black Hand group to Sarajevo. The prime minister of Sarajevo knew about the Black Hands plan. The prime minister didn’t want the assassination to take place in Sarajevo, as he was afraid of it leading to war w ith Austria-Hungary. The prime minister gave order for those three men to be arrested before they arrived to Bosnia. The arrest never took place. The three men were able to arrive to Bosnia. When the three men arrived they joined forces with the conspirators. They were determined to kill Ferdinand. Just before 10 oclock on Sunday, 28th June, 1914, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie von Chotkovato arrived in Sarajevo by train. General Oskar Potiorek, Governor of the Austrian provinces of Bosnia, was waiting to take the royal party to the City Hall for the official reception. In the front car were the Mayor of Sarajevo and the citys Commissioner of Police. Franz Ferdinand and his wife were in the second car with Oskar Potiorek and Count von Harrach. The cars top was rolled back in order to allow the crowds a good view of its occupants. When the cars passed by the central police station Nedjelko Cabrinovic threw a grenade at the car Ferdinand was in. The driver of the car saw the object flying and accelerated his car. The grenade exploded underneath the wheel of the car that was behind the car Ferdinand was in. The driver of the car drove on fast trying to avoid any other attempts by the Black Hands. Franz Ferdinand made a speech at the official reception at the Sarajevo City Hall. With â€Å"It gives me special pleasure to accept the assurances of your unshakable loyalty and affection for His Majesty, our Most Gracious Emperor and King. I thank you cordially for the resounding ovations with which the population received me and my wife, the more so since in them an expression of pleasure over the failure of the assassination attempt. †(Miller, P. Frederic. page 234. ) After the reception at city hall, Franz Ferdinand asked if any members of the party were hurt from the bomb. He was told they were in bad condition, so he insisted on going to see them. People there told him it would be dangerous if he went. Despite the dangerous he still wanted to go. Oskar Potiorek was sure that Bosnia wasn’t a place full of assassins. Even though he disagreed about it being dangerous he suggested Ferdinand’s wife should stay. Ferdinand’s wife refused to stay declaring; â€Å"As long as the Archduke shows himself in public today I will not leave him. † Sophie would not stay under any circumstance and went with Ferdinand. General Oskar Potiorek suggested they should take a different route to go to the Sarajevo hospital. Ferdinand was fine with taking a different route, but Potiorek forgot to tell the driver about the final decision. On their way to the hospital the driver took a wrong turn. Potiorek realized the driver took a wrong turn, he immediately told the driver to turn around. The driver quickly hit the brake and backed up. No one notice there was a Serbian conspirator, named Gavrilo Princip hiding at the corner. The conspirator didn’t hesitate to watch the car back up any longer and just fired plenty times. After the assassination he attempt to commit suicide but was stopped before he had the chance to take another shot. Due to him being young he only receives twenty five years of prison. He contracts tuberculosis and dies 28 April 1918. He dies at Terizin, where later on under Nazi power they make a concentration camp. (Fabijanic, Toby, page 28) It’s believed that Ferdinand was hit in the neck and that Sophie Von Chotkovato was hit in the abdomen. Ferdinand and Sophie were drove to Konak, the governor’s residence, after arriving there the couple died from the hits.