Sunday, May 24, 2020

Lieutenant General John Burgoyne in the American Revolution

General John Burgoyne was a noted 18th century British Army officer who is best remembered for his defeat at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. First seeing service during the War of the Austrian Succession, he later earned fame as a cavalry officer and leader during the Seven Years War. In this period, he formed his own cavalry unit and commanded troops in Portugal. With the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775, Burgoyne was one of several officers dispatched to Boston. Seeing little opportunity in the post, Burgoyne departed and returned to North America the following year with reinforcements for Canada. While there, he conceived of the idea for what would become the Saratoga Campaign. Given permission to move forward in 1777, his army was ultimately blocked, defeated, and captured by American forces. Paroled, Burgoyne returned to Britain in disgrace. General John Burgoyne Rank: GeneralService: British ArmyNickname(s): Gentleman JohnnyBorn: February 24, 1722 in Sutton, EnglandDied: August 4, 1792 in London, EnglandParents: Captain John Burgoyne and Anna Maria BurgoyneSpouse: Charlotte StanleyChildren: Charlotte Elizabeth BurgoyneConflicts: Seven Years War, American RevolutionKnown For: Battle of Saratoga (1777) Early Life Born February 24, 1722 at Sutton, England, John Burgoyne was the son of Captain John Burgoyne and his wife Anna. There is some thought that the young Burgoyne may have been the illegitimate son of Lord Bingley. Burgoynes godfather, Bingley specified in his will that the young man should receive his estate if his daughters failed to produce any male heirs. Beginning in 1733, Burgoyne began attending the Westminster School in London. While there, he befriended Thomas Gage and James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange. In August 1737, Burgoyne entered the British Army by purchasing a commission in the Horse Guards. Early Career Based in London, Burgoyne became known for his fashionable uniforms and earned the nickname Gentleman Johnny. A known gambler, Burgoyne sold his commission in 1741. Four years later, with Britain involved in the War of the Austrian Succession, Burgoyne returned to the army by obtaining cornets commission in the 1st Royal Dragoons. As the commission was newly created, he was not required to pay for it. Promoted to lieutenant later that year, he took part in the Battle of Fontenoy that May and made repeated charges with his regiment. In 1747, Burgoyne pulled together sufficient funds to purchase a captaincy. Elopement With the wars end in 1748, Burgoyne began courting Stranges sister, Charlotte Stanley. After his proposal of marriage was blocked by Charlottes father, Lord Derby, the couple elected to elope in April 1751. This action infuriated Derby who was a prominent politician and he cut off his daughters financial support. Lacking active service, Burgoyne sold his commission for  £2,600 and the couple began traveling around Europe. Spending extensive time in France and Italy, he became friends with the Duc de Choiseul who would later oversee French policy during the Seven Years War. Additionally, while in Rome, Burgoyne has his portrait painted by famed Scottish artist Allan Ramsay.   Following the birth of their only child, Charlotte Elizabeth, the couple elected to return to Britain. Arriving in 1755, Strange interceded on their behalf and the couple reconciled with Lord Derby. Using his influence, Derby aided Burgoyne in obtaining a captaincy in the 11th Dragoons in June 1756. Two years later he moved to the Coldstream Guards and ultimately achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. With the Seven Years War raging, Burgoyne took part in the June 1758 raid on St. Malo. Landing in France, his men remained for several days while British forces burned French shipping. 16th Dragoons Later that year, Burgoyne went ashore during Captain Richard Howes raid on Cherbourg. This saw British forces land and successfully storm the town. A proponent of light cavalry, Burgoyne was appointed to command the 16th Dragoons, one of two new light regiments, in 1759. Rather than delegate recruiting duties, he directly oversaw the construction of his unit and personally courted the landed gentry in Northamptonshire to become officers or encourage others to enlist. To entice potential recruits, Burgoyne advertised that his men would have the finest horses, uniforms, and equipment. A popular commander, Burgoyne encouraged his officers to mix with their troops and desired his enlisted men to be free thinking in battle. This approach was enshrined in a revolutionary code of conduct he wrote for the regiment. Additionally, Burgoyne encouraged his officers to take time each day to read and encouraged them to learn French as the best military texts were in that language. Portugal In 1761, Burgoyne was elected to Parliament representing Midhurst. A year later, he was dispatched to Portugal with the rank of brigadier general. Following the loss of Almeida to the Spanish, Burgoyne boosted Allied moral and earned fame for his capture of Valencia de Alcà ¡ntara. That October, he again triumphed when he defeated the Spanish at the Battle of Vila Velha. In the course of the fighting, Burgoyne directed Lieutenant Colonel Charles Lee to attack a Spanish artillery position which was successfully captured. In recognition of his service, Burgoyne received a diamond ring from the King of Portugal and later had his portrait painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. With the end of the war, Burgoyne returned to Britain and in 1768 was again elected to Parliament. An effective politician, he was named the governor of Fort William, Scotland in 1769. Outspoken in Parliament, he became concerned about Indian affairs and regularly attacked Robert Clive as well as corruption in the East India Company. His efforts ultimately led to the passage of the Regulating Act of 1773 which worked to reform the companys management. Promoted to major general, Burgoyne wrote plays and verse in his spare time. In 1774, his play The Maid of the Oaks was staged at the Drury Lane Theater. American Revolution With the beginning of the American Revolution in April 1775, Burgoyne was dispatched to Boston along with Major Generals William Howe and Henry Clinton. Though he did not take part in the Battle of Bunker Hill, he was present at the Siege of Boston. Feeling the assignment lacked opportunity, he elected to return home in November 1775. The following spring, Burgoyne led the British reinforcements which arrived in Quebec. Serving under Governor Sir Guy Carleton, Burgoyne aided in driving American forces from Canada. Critical of Carletons cautiousness after the Battle of Valcour Island, Burgoyne sailed for Britain. Arriving, he began lobbying Lord George Germain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to approve his campaign plans for 1777. These called for a large British army to advance south from Lake Champlain to capture Albany. This would be supported by a smaller force approaching from the west via the Mohawk Valley. The final element would see Howe advance north up the Hudson River from New York. Planning for 1777 The cumulative effect of the campaign would be to sever New England from the rest of the American Colonies. This plan was approved by Germain in early 1777 despite word from Howe that he intended to march against Philadelphia that year. Confusion exists as to when Germain informed Burgoyne that participation by British forces in New York City would be limited at best. As Clinton had been defeated at Charleston, SC in June 1776, Burgoyne was able to secure command of the northern invasion force. Arriving in Canada on May 6, 1777, he assembled an army of over 7,000 men. The Saratoga Campaign Initially delayed by transport issues, Burgoynes army did not begin moving up Lake Champlain until late June. As his forces advanced on the lake, Colonel Barry St. Legers command moved west to execute the thrust through the Mohawk Valley. Believing the campaign would be simple, Burgoyne was soon dismayed when few Native Americans and Loyalists joined his forces. Arriving at Fort Ticonderoga in early July, he quickly compelled Major General Arthur St. Clair to abandon the post. Sending troops in pursuit of the Americans, they defeated part of St. Clairs forces at Hubbardton on July 7. Regrouping, Burgoyne pushed south towards Forts Anne and Edward. His advance was slowed by American forces which felled trees and burned bridges along the route. In mid-July, Burgoyne received word from Howe that he intended to sail for Philadelphia and would not be coming north. This bad news was compounded by a rapidly worsening supply situation as the army lacked sufficient transport that could traverse the regions rough roads. In mid-August, Burgoyne dispatched a force of Hessians on a foraging mission. Meeting American troops, they were badly defeated at Bennington on August 16. The defeat bolstered American morale and caused many of Burgoynes Native Americans to leave. The British situation further deteriorated when St. Leger was defeated at Fort Stanwix and forced to retreat. Surrender of Burgoyne by John Trumbull. Photograph Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol Defeat at Saratoga Learning of St. Legers defeat on August 28, Burgoyne elected to cut his supply lines and quickly drive on Albany with the goal of making winter quarters there. On September 13, his army began crossing the Hudson just north of Saratoga. Pushing south, it soon encountered American forces led by Major General Horatio Gates which had entrenched on Bemis Heights. On September 19, American forces led by Major General Benedict Arnold and Colonel Daniel Morgan defeated Burgoynes men at Freemans Farm. With their supply situation critical, many of the British commanders recommended a retreat. Unwilling to fall back, Burgoyne again attacked on October 7. Defeated at Bemis Heights, the British withdrew to their camp. In the wake of the action, American forces surrounded Burgoynes position. Unable to break out, he surrendered on October 17. Later Career Paroled, Burgoyne returned to Britain in disgrace. Attacked by the government for his failures, he attempted to reverse the accusations by blaming Germain for failing to order Howe to support his campaign. Unable to obtain a court martial to clear his name, Burgoyne changed political allegiances from the Tories to the Whigs. With the Whig ascent to power in 1782, he returned to favor and served as commander in chief in Ireland and a privy councillor. Leaving government a year later, he effectively retired and focused on literary pursuits. Burgoyne died suddenly at his Mayfair home on June 3, 1792. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Film Analysis-Spartacus, Full Metal Jacket Free Essays

Having viewed in class five of Stanley Kubrick’s films and a documentary about him, a decent understanding of Kubrick’s process and vision is learnt; the two films Spartacus and Full Metal Jacket were the most inspirational and significan films of the bunch. Spartacus is about a rebellious (slave of the same name) purchased by Lentulus Batiatus, owner of a school for gladiators. For the entertainment of corrupt Roman senator Marcus Licinius Crassus, Batiatus’ gladiators fight to the death. We will write a custom essay sample on Film Analysis-Spartacus, Full Metal Jacket or any similar topic only for you Order Now On the night before the event, the enslaved are â€Å"treated† with female companionship. Spartacus refuses to engage with Varinia, a slave from Brittania, and they form a sturdy relationship. When Spartacus later learns that Varinia has been sold to Crassus, along with the murders of his brothers (the slaves forced to fight), this ignites a burning desire inside him, a yearning to seek freedom. He leads fellow gladiators in revolt, and they flee out of Italy collecting money as they go, in order to buy sea transportation from the pirates of Cilicia. They are united by additional runaways, which transform the rogue slaves into a colossal army; escaping to join his cause is Varinia, who has fallen in love with Spartacus, and Antoninus. Crassus bribes the pirates to abandon Spartacus and pushes them toward Rome, were panic that Spartacus means to attack the city, causes the Senate to give Crassus absolute power. In the battle, most of the slave army is killed by Crassus’ forces. Afterward, when the Romans try to locate Spartacus, every surviving man shields him by shouting â€Å"I’m Spartacus! Varinia and her new son are held prisoner by Crassus who forces Spartacus to fight Antoninus to the death, the survivor is to be crucified, along with all the other men captured after the battle. Spartacus wins the match and is crucified, this leaves Spartacus with the potential to become a martyr. Batiatus rescues Spartacus’ family from Crassus and carries them away to freedom. Varinia is able to comfort him in his dyin g moments by showing him his little son, who will grow up without ever having been a slave. The movie was created to depict the brutal and unforgiving Roman Empire and the hardships the average slave could endure every day. It also shows anti slavery propaganda and the story not only of one’s man’s quest to revolt against his oppressors and to rise up from a state of disempowerment, but more importantly it is a story which offers hope and strength to mankind. The act of sacrifice is a dominant theme in the film and is essential to the idea of Spartacus’ character. Sacrifice is first seen before the revolt when the Draba, after defeating Spartacus in battle, refuses to kill Spartacus and instead sacrifices himself by attempting to attack Crassus. It this act inspires Spartacusand his actions for the rest of the film. Spartacus also proclaims during the film that everything he has done will be a success if his son can be born free, regardless of whether Spartacus is killed or not. In the final act of sacrifice Spartacus is crucified, sharing similarities with Jesus and his sacrifice for all mankind. Associated with sacrifice is the fight for freedom. Sacrifice is knowing that there might be a point were things must be used for the greater good and dying is a possibility, while fighting for freedom is having the courage to stand up for beliefs, never backing down and starting the movement to end oppression. This is shown when Spartacus is crucified, becoming a martyr and thus creating his legend. The path to freedom is the one goal that all the slaves had in common the thing that kept them united and strong. It gave them the strentgh to continue their journey and put everything on the line, with hope for the future as the backbone of their fighting spirit. This is put in the film to show the power that one man can create when uniting people under a common goal. In our society freedom is everything, without it we would all be the same, with no individuality or passion, not truly being alive. This helps the audience relate to the slaves and form a connection with them as they too would be quite upset if they were in the same coditions. The film takes a strong look at political lobbying and the corruption of goverment. In our society many feel as if the goverment tries to control and limit their freedoms, while the poloticians are greedy and many don’t come through on the promises they make. They are seen as untrustworthy and unhelpful causeing many to try to take actions into their own hands. The film shows how people of political status abused their power and used any means to achieve their goals. This is shown constantly throught out the film, one example is how Crassus and his rival Gracchus fight over control of the Roman army when the Roman Senate sees Spartacus and crew as a threat. Gracchus own protege, a young Julius Caesar goes over to Crassus, when Gracchus reveals that he has bribed the Cilicians to get Spartacus out of Italy and rid Rome of the slave army. Kubrick wanted to show modern people how Rome’s republic and upperclasses were much more cutthroat and savage than our own, but at the same time not that dissimilar to the average modern poloticians in today’s world. Some people may view Spartacus and frown upon the savage slavery and brutality of the ancient world, but the fight for freedom from oppression and the common man rising to greatness through bravery is something that will forever be remember and celebrated by all cultures. The second film Full Metal Jacket begins by following a platoon of Marine Corps recruits, focusing on the relationship between Sergeant Hartman and Privates Pyle and Joker. The second chapter continues with Joker, and how he joined the Corps to become a killer, but is mostly behind the scenes, as a combat correspondent. This is interupted when the Tet offensive puts him in real combat and tests him on his real worth as a soilder, and if he really is a killer. Full Metal Jacket demonstrates the psychological break down of the soilders, as seen with the transformation of the character Pvt. Pyle. He comes to the Marine Corps as a naive, harmless young man who is guided by the belief that he is serving his country. Due to his failings of performing the tasks presented to him, he is constantly verbally and physically insulted by the drill instructor, Sgt. Hartman. Along with the torment from his drill instructor Pyle recieves additional abuse from his fellow recrits, beauase of the punishments they recieve due to his failures. In retaliation, the platoon hazes Pyle with a blanket party, restraining him to his bunk and beating him with bars of soap wrapped in towels. Joker, the Pvt. Squad leader, seeks to help Pyle, but as Pyle starts to become more productive, Joker recognizes signs of mental breakdown in Pyle, such as him talking to his M14 rifle. The internal struggle in the mind, is a characteristic of every human being, one that all can relate to. Humans all contain that good verses evil, that little devil on the left shoulder and the angle on the right. Kubrick uses this to make the audience sympathetic towards Pyle, but also for them to really think about what the story is trying to show and how this also plays a role in their lives. Private Joker had on his helmet â€Å"Born to kill† but on his uniform he had a peace symbol. This was an incredible symbolic representation of the film because it was exactly what Kubrick was trying to establish in the audiences minds; the change in ones mind during war and the struggle that continues to take place during war between good and evil were represented between the born to kill on his helmet and the peace symbol on his chest. Joker can be seen as another victim of war, due to his being inthe back, when he finally kills someone, he achieves the thousand-yard stare, a limp, unfocused gaze of a battle-weary soldier. The film is successful in providing a perspective glance at the trials of a soldier. Like with most war movies, it relies heavely on powerful imagery; the film also adds the sense of â€Å"thereness† at boot camp, the sickening feeling from the sight of dead bodies, and the perspective from an enemy sniper. They force you to look at the world and don’t let you look away, or pretend, when things are gruesome, or violent, or terrible. Full Metal Jacket’ examines the morality of war and military existence. This was significant because it showed one how much the United States Military officials had to change ones mind set and character to be able to fight and kill men, women and children who were just defending their country in a country that no one was used to and that some did not even know was there. The audience leaves the film with Kubrick’s selective snapshot of the Marine Corps and of Vietnam, hopefully with some sense of a soldier’s reaction to it all. How to cite Film Analysis-Spartacus, Full Metal Jacket, Papers

Monday, May 4, 2020

Fostering Reflective Capacity Education †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Fostering Reflective Capacity Education. Answer: Introduction: The reflective writing is considered as an analytical practice which is characterized by the personal experience, events, opinions and the new information so that a level of self-knowledge can be achieved (Armstrong et al. 2014). It is being written in first person and the writer usually revisits the particular scenario concerned and expresses the concerned meanings or emotions. A lot of additional learning is being revealed and it is often referred to as the processing phase in which thinking takes place. The reflective writing demands that one is able to bring in valuable knowledge to each experience. It acts an important connection between what is known already and what is being learnt at present. The reflective writing is an excellent process of becoming aware, active and critical learner. The reflective writing is not always used for revealing personal information but is also used for writing in response of gaining new information. This kind of writing is used both for academic as well as non-academic purposes. The reflective writing is usually informal, however, on certain occasions like cover letter or case report, it can be formal also. The reflective writing is also good for idea generation and gathers number of ideas on the same topic. The topic is concerned with the consideration which is associated with the HR planning process of various events. The HR planning is concerned with the minute details of the attributes of manpower planning process along with the HR strategy and objectives (Nagendra and Deshpande 2014). The guiding strategies for the human resource planning for the events should be noted well. I have learnt the fact the HR planning for the events is a completely different one and it is usually different from the usual HR planning processes take place in the organizations. I have learnt the fact that in order to have a massive and successful event, it is important to plan the HR processes well. I have learnt the essential concepts of the course through the help of reading the lecture slides. The class notes helped me to have a clear idea about the topic and its essential steps. The audiovisual tools helped me to grab the idea of topic in a clear manner. I have realized the fact that the events are complex in nature and they have a lot of stakeholders that are involved in it. This requires the intervention of an effective HR process for which a subsequent level of planning should be done. Without the knowledge of the planning process of HR tasks, it would be difficult to coordinate between the various tasks of the events. I have learnt that there are around eight steps for planning the HR processes during an event. This starts from the HR planning context and end at the evaluation of the planning process. The manpower needed to function an event can be planned by the help of the theory learnt in this course module. The topic on strategic planning is about the process concerned with the goal of the event or the organization and how to achieve the same. The strategic planning can be considered as one of the most important organizational management activity in which there is setting of priorities, resources and the strengthening the operational processes (Cassidy 2016). I have learnt from this topic that the strategic planning process in the event organizations is important and it should be customized based on the changing circumstances of the external as well as internal environment. I have learnt the complex process of strategy planning and important steps associated with it. I have learnt about the key attributes of the feasibility study. I have learnt not only the strategic planning process but I have also learnt about the different types of organizational structures that are evident in the organizations. This would help me to devise organizational strategies in a better manner. The main challenge I faced was that I didnt get any practical orientation of the organizational structures. The strategic plan is the foundation of any event and it is performed before the conceptualization of an event. The mission statement of the event can be applied to the stage when the event is conceptualized and subsequent planning is done. The topic for this module is working in teams which are involved with sustaining commitment, urgency and motivation among the workplace employees. The people in the same organization are said to perform together in order to achieve common organizational goals (Coyle and Croker 2014). I have learnt the various characteristics of teams and how they function in a typical workplace environment. Some of the common team myths have been identified and I have also learnt the various positive as well as negative attributes of team cohesion. I have learnt the various stages of the team development and the various decision-making options. The various conflicts based situations and their causes are also identified. I have learnt the theoretical attributes of the team work from the lecture slides and I have learnt about the practical aspects of the team work when I was working with my colleagues. We worked in teams of five people, when I actually learnt about the attributes of team cohesion. I should know about the various benefits of team work. I have witnessed that successful team work is responsible for higher team productivity and the successful accomplishment of the organizational objectives. It is important to know about team work as it encourages innovation as well as creativity in the team. If I am unaware of the team work, then I would not be able to manage conflicts that arise in a team. An event comprises of number of members, processes, stakeholders and large number of operating units, which needs to be managed well. Each unit is mutually dependant on the others and hence it is important to apply the principles of team work here. After going through the course, I would be able to understand the key attributes of various key concepts such as team work, HR planning and the strategic planning process of the organization. Earlier, I used to give least attention to the HR planning process as well as strategic planning process, but now I have realized the importance of these processes in an event. I would engage in the manpower planning and planning of the major deliverables in the event as it would increase the effectiveness of the event. I have learnt the fact it is important to aid in conflict resolution as conflicts tend to reduce the productivity of the team. I have understood the importance of team work and how to make team cohesion. I have realized the fact that team cohesion has clear expectations, positive energy exchange of ideas, resolve of disputes and open communication between all the key stakeholders. I have also learnt how to balance various kinds of conflicts arising in the team. I have learnt the attributes of the goal-setting process of the organization. I would ask my colleagues to use the process of SMART objectives so that an effective goal can be made. I have done the various attributes of the situational analysis and would ask my team mates to use SWOT process when analyzing a particular business situation. I have also learnt the various details of the staffing needs of the events and how job analysis is done. I have learnt the different stages of the HR planning process for an event. I would use the various information learnt from this course in my future career. I would use the HR planning process to plan my manpower and the event process. I would also use the principles learnt in this course to manage various levels of conflicts. References Armstrong, G.A., Kofman, A., Sharpless, J.J., Anthony, D. and Wald, H.S., 2014. Bringing our whole person to whole person care: Fostering reflective capacity with interactive reflective writing in health professions education.International Journal of Whole Person Care,1(1). Cassidy, A., 2016.A practical guide to information systems strategic planning. CRC press. Coyle, J. and Croker, A., 2014. Working in Teams. InHealth Practice Relationships(pp. 65-74). SensePublishers. Nagendra, A. and Deshpande, M., 2014. Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) in HR planning and development in mid to large sized organizations.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,133, pp.61-67.