Thursday, October 31, 2019
Film, Fashion and Food in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Film, Fashion and Food in India - Essay Example The paper "Film, Fashion and Food in India" talks about the Indian fashion, film and food. These three Indian identities are unique, and one cannot miss to identify them with India. The article is going to focus on three of the most modern Indian cultures identified all over the world, film, fashion, and food.Indian Painting as well as its fashion sense, from history, may generally have a division into three great religious divisions- Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic. The Hindu type of painting has a reference to as Rajput. The reason is that it has a connection with the Hill Rajput of the Punjab and Rajputana. The Islamic art is known as Mughal, as its existence is due to the support it had from the existing dynasty. Rajput and Buddhist paintings were representative in showing practically the religious life of India. Buddhist had a representation by the turban on their heads. The main message of both the paintings was religion, and the chief characteristic of the paintings was mysticism . Mughal painting, on the other hand, had true sophistication, and in nature diverse and realistic. Indian court paintings and designs are famous for Mughal court paintings of the 16th Century. The rise of Mughal court paintings had a fusion of Islamic, Indian, Persian and somehow European influence.The combination of all the materials led to the creation of something new and unique which the current generation distinguishes as Mughal Art. The Mughal kingdom was however not the first Islamic empire.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Topshop Case Essay Example for Free
Topshop Case Essay Introduction A company that’s does business domestically and internationally runs on strong values and foundations. Whenever the thought comes up, of opening up a franchise in a new location, it becomes mandatory for research to be done. The research intensifies when the franchise is supposed to be open in a new country. The following report will give an in depth analysis of the popular clothing retail company â€Å"Topshop†as it would assess the company and shed light on where the corporation stands now.                  The report would also indicate the marketing possibilities of the company of opening up its franchise in Thailand based on assertive theories and research. This would help assimilate about the company’s future motive of continuous prosperity. Company Profile Topshop is one of the leading retail clothing and apparel store for men and women in the world. It success and attribution in UK is very high. Topshop is an apparel retail group of Arcadia owned by Sir Philip Green. Topshop operates more than 300 stores in United Kingdom itself and boast of more than 50 outlets in other countries. Its 90,000 square foot store in London at Oxford circus is an iconic store on its own. The organization has a website from which it takes thousands of orders every day. ‘Topshop is the fashion destination on the British high street. Selling an average of 30 pairs of knickers a minute, 6,000 pairs of jeans a day and 35,000 pairs of shoes every week, its an unrivalled, iconic brand. Blending cutting edge style with purse-friendly prices, Topshop attracts women from their teens to the 40s searching for a weekly fashion fix’ (Topshop).  Company Mission  ‘Our core values relating to any of our activities are integrity, dialogue, transparency, excellence and innovation’  (Topshop). Company Portfolio  Topshop has the best ranged street clothing Great Britain. It has a varied collection of tops, dresses, shoes, knitwear, outerwear, skirt, trousers, accessories, jewellery, lingerie, nightwear and many on hand latest dresses by the famous designers. Financial performance and management  The company after being launched had always done substantial business, by the early 1990’s there was a major dip business. The Topshop was addressed with names and was reckoned to fail. Jane Shepherdson joined the company at a basic level and with hardwork and talent she climbed up the ladder of success ultimately becoming a brand director in the year 1999. Under her guidance and arc, the company blossomed and started having a massive turnover of  £500million of the entire Topshop outlets. Currently Jane Shepherdson has resigned form the post and Kate Moss is now responsible for running the creative designing part. The above graph represents an estimated dip in sales of Topshop from the year 2005 to 2007.The above figures is in Pounds and represent in millions. Price  Topshop price is mid ranged and has a very affordable line of clothing and accessories Marketing Strategy  Topshop has a very definite ‘hit’ marketing strategy.  It believes in conceptualizing the ‘in thing’, in fashion. It basically works on a strategy that takes has high speed and development technique. The following will give a hint of the marketing strategy occupied by Topshop: ‘Young celebrities style themselves in a way that’s moved on to the next season. A year ago when Sienna Miller wore that gilet, we had to pull them forward fast and bump up the order. If you’re in the fashion business, you have to be fast to take the risk out of it. Part of (our success) was that we brought a lot of our production closer to home. We source about 60% of it from Eastern Europe now as opposed to the Far East’ (Jasmine Smith 2007).                   The above piece indicates that, Topshop uses a strategy which is based on celebrities and also which is considered as one of the running things in the fashion industry. Also it produces a similar line and range which goes around as the latest gimmick, and all this is manufactured in Eastern European countries which is logistically faster to reach the stores and outlets in Great Britain. Promotion  Topshop using a very street smart strategy doesn’t really have to stress on its promotion much. Time and again it associates themselves with celebrities and all they do is showcase their product in magazines and newspapers. Also already having carved a niche as a brand that promotes the ‘in fashion’, buyers flock into stores and its outlets and it has been seen a no. of times that the fashion stock get purchased in a matter of hours. Also Topshop’s product marketing through has been considered as one of the biggest hit promotional scheme for the company, as it seen thousands of female buyers associating with the brand purchase merchandise online itself. Selling Ambience  Topshop’s outlet and stores have a pretty decent ambience, that entices customers and the feel good factor is shelved in them by the color scheming of the interiors. Its 4 storied monstrous and elegant store at Oxford Circus is magnificently built to lure customers. Topshop’s major shop is also its website, which also is very smartly developed and the customer seeing the verified credentials of purchasing safely, makes the customer feel safe, which is one of its reasons of having thousands of orders to fulfill via the internet.  Topshop’s unique merchandise  Topshop has always founds ways of alluring customers of all fronts. It has gained expertise in making maximum profits by targeting females of all ages and sizes. One of the most unique collections of Topshop is its maternity collection, where popular designs of the store are tailored for pregnant females. It is a unique concept in wooing pregnant females and their range for them is also considered to be one of the best. Topshop also has a very unique collection known as ‘vintage’, which highly reciprocates the collection of the yesteryears, thus providing customers with a choice of clothes between today and yesterday. The biggest hit concept is however the â€Å"tall and petite†, concept, where an entire line is devised for tall and short women. Also the organization is one of the very few in the world who along with clothing line have a very standard and fashionable line of shoes, whose range changes every year.                               This unique merchandise has made Topshop a hot favorites amongst people, and because of this diversity, customers have a very high rating for the store. Topshop Staff  Topshop’s strength can be assessed because of its staff. The company’s employees are the biggest boost, when the customer approaches the store, it is these employees who treat them equally and since they have a certain amount of fashion knowledge; they suggest and help customers to choose products from the store. Also with ever pleasing personalities, they help customers during rushes and are look after giving customer refreshments, when the buyer is scanning through the company’s products.                    A happy staff can be considered as the pioneer of any company and since the company has very transparent rules for promotion, the staff at Topshop becomes more working as they know that higher performances can bag them upper jobs in the company, of which Jane Shepherdson is a prime example, as she had joined the company on entry level and she got opportunities to ultimately become a brand director of the organization. Customer Segmentation  Topshop because of its all time varied clothes line and shoe range, it has a very solid customer background which can be demographically stated from teenage to females above 40s. However a correct demo graph cannot be branded as the no. of females who buy from the company is a lot more than one can imagine. Its high brand awareness and positive strategy has actually not spared many females in the United Kingdom who haven’t ventured into Topshop even one once.  Strength Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Has a sound reputation in the market Lack of financial planning  Can diversify into more new ventures Could distract from core business Topshop till now has been operating in more than 30 countries. Till date it has had a successful stint with its franchises in other countries and to confirm it as one of the leading members of the worldwide retail industry, it becomes mandatory for companies of Topshop’s ability to keep increasing its franchises and explore its product into new countries. In the following part of the report, it will be seen of Topshop’s future in Bangkok and its marketing capacity will be assessed for this venture. Bangkok  Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is one of the leading metropolitan cities of the world. It is often considered as one a city with high amount of tourists and an empowering nightlife. Bangkok is considered to be the gateway of Asia and is a unique mixture of development and tourism. Bangkok market  The city is famous for high purchase of clothing and along with the locals, the foreigners who visit the place too shop for clothes. The clothing retail sector still relatively is untapped for bigger names like Topshop, though merchandise of most of big names is available in the city. Topshop’s marketing mission  The company has a marketing mission to enhance and produce their goods in all parts of the world. PESTLE ANALYSIS  Political- the capital of the country always faces worse fate than the country. The country in its initial days was under monarch rule and it was only in the year 1997 that the constitutional amendment was made for holding general election. Thailand has been a country of political uncertainty, but somehow it has not caused much of a hassle to the retail market or to its tourism. The elected of Tahksin was deposed by a military coup in 2006, due to the allegation of the  government being highly corrupt. The latest condition of the political scene is as follows: ‘The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) Wednesday passed a government draft bill to lift a ban on registering new political parties by 149 to 4 votes. The draft law is soon expected to take effective after receiving royal approval’ (The Nation politics). Because of the coup the market was affected, but every country has got its fair share of problem, and though there is a mount of political uncertainty, it is expected from the nation to let the markets and shops and tourism prevail in peace. Economic    Bangkok is the high earning capital city of the nation. Thailand’s  economic can be assessed from the following :  ‘With a well-developed infrastructure, a free-enterprise economy, and generally pro-investment policies, Thailand appears to have fully recovered from the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis. The country was one of East Asias best performers from 2002-04. Boosted by strong export growth, the Thai economy grew 4.5% in 2007. Bangkok has pursued preferential trade agreements with a variety of partners in an effort to boost exports and to maintain high growth. By 2007, the tourism sector had largely recovered from the major 2004 tsunami. Following the military coup in September 2006, investment and consumer confidence stagnated due to the uncertain political climate that lasted through the December 2007 elections. Foreign investor sentiment was further tempered by a 30% reserve requirement on capital inflows instituted in December 2006, and discussion of amending Thailands rules governing foreign-owned businesses. Economic growth in 2007 was due almost entirely to robust export performance despite the pressure of an appreciating currency. Exports have performed at record levels, rising nearly 17% in 2006 and 12% in 2007’ (CIA world fact book).Bangkok can be considered as a metropolitan city as it has the infrastructure that is required can be compared to other western nations. Socio Cultural  Bangkok like any other metropolitan city has its chare of foreigners staying, thus enriching the culture and the heritage. Out of the total population it is estimated that 94% are Buddhists, the rest are Muslims, Christians and Hindus and also some other religions. Apart from the usual partition of the rich and the poor, Bangkok and also the whole of Thailand also suffer from the heat of AIDS. The no. of AIDS patients has increased tremendously, killing mostly the young people of the nation. The people of the city however are avidly interested in different types of cuisines and also shopping. Most of the generation of the country is pretty much young and also the female population is higher than the men in the country. The country’s educational trend can be assessed by the following: ‘The adult literacy rate among Thailand population too has gone up from 78.6 in 1970 to 95 percent in 1997. The trend, however, reversed after the economic crises, as the literacy rate went down to 93.1 in 2000. It is estimated that literate population of 15 years and above will reach to 97 percent in the year 2010’ (World health Organization).  Technological    The country and especially the city rides on technology. The latest technology is all grasped by the youth and the city can be seen using technology well for its advancements. Environment     As most of the cities in the world, Bangkok is also fighting a losing battle with pollution like the rest of the major cities. However it is still less compared to that of other cities like Beijing and New Delhi, but still the rate of pollution is pretty high. Bangkok has beautiful flora and fauna and tourists from all over the world flock the city and around it to get mesmerized in its beauty. Marketing Strategy Bangkok is a place that is booming with the retail sector and more and more people are getting attracted to it. Thailand over the period of years has seen a huge rise in the purchase power of the consumer. The following will help cement the fact about budding scope of retail business in Bangkok: ‘The retail sector has been active throughout the year while protests from small local retailers against national discount stores were growing. However foreign retailers shrugged off the protests and continued to open stores nationwide. The biggest retail development is Siam Paragon, a joint venture between Bangkok Intercontinental Hotels Co (BIHC) and the Mall Group’ (Amazing Thailand). The hunger for having more and more retail stores is endless in the city. It is has been planned of having the outlet in ‘Siam Paragon’. This edifice had been constructed after the tearing put a star rated hotel and the way it has been constructed has been a marvel for most, a sit it is considered as one of the best malls in Asia. This mall caters to the rich and the moderately wealth people. To have a store in the edifice would firstly mean that the That the organization could cater to people who are well to do and also mainly the people who come in the upper middle class section. With thousands of people visiting the mall everyday, the shop couldn’t be in any better place in Thailand for that matter. Topshop has a tradition of delivery fashion quickly. This is possible because of manufacturing units being in nearby locations or in nearby countries. Topshop can also open up a manufacturing unit in Thailand, as here the labor is considerably cheap. This would have two major advantages, which are as follows. The basic cost of the clothing line would come down, which in turn would increase more profits at lower costs. From Malaysia, Topshop can export to other Asia countries that are closer like Malaysia and Singapore. The entire export unit would have to face lower costs for manufacturing and warehousing as costs compared to eastern European countries and United Kingdom is much cheaper hence Topshop would have an outlet at the busiest and the most happening mall of Thailand and would have costs that would be marginal as local labor and resource would be used to get the trade moving. The creative department can also do something for the clothes lineups on the basis of Thai silk, which is supposed to be the best and affordable silk in the world.                         The announcement of the arrival of Topshop can be made with a lot of fanfare, which would include local celebrities as brand ambassadors and also lots of publicity can be arranged through the print media. Competitor Analysis Bangkok has many outlets of leading brands, but most of them are not legal bands and a huge population of branded clothes available is duplicate with made in China references. Topshop frankly doesn’t have much competition to face in the city, as the brand itself is very popular on its own. However it would have to watch out for not getting into the piracy and duplicity scandal of clothing line going well in Thailand. Integrated Marketing communications  The publicity of Topshop can be done with popular links and websites of the nation. SEO’s can be put up in websites which has gaming to newspapers to current trendy social networking sites of the city. This kind of publicity would strengthen the integrated marketing campaign of the company and would ensure more and more orders via the internet.  Strength Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Location of the outlet Brand still unknown in Asia  Can use the labor, and start the in fashionable line up for Bangkok at nominal costs Could become a victim of duplicity of clothes lines. Conclusion  It can be assessed from the following report the current situation of the company and its desire to open up an outlet in Bangkok. Bringing the outlet in Thailand would globalize the company on Asian terms, as Bangkok is one of the major access points of Asia. Not only Asians but also people from all over the world come and visit this enticing city. Bringing an outlet to a place where it could get recognition from all four corners is one of the best business future expansion a company can have.                                                  The company from here can only expand, if it can keep a check over a few shoddy elements. Once the market of Bangkok is captured, then it can be assumed that Topshop has made its major entry in Asia, even though it has its outlets in other Asian countries. Works cited: Topshop official website. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12556catalogId=19551 The nation politics, â€Å"Ban on political activities lifted†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/07/18/politics/politics_30041398.php Central Intelligence Agency, The world fact Book, â€Å"Thailand†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/th.html World health organization, â€Å"TRENDS IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section313/Section1525_10862.htm Amazing Thailand, â€Å"Thailand’s economy†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.amazing-thailand.com/Economy.html â€Å"Siamparagon’s official website†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.siamparagon.co.th/v3/index2.html â€Å"Political crisis in Thailand†. Accessed on April 28, 2008 from http://www.anu.edu.au/thaionline/Political%20Crisis%20in%20Thailand.pdf Hadley freeman, â€Å"Topshop will open in New York, with help from Moss†. November 29th Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/nov/29/lifeandhealth.fashion RUTH LA FERLA, New York Times, â€Å"But Will It Play in Manhattan?†July 21st Accessed on April 28, 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/21/business/worldbusiness/21topshop.html Jasmine Smith, â€Å"Topshop’s turnaround†. June 6th Accessed on April 28, 2008 from site http://www.insideretailing.com.au/articles-page.aspx?articleType=ArticleViewarticleId=651
Sunday, October 27, 2019
CRM in the telecom industry
CRM in the telecom industry Ch 6: (Discussion ) Conclusion ( future recommendations) Leading companies with competitive advantage find their success by listening to customers in order to understand their needs and in turn, offering the best solution/product possible. This is essentially customer service, and this is what differentiates companies in the marketplace. Customer relationship management systems capture customer activity and offer business a process whereby to measure and manage customer interaction. Social media encourages participation in an open community environment where users can share information and make comments in a two way conversation that connects people, sites and resources. Combining Customer relationship management systems and social media will give businesses an opportunity to partake in real customer interaction and help them to improve their product and services from feedback posted on social media. Telecommunication pays a significant role in connecting friends and family and is a major customer oriented business, so it is important for the telecom industry to engage customers by using social media within its customer relationship management system. The main objective of this thesis was to find the level of awareness of social media in mobile phone users in Pakistan and to emphasize how social media can be used to the benefit or detriment of companies. Second objective of this thesis was to find the problem faced by the current implementation of CRM in telecom industry and what are the basic actions taken by the organization to resolve these problems but on the other hand customer experience is changed by the social media revolution and they are becoming more interactive with companies therefore it is important to find what telecom industry in Pakistan is doing to capture this rich customer experience using social media. After studying the literature, a series of problems were identified specific to CRM in the telecom industry, such as dirty data problems, adaptation by end user and security and fraud. Beside these, CRM experts also emphasize the use of social media in CRM and depict it as CRM 2.0. Hence, the challenge was to highlight the importance of social media with respect to the telecom industry and to analyze CRM 2.0 with respect to problems faced by the current CRM. To achieve this task, a survey was conducted to find the awareness of social media and the customer satisfaction level in the mobile phone consumer in Pakistan. Interviews were also conducted to find what telecom companies were doing to resolve the problem of CRM and their views about the CRM 2.0. The subsequent section will summarize the life-cycle of this research. This study began with research questions regarding the new concept of CRM, which as yet has not been introduced into business, and of which there is no existing example. The first question was to find the benefits of CRM 2.0 for the telecom industry. However, after studying literature and analyzing the main component of CRM 2.0 which is social media, the study had to slightly adjust its research question to finding awareness of social media in the consumers of the telecom industry in Pakistan along with customer satisfaction. This social media allows consumers to generate content which has revolutionized all previous concepts of business and consumer interaction. Therefore it was necessary to adjust research question and come up with question which will enrich the context of this research and provide additional benefits, which proves that consumers in Pakistan are also aware to social media. Therefore the new question is to find awareness to social media among the consumers and to find relationship between the social media and customer satisfaction. In the previous section, findings of the literature review were analyzed, and the survey and interviews mapped to find a suitable answer. The findings of the consumer survey revealed that 92.5% of the responding population was fully aware of social media and using it in their daily lives. This result is again tested by using binomial test to confirm our hypothesis. The result of the test illustrates that 74% of the population are aware of 4 or more types of social media. Both results show that there is very high level of awareness of social media in the population of Pakistan. To discover the relationship between social media and customer satisfaction, the Pearson product Moment correlation was used for calculation; with the result that a positive correlation between the social media and customer satisfaction was found. This meant that consumers could use social media against companies if their satisfaction level was low or vice-versa. The second question concerned the problem of whether in achieving quality customer data, adaptations by the end user will be solved by new CRM. After studying literature and conducting interviews, it was clear that dirty data is a persistent issue and there is a high probability of these issues occurring in the new CRM 2.0. However, companies have in-house tools which could help them to resolve this problem. This study also found that these issues occurred due to layered architecture in the enterprise system and there is a high chance that CRM 2.0 will use a different architecture and we strongly recommend that before starting the CRM 2.0 initiative organization must keep in consideration of these two issues. In the case of user adaption, frequent training is the answer to this problem and results show that the companies have developed improved mechanized methods to undertake staff training, which has helped to minimize user adaption problems. The same methods can be used for CRM 2.0. The third question on data security and fraud reduction methods was put to the companies. This research found in accordance to Gates (2007), that Web 2.0 provides a â€Å"relationship-based†and â€Å"fine-grained†technique to provide security. From interview, it was also deduced that both telecom companies have security and fraud reduction methods which are managed by a separate department. Secondly CRM provides a wide range of security techniques such as password security, profile-based access levels and audit trails. The technology mention by Gates (2007) and current method of security used in the organizations can be used in CRM 2.0. Finally, the title of this thesis is Customer in Control. The study has found that the customer is ready to start a conversation and is ready to form an online community to help companies receive better feedback about their products. However, companies are not ready to listen to the customer because they only consider social media as another marketing tool.
Friday, October 25, 2019
Regulating the Internet :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays
Regulating the Internet Part I: What I Know The internet has been one of the most influential technological advancements of the twenty-first century. It is in millions of homes, schools, and workplaces. The internet offers not only a way of communicating with people around the world, but also a link to information, shopping, chatting, searching, and maps. This freedom to be anyone and to "go" anywhere right from the comfort of home has become a cherished item. However, there is always a down side to every up. Because of the freedom to post anything and access anything on the internet, the issue of regulation has arisen; for example, what should and should not be allowed on the internet? Who has the right to regulate this space that we cherish for its freedom? Regulation is an issue that has formulated mostly because of how easily any child can access the internet. The thought is that if adult related material is easily accessible, then our children can view it also. People want to protect their children from items such as pornography, hate speech, violence, and gambling. All of which can be reached at the click of a button. So is regulating the internet the correct way of protecting our children? We as a people of the United States are guaranteed the right of free speech under the first amendment of the bill of rights. The first amendment has always been a difficult but necessary part of American life. It allows us to say what needs to be said without the fear of prosecution. Without this law we would be unable to question our leaders and society. The ability to speak our minds is what keeps us a truly free nation. However, this means we have always had to put up with other peoples opinions no matter how false they may be. The internet follows the same pattern. We have learned not to trust everything that is written down. It is our responsibility to refute anything that is incorrect or inappropriate just as it is our responsibility to do so in real life situations. For example, we could no more shut up a person who believes in white supremacy by arresting them for their beliefs then we could block them from the free space of the internet. We can not punish someone for their b eliefs even if those beliefs go against everything we know to be true.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483?
Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483? Edward IV’s death caused many issues with regards to power shortly after he died because of many difficulties. This ranges from a complicated will, to the betrayal from his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Shortly before Edward IV’s death, he amended his will, and the only copy of the new will was ruined and nobody ever really knew what changes Edward IV made. Because of this, there was a bitter power struggle.This power struggle revolved around two competing factions, Woodville and Gloucester. Firstly, because of the issues with the will, there was no direct heir to the throne, and it was either going to be Edward V on the throne or Richard of Gloucester, nonetheless Edward IV’s son Edward V had to take the throne. However, because Edward V was a minor, the two factions competed to control the country until Edward V was old enough where he could govern by himself, thus resulting in a bi tter feud within the Yorkist family.This became such a struggle for power simply because Edward V’s mother, Elizabeth Woodville had such a great bond with her son, and also, because Richard, Duke of Gloucester truly wanted to become King. At the time of Edward IV’s death, both factions had their strengths and weaknesses. For the Woodville family, they had strategic advantages primarily because Prince Edward was with Elizabeth Woodville’s brother. Furthermore, Woodville’s brother was appointed ‘Governor and ruler of the Princes household’. The power and influence of the Princes counsel grew, and with it the status of the Woodville family.However, the Woodville family were seen as social climbers, and they were resented by members of established nobility, especially Gloucester, Hastings and Buckingham. Additionally, being seen a social climber in 1483 was practically as bad as sinning. This was perceived as a significant drain on the royal patr onage. For Gloucester, the strengths would be that he had the active support of two of the greatest magnates, the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Hastings. They were established enemies of the Woodville’s, having competed against Earl Rivers in 1471 for lieutenancy of Calais.Secondly, Henry Stafford was Gloucester’s most powerful ally. Buckingham had a remote claim to the throne, being descended from Edward III’s youngest son. Moreover, Lord Hastings was loyal to Edward V, but opposed the Woodville’s. The only weakness for Gloucester would be that Prince Edward was brought up almost entirely by members of the Woodville family, thereby feared by Gloucester as being more Woodville than York. The Woodville’s hoped for an early coronation on the 4th of May, as it would represent the end of Edward V’s protectorship and therefore undermine Gloucester’s position as protector.This would have been a clear, easy win for the throne for the Woodville family; however the Counsel could not make a clear decision for who to be protector. One section of the Counsel wanted Gloucester to be protector but the other section of the Counsel wanted a regency Counsel to include Gloucester. As tension brewed, Richard Duke, of Gloucester decided to end the entire struggle for power by bringing up past rumours of Woodville and Edward IV’s relationship issues.Richard, Duke of Gloucester always detested his brother Edward IV after his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, as he was made to look a fool by him when he found out they was married. Furthermore, when society found out of this marriage, this almost put Gloucester at an advantage because in that century, the King was supposed to marry a person that would influence the Kingdom in a good way, not out of love. Nevertheless, Because of this, Gloucester revealed that it was rumoured that Edward IV was already married, when he was got married to Elizabeth Woodville.For this reason, t he marriage was deemed illegitimate, thus making Edward V’s inheritance of the throne illegitimate. This was a very strong move from Gloucester, and ultimately, because of this, he gained the throne, and the power to rule. To conclude, the whole situation of this bitter power struggle could have been completely avoided if Edward IV was not blinded by love. Edward IV should have made it clear whether it is his Son to rule or his brother, and not have left his wills conflicting with each other. Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483? Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483? Edward IV’s death caused many issues with regards to power shortly after he died because of many difficulties. This ranges from a complicated will, to the betrayal from his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Shortly before Edward IV’s death, he amended his will, and the only copy of the new will was ruined and nobody ever really knew what changes Edward IV made. Because of this, there was a bitter power struggle.This power struggle revolved around two competing factions, Woodville and Gloucester. Firstly, because of the issues with the will, there was no direct heir to the throne, and it was either going to be Edward V on the throne or Richard of Gloucester, nonetheless Edward IV’s son Edward V had to take the throne. However, because Edward V was a minor, the two factions competed to control the country until Edward V was old enough where he could govern by himself, thus resulting in a bi tter feud within the Yorkist family.This became such a struggle for power simply because Edward V’s mother, Elizabeth Woodville had such a great bond with her son, and also, because Richard, Duke of Gloucester truly wanted to become King. At the time of Edward IV’s death, both factions had their strengths and weaknesses. For the Woodville family, they had strategic advantages primarily because Prince Edward was with Elizabeth Woodville’s brother. Furthermore, Woodville’s brother was appointed ‘Governor and ruler of the Princes household’. The power and influence of the Princes counsel grew, and with it the status of the Woodville family.However, the Woodville family were seen as social climbers, and they were resented by members of established nobility, especially Gloucester, Hastings and Buckingham. Additionally, being seen a social climber in 1483 was practically as bad as sinning. This was perceived as a significant drain on the royal patr onage. For Gloucester, the strengths would be that he had the active support of two of the greatest magnates, the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Hastings. They were established enemies of the Woodville’s, having competed against Earl Rivers in 1471 for lieutenancy of Calais.Secondly, Henry Stafford was Gloucester’s most powerful ally. Buckingham had a remote claim to the throne, being descended from Edward III’s youngest son. Moreover, Lord Hastings was loyal to Edward V, but opposed the Woodville’s. The only weakness for Gloucester would be that Prince Edward was brought up almost entirely by members of the Woodville family, thereby feared by Gloucester as being more Woodville than York. The Woodville’s hoped for an early coronation on the 4th of May, as it would represent the end of Edward V’s protectorship and therefore undermine Gloucester’s position as protector.This would have been a clear, easy win for the throne for the Woodville family; however the Counsel could not make a clear decision for who to be protector. One section of the Counsel wanted Gloucester to be protector but the other section of the Counsel wanted a regency Counsel to include Gloucester. As tension brewed, Richard Duke, of Gloucester decided to end the entire struggle for power by bringing up past rumours of Woodville and Edward IV’s relationship issues.Richard, Duke of Gloucester always detested his brother Edward IV after his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, as he was made to look a fool by him when he found out they was married. Furthermore, when society found out of this marriage, this almost put Gloucester at an advantage because in that century, the King was supposed to marry a person that would influence the Kingdom in a good way, not out of love. Nevertheless, Because of this, Gloucester revealed that it was rumoured that Edward IV was already married, when he was got married to Elizabeth Woodville.For this reason, t he marriage was deemed illegitimate, thus making Edward V’s inheritance of the throne illegitimate. This was a very strong move from Gloucester, and ultimately, because of this, he gained the throne, and the power to rule. To conclude, the whole situation of this bitter power struggle could have been completely avoided if Edward IV was not blinded by love. Edward IV should have made it clear whether it is his Son to rule or his brother, and not have left his wills conflicting with each other.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Catapult Definition, History, and Types
Catapult Definition, History, and Types Descriptions of Roman sieges of fortified cities invariably feature siege engines, the most familiar of which are the battering ram or aries, which came first, and the catapult (catapulta, in Latin). Here is an example from the first century A.D. Jewish historian Josephus on the siege of Jerusalem: 2. As for what is within the camp, it is set apart for tents, but the outward circumference hath the resemblance to a wall, and is adorned with towers at equal distances, where ​between the towers stand the engines for throwing arrows and darts, and for slinging stones, and where they lay all other engines that can annoy the enemy, all ready for their several operations.Josephus Wars. III.5.2 According to Recent Finds of Ancient Artillery, by Dietwulf Baatz, the most important sources of information on ancient siege engines come from ancient texts written by Vitruvius, Philo of Byzantium (third century B.C.) and Hero of Alexandria (first century A.D.), relief sculptures representing sieges, and artifacts found by archaeologists. The Meaning of the Word Catapult Etymology Online says the word catapult comes from the Greek words kata against and pallein to hurl, an etymology that explains the working of the weapon, since the catapult is an ancient version of the cannon. When Did the Romans Start to Use the Catapult? When the Romans first started using this type of weapon isnt known with certainty. It may have begun after the Wars with Pyrrhus (280-275 B.C.), during which the Romans had an opportunity to observe and copy Greek techniques. Valà ©rie Benvenuti argues that the inclusion of towers within Roman-built city walls from about 273 B.C. suggests that they were designed to hold siege engines. Early Developments in the Catapult In Early Artillery Towers: Messenia, Boiotia, Attica, Megarid, Josiah Ober says the weapon was invented in 399 B.C. by engineers in the employ of Dionysios of Syracuse. [See Diodorus Siculus 14.42.1.] Syracuse, in Sicily, was important to Megale Hellas, the Greek-speaking area in and around southern Italy [see: Italic Dialects]. It came into conflict with Rome during the Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.). In the century after the one in which the Syracusans invented the catapult, Syracuse was home to the great scientist Archimedes. That early fourth century B.C. type of catapult is probably not the one most of us envision- a torsion catapult that throws stones to break down enemy walls, but an early version of the Medieval crossbow that shot missiles when the trigger was released. It is also called a belly-bow or gastraphetes. It was attached to a stock on a stand that Ober thinks could be moved a bit for aiming, but the catapult itself was small enough to be held by a person. Likewise, the first torsion catapults were small and probably aimed at people, rather than walls, like the belly-bow. By the end of the fourth century, however, Alexanders successors, the Diadochi, were using the large, wall-breaking stone-tossing, torsion catapults. Torsion Torsion means they were twisted to store energy for the release. Illustrations of the twisted fiber look like twisted skeins of knitting yarn. In Artillery as a Classicizing Digression, an article showing the lack of technical expertise of ancient historians who describe artillery, Ian Kelso calls this torsion the motive force of the wall-wrecking catapult, which he refers to as mural artillery. Kelso says that although faulty technically, the historians Procopius (6th century A.D.) and Ammianus Marcellinus (fl. mid-fourth century A.D.) give us valuable insight into siege engines and siege warfare because they were in the besieged cities. In On Artillery Towers and Catapult Sizes T. E. Rihll says there are three components for describing catapults: Power Source:BowSpringMissileSharpHeavyDesignEuthytonePalintone Bow and spring have been explained- the bow is the one like the crossbow, the spring involves torsion. Missiles were either sharp, like arrows and javelins or heavy and generally blunt even if not round, like stones and jars. The missile varied depending on the objective. Sometimes a besieging army wished to break down the city walls, but at other times it aimed to burn the structures beyond the walls. Design, the last of these descriptive categories hasnt yet been mentioned. Euthytone and palintone refer to different arrangements of the springs or arms, but both can be used with torsion catapults. Instead of using bows, torsion catapults were powered by springs made of skeins of hair or sinews. Vitruvius calls a two-armed (palintone) stone-thrower, powered by torsion (spring), a ballista. In The Catapult and the Ballista, J. N. Whitehorn describes the parts and operation of the catapult using many clear diagrams. He says the Romans realized rope was not a good material for the twisted skeins; that, generally, the finer the fiber, the more resiliency, and strength the twisted cord would have. Horsehair was normal, but womens hair was best. In a pinch horse or oxen, neck sinew was employed. Sometimes they used flax. Siege engines were covered protectively with hiding to prevent enemy fire, which would destroy them. Whitehorn says catapults were also used to create fires. Sometimes they hurled jars of the waterproof Greek fire. The Catapults of Archimedes Like the battering ram, animal names were given types of catapults, especially the scorpion, which Archimedes of Syracuse used, and the onager or wild ass. Whitehorn says Archimedes, in the last quarter of the third century B.C., made advances in artillery so that Syracusans could hurl enormous stones at Marcellus men during the siege of Syracuse, in which Archimedes was killed. Supposedly the catapults could hurl stones weighing 1800 pounds. 5. This was the siege equipment with which the Romans planned to assault the citys towers. But Archimedes had constructed artillery which could cover a whole variety of ranges, so that while the attacking ships were still at a distance he scored so many hits with his catapults and stone-throwers that he was able to cause them severe damage and harass their approach. Then, as the distance decreased and these weapons began to carry over the enemys heads, he resorted to smaller and smaller machines, and so demoralized the Romans that their advance was brought to a standstill. In the end Marcellus was reduced in despair to bringing up his ships secretly under cover of darkness. But when they had almost reached the shore, and were therefore too close to be struck by the catapults, Archimedes had devised yet another weapon to repel the marines, who were fighting from the decks. He had had the walls pierced with large numbers of loopholes at the height of a man, which were about a palms bre adth wide at the outer surface of the walls. Behind each of these and inside the walls were stationed archers with rows of so-called scorpions, a small catapult which discharged iron darts, and by shooting through these embrasures they put many of the marines out of action. Through these tactics he not only foiled all the enemys attacks, both those made at long range and any attempt at hand-to-hand fighting, but also caused them heavy losses.Polybius Book VIII Ancient Writers on the Topic of Catapults Ammianus Marcellinus 7 And the machine is called tormentum as all the released tension is caused by twisting (torquetur); and scorpion, because it has an upraised sting; modern times have given it the new name onager, because when wild asses are pursued by hunters, by kicking they hurl back stones to a distance, either crushing the breasts of their pursuers, or breaking the bones of their skulls and shattering them.Ammianus Marcellinus Book XXIII.4 Caesars Gallic Wars When he perceived that our men were not inferior, as the place before the camp was naturally convenient and suitable for marshaling an army (since the hill where the camp was pitched, rising gradually from the plain, extended forward in breadth as far as the space which the marshaled army could occupy, and had steep declines of its side in either direction, and gently sloping in front gradually sank to the plain); on either side of that hill he drew a cross trench of about four hundred paces, and at the extremities of that trench built forts, and placed there his military engines, lest, after he had marshaled his army, the enemy, since they were so powerful in point of number, should be able to surround his men in the flank, while fighting. After doing this, and leaving in the camp the two legions which he had last raised, that, if there should be any occasion, they might be brought as a reserve, he formed the other six legions in order of battle before the camp.Gallic Wars II.8 Vitruvius The tortoise of the battering ram was constructed in the same way. It had, however, a base of thirty cubits square, and a height, excluding the pediment, of thirteen cubits; the height of the pediment from its bed to its top was seven cubits. Issuing up and above the middle of the roof for not less than two cubits was a gable, and on this was reared a small tower four stories high, in which, on the top floor, scorpions and catapults were set up, and on the lower floors a great quantity of water was stored, to put out any fire that might be thrown on the tortoise. Inside of this was set the machinery of the ram, in which was placed a roller, turned on a lathe, and the ram, being set on top of this, produced its great effects when swung to and fro by means of ropes. It was protected, like the tower, with rawhide.Vitruvius XIII.6 References Origin of Greek and Roman Artillery, Leigh Alexander; The Classical Journal, Vol. 41, No. 5 (Feb. 1946), pp. 208-212. The Catapult and the Ballista, by J. N. Whitehorn; Greece Rome Vol. 15, No. 44 (May 1946), pp. 49-60. Recent Finds of Ancient Artillery, by Dietwulf Baatz; Britannia Vol. 9, (1978), pp. 1-17. Early Artillery Towers: Messenia, Boiotia, Attica, Megarid, by Josiah Ober; American Journal of Archaeology Vol. 91, No. 4 (Oct. 1987), pp. 569-604. The Introduction of Artillery in the Roman World: Hypothesis for a Chronological Definition Based on the Cosa Town Wall, by Valà ©rie Benvenuti; Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome, Vol. 47 (2002), pp. 199-207. Artillery as a Classicizing Digression, by Ian Kelso; Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte Bd. 52, H. 1 (2003), pp. 122-125. On Artillery Towers and Catapult Sizes, by T. E. Rihll; The Annual of the British School at Athens Vol. 101, (2006), pp. 379-383. Rihll, Tracey. The Catapult: A History. Kindle Edition, 1 edition,W estholme Publishing, January 23, 2007.
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