A Biography of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

A Biography of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel Erwin Rommel was born at Heidenheim, Germany on November 15, 1891, to Professor Erwin Rommel and Helene von Luz. Educated locally, he displayed a high degree of technical aptitude at an early age. Though he considered becoming an engineer, Rommel was encouraged by his father to join 124th WÃ ¼rttemberg Infantry Regiment as an officer cadet in 1910. Sent to Officer Cadet School in Danzig, he graduated the following year and was commissioned as a lieutenant on January 27, 1912. While at school, Rommel met his future wife, Lucia Mollin, who he married on November 27, 1916. World War I With the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Rommel moved to the Western Front with the 6th WÃ ¼rttemberg Infantry Regiment. Wounded that September, he was awarded the Iron Cross, First Class. Returning to action, he was transferred to the WÃ ¼rttemberg Mountain Battalion of the elite Alpenkorps in the fall of 1915. With this unit, Rommel saw service on both fronts and won the Pour le MÃ ©rite for his actions during the Battle of Caporetto in 1917. Promoted to captain, he finished the war in a staff assignment. After the armistice, he returned to his regiment at Weingarten. The Interwar Years Though recognized as a gifted officer, Rommel elected to remain with the troops rather than serve in a staff position. Moving through various postings in the Reichswehr, Rommel became an instructor at the Dresden Infantry School in 1929. In this position, he wrote several notable training manuals, including Infanterie greift an (Infantry Attack) in 1937. Catching the eye of Adolf Hitler, the work led the German leader to assign Rommel as a liaison between the War Ministry and the Hitler Youth. In this role, he provided instructors to the Hitler Youth and launched a failed attempt to make it an army auxiliary. Promoted to colonel in 1937, the following year he was made the commandant of the War Academy at Wiener Neustadt. This posting proved brief as he was soon appointed to lead Hitlers personal bodyguard (FÃ ¼hrerBegleitbataillon). As the commander of this unit, Rommel gained frequent access to Hitler and soon became one of his favorite officers. The position also allowed him to befriend Joseph Goebbels, who became an admirer and later used his propaganda apparatus to chronicle Rommels battlefield exploits. With the beginning of World War II, Rommel escorted Hitler at the Polish front. In France Eager for a combat command, Rommel asked Hitler for command of a panzer division despite the fact that the Chief of Army Personnel had rejected his earlier request as he lacked any armor experience. Granting Rommels request, Hitler assigned him to lead the 7th Panzer Division with the rank of general-major. Quickly learning the art of armored, mobile warfare, he prepared for the invasion of the Low Countries and France. Part of General Hermann Hoths XV Corps, the 7th Panzer Division advanced boldly on May 10, with Rommel ignoring risks to his flanks and relying on shock to carry the day. So rapid were the divisions movements that it earned the name the Ghost Division due to the surprise it frequently achieved. Though Rommel was achieving victory, issues arose as he preferred to command from the front leading to logistical and staff problems within his headquarters. Defeating a British counterattack at Arras on May 21, his men pushed on, reaching Lille six days later. Given the 5th Panzer Division for the assault on the town, Rommel learned that he had been awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross at Hitlers personal behest. The award annoyed other German officers who resented Hitlers favoritism and Rommels increasing habit of diverting resources to his division. Taking Lille, he famously reached the coast on June 10, before turning south. After the armistice, Hoth praised Rommels achievements but expressed concern over his judgment and suitability for higher command. In reward for his performance in France, Rommel was given command of the newly formed Deutsches Afrikakorps which was departing for North Africa to prop up Italian forces in the wake of their defeat during Operation Compass. The Desert Fox Arriving in Libya in February 1941, Rommel was under orders to hold the line and at most conduct limited offensive operations. Technically under the command of the Italian Comando Supremo, Rommel quickly seized the initiative. Beginning a small attack on the British at El Agheila on March 24, he advanced with one German and two Italian divisions. Driving the British back, he continued the offensive and re-captured all of Cyrenaica, reaching Gazala on April 8. Pressing on, despite orders from Rome and Berlin ordering him to halt, Rommel laid siege to the port of Tobruk and drove the British back to Egypt (Map). In Berlin, an irate German Chief of Staff General Franz Halder commented that Rommel had gone stark mad in North Africa. Attacks against Tobruk repeatedly failed and Rommels men suffered from severe logistical issues due to their long supply lines. After defeating two British attempts to relieve Tobruk, Rommel was elevated to lead Panzer Group Africa which comprised the bulk of Axis forces in North Africa. In November 1941, Rommel was forced to retreat when the British launched Operation Crusader which relieved Tobruk and compelled him to fall all the way back to El Agheila. Quickly re-forming and resupplying, Rommel counterattacked in January 1942, causing the British to prepare defenses at Gazala. Assaulting this position in classic blitzkrieg fashion on May 26, Rommel shattered the British positions and sent them in headlong retreat back to Egypt. For this, he was promoted to field marshal. Pursuing, he captured Tobruk before being halted at the First Battle of El Alamein in July. With his supply lines dangerously long and desperate to take Egypt, he attempted an offensive at Alam Halfa in late August but was halted. Forced on the defensive, Rommels supply situation continued to deteriorate and his command was shattered during the Second Battle of El Alamein two months later. Retreating to Tunisia, Rommel was caught between the advancing British Eight Army and Anglo-American forces which had landed as part of Operation Torch. Though he bloodied the US II Corps at Kasserine Pass in February 1943, the situation continued to worsen and he finally turned over command and departed Africa for health reasons on March 9. Normandy Returning to Germany, Rommel briefly moved through commands in Greece and Italy before being posted to lead Army Group B in France. Tasked with defending the beaches from the inevitable Allied landings, he worked diligently to improve the Atlantic Wall. Though initially believing that Normandy would be the target, he came to agree with most German leaders that the assault would be at Calais. Away on leave when the invasion began on June 6, 1944, he raced back to Normandy and coordinated German defensive efforts around Caen. Remaining in the area, he was badly wounded on July 17 when his staff car was strafed by Allied aircraft. The July 20 Plot Early in 1944, several of Rommels friends approached him regarding a plot to depose Hitler. Agreeing to aid them in February, he wished to see Hitler brought to trial rather than assassinated. In the wake of the failed attempt to kill Hitler on July 20, Rommels name was betrayed to the Gestapo. Due to Rommels popularity, Hitler wished to avoid the scandal of revealing his involvement. As a result, Rommel was given the option of committing suicide and his family receiving protection or going before the Peoples Court and his family persecuted. Electing for the former, he took a cyanide pill on October 14. Rommels death was originally reported to the German people as a heart attack and he was given a full state funeral.

A Substantive Editor Is a Writers Coach

A Substantive Editor Is a Writers Coach A Substantive Editor Is a Writer’s Coach A Substantive Editor Is a Writer’s Coach By Mark Nichol Various editorial job titles abound editorial director, managing editor, senior editor, for starters but one you probably won’t see on a business card is â€Å"substantive editor.† Yet it’s the most important responsibility in the editorial process. Why, then, is it so obscure? The answer is simple: Substantive editing is a function undertaken by people identified by any of an array of other job titles (including senior editor). The substantive editor is often the first point of contact for a writer seeking to be published. At a periodical, the person assigning or accepting articles or essays known as a senior editor, a features editor, or the like does the substantive editing. In a book-publishing company, an acquisitions editor may negotiate a book deal with the writer and/or the writer’s literary agent, but it is the substantive editor often, in that environment, called a developmental editor who actually helps the writer polish the manuscript that earned them the publishing contract. (Sometimes the acquisitions editor is also the substantive editor.) This significant step in the editorial process involves at least one intensive reading of the content, followed by correspondence and an exchange of drafts that is more or less extensive depending on the publication, the timeline, and the condition of each successive draft. The substantive editor helps the writer tighten a manuscript’s scope, helping them focus on what works and what doesn’t by either revising or directing revisions of, or deleting or suggesting deletion of, passages or even entire chapters. The editor recommends reordering of chapters in nonfiction, or adding of scenes or dropping of subplots in fiction, and asks questions and makes comments that help clarify the writer’s objective or express their message. Substantive editing includes ensuring that writing is well organized and flows easily, and coaching the writer on sentence structure and word choice. For a fiction manuscript, the substantive editor works with the writer on plot, tone, character, setting, and other components of a novel or short story. Moreover, the editor helps the writer express a thesis or set the stage for a story, and reach a conclusion or bring a tale to a close and everything in between. The editor will make sure that nonfiction conveys authority and fiction supports character motivation. In sum, the substantive editor is the writer’s collaborator and their greatest ally. The editor shares the writer’s desire to succeed in crafting the best possible content. Writers even talented, established writers must remind themselves that whenever an editor suggests a course contrary to the writer’s wishes, the advice is generally sound. Some self-publishers essay writers, for the most part can get away without participating in this type of relationship, but the work of authors who produce a print or online book without such collaboration almost invariably suffer. Call me biased, but if something is worth publishing, it’s worth publishing well. Make sure a substantive editor is part of your team. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†How to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsPassed vs Past

Unforgettable trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unforgettable trip - Essay Example Where there is no language barrier, travelling to other countries gives one a chance to make discoveries and have experiences, either good or bad. For instance, I have experienced what the United States of America, France, Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia all have to offer in terms learning about the ways of the people, traditions and customs. Learning new cultures is interesting and informative, as something acceptable in one’s culture may be unacceptable in another, or even a taboo, punishable by despicable means like death. My story started on 12th December, having finished the Mathematics exam at Middle Tennessee State University. The feeling of having completed the exam was truly refreshing. My friends and I drove to the Nashville International Airport, took our tickets and waited for the flight to Atlanta, Georgia, that was scheduled for 5.05 PM Central European Time. After a long time waiting, we finally got on the plane, quite excited. The flight would take almost twenty six hours; this was going to be truly unforgettable. However before the plane could take off, the captain announced that the flight had been delayed for an hour. This is the beginning of this incredible story. With the flight delayed, I was extremely disappointed, as I only had a few days break before resuming my studies. I was extremely bored. To pass time, I decided to have fun on my Ipad, while having a cold Coke. After a thirty minute wait, we were notified via another announcement that we would be air bound after fifteen minutes. We landed in Atlanta, Georgia after an hour and a half. My dreams of flying were almost shattered as I learnt that the next flight would be through Amsterdam, as I don’t speak Dutch. That notwithstanding, I only had ten minutes to get to the connecting plane and had to take a train to get me through the vast airport to the boarding gate. I got to the gate in less

Standard Building Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Standard Building Contract - Essay Example Further under clause 3.10.3 if the contractor does have any reservation he must inform the CA/Architect within 7 days. In case the contractor refuses to comply or does not respond in writing within 7 days, the clause 3.11 of the JCT contract is applicable under which the CA/Architect have the power to employ another person/party to perform the task and the cost incurred in the engagement of the new party to complete the task will be paid by the contractor and deducted from the contract sum. In my opinion I believe that the situation in our case the CA/Architect will issue a written notice and if the contractor does not comply he will have to face similar outcomes as mentioned above. Now, the employer has to invite another party to complete the desired task and deduction from the current contractor’s bill. Thirdly the issues of the modification of working hours where the architect has already written a letter to the contractor. Hence he has done his part of the work so that the clauses under chapter of â€Å"variation† of JCT contract 05 can be applicable. Under the clause 5.1.2.3 the CA/Architect has the right to change and make â€Å"variation† in the working hours of the contractor and the contractor has to comply with the orders, where as he has the choice to make an equal valuation of the variation, which is then to be communicated to the CA/Architect, 5.2 â€Å"Valuation of Variations and provisional sum work†, clause 5.6 â€Å"The Valuation Rules Measurable Work† and 5.9 â€Å"Change of conditions for other work† are applicable.... ect have the power to employ another person/party to perform the task and the cost incurred in the engagement of the new party to complete the task will be paid by the contractor and deducted from the contract sum. In my opinion I believe that the situation in our case the CA/Architect will issue a written notice and if the contractor does not comply he will have to face similar outcomes as mentioned above. Now, the employer has to invite another party to complete the desired task and deduction from the current contractor’s bill. Thirdly the issues of the modification of working hours where the architect has already written a letter to the contractor. Hence he has done his part of the work so that the clauses under chapter of â€Å"variation† of JCT contract 05 can be applicable. Under the clause 5.1.2.3 the CA/Architect has the right to change and make â€Å"variation† in the working hours of the contractor and the contractor has to comply with the orders, where as he has the choice to make an equal valuation of the variation, which is then to be communicated to the CA/Architect, for which the clauses 5.2 â€Å"Valuation of Variations and provisional sum work†, clause 5.6 â€Å"The Valuation Rules Measurable Work† and 5.9 â€Å"Change of conditions for other work† are applicable. I strongly believe that the contractor has no other option but to comply with the instructions as it engages as employer directly. In case of non compliance to the instructions that are been given by the CA/Architect, the contractor can face disqualification from the project under the clause 3.11 â€Å"Non-compliance with instructions† of the JCT standard form of building contract. Whereas this clause is recommended to be a used as a warning as in our case where the contractor is repeatedly

There are certain actions Essay Example for Free

There are certain actions Essay There are certain actions we take during our youth that we come to regret later on in life. Usually, such mistakes are attributed to the follies of youth and can simply be looked back on in hindsight. For most people, they can look back at that particular event and simply shrug it off and chalk it off to experience. I cannot accept that I made that kind of mistake in my life because I feel that if I had made the right decision then, I would not be regretting the repercussions I am facing now. I was a wide-eyed 17 year old when I decided to sign up for boot camp. I was thrilled at the idea of being able to serve my country even though at the time, I was not conscious of what that actually meant. 2 weeks after I arrived at boot camp, America was struck terrorists. 9/11 was the biggest nightmare everyone both in the civilian and military field had to deal with. While I was trying to train and concentrate on learning the art of war, a lot of things were going on with my family back home. I was also being pressured to come home by my parents who feared that I would be sent off to Afghanistan. The last think they wanted was to lose a daughter to the war and truth be told, I could feel their fear because I too was afraid of what the cards of fate may have been holding for my future. I began to have bouts of depression and my officers noticed a marked change in my personality. They knew that I was not fit to serve. So at the age of 18, before I could see any real action, I was discharged from the service due to a medically documented Personality Disorder. It was a case of â€Å"Too young, too soon† for me and I was so confused regarding what I really wanted to be and do that I had to be placed by the military doctor on Zoloft medication in order to deal with my anxiety and depression. After I left the service, I got over the depression and started to lead a normal civilian life. The thought of what might have been had I not left the service still continues to haunt me so at the age of 24, I want to go back to what I had left and try to see if I can still follow the road and see where it takes me. In fact, as early as 2 years before I got married, I had already contemplated going back to the service as a National Guard but put it off because I told myself that when I went and got myself that waiver, I was going to do it for all the right reasons and that I would not make the same mistake twice. So when I was sure that I had the courage to go get the waiver and see my decision through to the end, I called my husband and relatives to a conclave. I explained to them that I wanted to seek stability in my life. I associated this stability with the opportunity to pick up where I left off, that is, serving my country regardless of the danger to my person. My time for soul searching is over, it is now time for me to prove that I have what it takes to survive in this world on my own. My husband did not need much convincing because he was raised in a military family and fully supports my efforts to have a career in a field that will make me happy. My parents are still worried about me and are not sure that I am over my personality disorder but after I presented them with my civilian doctors certification that I was fit to serve in the military (see attached certification) , they finally backed down and gave me their blessing. I am presenting myself to you with the hopes that you will also see beyond my youthful error of ways and grant me this second chance to prove that I can be of service to my country in the best way possible. That is by allowing me to return to active duty and service in the military under the National Guard.

Witch Craft :: essays research papers

Around the seventeenth century, the belief in witches and witch craft was almost everywhere. The Church of Rome, more than three hundred years ago, allowed punishments for the use of witch craft and after that thousands of suspected people were burned alive, drowned or hanged. In the sixteenth century, more than one hundred thousand accused and convicted people burned in the flames, in Germany. In England, enlightened men adopted the belief. The famous Sir Matthew Hale, who flourished during the civil war, the commonwealth and the period of the restoration of monarchy, repeatedly sentenced persons to death accused of witch craft. The Puritans brought the belief with them to America. They established laws for the punishment of witches, and before 1648, four people had suffered death for the supposed offence, in the neighborhood of Boston. The ministers of the gospel there were shadowed by the delusion, and because of their powerful social influence, they did more to foster the wild e xcitement and produce the distressing results of what is known in history as "Salem witch craft," than all others. In 1688, a wayward daughter of John Goodwin of Boston, about thirteen years of age, accused a servant girl of stealing some of the family linen. The servant's mother, a "wild Irish woman" and a Roman Catholic, impassioned disapproval the accuser as a false witness. The young girl, in revenge, pretended to be bewitched by the Irish woman. Some others of her family followed her example. They would alternately become deaf, dumb and blind, bark like dogs and purr like cats, but none of them lost their appetites or sleep. The Rev. Cotton Mather, a simple and conceited minister rushed to Goodwin's house to ease the witchery by prayer. Wonderful were the supposed effects of his desire. The devil was controlled by them for the time. Then four other ministers of Boston and one of Salem, as superstitious as himself, joined Mather they spent a whole day in the house of the "afflicted" in fasting and prayer, the result of which was the delivery of one of the family from the power of the witch. This was enough proof for the minds of the ministers that there must be a witch in the case, and these ignorant minister prosecuted the ignorant Irish woman as such. She was confused before the court, and spoke sometimes in her native Irish language, which nobody could understand, and which her accusers and judges explain into involuntary confession.

Evolutionary Explanations of Food Preference Essay

Evolution is the change in inherited characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. The environment our early ancestors lived in must be understood to understand why they adapted to certain behaviours or characteristics. This environment is known as EEA (environment of evolutionary adaption). Natural history and science have found that our species has spent much of its life as hunter-gatherers so by looking at their role we can investigate food preferences from an evolutionary perspective. Early human diets consisted of what was around them at the time and what pressured them to eat it. Humans had a preference for fatty foods as it would have been adaptive as conditions in the EEA meant that energy resources were vital to survive until the next meal. In addition calories were not as plentiful and therefore fatty foods were vital. Gibson and Wardle conducted a food preference study by observing the food choices made of children. Children naturally preferred more calorific foods, suggesting the food choices to be innate as children have not been exposed much to other influences such as social or cultural factors as other age groups. On the other hand fatty foods have been proven harmful if eaten in excess and therefore counters the claim that they are beneficial, as a diet on fatty foods would not be possible for survival. However, early humans did not live to the age of humans today and it is in the later age where diseases come as a result of excess fatty foods. Human preference for meat is said to have occurred due to the large decline in forestry 2 million years ago as the nutritional source declined. Meat is rich in nutrients and therefore appropriate alternative food consumption. The diet consisted of mainly the brain and liver and kidneys as they were rich in nutrients. Foley and Lee compared primate eating strategies with brain size, and found those eating meat had larger brain size and greater intelligence then primates who didn’t eat meat. This tells us that it was evolutionarily favoured to eat meat as it allowed us to grow in intelligence and become who we are today. In addition, Stanford also found that when observing other primates eat, they would eat the brain or bone marrow. This supports human preference for meat as early humans also ate meat such as the brain due to its high content of nutrients. Never the less both these supporting studies both used other primates than humans to identify early human diets and eating behaviours. This however may not be generalizable as the differences between humans and other primates could be our food preferences, resulting in poor external validity. Although it is particularly impressive if a range of findings in different species are consistent. Taste aversion also known as bait shyness is a form of food preference derived from an adaptive response to food which is bad for you. The development of taste aversion is adaptive as it prevents the organism from eating foods which were harmful, and as taste aversion is still possible 24hrs after eating the food it allows slow releasing toxins or poisons from being detected. In contrast animals can be seen to have a preference for foods which have medicinal or beneficial properties. Garcia found when a specific flavour is presented with a thymine to a thymine deficient rat the rat acquires a taste towards the flavour, supporting the role of taste aversion in supplying food preference. Furthermore Seligman claimed different species evolved different learning abilities, which was called biological preparedness, which allows each species to find associations more easily than others depending on if it helps them survive. This evolutionary theory states that food preference is determined based on our innate characteristics which have helped us survive as a species. It fails to consider the current environmental or social factors such as the effect of cultural factors. For example our innate food choices do not cover our broad range of food likes and dislikes such as in the eastern world they have a large preference for spicy food but in the UK often it is not the case. Furthermore mood has been seen to affect food preference, such as Garg et al found when in a sad mood people eat more sweet snacky foods however in a happy mood more likely to eat healthy foods.

Three Strategies or Practices Identified in the Chapter

Discuss three strategies or practices identified in the chapter that you feel are most important in planning, composing, and revising professional documents. Which of these do you use? Which part of the process do you spend more time on: revising, editing, or proofreading? Why? The three most important practices in planning, composing, and revising professional documents are: -Analyzing the problem, defining the purpose of the document, and analyzing my audience. -Provide accurate, concise, and complete information. Getting feedback from someone else. Before beginning a document you must assess the purpose of your writing, and who your audience is. Once you know what you are writing about, and whom you are writing it to, then begins the formulation of ideas. I personally first review documents that relate to the topic and create key points to include in my writing. After you begin creating a thought process aligned with your writing, start free writing. During your free writing proce ss, try not to deviate from your points.Provide accurate information, be concise and to the point, and complete your thoughts. Now that you feel you have drafted all the appropriate key points, and all the information you wanted to include, begin reviewing. During this review process, check for grammatical errors, conciseness, and that your thoughts are delivered for clear comprehension. Now that you feel you have created a professional document, put it to the test. Most important for me, is letting someone else read it. You may get some criticism, but better by one person than a large number of readers.At this time you can make the appropriate adjustments, and feel more confident in the message you are relaying. All the techniques I mentioned is the process I use to compose writing documents. These steps were helpful in my success as a proficient writer. Proofreading is the most important aspect, and what I spend most of my time on. This is your last chance to impress your reader a nd make sure your writing represents you, and shows your commitment to your work. Locker, K. O. , & Kienzler, D. S. (2010). Business and Administrative Communication. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Russell Surname Meaning and Family History

Russell Surname Meaning and Family History Russell is a common patronymic surname derived from the given name Rousel, old French for someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion. Russell is the 93rd most popular surname in the United States and England, and the 47th most common surname in Scotland. Surname origin:  English, Scottish, IrishAlternate surname spellings:  Russel, Rusell, Roussell, Ruessell, Roussel, Ruessel   Famous People With the Surname Robert C. Russell - Inventor of the Soundex system for indexing names by the way they soundJames Russell - Invented the compact disk (CD) in 1965 Where Is This Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution data from Forebears, the Russell surname is among the top 100 most common surnames in a number of countries, including The Bahamas (15th), Scotland (60th), Australia (68th), New Zealand (72nd), the United States (87th), England (90th), and Jamaica (91st). In England, the name is most commonly found in the southwestern counties- Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and Surrey. WorldNames PublicProfiler identifies Australia as the country where the Russell surname is most common today, as well as in Scotland, particularly in South and North Lanarkshire, West Lothian, Falkirk, and Clackmannan. Genealogy Resources Russell  family crest: Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Russell  family crest or coat of arms for the Russell surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.Russell family genealogies: Links to descendant genealogies for a number of early Russell families in the United States.Russell family genealogy forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Russell surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Russell query.FamilySearch - Russell genealogy: Explore over 5.6  million  historical records which mention individuals with the Russell surname, as well as online Russell family trees on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.GeneaNet Russell  records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources f or individuals with the Russell  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Russell  genealogy and family tree: Browse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Russell  from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

The Legend of El Dorado

The Legend of El Dorado El Dorado was a mythical city supposedly located somewhere in the unexplored interior of South America. It was said to be unimaginably rich, with fanciful tales told of gold-paved streets, golden temples and rich mines of gold and silver. Between 1530 and 1650 or so, thousands of Europeans searched the jungles, plains, mountains, and rivers of South America for El Dorado, many of them losing their lives in the process. El Dorado never existed except in the fevered imaginations of these seekers, so it was never found. Aztec and Inca Gold The El Dorado myth had its roots in the vast fortunes discovered in Mexico and Peru. In 1519, Hernn Cortes captured Emperor Montezuma and sacked the mighty Aztec Empire, making off with thousands of pounds of gold and silver and making rich men of the conquistadors who were with him. In 1533, Francisco Pizarro discovered the Inca Empire in the Andes of South America. Taking a page from Cortes book, Pizarro captured the Inca Emperor Atahualpa and held him for ransom, earning another fortune in the process. Lesser New World cultures such as the Maya in Central America and the Muisca in present-day Colombia yielded smaller (but still significant) treasures. Would-Be Conquistadors Tales of these fortunes made the rounds in Europe and soon thousands of adventurers from all over Europe were making their way to the New World, hoping to be part of the next expedition. Most (but not all) of them were Spanish. These adventurers had little or no personal fortune but great ambition: most had some experience fighting in Europes many wars. They were violent, ruthless men who had nothing to lose: they would get rich on New World gold or die trying. Soon the ports were flooded with these would-be conquistadors, who would form into large expeditions and set off into the unknown interior of South America, often following the vaguest rumors of gold. The Birth of El Dorado There was a grain of truth in the El Dorado myth. The Muisca people of Cundinamarca (present-day Colombia) had a tradition: kings would coat themselves in a sticky sap before covering themselves in gold powder. The king would then take a canoe to the center of Lake Guatavit and, before the eyes of thousands of his subjects watching from shore, would leap into the lake, emerging clean. Then, a great festival would begin. This tradition had been neglected by the Muisca by the time of their discovery by the Spanish in 1537, but not before word of it had reached the greedy ears of the European intruders in cities all over the continent. El Dorado, in fact, is Spanish for the gilded one: the term at first referred to an individual, the king who covered himself in gold. According to some sources, the man who coined this phrase was conquistador Sebastin de Benalczar. Evolution of the Myth After the Cundinamarca plateau was conquered, the Spanish dredged Lake Guatavit in search of the gold of El Dorado. Some gold was indeed found, but not as much as the Spanish had hoped for. Therefore, they reasoned optimistically, the Muisca must not be the true kingdom of El Dorado and it must still be out there somewhere. Expeditions, composed of recent arrivals from Europe as well as veterans of the conquest, set out in all directions to search for it. The legend grew as illiterate conquistadors passed the legend by word of mouth from one to another: El Dorado was not merely one king, but a rich city made of gold, with enough wealth for a thousand men to become rich forever. The Quest Between 1530 and 1650 or so, thousands of men made dozens of forays into the unmapped interior of South America. A typical expedition went something like this. In a Spanish coastal town on the South American mainland, such as Santa Marta or Coro, a charismatic, influential individual would announce an expedition. Anywhere from one hundred to seven hundred Europeans, mostly Spaniards would sign up, bringing their own armor, weapons, and horses (if you had a horse you got a larger share of the treasure). The expedition would force natives along to carry the heavier gear, and some of the better-planned ones would bring livestock (usually hogs) to slaughter and eat along the way. Fighting dogs were always brought along, as they were useful when fighting bellicose natives. The leaders would often borrow heavily to purchase supplies. After a couple of months, they were ready to go. The expedition would head off, seemingly in any direction. They would stay out for any length of time from a couple of months to as long as four years, searching plains, mountains, rivers, and jungles. They would meet natives along the way: these they would either torture or ply with gifts to get information about where they could find gold. Almost invariably, the natives pointed in some direction and said some variation of our neighbors in that direction have the gold you seek. The natives had quickly learned that the best way to be rid of these rude, violent men was to tell them what they wanted to hear and send them on their way. Meanwhile, illnesses, desertion, and native attacks would whittle down the expedition. Nevertheless, the expeditions proved surprisingly resilient, braving mosquito-infested swamps, hordes of angry natives, blazing heat on the plains, flooded rivers, and frosty mountain passes. Eventually, when their numbers got too low (or when the leader died) the expedition would give up and return home. The Seekers of This Lost City of Gold Over the years, many men searched South America for the legendary lost city of gold. At best, they were impromptu explorers, who treated the natives they encountered relatively fairly and helped map the unknown interior of South America. At worst, they were greedy, obsessed butchers who tortured their way through native populations, killing thousands in their fruitless quest. Here are some of the more distinguished seekers of El Dorado: Gonzalo Pizarro and  Francisco de Orellana: In 1541,  Gonzalo Pizarro, brother of Francisco Pizarro, led an expedition east from Quito. After a few months, he sent his lieutenant Francisco de Orellana in search of supplies: Orellana and his men  instead found the Amazon River, which they followed to the Atlantic Ocean.Gonzalo Jimà ©nez de Quesada: Quesada set out from Santa Marta with 700 men in 1536: in early 1537 they reached the Cundinamarca plateau, home of the Muisca people, which they swiftly conquered. Quesadas expedition was the one that actually found  El Dorado, although the greedy conquistadors at the time refused to admit that the mediocre takings from the Muisca were the fulfillment of the legend and they kept looking.Ambrosius Ehinger: Ehinger was a German: at the time, part of Venezuela was administered by Germans. He set out in 1529 and again in 1531 and led two of the cruelest expeditions: his men tortured natives and sacked their villages relentlessly. He w as killed by natives in 1533 and his men went home. Lope de Aguirre: Aguirre was a soldier on Pedro de Ursà ºas 1559 expedition which set out from Peru. Aguirre, a paranoid psychotic, soon turned the men against Ursà ºa, who was murdered. Aguirre eventually took over the expedition and began a reign of terror, ordering the murder of many of the original explorers and capturing and terrorizing the Island of Margarita. He was killed by Spanish soldiers.Sir Walter Raleigh: this legendary Elizabethan courtier is remembered as the man who introduced potatoes and tobacco to Europe and for his sponsorship of the doomed Roanoke  colony in Virginia. But he also was a seeker of El Dorado: he thought it was in the highlands of Guyana and made two trips there:  one in 1595  and a second in 1617. After the failure of  the second expedition, Raleigh was executed in England. Was It Ever Found? So,  was El Dorado ever found? Sort of. The  conquistadors  followed tales of El Dorado to  Cundinamarca  but refused to believe that they had found the mythical city, so they kept looking. The Spanish didnt know it, but the Muisca civilization was the last major native culture with any wealth. The El Dorado they searched for after 1537 did not exist. Still, they searched and searched: dozens of expeditions containing thousands of men scoured South America until about  1800 when  Alexander Von Humboldt  visited South America and concluded that El Dorado had been a myth all along. Nowadays, you can find El Dorado on a map, although its not the one the Spanish were looking for. There are towns named El Dorado in several countries, including Venezuela,  Mexico, and Canada. In the USA there are no fewer than thirteen towns named El Dorado (or Eldorado).  Finding El Dorado  is easier than ever†¦just dont expect streets paved with gold. The El Dorado legend has proven resilient. The notion of a lost city of gold and the desperate men who search for it is just too romantic for writers and artists to resist. Countless songs, stories  books, and poems (including one by  Edgar Allen Poe) have been written about the subject. There is even a superhero called El Dorado.  Moviemakers, in particular, have been fascinated by the legend: as recently as 2010 a movie was made about a modern-day scholar who finds clues to the lost city of El Dorado: action and shootouts ensue.

Personal Resourcing and Develoment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal Resourcing and Develoment - Essay Example This approach came to be referred to as the Garbage Can Model (Ahuja, 2007). March earned his BA degree from Wisconsin University. Later, he enrolled in Yale University, where he earned Masters in Arts degree, followed by a Ph.D. The academic work scope covered by James March is relatively broad. However, understanding the process of decision-making in companies, organizations, society and individuals is considered as one of his major focus. In this area, March has made an exploration of the factors that affect the processes of making decisions, including leadership, politics, orientation of risks, stakeholder’s vested interests, challenges pertaining to delivering and heeding to advice and impediments to processes of exploring and exploiting the opportunities by the organizations. Aside from beings a researcher, James March also served as teacher and leader of universities. As a matter of fact, James March is known for having served as a professor to prominent scholars, such as Jack Parker, whom he taught at the Stanford University. James march is widely celebrated for his research work on organization and organization decision-making processes (James, 1957). He received several awards for research and teaching. As a way of communication and interaction with society, James March has featured in various books, interactive seminars, articles, poetry and films. James March served as faculty member at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, as well as University of California, since 1953. Since 1970s, James March served at Stanford University. He has ever been elected to serve the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Sciences and even the National Science Board. As if not enough, he has served as a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences Sweden, and Academy of Science and Letters, Norway (Huff, 2000). He has