Mu Claim Development WS English 11Shakopee HSinspi Essays

mu Claim Development WS English 11Shakopee HSinspired by Steve Dunn (2005) For article: Reading Assignment #2: For given article, use the Claim Development WS to identify the author's claim, select three pieces of evidence used to support the main idea, attribute the evidence correctly by naming the source, and explain how that evidence supports the main idea. Not yet Getting There Nailed It! Student has correctly identified the author's claim 0 0 2 Student has chosen and correctly cited (by naming the source and establishing its credibility) three pieces of evidence that clearly support the main idea. MN State Standard 11.5.1.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. 0 0 6 For each piece of evidence, student has clearly explained how the evidence supports the author's claim. 0 0 2 Rhetorical Analysis Paragraph: Student has identified and described one rhetorical choice made by the author and its influence on the writing (include the quote where the choice was made). Identify a choice made by the author (and quote an exact phrase). Explain why the author may have made that choice / used that phrase. Explain the impact that the choice has on a reader. MN State Standard 11.5.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text. 0 0 5 VOCAB: Student has done Vocab Exploration for one word chosen from the article 0 0 1 Author's Claim: Both parties want to solve the Zika Crisis but the Republicans have other plans which they want to push along with the bill. Textual Evidence #1 (Direct Quote, With tag) McClatchy the account of negotiation stated "Democrats wanted a clean bill, but Republicans wanted to cut planned parenthood out of any Zika money, ban spending it on contraception, reverse a law restricting the display of the confederate Battle Flag at military cemeteries, temporarily deregulate some pesticides, and pass spending cuts to offset any additional appropriation"(Cooper). Explanation #1 While the Democrats want to devote the entire bill to the CDC to prevent Zika. The Republicans want to add on several other demands that have little or nothing to do with the will that suppose to be dedicated to preventing Zika. Textual Evidence #2 (Direct Quote, With tag) Ryan Cooper says, "No, What's happening here is obvious: Republicans expect to be paid off for doing what even they agree is the responsible thing". Explanation #2 The author claims that if Republicans agree that the CDC should get money to control Zika, then they will include their political agenda. Therefore they are doing what is best for themselves and couldn't careless about the zika disease. Textual Evidence #3 (Direct Quote, With tag) Cooper claims,"The real tell here is that the final Republican proposal only had $750 million in spending cuts (taken from a broken piece of ObamaCare,Ebola funding , and the Department of Health and Human Services) against 1.1 billions of dollars in spending." Explanation #3 The republicans are spending more money instead of reducing it the spending cut. They took money from other organizations. Conclusion While the Democrats want dedicate bill towards the zika crisis the Republicans had other plans they wanted to cut planned parenthood out of any zika money. VOCAB: Superimposes:Place or lay (one thing) over another, typically so that both are still evident. Synonyms: lay,superimposes, place, pose, position,set Types of develop Most specific location least specific location Superimposes position place set lay Rhetorical Analysis Paragraph: In the 1st paragraph Ryan Cooper says "Feel like America has gone too long without being deeply humiliated before the world? Fear not!". He uses sarcasm to introduce how he feels about the Republicans. He believes the republicans are not willing to give up their political agenda to help with the zika crisis. The author want the reader to think that the republicans are always focused on politics. Writing Assignment #2: Using your Claim Development WS, Write one effective paragraph describing the author's claim, providing two pieces of evidence to support the claim, and explaining that evidence. Not Yet Getting There Nailed It! Student has written a clear and logical explanation of author's claim, including

What techniques are used in Shrek Essay Example

What techniques are used in Shrek Essay Example What techniques are used in Shrek Paper What techniques are used in Shrek Paper For this piece of coursework I will be evaluating the Technique that is used in the movie trailer of Shrek 2 to attract its target audience. The trailers are ways of launching a new film into market place.Tralier are mainly used for advertising. They contain short clip from the feature film which attract the target audience. The trailer is usually 2 to 3 minutes. Trailer are short because they are only effective for only short period of time as it losses impact. The main jobs of film trailer advertising to show the story in short and persuade the audience to buy film. From the trailer the audience are able to tell what genre (comedy, action, horror, and thriller) and the narrative of film is. From the trailer audience will know who is star of the film are who is the director of film. Films are also promoted in magazines, Newspaper, Internet and posters.  A target audience can depend on age and gender and will contain sound and images that will appeal to that target audience. Trailers are extremely important marketing tool, along with posters as they encourage many people to watch or rent film. Trailer must have many qualities to attract its target audience. It must have a great amount of information in a short amount of time. The target audience in Shrek 2 is all age group because this film can be enjoyed by anyone. Shrek is animated film created by DreamWorks and brought to life by state of the art 3d animation. The music used in the film is also different to other such productions. Instead of the characters bursting in to song all the time, the songs are played by an external person and reflect the mood of the characters in a particular scene. Shrek 2 Film is featured be all star cast providing the voice and a whole host of class new characters in the host of class new character in the enchanting Shrek story. The film has a large intake of digital animation, and has a long list of different animating techniques. Shrek 2 is a computer animated film. The Shrek 2 trailer use various technique to target it audience. One of the techniques used in Shrek 2 trailer is camera angel. Good camera angel is very import ant in any films to attract their target audience. Camera makes audience to view the film from different angel camera shot can make audience to look close-up view of someone or something. Shrek 2 have eye catching colour that will attract most of children. Shrek 2 film trailer highly concentrates on children due to the mixtures of colours and the cartoon characters, it also focus on young adults and adults themselves due to the hummer and animation with star voice throw out the hole movie. The opening of the trailer immediately catches the audience eye as the camera focuses on the words Far Far Away which sit on amounting top, as Shrek, Fiona and Donkey travel by a horse drawn carriage for 700 miles to reach the kingdom of princess Fiona parents . Here Adult humour is shown because the board should traditionally say Hollywood not Far Far away this immediately makes us smile. After the opening clips of the kingdom there is a flash and DreamWorks appears, here a voiceover is used. The voice over is a device that is intended to guide you to understand the film , using the right language and voice tones, to dramatise as much as possible without over hyping. The voice which appears as a standard feature in trailer, build the sense of mystery and suspense. The voice over in Shrek 2 says, DreamWorks invites you to a land of fairytales and then fairytale characters appear like the Pinocchio, ginger bread man, and the three piglets. A voiceover is used to link shots and to increase childrens understandings of what is going to happen in the film. Shrek 2 is aimed at both kids and families. Some scenes in the film were aimed at a specific target audience. For example, the scene where Fairy Godmother makes a performance on the stage and is wearing a red dress and lies down on the piano. There were some scenes that were suitable for kids to watch. For example, the scene where Shrek and other characters found out that Pinocchio wears a thong. Overall, I think the Shrek 2 trailer was persuasive and effective because it has influenced millions of other children and adult across the world to go and watch or buy the film. This was achieved by the producers using a lot of clever and innovative camera shots, sound effects e.g. shots of action and humour. These were sufficient to make people feel and think that this was going to be a great and entertaining film. The trailer had a lot of unique selling point e.g. the actors, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers and John. These actors are very famous and the best in their field. This is another strong selling point of the film.

Brooklyn Bridge Construction and History

Brooklyn Bridge Construction and History Of all the engineering advances in the 1800s, the Brooklyn Bridge stands out as perhaps the most famous and most remarkable. It took more than a decade to build, cost the life of its designer, and was constantly criticized by skeptics who predicted the entire structure was going to collapse into New Yorks East River. When it opened on May 24, 1883, the world took notice and the entire U.S. celebrated. The great bridge, with its majestic stone towers and graceful steel cables, isnt just a beautiful New York City landmark. Its also a very dependable route for many thousands of daily commuters. John Roebling and His Son Washington John Roebling, an immigrant from Germany, did not invent the suspension bridge, but his work building bridges in America made him the most prominent bridge builder in the U.S. in the mid-1800s. His bridges over the Allegheny River at Pittsburgh (completed in 1860) and over the Ohio River at Cincinnati (completed 1867) were considered remarkable achievements. Roebling began dreaming of spanning the East River between New York and Brooklyn (which were then two separate cities) as early as 1857 when he drew designs for enormous towers that would hold the bridges cables. The Civil War put any such plans on hold, but in 1867 the New York State legislature chartered a company to build a bridge across the East River. Roebling was chosen as its chief engineer. Just as work was beginning on the bridge in the summer of 1869, tragedy struck. John Roebling severely injured his foot in a freak accident as he was surveying the spot where the Brooklyn tower would be built. He died of lockjaw not long after, and his son Washington Roebling, who had distinguished himself as a Union officer in the Civil War, became chief engineer of the bridge project. Challenges Met by the Brooklyn Bridge Talk of somehow bridging the East River began as early as 1800, when large bridges were essentially dreams. The advantages of having a convenient link between the two growing cities of New York and Brooklyn were obvious. But the idea was thought to be impossible because of the width of the waterway, which, despite its name, wasn’t really a river. The East River is actually a saltwater estuary, prone to turbulence and tidal conditions. Further complicating matters was the fact that the East River was one of the busiest waterways on earth, with hundreds of crafts of all sizes sailing on it at any time. Any bridge spanning the water would have to allow for ships to pass beneath it, meaning a very high suspension bridge was the only practical solution. And the bridge would have to be the largest bridge ever built, nearly twice the length of the famed Menai Suspension Bridge, which had heralded the age of great suspension bridges when it opened in 1826. Pioneering Efforts of the Brooklyn Bridge Perhaps the greatest innovation dictated by John Roebling was the use of steel in the construction of the bridge. Earlier suspension bridges had been built of iron, but steel would make the Brooklyn Bridge much stronger. To dig the foundations for the bridge’s enormous stone towers, caissons- enormous wooden boxes with no bottoms- were sunk in the river. Compressed air was pumped into them, and men inside would dig away at the sand and rock on the river bottom. The stone towers were built atop the caissons, which sank deeper into the river bottom.Caisson work was extremely difficult, and the men doing it, called â€Å"sandhogs,† took great risks. Washington Roebling, who went into the caisson to oversee work, was involved in an accident and never fully recovered. An invalid after the accident, Roebling stayed in his house in Brooklyn Heights. His wife Emily, who trained herself as an engineer, would take his instructions to the bridge site every day. Rumors thus abounded that a woman was secretly the chief engineer of the bridge. Years of Construction and Rising Costs After the caissons had been sunk to the river bottom, they were filled with concrete, and the construction of the stone towers continued above. When the towers reached their ultimate height, 278 feet above high water, work began on the four enormous cables that would support the roadway. Spinning the cables between the towers began in the summer of 1877, and was finished a year and four months later. But it would take nearly another five years to suspend the roadway from the cables and have the bridge ready for traffic. The building of the bridge was always controversial, and not just because skeptics thought Roebling’s design was unsafe. There were stories of political payoffs and corruption, rumors of carpet bags stuffed with cash being given to characters like  Boss Tweed, the leader of the political machine known as Tammany Hall. In one famous case, a manufacturer of wire rope sold inferior material to the bridge company. The shady contractor, J. Lloyd Haigh, escaped prosecution. But the bad wire he sold is still in the bridge, as it couldn’t be removed once it was worked into the cables. Washington Roebling compensated for its presence, ensuring the inferior material wouldn’t affect the strength of the bridge. By the time it was finished in 1883, the bridge had cost about $15 million, more than twice what John Roebling had originally estimated. While no official figures were kept on how many men died building the bridge, it has been reasonably estimated that about 20 to 30 men perished in various accidents. The Grand Opening The grand opening for the bridge was held on May 24, 1883. Some Irish residents of New York took offense as the day happened to be the birthday of Queen Victoria, but most of the city turned out to celebrate. President Chester A. Arthur came to New York City for the event, and led a group of dignitaries who walked across the bridge. Military bands played, and cannons in the Brooklyn Navy Yard sounded salutes. A number of speakers lauded the bridge, calling it a Wonder of Science and lauding its anticipated contribution to commerce. The bridge became an instant symbol of the age. Its early years are the stuff of both tragedy and legend, and today, nearly 150 years since its completion, the bridge functions every day as a vital route for New York commuters. And while the roadway structures have been changed to accommodate automobiles, the pedestrian walkway is still a popular attraction for strollers, sightseers, and tourists.

Summary of The Tempest Drama by Shakespeare Essay

Summary of The Tempest Drama by Shakespeare - Essay Example The concept of unveiling the play’s events in a long continuous order dents the play. A good player needs to spell out chronological ideas but these ideas should not run as a prolonged course during the presentation (Baker 145- 150). It is advisable to initiate breaks in the play. An effective component of developing breaks in the play is using songs. The writer should have composed a simple song and made it run throughout the drama. The song should appear before the introduction of key scenes. This not only breaks the monotony in the play but also prepares the viewers for the introduction of a novel idea. Songs are also effective in emphasizing the theme of the play or in recruiting the audience to participate in the play. Audience involvement makes the play be livelier. Another effective approach is dramatizing the play and using other live performance accompaniments. This involves employing approaches such us beating of the drum or other percussion appliances in intervals. Moreover, the play may amalgamate the performance with some melodies from the background. A critical application of these apparatus can improve the live performance. Additionally, the choice of language and tone can radically develop the performance. This means the presentation of different concepts or ideas using varying tones become necessary. Some moods or themes may need to be presented using a low tone while others may demand a high tone. Similarly, some statements need to be cool while others set to depict harshness. Tonal variations sway the audience’s mood making them identify with the play’s mood. Furthermore, the practice improves audience’s attentiveness hence an effective aspect of avoiding boredom. This makes the play interesting and lively. The use of gestures is also a key component of a good play. This critical constituent entirely depends on the actors used in the play. Gestures involve the use of body idioms in speaking the desired information. This entails facial expressions and movement of body parts. Of great consideration is the correct use of these gestures because if used incorrectly, they influence negatively on the quality and usefulness of the plays. Specific expressions and movements are suitable for a particular scenario or theme. In some degrees, this should include the use of appropriate outfits and make-ups. This becomes necessary since the appearance of the performer influences audience’s attitude. It is of worth noting that, gestures outweigh verbal language in communicating certain messages. Gestures naturalize message delivery hence making the play lively (Baker, 120). Importantly, there are some stylistic devices which if effectively utilized can improve the play. Firstly, humorous characters can appear in some scenes presenting the definite message. Humorous characters may involve culprits of ignorance, the misinformed group or chauvinists. These actors simply clash with basic societal ideologie s because of their compromised state. Their condition lands them into awkward and sometimes shameful encounters, which make them perplexed.

Ethics Paper Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics Paper Management - Assignment Example The decisions concerning strategic planning and management are usually taken by the shareholders of the company or the top level executive unit (Board of Directors). These decisions are related to all resources and structure of the company. The strategic action plan has to be fundamental, stable and long lasting. For these reasons a company needs to involve in its strategy concepts like vision (where we go, what we want) and mission (who we are, what we do). Values and beliefs that are shared within the organization show additional consolidation and commitment of the unit and the staff. Different types of mission statements are issued and among all those of importance to us are the â€Å"product – service oriented† and â€Å"customer – market oriented† ones. In her â€Å"Ethics Awareness Inventory† Williams (2011) argues that to succeed in the long run a company or an individual needs to consider topics like Character (what is good to be rather than what is good to do), Obligation (duty or obligation of individuals), Results (the consequences of our actions, where good should prevail over evil) and Equity (issues related to justice, trust and honesty). Since strategic planning is done mostly by shareholders and Board of directors then â€Å"is it done for their sole benefit, only?† When being asked, managers make an interesting rating for the objectives of their business behavior placing customers and government at the top, followed by stockholders and employees. Clifton and Amran (2011) share that the â€Å"Stakeholder Approach† is supportive in corporate practices and this is a proper way to achieve a sustainable world. Freeman (1994) is even more straightforward by writing that â€Å"Corporation shall be managed in the interests of its stakeholders, defined as employees, financiers, customers, and communities†. In most strategic and business managing sources stakeholders are described as the individuals , groups and institutions most deeply interested in the business of the company and its results. The short list would include customers, competitors and suppliers, as well as administrative, social and political institutions. Ferrell (2004) considers that â€Å"customers are key stakeholders that help establish the firm’s reputation and identification† and later â€Å"Understanding customer needs and wants and providing customers with high-quality products are the key to the company’s success.† An interesting issue is to discuss one specific group of stakeholders – parents and family members. The Forbes columnist Scott Reeves (2005) cites M. Sophie Beckmann, a certified public accountant and certified financial planner at  A.G. Edwards  in St. Louis to have said that "Responsibility increases with children" and that "You're now responsible for your spouse and the children. That means planning."  And we add: â€Å"That means strategic plannin g.† A family with three children will spent not less than 15 to 20 years being engaged in college-related topics and thus behavioral, money and housing issues. Consider a possible student loan from the U.S. government Direct Loan Program with 10 years repayment period (U.S. Department of Education, 2011) and then it makes a period of nearly 30 years. People from that group of stakeholders would be delighted to learn and know about a company like the American Campus

I am Intrigued with Psychological Research and College Instruction :: Graduate Admissions Essays

I am Intrigued with Psychological Research and College Instruction. Â   Having enjoyed psychology-related activities in both the academic and community settings, it is with enthusiasm that I pursue a career in clinical psychology. An important part of this pursuit is attending graduate school. In order to obtain the necessary knowledge and to define my areas of interest, I wish to enroll in a doctoral program in clinical psychology. Â   Throughout my undergraduate work I have engaged in a variety of activities to help prepare my for graduate study. One such activity is my involvement in research. This past summer I participated in a research project with a UNI professor, Dr. Augustine Osman. Our research involved the examination of the psychometric properties of the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (PASS) in a community sample. I performed basic data entry and ran SPSS-X programs for manova, correlation, and reliability. For two to three hours a day, over an eight week period, my research experience involved discussions on issues of psychometrics as well as learning how to transcribe and run several programs used in factor analysis. Through this experience I have also become familiar with the process of research revision and publication. In fact, I will be listed as a co-author upon publication of this work. Â   Currently, I am involved in an independent research project investigating sex-role stereotyping in college classrooms. My advisor, Dr. Jane Wong, has been supervising by progress. After completing background reading on this issue, I have decided to investigate the relationship between students' sex-typed characteristics. I have developed six scenarios in which I manipulated the sex-typed characteristics of the instructor. Students will be asked to complete the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the Traditional Egalitarian Sex Role Scale (TESR) prior to reading a scenario. After reading the scenarios they will be asked to rate the instructor using a rating form developed by Leventhal, Perry, and Abrami (1977). I hope to present my findings at a regional psychology conference and, if possible, submit the work for consideration for publication. Â   Aside from conducting research, I also have had the opportunity to experience the teaching aspects of psychology while serving as a teaching assistant for a Research Methods course and an Introduction to Psychology course. As a TA for Research Methods my responsibilities included supervising five students' research work. Specifically, I assisted the students in the library while they worked on a bibliography, summary and synthesis, and proposal project.

Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War?

This essay will examine Russia's advantages and disadvantages pre-war, war and post-war that could have changed the course of history and enabled Russia to defeat Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. Russia, despite major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, lost the Russo-Japanese War to Japan, a rising power whose military strength and power were grossly underestimated. Why? What could Russia have done differently to defeat Japan in the war? Summarizing and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of Russia’s poor leadership, lack of strategic planning against Japan, and logistical differences will help clarify what it did wrong and what it could have done to defeat Japan in 1904. Diplomatic and economic factors before and during the war In 1854, Japan had reopened her doors to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russian after 200 years of isolation from all Western powers, except the Netherlands (Koda 12). Of these powers, Britain and Russia had the strongest impact on the national security policy of the Japanese government. By the 1890s, given the growing competition among European Powers in Asia, Japan had begun to implement policies to increase the nation’s military and economic modernization. They recognized that failure to do so would lead to the â€Å"nation’s dominance or dismemberment† by foreigners (Francis 1). Between 1888 and 1904, the Russian Empire’s economy was booming. As the financial heath of the government improved, it can be expected that the Minister of War would be allowed to share in this bounty. The Ministry was able to fund two discrete rearmament programs: the acquisition of magazine rifles and the introduction of the first quick-firing field artillery piece (Fuller 363). Both programs helped enhance and put Russia at an advantage in military readiness and innovation compared to other powers within the region. In 1894, Russia had a new Tsar in Nicholas II, who was â€Å"young, dreamy and ambitious†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and noted by biographers as â€Å"a weak man and easily led† (Fuller 370). Another important figure to Russia’s government was Count S. Iu. Witte. Witte, the Minister of Finance, 1892-1903, rapidly became one of Nicholas’s most influential ministers in the early part of his regime as Tsar (Fuller 370). Witte was the prime mover of the Trans-Siberian and Chinese Eastern railroads, which allowed Russia to become a monopoly over resources and markets of Manchuria (Fuller 370). In March 1900, War Minister Kuropatkin delivered a speech in which he summarized the ways in which Russia had used its' military power in the past two hundred years and a series of predictions on upcoming challenges the nation would have to face. He argued that Russia â€Å"neither needed nor desired war with any of the other Great Powers; it simply had nothing to gain by it† (Fuller 377). Yet, Russia was not a satisfied Power and in a report to the Tsar, Kuropatkin had to endorse the continued economic exploitation of Manchuria and the expansion of Russia influence in the East (Fuller 378). Moreover, Russia had concluded an alliance with China against Japan and, in the process provided the finance China needed in exchange for railway and industrial monopolies and won rights to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese-held Manchuria to the Russian seaport of Vladivostok, thus gaining control of an important strip of Manchurian territory (Warner 113). Unfortunately, the unfinished state of the Trans-Siberian railroad in 1904, logistical problems, and heavy costs meant only about 100,000 Russian troops and supporting units had been deployed to the Far East. However, this continuous crash collusion over the â€Å"spheres of influence† in Manchuria, Port Arthur, and finally in 1903 when Russia developed an economic interest in Korea further exasperated Japan (Koda 16). Start of the War The Russo-Japanese War took place from February 1904 to September 1905; it was a war that originated out of rival imperial ambitions of the Japanese and Russian Empires over Manchuria, Port Arthur, and Korea. The Russians had been pursuing a course of steady aggression and contrary to what Japan considered her â€Å"vital interests and national honor† (Mahan 172). The Russians had countless chances to gain an advantage and a better diplomatic position over Japan. After negotiations back and forth concerning â€Å"spheres of interest† between the two nations were not met and in Japanese eyes were ignored due to the arrogance of the Tsar; Japan severed diplomatic relations on 6 February 1904 (Answer. com). Late at night on the 8th of February, a force of Japanese torpedo boats entered into Port Arthur. Through the dense fog, they launched a surprise attack that not only surprised the Russian naval squadron, but also surprised the world. Only one ship, the Novik, was not caught entirely napping and was able to give chase (Warner 17). Three of Russia’s biggest ships took severe hits: the cruiser Pallada, Retvizan and Tsarevitch (Warner 17). Russia was shocked and definitely not prepared! Although gunfire stirred some in the evening, many knew nothing of the attack until the next morning. Some had heard and assumed that the fleet had been carrying out exercises and few people â€Å"expected that the first attack by Japanese- or any attack at all- would take place in Port Arthur† (Warner 17). Crafting a War Plan The Commander of Russia’s Far Eastern Armies, General Kuropatkin was tasked with developing Russia’s war plan; his idea was to deny Japan an early victory by alternating tenacious holding actions and strategic withdrawals in order to gain the time needed to bring thousands of additional troops from European Russia (Fuller 379). â€Å"Inso far as possible,† he wrote, â€Å"our forces must avoid decisive engagements in order to escape being defeated in detail prior to concentration of forces sufficient for the defeat of the Japanese† (Fuller 400). He expected the Japanese to invade Manchuria, they did; he anticipated that the Japanese would attack Port Arthur, they did; so, his plan was absolutely accurate and unquestionably foreboded the events that were about to unfold in this Russian nightmare. But no matter how intelligent or administratively talented Kuropatkin may have been, he committed the gravest of errors by underestimating his enemy. The Japanese army was highly motivated and trained and ready to implement their war plan. In an attempt to avoid war, Japan presented Russia with a treaty that would be relatively fair to both sides. Russia, to the surprise of no one, declined the terms and Japan was left with no choice other than to declare war. In July 1903 at pre-war negotiations, the Japanese Minister in St. Petersburg as instructed to present Russian Minister, Roman Rosen, with his country’s views and desires. After the proposal, Russia provide a counter-proposal and Japan provided another proposal by which â€Å"Manchuria would be outside the Japanese sphere of influence and, reciprocally, Korea outside Russia’s† (Answers. com). One month later on 4 February when no formal reply had been received, Japan severed ties and went about achieving everything that they asked for at the pre-negotiations. According to Karl von Clausewitz, a renowned theorist of war, two parties need to want peace for a war to be terminated and both sides must be able to overcome internal and external oppositions to end the war. Because of Russian leaders’ incompetence, arrogance, and inability to respond promptly and compromise negotiations, Japan’s pre-war requests and Kuropatkin’s predictions of Japan’s war strategy were developing in what would be known in history as the Russo-Japanese War. Elements of the Land Campaign At the outbreak of the war, Russia had the world's largest standing army, but most of it was in Europe. The Japanese knew that Russia could not fully concentrate its’ army in the Far East because â€Å"it had to keep some forces in western Russia as a counter to Turkish, German, and Austrian forces† (Koda 22). Russia was not ready for the war with Japan, and the Japanese knew it. All Japan had to do was concentrate its’ forces in Manchuria and match the strength of Russian forces there. For the Japanese to establish superiority, they had to overcome their handicaps: shortage of strategic reserves, an insufficient stockpile of ammunition, and poor field heavy artillery (Koda 23). In order to overcome these handicaps, Japan had a well thought out operational plan and effective tactics on the battlefield, which yielded perfectly to the warfare of Manchurian plain. In my opinion, all Russia had to do was delay Japanese forces while they built up their strength in the west and bring forces south from the Chinese Eastern railway. Without the Trans-Siberian Railway to assist in reinforcing Russian forces, Russia would be left without â€Å"a real plan of campaign† (Warner 319). Therefore, the longer the war went on, the more likely an eventual Russian victory would have been in a battle of industrial attrition due to the continuing flow of reinforcements along the railway. Synchronizing ground and naval efforts Japan had to deliver a severe blow before Russia had time to prepare and execute whatever war plan that they may have established. In the words of Admiral â€Å"Bull† Halsey, Japan needed to â€Å"Hit hard, hit fast and hit often. † In March the Japanese landed an army in Korea that quickly overran that country. In May another Japanese army landed on the Liaotung Peninsula, and on May 26 it cut off the Port Arthur garrison from the main body of Russian forces in Manchuria. Russia needed to stop playing on the defense and start being on the offensive. With the help of reinforcements received via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Russia continued attacks, but it proved indecisive owing to poor military leadership. An example of the Russian’s impotence in leadership occurred at the siege of Port Arthur. After believing that the purpose of defending the city was lost due to the defeat of the fleet, Major General Stessel decided to surrender his post without consulting the other military staff present, or the Tsar and the military command. All disagreed with his decision because the garrison was still well stocked and had months of food and ammunition. In 1908, Stessel was convicted by a court-martial and sentenced to death, though later pardoned for his offenses (Answer. om). More aggressive naval power The Japanese Combined Fleet was slightly superior to the Russian Pacific Fleet (Koda 22). Japan was at an advantage to Russia, because Russia’s fleet had to be divided in two forces, one at Port Arthur and the other at Vladivostok (Koda 22). The fleets at Port Arthur and Vladivostok were also smaller and less ready, which left Russia's land and naval forces outnumbered at the start of the war. Japan’s strategy was to engage each force separately and prevent any Russian reinforcements. Japan’s Combined Fleet had to destroy the Pacific Fleet before the arrival of reinforcements and it was necessary for Admiral Togo â€Å"to preserve his strength, to ensure that he had a fleet capable of destroying the reinforcements when they arrived† (Koda 23). The Russian fleet in Port Arthur presented a menace to the sea lines of communication for Japan and was a determining factor of the war. The attack, although successful, was not executed as planned. It continued long enough to afford Russia the opportunity to bring into play her other naval forces from the west and if other circumstance would not have accorded, may have caused Japan their victory. For example, the Baltic Fleet was on its last leg of its 18,000 nautical mile journey to Vladivostok, when they were spotted by the Japanese Combined Fleet. The Baltic Fleet had been successfully traveling at night to avoid discovery. Unfortunately, one of her hospital ships exposed a light, which was sighted by a Japanese ship. The ship reported the sighting to Admiral Togo, who was able to position his fleet and engage in the battle of Tsushima. The Russian fleet was annihilated at Tsushima. If the Russian fleet would have positioned their cruisers, designed for speed and endurance, at Vladivostok, Russia would have had a better chance at counter-attacking Japan’s fleet. Unlike Port Arthur with only one way in and out, Vladivostok had two exits, to the Japan Sea and to the east coast of the islands by way of the Tsugaru Straits. The Japanese vessels out numbered the Russian vessels and they probably would have still picked off the Russian vessels one by one, but positioning the cruisers at another port would have allowed for continued freedom of commerce. Although this is an indirect effect to the war, it directly affected the already unstable economy and a growing rebellious status to war efforts in Russia. One of the most important things to remember is not just the multiple locations of the Russia fleets, but that they were divided into fractions individually smaller than those of a possible enemy. If the Russian divisions at Port Arthur, Vladivostok, and in the European ports of Russia would have been united, they would have outweighed the Japanese fleet; hence causing the Japanese fleet to re-evaluate their plan and possibly changing the course of the war. Additionally, Admiral Makarov, Commander of the Baltic Fleet, suggested that more ships should assist the Port Arthur and Vladivostok, but with his death a conference of the Higher Naval Board with the Tsar presiding was needed. For the next three months, the new commander, Admiral Rozhdestvenski, struggled with â€Å"the inevitable tangle of Russian red tape† and prepared his fleet for the long journey and they set sail in October of 1904 (Warner 402). The Baltic fleet should have been sent east the instant the Japanese declared war and would have arrived in ample time to assist and been able to provide much needed reinforcements and a more aggressive naval power. Conclusion Despite Russia’s major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, they lost to an up and coming power, Japan. Furthermore, they could have negotiated out of starting a war, and never have been put in a situation that caused undue hardship on their ill-prepared naval and land forces. If it wasn’t for poor leadership, lack of strategic planning, and logistical differences, Russia could have defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War.