Analysis Of Night By Elie Wiesel Essay - 1872 Words

The ground is frozen, parents sob over their children, stomachs growl, stiff bodies huddle together to stay slightly warm. This was a recurrent scene during World War II. Night is a literary memoir of Elie Wiesel’s tenure in the Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel created a character reminiscent of himself with Eliezer. Eliezer experienced cruelty, stress, fear, and inhumanity at a very young age, fifteen. Through this, he struggled to maintain his Jewish faith, survive with his father, and endure the hardships placed on his body and mind. At the beginning of the book, Eliezer was in the higher levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy starts at the bottom with physiological needs, and progresses†¦show more content†¦The first month of camp life took a heavy toll on Eliezer. â€Å"Some talked of God, of his mysterious way, of the sins of the Jewish people and of their future deliverance. But I had ceased to pray†¦I did not deny God’s existence, but I doubted His absolute justice.† He changed from extreme piousness to denial. This was only the beginning of his change in faith. After the Nazis sentenced a young pipel, or child, to hang on the gallows, Eliezer was not the only one to question God. â€Å"Where is God? Where is He?† they asked. When the child was hanged, he swung for a half an hour, blue in the face, slowly dying in front of a thousand spectators. â€Å"’Where is God now?’ †¦ I heard a voice within me answer, ‘Where is He? He is—He is hanging here on the gallows.† Eliezer was appalled at the cruelty of the Nazi forces; this event probably stripped him of the most innocence. In a â€Å"celebration† of the Jewish New Year, Elie angrily thinks, What are you, my God, compared to this afflicted crown, proclaiming to you their faith, their anger, and their revolt? What does your greatness mean, Lord of the Universe, in the face of all this weakness, this decomposition and this decay? Why do you still trouble their sick minds, their crippled bodies? †¦Why should I bless Him? In every fiber, I rebelled. Because He had had thousands of children burned in His pits. Praised be Thy Holy Name, Thou who has chosen us to be butchered on Thine altar. He was frustratedShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Night By Elie Wiesel1089 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of Night Black Three Sabrena Hall November 17, 2015 â€Å"To surpass monsters, you must be willing to abandon your humanity.† -Hajime Isayama, Shingeki no Kyojin Night by Elie â€Å"Eliezer† Wiesel is a story that contains many conclusions about humanity as a whole, including the idea that if humans are treated as if they aren t human, and are deprived from proper human interaction, then they are quick to act uncivilized, almost feral. It s unsettling how quickly people can switch to a primalRead MoreNight By Elie Wiesel Analysis817 Words   |  4 Pages The novel, Night told by Elie Wiesel, is an autobiography written about him and his family being seized out of their home in 1944 to the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Night is the alarming record of Eli Wiesel’s recollections of the passing of his family, and his despair as a profoundly perceptive Jew going up against irrefutably the abhorrence of man. In the beginning of the novel, Elie described his father as a straightforward sort of man. As in the novel Elie stated, â€Å"My fatherRead MoreAnalysis Of Night By Elie Wiesel707 Words   |  3 PagesThe book â€Å"Night† by Elie Wiesel is an emotional read. He tells his story in hopes to influence the world to not act so hateful to one another. He wants to bring awareness to his readers. The way Wiesel interprets his memoire is powerful. Elie goes into great detail about the events that took place in the concentration camp. He describes the way they were treated and their struggle to survive. He explains his story with good attribute to the Germans. The memoire is so effective because these eventsRead MoreAnalysis Of Night By Elie Wiesel1198 Words   |  5 PagesIn the memoir Night, written by Elie Weisel, you take a journey through the 1940s, and learn what it was like to live during the Holocaust. Night records the life of Elie Wiesel during his teen years, and the oppression he and his family went through because of their Jewish descent. The Holocaust was a horrifying genocide where Adolf Hitler and the Nazis strived to wipe out the Jewish race, as well as Poles, Slavs, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Homosexuals, Gypsies, etc. Jews were taken from their homesRead MoreNight By Elie Wiesel Analysis764 Words   |  4 PagesYes, I did see this, with my own eyes†¦ children thrown into the flames.† (Wiesel 32). The previous sentence is a quote from Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night. Wiesel’s memoir is a first person account of a survivor of the Holocaust that occurred between 1933-1945. Over six million Jews were placed in concentration camps and murdered during this time period. Less than one percent of the Jews in the holocaust survived, but Elie Wiesel was one of the very few survivors. He lived on to tell his story of theRead MoreAnalysis Of Night In Night By Elie Wiesel1183 Words   |  5 PagesIn Night, Elie Wiesel shines light upon that when times are rough, it is easy to be selfish. This was cle arly captured when young fourteen-year-old Elie Wiesel was watching as the Nazi’s take away his valuables, friends, faith, and family. As if every piece of him was broken glass, he had to pick himself up along the way. It all started in 1944, in the suburb of Sighet, Romania. It was a marvelously bright day, a beautiful day. But today, the Nazis had forced Wiesel, the rest of his family, andRead MoreNight By Elie Wiesel Analysis716 Words   |  3 Pagescontrary, some individuals lost their religion due to their unimaginable experience in the concentration camps. The memoir Night, reminisces Elie Wiesel’s journey. Forced to go to concentration camps, Elie adapted to a hardworking man to prevent selection. From studying Talmud to looking at the mirror, Elie describes the story in great detail. In the memoir Night, the author Elie Wiesel, exhibits the struggle of maintaining religion through the use of internal conflict. The memoir owns several accountsRead MoreAnalysis Of Night In Night By Elie Wiesel813 Words   |  4 PagesThe Holocaust was a horrible event, one most people hate to think of much less speak of. This event however is the base of young Elie Wiesel’s life and story. The memoir Night by Elie Wiesel is all about his personal journey and place in the telling of the Holocaust. In the book he is sent to Auschwitz as a lamb is sent to the slaughter. He reiterates his transformation during this time, a transformation where he diverts from his Jewish roots and loses his faith in a merciful and Almighty God. Read MoreNight By Elie Wiesel Analysis903 Words   |  4 Pages Eliezer â€Å"Elie† Wiesel, a Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor, acknowledged that â€Å"There is so much injustice and suffering crying out for our attention: victims of hunger, of racism, and political persecution, writers and poets, prisoners in so many lands governed by the left and by the right. Human rights are being violated on every continent. More people are oppressed than free.† When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, they believed thatRead MoreNight By Elie Wiesel Analysis787 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.†, said Elie Wiesel the author of night. Elie Wiesel is a holocaust survivor, he went through 5 different concentration camps. He was dehumanized, malnourished, and abused. He lost all his possessions, his family, and his humanity. In Elie Wiesel’s â€Å"Nigh t†, the German Army dehumanizes Elie Wiesel and the jewish prisoners by depriving them of family, food, and self esteem. The Nazis’s dehumanized the jews by depriving them of basic human

Senior Collegiate Athletic Association Sport Scandals

On average, there are about 60 major NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) sport scandals per decade. NCAA sport scandals are very common in any college sport. There is always some sort of scandal going on and many schools have been part of one at some time. There are various ways for a scandal to happen, from recruiting violations to academic frauds to bribery. There are various penalties issued by the NCAA, but one penalty, known as the â€Å"death penalty† is the worst punishment a program could possibly receive. It is a penalty that can ban a team for multiple seasons, ban them from postseason play, or even ban them from the sport for life. Therefore, NCAA teams that receive the â€Å"death penalty† as their punishment are typically†¦show more content†¦The University of Kentucky (UK) was the first college program to be given the â€Å"death penalty.† Kentucky had many violations. One thing that happened was they were guilty of recruiting v iolations. The coach was also caught giving players financial aid by paying recruits to get them to commit to Kentucky. He was giving them spending money to let them buy stuff that they couldn t afford. Another violation the school committed was academic fraud. They were allowing players to play that were academically unqualified. They were doing these things unfairly to get players to play for their basketball program. A big reason why Kentucky got the â€Å"death penalty† is because of two players: Alex Groza, and Ralph Beard. These two players took bribes from gamblers to shave points off of the 1952 championship game. What this means is that gamblers paid them to make the games close, so they could win bets they had placed. After getting caught doing this, the Kentucky Basketball program were given what became known as the â€Å"death penalty.† This hurt the program and players involved majorly. For the 1952-53 season Kentucky had no basketball team. They and ever y other UK sports team was also banned from postseason play in 1954. Groza and Beard got

The Public Needs to Know Free Essays

The Acquisition Process Competition Requirements Choconda Martin BUS 319 November 5, 2012 Professor Calvin D. Fogle Almost all DOD systems are competed at some stage in the acquisition system (we would guess that less than 10% of acquisition programs do not go through a competitive process at least once in their acquisition cycle). Generally, the sequence is: †¢ Define the requirement (determine the mismatch between operational capability–more about this below); †¢ Advertise the need for a product that can satisfy the requirement; †¢ Accept bids from potential suppliers; †¢ Review proposals and select one or more suppliers, Order the product; †¢ Monitor progress; †¢ Accept the finished product; †¢ Review project documentation and pay for the product. We will write a custom essay sample on The Public Needs to Know or any similar topic only for you Order Now This cycle repeats itself one or more times during system development and one or more times during procurement (purchase of a major end item previously developed or available commercially). For large systems, procurement follows a highly demanding DOD-funded development process and the prime manufacturer, almost by necessity, is the developer. In such cases, the competitive steps for a given phase of the acquisition process (listed above) would not be repeated during the procurement phase. Some things that I would change would be the misconception of communication within the industry during acquisition processing. The Federal Government has an obligation to conduct procurements in the most effective, responsible and efficient manner possible. Current market information is very vital as they define the requirements, so that the contracting officers can develop the acquisition strategies, seek opportunities for small businesses, and negotiate contract terms. Industry partners are the best source for this information, so productive interactions is very important and should be encouraged. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) authorizes a broad range opportunites for vendor communication, but agencies most time do not take advantage of these existing flexibilities. Some agencies may be reluctant due to fear of protests or fear binding the agency in unauthorized commitments. If we increase the awareness by training the agencies with the help of DAU (Defense Acquisition University) and agency training practitioners to conduct an awareness campaign we might be able to eliminate unnecessary barriers to engagement. Agencies should provide clear, consistent direction to their workforce and industry partners about how to engage with industry prior to award of contracts and task and delivery orders under the Federal Supply Schedule, government-wide acquisition contracts, and other indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts. While agencies do not have the resources, and are not required, to meet with every vendor at every step of the acquisition process, information gathered from industry sources plays an invaluable role in the acquisition process. For this reason, agencies must develop practices that will ensure early, frequent, and constructive communication during key phases of the process. The federal government’s ability to achieve successful program outcomes, effectively and efficiently, depends upon agencies establishing effective strategies for industry engagement and supporting those strategies with senior-level commitment. References Co-Workers/Supervisor/FAR How to cite The Public Needs to Know, Papers The Public Needs to Know Free Essays Running Header: The Public The Public Needs To Know Tristanjay V. Llantada Dr. Yatia Yasmeen ENG115 NOV 19, 2012 The Public Needs to Know All across America, our youth faces an obesity crisis. We will write a custom essay sample on The Public Needs to Know or any similar topic only for you Order Now But how exactly do we stop this obesity epidemic? It is a fact to anyone that children today are consuming so many snacks and beverages and eating too little nutritious foods. â€Å"Currently only 1%-2% of US children meet the recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the national nutrition standards for dietary intake necessary for optimal health† (Crawford, 2011). Children’s intake in nutritional foods doesn’t even come close to the current recommendations. An important way we can provide for our children is give them access to healthier foods. â€Å"The proposed Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will do that by making significant improvement to our federally funded school meat program† (Crawford, 2011). This act will have changes to the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast program in which school meals will have the dietary recommendation that is stated in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If these standards are proposed, school meals will have more servings of nutritional foods. Examples would be fruit, vegetables, whole grain and nonfat milk. Foods that have more fat, sugar and sodium will have a decrease in servings. Current and Proposed School Meal Requirements: Breakfast | | Current Requirement| Proposed Requirement| Fruit| 1/2 cup per day| 1 cup per day| Grains and Meat/Meat Alternate| 2 grains or 2 meat/meat alternates or 1 of each per day| 1. 4-2 grains per day plus: 1-2 meat/meat alternates per day (Range reflects difference by grade group)| Whole Grains| Encouraged| At least half of the grains to be rich in whole grain| Milk| 1 cup| 1 cup, fat content of milk to be 1% or less| Current and Proposed School Meal Requirements: Lunch | | Current Requirement| Proposed Requirement| Fruits and Vegetables| 1/2-1 cup of fruit and vegetables combined per day| 3/4-1 cup of vegetables plus 1/2-1 cup of fruit per day| Vegetables| No specification as to type of vegetables| Weekly requirement for dark green and orange vegetables and legumes and limits on starchy vegetables| Meat/Meat Alternate| 1. 5-3 oz equivalents (daily average over 5-day week)| 1. -2. 4 oz equivalents (daily average over 5-day week)| Grains| 1. 8-3 oz equivalents (daily average over 5-day week)| 1. 8-2. 6 oz equivalents (daily average over 5-day week)| Whole Grains| Encouraged| At least half of the grains to be rich in whole grain| Milk| 1 cup| 1 cup, fat content of milk to be 1% or less| From Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Federal Register. Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. 2011 Jan 13; 76(9):2499. You might say, â€Å"Why are schools taking action, but it’s up to the parents to decide what their children eat? Yes, parents are responsible for their children but schools also take care of children the most part of their lives. â€Å"Children receive up to half of their calories at school in the form of school lunches, breakfasts, and snacks† (Crawford, 2011). To help with the cause, Virginia farms have combined into this program. â€Å"The Virginia Farm to School program is an effort to increase the amount of fresh and nutritious Virginia Grown products offered in schools and to promote opportunities for schools and local farms to work together† (Virginia Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, 2012). Integrating locally grown products into school meals will also support local economies, minimize transportation costs and help preserve farm and farm land. This program is a great way to teach our children on how to eat healthy throughout their school life and beyond. The recommended changes in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will improve the â€Å"nutritional content of more than 41 million meals served per day to our nation’s children† (Crawford, 2011). We as adults are our children’s protectors, and must support these new meal standards that will provide healthier food choices for our children. By taking in these standards, we will prevent obesity and reduce future health cost. I would say it is the right thing to do for our children. Reference Crawford, P. , (2011). New Standards for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs: It’s the Right Thing to Do, Retrieved from http://www. medscape. org/viewarticle/740432 Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, (2012) Marketing and Development Retrieved from http://www. vdacs. virginia. gov/marketing/farm-news. shtml How to cite The Public Needs to Know, Essay examples

The Social Model of Mental Illness Essay Example For Students

The Social Model of Mental Illness Essay The Social Model of Mental Illness Essay emphasizes the social environment and the roles people play. Thomas Scheff maintains that people diagnosed as mentally ill are victims of the status quo, guilty of often unnamed violations of social norms; thus the label mental illness can be used as an instrument of social control. I agree with Scheffs analysis, and I strongly concur with the view Thomas Szasz takes on the notion of mental illness. Szasz argues that much of what we call mental illness is a myth; it is not an illness, but simply problems in living, troubles caused by conflicting personal needs, opinions, social aspirations, values, and so forth (Szasz 13). It thus follows that the widely accepted medical model of mental illness is inherently flawed; that mental illness should, then, certainly not be treated much like physical illness. We will write a custom essay on The Social Model of Mental Illness specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Szasz is extremely critical of contemporary psychiatry as a discipline, arguing that psychiatrists are not benign professionals helping to liberate individuals and improve their lives by diagnosing and treating mental illnesses, but instead act as agents of social control; silencing, stigmatizing and dehumanizing people who disturb the prevailing social order. Every society rewards conformity; those with more serious problems in living often do a very poor job of conforming, and are punished accordingly. In Ideology and Insanity: Essays on the Psychiatric Dehumanization of Man, Thomas Szasz writes that on the one hand, by seeking relief from the burden of his moral responsibilities, man mystifies and technicizes his problems in livingon the other hand, the demand for help thus generated is now met by a behavioral technology ready and willing to free man of his moral burdens by treating him as a sick patient. This human need and the professional-technical response to it form a self-sustaining cycle, resembling what the nuclear physicist calls a breeder reaction; once initiated and having reached a critical stage, the process feeds on itself, transforming more and more human problems and situations into specialized technical problems to be solved by so-called mental health professionals (Szasz 3). Szasz, noting that psychiatry has laid claims to progressively larger areas of personal conduct and social relations, goes on to say that the conquest of human existence, or of the life process, by the mental health professionals started with the identification and classification of so-called mental illnesses, and has culminated in our day with the claim that all of life is a psychiatric problem for behavioral science to solve (Szasz 3, italics mine). In his view, today, particularly in the affluent West, all of the difficulties and problems in living are considered psychiatric diseases, and everyone (but the diagnosticians) is considered mentally ill (Szasz 4). However, there is very little evidence supporting the popular view that for the most part mental illnesses are mental diseases; that is, of a legitimate biological, physiological, neurological or chromosomal nature. Instead, as Szasz writes, what people now call mental illnesses are, for the most part, communications expressi ng unacceptable ideas, often framed in an unusual idiom (Szasz 19). Szasz summarizes the essence of the problem in this way: in contemporary social usage, the finding of mental illness is made by establishing a deviance in behavior from certain psychosocial, ethical or legal norms. The judgment is made, as in medicine, by the patient, the psychiatrist or others. Remedial action is then sought in a therapeutic-or covertly medical-framework, creating a situation in which it is claimed that psychosocial, ethical, and legal deviations can be corrected by medical action. But medical interventions are designed to remedy only medical problems, and thus it is logically absurd, Szasz says, to expect that they will help solve problems whose very existence have been defined and established on non-medical grounds (Szasz 17). The expression mental illness is a metaphor that we have come to mistake as a fact, and it is for the most part not a useful social metaphor. Szasz claims that the idea of mental illness functions to obscure certain difficulties that are presently inherent (not that they cant be modified, he says) in the social intercourse of humans; the idea of illness is in fact a disguise, a mask. According to Szasz, instead of calling attention to .

1984 Essay Essay Example

1984 Essay Essay Example 1984 Essay Essay 1984 Essay Essay Essay Topic: 1984 1984 Essay In the book 1984 by George Orwell, many different ideas about the government and its power are discussed by the main character Winston. At one point in the book Winston says â€Å"It is impossible to found a civilization on fear and hatred and cruelty. It would never endure. † in reference to the state of the government at that point in time. However, this can be proven false by the actions of the government, the people’s response, and the determination the government uses to ensure their ultimate power and control. The government in 1984 is very powerful and does not shy away from exerting its unrelenting force upon its people. The government craves complete and total control and does whatever it takes to get its people to cooperate and behave. The government goes as far to invent a fictional war to influence people to feel sympathy for the government and make them feel more willing to help. They even go as far as launching missiles at their own people to instill fear into the hearts of the citizens. The government also has an organization called the thought police that do their best to control people’s thoughts and try to keep people from thinking negative things about the government or prevent them from starting some sort of revolution. The actions that they take are built off cruelty and causing fear, which in turn keep the governments people in line. When the government is going to such extreme lengths to fake a war and tell lies to control its people, people will be sure to react. However, not many people know of the true nature of the government because they grew up hearing these lies since the beginning, and if people do start to question the government’s actions then they are killed and or tortured. The people react exactly how the government wants them to, because if they step out of line, then they are sure to be killed. The government has that much control and the people in charge have such a need for power that they keep taking more and more. The government and people inside the government are shown to have a large amount of determination, especially when they begin torturing Winston. Winston proves to be very strong willed and doesn’t break easily. However the government stays diligent and doesn’t give up and they eventually break Winston. The government breaks Winston by enforcing cruel punishment and sparking fear in him, and if they could break Winston this way, then they could break anyone. The government uses fear to build their government, in fact, the only basis that their government is really built on is fear. Fear controls people. The government’s determination, peoples response to their actions, and their actions themselves prove that a civilization could be founded on the basis of â€Å"fear, hatred and cruelty†.

Biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Unifier of Japan

Biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Unifier of Japan Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1539–September 18, 1598) was the leader of Japan who reunified the country after 120 years of political fragmentation. During his rule, known as the Momoyama or Peach Mountain age, the country was united as a more-or-less peaceful federation of 200 independent daimyo (great lords), with himself as an imperial regent. Fast Facts: Toyotomi Hideyoshi Known For: Ruler of Japan, reunified the countryBorn: 1536 in Nakamura, Owari Province, JapanParents: Farmer and part-time soldier Yaemon and his wifeDied: September 18, 1598 at Fushimi castle, KyotoEducation: Trained as a military aide to Matsushita Yukitsana (1551–1558), then with Oda Nobunaga (1558–1582)Published Works: The Tensho-ki, a biography he commissionedSpouse(s): Chacha (principal concubine and mother of his children)Children: Tsurumatsu (1580–1591), Toyotomi Hideyori (1593–1615) Early Life Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born in 1536, in Nakamura, Owari Province, Japan.  He was the second child of Yaemon, a peasant farmer and part-time soldier for the Oda clan, who died in 1543  when the boy was 7 years old and his sister was about 10. Hideyoshi’s mother soon remarried. Her new husband also served Oda Nobuhide, the daimyo of the Owari region, and she had another son and daughter. Hideyoshi was small for his age and skinny. His parents sent him to a temple to get an education, but the boy ran away seeking adventure. In 1551, he joined the service of Matsushita Yukitsuna, a retainer of the powerful Imagawa family in Totomi province. This was unusual because both Hideyoshi’s father and his stepfather had served the Oda clan. Joining Oda Hideyoshi returned home in 1558 and offered his service to Oda Nobunaga, son of the daimyo. At the time, the Imagawa clans army of 40,000 was invading Owari, Hideyoshi’s home province. Hideyoshi took a huge gamble- the Oda army numbered only about 2,000.  In 1560, the Imagawa and Oda armies met in battle at Okehazama.  Oda Nobunaga’s tiny force ambushed the Imagawa troops in a driving rainstorm and scored an incredible victory, driving the invaders away. Legend says that 24-year-old Hideyoshi served in this battle as Nobunaga’s sandal-bearer. However, Hideyoshi does not appear in Nobunaga’s surviving writings until the early 1570s. Promotion Six years later, Hideyoshi led a raid that captured Inabayama Castle for the Oda clan. Oda Nobunaga rewarded him by making him a general. In 1570, Nobunaga attacked his brother-in-law’s castle, Odani. Hideyoshi led the first three detachments of one thousand samurai each against the well-fortified castle. Nobunaga’s army used the devastating new technology of firearms, rather than horse-mounted swordsmen. Muskets are not much use against castle walls, however, so Hideyoshi’s section of the Oda army settled in for a siege. By 1573, Nobunagas troops had defeated all of its enemies in the area. For his part, Hideyoshi received the daimyo-ship of three regions within Omi Province. By 1580, Oda Nobunaga had consolidated power in over 31 of Japans 66 provinces. Upheaval In 1582, Nobunagas general Akechi Mitsuhide turned his army against his lord, attacking and overrunning Nobunagas castle. Nobunagas diplomatic machinations had caused the hostage-murder of Mitsuhides mother.  Mitsuhide forced Oda Nobunaga and his eldest son to commit seppuku. Hideyoshi captured one of Mitsuhides messengers and learned of Nobunagas death the next day. He and other Oda generals, including Tokugawa Ieyasu, raced to avenge their lords death. Hideyoshi caught up with Mitsuhide first, defeating and killing him at the Battle of Yamazaki just 13 days after Nobunagas death. A succession fight erupted in the Oda clan. Hideyoshi supported Nobunagas grandson Oda Hidenobu. Tokugawa Ieyasu preferred the oldest remaining son Oda Nobukatsu. Hideyoshi prevailed, installing Hidenobu as the new Oda daimyo. Throughout 1584, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu engaged in intermittent skirmishes, none decisive. At the Battle of Nagakute, Hideyoshis troops were crushed, but Ieyasu lost three of his top generals. After eight months of this costly fighting, Ieyasu sued for peace. Hideyoshi now controlled 37 provinces. In conciliation, Hideyoshi distributed lands to his defeated foes in the Tokugawa and Shibata clans. He also granted lands to Samboshi and Nobutaka. This was a clear signal that he was taking power in his own name. Hideyoshi Reunifies Japan In 1583, Hideyoshi began construction on Osaka Castle, a symbol of his power and intent to rule all of Japan. Like Nobunaga, he refused the title of Shogun. Some courtiers doubted a farmer’s son could legally claim that title. Hideyoshi circumvented the potentially embarrassing debate by taking the title of kampaku, or regent, instead.  Hideyoshi then ordered the dilapidated Imperial Palace restored, and offered gifts of money to the cash-strapped imperial family. Hideyoshi also decided to bring the southern island of Kyushu under his authority. This island was home to the primary trading ports through which goods from China, Korea, Portugal, and other nations made their way into Japan. Many of the daimyo of Kyushu had converted to Christianity under the influence of Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries. Some had been converted by force, and Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were destroyed. In November 1586, Hideyoshi sent a huge invasion force to Kyushu, totaling some 250,000 troops. A number of local daimyo rallied to his side as well, so it did not take long for the massive army to crush all resistance. As usual, Hideyoshi confiscated all of the land and then returned smaller portions to his defeated foes and rewarded his allies with much larger fiefdoms. He also ordered the expulsion of all Christian missionaries on Kyushu. The final reunification campaign took place in 1590. Hideyoshi sent another huge army, probably more than 200,000 men, to conquer the mighty Hojo clan, which ruled the area around Edo (now Tokyo).  Ieyasu and Oda Nobukatsu led the army, joined by a naval force to bottle up the Hojo resistance from the sea. The defiant daimyo Hojo Ujimasa withdrew to Odawara Castle and settled in to wait out Hideyoshi. After six months, Hideyoshi sent in Ujimasas brother to ask for the Hojo daimyos surrender. He refused, and Hideyoshi launched a three-day, all-out attack on the castle. Ujimasa finally sent his son to surrender the castle. Hideyoshi ordered Ujimasa to commit seppuku. He confiscated the domains  and sent Ujimasas son and brother into exile. The great Hojo clan was obliterated. Hideyoshis Reign In 1588, Hideyoshi forbade all Japanese citizens besides samurai from owning weapons. This Sword Hunt angered farmers and warrior-monks, who traditionally had kept weapons and participated in wars and rebellions. Hideyoshi wanted to clarify the boundaries between the various social classes in Japan  and to prevent uprisings by the monks and peasants. Three years later, Hideyoshi issued another order forbidding anyone from hiring ronin, the wandering samurai with no masters. Towns also were barred from allowing farmers to become traders or craftsmen. The Japanese social order was to be set in stone. If you were born a farmer, you died a farmer. If you were a samurai born into the service of a particular daimyo, there you stayed. Hideyoshi himself rose from the peasant class to become kampaku. Nonetheless, this hypocritical order helped to usher in a centuries-long era of peace and stability. In order to keep the daimyo in check, Hideyoshi ordered them to send their wives and children to the capital city as hostages. The daimyo themselves would spend alternating years in their fiefs and in the capital. This system, called sankin kotai or alternate attendance, was codified in 1635 and continued until 1862. Finally, Hideyoshi also ordered a nationwide population census  and a survey of all the lands. It measured not only the exact sizes of the different domains  but also the relative fertility and expected crop yield. All of this information was key for setting taxation rates. Succession Problems Hideyoshis only children were two boys, from his principal concubine Chacha (also known as Yodo-dono or Yodo-gimi), the daughter of Oda Nobunagas sister. In 1591, Hideyoshis only son, a toddler named Tsurumatsu, suddenly died, followed soon by Hideyoshis half-brother Hidenaga. The kampaku adopted Hidenagas son Hidetsugu as his heir. In 1592, Hideyoshi became the taiko or retired regent, while Hidetsugu took the title of kampaku. This retirement was in name only, however- Hideyoshi maintained his hold on power. The following year, however, Hideyoshis concubine Chacha gave birth to a new son. This baby, Hideyori, represented a serious threat to Hidetsugu. Hideyoshi had a substantial force of bodyguards posted to protect the child from any attack by his uncle. Hidetsugu developed a bad reputation across the country as a cruel and blood-thirsty man. He was known to drive out into the countryside with his musket and shoot down farmers in their fields just for practice. He also played executioner, relishing the job of chopping up convicted criminals with his sword. Hideyoshi could not tolerate this dangerous and unstable man, who posed an obvious threat to the baby Hideyori. In 1595, he accused Hidetsugu of plotting to overthrow him and ordered him to commit seppuku. Hidetsugus head was displayed on the city walls after his death. Shockingly, Hideyoshi also ordered Hidetsugus wives, concubines, and children all to be brutally executed except for a one-month-old daughter. This excessive cruelty was not an isolated incident in Hideyoshis later years. He also ordered his friend and tutor, the tea-ceremony master Rikyu, to commit seppuku at the age of 69 in 1591. In 1596, he ordered the crucifixion of six shipwrecked Spanish Franciscan missionaries, three Japanese Jesuits, and 17 Japanese Christians at Nagasaki. Invasions of Korea Throughout the late 1580s and early 1590s, Hideyoshi sent a number of emissaries to King Seonjo of Korea, demanding safe passage through the country for the Japanese army. Hideyoshi informed the Joseon king that he intended to conquer Ming China and India. The Korean ruler made no reply to these messages. In February 1592, 140,000 Japanese army troops arrived in an armada of some 2,000 boats and ships. It attacked Busan, in southeastern Korea.  In weeks, the Japanese advanced to the capital city of Seoul. King Seonjo and his court fled north, leaving the capital to be burned and looted. By July, the Japanese held Pyeongyang as well. The battle-hardened samurai troops cut through the Korean defenders like a sword through butter, to China’s concern. The land war went Hideyoshis way, but Korean naval superiority made life difficult for the Japanese. The Korean fleet had better weaponry and more experienced sailors. It also had a secret weapon- the iron-clad turtle ships, which were nearly invulnerable to Japans underpowered naval cannon. Cut off from their food and ammunition supplies, the Japanese army got bogged down in the mountains of northern Korea. Korean Admiral Yi Sun Shin scored a devastating victory over Hideyoshis navy at the Battle of Hansan-do on August 13, 1592. Hideyoshi ordered his remaining ships to cease engagements with the Korean navy.  In January 1593, the Wanli Emperor of China sent 45,000 troops to reinforce the beleaguered Koreans. Together, the Koreans and Chinese pushed Hideyoshis army out of Pyeongyang. The Japanese were pinned down and with their navy unable to deliver supplies, they began to starve.  In mid-May1593, Hideyoshi relented and ordered his troops home to Japan. He did not give up his dream of a mainland empire, however. In August 1597, Hideyoshi sent a second invasion force against Korea. This time, however, the Koreans and their Chinese allies were better prepared. They stopped the Japanese army short of Seoul and forced them back toward Busan in a slow, grinding drive. Meanwhile, Admiral Yi set out to crush Japans rebuilt naval forces once more. Death Hideyoshis grand imperial scheme came to an end on September 18, 1598, when the taiko died. On his deathbed, Hideyoshi repented sending his army into this Korean quagmire. He said, Dont let my soldiers become spirits in a foreign land. Hideyoshis biggest concern as he lay dying, however, was the fate of his heir. Hideyori was only 5 years old and unable to assume his fathers powers, so Hideyoshi set up the Council of Five Elders to rule as his regents until he came of age. This council included Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hideyoshi’s one-time rival. The old taiko extracted vows of loyalty to his little son from a number of other senior daimyo and sent precious gifts of gold, silk robes, and swords to all the important political players. He also made personal appeals to the Council members to protect and serve Hideyori faithfully. Hideyoshis Legacy The Council of Five Elders kept the taikos death a secret for several months while they withdrew the Japanese army from Korea. With that piece of business complete, though, the council broke down into two opposing camps. On one side was Tokugawa Ieyasu. On the other were the remaining four elders. Ieyasu wanted to take power for himself. The others supported little Hideyori. In 1600, the two forces came to blows in the Battle of Sekigahara. Ieyasu prevailed  and declared himself shogun. Hideyori was confined to Osaka Castle. In 1614, the 21-year-old Hideyori began to gather soldiers, preparing to challenge Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu launched the Siege of Osaka in November, forcing him to disarm and sign a peace pact. The next spring, Hideyori tried again to gather troops. The Tokugawa army launched an all-out attack on Osaka Castle, reducing sections to rubble with their cannon and setting the castle on fire. Hideyori and his mother committed seppuku. His 8-year-old son was captured by the Tokugawa forces and beheaded. That was the end of the Toyotomi clan. The Tokugawa shoguns would rule Japan until the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Although his lineage did not survive, Hideyoshis influence on Japanese culture and politics was enormous. He solidified the class structure, unified the nation under central control, and popularized cultural practices such as the tea ceremony. Hideyoshi finished the unification begun by his lord, Oda Nobunaga, setting the stage for the peace and stability of the Tokugawa Era. Sources Berry, Mary Elizabeth. Hideyoshi. Cambridge: The Harvard University Press, 1982.  Hideyoshi, Toyotomi. 101 Letters of Hideyoshi: The Private Correspondence of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Sophia University, 1975.Turnbull, Stephen. Toyotomi Hideyoshi: Leadership, Strategy, Conflict. Osprey Publishing, 2011.

The Problem of Increasing Litigation Costs Case Study

The Problem of Increasing Litigation Costs - Case Study Example The case of Weissensteiner was important in that it raised the issue of circumstantial evidence pointing to the accused’s guilt, however, the Court held that the failure of the accused to give evidence did not itself construe an implication of guilt. The Court stated clearly that in an accusatorial trial, the failure of an accused to give evidence â€Å"cannot fill any gaps in the prosecution case† (Weissensteiner @50) and it cannot be used as a factor in determining whether the prosecution has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore the failure of a witness to give evidence was not to be associated with inferences of guilt.             Section 20(2) of the Evidence Act states clearly that the judge or other parties may comment on the failure of the accused to provide an explanation for evidence that exists against him. Therefore, the position taken by the judges in the RPS case was a valid one. Firstly, in their judgment, the silence of the accused was not excused in the manner of Weissensteiner. The prosecution, in this case, failed to call a witness that it should have and Justices questioned: â€Å"whether in the circumstances, the jury should entertain a reasonable doubt about the guilt of the accused†(RPS@633). Secondly, in this case, the Court applied a similar reasoning as it did in the case of Azzopardi v The Queen, where it stated that the position the Court adopted in Weissensteiner would be justified only if â€Å"there is a basis for concluding that there additional facts which would explain or contradict the inference which the prosecution seeks to have the jury draw.†   Thirdly,   Justice McHugh also commented on the history of the right to silence and adopted the position that the right to silence allowed to the accused was no more than an â€Å"invention of lawyers† to protect their clients from incriminating themselves. (Azzopardi @101). The position taken in the majority opinion of Judges in the RPS case was that the Jury could reasonably draw an adverse inference if the accused failed to give evidence since his silence would amount to a tacit admission of guilt.