Essay on The Lego Group Case - 3410 Words

Introduction Founded in 1932, the LEGO Group is a privately held company headquartered in Billund, Denmark. The vision of Lego Group is to â€Å"inspire children to explore and challenge their own creative potential†[1] Lego now ranks 4th in the world as a toy manufacturer. The Lego Group employs nearly 9,000 workers and its own product, Lego Brick can be found in over 130 countries. The financial performance of Lego declined drastically through the 1990’s and early 2000’s. In 2004, the company accumulated losses of DKK1.9 billion.[2] Therefore, Lego tried to implement some changes in order to cut the production cost and reverse the poor situation. In the last step of the process of restructuring Lego’s supply chain, the Group tried to close†¦show more content†¦While the family was moving towards a more international business, the company also upheld the belief of its traditional business pattern while continuing to increase market share and growth by focusin g on new product development. It wasn’t until 2004 when LEGO faced the largest deficit yet that an outsider was appointed as the CEO. Jorgen Vig Knudstorn suggested to drop the arrogance and listen to the customers. He attempted to fix the ineffective and inflexible supply chain traditionally used by LEGO. Knudstrom was more willing to try something new and adopt and establish a new value for the group. LEGO’s Competitor’s LEGO maintains the leading position on the market for construction toys in the world. United States is the largest market for the products while Mega Bloks is the second player[1]. LEGO has an advantage over new competitors considering the costs required for advertising and the costs for promoting a name in the market that can reach the LEGO brand recognition. As of 2004 the LEGO Group was the fourth-largest toy manufacturer in the world. A few years ago, the LEGO Brick was acclaimed â€Å"Toy of the Century† by Fortune Magazine and the British Association of Toy Retailers[2]. In fact, the arrival of competitors in the market for construction toys has done little to damage the sales of the LEGO Group. LEGO is competing with companies producing interlocking plastic building bricks. The number of companies in the market is relatively small, however,Show MoreRelatedThe Lego Group: an Outsourcing Journey Case Analysis2789 Words   |  12 PagesThe LEGO Group: | An Outsourcing Journey | | | 8/2/2012 | Introduction 2004 began an especially difficult period for The LEGO Group, which entered into a financial crisis resulting in a deficit of 1.8 billion DKK ($294.9MM USD). The internal turmoil lasted through 2009 as the leading toy manufacturer, famous for the signature LEGO brick, nearly went bankrupt. This experience was a first-hand lesson in the negative effects of not having a stable and organized supply chain design.    Read MoreThe Lego Group: Building Strategy Case 10 Essay1738 Words   |  7 Pages The Lego Group: Building Strategy, Case 10 Overview LEGO, the brand of toy that has been played with by multiple generations of people was founded during the Great Depression in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, a Danish carpenter. Kristiansen started making toys out of wood and had 12 employees under him. The word LEGO combines two Danish words leg and godt, which mean â€Å"play well† and in Latin, fittingly means â€Å"to put together†. It’s ironic that LEGO was given that name because it was only laterRead MoreThe Lego Group Analysis1615 Words   |  7 PagesBUSI 1484 – Managing Strategy Portfolio 1 The LEGO Group Analysis June 26, 2013 Word count: 1,517 Table of contents Title | Page | 1. Application of the PESTEL analysis | 3 | 2. Application of the Porter’s Five Forces Analysis | 4 | 3. Application of the TOWS Matrix | 6 | 4. Conclusions | 7 | 5. Figure | 8 | 6. References | 8 | In this assignment the LEGO Group are examined by using a PESTEL analysis (Turner, S., 2002,), Porter’s Five Forces framework andRead MoreThe Case Of Lego : Change Of Strategy1171 Words   |  5 Pages 3. THE CASE OF LEGO CHANGE OF STRATEGY The company LEGO (Appendix 1), was far from the reality when in the year 2000 the famous Bricks were named as ‘the toy of the century’ by Fortune Magazine. the numbers were reflecting a different reality when in 2003 and 2004 the losses were of more than $400m on annual sales of over $1b (Lego case of study 2014). Once they analysed what were the main issues that led the company into that situation, two were the main problems. First of all, the product portfolioRead MoreLego Group : An Outsourcing Journey988 Words   |  4 Pages Strategic Case Analysis LEGO Group: An Outsourcing Journey Valdosta State University Business Policy 4900 Erie (Eric Scott and Jonathan Landrum) Dr. Marko Horn October 21, 2015 Table of Contents Introduction: Page 3 Synopsis of the Situation: Page 3 Key Issues: Page 4 Solution: Page 5 The Company Now and Going Forward: Page 5 S.W.A.T. Analysis: Page 6 Porter’s Five Forces: Page 7 Work Cited: Page 8 LEGO Group: An Outsourcing Journey Introduction LEGO Group was formed byRead MoreBrief Summary Of The Lego Company849 Words   |  4 PagesBrief Summary of the Lego Case The Lego Company, was founded in 1916, by Ole Kirk Christiansen in Billund, Denmark. The company quickly expanded, producing double-digit sales. Then, with the development of social media Lego appeared to hit a brick wall when faced with the challenge of how to market their Lego Bricks on the social web. Jack McKee, a former social media practitioner at Lego, â€Å"was able to help change the culture within the organization, so they could use the social web to build relationshipsRead MoreStrategic Management and Leadership738 Words   |  3 PagesCase Study Discussion Module: | Strategic Management and Leadership | Session: | Introduction to Strategy and Strategic Management | Submitted by: | Lord Mills, | Exploring Strategy: 9th edition, 2010: Johnson, Scholes and Whittington: Prentice Hall Publishing LEGO Group: Working with Strategy – pages 542 – 546 1. Explain how the development of strategy at the LEGO Group reflects the key characteristics of strategic management. As a reminder, strategic management has three key characteristics:Read MoreBrief Summary Of The Lego Company849 Words   |  4 PagesBrief Summary of the Lego Case The Lego Company was founded in 1916, by Ole Kirk Christiansen in Billund, Denmark. The company quickly expanded producing double-digit sales. Then, with the development of social media Lego appeared to hit a brick wall when faced with the challenge of how to market their Lego Bricks on the social web. Then, Jack Mckee, at former social media practioner at Lego, â€Å"was able to help change the culture within the organization, so they could use the social web to buildRead MoreThe Lego Group1284 Words   |  6 Pages20101233 20054057 Assignment Title : The LEGO Group: working with strategy. Date : 03 March 2012 Programme : BTECH-MANAGEMENT IV Question 1 Explain how the development of strategy at the LEGO Group reflect the key characteristics of strategic management outlined in section 1.2 and in the model in Figure 1.4? â€Å"Strategy is the long-term direction of an organization† (Johnson, Whittington and Scholes, 2011, p.3). The LEGO Group started with the manufacture of stepladders, ironingRead MoreCase Analysis Lego A The Crisis1161 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿1. From early 1990s to 2004, the Lego Group, a long successful toymaker with a world-renowned brand, fell into the edge of bankruptcy. Compared with the highest revenue in 1999, the revenue in 2014 decreased by 35.6% while the net profit was negative, seven times less than that in 1999, the lowest in the past ten years. Its net profit margin and ROE were also the lowest. The gross margin and inventory turnover were all lower than its competitors. The strategic moves in the two main periods â€Å"growth

The Insider Secret on Purchase Research Paper Uncovered

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Madonna A Pop Icon free essay sample

Born in the 1980s, I was exposed to the colorful and vibrant music of popular music. At an early age, I became familiar with various female artists who have graced the radio and television air waves. Their popularity was so immense that young girls and even the older ones from across the globe have emulated all the aspects that were incorporated in their stardom such as their music, fashion and mannerisms. Among the most famous female pop stars back then was Madonna. She gained unprecedented popularity and obtained unwavering celebrity status. Most of her contemporaries during the 80s withered when the 90s came, but Madonna was able to go with the changes and continued to reinvent herself to match the constantly transforming style of the modern society. Presently, Madonna is still making headlines through an incessant innovation of her own style. There are many current pop stars who have disclosed their admiration for Madonna. We will write a custom essay sample on Madonna: A Pop Icon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For them, her music inspired them to reach for their dreams and explore their musical talents. According to Britney Spears, Madonna is an independent woman who does not take into consideration of other’s perception. For Britney, this characteristic is very â€Å"empowering for teenagers and women in general.† Madonna also gained fans outside the music industry such as Jean-Paul Gaultier who was a â€Å"French fashion designer.† For him, Madonna’s ability to agilely dance and her attractive face and physique were the key factors that caught his fascination. Gaultier said that â€Å"she was beautiful and very well dressed† (BBC).   This only shows that music and fashion go hand in hand. Clearly, Madonna managed to seize the interest and support of the public as well as the A-listers of different industries. Madonna’s career has been flourishing for over 20 years since it all began. Because of this she was able to make an extensive impact to popular culture and the society. â€Å"For almost each major fashion, cultural, and social trend that has developed over the years since her debut,† Madonna never failed to make a contribution in popularizing or even outdoing an existing trend which were displayed in her choice of wardrobes and the style of her music videos. She was able to utilize her standing as an influential personality to â€Å"to build presence and visibility† with the use of her body and voice to affect and at the same time culture of the Americans. According to Michel Focault, a philosopher, â€Å"bodies have the potential for exerting power and can be propelled to demonstrate this power through the institutions that are perceived by the public to be knowledgeable.† This statement suggests that people usually give institutions like the entertainment industry the right to set the standards for what is beautiful and fashionable. In relation with Madonna’s role in influencing pop culture and society, she continues to â€Å"reinvent her image† as a pop star and as a result she constantly â€Å"sets the trends and reflects various ideals of beauty† (Masuda). Moreover, the link between â€Å"cultural and social trends and Madonna† demonstrated that the human body is â€Å"a cultural product that has the potential to represent and reflect social trends.† Through this, Madonna gained a sense power of the public wherein she can dictate the benchmark for what is trendy and beautiful. She has the ability to use her clothes, body, music and movements to influence the public to imitate her. In her own way, she was able to alter the status quo and at the same time to manipulate the way of thinking of many individuals regarding the standards of popular culture and the dynamics of society (Masuda). Works Cited Masuda, Anne. â€Å"Madonna: The Revolutionary Icon.† 10 August 2005. Associated Content. 15 April 2009 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6611/madonnas_impact_on_society.html?cat=33 â€Å"Stars pay tribute to Madonna.† 4 July 2001. BBC. 15 April 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/1421976.stm

Women Their Careers and Family Lives

Introduction At present, many researchers still focus on inequality between females and males in their career lives. However, job opportunities for genders are largely equal now and it is possible to state that the choice of the path depends on the person. Thus, lots of women focus on their career and find their life satisfying.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Women: Their Careers and Family Lives specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Other females are more concerned with their family lives and do not strive for higher positions within companies. It is also possible to trace development of new attitudes towards roles within the family. Thus, several decades ago women were supposed to spend more time with their families doing housework and looking after children. At the same time, men were supposed to work and they hardly helped their wives about the house. Now men are more helpful and it is a normal practice when a ma n does certain housework. These trends are apparent when talking to women of different ages. Importantly, it is clear that now roles acquired by women largely depend on their own choice, their personality and their occupational success rather than on societal conventions and prejudice. Comparison of the Two Women The present paper is based on the data obtained during two interviews with two women. One of these women is Janice, 69, who works half-time in a dry clean shop. The other woman is Ann, 36, who is a manager of an apartment. Both women are married. Janice has two children and she also has five grandchildren. Ann does not have children but she has â€Å"fur-babies†, three dogs. Both women changed jobs, but they had different reasons to do that. Notably, the women think that their careers did not intrude in their family life and vice versa. It is also important to add that both women have good relationships with their husbands and they have not had serious quarrels becau se of their careers. However, there are quite many differences between the women and their paths, especially when it comes to their careers. The major difference is concerned with their priorities. Thus, Janice is focused on her family while Ann is concentrated on her career more. Janice decided to work-part time to spend more time with her children and she also spent several years at home while her second child was little. However, Ann does not have children and she does not plan to have children in the nearest future. She has not changed jobs to spend more time at home but she was looking for better opportunities for her career development. Ann strives for promotion and success in her career life.Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The women’s relationships with their husbands also differ. Thus, Janice has a typical for the twentieth century attitude towards marriage and ge nder roles within the family. In other words, she does all the housework and she used to take care of their children. Janice does not see anything wrong about this type of roles. On the contrary, Ann does not do all the housework. Her husband does the cooking and she does the washing-up. Ann admits that her husband helps her about the house whenever he has time. She also adds that there are no specific roles in their family. Key Factor That Contributed to the Women’s Choice Priorities It is necessary to note that several decades ago women did face many constraints as there were specific gender roles, but in the twenty-first century women have more opportunities and their careers depend on their personalities and their desires (Hakim 290). What is more, now women tend to strive for their career development more. For instance, Hakim argues that nowadays â€Å"the differences between men and women’s career goals are smaller than sometimes thought† (279). Many women are not concerned with creating families and try to succeed in their career lives. Notably, there is such term as â€Å"glass ceiling† that refers to the opinion that women are less committed to succeed in their jobs, and, therefore, less â€Å"promotable† (qtd. in Correll et al. 1334). Researchers admit that in many cases women have to face issues associated with the glass ceiling effect (Forret Dougherty 420). However, now many women manage to go through the glass ceiling. Many women believe that there is no significant prejudice in working places. Ann states that she has never felt that gender intruded in her career life. Likewise, Janice also states that she has never experienced any kind of inequality or oppression associated with gender. At this point, it is important to note that the women have different priorities which became crucial in their lives. Thus, Janice’s priority was her family and taking care of her children. She did not strive for promotio n.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Women: Their Careers and Family Lives specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the contrary, she stayed at home for several years until her younger child could go to the kindergarten and she started a part-time job to spend more time with her kids. Janice did not feel anyone prevented her from achieving some tops in her workplace. She felt there were equal opportunities for her and other women. She felt she had chances to achieve more, but she did not want to. Individual Choices Janice can be regarded as a good proof of a persistent idea that women tend to be more concerned with their homes, not careers (Chiodo Owyang 8). Thus, Chiodo and Owyang note that married women and working mothers even get lower wages as they are believed to be less committed (7). Janice is an example of a woman who is not committed to her career life but is eager to spend as much time with her family as po ssible. At the same time, Ann is an example of a married woman who is committed to succeed in her career life. Notably, Ann claims that she has never felt she was underestimated or somehow oppressed due to her gender. Importantly, she pertains to the group of women who are not regarded as less productive as she is more than 28 and she does not have children (Chiodo and Owyang 7). Employers tend to focus on professional skills and experience of women pertaining to this group. Ann reported that sometimes she had to work long hours and her husband did not like that. However, she added that it was not a big problem, so she never let down her employer and her family life never affected her career. Ann’s case can be regarded as a certain explanation to the changing trend. Thus, employers tend to see women as equally committed employees as a lot of females have started concentrating on their career lives rather than on their families. It is important to note that individual choices are often regarded as micro level factors. However, when it comes to gender-related issues in workplace, individual choice has become a crucial macro level factor. Several decades ago women were focused on their families and (in the vast majority of cases) they did not strive for promotion. Nowadays there is a new trend and women become more concerned with their careers. In other words, individual choices women make influence the overall situation on the global scale. Another Key Factor: Occupational Success Janice As has been mentioned above, it is believed that many females have to face certain constraints in their workplaces due to their gender, but the women interviewed did not report about any gender-related issues, which can be also explained by their position in the workplace. Both females do not occupy very high posts and it is possible to assume that there is not serious competition. Janice worked at a university and had a half-time job, which does not presuppose any high p osts. Some time ago she started working for her husband (to help their business develop) and here she could not face any gender-related oppression or even any significant competition. Janice is one of those women who â€Å"sacrifice† their wages and their success in workplace as they want to remain â€Å"flexible† to spend more time with their family (Chiodo and Owyang 7).Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the fact that Janice did not face any significant gender-related constraints does not mean women who strive for career development and occupy higher posts do not face such issues. Ann Ann has a slightly different situation. She wants to succeed in her career life. She changed jobs four or five times as she was not satisfied with the way her bosses treated her. Now Ann is a manager and this post cannot be regarded as high. Again, there is not much competition for Ann. Importantly, Halrynjo and Lyng have explored experiences of Norwegian married women and working mothers and the researchers note that even in such developed country as Norway women occupying higher posts face a number of constraints (337). Women who strive for promotion have to work longer hours and tend to spend less time at home. It is possible to state that women tend to acquire male’s attitude towards career and family life. Women are no longer focused on their family life as they want to succeed i n other areas of the contemporary social life. General Trends In conclusion, it is possible to state that there are no specific gender roles in the contemporary society. Women strive for succeeding in their professional life. Females are no longer satisfied with the role of the wife and the mother. Interviews with the two women made it possible to define major factors that contribute to development of the existing trends. In the first place, individual choices made by women make it clear that there is certain shift in gender roles. Individual choices largely depend on trends existing in the society. On the other hand, experiences of the two women also suggest that gender-related issues are unlikely to occur if the post occupied is not high. Thus, gender-related issues occur when competition increases. On balance, it is possible to note that the situation has changed quite significantly since the twentieth century and gender roles are changing now. Works Cited Chiodo, Abbigail J. and Michael T. Owyang. â€Å"Marriage, Motherhood and Money: How Do Women’s Life Decisions Influence Their Wages.† The Regional Economist. Apr. 2003: 5-9. Print. Correll, Shelley T., Stephen Benard and In Palk. â€Å"Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty.† American Journal of Sociology 112.5 (2007): 1297-1339. Print. Forret, Monica L. and Thomas W. Dougherty. â€Å"Networking Behaviors and Career Outcomes: Differences for Men and Women.† Journal of Organizational Behavior 25.1 (2004): 419-437. Print. Hakim, Catherine. â€Å"Women, Careers, and Work-Life Preferences.† British Journal of Guidance Counseling 34.3 (2006): 279-294. Print. Halrynjo, Sigtona and Selma Therese Lyng. â€Å"Preferences, Constraints or Schemas of Devotion? Exploring Norwegian Mothers’ Withdrawals from High-Commitment Careers.† The British Journal of Sociology 60.2 (2009): 321-343. Print. This essay on Women: Their Careers and Family Lives was written and submitted by user Raven Munoz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Make Use of These Connecting Words and Phrase All Writers Apply

Make Use of These Connecting Words and Phrase All Writers Apply Here is a list of words and phrases that are used to connect the sentences, the ideas and thoughts in any type of essays. Although, to many students, a writing assignment may seem like a very cruel form of torture, writing, in reality, can serve as a very useful tool in developing one’s critical thinking skills, and can help build one’s expertise in using their language. Also, writing enhances one’s ability to communicate effectively, which is a critical and much-needed skill in the workplace. It is a skill that will, to put it bluntly, help people get what they want in life and in their career.  For example, the effective communicator accesses the job interview and lands a good job over the person who isn’t an effective communicator. The same applies to educational writing. When it comes to written communication (especially when writing the major essay types: argumentative essay, or persuasive essay, cause and effect essay, compare and contrast essay or  expository essay), the better the student conveys a point, makes a solid argument, and presents a well-detailed treatise on a certain subject, the more likely they will obtain a high grade on the writing assignment. This is usually accomplished through the use of connection words and phrases. Regardless of the kind of an essay, a student is assigned to write, a working knowledge of connection words and phrases (as well as how to correctly incorporate them into a written assignment) is always advantageous. These can help support a claim, make an argument, help to defend one’s reasoning and especially illustrate cause and effect; they help provide a thorough explanation and can certainly persuade the reader to believe or agree with an argument. Connection/connecting or linking verbs and phrases can illustrate objection or a rebuttal of something (with words like however, but, and on the contrary); they can provide an illustration (for example, for instance), can incorporate transitional phrases for enumeration (first, secondly, next, finally, lastly), and can demonstrate consequence (therefore, consequently, as a result). List of Connecting Words and Phrases Before looking through the list of connecting words and phrases, you may read another article on the similar topic: The Importance of the Transition Words and Phrases Some of these phrases and words begin a sentence, while others are used to connect two separate thoughts – either with the use of a semicolon or well-placed comma, and are therefore inserted in the middle of a sentence. The purpose Connecting words and phrases Example To indicate a contrast in comparison; however; on the contrary; rather; alternatively; however; though; nevertheless; notwithstanding; in spite of this; although; similarly; conversely Writing well is a product of hard work, education, and extensive reading; however, some people are natural-born storytellers. To provide an illustration for example; that is to say; in other words; namely; such as; including; chiefly; mainly; most importantly Prohibition was a terrible, dreadful failure, mainly because it did nothing but make a lot of criminals – namely bootleggers – filthy rich. To extend a point similarly; equally; likewise, furthermore; also; indeed; above all; as well; in addition It has been said that writer Ernest Hemingway had no other interests beyond violence, and sports; and, indeed, he published several books that confirm this observation To demonstrate cause and effect, or a conclusion between two notions therefore; thus; hence; as a result; consequently; this suggests that; in short; this implies; in all There have been recent discoveries that amoebas do not leave behind a carbon footprint; therefore it is virtually impossible to determine exactly how long they have been on Earth. Transitional, to indicate the next step first of all; next; secondly; to begin with; first and foremost; then; finally; ultimately; lastly First of all, Christopher Columbus should not be considered a hero to Americans. Secondly, Columbus was not even the first explorer to discover the Americans. To summarize overall; in sum; to sum it up; in conclusion In conclusion, this essay examined two entirely different – yet effective – methods of teaching math to fifth-graders. Connecting words and phrases are very important while writing an academic paper. If you feel you need assistance with the correct use of connecting words in your essay or you need any other help with your essay writing, contact our friendly support team.

Battle of the Somme in World War I

Battle of the Somme in World War I The Battle of the Somme was fought from July 1 to November 18, 1916 during World War I (1914-1918). In 1916, the British and French intended to launch a large-scale offensive along the Somme River. With the beginning of the Battle of Verdun in February, the focus changed to a British-centric operation with the goal of relieving pressure on the French. Moving forward on July 1, the British sustained massive losses in the opening hours of the offensive while French troops made some gains. Far from the breakthrough hoped for by the high command, the Battle of Somme became an extended, grinding affair that came to symbolize the futility of the fighting on the Western Front.   Background Meeting at Chantilly in December 1915, the Allied high command worked to develop war plans for the coming year. It was agreed that the most effective path forward would be simultaneous offensives on the Eastern, Western, and Italian Fronts. This approach would preclude the Central Powers from being able to shift troops to meet each threat in turn. On the Western Front, the British and French planners moved forward and ultimately decided to mount a large, combined offensive along the Somme River. The initial plan called for the bulk of the troops to be French with support from the British Fourth Army in the north. While supportive of the plan, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, General Sir Douglas Haig, had originally desired to attack in Flanders. As plans for the Somme offensive were developed, they were soon changed in response to the Germans opening the Battle of Verdun in late February 1916. Rather than delivering the crippling blow to the Germans, the Somme offensives principal goal would now be to relieve pressure on the beleaguered French defenders at Verdun.   Additionally, the primary composition of the troops involved would be British rather than French. Planning For the British, the main push would come north of the Somme and would be led by General Sir Henry Rawlinsons Fourth Army. Like most parts of the BEF, the Fourth Army was largely composed of inexperienced Territorial or New Army troops. To the south, French forces from General Marie Fayolles Sixth Army would attack on both banks of the Somme. Preceded by a seven-day bombardment and the detonation of 17 mines under German strong points, the offensive began at 7:30 AM on July 1. Attacking with 13 divisions, the British attempted advance up an old Roman road that ran 12 miles from Albert, northeast to Bapaume. Armies Commanders Allies Field Marshal Douglas HaigGeneral Ferdinand Foch13 British and 11 French divisions (rising to 51 and 48) Germany General Max von GallwitzGeneral Fritz von Below10 divisions (rising to 50) Disaster on the First Day Advancing behind a creeping barrage, British troops encountered heavy German resistance as the preliminary bombardment had been largely ineffective. In all areas the British attack achieved little success or was repulsed outright. On July 1, the BEF suffered over 57,470 casualties (19,240 killed) making it the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army. Dubbed the Battle of Albert, Haig persisted in pushing forward over the next several days. To the south, the French, utilizing different tactics and a surprise bombardment, achieved more success and reached many of their initial objectives. Grinding Ahead As the British attempted to re-start their attack, the French continued to advance along the Somme. On July 3/4, the French XX Corps nearly achieved a breakthrough but was forced to halt to allow the British on their left flank to catch up. By July 10, French forces had advanced six miles and had captured the Flaucourt Plateau and 12,000 prisoners. On July 11, Rawlinsons men finally secured the first line of German trenches, but were unable to breakthrough. Later that day, the Germans began shifting troops from Verdun to reinforce General Fritz von Belows Second Army north of the Somme (Map). As a result, the German offensive at Verdun was ended and the French achieved the upper hand in that sector. On July 19, German forces were reorganized with von Below shifting to First Army in the north and General Max von Gallwitz taking over Second Army in the south. In addition, von Gallwitz was made an army group commander with responsibility for the entire Somme front. On July 14, Rawlinsons Fourth Army launched an attack Bazentin Ridge, but as with other earlier assaults its success was limited and little ground was gained. In an effort to break the German defenses in the north, Haig committed elements of Lieutenant General Hubert Goughs Reserve Army. Striking at Pozià ¨res, Australian troops carried the village largely due to the careful planning of their commander, Major General Harold Walker, and held it against repeated counterattacks. Success there and at Mouquet Farm allowed Gough to threaten the German fortress at Thiepval. Over the next six weeks, the fighting continued along the front, with both sides feeding a grinding battle of attrition. Efforts in the Fall On September 15, the British mounted their final attempt to force a breakthrough when they opened the Battle of Flers-Courcelette with an attack by 11 divisions. The debut of the tank, the new weapon proved effective, but was plagued by reliability issues. As in the past, British forces were able to advance into the German defenses, but could not fully penetrate them and failed to reach their objectives. Subsequent small assaults at Thiepval, Gueudecourt, and LesbÅ“ufs achieved similar results. Entering the battle on a large scale, Goughs Reserve Army began a major offensive on September 26 and succeeded in taking Thiepval. Elsewhere on the front, Haig, believing a breakthrough was near, pushed forces towards Le Transloy and Le Sars with little effect. With winter approaching, Haig initiated the final phase of the Somme Offensive on November 13, with an attack along the Ancre River to the north of Thiepval. While assaults near Serre failed completely, attacks to the south succeeded in taking Beaumont Hamel and achieving their objectives. A final attack was made on the German defenses on November 18 which effectively ended the campaign. Aftermath The fighting at the Somme cost the British approximately 420,000 casualties, while the French incurred 200,000. German losses numbered around 500,000. During the campaign British and French forces advanced around 7 miles along the Somme front, with each inch costing around 1.4 casualties. While the campaign achieved its goal of relieving pressure on Verdun, it was not a victory in the classic sense. As the conflict increasingly became a war of attrition, the losses incurred at the Somme were more easily replaced by the British and French, than by the Germans. Also, the large-scale British commitment during the campaign aided in increasing their influence within the alliance. While the Battle of Verdun became the iconic moment of the conflict for the French, the Somme, particularly the first day, achieved a similar status in Britain and became a symbol of the futility of war.

Nato and United Nation on the Conflict in Kosovo Essay

Nato and United Nation on the Conflict in Kosovo - Essay Example Kosovo is located in Southern Serbia and has a population of majority Albanians. Until 1989, the region was autonomous within Yugoslavia. Kosovo conflict refers to armed struggles in Kosovo province, Yugoslavia. From 1998 to 1999, there was an armed clashes caused by the Kosovo Liberation Army who wanted independence from the Yugoslav Military and Serbian police (Singh 2009). Between March and June 1999, NATO launched an air strikes and patrols on FR Yugoslavia while the KLA continued with their wars with Yugoslav Security Forces. This led to a large population displacement. NATO’s intervention in Kosovo was to stop the humanitarian crisis and restore peace stability in the region. Despite numerous challenges during 78 days of aerial strikes, more than 37,000 excursions occurred and 10,484 of the strike attacks happened without any fatalities. NATO’s objectives were to help for the achievement of a peaceful resolution to the crisis at hand and to promote security in nei ghboring nations especially in Albania and Macedonia. The involvement of NATO's was to settle the war in the most peaceful way. Their involvement, however, brought more problems than solutions. Albanians not only fought amongst each other but also NATO soldier (Kaplan 2010). The world's involvement in the conflict angered both sides of the conflict. Other objectives of NATO and the UN in Kosovo were; to stop to all military action and end repression, the withdrawal of the military and paramilitary forces from Kosovo, the setting up of international military in Kosovo, the unconditional return of all refugees and displaced persons and unstoppable access to them by humanitarian organizations and the establishment of a political agreement in conformity the Charter of the United Nations and international law. To show that NATO and UN did not act objectively in the conflict, in Kosovo, there were claims by Yugoslavia that NATO raids caused between 1,000 and 6000 civilian casualties. NATO 's secretary general, Lord Robertson, admitted after the conflict that the exact human lives claimed will never be known. Figures in Human Rights Watch reports estimate between 490 and 530 civilian demises, 80 to 140 resulting from cluster bombing. Kosovo attacks were deadly due to many confused refugee movements. On the ground, there was ethnic cleansing by the Serbians that led to 300,000 Kosovo Albanians fleeing to Albania and Macedonia with thousands more internally displaced in Kosovo. The United Nations reported that 850,000 people had fled their homes. The choice of targets to hit was highly controversial. The destruction of bridges at the Danube disrupted shipping on the river after the war causing economic challenges to countries along the river. The attack on industrial facilities damaged the economies of many local towns. These examples show that the organization did not act objectively in pursing their objectives. Moreover, the Serbian government and a numerous internati onal pressure groups accused NATO of carrying out war crimes during the war. For instance, the bombing of a Serbian television headquarters in Belgrade on April 1999 led to 16 deaths and numerous injuries. This was a deliberate attack on a civilian property hence constituting war crimes. The argument for NATO’