Helmuth von Moltke - Franco-Prussian War Field Marshal

Helmuth von Moltke - Franco-Prussian War Field Marshal Born October 26, 1800, in Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Helmuth von Moltke was the son of an aristocratic German family. Moving to Holstein at age five, Moltkes family became impoverished during the War of the Fourth Coalition (1806-1807) when their properties were burned and plundered by French troops. Sent away to Hohenfelde as a boarder at age nine, Moltke entered the cadet school at Copenhagen two years later with the goal of entering the Danish army. Over the next seven years he received his military education and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1818. An Officer in Ascent After service with a Danish infantry regiment, Moltke returned to Germany and entered Prussian service. Posted to command a cadet school in Frankfurt an der Oder, he did so for a year before spending three conducting a military survey of Silesia and Posen. Recognized as a brilliant young officer, Moltke was assigned to the Prussian General Staff in 1832. Arriving in Berlin, he stood out from his Prussian contemporaries in that he possessed a love of the arts and music. A prolific writer and student of history, Moltke authored several works of fiction and in 1832, embarked on a German translation of Gibbons The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Promoted to captain in 1835, he took six months leave to travel through southeastern Europe. While in Constantinople, he was asked by Sultan Mahmud II to aid in modernizing the Ottoman army. Receiving permission from Berlin, he spent two years in this role before accompanying the army on campaign against Muhammad Ali of Egypt. Taking part in the 1839 Battle of Nizib, Moltke was forced to escape after Alis victory. Returning to Berlin, he published an account of his travels and in 1840, married his sisters English stepdaughter, Mary Burt. Assigned to the staff of the 4th Army Corps in Berlin, Moltke became fascinated with railroads and began an extensive study of their use. Continuing to write on historical and military topics, he returned to the General Staff before being named Chief of Staff for the 4th Army Corps in 1848. Remaining in this role for seven years, he advanced to the rank of colonel. Transferred in 1855, Moltke became the personal aide to Prince Frederick (later Emperor Frederick III). Leader of the General Staff In recognition of his military skills, Moltke was promoted to Chief of the General Staff in 1857. A disciple of Clausewitz, Moltke believed that strategy was essentially the quest of seeking the military means to a desired end. Though a detailed planner, he understood and frequently stated that no battle plan survives contact with the enemy. As a result, he sought to maximize his chances of success by remaining flexible and ensuring that the transportation and logistical networks were in place to allow him to bring decisive force to the key points on the battlefield. Taking office, Moltke immediately began making sweeping changes in the armys approach to tactics, strategy, and mobilization. In addition, work began to improve communications, training, and armaments. As a historian, he also implemented a study of European politics to identify Prussias future enemies and to begin developing war plans for campaigns against them. In 1859, he mobilized the army for the Austro-Sardinian War. Though Prussia did not enter the conflict, the mobilization was used by Prince Wilhelm as a learning exercise and the army was expanded and reorganized around the lessons obtained. In 1862, with Prussia and Denmark arguing over the ownership of Schleswig-Holstein, Moltke was asked for a plan in case of war. Concerned that the Danes would be difficult to defeat if allowed to retreat to their island strongholds, he devised a plan which called for Prussian troops to flank them in order to prevent a withdrawal. When hostilities commenced in February 1864, his plan was bungled and the Danes escaped. Dispatched to the front on April 30, Moltke succeeded in bringing the war to a successful conclusion. The victory solidified his influence with King Wilhelm. As the king and his prime minister, Otto von Bismarck, began attempts to unite Germany, it was Moltke who conceived the plans and directed the army to victory. Having gained considerable clout for his success against Denmark, Moltkes plans were followed precisely when war with Austria began in 1866. Though outnumbered by Austria and its allies, the Prussian Army was able to make near-perfect use of railroads to ensure that maximum force was delivered at the key moment. In a lightning seven-week war, Moltkes troops were able conduct a brilliant campaign which culminated with a stunning victory at KÃ ¶niggrtz. His reputation further enhanced, Moltke oversaw the writing of a history of the conflict which was published in 1867. In 1870, tensions with France dictated the mobilization of the army on July 5. As the preeminent Prussian general, Moltke was named Chief of Staff of the Army for the duration of the conflict. This position essentially allowed him to issue orders in the name of the king. Having spent years planning for war with France, Moltke assembled his forces south of Mainz. Dividing his men into three armies, he sought to drive into France with the goal defeating the French army and marching on Paris. For the advance, several plans were developed for use depending upon where the main French army was found. In all circumstances, the ultimate goal was for his troops to wheel right to drive the French north and cut them off from Paris. Attacking, the Prussian and German troops met with great success and followed the basic outline of his plans. The campaign came to stunning climax with the victory at Sedan on September 1, which saw Emperor Napoleon III and most of his army captured. Pressing on, Moltkes forces invested Paris which surrendered after a five-month siege. The fall of the capital effectively ended the war and led to the unification of Germany. Later Career Having been made a Graf (count) in October 1870, Moltke was permanently promoted to field marshal in June 1871, in reward for his services. Entering the Reichstag (German Parliament) in 1871, he remained Chief of Staff until 1888. Stepping down, he was replaced by Graf Alfred von Waldersee. Remaining in the Reichstag, he died at Berlin on April 24, 1891. As his nephew, Helmuth J. von Moltke led German forces during the opening months of World War I, he is often referred to as Helmuth von Moltke the Elder. Selected Sources Helmuth von Moltke: On the Nature of WarMakers of Modern Strategy: From Machiavelli to the Nuclear Age, edited by Peter Paret with the collaboration of Gordon A. Craig and Felix Gilbert. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1986.Franco-Prussian War

Variation in Rocky Shore Populations

Variation in Rocky Shore Populations Free Online Research Papers Variation in abundance and distribution of intertidal rocky shore populations in relation to the extremities of the environment Characterized by patchiness in the distributions of abundance of species in space and time, intertidal zones have been studied for decades in order to isolate the several important ecological interactions that cause these diverse assemblages of plants and animals (Underwood Chapman,2000; Underwood Chapman, 1998; Underwood, 2000). In order to recognize these environmental factors, two sampling techniques were implemented to obtain the vertical abundance and distribution of selected biota. By applying basic principles of methodology in both of the two ecological sampling practices, a comparison of patterns of biota was formed, thus the ability to quantify distribution and abundance of species on a rocky shore. This resulted in patterns depicting strong evidence for environmental pressures as a defining element of distribution and abundance. Marked by the upper and lower limits of the tide, the shores intertidal zone is exposed at low tide and immersed at high tide. Sampling took place on a rocky platform of Flinders beach, Victoria, and had a vertical range of between 0 – 95 meters, with 0m being the point furthest from the shore, known as the high intertidal zone, and 110m being the point closest to the ocean, otherwise known as the low intertidal zone. Two sampling methods were employed, each covering at least 95 meters. In the type I technique the area of 0-95 was divided vertically in 5m points, each of which sampling took place. At each transect, quadrats were placed unsystematically on a horizontal axis 3 times over. For each quadrat both selected flora and fauna were identified and tallied either individually or for area cover. In the type II, the area of 0-110m was divided at 10m intervals, where at each sampling took place. At each transect, quadrats were again placed arbitrarily on a horizontal axis, ho wever, this was repeated 6 times as opposed to 3. As in the type I, both selected flora and fauna were accounted for; either as individuals or in area coverage. As a general pattern, organisms appeared to be larger and more complex in the lower parts of the shore. In particular, this pattern was seen true for most mollusc species. As seen in Figure 1, Austrocochlea constricta population density was highest between 20-90m, and seemed to not appear before the 10m transect. The distribution of the species seemed to be fairly constant throughout these 70m. In addition to Austrocochlea constricta, the Siphonaria sp was also not accounted for before 15m transect however did show varying results between the sampling methods in where the abundance was at its peak (Figure 2). Straying from this general pattern, the Notilittorina sp was accounted for only between the 2-40m area, with the abundance most dense at the higher parts of the shore. Most flora seen were accumulated in the latter parts of the shore, with Coralline Red occurring between 20-90m. Coralline Red abundance percentage steadily increased as we moved to the lower parts of the shore. Intertidal habitats are of extensive interest due to the varying microhabitats formed across a shore. The environment of each microhabitat differs, however harsh extremes are experienced at both low-shore and high-shore, and all in between. For an average rocky shore, there are usually two high tides and two low tides per day, and depending on the time of day, some areas of the intertidal zone may be wet or dry (Underwood Chapman, 2000). This can potentially be problematic for the inhabitants of such an extreme environment. Water supply is essential for semi-marine and marine organisms. However, water supply is intermittent. Water is also delivered in the form of waves, which, if applied with enough force, is capable of washing away or dislodge poorly adapted organisms. Due to the formation of these zones, the salt water trapped in the rock pools within does evaporate, elevating salt concentration. However this concentration can alter with rainfall. In addition, the intertidal zone is highly exposed to the sun, hence the temperature can range from very hot to near freezing in frigid climates (Underwood Chapman 2000). The interaction of these four factors presents the intertidal zone as an extreme environment in which to live. In order to survive an intertidal zone, inhabitants must be able to withstand harsh abiotic and biotic stress. As height above sea level increases, the conditions of the intertidal zone strengthens in harshness; there is less moisture, daily changes in pH and salinity and temperature, and isolation is increased. (Womersley King, 1990). As expected, as harshness increased, species diversity generally declined, with fewer species able to withstand such intense stresses (Underwood Jernakoff, 1981). Abiding by this general rule, Austrocochlea constricta provided the perfect example with majority of the sample abundance in both type I and II occurring after 30m. Part of this may be attributed to the feeding patterns of Austrocochlea constricta, which tend to scrape the algal film coating off rocks (Parsons Ward, 1994). However, in the type I sampling, more Austrocochlea constricta were found before 30m than those observed in the type II sampling (Figure 1 5). This could be attributed to many environmental factors, but ultimately the elevation of the rocks and the impact at which waves from the last tide hit those rocks would be a very significant factor. If the area surveyed in the type I had rocks in a closer vicinity to each other, there would be less chance of a high impact wave. Desiccation was also of particular concern on the day of sampling due to the very high temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. With this environmental pressure, Austrocochlea constricta have been known to cluster to conserve moisture (Underwood. . Chapman 2007), therefore we can assume for the higher abundance transects, the molluscs would have been clustered highly rocky creviced area. Going against the norm, there are those species that adapt to the harsh extreme of the high-shore, obtaining the least moisture and risking desiccation. The organisms that locate themselves in the high- mid intertidal zone, such as the Nodilittorina species, common name periwinkles, use their operculum as a ‘trap-door’ like structure to prevent desiccation in the low tide (Reid, 1989). As seen in both the type I and type II sampling in figure 2 6, the majority of the Nodilittorina species was found before 40m, however the peak abundance was seen to differ between type I and type II techniques by 30m. Due to the diverse range of altitudes of rocks found along the rocky shore of Flinders, this discrepancy could easily be accounted as a result of a high elevation of rock within a semi-moist area in the type I sampling, which portrayed the highest abundance of periwinkles at 0m. However, in light of this, this variation could also be a result of a type 1 error, in which the sample gathered was misconstrued or reported incorrectly. Although most species followed a pattern of some kind, samples from Siphonaria species were mirror opposites in the different sample techniques. In type I, as seen in figure 3, peak abundance occurred at the 20m transect and populations were rare after 45m. Opposing this pattern, type II samples indicated that populations were sparse before 60m with a peak abundance t 80m (figure 7). As with the Notilittorina species, this again can be attributed to the extremes of the environment taking place at varying zones in the intertidal region. The rocky shore can ensure that some discrepancy will occur due to elevated rocks, resident rock pools and therefore increased salinity in nearby areas, and the exposure to the sun. In most environments, random sampling is considered to be a true representation of a selected population. However, due to the combination of haphazard sampling and the varying microhabitats within an intertidal shore, it cannot be confirmed that the same conditions of each quadrat were used in both type I and type II techniques, hence a true representation of Siphonaria may not be possible. When focusing on the flora of rocky shores, it is important to note that while the same environmental stresses act upon plants, the respect in which they affect the plants differs from fauna. For ideal growing conditions, algal organisms require decreased emersion, increased moisture, and decreased temperature on a low tide (Underwood Jernakoff, 1981). However while the low tide only occurs twice daily, wave action associated with tide is essential for the existence of the algal. Wave action, while can result in the uprooting of the plant from the substrata, is also important in driving distribution, as it can alleviate desiccation (Lubchenco Menge,1978). Biotic factors also are imperative and influence species abundance significantly. As shown in previous studies of the east Australian coast, particular zones of the intertidal shore are occupied by distinct groups of organisms. In the lowest areas, foliose algae are seen to be copious. (Underwood Kennelly, 1990) However, in the mid-shore zone, encrusting algae, and the presence of gastropod grazers frequent the region (Underwood, 1981). This is reflected the results from Corraline Red in both the type I and type II sampling techniques (figure 4 8). Steadily increasing form 25m, the abundance percentage of coralline red was at its peak when the abundance of the mollusc grazers, Austrocochlea constricta, Notilittorina sp, Siphonaria sp, were at their lowest. Patterns of intertidal species are complex on both minute and larger scales. The patterns, caused from a range of environmental pressures, can change unpredictably and predictability over various time scales. The study at Flinders rocky shore indicated that generally, with decreasing height above sea level, there is increasing species diversity. The presence of algal grazers and physical stresses of living at intertidal regions are dominant causes of variation in the vertical distribution of floral and faunal species. Some environmental pressures particular for that day, such at temperature, may have skewed our results, as it accounts for a strong selective pressure as to which zones species reside. Although the sampling techniques covered a generous area and gave a somewhat true interpretation, the nature and physics of intertidal zones requires repeated surveying to ensure each quadrat for each equal metered transect has similar conditions Research Papers on Variation in Rocky Shore PopulationsIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesResearch Process Part OneGenetic Engineering19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfDefinition of Export QuotasThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThree Concepts of PsychodynamicWhere Wild and West Meet

Every Child Matters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Every Child Matters - Essay Example This funding is also critical to deliver extra training for existing teachers and new comers. ECM has helped to transform opportunities for younger children through better access to childcare, health, early year education and support for families including parenting support. (Handle, 2008, 135)Proposals for the programme are developed and the Secretary of state David Blunkett announced that the first 60 areas of disadvantage had been identified to lead the projects. identify at least one significant initiative related to ECM and consider how the ECM programme would fit and contribute to the locally agreed strategies for social services, health and education, as set out in early years development plan and others. As a condition of funding existing core services have to participate in the ECM programme. (Kleinfeld, 2005, 70) ECM is used as a new way for setting inter agency and inter departmental working , aiming to breakdown barriers that prevent families receiving the co-ordinated services they needed. With focus on outreach and building trust with parents who were not in receipt of services and may have not come forward for help and advice. Every Child Matters presents an opportunity to consider the health and social care needs of those communities and aided in the development for appropriate delivery mechanisms that were in particular culturally sensitive. ECM aimed to bridge the gap between specialised and more general services for eg; Child mental health professionals trained staff so they could work with families where a child had early signs of emotional and behavioural problems thus preventing more serious problems at a later stage. This kind of service is complementary to work to So cial Services not a replacement. In the first three years the programme will support the development of 250 projects, with an aim to develop effective and co-ordinated