Same Sex Marriage Essay Example for Free

Same Sex Marriage Essay There have been several questions that have caused controversial issues for the government. One of these questions is, Can the government regulate who can and cannot marry? This is an important question relating to same-sex marriages. I believe that the government cannot regulate who can and cannot marry. According to Rainbow SIG, which is a same-sex interest group, it is no one else’s business if two men or two women want to get married. Two people of the same sex who love each other should be allowed to publicly celebrate their commitment and receive the same benefits of marriage of a heterosexual couple. Also, there is no such thing as traditional marriage. Given the prevalence of modern and ancient examples of family arrangements based on polygamy, communal child-rearing, the use of concubines and mistresses and the commonality of prostitution, heterosexual monogamy can be considered unnatural† in evolutionary terms. American Civil Liberties Union says, gay marriage is protected by the Constitutions commitments to liberty and equality. The US Supreme Court declared in 1974’s Cleveland Board of Education v.  LaFleur that the freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause. † Another interest group that supports same-sex marriage is The Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians believes that denying same-sex couples the right to marry families as inferior and sends the message that it is acceptable to discriminate against them Many people and organizations believe that same-sex marriage is a blasphemies sin to Christ and his or her religion. Moreover, many political groups are against same-sex marriage just to get votes and an official chair in office. These people believe they can control the feelings or emotions of a human being. They tend to use the bible as a reference but only use specific parts from the bible such as the book of Proverbs. According to Iowa Politics, a report filed by the New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage, basically they are a group that opposes same-sex marriage, which spent $86,080 on television ads. The Iowa Supreme Court in April dismissed a 10 year ban of same-sex marriage but allowed the church’s right to decide who can be married under its roof. Based on this nformation, I still do not agree with this. If a national organization can spend almost $90,000 on a ban of gay marriage, couldn’t that same group apply that money for orphan shelters or food banks? Also, I believe that if the church is separate from state, he or she should not have that great of an influence on a national decision. John R. Carter said that he disagrees with same-sex marriage because; and I quote; â€Å"I support maintaining the Defense of Marriage Act†. In conclusion, same-sex marriage can either be allowed or disapproved. However, I believe that same-sex should be allowed. Not based upon religion or a profit but on his or her own beliefs. I mean who gets to say what is traditional. If you look at the culture before today there were practices of polygamy and the use of concubines and mistresses, were normal for them. Even in the bible a lot of people practiced polygamy. So how did heterosexuality become what is traditional? This is just because it is what people in the old day believed was right by a man and woman and also they read only specific parts of the bible where it talks about a man leaving his family to be with women.

The Effect Of Technology In Current Architecture Cultural Studies Essay

The Effect Of Technology In Current Architecture Cultural Studies Essay Technology opens the door to the future. It is one of the main essence that shape and changes the way society behaves, as well as trancends the surrounding to suits the way society lives. Nowadays, the effect of new technology has reached almost every level of the society, and one of it is modern building technology. It has great implication in the creation of space in architecture and interior design. Since the early days, architecture has been one of the most important needs of man. It is a space to live and work, an environment to interact and provoke emotions, as well as a realm where experiences and memories are created. This feelings and emotions are evoked by the form and shape, the arrangement of forms and by the relationships that the space draws with the surroundings. It affects every part of human senses. As technology developed, the meaning of architecture started to adapt with it. Formerly, with conventional building technology, the shape and form of architecture that could be achieved is only a simple and pure form. It leads to a trend of homogeneous building, which makes every architecture looks similiar. Within this limitation, architects and designers became more sensitive and focus on crafting experiences in a space. These experiences then become memories that will be remembered by the visitor and elements that differentiate one building from another. As this continues, buildings visual aesthetic is slowly decreasing. Currently, with the creation and development of building technology, the inventions of cutting-edge and futuristic looking forms and shapes are possibble. New materials and structures are created and evolved everywhere. These advancements have made architects become so attached with visual appearance. Meanings that majority of them concentrate on using technology in order to discover new forms and shapes for architecture in order to reflects the idea for which it was designed. The design of the buildings that focused on visual aesthethic has led to a trend of creating a form that looks good rather than a space that feels good. With this trend continues, it seems that the role of visual sense has being privileged when compared to other human senses. The impact of this trend causes the design of the current architecture being reduced and restricted into the visual experience. With the absence of other senses, the strength of interaction that affect our bodies with a space is being diminished. This indicates that the tendency of architecture of image rather than architecture of experience is increasing. The products of architecture of image will only offer visual consumption which wont create lasting impressions that all the architects strive for. It will only become a nice looking postcard of visually striking building. Hence, the essay aims to prove that the current use of technology in architecture is only being used to achieve visual aesthetics and has decreased the value of architecture. The essay will also argue that technology to achieve powerful form has to be able to grow hand in hand with other human senses in order to create valuable experience and memory in a space . Only then, the value of architecture can be pushed to a full potential. Architecture of Experience rather than Visual Instead of experiencing our being in the world, we behold it from outside as spectators of images projected on the surface of the retina. Pallasmaa, J, 2005, p.47 Before we can move forward to the main issue, to question the effect of technology towards current architecture, it is important to look and understand briefly what is the nature and value of architecture since the early days it was created. Through out the history, despite of a large number of definition have been proposed by numerous architects, the answer to this have never came to a conclusion. Maybe it is because there are diverse ways to formulate an answer to this. One of the vast definitions of architecture maybe can be found in dictionaries, which means design of a building. It seems that this definition leads to a diminishing understanding that building is just an object. Some even make comparison of architecture with other form of arts which is sculpture. For instance, Santiago Calatrava, a world-renowned spanish architects that combined sculpture and painting with architecture. He is claimed as a building sculpturor and had an exhibition world-wide about his works. So is architecture an application of aesthetics consideration to the form of buildings? Or an Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture into Architecture, The Metropolitan Museum of Art art of making buildings beautiful? This idea of definition seems to have miss a central core of the nature and value of architecture. Previously, in the prehistoric time where architecture is not even born yet, human lives in a nomadic way. They move from one place to another. When night comes, they stop and light a fire to warm them up. By doing so, they started to define a place. And if they intend to stay there longer, they started to define a place to sleep, a place to shelter them from the rain, a place to collect and store food, a place where they can defend themselves from danger, etc. From their chosen site, experience of their surrounding, until the organization of their place, this leads to an evolution from a place to architecture. Based on that, one can said that the nature and value of architecture is the sense of a place that is created by the experience and organization of the building and surrounding itself. Thus, architecture relates to the way people live, it changes and evolves based on the environments, experiences and needs. As time goes on, places that people used has became more diversed, sophisticated and complexed which made architecture consistently changing as well. Started from the prehistoric era where human dwells in an occasional caves and temporal tents from woods to round houses that made of bricks, and into the stone age. Not only materials that has evolved, functions and tools to build each building have advanced as well. From the early civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Roman and the East, the development in architecture to create building for different purposes has greatly varied. Egypts Pyramids, Greeks Temples, and Romans Amphitheatres are just few illustrations of various functions that can be found globally. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt Built 2560 BC Colosseum, Rome Built 1st Century AD Parthenon Temple, Greece Built 5th Century BC The form, material, tools and function of the architecture evolves because of the resources that is available in the environment. The needs for stronger materials to create shelter and better materials to craft the atmosphere for different functions has made the tool or building technology to advance too. With this different materials and technologies, human are able to generates unique experience which would enriched the physical and psychological sensory in an architecture. In the time where modern building technology is not developed yet, there is a limitation in the creation of architectural form. Architects and engineers are only able to produce a simple and pure form which makes every buildings looks similar. Considering this constraints, the focus of architecture at this time is in the creation of experiences which is the nature and value of architecture since the early days. People lived through experiencing the world with body senses. One sense interact with other senses to be able to let him or her integrates with the surrounding and the world. Architecture is the products of this constant interaction between people with the surrounding and the world. Architecture also provide spaces where people could do their daily activities, experience the surrounding, feel comfortable with it and generate memories through these interactions. The interaction that happens can be either simple or complex. It means that the space within the architecture should be able to generate interaction with at least one or all of the body senses. This is due to, as human we have needs and desires, beliefs and aspirations, as well as aesthetic sensibility that are affected by warmth, touch, odour, sound and visual stimuli. Every interaction that happens will be experience by the body and if the experience through the space is strong enough, it will formulate an impactful memory to the visitors mind. And If this is successful, the lasting impression that every architects strive for will be achieved. That is why architecture should be design with a thought of multi-sensory experience. The Commissioners House of the Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda, By Edward Holl, built : 1820sNevertheless, over this time, there is one senses that architects and engineers could not satisfied with. It is the visual aesthetic, which is because of the technology at that time couldnt afford to provide the structure, system and material to create a visually striking form. With the will and the unsatisfactory as the main force that drives architects and designers to overcome this issue. This has led to numerous experiments over the time. Until the 19th century, in the industrial revolution era, when cast iron can be produce in a large numbers and cheaply enough. This is when architects and designers started to become aware of the glorious potential of cast iron used in architecture. One of the first residential project that use cast-iron as the structural framework is The Commissioners House of the Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda (Potter, D, 2006). This marks the dawn of Modern building technology. As technology has advanced towards a new level, which is the modern building technology, the nature and value of architecture started to shift and adapt as well. This development has begun to revolutionize architecture into an entirely new direction. With this modern building technology , architects and designers is provided with a new range of materials and tools to achieve and satisfy their hunger of a more advanced form. Previously, the architectural language of each location has their own unique characteristics. This is because of their environment would only be able to produce certain kinds of materials. Due to this, architects and designers tended to use resources that were available and plentiful in their location. Which means that the materiality and tool spoke more to place, to locale, and in a way was more purely defined with the unique representative of that certain location. For instance, the Pyramid in Egypt that is made from stone is entirely different with the Temple i n China which is made from wood. But with modern building technology , transportation of materials from one location to another location has became possible, the ability to mass products have made the cost of construction became lower, and the innovation of new and better material is continually increasing. This development has made architecture become more efficient and effective in every layer, either it is the construction, the time span to complete, the experience that could achieved inside the space or even the form of the architecture. Beginning by looking into the traditional materials that have been used since the prehistoric times, which is the wood. This material could be considered as the forefather of all current materials. Started with the wood, in the early days where prehistoric people used this to build tents as their shelter from the sun and rain. By constructing tree trunks or branches together creating the shape of an inverted V-shape, putting some support to hold it firm on the ground and covered with leaves. This creates the simplest foundation of architecture form. As human evolved so does materials for their shelter. Moving from wood to stone, as a stronger material, the form of the shelter started to develop into tent-like house by stacking different stones together. As humans move on to the times of early civilizations, the needs, desires, and beliefs have been greatly developed too. This leads to the creation of places of worships, sacrifices, monuments, and governments. Based on these, the form of the architecture started to goes vertically higher and bigger. At this time, pillar, column, beam, arch and dome has started to be build to fulfill the functions of the architecture. Then into the middle age, where castles are becoming a common forms of architecture in every part of europe. And as it moves through The Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism and Gothic revival, from 15th century to 18th century, architects and designers feels that every architecture has looked similiar because of the limitation of technology and material. US Capitol Building Washington DC, Built : 1793 Neoclassicism Architecture St Mary Basillica Venice, Built : 1630 Baroque Architecture The Basilica of Saint Peter Rome, Built : 1590 Renaissance Architecture Joseph Paxtons Crystal Palace of the Great Exhibition London, Built : 1851 Until 19th century, when modern building technology is discovered. This technology allowed iron to be used in architecture because it has became relatively cheaper which previously considered as a very expensive material. Irons are architecurally unique because of being relatively lightweight and malleable as well as strong. More over, because of its properties, they are able to used for free-form designs. In this period, glass is also widely used and available. Glass is used for its optimal balance between aesthetics and functions. By using glass, the building are able to change, move and create certain environments because it allows light to transmits in and for architect light is one of the poweful tool in crafting experience in an architecture. One of the architecture that reflects a building of high technology in this period is the Joseph Paxtons Crystal Palace of the Great Exhibition. Built in 1851 in London, this building was made of modular cast iron and glass which symbolize the industrial, technological and economic superiority of the modern building technology. And in 20th century, plastics became widely known and popular as well. It is because plastics are lightweight,resilient, generally resistant to corosion and moisture, and can be molded and formed into complex shapes. And because It is the only man-made material, this allowed it to be developed even more in the future. This opens the door for architects and designers to realize all the crazy ideas that they had in mind. And with this the notion of architecture of image is slowly becoming a trends. With advancement in modern building technology materials and tools to construct a building have greatly expansed. Back then, buildings are limited with height. Mainly it is because of the limitation of materials and tools. This caused architects and designers to think and design horizantally . But with modern building technology, current buildings are able to go higher becoming a skyscraper or go deeper underground, maybe becoming an earthscraper, and not only going vertically, it also allows the buildings to be built diagonally. From geometric to organic form or from masses to pixels, with the current technology everything is possible. Architecture has entered into a realm of visual form which is nothing more or less than the creation of buildings tangible and visible shapes. Beekman Tower, Frank Gehry New York One example of a purely visual architecture is the Beekman Tower in New York by Frank Gehry. It is a curious fusion of public and private zones. What makes the tower so intoxicating is the exterior skin of the buildings which is mad of aluminum foil. The folds evoke rivulets of water, crinkled sheets of melting ice. The effect of this ripples will be heightened by light and shadow dancing across the surfaces over the course of a day. This building is surely a successful design and appealing to one of human senses which is the visual. But for the interior, everything inside the space is dully conventional. The consideration towards other senses inside the space in order to experience the space has being neglected. Another one is the Orchard Central in Singapore by DP Architects. The key design element of this shopping mall according to DP Architects is on the facade of the mall which will be an 11-storey-high faceted membrane which will function as a massive media wall and is set to be an iconic feature at the junction of Orchard and Killiney roads. The idea of this is to add aural and visual vibrancy to the central stretch of Orchard Road. By doing so, the architectural facade of a building is no longer made of solid materials but is, instead, an ever-changing, programmable image. The problem with this is the elimination of other senses and the dependency towards the vision has made the design of Orchard Central, DP Architects Singapore the space unattracted and unable to create a connection with the visitors. Based on both of the case studies above, it is fairly obvious that the privileged of visual senses over other human senses will create a sense of detachment between the architecture and the visitors. This is merely because human experience the world and the surroundings through their senses. The sounds of steps, the light that penetrate through the space, the coldness of the concrete walls, scale and proportion are just few ways of how architecture interact with the visitors. This interaction is then strengtened and articualted through the complex interaction of human senses and will be perceived by the visitors as an experience. With this two-way interaction between visitors and architecture, this will lead to the creation of meaningful memory towards the space. It is true that vision is the first connection between human and the world. Most of us, when we are walking through a space or street, are affected in one way or another by the looks of the buildings that we pass, the positions of the objects and the arrangements inside the space. But in architecture, the reliance in the sphere of vision will only made the building existed merely in a surface level which is as an objects of visual expression such as a postcard. Architecture should be able to interact with every human senses because it is a representation or expression of human minds. And the only way to communicate with the mind is by experiencing the world and surrounding through the senses. That is when architecture has moved on to another level. So, by using the modern technology, not only to grasped the visual aesthetics that has became a trends nowadys, but also to craft the experience that has been the nature and value of architecture since the early days. This will affects the human physically and psychologically and will pushed the architecture to the full potential.

J.D. Salinger :: essays research papers

Many critics consider J.D. Salinger a very controversial writer, for the subject matters that he writes.. J.D. Salinger's works were generally written during two time periods. The first time period was during World War II, and the second time period was during the 1960's. Critics feel that the works during the 1960 time period were very inappropriate, because of the problems for which he wrote. The main characters were generally misfits of society. In most of his works, he has the protagonist of the story go on a quest for happiness. Salinger does not conform to the material happiness; the characters undergo a spiritual happiness. The characters generally start out as in bad conditions, through the end of his works they undergone changes that change them for the better. The works of J.D. Salinger show the quest for happiness through religion, loneliness, and symbolism. Salinger's works often use religion in order to portray comfort. In Salinger's Nine Stories Franny Glass keeps reciting the "Jesus Prayer" to cope with the suicide of her brother Seymour (Bloom in Bryfonski and Senick 69). Salinger is able to use this prayer as a means of comfort for Franny. The prayer stands for the last hope for Franny in this situation. Franny would be lost if there were no prayer. (Bryfonski and Senick 71). Salinger shows us comfort in Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caufield, the protagonist, is very much in despair for losing his girlfriend, so Caufield reads a passage in the Bible. This helps Holden change his outlook on life (Salzberg 75). Holden was all-alone at this point and had no one to turn back on, until he found the Bible (Salzberg 76). In both stories the characters had found themselves in bad situations. The characters in these works have obstacles, which they must overcome in order to achieve happiness (Salzman 34). Happiness is the !very substance which all of these characters are striving for in Salinger's works. Salinger uses religion in his works to comfort them so that they can proceed on their quest to achieve happiness. Salinger uses religion as a means for liberation. Salinger uses much of the Zen philosophy, as in the case of Nine Stories, to achieve this liberation (Madsen 93). In Nine Stories one of the characters, Seymour Glass, is portrayed as Buddha in the sense that he wants to be liberated as Buddha was in his life (Madsen 93).

Was Macbeth A Traitor :: essays research papers

'Macbeth deserved to die because he was totally responsible for the betraying the Scottish king, Duncan, and the Scottish people';. Write an analytical essay in which you explore the forces behind Macbeth's murdering ways. Macbeth deserved to die for betraying the Scottish king, Duncan, and the Scottish people; however, he was not totally responsible for his actions. Lady Macbeth and the three Witches also played a major role. They were responsible for convincing Macbeth to begin the series of events, which eventually led to the destruction of order in Scotland. Once she had received news of the three Witches' prophecies, Lady Macbeth was intent that she would eventually become Queen of Scotland. Initially, Macbeth had decided not to murder Duncan, 'We will proceed no further in this business'; (Macbeth, Act I, scene vii). However, Lady Macbeth was determined to continue with her original plan. She repeatedly insulted Macbeth's manhood, provoking him to continue with the plans to murder Duncan, 'When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man'; (Lady Macbeth, Act I, scene vii). She appealed to Macbeth's 'vaulting ambition'; so as to intensify the effect that the Witches' prophecies had on him, 'Great Glamis! Worthy Cawdor! Greater than both, by the all-hail hereafter'; (Lady Macbeth, Act I, scene v). She convinced Macbeth that the rewards of the murder would far outweigh the drawbacks and clear their conscience, 'A little water clears us of this deed'; (Lady Macbeth, Act I, scen e ii). Although Macbeth dearly loved his king, Lady Macbeth yielded such a persuasive power over him that he was convinced the Witches' prophecies of Duncan's murder and the resulting kingship were his rightful fate. The three Witches deceived Macbeth by proclaiming ambiguous prophecies, which led him to believe that he would be a powerful and loved king. The second apparition, 'Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth'; (a bloody child, Act IV, scene i) led him to believe that he would never be harmed, as nobody alive can be 'none of woman born';. Macbeth failed to realise that the apparition was referring to Macduff, who was born by caesarean. The third apparition, 'Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to High Dunsinane hill shall come against him'; (a child crowned with a tree in his hands, Act IV, scene i) also fooled Macbeth into believing that he would not be harmed as king.

The Future of Life by: Edward O. Wilson Essay -- Book Review

This chapter to me was all about organisms that can survive in extreme conditions. How every square inch of earth is inhabited with creatures of one kind or another. I learnt the fundamental principle of biological geography, that wherever there is liquid water (h2o), organic molecules, and an energy source, there is life. I found out about the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, who soils are the coldest, driest, and most nutritionally deficient in the world. How some specialized species of bacteria and archaeans live in the walls of volcanic hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, where they can multiply in water close to or above the boiling point. He also describes an organism called, hyperthermophiles, that love extreme heat, and Deinococcus radiodurans, a microorganism which can withstand levels of radiation capable of killing humans and other organisms. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica seems from its description sterile and desolate. When I read the quote from Robert F. Scott in 1903, the first to explore the region, â€Å" We have seen no living thing, not even a moss or lichen; all that we did find, far inland among the moraine heaps, was the skeleton of a Weddell seal, and how that came there is beyond guessing.† The skeleton of the Weddell seal made me thing that maybe it was once a ocean and dried up over the years. But then again it is Antarctica, maybe it was trapped in a glacier, when it melt and retreated, it left the skeleton behind. It was shocking to find out that only twenty species of photosynthetic bacteria, which is making a long story short, mostly single-celled algae and weird, nasty sounding microscopic invertebrate animals that feed on these primary producers. These organisms of this region are what scie... ...e Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson Alfred A. Knopf New York. 2002. Brown, L. et al. (1999). State of the World 1998. New York: Norton. Chivian, E. et al. (1993). Critical Condition: Human Health and the Environment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. Footprint of Nations Report. Available at http://www.iclei.org/iclei/ecofoot.htm. McMichael, A. (1993). Planetary Overload. New York: Cambridge University Press. Soskolne, C. L., and Bertollini, R. (1999). Global Ecological Integrity and "Sustainable Development": Cornerstones of Public Health. World Health Organization, European Centre for Environment and Health, Rome Division. Wackernagel, M., and William, R. (1996). Our Ecological Footprint. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers. World Health Organization (1998). World Health Report. Geneva: Author.

Balanced Scorecard Essay

Rivalry amongst competing firms – Apple is in the unique situation that it has its own proprietary operating system and only used by Apple. So although the competition is fierce for customers, it is a different type of battle for Apple than for others such as Samsung, Google or Microsoft. Apple does face stiff competition but it is in the battle for use-case preference. The Android or Windows OS is different than the Apple iOS and consumers make a choice as to which road they are going to go down. Apple is competing for winning this important thought process and decision-making process. They are not competing on hardware alone because Apple alone produces their products with their OS. The competition will continue for easily the foreseeable future, 10 years and beyond, as the world becomes more digitized. Force: Moderate Potential Entry of New Competitors – The barriers to entry in this industry are steep. Cost of production is very high for new entrants until significant economies of scale are reached. Over the next 10 years there will be many new entrants into the industry though either brand new, or companies already in similar technology markets that will branch out into markets that compete with Apple. Again, that would be a competition for OS preference, not hardware per se. There is always the possibility of an entirely new and 4th, or more, operating systems being developed as technology advances. Moore’s Law tells us this is likely but difficult to ascertain from where it will come, whether it will be significantly better than any existing, and if it will gain wide user acceptance. Force: Weak to Moderate Potential Development of substitute products – Again, since Apple has its own exclusive OS, substitute products are only a threat as being other choices of entirely different OS’s from Microsoft or Android producers, or any other possible future OS development. But Apple does not have any substitute for its own products. Force: Weak Bargaining Power of Buyers – Apple users tend to stay Apple users. Their loyalty is strong and they love Apple products. Apple charges a premium for its products but the image and allure of Apple products and their perceived high quality keep unit sales strong. Although technology economies of scale have certainly been reached in Apple production, they have continued to keep their products priced higher that competing products. Buyer choice based on price alone should affect growth amongst some new customer segments, but will have little effect on the current loyal Apple user base. Unless their products begin to lose some of their luster and appeal and effectiveness, they should remain strong for the future. Force: Weak Bargaining Power of Suppliers – With Apple’s exclusive product line and OS and the relatively small number of products, they are not threatened by supplier power. Apple can easily find factories more than willing to be a part of the Apple supply chain. As their products gain more market share and production increases, Apple is in an ideal situation to manage their suppliers effectively.

Napoleon

Napoleon I was born on the French island of Corsica on the 15th of August 1769. Trained in the art of war at military academies in France, little did his supervisors know at that time that one day, this young officer was going to rise up the ranks in the army to become a General, play an important part in the French Revolution by being at the forefront of effective military operations against the First & Second Coalitions, then overthrow the same revolutionary government he helped install (1799), rule over France as First Consul and then Emperor(1804-1815) and by cleverly crafted wars and political alignments, hold offices and titles as diverse, but equally powerful, as   King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, thus effectively becoming the master of much of Mainland Europe. His military and political actions entailed significant influence on European History for years to come. [1] Following expansionary policies, from 1800-1810, the French armed forces were engaged in pitched battles against and/or in the whole of Europe. Napoleon's military and political prowess earned him a dominating influence over much of mainland Europe. His tactful masterpieces at Austerlitz and Friedland established his military power and forced alliances with weaker states, unwilling to stand up to the fury of his armies. He further consolidated his position by installing members of his family and close associates as the rulers of all states under French influence, with himself as supreme commander. [2] However, Napoleon's success story was halted by the catastrophic expedition sent to conquer Russia in 1812. He was out smarted by the retreating Russians and when he ordered a retreat following the conquest of Moscow, he ensured the destruction beyond resurrection of his own Grande Armà ©e. The powers that formed the Sixth Coalition inflicted on him another resounding defeat at Leipzig in 1813, and subsequently stepped foot on French soil. Surrounded by the invading armies, Napoleon vacated office in April 1814, and was forcefully exiled   to the island of Elba. However, refusing to admit defeat, he returned to France, established himself as ruler and proceeded to fight against his foes. However, his endeavors had limited success and he was finally defeated at the battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. He was exiled again to the uninhabited island of St. Helena where he died a quiet man in 1821. [3] Although Napoleon spent a lifetime on the battle field and his military conquests provide ample proof of his intelligence as a general, originality of technique was lacking at his end. He is credited though with the concept of fusing artillery into batteries and rearranging the military hierarchy to ensure that requirement of each core in the army was met adequately. These have become generally accepted principles in modern warfare. To this day, the Napoleonic wars are the subject of scholarly and academic study around the world. History remembers him for his military conquests and for his development of a bureaucratic structure (the Napoleonic Code), still followed in present day French. [4] Effects that Napoleon had on France In my opinion, the Napoleonic era proved healthy for France as Napoleon himself was a populist leader and developed the French armed forces into a mighty military machine. Governing France The French vote largely sided with Napoleon and approved of his actions. By the year 1804, Napoleon had established himself as unrivaled in power and authority in all of France. Realizing that the only way he could continue to consolidate his position was through garnering populist support; he continued the radical reform process while slowly tightening his grip on the political machinery. Although there was no single authority in the French state and all laws were made by an elected National Assembly (the lower house elected, the upper house appointed), Napoleon ensured that the weight age of power remained tilted towards him by choosing friendly elected candidates to the upper tier of the National Assembly. Since all laws were made by the Assemblies, Napoleon had considerable influence on all matters. [5] Napoleonic Code The Napoleonic Code was a law passed by the Napoleon administration that balanced, modernized, restructured, expanded and consolidated many of the previous reforms into a single source document. The code proclaimed the equal standing of all citizens and liberty to practice one's religion of choice and labor mobility. However, some of the driving points of the revolution were left out of this code and in many places the interests of the common man were made subordinate to the interests of the state. Some laws, including those which guaranteed the rights of females and infants/children, were also repealed. [6] French Economy and society Napoleon understood that to finance his war machinery, he needed adequate finances and thus enshrined in law that all citizens pay taxes to the national exchequer. His policies helped reduce the level of inflation and ensured that a more just and equal distribution of income and wealth could be brought about. Thus, he abolished feudalism and introduced land reforms in turn increasing peasant land ownership. Furthermore, he ensured that the peasants were rid of their obligations to the Catholic Church as he settled the differences of the Vatican and the French State. On the other hand, the nobles were given freedom to rule over their respective lands as long as they plead political, economic and military allegiance to Napoleon. Dedication to the French State and its principles of hard and honest work were acknowledged through the introduction of the Legion of Honor (1802) which remains the highest civil and military award in the Modern French State. Changes to education Education also saw attention from Napoleon and soon reform was introduced in this sector too. Government run schools were set up and the curriculum standardized. The schools advocated radical love for the country and the state. The schooling system was divided amongst the primary, secondary, military and technical schools. Although primary education remained more or less the same, the rest of the schooling system advocated discipline, unity and faith along with a strong emphasis on military training. [7] The Catholic Church Napoleon understood that although the people had strong associations with religion, reform was also the need of the hour. Therefore, he tried to find a balance between the enshrined laws of the church and his new laws. In 1801, he signed a Concordat with the Vatican thus ending the long lasting feud between the state and the Catholic Church.   The agreement changed the way Bishops were chosen. Previously elected, they would now be appointed by the French government. No one but the pope would yield influence over them. In return, the Church ended its demand that all material interests taken under custody or destroyed by the revolution be returned or compensated for. [8] Building and roads Napoleon understood that a strong infrastructure would greatly help him in war. Therefore, finances were used in the development of roads, bridges and canals to facilitate the movement of troops and goods from the rural areas to the urban centers. At the same time, to signify his own glory, Paris underwent a huge beautification program under which the existing buildings were renovated, new ones were erected and various monuments were put up to signify the greatness of Napoleon and the revolution. [9] It would be harsh to judge Napoleon as a dictator for it can be inferred that a good number of his measures were aimed at improving the affairs of the common French lot. While many of his measures were unjust, one can argue that they were the need of the hour to protect the revolution and ensure the establishment of a republic. However, his appointment of himself as emperor negates this view. France fought wars on different fronts from 1792 to 1815 in order to ensure the continuity and survival of the revolution, under threat from the armies of other European monarchist powers, afraid that revolution in France would encourage populist uprising in their own empires. Napoleon's skill and expertise ensured that the invading powers were kept at bay for as long as possible given the inherent limitations of any country. At its peak, the French empire spanned the whole of Mainland Europe. The whole area, from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the very borders of Russia was controlled by Paris. Moreover, Napoleon exported the ideology of the French revolution to all areas under French control. [10]His measures included freedom of religion, an end to serfdom, and loosening the grip of the Catholic Church on the state. The Napoleonic Code also found itself being implemented in other countries as the source law. However, calamity can strike anytime. Napoleon invaded Russia and despite his hopes of defeating the Russians quickly, saw himself engaged in a long and draining fight with the retreating Russian soldiers. Napoleon was forced to chase the retreating army deep inside Russian soil and when he finally managed to win Moscow, the gravity of the situation dawned on him. He understood that maintaining a garrison in war torn Russia was impossible and ordered a retreat and this decision co incided with the Russian winter, known for its ferocity.   The climate and the shortages of food and shelter took the lives of many soldiers while the remaining fell prey to the resurgent Russian military. Despite all his attempts to resurrect his powerful military machine, Napoleon soon found out that time was not on his side and was soon forced to abdicate following the conquest of Paris in 1814 by the Coalition powers. [11] The years from the start of the revolution to the abdication of Napoleon have had a marked effect on France in particular and Europe in general. He introduced equality and justice throughout the lands he governed and even though France returned to having an emperor, the new King had limited power. Napoleon's wars were followed by the concept of nationalism in Europe that helped shape the future Geo political landscape. In my opinion, the Napoleonic years had a resounding effect on European history and although some of his actions are controversial, it can be argued that he was able to help France move towards a republic. [12] References Baily, J.T. Herbert. Napoleon. London: The Cranford Press, 1908. Bainesville, Jacques. Napoleon. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1933. Barnett, Correlli. Bonaparte. New York: Hill and Wang, 1978. Bergeron, Louise. France Under Napoleon. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990. Bowden, Scott. The Glory Years of 1805 -1807: Napoleon and Austerlitz. Chicago: The Emperor's Press, 1997. Bruce, Evangeline. Napoleon & Josephine. New York: Kensington Books, 1995. Carrington, Dorothy. Napoleon and His Parents. New York: Dutton, 1990. [13] Castelot, Andre. Napoleon. New York: Harper and Row, 1968. Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. New York: Scribner, 1966. Connelly, Owen. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. Fort Worth: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991. Cronin, Vincent. Napoleon. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1971. Geyl, Pieter. Napoleon For and Against. London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. [1] Bainesville, Jacques. Napoleon. (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1933). 53. [2] Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. (New York: Scribner, 1966). 124 [3] Cronin, Vincent. Napoleon. (London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1971). 111 [4] Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon. (New York: Scribner, 1966). 126 [5] Bergeron, Louise. France Under Napoleon. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990). 225 [6] Baily, J.T. Herbert. Napoleon. (London: The Cranford Press, 1908). 26 [7] Castelot, Andre. Napoleon. (New York: Harper and Row, 1968). 68 [8] Connelly, Owen. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. (Fort Worth: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991). 91 [9] Connelly, Owen. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. (Fort Worth: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991). 123. [10] Cronin, Vincent. Napoleon. (London: Harper Collins Publishers, 1971). 73 [11] Geyl, Pieter. Napoleon For and Against. (London: Jonathan Cape, 1957). 58 [12] Baily, J.T. Herbert. Napoleon. (London: The Cranford Press, 1908). 192