Thursday, March 26, 2020

Arthur Zimmermann - Profile

Arthur Zimmermann - Profile Arthur Zimmerman worked as the German Foreign Secretary during 1916-17 (mid World War 1), during which time he sent the Zimmermann Note / Telegram, a document whose clumsy diplomacy (trying to trigger a Mexican invasion of the US) contributed to America’s entry into the war and earned Zimmerman lasting infamy as a hapless failure. Born 5 October 1864, Died 6 June 1940. Early Career Born in 1864 Marggrabowa, East Prussia (now called Olecko and in Poland), Arthur Zimmermann followed a career in the German civil service, moving to the diplomatic branch in 1905. By 1913 he had a major role thanks partly to the Foreign Secretary, Gottlieb von Jagow, who left much of the face to face negotiations and meetings to Zimmermann. Indeed, Arthur was acting as Foreign Secretary alongside German Emperor Wilhelm II and Chancellor Bethmann Hollweg in 1914 when the decision to support Austria-Hungary against Serbia, and thus Russia, and thus enter into the First World War, was taken. Zimmermann himself drafted the telegram giving notice of Germanys commitment. Soon most of Europe was fighting each other, and hundreds of thousands were being killed. Germany, in the middle of it all, managed to stay afloat. Arguments Over Submarine Strategy Jagow remained Foreign Secretary until the middle of 1916, when he resigned in protest at the governments decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare, which was likely to provoke a US declaration of war against Germany. This style of warfare involved using submarines to attack any and all shipping they found, whether or not it appeared to be from neutral nations (although American was using an odd sort of neutrality at the best of times), and one major target was US civilian and shipping craft. The US had warned earlier in the war that such tactics might induce it to fight Germany.Zimmermann was appointed his replacement on November 25, thanks partly to his talents, but mainly to his complete support of the military rulers – Hindenburg and Ludendorff – and the submarine policy, which was now going to going ahead. Reacting to the threat from America, Zimmermann proposed an alliance with both Mexico and Japan to create a ground war on US soil. However, the telegram of instructions he sent to his Mexican ambassador in March 1917 was intercepted by the British (not entirely honourably, but there was   a war on) and passed onto the US for maximum effect: it became known as the Zimmermann Note, severely embarrassed Germany and contributed to the American publics support for war. They were, as you might imagine, angered by Germany trying to bring bloodshed to their own country, and were now keener on exporting some of their own in return. A Lack of Denials For reasons that still baffle political spokesmen, Zimmermann publicly admitted to the telegram’s authenticity. Zimmermann remained Foreign Secretary for a few more months, until he retired from government in the August of 1917 (largely because there wasnt a job for him anymore). He lived until 1940 and died with Germany again at war, his career overshadowed by one short communication.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Johnny Tremain Essays - Johnny Tremain, 2nd Millennium, Time

Johnny Tremain Essays - Johnny Tremain, 2nd Millennium, Time Johnny Tremain Johnny Tremain takes place in pre-Revolutionary Boston. Johnny Tremain is boy who is proudtoo proud. His pride made him overconfident. He pretty much planned all of his life while he was young; he would be a silversmith and marry Cilla. His mother dies when he is fourteen years old. Before his mother died, he was apprenticed to a silversmith named Mr. Lapham. When his mother died, she gave him a silver cup that showed that he was a member of the Lyte family. The cup signifies that he is related to the famous merchant Lyte who was very rich. One Sunday, in order to get a silver basin for Mr. John Hancock done on time, Johnny broke the Sabbath and cast a silver pitcher. Dove, who is very unintelligent and jealous of Johnny gave him a cracked crucible and it spilled all over the stove top and Johnny went to get it but it burned his hand. Mr. Lapham sent out for a midwife to come and fix his hand because they didnt want to get caught working on the Sabbath by a doctor. She wrapped it up together and it crippled and stuck together which meant he couldn't work as a silversmith anymore. Johnnys master, Mr. Lapham, said that he would always have a home there. Soon Mr. Lapham was getting impatient and Johnny knew that he needed to get a job. So Johnny went out to find a job. He had a rough time finding a job because nobody wanted a so-called crippled boy who supposedly couldn't do anything. After searching and searching for a new job, he was offered a job by a boy named Rab who was about his age to deliver the Boston Observer, which was a town newspaper. Johnny became a messenger for the Sons of Liberty, a group of patriots that includes Sam Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock. Johnny wanted to get to Lexington, so he made himself look like a soldier and tore open his shirt and smeared mud and blood on his face and body. He successfully slipped past the soldiers and got to Lexington. When he got there, he saw Pumpkin and gave him some clothes to escape and Pumpkin gave Johnny his uniform and a gun. Johnny dressed up and got to Dr. Warren. Dr. Warren fixed his crippled hand by cutting the skin. Johnny later finds out that Rab had been killed in the war. Dr. Warren tried to save him but could not because he had been fatally wounded.