Saturday, January 25, 2020

Technological Innovations of the Civil War

Technological Innovations of the Civil War Edward Cordero The American Civil War is known for being the most ruthless battle ever fought in American History. The outcome of the war continues to review the disturbing nature that many individuals endure for the unity of our nation. Despite its downside, the Civil War is also regarded as the first modern war.[1] During the Civil War, the improvement of weapons and technologies shaped the way Union and Confederate soldiers approached the front line.   The technological innovations also triggered the surge in death tolls and casualties of many soldiers, which justifies the reason as to why the Civil War currently leads the number of deaths in all American wars. Weapons, communication, transportation, and documentation were all challenging for both the Union Army and Confederate States Army prior to the advancement of technologies. This ultimately made the battles extremely tough and the hardship that soldiers faced is something that would be impossible to imagine in wars that are fought t oday. Therefore, the innovations of the repeating rifle, hot air balloon, telegraph, submarine, railroad, and camera all had an immediate impact on how the Civil War was fought. One of the most outstanding technological innovations of the Civil War was the repeating rifle. At the beginning of the Civil War, soldiers were forced to cope with various type of rifles until it eventually progressed to the repeaters. Soldiers from both the north and south were first given the smooth-bore muskets. The smooth-bore musket had a long barrel that was ineffective because it had a maximum range of about 300 feet.[2] Accuracy was not the only issue, but the amount of time required to reload the muskets caused frustration. Only the most well-trained soldiers will be able to load, aim and fire their weapons three times in one minute.[3] In addition, the smooth-bore muskets could only take in round shaped bullets that were nearly the same size as the diameter of the barrel, making the accuracy of the shot less effective. For soldiers to hit their target successfully, they would have to run closer to their enemies. To improve the accuracy, soldiers turned their interest to ri fled muskets or rifling. Rifled muskets are like the smooth-bore muskets, but the only difference were the design of their barrels. The rifled muskets were designed with a barrel that had grooves[4] that would allow the bullet to spin, which will result in the bullet spiraling its way to the enemy. It did not only cause intense damage to an enemy, it also extended its accuracy up to 500 yards when firing with a conical Minià ¨ ball bullet.[5] Although, both types of musket were still considered ineffective because it could only fire one bullet at a time. Thanks to Benjamin Tyler Henry, the first repeating rifle to be used in the Civil War was invented. Around 1863, Benjamin Tyler Henry invented the Henry Rifle that was capable of firing twelve shots in the span of one minute.[6] The emergence of the repeating rifles was only made available for the Union Army because the Confederates did not have the equipment nor did they have the knowledge on how to produce the rifles. This weapon made it possible for Union soldiers to fire rounds repeatedly, making it a convenient tactic when approaching enemy at a close distance. The only downside to the Henry Rifle was the time-consuming process to reload. Following the invention of the Henry Rifle was another type of repeating rifle called the Spencer Rifle. Christopher Spencer developed another version of the repeating rifle, but his invention could only fire seven rounds.[7] The Union soldiers admired the Spencer Rifle because it was much easier to reload and it could fire seven shots in 30 second.[8] One of the most famous quotes that was written by a Union Soldier in response to the development of the Spencer Rifle is, we have guns that we load up on Sunday and shoot all the rest of the week.[9] Both repeating rifles played an important role during the war, but it was the Henry Rifle that garnered most of the interest of the Union soldiers because of its higher ammunition capacity. The improvements from the rifled mu sket to the Spencer Rifle changed the way soldiers fought the war. Union soldiers were much more capable of causing immediate death to their enemy, making it possible for them to keep pressing forward. The innovation of the repeating rifles is just the beginning for the Union Army. The Union Army continued to improve their military tactics with the aid of the hot air balloon. Professor Thaddeus Lowe innovated the first ever hot air balloon that was used in the Civil War. Despite seeing success in his work, he must first demonstrate his balloon to President Abraham Lincoln.[10] On June 17, 1861, Lowe lofted upward to a height of 500 feet in his balloon- the Enterprise- from the Washington Mall in the vicinity of where the National Air Space Museum now stands.[11]After a successful demonstration, President Lincoln established a Balloon Corp in which Lowe was appointed as commander. Lowe received funds on August 2, 1861 to construct the Union, which was the first hot air balloon to be used in a military combat.[12] The purpose of incorporating the hot air balloon during the Civil War was to provide aerial reconnaissance [13]for the Union Army. The intended strategy that Lowe suggested is to ascend into the air while carrying a telegraph, another technological adv ancement for the Union Army, throughout the trip. By being 1000 feet high in the air, Lowe will be able to examine every movement the Confederate soldiers made. He would then use the telegraph to send back information to the Balloon Corp, stating the locations of the Confederate Soldiers. Easily, the Union soldiers would be able to fire accurately at the locations of the Confederates, without actually seeing them.[14] The hot air balloon provided aerial advantage for the Union Army. Technological innovations continue to be outpouring for the Union Army, following the invention of the telegraph. During the Civil War, the telegraph proved its value as a tactical, operational, and strategic communication medium and an important contributor to Union victory.[15]Samuel Morse invented the telegraph in 1844 and continued to progress until he sent the worlds first telegraph message from Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland.[16] The telegraph is a machine that made long distance communication possible by sending electric signals over a wire. Prior to Civil War, telegraph lines were seen scattered throughout the East Coast. The Western Union Telegraph Company managed to spread around 15,000 miles of telegraph cable, which was used primarily for military communication.[17] Similar to the innovation of the hot air balloon, the telegraph had to be demonstrated in order to get the approval to be utilize in war. In 1843, Morse made his first demonstration by sending the mess age, What hath God Wrought!, from Washington D.C. to Baltimore.[18] The original document that hold these historic message is located in the Library of Congress. The telegraph played a major role in the Civil War because it made communication much easier. It was used to transmit and receive important messages about the war. It was a necessary device for the Balloon Corp because in order for Professor Thaddeus Lowe to send messages to Union soldiers from the air, he must use the telegraph. The telegraph was also responsible for keeping the media up to date. Without the telegraph, the Union Army would not have that much advantage over the Confederate States Army. The Union Army had greater advantage over the Confederate States Army, but with the innovation of the submarine, the Confederate soldiers found themselves in the process of retaliating. At the beginning of the Civil War, the Union Army already had naval advantage by incorporating the ironclad warships. The ironclad warships were remarkable because it was equipped with armor-cladding[19] and for its ability to destroy while staying afloat on water. The primary purpose of the ironclad warships was to create a barrier to prevent the Confederates sailors from leaving their ports. The innovation of the submarine gave the Confederates the ability to sneak up on the ironclad ships while underwater, which was considered one of the most celebrated tactical innovations of the war.[20] There were many submarines that were developed by the Confederacy, but the most significant creation was done by William Cheeney and Horace Hunley.[21]Hunley created many submarines throughout the Civil War, but he felt the urge to continue improving the features of his submarines. The most outstanding submarine he created was called CSS H.L. Hunley. On February 1864, Hunley was ready to make the first attack with the CSS H.L. Hunley. Lieutenant George Dixon, along with his crew, set out and found the Unions USS Housatonic, an ironclad warship. At this point, Dixon and his crew submerged away from the enemy and rammed the Housatonic with a spar torpedo protruding from the front of the sub.[22] The torpedo managed to hit the side of the enemys ship and was sunk within five minutes. Hence, the CSS H.L. Hunley secured a spot in history as being the first submarine to destroy an enemy ship.[23] Unfortunately, hours after the successful attack, the CSS H.L. Hunley sunk and was never seen again. The submarine played a major role in the Civil War for the Confederates because it gave them the greater advantage in naval warfare. Despite the Union Armys aggression on land, the Confederate States Army were establishing their dominance underwater. Technological innovations seem to be a competition, but the innovation of the railroad was impactful for both the Union and Confederates. Prior to the innovation of the railroad, it was difficult to transport reinforcement troops, weapons, and other military resources. Railroads dramatically increased strategic (and often operational) mobility and armies due to their ability to carry large amount of troops and supplies rapidly.[24] The innovation of the railroad differs between the north and south. The Union Army still had the greater advantage because it constructed 20,000 miles of track, compare to the Confederates 9,000 miles of track.[25] This resulted in the Union Army scattering equipped troops throughout the northern region rapidly. Since the railroad was seen as an advantage for both sides, it made sense that they will try to destroy each others railroad operation. The Union Army created a strategy to attack and divide the Confederacy into non-supporting and isolated zones by cutting water and existing rail transportation line.[26] The Confederate Army wanted to play equal by destroying fixed rail facilities[27] in which the Union Army needed in order to transport troops and supplies. Although, the Confederates did not have that much advantage with the railroads, but they were the first to use trains to their advantage.[28] Since the production of military equipment were increasing during the Civil War, it would be considered useless without a large system to transport and distribute. In addition, without the railroads, animals would be the only option for the means of transportation. The technological innovation that made the Civil War the first war to be documented,[29] was the innovation of the camera. The camera differs from other technological innovations of the Civil War, only because it was not used for military purposes. The camera played a major role during the Civil War because it allowed the horrors and glory of war to be seen by the public for the first time.[30]   One of the most famous photographers during the Civil War was Mathew Brady. Brady did not capture most of the images himself, but he did hire Alexander Gardner and Timothy OSullivan to work in his studio.[31]Capturing photographs during the Civil War was a difficult process because the equipment was heavy and it was time-consuming. Hence, there were no action captured images of the war. It was also a dangerous process because the chemicals that were necessary involved sulfuric acid[32]and it had to be mixed by hand. Wet-plate photography and stereo views photography were two types of method used to capture gruesome images of dead soldiers, as well as the locations where battles had taken place.[33] The stereo views photography was the most popular because it created three-dimensional images. The innovation of the camera made it possible for the memory of the Civil War to live on forever. Without the camera, primary sources of the Civil War would be limited to written documents and artifacts. The photographs captured from the Civil War reveals the technologies that were used and it also give a glimpse of the life soldiers endure. This advancement did not only affect how the war was viewed, but it also inspired future combat photographer[34] to take their camera and venture out to other battlefields such as the Vietnam War and WWII. [1] The US Civil War, the First Modern War, Aeragon, accessed March 5, 2017, http://www.aeragon.com/03/, Par. 1. [2] Civil War Innovations, PBS, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/civil-war-innovations/, Par. 6. [3] The US Civil War, the First Modern War, Aeragon, accessed March 5, 2017, http://www.aeragon.com/03/, par. 19. [4] Civil War Innovations, PBS, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/civil-war-innovations/, par. 6. [5] Richard Moorehead, Technology and the American Civil War, Military Review, vol. 84, no. 3 (2004), last modified June 2004, https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-665061951/technology-and-the-american-civil-war, par. 2. [6] The US Civil War, the First Modern War, Aeragon, accessed March 5, 2017, http://www.aeragon.com/03/, par. 20. [7] Ibid., par. 21. [8] Civil War Technology, A+E Networks, accessed March 9, 2017, http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/civil-war-technology, par. 5. [9] Ibid., par. 6. [10] Army Balloon Corps, Genesee Country Village and Museum, accessed March 3, 2017, https://www.gcv.org/Historic-Village/The-Intrepid/Army-Balloon-Corps, par. 2. [11] Ibid. [12] Ibid., par. 4. [13] Ibid., par. 1. [14] Ibid., par. 5. [15] David Hochfelder, The Telegraph, Essential Civil War Curriculum, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.essentialcivilwarcurriculum.com/the-telegraph.html, par. 1. [16] The US Civil War, the First Modern War, Aeragon, accessed March 5, 2017, http://www.aeragon.com/03/, par. 36. [17] Civil War Innovations, PBS, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/civil-war-innovations/, par. 1. [18] Morse Code the Telegraph, A+E Network, accessed March 11, 2017, http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/telegraph, par. 6. [19] Civil War Innovations, PBS, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/civil-war-innovations/, par. 8. [20] David Stauffer and Lewis West, The Civil and early submarine warfare, The Gilder Lehrman: Institute of American History, accessed March 3, 2017, https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/american-civil-war/resources/civil-war-and-early-submarine-warfare-1863, par. 1. [21] Civil War Submarines, American Civil War Story, accessed March 12, 2017, http://www.americancivilwarstory.com/civil-war-submarine.html, par. 19. [22] Ibid., par. 31. [23] Ibid. [24] David Hollis, The Impact of Railroads on Warfare During the American Civil War, Tocwoc, last modified February 16, 2010, http://www.brettschulte.net/CWBlog/2010/02/16/the-impact-of-railroads-on-warfare-during-the-american-civil-war/, par. 4. [25] Civil War Innovations, PBS, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/civil-war-innovations/, par. 3. [26] David Hollis, The Impact of Railroads on Warfare During the American Civil War, Tocwoc, last modified February 16, 2010, http://www.brettschulte.net/CWBlog/2010/02/16/the-impact-of-railroads-on-warfare-during-the-american-civil-war/, par. 6. [27] Ibid., par. 7. [28] Civil War Innovations, PBS, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/civil-war-innovations/, par. 4. [29] Rebecca Brooks, Civil War Photography, Civil War Saga, Last modified August 9, 2011, http://civilwarsaga.com/civil-war-photography/, par. 1. [30] Ibid. [31] Ibid., par. 4. [32] Ibid., par. 7. [33] Ibid., par. 6. [34] Photography and the Civil War, Civil War Trust, accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.civilwar.org/photos/3d-photography-special/photography-and-the-civil-war.html, par. 12.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Effectiveness of Airasia’s Performance Measurement System Essay

We could see that this system used by AirAsia is successful as they have been doing really well and improving since year 2001 from first airline in the world to introduce mobile booking, to be a public listed company on the Malaysia Stocks Exchange (Bursa Malaysia), after having on 22 November 2004. In line with its growth and expansion plans, AirAsia has secured a 175 aircraft commitment with Airbus for its A320s. The 175 aircraft order will place AirAsia as the single largest customer for the aircraft in Asia-Pacific, and potentially one of the largest airline fleets in the region. On 23 of March 2006, AirAsia successfully moved its operations to the new Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). This is a major milestone as it is the first dedicated terminal for low cost carrier operations in the world. Besides that, they have achieved many more heights even in the past 2 year. AirAsia are focus on its performance measurement system and made sure that whatever they do are in line with the system and try as hard to meet its benchmark. For example, to ensure the safety of guest and employees, the â€Å"List of Checks for Airbus A320† is created. These safety procedures include strict aircraft maintenance, constant updating and training of technicians and flight crew. Once any problems occur during this checklist, immediate action will be taken, making sure it is safe and no problems will occur. Because if the safety are threaten, it will influence the investors, potential customers and rest of the stakeholders to loose confidence in AirAsia, making it hard for AirAsia to achieve their vision. With all this achievements, awards and significant milestones in just 6 years, it is obvious to see that the performance measurement system that AirAsia is using is effective and efficient. This system set a very good benchmark to all the key elements in helping AirAsia achieve its vision and goals. By following the system, AirAsia gives priority on areas like cost efficiency, branding, product development, growth, human capital, safety of guest and employee. The performance measurement system applied manage identify prominent areas that will affect its business and lead it towards its goal and vision.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Raphael The Madonna of the Candelabra Essays - 898 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Raphael: The Madonna of the Candelabra nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During the Italian Renaissance Raphael was one of the most influential artists. He painted many brilliant pieces, mastering the use of depth, perspective, and the use of shadow and light. Throughout his life, Raphael used the Madonna as a reoccurring subject in his work. One example of this subject is the Madonna of the Candelabra. This dark shadowy portrayal exemplifies the pure and humanistic ideals of the Madonna that made Raphael’s versions so well known and loved throughout the ages. The timeless beauty and grace that he captured and the realistic qualities of his work are†¦show more content†¦He seemed to go over the areas that he believed needed further work with darker strokes of the pen. He always strived for the perfect rendition of a naturalistic pose. His next quandary was the landscapes that would determine the location, be it a field or as in the case of the Madonna of the Candelabra, a shadowy curtained area. He was said to have had his apprentices pose so that he could capture just the right position that Mary would assume in the painting as related to the landscape(Pope-Hennessy 180). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;While Raphael was influenced by other artists of the time, such as Michelangelo and Leonardo, he remained unique in his individual style. Raphael began to use the previous renditions of the Madonna as an influence. The symbolism of the Madonna is that of beauty and grace while incorporating a sense of pureness associated with her. The use of the candles in this particular Madonna show the light of Christ that is being brought into the world by Mary. She is giving birth to the light of the world, according to the Christian faith. The halos around her head and the head of Christ add to the feeling of holiness that the painting was intended to imply. The other figures appear to be angels overlooking the mother and child, as if guardians from heaven sent to watch over them like a shepherd watches over his sheep. There is no reason that this painting was named the Madonna of the Candelabra other than the fact of the presence of theShow MoreRelatedEssay about Manne rism in Florence and Rome2819 Words   |  12 PagesMannerism in Florence and Rome - considered to be more self- consciously artificial - derived from aspects of Raphael and Michelangelo - cold formalism was considered to be inner vision Rosso - (1494-1540), Italian painter, whose early works helped define Italian mannerism - later was a founder of French mannerism - was born Giovanni Battista di Jacopo di Guasparre in Florence - early work had odd perspectives, violent colors, and harsh lighting - 1523 Rosso moved to Rome, where

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

External Environment And Internal Environment On The...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This assignment enlightens on environmental influences that have derived automobile industry to adopt a significant change. This assignment consists of the four dominant companies in the automobile industries and how they have adopted to work in line with the changes in the environmental factors. This assignment looks into the external environment and internal environment for the leading powers in the automobile industry. External environment explains the major forces outside the organization that have the potential to significantly influence the likely success of products and services such as competitors, suppliers, technological element and many more. For Instance, the competitive environment for Toyota and the†¦show more content†¦It has held its reputation of being the World’s largest motorcycle manufacture since it claimed that position in 1964. Ford: In 1903, Henry Ford established Ford Motor Company and five years later the company launched the first Model T. Ford introduced revolutionary new mass production methods and In 1913 Ford introduced world’s first moving assembly line for cars. Ford company earned the number 1 spot on annual list of Interbrand’s 50 Best Global Green Brands. Ford Motor Company had been awarded twice by Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. Ford has also received hundreds of awards recognizing the values the company portrays as an employer and workplace inclusivity. Proton: Malaysia’s automobile, Proton is formed on May 7 1983. It is formerly known as Perusahaan Otomobil National Berhad. Proton used to manufacture, assemble and sell motor vehicles and other related products. Proton produced Malaysia’s first car called the Proton Saga which is officially launched on July 9th 1985. It produces different type of model. Proton was well known in Malaysia as it is cheaper than other automobile. Proton have gained a remarkable international presence in 27 countries with a net profit of RM 84.7 million on the first quarter of 2010 EXTERNAL FACTORS 1. COMPETITORS Toyota uses Five Porter Model Analysis very successfully to gain their competitive advantages. First, Competitive Rivalry is one of the Five Forces analysis which determines how firmsShow MoreRelatedThe Production Side Of The Business Industry1710 Words   |  7 PagesAn industry in simple words could be described as hard work. The broader explanation would be that an industry is related to the production side of the business. Meaning it refers to the manufacturing and processing of raw materials to produce products and services. All this production takes place within an economy and the revenue of a particular company is indicated by its industry. The Industrial revolution is what led to factories being built for large-scale production purposes. Industries canRead MoreToyota Executive Summary and Strategy Assessment1477 Words   |  6 Pagesprovides them with as much of a competitive advantage. They may also want to consider investing more in the emerging markets like China and Europe, as well as areas in Africa. They are currently a leader in environmentally friendly technology in the industry, and they should put more emphasis on this because it is becoming more and more important. This is also a great way to separate themselves from competitors. Key Evidence Some of the key evidence to support this involves productivity measuresRead MoreInvention of the Combustion Engine1570 Words   |  7 Pagesand engineers developed a practical, effective internal combustion engine that greatly affected the world. This paper will give opposing views on the background and analyze the effects it had on transportation and the environment. The invention of the internal combustion engine sprouted from the work of several engineers and inventors across Europe and into America. First, in 1859, Jean-Joseph Etienne Lenoir developed the first practical internal combustion engine which after many modificationsRead MoreBusiness Strategies Of The Automobile Industry1553 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION: The automobile industry is vast and complex in its operations as it involves the process of manufacturing and marketing vehicles and thus comprises of huge risk. As the auto mobile industry is prone to major challenges such as becoming customer centric, managing overcapacity, balancing between marketing, advertising and branding to be sustainable, and to make profits in the commoditised market makes essential for the automobile industry to efficiently plan and implement business strategiesRead MoreNissan Pest Analysis856 Words   |  4 Pagesmodel aims to examine the external environment of Nissan, which in this case is the automobile industry. We will particularly expand on the political, economic, social and technological aspects. The political environment of the automobile industry encompasses government regulations such as corporate tax and international trade regulations. Worldwide, cars are subjected to corporate tax by the government of approximately 6%. For instance, in Mex ico, it is 6.25% (Internal Revenue Service). If the governmentRead MoreThe primary internal and external influence on the General Motors Corporation3836 Words   |  16 PagesExecutive summaryThis report analyzes the primary internal and external influence on the General Motors Corporation and the influence of changing political environment on policy making and response of the corporation. Then the report discusses the changing political environment in and its influence. The influences of political environment on policies and decision making to the corporation are analyzed. The corporation response to the political environment changing is critically evaluated. At last, someRead MoreExternal Environment Of Mercedes Benz Usa1127 Words   |  5 PagesBryan Shipley BA 422W Individual Assignment 1 The basic external environment of Mercedes Benz USA (MBUSA) includes the economy, competition, government regulations, and the luxury automobile industry. The internal environment includes the current management structure, employees, the culture within the organization, and the current financial state of the company. This paper will analyze these components of the internal and external environments of Mercedes Benz USA as well as highlight the opportunitiesRead MoreTucker Case767 Words   |  4 Pages1948 Tucker Sedan was fueled by both internal and external innovation. Internal innovation happens when a new feature or version is implemented to an already existing product and is driven by ones own desire. Tucker exhibited internal innovation with his car by adding his own new features like seat belts, moving lights, a back engine, disc breaks, and a futuristic design. External innovation can be defined as improving a product and being motivated by external forces. Tucker was ex tremely motivatedRead MoreA Firms Superior Performance1544 Words   |  7 Pagessituation which are comprised of two distinct facets: external environment and internal environment (Thompson et al., 2016). It is generally accepted that the performance of a company is accelerated when the strategy encompasses the alignment of both external and internal environments of a company (Kaplan Norton, 2008; Maier Pop, 2012). In spite of this consensus, there is a longstanding debate regarding whether external or internal environment has greater influence on the company’s performanceRead MoreChevrolet Internal and External Factors1523 Words   |  7 PagesChevrolet - Internal and External Factors On November 3, 1911, Swiss race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Company in Detroit with William C. Durant and investment partners William Little and Dr. Edwin R. Campbell and in 1912 Internal and External Factors Many external and internal elements affect the way in which companies are controlled. Chevrolet, among the Large 3 Automobile Producers in the United States of America. Globalization, technology