Friday, November 29, 2019
Article -New York Times Essays - Pornography Law,
Article -New York Times The New York Times Hearings End in Online Pornography Case By PAMELA MENDELS PHILADELPHIA -- A federal online pornography law will either unconstitutionally chill free speech on a variety of commercial Web sites or spur the creation of sensible screens between children and sites that exist to sell pornography. Those were the opposing views expressed Wednesday during the final day of hearings in United States District Court here to decide whether the new law, the Child Online Protection Act, should be blocked by a preliminary injunction. Judge Lowell A. Reed Jr. had asked both sides to be prepared to respond to a list of 19 questions he had regarding the case. And in their answers, lawyers continued to try to build their cases for or against the law. Ann Beeson, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, which is fighting the law, said that the statute would require free Web sites containing certain sexually explicit material either to eliminate that content or risk driving viewers away through registration or age-verification mechanisms. Therefore, she said, the law creates a very strong financial disincentive to create or publish work, adding that there is a risk of a chilling effect on free speech. But Justice Department lawyers, defending the law, argued that its language is clear enough to apply only to sites that exist to promote pornography. Furthermore, said one of the lawyers, Rupa Bhattacharyya, The First Amendment allows you to speak freely; it does not necessarily guarantee you a profit to speak. The law requires operators of commercial Web sites to bar those under 17 years of age from any sexually explicit material defined as harmful to minors. Violators face penalties of up to 6 months in prison and $50,000 in fines. Judge Reed is expected to issue a decision sometime Monday before the midnight expiration of a temporary restraining order that has blocked the law from being enforced. The law was signed last October by President Clinton, but it has never gone into effect. In response to one of the judge's questions, Christopher A. Hansen, another lawyer for the ACLU, which is challenging the law with 16 other groups and businesses, indicated that the statute's wording could put at risk all kinds of businesses not engaged in selling pornography. The Justice Department has said that only sites that produce material harmful to minors in the regular course of business would be subject to the law. But Hansen argued that this phrase could apply to any work produced by a Web publisher regardless of whether it is a common endeavor for the site. The point is significant because many of the plaintiffs in the case are online news operations, booksellers, art galleries or other sites that do not exist to post sexually explicit materials but, on occasion, might. A gallery, for example, could well post an image of a nude or a news organization may have posted the report by the Whitewater independent counsel, Kenneth Starr, with its sexually graphic passages. We believe it [the regular course of business] refers to a record made as part of the business, Hansen said. Karen Y. Stewart, a Justice Department lawyer, insisted, however, that the term applied to businesses that regularly produce material harmful to minors. The character of its business is defined by communications of that sort, she said. The lawyers also disagreed about a number of other fine points. Hansen, for example, argued that the law could apply to links and not just content or images on Web sites; Bhattacharyya disputed this. The judge, whose measured tone throughout the six days of hearings has betrayed little indication of which way he might be leaning, also wondered why the words educational and medical were omitted from the definition of harmful to minors. Under the law, sexually explicit material is considered harmful to minors if it meets all parts of a three-part test. The third part is that the content must lack scientific, literary, artistic, or political value for minors. Is sexually explicit educational or medical information that is not scientific, literary, artistic, or political similarly excluded? Judge Reed wrote in his questions to the lawyers. Hansen said that the omission is significant, because many state harmful to minors statutes pointedly include the two extra words. Bhattacharyya insisted, on the contrary, that educational and medical material would be protected under the broader meaning of scientific, literary, artistic, or political content. The hearings, originally scheduled to last
Monday, November 25, 2019
Some Perennial Grammar Questions
Some Perennial Grammar Questions Some Perennial Grammar Questions Some Perennial Grammar Questions By Maeve Maddox The DWT team appreciate the great feedback to Daniels question What topics do you want to see covered in the blog? and are busily responding. Questions of grammar and usage are never out of date. Doubtless well be writing new posts on topics that have been dealt with in the past. Preposition usage, for example, could fill a book. Here are some of the recent suggestions, together with links to archived posts that may have already addressed them. Verbs used intransitively and transitivelyâ⬠¦ English grammar 101 introduction to the English verb â⬠¦if you could address who/whom it would be great Beware of whom the difference between principle and principal Principle or principal the difference between assume and presume. Is there a difference between assume and presume? Iââ¬â¢d like to know when (or if) it became acceptable to refer to an individual in the military as a troop, i.e. ââ¬Å"Three troops were injured today.â⬠Soldiers or Troops? Plural possessives? The possessive apostrophe When to form a plural with an apostrophe give a list of ALL the parts of speechâ⬠¦ English grammar 101 parts of speech use of the subjunctive subjunctive if I was The subjunctive mood I wish I were Do you have an archive so I could catch up on topics already covered? Archives Please do a blog on the difference between lie (recline) and lay and their conjugations. Lay/lie moribund but not dead yet Mixing up lay and lie the difference and usage of ââ¬Ëpassedââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëpastââ¬â¢ Passed vs past Confusing passed with past Taking another pass-at ââ¬Å"passedâ⬠I recall an experience from my days of classroom teaching. Id just given a lesson on the use of the apostrophe to form the possessive. The students had been attentive and I was certain that my explanations and illustrations had been especially inspired. Still glowing as I passed a senior teacher, I shared my feeling that Id settled the apostrophe problem for that group of students once and for all. I can still see the kind, but pitying expression that flitted across her face. Common errors are common for a reason. At some level, the error makes sense to us. Once an error is habitual, effort and repetition are required to rid ourselves of the habit. And the first explanation is not necessarily the one that will prove effective in clarifying the matter. Keep those suggestions coming. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartComma Before ButHow often is "bimonthly"?
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Classification of Classical Criminology Term Paper
Classification of Classical Criminology - Term Paper Example Statistics reveal the grim situation prevalent in political, social, economical, educational, entertainment, and even familial circles. The controversy on treating criminology as an academic stream exists and it is difficult to argue either in favor of it or oppose it. For instance, the issue of capital punishment is raging currently with the proponents and opponents engaged in a war of words in print and electronic media. In this cacophony and confusion, the Human Rights' Commission and their supporters claim that: the death sentence amounts to state or judiciary-sponsored murder, that it does not serve the purpose as a deterrent to potential killers, it does not take into account the basic rights of the dependants of the condemned man for a decent livelihood, and finally, that the state should rather reform the convicts so that they learn to lead a better life in society and atone for his wrongdoing by engaging in social services under the state's dictum. Every civilized society in the world has penal codes and most contain the capital punishments. The civilized society's contention is that obliteration of capital punishment from the statute book will only prod lawbreakers to commit their wanton acts with impunity. The eye-for-eye and tooth-for-tooth kind of justice prevalent in some countries like Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have succeeded in maintaining a healthy sense of fear of the law among its citizens. So, on the one hand, justice has to be done to the perpetrator of the crime in a way that metes out punishment for the crime and at the same time also leaves him enough scope to transform. Also, the ordinary citizens longing for an orderly peaceful society has the assurance at all times that their security concerns are not compromised while dispensing justice to the criminal. (Criminology). Crime can be broadly classified into two groups of categories.Ã Ã
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
How does Harold's article on The Sopranos either complicate or further Essay
How does Harold's article on The Sopranos either complicate or further the arguments put forth in Garrett's text about TV Anti-Heroes and what they represent in our society - Essay Example This argument has been furthered by ââ¬Å"A Man Never Never Landâ⬠, this is because the article postulated that the heroes of today have colossal psychological flaw; this is because they have a self-serving lies. They are normally filled with self-pity, venality, sloth, and lust. They are regarded to be self-deceiving and morally blind. Additionally, they are deemed obnoxious, unfaithful, and brash. This is supplements the argument of Garrett which that ââ¬Å"We live in Post-World War II eraâ⬠. According to Tony Soprano, the issue of morality was white and black; it was compared to Nazis vs. us. The Nazis were rated as bad people. However, in the war of today, the wrangles and conflict are ambiguous, including using torture. ââ¬Å"A moral Never Never Land: Identifying with Tony Sopranoâ⬠argued that people now have to employ morally unacceptable mechanism of fighting terrorists and the moral ambiguity is engraved in the upcoming anti-hero. Harold further explains that to add to the heroes that were heavily flawed, there are pressure from the prison system, big business, bureaucracy, and the structure of power that is full of bribe in conforming to forces that are not good. Rather they have rebelled against themselves, even if using the trickery a nd dishonesty could be portrayed as heroic. ââ¬Å"A moral Never Never Land: Identifying with Tony Sopranoâ⬠further argues that there is confidence crisis in the democratic leaders and processes that created a surrounding of nihilistic, disaffected, and cynical hero. This turning point during the Morally Deformed Hero Regime, happened with ââ¬Å"A moral Never Never Land: Identifying with Tony Sopranoâ⬠, when millions of people loved him. The ruthless sociopath and businessperson became close that the moral boundaries blurred in the regime of the hyper-competitive Darwinism. In the docket, both Nazis and Us failed in effecting the change in
Monday, November 18, 2019
In your opinion, would having different times for different ages to Essay
In your opinion, would having different times for different ages to Trick-or-Treat be a good idea, why or why not - Essay Example However, the fear, anxiety and to the extreme trauma caused by these images to the young children has raised recent discussions on the means of reducing their impact on these children. Arguments raised in objection of the treat-or-treat these images may be very disturbing to the children, as they exposes the children to all types of horrific characters. As a suggestion therefore, some people propose age and time restr4ictions to these events. The argument hold that the young should go on the door to door trick-or-treat visit early in the day, while the juveniles wait until later in the night to seek their treat. Personally, I do not think this will solve any problem due to a number of reasons, as expressed in this essay. The argument appears to disobey the very meaning of the event, ââ¬Å"Halloweenâ⬠. Additionally, the children, whether indoors or outdoors, cannot avoid the images of Halloween as they can see them anyway. Finally, It is not the treat associated with Halloween t hat is the biggest fun, and largely, some children do not need the treat anyway. In fact, most the teenagers who take part hope to miss the candy and the goodies, for them to do their trick. As such, it is the fun, the eerie feeling presented by the horrific images, and the fear that teenagers instil on other people with their dressing that is the greatest fun. What is the main reason for dressing in such attire if not to create fear and anxiety? Some of the costumes that children put on cost a fortune, one that the candy and the goodies cannot repay. Choosing to dress in the scariest and horrifying costumes, the children hope to have as much fun as they can. After all, this is an annual festival. Therefore, a policy that seeks to separate children and teenagers into different groups would spoil the much fun that Halloween offers. The children choose their most convenient time to go for the treat-or-trick event. When they feel ready to go, they alert their parents, who tag along and take care of them, especially by providing security. Therefore, Halloween is an optional event only the interested people take part in. They stay indoors, protecting their children from the trauma and the anxiety created by the images. By being not a mandatory festival, most of the parents who wish not to take part in the Halloween leave their goodies and candy at their gate or doorstep, where the Halloween children would find them and leave without any tricks or showing their Halloween costumes. Those who feel that the event causes too much fear, anxiety, and trauma to their children should adopt this method of protecting their children, instead of spoiling the entire event. Further, such parents can, if their children want to take part in the event, decide to let them take part early in the day, and by evening let them in to avoid the images caused by Halloween. Children, whether indoors or outdoors cannot avoid the Halloween images completely. Being indoors, other children seeki ng for a treat have to visit their homes. Children, with their curiosity can peep through the windows to see the Halloween costumes that other children have put on. This way, they can see them, therefore creating the fear and anxiety in them. Outdoors, there are countless billboards and posters, as well as live advertisements of Halloween parties in
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Most Appropriate Ethics System For The Accounting Profession Philosophy Essay
Most Appropriate Ethics System For The Accounting Profession Philosophy Essay I am only one, but still I am one; I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do (Brown, 2008, p. 1). The world we live in comes in diverse and multifaceted societies. The United States is considered to have violent societies in the industrialized world. One set of apprehensions has to do with crime and destructive behavior rioting, shooting or mugging. However, concerns for the moral improvement of professionals deal with different issues. Professionals, by virtue of having made it through years of schooling and supervised work, usually have average impulse control, self-discipline, self-regulation abilities, ego strength, and social skills (Rest Narvaez, 1994). The United States has a long tradition of creation of wealth through stakeholders. For more than a decade, however, the public has shown a rising sensitivity to unethical behavior due to the pursuit of power and money. Public trust in the services offered by professional accountants has declined in recent years due to occurrences of unethical behavior in the profession (Spiceland, Sepe, and Tomassini, 2004). The unethical behavior of managers is an issue that is likely to stay in the public eye for quite some time. A 1987 popular movie portrayed the dishonest dealings of people involved in securities trading based on nonpublic information. The primary character was portrayed by actor Michael Douglas, who, in a dramatic scene says, Greed is good! The connotation is that greed is an acceptable motivation and that people in business will do anything to make money, which includes engagement to unethical behavior. Accountants have significant role in the public eye. In performing their task they are asked to take certain roles. They accept at the same time the resulting obligations and moral responsibilities by accepting certain roles. Accountants can be found performing daily tasks in situations governed by a complex set of rules, principles, and practices (Riahi-Belkaoui, 2004). In performing their roles, accountants face formal or legal rules of behavior, but also moral elements created by specific situations. According to Theodore Roosevelt, To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society. The societies are governed with values by which people live. The system of values is referred to as philosophy. The principles and rules people use to decide what is right or wrong are referred to as moral philosophy. Ethics is the study that is concerned with the nature of ultimate value, and the standards by which human actions can be judged right or wrong (Rainbow, 2002). Society has higher expectations ethically of professionals and, as a consequence, the law holds them to a higher standard of due care. One of the characteristics that differentiate a profession from an occupation is the code of ethics that guides the profession. It is true that ethical standards cannot be codified to cover every situation. However, if professionals desire to strive for the higher levels of ethical behavior, there needs to be a more effective understanding and application of clear and uniform standards of right and wrong. Various accounting organizations promote high standards of ethical behavior. One of which is the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), which is a professional organization that serves certified public accountants who work for public accounting firms or other organizations. The code of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) emphasizes the obligations of the certified public accountants to serve the public interest, and their responsibility to act with integrity, objectivity, independence and in professional care. Specific responsibilities of the accounting profession are expressed in the various codes of ethics promulgated. According to Zucker (1986), the basis upon which the accounting profession was founded and continues to exist is public trust, which is the degree to which the public has confidence in the services provided by the accounting profession. There are various categories of ethical perspectives or models of ethical thinking that are applicable to accounting. Two well-known frameworks of ethical system theories are utilitarian and the deontological. Accountants can best understand these ethical views by comparing and contrasting the fundamental moral principles of each ethical theory, and determining which ethics system is most appropriate for the accounting profession. Utilitarian Ethics Utilitarianism is an ethical system that is most often attributed to philosophers such as John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism is the ethical principle that considers an action to be morally right or wrong based solely on the consequences that result from performing it. The right action is the one that brings the best consequences or the greatest amount of utility. It advocated the rule and goal of the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Maximizing the happiness within the society is believed to be the most ethical thing to do. It is thus frequently considered as consequentialism since it believes that outcomes can be predicted and because it judges actions based on their outcomes. John Stuart Mill says: Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principles, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, and wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. Happiness is intended to be pleasure, the absence of pain, and the privation of pleasure. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory of conduct where, under any given circumstances, an action is objectively right, if it will generally produce the greatest amount of happiness, taking into account all whose happiness is affected by the conduct. Under this system, the merits of an action are evaluated by considering the total benefits and the total cost created by the action for human society (Darwall, 2003). The rules ensure the greatest good for the most people and speed-up the decision-making process. The rules do not guarantee a positive outcome all the time, but generally following the rules generates positive outcomes. One of the major problems of utilitarianism is the ambiguity of the statement, The greatest good for the greatest number of people. For example, there are ten units of pleasures to be distributed to ten people. The easiest way to give them out is giving each a unit of pleasure. But suppose four people passionately love the units of pleasure and the other six do not care about the units of pleasure. Then would it make sense if two units of pleasure will be given to the four people who passionately love them, and none to the five or six people who do not care? So the problem of fairness is present, as well as the problem of how things should be distributed. Ultimately, when goods are maximize, some people get much and the others get a few or nothing at all. For example, an accountant takes a companys money for a few days and deposits it in his own account before putting it in the account of the company, thereby personally gaining the interest on the businesss money. It might be in his best interest, but in the best interest of the greater number of people. It is an unethical action since it will clearly harm more people more that it will help; the action is unjustified since it can harm others. Another example is the act of bribery, which is generally wrong. Bribery could be considered a general guideline by the utilitarian ethical system. If paying a bribe generated a contract which would keep a firm in business and people gainfully employed, a utilitarian may conclude that bribery is justified. The utilitarianism recognizes this subjection, and assumes it for the foundation of that system, the object of which is to rear the fabric of felicity by the hands of reason and of law. Ethical systems which attempt to question this way of livi ng, deal in sounds instead of sense, on impulse instead of reason, in darkness instead of light (Alexander, 2007, p. 1). Furthermore, in utilitarianism, the decision of which things should be counted as good is also dilemma. The system assumes that what people prefer is what is good, thus the good can only be judged by demand. Utilitarianism asserts that one should always act so as to produce the greatest ratio of good to evil for everyone (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). An act will be considered ethical if it produces a greater balance of good over evil in any given situation; the question then lies with whose good is trying to be promoted. Therefore, some will argue that this system supports egoism, because most likely a person will promote the good of the individual. The ultimate goal, though, was not the happiness of the individual, but the happiness of society (Rossouw, 1998). Deontological Ethics Deontological ethics is the ethics of duty and obligations. One of the most significant insinuations of deontology is that a behavior of the person can be wrong even if it results in the best possible outcome, and an act can be considered righteous even if it results in a negative outcome. According to Reindenbach, Robin, and Dawson (1991), deontologists have a duty to satisfy legitimate claims. These claims are determined by applying logic to an ethical principle, bearing in mind that one owes many diverse duties to others. Deontology is referred to as non-consequentialism, ethical formalism, or ethics of respect-for-persons (Ferrell Fraedrich, 1997). The deontology principle states that decisions should be judged on the circumstances in which they are made, rather than by their consequences. It means, specifically, ethics based on duty in spite of consequences. There are many variations of deontology. The most significant attempt to construct a deontological approach to ethics is found in Immanuel Kants Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. He begins this work by observing that only a good will is unconditionally good. For Kant, it is impossible to conceive anything in the world, or even out of it, which can be taken as good without qualification, except a good will. So what about intellectual qualities such as intelligence or good judgment or qualities of character, such as perseverance or courage? Kants answer has no basis for these good qualifications. Although such qualities are considered good in many situations, they can also be used for evil purposes as well. Deontologists hold that some choices cannot be justified by their effects; no matter how morally good their consequences, some choices are morally prohibited. On deontological accounts of ethics, one cannot make certain wrongful choices, even if by doing so the number of wrongful choices will be minimized-others will be prevented from engaging in similar wrongful choices. Deontologists believe that what makes a choice right is its conformity with a moral norm. Such norms are to be simply obeyed by each moral agent; such norm-keepings are not to be maximized by each agent. In this sense, for deontologists, the right has priority over the good. If an act is not in accord with the right, it may not be undertaken, no matter the good that it might produce-this includes even a good consisting of acts in accordance with the right. Correct decisions include all choices where the voluntary actions of any one person can be harmonized in reality with the voluntary actions of every other person (Kant, 1965, p. 1). Kant explains that this idea is according to the universal law of freedom. The formality of this approach may be considered a weakness, but it is, in fact, strength; it permits for considering all possible conditions. Furthermore, it is transformation into positive law is the core of the art of legislation. Ultimately, deontology promotes a duty of making the best moral decision. Kant gives several formulas to help decide what makes-up this duty. For Kant, all practical judgments are imperatives. The qualified ones are referred to as the hypothetical imperatives and the unqualified oaths are referred to as categorical imperatives. What determines the goodness or badness is whether the decisions accomplish the goal. For example, a person is situated in the fourth floor of the building and desires to go to the cafeteria that is situated in the next building. So what can he do now? One choice is to could jump out of the window. Of course he or she could probably break a leg; such action would be imprudent. So the prudent thing to do is to take an elevator down or walk down the stairs in order to transfer to the next building to the cafeteria. The deontological theory states that people should adhere to their obligations and duties when analyzing an ethical dilemma. This means that a person will follow his obligations to another individual or society because upholding his duty is what is considered ethically correct. For instance, a deontologist will, all the time, keep his promises to a friend, as well as follow the law. A person who follows this theory will produce very sound decisions that are consistent, since they will be based on the individuals set duties (Rainbow, 2002). AICPA Code of Ethics The AICPA Code of Professional Conduct consists of two main parts: Principles and Rules. The Principles provide the framework for the rules. The Rules provide specific guidance in the performance of professional services of AICPA members. The Principles are set out in six Articles and a Preamble. The Preamble articulates the role that the Principles play. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦Guide members in the performance of their professional responsibilities and express the basic tenets of ethical and professional conduct. The Principles call for an unswerving commitment to honorable behavior, even at the sacrifice of personal advantage (AICPA, 2008, Preamble). Article I consist of the responsibilities of the AICPA member. It admonishes members as a group to carry out special responsibility of self governance. Article II states that the accounting profession has a duty to serve the publics interest. The public to be served consists of clients, credit grantors, governments, employers, investors, the business and financial community, and others who rely on the objectivity and integrity of certified public accountants to maintain the orderly functioning of commerce. Since the public relies on accountants, the accountant has a reciprocal obligation to be dedicated to professional excellence. Article III calls for an accountant to act with integrity. This requires the accountant to be completely honest and without deception. The honesty exhibited by a person acting with integrity can never compromise that obligation of client confidentiality. However, personal gain can never be put ahead of public interest. Persons acting with integrity will nev er be deceitful. Article II measures integrity in terms of what is right and just. Article IV specifically addresses the two traits of objectivity and independence-the hallmark of an accountant. Objectivity requires a freedom from conflicts of interest, honesty and impartiality. Independence requires freedom that may compromise objectivity. Article V sets out the standards for the services rendered as due care. Each person is expected to evaluate his or her own competence and to obtain the advice of others when necessary. Diligence means that the person will be prompt, thorough, careful and timely. Appropriate planning and supervision will be done by one who is diligent. Finally, Article VI states that each person will consider all the ethical principles when deciding to accept or reject a request for services. Last, the second section of the Code of Professional Conduct consists of a series of rules related to each of the above stated principles. The rules are very specific in thei r application. Rules are thought of as should nots. Conclusion The Code of Professional Conduct sets the standards and rules for professional accountants, regarding their moral and professional obligations toward one another, their clients, and society as a whole. Accountants must obey this code. Having canvassed the two main frameworks of ethical systems, it is not difficult to assess which of the two ethical systems is generally best for the accounting profession. On one hand, the utilitarian perspective about ethics claims that humans are supposed to take those actions that lead to the greatest balance of good consequences versus bad consequences. The utilitarian ethical system is plagued by an indirect and direct paradox. Indirectly, why follow the rules when not doing so produces better consequences? This, however, directly collapses into: do not follow the rules whenever better consequences can thereby be produced. Utilitarians will depart from the rules mistakenly, believing better consequences will result. On the other hand, the deontological perspective is about categorical imperative, moral obligation and duty. It leaves space for agents to give special concern to their friends, families and projects. It places a cap on that dutys demands. Deontological morality, therefore, avoids the overly demanding and alienating aspects of utilitarianism and accords more with conventional notions of our moral duties. The acts for a deontological system are not morally wrong. Furthermore, deontological system can account for strong, cross-cultural moral intuitions better than utilitarian system. With a comprehensive set of rules, the AICPA yearns is for its members to follow them. Almost everyone believes that the law or rules has a very important function morally. Not all accounting decisions will turnout the best results, but working towards a good decision with a good result should be goal of all accountants, as well as all people. Thus, deontological ethics is the best choice for the accounting professions, and matches-up with the AICPAs code of conduct.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Causes of World War 1 :: essays research papers
Causes of World War 1 The Causes of World War I The murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on the 28th of June caused the lead up to World War I. The Archduke heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated in his car during a drive in Sarajevo. The assassination was the work of a terrorist group known as the Black Hand. This caused Austria-Hungary to call on Germany as an ally and discuss how far Germany would support them. The result of this meeting was the `Blank Cheque' which gave Austria Germany's full support. Austria sent an ultimatum to Serbia asking for `complete surrender' on 23rd July and Serbia agreed 99%. Austria declared war on Serbia on the 28th of July, which created a war that would split Europe in two. War plans and war strategies a crucial to win a war so they must be planned to perfection with no flaws. In World War I Germany believed they had a perfect war plan were as if Russia mobilizes then Germany would have forty days to destroy and invade France (Russia's Ally) this flawless plan was known as the Schlieffen. The Schlieffen plan was created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen and was created to protect Germany from fighting a war on two fronts. After Schlieffen died his successor was a man named Helmuth von Moltke and he modified the plan slightly by not invading so much neutral territory. During the war the plan was an absolute failure and Germany had to fight a war on two fronts and lost. The plan was a failure because it had to many flaws e.g. Britain was not brought into the equation, France was stronger than expected. In this war plan trains with strict timetables were used to create an army of 4,000,000 to march into Paris. Once Germany mobilizes the trains would not stop or change route for anybody. When the Kaiser asked Moltke to stop the trains going to France, Moltke's reply was: "That we can't do! The whole army would be thrown into confusion. We would lose any chance of victory." Moltke This proves that the Kaiser was not in control after mobilization has started. It also proves that the trains could not be stopped by anyone after they have started without complete chaos occurring and defeat enviable. The alliances in Europe created a tension, which would snap, and a major war would occur that would split Europe in two.
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