Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Project Managment for Boeing 787 Dreamliner Essay
Project Managment for Boeing 787 Dreamliner - Essay Example The project life cycle is used to further refine the project before arriving at a general conclusion. Project managers have to make trade-offs among the scope, time and cost considerations in a bid to establish project priorities (Westland 2007, p. 56). The trade-offs are more serious in case of momentous project such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, already experiencing multiple delays and millions of pounds lost in fines. One of the best tools to help project managers at any level is the Project Matrix technique, through which the manager makes trade-offs based on constraining, enhancing or accepting the main project criteria; time, cost and performance (Frame 2003, p. 87). For the case of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner project, each element will be discussed before arriving at an appropriate Project Matrix. The project manager must categorically discuss with the relevant stakeholders for each criterion before deciding on the trade-offs. The first criterion under discussion in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner project is time. Time is a major determinant of project success due to a number of reasons. First, the establishment of SMART Boeing 787 Dreamliner project objectives involves proper considerations on timelines; secondly, the work break-down structure of projects deeply embeds time considerations; lastly, the traditional relationship between time and cost translates to a situation where delaying the project increases the cost of the project. Further delaying the project attracts unbudgeted-for fines which further add to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner project cost. However, the project manager is in a position to control the time considerations through managing procurements, revolutionising the work break-down structure to tighten time use and managing risks. Thus, the time consideration becomes a priority for enhancement. The performance criterion is of absolute
Monday, October 28, 2019
Project proposal Essay Example for Free
Project proposal Essay RESEARCH TOPIC PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR EFFECTIVE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (CASE STUDY OF CHEVRON) INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ââ¬Å"Performance appraisal is an evaluation of the appraisee performance in his or her job while potential appraisal helps in discovering the appraiseeââ¬â¢s capabilities, skills and talents for development.â⬠(Obisi, 1996). Worldwide, performance appraisals are used in nearly all organizations. There are different tools and number of goals that performance appraisals focus to examine individualââ¬â¢s performance and potential of development, (Leena and Twinkle, 2012: pg01-06). Therefore, the general area of our study is performance appraisal systems in organization. Only minority activities in personnel management are concerned with evaluating employees as individuals. Performance appraisal is a planned interaction between employees and their supervisors, during which the former examine the performance of the latter to identify strengths and weaknesses with the view to improving future performance, (Kofi, 2012: pg22). For their, appraisal is part and parcel of an important personnel activity salary planning and administration. Having accepted that staff performance appraisal is a legitimate activity in organization, we shall familiarize ourselves with the difficulties concerning both accuracy and fairness. It is important to note that the culture of value-system of the organization will act as the major determinant of both the appraisal scheme adopted and the way it is introduced. For instance if the culture is one which favors control and measurement of people, then it is likely that system will be imposed on the participants, but that it will at least contain some measurable criteria against which to judge performance. But where openness performance are encourage, any system will be discussed first with those involved, with the result that appraisals are more likely to be joint problem ââ¬â solving affairs rather than a calling to account by a superior. Similarly, we can appreciate the importance of performance appraisal when we realize that it is through it that organizational progress at the target and productivity of workers can be evaluated. For instance, a high performance rating tells the workers the organizations is aware of his devotion to his job increase his performance via the goal when were set. The above arguments are not weights. Today open appraisal system has come to stay and any organization, which ignores open appraisal system, should be prepared to face the negative consequences of low performance, conflict and uncertain future. (Obisi, 1996). Alo, (1999) defines performance appraisal as a process involving deliberate stock taking of the success, which an individual or organization has achieved in performing assigned tasks or meeting set goals over a period of time. The specific subject matter of our t is study concern the use of performance of employee as a basis for judging the contribution and weakness of emplo yees so that continuing efforts can be made to build a strange and more effective organization performance appraisal system helps in retaining promotional and retaining policies. Performance appraisal as the process of appraising staff performance against previously agreed standard and targets. It is based on guidelines given to employer by the management of what is expected of them in terms of organizational objectives. Performance appraisal involves the observation and evaluation of employee work behavior or the result that behavior by some. To appraise is to judge the work quality or conditions of something or to find out its value. However, it is important to note that one of the responsibilities of manager is to evaluate the performance of his subordinates. The essence of the evaluation is to assess their character, attitude, potentials and past performance on the job. According to Alo (1999) defines performance appraisal as a process involving deliberate stock taking of the success, which an individual or organization has achieved in performing assigned tasks or meeting set goals over a period of time. Atiomo (2000) agrees with Fajana (1997) that perfor mance appraisal is a system which provides organizations with a means of identifying not only what peopleââ¬â¢s performance levels are but which areas those levels need to be improved if maximum use is to be made of human resource. In most organizations, there is always a way instituted to evaluate productive behavior of the workers. This is important if the goals for whichà organization was established are to be attained. Further, most industrial organizations institute mechanism to solve human problems of workers such as motivation and job satisfaction with an overall objective of ensuring higher productivity. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The process of appraising the performance of employees is made difficult by the fact that criteria of effective performance are frequently difficult to define, the areas of performance for which an individual is responsible are often unclear and evaluation tend to be based not on measurement of actual performance but on the perceptions and judgments of an employeeââ¬â¢s immediate boss. And also there can be ineffective if the performance appraisal system does not correspond with organizational culture and system. Despite that performance appraisal will be of immense assistance to management in formal organizations in general and CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED. It can be detrimental to quality improvement: it has been proposed that the use of performance systems in organizations adversely affect organizations pursuits of quality performance. Negative perceptions, quite often individuals have negative perceptions of performance appraisal receiving and/or the anticipation of receiving a performance appraisal can be uncomfortable and distressful and potentially cause tension between supervisors and subordinates. Performance appraisal should provide accurate and relevant ratings of an employeeââ¬â¢s performance as compared to pre-established criteria that is organizational expectations. Legal issues: if performance appraisal are not carried out appropriately, legal issues could result that place the organization at risk. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The main purpose and objective of studying performance appraisal systems is as follow. i.To understand varieties of an heir use in personnel administration and motivation of workers for higher productive behavior.à Evaluate the strength of performance appraisal in supplying data that could help the management of the CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED to make an efficient use of its human resources. iii.To understand problem of performance appraisal system and reaction of workers to consequences of their adoption iv.Highlight whether the appraisal technique as presentlyà creates a learning experience for the employees of the organization to motivate them on improving their level of performance on the job. v.To find out whether the employees of the company are usually satisfied with the way they are being appraised by their supervisors. Vi.Find out how effective is the use of performance appraisal technique as a toll for determining promotion, salary increases and training. RESEARCH QUESTIONS To direct the conduct of this study, the following research questions were developed whose answers will go along in attaining the objectives of the study. i.Do you agree with the fact that performance appraisal is significant to the personnel and effective human resource manager? ii.To what extent can Performance appraisal as an instrument enhance effective human resource management? iii.In what areas has the Chevron Nigeria Limited performance appraisal scheme created an impact on employees? vi.Are performance appraisal reports usually a true reflection of employeeââ¬â¢s strength and weakness? v.Is the present appraisal scheme appropriate for evaluating suitability for promotion and salary increment? vi.Do bosses influence performance appraisal reports? Could proper use of performance appraisal lead to employeeââ¬â¢s motivation? RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS The following research hypothesis has been developed for the purpose of this study tested for acceptance or rejection. H0:The usefulness of performance appraisal is significant to the personnel and human resource managers. H1:The usefulness of performance appraisal make no significant to the personnel and human resource manager. H0:Performance appraisal could be used to enhance employeeââ¬â¢s performance H1:performance appraisal could not be used to enhance employeeââ¬â¢s performance. H0:performance appraisal systems usually a true reflection of employeeââ¬â¢s strength and weaknesses H1:performance appraisal systems does not usually reflect a true employeeââ¬â¢s strength and weaknesses H0:Present appraisal scheme is appropriate for evaluating suitability for promotion and salary increment H1:Present appraisal scheme is not appropriate for evaluating suitability for promotion and salary increment. H0:Proper used of performance appraisal leads to employeeââ¬â¢s motivation. H1:Proper used of performance appraisal does not lead to employeeââ¬â¢s motivation. SCOPE OF THE STUDY Because of the time constraint, the research will be primarily directed to the country headquarter CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED located at 2, Chevron drive, Lekki Peninsula, Lagos, Nigeria. It will delve into such sensitive and areas like promotion, salary increases, training and reward for hard work. To make the research work more reliable and valid the sample study will cut across all categories of junior staff, officers and management staff. It is my sincere hope that the study of the research will be of immense assistance to the management in formal organizations in general and CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED in particular. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY Generally, in any meaningful project work of this nature, some difficulties are likely to come up. Such difficulties include: TIME FACTOR: Time factor is a major problem because as an undergraduate student, there is little or no time to allocate to a greater work as the available time is shared between this study and other subject course study. FINANCE: Research project is quite expensive. Preparing the research instrument, moving about to gather the data, administering the research instrument, compiling, validating, writing, typesetting and printing the report cost a lot of money. For an undergraduate, the fund may not really flow as much as needed. HUMAN FACTOR: All efforts would be made towards ensuring error free findings. However, absence of errors is not totally guaranteed as all human are prone to mistakes. DATA GATHERING: Eliciting of data from the stakeholders might also be like a camel trying to pass through the eye of a needle in the sense of inaccessibility and unwillingness of executives and other respondents in providing data information for the purpose. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The significance of this study includes: The study will assist organizational control by ensuring efficient initialization of human resource. It will also be of assistance in formulation of acceptable and objective performance appraisal. It will also assist in areas such as staff promotion or advancement as well as demotion. Performance appraisal helps to maintain records in order to determine compensation packages, wage structure, salaries raises. It helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of employees to place right men on the right job. It helps to maintain and assess the potential present in a person for further growth and development. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This section of the research proposal will examine, research design, research population and sample, data collection method and procedures for data analysis. RESEARCH DESIGN The survey research methods would be used in this study and a case study of CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED would be undertaken. POPULATION OF THE STUDY The population of the study would be made up of the entire staff of CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED located at 2, Chevron drive, Lekki Peninsula, Lagos, Nigeria. RESEARCH SAMPLE After the sampling size has been determined, simple random sampling techniques would be utilized in coding the sample. The reason for using the simple random sample is precisely to give each individual in the population equal chances of being included in the sample and to make it possible to every sectional group of individual to be represented. DATA COLLECTED METHOD Both primary and secondary sources of data collection method would be adopted in gathering data relevant information on this study. The primary sources will consist of a well-structured questionnaire to be administered to the respondents within three levels of management (i.e. top, middle and lower management) of CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED. The secondary data would be collected from the texts, journals, newspapers, seminar papers, magazines, employeeââ¬â¢s performance reports from the personnel departments of CHEVRON NIGERIA LIMITED and other literature on performance appraisal as anà instrument for effective human resource management the usefulness of financial ratio analysis. DATA ANALYSIS METHOD The analysis of the data to be obtained would be done by the use Chi-Square methods of statistical analysis. The spearmanââ¬â¢s rank approach à §2 = [ (O ââ¬â E)2] E E= Expected value O= Observe value à §2= Chi-Square DEFINITION OF TERMS Appraisal: A method of assessing and grading employees for the purpose of promotion, commendation/development and salary increase. Performance: It refers to the output or personal contribution of an employee to the overall goals and objectives of an organization. A high performance may yield positive appraisal and vice versa. Employee: It refers to the workforce of every organization or firm Human Resource Management: It is a term that can notes the management of human being and raw material of an organization. The blending of both is crucial if the object of an organization is to be realized. Organization: It is the entity where economic activities take place. It could be formal or informal. Organizations strive to harness its human and material resources in order to achieve its goals. REFERENCES Obisi, C. (1996). Personnel Management: lakbod enterprise, Ibadan. Leena. T and Twinkle. P. (2012). From Performance Appraisal to Performance Management. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, Volume 3, Issue 5. 01- 06. Kofi, O. A., and Vincent, P.K. (2012). Performance Appraisal As Employee Motivation Mechanism In Selected Financial Institutions In Kumasi, Ashanti Region Of Ghana. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, Vol.2 Issue 6, 22. Atiomo, A.C. (2000). Human Resource Management: Malthouse Management Science Books, Lagos. Fajana, S. (1997). Human Resources Management: Labofin and Company, Lagos. Alo, O. (1999). Human Resource Management in Nigeria: Business and Institutional Support Associates Limited, Lagos. UNIVERSITY of LAGOS Department of Business Administration Research Proposal NAME: LAWAL ADEBISI FATIMAT MATRIC NUMBER: 100203122 DEPARTMENT:BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION COURSE TITLE:RESEARCH SEMINAR COURSE CODE:FBA321 RESEARCH TOPIC PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR EFFECTIVE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (CASE STUDY OF CHEVRON)
Saturday, October 26, 2019
foolear Essay on Shakespeares King Lear - The Fool In Us :: King Lear essays
King Lear: The Fool In Us à à à à King Lear is without doubt Shakespeare's most nihilistic play.à It is a storm without clearing.à In this version of reality, faith is absurd.à The play is set in the pagan era, where King Lear loses all his faith in the gods.à However, we see the need for Christian revelation in the hopelessness of the play.à We also see in the character of the Fool a character who resembles the wisdom and words of the Apostle Paul "Let no man deceive himself.à If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise."1à These words are very similar to the function and meaning of the word fool in the play.à While fool in Shakespeare's plays can represent a "dupe", a "madman", a "beloved one", a "court jester", or a "victim", it means all of these in King Lear.à For the Fool is the court jester, Cordelia is Lear's beloved one, and Lear, himself, is at various times duped, a madman, and a victim.à Yet, when we look at th e words of Paul, we see the Fool tell Lear virtually the same thing in this play.à For Lear believes himself to be wise, when, in reality, he is a duped fool: à Fool.à If thou wert my Fool, Nuncle, I'd have thee beaten for being old before they time. Lear.à How's that? Fool.à Thou should'st not have been old till thou hadst been wise.2 à The Fool loves Lear as much as anyone in the play, save for his youngest daughter Cordelia.à The Fool knows Lear's only mistake is not accepting Cordelia's expression of love.à Once he has divided his kingdom between Goneril and Regan it is too late for any advice to Lear to resolve the matter.à The Fool tries to get Lear to understand what a dupe and bungler he has been, but Lear cannot see himself as the portrait the Fool paints.à Lear needs nothing more than himself; he has everything in himself.à However, he goes from everything in himself to nothing because he has been unwise: à Lear.à Does any here know me?à This is not Lear: Does Lear walk thus?à Speak thus?à Where are his eyes? Either his notion weakens, his discernings Are lethargied-Ha! waking? 'tis not so. Who is it that can tell me who I am?
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Transformation in “An Imaginary Life”
Tables Made into Trees Transformation is one of principal themes of David Maloufââ¬â¢s short novel An Imaginary Life. Sent to a barbarian village in the outskirts of the Roman Empire, Ovid is forced to make changes to himself to find even the smallest bits of happiness. He starts to notice and absorb nature which, in turn, helps teaches him about himself. He first starts to notice his mental state improving from bleak to bright. He also begins to observe his surroundings and allow them to open his eyes and improve his attitude.These surroundings have a beautiful and powerful effect on Ovid and he learns that they can teach him more about his own emotions and thoughts than society ever could. The Boy is also a part of Ovidââ¬â¢s transformation. He is a tool and a link between human society and nature. While Ovid tries to teach the Boy about human culture, it is the Boy that teaches Ovid about being human. Malouf uses many tools including Ovidââ¬â¢s mind, nature, and the Boy t o facilitate Ovidââ¬â¢s transformation throughout the novel.One of the major aspects of Ovidââ¬â¢s transformation is based on his mental state and his outlook on his situation. The first glimpse we get into his thoughts comes in the opening paragraphs when he is describing what seem to be his surroundings. He portrays the setting as a bleak and dull place with nothing worth mention and no hope to be had but he ends his description with ââ¬Å"But I am describing a state of mind, no placeâ⬠(16). This shocks the reader and exposes Ovidââ¬â¢s current state of mind. This bleak, pessimistic description is then contrasted to a joyful, beautiful description of a scarlet poppy.The contrast provides insight into the importance of changes in the natural environment, as Ovid is change from being troubled by the bleakness and emptiness of life that surrounds him to being overcome with joy from the color of the poppy. While he is on this high of emotions, he questions whether the p eople from his old life in Rome would look poorly upon him for the exaggerated happiness he feels because of the flower. This shows the separation of his natural surroundings and society. It also marks the beginning of his transformation to natural world acceptance.Ovidââ¬â¢s identity is also molded by his surroundings. He starts to adapt to his new home and become more in tune with the people and the landscape. An example is when he starts to learn hunting from the village people. It brings him closer to nature which, in turn, teaches him aspects about himself. He finds himself able to purely express himself physically and emotionally rather than being caught up in Roman traditions. He learns that nature has the ability to teach men about human existence. The societies, like him, are shaped by their surroundings.In Rome, he was surrounded by civilized and advanced culture. This culture had formed by changing the nature that surrounded them. They built great buildings and intrica te roads; thus distancing themselves from nature. This not only changed the way they lived, but the people that lived there. On the other hand, the barbarians that Ovid was exiled to live with are much closer to nature. They live more modestly and are more in tune with the environment. When the poet is engulfed by this society, he changes naturally to fit in over time. Even the language changes Ovid.His point of realization of the languageââ¬â¢s affects on him is when he decides to teach the boy the barbarian dialect. ââ¬Å"I have come to a decision. The language I shall teach the Child is the language of these people I have come among, and not after all my own. And in making that decision I know I have made another. I shall never go back to Romeâ⬠¦ So I admit openly to myself what I have long known in my heart. I belong to this place now. I have made it mine. I am entering the dimensions of my selfâ⬠(94-95). This is a major turning point in Ovidââ¬â¢s transformatio n.It is when he makes the decision to shed his old life and replace it for his new on one. He is fully submerging himself in this new existence and is opening himself up willingly for change. The Boy is another tool of transformation during the novel. Once again, it can be accredited to the environment and conditions he and Ovid are in. Ovid strives for a sense of belonging and unity with all the elements and tries to force the same upon the boy. After some time he becomes fascinated with the Boyââ¬â¢s ability mimic the sounds of nature.Ovid starts to admire the Boyââ¬â¢s personality and is intrigued by the fact that he has mastered life in nature. Nature and wilderness made by God are what the boy has faced and lived through while all Ovid has done is survive a society made by mere men. The Boy and Ovid are very similar though. They are both affected and react to changes in their environment. When first captured, the Boy reacts violently and is tied up with cloths. This is sy mbolic as it signifies both the physical and mental restraints caused by the conformity of civilized society.These bonds hold him back just as Ovidââ¬â¢s cultivation impedes him. Later on in the wintertime, the Boyââ¬â¢s sickness reflects both the physical sickness caused by captivity and the lack of freedom that men endure in order to work against, not with, the elements and nature. Conversely, when the Boy is finally released into his natural habitat, he is happy to return and is even willing to care for Ovid in it because he thrives there. At the end of the novel, when he is in the field, he finds ultimate satisfaction and freedom from what he used to be.The vast openness and immensity of the land which once scared him becomes his source of food and drink. Through his progression and changes, he finds himself at and endpoint in which he is satisfied in mind, body, and spirit. The vast openness and immensity of the land which once scared him became his source of food and dri nk. The natural environment impacts Ovid so much that age and small details of life no longer bother him. He sees that the existence of human life is everlasting. He is transformed to the point of total satisfaction. His final statement sums up his conversion to his new self, ââ¬Å"I am there. He benefits from belonging to the wilderness and not being defined by society. Ovid makes a complete transformation over the course of this novel. He is influenced by his surroundings and finds himself being changed by them. These conversions first happen in his mind, then through nature and language, and finally through the Boy. Ovid finds himself changing as the book progresses and reaches a point of complete happiness and contentment at the end of the novel.? Works Cited Malouf, David. An Imaginary Life. New York. Vintage Books, 1996. Print
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Reason We Go to College Essay
Everyone has their own reason for wanting to get a degree in higher learning. Some of the reasons are; the love of learning, the chance to get away from their parents and be on their own. While others do it for the promise of a better future or just because they think that it is the right thing to do. Needless to say, there are countless reasons why we choose to further our education. Just like there are different reasons people go to college, there are different ways that people learn best. I will be telling you a little bit about my desire to earn my college diploma and how I think I learn best. Lots of people like to make money ever since currency was created and that is one of my motivations to complete college. According to Shaffer (2010), the top five reasons that people go to college are: to get an education, to expand their circle of awareness, to discover their passion, to network and to challenge themselves. I agree with all of these but as a parent, I also want to provide a great lifestyle for my children and complete what Iââ¬â¢m teaching them to aim for. I love learning new things and having knowledge in my head instead of having to grab a dictionary, my phone or a computer to understand something. Though I love to increase my knowledge base, there are certain styles of learning that I excel in learning over others. Learning styles is new to me. All through high school and the first two years of college I have never heard of learning styles. I did know that I was more interested in a subject if a teacher/professor was lively, animated or just really excited about what they were teaching. I thought thatââ¬â¢s how everyone else was. I was mistaken with that mindset. I took a couple of quizzes and learned that a few styles were my preferred method of learning. As written in Attribute advanogy. om (2004), There are seven main learning styles and they are: Visual (spatial), Aural (auditory), Verbal (linguistic), Physical (kinesthetic), Logical (mathematical), Social (interpersonal) and Solitary (intrapersonal). The tests that I took with Attribute (2004) and The Center for New Discoveries (2012), show that my preferred learning styles are verbal, aural, social and physical. My logical score was pretty high but it only showed up on one of the test results. The result are based on what I call the normal person standard, but I do not consider myself normal. Since that is the case, I will let you know if I agree with the results. Do I see myself as a verbal learner? Yes, because I love to talk and I like being able to get feedback instantly. I would rather give an oral presentation than type up a paper. If someone is lecturing on a subject, I will retain it easily if there is dialogue going back and forth in the class. The aural style I do not agree with as much because I can listen to music all day but if it is about school and it is something that I have to listen to, I will be going to sleep. I really enjoy touching things so the physical is a no brainer for me. I crave taking things apart to see how they work. As I said, I love to talk and I cannot talk to myself without being considered crazy, so yes, I am a social learner and I thrive off of others ideas. So, the tests got a three out of four which is not bad. Earning a college degree does not only hold the reward of monetary increase but it provides a sense of accomplishment and an example for our children who will be our future. Knowing how you learn best as an individual can help you know your shortcomings and prevent pitfalls and roadblocks on the road to a degree.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Tank and Equipment Game Description Essays
Tank and Equipment Game Description Essays Tank and Equipment Game Description Essay Tank and Equipment Game Description Essay Looking for free Android game? Dont want to spend more money buying full versions? We can help you! At Mob. org you can find thousands of new games. Apk files are very easy to install, Just a few seconds and you will enjoy the game. All content is ordered in categories: gambling, arcade, action, rpg and many more. Just select model of your tablet or phone (e. g. Samsung Galaxy Note, Motorola Droid, HTC Desire etc. ) in the right panel, and our system will select you the most appropriate files. If you are searching for Android tablet games, it will be more convenient to sort iles by OS version. And remember, totally free mobile content is only at Mob. org! Game Description: Blitzkrieg MMO: Tank battles an online strategy, which will plunge you into the world of WW2. Features: Realistic graphics and sound Different types of tanks Possibility of improvement of equipment Game Description: Blitzkrieg MMO: Tank battles an online strategy, which will plunge you into the world of WW2. Order:Game Description: Connect beams of the laser to destroy all red elements, and to become a champion of Beam team. 100 levels in History mode 50 levels with 2 players Bright pixel graphics
Monday, October 21, 2019
Turkish Politics essays
Turkish Politics essays Turkey is an important state in the world, placed 16th according to her population among 185 countries, 32nd according to expanse of territory and 16th as regards economic strength. Turkey also occupies an important geo-political and geo-strategic position in the Middle East and the Caspian Basin, which has the greatest oil reserves in the world; the Mediterranean Basin; the Black Sea Basin and the Turkish Straits, which have always maintained their importance in history; and in the Balkans, which have undergone considerable changes following the disintegration of the Soviet Union (USSR) and Yugoslavia. Turkey is situated very near the Caucasus and Central Asia, and located at the crossroads to three continents. Turkish history can be characterized a struggle between the forces of absolutism and reform. In 1914, the country became embroiled in World War I on the side of Germany. After Turkey ended the war on the losing side, most of the remaining Ottoman possessions came under British and French control with the support of the newly-formed League of Nations (forerunner of the United Nations). Defeated and discredited, the Ottoman dynasty was overthrown in 1923 by a revolutionary movement led by Mustafa Kemal - better known as Ataturk - who established a single-party republic and laid the foundations of modern Turkey. The Treaty of Svres (1920), which liquidated the Ottoman Empire, provided for the creation of an autonomous Kurdish state. Because of Turkey's military revival under Kemal Atatrk, however, the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which superseded Svres, failed to mention the creation of a Kurdish nation. Revolts by the Kurds of Turkey in 1925 and 1930 were forcibly quelled. Later (193738) aerial bombardment, poison gas, and artillery shelling of Kurdish strongholds by the government resulted in the slaughter of many thousands of Turkey's Kurds. The Kurds in Iran also rebelled during the 1920s, and a...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)