The Marco Polo Bridge Incident

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7 - 9, 1937 marks the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which also represents the beginning of World War II in Asia.  What was the incident, and how did it spark nearly a decade of fighting between two of Asias great powers?   Background Relations between China and Japan were chilly, to say the least, even prior to the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.  The Empire of Japan had annexed Korea, formerly a Chinese tributary state, in 1910, and had invaded and occupied Manchuria following the Mukden Incident in 1931.  Japan had spent the five years leading up to the Marco Polo Bridge Incident gradually seizing ever-larger sections of northern and eastern China, encircling Beijing.  Chinas de facto government, the Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-shek, was based further south in Nanjing, but Beijing was still a strategically pivotal city. The key to Beijing was the Marco Polo Bridge, named of course for the Italian trader Marco Polo who visited Yuan China in the 13th century and described an earlier iteration of the bridge.  The modern bridge, near the town of Wanping, was the only road and rail link between Beijing and the Kuomintangs stronghold in Nanjing.  The Japanese Imperial Army had been trying to pressure China to withdraw from the area around the bridge, without success. The Incident In the early summer of 1937, Japan began to carry out military training exercises near the bridge.  They always warned the local inhabitants, to prevent panic, but on July 7, 1937, the Japanese commenced training without prior notice to the Chinese.  The local Chinese garrison at Wanping, believing that they were under attack, fired a few scattered shots, and the Japanese returned fire.  In the confusion, a Japanese private went missing, and his commanding officer demanded that the Chinese allow the Japanese troops to enter and search the town for him. The Chinese refused.  The Chinese army offered to conduct the search, which the Japanese commander agreed to, but some Japanese infantry troops tried to push their way into the town regardless.  Chinese troops garrisoned in town fired on the Japanese and drove them away. With events spiraling out of control, both sides called for reinforcements.  Shortly before 5 am on July 8, the Chinese allowed two Japanese investigators into Wanping to search for the missing soldier.  Nonetheless, the Imperial Army opened fire with four mountain guns at 5:00, and Japanese tanks rolled down the Marco Polo Bridge shortly thereafter.  One hundred Chinese defenders fought to hold the bridge; only four of them survived.  The Japanese overran the bridge, but Chinese reinforcements retook it the following morning, July 9. Meanwhile, in Beijing, the two sides negotiated a settlement of the incident.  The terms were that China would apologize for the incident, responsible officers on both sides would be punished, Chinese troops in the area would be replaced by the civilian Peace Preservation Corps, and the Chinese Nationalist government would better control communist elements in the area.  In return, Japan would withdraw from the immediate area of Wanping and the Marco Polo Bridge.  Representatives of China and Japan signed this accord on July 11 at 11:00 am. The national governments of both countries saw the skirmish as an insignificant local incident, and it should have ended with the settlement agreement.  However, the Japanese Cabinet held a press conference to announce the settlement, in which it also announced the mobilization of three new army divisions, and harshly warned the Chinese government in Nanjing not to interfere with the local solution to the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.  This incendiary cabinet statement caused Chiang Kaisheks government to react by sending four divisions of additional troops to the area.   Soon, both sides were violating the truce agreement.  The Japanese shelled Wanping on July 20, and by the end of July, the Imperial Army had surrounded Tianjin and Beijing.  Even though neither side likely had planned to go into an all-out war, tensions were incredibly high.  When a Japanese naval officer was assassinated in Shanghai on August 9, 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in earnest.  It would transition into the Second World War, ending only with Japans surrender on September 2, 1945.

Yakuza - 1710 Words

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century, criminal organizations have begun to develop within various nations throughout the world. Some of these criminal organizations consist of various national and ethnic groups who centralized themselves as a single enterprise and various illegal activity which results in monetary gains, such as drug trafficking, racketeering, human trafficking, setting up illegal gambling establishments, and corrupting the local government with members of their own. For example, the Mexican drug cartels control one of the vast drug routes in Latin America while the Sicilian Mafia have set up a large protection racketing system throughout Italy. The Yakuza have established themselves in Japan and are†¦show more content†¦Members who violate codes and attack innocents such as family members and children are viewed as thugs by high rank members of the Yakuza and are expelled from the organization sometimes (77). A high ranking official from inside t he Yakuza has stated, â€Å" The Yakuza have existed this long because the police have allowed us to exist and we have cooperated with them to some extent. Those days are gone, as we are being replaced internally and externally by thugs and gangs who make no pretense in having codes at all.† (Kaplan 78). Many old generation Yakuza members believe the Yakuza itself has become deluded when various criminals who do not follow these codes of conduct join the organization. The traditional Yakuza members believe it is the reason why the Japanese government went after Yakuza. (79). The Yakuza, unlike most criminal organizations in the world, do not exist in secrecy. The Yakuza have made themselves public and have set many offices throughout Japanese, which are surrounded by barb and armed guards (43). They also have created printed business cards for their organization and published magazines detailing their criminal society. Some of their activities are actually legitimate business operations, such as running construction projects and various public works projects, real estate firms, and finance operations suchShow MoreRelatedMerits of Yakuzas1104 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿The yakuza - a family of organized crime that is complicated, hierarchical, underground and extremely influential in both the Private and the Public sphere, is unique to Japan. It is common knowledge that there exists an underworld in every country. The Yakuza, the significant part of Japan’s underworld however carries along unique characteristics, which makes it arguably a crucial part of what makes up the Japanese society. This essay seeks to substantiate the claim that Yakuzas, despite its definitionRead MoreAn Analysis Of Yakuzaian History, Beliefs, And Traditions1384 Words   |  6 Pageswhat today we know as the Yakuza surfaced: the shishi, the tekiya, and lastly the bakuto. It was the shishi that were commonly referred to as the strong arm protectors of the early modern state of Japan. They became increasingly disgruntled with the Tokugawa Shogunate which forced them to wage war against the government they swore to protect. The shishi did not outlast the Meiji Restoration period, but helped to instill loyalty in the later branches of the early Yakuza. The tekiya, who are alsoRead MoreYakuza and the Japanese Society1111 Words   |  5 PagesYakuza and Japanese society Essay building plan Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOazu1_NAZghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwvvjCXFv_Ihttp://www.neatorama.com/2011/03/20/the-yakuza-is-quietly-helping-earthquake-victims-in-japan/http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/ninkyodohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/05/japanese-yakuza-gangs-face-crackdown | 1. Introduction Introduction of the main question: What are the possible consequences of the implementation of the law? 2. Pros of havingRead MoreYakuza and the Japanese Society1123 Words   |  5 PagesYakuza and Japanese society Essay building plan Sources: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOazu1_NAZghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwvvjCXFv_Ihttp://www.neatorama.com/2011/03/20/the-yakuza-is-quietly-helping-earthquake-victims-in-japan/http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/ninkyodohttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/05/japanese-yakuza-gangs-face-crackdown | 1. Introduction Introduction of the main question: What are the possible consequences of the implementation of the law? 2. ProsRead MoreThe Yakuza a Large Crime Organization Essay654 Words   |  3 PagesOne is known for his occupation and what he does and what he withholds from doing. The yakuza is a large crime organization that has thousands of members that span throughout the entire world. They originated in Japan and since then have slowly moved across the globe into many different countries; they even have members in the United States today. *The yakuza is a highly organized crime organization that places great importance in respect and honor and seeks revenge when they do not receive it, theyRead MoreYojimbo1183 Words   |  5 Pagescapitalism. During this time in Japan, the Yakuza clan was a very strong and dangerous group equivalent to the modern day mafia. The Yakuza clans’ ideals are relatable to two themes prominent in Yojimbo: greed and corruption, and rising capitalist influence. Kurosawa satirizes these two characteristics of the Yakuza clan through the use of mise en scene. One way that Kurosawa used the mise en scene to satire the Yakuza clan was through the use of dà ©cor. The Yakuza clan was a group which took pride inRead MoreBecoming A Motorcycle Gang Of Course1299 Words   |  6 PagesBosozoku turned 20, most would likely become a low ranking member of the Yakuza, the organized crime scene of Japan (Tofugu). The Yakuza would often look to the Bosozoku for potential members of the Yakuza syndicates. To show the allegiance to the Yakuza boss, two rituals were required. The first of two dating back to the age of the Samurai, cutting off the tip of one’s left pinky was a sign of allegiance to the way of the Yakuza. This ritual was known as Yubitsume, this was done during the era of theRead MoreEssay about Japanese, Russian, Chinese, and Mexican Organized Crime1042 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as; extortion, white captive trafficking, automobile theft, counterfeiting, hostage taking, prostitution, weapons smuggling, murder, drug trafficking, and fraud. In Japan there is the Yakuza, also known as the Japanese Mafia, which consists of up to 2,500 families. The three largest groups in the Yakuza are the Yamaguchi-gumi, Sumiyaoshi-kai, and Inagawa-kai. These three groups together have around 61,100 members, or seventy-three percent of the gangster population in Japan. These organizationsRead MoreA Report on Japanese Culture Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pagesutensil. Subcultures: A facet that makes up the gem of the Japanese culture is called the Yakuza. The Yakuza are close to the organized criminal-underground of Europe and America called the Mafia. Both groups make their profits by numerous illegal activities. Drug trafficking, Gambling Rings, and extortion are just a few of the illicit affairs that are rules of trade for these groups. The Yakuza are also a part of the Japanese mythology. Within its secretive throng, the members are givenRead MoreThe Triad : Chinese Gangs868 Words   |  4 PagesBritain when the territory was still British owned in the 1970’s (Booth, 2000). In Japan, the yakuza have collaborated with multiple Triad groups to help smuggle immigrants, deal in credit card fraud, and forge passports. Because the Chinese Triads are historically known as very clever and ruthless, Triads operating from China are beginning to occupy and overthrow the yakuza, particularly in Tokyo. The yakuza allow the hostile take-over due to the belief that staying alive is the most important thing

Online Mba Programs Versus Traditional Bricks and Mortar Free Essays

string(314) " accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education-access to campus-based and online libraries; career development assistance; academic advising; tutoring; financial aid advising-MBA \(available concentrations: Acquisition, Human Resource Management, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain Management\)\." Online MBA Programs versus On-site Programs Andrew Cortez Ashford Managerial Marketing BUS 620 Sharif Muhammad October 23, 2011 Online MBA Programs versus On-site Programs With unemployment rates at an all time high combined with the increasing costs associated with traditional brick and mortar schools, online education is by far one of the fastest growing and thriving industries. As younger students are attempting to pursue traditional higher education, they are realizing that the costs are not only increasing daily, but the programs are longer in duration and often not a better education than the online line programs. Those who have lost their jobs and need an edge over other unemployed candidates are finding that a B. We will write a custom essay sample on Online Mba Programs Versus Traditional Bricks and Mortar or any similar topic only for you Order Now A degree alone is often not enough and that in fact an MBA degree could greatly improve their chances as being more appealing to employers who have few jobs to offer to an overwhelming number of applicants. Those who do have jobs are often concerned about the stability of that job and this group is also is also looking towards those higher degree’s as to remain competitive and viable for their current jobs or for future jobs that may offer them more stability. This group typically has high work demands and as a result, they have to weigh their options when it comes to returning to school to obtain that MBA. The number of college level distance learning classes offered online continues to increase as they offer greater scheduling flexibility to students, they appeal to students who like to work independently, and allow colleges to increase enrollment without building new classrooms (Werhner, 2010, p. 310). Understanding fully what your goals are, as well as what limits you may have will help to determine the right direction for a student. The following will include a marketing plan that will assist in demonstrating the advantages of perusing an online MBA program as a viable and preferred alternative to an on-site MBA Program. 1. Company Overview: San Diego Higher Education (SDHE) is an online, for Profit Company that focuses on online education with the purpose serving its students as a viable method of obtaining an MBA degree via web-based courses through an accredited university. With the SDHE online MBA program, you can have the skills and experience you need to increase your chances for success by taking on the most complex leadership roles. SDHE has been assisting San Diego residents in obtaining an MBA degree using the online medium since 2007. The company had initially targeted low income and or unemployed individuals, but it has expanded its offerings with the intent to grow towards all segments. Beyond practical skills, the program is also designed to foster thought leadership, innovation, and corporate social responsibility on a multinational, multicultural scale; SDHE is headquartered in San Diego California. Key Leaders of the company: Tanner C. Dean-CEO †¢ Jeffery S. Anderson-CFO †¢ Scott R. Howard-COO †¢ Andrew Cortez-CMO Key Service Offerings: Online MBA programs with a specialization in Finance, Healthcare Marketing, Project Management, Human Resources, Information Technology, Global Management and Accounting. 2. Executive Summary of Marketing Plan: As the economy has continued to decline and unemployment has continued to increase, the need for affordable and accessible online educational optio ns have increased. The use of on-line instructional delivery methods by non-traditional adult learners continues to grow as technological and societal changes have enabled and encouraged this growth. The purpose of this marketing plan is to review recent marketing strategies with respect to how adults learn and tie that strategy into a discussion based upon a review of the suitability of, satisfaction with, and preference towards on-line instruction among adults. Some areas for improvement are discovered and recommendations are provided based upon these reviews (McGlone, 2011, p. 1-9). It is expected that our marketing efforts need realignment as to become more relevant to all types of students. Where as our initial marketing plan was very narrow, the market has since completely opened up and we now are in a position expand our offerings to larger audience. We will propose to re-brand and redirect our SDHE as to appeal to a much broader demographic segment. The ultimate goal is to convince potential students that SDHE is a viable higher education institution that exceeds the offerings of our competitors while maintaining a lower cost for an MBA degree. Our niche is that we are in fact a smaller institution and can therefore offer a more customized program in which students do not feel as though they are just a source of revenue for our company; they will feel as though they are receiving critical and accessible services that they will not receive from the larger institutions. 1. Description of Target Market: Demographic Segment: Male/Females between the ages of 22-45+ who have an understudy degree, income 35K-80K per year. Psychographic Segment: Looking towards individuals who come from industries that have been most impacted by economy, such as real estate, banking, construction. , retail, home improvement, pharmaceuticals, marketing, cell phone, and automotive industries (Rampell, 2009). Geographic Segment: Target for this particular marketing plan should include California, Nevada, Florida, Arizona, Idaho and Louisiana as these states have been hit hardest by the recession (Kiser, 2010). Out of these states we need to look at specific demographics of these states as to assure that they are in alignment with our Demographic Segment, if they may be eliminated. . Description of Competitors: University of Phoenix: The University of Phoenix is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association-access to campus-based and online libraries; academic advising; mentoring; tutoring; financial aid office-MBA (concentrations include: Accounting, e-Business, Global Management, Health Care Mana gement, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Technology Management); joint MS in Nursing with MBA in Health Care Management. Every University of Phoenix faculty must have a Masters or Doctorate degree. No classroom attendance, the curriculum is completely online. Strayer University: Strayer University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education-access to campus-based and online libraries; career development assistance; academic advising; tutoring; financial aid advising-MBA (available concentrations: Acquisition, Human Resource Management, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain Management). You read "Online Mba Programs Versus Traditional Bricks and Mortar" in category "Papers" Baker online: Baker College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association through Baker College-access to campus-based and online libraries; career counseling and placement assistance; academic advising-MBA (available concentrations: Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Finance, General Business, Health Care Management, Human Resource Management, Industrial Management, International Business, Leadership Studies, Marketing) Columbia Southern University: Distance Education Training Council (DETC) – Online library with 24-7 librarian services, academic and financial aid advising, and student services-General concentration, optional concentrations (E-Business and Technology, Finance, Health Management, Hospitality and Tourism, Human Resource Management, International Management, Marketing, Project Management, Public Administration, Sport Management). 3. 0 Description of Product or Services: SDHES’S MBA program refines the existing skills that the students already posses. Through our unique 18 month program students can complete the entire program and earn their MBA. The program will provide a solid understanding in all areas of business, from the fundamentals to specializations in Finance, Healthcare Marketing, Project Management, Human Resources, Information Technology, Global Management and Accounting. The specializations will give students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge by focusing on their specific areas of interest. The entire program is online and students are designed for the busy schedules of its students. . Marketing Budget: This particular budget is for a twelve month re-launch and re-branding of its current offerings as to expand our current customer base. The amount required for this is $960K and the break down of expenses is as follows: †¢ $120K-Website update to include up to date and current functionality. †¢ $600k- Media to include social media campaign (Banner ads/email blasts/news letters) to correspond with Bil lboard, television and print add. †¢ $120K- Marketing items to include flyers, inserts, sales brochures and misc. ollateral as deemed per region. †¢ $60K- PR to include press releases, public appearances etc. †¢ $60K- Outreach to local business, to include employment agencies. Outreach will be a more grass roots approach to specific communities. 5. Description and Location: Online academics can open itself to a much larger market segment as the virtual classrooms are much larger than a traditional class room. Because the MBA program would be completely online it is available to anyone with the technology of a computer and internet service. Internet/ web site searches are the key locations where potential students will initially look for our product; this is why so much of the budget will be spent on website design and functionality. Distribution channels such as face book and Google banners will be used. Street teams will be used at trade fairs, conventions and job fairs. We will also offer larger corporations incentives to post information on their internal websites advertising educational resources to their employee’s. Mall Media will also be used to advertise; larger regional malls can have up to 1 million + in monthly foot traffic, this medium is often more effective than traditional billboards as the customer is walking slowly and more likely to see our advertisement. 6. Pricing: Identifying the pricing the appropriate pricing category for our program should be very easy as we will remain competitive but we will still remain on the lower side. With so many online schools that currently in operation, potential students do have several options available. Because we are in a tough economic climate, pricing is more crucial than in previous years. Yes, benefits and features are extremely important as well, which is why will not be the lowest but will be towards the bottom from a pricing perspective. We will also offer discounts to certain corporation whom we will be partnering up with and in addition we will be offering a military discount as well. The current pricing range for online MBA programs range anywhere from 60k to 20k and so our pricing will at about 30K for the program, not including course materials, technology fee’s etc. This competition oriented method of pricing will make us very appealing to our potential students, while still allowing us as a company to remain profitable. 7. Summary and Implementation: In order to maximize new student enrollment we must stay ahead of the competition. We are an online school and so our online presence needs to be the area of most focus, from a marketing perspective. Our website needs to be as intuitive and easy to navigate as possible; it must draw the customers in and connect with them. This being said, an overall marketing campaign that is in line with the new website is essential. We must remain focused, within this campaign, on the ease and accessibility that our online MBA can provide them with all while being priced very competitively. Our efforts must be geared towards the quality of the education as we will be compared side by side to our direct competitors, our demographics are very computer savvy and so it is important that we remain a viable option through a flawless reputation. We shall also be strategic with the timing of the implementation of this marketing plan by researching unemployment trends to help us to determine timing (probably at the in December and January). In addition; we want to want to make sure that we are capturing the fresh graduates and so the months of April-June are months to focus on as well. This re-launch is something to be very excited about. We need internal by in from all departments. With flawless execution this marketing plan has the potential to increase our bottom line profits by up to 20% over last year. References Kiser, G. (2010, March 23). The Cities Hit Hardest by the Recession: Brookings Institution [Business]. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2010/03/23/the-cities-hit-hardest-by_n_509744. tml#s75345title=1_Cape_Coral McGlone, J. R. (2011). Adult Learning Styles and Online Educational Preference [Journal]. Research in Higher Education Journal, 12, 1,9. Rampell, C. (2009, January 26). Layoffs Spread to More Sectors of the Economy [Money Matters]. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/01/27/business/economy/27layoffs. html Werhner, M. J. (2010). A Compariso n of the Performance of Online versus Traditional On-Campus Earth Science Students on Identical Exams []. Journal of Geoscience Education, 58(5), 310-313. How to cite Online Mba Programs Versus Traditional Bricks and Mortar, Papers

Drilling For Oil In The Arctic Wildlife free essay sample

Refuge Essay, Research Paper The inquiry of whether to bore for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge stands clearly on the energy issues tabular array. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a 1.5 million-acre package of wilderness country surrounding the Arctic Ocean to the North and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to the South. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is presently off bounds to oil geographic expedition and production. Because of the ecological hazardsHow much oil is in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? In May 2000, the Energy Information Administration released it # 8217 ; s most recent publication, Potential Oil Production from the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Updated Assessment, May 2000 which concluded, # 8220 ; This is the largest undiscovered, potentially productive onshore basin in the United States # 8230 ; ..There is a 95 per centum chance that at least 5.7 billion barrels of oil are recoverable. # 8221 ; Security statements fundamentally break down into a inquiry of U.S. dependance on oil imports. We will write a custom essay sample on Drilling For Oil In The Arctic Wildlife or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While mutuality best characterizes the whole of planetary political dealingss, with no province able to exercise entire independency in any economic, environmental or security affair, the inquiry of oil dependance historically ranks high on the U.S. national security docket. In the past three decennaries, for illustration, the United States populatio N has experienced both the Persian Gulf and an oil initiated planetary fiscal crises. Environmental concerns attached to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil production shows concerns expressed about oil production in the United States throughout the past three decennaries. Along with specific concerns linked to production accidents and ecosystem stableness, the issue of an oil based fossil-fueled economic system besides raises inquiries in the international environmental kingdom. Increased oil geographic expedition and production activities at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge besides pose possible jobs for the full Arctic part ecosystem.Given the continued diverseness of the planetary oil market, and awaited production additions all around the universe, it does non look to step beyond the kingdom of rationality to propose stableness in American national security with regard to future oil imports without the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil boring. If there were a 95 % opportunity of retrieving at least 5.7 billion barrels of oil in the Arctic National Wildli fe Refuge and the United States imports about 7 million barrels of oil per twenty-four hours, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil would merely account for two old ages worth of oil imports. What we see go oning today with regard to the oil market is truly no oil deficit, merely a temporarily lag in oil production.