The Inevitable Spread of Soviet-backed Communism in Eastern Europe Essa

The Inevitable Spread of Soviet-backed Communism in Eastern Europe At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States were principle players involved with reshaping post-war Europe. The region most affected policy changes was Eastern Europe, which includes those states that would eventually fall behind the Iron Curtain. While the camaraderie between the Big Three deteriorated, Soviet-backed communism was spreading across Eastern Europe. The argument during this time was that expansionism was inevitable since Stalin had already decided to establish Soviet power and Soviet-typed systems in the lands his army occupied; resistance was pointless. While nothing in history is inevitable, to a great extent, expansionism was highly probable, especially due to Eastern European political traditions, its political structure after World War II and the West's inactivity in the region which left the area more susceptible to Soviet-backed communism. As George Schopflin states, "Stalin, however ruthless and powerful he may have been, w as not possessed of superhuman abilities" (58). Prior to the war, Eastern Europe did not have a history of strong democratic traditions. Schopflin, who describes the region as "backward and authoritarian" goes on to say, "The bulk of the population was excluded from any significant control over political decision-making and tended to acquiesce in the old, established patterns of rule and deference" (38). From 1918 to 1944, Eastern Europe was dominated by great empires, such as the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, but almost overnight, that structure toppled, leaving a power vacuum. During the years between World War I and World War II, Eastern Europe looked to the West for a suc... ...ge Anglo-Soviet relations and conceded much of Eastern Europe. However, it was beneficial to the British and the Americans to sacrifice the region because they needed evidence to define the Soviet Union and communism as the enemy. Soviet-backed communist expansion was not inevitable, but it was greatly aided by international factors and Eastern European domestic factors. Bibliography Ash, Timothy. "Hungary's Revolution: Forty Years On" The New York Review. McCauley, Martin, ed. Communist Power in Europe 1944-1949. New York: Harper & Row publishers, 1977. Schopflin, George. Politcs in Eastern Europe 1945-1992. Oxford: Blackwell, 1993. Seton-Watson, Hugh. The East European Revolution. London: Methuen & Co., 1956. Yergin, Daniel. Shattered Peace: The Origins of the Cold War and the National Security State. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977.

Pepsi Refresh Analysis Essay

A Thirst for Change For decades, PepsiCo beverages have had success in capturing much market share of the soft drink industry through fascinating advertising campaigns. Their campaigns revolved around the idea that Pepsi was a drink for the young and young at heart. The advertisements were filled with optimism and aimed to bring people together in some way. At the turn of the twenty-first century, Pepsi was challenged with the fact that people were simply drinking less soda to switch to healthier options. In response to the issue, Pepsi began to expand its product portfolio by including healthier alternatives to the sugar-filled soft drink. Although it was a good attempt to conform to the more health-conscious world, this new focus hindered the attention that was given to their money-making products. Pepsi knew they had to appeal to their audience as more than just a soft drink brand. The problem was how do to so. They began to follow the sentiments of the country and focus on making a change for the better of society. First they launched the Refresh Everything campaign, which gave Pepsi a voice and then the Pepsi Refresh Project, which put that voice to action. The project, which aimed to increase brand equity, earned them an award at the International Advertising Awards but failed to increase sales or market share. Even though the project was successful it was not selling product, which in the end was the main goal. The Pepsi Refresh Project took advantage of one of the company’s best strengths, brand awareness. People knew about Pepsi and were interested in what they were doing to better the society around them. Pepsi saw this new project as an opportunity to establish a point of difference from their biggest competitor, Coca-Cola. They believed that the new socially conscious America was a threat to their industry and had to combat the issue by giving in and helping out. Through social-media and traditional promotion as well as various public relations, Pepsi was able to generate 3. 24 billion media impressions, estimated to be worth $66 million in earned media value, with the Pepsi Refresh Project. Because much of their promotion was done through social networking, Pepsi added 3 million Facebook fans and 53,000 Twitter followers. They also advertised via commercials on NBC, ABC, Fox, MTV, Spike, and ESPN and had print ads in People and Parade magazines. For public relations, they encouraged celebrities to participate in the program and offered grants to help their cause. Even with all of the success in participation of the program, the numbers that really mattered were not increasing. Pepsi sales dropped 4. 8% while market share also decreased. Ultimately, Pepsi believed that long-term brand equity was gained but was unsure whether to continue the project. They could not go another year spending the same amount of money on the Pepsi Refresh Project without their sales increasing. In my opinion, Pepsi broadened the way people think about them as a company and for that, the project was a success. I do not think that continuing this project would be beneficial and they should lend their focus to creating a campaign that drives sales now that they have an even stronger brand equity and awareness.

Apple’s After-Sales Service Essay

Apple call center: Apple call center has 20000 telephones, is the world’s largest call center, the incoming calls are more than 1800000 every day and the numbers are increasing. It can be seen Apple’s after-sales service is also one of his strengths Customer Loyalty At a very general level, loyalty is something that consumers may exhibit to brands, services, stores, product categories, and activities. There are two advantages of customer loyalty programs. One is to increase sales revenues by raising purchase levels, and increasing the range of products bought from the supplier. The other is more defensive –– by building a closer bond between the brand and current customers it is hoped to maintain the current customer base. While loyalty programs can have many other peripheral goals – such as furthering cross-selling, creating databases, aiding trade relations, assisting brand PRï ¼Ë†public relationsï ¼â€°, establishing alliances, etc. Apple is a fantastic example of leveraging customer loyalty pillars, but the most important takeaway is that it is relevant to their customers. They know who their customers are, what they want and how to make them feel like Apple understands them. You can’t just try to mimic Apple- you need to know what pillars are important to your own customers in order to generate loyalty. Brand Image Speaking of apple’s brand image, I must mention Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs is a very important person for Apple and for all the stock holders as it means billions in stock price for them Shareholder requests for more CSRï ¼Ë†Corporation Social Responsibilityï ¼â€°Apple goes green Corporate adaptability. Although he died, but people still worship him. Apple has a strong brand image, which enables it to command a premium price for its products and gives it an edge over regional as well as global competitors. The Apple brand is well recognized amongst most consumers. Apple’s products enjoy a high level of brand awareness and brand recognition throughout all its markets. Moreover, the company’s brand ranking, as per Interbrand, has been improving in recent years. Apple’s brand value jumped 84 percent to $153.3 billion in 2011, mostly due to the iPad’s wild popularity and the iPhone’s continued growth. Apple leverages its brand image to differentiate its product offering and drive sales. The company’s strong brand enables it to command a premium pricing and create significant demand for its products such as iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. For instance, the company sold 300,000 iPads on the first day of its launch in the US in April 2010. Strong brand image gives the company an edge over regional competitors and other global competitors such as Sony.

Animals in Space essays

Animals in Space essays Almost everyone knows about the great adventures that have lead man to discover various planets, learn about the solar system, and even set foot on the moon. However, has anyone recognized the creatures, which went into space first, to make sure it was safe for humans? Before astronauts came astro-animals. Since the 1950s, more and more animals have been traveled in space. Today, almost all shuttle missions carry rats, mice, flies, and even jellyfish for scientific experiments. Other animals that have been sent into space include dogs and monkeys. The first animal ever to be sent into space was on September 3, 1957; a Russian dog named Liaka. She was sent in the Russian spacecraft Sputnik II, meaning fellow traveler. Unfortunately, during the mission, Liaka died of asphyxiation. In 1960, Russia sent more animals into space. On the Sputnik 5, two dogs; Belka and Strelka were launched, as well as 40 mice and two rats. After spending a day in orbit, both dogs were safely returned home, later to deliver a litter of puppies. On December 13, 1958 the United States army launched the squirrel monkey Gordo on the Jupiter AM-13. This expedition provided a great deal of information that would be useful for the medical research for space flights with people on board. Gordo was doing fine on the flight, but he died in space because the flotation mechanism of the rockets nose failed, and he couldnt be recovered. In 1961, the chimpanzee Ham was sent into space on the Mercury-Redstone 2. The purpose of this mission was to test the capabilities of operation of the spacecraft capsule systems in the space environment. Ham safely survived the mission. While some animals were sent into space merely to go up and occasionally come back, monkeys and chimpanzees were actually trained to do work while in space. In cert...

How to Get a Raise at Work

How to Get a Raise at Work Your salary  now actually can have a profound impact on what you will make later down the line- not to mention how much you’ll have to work with when it comes time to retire. Make sure you’re not sabotaging your chances for a raise by following these 6 steps on how to get a raise at work. 1. Ask†¦You’ll never get it if you don’t ask. This is true of almost anything. It’s also true that most employees just don’t ask for a raise- even if they think they’ve earned it and are overdue. And the vast majority of employees who do ask usually get what they ask for, or just a little less. A raise ain’t gonna fall into your lap! You have to ask for what you want to stand a chance of ever getting it.2. †¦but don’t ask  too soon.Millennials in particular are guilty of thinking they deserve a raise or a promotion much sooner and more regularly than perhaps they actually do. Never ask before you’ve been at a company for at least a year, and have really gotten your feet wet and your hands dirty and made some marked progress there.3. Be prepared.It’s not enough to waltz into an office and demand a raise. You need to do your homework, figure out what’s a reasonable ask, and have a negotiating strategy in place. You’ll be asked for a number; have one ready. Also be ready to highlight and defend your accomplishments and show how they are (currently) undervalued assets.4.  Know exactly what you want.This doesn’t just pertain to dollar amounts. This pertains to career goals. Figure out the next 5 to 10 years of your trajectory. Figure out how this raise falls into that, have a number beneath which you’re not willing to go, and be the one in charge of defining your own goals and worth.5.  Let them know you might walk.It never hurts to leave the â€Å"or I’ll walk† card on the table in salary negotiations. Even if you have no intention of leaving. If your boss knows you’ll stay no matter what, she’s never going to offer to pay you more.6.  Don’t focus on â€Å"fairness.†But it isn’t fair. Or this is fair†¦ The truth is, there is no such thing as fair. Or there is- it just has no place in salary negotiations. Instead, approach it as a kind of contest. And if you can have a trump card, like another offer, or the threat of seeking one, then you’ll be in a much better position to win that contest.

Does bullying during childhood affect the person's future behavior as Essay

Does bullying during childhood affect the person's future behavior as an adult - Essay Example The perpetrators of bullying also suffer from negative effects, and they have been demonstrated to be having an increased risk of mental health disorders. These may be attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, and various conduct disorders. It has been stated that effects of bullying carries into the adulthood in some form of other. One such example is that the childhood bullies are often severely punitive with their children, and these children may subsequently show higher predilection for being more aggressive to peers (Sourander et al, 2007, 397-404). There is considerable body of literature on this topic, and several facts have been known that can be used to design proper interventions into this social problem of considerable magnitude. Consequently, a literature review would be worthwhile, which could present the existing body of knowledge in this area, through which gaps in knowledge could be identified to direct further research. An exhaustive literature review was undertaken with the key words, "bullying", "childhood bullying", "school bullying", "effects", "future behavior", "adulthood", and "adult behaviors." A combination of these key concepts was used to narrow down the search, so the articles published in the last 10 years on "effects on childhood bullying on adult behavior" could be located. Four such most recent articles were selected to conduct a careful literature review, the findings from which have been presented below. Literature Review Sourander et al. (2007) in their study explored the predictive association between bullying and victimization at the age of 8 and development of psychiatric disorders in early adulthood. In support of their hypothesis, the authors present findings from literature that this is a significantly prevalent problem in American schools. It has been already known that bullying and victimization are associated with poorer family functioning, interparental violence, and parental maltreatment. There is a difference between the bully and the victims in that bullies are aggressive, hostile, and domineering; they are hyperactive, and they demonstrate little anxiety and insecurity. On the contrary, the victims are depressed, withdrawn, anxious, and insecure. They score higher on the psychosomatic scales. They demonstrate lower self-esteem, and they tend to be more cautious, sensitive, and quieter. The authors present findings from other studies that the bully victims tend to be more troubled in ter ms of future outcomes. Once bullied, they demonstrate high levels of verbal and physical aggression. Their externalizing and hyperactive behaviour are higher, but at the same time their depressivity, self-worth, academic competence, and social acceptance are lower. This study attempts to fill the gap that exists in prospective bullying. The authors report a Finnish study, where observations suggest that being bullied at childhood has future consequences. Bullying at age strongly predict criminality at adolescence. Such a study would be necessary since information about long-term effects of bullying in the childhood into the future adult life will have public health implications, and knowledge about these may lead to

Religious Interview with a Protestant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religious Interview with a Protestant - Essay Example He is a youth ambassador in the local church, a mission that has nurtured him into a spiritual leader who inspires other youngsters into the ways of God. In matters of religion activities, Georges father always arranged special events at the church apart from the normal Christian holidays such as the Easter holiday and Christmas. The events involved different churches camping at the church and exchange of ideas in terms of building spiritualism, living in the ways of the Almighty as well as attempting examinations on the most important tenets of Christian life. The underlying mission for these events was to inculcate young and adult Christians with the virtues of the Lord that would bring to track the Christians who were shaken in spirit. The events were also important in venerating the name of the Lord and thanking Him for the gift of life. The events were enjoyable since there were musical instruments to play; feasting of all kind and the general euphoria of socializing was just intriguing. George was the lead youth in the youth group present at the event. The youngsters enjoyed in playing the different musical instruments while the elderly people read the Bible interpreted it and passed the interpretation to the youngsters. The examinations were taken by the youngsters present at the event after being taught and receiving the interpretation of the Bible verses from the elderly. The general mood was joyous, and so everyone enjoyed the activities according to Georges confessions. Georges current religious view is simply Christian. He is a staunch practicing Christian, who follows the Christian principles in all spheres of life. He is proud of being Christian and reveres the Almighty God according to the ways of Christianity. He is a believer in Christianity. George did not change in his religious affiliation since he was brought up in a Christian way of life.