Exemplification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Exemplification - Essay Example If one just tries to analyze a sample of the varied computer games available in the market, it would turn out that they mostly happen to be a programmed version of the contemporary cultural icons, scarcely facilitating any opportunity for the exercise of imagination (Bennahum 78). These games are not only turning children away from the play grounds, but are also depriving them of the opportunities for the free play of imagination that playing in a group scenario, in the lap of nature, under the blue sky, surrounded by the stimulating presence of birds, animals, insects and plants could present. Considering the fact that most of the contemporary adults today prefer to opt for a career, parents today scarcely have the time and the inclination to go for an imagination rich parenting (Gilbert 146). They simply do not understand that buying the luxurious gifts simply could not take the place of things like camping with the child in the woods, telling fanciful bedtime stories while nudging the child to fill in the gaps in the plot with one’s imaginary ideas and creations, watching a spooky movie with the child and enjoying its momentary grip on her nascent imaginative faculties. Moments to exercise imagination are fast fading away from the family experiences of children. The irony is that modern education, which is supposed to polish and hone the imaginative faculties of the children, actually happens to fall short of such expectations. For instance, most of the academic institutions resort to very standardized curricula, turning a blind eye to the fact that strict regimentation of learning opportunities not only curbs the opportunities for the exercise of creativity and imagination, but sometimes snub imagination (White 7). A regular mathematics teacher will feel really irritated if a ten year old says that number 2 looks like a duck, or number 8 resembles a fat woman. No

Scientists clone sheep Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Scientists clone sheep - Essay Example y that, but Dolly’s birth created a huge reaction all over the world as it led people to think of the possibility of human cloning (Rantala and Milgram 1). But still, Dolly’s birth remains a landmark achievement for both, the scientists who were responsible for it and for the world of science. Cloning can be defined as a â€Å"laboratory procedure in which the nucleus from the somatic(body) cell is transferred or transplanted into an egg cell from which the original nucleus has been removed† ( Saunders 131). In the process of cloning, the organisms that are genetically identical to each other and to ‘parent’ are obtained using asexual reproduction (Dale and Schantz 25). Even though clones are genetically identical, they are not identical in actual appearance and behavior as it the external factors like environment that influences their behavior (Dale and Schantz 25). In case of Dolly, as her cytoplasm came from a Scottish Blackface ewe, she was not an identical twin to her cell donor mother (Campbell 58). Scottish embryologist Ian Wilmut headed the team at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh which produced Dolly (Kunich 7). Dolly, the cloned sheep was born on July 5, 1996 (Kunich 7). Previously, the mammals had been cloned using early embryonic cell, but Dolly was the first to be cloned from fully differentiated adult somatic cells (Kunich 7). The birth of Dolly proved wrong the 100 year old dogma that â€Å"once cells are committed to adulthood, they cannot again be totipotent† (Wilmut, Campbell and Tudge 209). 3. The embryonic development is started by jump-starting the activation of the cell division cycle of egg with the new nucleus (Baldi 51). â€Å" The developing embryo can then be implanted into foster mother

Corporate Environment: Bharti Airtel

Corporate Environment: Bharti Airtel The report looks at analyzing the corporate environment and the market forces that influence the functioning of Bharti Airtel in Indian telecomm industry. It has been observed that the political scenario of the country primarily affects the telecomm sector. Also, economic factors like the unemployment rate and foreign direct investments play a crucial role here. Though Airtel faces a cut-throat competition, it mains its competitive edge on its rivals by the adoption of better customer management, new technologies and focusing on its corporate social responsibilities. It has also been deduced from research that the power of supplier of Airtel is Moderate, whereas the buyers posses a stronger hold as compared to Airtel. Furthermore, it is observed that the company faces negligible threat of new entrants into the oligopolistic market as the entry barriers are significantly high. The threat of substitutes is also quite low since Airtel has adopted the latest technologies available and exhibits this trend thereby eliminating the risk of customer shifting their focus to other kinds of products. The report finally draws a conclusion based on the above mentioned factors. Introduction Background Bharti Airtel Limited, a leading global telecommunications company spans its operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa. It offers mobile voice data services, fixed line, high speed broadband, IPTV, DTH, turnkey telecomm solutions for enterprises and national international long distance services to carriers. Ranked as the sixth best performing Technology Company in the world, Bharti Airtel has 200 million customers across its operations. (www.businessweek.com) Since its establishment in 1985, Bharti Airtel has been an establishing force in the telecomm sector with many innovations to its credit, which range from being the first mobile service in Delhi, first private basic telephone service provider in the country, first Indian company to provide comprehensive telecomm services outside India in Seychelles and first private sector service provider to launch National Long Distance Services in India. Bharti Tele-Ventures Limited was integrated on July 7, 1995 for the purpose of promoting investments in telecommunications services. Its subsidiaries are operating telecomm services across India. Bharti Airtels operations are mainly handled by two companies: the Mobility group, handling the mobile services in 16 circles out of a total 22 circles across the country; and the Infotel group, handling the NLD,ILD, fixed line, broadband, data, and satellite-based services. In mobile service industry, Bhartis footprint ranges across 15 circles. The strat egic objective of Bharti Tele-Ventures is to capitalize on the growth opportunities which the company believes are available in the Indian telecommunications market and strengthen its position to be the foremost integrated telecomm services provider in the Indian key markets, with a prime focus on providing mobile services(www.airtel.in). Macro-Economic forces- PEST Analysis: Political and Legal Government of India exercises its control over the telecomm market through its authoritarian bodies one Called as TRAI (Telephone Regulatory Authority of India) founded in 1997, and DOT (Department of Telecommunications) founded in 1989. As on May 1994 NTP(New Telecomm Policy) announced its intention to open basic telecomm services to the private sector so they form these authorities and issue licenses for six circles for basic telecomm services.(Demand for telephone usage in India , Information Economics and Policy, Volume 11, Issue 2, July 1999, Pages 177-194 Pinaki Das, P. V. Srinivasan http://www.trai.gov.in/Default.asp). One of the main objectives of TRAI is to provide a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition. The directions, orders and regulations issued cover a wide range of subjects including tariff, interconnection and quality of service as well as governance of the Authority. (http://www.trai.gov.in/aboutus.asp) TRAI also plays a major role in the allocation and auctions of spectrum given to the service providers. (Spectrum auctions in India: lessons from experience, Telecommunications Policy, Volume 25, Issues 10-11, October-November2001, Pages 671-688 R. S. Jain). Although, spectrum is the most important resource for the company yet, it is important for the authorities to check and ensure the following targets ensuring efficient use of it and promoting competition in services (Falch Tadayoni, 2004) The Telecomm Commission and the Department of Telecommunications are responsible for policy formulation, licensing, wireless spectrum management, administrative monitoring of PSUs, research and development and standardization/validation of equipment etc. (http://www.dot.gov.in/profile.htm) Political scenario of country has a strong effect on company. Moreover, total Indian telecomm industry is based on the rules and regulations of authorities governed by political ministers. So in case of a political overturn, the aftermath would reflect in the companys stability and could work in favor or against it. . Economic Airtel -Boon to Indian economy India now has the third largest telecommunications network in the world (Telecomm Regulatory Authority of India, 2005b) Bharti Airtel spent more than INR122.9546 billion in acquiring the pan India license. The company is Indias largest network service provider. Earlier, the inflation rates of Airtel were very high but now in the present scenario Bharti Airtel registered a growth of 21% to Indian Economy. (Annual Report 2008, 09, 10) http://www.tradingeconomics.com Unemployment High unemployment rate (From 4.3% in 2000-02 it has jumped to 5% in 2004-06) leads to poorer consumer spending, due to which users are not able to spend on mobile services and that leads to low revenue for company. http://www.tradingeconomics.com Investment Opportunity Bharti Airtel provides the best investment opportunities to the investors. The company recorded the highest growth rate of 37.2% in urban and 62% in rural areas amongst operators in 2009-10. Bharti Airtel posted a growth of 4.25% in 2009-10 fiscal with revenues of INR418295 million (Annual Report, 2009). Airtel provides the BRAND in Relation within the market so it is a good decision to invest in Airtel. Airtel always comes up with new schemes ideas and launches new products in the market. http://www.tradingeconomics.com Foreign Direct Investment and Domestic Investment Investment from foreign companies increases the quality of infrastructure and services provided by the company and that affect the decision scenario of customers. Hence telecomm industry not only effected by domestic but also from foreign investment of FII (Foreign Institutional Investors). SingTel, Warburg Pincus is amongst the key investors of Bharti Airtel. In Basic, Cellular Mobile, Paging and Value Added Service, and Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite, Composite FDI permitted is 74% (49% under automatic route) subject to grant of license from Department of Telecommunications subject to security and license conditions. (para 5.38.1 to 5.38.4 of consolidate FDI Policy circular 1/2010 of DIPP http://www.dot.gov.in/osp/Brochure/Brochure.htm). Moreover, Company attracts equity investments from National Telecomm Projects of about US$ 460 million. This investment in company shows a strong confidence of Indian government http://www.tradingeconomics.com Foreign Exchange Reserves Bharti, Indias biggest mobile phone company had an agreement to buy the African assets of the Kuwait-based mobile-phone company Zain, will be signed within days, Zain said in a statement today. The purchase would be the largest overseas acquisition by an Indian company since 2007. (Businessweek, news, mar10) [http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-25/india-s-stocks-advance-bharti-airtel-gains-on-zain-agreement.html] http://www.tradingeconomics.com Social Environment Responsibilities Indias language, religions, and customs differ from place to place within the country, but nevertheless possess a commonality. The culture of India is an amalgamation of these diverse sub-cultures spread all over the Indian subcontinent and traditions that are several millennia old. Indian culture is defined by relatively strict social hierarchy. Airtel is extremely proud to support a range of local places in line with our commitment to our Corporate Social Responsibilities. Environment Airtel is committed in managing business in an environmentally responsible manner reducing our carbon footprint and protecting the natural environment are high on our CSR agenda. This is a relatively new area of social awareness. Community Airtel recognizes the importance of supporting and educating members of the community in order to help them to experience life to the fullest, and is committed to providing opportunities for learning and development. The company actively promotes initiatives which it believes to be of benefit to our society, and in the future, aims to continue to build upon these. Considering Local community in mind the company has introduced courses at GTA and Highlands universities.(www.airtel.in/annualreport ) Socio Responsibilities Company took some decent steps as a loyal citizen of India. For any country; its growth depends upon the education percentage of country and Indian literacy rate is a bit low. Considering this, Airtel is providing quality education to poor and underprivileged children. Moreover, it set a target to educate 100,000 children in due course of time. Currently, the company is educating 30,000 students with the help of its employees and 1,200 private teachers in 236 schools. (Annual Report, 2010) Technological Companys infrastructure is always equipped with latest telecomm technologies. It has been the trend of the company to be in top position among its competitors regarding technologies, as Indian market shows a rapid growth that can only be paired with latest technology. Based on the writers common knowledge, Airtel is the first company to launch roaming and value added services in country. Company is having the best E-commerce portal in industry. Moreover, except government firm (BSNL) length of its optical fiber network is the largest. Apart from all of the above mentioned technological benefits, the company is also involved in new generation fields like Broadband and long distance call services. It can be easily understood by analyzing the number of customers of company that in todays world the customer is more concerned about service and technology and Airtel is no.1 in terms of users. (as shown in below Graph) Airtel-Porter Five Forces According to Michael E. Porter in his article The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy In essence, the job of the strategist is to understand and cope with competition. Often, however, managers define competition too narrowly, as if it occurred only among todays direct competitors. Yet competition for profits goes beyond established industry rivals to include four other competitive forces as well: customers, suppliers, potential entrants, and substitute products. The extended rivalry that results from all five forces defines an industrys structure and shapes the nature of competitive interaction within an industry. (Harvard Business Review, January, 2008, p.25.) 1. Threat of New Entrants Low While fact suggests companies normally find it hard to recognize the new emerging competitors in their market but that is not the case in the mobile operator industry. Since the mobile phone operators had to compete for spectrum licenses, and in India all spectrum licenses are provided by a government organization TRAI. So, Companies can easily identify their rivals in the individual markets. Moreover, it is very costly to enter the market for new players. The arrangement requisite to launch a network operator is complex in terms of resources and infrastructure .To start with, an network operator is required to have the sufficient Tools (in the form of different softwares), mobile base stations, switching centers and the most important license for bandwidth. A heavy amount of money needs to be spent on promotions advertising as well as on manpower, security and transportation. As Airtel is providing the best services in its market so any new competitor has to pay out a decent amount to compete with similar services and network quality. However, India still need to invest 12.5% of GDP till 2015 more in infrastructure to reach international level as of china.( World Bank, 2006 ) http://www.tradingeconomics.com The threat of new entrants bringing additional production capacity should be downplayed in this industry, because technology should assumed to be similar and thus new entrants do not necessarily bring additional production capacity, nor does their entry hold consumer cost down. The fixed-line operators and VOIP do however present a risk to mobile phone operators, because they will certainly provide extra production capacity and lower the consumer costs as a result of this competition. In spite of all the above stated problems, a risk of sharing your market space with a new rival is always there. India became a lucrative market in telecomm after global slowdown; many of the foreign companies are approaching here to setup their business in this industry. Also some mobile phone manufacturers (recently Videocon) expanding their business to become network operators. Also a new entry can cause price war between companies as reduction of price is only option to sustain on top because in India call duration and distance both are combined to produce a unit call.( Munoz, 1996 Demand for telephone usage in India Information Economics and Policy, Volume 11, Issue 2, July 1999, Pages 177-194 Pinaki Das, P. V. Srinivasan). 2. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Moderate As long as Airtel is considered it is a service based company. According to Indian Telecomm market conditions, requirement of input source is high but the number of suppliers is also high so considering current situation supplier power is not that lofty. Mobile phone manufacturers are the primary supplier to the company. There are number of mobile phone manufacturers like Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung, LG, HTC and Motorola in the market. Airtel has collaboration with some big manufacturing giants (Blackberry and Nokia) to reduce suppliers hold in the company. Moreover, some big firms like Reliance and Tata even have their own manufacturing units of mobile phones. That constitutes the low supplier power. However, network operators are not a major customers for the supplier group since the suppliers have direct approach to consumers and they work in far more international level markets than the mobile phone operators. Also, Mobile phone manufacturers could combine into the industry and may start their own services. Moreover, in India the mobile manufacturing brands are more valuable to customers than the network operators as mobile phone characterize their status. That constitutes High bargaining power of suppliers. The other major suppliers for company are NSN and Ericsson for mobile services and network equipment e.g. BTS, jumper cables and antennas again NSN, Cisco and Alcatel for Telemedia services. IT service is provided by IBM who also outsource in call centre services with Hinduja. As table-1 Shows Company is not relying on a single supplier and had multiple supplier firms for single task either it is hardware software equipments or out sourcing, that all conclude MODERATE supplier power. SERVICES Network Equipment Mobile Services Telemedia and long Distance Services Information Technology Call Centre Operations Equity Partner {Strategic} 3. Threat of Substitute Products Low Substitutes Products are basically divided into two categories namely: Old Communication Technologies New Communication Technologies In India telecomm sector provide various services with different technologies like fixed wire phone, Pagers, GSM phones, CDMA phones, dial up internet, broadband, Wimax, VSAT and VOIP. Out of which some are no longer in peoples choice these days as they are bulky and have less features in comparison to new ones and on other hand some may become in high interest due to latest technology and smart features. Airtel is providing almost every service in both old and new segments. However still some services are there which are not given by the company such as VOIP calls and VSAT but these substitute products price are not cheaper, and their quality and performance capabilities are approximately same compared to mobile phone products. Moreover, Switching costs are too high as for these services consumer has to buy special devices which cost extra so the advantage goes to the mobile phone service provider industry as there are less chances of switching to these services from mobile phones. There are no major substitutes in the market till a new better technology with cheap price is introduced. 4. Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors High Airtel is facing too many competitors in domestic as well as international market and many of them are almost equal in market share such as Vodafone, Idea BSNL in domestic market whereas O2, Three and Vodafone are competitors in international markets. Rivalry among competitors in telecomm depends upon several factors like: (a)Numerous or Equally Balanced Competitors High Many competitors in this industry are equally balanced in services and quality, and due to this balanced nature this industry has strong rivalries. Some of these companies have slight edge on each other e.g. Vodafone has a marginal advantage in 3g services on Airtel as Vodafone already has 3g services in other countries. (b) High Fixed Costs or High Storage Costs High Companies in this industry have high permanent costs, as they have to spend heavy amount on establishing wireless infrastructure (such as BTS, Towers and cables) and to obtain spectrum licensing which may be the costliest asset for the company as the cost of these license depend upon the space available in bandwidth of spectrum (Hills Yeh, 1999). Moreover the main aim of any company is to maximize its profit, due to which operator try to increase its capacity and productivity and that leads to intense rivalry. (c) Lack of Differentiation or Low Switching Costs High This fact actually depends upon the suppliers. Primary supplier for Airtel is mobile phone manufacturing industry; and rivalry within mobile phone industry is too high that affects service providers. For the reason that customers in the mobile phone industry believe that mobile phone service is a commodity. Also Switching cost for mobile phone user is also low, so by offering cheap price with decent service competitors can easily catch the attention of users. (d) High Strategic Stakes or Share High This strategy belongs to the geographic conditions as just about all operators in the industry consider India as their primary market, so competitive rivalry is extreme. India is a lucrative market for telecomm operators, so competitors want to maximize their market share as much as possible. (e) Rapid Industry Growth High As the telecomm Industry is rapidly growing in country, so there is extra pressure on company to take customers from rivals. (f) High Exit Barriers Low Already discussed company spends a lot on specialized assets such as spectrum licenses but they also have a high resale value. Predetermined costs of exit, tactical interrelationships, emotional obstacles, government regulations and social rules all constitute negligible impact. http://www.coai.com/statistics.php 5. Bargaining Power of Buyers High Airtel caters to mass market as its product can be used by any consumer who owns a mobile phone. A large variety of options are available to customers as there is very little differentiation in the service provided by mobile phone operators, and also the switching cost is too low. Moreover, the companies have to compete for better network quality, higher level of service and low tariff rates than their rivals, to account for the users profit. The complete segment of the network operators industry output is acquired by Mobile phone users. Annual revenue of the company depends upon the sales of mobile service. In this cut throat competition company cannot expect any loyalty from consumer as they can switch to other operator on slight profit. Concluding above facts states the High bargaining Power of Buyers. Conclusion After having analyzed all of the above environmental forces and also taking into consideration the PESTEL analysis, it can be concluded that Bharti Airtel has played an imperative role in the growth of the Indian Telecomm sector. The political scenario of the country plays a crucial role in the companys growth, which is also supplemented by the economic factors like the foreign direct investments and the unemployment rate of India. Though Airtel has been the market leader since the past ten years and has been a lucrative investment option for investors all throughout, it still faces some threat from its competitors and to counter that it has adopted several measures like better pricing strategy, latest technology and best quality service. The company has also indulged in co-branding with several subsidiaries to increase its market share and gain a competitive advantage over its rivals. Moreover, according to the Indian market condition, it is recommended that the best option for Airtel is to work on new technologies as it would enhance revenue as well as customer satisfaction and eventually help the company to retain its stature. Appendices Appendix 1 Explanation of Terms TRAI Telephone Regulatory Authority of India Government Authority for Telecomm Sector DOT Department of Telecomm Government Authority for Telecomm Sector COAI Cellular Operators Association of India Government Authority for Telecomm Sector IPTV Internet Protocol Television New Technology of TV DTH Direct to Home Television New Technology of TV GDP Gross Domestic Product VOIP Voice over Internet Protocol BTS Base Transreceiver system Instrument used for transmitting radio waves. NSN Nokia Siemens Networks GSM Global System for Mobile Communication Cellular Technology CDMA Code Division Multiple Excess Cellular Technology VSAT Very Small Aperture Terminal A Satellite Communication system BSNL Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. Government Authority for Telecomm Sector NTP New Telecomm Policy Rules Regulations for Telecomm industry

Rescue Of Susanna :: essays research papers

The Rescue of Susanna 								 In the story of Susanna in the New Testament of the Bible many valuable lessons are learned. The story begins by describing the wife of a man named Joakim, the beautiful Susanna. She had been taught according to the law of Moses and was very righteous. Because her husband was very rich the two elders who were appointed judges often were often there and anyone with a lawsuit came to them there. Susanna would spend the long afternoons in the large garden adjacent to the house. The two elders sometimes watched her and they both secretly began to desire her. Their minds turned from what was holy and they only thought of her. They later developed a plan so that they could lie with her, sneaking into the garden when she was bathing, they threatened to testify that there was a young man in there with her if she did not lie with them. Being the self respecting woman that she was she answered, "I am hemmed in on every side. For if I do this thing, it is death for me; and if I do not, I s hall not escape your hands. I choose not to do it and to fall into your hands, rather than to sin in the sight of the Lord." When the servants hear about this they are very surprised because nothing like this has ever been said of her before however they trust their elders and listen to them. As Susanna is being carried to her death God hears her prayers and aroused the hold spirit of a young lad named Daniel. Daniel pointed out the weaknesses in the two elder’s stories and the Jews rose against them. This story is memorable for several reasons. One is the fact that Susanna doesn’t give in to the elders’ requests even when they threatened her life and her reputation. She has impressive faith in God and trusts him to make everything right. Another reason this story is memorable is how Daniel risked his own life by standing up against the elders to defend a woman whom he did not even know. His faith in God is also very impressive. There are many lessons which can be taken from this story, some more obvious than others. One that plays an important role in our society today is the rule that one is innocent until proven guilty.

Family as Social Institution Essay

Each Society has some basic needs which has to be satisfied for better day to day life. Social institutions are a medium like as social moulds which are established for carring out basic functions and help to established collective image of behavior. This institutions come in to existence for satisfying needs of an individual. Even though every institution carries out certain specific function, It is not entirely independent. There is interdependants in every social institution. Every institution has to use various resourses for its fulfillment. For eg, Chalk and black board for educational institutions; temple, masjid and church for religious institutions. These institutions have social acceptions for eg , Marriage institutions, religious institutaions, economic institutions and family institutions etc. Family Institution: Family is social institution of society. Some social thinkers called family as a primary group. A person is related to a family right from his birth up to his death a family participate in the joys and sorrow of a person. Family plays an important role in personality development of a child. Family institution is present in all human communities. Person in family have blood relation. In the family there are sexual relation in men and women. This are common relations and they are stable because of they are established by institution .all members of this instituton participate in a financial process and responsibility. There is only one resident for all the members of the family. This institution is small in size .when the children grow they get married and they form own independent family. Therefore, the size of the family is small. The concept of the family is observed in all human group. Family institution plays a very important role in giving stability to society. As family is a primary social institution of a society, existence of every social institution is depends on the functions carried out by that social institution. Family is no exception to this concept. According to Augbern and Nimcoff , satisfaction of sexual needs and child bearing are important functions of family. As the opinion of many social scientist main reason for the existence of the family institution is longer period of child dependence.

Explain why Germany and her allies were defeated in WWI and assess their treatment in the 1918/1919 settlement

There were many factors that played a part in Germany's defeat in World War One, and none of them can be singularly attributed to its loss. Despite this, some factors did play a more important part than others. Some of the major factors were America's entry into the war, low morale in Germany, and Germany's Ludendorrf Offensive. The American entry into the war was a major factor contributing to Germany's defeat. When the Americans declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, they provided a huge injection of funds, soldiers and productive capacity to the Allies' war effort. The millions of American soldiers that were sent overseas in 1917 and 1918 were fit, young, and most importantly, fresh with relatively high morale compared to the other Allied soldiers. World War One was a war of attrition. The side that could wear down the enemy side first would be victorious. The contribution of the American soldiers, funds and resources to the Allied side allowed them to survive for longer than the Central Powers. Therefore, the entry of America into World War One was a major factor causing Germany's defeat. The Ludendorrf Offensive, which was launched on March 21, 1918, was a series of three offensives undertaken by the Germans to try to force an Allied surrender after the Russian withdrew from the war. With the Eastern front free, the Germans concentrated all their resources on the Western front to try to break the stalemate there. At first the Ludendorrf Offensive was successful, but the German troops advanced so fast that their supply lines could not keep up. This allowed the Allied forces to surround and defeat the stranded German troops. The Ludendorrf Offensive was a gamble by Germany. It required an input of high levels of resources, and as it was not successful, these resources were ultimately wasted. As World War One was a war of attrition, the Ludendorrf Offensive accelerated, if not caused, Germany's defeat. By 1917 and 1918, morale amongst the German people was very low. They had begun to lose faith in the war. An outbreak of Spanish Influenza in Europe had hit Germany, and had created unrest amongst the population. Shortages of consumer essentials spread widely throughout Germany. The Germany public began to resent the war, calling for â€Å"peace at any cost†. The production of munitions fell, and the weapons supply to the German soldiers fell to levels much lower than the Allies'. The low morale amongst the civilians and soldiers worsened the German position. Therefore, low morale amongst the troops and civilians on the German side was a major factor leading to Germany's defeat in World War One. There is no obvious single factor for Germany's defeat in World War One, but among the main reasons were the American's entry into the war, the Ludendorrf Offensive, and the low morale among soldiers and civilians at the home front. The Treaty of Versailles was the culmination of the 1918/1919 peace settlement process that was imposed on Germany by the Allied powers in 1919. The treaty imposed a number of harsh conditions on Germany. As a result of the treaty, Germany had to reduce its army to 100 000 men, and give up its air force altogether. Germany had to give away thirteen percent of its land, and hand over control of its overseas colonies. Germany was forced to pay over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6, 600, 000, 000 in war repatriations. Also, and significantly, the Treaty of Versailles demanded Germany accept full responsibility for starting the First World War. To assess Germany's treatment in the 1918/1919 settlement, it is useful to examine the motives behind the key negotiators, Germany's aims, and Germany's guilt The British public were very angry and were out for revenge. â€Å"Hang the Kaiser† and â€Å"Make Germany Pay† were both very common calls in the time just after the war and the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George could not afford politically to be easy on Germany. This shows that Britain's intentions when contributing to the Treaty of Versailles would have been to harshly punish Germany The then president of France, Georges Clemenceau, was determined to see that Germany was punished so harshly that it would never be able to start a war again, as he believed they had done. As was the case with the British, there was also widespread public anger towards Germany. The American President, Woodrow Wilson, was the third major participant in the treaty negotiations. He too wanted to punish Germany, but also had an interest in a stable Europe, which would depend on a stable Germany. Given the attitudes of the Allies who met in Paris for the peace negotiations, Germany's treatment in the Treaty of Versailles would definitely have been harsh, as all three entered the negotiations with a view to punishing Germany. When judged by its previous actions, it can be argues that Germany was not justified to expect a settlement any more favourable than what they received. They had already proven that in victory they could be as harsh as the Allies with the treaty they presented Russia upon their withdrawal from the war, the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. In this treaty, the Germans demanded that Russia hand over large areas of its territory and pay substantial repatriations. Given the harsh treatment the Germans imposed on Russia after its defeat, the treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles can be justified. There is an argument that if Germany had won, they would have imposed penalties as harsh or harsher on the Allies. This supports the argument that the Treaty of Versailles was not too harsh on Germany. But perhaps the best way to determine whether or not the Treaty of Versailles was really harsh on Germany is to see the effect on Germany of the treaty, and the length of time it took for Germany to recover.