The Background of the Battle of Lepanto

The Background of the Battle of Lepanto The Battle of Lepanto was a key naval engagement during the Ottoman-Habsburg Wars. The Holy League defeated the Ottomans at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Following the death of Suleiman the Magnificent and ascent of Sultan Selim II to Ottoman throne in 1566, plans commenced for the eventual capture of Cyprus.  Held by the Venetians since 1489, the island had largely become encircled by Ottoman possessions on the mainland and offered safe harbor for corsairs that routinely attacked Ottoman shipping.  With the end of a protracted conflict with Hungary in 1568, Selim moved forward with his designs on the island. Landing an invasion force in 1570, the Ottomans captured Nicosia after a bloody seven-week siege and won several victories before arriving at the last Venetian stronghold of Famagusta.  Unable to penetrate the citys defenses, they laid siege in September 1570. In an effort to bolster support for the Venetian fight against the Ottomans, Pope Pius V worked tirelessly to construct an alliance from the Christian states in the Mediterranean. In 1571, the Christian powers in the Mediterranean assembled a large fleet to confront the growing menace of the Ottoman Empire. Assembling at Messina, Sicily in July and August, the Christian force was led by Don John of Austria and contained vessels from Venice, Spain, the Papal States, Genoa, Savoy, and Malta. Sailing under the banner of the Holy League, Don Johns fleet consisted of 206 galleys and 6 gallasses (large galleys that mounted artillery). Rowing east, the fleet paused at Viscardo in Cephalonia where it learned of the fall of Famagusta and the torture and killing of the Venetian commanders there. Enduring poor weather Don John pressed on to Sami and arrived on October 6. Returning to sea the next day, the Holy League fleet entered the Gulf of Patras and soon encountered Ali Pashas Ottoman fleet. Deployments Commanding 230 galleys and 56 galliots (small galleys), Ali Pasha had departed his base at Lepanto and was moving west to intercept the Holy Leagues fleet. As the fleets sighted each other, they formed for battle. For the Holy League, Don John, aboard the galley Real, divided his force into four divisions, with the Venetians under Agostino Barbarigo on the left, himself in the center, the Genoese under Giovanni Andrea Doria on the right, and a reserve led by lvaro de Bazn, Marquis de Santa Cruz in the rear. In addition, he pushed gallasses out in front of his left and center divisions where they could bombard the Ottoman fleet. The Fleets Clash Flying his flag from Sultana, Ali Pasha led the Ottoman center, with Chulouk Bey on the right and Uluj Ali on the left. As the battle opened, the Holy Leagues gallasses sank two galleys and disrupted the Ottoman formations with their fire. As the fleets neared, Doria saw that Uluj Alis line extended beyond his own. Shifting south to avoid being flanked, Doria opened a gap between his division and Don Johns. Seeing the hole, Uluj Ali turned north and attacked into the gap. Doria responded to this and soon his ships were dueling with Uluj Alis. To the north, Chulouk Bey succeeded in turning the Holy Leagues left flank, but determined resistance from the Venetians, and the timely arrival of a gallass, beat off the attack. Shortly after the battle began, the two flagships found each other and a desperate struggle began between Real and Sultana. Locked together, Spanish troops were twice repulsed when they tried to board the Ottoman galley and reinforcements from other vessels were needed to turn the tide. On the third attempt, with aid from lvaro de Bazns galley, Don Johns men were able to take Sultana killing Ali Pasha in the process. Against the wishes of Don John, Ali Pasha was beheaded and his head displayed on a pike. The sight of their commanders head had a severe impact on Ottoman morale and they began withdrawing around 4 PM. Uluj Ali, who had success against Doria and captured the Maltese flagship Capitana, retreated with sixteen galleys and twenty-four galliots. Aftermath and Impact At the Battle of Lepanto, the Holy League lost 50 galleys and suffered approximately 13,000 casualties. This was offset by the freeing of a similar number of Christian slaves from the Ottoman ships. In addition to the death of Ali Pasha, the Ottomans lost 25,000 killed and wounded and an additional 3,500 captured. Their fleet lost 210 ships, of which 130 were captured by the Holy League. Coming at what was seen as a crisis point for Christianity, the victory at Lepanto stemmed Ottoman expansion in the Mediterranean and prevented their influence from spreading west. Though the Holy League fleet was unable to exploit their victory due to the onset of winter weather, operations over the next two years effectively confirmed a division of the Mediterranean between the Christian states in the west and the Ottomans in the east.

State Sponsored Terrorism in Iran

State Sponsored Terrorism in Iran Iran has consistently been described by the United States as the worlds foremost state sponsor of terrorism. It actively supports terrorist groups, most prominently the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The Iranian relationship with Hezbollah demonstrates one accepted explanation of why states sponsor terrorism: to indirectly influence politics elsewhere. According to Michael Scheuer, the former CIA officer: State-sponsored terrorism came in the middle-1970s, and ... its heyday was in the 1980s and early-90s. And typically, the definition of a state sponsor of terrorism is a country that uses surrogates as its weapon to attack other people. The primary example to this day is Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah. Hezbollah, in the nomenclature of the discussion, would be the surrogate of Iran. State Sponsored Terrorism Thrives, says Michale Scheuer Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was created following the 1979 revolution to protect and promote the objectives of the revolution. As a foreign force, they have also exported that revolution, by training Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and other groups. There is evidence that that IRGC is playing an active role to undermine Iraq, by funneling funds and arms to Shiite militias, engaging directly in military activity and gathering intelligence. The extent of Iranian involvement is not clear.​ Iran and Hezbollah Hezbollah (which means Party of God, in Arabic), an Islamist Shiite militia based in Lebanon, is a direct product of Iran. It was formally established in 1982 following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, aimed at uprooting the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) bases there. Iran sent Revolutionary Guard Corps members to assist in the war. A generation later, the relationship between Iran and Hezbollah is not entirely transparent, so it is not clear whether Hezbollah should be considered a full proxy for Iranian intentions. However, Iran funds, arms, and trains Hezbollah, in large part through the IRGC. According to the New York Sun, Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers fought alongside Hezbollah in the Israel-Hezbollah summer 2006 war by supplying intelligence on Israeli targets and manning and firing missiles. Profile of HezbollahIsrael Concludes Serious Errors Made in 2006 War with HezbollahNY Sun: Iranian Revolutionary Guards helped Hezbollah in 2006 War Iran and Hamas Irans relationship with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has not been constant over time. It has, rather, waxed and waned according to the interests of Iran and Hamas at different times since the late 1980s. Hamas is the dominant political party in the Palestinian territories that has long relied on terrorist tactics, including suicide bombing, to register a protest against Israeli policies. According to Cambridge University Professor George Joffe, Irans relationship with Hamas began in the 1990s; it was around this time that Irans interest in exporting revolution coincided with Hamas rejection of compromise with Israel. Iran has been alleged to provide funding and training for Hamas since the 1990s, but the extent of either is unknown. However, Iran did pledge to help fund the Hamas-led Palestinian government after its parliamentary win in January 2006. Profile of HamasGeorge Joffe discusses Iran-Hamas relations Iran and Palestinian Islamic Jihad The Iranians and PIJ first made extended contact in the late 1980s in Lebanon. Subsequently, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps trained PIJ members at Hezbollah camps in Lebanon and Iran commenced funding PIJ.​​ Iran and Nuclear Weapons The creation of WMD is not itself a criterion for being a state sponsor of terrorism, however, when already designated state sponsors to appear to have manufacturing or acquisition capabilities, the U.S. grows especially worried because could be transferred to terrorist groups. At the end of 2006, the United Nations adopted Resolution 1737 and imposed sanctions on Iran for failing to halt its uranium enrichment. Iran has contended that it has that right, in order to create a civil nuclear program

A Visit to a Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Visit to a Museum - Essay Example My visit to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art was a very memorable one for me. Upon entering the museum, I felt like I have entered the world of ancient times. The museum was well decorated and managed and all collections were placed for the visitors with a proper sequence. It was a nice classic concert in the museum the day we went there, so the experience was even more electrifying. We came across many pieces of artworks from modern and ancient times. We also saw many modern and contemporary artworks. I liked the Egyptian part (the reliefs and sculpture), the portrait of Mrs. John Pigott, and the picture of Pablo Picasso. I also liked the Urban Lights by Chris Burden. What we liked the most in the museum was the way the artworks had been organized. We did not have any difficulty in finding collections from ancient or modern times as everything was organized with a proper sequence. Before visiting the museum, I always used to think about museums as a boring place where bundles of old works are placed. However, now my perceptions have changed. Now I feel that museums are not boring at all and they make a person go back to the world of ancient times where one can experience a pleasant feeling while exploring old artworks and testaments. Summing it up, my visit to the museum was one of the best visiting experiences of my life. I can never forget my trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art because it created a new image of America in my mind, which was the image of a culturally diverse

Multiculturalism Issues in Curriculum Assignment

Multiculturalism Issues in Curriculum - Assignment Example It shall also make recommendations and/or predictions for the future of this issue. Finally, it shall establish support for recommendations and/or predictions with this research. Body The multicultural curriculum has its roots in the history of multicultural education which follows the history of the US civil rights movement (Fillion, n.d). The desegregation practices during the 1950s were established in order to provide equal education for all individuals, regardless of race or any other demographic considerations. The 1960s and 1970s, desegregation practices expanded to include application in seeking equity of all students in terms of their human rights (Banks, 2000). With the focus on human rights, multicultural concerns in education were considered, recognizing the importance of establishing awareness in a culturally diverse community. The changes in the teaching curriculum came under the collective heading of multiculturalism. These changes were also apparent in Britain and in A ustralia just as they were unfolding in the US (Lynch, 1983). The educational authorities recognized the fact that the curriculum must come from the social and the ethical concepts being seen in the multicultural setting. Various references to the inherent value of all human beings were also highlighted, and this attached value was also seen in the human rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s (Lynch, 1983). In these states, the focus was on acknowledging the need for the multicultural curriculum and for teachers to support and promote such a program. Research was then carried out and workshops with teachers implemented. Such actions were able to establish that even as many resources were needed in order to â€Å"bring teachers to the level to the level of multicultural teaching acceptable to the proponents of multicultural curriculum, an emphasis must be placed on institutions of higher learning to require the incorporation of inclusionary multicultural methods and practice in the teacher certification process† (Fillion, n.d, p. 1). In effect, without any inclusionary methods in the institutions of higher learning, the multicultural curriculum could not find its place in the educational system. One of the issues in the multicultural curriculum revolves around the fact that the US is composed of different racial groups, but the educational system, including the curricula, the books, the resources, and other teaching materials are founded on White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, otherwise known as the mainstream Americans (Tiedt and Tiedt, 2000). This type of curriculum largely does not consider the experiences, the history, and the culture of other racial and ethnic groupings in the US (Banks, 1988). This type of curriculum has a negative impact on minorities as well as those belonging to the mainstream culture. This is because racism and ethnocentrism are protected and nourished under this mainstream-supported culture. A mainstream-focused curriculum has a neg ative impact on the mainstream students because it further supports their sense of superiority, misleading their understanding of their relationship with other members of society, especially the ethnic minorities (Banks, 1988). The lack of a multicultural curriculum also prevents the process of understanding concepts and information from the point of view of other cultures and races. Another issue with the

Interface design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Interface design - Essay Example Moreover, the intellectual level of target group should be a guiding principle for the interface design document. The user should feel relaxed and comfortable while using the interface and it must be a pleasurable experience. â€Å"Each moment has the potential to increase user’s confidence or destroy his trust in a product or company, and each one is an important piece of the whole experience† (Hoekman 2008). Requirement Analysis of Potential Audience This requires narrowing down what type of information, features and products your targeted audience would be looking for. The basic theme of interface is designed keeping in mind the research conducted in Assignment # 1, which underlines the identification of the user group before starting the development of the product. In our case the site offers massaging services and allied facilities to its customers. The identified customer group is mainly comprised of the middle-aged women of the upper middle class and the elite cl ass of the society. However, there are other groups of customer which are attracted by the product and they include more or less every age group bearing children. The site should also support the customer class where a massage therapy is advised by the doctors. The identified user group is supposed to be well-off and educated. More often than not this group will use the services for stress management and in some cases for medical reasons. The basic theme of the interface is required to be light and refreshing. A shade of light green is used as the theme color of the site. This gives a soothing and refreshing effect to the site. The interface is designed to impart a comforting and gentle effect at first sight to address the issue of the major group of customers while incorporating the needs of the rest of the identified groups. Special care is taken in use of images at the site and especially at the home page of the site to further support and endorse the theme of the site. This is s hown below in figures 1 and 2. [Figure 1: The home page for zypresse.com] [Figure 2: The about us section for zypresse.com] Numbers of interviews were conducted for inclusion of user opinions in the development of the interface. During this process some of the expected clients of the massage services insisted on the availability of video clips of various massaging techniques at the web interface. Feedback of the clients was also integrated in the shape of the price list for various services offered by the massage center. Moreover the names, specialties, and experience of various therapists have also been provided on the basis of requirement analysis. This is shown below in figures 3 and 4. [Figure 3: The video support section for zypresse.com] [Figure 4: The price list section for zypresse.com] A number of doctors, surgeon and physician are consulted to bridge the gap between the customer needs and the product design. This process helped a lot in rationalization and understanding of the customer’s requirement. The user group of massage services is particularly comprised of middle-aged ladies, however adult men and elderly people may also form a part of this user group. Therefore the interface design especially caters for the requirements of this user grou

Analyze the Nike Ad in terms of its appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) Essay

Analyze the Nike Ad in terms of its appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) - Essay Example That is because nobody can know a body well enough than the person who lives in the body. As for the pathos of the statements delivered by the text, it is very clear that the writer wants to deliver the message that it is good to be comfortable with ones body regardless of what the public may say. The ad chooses to appeal to the readers sense of self identity based upon some preset conditions in the past. It clearly tries to appeal to the readers self-interest and emotions. When it comes to the logos of the ad however, one thing is very clear, the ad uses some highly effective logic in order to help sell the product to the two kinds of logic presented in the ad. These logos come into play as the words in the advertisement agrees to and encourages the reader to give himself a chance to be happy just the way he is. While also encouraging to think of the logical arguments presented thus creating a logical statement that will certainly be in need of future discussion. Overall, this is one highly effective ad for Nike as it encourages free thinking and the importance of feeling comfortable in ones own skin. As the ad says, Just do

Moral and Religious Censorship, Family and Religious Values Essay

Moral and Religious Censorship, Family and Religious Values - Essay Example This increase has led to sorely needed strict laws that address these affronts. A personal incident has affected me. I have a nephew, who is so close to me that I think of myself as his â€Å"second father.† My nephew, being part of the new generation, uses the internet frequently for such activities as school work, playing games etc. One day, when he was on the internet and I was visiting, he asked me, pointing at the computer, â€Å"what are those two people doing?† I looked at the computer and was shocked to see a porn movie playing. I rushed instantly towards the computer and switched it off. I told him that this is adult stuff that he would learn in the future. I was outraged – children should not be exposed to sex. The early years should be spent thinking of studying and the small things in life, not thinking about sexual imagery. I used to believe that porn websites, magazines and movies were far from the reach of children, but my thoughts have changed as a result of this incident. After seeing a ten-year-old open a porn website, I realized just how easy it is for our youth to be exposed to these images. There is a clear lack of moral censorship in today’s society. Most of our recently produced movies have sexual content or nude scenes, while music videos that could be easily viewed on youtube and other video broadcasting websites feature ladies with about a quarter of their bodies covered. Childhood exposure to such adult imagery may lead to the increase of masturbation, voyeurism and sadism. Pornographic, indecent and obscene imagery also affects adults, as they introduce fantasies that could increase rape in our society. â€Å"According to conservatives, the sexually explicit content of pornography is an affront to decent family and religious values and deeply offensive to a significant portion of citizens who hold these values. The consumption of pornography is bad for society. It undermines and  destabilizes the moral fabric of a decent and stable society, by encouraging sexual promiscuity, deviant sexual practices and other attitudes and behavior that threaten tradit ional family and religious institutions, and which conservatives regard as intrinsically morally wrong.