Influences on Consumer Behavior for Mobile Phone Choice

Influences on Consumer Behavior for Mobile Phone Choice INTRODUCTION With the passage of time, advents in technology have given new meanings to almost everything around us. Every preconceived notion and idea has been forced to go through a metamorphosis to keep in line with the growing pace of change. This tidal wave of change has surely altered communication drastically. The new advances have led to addition of many new forms which came about as a revolution. The communicative revolution that concerns us is actually the third wave, according to which information can now be transmitted through electronic signals and controlled waves present in the air around us. A mobile phone is an electronic device which is used in two way communication. To make use of a mobile phone, connection to a cellular network is required which is an interconnection of base stations through which signals are transmitted, hence the mobile uses those signals to forge and maintain connection. A user using a mobile phone can make or receive telephone calls to and from other cellular networks and also fixed line phones worldwide. Each mobile phone holds a subscription with a cellular network which then connects it to a mobile network operator and thus lets communication to flow freely. Mobile phones are not used for calls only, especially modern mobile phones. They offer a wide variety of communicative services such as: text messaging sending and receiving emails voicemails accessible through voicemail inbox access to internet MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) interactive games connectivity through Bluetooth and/or USB, infrared music player camera GPS (Global Positioning System) With the influx of countless models of mobiles in the UK market, with minor or significant differences in features, generally they are categorized into two groups. We have feature phones, which are normally characterized as low end mobile phones having less functions, whereas at the other extreme we have Smartphone which are high end phones with sophisticated, computing capabilities. Hence the focus of this report is to discuss a Market Research Study with the aim of providing readers with a comprehensive insight into the factors that influence the consumer behavior when it comes to choosing mobile phones, particularly for UK market. Once the factors have been determined, this report will further shed light on the market research objectives as well as the main purpose and procedure for this proposed market research study. In addition to the aforementioned topics in this report you will also find ample information regarding how to conduct a qualitative and quantitative market research study explaining the finer points in detail. Also a proposed reporting research schedule and timing, fees and credentials will be a part of this report. The reports prime focus will be on the consumer influences because it is these factors that aid the consumer in making a rational choice when given several alternatives to choose from. The consumer would first have to have a need or a problem for the satisfaction of which a product would be required. In this case we have the purchase of a mobile phone. Hence factors influencing consumer behavior in choosing a mobile phone from the different brands will be considered. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES As the main research objective of this study is to identify the factors that influence consumer behavior at the time of choosing a mobile phone brand; hence, the primary research objectives are stated below which have been further subdivided into sub objectives to illustrate the point further. Primary objectives are: Demographic factors Psychographic factors Behavioral factors Following are the sub objectives providing explanation for each of the research studys objectives: Demographic factors: are those factors influencing consumer behavior which are the consumers factors comprising of age, gender, income, occupation, education, religion and nationality. Demographic factors are important as consumers belonging to similar demographics have alike buying patterns. Based on the research study result, researchers would know what brands are favored by the male or female consumers, also depending on the income and occupation which brands would be the choice for consumers. Psychographic factors: comprise of factors that are based on consumers social class, lifestyle and personality traits. A point to be noted is that same demographics may have very different preferences when it comes to psychographic structures. Some brands are chosen over others if they are better at portraying an image which truly reflects the consumers psychographics. Behavioral factors: are specifically related to the buyers habits and their attitudes towards different brands. Basically it comprises of components that tell about the consumers knowledge, attitudes and responses to a product. If the marketer has ample knowledge about these behavioral variables then it makes the research very informative. PURPOSE AND PROCEDURE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH METHOD AND DESIGN The prime focus of this proposed marketing research method and design is to be able to identify the significant factors that play an important role in influencing consumer behaviour in respect to choosing between different mobile brands, specifically in the UK market. In order to be able to collect genuine and authentic data this research design will incorporate both primary and secondary research study. Elements of the said primary research study will be utilised in the form of both qualitative and quantitative research. The purpose being the determination of various factors that play a key role in influencing consumer behaviour in relation to choosing mobile phone brands. The factors under discussion will be from the broad categories of demographics, psychographics and behavioural. Furthermore, to complement the marketing research study results, a literature review relating to the importance of proper knowledge regarding different consumer influences, consumers preferences and choices, prices and availability of different features such as camera, games, Wi-Fi, and also the notion of brand loyalty. In addition to it, evaluation methods explaining how best to gauge consumer responses will also be augmented in the study. As told earlier, secondary research will be also be implemented, its aim would be to augment information about the patterns of consumer behaviour in the past and also the changes that have taken place recently. All of this information gained will then be considered and used in forming the main purpose and objectives of the proposed research study. For the designing of a questionnaire judging the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the research study, the following questions will be a part of it. The questions are: Which mobile phone brand are you currently using? Would you buy the same brand when buying a new phone in the future? Which mobile phone brand would have been your next choice? How much are you willing to pay for a mobile phone of your choice? What are your preferences in choosing a mobile phone? What features are the most important in a mobile phone? What features are the least important in a mobile phone? In your opinion, which brand is the UK market leader in mobile phones? RATIONALE BEHIND THE QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN Initially there is a need to recognize what is the kind of relationship shared between the variables and hypothesis. The two broad categories of such relationships are cause and effect relationship and non cause effect relationship. The one under consideration belongs to the former group as we have identified different factors as cause, bringing about effect in the form of consumer behaviour when opting for a certain mobile phone brand. It is widely believed that quantitative research methods which are based on scientific mode of study are the most effective in delivering a credible research hypothesis. Though there are other methods too, but they do have their shortcomings as well. If a pure statistical quantitative research method is implemented the results would not be comprehensive enough. They would only depict the general evaluation of the research and not the finer details that went into forming this conclusion. Another method for that matter is pure observational approach; again this mode is not favourable as it is primarily based on the researchers supposition of the hypothesis. Therefore this approach is greatly endangered by distortion of the final conclusion and lacks credibility as a result of it. Phenomenological method is another approach that can be taken as it asks the researchers to better understand the idea or hypothesis in relation to all its aspects and then form an evaluation based on the experiences felt by the person under its influence. In the end to sum up, its best suggested that statistical method be used for quantitative purpose and qualitative approach be taken to research the factors. As this combination of methods incorporates both the pros and cons of the respective approaches so it will, in most probability, helpful in delivering a credible and unbiased evaluation at the end of the research study. ABOUT THE PROPOSED RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN The questionnaire was formulated for the key purpose of identifying the different factors that influence consumer behaviour when choosing between different mobile phone brands in the UK market. Therefore each question was designed with the aim of extracting some information that would be insightful in understanding the complex buying behaviour of the consumers. Question 1 will find out which brand is most used by the consumers. If there are a major proportion of the participants choosing a particular brand that would mean that brand may be the market leader. Questions 2 and 3 will assess whether they wish to change the phone. If they do then what is the reason behind it, if a shortcoming in the current brand is recognized then the marketer can capitalize on it and add this feature in its own product if feasible. Question 4 will judge the brand loyalty in the participants as part of the behavioural factors influencing consumer behaviour. Whereas, question 5 will aim to find out what the customers next favoured option is in mobile phone brands. This would give an idea as to which brand has the potential of becoming the market leader. Question 6 will evaluate what is the technological literacy in the participants so that a need for introduction of complex technology can be considered. While question 7 will review what are the activities that the users mostly indulge in when using their phones. This will also be helpful in finding out what areas can be improved as are mostly used by the consumers. Question 8 will aim to discover the power friends have on consumer preferences as part of the psychographic factors. Generally it is believed that family, friends and peer pressure play a vital role in this area, this question will be finding out whether there is any truth to this notion or not. Question 9s purpose is to obtain information regarding how much consumers are willing to spend on the purchase of a mobile phone. Price is in relation to income which is a component of demographic factors. Also if a trend in low spending is observed then this would mean that there is a need for lowering the prices. Question 10 will ask the participants to make a choice between two of the most coveted mobile phone features. In addition to the usual ones features available, preference for camera and Wi-Fi will be asked for. Question 11 is in extension to the earlier asked question, asking what are the features that they most want in their mobile phones. It is expected that the answers will greatly depend on the age of the participants. Question 12, the last question, will actually provide additional information about the consumers assessment of the available brands. This will also show which brand the consumers think is the market leader, the response to this question will be interesting as it may be in contrast to what the marketers expectations are. IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC QUESTIONING, INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES AND EVALUATION In order to be certain that the questions prepared are honest and not misleading, it is necessary that the questions being asked as part of the research are credible. If not then the results may be deceptive. For this purpose it is also necessary that strategic questioning is such that asks questions that are actually informative and insightful, helping in forming strategies. Therefore it of the utmost importance that the questionnaire designed should be clear in stating what its purpose is. The understanding of the responses should be such which would be able to serve its purpose of finding out the factors most influencing consumer behaviour in choosing mobile phone brands, particularly for the UK market. The researcher should incorporate all such plausible and relevant questions that will be helpful in achieving this aim. While conducting an interview, researchers are at an advantage of extracting much more out of the respondent than from a questionnaire. It is because of the nature of the method that gives the freedom to the researcher to pay attention to the gestures and body language of the participant in addition to obtaining a response. When evaluating and getting ready to present the data, the researcher should not forget what the purpose has been all along. Also a general code of conduct and ethics should not be breached at any stage of the research as that would deem the study false. PROPOSED RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND REPORTING As the research has to kept bias free so it is important that the respondents are chosen at random from the targeted segment. The researcher should thus aim to distribute the questionnaires to people who can be counted on for providing the best possible response. For our study, prime focus would be UK residents. It will be this collected data which will be analysed and evaluated. Since our study encompasses the whole UK market, so the researcher will aim to get 100 survey questionnaires by the residents of four main countries of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Each participant will be at complete liberty to refuse to participate in this survey, only after their consent would they be given a questionnaire to fill. Correct purpose of the study will be explained to them. After all the data has been collected, it will then be analyzed and interpreted with the use of computing aids in order to be certain about the veracity of the study. These results will be compiled as a report in addition to study results, recommendations and conclusions. For the meeting this report will be presented along with a PowerPoint presentation. PROPOSED RESEARCH SCHEDULE AND TIMING This research will be conducted within an expected time duration of 7 weeks. In the initial weeks, the market research proposal will be composed. This step will involve the preliminary identification of factors influencing consumer behaviour namely, demographic, psychographic and behavioural factors, which will then be taken as the basis for the whole study. Literature review will be a key component for this area as this will evaluate what needs to be researched. It will be during this literature review that the factors will be further sub divided into smaller facets to cover every aspect of consumer behaviour. During the 3rd week, quantitative and qualitative research study questionnaire will be designed. For this purpose first the merits and demerits of each form of study will have to be taken into consideration. Then after the questionnaires are prepared, they will be distributed to the targeted segment of the population based on country wise division for UK market. It will be during the 4th and 5th week that the questionnaires will be filled and collected. Two week time is being allotted as the questionnaires will be divided over a large area so shipping to and forth will have to be accounted for. In the 6th week the researcher will have to get down to the task of the evaluating the results. For this a systematic procedure of first entering the data into computing software and then retrieving the end result will be initiated. Computers are being used of this purpose to guarantee no or very insignificant discrepancies. Once the results are obtained they will be included in the study for the experts review and analysis. As told earlier, informal interviews will also be conducted so that gain even better insight into the workings of consumer influences. These responses along with formal interview data collected will be also be added into the survey. At the completion of all these steps, final evaluation will be carried out. This evaluation will incorporate elements from all the parts of the whole research proposal study, the purpose for this detailed study will be to avoid all forms of prejudice that might have seeped into the study at any step of the process. In the final 7th week, after the study is completed, final review will take place. COST FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS AND BREAKDOWN As the participants selected belong to four different countries therefore questionnaire filling will in itself be a long process. Mostly it takes a couple of days for the questionnaires to be filled but as the participants are over an extended area so for that we have projected a longer time duration. During all this time various expenses will be incurred which have to be accounted from. Apart from the obvious transportation and telecommunications costs which are a part of every research schedule, other expenses are also to be considered. These other expenses can be listed under sundry expenses, comprising of paper and printing cost, food expenses. Also the volunteers will be given allowances for the services being offered.

Medieval Castles :: History

Medieval Castles In 1494 the armies of the French king, Charles VIII, invaded Italy to capture the kingdom of Naples. They swept through the country and bombarded and destroyed many castles. This invasion signaled the end of the castle as a stronghold of defense. For centuries it had been the dominant fortification in Western Europe for the defense of kings, nobility, and townspeople. Ancient cities were often walled to keep out invaders, and within the walls there was usually a citadel, a strongly built fortification occupying the highest or militarily most advantageous position. A castle is much like such a walled city and its citadel contracted into a smaller space. Castles were basically fortified locations. The word itself comes from the Latin castellum. Up to the 6th century fortifications were primarily communities in which most of the population lived. But in the middle of the 6th century, the armies of the Byzantine Empire began to build strong forts as defensive positions. For the next few centuries this castle building was confined to the Byzantine Empire, but later hordes of Islamic warriors who swept out of Arabia to conquer the Middle East, North Africa, and much Byzantine territory also started building such forts. Western Europe, in the depths of the Dark Ages from the 5th through the 9th century, had no such works. But late in the 9th century, as local lords and kings began to consolidate power, castle building began probably in France. Once begun, castle building spread rapidly to other areas. But it was not until the 12th and 13th centuries, after the Crusaders returned from their wars against Islam in Palestine, that castles as imposing as those of the Byzantine or Islamic empires were constructed in Europe. Many of the stone castles of the late Middle Ages still stand. Some are tourist attractions, in various states of repair, along the Rhine River from Mainz to Cologne in Germany, dotted about the French countryside, or perched on hilltops in Spain. The original French castles had been built on open plains. Later ones, however, were situated on rocky crags, at river forks, or in some position where advancing enemies would find approach extremely difficult, if not impossible. The fortifications became more elaborate with time, with considerable attention paid to making the living quarters more comfortable. A typical castle was usually guarded on the outskirts by a surrounding heavy wooden fence of sharp-pointed stakes called a barbican_. Medieval Castles :: History Medieval Castles In 1494 the armies of the French king, Charles VIII, invaded Italy to capture the kingdom of Naples. They swept through the country and bombarded and destroyed many castles. This invasion signaled the end of the castle as a stronghold of defense. For centuries it had been the dominant fortification in Western Europe for the defense of kings, nobility, and townspeople. Ancient cities were often walled to keep out invaders, and within the walls there was usually a citadel, a strongly built fortification occupying the highest or militarily most advantageous position. A castle is much like such a walled city and its citadel contracted into a smaller space. Castles were basically fortified locations. The word itself comes from the Latin castellum. Up to the 6th century fortifications were primarily communities in which most of the population lived. But in the middle of the 6th century, the armies of the Byzantine Empire began to build strong forts as defensive positions. For the next few centuries this castle building was confined to the Byzantine Empire, but later hordes of Islamic warriors who swept out of Arabia to conquer the Middle East, North Africa, and much Byzantine territory also started building such forts. Western Europe, in the depths of the Dark Ages from the 5th through the 9th century, had no such works. But late in the 9th century, as local lords and kings began to consolidate power, castle building began probably in France. Once begun, castle building spread rapidly to other areas. But it was not until the 12th and 13th centuries, after the Crusaders returned from their wars against Islam in Palestine, that castles as imposing as those of the Byzantine or Islamic empires were constructed in Europe. Many of the stone castles of the late Middle Ages still stand. Some are tourist attractions, in various states of repair, along the Rhine River from Mainz to Cologne in Germany, dotted about the French countryside, or perched on hilltops in Spain. The original French castles had been built on open plains. Later ones, however, were situated on rocky crags, at river forks, or in some position where advancing enemies would find approach extremely difficult, if not impossible. The fortifications became more elaborate with time, with considerable attention paid to making the living quarters more comfortable. A typical castle was usually guarded on the outskirts by a surrounding heavy wooden fence of sharp-pointed stakes called a barbican_.

American History Since 1877 Essay

While it may be the case that a popular and misinformed view of the entry of the United States into World War Two has displaced that of historical accuracy for the majority of casual observers of history, those with a deeper immersion in the historical facts recognize a more complex and perhaps more profound set of reasons and circumstances that led to the US entry into the war. The casual and uninformed observer no doubt believes that Hitler’s conquests in Europe along with the terror-inspiring Nazi-sponsored U-boat warfare in the North Atlantic and beyond, along with the imperial Japanese invasion of China are the reasons for the US entry into the war. These ideas are sound enough, but they tell only a partial story, the exterior of the issues and events. Admittedly, the concrete reason for war was the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, a single event which demonstrated the intention of the Axis powers to rule the earth. However, this surprise attack gave rise to one of the war’s most enduring and over-riding myths: that America’s entry into the war was precipitated primarily on moral grounds. This idea proves to be particularly specious given the historical evidence: although moral obligation might be given as the reason for US entry into the war, one, with study can easily â€Å"rejects the purely moral justification of American entry into the war against Hitler,† (Russett, 1997, p. 44) and it is equally as thorny, although just as tempting,, to frame US conflict with Japan on purely moral grounds. While it is true that the Japanese, â€Å"were often unkind conquerors,† (Russett, 1997, p. 44)they were also â€Å"welcomed in the former European colonies of Southeast Asia, and Japan† (Russett, 1997, p. 44) and they were able to keep some good relations native rebels; so Japanese territorial expansion and influence was in no way one-sided or always regarded as brutal. Whether or not moral justification was desired or necessary for the US to declare war on Japan, it is â€Å"Hitler, not Tojo, who is customarily presented as the personification of evil† and therefore it is Germany, not Japan, which carries most of the weight of â€Å"moral justification† for the US entry into World War Two,† (Russett, 1997, p. 44) although even this position is tenuous weighed against the very real historical ambivalence displayed by the American government during Hitler’s rise to power and Germany’s subsequent campaign of European conquests. When Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933 he had already divulged most of his far-reaching plans for war in Europe and especially for war in the east, against Russia. Also divulged was his violent antisemiticism and his ambition to attain global German and Nazi hegemony. In his celebrated â€Å"autobiography† Mein Kampf, Hitler made clear to whomever was paying attention (presumably the world) his â€Å"attitudes and plans which were the basis of the Nazi government and of his foreign policy. † (Goldston, 1967, p. 60) The policies and ambitions were â€Å"frankly stated for all the world to read† (Goldston, 1967, p. 60) and it is to the sorrow and pity of millions that Hitler’s blatant pronouncements went unheeded by politicians and generals throughout Europe. In fact, if a moral imperative played any role in the mind-set of the Western, future-Alllied, powers during this time, it was an imperative of peace. And it was precisely this imperative toward preserving peace: for Britain to prevent another Great War in Europe and for America to refuse involvement in another European war, which led to the tragic escalation of what began as a localized conflict into a global catastrophe. This mistake would be repeated at least three more times as the world sped toward World War Two. On at last three occasions: during the Anschluss when Hitler integrated Austria into the German Reich, again during Hitler’s military conquest of the Sudentland and, once more, when Hitler engineered the political conquest of Czechoslovakia at Munich, the post-war Treaty of Versailles had been broken. From the base of 100,000 troops permitted under the Versailles Treaty, Hitler, on 1 October 1934: ordered a trebling of army size, as well as the creation of an air force, which had been illegal under the Versailles terms. On 7 March 1936, troops were sent into the Rhineland, unilaterally abrogating the demilitarization of Germany’s western frontier provided for under the Locarno Pact† (Black, 2003, p. 4). Later, after this initial violation, â€Å"troops were sent into the Rhineland,† which broke the Treaty of Versailles openly. (Black, 2003, p. 4). In each of these cases, military intervention by France, Britain, and Russian was not only lawful, it was indicated by treaty: and, as is obviously the case looking back on history, each of the chances provided an opportunity for the Allied powers to prevent World War Two. During the invasion of the Sudentland, Hitler’s true ambitions lay elsewhere, he desired to invade Czechoslovakia, and in doing so, secure the German flank for an eventual invasion of the Soviet Union. Clearly, Germany was heading in the direction of war. So, any argument that Hitler or Germany’s were hidden or hard to understand is weak, if not plainly foolish. This fact, however, seemed to have little influence of the European policy of appeasement, which allowed not only human rights abuses in the Reich to continues unchallenged, but allowed for blatant military conquest of sovereign nations by Germany. Meanwhile, America’s isolationist vision towards continued, leaving Hitler with a free hand after his shrewdly engineered â€Å"Pact of Steel† had been concluded with his sworn enemy the Soviet Union. The US entered World war One slowly, and after â€Å"the conclusion of hostilities there was a wave of revulsion against war and military activity, † (Aldcroft, 1997, p. 8) which resulted in a public unwillingness to support intervention which might lead to military conflict. Though the pattern of appeasement followed by France and Britain in the wake of Hitler’s string of highly-visible conquests is difficult to understand, the apprehension toward war which had been seeded in the aftermath of World War One, â€Å"pacifism was strong in both Britain and France, in large part in response to the massive casualties in World War One† (Black , 2003, p. 4). as well as serious problems with the ensuing Treaty of Versailles are the best explanation for the malaise of the Allies. Instead of â€Å"responding forcefully against the successive breaches of the Versailles settlement,† (Black , 2003, p. 4). France and Britain decided to take a pretty much passive position in regards to Nazi Germany. Clearly these actions â€Å"encouraged Nazi expansionism† (Black , 2003, p. 4). even though the British and French governments were blind to the dangers of Nazism and believed that they were averting a war through their diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, everyone concerned hoped Hitler’s conquests would be limited and that he would spend his time â€Å"ruling Germany† and not seeking conflict or expansion throughout Europe. Of course, these hopes turned out to be foolishly placed because â€Å"†Hitler’s aim–as he had set it down in Mein Kampf[†¦ ] was an expansion of Germany† (Jarman 206) and the outbreak of the war made those who had sought to make diplomacy the leading idea for dealing with Hitler had to admit that his diplomacy was merely a smokescreen to his desire to make war on those he believed were his enemies or those who opposed his plans for expansion for Germany. That he had already made all of his ambitions clear in his book was not important to the European leaders who dealt with Hitler initially; they just believed whatever he said to the loss of territories and thousands of peoples lives. (Jarman). Nothing seem to limit or stop the Allied policy of appeasement at Munich, which sacrificed the nation of Czechoslovakia to Hitler and the Nazis without a shot being fired. Hitler was also â€Å"determined to destroy Czechoslovakia, a democratic state that looked to other great powers for support† (Brown, 2004, p. 40); this would be a demonstration of the Reich’s power and intentions to expand its territories in the face of European opposition. Later, just â€Å"six months before the start of the Second World War, Czechoslovakia had ceased to exist,† (Brown, 2004, p. 40). and was incorporated into the Reich. Munich provided the most dramatic, and obvious, representation of Hitler’s ambitions and yet the irony is Germany would have been unable to match the military forces of the Allies during any of the three conquests outlined above. At the time of Munich, the German army could â€Å"muster only 31 divisions or regular troops and 7 reserve divisions;† (Brown, 2004, p. 40) this in contrasted with Allied powers â€Å"the French could hurl over 100 divisions and simply walk to Berlin. † (Brown, 2004, p. 40). In fact, the Czech army itself might have provide for its own protection had it been allowed to fight. Instead, Hitler was allowed to digest his conquests and plot his eventual war with the Soviet Union. No matter how considered the overwhelming historical evidence is that the Allies could have prevented the rise of global Nazism and the eventual outbreak of World War Two by abandoning their policies of appeasement and confronting the Third Reich with overwhelming military force. If moral justification had been lacking, one might interpret the Allied non-response to Hitler’s early acts of conquest and aggression as an act of graciousness — in sparing not only the soldiers but civilian populations from needless bloodshed. After-all, Germany had, her self only recently emerged from a terrible ravishment in the fiery end of World War One and her suffering under the Treaty of Versailles and the extraction of war-debts had brought Germany nearly to collapse. Even the Germans deserved better than a second war so closely following upon the Great War. If this had been the reasoning, in the absence of moral imperative, in the absence of signed treaties, and in the absence of military superiority, then even the Allied appeasement at Munich might have been at least understandable. Although the the Hitler-Stalin pact of August 1939 offered Germany protection from Soviet military retaliation and allowed the proposed invasion of Poland to take place without fear of Soviet reprisal. The Wehrmacht defeated the Polish army in just over 25 days and later when Spring allowed a more forceful and aggressive campaign strategy, the Wehrmacht descended upon the ‘low countries:† Denmark, Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands. After two and a half months, the French surrendered. And even though the majority of the British expeditionary force to the continent escaped at Dunkirk, the British experienced the loss of their heavy equipment† (Russett, 1997, p. 25). Ultimately, Mussolini decided to launch Italy into the war only a fear days after France’s surrender. Meanwhile, America’s involvement in the war was limited to the implementation of the â€Å"The Lend-Lease Act, which was to pour billions of dollars of supplies into Britain† (Russett, 1997, p. 26) and also, pave the way for military involvement. Not only did US forces occupy Iceland, but â€Å"President Roosevelt had agreed that American ships would escort convoys–including British ships† (Russett, 1997, p. 26) to Iceland. This convoying was not entirely peaceful, it meant that â€Å"if German U-boats approached the American escorts were to â€Å"shoot on sight† (Russett, 1997, p. 26) to insure that the goods got through. These were steps to protect Britain and also steps toward total war. However, the role of â€Å"Lend_lease† itself proclaimed a total lack of moral imperative on the behalf of the American people regarding Hitler’s conquests in Europe. While Hitler was gobbling up Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland — and even before his physical conquest, during his rise to power — the same ethical and moral reasons for making war against the Nazi Regime existed as would exist many months later, after the destruction and deaths of millions of Europeans, Africans, Russians, Americans, and Japanese was assured by the conflagration of a World War. If there was a time when a moral imperative should have played a role in the events which ed to America’s involvement in World war Two, Munich makes much ore an apt case than Pearl Harbor. Looking back over the vents which preceded the invasion of Poland, there seems to be no moral impediment for American intervention in Hitler’s rising Nazi state. Meanwhile, in the Pacific war, where America’s ambitions and motivations toward war were much less ambiguously articulated, Japan continued with an â€Å"exhausting and seemingly endless war† (Russett, 1997, p. 45) which started with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, and was â€Å"greatly escalated by the clash at the Marco Polo Bridge which expanded into severe open warfare with China in 1937† (Russett, 1997, p. 45); such considerations were deeply incongruous with American ambitions in Southeast Asia. The imperative, however, was not one of moral obligation but one of geopolitical power. The same can be said for the Hobson’s choice ultimately faced by the Japanese. Although the attack on Pearl Harbor appeared to the American public as an act of ruthless aggression; to the Japanese, given the dwindling options for an Imperial future, as we will discuss directly, the act might easily have been viewed as a defensive military act of aggression. The friction between the US and Japan over the â€Å"China Incident† stemmed basically from an opposition of geopolitical ambitions. Japan considered itself and Imperial power, one which was as entitled to territorial expansion and expansion of influence as Britain or the United States and it viewed Southeast Asia and China as residing within its natural spheres of influence. To give up ambitions in China would be admitting that Japan was a second or third-rate world power and the elite of Japan’s military and civilian leaders found such a decision impossible because it gave in entirely to American demands. Faced with such a choice, the Japanese began to orbit around diplomatically and then join into the Nazi-led Axis, since it was obvious that the British? American alliance was likely headed toward a Allied war in Europe anyway. In July of 1941, Japanese assets were frozen in America, and â€Å"the consequent cessation of shipment of oil, scrap iron, and other goods from the United States, Japan’s economy was in most severe straits and her power to wage war directly threatened† (Russett, 1997, p. 46) and her ability to make war was becoming severely threatened by the ongoing embargoes against her. Japanese military planners estimated that â€Å"reserves of oil, painfully accumulated in the late 1930s when the risk of just such a squeeze became evident, would last at most two years† (Russett, 1997, p. 46) by which time it would be far too late to make a stand, militarily, against the United States in China or elsewhere. Somehow, Japan had found its way to a â€Å"no good choices† scenario, with acquiescence to American demands dooming Japan to a less than coequal status with the world’s dominant powers, or war with the United States — sooner than later — before supplies dwindled below practical abilities to make war. Diplomatic efforts proved useless when â€Å"The United States, and the British and Dutch,† (Russett, 1997, p. 47) would end the embargoes only as a response to â€Å"Japanese withdrawal from air and naval bases in Indochina† (Russett, 1997, p. 47); and at this time the Japanese military began to consider war with the U. S. inevitable. Most of the Japanese elite â€Å"were opposed to any settlement which would in effect have meant withdrawal from China† (Russett, 1997, p. 47) which would also mean the increase of Western, particularly American influence, in precisely those ares which Japan’s ruling castes believed were the natural provinces of the Japanese Empire. It is impossible to view the preceding acts perpetrated against the Japanese as anything other than aggressive, if falling short of actual military warfare; it was clear that Japan was being pushed just about as far to the brink of war as any nation could be pushed. It is impossible to extract from the American non-intervention in Europe coupled with its seeking intervention by economic and diplomatic means in Manchuria and Southeast Asia a policy which is driven by moral, rather than global-poltical, imperatives. In fact, positing American neutrality throughout the early days of Hitter’s conquests with American proactive intervention in Japanese Imperial expansion requires one to admit very little in the way of moral imperative. While the Japanese military planned for war, the American government also planned for an escalation of hostilities: â€Å"By autumn 1941, however, opinion was crystallizing in the highest levels of the American decision-making system† (Russett, 1997, p. 50) this process was leading to war. Roosevelt â€Å"informally polled his cabinet on the question of whether the country would support war against Japan† (Russett, 1997, p. 50) and the result was that â€Å"All members responded in the affirmative† (Russett, 1997, p. 50); with public support behind the war, conflict with Japan seemed immanent. By the beginning of December their attack was irrevocably set in motion. The Japanese conviction that war could not be limited to the British and Dutch had to be based wholly on inference. Yet it was a correct analysis and a solid conviction, as shown by the otherwise inexplicable risk they took at Pearl Harbor â€Å"the attack ensured American popular support for the war in the Pacific, just as the moral argument against Hitler in Europe worked to fuel public support for the American entry into World War Two† ; so, in effect, where the brutality and obvious territorial ambitions of Hitler had failed to ignite American sentiment for war, the attack by Japan ignited an inferno that would draw the US into the most notable global conflict of the twentieth-century. (Russett, 1997, p. 51) In conclusion, the US entry into World War Two when studied at more than a popular â€Å"mythic† level, is a story which combines the global-political ambitions of many nations with the propagandistic impulse which is necessary to â€Å"sell† even just wars to the soldiers who must fight them and to the publics which must support them. The US entered World War Two not so much as an agent of moral â€Å"good† or to stop a great evil which was recognized as emerging from the Third Reich. As we have seen, if this had truly been the motivation for a US war against Germany, moral justification had been provided as early as 1933 when Hitler rose to power declaring his ambitions to shirk off the Treaty of Versailles, wipe out Soviet Russia and destroy the Jews. Certainly, by the time of the Munich agreement, Nazi Germany was a recognized threat to both world order and world morality. The facts of history, while deepening and shadowing the more broad strokes of myth, fail to eliminate altogether the essential ideas contained within the myth. While it is true that the US entered World War Two in what could properly be described as a â€Å"tardy† fashion, and failed to seize the opportunity to help to push the European Allies to a timely confrontation with the burgeoning Reich before the loss of millions, the fact remains that US involvement in World War Two was the triumph of good over evil adn did provide a victory for freedom, democracy, and humanism which did not exist in the Nazi state. However, it is important also to realize that one of the key Allies, Soviet Russia, stood as perhaps an even more corrupt regime than the Nazis, slaughtered as many, if not more, Jews, political prisoners, and Russian citizens, combined as the Nazi regime — the truths of history provide the seeds of myth and from those seeds, often, the fruit of what is essential can be tasted. If history shows that the US entry into World War Two was based less in moral grounds than myth would have us belive, it is also true that American morality and strength of character provided an indelible asset in claiming victory against both the Nazis and the Japanese during the Second World War. References Aldcroft, D. (1997). The Versailles Legacy. History Review, (29), 8+. Black, J. (2003). World War Two.New York: Routledge. Brown, M. D. (2004, December). The S. O. E. and the Failure of the Slovak National Uprising: Martin D. Brown Tells the Little-Known Story of How British and American Soldiers Disappeared in Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains during the Remarkable Episode of Slovakia’s National Uprising against Its Nazi-Supporting Government during the Second World War. History Today, 54, 39+. Jarman, T. L. (1956). The Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany (1st ed. ). New York: New York University Press. Russett, B. M. (1997). No Clear and Present Danger: A Skeptical View of the United States Entry into World War II. Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press. Goldston, Robert. (1967). The Life and Death of Nazi Germany. New York, Fawcett Premier. Payne, Robert. (1973). The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler. New York

Notes On Crimes Against Property - 1054 Words

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