Saturday, May 23, 2020

Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt in World War II

Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt was prominent German commander during World War II. After commanding Army Group South during the invasion of Poland, he played a central role in the defeat of France in 1940. Over the next five years, Rundstedt held a series of senior commands on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Though he was removed as the commander-in-chief in the West following the Allied landings in Normandy, he returned to the post in September 1944 and remained in that role until the final weeks of the war. Early Career Born December 12, 1875 at Aschersleben, Germany, Gerd von Rundstedt was a member of an aristocratic Prussian family. Entering the German Army at age sixteen, he began learning his trade before being accepted into the German Armys officer training school in 1902. Graduating, von Rundstedt was promoted to captain in 1909. A skilled staff officer, he served in this capacity at the beginning of World War I in August 1914. Elevated to major that November, von Rundstedt continued to serve as a staff officer and by the end of the war in 1918 was chief of staff for his division. With the conclusion of the war, he elected to remain in the postwar Reichswehr. Interwar Years In the 1920s, von Rundstedt rapidly advanced through the ranks of the Reichswehr and received promotions to lieutenant colonel (1920), colonel (1923), major general (1927), and lieutenant general (1929). Given command of the 3rd Infantry Division in February 1932, he supported Reich Chancellor Franz von Papens Prussian coup that July. Promoted to general of the infantry that October, he remained in that rank until being made a colonel general in March 1938. In the wake of the Munich Agreement, von Rundstedt led the 2nd Army which occupied the Sudetenland in October 1938. Despite this success, he promptly retired later in the month in protest of the Gestapos framing of Colonel General Werner von Fritsch during the Blomberg–Fritsch Affair. Leaving the army, he was given the honorary post of colonel of the 18th Infantry Regiment. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt Rank: Field MarshalService: Imperial German Army ,Reichswehr, WehrmachtBorn: December 12, 1875 in Aschersleben, GermanyDied: February 24, 1953 in Hanover, GermanyParents: Gerd Arnold Konrad von Rundstedt and Adelheid FischerSpouse: Luise â€Å"Bila† von GoetzChildren: Hans Gerd von RundstedtConflicts: World War I, World War II World War II Begins His retirement proved brief as he was recalled by Adolf Hitler the following year to lead Army Group South during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Opening World War II, the campaign saw von Rundstedts troops mount the main attack of the invasion as they struck east from Silesia and Moravia. Winning the Battle of Bzura, his troops steadily drove back the Poles. With the successful completion of the conquest of Poland, von Rundstedt was given command of Army Group A in preparation for operations in the West. As planning moved forward, he supported his chief of staffs, Lieutenant General Erich von Manstein, call for a swift armored strike toward the English Channel which he believed could lead to the strategic collapse of the enemy. Attacking on May 10, von Rundstedts forces made swift gains and opened a large gap in the Allied front. Led by General of Cavalry Heinz Guderians XIX Corps, German troops reached the English Channel on May 20. Having cut off the British Expeditionary Force from France, von Rundstedts troops turned north to capture the Channel ports and prevent its escape to Britain. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L08129 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Traveling to Army Group As headquarters at Charleville on May 24, Hitler urged its von Rundstedt, to press the attack. Assessing the situation, he advocated holding his armor west and south of Dunkirk, while utilizing the infantry of Army Group B to finish off the BEF. Though this allowed von Rundstedt to preserve his armor for the final campaign in France, it allowed the British to successfully conduct the Dunkirk Evacuation. On the Eastern Front With the end of fighting in France, von Rundstedt received a promotion to field marshal on July 19. As the Battle of Britain began, he assisted in the development of Operation Sea Lion which called for the invasion of southern Britain. With the Luftwaffes failure to defeat the Royal Air Force, the invasion was called off and von Rundstedt was instructed to oversee the occupation forces in Western Europe. As Hitler began planning Operation Barbarossa, von Rundstedt was ordered east to assume command of Army Group South. On June 22, 1941, his command took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union. Driving through Ukraine, von Rundstedts forces played a key role in the encirclement of Kiev and capture of over 452,000 Soviet troops in late September. Pushing on, von Rundstedts forces succeeded in capturing Kharkov in late October and Rostov in late November. Suffering a heart attack during the advance on Rostov, he refused to leave the front and continued to direct operations. With the Russian winter setting in, von Rundstedt advocating halting the advance as his forces were becoming overextended and hampered by the severe weather. This request was vetoed by Hitler. On November 27, Soviet forces counterattacked and forced the Germans to abandon Rostov. Unwilling to surrender ground, Hitler countermanded von Rundstedts orders to fall back. Refusing to obey, von Rundstedt was sacked in favor of Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau. Return to the West Briefly out of favor, von Rundstedt was recalled in March 1942 and given command of Oberbefehlshaber West (German Army Command in the West - OB West). Charged with defending Western Europe from the Allies, he was tasked with erecting fortifications along the coast. Largely inactive in this new role, little work occurred in 1942 or 1943. Field Marshals Gerd von Rundstedt and Erwin Rommel.   Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-718-0149-18A / Jesse / CC-BY-SA 3.0 In November 1943, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was assigned to OB West as commander of Army Group B. Under his direction, work finally began on fortifying the coastline. Over the coming months, von Rundstedt and Rommel clashed over the disposition of OB Wests reserve panzer divisions with the former believing they should located in the rear and the latter wanting them near the coast. Following the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, von Rundstedt and Rommel worked to contain the enemy beachhead. When it became obvious to von Rundstedt that the Allies could not be pushed back into the sea, he began advocating for peace. With the failure of a counterattack near Caen on July 1, he was asked by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, head of the German armed forces, what should be done. To this he brusquely replied, Make peace you fools! What else can you do? For this, he was removed from command the next day and replaced with Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge. Final Campaigns In the wake of the July 20 Plot against Hitler, von Rundstedt agreed to serve on a Court of Honor to assess officers suspected of being opposed to the fà ¼hrer. Removing several hundred officers from the Wehrmacht, the court turned them over to Roland Freislers Volksgerichtshof (Peoples Court) for trial. Implicated in the July 20 Plot, von Kluge committed suicide on August 17 and was briefly replaced by Field Marshal Walter Model. Eighteen days later, on September 3, von Rundstedt returned to lead OB West. Later in the month, he was able to contain Allied gains made during Operation Market-Garden. Forced to give ground through the fall, von Rundstedt opposed the Ardennes offensive which was launched in December believing that insufficient troops were available for it to succeed. The campaign, which resulted in the Battle of the Bulge, represented the last major German offensive in the West. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt (center) after his capture in 1945. Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-2007-0220 / CC-BY-SA Continuing to fight a defensive campaign in early 1945, von Rundstedt was removed from command on March 11 after again arguing that Germany should make peace rather than fight a war it could not win. On May 1, von Rundstedt was captured by troops from the US 36th Infantry Division. During the course of his interrogation, he suffered another heart attack. Last Days Taken to Britain, von Rundstedt moved between camps in southern Wales and Suffolk. After the war, he was charged by the British for war crimes during the invasion of the Soviet Union. These charges were largely based on his support of von Reichenaus Severity Order which led to mass murders in occupied Soviet territory. Due to his age and failing health, von Rundstedt was never tried and he was released in July 1948. Retiring to Schloss Oppershausen, near Celle in Lower Saxony, he continued to be plagued by heart problems until his death on February 24, 1953.

Monday, May 11, 2020

Gender Pay Gap Is A Myth - 1150 Words

According to Steve Tobak, a former executive and consultant for Fox Business, the gender pay gap is a myth. Tobak claims that once you look past the headlines, politicians, and feminists it will be clear that the wage gap is not the result of coercion, dislike, or discrimination but simply a matter of women’s choices. Instead, he attributes the astounding difference in pay to personal choices such as college careers, high paying jobs, and having children. He also argues that in higher-paid occupations, women tend to make the same if not more than their male counterparts. Tobak would like to make it known that women tend to choose occupations that are not dangerous, uncomfortable, or involve physical labor, and that those factors are enough to justify that personal choices are the only factor that cause the â€Å"pay gap†. However, Tobak does not have an explanation for occupations that are dangerous and require the same amount of specialization, training, and educ ation. His only answer to this is that more women in law and medicine tend to choose careers that are less challenging and time consuming. Yet, Mr. Tobak claims that it is not the institutions that create this pay gap, but that women themselves are to blame for their salaries. The legal sector in the United States is changing along with many other industries. The law profession itself has become more separated from the â€Å"mega† law firms and the small locally owned ones; partnerships have become much moreShow MoreRelatedGender Wage Gap And Gender Inequality Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesGender Wage Gap Lydia Ogles November 2016 Introduction/Abstract The gender wage gap has been a nationwide problem since women were able to enter the workforce. Women have begun to speak out more about the issue and evaluate what they can do to change the industries and how they personally present themselves to help this change. 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That leaves a difference in earnings of 21 percentRead MoreGovernment Intervention Into Public Private Affairs1613 Words   |  7 PagesI. Introduction Government intervention into our private affairs consequences in reducing individual’s freedom and equality, it redounds to the disadvantage the very group it is intended to help. Government failures such as equal pay for equal work laws which actually hurt women instead of helping them, or minimum wage laws that result in forcing employers to discriminate against people who have low skills are good examples. Over and over again government coercion has resulted in poverty and denialRead MoreWorking Toward Closing Gender Wage Gaps866 Words   |  4 Pagesclosing gender wage gaps. A. According to Jillian Weinberger, a producer at the Center for Investigative Reporting â€Å"the new law will force employers who pay men more for a same job to prove the pay is based on factors other than gender.†(Takeaway, 2015). 1. It will also eliminate pay secrecy by allowing employers to discuss pay without consequences of retribution (Takeaway, 2015). 2. Contrary to what Thompson stated about career advancing, Aileen Rizzo contributor to passing the Fair Pay Act sharedRead MoreThe Equal Pay Act: a Failure?800 Words   |  4 Pages The Equal Pay Act: a Failure? Women have faced gender wage discrimination for decades. The gender pay gap is the difference between what a male and a female earns. It happens when a man and a woman standing next to each other doing the same job for the same number of hours get paid different salaries. On average, full-time working- women earn just â€Å"77 cents for every dollar a man earn.† When you compare a woman and a man doing the same job, â€Å"the pay gap narrows to 81 percent (81%)† (Rosin). Fifty-one

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Banking Regulation Act Summary Free Essays

BANKING REGULATIONS ACT 1949 The Banking Regulation Act was passed as the Banking Companies Act 1949 and came into force wef 16. 3. 49. We will write a custom essay sample on Banking Regulation Act Summary or any similar topic only for you Order Now Subsequently it was changed to Banking Regulations Act 1949 wef 01. 03. 66. Summary of some important sections is provided hereunder. The section no. is given at the end of each item. For details, kindly refer the bare Act. * Banking means accepting for the purpose of lending or investment of deposits of money from public repayable on demand or otherwise and withdrawable by cheque, drafts order or otherwise (5 (i) (b)). Banking company means any company which transacts the business of banking (5(i)(c) * Transact banking business in India (5 (i) (e). * Demand liabilities are the liabilities which must be met on demand and time liabilities means liabilities which are not demand liabilities (5(i)(f) * Secured loan or advances means a loan or advance made on the security of asset the market value of which is not at any time less than the amount of such loan or advances and unsecured loan or advances means a loan or advance not secured (5(i)(h). Defines business a banking company may be engaged in like borrowing, lockers, letter of credit, traveller cheques, mortgages etc (6(1). * States that no company shall engage in any form of business other than those referred in Section 6(1) (6(2). * For banking companies carrying on banking business in India to use at least one word bank, banking, banking company in its name (7). * Restrictions on business of certain kinds such as trading of goods etc. (8) * Prohibits banks from holding any immovable property howsoever acquired except as acquired for its own use for a period exceeding 7 years from acquisition of the property. RBI may extend this period by five years (9) * Prohibitions on employments like Chairman, Directors etc (10) * Paid up capital, reserves and rules relating to these (11 12) * Banks not to pay any commission, brokerage, discount etc. more than 2. 5% of paid up value of one share (13) * Prohibits a banking company from creating a charge upon any unpaid capital of the company. (14) Section 14(A) prohibits a banking company from creating a floating charge on the undertaking or any property of the company without the RBI permission. * Prohibits payment of dividend by any bank until all of its capitalised expenses have been completely written off (15) * To create reserve fund and 20% of the profits should be transferred to this fund before any dividend is declared (17 (1)) * Cash reserve – Non-scheduled banks to maintain 3% of the demand and time liabilities by way of cash reserves with itself or by way of balance in a current account with RBI (18) * Permits banks to form subsidiary company for certain purposes (19) * No banking company shall hold shares in any company, whether as pledgee, mortgagee or absolute owners of any amount exceeding 30% of its own paid up share capital + reserves or 30% of the paid up share capital of that company whichever is less. (19(2). Restrictions on banks to grant loan to person interested in management of the bank (20) * Power to Reserve Bank to issue directive to banks to determine policy for advances (21) * Every bank to maintain a percentage of its demand and time liabili ties by way of cash, gold, unencumbered securities 25%-40% as on last Friday of 2nd preceding fortnight (24). * Return of unclaimed deposits (10 years and above) (26) * Every bank has to publish its balance sheet as on March 31st (29). * Balance sheet is to be got audited from qualified auditors (30 (i)) * Publish balance sheet and auditors report within 3 months from the end of period to which they refer. RBI may extend the period by further three month (31) * Prevents banks from producing any confidential information to any authority under Indl Disputes Act. (34A) * RBI authorised to undertake inspection of banks (35). * Amendment carried in the Act during 1983 empowers Central Govt to frame rules specifying the period for which a bank shall preserve its books (45-y), nomination facilities (45ZA to ZF) and return a paid instrument to a customer by keeping a true copy (45Z). * Certain returns are also required to be sent to RBI by banks such as monthly return of liquid assets and liabilities (24-3), quarterly return of assets and liabilities in India (25), return of unclaimed deposits i. e. 10 years and above (26) and monthly return of assets and liabilities (27-1). How to cite Banking Regulation Act Summary, Essay examples