Battle of the Frontiers in World War I

The Battle of the Frontiers was a series of engagements fought from August 7 to September 13, 1914, during the opening weeks of World War I (1914-1918). Armies Commanders: Allies General Joseph JoffreField Marshal Sir John FrenchKing Albert I1,437,000 men Germany Generaloberst Helmuth von Moltke1,300,000 men Background With the beginning of World War I, the armies of Europe began mobilizing and moving towards the front according to highly detailed timetables. In Germany, the army prepared to implement a modified version of the Schlieffen Plan. Created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen in 1905, the plan was a response to Germanys likely need to fight a two-front war against France and Russia. After their easy victory over the French in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, Germany viewed France as less of a concern than its larger neighbor to the east. As a result, Schlieffen elected to mass the bulk of Germanys military might against France with the goal of winning a quick victory before the Russians could fully mobilize their army. With France out of the war, Germany would be free to focus their attention on the east (Map). Anticipating that France would strike across the border into Alsace and Lorraine, which had been lost during the earlier conflict, the Germans planned to violate the neutrality of Luxembourg and Belgium to attack the French from the north in a massive battle of encirclement. German troops were to hold along the border while the right wing of the army swung through Belgium and past Paris in an effort to destroy the French army. In 1906, the plan was adjusted by Chief of the General Staff, Helmuth von Moltke the Younger, who weakened the critical right wing to reinforce Alsace, Lorraine, and the Eastern Front. French War Plans In the years before the war, General Joseph Joffre, Chief of the French General Staff, sought to update his nations war plans for a potential conflict with Germany.  Though he originally desired to design a plan that had French troops attack through Belgium, he was later unwilling to violate that nations neutrality. Instead, Joffre and his staff developed Plan XVII which called for French troops to concentrate along the German border and commence attacks through the Ardennes and into Lorraine.  As Germany possessed a numerical advantage, the success of Plan XVII was based on them sending at least twenty divisions to the Eastern Front as well as not immediately activating their reserves.  Though the threat of an attack through Belgium was acknowledged, French planners did not believe the Germans to have sufficient manpower to advance west of the Meuse River.  Unfortunately for the French, the Germans gambled on Russia mobilizing slowly and devoted the bulk of their strength to the west as well as immediately activated their reserves. Fighting Begins With the start of the war, the Germans deployed the First through Seventh Armies, north to south, to implement the Schlieffen Plan.  Entering Belgium on August 3, First and Second Armies pushed back the small Belgian Army but were slowed by the need to reduce the fortress city of Liege.  Though the Germans started to bypass the city, it took until August 16 to eliminate the last fort.  Occupying the country, the Germans, paranoid about guerrilla warfare, killed thousands of innocent Belgians as well as burned several towns and cultural treasures such as the library at Louvain. Dubbed the rape of Belgium, these actions were needless and served to blacken Germanys reputation abroad.  Receiving reports of German activity in Belgium, General Charles Lanrezac, commanding the Fifth Army, warned Joffre that the enemy was moving in unexpected strength.   French Actions Implementing Plan XVII, VII Corps from the French First Army entered Alsace on August 7 and captured Mulhouse.  Counterattacking two days later, the Germans were able to reclaim the town.  On August 8, Joffre issued General Instructions No. 1 to the First and Second Armies on his right.  This called for an advance northeast into Alsace and Lorraine on August 14.  During this time, he continued to discount reports of enemy movements in Belgium.  Attacking, the French were opposed by the German Sixth and Seventh Armies.  As per Moltkes plans, these formations conducted a fighting withdrawal back to a line between Morhange and Sarrebourg.  Having obtained additional forces, Crown Prince Rupprecht launched a converging counterattack against the French on August 20.  In three days of fighting, the French withdrew to a defensive line near Nancy and behind the Meurthe River (Map).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Further north, Joffre had intended to mount an offensive with the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Armies but these plans were overtaken by events in Belgium.  On August 15, after urging from Lanrezac, he ordered Fifth Army north into the angle formed by the Sambre and Meuse Rivers.  To fill the line, the Third Army slid north and the newly-activated Army of Lorraine took its place.  Seeking to gain the initiative, Joffre directed Third and Fourth Armies to advance through the Ardennes against Arlon and Neufchateau.  Moving out on August 21, they encountered the German Fourth and Fifth Armies and were badly beaten.  Though Joffre attempted to restart the offensive, his battered forces were back at their original lines by the night of the 23rd.  As the situation along the front developed, Field Marshal Sir John Frenchs British Expeditionary Force (BEF) landed and began concentrating at Le Cateau.  Communicating with the British commander, Joffre asked French to cooperate with La nrezac on the left. Charleroi Having occupied a line along the Sambre and Meuse Rivers near Charleroi, Lanrezac received orders from Joffre on August 18 instructing him to attack either north or east depending on the enemys location.  As his cavalry was unable to penetrate the German cavalry screen, Fifth Army held its location.  Three days later, having realized that the enemy was west of the Meuse in force, Joffre directed Lanrezac to strike when an opportune moment arrived and arranged for support from the BEF.  Despite these orders, Lanrezac assumed a defensive position behind the rivers.  Later that day, he came under attack from General Karl von Bà ¼lows Second Army (Map).   Able to cross the Sambre, German forces succeeded in turning back French counterattacks on the morning of August 22.  Seeking to gain an advantage, Lanrezac withdrew General Franchet dEspereys I Corps from the Meuse with the goal of using it to turn  Bà ¼lows left flank.  As dEsperey moved to strike on August 23, Fifth Armys flank was threatened by elements of General Freiherr von Hausens Third Army which had begun crossing the Meuse to the east.  Counter-marching, I Corps was able to block Hausen, but could not push Third Army back over the river.  That night, with the British under heavy pressure on his left and a grim outlook on his front, Lanrezac decided to retreat south. Mons As Bà ¼low pressed his attack against Lanrezac on August 23, he requested General Alexander von Kluck, whose First Army was advancing on his right, to attack southeast into the French flank.  Moving forward, First Army encountered Frenchs BEF which had assumed a strong defensive position at Mons.  Fighting from prepared positions and employing rapid, accurate rifle fire, the British inflicted heavy losses on the Germans. Repelling the enemy until evening, French was compelled to pull back when Lanrezac departed leaving his right flank vulnerable. Though a defeat, the British bought time for the French and Belgians to form a new defensive line. Aftermath In the wake of the defeats at Charleroi and Mons, French and British forces began a long, fighting withdrawal south towards Paris. Retreating, holding actions or unsuccessful counterattacks were fought at Le Cateau (August 26-27) and St. Quentin (August 29-30), while Mauberge capitulated September 7 after a short siege. Forming a line behind the Marne River, Joffre prepared to make a stand to defend Paris. Increasingly irate by the French habit of retreating without informing him, French wished to pull the BEF back towards the coast, but was convinced to stay at the front by War Secretary Horatio H. Kitchener (Map). The opening actions of the conflict had proved a disaster for the Allies with the French suffering around 329,000 casualties in August.  German losses in the same period totaled approximately 206,500.  Stabilizing the situation, Joffre opened the First Battle of the Marne on September 6 when a gap was found between Kluck and  Bà ¼lows armies.  Exploiting this, both formations were soon threatened with destruction.  In these circumstances, Moltke suffered a nervous breakdown. His subordinates assumed command and ordered a general retreat to the Aisne River. Fighting continued as the fall progressed with the Allies assaulting the Aisne River line before both commenced a race north to the sea.  As this concluded in mid-October, heavy combat began again with the start of the First Battle of Ypres.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Selected Sources: First World War: Battle of the FrontiersHistory of War: Battle of the Frontiers

Strategic Sourcing Of A Supply Chain Management - 1271 Words

Responsible Sourcing Before a supply chain manager can truly understand strategic sourcing, they must have a good working knowledge of the purchasing and procurement processes, which I will explain in detail later in my research. Strategic sourcing is an aspect of supply chain management that is becoming more prevalent in the business world. Without strategic sourcing a firm will not and cannot maximize the potential of its supply chain and altogether meet the company’s overall business goals. Responsible sourcing is a new way of thinking that is dedicated to building responsible supply chain coalitions that value human rights and work standards across the world. As we have seen and heard in the news media in recent years, many countries do not practice the same standards of work, facilities, and personnel management that we do here in the United States. American consumers and they have raised concern due to the scenes of children in sweat shops, miners working in horrible conditions, and facilities that look as if though they should be condemned and abandoned, housing hundreds of workers. This concern, hurts a company’s bottom line and therefore they have taken a proactive approach to ensuring that the product we receive and use daily are being produced in a manner that does not violate our values. Literary Review Dr. Sudhi Seshadri, is the author of Sourcing Strategy Principles, Policy and Designs. The main objective of this book and research is to give theShow MoreRelatedW1a Introduction1481 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is purchasing? MS6323 Strategic Sourcing and Procurement KK Lam Week 1a Summer 2015 2 What is purchasing? 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Keywords: supply chain, traits, partners, businessRead MoreProcurement: Purchasing Management Association1205 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction  to  Procurement     Quiz  #  1   True/False  (1  mark  per  question)   1.   Competition  today  is  no  longer  between  firms;  it  is  between  the  supply  chains  of  those  firms.   True  Ã‚   False   2.   There  is  a  definitive  and  prescriptive  set  of  supply  chain  measures  that  applies  to  all  supply  chains.   True   False  Ã‚   3.   The  knowledge  and  skills  demanded  of  today’s  supply  professional  is  the  same  as  before.   True  Ã‚   False   4.   The  key  to  the  success  of  any  company  is  the  quality  of  its  employees.   True  Ã‚   False

Differentiation or Cost Leadership Free Essays

The textbook suggests that there are only two generic strategies available to a firm: differentiation or cost leadership. Both strategies can be applied either into a focused market or a broad market. Do you agree that these are the only two strategies available? Are they mutually exclusive? Why or why not? Porter’s Generic Strategies Target ScopeAdvantageAdvantage Low CostProduct Uniqueness Broad(Industry Wide)Cost Leadership StrategyDifferentiation Strategies Narrow (Market Segment)Focus Strategy(low cost)Focus Strategy(differentiation) Generally ,as per the Porter’s Generic Strategies there are only two strategies are available to the firm i. We will write a custom essay sample on Differentiation or Cost Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now e. , differentiation and cost leadership. These strategies are the strength of the market which is independent of the product and industry. Along with these two strategies the focus strategy is also there which is the combination of low cost and differentiation strategy. The Focus strategy help firms to provide the unique good quality product with the low cost that focus on the Narrow Market segments. Advantage with the Focus Strategy is that it helps the both customer and organization side. Customers fulfil their needs within their budget and organization also gain its profits but the implementation of the Focus Strategy is very risky which required more studies of the market and about competitors. As per my aspects Focus strategy really helps the organization to able to produce the good quality of product within the customer budgets which also focus on the market demand. Daft, R. L. (2010). Management (9th ed. ). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. ISBN: 13-9780324595840 Ref: Porter’s Generic Strategies How to cite Differentiation or Cost Leadership, Essay examples

Sri International free essay sample

Cabellero acquired the requests and served as a gatekeeper by designing the requests in the manner that made sense to her. She then passed the proposals along to Menon and served an additional role as an influencer by adding her preference in purchasing. The chief financial officer, George Whitaker, fills the role of controller. He added some financial limitations and organizational considerations for the purchase, such as hiring costs, maintenance expense, and cost/benefit analysis. The human resource manager, Gloria Sigel, represents staff members (users) in this decision and attempts to influence the purchasing decision on their behalf (Dwyer amp; Tanner, 2009, pp. 96-99). Akshay Menon, head of SRI’s Dallas operations, is in the third stage of the behavior choice model (Dwyer amp; Tanner, 2009, pp. 107-108). Menon needs to determine which action to take based on the requirements (p. 109). SRI’s buying center is somewhat time fragmented, as some members of the purchasing process contribute for only a short amount of time (p. We will write a custom essay sample on Sri International or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 00). The dimension of SRI’s buying center is horizontal, with many departments contributing to the decision process (p. 101). The horizontal element makes Menon’s decision difficult. Different departments have very different views on what elements should be considered in the final purchasing decision (p. 102). There are three choices available to Menon, each with different advantages and disadvantages. Menon must weigh the financial, performance, and social risk involved with each decision. Five moderate-speed scanners: a. Preferred by production manager, minimizes social risk b. Greater protection if one is down for repair, minimizes performance/financial risk c. Greater flexibility for assigning work, minimizes performance risk d. Workers prefer these scanners, minimizes social risk 2. Three high-speed scanners: e. Preferred by chief financial officer, minimizes social risk f. Higher cost of scanners offset by need for fewer workers (only one shift required), minimizes performance/financial risk g. Difficulty hiring workers and retaining services (verified by HR manager), maximizes performance/social risk h. Less expensive to operate, minimizes financial risk i. Disliked by workers, (unreliable, jams), maximizes performance/social risks 3. Three moderate-speed scanners and one high-speed scanner (four total): j. Compromise between other two choices k. Workers will prefer, easier to retain staff l. More expensive to operate m. Less than five moderate-speed scanners, with more versatility retained from larger number of scanners purchased All of the risks involved are important, as they overlap and affect each other. As one study published in the International Journal Of Academic Research found, purchasing strategies have a major impact on production, especially when different strategies are combined (Perumal, Arokiasamy, amp; Zailani, 2011). The importance of each type of risk in purchasing decisions is not necessarily more important than another. They should each be considered. The three high-speed scanners provide the highest risk, while the five moderate-speed scanners would have the highest operating cost relative to the high-speed. The choice of three moderate-speed scanners and one high-speed scanner would provide the least risk with the highest benefit. The scanner salesperson should take some time to investigate the issue of paper jams with their high-speed scanners and determine what can or needs to be done to minimize this issue. The operators may need on-the-job training or perhaps air conditioning issues, such as temperature or humidity, are affecting machine performance. SRI would benefit from such an arrangement as well. The scanner company should ask to form cross-functional sourcing teams with SRI and other clients.