Title Napoleon Bonaparte and his historical legacy

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French leader who led a number of revolutions against the European countries which formed coalitions to topple his rule. Napoleon was declared Emperor in 1804 after he pioneered the first coup detat against coalitions that were against his rule. This paper will keenly discuss the impact of Napoleon Bonaparte and his historical legacy.
           
The reign of Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the eras that have been characterized with high number of violence and death in the Middle East. The major reason was that Napoleon wanted to take over the Britain interests in the Middle East. As a result of his desire to be the king of the Middle East, Napoleone invaded Austria in 1779 as one of his earliest campaign. In his strategy to take over Italy he entered peace negotiation with Austria resulting to the formation of the Treaty of leoben which further gave him power to control Italy. The second major campaign that was spearheaded by Napoleon occurred in 1812 when he invaded Russia but during this time his forces was met by a very strong opposition from the Russia and it  allies, resulting to a weakened and highly destroyed French military. Though Napoleon had a very strong and organized army, he was defeated in 1815 during the Battle of Waterloo. This was after Russia, Britain, Netherlands and Prussia formed an alliance with an intention to bring down his rule and impacts both in French and in the Middle East countries in general (Frankforter and Spellman 2003).             
            
Napoleon rule has however been associated with some positive repercussions. The first one is that he led to the establishment of Napoleonic code which has been adopted by the judicial systems of United States, European and African countries. The second contribution of the Napoleon rule is that it led to into introduction of Metric rule. This laid a strong foundation in the field of mathematics that was later adopted by many countries in the Middle East.

Based on the above discussion it is clear that although Napoleon Bonaparte was a very strong theorist in the matters of war during his era, he did a lot to safeguard the interest of French. At the same time he contributed positively to the growth of science for instance when he brought together Egyptian scientist in 1806 resulting to the discovery of Rosetta stone. According to my view, our current leaders should emulate Napoleon not by solving political problems by violence but by using dialogue, arbitration and peaceful avenues so as to face off the political challenges that are facing the world today.

Zavalas Role in the Texas Revolution.

Zavalas role in the Texas revolution may be attributed to the following factors (1) his specification of the foundational beliefs for Texas separation from Mexico, (2) his membership in the 1835 Consultation, and (3) his work for the maintenance of the practice of the principles of liberty and equality in Texas during the 19th century which led to the declaration of Texas independence. Zavalas importance to the Texas revolution and Texas declaration of independence thereby stems from his function as a vessel that allowed the Texans to realize the importance of the practice and recognition of the basic rights of human beings, that being their right to freedom and equality.
   
Youngman (2003) describes Lorenzo de Zavala as a reformer with revolutionary fervor and an insight into political realities which have rarely been surpassed in the history of his country (p.214). Both Zavalas revolutionary fervor and political insight manifest themselves in his role in bringing about the emergence of the Texas state. Zavalas role in the Texas revolution may be attributed to his recognized position as a political leader. Previously a member of the Mexican government, Zavala resigned from his post as a result of Santa Annas inability to conform to his advocated liberal ideas (Youngman, 2003).

Since the people in Texas recognized the synthesis of his beliefs and practices towards the maintenance of liberalism in a country, they listened to Zavalas counterarguments against the monarchical and tyrannical rule of Santa Anna. According to Youngman, he forwarded the claim that the dictator had broken the fundamental compact of the nation thereby justifying rebellion (2003, p.226). Evidence of Santa Annas destruction of Mexicos fundamental compact was apparent in his suppression of the freedom of speech as well as his suppression of the education of the slaves in the region (Youngman, 2003).

His argument for the necessity of the revolution was officially advocated in the 1835 Consultation where the delegates from the future state argued that the Texans rose up to defend their rights and liberties against the encroachments of military despots (Youngman, 2003, p.227). This event later led to the official declaration of Texas Independence. It is important to note that Zavalas role may not only be attributed to his fight for the maintenance of liberty and equality in Texas during the Texas revolution as he also became the vice-President of Texas during the initial government headed by David Burnet.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and William Lloyd Garrison

The shared experiences of William Lloyd Garrison and Elisabeth Cady Stanton are too numerous to recount in a paper such as this However, as a means to highlight some of the more obvious experiences and departures the following will address their shared common goals and points of divergence. Though linked strongly the womens suffrage movement and abolition of slavery were two distinct social-political goals of the 19th century.

William Lloyd Garrison, somewhat radically, called for the immediate end of slavery whereas, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, though an abolitionist herself, had been focused on womens issues, such as equality under the law and society. They both shared the common desire to see equality and basic humans rights shared with all of the underprivileged. However, this desire, belies their background, which did differ if not in content at least in class.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, had been born into a family, which today might be described as middle class. Stantons father, who had been an attorney, without a doubt infused some of the legal mindedness which she took into her fight for equality. Contrasting her early childhood with that of William Lloyd Garrison, who had been born to an immigrant family, it is clear that though they shared common goals and sentiments, they were speaking from different class backgrounds.

In addition to their differing economic backgrounds, a point of contrast most striking is how they differed in reaction to the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the US constitution. Elisabeth Cady Stanton actively lobbied against their ratification, believing that the fight for the abolition of slavery and for womens suffrage where inextricable linked. In contrast to this, William Lloyd Garrison, reacted by trying to close down the political organization, saying, My vocation as an Abolitionist thank God has ended.
These two figures deserve a much more in-depth review, and unquestionably have enough in their respective backgrounds to provide such an endeavor. It is unfortunately beyond the scope of this short essay. The fact that they had common goals, both in the abstract and reality is clear by the very causes they fought for. The society they envisioned, the Just society differed in semantics and not in substance. If either or both of them were able to see society today, they would surly perceive that their works and hard fought battles were not in vain.             

As I read the first two chapters in the book The Ottoman Empire , I have learned rich and valuable information about this great empire and why it had flourished for a long time.

In the first chapter of the book, I have discerned that The Ottoman Empire, or as widely-known in Europe since the seventeenth century as the  Turkish empire and the  Turks for the Muslims, had occupied lands and dominated Europe, Asia, and Africa. Furthermore, the Ottoman Empire also infiltrated different areas with dwellers of heterogeneous religion, language, and social structure. The Turks are dominantly Islam, however, there are others who were not exclusively Islamic nor were exclusively Turkish, but their loyalty was stipulated to the Sultan. The Ottoman Empire was an agrarian economy, as mentioned in Chapter One. Agriculture is their economic activity, as well, as their livelihood. Chapter One also presents and discusses detailed information about the milestones that brought about the developments before and during the Ottoman Empire. These include uncovering specific dates about notable incidents, victories, goals, and targets of the empire - from the time the Ottoman emirate experienced triumph, disaster, civil war and recovery, and the apogee of empire, and the ottoman times of trouble.

In Chapter two, the book mainly discusses the the reproduction and family structure. It presents information regarding family dynamics. Some of the rules of family are A family man can practice polygamy. This means that a man can marry up to four wives on the other hand, a woman can only marry one husband. Another family law being observed by the Turks is that a man can own and have sexual relations with as many female slaves his pocket allows moreover, he can also have legitimate offspring by them. Women are not allowed to dominate or rule the empire. Since females could not inherit the throne, the main thing that the Sultan wishes for is to have male heirs to take over his father. The Chapter talked as well about the succession, Accession, and legitimization inside the empire that took place.

As I started reading the book, it was kind of boring especially because of the many incidents and dates, but every time I go more over the book, I realized that there are a lot of things in store for my knowledge, I have started to appreciate the culture of the Turks and the reading became more interesting and more enjoyable. This made me more enthusiastic about the future readings.

The Cuba Revolution and the effects of Cuban policies

General Statement
Fidel Castro never gave up in his determination to overthrow Batista and become leader of Cuba after being imprisoned.
Introduce event or organization and provide relevant and basic background information
The Cuban revolution was the period when Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista. This happened in 1959. The Cuban people had previously been subjected to dictatorship. Through the support of guerilla fighters and the masses, Castro came into power, and advocated for a Marxist-Leninist society.
Thesis Statement (What your argument is what you are going to prove in your paper
Since the people saw it as just and necessary, the Cuban revolution succeeded and introduced popular changes in the domestic and foreign policies that affected both North and Latin America.
First Guiding Question How did the rule of Batista and the actions of Fidel Castro lead to the Cuban revolution

Supporting Detail  1 Batistas dictatorial rule
Quote or Paraphrase Several innocent people were subjected to torture as they were executed in public. (The National Archives 2003)
Substantiation The tortured people were suspected to have collaborated with Castro. They were tortured so they would give more information on Castro and his army operations. This made the guerilla fighters grow their determination to fight and overthrow him. The Batista regime attempted to prevent free elections and imprisoned many of its enemies. At the same, time economic disparity between the wealthy sugar barons and the urban and rural poor worsened. Though Batista had support from the US, he lost to Castro. This was a result of the Cuban people boycotting the polls. Batista fled the country and Castro became president of Cuba.
Supporting Detail  2 The July 26 Movement was a group formed by Fidel Castro, which attacked the Moncada Barracks.

i. Quote or paraphrase The first attempt that Castro made in a bid to overthrow Fulgencio Batista was the attack of the Moncada army barracks. (The National Archives 2003)
ii.Substantiation The first plan to overthrow Batista was unsuccessful. It led to the death of several of Castros troupe. This led to Castros imprisonment for two years. He was later released as a result of pressure from the public. He did not give up as he left for Mexico to plan for a fresh attack.
Supporting detail  3 Castro was the leader of the July 25 Movement, which was responsible for the Moncada army barracks attack.

Quote or paraphrase This is the group that was liquidated and fused with the Communist Party of Cuba when Castro came to power. (Weisbord)

Substantiation Before Castro got into power, the July 26 Movement had fled when they lost to Batista. The troupe came back to Cuba in 1956 and set up their base in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. Though they lost again, they managed to attack isolated garrisons and obtain arms.
Second Guiding Question HowWhy did Castro get power
Supporting Detail  1 There was a formation of two groups the guerilla fighters based in Sierra Maestra Mountains and the Ilano group made of the Cuban middle-class and professionals whose operations were secret.

Quote or Paraphrase Raul Ernesto Guevara formed the Ilano and the guerilla fighters. The July 26 Movement was greatly supported by the Cuban people. (The National Archives 2003)
Substantiation Professionals, the influential middle class and 45 other organizations supported the July 26 movement. At first, Castro did not get solid support from the middle class. However, because of wide discontent against the Batista regime, it was easy for them to gravitate to Castros group, which was the most determined and most organized opponent of the dictator.

Supporting Detail  2 Castro received great support from the peasants.
Quote or Paraphrase Castro distributed land to the peasants when the guerilla took control of Cuba. (The National Archives 2003)

Substantiation The peasants in the rural areas helped Castro in overthrowing Batista for they were his strongest supporters. Catholic priests and students in the urban areas also supported Castro. This was made possible because of the program his organization wished to achieve upon the fall of Batista. (Sierra Maestro Manifesto)

Supporting Detail  3 Castro becomes the new president of Cuba.
Quote or Paraphrase Castro stated that The revolution was characterized precisely by its newness, by the fact that it will do things never been done before. (Fidel Castro Speaks to Citizens of Santiago)
Substantiation The non-communist Cuban forces that also fought against the Batista regime accepted Castro because he did not declare himself a communist at first. Thus, it was convenient for them to agree to Castros ascendancy to power. After Castro became president, Santiago de Cuba became the capital. This is where the Cuban revolution started and where the Sierra Maestra Mountains are located.

Last Guiding Question What were the domestic and foreign policies that were introduced by Castro
Supporting Detail  1 Castro introduced several changes when he came into power
Quote or Paraphrase He was determined to do away with all the pre-revolutionary attitudes and values that existed. All the views that he presented were in line with the orthodox Marxist theory. (Bunck 2)
Substantiation Ernesto Guevara and Fidel Castro created the different political and economic institutions that existed. The government controlled all the banks, businesses, and media in Cuba. The education system established Marxist-Leninist principles, and did away with the Catholic Church. A domestic intelligence organization was also formed.

Supporting Data  2 Cuba completed the building of a socialist economy.
Quote or Paraphrase The Cuban people were transformed to cooperative property owners. (Weisbord)
Substantiation The government nationalized key industries and agricultural landholdings. Cooperatives were set up for people manage these sectors.

Supporting Detail  3 Castros rule had its advantages and disadvantages.
Quote or Paraphrase The Castro regime discouraged cultural ills in Cuba and supported strongly womens liberation. (Bunck 87) However, problems in poverty and unemployment persisted.
Substantiation Castro had successes in eradicating elitism, greed, laziness, and racism with his Marxist-Leninist policies. Castro also encouraged women to join the labor force and persuaded men to respect the rights of women and to treat them as equals. On the other hand, human rights violations drove many Cubans to flee the country. Castros drastic nationalization of the economy ended private investments, which employed many Cubans.

Revisit your thesis statement
The Cuban revolution did not just overthrow the Batista regime it also brought about radical changes in the domestic and foreign policies.  

Recap the main ideas in your research.
The revolution succeeded because of the wide support Castro and his band of revolutionaries got from the different spectrums of Cuban society. The united front was simply based on the objective of ousting Batista. However, when Castro came into power, he introduced changes that were not anticipated by some sectors, especially those from the middle class. This was because it was only later that he unmasked his intentions of building a socialist society. Despite of the revolutions many advantages, a number of people were also disenfranchised because of socialist policies.
Impact of the event on world history
The Cuban revolution became a source of inspiration for many Latin American revolutionaries fighting against dictatorships. It also threatened US interests in these countries. Because it occurred, during the Cold War, it shaped the US attitude towards countries fighting for national and social liberation.

The Cuba Revolution and the effects of Cuban policies
The 1959 happenings that led to the victory of Fidel Castro over Fulgencio Batista will be known by all future generations in Cuba and the world in general. Fidel Castro was always determined to overthrow Batista for his dictatorial leadership. Therefore, the Cuban people and the guerilla fighters (a group of fighters who set up their camps near their enemies) supported Fidel Castro, who was finally sworn in as President. When Castro came into power, he advocated for a Marxist- Leninist society (An aspect of Marxism which focuses on the undeveloped countries). Since the people saw it as just and necessary, the Cuban revolution succeeded and introduced popular changes in the domestic and foreign policies that affected both North and Latin America (Sweig 2002, p. 23).

The Cuban Revolution Batistas rule and Fidel Castros actions
Suspects were executed in public and were left hanging for several days in the streets in a bid to get information on Castros army. Batistas dictatorial and inhuman behaviors made the guerillas increase their zeal to fight and overthrow him. Consequently, Batista hit back by imprisoning all his enemies and preventing free elections. In Cuba, differences between the rural poor and the wealthy sugar barons of Cuba as a result of their economic status were ever present. At this time, the rift between the two classes widened. Therefore, Castro gained the backing of the majority, who included the peasants and the middle class. The U.S. even provided arms for Batista so as to fight the guerilla group which was headed by Castro. Even though he had support, Batista lost to Castro as a result of boycotting of polls by the Cubans. Consequently, Batista fled to Mexico, and Castro was sworn in as Cubas president (The National Archives 1993, par.6-10).
   
Castro led the July 26th movement, which initially attacked the Moncada barracks, so as to overthrow Batista. The plan was however disastrous as several fighters in Castros troupe were killed. As a result, Castro was imprisoned under the orders of Batista. After two years of Castros imprisonment, Batista had no choice than to release him because of the pressure from the Cuban people. Consequently, Castro left for Mexico where he attempted another coup-de-etat (The National Archives 1993, par.1-4)
It is this group, the July 26th movement that was liquidated and fused with the Communist Party (a state party which consists of those who espouse communism) of Cuba after Castro became President. The group returned to Cuba in 1956 so as to set up a base in the Sierra Maestra Mountains. Their plan did not succeed as they were attacked by government troops. However, they attacked isolated army garrisons and built their stock of weapons (The National Archives 1993, par.6).

How Castro got power
Raul Ernesto Guevara was responsible for the formation of two groups, the guerilla fighters based in the Sierra Maestra Mountains and the Ilano group which consisted of professional and middle-class Cubans who operated in secret (Sweig, 2002). There were Forty-five organizations which supported the July 26th Movement. National bodies which consisted of professionals also joined the group. However, since the July 26th Movement was the only strong opponent of Batistas regime, the middle class citizens who never supported the movement had no choice than to join it (The National Archives 2003.par7,).
   
The peasants helped Castro to overcome the government soldiers .This is because Fidel Castro has promised that his government would establish the Agrarian reform ( The stage where there are redistribution of natural resources) which would lead to distribution of the barren lands to the squatters. Students from the Cuban cities also supported Castro. Occasionally, Castro also got support from the Catholic priests (Castro 1957, par.32).

Castro became the Cuban president in 1959 after Batista fled Cuba. In his speech, Castro stated that The revolution was characterized precisely by its newness, by the fact that it will do things that have never been done before (Castro, 1959, par.2- Fidel speaks to Citizens of Santiago).Little did the people know that he would also advocate for the communist practices that they opposed Batista for. Fidel Castro changed the capital city from Havana to Santiago de Cuba, reason being, Santiago de Cuba was the bulwark of the revolution, and the Sierra Mountains were located there (Castro 1959, par1-4).
  
Domestic and foreign policies introduced by Castro
 Castro was determined to do away with all pre-revolutionary values and attitudes. The views introduced by Castro were aligned with the orthodox Marxist theory (the version of Marxism that came up after Karl Marxs death). Fidel Castro and Ernesto Guevara from Argentina were responsible for the creation of different economic and political institutions. The revolutionary government took control of all Cuban banks, the media houses and all businesses. The Catholic schools were closed by the Marxist-Leninist leaders in a bid to do away with the Catholic Church. The education system established instructed Marxist-Leninist objectives and principles. A domestic intelligence organization was also formed, which placed communities under the party activists watchful eyes (Bunch 1994, p2).
   
After the revolution, Cuba joined the Soviet orbit and was dedicated to complete the building up of a socialist economy. Under the influence of Castro, it broke away from the United States politically and economically, and brought about an anti-U.S. movement in Latin America. In the first two years of Castros leadership, the government confiscated all the Cubas big estates so as to nationalize them. The large plantations of rice and the cattle ranches were turned into state farms. The sugar plantations were transformed to co-operatives. A large section of the working population joined the cooperatives. (Weisbord 1962, par4-5).

Pros and Cons of Castros leadership
Fidel Castro and his supporters strongly believed that cultural ills such as laziness, greed, elitism and racism were various ways of exploitation. The Castro regime therefore replaced these attitudes with the Marxist-Leninist society which they believed had better set beliefs and values (Bunck, 1994, p.3). Additionally, Castro advocated for the liberation of women from the chains of the capitalist society. He encouraged women to join the labor force, leave their homes and liberate themselves from the roles which were viewed as traditional. He also insisted that men should allow the women to enjoy their rights and help in the process of their liberation (Bunck 1994, p.87).

On the other hand, several people from Cuba fled and relocated to other Islands in Latin America, and got the name The Cubans of Diaspora (Fernandez 1992, p.47). This was as a result of violation of the rights of the Cubans and the restriction of the Christians to have freedom of worship. Castro had introduced an atheist society and banned any form of religion in Cuba(Fernandez 1992, p.47).Castro also nationalized all the chief industries which included petroleum refining and production, sugar refineries, glassware and rubber factories, soap and tobacco plants and ore-mines. This led to the Cuban government monopolizing the industries thus limiting any private investment in Cuba. Due to the lack of competition, there was a fall in the Gross National Product of the country, unemployment and poverty (Weisbord 1962, par.11).

Besides overthrowing Batistas regime, there were changes brought about by the foreign and domestic policies introduced in Cuba. Castros success was as a result of support from various classes of people in Cuba .However, Castros leadership had changes which had not be en foreseen by many, especially the middle class citizens. He revealed his intentions of building a socialist society. There is no doubt that there were many advantages of the revolution, but some people were disenfranchised as a result of the socialist policies. Several Latin Americans were inspired by the Cuban revolution. It occurred during the cold war, and therefore it shaped the attitude of the U.S. towards the countries that fought for social and national liberation. It also threatened the U.S. interests in these countries.

Analysis of Greek Tragedy themes in the film Pans Labyrinth

This paper is an analysis of the Spanish film Pans Labyrinth based on the theories and themes of Greek mythology and storytelling. Here, we take mainly into account Aristotles description of a tragic hero or the tragedy in his treatise of Poetics. In this film, Ofelia moves into a military camp with her mother to meet her stepfather who she strongly dissents. She slips into a fantasy world occasionally where she is promised to be made a princess. Her actions in both the worlds become interconnected and explainable only to her. Her one flaw in the fantasy world creates havoc in the real world. She moves from prosperity to doom in the course of the film, and only because she chose to act when inflicted with all the injustice. This film is an excellent example to analyze the themes of the Greek mythologytragedystorytelling.

Analysis of Greek Tragedy themes in the film Pans Labyrinth
According to Aristotle, the plot is the most important aspect in a tragedy. A plot is an arrangement of incidents in which the outcome depends on a tightly constructed cause-and-effect chain of actions. The protagonist should be renowned and prosperous, so hisher change of fortune can be from good to bad. This change should come about as the result, not of vice, but of some great error or frailty in a character.

In the film Pans Labyrinth or El laberinto del fauno, we are introduced to Spain in 1944 post the Civil war and during the Second World War.  It is a very bad situation where the Republican rebels are fighting against the strict fascist regime of General Franco. Our protagonist Ofelia comes to the military camp near the mountains of Navarra, with her pregnant mother and to meet her new stepfather Captain Vidal. Ofelia creates her own fantasy world to escape from the harsh realities of her times. The whole film has been depicted in a series of incidents (the plot) where cause-and-effect controls the flow of events. Here, in this story things seem to go wrong because of Ofelias one fatal mistake, though things may have anyway happened as in the real world. Captain Vidal is an absolute personification of a fascist, disciplinarian and inhuman nature. On the other hand, Ofelia is a symbol of ultimate innocence. Thus, they both comply the requirements of a Villain and a Hero in a Greek Tragedy. Captain Vidal is a villain not only to Ofelia but also to the rebels in the mountain and the people who are helping them from his own camp, like his housekeeper Mercedes and the doctor. The terror of the time has been well established by showing incidents of Captain Vidal brutally killing a farmer father-son duo on grounds of suspicion without any proper evidence. The father had simply gone to the mountains to hunt for rabbits.

Ofelia is a noble person born to a loving father and mother. But she is put into unfavorable circumstances after her fathers death. Her mother is left without any options and marries the Captain. Ofelia is also very courageous and stands up for herself. But this is often mistaken as disobedience by her mother and stepfather. Ofelia is a protagonist who is perfect because she is true to her conscience but has her own flaws, primarily because of her circumstances and secondly because of her innocent childish nature.

In her fantasy world, she is led by the dragonfly fairies and given instructions by the faun. The faun or Pan, according to Greek mythology is a half-man half goat creature who is considered the God of Nature. The faun is ready to serve her and informs her that she is the princess Moanna of his world, and that her father, the King is looking forward to her return. But she has to prove herself. She has to prove that she is not just a mere mortal by completing three tasks before the moon is full. Three has always been an important number in mythology. It is the number of personal completeness. Triangle is the most powerful shape. Similarly, power (administrative) systems mostly consist of three bodies.

The faun gives her a book that will tell her what tasks to do. Her first task is to go to a dying hollow tree, find the toad that is killing the tree, feed it with three stones Again note the number 3 and take a key from its belly. The stories form mythology has always been like this. The Hero sets out to attain something. And on the way, he will have to complete one task and go to the next and in the process even kill people or cause havoc. But after completing all the tasks, the Hero is sure to attain the elixir.

Ofelia very bravely goes on completing the tasks. She in spite of wearing a beautiful party dress and shoes doesnt hesitate to remove them and go inside the tree in her petticoat. She wasnt doing it for fun, but as a valiant princess to retrieve her kingdom. She goes inside despite the bugs from the mud, and finally reaches the huge toad and introduces herself as Princess Moanna. Without flinching a bit, she feeds the toad with the stones. The toad, in turn, spews out his belly through the mouth. Ofelia collects the key from the huge mass of flesh, that is the toads belly. She comes out of the tree and finds its almost night and finds her party dress immersed in the mud.

She couldnt do her second task because her mother starts bleeding and ends up with total bed-rest. The faun scolds her and gives her a stinking plant root, which the faun describes as the plant who wished to be human. She keeps it immersed in a bowl of water and feeds it 2 drops of blood everyday. The root begins to move like a baby. This root becomes synonymous to the baby in her mothers womb and to her mothers health. As the baby-like root starts moving, her mothers health recovers. Ofelia even promises her baby brother inside her mothers womb that if he comes out without hurting her mother, she will make him the prince of her kingdom.

She sets out to do her second task. The dragonfly fairies that the faun had given her guide her. She draws her own door with the magic chalk and steps in to another world. She has to return before the sand finishes in the hourglass. Theres a sumptuous feast laid out on the table and an eyeless pale creature (which is not human according to the faun) sits still at the end of the table. The creature with his eyes laid out on a platter in front of him doesnt move.

Ofelia checks out the whole place and opens a locker with the key she had retrieved from the toad. She finds a gleaming dagger inside. As she returns, she is tempted to taste something from the feast. In spite of repeated warnings from the faun and the fairies against eating or drinking anything from the feast, she succumbs to her temptations and tastes a grape. This is the very fatal error that Ofelia commits which seeks her the entire wrath.

As soon as the food is touched, the creature starts moving. He fits the eyes on the platter on to his palms and gets up. He has to lift his hands up to see. Ofelia runs for her life. In the commotion, some fairies and killed and gobbled by the creature. Ofelia somehow manages to escape into her real world.

But the faun gets angry and disregards her as the princess of his kingdom. He says she has broken the rules and is not fit to be a princess. She deserves the life of a mere mortal.

But the after-effect of her fatal flaw begins to show. The baby-like root stops moving and her mother fall sick again. Captain Vidal finds out about the root. Her mother throws the root into the fire despite Ofelias pleading. As soon as the root starts burning, Ofelias mother falls down. She dies during childbirth. That was the first blow to Ofelia.

The cause-and-effect starts working here. But in real life things begin to happen naturally. Ofelia loses all her freedom after her mothers death. Captain Vidal comes to know that Mercedes and the doctor are helping the rebels in the mountain. The doctor is killed and Mercedes escapes into the forest, after wounding the Captain.

When the rebellion goes out of control, the faun appears and gives Ofelia a last chance. She is asked to follow his instructions without questions. The faun asks her to bring her baby brother to the Labyrinth. Ofelia somehow manages to do that but the Captain follows her. The faun tells her that few drops of blood of an innocent are required and thats the last task, and thats why her brother has been brought. Ofelia refuses to hand over her brother. By this time, the Captain reaches, takes the baby from her hands and shoots her. The fantasy world vanishes for now.

By the time Mercedes and her men come searching for Ofelia, she is dying. Her drops of blood fall on the labyrinth and thus pave way to her entry into the kingdom. The king announces that instead of an innocents blood, she chose to give her own and thats more noble.

In her real life, she moves from life to doom even though the rebels attain freedom from the fascists. But in her fantasy life, she attains the throne of a princess. Here, the concept of life after death comes into place. The Greeks also believed in this concept.

The New Equilibrium and Post-Industrial Prosperity.

The unification movements of the Kingdom of Italy and the German Empire took place in the mid 19th century and were greatly motivated by the historical trends and concepts of liberalism and nationalism. In the great age of European nationalism, from the French revolution to World War II, people who spoke the same language or shared common ethnicity fought to build their own nation or states. The similarities in peoples culture and belief systems became grounds for union. The unification of Germany and Italy signaled the uproar and strength of European nationalism. On the other hand, the later achievement of independence by Poland and other east European states meant the weakening and eventual destruction of the polyglot Hapsburg and Ottoman Empires. German nationalism took shape in sharp reaction against Napoleonic France, while Italian unity required the repudiation of rule from Vienna. Unification prevailed in Europe because people liked and supported the idea of having uniform constructions. The same type of constructors and all of their component type recursively lead to confederation.

Europe has many important countries that give it such a great power  one of these countries is Germany. Germany is a federal parliamentary republic composed of 16 states. It is a member of the United Nations (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), G8, G 20, OECD and the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is a major power in the world having the 4th largest economy by nominal GDP. Moreover, Germany has the 5th largest purchasing power parity. Abundantly clear, it is one of the worlds biggest exporters and 2nd largest importer of goods from all over the world. Its economy is very strong and consequently makes world trade healthy and pulsating. Germany allocates the 2nd biggest annual budget of development aid in the world. In the military and defense field, the countrys military expenditure ranks 6th. Germany has developed a high standard of living and established comprehensive system of social security. This means that living in Germany requires hard work and competence. With the effective and ample government benefits, people are expected to uphold the principles of the country and dutifully help in attaining the nations long term goals.

Germany holds a key position in European affairs and has a very vital role in maintaining a multitude of close partnerships between European countries on a global level. Germany is recognized as a scientific and technological leader in several fields. Almost all the most expensive and world renowned cars are made in Germany. The technology of Germany is always advanced and is an example to other countries. The field of science and technology benefited greatly from the ideas of many German physicists and engineers. The countrys great advancement in technology is attributed to their focus in improving their military knowledge and expertise. Because of this motivation, several discoveries in science and technology have been made by great German thinkers.

Furthermore, as aforementioned, Germany is not the only great power in Europe. Europe has several powerful countries contributing altogether to make it a continent of influence and might. From the late 18th century all the way to the 19th century, there was an informal convention recognizing the 5 great powers in Europe. Countries that are among the 5 great powers are France, Great Britain, Russia, Austria and Austro-Hungary and the Kingdom of Prussia, which later became the German Empire. During the late 19th century Italy was added to the group together with the extra-European powers such as the United States of America and Japan. Extra-European means that the county does not really belong to Europe however, the country has close ties with the member countries.

Europe was able to gain a prestigious status in the world from the start of 20th century. During the early Modern European Age, a group of nations was recognized for their contribution and important impact on the European balance of power. The countries were Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Poland and the Kingdom of Bavaria. As a matter of fact, the influences of these countries linger up to the present time. European nations made effort to make the continent a world super power. Despite the specific goals and motives of each country, the eagerness to maintain and even more uplift the status of Europe has always been present. Evidently, because of the unity of European countries, they achieved great success.
How Europe takes care of its economy is also a major factor why it is a strong country. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union (EU) generates a GDP based on PPP of over  12,256.48 billion (16,523.78 in 2009).This figure makes the European Union the largest economy in the world. The EU economy consists of a single market and is represented as a unified entity in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The EU established parliaments, courts and a central bank. One of the biggest breakthroughs and changes that happened in the world economy more recently was the introduction of the Euro as a unified currency of the EU.

Europe, more specifically the Ancient Greece, is the birthplace of western culture. It played a predominant and very significant role in global affairs from the 16th century onwards -- especially after the beginning of colonialism. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European nations controlled at the Americas, most of Africa, Oceania and portions of Asia. After the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, eastern European countries began joining the EU. The union expanded to its current size of 27 nations, making Europe a major economical and political centre of power.

The defense and armed forces of the European Union today are comprised of the national militaries of the 27 member states. Although a military force of the EU, the member nations primary domain is still their territorial scope. A number of European structural arrangements and military forces have been established in order to further the area of defense in European integration. These efforts lead to the frequent European Union (EU) military operations in the recent years. Several prominent leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, have voiced support for a common defense for the union.

This possibility is formally laid down in the treaty on European Union following the entry into force of the treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009. Accordingly, having a common area defense will enhance cooperation between member nations. In 2004 EU countries took over leadership of the mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina from NATO through the European Union force (EUFOR). The mission was given the brand on of an EU initiative as it sponsored the force to further the forces image of legitimacy. On 20 February 2009 the European parliament voted in favor of the creation of a Synchronized Armed Forces Europe (SAFE ) as a first step towards a true European military force. SAFE will be directed by an EU directorate. With its own training standards and operational doctrines, there are also plans to create an EU Council of Defense Ministers and a European statue for soldiers within the framework of safe governing training standards and operational doctrine and freedom of operational action.

The EU primarily acts through its common foreign and security policy. Although Denmark has opted  out from this and some states are limited by neutrality issues, the EU acts as one in general. To address the issue on some countries limitations, the EU commanded the military to be more specific on peacekeeping  an aspect in which European states have a great deal of experience. If all the member states annual spending was taken as a bloc, the figure would amount to over  311 billion, second only to the US militarys  713 billion. However the cumulative effect is much less than it seems due to duplication of capacities in individual militaries. There have been efforts to overcome this with joint projects such as the Euro fighter and through joint procurement of equipment.

The European Defense Community (EDC) was a plan proposed in 1950 by Rene Pleven, the French president of the council (name of prime ministers until 1958 ) during that time. The plan was in response to the American call for the rearmament of West Germany. The primary intention was to form a pan-European defense force as an alternative to Germanys proposed accession to NATO that meant to harness its military potential in case of conflict with the soviet bloc. The EDC was to include West Germany, France, Italy and the Benelux countries. A treaty was signed on 27 May 1952, but the plan was not actualized and never went into effect.

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located primarily in Europe. It is deeply committed to the regional integration of the member countries. The EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations and clamor of the European communities. With over 500 million citizens, the EU generates an estimated 30 share (US  18.4 trillion in 2008 ) of the nominal gross world product and about 22 ( US  15.2 trillion in 2008 ) of the PPP gross world product. The EU has developed a single market trough a standardized system of laws which apply to all member states. This standardization of system laws helps in ensuring the free movement of people, goods, services and capital. It maintains common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development.

Since its origin, the EU has established a single economic market across the territory of all its members. Currently, a single currency is in use between the 16 members of the Euro zone. If considered as a single economy, the EU generated an estimated nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of US  18.39 trillion (15.247 trillion international dollars based on purchasing power parity) in 2008, amounting to over 22  of the worlds total economic output in terms of purchasing power parity. This is a fact that makes the European Union the largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the 2nd largest trade bloc economy in the world by PPP valuation of GDP. As previously mentioned, it is the largest exporter and importer of goods and services. The European Union is the biggest trading partner of several large and powerful countries such as China and India in Asia. 178 of the top 500 largest corporations measured by revenue (Fortune Global 500) have their headquarters in countries that are member of the EU. In May 2007 unemployment in the EU stood at 7 while investment was at 21.4 of GDP, inflation at 2.2  and public deficit at  0.9  of GDP. There is a great deal of variance for annual per capita income within individual EU states, this range from US  7,000 to US  69,000.

The 27 member states of the European Union (EU) had an agreed budget of 120.7 billion for the year 2007 and   864.3 billion for the period 2007 - 2013, representing 1.10 and 1.105 of the EU   27 s GNI forecast for the respective periods. By comparison, the United Kingdom s expenditure for 2004 was estimated to be   759billion, and France was estimated to have spent   801billion. In 1960, the budget of the then European economic community was 0.03  of GDP. In the 2006 budget, the largest single expenditure item was agriculture with around 46.7  of the total budget. Next in line among the expenditures are the structural and cohesion funds with approximately 30.4  of the total. Internal policies took up around 8.5 . Administration accounted for around 6.3 . External actions, the pre  accession strategy, compensations and reserves brought up the rear with approximately 4.9 , 2.1 , 1  and 0.1  respectively.

Having established that the European Union is a great power in the military, political and economic sense, the worlds field is evened out. The United States has always been a powerful nation in terms of economy and defense. Having a group of countries (in the form of the European Union) to equal, if not overtake the same power makes the diplomacy and transactions in the world healthier. The potential of one countrys monopoly of world affairs is lessened thus, less trouble and minimal45