Why Its Important to Read Beowulf

Why Its Important to Read Beowulf In the film Annie Hall, Diane Keaton confesses to Woody Allen her interest in attending some college classes. Allen is supportive, and has this bit of advice: Just dont take any course where you have to read Beowulf. Yes, its funny; those of us who, by professorial demand, have plowed through books written in other centuries know just what he means. Yet its sad, too, that these ancient masterpieces have come to represent a form of scholastic torture. Why bother anyway? you may ask. Literature isnt history, and I want to know what actually happened, not some story about unrealistic heroes who never existed. However, for anyone truly interested in history, I think there are some valid reasons to bother. Medieval literature is history a piece of evidence from the past. While the stories told in epic poems can rarely be taken for actual fact, everything about them illustrates the way things were at the time they were written. These works were morality pieces as well as adventures. The heroes embodied the ideals to which knights of the times were encouraged to strive, and the villains performed actions they were cautioned against and got their comeuppance in the end. This was especially true of Arthurian tales. We can learn much from examining the ideas people had then of how one ought to behave which, in many ways, are like our own views. Medieval literature also provides modern readers with intriguing clues to life in the Middle Ages. Take, for example, this line from The Alliterative Morte Arthure (a fourteenth-century work by an unknown poet), where the king has ordered his Roman guests to be given the finest accommodations available: In chambers with chimpnees they changen their weedes. At a time when the castle was the height of comfort, and all the castle folk slept in the main hall to be near the fire, individual rooms with heat were signs of great wealth, indeed. Read further in the poem to find what was considered fine food: Pacockes and plovers in platters of gold / Pigges of pork despine that pastured never (piglets and porcupines); and Grete swannes full swithe in silveren chargeours, (platters) / Tartes of Turky, taste whom them likes . . . The poem goes on to describe a sumptuous feast and the finest tableware, all of which knocked the Romans off their feet. The likely popularity of surviving medieval works is another reason to study them. Before they were set to paper these tales were told by hundreds of minstrels in court after court and castle after castle. Half of Europe knew the tales in The Song of Roland or El Cid, and everyone knew at least one Arthurian legend. Compare that to the place in our lives of popular books and films (try to find someone who never saw Star Wars), and it becomes clear that each tale is more than a single thread in the fabric of medieval life. How, then, can we ignore these literary pieces when seeking the truth of history? Perhaps the best reason for reading medieval literature is its atmosphere. When I read Beowulf or Le Morte DArthur, I feel as if I know what it was like to live in those days and to hear a minstrel tell the story of a great hero defeating an evil foe. That in itself is worth the effort. I know what youre thinking: Beowulf is so long I couldnt possibly finish it in this lifetime, especially if I have to learn Old English first. Ah, but fortunately, some heroic scholars in years past have done the hard work for us, and have translated many of these works into modern English. This includes Beowulf! The translation by Francis B. Gummere retains the alliterative style and pacing of the original. And dont feel you have to read every word. I know some traditionalists would wince at this suggestion, but Im suggesting it anyway: try looking for the juicy bits first, then go back to find out more. An example is the scene where the ogre Grendel first visits the kings hall (section II): Found within it the atheling bandasleep after feasting and fearless of sorrow,of human hardship. Unhallowed wight,grim and greedy, he grasped betimes,wrathful, reckless, from resting-places,thirty of the thanes, and thence he rushedfain of his fell spoil, faring homeward,laden with slaughter, his lair to seek. Not quite the dry stuff you imagined, is it? It gets better (and more gruesome, too!). So be as brave as Beowulf, and face the fearsome fables of the past. Perhaps youll find yourself by a roaring fire in a great hall, and hear inside your head a tale told by a troubadour whose alliteration is much better than mine.

Urban Tourism report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Urban Tourism report - Essay Example 48). Tourists chose to visit different places based on their preferences and all the cities and countries have different aspects that attract different kinds of visitors (Xiang & Tussyadiah, 2013, p. 4). For instance, people prefer to go to Egypt to see the mummies and the pyramids while they prefer to go to London as it has numerous museums and art galleries among other attractions. With this in mind, it can be concluded that tourism is a growing industry considering that most of the countries are striving to promote tourism while others depend on it completely. In this report, urban tourism in Edinburgh will be analysed with specific reference to the Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo. This report will elaborate on the history of the Royal Military Edinburgh Tattoo and how it has developed to become what it is today together with the aspects that affect it. Urban tourism is a wide concept that entails of the forms of entertainment activities that are heal in different cities along with other activities that involve food, shopping and families among others (Hayllar, Griffin & Edwards, 2008, p. 142). Different people prefer to visit different cities and other urban areas for different reasons with their main attractions being special events, art galleries and cultural events among others (Coles & Timothy, 2004, p. 282). In order to attract external visitors, a city’s image is very important as the tourists have particular expectation in regard to the behaviour and attitudes of the people in these cities as well as the infrastructure and other aspects. Making the urban environment better and enhancing all the services and facilities in various cities are important as far as the attraction of tourists is concerned. These improvements include developing good infrastructure that will transportation smoother, creating better trade poli cies that will provide a good atmosphere for shopping, providing access to the latest information

Identity Theft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Identity Theft - Essay Example In the given paper we will consider the Identity Theft as one of topic related to the ethics in computing, will examine the nature of the given problem, methods of its investigation and prevention. Information explosion, supported by this period of easy credit, has resulted in the expansion of a crime that is fed by the inability of consumers to trace who has access to their private information and how it is protected. This crime is called identity theft and it refers to the act of stealing victims’ personal information such as name, birth date, Social Security number, credit card number, passport, address, with the aim of impersonating them typically for one’s own financial gain by gaining access to their finances or with an aim of framing the clients’ for a crime. (United States Department of Justice, 2006). It can also be used to facilitate illegal immigration, unauthorized phone or utility services’ use, terrorism, espionage or a permanent change of identity, to obtain medical treatment, or for evading criminal prosecution. Identity theft is sometimes also referred to as â€Å"identity fraud† since the criminal personates rather than dele tes the victim’s identity. It is usually used to refer to credit card fraud, mortgage fraud and other kinds of financial frauds. Identity theft occurs in different ways, ranging from negligent sharing of personal information, to deliberate theft of wallets, mail, purses or digital information. For instance, in public places brigands engage in "shoulder surfing" observing you from a close location as you punch in your phone card or credit card number or listen in on your dialogue with somebody if you dictate your credit card number over the telephone. Inside your home, thieves may get information from your personal computer while you are on-line and they are secretly sitting in their own houses. Outside your home, thieves filch your mail, recycling, or garbage.

Analyzing Cost of Capital 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing Cost of Capital 2 - Assignment Example The greatest advantage that one gets, in debt financing, is the maintenance of complete ownership of the business, in comparison to equity financing. It is of great importance to also note that, banks usually expect you to put up assets to back up loan, inform of security. These assets could include property, your personal investments, equipment or other tangible holdings that the bank could seize if you default on the loan (Pratt, 2010). Equity financing is especially very common among small business owners, because of the concerns they have about either qualifying for a loan or having to channel too much of their profits into repaying the loan. Investors and partners can provide equity financing, and they generally expect to get profits from their investments. Moreover, if no profit materializes, you aren’t obligated to pay back equity contributions. The major drawback of equity financing is that, you are no longer the full owner of a business once you have other financial contributors who expect a share. As such, you will be relinquishing not just financial control, but will no longer be the sole arbiter of the business’s creative and strategic direction (Plath, 2006). There are two main things to consider when working out the cost of capital: WACC, Weighted average cost of capital and the MCC, which is the marginal cost of capital. This basically is the comparison of how much of new capital is raised in comparison to what was injected at the start of the business. WACC on the other hand is basically the average rate of return a company expects to compensate all its different investors. The minimum return that a company must earn on its existing asset base to satisfy its creditors, owners, and other capital sources.It aims at measuring the capital discount of the company’s income and expenditure and it represents the

Sex Workers in India

Sex Workers in India Prostitution is a contentious issue in India. Although, prostitution (exchanging sex for money) is not illegal, but the surrounding activities (operating brothels, pimping, soliciting sex etc.) are illegal. In fact the worst part is that the people in India forget that in series of insulting this profession, they put a question mark on the life of that personof that girl who had possibly been just another victim of unexpected and unwanted assault of bad times. It is being heard often, rather always from people that call girls are like this, they are not good, it is not preferred for decent people to be friend with them or to be in contact with them though they forget that it is this crowd who exploits the helplessness of these girls. It is easy to make out from outside that they are themselves indulging in these activities but nobody bothers to take charge to rebuild them. Once these innocent souls of 11 or 12 years are forced into the hell like brothelsa word called LIFE goes away f rom their ruined being and self respect. In 2007, the Ministry of women and child development reported presence of 2.8 million sex workers in India, with 35.47 percent of them entering the trade before the age of 18 years. The number of prostitutes has also doubled in the recent decades. It itself is a proof of one thing that Indias male dominated want this ,do this..that is why prostitution is augmenting at such a pace. Sonagachi in Kolkata, Kamathipura in Mumbai, G.B Road in New Delhi, Reshampura in Gwalior and Budhwar peth in Pune host thousands of sex workers. These are also known as red light areas in the country, where everyday thousands of girls are browbeaten. Ones who are considered to be so called lucky get freed from this cage because of intervention of police or NGOs but being rescued from a brothel is not always the end of a dark tunnel. Rather, it could be the beginning of a more traumatic life. A number of sex workers rescued and repatriated show higher-levels of traumatic disorders than those living in broth els, according to an all-India study. The study conducted by Swanchetan, an NGO, from October 2007 to March 2008, used the five-point Likert scale to map the relative intensity with which each victim experienced and demonstrated trauma. Human trafficking is illegal but prostitution is not .the difference of which people rarely understand. Films made on the life of sex workers or bar girls like Chameli, Chandni bar, Mandi show the true picture of our society where the situation and their family members themselves do not think twice to make life of those girls a deal for them. According to a Human Rights Watch report, Indian anti-trafficking laws are designed to combat commercialized vice; prostitution, as such, is not illegal. A sex worker can be punished for soliciting or seducing in public while clients can be punished for sexual activity close to a public place, and the organization puts the figure of sex workers in India to be around 15 million, with Mumbai alone being home to on e hundred thousand sex workers, the largest sex industry centre in Asia. Over the years, India has seen a growing mandate to legalize prostitution, to avoid exploitation of sex workers and their children by middlemen and also in the wake of growing HIV/AIDS menace. Many NGOs are working towards it but still a considerable change has not been brought in the lives of these girls or women. So the need of the hour is to enlighten ourselves, our spirit and our unconscious soul to rein in the chances of innocent girls getting exploited by the animals in disguise of men in our society.

What To Do About Ethnic Cleans Essay -- essays research papers

WHAT TO DO ABOUT ETHNIC CLEANSING? BACKGROUND PAPER   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1994, unrest swept through the Maryland-sized African nation of Rwanda. Thousands of Hutu extremists launched a massive assault on the Tutsi, who traditionally make up Rwanda's upper class, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people (Night Rider – 'most days';). The United States immediately responded to this slaughter by turning the other way, denying that a problem existed until years after the genocide had ceased. In 1999, ethnic cleansing (hostility between ethnic groups) broke out in Kosovo in a less severe form. This time, instead of being killed, the Kosovars were driven out of their homes and neighborhoods. This time, United States and NATO forces immediately confronted the problem by launching a substantial air war on the area. Clearly, the doctrine for ethnic cleansing is widely varied, and merits further discussion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethnic cleansing is a 'phrase for an attempt to purge an area of an unwanted ethnic group. It can include deportation, intimidation, and acts of genocide or mass murder.'; (Encarta, 'Ethnic cleansing';). It occurs most frequently in third world countries. Whenever it arises, it is followed by a host of moral questions. Do we just stay out completely and allow the country to deal with its own problems? Or, if we decide to take action, do we merely send medical aid or help militarily? Should we send in the army? Or is an air war the only acceptable option? It all comes down to an ethical issue, with one group insisting that preventing the loss of lives is paramount. The other side states that ethnic cleansing is caused by a fundamental disagreement between two ethnic groups, so unless we allow the groups to resolve their own issues, they can never be content and productive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whenever any human rights issue breaks out, there are differing opinions on the appropriate course of action. The difference in the case of ethnic cleansing is that this issue is much more critical than almost any other human rights issue. In the case of ethnic cleansing, the United States' approach to intervention could determine the fates of thousands of people. In cases of extreme ethnic cleansing, intervention can take place on an international level, with many nations cooperating in an attempt to br... ... not affect its neighbors adversely. This middle ground supports certain parts of both sides. It believes that while the country should be allowed to conduct its own internal affairs as it sees fit, as soon as the conflict oversteps the nation's borders, we must intervene to prevent the trouble from spreading as it did during the holocaust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the present moment, the pro-action side is most influential in determining strategies for dealing with ethnic cleansing. This is illustrated by the Kosovo conflict. Only a few years previously, the anti-action approach was in favor; no outside intervention occurred during the Rwandan genocide. No predictions forecast an end to the issues of ethnic cleansing. As long as distinction can be made between groups, that distinction will be made, and as long as that distinction is made, there will be a few warmongers who will take advantage and cause bloodshed. Although the madness of a few people will not always spread, once in a while it will go out of control, leading to a massive genocide such as in Germany and Rwanda. And when there is another massive wholesale destruction, what will the world powers do about it?

Could Russia Have Defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War?

This essay will examine Russia's advantages and disadvantages pre-war, war and post-war that could have changed the course of history and enabled Russia to defeat Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. Russia, despite major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, lost the Russo-Japanese War to Japan, a rising power whose military strength and power were grossly underestimated. Why? What could Russia have done differently to defeat Japan in the war? Summarizing and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of Russia’s poor leadership, lack of strategic planning against Japan, and logistical differences will help clarify what it did wrong and what it could have done to defeat Japan in 1904. Diplomatic and economic factors before and during the war In 1854, Japan had reopened her doors to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russian after 200 years of isolation from all Western powers, except the Netherlands (Koda 12). Of these powers, Britain and Russia had the strongest impact on the national security policy of the Japanese government. By the 1890s, given the growing competition among European Powers in Asia, Japan had begun to implement policies to increase the nation’s military and economic modernization. They recognized that failure to do so would lead to the â€Å"nation’s dominance or dismemberment† by foreigners (Francis 1). Between 1888 and 1904, the Russian Empire’s economy was booming. As the financial heath of the government improved, it can be expected that the Minister of War would be allowed to share in this bounty. The Ministry was able to fund two discrete rearmament programs: the acquisition of magazine rifles and the introduction of the first quick-firing field artillery piece (Fuller 363). Both programs helped enhance and put Russia at an advantage in military readiness and innovation compared to other powers within the region. In 1894, Russia had a new Tsar in Nicholas II, who was â€Å"young, dreamy and ambitious†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and noted by biographers as â€Å"a weak man and easily led† (Fuller 370). Another important figure to Russia’s government was Count S. Iu. Witte. Witte, the Minister of Finance, 1892-1903, rapidly became one of Nicholas’s most influential ministers in the early part of his regime as Tsar (Fuller 370). Witte was the prime mover of the Trans-Siberian and Chinese Eastern railroads, which allowed Russia to become a monopoly over resources and markets of Manchuria (Fuller 370). In March 1900, War Minister Kuropatkin delivered a speech in which he summarized the ways in which Russia had used its' military power in the past two hundred years and a series of predictions on upcoming challenges the nation would have to face. He argued that Russia â€Å"neither needed nor desired war with any of the other Great Powers; it simply had nothing to gain by it† (Fuller 377). Yet, Russia was not a satisfied Power and in a report to the Tsar, Kuropatkin had to endorse the continued economic exploitation of Manchuria and the expansion of Russia influence in the East (Fuller 378). Moreover, Russia had concluded an alliance with China against Japan and, in the process provided the finance China needed in exchange for railway and industrial monopolies and won rights to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese-held Manchuria to the Russian seaport of Vladivostok, thus gaining control of an important strip of Manchurian territory (Warner 113). Unfortunately, the unfinished state of the Trans-Siberian railroad in 1904, logistical problems, and heavy costs meant only about 100,000 Russian troops and supporting units had been deployed to the Far East. However, this continuous crash collusion over the â€Å"spheres of influence† in Manchuria, Port Arthur, and finally in 1903 when Russia developed an economic interest in Korea further exasperated Japan (Koda 16). Start of the War The Russo-Japanese War took place from February 1904 to September 1905; it was a war that originated out of rival imperial ambitions of the Japanese and Russian Empires over Manchuria, Port Arthur, and Korea. The Russians had been pursuing a course of steady aggression and contrary to what Japan considered her â€Å"vital interests and national honor† (Mahan 172). The Russians had countless chances to gain an advantage and a better diplomatic position over Japan. After negotiations back and forth concerning â€Å"spheres of interest† between the two nations were not met and in Japanese eyes were ignored due to the arrogance of the Tsar; Japan severed diplomatic relations on 6 February 1904 (Answer. com). Late at night on the 8th of February, a force of Japanese torpedo boats entered into Port Arthur. Through the dense fog, they launched a surprise attack that not only surprised the Russian naval squadron, but also surprised the world. Only one ship, the Novik, was not caught entirely napping and was able to give chase (Warner 17). Three of Russia’s biggest ships took severe hits: the cruiser Pallada, Retvizan and Tsarevitch (Warner 17). Russia was shocked and definitely not prepared! Although gunfire stirred some in the evening, many knew nothing of the attack until the next morning. Some had heard and assumed that the fleet had been carrying out exercises and few people â€Å"expected that the first attack by Japanese- or any attack at all- would take place in Port Arthur† (Warner 17). Crafting a War Plan The Commander of Russia’s Far Eastern Armies, General Kuropatkin was tasked with developing Russia’s war plan; his idea was to deny Japan an early victory by alternating tenacious holding actions and strategic withdrawals in order to gain the time needed to bring thousands of additional troops from European Russia (Fuller 379). â€Å"Inso far as possible,† he wrote, â€Å"our forces must avoid decisive engagements in order to escape being defeated in detail prior to concentration of forces sufficient for the defeat of the Japanese† (Fuller 400). He expected the Japanese to invade Manchuria, they did; he anticipated that the Japanese would attack Port Arthur, they did; so, his plan was absolutely accurate and unquestionably foreboded the events that were about to unfold in this Russian nightmare. But no matter how intelligent or administratively talented Kuropatkin may have been, he committed the gravest of errors by underestimating his enemy. The Japanese army was highly motivated and trained and ready to implement their war plan. In an attempt to avoid war, Japan presented Russia with a treaty that would be relatively fair to both sides. Russia, to the surprise of no one, declined the terms and Japan was left with no choice other than to declare war. In July 1903 at pre-war negotiations, the Japanese Minister in St. Petersburg as instructed to present Russian Minister, Roman Rosen, with his country’s views and desires. After the proposal, Russia provide a counter-proposal and Japan provided another proposal by which â€Å"Manchuria would be outside the Japanese sphere of influence and, reciprocally, Korea outside Russia’s† (Answers. com). One month later on 4 February when no formal reply had been received, Japan severed ties and went about achieving everything that they asked for at the pre-negotiations. According to Karl von Clausewitz, a renowned theorist of war, two parties need to want peace for a war to be terminated and both sides must be able to overcome internal and external oppositions to end the war. Because of Russian leaders’ incompetence, arrogance, and inability to respond promptly and compromise negotiations, Japan’s pre-war requests and Kuropatkin’s predictions of Japan’s war strategy were developing in what would be known in history as the Russo-Japanese War. Elements of the Land Campaign At the outbreak of the war, Russia had the world's largest standing army, but most of it was in Europe. The Japanese knew that Russia could not fully concentrate its’ army in the Far East because â€Å"it had to keep some forces in western Russia as a counter to Turkish, German, and Austrian forces† (Koda 22). Russia was not ready for the war with Japan, and the Japanese knew it. All Japan had to do was concentrate its’ forces in Manchuria and match the strength of Russian forces there. For the Japanese to establish superiority, they had to overcome their handicaps: shortage of strategic reserves, an insufficient stockpile of ammunition, and poor field heavy artillery (Koda 23). In order to overcome these handicaps, Japan had a well thought out operational plan and effective tactics on the battlefield, which yielded perfectly to the warfare of Manchurian plain. In my opinion, all Russia had to do was delay Japanese forces while they built up their strength in the west and bring forces south from the Chinese Eastern railway. Without the Trans-Siberian Railway to assist in reinforcing Russian forces, Russia would be left without â€Å"a real plan of campaign† (Warner 319). Therefore, the longer the war went on, the more likely an eventual Russian victory would have been in a battle of industrial attrition due to the continuing flow of reinforcements along the railway. Synchronizing ground and naval efforts Japan had to deliver a severe blow before Russia had time to prepare and execute whatever war plan that they may have established. In the words of Admiral â€Å"Bull† Halsey, Japan needed to â€Å"Hit hard, hit fast and hit often. † In March the Japanese landed an army in Korea that quickly overran that country. In May another Japanese army landed on the Liaotung Peninsula, and on May 26 it cut off the Port Arthur garrison from the main body of Russian forces in Manchuria. Russia needed to stop playing on the defense and start being on the offensive. With the help of reinforcements received via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Russia continued attacks, but it proved indecisive owing to poor military leadership. An example of the Russian’s impotence in leadership occurred at the siege of Port Arthur. After believing that the purpose of defending the city was lost due to the defeat of the fleet, Major General Stessel decided to surrender his post without consulting the other military staff present, or the Tsar and the military command. All disagreed with his decision because the garrison was still well stocked and had months of food and ammunition. In 1908, Stessel was convicted by a court-martial and sentenced to death, though later pardoned for his offenses (Answer. om). More aggressive naval power The Japanese Combined Fleet was slightly superior to the Russian Pacific Fleet (Koda 22). Japan was at an advantage to Russia, because Russia’s fleet had to be divided in two forces, one at Port Arthur and the other at Vladivostok (Koda 22). The fleets at Port Arthur and Vladivostok were also smaller and less ready, which left Russia's land and naval forces outnumbered at the start of the war. Japan’s strategy was to engage each force separately and prevent any Russian reinforcements. Japan’s Combined Fleet had to destroy the Pacific Fleet before the arrival of reinforcements and it was necessary for Admiral Togo â€Å"to preserve his strength, to ensure that he had a fleet capable of destroying the reinforcements when they arrived† (Koda 23). The Russian fleet in Port Arthur presented a menace to the sea lines of communication for Japan and was a determining factor of the war. The attack, although successful, was not executed as planned. It continued long enough to afford Russia the opportunity to bring into play her other naval forces from the west and if other circumstance would not have accorded, may have caused Japan their victory. For example, the Baltic Fleet was on its last leg of its 18,000 nautical mile journey to Vladivostok, when they were spotted by the Japanese Combined Fleet. The Baltic Fleet had been successfully traveling at night to avoid discovery. Unfortunately, one of her hospital ships exposed a light, which was sighted by a Japanese ship. The ship reported the sighting to Admiral Togo, who was able to position his fleet and engage in the battle of Tsushima. The Russian fleet was annihilated at Tsushima. If the Russian fleet would have positioned their cruisers, designed for speed and endurance, at Vladivostok, Russia would have had a better chance at counter-attacking Japan’s fleet. Unlike Port Arthur with only one way in and out, Vladivostok had two exits, to the Japan Sea and to the east coast of the islands by way of the Tsugaru Straits. The Japanese vessels out numbered the Russian vessels and they probably would have still picked off the Russian vessels one by one, but positioning the cruisers at another port would have allowed for continued freedom of commerce. Although this is an indirect effect to the war, it directly affected the already unstable economy and a growing rebellious status to war efforts in Russia. One of the most important things to remember is not just the multiple locations of the Russia fleets, but that they were divided into fractions individually smaller than those of a possible enemy. If the Russian divisions at Port Arthur, Vladivostok, and in the European ports of Russia would have been united, they would have outweighed the Japanese fleet; hence causing the Japanese fleet to re-evaluate their plan and possibly changing the course of the war. Additionally, Admiral Makarov, Commander of the Baltic Fleet, suggested that more ships should assist the Port Arthur and Vladivostok, but with his death a conference of the Higher Naval Board with the Tsar presiding was needed. For the next three months, the new commander, Admiral Rozhdestvenski, struggled with â€Å"the inevitable tangle of Russian red tape† and prepared his fleet for the long journey and they set sail in October of 1904 (Warner 402). The Baltic fleet should have been sent east the instant the Japanese declared war and would have arrived in ample time to assist and been able to provide much needed reinforcements and a more aggressive naval power. Conclusion Despite Russia’s major advantages in resources, military personnel, naval forces, and strategic depth, they lost to an up and coming power, Japan. Furthermore, they could have negotiated out of starting a war, and never have been put in a situation that caused undue hardship on their ill-prepared naval and land forces. If it wasn’t for poor leadership, lack of strategic planning, and logistical differences, Russia could have defeated Japan in the Russo-Japanese War.