Compare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Compare - Essay Example This paper will compare and contrast the art of the Renaissance as against the art of the 20th century. I will do so by choosing two artists, one from each era and comparing and contrasting their styles on the basis of the ideas, methods, materials and media they employed. Further I will discuss at least three works of each artist to prove my point. For the purpose of this assignment I have chosen to compare and contrast the works of Michelangelo in the Renaissance Era to that of Salvador Dali in the 20th century. Both of these artists were incredibly talented and hardworking, worked on a variety of mediums and in a sense became the iconic artists of their eras. While surrealism dealt with imagery, this is no less important in the spiritual paintings of the Renaissance. The Art of the Renaissance The Renaissance can be characterized as a time during the fifteenth century in Europe when there was a rebirth or reawakening of the human mind and spirit in almost every way. Every discipli ne of importance was affected, including art. The Early Renaissance started in Italy round about the year 1400. It can be said that the Renaissance took Europe from the medieval times to the modern ages. All art forms like sculpture, paintings and even decorative art of this period bear some similar and distinctive characteristics that indicate the change in thinking as well as the creation of new artistic sensibilities. Among the prominent artists of the Renaissance are Titian, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Boticelli. The opening work of this era is characterized by the bronze doors of the Baptistry of the Florentine cathedral designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Its culmination may be seen in the work on the Sistine Chapel done by Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Boticelli and Rosselli through their frescoes depicting the Life of Christ and the life of Moses. The Art of the 20th Century Twentieth century art had its beginnings in the movement towards modernism from t he late 19th century. It is also called Modern Art. Its beginnings lie in Art Nouveau and Post Impressionism. The art of the 20th century espoused many forms and used a variety of mediums. It was characterized at various times by Cubism, Fauvism, Dadaism and Futurism. Prominent among the artists of the 20th century are Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Damien Hirst. Each of these artists has used a different medium and some a variety of mediums to express their feelings and ideas. Ideas, Methods, Materials and Media Michelangelo was a versatile artist and a great painter and sculptor. He is said to have been a keen observer of the human body and even studied corpses for anatomical details. The results are clearly evident in his sculptures of the Pieta and David, classical masterpieces completed before he was thirty years old. Michelangelo studied painting under Domenico Ghirlandaio and sculpture under Bertoldo di Giovanni and emerged as one of their best pupils before embarking on his own career as an artist. He fashioned works of art out of wood, marble and stone, besides painting numerous frescoes. His work on the Sistine Chapel which took four years to complete (1508-12) and Pope Julius’s Tomb which due to various interruptions was completed in forty years remain outstanding as some of the hallmarks of Renaissance work (Hibbard, 48). Salvador Dali who was

Critically analyse the problems involved in Police use of discretion Essay

Critically analyse the problems involved in Police use of discretion - Essay Example In simple terms the use of discretion by police refers to their action and ability to choose when to intervene and when not to intervene in the enforcement of law. Reiner regarded discretion as a particular tool in police organisation to be used by officers at the very ground level who are operating away from the immediate supervision of management This paper shall critically analyse the problems involved in the police use of discretion. It shall specifically discuss the practice of ethnic and other subjective considerations in routine stops and searches, the evaluation of domestic violence incidents, and similar police activities.The use of discretion is far greater in the police, even at their lowest levels, as compared to other organizations. This means that the constables in police enjoy more discretion than any other organisation even in police organisation. This is because the constables have direct interaction with the public while policing and patrolling2. Issues have now com e up in relation to police officers and their need to apply discretion in their activities. Various factors have to be considered in order for the police to decide how much effort is needed in order to enforce specific laws which help control lawlessness. It is also important to note how a comprehensive police guidance detailing the manner of discretion which may be applied in specific circumstances can actually be insufficient for police officers to apply in order to avoid abuse of discretion. In these cases, it is difficult to include all the scenarios where discretion may be utilized in a single book. Moreover, even racial discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities may lead to a misuse of discretion. Nevertheless, according to Goldstein, there are no set rules or even a rule-book to follow for police officers to follow in handling police encounters3. Police officers cannot also be instructed on how to handle specific situations because most of their activities are part o f routine policing where they often work away from supervisory authorities. Body There are various issues which are seen with the use of discretion. One of the issues is based on the fact that police officers may not have as much experience in policing and this may sometimes lead them to misuse their discretion in the apprehension of suspected criminals4. Moreover, their discretion may be affected by factors which include the inappropriate use of subjective and demographic factors to impact on their decisions as police officers. These factors may include racial or ethnic minority and in some cases, even gender. Newburn and Reiner discuss that the pattern of police discretion which lead to issues in its application is fashioned by different elements including class, race, gender, and age5. These factors often cause society to manifest various responses to police officers. Vulnerable people and the minority groups are often subjected to the unfair applications of police discretion. St udies establish that this discretion is often abused among young, black, lower class, and among males6. Patrolling among police officers on these individuals often include strict surveillance which often leads to abuse of discretion. This negative approach in the use of discretion often causes a very negative approach against the police. In a study by the Home Office, black people have a higher likelihood of being pulled over by the police officers for routine stops and searches7. Police officers seem to be highly influenced by the stereotypes about black people being criminals or offenders. In a discussion by author and criminal analyst Frank Remington, he acknowledged the fact that police officers must have a significant role in moulding and establishing a proper law enforcement process for the general population8. He compared the Federal Trade Commission, which is an administrative agency who has the responsibility of developing enforcement policies, and the local police departme nts

The Bus Strike In Singapore Essay Example for Free

The Bus Strike In Singapore Essay Fundamental lessons which we can all learn from the bus strike (Singapore) Against the backdrop of the now famous bus strike, there have been efforts undertaken by the following parties: The Singapore Government calling on all parties to voice their grievances through the appropriate channels and a flurry of measures adopted by SMRT in response to public and government sentiment. Whilst the reactions and actions undertaken after the strike are laudable, one can’t help but express concern that the underlying issues of wages, worker’s living conditions and a clear lack of communication channels between all relevant parties have surfaced only via the drastic action of a strike. Indeed, all parties involved have to clearly reflect on the events of the past week and do their utmost to prevent future occurrences of such incidents. Complacency setting in Citing how strikes would affect workforce productivity and deter potential investors, the Singapore Government has long taken a dim view towards strikes and strikes have been few and far between throughout the annals of Singapore’s history. This has and still must be the key driving policy: A zero tolerance towards illegal strikes. In an attempt to maintain the welfare of general workers in Singapore, the National Union Trade Congress, businesses and National Employer’s Federation had been established. Tripartism was vaunted as the the way to progress and to cultivate the symbiotic relationship between businesses, employers and employees. Indeed, the system of tripartism saw much success till the early 2000’s where there were troubling signs of complacency setting in and cracks slowly but surely emerging from the system. This was further compounded by the fact that there was a massive influx of foreign workers as the Government sought to open its doors to foreigners to maximize economic growth. It would be naà ¯ve to conceive that the strikes were one-off actions or actions taken by an irrational group of foreign workers. Conversely, it is clear that the issues stemming from the strike ie. low wages, poor living conditions, lack of proper communication channels between businesses and employees alongside with an inability to manage the influx of foreign workers were long drawn. Therefore, it is illustrative that complacency had long set in between the relevant parties and the event of a strike or any forms of dramatic action were only a matter of time. An overall reflection Whilst I am in unequivocal agreement that a firm stance should be undertaken against the workers for taking the law into their own hands, there must be similar punishments meted out to SMRT as well for failing to take into account the welfare of its foreign workers and to serve as a strong deterrent for businesses not to mistreat its workers. When profits should not be at all costs It has been a long accepted norm in Singapore that a company should be primarily judged on its financial performance and has a responsibility to its multitude of stakeholders for fulfilling that responsibility. Nonetheless, the profit at all costs model has come under siege and this is inherently inferred from none other than SMRT. Relationship between grow at all costs and severe ramifications Admittedly, it would be an uphill task to draw a direct co-relationship between pursuing profits at all costs and the recent spate of events that had besieged SMRT. Having said that, one can look no further than how the incidents of trains breaking down due to inadequate maintenance and the recent uproar over wages of workers seem to connote some conclusions about a continual focus on increasing profit margins each quarter. Statistics have shown that the under the tenure of then SMRT CEO Saw Phaik Hwa, profits at SMRT had saw a steady increase quarter after quarter and everyone (from savvy investors, government and the general public) were duly impressed. However, the aftermath of the slew of incidents that have occurred (MRTs breaking down due to improper maintenance / lack of empathy for staff as evident by the strike) suggested that all was not well in the quest for grow and profit at all costs. How SMRT should not get away with a mere slap on the wrist It is indicative that all is not well at SMRT. There is a clear lack of communication between its staff, the upper echelons of the organization and a lack of distinctive and definitive direction being undertaken. Clearly, SMRT needs a wake-up call and the onus is on the Government to adopt a hardline stance against the company. Whilst some commentators have suggested heavy fines, I am of the belief that more drastic measures needs to be undertaken in the form of the government stepping in to perform the role of the company or possible suspensions in operations of the firm if the need arises. There would inevitably be some trade -offs in the form of services being affected in the short term but it would send a strong message to SMRT to step up or be replaced entirely either by the government or in the form of another private company. Aftermath of the strike In sum, the recent strike has revealed the stress points of tripartism and the relevant parties would do well to address them to prevent such a scenario from happening in the foreseeable future. With swift action being undertaken against the perpetrators of the strike, one can’t help but wonder whether SMRT should similarly be punished or be allowed to get away scot free?

Success: You can do it! Essay -- essays research papers fc

You can do it! -SUCCESS- Success is to fulfil a goal that you have set for yourself. Achievement of success involves five components: realisation, confidence, motivation, action and perseverance. Step one is to realise your goal and how to achieve it. Step two is to have the confidence to take the steps towards your goal. Step three is to find motivation to keep you on the path towards you goal. Step four is action, the first physical step you take in the process for success. Step five is perseverance. On the road to success, you will most definitely come to setbacks and struggles. The only way to conquer those things and achieve your goal is to have strong perseverance. As David Brink said, "A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him." Step 1 – Realisation To start your journey to success, you will first have to realise what your goal is and what you will need to achieve it. Ross Perot realised his goal was to start a data processing company. He realised he needed to borrow one thousand dollars to start it. I have realised my goal to become a great filmmaker. I realised to achieve that goal I needed to get experience in the film industry and needed to do a Film and Television course at university. A lot of people have failed to achieve their goal because they have failed to realise clearly what their goal is and what they needed to reach it. You must not make hasty, unsure decisions. Realisation involves careful investigation. Step 2 – Confidence â€Å"Confidence is the door to success† (Mary O’Hare Dumas). If you do not have confidence in your goal and believe you can reach it, you will fail before you even begin. To achieve your goal you are going to need to depend on other people, whether it is for funding or moral support. If you do not show confidence in your goal, no one will have confidence in you. They will not want to support you and you will not be able to accomplish your goal. You also need confidence in yourself. If you lack confidence you will become discouraged and this will make your goal impossible to attain. I am confident that my goal is achievable and am thinking positively which will keep me encouraged. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, Britain’s greatest naval hero, knew confidence. His confidence in his ability to win any naval battle caused him to not lose... ...backs, you must persevere. When you come to an obstacle, you need to re-evaluate your plans to achieve your goal and consider revising them. The key of success is not to give up when you approach a problem, but work out a way to get past it and achieve success Realisation, Confidence, Motivation, Action and Perseverance are the ingredients for success. You need to: realise what your goal is and know clearly what you have to do to achieve it; be confident in the fact that it is achievable for you; have a motivation to fuel your efforts on the path to success; put your plans into action; and persevere when you hit setbacks. If you follow these guidelines, you will achieve personal success. Bibliography Brown, J. 1996, The life and times of Lord Nelson, The Book Company Pty Ltd, Sydney Miller, N. 2000, Broadsides – The age of fighting sail, John Wiley and Sons Inc, New York quoteland.com - Quotations on every topic, by every author, and in every fashion possible (online) retrieved via the Internet 18 February 2002, http://www.quoteland.com Perot '96 - Ross Perot: Biography (online) retrieved via the Internet 18 February 2002, http://www.perot.org/hrpbio.htm

Freedom

Freedom. We all dream about it. We all wish we could break free of the rules, laws and constraints we are all chained down by. The uniforms, taxes, laws and harsh, judgemental opinions: All these keep us in order, organized and running smoothly like a well-oiled machine. But sometimes what is best for people is not the strict guidelines and controlling regulations, but the shattering of the barrier to insanity and liberation, the spreading of wings and freedom of flight that we can only ever experience in dreams. Freedom, however, can have many different definitions.To be able to do anything they want without the fear of trouble, fines or cruel, judgemental opinions, or maybe just to be able to walk to the park alone. There are numerous levels of freedom and everybody’s opinion on where they are on those levels can depend on their upbringing, cultural background, age group and environment. Some cultures, for example, are considered to be stricter than others in certain, or all aspects of their children’s lives, even to the extent of an arranged marriage. There are many reasons for why children should be allowed some freedom, however, but still be on a loose leash.We all need to go through the childhood stage, with we need room to explore the world and take risks in a safe environment and manner. Parents just need to find a balance between the two, letting the child make some of their own decisions, but also letting them make small mistakes as to learn from them. Though some teenagers of this generation feel as if they need more freedom, most of them do not. Teenagers do not know the real meaning of freedom and have not learnt to savour it as those in the work force have. They do not know what it is like to have to fend for themselves, and have others depend on them to live as well.To have just one day where all that responsibility, and the responsibility of sticking to laws and restrictions, is lifted off their shoulders, would be the feeling of t rue freedom. Parents restrict their teenagers from doing some things and going to certain places because they want their children to be safe, but to enjoy and savour the freedom they have now before they are released into the â€Å"real world† and never to experience it again. Teenagers of this day and age have quite a bit of freedom in many aspects already compared to their parents and other older generations.Being a teenager myself, I can see why some others would like more, and feel as if they are deprived of, choice and freewill, though I understand that the restrictions placed and reinforced upon by the parents are only for our benefit. As our parents, they would have decidedly more knowledge of the world and its dangers due to experience, as they have been where us teens are today. The world, however, is changing, and with a new generation comes new experiences. There are many choices in life, and if we do not make mistakes, we would not be able to learn and grow as peo ple.Independence is a crucial lesson in life, and can only be achieved through self nourishment and exploration of both ourselves and the world around us. Though parents may think that by restricting their children from going out and contributing to certain events is to protect them, they may be actually shielding their children from the real world, feeding their children lies when the society they live in isn’t as innocent. Totally shielding that child from the events of the world would be unfair to both the parents and the child. Gradually exposing them to the world however, would be a nicer alternative.The shock of finding out how different the real world is compared to their thoughts and filtered knowledge would be extremely unfair as they would discover all the experiences they did not get to participate in, and feel as if their childhood had been wasted. This shielding of children may also have prevented them from having a social life. They may have been kept at home, q uietly reading, or studying for a test coming up in a couple of weeks, while their friends were out having fun and experiencing and contributing to the memories that they will be able to tell their children when they have grown out of their teenage years.Being kept at home, it would make sense that they would have a quieter and less outgoing personality, and that new experiences would not be as happily welcomed as they would by those who had had the chance to understand and gain knowledge about it. On the other hand, quite often teenagers who are kept at home, but who have knowledge of the outside world, become rebellious and disobedient in order to try and experience new things with friends and also to be socially accepted and to fit in.However, this creates tension and mistrust within families, and therefore harsher restrictions on their freedom, causing other, more forceful forms of rebellion. Freedom is classed on so many different levels, that sometimes, even walking home witho ut the threat of death is a dream. With countless different definitions of â€Å"freedom† each and every person would have a varied view on liberation and different levels on where they feel it. Teenagers need time to explore and experience, but on he other hand, they need to be able to do this in a fairly safe and comfortable environment. Lack of freedom hinders the growth and development of personalities and the teenager’s ever going search to find themselves, and who is going to make their mark in the world in the near future. Freedom is a part of life that shapes and moulds the clay of the future of mankind into the people who will one day run the world. And in freedom, we fly. Freedom Freedom. We all dream about it. We all wish we could break free of the rules, laws and constraints we are all chained down by. The uniforms, taxes, laws and harsh, judgemental opinions: All these keep us in order, organized and running smoothly like a well-oiled machine. But sometimes what is best for people is not the strict guidelines and controlling regulations, but the shattering of the barrier to insanity and liberation, the spreading of wings and freedom of flight that we can only ever experience in dreams. Freedom, however, can have many different definitions.To be able to do anything they want without the fear of trouble, fines or cruel, judgemental opinions, or maybe just to be able to walk to the park alone. There are numerous levels of freedom and everybody’s opinion on where they are on those levels can depend on their upbringing, cultural background, age group and environment. Some cultures, for example, are considered to be stricter than others in certain, or all aspects of their children’s lives, even to the extent of an arranged marriage. There are many reasons for why children should be allowed some freedom, however, but still be on a loose leash.We all need to go through the childhood stage, with we need room to explore the world and take risks in a safe environment and manner. Parents just need to find a balance between the two, letting the child make some of their own decisions, but also letting them make small mistakes as to learn from them. Though some teenagers of this generation feel as if they need more freedom, most of them do not. Teenagers do not know the real meaning of freedom and have not learnt to savour it as those in the work force have. They do not know what it is like to have to fend for themselves, and have others depend on them to live as well.To have just one day where all that responsibility, and the responsibility of sticking to laws and restrictions, is lifted off their shoulders, would be the feeling of t rue freedom. Parents restrict their teenagers from doing some things and going to certain places because they want their children to be safe, but to enjoy and savour the freedom they have now before they are released into the â€Å"real world† and never to experience it again. Teenagers of this day and age have quite a bit of freedom in many aspects already compared to their parents and other older generations.Being a teenager myself, I can see why some others would like more, and feel as if they are deprived of, choice and freewill, though I understand that the restrictions placed and reinforced upon by the parents are only for our benefit. As our parents, they would have decidedly more knowledge of the world and its dangers due to experience, as they have been where us teens are today. The world, however, is changing, and with a new generation comes new experiences. There are many choices in life, and if we do not make mistakes, we would not be able to learn and grow as peo ple.Independence is a crucial lesson in life, and can only be achieved through self nourishment and exploration of both ourselves and the world around us. Though parents may think that by restricting their children from going out and contributing to certain events is to protect them, they may be actually shielding their children from the real world, feeding their children lies when the society they live in isn’t as innocent. Totally shielding that child from the events of the world would be unfair to both the parents and the child. Gradually exposing them to the world however, would be a nicer alternative.The shock of finding out how different the real world is compared to their thoughts and filtered knowledge would be extremely unfair as they would discover all the experiences they did not get to participate in, and feel as if their childhood had been wasted. This shielding of children may also have prevented them from having a social life. They may have been kept at home, q uietly reading, or studying for a test coming up in a couple of weeks, while their friends were out having fun and experiencing and contributing to the memories that they will be able to tell their children when they have grown out of their teenage years.Being kept at home, it would make sense that they would have a quieter and less outgoing personality, and that new experiences would not be as happily welcomed as they would by those who had had the chance to understand and gain knowledge about it. On the other hand, quite often teenagers who are kept at home, but who have knowledge of the outside world, become rebellious and disobedient in order to try and experience new things with friends and also to be socially accepted and to fit in.However, this creates tension and mistrust within families, and therefore harsher restrictions on their freedom, causing other, more forceful forms of rebellion. Freedom is classed on so many different levels, that sometimes, even walking home witho ut the threat of death is a dream. With countless different definitions of â€Å"freedom† each and every person would have a varied view on liberation and different levels on where they feel it. Teenagers need time to explore and experience, but on he other hand, they need to be able to do this in a fairly safe and comfortable environment. Lack of freedom hinders the growth and development of personalities and the teenager’s ever going search to find themselves, and who is going to make their mark in the world in the near future. Freedom is a part of life that shapes and moulds the clay of the future of mankind into the people who will one day run the world. And in freedom, we fly.

Discrimination aginst Muslims After the Events of 9/11 Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Al’ Qaeda is not endorsed or promoted by most Muslims. When the terrorists hijacked those jets they also hijacked a religion. The hateful, violent, holy war against the United States does not appear in the Quran or any traditional Muslin literature. Islam is, by and large, a peaceful religion that shares much of its earliest origins with both Christianity and Judaism (Patheos Library). However, after 9/11 Muslims of all races, creeds, and colors were made to feel like terrorists, refused service at businesses, and were beaten, threatened, and sadly many mosques, Islamic temples of worship, were vandalized or burned (Ali-Karamali). Unfortunately. Many of these sentiments are still being expressed today 13 years later. Most people until 9/11 people did not have any real isses very often about Muslims, overseas or in this country. There were other racial tensions throughout the years. There were no specific issues, no violent outbursts, and relations would have seemed civil and not discriminatory. However after 9/11 it was as if these people, all Muslims, were responsible for the terror attacks, as well as, everything else that was not going â€Å"great† in the United States. We will write a custom essay sample on Discrimination aginst Muslims After the Events of 9/11 or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Dunkirk Evacuation

From May 26 to June 4, 1940, the British sent 222 Royal Navy ships and about 800 civilian boats to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and other Allied troops from the seaport of Dunkirk in France during World War II. After eight months of inaction during the Phoney War, British, French, and Belgian troops were quickly overwhelmed by Nazi Germany’s blitzkrieg tactics when the attack began on May 10, 1940. Rather than be completely annihilated, the BEF decided to retreat to Dunkirk and hope for evacuation. Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of over a quarter million troops from Dunkirk, seemed a near impossible task, but the British people pulled together and ultimately rescued about 198,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops. Without the evacuation at Dunkirk, World War II would have been lost in 1940. Preparing to Fight After World War II started on September 3, 1939, there was a period of approximately eight months in which basically no fighting occurred; journalists called this the â€Å"Phoney War.† Although granted eight months to train and fortify for a German invasion, the British, French, and Belgian troops were quite unprepared when the attack actually began on May 10, 1940. Part of the problem was that while the German Army had been given hope of a victorious and different outcome than that of World War I, the Allied troops were uninspired, sure that trench warfare once again awaited them. The Allied leaders also relied heavily on the newly built, high-tech, defensive fortifications of the Maginot Line, which ran along the French border with Germany – dismissing the idea of an attack from the north. So, instead of training, the Allied troops spent much of their time drinking, chasing girls, and just waiting for the attack to come. For many BEF soldiers, their stay in France felt a bit like a mini vacation, with good food and little to do. This all changed when the Germans attacked in the early hours of May 10, 1940. The French and British troops went north to meet the advancing Germany Army in Belgium, not realizing that a large portion of the German Army (seven Panzer divisions) were cutting through the Ardennes, a wooded area that the Allies had considered impenetrable. Retreating to Dunkirk With the German Army in front of them in Belgium and coming up behind them from the Ardennes, the Allied troops were quickly forced to retreat. The French troops, at this point, were in great disorder. Some had become trapped within Belgium while others scattered. Lacking strong leadership and effective communication, the retreat left the French Army in serious disarray. The BEF were also backpedalling into France, fighting skirmishes as they retreated. Digging in by day and retreating at night, the British soldiers got little to no sleep. Fleeing refugees clogged the streets, slowing the travel of military personnel and equipment. German Stuka dive bombers attacked both soldiers and refugees, while German soldiers and tanks popped up seemingly everywhere. The BEF troops often became scattered, but their morale remained relatively high. Orders and strategies among the Allies were changing quickly. The French were urging a regrouping and a counterattack. On May 20, Field Marshal John Gort (commander of the BEF) ordered a counterattack at Arras. Although initially successful, the attack was not strong enough to break through the German line and the BEF was again forced to retreat. The French continued to push for a regrouping and a counteroffensive. The British, however, were starting to realize that the French and Belgian troops were too disorganized and demoralized to create a strong enough counteroffensive to halt the highly effective German advance. Much more likely, believed Gort, was that if the British joined the French and Belgian troops, they would all be annihilated. On May 25, 1940, Gort made the difficult decision to not only abandon the idea of a joint counteroffensive, but to retreat to Dunkirk in the hopes of an evacuation. The French believed this decision to be desertion; the British hoped it would allow them to fight another day. A Little Help From the Germans and the Defenders of Calais Ironically, the evacuation at Dunkirk could not have happened without the help of the Germans. Just as the British were regrouping at Dunkirk, the Germans stopped their advance just 18 miles away. For three days (May 24 to 26), German Army Group B stayed put. Many people have suggested that Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler purposely let the British Army go, believing that the British would then more readily negotiate a surrender. The more likely reason for the halt was that General Gerd von Runstedt, the commander of German Army Group B, didn’t want to take his armored divisions into the swampy area around Dunkirk. Also, the German supply lines had become greatly overextended after such a quick and lengthy advance into France; the German Army needed to stop long enough for their supplies and infantry to catch up. German Army Group A also held off attacking Dunkirk until May 26. Army Group A had become entangled in a siege at Calais, where a small pocket of BEF soldiers had holed up. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill believed the epic defense of Calais had a direct correlation to the outcome of the Dunkirk evacuation. Calais was the crux. Many other causes might have prevented the deliverance of Dunkirk, but it is certain that the three days gained by the defence of Calais enabled Gravelines waterline to be held, and that without this, even in spite of Hitler’s vacillations and Rundstedt’s orders, all would have been cut off and lost.* The three days that German Army Group B halted and Army Group A fought at the Siege of Calais were essential in allowing the BEF a chance to regroup at Dunkirk. On May 27, with the Germans once again attacking, Gort ordered a 30-mile-long defensive perimeter to be established around Dunkirk. The British and French soldiers manning this perimeter were charged with holding the Germans back in order to give time for the evacuation. The Evacuation From Dunkirk While the retreat was underway, Admiral Bertram Ramsey in Dover, Great Britain began considering the possibility of an amphibious evacuation starting on May 20, 1940. Ultimately, the British had less than a week to plan Operation Dynamo, the large-scale evacuation of British and other Allied troops from Dunkirk. The plan was to send ships from England across the Channel and have them pick up troops waiting on the beaches of Dunkirk. Although there were over a quarter of a million troops waiting to be picked up, the planners expected to only be able to save 45,000. Part of the difficulty was the harbor at Dunkirk. The gentle shelving of the beach meant that much of the harbor was too shallow for ships to enter. To solve this, smaller craft had to travel from ship to beach and back again to gather passengers for loading. This took a lot of extra time and there were not enough small boats to fulfill this job quickly. The waters were also so shallow that even these smaller craft had to stop 300 feet from the waterline and soldiers had to wade out to their shoulders before they could climb aboard. With not enough supervision, many desperate soldiers ignorantly overloaded these small boats, causing them to capsize. Another problem was that when the first ships set out from England, starting on May 26, they didn’t really know where to go. Troops were spread out over 21-miles of beaches near Dunkirk and the ships were not told where along these beaches they should load. This caused confusion and delay. Fires, smoke, Stuka dive bombers, and German artillery were definitely another problem. Everything seemed to be on fire, including cars, buildings, and an oil terminal. Black smoke covered the beaches. Stuka dive bombers attacked the beaches, but focused their attention along the waterline, hoping and often succeeding in sinking some of the ships and other watercraft. The beaches were large, with sand dunes in the back. Soldiers waited in long lines, covering the beaches. Although exhausted from long marches and little sleep, soldiers would dig in while waiting their turn in line – it was too loud to sleep. Thirst was a major problem on the beaches; all the clean water in the area had been contaminated. Speeding Things Up The loading of soldiers into small landing craft, ferrying them to the larger ships, and then coming back to reload was an excruciatingly slow process. By midnight on May 27, only 7,669 men had made it back to England. To speed things up, Captain William Tennant ordered a destroyer to come directly alongside the East Mole at Dunkirk on May 27. (The East Mole was a 1600-yard-long causeway that was used as a breakwater.) Although not built for it, Tennant’s plan to have troops embark directly from the East Mole worked wonderfully and from then on it became the main location for soldiers to load. On May 28, 17,804 soldiers were taken back to England.   This was an improvement, but hundreds of thousands more still needed saving. The rearguard was, for now, holding off the German assault, but it was a matter of days, if not hours, before the Germans would break through the defensive line. More help was needed. In Britain, Ramsey worked tirelessly to get every single boat possible – both military and civilian -- across the Channel to pick up the stranded troops. This flotilla of ships eventually included destroyers, minesweepers, anti-submarine trawlers, motor boats, yachts, ferries, launches, barges, and any other kind of boat they could find. The first of the â€Å"little ships† made it to Dunkirk on May 28, 1940. They loaded up men from the beaches east of Dunkirk and then headed back through the dangerous waters to England. Stuka dive bombers plagued the boats and they had to be constantly on the lookout for German U-boats. It was a dangerous venture, but it helped save the British Army. On May 31, 53,823 soldiers were brought back to England, thanks in a large part to these little ships. Near midnight on June 2, the St. Helier left Dunkirk, carrying the very last of the BEF troops. However, there were still more French troops to rescue. The crews of the destroyers and other craft were exhausted, having made numerous trips to Dunkirk without rest and yet they still went back to save more soldiers. The French also helped by sending ships and civilian craft. At 3:40 a.m. on June 4, 1940, the very last ship, the Shikari, left Dunkirk. Although the British had expected to only save 45,000, they succeeded in rescuing a total of 338,000 Allied troops. Aftermath The evacuation of Dunkirk was a retreat, a loss, and yet the British troops were greeted as heroes when they got home. The whole operation, which some have termed â€Å"the Miracle of Dunkirk,† gave the British a battle cry and became a rallying point for the rest of the war.    Most importantly, the evacuation of Dunkirk saved the British Army and did allow it to fight another day.    * Sir Winston Churchill as quoted in Major General Julian Thompson, Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory (New York: Arcade Publishing, 2011) 172.