The Civil War in England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Civil War in England - Essay Example This paper shall discuss the effects that the war had on the people of England and the different aspects of the nation then. Before the commencement of the war and even during it, the reins of the economy and the funds of the government rested with the Parliament that would then be in a position to dictate terms to the King (Bucholz and Key, 254). This marked a change in the way in which revenue was utilized during the Elizabethan age when the monarch had a far greater role to play in the handling of the nation’s funds that when the Stuart dynasty took over. The expenses of the monarch would have to be ratified by the Parliament and this was a great blow to James I. He however, managed to maintain a balance between the demands of the Parliament and the maintenance of his power. His son, Charles I, however, could not do so. Many attribute this failure to Charles’ belief in the divine rights that he believed kings to have (Trueman). According to this theory, kings were th e deputies of god on earth and this right of the king could not be taken away by the Parliament which according to him was merely a collection of mortals. This belief of Charles would be the reason that led to his ultimate execution. His failure to recognize the real aspirations of his people finally led to his downfall. Apart from this, one also needs to look at the flawed military strategies that were employed by the Royalists and the successful ones by the Parliamentarians. John Pym, according to Robert Bucholz and Newton Key, was instrumental in ensuring the victory of the Parliamentarian cause in many battles that occurred during the civil war (Bucholz and Key, 254). Religious reasons were very important in the civil war. It marked a transition to a phase in history where religion would be a major determinant in political affairs in an explicit manner. The puritans were responsible in a large way for the civil war. Oliver Cromwell himself was a puritan (Oliver Cromwell). These aspects along with the fact of the different sects that people in England, Ireland and Scotland were a part of, had led to tensions within the nation (Stoyle). A different form of politics too had taken shape, one that would thrive on the politics of identity. This was a change from earlier days. This change has survived to modern times when political parties survive on the identity of the community they represent. The major economic effect of the English Civil War was its detrimental impact on trade. Ben Coates in his work The Impact of the English Civil War on the Economy of London observes that the years spanning from 1648 to 1650 were marked by poor agricultural produce and naval and trade weakness. The recession of 1648-50, however, was a product of bad harvests and weakness on the seas. The Dutch regained their supremacy in the seas and thus undermined English trade and industries. It is noteworthy that the war weakened the erstwhile flourishing English foreign trade at the pr ecise point of time when the Dutch consolidated their commercial and naval power after the completion of the Thirty Years' War (1648) (Coates, 22). The importance of these developments needs to be analyzed in conjunction with the role that these changes enabled in the transition to modernity. Not only were the seeds of democracy sown

Rolls-Royce and the Stock Market Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Rolls-Royce and the Stock Market - Case Study Example Factors that are apt to influence the market are inflation, exchange rates, government takeover and marketing needs. In this paper an effort will be made to determine why Rolls-Royce plc had such serious difficulties in the 1970s and how they either have, or should try to, offset any difficulties that might arise. Over the past 20 years, with successful deregulation and innovation in important areas of the economy, Britain has been doing well, and in keeping with that economy, Rolls-Royce has also been doing well. This was not always the case for the company. The 1970s were a time of instability for Rolls-Royce, so much so they almost went out of business completely, declaring bankruptcy in 1971. At the end of the decade, Rolls-Royce was in trouble again when their exchange rate predictions went awry. Could the company have foreseen the difficulties they would be facing in their engine production and was their financial crisis due to lack of foresight or a roll of the dice With empirical research, up-to-date news, government articles and papers on the business economy, an effort will be made to answer this question. Henry Royce built the first motor car in 1904 and joined with Charles Rolls to manufacture and sell a range of cars in Britain under the name Rolls-Royce. The company was formed in 1906 and within a year, the Silver Ghost, a six-cylinder car, was lauded as the best in the world. At the start of World War I, Royce designed his first aero engine, the Eagle, which provided half the horsepower used by the Allies in the air war. With the production of the "R" engine, business continued and Rolls-Royce gained the technological base to develop the Merlin, used in the Battle of Britain during World War II, and the gas turbine for the civil aviation market which led to the Comet, the first turbo jet to enter transatlantic service . In 1960 the Conway engine in the Boeing 707 became the first turbofan to enter the airline service ("History: Timeline, 2004; "The History of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars" [online]). Rolls-Royce was enjoying success as the only "British aircraft engine company that cou ld contemplate competing in global markets" (Lazonick and Prencipe, 2004, p.6). In 1966, Rolls-Royce and Bristol Siddley merged and continued production of the Rolls-Royce aero engines in both companies. However, with each company retaining old loyalties, integration was never complete, perhaps creating the first crack in the veneer of the heretofore financially solid, growing business. At the same time, American Airlines in the United States announced a contest for a new trans-Atlantic aircraft. Both Douglas and Lockheed responded with designs, the DC-10 and the Lockheed L-1011, respectively. The designs were