The Legendary Invention of Silk

Is the fabric known as silk 7000 years old? Did people wear it from as long ago as 5000 B.C. -- before civilization began at Sumer and before Egyptians built the Great Pyramid? If silkworm cultivation or sericulture is as much as seven millennia old -- as the Silk Road Foundation says it may be -- the chances are poor that we will ever know exactly who invented it. What we can learn is what the descendants of the people who discovered silk wrote about it and what their legends say about the origins of processing silk. Although there are other stories and variations, the basic legend credits an early Chinese empress. She is said to have: 1. Cultivated the silk-producing caterpillar (Bombyx mori).2. Fed the silkworm the mulberry leaf that was discovered to be the best food -- at least for those interested in producing the best silk.3. Invented the loom to weave the fiber. Raising Silk On its own, the silkworm larva produces a single, several hundred-yard-strand of silk, which it breaks as it emerges as a moth from its cocoon, leaving residue all over the trees. In preference to gathering the tangled silk caught in the trees, the Chinese learned to raise the silkworms on a fattening diet of the leaves of carefully cultivated mulberry trees. They also learned to watch the development of the cocoons so they could kill the chrysalis by plunging it in boiling water just before its time. This method ensures the full length of silk strands. The boiling water also softens the sticky protein holding together the silk [Grotenhuis]. (The process of pulling out the strand of silk from the water and cocoon in known as reeling.) The thread is then woven into beautiful clothing.   Who Was the Lady Hsi-ling? The main source for this article is Dieter Kuhn, Professor, and Chair of Chinese Studies, University of Wà ¼rzburg. He wrote Tracing a Chinese Legend: In Search of the Identity of the First Sericulturalist for Toung Pao, an international journal of sinology. In this article, Kuhn looks at what the Chinese sources say about the legend of the invention of silk and describes the presentation of silk manufactures invention across the dynasties. He makes note of the contribution of the lady of Hsi-ling in particular. She was the principal wife of Huangdi, who is better known as the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi or Huang-ti, where Huang is the same word we translate as Yellow when used in connection with the great Chinese Yellow River, and ti is the name of an important god that is used in the names of kings, conventionally translated emperor) is a legendary Neolithic era ruler and ancestor of the Chinese people, with almost godlike proportions. Huangdi is said to have lived in the third millennium B.C. for 100-118 years, during which he is credited with giving numerous gifts to the Chinese people, including the magnetic compass, and sometimes including silk. The principal wife of the Yellow Emperor, the lady of Hsi-ling (also known as Xi Ling-Shi, Lei-Tsu, or Xilingshi), is, like her husband, credited with discovering silk. The lady of Hsi-ling is also credited with figuring out how to reel silk and inventing what people needed to make clothing from the silk -- the loom, according to the Shih-Chi Record of the Historian. Ultimately, the confusion seems to remain, but the upper hand is given the empress. The Yellow Emperor, who was honored as the First Sericulturalist during the Northern Chi Period (c. A.D. 550 - c. 580), may be the male figure depicted in later art as a patron saint of sericulture. The lady Hsi-ling is more often called the First Sericulturalist. Although she had been worshiped and held a position in the Chinese pantheon since the Northern Chou Dynasty (557-581), her official position as the personification of the First Sericulturalist with a divine seat and altar only came in 1742. Silk Clothing Altered the Chinese Division of Labor One could speculate, as Kuhn does, that the job of making fabric was womens work and that therefore the associations were made with the empress, rather than her husband, even if he had been the first sericulturalist. The Yellow Emperor may have invented the methods of producing silk, while the lady Hsi-ling was responsible for the discovery of silk itself. This legendary discovery, reminiscent of the story of the discovery of actual tea in China, involves falling into an anachronistic cup of tea.   Chinese scholarship from the seventh century A.D. says that before the Yellow Emperor, clothing was made of bird (feathers can protect against water and down is, of course, an insulating material) and animal skin, but the supply of animals didnt keep up with demand. The Yellow Emperor decreed that clothing should be made of silk and hemp. In this version of the legend, it is Huangdi (actually, one of his officials named Po Yu), not the lady of Hsi-ling who invented all fabrics, including silk, and also, according to legend from the Han Dynasty, the loom. Again, if looking for a rationale for the contradiction based on the division of labor and gender roles: hunting would not have been a domestic pursuit, but the province of the men, so when clothing changed from skins to cloth, it made sense that it would have changed the storied gender of the maker. Evidence of 5 Millennia of Silk Not quite the full seven, but five millennia puts it more in line with important major developments elsewhere, so it is more easily believed. Archaeological evidence reveals that silk existed in China as far back as around 2750 B.C., which puts it, coincidentally according to Kuhn, close to the dates of the Yellow Emperor and his wife. Shang Dynasty oracle bones show evidence of silk production. Silk was also in the Indus Valley from the third millennium B.C., according to New Evidence for Silk in the Indus Valley, which says copper-alloy ornaments and steatite beads have yielded silk fibers upon microscopic examination. As an aside, the article says this raises the question of whether China really had exclusive control of silk. A Silken Economy The importance of silk to China probably cant be exaggerated: the exceptionally long and strong filament clothed a vast Chinese population, helped support the bureaucracy by being used as a precursor to paper (2nd century B.C.) [Hoernle] and to pay taxes [Grotenhuis], and led to commerce with the rest of the world. Sumptuary laws regulated the wearing of fancy silks and embroidered, patterned silks became status symbols from the Han to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (2nd century B.C. to 6th century A.D.). How the Secret of Silk Leaked Out The Chinese guarded its secret carefully and successfully for centuries, according to tradition. It was only in the 5th century A.D. that silk eggs and mulberry seeds were, according to legend, smuggled out in an elaborate headdress by a Chinese princess when she went to her groom, the king of Khotan, in Central Asia. A century later they were smuggled by monks into the Byzantine Empire, according to the Byzantine historian Procopius. Silk Worship Patron saints of sericulture were honored with life-size statues and rites; in the Han period, the silkworm goddess was personified, and in Han and Sung periods, the empress performed a silk ceremony. The empress helped with the gathering of the mulberry leaves necessary for the best silk, and the sacrifices of pig and sheep that were made to the First Sericulturalist who may or may not have been the lady of Hsi-ling. By the 3rd century, there was a silkworm palace which the empress supervised. Legends of the Discovery of Silk There is a fanciful legend about the discovery of silk, a love story about a betrayed and murdered magic horse, and his lover, a woman transformed into a silkworm; the threads becoming feelings. Liu recounts a version, recorded by Tsui Pao in his 4th century A.D. Ku Ching Chu (Antiquarian Researches), where the horse is betrayed by the father and his daughter who promised to marry the horse. After the horse was ambushed, killed, and skinned, the hide wrapped up the girl and flew away with her. It was found in a tree and brought home, where some time later the girl had been transformed into a moth. There is also a fairly pedestrian story of how silk was actually discovered -- the cocoon, thought to be fruit, wouldnt soften when boiled, so the would-be diners got their aggression out by beating it with sticks until the filament emerged. Sericulture References: The Silkworm and Chinese Culture, by Gaines K. C. Liu; Osiris, Vol. 10, (1952), pp. 129-194 Tracing a Chinese Legend: In Search of the Identity of the First Sericulturalist, by Dieter Kuhn; Toung Pao Second Series, Vol. 70, Livr. 4/5 (1984), pp. 213-245. Spices and Silk: Aspects of World Trade in the First Seven Centuries of the Christian Era, by Michael Loewe; The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland No. 2 (1971), pp. 166-179. Stories of Silk and Paper, by Elizabeth Ten Grotenhuis; World Literature Today; Vol. 80, No. 4 (Jul. - Aug. 2006), pp. 10-12. Silks and Religions in Eurasia, C. A.D. 600-1200, by Liu Xinru; Journal of World History Vol. 6, No. 1 (Spring, 1995), pp. 25-48. Who Was the Inventor of Rag-Paper? by A. F. Rudolf Hoernle; The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (Oct. 1903), pp. 663-684.

5 Ways to Distinguish Reptiles From Amphibians and Fish

Utilitarianism A Man Named Joe Is Dying Of Aids

Dan Simons Ethics Mill Paper 10/28/14 Utilitarianism The Topic that is have chosen is Topic #1 which is â€Å"What is utilitarianism? Suppose a man named Joe is dying of AIDS. He requests that his doctor prescribe him a lethal dose of medication in order to end his life now, before the worst suffering from AIDS begins. His family objects to this. How would Mill advise the doctor? What sort of questions would he ask? What facts would be relevant to evaluating the case and why would they be relevant?† in the following I will be presenting what utilitarianism is, how Mill would advise the doctor, and why he would advise the doctor, and what evidence would he use to persuade the doctor. Along with what the difference is between act and rule†¦show more content†¦Gay’s belief was that God had created humans to be happy, and that his will is that humans are to be happy. Bentham expanded upon these ideas. Bentham introduced the idea of the Hedonic Calculus, which is meant to determine the value of bot h pleasures, and pains. Mill then further defined utilitarianism by the quality of the utility rather than the quantity of it. He argued that intellectual (higher) pleasures where better than physical (lower) pleasures. Mill argues that pleasures aren’t to be considered happiness, and that they are a means to an end known as Virtue, which in the beginning wasn’t the end, however it can become so. The idea of ideal utilitarianism brought into light by G.E. Moore who goes into depth of what ideal utilitarianism means. G.E. Moore suggests that hedonistic utilitarianism was not ideal, however that there are ranging ideas, and values that could be maximized. Moore argues that is impossible for pleasure to be the only measure of what is ideal. These values although all come from different backgrounds, and have different theories argue that what benefits society are moral actions, which will cause happiness. Though some actions maybe considered immoral for some others they ar e considered moral such as mercy killing. Consider the following, a man by the name of Joe is dying of Aids, due to the severity of his condition he asked his doctor to give him a lethal dose of

Essay on The Importance of a Charismatic Leader - 2343 Words

The role of the charismatic leader in the emergence of a new society has been frequently commented on from within the studies of sociology and world leadership. The charismatic leader is unique, in the sense that the authority that the leader possesses is largely based on the individual traits of the leader, and his or her ability to maintain support from followers. As a result, the charisma of a leader is many times not enough to ensure a long lasting stabilized society. Max Weber has suggested in his study of leadership and authority, a process known as the routinization of charisma must take place in order for a movement or message to continue. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of the routinization of charisma and†¦show more content†¦Authority is transferred from the charismatic leader into the newly established institutional framework of a new regime, which allows the system to become stable and viable. While this process may signal a diminishing role and importance of the charismatic leader, the initial bond between the leader and his disciples is not broken. This process simply allows for charismatic authority to no longer be the dominant mode in which leaders garner their legitimacy. Instead, charisma is transformed and essentially incorporated into a permanent political structure or established traditions present in society. This is Weber’s process of the routinization of charisma but as the transference of authority form Lenin to Stalin demonstrates, this process is susceptible to other possible outcomes. A discussion on the rise of the Soviet Union must first begin with looking at the immense role played by Vladimir Lenin. After the conclusion of the October Revolution in 1917, Lenin enjoyed a form of legitimacy stemming from the zeal produced during the revolutionary period. Similar to other charismatic leaders, it was Lenin’s consummate political skill, his ability to seize opportunities, and the scruples of the provisional government, which allowed him to gain control of the Russian state. Once this occurred, he helped establish a set of structures such as the Russian Central Committee and the Politburo, which wouldShow MoreRelatedHuman Leadership: The Importance of Charismatic Leaders in an Organization950 Words   |  4 Pagesthat I was trying to only gain points and was not concerned about other people in the game. I realised that I was a manager rather than a leader. I had only the managerial skills and not the leadership abilities. I was rejecting people who approa ched me to form a group by accepting their status quo. From the table below it clearly shows the difference between a leader and manager. Managers focus mainly on short term perspectives, focus on systems and not people, accept the status quo and do not challengeRead MoreCharismatic Leadership : A Charismatic Leader1603 Words   |  7 PagesCHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP In the current leadership era, Charismatic leadership is one of the newer leadership perspectives. This approach is based on the concept of charisma, which means â€Å"an inspired and divine gift†. Elements of a charismatic leadership A charismatic leadership is characterized by these three elements: Leader characteristics, Follower characteristics, and Situational Factors. Notice that these elements are much like the elements that contribute to the cycle of abuseRead MoreQualities Of A Good Leader966 Words   |  4 Pages As we continue to learn about leadership, we continue to see the importance of having certain qualities. There are differing opinions on what traits hold more importance than others, but in the end, each quality plays a specific role in forming an excellent leader. Three qualities that preform a role in the equation, and that needs strengthened in my own leadership skills, are enthusiasm, persistence and charisma. The first leadership quality that is extremely important to master is showingRead MoreSummary of My Leadership Style Essay1151 Words   |  5 Pageshabit. To create change, then, we must examine current practice carefully and develop a conscious awareness of these basic assumptions (Karen, 1991, Oesterman Kottkamp, 1993; Schà ¶n).Thus you must use reflective practices to understand what kind of leader you will become. A platform can be defined as a declaration of the principles on which a person or a Group of persons stand by. It generally encompasses strongly held beliefs of an individual which guide his or her actions. According to SergiovanniRead MoreTransformational Leadership : Transformational Leaders Essay916 Words   |  4 Pagesfollower-focused, transformational leaders lack the focus of assessing situations and altering their style to match it. Situational leaders, however, are adept in assessing the situation and understanding the need for adaptation of different styles to be most effective. Charismatic leadership is very similar to transformational leadership. Charismatic leaders are very connected to their followers, such as situational and transformational leaders, and charismatic leaders have followers that are extremelyRead MoreLeaders Are Born Or Acquired?1366 Words   |  6 Pagestheir top leaders from different parts of the world. The competition to become the biggest and well known in the industry is now fierce and partly attributed to effective leaders. T hough there may be several perception of a leader, it has become associated with being a positive influence to its people and the company. Scholars have long argued leadership to include characteristics and traits and as to whether leaders are born or acquired. For obvious reasons, it is believed that leaders are bornRead MoreDiscuss the Advantages and Disadvantages of Some Common Leadership Styles and Evaluate How Modern Managers Can Best Implement Them to Deal with the Challenges They Face in the 21st Century.814 Words   |  4 Pages228-248). The importance of the leadership and its significant impact on the businesss performance , productivity of the organization and turnover is clear for most business people and scholars. It is a subject that has long excited interest among people (Yukl, 2010: 19). In addition, it has been classified in many different ways. However, this essay intends to explore only the advantages and disadvantages of charismatic and transformational style. Furthermore, it looks at how todays leaders can exploitRead MoreLeadership As A Charismatic Leader1495 Words   |  6 Pages Today in society we see many leaders in this chaotic world we live in today. Leaders have to deal with tricky situations no matter the circumstances. Everyone including leaders desire to work in a drama free and less negative establishment. However, an effective leader must be able to with handle problems or issues. A leader have to learn how to adapt and adjust, guide their counterparts which leads to productive environment. Charismatic leader helps produces a pleasurable environment to createRead MoreLeadership Styles And Activism Of African American Women1026 Words   |  5 PagesWhen asked to identify important leaders of the civil rights movement, the name that most often comes to one’s mind is Martin Luther King Jr. Others may mention James Forman, Ralph Abernathy, Fred Shuttlesworth, James Farmer, Andrew Young, or Bayard Rustin. Notably missing are the names of women leaders. Rarely would Ella Baker, Septima Clark, Gloria Richardson, Daisy Bates, or Fannie Lou Hamer be identified. The absence of the women leaders of the civil rights movement from history is not becauseRead MoreLeadership1292 Words   |  6 Pageschapter about charismatic and transformational leadership? As a leader, charisma is needed as it is a unique quality to differentiate leaders by their purposes, powers and extraordinary determination they had in them. The quality of charisma is so important as it creates desire for others to follow the leaders. Through charismatic leaderships, it enables the leaders to coordinate and cultivate the relationship with their team members. In other words, charisma leaders are the leaders who will inspire

Auditng and Assurance Standards Professional Accountants

Questions: 1. The following are a number of different situations where there may be violations of the ethical principles .You are asked to state whether there has been a violation of the Accountants Code of Ethics and state which ethical principle has been violated briefly providing a reason for your opinion: (a) Peter Harmon , professional accountant, does the bookkeeping, prepares the tax returns and provides various management services for Bunker L td .When providing these services it frequently advises its clients to buy its computer equipment from Computer Services Ltd. Computer Services has agreed to pay Harmon a 10% commission if the referral leads to sales for Computer Services . (b)David Smith ,an auditor ,was asked by Allied Insurance,for its help in finding clients. David Smith subsequently referred ten clients to the insurance company without letting them know. (c) Wrench and company,Chartered Accountants,keeps details of its clients in its computer records at its office .Since i t also has time available it will allow its clients to use its computers if they requirethem.If necessary Wrench will arrange for members of its staff,mainly administration but sometimes from the audit branch to assist with the input of data for these clients.The staff from the Audit section can be involved in the audit of clients, depending upon the Audit Partners requirements. (d)Stephanie Barry has an audit client,Williams Pty Ltd ,which uses another public accountant forits management services work. Barry sends her firms literature regarding its management services capabilities to Williams on a monthly basis,unsolicited . 2. Indicate the type of opinion that should be expressed in each of the following situations,providing reasons for your choice. (c) Management have excluded from the financial report the necessary disclosures in relation toa contingent liability .If this becomes an actual liability it will have a material effect on the financial report. (d) A significant proportion of a retailers sales are on a cash basis and inadequate records have been maintained. There are no audit tests that can be done to assure yourself that cash sales are accurate. (e)You have been asked to do the audit for a new client this financial year .While you are satisfied that there appears to be no material misstatements for the information during the current financial year the client will not provide any information about the opening balances of accounts at the start of the financial year. (f) You have just started auditing the financial statements of a client which has not been followingthe Australian Accounting Standards since it began operating five years ago. Answers: 1. a) APES 110, Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants clearly states in Section 240 that an auditor has full rights to enter into an arrangement with any dealer or such other shop keeper wherein he would be entitled to receive a referral fee if any of his recommended clients buy something from them. However the same is acceptable only once it is disclosed to the concerned client about such an arrangement mentioning the details about the dealer and the calculation of such a fee (APESB, 2010). Therefore in this case Peter Harmon is said to have violated the APES 110 as he had not informed the client about his agreement with Computer Services Limited. b) An auditor is expected to maintain confidentiality in his conduct. It is a pre-requisite of the said profession and hence giving away details about the client to any third party be it an insurance company also should be done after prior consent form the client (cpaaustralia.com., 2014). Therefore in this case David had not taken any assent from the client and forwarded their contacts to Allied Insurance which was in contravention to the ethical code of conduct which details about maintenance of secrecy of client data. c) A professional is entitled to perform one task at a time i.e. either audit or non-audit. Simple reason behind the same is the maintenance of independence. An auditors profession requires him to be independent and unbiased in his conduct and performing those two tasks of the client would be contradicting the same (Causholli et.al. 2015),. However if the auditor takes due permission from the client for doing both the tasks then the same is allowable but at the same time the work has to be again checked by another auditor of the same firm so as to be doubly sure about the maintenance of integrity and objectivity. Thus the auditing staff can do the book keeping work as well but only after getting due permission from the client. d) The fundamental principles of the auditing profession clearly mentions that an auditor can advertise his professional work but in a certain specific manner so that it does not bring any kind of disregard to the profession. On critically understanding the said case it is concluded that the performance of Barry is unethical and that he has not complied with the basic principles of professionalism by sending the management services to the client without is assent just to snatch away the work being performed by other auditor(ethicsboard.org., 2012). Therefore Stephanie Barrys act brings disrepute to the auditing profession. 2. c) Liabilities which are reflected at the bottom of the line of balance sheet are contingent liabilities and they are an inseparable part of the financial statements. They generally show the liability that may arise in future and is materialistic in nature to the extent that it would have a major financial impact on the company. Thus its disclosure is a must since the investors and the other users of the financial statements take decisions with regards their investments basis the financial statements and this item also is a contributor to the same (aasb.gov.au., 2011). Therefore an auditor should ensure that such contingent liabilities should be adequately disclosed and if not then an adverse opinion should be given. Hence in this scenario since the management has excluded the disclosure of the said liability, the auditor is to give a qualified audit report. d) Maintaining books of accounts is a must for all entities even if it conducts its major part of sales in cash. If the books of accounts are not prepared in a timely manner then the same would be impossible for the auditor to conduct the audit. Thus in the present scenario the auditor will not be able to commence his work of audit at all thus would not be able to give any opinion as such. e) Verification of opening balances is one of the main stages of an audit and the first as well. Without verifying last years closing balances it would difficult to decide upon the correctness of balances since if the opening balances are incorrect then it would show an incorrect account balance at the end of the present year as well and the same would be carried forward year on year basis. Thus even if the client does not permit the auditor to verify the same, he should take all steps to try to assure himself about the sanctity of the opening balances. Further to this even if the auditor is able to verify the same, he should give a negative opinion just to safeguard himself against any future legalities. f) It is a compulsion for all the entities which are registered in Australia to maintain their financial statements as per the Australian Accounting Standards. However, if any company does not maintain so then the auditor should ask the company to again prepare the books of accounts as per the said standards (aasb.gov.au. 2012). Even after intimation if the Company does not then the auditor should give a qualified report stating the said fact. References APESB, (2010), APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, https://www.apesb.org.au/uploads/standards/apesb_standards/standard1.pdf aasb.gov.au., (2011), AASB 137 -Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets, https://www.aasb.gov.au/admin/file/content105/c9/AASB137_07-04_COMPoct10_01-11.pdf aasb.gov.au., (2012), AASB 101- Presentation of Financial Statements, https://www.aasb.gov.au/admin/file/content105/c9/AASB101_09-07_COMPsep11_07-12.pdf Causholli,M., Chambers, D.J., Payne, J.L., (2015), Does Selling Non-Audit Services Impair Auditor Independence ? New Research Says, yes, American Accounting Association, vol.9, no.2, pp. 1-6 cpaaustralia.com., (2014), An Overview of APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, Available at https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/~/media/corporate/allfiles/document/professional-resources/ethics/an-overview-of-apes-110-code-of-ethics.pdf (Accessed 29th January 2017) ethicsboard.org., (2012), Revised Code of Ethics Completed, Available at https://www.ethicsboard.org/projects/revised-code-ethics-completed (Accessed 29th January 2017)

Democracy in Germany free essay sample

The collapse of the democracy in Germany between 1928 and 1934 was not contributed by one single event but by a wide ranging, and large number of factors, making it vulnerable to sudden shock. In some ways, the complexity of contributing factors to the collapse of democracy can be depended on the shaky foundations, lack of a democratic tradition and flaws within the constitution. Like the article 48, it created opportunities for the corrupt high commands to abuse the democratic authority, the appointment of Chancellor Bruning would be one of the early examples to the failing democratic situation in Germany. Follow by many other issues such as the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depsression. Germany changed from a true representative democracy to the extreme dictatorship, Nazis totalitarian state. In general, the appointment of Hitler as chancellor signified the end of republic and democracy in Germany. But now, the question is, how did Hitler manage to gain his position of chancellorship? The answer focuses on the economic situation in the world during that period of time. The whole world was suffering from the Great Depression, which brought financial crisis to many countries including the U.S who Germany depended heavily on their loans to pay the reparation payments. This meant more unemployment and failing living standards to the German people. In many ways this was achieved by the policies of Bruning’s government as he managed to establish an absolutely balanced budget to avoid inflation, by raising taxes, cutting expanded charges, and reducing wages. This shows to us how the weak chancellor and the government were unable to solve difficult issues effectively. This was partly due to the lack of a democratic tradition within Germany.The high commands were not familiar with the representative system and then, more problems kept coming, people kept losing their confidence to the Republic. And this is one of the many elements that contributed to the collapse of Democracy. Moreover, many of them had never accepted the idea of a republic and were still thinking of Germany’s past glories, along with the previous humiliation brought by the Treaty of Versailles such as the loss of territories, the reparation payments and the war guilt clause, people doubted the ability of the Republic.Now, the economic hardship seeme d to be proving it right and they lost their confidence to the Democratic system. This opened a gap for Hitler to get in, and to argue about how bad the republic was. The historian William Shirer believed â€Å"Rather it gave men like Hitler the opportunity to take advantage of misfortune. Hitler would be able to use this time of misfortune, not from any concern about the plight of the German people but purely as a means to further his political progress†.Therefore, the Great Depression gave Hitler the opportunity to take advantage of a time of hardship facing the republic to tell the German people that the NSDAP would be able to help the country to get through all the difficulties. This led to the increase of support towards the Nazis and paved the way for their success, and of course, the failure of democracy in Germany. It is also important to look at Hitler and his Nazi party itself, to discover what he had done in gaining his position.When Hitler was appointed chancellor in 1933, he swore to uphold the constitution, and would co-orporate with the gove rnment. This fooled the president and Papen and many others who thought that Hitler was actually under their own control, however, they didn’t realize that they had actually underestimated Hitler. Moreover, the flaws of the constitution gave Hitler a chance to do what he wanted. The Article 48 which was designed to protect the constitution in case of dangers was one of the most useful tools for Hitler to exploit the Republic as he was able to use the constitution to change the constitution.This was one example of how Hitler himself tried to gain his position successfully and finally led to the rise of his party with the help of the weakness of the constitution. Another example of these was the proposal of the Enabling Act which gave Hitler the power to issue law without the approval of the Reichstag. This was originally designed to be used for 4 years. However, Hitler had never given up on using this in implementing his extreme personal dictatorship. Now, at this stage, we can say that Hitler and his Nazi Party was already able to do whatever they wanted to the country because they had the power of the Enabling Act.This meant that at least at the political level, Hitler had become the greatest power and the Democratic system had suffered large scale destruction already. To establish his (Hitler) absolute power, Hitler used propaganda to try to create an element of mass support in the country in order to strengthen his position against both his political opponents and the president, and by using this tactic, Hitler showed to the German people that they never claimed to represent only one class. People were attracted by the idealism of the movement and the hope of a better Germany.Because of this, his government was projected as a government of national revival. On the other hand, he used force to fight against his political and social opponents, particularly the communists. In an intimidation against the communists and others on the left politics, the Reichstag building in Berlin was burnt down. It gave Hitler an excellent chance to unify the government and to ban the communist party by the declaration of the decree for the protection of people and state. This took away all the basic rights from the German.Again, article 48 was used. This reveals that if there wasn’t such a power, those democratic opponents such as Hitler wouldn’t have the chance to do what they wanted. And again, this became one of the reasons contributed to the fall of democracy. On 21 March 1933, Hitler presented the Nazis and himself as the legitimate government and heir to previous periods in German history, the first Reichstag of the third Reich was opened. ‘Hitler would open the new Reichstag, which he was about to destroy’ (William Shirer). It gives us a clear idea that this third Reich, was leading Germany to go backwards, a direction which was opposite to democracy, and it signified that Hitler was destroying the Reichstag, by implementing his new â€Å"Reichstag†. Finally, Hitler seized control over the civil service, the trade unions, and most importantly, the end of political parties, gives us an idea of the dead democracy and the dramatic growing of his own dictatorship as there was no opponents existed anymore. By this moment, Hitler had already have control over the whole nation, the government, the German people. The feeling of a great change which had affected people vaguely when Hitler entered government now overcame wider and wider sections of the population†¦The past was dead. The future, it seemed, belonged to the regime. ’ From the German historian Joachim Fest (J. Fest, Hitler, Weidenfeld and Nicolson, London 1973 p 415) These words by the historian Joachim Fest proves the above argume nts about Hitler’s seizure of power, and his successes on implementing his dictatorship were true. And now, by discussing the wide range of factors contributed to the failure of German democracy, we have seen how it was failed from the inside and from the outside. All the events had an effect on defeating the democracy in Germany step by step and finally, a dictatorship came to power, and the republic died. And this is the failure of democracy in Germany in the period between 1928 and 1934. References: W. Shirer, The rise and fall of the third Reich, Pan books, London, 1964, P. 246 J. Fest, Hitler, Weidenfeld Nicolson, London, 1973, p. 415 W. Shirer, The rise and fall of the third Reich, Pan books, 1960, p. 235