History of the Atomic Bomb

History of the Atomic Bomb Around the world, there is a debate whether Americas choice of dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan was moral or immoral. The horrific bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two important cities in Japan, helped end the Second World War. America had hatred towards Japan because they bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941, which was the last straw before America entered the war. Harry S. Truman, the United States thirty-third president, gave authorization to bomb the two cities, in hopes of ending the war. America bombed Hiroshima with Little Boy, the name of the bomb, on August 6, 1945, at 8:16 in the morning. The bombing of Nagasaki happened on August 9, 1945, at 11:02 in the morning. The bomb used in this attack was named Fat Man. During the years of World War II, 1939-45, Hiroshima was the headquarters of the Second Army of Japan and Chugoku Regional Army. Nagasaki, on the other hand, was a major seaport. Killing 220,000 people between the two bombs, the explosions were the most lethal bombings ever. The Allies, an alliance between Italy, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, demonstrated their first signs of bombing Japan during the Tokyo fire bombings. Killing several 100,000 people during the first few months of the firebombing caused a higher death toll than both atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those two atomic bombs killed less people. Nonetheless, the atomic bombs caused a quick, devastating catastrophe that would affect Japanese lives for decades. The atomic bomb has its pros and cons, which allows the world to think if it was worth all the effects to end this deadly war. Albert Einstein, a German physicist who came up with the theory of relativity, thought of the idea of the atomic bomb with other noted physicists. In the beginning of World War II, Fritz Strassmann and Otto Hahn, German physicists, thought of splitting uranium atoms by nuclear fission. Later in the war, a group of American scientists began The Manhattan Project, formally known as The Manhattan Engineer District. General Leslie Groves led the project and the scientific research department managed by physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as The Father of the Atomic Bomb. The experiment created atomic bombs, which were funded by the Americans, Canadians, and the British. The Manhattan Project had four laboratories where they created bombs. The locations were Richland, Washington, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. Shockingly, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, kept the production of the bombs a secre t from Congress and the public during World War II. In fact, Truman figured out about this project when he was sworn into his presidency. The scientists created three bombs, the Gadget, Little Boy and Fat Man. The Gadget was a similar type of bomb as the Fat Man; however, the scientists were unsure if either of this type of bomb would work. The test, called Trinity, conducted to detonate the Gadget in New Mexico on July 16, 1945, at 5:30 in the morning. Every scientist was thrilled by the success of the bomb, and citizens one hundred miles away from the testing location could feel and see the bright light from the explosion. Astonishingly, a blind girl saw the flash up 120 miles away (Bellis). The Trinity was the green light that the bombs were usable. They would be used three weeks later in Japan. On August 6, Colonel Paul Tibbets flew the B-29 Enola Gay, named after Tibbets mother. The B-29 was a type of plane flown in World War II and the Korean War. Taking off at the United States base in Tinian, which is an island outside of Japan, the Enola Gay left with Little Boy. Flying 26,000 feet above Hiroshima, Tibbets cc rew dropped the bomb, which ignited a few thousand feet above ground (1945: Atom bomb hits Nagasaki). The crew put on their safety goggles immediately, turned away from the mushroom shaped explosion, and returned home safely. Three days later, Major Charles W. Sweeney flew the B-29 named Bockscar, which is a pun on boxcar and after Frederick C. Bock the Commander of the plane. At 11:02, the crew dropped Fat Man with a parachute attached, because this bomb was much heavier than Little Boy and it would hit the ground quicker. The American plane wanted to be as far away from the explosion as possible in order to ensure their safety. The bomb exploded 1,625 feet above ground and it destroyed Nagasaki almost instantly (1945: Atom bomb hits Nagasaki). The two atomic bombs still frightens people today because they can destroy a city instantly, and the pilots that dropped the bombs would not be harmed. Furthermore, the city that was attacked would be too wounded to rebel. Truman wanted to end the war immediately because many American soldiers died and he feared of losing more lives. The war was slowing down and Germany, a country of the Axis Powers that opposed the Allies Powers, surrendered on May 7, 1945. They surrendered because the Soviet Army was coming from the East, and the Americans were attacking from the west. The Armies would eventually trap Germany and attack. Furthermore, the Nazi leadership, controlled by Adolf Hitler, knew the war was over. Hitler realized his defeat and was afraid of other countries capturing him, which caused him to commit suicide and the other Nazi leaders surrendered. Japan was the last country to surrender, which bothered the whole world, because every country wanted the war to end. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki saved many American and Japanese lives. A few months before the nuclear attack, the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa occurred, which the Japanese fought to their death for honor. In these two battles, the casualties totaled to 128,375 people (US Troops in Action). However, the American casualties were 84,525 people (US Troops in Action), which is considerably less people. If Japan continued fighting, America was planning to invade Japans Island of Kyushu in November of 1945. This attack would cause 20,000 more dead Americans (Cooper). Since Japan did not know how many atomic bombs the United States possessed, they were frightened that more bombs would attack them. Five days after the bombing of Nagasaki, the Japanese agreed to an unconditional surrender that ended the war. This event saved thousands of Japanese and American soldiers lives. If Japan did not surrender after the two atomic bombs strike, America was planning to invade Japan in the fall. Furthermore, many European countries were developing an attack in the spring. In October 1944, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in World War II, destroyed the Japanese Navy. Since Japan had a devastated Navy, their ports were unprotected. Therefore, they had a shortage of food because they did not get any imported. Their population was suffering because their food was mostly being distributed to the troops. The Japanese people were having trouble holding their dignity, because of their hunger, and The Allies from many angles were attacking them. Once Little Boy and Fat Man exploded, the Japanese did not know how many more atomic bombs America obtained. They feared that one airplane could fly by dropping a bomb killing thousands and not be affected by the blast. Though the fire bombings of Tokyo killed more people over a longer period, the Japanese were app rehensive that there would be more atomic bombings killing their citizens in a shorter period. The amount of casualties suffered by the Japanese was appalling. There were 150,000 casualties at Hiroshima and approximately half were killed instantly (Effects of the Atomic Bomb). At Nagasaki 35,000 people were killed. Around twenty to thirty percent of deaths were caused by flash burns, fifteen to twenty percent of radiation sickness and fifty to sixty percent died of other related injuries (Effects of the Atomic Bomb). Sadly, the Japanese citizens had no warning of these brutal attacks. They were going about their daily tasks, when a bright, sudden flash would permanently devastate their lives. Many of the civilians would never see their families again. Since the people had no warning of the attack, they were unable to find shelter or stay behind with their loved ones. The surprise of the atomic bombs killed many people instantly during their daily routines. The lucky died instantly from the blast. Otherwise, they could have suffered radiation poisoning. Surprisingly, there was more radiation poisoning in Hiroshima than Nagasaki, because they were different types of bombs. The s ickness from radiation came in many forms including diarrhea, vomiting, impulsive hemorrhaging, blurring of the eye lens, and temporary infertility in boys, intensive burns, blood cell irregularity, fevers, depression, fatigue, and hair loss (Anhalt). Furthermore, many people got infections in their wounds because radiation lowers the immune system. Since many of the doctors were injured or died from the bomb, the hospitals in Hiroshima opened five days later for patients. This wait cost many people their lives that had a chance of recuperating. Some statistics from Hiroshima and Nagasaki estimates that ninety to one-hundred percent of all losses happened within the first two weeks (Solomon 270). In addition, the Japanese police records says that half of the peop le who were severely injured died by the sixth day; an additional twenty-five percent past by day twelve, and ninety percent of all deaths caused by the bombings happened before forty days (Solomon 270). Another long-term effect of the atomic bombs was cancer. Doctors were realizing that people were growing more tumors after the bombs struck. However, the radiation did not cause the tumors, yet it enhanced the tumor growth (Solomon 331). On the other hand, leukemia, cancer of the blood, was another type of cancer that increased after the bombing. The higher rate of leukemia was the longest seen side effect for the Japanese people. However, since tumors are not present in this type of cancer, many people died without knowing they had this disease. Radiation poisoning causes a horrendous death. Many years following the bombing, babies were suffering from birth defects. The radiation mutated the DNA, which is the genetic instruction for all living organisms, causing the DNA to cut at places and rejoin at others. This would change the code of the DNA, which would increase birth defects and the likelihood of cancer. Three years after the bombing, the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) demanded that all pregnant women in their fifth month tell the government (Neel 3). The Japanese government would give the pregnant women additional supplements rather than the supplements they obtained before. In fact, all Japanese citizens had to take vitamins after the bombing to improve their health. This investigation allowed the ABCC to be aware out of the 76,626 births occurring over this six-year period, statistics of feasibility, birth defects, number of infant deaths, gender, and birth-weight (Anhalt). After the six years of testing was over, the government ended the study because o f the lack of evidence. However, the government did say that the information documented should be used for further study in the future. TToday, the infant mortality rate is lower than it was right after the bombings, it is believed that the remains of radiation are gone (Y). The two atomic bombs were unnecessary; instead, America should have shown the Japanese a video of the testing of the Gadget. Truman could have threatened Japan by saying that if they do not surrender, bombs like the one shown would decimate their cities. However, he would not announce the number of bombs that America had produced. If the Japanese did not believe him, Truman could have showed them pictures of the bombs already made and tell them a time frame for the possible bombings. However, this would just be a threat and America would never bomb Japan. The Japanese government would become worried and would consider surrendering. Though the most important thing to the Japanese was honor, there could have been a more civilized way of ending the war. Instead of forcing Japan to an unconditional surrender, the countries should have made a truce. This would have saved many more lives and been the peaceful way of solving the issue. Furthermore, Truman could have been more sympathetic to the Japanese by realizing the amount of casualties and the long-term effects of the bombing. It is a shame that innocent families died in a war that they did not favor. Families never had a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones because they had no warning. People were minding their own business in the street and were suddenly killed. Children were wondering the streets looking for their families and coming across their scorched mother or father dead on the pavement. These types of memories will always be imprinted in their brains. This same type of situation happened in Pearl Harbor. Nonetheless, the Americans that lost their families would not want anyone else to deal with the situation either. Anyways, two contemptible actions do not cancel each other out and make everything fine. No one needs to endure this agony, including your enemy. Truman would not back down to the Japanese, and forced an unconditional surrender, which entails no promises to the surrendering faction. In fact, Truman said that he always intended using the bomb by saying, I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used† (The Atomic Bomb and Japans Surrender The Great WWII Debate). Before the bombing of Japan, the Potsdam Declaration, also known as The Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender, was written. This document was an agreement between Truman, United Kingdoms Prime Minister Churchill, and Chinas president Chaing Kai-shek. One of the points said, â€Å"We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction† (Truman). This point means that if Japan is unwilling to surrender uncondition ally, the three countries involved in the declaration will bomb Japan until it would not exist anymore. Since Japan did not surrender, America dropped the bomb. On August 14, after witnessing his distressed country, Japans Emperor Hirohito pronounced their surrender. Truman was pleased with the results of the bombing, because he achieved what he wanted, an end to the war. Approval of the atomic bombing is debated by its pros and cons. A poll was taken and it showed that seventy-three percent of people over the age of fifty-five approved the bombing (Christoffersen). Furthermore, Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, stated, Support drops with age, from the generation that grew up with the nuclear fear of the Cold War to the youngest voters, who know less about World War II or the Cold War (Christoffersen). This means younger people are less likely to approve of the use of the atomic bombs. They did not have to live through the drills in school. The drills in school consisted of the children climbing under their desk while protecting their heads. However, people do not believe these drills would help anymore, because there would be no warning for the bombs, the explosion would be too powerful, and the desk would become useless. Religion, political views and race all had an effect on their beliefs on the bomb ing too, since all of those categories educate peoples morals (Christoffersen). People will always support or oppose the atomic bomb because of the deaths and affects it caused to end the frightful war. On August 6 and August 9, 1945, the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki occurred, respectively. Though the bombing ended the war almost immediately, the Japanese were suffering from total war and they were unaware of how many more bombs were to come. Additionally, the Japanese were unable to find shelter or say goodbye to their loved ones. In addition, Japan lost thousands of innocent civilians by a huge explosion that shocked them caused by an atomic bomb. These bombs saved countless American lives but destroyed hundreds of thousands of Japanese, whether they died immediately or suffered from its lasting effect. Many people think there could have been a civil way of negotiating with the Japanese to save more lives and end the war quicker. Though it was a wakeup call for the Japanese, a threat could have been just as satisfying. However, the future could not be pr edicted and everyone should interpret and learn from history, so the remorseful events are never repeated. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will never be justified and forever will be debated.

Environmental Concern Issues

Did you ever think that something meant to aid in the advance of humans could be potentially fatal at the same time? What about a disease that was considered â€Å"dead†, resurfacing and killing unsuspecting people? What about the fact that we as human beings are ruining the only place for us to live, the earth? These questions sound outrageous, right? Wrong, these issues are considered environmental problems that we will soon face. These issues are very serious and many people have no idea that they even exist. To have problems and not even know about them is definitely grounds for destruction. We as a people, must look at the problems of antibiotic resistance, increasing diseases, weapons as wastes, and waste disposal and reduction and, if left unaddressed, these issues will become fatal problems in the near future. Many Americans get sick everyday; this usually warrants a trip to the doctor†s office. The doctor will usually examine the patient and prescribe an antibiotic. Antibiotics are being used as a way to solve medical problems. The heavy use of antibiotics is causing a threat to the population. They are so widely used and are beginning to become a contaminant in the environment. When used so frequently, antibiotics are found in the sewers, septic tanks, and even receiving waters. With antibiotics being so abundant in these places, the microbes here are now becoming resistant. With all of the sterilization and sanitation precautions, we would not expect to come in contact with these microbes. Reality is, we do. We come in contact with these microbes and sometimes become sick. Being sick means another trip to the doctor; only this time, the antibiotics that the doctor prescribes won†t work. This is due to the fact that the microbes that caused the sickness are resistant to the drugs, being that they are so abundant in microbe breeding grounds. In order to treat sickness, doctors must evaluate their patients more efficiently and choose other methods of treatment before they prescribe antibiotics. If the amount of antibiotics being released into the environment can be reduced, there won†t be a time when simple infections can†t be treated. Conditions that can†t be treated with antibiotics are called infectious diseases; they are on the rise and kill over 17 million people per year. The importance of this is that most dying are young. Young people are dying from recurring tuberculosis, and the AIDS epidemic. The reasons for these deaths are new strains of the viruses, increased poverty, declining public health measures and increased human contact. To halt the increase of the deaths, we must educate the public. If the symptoms, causes for, and methods of prevention are not taught to the public, they will continue to die unfounded deaths. Education and prevention are the only way that these diseases can be defeated. Weapons are contaminants of the environment also. The disposal of obsolete weapons is a problem being faced due to military tensions diminishing. Explosives, chemical weapons and nuclear weapons are being dumped into landfills and water bodies, causing contamination and posing serious health risks for those who come in contact with them. To prevent this, a way to dispose of these weapons without causing health risks must be developed. Until then, they must be kept out of everyone†s reach to prevent harm. Other contaminants include solid and toxic waste. With the increase of economy, comes the increase of waste. Waste is anything that is not desired by an organism; releasing waste into the environment causes health risks for all organisms. To reduce these risks, government regulation must be initiated. Recycling, reducing and reusing must also be executed. If not as much waste is produced or it can be reused, this problem may be decreased. All in all, to keep what we have and maybe improve it, antibiotics use must be reduced, infectious diseases must be prevented, weapons must be disposed of properly and we must reduce solid and toxic waste. These problems will be facing the population very soon and unless we are equipped with knowledge and know-how in these areas, we will suffer immensely from what can seem to be such simple problems. We must initiate defense mechanisms against these problems so that these â€Å"secret killers† do not kill us off. As the presidential election approaches, American citizens will be hearing many campaign speeches. It has been said that Vice President Albert Gore plans to address the issue of increased climate change in his campaign. With increased climate change, the population must be made aware of this issue; in addressing this potentially dangerous issue, there are some points that should be made to successfully get the point across. To successfully get this information out, the causes, influence, and possible ways to correct this problem must be addressed. The main cause of this issue is human behavior. With humans being a more advanced population, they also increase the production of a major climate-changing factor. This factor is the overproduction of greenhouse gases. Increased population, causes the increased production solid waste that is harmful to the environment. Fossil fuel burning is also a result of human behavior, which contributes to the production of the greenhouse gases. The overproduction of greenhouse gases is the immediate issue that must be addressed to increase knowledge of the increased climate change. The greenhouse gases are gases that are responsible for the heat trapping capability of the atmosphere of the earth. With a higher capability to trap heat, the temperature of the earth is greatly affected. Fluctuation in the temperature is the effect of human behavior and overproduction of the greenhouse gases. With the fluctuation of temperature, come the impacts of overproduction of the greenhouse gases. The impacts must also be addressed to acknowledge this problem. These impacts can be seen in raised sea levels, change in precipitation and change in local climate conditions. The temperature can also alter forests, crop yields and the water supply of the Americans. These alterations will then threaten human health conditions, harm birds and fish and cause imbalances in many other ecosystems. Along with animals being affected, it has been said that deserts may expand into rangelands and some National Parks may be affected. To better control this issue, some solutions must be planned and executed. The first step, must be the education of the population. With the threats of these human behaviors being known, governmental programs will be able to be implemented. These programs must include the encouragement of switching to carbon fuels and education of the causes, impacts and solutions of this problem. The development of reusable energy alternatives, solid waste reduction and recycling, as well as waste prevention are some effective solutions that should be put into play. The management of agricultural systems as well as energy efficiency could aid in the prevention and reduction of greenhouse gases. When these programs and ideas are put into play and discussed as solutions, this problem may be effectively addressed and eventually under control. To discuss the issues of climate change, the causes, influence on society and probable solutions must be addressed. In the upcoming months, the presidential candidates will need to address many issues; to address these issues and get the points across to Americans, effective presentation must be used. To effectively present the issue of climate change and almost any issue, the causes, the effects and the corrections to these problems must be addressed. If humans are able to cause such enormous problems, they must know be educated about them and must try to correct these problems, if humans are to survive as a population.

European Union as an international organization Essay

The European Union cannot be an international organization and it is not a domestic political system. It is a new and unique trend in governance, which transcends the nation – state structure. In the EU the nation – state governments are drifting away from both sub national and supranational systems. This in turn raises questions about the EU’s capacity to govern and its democratic legitimacy. The European Union is composed of democratic nations that aim to achieve peace and prosperity. It is not a nation – state but an international organization with unique features (Europeans united in diversity). However, the events that took place in the period from 1960 to 1970 changed the thinking of federalism by the people. The then French president, Charles de Gaulle was very much interested in nation – state structure in the Europe. However, he rejected the federalist system. Subsequently, the European Council was created in order to take up the matters of the Union with administrative powers. Thus there is no centralized power in the European Union and it was distributed between the primary entities, which do not fall within parliamentary control (Europeans united in diversity). The significant characteristic of the EU is that the decisions taken at the European level are ratified by its Member States in order to establish EU level common institutions, by surrendering their sovereignty on certain specific issues. There is unity in diversity in Europe where there persists a multitude of different traditions and languages. Respecting these shared values, the EU promotes cooperation among the people of Europe and it protects the interests of the individual citizens of Europe. While respecting the sentiments of European citizens, the EU promotes cooperation with external nations without comprising its solidarity and in a spirit of tolerance (Europeans united in diversity). The European Union is a distinct entity. It is not a federation like the United States. Moreover, it is not a simple form of structure as it entails inter – governmental coordination and cooperation. The European Union is composed of a number of Member States. These Member States have combined their individual sovereignty and adopted a system of shared governance, in order to achieve unity and international importance. Nevertheless, as it is noteworthy to mention, these Member States did not relinquish their national sovereignty (McCormick). Further, there is a delegation of powers by the agencies of the European Union, in areas of joint interests, upon which the EU can impose its democratic authority for the benefit of Member States. Thus the European Union is to some extent an intergovernmental organization and to some extent it is a supranational organization. The supranational aspects of the EU include economic policy, social policy, immigration policy and education. The intergovernmental aspects comprises of mutual cooperation between the member states in order to formulate a common foreign policy and security policy (McCormick). The intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations are in general constituted by several states in order to promote voluntary cooperation and coordination amongst them (McCormick). The Member States of such an organization retain their independence and the decisions and agreements taken are not enforceable. The Member States of the European Union do not surrender their sovereignty to it. However, in the supranational organization, Member States are required to surrender their sovereignty in certain key areas to the governing body of the supranational organization (McCormick). Moreover, the Member States are also required to comply with the decisions taken at the supranational level. The Courts would initiate penal actions for violations by the member states. The European Union has both the characteristics of an intergovernmental organization and supranational government. An international organization is an entity which develops voluntary cooperation and coordination among its members (McCormick). Hence the European Union cannot be a truly typical international organization. The normal features and definition of an international organization is narrow in its scope. Therefore, the European Union cannot be compared to an ordinary international organization. The European Union is founded by an international treaty like any other international organization. However, it cannot be construed to be a proper international organization and a very close description is that it is not a state, nor a nation – state; but a characterization of sui generis (Vuorinen). The fundamental characteristic that differentiates the European Union from other international organizations is that it attempts to change the Member States. Integration is the process that brings about the coalescing of state structures. The European Union has several structures combined together some of these structures represent the characteristics of a federal state while other structures resemble an international organization. In the process of evolution, the EU had gone beyond an association of states and became an economic and political union. However, the EU is not a federal state (Vuorinen). The emergence of the European Community was the result of federalist views. Its drafters were of the opinion that federalism would be the solution to the persistent problem of war in Europe. Thus their main objective was to establish a federal state. These efforts resulted in the formulation of the European Coal and Steel Community in the year 1951, which created a common market for the coal and steel industries of that period. The objective of this institution was to combine the important and strategic resources of Europe. Subsequently in 1957 The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community or EEC and the European Atomic Energy Commission or Euratom (Vuorinen). The federalist creation of the Union was based upon the three important pillars of the EU, namely, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. These branches of the EU, which do not pertain to any single member state of the Union, aim to promote the common European policy. The federal structure could have operated with a sufficient degree of democracy (Vuorinen). The European Union has been described as an international organization and with the adoption of a constitution it can become a supranational organization in addition to an intergovernmental organization. The Maastricht Treaty of the year 1993 established two types of institutionalized cooperation in the European Community, the Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP and cooperation on justice and international issues. Since, the extant system in respect of functioning of the EU involves the surrender of sovereignty by states to the EU in certain areas and the dependence of the member states on intergovernmental cooperation in other areas, it can be describes as a hybrid system (European Union). Issues of international interests of the EU are regulated by the Integration Ministry; some of these issues encompass the cooperation of EU, Nordic legislation and cooperation with the United Nation’s agencies. Extension of such cooperation is frequent to the United Nations Refugee Agency or the UNHCR, the Council of Europe, Intergovernmental Consultations or IGC and the International Organization for Migration or the IOM (The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs). Furthermore, the Ministry negotiates with many foreign nations on issues relating to repatriation agreements, other forms of practical cooperation as well as mutual exchange of information. The International Division of the Integration Ministry governs international cooperation and participates in meeting and makes the necessary preparations for meetings and discussions that involve other nations. This Division also prepares meetings in Denmark with regard to issues relating to asylum and immigration. It also makes the necessary preparations for EU casework in national procedure (The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs). The destruction and loss of a large number of human lives in the Second World War resulted in European integration, which was expected to put a stop to such killing and destruction. In the year 1950, Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister proposed the idea of European integration. The present European Union consists of five institutions with specific goals. These are the European Parliament, which is elected by the citizens of the Member States; the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the Member States; the European Commission, which is the executive branch of the EU; the European Court of Justice, which ensures compliance with the EU law by the Member States and the Court of Auditors, which controls and ensures efficient and legal management of the EU budget (The European Union). There are other important agencies, which support these five driving forces of the European Union. They are, the European Economic and Social Committee, which reflects the opinions of the civil society on issues pertaining to economic and social interests; the Committee of the Regions, which is responsible for monetary policies and regulates the euro; the European Ombudsman, which deals with the complaints of individuals in case of breach of law or failure of proper administration by any EU institution or agency and the European Investment Bank, which promotes the objectives of the EU by providing financial support to investment projects. In addition, there are several other institutions to facilitate the smooth functioning of the EU (The European Union). The functionality of the EU is based on the Treaties, which were ratified by the Member States. In the beginning there were only six nations in the EU and these were Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom became members of the European Union and subsequently, in 1981 Greece became a member. In the year 1986 Spain and Portugal and in the year 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the European Union. In the year 2004 the largest expansion of the European Union took place with ten new countries being permitted to become members of the European Union (The European Union). In the beginning, much attention was bestowed on providing cooperation in the areas of trade and economy. Subsequently, the EU became the guardian of the Member States and commenced to deal with a wide range of issues pertaining to all aspects of society and humans. The EU protects the rights of individuals, ensures freedom, security and justice, employment, regional development and environmental protection. For more than fifty years the EU has been catering to the needs of its member states in respect of stability, peace and prosperity. It strived hard to enhance the standard of living of its citizens. It created a single European market, launched the euro or the single European currency and fortified the European Union’s stance on the international platform (The European Union). The European Union plays an important role in the field of international trade. It provides advantageous norms for trade to a large number of developing countries. The EU withdraws the preferential business terms from a country that violates these norms, while dealing with any member state of the EU. Moreover, the EU is the largest single donor of humanitarian and development aid in the world. The financial aid supplied by the EU and its member states comprises sixty percent of the total aid to the world. The EU also provides assistance for reconstructing nations ravaged by war and its aid projects are significant in promoting peace among warring nations and in settling disputes. The foreign assistance programs of the EU are remarkable in respect of the benefits offered to refugees of war and famine. Economic integration in the EU has become a role model for many upcoming trade blocs, which have consequently, sought the support of the EU in their financial reforms. Thus, the EU is an economic giant and a superpower. As a matter of fact, the EU influences the economic activities and policies of most nations of the world and plays a key role in the global economy and occupies the first rank in this area (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity). In the international arena the EU had evolved as a superpower from its very inception. It underwent considerable modifications and later on it expanded itself by establishing common institutions and foreign policy requirements. In 1958, the Rome Treaty founded the European Community and established a legal pedestal on which the EU forged ahead to influence international trade activities, foreign aid programs and diplomatic terms with countries that were not its members. In 1970, the European Political Cooperation was established to facilitate governments to initiate dialogue and promote mutual cooperation with respect to foreign policy matters. In 1987, the Single European Act was developed. In 1993, the EU was institutionalized by the Treaty. The EU is supported by three pillars, the first is the European Community, the second is the New Common Foreign and Security Policy and the third pillar is comprised of by the policies with regard to anticrime and police cooperation (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity). In 1998, the Treaty of Amsterdam had modified the Treaty of European Union. It brought about High Representation for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The European Security and Defense Identity was supplanted by the European Security and Defense Policy in 1999. This change facilitated the EU to establish a rapid deployment force to maintain peace in the region. The Common Foreign and Security Policy is a set of objectives, procedures and devices formulated to encourage sophisticated joint actions and positions in foreign policy. The CFSP also formed the link between joint actions and civilian foreign policy of the EC. These developments transformed the EU into an international organization in the areas of commerce, trade, aid and diplomatic relations. Moreover, the European Foreign Policy addresses civilian actions, policies, relations, commitments and choices of the EU in international politics (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity). The nature of the EFP controls the competence of the organs of the EU, so as to influence matters pertaining to international politics. As an international actor the EU enjoys a special status in international politics. However, there is still some doubt regarding the nature of the EU because it has no polity and because it is not a state or a territory with fixed borders. There are an array of tests that measure the end results of the foreign policy and decision – making power of the EU. However the scope of the CFSP was not utilized to the fullest extent by the EU. The end results achieved through this instrument clearly establish the prominence and effective role of the EU as an international actor in international politics (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity).

WALL Surname Meaning and Origin

The Wall surname has several possible meanings: a topographical surname often originally bestowed on someone who dwelled at or near a stone wall, from the Old English weall, and Latin vallum meaning wall or rampart. Often this was a wall built to fortify a town or a sea wall.  The Wall surname was also sometimes an occupational name given to a special kind of mason; a wall was one who specialized in building wall structures. This same meaning also has origins in Germany, from the middle high German wal.A topographical surname for someone who lived by a spring, from the northern Middle English walle, and Old English wà ¦lla, meaning well.In Germany the surname could indicate someone who lived near a wall, from the middle high German wal, or be a variant of the last name Wahl, meaning election or choice.In Ireland, Wall may have originally been de Valle (Gaelic  de Bhà ¡l),  meaning of the valley.Wall could also have Swedish origins, from  vall, meaning pasture or grazing ground. Surname Origin: English, Scottish, Swedish, German, Irish Alternate Surname Spellings: WALLS, WALE, WALES, WAHL, WALLENBERG, WAHLBERG  See also WALLER. Where in the World Is the WALL Surname Found? The Wall surname is found most commonly in Ireland, according to  WorldNames PublicProfiler, especially in the East and South East regions. It is also fairly prevalent in the West Midlands region of England, as well as Sweden, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.  Forebears  has the Wall last name as almost evenly common in both Ireland and Sweden. The Wall surname is fairly evenly distributed across the United States, but is especially common in North Carolina where it ranks #159. Famous People with the Last Name WALL Max Wall - English comedian and actorGarret D. Wall - New Jersey military officer and politicianWilliam Guy Wall - American painter of Irish birthArt Wall - PGA golf champion of the 1950sLucille Wall  - American actressJohn Wall  -  English Catholic Franciscan friar; martyr Genealogy Resources for the Surname WALL Wall/Walls DNA ProjectJoin over 220 researchers with the Wall surname or its variants interested in working together to combine Y-DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to sort out Wall ancestors around the world. 10 Top Databases for British GenealogyMillions of records from England, Scotland and Wales are available online in the form of digital images or transcriptions. These ten websites are a great starting point for anyone researching British ancestry. Wall Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Wall family crest or coat of arms for the Wall surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   Wall Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Wall surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Wall query. FamilySearch - WALL GenealogyExplore over 3.2 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Wall surname and its variations on the free FamilySearch website, hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WALL Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts a free mailing list for researchers of the Wall surname around the world. DistantCousin.com - WALL Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Wall. The Wall Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Wall last name from the website of Genealogy Today. -----------------------References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.