Why did castles play such a key role both in the implementation of Essay

Why did castles play such a key role both in the implementation of rebellion by nobles and in its suppression by rulers between 1066 and 1224 - Essay Example They illustrate a key part of British history, particularly those that date from the early part of the Norman era and William the Conqueror’s rule as they are part of an era of political dissent and distrust of the crown. The rebellion of nobles against the crown, as exemplified by the Revolt of the Earls in 1075 and other acts of dissent, played a crucial role in the need for these castles, particularly as many were used to supress such uprisings. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role that castles played in the rebellions and their suppression, and the reason why they played such a crucial role in these events of history. It will also highlight the political importance of castles and their role in times of crisis, particularly with respect to who held control of these dominant buildings. In doing this, it will become clear why the Norman era is so inextricably linked with the huge surge in the number of castles that dominate the British landscape and why so many of these elements of history can be found still standing today. The first true British castles began to be built upon the Norman invasion of 1066 by William the Conqueror1.... As previously mentioned, the Norman invasion of England was not taken lightly by the aristocracy that already resided in the area, and William the Conqueror’s rule was marred by uprisings and rebellion by nobles, a hint at the struggles for political power to come in the next two centuries. One of the most significant struggles for power is known as the Revolt of the Earls, and occurred in 1075. Ralph de Gael, the Earl of Norfolk, and Roger de Breteuil, the Earl of Hereford, began to conspire to overthrow William as the King of England due to a number of conflicts, one involving the sanctioning of a marriage agreement4. Norwich Castle, one of the most important examples of Norman castle building efforts, was the site of Ralph’s efforts to remain protected during the rebellion, and for many months was successful in evading Norman involvement. However, Ralph returned to his native Brittany, leaving the castle in control of his wife, whereupon it became besieged and used f or protection of the Norman troops5. This early event in castle history shows how useful castles were to both uprising nobles and the reigning Norman leaders of the era, as the structures change political ownership as a reflection of power in the region6. Many English castles during the reign of William the Conqueror and subsequent kings were under the control of the reigning leader (royal castles) whilst the remainder were controlled by the aristocracy. This kind of conflicting control was not to stay static during the era, but a series of relocations of ownership through friendly and unfriendly requests was to occur.7 The castles themselves were additionally important because they were not simply standalone property, but

War as a Strategic Tool of Policy - To what extent did the outcome of Essay

War as a Strategic Tool of Policy - To what extent did the outcome of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war serve the political objectives o - Essay Example Also dubbed as the Yom Kippur war and war that was fought in the Holy Month of Ramadan as per Islamic Calendar (White 2012 ), thereby it was significant not just on account of political rivalry but it also had the share and touch of religious affiliations from both ends. It did not engulf just Israel and Palestine alone, rather it entangled other neighboring parts as well, namely Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Although numerous other wars have been fought before and after as well, yet it is considered to be one of the greater events of war being fought after the Second World War, based on the reason that it entangled a complete region and the other world powers as well. Keywords: Golan Heights, oil embargo, Suez Canal, military might myth, bi polar world. Thesis statement: A war that was won on field by Israel, yet by Egypt and its allies on political table, setting course for new diplomatic relationships, political domination and new alliances, and ultimately further increasing the impor tance of the Arab region in the world. Impact of the war: The war being fought in October 1973, had long term repercussions, it had its impacts on the geopolitical dimension, the regional peace, the coexistence with one another, the territories re distribution, the role of each of the participant and various other factors, in short, the war that lasted n more than a few weeks had its impact over the next many years to come. The cause of the war was the hostility between the two sides, with the Arab bloc blaming Israel for taking the places that originally belonged to the Arab States. To settle the scores once for all, the states decided to launch a decisive offensive against the common enemy. Major players and their concerns: The war had direct participants in form of Egypt that had its horns locked with Israel over the Suez Canal; Palestine though did not participate directly, yet it had their issues based on the holy land of Jerusalem which was long being claimed as the place of t heir religious affiliation by the both sides. Syria had its interest locked in form of Golan Heights (Dunstan 2007, 21). Hence the major players were Israel, Syria and Egypt. The main disagreement arouse from the 1967 war (The Six Days war) which had left Israel single handed winner against the Arab states. Aiming to level the score, Egypt and Syria had planned surprise attack against Israel catching it off guard. The element of Cold War: Although the war directly involved Arab states and Israel, yet it had its roots deeply drawn in the external agents. These external agents came in form of the two super powers of the then bi-polar world that was visibly divided into the Capitalist bloc and the Soviet Union’s Socialist bloc (Garthoff 2001, 326). The cold war that started off right after the end of Second World War was an unconventional war where the battles were not fought head to head, rather through proxies and establishment of alliances and allies in different parts of the world. The Arab world was also part of the same world and hence was under the direct interest and focus of the two super powers. Israel had the backing of Capitalist state America, and Arab States, and the Arab bloc, and most dominantly Egypt had the shoulder and support of Soviet Republic over it. The associated was not just limited to backdoor diplomacy and assistance, rather officially declared ties,