Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crises Introduction Considered to be one of the most serious conflicts between the U.S and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the Cuban missile crises brought the World a clash of democracy V.S communism with a deadly nuclear outcome. Known to the World as the Cuban Missile crises, to the Russians as the Caribbean Crises and to the Cubans and the October Crises it lasted sixteen days in October. The main characters involved were U.S President John F. Kennedy, Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban President Fidel Castro. The sixteen days in October 1962 was the closest time that a full out nuclear war was about to take place Background America USSR Free election No elections or fixed elections Democratic Autocratic / Dictatorship Capitalist Communist ‘Survival of the fittest Everybody helps everybody Richest world power Poor economic base Personal freedom Society controlled by the NKVD (secret police) Freedom of the media Total censorship The Cuban missile crises origins began at the end of the World War 2. After the war about to end the United States and the USSR started to disagree on the main ideas of how a post war Europe should look like. The Americans main aim of the war was to spread democracy and to spread their companys economic opportunities into Europe. This was very different to what the USSR wanted, the USSR suffered a lot during the war, and they lost a lot of people and suffered a lot of economic and social problem directly resulting from the war, because of this the USSR main post war thoughts were to protect themselves from other wars that may happen and to spread communism across the globe.   These differences between the two countries were obviously great and were bound to cause tension and problems. Origins of Russian-American Tension Ideological: The United States and the Soviet Union represented two completely different forms of government. In the United States, the government is chosen by free elections. The people have the right to form political parties so that they can voice their political opinions. They also have the right of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In the Soviet Union, the government is chosen by the Communist Party. The people do not have the right to form their own political parties; they do not enjoy the right freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. Since these two systems of government are completely different to one another, this is bound to cause friction between the United States and the Soviet Union. Economic: The United States wanted to encourage free trade throughout the world. The Soviet Union wanted to close off her itself from international trade. Russia was afraid that trade with the West would open up Russia to western influences which would have ruined the strength of the one-party communist regime. These differences led to much bad feeling between the United States and the Soviet Union. Power rivalry: After the Second World War, with the decline of Europe, power was shared between the Soviet Union and the United States. As one superpower wanted to dominate the other, conflicts were to be expected. Immediate Causes Leading to the Cold War Early conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States began at the peace-time conferences. Their conflict was intensified after President Truman declared the Truman Doctrine and launched the Marshall Plan in 1947. Extension of Russian influence in Europe: Even before the end of the war, the Soviet Union had gradually extended its influence in Europe. By the fall of 1944, the Red Army had liberated and controlled a large part of Eastern Europe. By 1945, at the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union obtained the Curzon Line as its new boundary line with Poland and also the control of the eastern zone of Germany. As the war was ending in May 1945, the Soviet Union quickly consolidated its control of Eastern Europe. The Red Army began by influencing the post-war elections. They intimidated the voters and changed the voting lists as they desired. Although the non-communists could still manage to get some votes, most of the votes went to the communists. As a consequence the coalition governments formed immediately after the war were largely dominated by the communists. Two of the key ministries Defense and Military (Police) were always under communist control. Stalin was not satisfied with communist control of Eastern Europe. In the meantime, he encouraged the communists to take an active part in the immediate post-war elections in Western Europe. In late 1946, the French and Italian Communists were becoming the most powerful parties in France and Italy. The reactions of the United States: Despite the increasing Russian influence in eastern and central Europe, many politicians in the United States were optimistic about the chances of co-operation with the Soviet Union after the war and did not support strong resistance against the Russian expansion. But from May 1945 onwards, the situation was changed. The U.S. government preferred a policy of strong resistance against Russia. Poor relations between the United States and the Soviet Union: The growing problem and deteriorating relations between the Soviet Union and the United States were reflected in two minor incidents in the year. Land-Lease was abruptly terminated by the United States and the Russian request for American economic aid for the purposes of post-war reconstruction was ignored by the government of the United States. NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact April 4th 1949 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was formed by the United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom. NATO was set up to counter the military power of the USSR. In direct response to this, the USSR set up the Warsaw Pact consisting of Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Germany, and the USSR. Dark Blue: Founding members of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) Light Blue: Countries that joined NATO after 1949 Dark Red: Founding members of the Warsaw Pact Light Red: Countries that joined the Warsaw Pact after 1955 Bay of Pigs The Bay of Pigs was an unsuccessful attempt by US-aided Cuban exiles to launch an attack on Cuba to overthrow Fidel Castro. The invading forces were defeated in just two days. 2506 Cuban exile invaders were killed and most of the rest captured (later traded for 58millions dollars in food and medicine aid) and approximately 4000 Cuban military men and civilians died. This deepened Cuban and American tensions, which was made worse by the Cuban Missile Crises, whose aftermath is still seen to present day. Cuban Missile Crises By 1960 the United States had a considerable nuclear advantage over the USSR, both in terms of nuclear arsenal and proximity to the USSR. The United States had 27,297 nuclear missiles compared to 3,332 for the USSR. In 1961 the United States, as a means of deterrence, placed long range ballistic nuclear missiles in Turkey, meaning that Moscow was 16 minutes away from a strike. This deeply angered the Soviet regime and they responded by placing Missiles in Cuba who had recently become an ally under President Fidel Castro. The fear that Cuba had the America might try to invade again led to negotiations between Khrushchev and Castro. In April 1962 Castro agreed to the supply surface to air missiles and surface to surface missiles to Cuba for defensive purposes. By May 1962 under Soviet control and supervision nuclear missiles were beginning to be installed in Cuba. These were transported by more than 60 Soviet ships. As named by the Soviet Union, operation Anadyr was kept tightly guarded. The USSR sent bomber plans, troops to aid in the construction and to provide expertise in the installation and use of the weapons. In all were planned to deploy 60,000 troops, three R-12 missile regiments and two R-14 missile regiments. Troops were transferred by 86 ships, Between June 17 and October 22 there were transferred 24 launching pads, 42 R-12 rockets, including six training ones, some 45 nuclear warheads, 42 Il-28 bombers, a fighter aircraft regiment (40 Mig-21 aircraft), two Anti-Air Defense divisions, three mechanized infantry regiments, and other military units some 47,000 troops in total. During this period after various leaks of information, the Soviets denied any missiles being placed in Cuba and told the Americans that they did not want to enter into any confrontation and raise tensions. American distrust of the Russians was soon confirmed. In late August an American reconnaissance plane photographed a number of installations on Cuban soil. Even with the proof President Kennedy was still convinced that these were built for defensive purposes on the part of the Cubans fearing an invasion of Cuba again by the Americans. After meeting the Soviet Ambassador, President Kennedy voiced his concerns over the installations and was constantly told not to worry, that there was no offensive missiles in Cuba and that the military buildup was insignificant. After more reconnaissance flights, using U2 manned planes, the United States was able to confirm the location and amount of nuclear missiles, this lead to confusion in the United States Government. After President Kennedy saw the photographs he brought together most of his key advisors to come up with a plan on how to deal with the threat. America intelligence stood by its convictions that the USSR would not install nuclear missiles in Cuba. The advisors quickly came up with a five different courses of action to be taken as a response to the threat. Do nothing Use diplomatic pressure to get the Soviet Union to remove the missiles An air attack on the missiles A full military invasion Naval blockade of Cuba After much careful discussions and the fear of Russian revenge if Cuba was attacked, the decisions was made to blockage the Cuban sea and stop all shipments coming into the area. The main aim was to check all ships coming into Cuba to see their cargo and examine any missiles or offensive weapons that were coming into the country. Most South American countries assisted in this blockade. At 7 p.m. October 22, President Kennedy delivered a televised radio address announcing the discovery of the missiles. Premier Khrushchev sent a message to President Kennedy saying that he considered the blockade and ‘pirate action against the ships as a provocative move that would eventually lead to war, he ordered the ships to ignore the American blockade. To this President Kennedy responded by saying that the United States was forced into this action after being repeatedly assured that there was no offensive missiles which provided to be a lie The next morning, Kennedy informed the executive committee that he believed only an invasion would remove the missiles from Cuba. However, he was persuaded to give the matter time and continue with both military and diplomatic pressure. He agreed and ordered the low-level flights over the island to be increased from two per day to once every two hours. He also ordered a crash program to institute a new civil government in Cuba if an invasion went ahead. At this point the crisis was apparently at a stalemate. The USSR had shown no indication that they would back down and had made several comments to the contrary. The U.S. had no reason to believe otherwise and was in the early stages of preparing for an invasion, along with a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union in case they responded militarily, which is what they assumed. As the crises continued secret negotiations were taking place constantly between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Soviets wanted the United States to remove its Jupiter missiles from its bases in Turkey as it claimed they pose as much of a threat as their missiles in Cuba. On the other hand the Americans wanted to Russians to remove all missiles and installation that they had placed in Cuba and America would guarantee that it will not invade or offer assistance to anyone who wanted to invade Cuba; it would lift the sea blockage and consider removing the missiles from Turkey. On October 27th 1962, a Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance plane that was flown by Major Rudolf Anderson left Florida to Cuba to take surveillance pictures of the military buildup, and at approximately 12pm, Major Andersons plane was shot down by Russian anti-aircraft missiles, he was instantly killed and was the only casualty from enemy fire during the conflict. This infuriated the Americans, who demanded that the Russians cease all their operations in Cuba and halt any fire; they viewed this as a start of war and took the gesture as an escalation in the violence. Although the commander, who fired, did so by himself, the Soviets were afraid that the Americans would view this as an escalation of war. All Soviet troops were quickly ordered to cease firing on American plane. After the Americans saw no change in the Soviet stance, and the Americans started to prepare for war, they came up with targets to be attacked by air, troops were readied, and plans were made for Cuba including a post-war government, the plans also involved a nuclear strike on Russia in case it got involved. America informed its NATO allies to be ready for an American response and to ready themselves in case the USSR responds in Europe. Ending the Crisis After much consideration between the Soviet Union and Kennedys cabinet, Kennedy agreed to remove all missiles set in Turkey on the border of the Soviet Union in exchange for Khrushchev removing all missiles in Cuba. Premier Khrushchev announced that they were dismantling the missiles in Cuba, while the Americans declared that they would not support or invade Cuba, however they did not mention removal of their Jupiter missiles from Turkey. Because the withdrawals from Turkey were not made public at the time, Khrushchev appeared to have lost the conflict and become weakened. The view was that Kennedy had won the contest between the superpowers and Khrushchev had been humiliated. References http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/coldwar.htm http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/coldwar/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ColdWar.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/ http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569374/cold_war.html http://library.thinkquest.org/11046/days/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis http://www.johndclare.net/cold_war16.htm http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/ http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/archives/colc.html http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/cuba-62.htm

My Final Year Project

A REPORT ON AUTOMATED STEAM JACKETED COOKING VESSEL BY PRATAP DESHMUKH 2008A8PS251G AT GADHIA SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS PVT. LTD. A Practice School II station of BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE, PILANI (JANUARY – JUNE 2012) A REPORT ON AUTOMATED STEAM JACKETED COOKING VESSEL BY PRATAP DESHMUKH 2008A8PS251G B. E. (Hons) ELEC. & INSTR. Prepared in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Course No. BITS C412 (Practice School II) AT GADHIA SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM PVT. LTD. A Practice School- II station of BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE, PILANI JANUARY – JUNE 2012) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to thank the Managing Director and Coordinator of Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. , Mr. Badal Shah, for giving us this wonderful opportunity. I would also like to thank my mentor Dr. Vivek Wasekar, Vice President R&D and Mr. Veera Prasad Gadde Deputy General Manager, R&D, for being a constant source of guidance and support throughout my project. I am also grateful to the Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani, Prof. B. N. Jain, and the Practice School Division Dean, Mr G.Sundar for giving us this opportunity to gain valuable work experience. I am extremely thankful to our faculty in charge, Mr. Pavan Kumar Potdar for conducting the programme in an effective manner. PRATAP DESHMUKH 2008A8PS251G Page | 0 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE, PILANI (RAJASTHAN) Practice School Division Station: Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt Ltd Duration: 06 January 2012 – 20 June 2012 Date of Submission: 30 March 2012 Title of the Project: AUTOMATED STEAM JACKETED COOKING VESSEL NAME PRATAP DESHMUKH ID NO 2008A8PS251G DISCIPLINE B.E. (Hons) ELEC. & INSTR. Centre: Valsad, Gujrat. Name of expert: Dr. Vivek Wasekar (Associate Manager, Instrumentation Dept. ) Name of the PS Faculty: Mr. Pavan Kumar Potdar Key Words: Steam cooking, Jacketed Vessel, PLC, Ladder Logic, solar, cooking. Project Areas: A development project of a automated cooking system for steam cookin g vessel Abstract: This report covers the details of the project undertaken by me at Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. to develop and implement the automation of Steam cooking with a steam jacketed cooking vessel.It also focuses on the technical and design aspects of the new system and provides a detail study of observations after implementation of the system (Signatures of Student) __________________ 25 March 2012 (Signature of PS faculty) __________________ 30 March 2012 Page | 1 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE, PILANI (RAJASTHAN) Practice School Division Response Option Sheet Station: Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. ID No. & Name(s): Pratap Deshmukh Centre: Valsad, Gujrat 2008A8PS251G Title of the Project: AUTOMATED STEAM JACKETED COOKING VESSEL Code No. 1. 2. 3. Response Options A new course can be designed out of this project.The project can help modification of the course content of some of the existing courses. The project can be used directly in some of the existing Compulsory Discipline Courses (CDC)/Discipline Courses Other Than Compulsory (DCOC)/Emerging Area (EA) etc. Courses The project can be used in preparatory courses like Analysis and Application Orientated Courses (AAOC)/ Engineering Sciences (ES)/Technical Arts (TA) and Core Courses This project cannot come under any of the above mentioned options as it relates to the professional work of the host organization. Course No. (s) & Name 4. 5. YES Signatures of Students) __________________ (Signature of PS faculty) __________________ Page | 2 Abstract: Gadhia Solar is an innovative Solar Thermal Energy Company, focused on providing energy solutions by using Parabolic Concentrated Technology, backed by technical support from HTT GmbH of Germany. Since its inception, Gadhia Solar has been a technologically, solution focused company driven by strong passion for environmental and social contribution combined with high creativity and integrity. The company is into researching and dev eloping new alternatives to harvest the unfathomable source of energy.Automated Steam Jacketed Vessel is a new kind of cooking vessel in itself. The vessels used for soalr thermal cooking are one with direct injection of steam and have limited usability. But with jacketed cooking vessel, any kind of food item can be cooked since the food does not come in contact with the steam. For cooking food, the temperature of the vessel should be maintained in the bracket of 80-120OC which will not only cook the food faster, but also won’t burn it. The vessel was designed with the help of Dr. Vivek Wasekar and for automation of the cooking process; I worked with Mr. Veera Prasad Gadde.For the automation, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is being used which will read the temperature inside the vessel with the help of a Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) and thereby control the cooking process. Two Solenoid Valves are being used to control the flow of steam and the condensate insid e the jacket. And also a pressure regulator is being used to regulate the pressure of the steam from the header. The parabolic dishes will generate the steam inside the header. When the outlet of the header is opened, the steam at high pressure at around 15 bar will be let into the outlet.The pressure regulator will regulate the pressure of the steam to a value of around 3 bar which will go towards first solenoid valve. When the cooking process is started, the first valve will open and let the steam into the jacketed vessel. The steam will raise the temperature and thereby cook the food. For the initial implementation, three food items have been considered i. e. rice, dal and vegetables. According to the food item being cooked, the controller will decide the temperature and time for cooking and proceed with the cooking. The second solenoid valve will remove the condensate from the jacket of the vessel.Two different loops will be simultaneously controlling both valves till the proces s is stopped or completed. Page | 3 About the company: Using the power of sun as source of energy, Gadhia Solar has implemented some of the world’s largest Solar Thermal Systems in last two decades. Be it industrial, agricultural, institutional or domestic, Gadhia Solar has been a pioneering company with major breakthrough in this area. With extensive experience in installing solar thermal energy systems throughout India and armed with ever improving production facility, Gadhia Solar is the pioneer and market leader in solar thermal energy systems.Gadhia Solar has achieved the ability to develop various applications based on Solar Concentrators like: Solar Cooking Applications o Steam Cooking o Thermic Oil based Cooking, o Direct Cooking, o Small Cookers for Family Solar Power Plants Solar Air-Conditioning Space Heating Systems Process Heat for Various Industrial Applications Large Scale Drinking Water Systems Solar Hot Water of up to 90 0C Solar Incineration Solar Crematoriu m Waste Water Evaporation Solar Desalination Solar Water / Milk Pasteurization Specialized in solar thermal technology for the last two decades, Gadhia Solar is able to provide innovative and cost effective energy solutions for various applications on turnkey basis. Gadhia Solar has a highly focused and dedicated team for research and development in Germany and complimented by a well equipped and automated manufacturing in India. Page | 4 List of Figures Figure 1: Previous Direct Steam Injection Cooking Vessel†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 14 Figure 2: Steam Jacketed Cooking Vessel. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 16 Figure 3: Steam Flow Diagram †¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 17 Figure 4: Logic Diagram for controlling cooking procedure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 20 Figure 5: Logic Diagram for controlling cooking and Condensate Valve †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 21 Page | 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER NO. TITLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ABSTRACT SHEET RESPONSE OPTION SHEET ABSTRACT OF PROJECT ABOUT THE COMPANY LIST OF FIGURES PAGE NO. 0 1 2 3 4 5 1. . 2. 1 2. 2 2. 3 2. 4 3 3. 1 4. 5. 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 6. Introduction Solar Thermal Cooking Scheffler Reflectors. Steam Generation Current P rocedure of Cooking Current Design of Vessel Steam Jacketed Cooking Vessel Designing the vessel. Steam Flow with Diagram Automation Instruments Required Logic Diagram Programming Completed Work and Implementation References 7 9 9 12 13 15 16 16 17 18 18 20 22 23 24 Page | 6 1. Introduction: Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt Ltd. has been making Scheffler reflectors for various purposes. The basic idea that leads to the development of the Scheffler- Reflectors was to make solar cooking as comfortable as possible.At the same time the device should be build in a way that allows it to be constructed in any rural welding workshop after a certain period of training. The locally available materials must be sufficient for the construction of the reflector. The movement started when the first well functioning Scheffler-Reflector (size: 1,1m x 1,5m) was successfully built by Mr. Wolfgang Scheffler in 1986 at a mission-station in North-Kenya. Since then the technology has been continuously impro ved and passed on to many motivated people. This lead to the use of Scheffler reflectors in not just cooking but also other applications like VAM, cold storage, etc. For cooking application, these Scheffler-reflectors are used to generate steam in the header pipe.The water inside the header is heated with the reflector and due to the continuous input of heat; steam at high pressure is generated inside the header. When the outlet of the header is opened, this steam at a higher temperature and pressure is used for cooking. A valve is connected to the steam line which goes to the cooking vessel. When the valve is opened, the steam is let into the vessel and hence the food is cooked with it. Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt Ltd has installed many solar cooking systems in India. They have installed the world’s largest solar parabolic concentrated technology systems at Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi. This system uses the same Scheffler- reflectors to produce steam from water an d uses that generated steam to cook the food.The solar cooking vessels used currently are being operated manually and needs at least one labor per cooking vessel to operate. The cooking is done by direct injection of steam into the vessel. When the food is cooked by direct injection of steam into the food, as the steam is at high pressure and temperature, it comes out of the vessel. Therefore all of the energy of the steam cannot be utilized for cooking. This increases the heat losses and also increases the cooking time. Also due to the type of vessel, it is not possible to cook different types of food. Risk of contamination is also involved if the water source is not clean. So for this purpose a new design of cooking vessel was proposed.This vessel used the energy of steam to heat the food without coming in contact with it. The Steam Jacketed Cooking Vessel Page | 7 was designed to solve the problems which were faced by the earlier used cooking vessel. In this vessel, the steam was being passed in the jacket around the cooking vessel. As the steam condenses inside the jacket, it transfers its heat energy to the food inside and cooks the food. For the Automation of the cooking process, a Programmable Logic Controller is used which will control the temperature inside the cooking vessel and cook the food accordingly. The temperature inside the vessel will be measured by a RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector).This reading will be processed by the PLC as an Analog Input, and according to the food item selected to be cooked, the PLC will select the cooking temperature and time and start the process on user’s command. The process can be controlled by a START button, STOP button, and food type selection button defining RICE, DAL and VEGETABLE for each button. The operator first needs to select the type of food that has to be cooked. According to the selection, respective LED will turn on which will show the food item selected. Even after selecting an item, th e choice can be changed to another food item. After selection, the START button is required to be pressed which will start the cooking.The cooking algorithm will take care of the temperature and the time required for cooking. If the food gets cooked before the timer gets over, or something goes wrong with the process, the operator can manually shut everything down by pressing STOP button. This cooking vessel will increase the types of food that can be cooked with steam. The automation of the vessel will reduce the need of manual labor and will also cook the food faster at optimum temperatures. Page | 8 2. Solar Thermal Cooking: 2. 1 The Scheffler Reflector: The Idea The basic idea that leads to the development of the Scheffler- Reflectors was to make solar cooking as comfortable as possible.At the same time the device should be build in a way that allows it to be constructed in any rural welding workshop in southern countries after a certain period of training. The locally available materials must be sufficient. The Technology To make cooking simple and comfortable the cooking-place should not have to be moved, even better: it should be inside the house and the concentrating reflector outside in the sun. The best solution was an eccentric, flexible parabolic reflector which rotates around an axis parallel to earth-axis, synchronous with the sun. Additionally the reflector is adjusted to the seasons by flexing it in a simple way. How does this work? The reflector is a small lateral section of a much larger paraboloid. The inclined cut produces the typical elliptical shape of the Scheffler-Reflector.The sunlight that falls onto this section of the paraboloid is reflected sideways to the focus located at some distance of the reflector. The axis of daily rotation is located exactly in north-south-direction, parallel to earth axis and runs through the centre of gravity of the reflector. That way the reflector always maintains its gravitational equilibrium and the m echanical tracking device (clockwork) doesn't need to be driven by much force to rotate it synchronous with the sun. The focus is located on the axis of rotation to prevent it from moving when the reflector rotates. The distance between focus and centre of the reflector depends on the selected parabola. During the day the concentrated light will only rotate around its own centre but not move Page | 9 ideways in any direction. That way the focus stays fixed, which is very useful, as it means the cooking-pot doesn't have to be moved either. In the course of the seasons the incident angle of the solar radiation varies + / – 23. 5 ° in relation with the perpendicular to earth-axis. The paraboloid has to perform the same change of inclination in order to stay directed at the sun. Otherwise it's not possible to obtain a sharp focal point. But the centre of the reflector and the position of the focus are not allowed to move. This is only possible by shaping the reflector after ano ther parabola for each seasonal inclinationangle of the sun, i. e. for each day of the year.This means the reflector has to change its shape. The reflector-frame is build for equinox. By inclining and elastically deforming the reflectorframe all other parabolas can be achieved with sufficient accuracy. Changing the inclination and deforming the reflector are mechanically combined: the two pivots, at each side of the reflector-frame, and a pivot in the centre of the reflector, do not form a line, but the second is located below. That way inclining the reflector leads to a change in its depth, the centre of the reflector is lifted up (big radius of crossbars) or pressed down (small radius of crossbars) relative to the reflector-frame.It's enough to adjust the upper and lower end of the reflector to their correct position to obtain a sufficiently exact reflector-shape. The setting is done by a telescopic bar at each end of the reflector. Adjusting the reflector-shape has to be done man ually every 2-3 days. When all concentrated light enters the opening of the cooking-place installed at the focal point the correct reflectorshape is achieved. After passing the opening the light is redirected by a small reflector (secondary reflector) to the black bottom of the cooking pot. There it is absorbed and transformed into heat. The efficiency for cooking, i. e. heating water from 25 °C to 100 °C, can reach up to 57% and depends on the cleanliness of the eflector-surface and the state of insulation of the cooking-pot. At the focalpoint itself we have measured optical efficiency of up to 75% (with 2mm ordinary glass mirrors). Depending on the season an elliptical reflector of 2,8m x 3. 8m (standard size of 8m? SchefflerReflector) collects the sunlight of a 4,3m? to 6,4m? area, measured perpendicular to the direction of the incident light (aperture). That way the cooking power varies with the season. As an average a 8m? Reflector can bring 22 liters of cold water to boili ng temperature within one hour (with 700W/m? direct solar radiation). Page | 10 There are many options for the design of the cooking-place.Mostly it is integrated into a kitchen building and provides the possibility to use firewood for cooking when the sun doesn't shine. Depending on the type of food which is cooked there is no need for a secondary reflector. This increases the efficiency and simplifies maintenance. Instead of a cooking-place a backing-oven, steam-generator or heat-storage can be installed at the focal-point. Page | 11 2. 2 Steam Generation: With the use of the Schefflor Reflectors, steam at high temperature and pressure can be generated with ease. Steam in saturated temperature can be made available at high pressure by concentrating the focus and heating the water in a closed system with the focused heat. The focus of the reflector has to be concentrated onto a receiver of the header pipe.The receiver is painted black to absorb most of the radiation incident on it. The temperature of the focus of a 16m2 Scheffler Reflector can be as high as 700oC and at the receiver it is around 230oC. At such high temperatures, the water inside the header is being heated. Because of the continuous heat supply from the reflector, the water inside the header gets converted into steam. With time, more steam is being generated and pressure inside the header increases. It is possible to get pressure of 15 barg in around 4 hours using four 12. 5 m2 Scheffler Reflectors under ideal conditions and this steam can be used to cook two batches of 25kg of rice. Page | 12 2. Current procedure of cooking: The current procedure for cooking is by direct injection of steam into the cooking vessel. The food cooked by this procedure consists of mainly rice, dal and some vegetables. All of them are cooked in direct steam. First the outlet valve of the header is opened to a little extent. The drain valve at the vessel is opened to remove the condensate. After every cooking sessio n, there is leftover condensate in the steam line. Since that condensate should not come in contact with food, it needs to be drained out first. After the condensate is removed, the condensate valve is closed and the steam is let into the cooking vessel.The cooking vessel contains a predefined amount of water with the food to be cooked. The steam is passed through the mixture, the temperature increases and the cooking starts. Also the operator needs to stir the mixture at regular intervals. In a 100 liters cooking vessel, it takes almost 15 minutes to cook around 28 kilograms of rice. Since the process involves direct injection of steam, the water used reaches the boiling quickly and the food gets cooked faster. But during cooking, after the water has reached its boiling point, a huge amount of steam goes starts to escape the vessel as the vessel has an open lid. This results into loss of a lot of heat energy which could have been used in cooking the rice quickly.When the food gets cooked, the stand of the vessel has a tilting arrangement with the help of which the operator can take out the food from the vessel. So all the valves are closed and then the vessel is tilted to take the food out. The food is not processed after that, it is collected and served directly. Page | 13 2. 4 Current Design of vessel The current design of the cooking vessel is very effective for direct steam cooking. But for the food items which cannot be cooked by steam directly, it is very difficult for the operator to cook such foods. As mentioned the current design uses a direct injection system. The steam from header is carried by the steam line to the vessel where it is regulated with the help of a ball valve.The construction of the vessel is made to facilitate cooking with the help of steam. The vessel’s bottom dish is a regular torispherical dish and it has a shell of same diameter of that of the bottom dish. There is another plate with a defined curvature above the bottom d ish with small holes in it. This plate is for passing the steam into the cooking material. When food is put into the vessel, some predefined amount of water is added with it. So during cooking process, the water gets heated initially and then the cooking starts. Due to direct injection of steam at temperature greater than 100oC, the water reaches boiling point in a short period of time. Thus the cooking process starts.The operator closes the valve when he thinks that the food is appropriately cooked. Figure 1: Previous Direct Steam Injection Cooking Vessel Page | 14 The present design has some benefits, but there is also another side to it. There are some problems with the current design which cannot be rectified without changing the design. The Advantages and Disadvantages of the present design are listed below. Advantages: 1. It facilitates faster cooking time. 2. Since less material is used in manufacture, it saves manufacturing cost. 3. The design is simple which reduces manufac turing time. 4. As it is lighter, it is easier to transport. Disadvantages: 1. There are substantial heat losses during the cooking process. 2.Since the operators cook in an open lid vessel to keep a watch on the food, lot of steam escapes the vessel resulting decreasing the efficiency of process. 3. If the condensed water in the steam line is contaminated, then there are chances of the food getting contaminated. 4. As the outer shell is not insulated, operator has to be cautious or it could lead to injuries. Page | 15 3. Steam Jacketed Cooking Vessel. 3. 1 Designing the Vessel. The design of the vessel was to be made in such a way that it is easy and economic to manufacture. The material chosen for the pilot project of Steam Jacketed Cooking Vessel was Stainless Steel of the grade 304. This material was chosen as it is not affected by steam and it also resists corrosion. The size of the vessel was chosen to be 100 liters.The dimensions of the inner vessel were taken from the existi ng direct steam injection vessel whose volume was 10 liters. Then according to the pressure calculations, the thickness of the sheet and volume of the jacket was defined. The thickness of the vessel is defined as 4mm and volume of the jacket is approximately 1 cubic m for a pressure of 3 barg inside the jacket of the vessel. The vessel is having 3 openings in the outer shell. Two of them are on the horizontal shell and one is in the bottom of the outer dish end. Out of the three openings, one is used for steam injection, one for a safety valve and the bottom one for removal of condensate.All the openings are of 1 inch diameter and will have pipes welded to it for injection of steam, safety valve and condensate removal. The vessel will have two more openings which will be used to mount the RTD and the temperature gauge to measure the temperature inside the vessel. The final drawing of the vessel is shown in FIG 1. Figure 2: Steam Jacketed Cooking Vessel. Page | 16 4. Steam Flow Diagr ams. Water is supplied to the header tank from an overhead tank. Either the overhead tank is at a greater height than that of header, or a sometimes a small pump is used to pump water into the Header. The Solar Concentrators are focused on the receivers mounted on the header pipe.The receivers are painted black to absorb maximum amount of radiation incident on it. These receivers heat the water inside the header and generate steam at higher pressure. This generated steam is vented to the Steam line and the pressure is controlled by the Pressure regulating valve. The solenoid valve SOV1 controls the steam input into the vessel. Thus the temperature inside the vessel can be controlled by controlling SOV1. As the steam is let inside, it will condense after giving its heat. For removal of this condensate, another solenoid valve has been provided SOV2. This valve will remove the condensate at regular intervals. Figure 3: Steam Flow Diagram Page | 17 5.Automation 5. 1 Instruments required . 1. Programmable Logic Controller: A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is a digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or light fixtures. PLCs are used in many industries and machines. Unlike general-purpose computers, the PLC is designed for multiple inputs and output arrangements, extended temperature ranges, immunity to electrical noise, and resistance to vibration and impact. Programs to control machine operation are typically stored in battery-backed-up or nonvolatile memory.A PLC is an example of a real time system since output results must be produced in response to input conditions within a limited time, otherwise unintended operation will result. 2. 2-way ON/OFF Solenoid Valve A solenoid valve is an electromechanical valve for use with liquid or gas. The valve is controlled by an electric current through a solenoid: in the case of a two-port valve the flow is switched on or off; in the case of a three-port valve, the outflow is switched between the two outlet ports. For this application, two valves will be used. One will be controlling the steam injection into the jacket. The other valve will be taking care of condensate removal from the jacket. 3. Resistance Temperature Detector.Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are sensors used to measure temperature by correlating the resistance of the RTD element with temperature. Most RTD elements consist of a length of fine coiled wire wrapped around a ceramic or glass core. The element is usually quite fragile, so it is often placed inside a sheathed probe to protect it. The RTD element is made from a pure material whose resistance at various temperatures has been documented. The material has a predictable change in resistance as the temperature changes; it is this predictable change that is used to determine temperature. Page | 18 For this application, we will be using a PT-100 RTD with a thermowell.The RTD will be mounted inside the thermowell for its protection from the steam inside the jacket. Thermowell also enables us to change the RTD with ease in case the RTD fails. 4. Pressure Regulator: A pressure regulator is a valve that automatically cuts off the flow of a liquid or gas at a certain pressure. Regulators are used to allow high-pressure fluid supply lines or tanks to be reduced to safe and/or usable pressures for various applications. Since the header pressure is much more than needed for the application, the pressure will be reduced using a Pressure Regulator. The pressure needed for the application is 3 barg while the header can supply pressure 0-15 barg.To have a steady supply of steam and maintain the pressure and temperature, we will be using a pressure regulator. 5. Temperature Gauge with Thermowell: Temperature Gauge is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient using a variety of different principles. A Temperature gauge has two important elements: the temperature sensor in which some physical change occurs with temperature, plus some means of converting this physical change into a numerical value. A temperature gauge mounted inside a threaded thermowell will be used. Since the temperature reading needed is of the food inside the vessel, the temperature gauge will be mounted on the side of the vessel just like the RTD. The thermowell will protect the Temperature Gauge rom steam inside the jacket of the vessel. Page | 19 5. 2 Logic Diagram: The first diagram displays the logic for controlling cooking process. With turning the device ON, it will start the procedure. According to the outcome of the decision block, it will decide and execute. Figure 4: Logic Diagram for controlling cooking procedure Page | 20 The algorithms given below control the cooking of the food by maintain a specific temperature bracket inside the vessel.  ±3oC range is provided so that the solenoid valves won’t switch ON /OFF at particular temperature which could result in damage. The second logic is for the condensate valve SOV2 which will be ON/OFF at regular intervals.Figure 5: Logic Diagram for controlling cooking and Condensate Valve Page | 21 5. 3 Programming Most of the Programmable Logic Controllers use a different programming language. The language used by them is called Ladder Logic. Ladder logic is a programming language that represents a program by a graphical diagram based on the circuit diagrams of relay logic hardware. It is primarily used to develop software for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in industrial control applications. The name is based on the observation that programs in this language resemble ladders, with two vertical rails and a series of horizontal rungs between them.The previously shown logic will be made in Ladder Logic. It will then be downloaded into the flash memory of the Programmable Logic Controller. The PLC will execute the logic and accordingly it will monitor and process the parameters involved. In this project, the opening and closing of both valves and will be monitoring the temperature during the process. The program is made on proprietary software which is supplied by the vendor of the PLC. Every PLC make has specific software which is used to build the program and download the program into the PLC. It can also be used to change the process parameters in online mode. The software also provides offline simulation of the process.For data logging purposes, usually different software is used. The Ladder Logic for the project is under construction and will be finished by the time procurement of all the instruments is done. The parameters which need to be used in the logic will be found out during the processing of the procurement of instruments. During the period of procurement, the manufacturing of the vessel and designing the ladder logic will be done. Page | 22 6. Completed Work and Implementation: From the start, the proj ect has been progressed according to the timeline. Now, all the instruments and material needed for the project has been indented and is in process. Some of the instruments have been dispatched.But for procuring the entire indent, it is going to take some more time. Meanwhile, since the Logic is available, the ladder program is being made and is approaching completion. Also, the manufacturing of vessel is in process and the vessel will be ready by the end of next week. After program is completed, some more time will be given to test it in offline mode and debug the program is any bugs are found. After all the materials are processed and the final values for the process parameters are found out, the project will enter the implementation and testing phase. The entire infrastructure needed for the cooking vessel and the instruments will be constructed on the site.For different types of foods, the values initially found out of temperature and time will be used. If the parameters are not off by some amount, they will be rectified and the control will be made as efficient as possible. During the implementation, various temperature and time readings will be taken. For every type of food item, a detailed sheet should be made which will have all the parameters. According to the observed readings, new and better parameters will be decided which should reduce the cooking time and also increase the efficiency. Page | 23 References: The Scheffler – reflector http://www. solare-bruecke. org/ www. en. wikipedia. com http://www. spiraxsarco. com/resources/resources. asp www. mnre. gov. in Page | 24

Essay on Human Resource Management Workplace Diversity

Introduction Companies in the 21st century are facing fierce competition, economic and global challengers. In the midst of challengers organisations should have distinctive competences to resist it. Survival depends on the maintenance of market share by having a good image, cost leadership, sound technical or service superioty, committed employees and speed of market. Organisations success depends on how well the use of resource are utilised in achieving the core competences. Human assets are becoming the most important resource because of the rapid growth in the service sector. Human resources hold valuable knowledge and information, which sets them a part as the source in creating intellectual capital that sets a firm a part from its†¦show more content†¦With the increase in job satisfaction higher levels of production also can be achieved. This is similar to the Soft Approach of human resource management. The soft approach takes the view the benefits will accrue in the long run. Organ isations persistence for good work practise will earn the reputation tag as a good place of work. All these are consequences in the long term reiterated by the theorist of the soft approach. Beer et al (1984) and Guest (1987) stated by applying human resource policies firms could achieve committed, competent employees, which would be cost effective in turn increasing the companies bottom line. Shiel (2001) based a review on South African Beers (SAB) reputation for implementing equity-employment plan aimed at significantly increasing the number of African, Asian and black people throughout the salaried staff, so that these ranks would be more demographically representative of the markets served. These were in place 27 years before equal opportunity legislation was introduced in South Africa. This earned a good reputation for the firm, which was a benchmark for other firms. 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A Biography of King John of England

King John was King of England from 1199 to 1216. He lost many of his family’s Angevin lands on the continent and was forced to concede numerous rights to his barons in the Magna Carta, which has led to John being considered a colossal failure. In later years many poor reputations have been rolled back by modern supporters, and while Johns financial management is now being reassessed, the anniversary of the Magna Carta saw almost every popular commentator criticize John for - at best - terrible leadership and at worst terrible oppression. While historians are more positive, this is not getting through. His missing gold appears in the national English newspapers every few years but is never found. Youth and Struggle for the Crown King John was the youngest son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine to survive childhood, being born in 1166. It appears that John was the favored son of Henry, and so the king tried to find him large lands to live from. One grant of several castles, given when John was first to be married (to an Italian heiress), provoked anger among his brothers and started a war between them. Henry II won, but John was given only a little land in the resulting settlement. John was betrothed in 1176 to Isabella, heir to the rich earldom of Gloucester. When John’s older brother Richard became heir to his fathers throne, Henry II wanted to promote Richard to inheriting England, Normandy, and Anjou, and give John Richard’s current holding of Aquitaine, but Richard refused to concede even this, and another round of family warfare followed. Henry turned down the Kingdom of Jerusalem for both himself and John (who begged to accept it), and then John was lined up for the command of Ireland. He visited but proved to be seriously indiscrete, developing a careless reputation and returning home a failure. When Richard rebelled again – Henry II was at the time refusing to recognize Richard as his heir – John supported him. The conflict broke Henry, and he died. When Richard became King Richard I of England in July 1189, John was made Count of Mortain, plus given other lands and a large income, as well as staying as Lord of Ireland and finally marrying Isabella. In return, John promised to stay out of England when Richard went on crusade, although their mother persuaded Richard to drop this clause. Richard then went, establishing a martial reputation that saw him considered a hero for generations; John, who stayed home, would end up achieving the precise opposite. Here, as with the Jerusalem episode, Johns life could have ended up very different. The man who Richard left in charge of England soon grew unpopular, and John set up what was almost a rival government. As war loomed between John and the official administration, Richard sent a new man back from the crusade to take charge and sort things out. John’s hopes of immediate control were dashed, but he still schemed for the throne, sometimes in conjunction with the King of France, who was continuing a long tradition of interference in their rival. When Richard was captured returning from the crusade, John signed a deal with the French and made a move for the crown of England itself, but failed. However, John was prepared to surrender notable parts of his brother’s lands to the French in return for their recognition, and this became known. Consequently, when Richard’s ransom was paid, and he returned in 1194, John was exiled and stripped of all possessions. Richard relented some in 1195, returning some lands, and totally in 1196 when John became the heir to the English throne. John as King In 1199 Richard died - while on a campaign, killed by a (un)lucky shot, before he could ruin his reputation - and John claimed the throne of England. He was accepted by Normandy, and his mother secured Aquitaine, but his claim to the rest was in trouble. He had to fight and negotiate, and he was challenged by his nephew Arthur. In concluding peace, Arthur kept Brittany (held from John), while John held his lands from the King of France, who was recognized as John’s overlord on the continent, in a manner greater than was ever forced out of John’s father. This would have a crucial impact later in the reign. However, historians who have cast a careful eye over John’s early reign have identified a crisis had already begun: many nobles distrusted John because of his previous actions and doubted whether he would treat them correctly. The marriage to Isabella of Gloucester was dissolved because of alleged consanguinity, and John looked for a new bride. He found one in the form of another Isabella, heiress to Angoulà ªme, and he married her as he tried to involve himself in the machinations of the Angoulà ªme and Lusignan family. Unfortunately, Isabella had been engaged to Hugh IX de Lusignan, and the result was a rebellion by Hugh and the involvement of French King Philip II. Had Hugh married Isabella, he would have commanded a powerful region and threatened John’s power in Aquitaine, so the break benefitted John. But, while marrying Isabella was a provocation to Hugh, John continued to snub and anger the man, pushing his rebellion. In his position as French King, Philip ordered John to his court (as he could any other noble who held lands from him), but John refused. Philip then revoked John’s lands, and a war began, but this was more a move to strengthen the French crown than any vote of faith in Hugh. John began by capturing a mass of the leading rebels who were sieging his mother but threw the advantage away. However, one of the prisoners, his nephew Arthur of Brittany, mysteriously died, leading most to conclude murder by John. By 1204 the French had taken Normandy - John’s barons undermined his war plans in 1205 – and by the start of 1206 they’d taken Anjou, Maine and chunks of Poitou as nobles deserted John all over the place. John was in danger of losing all the lands his predecessors had gained on the continent, although he managed small gains during 1206 to stabilize things. After being forced both to reside in England more permanently and to produce more money from his kingdom for war, John proceeded to develop and strengthen the royal administration. On the one hand, this provided the crown with more resources and strengthened royal power, on the other it upset nobles and made John, already a military failure, even more unpopular. John toured extensively within England, hearing many court cases in person: he had a great personal interest in, and a great ability for, the administration of his kingdom, although the goal was always more money for the crown. When the see of Canterbury became available in 1206, John’s nomination – John de Gray - was canceled by Pope Innocent III, who secured Stephen Langton for the position. John objected, citing traditional English rights, but in the following argument, Innocent excommunicated John. The latter now started draining the church of funds, raising a large sum he partly spent on a new navy – John has been called the founder of the English navy - before conceding that the pope would be a useful ally against the French and coming to an agreement in 1212. John then handed his kingdom over to the Pope, who bestowed it on John as a vassal for a thousand marks a year. While this might seem curious, it was really a cunning way to get Papal support against both France, and against the rebel barons of 1215. By the end of 1214, John had succeeded in mending his bridges with the top of the church, but his actions had alienated many further down and his lords. It also angered the mona stic chroniclers and writers historians have to use and may be one reason why so many of the modern histories have been so critical of King John, while the modern historians are increasingly peeling criticism away. Well, not all of them. Rebellion and Magna Carta While many lords of England had grown discontented with John, only a few had rebelled against him, despite widespread baronial discontent stretching back to before John took the throne. However, in 1214 John returned to France with an army and failed to do any damage except gain a truce, having once more been let down by vacillating barons and the failures of allies. When he returned a minority of barons took the chance to rebel and demand a charter of rights, and when they were able to take London in 1215, John was forced into negotiations as he looked for a solution. These talks took place at Runnymede, and on June 15, 1215, an agreement was made on the Articles of the Barons. Later known as Magna Carta, this became one of the pivotal documents in English, and to some extents western, history. In the short term, Magna Carta lasted just three months before the war between John and the rebels continued. Innocent III supported John, who struck back hard at the baron’s lands, but he rejected a chance to attack London and instead wasted the north. This allowed time for the rebels to appeal to Prince Louis of France, for him to gather an army, and for a successful landing to take place. As John retreated north again rather than fight Louis, he may have lost a portion of his treasury and definitely fell ill and died. This proved a blessing for England as the regency of John’s son Henry were able to reissue Magna Carta, thus splitting the rebels into two camps, and Louis was soon ejected. Legacy Until the revisionism of the twentieth century, John was rarely well regarded by writers and historians. He lost wars and land and is seen as the loser by giving the Magna Carta. But John had a keen, incisive mind, which he applied well to government. Unfortunately, this was negated by an insecurity about people who could challenge him, by his attempts to control barons through fear and debt rather than conciliation, through his lack of magnanimity and insults. It is difficult to be positive about a man who lost generations of royal expansion, which will always be clearly chartable. Maps can make for grim reading. But theres little that merits calling King John evil, as a British newspaper did.