Slovenias History essays

Slovenia's History essays Slovenia gained its independence in 1991 and since 2004 it has been a member of the European Union. The country lies at the heart of Europe, where the Alps and the Mediterranean meet the Pannonian plains and the mysterious Karst. To the north is Austria; to the east, Hungary; to the south, Croatia; and to the west, Italy (MatKurja). The countrys people are warm and welcoming and they place high values on their cultural and historical heritage. The economic indicators point out to an economic status above the average of the EU and a tendency for continued and sustained growth. Slovenia is currently the 84th largest economy of the globe with an estimated gross domestic product for 2007 of $57.67 billion (Central Intelligence Agency, 2008). The total population of Slovenia as estimated in 2007 was of 2,007,711 individuals. Almost all inhabitants know how to read and write and the literacy rate has been estimated around 99.7 percent in 2007. The male to female ratios is of 0.95 as according to the 2008 estimates (Central Intelligence Agency, 2008). In 2001, the birth rate was estimated at 9.32 per 1,000 population, while the death rate stood at 9.98 per 1,000, giving Slovenia a negative rate of natural increase. In 2001, however, a positive population growth rate was estimated, partly due to immigration from other former Yugoslav republics (Nations Encyclopedia, 2007). In 2008, the negative rate of population growth remains still obvious and has a value of -0.088. The birth rate is of 8.99 births per 1,000 individuals and the death rate is of 10.51 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (Central Intelligence Agency, 2008). The 2 million individuals in Slovenia are structured in the following age categories: 0 to 14 years 13.6 percent of the entire population; out of these, 140,686 are male and ...

Important Job Skills You’ll Need to Succeed in Your Career

Important Job Skills You’ll Need to Succeed in Your Career You probably have a pretty good handle on the hard skills you’re going to need to get your first job in your career. That much is usually listed on the job posting itself: a bunch of relevant skills and experience for  the work you’ll be doing, plus a handful of more general people skills or organizational talents, etc. What you’re probably less familiar with is the set of skills you’ll need to hone at later stages in your career. Though you’ll be hired on the strength of your hard skills and continually evaluated on them at the junior level, their importance will start to diminish as you progress. There will be a shift to an evaluation of your soft skills around the mid-career mark. Eventually, your promotions to the senior level and beyond will rely almost entirely on soft skills.Such as? Well: likeability, the ability to get things done, and leadership. If you want to go as far as you can in your career, you’ll need to start developing t hese skills early, so you can rely on them when the time is right.What are Soft Skills?Stuck on what your soft skills might entail? Here’s a primer.LEADERSHIPMentoring team members and junior associatesVolunteering to lead tough projects and picking up extra slackParticipating in your industry outside your companyBeing proactive about going above and beyond what is asked of youLIKEABILITYBuilding a reputation as a competent and caring team leader, collaborator, and mentorBuilding strong relationships with your manager and your coworkersMaking sure your efforts and successes are visible to everyone in your office, not just your bossABILITY TO GET THINGS DONEWorking independentlySelf-startingCollaborating with coworkers (and resolving conflicts that might come up)Meeting your deadlines no matter what the internal and external pressures might beHere are three steps toward growing these skills.Take  an honest look at your work personalityA little self-assessment will go a long way. Look at your habits, your strengths and weaknesses, your workplace demeanor and routines. Figure out where you need to grow and prioritize the most important areas to work on.Talk to your managerOnce you have a good handle on where you are, take it to your manager to see where your needs overlap, and where her priorities for your development and performance might differ from your assessment. Get on the same page. And get specific on what you’re being evaluated on at each level of your progress.Be proactive and seek out opportunitiesWithout sacrificing any of your hard skills (or the continued development of your technical arsenal of tools), start figuring out how your current job and position can equip you to advance. Look for collaborative and leadership opportunities. Take on extra responsibilities. Ask your boss what she needs the most and give that to her precisely.As soon as you can start building these skills- in addition to the ones that got you the job in the fir st place- you’ll be well on your way to proving worthy of promotion after promotion.

Marketing Strategies for HILTON in Europe Essay

Marketing Strategies for HILTON in Europe - Essay Example This essay analyses marketing strategy of Hilton Group Plc. Though it includes not only hotel business, most of its solutions are illustrated through its European hotels division: Hilton International. The first part of the essay starts with a company background and the analysis of its financial reports. Then market conditions are observed through PEST analysis, SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Forces tools. Further Hilton segmentation and positioning is discussed. The next part of the essay deals with Hilton brand overview. Finally the marketing strategy of a company is analysed through the four P’s of marketing mix. A special emphasis of the essay is made on the diversification implemented by Hilton to meet different cultural expectations. The researcher then summarise what made the performance of Hilton better. Firstly, franchising strategy has allowed the company to operate its divisions along with modifying them according to changes in national market conditions. Se condly, the brand of Hilton is a synonym for the word ‘hotel’. This was achieved through a continuous quality improvement and proper positioning of services. Thirdly, customers moving to Internet were timely spotted by the board and e-commerce strategy was developed considering previous two principles. To conclude, the researcher tates that despite its international nature, Hilton is closer to customers than many local brands. The company can serve as an example for the fact, that multinational doesn’t always mean distant.

Interpretation of the Bible. How the critical reading of John assists Essay

Interpretation of the Bible. How the critical reading of John assists in the interpretation of the gospel - Essay Example The book presents an account of the ministries of Jesus in the public1. The book opens with witnesses and affirmation of John the Baptist and it concludes with the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The book follows the three synoptic including Mathew, Mark and Luke. Reading the gospel of John therefore, aids in the interpretation of the Gospel because of the information or rather the summary it relays and the various factors that the author put into consideration. II. Interpretation of the bible Interpretation of the bible can be done on the major purpose of the gospel. The book on its entirety can be interpreted on what the author wanted to pass to the audience2. Reading the book, it demonstrates that the author wanted people to believe in Jesus Christ to be able to have life, salvation and eternal life. The book recounts many of the miracles that Jesus did and how he overcame death. These accounts demonstrates clearly to the believers and non-believers that indeed, th ere is God and therefore, by trusting in His name, we are assured of eternal life. John through the book aspires to reach out to the believer and his intention is to strengthen their faith in the gospel3. Going through the book, it is evident that Jesus performed all his miracles in the presence of his disciples. He wanted them to bear witness that indeed he had the power to perform miracles as directed by the Almighty Father in Heaven. John in John 2:11, mentions the effect of first sign.4 Furthermore, there are various omissions that John omits in his book probably because of the fact that some of the issues are covered in the synoptic gospels. Therefore, much information on the background of the narratives is omitted in the book. Omissions include various events and characters that happened in the New Testament and the life of Jesus Christ. The gospel’s last chapters themes from John 13-17, may not have any impact to the nonbelievers5. These chapters talk about Jesus final instructions to his disciplines, his priestly prayers and the last super that he shared with his disciplines. Non-believers may not be encouraged and motivated to change their beliefs based on these chapters. Going through John 20:31, John evangelizes the gospel of Christ through very strong words6. He tells the readers that it is written that Jesus Christ is the son of God and therefore, whoever that believes in him will have eternal life. This is a very strong message that John is passing to the readers. The verse, send a very strong message to the nonbelievers as well as believers to accept salvation to be able to inherit the kingdom of God. Reading John helps us to understand the gospel as well as other three books of the gospel. The book continued to put emphasis on witnessing and this is illustrated through various episodes such as the Samaritan at the well and John the Baptist7. Therefore, the book helps the readers both the unbelievers and believers to have and strengthen t heir faiths. There is enough evidence that is provided about the deity of Jesus through the claims of Jesus as well as many miracles that Jesus did during his life. The synoptic gospels; Mathew, mark and Luke, have also addressed some of the issues or events that are presented in John but the way they are presented in John is precise and concise hence fostering easy understanding8. John selects specific material, which he uses to fulfill his themes and purpose, and this has made the gospel to be clear and

Identity in Tender is the Night and Appointment in Samarra Essay

According to the Merriam Webster, identity is the â€Å"sameness of essential or generic character in different instances† (Merriam Webster). An identity can be the qualities or beliefs that make a person different from another, but it is also the thing that connects them. A man’s identity stays with him â€Å"for the rest of his life† and is something that â€Å"[can] not change much† (O’Hara 202, 193). Identity is who one is born to, what one thinks, what one says, and what one does; John O’Hara and F. Scott Fitzgerald both utilize the theme of identity in describing the lives and actions of the central characters Julian English and Dick Diver in their novels, Appointment in Samarra and Tender is the Night. Discovering their individual identities is a journey for both men, and on their journey to self-discovery the men believe that by fixing their lives they will discover their identity. Both Julian and Dick struggle to maintain perfect or der in their lives by controlling fate, but their ancestral obligations lead to self-destruction and inevitable downfall. While Diver commits social suicide, English commits actual suicide, and the two seal their fates the second they try to change their journey. Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus complex is a feeling of sexual attracting of a child toward their parent; the fixation towards one’s father or mother can lead to choices of sexual partners or spouses that resemble the parent. The wives of Julian English and Dick Diver, Caroline and Nicole, marry their husbands because of their fatherly personas, and Caroline and Nicole’s own incestuous pasts shape and control their relationships with Julian and Dick. The superficiality of English and Diver and their inability to realize who they are lead to a need to contro... ... Is the Night." Modern Fiction Studies 4.2 (Summer 1958): 136-142. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 19. Detroit: Gale, 2004. Literature Resource Center. Web. 3 Oct. 2013. Tate, Mary Jo. "John O'Hara and F. Scott Fitzgerald." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. "The Identity of the Fathers." Tender is the Night: The Broken Universe. Milton R. Stern. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. 102-107. Twayne's Masterwork Studies 137. Twayne's Authors on GVRL. Web. 3 Oct. 2013. Tomkins, David. "Appointment in Samarra." Bloom's Literature. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 21 Oct. 2013 "War and Grace: The Importance of Tender is the Night." Tender is the Night: The Broken Universe. Milton R. Stern. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1994. 3-13. Twayne's Masterwork Studies 137. Twayne's Authors on GVRL. Web. 24 Sept. 2013.

Ensuring children and young people’s safety Essay

Ensuring children and young people’s safety and welfare in the work setting is an essential part of safeguarding. While children are at school, practitioners act in ‘loco parentis’ while their parents are away. As part of their legal and professional obligations, practitioners hold positions of trust and a duty of care to the children in their school, and therefore should always act in their best interests and ensure their safety – the welfare of the child is paramount (Children Act 1989). The Children Act 2004 came in with the Every Child Matters (ECM) guidelines and greatly impacted the way schools look at the care and welfare of pupils. Children and young people should be helped to learn and thrive and be given the opportunity to achieve the five basic outcomes: be healthy; stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being. Children are vulnerable and depending on their age and level of development, do not see danger or recognise risks. They do not know when or how to look after themselves and need adults to protect them and ensure their safety, whilst encouraging their independence in an age appropriate manner. All organisations that employ staff or volunteers to work with children need to use a safer recruitment practice. In March 2005, following the Soham murders and the subsequent Bichard Inquiry, the DCSF – Department for Children, Schools and Families – (previously the DES and the DoH) proposed that Recommendation 19 of the Bichard Inquiry should be carried out: ‘new arrangements should be introduced requiring those who wish to work with children, or vulnerable adults, to be registered. The register would confirm that there is no known reason why an individual should not work with these clients.’ As a result, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 was passed, providing the legislative framework for the new Vetting and Barring scheme. This Act established the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to make decisions about who should be allowed to work with children, the elderly and other vulnerable adults and to maintain lists of those who are barred. Under the Act, it is an offence for an employer to employ a barred person in a role with children. It is also an offence for a barred person to apply for  such a role. Employers must also advise the ISA if an individual harms a child whilst working for them. The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 merged the ISA with the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) to form the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Services). It also differentiated between supervised and unsupervised activities. Schools should have policies and procedures for safer recruitment practice, which should be applied at every stage in the recruitment process, from advertising, references and pre-interview checks, to the selection of candidates, interviewing process and the offer of appointment. As part of the process, every adult wanting to work with children or vulnerable adults must have a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Services) check. There are three levels of DBS disclosure: -Basic disclosure: details relevant information about the individual, together with any convictions (spent or in force), cautions or warnings that the individual has received. -Enhanced disclosure: includes the same as the basic disclosure, plus any additional relevant information held by the police. -Enhanced disclosure with Barred List Check. Schools must also ensure that any adults (including cleaners and caretakers) or volunteers in the workplace do not have unsupervised access to children unless they have been DBS checked. Schools need to ensure that they provide children and young people with a happy safe environment to learn and develop, with trusted and supportive adults. Practitioners need to actively promote the well-being and welfare of every child. This includes providing a wide range of activities to promote development through play as well as formal learning. These activities should include age appropriate toys and games that meet the Toy (Safety) Regulations 1995 and are in a good state of repair. Practitioners should check for Kitemarks and CE markings. Kitemarks are symbols that show products have been tested and meet the British Standard Institute requirements. CE markings show that products meet European standards as set out by the European Community. Children also need to communicate and socialise with their peers, children from other age groups and other adults. They need to feel safe and secure in their environment so that they feel able to speak to adults about any concerns they may have, or to ask questions and seek help without fear of embarrassment. They need good role models who can help them extend their decision making skills and develop independence appropriate to their age and development level. Practitioners have a further responsibility to provide additional support to children who may have special educational needs. This may be through individual sessions within the school, liaison with external services such as educational psychologists or through the CAF (Common Assessment Framework) process. The CAF process was developed to gather and assess information in relation to a child’s needs in development, parenting and the family environment. It is a service that should be offered to children (and their families) whose additional needs are not being met through universal services within the school. Practitioners also need to protect any children who may be at risk of significant harm because of their home life and personal circumstances. There are a number of policies and procedures that should be in place in schools to ensure children and young people’s protection and safety: †¢Working in an open and transparent way – adults should make sure that another member of staff is always aware of where they are working, especially if they are alone in a room with a child, there should always be visual access or the door should remain open. †¢Duty of care – adults should always act in the best interests of the child and ensure their safety – the welfare of the child is paramount (Children Act 1989). †¢Whistleblowing – staff should understand their responsibilities to raise concerns of malpractice. Staff will be deemed to be failing in their duty to safeguard children if they do not act. †¢Listening to children – adults relationships with children should always be professional, caring and respectful. Children need to feel valued and listened to. †¢Power and positions of trust – adults working with children hold positions of trust due to their access to the children in their care, and relationships between pupils and staff will  always have an unequal balance of power – these positions should never be abused. †¢Behaviour – teachers should behave in such a way as to safeguard children’s well-being and maintain public trust in the teaching profession. †¢Physical contact – staff should ensure that any contact with children is entirely professionally appropriate. †¢Off-site visits – staff must take particular care to ensure that clear boundaries are maintained and full risk assessments must be carried out prior to a visit. †¢Recording of images – there must be age-appropriate consent from the person or their parents or carers. †¢Intimate personal care – all children have a right to safety, privacy and dignity when intimate care is required. †¢Sharing concerns and information – highly confidential information about children and their families should only ever be shared on a need to know basis, and anonymously wherever possible. †¢Security – school premises should be made secure with fencing, gates and locking doors with secure access codes to prevent unwelcome visitors and to stop children from leaving the premises unaccompanied. There should be clear locking and unlocking procedures and stringent rules for visitor access to the buildings. Contractors should be LA approved or selected using safe selection procedures and should have carried out appropriate risk assessments in advance. They should be given information to enable them to follow the school’s safety procedures. The three main areas that address the protection of children from harm in the work setting are: child protection; health and safety, and risk assessments. †¢Child protection. It is the responsibility of all adults in the setting to actively safeguard children and young people and to prevent abuse or neglect. The setting should detail how the policies and procedures should work on a daily basis and outline current legislation in this area (see Task A). The policy should describe the responsibilities of the setting as well as those of individuals. It should include a summary of the possible signs of abuse or neglect for staff to refer to (see Task D1). Staff are required to respond to any concerns in an appropriate and timely manner. There should be clear guidelines on how staff should proceed when there are concerns, or  allegations have been made, including the role of the designated CPO (Child Protection Officer) (see Task D2). Staff should also be made aware of the procedures if the allegation concerns another member of staff or the head teacher (see Section 2 below). The policy should detail external services that may be required, including names and telephone numbers etc. There should be specific guidance about how to behave if a child or young person makes an allegation of abuse. The policy should detail other procedures and policies that support staff responsibilities in this area, such as the behaviour and anti-bullying policies (see Task E) and the whistleblowing policy (see Section 3 below). †¢Health and Safety. Schools are legally required to have a Health and Safety policy to ensure that there is a plan for how health and safety is managed in the setting and that all staff are aware of all their responsibilities. This policy should be read and implemented by all staff and it should form part of the induction process for new members of staff. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 were designed to protect everyone at work. The employer in a school must take reasonable steps to ensure that staff and pupils are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. This applies to activities on or off school premises. The employer is required to carry out regular reviews of the school, its premises and activities. There should be a designated health and safety representative at every setting who is responsible for the reviews and any subsequent action. The reviews should involve regular walks around the school as well as safety checks on equipment. All electrical items should be checked annually by a qualified electrician. Fire extinguishers should also be checked annually. Staff should ensure that they use any safety equipment provided and store it safely. All materials and equipment used in schools should meet recognised safety standards. Practitioners should check for Kitemarks and CE markings. Kitemarks are symbols that show products have been tested and meet the British Standard Institute requirements. CE markings show that products meet European standards as set out by the European Community. The Workplace, (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 deal with physical conditions in the  workplace and require employers to meet minimum standards in relation to a wide range of issues, including: maintenance of buildings and equipment; lighting; provision of drinking water; temperature; ventilation; rest rooms; toilet facili ties; room dimensions and space; cleanliness; condition of floors and traffic routes. The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 apply to all maintained schools in England, and came into effect in October 2012. This legislation works in conjunction with the Workplace Regulations, but applies specifically to school standards, which are often more stringent i.e. the provision of a medical room for pupils, or a lower maximum temperature for hand washing in children’s toilet facilities. To protect children and young people from harm on the premises, the school should consider the following: †¢Safety of the indoor and outdoor play equipment, including water and sand play. †¢Safety in the school kitchen, including the storage, preparation and cooking of food. †¢Fire safety, including maintaining clearly marked exit routes and doors. †¢Appropriately sized furniture and equipment for the children. †¢Safe storage of hazardous materials under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002. †¢Appropriate adult-child ratios at all times. †¢First aid training for staff, with sufficient numbers of first aid trained staff on the premises at all times. †¢Safety in the dining hall, including hot food, spillages, choking risks etc. †¢Vigilance in challenging unidentified adults. †¢Procedures for cleaning up bodily fluids, vomit or faeces. †¢Internet safety. †¢Hand washing facilities and practices. †¢Adaptations where necessary for children with special needs or disabilities. †¢Safety of outdoor play areas, including access, space and floor surfacing. †¢Safe storage and supervision of medicines. †¢Implementation of procedures for children and staff with illnesses, i.e. remaining away from school for 48 hours after sickness or diarrhoea. †¢A  nominated person for asbestos and legionella competency. †¢Tidiness and safety of traffic routes around the premises. Off-site educational visits have additional issues that could affect children’s safety. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires full risk assessments to be carried out prior to a visit. Employers must assess the risks of activities, plan measures to control the risks and inform employees of the measures. Staff must follow school and Local Authority regulations, policies and guidance, which include: evidence of parental permission; emergency procedures; first aid kit and trained staff; appropriate clothing and equipment; qualified staff for activities; adult to children ratios; special educational or medical needs of the children; approval of volunteers (including DBS checks); age and competence of the pupils and transport arrangements. Health and Safety arrangements also require members of staff to keep colleagues/senior staff aware of their whereabouts and movements. †¢Risk assessments. It is a legal requirement for all employers to carry out risk assessments. Risk assessments are a formal examination of things that could cause harm to people. The Health and Safety Executive guidance sets out a simple Five Steps to Risk Assessment: Step 1: Look for the hazards and risks. A hazard is something that can cause harm. A risk is the likelihood of harm together with the consequences should it take place. Step 2: Decide who could be harmed and how. Step 3: It is necessary to differentiate between hazards and risks and then to prioritise them, dealing with the most serious risks first. Decide whether the existing precautions are sufficient. If not, decide what other precautions should be introduced and ensure that they are put in place. Step 4: Record your actions and findings. Step 5: Review the assessment at regular intervals, or if circumstances  change, and revise if necessary. Risk assessments should be used within the school setting e.g. for a new climbing frame or for outdoor water play, and also for off-site visits regardless of their duration. The head teacher is usually responsible for risk assessments and should sign and date them after they are completed. If existing precautions are not satisfactory, then activities may have to be restricted or stopped until changes are made. Changes may involve staff training or additional equipment. Risk assessments will also need to be carried out for individuals with special needs or disabilities and specialists may come to the school to carry them out. Other individuals may require a risk assessment in certain circumstances, i.e. a pupil on crutches or temporarily in a wheelchair. Ofsted inspectors would expect risk assessments to be available as part of their inspections. Risk assessments should form part of a school’s management processes and help to formalise working practices and arrangements. They are a valuable tool for identifying problems and potential problems, monitoring situations and ensuring precautions are taken to keep children and adults safe from harm.

Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was one of the final campaigns of World War I (1914-1918) and was fought between September 26 and November 11, 1918. Part of the Hundred Days Offensives, the thrust in the Meuse-Argonne was the largest American operation of the conflict and involved 1.2 million men. The offensive saw attacks through the difficult terrain between the Argonne Forest and the Meuse River. While the First US Army made early gains, the operation soon devolved into a bloody battle of attrition. Lasting until the end of the war, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the deadliest battle in American history with over 26,000 killed. Background On August 30, 1918, the supreme commander of Allied forces, Marshal Ferdinand Foch, arrived at the headquarters of General John J. Pershings First US Army. Meeting with the American commander, Foch ordered  Pershing to effectively shelve a planned offensive against the Saint-Mihiel salient, as he wished to use the American troops piecemeal to support a British offensive to the north. Having relentlessly planned the Saint-Mihiel operation, which he saw as opening the way to an advance on the rail hub of Metz, Pershing resisted Fochs demands. Outraged, Pershing refused to let his command be broken apart and argued in favor of moving forward with the assault on Saint-Mihiel. Ultimately, the two came to a compromise. Pershing would be permitted to attack Saint-Mihiel but was required to be in position for an offensive in the Argonne Valley by mid-September. This required Pershing to fight a major battle, and then shift approximately 400,000 men sixty miles all within the span of ten days. General John J. Pershing. Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress Stepping off on September 12, Pershing won a swift victory at Saint-Mihiel.  After clearing the salient in three days of fighting, the Americans began moving north to the Argonne. Coordinated by Colonel George C. Marshall, this movement was completed in time to commence the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on September 26. Planning Unlike the flat terrain of Saint-Mihiel, the Argonne was a valley flanked by thick forest to one side and the Meuse River on the other. This terrain provided an excellent defensive position for five divisions from General Georg von der Marwitzs Fifth Army. Flush with victory, Pershings objectives for the first day of the attack were extremely optimistic and called for his men to break through two major defensive lines dubbed Giselher and Kreimhilde by the Germans. In addition, American forces were hampered by the fact that five of the nine divisions slated for the attack had not yet seen combat. This use of relatively inexperienced troops was necessitated by the fact that many of the more veteran divisions had been employed at Saint-Mihiel and required time to rest and refit before re-entering the line.   Meuse-Argonne Offensive Conflict: World War IDates: September 26-November 11, 1918Armies Commanders:United StatesGeneral John J. Pershing1.2 million men by the end of the campaignGermanyGeneral Georg von der Marwitz450,000 by the end of the campaignCasualties:United States: 26,277 killed and 95,786 woundedGermany: 28,000 killed and 92,250 wounded Opening Moves Attacking at 5:30 AM on September 26 after a prolonged bombardment by 2,700 guns, the final goal of the offensive was the capture of Sedan, which would cripple the German rail network. It was later reported that more ammunition was expended during the bombardment than had been used in the entirety of the Civil War. The initial assault made solid gains and was supported by American and French tanks. Falling back to the Giselher line, the Germans prepared to make stand. In the center, the attack bogged down as troops from V Corps struggled to take the 500-ft. height of Montfaucon. The capture of the heights had been assigned to the green 79th Division, whose attack stalled when the neighboring 4th Division failed to execute Pershings orders for them to turn the Germans flank and force them from Montfaucon. Elsewhere, the difficult terrain slowed the attackers and limited visibility. Seeing a crisis developing on Fifth Armys front, General Max von Gallwitz directed six reserve divisions to shore up the line. Though a brief advantage had been gained, the delays at Montfaucon and elsewhere along the line allowed for the arrival of additional German troops who quickly began to form a new defensive line. With their arrival, American hopes for a quick victory in the Argonne were dashed and a grinding, attritional battle commenced. While Montfaucon was taken the next day, the advance proved slow and American forces were plagued by leadership and logistical issues. By October 1, the offensive had come to a halt. Traveling among his forces, Pershing replaced several of his green divisions with more experienced troops, though this movement only added to the logistical and traffic difficulties. Additionally, ineffective commanders were mercilessly removed from their commands and replaced by more aggressive officers. US Marines during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. National Archives and Records Administration Grinding Forward On October 4, Pershing ordered an assault all along the American line. This was met with ferocious resistance from the Germans, with the advance measured in yards. It was during this phase of the fighting that the 77th Divisions famed Lost Battalion made its stand. Elsewhere, Corporal Alvin York of the 82nd Division won the Medal of Honor for capturing 132 Germans. As his men pushed north, Pershing increasingly found that his lines were subjected to German artillery from the heights on the east bank of the Meuse. To alleviate this problem, he made a push over the river on October 8 with the goal of silencing German guns in the area. This made little headway. Two days later he turned command of the First Army over to Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett. As Liggett pressed on, Pershing formed the Second US Army on the east side of the Meuse and placed Lieutenant General Robert L. Bullard in command. Between October 13-16, American forces began to break through the German lines with the capture of Malbrouck, Consenvoye, Cà ´te Dame Marie, and Chatillon. With these victories in hand, American forces pierced the Kreimhilde line, achieving Pershings goal for the first day. With this done, Liggett called a halt to reorganize. While collecting stragglers and re-supplying, Liggett ordered an attack towards Grandprà © by the 78th Division. The town fell after a ten-day battle. Breakthrough On November 1, following a massive bombardment, Liggett resumed a general advance all along the line. Slamming into the tired Germans, First Army made large gains, with the V Corps gaining five miles in the center. Forced into a headlong retreat, the Germans were prevented from forming new lines by the rapid American advance. On November 5, the 5th Division crossed the Meuse, frustrating German plans to use the river as a defensive line. Three days later, the Germans contacted Foch about an armistice. Feeling that the war should continue until the Germans unconditionally surrendered, Pershing pushed his two armies to attack without mercy. Driving the Germans, American forces allowed the French to take Sedan as the war came to a close on November 11. Aftermath The Meuse-Argonne Offensive cost Pershing 26,277 killed and 95,786 wounded, making it the largest and bloodiest operation of the war for the American Expeditionary Force. American losses were exacerbated by the inexperience of many of the troops and tactics used during the early phases of the operation. Germans losses numbered 28,000 killed and 92,250 wounded. Coupled with British and French offensives elsewhere on the Western Front, the assault through the Argonne was critical in breaking German resistance and bringing World War I to an end.