MindMeister Is Now on Jolicloud! - Focus

MindMeister Is Now on Jolicloud! - Focus Please note:  Jolicloud was discontinued on April 1, 2016. For a list of all current MindMeister integrations, please visit mindmeister.com/integrations! Jolicloud, the new netbook OS by Netvibes founder Tariq Krim, has just released an improved alpha version for testing to a selected group of preview testers, and were very proud to be part of it: MindMeister comes preinstalled on the Jolicloud operating system installed meaning that theres a MindMeister icon in the Jolicloud application directory that brings you directly to the MindMeister site (soon also to a custom-built start page for Jolicloud users). With the announcement of  Google Chrome OS theres currently a lot of buzz around this topic and we believe that Tariq and his team have done an amazing job rethinking the overall layout of a desktop operating system for the Internet age (were not the only ones who think so, as proven by the recent $4.2m investment in Jolicloud by some major VCs). Apart from MindMeister, many of the usual suspects are available on the Jolicloud desktop Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Skype, Dropbox, MobileMe and many more. Take a look yourself at the Jolicloud tour or read their own announcement of the MindMeister integration.

Tuitions Up, Scholarships Down Essay - 596 Words

As time goes on, it seems the dream of going to college is becoming harder and harder to achieve. The average cost of attending a college is rising quickly. Depending on the college in particular, tuitions went up anywhere from $231 to $1,114 (MSNBC.com). Overall, tuitions have gone up a mind-blowing 85% in the last ten years. At the same time, funding for these colleges has gone down, creating a significant problem for blue collar families who have the intention on sending their kids to a four year college. What are the reasons behind this noticeable cut in financial aid? Is it fair to families to up the tuition and lower the amount of financial aid which is given? Large Budget cuts have forced schools to take drastic measures such as†¦show more content†¦For higher level jobs, Corporate America looks for graduates of four year schools, which makes it even harder for these community college graduates to move up in the business world. This is not a good idea to promote, seeing that these numbers will continue to creep up as time goes by, forcing more and more potential students to rely on community colleges as their first choice of school. Although some may argue that a student can receive as good of an education at a community college as a four year institution, this is totally wrong. An individual who attends a four year school receives much more knowledgeable information and learns many aspects of intercommunication skills. This is achieved through many more hours per week in the classroom than the average community college student. Teachers are not as talented and as effective in community school settings. You will find much more i ntelligent and student oriented teachers in a four year institution. The reason for these slowly rising tuitions and fees is simple. For the most part, the higher majority of the states in the U.S. are cutting the amount they spend on higher education (programs which organize financial aid use). They cannot put as much money towards these programs anymore due to the lack of tax money they are receiving. There have been so many tax cuts that it is the student and their family who is paying for most of the tuitionShow MoreRelatedSchool Tuition : Government s Perspective1643 Words   |  7 PagesYang 2/5/16 p.7 Word Count:1,550 School Tuition: Government’s perspective In the US, free education is available for everyone in the social class from the rich to the financially unstable. However, when students apply for community colleges, families are left with three choice: to pay the full cost of tuition, to apply for financial assistance, to apply for loans. Community college tuitions have been increasing from 1982, and since then it has been increasing moreRead MoreEssay On College Athletes Should Be Paid803 Words   |  4 Pagesthis event is not trickling down to the stars of the tournament. (Mitchell, Horace, and Marc Edelman.) The fact that in only 1 month of the year this is made is a colossal come up for the NCAA and CBS. Let’s not forget about the other billions of dollars made during the preseason and regular season just on weekly games and endorsements. College athletes make up most of CBS’s and NCAA’s revenue, yet they are unpaid for their services. Few athletes receive full scholarships to cover their debts, leaving Read MoreAthletes Should Not Be Paid1494 Words   |  6 PagesAthletes suit up and perform on a daily and weekly basis. Week in and week out, athletes draw in thousands and thousands of fans to speculate the flashy performance. They give the best effort, putting themselves at risk, doing anything possible to insure a victory. Players spend hours of hard work and dedication to perform the best they can. Through the dedication and performance of these athletes, speculations have aroused that athletes should begin to receive pay. Some people believe that collegiateRead MoreAdvantages Of College Tuition1693 Words   |  7 Pagescollege tuition is too expensive or not. Over the last few decades the college tuition rates have increased drastically, but is a rate increase necessarily a good or bad thing. I personally believe that the cost to attend college is too expensive especially for low and middle-income families. There are many reasons why tuition could be considered too expensive they include, rise of tuition, little financial aid, and lack of college savings to name a few. The first reason why college tuition is consideredRead MoreAthletes Should Not Be Paid1496 Words   |  6 PagesTitle Athletes suit up and perform on a daily and weekly basis. Week in and week out, athletes draw in thousands and thousands of fans to speculate the flashy performance. They give the best effort, putting themselves at risk, doing anything possible to insure a victory. Many hours of hard work are spent to perform the best they can. Through the dedication and performance of these athletes, speculations have aroused that athletes should begin to receive pay. Some people believe that colligate athletesRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1644 Words   |  7 Pagesperformance? Even though student athletes don’t receive a big paycheck at the end of the month, in one way or the other they do receive rewarding benefits through scholarships and grants because of their ability to be successful on the playing field. Thus, college athletes should not be paid because they are receiving a free education through scholarships and earning countless other benefits for being part of the univer sity’s athletic program. For this informative essay a college athlete from Colorado StateRead MoreAffordability Of Our Education : Is A College Education Worth The Cost?1729 Words   |  7 PagesSylvia Ikharo Comp 1101 March 15, 2016 Affordability of our Education Every working American family knows how hard it is today to find affordable higher education. As of the past few decades the tuition fee for most public and private colleges increased by 250 percent while income increased by 16 percent (Politico, 2013). The statistics have since then become a trend that has now evolved each year, hence; making it difficult for parents to send their children to school that can cause themRead MoreEssay about Athletic Scholarships; Pros and Cons1061 Words   |  5 PagesCollege scholarships, the attraction of every devoted sports player out there. Earning scholarships brings players together not only to step up their game, but to be enthusiastic about exceeding their academic goals. Colleges put down an amount of money to attract top athletes from high schools all over their state. Athletic meaning all sports, like golf, fencing, and water polo. Tons of schools and families support the aid colleges grant in their athletic scholarship programs, w hile others are againstRead MoreThe Cost Of Education : Tuition Cost Is On Every Student s Mind Essay1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe Cost of Education Tuition cost is on every student s mind. The cost of college tuition is an unnecessary burden that causes students to do the following: work multiple jobs, worry about financial aid, and take time from studying and being better students. Every day I m reminded of the cost of tuition. It is on my mind when I am at the grocery store trying to decide between buying food or gas so I can go to work. Or, for example, when I have to make time to study in between my three jobs IRead MoreA Poor Solution For America s Shortcoming1625 Words   |  7 Pages he made me put aside for education† (Abraham A. Ribicoff). Abraham Ribcoff grew up to be the 80th governor of Connecticut and later became JFK’s secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. A major issue in today’s society is the debate over free community college tuition. Even though some say free community college tuition would be one step closer to saving Americas crumbling lower class, community college tuition shoul d not be completely free. An education from a community college is already very

The European Union ( Eu ) And North American Free Trade...

The European Union (EU) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) both consists of twenty-seven countries that makes it the largest trading bloc in the world. Based on the 2008 figure, the value of the exports of goods/services from European Union to NAFTA was 639. One billion Canadian dollars while the import of goods/services to the European Union from the NAFTA was amounted to 513.9 billion Canadian dollars. Two trade blocs are also highly interdependent by the means of FDI. In 2007, the value of inflows of FDI NAFTA from EU was about 1.77 trillion Canadian dollars and 1.63 trillion Canadian dollars from NAFTA to EU respectively. After the United States, the European Union is Canada’s second most significant trading partner. In†¦show more content†¦In 2012, US exported $265.1 billion worth of merchandise to EU and imported $380.8 billion respectively. When one add services this figure, it increases by $193.8 billion (30.6% of total United States service exports) and $149.7 billion (35.4% of total United States service imports). Mexico heavily relies on the European Union market as well; after the United States the EU is the second most important trading partner to Mexico. EU and Mexico do have an established free trade agreement that came into effect as of 2000. Although Mexico still imposes tariffs and quotas on certain products such as meat and dairy, the EU and Mexico partnership is still one of the most comprehensive in the world’s economy. In 2014, the EU exported â‚ ¬27.4 billion worth of goods to Mexico and â‚ ¬18 billion in imports. FDI from Mexico to EU amounted for â⠀š ¬22.6 billion(inflow) in 2013 while the FDI outflow was around â‚ ¬102.3 billion. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of two policies that are related to Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Firstly, we will explore the effects of bilateral FTA between Canada and the EU on different Canadian sectors (policy 1). Secondly, to investigate the economic effect if there is a free trade agreement between EU and NAFTA (Policy 2). There are various techniques that could be utilized to carry out this analysis. In this paper we use Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model and used Global

Senior Paper Free Essays

Women in Islam have little access to education. In many areas girls are often taken out of school when they hit puberty. (â€Å"listserv†). We will write a custom essay sample on Senior Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now When boys and girls are in third grade they are able to go to the same school but after that, they are unable to do so. (â€Å"listserv†) In some parts if Islam the girls can’t be taught by a man after a certain age because it has a negative impact on girls’ education. (â€Å"listserv†) While some progress has been made, women are still struggling to be successful. Literacy rates among young Islam women are extreme low. Only 18 percent of women between 15 and 24 can read. The total number of children enrolled in primary schools is increasing rapidly, but the percentage of female students is not Women can do some of the same jobs that men can do. Sometimes women can actually do jobs better than men in particular jobs. In Islam men believe that they should have more right to jobs than women. (â€Å"The True Clash of Civilians†). Men and women should share equal responsibility. They might not be identical duties, but the totality of rights and responsibilities are balanced. The Quern says, â€Å"Women have the same rights as are expected in all decency from them, while men stand a step above them. Sure 2:228) In Islam, the alee and importance of women in society and the true measure of their success as human beings, is measured with completely different criteria. And their obedience to Him, and fulfillment of the duties He has entrusted them with. In Islam Women have strong beliefs in being leaders. That being said, Islam is a practical religion, and responds to human needs and life situations. Many women need or wish to work for various reasons. For example, some women may want to be mayor in their country or district. Some men in Islam believe that men make better political leaders than women. (â€Å"listserv†). When Prophet Mohammad was alive he allowed his women to take on powerful leadership positions. But, after his death, the role of women in society became very hard to maintain. The role of women in Islam is difficult to maintain. There are many different areas of Islam and different interpretations of the Curran verses, which place the role in Islamic societies in different ways. Like I said before women can do a good of a job as men especially when they have a leadership job. Knowing that women have little access to education, there are some solutions and steps we can take to slowly change the outcome of women. Many societies including some Muslim societies continue to exercise this manner in different forms such as the denial to education. Education is also highly competitive and in our country with culture so important, all children are encouraged to study hard in school and do well at a university level in order to be successful. Muslim girls are encouraged to work towards college education as much as Muslim boys. Some Muslims don’t believe in allowing their daughters to go to school. But if Muslim girls just worked hard or even harder then maybe their parents can see that they are trying to better homeless. They don’t allow them to learn to read, to participate in debates, to pursue their Master degrees, to succeed in their respective careers, and to make something of their lives. Not being able to do something makes someone want to do it more, so the girls must work extra hard to prove that they can too succeed. Three-quarters of the 1 00 million people are unable to read or write in the Arab countries, which are aged between 15 and 45 years old. But for some women of Islam, that doesn’t stop them. Many Muslim women have to cope with the challenges of working in a non-Muslim environment. All women have been exposed to the workplace at some point in their lives can fully grasp the reasons why working outside the home is an enormous problem, particularly for Muslim women. How to cite Senior Paper, Papers

Sketchers Shape Ups marketing plan

Executive Summary Successful introduction of a product in the market requires research and critical analysis of the product, its competitiveness, relevance and acceptability among the targeted clients. Specifically, the successful introduction of the Sketchers Shape Ups product requires a balanced mix between marketing and strategic positioning in the expansive market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sketchers Shape Ups marketing plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This comprehensive marketing plan covers the advertising promotion plan, and various properly-researched marketing strategies should be employed so that the product can cut a niche in the in the consumer packaged-goods industry. Media has emerged as an important tool to organizations and individuals due to its ability to bridge the gap between producers and consumers in the business matrix. This is especially true for the visual media which has widel y been used to draw attention of the consumer on new or already existing goods and services that business offer in the complex trading arena. The effects of visual media on marketing communication has led to suitability of marketing approaches at times, while at others, the approaches have been praised for their authoritativeness towards informing the public. This reflective treatise attempts to explicitly examine the effects of visual media on marketing of the Sketchers Shape Ups product by discussing the different aspects and factors affecting efficacy and effectiveness of visual media. Besides, the treatise adopts a reflective approach in analyzing the positioning strategies, competitive advantage, and branding for the product. In addition, the treatise explores the option for expanding the market for the product to Iraq. Introduction The Sketchers Shape Ups is one of the products in the consumer packaged-goods industry. The industry has other good like Sketchers Sport, Sketchers Resistance, and many others. Initially, the industry sold products like the skate shoe and the utility-style boots. However, with time, the company diversified its products and started selling a variety of casual and sports wear for adults, as well as children. The industry works hard to maintain its fashionable and elegant brand image. Some of the strategies that the industry employs include celebrity-driven advertisements, which facilitate in reaching thousands of celebrities. This paper will focus on a promotion strategy for Sketchers Shape Ups product. Advertising and Promotion Plan The advertising and promotion plan will require the company to spend more than what its competitors will spend to enable it to gain a competitive advantage. Setting a high cost for advertising and promotion in the marketing plan, usually demonstrates how the company will deliver its unique selling propositions to its prospective customers. Advertising and promotion tools are key elements of the mark eting mix.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, the company requires making sure that it has the best advertising and promotion strategies for its products. This would enable it to compete with its competitors, as well as to gain a competitive advantage. A company can only compete well if it has enough money to use in advertising and promoting its products (Birdsall Johnston, 2010). A company ought to think in terms of, which media is the most effective in reaching the targeted markets. Once it identifies the appropriate media, the company requires computing the annual budget to facilitate in effective promotion. If the company wants to stand out from its competitors, it ought to look for an advertisement medium that would reach a large number of customers (Jedidi, Mela Gupta, 2007). Media Used and Why To make substantial sales, a company ought to communicate its pro ducts to a big number of people. This can only be achieved through selecting an advertisement medium that is accessible to many people. While organizations have numerous advertisement media to choose from, not all media are accessible by all consumers. Consequently, before deciding on the advertisement medium to use, an organization ought to have an accurate profile of its target customers. In this case, the company intends to use television as its advertisement medium. The main reason for using television as the advertisement medium is that it will facilitate to capture a vast target audience. Majority of the homesteads owns televisions. Hence, using television to advertise the Sketchers Shape Ups will give the company an opportunity to reach a wider consumer base. Apart from reaching a wider consumer base, television conveys messages in both audio and visual form (Jedidi, Mela Gupta, 2007). Therefore, through this medium, the company will be able to pass the information even to t hose consumers that do not know how to read. Advertising the product in both audio and visual format will also facilitate in information retention. Once people watch and hear an advertisement, it becomes hard for them to forget it quickly. Audiovisual communication facilitates in retention of the message. Therefore, the company opts to use television since it will facilitate in retention of the information, thus, making sure that consumers do not forget about the product. Promotions used The company chooses to use sales promotion. This choice was made since it helps the company to increase its sales volume within a short period. In this case, the company will apply sales promotion strategy such as the push up sales. This will facilitate in attracting and retaining new customers by issuing them with free samples and gifts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sketchers Shape Ups marketing plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Lear n More Sales promotion will ensure that consumers return to the company whenever they are in need of Sketchers Shape Ups. In spite of sales promotion being expensive, the promotion strategy facilitates in creating a good rapport between a company and its consumers. In response, the company benefits from return customers. Role of public relations to marketing plan Public relations play a significant role in providing the support required for implementation of the marketing plan (Birdsall Johnston, 2010). In this case, public relations will help in promoting and establishing the product. Public relations will also help in creating a favorable reputation for the company by publicizing news about events that take place in the company. Consumers like associating with companies that give back to the society. Hence, the public relations will facilitate in informing the community about the company’s corporate social responsibility as a way of trying to win its trust. Events and me dia choices for one calendar year The marketing plan will comprise of a detailed calendar of the promotion events for a whole year. The year will be divided into three segments January-April, May-August, and September-December. To create customer awareness about the product, the company will carry out an aggressive advertisement and promotion program during the first segment. It will run daily advertisements on the television to make sure that consumers know about Sketchers Shape Ups. As consumers get to know about the product, the company will relax its advertisement program. Therefore, the second segment will entail running the advertisements thrice per week. This will aid in keeping the clients aware of the product. Besides, it will target those consumers that might not have heard about the product. The last segment of the calendar year will involve running the television advertisement once per month. By this time, majority of the consumers will have known about the product. Besi des the advertisement, the company will also conduct some promotion campaigns, especially during the first segment of the calendar year to recruit more consumers. With these events running throughout the year, the company is guaranteed that it will keep its target consumers aware of the product.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marketing vision and goals For an organization to succeed in marketing, it has to have both vision and goal for its marketing. They act as the guideline and reference point. The company refers to the vision and goals to determine if it is making positive progress. Therefore, to succeed in selling Sketchers Shape Ups, the company will require having strong marketing vision and goals. The company’s vision will be to be the leading company in the sales of Sketchers Shape Ups. On the other hand, the marketing goal will be to sell 300 units of Sketchers Shape Ups per week for the first six months. Besides, the company will have a goal of adding value to the life of its target consumers. Through its marketing, the company will strive to ensure that consumers continue benefiting from Sketchers Shape Ups at all time. Product strategy and positioning statement To be able to achieve the mission and the set goals, the company will require having a captivating position stamen and superio r product strategy. In this case, the company’s positioning statement will be as follows, We have what everyone wants, and at considerable prices. The products are unique and of high quality. They are supremely stylish, trendy and certainly the latest in the market. Those that purchase the products will be viewed as being at speed with fashion. The prices are also considerable; one will get anything they want at an affordable price. Celebrities wear the Sketchers Shape Ups. Consequently, one of the product strategies that the company will utilize is to make sure that it attributes the product to famous celebrities. This will make the target consumers perceive the product as being of high quality, therefore, purchasing it. Again, the company will sell products at affordable prices as a strategy to attract consumers and not scare them away with high prices. Customer snapshot The customer snapshot helps the business get an overview of the customers. In the plan, we will incorpor ate customer snapshot. The features that will be included in the snapshot are recent invoices and payments. This will show what the company has sold. Therefore, it will be of significance when evaluating the effectiveness of the marketing plan in the future. The snapshot will include a list of the items that are highly purchased so that the company can focus on these items when running its subsequent promotional campaigns. Competitive analysis The Sketchers Shape Ups industry is competitive. Other many companies offer the same products. Majority of these companies relies on local consumers. Therefore, they do not run promotional campaigns or advertise their products. Consequently, this company will have an advantage since it will create consumer awareness through its promotions and advertisements. Besides, majority of the competitors sell their products at high prices, and they run out of stock frequently. To surmount this competition, the company will use strategies like consumer e ducation on how to get the best from the product by using it appropriately. The existing competitors do not teach the consumers on how to use Sketchers Shape Ups. The company will regular replenish its inventory to make sure that its does not run out of the product. Consumers get frustrated whenever they visit a business only to learn that the product they want is out of stock. This discourages them from visiting the business in the future. Hence, the company will make sure that it has a regular supply of Sketchers Shape Ups to encourage the consumers to return to its store. Brand elements and differentiators The company’s name, logo, and design facilitate to differentiate its brand from the competitors. Marketers ought to establish unique brand features that can draw the attention of the target consumers (Steenkamp et al., 2005). To stand out from the competitors, the company will use the logo to differentiate its Sketchers Shape Ups from those of the rival companies. It wil l promote its products by using colorful logos. This will create an impression of brand quality in the minds of the target consumers, hence; help the company to make substantial sales. Colorful logos will also make consumers remember about the brand whenever they come across a color portrayed in the logo. Moving the Product to Iraq The marketing needs of a detailed and workable blend that the company might employ to determine the suitability of Iraq as a new market is important to review. In a bid to establish an international investment opportunity, Iraqi displays a big potential with the several million citizens as ready users of the Sketchers Shape Ups product. As projected by the United Nations, Iraqi market will grow by 30 percent in the next two decade. With a typically well organized commodity pool, this investment scheme for the Sketchers Shape Ups product is already in Iraqi market. Reflectively, to capture the distribution channel, the beneficial interests are distributed across the commodity users who are the Iraqis. This strategy will facilitate the restructuring effective sales and public awareness to develop product knowledge of its products to its Iraqi clients. If well merged with appropriate market mix, the strategy will secure a continuous quantitative increase of market by constantly maintaining relatively fare prices of the products it’s offering as well as the maintenance of up to per competition levels from other competitors. This penetration plan will record an increase in the usage of the company’s the Sketchers Shape Ups product across its country’s boundaries by having a range of colors and designs for the product. The rationale for expanding the market of the product to Iraq was informed by relatively low competition besides ready market in the populous Iraqi nation. The main difference in the customer profile in the local and Iraqi market is the unique culture characterized by Islamic religion which determines a cceptability of a product based on how it is marketed. However, the similarity in the two markets is quality preference among the users of the Sketchers Shape Ups product. Considering the unique culture in Iraqi market, the ideal media for advertisement would be television since every household in Iraq owns a television set and the product targets everyone. References Birdsall, C. Johnston, N. (2010). Achieving brand-driven business success. Design Management Review, 19(2), 67-74. Jedidi, K., Mela, C. Gupta, S. (2007). Managing advertising and promotion for long-run profitability. Marketing Science Winter, 18(1), 1-22. Steenkamp, J., Nijs, V., Hanssens, D. Dekimpe, M. (2005). Competitive reactions to advertising and promotion attacks. Marketing Science Winter, 24(1), 35-54. This essay on Sketchers Shape Ups marketing plan was written and submitted by user Dirty Titmouse to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on DNA

With the start of the new millennium having rapidly passed us by without technology failing us as we were all fearfully expecting, it is safe to come to the conclusion that we can count on technology to benefit us in many ways, one way being as a crime-fighting tool. No, science has not yet built something that we can see the future with. It is not surprising that technological advances are being utilized all over the country, as well as the world, to fight crime by deferring criminals as well as catching them after the act. Throughout history, detectives have searched for the perfect method of catching law breakers. The use of DNA by law enforcement in recent years has been proven its extraordinary value in identifying criminals who, in the absence of this technology, would go free. This While it’s true that the old fashioned way of fighting crime is still necessary (policemen on the beat, investigations, etc.), we now have advanced methods of finding the worst criminals using forensic science. A crime can occur in the middle of the night or in an isolated area where no witnesses are present. It’s only the evidence left behind that os the true witness to their crime.... Free Essays on DNA Free Essays on DNA With the start of the new millennium having rapidly passed us by without technology failing us as we were all fearfully expecting, it is safe to come to the conclusion that we can count on technology to benefit us in many ways, one way being as a crime-fighting tool. No, science has not yet built something that we can see the future with. It is not surprising that technological advances are being utilized all over the country, as well as the world, to fight crime by deferring criminals as well as catching them after the act. Throughout history, detectives have searched for the perfect method of catching law breakers. The use of DNA by law enforcement in recent years has been proven its extraordinary value in identifying criminals who, in the absence of this technology, would go free. This While it’s true that the old fashioned way of fighting crime is still necessary (policemen on the beat, investigations, etc.), we now have advanced methods of finding the worst criminals using forensic science. A crime can occur in the middle of the night or in an isolated area where no witnesses are present. It’s only the evidence left behind that os the true witness to their crime....

Overview of the Peoples Crusade

Overview of the People's Crusade A popular movement of crusaders, mostly commoners but also including individuals from all levels of society, who did not wait for the official leaders of the expedition but took off for the Holy Land early, unprepared and inexperienced. The Peoples Crusade was also known as: The Peasants Crusade, The Popular Crusade, or The Crusade of the Poor People. The Peoples Crusade has also been termed the first wave of crusaders by noted Crusades scholar Jonathan Riley-Smith, who has pointed out the difficulty of distinguishing separate crusade expeditions among the almost ceaseless stream of pilgrims from Europe to Jerusalem. How the Peoples Crusade got started: In November 1095, Pope Urban II made a speech at the Council of Clermont calling for Christian warriors to go to Jerusalem and free it from the rule of Muslim Turks. Urban no doubt envisioned an organized military campaign led by those whose entire social class had been built around military prowess: the nobility. He set the official date of departure for mid-August of the following year, knowing the time it would take for funds to be raised, supplies to be procured and armies to be organized. Shortly after the speech, a monk known as Peter the Hermit also began to preach Crusade. Charismatic and passionate, Peter (and probably several others like him, whose names are lost to us) appealed not just to a select portion of travel-ready combatants but to all Christians men, women, children, the elderly, nobles, commoners even serfs. His enthralling sermons fired the religious zeal in his listeners, and many people not only resolved to go on Crusade but to go right then and there, some even following Peter himself. The fact that they had little food, less money, and no military experience did not deter them in the least; they believed they were on a holy mission, and that God would provide. Armies of the Peoples Crusade: For some time, the participants in the Peoples Crusade were regarded as nothing more than peasants. While it is true many of them were commoners of one variety or another, there were also noblemen among their ranks, and the individual bands that formed were usually led by trained, experienced knights. For the most part, to call these bands armies would be a gross overstatement; in many cases, the groups were simply a collection of pilgrims traveling together. Most were on foot and armed with crude weapons, and discipline was almost nonexistent. However, some of the leaders were able to exercise more control over their followers, and a crude weapon can still inflict serious damage; so scholars continue to refer to some of these groups as armies. The Peoples Crusade moves through Europe: In March 1096, bands of pilgrims began to journey eastward through France and Germany on their way to the Holy Land. Most of them followed an ancient road of pilgrimage that ran along the Danube and into Hungary, then south into the Byzantine Empire and its capital, Constantinople. There they expected to cross the Bosphorus to territory controlled by the Turks in Asia Minor. The first to leave France was Walter Sans Avoir, who commanded a retinue of eight knights and a large company of infantry. They proceeded with surprisingly little incident along the old pilgrim route, only encountering any real trouble in Belgrade when their foraging got out of hand. Their early arrival at Constantinople in July took the Byzantine leaders by surprise; they had not had time to prepare proper lodging and supplies for their western visitors. More bands of crusaders coalesced around Peter the Hermit, who followed not far behind Walter and his men. Greater in number and less disciplined, Peters followers encountered more trouble in the Balkans. At Zemun, the last town in Hungary before reaching the Byzantine border, a riot broke out and many Hungarians were killed. The crusaders wanted to escape punishment by crossing the Sava River into Byzantium, and when Byzantine forces tried to stop them, violence ensued. When Peters followers got to Belgrade they found it deserted, and they probably sacked it in their ongoing quest for food. At nearby Nish, the governor allowed them to exchange hostages for supplies, and the town almost escaped without damage until some Germans set fire to mills as the company was leaving. The governor sent troops to attack the retreating crusaders, and although Peter ordered them not to, many of his followers turned to face the attackers and were cut down. Eventually, they reached Constantinople without further incident, but the Peoples Crusade had lost many participants and funds, and they had inflicted serious damage on the lands between their homes and Byzantium. Many other bands of pilgrims followed after Peter, but none made it to the Holy Land. Some of them faltered and turned back; others were sidetracked in some of the most horrific pogroms in medieval European history. The Peoples Crusade and the First Holocaust: The speeches of Pope Urban, Peter the Hermit, and others of his ilk had stirred up more than a pious yearning to see the Holy Land. Urbans appeal to the warrior elite had painted Muslims as enemies of Christ, subhuman, loathsome, and in need of vanquishing. Peters speeches were even more incendiary. From this malevolent viewpoint, it was a small step to see Jews in the same light. It was, sadly, an all-too-common belief that Jews had not only killed Jesus but that they continued to pose a threat to good Christians. Added to this was the fact that some Jews were notably prosperous, and they made the perfect target for greedy lords, who used their followers to massacre entire Jewish communities and plunder them for their wealth. The violence that was perpetrated against European Jews in the spring of 1096 is a significant turning point in Christian and Jewish relations. The horrific events, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Jews, have even been called the First Holocaust. From May to July, pogroms occurred at Speyer, Worms, Mainz, and Cologne. In some cases, the bishop of the town or local Christians, or both, sheltered their neighbors. This was successful at Speyer but proved futile in other Rhineland towns. The attackers sometimes demanded that the Jews convert to Christianity on the spot or lose their lives; not only did they refuse to convert, but some even killed their children and themselves rather than die at the hands of their tormentors. The most notorious of the anti-Jewish crusaders was Count Emicho of Leiningen, who was definitely responsible for the attacks on Mainz and Cologne and may have had a hand in the earlier massacres. After the bloodshed along the Rhine was over, Emicho led his forces onward to Hungary. His reputation preceded him, and the Hungarians would not let him pass. After a three-week siege, Emichos forces were crushed, and he went home in disgrace. The pogroms were decried by many Christians of the day. Some even pointed to these crimes as the reason God forsook their fellow crusaders at Nicaea and Civetot. The end of the Peoples Crusade: By the time Peter the Hermit arrived in Constantinople, Walter Sans Avoirs army had been restlessly waiting there for weeks. Emperor Alexius convinced Peter and Walter that they should wait in Constantinople until the main body of Crusaders, who were massing in Europe under powerful noble commanders, arrived. But their followers were not happy with the decision. Theyd undergone a long journey and many trials to get there, and they were eager for action and glory. Furthermore, there still wasnt enough food and supplies for everyone, and foraging and theft were rampant. So, less than a week after Peters arrival, Alexius ferried the Peoples Crusade across the Bosporus and into Asia Minor. Now the crusaders were in a truly hostile territory where there was little food or water to be found anywhere, and they had no plan for how to proceed. They quickly began squabbling amongst themselves. Eventually, Peter returned to Constantinople to elicit help from Alexius, and the Peoples Crusade broke into two groups: one primarily made up of Germans with a few Italians, the other of Frenchmen. Toward the end of September, the French crusaders managed to loot a suburb of Nicaea. The Germans decided to do the same. Unfortunately, Turkish forces expected another attack and surrounded the German crusaders, who managed to take refuge in the fortress at Xerigordon. After eight days, the Crusaders surrendered. Those who did not convert to Islam were killed on the spot; those who did convert were enslaved and sent eastward, never to be heard from again. The Turks then sent a forged message to the French crusaders, telling of great riches the Germans had acquired. In spite of warnings from wiser men, the Frenchmen took the bait. They rushed onward, only to be ambushed at Civetot, where every last crusader was slaughtered. The Peoples Crusade was over. Peter considered returning home but instead remained in Constantinople until the main body of the more organized crusading forces arrived. The text of this document is copyright  ©2011-2015 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. 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