Last day of Holidays

Secret War Journal[13 September 2009]
Oh great,it's the last day already. I hardly did anything. If it weren't for my previous posts during the holidays, I wouldn't even remember what I did during the Holidays.(okay, maybe not that serious but then again...)

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Revision Progress

Well, since last Thursday, I had stopped revising on Elementary Mathematics and Chemistry and focused greatly on Combined Humanities.
Sad to say, I can't remember them in great detail. Okay, so my memory sucks, I thought everyone knew that?

Memorised Points for(may not be correct because I'm using my memory on this):

• Rise of Venice 
1. Political Reasons:
1. Leadership -> Establishing Control in Adriatic Sea
2. Leadership -> Building Venetian Empire
3. Leadership -> Expanding Venetian Empire in the Mediterranean Sea
Reforms in the Government
4. Meeting the challenges of a growing city-state -> Creation of the Great Council
5. Meeting the challenges of a growing city-state -> Specialisation of duties -> The Senate
6. Maintaining checks and Balances -> Effective Checks on power
7. Maintaining checks and Balances -> Preventing concentration of power
2. Economic Reasons:
1. Trade development and expansion -> Attitude intowards trade
2. Trade development and expansion -> Trade Monopoly
3. Trade development and expansion -> AdvancesInnovations in Maritime Technology
4. Trade development and expansion -> EfficientEfficiency in planning Voyages
5. Trade development and expansion -> Overcoming trade rivalscompetition
6. Innovative Practices -> Giro-Banking
7. Innovative Practices -> Double-Entry Bookkeeping
Almost forgot this(can't finger what it was earlier)
8. Industrial Development -> Manufacturing Industries
9. Industrial Development -> Trade-related Industries
3. Social Reasons:
1. Loyalty-> Venetians have sense of belonging to Venice
2. Attracting Foreign Talent
• Fall of Venice
1. Internal Reasons:
1. Incapable Leaders
2. Corruption -> Due to war, salaries of civil servants were suspended, encouraging bribery to but entry into leadership posts
3. Over-dependence on mercenaries > Mercenaries are not loyal to Venice
4. Social Aspect -> Complacency and Indulgence in luxury
2. External Reasons:
1. Involvement in Mainland -> Struggle to maintain control
2. The Ottoman Empire -> War
3. League of Cambrai -> An alliance of countries which were jealous of Venice's success
4. Discovery of Sea Routes -> Challenge Venice's trade Monopoly
5. New Trade Rivals -> E.g. Spain, Britain
• Lessons Learnt from Venice
1. Nation-Building -> Building a sense of identity?
2. Relations with other countries
3. Government
4. Sustaining Economic Growth
• Key driving forces of Globalisation
1. Advancement in Communications -> E.g.Internet, phone
2. Advancement in Transportation -> E.g. Containerisation, Planes
3. Role of Transnational Corporations
• Impact of Globalisation
1. Positive
• Economic -> Increased standard of living
• Economic -> Increased competition among nations
• Social -> Increased awareness of foreign culture
• Environmental -> Awareness of Environmental Management
2. Negative(adverse)
• Economic -> Increased competition
• Economic -> Brain Drain
Case Study: India
• Economic -> Widening Income gaps between the rich and poor
• Social -> Loss of culture
• Environmental -> Environmental Degradation
Example: Global Warming, Deforestation
• Strategies taken by Singapore in a globalised World.
1. Diversification of Economy
2. Venturing aboard
3. Nurturing growth of SMEs
4. Expanding Market reach through economic co-operations
Example: FTAs
5. Managing Resources Efficiently
• Developing People
1. Entrepreneurship
2. Upgrading workers for continuous working
• Attracting Foreign Talent
• Managing Environment
1. Public Education
2. Managing limited land resources
3. Co-operating with regional and international agreements
• War on Pacific(read below)
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• Korean War

Topics that I only have a rough idea on:

• Managing Healthcare(Singapore and Britain)[No idea what's NHS 2000 and 2004!!!]
  
• Deterrence and Diplomacy
• War on Europe
• Nazi Germany
• Fascist Japan
• Communist Russia

The rest, I pretty much did not even touch. I accidentally gave away my Secondary 3 Social Studies Textbook which pretty much explains why most the chapters in it are not touched or not well prepared. :o

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Note: Words in Orange are added later.

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Oh boy, I had not done the Chemistry TYS on Macromolecules (I forgot!) and it's due tomorrow. Hmm.. which to do first?

F.Y.I. Yes, I'm concentrating on Social Studies today, yesterday was History.

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War on Pacific

Why was peace threatened?

• Japan's Foreign Policy (To build an empire in South-east Asia, Free Asians from Western control, Living space for Japan's Population, to control resources)
• Military Aggression(Growing influence in Manchuria, Military acted without Government Permission, Marco Polo Bridge Incident)
• Poor Relations with the West -> western bias
  
• League of Nation -> Too weak to stop Japan

Why led to the outbreak of war?

•  War with China -> Japan with few resources
• International Situation -> Neutrality Agreement with Russia; Colonies were left unprotected due to war in Europe
• Worsening Relations with U.S. -> Embargo on Japan; Increasing naval presence in Asia-Pacific
• War Minister Tojo became Prime Minister of Japan -> Made war more likely.

What were the reasons for Japan's Defeat?

• Japan stretched its armyJapan resources thinly stretched
  
• Dropping of Atomic Bombs
• Island Hopping Strategy by Allied Forces
• Not all ships were destroyed in Pearl Harbour during Japanese Attack.
• There were resistance against Japanese Occupation in captured colonies.
  

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If you find any information incorrect, please inform me! Thanks!

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Update @14 Sept 2009: 

Just realised that I missed out the reasons for the fall of the Diet Government this morning...=.=

Thank god, no serious adverse effects occurred. ;)