• Select a key battle or operation associated with combined arms maneuvers since WWII.
• Use the analytical framework from Assessment 1 to conduct a case study on the specific battle or operation you
choose.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Battle of Kasserine Pass: A Case Study of Combined Arms Maneuvers in WWII
Introduction
The Battle of Kasserine Pass, fought in February 1943 during World War II, was a critical engagement that showcased the importance of combined arms maneuvers in modern warfare. This battle serves as an excellent case study to analyze the effectiveness of integrating infantry, armor, artillery, and air support in achieving military objectives.
Background
The Battle of Kasserine Pass took place in Tunisia, North Africa, where the Allied forces, primarily composed of American and British troops, faced the German Afrika Korps led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The Allies, despite their numerical superiority, lacked experience in coordinating different branches of the military effectively.
Thesis Statement
Through an examination of the Battle of Kasserine Pass, it becomes evident that successful combined arms operations require coordination, communication, and flexibility among infantry, armor, artillery, and air support units.
Analysis
1. Infantry: The lack of infantry coordination and cohesive unit tactics among Allied forces at Kasserine Pass led to disorganized defenses and vulnerable flanks. Infantry units were unable to effectively hold ground without the support of other branches.
2. Armor: The German Panzer divisions utilized their tanks efficiently to exploit gaps in the Allied lines, showcasing the importance of armored units in maneuver warfare. The Allied armor forces were poorly coordinated and suffered significant losses due to inadequate support.
3. Artillery: The artillery support for Allied forces was often ineffective and poorly coordinated, failing to provide adequate fire support for infantry and armor units. This lack of integration hampered the overall combat effectiveness of the combined arms approach.
4. Air Support: The Luftwaffe’s air superiority played a crucial role in disrupting Allied communications and supply lines during the battle. The Allies struggled to establish air superiority due to ineffective coordination between air and ground forces.
Conclusion
The Battle of Kasserine Pass serves as a valuable case study highlighting the importance of effective combined arms operations in modern warfare. It underscores the necessity of coordination, communication, and flexibility among infantry, armor, artillery, and air support units to achieve military success on the battlefield. By learning from the mistakes and shortcomings of this battle, military strategists can better understand the principles of combined arms maneuvers and their significance in achieving victory in future conflicts.
