Reasons for the rise of Venice

Good leadership Venice was fortunate to have had a number of very good and capable top leaders who took steps to make her strong and wealthy. First, there was Doge Pietro II Orseolo who brought peace by reconciling the feuding cities, negotiating treaties with major powers and subduing the pirates in Dalmatia. Next, Doge Enrico Dandolo, by directing the Fourth Crusade in the 12th century and capitalizing on circumstances, weakened the Byzantine Empire and captured Constantinople. This brought recognition from the other states and helped Venice to control some of the important territories, which had once belonged to the Byzantine Empire. Finally, Doge Pietro Ziani followed an expansionist policy and extended Venices control over the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, due to the work of her far-sighted leaders, Venice was systematically transformed from a small city-state into a huge, powerful and wealthy maritime empire. Reforms in government From the 12th century onwards changes were made to the structure of government. One change was the creation of the Great Council, made up of men from the most powerful and influential families in Venice. This council had multiple roles to perform including the election of capable members to all councils and the passing of laws. It was later reorganized, with the formation of the Senate, in the 13th century so that it could focus on the more important duties. For example, it oversaw foreign relations matters, commercial matters and the operations of the Venetian fleet. These changes were necessitated by the new challenges that were posed by Venices growth. To maintain a system of checks and balances on power held by the top officials, the Council of Ten was formed. It could even limit the power of the Doge and dealt with critical matters such as those concerning the internal security of the state. As a result of these governmental changes, Venice built up a system of government that was well prepared to meet the demands of the people and the growing city-state. Thus this was an important reason for the rise of Venice. Trade developments and expansion For instance, Venice displayed a highly positive and aggressive attitude towards trade. It was skilful at obtaining favourable terms of trade compared to its competitors, such as Genoa, and so had an edge over them. Furthermore, the Venetians showed an enterprising spirit which took them to distant unfamiliar lands in search of new routes and new items of trade as well as new markets. This helped Venice to grow in trade. Additionally, Venice made good use of advances in maritime technology (in the fields of navigation and weaponry). These gave Venetian vessels to voyage even in winter time. Venices superb shipbuilding skills led to the construction of vessels that were superior to those of their competitors. The armed Venetian great galleys were able to range further than before and so help expand its trade reach. Added to this was the states efficient management system for all voyages made by Venetian ships. Venice did not shy away from the use of force to achieve its commercial ambitions. It fought and defeated its closest trade competitor, Genoa, in the late

14th century and thus effectively took control of the Mediterranean Sea. This and its strategic position enabled Venice to impose a lucrative monopoly on the trade in goods from the East, such as spices and sugar. Thus, the strong, positive and aggressive attitude that Venice took towards trade, aided by innovations in maritime technology and an efficient system of management of trade, helped push Venice ahead of its rivals and to rise to prominence and wealth. Industrial development These developments were prompted by the expansion of Venices trade. For instance, the states ship-building industry, centralized at the Arsenal, kept pace with the demand for great galleys in the 13th century. The Arsenal became the backbone of Venices maritime industry and power. As Venetians grew wealthier, they began to demand for goods, such as glassware. This in turn led to the growth of manufacturing industries. New industries, such as the printing industry, also assisted in the rise of Venice by creating more jobs. Thus industrial development helped generate more employment which attracted even foreign talents to Venice. The industries helped create more wealth for Venice and in that way helped it to rise. Innovative practices of the Venetians The Venetians were innovative in trade and business. They came up with the double-entry bookkeeping system and also had Giro-banking, which facilitated trade between Venice and people from various regions. As a result of these innovative practices, trade was further facilitated as traders came to Venice encouraged by the convenience and efficiency of Venices trade-related services Challenges faced by Venice in the period between the 14th and 18th centuries Maritime competition In the 15th century of the Portuguese succeeded in pioneering a new sea trade route to the East. As a result, they destroyed Venices monopoly of the lucrative spice trade and greatly reduced the large profits which the Venetian traders had earned. However, Venice continued to function as a trade centre in the western Mediterranean Sea. Venice also expanded its trade to the North Sea. Further maritime challenges to Venice came from firstly, the Dutch and then the English who from the 17th century, began to venture to the East too to get their supplies, thus bypassing the Venetians. This affected Venices position as an entrepot port. The Dutch and British had better-designed ships than the Venetians too. As a result of these maritime challenges, Venice imposed a protectionist policy. They imposed higher duties on foreign traders. This policy drove traders away from Venetian ports. Thus Venice lost some of its trading partners. Foreign threats Firstly, their involvement in the mainland was brought about by their desire to protect their territories and commercial interests. This they did by taking advantage of the rivalry among the mainland states. Venice constantly switched alliances with different opposing states. This was risky (as Venice could be attacked) and so Venice had to build up a mercenary army. Another threat was

from the Ottoman Empire, which competed, with Venice for control of the Adriatic Sea. Venice had to use its precious galleys to fight the Ottomans. This disrupted its use of galleys for trading purposes. Also, to contain the Ottomans Venice tried to strike a balance of power with the Ottomans and their European neighbours at the same time. This action caused its European neighbours to develop a deep hostility towards Venice. Venices growing influence in the region made it unpopular among the various mainland states. This led them to create a military alliance against Venice. It was known as the League of Cambrai. It fought wars against Venice and had some success in taking over some of Venices territories. As a result of the many wars fought by Venice against its various foreign threats, Venices resources were weakened. This forced Venice to take the unpopular step of raising taxes to finance the employment of its mercenary armies. Political challenges Prosperity brought with it a weakening of the government. This gradually led to Venices political decline. For example, the shrinking number of nobility as older families died, affected their appointment to the highest offices. Policies were created not to serve the interests of the city-state but the self interests of the nobility. From the 16th century a small group of rich nobles dominated the government. As a result, renewal of leadership became a challenge and corruption became inevitable. Due to the policy of rotation of duties, even when there were no competent officers available to take over, power was handed to incompetent officers. This led to disastrous consequences for Venice in its wars against the Ottomans fro example. There was also growing corruption in the government as poor nobles sold their votes at a high price. This meant that wealth and not talent or capability determined leadership. This led to incompetent leaders taking positions in government. Due to its small population and many enemies, Venice became over-dependent on mercenaries to fight its wars. This was a costly decision as the loyalty of these troops was questionable. Lessons to learn for Singapore Nation building developing sense of belonging and loyalty Venices leaders and people at its peak showed determination in dealing with harsh conditions by maintaining social cohesion and developing a sense of belonging and loyalty, such as by forming guilds. This enabled the integration of foreign talent and labourers. However, during its decline, Venetians were complacent due to past success and cared more for themselves than the state. Hence, countries can learn that it is important to prepare people to make sacrifices for and remain committed to the nation in the face of challenges and not to be complacent. A committed citizen with a sense of belonging and rootedness will be willing to learn new skills and explore new opportunities in the face of changing times in order for the country to grow and prosper. A cohesive and stable society is required in order to bring about changes in the countrys development strategies. Adapting to changes and facing future challenges

At its peak, Venetians were efficient, innovative and enterprising, for examples in maritime technology and giro-banking. These innovations attracted foreign traders and boosted its wealth. However, during its decline, Venice did not keep up with the times. For example, they were not skilled to operate new ship designs and passed unpopular trade laws that deterred foreign traders. Hence, countries can learn that it is important to adapt to changes taking place eg globalisation and Information Technology so as to make good use of opportunities to expand trade and increase prosperity. Need for Capable and committed leadership Capable leaders such as Doge Pietro II Orseolo was able to reconcile feuding cities, negotiated treaties with major powers and subdued the pirates in Dalmatia. Peace would in turn boost trade in the region. Doge Pietro Ziani captured Constantinople, which marked the beginning of Venices growth as a maritime empire. Venice rose because its leaders were willing to place state interests above their personal interests. In the 14th century, the Council of Ten monitored the activities of organizations and officials to ensure that there were no corrupt practices or abuse of power by the Doge or any high-ranking official. The Great Council exercised its authority by limiting the power of the Doge. In the course of Venetian history, there had been Doges who were forced into exile or arrested by the Council of Ten for corrupt practices such as nepotism or attempting to become too powerful. There were effective checks on power & preventing the concentration of power. However, in the 16th century, the leaders became corrupt, neglected their responsibilities and chose to adopt lavish lifestyles. Venice fell also because of the weak process of selecting its military leaders. Good and honest leaders can ensure a stable & competent government, which can then bring peace, stability & prosperity to the country. Maintaining good international relations When the Ottomans attacked Venice, none of the other Italian city states came to help as Venice became arrogant and dubious in its relations with these neighbour states. It is thus important for every country to have friends in the regional and international community e.g. ASEAN and UN. There is a need to build close ties and good relations with other countries.

Description on the Fall Of Venice.

The rise of bigger and more powerful European nations led to the downfall of Venice. Political developments in the mainland states and emergence of Ottoman Empire posed major threat to Venice as it drained Venice financially; in order to build up its military and defense against these threats. For example, from around the 13th century, the Ottoman Empire began expanding its influence from the Middle East into Europe. Ottoman had replaced Genoa as Venices greatest competitor for maritime control. The Venetians could not face the large Ottoman armies on their own and their involvement in mainland had drained a large part of the city-states energy and resources.

Venice, as a result, was forced to give some of its less important territories to avoid further losses. Venetians had to fight hard to maintain control of Adriatic Sea. The Ottoman had acquired territories along coast of Adriatic Sea and launched attacks at Venetians territories from here. Venice had to resort to galleys to fight off attack which disrupt its trading purposes. The Ottoman Empire also stated sea campaigns and fought a seven-war with the Venetians for control of the Aegean Sea and Adriatic Sea. These had drained Venices resources and manpower and disrupted trade. Venice had to contain the power of the Ottoman and had to strike a balance of power with the Ottoman and European neighbors at the same time. Their actions caused European neighbors to develop a deep postulation for Venice. The Ottoman Empire had caused threats to Venice via sea and land competitions in areas such as trade. Venice had lost trade competition to Ottoman Empire and affected Venice negatively. This eventually led to the fall of Venice. Another one competition that Venice faced is the league of Cambria. Venices growing influence in the region made it unpopular among the various mainland states. Some larger states felt theta Venice was gaining too much power and control over northern Italy and wanted to recapture Dentition territories. Therefore the European countries set up a military alliance in 1508 known as the league of Cambria which consisted of most major powers in Europe. It aimed to reduce the power of Venice and divide its territories amongst the larger states. In one of the battle, Agnadello, the Venetian mercenary army was badly defeated, and many of its territories fell to members of the League. Due to that, Venices political and military capabilities is seeing weakened. In an attempt to negotiate for peace, it also results in the losing of states by gaining concession in terms of territories. The lost of wars also drained and weekend Venices resources. Venice had to raise taxes to finance the employment of its mercenary armies to replenish its military power. This lead to weakening of political stability in the Venice state as well. As nobles were forced to give up their pay in order to finance the military, this caused unrest and disorder to the state, which contributed to internal strife and fall of Venice ultimately.

SUSTAINING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

How do nations sustain their economic development in a globalised world? Driving forces of globalisation: Developments in transportation Improvements in transportation have shrunk the world considerably in terms of time taken to get from one place to another. Containerisation has reduced the time and cost of moving goods over long distances. It has also greatly simplified the transfer of goods from one mode of transportation to another as containers can be easily transferred from ships to trucks. In a globalizing world, there is an increasing mobility of goods and people. Countries have built efficient and integrated transportation infrastructure to facilitate this movement. The efficient transport network worldwide has made it possible for goods to be moved around the world easily. At the same time, it has also meant that people can travel easily. Developments in communications Improvement in technology has made communications among people in different locations faster and more convenient. People across the globe can communicate via tools such as telephone, electronic mail, fax and video conferencing. Satellite technology has enabled messages to be transmitted from one location and received in another part of the world almost simultaneously. Similarly, optical fibre systems have very large carrying capacity and transmit information at very high speed. The Internet has greatly transformed the way one communicates, conducts business, obtain information and purchases goods and services. It has enabled consumers to gather information about new products and places. Transnational corporations Transnational corporations (TNCs) are large global firms that operate in a number of countries and have production or service facilities outside the country of their origin. This is due to a variety of reasons such as to lower cost of production and to find new markets. These worldwide operations are coordinated and controlled by the headquarters located in the country of origin. As such, the economies around the world became more integrated. There is also increased exchange of ideas among the people based in different countries but are from the same TNCs leading to more globalisation. Ways to increase Singapores competitiveness in a globalizing world Diversifying the economy Singapore aims to promote technology-intensive, higher value-added manufacturing activities in the electronics, chemical engineering and engineering fields. In addition, Singapore is venturing into areas like Life Sciences, which involves the study of genetic and development of new medical treatment using gene therapy, new drugs and food products that have been genetically modified, Having vibrant service sectors such as education, healthcare, tourism and banking also plays an important role in increasing Singapores competitiveness. Singapore is also being promoted as an education

and healthcare hub. Many foreign universities have set up their branches here. At the same time, people in the region are coming to Singapore to seek medical treatment due to our high standards of healthcare. Diversifying the economy ensures that the Singapore economy remains stable in the event of the downturn of one sector of the economy. A stable economy enhances Singapores competitiveness in a globalising world. Ventures abroad through regionalization Singapore ventures abroad through regionalization, which involves investing in nearby countries that have abundant land, lower labour costs and new markets. The Singapore government and Singapore-based companies aim to provide the infrastructure, expertise and money to develop industrial parts in host countries. In return, the host countries provide land and labour for Singapore companies. Venturing abroad enhances Singapores competitiveness as it opens up new markets for trade. Nurturing growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Nurturing growth of SMEs promotes Singapore development as these local businesses will be able to generate employment for the country. SMEs play an important role in Singapores economy. Today, SMEs make up a large percentage of businesses in the Singapore economy. SMEs also support the operations of Transnational Corporations by supplying them with components in the manufacturing process. The SMEs increase Singapores competitiveness as it enhances the attractiveness of Singapore as a regional manufacturing and services hub. Expanding market reach through economic cooperation Singapore has a small market due to our small population size. It is necessary for us to establish trade ties with other countries to enable the local companies to sell their goods to a larger market. One way is to sign the Free Trade Agreement or set up Special Economic Zones whereby taxes on goods are removed. This makes it cheaper for the companies to import or export goods, leading to cost saving for the companies as well as encouraging the companies to venture aboard and find new markets. Companies will be able to sell their goods to more countries and increase their profits. Thus ensuring economic growth for the country. Managing our resources efficiently Singapore is a small country with limited resources. People are our most precious resource. Hence it is essential to develop our people to have the right mindset and skills to thrive in the globalising world. Our people are encouraged to go for continuous learning to upgrade their skills and stay relevant in the globalising world. The country also promotes entrepreneurs and technoprenuers so that we have people who are willing to take risk and come up with new products to compete with the foreign companies. Our country also actively attracts foreign talent as we have declining birth rate and we need new skills in the knowledge-based economy. These foreign talents will not only bring skills to our companies, they also bring in overseas business contacts as well. Thus, by managing our resources, it will help Singapore sustain its' economic growth.

Conclusion: Diversifying the economy by developing various sectors of the industry is important as it will help reduce Singapores dependence on a single industry or market. Should any sector of the economy slow down, the other sectors can continue to generate revenue. Venturing abroad is also important as it allows Singapore to spread her investments across the world. Similar to diversifying the economy, it ensures that Singapores growth is maintained even if the markets and investment opportunities in one particular region are weakened, however, venturing abroad can result in many Singaporeans relocating abroad permanently. This can lead to a situation similar to Indias brain drain. Other factors such nurturing the growth of SMEs and managing resources are also vital for Singapores success. Therefore to overcome the challenges of a globalising world, Singapore has to continue to adopt different strategies and stay creative and open to new ideas and opportunities. Is globalisation beneficial or harmful to Singapores economic growth? Explain your answer. Harmful Increased competition among countries - compete to be attractive by offering incentives as TNCs constantly seek out lower production costs. So countries with lower costs, good infrastructure and political stability get ahead eg Dalian has well-developed infrastructure to support industrial growth, has Hi-Tech industrial facilities and can offer lower taxes. So, attracted foreign manufacturing companies eg Nokia. Another eg is Maersk Sealand shifting its transshipment hub from Singapore to rival port, Tanjong Pelepas. Loss of big clients resulted in loss of revenue. Posed a challenge to Singapore as difficult to compete with countries with lots of resources, cheaper labour and land eg China & India & TNCs - Increased income gap between rich and poor within nation. More highly educated or those who possess better skills are better off than poorly skilled. Latter are the ones who would be the first to be retrenched. Not only economic problem but social problems if not properly managed eg affect social cohesion. Lack of cohesion affects economic growth. - Might lead to brain drain of talent to developed countries which can offer better prospects Beneficial More trade and foreign investments - Bigger market through FTAs, SEZs lead to more revenue, which translates to improvements in standard of living as money, used for improvements in infrastructure, health, housing, communications - More job opportunities and increase in average household incomes eg $4940 in 2000 to $5400 in 2005. So, higher purchasing power and higher standard of living - Coming of foreign talents -brings with it overseas contact and more business opportunities. Translates to increase in earnings and economic growth.

 Increased in tourists - globalization has shrunk the world, enabling more countries to know about Singapore and taking interest to visit the country - Better communication has boost travel

How far do you agree that environment degradation is the most serious adverse effect of globalisation? Explain your answer. Many environmentalists have argued that globalisation can be a destructive force to the natural environment and have protested against it. When TNCs set up plants in different parts of the world, many of them use natural resources such as timber, oil and metals at a rapid rate. At the same time, developing countries are eager to gain the economic benefits that come with globalisation. Very often, the natural environment suffers because these development countries are more concerned with economic development than environment protection. Environment degradation poses a serious problem to the countries as well as to the rest of the world, bring about problems like global warming which has far reaching consequences. Future generations will suffer as a result of the irresponsible actions of the present generation. Globalisation has rapidly increased the income gap between the rich and poor countries. It has resulted in rapid development in many countries. However, it has also increased the spread of poverty in many countries. The developed countries are experiencing rapid income growth as they own most of the manufacturing activities. On the other hand, the developing countries often face trade barriers imposed by the developed countries. They are not capable of producing quality goods, which command high prices and fetch large revenue. The situation of widening income gap poses a serious problem to the countries that embrace globalisation as it may adversely affect social cohesion. IF not probably managed, it may lead to many other social problems such as an increase in crime rates. Globalisation may also lead to a loss of local culture. Globalisation has resulted in global brands such as Starbucks and McDonalds dominating the consumer market in developing countries. These corporations with their standardised methods of operation have outlets that are identical in appearance. In this way, these corporations have created a homogenous culture across the world and eroded the local culture. The loss of local culture poses a serious problem to the country because when the culture is eroded, it would be difficult to re-create. As such, the identity of the country is at stake. Environment degradation is the most serious problem posed by globalization as the impact is the most pervasive as compared to the other two problems. Environment problems such as deforestation and global warming are international issues that affect everyone. However, the problem of widening income gap and loss of local culture affect only the country concerned.

What is Transnational Terrorism?

Transnational Terrorism refers to acts of violence which are global in terms of their aims, organization and impact. Terrorists are groups that deliberately use violence to create fear among people in order to fulfil their political objectives. Impacts of Transnational Terrorism Economic impact The impact of transnational terrorism can be economic in nature. When there is a terrorist attack, lives are lost, buildings destroyed and businesses lost. The government has to spend huge amounts of money to rebuild the country and this means that other areas of development in the country will be affected. Moreover, there is loss of earnings for many people involved in the travel and tourism trade as many tourists avoid travelling to a country that has suffered a terrorist attack. This could lead to loss of employment as well as closure of businesses. Terrorist attacks put additional economic strain on the government, which is expected to help individuals adversely affected by terrorist acts. Social impact One of the aims of terrorists is to disrupt the daily lives of the people living in the country as well as cause problems for the government. Terrorist acts can adversely affect peaceful relations among the races in multiracial societies. Some consequences of the 11 September terror attacks in the United States were attacks on members of certain ethnic groups. If unchecked, this could have the potential of developing into riots between different ethnic groups. . Such terrorist acts also have the potential to cause certain ethnic groups to feel targeted as they might be singled out for increased security checks or viewed suspiciously by others in the community. This might cause a feeling of alienation as well as happiness among this group of people. Political impact Governments have a responsibility to keep their citizens safe from terrorists. As a result, governments have had to tighten various controls such as stepping up border security to ensure that terrorists do not slip into the country. These border security measures involve greater check on travellers identities and belongings, slowing down immigration clearance as a result. Intrusive legislations aimed at countering terrorism have also been introduced. Critics argue that these measures and laws infringe on individual freedom and personal privacy. Indeed, the transnational terrorism threat has generated much debate on the trade-off between security and freedom. What is the most serious impact? The most detrimental impact to Singapore is the social impact. Although the economic losses caused by terrorist acts can be tremendous, these can be minimised through assistance from the government, international organisations or sympathetic governments. The country will be able to rebuild itself and its economy after some time has passed. The social impact is most detrimental as it results in the loss of human lives, the cost of which is immeasurable to the families involved. No amount of monetary aid will be able to compensate for the loss of lives.

Measures to manage Transnational Terrorism ASEANs effort to manage terrorism Terrorism is seen as a direct challenge to the achievement of peace, progress and security in ASEAN. As such, ASEAN governments have pledged their determination to cooperate against the transnational terrorists through joint police and intelligence measures. For example, ASEAN has pledged to enhance information and intelligence exchange on terrorists and terrorist activities. This has helped member countries to disrupt terrorist activities on their soil. In January 2002, the Philippine authorities arrested the JI bomber-maker Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi based on information provided to them by Singapore. The members also used the ASEAN Regional Forum to discuss transnational terrorism issues. In January 2007, ASEAN leaders signed, The Convention on Counter-terrorism to legally bind their commitment of their national security and law enforcement agencies to work closely to fight the threat together. International Efforts to Combat terrorism The UN passed a series of resolutions in a bid to stop terrorism. The resolutions aimed at getting all member countries to freeze the financial assets of terrorists and their supporters, deny them travel and safe haven, prevent terrorist recruitment and weapons supply, and cooperate with other countries in information sharing and criminal prosecution. The UN also set up a CounterTerrorism Committee to monitor member countries adherence to the resolutions as well as to strengthen the counter-terrorism capacity of UN member states. The committee also provides technical assistance to countries that require help in implementing the resolutions. Member countries have managed to freeze more than US$200 million of terrorist funding. Through the sharing of information among members, more than 4000 terrorist suspects have been arrested. Nurturing an environment that censures terrorism All members of society have a role to play in countering the threat of terrorism. Terrorist narratives are typically founded on ideas of hate and enmity. Many of these ideas also glorify the use of violence, and instigate and falsely sanction a person to commit such acts. There must not be any ambiguity in societys stand against these ideas that fuel terrorism. If a society does not firmly, unequivocally and actively reject these ideas being propagated by terrorists, the ideas may slowly gain legitimacy. Every individual has a role to play to deny the terrorists space in society. What is the best way to combat terrorism? Despite regional and international efforts, the international community has not been completely successful in getting rid of the threat of Transnational

Terrorism. Todays terrorism cannot be dealt with just by arresting the terrorist operatives. Terrorists have been able to recruit new operatives to replace those who have been arrested or killed. Terrorist recruitment continues to take place because the terrorists are able to spread extremist and terrorist ideology in a globalizing world where communication technologies like the Internet can be exploited. It is therefore crucial that society play its part to counter such radical and extremist influences by nurturing an environment that censures terrorism. Every individual has a role to play to deny the terrorists space in society.