Work Of Muhammad Anwar Al Sadat History Essay

Work Of Muhammad Anwar Al Sadat History Essay On the sixth of October 1981, Anwar el Sadat reviewed the troops on the anniversary of the 1973 war. When all of a sudden a vehicle veered out of the marching column, men stormed out throwing hand grenades and firing with machine guns. Many were wounded and eleven dead, among them Anwar Sadat. Those men were uniformed men, which means they belonged to the Egyptian Army. Again this means that the Egyptian President was assassinated by his own army. Thus, many questions occur; who why etc. In order to find the answers, one has to dive into the life, events and history of this distinguished, controversial character, on whose tomb was carved, A man who lived for principles and died for peace. Muhammad Anwar Al Sadat (25december1918-6 October 1981) was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination on 6 October 1981. He was a senior member of the free officers group that overthrew the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, a close confidant of Gamal Abdel Nasser, whom he succeeded as President in 1970. He was born on the 25th of December 1918 Mit Abu al-Kum, Egypt. Died on the 6th of October 1981 (aged 63). In his eleven years ruling as president he changed Egypts direction, departing from some of the economic and political principles of Nasserism by reinstituting the multi-party system and launching the Infitah. His leadership in the October war of 1973 and the regaining of Sinai made him an Egyptian hero. His visit to Israel and the eventual Israel-Egypt peace posthumously, but was an act enormously unpopular with the Arab world and Islamists, and resulted in Egypt being expelled from the Arab League. Plotting against British Rule and King Farouk As a schoolboy, Sadat frequently demonstrated against the British, who occupied Egypt at that time. His heroes were all nationalists: Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Ataturk, and Egyptians Saad Zaghlul, Mustafa Kamil, and Mustafa Nahhas. He also admired a peasant martyr from Dinshaway (near Mit Abul Kom) whom the British had executed in 1906. One result of the 1936 treaty which Prime Minister Nahhas signed with the British was the opening of the military academy to lower middle class youths like Sadat and Gamal Abdel Nasser. Sadat graduated from the academy in 1938 and was posted to Manqabad in Upper Egypt. There he first met Nasser, a leader by nature, serious and somewhat aloof. The enthusiastic young officers talked politics, debating the best way to rid their country of the British. In 1939 Sadat entered the Signal Corps. While Nasser was off in the Sudan, Sadat plotted direct action against the British. Occasionally he met with Hassan Al-Banna, the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group of religious zealots who wanted to root out Western and secular influences and turn Egypt into a theocracy. Axis forces based in Libya pushed into Egypt in 1941, hoping to seize the vital Suez Canal. In the following year the British arrested Sadat for plotting with two German spies who were living in a Nile houseboat and trying to send information to Rommels army. Escaping from jail in October 1944, Sadat hid out until the end of the war which made it safe for him to resurface. He then participated in an unsuccessful attempt on the life of former Prime Minister Nahhas, who had cooperated with the British during the war. Sadats role in the killing of Amin Osman, an Anglophile politician, landed him back in jail in January 1946. Sadats friendship with King Farouks private doctor linked him to the Iron Guard, a secret palace organization which struck at the kings enemies. The trial of Sadat and others in the Amin Osman case was overshadowed by the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The principal defendant escaped; Sadat and the others were acquitted and released. After dabbling in business schemes for a year or two Sadat won reinstatement in the army. He reestablished contact with Nassers circle, which were now calling themselves Free Officers and planning to overthrow the corrupt and inept government. The riots of January 1952 destroyed foreign-owned businesses throughout Cairo and completed the publics disillusionment with the king and the old politicians. Nasser summoned Sadat to Cairo from his post in Sinai on the evening of July 22, 1952. But finding no further message from his chief, Sadat took his family to the movies and nearly missed the coup. However, it was Sadat who broadcast the news of the coup to the public on the morning of July 23. King Farouk was sent into exile and Brigadier Mohamed Naguib served as the Free Officers front man until Nasser broke with him and put him under house arrest in 1954. The posts Sadat held during the Nasser years were not quite at the center of power. He edited the regimes newspaper, al-Gumhuriya. He served as secretary-general of the Islamic Congress and of the National Union, the forerunner of the Arab Socialist Union and Egypts only political party. During the 1960s he was speaker of the National Assembly. Sadat, along with Field Marshall Abdel Hakim Amer, bears much of the responsibility for Egypts disastrous involvement in the Yemeni civil war (1962-1967). Then Egypts defeat by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War nearly destroyed Nassers regime. Aware of his ill-health and of plots against him, Nasser named Sadat vice president at the end of 1969. Nicknamed Major Yes-Yes for his acquiesces to Nassers wishes; Sadat had outlasted most of the other Free Officers who might have inherited the presidency. During Nassers presidency During the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Sadat war appointed Minister of State in 1954. In 1959, he assumed the position of Secretary to the National Union. Sadat was the president of the National Assembly (1960-1968) and then vice president and member of the presidential Council in 1964. He was reappointed as vice president again in December 1969. Presidency After Nassers death in 1970, Sadat succeeded him as President, but it was widely considered that this presidency would be shortly lived. Viewing him as having been little more than a puppet of the former President, Nassers supporters in government settled on Sadat as someone they could easily manipulate. Nassers supporters were well satisfied for six months until Sadat instituted the Corrective Revolution and purged Egypt of most of its other leaders and other elements of the Nasser era. In 1971, Sadat endorsed in a letter the peace proposals of UN negotiator Gunnar Jarring which seemed to lead to a full peace with Israel on the basis of Israels withdrawal to its pre-war borders. This peace initiative failed as neither the United States nor Israel accepted the terms discussed then. Sadat likely perceived that Israels desire to negotiate was directly correlated to how much of a military threat they perceived from Egypt, which after the Six-Day war of 1967, was at an all time low. Israel also viewed the most substantial part of the Egyptian threat as the presence of soviet equipment and personnel (in thousands at this time). It was for those reasons that Sadat expelled the Soviet military advisers from Egypt and proceeds to whip his army into shape for a renewed confrontation with Israel. 6th October War On the sixth of October, 1973 the shattering, unexpected news broke and spread all over the world. A war was launched by the Egyptian army against the Israelis putting an end to the latter occupation of some Egyptian and Syrian lands. The long-awaited victory was achieved. Bar Lev line was devastated, and the legend of the invincible Israeli army was dispelled. Using petrol as a weapon was for the first time declared in this war by King Faisal, the king of Saudi Arabia. This bold, decisive and wise action had indirect tremendous effects on that war, as it was an ingenious way of forcing the leaders of many (if not all) countries to change their over supportive policy towards Israel. The glorious triumph of Egypt and Syria following the 1973 war, restored dignity throughout Egypt and the Arab World, and for years Sadat was known as the hero of the crossing. Without faith you might just as well commit suicide. Those words were stated by Sadat reflecting his belief in God and himself wh ich are weapons no non-believer can fight. Besides, self confidence is the last thing Anwar Sadat lacked. Being announced by that faith and confidence, Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel and speak before the Knesset in Jerusalem seeking a permanent peace settlement. The Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty The Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978 led to a negotiated peace between those two nations signed in Washington DC on March 26, 1979, the first between Israel and any of its Arab neighbors. Israel had a consistent policy since its founding in 1948 that called for direct, one-to-one negotiations as the method of resolving disputes with the Arab countries, but until Sadat brought Egypt to the table no Arab country had been willing to even talk to Israel. Sadat and Begin shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for their historic agreements. However, the initiative was far from universally popular in other Arab countries or even Sadats own country, Egypt. Other Arab nations, and especially the Palestinians, saw Egypts agreement with Israel as a stab in the back, leaving them weaker and with less bargaining leverage against Israel. Without Egypt, the united Arab front had no credibility. Sadat became isolated in the Arab world and increasingly unpopular at home, conditions that finally led to his assassination in 1981. Since the signing of the treaty, Egypt has stood by its commitments, even after President Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists. The Israel-Egypt peace pact was denounced by all other Arab states and no further progress was made toward an end the Israel-Arab conflict until the Madrid Conference in 1991. Unpopularity and conspiracy theories The last years of Sadats reign were marked by turmoil and there were several allegations of corruption against him and his family. In January 1977, a series of Bread Riots protested Sadats economic liberalization and specifically a government decree lifting price controls on basic necessities like bread. 120 buses and hundreds of buildings burned in Cairo alone. Dozens of nightclubs on the famous Pyramids Street were sacked by Islamists. Following the riots the government reversed itself and recontrolled prices. Near the end of his presidency, most of Sadats advisors resigned in protest of his internal policies. The deaths of the Defense Minister Ahmed Badawi and 13 senior Egyptian Army officers in a helicopter crash on 6 march 1981 near the Libyan border increased the public anger at Sadat and his policy. C:UsersSaifDesktopnEO_IMG_DSC_7083.jpg Sadats Tomb, with a memorial of the Unknown Soldiers. Islamistis were enraged by Sadats Sinai treaty with Israel, particularly the radical Egyptian Islamic Jihad. According to interviews and information gathered by journalist Lawrence Wright, the group was recruiting military officers and accumulating weapons, waiting for the right moment to a launch a complete overthrow of the existing order in Egypt. Chief strategist of El-Jihad was Aboud el-Zumar, a colonel in the military intelligence whose plan was to kill the main leaders of the country, capture the headquarters of the army and State Security, the telephone exchange building, and of course the radio and television building, where news of the Islamic revolution would then be broadcast, unleashing-he expected- a popular uprising against secular authority all over the country. Assassination and aftermath On 6 October 198, the month after the crackdown, Sadat was assassinated during the annual victory parade in Cairo. A fatwa approving the assassination had been obtained from OmarAbdel-Rahman, a cleric later convicted in the U.S for his role in 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Sadat was protected by four layers of security and the army parade should have been safe due ammunition-seizure rules. However, the officers in charge of that procedure were on hajj to Mecca. As air force Mirage jets flew overhead, distracting crowd, a troop truck halted before the presidential reviewing stand, and a lieutenant strode forward. Sadat stood to receive his salute, whereupon the assassins rose from the truck, throwing grenades and firing assault rifles rounds. The attack lasted about two minutes Photographer Bill Foley captured one of the last shots of a living Sadat. The photograph is titled The Last Smile. The lead assassin Khalid Islambouli shouted Death to pharaoh! as he ran towards the stand and shot Sadat. After he fell to the floor people around Sadat threw chairs on his body to try to protect him from bullets. Eleven others were killed, including the Cuban ambassador, an Omani general and a Coptic Orthodox bishop, and 28 were wounded including James Tully, the Irish minister of defense, and four U.S military liaison officers. Sadat was then rushed to a hospital, but was declared dead within hours. This was the first time in Egyptian History that the h ead of state had been assassinated by an Egyptian citizen. Two of the attackers were killed and the others were arrested by military police on-site. Islambouli was later found guilty and was executed in April 1982. Maybe now, we became able to find sensible answers to the previously mentioned questions; who why etc. In addition, we get to fully understand the words engraved on his tomb and how appropriate they are. He was really a man who lived for principles and died for peace. Quotes Said By Anwar Al Sadat Fear is, I believe, a most effective tool in destroying the soul of an individual and the soul of a people. Many people seek after what they do not possess and are thus enslaved by the very things they want to acquire There is no happiness for people at the expense of other people Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here. You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith. Russians Can give you arms but only United States can give you a solution.

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Classroom Engagement Teaching and Learning Parent or Community Involvement Student Social or Emotional Support Philosopher Socrates Socrates created a method called â€Å"The Socratic Method† that made people think critically and outside the box. This is a method that is being used in education and in everyday life. Socrates educated his students how to think. He pointed out the errors in people’s thoughts and understanding of life and society. Socrates believed that questioning was an excellent way to gain understanding and knowledge. Parents would ask questions until they were answered correctly. By asking questions children will gain knowledge and become more social. Philosopher Plato Plato believed that a teacher must know his/her subject as well as the limit of their knowledge. Plato teachings were based on philosophy. He taught moral philosophy and despised natural philosophy. Plato believed that knowledge had no practice use Plato believed that parents should provide positive models for children so they can imitate. Children will get ideas and imitate as they grow older Plat...

Brain Transplant :: essays research papers

Brain Transplant Medical technology has seemed to advance enough so that doctors are able to perform brain transplants. So far this procedure has only been successfully performed on animals, and now doctors hope to perform this procedure on humans. I believe brain transplants should not be performed at all, and especially not on humans because of the numerous problems and side effects that could arise. Even though brain transplants can be successfully performed on animals, this does not mean that it will be successful with humans. The human brain is much more complex than the brain of animals, so there will be many more complications during surgery. For example, the healthy brain that was removed could have been damaged in some way without the doctors knowing it. It would also be very difficult to attach a person's brain in a different body because of the millions of neurons that send and receive messages to and from all over the body. It would be almost impossible to reconnect every single neuron, and without them a person could not function normally. Many psychological effects are also possible because the human brain is so complex. Our brain makes us who we are, and with a different brain we would no longer be unique. A person with a different brain would seem to be a total stranger and in many ways they would be. Hopefully these dangerous side effects will convince doctors not to perform this procedure on humans. The advancement of technology can be very beneficial to everyone, but I do not believe that this medical technology of brain transplants will help anyone. We were all born with one brain and through childhood to adolescence our mind developed into who we are. No one should steal our identity from us, even if we are seriously injured, and change it to a completely new one. Also for the people who have died with healthy brains, that was their identity and it should not be given to anyone else. Another problem with brain transplants is how can doctors choose what are "healthy" or "normal" brains. An elderly person who has died would have an aged brain that would not be as efficient as a younger person's brain. Then would doctors have to find healthy brains of the same age as the person who Brain Transplant :: essays research papers Brain Transplant Medical technology has seemed to advance enough so that doctors are able to perform brain transplants. So far this procedure has only been successfully performed on animals, and now doctors hope to perform this procedure on humans. I believe brain transplants should not be performed at all, and especially not on humans because of the numerous problems and side effects that could arise. Even though brain transplants can be successfully performed on animals, this does not mean that it will be successful with humans. The human brain is much more complex than the brain of animals, so there will be many more complications during surgery. For example, the healthy brain that was removed could have been damaged in some way without the doctors knowing it. It would also be very difficult to attach a person's brain in a different body because of the millions of neurons that send and receive messages to and from all over the body. It would be almost impossible to reconnect every single neuron, and without them a person could not function normally. Many psychological effects are also possible because the human brain is so complex. Our brain makes us who we are, and with a different brain we would no longer be unique. A person with a different brain would seem to be a total stranger and in many ways they would be. Hopefully these dangerous side effects will convince doctors not to perform this procedure on humans. The advancement of technology can be very beneficial to everyone, but I do not believe that this medical technology of brain transplants will help anyone. We were all born with one brain and through childhood to adolescence our mind developed into who we are. No one should steal our identity from us, even if we are seriously injured, and change it to a completely new one. Also for the people who have died with healthy brains, that was their identity and it should not be given to anyone else. Another problem with brain transplants is how can doctors choose what are "healthy" or "normal" brains. An elderly person who has died would have an aged brain that would not be as efficient as a younger person's brain. Then would doctors have to find healthy brains of the same age as the person who

Michelangelo Essay -- essays research papers

During the dates 1475-1564 there were many famous painters working all around the world. One of which was Michelangelo. He painted and sculpted many famous items that are still talked about today. Michelangelo led a very buisy life, as of which you will be reading about today. Michelangelo was born in 1475 in a small village of Caprese near Arezzo At the age of 13 michelangelo’s father Ludovico Buonarroti placed michelangelo in the workshop of the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio through connections with the ruling Medici family. About two years later michelangelo studied at the sculpture school in the Medici gardens. Shortly thereafter he was invited into the household of the Magnincent, Lorenzo de’Medici. Where he had an oppertunity to converse with younger Medici, which later became pope Leo X. As he was also introduced to humanists as Marsilio Ficino and the poet Politian, who were frequent visiters. By the age of 16 Michelangelo had produced two relief sculptures ,the battle of the Centaurs and the Madonna of the stairs, which showed that he had achieved a very personal style at a very early age. His patron Lorenzo died in 1492; two years later Michelangelo fled Florence,when the Medici were temporarily expelled. For a while he was settled in Bologna, where in 1494 and 1495 he sculpted several marble statuettes for the arca (shrine) di San Domenico. Michelangelo went to Rome, where he was able to examine many newly unearthed classical statues and ruins. He soon produced his first large sculpture the over life size Bacchus in 1496-1498. One of the few works of pagan rather than Christian subject made by the master, it rivaled ancient statuary, the highest mark of admiration in Renaissance Rome. At about the samr time period Michelangelo did the marble Pietà   in 1498. It was finished in 1500. It was one of the most famous works of art, the Pietà   was probubly finished before Michelangelo was 25 years old, and is the only piece of work he ever signed. In the piece the youthfull Mary is shown seated majestically, holding the dead Christ across her lap, it was a theme that was borrowed from northern European art. Instead of revealing extreme grief, Mary is restrained, and her expression is one of resignation. In this work, Michelangelo summerizes the sculptural innovations of his 15th-century predecessors such as Donatello, while ushering in the new monumentality... ...helangelo ultimately became responsible for the altar end of the building on the exterior and for the final form of its dome. The great Renaissance poet Ludovico Ariosto wrote succinctly of this famous artist: â€Å"Michael more than mortal, divine angel.† Indeed, Michelangelo was widely awarded the epithet â€Å"divine† because of his extraordinary accomplishments. Two generations of Italian painters and sculptures were impressed by his treatment of the human figure: Raphael, Annibale Carracci, Jacopo da pontormo, Rosso Fiorentino, Sebastiano del Piombo, and Titan. His dome for Saint Peter’s became the symbol of authority, as well as the model, for domes all over the Western world; the majorityof state capitol buildingsin the united states, as well as the Capitol building in Washington D.C., are dirived from it. Michelangelo died in 1564 and his body was placed in a fine monument in the church of Santa Croce. To conclude, Michelangelo led a long and very talented life. As a painter sculpture, poet and architect. He has many famous pieces of work still known and talked about today, all around the world. Many people knew him and loved him and those who didn’t know him personaly, knew of him.

Compare and Contrast Texting vs Calling Essay

What would we do without cell phones? Have you ever tried to leave your phone at home just to see how much it’s really needed in your everyday life? I have and it’s a lot harder than you think. Technology has grown so much in the past ten years then you would ever know. From little black and white flip phones to tablets with apps, games, music and pretty much anything you could ever want just in the palm of your hand. In 1973 the first cell phone was invented, and it took twenty-two years after that, 1995, to invent text messaging. Now it seems as though text messaging is among the most popular way of communication. Although texting and phone calls aim to accomplish the same task, they both have their differences. Texting can be quick and easy, saves you time and battery life and lastly, it keeps all conversations private from the public. Calling makes conversations feel more personal and professional, takes less time to explain what needs to be done and saves on your monthly bill. Everyday someone new is signing up for cell phone services. Whether it be At&t, Sprint, Verizon, US cellular, and the list goes on, we are dealt with the decision of what is more important minutes or data plan. Minutes are the allowed time per month to receive incoming and outgoing calls. Whereas, Data plan is the allowed text messages and pictures that can be sent. Nowadays most cell phone plans come with unlimited text and call minutes due to high amounts of each being placed each month. Texting is the newest and coolest thing to do among young adults. Texting allows you to say what you have to say without carrying on a long conversation. It saves you time and battery life. We all know how important it can be to save battery life when there is no charger around or if out in public with nowhere to charge it. Texting can help with explaining something to a friend about a â€Å"cute shirt† you see while shopping. Easy as one, two, three, take a picture hit forward in a text message then hit send. They will be able to see it as soon as the message is delivered. Also, texting can save you from that embarrassing moment in public when having a private conversation about yourself or someone you know. With texting there are advantages, but they also come with disadvantages. Texting can be faster and get to the point, but, when you enter in a â€Å"no service area† your message won’t get delivered at that direct moment. Could take a few hours before the recipient receives it. Which could be a disadvantage to both calling and texting. Auto correct is a feature on your phone that changes words in your sentences making them different from what you meant. Therefore, could be the cause to a message being misinterpreted by the receiver and take it the wrong way then it was intended to be understood. Causing more trouble than it should have. A big problem around the world today is the distraction with texting and driving, causing you to take your eyes and attention off the road. Hearing a voice rather than seeing a text can make a phone conversation feel more personal and make an important call have a professional touch to it. If you are going to be late for a job or professional event it is always better to call rather than text. One feature with call phones, is when calling and the other end does not answer you are able to leave a voice mail to what you were calling about. Calling takes less time to explain what you are doing and what needs to be done. Therefore having a longer conversation in a less amount of time. Another advantage to calling is getting the quick response to a question you may have rather than wait on a response. The main advantage would be unlimited minutes for incoming and outgoing calls that could help save on your monthly statement bill. If you’re on a family plan this could definitely be a plus especially if you have a big family. Have you ever had to be put on hold by the cable company, for example, and you waited ten minutes for a representative to pick up, and that moment you are waiting for the solution and beep, beep, beep the call was dropped. Nothing can be more annoying than having to call back and start all over, worried it will happen again. Having no service, just like when texting, and a call is needing to be made can cause anger/frustration in a person. Driving while talking on the phone can be just as distracting as texting, having only one hand on the wheel engaged in your conversation can cause distractions to paying attention to other drivers around you. In some tates talking on a cell phone while driving can get you a ticket and fined. Texting VS Calling can only be judged by each individuals experience and preference. A teenager will most likely choose texting, to avoid awkward phone conversations, whereas, an old fashioned mom or dad would choose to call or vice versa, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Personally I enjoy using both, I will text when bored and want to prolong a conversation, and call if I need a quick and easy response.

My Tub

A girl and her tub should not be messed with. My full-body slnklng hole with relaxing jets is my form of relaxation in this rat race called life. Even though, I am surrounded by dirty clothes, piles of forgotten cosmetics and beauty products with plastic toy animals staring at me, I am alone. I lock the door and barricade myself from my husband, two small boys, phone calls, laundry, and life. I turn off the overhead light and let the natural sunrays from outside come through the window.I might exfoliate the soles of my tired feet or I might run the dull razor up and down my hairy legs, but mostly I Just sit. I close my eyes while putting up my feet and letting my mind race to an imaginary world where things are simple. I let the heat from the hot water steam up my glasses. I let the heat turn my skin pink from the extreme temperature differences in the room and melt away my stress and worries.The sweat runs down my face and mixes with the washed away make-up, dirt, and tears. It form s puddles and trickles down my body and drift away In the Immense pool. I conquer all of life's dilemmas, family squabbles, and work stress on deserted island in the bathroom. And when it is over, I would like to think they all disappear down the drain for a temporary leave. This is my secret clubhouse that I retreat to for relief. My tub is my own and should not be messed with.

Marketing Strategy for Competitive Advantage Essay

Executive Summary Three friends – Lyndon Duke Hanson, Scott Seamans, and George Boedecker, founded Crocs Inc. in the year 2002 in Colorado, USA. As the firm grew, it acquired Foam Creations in Canada to own manufacturing operations, under the leadership of Ronal Snyder in 2004, and gained sole rights. Crocs is a designer, manufacturer and retailer of molded, casual footwear for men, women and children. All Crocs footwear feature a proprietary closed-cell resin called ‘Croslite’ that provides the wearer with extreme comfort by taking the shape of the feet of the wearer due to heat. The company boasts the footwear as being ideal for casual use as well as for professional and recreational uses viz. boating, hiking and hospitality. The product is claimed to be lightweight, slip-resistant, and odor-free, and is available in several bright colors. Crocs shoes are sold across 129 countries and come in 250 styles. The company has also diversified into apparel and accessories. One major acquisition has been of that of Jibbitz show charms, for which the company has also acquired  licensing agreements with Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. and DC Comics. The case discusses the phenomenal supply chain management of the company that has been a major reason for the success of the company, besides of course the popularity of the shoes. The achievement of an extremely flexible supply chain was the vision of Ronal Snyder, CEO, to meet customer’s demand based on the exact same principle followed by software giants. This supply chain provided Crocs with a competitive advantage in the footwear industry. Crocs had the highest profit margin in the industry at 56.5% in 2006, considerably higher than that of its competitors. Crocs created a blue ocean by creating differentiation and low costs and breaking out of the red ocean. This resulted in global expansion and quick growth. Profits increased from $10.9million in 2004 to $763.3milion in 2007. Later in the case study, we will see the Industry Analysis to understand the competitive scenario. This reveals that Nike is the market leader, followed by Adidas. A look at Porter’s Model shows that consumer’s bargaining power is a major threat in the industry. We also see the standard manufacturing practices in the industry compared to Crocs’ manufacturing techniques. The SWOT Analysis gives an understanding of the potential threats and rising opportunities. Customer’s changing tastes and threat of substitutes pose immediate threat to the firm, but it can capitalize on its unique product range and supply chain in order to gain a majority market share. Industry Analysis The global footwear market has grown from $153.2 billion in 2004 to $189.3 billion in 2007. Although the footwear industry is in the maturity stage, it is known that the demand for the product will not decline. Hence, global  sales are forecasted to reach $238 billion in 2013. Footwear industry is a highly fragmented market. The industry experiences intensive competition led by major firms such as Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and Converse. Nike is the industry leader, followed by Reebok and Adidas; Nike has a market share of 47%, Reebok – 16% and Adidas – 6%. Competitors Nike Nike is the world’s largest designer and marketer of athletic footwear and apparel. The stores are located over 180 countries. Nike is based in Oregon. It runs its manufacturing operations primarily in Asia. Nike’s footwear accounted for 60% of the company’s total net sales in 1999, after which the firm attempted to become more diversified. Nike’s largest share of sales comes from United States. Nike is one company to have crossed the $5 billion mark. Nike’s target consumers were 18-44 aged people, with six-digit income. Adidas Adidas is in the second position in the global market. It is based in Germany and sourced 97% of its footwear from Asian. Its main market is the Europe region. The firm had only a 3% market share in 2005, but after the acquisition of Reebok in 2006, the share jumped up to 9%. Footwear sales accounted for 45.5% of the total sales for Adidas in 2007. Adidas target slightly young aged, 18-44 and was especially popular among Hispanics and African Americans. Other competitors include Puma (Germany), New Balance (USA – largest privately held manufacturer), and C&J Clark (UK-based) nearing the $2.0billion mark. Porter’s Five Forces Model Threat from Existing Competition The industry is characterized by easy entry and exit. The market is competitive, with the industry being described as red ocean, often. The market has reached maturity stage, and the growth is slow-paced. Firms are  always attempting to lower costs and manage supply chain effectively to meet the changing demand. There is always a potential threat of a competitor eating into the market share. Threat from New Entrants The footwear industry is an easy market to enter for new players. Investments required are not huge, and raw materials are easily available. Legal policies are not strict, except in cases of imports in some countries. However, human rights issue is a major cause for concern in the footwear industry. Manufacturing/outsourcing decisions are used for low costs. Threat of Substitutes As entry is easy, substitutes are a major threat. Pricing becomes a key concern. Knock-offs also pose a great threat to companies even though certain designs are proprietary. Bargaining Power of Suppliers Shoes are mostly made from similar raw materials that are easily available. So, most firms manage to get materials at low costs. However, for Crocs, this is not a problem because it owns the manufacturing units and has a proprietary right over croslite. Bargaining Power of Consumers Consumers have the greatest power in the footwear industry due to availability of substitutes. Price and quality are major attributes of the product. Changing consumer taste is a potential threat. Changing fashion and trends and even fads are a problem faced by manufacturers. Competitors have come up with the concept of ‘Shoe Design’ to give the consumer the ability to custom design shoes that are delivered with two weeks. SWOT Analysis Opportunities Market penetration in the footwear industry is still considerably low, especially in Asia-Pacific region. Developing countries like India are emerging markets with huge population for firms to capitalize on.  Purchasing power of people in these countries is increasing, thus showing potential target consumer groups. Threats Substitutes and knock offs pose great threat to major players in the industry. Since pricing and quality are major concerns, low costs are the main objectives. Changing trends and consumer taste are also a serious threat. Strengths Crocs’ unique design that offers great comfort, odor-free, slip-resistant lightweight shoes at comparatively lower prices is a distinctive competency. Supply chain flexibility offers Crocs a competitive advantage over the other firms. Weakness Crocs is required to distinguish its product, especially with the usage of croslite in its footwear. This makes it difficult for Crocs to develop new products in the formal range. Financial Analysis While 92% of company’s revenues came from footwear, the remaining 8% was from the sales of accessories and apparels. Revenue has increased over the years and reached $354.7 million in 2006. There has been a tremendous increase in cost of the goods sold and was reported to be $154.2 million in 2006 from $47.8 million in 2005. Net profit margin has also been increasing and it was found to be 18.2% in 2006. Revenue was found to be $142 million in the year 2007 for Q1. Gross profit was reported to be 84.4% in the first quarter of 2007. In comparison with competitors viz. Nike and Deckers, gross profit margin of Crocs has been considerably higher. Debtor’s turnover ratio is the highest in the industry, indicating that Crocs is efficient at handling debts. Asset  management is also performed well at Crocs. But looking at the inventory turnover ratio, Crocs is one of the lowest in the industry. This shows that Crocs is unable to turn inventory into cash as effectively. It is seen that in 2006, Crocs has inventory worth $86.2million compared to $28.5million in the previous year. This shows that Crocs capital is blocked in its stock. About Crocs Inc. Mission Bring profound comfort, fun and innovation to the world’s feet. Brand Attributes Innovative Crocs shoes are distinguished from others by the following motive of the firm – Radical thinking, health-minded research, and providing solution to the Feet. Fun Colors and designs offered and the emotional experience served are important to Crocs to create its brand image. Comfort Crocs claims to offer profound comfort, ergonomic design, massaging foot bed, and lightweight. Simple Crocs believes in keeping its products simple with a versatile function. Crocs Shoes Clogs with Croslite Target Consumer Segment: Men, women and children of all ages Diabetic patients and other ailments Crocs shoes are lifestyle products that exhibit personalities like trendy, fun, and high fashion, dressy, casual and active. Various models offered include mammoth, clogs, sandals, flats, heels, boots, slip-ons, flip flops, sport, work, Ocean Minded among others. Crocs started off as a company with about 25 models in 2004, and reached a point in 2007 when it offered 250 models. Original design was the clogs that kids could personalize with Jibbitz. Over time, Crocs extended its line by using usual raw materials like leather and suede with croslite soles. Supply Chain Management For consumer, Crocs designed an extensive distribution system so its shoes were available in a variety of retail outlets from specialty stores to department stores and large shoe store chains. Footwear companies have two alternatives to choose from in the manufacturing of their products; they can both own and operate the factories that produce their products, or outsource operations. Factories may be located internationally or locally. Most firm practice outsourcing of operations to enable reduced costs. Crocs believed in meeting customer demands in the current season. Supply Chain was Crocs main focus. Crocs had adopted the global logistics strategy. The firm was vertically integrated and by 2007, had acquired various units all across the world for its operations to cater to different consumers. Hence it was faced with large capital expenditure requirements and the management of the factories themselves. Yet Crocs did a tremendous job at supply management. Where its competitors followed the seasonal order placements, Crocs had a delivery time of two to four weeks for newly placed orders, indicating how Crocs understood the demand for the product. Crocs owned the manufacturing, warehousing and retails units in almost all countries. With its effective management, Crocs was able to maintain low costs. Any other company in the footwear industry did not achieve such a flexible supply chain. The firm maintained good professional relations with the retailers, and deployed its own personnel in stores and provided a store-in-store experience to customers. Core Competencies Unique Product Crocs is the only company that offers shoes made of croslite. This material ensures extreme comfort to the wearer. Crocs owns proprietary rights over  the material, and this becomes the firm’s distinctive competency. Since Crocs is the only firm with the sole right of manufacturing such footwear, it should ensure no knock-offs are sold in the market in its name. Flexible supply chain Crocs understood the dynamic footwear industry and built a revolutionary supply chain to meet the demands of it consumers. Crocs is able to replenish stocks within weeks at short notice. This gives the firm a competitive advantage over the rivals. Other than the core business activities, Crocs has initiated a program called Crocs Cares to provide the inhabitants of disaster affected areas with shoes in over forty countries. Conclusion Crocs has managed to develop an extremely flexible supply chain in order to meet customer and retailer demands, similar to none other in the footwear industry. The firm is extensively vertically integrated and has followed a pattern of a series of acquisitions for growth. Another advantage for the firm is the sole proprietary rights over the croslite material. However, Crocs has learnt the need to extend its product line and incorporating materials like leather and suede in its products. Crocs has also managed to lure its customers by acquiring the charm business, and also by diversifying into accessories and apparels.   Although the firm is showing year-on-year profits, it is seen that by following the model of semi-finished products to achieve quick delivery, it is faced by the problem of low inventory turnover. The important thing to understand is that the industry is dynamic, and the demand is quite unpredictable due to varying trends. Thus, Crocs will continue doing better by focusing on the end-user product. References www.packagedfacts.com Global Footwear Market Report http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com How Crocs Is Outpacing The Pack http://logisticsviewpoints.com Crocs Revolutionary Supply Chain http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com Crocs Review http://ezinearticles.com History of Crocs http://www.hoovers.com Factsheet of Crocs http://company.crocs.com About Crocs – Company Profile