NationStates Jolt Archive

This doesn't necessarily mean the best or worst, just the one that you think had the greatest impact.

World War I.
Set the stage for WWII and the Cold War as we know it. Established US as a global player.

The assasination of Franz Ferdinand causeing WW1

World War I.
Set the stage for WWII and the Cold War as we know it. Established US as a global player.
Well, the Franco-Prussian war started that...so...

(Beat you to it Sword and Shield :p)

I'd say the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings. It called down the fist of God and redefined power.

The A-Bombs, saved the lives of thousands of American soldiers and (ironically) millions of Japanesse civilians. It started the cold war, made America the worlds first "super power" Led to the moonlandings and hence the computer revolution. Etc. And of course it was a horrific event that killed and injured thousands and its effects still stay (birth defects in the cities where they were dropped)

So much can be traced back to the A-bombs.

Also this is my first post on the forum :)

Henry Ford's assembly line.

The A-Bombs, saved the lives of thousands of American soldiers and (ironically) millions of Japanesse civilians. It started the cold war, made America the worlds first "super power" Led to the moonlandings and hence the computer revolution. Etc. And of course it was a horrific event that killed and injured thousands and its effects still stay (birth defects in the cities where they were dropped)

So much can be traced back to the A-bombs.

Also this is my first post on the forum :)

However that event itself was brought on by the event of World War II, and to be more specific, Pearl Harbor. In turn, these events were brought on by the outcome and fight of the First World War, which was also caused by events pre-20th Century (Franco-Prussian War, Naval Bill of 1898, Franco-Russian Entente of 1892). The First World War is about the biggest event and spawner that you can get in the 20th Century, it has the advantage of being in the second decade of the century, and it's major causes root intot e 19th century.

1. Assassination of Austrian-Hungarian Crownprince that lead to WW1.

2. Lenin in a Train, on the way to Russia.

However that event itself was brought on by the event of World War II, and to be more specific, Pearl Harbor. In turn, these events were brought on by the outcome and fight of the First World War, which was also caused by events pre-20th Century (Franco-Prussian War, Naval Bill of 1898, Franco-Russian Entente of 1892). The First World War is about the biggest event and spawner that you can get in the 20th Century, it has the advantage of being in the second decade of the century, and it's major causes root intot e 19th century.
The logic there's faulty, though. Who's greater: George Washington or his father? Without the father, there'd be no George.

That makes this an impossible debate to have, realy, since no event exists in a vacuum and everything relates.

Anywho, I change my answer to the discovery of fire.

Hitler being raped in prison too many times by his Jewish cellmate.

The logic there's faulty, though. Who's greater: George Washington or his father? Without the father, there'd be no George.

That makes this an impossible debate to have, realy, since no event exists in a vacuum and everything relates.

Anywho, I change my answer to the discovery of fire.

It would be faulty to do so if looking at the grand scope of history (I think fire was discovered sometime before 1900), but a lot of reasons given for an event's significance is what it led to, like the A-bomb leading to the Cold War and US Superpower status, or WWII leading to that, using this criteria, you have to go back as early as possible, and the biggest event that comes to mind is WWI, which spawned the boom in the US and huge investments around the world that created the Great Depression, which coupled together created WWII, which led to Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima & Nagasaki, and created the Cold War, etc, etc.

I think all events have some sort of relevance. There is no "biggest impact" in history since all depends on each other or each effect requires a cause. I don't like this "biggest, bestest, wonderfullest, evillest etc." mindset anyway...

For the A-bomb, I;m thinking more about the psychological impact of the fist of God being called down (I think the image fits quite well here). The knowledge of what an A-bomb could truly do may have prevented the nuclear war, and most won't realize the pure devastation these things make with tests.

(I think fire was discovered sometime before 1900)
Oops... But the poll question itself doesn't give a time frame, so I'm not wrong! Ha! (Reality's not important- Only me being right is.)

Hitler being raped in prison too many times by his Jewish cellmate.

Nah, germany was full of anti-semites and ripe for a dictator. They would have found someone else if he hadn't shown up.

How about french and british cowardice at munich in 1938 when they sold out the Chechs. That one could have saved about 100,000,000 lives.

Oops... But the poll question itself doesn't give a time frame, so I'm not wrong! Ha! (Reality's not important- Only me being right is.)
Poll no. Thread topic, yes.

Nah, germany was full of anti-semites and ripe for a dictator. They would have found someone else if he hadn't shown up.

How about french and british cowardice at munich in 1938 when they sold out the Chechs. That one could have saved about 100,000,000 lives.

To be fair, the French really weren't being cowards at Munich, they wanted to support Czechoslovakia, the only real democracy in Central/Eastern Europe, and since it's inception at the end of the First Great War, France's little brother and member of the "Little Entente".

I'm inclined to say the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, but in reality, I think most of the damage done in the First World War would not have carried over into the rest of the 20th century had things been resolved more peaceably at the end. Had Germany not been humiliated at Versailles, Nazism would never have been. Had the Russians gotten more support, they might not have been so militantly Bolshevik. As such, I'm inclined to say that the single greatest event in the 20th century was the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

I'm inclined to say the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, but in reality, I think most of the damage done in the First World War would not have carried over into the rest of the 20th century had things been resolved more peaceably at the end. Had Germany not been humiliated at Versailles, Nazism would never have been. Had the Russians gotten more support, they might not have been so militantly Bolshevik. As such, I'm inclined to say that the single greatest event in the 20th century was the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
I agree with that. It wasn't WWI that primed the world for a second war, it was the spoils system that took place afterward. Yes, you can say "well gee, without the war there wouldn't of been any Versailles"- but the fact is, it's Versailles that made the major impact on the world leading up to WWII and the events that took place after it. I think Versailles holds more weight; more weight than just picking the earliest major event in the 20th century.

I'd say Pearl Harbour. It brought about the U.S. entering the war in the first place, which resulted in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Sure there would have been other nukes I'm sure, but these ones were a reult of Pearl Harbour. It woke the giant that became the most powerful nation on Earth, which is what it still is.

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand by Gavrillo Princip.

I don't know about the most 'significant' event, but definitely the coolest was the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. 'Nuff said!

Atom bombs. Suddenly war wasn't so cool anymore.

I would definately not say Pearl Harbour- America entering a war is certainly not the most significant event of the 20th century...seems like they are in one every week...eh.
I'd probably say Treaty of Versailles...however Nazism would have come about anyway, it just added to the humiliation of the whole thing. Perhaps the most significant event of the 20th century would be the Kaizer deciding he wanted an empire in the first place...that the Arms Race, leading to WW1, then the Treaty of Versailles, the silly Weimar Republic in Germany and ultimately the rise of Hitler and WW2. Its significant in the train of events it caused afterwards....if you get me.... :)

Atom bombs. Suddenly war wasn't so cool anymore.
I would say the V1 and V2, well come to think of it aircraft to a lesser degree, started that trend first. But I'll stick by the V weapons on this one. Push button warfare sucks. :mad:

Atom bombs. Suddenly war wasn't so cool anymore.
Don't worry. The US are working around the clock to change that.

Treaty of Versailles 1918

Russian Revolution 1917

Battle of Stalingrad 1942

Roach, why are your poll options so America-centric? How was Kennedy's assassination all that earth-shattering? What effects on history did it have?

Treaty of Versailles 1918

Russian Revolution 1917

Battle of Stalingrad 1942

Roach, why are your poll options so America-centric? How was Kennedy's assassination all that earth-shattering? What effects on history did it have?

The war in the 'Nam might (and that's a big might) have been different had Kennedy not been shot.

My birth.

Actually I think the moon landing.

Treaty of Versailles 1918

Russian Revolution 1917

Battle of Stalingrad 1942

Roach, why are your poll options so America-centric? How was Kennedy's assassination all that earth-shattering? What effects on history did it have?

Well, America was one of the top, if not #1 player in the 20th century. We did become the sole-superpower and that wasn't by not having major events. But yes, the Russian Revolution was very important indeed. It couldn't have led to the US-Soviet Cold War, which wouldn't have led to the US becoming such a super power. Or it still could have, but the USSR, was the Darth Vader to our Luke Skywalker.

Well, America was one of the top, if not #1 player in the 20th century. We did become the sole-superpower and that wasn't by not having major events. But yes, the Russian Revolution was very important indeed. It couldn't have led to the US-Soviet Cold War, which wouldn't have led to the US becoming such a super power. Or it still could have, but the USSR, was the Darth Vader to our Luke Skywalker.
If anything the US is Emperor Palpatine.

If anything the US is Emperor Palpatine.

Oh God, can we not start that???

I mean, I'm all about Emperor Palpatine, but lets just not go there in this thread.

Oh God, can we not start that???
You started it.

You started it.

Oh I did not! I was just saying how the USA and USSR were like ying and yang, and just how the history of the 20th century wouldn't be the same without one or the other, I didn't get on the whole USA is the evil empire deal.

Lets just drop it, okay?

Fall Gelb.

Ruined any chance of a French super-power. It brought De Gualle to president eventually, but that doesn't offset it enough.

Hitler being raped in prison too many times by his Jewish cellmate.

Hitler was in solitary.

Oh I did not! I was just saying how the USA and USSR were like ying and yang, and just how the history of the 20th century wouldn't be the same without one or the other, I didn't get on the whole USA is the evil empire deal.
You compared them calling the USSR Darth Vader and the US Luke Skywalker. You started it. I just used another description for the US.
Fine. Let's drop it.

Fall Gelb.

Ruined any chance of a French super-power. It brought De Gualle to president eventually, but that doesn't offset it enough.


I think the low population increase (the only European Power to not grow astronomically in population besides the Ottoman Empire) and carnage of the First World War did that, not to mention the over-reliance on artisan manufactured goods instead of mass production.

I can't believe no-one's yet said the most obvious event:
The Wright brother's flight!
That has had more impact on our lives than any of the events listed in the poll. Their invention has changed everybody's life.
It is a very-Americocentric poll too, BTW. Why no:
Death of Queen Victoria
Indian Independence
Formation of Israel
Hitler's ascension to power
Invasion of Poland
Mao's ascension to power
All Blacks winning the World cup
Elvis Presely
The Beatles


Incidently, I remember a poll being taken last year (I think) in Britain, where they were given a list of significant English events of the 20th century, and the winner (over WWII) was the death of Princess Di!
Which just goes to show how short our collective memories are. Also the fact that nothing of any real importance happened in the 1990's, so the death of a minor attention-seeking celebrity had a greater impact that it should have.

I change my answer to the discovery of fire.

I discovered fire the other day .... I called 911.

I'd probably say the Assassination of Franz Ferdinand.

But to be different, i'll say Pearl Harbour. US involvement in WW2 and withdrawal from relative isolation changed the structure of the world immeasurably.

The outcome of the poll here would also be based on your age.

Younger people might conclude which significance best affected themselves.

I don't know of any American under the age of 20 that could understand the significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Older people will remember December 7, 1941 as strongly as someone currently would recall September 11 2001.

Also, while the bombs dropped on Japan would be the most visually horrific event, the Cuban Missle Crisis affected more countries, as well as starting the impact of American disproval by world leaders.

The moon landing doesn't have any significance to anyone other than the United States because it's an American trophey, so maybe the poll should have been directed closer to a global scale. Since any significant thing is based upon how many lives it touches.

I'll see your WWI and raise it:

Marissa Tomei winning an Oscar.

'nuff said.

This question pisses me off. I can't pick just one. I think I would agree about the discovery of flight, but there's so many other things?

Like, if it weren't for prohibition, there'd be no NASCAR.














....stupid prohibition :rolleyes:

This doesn't necessarily mean the best or worst, just the one that you think had the greatest impact.

The 20th Century will probably be remembered as "the Century when everything changed." Lots and lots of highly significant things happened, but in the long run I think the first baby steps into space will have the greatest impact. The future of humanity lies in the exploration and colonization of other worlds. Hopefully, our move into space will put to rest some of the things which have plagued us for most of history: nationalism, expansionism at the expense of others, etc.

When an unknown scientist discovered fire.