NationStates Jolt Archive

the napoleon rp thread reminded me that i wanted to try a topic on the little pieces of history that you find fascinating

the subject of napoleon came up at my house the other day and i realized that i didnt know whether or not napoleon TOOK moscow.

turns out that he did. he had plans to spend the winter in the kremlin. he took up quarters there

then the russians burned the city to the ground

napoleon wasnt done-in by the russian winter, he was done-in by the russian general's willingness to destroy one of most beautiful cities in the world so that napoleon would have no quarters for the winter.

yeah it was a very cold winter but he would have been quite warm if there had been a moscow to keep his army in for the duration.

so what im looking for is stories of historical quirks that fascinate you that we might not know about or are just so cool that even if we know them its worth being reminded of them.

Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe. Also, the USSR.

On the subject of Napoleon, I want to know why he always had one arm in his coat in his portraits. There are loads of theories about it, but no one really knows for certain.

Henry VIII and his fourth wife - he married her from a portrait that made her look considerably more attrative than she was. He was so disappointed they never consummated the marriage; she was from such a strict Christian upbringing she didn't even know what sex was and why she wasn't getting pregnant from his kiss goodnight.

I find ancient Greece and Rome to be especially interesting, along with the Medieval Eastern Roman Empire.

Modern Era, 1789-Current Day

Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe. Also, the USSR.
do you know anything about the ptolemaic "dynasty"?

they were greeks, eh? but the first ptolemy got egypt after the death of alexander the great. in order to capture the willingness of the locals to allow them to rule, they adopted the ancient egyptian religion, even going as far as marrying royal siblings to each other. they were all named ptolemy and cleopatra.

what i was hoping you knew something about was HOW they blended the egyptian religion with the greek. the greeks never left anything alone, there is no way they didnt change egyptian beliefs to more closely match the greek. cleopatra often portrayed herself as isis, for example.

I like the 19th century,mainly the rise of Prussia, early 20th century, medieval Europe, Roman period.

On the subject of Napoleon, I want to know why he always had one arm in his coat in his portraits. There are loads of theories about it, but no one really knows for certain.

i think thats because his royal portratist David wasnt good with hands.

(ya ya i just made that up)


Henry VIII and his fourth wife - he married her from a portrait that made her look considerably more attrative than she was. He was so disappointed they never consummated the marriage; she was from such a strict Christian upbringing she didn't even know what sex was and why she wasn't getting pregnant from his kiss goodnight.
oh the poor girl! no wonder he divorced her. did she end up marrying again?

Here's an interesting fact: In 1938's Time Magazine's "man of the year" was Adolf Hitler.

so what im looking for is stories of historical quirks that fascinate you that we might not know about or are just so cool that even if we know them its worth being reminded of them.
Ooh, great question. There have been so many times where I've read or seen something and thought it was the coolest random history trivia ever, but of course not a single thing comes to mind...

I'll try to remember something and will duly come back to report it here.

Here's an interesting fact: In 1938's Time Magazine's "man of the year" was Adolf Hitler.
Well, duh, in 1938 Hitler had dragged Germany out of the depression, defied the Versailles treaty, and modernized the armed forces. And people did not know/not care about his crimes.

Here's an interesting fact: In 1938's Time Magazine's "man of the year" was Adolf Hitler.
O RLY?

I like the story of the 47 Ronin, a lot. I've always meant to study Japanese history more. I know a little about the opening of Japan in the late 19th Century but not much else.

"One by one Oishi and his men infiltrated Edo, and on a snowy winter night of December 14, 1702 the 47 ronin attacked the mansion of Kira while he was having a tea party. The 47 ronin divided into two bands and stormed the mansion from the front and rear gates. In the great battle that followed, the 47 ronin entered into battle against Kira's 61 armed guards. At the end of the 1 1/2 hour battle, Asano's ronin had either subdued or killed all of Kira's men without any losses of their own.

After a thorough search, Kira was found hiding in an outhouse. The ronin brought Kira to the courtyard and offered him the same chance their Lord Asano was given to honorably commit seppuku. Kira could not commit seppuku, so the ronin beheaded him. Then, to symbolize the completion of their mission, the 47 returned to Asano's grave at Sengaku-ji Temple and set Kira's head before it, thus declaring their Lord's honor redeemed.

Prepared to die for their deed, Oishi sent two delegates to the Magistrate of Edo, informing him of what had been done and telling the official that they would be waiting at the Sengaku-ji Temple, awaiting orders from the Shogun.

The Shogun Tsunayoshi, instead of being angry, was deeply impressed with the loyalty demonstrated by the 47 ronin. This made Tsunayoshi decision all the more difficult. Although clearly sympathetic to their heroic act, he was nonetheless faced with a dilemma. Should he spare the 47 ronin in recognition of their great display of bushido and their defense of their Lord Asano's honor, or should they be punished according to the law. If he overlooked their crime for sentimental reasons would that belittle their honor and weaken the samurai code? After 47 days of deliberation, Tsunayoshi ordered that Oishi and 45 of his men were to execute themselves not as criminals but as honored warriors. The youngest of the ronin, who had been sent to Ako with the news of Kira's death was spared from the sentence.

On February 4, 1703, the 46 ronin were divided into four groups and handed over to four different daimyo, who were ordered to supervise and witness their deaths. Oishi and the other 45 ronin all committed seppuku simultaneously, dignifying themselves in their valiant sacrifice. Upon their deaths, the 46 ronin were buried side by side next to their master at Sengaku-ji Temple."

http://victorian.fortunecity.com/duchamp/410/47ronin.html#

Economic development of the USSR following WWII.

O RLY?

YA RLY!

http://www2.bc.edu/~heineman/time.jpg

so what im looking for is stories of historical quirks that fascinate you that we might not know about or are just so cool that even if we know them its worth being reminded of them.
Canada had an unsuccessful communist uprising during the depression (1933, IIRC). The army was sent to cut-off the group at Winnipeg. Some of the men whereplaced in camps, some of which where filled with asians during WW2.

Here's an interesting fact: In 1938's Time Magazine's "man of the year" was Adolf Hitler.
You have a source for that?

I like the story of the 47 Ronin, a lot. I've always meant to study Japanese history more. I know a little about the opening of Japan in the late 19th Century but not much else.


wow thats a great story. the image of all those men killing themselves at one time is chilling. such a devotion to honor.

what had been done to lord asano to warrant the attack?

You have a source for that?
Its true

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_the_Year

Eugene V. Debs

Awesomeness abounds.

Hitler was a disgruntled art student.

You have a source for that?
Would you take my word for it?

(If not - http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/archive/stories/index.html )

I find the progressive movement in the US during the 1920’s to be rather interesting. The growing Middle Class, scared of a possible communist uprising, gave increased support, public and private, to the lower classes.
The success of the progressive initiatives is one of the reasons that communism was never a serious movement in the US.
Funny how the more you appease communists, the less likely their ultimate goal (rule by the proletariat) will be achieved.

Here's an interesting fact: In 1938's Time Magazine's "man of the year" was Adolf Hitler.
there was also a very nice article about him in "better homes and gardens" magazine. about a year go someone posted a link to scanned pages from it.

heres a link i just picked up from google if youre interested.

http://www.fpp.co.uk/Hitler/house/Homes_and_Gardens_Nov1938/page193.html

Hitler was a disgruntled art student.
Hitler taught us one of history’s greatest lessons, never trust the weird ones.

Modern Era, and Ancient times, and a few things in between but not much inbetween.

there was also a very nice article about him in "better homes and gardens" magazine. about a year go someone posted a link to scanned pages from it.

heres a link i just picked up from google if youre interested.

http://www.fpp.co.uk/Hitler/house/Homes_and_Gardens_Nov1938/page193.html
Well Hitler was a very popular man in the US amongst some circles. At the same time in the United States, contests were being held all over the country to determine who had “The Most Beautiful Baby” who which was the “Better Family.”

The winners of these contests were invariably blond-haired and blue-eyed. Yes, Eugenics was alive and well in the US. Hell, some of our politicians even praised Hitler’s less deplorable eugenics programs.

Well Hitler was a very popular man in the US amongst some circles. At the same time in the United States, contests were being held all over the country to determine who had “The Most Beautiful Baby” who which was the “Better Family.”

The winners of these contests were invariably blond-haired and blue-eyed. Yes, Eugenics was alive and well in the US. Hell, some of our politicians even praised Hitler’s less deplorable eugenics programs.

yeah the slippery slope of eugenics slid so fast that the idea of perfecting the human race fell almost immediately out of fashion after hitlers programs were revealed. until recently when genetic engineering is becoming a possibility.

Well, duh, in 1938 Hitler had dragged Germany out of the depression, defied the Versailles treaty, and modernized the armed forces. And people did not know/not care about his crimes.

Regardless of whether or not you think Hitler's rule up until 1938 was relatively benign, it still is pretty funny that this magazine named as its man of the year a ruthless genocidal maniac who they were at war with three years later.

Best part of history for me 1914-45: a period of unparallaled death, destruction and darkness, a titannic ideological struggle and one of the few historical occasions where moralistic and theological terms such as "good" and "evil" can be deployed with some degree of certainty.

wow thats a great story. the image of all those men killing themselves at one time is chilling. such a devotion to honor.

what had been done to lord asano to warrant the attack?
"Kira, whom history describes as greedy and conceited, became very angry with Lord Asano for not presenting him with expensive gifts (to show appreciation, respect, etc.) and instead of helping Lord Asano became very abusive and insulting towards him. Kira, determined to get even, used every opportunity to publicly humiliate Asano. After two months of abuse, Asano's tolerance was gone.

On March 14, unable to take the insults from Kira anymore, Lord Asano drew his sword (itself a capital offense when done inside Edo Castle) and struck Kira wounding him slightly. For his offense, The Shogun Tsunayoshi ordered Lord Asano to immediately commit seppuku (ritual suicide). Kira, on the other hand, received no punishment; in fact, he became an object of sympathy and was allowed to continue his official duties.



The Shogun's failure to have Kira share in the responsibility angered the followers of Asano,who felt that Kira's improper actions were ignored and Asano's punishment too harsh."

Regardless of whether or not you think Hitler's rule up until 1938 was relatively benign, it still is pretty funny that this magazine named as its man of the year a ruthless genocidal maniac who they were at war with three years later.
Meh. They named Stalin man of the year at some point between 1941 and 1945.

Order 191, fo sho

Mostly modern-era (1780's to 1914), although the Napoleonics really are my fave in that time.

Medieval history to some extent.

Most of it is weapons based, and swords at that.

For example, one silly little fact is that the British 1908 Pattern Cavalry sabre (on which the US Patton Sabre was based), described by many at the time as the 'ultimate sword for cavalry' (although I personally find that a foundless claim), was initially put on hold before production as the King at the time found it 'hideous' :rolleyes: Needless to say Field Marshalls French and Haig had to persuade him otherwise, and even then he refused to let the Household Cavalry carry it when not on duty.

Best part of history for me 1914-45: a period of unparallaled death, destruction and darkness, a titannic ideological struggle and one of the few historical occasions where moralistic and theological terms such as "good" and "evil" can be deployed with some degree of certainty.
What the Fuck.

There was no good and evil. It was simply a war. The fact that it is glamorized and idealized changes nothing.
Sure we fought against the Brutal Japanese Empire and the Nazis.

Did you know that one of our enemies, Mussolini, was beloved by his people, that he saved the loves of thousands of Jews in Southern France by moving them to Italy?

Did you know that one of our allies Stalin, killed more people than Hitler and that his soldiers were arguably more brutal than the Nazis?

Did you know that the average German soldier cared very little about any Master Race, that most who fought on the Western Front didn’t want to be there, that they wanted to be in the East, defending their homes and families from Russian brutality?

Did you know that Churchill advocated using poison gas on German Civilians?

Did you know that the German city of Dresden, center of art and culture, was bombed into oblivion by US and British plains.

Did you know those same planes could have been used to bomb the railroads taking Jews to concentration camps but weren’t?

The allies were not saints, nor the axis demons.

What the Fuck.

There was no good and evil. It was simply a war. The fact that it is glamorized and idealized changes nothing.
Sure we fought against the Brutal Japanese Empire and the Nazis.

Did you know that one of our enemies, Mussolini, was beloved by his people, that he saved the loves of thousands of Jews in Southern France by moving them to Italy?

Did you know that one of our allies Stalin, killed more people than Hitler and that his soldiers were arguably more brutal than the Nazis?

Did you know that the average German soldier cared very little about any Master Race, that most who fought on the Western Front didn’t want to be there, that they wanted to be in the East, defending their homes and families from Russian brutality?

Did you know that Churchill advocated using poison gas on German Civilians?

Did you know that the German city of Dresden, center of art and culture, was bombed into oblivion by US and British plains.

Did you know those same planes could have been used to bomb the railroads taking Jews to concentration camps but weren’t?

The allies were not saints, nor the axis demons.

I don't deny the abuses that took place on the side of the allies, but, (with the enormous exception of Russia) you cannot draw any moral equivolence between the acts of western forces and the attempted extermination of an entire race or the acts of the Japanese in occupied China, like the rape of Nanking for instance. Likewise you cannot draw any moral equivalence between corrupt, opaque and murderous systems of government and those defending transparent government, civil liberties and democratic accountability.

I'm certainly not glamourising or idealising war, merely the victorious ideologies that rose from it.

Saying that I'm not sure where a lot of your statistics originate - an estimated (and disputed) 25 million people died in the conquest of the Soviet Union, (although military 'discipline', adverse weather conditions and starvation did have a role to play) compared to I believe 6 million Germans. (Don't take that as a trivialisation of the USSRs own actions, I'm certainly not in the game of apologising for that tyrannical monstrosity).

A great deal of the recent literature on the German army reveals that it was more complicit in the final solution that was at first thought. The distinction between SS units and the Wehrmacht in this regard is not quite so clear.

The bombing of Dresden was a travesty, I will agree with that.

The allegation that the allies could have prevented the holocaust by bombing the railroads but chose not to out of indifference is very unfair I feel. Firstly the extent of the Nazi programs were not fully revealed until Germany had been occupied (yes I am aware of the intelligence reports on the subject, but they can hardly be termed conclusive). Secondly at a time where the majority of Europe lay in ruins with over 50 million people having died as a consequence of warfare it is hardly surprising that the western powers did not view the Nazi abuses with the significance they deserved is hardly surprising. Thirdly I have my own doubts as to the feasability and effectiveness of any large scale bombing campaign on eastern railroads.

"Kira, whom history describes as greedy and conceited, became very angry with Lord Asano for not presenting him with expensive gifts (to show appreciation, respect, etc.) and instead of helping Lord Asano became very abusive and insulting towards him. Kira, determined to get even, used every opportunity to publicly humiliate Asano. After two months of abuse, Asano's tolerance was gone.

On March 14, unable to take the insults from Kira anymore, Lord Asano drew his sword (itself a capital offense when done inside Edo Castle) and struck Kira wounding him slightly. For his offense, The Shogun Tsunayoshi ordered Lord Asano to immediately commit seppuku (ritual suicide). Kira, on the other hand, received no punishment; in fact, he became an object of sympathy and was allowed to continue his official duties.



The Shogun's failure to have Kira share in the responsibility angered the followers of Asano,who felt that Kira's improper actions were ignored and Asano's punishment too harsh."
Ah yes. Feudal Japan is interesting. I've just replayed the first mission in Tenchu 2.

Og (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Og).

Secondly at a time where the majority of Europe lay in ruins with over 50 million people having died as a consequence of warfare it is hardly surprising that the western powers did not view the Nazi abuses with the significance they deserved is hardly surprising. Thirdly I have my own doubts as to the feasability and effectiveness of any large scale bombing campaign on eastern railroads.
There were no 50 million dead in Europe. Thats the total bodycount of the global conflict. And the US in the late 1930's already had plans to sterilise the entire German population. Before the holocaust even had begun.

There were no 50 million dead in Europe. Thats the total bodycount of the global conflict. And the US in the late 1930's already had plans to sterilise the entire German population. Before the holocaust even had begun.

I didn't say that there were 50 million people dead in Europe. And do me a favour and try to source that silly claim about the US.

I liked it when the Roman Emperor Caligula (I can't spell his name but I know it meant little boots) ordered his legions to collect sea shells instead of invading Briton. Then he sent the shells back to Rome as spoils of war. That is why you shouldn't use lead to make wine pots.

"Bits of History That You Find Fascinating"

I've always been fascinated by somewhat obscure cultures, such as the one after which my Nation is named, Etrusca. Ancient Minos, the Anasazi culture in the American Southwest, early African empires, etc., are all highly interesting. Many of these cultures were based on entirely different world views than any currently existing cultures.

I'm also fascinated by the Great Library at Alexandria, and love to speculate what the world would be like today had the Library survived the ages.

I liked it when the Roman Emperor Caligula (I can't spell his name but I know it meant little boots) ordered his legions to collect sea shells instead of invading Briton. Then he sent the shells back to Rome as spoils of war. That is why you shouldn't use lead to make wine pots.

That earns a lol from me.

Pablo Picasso in Paris during the Nazi occupation. He was the only one who could openly insult the Nazi soldiers and get away with it. More than get away, in fact, the soldiers were honored to have been insulted by Picasso.

I don't deny the abuses that took place on the side of the allies, but, (with the enormous exception of Russia) you cannot draw any moral equivolence between the acts of western forces and the attempted extermination of an entire race or the acts of the Japanese in occupied China, like the rape of Nanking for instance. Likewise you cannot draw any moral equivalence between corrupt, opaque and murderous systems of government and those defending transparent government, civil liberties and democratic accountability.
FDR had no accountably at that point. He critics were routinely dismissed as Nazi-sympathizers, and some still bare that shame in the history books to this day. Also, you can not dismiss what the Russians did. They were a crucial apart of the war and we could not have won without them.
By the way, I consider the bombing of civilian cities to be equal to what the Nazis dead. Genocide is genocide is genocide.
I'm certainly not glamourising or idealising war, merely the victorious ideologies that rose from it.

One of those ideologies that arose was Stalin’s national communism, economic centralization and state-capitalism. I doubt you think those things are “good”.
Saying that I'm not sure where a lot of your statistics originate - an estimated (and disputed) 25 million people died in the conquest of the Soviet Union, (although military 'discipline', adverse weather conditions and starvation did have a role to play) compared to I believe 6 million Germans. (Don't take that as a trivialisation of the USSRs own actions, I'm certainly not in the game of apologising for that tyrannical monstrosity).

I’m speaking of the fates of those conquered by the Russians and Nazis.
“The Nazis were Hell, the Russians were worse.”~ Polish Saying
A great deal of the recent literature on the German army reveals that it was more complicit in the final solution that was at first thought. The distinction between SS units and the Wehrmacht in this regard is not quite so clear.
Maybe the higher ups were complacent, but not all of them. The average German soldier, though, was fighting to protect his homeland.
The allegation that the allies could have prevented the holocaust by bombing the railroads but chose not to out of indifference is very unfair I feel. Firstly the extent of the Nazi programs were not fully revealed until Germany had been occupied (yes I am aware of the intelligence reports on the subject, but they can hardly be termed conclusive). Secondly at a time where the majority of Europe lay in ruins with over 50 million people having died as a consequence of warfare it is hardly surprising that the western powers did not view the Nazi abuses with the significance they deserved is hardly surprising. Thirdly I have my own doubts as to the feasability and effectiveness of any large scale bombing campaign on eastern railroads.
Nearly eight hundred airplanes were involved in the attack on Dresden at one time. Are you going to honestly say that that kind of air power couldn't have been used to destry a railrode system?

I liked it when the Roman Emperor Caligula (I can't spell his name but I know it meant little boots) ordered his legions to collect sea shells instead of invading Briton. Then he sent the shells back to Rome as spoils of war. That is why you shouldn't use lead to make wine pots.

I would have liked to meet this Caligula. A fine fellow he seems, if a bit mad.

We the Chinese do not like the medieval. I like modern time. A Modern China.

How Henry VII switched the entire national religion of England just so he could devorice his wife.

Oh, and the fact that Alexander Hamilton was shot and killed by the Vice President of the United States...

We the Chinese do not like the medieval. I like modern time. A Modern China.
oh come on, surely you have at least a wee bit of fascination with the taiping rebellion

not that thats medieval.

How Henry VII switched the entire national religion of England just so he could devorice his wife.

Oh, and the fact that Alexander Hamilton was shot and killed by the Vice President of the United States...

Poor Catherine never did give up on good old Henry.

FDR had no accountably at that point. He critics were routinely dismissed as Nazi-sympathizers, and some still bare that shame in the history books to this day. Also, you can not dismiss what the Russians did. They were a crucial apart of the war and we could not have won without them.
By the way, I consider the bombing of civilian cities to be equal to what the Nazis dead. Genocide is genocide is genocide.

One of those ideologies that arose was Stalin’s national communism, economic centralization and state-capitalism. I doubt you think those things are “good”.

I’m speaking of the fates of those conquered by the Russians and Nazis.
“The Nazis were Hell, the Russians were worse.”~ Polish Saying

Maybe the higher ups were complacent, but not all of them. The average German soldier, though, was fighting to protect his homeland.

Nearly eight hundred airplanes were involved in the attack on Dresden at one time. Are you going to honestly say that that kind of air power couldn't have been used to destry a railrode system?

I'm not saying that the bombing of railroad systems would not have been successful, I merely have my doubts over how effective that would have been in reducing the speed of the Holocaust.

I think that in spite of the actions of Soviet Russia, the disparity between the intentions, actions and nature of the allies and the axis powers is such that I would not hesitate in defining the conflict in terms of good and evil, (although I recognise the subjectivism and ambiguity of such terms).

The difference for me between the bombing of Dresden and the actions of the Nazis was that Dresden was bombed for reasons of military strategy and whilst loss of civilian life was inevitable, unlike the Holocaust, they were not the objective. I still hold that the bombing was wrong since the loss of life was so grossly disproportionate to the military gains, but you can't equate it to a planned program of extermination.

John Walson built one of the first cable systems in the nation in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania. He said that the system was built in June 1948, which would have made it the first in the country. But all written records of the launch were destroyed in a warehouse fire and there are no newspaper accounts about the system. Regardless of when it actually launched, the system became the cornerstone of a cable company later named Service Electric, which was for many years one of the largest cable operators in the nation and well into the 1990s the largest individually-owned cable operating company in the U. S. In his oral history, Walson recounts how, as the owner of a small appliance store in Mahanoy City in the 1940s, he would have to drive customers to the top of a nearby hill when he wanted to demonstrate a television set because Mahanoy City, in a valley, was beyond the reach of broadcast signals. Eventually he hit on the idea of stringing a dual lead wire down the hill to his shop so he could show the TV sets there. While running the wire he passed the home of a colleague from the local electric company, Pennsylvania Power & Light, where Walson had also worked, who asked to be hooked up as well, and therefore became the first cable customer.
Within a few years Walson recognized the limits of the twin lead wire and switched to coaxial cable, which was more robust and less prone to outages in bad weather. In his oral history, Walson recounts the early efforts to build cable systems, including some of the early technological problems and the issue of how to gain rights to string the wire on poles owned by the utility companies. He also comments on subsequent events in the industry and gives his thoughts on possible growth and future developments. Although he played a key role in 1972 when he became the first cable operator to affiliate with the new pay television service, Home Box Office (HBO), the oral history does not deal with this part of his career.



Happened right down the road from me :D

How Henry VII switched the entire national religion of England just so he could devorice his wife.

Oh, and the fact that Alexander Hamilton was shot and killed by the Vice President of the United States...


we were just talking about the church of england yesterday. im of the opinion that it is superior in its choices of worship style (in that you can in essence worship like a protestant or a catholic and still be a good anglican) but it has the worst excuse for existing (because of that divorce thing).

oh the poor girl! no wonder he divorced her. did she end up marrying again?
I dont believe she did. All in all she probably had a lucky escape. Old Henry was a fickle lover at the best of times and once he starting chopping and changing it wasnt the best of times so far as his wives were concerned.
How Henry VII switched the entire national religion of England just so he could devorice his wife.
Henry VIII, and there was a little more to it than that. (For instance it made good economic sense.) Although very probably but for the divorce issue, England probably wouldnt have split from Rome.

Pacal, the king of the Mayan city of Palenque, erected all these stelae to tell people about his greatness. They all said things about how he ruled for over 80 years and did all these great things during his reign, etc.. When archaeologists excavated his tomb they analyzed his remains - and found that Pacal died when he was 40.

Interesting bits of history to me:

The Roman Republic/Empire

The Renaissance

The Enlightenment

WWI

Pre WWII-1946

Early Cold War

1980s (I'm a 14 year old Reagan fan/conservative, sue me)

But the Greco-Roman age and the 80s are what intrigue me most. They are periods of vast world change (Romanization, for lack of a better term, of Europe, and the fall of Communism)

I dont believe she did. All in all she probably had a lucky escape. Old Henry was a fickle lover at the best of times and once he starting chopping and changing it wasnt the best of times so far as his wives were concerned.

Henry VIII, and there was a little more to it than that. (For instance it made good economic sense.) Although very probably but for the divorce issue, England probably wouldnt have split from Rome.
He was overall psychotic, though. No person in their right mind beheads his wife, let alone 6 or 7 out of 8 of them. (Marrying 8 to begin with is weird enough)

He was overall psychotic, though. No person in their right mind beheads his wife, let alone 6 or 7 out of 8 of them. (Marrying 8 to begin with is weird enough)

Henry's an amateur. You should have met Attila.

He was overall psychotic, though. No person in their right mind beheads his wife, let alone 6 or 7 out of 8 of them. (Marrying 8 to begin with is weird enough)
Whilst I dont necessarily disagree with your assessment of the old boy's mental condition, I would point out that (so far as I can recall off the top of my head) he actually only had 2 of his wives beheaded.:p

This of course doesnt mean that you are wrong to call him psychotic, arguably beheading even only one wife is suggestive of a less than ideal mental state.:eek:

Tomorrow

Tomorrow

Au revoir, dirtbag.

Just kidding. Pleasant dreams.

I really enjoy "minority" history, like the history of women in WWII - things like the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League, the W.A.S.P., the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navaho Code Talkers - things like that. For instance, the first smoke jumpers in the country were formed during WWII. The Japanese had been sending balloon-borne incendiary devices over American forests to start fires. Someone had the bright idea of training Black paratroops to parachute in and fight the fires. This was the 555th Airborne, or the triple nickel. Like most minority groups of the time, they did an outstanding and largely unrecognized job.

Canada had an unsuccessful communist uprising during the depression (1933, IIRC). The army was sent to cut-off the group at Winnipeg. Some of the men whereplaced in camps, some of which where filled with asians during WW2.

Really? Not that I don't believe you, but what exactly constituted a communist in this instance, and do you have a source? I'm more intrigued than anything else...

[QUOTE=EutruscaI'm also fascinated by the Great Library at Alexandria, and love to speculate what the world would be like today had the Library survived the ages.[/QUOTE]

This one gnaws at me as well. Really, a veritible cornucopia of knowlege lost to civilization here...

My Favorite part of history is the sporadic outbreaks of world peace that happened throughout the ages.I've heard it happened early in our world history when the world population was relatively sparse.I think?

He was overall psychotic, though. No person in their right mind beheads his wife, let alone 6 or 7 out of 8 of them. (Marrying 8 to begin with is weird enough)

Six wives. Their fates were as follows. Divorced, beheaded, died (in child birth), divorced, beheaded, survived (he kicked off first).

Really? Not that I don't believe you, but what exactly constituted a communist in this instance, and do you have a source? I'm more intrigued than anything else...
Briefly mentioned in a no longer used socials 10 textbook. The teacher held on to it because he noticed afew things got taken out. The communist would have been very similar to the Russian Communists, cuz they did have some effect on the uprisings beginning (read: sent people over to enlighten us about SovietCommunism).

Oh, and the fact that Alexander Hamilton was shot and killed by the Vice President of the United States...
Not only was he the vice-president, but he was involved in a conspiracy to sell out the Western US to the Spanish!
Aaron Burr, America’s first official dick.

Not only was he the vice-president, but he was involved in a conspiracy to sell out the Western US to the Spanish!
Aaron Burr, America’s first official dick.

...before I go wiki it.. let me just chime in that I hope he died a worse death then those we have tortured before.

I like early twentieth century with emphasis on the interwar period and its political/social turmoil. And as we move farther away from that time, I think we will start looking at WWI and II as a single conflict much as we do the hundred years war and thirtie years war. Many of the same players fighting for the same reasons in a relativly short period of time = same conflict.

I also like the mid sixteenth century.

I like the parts of the world which were untouched by Europeanism. Unofortunatly, such info is limited because it was only recorded by europeans as they killed off the non-europeans

Briefly mentioned in a no longer used socials 10 textbook. The teacher held on to it because he noticed afew things got taken out. The communist would have been very similar to the Russian Communists, cuz they did have some effect on the uprisings beginning (read: sent people over to enlighten us about SovietCommunism).

The only reason I ask, is because a) I've never heard of it, and b) would people from the 30's look at all forms of collective bargaining as 'communist'? We take certain socialist ideas these days for granted after all.

The only reason I ask, is because a) I've never heard of it, and b) would people from the 30's look at all forms of collective bargaining as 'communist'? We take certain socialist ideas these days for granted after all.
Look at what the Communist Party of Russia was advocating at the time. Their recruiters were sent to try and start an uprising. The ideology would be very similar to the Russian Ideology (which I think was opposed to collective bargaining, as it was a type of bargaining).

herman mudgett was america's first recognized serial killer

he bought a city block in a nice neighborhood on the south side of chicago in the 1890s. by the time of the great colombian expostion in 1893 he had created chigago's torture castle.

the downstairs were shops, the top floor was his doctors offices (he was going under the name of dr hh holmes). the middle floor was a maze of torture chambers. hidden rooms, secret hallways, doors that opened to nothing, chutes that could drop a body all the way to the basement. the basement held disection tables (he sometimes performed vivisection on his victims) acid vat, lime pit and kiln to dispose of bodies.

with the crowds of strangers coming to the city for the worlds fair, he had plenty of victims who could be taken, tortured and killed without anyone tracing the missing people back to him.

he is estimated to have killed around 200 people but the police had a very hard time identifying the remains in his basement and figuring out how many corpses they represented.

http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial6/holmes/

I really enjoy "minority" history, like the history of women in WWII - things like the All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League, the W.A.S.P., the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navaho Code Talkers - things like that. For instance, the first smoke jumpers in the country were formed during WWII. The Japanese had been sending balloon-borne incendiary devices over American forests to start fires. Someone had the bright idea of training Black paratroops to parachute in and fight the fires. This was the 555th Airborne, or the triple nickel. Like most minority groups of the time, they did an outstanding and largely unrecognized job.

The 555th was part of the 101st but it was never sent to Europe, so they got stuck with fighting fires. At least, that is my understanding of it.