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Which 13th-century Mongol warlord controlled probably a larger area than anyone in history, from the Yellow Sea to the Black Sea? | Mongols. A history of the Mongols (Monguls) From the first explosion of Mongol military might from the steppes of central Asia in the early decades of the 13th century to the death of Timur in 1405, the nomads of central Asia made a last, stunning return to center stage in world history. Mongol invasions ended or interrupted many of the great empires of the postclassical period, while also extending the world network that had increasingly defined the period. Under Chinggis Khan - who united his own Mongol tribesmen and numerous nomadic neighbors into the mightiest war machine the world had seen to that time - central Asia, northern China, and eastern Persia were brought under Mongol rule. Under Chinggis Khan's sons and grandsons, the rest of China, Tibet, Persia, Iraq, much of Asia Minor, and all of southern Russia were added to the vast Mongol imperium. Though the empire was divided between Chinggis Khan's sons after his death in 1227, the four khanates or kingdoms -which emerged in the struggles for succession -dominated most of Asia for the next one and one-half centuries. The Mongol conquests and the empires they produced represented the most formidable nomadic challenge to the growing global dominance of the sedentary peoples of the civilized cores since the great nomadic migrations in the first centuries A.D. Except for Timur's devastating but short-lived grab for power at the end of the 14th century, nomadic peoples would never again mount a challenge as massive and sweeping as that of the Mongols. In most histories, the Mongol conquests have been depicted as a savage assault by backward and barbaric peoples on many of the most ancient and developed centers of human civilization. Much is made of the ferocity of Mongol warriors in battle, their destruction of great cities, such as Baghdad, in reprisal for resistance to Mongol armies, and their mass slaughters of defeated enemies. Depending on the civilization from whose city walls a historian recorded the coming of the Mongol "hordes," they were depicted as the scourge of Islam, devils bent on the destruction of Christianity, persecutors of the Buddhists, or defilers of the Confucian traditions of China. Though they were indeed fierce fighters and capable of terrible acts of retribution against those who dared to defy them, the Mongols' conquests brought much more than death and devastation. At the peak of their power, the domains of the Mongol khans, or rulers, made up a vast realm in which once-hostile peoples lived together in peace and virtually all religions were tolerated. From the Khanate of Persia in the west to the empire of the fabled Kubilai Khan in the east, the law code first promulgated by Chinggis Khan ordered human interaction. The result was an important new stage in international contact. From eastern Europe to southern China, merchants and travelers could move across the well-policed Mongol domains without fear for their lives or property. The great swath of Mongol territory that covered or connected most of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East served as a bridge between the civilizations of the Eastern Hemisphere. The caravans and embassies that crossed the Mongol lands transmitted new foods, inventions, and ideas from one civilized pool to the others and from civilized pools to the nomadic peoples who served as intermediaries. Like the Islamic expansion that preceded it, the Mongol explosion did much to lay the foundations for more human interaction on a global scale, extending and intensifying the world network that had been building since the classical age. This section will explore the sources of the Mongol drive for a world empire and the course of Mongol expansion. Particular attention will be given to the nomadic basis of the Mongol war machine and the long-standing patterns of nomadic-sedentary interaction that shaped the character, direction, and impact of Mongol expansion. After a discussion of the career and campaigns of Chinggis Khan, separate sections of this |
Which is the largest city in India? | Top 10 Largest Cities in India in terms of population Top 10 Largest Cities in India in terms of Population Posted on May 27, 2015 India is 2nd largest country in the World in terms of population after China. As per 2012 figure, India’s population is 1.237 billion which is the second largest after China (1.351). As per the latest analysis and prediction, India will become world’s largest country in population by 2020. It is the most alarming figure for India to control population. If India failed to do so, it will be difficult to provide basic facilities to all and result in failure state. We have mentioned here list as per figure of 2011 census. Top 10 Largest Cities in India 1. Mumbai, Maharashtra Mumbai is the most populous city of India. It is the financial capital of India as well as political capital of Maharashtra. Mumbai’s total population is 12,478,447 as per the 2011 census. Mumbai is also world’s 5th largest city by population. Due to business opportunities in the city, most of people in the country wants to settle down in the city. Mumbai Traffic Jam 2. Delhi Delhi is the national capital of India. Delhi is also known as the National Capital Territory (NCT) of India. Delhi is the most important city and centre of power in the country. As per the history, Delhi was inhabited before the second millennium BC. Its total population is 11,007,835 as per the census of 2011. Delhi is tenth largest city in the World. Qutb Minar Delhi 3. Bangalore, Karnataka Bangalore is the Information Technology (IT) hub of India. People came here from across the country for their career growth. Bangalore is also known as Bengaluru and its total population is 8,425,970 as per 2011 census. Bangalore was expanded in 2007 and this figure represent new city limits. Bengaluru is 22th largest city in the World in population. Read Also: Tourist Places in Bangalore 4. Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh and another growing IT hub of India. Its now capital of both states Andhra Pradesha and newly created state Telangana. Due to high growth and business opportunities, rush towards Hyderabad has been increased and it makes fourth largest city in India with total population of 6,809,970. Hyderabad is also 34th largest city in the World. Charminar, Hyderabad 5. Ahmedabad, Gujarat Ahmedabad is the financial capital of Gujarat and one of the fastest growing city in India. Earlier, it was known as the ‘Manchester of India’. Ahmedabad’s total population is 5,570,585 which makes it fifth largest city in India. Ahmedabad is world’s 39th most populous city in the World. Sidi Sayeed Masjid, Ahmedabad 6. Chennai, Tamil Nadu Chennai is the capital of Tamil nadu and one of the most important port in the country. Chennai’s total population is 4,681,087 which makes it 6th largest city in India and 16th most populous city in the world. Chennai is major business hub of the country. It is also one of the largest city in the Southern India. Anna International Airport Chennai 7. Kolkata, West Bengal Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal and largest city of eastern India. Kolkata’s total population is 4,486,679 which makes it 7th largest city in India and world’s 51th largest city in the World. Its metropolis area is 185 square km. In earlier times, Kolkata was known as Calcutta. Now, mostly Kolkata name is used in all places. Kolkata Tram 8. Surat, Gujarat Surat is 8th most populous city in India with total population of 4,462,002 as per 2011 census. Surat is world famous diamond hub. Due to diamond industry as well as textile industry, every year thousands of people rush towards the city. Surat is the most developed city in the country and provides better opportunities to all. Surat City 9. Pune, Maharashtra Pune is emerging Information Technology hub in India after Bangalore and Hyderabad. Already thousands of small IT companies are working in the city which provides employment opportunities at it best. Pune’s total population is 3,115,431 which makes it ninth largest city of India in population. Pune Airport 10. Jaipur, Rajastha |
Which is the principal island of Japan? | What Are the Four Main Islands of Japan? By Matt Rosenberg Updated August 06, 2016. Japan's "mainland" consists of four primary islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. In total, the country of Japan includes 6,852 islands, many of which are very small and uninhabited. When trying to remember where the major islands are located, you can think of the archipelago of Japan as a letter "j." Hokkaido is the j's dot. Honshu is the long body of the j. Shikoku and Kyushu make up the j's sweeping curve. The Island of Honshu Honshu is the largest island and the core of Japan. It is also the seventh largest island in the world. On the island of Honshu, you will find the majority of the Japanese population and most of its major cities including the capital of Tokyo. Because it is the center of Japan, Honshu is connected to the other primary islands via undersea tunnels and bridges. Roughly the size of the state of Minnesota, Honshu is a mountainous island and home to many of the country's active volcanoes. Its most famous peak is Mt. Fuji. Major Cities: Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka-Kyoto, Nagoya, Sendai, Yokohama, Niigata Key Mountains: Mount Fuji (Japan's highest point at 12,388 feet/3776 meters), Mount Kita, Mount Hotaka, Hilda Mountains, Ou Mountains, Chugoku Range Other Key Geographic Features: Lake Biwa (Japan's largest lake), Mutsu Bay, Inawashiro Lake, Tokyo Bay The Island of Hokkaido Hokkaido is in the northernmost and second largest of the main Japanese islands. It is separated from Honshu by the Tsugaru Strait. Sapporo is the largest city on Hokkaido and also serves as the island's capital. The climate of Hokkaido is distinctly northern. It is known for its mountainous landscape, a number of volcanoes, and natural beauty. It is a popular destination for skiers and outdoor adventure enthusiasts and Hokkaido is home to many national parks, including Shiretoko National Park. During the winter, drift ice from the Ohotsk Sea creeps toward the northern coast and this is a popular site starting in January. The island is also known for its many festivals, including the popular Winter Festival. Major Cities: Sapporo, Hakodate, Obihiro, Asahikawa, Obihiro, Kitami, Shari, Abashiri, Wakkanai Key Mountains: Mount Asahi (highest point on the island at 7516 feet/2291 meters), Mount Hakuun, Mount Akadake, Mount Tokachi (active volcano), Daisetsu- zan Mountains Other Key Geographic Features: Sounkyo Gorge, Lake Kussharo, Lake Shikotsu The Island of Kyushu The third largest of Japan's big islands, Kyushu is to the southwest of Honchu. The largest city is Fukuoka and this island is known for its semi-tropical climate, hot springs, and volcanoes. Kyushu is known as the "Land of Fire" because of its chain of active volcanoes, which include Mount Kuju and Mount Aso. Major Cities: Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kagoshima Key Mountains: Mount Aso (active volcano), Mount Kuju, Mount Tsurumi, Mount Kirishima, Sakura-jima, Ibusuki Other Key Geographic Features: Kumagawa River (largest on Kyushu), Ebino Plateau, multiple small islands The Island of Shikoku Shikoku is the smallest of the four islands and is located to the east of Kyushu and southeast of Honshu. It is a picturesque and cultural island, boasting many Buddhist temples and the home of famous haiku poets. Also a mountainous island, Shikoku's mountains are small in comparison to others in Japan as none of the island's peaks is higher than 6000 feet (1828 meters). There are no volcanoes on Shikoku. Shikoku is home to a Buddhist pilgrimage that is known worldwide. Visitors can walk around the island - either clockwise or counter-clockwise - visiting each of the 88 temples along the way. It is one of the oldest pilgrimages in the world. Major Cities: Matsuyama, Kochi Key Mountains: Mount Sasagamine, Mount Higashi-Akaishi, Mount Miune, Mount Tsurugi Other Key Geographic Features: Inland Sea, Hiuchi-nada Sea, Bingonada Sea, Iyo-nada Sea |
What is the dominant classical language of the Indian subcontinent? | Ancient India and the Indian Subcontinent Ancient India and the Indian Subcontinent Ancient/Classical History Expert By N.S. Gill The Indian subcontinent is a diverse and fertile region with monsoons, droughts, plains, mountains, deserts, and especially rivers, along which early cities developed in the third millennium B.C. Along with Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and Mesoamerica, the ancient Indian subcontinent was one of the few places in the world to develop its own system of writing. Its early literature was written in Sanskrit. Here are some definitions for terms related to the ancient Indian Subcontinent listed in alpabetical order. Mauryan Empire at Its Greatest Extent Under Ashoka. Released into the public domain by its author, Vastu. Ashoka Ashoka was the third king of the Mauryan Dynasty, ruling from c. 270 B.C. until his death in 232. He was known for his cruelty early on, but also his great acts following his conversion to Buddhism after he waged a bloody war in c. 265. More » continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know Ancient Historians on Ancient India Besides the occasional literary and archaeological record, there are historians from antiquity that wrote about ancient India from around the time of Alexander the Great. More » Holy Ganges: the junction of the rivers Alokananda (left) and Bhagirathi (right) at Deva-Prayag. CC subarno at Flickr.com Ganges The Ganges (or Ganga in Hindi) is a holy river for Hindus located in the plains of northern India and Bangladesh, running from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. Its length is 1,560 miles (2,510 km). Chandra-Gupta I (r. A.D. 320 - c.330) was the founder of the imperial Gupta Dynasty. The dynasty lasted until the late 6th century (although starting in the 5th century, the Huns started breaking it apart), and produced scientific/mathematical advances. Indus Valley Seal - Rhinoceros on an Indus Valley Seal. Clipart.com Indus Valley Civilization When 19th century explorers and 20th century archaeologists rediscovered the ancient Indus Valley civilization, the history of the Indian sub-continent had to be rewritten. Many questions remain unanswered. The Indus Valley civilization flourished in the third millennium B.C. and suddenly disappeared, after a millennium. More » Rig Veda in Sanskrit. Public Domain. Courtesy of Wikipedia. Kama Sutra The Kama Sutra was written in Sanskrit during the Gupta Dynasty (A.D. 280 - 550), attributed to a sage named Vatsyayana, although it was a revision of earlier writing. The Kama Sutra is a manual on the art of love. Languages of the Indus Valley The people of the Indian subcontinent used at least four different languages, some with limited purposes. Sanskrit is probably the best known of these and it was used to help show a connection among the Indo-European languages , which also include Latin and English. The Punjab is a region of India and Pakistan that lies around tributaries of the Indus River: the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab, and Jhelum (Greek, Hydaspes) rivers. More » Jain Tirthankara on the HazaraRama Temple. CC soham_pablo Flickr.com Religions There are 3 main religions that came from ancient India: Buddhism , Hinduism , and Jainism . Hinduism was the first, although Brahmanism was an early form of Hinduism.. Many believe Hinduism is the oldest extant religion, although it has only been called Hinduism since the 19th century. The other two were originally developed by practitioners of Hinduism. Saraswati/Saravati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and the arts. CC jepoirrier |
In which 1954 battle did the Vietminh defeat the French and end their influence in Indochina? | French defeated at Dien Bien Phu - May 07, 1954 - HISTORY.com French defeated at Dien Bien Phu Share this: French defeated at Dien Bien Phu Author French defeated at Dien Bien Phu URL Publisher A+E Networks In northwest Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh forces decisively defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu, a French stronghold besieged by the Vietnamese communists for 57 days. The Viet Minh victory at Dien Bien Phu signaled the end of French colonial influence in Indochina and cleared the way for the division of Vietnam along the 17th parallel at the conference of Geneva. On September 2, 1945, hours after the Japanese signed their unconditional surrender in World War II, communist leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam, hoping to prevent the French from reclaiming their former colonial possession. In 1946, he hesitantly accepted a French proposal that allowed Vietnam to exist as an autonomous state within the French Union, but fighting broke out when the French tried to reestablish colonial rule. Beginning in 1949, the Viet Minh fought an increasingly effective guerrilla war against France with military and economic assistance from newly Communist China. France received military aid from the United States. In November 1953, the French, weary of jungle warfare, occupied Dien Bien Phu, a small mountain outpost on the Vietnamese border near Laos. Although the Vietnamese rapidly cut off all roads to the fort, the French were confident that they could be supplied by air. The fort was also out in the open, and the French believed that their superior artillery would keep the position safe. In 1954, the Viet Minh army, under General Vo Nguyen Giap, moved against Dien Bien Phu and in March encircled it with 40,000 Communist troops and heavy artillery. The first Viet Minh assault against the 13,000 entrenched French troops came on March 12, and despite massive air support, the French held only two square miles by late April. On May 7, after 57 days of siege, the French positions collapsed. Although the defeat brought an end to French colonial efforts in Indochina, the United States soon stepped up to fill the vacuum, increasing military aid to South Vietnam and sending the first U.S. military advisers to the country in 1959. Related Videos |
What nationality are the Gurkhas, who have fought for the British and Indian armies since 1815? | Who are the Gurkhas? - BBC News BBC News Close share panel Image caption Gurkhas are part of the British Army Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years, but who are these fearsome Nepalese fighters? "Better to die than be a coward" is the motto of the world-famous Nepalese Gurkha soldiers who are an integral part of the British Army. They still carry into battle their traditional weapon - an 18-inch long curved knife known as the kukri. In times past, it was said that once a kukri was drawn in battle, it had to "taste blood" - if not, its owner had to cut himself before returning it to its sheath. Now, the Gurkhas say, it is used mainly for cooking. The potential of these warriors was first realised by the British at the height of their empire-building in the last century. The Victorians identified them as a "martial race", perceiving in them particularly masculine qualities of toughness. Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had a country more faithful friends than you Sir Ralph Turner MC, 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles, 1931 After suffering heavy casualties in the invasion of Nepal, the British East India Company signed a hasty peace deal in 1815, which also allowed it to recruit from the ranks of the former enemy. Following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India and Britain meant four Gurkha regiments from the Indian army were transferred to the British Army, eventually becoming the Gurkha Brigade. Since then, the Gurkhas have loyally fought for the British all over the world, receiving 13 Victoria Crosses between them. More than 200,000 fought in the two world wars, and in the past 50 years they have served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo and now in Iraq and Afghanistan. They serve in a variety of roles, mainly in the infantry but with significant numbers of engineers, logisticians and signals specialists. The name "Gurkha" comes from the hill town of Gorkha from which the Nepalese kingdom had expanded. The ranks have always been dominated by four ethnic groups, the Gurungs and Magars from central Nepal, the Rais and Limbus from the east, who live in villages of impoverished hill farmers. They keep to their Nepalese customs and beliefs, and the brigade follows religious festivals such as Dashain, in which - in Nepal, not the UK - goats and buffaloes are sacrificed. Image caption Actress Joanna Lumley has been the public face of the campaign on behalf of the Gurkhas But their numbers have been sharply reduced from a World War II peak of 112,000 men, and now stand at about 3,500. During the two world wars 43,000 men lost their lives. The Gurkhas are now based at Shorncliffe near Folkestone, Kent - but they do not become British citizens. The soldiers are still selected from young men living in the hills of Nepal - with about 28,000 youths tackling the selection procedure for just over 200 places each year. The selection process has been described as one of the toughest in the world and is fiercely contested. Young hopefuls have to run uphill for 40 minutes carrying a wicker basket on their back filled with rocks weighing 70lbs. They are tough, they are brave, they are durable, they are amenable to discipline. Tony Gould, Historian Prince Harry lived with a Gurkha battalion during his 10 weeks in Afghanistan. There is said to be a cultural affinity between Gurkhas and the Afghan people which is beneficial to the British Army effort there. Historian Tony Gould said Gurkhas have brought an excellent combination of qualities from a military point of view. He said: "They are tough, they are brave, they are durable, they are amenable to discipline. "They have another quality which you could say some British regiments had in the past, but it's doubtful that they have now, that is a strong family tradition. "So that within each battalion there were usually very, very close family links, so when they were fighting, they were not so much fighting for their officers or the cause but for their friends and family." Historica |
Which major export of Bangladesh is used to make sacking? | Exports and Imports - Bangladesh | By Bangladesh Channel City finder Quality Exports of Bangladesh Like many other third-world countries, Bangladesh relies quite heavily on exports to provide for the needs of its densely populated nation. The same products sold locally will generally fetch a much lower price than they would on the international market. This means that it is far more profitable for the country to engage in exportation than it is to engage in local trade. While this may mean that a large percentage of the countries GDP is sent off abroad as Bangladesh exports instead of being enjoyed by the country’s own people, it also allows for a steady influx of foreign currency . Currently Bangladesh’s main export items are garments, jute and jute-related goods, leather, frozen fish and seafood. Just three years ago the country made over $2,000 billion from export trade. The majority of the country’s trade is conducted with the USA but a small portion of exports also sees its way to Germany, the UK, France and Italy. However these figures should not mislead you into thinking that the country is well-off. As one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world, the majority of these profits will generally make their way into the pockets of a few wealthy while the rest will be thinly spread out amongst those involved in the production of these goods. To add to this, the country’s economy depends on an erratic monsoon cycle as well as drought and flooding which makes regular harvesting difficult. Besides these Bangladesh exports , the country is also engaged in the production of rice, tea, sugar wheat, ship scrap metal, textiles , fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, ceramic tableware and newsprint. Though yields can at times be quite high, the country still faces widespread poverty and it is struggling to free itself from this. Some progress has been made, but there are still many people living below the breadline in Bangladesh. |
What was the former name of Iran? | What was the former name of Iraq? - Quora Quora The former name of Iraq? Iraq. It’s astounding how people will immediately jump to saying it was called “Mesopotamia”, the Hellenistic Roman word for it, when in fact it is “Mesopotamia” which is the 19th c. colonial neologism. One would have thought this would have been obvious: the British didn’t invent an Arabic word on the fly. Iraq was the land’s name for over a millenium before the events of 1918, generally split between the ‘Two Iraqs’ - Arabic Iraq occupying the Arabic-speaking regions of Iraq and “Persian Iraq” in what is now the heartlands of Iran around Tehran (this latter was used as a propaganda piece by Saddam Hussein, but it long preceded him.) For the duration of the 18th and much of the 19th centuries, Arabic Iraq (the pink and orange provinces in the map above, Baghdad and Basra) were autonomous under a Turkish royal family (this, however, excluded the Kurdish regions of modern Iraq). Iraq has fine precedent as a country on its own right. The British actually did pretty much divide the region into its natural components. That these have gone through hell in recent years doesn’t make them ‘artificial’. Written Nov 7 The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The Arabic name al-Irāq has been in use since before the 6th century. There are several suggested origins for the name. One dates to the Sumerian city of Uruk (Biblical Hebrew Erech) and is thus ultimately of Sumerian origin, as Uruk was the Akkadian name for the Sumerian city of Urug, containing the Sumerian word for "city", UR.An Arabic folk etymology for the name is "deeply rooted, well-watered; fertile". During the medieval period, there was a region called Irāq Arabī ("Arabian Iraq") for Lower Mesopotamia and Irāq ajamī ("Foreign Iraq") for the region now situated in Central and Western Iran. The term historically included the plain south of the Hamrin Mountains and did not include the northernmost and westernmost parts of the modern territory of Iraq. The term Sawad was also used in early Islamic times for the region of the alluvial plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, contrasting it with the arid Arabian desert. As an Arabic word, it means "hem", "shore", "bank", or "edge", so that the name by folk etymology came to be interpreted as "the escarpment", at the south and east of the Jazira Plateau, which forms the northern and western edge of the "al-Iraq arabi" area. 646 Views · View Upvotes · Answer requested by |
Which river runs 1,560 miles to the Bay of Bengal? | Ganges River | river, Asia | Britannica.com Ganges River Allahabad Ganges River, Hindi Ganga, great river of the plains of the northern Indian subcontinent. Although officially as well as popularly called the Ganga in Hindi and in other Indian languages, internationally it is known by its conventional name, the Ganges. From time immemorial it has been the holy river of Hinduism . For most of its course it is a wide and sluggish stream, flowing through one of the most fertile and densely populated regions in the world. Despite its importance, its length of 1,560 miles (2,510 km) is relatively short compared with the other great rivers of Asia or of the world. The Brahmaputra and Ganges river basins and their drainage network. Rising in the Himalayas and emptying into the Bay of Bengal , it drains one-fourth of the territory of India , and its basin supports hundreds of millions of people. The greater part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain , across which it flows, is the heartland of the region known as Hindustan and has been the cradle of successive civilizations from the Mauryan empire of Ashoka in the 3rd century bce to the Mughal Empire , founded in the 16th century. Morning prayers along the Ganges River, Varanasi, India. Gavin Hellier—Photographer’s Choice/Getty Images For most of its course the Ganges flows through Indian territory, although its large delta in the Bengal area, which it shares with the Brahmaputra River , lies mostly in Bangladesh . The general direction of the river’s flow is from northwest to southeast. At its delta the flow is generally southward. Physical features Physiography The Ganges rises in the southern Great Himalayas on the Indian side of the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China . Its five headstreams—the Bhagirathi , the Alaknanda, the Mandakini, the Dhauliganga, and the Pindar—all rise in the mountainous region of northern Uttarakhand state. Of those, the two main headstreams are the Alaknanda (the longer of the two), which rises about 30 miles (50 km) north of the Himalayan peak of Nanda Devi, and the Bhagirathi, which originates at about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) above sea level in a subglacial meltwater cave at the base of the Himalayan glacier known as Gangotri . Gangotri itself is a sacred place for Hindu pilgrimage . The true source of the Ganges, however, is considered to be at Gaumukh, about 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Gangotri. Gangotri, glacier in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand state, northern India, and one of the sources of … © afateev/Fotolia Eyjafjallajökull volcano The Ganges-Yamuna area was once densely forested. Historical writings indicate that in the 16th and 17th centuries wild elephants, buffalo, bison, rhinoceroses, lions, and tigers were hunted there. Most of the original natural vegetation has disappeared from the Ganges basin, and the land is now intensely cultivated to meet the needs of an ever-growing population. Large wild animals are few, except for deer, boars, and wildcats and some wolves, jackals, and foxes. Only in the Sundarbans area of the delta are some Bengal tigers, crocodiles, and marsh deer still found. Ganges river dolphin, or susu (… Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Fish abound in all the rivers, especially in the delta area, where they form an important part of the inhabitants’ diet. In the Bengal area common fish include featherbacks (Notopteridae family), barbs (Cyprinidae), walking catfish , gouramis (Anabantidae), and milkfish (Chanidae). The Ganges river dolphin —or susu (Platanista gangetica), a nearly sightless cetacean with highly developed sonar capabilities—can be found throughout the Ganges-Brahmaputra basin, but it is considered endangered because of encroaching human activity. Many varieties of birds are found, such as mynah birds, parrots, crows, kites, partridges, and fowls. In winter, ducks and snipes migrate south across the high Himalayas, settling in large numbers in water-covered areas. People Ethnically, the people of the Ganges basin are of mixed origin. In the west and centre of the basin they were originally descende |
Which sheikhdom is the capital of the United Arab Emirates? | United Arab Emirates's capital - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com United Arab Emirates's capital Definitions of United Arab Emirates's capital 1 n a sheikhdom of eastern Arabia and capital of the United Arab Emirates Synonyms: the capital city of a nation Word Family Usage Examples Sign up, it's free! Whether you're a student, an educator, or a life-long learner, Vocabulary.com can put you on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement. |
What is the capital of Hong Kong? | What is the capital city of Hong Kong? | Reference.com What is the capital city of Hong Kong? A: Quick Answer The capital of Hong Kong is Hong Kong. An area of the city known as Victoria used to house the capital. It has since moved to a more central location within the city. Full Answer Hong Kong is an independent city-state of China. This means that it ultimately falls under Chinese rule, but for economic and trade purposes, and as part of the agreement that transferred rule of Hong Kong from the U.K. to China, it is somewhat self-governing. Ultimately, China is responsible for Hong Kong's defense and foreign affairs. Hong Kong maintains independence in all other areas of government. It also continues to maintain its own currency. |
"Who founded the modern republic of Turkey and, in 1934, took a name meaning ""Father of the Turks""?" | Mustafa Kemal ATATURK - Turkish Republic Ataturk and the Modernization of Turkey Ataturk is the national hero of Turkey. He founded the modern Turkish Republic out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire; an empire that was seen as the sick man of Europe at the turn of the century. His modern perspective created a new nation and a country, and a secular state understanding different from most other Islamic countries was introduced by him. Once you step in Turkey, you will see his statues and the busts all over. One of the best books written about Ataturk from a foreigner's point of view is the book titled " The Rebirth of a Nation" by Lord Kinross. He was born in the year 1881 in Thessaloniki, at that time, within the Ottoman Empire's borders at that time, in Greece at present . His full name was Mustafa Kemal and the Ataturk surname, meaning the father of Turks, was given to him by the Turkish people (1934 November 24th.) in accordance with the reforms he introduced to create a modern Turkish country. His background was military, and he served in various posts in the Ottoman army. During the First World War , he was the colonel in charge of Infantry at Gallipoli in 1915 and it was his genious defense tactics that prevented the allied forces ( British, French, Anzacs - Australians and New Zealenders and Senegalese) from capturing the Dardanelles and eventually Bosphorus. His success and fast growing reputation disturbed the capital and to keep him under control he was promoted to Pasha ( General ). When the War ended the armies of the allied forces occupied nearly all corners of the country including Istanbul . Sultan and many of the people saw a hopeful future in the acceptance of either the British or American mandate. Ataturk, however, had a very different vision. He left Istanbul in a small boat, namely Bandirma ( a nice model of the boat may be seen at the Ataturk Museum in Ataturk's Mausoleum, Ankara), going ashore at Samsun, a coastal town in the Black Sea, on the 19th. of May 1919 ( a date later to be presented by Ataturk to the Turkish Youth as the Turkish Youth Day), the day the War of Independence began. He wanted Independence. First with skirmishes , in time with proper army troops, Ataturk and his army friends' armies started fighting the enemy. Ankara was chosen to be Ataturk's headquarter for its central location and the seeds of a new country were planted there. He and his friends wanted to replace the Monarchy with a Republic. The War of Independence took some three years and by the end of the year 1922, all of the invaders had left the country. The Ottoman Sultan fled in a British boat. The birth of a new nation had begun. Ataturk's Revolutions The Sultanete was abolished in 1922, November 1st. The Republic was declared in 1923, October 29th. The Caliphship was abolished in 1924, March 3rd. Social Reformations The hat as opposed to fez was introduced. (1925) The activities of religious sects were banned by law. ( 1925) Western calender was introduced. ( 1925) International numeric system was introduced. ( 1928) The Metric system was introduced. ( 1931) The nicknames and personal titles were abolished. ( 1934) Religious attire was prohibited in public ( 1934). According to this law, religious personalities, irrespective of the religious groups they belong were not to wear religious attire in public but only in their sanctuaries. The surname law.( 1934) The modern secular system of jurisprudence is instead of religious law is integrated.( 1926) The liberation of the women of Turkey by giving them political and social rights. a) Rights brought with medeni kanun ( 1926) b) Rights for women to be elected for the parliment Educational and Cultural Reformations Introduction and the acceptance of the Roman alphabeth. ( 1928 ) The foundation of Turkish History Institution The foundation of Turkish Language Institution The Principles of Ataturk ( Kemalism) The doctrines of Ataturk |
What is the Japanese product kakiemon? | Japanese info Nippon (1891 - 1921) The McKinley Tariff, which took effect October 1,1890, required that all imported goods be stamped in English with their country of origin. Click here for information on the McKinley Tariff At the time, "NIPPON" was considered to be an acceptable name for Japan, so most Japanese ceramics of this period were backstamped "NIPPON" or "HAND PAINTED NIPPON." often with artist or maker marks as well. However, not all were stamped that way. There were still unmarked pieces, and pieces stamped "JAPAN" as well. . If your piece does not have a country listed, it is possible it dates before the early 1890s. Of course, there are exceptions, so be careful making assumptions! These are the so-called " Nippon wares". (Some of the finest examples of Japanese ceramics were made during this period). However, the rule doesn't apply for items exported other countries nor always in America because sometimes paper labels and the like were used. So while finding a back stamp saying " Nippon " is a useful dating aid its absence is not determinative. There is also the possibility of pieces having both"Hand Painted Nippon" and "Made in Japan" in the same mark.Some people might place a higher value on these but not everyone. There are also 'Transitional' marks which are identical to the 'Nippon' marks used previously but now state "Made in Japan". Companies later changed their marks. Fake Nippon Fake Nippon first appeared on the market in the early 1980's. The early reproductions were poorly decorated and had fake back stamps which could easily be differentiated from the authentic back stamps by knowledgeable collectors. However, many novice Nippon collectors were fooled by these pieces and unknowingly added these "fakes" to their collections. Over time the companies making these fake pieces have perfected the M-in-wreath back stamp. It is impossible to tell the authentic back stamp from this new fake! Additionally, other authentic back stamps such as the Maple Leaf and Rising Sun were also being used on fake pieces. While these fake back stamps were slightly different from the authentic back stamps and definitely not as perfect as the M-in-wreath fake back stamp, they could fool collectors. Recently, thanks to the efforts of the Noritake Company, U.S. Customs has ruled that the fake M-in-wreath mark is counterfeit and not allowed for importation into the United States. Because of this ruling, wholesalers, for the time being, have stopped marking their fake Nippon with the Noritake Company back stamps (including the Maple Leaf, Rising Sun, and RC marks). Fake Nippon is now being sold 'unsigned'; that is, with no back stamp. The items come into the United States with a paper label identifying the country it was made in. Of course, the paper label is easily removed leaving the item 'unsigned.' In addition to changes in the back stamps, the actual mold style and decoration of the fake Nippon has been improving. In fact some of the newer fakes are being copied from original patterns used during the Nippon era, making them reproductions not fakes. The quality of these reproductions, while much improved over past fakes, is still not quite right and the feel of the porcelain is wrong. However, the overall quality of these reproductions is getting better all of the time and it's imperative for collectors to be aware of this Site of Nippon Collector's club; http://www.nipponcollectorsclub.com/ . Noritake (1921 - 1941) 1921-1941 - often called the NORITAKE ART DECO Era This was also the beginning of the "Made in Japan" period and the reason for keeping Noritake separate from this era is the fact that the quality in many cases was much superior for Noritake pieces than for "Made in Japan". Noritake is still famed for their 'Art Deco' pieces made between the 1920s and 1930s. Many collectors consider the Noritake Art Deco pieces the best of Made in Japan ceramics. They were consistenly of better quality and most beautifully decorated, and today they are very avidly collected and are priced accordingly! Most early p |
Which river with a vast delta to the South china Sea rises as the Za Qu in Tibet? | Mekong Encyclopedia > Places > Asia > Southeast Asia Physical Geography Mekong Mekong (māˈkŏng, mēˈ–) [ key ], Chinese Lancang, one of the great rivers of SE Asia, c.2,600 mi (4,180 km) long. From its marshy source (definitively identified in 1994) on the Rup-sa Pass in the highlands of Tibet, it rises as the Za Qu (Dza Chu) and flows generally S through Yunnan prov. in deep gorges and over rapids. Leaving Yunnan, the Mekong forms the Myanmar-Laos border, then curves E and S through NW Laos before marking part of the Laos-Thailand border. From SW Laos the river descends onto the Cambodian plain, where it receives water from Tônlé Sap during the dry season by way of the Tônlé Sap River; during the rainy season, however, the floodwaters of the Mekong reverse the direction of the Tônlé Sap River and flow into Tônlé Sap, a lake that is a natural reservoir. The Mekong River finally flows into the South China Sea through many distributaries in the vast Mekong delta (c.75,000 sq mi/194,250 sq km), which occupies SE Cambodia and S Vietnam. The delta, crisscrossed by many channels and canals, is one of the greatest rice-growing areas of Asia. It is a densely populated region; Vinh Long, Can Tho, and Long Xuyen are the chief towns there. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is located just east of the delta. The Mekong delta was the scene of heavy fighting in the Vietnam War . The Mekong River is navigable for large vessels c.340 mi (550 km) upstream; Phnom Penh is a major port. North of the Cambodian border, the Mekong was navigable in short sections, but dams and other developments have increased the reach of river traffic in the 21st cent. At Khone Falls, a series of rapids (6 mi/9.7 km long) in S Laos, the Mekong drops 72 ft (22 m). The falls are the site of a hydroelectric power station, part of the Mekong Scheme, a project undertaken by the United Nations in the early 1960s to develop the potentials of the lower Mekong basin. The project sought to improve navigation, provide irrigation facilities, and produce hydroelectricity. The Mekong River Commission, whose members consist of Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, have agreed to pursue sustainable hydropower and irrigation projects and to explore the establishment of fisheries and the construction of a trans-Indochinese roadway system. Laos in particular is undertaking an extensive hydroelectric development of the river and its tributaries. China is developing the upper Mekong, constructing a series of dams to provide hydroelectric power and a navigable waterway; the first, at Manwan, was completed in 1993. In 2010 a report to the commission recommended that no dams that span the full breadth of the river channel be built on the lower Mekong for 10 years because of projected losses to fisheries and other environmental damage that could worsen poverty despite the revenues from producing hydroelectricity. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. |
Isfahan is a major city in which country? | Travel to Isfahan now - Panoramic Photography and Map - 360Cities Isfahan History and Overview Isfahan is located in central Iran, equidistant from the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. It sits on both the east-west and north-south trade routes which traverse the country. Isfahan has artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic period, and written history going back to ancient Aspandana. At one time Isfahan was among the largest cities in the world. It has twice been the capital city of Persia -- during the Parthian Empire and again in the sixteenth century Safavid dynasty. It was here that the Safavids declared Shi'a Islam to be the empire's official religion, one of the most important markers in Islamic history. Modern day Isfahan has one of the largest steel mills in the region, an air force base and a major oil refinery. The art and architecture in Isfahan rival anything else in the world in terms of beauty and intricacy. Getting There The airport is found 20km to the north-east of the city; you can reach it by taxi or bus. The airport shuttle bus goes to and from Enghelab-e Eslami Square. Transportation It costs about 4500 rials to hire a taxi for an hour, and it's a good idea to grab one if you plan on visiting some of the more distant sights. The main bus station is about 2km north of Shohoda Square. Here you can get buses to other cities in Iran, like Yazd or Tehran. Once a week a bus goes up to Istanbul. People and Culture Iranians are extremely hospitable and a growing number of them speak English, so it is possible to get by on a visit without needing to speak Farsi. As always, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the local customs before visiting a new place. In Iran, for example, it's not polite to blow your nose in company and it is not customary for men and women to shake hands. It is better to err on the side of caution if you are not sure how to avoid offending someone. The local currency is the rial, however locals speak about prices in tomans (one toman = ten rials). The rial is about 12,000IRR to the Euro as of February 2009 so you can see why they have a term for reducing the number by a factor of ten. US dollars and British pounds are the best currencies to bring with you, and be sure to declare all your currency at customs when you enter the country. The food in Iran favors fresh vegetables and fruits along with long grain rice, bread and grilled meats. Kebab is the the most common preparation of meat, did you know that came from Iran? Keep an eye out for Abgoosht, it's a thick lamb stew with lentils and potatos, served with bread in a special container. Things to do, Recommendations The Zayande Roud River is a nice place to go for a walk in some open space. Visit Naghshe Jahan square for the craftsmen's shops displaying amazing handiwork. Make sure you get some Gaz, it's the special candy of Isfahan, delicious! Before it's too hot in the mid-day, go for a walk at Najvan Park, it offers amazing views and a deep silent atmosphere. When you're ready to do some shopping there are several malls to pick from. Mojtame Park, Osun and Ali Ghapou malls are all located in Chaharbagh Abbasi Street. These are great for clothes, flowers, electronics etc. Jewelry time! Honor Gold Bazzar is a very big one-floor shopping mall where you can find all types of yellow and white gold, as well as silver. 18k gold is the standard of Iran. The Isfahan Old Bazzar is here at the end of the list because we like to save the best for last. This market sells everything you could want and then more. It's very beautiful to visit even if you aren't planning on buying anything, situated in the western wing of Naghshe Jahan Square. Text by Steve Smith. |
Who was supposed to have told the Arabian Nights tales? | Who was supposed to have told the Arabian Nights tales View the step-by-step solution to: Who was supposed to have told the Arabian Nights tales This question was answered on May 20, 2016. View the Answer Who was supposed to have told the Arabian Nights tales danmwazo posted a question · May 20, 2016 at 4:29am Top Answer josewriter23 answered the question · May 20, 2016 at 4:31am Other Answers The way to answer this question is ... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29628974) ]} The best way to approach your question... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29628975) ]} {[ getNetScore(29628993) ]} muriladon answered the question · May 20, 2016 at 4:32am authors, translators, and scholars across West, Central, and South Asia and North Africa. The tales themselves... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29629008) ]} larrose. answered the question · May 20, 2016 at 4:33am One Nights’ told by Scheherazade , the woman who effectively invented the cliffhanger: the story goes that she was one of... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29629014) ]} Unit VI Essay The list below includes provocative discussions related to the events in the unit's reading. You will choose one and write a 500 word minimum Recently Asked Questions Need an US History tutor? Prof-Alejandro 2 US History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Which is the highest mountain in the Alps? | The Alps - Highest Mountain Range in Europe The Alps The Alps are the youngest and highest mountain system in Europe. They stretch across the western and southern part of the continent in a broad arc. The mountain range starts near the Mediterranean Sea on the border between France and Italy. Then it curves north- and eastward through northern Italy, Switzerland Liechtenstein, southern Germany, Austria and Slovenia. The Alps are about 1,000 km long, the broadest section over 260 km wide. The highest peak, Mont Blanc, situated on the border between France, Italy and Switzerland, rises 4807 meters above sea level . Other famous peaks are the Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn, the Großglockner and the Zugspitze. The whole mountain range is divided into three sections: The western Alps lie west of the Great St. Bernard Pass and include the highest mountains. The central Alps lie between the Great St. Bernard and Lake Constance. The eastern Alps stretch east of Lake Constance into Austria, northern Italy, southern Germany and Slovenia. They are the lowest section of the mountain range . How the Alps were formed Millions of years ago the area of today’s Alps was covered by a large sea that separated Europe and Africa. The southern land mass started moving northwards. This movement folded rock layers at the bottom of the sea. Heat and pressure transformed the rock and pushed the material upwards . Today these regions are the highest parts of the Alps. Most of the newly formed rock is granite and gneiss, but many ranges consist of limestone which also formed on the seabed. During the Ice Age, which started about a million years ago, the Alps were covered with a thick blanket of snow. Glaciers moved down valleys and made them wider and deeper. As they moved they took rock and other material with them, creating moraines. When glaciers started to melt water filled up behind these natural dams and created the alpine lakes we know today. The largest of these glaciers is the Aletsch in Switzerland which reaches a length of about 25 km. The longest glacier of the eastern Alps is the 8 km long Pasterze, at the foot of the Großglockner. The ice and snow of the alpine regions helped create the large rivers of today : the Rhine, Rhone, Danube and the Po. The Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland - Jo Simon on Flickr Climate In general, the Alps have a highlands climate . Higher areas are colder than the valleys and they get more rainfall and snow because cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air. Sometimes warm dry foehn winds, blow downward along the mountain sides. The air originates in the Mediterranean area, climbs over the southern Alps where it loses almost all of its moisture and on the back side becomes so dry and warm that its melts the snow and ice . This often leads to a rise in temperature of up to 20 °C in the colder valleys . Plants and vegetation Many kinds of plants grow in the various areas of the Alps. The valleys have rich, green pastures with beech and oak trees growing in the lower regions. These trees are deciduous, which means they lose their leaves each year. The higher areas are dominated by evergreens mainly spruce, pine and fir trees. Above the tree line, which is located between 1700 and 2000 meters above sea level you can find alpine meadows, mosses, shrubs and unique flowers like the Edelweiss. The highest parts of the Alps (regions above 2 800 metres) are covered with snow, ice and barren rock. Animals Animals living in alpine regions must become used to living in higher mountain locations. The ibex is a sturdy wild goat that lives above the tree line. alpine marmots are thick-bodied squirrels that hibernate in burrows. The chamois is a graceful animal that looks like an antelope. Alpine marmot - Dev Anubis Economy Farming is an important economic activity in valleys and on the sunny sides of the lower slopes. Small family farms are very common in alpine areas. The main crops are barley, oats and rye, as well as corn and wheat. Farmers also raise cattle, goats |
Which country is divided into cantons? | To Salvage Its Democracy, Israel Must Be Divided Into Cantons | The Huffington Post To Salvage Its Democracy, Israel Must Be Divided Into Cantons 05/27/2015 09:00 am ET | Updated May 27, 2016 Carlo Strenger Professor of Psychology and Philosophy, Tel Aviv University ASSOCIATED PRESS It turns out that liberal democracy has its limits; it can't bridge yawning gaps -- even within Israel's Jewish community, for example. For a number of years I have argued that Israel's internal differences -- not only between Jews and Arabs, but among Jews -- are so large that the country should be divided into cantons linked in a federative structure. Last year, with Haaretz's Judd Yadid, I presented a detailed proposal on how such a cantonal structure could look. The first weeks of Benjamin Netanyahu's new government show that such a proposal is timelier than ever. Barely sworn in, its statements, policy proposals and steps show that it might use its tenure, brief as it may be, to irreparably damage Israel's democracy. I'd like to present an unorthodox explanation for why Netanyahu's team is doing this, and why a federative structure might salvage Israel's democracy. Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan has taken the Knesset podium to defend his ministry's decision to provide separate buses for Jews and Palestinians in the West Bank. But the government halted this plan because it realized the catastrophic international repercussions of a step reeking of apartheid -- even when rationalized by security measures -- not because it considers the move grievously wrong. (Incidentally, the army was strictly against the separate bus policy.) Likud's Tzipi Hotovely is deputy foreign minister, which, given that there is no foreign minister, means she is acting foreign minister. Hotovely has told the Foreign Ministry staff that Israeli ambassadors should tell foreign governments the truth -- that God gave all of Israel to the Jewish people and therefore it is simply ours by right. The new culture minister, Miri Regev, has said she does not intend to allow art that harms Israel's image. "If I need to censor something, I will," she said. And the new justice, minister, Ayelet Shaked, has declared that governance must return to the people's control by working toward the abolition of the Supreme Court's ability to block legislation. Add to this that Netanyahu, who has kept the Communications Ministry under his personal command, has already taken steps to interfere with the press. For example, he is putting pressure on Channel 10, which he has tried to close down for a while now. Let me add the cherry from outside the coalition on the icing of this lovely cake: Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who single-handedly forced Netanyahu to form a coalition based on 61 MKs by not joining. He now attacks his former boss for having scheduled a meeting with Ayman Odeh, the leader of the United Arab List -- a meeting required by democratic etiquette. Lieberman called on Netanyahu to cancel the meeting because it "legitimizes the fifth column operating in the Knesset." Nothing in this potpourri of events should be surprising. The lamentations by Israeli liberals that the right has become racist and is trying to undermine democracy have been voiced for a long time -- and for good reason. But lamentations won't help; we need to look at the facts without blinking. Hotovely genuinely believes that God gave all of Israel to the Jews. Regev deeply believes that Israeli liberals harm Israel. And Ben-Dahan has explained his hierarchy of human beings from Jewish men to Jewish women and Jewish gays -- all superior to gentiles. As for Lieberman, I'm less sure, as he's more of a consummate manipulator than an ideologue. But his rabid attacks questioning Israeli Arabs as legitimate citizens certainly reflect a strong current in Israeli society, which is why he keeps voicing them. The right vs. 'the white tribe' As a liberal I am entitled to despise the views of Ben-Dahan, Hotovely, Lieberman and Regev, but I am committed to safeguarding their right to hold them. Incidenta |
In which Italian city would you find Leonardo's Last Supper? | Leonardo's Last Supper - Visit the masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo's Last Supper Book online the ticket to visit Leonardo's Last Supper The Last Supper is one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most popular works and the most famous of Last Supper’s representations ever created. Such a masterpiece dating back to the Renaissance is preserved at Santa Maria delle Grazie - a church and Dominican convent in Milan – and represents an important piece for all those who love Leonardo da Vinci’s Renaissance painting. Leonardo’s Last Supper shows the dramatic moment of Jesus Christ’s final meal with his twelve Apostles, as mentioned in the Gospel according to John (13:21). During the meal, Jesus predicts that one of his disciples will betray him. The twelve apostles are placed around him and we can see they’re noticeably upset by the Prophet’s words. It is just in the representation of emotions on the faces of the 13 personages that stands the magnificence of Leonardo’s masterpiece: he makes visible the “soul motions”, an essential element for an artist, as mentioned by the same Leonardo in his A Treatise on Painting. Jesus with the Apostles - detail of the Last Supper Book online the ticket to visit Leonardo's Last Supper The Last Supper was oil-painted on plaster, with a particular technique: a panel painting on dry walls never used before for frescoes. Probably this is the distinctive feature that makes Leonardo’s works unique in the world: the experimentation of new techniques, which unfortunately were unsuitable for a good conservation with the passing of time. As a matter of fact, also The Last Supper had a series of serious problems for conservation and so it underwent several restorations, which gradually lessened the peculiar features of Leonardo’s painting. During 2nd World War, Santa Maria delle Grazie was seriously bombed but the painting remained intact and in 1977 it underwent its last great restoration that lasted over 20 years. The intervention of the world’s greatest experts was able not just to restore the work, but also, through careful studies, to totally recreate Leonardo da Vinci’s stroke, bringing to light again the uniqueness of The Last Supper. Apostles - detail of Leonardo's Last Supper Book online the ticket to visit Leonardo's Last Supper Nowadays, Leonardo’s masterpiece was made even more famous by the book written by Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code - and later by the movie – which fascinated millions people from all over the world, who today come to Milan to visit the famous painting and try to discover the mysteries the writer talked about. The painting and the Church Santa Maria delle Grazie are part of UNESCO World Heritage The Museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.15 a.m. to 7 p.m. (admission allowed until 6.45 p.m.). Close on Mondays, on 1st January, 1st May, 25th December. Booking is required and it’s also possible to book online . Below, you’ll find our suggestions for guided tours to see The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci: |
Which is Italy's longest river? | Top 10 Rivers of Italy | Italy Top 10 Rivers of Italy Map Submitted by ancos on Thu, 09/10/2015 - 00:00 There are plenty of splendid and beautiful rivers across Italy where one can get a glimpse of the natural scenic beauty located amidst calm surroundings. They are famous for their history, for the scenery, the lovely little towns along their banks or the sports and activities, like rafting , you can do on their waters. The longest rivers are located in the North, because the peninsular part of Italy is cut in half by the Apennines. Nevertheless, there are important rivers in the South and in the islands of Italy, too. Here is a look at Italy's top ten most important rivers: 1) Po Po is the longest river in Italy and it flows through some of the most vital cities in the country, such as Turin, Ferrara and Piacenza. This river measures 405 miles in length and 1,650 feet at its width. It is definitely small when compared to the Nile or the Yangtze, yet it remains the longest in the Bel Paese. Around 141 tributaries feed this vast river along with a catchment basin of around 27,000 sq miles that leads to the plains of Val Padana. River Po in Turin, in Parco Valentino. Ph. ©Depositphoto.com/poissonenciel 2) Adige The Adige is the second largest river of Italy after the Po. It originates on the Alps, in the area marking the border between Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Little trivia: the Adige forms the artificial lake Reschen, situated at the Reschen Pass just over the Inn valley. This lake is known for hiding within an abandoned, underwater village , whose church belfry still rises from the waters. Verona and the River Adige. Ph. ©Depositphoto.com/ActiActi 3) Piave This river flows through the Northern part of Italy, springing in the Alps and clearing its water into the Gulf of Venice. It's called the "Fiume Sacro alla Patria" (River Sacred to the Country) in memory of the hard battles fought on its banks during World War I, and remembered in many popular songs, chief among them " La Leggenda del Piave " (The Legend of Piave). Today it is one of the principal water sources for the agricultural farms and hydroelectric power station in the plains of Veneto. 4) Savio The river Savio is located across northern Italy and has its source close to Montecoronaro located on Mount Castelvecchio. The source of this river is situated at a height of 1,126 meters. It has a well-preserved natural environment across Romagna and comprises of The River Savio National Park. 5) Tiber The Tiber is regarded as the third largest rivers of Italy. It springs from the Apennines and flows for about 406 kms along Umbria and Lazio, until he reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea. This river is especially known for being the main water basin touching the eternal city, Rome. The source of Tiber comprises of two springs located around 10 meters apart from each other, towards Mount Fumaiolo. The name "Le Vene" is given to these springs. It seems that the city of Rome was founded on the banks of the Tiber in the year 753 B.C. This river was vital for trade and commerce during ancient times, as ships were able to reach up to 100 kms upwards. Tiber at night near Ponte St. Angelo, Rome 6) Alcantara The Alcantara is in Sicily. It originates on the Monti Nebrodi and meets the Ionian sea after a course of about 52 kms. It seems that thousands of years ago, the river bed was stopped by the flow of lava arising from Mount Etna. The Alcantara River Park was created with the intention of protecting the river and also as a recreation and tourist spot for visitors. The wooden bridge over the Brenta river in Bassano Of course, there are other important rivers in Italy, running across each and every region. For instance, the river Sesia where plenty of white river rafting activities take place. This river is a tributary of the Po and it is one of the major tourist attractions as people who enjoy rafting find this river to be really fascinating. Besides, the beauty of the valley and the scenic charm of the river brings lot of excitement to such activitie |
On which river does Verona stand? | Verona, Italy: City of Romance and Beauty RSS Feed Verona, Italy: City of Romance and Beauty Venice is the incomparable city of canals. Rome, the seat of the Empire stretching back into antiquity. Florence is known for its art. Yet there is another city that should be added to this list of Italian stars -- Verona, a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated world heritage site. The riches of Verona -- its colorful history, elegant shops, vibrant markets and lively atmosphere make it one of the under-discovered gems of Italy. Our New Book Verona History Nestled along the banks of the Adige River, Verona has long been a desirable city. The Romans favored its location, colonizing it in 89 B.C. Even today the Roman heart of the city is easy to find. The Arena is still at its center, and there are bronze maps literally embedded in the side-walks that show that old city within modern Verona. Later on, Verona became the site of the free-for-all turf wars that characterized much of Italian (and European) history. These tug-of-war power struggles led to a series of rivalries culminating in the late 1200s with the ascendancy of the della Scalas (also known as the Scaligeri) who added a love of art to their pursuit of power. Their names, after the founding father's Bartolomeo della Scala, had a canine theme. Cangrande I (Big Dog) was the patron of Dante (of Dante's Inferno fame). Not a family to sit idly, under Cangrande's watch Verona captured several smaller cities. The dynasty was continued by the heirs, Mastino II (the Mastiff) and Cansignorio (Lord Dog). Eventually, fearing the end of their reign, the Castelvecchio was built, perhaps a monument to the family's might and power. The buildings today are among Verona's priceless architectural heritage. Eventually Verona decided to join the tiny empire of Venice, although that relationship was not without strife. From that point, rulers came and rulers went, including both Napoleon and Austria, until finally Verona become one of the Kingdom of Italy in the mid 1800s. Verona Sightseeing Start with the Roman Arena in the Piazza Bra. The Arena was built in the 1st Century AD and is one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters in Italy. Seating 25,000 people, it is actually used today as a theater for the July and August opera season. The setting couldn't be more perfect, although you may want to bring a cushion and make reservations in advance. Although the Roman Gavi Arch and several town gates still exist, the other important piece of Roman Verona is the Teatro Romano which is still used as a summer theater. It's located in another section of the city, across the river via the Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge). The Piazza Bra is an stylish area lined with cafes, government buildings and shops but this elegance belies its history as a local livestock marketplace. There is a tourist information office at the southern end of the Piazza near the town hall which may be a good place to start your touring. From the Bra, enjoy a stroll up the Via Mazzini past the fashionable shops. It's for pedestrians only so take your time and savor the stores, and the people. The Via Mazzini ends at Via Cappello, the street where Juliet lived and loved Romeo. The house at No. 23 Via Cappello is, as expected, a major tourist stop. There's the famous balcony (which may have been built later on), and a statue of Juliet in the courtyard. The question of whether these famous lovers really existed is still debated, but if you are patient you can wait your turn to stand next to her statue for a photo opportunity. Although the perhaps fictional, perhaps real Juliet has a house and statue, there is much less to show the (possible) existence of her lover, Romeo. A plaque supposedly marks No. 4 Via Arche Scaliger as the house of Romeo. A short walk going the other way on the Via Cappello will take you to the Piazza Delle Erbe, site of historical (and architecturally fascinating) buildings as well as a colorful fruit and vegetable market. A little further is the Piazza dei Sig |
Which poet died while helping the Greeks fight for their independence? | History of Greece:The Revolution to the 20th Century History of Greece The Greek Revolution of 1821 Contrary to popular opinion there never was a country called Greece or Hellas until the Revolution of 1821. When rebellion against the Ottoman Empire gave birth to Hellas, Hellenic-speaking people had a national homeland for the first time in history. In 1821 the land that was known as Greece is controlled by the Turks, except for the Ionian islands which has been occupied by the Venetians, then the French and in 1815 by the British. The rebellion of the Greeks actually begins in Moldavia when an army of 4500 Hellenes led by General Alexander Ypsilantis, a Phanariot from the so-named district of Istanbul, a member of the Philike Hetairia (Friendly Society), invades hoping to encourage the local Romanian peasants to throw off the yoke of the Turks. Instead they attack their wealthy countrymen and the Greeks have to escape. When the revolution breaks out in the Peloponessos, the Sultan in Istanbul hangs the Patriarch Grigorios V for failing to keep the Greek Christians in line which they considered his duty for the vast privileges they allowed him. The Phanariot Greeks fall in line behind the new patriarch and condemn the revolution. But in the Peloponessos the rebellion is making progress and combined with Ali Pasha's rebellion in Ipirus the Turks have their hands full. On March 25th 1821 Bishop Germanos of Patras raises the flag of revolution at the monastery of Agia Lavra near Kalavrita and the battle cry of "Freedom or Death" becomes the motto of the revolution. But historian David Brewer in his Greece, The Hidden Centuries: Turkish Rule from the Fall of Constantinople to Greek Independence disagrees, stating that the story of the flag raising at Agia Lavra was apparently an invention by Francois Pouqueville, a prominent architect of the Philhellenism movement throughout Europe, who contributed to the liberation of the Greeks, and to the rebirth of the Greek Nation. Nevertheless, fighting begins to break out all over with massacres committed by both the Greeks and the Turks. On the island of Chios 25,000 Greeks are killed while in the Peloponessos the Greeks kill 15,000 of the 40,000 Turks living there. It would be unfair to over-look Ali Pasha and the fact that the insurrection of 1821 was actually something of an Albanian affair and that the Chios massacre was a consequence of this. The Chiotes had enormous privileges under the Ottomans even to the point of dominating the Ottoman admiralty. It was the role of the Chios 'navy' in the revolt that was seen as an act of treason by the Turks, though in Brewer's book the Chios navy was less than eager to join the fray and the cause of the Turkish invasion was the fact that the Samos navy has landed on the island and occupied the citadel. On March 13th 1821, twelve days before the official beginning of the War of Independence, the first 'revolutionary flag' was actually raised on the island of Spetses by Laskarina Bouboulina (though there were several revolutionary flags which could lay claim to being the first, including Hydra). Twice widowed with 7 children but extremely rich she owned several ships. On April 3rd Spetses revolted, followed by the islands of Hydra and Psara with a total of over 300 ships between them. Bouboulina and her fleet of 8 ships sailed to Nafplion and took part in the siege of the impregnable fortress there. Her later attack on Monemvasia managed to capture that fortress. She took part in the blockade of Pylos and brought supplies to the revolutionaries by sea. Bouboulina became a national hero, one of the first women to play a major role in a revolution. Without her and her ships the Greeks might not have gained their independence. What is less well known is that she was Albanian. The Greeks, led by local heroes like Theodoros Kolokotronis from the Mani, capture the Peloponessos and form a provisional government, electing the Phanariot Alexandros Mavrokordatos president. On April 26th the Greeks attack Athens and the Turks of the city are forc |
From which country did Iceland become independent in 1944? | Iceland country profile - BBC News BBC News Read more about sharing. Close share panel A sparsely-populated North Atlantic island, Iceland is famous for its hot springs, geysers and active volcanoes. Lava fields cover much of the land and hot water is pumped from under the ground to supply much of the country's heating. Iceland became an independent republic in 1944 and went on to become one of the world's most prosperous economies. However, the collapse of the banking system in 2008 exposed that prosperity as having been built on a dangerously vulnerable economic model. The affluence enjoyed by Icelanders before 2008 initially rested on the fishing industry, but with the gradual contraction of this sector the Icelandic economy developed into new areas. Area 103,000 sq km (39,769 sq miles) Major language Icelandic Life expectancy 80 years (men), 84 years (women) Currency krona President: Gudni Johannesson Image copyright AFP Image caption President-elect Gudni Johannesson, with his wife Eliza Reid, at an election party in Reykjavik in June 2016. University historian Gudni Johannesson won Iceland's presidential election in June 2016 on his 48th birthday. He secured 39.1% of the vote, ahead of Halla Tomasdottir, a private equity executive, on 27.9%. A political outsider, he campaigned for the largely ceremonial post by pledging to restore Icelanders' faith in their system of government after years of public dissatisfaction with politicians first sparked by the country's banking collapse in 2010. Mr Johanesson succeeded Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who stepped down in August 2016 after 20 years. Prime minister: Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson (resigned) Image copyright EPA Image caption Mr Johannsson resigned in October 2016 after a snap parliamentary election Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson resigned as prime minister in October 2016 after a snap election saw his Progressive Party lose more than half of its seats. The parliamentary election was triggered by the resignation of Mr Johannsson's predecessor, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, during public protests in April 2016 after leaked legal documents from the Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca revealed his offshore holdings. No party gained a parliamentary majority in an election dominated by public anger at Iceland's traditional elites and a strong desire for political change. While the anti-establishment Pirate Party made significant gains, the conservative Independence Party, a governing coalition partner since 2013, emerged as the biggest party but will need the support of at least two other parties to form a coalition government. MEDIA National radio and TV is provided by the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RUV), a public-service broadcaster owned by the state. The RUV is obliged to promote the Icelandic language and the nation's history and cultural heritage. Its services are funded by a licence fee, and by advertising revenues. Press titles include privately-owned and party-affiliated newspapers. The constitution guarantees press freedom. Some key dates in Iceland's history: 1918 - Iceland achieves full self-government under the Danish crown. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A view of Iceland's capital Reykjavik 1940 - German forces occupy Denmark. British forces occupy Iceland. 1941 - The United States takes over the defence of Iceland and stations tens of thousands of troops there. 1943 - The Treaty of Union with Denmark runs out, with Denmark still occupied by Nazi Germany. 1944 - Icelanders vote in a referendum overwhelmingly to cut all ties with Denmark and become a republic. The Republic of Iceland is proclaimed. 1944 - Iceland becomes a member of Nato. 1970 - Iceland joins European Free Trade Association (EFTA). |
In which capital city is the Tivoli amusement park? | Copenhagen: Tivoli, Danish Royalty And The Little Mermaid – amyairlines Copenhagen: Tivoli, Danish Royalty And The Little Mermaid Tivoli Amusement Park After spending New Years in Hamburg, my family and I headed up to Denmark by bus to visit the spectacular capital city of Copenhagen (København). Copenhagen City Hall The first thing I noticed about the city as we drove through were the neat and tidy geometric brick buildings and the prevalent use of bicycles on the road. Copenhagen is proud to be known as one of the world’s most bike-friendly cities. Our hotel was right by the central station, so we went to explore the surrounding area with the help of my mum’s Danish friend who showed us around. There was an eclectic mix of modern and old going on in the centre, like these fancy new buildings under construction near the station. Copenhagen Cathedral The Copenhagen Cathedral or The Church of Our Lady is the national cathedral of Denmark. It looked more like a palace inside than a church and for good reason – there has been many Danish royal weddings and events held here. The Little Pharmacy We had lunch at Det lille Apotek or The Little Pharmacy, which claimed to be the oldest restaurant and coffee house in Copenhagen. In 1720, a pharmacist converted his pharmacy into a restaurant after his unique home distilled spirits became popular with the locals. The Round Tower spiral walk The Round Tower or Rundetaarn is one of the most famous landmarks of the city since 1642. University astronomers used the tower as an observatory and the old Library Hall is used for gallery exhibitions and concerts. View from the Round Tower To get to the lookout at the top, you have to walk up the long spiral ramp which winds seven and a half times around the tower core – so no stairs until the very few at the end! Frederik’s Church Frederik’s Church or the Marble Church is located west of the winter home of the Danish royal family, Amalienborg Palace. The royal mansions surround an octagonal plaza manned by guards – we saw a lot of tourists taking candid photos with them! The Little Mermaid Denmark is also home to famous fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, who penned stories like The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Snow Queen. On Copenhagen’s harbour promenade is a small statue of Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, which is a famous tourist spot and also notorious for being painted over and beheaded twice by artists. Tivoli Gardens On our last night in Copenhagen, we went to Tivoli which is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. Usually theme parks are far away from the cities, but this one was located smack bang in the city centre next to the station! The night was bitterly cold but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. My brother went on The Demon roller coaster ride in the Chinatown quarter, which looked terrifying but only lasted for under two minutes (the price tag was also terrifying at 75 DKK). My dad and I went on the somewhat tamer but more famous wooden roller coaster called Rutschebanen, which is one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters still operating today. The Rutschebanen wooden roller coaster Although we only had a few days in Copenhagen, we all enjoyed ourselves a lot – much more than we expected. Denmark’s capital is such an interesting place steeped with a lot of history and there was so much we didn’t get to see this time around, so I hope we can go back for more soon! So, did you like Copenhagen as much as I did? Has anyone else been here or would like to add it to their travel list? |
On which river does Prague stand? | Vltava River | river, Czech Republic | Britannica.com river, Czech Republic Volga River Vltava River, German Moldau, river , the longest in the Czech Republic , flowing 270 miles (435 km). Its drainage basin is 10,847 square miles (28,093 square km). The river rises in southwestern Bohemia from two headstreams in the Bohemian Forest , the Teplá Vltava and the Studená Vltava. It flows first southeast, then north across Bohemia, and empties into the Elbe (Czech: Labe) River at Mělník, 18 miles (29 km) north of Prague . Prague and České Budějovice are on the Vltava. At České Budějovice, in the river’s middle basin, is an extensive lake region. The middle and lower course of the Vltava is gorgelike, with rapids and incised meanders. Large hydropower dams with associated lakes provide recreational facilities. The Vltava’s principal tributaries are the Lužnice and Sázava (east) and the Otava and Berounka (west). The river is celebrated as the second subject in a cycle of six symphonic poems under the general title of Má vlast (“My Country”) by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana . Prague on the banks of the Vltava River. Havaska in Prague (national capital, Czech Republic) The physical attractions and landmarks of Prague are many. Among the finest is the Charles Bridge (Karlův most), which stands astride the Vltava River. The winding course of the Vltava, with its succession of bridges and changing vistas, contrasts with the ever-present backdrop of the great castle of Hradčany (Prague Castle), which dominates the left-bank region of the city from... in Bohemian Forest ...Arber (Javor; 4,777 feet [1,456 m]) on the Bavarian (western) side and Plechý (Plöckenstein; 4,521 feet [1,378 m]) on the Czech (eastern) side. The Šumava is the source for the Vltava (German: Moldau) River, which cuts a broad trough through part of the region and is a source of hydroelectric power. Forests, both coniferous and deciduous, cover more than a third of the... 2 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: July 20, 1998 URL: https://www.britannica.com/place/Vltava-River Access Date: January 19, 2017 Share |
Which European country restored its monarchy in 1975? | monarchy - Have there been any efforts by the countries of Europe to restore their monarchies? - History Stack Exchange Have there been any efforts by the countries of Europe to restore their monarchies? up vote 11 down vote favorite 1 Have there been any effort, polls, referendum in Europe (especially Eastern ex-communist countries) to restore deposed monarchies, like in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, etc.? Most Monarchies were deposed of because of communist regimes, Nazi occupation or military dictatorships rather than the will of the people (correct me if I am wrong). On a partly related note, it was once thought that Karel Schwarzenberg current Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the House of Schwarzenberg could become elected president of the Czech Republic. It did not happen, and in any case Schwarzenberg is committed to democracy with solid credentials. – Drux Dec 25 '12 at 8:12 A surprising related development in the first round of Czech presidential elections is reported here ... – Drux Jan 12 '13 at 21:43 In most most Eastern-European countries the historical monarch houses died out anyway long time ago. Also, in most of these places there were strong revolutionary movements against feudal institutions long before socialism, and monarchy itself is often more of the symbol for these institutions than some kind of national unity. – Greg Jun 8 '16 at 13:01 Check out Spain. Though it's not simple. Franco more or less assumed the job and they gave it back to the royal family when he died. – RedSonja Jun 8 '16 at 13:04 up vote 6 down vote accepted Well, in 1946 the Italians voted to abolish the kingdom and create the republic, basically because the monarchy was tainted by association with Mussolini. Italy's monarchy was a stronger one (in my estimation) than the East European ones but still it couldn't weather the storm. I have the impression that in Eastern Europe the real prestige of the monarchies was not very high, the people did not resent them so badly as to oppose them as long as they were in power but on the other hand few cared deeply enough for them to work for their restoration. This might have had a lot to do with the monarchies being mostly young and created by foreign powers. You seem to assume otherwise in the question - do you have sources for this assumption? 2 My impression is that many countries tried to restore back in many ways of life before the communist rule (language, religion, arts, national identity). The monarchies were of that past and they were deposed by the communists so that they would have served as an icon of restoration. After all, they all assume ceremonial parts. – The Byzantine Dec 23 '12 at 22:03 up vote 7 down vote Are you restricting your question to a certain time period? If not, then there are a number of examples, besides those already given in the other answers, which could qualify: France has vacillated between a republic and a monarchy several times; the First Republic was succeeded by the First Empire under Napoleon, after which the Bourbon kingdom was restored. The Second Republic was succeeded by a restoration of the Empire. In the 17th century, the three monarchies of England, Scotland, and Ireland (in a personal union) were deposed, and replaced with a unitary republic from 1653 to 1659. The three monarchies were restored in 1660. Spain has also wavered between a republic and a monarchy. The First Republic was established in 1873, but the Bourbon monarchy was restored the following year. The Second Republic existed from 1931 to 1939, after which the Bourbon monarchy was again (eventually) restored. (+1) The odd thing about France is that the first and second French empires, while clearly autocratic, cannot really be lumped together with the monarchy. To an extent, Napoleon was able to stay in power precisely because he represented an alternative to the Bourbons. But there is another time at which France came very close to a restoration of the monarchy, and that's not 1799, 1804 or 1852 but 1870. – Relaxed Jun 8 '16 at 13:20 |
In which autonomous region of Spain are the cities of Cadiz and Cordoba? | Andalucía | Article about Andalucía by The Free Dictionary Andalucía | Article about Andalucía by The Free Dictionary http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Andaluc%c3%ada Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Related to Andalucía: Andalusian Andalusia (ăndəlo͞o`zhə, –shə), Span. Andalucía (än'dälo͞othē`ä), autonomous region (1990 pop. 7,100,060), 33,675 sq mi (87,218 sq km), S Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Atlantic Ocean. Spain's largest and most populous region, it covers most of S Spain, comprising the provinces of Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga, and Seville (Sevilla), all named for their chief cities. Andalusia is crossed in the north by the Sierra Morena and in the south by mountain ranges that rise in the snowcapped Sierra Nevada to the highest peak in mainland Spain, Mulhacén (11,417 ft/3,480 m); between the ranges lies the fertile basin of the Guadalquivir River. Economy and People Despite the natural wealth of the region, poverty is widespread; Andalusian farm laborers are among the poorest in Europe, and many unemployed Andalusians have migrated to more industrialized regions of Spain. With its subtropical climate, Andalusia has many affinities with Africa, which it faces. Barren lands contrast with richly fertile regions where cereals, grapes, olives, sugarcane, and citrus and other fruits are produced. Industries, based generally on local agricultural produce, include wine making, flour milling, and olive-oil extracting. Much farming has become mechanized. Cattle, bulls for the ring, and fine horses are bred. The rich mineral resources, exploited since Phoenician and Roman times, include copper, iron, zinc, and lead. Moorish influence is still strong in the character, language, and customs of the people. One of Europe's most strikingly colorful regions, Andalusia, with its tradition of bull fights, flamenco flamenco, Spanish music and dance typical of the Romani (Gypsy), or gitano. Flamenco dancing is characterized by colorful costumes, intense and erotic movements, stamping of the feet (zapateado), and clapping of the hands (palmada ..... Click the link for more information. music and dance, and Moorish architecture, provides the strongest external image of Spain, especially to North Americans. Increasing tourism has made the service industry the fastest growing economic sector. History In the 11th cent. B.C., the Phoenicians settled there and founded several coastal colonies, notably Gadir (now Cádiz Cádiz , city (1990 pop. 156,903), capital of Cádiz prov., SW Spain, in Andalusia, on the Bay of Cádiz. Picturesquely situated on a promontory (joined to the Isla de León, just off the mainland), it is today chiefly a port exporting wines and other ..... Click the link for more information. and, supposedly, the inland town of Tartessus, which became the capital of a flourishing kingdom (sometimes identified with the biblical Tarshish Tarshish , in the Bible. 1 Eponym of a country distant from Palestine which cannot be accurately identified; Cyprus, Spain, and Tarsus (S Asia Minor) have been suggested. ..... Click the link for more information. ). Greeks and Carthaginians came in the 6th cent. B.C.; the Carthaginians were expelled (3d cent. B.C.) by the Romans, who included S Spain in the province of Baetica. The emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Theodosius were born in the region. Visigoths ended Roman rule in the 5th cent. A.D., and in 711 the Moors Moors, nomadic people of the northern shores of Africa, originally the inhabitants of Mauretania. They were chiefly of Berber and Arab stock. In the 8th cent. the Moors were converted to Islam and became fanatic Muslims. ..... Click the link for more information. , crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, established there the center of their western emirate (see Córdoba Córdoba or Cordova , city (1990 pop. 307,275), capital of Córdoba prov., S Spain, in Andalusia, on the Guadalquivir River. Modern industries in the city include brewing, distilling, textile manufacturing, metallurgy, and tourism. . |
Which European country colonized Brazil? | Which European country colonized Brazil? | Reference.com Which European country colonized Brazil? A: Quick Answer Portugal colonized Brazil in 1500. The Brazilian Indians were not as advanced as the civilizations of Peru and Mexico, such as the Aztecs and Mayans. Full Answer The Brazilian Indians were hunter-gatherers who used the slash-and-burn technique in agriculture. They did not wear clothing, domesticate animals or live in towns. When the Portuguese settled in Brazil, the Brazilian Indians were forced to move away from the colonial settlement. The Portuguese did not make much revenue from Brazil at first, although the sugar industry flourished. They also discovered gold and diamonds in Brazil in the 1690s and 1720s. In the 1820s, the main exports from Brazil were sugar, cotton and coffee. Brazil became independent in 1822. |
Which country was defeated by the USSR in the Winter War of 1939? | World War II -- Finland Winter War World War II Finland: The Winter War (November 1939-March 1940) Figure 1.--This Finnish mother and child are evacuees from the massive Soviet Army invading their small country. Here they have just arrived at a govrnment evacuee camp and have been given name tags. The prss caption read, "Somewnere in Finland: The distress of the Russ-Finish war and the hardship it is working on the people is registered on the face of this peasant mother from Lapland shown on arrival at a Finnish evacuee camp with her child. Note the picturesque attire of the woman and child and the name tag each is wearing. Most homesteads in the far northenr regions hav been evcuated away from the Russian invaders. This picture arrived by clipper today. The photograph was dated January 19, 1940. It was the Soviet Union not Germany that first struck after the invasion of Poland. Finland is located on the far northern perifery of Europe. Rarely has Finland played a significant role in European history. For a few months, however, it was the Finns who galantly resisted totalitarian resistance. The first effective resistance after a decade of totalitarian successes. Only 2 months after seizing eastern Poland, the Soviet Union invaded Finland (November 30, 1939). This was the beginning of what became known as the Winter War. Stalin's goals are unclear. The Soviets claomed they wanted a security belt to the west. This may have been the first step in regaining old Tsarist borders using the samectactics persued against the Baltic Republics. Finland after Poland was the next step in that process. Soviet planes and naval vessels bombarded Finish cities. The international community was apauled. Roosevelt called it the "rape of Finland". [Freidel, p. 324.] Former Ameican President Herbert Hoover, who had organized American relief efforts for Belgium during World War I, headed voluntary war relief for the Finns. (The President hoped that Hoover would work with Mrs. Roosevelt to assist with Government sponsored civilian war relief for the Allies. Such was Hoover animosity toward Roosevelt, however, that he refused. If he had agreed, he suely would have eventually headed American World War II relief efforts. [Freidel, p.325.] The outnummered and out-gunned Finns inflicted enormous losses on the Red Army, but the weight iof Soviet power eventually forced the Finns back. The Finns and Soviets eventually reached a peace agreement (March 1940). Given the scale of the Soviet victory, historians have decribed the terms of the peace settlement as 'moderate', but Stalin's calculations are still debated. The Soviets got the security belt they wanted around Lenningrad. The Soviet invasion of Finland had significant repercussions. The Allies for a time considered actively aiding Finland, but the Germans offensives in the West soon made that impossible. The Red Army energed victorious from the Winter War (1939-40), but at considerable cost. The poor performance of the Red Army in Finland was a factor in Hitler's decission to attack the Soviet Union before Britain had been defeated. Karelia The border area between southern Finland and the Soviet Union is Karelia. It is the area between the White Sea and the Gulf of Finland. It is an extensive area which includes the two largest lakes in Europe, Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega. What is often referred to as the Karelian Isthmus is located between the Baltic Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. To the south is Ingria, the land of the closely related Ingrian people. The traditional western boundary was the Neva river itself but was eventually shifted northward into the Karelian isthmus to follow the Sestra River which since Napoleonic times was the Russo-Finnish border.The River Svir on the other side of Lake Lagoda completed the souther border of Karelia. Lake Saimaa marked the Western border while Lake Onega and the White Sea mark the Eastern border. The land to the north was occupied by nomadic Samis (Lapps), but unlike the south there were no natural border onky trackless wood |
What is the name of the bay between northern Spain and western France, known for its rough seas? | Spain Spain Official name: Kingdom of Spain Area: 504,782 square kilometers (194,897 square miles) Highest point on mainland: Mulhacén Peak (3,478 meters/11,411 feet) Highest point in territory: Teide Peak (3,718 meters/12,198 feet), located on Tenerife Island Lowest point on land: Sea level Hemispheres: Northern and Western P.M. = noon GMT Longest distances: 1,085 kilometers (764 miles) from east to west; 950 kilometers (590 miles) from north to south Land boundaries: 1,918 kilometers (1,192 miles) total boundary length; Andorra 64 kilometers (40 miles); France 623 kilometers (387 miles); Gibraltar 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles); Morocco 16 kilometers (10 miles), Portugal 1,214 kilometers (754 miles) Coastline: Total: 4,964 kilometers (3,084 miles); Mediterranean Sea 1,670 kilometers (1,038 miles); Atlantic and Bay of Biscay 2,234 kilometers (1,388 miles) Territorial sea limits: 22 kilometers (12 nautical miles) 1 LOCATION AND SIZE The mainland of Spain covers most of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe and shares borders with France, Andorra, and Portugal. The country has northern and western coasts along the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay and an eastern coast along the Mediterranean Sea. With a total area of about 504,782 square kilometers (194,897 square miles), the country is slightly more than twice the size of the state of Oregon. Spain is administratively divided into seventeen autonomous communities. 2 TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES Spain controls "places of sovereignty" ( plazas de soberania ) on and off the coast of Morocco: the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, although Morocco contests these territorial claims; and the Alhucemas and Chafarinas Islands. Spain also administers the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and Canary Islands in the Atlantic. Finally, Spain continues to have a centuries-old dispute with the United Kingdom over Gibraltar, a small enclave to the south of Spain. 3 CLIMATE Daytime summer temperatures in Spain can reach 35°C to 39°C (95°F to 102°F) in the northern Meseta and are even hotter in the south. Temperatures of 43°C (109°F) have been recorded in the Ebro basin. Nights are significantly cooler. The climate is more moderate in the northern Atlantic maritime region. In the Mediterranean region, winter temperatures average between 10°C and 13°C (50°F and 55°F) and summer temperatures average between 22°C and 27°C (72°F and 81°F). Rainfall is highly irregular, but annual averages usually fall between 30 and 50 centimeters (12 and 20 inches). The northern Meseta enjoys two rainy seasons: from April to June and from October to November. In the southern Meseta, the spring rainy season begins in March and is wetter than the fall. The maritime northwest receives abundant rainfall throughout the year, with the wettest season from October through December. The Mediterranean region receives the least rainfall, with most of its precipitation occurring in the fall and winter. 4 TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS Overall, Spain's terrain is mountainous, with major ranges running throughout the country. The Pyrenees system is particularly noteworthy. One of Europe's most effective natural boundaries, the highest terrain of the main portion of this range marks Spain's border with France. The tiny nation of Andorra is also located there. Most of the level land in Spain is situated in river valleys, along the coast, or on the Meseta Central (Central Mesa), the large plateau at the center of the country. Topographically, Spain is divided into four parts: the temperate region in the north and northwest, the marginal mountain ranges, the Meseta Central and the surrounding interior region, and the coastal areas. The boundaries between regions are far from clear-cut, however. The temp |
Which city linked by canal with Rotterdam and Amsterdam, is the seat of the Netherlands government? | Netherlands | history - geography | Britannica.com Netherlands Alternative Titles: Holland, Kingdom of The Netherlands, Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, Nederland Netherlands National anthem of the Netherlands Official name Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Kingdom of the Netherlands) Form of government constitutional monarchy with a parliament (States General) comprising two houses (Senate [75]; House of Representatives [150]) Head of state Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate Male: (2009) 100% list of cities and towns in the Netherlands Netherlands, country located in northwestern Europe , also known as Holland. “Netherlands” means low-lying country; the name Holland (from Houtland, or “Wooded Land”) was originally given to one of the medieval cores of what later became the modern state and is still used for 2 of its 12 provinces (Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland). A parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch, the kingdom includes its former colonies in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba , Bonaire , Curaçao , Saba , Sint Eustatius , and Sint Maarten . The capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government The Hague . Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Windmills at Kinderdijk, The Netherlands. © Travelpix—FPG International The country is indeed low-lying and remarkably flat, with large expanses of lakes, rivers, and canals. Some 2,500 square miles (6,500 square km) of the Netherlands consist of reclaimed land , the result of a process of careful water management dating back to medieval times. Along the coasts, land was reclaimed from the sea, and, in the interior, lakes and marshes were drained, especially alongside the many rivers. All this new land was turned into polders, usually surrounded by dikes. Initially, man power and horsepower were used to drain the land, but they were later replaced by windmills, such as the mill network at Kinderdijk-Elshout, now a UNESCO World Heritage site . The largest water-control schemes were carried out in the second half of the 19th century and in the 20th century, when steam pumps and, later, electric or diesel pumps came into use. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Rembrandt van Rijn Despite government-encouraged emigration after World War II, which prompted some 500,000 persons to leave the country, the Netherlands is today one of the world’s most densely populated countries. Although the population as a whole is “graying” rapidly, with a high percentage over age 65, Amsterdam has remained one of the liveliest centres of international youth culture . There, perhaps more than anywhere else in the country, the Dutch tradition of social tolerance is readily encountered. Prostitution, “soft-drug” (marijuana and hashish) use, and euthanasia are all legal but carefully regulated in the Netherlands, which was also the first country to legalize same-sex marriage. Overview of Amsterdam. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz This relative independence of outlook was evident as early as the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Dutch rejected monarchical controls and took a relatively enlightened view of other cultures , especially when they brought wealth and capital to the country’s trading centres. In that period Dutch merchant ships sailed the world and helped lay the foundations of a great trading country characterized by a vigorous spirit of enterprise. In later centuries, the Netherlands continued to have one of the most advanced economies in the world, despite the country’s modest size. The Dutch economy is open and generally internationalist in outlook. With Belgium and Luxembourg , the Netherlands is a member of the Benelux economic union , which in the 1950s and 1960s served as a model for the larger European Economic Community (EEC; now embedded in the European Union [EU]), of which the Benelux countries are members. The Netherlands is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and it plays host to a number of international organizations, especially in the legal sector, such as the Interna |
Which is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea? | What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea? | Reference.com What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea? A: Quick Answer The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea is Sicily, which is located off the southern tip of the boot-shaped Italian cape. The island encompasses a total area of approximately 9,920 square miles. Full Answer The Mediterranean Sea is the world's largest inland body of water and is bordered by three continents: Asia, Africa and Europe. Covering an area of around 965,000 square miles, the sea is interspersed with numerous islands, including several island nations. Sicily is an autonomous administrative region of Italy. The island overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea. Due to its geographical location, the Mediterranean has long been established as the crossroads between African and European cultures. Aside from Sicily, other major islands in the Mediterranean Sea include Sardinia, Crete, Corsica, Cyprus, Rhodes and Malta. |
Which city was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990? | Capital of West Germany - definition of Capital of West Germany by The Free Dictionary Capital of West Germany - definition of Capital of West Germany by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Capital+of+West+Germany Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . Bonn (bŏn, bôn) A city of west-central Germany on the Rhine River. Founded as a Roman garrison in the first century ad, it is noted as the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770) and was the capital of West Germany (1949-1990). Bonn (bɒn; German bɔn) n (Placename) a city in W Germany, in North Rhine-Westphalia on the Rhine: the former capital (1949–90) of West Germany; university (1786). Pop: 311 052 (2003 est) Bonn (bɒn, bɔn) n. a city in W Germany, on the Rhine: the capital of West Germany 1949–90; capital of Germany 1990–99. 293,072. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Noun 1. Bonn - a city in western Germany on the Rhine River; was the capital of West Germany between 1949 and 1989 Deutschland , FRG , Germany , Federal Republic of Germany - a republic in central Europe; split into East Germany and West Germany after World War II and reunited in 1990 Translations |
"In which Cypriot town will you find the ""Tombs of the Rings""?" | Tombs of the Kings - Cyprus.com Description About 2 miles northwards of the Old Harbour you will find the Tombs of the Kings. The tombs are impressive enough to be worthy of kings. They are burial caves carved into the bedrock of the hill and decorated with Doric columns and capitals. You can freely walk about the place once inside, searching through the rooms of the tombs, with parts underground carved into the rock. This Necropolis of Pafos is situated on the North East section of the town, right outside the ancient town fortific... |
In which country did Grand Duke Jean become head of state in 1964? | Luxembourg: Maps, History, Geography, Government, Culture, Facts, Guide & Travel/Holidays/Cities Prime Minister Resigns after Being Implicated in Spying Probe Geography Luxembourg is about half the size of Delaware. The Ardennes Mountains extend from Belgium into the northern section of Luxembourg. The rolling plateau of the fertile Bon Pays is in the south. Government Constitutional monarchy. History Luxembourg, once part of Charlemagne's empire, became an independent state in 963, when Siegfried, count of Ardennes, became sovereign of Lucilinburhuc (“Little Fortress”). In 1060, Conrad, a descendant of Siegfried, took the title count of Luxembourg. From the 15th to the 18th century, Spain, France, and Austria held the duchy in turn. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 made it a grand duchy and gave it to William I, king of the Netherlands. In 1839, the Treaty of London ceded the western part of Luxembourg to Belgium. The eastern part, continuing in personal union with the Netherlands and a member of the German Confederation, became autonomous in 1848 and a neutral territory by decision of the London Conference of 1867, governed by its grand duke. Germany occupied the duchy in World Wars I and II. Allied troops liberated the enclave in 1944. Luxembourg joined NATO in 1949, the Benelux Economic Union (with Belgium and the Netherlands) in 1948, and the European Economic Community (later the EU) in 1957. In 1961, Prince Jean, son and heir of Grand Duchess Charlotte, was made head of state, acting for his mother. She abdicated in 1964, and Prince Jean became grand duke. Luxembourg's parliament approved the Maastricht Accord, paving the way for the economic unity of the EU in July 1992. Crown Prince Henri was sworn in as grand duke in Oct. 2000, replacing his father, Jean, who had been head of state for 26 years. |
In which country was Pope John Paul II a cardinal before his election? | Election of John Paul II | History Today Election of John Paul II Religion John Paul II was elected on October 16th, 1978. He was the first non-Italian pope to be elected in four centuries. The first non-Italian pope to be elected in four centuries, and widely regarded as one of the most memorable, was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in 1920 in a small town in Poland, near Krakow. His mother died in 1929, when he was a schoolboy of eight. His studies at university in Poland were interrupted by the German invasion in 1939, but he was ordained priest after the war, in 1946, and went on to hold a university professorship at Lublin. Rising in the Church hierarchy, he was Archbishop of Krakow from the end of 1963 and was created a cardinal in 1967 by Pope Paul VI. Paul VI died in 1978 and was succeeded in August that year by John Paul I, the former patriarch of Venice, who died on September 28th after the shortest pontificate in modern times, lasting only thirty-three days. The cardinals gathered again on October 14th, a Saturday, behind the sealed doors of the Sistine Chapel to choose his successor. There were 111 electors present (cardinals over eighty were not allowed a vote). The figures vary, but according to one tally there were twenty-five from Italy and thirty from the rest of Europe, nineteen from Latin America, twelve from North America, twelve from Africa, nine from Asia and four from Oceania. Lots were cast for the nasty little rooms in the Apostolic Palace in which the cardinals slept on borrowed hospital or seminary beds, with a bedside light too dim to read by, a wash-basin, a slops bucket, a writing table and a kneeler for prayers. Each was issued with one roll of toilet paper, two ballpoint pens, two very small towels, one bar of soap and an ashtray. The point was to encourage the cardinals not to dally over their choice; one of them said it was like being buried alive. The conclave lasted through three days and eight ballots. Voting was strictly secret and reports of the proceedings have to be taken with some salt. The leading candidates were both Italian: Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, archbishop of Genoa, who has been described as ‘the archconservative’s archconservative’, and Cardinal Giovanni Benelli, the more liberal archbishop of Florence. According to his secretary, Siri came within a handful of votes of election at one stage, but support for him and Benelli was so equally divided that it grew clear that neither was likely to gain the necessary majority of two-thirds of the votes plus one, which meant 75. Late on the second day of the conclave, the archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Franz König, suggested Cardinal Wojtyla as a compromise candidate. Some of Siri’s supporters joined with some of Benelli’s and most of the American cardinals in voting for Wojtyla. The tide swung Wojtyla’s way and he was elected on the eighth ballot with more than 90 of the 111 votes. He said in response, ‘With obedience in faith to Christ, my Lord, and with trust in the Mother of Christ and the Church, in spite of great difficulties, I accept’. Observers saw the white smoke curling up from the Sistine Chapel soon after 6pm and the result of the conclave was announced according to custom in Latin from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. Some of the waiting crowd thought from the new pope’s surname that he must be an African, but at 7.15 pm he appeared on the balcony and made a speech, in almost flawless Italian, in which he told the crowd that he had been dismayed at the nomination, but had accepted it ‘in the spirit of obedience to Our Lord and with total trust in his Mother, the Most Holy Madonna.’ The new pope, who was fifty-eight, was installed on October 22nd and took the name of John Paul II in honour of his predecessor, who had himself taken the names of both his predecessors – John XXIII and Paul VI. At sixty he survived an assassination attempt in Rome in 1981, when he was shot in St Peter’s Square. John Paul II was noted for conservatism, strength of character, phenomenal energy and zeal for hard work. As well as Polish, Latin a |
Which two countries have a border with Liechtenstein? | Liechtenstein travel guide - Wikitravel Time Zone UTC +1 The Principality of Liechtenstein (German: Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a small, alpine German-speaking country doubly landlocked by Switzerland and Austria . It is the last remnant of the Holy Roman Empire and an independent nation with very close ties to Switzerland. It enjoys a very high standard of living and is home to some incredibly beautiful mountain scenery. The principality's capital, Vaduz , is mainly a modern city and a major centre of commerce and international banking. History[ edit ] The Principality of Liechtenstein was established within the Holy Roman Empire in 1719 and became a sovereign state in 1806. Until the end of World War I, it was closely tied to Austria , but the economic devastation caused by that conflict forced Liechtenstein to conclude a customs and monetary union with Switzerland. Since World War II (in which Liechtenstein remained neutral), the country's low taxes have spurred outstanding economic growth. Shortcomings in banking regulatory oversight have resulted in concerns about the use of the financial institutions for money laundering and tax evasion. However, the days of bringing suitcases of money into banks for deposit without questions asked is over. Liechtensteiners are also very proud of the fact that their nation has never been physically involved in a battle or military confrontation with an "enemy state" and see their flag as a banner of peace. Economy[ edit ] Despite its small size and limited natural resources, Liechtenstein has developed into a prosperous, highly industrialized, free-enterprise economy with a vital financial service sector and living standards on a par with the urban areas of its large European neighbors. The Liechtenstein economy is widely diversified with a large number of small businesses. Low business taxes--the maximum tax rate is 20%--and easy incorporation rules have induced a large number of holding or so-called letter box companies to establish nominal offices in Liechtenstein, providing 30% of state revenues. The country participates in a customs union with Switzerland and uses the Swiss franc as its national currency. It imports more than 90% of its energy requirements. Liechtenstein has been, since May 1995, a member of the European Economic Area, an organization serving as a bridge between the EFTA and the EU. The government is working to harmonize its economic policies with those of an integrated Europe. Liechtenstein has one of the highest personal income rates (GDP Per Capita) in the world, with the base rate of income tax currently standing at just 1.2%. Liechtenstein was the home of the Curta calculator. Geography[ edit ] Liechtenstein is very mountainous and one of the world's two doubly-landlocked countries (Meaning that the countries that border it are themselves landlocked too) along with Uzbekistan . Most of Liechtenstein's population lives in the long and wide Rhine Valley in the western third. Roads are mainly laid out in a north-south pattern following the valley as well. To the north the main roads lead to the border with Austria, to the south they enter Switzerland, and to the west across the river the bridges also cross into Switzerland. Most of the eastern border with Austria is not passable and is only accessible by foot as it is very mountainous, though the north of the country is well connected by road to Feldkirch in Austria . The country's highest point is the Grauspitz, which stretches to 2,599m. Liechtenstein is 2.5 time bigger than San Marino and it is 81 times bigger than Monaco . Climate[ edit ] Liechtenstein has a continental climate featuring cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow or rain, making the country a moderately popular ski destination. Summers are cool to moderately warm, also often cloudy and humid. Entry requirements[ edit ] Liechtenstein is a member of the Schengen Agreement . There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented this treaty - the European Union (except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania an |
In which country was Adolf Hitler born? | The History Place - Rise of Hitler: Adolf Hitler is Born Adolf Hitler is Born At 6:30 p.m. on the evening of April 20, 1889, he was born in the small Austrian village of Braunau Am Inn just across the border from German Bavaria. Adolf Hitler would one day lead a movement that placed supreme importance on a person's family tree even making it a matter of life and death. However, his own family tree was quite mixed up and would be a lifelong source of embarrassment and concern to him. His father, Alois, was born in 1837. He was the illegitimate son of Maria Anna Schicklgruber and her unknown mate, which may have been someone from the neighborhood or a poor millworker named Johann Georg Hiedler. It is also remotely possible Adolf Hitler's grandfather was Jewish. ADVERTISEMENT Maria Schicklgruber was said to have been employed as a cook in the household of a wealthy Jewish family named Frankenberger. There is some speculation their 19-year-old son got her pregnant and regularly sent her money after the birth of Alois. Adolf Hitler would never know for sure just who his grandfather was. He did know that when his father Alois was about five years old, Maria Schicklgruber married Johann Georg Hiedler. The marriage lasted five years until her death of natural causes, at which time Alois went to live on a small farm with his uncle. At age thirteen, young Alois had enough of farm life and set out for the city of Vienna to make something of himself. He worked as a shoemaker's apprentice then later enlisted in the Austrian civil service, becoming a junior customs official. He worked hard as a civil servant and eventually became a supervisor. By 1875 he achieved the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector, a big accomplishment for the former poor farm boy with little formal education. At this time an event occurred that would have big implications for the future. Alois had always used the last name of his mother, Schicklgruber, and thus was always called Alois Schicklgruber. He made no attempt to hide the fact that he was illegitimate since it was common in rural Austria. But after his success in the civil service, his proud uncle from the small farm convinced him to change his last name to match his own, Hiedler, and continue the family name. However, when it came time to write the name down in the record book it was spelled as Hitler. And so in 1876 at age 39, Alois Schicklgruber became Alois Hitler. This is important because it is hard to imagine tens of thousands of Germans shouting "Heil Schicklgruber!" instead of "Heil Hitler!" In 1885, after numerous affairs and two other marriages ended, the widowed Alois Hitler, 48, married the pregnant Klara Pölzl, 24, the granddaughter of uncle Hiedler. Technically, because of the name change, she was his own niece and so he had to get special permission from the Catholic Church. The children from his previous marriage, Alois Hitler, Jr., and Angela, attended the wedding and lived with them afterwards. Klara Pölzl eventually gave birth to two boys and a girl, all of whom died. On April 20, 1889, her fourth child, Adolf, was born healthy and was baptized a Roman Catholic. Hitler's father was now 52 years old. Throughout his early days, young Adolf's mother feared losing him as well and lavished much care and affection on him. His father was busy working most of the time and also spent a lot of time on his main hobby, keeping bees. Baby Adolf had the nickname, Adi. When he was almost five, in 1893, his mother gave birth to a brother, Edmund. In 1896 came a sister, Paula. In May of 1895 at age six, young Adolf Hitler entered first grade in the public school in the village of Fischlham near Linz, Austria. Copyright © 1996 The History Place All Rights Reserved |
Which two colors appear on the flag of Greece? | The Greek Flag The Greek Flag The pattern and colors of the Greek Flag have changed somewhat since the Revolution of the Hellenic Nation in 1821. Many people wonder why the founders of Democracy have chosen the symbols, pattern and colors that appear on the National Flag of Greece. It is difficult to reveal the true intentions of the people responsible for the selection of the flag. The design, symbols and pattern of the Flag The stripes represent the number of the syllables in the phrase: Eleftheria i Thanatos (Liberty or Death). Liberty or Death was the motto during the years of the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in the 19nth century [Others claim that the stripes reflect the number of letters in the Greek word for Freedom Eleftheria]. This word stirred the heart of the oppressed Greeks, it created intense emotions and inspired them to fight and gain their freedom after 400 years of slavery. The striped pattern was chosen because of its similarity with the wavy sea that surrounds the shores of Greece. The interchange of blue and white colors makes the Greek Flag on a windy day to look like the Aegean Pelagos (sea). Only the quaint islands are missing! The Hellenic Square Cross that rests on the upper left-side of the flag and occupies one fourth of the total area demonstrates the respect and the devotion the Hellenic people have for the Greek Orthodox Church and signifies the important role of Christianity in the formation of the modern Hellenic Nation. During the dark years of the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church helped the enslaved Greeks to retain their cultural characteristics: the Hellenic language, the Byzantine religion and generally the Hellenic ethnic identity, by the institution of the Crypha Scholia (secret schools). The Crypha Scholia were a web of schools that operated secretly throughout Greece and were committed in transmitting to Greeks the wonders of their ancestors and the rest of their cultural heritage. Today, Christianity is still the dominant religion among Greeks. Therefore, the significance of the Cross is justified. The colors of the Flag Blue and White. These two colors symbolize the blue of the Hellenic Sea and the Whiteness of its restless waves! According to the mythic legends, the Goddess of Beauty and Love, Aphrodite (Venus) emerged from these waves. In addition, it reflects the blue of the Hellenic Sky and the White of the few clouds in it. There are some who speculate that the blue and white symbolize the similar color of the clothing (vrakes) of the Greek sailors during the War of Independence. Copyright Alexandros © 1996 |
Which is further north, Corsica or Sardinia? | Corsica vs Sardinia | CNN Travel Foodies should make Sardinia their first stop. The island’s cuisine incorporates meat, fish and pasta with equal variety. Traditional dishes include tiny, shell-like maloreddu pasta, wild piglet cooked in honey and spaghetti with sea urchins. Fresh fish is grilled, fried, roasted or poached and often topped with elaborate sauces and dressings or a specialty called "bottarga," delicious Sardinian mullet roe. Tuna is served raw and rare in the town of Carloforte ( Al Tonno di Corsa , Via Marconi 47; +33 495 781 855 106), which is known for its annual tuna fishing festival. Sardinia has a busy wine list, too, especially if you like whites -- dry Vermentino di Gallura is one of the island’s best-known; Funtanaliras is an aromatic contrast. Corsica's contented pigs Corsica's pigs end up as saucisson ... they seem unfazed about it.Corsica also has traditional menus, but with less variety. Clams filled with cream or melted Roquefort are a striking specialty, from the town of Bonifacio ( L’Escale , Quai Jérôme Comparetti 4; +33 495 731 979). Generally, though, for an island, fish menus are limited on Corsica. This is a meaty place. Charcuterie plateaux features all types of ham, salami and local cheese. An island specialty is Corsica's saucissons -- dense, cured sausages that look like mini-truncheons, available everywhere. They contain enough flavor to keep a Corsican bandit happy when hiding out in the inland wilderness (the maquis of legend) and appropriately keep for weeks without refrigeration. You’re struck by how contended the half-wild pigs appear, lazing in the undergrowth all over the island. Corsica: Happy campers Corsica has more than 150 camp sites, with more than 25,000 places to pitch. Some are like little towns, with full-service laundries, pizzerias and restaurants, bars and Wi-Fi. With so many campers, you’d think you’d be constantly tripping over Gore-Tex, but sites tend to be clustered in areas with easy access to beaches -- again, the inland is unbesmirched. More about Corsican camping is available at Campingcorse.com . The island's strict planning laws prohibit much development on the coast. Accordingly, many hotels and resorts are clustered a few hundred meters inland, as if afraid of the sea. Others are a kilometer or more from the coast and tend to be more upscale, such as Residence Pietra di Sole (+33 495 70 36 74), which rises on a hillside with views over Palombaggia beach. Inland, accommodation is often in converted ancient inns open only in the warmer seasons or, for walkers, gites with basic, shared accommodation and hearty, rustic meals. Corsica is also one of the most pet-friendly destinations in Europe: dogs and cats are welcome at campsites and most hotels. More about accommodation on Corsica is available at Visit-Corsica.com . Sardinia: Resort winner Unlike Corsica, Sardinia has resorts right on the coastline.If you want to walk from your hotel room to the beach, a Sardinian resort -- crowded but comfy -- is the obvious choice. Many have private beaches and all the usual resort accouterments of multiple restaurants and swim up -- or the more conventional lean-on -- bars. Costa Smeralda has the island’s most elite accommodations. More mid-range fare is clustered in the south of the island. Hotel Dune (Via Bau 1; +39 070 977 130), near some of Europe's tallest sand dunes, has a private beach in a natural setting. Inland, Hotel Su Gologone (+39 0784 287 512), in Oliena, is an upscale village stay, where life in the surrounding countryside remains fairly traditional. Sardinia: Colorful history When you’re not hanging out with Silvio or eating pork sausages, how do the islands compare for feeding your curiosity? In Sardinia, a boat tour of the protected archipelago of La Maddalena shows off the island’s beautiful pink-sand atolls, which you can swim in. A trip to the ruins of the prehistoric village of Barumini , with its stone towers, reveals a little of what the island would have been like several thousand years before all-inc package tours. Sardinia’s capital, |
Which European country left the Commonwealth and declared itself a republic in 1949? | Today in history; April 18th 1949 - Ireland becomes a republic Today in history; April 18th 1949 - Ireland becomes a republic Results 1 to 10 of 21 6Likes 18th April 2012, 11:19 AM #1 Keith-M Ireland Act 1949 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For a country that seem (over) obsessed by irts history, I can't get over how this anniversary goes by generally unnoticed. IIt was a pivotal moment in the history of the country. We lost any remaining connections with the British monarch and lost our place in the Commonwealth without a vote of the people. DeValera (then leader of the opposition) was outraged because he saw it as effectibly copperfastening partition. 18th April 2012, 11:26 AM #2 Cruimh Posts 91,553 18th April 2012, 11:36 AM #3 LamportsEdge Posts 22,858 A very interesting area this- it is doubtful legally whether in fact Ireland was declared a Republic in pure legal terms. The 1949 was ostensibly to clear up that messy legal area but like misprision of felony bits of the legal apparatus of a Republic were missing and even now today Constitutional legal experts point out that Ireland is not in fact legally a Republic (chapter one of the any law student's book on Irish constitutional law available in any decent bookshop). What happened legally was that the 'Republic of Ireland' was legally agreed to be a translation of 'Eire'. 'Eire' itself has never legally been declared a Republic. This was all part of the debate that the 1949 Act was supposed to have cleared up- but as the law student's books will tell you on constitutional law oddly enough the Republic of Ireland's status as a title is only as a translation and not established as a fact of law. Quite obscure area this but once you look into it it does rather add to the notion that someone somewhere was being a bit iffy about the legal status of 'Eire' and then its agreed translation into English as the Republic of Ireland for some reason. And classically in terms of Irish politics that legal pothole remains unfilled DESPITE the Republic of Ireland Act in 1949. Lots there for the conspiracy theorists and the curious legal historian... Posts 192 I think we had a discussion about Roaring Meg on the Commonwealth thread a while back. What was interesting was the passage of the Ireland Act by Britain in response to Ireland leaving the Commonwealth - under which Irish citizens became the only non-Commonwealth nationals with an automatic right to live, work and vote in the UK with the same rights and priveleges as UK citizens. Again, we had that discussion elsewhere if you want to look for it. I agree, though, that it is rather puzzling that it's so often overlooked - especially since one the provisions of the Ireland Act was to effectively enshrine the Unionist veto on constitutional change in law. I suspect more would be made of it if the Act had been passed by a Conservative government. 458 Originally Posted by Born Again Scouser I think we had a discussion about Roaring Meg on the Commonwealth thread a while back. What was interesting was the passage of the Ireland Act by Britain in response to Ireland leaving the Commonwealth - under which Irish citizens became the only non-Commonwealth nationals with an automatic right to live, work and vote in the UK with the same rights and priveleges as UK citizens. Again, we had that discussion elsewhere if you want to look for it. . At the time I think all Commonwealth nationals had an automatic right to live and work in the UK |
The shamrock is the national badge of which country? | The Shamrock The Shamrock The shamrock and Saint Patrick. Although the shamrock is closely associated with Saint Patrick, it is more likely that the shamrock was worn it as a symbol of the cross - the old Tua Cross, presumably and not the modern one - rather than of the Trinity. Shamrock itself is simply immature trefoil, or young clover, and the name is an anglicisation of seamair �g or "young clover". The myths themselves, though, are much more interesting. The shamrock, it is said, symbolises the Trinity, that is, the Christian idea that there is one God but three Persons in the one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Before the Christian era it was a sacred plant of the druids of Ireland because it's leaves formed a triad. Famous stories tell of how St. Patrick used the shamrock in his teachings. Preaching in the open air about God and the Trinity, he illustrated the meaning of the Three in One by plucking a shamrock from the grass growing at his feet and showing it to his congregation. Just as the shamrock is one leaf with three parts, so God is one entity with three Persons. The legend of the shamrock is also associated with the banishment of the serpents from Ireland by a tradition that snakes are never seen on shamrock and that it is a remedy against the bites of snakes and scorpions. Because the shamrock was a sacred plant to the druids, and three was a mythical number in Drudic religious practice, Patrick was probably well aware of the significance of the shamrock as a teaching tool. On the subject of green plants, it should be said that the colour of St. Patrick was not actually green, but blue. In the 19th century, however, green came to be used as a symbol of Ireland. Thanks to plentiful rain and mists, the "Emerald Isle" is indeed green all the year 'round, which is probably the inspiration for the national colour. Although many people would presume that the shamrock is also the national emblem of Ireland, this is not so. The national symbol of Ireland is the harp. Three is Ireland's magic number. Numbers played an important part in Celtic symbolism Three was the most sacred and magical number. It multiplies to nine, which is sacred to St. Brigid. Three may have signified totality: past, present and future, sky, earth and underground. Everything good in Ireland comes in threes - the rhythm of Irish storytelling is based on three-fold repetition. This achieves both intensification and exaggeration. " Three accomplishments well regarded in Ireland - a clever verse, music on the harp, the art of shaving faces." On St. Patrick's day, a member of the British Royal Family presents Shamrock to the Irish Guards regiment of the British Army, so integral is the shamrock in the history of the Irish people. The shamrock is a fragile little plant, and doesn't keep long out of its habitat. A fresh sprig in the morning will have dried and withered by noon, and can look a bit limp. Recently a few bright sparks have invented a little lapel sachet in which the shamrock is both grown and worn, and will bloom until the last of Patrick's pot is drunk. The Irish have a few difficulties translating ingenuity into gold over a last few thousand years, but being Green wasn't one of them. HISTORY OF THE SHAMROCK In written English, the first reference to the shamrock dates from 1571, and in written Irish as seamrog, from 1707. As a badge to be worn on the label on the Saint's feastday, it is referred to for the first time as late as 1681, The shamrock was used as an emblem by the Irish volunteers in the era of Gr |
In which capital city were the treaties signed that established the European Economic Community? | EUR-Lex - xy0023 - EN - EUR-Lex Text Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, EEC Treaty - original text (non-consolidated version) The EEC Treaty, signed in Rome in 1957, brings together France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries in a community whose aim is to achieve integration via trade with a view to economic expansion. After the Treaty of Maastricht the EEC became the European Community, reflecting the determination of the Member States to expand the Community's powers to non-economic domains. CREATION The establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in July 1952 was the first step towards a supranational Europe. For the first time the six Member States of this organisation relinquished part of their sovereignty, albeit in a limited domain, in favour of the Community. This first drive towards integration soon came to a halt with the failure of the European Defence Community (EDC) in 1954. Although there was reason to fear that the effort undertaken by the ECSC was doomed to fail, the Messina Conference of June 1955 endeavoured to add a new impetus to European construction. It was followed by a series of meetings of ministers or experts. A preparatory committee responsible for drafting a report on the creation of a European common market was created at the beginning of 1956. It met in Brussels under the Presidency of P.H. Spaak, the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time. In April 1956 this Committee submitted two drafts, which corresponded to the two options selected by the Member States: the creation of a general common market; the creation of an atomic energy community. It was in Rome that the famous "Treaties of Rome" were signed in March 1957. The first Treaty established the European Economic Community (EEC) and the second the European Atomic Energy Community , better known as Euratom. Since ratification at national level did not pose any problems, these two Treaties entered into force on 1 January 1958. This summary fact sheet is uniquely devoted to the EEC Treaty. OBJECTIVES After the failure of the EDC, the economy, which was less subject to national resistance than other areas, became the focus of consensus in the field of supranational cooperation. The establishment of the EEC and the creation of the Common Market had two objectives. The first was to transform the conditions of trade and manufacture on the territory of the Community. The second, more political, saw the EEC as a contribution towards the functional construction of a political Europe and constituted a step towards the closer unification of Europe. In the preamble, the signatories of the Treaty declare that: "- determined to lay the foundations of an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, resolved to ensure the economic and social progress of their countries by common action to eliminate the barriers which divide Europe, affirming as the essential objective of their efforts the constant improvements of the living and working conditions of their peoples, - recognising that the removal of existing obstacles calls for concerted action in order to guarantee steady expansion, balanced trade and fair competition; - anxious to strengthen the unity of their economies and to ensure their harmonious development by reducing the differences existing between the various regions and the backwardness of the less-favoured regions; - desiring to contribute, by means of a common commercial policy, to the progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade; - intending to confirm the solidarity which binds Europe and the overseas countries and desiring to ensure the development of their prosperity, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; - resolved by thus pooling their resources to preserve and strengthen peace and liberty, and calling upon the other peoples of Europe who share their ideal to join in their efforts...". These intentions were fleshed out by creating a common market and a customs union and by developing common policies. THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE TREATY Th |
Which country was ruled for 40 years by the dictator Antonio Salazar? | Portugal is longing for dictatorship - PravdaReport Portugal is longing for dictatorship 07.08.2012 The Portuguese, like the Spaniards and Greeks, are dissatisfied with their government unable to overcome the current crisis. On these grounds many are nostalgic for the days of the dictators: Greece elected far-right nationalist and even fascist parties into parliament, and Portugal announced the dictator Antonio de Olivera Salazar "the greatest Portuguese" of all time. July 27 marked 42 years since the death of Antonio de Olivera Salazar. He ruled the country for 40 years. Under him Portugal's economy prospered: GDP in the early 1970's was 7% per year. Why is the Portuguese economy not in the best condition now? Perhaps, the secret lies in the personal qualities of the politicians working for the benefit of the people. The ability to bring together a decent team not working for the Americans or Germans is also important. This is true about Salazar, although no one denies the horrors of a totalitarian regime. However, the style of Salazar's government had nothing in common with Stalin's repressions and Nazi genocide; rather, he stuck to authoritarian policies and nationalist attitudes in order to preserve the colonial empire. Print version Font Size For the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, all in politics was relative. He engaged in politics as he saw fit and always objected when he was called a "brutal dictator." He believed that he was not accepted because his position was contrary to the "Western intellectual tradition." Salazar borrowed his methods of governing from ancient Greek politicians and believed that active members with the public interests should participate in the country's management. He found these people, formed a team and established something that Portugal now calls "corporate" management. Antonio Salazar was born on April 28, 1889 in the town of Vimieyru 70 kilometers north of Lisbon. After graduating from the seminary, he entered the law faculty of University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra). There he made friends with the future Cardinal Manuel Serezheyry. After graduation, Salazar was involved in the anti-republican Catholic movement (Centro Académico da Democracia Cristã), wrote on religious topics, participated in parliamentary elections and even won them, but after spending three days in the chair of deputy returned to Coimbra. Salazar re-appeared in power in 1926. It was a time of an economic crisis, political instability, and the First Republic that led to a military coup. Professor of Coimbra and very well-known economist, Salazar obtained the portfolio of Minister of Finance. This time he spent 13 days at the state office and then resigned, citing lack of working conditions. Less than two years after the military once again asked him for help. The person who has never considered himself a politician began his spectacular career. Thanks to him, the budget of Portugal in one year has moved from deficit to surplus. The country paid a huge public debt, reorganizing tax and financial systems. Salazar began to support Catholicism, peasants and middle class. Feeling confident, in 1930 he created the party "National Alliance" that had the unquestioned authority and power. Gradually, he squeezed out all competitors, and in 1932 became chairman of the Council of Ministers. The following year, he ratified the new constitution (despite 40% of abstention, whose votes were counted as votes "pro") and established a totalitarian government, banning the opposition and introducing the only party in power and giving unlimited powers to Salazar. But personal power must rest on a solid foundation. Then Salazar created International repressive police for state protection (PIDE). PIDE was small, but one of the most effective intelligence agencies in the world. In its activities it used a wide network of secret agents. There were the so-called "bufos" ("snitches") who received money and other compensation that allowed almost complete control of the country's population, underground parties and the situati |
What nationality was the 16th-century poet and soldier Camoens? | Luis de Camoes | Portuguese poet | Britannica.com Portuguese poet Alternative Titles: Luis Vaz de Camoens, Luis Vaz de Camoëns, Luís Vaz de Camões Luis de Camoes António Ferreira Luís de Camões, in full Luís Vaz de Camões, English Luis Vaz de Camoëns or Camoens (born c. 1524/25, Lisbon , Port.—died June 10, 1580, Lisbon), Portugal’s great national poet, author of the epic poem Os Lusíadas (1572; The Lusiads), which describes Vasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route to India. Camões had a permanent and unparalleled impact on Portuguese and Brazilian literature alike, due not only to his epic but also to his posthumously published lyric poetry . Camoes, portrait miniature painted in Goa, 1581; in a private collection Courtesy of the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon Life What little information there is about Camões in a strict biographical sense falls into three categories: statements by his first biographers in the 17th century, a few documents unearthed in the 19th century and scant subsequent research, and very abstract allusions (some chronologically uncertain) to his own life in his works. Successive biographers have woven the few concrete facts known about Camões’ life into a bewildering complexity of fantasy and theory that is unsupported by concrete documentary evidence. It is supposed that Camões was born in Lisbon around 1524 or 1525, when Portuguese expansion in the East was at its peak. Research has shown him to be a member of the impoverished old aristocracy but well-related to the grandees of Portugal and Spain. A tradition that Camões studied at the University of Coimbra or that he followed any regular studies, for that matter, remains unproved, though few other European poets of that time achieved such a vast knowledge of both classical and contemporary culture and philosophy. He is supposed to have been, in his youth, in territories held by the Portuguese in Morocco, but it is uncertain whether he had been exiled or was there because it was simply the place for a young Portuguese aristocrat to start a military career and to qualify for royal favours. It is also assumed that his youth in Lisbon was less than subdued. King John III pardoned him in 1553, when he was under arrest for taking part in a street brawl in which a royal officer was assaulted. The pardon hints that Camões would go to India in the king’s service, but none of his wanderings for nearly 17 years there has been documented. He was certainly there, judging from references in his works that reveal an intimate knowledge of the area’s social conditions. He surely did not make his fortune there, since he complains often in his poetry about his bad luck and the injustices he met with. While in the East, he took part in one or two military naval expeditions and, as he alludes to it in his epic, underwent shipwreck in the Mekong Delta. His years in the East can be assumed to have been like those of thousands of Portuguese scattered at the time from Africa to Japan, whose survival and fortunes were, as he says, always hanging from divine providence’s very thin thread. Diogo do Couto , a 16th-century historian of the Portuguese East, who never included Camões among the nobles he carefully listed for every skirmish, did note, however, that he found “that great poet and old friend of mine” stranded penniless in Mozambique and helped to pay his trip back to Lisbon. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent Camões returned to Portugal in 1570, and his Os Lusíadas was published in Lisbon in early 1572. In July of that year he was granted a royal pension, probably in recompense for both his service in India and his having written Os Lusíadas. His mother, a widow, survived him and had the pension renewed in her name. Documents related to payments due and to the renewal are known, and through them the date of his death in 1580 has been accepted. It is not certain that he died of anything more than premature old age brought on by illnesses and hardships. Literary works A Study of Poetry The first edition of Camões’ Rimas was published in 1595, 1 |
Which group had most seats in the European Parliament after the 1989 election - the left, the centre or the right? | Eurosceptic 'earthquake' rocks EU elections - BBC News BBC News Eurosceptic 'earthquake' rocks EU elections 26 May 2014 Close share panel Media captionAnti-immigration parties hostile to the EU have done well Eurosceptic and far-right parties have seized ground in elections to the European parliament, in what France's PM called a "political earthquake". UK Independence Party and French National Front both performed strongly. The three big centrist blocs all lost seats, though still hold the majority. The outcome means a greater say for those who want to cut back the EU's powers, or abolish it completely. UK PM David Cameron said the public was "disillusioned" with the EU. Mr Cameron said their message was "received and understood". Vote 2014 LIVE: Full coverage of results French President Francois Hollande has called an urgent meeting of his cabinet, as Prime Minister Manuel Valls promised tax cuts a day after the results which he described as "a shock, an earthquake". Chancellor Angela Merkel - whose party topped the poll in Germany - described the far right victories as "remarkable and regrettable" and said the best response was to boost economic growth and jobs. Jose Manuel Barroso, outgoing president of the European Commission, stressed that the pro-EU blocs still had "a very solid and workable majority". He said a "truly democratic debate" was needed to address the concerns of those who did not vote, or "voted in protest". Image copyright AFP Highlights Italy In final results, centre-left PM Matteo Renzi (above) scores strong 40%, fending off ex-comic Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment Five Star with 21%, and ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia with 17% (Based on exit polls/provisional results) France National Front storm to victory - 25%, 24 seats; Centre-right UMP 21%; President Hollande's Socialists a poor third with 14% - lowest ever EP score Britain Eurosceptic UKIP in first place, with 27%, Conservatives on 24% and Labour about 25%, Greens beating Lib Dems Germany Angela Merkel wins another election - 35% for her Christian Union, 27% for the centre-left SPD. Eurosceptic AfD score strong 7% Greece Partial results show far-left Syriza on 26%, PM Antonis Samaras' New Democracy on 23%. Far-right Golden Dawn set to get three MEPs, with 9%. Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras has asked the Greek president to call early national elections. EU supporters will be pleased that election turnout was slightly higher, at 43.1%, according to provisional European Parliament figures. The revolt had been a long time brewing and the battle lines are drawn By Gavin HewittEurope editor That would be the first time turnout had not fallen since the previous election - but would only be an improvement of 0.1%. "The people have spoken loud and clear," a triumphant Marine Le Pen told cheering supporters at National Front (FN) party headquarters in Paris. "They no longer want to be led by those outside our borders, by EU commissioners and technocrats who are unelected. They want to be protected from globalisation and take back the reins of their destiny." Provisional results suggested the FN could win 25 European Parliament seats - a stunning increase on its three in 2009. Matthew Price, BBC News, Brussels Despite the huge gains for anti-EU parties and those that wish to reduce the power of the EU, it is unlikely that the European Parliament will adopt a fundamentally different approach. The main centre-right and left groupings still hold the majority of seats between them. Add in the Liberals and the Greens and parliament is overwhelmingly pro-EU. In that sense if the main groups in the parliament choose to ignore those who didn't vote for them last night, they can. National politicians however, can't afford to ignore them. That's where this election is likely to really shake things up. This will have an impact not just on domestic politics, but on the national leaders when they meet in Brussels at the European Council - where their job is to shape the direction of the EU. Protest parties will force EU rethink Hard-left gains Across the |
Of which island is Valletta the capital? | Valletta - The Complete Guide to Malta's Capital City Quick facts – Valletta in a nutshell Population: 6,444 (2014 census) Malta’s capital (since 1571), and the smallest capital city in the EU (at just 0.55 sq km) Flanked by two natural harbours: Marsamxett and Grand Harbour Also called il-Belt (‘The City’) by the locals Commercial centre and place of work for thousands of Maltese working in government, finance and tourism. Parliament and a number of ministries reside within the city. Valletta was strategically built like a fort with bastion walls surrounding its perimeters by the Knights of Malta (Knights of the Order of St. John) Named after Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette, who founded the city in 1566. Rich in Baroque architecture, some buildings date back to the 16th century High concentration of historical sites More info NEW: Valletta travel guide! Get the most out of your visit to Malta's capital city with this 159-page Valletta travel guide packed with my best tips on: Detailed information on the top points of interest Walking routes and itineraries for up to three days of exploration 1-Day itinerary with "must sees" for short visits (perfect for cruise passengers!) Best places to eat and drink (including vegetarian and vegan options) Where and when best to stay in Valletta ...and more! Get your copy and get ready to explore! €9.99 Buy now History Besides being one of the smallest capitals in Europe, it’s also one of the youngest, having been founded a little over 450 years ago. The city was built by the Knights of the Order of St. John (also known as the Knights of Malta or the Knights Hospitaller), on a peninsula with large natural harbours on both of its flanks. Having survived The Great Siege by successfully warding off an attempt by the Ottoman Empire to invade the Maltese islands, the Knights strategically chose Valletta’s location for its highly defensible position. With funding from the Vatican, amongst other benefactors, the Knights built Valletta to fortify Malta as a stronghold for Roman Catholicism. Despite its small size, Malta had a significant military advantage due to its location and was the perfect location for the Knights to accommodate the sick and injured, which was (and still is!) their core mission (as opposed to being a military order as such). Even if you’re not into history much, if you really want to understand Valletta at its core, it pays to read up on the city’s history. Why and how was Valletta built? Who were the people that built Valletta? How is it that there’s so much to see in terms of history and culture? How to get to Malta’s capital city In a nutshell: All roads lead to Valletta, which means major road signs can be found all across Malta and finding your way there by car is easy. It also means that most bus routes start and terminate at the capital’s bus terminus that sits right outside the city’s walls. You can get pretty much anywhere on foot, considering the city’s small size and relatively little traffic (and pedestrianised centre). Alternatives are electric city cabs and (although not very practical) a few bus routes pass through a few of the main streets of the city. When it comes to accommodation in Valletta, these are the basic options: Traditional hotels – There are only a few, mostly high-end in and around Valletta Boutique hotels – Beautifully decorated classical buildings in the heart of the city Apartments rented out through sites like Airbnb.com , directly from owner. If you’re travelling on a budget it might be a challenge to find suitable accommodation, especially during the high season (June – September). If budget isn’t as big of an issue there’s good choice for unique, comfortable accommodation. Quick suggestions for hotels Hotels level 1 – High end Just outside the city (technically located in the neighbouring town of Floriana), Hotel Grand Excelsior and Hotel Phoenicia are two good options if your budget allows it. Inside the city’s walls, Casa Ellul has an excellent reputation (and a price tag to match) Hotels level 2 – Affordable ( < €100/night) Th |
In Norway, what are Hardanger and Sogne? | Norwegian Fjords - Hardanger, Sogne and Geiranger Fjords in Landmark Visitor Guide: Amazon.es: Lindsey Porter, Don Philpott: Libros en idiomas extranjeros Descripción del producto Reseña del editor This is the fully revised second edition. The book guides you around with motoring itineraries, whether your gateway is Oslo or Bergen. It takes you to the most spectacular places to ensure your visit is as memorable as possible; this revised edition provides details of guided day tours and adventure trips. In an expensive country to visit, this guide offers tips on keeping costs down. Naeroyfjord and Geirangerfjord are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sognefjord is the world's longest fjord. In 2004, National Geographic listed the Norwegian Fjords as one of the worlds top tourist destinations; in 2008 National Geographic crowned Norway's Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord as the world's best managed world heritage site. "FactFile" offers practical travel advice, including local customs, accommodation and places to visit. No es necesario ningún dispositivo Kindle. Descárgate una de las apps de Kindle gratuitas para comenzar a leer libros Kindle en tu smartphone, tablet u ordenador. Apple |
In which Polish city was the Solidarity union formed in 1989? | The Year 1989 – The End of Communism in Poland The Year 1989 – The End of Communism in Poland Created on Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:03 Written by: Dudek Antoni Tags: European Network Remembrance and Soldiarity, 1989, End of Communism, Poland, Solidarity Movement The wave of strikes in the summer of 1980 and its consequence, the birth of NSZZ Solidarity started the deepest phase of the crisis of the communist state in Poland. The economic crisis, growing since 1976, had led to a destabilisation of the political system based on hegemonic position of the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) in 1980. The creation of NSZZ Solidarity and its over year long period of legal functioning significantly altered the social awareness, a change which could no longer be reversed by the so-called politics of normalisation, which began after the introducing of martial law in Poland in December 1981. The banning of Solidarity and the pacification of civil protests, which peaked on the 31st of August 1982 when demonstrations of supporters of the union took place in 66 cities, had not stopped the economic, social and political changes which put the People's Republic of Poland (PRL) in a state of chronic crisis and, after a change of the international situation, led to its downfall. Below I will try to enumerate the most important factors which, in my opinion, made the crisis grow and, in consequence, led to the breakdown of the system in 1989. 1. Changes in the USSR. This factor appeared last, only after the proclamation of the politics of perestroika by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 but has to be mentioned first as it played a crucial role in inclining the team of general Wojciech Jaruzelski to begin changes in the political system, which, eventually, led to its complete breakdown. In July 1986, during a meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev said, that the countries of Middle and Eastern Europe “can no longer be carried on our back. The main reason – the economy”. This meant that in the Kremlin opinion was prevalent, that the model of cooperation within the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, which was based on the transferable ruble, needed to be changed. The supply of petroleum and natural gas – the main export articles of the USSR – to the Comecon countries at set prices had no longer been profitable for the Soviet economy. It also was not a coincidence that one of Moscow's most important postulates after the government of Tadeusz Mazowiecki had been formed was the transition to USD as currency in mutual trade. Although the knowledge remains limited regarding the plans of the Soviet leadership in the second half of the 1980s, Andrzej Paczkowski was probably right to say that “Gorbachev did something like an amputation on the Brezhnev >Doctrine<, which lost its ideological sense and became more of a geopolitical rule. The former pressure Moscow put on Warsaw subsided no later than 1987-1988 and was replaced by extensive conformity of intentions and actions”. General Wojciech Jaruzelski's team's hands were bound at that time as far as system reforms go, but that did not prevent it from using the Soviet deterrent in contacts with the West, the opposition and the Church until the end of its regime. French researcher Jacques Levesque even claims, that Jaruzelski for a long time was not using the freedom which Gorbachev had given him. 2. The state of the economy. Although in 1983 economic growth was recorded for the first time in five years, it had not been the result of real changes in the economic system, but of the return of the economy to the old ruts, from which it had been removed first by Gierek's team's mistakes, later by the strikes of 1980-81 and finally by the militarisation of many companies and the economic sanctions undertaken by the Western countries against Poland. Already in 1985 economic growth slowed down because, according to one of the party's analyses, “the material-resource barrier, […] resulting from insufficient national reserves and low import possibilit |
Which French river flows into the sea at St. Nazaire and is famous for its chateaux? | The Rivers of France. About-France.com Rhone (812 km) Rises in Switzerland; enters France next to Geneva. Flows through Lyon. Durance Ardèche Isère Saone - (473 km) the longest tributary of the Rhone. Connected by "Freycinet" gauge canals to the Rhine (via the Saone, the Doubs), to the Loire, to the Seine, to the Marne, and to the Meuse Doubs (453 km) - passes in and out of Switzerland; Ognon Ain NORTH SEA Rhin (Rhine) (1325 km) Rises in Switzerland; Marks the eastern border of Alsace. Flows through Germany and Holland. German: Rhein; English Rhine. Moselle : Rises in France, flows through Luxembourg and Germany Ill (the ill) Meuse (950 km) Rises in France, flows through Belgium and Holland. (Dutch & German: Maas) Canal du Midi 240 km From the Mediteranean to Toulouse - the world's oldest long-distance commercial canal - opened in 1681; southern part of the Canal des Deux Mers Canal de Garonne From Toulouse to the Gironde . Northern part of the Canal des Deux Mers Canal du Rhin au Rhone 324 km From near Strasbourg to St Symphorien (on the Saône). The total length includes over 100 km of the River Doubs. Canal de la Marne au Rhin 312 km From Vitry le François (on the Marne) to Strasbourg. Includes the remarkable inclined plane of St. Louis Artzwiller, lifting boats up a height of 44 metres (replacing 17 locks). Canal de la Marne à la Saône 224 Km From Vitry le François (on the Marne) to Maxilly sur Saône Canal des Ardennes From the river Aisne to the river Meuse Canal de la Loire 196 km From Digoin (on the Loire) to Briare (on the Loire), along the valley of the Loire Canal du Centre From Digoin (on the Loire) to Chalon sur Saône Canal de Bourgogne From Migennes (on the Yonne) to St. Jean de Losne, (on the Saône) Canal de Briare |
In which city does the Council of Europe sit? | Composition of the ECHR - Judges, Sections, Grand Chamber Born on 5 July 1973 in Kyiv, Ukraine Human Rights Expert in Kyiv, 1994-2005 Master’s degree in law, Faculty of Law of Kyiv National University, 2003 Member of the Ukrainian Bar, 2003 Legal adviser, lawyer in Kyiv, 2000-2005 Lawyer in the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights, 2005-2009 Master 2 in Law and European Studies, specialised in human Rights in Europe, Faculty of Law of Strasbourg, 2007 Doctor of Philosophy in law, Academy of Advocacy of Ukraine, 2008 Lecturer in human rights law, Centre for International Protection, Strasbourg, 2008-2010 Adviser to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, 2009-2010 Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 15 June 2010 Vice-President of Section from 3 November 2015 to 31 October 2016. Helen Born on 1 June 1964 in Zurich, Switzerland Doctorate in environmental law, University of Zurich, 1993 Master of European Law (LL.M.), College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, 1994 Research Fellow at Harvard University Law School, United States of America, 1995 Research Fellow at the European University Institute of Florence, Italy, 1996 Member of the American Society of International Law since 1996 Legal Counsel in a law firm in Switzerland, 1996-2011 Visiting researcher at the Max-Planck Institute for International Law of Heidelberg, Germany, 2000 Professor of International Law, Constitutional Law and European Law at the University of Lucerne, 2001-2004 Professor of International Law, Constitutional Law and European Law at the University of Zurich, 2004-2011 Board Member of the International Law Commission, Swiss Section, 2008-2011 Member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC), 2008-2011 Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Advanced Studies in Oslo, Norway, 2010 Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 4 October 2011. Luis Born on 15 November 1947 in Leon, Spain B.A. in Law, University of Madrid, 1969 Master in Political Science, Michigan State University, 1975 Doctor of Law, University of Madrid, 1975 Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Madrid, 1975-1978 Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Extremadura (Cáceres), 1978-1995 Clerk at the Constitutional Court of Spain, 1982-1986 Judge of the Constitutional Court of Spain, 1986-1995 Alternative Representative and Legal Expert for the Venice Commission, 1995-2003 Professor of Constitutional Law, Universidad Carlos III (Madrid), 1995-2008 Vice-President of the General Council of the Judiciary, 1996-2001 Director of the Institute of Comparative Public Law, Universidad Carlos III, 2001-2003 Secretary of State for Justice, Ministry of Justice of Spain, 2004-2007 Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 1 February 2008 Vice-President of Section from 1 November 2014 to 31 August 2015 President of Section since 1 Septembre 2015. András Born on 25 March 1949 in Budapest, Hungary Law degree at the ELTE Law School of Budapest, 1972 Various research fellow positions at the Institute for State and Law, Hungarian Academy of Sciences since 1972 PhD and Habilitation at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1977 and 1982 Founder and spokesperson of the Hungarian League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty, Budapest, 1988-1994 Legal Counsellor to the President of Hungary, 1991-1992 Chair of Comparative Constitutional Law, University Professor, Central European University (Budapest), 1993-2007 Member, American Law Institute, 1996 Member, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1997 Recurrent Visiting Professor, Cardozo School of Law, New York, since 1990; Global Faculty, New York University Law School, since 1996 Board of Directors of the Open Society Justice Initiative of New York, 2001-2007 Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 1 February 2008 Vice-President of Section from 1 January 2015 to 31 July 2015 President of Section since 1 August 2015 Vice-President of the Court since 1 November 2015. Mirjana "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" Section President Born on 5 November 1963 in Strumica Law studies, |
In which year were East and West Germany unified? | East & West Germany Struggle To Become A Unified Nation FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING, THE BERLIN WALLS STILL THERE : East & West Germany Struggle To Become A Unified Nation by Volker Kluepfel WHEN EAST and West Germany were unified in October 1990, Chancellor Helmut Kohl promised the people that the situation would improve for everyone. Now, eight years later, it seems his promise has not been kept: although billions of Marks (a German Mark is currently worth about 50 cents) have been invested in East Germany every year, its economic growth has not developed as fast as many experts claimed it would, and people are getting impatient. Worse, the solidarity among East and West Germans is declining. The images of people dancing together on the Berlin Wall seem to be forgotten. More than a few East Germans long for their old communist system, when practically everyone had a safe job. They feel like they are the losers in the unification process. On the other hand, many West Germans are tired of carrying the financial burden of the unification. As a consequence, the Berlin Wall has been rebuilt--not in reality, but in the minds of the people. To help the East get on its feet, a special tax was created called the additional solidarity charge. The plan was to abolish this tax after only a few years, but it still exists, amounting to 7.5% of total salary. Both East and West Germans have to pay this tax, but without unification it wouldnt exist. East Germanys economy was shattered after more than 40 years of communist mismanagement. To understand why there were once two separate economic and political systems in Germany, a brief look at history is required. After World War II, Germany was split in two parts. One was controlled by the western Allies: France, Great Britain and the United States. The other one was governed by the former Soviet Union. The beginning of the cold war led to the foundation of two different countries, the west-oriented Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, known as West Germany) and the east-oriented German Democratic Republic (GDR, known as East Germany). While West Germany became part of the United Nations and the European Community and quickly developed economic wealth, East Germany was forced to adopt the planned economy of the USSR, and their production was dictated by political preferences, not by the demands of the people. Infrastructure and industry did not reach the same level in the East as it did in the West. Large parts of East German housing were either neglected over the years or built with contaminated materials, or both. After unification, East Germany had to be brought into alignment with West German standards. Though this expensive process is not yet completed, many significant things have already been accomplished. All East German state-run companies have been transformed into private firms, the railroad system has been renewed, and new highways have been built. The West German social security system--including health care, day care, and retirement, among other benefits--has been extended to East Germany. Previously, benefits had been quite different. East Germans were dissatisfied seeing the amount of their pensions decline, but the levels have gradually been raised. The West Germans were likewise dissatisfied, because they had to help pay for those pensions. They had to take over this responsibility as part of the unification costs, because the defunct East German state used to pay for pensions. In West Germany working people (except for civil servants) and their employers share pension expenses; these amount to 20.3% of salaries. Another example of the difficulties of unification is education. Although universities in East Germany are probably as good as those in the West, most students try to find a place at a university in the West. Some students would rather wait a year for a place in a West German university than have to attend one in East Germany. German students typically finish their university studies co |
On which of the Greek islands did Bacchus find Ariadne, according to legend? | Ariadne - about the name Ariadne About Ariadne Designs Who was Ariadne? Many clients ask us about our name so this page tells you something about Ariadne and why we chose the name We chose the name Ariadne because she is synonymous with webs and weaving. Ariadne herself was a Greek princess from mythology. Ariadne (Greek Αριάδνη), in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna), was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen, Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and escaping from the labyrinth using a ball of red fleece thread to guide him. According to legend Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the Island of Naxos. There is a famous painting by Titian in which the Greek god Bacchus falls in love with Ariadne (he raises her into heaven and turns her into a constellation). The figure of Ariadne originates from the Greek Island of Crete. The story of Ariadne and Theseus may symbolically represent the overthrow of the Minoan empire by Greece. The Minoans had a Goddess based culture and it could be that Ariadne is a representation of a Minoan Goddess. In Minoan culture acrobats leapt over bulls during major festivities, it is possible that the Minotaur is derived from the Minoan bulls. Sir Arthur Evans suggested that the labyrinth was in fact the royal palace of Knosos in Crete which he excavated. Knosos had over 1300 rooms and so was indeed like a labyrinth. The name Ariadne means "most holy", composed of the Cretan Greek αρι (ari) "most" and αδνος (adnos) "holy" or "pure". The name certainly suggests a possible link between Ariadne and the Minoan Goddess. Some have suggested that Ariadne was the Minoan snake Goddess . Other uses of the name Ariadne In mythology Ariadne was the bride of the god Dionysus. There is a " Saint Ariadne " and Ariadne is a female first name more common in Europe. These days you find the name Ariadne all over the web - but Ariadne Designs Ltd was one of the first companies to use the name in the context of the world wide web. We were formed originally in 1996 and have been developing innovative websites and spreading the word ever since. We are a company dedicated to improving the web through well designed websites. Just as Ariadne helped Thesius escape the labyrinth so we can help you to get through the maze of the World Wide Web. You can find out more about Ariadne from the following sources: |
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"Which German city is known as ""Aix-la-Chapelle in French?" | CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Aachen Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > A > Aachen Aachen Help support New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download . Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99... (In French , Aix-la-Chapelle, the name by which the city is generally known; in Latin Aquae Grani, later Aquisgranum). The city of Aachen lies in a Prussian valley, surrounded by wooded heights, on the Wurm, a tributary of the Roer, on its way to the Meuse. Population, 1 December, 1905, 151,922 (including the Parish of Forst); Catholics , 139,485; Protestants , 10,552; Israelites , 1,658; other denominations, 227. 1990 Population: about 250,000 — Ed. The city owes its origin to its salubrious springs which were already known in the time of the Romans. There appears to have been a royal court in Aachen under the Merovingians, but it rose to greater importance under Charlemagne who chose it as his favourite place of residence, adorned it with a noble-imperial palace and chapel , and gave orders that he should be buried there. The precious relics obtained by Charlemagne and Otho III for the imperial chapel were the objects of great pilgrimages in the Middle Ages (the so-called "Shrine Pilgrimages") which drew countless swarms of pilgrims from Germany, Austria , Hungary , England, Sweden , and other countries. From the middle of the fourteenth century onwards, however it became customary to expose the four great relics only once in every seven years, a custom which still holds. These pilgrimages , the coronations of the German emperors (thirty-seven of whom were crowned there between 813 and 1531), the flourishing industries and the privileges conferred by the various emperors combined to make Aachen one of the first cities of the Empire. The decay of Aachen dates from the religious strife of the German Reformation . Albrecht von Muenster first preached Protestantism there in the year 1524 but was afterwards forbidden to preach the new views and executed on account of two murders committed during his stay in the cities of Maastricht and Wesel. A new Protestant community was soon, however, formed in Aachen, which gradually attained such strength as to provoke a rising in 1581, force the election of a Protestant burgomaster, and defy the Emperor for several years. The Ban of the empire was, therefore, pronounced against the city in 1597 and put in force by the Duke of Julich, the Catholic overlord of the city. The Catholics were restored to their rights , and the Jesuits invited to Aachen, in 1600. In 1611, however, the Protestants rose afresh, plundered the Jesuit college , drove out the Catholic officials in 1612, and opened their gates to troops from Brandenburg . The Ban of the Empire was again laid on the city, and executed by the Spanish general, Spinola. The Protestant ringleaders were tried or exiled, and many other Protestants banished. These troubles, together with a great fire which destroyed 4,000 houses, put an end to the prosperity of the city. Two treaties of peace were concluded at Aachen during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. By the first, dated 2 May 1668, Louis XIV was compelled, by the Triple Alliance between England, the Netherlands , and Sweden , to abandon the war against the Spanish Netherlands, to restore the Franche Comte, which he had conquered, and to content himself with twelve Flemish fortresses. The second treaty, dated 18 October, 1748, put an end to the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1793 and 1794, Aachen was occupied by the French, incorporated with the French Republic in 1798 and 1802, and made the capital of the Department of the Roer. By the terms of the French Concordat of 1801 Aachen was made a bishopric subject to the Archbishop of Mechlin , and composed of 79 first class, and 754 second class, parishes . The first and only bishop was Marcus Antonius Berdolet (b. 13 September, 1740, at Rougemont, in Alsace 3; d. 13 August, 1809), who, for the most part, left the government of his diocese to his vicar-general |
What emblem appears on the flag of Albania? | Albania This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Albania Flag of Albania - Image by Clay Moss, 24 August 2014 Flag adopted 7 April 1992, coat of arms adopted 22 May 1993. Proportions: 5:7. Description: A red flag with a black double-headed eagle. Use: on land, as the civil, state and war flag, at sea, as the state ensign. Colour approximate specifications (Album des Pavillons [pay00] ) Pantone CMYK (%) Red 186c 0 90 80 5 On this page: Albania: Index of all pages Description of the flag The flag of Albania ( image , website of the Presidency), nicknamed flamur e Skënderbeut ( the flag of Skanderbeg ), is red with a black double-headed eagle. Stephen Schwartz, 5 April 2001 The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags and Anthems Manual London 2012 [loc12] ) provides recommendations for national flag designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC believed the flag to be. For Albania, PMS 485 red and black. The vertical flag has the eagle upright, i.e. not turned through 90 degrees. As depicted, the eagle occupies more of the flag than is shown above. On my monitor the eagle is approx. 29 mm high from a total width of 55 mm, and with a wingspan of 25 mm; in the protocol book, the eagle is 32 mm high out of 43 mm, with a wingspan of 28 mm. There is nothing in the book to indicate whether or not the images are exact scale drawings; presumably, having been passed by each NOC, they must at least closely resemble the real thing and its correct proportions. Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012 History of the flag Historical outline During its recent history, Albania used several flags which are variations of the basic design, a black double-headed eagle on a red background. Karl-Heinz Hesmer [hes92] describes these flags as follows: - 1914: Principality of Albania . The eagle has golden beak and claws and is holding golden arrows. Its heads is surmounted by a white five-pointed star. - 1920: First Republic . The flag was changed to a plain black eagle on red. - 1928: Kingdom of Albania . President (and Dictator) Ahmet Zogu proclaimed himself King Zog I. Now the eagle is surmounted by the helmet of Skanderbeg , which served as the Royal crown, in gold. - 1939: Italian occupation . Officially, Albania continued to be an "independent" Kingdom ruled by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. The flag was changed to plain red with the new arms of the "Kingdom", a red shield charged with the black eagle surmounted by the helmet of Skanderbeg in black, the whole surrounded by two black fasces . Beneath the shield a black scroll is charged with the motto FERT in red letters. - 1944: Provisional government formed by the Partisans. The pre-war flag was reintroduced, with a golden star added in the upper corner near the hoist, subsequantly replaced by a hammer and sickle. - 1946: People's Republic of Albania . The symbol in the canton was removed while a red five-pointed star with a golden border was set above the heads of the eagle. - 1992: Republic of Albania. The star was removed and the basic design of the flag, a black eagle on a red field, was reestablished. Harald Müller, 19 October 1995 The flag of Skanderbeg The current national flag of Albania is said to have been the flag of Skanderbeg, the national hero of Albania, whose helmet is shown on the State emblem . Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg (c. 1403-1468) was a member of the noble Kastrioti family, considered as originating from the hamlet of Kastrat, located on the plateau of Has, in northern Albania. Jean Kastrioti took control around 1400 of the region spreading from Tirana to Shkodra after a long struggle against the Balsha and Thopia families. Defeated in 1422 by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II (1404-1451, Sultan in 1421), Jean Kastrioti had to give him his son Gjergj as an hostage. Military trained in Adri |
Where did Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin meet in 1945 to plan the final defeat of Germany? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 7 | 1945: Black Sea talks plan defeat of Germany Search ON THIS DAY by date About This Site | Text Only 1945: Black Sea talks plan defeat of Germany Plans are being drawn up by London, Washington and Moscow for the final phase of the war against Germany. Leaders of the three countries, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Franklin D Roosevelt and Marshal Joseph Stalin, have been meeting at a secret location in the Black Sea area. A statement issued this evening is the first official confirmation of the talks which are said to have begun three days ago. They were there to discuss the future of Europe now that the end of the war was assured People's War memories » According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Information in London the purpose of the meeting is to complete plans for the defeat of the "common enemy" and to build firm foundations for a lasting peace. The three leaders, who are also accompanied by their chiefs of staff, foreign secretaries and other advisers, are said to have reviewed the latest information from all the battle fronts in Europe. The statement continued: "There is complete agreement for joint military operations in the final phase of the war against Nazi Germany. The military staffs of the three governments are now engaged in working out jointly the detailed plans." Discussions on how to secure a lasting peace have also been held. Topics likely to be considered are the occupation and control of Germany, the political and economic problems of a liberated Europe and proposals for an international organisation to maintain peace. A further communiqu� is to be issued at the conclusion of the talks. The statement gave no further details of the exact location of the meeting. But the Black Sea was considered an ideal choice as it gave Marshal Stalin easy access to Moscow and news from the eastern front. There has been some speculation the three leaders might appeal over the heads of the German leadership to the people themselves to get out of a "lost war". The German media has already issued warnings that any such appeal should be ignored as an attempt to undermine the fighting will of its forces. It seems likely much of the conference will be spent on working out the details of the administration of an occupied Germany. Already General Charles de Gaulle of France has declared his country would like to be involved. There is also the thorny issue of a Russo-Polish settlement as well as a need to get urgently needed food and other supplies distributed as quickly as possible. Presidential aide remembers the Yalta conference In Context What became known as the Yalta or Crimea Conference ended on 11 February. Its location was revealed to be the former imperial palace at Livadia in Yalta. An official agreement was published in which the three leaders declared their intention to combine their military plans and work in close partnership to defeat Germany. They also drew up plans for the occupation of Germany and agreed France should be a fourth occupying power. The leaders announced their determination to stamp out Nazism and to disarm and disband all German armed forces and bring all war criminals to justice. All liberated territories in Europe were to have democratic government. On the question of Poland, they agreed on plans for a provisional government until a free election could be held and also on where the border should lie between Poland and the USSR. An agreement was reached, without Churchill's knowledge, on the Soviet Union's territorial demands for joining the war against Japan. The leaders also called for a Conference of United Nations to meet on 25 April 1945. Stories From 7 Feb |
Which country first tried unsuccessfully to build the Panama Canal? | Which country first tried unsuccessfully to build the Panama Canal? View the step-by-step solution to: Which country first tried unsuccessfully to build the Panama Canal? This question was answered on May 30, 2016. View the Answer Which country first tried unsuccessfully to build the Panama Canal? rotten3 posted a question · May 30, 2016 at 5:25pm Top Answer rapidd answered the question · May 30, 2016 at 5:41pm Other Answers The answer to this question... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29828240) ]} bestWriter8 answered the question · May 30, 2016 at 5:28pm FRANCE The French attempt to construct a waterway across the Isthmus was foredoomed to failure because the project fell into... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29828373) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions Need help with paper. For history. The first paper will focus on two of the major themes from the first half of our class: nationalism and imperialism. For Recently Asked Questions 3 History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Which family ruled Florence for three centuries from 1434? | Which family ruled Florence for three centuries from 1434? View the step-by-step solution to: Which family ruled Florence for three centuries from 1434? This question was answered on May 30, 2016. View the Answer Which family ruled Florence for three centuries from 1434? listone3 posted a question · May 30, 2016 at 3:58pm Top Answer It is called Medici... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29827118) ]} rapidd answered the question · May 30, 2016 at 4:07pm Other Answers Here is the solution... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29827013) ]} Here's the explanation you needed for... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29827020) ]} The way to answer this question is ... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29827022) ]} opiyopinto answered the question · May 30, 2016 at 4:00pm The family Medici' The House of Medici was an Italian banking family, political dynasty and laterroyal house that... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29827120) ]} Feloo answered the question · May 30, 2016 at 4:07pm The Medici family, Explanation The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth and political... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29827152) ]} |
Who were the Celtic-speaking peoples living in France and Belgium during Roman times? | Gaul - Ancient History Encyclopedia Gaul by bisdent published on 28 April 2011 Gaul (Latin Gallia , French Gaule) is the name given by the Romans to the territories where the Celtic Gauls (Latin Galli, French Gaulois) lived, including present France, Belgium, Luxemburg and parts of the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany on the west bank of the Rhine, and the Po Valley, in present Italy . The ancient limits of Gaul were the Rhine River and the Alps on the east, the Mare Nostrum (Mediterranean Sea), the Po Valley and the Pyrenees on the south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west and North. Before the Roman conquest by Julius Caesar (58-51 BC), the name “Gaul” corresponded to a cultural and military area founded on a common religion and federations of peoples who though that they had a common origin. This common origin probably dates back to 8th century, when migrants groups of the Bronze Age Urnfield culture spread slowly across the area of the future territory of Gaul. About 390 BC, the Gauls invaded and sacked Rome . In 222 BC, Cisalpine Gaul (the region between the Alps and the Po Valley) was conquered by the Romans. The best description we know about the pre-Roman Gaul is in the first chapter of the Commentarii de Bello Gallico, of Caius Julius Caesar . It is clearly a Roman point of view of the Gallic realities: All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts , in ours Gauls, the third. All these differ from each other in language, customs and laws. The river Garonne separates the Gauls from the Aquitani; the Marne and the Seine separate them from the Belgae. Of all these, the Belgae are the bravest, because they are farthest from the civilisation and refinement of [our] Province, and merchants least frequently resort to them and import those things which tend to effeminate the mind; and they are the nearest to the Germans, who dwell beyond the Rhine, with whom they are continually waging war ; for which reason the Helvetii also surpass the rest of the Gauls in valour, as they contend with the Germans in almost daily battles, when they either repel them from their own territories, or themselves wage war on their frontiers. One part of these, which it has been said that the Gauls occupy, takes its beginning at the river Rhone: it is bounded by the river Garonne, the ocean, and the territories of the Belgae: it borders, too, on the side of the Sequani and the Helvetii, upon the river Rhine, and stretches towards the north. The Belgae rise from the extreme frontier of Gaul, extend to the lower part of the river Rhine; and look towards the north and the rising sun. Aquitania extends from the river Garonne to the Pyrenaean mountains and to that part of the ocean which is near Spain: it looks between the setting of the sun and the north star. After Julius Caesar had conquered Gaul, the territorial organization of Gaul as part of the Roman Empire was concluded by Emperor Augustus from 27 to 12 BC: Respecting the ancient organization described by Julius Caesar, Augustus created three Roman Provinces: Gallia Belgica, Gallia Lugdunensis and Aquitania. In the south, the old Roman Provincia, to which Massilia was added, was renamed Gallia Narbonensis. The territories bordering the Rhine River were combined into two military areas, which under Domitian became the provinces of Upper and Lower Germania. For about 200 years the Roman peace ( Pax romana ) was maintained, with the exception of some local revolts and civil troubles. The Germanic incursions of the 3rd century AD marked the end of this epoch. Help us write more We're a small non-profit organisation run by a handful of volunteers. Each article costs us about $50 in history books as source material, plus editing and server costs. You can help us create even more free articles for as little as $5 per month , and we'll give you an ad-free experience to thank you! Become a Member |
Which king of England had a mother and a son who were both beheaded? | Which king of England had a mother and a son who were both beheaded? View the step-by-step solution to: Which king of England had a mother and a son who were both beheaded? This question was answered on Jun 08, 2016. View the Answer Which king of England had a mother and a son who were both beheaded? EvaPierce posted a question · Jun 08, 2016 at 5:29am Top Answer lewismrk557 answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 5:29am Other Answers The way to approach this... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29993848) ]} {[ getNetScore(29993853) ]} kandagorJacque answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 5:30am James I of England also called James VI of Scots.His mother, Mary... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(30015731) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions Most of our answers should be coming from the short stories we read in class. things such as The Illiad, Apology, and Funeral Orientation of Pericles. I need Recently Asked Questions Need an European History tutor? mathtutor1983 3 European History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Which battle of 1746 ended the Jacobite revolution? | The Jacobite Revolts - a chronology of the events leading up to the battle of Culloden 1701 12 June Act of Settlement passed by Parliament, ensured that if William III and Princess Anne (later Queen Anne) should die without heirs, the succession to the throne should pass to Sophia of Hanover, granddaughter of James I, and to her heirs, if they were Protestants. The house of Hanover, which ruled Great Britain from 1714, owes its claim to this act. 6 Sept Death of the deposed James II. Louis XIV of France recognises his son as James III, later known as the 'Old Pretender' . 1708 23 March A French naval squadron attempted unsuccessfully to land the Old Pretender on the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh . 1715 6 Sept Start of 'the Fifteen'. Following the accession of King George I, a Jacobite rebellion started in Braemar in Scotland. The Scottish Jacobites were defeated at the Battle of Sheriffmuir . A Scottish and English Jacobite force was defeated near Preston in northwest England. 22 Dec The Old Pretender lands at Peterhead in northeast Scotland, joining Jacobites at Perth before returning to France on 4 Feb 1716. 1722 24 Sept The Atterbury Plot. The Bishop of Rochester, Francis Atterbury, a Jacobite leader was arrested and later exiled. 1745 23 July Start of the 'Forty-Five'. Prince Charles Edward, son of James and also known as the 'Young Pretender' (pictured below), landed on Eriskay Island off the west coast of Scotland. 19 Aug With support from some of the Catholic MacDonalds, Charles 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' was able to gather his men at Glenfinnan. There the standard was raised and his father was proclaimed King James III and VIII. 4 Dec Jacobites reach Derby, just 150 miles from London. Due to lack of support Lord George Murray and the other chiefs advise Charles to return to Scotland and wait for French help. 18 Dec Arguably the last 'battle' to take place on English soil, the Clifton Moor Skirmish saw the retreating Jacobites meet the Duke of Cumberland's forces at Clifton in Penrith. Twelve Jacobites and fourteen of the Duke's men were killed, with the English being buried in the Clifton churchyard and the Scots under an oak tree (known locally as the Rebel Tree), where a plaque still remains. 1746 17 Jan Back in Scotland the Jacobites fail to capture Stirling Castle, but then defeat General Henry Hawley's army at the Battle of Falkirk Muir . 18 Feb Withdrawing ever further north, the Jacobites capture Inverness. They stay there for 2 months. Meanwhile a government army, led by the king's younger son, Prince William Duke of Cumberland, was catching them up. 16 April Against the advice of his chiefs, Charles lined up the Jacobite army - hungry and tired - on the flat moor of Culloden . It was to be the last major battle fought on British soil. In less than an hour Cumberland's cannon destroyed the military threat of Jacobitism. 20 Sept Charles fled Culloden Moor with a reward of £30,000 on his head and after many adventures, he eventually escaped on a ship to France. 1766 Death of the Old Pretender. 1788 |
"What Soviet ""man of steel"" was educated for the priesthood but was expelled from the seminary?" | Joseph Stalin - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Joseph Stalin’s Early Years and Family Joseph Stalin was born Josef Vissarionovich Djugashvili on December 18, 1878, or December 6, 1878, according to the Old Style Julian calendar (although he later invented a new birth date for himself: December 21, 1879), in the small town of Gori, Georgia , then part of the Russian empire. When he was in his 30s, he took the name Stalin, from the Russian for “man of steel.” Did You Know? In 1925, the Russian city of Tsaritsyn was renamed Stalingrad. In 1961, as part of the de-Stalinization process, the city, located along Europe's longest river, the Volga, became known as Volgograd. Today, it is one of Russia's largest cities and a key industrial center. Stalin grew up poor and an only child. His father was a shoemaker and alcoholic who beat his son, and his mother was a laundress. As a boy, Stalin contracted smallpox, which left him with lifelong facial scars. As a teen, he earned a scholarship to attend a seminary in the nearby city of Tblisi and study for the priesthood in the Georgian Orthodox Church. While there he began secretly reading the work of German social philosopher and “Communist Manifesto” author Karl Marx , becoming interested in the revolutionary movement against the Russian monarchy. In 1899, Stalin was expelled from the seminary for missing exams, although he claimed it was for Marxist propaganda. After leaving school, Stalin became an underground political agitator, taking part in labor demonstrations and strikes. He adopted the name Koba, after a fictional Georgian outlaw-hero, and joined the more militant wing of the Marxist Social Democratic movement, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin . Stalin also became involved in various criminal activities, including bank heists, the proceeds from which were used to help fund the Bolshevik Party. He was arrested multiple times between 1902 and 1913, and subjected to imprisonment and exile in Siberia. In 1906, Stalin married Ekaterina “Kato” Svanidze (1885-1907), a seamstress. The couple had one son, Yakov (1907-1943), who died as a prisoner in Germany during World War II . Ekaterina perished from typhus when her son was an infant. In 1918 (some sources cite 1919), Stalin married his second wife, Nadezhda “Nadya” Alliluyeva (1901-1932), the daughter of a Russian revolutionary. They had two children, a boy and a girl. Nadezhda committed suicide in her early 30s. Stalin also fathered several children out of wedlock. Joseph Stalin’s Rise to Power In 1912, Lenin, then in exile in Switzerland, appointed Joseph Stalin to serve on the first Central Committee of the Bolshevik Party. Three years later, in November 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. The Soviet Union was founded in 1922, with Lenin as its first leader. During these years, Stalin had continued to move up the party ladder, and in 1922 he became secretary general of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, a role that enabled him to appoint his allies to government jobs and grow a base of political support. After Lenin died in 1924, Stalin eventually outmaneuvered his rivals and won the power struggle for control of the Communist Party. By the late 1920s, he had become dictator of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union Under Joseph Stalin Starting in the late 1920s, Joseph Stalin launched a series of five-year plans intended to transform the Soviet Union from a peasant society into an industrial superpower. His development plan was centered on government control of the economy and included the forced collectivization of Soviet agriculture, in which the government took control of farms. Millions of farmers refused to cooperate with Stalin’s orders and were shot or exiled as punishment. The forced collectivization also led to widespread famine across the Soviet Union that killed millions. Stalin ruled by terror and with a totalitarian grip in order to eliminate anyone who might oppose him. He expanded the powers of the secret police, encouraged citizens to spy on one another and had millions of people kil |
What country sold land including the present-day states of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma to the USA in 1803? | What country sold land including the present-day states of Louisiana,Arkansas, and Oklahoma to the USA in 1803? View the step-by-step solution to: What country sold land including the present-day states of Louisiana,Arkansas, and Oklahoma to the USA in 1803? This question was answered on Jun 08, 2016. View the Answer What country sold land including the present-day states of Louisiana,Arkansas, and Oklahoma to the USA in 1803? TomRamirez posted a question · Jun 08, 2016 at 5:14am Top Answer lewismrk557 answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 5:14am Other Answers The best way to approach your question... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29993647) ]} Let me explain the... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29993652) ]} steveaustine answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 5:16am France Explanation On April 30, 1803, representatives of the United States and Napoleonic France conclude negotiations for... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29993667) ]} Let me explain the... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29993684) ]} During this second great era of empire-building (the first taking place in the Western Hemisphere between 1500 and 1700), how were the Europeans able to Recently Asked Questions Need a World History tutor? anthonymbugua100 3 World History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Which British monarch married Anne of Denmark? | Anne of Denmark (1574 - 1619) - Find A Grave Memorial London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Greater London, England British, Scottish Monarch. The daughter of Frederick II of Denmark and Sophia of Mecklenburg, she married King James VI of Scotland by proxy in August of 1589 and in person on November 23 of that year. She was unpopular with the people of Scotland, and when James ascended the throne of England as James I in 1603, she caused great embarrassment when she refused to take Anglican communion during their coronation. She had 8 children, only 3 survived infancy. As her husband had definite homosexual preferences, they lived largely separate lives. Anne occupied herself with entertainments at court, having a penchant for staging and acting in elaborate masques. This coupled with her Catholic faith, taste for expensive clothes and costly building projects made her as unpopular with her English subjects as she had been with the Scottish, and added to the great financial difficulties of James' reign. (bio by: Kristen Conrad) |
Which US president was shot five days after the end of the American Civil War? | Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination A+E Networks Introduction On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor and Confederate sympathizer, fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln at a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. The attack came only five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his massive army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, effectively ending the American Civil War. Google Abraham Lincoln’s killer, John Wilkes Booth , was a Maryland native born in 1838 who remained in the North during the Civil War despite his Confederate sympathies. As the conflict entered its final stages, he and several associates hatched a plot to kidnap the president and take him to Richmond, the Confederate capital. However, on March 20, 1865, the day of the planned kidnapping, Lincoln failed to appear at the spot where Booth and his six fellow conspirators lay in wait. Two weeks later, Richmond fell to Union forces. In April, with Confederate armies near collapse across the South, Booth came up with a desperate plan to save the Confederacy. Did You Know? The search for John Wilkes Booth was one of the largest manhunts in history, with 10,000 federal troops, detectives and police tracking down the assassin. Learning that Lincoln was to attend Laura Keene’s acclaimed performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington , D.C., on April 14, Booth—himself a well-known actor at the time—masterminded the simultaneous assassination of Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward. By murdering the president and two of his possible successors, Booth and his co-conspirators hoped to throw the U.S. government into disarray. Lincoln occupied a private box above the stage with his wife Mary, a young army officer named Henry Rathbone and Rathbone’s fiancé, Clara Harris, the daughter of New York Senator Ira Harris. The Lincolns arrived late for the comedy, but the president was reportedly in a fine mood and laughed heartily during the production. History Channel Online Course – Lincoln Assassination At 10:15, Booth slipped into the box and fired his .44-caliber single-shot derringer into the back of Lincoln’s head. After stabbing Rathbone, who immediately rushed at him, in the shoulder, Booth leapt onto the stage and shouted, “Sic semper tyrannis!” (“Thus ever to tyrants!”–the Virginia state motto). At first, the crowd interpreted the unfolding drama as part of the production, but a scream from the first lady told them otherwise. Although Booth broke his leg in the fall, he managed to leave the theater and escape from Washington on horseback. A 23-year-old doctor named Charles Leale was in the audience and hastened to the presidential box immediately upon hearing the shot and Mary Lincoln’s scream. He found the president slumped in his chair, paralyzed and struggling to breathe. Several soldiers carried Lincoln to a house across the street and placed him on a bed. When the surgeon general arrived at the house, he concluded that Lincoln could not be saved and would die during the night. Vice President Andrew Johnson, members of Lincoln’s cabinet and several of the president’s closest friends stood vigil by Lincoln’s bedside until he was officially pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m. The first lady lay on a bed in an adjoining room with her eldest son Robert at her side, overwhelmed with shock and grief. The president’s body was placed in a temporary coffin, draped with a flag and escorted by armed cavalry to the White House , where surgeons conducted a thorough autopsy. Edward Curtis, an Army surgeon in attendance, later described the scene, recounting that a bullet clattered into a waiting basin during the doctors’ removal of Lincoln’s brain. He wrote that the team stopped to stare at the offending weapon, “the cause of such mighty changes in the world’s history as we may perhaps never realize.” During the autopsy, Mary Lincoln sent the surgeons a note requesting that they clip a lock of Lincoln’s hair for her. News of |
"""What was the name of the Austrian-born dictator who succeeded Hindenburg as Germany's head of state?" | How Hitler Consolidated Power in Germany How Hitler Consolidated Power in Germany and Launched A Social Revolution The First Years of the Third Reich By Leon Degrelle I. Who Would End the Bankruptcy? "We have the power. Now our gigantic work begins." Those were Hitler's words on the night of January 30, 1933, as cheering crowds surged past him, for five long hours, beneath the windows of the Chancellery in Berlin. His political struggle had lasted 14 years. He himself was 43, that is, physically and intellectually at the peak of his powers. He had won over millions of Germans and organized them into Germany's largest and most dynamic political party, a party girded by a human rampart of hundreds of thousands of storm troopers, three fourths of them members of the working class. He had been extremely shrewd. All but toying with his adversaries, Hitler had, one after another, vanquished them all. Standing there at the window, his arm raised to the delirious throng, he must have known a feeling of triumph. But he seemed almost torpid, absorbed, as if lost in another world. It was a world far removed from the delirium in the street, a world of 65 million citizens who loved him or hated him, but all of whom, from that night on, had become his responsibility. And as he knew -- as almost all Germans knew at the end of January 1933 -- that this was a crushing, an almost desperate responsibility. Half a century later, few people understand the crisis Germany faced at that time. Today, it's easy to assume that Germans have always been well-fed and even plump. But the Germans Hitler inherited were virtual skeletons. During the preceding years, a score of "democratic" governments had come and gone, often in utter confusion. Instead of alleviating the people's misery, they had increased it, due to their own instability: it was impossible for them to pursue any given plan for more than a year or two. Germany had arrived at a dead end. In just a few years there had been 224,000 suicides - a horrifying figure, bespeaking a state of misery even more horrifying. By the beginning of 1933, the misery of the German people was virtually universal. At least six million unemployed and hungry workers roamed aimlessly through the streets, receiving a pitiful unemployment benefit of less than 42 marks per month. Many of those out of work had families to feed, so that altogether some 20 million Germans, a third of the country's population, were reduced to trying to survive on about 40 pfennigs per person per day. Unemployment benefits, moreover, were limited to a period of six months. After that came only the meager misery allowance dispensed by the welfare offices. Notwithstanding the gross inadequacy of this assistance, by trying to save the six million unemployed from total destruction, even for just six months, both the state and local branches of the German government saw themselves brought to ruin: in 1932 alone such aid had swallowed up four billion marks, 57 percent of the total tax revenues of the federal government and the regional states. A good many German municipalities were bankrupt. Those still lucky enough to have some kind of job were not much better off. Workers and employees had taken a cut of 25 percent in their wages and salaries. Twenty-one percent of them were earning between 100 and 250 marks per month; 69.2 percent of them, in January of 1933, were being paid less than 1,200 marks annually. No more than about 100,000 Germans, it was estimated, were able to live without financial worries. During the three years before Hitler came to power, total earnings had fallen by more than half, from 23 billion marks to 11 billion. The average per capita income had dropped from 1,187 marks in 1929 to 627 marks, a scarcely tolerable level, in 1932. By January 1933, when Hitler took office, 90 percent of the German people were destitute. No one escaped the strangling effects of the unemployment. The intellectuals were hit as hard as the working class. Of the 135,000 university graduates, 60 percent were without jobs. Only a tiny minority |
Who was the black educationist who was born a slave but became a leader in the search for civil rights in the early 1900s? | Who was the black educationist who was born a slave but became a leader in the search for civil rights in the early 1900s? Sign up View the step-by-step solution to: Who was the black educationist who was born a slave but became a leader in the search for civil rights in the early 1900s? This question was answered on May 30, 2016. View the Answer Who was the black educationist who was born a slave but became a leader in the search for civil rights in the early 1900s? morrison1 posted a question · May 30, 2016 at 7:15pm Top Answer Booker Washington Washington was from the last generation of black American leaders born into slavery... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29829748) ]} |
"Which French revolutionary was nicknamed ""the Incorruptible""?" | Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution . Famous Faces . Mad Max: Maximilien Robespierre | PBS Extended Interviews > Resources > For Educators > Mad Max: Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien Robespierre was born May 6, 1758 in Arras, France. Educated at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris as a lawyer, Robespierre became a disciple of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and a passionate advocate for the poor. Called "the Incorruptible" because of his unwavering dedication to the Revolution, Robespierre joined the Jacobin Club and earned a loyal following. In contrast to the more republican Girondins and Marie Antoinette, Robespierre fiercely opposed declaring war on Austria, feeling it would distract from revolutionary progress in France. Robespierre's exemplary oratory skills influenced the National Convention in 1792 to avoid seeking public opinion about the Convention’s decision to execute King Louis XVI. In 1793, the Convention elected Robespierre to the Committee of Public Defense. He was a highly controversial member, developing radical policies, warning of conspiracies, and suggesting restructuring the Convention. This behavior eventually led to his downfall, and he was guillotined without trial on 10th Thermidor An II (July 28, 1794), marking the end of the Reign of Terror. Famous Faces |
Where did Florence Nightingale establish a hospital to treat casualties of the Crimean War? | Florence Nightingale > Statistics and the Crimean War Florence Nightingale, statistics and the Crimean War in Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A (2014) 177, Part 3, pp. 569–586 by Lynn McDonald, University of Guelph, Canada Summary: The paper presents Florence Nightingale’s statistical work on the Crimean War, beginning with her iconic polar area charts. These are then adapted to give a more accurate portrayal of the relative causes of war hospital deaths. French statistical reports comparing British and French Army deaths are reported. The contention in the secondary literature that Nightingale was responsible for the high death rates in the war hospitals is rebutted, with comparative death rate data from the different hospitals. Keywords: British Army; Crimean War; Florence Nightingale; French Army; Hospital deaths; Statistics 1. Introduction The Crimean War (1854–1856) was a terrible war by any reasonable criteria. Florence Nightingale’s work in it is reported in detail in McDonald (2010). The death rates were appalling: for the British Army 22.7% of troops sent, an even higher 30.9% for the French Army and an unknown (high) number for the Russians, compared with 2.3% of American troops during the Vietnam War. The vast majority of Crimean War deaths were due to preventable diseases. The gains made by the war were negligible, such as free access to trade on the Danube. Moreover, Russia soon began to make belligerent moves in the Balkans. The UK stayed out of the next ‘Balkan wars’. The Crimean War was formative for Nightingale, both for the lessons that she learned from it and the status that she acquired from her work. She never glorified war but came to understand that good could come out of evil: in the case of Crimea the end of serfdom in Russia, the creation of a new profession of nursing in Britain and major reforms in healthcare and nutrition for ordinary soldiers in the British Army, The methodology that she acquired post war in analysing what went wrong would ground her decades-long campaigns for social and healthcare reform. On her statistical work see McDonald (2003) and Stone (1997). Nightingale started to work on ascertaining the causes of the high death rates immediately on her return to London. Her major collaborator was William Farr, Superintendent of Statistics at the General Register Office, and the most noted medical statistician of the time. He had already published charts on cholera, but the polar area charts he did with Nightingale went far beyond his earlier work. These charts were not included in the official Royal Commission report (UK, 1858a) or the shorter version based on it (UK, 1858b). They appeared first in Nightingale’s privately circulated Notes on Matters affecting the Health, Efficiency and Hospital Administration of the British Army (Nightingale, 1858a). That report includes an enormous number of tables, with detailed discussion. The landmark charts, however, appear with scarcely a comment. In January of 1859 Nightingale published a short paper which focused on those charts, ‘A contribution to the sanitary history of the British Army during the late war with Russia’ (Nightingale,1859a). She gave them next to Harriet Martineau for inclusion in her popular book, England and Her Soldiers (Martineau, 1859), where again they were not discussed. Since the (one) coloured chart is well known and readily available online, it is not reproduced here. Instead several adaptations are presented and the two less known, but most useful, black-and-white charts are. Next, material is reported comparing British Army death rates with those of the French Army. The French statistical analysis post dates that by Nightingale and the Royal Commission, so the devastating contrasts they revealed could not be discussed in their reports. Oddly, the material has been neglected by later commentators on the war. Finally comes a historiographical discussion of the secondary authors who attacked Nightingale’s Crimean War work, evidently without consulting the relevant statistics, British or French. Th |
Which rebellion was effectively ended by the Battle of Culloden? | BBC - History - British History in depth: The Jacobite Cause Print this page The Glorious Revolution To modern eyes the complex web of religious and political loyalties which underpinned Jacobitism can seem alien and unsympathetic. The whole movement might be said to span the century from the deposition of James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the lonely alcohol-sodden death of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1788. A Catholic himself, James decided that by promoting edicts of religious tolerance, he would be able to surreptitiously re-establish Catholicism as the official faith of the British Isles. This notion produced near-hysteria in James's Protestant subjects - who had been taught to abhor this faith. When a son was born to the King and Queen, British Protestants were faced with the prospect of never waking up from their worst nightmare: a Catholic dynasty. They turned to James's Protestant son-in-law William of Orange. In 1688 he led a successful invasion of England. James panicked and fled. As Scotland wavered, James wrote an utterly tactless letter to the Scottish National Convention in Edinburgh. They declared for William. James's most zealous Scottish supporter, Viscount Dundee, turned to a military solution. The first Jacobite rising broke out. But it was not very popular at all. Most Scottish nobles took the attitude of wait and see. Dundee's forces destroyed William's with a devastating highland charge at the battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, but their leader died in his hour of glory. This left the movement headless. The wait and see-ers kept waiting, and the rising petered out. So how did Jacobitism come back from the political grave in Scotland? In a few words: William and The Union. So how did Jacobitism come back from the political grave in Scotland? In a few words: William and The Union. The new King's Scottish reign was characterised by government tactlessness and economic disasters. The most important of the latter was the Darien Scheme. William refused all English assistance to this Scottish venture to found a colony in Panama. When the scheme failed, leaving most of the would-be colonists dead, the King was widely blamed. Thus to the die-hard believers in the hereditary right of James were added the dissatisfied. Jacobitism became a magnet for almost anyone with a grudge against the government. The Union of 1707 then produced what was for many Scots the grudge to end all grudges. The ink was hardly dry on the treaty before it was being widely denounced, and Scotland was ripe for sedition. The French, who were at war with Britain, suddenly saw an advantage to be gained here. They would land the new Jacobite heir, James III 'The Old Pretender' in his ancestral kingdom and start a rebellion. It was an excellent opportunity to unite much of the nation, even many Presbyterians, on the Jacobite side against the Union. The abortive 1708 rising was dogged with bad luck, however, and possible sabotage. The invasion fleet arrived tardily in the Firth of Forth to find the Royal Navy waiting for them. The French commander refused to put the furious James ashore. The invasion that might have united Scotland against the Union was a damp squib. Top The '15 Rebellion Contemporary newspaper account of the Battle of Glen Sheil in 1719 © However Jacobitism was still very dangerous. The promised benefits of the Union had failed to arrive for many people. Instead, heavy excise duty and increased tax caused much ill feeling. Added to these were humiliations at the hands of the English-dominated Westminster parliament. Yet rebellion when it came, sprang from a most unexpected quarter. When George I of Hanover succeeded to the throne in 1715, he sacked one of Scotland's most influential politicians: John Erskine, Earl of Mar. Mar decided to retaliate by raising the standard for the house of Stuart. On one side of his banner he put the arms of Scotland and on the other 'No Union'. Thousands flocked to it. Soon almost the entire north of Scotland was in his hands. He did this without even bothering to warn the Jac |
What was the first permanent English settlement in the New World, now in ruins? | Jamestown, Virginia - First Permanent English Settlement in America Jamestown, Virginia - Historic Sites & Points of Interest Jamestown, Virginia The first permanent English settlement in the New World was established here on the banks of Virginia's James River in 1607. Jamestown, Virginia One of the most historic sites in North America, this point on the James River was the site of the first English settlement. Jamestown Memorial ChurchThe brick tower at the front of the church was built in 1690 and is the only standing 17th century structure at the site. visitors see the fort as it appeared in 1607. Site of Old Jamestowne, Virginia Ruins on the James River Ruins from Jamestown's later years can be seen on the banks of the James. Copyright 2010 & 2014 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. On May 14, 1607, a small company of settlers landed at a point on the James River in Virginia and established the settlement of Jamestown. It was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. The Spanish were already well-established in Florida by this time, having founded the city of St. Augustine in 1565. While that city holds the true title of "first permanent settlement" in the United States, the planting of Jamestown by the English established King James' claim to North America and set the stage for years of war and dispute between the powers of Europe for control of the new lands across the ocean. The first settlers of Jamestown, led by the famed Captain John Smith, built a fort, church, storehouse and other structures in their first three months at the settlement, even as sickness and starvation stalked the new colony. By 1609, ships had brought 214 English settlers to Jamestown. By the summer of that year, only 60 remained alive. These survivors decided to give up and go home, but after burying their cannon and preparing to leave, they were stunned by the site of sailing ships entering the James River. The vessels turned out to be the relief flotilla of Lord De La Ware, who brought food, supplies and new colonists. The crisis passed and Jamestown survived. During these first months of the English presence in Virginia, an incident took place that captured the imagination of writers and romantics for generations to come. While on an expedition from the new fort into the interior, Captain John Smith was captured by the warriors of Powhatan, the powerful chief of the Algonquin Indians who lived in this area of coastal Virginia. Carried to Powhatan's village, Smith said that he was first welcomed with a feast, but suddenly was grabbed and stretched out on rocks to be executed with clubs. At this point, according to his account, a young daughter of the chief suddenly covered his body with her own and saved his life. Her name, of course, was Pocahontas. Anthropologists believe the incident may have been part of a traditional ceremony and that Powhatan meant Smith no harm. The legend has survived, however, as has the name of Pocahontas, who eventually married another settler and returned with him to England. She died there of tuberculosis at the age of 22. Jamestown slowly took root and prospered in Virginia. Relations with the Algonquin soured and in 1622 they attempted to drive the English into the sea. Some 300 colonists were killed and many homes and farms burned, but the Indians were unable to capture the fort itself. Jamestown is remembered in American history for a number of reasons. Not only was it the first permanent English settlement, it was the place where the tobacco industry was developed, leading eventually to the worldwide use of the product. Jamestown was also the place where African-American servants were introduced into the South. A Dutch captain traded his cargo of Africans for provisions and other supplies at Jamestown in 1619. These people became indentured servants, with slavery as we know it today not being introduced in Virginia until another 60 or so years later. Jamestown thrived over the next century and grew into a prosperous community. Ruins that dot the landscape today come mostly from the post-1622 |
Who was the first president of independent Kenya?| | Jomo Kenyatta: First President of Independent Kenya - General Knowledge Facts General Knowledge Facts Select a Page Searching... Home » facts » Famous Personalities » featured » first president of Kenya » general knowledge facts » History » internet » Jomo Kenyatta » Kenya » Who is Who » world » World history » Jomo Kenyatta: First President of Independent Kenya Sunday, 8 September 2013 02:17 Jomo Kenyatta was the first president of independent Kenya.He is considered as the founding father of Kenyan nation.He was the leader of the Kenyan independence movement.He has also authored many books.His is the father of the current president of Kenya ,Uhuru Kenyatta. He was born in 18th August 1893.After completing his education he joinded the movement for Independence.At that time Kenya was under British Colonial Rule.He was elected as the president of Kenyan African Union (KAU) in 1947.He was arrested and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in 1953.He was released in 1961 following public demand,after that he was admitted to the legislative council. He became the prime minister of Kenya after Independence was declared on 12 December 1963.When the constitution was amended to make Kenya a republic he was elected the first president of Kenya on June 1964.He was the president of Kenya till his death on 1978. He died on 22nd August 1978 in Mombasa . |
Which country was ruled by the Romanov dynasty 1613-1917? | Which country was ruled by the Romanov dynasty from 1613 to 1917? View the step-by-step solution to: Which country was ruled by the Romanov dynasty from 1613 to 1917? This question was answered on May 10, 2016. View the Answer Which country was ruled by the Romanov dynasty from 1613 to 1917? KareenMccarty posted a question · May 10, 2016 at 8:04am Top Answer ProfWasylyna answered the question · May 10, 2016 at 8:04am Other Answers Here is the solution... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29451125) ]} Here is the answer... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29451126) ]} RUSSIA Romanov dynasty, rulers of... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29451150) ]} Kevincole answered the question · May 10, 2016 at 8:06am The country that was ruled by the Romanov dynasty from... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29456622) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions What valid reasons exist to oppose the continuation of the European Union both within and without Europe? Recently Asked Questions Need an European History tutor? jood.amc 3 European History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Which country's liberalization program was halted by the invasion of 600,000 Soviet troops in 1968? | United States Relations with Russia: The Cold War United States Relations with Russia: The Cold War 1945-1949 1945-1946: Creation of Eastern European People's Republics Between November 1945 and December 1946, a number of the coalition governments established in the Eastern European countries occupied by Soviet troops during the war transformed into Communist "People's Republics" with strong ties to the Soviet Union. These included Yugoslavia (November 1945); Albania (January 1946); and Bulgaria (December 1946). The United States and Britain considered this an abrogation of agreements made at the Yalta Conference. February 1946: George Kennan's Long Telegram and the Policy of Containment On February 22, 1946, George F. Kennan, the Charg� d'Affaires at the Moscow Embassy, sent a long telegram to the Department of State detailing his concerns about Soviet expansionism. Kennan argued that the United States would never be able to cooperate successfully with the Soviets, because they saw the West as an enemy and would engage in a protracted battle to limit Western power and increase Soviet domination. Kennan argued that the United States should lead the West in "containing" the Soviets by exerting counterforce at various geographical and political points of conflict. Kennan published a public version of this argument in the July 1947 issue of the journal Foreign Affairs. Kennan's articulations of the policy of containment had a major influence on American foreign policy toward the Soviet Union. March 1946: Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech During a speech at Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946, visiting British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proclaimed that Europe was divided by an "Iron Curtain" as the nations of Eastern Europe fell increasingly under Soviet control. Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia all fell under Communist control by early 1948. Spring 1946: Soviet Troops in Iran Responding to Iranian requests to the United Nations, on March 5, 1946, the United States sent a note to Moscow protesting the retention of Soviet troops in Iran, where Stalin wanted to establish Soviet influence. On April 3, the Soviet Union announced that its troops would leave by May 6. March 1947: Truman Doctrine The Soviets aimed also to establish influence over Turkey and Greece in an effort to seek access to the Mediterranean. President Truman delivered a speech before Congress on March 12, 1947, asking for $400 million to provide assistance for Greece and Turkey in the hopes of bolstering pro-Western governments there. In this speech, he enunciated the Truman Doctrine that would serve to justify the U.S. Cold War policy of containment. This doctrine described the U.S. policy of supporting free peoples who resisted subjugation from armed minorities or outside pressures. June 1947: U.S. Efforts to Control Atomic Energy In June 1947, the United States submitted proposals, know as the Baruch Plan, for the creation of an International Atomic Energy Development Authority to control all phases of the development and use of atomic energy. The United States offered to destroy its atomic weapons after international control and inspection became effective. The Soviet Union rejected the proposal. June 5, 1947: Marshall's Offer of Economic Assistance In a speech given at Harvard University on June 5, 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall offered U.S. assistance for the postwar economic rehabilitation of all European nations, including those that had adopted Communist governments. The Soviet Union denounced the Marshall Plan, saying it would infringe upon European sovereignty. Western European nations accepted Marshall's offer, while the Eastern European states followed Moscow's lead. 1948-1949: Berlin Airlift In the summer of 1948, the Soviet Union cut off access to the Western sectors of Berlin, situated in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany. The Western powers organized a massive airlift to supply West Berlin, and organized a counter-blockade of the Soviet zone. On May 12, 1949, the Soviets lifted their blocka |
Which Axis Power changed sides during World War II, declaring war on Germany in October 1943? | Which Axis Power changed sides during World War II, declaring war on Germany in October 1943? View the step-by-step solution to: Which Axis Power changed sides during World War II, declaring war on Germany in October 1943? This question was answered on Jun 08, 2016. View the Answer Which Axis Power changed sides during World War II, declaring war on Germany in October 1943? SheliaBaldwin posted a question · Jun 08, 2016 at 4:07am Top Answer francisgakunyi answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 4:07am Other Answers The best way to approach your question... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29992735) ]} Here is the answer... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29996326) ]} Dr.Mutuma321 answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 8:19am In 1936, Italy was led into war by fascist Prime minister Benito Mussolini who... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(30014422) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions Need a World History tutor? mathtutor1983 7 World History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Who was the first democratically elected Marxist head of state? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 11 | 1973: President overthrown in Chile coup About This Site | Text Only 1973: President overthrown in Chile coup President Salvador Allende of Chile, the world's first democratically-elected Marxist head of state, has died in a revolt led by army leaders. One report says the 64-year-old leader committed suicide rather than surrender to the commanders of the armed forces and the paramilitary police. Air Force planes attacked the presidential palace with rockets and bombs and tanks opened fire after President Allende rejected an initial demand for his resignation. According to military sources, Dr Allende asked for a five-minute ceasefire in order to resign. But the armed forces said that was impossible because snipers loyal to the president were operating from buildings near the presidential palace. Economic crisis At least 17 bombs were dropped in an attack on the palace, one of which scored a direct hit. Martial law has been declared throughout the country, a curfew has been imposed and the carrying of guns has been banned. Although Dr Allende called on his followers to support him, there appeared to be little organised resistance. Troops blasted buildings in the city centre around the presidential palace in an attempt to dislodge pro-Allende snipers. Helicopters repeatedly machine-gunned the top floors of buildings near the British Embassy. Bullets ripped through the windows of the embassy - but no-one was reported hurt. Thousands of workers are said to be marching on Santiago from the north, despite a warning any resistance would be met with air and ground fire. Opposition to President Allende has been growing for months. He was elected to power in 1970 with only 36% of the vote. He has not held a majority in Congress and gradually his authority has been eroded. His attempts to re-structure the nation's economy have led to soaring inflation and food shortages. A prolonged strike by lorry drivers who opposed his plans for nationalisation has recently been joined by shopkeepers angry they have nothing to sell. President Allende brought senior army officers into his government last month in an attempt to head off a revolt. But the final crunch came three days ago when the two major opposition parties called for the President's resignation. |
What was the name of the basalt slab that became the key for deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics? | The Rosetta Stone - Deciphering Hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt (Bible History Online) The Rosetta Stone Deciphering Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics The key to deciphering the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs was found in the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1798. What were the Hieroglyphs? For centuries scholars have wondered about the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that would hopefully reveal answers about the first major civilization and world power on Earth. For about 3000 years the Egyptians used these peculiar pictures inscribed on their temples, statues, and monuments. Yet the knowledge of their meaning had died out long before Christ. What scholars had to do to discover their meaning was to hunt out ancient writings of the Greeks and Romans to learn what their theories were and if anyone actually had the key. Yet no no Greek or Roman understood the nature of the hieroglyphs. The Greek tradition taught that hieroglyphs were symbolic signs or allegories and not phonetic signs. Click Example1 and Example2 to see some hieroglyphs The Middle Ages had no knowledge of hieroglyphic writing nor did they take any interest in it. But a manuscript of Horapollon brought to Florence in 1422 stirred great interest but they were still interpreted as hidden symbols for centuries to come. How Scholars Decipher a (dead) Language If no ancient documents were available to provide a key, typically the thing to do was to look for a bilingual example, where the unknown language is written alongside the exact same text that is already known and interpreted and begin various deciphering methods. Another way to narrow down the method was to look for the name of a person such as a king or a certain god that was believed in during that time period. But there were no helps for deciphering the hieroglyphs. The Discovery of the Rosetta Stone Then one day in 1798, while General Napoleon Bonaparte was leading his French Republican army into Egypt to occupy it, on accident a lieutenant named Bouchard was supervising fortifications at Rashid (Rosetta), on the west bank of the Nile Delta, about 35 N.E. of Alexandria, and noticed a black basalt stone that had been built right into the wall. He reported the stone to the archaeologists that had accompanied Napoleon's army and low and behold, it became one of the greatest discoveries in the 18th century. The stone was 3 ft 9 in. (114 cm) long and 2 ft 4 1/2 in. (72 cm) wide, and partly broken. It had three horizontal bands with inscriptions carved in 2 languages, Egyptian and Greek, with 3 different scripts on each band: hieroglyphics, demotic script, and koine Greek. The Greek section, which was already known, indicated that all 3 texts contained the same message. The inscriptions, apparently written by the priests of Memphis, summarize benefactions given to Ptolemy V Epiphanes (205-180 BC) and were written in the ninth year of his reign in commemoration of his accession to the throne. When the French surrendered to Britain in 1801 the stone was brought to Britain and it now remains at the British Museum in London. This was definitely a monumental discovery and scholars in Europe were very excited. They began by working on the demotic section and locating certain names alongside the Greek text. But they made little headway until in 1816 when an English physicist named Thomas Young realized that the hieroglyphs had a sound value rather than being just symbols. note: I actually have a picture of the Rosetta Stone that a friend of mine took for me while visiting the British Museum in London. You can take a look at it larger by clicking here . If you think you might be interested check out this Hieroglyphic Name Translator |
What title did Charlemagne, already king of the Franks, acquire in 800? | Charlemagne - King of the Franks and Lombards Charlemagne Charlemagne King of the Franks and Lombards Depiction of Charlemagne in Stained Glass at the cathedral in Moulins, France. Photo by Wikimedia user Vassil, who has kindly released it into the Public Domain This profile of Charlemagne is part of Who's Who in Medieval History Charlemagne was also known as: Charles I, Charles the Great (in French, Charlemagne; in German, Karl der Grosse; in Latin, Carolus Magnus) Charlemagne's titles included: King of the Franks, King of the Lombards; also generally considered the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne was noted for: Consolidating a large portion of Europe under his rule, promoting learning, and instituting innovative administrative concepts. Occupations: More quotes attributed to Charlemagne About Charlemagne: Charlemagne was the grandson of Charles Martel and the son of Pippin III . When Pippin died, the kingdom was divided between Charlemagne and his brother Carloman. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge King Charlemagne proved himself a capable leader from early on, but his brother was less so, and there was some friction between them until Carloman's death in 771. Once King, Charlemagne had sole rule of the government of Francia, he expanded his territory through conquest. He conquered the Lombards in northern Italy, acquired Bavaria, and campaigned in Spain and Hungary. Charlemagne used harsh measures in subduing the Saxons and virtually exterminating the Avars. Though he had essentially amassed an empire, he did not style himself "emperor," but called himself the King of the Franks and Lombards. King Charlemagne was an able administrator, and he delegated authority over his conquered provinces to Frankish nobles. At the same time, he recognized the diverse ethnic groups he had brought together under his dominion, and allowed each to retain its own local laws. To ensure justice, Charlemagne had these laws set down in writing and strictly enforced. He also issued capitularies that applied to all citizens. Charlemagne kept an eye on events in his empire through the use of missi dominici, representatives who acted with his authority. Though never able to master reading and writing himself, Charlemagne was an enthusiastic patron of learning. He attracted noted scholars to his court, including Alcuin , who became his private tutor, and Einhard , who would be his biographer. Charlemagne reformed the palace school and set up monastic schools throughout the empire. The monasteries he sponsored preserved and copied ancient books. The flowering of learning under Charlemagne's patronage has come to be known as the "Carolingian Renaissance." In 800, Charlemagne came to the aid of Pope Leo III , who had been attacked in the streets of Rome. He went to Rome to restore order and, after Leo purged himself of the charges against him, he was unexpectedly crowned emperor. Charlemagne wasn't pleased with this development, because it established the precedent of papal ascendancy over secular leadership, but though he still often referred to himself as a king he now also styled himself "Emperor," as well. There is some disagreement as to whether or not Charlemagne was really the first Holy Roman Emperor. Although he did not use any title that directly translates as such, he did use the title imperator Romanum ("emperor of Rome") and in some correspondence styled himself deo coronatus ("Crowned by God"), as per his coronation by the pope. This appears to be enough for most scholars to allow Charlemagne's hold on the title to stand, especially since Otto I , whose reign is generally considered to be the true beginning of the Holy Roman Empire, never used the title either. The territory Charlemagne governed is not considered the Holy Roman Empire but is instead named the Carolingian Empire after him. It would later form the basis of the territory scholars would call the Holy Roman Empire , although that term (in Latin, sacrum Romanum imperium) was also seldom in use during the Middle Ages, and never used |
What is the name of the British political regime 1649-60 established by Oliver Cromwell? | What is the name of the British political regime of 1649-60 established by Cromwell? View the step-by-step solution to: What is the name of the British political regime of 1649-60 established by Cromwell? This question was answered on May 10, 2016. View the Answer What is the name of the British political regime of 1649-60 established by Cromwell? JulieannSutter posted a question · May 10, 2016 at 8:01am Top Answer ProfWasylyna answered the question · May 10, 2016 at 8:02am Other Answers The Commonwealth The next eleven years saw the rule of the... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29451112) ]} Kevincole answered the question · May 10, 2016 at 8:03am Commonwealth- After meticulous preparations, Cromwell then took the army to Ireland (1649-50) where Royalist... View the full answer May 10, 2016 at 8:14am {[ getNetScore(29451218) ]} Prof-Magudha answered the question · May 10, 2016 at 8:13am Hello, Cromwell held power throughout the 1650's by retaining the loyalty of the army. He also granted important positions... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29455408) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions answer to number 38, which of the following was not a difficulty facing postwar middle east? Recently Asked Questions Need a World History tutor? mathtutor1983 2 World History experts found online! Average reply time is less than an hour Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
Who was the prime minister of South Africa who was assassinated in 1966? | BBC - Archive - Apartheid in South Africa - 24 Hours Special | Verwoerd Assassination Apartheid in South Africa | Living under racial segregation and discrimination 24 Hours Special | Verwoerd Assassination Special programme on the assassination of the prime minister of South Africa. FIRST BROADCAST | 06 September 1966 DURATION | 53 minutes 3 seconds FIRSTBROADCAST 1966 Synopsis The shock assassination of Hendrik Verwoerd in the Cape Town Parliament causes questions to be raised about the future of South Africa. Verwoerd was killed by a white man who thought that poor white people needed more help. Individuals from all sides of the political spectrum give their views on his assassination and the future of South Africa. Did you know? Hendrik Verwoerd was the architect behind apartheid, which built upon earlier colonial legislation to keep the different racial groups apart. Verwoerd believed in the 'separate development' of the different racial groups as an ideology as much as a political system. He was born in the Netherlands but moved to South Africa due to his sympathy with the Afrikaner people after the Boer War. He was native affairs minister before becoming prime minister in 1958 Contributors |
"Which 17th-century king of Sweden was known as the ""Lion of the North""?" | Which 17th-century king of Sweden was known as the "Lion of theNorth"? View the step-by-step solution to: Which 17th-century king of Sweden was known as the "Lion of theNorth"? This question was answered on Jun 08, 2016. View the Answer Which 17th-century king of Sweden was known as the "Lion of theNorth"? KimberlyPerry posted a question · Jun 08, 2016 at 3:43am Top Answer francisgakunyi answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 3:44am Other Answers 1 comment Gustav II Adolf (9 December 1594 – 6 November 1632, O.S.); widely known in English by his Latinised name Gustavus Adolphus or as Gustav II Adolph, or as Gustavus Adolphus the Great (Swedish: Gustav Adolf den store, Latin: Gustavus Adolphus Magnus, a formal posthumous distinction passed by the Riksdag of the Estates in ... ryati1984 Jun 08, 2016 at 3:45am {[ getNetScore(29992444) ]} Here's the explanation you needed for... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(29992460) ]} ivydmwangi answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 3:46am Gustav II Adolf was the King of Sweden who was known as 'Lion of the North'. His leadership took place between... View the full answer {[ getNetScore(30014262) ]} View Full Answer or ask a new question Related Questions Answer these art history questions via. the Word Document attached. This is based on the Mid - to Late Nineteenth Century Art in Europe and the United States. Recently Asked Questions Need a World History tutor? brightkesenwa 3 World History experts found online! Average reply time is 7 mins Get Homework Help Why Join Course Hero? Course Hero has all the homework and study help you need to succeed! We’ve got course-specific notes, study guides, and practice tests along with expert tutors and customizable flashcards—available anywhere, anytime. - - Study Documents Find the best study resources around, tagged to your specific courses. Share your own to gain free Course Hero access or to earn money with our Marketplace. - Question & Answers Get one-on-one homework help from our expert tutors—available online 24/7. Ask your own questions or browse existing Q&A threads. Satisfaction guaranteed! - Flashcards Browse existing sets or create your own using our digital flashcard system. A simple yet effective studying tool to help you earn the grade that you want! |
What year saw the nationalization of British Railways? | Why not... nationalise the railways? - BBC News BBC News Why not... nationalise the railways? 11 July 2013 From the section UK Politics comments Read more about sharing. Close share panel A look at eye-catching policy ideas that are often talked about but never seem to feature in UK general election campaigns. The background Britain's railways were nationalised by Labour in 1948 and returned to private hands by John Major's Conservative government in 1993. Labour was initially committed to renationalisation but the policy was dropped when Tony Blair came to power in 1997. Track, signalling and stations were taken out of private hands, and put into a not-for-profit company, Network Rail, after the collapse of Railtrack in 2002. Labour has yet to reveal its transport policies for the next general election, but they are not thought likely to feature rail nationalisation. Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has launched a private members' bill to allow the train companies to "fall back" into public ownership, which is supported by a number of Labour backbenchers and Plaid Cymru MPs. The train companies insist the debate about nationalisation is solely driven by the unions. Ian Taylor: The case for nationalisation In 1993, Britain's railway was broken into pieces and handed, mostly as local monopolies, to profit-taking companies. The cost of the railway to the taxpayer has subsequently more than doubled in real terms, a rise out of all proportion to the 33% increase in train services over the same period. The cost rises stem from wastage as shareholder dividend pay-outs, other inefficient private sector financing and inefficiencies created by fragmentation of the railway. Ian Taylor, co-founder of Transport for Quality of Life think tank Formerly manager of environmental consultancy services for the Centre for Alternative Technology Has also worked for Greenpeace and Oxfam Transport for Quality of Life's clients include the Department of Transport, local authorities and the rail unions The wastage amounts to over £1bn per year, enough to cut fares by 20% if the railway were reunified as a public company. Instead, fare increases on the privatised railway threaten to turn it into a "rich-man's toy", as this government's first Secretary of State for Transport put it. Unbeknown to most passengers, one portion of our railway, the East Coast mainline, is still run by a publicly-owned company, Directly Operated Railways, which picked up the pieces after its two private sector predecessors walked off the job. Recent calculations by the Office of Rail Regulation revealed how the public money that helps maintain the rail tracks or directly supports rail services splits between the train companies and showed that DOR receives less subsidy than any other rail franchise operator. DOR's success is a glaring embarrassment for the Government, who now intend to privatise it post-haste, even though that will increase costs to the taxpayer. Most other rail franchises in the UK are, ironically, also run by companies that are wholly or partly publicly owned, but by other countries. Deutsche Bahn is foremost - they even run the Royal Train - and the German Government have said "We're skimming profit from the entire Deutsche Bahn...it is invested in the rail network here in Germany". So, if you are reading this on an overcrowded train with a ticket that made a painful hole in your wallet, take heart from your generous contribution to improvement of Germany's fine publicly-owned railway. Ben Southwood: The case against nationalisation The UK's railway network was built privately and competitively and by some way its most successful years were the private eras between 1830 and 1922 and 1994 to the present. Returning it to centralised state control would be a step backwards and a mistake. Instead we should end the practice of franchising, which creates private monopolies, and allow real competition and diversity. Ben Southwood is a researcher at the Adam Smith Institute Previously economics correspondent for City AM newspaper He has a degree in Philosop |
Who are the only two English sovereigns from whom Prince Charles is not descended? | British Royal Family Genealogy - Page 5 - The Royal Forums British Royal Family Genealogy Quote: Originally Posted by Wisteria The Queen IS descended from Charlemagne. Also for your information so was the Queen mother, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. That is interesting as all my research has indicated that Philip brought that line into the BRF as it wasn't there before. Could you provide the lineage please as I have never seen one with Elizabeth coming from Charlemagne, only Philip. __________________ Posts: 4,071 Oh! Oh! I can! I can! Of course I asked Wisteria for her link and she gave it to me. It's this one. However! One has to register to get the full geneology and as Russo hasn't registered, Russo doesn't have it. Although! The Legend says those dots at the top are all those that the person is decended from and there are 5 Kings up there along with Charlemagne. Of course Wisteria will set things right once she comes one, however! I was SO excited about this new toy I had to jump in. Wisteria, I hope you forgive me! Quote: Originally Posted by Iluvbertie That is interesting as all my research has indicated that Philip brought that line into the BRF as it wasn't there before. Could you provide the lineage please as I have never seen one with Elizabeth coming from Charlemagne, only Philip. Of course, I have much better sources than this, but on the spur of the moment I found this as I am not that keen on publishing my family tree on the forum but for starters you can look at this. Google has many references to the royal descendants (and others who are descended from Charlemagne). Not long ago there was a site asking for all persons who could prove (prove is the key word) that they were descended from Charlemagne to add their names to it. Descendants of Charlemagne - Familypedia To make it easier for you to search even though there are more links to Charlemagne, both Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were descended from Charlemagne. As far as the Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the Queen Mother) the connection (among others) is through Joan Stuart, Princess of Scotland who married John Lyon, Master of Glamis. These are the most simple to find but HM is not descended just through one line but many leading to Charlemagne and many other great Kings. Quote: Originally Posted by Lumutqueen There are two George Bushs' on the list, one at the bottom, and one just above Barack Obama at the top of what I presume is the next list. You are right Lumut, when I posted they were in another column. Kotroman, as to why Charlemagne was introduced to the thread, I was asked by Iluvbertie to give a link to prove that the Queen was descended from Charlemagne. I think that HM�s family tree has been sufficiently recorded to give her the benefit of the doubt, but as to Mr Jones of the local bakery, well if he has proof! Now let�s forget Charlemagne, I did ask for the link to the Presidents to be moved if thought necessary,but I thought it wass rather interesting for our US members and some of the names are quite surprising. The Monarchist League of Canada: Our Multicultural Monarchy - OUR MULTI-CULTURAL MONARCHY www.monarchist.ca/redbox/ourmulticulturalmonarchy.doc As well as being the great family tree of Canadian history, the Royal Family also connects us directly with the wider panorama of recorded human history, embracing the four corners of the world and many of its races. ARAB Queen Elizabeth II descends from the Muslims who created the Arab Andalusian civilization of Spain. Since some of those people sprang from the family of the Prophet, the Queen herself is a descendant of Mohammed. When Her Majesty visited Morocco in 1980, the Moroccan media pointed out this Islamuc ancestry of Canada’s Queen. ARMENIAN The Prince of Wales (Charles) descends from both the medieval Armenian Kings and from the earlier rulers of ancient Armenia. AUSTRIAN (and SWISS) All the immediate Royal Family have Habsburg ancestors who came originally from Switzerland, and who created the state of Austria. BOSNIAN Stephen Tvrtko, who his made his K |
Who succeeded the Roman emperor, Trajan? | Trajan | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Selinus , Cilicia Trajan (English pronunciation: / ˈ t r eɪ dʒ ən / ; Latin language: Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Divi Nervae filius Augustus [1] 18 September 53 – 9 August 117 AD) was Roman Emperor from 98 AD until his death. Officially declared by the senate as optimus princeps ("the best ruler"), Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presided over the greatest military expansion in Roman history , leading the empire to attain its maximum territorial extent by the time of his death. He is also known for his philanthropic rule, overseeing extensive public building programs and implementing social welfare policies , which earned him his enduring reputation as the second of the Five Good Emperors who presided over an era of peace and prosperity in the Mediterranean world . Born into a non-patrician family of Italian origin in the city of Italica in the province of Hispania Baetica , [2] Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian . Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis , in 89 Trajan supported Domitian against a revolt on the Rhine led by Antonius Saturninus . [3] In September 96, Domitian was succeeded by Marcus Cocceius Nerva , an old and childless senator who proved to be unpopular with the army. After a brief and tumultuous year in power, a revolt by members of the Praetorian Guard compelled him to adopt the more popular Trajan as his heir and successor. Nerva died on 27 January 98, and was succeeded by his adopted son without incident. As a civilian administrator, Trajan is best known for his extensive public building program which reshaped the city of Rome and left multiple enduring landmarks such as Trajan's Forum , Trajan's Market and Trajan's Column . Early in his reign, he annexed the Nabataean kingdom , creating the province of Arabia Petraea . His conquest of Dacia enriched the empire greatly — the new province possessed many valuable gold mines. However, the new province's exposed position to the north of the Danube made it susceptible to attack on three sides, and it was later abandoned by Emperor Aurelian . His war against the Parthian Empire ended with the sack of the capital Ctesiphon and the annexation of Armenia and Mesopotamia . His campaigns expanded the Roman Empire to its greatest territorial extent. In late 117, while sailing back to Rome, Trajan fell ill and died of a stroke in the city of Selinus . He was deified by the Senate and his ashes were laid to rest under Trajan's Column . He was succeeded by his adopted son Hadrian. As an emperor, Trajan's reputation has endured — he is one of the few rulers whose reputation has survived nineteen centuries. Every new emperor after him was honored by the Senate with the wish felicior Augusto, melior Traiano ("[be] luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan"). Among medieval Christian theologians, Trajan was considered a virtuous pagan , while the 18th-century historian Edward Gibbon popularized the notion of the Five Good Emperors , of which Trajan was the second. [4] Contents File:027 Traianus.jpg Marcus Ulpius Traianus was born on 18 September 53 in the Roman province of Hispania Baetica [5] (in what is now Andalusia in modern Spain), a province that was thoroughly Romanized and called southern Hispania, in the city of Italica (now in municipal area of Santiponce, in the outskirts of Seville), where the Italian families were paramount. Of Italian stock himself, Trajan is frequently but misleadingly designated the first provincial emperor. [6] Trajan was the son of Marcia and Marcus Ulpius Traianus , a prominent senator and general from the gens Ulpia . Trajan himself was just one of many well-known Ulpii in a line that continued long after his own death. His elder sister was Ulpia Marciana and his niece was Salonina Matidia . The patria of the Ulpii was Italica , in Spanish Baetica, [5] where their ancestors had settled late in the 3rd century BC. As a young man, he rose through the ranks of the Roman army , serving in some of the most conte |
Who was the admiral of the French fleet defeated by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar? | Trafalgar : Battle of Trafalgar : Horatio Nelson : Royal Navy : French : Villeneuve : Spain Trafalgar 200 website By Richard Moore This great deciding naval battle of the Napoleonic Wars took place between 27 British ships under Admiral Nelson and 33 French and Spanish vessels under Admiral Villeneuve . Needing to clear the British from the English Channel to allow an invasion of his implaccable national enemy, Napoleon Bonaparte wanted his navy to escape the British blockade, draw it away from Europe to the West Indies and then, after joining up with the Spanish, returning to hold the narrow stretch of water long enough to allow the crossing of his army. Surprisingly, Villeneuve did manage to slip through the blockade and a rare error by Nelson gave the French more than a week's head start. By the time he reached the West Indies the combined enemy fleet had begun returning towards Europe and safe harbour in Cadiz. Determined to bottle up and destroy his foe, Nelson and his fleet prowled waiting for an opportunity and that came faster than expected. Bonaparte, believing there was only a small blockading force outside Cadiz, ordered Villeneuve from port and into the Mediterranean. To his horror, the French admiral found himself caught between Nelson's fleet and cut off from safety by the blockading squadron. On 21 October, Nelson sighted his prey and gave the order " England expects that every man will do his duty ." After outlining a radical plan of attack to his captains, Nelson ordered the British fleet to head in two lines towards the in-line French and Spanish. This would open up his vessels to enemy broadsides, but would split their formidable line, reduce the odds and then allow the better-trained British sailors to use their superior gunnery and sailing skills to destroy at close range. The plan worked brilliantly and with the French vanguard cut out of the battle by the British slicing through the fleet, Nelson's men proceeded to take the enemy fleet apart. Britain did not lose a ship, while 18 enemy vessels were destroyed. Some 14,000 French and Spanish sailors were lost, ten times the British casualties. However, the most notable death at Trafalgar was Nelson who was shot by a sharpshooter as the Victory passed by the Redoubtable. Mortally wounded , he died several hours later, but was safe in the knowledge he had won a massive victory. Some thought must be given to his captured opponent Villeneuve who had been driven into Nelson's sights by Bonaparte's orders. On his return to France, the humiliated Villeneuve killed himself with a dagger, unable to put up with the shame of defeat. Trafalgar ended any chance France had of invading Britain and, from 1805 onwards, Bonaparte largely kept his military operations to terra firma. |
During which war was the Battle of Blenheim? | Battle of Blenheim in the War of Spanish Succession 56,000 men, 90 guns Battle of Blenheim - Background: In 1704, King Louis XIV of France sought to knock the Holy Roman Empire out of the War of Spanish Succession by capturing its capital, Vienna . Eager to keep the Empire in the Grand Alliance (England, Habsburg Empire, Dutch Republic, Portugal, Spain, & the Duchy of Savoy), the Duke of Marlborough made plans to intercept the French and Bavarian forces before they could reach Vienna. Executing a brilliant campaign of disinformation and movement, Marlborough was able to shift his army from the Low Countries to the Danube in only five weeks, placing himself between the enemy and the Imperial capital. Reinforced by Prince Eugène of Savoy, Marlborough encountered the combined French and Bavarian army of Marshall Tallard along the banks of the Danube near the village of Blenheim. Separated from the Allies by a small stream and marsh known as the Nebel, Tallard arrayed his forces in a four mile-long line from the Danube north towards the hills and woods of the Swabian Jura. Anchoring the line were the villages of Lutzingen (left), Oberglau (center), and Blenheim (right). On the Allied side, Marlborough and Eugène had decided to attack Tallard on August 13. Battle of Blenheim - Marlborough Attacks: Assigning Prince Eugène to take Lutzingen, Marlborough ordered Lord John Cutts to attack Blenheim at 1:00 PM. Cutts repeatedly assaulted the village, but was unable to secure it. Though the attacks were not successful, they caused the French commander, Clérambault, to panic and order the reserves into the village. This mistake robbed Tallard of his reserve force and negated the slight numerical advantage he possessed over Marlborough. Seeing this error, Marlborough altered his orders to Cutts, instructing him to simply contain the French in the village. At the opposite end of the line, Prince Eugène was having little success against the Bavarian forces defending Lutzingen, despite having launched multiple assaults. With Tallard's forces pinned down on the flanks, Marlborough pushed forward an attack on the French center. After heavy initial fighting, Marlborough was able to defeat Tallard's cavalry and routed the remaining French infantry. With no reserves, Tallard's line broke and his troops began fleeing towards Höchstädt. They were joined in their flight by the Bavarians from Lutzingen. Trapped in Blenheim, Clérambault's men continued the fight until 9:00 PM when over 10,000 of them surrendered. As the French fled southwest, a group of Hessian troops managed to capture Marshall Tallard, who was to spend the next seven years in captivity in England. Battle of Blenheim - Aftermath & Impact: In the fighting at Blenheim, the Allies lost 4,542 killed and 7,942 wounded, while the French and Bavarians suffered approximately 20,000 killed and wounded as well as 14,190 captured. The Duke of Marlborough's victory at Blenheim ended the French threat to Vienna and removed the aura of invincibility that surrounded the armies of Louis XIV. The battle was a turning point in the War of Spanish Succession, ultimately leading to the Grand Alliance's victory and an end of French hegemony over Europe. |
Which royal house consisted of Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI? | Lancaster - definition of Lancaster by The Free Dictionary Lancaster - definition of Lancaster by The Free Dictionary http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Lancaster Lan·cas·ter 1 (lăng′kə-stər, lăn′-) English royal house that from 1399 to 1461 produced three kings of England—Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI. During the Wars of the Roses its symbol was a red rose. Lan·cas′tri·an (lăng-kăs′trē-ən) adj. & n. Lan·cas·ter 2 (lăng′kə-stər, -kăs′tər, lăn′-) 1. A city of northwest England north of Liverpool. Chartered in 1193, it was built on the site of a Roman frontier station. 2. A city of southeast Pennsylvania west of Philadelphia. A trade center in a rich farming region, it was settled by German Mennonites c. 1709 and was the meeting place of the Continental Congress in 1777. Lancaster (ˈlæŋkəstə) n (Placename) a city in NW England, former county town of Lancashire, on the River Lune: castle (built on the site of a Roman camp); university (1964). Pop: 45 952 (2001) Lancaster royal family , royal house , royal line , royalty - royal persons collectively; "the wedding was attended by royalty" Lancastrian - a member (or supporter) of the house of Lancaster Bolingbroke , Henry Bolingbroke , Henry IV - the first Lancastrian king of England from 1399 to 1413; deposed Richard II and suppressed rebellions (1367-1413) Henry V - son of Henry IV and King of England from 1413 to 1422; reopened the Hundred Years' War and defeated the French at Agincourt (1387-1422) Henry VI - son of Henry V who as an infant succeeded his father and was King of England from 1422 to 1461; he was taken prisoner in 1460 and Edward IV was proclaimed king; he was rescued and regained the throne in 1470 but was recaptured and murdered in the Tower of London (1421-1471) Translations |
In which Indian city did British troops open fire without warning on a crowd of 10,000 in 1919? | Massacre of Amritsar | India [1919] | Britannica.com Massacre of Amritsar Alternative Titles: Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Jallianwalla Bagh massacre Related Topics list of cities and towns in India Massacre of Amritsar, also called Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre, Jallianwalla also spelled Jallianwala, incident on April 13, 1919, in which British troops fired on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in Amritsar in the Punjab region (now in Punjab state) of India , killing several hundred people and wounding many hundreds more. It marked a turning point in India’s modern history, in that it left a permanent scar on Indo-British relations and was the prelude to Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi ’s full commitment to the cause of Indian nationalism and independence from Britain. Massacre of Amritsar memorial, Amritsar, Punjab, India. Joanjoc During World War I (1914–18) the British government of India enacted a series of repressive emergency powers that were intended to combat subversive activities. By the war’s end, expectations were high among the Indian populace that those measures would be eased and that India would be given more political autonomy . The Montagu-Chelmsford Report , presented to the British Parliament in 1918, did in fact recommend limited local self-government. Instead, however, the government of India passed what became known as the Rowlatt Acts in early 1919, which essentially extended the repressive wartime measures. The acts were met by widespread anger and discontent among Indians, notably in the Punjab region. Gandhi in early April called for a one-day general strike throughout the country. In Amritsar the news that prominent Indian leaders had been arrested and banished from that city sparked violent protests on April 10, in which soldiers fired upon civilians, buildings were looted and burned, and angry mobs killed several foreign nationals and severely beat a Christian missionary. A force of several dozen troops commanded by Brigadier General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer was given the task of restoring order. Among the measures taken was a ban on public gatherings. Similar Topics Srebrenica massacre On the afternoon of April 13, a crowd of at least 10,000 men, women, and children gathered in an open space known as the Jallianwalla Bagh , which was nearly completely enclosed by walls and had only one exit. It is not clear how many people there were protesters who were defying the ban on public meetings and how many had come to the city from the surrounding region to celebrate Baisakhi, a spring festival. Dyer and his soldiers arrived and sealed off the exit. Without warning, the troops opened fire on the crowd, reportedly shooting hundreds of rounds until they ran out of ammunition. It is not certain how many died in the bloodbath, but, according to one official report, an estimated 379 people were killed, and about 1,200 more were wounded. After they ceased firing, the troops immediately withdrew from the place, leaving behind the dead and wounded. Portion of a wall in Jallianwalla Bagh, Amritsar, Punjab, India, with bullet marks from the … Vinoo202 The shooting was followed by the proclamation of martial law in the Punjab that included public floggings and other humiliations. Indian outrage grew as news of the shooting and subsequent British actions spread throughout the subcontinent. The Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore renounced the knighthood that he had received in 1915. Gandhi was initially hesitant to act, but he soon began organizing his first large-scale and sustained nonviolent protest ( satyagraha ) campaign, the noncooperation movement (1920–22), which thrust him to prominence in the Indian nationalist struggle. The government of India ordered an investigation of the incident (the Hunter Commission), which in 1920 censured Dyer for his actions and ordered him to resign from the military. Reaction in Britain to the massacre was mixed, however. Many condemned Dyer’s actions—including Sir Winston Churchill , then secretary of war, in a speech to the House of Commons in 1920—but the Hous |
In which war was the Battle of Ramillies? | Battle of Ramillies | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia 3rd Barcelona The Battle of Ramillies / ˈ r æ m ɪ l iː z / , fought on 23 May 1706, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession . For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705. Although the Allies had captured Barcelona that year, they had been forced to abandon their campaign on the Moselle, had stalled in the Spanish Netherlands , and suffered defeat in northern Italy. Yet despite his opponents' setbacks Louis XIV was desirous of peace – but he wanted it on reasonable terms. For this end, and in order to maintain their momentum, the French and their allies would swing over to the offensive in 1706. The campaign began well for Louis XIV's generals: in Italy Marshal Vendôme had defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Calcinato in April, while in Alsace Marshal Villars had forced the Margrave of Baden back across the Rhine. Encouraged by these early gains Louis XIV urged Marshal Villeroi to go over to the offensive in the Spanish Netherlands and, with victory, gain a 'fair' peace. Accordingly, the French Marshal set off from Leuven (Louvain) at the head of 60,000 men and marched towards Tirlemont , as if to threaten Zoutleeuw (Léau). Also determined to fight a major engagement, the Duke of Marlborough , commander-in-chief of Anglo-Dutch forces, assembled his army – some 62,000 men – near Maastricht, and marched past Zoutleeuw. With both sides seeking battle, they soon stumbled upon one other on the dry ground between the Mehaigne and Petite Gheete rivers, close to the small village of Ramillies . In less than four hours Marlborough's Dutch , English, and Danish forces [4] overwhelmed Villeroi's and Max Emanuel 's Franco-Spanish-Bavarian army. The Duke's subtle moves and changes in emphasis during the battle – something his opponents failed to realise until it was too late – caught the French in a tactical vice. The battle proved decisive. With their foe broken and routed, the Allies were able to fully exploit their victory. Town after town subsequently fell, including Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp; by the end of the campaign Villeroi's army had been driven from most of the Spanish Netherlands. With Prince Eugene 's subsequent success at the Battle of Turin in northern Italy, the Allies had imposed the greatest loss of territory and resources that Louis XIV would suffer during the war. The year 1706 had indeed proved to be the Allies' annus mirabilis . Contents Edit After their disastrous defeat at Blenheim in 1704, the next year brought France some respite. The Duke of Marlborough had intended the 1705 campaign – an invasion of France through the Moselle valley – to complete the work of Blenheim and persuade King Louis XIV to make peace, but the plan had been thwarted by both friend and foe alike. [5] The reluctance of his Dutch allies to see their frontiers denuded of troops for another gamble in Germany had denied Marlborough the initiative, [5] but of far greater importance was the Margrave of Baden ’s pronouncement that he could not join the Duke in strength for the coming offensive. This was in part due to the sudden switching of troops from the Rhine to reinforce Prince Eugene in Italy, and part due to the deterioration of Baden’s health brought on by the re-opening of a severe foot wound he had received at the storming of the Schellenberg the previous year. [6] Moreover, Marlborough had to cope with the death of Emperor Leopold I in May and the accession of Joseph I , which unavoidably complicated matters for the Grand Alliance. [6] The resilience of the French King, and the efforts of his generals, also added to Marlborough’s problems. [7] Marshal Villeroi , exerting considerable pressure on the Dutch commander, Count Overkirk , along the Meuse, took Huy on 10 June before pressing on towards Liège. With Marshal Villars sitting strong on the Moselle, the Allied commander – whose supplies had by now become critic |
Which sultan of Egypt, who precipitated the third Crusade, subsequently made peace with Richard I? | Third Crusade | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia </td> </tr><tr> <th colspan="2" style="background-color: #B0C4DE; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Strength</th> </tr><tr> <td style="width:50%; border-right:1px dotted #aaa;">English: 8,000 men [1] French: 2,000 men [2] Germans: 100,000 men [2] </td><td style="width:50%; padding-left:0.25em">Unknown </td> </tr></table> The Third Crusade (1189–1192), also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin (Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb). It was largely successful, capturing Acre, Jaffa, and reversing most of Saladin's conquests, but failed to capture Jerusalem, which was the emotional and spiritual fixation of the Crusade. After the failure of the Second Crusade , the Zengid dynasty controlled a unified Syria and engaged in a conflict with the Fatimid rulers of Egypt , which ultimately resulted in the unification of Egyptian and Syrian forces under the command of Saladin, who employed them to reduce the Christian states and to recapture Jerusalem in 1187. Spurred by religious zeal, Henry II of England and Philip II of France ended their conflict with each other to lead a new crusade. Henry's death in 1189, however, meant that the English contingent came under the command of his successor Richard I of England (known as Richard the Lionheart, in French Cœur de Lion). The elderly Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa responded to the call to arms, and led a massive army across Anatolia, but drowned in a river in Asia Minor on 10 June 1190, before reaching the Holy Land. His death caused the greatest grief among the German Crusaders. Most of his discouraged troops left to go home. After driving the Muslims from Acre, Frederick's successor Leopold V of Austria and Philip left the Holy Land in August 1191. Saladin failed to defeat Richard in any military engagements, and Richard secured several more key coastal cities. Nevertheless, on 2 September 1192, Richard finalized a treaty with Saladin by which Jerusalem would remain under Muslim control, but which also allowed unarmed Christian pilgrims and merchants to visit the city. Richard departed the Holy Land on 2 October. The successes of the Third Crusade would allow the Crusaders to maintain a considerable kingdom based in Cyprus and the Syrian coast. However, its failure to recapture Jerusalem would lead to the call for a Fourth Crusade six years later. Contents Edit After the failure of the Second Crusade , Nur ad-Din Zangi had control of Damascus and a unified Syria. Eager to expand his power, Nur ad-Din set his sights on the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt . In 1163, Nur ad-Din's most trusted general, Shirkuh set out on a military expedition to the Nile. Accompanying the general was his young nephew, Saladin . With Shirkuh's troops camped outside of Cairo, Egypt's sultan, Shawar called on King Amalric I of Jerusalem for assistance. In response, Amalric sent an army into Egypt and attacked Shirkuh's troops at Bilbeis in 1164. In an attempt to divert Crusader attention from Egypt, Nur ad-Din attacked Antioch , resulting in a massacre of Christian soldiers and the capture of several Crusader leaders, including Bohemond III , Prince of Antioch. Nur ad-Din sent the scalps of the Christian defenders to Egypt for Shirkuh to proudly display at Bilbeis for Amalric's soldiers to see. This action prompted both Amalric and Shirkuh to lead their armies out of Egypt. In 1167, Nur ad-Din once again sent Shirkuh to conquer the Fatimids in Egypt. Shawar also opted to once again call upon Amalric for the defence of his territory. The combined Egyptian-Christian forces pursued Shirkuh until he retreated to Alexandria. Amalric then breached his alliance with Shawar by turning his forces on Egypt and besieging the city of Bilbeis. Shawar pleaded with his former enemy, Nur ad-Din to save him from Amalric's treachery. Lacking the resources to maintain a prolonged siege of Cairo against the combined forces of Nur ad-Din and Shawar, Amalric retreated. This new alliance gave Nur ad-Di |
In which year did the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor? | BBC - History - World Wars: Pearl Harbor: A Rude Awakening Print this page Introduction It all happened so quickly. At 7.55am on Sunday 7 December 1941, the first of two waves of Japanese aircraft began their deadly attack on the US Pacific Fleet, moored at Pearl Harbor on the Pacific island of Oahu. Within two hours, five battleships had been sunk, another 16 damaged, and 188 aircraft destroyed. Only chance saved three US aircraft carriers, usually stationed at Pearl Harbor but assigned elsewhere on the day. The attacks killed under 100 Japanese but over 2,400 Americans, with another 1,178 injured. ... the attacks had been slowly brewing for years. Although swift in execution, the attacks had been slowly brewing for years. The US had once looked upon Japanese ambitions with a level of sympathy, even indulgence. Hit hard by the Great Depression of the early 1930s, however, Japanese disillusion with party government grew and moderates gave way to militants. In 1931 Japan occupied Manchuria in northern China. Over the decade conflict intensified and in July 1937 war was declared. As Japanese aggression increased, its relations with the US deteriorated. Occupied Manchuria was rapidly exploited with the establishment of heavy and light industries. This was a practical necessity for Japan. Lacking in natural resources itself, the search for alternative supplies underpinned foreign and military policy throughout the decade and led to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War. On top of practical economic considerations, early military success and an inherent sense of racial superiority led Japan to believe that it deserved to dominate Asian politics. As with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, this combination bred an aggressive and neo-colonial foreign policy, the 'Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere'. Higher birth-rates and economic considerations required more land; the gene-pool justified it. Top Relations with the US A briefing of Japanese pilots before the attack © The policy increased in urgency as relations with the US sank further. Historically, Japan had relied on America to supply many natural and industrial resources. Increasingly alarmed by Japanese aggression, however, America allowed a commercial treaty dating from 1911 to lapse in January 1940. In July it followed up by embargoing scrap iron and aviation fuel. Things got worse in September when Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy. It was now a formal member of the Axis alliance fighting the European War. ... Japan knew that a full-scale invasion of South-east Asia would prompt war with America. This posed real problems. Although officially neutral, there was no doubt where American sympathies lay. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had already strained the sinews of neutrality by supplying Britain with money and arms under the 'lend-lease' agreement. The Tripartite Pact meant that supplies to Japan would indirectly be helping Italy and Germany; further embargoes followed. For Japan, embroiled in a long war with China, these were disastrous. Considering its very survival under threat, Japan intensified the search for a permanent alternative. The most obvious target was South-east Asia, rich in minerals and oil. German success in Europe in 1940 had orphaned French and Dutch colonies in the region and they became the focus of Japanese attention. While occupying French Indochina in July 1941, Japan knew that a full-scale invasion of South-east Asia would prompt war with America. It needed a mechanism to buy itself sufficient time and space to conquer successfully crucial targets like the Philippines, Burma and Malaya. The attack on Pearl Harbor was that mechanism; merely a means to an end. By destroying its Pacific Fleet, Japan expected to remove America from the Pacific equation for long enough to allow it to secure the resources it needed so desperately and hoped to crush American morale sufficiently to prompt Roosevelt to sue for peace. Top An ill-prepared America President Roosevelt declares war on Japan following the attack at Pea |
In which naval battle did Rome decisively defeat the forces of Antony and Cleopatra? | The Battle of Actium - Sep 02, 31 B.C. - HISTORY.com The Battle of Actium Publisher A+E Networks At the Battle of Actium, off the western coast of Greece, Roman leader Octavian wins a decisive victory against the forces of Roman Mark Antony and Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. Before their forces suffered final defeat, Antony and Cleopatra broke though the enemy lines and fled to Egypt, where they would commit suicide the following year. With the assassination of Roman dictator Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., Rome fell into civil war. To end the fighting, a coalition–the Second Triumvirate–was formed by three of the strongest belligerents. The triumvirate was made up of Octavian, Caesar’s great-nephew and chosen heir; Mark Antony, a powerful general; and Lepidus, a Roman statesman. The empire was divided among the three, and Antony took up the administration of the eastern provinces. Upon arriving in Asia Minor, he summoned Queen Cleopatra to answer charges that she had aided his enemies. Cleopatra, ruler of Egypt since 51 B.C., had once been Julius Caesar’s lover and had borne him a child, who she named Caesarion, meaning “little Caesar.” Cleopatra sought to seduce Antony as she had Caesar before him, and in 41 B.C. arrived at Tarsus on a magnificent river barge, dressed as Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Successful in her efforts, Antony returned with her to Alexandria, where they spent the winter in debauchery. In 40 B.C., Antony returned to Rome and married Octavian’s sister Octavia in an effort to mend his increasingly strained relationship with Octavian. The triumvirate, however, continued to deteriorate. In 37 B.C. Antony separated from Octavia and traveled to the East, arranging for Cleopatra to join him in Syria. In their time apart, Cleopatra had borne him twins, a son and a daughter. According to Octavian’s propagandists, the lovers were then married, which violated the Roman law restricting Romans from marrying foreigners. Antony’s disastrous military campaign against Parthia in 36 B.C. further reduced his prestige, but in 34 B.C. he was more successful against Armenia. To celebrate the victory, he staged a triumphal procession through the streets of Alexandria, in which Antony and Cleopatra sat on golden thrones, and their children were given imposing royal titles. Many in Rome, spurred on by Octavian, interpreted the spectacle as a sign that Antony intended to deliver the Roman Empire into alien hands. After several more years of tension and propaganda attacks, Octavian declared war against Cleopatra, and therefore Antony, in 31 B.C. Enemies of Octavian rallied to Antony’s side, but Octavian’s brilliant military commanders gained early successes against his forces. On September 2, 31 B.C., their fleets clashed at Actium in Greece. After heavy fighting, Cleopatra broke from the engagement and set course for Egypt with 60 of her ships. Antony then broke through the enemy line and followed her. The disheartened fleet that remained surrendered to Octavian. One week later, Antony’s land forces surrendered. Although they had suffered a decisive defeat, it was nearly a year before Octavian reached Alexandria and again defeated Antony. In the aftermath of the battle, Cleopatra took refuge in the mausoleum she had had built for herself. Antony, informed that Cleopatra was dead, stabbed himself with his sword. Before he died, another messenger arrived, saying Cleopatra still lived. Antony was carried to Cleopatra’s retreat, where he died after bidding her to make her peace with Octavian. When the triumphant Roman arrived, she attempted to seduce him, but he resisted her charms. Rather than fall under Octavian’s domination, Cleopatra committed suicide on August 30, 31 B.C., possibly by means of an asp, a poisonous Egyptian serpent and symbol of divine royalty. Octavian then executed Cleopatra’s son, Caesarion, annexed Egypt into the Roman Empire, and used Cleopatra’s treasure to pay off his veterans. In 27 B.C., Octavian became Augustus, the first and arguably most successful of all Roman emperors. He ruled a peaceful, prospero |
"Which new policy in 1958 was an attempt to achieve ""true communism"" in China?" | The Great Leap Forward - History Learning Site The Great Leap Forward Citation: C N Trueman "The Great Leap Forward" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 26 May 2015. 16 Aug 2016. The Great Leap Forward took place in 1958. The Great Leap Forward was Mao’s attempt to modernise China’s economy so that by 1988, China would have an economy that rivalled America. Card issued to celebrate the Great Leap Forward Mao had toured China and concluded that the Chinese people were capable of anything and the two primary tasks that he felt they should target was industry and agriculture. Mao announced a second Five Year Plan to last from 1958 to 1963. This plan was called the Great Leap Forward. The Great Leap Forward planned to develop agriculture and industry. Mao believed that both had to grow to allow the other to grow. Industry could only prosper if the work force was well fed, while the agricultural workers needed industry to produce the modern tools needed for modernisation. To allow for this, China was reformed into a series of communes. The geographical size of a commune varied but most contained about 5000 families. People in a commune gave up their ownership of tools, animals etc so that everything was owned by the commune. People now worked for the commune and not for themselves. The life of an individual was controlled by the commune. Schools and nurseries were provided by the communes so that all adults could work. Health care was provided and the elderly were moved into “houses of happiness” so that they could be looked after and also so that families could work and not have to worry about leaving their elderly relatives at home. The commune provided all that was needed – including entertainment. Soldiers worked alongside people. The population in a commune was sub-divided. Twelve families formed a work team. Twelve work terms formed a brigade. Each sub-division was given specific work to do. Party members oversaw the work of a commune to ensure that decisions followed the correct party line. By the end of 1958, 700 million people had been placed into 26,578 communes. The speed with which this was achieved was astounding. However, the government did all that it could to whip up enthusiasm for the communes. Propaganda was everywhere – including in the fields where the workers could listen to political speeches as they worked as the communes provided public address systems. Everybody involved in communes was urged not only to meet set targets but to beat them. If the communes lacked machinery, the workers used their bare hands. Major constructions were built in record time – though the quality of some was dubious. The Great Leap Forward also encouraged communes to set up “back-yard” production plants. The most famous were 600,000backyard furnaces which produced steel for the communes. When all of these furnaces were working, they added a considerable amount of steel to China’s annual total – 11 million tonnes. The figures for steel, coal, chemicals, timber, cement etc all showed huge rises though the figures started at in 1958 were low. Grain and cotton production also showed major increases in production. Mao had introduced the Great Leap Forward with the phrase “it is possible to accomplish any task whatsoever.” By the end of 1958, it seemed as if his claim was true. The consequences of the Great Leap Forward However, in 1959, things started to go wrong. Political decisions/beliefs took precedence over commonsense and communes faced the task of doing things which they were incapable of achieving. Party officials would order the impossible and commune leaders, who knew what their commune was capable of doing or not, could be charged with being a “bourgeois reactionary” if he complained. Such a charge would lead to prison. Quickly produced farm machinery produced in factories fell to pieces when used. Many thousands of workers were injured after working long hours and falling asleep at their jobs. Steel produced by the backyard furnaces was frequently too weak to be of any use and could not be used in con |
Who was appointed successor to Hitler in 1939 but expelled from the Nazi party six years later? | The Nazi Regime in Germany | Jewish Virtual Library The Nazi Regime in Germany Tweet On January 5, 1919, two months after the conclusion of World War I and six months before the signing of the Peace Treaties at Versailles, the German Labour Party was brought into existence. In September 1919, Adolf Hitler joined the political party and less than two years later the party's name was officially changed to National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter Partei (NSDAP), thus beginning the infamous history of the Nazi regime in Germany. The Origins & Aims of the Nazi Party On 5th January, 1919, not two months after the conclusion of the Armistice which ended the first World War, and six months before the signing of the Peace Treaties at Versailles, there came into being in Germany a small political party called the German Labour Party. On the 12th September, 1919, Adolf Hitler became a member of this party, and at the first public meeting held in Munich, on 24th February, 1920, he announced the party's programme . That programme, which remained unaltered until the party was dissolved in 1945, consisted of twenty-five points, of which the following five are of particular interest on account of the light they throw on the matters with which the Tribunal is concerned: " Point 1. We demand the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany, on the basis of the right of a self-determination of peoples. Point 2. We demand equality of rights for the German people in respect to the other nations; abrogation of the peace treaties of Versailles and Saint Germain. Point 3. We demand land and territory for the sustenance of our people, and the colonisation of our surplus population. Point 4. Only a member of the race can be a citizen. A member of the race can only be one who is of German blood, without consideration of creed. Consequently no Jew can be a member of the race.... Point 22. We demand abolition of the mercenary troops and formation of a national army." Of these aims, the one which seems to have been regarded as the most important, and which figured in almost every public speech, was the removal of the " disgrace " of the Armistice, and the restrictions of the peace treaties of Versailles and Saint Germain. In a typical speech at Munich on the 13th April, 1923, for example, Hitler said with regard to the Treaty of Versailles: " The treaty was made in order to bring twenty million Germans to their deaths, and to ruin the German nation.... At its foundation our movement formulated three demands. "1. Setting aside of the Peace Treaty. 2. Unification of all Germans. 3. Land and soil to feed our nation." The demand for the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany was to play a large part in the events preceding the seizure of Austria and Czechoslovakia; the abrogation of the Treaty of Versailles was to become a decisive motive in attempting to justify the policy of the German Governmen |
What was ceded to Britain in 1713 as part of the settlement of the War of Spanish Succession? | Utrecht, Peace of Encyclopedia > History > Modern Europe > Treaties and Alliances Utrecht, Peace of Utrecht, Peace of, series of treaties that concluded the War of the Spanish Succession . It put an end to French expansion and signaled the rise of the British Empire. By the treaty between England and France (Apr. 11, 1713), Louis XIV recognized the English succession as established in the house of Hanover and confirmed the renunciation of the claims to the French throne of Louis's grandson, Philip V of Spain. The French fortifications of Dunkirk were to be razed and the harbor filled up, and the Hudson Bay territory, Acadia, St. Kitts, and Newfoundland were ceded to England. By a commercial treaty England and France granted each other most-favored-nation treatment. By a treaty with the Netherlands (Apr. 11, 1713) France agreed to surrender to Austria the Spanish Netherlands still in French hands; these were to be held in trust by the Netherlands until the conclusion of a treaty between the Netherlands and the Holy Roman emperor. A commercial treaty between France and the Netherlands was also signed. France furthermore restored Savoy and Nice to Victor Amadeus II , recognizing him as king of Savoy. France also signed a treaty with Portugal and one with Prussia confirming the kingship of the Prussian rulers. The Anglo-Spanish treaty (July 13, 1713) confirmed the clauses of the Anglo-French treaties relating to the English and French successions. Spain ceded Gibraltar and Minorca to Great Britain and ceded Sicily (exchanged in 1720 for Sardinia ) to Savoy. Britain and Spain signed the Asiento, an agreement giving Britain the sole right to the slave trade with Spanish America. The Treaty of Rastatt (Mar. 7, 1714) between Louis XIV and Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI and the Treaty of Baden (Sept. 7, 1714), which completed the settlement, restored the right bank of the Rhine to the empire and confirmed Austria in possession of the formerly Spanish Netherlands, of Naples, and of Milan. The Third Barrier Treaty (Nov. 15, 1715) regulated trade relations between the Dutch and Austrian Netherlands. See J. W. Gerard, The Peace of Utrecht (1885). The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. |
Who was the queen of the British king, Charles I? | Biography of King Charles the First » Biographies » King Charles I King Charles the First, 1600-1649 King of England, Scotland and Ireland whose refusal to compromise over complex religious and political situations led to civil war, his own execution and the abolition of the Monarchy. The second son of James VI of Scotland and Anne of Denmark, Charles Stuart was born at Fife in Scotland on 19 November 1600. His father succeeded Queen Elizabeth I and came to the throne of England as King James I in 1603. Charles was created Duke of Albany at his baptism (December 1600) and Duke of York in 1605. He was placed in the care of Lord and Lady Fyvie until the age of four, then moved to England where he was brought up in the household of Sir Robert and Lady Carey. As a child, Charles suffered from weak ankle joints that slowed his physical development. Attempts were made to strengthen his physique by making him wear heavy boots reinforced with iron. Charles was also slow in learning to speak and never completely overcame a slight stammer. His education was overseen by Thomas Murray, a Scottish Presbyterian who later became Provost of Eton. Despite his physical disabilities, Charles was a serious-minded student who excelled at languages, rhetoric and theology. Vivat Rex Charles was overshadowed by his brilliant elder brother Prince Henry, to whom he was devoted, but Henry died of typhoid when Charles was eleven years old. With Henry's death, Charles became heir to the throne of the Three Kingdoms: England, Scotland and Ireland. The death of Prince Henry prompted a succession crisis. King James and Queen Anne were too old to have more children and the sickly Charles was not expected to survive to adulthood. A proposal was made that in the event of Charles' death, the succession would pass to James' daughter Princess Elizabeth and her husband the Elector Palatine Frederick V, which would mean the Wittelsbach dynasty acceding to the throne of the Three Kingdoms. However, by strength of will, Charles worked to overcome his physical weaknesses. He followed a self-imposed regimen of hard physical exercises that led to rapid improvements in his health and physique. Charles became a good horseman, excelling at tournament sports and hunting. He developed sophisticated tastes in the arts and earnestly applied himself to his religious devotions. Created Prince of Wales in 1616, Charles was instructed by King James in every aspect of ruling a kingdom. With a profound belief that kings are appointed by God to rule by divine right, Charles succeeded as the second king of the Stuart dynasty in 1625. Charles came to the throne amid pressure from English Protestants for intervention against Spain and the Catholic powers in the religious wars raging in Europe (the Thirty Years War, 1618-48). He allowed England's foreign policy to be directed by the unpopular Duke of Buckingham , who masterminded a series of disastrous military expeditions against Spain and France intended indirectly to assist the Palatinate . Charles dissolved his first two parliaments when they tried to impeach Buckingham but he was forced to call a third because he needed funds to pursue his warlike policies. In 1628, Charles' opponents formulated the Petition of Right as a defence against the King's arbitrary use of his powers. Charles grudgingly accepted the Petition in the hope that Parliament would grant him subsidies, but in practice he ignored its provisions. Personal Rule Emblem of the Stuart dynasty After the assassination of Buckingham in 1628, critics in Parliament turned their attention to Charles' religious policy. Resentful of parliamentary interference in matters which he believed were his concern alone, Charles angrily dismissed his third Parliament in 1629. Furthermore, he imprisoned several of his leading opponents, and declared his intention of ruling alone. The eleven-year period of the King's Personal Rule was also described as the "Eleven Year Tyranny". It was initially successful and during the turmoil of the civil wars, many people looked back upon it as |
Where did George Washington's army endure the winter of 1777-78? | Washington at Valley Forge [ushistory.org] Valley Forge Washington's army had spent the summer of 1777 fighting a string of losing battles. The Americans harassed the British army in skirmishes and minor battles for much of the fighting season. In the fall, the Americans showed pluck at the Battle of Brandywine in September and the Battle of Germantown in October. Yet the Americans were unable to keep the British out of Philadelphia. In December, Washington marched his tired, beaten, hungry and sick army to Valley Forge, a location about 20 miles northwest of British-occupied Philadelphia. From Valley Forge, Washington could keep an eye on General Howe's British army ensconced in Philadelphia. At Valley Forge, there were shortages of everything from food to clothing to medicine. Washington's men were sick from disease, hunger, and exposure. The Continental Army camped in crude log cabins and endured cold conditions while the Redcoats warmed themselves in colonial homes. The patriots went hungry while the British soldiers ate well. Terms of enlistment were ending for many soldiers in Washington's army. The General wondered if he would even have an army left when the spring thaw finally arrived. Washington under Siege Great events generate great legends. Did an Oneida woman named Polly Cooper, really ease the suffering of Washington and his troops at Valley Forge? Historians may never know for sure, but the legend lives on. General Washington was upset that local farmers were hoarding much-needed food waiting to earn higher profits in the spring. Some farmers even sneaked grain into Philadelphia to feed the British army, who paid in gold or silver. With each passing night came more desertions. Washington grew privately disgusted at the lack of commitment of his so-called patriot fighters. Then there was the grumbling of some in Congress and among some of Washington's own officers. Washington's leadership skills were openly questioned. Many said General Horatio Gates was better-suited to leading the army. After all, hadn't he scored a major victory in October at the battle of Saratoga.? Within the environment of cold, deprivation, and rebellion, how long could Washington and his army endure? Conditions at Valley Forge Head Quarters, Valley Forge, February 16, 1778 Dear Sir: It is with great reluctance, I trouble you on a subject, which does not fall within your province; but it is a subject that occasions me more distress, than I have felt, since the commencement of the war; and which loudly demands the most zealous exertions of every person of weight and authority, who is interested in the success of our affairs. I mean the present dreadful situation of the army for want of provisions, and the miserable prospects before us, with respect to futurity. It is more alarming than you will probably conceive, for, to form a just idea, it were necessary to be on the spot. For some days past, there has been little less, than a famine in camp. A part of the army has been a week, without any kind of flesh, and the rest for three or four days. Naked and starving as they are, we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery, that they have not been ere this excited by their sufferings, to a general mutiny or dispersion. Strong symptoms, however, discontent have appeared in particular instances; and nothing but the most acitive efforts every where can long avert so shocking a catastrophe. Our present sufferings are not all. There is no foundation laid for any adequate relief hereafter. All the magazines provided in the States of New Jersey, Pensylvania, Delaware and Maryland, and all the immediate additional supplies they seem capable of affording, wil not be sufficient to support the army more than a month longer, if so long. Very little been done to the Eastward, and as little to the Southward; and whatever we have a right to expect from those quarters, must necessarily be very remote; and is indeed more precarious, than could be wished. When the forementioned supplies are exhausted, what a terrible crisis |
Whom did Charles V confront at the Diet of Worms in 1521? | Martin Luther's Hearings Before the Diet at Worms (1521): An Account The Trial of Martin Luther: An Account (Luther's Hearings Before the Diet at Worms on Charges of Heresy) by Douglas O. Linder (2010) Historians have described it as the trial that led to the birth of the modern world. Before the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and the Diet of Worms in the spring of 1521, as Luther biographer Roland H. Bainton noted, "the past and the future were met." Martin Luther bravely defended his written attacks on orthodox Catholic beliefs and denied the power of Rome to determine what is right and wrong in matters of faith. By holding steadfast to his interpretation of Scripture, Luther provided the impetus for the Reformation, a reform movement that would divide Europe into two regions, one Protestant and one Catholic, and that would set the scene for religious wars that would continue for more than a century, not ending until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Martin Luther's long journey to Worms might be said to have begun in 1505 on a road near his home town of Erfurt in Saxony (now part of Germany), when a bolt of lightening knocked Luther to the ground . Luther took the lightening to be a call from God, and--to the disappointment of his father, who hoped he would become a lawyer--, took vows at an Augustinian monastery to begin a profoundly Christian life. Luther impressed his superiors at the Erfurt monastery. By 1507, he was an ordained priest and had offered his first mass. By 1508, he had earned a degree in Biblical studies from the University of Wittenberg and become an instructor at that Augustinian institution. Questioning the Sale of Indulgences A trip to Rome in 1510 caused Luther to begin to seriously question certain Catholic practices. The opportunity for the trip arose when Luther was selected as one of two Augustinian brothers to travel to the Eternal City to help resolve a dispute within the order that called for resolution by the pope. What Luther saw in Rome disillusioned him. As he watched incompetent, flippant, and cynical clergy performing their holy duties he began to experience doubts about the Catholic Church. He wrote after his journey that he had "gone with onions and returned with garlic." Those early doubts concerning Rome and its ways would blossom over the next several years after Luther earned the prestigious post as Doctor of the Bible at Wittenberg University and undertook a thorough review of the source book of his religion. Luther's study led him to the theology of Paul and his belief in the possibility of forgiveness through faith made possible by the crucifixion of Christ. In Paul's theology, which Luther would largely adopt as his own, there was no need to look to priests for forgiveness because, to those who believed and were contrite, forgiveness was a gift of God. Luther's understanding of Paul's theology led him to view skeptically the Catholic Church's reliance on the practice of selling indulgences as its major source of revenue. (An indulgence was a remission of temporal punishment after a confessor revealed sin, expressed contrition, and made the required contribution to the Church.) In sermons in Wittenberg beginning in 1516, Luther argued that forgiveness came from within, and that no one--whether a priest or a pope--was in position to grant forgiveness because no one can look into the soul of another. He also questioned whether the pope could, as he claimed, deliver souls of a confessor's dead loved ones from purgatory. By lashing out at the sale of indulgences, Luther was striking at the heart of the Church's array of money-raising tools and confrontation was inevitable. Matters began to come to a head the next year when Pope Leo X launched an indulgence-driven campaign to raise funds for construction of a grand basilica of St. Peter's in Rome. The practice of the time was to grant the privilege of selling indulgences to various bishops, who would retain for themselves and their purposes a portion of the raised funds. Albert of Brandenburg, granted an ind |
What was the name of the Libyan king deposed by Colonel Kaddafi in 1969? | BBC ON THIS DAY | 1 | 1969: Bloodless coup in Libya 1969: Bloodless coup in Libya King Idris of Libya has been deposed in what appears to have been a bloodless coup. A group of military officers have seized power and declared the country a republic. But the king, who is in Turkey, has dismissed the coup as "unimportant". According to reports from the capital, Tripoli, troops and tanks converged on the city in the early hours of the morning. Within two hours they had taken key positions and the royal palace, military and security headquarters were surrounded by 0500. All communications with the outside world were cut and a curfew was imposed. Britain's good relations In Libya the king's heir, Crown Prince Hassan, has announced his support for the new regime, which the military junta has renamed the Libyan Arab Republic. News of the coup came as a surprise to the British Government but officials said it would not harm Britain's good relations with Libya. Egypt and Iraq have announced recognition of the new regime. The Revolutionary Command Council which has now taken over running the country, has issued a statement declaring the aim of the revolution is "unity, freedom and socialism". However, it also gave a warning that any attempt to overthrow the revolutionaries would be "crushed ruthlessly and decisively". The coup appears to have been led by an Army officer called Colonel Saad ed-din Bushweir. But it is not clear whether he has any political backing. King Idris has conducted recent purges against Palestinians, Jordanians, Lebanese and Syrians. He has also tried to purge the country of Baathists for conspiring against the state. Britain is involved in extensive engineering projects in Libya and is also the country's biggest supplier of arms. The United States also has a large airbase in Libya. |