The History Thread!

And now for something very different from all the other posts about the Great War in this thread.

How WWI Shaped Our World.

World's largest solar boat on Greek prehistoric mission

Another historical tidbit from the First World War, one that I absolutely love: during the conflict in Africa, the Germans - as every other European army - made extensive use of native troops. Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, their brilliant commander, had great affection for his askaris and they for him. Using his small force, he ran rings around the Allied forces sent to put him down, and his were the last German forces to lay down their arms. When Hitler asked him to serve as Ambadassador to Britain he told him (quote): "Go fuck yourself." In 1964, after his death, the West German government honored his dying wish that his surviving men should be given their back pay:

Der Traeger und Askari: "Heia! Heia safari!"

According to his son, von Lettow-Vorbeck saying "Go fuck yourself" to Hitler is a myth.

He would never say anything so polite to Hitler.

Origins of Mysterious World Trade Center Ship Revealed

I wonder: had the Highland clans been called, say, 'fiefdoms' and the chiefs 'lords' in regular parlance, would the Jacobite Rebellions been as romanticised as it was in Real Life?

edited 3rd Aug '14 12:02:46 PM by SantosLHalper

Why not?

Probably. The romanticist reinterpretation of the Jacobites (and Highland culture in general) was so liberal with the facts in the first place that I can't imagine it would make a difference.

The subtext of Scott's (among others) fictionalized accounts of the Highlanders is one of the end of the old, late medieval world and the transition to the Enlightened, industrial, proto-capitalist one of the 19th century. Concepts like fiefdoms would serve that principle in much the same way as the 19th century image of the Clan system did.

edited 3rd Aug '14 3:18:38 PM by TheBatPencil

Researchers see violent era in ancient Southwest

Livetweeting of Foreign Office correspondence as it was on this day, 1914

Funny how such world shattering moments can be summed up in a single sentence.

Hey there everyone, I'm writing a sci-fi at the moment based upon norse myth and viking culture, and one of the main aspects is something I need help on. My weird question is whether shepherds existed in Viking Age Scandanavia (any of the countries will do) and, if so, what information is there on their occupation? Thank you for your time.

Shepherding of some sort or another pretty much existed all over Europe in that time frame. It is a basic profession common to many agrarian societies.

The Viking Answer Lady Has this one in a pretty ready to read answer.

edited 4th Aug '14 6:20:01 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Thank you for your help Tuefel, it's much appreciated.

NP.

Meanwhile, I'm three days off from the exact date, but we're almost 70 years to the day to one of the great events that shaped modern-day Poland: the Warsaw Uprising. What can I say about it that hasn't been said?

Instead, here. Have some Sabaton.

Poland's finest hour. The Nazis sent every one of their most advanced and terrible weapon systems - the Karl Devices, the Sturmtigers, hospital-bombing Stukas, along with Oskar Direlwanger's band of psychopaths. Despite all this, the Poles gave them a fight that Heinrich Himmler compared to Stalingrad. Ignored by Stalin, dismissed by Roosevelt, and ineffectually supported by Churchill - and treated with contempt by many in the British press, especially on the political Left, which is a stain on our flag to this day. Orwell said it best, in his As I Please of 1 September 1944.

An excellent quotation is this one, which gives a sense of how horrific the fighting was:

- Dr. Halina Jedrzejewska

Poland is not yet lost, indeed:

edited 5th Aug '14 2:24:07 PM by Achaemenid

Sabaton certainly an interesting band. I was a little unsure of them at first.

So today's the 69th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. And now for something completely different:

Computer model simulates Neolithic transition from egalitarianism to leadership and despotism

Excavation of ancient well yields insight into Etruscan, Roman and medieval times

The Etruscans will, nonetheless, remain a bit of an enigma.

Sandstorm Uncovers New Nazca Lines

So, today is apparently the day Nagasaki was bombed. Have a heavy metal song about it as we remember all that horrifying day.

The history channel actually has an interesting bit on if Caligula is mad or not. Still fairly speculative but they put some solid reasons giving method to the madness.