Archive for the ‘war history’ Category
August 6th, 2010 | 
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Growing up, my first love was a love of books. It was a love which began as an affection for fairy tales that eventually expanded into Greek and Roman myth, and after that blossomed into an obsession with ancient cultures. Whatever I could read, watch, or listen to which furthered my knowledge of various mythological archetypes, was devoured like a delicious meal, and it was rare for me to be found without my nose between the pages of some fantastical story or historical tale from the ages I found so magical. Over time my infatuation was put aside, and I focused on other hobbies, pursued different interests all in the name of becoming an adult. Occasionally, I would reward myself when in a bookstore or library, picking up something here or there to fuel the torch I had always carried for history and fable. But for the most part life intervened and kept me from devoting too much time to anything not related to schoolwork, and when I was older, an actual job.
Then, I found text-based games.
At first, my forays into MU roleplay tended towards high fantasy, where elves and dwarves were considered the norm and humans, who allegedly made up a majority of the NPC population of these strange, alternate worlds, were rarely played. There was little based in history, but there were politics and in one instance, a culture built loosely around the concept of 17th century French courts. In response to this, I began to research what life was like for courtiers during this time period, learning such things as the language of fans, their mode of dress, and the intricate social network in which they were involved. It contributed a great deal to my character’s believability, thus enriching the world for both myself and other players. Soon, I began to expand my knowledge apart from the game itself, reading about the monarchies of England in the middle ages, the life of moors in Muslim Spain, and eventually, when moving to another MU, the cultures of the ancient middle east. It was a fascinating foray for me back into my childhood, but with the technological addition of the internet to serve as a tool in this new form of intellectual excavation.
When the last game closed, I drifted for a couple of years without a place to play and found other ways to occupy my time. My newly rediscovered love of history remained with me, however, and I continued to nurture my natural appreciation of the past and its forgotten people, customs and events. Eventually, I returned to the text-based worlds that inhabited my computer and discovered Firan. With a strong Greco-Roman feel and enough fantasy to keep me on my toes, it was a place that would challenge the depth of my knowledge and encourage me to go further in my amateurish study of the age which had charmed me as a girl. I found myself drawn to television programs about Roman life, movies on the time period, and of course, any type of literature, fiction or non-fiction, which dealt with the subject. The level of roleplay I encountered on Firan was inspirational, and interacting with the other gamers made me want to be a better writer, a more knowledgeable player, and to do anything I could to bring the world to life in such a way that it was comparable to reading a carefully researched book on the topic.
There are myriad avenues which one might take on a game like Firan. One could be a merchant, a soldier, an aging noblewoman whose goal is to see her family succeed at any price, but all of them encourage a player to learn as much as they can about their role. It is an extremely creative world of writers and lovers of history, richly detailed and lovingly brought to life by the talented team of Adam and Stephanie Dray. The staff on Firan are equally amazing in their devotion to theme, taking on the many tasks which come with keeping a game of more than 100 players organized and running smoothly. In such an atmosphere one can only strive to do better, to raise the bar by bringing a real world knowledge to the table and creating a three-dimensional, tangible quality to every scene. In my own experiences, I have learned what it means to play an open-minded woman in a clan ruled by men, where everything you do or say is carefully watched and judged, and where the One True God rules over a monotheistic culture of people surrounded by polytheistic citizens of other clans. This is not unlike ancient Rome, where women were not allowed a voice in government and had to learn to work behind the scenes to achieve their goals. I have also been lucky enough to have played the exact opposite, as a young noble in a clan of egalitarian people whose women fight alongside the men as equals, and whose chosen Goddess is a ruler of the wind and dreams. It calls to mind the Spartans, a militaristic society whose males were trained from the age of seven to be soldiers, and whose women were educated along similar lines, experiencing a more liberal upbringing than most females in the Greek states. This was particularly a challenge, for I am not someone who lingers over tales of battle or the strategy of war. But in playing a character who would have grown up in such a society, I turned again to my familiar friend of research to guide me and learned more than I would have thought possible about the structure of the ancient military and how it worked. There are many other examples of this in the game. Perhaps, if your character was an armorer or jeweler, you might study the ancient techniques used in crafting at a forge. Or, if you play a priest or priestess, you could pick up a book on the religion of the Greco-Roman period to get a feel for the mysterious nature of their work or the politics of their positions. The possibilities on Firan are endless.
So, for any who aspire to an intellectual level of play not found in many internet games, I cannot recommended Firan enough. Dabblers in history, archaeology, and even the casual watcher of the Discovery channel can find something to interest them in text-based gaming. If, like me, you are still carrying the torch of a childhood dream, you can once more find your roots in the forward moving, complex world of MU*s, where one day is different from the next and anything can happen. Maybe you’ll even learn something new.
Adina, of FiranMUX, legendary.org 5000
Madeleine Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/what-i-learned-about-history-as-a-textbased-gamer-53390.html
As 2008 draws to a close, it is certain that this has been a history making year. Obviously the United States Presidential Election will go down in history. With Hilary Clinton almost becoming the first woman to front a major political party in a Presidential race (nearly winning the primary) and the election of the first African American as President and the mind boggling political primary season, nobody will forget where they were in 2008. Because so many important things happened in 2008, we thought it might be good to take a look at what was happening a hundred years ago—just after the turn of the twentieth century, less than fifty years after the Civil War and not long before the First World War began.
In 1908:
The New Year’s Ball was dropped for the first time in Times Square
The Grand Canyon was designated as a national monument
New York City tried to pass a law making it illegal for women to smoke in public (the mayor overturned it)
The Boy Scouts was founded
Harvard voted to establish the Harvard Business School
Frederick Cook reached the North Pole
The first Mother’s Day is observed
Oil is discovered in the Middle East and the rights to it are claimed by the United Kingdom
The Young Turks revolt in the Ottoman Empire which ultimately leads to the restoration of the Ottoman constitution
The Federal Bureau of Investigation gets staffed (originally was named the Office of the Chief Examiner)
General Motors is founded
The Model T is made for the first time by Henry Ford
Bulgaria declares its independence
Bosnian Crisis starts
The Church of the Nazarene is founded
William Howard Taft is elected President of the United States
It is rumored Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are killed in Bolivia and left in unmarked gravesites
England elects its first female mayor: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
The first Credit Union opens its doors
A two year old ascends the Chinese Throne
The campaign for British women’s suffrage begins
Vitmo is invented
Converse Rubber Shoe Company is founded
The Black Patch Tobacco Wars start
As you can tell 1908 was another year in which many historical events happened! The ‘08 year seems to be a centennial milestone. Consider the following events from 1808:
Slave importation is banned in the United States
Coal is burned for the first time which leads to its development as a fuel source
Napoleon I and Alexander I start the Congress of Erfurt
James Madison is elected President of the United States
Beethoven performs is Fourth Piano Concerto and Fifth and Sixth Symphonies for the first time
Russia declares war on Finland and makes it part of Russia
Because 2008 is starting its closing draw, we thought it would be interesting to see just how far the world has come in a couple of centuries!
For more information on U.S. History, visit http://www.usamicroblog.net and http://www.historymicroblog.com.
John Parks
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/looking-back-through-history-684417.html
The bra’s purpose is twofold: part function; part fantasy. When Valentine’s Day rolls around each year, husbands and boyfriends scramble to find the perfect gift, a bra that works and is comfortable, but also one that is sexy and stylish. This year, in addition to picking out that perfect gift, guys can now recite a little Valentine’s history. It’s the ideal way to give your sweetheart more than she expected. So without further ado, a brief, romantic synopsis of Valentine’s past.
The many statues of Claudius II, emperor of Rome in 268-270 A.D., depict a stern face with corrosive features. His jaw-line has the natural strength of a sycamore tree, his brow arid and sweeping like the longest deserts, and his solving eyes, pupil-less, gaze outward, seeing everything and nothing with benign solidarity. When he died, he was confident of posterity’s reverence.
Valentine was a priest and humble servant of God. His demeanor gentle, his voice wispy and clean, it seemingly snatched the clouds of Heaven. He was handsome and performed weddings with a hand-full of serenity that united the lovers of his time. No statues mark his posterity, but his presence in modern life survives as each year the vibrant merchants of romance tug at his sleeve, hungry for a bit of heat.
The years of Claudius’ rule were tumultuous. The Roman Empire was at war with the Goths, and they needed as many soldiers they could gather. Valentine was also busy, for he was the ceremonial chief of matrimony; his days pulsed with the blushful cheer of love, and war or no war, most Roman men preferred a wife to a sword. When Claudius recognized his army’s depletion, he outlawed marriage, insisting a Roman’s duty was first to the Empire.
On the sly and with much efficiency, Valentine continued to perform marriages. Treason in Claudius’s eyes, Valentine was arrested. There was a trial, and by it’s end, Valentine was sentenced to death. While in jail, Valentine fell in love with the jailor’s daughter, a young woman whose respect for Valentine infatuated into an incarcerated courtship. The night before his death, Valentine composed a letter to his new flame, proclaiming his fire would burn throughout eternity. When he signed, he wrote, “From Your Valentine.”
A year later Claudius was dead. The Roman Empire had prevailed in the war against the Goths. Marriage was once again legal, and once again, people brought their hearts to the altar. Memory is served in history and in Rome with exacting statues of people who fought wars, people who led, people who died. In the end, the Empire fell but the statues survived. Valentine, on the other hand, was a dark commodity, a man appreciated by a portion of the population that wasn’t large enough to validate a statue. Instead he lives on in myth, through love and glory, and once a year, a greeting card and flowers from your honey.
This Valentine’s show your sweetheart that you know what she likes (the perfect bra) and that you know some history (see above). It’s a unique twist on a unique holiday.
michaelrussell
http://www.articlesbase.com/shopping-articles/the-history-of-valentines-past-and-a-new-bra-for-her-729845.html
An abridged history of American-centric warfare, from WWII to present day, told through the foods of the countries in conflict.
For a breakdown of the actual battles portrayed in the film, visit:
http://www.touristpictures.com/foodfight/index.htm
For the official cheat sheet (breakdown of the foodstuffs), visit:
http://www.touristpictures.com/foodfight/cheat.htm
Now, to answer some FAQs…
- The food in this film was consumed either by myself or my dog after shooting. None of the cast went to waste.
- The software used was photoshop and after effects.
- The film took me 3 months to do.
- Although it seems like stop motion, most of it was stop motion created within After effects, using keyframe animation. I am basically moving the food around within the the program, frame by frame, which is the same as traditional stop motion, only it’s digital.
Duration : 0:5:30
THE ANCIENT SPARTANS
Ancient Sparta is a name that everybody knows and recognises. The bravery of Leonidas and the 300 are the heroic basis of myriad Hollywood blockbusters. The betrayal of Menelaos, by beautiful Helen of Troy, is enshrined in glorious Homeric myth and legend. Documentaries and books portray the brutal military regime, and the abhorrent practice of exposing weak infants in the harsh Taygetos Mountains.
As any local in the modern town will tell you, the reality of Spartan society was very different from the modern perceptions. The society of the Ancient Spartans was surprisingly sophisticated, their culture as rich as any other city in Ancient Greece.
BEGINNINGS
Surprisingly to some, the history of the Ancient Spartans does not begin with the Homeric Trojan War. The realm of Menelaos and Helen existed nearly a century before the dawn of historical Ancient Sparta. This was an older civilisation, semi-mythical even to the Dorian Spartans of Leonidas. Some authorities believe that the kingdom of Menelaos, known as Lakedaimon, was based at nearby Ancient Pellanas, not Sparta.
Excavations there are ongoing, but are yet to find concrete evidence of any palace. The historical Sparta of Leonidas begins with the Dorian Greek invasion. Tribes migrating from north-eastern Greece displaced the ‘long-haired’ Achaean Greeks of Homeric legend.
The rise of Ancient Sparta began in about 750 BC, when the emerging Spartan state systematically subdued the populations of the surrounding areas. The nearby village of Amyclae was incorporated into the original four settlements and Messinia was invaded, the population subjugated as helots. These were not quite slaves, but had few rights and were forced to farm the land, giving half of the produce to Sparta.
The lands of Messinia were parcelled out to Spartan warrior-citizens, known as Spartiates. During this period, the Spartan constitution was formulated, and the state elected two kings, ruling alongside a council of elders and demos of male citizens. Helots and inhabitants of outlying areas, the Perioikoi, were denied a vote. This is very similar to the ‘democracy’ of Athens, where only the richest males had the right to vote.
THE RISE OF ANCIENT SPARTA
Between 680 and 660 BC, the Spartan army adopted the hoplite method of fighting, which would become the mainstay of their tactics for many centuries. In 669, the army suffered a reverse against the neighbouring Argives, and had to put down a Messinian revolt in the 650’s. Despite this, the reform continued and the revolt was crushed, within ten years. Finally, Messinia was completely conquered and Sparta began to look further afield.
The famous laws of Lycurgus were crafted to stabilise the society and were impressed into the psyche of all Spartans. Military training became compulsory for all citizen males; from the age of seven, their lives were dictated by unbreakable rules. The Messinian Helots provided food, and the Perekoi became the craftsmen and merchants, allowing Ancient Sparta to establish a professional army. The constant training and hardening, by beatings, austere conditions and rigid selection, led to a highly trained and elite fighting force, devoted entirely to the law.
The whole system discouraged the gathering of wealth into a few hands, avoiding material imbalances that could lead to tyranny, coups or revolts. The use of professional troops, against the part-time hoplites of other Greek states, was the major factor in the growing Spartan dominance. By the middle of the 6th century, Ancient Sparta had conquered its near neighbours and was the dominant power in the Peloponnesian league, a major player in Greek politics.
THE PERSIAN EXPANSION
Throughout the sixth century BC, the Persian Empire gradually developed. Starting as a loose confederation of tribes in modern day Iran, it grew and dominated the Middle and Near East. The great cities of Babylon, Memphis and Susa, fell to the well equipped and well drilled army of Cyrus the Great. By 512 the new king, Darius, overran the Greek cities in Asia Minor and began to influence their politics.
After a failed revolt by these cities, in 494, King Xerxes of Persia decided to punish the Greeks, especially the Athenians, key supporters of this Ionian revolt. Xerxes invaded, but the resulting Battle of Marathon saw defeat at the hands of the Athenians and their allies. Ancient Sparta declined to send an army until their religious ceremonies were over, by which time the battle was won.
480 BC saw the pinnacle of Spartan history, the Battle of Thermopylae, a name that has echoed down through history. Despite the subsequent overestimation of Persian numbers and the underestimation of Greek numbers, it was still an act of steadfast bravery. Thermopylae was an awesome display of Spartan prowess, courage and strength.
The Persian king, Xerxes, timed his invasion to coincide with religious festivals, preventing many of the Greek city states from sending armies. Despite this, many states sent small contingents, including the famous 300 Spartans under Leonidas, the overall General. The Greek forces probably numbered about 7000, and the Persian force up to 250 000 men, a vast difference in strength.
After four days of waiting for the Greeks to accept terms and disperse, Xerxes sent in his first wave of troops, demanding annihilation of the Greeks. Here his plan faltered; the terrain funnelled his army onto a narrow front and neutralised the effect of numbers. The superior training and morale of the Ancient Spartan phalanxes held the ‘Hot Gates’, and the initial assault was cut to pieces. The next day saw an assault by the elite 10 000 immortals, but they were also forced back, in shame.
The course of the battle now swung against the Greek forces. The infamous traitor, Ephialtes, led a force of 40 000 Persians along a goat path, bringing them around the rear of the Greeks. The guarding force of 1000 Phocians fled, and the encirclement of the advance force was almost complete. Hearing of this, Leonidas dismissed the Greek allies, leaving only the 300 Spartans, 900 Messinian Helots and 700 Thespian volunteers. They made a last stand on a hill behind the pass, dying to a man and inspiring generals for centuries.
One year later, at Platea, 10 000 Ancient Spartan warriors, part of a force of about 45 000 hoplites, and an uncertain number of light troops, defeated a huge Persian force. This, along with the victory of the Athenian navy in the battle of Salamis, crushed Persian hopes forever. They never again invaded Greece and their focus shifted to using their wealth and prestige to influence Greek politics.
THE PELOPONNESIAN WARS
The end of the fifth century BC saw the uneasy alliance between Athens and Ancient Sparta, the two major powers in Greece, break down. At first, there was no outright declaration of war, but the two city states began playing the political game, wrangling and manipulating their allies. Athens exerted pressure on the city of Corinth and its colonies in Sicily, establishing its own outposts on that island. Corinth, alarmed by this, turned to Sparta for help, and threatened to leave the Peloponnesian League.
The Athenians also intrigued against another city, Megara, neighbour of Corinth, by restricting their rights to trade in Athens. Pressure built and war broke out, becoming a battle of attrition. Despite the superior initial strength of the Spartan armies, the strong defensive walls and powerful navy of Athens forced a stalemate.
By 421 BC both cities were feeling the strain upon their treasuries and armies. An uneasy truce was called, lasting until 415, when the Athenians suffered a major defeat whilst attempting to conquer Sicily. Despite this, Ancient Sparta failed to take advantage of this reversal and again offered peace. This was gratefully accepted and lasted until 404 BC. For a while, Sparta was the dominant force in the Eastern Mediterranean, but never fully exploited its position.
Persian gold equipped a new Spartan fleet, which crushed the Athenian navy in the Hellespont. Athens had no option but to surrender, and the Spartan terms were harsh. Athens had to tear down its walls and disband its fleet.
Please visit www.eccentric-englishman.com>www.eccentric-englishman.com for more history of Lakonia.
Martyn Shuttleworth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcnocpue23I
Click here to watch Sony Santa Monica: All Your History Ep. 1!
Sony Santa Monica: All Your History Ep. 2 (Makers of the God of War Franchise) S02E12
In a time long passed from now, there were only the myths. Then came Kratos, the God of War, to change all that. Watch and see how Sony’s new studio in Santa Monica went from making a small-time racing game to one of the most influential franchises of the past decade.
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TAGS: yt:quality=high God of War III GoW War 3 SCEA SCEE UPC 711719811121 MPN B000ZK9QCS Blades of Athena Cestus The Golden Fleece Kratos Icarus’ wings Sony Santa Monica All Your History Are Belong to Us AYH AllYourHistory Game Developement Backstory ps3 god naruto death martin psp review sony playstation “Cyclops Battle” “Path Of Eos” “The Forge” “Hallway Combat” “Cestus Combat” “Pit Of Tartarus” Greece gauntlet titan Greek
Duration : 0:6:3
Posted in war history | 
Tags: 711719811121, All, Are, Athena, AYH, B000ZK9QCS, Backstory, Belong, Blades, Cestus, Cestus Combat, Cyclops Battle, Death, Developement, Fleece, Game, gauntlet, God, Golden, GoW, Greece, GreekAllYourHistory, Hallway Combat, History, Icarus', III, Kratos, martin, Monica, MPN, naruto, of, Path Of Eos, Pit Of Tartarus, Playstation, ps3, psp, review, Santa, SCEA, SCEE, Sony, The, The Forge, titan, to, UPC, Us, War, wings, Your, yt:quality=high | 
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A place of history preserved through time, Fort Siloso brings forth memories of a bygone British era in Singapore when the landmark was used to protect the country against conflicts. Built in 1880 on the western top of Sentosa Island, the fort is the only preserved mark of British fortification that was last used in World War II, which is present today.
Covering ten acres of the western tip of Sentosa, Fort Siloso holds many gun batteries and remains of what the battle camp used to be. During the war, the British Royal Artillery and the Singapore Artillery Corps operated Fort Siloso. With the invasion of the Japanese in the 1940s, the fort succumbed to its power and was transformed as a prisoners of war camp. Subsequent to the surrender of the Japanese, the British regained power and returned to The Fort in 1945. However, following the departure of the British in 1967 the Fort was turned into a religious retreat for the British residents of the Sentosa under the eyes of the Singapore Armed Forces. Presently, the Fort is a magnificent memoir of the colonial times of Singapore.
Fort Siloso, now a war museum holds indoor and outdoor exhibitions, to embark on a journey through history. With re-enactments and life-sized replicas, this coastal fort displays many World War II memorabilia. The Fort, which offers tours, allows visitors to browse through the age-old photographs and documents and view the film clips on display. After the indoor tours are over, head outside to view the 17th century cannons and guns or even discover the many underground tunnels, which are open to the public. Apart from the standard tours, Fort Siloso also offers Free Guided Tours on Saturday and Sunday at 11 AM and 4 PM.
A newly added historical feature at Fort Siloso, take time to view the various war-related docudramas as well as the new displays and routes on offer. The QuarterMasters Store holds treasures and trinkets of collectibles and souvenirs as well as books and much more to ensure that when you leave, a bit of history leaves with you.
Visiting the historical Fort Siloso is a necessity while taking up accommodation at a Sentosa Island resort. An ideal choice for accommodation is The Sentosa, a luxury resort in Singapore that offers lavish accommodation with quality services and warm accommodation coupled with great comfort and utmost lavishness.
Naveen Marasinghe
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-tips-articles/battling-history-at-fort-siloso-695992.html
War in Ancient History Kurdish Median Empire vs.Lydian Greek Empire
Duration : 0:6:11
One subject in school that requires quite a bit of learning is History. It has been said to be one of the hardest subjects in school. The reason being that history has so many dates and events that it can be very overwhelming at times. So it can be understandable that your child will need to have help in this subject. But the tutor does not have to be someone you hired, it can be you. All history is, is learning the dates and the events that go with the dates. Unlike Math there is no figuring out anything and in English, there is no proper usage of anything. It is strictly remembering dates and events.
There is a great way to help tutor your child. Find out what section they are on, if they are studying World War II then read the section in the book that they are studying and then make flash cards. Write the date on one side and the event on the other. This way you can test your child both ways, they can learn the dates first and then the events or you can call out an event and they can give you the date.
It really can be fun learning about history. Every year something new happens and if you took a look at your textbook when you were a student and your ’s, there are probably hundreds of extra pages. That is a blessing and a curse, a blessing that your child can see everything that has happened in old history and in current history but it just means more to learn for your child.
You can make fun games out of tutoring your child. You can play the memory game . You can have your child match the dates with the events. Sometimes your child just needs someone to quiz them, learning the material yourself is great and they should learn to do that but maybe once a week you can sit with them and see where they are having any trouble and then helping them out.
You can call the teacher and see where your child is having the trouble and see if you can offer your child a more specific spot to tutor them. They may have the facts straight but cannot remember dates on the Civil War, this way you don’t have to confuse them by teaching them the stuff they already have confidence in knowing. Try to sick with the problem areas.
Don’t go behind your child’s back and ask the teacher how they are doing unless your child needs help. Have a look at their homework and tests and seeing they are in need of help. Remember, you already went to school so they need to learn the material not you. You can only help so much but your child needs to learn the material, they are the ones that are taking the test.
Tristan Andrews
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/the-past-is-history-tutors-295232.html
US involvement in Afghanistan has now made this the longest war in US history. Cenk and Michael Shure comment from Media Row at the America’s Future Now! conference in Washington DC.
Duration : 0:3:5
Posted in war history |
Tags: 911, Administration, afghanistan, al, America, america's, bin, bush, captured, cenk, civilians, complex, conference, dead, democracy, escalation, freedom, future, industrial, Iraq, laden, lives, lose, michael, military, news, now, obama, osama, pakistan, politics, president, qaeda, shure, States, success, taliban, terror, terrorism, terrorist, troops, turks, tyt, United, Us, uygur, War, win, young |
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