My favorite period has always kind of been the Dark Ages following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, into the Viking Age and then the early Middle Ages...so I voted "Other Middle Ages."
I've got to say Ancient Greece, all those gods. I guess my opinion has been jaded by all the books about ancient greece, but still, it was and still is the base of democracy.
I can't believe so many people voted for WWII. I'm personally sick of the time period. I understand it wasn't THAT far off, but I can barely go a day without hearing something about it.
It's not good to progress into the future while forgetting the past, but people shouldn't get stuck in the past either, which I think is often the case with WWII.
I voted WW2 although its more like the entire 20th century.
It seems wrong to write that I love war but its always been a fascinating subject especially WW2 since it was the most epic and endearing period of mankind imo; not to mention the amount of quality books and films on this particular subject blows any other war out of the water. Then again I am a military brat that got injured in the Marines.
Industrial Revolution, because it was when America was just coming into it's own production-wise. And a majority of the country was still being explored.
Strangely enough I must say as an American I find American history quite boring. If I were to pick any period piece of literature from American history, I'd say it would be Cooper's Last of the Mohicans.
Interesting change in subject, could this mean a little more interest in historical on the site? or perhaps could someone pm a couple links to good historical wargaming forumns?
I voted WW1, before people got weak. More people died in an hour in WW1 than have died in the entire iraq/afghanistan war, and there wasn't nearly as much whining about it.
I believe tactics, mechanization, and technology have lowered war's mortality. I believe the total death toll during WW1 and WW2 exceeded 75 million this of course includes Hitler's holocaust and Stalin's genocide. Also, the simple flow of communication and the "instant on" availabilty of news has made the whining more apparent.
Redbeard wrote:I voted WW1, before people got weak. More people died in an hour in WW1 than have died in the entire iraq/afghanistan war, and there wasn't nearly as much whining about it.
Redbeard, it is highly likely that some people reading this post have served or have family members serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. It is not improbable that some of these people have been wounded or killed.
Using the word "whining" in releation to this is in very poor taste at best, and extremely offensive at worst. May I request that you rephrase?
I have friends and family who have served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan too. My brother was stationed in Iraq between 2002-4 My post is not about an individual's reaction to someone they know being killed. It is about the media's reaction to it.
The media has blown things all out of proportion. You know, you invade someone else's country, and some of your soldiers are going to die. This is part of an invasion. We have lost less troops in Iraq/Afghanistan than in Vietnam, than in Korea, than in WW2, or WW1, or pretty much any armed conflict the US has been involved in since the Spanish-American war.
Taken as a whole, the coalition's casualty rates have been negligible. That's not to say that someone who lost their father/brother/son/wife/etc. does not or should not grieve for them.
But I'm sorry, the way the media portrays combat losses that are so significantly lower than in any other conflict we've been in can only be described as whining. It's as if they expected US troops to roll in completely unopposed and execute a bloodless war. That doesn't happen, it's an unrealistic expectation, and rather than piss and moan about losing a solider per week to roadside bombs, they should be noting how advances in military technology have kept the vast majority of service people overseas free from harm.
If you would like to suggest alternate words for the way the media has reacted to our less-than-expected combat losses, I'll be happy to revise my post.
Sarpedon_702 wrote:Strangely enough I must say as an American I find American history quite boring. If I were to pick any period piece of literature from American history, I'd say it would be Cooper's Last of the Mohicans.
Strangely enough indeed! As a Patriot, I find that you wrote that in a forum disturbing.
American History boring? American history is incredibly interesting on many levels:
Sociologically
- Civil rights and Due Process derive from Roman Law and the Magna Carta eventually culminating in the most just impartial system of representative government on the planet.
Diplomatically
- George Washington has the opportunity to run the entire country after winning the revolutionary war, including his own personal investment in the government, and he steps down from potentially absolute power because of his ideals!
- The United States has fostered democracy and represented governments around the world ever since!
Militarily
- American military sacrifices and intervention have resulted in the liberation of many countries around the world including France, Holland, Belgium, The Philippines, Kuwait, Italy, Serbia, Israel, China, Panama, Korea, and Iraq.
- The American civil war saw the development of all the tactics and weapons that would dominate the coming war in Europe, repeating pistols, repeating rifles, machine guns, howitzers and explosive artillery shells, the decline of cavalry, submarines and UDT, the minie ball, aerial reconnaissance, standardized parts and mass production.
- American manufacturing power and innovation swings the tides of WW1 and 2
- Americans Pioneer Air Cavalry, Strategic Air Command, Ballistic Missiles, Aircraft Carriers...
Dramatically
- American patriots defeat the most powerful and capable military in the world and go on to found a country that then supplants it
- Americans invent Hollywood, Rock and Roll, Baseball, Hamburgers...
Technologically
- American military communication technology gives rise to the internet.
- American innovations include the assembly line, the automobile, GPS, the internet, satellite communications,...
I voted Tokugawa Shogunate, but actually that was pretty damn boring. Meiji Restoration after it was a very interesting period, but even more interesting was Sengoku Jidai just prior to it.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Strange that no-one yet has voted Ottoman Empire.
warpcrafter wrote:Atlantean. Flying elephants shooting nuclear missiles cannot be beat.
Totally. The High Priests of Poseidon unleash their armies to bring Athens to its knees and then their kingdom sinks into the ocean...with flying elephants cracking off missiles converting the enemy into radioactive vapour.
However, World War II rules all history openly known to mankind. The equipment, the uniforms, the theatres,...rule.
Redbeard wrote:But I'm sorry, the way the media portrays combat losses that are so significantly lower than in any other conflict we've been in can only be described as whining. It's as if they expected US troops to roll in completely unopposed and execute a bloodless war.
Where did the media and the public get such silly ideas?
"I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that." Donald Rumsfeld.
"My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators." Vice President Dick Cheney
"Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties." President GW Bush
Meanwhile, I voted for WWII. I would have picked the French Indian Wars, but the tanks weren't as cool back then.
Redbeard wrote:But I'm sorry, the way the media portrays combat losses that are so significantly lower than in any other conflict we've been in can only be described as whining. It's as if they expected US troops to roll in completely unopposed and execute a bloodless war.
Where did the media and the public get such silly ideas?
"I can't tell you if the use of force in Iraq today will last five days, five weeks or five months, but it won't last any longer than that." Donald Rumsfeld.
"My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators." Vice President Dick Cheney
"Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties." President GW Bush
Meanwhile, I voted for WWII. I would have picked the French Indian Wars, but the tanks weren't as cool back then.
I see someone got to this first. Thank you. And as far as my distaste for American history...I find it boring when compared to the rest of the world's histories. Public school indeed! Our main focus was American History and I excelled in that class. I also excelled in my civics classes in college. In America we tend to place ourselves on a podium and gloss over the rest. I am no patriot but a simple humanist that has no faith in a God and as this world turns sometimes laxes in his faith of humanity.
American history is recent and has been here for nigh three centuries. Now a histroy spanning a millenia or two holds far more interest for me partially because I ahve no place in it. Things alien hold an interest, but I digress, as I may be deemed a heretic or at least a radical. For the Emperor and such!
Sarpedon_702 wrote:
In America we tend to place ourselves on a podium and gloss over the rest. I am no patriot but a simple humanist that has no faith in a God and as this world turns sometimes laxes in his faith of humanity.
Now a histroy spanning a millenia or two holds far more interest for me partially because I ahve no place in it. Things alien hold an interest, but I digress, as I may be deemed a heretic or at least a radical.
I couldn't agree more to both statements (the first from a foreign perspective), Americans are the most arrogant humans to walk the Earth when comparing yourself to the rest of the world you are the only ones on the podium. The second statement is true anything alien should be and is fascinating.
@Augusts
Sociologically
-Only because the English one is as it was occupied by Romans, and it is not the most impartial system as your whole country is who owes who what favour and how big that favour was.
Diplomatically
Because George Washington didn't know when to follow greed, that was one of the times he should have.
Militarily
*sigh typical arrogant American there was also England, Australia, Canada and New Zealand that did all of the heavy lifting in Belgium and France
The Barmy Army developed radar the single most decisive aerial weapon of war (see battle of britain)
In WWII look up Kokoda and see the Australians hold off the Brunt of the Japanese Assault, you think your soldiers are tough?
Dramatically
Inventing Hollywood is nothing to be proud of mate.
Technologically
Again the Barmy Army invented Radar, AUSTRALIA has the first H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine which has approx. 2million doses ready and another 21million on the way, Australia also has Google the only Computing Company that destroys Microsoft online. America also invented Bugged versions of windows, Linux and Macs which are UBER ****.
I would say my favorite is the Habsburg-Ottoman Wars. To be honest, I'm interested in the area from 1204 to the end of the WW1. (fall of Constantinople during the 4th crusade, to the end of the Ottoman Empire)
My second favorite would be Poland-Lithuania. Poland is the but of many joke these days, but it fought (and won) some of the most important battles in European history. It was also one of the largest countries ever in Europe (after merger with Lithuania, but before the partitions.)
Krellnus wrote:Americans are the most arrogant humans to walk the Earth
Long post where I desperately try and discredit another country's accomplishments and make my own country seem better, while insulting someone who was never trying to belittle anyone else.
Krellnus wrote:Americans are the most arrogant humans to walk the Earth
Long post where I desperately try and discredit another country's accomplishments and make my own country seem better, while insulting someone who was never trying to belittle anyone else.
I'd hate to burst your bubble Orkeosaurus, but the single trait that I think of, when asked about Americans, is arrogance. It's not just me either, a lot of people think the Americans are the most arrogant nation in the world.
Oh, and the most interesting piece of history for me is Ancient Rome.
It has nothing to do with bursting my bubble. Krellus' post was damn stupid, and went on from insulting Americans in general to specifically insulting Augustus for his post.
If you're going to call 300 million people arrogant with regards to their country's greatness, you sure as hell shouldn't do it while trying to discredit the legitimate accomplishments of others so that those of your country seem more impressive.
Krellnus your post was simply wrong, might want to re-check google's stanford university origins again for starters. This thread is not the place for a country vs country argument, it is for commenting on why a period of history is your favourite so lets all move on and not discuss that post again. Any more posts on country vs country will simply be deleted.
My fascination has always been with the Khans and the Mongol Empire, it amazes me how a bunch of goat herding nomads ended up kicking everybody's butt from one end of the old world to the other. The mightest civilisations brought low by some stocky blokes on ponies. That one instance where, in the crusades, a muslim army was being besieged by a christian one, the mongols showed up and both sides were so bloody terrified that the muslims let the christians in and allied with them to try and defend against the eastern devils and the mongols still ate them for breakfast.
I have a love for samurai aesthetics and high medieval, the renaissance politics of the city states and the wars between Spain and Englund during the reign of the first Elizabeth, but the Mongols are just awe inspiring to me.
Mine would be any time from the fall of Rome to the end of the Renaissance, but esp the Viking Age. I don't know why, but I've always been interested by that time period.
I'd always been a fan of chinese history and to a lesser extent Japanese history. However Dynasty Warriors 2 opened up an era I hadn't noticed before several years back, and now I'm heavily into the stories of that time.
Industrial revolution, stovepipe hats are awesome and also we had an empire ^_^ Also I do quite like steam trains, it's the pistons or something and also I really like steampunk!
Redbeard wrote:I have friends and family who have served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan too. My brother was stationed in Iraq between 2002-4 My post is not about an individual's reaction to someone they know being killed. It is about the media's reaction to it.
Your initial post did not mention "the media" at all. I read it as applying to public sentiment as a whole, which would include the families of people WIA & KIA. At least one such person made a User Complaint. You might want to be a little more careful with your phrasing.
I know dubya-dubya two: electric boogaloo was America's final hurrah and all, but I can't really cling to it anymore, it's just been done to death. So I got off of the dead horse and looked right ahead. Man, the 50's through the 90's are super cool. Especially how our government was total douchebags (I know they still are, but they seemed to lie/keep things quiet more) and the counter culture was pretty awesome-sauce. It seems all so much more important than what is going on now, but I think that's just me being disenfranchised by the media... or something else just as pretentious.
I put Industrial Revolution, but tnow that I think about it I'd really like to live in North America, pre- white man. That or the wild west. Yeah, living on the Ponderosa would be sweet.
Redbeard wrote:I have friends and family who have served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan too. My brother was stationed in Iraq between 2002-4 My post is not about an individual's reaction to someone they know being killed. It is about the media's reaction to it.
Your initial post did not mention "the media" at all. I read it as applying to public sentiment as a whole, which would include the families of people WIA & KIA. At least one such person made a User Complaint. You might want to be a little more careful with your phrasing.
I think we just need to say his second post was his first post and carry on from there.
And for the record: my favorite historical period is whatever catches my fancy at the time. I
haven't settled on any one just yet.
I'm sad theres no Dark Ages function the period between the 4th to the 11th centuries is for me an utterly fascinating poorly understood period. Also I just like King Arthur and all!
My favourite period has to be that of Ancient Rome, fantastic battles (anyone remember Carthage, nope, oh yeh thats becuase it got burnt to a cinder), politics and as someone previously commented amusing Emperors. Also the way the Generals fought in there campaigns and that tactics and strategies used are awe inspiring.
Close 2nd has to the Cold War era, all the backhanded politics, spying etc etc makes for a very interesting read, and there were a good couple of wars in the period too (always a bonus) ie Vietnam and the Yom Kippur War.
Good topic to pick on, its really interesting stuff to see who's into what period.
The cold war. Basicly all modern wepons, spies, armed conflict everywhere, the world is recovering from WWII, Germany spilts and regroups, north kora goes evil, china goes crazy, the USSR is in full power, communisum, Iron kurtain, I could go on and on about it. And all thouse things and more happened in the spawn of 40 years (1950-1990ish)
id have to say greece, my younger life was filled with its mythologies and im now interested in how much they gave the world through their philosophies and inventions.
I would like to put in a vote against the cold war, since I grew up then. There's nothing like having a nuclear holocaust in the back of your mind all the time to make questions like "Well little boy, what are you going to be when you grow up?" seem pretty pointless.
warpcrafter wrote:I would like to put in a vote against the cold war, since I grew up then. There's nothing like having a nuclear holocaust in the back of your mind all the time to make questions like "Well little boy, what are you going to be when you grow up?" seem pretty pointless.
Sorry. I thought it was a very interesting period, but I hadnt thought of what it would have been like to live through that. My apalogies.
However, The periods I like to read about, or game in or watch or whatever are all different. Now that I think about it, that seems kind of weird. I wish I had one period that monopolized my interests, it feels like i am missing out.
warpcrafter wrote:I would like to put in a vote against the cold war, since I grew up then. There's nothing like having a nuclear holocaust in the back of your mind all the time to make questions like "Well little boy, what are you going to be when you grow up?" seem pretty pointless.
"Hello little Timmy," said Auntie Matila, "My my, 5 years old already? Aren't you a lovely little boy! And what do you want to be if you grow up?"
Eldanar wrote:My favorite period has always kind of been the Dark Ages following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, into the Viking Age and then the early Middle Ages...so I voted "Other Middle Ages."
Yah, same here.
I love the Dark Ages. The High Middle Ages are ok, but not nearly as awesome as the time before it.
I chose Industrial Revolution as it was the closest thing to the Victorian era I could see on there. Something about romanticised Dickensian imagery makes me feel all warm inside.
i admit ww2 is over used
but my dad is a bit of a nut for it
so ive grown up around it
and some of the weaponry is more like artistry than a death bringer...
like the kalashnikov ppsh...beautiful
WW1 for me. Anyone who thinks its waves of men running at machine guns needs a history lesson.
Also just as an aside and not to be rude, the PPSh41 was not made by Kalishnikov, the PPSh was designed by a man named Geogri Shpagin, it stands for Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina, Machine-Pistol, Shpagin
As Brits, we hear a lot of 'We saved your asses' -type nonsense from, ahem, certain countries. Despite this, Britain acted with true heroism after the fall of France, when our country (and Commonwealth) stood alone against the Nazi war machine. The fact of the matter is that Operation Sealion ( hitler's british invasion plan) was an unmitigated disaster due to the almost total destruction of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. We saved our own asses on that particular occasion.
Never has so much been owed by so many, to so few.
Despite this, the general history of The British Empire is my favourite period.
Hey Albatross,
I hear you. Yes you hear a lot of us Yanks say that. In my opinion we were all in it together. The German Army was the best trained and most experienced army in the world at the time. At the beginning of WWII I read that the US military was ranked 32nd in the world. What you Brits did in the Battle for Britain was incredible. Yeah you did save your own asses...don't hold that against the majority of us. I work with British Army and Navy LNOs at my current location. Our nickname for the military ageement we have is five eyes. The US, UK, Canada, Australia, and NZ. We even call it the commonwealth. I call ot one big team!!!
Dave
Albatross wrote:I voted WWII as it was Britain's 'finest hour'.
As Brits, we hear a lot of 'We saved your asses' -type nonsense from, ahem, certain countries. Despite this, Britain acted with true heroism after the fall of France, when our country (and Commonwealth) stood alone against the Nazi war machine. The fact of the matter is that Operation Sealion ( hitler's british invasion plan) was an unmitigated disaster due to the almost total destruction of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. We saved our own asses on that particular occasion.
Never has so much been owed by so many, to so few.
Despite this, the general history of The British Empire is my favourite period.
Albatross wrote:I voted WWII as it was Britain's 'finest hour'.
As Brits, we hear a lot of 'We saved your asses' -type nonsense from, ahem, certain countries. Despite this, Britain acted with true heroism after the fall of France, when our country (and Commonwealth) stood alone against the Nazi war machine. The fact of the matter is that Operation Sealion ( hitler's british invasion plan) was an unmitigated disaster due to the almost total destruction of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. We saved our own asses on that particular occasion.
Never has so much been owed by so many, to so few.
Despite this, the general history of The British Empire is my favourite period.
well said
I second that opinion!
My favourite era is the Roman Empire because i find it fascinating that an empire that covered most of the ancient world can endure that long with no electric, cars, or any modern tecnology and leave a large impact on modern life.
@Petty Officer D - well said mate, I couldn't agree more. By the same token I would never dream of diminishing the contribution of the USA in WWII, or the sacrifice made by thousands of young americans. The entrance of the US into the war was a decisive moment, of that there can be no doubt. But yeah, we're all in it together - the fact of the matter is: the military alliance of the USA and UK (and Commonwealth)has been and remains the most succesful of all time.
Hey Albatross,
Thanks!!! I didn't take it that way.
Now all we have to do is get MLS to be able to compete with the EPL and well have a real nice alliance!!!
Dave
I like the dark ages - the end of an empire, beset on all sides by massed invaders, who are warring with each other as well, and betrayal and rebellion from within... hmm.. actually that reminds me of ...
I think every country "places itself on a podium." Only a couple of countries where kids grow up ashamed of their country, and that's only if their country lost a war after doing something BAD.
Oh, and Roman infantry are the coolest looking thing ever. Would love for GW to make a line of any of these time periods, though.
Zoring wrote:WW1 for me. Anyone who thinks its waves of men running at machine guns needs a history lesson.
Also just as an aside and not to be rude, the PPSh41 was not made by Kalishnikov, the PPSh was designed by a man named Geogri Shpagin, it stands for Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina, Machine-Pistol, Shpagin
Redbeard wrote:I voted WW1, before people got weak. More people died in an hour in WW1 than have died in the entire iraq/afghanistan war, and there wasn't nearly as much whining about it.
Not sure I like that statement for a number of reasons, but this is Dakka so I will not be rude
Hmmm... I think it had more to do with the fact that you could be shot for cowardice in the face of the enemy. But still, grieving families SHOULD stop their whining about the death of their loved ones.
I live on a skirmish site from the War of 1812. The first soldiers to die in the war died here. I find history more interesting when it involves Canada and especially my area. So I guess that is my vote.
Naepolionic Era, Just because i'd love to be a free-loader on a ship, sailing and writing poetry while watching the oceans crest. One of my little fantasies...
Albatross wrote:Hmmm... I think it had more to do with the fact that you could be shot for cowardice in the face of the enemy. But still, grieving families SHOULD stop their whining about the death of their loved ones.
Idiot.
holy crap.. I hope it never happens to your family buddy...
Sarcasm, SARCASM! I was responding to this load of idiotic crap:
I voted WW1, before people got weak. More people died in an hour in WW1 than have died in the entire iraq/afghanistan war, and there wasn't nearly as much whining about it.
I have close friends who have served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, so obviously don't think grieving families should 'stop their whining'!
I thought the acidic tone of my post was enough to indicate that I was being sarcastic - obviously not.
WWI when war had a point, and conflicts were infantry supported by cavarly and new fangled tank machines,
also like Redbeard said people expected heavy casualitys and took it, where as now 3 guys die and it's like "OMG wes has 2 get them out of there!!!!" Plus WWII and Korea were the only wars after WWI that were handled acceptably by commanders
Automatically Appended Next Post: You guys relize that by whineing Redbead meant all the anti war hippy shat, there is a differance about greiving and whining
Ancient History student (got a BA), specialising in Ancient Western Asian scripts. So while Sumerian and Akkadian were written and spoken, before the Hittites came.
Though I also like Ancient Greece. Just not as much as those wacky ancient Iraqis
Napoleonic. Having said that most of the others are pretty good too! Though there is just somehting about the thin red line versus the long blue column, and forming squares. Marching into grape shot etc.
High Middle Ages. Ancient greece a close second, but hey I grew up on king arthur stories, robin hood stories, knights in shining armor... all of which fed into my first hobby... old school first edition D&D.
Had to go with the Cold War. So much potential for the end of the planet, none of the other periods have come so close to wiping out the human race. Not the most exciting time, save for a couple incidents, but makes for great speculative fiction and other things of that nature.
Ancient greece -- my absolute favorite....birthplace of democracy, modern civilization, logic, philosophy, and mathematics!
I plan to visit Athens, Delphi, Meteora, and Mykonos next June! Cant wait!
-- Seriously, the people that voted for Ancient Rome should just change their vote to Ancient Greece. If it wasnt for Greece...the Romans would never have progressed to the point they did. Basically all of their culture, ideas, mythology (or religion at that time), and technology came by way of completely ripping off Greece. Rome is a great big phoney!
Victorian Era was kinda cool and it inspired Steam Punk in Our Era.
Or the antiquity of man kind...basically the time period of when civilization was making its first roots.
Ballistas,Legions and Julius Caesar.
I don't know if playing Rome:Total War is an accurate test of command and bravery,but I could so lead a cohort to victory.
Plus science was so wonderous,simple steam engines and water wheels. A mind like mine would love it,I always liked little machines.
A lot of people say they are sick about hearing about WWII, but the fact is that's why it's my favorite. It was a period of unification, clearly drawn lines of good and evil, and of technology and progress.
Wow, just reading that list gave me all sorts of ideas. Is there a wargame set in the Age of Discovery...? Some kind of pre-steampunk Cortez fighting Aztecs with magic powers would be EPIC
Dais wrote:It isn't really conducive for wargaming my favorite historical age would be the european stone age/ice age.
Actually it would be a pretty decent setting for a skirmish based game with your buddies. Numbers were low, and you could have tribe vs tribe, hunters vs game, having to get across a glacier, and all kinds of fun things.
Warhammer Historicals could be a good place to pick up ideas for how to run it.
I voted WWII but not mainly because of the war but because of the transformation of the United States, from; just another country with potential, to; industrial output higher than anyone ever, and becoming a superpower practically overnight.
'Nam Baby! It was, arguably, the first war were the effects of globalization and the "global village" finally hit the world in full force. Also, you know, it was the time of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
i love reading about the cold war its so fascinating
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Muricles wrote:'Nam Baby! It was, arguably, the first war were the effects of globalization and the "global village" finally hit the world in full force. Also, you know, it was the time of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
i think that and the Koren war where apart of the cold war
For me it is either WWII or the romans.
To be honest with you I'm adicted to histroy just loveIt and I have a great generally knowage about it too!
@Legoburner-My you do the most weoidest Question posts!
I voted for WWII mainley because that is when Aircraft took on a huge part of military tactics and basically changed how we fought wars and brought us into the modern age
WWII, I love the period (The Tactics used, How it happened, what was used, how it was used etc) I'm only 16, and I aint gunna be modest, I actually have to explain a lot of WWII info to my history teacher !
Rogueyopants wrote:WWII, I love the period (The Tactics used, How it happened, what was used, how it was used etc) I'm only 16, and I aint gunna be modest, I actually have to explain a lot of WWII info to my history teacher !
Thats cool. I'm much older than you and have been studing WWII probably alot like you(early teens) for some time now. It's amasing how often triva or general knowlege voids come up and I'm just like "How can you not know that".
Wow, where to begin....I was first enraptured into history by my fifth grade teacher. His enthusiasm for history rubbed off on me and brought me into studying many arts from elementary up to college. To narrow the choices down to one or two would undermine other peoples view on my enthusiasm for history. Even if it didn't, it would be very hard for me to narrow it down to one.
My first study was on early American history. I went from colonization of America to the American Revolution, to Latin America, and then doubled back to Native American history, which included Maya, Inca, and Aztec. I grew out of that phase at the age of twelve, so I had been reading, studying, and going to museums to see artifacts from that place and time for about two years. Then in junior high, we of course had to study early civilizations of other cultures, mostly from Africa, India, China, and the Middle East, where the Fertile Crescent used to lie. Or as I like to call it, the Cradle of Life/Garden of Eden. Early Middle Eastern civilization itself took me a year to get over.
By the time I was in high school, I knew a handful about Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. I can honestly and rightfully boast that I got many hundreds and high nineties on all my quizzes, test's, and exams. Halfway through high school, we had to do stuff about the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Age of Enlightenment, Industrial Age/Imperial Age, American Civil War, both World Wars, and the Modern Era. Throughout my time in school, history remained my most favorite subject, followed closely by english, and then science.
I write all this to explain why it would undermine my choice of one part of history over another. History paved a path for me to explore literature, it honed my skills at reading and writing, it made me appreciate painting, music, and dance. Einstien, Davinci, Socrates, and Archimedes taught me the value of science. And lastly, politicians captured my interest towards economics and diplomacy. It is because of history that I learn many different things about our world, society, and culture. With the weight of this knowledge on my mind and hopefully on yours as well, I would say my taste lies with five choices. The Middle Ages, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt, and the Early Native American Empires.
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MeanGreenStompa wrote:I voted for other medieval.
My fascination has always been with the Khans and the Mongol Empire, it amazes me how a bunch of goat herding nomads ended up kicking everybody's butt from one end of the old world to the other. The mightest civilisations brought low by some stocky blokes on ponies. That one instance where, in the crusades, a muslim army was being besieged by a christian one, the mongols showed up and both sides were so bloody terrified that the muslims let the christians in and allied with them to try and defend against the eastern devils and the mongols still ate them for breakfast.
I have a love for samurai aesthetics and high medieval, the renaissance politics of the city states and the wars between Spain and Englund during the reign of the first Elizabeth, but the Mongols are just awe inspiring to me.
It all depended on the mind of a tactical and strategic genius, and in my opinion the most cunning, savage, relentless, and brutal warrior in the history of mankind up to this very date. It was not just that his warriors grew up around warfare and many if not all his warriors are veterans and as such, are as skilled as even the most experienced or most heavily armed medieval knight. They are a lot more adaptive too when it comes to war and attrition. His warriors are skilled with sword, spear, lance, and bow. Plus his armies were at legion strength once he united the tribes, as every male was a rider since the age he could walk and a warrior by the time he could work.
Their "ponies" are not to be taken lightly. They are purebred Mongolian horses, while not having the strength of a proper European warhorse, they are alot more intelligent, stubborn, and durable. You might know that while a standard bred warhorse can only travel a certain distance a day eating up distance fairly well, a Mongolian horse is slower, but can travel twice the distance in that day. Added to that is the huge horse population thanks to the nature of the Mongolian plains, where horses thrive in such environment which allows a warrior to have several horses at once, which can allow them to travel nearly nonstop for two days straight. (albeit giving the rider a sore hiney)
I would say from the 1900's towards the end of the 1980's, particularly in the Eastern Asian area, as I have been studying the rise of Communism in China and Russia and how these developments led to the Chinese Civil War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It's not just about war, but those seem to be the main keypoints in this area during this period.
WW2, because I'm an American. I also like the Cold War, second.
Enjoi:
World war 2, the Atomic Age and the Cold War were far greater struggles than what we face today. Real right and wrong, battles of Ideology, supreme questions of Ethnicity, Diversity, Eugenics, Freedom, Democracy, the Space Race, and Nuclear Armageddon.
These days our great nations just quibble about finance, socialism subverting democracy, and the greatest evils out there are policing despotic Islamic nations that are obviously no match for the first world and making sure money lending doesnt bankrupt the planet from nations living beyond their means. Previous generations bought war bonds, sent their children overseas to fight wars and suffered together for a common purpose. We can't even agree on a budget or fair tax code now...
It's pretty sad.
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
We better be careful as we hand out participation ribbons...
Wow, where to start...?
Well I eventually plumped for the Industrial Revolution, since I love steampunk, and of course Britannia ruled the waves, although I'm not a fan of wargaming in that period.
If it'd been multiple choice I would have also picked:
Ancient Greece for the mythology and the whole Age of Heroes.
Napoleonics for Nelson and the entire Peninsular War
World War II for so many things, from technological developments to Britain and her Empire (as it was at the time) standing against a country that had dominated Europe in a ridiculously short amount of time. Also, for you WWII history fans out there, Operation Sealion would likely have not succeeded, despite how it's often presented. There was a wargames exercise at RMA Sandhurst in the 1970s (when most of the British leaders from WW2 were still around, and when the German plans had been obtained) that ended in a German force landing (sans heavy equipment, thanks to the use of flat-bottomed barges) and being cut off by the Royal Navy and destroyed by the Army. Also, as Jack Churchill said (look him up on Wiki), if it hadn't been for you damned Yanks we could have kept it going for at least ten more years (seriously though, not complaining. Would have been much worse without the US' assistance, which there was no requirement for you to lend, and of course the Marshall Plan was rather nice ).
I like the Cold War because that's when Britain started making decent tanks (apart from Challenger 1, which we don't mention), and the Falklands.
Personally I can't stand Vietnam wargaming. If I had to choose a period which I hate to wargame, that would be it.
I voted 'other Middle Ages period' because the experiences of all of the civilisations of that entire period fascinate me. The Crusades, the Mongol expansion, conquering China, Persia and even reaching eastern Europe in the lifetime of Ghenghis Khan. The Islamic Golden Age and subsequent stagnation. The achievements of Charlmagne and the Holy Roman Empire. The Spanish Reconquista, Italian cultural developments, the not so well known voyage of the Chinese treasure fleets into the unknown in 1421, mapping the Americas, Greenland, Russia and Australia well before the Europeans. The takeover of China by the Mandarins and consequent decline of that grand civilisation. The fall of Constantinople.
I could list more and detail them, but that would take a couple of hours
Industrial revolution, kinda ties in with steampunk, but mostly I like the contrast between victorian styling and the poverty and crappy qualities of the factories themselves.
Toss up between WW2 and the Ancient World...although Medieval Europe/Japan is interesting along with the Renaissance. Screw it, I just like history in general.
Ancient Egypt through the Reformation basically. Then the World Wars and that's about it, though I do think we live in fascinating times as well. History major, learning about all of it eventually.
Redbeard wrote:
The media has blown things all out of proportion. You know, you invade someone else's country, and some of your soldiers are going to die. This is part of an invasion. We have lost less troops in Iraq/Afghanistan than in Vietnam, than in Korea, than in WW2, or WW1, or pretty much any armed conflict the US has been involved in since the Spanish-American war.
Taken as a whole, the coalition's casualty rates have been negligible. That's not to say that someone who lost their father/brother/son/wife/etc. does not or should not grieve for them.
But I'm sorry, the way the media portrays combat losses that are so significantly lower than in any other conflict we've been in can only be described as whining. It's as if they expected US troops to roll in completely unopposed and execute a bloodless war. That doesn't happen, it's an unrealistic expectation, and rather than piss and moan about losing a solider per week to roadside bombs, they should be noting how advances in military technology have kept the vast majority of service people overseas free from harm.
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I agree completely with your post. I actually assumed you meant the media because that is exactly how I feel.
World War 2 is easily my favorite historical period however the competion between the Soviets and the West during the Cold War I also find extremely interesting.
World war 1 all the way. The sacrifice of the infantrymen going over the trenches, all knowing that they were most likely going to die and never see their family again is fascinating and horrifying at the same time. That war was truly hell on earth.
Honestly, my favorite is the cold war. The main reason its so fascinating to me is that my grandpa was drafted into the Army's 9th infantry division during Vietnam. I can never get enough of his stories whenever he comes over for thanksgiving. Another interesting thing to me is the movies and literature that came out of that period. Very grim and dark.
I was into the Dark Ages-High Middle Ages for most of my childhood, but then I got bored, most of the books I could find just said the same things, and I got into WWII.
I've been into it ever since, have yet to run out of things to learn.
From a gaming perspective, WW2 comes a close second to the dark ages - fascinating and formative period in armoured warfare, and I have a great interest in tanks and tank strategy.
WW1 was the golden age of the dreadnaught, though, and I love those things.
Anything from the feudal era up to around 1600 or so. My opinion on firearms is perfected here: slow, unwieldy items that are very dangerous but very rare or nonexistent.
I vothed other ancient period. The very first civilization (Sumer and Akkad, in ancient Iraq) is the most fascinating one for me, and its matricial role in our present civilization cannot be underestimated.
Bieng a historian i'm into people, and how events effected people and how one little thing can change the course of history, and how people coped in certain situations rather than a given period, but if I have to choose....
My favourite Period is the 1930's, mainly Britain, a period of political upheaval, economic struggle and success at the same time, the North of England struggling under massive unemployment while the Southerners raked in the money.
It truly was the beginning of the middle age with the birth of consumerism, house ownership for the lower classes, mass transport in the terms of Air travel and sea travel as well as the technological zenith of steam power, the beginning of the mass use of diesel/electric, the first gas appliances in the house etc etc
Military wise you see the shift from the old warfare (this begun in the American Civil War) of infantry backed up by artillery and cavalry executing well timed charges to the manouver tactics and mobile infantry and tanks invented by the British, and developed by the Germans. Some interesting advances in technology were made and as such a soldiers conditions changed.
The war in Spain was a showcase for all new tactics and equipment, as well as raising awareness of the fight against fascism and a warning of what was to come.
I went for "Other" but that's only because I could only choose 1
It's a tie between WW2 and the Hundred Years War for me. They're the eras I have models for anyway... I'm also pretty interested in the Crusades, but don't currently have models. (I don't plan on getting any either; I have too many damned projects! Although I know that one day I will weaken
Why is there no "all of it" option? Because to be fair they all affect the next option on the list (making a broad sweeping statement).
How the Greeks did things affected the Romans (also they may have indirectly caused the creation of Rome, if the theory of the surviving Trojans is to be believed). How each country behaved during and post WWII affected how they behaved during the cold war.
So in short, it's all incredibly interesting, and to hold one on a podium ignores the other rich area's of history.
Edit: wow the 2nd paragraph looked quite big in quick reply mode
While I agree with what you are saying Mozzy I think this is more about which era you prefer to play wargames in or paint models from rather than solely which one interests you the most. So I thinks its ok to just pick a few. Multiple options would be a good choice too though.
If I sounded like I was bashing people with a specific interest I didn't mean to. I just wanted to say that all of history is awesome, and having reread my post I do come across as a bit pretentious.
Damn the written language for not being able to properly express how things would be said in person
Almost went with WW2, done a lot of air, land, and sea wargaming for it but the Tokugawa Shogunate (actually the Warring States period just before that) is an era I love reading about and I dig the classic samurai movies. Too bad I can't find anyone to play Ronin with.
Other
I learned to read with McGuffey readers and books about the Second World War.
I used to think that the Second World War period was the coolest possible and tanks were the greatest fighting tool ever.
Actually, while growing up, I thought nearly every period on the poll was really cool until I actually studied the history of each of these times in depth.
One of my five degrees is in Military History and another was just a BA in general history before that.
Every time period is cool; every time period is a total fright.
Just disease by itself though makes nearly every time period an abject fright.
If I could travel in time, I would get immunized against everything I could first!
Else, I would be dead fairly fast as a modern person in those time periods.
Most of us live in either the G7 (the First World) or another "modern" industrialized nation (the Second World) and do not really have any idea of how good we have it in our respective lands.
Those of you who have lived for a length time in the rest of the world (the Third World) can understand what I am talking about.
Our planet is actually a very filthy place.
And as a consequence, it is disease-ridden in the modern era and only far worse as you go farther back in time from modern health science.
Any of you Americans that have never left the USA will not understand at all what I am talking about; our country is a very sterile place; the dirtiest city neighborhoods in this country could compare to some of the cleanest elsewhere; we just spend that much blood, treasure and effort trying to keep it clean.
I guess I would have to say my favorite period is the propeller aircraft period.
People still had so much to learn, but their opportunities to explore their world multiplied as a result of the aircraft, but life had some intelligent measure still to take it all in (no modern hustle and bustle stupidity without the jet engine, television and then the Net).
With the Net (I was done with my first college degree before this), personal computers (I used one of the first models of both the IBM PC and Apple II personal computers back in the '70s), jet aircraft (when I was born, flying was still a luxury mode of travel and much of it was still propeller-driven) and all of the MANY other modern amenities the "millennials" (the under 35yo crowd) have lived all of their lives with, the real wonder of our world and our existence has been seriously lost for them in my experience.
There has never been a generation that has had the opportunity to know so much that, in fact, knows so little, in most cases, but truly believes they know so much than their forefathers.
Instructing a good number of them in serious life skills has been, in the most part, an abject failure from my experience with these persons.
They are too filled with hubris and the never ending question of "What's in it for me?" for me to feel like a success in what was my line of endeavour.
These days, US President John F. Kennedy would have been laughed out of office by the Millennials for saying in his inaugural address, "... ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
"Duty" has become as much of a "four letter word" to vast majority of the Millennials as vulgar and profane language is to those of us that came before.
Selfishness, in all its facets, has become the rule of life for the bulk of these young people..
As far as people, the modern era is my least favorite if you cannot tell.
It contains true wonders as far as living a life is concerned, but those living it, in most part, have no concept how good, how truly blessed, they really have it.
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Harkonnen13 wrote: Almost went with WW2, done a lot of air, land, and sea wargaming for it but the Tokugawa Shogunate (actually the Warring States period just before that) is an era I love reading about and I dig the classic samurai movies. Too bad I can't find anyone to play Ronin with.
Ashikaga Shogunate is what I believe you are trying to remember here, yes?
Or were you going earlier?
The Kama-kura?
Or were you referring to China instead?
The Warring States period is much more used for the time of 481 - 221 BC in China, most often made famous by Sun Tzu and his Art of War.
Ah, thinking about it more, I am believing you are referring to the Sen-goku jidai that if often mislabeled or misinterpreted into English as the Japanese Warring States Period, yes?
If yes, that era would indeed be the Ashikaga Shogunate and just slightly before.
Moreover, you are talking about the big Two of the late Sen-goku jidai, yes?
Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi?
There was some interest in these two back in the late '80s, I believe, all due to a fairly successful computer game at the time as I recall.
It has been a very romanticized period as well.
There are many Chūshin-gura style tales made up set in the Sen-goku jidai.
Anyway, I hope I helped despite going back into "lecture and command" mode on you.
carlos13th wrote: Where did you have the time and money to get five degrees?
Scholarships, grants and loans at the undergraduate level.
Fellowships, government, personal labor and endowments at the graduate level.
If you are not doing most, if not all, of the screwing around that the average student at college and university stupidly participates in, then there is lots more of time to be of use.
I did date and even got married, but that did not detract from my time to learn.
Television is a great time waster; without needing to follow this and that, there is a lot more time to work with.
Computer gaming is another huge time gobbler.
Social networking is another time abuser.
Taking whole terms off is another time hole.
If more people looked at time as a spendable, but limited resource, they would be far more wiser in their expenditure of it.
Also I learned at an early age to like to read, and I do not mean just stories.
I am talking about enjoying reading as an activity.
Enjoying reading makes it much easier to be good at it and understand far more what you are reading, which also saves time.
Seriously? No one voted for the Byzantine Empire? Oh, snap. Its not even on the list. Typical Western mentality. It combines Ancient Greece, Roman, Middle Ages and some Turkish thrown in. Its a fascinating history that isn't really taught in American, British or really any Western schools. You have Theodora, a prostitute turned Empress, Justinian II who was deposed and came back with an awesome mask to seek bloody revenge on his enemies. You have Basil the Bulgar slayer who won a battle against the Bulgarians and had them all blinded but left every tenth one with one eye so they could lead the rest back home to Bulgaria. When the Khan saw his shattered army, he had a stroke right there and died. Let's not forget the Viking body guards or ancient flame throwers!
baccalaureate:
History with a minor in Paleontology (yes, strange, but even as an adult, I really like dinosaurs, and mega-mammals are cool too; area of focus was Early Cretaceous of the Mesozoic)
Psychology with a minor in Human Physiology
advanced:
Military History
Neuropsychology
Anthropology
No doctorates - did not feel the need for one.
Three edits now.
You think they could give you one just for the spelling errors or flow problems.
One free edit before they lower the boom!
Yes, please.
Dark ages for me - a suitable long period of time that allows for completly differant settings such as the early saxons against the romano british, the Franks etc
and towards the end of that period the saxons against the danes, the normans, etc
I'm saying Napoleonic Era because theirs no 7 years war which my favorite =P. Any who I like Horse and Musket the most bolt on the miniatures table and text book. This era of warfare just fascinates me not to mention the look of the armies from the era is pretty lol
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MWHistorian wrote: Seriously? No one voted for the Byzantine Empire? Oh, snap. Its not even on the list. Typical Western mentality. It combines Ancient Greece, Roman, Middle Ages and some Turkish thrown in. Its a fascinating history that isn't really taught in American, British or really any Western schools. You have Theodora, a prostitute turned Empress, Justinian II who was deposed and came back with an awesome mask to seek bloody revenge on his enemies. You have Basil the Bulgar slayer who won a battle against the Bulgarians and had them all blinded but left every tenth one with one eye so they could lead the rest back home to Bulgaria. When the Khan saw his shattered army, he had a stroke right there and died. Let's not forget the Viking body guards or ancient flame throwers!
Cold war because pretty much every county was damn interesting after WW2, China in my view being the most, right from the civil war up to today, Russia, fall of the British empire, Rise of America and re-branding of the Axis. The ideas, music and art produced was some of the best ever made.
Other than that, the Roman era, Pre and Sub-Roman Britain, pre Islamic Arabia , Han China and the British empire i guess i find the most interesting but i always find some new lost world to get engrossed by. Its even better when they mix, like Roman and Han dynasty trading stories or the Sino-soviet split.
World War 1 was the beginning of the end of the Old World and the breakdown of the class system. It was the most atrocious war and one of the worst wastes of human life in the world.
With this war it began so many changes like true free speech, modernism and the rise of socialism and communism.
And because of World War 1, World War 2 happened because of the horrible end of Treaty of Versailles that led to the Rise of Hitler and World War 2.
World War 1 is the most inspiring imo about the horrors of war and the affect of class and ignorance in war. It created the greatest chain reaction in history.