Love History?

[Cath.S]

That's great that we have a history thread here.

History was one of my favorite subjects at school and besides the 'normal' history lesson I also had in class 11 and 12 a basic course about Greco Roman antiquity. It was a mixture of history, literature, politics, culture and religion. It was very interesting and I liked it very much.

I'm also interested in the French Revolution and the Napoleon period. This is important for my german literature studies 'cause these periods had big influence on german authors.

But I have one of my main interests on WWII and german history from 1933-45. For me it is important to face up with this bad and sad historic chapter of my folk. (I don't know if I used the right words for that what I wanted to say. )

My second main interest is the cold war. I was born in the former GDR and I had to become a member of the Junge Pioniere for Thank God only one year. I hated to wear that damn stupid uniform. I wasn't able to make this special knot for the blue necktie. And I hated the whole proceedings we had to do. But happily then there was the German reunification. But I'm still interested in this period 'cause it is part of my past.

I also study theology and there I have church history. Eg. I wrote a paper about Evangelical Church and WWII and another about Kurt Gerstein. He was an very interesting and contradictory person. He was a pious Christian and he also was a member of the ss. But he also witnessed mass murders in the concentration camps. You should read about him. And there is also a good movie. I think the english title is Amen.

 

[talkingtocactus]

For me it is important to face up with this bad and sad historic chapter of my folk. (I don't know if I used the right words for that what I wanted to say. )

you make perfect sense i also think it's important - and having a few german friends and been there i think germany generally does a pretty good job of facing up to the past. i just wish certain other nations could be that sensible, without naming any names *cough* british empire revisionists *cough*

i was born in the former GDR and I had to become a member of the Junge Pioniere for Thank God only one year. I hated to wear that damn stupid uniform. I wasn't able to make this special knot for the blue necktie. And I hated the whole proceedings we had to do.

wow, that's really interesting - i've never met a young pioneer! i haven't been to the old GDR but when i was in russia there were statues of pioneers everywhere, i imagine it was a similar set-up. i love that film "goodbye lenin!" - it's so funny and sad and great i wish i'd done more german history when i did german a level, especially the GDR, because most things about communism fascinate me. actually most things about totalitarianism, whether it's fascism or communism, fascinate me.

He was a pious Christian and he also was a member of the ss. But he also witnessed mass murders in the concentration camps. You should read about him. And there is also a good movie. I think the english title is Amen.

that is quite a contradiction! but i think a lot of nazis used christianity to justify what they did - but then people still use christianity to justify all kinds of things (and then get angry when muslims do it, as if it's a different thing ). my dad did theology (he's a priest) so i have quite an interest in it - i'm actually the most atheist/antitheist person i know but i find religion as a concept really interesting, i guess because it's something i actually cannot understand - i've tried, but i just don't get it at all. i find it amazing and bizarre that people can get so consumed by what is at best a theory that they start wars over it and stuff. that's why i loved medieval history so much - the crusades and witchhunts and all that stuff - but at least in the dark/middle ages they had the excuse of not having proper science and being, frankly, a bit ignorant. we don't have that excuse today and people still do it. bizarre. [/antitheist /antireligion ranting, sorry!]

 

[Cath.S]

i was born in the former GDR and I had to become a member of the Junge Pioniere for Thank God only one year. I hated to wear that damn stupid uniform. I wasn't able to make this special knot for the blue necktie. And I hated the whole proceedings we had to do.

wow, that's really interesting - i've never met a young pioneer! i haven't been to the old GDR but when i was in russia there were statues of pioneers everywhere, i imagine it was a similar set-up. i love that film "goodbye lenin!" - it's so funny and sad and great i wish i'd done more german history when i did german a level, especially the GDR, because most things about communism fascinate me. actually most things about totalitarianism, whether it's fascism or communism, fascinate me.

You're right. There was a similiar set-up for young pioneers in the GDR and in the Soviet Union. The young pioneers had 10 bids and one of them was being friend with all children in the Soviet Union (and in all other countries but the Soviet Union was the important one.)
I also like Goodbye Lenin! but I think The Life of Others is a bit better but this is just my opinion.
I understand why you are fascinated in things about totalitarianism. I'm also intersted in it. I lived only a few years in the GDR and so I actually don't know very much about it. And sadly we had in school only in class 9 or 10 the history of the GDR. So all I know now is that what I read somewhere or what e.g. my parents told me. Well I remember when I was 16 years we went with our class to the memorial Bautzen II. It was one of the prisons of the Stasi. The woman who was our guide there was once a prisoner in Bautzen II. You could see it in her eyes how hard it was for her to talk about. I had a very oppressive feeling at this place.

He was a pious Christian and he also was a member of the ss. But he also witnessed mass murders in the concentration camps. You should read about him. And there is also a good movie. I think the english title is Amen.

that is quite a contradiction! but i think a lot of nazis used christianity to justify what they did - but then people still use christianity to justify all kinds of things (and then get angry when muslims do it, as if it's a different thing ). my dad did theology (he's a priest) so i have quite an interest in it - i'm actually the most atheist/antitheist person i know but i find religion as a concept really interesting, i guess because it's something i actually cannot understand - i've tried, but i just don't get it at all. i find it amazing and bizarre that people can get so consumed by what is at best a theory that they start wars over it and stuff. that's why i loved medieval history so much - the crusades and witchhunts and all that stuff - but at least in the dark/middle ages they had the excuse of not having proper science and being, frankly, a bit ignorant. we don't have that excuse today and people still do it. bizarre. [/antitheist /antireligion ranting, sorry!]

Well I understand what you mean but imo Kurt Gerstein is a bit different. You can read the english wikipedia page of him. I just read through it and it is a good summary. There is only but sadly one important fact missing: He was rehabilitated in 1965 'cause of the initiative of Issy Wygoda a former prisoner of a concentration camp and the 'Central Council of Jews in Germany'.

I can't understand why people start wars because of different persuasion. And I think I'll never do it. Since studying theology I struggle with god and my church. In the last years I met a lot of ignorant and intolerant christians and none of them could explain me why he or she thinks in such a way about other religions. Well I became more and more an atheist ... Sometimes I feel a bit sad about that but for me it's better so I think.

 

[talkingtocactus]

I also like Goodbye Lenin! but I think The Life of Others is a bit better but this is just my opinion.

oh yeah, the lives of others is a great film! there was a really good book out about 5 years ago of collected interviews someone had done with people living in the GDR under the stasi.

I understand why you are fascinated in things about totalitarianism. I'm also intersted in it. I lived only a few years in the GDR and so I actually don't know very much about it. And sadly we had in school only in class 9 or 10 the history of the GDR.

i think totalitarian regimes are interesting in any time or place - and that pretty much goes for absolutist regimes too like there was in france before the revolution. i guess maybe i'm just fascinated by how much a small group of people can ruin the lives of entire populations and claim it's a good thing because whatever power structure it is remains intact (although it doesn't because they're all corrupt). i don't like an awful lot of people but i do find it weird that people can be so anti human.

So all I know now is that what I read somewhere or what e.g. my parents told me. Well I remember when I was 16 years we went with our class to the memorial Bautzen II. It was one of the prisons of the Stasi. The woman who was our guide there was once a prisoner in Bautzen II. You could see it in her eyes how hard it was for her to talk about. I had a very oppressive feeling at this place.

wow, that must've been hard - but in a way maybe it was useful for her, like cathartic or something. i visited auschwitz which was a very strange place, and the guide was a young woman from the local village (also called oswiecim) and she said they find it quite hard because their village is just like any other village but people only ever think of the place as the most depressing concentration camp or whatever, it must be quite hard to be seen as something else with all that right on the doorstep.

Well I understand what you mean but imo Kurt Gerstein is a bit different. You can read the english wikipedia page of him. I just read through it and it is a good summary. There is only but sadly one important fact missing: He was rehabilitated in 1965 'cause of the initiative of Issy Wygoda a former prisoner of a concentration camp and the 'Central Council of Jews in Germany'.

i will read it, thanks!

I can't understand why people start wars because of different persuasion. And I think I'll never do it. Since studying theology I struggle with god and my church. In the last years I met a lot of ignorant and intolerant christians and none of them could explain me why he or she thinks in such a way about other religions. Well I became more and more an atheist ... Sometimes I feel a bit sad about that but for me it's better so I think.

i don't think i can imagine feeling so strongly about something that i'd want to go to war for it. there are ideals that i want to fight for but more in the political activism sense than the war sense. there's that quote "you can safely assume that you've created god in your own image when it turns out that god hates all the same people you do." - i love that one i became atheist quite young, i was about 11 i think, and i think my dad being a priest was definitely a factor but it wasn't all that, i worked it out for myself. i used to be pretty tolerant (and i still am, a lot of my friends are christian/jewish/muslim/etc) but as i get older i understand it less and less, i just can't see it at all - to me it's superstition and nothing more. and no one ever takes seriously the people who think a black cat is bad luck or whatever. also i take issue with the whole idea of god speaking to people - there's another half remembered quote which says "if one person says god spoke to them it's psychosis, if a group of people do it, it's religion".

anyway, sorry, a bit ot there (again)...

paradoxically i find religious history really interesting - i loved doing the 9th, 10th, 11th centuries in europe where there was massive religious change, then the great schism and the french wars of religion, and the tudor period where the church had yet another break up. i think i'm most interested in the impact religion has had on world history, it's massive!

 

[Solitaire]

Well i hope i get to go, but am going to berlin in two weeks for history 6 days of concentration camps and nazi germany its gnna be a depressing holiday:lol: but hopefully it will be good

Meggzie- have a great time. It will be informative at least. At college they mentioned a trip to Auschwitz, but no one wanted to go, because it was too near exa time I would definitely have gone, even though I probably wouldn't ahve stopped blubbing.

That's great that we have a history thread here.

But I have one of my main interests on WWII and german history from 1933-45. For me it is important to face up with this bad and sad historic chapter of my folk. (I don't know if I used the right words for that what I wanted to say. )

My second main interest is the cold war. I was born in the former GDR and I had to become a member of the Junge Pioniere for Thank God only one year. I hated to wear that damn stupid uniform. I wasn't able to make this special knot for the blue necktie. And I hated the whole proceedings we had to do. But happily then there was the German reunification. But I'm still interested in this period 'cause it is part of my past.

I think thats good that a Country can confront its past misdeeds and try to prevent it ever happening again.
I know surprisingly little about the GDR, its strange how some subjects are just not taught.

I also like Goodbye Lenin! but I think The Life of Others is a bit better but this is just my opinion.

oh yeah, the lives of others is a great film! there was a really good book out about 5 years ago of collected interviews someone had done with people living in the GDR under the stasi.

I have watched the lives of others- I thought it was a terrific film.

 

[meggzie]

Well i hope i get to go, but am going to berlin in two weeks for history 6 days of concentration camps and nazi germany its gnna be a depressing holiday:lol: but hopefully it will be good

Meggzie- have a great time. It will be informative at least. At college they mentioned a trip to Auschwitz, but no one wanted to go, because it was too near exa time I would definitely have gone, even though I probably wouldn't ahve stopped blubbing.

thank you:thumbsup:

 

[Cath.S]

I understand why you are fascinated in things about totalitarianism. I'm also intersted in it. I lived only a few years in the GDR and so I actually don't know very much about it. And sadly we had in school only in class 9 or 10 the history of the GDR.

i think totalitarian regimes are interesting in any time or place - and that pretty much goes for absolutist regimes too like there was in france before the revolution. i guess maybe i'm just fascinated by how much a small group of people can ruin the lives of entire populations and claim it's a good thing because whatever power structure it is remains intact (although it doesn't because they're all corrupt). i don't like an awful lot of people but i do find it weird that people can be so anti human.

It's fascinating how such a small group can manipulate a whole nation and it is hard to understand why the people follow them and accept this often anti human way. And it's interesting how long it takes that the people get free from the suppression. I mean the GDR existed 40 years... and there are still some who wish back the 'good old times' what I can't understand. I really hope that I'll never live in a totalitarian state.

wow, that must've been hard - but in a way maybe it was useful for her, like cathartic or something. i visited auschwitz which was a very strange place, and the guide was a young woman from the local village (also called oswiecim) and she said they find it quite hard because their village is just like any other village but people only ever think of the place as the most depressing concentration camp or whatever, it must be quite hard to be seen as something else with all that right on the doorstep.

I will visit auschwitz one day too. But it's always sad when a village, town or whatever is only known for the bad things which happened there. A few years ago I visited buchenwald near weimar. Maybe it's sounds strange now but I think weimar could be lucky that it is not only known for buchenwald but also as a cultural centre along with jena primarily around 1800 when goethe and schiller lived there.

also i take issue with the whole idea of god speaking to people - there's another half remembered quote which says "if one person says god spoke to them it's psychosis, if a group of people do it, it's religion".

When I read this quote I smiled a bit 'cause a few days ago I talked with my roommate about religion and so. He is an atheist all through and he said that he finds it interesting that today people come in psychiatric ward when they say god had spoke to them and so if Jesus would live today they would send him in psychiatric ward too. No matter how you look at it but this is simple true.

paradoxically i find religious history really interesting - i loved doing the 9th, 10th, 11th centuries in europe where there was massive religious change, then the great schism and the french wars of religion, and the tudor period where the church had yet another break up. i think i'm most interested in the impact religion has had on world history, it's massive!

Religious history is an interesting field but in my studies I couldn't do a lot of it. For the moment the focus is more on martin luther and the Reformation 'cause I'll take it in my oral exam.

I also like Goodbye Lenin! but I think The Life of Others is a bit better but this is just my opinion.

oh yeah, the lives of others is a great film! there was a really good book out about 5 years ago of collected interviews someone had done with people living in the GDR under the stasi.

I have watched the lives of others- I thought it was a terrific film.

I think it's one of the best german movies ever and I'm glad to hear that you like it. Ulrich Mühe who played Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler was one of the best german actors we had. Sadly he died of cancer in 2007 after the movie won the acedamy award.

 

[talkingtocactus]

It's fascinating how such a small group can manipulate a whole nation and it is hard to understand why the people follow them and accept this often anti human way. And it's interesting how long it takes that the people get free from the suppression. I mean the GDR existed 40 years... and there are still some who wish back the 'good old times' what I can't understand. I really hope that I'll never live in a totalitarian state.

yeah, i think that's exactly what fascinates me, how one group can be so absolutist in their control over everyone else (tbh i think the same can be said for religion - one reason i'm such a francophile is their strenuous attempt to keep religion and state very separate (la laïcité), i guess their pre-revolution monarchy helped them see what happens when regime and church get into bed together).

i saw stuff like that in russia too, loads of older people especially refuse to use modern names and still say they live in Leningrad (St Pete's) or Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) or wherever. i find it odd that there should be such a hankering after what was in incredibly oppressive regime but i think the thing is that under communism, no matter how despotic it got, they had a kind of security - yes, things were hard but they all had rations, jobs, allocated housing and so on. a friend in st pete's was telling me that for older people especially it was a real wrench to move into a society with competition and insecurity, which i can understand, but, really, a wish to live under stalin??

I will visit auschwitz one day too. But it's always sad when a village, town or whatever is only known for the bad things which happened there. A few years ago I visited buchenwald near weimar. Maybe it's sounds strange now but I think weimar could be lucky that it is not only known for buchenwald but also as a cultural centre along with jena primarily around 1800 when goethe and schiller lived there.

i'm glad buchenwald is removing itself from what happened. i think that it's important for countries, towns etc to acknowledge and learn from their past, and i think the museum set up at auschwitz is necessary because we can't let ourselves forget what happened, but it's also important to move on from the past. i haven't read goethe or schiller, i always think i should but i kind of put them off, they're a bit daunting! i've read a few german books tho (as i did german a level, and i had a really difficult choice between french and german for my degree - i went for french, completely arbitrarily), and from the few i have, i know i like german literature (but not as much as russian!).

When I read this quote I smiled a bit 'cause a few days ago I talked with my roommate about religion and so. He is an atheist all through and he said that he finds it interesting that today people come in psychiatric ward when they say god had spoke to them and so if Jesus would live today they would send him in psychiatric ward too. No matter how you look at it but this is simple true.

it is true, when i was in psych hospital there was a guy who swore he was the son of god and that god was telling him what to do. he was clearly delusional, and quite annoying as well.

Religious history is an interesting field but in my studies I couldn't do a lot of it. For the moment the focus is more on martin luther and the Reformation 'cause I'll take it in my oral exam.

ah yeah, i did the reformation about 5 times on my last degree! that and the french revolution just kept coming up. and on my current degree i've had the french wars of religion which are related. it's an interesting period tho, although i guess because i'm english i prefer the bit shortly afterward with henry viii's split to protestantism.

I think it's one of the best german movies ever and I'm glad to hear that you like it. Ulrich Mühe who played Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler was one of the best german actors we had. Sadly he died of cancer in 2007 after the movie won the acedamy award.

yeah, i remember that happening, it was a real shame.

 

[Cath.S]

i saw stuff like that in russia too, loads of older people especially refuse to use modern names and still say they live in Leningrad (St Pete's) or Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod) or wherever. i find it odd that there should be such a hankering after what was in incredibly oppressive regime but i think the thing is that under communism, no matter how despotic it got, they had a kind of security - yes, things were hard but they all had rations, jobs, allocated housing and so on. a friend in st pete's was telling me that for older people especially it was a real wrench to move into a society with competition and insecurity, which i can understand, but, really, a wish to live under stalin??

In the GDR it was nearly the same with the rations, housing, jobs... I understand when in these times people say that in the GDR it was good 'cause everyone had job and so all was easier but they often ignore the facts that not all people could go to unisversity, that you couldn't buy all what you want (e.g. fruits...), that you couldn't travel where you want etc. They want to have the liberties of today but the job securities etc. of the past. But imo this wouldn't work.
I think it was hard to live in the GDR but I also think that often the small things were good. My parents told me that they often had to improve things 'cause they couldn't get all they want but then they were very proud of that what they made by themselves. And there is an interesting thing what often happens to me. When (older) people ask me when I was put to school and I say that I was put to school in GDR times then the people say "Oh that's good then you have a good education." But when a friend says that she was put to school after the german reunification then the people say "Oh poor girl. I feel so bad for you."
But I'm glad that I can live in the germany of today with all possibilities we have now.

i'm glad buchenwald is removing itself from what happened. i think that it's important for countries, towns etc to acknowledge and learn from their past, and i think the museum set up at auschwitz is necessary because we can't let ourselves forget what happened, but it's also important to move on from the past. i haven't read goethe or schiller, i always think i should but i kind of put them off, they're a bit daunting! i've read a few german books tho (as i did german a level, and i had a really difficult choice between french and german for my degree - i went for french, completely arbitrarily), and from the few i have, i know i like german literature (but not as much as russian!).

It's important that we learn from our past and for me it's always incomprehensible why there are some people who thinks that ideas of the nazi era were good. I live in Dresden and every year on 13 or 14 february the neo-nazis make a march and exploit the 'bombing of dresden 1945' for their own bad and stupid ideas. But this year we had a stellar march against them. The atmosphere in the city was so high tense and pretty awful. I was so glad when this day was over.

I'm so behind with reading foreign-language literature I've read a few in english but I can't remember now if I've read some french or russian authors... But for german literature Goethe isn't my fav I like Schiller but the literature of Heinrich, Klaus and Thomas Mann is still a bit better. I've read a lot of german literature for my studies but I can't remember them but we have some real good authers.

ah yeah, i did the reformation about 5 times on my last degree! that and the french revolution just kept coming up. and on my current degree i've had the french wars of religion which are related. it's an interesting period tho, although i guess because i'm english i prefer the bit shortly afterward with henry viii's split to protestantism.

Isn't there a series about henry VIII - The Tudors? I haven't watch it so if you know it would you say it is a good one and I should watch it? Or would you say it has nothing to do with the real history?

I think it's one of the best german movies ever and I'm glad to hear that you like it. Ulrich Mühe who played Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler was one of the best german actors we had. Sadly he died of cancer in 2007 after the movie won the acedamy award.

yeah, i remember that happening, it was a real shame.

Ulrich Mühe's daughter Anna Maria is also a famous actress in germany and she plays very good. I think she has inherited her talent from her father.

 

[talkingtocactus]

They want to have the liberties of today but the job securities etc. of the past. But imo this wouldn't work.

And there is an interesting thing what often happens to me. When (older) people ask me when I was put to school and I say that I was put to school in GDR times then the people say "Oh that's good then you have a good education." But when a friend says that she was put to school after the german reunification then the people say "Oh poor girl. I feel so bad for you."

you're right, you can't have it both ways - capitalism brings opportunities but vast inequality whereas communism brings more equality but more thinly spread opportunity. obviously that's a massive simplification!

i'd heard the same in russia and german about school, but frankly, compared to britain, you're ALL getting a good education :lol:

It's important that we learn from our past and for me it's always incomprehensible why there are some people who thinks that ideas of the nazi era were good. I live in Dresden and every year on 13 or 14 february the neo-nazis make a march and exploit the 'bombing of dresden 1945' for their own bad and stupid ideas. But this year we had a stellar march against them. The atmosphere in the city was so high tense and pretty awful. I was so glad when this day was over.

wow, that's pretty nasty. i can't understand anyone wanting to revive that kind of regime but i guess it happens. i've not been to dresden but i've seen the pictures of it - my mum went there, she said it was lovely.

I'm so behind with reading foreign-language literature I've read a few in english but I can't remember now if I've read some french or russian authors... But for german literature Goethe isn't my fav I like Schiller but the literature of Heinrich, Klaus and Thomas Mann is still a bit better. I've read a lot of german literature for my studies but I can't remember them but we have some real good authers.

i've not read any of those, i don't think. i have 'death in venice' but i haven't read it yet, it's been on my list for years! i used to read a lot of gunter grass, his books were really weird but quite good. for a level i did some brecht (der aufhaltsame aufstieg des arturo ui, still my favourite play ever) and frisch (andorra - actually, wasn't frisch swiss?) and borchert (draußen vor der tür, i really liked it).

sn't there a series about henry VIII - The Tudors? I haven't watch it so if you know it would you say it is a good one and I should watch it? Or would you say it has nothing to do with the real history?

a bit of both! i didn't watch much of it but some of my friends did, including some history phd students i know. they were torn between enjoying the drama and exaggeration and yelling at the historical inaccuracy! i think it's quite entertaining but not reliable:guffaw:

 

[Miyukiseta]

I've always been a fan of Greek and Roman history. Dunno why. I've just found it so damn interesting and fun/easy to learn and memorize. Caesar salad...yum:drool:

Jesus, Chinese history is so much harder...too many dynasties, too many different [not to mention, bad] emperors. Too many years and dates to memorize, but I still find it quite interesting to learn about (probably because I'm Chinese lol).

Not a fan of English history (I find it really boring), but I like French history...especially Louis XIV (Just dance!), Jean D'arc (Joan of Arc; she was so brave, but seriously, people thought she was a witch...that's lame), and Marie Antoinette (serves her right, that little rich b!*ch...! Cake anyone?:lol

Not a fan of North American history, let alone Canadian history...not even 500 years of history...Jesus.

 

[addictedtoSpeed]

Someone revived my old thread! Yay! Anybody into Civil War history here in the US? On my vacation I stopped at Antietam Battlefield. I had been wanting to stop there for the longest time cause I've passed it numerous times. This time I just went, lol! I have some cool pics. BTW, I'm into Civil War history, WWII, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Rome. I love Ancient Rome!

 

[egeria]

..... Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Rome. I love Ancient Rome!

My two favourite eras...:adore:

I love Rome. Seeing the Coliseum? The Forum? The Pantheon and Trevi Fountain? Oh. my. gawd. It was amazing. And Ostia Antica? I spent one day there amongst the ruins and I ran out of time!! It was absolutely gob smacking to be there with so much history surrounding me.

I could go on and on. My best friend and I are totally planning a trip as soon as we can afford it. We both LOVE Rome!

 

[addictedtoSpeed]

..... Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Rome. I love Ancient Rome!

My two favourite eras...:adore:

I love Rome. Seeing the Coliseum? The Forum? The Pantheon and Trevi Fountain? Oh. my. gawd. It was amazing. And Ostia Antica? I spent one day there amongst the ruins and I ran out of time!! It was absolutely gob smacking to be there with so much history surrounding me.

I could go on and on. My best friend and I are totally planning a trip as soon as we can afford it. We both LOVE Rome!

Wow how exciting! I know what you mean, when you are there at a place of historic significance it's just awe-inspiring! I would love to go to Rome one day!

 

[talkingtocactus]

Jesus, Chinese history is so much harder...too many dynasties, too many different [not to mention, bad] emperors. Too many years and dates to memorize, but I still find it quite interesting to learn about (probably because I'm Chinese lol).

i'm interested by chinese history but i know so little about it - like you say, so many dynasties going on!

Not a fan of English history (I find it really boring), but I like French history...especially Louis XIV (Just dance!), Jean D'arc (Joan of Arc; she was so brave, but seriously, people thought she was a witch...that's lame), and Marie Antoinette (serves her right, that little rich b!*ch...! Cake anyone?:lol

i think english history is wonderful, we're such a mongrel race that there are history elements from all over the world in our small nation as for those people who say "england for the english" i always say "what english? - we're all vikings!"

i prefer the later french history, from the revolution onwards really, but i do like the french wars of religion, that was a very interesting time. jeanne d'arc was a fascinating character too.

as for marie antoinette, she didn't *actually* say 'let them eat cake' - it's one of those historical legends that's been massively distorted! someone else (about a century earlier) said it, and it was later attributed to marie antoinette by a philosopher. but being an anti monarchist, anti aristocratic revolutionary, i agree that she had it all coming!!

Someone revived my old thread! Yay! Anybody into Civil War history here in the US? On my vacation I stopped at Antietam Battlefield. I had been wanting to stop there for the longest time cause I've passed it numerous times. This time I just went, lol! I have some cool pics. BTW, I'm into Civil War history, WWII, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Rome. I love Ancient Rome!

i'm not a us civil war expert but i do like it - a few years ago i did a tour of the south us and i actually lost count of the number of battlefields we visited! it was really interesting tho. the other reason it interests me is that it was really the first instance of industrial warfare. obviously WWI was the first major instance as industrial weapons weren't used to a great extent in the civil war, but it was the first time anyone saw just what they could do. given that both wars were trench based, you'd think some bright spark might have noticed the damage industrial weaponry could do in trenches and told the european powers to just STOP and THINK before WWI started but no, the idiots just let it go ahead anyway and annihilated millions. way to go...