Favorite bit of history

[The Hanoverian]

The 1879 Anglo-Zulu War is a particular interest of mine, and also Operation Market Garden.

 

[Norgesvenn]

The political developments is my favourite project, from the spreading of the state around the renaissance age through late feudalism, through absolutism (where the state is expanded and cemented), to the revolutionary age (rise of new classes) to nationalism (inventing a common background) through to the rise of the working class as a political force.



A nice thesis is explaining why authoritarian rule became more common in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe after WWI.

 

[Vortigern]

Let me see. I find the defence of Canada in the War of 1812 to be fun. Pierre Berton's books on the subject should be required reading, at least in excerpted form, in all Canadian secondary schools. Come to think of it, 1812 is a pretty interesting year all around, with the invasion of Russia and the Peninsular War under way.

Outside straight military history, I'd have to put the British take over of India high on the list of things worthy of study. Reading about Clive is always a bit disturbing to me though.

 

[unmerged(4755)]

Originally posted by Bauer
The rise and fall of the fur trade in Canada.

What?

Its the perfect bed-time story.

Hey ! Don't mock my precious "History of the fur trade"

 

[w_mullender]

Originally posted by Octavius III
Most fascinating! All of these sound really cool, but so far, it's pirates, Poland, and the Dutch East India company holding my interest in paper-writing, and I must say that the Canadian fur trade sounded absolutely rivetting

One slight warning on the dutch east india company: If you want to understand their organisation and financing you're in for a very tough read as they pioneered with stocks and organisational structures for "multinationals".
PS you will also find out that Cook wasnt the first to discover Australia, but that the portuguese and dutch did that at least a century earlier.

 

[unmerged(5678)]

Originally posted by OldManinMUN
Well the "Great Game" between Great Britian and Czarists Russian seems interesting to me at the moment. However I don't a whole lot about it, probably why its to interesting to me . Another topic that has facsinated(sp:I'm tired) recently has been African history, and more specific modern african history. Just how these countries were(and are still) being manipulated by the europeans and americans is amazing.

Wow, you must be my history twin. I recently finished reading Hopkirk’s “The Great Game” and have just bought “Scramble for Africa”.

I’m still at the generalist stage, but trying to focus on the “long” C19th (1792-1914) and particularly British politics and policy.

Octavious – I’d recommend that you read “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers” by Kennedy. It covers 1500-2000 and is both scholarly and very readable. It’s a great introduction and may help you choose a period.

 

[unmerged(14689)]

Originally posted by pithorr
What a perfect summary!!!
Yes, we entered Moscow in 1610, however kept it only until 1612...

"We"? I guess you're Polish, but I doubt you took Moscow in the beginning of the 17th century. By the way, "you" took Moscow once, for a short period of time. The Russians, however, took Warsaw several times and stayed, let's keep it friendly, "somewhat" longer.

PS: Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Poland, but that "we" and "they" nonsense is quite stupid. Modern Poland has probably more in common with modern Brasil, than with the Poland of the 17th century. My lesson for today: Let's talk history, not nationalism.

 

[unmerged(14689)]

Oh, nearly forgot to answer the question about my favourite piece of history.

Easy: The Great Patriotic War! T-34 rolling on to Berlin! The Great Northern War is also very interesting, just like Trotsky, his struggle and his ideas. (I ain't no commi, though! Don't let the Soviet flag fool ya!)

 

[Heinz Guderian]

WORLD WAR II!!! or Napoleanic era. or the Fall of the Last Chinese Emperor and the installment of the GuoMingDan, which erupted into civil war between Commies and Nationalists

 

[Razgovory]

Not counting the History of my own country, I'd say Rise of Idelogical states. Soviet, German, and Chinese are my favorite.

 

[unmerged(13535)]

Interesting Topics ...

I am interested in several areas although I have read a little in many more.


The politics of the 30 years war is fascinating.

The campaigns of Wellington ( I admit to being a Richard Sharpe fan), although this is not the basis for history, just entertainment.

I really like to read about the Boer war.

I like the air war in WW I.

The Falklands.


I must admit that the era of Pirates is starting to draw my attention. I am reading the novel "Captain Blood" (I got it in a free download for my e-reader on the PDA) and although it is fictional it is piquing my interest in the real stories of the Pirates. Anyone suggest any good literature on this one?

 

[unmerged(12895)]

Hungary 1944-1963

Hungarian history, centred around the 1956 Revolution

Old elites
Fascism
Nazism
Genocide
The Soviet Union conquoring Fascism
Workers control
Bourgeois democracy
People's democracy
Glorious "Tractor Tractor" 5 year plans
10% of the population imprisoned
A planned but aborted Soviet and Eastern European war on Yugoslavia.
Reform Communism, Imre Nagy, Pro Postu, New Left
The Krushchev Speech
1956: The revolution claimed by everybody, but remembered by nobody. Interestingly enough the strongest claims made are by anarcho-syndicalists or marxist-syndicalists: viva Left Wing Radical.
1956: Fighting off the Russians successfully, fighting off the Russians and failing. The leaked casualty figures of the Soviet Army (horrificially high). The strikes of the Greater Budapest Worker's council
1956: Refugees and imprisonment
1956: The shattering of the UK Communist Party, and many others, over the Krushchev speech and crushing of the Hungarian Revolution.
UN fails to defend democracy
At the same time the Soviet Union takes Hungary, France and Britain take Suez
The failed UN inquiry
The prison system
The trial and execution of Imre Nagy and his "counter-revolutionary conspiracy"
Janos Kadar the traitor? the moderate? fighting the Stalinist faction?
Amnesties
Hungary returns to the United Nations

 

[Tim O]

You've probably already started or already finished your paper, but a good subject is the Mexican American War and development of the skills and relationship between the men who would become the generals of the Civil War.

 

[unmerged(9563)]

I like the Reconquista / Crusades / Other various Catholic vs Arab wars. Just seems so cool to me, the crusader mentality (Everything for god, including life), and all their cool armor and shit.

 

[saskganesh]

i'm big on french/norman/english medieval history..hastings to war of the roses

"fall" of the roman empire.

i participated in a seminar course on the iroquois once. fascinating.

 

[unmerged(15848)]

History

1-Germany going from nothing to a monster from 1919-1940

2-WOODSTOCK