526 résultats pour "military"

• Zululand - history.

  however, and had to be satisfied with constant raids and with the payment of tribute. Defeated or terrified chiefdoms who attempted to move out of the range of the Zuluarmies added to the general confusion and devastation of southeastern Africa. In 1824 a small British trading settlement was established at Port Natal (later Durban), which fatefully connected Zululand to the colonial world. Shaka welcomed the Britishhunters and traders as suppliers of exotic goods and, because they had firearms,...

• Ancient Rome .

  attributed to Numa, including the selection of virgins to be priestesses of the goddess Vesta. He also established a calendar to differentiate between normal workingdays and those festival days sacred to the gods on which no state business was allowed. His peaceful reign lasted from 715 to 673 BC. Under Tullus Hostilius (672–641 BC) the Romans waged an aggressive foreign policy and began to expand their lands by the conquest of nearby cities like Alba Longa. When the warlike King Hostilius co...

• Ancient Rome - USA History.

  attributed to Numa, including the selection of virgins to be priestesses of the goddess Vesta. He also established a calendar to differentiate between normal workingdays and those festival days sacred to the gods on which no state business was allowed. His peaceful reign lasted from 715 to 673 BC. Under Tullus Hostilius (672–641 BC) the Romans waged an aggressive foreign policy and began to expand their lands by the conquest of nearby cities like Alba Longa. When the warlike King Hostilius co...

• Spanish-American War.

  A Blockade of Cuba The Navy’s basic job was to blockade the island of Cuba. If the Spanish army could be cut off from seaborne supplies from Spain, it could not maintain itself for longagainst the Cuban insurgents, let alone prepare to fight the U.S. forces. To maintain a successful blockade, the U.S. Navy would have to control the sea approaches toCuba. To accomplish this, the United States determined that the Spanish navy had to be destroyed wherever it was found. Thus the U.S. war objectives...

• Airplane.

  For example, the Anglo-French Concorde, a commercial supersonic aircraft, was generally limited to over-water routes, or to those over sparsely populated regions ofthe world. This limitation impacted the commercial viability of the Concorde, which ended its regular passenger service in October 2003. Designers today believe theycan help lessen the impact of sonic booms created by supersonic airliners but probably cannot eliminate them. One of the most difficult practical barriers to supersonic fl...

• Dwight D.

  maneuvers in Louisiana in 1941, he played a leading role as a staff officer, adding to his reputation and securing him a promotion to brigadier general. On December 7,1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the next day the United States entered World War II against the Axis Powers (Japan, Germany, and Italy). A weeklater, the army’s new chief of staff, General George C. Marshall, called Eisenhower to Washington, D.C., and put him in charge of the War Plans Division. Opinions differed on...

• Qing Dynasty - history.

  ministries and recruited talented Chinese men who had lost confidence in Ming rule to fill some of the posts. In 1635 Abahai renamed his people “Manchu” to give them a sense of a fresh start, free from past ties to the Chinese. In 1636 he declared the beginning of a new dynasty,which he named Qing (Chinese for “pure”). While the Jurchen transformed their social and military organization north of the Great Wall, China to the south faced serious crises. In the 1620s and 1630s, bad weatherruined...

• Napoleon I I INTRODUCTION Napoleon I (1769-1821), emperor of the French, whose imperial dictatorship ended the French Revolution (1789-1799) while consolidating the reforms it had brought about.

  until after Napoleon’s fall did the common people of Europe, alienated from his governments by war taxes and military conscription, fully appreciate the benefits he hadgiven them. VI NAPOLEON’S DOWNFALL In 1812 Napoleon, whose alliance with Alexander I had disintegrated, launched an invasion of Russia that ended in a disastrous retreat from Moscow. Thereafter allEurope united against him, and although he fought on, and brilliantly, the odds were impossible. In April 1814, his marshals refused...

• Napoleon I.

  until after Napoleon’s fall did the common people of Europe, alienated from his governments by war taxes and military conscription, fully appreciate the benefits he hadgiven them. VI NAPOLEON’S DOWNFALL In 1812 Napoleon, whose alliance with Alexander I had disintegrated, launched an invasion of Russia that ended in a disastrous retreat from Moscow. Thereafter allEurope united against him, and although he fought on, and brilliantly, the odds were impossible. In April 1814, his marshals refused...

• Napoleon I .

  until after Napoleon’s fall did the common people of Europe, alienated from his governments by war taxes and military conscription, fully appreciate the benefits he hadgiven them. VI NAPOLEON’S DOWNFALL In 1812 Napoleon, whose alliance with Alexander I had disintegrated, launched an invasion of Russia that ended in a disastrous retreat from Moscow. Thereafter allEurope united against him, and although he fought on, and brilliantly, the odds were impossible. In April 1814, his marshals refused...

• Latin America.

  adequate housing and services, most were forced to live in shantytowns that came to encircle all large Latin American cities. One of the key problems facing Latin America in the late 20th century was the rapid rise of external debt during the 1980s. The borrowed money had been used bycorrupt, or at best inefficient, governments in non-productive projects. These large debts meant that many countries had to spend up to 30 percent of their net incometo pay interest on their loans. Some countries, s...

• Cuba - country.

  Only two land mammals, the hutia, or cane rat, and the solenodon, a rare insectivore that resembles a rat, are known to be indigenous. The island has numerous batsand nearly 300 kinds of birds, including vultures, wild turkeys, quail, finches, gulls, macaws, parakeets, and hummingbirds. The bee hummingbird of Cuba is thesmallest bird in the world. Among the few reptiles are tortoises, caimans, the Cuban crocodile, and a species of boa that can attain a length of 3.7 m (12 ft). More than700 speci...

• Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

  A Religious Freedom Although religious freedom has not generally been curtailed in the United States, Roman Catholics, Jews, and members of such unconventional Protestant groups as theOneida Community and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have historically been discriminated against and sometimes have even been persecuted,although today overt discrimination has almost vanished. The federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as many state and local laws, prohibits religious discrimi...

• Abraham Lincoln I INTRODUCTION Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th president of the United States (1861-1865) and one of the great leaders in American history.

  fence in 4 hectares (10 acres) to grow corn. Then he hired out to neighbors, helping them to split rails. That year, Lincoln attended a political rally and was persuaded tospeak on behalf of a local candidate. It was his first political speech. A witness recalled that Lincoln “was frightened but got warmed up and made the best speech of theday.” In 1831 Lincoln made a second trip to New Orleans. He was hired, along with his stepbrother and a cousin, by Denton Offutt, a Kentucky trader and specul...

• Abraham Lincoln.

  fence in 4 hectares (10 acres) to grow corn. Then he hired out to neighbors, helping them to split rails. That year, Lincoln attended a political rally and was persuaded tospeak on behalf of a local candidate. It was his first political speech. A witness recalled that Lincoln “was frightened but got warmed up and made the best speech of theday.” In 1831 Lincoln made a second trip to New Orleans. He was hired, along with his stepbrother and a cousin, by Denton Offutt, a Kentucky trader and specul...

• Abraham Lincoln

  fence in 4 hectares (10 acres) to grow corn. Then he hired out to neighbors, helping them to split rails. That year, Lincoln attended a political rally and was persuaded tospeak on behalf of a local candidate. It was his first political speech. A witness recalled that Lincoln “was frightened but got warmed up and made the best speech of theday.” In 1831 Lincoln made a second trip to New Orleans. He was hired, along with his stepbrother and a cousin, by Denton Offutt, a Kentucky trader and specul...

• Abraham Lincoln - USA History.

  fence in 4 hectares (10 acres) to grow corn. Then he hired out to neighbors, helping them to split rails. That year, Lincoln attended a political rally and was persuaded tospeak on behalf of a local candidate. It was his first political speech. A witness recalled that Lincoln “was frightened but got warmed up and made the best speech of theday.” In 1831 Lincoln made a second trip to New Orleans. He was hired, along with his stepbrother and a cousin, by Denton Offutt, a Kentucky trader and specul...

• Napoleonic Wars .

  Before the effect of British sea power could be manifest, however, Napoleon increased his power over the Continent. In 1806 Prussia, aroused by Napoleon's growingstrength in Germany, joined in a Fourth Coalition with Britain, Russia, and Sweden. Napoleon badly defeated the Prussians in the Battle of Jena on October 14, 1806,and captured Berlin. He then defeated the Russians in the Battle of Friedland and forced Alexander I to make peace. By the principal terms of the Treaty of Tilsit, Russiagave...

• Djibouti (country) - country.

  l’Unité et de la Démocratie (FRUD; Front for the Renewal of Unity and Democracy) represents the Afar minority. The Parti National Démocratique (PND; Democratic National Party) and the Parti du Renouveau Démocratique (PRD; Democratic Renewal Party) are both small opposition parties favoring democratic reforms. VI HISTORY Djibouti lies at a major global crossroads where, some 100,000 years ago, early humans migrated from Africa to the Middle East. Livestock herding, which remainsimportant...

• William Henry Harrison.

  in September 1813, Harrison recaptured the city of Detroit, which the British had taken in 1812. The following month he overtook the British and Tecumseh's forces onthe Thames River in Canada. He captured the entire British force. Tecumseh was killed, and his forces were routed. Harrison's triumph on the Thames, although won over inferior forces badly placed, was vitally important because the victory secured the Northwest from the threat of aBritish invasion from Canada. It also added considerab...

• William Henry Harrison

  in September 1813, Harrison recaptured the city of Detroit, which the British had taken in 1812. The following month he overtook the British and Tecumseh's forces onthe Thames River in Canada. He captured the entire British force. Tecumseh was killed, and his forces were routed. Harrison's triumph on the Thames, although won over inferior forces badly placed, was vitally important because the victory secured the Northwest from the threat of aBritish invasion from Canada. It also added considerab...

• Paris (city, France) - geography.

  and its vibrant public square, frequented by street performers, soon became among the most popular landmarks in the city. West of the Pompidou Center is Les Halles, the site of the central market of Paris from the 12th century until 1969. The market was subsequently replaced by the Forum LesHalles, a multilevel underground complex featuring a shopping mall, museums, the Paris film library ( vidéothèque ), and a sports center. The street level of Les Halles features a garden, the Jardin des Halle...

• San Antonio (city, Texas) - geography.

  The SBC Center is the home venue for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the Women's NationalBasketball Association (WNBA). The dome also serves as the site for the Alamo Bowl, an annual post-season college football game. Large themed amusement parks inthe San Antonio area are Fiesta Texas and Sea World of Texas. San Antonio’s major annual event is the Fiesta, a ten-day celebration in late April with carnivals, ethnic feasts, art...

• Andrew Johnson.

  As senator, Johnson continued to work for a homestead law, and he was disappointed when President James Buchanan vetoed the homestead act of 1860. On theslavery issue, Johnson still followed the orthodox Southern line, but with no great enthusiasm. He voted for the resolutions proposed in 1860 by Senator Jefferson Davisof Mississippi to implement the Dred Scott Decision of 1857, which stated that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories of the United States. C1 Presidential Electio...

• Andrew Johnson

  As senator, Johnson continued to work for a homestead law, and he was disappointed when President James Buchanan vetoed the homestead act of 1860. On theslavery issue, Johnson still followed the orthodox Southern line, but with no great enthusiasm. He voted for the resolutions proposed in 1860 by Senator Jefferson Davisof Mississippi to implement the Dred Scott Decision of 1857, which stated that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories of the United States. C1 Presidential Electio...

• Terrorism.

  exploitation, ethnic discrimination, and religious persecution. Perceived inequities in the distribution of wealth and political power have led some terrorists to attempt tooverthrow democratically elected governments. To achieve a fairer society, they would replace these governments with socialist or communist regimes. Left-wingterrorist groups of the 1960s and 1970s with such aims included Germany’s Baader-Meinhof Gang, Italy’s Red Brigades, and the Weather Underground ( see Weathermen) in the...

• George Bush.

  1986 it was folded into Harken Energy Corporation, another Texas petroleum company. Bush served as a consultant and a member of Harken’s board of directors. In 1987 Bush relocated his family to Washington, D.C., to assist his father in his bid to become president. He worked as a campaign adviser at his father’s nationalcampaign headquarters, serving as a liaison to the media and to conservative and Christian leaders. He was a trusted confidant of his father and mother, whosometimes dispatched Bu...

• George Bush - USA History.

  1986 it was folded into Harken Energy Corporation, another Texas petroleum company. Bush served as a consultant and a member of Harken’s board of directors. In 1987 Bush relocated his family to Washington, D.C., to assist his father in his bid to become president. He worked as a campaign adviser at his father’s nationalcampaign headquarters, serving as a liaison to the media and to conservative and Christian leaders. He was a trusted confidant of his father and mother, whosometimes dispatched Bu...

• President of the United States.

  Democrats and Republicans—select delegates to attend their party conventions. Primary voters and caucus participants choose delegates who will support their favoredcandidate at the convention. The party conventions, held in the summer before the November general election, formally nominate the winner of the primaries andcaucuses. Would-be candidates crisscross the states that hold the earliest primaries, especially New Hampshire, which holds the country’s first primary, usually in mid-February....

• Puerto Rico - geography.

  the length of the day remains fairly constant throughout the year. San Juan has a mean July temperature of 28°C (83°F) and a mean January temperature of 25°C (77°F). The average temperature of the seawater surrounding theisland is 27°C (81°F), with little variation during the course of the year. The entire island is cooled by the trade winds from the northeast. This air also contains much water vapor. As the air is forced to rise over the mountains, it becomescooler and the water vapor condenses...

• Suriname (country) - country.

  Tongo, a Creole language. Also known as Taki-Taki, Sranang Tongo includes elements of several languages and is the vehicle for most interethnic communication. Otherlanguages spoken in Suriname include Hindi, Javanese, Chinese, English, and French. Small numbers of Native Americans still speak indigenous languages. The main religions in Suriname are Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. The majority of Christians are Roman Catholics, and members of the Moravian Church predominateamong Protestants. E...

• Adolf Hitler.

  A Economic Collapse At the end of World War I, the Allies (those countries who had fought against Germany) had demanded that Germany pay reparations—that is, payments for wardamages. The government refused to pay all that was demanded by the Allies. When Germany failed to pay enough, France and Belgium occupied the coal mines in theRuhr industrial area in west central Germany in January 1923. In protest, the German government halted all reparation payments and called for passive resistance by a...

• Adolf Hitler .

  A Economic Collapse At the end of World War I, the Allies (those countries who had fought against Germany) had demanded that Germany pay reparations—that is, payments for wardamages. The government refused to pay all that was demanded by the Allies. When Germany failed to pay enough, France and Belgium occupied the coal mines in theRuhr industrial area in west central Germany in January 1923. In protest, the German government halted all reparation payments and called for passive resistance by a...

• Middle Ages .

  Saints were very important in Late Antiquity. They were considered both models of virtue and powerful miracle workers. One of the most well-known saints of the periodwas Saint Anthony. Anthony gave away all his possessions and left his hometown in Egypt to live alone in the desert and pray. Anthony was one of the first Christianmonks. The word monk comes from a term meaning 'alone.' Gradually Anthony attracted followers, and he eventually became the center of a whole community of monks who wis...

• New France - Canadian History.

  the colony now consisted of a governor-general, an intendant , and a Sovereign Council, all located at Québec, with local governors at Trois-Rivières and Montréal, and law courts for all three districts. The senior official was the governor-general, responsible for military matters and for relations with the indigenous nations and theEnglish colonies. The intendant, a noble trained in law, was the official responsible for civil affairs: justice, law enforcement, and the maintenance of the colon...

• Spanish Empire.

  Spain’s royal government quickly imposed its own officials, first to collect taxes and then to administer the colony. Its goal was to assert royal control over both settlersand indigenous peoples. In Spain the government established a House of Trade to supervise colonial affairs and to oversee, license, and tax all trade and commerce. Asthe royal government asserted more authority over colonial activities, Columbus lost effective power, and was eventually replaced by other colonial governors. Wi...

• Spanish Empire .

  Spain’s royal government quickly imposed its own officials, first to collect taxes and then to administer the colony. Its goal was to assert royal control over both settlersand indigenous peoples. In Spain the government established a House of Trade to supervise colonial affairs and to oversee, license, and tax all trade and commerce. Asthe royal government asserted more authority over colonial activities, Columbus lost effective power, and was eventually replaced by other colonial governors. Wi...

• Denmark - country.

  forests, which cover just 11.6 percent of the country, include conifers (mainly fir, spruce, larch, and pine), beech, oak, birch, and ash. Several varieties of ferns andmosses common to the northern European mainland are also found. Wild animals are scarce. Natural animal life is limited to deer and small animals such as foxes,squirrels, hares, wild ducks, pheasants, and partridges. Numerous species of freshwater fish live in Denmark’s streams and lakes. F Environmental Issues Considered highly...

• Somalia - country.

  A Agriculture Livestock raising is the principal occupation in Somalia. The size of livestock herds began to recover in the mid-1990s after falling during the country’s civil war. Sheepand goats are the most numerous livestock, with smaller numbers of cattle. The principal crops grown are corn, sorghum, sugarcane, cassava, and bananas. B Forestry and Fishing While most wood is cut for fuel, Somalia’s major forestry export products before the 1990s were frankincense and myrrh. Fish is an import...

• Nicaraguan Revolution.

  Directorate. Within a year Robelo and Violeta Chamorro left the junta, and the Council of State was reorganized to guarantee an overwhelming Sandinista majority.Elections were postponed, restrictions were placed on the media, and relations with the Roman Catholic Church became increasingly tense. Two non-Sandinistasreplaced Robelo and Chamorro on the junta, but they had little power, and the government’s relations with opposition political parties and the private business sectordeteriorated. A D...

• Algerian War of Independence.

  commander. In Paris, General Charles de Gaulle was called to form a new government to save the situation. In June 1958 in Algiers, de Gaulle reassured the colons with the ambiguous phrase, “Je vous ai compris” (“I have understood you”). His September 1958 proposals forgreater Algerian integration into France failed to address the colons’ fears. In September 1958 the FLN created its own Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic(GPRA), with Ferhat Abbas as president. By 1959 de Gaulle realiz...

• Bosnia and Herzegovina - country.

  Serb military campaigns in 1992 and 1993 and Croat campaigns in 1993 and 1995 were aimed at expelling others from areas claimed by these groups. By the end ofthe war almost all non-Serbs had been expelled from Serb-claimed lands in eastern and northern Bosnia, and non-Croats from Croat-claimed lands in southwesternBosnia. In turn, most non-Muslims had left land under Muslim control in northwestern Bosnia. The largest cities had mixed populations in 1991, but the war and its aftermath made them a...

• Cuban Missile Crisis.

  inspect ships to determine whether they were carrying weapons. Kennedy warned that if Khrushchev fired missiles from Cuba, the result would be “a full retaliatoryresponse upon the Soviet Union.” Because international law defines a blockade as an act of war, Kennedy and his advisers decided to refer to the blockade as a quarantine. The United States wassupported by other members of the Organization of American States, an organization of nations in the western hemisphere that seek to cooperate on...

• Cuban Missile Crisis - U.

  inspect ships to determine whether they were carrying weapons. Kennedy warned that if Khrushchev fired missiles from Cuba, the result would be “a full retaliatoryresponse upon the Soviet Union.” Because international law defines a blockade as an act of war, Kennedy and his advisers decided to refer to the blockade as a quarantine. The United States wassupported by other members of the Organization of American States, an organization of nations in the western hemisphere that seek to cooperate on...

• Cuban Revolution.

  Confederation of Labor, threw its support behind Batista. In the same month, the U.S. government cut off weapons sales to Batista’s government. U.S. envoys andpolitical moderates in Cuba tried to convince Batista to leave power peacefully, but Batista refused. Meanwhile, revolutionaries from Castro’s movement and from otherorganizations escalated violent resistance. During the second half of 1958, guerrillas seized ground in the countryside from the army. In the cities, several of Batista’sleadi...

• Holy Roman Empire I INTRODUCTION Holy Roman Empire, political entity of lands in western and central Europe, founded by Charlemagne in AD 800 and dissolved by Emperor Francis II in 1806.

  acquired the imperial title and an area running from the North Sea through Lotharingia (Lorraine) and Burgundy to northern Italy; Louis II received East Francia (theGerman duchies of Saxony, Swabia, and Bavaria). In 870 Lothair’s middle kingdom was divided by the Treaty of Mersen, which gave Lotharingia to East Francia and therest to West Francia. This division created the foundation for today’s states of Germany and France, respectively; however, in the 9th century these were highly fractured d...

• Holy Roman Empire .

  acquired the imperial title and an area running from the North Sea through Lotharingia (Lorraine) and Burgundy to northern Italy; Louis II received East Francia (theGerman duchies of Saxony, Swabia, and Bavaria). In 870 Lothair’s middle kingdom was divided by the Treaty of Mersen, which gave Lotharingia to East Francia and therest to West Francia. This division created the foundation for today’s states of Germany and France, respectively; however, in the 9th century these were highly fractured d...

• History of Colonial America - U.

  Despite the lack of settlement, New France prospered as a vast fur-trading enterprise. French explorers traveled deep into the North American continent seeking newsupplies of deerskins and beaver pelts. In 1673 French missionary Jacques Marquette reached the Mississippi River in present-day Wisconsin. In 1681 explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, traveled down the majestic Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. He honored the reign of King Louis XIV (1643-1715) by creating the newcolony...

• Julius Caesar I INTRODUCTION Julius Caesar (100-44 BC), Roman general and statesman whose dictatorship was pivotal in Rome's transition from republic to empire.

  V CROSSING THE RUBICON In 52 BC, with Crassus out of the way, Pompey was made sole consul. Combined with his other powers, this gave him a formidable position. Jealous of his younger rival, he determined to break Caesar’s power. To achieve this objective, he first needed to deprive Caesar of the forces he commanded in Gaul. Pompey ordered him toreturn to Rome without his troops. To protect himself, Caesar suggested that he and Pompey both lay down their commands simultaneously, but this propos...

• Julius Caesar.

  V CROSSING THE RUBICON In 52 BC, with Crassus out of the way, Pompey was made sole consul. Combined with his other powers, this gave him a formidable position. Jealous of his younger rival, he determined to break Caesar’s power. To achieve this objective, he first needed to deprive Caesar of the forces he commanded in Gaul. Pompey ordered him toreturn to Rome without his troops. To protect himself, Caesar suggested that he and Pompey both lay down their commands simultaneously, but this propos...