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rohirwine

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Posts posted by rohirwine

    Trends in world's politics.

    in Hall of Intellectuals

    Posted

    Sukkit's reply about who will win US next elections made me think a lot:

    I don't know who will win.

    I hope Kerry wins.

    I don't think there will be much of a difference between Kerry and Bush.

    He believes that if either Bush or Kerry win, not much will change.

    This makes me think that the same opinion is spread among italians about our political representatives: they're not much different in their political views and/or deeds.

    I'm almost sure something similar i've heard about Belgium, Germany, England, Israel (but not so sure about this) and maybe Spain.

    a.What's your opinion?

    b.Is this good or bad?

    c.Why you prefer one politician instead of another (if those feelings are founded)?

    d.How can this be overcome?

    Link to the original thread: http://forums.wildfiregames.com/wfg/index....?showtopic=2221

  4. From when to when would you date Britain's

    in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion

    Posted

    medieval period (ends with the fall of the Eastern Roman empire)

    Basically the same here, but scholars tend to stick with the "discovery of America" for this one.

    Actually those dates do not matter much if not to have a timeline and a sketchy division of periods (some scholars make the Medieval age end with the Black Death in the middle of XIV cent., as istance): those are subtleties better left to boring erudites.

    :P

  5. What was the British class system all about ?

    in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion

    Posted

    The French king Filips tried to break the power of those cities in 1302, but his huge army for that time was defeated by a smaller army of peasants and artisans; known as the Battle of the Golden Spurs. :P

    Well said, the battle was so called because the Flemish captured (or pillaged, form the deads) so many spurs that they had them hung in a cathedral (Burge's or Ghent's one?, can't remember).

    According to Kelly DeVries's Infantry warfare in the early XIV cent. (who treated also other battles like Arcs, Bannockburn or Halidon Hill), the Flemish won because they prepared the field, stayed firm and compact against the cavalry charge, and because the french did not recognize the danger of retreating in a terrain crossed by dikes, and trenches purposedly excavated by the Flemish. Basically, after the first wave was blocked, the second wave charged in without letting their comrades to retreat, thus ending in a total chaos and loosing the momentum...

    ...it seems that after that (and some other victories achieved in the same manner) the Flemish did not realize exactly that to stop a cavalry charge, things had to be arranged in the same way, and subsequently lost some important if not decisive fights.

  9. Who are the aristocracy ?

    in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion

    Posted

    Well, Amy, this is correct if you think about the "modern" period (i intend: from the XVI cent. onwards), when those rules were codified to prevent other influent high-middle class personalities to raise to the aristocracy level. And you're absolutly correct when you state that the term (and the meaning) originates from the greeks. During late Roman period and the middle ages, though, this class was somehow more fluid.

    It depended heavily on the favours granted by the ruler king (or emperor). Etius (Ezio) one of the best generals of the late western roman empire, was of barbarian origin but was granted the title of Patritius (Patrice) by the emperor (and was killed by other Patritii, when he got too much power). Similarly othe figures emerged during the dark ages and the feudal period, with a tendency to sclerotization though.

    :P

  10. When did the English way of life become dominant..

    in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion

    Posted

    I think (but i'm not sure) when industrialization and inhurbation reached the country (surely after 1749, prolly around 1800). The migration of farmers and peasants to the towns and cities, and their growing dependence from english financers and induatrials made the adopting of the english way of life quite easier.

    BTW: this is the time when the legend of the tartan was created.

    No clans with a particular tartan colour existed before that time: it was Robert L. Stevenson who forged (or made a document being forged) the proofs of that and spread this hoax. It was the time of the growing of nationalisms, scots needed something to focus their national feelings on: a symbol, the Tartan.

    A good reading about it: The invention of Tradition edited by Eric J. Hobsbaum.

  11. Tim's discourse on Britain's medieval period

    in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion

    Posted

    Magna Charta: it was not the crumble of feudalism, but the victory of the nobles against the king.

    Sometimes we have to decript things written by medieval men: when they write "freemen" they intend not all men who were free, but basically nobility. The rights they asked for were for aristocracy only, in relation of the king.

    Sidenote: many nobles were unhappy with John since the loss of Normandy to the french crown, hence the loss of feudal holdings in that region. John conducted a well planned campaign against the french king Philip (IV?) , but could only strengthen his holdings and not regain Normandy, since his allies from Flanders and from the Holy Roman Empire (the Emperor itself) moved so slowly against France that they were fought separately and were defeated. The nobles were veeeery angry about many promises being made by John, much more money being spent (many soldiers were mercenaries) out from their chests and nothing tangible being gained... ...they wanted to be assured not to be forced to give feudal services (money and partecipation to the war) if they did not want to... :P

  12. What was the British class system all about ?

    in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion

    Posted

    Sidenote: after the stabilization of the Norman reign, new classes emerged from the towns. The bugeoises. Not intended in the modern sense, they were free people, who quite often were free from feudal obliges (but owed a tribute and some form of military service to the king) and practiced artisan activities. Not much important in the beginning, but with a growing influence over the years.

    Nice summing up Klaas!

  13. From when to when would you date Britain's

    in Introductions & Off-Topic Discussion

    Posted

    Yeah it's not always clear when an era ends and begins another (there is the fascinating issue of long duration phenomena: characteristics wich tend to remain influent for over than an historical period).

    But i'd left out Henry the VIII, since his struggle with the Pope has much more to do with the religion clashes and the founding of the modern state typical of the subsequent historical period (wich in Italy we call "modern", while we call "contemporary" the one starting from the french revolution: as you can see it's diffcult to share the same definitions...)

    :P

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