The last nine seizures of territories known to world history. USA
New countries appear with frightening regularity. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were only a few dozen independent sovereign states on the planet. Today there are almost 200 of them! If a country has already formed, then it is for a long time, so the disappearance of a country is extremely rare. There have been very few such cases in the last century. But if a country falls apart, then it completely disappears from the face of the Earth: along with the flag, the government and everything else. Below are ten of the most famous countries that once existed and flourished, but ceased to exist for one reason or another.
10. German Democratic Republic(GDR), 1949-1990
Established after World War II in a sector controlled by the Soviet Union, the German Democratic Republic was best known for its Wall and its tendency to shoot people who tried to get over it.
The wall was torn down with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990. After its demolition, Germany united and again became a whole state. However, in the beginning, due to the fact that the German Democratic Republic was rather poor, unification with the rest of Germany almost ruined the country. At the moment, everything is fine in Germany.
9. Czechoslovakia, 1918-1992
Founded on the ruins of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, during its existence Czechoslovakia was one of the most vibrant democracies in pre-World War II Europe. Betrayed by Britain and France in 1938 in Munich, she was completely occupied by Germany and disappeared from the world map by March 1939. Later, she was occupied by the Soviets, who made her one of the vassals of the USSR. She was in the sphere of influence Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. After the collapse, it again became a prosperous democratic state.
This story should have ended there, and, probably, the state would have been intact to this day if the ethnic Slovaks living in the eastern half of the country had not demanded secession into an independent state, dividing Czechoslovakia in two in 1992.
Today, Czechoslovakia no longer exists, in its place there is the Czech Republic in the west and Slovakia in the east. Although, given the fact that the Czech economy is booming, Slovakia, which is not doing so well, probably regrets secession.
8. Yugoslavia, 1918-1992
Just like Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia was a product of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a result of World War II. Consisting mainly of parts of Hungary and the original territory of Serbia, Yugoslavia, unfortunately, did not follow the more intelligent example of Czechoslovakia. Instead, it was something of an autocratic monarchy before the Nazis invaded the country in 1941. After that, it was under German occupation. After the defeat of the Nazis in 1945, Yugoslavia did not become part of the USSR, but became a communist country under the leadership of the socialist dictator, Marshal Josip Tito, leader of the partisan army during World War II. Yugoslavia remained a non-aligned authoritarian socialist republic until 1992, when internal conflicts and intransigent nationalism erupted into civil war. After it, the country broke up into six small states (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro), becoming a clear example of what can happen if cultural, ethnic and religious assimilation goes wrong.
7. Austro-Hungarian Empire, 1867-1918
While all the countries that found themselves on the side of the losers after the First World War found themselves in an unsightly economic and geographical location, none of them lost more than the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was gnawed like a roast turkey in a homeless shelter. From the collapse of the once huge empire, such modern countries as Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia emerged, and part of the lands of the empire went to Italy, Poland and Romania.
So why did it fall apart while its neighbor, Germany, remained intact? Yes, because it did not have a common language and self-determination, instead, various ethnic and religious groups lived in it, which, to put it mildly, did not get along with each other. In general, the Austro-Hungarian Empire endured what Yugoslavia endured, only on a much larger scale, when it was torn apart by ethnic hatred. The only difference was that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was torn apart by the victors, while the disintegration of Yugoslavia was internal and spontaneous.
6. Tibet, 1913-1951
Although the territory known as Tibet existed for over a thousand years, it did not become an independent state until 1913. However, under the peaceful tutelage of a number of Dalai Lamas, it eventually clashed with Communist China in 1951 and was occupied by Mao's forces, thus ending its brief existence as a sovereign state. In the 1950s, China occupied Tibet, which grew more and more unrest, until Tibet finally rebelled in 1959. This led China to annex the region and dissolve the Tibetan government. Thus, Tibet ceased to exist as a country and instead became a "region", instead of a country. Today, Tibet is a huge tourist attraction for the Chinese government, even though there is a feud between Beijing and Tibet, due to the fact that Tibet again demands to return its independence.
5. South Vietnam, 1955-1975
South Vietnam was created by forcibly expelling the French from Indochina in 1954. Someone decided that dividing Vietnam into two parts around the 17th parallel would be a good idea, leaving Communist Vietnam in the north and pseudo-democratic Vietnam in the south. As in the case of Korea, nothing good came of it. The situation led to a war between South and North Vietnam, which eventually involved the United States. This war became for the United States of America one of the most devastating and costly wars in which America has ever taken part. In the end, torn apart by internal divisions, America withdrew its troops from Vietnam and left it to itself in 1973. For two years, Vietnam, divided in two, fought until North Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union, seized control of the country, eliminating South Vietnam forever. The capital of the former South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, Vietnam has been a socialist utopia.
4. United Arab Republic, 1958-1971
This is another failed attempt to unite the Arab world. The Egyptian president, an ardent socialist, Gamel Abdel Nasser, believed that unification with Egypt's distant neighbor, Syria, would lead to the fact that their common enemy, Israel, would be surrounded on all sides, and that the united country would become super- strength of the region. Thus, the short-lived United Arab Republic was created, an experiment that was doomed to fail from the start. Separated by several hundred kilometers, creating a centralized government seemed an impossible task, plus Syria and Egypt could never agree on what the national priorities were.
The problem would be solved if Syria and Egypt united and destroyed Israel. But their plans were thwarted by the inopportune Six Day War of 1967, which ruined their joint border plans and turned the United Arab Republic into a defeat of biblical proportions. After that, the days of the union were numbered, and, in the end, the UAR fell apart with the death of Nasser in 1970. Without a charismatic Egyptian president to maintain a fragile alliance, the UAR quickly disintegrated, re-establishing Egypt and Syria as separate states.
3. Ottoman Empire, 1299-1922
One of the greatest empires in the history of mankind, the Ottoman Empire collapsed in November 1922, after a fairly long existence of over 600 years. It once stretched from Morocco to the Persian Gulf and from Sudan to Hungary. Its disintegration was the result of a long process of disintegration over many centuries, by the beginning of the 20th century only a shadow of its former glory remained from it.
But even then it remained an influential force in the Middle East and North Africa, and most likely would have remained so today if it had not participated in the First World War on the losing side. After the First World War, it was disbanded, its largest part (Egypt, Sudan and Palestine) went to England. In 1922, it became useless and eventually collapsed completely when the Turks won their war of independence in 1922 and terrified the Sultanate, creating modern Turkey along the way. However, the Ottoman Empire deserves respect for its continued existence no matter what.
2. Sikkim, 8th century AD-1975
Have you never heard of this country? Where have you been all this time? Well, seriously, how could you not know about small, landlocked Sikkim, nestled safely in the Himalayas between India and Tibet...that is, China. The size of a hot dog stand, it was one of those unknown, forgotten monarchies that managed to hold out until the 20th century, when its citizens realized that they had no particular reason to remain an independent state, and decided to unite with modern India in 1975.
What was remarkable about this small state? Yes, because, despite his incredibly small size, he had eleven official languages, which probably created chaos when signing road signs - this is assuming that there were roads in Sikkim.
1. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(Soviet Union), 1922-1991
It is difficult to imagine the history of the world without the participation of the Soviet Union in it. One of the most powerful countries on the planet, which collapsed in 1991, for seven decades it has been a symbol of friendship between peoples. It was formed after the collapse of the Russian Empire after the First World War and flourished for many decades. The Soviet Union defeated the Nazis when the efforts of all other countries were insufficient to stop Hitler. The Soviet Union almost went to war with the United States in 1962, an event called the Caribbean Crisis.
After the Soviet Union collapsed after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it split into fifteen sovereign states, thus creating the largest bloc of countries since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Now the main successor to the Soviet Union is democratic Russia.
MUNICIPAL BUDGET GENERAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION "SEVERAGE EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL №2 OF KYZYL"
School stage of the All-Russian competition pedagogical excellence"Teacher of the Year-2015"
Open lesson on history in grade 7a on the topic:
« Gain royalty
in the XVI - XVII centuries. Absolutism in Europe"
Khovalyg Eres Biche-oolovich
KYZYL-2015
Topic: “Strengthening of royal power in the 16th – 17th centuries. Absolutism in Europe"
Class: 7 A
Type of lesson: lesson learning a new topic.
Level of study: basic
Literature: “General history. New story 1500-1800" ed. AND I. Yudovskaya, P.A. Baranova, L.M. Vanyushkina, M., Enlightenment, 2012
Goals: - to study the historical conditions for the development of European absolutism, the main features of absolutist states;
To form ideas about the special features of French absolutism under Louis XIV.
- continue the development of skills to highlight the main thing in the teacher's story and in the text of the textbook, draw up diagrams (the main features of absolutism), solve cognitive problems and learning problems.
- develop self-control skills; contribute to the resolution of a personally significant problem of the formation of relations between the individual and the state: whether the authorities can demand unconditional submission from the individual or not.
Raising respect for the historical past, to instill an interest in the knowledge of history.
Technology: multimedia presentation, testing, problem situation.
Equipment: computer, presentation, interactive whiteboard, tests, Absolutism table.
Lesson structure:
- Organizational moment, emotional mood of students
- Actualization of knowledge (repetition of the studied topic, testing, mutual verification)
- Learning a new topic (conversation, dialogue, presentation)
- Physical education, musical break
- Primary application of new knowledge (independent group work on slide 12, answer questions)
- Consolidation of a new topic and its application in practice (work on the textbook, pp. 32-33, work in pairs)
- Information about homework instructions for its implementation
- Summing up the lesson, reflection, grading.
During the classes
- Organizing time.
Set students up for a favorable and emotional mood. The teacher expresses his wish:
Be diligent in class
Be calm and attentive
Speak clearly, clearly
To make everything clear!
- Motivation learning activities(setting goals and objectives of the lesson)
In modern times, absolutist states were formed in Europe. They begin to form at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century. in the context of the emergence of capitalist relations. In France, absolutism acquired a more complete and lasting development, so it is considered classical.
(sl.2) Problem question:Why do you think there was a struggle against absolutism in society?
"Born subjects must obey"
Students answer slide 2.
“The will of God is that every born subject should obey without reasoning” - this phrase expresses the meaning of absolutism.
(sl.3) Text on the slide: Absolutism - a form of government in which supreme power is unlimitedly vested in one person - the monarch. Absolutism takes shape during the period of decomposition of traditional society (XV - XVI centuries), and reaches its peak in the XVII century. during the reign of Louis XIV - King of France.
Students on slides 2, 3 determine the topic of the lesson.
So, guys, you correctly identified the topic of today's lesson: “Strengthening of royal power in the 16th - 17th centuries. Absolutism in Europe.
What goals will you set for yourself?
Student responses:
Learn what absolutism is, its main features and development in France and England. Expand your knowledge on this topic.
3. Actualization of knowledge (repetition of the studied topic, testing, mutual verification)
Checking homework: (5 minutes)
Test for each student (individual work)
1) Which of the sailors managed to open a sea route to India?
A) Christopher Columbus.
B) Bartolomeu Dias.
C) Amerigo Vespucci.
D) Fernando Magellan.
2) Which traveler coined the term "New World"?
A) Christopher Columbus.
B) Bartolomeu Dias.
C) Amerigo Vespucci.
D) Vasco da Gama.
3) Which of the outstanding travelers discovered the Pacific Ocean, the Mariana and Philippine Islands while sailing?
A) Christopher Columbus.
b) Amerigo Vespucci.
B) Bartolomeo Dias
D) Fernando Magellan.
4) Conquista is ...
A) reconquering the conquered lands
B) conquest
C) payment of funds from the defeated state to the winner
D) form of government
5) The most cruel of the conquerors was:
A) Hernando Cortes
B) Ferdinand Magellan
B) James Cook
D) John Cabot
6) Which country could not capture large countries. Therefore, she turned her eyes to the countries of India, Arabia, East Africa?
A) France
B) Portugal
B) the Netherlands
D) Great Britain
The check is carried out by the students themselves in pairs, the answers are displayed on the board:
Key:
Test results: for "5" -4 students, for "4" -10, for "3" -10.
Testing showed how students learned and consolidated the studied material.
4. Learning a new topic (conversation, dialogue, presentation). Record the topic of the lesson in a notebook. Definition of absolutism. Table on slide No. 4
A) absolutism - a form of government in which supreme power is unlimitedly vested in one person - the monarch. Absolutism takes shape during the period of decomposition of traditional society (XV - XVI centuries), and reaches its peak in the XVII century. during the reign of Louis XIV - King of France(sl.4)
It has:
1) creation of a nationwide administrative apparatus
2) the formation of a permanent army
3) creation of a state tax system
4) the introduction of a unified state legislation and administrative structure, unified measures and weights
5) formation of a state church
6) implementation of a unified state economic policy
On the example of France, we will trace the process of the formation of an absolute monarchy.
- (sl. 5) Under absolutism, the annexation of outlying territories continues, and the attempts of the old feudal power to maintain its independence are thwarted. In France many previously independent provinces are losing their independence, and in England Henry XVIII Tudor led his troops into independent territories and subjugated them: he disbanded the feudal troops, razed the rebel castles to the ground, and confiscated the lands.
B) “How could my ancestors allow such an institution…”
In the era of absolutism, the estate-representative bodies - the Estates General in France, the Parliament in England - lose their former significance. Monarchs, of course, dream of getting rid of them, inventing all sorts of means to reduce their importance. The methods of stick and carrot were used.
(sq. 6) In England, the Tudors had to reckon with Parliament. According to custom, the English kings had no right to collect taxes without their permission. The Tudors preferred to cooperate with Parliament rather than fight.
- (sl. 7)
Let's follow the dynamics of convocation of parliament:
Henry Tudor VIII- 21 times (for 37 years)
Daughter Elizabeth - 13 times (for 45 years)
(sl. 8) _ James I - nephew of the childless Elizabeth - did not hide his disgust for Parliament and said: “I do not understand how my ancestors could allow such an institution. I have to put up with what I can't get rid of.
He gathered parliament once and addressed it with these words: “In my person, God sent down a blessing on you. I am a husband, and the whole island is my lawful wife. I am the head, and the island is my body. I am a shepherd. And the island is my herd.
- In France, the States General did not become a permanent body. They were convened rarely, only in case of great need. From 1614 to 1789 The Estates General never met.
C) Unified system of state administration.
- (sl. 9) Students complete this table.(on one's own).
England | France |
The central administrative and executive body was Privy Council . whose members were appointed by the monarch Functions: 1) determined the directions of domestic and foreign policies 2) dealt with finance issues 3) solved the issues of the country's defense | The head of state is the king. He had a council, but the monarch himself appointed its members and made decisions alone. The members of the council were princes of the blood, the highest spiritual ranks, financiers, lawyers, but in fact the power is concentrated in the hands of the king |
D) Judicial and local power under the control of the king.
(sl.10 - 11)
England | France |
1. Most of the cases were transferred to the jurisdiction of tworoyal courts 2. The Star Chamber was created 3. There were also elected justices of the peace , who were formally chosen at a meeting of nobles, but in fact the candidates were chosen by the king They were called the "eyes and ears of the crown" 4. The government was carried out by officials: from 1000 to 1500 people | 1. Parliaments , constraining the power of kings, they had the right to appeal judicial and government decisions. The Parlement of Paris enjoyed the greatest influence. Who could appoint a regent, consider treaties and decrees of the king 2. The government was carried out by officials: in the 16th century - 8 thousand, and in the 17th century - 46 thousand. |
- Physical education, musical break. (1 minute)
Exercise for the eyes and for posture correction.
E) (continuation of the topic) The army in the service of the monarch. Tax system.
One of the features of European absolutism is the formationpermanent professional army. A feature of English absolutism is the absence of a regular army from the monarch. But there was a royal navy.
(sl. 13)
France in the 15th century a permanent mercenary army was created (in the 16th century - 25 thousand people). Professionals need to be paid. It was expensive to maintain an army and government officials, so the amount of taxes increased all the time.
In France, a state tax system is being formed, characteristic of European absolute monarchies. The French state levied taxes on the 3rd estate. 2 direct taxes: talya - a tax on land and property and a poll tax. Indirect taxes were also levied, for example, gabel - a tax on salt
E) Common economic policy. (sl. 14)
Mercantile protectionism
- How economic policy was organized under the conditions of absolutism).
- In the era of absolutism, the economic policy of European states was dominated by mercantilism - an economic policy based on the belief that precious metals constitute the main form of wealth and that the prosperity of the state depends on their abundance.
- Needed to be rightorganize international trade: export from the country had to exceed import. The governments of European states banned the import of foreign goods, trying to establish their own production.Support for French industrialists and merchants, protection of the French domestic market from foreign competition is calledprotectionism.
Writing in notebooks and definitions of words: mercantilism and protectionism.
Make a conclusion.
6. Primary application of new knowledge (independent group work on slide 12, answer questions)
(sl. 12) - "The Monarch is the anointed of God"
Under which monarch did absolutism reach its peak? (under Louis XIV)
What was the supreme power of the king? (determined the religion of the state, ruled the court, minted coins, collected taxes, granted the nobility to commoners)
Oral responses of students in groups:
1st group, 2nd group, 3rd group, 4th group.
1 point 2 b. 2b. 1 b.
- Consolidation of a new topic and its application in practice(textbook work, pp. 32-33, work in pairs, written work). Selective check by the teacher of written work.
- Control of assimilation, discussion of the mistakes made and their correction, individual activity students.
What is absolutism?
- List the features of absolutism
Answers:
Unlimited power of the ruler: there is no body in the state that would legally limit the sovereignty of the monarch;
- The activity of estate-representative bodies ceases or loses its former significance;
- A high degree of centralization of the state and the power of the king;
- Creation of a state administrative apparatus (an extensive bureaucratic apparatus), which is controlled by the monarch himself;
- Creation of the cult of the royal person and the etiquette of court life.
- Uniform State Legislation
- Formation of a nationwide tax system;
- Carrying out a unified economic policy of mercantilism and protectionism;
- Formation of a state church;
- Formation of a professional standing army.
- Information about homework, instructions for its implementation.
Fill in the table according to the textbook on page 36 and complete research work on the topic "Governance".
Used literature: Internet resource, textbook, reference literature, historical encyclopedia.
- Summing up the lesson, reflection.
Several students talk about their activities in the lesson.
I learned what absolutism is, tried to answer questions on my own, but made mistakes.
Well done! Verification testing, independent written work, oral answers showed how you learned and consolidated new topic. I really liked your activity in the lesson, the desire to do all the tasks on your own. Actively and effectively worked at all stages of the lesson. Thanks everyone! grades for the lesson:"5" -5 students, "4" -9 people, "3" -10 students
Lesson results:
Children in the lesson worked actively, at the level of their age, tried to independently acquire knowledge and draw conclusions, find their mistakes. Created a positive motivation for learning. The lesson successfully used a multimedia presentation to activate cognitive activity students. Forms of adjustment, control and self-control of students' activities in the lesson are organized in accordance with the presentation of perception and processing of information. The quality of knowledge is 60%. UO-100%.
According to the authors, it is impossible to conquer Russia not only because of the well-known "General Frost" (although for many countries the Russian climate alone in winter is an insurmountable obstacle). Invading Russia is extremely difficult, and any history student knows this, the newspaper writes. For example, when Napoleon entered the country in 1812, the Russians retreated and destroyed cities and other infrastructure. They would rather destroy their country than give it to the enemy, the author is sure.
In addition, any invader must remember that Russia is the largest country in the world, divided into 11 time zones. But that's not all. On the territory of the Russian Federation, you can find a variety of climatic zones - from polar to subtropical. Do not forget about the closest neighbors of the Russian Federation, many of which are still ready to take up arms to protect their ally. This further expands the geography of a possible invasion at the expense of the Kazakh steppes, the mountains of the Caucasus, etc.
The Russians themselves are hardy and skilled warriors and good hunters, writes We Are The Mighty. They do not need to be forced to fight the invaders, because they grew up on stories about the Great Patriotic war won by their ancestors.
For a similar reason, it will not be possible to capture the United States, the author of the article believes. After all, the invader will have to face not only the heavily armed United States army, but all 330 million American citizens, most of whom own weapons.
As in the case of Russia, another significant obstacle to the invasion will be the vast territory of the country and its diverse climate. Another rather unexpected advantage that We Are The Mighty writes about is the numerous street gangs operating on the streets of major American cities. It is assumed that they will also cause a lot of trouble to the invaders, complicating the already difficult occupation of megacities.
The secret of Afghanistan's invincibility is in its relief. None of the empires, which included the largest British Empire in history and two superpowers - the USSR and the USA, managed to conquer this country. The desert "bowl", surrounded by high and long mountain ranges, became an insurmountable obstacle for the invaders. In case of defeat, the Afghans can always take refuge in the mountains to recover and prepare for new battles. In addition, mountains neutralize all the advantages of tanks and armored vehicles.
Another important factor is the country's population, which consists of several dozen different ethnic groups. Afghans are loyal to their clans, tribes, sheikhs, country, religion, etc. In the event of an invasion, the invader must subjugate more than 34 million people to his will.
Another invincible country is China. An invader who invades the country must be ready to fight a billion Chinese. Of course, not all of them are armed and trained to fight, but it will not take long for the government to start distributing weapons to the population. Additional problems for the invaders will create difficult climatic conditions and the length of the Chinese borders.
If the interventionist troops are not destroyed by the People's Liberation Army of China, they will have to deal with tropical diseases and various ailments associated with overpopulation, writes We Are The Mighty.
Do not forget that the Chinese know how to masterfully copy foreign technologies, so they will not have problems with equipment and equipment.
The inclusion of India in the list of invincible countries for many may come as a surprise. However, the harsh mountain passes in the north and east of the country, as well as the vast desert regions in the northwest, can become an insurmountable obstacle to those who decide to attack India.
The most preferred place for the landing of troops and the beginning of the invasion are the beaches in the south-east of the country. However, the humid tropical climate can cause a lot of trouble for the invaders. In addition, the territorial waters will be controlled by Indian Navy submarines, which will be able to sink both warships, and enemy landing craft.
Since gaining independence, India has had many conflicts with its closest neighbors - China and Pakistan. The country's defense strategy is based on waging a war on two fronts - and the armed forces of India are ready for this.
A virtually unlimited number of workers, religious fervor and a population of one billion also make India a formidable adversary, the author of the article sums up.
The United States used various methods to annex new lands. They were conquered, annexed, bought, attached at the request local residents and rented. The 13 states that originally made up the United States of America then occupied an area comparable in size to the Philippines. For a century, came under US control most of continent North America, Philippines, islands in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Robert Leckie \\ Robert Leckie, author of the study "From Sea to Sea: The Saga of America's Expansion" \\ From Sea to Shining Sea: From the War of 1812 to the Mexican War, the Saga of America's Expansion, notes that not a single country world did not increase the size of its territory as quickly as the United States. The reasons for the appearance of new lands in the United States were very diverse. American politicians by no means craved the growth of territories just for the sake of growth. In many cases, a significant part American society cool attitude to such actions of the authorities, and sometimes protested against them.
The process of acquiring new lands began already a quarter of a century after the United States gained independence from the British Empire (1776). In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson \\ Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) decided to buy from France its colonial possession - "Louisiana Territory", an area of more than 2 million square meters. km. France, which for a number of reasons did not need Louisiana, asked for $15 million for it, and the main part of this amount, $11 million 250 thousand, had to be paid immediately, and the rest was compensated by the repayment of France's debt to US citizens. As a result, the territory of the United States almost doubled, 13 new states were formed on this piece of land. Many in the United States were highly skeptical of Jefferson's decision. Similar views on the increment of land often prevailed later.
In 1819, the United States bought the Florida peninsula from Spain. The United States decided to acquire these lands for security reasons: local Indians from the Seminole tribe constantly made devastating raids on the neighboring state of Georgia. Spain agreed to sell these lands, which she could not fully control, because she did not have the strength and desire to deal with them - it was at the beginning of the 19th century that she faced mass unrest in her colonies in America. Florida went to the United States for $5 million - in fact, Washington did not pay this money, since these funds were used to pay off the claims of US citizens to the Spanish crown.
In 1845, Texas, previously owned by Spain, and after that by Mexico, became part of the United States. The annexation of Texas had a very complex and confusing history. A quarter of a century earlier, Americans had received permission from the Mexican government to settle in Texas. The settlers had to remain faithful to Mexico, learn Spanish and convert to Catholicism. However, the Mexican authorities did not pay much attention to the observance of these rules. The settlers organized large-scale cotton production in Texas, and already in the 1830s, the number of English-speaking Texans exceeded the number of Hispanics. That's when the crisis hit. In 1831, Mexico abolished slavery (in the United States, slavery lasted another three decades), which could have caused the financial collapse of the Texas planters, who needed cheap labor. In addition, the Mexican government restricted immigration to Texas and dramatically increased customs duties. In 1833, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana came to power in Mexico, supported by the nationalists. The general decided to regain, de facto, lost control of Texas. In 1835, Mexican soldiers tried to seize the guns that were in the town of Gonzales. The settlers rebelled and drove the Mexican troops out of the city. This was the beginning of the war. Mexican forces were led by Santa Ana himself. When suppressing the uprising, he showed extreme cruelty - all captured insurgents were shot on the spot. This, in fact, sealed the fate of Texas. Separatist ideas, which were initially not very popular, gained many fans. In 1836, the Texan militia defeated the Mexican army, Santa Ana was captured. In return for his release, he granted Texas independence. In 1836, Separatist leader Samuel Houston became president of the Republic of Texas.
The United States openly sympathized with Texas, but for a number of reasons (first of all, due to the problem of slavery, whose opponents were gaining more and more influence in the United States, and the economic crisis), for a long time they did not want to include Texas in the United States (the corresponding appeal from the Texas government came to Washington almost immediately after the inauguration of Houston) and even refused to recognize the independence of the new state, fearing a war with Mexico. Texas even began similar negotiations with other states. The reasons for this were the political, economic and military weakness of the new state, constant friction with the Mexicans and Indians. The British Empire reacted most favorably to this annexation of Texas, however, it was also frightened off by Texas slavery (slavery in the territory of the empire was declared illegal in 1833). However, in 1845, the United States annexed Texas, which received the status of a state (one of the main reasons for this decision was the fear that the newborn republic would come under the rule of the British crown). The Texans and part of the Americans (supporters of the preservation of the institution of slavery) reacted to this decision with enthusiasm. However, Mexico went to war with the US. Historian Joel Silbey, author of "Storm over Texas"\Storm over Texas: The Annexation Controversy and the Road to Civil War, believes that the controversial annexation of Texas was one of the factors that indirectly caused the start of civil war in the USA (started a decade and a half later).
A year later, the "Oregon Territory" joined the United States, which is now occupied by the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, partly Montana and Wyoming. These were disputed lands with a mixed population, initially claimed by the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia and Spain. Gradually, the number of applicants for a huge piece of land was reduced to two - the United States and the British Empire. In 1818, both parties agreed to share ownership of the area. Nevertheless, tensions persisted, since both countries had different ideas about where the borders of their possessions should be. Time worked for the USA, since the Americans were actively developing the Oregon Territory. In 1844, US presidential candidate James K. Polk declared that the US should gain control of the territories south of the 54th parallel. Then the slogan "Fifty-Four or War" appeared in the USA. After Polk's victory in the elections, American-British negotiations began, as a result of which the United States received land south of the 49th parallel (1846). However, all disputed issues were not resolved, the consequence of which was the war that broke out in 1859.
The war with Mexico, which began after the annexation of Texas, led to the fact that the United States included the current states of New Mexico, Arizona, California, part of Colorado, Utah and Nevada. Mexico, which started fighting in 1847, quickly defeated (American troops occupied Mexico City). The treaty was signed in 1848: Mexico lost a significant part of its territory. In return, the US paid Mexico $15 million and pledged to repay the financial claims of affected US citizens against the Mexican government (in the amount of approximately $3 million).
Five years later (1853), Mexico again sold part of its land to the United States (now South part California and Arizona). The reason was the construction of a transcontinental railway, which was supposed to connect the West and East of the USA - it was profitable to lay it along this route. The US proposal was accepted by the same President (and General) Santa Ana. Historian David M. Pletcher, author of The Diplomacy of Annexation: Texas, Oregon, and the Mexican War, believes that Santa Ana took this highly unpopular move in Mexico. due to the economic bankruptcy of his government. The United States paid $10 million for an area of approximately 70,000 square meters. km.
A number of small island territories in the Pacific Ocean were annexed by the United States through the Guano Act, passed by the US Congress under pressure from farmers in 1856. Jimmy M. Skaggs, author of The Great Guano Rush: Entrepreneurs and American Overseas Expansion, notes that guano - deposits of bird droppings - were then considered the best fertilizer and were extremely expensive (the main supplier of guano is Peru - in the middle of the 19th century received income comparable to the income of modern oil-exporting countries). The law stated that if a US citizen discovered deposits of guano on any island or rock that does not fall under the jurisdiction of another state and is not occupied foreign citizens, then this piece of land passes to the United States. As a result, the United States included 79 Pacific islands, islets and atolls, many of which subsequently gained independence - now the American flag flies over almost uninhabited islands Bayer, Jarvis, Howland, Johnston Atoll, etc., discovered in 1857-1858. However, sometimes there was no need to use the Guano Law. For example, in 1859, the uninhabited Midway Atoll was discovered by an American captain, and in 1867 it was proclaimed a possession of the United States. This was a common practice during the colonial era. The origin of the name Midway \\ Midway (can be translated as "middle of the way") is curious - the atoll was so named because it lies in the middle between California and Japan.
In 1876 the USA and Russian empire signed an agreement on the sale of Russian America - Alaska. Russia began negotiations on this deal in 1866, but the US government had long doubted the wisdom of such an acquisition. Most Americans did not understand the benefits that could come to the US from buying a piece of land on the edge of the earth, where it is almost impossible to live due to severe frosts. The idea of buying Alaska was actively supported by President Andrew Johnson\Andrew Johnson and his Secretary of State William Seward\William H. Seward. They were actively criticized by political opponents of Johnson, who for a long time could not get support for this deal in Congress. As a result, Alaska was bought, and this deal (and the state of Alaska itself) was for a long time called "Seward's Stupidity" or "Seward's Ice Box". The United States paid Russia $7.2 million. For several decades, the United States paid almost no attention to Alaska - this vast territory was controlled by the military. The civil administration appeared only in 1884, but its influence was minimal. The situation changed first as a result of the discovery of gold deposits (1896), and later - during the Second World War, when the strategic importance of Alaska became clear to everyone. In 1959 Alaska became a US state.
In 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii, previously an independent kingdom ruled by Polynesian chiefs (it was the Hawaiians who killed the famous navigator James Cook \ James Cook). In the 19th century, the United States, Great Britain and France fought for control of Hawaii. However, the United States won, thanks to the fact that Hawaii and the United States were most economically connected. American businessmen were active in Hawaii, primarily planters who produced sugar. In 1893, the Hawaiian throne was inherited by Queen Liliuokalani \ Liliuokalani, who tried to strengthen the institution of royal power. Strengthening was carried out with the help of a new constitution, and since the monarchy was absolute, then by issuing royal edicts. Among other things, the queen was going to strengthen the budget by raising tariffs on the export of Hawaiian sugar. However, these plans failed to materialize. A group of angry planters led by Samuel Dole\Samuel Dole (only 18 people) overthrew the queen. Historian Tom Coffman \\ Tom Coffman, author of the study "History of the American Annexation of the Nation of Hawaii" \ Nation Within: The Story of America "s Annexation of the Nation of Hawaii, notes that the coup took place in the face of the almost complete indifference of the Hawaiians. The coup was carried out with the support US military and the US ambassador. It is curious that US President Grover Cleveland\Grover Cleveland reacted extremely negatively to this act, apologized to the queen and even fired the US ambassador who supported the coup. Nevertheless, in 1894, a republic was created in Hawaii, Dole became president "Republic was immediately recognized by the United States. However, the days of Hawaii's independence were numbered. The new authorities turned to the United States with a request for annexation. The US Congress discussed this issue until 1898 - a positive decision was made in the wake of the war with Spain. The final "go-ahead" was given by the new president William McKinley In 1900, Dole became the first governor of Hawaii to receive annexation status. lost territory". In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th US state. The ex-Queen Liliuokalani died in 1917, all these years she lived on her native island.
Some of the former possessions of the United States have gained independence and are now sovereign states. For example, in 1898, the United States defeated Spain and acquired the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam from the defeated. The Philippines became independent in 1946. Renowned historian Walter La Faber, author of The New Empire: An Interpretation of American Expansion, 1860-1898, believes that the victory over Spain was the most important turning point in the history of the United States. In his opinion, after that, the United States felt like a full-fledged international player, capable of challenging the world championship from the European colonial powers. This radically influenced the ideology of the American elite and contributed to the struggle for new territories.
In 1903, the United States leased from the newborn state of Panama (with US support gained independence from Colombia) a plot of land adjacent to the future Panama Canal (for $ 10 million lump sum payments plus $ 250 thousand annual rent) - in 1999 the zone and the canal were returned to Panama. In 1947, the United States received a UN mandate to administer the Mariana, Caroline and Marshall Islands - in 1986, the independent Federated States of Micronesia appeared on the Caroline Islands, the other two archipelagos de facto remained under US jurisdiction, reports
Russia is a country that cannot be conquered, according to the American patriotic publication We are the Mighty (WATM). Among the reasons for Russian invincibility, the authors name harsh climatic conditions, a large territory, a strong and combat-ready army, as well as features of national identity.
According to WATM, the invasion of Russia is "terribly hard work" and cites the invasion of Napoleon in 1812 as an example. Journalists draw attention to the selflessness of the Russian people and their willingness to destroy their own cities, villages and other infrastructure so that it does not fall into the hands of the enemy. “The Russians would rather destroy their country than leave it to an invader”, - say the authors of the American edition.
According to WATM, the readiness of the Russian population to sacrifice themselves is not the only reason that will prevent them from conquering the country. Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of land area with a diverse climate. This factor also plays against a potential invader, the author of the article believes.
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The Russian Defense Ministry also declassified Stalin's order to bomb Berlin in 1941. August 12, 2018If all of the above is not enough to repulse the enemy, then the invader "probably have to fight every ex Soviet state around Russian borders". According to the publication, many of them are still loyal to Russia and are ready to take up arms to help. "to my Russian friends". This expands the variety of people, climates and geography that the attacking side will have to contend with.
The list of countries that cannot be conquered also includes China, India, Afghanistan and the United States.
According to WATM, it will not be possible to conquer the United States, not only because of the powerful army in the world, but also the presence of a large number of weapons among the population. China will be able to defend its independence thanks to a large population and a developed economy, and India will be able to defend its independence with a "naval strategy" that involves filling coastal waters with submarines.
Afghanistan the authors call "graveyard of empires". In their opinion, this country is impossible to capture because of the complex geographical relief and multinational population. They also acknowledge that even the United States, with its most modern army failed to achieve significant success in the conquest of this country.
“Any army that the invader cannot destroy can simply disappear into the mountains and lick their wounds until the next season of hostilities. In our time, high peaks negate the advantage of armor and tanks, as well as the negation of the advantages of heavy cavalry in earlier times, ”wrote the authors of the Afghanistan edition.