Oddities, curiousities and strangness in history [2]

Yeah, China's growth is on some crazy accelerated shit.  We still talk about Mao and his legacy in the West, but I don't think we fully appreciate the importance of Deng Xiaoping and the reforms that he brought.  There aren't a ton of parallels to a country going through that kind of change/modernization so rapidly.  Meiji-era Japan comes to mind I guess but without as much aggressive militarism, even keeping in mind the recent island disputes.

Forest Shepherd wrote:Here's what must be the downtown stretch of Shenzhen, China. First image is 1990, the second is 2010. 

Actually, what you are seeing there is the new and old financial centers of Shanghai. The old one on the near bank, and the new one on the far. That's the main reason for the extreme difference, which you probably won't see replicated too many other places in China, but I guess it's still illustrative. Just know this is the extreme example of the construction boom.

The Bund, old financial centre, looking the other way.

Eldorion wrote:Yeah, China's growth is on some crazy accelerated shit.  We still talk about Mao and his legacy in the West, but I don't think we fully appreciate the importance of Deng Xiaoping and the reforms that he brought.  There aren't a ton of parallels to a country going through that kind of change/modernization so rapidly.  Meiji-era Japan comes to mind I guess but without as much aggressive militarism, even keeping in mind the recent island disputes.

I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks travelling China just as Deng's reforms were kicking in. The old China was still there, and I'm glad I saw it, because what I saw 20 years later was unrecognizable. I think the the reforms were great on a grassroots level, and people were clearly very excited and felt economically liberated; but the explosion of buildings and the rush to the cities I don't think has been good for China. Beijing has little pockets of charm surrounded by sky scrapers and wrapped in smog. I want the old China back.

The centenary of the Battle of Verdun begins today. The battle would last for nearly 10 months, kill over 300,000 French and German troops, and wound perhaps 700,000 more. It was the bloodiest battle in world history at the time, and would remain so until the Second World War (specifically the Eastern Front and the Second Sino-Japanese War). No other conflict since has produced a battle that nears its toll, and the majority of wars both today and throughout history have had vastly lower death tolls.

There is a reason for this. The top German general at the time, Erich von Falkenhayn, designed and launched the attack with the stated aim of "bleed[ing] France white". Verdun was one of the most heavily fortified points along the Western Front, but for both strategic reasons and national pride, the French commanders could not allow it to fall. Falkenhayn knew this, and so he resolved to continue the attack for as long as necessary, not to capture the citadel, but to kill as many French soldiers as he could, ultimately sapping the strength of the entire French Army.

It didn't work, of course. French counter-offensives recaptured much of the area surrounding Verdun and the battle ended in December. The French Army continued to fight for another two years. There were widespread mutinies several months later, after a failed French offensive in early 1917, at which point the war had killed about 5% of the male population of France (of all ages), but this was put down by a combination of reforms and executions of the leaders. Eventually, the Allied Powers drove Germany out of France and forced a surrender. World War I is often considered to be the unnecessary war, a mistake, and there is certainly plenty of blame to go around for the militaristic culture of pre-war Europe and the chain of events that started the war, but Germany's conduct during it, especially the gobbling up of other countries and its descent into military dictatorship, demonstrates the importance of stopping their attempt at conquest and hegemony. Those who fought and died to do so deserve our gratitude today, even though the strategies employed in that effort were horrifying and often senseless.

Today, much of the region where the battle was fought, especially around the former village of Douaumount, is strictly closed to the public, as the amount of unexploded ordnance, chemical contamination, and human and animal remains mean that the area is considered unfit for human habitation. The places that were never rebuilt are considered to be "villages morts pour la France" -- villages that died for France. In some areas, the level of arsenic in the soil kills 99% of all plant and animal life. The topography of the area was permanently changed by the amount of artillery fire, resulting in a distinctive "wavy" landscape of small hills and divets. It is estimated that at current rates, the affected areas may be cleared of munitions in another 700 years. The chemical contamination could remain problematic for another 10,000. There are numerous other areas like this scattered along the former Western Front.

Photographs then...:















... and now (source):


"Douaumont: Destroyed Village"






This place was flat once.

The 2nd WW is heartbreaking. When you know those lads & lads they were, 16yrs & up, were out there, freezing cold, wet & often iLL only to be shot at or blown up the second they raised an eyebrow then it hurts  My kids have never known a war or been forced to fight in one, thank god !! and neither have I. But, as I get older & watch my son & daughters grow, my grandkids grow, then seeing these sad pictures hits home. I cant forget how young some of them were or the poor mums & dads breaking their hearts & nerves hoping their "Jack or John" is still alive & will come home Look how they had to live !! in cold mud ? I moan my arse off if its raining. The same wet muddy cold clothes day in day out. Its more than grim

Interesting about the chemicals & artillery tho ! Even all these years later the war, in a way, is still going on.

War is a strange beast. It makes people bond stronger than they thought possible, while destroying other bonds that people thought would last longer. Having been in the armed forces during conflicts and not being sent to them is a very weird sensation. There is no other job or career on this planet that you simply don't know if you are any good at it or if your training is any good or if any of your equipment will really work, until you go to war. No sane person wants to go to war or kill people during one. However, coming back from exercise in Canada and finding the entire regiments tanks stripped down by wartime REME spares team, is very much a "What? We're not good enough?" moment.


On a lighter note, there are several stories I could recite that would make you wonder...


Like Trooper King and Co. Who thought it would be a grand idea to play frisbie with some decommissioned mines.
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3 weeks in a med centre.. bunch o fannies.

To be fair, he also got lost on an Autobaan, so went AWOL for a weekend.

I could listen to true stories all day. Especially from the people who did the experiencing

It was the real Mordor. We never learn do we. that's why we will never evolve from large monkeys that walk on two legs into something better. we will never be Elves.

azriel wrote:I could listen to true stories all day. Especially from the people who did the experiencing

I'll leave the one where I ended up with about a dozen highly trained Turkish Commandos pointing the pointy end of their guns at me, for another time.

That sounds like it can wait for the next few moments you have to spare.

Nagual wrote:

azriel wrote:I could listen to true stories all day. Especially from the people who did the experiencing

I'll leave the one where I ended up with about a dozen highly trained Turkish Commandos pointing the pointy end of their guns at me, for another time.

I would like to hear your stories if its not too intrusive for you. people have such fascinating tales, they are better than fiction a lot of the time.

Real people with real stories, People should tell their stories or they might become lost forever & that would be a sad, lonely shame !

Not actually odd or curious, this digital recreation of Rome in the time of Constantine is pretty cool.

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/28/11129238/rome-reborn-video

I enjoyed that Halfy

yep that was very interesting. I think I was quite disappointed by Rome when I visited because in my imagination it should have looked like this video. Rome is mostly Baroque today and its not my favourite architectural style.

{{{{Come on Nagual!- tell your tale! - sure you had one about the officers mess was very entertaining too }}}

My main impression of Rome the one time I visited was it was so jam packed with buildings you couldn't see anything, and if you value your life don't attempt to cross the street!

I think it's good to remember that italians mostly go to Rome for the food.

https://youtu.be/HqqsIj9X9-o?t=33m13s

Yeah Nagual ! Tell us a story !!!! please, please, please

I am going the Nag the Nagual. story! story!

Venice didn't disappoint me, it blew my socks off.

I did that wrist test & I have that vestigial muscle