- published: 28 Apr 2010
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- author: awarepatriot
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![ALL Horde Commando DLC Achievements + Horde Fortification Boosting [Guide] - Gears Of War 3](http://web.archive.org./web/20121221072651im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pUdeH-DHoz4/default.jpg "Please Read Hey guys, so the new DLC for Gears Of War 3 has arrived and without any time being spared here is the achievement guide for it. Follow this guide and you will have all the DLC achievements very quickly with the added bonus of a step by step guide to Horde Fortification Boosting... Enjoy from madmanRAB :) I do not hide from the fact that my voice is messed up and i cannot find a fix. If you have any suggestions please post them, thanks Horde Money To Fortification XP Breakdown Difficulty and Mutators affect how much money spent on fortifications actually goes towards upgrading your barriers, turrets ect. Try play on a high difficulty with hard mutators for maximum gain to XP and levelling up. Avoid casual with easy mutators Casual: 60% Normal: 80% Hardcore: 100% Insane: 120% Easy Mutator: -25% Hard Mutator: +10% Fun Mutator: No Effect Text Tutorial 1.0 How to upgrade All Horde Fortifications Except Silverback 1.1 Host a private Horde match with a friend or in split screen 1.2 Pick Insane difficulty and choose 3 Hard Mutators, one of which being Friendly Fire. (This can be done without any Mutators but is slower to level up by 25% - 30%) 1.3 Map choice is Sandbar and select the Command Post on the cliff (scorcher I think). For this command post you have 2 turrets, 2 decoys and 2 sentries to buy/upgrade. You also have 1 Command Centre which is new in the DLC 1.4 When you spawn give 1 player all the money ($2000) and proceed to spending all your money (or as much <b>...</b>")
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Afghanistan
Afghanistan
i/æfˈɡænɨstæn/ (Persian/Pashto: افغانستان, Afġānistān), officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming part of South Asia, Central Asia, and Greater Middle East, it is also considered to be part of a broader West Asia. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of 647,500 km2 (250,001 sq mi), making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world. It is bordered by Pakistan in the south and the east, Iran in the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast.
Afghanistan has been an ancient focal point of the Silk Road and human migration. Archaeologists have found evidence of human habitation from as far back as 50,000 BC. Urban civilization may have begun in the area as early as 3,000 to 2,000 BC. Sitting at an important geostrategic location that connects the Middle East with Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the land has been home to various peoples through the ages and witnessed many military campaigns, notably by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and in modern era Western forces. The land also served as a source from which the Greco-Bactrians, Kushans, Saffarids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids, Timurids, Mughals and many others have risen to form major empires.
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Albania
Albania (i/ælˈbeɪniə/ al-BAY-nee-ə, Albanian: Shqipëri/Shqipëria; Gheg Albanian: Shqipnia), officially known as the Republic of Albania (Albanian: Republika e Shqipërisë pronounced Albanian pronunciation: [ɾɛpuˈblika ɛ ʃcipəˈɾiːs]), is a country in Southern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west, and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. It is less than 72 km (45 mi) from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea.
Albania is a member of the UN, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Council of Europe, World Trade Organisation, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and one of the founding members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Albania has been a potential candidate for accession to the European Union since January 2003, and it formally applied for EU membership on 28 April 2009.
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Aurelian Walls
The Aurelian Walls (Italian: Mura aureliane) is a line of city walls built between 271 AD and 275 AD in Rome, Italy, during the reign of the Roman Emperors Aurelian and Probus.
The walls enclosed all the seven hills of Rome plus the Campus Martius and, on the right bank of the Tiber, the Trastevere district. The river banks within the city limits appear to have been left unfortified, although they were fortified along the Campus Martius.
The full circuit ran for 19 kilometres (12 mi) surrounding an area of 13.7 square kilometres (5.3 sq mi). The walls were constructed in brick-faced concrete, 3.5 metres (11 ft) thick and 8 metres (26 ft) high, with a square tower every 100 Roman feet (29.6 metres (97 ft)).
In the 5th century, remodelling doubled the height of the walls to 16 metres (52 ft). By 500 AD, the circuit possessed 383 towers, 7,020 crenellations, 18 main gates, 5 postern gates, 116 latrines, and 2,066 large external windows.
By the third century AD, the boundaries of Rome had grown far beyond the area enclosed by the old Servian Wall, built during the Republican period in the late 4th century BC. Rome had remained unfortified during the subsequent centuries of expansion and consolidation. The need for better defences became acute during the crisis of the Third Century, when barbarian tribes flooded through the Germanic frontier and the Roman Army struggled to stop them. In 270, the barbarian Juthungi and Vandals invaded northern Italy, inflicting a severe defeat on the Romans at Placentia (modern Piacenza) before eventually being driven back. Further trouble broke out in Rome itself in the summer of 271, when the mint workers rose in rebellion. Several thousand people died in the fierce fighting that resulted.
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Baba Vida
Baba Vida (Bulgarian: Баба Вида) is a medieval fortress in Vidin in northwestern Bulgaria and the town's primary landmark. It consists of two fundamental walls and four towers and is said to be the only entirely preserved medieval castle in the country.
The construction of the fortress began in the 10th century at the place of an Ancient Roman watchtower. The building of Baba Vida is tied to a legend, according to which a Danubian Bulgarian king who ruled at Vidin had three daughters: Vida, Kula and Gamza. Prior to his death, he divided his realm among the three. Vida, the eldest, was given Vidin and the lands north to the Carpathians, Kula was awarded Zaječar and the Timok Valley, and Gamza was to rule the lands west up to the Morava. Although Gamza and Kula married to drunkard and warlike nobles, Vida remained unmarried and built the fortress in her city. The name of the castle means "Granny Vida".[1]
Baba Vida served as Vidin's main defensive installation during the course of the Middle Ages and acted as the most important fortress of northwestern Bulgaria. The Baba Vida stronghold stood an eight-month-long siege by Byzantine forces led by Basil II, but was destroyed and once again erected during the rule of Ivan Stratsimir, as whose capital it served. Between 1365 and 1369, the fortress was in Hungarian hands. Vidin was suddenly attacked by the forces of Louis I of Hungary, but it took several months to conquer Baba Vida. In 1369, Ivan Sratsimir managed to regain control of his capital, albeit he had to remain under Hungarian overlordship.
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Beijing
Beijing (
/beɪˈdʒɪŋ/; Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng, [peɪ˨˩ t͡ɕiŋ˥]), formerly romanized as Peking ( /piːˈkɪŋ/ or /peɪˈkɪŋ/), is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government, with 14 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.
Beijing is China's second largest city by urban population after Shanghai and is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's largest state-owned companies. Beijing is a major transportation hub in the national highway, expressway, railway and high-speed rail network. Beijing's Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.
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Bermuda
Bermuda ( /bɜrˈmjuːdə/), officially the Bermudas or Somers Islands, is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about 1,030 kilometres (640 mi) to the west-northwest. It is about 1,373 kilometres (853 mi) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia and 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast of Miami, Florida, USA. Its capital city is Hamilton.
Bermuda was discovered in 1505 by Spanish sea captain Juan de Bermúdez, after whom the islands are named. Apparently uninhabited, he claimed them for the Spanish Empire. Although he paid two visits to the archipelago, Bermúdez was persuaded never to set foot on any of the islands by the dangerous reef surrounding them. Subsequent Spanish or other visitors are believed to have released the feral pigs that were abundant on the island when settlement began. In 1609, the Virginia Company, which had established Virginia and Jamestown on the American continent two years earlier, established a settlement on behalf of the English colonial empire. Initially, it was administered as an extension of Virginia by the Company until 1614, before its successor, the Somers Isles Company, took over until 1684. Bermuda then became a British colony following the 1707 unification of the Kingdom of England with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the unified Kingdom of Great Britain. After Newfoundland became part of Canada in 1949, Bermuda became the oldest (and, since the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the most populous) remaining British overseas territory. Its first capital, St George's, was established in 1612 and is the oldest continuously-inhabited English town in the Americas.
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Berwick-upon-Tweed
Coordinates: 55°46′16″N 2°00′25″W / 55.771°N 2.007°W / 55.771; -2.007
Berwick-upon-Tweed (i/ˈbɛrɨk əpɒn ˈtwiːd/) is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles (4 km) south of the Scottish border.
Berwick-upon-Tweed had a population of 11,665 at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001. A civil parish and town council were created in 2008.
Founded as an Anglo-Saxon settlement during the time of the kingdom of Northumbria, the area was for over 400 years central to historic border war between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland. The last time it changed hands was when England retook it in 1482. Berwick remains a traditional market town and also has some notable architectural features, in particular its defence ramparts and barrack buildings.
The name “Berwick” is of Old English origin, and is derived from the term bere-wīc, combining bere, meaning “barley”, and wīc, referring to a farm or settlement. “Berwick” thus means “barley village” or “barley farm”.
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Bourtange
Bourtange (53°00′24″N 7°11′31″E / 53.0066°N 7.1920°E / 53.0066; 7.1920) is a village in the Westerwolde region of the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Vlagtwedde, and lies about 32 km northeast of Emmen.
Fort Bourtange was initially built during the Eighty Years' War (c. 1568–1648) when William I of Orange wanted to control the only road between Germany and the city of Groningen which was controlled by the Spaniards. This road followed a sandy ridge (tange) through the marshes (the Bourtange Swamp).
Later, around 1594, Bourtange became part of the fortifications on the border between the northern provinces (Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe) and Germany.
Bourtange was a separate municipality until 1822, when it was merged with Vlagtwedde.
In 1851 the star fort was given up and Bourtange became a normal village.
Around 1960 living conditions in the village deteriorated and it was decided that Bourtange would be rebuilt to its state of 1740-1750. Today it is an open air museum. In 2001, the town of Bourtange had 267 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.21 km², and contained 133 residences. The statistical area "Bourtange", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 530.
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Bulgaria
Coordinates: 42°45′N 25°30′E / 42.75°N 25.5°E / 42.75; 25.5
Bulgariai/bʌlˈɡɛəriə/ (Bulgarian: България, IPA: [bɤ̞ɫˈɡarijɐ]), is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and the Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south and the Black Sea to the east. With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres (42,855 sq mi), Bulgaria is Europe's 14th-largest country. Its location has made it a historical crossroad for various civilisations and as such it is the home of some of the earliest metalworking, religious and other cultural artifacts in the world.
Prehistoric cultures began developing on Bulgarian lands during the Neolithic period. Its ancient history was marked by the presence of the Thracians, and later by the Greeks and Romans. The emergence of a unified Bulgarian ethnicity and state dates back to the First Bulgarian Empire, which dominated most of the Balkans and functioned as a cultural hub for Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages. With the downfall of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 1396, its territories came under Ottoman rule for nearly five hundred years. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 resulted in the Third Bulgarian State, recognised in 1908. The following years saw several conflicts with its neighbours, which prompted Bulgaria to align with Germany in both World Wars. In 1946 it became a Communist republic with a single-party system until 1989, when the Communist Party allowed multi-party elections. After 1990 Bulgaria transitioned to democracy and a market-based economy.
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Constantinople
Constantinople (Greek: Κωνσταντινούπολις, Konstantinoúpolis; Latin: Constantinopolis; Ottoman Turkish: قسطنطینیه, Qostantiniyye; and modern Turkish: İstanbul) was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Latin and the Ottoman Empires. It was founded in AD 330, at ancient Byzantium as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine I, after whom it was named. The city was the largest and wealthiest European city of the Middle Ages, and shared the glories of the Byzantine Empire, which was eventually reduced to the city and its environs.
Although besieged on numerous occasions by various peoples, it was taken only in 1204 by the army of the Fourth Crusade, in 1261 by Michael VIII, and in 1453 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. An inner wall was erected by Constantine I, and the city was surrounded by a triple wall of fortifications, begun during the 5th century by Theodosius II. The city was built on seven hills as well as on the Bosporus, and thus presented an impregnable fortress enclosing magnificent palaces, domes and towers. The Church of Hagia Sophia, the sacred palace of the emperors, the hippodrome, and the Golden Gate were among the largest of the many churches, public edifices, and monuments lining the arcaded avenues and squares.
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Croatia
Croatia (i/kroʊˈeɪʃə/ kroh-AY-shə; Croatian: Hrvatska pronounced [xř̩ʋaːtskaː]), officially the Republic of Croatia (Croatian: Republika Hrvatska listen (help·info)), is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of Central Europe, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles) and has diverse, mostly continental and Mediterranean climates. Croatia's Adriatic Sea coast contains more than a thousand islands. The country's population is 4.29 million, most of whom are Croats, with the most common religious denomination being Roman Catholicism.
In the early 7th century the Croats arrived in area of present-day Croatia. They organised the state into two dukedoms by the 9th century. Tomislav became the first king by 925 AD, elevating Croatia to the status of a kingdom. The Kingdom of Croatia retained its sovereignty for nearly two centuries, reaching its peak during the rule of Kings Peter Krešimir IV and Dmitar Zvonimir. Croatia entered a personal union with Hungary in 1102. In 1527, faced with Ottoman conquest the Croatian Parliament elected Ferdinand I of the House of Habsburg to the Croatian throne. In 1918, after World War I, Croatia was included in the short-lived State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs that declared independence from Austria–Hungary and co-founded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. A Croatian state briefly existed during World War II as a fascist puppet state. After the war, Croatia became a founding member and a federal constituent of the Second Yugoslavia, a socialist state. In June 1991, Croatia declared independence, which came into effect on 8 October of the same year. The Croatian War of Independence was fought successfully during the four years following the declaration.
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Diaolou
The Kaiping Diaolou (simplified Chinese: 开平碉楼; traditional Chinese: 開平碉樓; pinyin: kāipíngdiāolóu, watchtowers) are fortified multi-storey towers, generally made of reinforced concrete. These towers are located mainly in Kaiping County, Guangdong province, China. Kaiping together with its neighbouring counties of Enping, Taishan and Xinhui are collectively known as the "Four counties" (it was from the four counties that many of the Chinese labourers to North America, Australia, and Southeast Asia originated from).
The first towers were built during the early Qing Dynasty, reaching a peak in the 1920s and 1930s, when there were more than three thousand of these structures. Today, approximately 1,833 diaolou remain standing in Kaiping, and approximately 500 in Taishan. Although the diaolou served mainly as protection against forays by bandits, a few of them also served as living quarters.
Kaiping has traditionally been a region of major emigration abroad, and a melting pot of ideas and trends brought back by overseas Chinese. As a result, many diaolou incorporate architectural features from China and from the West.
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Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.
Medieval castles were usually defended by a ditch or moat, crossed by wooden bridge. In early castles the bridge might be designed to be destroyed or removed in the event of an attack, but drawbridges became very common. A typical arrangement would have the drawbridge immediately outside a gatehouse, consisting of a wooden deck with one edge hinged or pivoting at the gatehouse threshold, so that in the raised position the bridge would be flush against the gate, forming an additional barrier to entry. It would be backed by one or more portcullises and gates. Access to the bridge could be resisted with missiles from machicolations above or arrow slits in flanking towers.
The bridge would be raised or lowered using ropes or chains attached to a windlass in a chamber in the gatehouse above the gate-passage. Only a very light bridge could be raised in this way without any form of counterweight, so some form of bascule arrangement is normally found. The bridge may extend into the gate-passage beyond the pivot point, either over a pit into which the internal portion can swing (providing a further obstacle to attack), or in the form of counterweighted beams that drop into slots in the floor.
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Forbidden City
Coordinates: 39°54′53″N 116°23′26″E / 39.91472°N 116.39056°E / 39.91472; 116.39056
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost 500 years, it served as the home of emperors and their households, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.
Built in 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 buildings and covers 720,000 m2 (7,800,000 sq ft). The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
Since 1925, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum's former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War.
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Forte dos Reis Magos
The Fortaleza da Barra do Rio Grande, popularly known as the Forte dos Reis Magos or Fortaleza dos Reis Magos (Fortress of Three Wise Men), is a fortress located in the city of Natal in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte.
The fortress was the first milestone of the city - founded on 25 December 1599 - on the right side of the bar of the Potengi River (today near the Newton Navarro bridge). It received its name based on the date of commencement of its construction, 6 January 1598, at Epiphany Catholic calendar.
Coordinates: 5°45′23″S 35°11′41″W / 5.75639°S 35.19472°W / -5.75639; -35.19472
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Germany
Germany (i/ˈdʒɜrməni/), officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, pronounced [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant] (
listen)), is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With 81.8 million inhabitants, it is the most populous member state and the largest economy in the European Union. It is one of the major political powers of the European continent and a technological leader in many fields.
A region named Germania, inhabited by several Germanic peoples, was documented before AD 100. During the Migration Period, the Germanic tribes expanded southward, and established successor kingdoms throughout much of Europe. Beginning in the 10th century, German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th century, northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation while southern and western parts remained dominated by Roman Catholic denominations, with the two factions clashing in the Thirty Years' War, marking the beginning of the Catholic–Protestant divide that has characterized German society ever since. Occupied during the Napoleonic Wars, the rise of Pan-Germanism inside the German Confederation resulted in the unification of most of the German states into the German Empire in 1871 which was Prussian dominated. After the German Revolution of 1918–1919 and the subsequent military surrender in World War I, the Empire was replaced by the Weimar Republic in 1918, and partitioned in the Treaty of Versailles. Amidst the Great Depression, the Third Reich was proclaimed in 1933. The latter period was marked by Fascism and World War II. After 1945, Germany was divided by allied occupation, and evolved into two states, East Germany and West Germany. In 1990 Germany was reunified.
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Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( /dʒɨˈbrɒltər/) is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. It has an area of 6.8 square kilometres (2.6 sq mi) and a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region. At its foot is the densely populated city area, home to almost 30,000 Gibraltarians and other nationalities.
An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from Spain in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. The territory was subsequently ceded to Britain "in perpetuity" under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. It was an important base for the Royal Navy; today its economy is based largely on tourism, financial services, and shipping.
The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and again in 2002. Under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the UK Government.
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Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain (Welsh: Prydain Fawr, Scottish Gaelic: Breatainn Mhòr, Cornish: Breten Veur) is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, the largest European island, and the largest of the British Isles. With a population of about 60.0 million people in mid-2009, it is the third most populous island in the world, after Java and Honshū. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1,000 smaller islands and islets. The island of Ireland lies to its west. Politically, Great Britain may also refer to the island itself together with a number of surrounding islands which comprise the territory of England, Scotland and Wales.
All of the island is territory of the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and most of the United Kingdom's territory is in Great Britain. Most of England, Scotland, and Wales are on the island of Great Britain, as are their respective capital cities: London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
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Greece
Greecei/ˈɡriːs/ (Greek: Ελλάδα, Ellada, IPA: [eˈlaða] ( listen) historically in Katharevousa and Ancient Greek: Ἑλλάς, Hellas, IPA: [eˈlas] and [helːás] respectively), officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία, Elliniki Dimokratia, IPA: [eliniˈci ðimokraˈtia]), is a country in Southern Europe, politically considered part of Western Europe.Athens is the capital and the largest city in the country (its urban area also including Piraeus). The population of the country is around 11 million.
Greece has land borders with Albania, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of mainland Greece, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands (approximately 1,400, of which 227 are inhabited), including Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, and the Ionian Islands among others. Eighty percent of Greece consists of mountains, of which Mount Olympus is the highest at 2,917 m (9,570 ft).
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Groningen (province)
Groningen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣroʊ̯.nɪ.ŋə(n)], locally [ˈxroː.nɪ.ŋən] ( listen); Gronings: Grönnen; West Frisian: Grinslân) is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen (districts of Leer and Emsland), in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea. The capital of the province is the city of Groningen.
Land use in Groningen is mainly agricultural; it has a large natural gas field near Slochteren. but, Groningen has many historical monuments and many old buildings in almost every villages
Originally a part of Frisia, Groningen became a part of the Frankish Empire around 785. Charlemagne assigned the Christianization of this new possession to Ludger. In the 11th century, the city of Groningen was a village in Drenthe that belonged to the Bishopric of Utrecht, while most of the province was in the diocese of Münster. During the Middle Ages, central control was remote, and the city of Groningen acted as a city state, exerting a dominating influence on the surrounding Ommelanden. Around 1500, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor gave Groningen and Friesland to Albert, Duke of Saxony, who could however not establish permanent control. In 1514/15 Groningen came to the Duchy of Guelders, and in 1536 to the Habsburg Netherlands. In 1594, Groningen was conquered by the United Netherlands, to which it belonged henceforth.
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Hadrian's Wall
Coordinates: 55°01′27″N 2°17′33″W / 55.02417°N 2.2925°W / 55.02417; -2.2925
Hadrian's Wall (Latin: Vallum Aelium, "Aelian Wall" – the Latin name is inferred from text on the Staffordshire Moorlands Patera) was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.
The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its role as a military fortification, it is thought that many of the gates through the wall would have served as customs posts to allow trade and levy taxation.
A significant portion of the Hadrians wall still exists, particularly the mid-section, and for much of its length the wall can be followed on foot by Hadrian's Wall Path or by cycle on National Cycle Route 72. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. English Heritage, a government organisation in charge of managing the historic environment of England, describes it as "the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain".
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Helsinki
Helsinki ( listen (help·info); Swedish: Helsingfors, listen (help·info)) is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is 596,233 (31 January 2012), making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is located some 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Stockholm, Sweden, 300 kilometres (190 mi) west of St. Petersburg, Russia and 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Tallinn, Estonia. Helsinki has close historical connections with these three cities.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area includes the city of Helsinki and three other cities: Espoo and Vantaa, which immediately border Helsinki to the west and north, respectively; and Kauniainen, which is an enclave within the city of Espoo. The Helsinki metropolitan area is the world's northernmost urban area among those with a population of over one million people, and the city is the northernmost capital of a EU member state. Altogether 1.1 million people, approximately one in five Finns, live in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
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India
India (i/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.
Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.
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Indus
The Indus River (Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: دریائے سندھ Daryā-e Sindh; Hindi: सिन्धु नदी Sindhu; Sindhi: سنڌو Sindhu; Punjabi: سندھ Sindh; Gujarati: સિંધુ નદી Sindhu; Pashto: اباسين Abāsin "Father of Rivers"; Persian: رود سند Rūd-e Sind; Arabic: السند Al-Sind; Tibetan: སེང་གེ།་གཙང་པོ Sênggê Zangbo "Lion River"; Greek: Ινδός Indós; Turki: Nilab) is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It has courses through western Tibet (in China) and Northern India.
Originating in the Tibetan plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar, the river runs a course through the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit, Baltistan and flows through Pakistan in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan to merge into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi in Sindh. The total length of the river is 3,180 km (1,980 mi). It is Pakistan's longest river.
The river has a total drainage area exceeding 1,165,000 km2 (450,000 sq mi). Its estimated annual flow stands at around 207 km3 (50 cu mi), making it the twenty-first largest river in the world in terms of annual flow. Zanskar is its left bank tributary in Ladakh. In the plains, its left bank tributary is Chenab which itself has four major tributaries, namely, Jhelum, Ravi, Beas and Satluj. Its principal right bank tributaries are Shyok, Gilgit, Kabul, Gomal and Kurram. Beginning at the heights of the world in a spring and fed with glaciers and rivers in the Himalayas, the river supports ecosystems of temperate forests, plains and arid countryside.
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İstanbul
Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul) is the largest city in Turkey, forming the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With a population of 13.4 million, the city is at the center of the second-largest urban area in Europe after Moscow, and among the world's largest cities by population within city limits. Istanbul's vast area of 5,343 square kilometers (2,063 sq mi) is coterminous with Istanbul Province, of which the city is considered capital. Straddling the Bosphorus—one of the world's busiest waterways—in northwestern Turkey, between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, Istanbul is a transcontinental city, with one third of its population living in Asia but its commercial and historical center in Europe.
Founded around 660 BC as Byzantium on the Seraglio Point, the city now known as Istanbul developed to become one of the most significant cities in history. For nearly sixteen centuries following its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 AD, it served as the capital of four empires — the late classical Roman Empire (330–395), the Eastern Roman ("Byzantine") Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold from which the last caliphate ruled. Although the Republic of Turkey established its capital elsewhere, in Ankara, remnants of Istanbul's previous central role still remain highly visible across the city, with palaces and imperial mosques lining its hills.
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Kot Diji
The ancient site at Kot Diji (Urdu: کوٹ ڈیجی) was the forerunner of the Indus Civilization. The people of this site lived about 3000 BCE. The remains consist of two parts; the citadel area on high ground (about 12 m), and outer area. The Pakistan Department of Archaeology excavated at Kot Diji in 1955 and 1957.
Located about 22 kilometers south of Khairpur in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The site is situated at the foot of the Rohri Hills where a fort (Kot Diji Fort) was built around 1790 by Talpur dynasty ruler of Upper Sindh, Mir Suhrab who reigned from 1783 to 1830 AD. This fort built on the ridge of a steep narrow hill is well preserved.
The development of these farming communities in different parts of Baluchistan and Lower Sind, ultimately led to urbanization. The earliest fortified town to date is found at Rehman Dheri, dated 4000 BCE in NWFP close to River Zhob Valley. Other fortified towns found to date are at Amri (3600-3300 BCE) and Kot Diji in Sind and at Kalibangan (3000 BCE), India at the Hakra River. No writing were found at these sites.
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Kumbhalgarh
Kumbhalgarh (also called Kumbhalmer or Kumbalgarh) is a Mewar fortress in the Rajsamand District of Rajasthan state in western India. Built during the course of the 15th century by Rana Kumbha, and enlarged through the 19th century, Kumbhalgarh is also a birthplace of Maharana Pratap, the great king and warrior of Mewar. Occupied until the late 19th century, the fort is now open to the general public as a museum and is spectacularly lit for a few minutes each evening. Kumbalgarh is situated 82 km from Udaipur towards its northwest and is easily accessible by road. It is the most important fort in Mewar after Chittaurgarh.
Built on a hilltop 1100 metres above sea level, the fort of Kumbhalgarh has perimeter walls that extend 36 kilometres. The frontal walls are fifteen feet thick. Kumbhalgarh has seven fortified gateways. There are over 360 temples within the fort, 300 ancient Jain and the rest Hindu. From the palace top, it is possible to look tens of kilometers into the Aravalli Range. The sand dunes of the Thar desert can be seen from the fort walls.
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Lahore Fort
Coordinates: 31°35′25″N 74°18′35″E / 31.59028°N 74.30972°E / 31.59028; 74.30972
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila (Punjabi, Urdu: شاہی قلعہ) is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located in the northwestern corner of the Walled City of Lahore. The trapezoidal composition is spread over 20 hectares.
Origins of the fort go as far back as antiquity, however, the existing base structure was built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar between 1556–1605 and was regularly upgraded by subsequent Mughal, Sikh and British rulers.It has two gates one is known as Alamgiri Gate build by Emperor Aurangzeb which opens towards Badshahi Mosque and other older one known as Maseeti (Punjabi language word means of Masjid) or Masjidi Gate which open towards Masti Gate Area of Walled City and was built by Emperor Akbar. Currently Alamgiri Gate is used as the principal entrance while Masti Gate is permanently closed .The fort manifests the rich traditions of Mughal architecture. Some of the famous sites inside the fort include: Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid. In 1981, the fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Shalimar Gardens (Lahore).
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Lion Gate
The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece. It was erected during the 13th century BC in the northwest side of the acropolis and is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance. The Lion Gate is the sole surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture, as well as the largest sculpture in the prehistoric Aegean.
The greater part of the cyclopean wall in Mycenae, including the Lion Gate itself, was built during the second extension of the citadel which occurred in the Late Helladic period IIIA (13th century BC). At that time, the extended fortifications also included Grave Circle A, the burial place of the 16th-century BC royal families inside the city wall. This grave circle was found east of the Lion Gate, where a peribolos wall was also built. After the expansion, Mycenae could be entered by two gates, a main entrance and a postern, while the most extensive feature was undoubtedly the remodeling of the main entrance to the citadel, known as the Lion Gate, in the northwestern side built ca. 1250 BC.
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Los Millares
Los Millares is the name of a Chalcolithic occupation site 17 km north of Almería, in the municipality of Santa Fe de Mondújar, Andalusia, Spain. The complex was in use from the end of the fourth millennium to the end of the second millennium BC and probably supported somewhere around 1000 people. It was discovered in 1891 during the course of the construction of a railway and was first excavated by Luis Siret in the succeeding years. Further excavation work continues today.
The 5 acre (2ha) site consists of three concentric lines of stone walls, the outer ring the largest, running more than 650 feet with nineteen 'bastions' and a gate guarded by foreworks. The road to the site is guarded by four smaller outlying stone forts. There is an extensive cemetery of eighty passage grave tombs.Radiocarbon dating has established that one wall collapsed and was rebuilt around 3025 BC.
A cluster of simple dwellings lay inside the walls as well as one large building containing evidence of copper smelting. Pottery excavated from the site included plain and decorated wares including symbolkeramik bowls bearing oculus motifs. Similar designs appear on various carved stone idols found at the site. Although primarily farmers, the inhabitants of Los Millares had crucially also learned metal working, especially the smelting and forming of copper, and the site is considered highly important in understanding the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The Los Millares culture eventually came to dominate the Iberian peninsula.
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Malbork Castle
The Marienburg Castle in Malbork (Polish: Zamek w Malborku, German: Ordensburg Marienburg) is the largest castle in the world by surface area, and the largest brick building in Europe. It was built in Prussia by the Teutonic Knights, a German Roman Catholic religious order of crusaders, in a form of an Ordensburg fortress. The Order named it Marienburg (Mary's Castle). The town which grew around it was also named Marienburg.
The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress and, on its completion in 1406, was the world's largest brick castle.UNESCO designated the "Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork" and its Museum as the World Heritage Site in December 1997. It is one of two World Heritage Sites in the region with origins in the Teutonic Order. The other is the "Medieval Town of Toruń", founded in 1231 as the site of the castle Thorn (Toruń).
The castle was founded by the Teutonic Order after the conquest of Old Prussia. Its main purpose was to strengthen their own control of the area following the Order's 1274 suppression of the Great Prussian Uprising of the Baltic tribes. No contemporary documents survive relating to its construction, so instead the castle's phases have been worked out through the study of architecture and the Order's administrative records and later histories. The work lasted until around 1300, under the auspices of Commander Heinrich von Wilnowe. The castle is located on the southeastern bank of the river Nogat. It was named Marienburg after Mary, patron saint of the religious Order. The Order had been created in Acre (present-day Israel). When this last stronghold of the Crusades fell to Muslim Arabs, the Order moved its headquarters to Venice before arriving in Poland.
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Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China for 276 years (1368–1644) following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. Although the Ming capital Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng (who established the Shun Dynasty, soon replaced by the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty), regimes loyal to the Ming throne—collectively called the Southern Ming—survived until 1662.
Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy and a standing army of one million troops. Although private maritime trade and official tribute missions from China had taken place in previous dynasties, the tributary fleet under the Muslim eunuch admiral Zheng He in the 15th century far surpassed all others in size. There were enormous construction projects, including the restoration of the Grand Canal and the Great Wall and the establishment of the Forbidden City in Beijing during the first quarter of the 15th century. Estimates for the late-Ming population vary from 160 to 200 million.
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Mycenae
Mycenae (Greek Μυκῆναι Mykēnai or Μυκήνη Mykēnē) is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north. From the hill on which the palace was located one can see across the Argolid to the Saronic Gulf.
In the second millennium BC Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae.
Although the citadel was built by Greeks, the name is not thought to be Greek, but is rather one of the many pre-Greek place names inherited by the immigrant Hellenes. According to John Chadwick the name of Mycenae is of pre-Greek origin. The pre-Greek language remains unknown, but there is no evidence to rule out a member of the Indo-European superfamily. (See Pelasgian, Minyans)
Ancient Greek etymological speculation connected the name to the Greek word "μύκης" (mycēs), 'mushroom'. Thus, Pausanias ascribes the name to the legendary founder Megapenthes, who was said to have named it either after the cap（mycēs）of the sheath of his sword, or after a mushroom he had plucked on the site.
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Netherlands
The Netherlands (
i/ˈnɛðərləndz/; Dutch: Nederland [ˈneːdə(r)lɑnt] or [ˈneɪ̯də(r)lɑnt] (
listen); West Frisian: Nederlân; Papiamento: Hulanda) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with some islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is a parliamentary democracy organised as a unitary state. The country capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands in its entirety is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces (a case of pars pro toto; see terminology of "the Netherlands").
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Newport Arch
Newport Arch is the name given to the remains of a 3rd century Roman gate in the city of Lincoln, Lincolnshire. It is reputedly the oldest arch in the United Kingdom still used by traffic.
Coordinates: 53°14′15″N 0°32′18″W / 53.237411°N 0.538353°W / 53.237411; -0.538353 (Newport Arch)
The arch was remodelled and enlarged when the city, then Lindum Colonia, became capital of the province Flavia Caesariensis in the 4th century. It is one of many original Roman arches still open to traffic, other examples being two gates through the city walls of the Roman town of Diocletianopolis (now Hisarya, Bulgaria), as well as numerous examples in Turkey.
As the north gate of the city, it carried the major Roman road Ermine Street northward almost in a straight line to the Humber.
From Romano-British Buildings and Earthworks by John Ward (1911):
In 1964 a goods lorry struck the arch while attempting to pass under it.
Forty years later, in May 2004, another lorry struck the arch, causing minor damage.
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Nicosia
Nicosia (/ˌnɪkəˈsiːə/ NIK-ə-SEE-ə), known locally as Lefkosia (Greek: Λευκωσία, Turkish: Lefkoşa), is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. After the collapse of the Berlin Wall, Nicosia remained the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line. It is located near the center of the island, on the banks of the Pedieos River.
Nicosia is the capital and seat of government of the Republic of Cyprus. The northern part of the city functions as the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a disputed breakaway region whose independence is recognized only by Turkey, and which the rest of the international community considers as occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus since the Turkish Invasion in 1974.
Despite the division Nicosia has managed to become a sophisticated and cosmopolitan city, rich in history and culture that combines its historic past with the amenities of a modern city.
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Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered by Scotland.
Northern England comprises three regions of England - the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber. The counties of Northern England combined have a population of around 14.5 million covering an area of 37,331 km2 (14,414 sq mi).
During antiquity most of the area was part of Brigantia — homeland of the Brigantes and the largest Brythonic kingdom of Great Britain. After the Roman conquest of Britain the city of York became capital of the area, called Britannia Inferior then Britannia Secunda. In Sub-Roman Britain new Brythonic kingdoms of the Hen Ogledd emerged. The Angle settlers created Bernicia and Deira from which came Northumbria and a Golden Age in cultural, scholarly and monastic activity, centred around Lindisfarne and aided by Irish monks.Norse and Gaelic Viking raiders gained control of much of the area, creating the Danelaw. During this time there were close relations with Mann and the Isles, Dublin and Norway. Northumbria was unified with the rest of England under Eadred around 952.
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Pakistan
Pakistan (i/ˈpækɨstæn/ or i/pɑːkiˈstɑːn/; Urdu: پاکستان) (Urdu pronunciation: [paːkɪˈst̪aːn] ( listen)), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان), is a sovereign country in South Asia. It sits at the crossroads of the strategically important regions of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east, Afghanistan to the west and north, Iran to the southwest and China in the far northeast. It is separated from Tajikistan by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor in the north, and it shares a marine border with Oman.
The territory of modern Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures, including the Neolithic Mehrgarh and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation, and has undergone invasions or settlements by Hindu, Persian, Indo-Greek, Islamic, Turco-Mongol, Afghan and Sikh cultures. Thus the area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties, including the Indian Mauryan Empire, the Persian Achaemenid Empire, the Arab Umayyad Caliphate, the Mongol Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Durrani Empire, the Sikh Empire and the British Empire. As a result of the Pakistan Movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and India's struggle for independence, Pakistan was created in 1947 as an independent nation for Muslims from the regions in the east and west of India where there was a Muslim majority. Initially a dominion, Pakistan adopted a new constitution in 1956, becoming an Islamic republic. A civil war in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh.
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Pingyao
Pingyao (Chinese: 平遥; pinyin: Píngyáo) is a county in central Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It lies about 715 kilometres (444 mi) from Beijing and 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. During the Qing Dynasty, Pingyao was a financial center of China. Its history dates back 2,700 years, and is one of the best preserved ancient cities in the known world. It is still inhabited by 50,000 residents and is renowned for its well-preserved ancient city wall, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Pingyao still retains its city layout from the Ming and Qing dynasties, conforming to a typical bagua pattern. More than 300 sites in or near the city have ancient ruins. Preserved Ming- and Qing-style residences number close to 4,000. The streets and storefronts still largely retain their historical appearance.
In the Spring and Autumn Period, the county belonged to the kingdom of Jin. It was part of the kingdom of Zhao in the Warring States Period. In the Qin Dynasty, it was known as Pingtao. During the Han Dynasty, it was known as Zhongdu county. In 1986, the People's Republic of China designated Pingyao as one of the Chinese Historic and Cultural Cities. It became a World Heritage Site in 1997, including the outlying Zhenguo Temple and Shuanglin Temple.
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Portugal
Portugali/ˈpɔrtʃʉɡəl/ (Portuguese: Portugal, IPA: [puɾtuˈɣaɫ]), officially the Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: República Portuguesa) is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula . Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira are part of Portugal. The country is named after its second largest city, Porto, whose Latin name was Portus Cale.
The land within the borders of the current Portuguese Republic has been continuously settled since prehistoric times: occupied by Celts like the Gallaeci and the Lusitanians, integrated into the Roman Republic and later settled by Germanic peoples such as the Suebi, Swabians, Vandals and the Visigoths. In the 8th century most of the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by Moorish invaders professing Islam, which were later expelled by the Knights Templar under the Order of Christ. During the Christian Reconquista, Portugal established itself as an independent kingdom from León in 1139, claiming to be the oldest European nation state.
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Rajasthan
Rājasthān /ˈrɑːdʒəstæn/ (Hindustani pronunciation: [raːdʒəsˈt̪ʰaːn] ( listen)) the land of Rajasthanis, ("the land of kings"), is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert), which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan. The state is bordered by Pakistan to the west, Gujarat to the southwest, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to the northeast and Punjab to the north. Rajasthan covers 10.4% of India, an area of 342,269 square kilometres (132,151 sq mi).
Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the state. Geographical features include the Thar Desert along north-western Rajasthan and the termination of the Ghaggar River near the archaeological ruins at Kalibanga of the Indus Valley Civilization, which are the oldest in the Indian subcontinent discovered so far.
One of the world's oldest mountain ranges, the Aravalli Range, cradles the only hill station of Rajasthan, Mount Abu, famous for Dilwara Temples, a sacred pilgrimage for Jains. Eastern Rajasthan has the world famous Keoladeo National Park near Bharatpur, a World Heritage Site known for its bird life. It also has two national tiger reserves, Ranthambore and Sariska Tiger Reserve, and a famous temple in Khatu, Sikar district, dedicated to Khatu Shyam Ji. Rajasthan was formed on 30 March 1949, when the region known until then as Rajputana, consisting of erstwhile princely states ruled mainly by Rajputs.
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Rome
Rome (/ˈroʊm/; Italian: Roma pronounced [ˈroːma] ( listen); Latin: Rōma) is a city and special comune ("Roma Capitale") in Italy. Rome is the capital of Italy and the capital of Lazio (Latin: Latium). With 2.8 million residents in 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi), it is also the country's largest and most populated comune and fourth-most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. Between 3.2 and 3.7 million people live in the Rome metropolitan area. The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.
Rome's history spans two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Western Europe and the lands bordering the Mediterranean for over seven hundred years from the 1st century BC until the 7th century AD and the city is regarded as one of the birthplaces of western civilization. Since the 1st century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.
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Rumelihisarı
Rumelihisarı (Rumelian Castle) is a fortress located in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul, Turkey, on a hill at the European side of the Bosphorus. It gives the name of the quarter around it. It was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before he conquered Constantinople. The three great towers were named after three of Mehmed II's viziers, Sadrazam Çandarlı Halil Pasha, who built the big tower next to the gate, Zağanos Pasha, who built the south tower, and Sarıca Pasha, who built the north tower.
Rumelihisarı is situated at the narrowest point with 660 meters of the Bosphorus strait, just opposite of Anadoluhisarı (Anatolian Castle) on the Anatolian side, which is another Ottoman fortress that was built between 1393 and 1394 by Sultan Bayezid I.
Rumelihisarı was built by Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452 in order to control the sea traffic on the Bosphorus strait and prevent aid from the Black Sea to reach Constantinople during the Turkish siege of the city in 1453, particularly from the Genoese colonies such as Caffa, Sinop and Amasra. In a previous Ottoman attempt to conquer the city, Sultan Murad II (1404–1451) had encountered difficulties due to a blockade of the Bosphorus by the Byzantine fleet. The necessity of a fortress opposite of Anadoluhisarı was thus well known to the Ottomans. On the location of Rumelihisarı, there had been a Roman fortification in the past, which was used as a prison by the Byzantines and Genoese. Later on, a monastery was built there.
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Sialkot
Sialkot (Punjabi, Urdu: سیالکوٹ) is located in Pakistan in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about 125 km (78 mi) north-west of Lahore The recorded history of Sialkot covers thousands of years. Sialkot has, since its foundation, changed hands from Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, Greek, Afghan, Turk, Sikh, Mughal and British rule to that of present-day Pakistan.
There are various sources tracing the origins of the city of Sialkot but the authenticity of many of these sources varies. Excavations throughout the area have revealed large amounts of Greek coins, ancient Zoroastrian temples and several Buddhist stupas. The antiquities of Sialkot have also been discussed by Sir Alexander Cunningham in his Archaeological Survey Reports, II, 21, 22, and XIV, 44 to 47.
According to the Greek historical texts, which bring mention of the city of Sialkot dating back to before 327 BC when the city was known as Sagala, it represented the eastern-most outpost and expansion of the Hellenic Empire created by Alexander the Great which has been cross-correlated to ancient Greek maps of the era and several monuments found in the Sialkot District. The Greek historians state that the city was one of the most productive Silk regions of the Achaemenid Empire. Sákala or Sagala was the capital, or one of the capitals, of the Indo-Greek Kingdom which broke-away from the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom during the Euthydemid Dynasty
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Sindh
Sindh (pronounced [sɪnd̪ʱ]; Sindhi: سنڌ; Urdu: سندھ Indica in Latin, Indus in Greek) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran" and has been given the title of Bab-ul-Islam (The gateway of Islam). The name of Sindh is derived from the Indus River that separates it from Balochistan and the greater Iranian Plateau. This river was known to the ancient Iranians in Avestan as Indus, in Sanskrit as Sindhu, to Assyrians (as early as the seventh century BC) as Sinda, to the Greeks as Indos, to the Romans as Indus, to the Persians as Ab-e-sind, to the Pashtuns as "Abasind", to the Arabs as Al-Sind, to the Chinese as Sintow, and to the Javanese as the Santri.
Sindh is bounded to the west by the Indus River and Balochistan, to the north by Punjab, the east by the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan and to the south by the Arabian Sea. The capital of the province is Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and financial hub. Most of the population in the province is Muslim, with sizeable Christian, Zoroastrian and Hindu minorities. The main language spoken is Sindhi by about 40 million people, while there exists a significant Urdu-speaking minority.
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Soviet
The Soviet Union (Russian: Советский Союз, tr. Sovetsky Soyuz), officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR; Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик, tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik; IPA: [sɐˈjus sɐˈvʲetskʲɪx sətsɨəlʲɪˈstʲitɕɪskʲɪx rʲɪsˈpublʲɪk] ( listen); abbreviated СССР, SSSR), was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.
The Soviet Union was a single-party state ruled by the Communist Party from its foundation until 1990. A union of 15 subnational Soviet republics, the Soviet state was structured under a highly centralized government and economy.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 caused the downfall of the Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution, there was a struggle for power between the Bolshevik party, led by Vladimir Lenin, and the anti-communist White movement. In December 1922, the Bolsheviks won the civil war, and the Soviet Union was formed with the merger of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.
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Spain
Spain (i/ˈspeɪn/ SPAYN; Spanish: España, pronounced: [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state and a member of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France, and the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France.
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Sparta
Coordinates: 37°4′55″N 22°25′25″E / 37.08194°N 22.42361°E / 37.08194; 22.42361
Sparta (Doric Σπάρτα; Attic Σπάρτη Spartē), or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c. 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military land-power in ancient Greece.
Given its military pre-eminence, Sparta was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars. Between 431 and 404 BC, Sparta was the principal enemy of Athens during the Peloponnesian War, from which it emerged victorious, though at great cost. Sparta's defeat by Thebes in the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC ended Sparta's prominent role in Greece. However, it maintained its political independence until the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BC.
Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution, which completely focused on military training and excellence. Its inhabitants were classified as Spartiates (Spartan citizens, who enjoyed full rights), Mothakes (non-Spartan free men raised as Spartans), Perioikoi (freedmen), and Helots (state-owned serfs, enslaved non-Spartan local population). Spartiates underwent the rigorous agoge training and education regimen, and Spartan phalanges were widely considered to be among the best in battle. Spartan women enjoyed considerably more rights and equality to men than elsewhere in the classical world.
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Sudak
Sudak or Sudaq (Crimean Tatar: Sudaq; Ukrainian and Russian: Судак) is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated 57 km (35 mi) to the west of Feodosiya (the nearest railway station) and 104 km (65 mi) to the east of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. Today it is a popular resort, best known for its Genoese fortress, the best preserved on the northern shore of the Black Sea.
It is believed that the city was founded in 212 AD by Alani settlers on the territory of the Bosporan Kingdom. Greek merchants from the Byzantine Empire founded Σουγδαία (a reference to Sogdia) in the 3rd century. In the 6th century, the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of a fortress. The Khazars attacked in the 7th century, giving it the name Suğdaq. The Life of St. Stefan of Surozh (Russian: св. Стефан Сурожского) describes the 8th century town as a dependency of the Byzantine Empire. Around the start of the 9th century, it was supposedly attacked by the Rus' chieftain, Bravlin. It is thought that the Khazars retained the town from the early 800s until 1016, when the Byzantines finally defeated the Khazar warlord Georgeios Tsulo. Afterwards, the town seems to have preserved some sort of autonomy within the Byzantine Empire.
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Sweden
Sweden (i/ˈswiːdən/ SWEE-dən; Swedish: Sverige [ˈsværjɛ] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish: Konungariket Sverige (help·info)), is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland, and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Øresund.
At 450,295 square kilometres (173,860 sq mi), Sweden is the third largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of about 9.4 million. Sweden has a low population density of 21 inhabitants per square kilometre (54 /sq mi) with the population mostly concentrated to the southern half of the country. About 85% of the population live in urban areas. Sweden's capital city is Stockholm, which is also the largest city.
Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century, the country expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire. The empire grew to be one of the great powers of Europe in the 17th and early 18th century. Most of the conquered territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were lost during the 18th and 19th centuries. The eastern half of Sweden, present-day Finland, was lost to Russia in 1809. The last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Sweden by military means forced Norway into a personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, practicing "non-participation in military alliances during peacetime and neutrality during wartime". However, Sweden has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1995 and is a member of the OECD.
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Tower of London
Coordinates: 51°30′29″N 0°4′34″W / 51.50806°N 0.07611°W / 51.50806; -0.07611
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.
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Turkey
Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti (help·info)), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea is to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between East Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. The vast majority of the population are Muslims. The country's official language is Turkish, whereas Kurdish and Zazaki languages are spoken by Kurds and Zazas, who constitute 18% of the population.
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Ukraine
Ukraine (i/juːˈkreɪn/ yew-KRAYN; Ukrainian: Україна, transliterated: Ukrayina, [ukrɑˈjinɑ]; Russian: Украина; Crimean Tatar: Ukraina) is a country in Central and Eastern Europe. Ukraine borders the Russian Federation to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after the Russian Federation.
According to a popular and well established theory, the medieval state of Kievan Rus was established by the Varangians in the 9th century as the first historically recorded East Slavic state which emerged as a powerful nation in the Middle Ages until it disintegrated in the 12th century. By the middle of the 14th century, Ukrainian territories were under the rule of three external powers—the Golden Horde, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Poland. After the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Ukraine was divided between a number of regional powers and, by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. A chaotic period of incessant warfare ensued, with several internationally recognized attempts at independence from 1917 to 1921, following World War I and the Russian Civil War. Ukraine emerged from its own civil war, and on December 30, 1922 Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic became one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian SSR's territory was enlarged westward during the civil war shortly before, and after World War II, and further south in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the founding members of the United Nations.
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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
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Uruk
Coordinates: 31°19′20″N 45°38′10″E / 31.32222°N 45.63611°E / 31.32222; 45.63611 Uruk (Cuneiform: 𒌷𒀔,URU UNUG; Sumerian: Unug; Akkadian: Uruk; Aramaic: Erech; Hebrew: Erech; Greek: Ὀρχόη Orchoē, Ὠρύγεια Ōrugeia; Arabic: وركاء, Warkā') was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates river, on the ancient dry former channel of the Euphrates River, some 30 km east of modern As-Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.
Uruk gave its name to the Uruk period, the protohistoric Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age period in the history of Mesopotamia spanning c. 4000 to 3100 BC, succeeded by the Jemdet Nasr period of Sumer proper. Uruk played a leading role in the early urbanization of Sumer in the mid 4th millennium BC. At its height c 2900 BC, Uruk probably had 50,000–80,000 residents living in 6 km2 of walled area; making it the largest city in the world at the time. The semi-mythical king Gilgamesh, according to the chronology presented in the Sumerian king list, ruled Uruk in the 27th century BC. The city lost its prime importance around 2000 BC, in the context of the struggle of Babylonia with Elam, but it remained inhabited throughout the Seleucid and Parthian periods until it was finally abandoned shortly before or after the Islamic conquest.
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Ávila, Spain
Ávila (Latin: Abila and Obila) is a Spanish city located in the autonomous community of Castile and León, capital of the province of the same name.
"Ávila de los Caballeros" is an honorific title of the city and others are "Ávila del Rey" and "Ávila de los Leales" which are all present in the flag of the city.
The city is notable for having complete medieval city walls which were built in the Romanesque style. It is also one of the cities with the highest number of Romanesque churches, Gothic churches and catering establishments in relation to the number of its inhabitants.
It is known by many as the city of «Pebbles and Saints». The writer José Martínez Ruiz Azorín, after writing The Castilian Soul, said it was "perhaps the most 16th century city of Spain".
The city is 1131 meters (3665 feet) above sea level, the highest provincial capital in Spain. It is built on the flat summit of a rocky hill, which rises abruptly in the midst of a veritable wilderness: a brown, arid, treeless table-land, strewn with immense grey boulders, and shut in by lofty mountains. This results in an extreme climate, with very hard and long winters, and short summers.
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Alexander Nasmyth
Alexander Nasmyth (9 September 1758–10 April 1840) was a Scottish portrait and landscape painter, often called the "father of Scottish landscape painting".[citation needed]
Born in Edinburgh, he studied at the Royal High School and the Trustees’ Academy under Alexander Runciman, and, having been apprenticed as an heraldic painter to a coachbuilder, he, at the age of sixteen, attracted the attention of Allan Ramsay, who took the youth with him to London, and employed him upon the subordinate portions of his works. Nasmyth returned to Edinburgh in 1778, and was soon largely patronized as a portrait painter. He also assisted Patrick Miller of Dalswinton, as draughtsman, in his mechanical researches and experiments; and, this gentleman having generously offered the painter a loan to enable him to pursue his studies abroad, he left in 1782 for Italy, where he remained two years.
On his return he painted the portrait of Robert Burns, now in the Scottish National Gallery, well known through William Walker’s engraving. Political feeling at that time ran high in Edinburgh, and Nasmyth’s pronounced Liberal opinions, which he was too outspoken and sincere to disguise, gave offence to many of his aristocratic patrons, and led to the diminution of his practice as a portraitist. In his later years, accordingly, he devoted himself mainly to landscape work, and did not disdain on occasion to set his hand to scene-painting for the theatres. He has been styled, not unjustly, the "father of Scottish landscape art".[citation needed] His subjects are carefully finished and coloured, but are wanting in boldness and freedom.
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Beijing
Beijing ( /beɪˈdʒɪŋ/; Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng, [peɪ˨˩ t͡ɕiŋ˥]), formerly romanized as Peking ( /piːˈkɪŋ/ or /peɪˈkɪŋ/), is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The metropolis, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government, with 14 urban and suburban districts and two rural counties. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast.
Beijing is China's second largest city by urban population after Shanghai and is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's largest state-owned companies. Beijing is a major transportation hub in the national highway, expressway, railway and high-speed rail network. Beijing's Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic.
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Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire (800–888) is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, and ends with the death of Charles the Fat. Depending on one's perspective, this Empire can be seen as the later history of the Frankish Realm or the early history of France and of the Holy Roman Empire.
The term refers to the coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III in 800. Because Charles and his ancestors had been rulers of the Frankish realm earlier (his grandfather Charles Martel had essentially founded the empire during his lifetime), the coronation did not actually constitute a new empire. Most historians prefer to use the term "Frankish Kingdoms" or "Frankish Realm" to refer to the area covering parts of today's Germany and France from the 5th to the 9th century.
Though Charles Martel chose not to take the title King, as his son Pepin III the Short would, or Emperor, as his grandson Charlemagne would be titled, he was absolute ruler of virtually all of today's continental Western Europe north of the Pyrenees. Only the remaining Saxon realms, which he partly conquered, Lombardy, and the Marca Hispanica north of the Pyrenees were significant additions to the Frankish realms after his death.
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Celts
The Celts (usually pronounced /ˈkɛlts/ but sometimes /ˈsɛlts/, see pronunciation of Celtic) or Kelts were an ethno-linguistic group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Medieval Europe who spoke Celtic languages and had a similar culture.
The earliest archaeological culture that may justifiably be considered as Proto-Celtic is the Late Bronze Age Urnfield culture of central Europe from the last quarter of the second millennium BC. Their fully Celtic descendants in central Europe were the people of the Iron Age Hallstatt culture (c. 800-450 BC) named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria. By the later La Tène period (c. 450 BC up to the Roman conquest), this Celtic culture had expanded over a wide range of regions, whether by diffusion or migration: to the British Isles (Insular Celts), France and The Low Countries (Gauls), much of Central Europe, the Iberian Peninsula (Celtiberians, Celtici and Gallaeci) and northern Italy (Golaseccans and Cisalpine Gauls) and following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC as far east as central Anatolia (Galatians).
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César Cui
César Antonovich Cui (Russian: Це́зарь Анто́нович Кюи́, Tsezar' Antonovič Kjui) (18 January [O.S. 6 January] 1835 – 13 March 1918) was a Russian of French and Lithuanian descent. His profession was as an army officer and a teacher of fortifications; his avocational life has particular significance in the history of music, in that he was a composer and music critic; in this sideline he is known as a member of The Five, the group of Russian composers under the leadership of Mily Balakirev dedicated to the production of a specifically Russian type of music.
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Diades of Pella
Diades of Pella (Greek:Διάδης Πελλαίος), (ο Πολιορκητής, the Besieger), was a Thessalian inventor of many siege engines, student of Philip II's military engineer Polyidus of Thessaly.
He lived in the 4th century BC. Diades accompanied Alexander the Great in his campaigns to the East. He constructed (or improved) movable towers, battering rams, scaling engines used to scale walls and battering cranes used for the destruction of city walls. Diades was known as the man who took Tyre with Alexander. He also wrote a treatise on machinery. (Vitruvius vii, introduction)
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Fritz Todt
Fritz Todt (4 September 1891, Pforzheim – 8 February 1942) was a German engineer and senior Nazi figure, the founder of Organisation Todt. He died in a plane crash during World War II.
Todt was born in Pforzheim to a father who owned a small factory. He studied engineering in Karlsruhe and the School for Advanced Technical Studies at the Technical University Munich.
In World War I, he initially served with the infantry and then as front line reconnaissance observer within the Luftstreitkräfte (the German Air Forces - DLSK), winning the Iron Cross. After his military service, he finished his studies in 1920 and joined at first the "Grün & Bilfinger AG, Mannheim" company and, later, the civil engineering company Sager & Woerner (1921).
He joined the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) (better known as the Nazi Party) on 5 January 1922. In 1931, he became an Oberführer (a rank equivalent to senior Colonel) in the Sturmabteilung (SA), which was then commanded by Ernst Röhm: that year, Todt also completed his doctorate (on "Fehlerquellen beim Bau von Landstraßendecken aus Teer und Asphalt" – "Sources of defects in the construction of tarmac and asphalt road surfaces").
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Hadrian
Hadrian (Latin: Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus 24 January 76 – 10 July 138), was a Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in all his tastes. He was the third of the so-called Five Good Emperors.
Hadrian was born Publius Aelius Hadrianus to an ethnically Italian family in Italica near Seville. His predecessor Trajan was a maternal cousin of Hadrian's father. Trajan never officially designated an heir, but according to his wife Pompeia Plotina, Trajan named Hadrian emperor immediately before his death. Trajan's wife and his friend Licinius Sura were well-disposed towards Hadrian, and he may well have owed his succession to them.
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James of St. George
Master James of Saint George (c. 1230 – 1309), also known as Jacques de Saint-Georges d'Espéranche, was an architect from Savoy responsible for designing many of Edward I's castles, including Conwy, Harlech and Caernarfon (all begun in 1283) and Beaumaris in Anglesey (begun 1295).
Early records seem to indicate that his father, Master John, was a master mason who worked on castles in Savoy in the 1260s. The "St George" is believed to be a reference to the castle of Saint-Georges-d'Espéranche, located southeast of Lyon. Edward I probably met Master James of St George whilst visiting Savoy in 1273, but did not employ him until the late 1270s.
The earliest references in the English records to James of St George are found in 1278; he is referred to as an "ingeniator" (engineer) and "mazun" (mason). In 1278, he was recorded as travelling to Wales, at which time four new castles were being built: Flint, Rhuddlan, Builth and Aberystwyth. The records indicate that he was master mason at Flint and Rhuddlan between 1278 and 1282.
wn.com/James_of_St._George -
John Caspar Wild
John Caspar Wild (1804-August 12, 1846) was an American painter and lithographer.
Wild was born in Switzerland and arrived in the U.S. in the 1830s.
He created early city views and landscapes of Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Iowa. He specialized in hand-colored lithographs. These views, particularly the Valley of the Mississippi Illustrated were some of the first depictions of the American West.
wn.com/John_Caspar_Wild -
Menno van Coehoorn
Menno, Baron van Coehoorn (March 1641 – March 17, 1704) was a Dutch soldier and military engineer. He made a number of influential weaponry innovations in siege warfare and fortification techniques. He was also known as the "Hollandish Vauban" (Hollandse Vauban), after his famous French counterpart Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban.
Coehoorn was born in Britsum, a village north of Leeuwarden in the Dutch province of Friesland. He received an excellent military and general education, and at the age of sixteen became a captain in the Dutch army. During the Anglo-Dutch Wars, he took part in the defence of Maastricht in 1673 and in the siege of Grave in 1674, where he used the small mortars (called coehorns) invented by him to great effect against the French garrison. He was promoted to the rank of colonel for his gallant conduct at the battle of Seneffe (1674), and was also present at the Battle of Cassel (1677) and the Battle of Saint Denis (1678).
wn.com/Menno_van_Coehoorn -
Mozi
Mozi (Chinese: 墨子; pinyin: Mòzǐ; Wade–Giles: Mo Tzu, Lat. as Micius, ca. 470 BC – ca. 391 BC), original name Mo Di (墨翟), was a Chinese philosopher during the Hundred Schools of Thought period (early Warring States Period). Born in Tengzhou, Shandong Province, China, he founded the school of Mohism, and argued strongly against Confucianism and Daoism. During the Warring States Period, Mohism was actively developed and practiced in many states, but fell out of favour when the legalist Qin Dynasty came to power. During that period, many Mohist classics were ruined when Qin Shi Huang carried out the burning of books and burying of scholars. The importance of Mohism further declined when Confucianism became the dominant school of thought during the Han Dynasty, until mostly disappearing by the middle of the Western Han Dynasty. Mozi is known by children throughout Chinese culture by way of the Thousand Character Classic, which records that he was saddened when he saw dyeing of pure white silk, which embodied his conception of austerity (simplicity, chastity).
wn.com/Mozi -
Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar II (i/nɛbjʉkədˈnɛzər/; Aramaic: ܢܵܒܘܼ ܟܘܼܕܘܼܪܝܼ ܐܘܼܨܘܼܪ ; Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר Nəḇūḵaḏneṣṣar; Ancient Greek: Ναβουχοδονόσωρ Naboukhodonósôr; Arabic: نِبُوخَذنِصَّر nibūḫaḏniṣṣar; c 634 – 562 BC) was king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned c. 605 BC – 562 BC. According to the Bible, he conquered Judah and Jerusalem, and sent the Jews into exile. He is credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and also known for the destruction of the First Temple. He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is also mentioned in several other books of the Bible. The Akkadian name, Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, means "O god Nabu, preserve/defend my firstborn son". Nabu is the Babylonian deity of wisdom, and son of the god Marduk. In an inscription, Nebuchadnezzar styles himself as Nabu's "beloved" and "favourite".
His name has previously been mistakenly interpreted as "O Nabu, defend my kudurru", in which sense a kudurru is an inscribed stone deed of property. However, when contained in a ruler's title, kudurru approximates to "firstborn son" or "oldest son". Variations of the Hebrew form include נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר and נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (Nəḇuḵaḏreṣṣar). He is also known as Bakhat Nasar, which means "winner of the fate", or literally, "fate winner".[citation needed]
wn.com/Nebuchadnezzar -
Ottoman empire
The Ottoman Empire or Turkish Empire or Sublime Ottoman State or sometimes also referred to as Turkey (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِيّهٔ عُثمَانِیّه Devlet-i ʿAliyye-yi ʿOsmâniyye (also عثمانلى دولتى Osmanlı Devleti),Modern Turkish: Osmanlı Devleti or Osmanlı İmparatorluğu) was a Turkish empire which lasted from 27 July 1299 to 1 November 1922, when the Sultanate was abolished.
The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and longest lasting empires in history; such that the Ottoman State, its politics, conflicts, and cultural heritage in a vast geography provide one of the longest continuous narratives. During the 16th and 17th centuries, in particular at the height of its power under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the empire was one of the most powerful states in the world – a multinational, multilingual empire that stretched from the southern borders of the Holy Roman Empire to the outskirts of Vienna, Royal Hungary (modern Slovakia) and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the north to Yemen and Eritrea in the south; from Algeria in the west to Azerbaijan in the east; controlling much of southeast Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. At the beginning of the 17th century the empire contained 32 provinces and numerous vassal states, some of which were later absorbed into the empire, while others were granted various types of autonomy during the course of centuries.
wn.com/Ottoman_empire -
Palisade
A palisade (sometimes called a stakewall) is typically a fence or wall made from wooden stakes or tree trunks and used as a defensive structure.
Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were driven into the ground and were sometimes reinforced with additional construction. The height of a palisade ranged from a few feet to nearly ten feet. As a defensive structure, palisades were often used in conjunction with earthworks.
Palisades were an excellent option for small forts or other hastily constructed fortifications. Since they were wood, they could be quickly and easily built from materials readily available. They proved to be effective protection for short-term conflicts, and were an effective deterrent against small forces. However, due to their wooden construction, they were also vulnerable to fire and siege weapons.
Often, a palisade would be constructed around a castle as a temporary wall until a permanent stone wall could be erected. They were frequently used in New France.
wn.com/Palisade -
Soil
Soil is a natural body that consists of layers (soil horizons), composed primarily of minerals, which differ from their parent materials in their texture, structure, consistency, color, chemical, biological and other physical characteristics. The end result, soil, is the end product of the influence of the climate (temperature, precipitation), relief (slope), organisms (flora and fauna), parent materials (original minerals), temperature, and time. In engineering, soil is referred to as regolith, or loose rock material. Strictly speaking, soil is the depth of regolith that influences and has been influenced by plant roots and may range in depth from centimeters to many meters.
Soil is composed of particles of broken rock (materials) that have been altered by chemical and mechanical processes that include weathering, erosion and precipitation. Soil is altered from its parent material by the interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. It is a mixture of mineral and organic materials that are in solid, gaseous and aqueous states. Soil is commonly referred to as earth or dirt; technically, the term dirt should be restricted to displaced soil.
wn.com/Soil -
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban (15 May 1633 – 30 March 1707), commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them. He also advised Louis XIV on how to consolidate France's borders, to make them more defensible. Vauban made a radical suggestion of giving up some land that was indefensible to allow for a stronger, less porous border with France's neighbours.
Vauban was born in Saint-Léger-de-Foucheret (renamed Saint-Léger-Vauban in his honour in 1867), in the département of Yonne, in Burgundy, France, into a family of minor nobility. At the age of ten he was left an orphan in very poor circumstances, and his boyhood and youth were spent amongst the peasantry of his native place. A fortunate event brought him under the care of the Carmelite prior of Semur, who undertook his education, and the grounding in mathematics, science and geometry which he thus received was of the highest value in his subsequent career.
wn.com/Vauban -
World War I
World War I (WWI), which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939 (World War II), and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all the world's great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy; but, as Austria–Hungary had taken the offensive against the agreement, Italy did not enter into the war). These alliances both reorganised (Italy fought for the Allies), and expanded as more nations entered the war. Ultimately more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of enormous increases in lethality of weapons, thanks to new technology, without corresponding improvements in protection or mobility. It was the sixth-deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes such as revolutions in the nations involved.
wn.com/World_War_I -
Yongle Emperor
The Yongle Emperor (Traditional Chinese: 永樂帝; Simplified Chinese: 永乐帝; pinyin: Yǒnglèdì; Wade-Giles: Yung-lo Ti; IPA: [jʊ̀ŋlɤ̂]) (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), born Zhu Di (朱棣), was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. His Chinese era name Yongle means "Perpetual Happiness".
He was the Prince of Yan (燕王), possessing a heavy military base in Beijing. He became known as Chengzu of Ming Dynasty (明成祖 also written Cheng Zu, or Ch'eng Tsu (Cheng Tsu) in Wade-Giles) after becoming emperor (self title). He became emperor by conspiring to usurp the throne which was against Hongwu Emperor's wishes.
He moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing where it was located in the following generations, and constructed the Forbidden City there. After its dilapidation and disuse during the Yuan Dynasty and Hongwu's reign, the Yongle Emperor had the Grand Canal of China repaired and reopened in order to supply the new capital of Beijing in the north with a steady flow of goods and southern food supplies. He commissioned most of the exploratory sea voyages of Zheng He. During his reign the monumental Yongle Encyclopedia was completed. Although his father Zhu Yuanzhang was reluctant to do so when he was emperor, Yongle upheld the civil service examinations for drafting educated government officials instead of using simple recommendation and appointment.
wn.com/Yongle_Emperor
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Economic Collapse Prep: Home Fortification
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:48
- Updated: 18 Dec 2012
If the economic collapse is like Argentina and you don't need to bug out, or you can't bug out for any reason you will want to be in a fortified home, dwelling, or apartment. This will drastically slow down home invaders, robbers, burglars or anybody else that you want to keep out. Fortification measures are must have investments for the economic or dollar collapse. Also my pic with Ron Paul.
http://wn.com/Economic_Collapse_Prep_Home_Fortification
If the economic collapse is like Argentina and you don't need to bug out, or you can't bug out for any reason you will want to be in a fortified home, dwelling, or apartment. This will drastically slow down home invaders, robbers, burglars or anybody else that you want to keep out. Fortification measures are must have investments for the economic or dollar collapse. Also my pic with Ron Paul.
Fortified Homes
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:12
- Updated: 28 Nov 2012
Building a Strong Home
http://wn.com/Fortified_Homes
C&C; Red alert 2 music (Fortification)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:58
- Updated: 11 Dec 2012
Music from Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
http://wn.com/C&C;_Red_alert_2_music_Fortification
GERMAN FORTIFICATIONS - The Atlantic Wall
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:21
- Updated: 20 May 2012
OSS Film uses a German Newsreel of European fortifications to prepare and motivate Allied invaders for what they will face during D-Day. Check out www.militaryconnection.com
http://wn.com/GERMAN_FORTIFICATIONS_The_Atlantic_Wall
OSS Film uses a German Newsreel of European fortifications to prepare and motivate Allied invaders for what they will face during D-Day. Check out www.militaryconnection.com
- published: 06 May 2008
- views: 8379
- author: MilitaryConnection
Fear of Eternity - Silences Fortification
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:12
- Updated: 17 Dec 2012
Atmospheric Black Metal from Italy. 'Silences Fortification' comes from the second Fear of Eternity album Spirit of Sorrow.
http://wn.com/Fear_of_Eternity_Silences_Fortification
Atmospheric Black Metal from Italy. 'Silences Fortification' comes from the second Fear of Eternity album Spirit of Sorrow.
- published: 02 Dec 2007
- views: 61626
- author: jerichowiz
30 Seconds to Mars - Phase 1: Fortification (with lyrics)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:02
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
30 Seconds to Mars - Phase 1: Fortification. Non-album song. With lyrics. Hope you like it! I own nothing.
http://wn.com/30_Seconds_to_Mars_Phase_1_Fortification_with_lyrics
30 Seconds to Mars - Phase 1: Fortification. Non-album song. With lyrics. Hope you like it! I own nothing.
- published: 29 Jul 2008
- views: 73303
- author: xValx30STMx
ALL Horde Commando DLC Achievements + Horde Fortification Boosting [Guide] - Gears Of War 3
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:02
- Updated: 27 Nov 2012
Please Read Hey guys, so the new DLC for Gears Of War 3 has arrived and without any time being spared here is the achievement guide for it. Follow this guide and you will have all the DLC achievements very quickly with the added bonus of a step by step guide to Horde Fortification Boosting... Enjoy from madmanRAB :) I do not hide from the fact that my voice is messed up and i cannot find a fix. If you have any suggestions please post them, thanks Horde Money To Fortification XP Breakdown Difficulty and Mutators affect how much money spent on fortifications actually goes towards upgrading your barriers, turrets ect. Try play on a high difficulty with hard mutators for maximum gain to XP and levelling up. Avoid casual with easy mutators Casual: 60% Normal: 80% Hardcore: 100% Insane: 120% Easy Mutator: -25% Hard Mutator: +10% Fun Mutator: No Effect Text Tutorial 1.0 How to upgrade All Horde Fortifications Except Silverback 1.1 Host a private Horde match with a friend or in split screen 1.2 Pick Insane difficulty and choose 3 Hard Mutators, one of which being Friendly Fire. (This can be done without any Mutators but is slower to level up by 25% - 30%) 1.3 Map choice is Sandbar and select the Command Post on the cliff (scorcher I think). For this command post you have 2 turrets, 2 decoys and 2 sentries to buy/upgrade. You also have 1 Command Centre which is new in the DLC 1.4 When you spawn give 1 player all the money ($2000) and proceed to spending all your money (or as much ...
http://wn.com/ALL_Horde_Commando_DLC_Achievements_+_Horde_Fortification_Boosting_Guide_Gears_Of_War_3
Please Read Hey guys, so the new DLC for Gears Of War 3 has arrived and without any time being spared here is the achievement guide for it. Follow this guide and you will have all the DLC achievements very quickly with the added bonus of a step by step guide to Horde Fortification Boosting... Enjoy from madmanRAB :) I do not hide from the fact that my voice is messed up and i cannot find a fix. If you have any suggestions please post them, thanks Horde Money To Fortification XP Breakdown Difficulty and Mutators affect how much money spent on fortifications actually goes towards upgrading your barriers, turrets ect. Try play on a high difficulty with hard mutators for maximum gain to XP and levelling up. Avoid casual with easy mutators Casual: 60% Normal: 80% Hardcore: 100% Insane: 120% Easy Mutator: -25% Hard Mutator: +10% Fun Mutator: No Effect Text Tutorial 1.0 How to upgrade All Horde Fortifications Except Silverback 1.1 Host a private Horde match with a friend or in split screen 1.2 Pick Insane difficulty and choose 3 Hard Mutators, one of which being Friendly Fire. (This can be done without any Mutators but is slower to level up by 25% - 30%) 1.3 Map choice is Sandbar and select the Command Post on the cliff (scorcher I think). For this command post you have 2 turrets, 2 decoys and 2 sentries to buy/upgrade. You also have 1 Command Centre which is new in the DLC 1.4 When you spawn give 1 player all the money ($2000) and proceed to spending all your money (or as much ...
- published: 02 Nov 2011
- views: 18624
- author: madmanRAB
Midnight Syndicate - Dr. Atmore's Elixirs of Good Humour and Fortification
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:05
- Updated: 07 Dec 2012
"Dr. Atmore's Elixirs of Good Humour and Fortification" from the Midnight Syndicate CD, "Carnival Arcane" (8/2/11). Further into the carnival we meet one Dr. Atmore. Won't you sample his wares? Midnight Syndicate official website - www.MidnightSyndicate.com Visit Midnight Syndicate on iTunes - Midnight Syndicate on iTunes - itunes.apple.com "Carnival Arcane" on iTunes - itunes.apple.com Photo credits: Rick Davis (www.DAFE.org), Anthony Gray, Keith Martin, Mike "Pogo" Hach, and the Wisconsin Historical Society
http://wn.com/Midnight_Syndicate_Dr_Atmore's_Elixirs_of_Good_Humour_and_Fortification
"Dr. Atmore's Elixirs of Good Humour and Fortification" from the Midnight Syndicate CD, "Carnival Arcane" (8/2/11). Further into the carnival we meet one Dr. Atmore. Won't you sample his wares? Midnight Syndicate official website - www.MidnightSyndicate.com Visit Midnight Syndicate on iTunes - Midnight Syndicate on iTunes - itunes.apple.com "Carnival Arcane" on iTunes - itunes.apple.com Photo credits: Rick Davis (www.DAFE.org), Anthony Gray, Keith Martin, Mike "Pogo" Hach, and the Wisconsin Historical Society
- published: 13 Aug 2011
- views: 7167
- author: MidSyndicate
Fortification 55 · Memories
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:36
- Updated: 05 Dec 2012
Electro-Wave band from Hamburg, Germany, formed in April 1991 by Jan Kruse and Björn Petersen.
http://wn.com/Fortification_55_·_Memories
Electro-Wave band from Hamburg, Germany, formed in April 1991 by Jan Kruse and Björn Petersen.
- published: 04 Nov 2010
- views: 4290
- author: agathoma
Gears of War 3 Tips Decoy Fortifications Horde 2.0 Decoys Fortification Unlock Upgrade
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:54
- Updated: 28 Oct 2012
Tips for the Decoy Fortifications in Horde 2.0, Gears of War 3. The tips include how to unlock the sentry gun fortification, max decoy level, a which levels you can upgrade to a better decoy fortification and what each level allows you to do.
http://wn.com/Gears_of_War_3_Tips_Decoy_Fortifications_Horde_20_Decoys_Fortification_Unlock_Upgrade
Tips for the Decoy Fortifications in Horde 2.0, Gears of War 3. The tips include how to unlock the sentry gun fortification, max decoy level, a which levels you can upgrade to a better decoy fortification and what each level allows you to do.
- published: 01 Oct 2011
- views: 33419
- author: A1Tripp
30 Seconds To Mars - Ph.1 Fortification
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:18
- Updated: 16 Dec 2012
*if anyone wants acoustic songs - let me know. I might have what you're looking for and I'll give you a link*contains various footage i've collected over the years. Includes former members Solon Blixer and Matt Wachter. Also inludes new member Tim Kelleher. Enjoy www.sendspace.com
http://wn.com/30_Seconds_To_Mars_Ph1_Fortification
*if anyone wants acoustic songs - let me know. I might have what you're looking for and I'll give you a link*contains various footage i've collected over the years. Includes former members Solon Blixer and Matt Wachter. Also inludes new member Tim Kelleher. Enjoy www.sendspace.com
- published: 22 Jun 2007
- views: 326433
- author: sbhudson20
Dwarf Fortress Video Tutorial part 16 - Forging part 2, Fortifications
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:06
- Updated: 16 Nov 2012
NOTE: if you cant read the text, watch this video in high quality: www.youtube.com Part 16: In this episode ill explain a tad more about forging, and theres more trading, and fortifications are explained.
http://wn.com/Dwarf_Fortress_Video_Tutorial_part_16_Forging_part_2,_Fortifications
NOTE: if you cant read the text, watch this video in high quality: www.youtube.com Part 16: In this episode ill explain a tad more about forging, and theres more trading, and fortifications are explained.
- published: 08 Jan 2009
- views: 24437
- author: captnduck
Phase 1:Fortification - 30 Seconds To Mars
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:07
- Updated: 10 Dec 2012
EDIT: I'm never on this account anymore, people who want to download this song, i don't have it anymore but i know a way to get it: download firefox, then download the addon 'downloadhelper' and then download this video. After that you have to convert the video with a video converter to mp4, then with a music converter to mp3. I hope that's clear, at least for some of you. Maybe I'll give you links once where you can download freeware to do it. Old comments: The song is Phase 1: Fortification by 30 Seconds To Mars, it's a b-side. Pleeaz comment and rate!! haha, a slideshow of... Jared Leto!! well.. hope u like my video!! ENJOY! PROVEHITO IN ALTUM!!
http://wn.com/Phase_1Fortification_30_Seconds_To_Mars
EDIT: I'm never on this account anymore, people who want to download this song, i don't have it anymore but i know a way to get it: download firefox, then download the addon 'downloadhelper' and then download this video. After that you have to convert the video with a video converter to mp4, then with a music converter to mp3. I hope that's clear, at least for some of you. Maybe I'll give you links once where you can download freeware to do it. Old comments: The song is Phase 1: Fortification by 30 Seconds To Mars, it's a b-side. Pleeaz comment and rate!! haha, a slideshow of... Jared Leto!! well.. hope u like my video!! ENJOY! PROVEHITO IN ALTUM!!
- published: 15 Nov 2007
- views: 18226
- author: 30STMfallen
Norfolk Uncovered: Wartime Relics: Fortifications
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:15
- Updated: 29 Nov 2012
Norfolk Uncovered is a series of short documentaries about the less-known and less-obvious relics and ruins of the county of Norfolk, in the United Kingdom. This episode focuses on the heavily fortified coast around Weybourne. Why has Weybourne been an easy target for British Invasion? What structures were put up to help defend this vulnerable area of coastline during the world wars? All will be revealed in this episode of Norfolk Uncovered... View a more current edition of this video here: www.youtube.com Narrated by Michael Richmond. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE NOW to recieve the updates on when each episode appears online!
http://wn.com/Norfolk_Uncovered_Wartime_Relics_Fortifications
Norfolk Uncovered is a series of short documentaries about the less-known and less-obvious relics and ruins of the county of Norfolk, in the United Kingdom. This episode focuses on the heavily fortified coast around Weybourne. Why has Weybourne been an easy target for British Invasion? What structures were put up to help defend this vulnerable area of coastline during the world wars? All will be revealed in this episode of Norfolk Uncovered... View a more current edition of this video here: www.youtube.com Narrated by Michael Richmond. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE NOW to recieve the updates on when each episode appears online!
- published: 03 Apr 2010
- views: 2436
- author: djoska87
Gears of War 3 Horde 2.0 Turret Fortifications Tips Turrets Fortification Unlock Upgrade
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:43
- Updated: 06 Dec 2012
Tips for Gears of War 3 Horde 2.0 turret fortifications. Tips include when you get different turrets to upgrade, max level for turret fortifications and what each turrets fortification level will unlock.
http://wn.com/Gears_of_War_3_Horde_20_Turret_Fortifications_Tips_Turrets_Fortification_Unlock_Upgrade
Tips for Gears of War 3 Horde 2.0 turret fortifications. Tips include when you get different turrets to upgrade, max level for turret fortifications and what each turrets fortification level will unlock.
- published: 30 Sep 2011
- views: 29261
- author: A1Tripp
![Forsaken World - Gear Fortification [Guide + Voice Commentary] -- January 2012](http://web.archive.org./web/20121221072651im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KQrxpe0r1zQ/default.jpg "Forsaken World - Gear Fortification [Guide + Voice Commentary] -- January 2012")
Forsaken World - Gear Fortification [Guide + Voice Commentary] -- January 2012
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:01
- Updated: 08 Dec 2012
READ DESCRIPTION FIRST BEFORE ASKING ! SUBTITLES AVAILABLE FOR THIS VIDEO! This video is about Gear Fortification and the different aspects gear can acquire by this process in the free open-beta MMORPG game, Forsaken World. This video contains nothing else but the in-game graphical interface, composed score and songs of the game itself. This video is purely made for educational reasons of how players can achieve certain goals into the game to "help them advance towards a higher goal". INDEX OF VIDEO: 0:00 -- 1:02 : Intro 1:03 -- 1:25 : Gear Aspects -- Fortify Levels 1:26 -- 1:51 : Ingredients Gear Fortification 1:52 -- 2:43 : Collecting Ingredients 2:44 -- 3:03 : Locating NPC Nicolas 3:04 -- 4:12 : Interface Gear Fortification 4:13 -- 5:45 : Explaining Success Rates Lv. 1 - 49 5:46 -- 6:08 : Explaining Success Rates Lv. 50 - 59 6:09 -- 6:29 : Pay-offs 6:30 -- 7:03 : Final Conclusion 7:04 -- 7:35 : Secondary Function 7:36 -- 7:59 : Outro TERMS OF USE AND EULA OF PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT : www.perfectworld.com Subject to these Terms and any applicable EULA, PWE grants to you, for your noncommercial and personal use only, a limited, non-exclusive, revocable, nontransferable and nonsublicensable license to access and use the Service and the Proprietary Materials. Except as expressly permitted in these Terms or in the applicable EULA, such license does not include, and you agree not to engage in: (b) distribution, public performance or public display of any Proprietary ...
http://wn.com/Forsaken_World_Gear_Fortification_Guide_+_Voice_Commentary_-_January_2012
READ DESCRIPTION FIRST BEFORE ASKING ! SUBTITLES AVAILABLE FOR THIS VIDEO! This video is about Gear Fortification and the different aspects gear can acquire by this process in the free open-beta MMORPG game, Forsaken World. This video contains nothing else but the in-game graphical interface, composed score and songs of the game itself. This video is purely made for educational reasons of how players can achieve certain goals into the game to "help them advance towards a higher goal". INDEX OF VIDEO: 0:00 -- 1:02 : Intro 1:03 -- 1:25 : Gear Aspects -- Fortify Levels 1:26 -- 1:51 : Ingredients Gear Fortification 1:52 -- 2:43 : Collecting Ingredients 2:44 -- 3:03 : Locating NPC Nicolas 3:04 -- 4:12 : Interface Gear Fortification 4:13 -- 5:45 : Explaining Success Rates Lv. 1 - 49 5:46 -- 6:08 : Explaining Success Rates Lv. 50 - 59 6:09 -- 6:29 : Pay-offs 6:30 -- 7:03 : Final Conclusion 7:04 -- 7:35 : Secondary Function 7:36 -- 7:59 : Outro TERMS OF USE AND EULA OF PERFECT WORLD ENTERTAINMENT : www.perfectworld.com Subject to these Terms and any applicable EULA, PWE grants to you, for your noncommercial and personal use only, a limited, non-exclusive, revocable, nontransferable and nonsublicensable license to access and use the Service and the Proprietary Materials. Except as expressly permitted in these Terms or in the applicable EULA, such license does not include, and you agree not to engage in: (b) distribution, public performance or public display of any Proprietary ...
- published: 18 Jan 2012
- views: 7438
- author: Rayque3
Neighborhood Survival Pt 18, Simple Solution to Fortifying your Door!
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 7:08
- Updated: 12 Dec 2012
This is a continuation of home fortification. Once your windows are taken care of you must think about your doors. This is my solution. It's simple, fast, and cheap. 2 brackets and a 2x4... Think simply!!! KISS right? Keep It Simple Stupid!!! Thanks for watching
http://wn.com/Neighborhood_Survival_Pt_18,_Simple_Solution_to_Fortifying_your_Door!
This is a continuation of home fortification. Once your windows are taken care of you must think about your doors. This is my solution. It's simple, fast, and cheap. 2 brackets and a 2x4... Think simply!!! KISS right? Keep It Simple Stupid!!! Thanks for watching
- published: 17 Apr 2010
- views: 6859
- author: stayingawake20
DDTank Xeronn Fortify +11 and +12
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:30
- Updated: 17 Dec 2012
Song: 'Shawty Got Moves' by Get Cool I actually failed +12 8 times and succeeded on my 9th. You can use my way of fortifying too if it will help you.
http://wn.com/DDTank_Xeronn_Fortify_+11_and_+12
Song: 'Shawty Got Moves' by Get Cool I actually failed +12 8 times and succeeded on my 9th. You can use my way of fortifying too if it will help you.
- published: 24 Jul 2011
- views: 281194
- author: DarkBassX
Fortified house tutorial
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 27:35
- Updated: 20 Dec 2012
HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE, this tutorial is a hell of a lot longer than my others, but it covers a lot more of the STYLE rather than the block by block placement, i hope you enjoy it =] im off out now! i hope you all have fun and there will be a new video as soon as i can!
http://wn.com/Fortified_house_tutorial
HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE, this tutorial is a hell of a lot longer than my others, but it covers a lot more of the STYLE rather than the block by block placement, i hope you enjoy it =] im off out now! i hope you all have fun and there will be a new video as soon as i can!
- published: 01 Jan 2012
- views: 185979
- author: JamziboyMinecraft
Minecraft - Scotti Arabia Fortification
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 14:50
- Updated: 16 Dec 2012
Spin shows off his progress in Scotti Arabia! Thanks for every Like and Favorite! This is Episode 612. I'm ZackScott! Subscribe if you have not! New videos every day! youtube.com BUY ZACKSCOTT SHIRTS: zackscott.spreadshirt.com SUBMIT LOL REPLAYS j.mp SCOTTLAND WEBSITES scottlandminecraft.com...
http://wn.com/Minecraft_Scotti_Arabia_Fortification
Spin shows off his progress in Scotti Arabia! Thanks for every Like and Favorite! This is Episode 612. I'm ZackScott! Subscribe if you have not! New videos every day! youtube.com BUY ZACKSCOTT SHIRTS: zackscott.spreadshirt.com SUBMIT LOL REPLAYS j.mp SCOTTLAND WEBSITES scottlandminecraft.com...
- published: 21 Sep 2012
- views: 15723
- author: ZackScottGames
Fallout: New Vegas Walkthrough Part 22 - Fortification Hill Bunker
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:38
- Updated: 02 Dec 2012
We head into the Fortification Hill Bunker and meet Mr. House
http://wn.com/Fallout_New_Vegas_Walkthrough_Part_22_Fortification_Hill_Bunker
We head into the Fortification Hill Bunker and meet Mr. House
- published: 22 Oct 2010
- views: 30640
- author: dsdude1107
Fallout New Vegas Gameplay, Part 48. Fortification Hill and Caesar (Full Walkthrough in 1080p HD)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 11:05
- Updated: 03 Nov 2012
This is video #48 of my full Fallout: New Vegas walkthrough, in 1080p HD quality. For best viewing quality, click the fullscreen button in the YouTube player, then select 1080p, or "original" for even better than 1080p! Part 48. Fortification Hill and Caesar I reach Fortification Hill (also called "The Fort"), and after guards confiscate all of my lovely weapons (DAMN IT!), I make my way up the heath to find Caesar. He's entrenched in the center of the fort, surrounded by guards, so I can't just kill him like I wanted to. But I do notice Benny! I pretend to cooperate with Caesar, and he gives me the platinum chip that Benny killed me for originally. Caesar wants me to investigate a secret bunker and destroy everything inside, but I don't want to that yet. Privately, I leave with the intention to speak to Mr. House...
http://wn.com/Fallout_New_Vegas_Gameplay,_Part_48_Fortification_Hill_and_Caesar_Full_Walkthrough_in_1080p_HD
This is video #48 of my full Fallout: New Vegas walkthrough, in 1080p HD quality. For best viewing quality, click the fullscreen button in the YouTube player, then select 1080p, or "original" for even better than 1080p! Part 48. Fortification Hill and Caesar I reach Fortification Hill (also called "The Fort"), and after guards confiscate all of my lovely weapons (DAMN IT!), I make my way up the heath to find Caesar. He's entrenched in the center of the fort, surrounded by guards, so I can't just kill him like I wanted to. But I do notice Benny! I pretend to cooperate with Caesar, and he gives me the platinum chip that Benny killed me for originally. Caesar wants me to investigate a secret bunker and destroy everything inside, but I don't want to that yet. Privately, I leave with the intention to speak to Mr. House...
- published: 11 Nov 2010
- views: 16308
- author: culveyhouse
Minecraft Hardcore Survival - Ep.4 Fortification
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 30:46
- Updated: 20 Dec 2012
If you enjoyed the video I would appreciate a "like", Thanks! MT-Gaming: www.mt-gaming.com Join me on my Minecraft server mc.mt-gaming.net Follow me on twitter: twitter.com Buy Minecraft here: www.minecraft.net
http://wn.com/Minecraft_Hardcore_Survival_Ep4_Fortification
If you enjoyed the video I would appreciate a "like", Thanks! MT-Gaming: www.mt-gaming.com Join me on my Minecraft server mc.mt-gaming.net Follow me on twitter: twitter.com Buy Minecraft here: www.minecraft.net
- published: 23 May 2012
- views: 64383
- author: zXNoRegretzzXz
photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster
20 Dec 2012
Obama held a White House news conference on Wednesday to announce that Vice President Joe Biden will lead an interagency effort to craft new gun policies. The group is expected to offer its proposals in January. “We know this is a complex issue that stirs deeply held passions and political divides,” Obama said. “But the fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing.” ... WAKE-UP CALL ... ....(size: 6.1Kb)
photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
19 Dec 2012
WASHINGTON. US President Barack Obama backs a new bill to revive an assault weapons ban and other new gun laws, the White House said Tuesday, fleshing out his nascent response to a shocking school massacre. Obama also called an ardently pro-gun senator who has shifted his position on firearms laws since Friday's carnage in Connecticut and has begun meeting top cabinet officials to consider his options, his spokesman Jay Carney said ... ....(size: 4.9Kb)
photo: AP / Charles Krupa
18 Dec 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. "Most people reason dramatically, not quantitatively." -Oliver Wendell Holmes. On the same day that a 20-year-old, described as brilliant but remote, walked into an elementary school in Connecticut and massacred 26 children and adults, the school where I teach went on "lock-down." Four students with a handgun were arrested ... That morning before school, he had posted on Twitter and Facebook....(size: 14.0Kb)
photo: Creative Commons / Joachim Huber
18 Dec 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. When a Stanford geneticist, Gerald Crabtree, published a provocative and controversial new view on evolutionary change, namely that humans are actually getting dumber, he should have also added that humans are still developing an extermination gene ... Paleontologist Tim Flannery would more than likely agree with Crabtree ... Strange strings of gravel also overlaid some bones ... (1) Kane, Alex ... 195....(size: 9.4Kb)
photo: AP / Mohammad Hannon
19 Dec 2012
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said she accepts the findings of an independent panel that faulted the State Department over the deadly September attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya. An inquiry into the attack on the US mission, which saw the US ambassador and three other US citizens killed, found that the State Department security arrangements there were "grossly inadequate" ... 390 Source. ... Share ... Jaws ... Anaheim....(size: 19.2Kb)
Ha'aretz
21 Dec 2012
Equipped with a hoe, he worked with the Haganah prestate army and British soldiers to build the fortifications. ... The project will dispel a myth about the fortifications. ... But anyone strolling around the bunkers can see that the fortifications face north, evidence that the British were more worried about a Nazi invasion through Lebanon and Syria. ... The fortification plans were the proper approach to the Nazi threat, the faction said.....(size: 7.4Kb)
The Examiner
20 Dec 2012
It actually contains many more stone ruins than the better known Fort Mountain that include fortification walls, building ruins and agricultural terraces ... Supposedly, a temple had once stood inside the fortification which contained a giant stone snake with ruby eyes ... The fieldstone walls and earth berms were not fortifications per se, but rather buttresses to support vertical timber palisades....(size: 9.6Kb)
noodls
20 Dec 2012
(Source. ICOM - International Council of Museums) ... From left to right, Mr ... small arms in Oman and the Arabian Peninsula, fortification and ordnance in Oman and the Arabian Peninsula, Oman as a bridge between East & West, firearms and museums (legislation and new tendencies on small arms and firearms in museums), and current research related to military heritage and the East. In total, the event was attended by some 35 participants....(size: 3.0Kb)
Sacramento Bee
20 Dec 2012
WASHINGTON -- Three senior State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday after an independent review board determined that they had operational responsibility for "grossly inadequate" security when Islamic militants killed four Americans at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya ... Michael G ... The Sept ... They were held responsible for failing to act on requests for more guards and better fortifications for the U.S....(size: 4.8Kb)
The Dallas Morning News
20 Dec 2012
WASHINGTON - Three senior State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday after an independent review board determined that they had operational responsibility for “grossly inadequate” security when Islamic militants killed four Americans at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya ... Michael G ... The Sept ... They were held responsible for failing to act on requests for more guards and better fortifications for the U.S ... ....(size: 5.1Kb)
Philadelphia Daily News
20 Dec 2012
ASSOCIATED PRESS. Posted. Thursday, December 20, 2012, 3.01 AM ... The GOP said its alternative bill would provide more than enough money to pay for immediate recovery efforts through the spring ... The Republican version does not include $13 billion Democrats want for projects to protect against future storms, including fortification of mass transit systems in the Northeast and protecting vulnerable seaside areas by building jetties ... 0 ... Tweet ... ....(size: 13.0Kb)
Philadelphia Daily News
20 Dec 2012
A $24B proposal meets emergency needs, a senator said. Democrats want $60.4B. Andrew Miga, Associated Press. Posted. Thursday, December 20, 2012, 3.01 AM ... The Republican version does not include $13 billion that Democrats want for projects to protect against future storms, including fortification of mass-transit systems in the Northeast and protecting vulnerable seaside areas by building jetties against storm surges ... 0. comments. Tweet ... Apps....(size: 13.2Kb)
The Los Angeles Times
20 Dec 2012
WASHINGTON — Three senior State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday after an independent review board determined that they had operational responsibility for "grossly inadequate" security when Islamic militants killed four Americans at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya ... Michael G ... They were held responsible for failing to act on requests for more guards and better fortifications for the U.S ... Adam B ... ....(size: 34.0Kb)
The Examiner
20 Dec 2012
Tweet. 0 Email. Music newsletter. E-mail *. do not change Contact Email. Contact Email2. Contact Url. Subscribe to Blog. Remember my Info. Related topics. Karin Comes KillingMortal EnemyBoise Kntting Factory ... This Friday, December 21 ... Of course they are bringing in reinforcements to insure maximum sonic devastation, so a call went out to Mortal Enemy and Fault Paradox who will add much needed amplification and fortification to the event ... Tallboy....(size: 6.0Kb)
The Los Angeles Times
20 Dec 2012
WASHINGTON — Four senior State Department officials resigned under pressure Wednesday after an independent review board determined that they had operational responsibility for "grossly inadequate" security when Islamic militants killed four Americans at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya ... Michael G ... The Sept ... They were held responsible for failing to act on requests for more guards and better fortifications for the U.S....(size: 36.7Kb)
Huffington Post
20 Dec 2012
The GOP alternative bill would provide more than enough money to pay for immediate recovery efforts through the spring ... The Republican version does not include $13 billion Democrats want for projects to protect against future storms, including fortification of mass transit systems in the Northeast and protecting vulnerable seaside areas by building jetties against storm surges ... Also on HuffPost. Loading Slideshow ... New York Gov. Andrew M ... ....(size: 24.3Kb)
The Examiner
19 Dec 2012
In the light of the incomprehensible misery of the Sandy Hook killings and the heartless slaughter of small children as they sat trustingly in their classrooms, the topic of danger and random death is on most of our minds ... Dr. Gloria Horsely and Dr ... Location ... I find Gloria’s Horsley and her daughter Heidi to be one of the most trustable and powerful fortifications in times of personal horror and what is often an ensuing loss of hope ... ....(size: 2.2Kb)
Dayton Daily News
19 Dec 2012
Senate Republicans on Wednesday proposed a $24 billion emergency aid package for Superstorm Sandy victims, less than half of what Democrats hope to pass by Christmas ... The Republican version does not include $13 billion Democrats want for projects to protect against future storms, including fortification of mass transit systems in the Northeast and protecting vulnerable seaside areas by building jetties against storm surges ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)
"Fort", "Fortress", and "Stronghold" redirect here. For other uses, see Fort (disambiguation), Fortress (disambiguation), and Stronghold (disambiguation).
For other uses, see Fortification (disambiguation).
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs. The term is derived from the Latin fortis ("strong") and facere ("to make").
Contents |
Nomenclature[link]
Many military installations are known as forts, although they are not always fortified. Larger forts may class as fortresses; smaller ones formerly often bore the name of fortalices. The word fortification can also refer to the practice of improving an area's defence with defensive works. City walls are fortifications but not necessarily called fortresses.
The art of setting out a military camp or constructing a fortification traditionally classifies as castramentation, since the time of the Roman legions. The art/science of laying siege to a fortification and of destroying it has the popular name of siegecraft or 'siege warfare' and the formal name of poliorcetics. In some texts this latter term also applies to the art of building a fortification.
Fortification is usually divided into two branches, namely permanent fortification and field fortification. Permanent fortifications are erected at leisure, with all the resources that a state can supply of constructive and mechanical skill, and are built of enduring materials. Field fortifications, for example breastworks, are extemporized by troops in the field, perhaps assisted by such local labour and tools as may be procurable and with materials that do not require much preparation, such as earth, brushwood and light timber, or sandbags (see sangar).
There is also an intermediate branch known as semi-permanent fortification. This is employed when in the course of a campaign it becomes desirable to protect some locality with the best imitation of permanent defences that can be made in a short time, ample resources and skilled civilian labour being available.
Castles are fortifications which are regarded as being distinct from the generic fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territory.
History[link]
Ancient[link]
From very early history to modern times, walls have been a necessity for many cities. Uruk in ancient Sumer (Mesopotamia) is one of the world's oldest known walled cities. The Ancient Egyptians also built fortresses on the frontiers of the Nile Valley to protect against invaders from its neighbouring territories. Many of the fortifications of the ancient world were built with mud brick, leaving many no more than mounds of dirt for today's archaeologists.
The Assyrians deployed large labour forces to build new palaces, temples and defensive walls.[2]
Some settlements in the Indus Valley Civilization were also fortified. By about 3500 B.C., hundreds of small farming villages dotted the Indus floodplain. Many of these settlements had fortifications and planned streets. The stone and mud brick houses of Kot Diji were clustered behind massive stone flood dykes and defensive walls, for neighbouring communities bickered constantly about the control of prime agricultural land.[3] Mundigak (c. 2500 B.C.) in present day south-east Afghanistan has defensive walls and square bastions of sun dried bricks.[4]
Babylon was one of the most famous cities of the ancient world, especially as a result of the building program of Nebuchadnezzar, who expanded the walls and built the Ishtar Gate.
Exceptions were few—notably, ancient Sparta and ancient Rome did not have walls for a long time, choosing to rely on their militaries for defence instead. Initially, these fortifications were simple constructions of wood and earth, which were later replaced by mixed constructions of stones piled on top of each other without mortar.
In ancient Greece, large stone walls had been built in Mycenaean Greece, such as the ancient site of Mycenae (famous for the huge stone blocks of its 'cyclopean' walls). In classical era Greece, the city of Athens built a long set of parallel stone walls called the Long Walls that reached their guarded seaport at Piraeus.
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In Central Europe, the Celts built large fortified settlements known as oppida, whose walls seem partially influenced by those built in the Mediterranean. The fortifications were continuously being expanded and improved. Around 600 BC, in Heuneburg, Germany, forts were constructed with a limestone foundation supported by a mudbrick wall approximately 4 meters tall, probably topped by a roofed walkway, thus reaching a total height of 6 meters. The wall was clad with lime plaster, regularly renewed. Towers protruded outwards from the wall.[5]
Large tempered earth (i.e. rammed earth) walls were built in ancient China since the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1050 BC), as the capital at ancient Ao had enormous walls built in this fashion (see siege for more info). Although stone walls were built in China during the Warring States (481-221 BC), mass conversion to stone architecture did not begin in earnest until the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
In terms of China's longest and most impressive fortification, the Great Wall had been built since the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), although its present form was mostly an engineering feat and remodelling of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). The large walls of Pingyao serve as one example. Likewise, the famous walls of the Forbidden City in Beijing were established in the early 15th century by the Yongle Emperor.
The Romans fortified their cities with massive, mortar-bound stone walls. The most famous of these are the largely extant Aurelian Walls of Rome and the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, together with partial remains elsewhere. These are mostly city gates, like the Porta Nigra in Trier or Newport Arch in Lincoln.
Hadrian's Wall was built by the Roman Empire across the width of what is now northern England following a visit by Roman Emperor Hadrian (AD 76–138) in AD 122.
Medieval[link]
Main article: Medieval fortification
Roman forts and hill forts were the main antecedents of castles in Europe, which emerged in the 9th century in the Carolingian Empire.
The Early Middle Ages saw the creation of some towns built around castles. These cities were only rarely protected by simple stone walls and more usually by a combination of both walls and ditches. From the 12th century AD hundreds of settlements of all sizes were founded all across Europe, which very often obtained the right of fortification soon afterwards.
The founding of urban centres was an important means of territorial expansion and many cities, especially in eastern Europe, were founded precisely for this purpose during the period of Eastern Colonisation. These cities are easy to recognise due to their regular layout and large market spaces. The fortifications of these settlements were continuously improved to reflect the current level of military development.
During the Renaissance era, the Venetians raised great walls around cities threatened by the Ottoman empire. The finest examples are, among others, in Nicosia (Cyprus) and Chania (Crete), and they still stand, to this day.
Early modern[link]
Medieval-style fortifications were largely made obsolete by the arrival of cannons on the 14th century battlefield. Fortifications in the age of blackpowder evolved into much lower structures with greater use of ditches and earth ramparts that would absorb and disperse the energy of cannon fire. Walls exposed to direct cannon fire were very vulnerable, so were sunk into ditches fronted by earth slopes.
This placed a heavy emphasis on the geometry of the fortification to allow defensive cannonry interlocking fields of fire to cover all approaches to the lower and thus more vulnerable walls.
The evolution of this new style of fortification can be seen in transitional forts such as Sarzanello[6] in North West Italy which was built between 1492 and 1502. Sarzanello consists of both crenellated walls with towers typical of the medieval period but also has a ravelin like angular gun platform screening one of the curtain walls which is protected from flanking fire from the towers of the main part of the fort. Another example are the fortifications of Rhodes which were frozen at 1522 so that Rhodes is the only European walled town that still shows the transition between the classical medieval fortification and the modern ones.[7]
Fortifications also extended in depth, with protected batteries for defensive cannonry, to allow them to engage attacking cannon to keep them at a distance and prevent them bearing directly on the vulnerable walls.
The result was star shaped fortifications with tier upon tier of hornworks and bastions, of which Bourtange illustrated to the right is an excellent example. There are also extensive fortifications from this era in the Nordic states and in Britain, the fortifications of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the harbour archipelago of Suomenlinna at Helsinki being fine examples.
19th century[link]
The arrival of explosive shells in the 19th century led to yet another stage in the evolution of fortification. Star forts of the cannon era did not fare well against the effects of high explosive and the intricate arrangements of bastions, flanking batteries and the carefully constructed lines of fire for the defending cannon could be rapidly disrupted by explosive shells.
Worse, the large open ditches surrounding forts of this type were an integral part of the defensive scheme, as was the covered way at the edge of the counter scarp. The ditch was extremely vulnerable to bombardment with explosive shells.
In response, military engineers evolved the polygonal style of fortification. The ditch became deep and vertically sided, cut directly into the native rock or soil, laid out as a series of straight lines creating the central fortified area that gives this style of fortification its name.
Wide enough to be an impassable barrier for attacking troops, but narrow enough to be a difficult target for enemy shellfire, the ditch was swept by fire from defensive blockhouses set in the ditch as well as firing positions cut into the outer face of the ditch itself.
The profile of the fort became very low indeed, surrounded outside the ditch by a gently sloping open area so as to eliminate possible cover for enemy forces, while the fort itself provided a minimal target for enemy fire. The entrypoint became a sunken gatehouse in the inner face of the ditch, reached by a curving ramp that gave access to the gate via a rolling bridge that could be withdrawn into the gatehouse.
Traditional fortification however continued to be applied by European armies engaged in warfare in colonies established in Africa against lightly armed attackers from amongst the indigenous population. A relatively small number of defenders in a fort impervious to iron-age weaponry could hold out against high odds, the only constraint being the supply of ammunition.
Much of the fort moved underground, with deep passages and tunnels to connect the blockhouses and firing points in the ditch to the fort proper, with magazines and machine rooms deep under the surface.
The guns however, were often mounted in open emplacements and protected only by a parapet - both in order to keep a lower profile and also because experience with guns in closed casemates had seen them put out of action by rubble as their own casemates were collapsed around them.
20th and 21st centuries[link]
Steel-and-concrete fortifications were common during the 19th and early 20th centuries. However the advances in modern warfare since World War I have made large-scale fortifications obsolete in most situations. Only underground bunkers are still able to provide some protection in modern wars. Many historical fortifications were demolished during the modern age, but a considerable number survive as popular tourist destinations and prominent local landmarks today.
The downfall of permanent fortifications had two causes:
- The ever escalating power, speed, and reach of artillery and air power meant that almost any target that could be located could be destroyed, if sufficient force were massed against it. As such, the more resources a defender devoted to reinforcing a fortification, the more combat power that fortification justified being devoted to destroying it, if the fortification's destruction was demanded by an attacker's strategy. From World War II, bunker busters were used against fortifications. By 1950, nuclear weapons were capable of destroying entire cities, and produced dangerous radiation. This led to the creation of civilian nuclear air raid shelters.
- The second weakness of permanent fortification was its very permanency. Because of this it was often easier to go around a fortification and, with the rise of mobile warfare in the beginning of World War II, this became a viable offensive choice. When a defensive line was too extensive to be entirely bypassed, massive offensive might could be massed against one part of the line allowing a breakthrough, after which the rest of the line could be bypassed. Such was the fate of the many defensive lines built before and during World War II, such as the Siegfried Line, the Stalin Line and the Atlantic Wall. Note that this was not the case of the Maginot Line, designed to force the Germans to pass through Belgium and that has fully achieved its political and strategic role[8].
Instead field fortification rose to dominate defensive action. Unlike the trench warfare which dominated World War I, these defences were more temporary in nature. This was an advantage because since it was less extensive it formed a less obvious target for enemy force to be directed against.
If sufficient power were massed against one point to penetrate it, the forces based there could be withdrawn and the line could be re-established relatively quickly. Instead of a supposedly impenetrable defensive line, such fortifications emphasized defence in depth, so that as defenders were forced to pull back or were overrun, the lines of defenders behind them could take over the defence.
Because the mobile offensives practised by both sides usually focused on avoiding the strongest points of a defensive line, these defences were usually relatively thin and spread along the length of a line. The defence was usually not equally strong throughout however.
The strength of the defensive line in an area varied according to how rapidly an attacking force could progress in the terrain that was being defended—both the terrain the defensive line was built on and the ground behind it that an attacker might hope to break out into. This was both for reasons of the strategic value of the ground, and its defensive value.
This was possible because while offensive tactics were focused on mobility, so were defensive tactics. The dug in defences consisted primarily of infantry and antitank guns. Defending tanks and tank destroyers would be concentrated in mobile "Fire Brigades" behind the defensive line. If a major offensive was launched against a point in the line, mobile reinforcements would be sent to reinforce that part of the line that was in danger of failing.
Thus the defensive line could be relatively thin because the bulk of the fighting power of the defenders was not concentrated in the line itself but rather in the mobile reserves. A notable exception to this rule was seen in the defensive lines at the Battle of Kursk during World War II, where German forces deliberately attacked into the strongest part of the Soviet defences seeking to crush them utterly.
The terrain that was being defended was of primary importance because open terrain that tanks could move over quickly made possible rapid advances into the defenders' rear areas that were very dangerous to the defenders. Thus such terrain had to be defended at all cost.
In addition, since in theory the defensive line only had to hold out long enough for mobile reserves to reinforce it, terrain that did not permit rapid advance could be held more weakly because the enemy's advance into it would be slower, giving the defenders more time to reinforce that point in the line. For example, the battle of the Hurtgen Forest in Germany during the closing stages of World War II is an excellent example of how impassable terrain could be used to the defenders' advantage.
After World War II, ICBMs capable of reaching much of the way around the world were developed, and so speed became an essential characteristic of the strongest militaries and defenses. Missile silos were developed, so missiles could be fired from the middle of a country and hit cities and targets in another country, and airplanes (and air carriers) became major defenses and offensive weapons (leading to an expansion of the use of airports and airstrips as fortifications). Mobile defenses could be had underwater, too, in the form of nuclear submarines capable of firing missiles. Some bunkers in the mid to late 20th century came to be buried deep inside mountains and prominent rocks, such as Gibraltar and Cheyenne Mountain. On the ground itself, minefields have been used as hidden defences in modern warfare, often remaining long after the wars that have produced them have ended.
Demilitarized zones along borders are arguably another type of fortification, although a passive kind, providing a buffer between potentially hostile militaries.
Forts[link]
Forts in modern usage often refer to space set aside by governments for a permanent military facility; these often do not have any actual fortifications, and can have specializations (military barracks, administration, medical facilities, or intelligence). In the United States usage, forts specifically refer to Army fortifications; Marine Corps fortifications are referred to as camps.[citation needed]
However there are some modern fortifications that are referred to as forts. These are typically small semi permanent fortifications. In urban combat they are built by upgrading existing structures such as houses or public buildings. In field warfare they are often log, sandbag or gabion type construction.
Such forts are typically only used in low level conflict, e.g., counterinsurgency conflicts or very low level conventional conflicts, e.g., the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation saw the use of log forts for use by forward platoons and companies. The reason for this is that static above ground forts can not survive modern direct or indirect fire weapons larger than mortars, RPGs and small arms.
North America[link]
In British North America, and subsequently in the frontiers of the United States, prior to the 20th century the term fort was increasingly used for any military base of operations regardless of how fortified it was. Military forts in the American Old West during the Indian Wars were often lightly fortified enclosures with log or adobe walls. In many areas the term fort was used to refer to any European or U.S. outpost, military, para-military, or civilian, that was located in an undeveloped region. Many of these outposts were simply trading posts or a combination of a trading post and an Army post.
Some famous U.S. military forts included Fort Laramie and Fort Bridger on the Emigrant Trail and Bent's Fort on the Arkansas River.
Prisons and others[link]
Fortifications designed to keep the inhabitants of a facility in rather than out can also be found, in prisons, concentration camps, and other such facilities, with supermaxes having some of the strongest of those. Those are covered in other articles, as most prisons and concentration camps are not primarily military forts (although forts, camps, and garrison towns have been used as prisons and/or concentration camps; see Theresienstadt, Guantanamo Bay, and the Tower of London for examples).
See also[link]
- Border fence
- Castra
- Citadel
- Coastal fortification
- Defensive wall
- Hesco bastion
- List of fortifications
- List of forts
- Military camp
Fort components
- Abatis
- Banquette
- Barbed wire, Razor wire, Wire entanglement, and Wire obstacle
- Bartizan
- Bastion
- Berm
- Caponier
- Casemate
- Curtain
- Czech hedgehog
- Defensive fighting position (aka a "foxhole")
- Ditch
- Embrasure
- Glacis
- Gun turret
- Keep
- Palisade
- Parapet
- Pillbox
- Postern
- Ravelin
- Revetment
- Sandbag
- Scarp and Counterscarp
- Turret
Types of forts and fortification
- Bastion fortress
- Blanket fort
- Blockhouse
- Bunker
- Castle
- City wall
- Chinese city wall
- Compound
- Diaolou
- Fire support base
- Flak tower
- Grad, a Slavic wooden fortified settlement
- Hill fort
- Land battery
- Martello tower
- Medieval fortification
- Missile silo
- Pā a 19th-century Māori fortification
- Peel tower
- Polygonal fort
- Promontory fort
- Redoubt
- Stockade
- Star fort
Fortification and siege warfare
Famous experts
- Henri Alexis Brialmont
- César Cui
- Diades of Pella
- Mozi
- James of St. George
- Bernard de Gomme
- Fritz Todt
- Menno van Coehoorn
- Vauban
Gallery[link]
-
Rodberget38.jpg
Rödberget fort, a part of the modern Boden Fortress in Sweden, seen from the north. The moat and the armored turrets are clearly visible.
-
Forte dos Reis Magos in Natal, Brazil, built in 1599.
-
Tvrdjava Petrovaradin 11.jpg
Petrovaradin fortress "Gibraltar on the Danube" - Austrian fortress from the 18th century and one of the best preserved fortifications in Serbia.
-
View of Alamghiri Gate of Lahore Fort.
-
Fortifications of Edinburgh Castle used the natural volcanic landscape to best advantage. Image painted by Alexander Nasmyth (~1780).
-
Ruins of an 1800 year-old Sialkot Fort bastion in Sialkot, Pakistan.
.JPG)
References[link]
- ^ Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din, UNESCO, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1229, retrieved 2009-10-20
- ^ Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture By Banister Fletcher, Sir, Dan Cruickshank, Dan Cruickhank, Sir Banister Fletcher. Published 1996 Architectural Press. Architecture. 1696 pages. ISBN 0-7506-2267-9. pg no 20
- ^ The Encyclopedia of World History: ancient, medieval, and modern, chronologically arranged By Peter N. Stearns, William Leonard Langer. Compiled by William L. Langer. Published 2001 Houghton Mifflin Books. History / General History. ISBN 0-395-65237-5. pg 17
- ^ Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture By Banister Fletcher, Sir, Dan Cruickshank, Dan Cruickhank, Sir Banister Fletcher. Published 1996 Architectural Press. Architecture. 1696 pages. ISBN 0-7506-2267-9. pg no 100
- ^ http://www.isentosamballerer.de/de/bibliothek/siedlungsstrukturen-heuneburg/befestigungen.html, http://www.heuneburg.de/heuneburg-kelten.htm
- ^ Harris, J., "Sarzana and Sarzanello - Transitional Design and Renaissance Designers", Fort (Fortress Study Group), No. 37, 2009, pp. 50-78
- ^ Medieval Town of Rhodes - Restoration Works (1985-2000) - Part One. Rhodes: Ministry of Culture – Works supervision committee for the monuments of the medieval town of Rhodes. 2001.
- ^ [Halter, Marc; History of the Maginot Line, Moselle River, 2011. ISBN 978-2-9523092-5-7]
- ^ Albania's Chemical Cache Raises Fears About Others—Washington Post, Monday 10 January 2005, p. A01.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
External links[link]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fortification |
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Look up fortification in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- Fortress Study Group
- Militaryarchitecture.com
- Study of Fortifications in Slovenia
- Fortifications in Slovenia
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortification
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Midnight Syndicate | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chardon, Ohio USA |
| Genres | Dark ambient Ethereal wave Neoclassical (Dark Wave) |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Entity Productions (1997 - present), Monolith Graphics (1998) |
| Associated acts | Nox Arcana Parlormuse |
| Website | http://www.MidnightSyndicate.com |
| Members | |
| Edward Douglas Gavin Goszka |
|
| Past members | |
| Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, Christopher Robichaud (1997). Joseph Vargo (1998-2000). | |
Midnight Syndicate is an American musical group that has been working mainly in the genre of gothic music since 1997 and is based out of Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The band refers to their CDs as "soundtracks for the imagination" or "soundtracks to imaginary films." Most of the songs on their thirteen albums are characterized by a blend of instrumental music and sound effects and are commonly used to provide atmosphere during the Halloween season, in haunted attractions, and in the role-playing game industry.
Contents |
History[link]
Formation and Early years (1996-1998)[link]
Composer/filmmaker Edward Douglas formed Midnight Syndicate in 1996 shortly after releasing a micro-budget, direct-to-video horror film called The Dead Matter (1996)[1] which he directed and scored and would later remake.[2] Midnight Syndicate's self-titled debut album was released the following year.[3] A majority of music on the album was written, arranged, and performed by Edward Douglas. Contributors included Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, the rap act Dark Side, and Christopher Robichaud. Douglas coined the term cine-fusion to describe the album. Cine-fusion is described in the album's liner notes as
- "a blending of movie soundtrack music and pop music... a compilation of soundtracks to movies that do not exist. The goal of the music is to stimulate the imaginations of listeners so that they are able to transport themselves to worlds or movies of their own creation."
Musically, the album contained an eclectic blend of styles including everything from dark instrumental music (of which three tracks appeared on future releases), rock,[4] rock-a-billy, techno, rap, new age, humor-pop, jazz, and space. Movie-style sound effects were employed in some tracks. In March 1998, a multimedia show was produced by Douglas and his company, Entity Productions, to support the album. The show included a blending of original short films, live music, animation, and stage performers.[5]
Breakout (1998-2000)[link]
In 1998, Douglas teamed up with gothic fantasy artist Joseph Vargo, and the two decided to create an exclusively dark-themed instrumental Midnight Syndicate album. Vargo developed the storyline and concept of a musical journey through a haunted castle, with the music reflecting his gothic artwork.[6][7][8] Composer Gavin Goszka, formerly a solo artist in a project called Lore, also joined Douglas and Vargo in the new Midnight Syndicate line-up. Together, they created Born of the Night, a groundbreaking album that appealed to fans of gothic music, the horror genre, and haunted attractions. Douglas and Goszka wrote and performed the music on the album while Vargo served as executive producer and creative director of the project, as well as writing and performing the vocals and narrations, and designing the cover art and packaging. The album and songs were also titled after several of Vargo's most popular paintings. Born of the Night was independently released in September 1998 through Vargo's Monolith Graphics and Douglas' Entity Productions, hitting the horror market just in time for the Halloween season. It was Midnight Syndicate's first critically acclaimed gothic-horror soundtrack and proved to be an instant success,[9] establishing Midnight Syndicate's trademark sound.
In March 2000, Realm of Shadows followed suit with the same flavor of dark instrumental music and another gothic setting. Douglas and Goszka wrote all of the music for this album while Vargo wrote and performed the opening narration and theme story. Again, the songs were titled after Vargo's artworks. Both albums were featured as official soundtracks for Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights, and used in several other major theme parks during Halloween, such as Busch Gardens, Cedar Point and Thorpe Park's Fright Nights event.[10] The heavy metal band King Diamond also featured tracks from Born of the Night as opening music for their 2000 US tour. Afterwards, Vargo and Midnight Syndicate chose to work separately of one another on future projects.[11]
Rise (2001-2006)[link]
Midnight Syndicate's third gothic horror soundtrack, Gates of Delirium, was released in 2001. This time Douglas and Goszka teamed up with two members who worked on the first Midnight Syndicate CD, Mark Rakocy (graphic design) and Christopher Robichaud (vocals). Set in a Victorian haunted mental institution called Haverghast Asylum, Gates of Delirium was the first Midnight Syndicate disc to feature the fictitious Haverghast family,[4] a theme the band would revisit on future discs such as The 13th Hour. Gavin Goszka has since called Gates of Delirium "a personal favorite" from the Midnight Syndicate library.
During the 2001 Halloween weekend, six of the band's mp3 singles were in the Top 20 for all of MP3.com (#1, #2, #7, #10, #12, and #19) registering over 100,000 listens in three days. The title track from Born of the Night remained at #1 for over a week with two tracks from Gates of Delirium maintaining their positions in the Top 40 as well.[12]
In August 2002, the band released their fifth studio album Vampyre. The vampire-themed disc was the first Midnight Syndicate disc to feature a cover designed by fantasy artist Keith Parkinson.
By this time, the band's popularity with role-playing gamers who used their discs as background for their sessions had grown to where they were exhibiting at gaming conventions. It was at one of these conventions that the band was approached by designers from Wizards of the Coast.[13] The result was 2003's Dungeons & Dragons: Official Role-playing Soundtrack, the first officially-licensed soundtrack to the classic roleplaying game of the same name. The album (whose fantasy themes were a departure from previous releases) was generally well-received by music critics and the gaming community and helped the band build their following in Europe.[14] Some of the tracks were later used in computer games Baldur's Gate - Dark Alliance II and Shadowbane expansions Rise of Chaos and Throne of Oblivion.
In August 2005, the band returned to darker themes with their seventh CD entitled The 13th Hour. Featuring vocal effects by Lily Lane of the horror-rock band Lazy Lane and cover art by Keith Parkinson the disc is set in a haunted Victorian mansion and features tracks like: Fallen Grandeur, Grisly Reminder, and Family Secrets. Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994–1999) was released in 2006 and featured re-recorded versions of tracks from Midnight Syndicate, Born of the Night, and Realm of Shadows, along with some of Edward Douglas’ early horror film scores including The Dead Matter (1995). Fantasy artist Rob Alexander designed the cover.[8]
[edit] The Rage and The Dead Matter (2007-2010)
In early 2007, the band temporarily shifted from creating "soundtracks to imaginary films" to composing music for actual projects when they completed the score to Robert Kurtzman's, The Rage and wrote music for Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 17's Carnival of Carnage. The Rage: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released in February 2008.[15]
In September 2007, Douglas returned to filmmaking as director, co-producer, and composer of an updated remake of his 1995 horror film, The Dead Matter.[16] During this time, Gavin Goszka started a solo project called Parlormuse which featured Victorian era songs re-recorded in a modern folk rock style.[17]
In August 2008, the band released The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates, a CD of music inspired by the themes from the new The Dead Matter movie. Midnight Syndicate's first two music videos were made for the songs Dark Legacy and Lost from the disc. In the finale of the music video for Dark Legacy, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka are shown playing on stage at the historic Phantasy Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. It marked the first time they had played together live.[18]
On July 30, 2010 The Dead Matter movie was released on DVD along with a Midnight Syndicate "greatest hits-style" compilation CD called Halloween Music Collection and an EP entitled The Dark Masquerade featuring gothic artist Destini Beard performing operatic vocals and lyrics to various Midnight Syndicate recordings. The Dead Matter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was also released on July 30. The CD featured the score by Edward Douglas, other music that appeared in the film, and several remixes of Midnight Syndicate tracks by other artists.[19]
Recent projects (2011-present)[link]
In August of 2011, the band released its fourteenth studio album, entitled Carnival Arcane. The theme of the CD surrounds a fictional turn of the century traveling circus called The Lancaster Rigby Carnival. The CD was inspired by research into carnivals of that time period and Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. [20] In 2012, the album won the Best CD category in the 2012 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.[21]
In December of 2011, Jeff Miller of Kinetic Filmworks announced that Edward Douglas and Midnight Syndicate would be scoring their upcoming film, Bunyan. [22]
Impact in Halloween music and the Haunted Attraction industry[link]
Some say Midnight Syndicate's music has become synonymous with the celebration of Halloween. The music is commonly used as atmosphere for Halloween-themed events, stores, and parties (including Hugh Hefner's), as well as home decorating for trick-or-treating. Many credit them as helping to legitimize the genre of Halloween music (music for the Halloween holiday), elevating standards in the genre, and inspiring other musicians to create similar projects.[8][23][24][25] On September 11, 2009, AOL Radio released a list of the Top 10 Best Halloween Music CDs as ranked by AOL/CBS Radio listeners. Three of the ten CDs were Midnight Syndicate discs (Born of the Night #8, Realm of Shadows #4, and Vampyre #3), ranking behind Danny Elfman's The Nightmare Before Christmas and John Carpenter's Halloween soundtrack.[26]
Midnight Syndicate's music has been a standard of the haunted attraction industry worldwide for many years and they are credited with being the first company to produce soundtracks of quality specifically for that industry.[8][27] In 2005, Leonard Pickel, editor of Haunted Attraction Magazine estimated that "75-90% of the attractions in the industry had at least one Midnight Syndicate CD." The music is also used by amusement parks like Universal Orlando, Busch Gardens, Kings Island, Six Flags, and Cedar Point that hold Halloween-themed events such as Halloween Horror Nights, Howl-O-Scream, and Fright Fest.[8][24][28]
Impact in the role-playing game industry[link]
Midnight Syndicate's reputation and following in the role-playing game community rivals its following in the horror community.[24][29] Their Dungeons & Dragons CD which reportedly broke previous sales records for gaming soundtracks in its first month, established them as the leading supplier of music to the hobby game industry.[17] Their The 13th Hour CD won the Origins Award for Best Gaming Accessory presented by the Academy of Adventure Game Art & Design, marking the first time a role-playing soundtrack or music CD had won the award.[30] In 2007, Midnight Syndicate teamed up with Goodman Games to produce Cages of Delirium a Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure based on Gates of Delirium which came packaged with the CD.
Self-distribution[link]
When record labels and distributors rejected the band's first two CDs, Douglas began building his own distribution network by selling CDs out of his van with Goszka and cold-calling hundreds of stores.[24][31] Today Midnight Syndicate's CDs are self-distributed to thousands of retailers worldwide through Entity Productions, Inc. and its partners, making them one of the largest distributors of Halloween-themed music.[27][32] Entity Productions also distributed the 2010 version of The Dead Matter movie.[33]
Midnight Syndicate in television and film[link]
In addition to The Rage and The Dead Matter, Midnight Syndicate's music has been featured in television programs such as Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Today Show, Monday Night Football, NBA on TNT, Syfy's The Possessed and Halloween-themed specials on the Travel Channel.[24][34] The music has also been used as theme music in independent horror films like Dead & Rotting, Revamped, Witchouse 3: Demon Fire and Song of the Vampire (AKA Vampire Resurrection).[34]
It is also used in the now-discontinued The Byron Chronicles.
Influences[link]
Douglas has cited film composers such as Danny Elfman, James Horner, John Carpenter, Hans Zimmer, heavy metal acts King Diamond and Black Sabbath, radio dramas, and horror films as primary influences for Midnight Syndicate. Goszka has cited similar influences in addition to bands such as Dead Can Dance and early Genesis.[35][36][37][38]
Discography[link]
- Midnight Syndicate (1997)
- Born of the Night (1998)
- Realm of Shadows (2000)
- Gates of Delirium (2001)
- Vampyre (2002)
- Dungeons & Dragons (2003)
- The 13th Hour (2005)
- Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994–1999) (2006)
- The Rage: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2008)
- The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates (2008)
- The Dark Masquerade with Destini Beard (2010)
- The Dead Matter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2010)
- Halloween Music Collection (2010)
- Carnival Arcane (2011)
Film[link]
- The Dead Matter (2010)
See also[link]
References[link]
- ^ Interview with Edward Douglas, FEARnet, October 2008.
- ^ Michael Gingold, "The Dead Matter: From Midnight music to a movie", Fangoria Magazine (New York, NY), August, 2010, Pg.6.
- ^ US Copyright office Midnight Syndicate album © date 1997-09-17
- ^ a b Interview with Gavin Goszka, Federico Marongiu, "Midnight Syndicate", Music Extreme (Argentina), 2001.
- ^ Charles Cassady, "On Fright Night and Beyond the Spookiest Sounds", West Life, October 25, 2006, Pg.11B.
- ^ Radio Interview with Joseph Vargo, Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka Station WERE 1300, (Cleveland, OH.), October 1998.
- ^ Interview with Edward Douglas, Paragon Magazine, October 2003.
- ^ a b c d e Cover story on Midnight Syndicate Leonard Pickel, "Midnight Syndicate: Setting the Mood for an Industry", Haunted Attraction Magazine (Charlotte, NC), June 2006, Pg. 24-28, 38-41
- ^ John Soeder, "Gothic Horror Rock Featured This Weekend", The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), March 2, 2000.
- ^ Jeff Niesel, "Soundbites", Scene Magazine (Cleveland, OH), October 14, 1999.
- ^ Interview with Midnight Syndicate Peter Iorillo, "Something Wicked This Way Comes", Dark Realms Magazine (Cleveland, OH.), Issue 1, January 2001, Pg. 20-23.]
- ^ Midnight Syndicate News
- ^ "Welcome". Utter Trash. http://www.uttertrash.net/index.html. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
- ^ Bernard Van Isacker, "Midnight Syndicate: Success Comes From Within Yourself", Side-Line (Bruxelles, Belgium, July, 2005.
- ^ Midnight Syndicate News Archives July 30, 2007
- ^ IMDB.com listing for The Dead Matter
- ^ a b Carl E. Feather, "Syndicate Ready for Halloween", Star Beacon (Ashtabula, OH), October 8, 2008, Sec. B, Pg. B1.
- ^ Midnight Syndicate Video Shoot Update Gregory Burkhart, FEARnet News, March 12, 2010
- ^ Midnight Syndicate Spec-Ed DVD Gregory Burkhart, FEARnet News, May 27, 2010
- ^ FEARnet "Carnival Arcane" Gregory Burkart, August 15, 2011
- ^ Rondo Award Winners David Colton, April 3,2012
- ^ “Bunyan” Trailer Stomps Online” Michael Gingold, December 19, 2011
- ^ Heather Adler, "Haunted Harmonies", Rue Morgue (Toronto, ON), Issue 50, Pg. 131
- ^ a b c d e Scream Kings Jason Bracelin, Scene Magazine (Cleveland, OH), May 25, 2005, Pg. 10-13.
- ^ Trevor Tuminski, "Hymns from the House of Horror", Rue Morgue (Toronto, ON), Issue 100, Pg.49.
- ^ Best Halloween Music CDs Sara Anderson, AOL Radio Blog
- ^ a b John Horton, "Scary Music Writers Accomplish Their Ghouls", The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH), October 17, 2006, Sec. A, Pg. A1.
- ^ Jim Vickers, "Scream Songs", Cleveland Magazine (Cleveland, OH), October 2006, Pg. 30.
- ^ Jeffrey Lee, "Background Music for Role-playing Games," Examiner, August 5, 2009
- ^ The Origins Awards
- ^ Jennifer McKevitt, "Art of Darkness", News Herald (Mentor, OH), October 29, 2006, Sec. E, Pg.E1.
- ^ Carl E. Feather, "A little night music", Star Beacon (Ashtabula, OH), October 30, 2006, Sec. B, Pg. B1.
- ^ Mark Koestner, "Dawn of his Dead", News Herald (Mentor, OH), July 30, 2010, Pg. C10.
- ^ a b IMDB.com listing for Midnight Syndicate
- ^ Halloween Blues interview with Gavin Goszka, October, 2010
- ^ Sci-Fi Bookshelf interview with Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka, October 19, 2010.
- ^ FEARnet interview with Edward Douglas, October 31, 2008.
- ^ Dr. Gore's Funhouse interview with Edward Douglas, March 10, 2010.
External links[link]
http://wn.com/Midnight_Syndicate
Related pages:
http://ru.wn.com/Midnight Syndicate
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Syndicate
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
