World History: What event is your favorite?

[Rulez]

World War II. Feels sooo good to be Polish

[Rayman9930]

Is it true that the Nazis left Sweden alone?

[Tobbe]

Yes. Sweden, along with us and Denmark, were neutral countries at the start of the war. It was what we Scandinavians had done during World War I, and it worked pretty well then. However, Denmark, and particularly Norway, were strategically very well placed in Europe for both trading- and military purposes. That's why, on April 9th 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway in what was actually the first military operation in history to involve all three branches of a country's armed forces. Denmark fell during the first day, while we at least put up a half-decent fight until British, French and Polish troops abandoned us to fight the Germans in Belgium, The Netherlands and France. At this point, the Danish and Norwegian governments fled to England and we became allied with Britain and France. An interesting sidenote is that Norway were dangerously close to ending up on Germany's side in the war. Not because we had any sympathies with them (the Norwegian National Socialist party only had about 2000 members before the war), but because the British entered Norwegian naval space on several occasions, and on April 8th, the day before the German invasion, laid down mines in a few of our fjords because they (correctly) suspected a German invasion. This was, of course, quite a severe violation of Norway's status as a neutral state, so in the Norwegian government there was widespread panic that we would have to declare war on Britain (which would have been the only option if Britaish military ships kept entering Norwegian naval space) and thus become allied with Germany. The Germans invaded us the next day, so fortunately that didn't become a problem.

But why didn't Germany invade Sweden at any point? There are many reasons for this. Firstly it wasn't that important strategically, so invading Sweden would have been a waste of troops that yielded no strategic benefit. Another reason was that Sweden historically had very strong ties with Germany and its predecessors, so it was generally a relatively Germany-friendly country (this doesn't mean they were Nazis, though. The Swedes were definitely not Nazis!).

There. If you bothered to read all that you now have a little better understanding of some history that doesn't involve your country.

[Rayman9930]

Thanks for typing all that! That sounds better than learning The Revolutionary War in my country. Anyone here know anybody that was a legend like George Washington?

[Tobbe]

Thanks for typing all that!

No problem.

That sounds better than learning The Revolutionary War in my country. Anyone here know anybody that was a legend like George Washington?

We don't have a Norwegian euqivalent, because we gained our independency through peacful diplomacy rather than a war of independence.

[Rayman9930]

That doesn't mean you can't have a legend of a person, can you?

[Tobbe]

Of course not, but we don't have any particular equivalent to George Washington. The closest thing we have to him is probably Olav Haraldsson, or Olav the Holy, an old Viking king who fell in 1030 AD and was declared a saint because his fingers and hair kept growing after he was dead (the Vikings were apparently not aware that this is a very common phenomena).

[Rayman9930]

Ok, I'll take that. So who's your favorite person in history.

[El Dango]

Thanks for typing all that! That sounds better than learning The Revolutionary War in my country. Anyone here know anybody that was a legend like George Washington?

Well, we had Queen Margrethe I, the first queen of Denmark. I believe she was our most powerful ruler. Our current queen (Margrethe II) is pretty much the opposite.

[Limely]

Yes. Sweden, along with us and Denmark, were neutral countries at the start of the war. It was what we Scandinavians had done during World War I, and it worked pretty well then. However, Denmark, and particularly Norway, were strategically very well placed in Europe for both trading- and military purposes. That's why, on April 9th 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway in what was actually the first military operation in history to involve all three branches of a country's armed forces. Denmark fell during the first day, while we at least put up a half-decent fight until British, French and Polish troops abandoned us to fight the Germans in Belgium, The Netherlands and France. At this point, the Danish and Norwegian governments fled to England and we became allied with Britain and France. An interesting sidenote is that Norway were dangerously close to ending up on Germany's side in the war. Not because we had any sympathies with them (the Norwegian National Socialist party only had about 2000 members before the war), but because the British entered Norwegian naval space on several occasions, and on April 8th, the day before the German invasion, laid down mines in a few of our fjords because they (correctly) suspected a German invasion. This was, of course, quite a severe violation of Norway's status as a neutral state, so in the Norwegian government there was widespread panic that we would have to declare war on Britain (which would have been the only option if Britaish military ships kept entering Norwegian naval space) and thus become allied with Germany. The Germans invaded us the next day, so fortunately that didn't become a problem.

But why didn't Germany invade Sweden at any point? There are many reasons for this. Firstly it wasn't that important strategically, so invading Sweden would have been a waste of troops that yielded no strategic benefit. Another reason was that Sweden historically had very strong ties with Germany and its predecessors, so it was generally a relatively Germany-friendly country (this doesn't mean they were Nazis, though. The Swedes were definitely not Nazis!).

There. If you bothered to read all that you now have a little better understanding of some history that doesn't involve your country.

The Swedes even let the Nazis march right through their country to take Norway. Some neighbour. Great-grandad never let my aunt's swedish husband off the hook about that, apparently.

[Rayman9930]

I see why. Who was the longest rulers in your countries?

[Phoenixan]

Aha fuck off, don't forget who helped you kick the Brits out of your country. Also a civil war isn't necessarily a war for independence, you should really learn history outside your own country...

He should know that from the American Civil War even.

I've actually studied a lot about the workings of the "Cold War" era. I was born in 1988 in West Germany, so I kind of came in near the end of that. Then I often hear both pretty scary and funny stories from my parents. One good example would probably be with how, while stationed in Spain, their apartment got bombed.

To this day, I still don't understand why the US' & Canada's standards for security in air travel are set so low compared to, let's say, Germany. Terrorism is nothing new, so when the Twin Towers fell, no one should have been fully surprised, since we've pretty much been sitting ducks out here the whole time. I call bullshit.

[Rayman9930]

Interesting, but what's with it in terrorism?

[Phoenixan]

Your question kind of confused me, quite honestly. I'm just merely pointing out that the US' level of security is lax compared to the rest of the western world.

[Rayman9930]

I'm just wondering what's with terrorism and it's existence.

[Matyuv]

Yeah, but what about the spaghetti?

[Rayman9930]

Yeah, but what about the spaghetti?

What are you talking about

[Phoenixan]

Yeah, but what about the spaghetti?

Whatever happened to the Italian forum anyway? It had such an important, ground-breaking topic, very relevant to the history and well-being of Italy.

[Rayman9930]

It became inactive and spammed.

[Canard WC]

Spam? I always thought it was... spaghetti!

Buoni gli spaghetti, buoni gli spaghetti, buoni buoni buoni buoni, buoni gli spaghetti !