History questions not worth their own thread
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civver_764
Deity
Haha that's pretty interesting. You would think that at least some monarchs would want to actually see the lands they rule over.
LightSpectra
me autem minui
With the exception of the 13 Colonies and Quebec, most of the New World was very sparsely populated, so there wouldn't be much to see for a ruler. Beautiful scenery and a few forts, but nothing more extravagant than what you'd see in Europe.
In addition to this, the trip there and back is like 10 months or something -- a long time to be away from the government you're supposed to be running. Not to mention the dangers of sea travel and diseases in the New World.
civver_764
Deity
Yeah that makes sense, it just seems incredibly odd to rule over something you've never even seen. It isn't like they had photos back then either.
The Silk Road was just an alternative to the oversea trade route, which was established quite early (during the early Roman Empire); Roman trade travelled well beyond the political borders of the empire.
Excuse me but...
Glad to see you laugh at a camel caravan.
Why would the visit?
It would be a long and dangerous trip, and leave the extremely vulnerable back home.
What was going on in the mother country was far more important for any government.
Most colonies weren't that significant, and the governments put (relatively autonomous) governors in place for a reason, with people to report to them.
Note the first moanrch to visit Australia was 1954.
Why on Earth did countries without a monarch always invite some foreigner to come be their ruler (Greece, Sweden, Bulgaria, I'm looking at you). Why not just elevate one of their own to be king? This has never made any sense to me.
LightSpectra
me autem minui
The U.S. (i.e., Alexander Hamilton) also briefly considered inviting Prinz Heinrich von Preußen to be the King of the United States.
These are all tangential guesses, but (a) as a compromise to prevent aristocratic feuding, (b) the prestige of the person invited was greater than any natives they had in mind, or (c) some guy in their assembly was paid off in order to suggest the invited monarch in question.
It was forced upon them by the Concert of Europe in exchange for being permitted independence in the first place. The French Revolution had created a genuine fear of republicanism and revolution amongst the established monarchies in Europe and they had no desire to go through anything similar again. Hence, their support for new monarchies.
As for inviting said monarch from the outside, as LightSpectra said, that was mostly to avoid infighting amongst the established aristrocracy. In some countries, like Greece, there also genuinely weren't many candidates.
The original Seven Provinces revolting against Spain did also consider the same (a count of Leicester was involved), but it didn't work out that way until 1814-15. But to become a king one has at least to be of princely blood; also, one does not elevate someone to kinghood, but rather accepts someone as king or someone may actually rise to be king - as was feared Caesar might - or emperor (as has happened repeatedly in China).
And, as mentioned, a king needs to be seen as above parties (aristocratic or otherwise). King William I's endorsement of a pro-Dutch policy was a factor in the Belgian revolt and the following creation of a Belgian kingdom in 1830 - with a German-born king, as the former empire provided a host of candidates for such a position even after the Napoleonic era.
Weren't any candidates. Kolokotronis might've been the most serious but frankly he was just a bandit. None of the Ypsilantis were realistic kings. And the first Greek Republic had just kicked off right before the Great Powers decided to make the place a kingdom, but its elder statesman kinda got assassinated.
r16
not deity
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ı am quite a lightweight when it comes to real history but a foreign monarch also ensures some sort of support against the wolfs prowling about ; the neighbouring state which probably used to rule the territory of the newborn would simply bide its time until the European powers got interested somewhere else . Keeping the new country in the family meant the Neighbour just had to watch .
LightSpectra
me autem minui
Theodoros Kolokotronis was sort of the Greek version of George Washington. Did they really view him as "just a bandit?"
Well, that's what he was - got his start as a raider in the Morea and everything. Marginally more respectable than, say, Botsaris or Ioannis Kolettis or one of the Maniots, because he spent some time bouncing between British and Russian service, but a bandit all the same.
Ok, good, good. But uh... King William I of the Netherlands is of the House of Oranje... He is a descendant of the Prince of Orange and all the other Stadholders. And the 1830 Revolution was inspired by Louis-Philippe more than anyone else.
ParkCungHee
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Is there any particular reason the Tudor era is absolutely flooded with Biographies?
Harvin87
The Youth
who knows of a good online newspaper-archive (free of course) ? I need to do some research about the crack of 29´ and I would like to add some original newspaper articles ..
, thx
(in English)
, thx(in English)
Harvin87
The Youth
Most of German newspaper -archives are from 1945 and on ... :/
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