New History Quiz

[insurgent]

Don't you think a more factual question is better? One that can't be debated, objective facts... I mean... it's a quiz, not really a discussion...

 

[nixon]

Those ARE facts, indisputable facts. If someone will run over the basic mistakes, then I won't ask for more.

Who said it was going to be easy, huh?

Although, if you give up, I could possibly be bothered to post an easier question.

 

[candybo]

Warning! Smart-aleck answer: Because there wasn't any oil or other resource in jeopardy, so support couldn't be maintained among corporate america or gas-guzzling joe six-pack...


edited for clarity

 

[nixon]

Originally posted by candybo
Warning! Smart-aleck answer: Because there wasn't any oil or other resource in jeopardy, so support couldn't be maintained among corporate america or gas-guzzling joe six-pack...


edited for clarity

How overly intelligent a conclusion you've reached there, smartass.

Any other wiseacres?

 

[candybo]

Ummm, did I win??

 

[nixon]

Originally posted by candybo
Ummm, did I win??

You'll have to do a little better than that, bro.

Now, what I want people to do now is to list three viable causes of why we lost in Vietnam, you should be able to hit some that aren't really debatable.

 

[Hitro]

Learn to post questions instead of discussions

Anyway:

The US lost that war, because (for example, you wanted three examples):

1. Few people in the US really wanted it (and yes, that includes the oil industry )

2. They had no idea what it was about, in other words, anti-Communist paranoia.

3. Catastrophic propaganda strategy, in other words, freedom of the press.

 

[nixon]

Originally posted by Hitro
Learn to post questions instead of discussions

Anyway:

The US lost that war, because (for example, you wanted three examples):

1. Few people in the US really wanted it (and yes, that includes the oil industry )

2. They had no idea what it was about, in other words, anti-Communist paranoia.

3. Catastrophic propaganda strategy, in other words, freedom of the press.

Tsk. Just typical, people start abstaining from this alternative history lesson when I choose to relieve you from this monotony.

OK, although I don't wholly agree with the points you make, I shall give in, you're probably right, this would evolve into a discussion.

You're up next, punk.

 

[Yoda Power]

Originally posted by nixon
You're up next, punk.

speak nice to each other

 

[Hitro]

Originally posted by Yoda Power
speak nice to each other

He is speaking nice. That's just his attempt at impersonating Darkshade. He's already become a whole lot better in the last months, though it's still miles away from the original.

However, next question:

What's the name of the international conference that had the goal to restructure Europe (recreate a balance of power to ensure stability) after the Napoleonic Wars and when was it held?

 

[Ancient Grudge]

Congress of vienna from september 1814 until june 1815

 

[Hitro]

Yeah, and where was it held?

Your turn, Grudge!

 

[Dr. Dr. Doktor]

Ok a little late I just realized, but it would be a shame to let so much work go to waste.

THE UNITED STATES DID NOT LOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM, THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE DID.

"No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now. Rarely have so many people been so wrong about so much. Never have the consequences of their misunderstanding been so tragic."
Richard Milhouse Nixon

However, for those people who insist that the Americans lost the war here is a run down of causes. It was a jumble of economic, strategic, tactical, political and public relations failures.

1.Americans bankrupted vietnam
2.Psychological impact of Tet Offensive on the American homefront
3.Vietcong guerilla were clever, deceptive and fanatical
4.NVA had plenty of Russian and Chinese heavy equipment
5.NVA general Staff were ruthless and clever
6.Boobie traps everywere
7.Cruelty to vietnamese was publicised by American media
8.There was no strategic objective
9.Troops had negative perception of U.S. government
10.Vietnamization was a failure
11.Kill ratio too low because of restrictions on combat
12.Perception that the war was not worth it
13.Soldiers had a bad attitude, generally
14.My Lai and other public relations disasters
15.McNamara was a buffoon
16.American troops were in a country that didn't particularly want them there.
17.South Vietnamese government which was repressive.
18.North Vietnamese government which was popular.
19.Americans do not like long wars.
20.Americans had long external lines of communication.
21.North Vietnamese had internal lines of communications
22.The Westpoint anti-guerilla warfare manual, written by a former counter-insurgency expert of the German Army serving in the Ukraine during WWII, was in fact a nefarious deception?

 

[nixon]

Now, while I wholly agree that the United States did NOT lose the Vietnam War, we consciously lost South Vietnam. Assassinating Diem was the worst mistake of the Kennedy Administration, the decision to take out Diem was a mistake of catalysmic proportions which meant certain doom to many innocent South Vietnamese.

Let me just make some points here which were pervasive during the war, and some of the points the commies and hippies (AKA the war protestors) using the debate:

- The war in Vietnam was immoral.

- We were on the wrong side of history in Vietnam.

- Passive force, i.e. diplomacy, table talk was the best answer to Communist "wars of liberation"

- The war in Vietnam was unwinnable.

All of these points are invalid.

Others include the notion that the war in Indochina was a civil war, which it wasn't. It was Ho Chi Minh's own little conquest of Indochina. Unfortunately, I don't have the time of dwelve further into this, but I will return a prove every single one of the points made by Dr. wrong (except some).

 

[Ancient Grudge]

someone can ask a question for me

 

[candybo]

Ok, here's an easy one in the "famous birthday" department:


What famous person shares the birthday (not birthdate) of Robert Zimmerman? Hint: this is actually a two-parter...

 

[insurgent]

Err... searched on Google for Robert Zimmerman, even though I don't entirely understand your question. Birthday but not birthdate?
Well, a lot of politicians were named Robert Zimmerman, but Bob Dylan was apparently also called that. It appears he is also called Shabtai Zisel ben Avraham v'Rachel Riva - a Jewish name if I'm not mistaken...

So my guess for the answer is...
BOB DYLAN...(?)

 

[candybo]

Close. Sorry if I was unclear. Bob Dylan IS the clue to the answer I am looking for (knowing who Bob Zimmerman is is part one to the question). Admittedly, there may be more than one other famous person with his birthday, but I had a specific one in mind. Aside from me, that is...

 

[Zcylen]

hey man! Im not a jedi, I cant read minds!

 

[insurgent]

Err... May 24th: Queen Victoria, Emilio Estevez, Burt Bacharach, Florence Nightingale, Priscilla Presley?

I'm guessing you mean Queen Victoria... (?)

I don't have time to post a question, so if I'm right, someone else will have to ask it...