Battle of Manila in 1945 which was US territory at the time, hence the most lethal battle on US soil.
Daniel Immerwahr’s book How to Hide an Empire is very illuminating in terms US policy regarding the Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Alaska in the first half of the 20th century and elaborates how the political outcomes were far from preordained.
I think this a common pattern. The first wave are people who want to work and provide their children with more options than they had. Once they establish communities, the trash comes over because they now have somewhere to go. Unlike those who came first, they don’t need to try and assimilate.
There’s certainly some truth to that, along with the possibility that children of Islamic immigrants are more prone to radicalization than their parents. Local history aside, studying migrations in general is a topic of great interest to me. So much can lead to it. Famine, war, pestilence, economic opportunities or cash incentives offered by opportunistic politicians who need a new voting base can all be contributing factors.
Love this series on the civil war.
Im a huge colonial/American revolution nerd too and slowly diving deeper into the French and indian war. I grew up 5 minutes from Saratoga, so the whole area is a historical wet dream.
The Civil War was my second plunge after WWII. Same professor (he had just become one and he wore a bowtie) taught a Civil War class. We played a BIG tabletop war game in his office after class, a few students vs him, and we got smoked playing as the Union. It took seven or eight hours. That was also my introduction into complex historical war gaming and grand strategy gaming as a hobby, which I still do occasionally with a few Paradox games on PC. It has been a while since I tried to find someone to play a board game like this.
Outstanding game, BTW.
The civil war really is fascinating. It was linear war but also not. The tactics, the troops movements, the politics, everything. I drive past Antietam atleast 4 times a year and have yet to stop. Did Gettysburg, which was awesome. Would recommend any history nerd go.
Not civil war related but a few weeks ago i was in lake george and tried to convince family to go to ft Ticonderoga for a reenactment of the battle of Carillon. I thought it would be amazing, but they disagreed. Lol
One of the takeaways from that particular class that has led to more reading for me was my teacher’s emphasis on how it was one of (arguably THE) first modern industrial war. A truly remarkable confluence of science and technology mixed with tactics borne out of a time without all of that.
Definitely, and really trench warfare. The seige of petersburg alone is a lesson that european nations had to learn on their own 50 years later.
This is a story that has continued to be told during the history of @twojarslave’s interest in history as a hobby. I once got a girlfriend to try playing Axis and Allies, thinking I could start her on something gentle before moving on to the rough stuff like operational-level wargaming.
This is the same gal who also feigned interest in Magic: The Gathering, lifting, jiu-jitsu and deep tissue massage JUST enough to succeed in convincing me to try out her weird hobby, also starting me out gentle before we moved on to the rough stuff.
That’s all the history I’ve got time for today, folks.
I finally convinced a friend to watch a war movie with me. We’re going to watch Stalingrad (1993) tomorrow.
I’ll really have won when I convince someone to watch Brest Fortress
That sounds promising. I like your plan, a good choice for an opening move. Beware of history thirst traps, unless you’re the one setting it. If so, I hope a film about the slaughter of millions gives your romantic intentions the launching point they need to achieve a Stalin level of success.
I have 0 romantic intentions. He just happens to be a friend who accepts my preferences
it’s quite depressing how much of the sentiment in the movie applies to grad school life.
Also a great reminder of how bad things COULD be, useful when I’m super stressed or worried
I know that story. I once believed someone who pretended to be interested in concepts like strategic chokepoints, but it was only a half-truth at best.
Anyway, I hope your platonic screening goes as planned and you both walk away with a deeper appreciation for how screwed up people can be and how good we’ve got it.
Um…that’s a great movie but…ahem…not for everyone.
If you want to see what your friend is made of, then Come and See (Иди и смотри) is a good test.
I think it’s a bit more complex than that. These lessons were known since the Crimean War but ossified military hierarchies tended to ignore them because they were going against their preconceived notions.
During ACW there was the Second Schleswig War in Europe in which the exact same situation as the Siege of Petersburg occurred during the Battle of Dybbøl - a massive earthwork defense system supported by interlinked trenches and fort strongpoints was systematically dismantled by technologically superior heavy artillery and concentrated infantry assaults on weak points.
Again, it was considered a fluke. And from the Franco-Prussian War six years late completely wrong conclusions were drawn, demonstrated lethality of well defended trench systems supported by artillery was ignored as they were primarily deployed by the losing French side and one anecdotal Prussian cavalry charge that succeeded against all military logic and purely by chance was taken up as proof of continued cavalry relevance. And that’s how we got sabre wielding cavalry charges in the first month of WW1 on the Western front.
Oh, for sure. And even when it was obvious stalemate would ensue, it wasnt always clear how to successfully overcome trench fortifications.
At some point i will hit up Petersburg. Theres still a massive scar in the ground from the battle of the crater. Im planning a trip about 1.5 hrs from where i am to nintey six, sc. A spot where 80 years early thaddeus Kosciusko and the boys almost did the same thing.
Do you guys do history vacations or weekend/day trips? I usually do the history stuff alone, but sometimes my daughter shows interest and will tag along.
I dragged my family to dachau and the holocaust museum when we visited Germany. My senior year of HS, the model UN director arranged for us to attend a conference in St. Petersburg, Russia bc she knew I loved Russian history. Unfortunately, the consulate messed up my visa and I couldn’t go. They got to do a bunch of museum visits 
Things kind went to shite after that.
When I finish my current degree, my first stop will be to attend Tank Fest at the Tank Museum. I wanted to drag my family when we were in the UK last December but there wasn’t enough time
This seems to be a pattern…….
This movie is true depression. Not a single touch of humour or levity. I didn’t even need to understand Russian.
Even in Stalingrad and Brest Fortress, there’s stuff to laugh at (e.g., “we are the artillery”, “2 bottles of milk”)
Unrelated, but I hate when movies try to inject romantic subplots, especially highly improbable ones. Those subplots don’t enhance a movie, they turn a movie into a comedy
While you’re on the topic of stalingrad, Enemy at the Gates is a prime example of that.
Though, i can usually still enjoy a movie that adds romance and is historically inaccurate (to a degree). The Patriot is a guilty pleasure. So many things wrong, but ill still watch it, merica. Ive yet to see the Ridley Scott Napoleon movie. I was really excited until i saw a clip where Napoleon was in a cavalry charge at waterloo and i became much less interested.
Old Hickory and the Tennessee Volunteers taught the British about earthen fortifications back in 1815.
