09-04-2003, 08:20 PM
If I were trying to choose a military event, it would surely be the battle at Leignitz in April 1241. An alliance of Germans, Poles and Teutons under the command of Duke Henry II of Silesia formed a united White army and desperately tried to stem the advance of the Mongols, under the command of one Kaidu, a great-grandson of Genghis Khan.
It was a debacle, of course. But the clash of two very different styles of combat and army structure would be an interesting spectacle indeed.
A summary can be found here: http://historymedren.about.combrary/prm...golinvasion.htm
However, for a real spectacle, I would choose (from the safety of my time capsule, of course) to witness the explosion of Krakatoa, in 1883. :rolleyes: I always was partial to fireworks displays. A close runner-up would be the eruption of Tambora in Sumbawa, Indonesia, in 1815.
For human interest, I would choose the initial meeting between Walsh of the newly formed North West Mounted Police and the Sioux in November 1876. Walsh must have had balls of brass. He rode into a camp of 2000 people with 12 officers and delivered a lecture on how he expected them to behave while in Canada. I grant you, these were refugees. But he did not know that as he prepared to meet them, and their fierce reputation preceded them. The legendary stature of the Mounties came from encounters like this one, and I would love to see it.
It was a debacle, of course. But the clash of two very different styles of combat and army structure would be an interesting spectacle indeed.
A summary can be found here: http://historymedren.about.combrary/prm...golinvasion.htm
However, for a real spectacle, I would choose (from the safety of my time capsule, of course) to witness the explosion of Krakatoa, in 1883. :rolleyes: I always was partial to fireworks displays. A close runner-up would be the eruption of Tambora in Sumbawa, Indonesia, in 1815.
For human interest, I would choose the initial meeting between Walsh of the newly formed North West Mounted Police and the Sioux in November 1876. Walsh must have had balls of brass. He rode into a camp of 2000 people with 12 officers and delivered a lecture on how he expected them to behave while in Canada. I grant you, these were refugees. But he did not know that as he prepared to meet them, and their fierce reputation preceded them. The legendary stature of the Mounties came from encounters like this one, and I would love to see it.
And you may call it righteousness
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake