Sweet First Response!! Anyway, geography has shaped history by allowing armies with higher ground and other such advantages, an edge over armies without higher ground. An example of this is the battle of Gettysburg. The Americans had not only a sheltered position, it was also raised off the ground. they could fire down on the confederates therefore having a better angle. Another way is thast geography has a huge impact on what crops we can grow and where. An example of this is the pilgrims landing in the New World. The pilgrims were unable to get on top of a mountain and grow watermelons and apple trees, geograpy doesn't allow for that. That is a few ways that geography has shaped history.
Geography can shape history in many different ways. During D day the allies stormed the beaches in Normandy, and established a foothold in continental Europe from which to attack the Germans. Now, ask yourself would the battle have turned out differently if instead of sandy beaches there were high cliffs at D day from which the Germans could fire heavy artillery and machine guns. Storming Normandy would have been much harder if not outright impossible.
Responding to what Rick said. Geography also affects history in the developement of civilization. For example Saharan Africa has a bad climate for growing crops, and thus the people living there lead a nomadic way of life, not able to establish big cities, but if the climate was suitable for growing crops like in Italy cities like Rome could develope. So, geography affects how cities are distributed throughout history.
Geography has affected history in countless ways. During wars, landforms gave armies advantages by shielding them or giving them the higher ground. Mountains have acted as a natural fence, protecting countries from invasion on that side. Borders between countries and states are also decided by geography, most often rivers or mountains. The Rio Grande is an example, as it separates the US and Mexico, and the Pyrenees separate Spain and France. In my opinion, the best example of geography affecting history is the Atlantic Ocean. Without that ocean, America would cease to exist, the American Revolution would have never occured, nor the Civil War. For all we know, slavery could still exist, and Christopher Columbus would have never made his famous voyage. Those are simply the most obvious examples; there are many others, such as Hannibal crossing the Alps with elephants, or Shackleton exploring the Arctic.
Responding to Frank's first comment... I agree with you. Cliffs would have been much harder to storm. History would have surely turned out in a different way. That reminds me of a book I read, based on a true event that occured during WWII. It was called "The Guns of Navarone," and essentially, a small group of men had to face exactly what you just described. They scaled a vertical cliff to get onto an island, moved through the island inhabited by Nazi soldiers, and disarm their huge guns that were terrorizing all who came near. Had the beaches of Normandy been the same, surely the war would not have ended as well as it did.
Geography has affected history in many ways. It has acted as a self-land defense mechanism. If it wasn't for geography our history of the world would have been a lot different. For example, there might have been a lot more wars. If people weren't seperated by mountains, lakes, etc. people would have been more tempted to attack one another. Geography has also affected history by acting as a determining factor in how and where the early explorers landed. For example the flow of the ocean brought certain explorers to the U.S. Some were lead by footprints which wouldn't have been there if that area had grass. So geography has had a lot to do with countries and states interaction with another and also simple how the land was discovered in the first place!
Responding to Frank. I agree with you that wars would have been a lot different if it wasn't for the geography. I also think this holds true with the war in Iraq. Don't you? I mean the Iraq soldiers know their geography a lot better than the Americans because the live there so they are able to hide and use the geography towards their benefit leaving with a slight disadvantage.
Since the dawn of human civilization, geography has been a key player in history. The result of geography’s effect on history is bountiful. Geography has affected wars, trade routes, colonization, and daily life.
War. As we all should already know, the human race has been a part of numerous wars. Most of these wars were fought because of geographic features. A good starting point to explain this connection is the Yellow Turban Rebellion. If you do not already know the Yellow Turban Rebellion was a revolt against the Emperor of China. The main reason for the revolt was the agrarian crisis. Floods on the Yellow River and agricultural problems displaced many citizens. When the emperor failed to find a solution to the problem a national revolt was started. Another war that affected the people of China was the An Shi Rebellion. In the An Shi Rebellion the Chinese general An Lushan was able to form an army off the dislike of the Tang Dynasty. The dislike of the dynasty was due to a string of natural disasters, which had hit China. Progressing further into time we reach the Mongol Conquests, which took place from 1207 to 1472. Unlike the previous conflicts, the Mongol Conquests were a chain of battles fought to only to conquer land. As you can guess, the more land an empire has the greater it’s strength appears to be. Jumping approximately 200 years we reach the Thirty Years' War. Numerous countries took place in the Thirty Years' War including Germany, Austria, Sweden, England, and Spain. Countries such as Sweden and Denmark were interested in gaining control of northern German states near the Baltic Sea. Next, we reach the American Revolution. This is an excellent example of how geography ties closely into history. Simply the war was fought over the control of the British colonies in the Americas. Also the terrain of the British colonies varied from state to state. This distinct terrain difference posed a challenge for the British who were unfamiliar with the terrain, and benefited the Americans who had used the terrain in previous wars such as the French and Indian Wars. Soon after the American Revolution ended France, an allied of the United States was involved in the Napoleonic Wars. In the Napoleonic Wars France under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded many European powers in order to expand the French empire. The Napoleonic wars in my opinion was a demonstration of the primary causes of future global conflicts. Wars from that point on were no longer fought primarly because of religious causes. Almost a century later, the world would be engulfed in a global conflict; World War I. The primary cause of World War I was the assiassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Soon after, each country was forming alliances and declaring war on each other. No geographic reason was precent for the start of the War but terrain and geography would shape the battles that took place in Europe. For the first time trench warfare had been used. The use of trenches and the destruction of terrain can be connected straight to human-environment interaction. Also naval warfare, which involves the use of ships on bodies of water was first used as a practical form of warfare. Approximately 30 years later though, a deadlier conflict would be started; World War II. Adolf Hitler dreamed on conquering the world for German power, almost in the same way Napoleon wanted to control Europe. Again, human-environment interaction increased. Bombing raids destroyed vegeation, artillery reshaped the terrain, and jungles were destroyed in the process. When atomic bombs were detonated in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, land was instantly flattened and radioactive debris was tossed into the atmosphere. 30 years after the end of World War II, the Vietnam Conflict began. Unlike previous wars the Americans and Vietcong primarly used geography and the terrain around them to fight. The Vietcong used the dense vegetation to transport weapons and supplies on the Ho Chi Minh Trail undetected. Americans using Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide and defoliant destroyed thousands of acres of vegetation in order to detect the Vietcong shipping routes. The Vietcong also found use of the soil of Vietnam. It was perfect for digging tunnels. These tunnels in retrospect were quite effective agaisnt the forces of South Korean and the Americans. Again, the Americans were so desperate to destroy these ellabriate tunnel systems, that they dropped 30 ton loads of high explosive, literally transforming lush jungles into barren wastelands. Cultural geography even plays a role in the Vietnam War. Unlike American conflicts before Vietnam, battles were fought with distinct frontlines. In Vietnam is was nearly impossible to tell apart the common South Vietmanese merchant and the North Vietmanese militant citizen. The next war on the list is the Gulf War. The Gulf War was primarily fought over the natural resource of oil in Kuwait. Iraq claimed that Kuwait had stolen their oil using a process called slant drilling. Slant drilling is when an oil well is dug at an angle. As you can see, almost every war in history has had geography as a key player.
Trade Routes. Trade routes are an example of movement. Goods which are commonly found in one country can be moved to another country for a profit. One of the most famous trade routes is the Silk Road. The Silk Road connected East, South, and Western Asia with Africa and Europe. The Silk Road though did not just carry silk. It carried numerous other products which were not avaliable in Europe. Information was also commonly traded, most of the time involving technological advancements. The Silk Road is still around, with a railway becoming the second form of travel in 1994. The other popular trade route was the Incense Route. The Incense Route was a complicated network of trade routes, which connected Egypt to India. Common goods traded on these routes included Indian spices, ebony, silk and fine textiles; and East African rare woods, feathers, animal skins and gold. Trade Routes have been the major player also in colonization.
Colonization. Colonization is a common example of movement. Particularly the movement of people. Many times European countries would send ships to colonize land in the Americas. There reasons mainly were to expand their land, but also to obtain goods which were rare or unavaliable in their mother country. A very good example are furs. Furs were abundent in Americas, but supplies in countries such as Great Britian were dwindling. An excellent example of why the British wanted to colonize North America can be seen in a declaration from the State of Virginia to the King of England. The following statements “For the making of wine, it is to be known that the soil there doth of itself produce vines in great abundance and some of a very good sort, besides divers plantations been sent thither of the better bands of Christendom.” and “For silk the country is full of mulberry trees of the best kind, and general order taken for the planting of them abundantly in all places inhabited” are clear examples why foreign powers were interested in colonizing North America. Daily Life Geography has affected many events in history which involve daily life. One of these examples is the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl, which was a period of severe dust storms in the Midwest prairie lands, affected many families. Because no crops could be planted, farmers made no profit. Many though the condition would never improve and packed up their belongings and headed towards California. In California farmers displaced by the Dust Bowl were promised jobs. But when many farmers arrived they found no work. Thousands of other farmers from the Midwest had also heard the promise of jobs and there were too many people, and too few jobs. Many people died from hunger and disease. Novelist John Steinbeck used the opportunity to write the novel “The Grapes of Wrath” which described the despicable conditions these farmers lived in. The Dust Bowl is just a small snippet in history when compared to other natural disasters, which have caused death and famine. Other major disasters include the 1921-1922 Soviet Union droughts, which killed 5 million people, Hurricane Katrina, The Great Flood of 1931, which killed between 800,000 and 4,000,000, and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which triggered a tsunami, which killed atleast 229,000. As I have clearly pointed out geography has affected history. Almost any event in United States or World History can be traced back to some geographic event.
In response to Frank and Tommy. You are wrong. On D-Day at Omaha Beach the American's did have to climb cliffs. Now when I use the word "climb" I am referring to going up the cliff via German service roads. I will try to describe Omaha Beach as best as possible. Imagine a beach with a U shaped ring of tall cliffs. The exposed section of the U is touching the water so literally once you hit the beach; you're trapped between cliffs. Now on top of those cliffs are concrete bunkers filled with hundreds of Nazi's. In the bunkers are multiple mounted machine gun nests. Next to the bunkers are medium to heavy tanks and artillery. So literally you’re trapped between cliffs while being fired at with everything imaginable. Also, let me note that you’re coming in by landing craft, which are very slow boats. That is the reason why Allied Command designated the beach as a possible sight of "heavy casualties". The first American casualties occurred before anyone landed, when artillery destroyed landing craft before they even had a chance. Let me also note that the Allied’s had little or no tanks. Snipers, artillery, or machinegunners immediately killed the first men who landed. Now you're probably thinking "So how did we win?" The answer is clear "surprise". If it had not been for that factor we would have easily loss. 2,400 men died alone at Omaha Beach in a matter of days. In retrospect, in the Gulf War only 148 battle-related deaths were reported over the entire course of the war.
Responding to Rick's first comment... I agree with you that geography has helped a lot during battles. I also agree that geography affects what type of crops can grow. However, because of that, it indirectly affects where people live, because people would want to settle where they can grow plants. Hence, although you were right, I am simply taking it one step further and saying that people settle in places where they can grow food.
Responding to what Brandon said. I didn't mean that only one beach would have cliffs. What I meant was if over 80 percent of the beaches at D Day contained cliffs than we would have been screwed. Think if 80 percent of the beaches were marked "areas of heavy casualties" the death toll might have been much higher. Brandon you forget to mention in your Chinese battles that the Yellow Turban rebellion was primarily because of political reasons. The Mongol Invasions did not have much to do with geography as with the Mongol's greed for land. Sure geography played a role in the battles, but at that time the Mongols controlled a highly trained force, while the Chinese only had a poorly equipped poorly trained army. So, no geography in this case did not play much of a role, except in the actual developement of the Mongol armies while still in Mongolia (ie. training, feeding horses...etc.).
Frank, I do agree with you on your recent mention of D-Day. But with the Turban Rebellion, the primary cause was a lack in fertile farmland. This lack caused low crop production which caused a national famine. So yes, the rebellion is directly connected to geography.
History has been changed many times by geography. A good example of this was the the Battle of the Termopoylea, between the Spartans and the Persian army of Xerxes 1. The Spartans were able to hold them off for so long because of the mountains. There was only a small passage that Persians could go through but the Spartans could stop them.
Geography has shaped the history of the world because a lot of wars and exploration depend on the environment. when one army is on higher ground or has protection of mountains then that can greatly affect the outcome of the battle. Also when people settled America they did not know what the environment would be like so that affected the chance of their survival. These are a few of the ways geography has affected history throughout the world.
@ Frank: What you said about the allies storming the beaches at Normandy and how if the beaches had been cliffs it would have been impossible for the Allies to reach the Germans. If I remember correctly there were cliffs and hills which were at the base of the beaches. When the allies landed they had gunfire raining down on them from the Germans elevated command center. There was walling around the hill and it was incredibly difficult to even damage the German's artillery. If the Germans had not had such a good hold on the beach and if there had not been cliffs and hills then maybe the Allies would not have lost so many men. Sure they won but they also lost many valuable lives because of the geography of the beaches.
Responding to rachel. I agree with you that geography can pretty much determine that outcome of a battle. But don't you also think that geography also affected WHEN certain places were discovered. and also HOW they were discovered. Places were discovered by travelers pretty much just going where the land took them and the formation of the land is geography. And this affected WHEN places were discovered because some land was easier to travel though than others. Some water had faster current than other. And water and land formation are all geography.
Geography has helped shape the history of our planet because explorationons of the eaeth are effected by the earth. Also wars depndon the earht, such as where tohide, etc. Also countries boundries have been effected by th earth, because mountans and oceans effect where contries stop and start. It can also determinthe outcome of a battle, becasue som people might have an advantage.
Geography has affected history in many different ways. When people colonized America coming from Europe they built many towns right next to the Atlantic Ocean so it would be easy to give and recieve goods from Europe. Many of these towns have become major cities in America for example Boston.
@Priya: I'm not saying that geography has determined when things were discovered. I was just proving my point with battles. North America was discovered only after people crossed the sea on ships. The geography of the Louis and Clark Exhibition through the Louisiana Purchase was determined by the geography. They had to kick through ravine and mountains. Geography has determined when places would be discovered.
Geography has affected history in numerous ways throughout the world.
The outcomes of countless wars in the past have been influenced by geographical features and landforms. Those such as hills, cliffs, and many others have lent advantages to one side of a battle, and as a result, influenced the entire course of history.
Trade and commerce, and in turn economic conditions in history, have also been largely affected by geography. Formations like mountains have governed the routes that trade takes, and have determined which countries trade with each other.
Geography has also affected culture regions in the past, dividing areas with mountains, oceans, and other features.
@Tommy: I think I've read that book as well. Or maybe not, because what I read is that they used parachutes to land behind the guns and take out the soldiers operating them. That could have been a different beach, though.
I completely agree; had there been cliffs with German guns on every beach, the invasion of Normandy would have failed utterly.
This is just to an example to show everyone that haveing higher ground in war or battle doesn't actualy mean victory. In WWII the USA had formed a mountainier battalion that basically attached German soldiers that were at a higher ground then they were. They won every battle they had entered which was only like 3 or 4.
Like Mrs. Kiser said earlier today, one way that Geography has affected history is by forming new towns, cities, and countries all around something like farming. It obviously attracted people, back in the day, to be near their food source because it was more convenient for them. More recent in History, it's also affected the world by forcing us to reconstruct and move from place to place because of natural disasters. Natural disasters are clearly apart of Geography. Geography has also forced us to make new technology in order to protect us from natural disasters or provide us with sources of food and water. Those are just some of the ways Geography has affected or affects our history.
I kind of agree. I mean when you think about it we discovered geography in the Luis and Clark expedition, which is history, but that's just Geography being history it isn't Geography affecting history. But i suppose it did because the route that they discoverd helped us expand to new terrain. I think I do agree now that I think about it.
@Andy:I'm not quite sure which battle you're talking about, but I would assume that, since they won every battle against opponents that were on higher ground, that they had a greater number of soldiers fighting. In most circumstances, the side on higher ground generally will win a battle due to the large advantage presented by the land.
Priya - I agree with your first comment. The fact that there would be more wars if it werent for geographical barriers. I think the amount of waars might have even doubled, becasue most wars are stopped becasue they dont havethe supplies to continue. I also agree with you about the places we live, becasue of the places the exploreers landed. Which geography greatly effected!
@Ajay- Not necisarily the group was specially trained for this purpose. They were a hhighly skilled, but yet small force, that attacked with good strategy and skill.
Andy: I agree with your first comment that the colonys were formed near the ocean so they can get supplies from Europre a lot faster. I am confused on your second comment about what battle you are talking about.
aarny: I do not understand your first comment when you say that mountain and oceans splits countries. That is not true as scotland,wales and england are different countries but split up b political boundries bot mountains and oceans.
Geography has affected history in many ways. One way in which this occured is, many years ago people we're required to use the earth (natural elements) to survive their everyday life. Geography has also been used for many reasons since the beginning of mankind. Maps are one of the geographic elements that have been used for millions of years.
Geography has affected history throught the world in many ways. It has affected history in major ways such as strategy during wars and also in not so major ways such as planning on where to have Woodstock. Geography also played a role in where early explorers chose to travel to. Over all if it weren't for major decissions based on geograph our life would be very different.
I agree with what you said about geography being a major part in the strategy of war. Also that geography was a main factor for the early explorers because it made their journey's either either/harder based on the location where they were.
Without a doubt, geography has affected history throughout the world. As numerous people have probably pointed out, the land’s features have affected the outcome of battles, certain features can separate countries, and the fact that America would not have been discovered if not for the Atlantic Ocean. An example that I have observed is the way that settlement is affected by geography. For instance, Egyptians chose to settle near the Nile River. The reason behind this decision was to have a reliable source of water that was close and easily accessible for drinking in addition to farming. As a result, the Egyptians were very successful in agriculture. Another example is during the Ice Age, people were able to migrate over the Bering Strait to America. Finally, the straits near the island of Salamis saved the ancient Greeks from being conquered by Persians. As you can clearly see, geography has affected history across the planet.
Responding to Rachel’s first comment. Though I did not realize this before, I completely agree with your view; the geography of the United States affected the chance of the pilgrims’ survival. In addition, I agree with the fact that geography has been beneficial to exploration, as many people have previously suggested.
The Vietnam War is a fine example of how geography has affected history. Vietnamese Communists (VietCong) used a tactic also known as guerrilla warfare to stupefy their enemies by using their knowledge of the sylvatic environment to their own advantage. As we have acknowledged, Vietnam consists of mostly dense jungle terrain, and thick underbrush. The basic scheme was to lure American soldiers into the forests, and then ambush them; all while being camouflaged behind the diversified vegetation. Unfortunately for the VietCong, and a large portion of innocent civilians, America resorted to the dropping of napalm bombs. Not only were these bombs successful in destroying plants, but it contributed to the numerous deaths of many people, and many pulmonary related diseases...
Lauren: I absolutely agree with your first implication. The Nile was a great water source for the Egyptians. With it, they were very prosperous, and they maintained healthy agriculture.
Aaryn: I disagree with your first comment. Mountains and oceans don’t determine where countries “stop and start”…. Perhaps you are talking about political boundaries? That’s a different situation… However, some geological traits do determine where countries and other provinces are bordered. Take the Mississippi River for example.
Responding to priyas first comment: I agree with your thought about if the there weren't mountains lake etc, people woud be more prone to attacking eachother. I also liked your second part about ocean currents i didn't think about it that way but it totaly makes sense. Good job pal!
Hannah - I totally agree with you on the fact that humans have used geography sincde the beggining of time. We have used it as a sourse of water, food, and aa shelter from eather geographical forces. We use geogrphy to protect ourselves from geography. Such as we use geographial elements to protect ourselves from more powerful geographical elements. And the fact that peopel have used maps
Responding to Ajay’s first comment. I do agree with your comment about trade and commerce being affected by geography. It is interesting because, for some odd reason, I did not think of geography having to do with which countries trade with each other. Thank you for providing me with this realization.
Geography has affected history throughout the world because many towns and cities have been destroyed by volcanos or other landforms. People ofthen drown in the World's natural oceans, or fall of naturally made cliffs. Georgaphy has changed over the years and throughout history it has changed the world tremendously.
Hannah- I agree with your point of view on this topic. How you come at it is just right on. :) I agree with you when you say that maps have been here for millions of years. That is true and they have also been changed throughout history.
45 comments:
Sweet First Response!! Anyway, geography has shaped history by allowing armies with higher ground and other such advantages, an edge over armies without higher ground. An example of this is the battle of Gettysburg. The Americans had not only a sheltered position, it was also raised off the ground. they could fire down on the confederates therefore having a better angle. Another way is thast geography has a huge impact on what crops we can grow and where. An example of this is the pilgrims landing in the New World. The pilgrims were unable to get on top of a mountain and grow watermelons and apple trees, geograpy doesn't allow for that. That is a few ways that geography has shaped history.
Geography can shape history in many different ways. During D day the allies stormed the beaches in Normandy, and established a foothold in continental Europe from which to attack the Germans. Now, ask yourself would the battle have turned out differently if instead of sandy beaches there were high cliffs at D day from which the Germans could fire heavy artillery and machine guns. Storming Normandy would have been much harder if not outright impossible.
Responding to what Rick said. Geography also affects history in the developement of civilization. For example Saharan Africa has a bad climate for growing crops, and thus the people living there lead a nomadic way of life, not able to establish big cities, but if the climate was suitable for growing crops like in Italy cities like Rome could develope. So, geography affects how cities are distributed throughout history.
Geography has affected history in countless ways. During wars, landforms gave armies advantages by shielding them or giving them the higher ground. Mountains have acted as a natural fence, protecting countries from invasion on that side. Borders between countries and states are also decided by geography, most often rivers or mountains. The Rio Grande is an example, as it separates the US and Mexico, and the Pyrenees separate Spain and France. In my opinion, the best example of geography affecting history is the Atlantic Ocean. Without that ocean, America would cease to exist, the American Revolution would have never occured, nor the Civil War. For all we know, slavery could still exist, and Christopher Columbus would have never made his famous voyage. Those are simply the most obvious examples; there are many others, such as Hannibal crossing the Alps with elephants, or Shackleton exploring the Arctic.
Responding to Frank's first comment...
I agree with you. Cliffs would have been much harder to storm. History would have surely turned out in a different way. That reminds me of a book I read, based on a true event that occured during WWII. It was called "The Guns of Navarone," and essentially, a small group of men had to face exactly what you just described. They scaled a vertical cliff to get onto an island, moved through the island inhabited by Nazi soldiers, and disarm their huge guns that were terrorizing all who came near. Had the beaches of Normandy been the same, surely the war would not have ended as well as it did.
Geography has affected history in many ways. It has acted as a self-land defense mechanism. If it wasn't for geography our history of the world would have been a lot different. For example, there might have been a lot more wars. If people weren't seperated by mountains, lakes, etc. people would have been more tempted to attack one another. Geography has also affected history by acting as a determining factor in how and where the early explorers landed. For example the flow of the ocean brought certain explorers to the U.S. Some were lead by footprints which wouldn't have been there if that area had grass. So geography has had a lot to do with countries and states interaction with another and also simple how the land was discovered in the first place!
Responding to Frank. I agree with you that wars would have been a lot different if it wasn't for the geography. I also think this holds true with the war in Iraq. Don't you? I mean the Iraq soldiers know their geography a lot better than the Americans because the live there so they are able to hide and use the geography towards their benefit leaving with a slight disadvantage.
in my previous comment I mean to say leaving US with a slight disadvantage..
Since the dawn of human civilization, geography has been a key player in history. The result of geography’s effect on history is bountiful. Geography has affected wars, trade routes, colonization, and daily life.
War. As we all should already know, the human race has been a part of numerous wars. Most of these wars were fought because of geographic features. A good starting point to explain this connection is the Yellow Turban Rebellion. If you do not already know the Yellow Turban Rebellion was a revolt against the Emperor of China. The main reason for the revolt was the agrarian crisis. Floods on the Yellow River and agricultural problems displaced many citizens. When the emperor failed to find a solution to the problem a national revolt was started. Another war that affected the people of China was the An Shi Rebellion. In the An Shi Rebellion the Chinese general An Lushan was able to form an army off the dislike of the Tang Dynasty. The dislike of the dynasty was due to a string of natural disasters, which had hit China. Progressing further into time we reach the Mongol Conquests, which took place from 1207 to 1472. Unlike the previous conflicts, the Mongol Conquests were a chain of battles fought to only to conquer land. As you can guess, the more land an empire has the greater it’s strength appears to be. Jumping approximately 200 years we reach the Thirty Years' War. Numerous countries took place in the Thirty Years' War including Germany, Austria, Sweden, England, and Spain. Countries such as Sweden and Denmark were interested in gaining control of northern German states near the Baltic Sea. Next, we reach the American Revolution. This is an excellent example of how geography ties closely into history. Simply the war was fought over the control of the British colonies in the Americas. Also the terrain of the British colonies varied from state to state. This distinct terrain difference posed a challenge for the British who were unfamiliar with the terrain, and benefited the Americans who had used the terrain in previous wars such as the French and Indian Wars. Soon after the American Revolution ended France, an allied of the United States was involved in the Napoleonic Wars. In the Napoleonic Wars France under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte invaded many European powers in order to expand the French empire. The Napoleonic wars in my opinion was a demonstration of the primary causes of future global conflicts. Wars from that point on were no longer fought primarly because of religious causes. Almost a century later, the world would be engulfed in a global conflict; World War I. The primary cause of World War I was the assiassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Soon after, each country was forming alliances and declaring war on each other. No geographic reason was precent for the start of the War but terrain and geography would shape the battles that took place in Europe. For the first time trench warfare had been used. The use of trenches and the destruction of terrain can be connected straight to human-environment interaction. Also naval warfare, which involves the use of ships on bodies of water was first used as a practical form of warfare. Approximately 30 years later though, a deadlier conflict would be started; World War II. Adolf Hitler dreamed on conquering the world for German power, almost in the same way Napoleon wanted to control Europe. Again, human-environment interaction increased. Bombing raids destroyed vegeation, artillery reshaped the terrain, and jungles were destroyed in the process. When atomic bombs were detonated in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, land was instantly flattened and radioactive debris was tossed into the atmosphere. 30 years after the end of World War II, the Vietnam Conflict began. Unlike previous wars the Americans and Vietcong primarly used geography and the terrain around them to fight. The Vietcong used the dense vegetation to transport weapons and supplies on the Ho Chi Minh Trail undetected. Americans using Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide and defoliant destroyed thousands of acres of vegetation in order to detect the Vietcong shipping routes. The Vietcong also found use of the soil of Vietnam. It was perfect for digging tunnels. These tunnels in retrospect were quite effective agaisnt the forces of South Korean and the Americans. Again, the Americans were so desperate to destroy these ellabriate tunnel systems, that they dropped 30 ton loads of high explosive, literally transforming lush jungles into barren wastelands. Cultural geography even plays a role in the Vietnam War. Unlike American conflicts before Vietnam, battles were fought with distinct frontlines. In Vietnam is was nearly impossible to tell apart the common South Vietmanese merchant and the North Vietmanese militant citizen. The next war on the list is the Gulf War. The Gulf War was primarily fought over the natural resource of oil in Kuwait. Iraq claimed that Kuwait had stolen their oil using a process called slant drilling. Slant drilling is when an oil well is dug at an angle. As you can see, almost every war in history has had geography as a key player.
Trade Routes. Trade routes are an example of movement. Goods which are commonly found in one country can be moved to another country for a profit. One of the most famous trade routes is the Silk Road. The Silk Road connected East, South, and Western Asia with Africa and Europe. The Silk Road though did not just carry silk. It carried numerous other products which were not avaliable in Europe. Information was also commonly traded, most of the time involving technological advancements. The Silk Road is still around, with a railway becoming the second form of travel in 1994. The other popular trade route was the Incense Route. The Incense Route was a complicated network of trade routes, which connected Egypt to India. Common goods traded on these routes included Indian spices, ebony, silk and fine textiles; and East African rare woods, feathers, animal skins and gold. Trade Routes have been the major player also in colonization.
Colonization. Colonization is a common example of movement. Particularly the movement of people. Many times European countries would send ships to colonize land in the Americas. There reasons mainly were to expand their land, but also to obtain goods which were rare or unavaliable in their mother country. A very good example are furs. Furs were abundent in Americas, but supplies in countries such as Great Britian were dwindling. An excellent example of why the British wanted to colonize North America can be seen in a declaration from the State of Virginia to the King of England. The following statements “For the making of wine, it is to be known that the soil there doth of itself produce vines in great abundance and some of a very good sort, besides divers plantations been sent thither of the better bands of Christendom.” and “For silk the country is full of mulberry trees of the best kind, and general order taken for the planting of them abundantly in all places inhabited” are clear examples why foreign powers were interested in colonizing North America.
Daily Life Geography has affected many events in history which involve daily life. One of these examples is the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl, which was a period of severe dust storms in the Midwest prairie lands, affected many families. Because no crops could be planted, farmers made no profit. Many though the condition would never improve and packed up their belongings and headed towards California. In California farmers displaced by the Dust Bowl were promised jobs. But when many farmers arrived they found no work. Thousands of other farmers from the Midwest had also heard the promise of jobs and there were too many people, and too few jobs. Many people died from hunger and disease. Novelist John Steinbeck used the opportunity to write the novel “The Grapes of Wrath” which described the despicable conditions these farmers lived in. The Dust Bowl is just a small snippet in history when compared to other natural disasters, which have caused death and famine. Other major disasters include the 1921-1922 Soviet Union droughts, which killed 5 million people, Hurricane Katrina, The Great Flood of 1931, which killed between 800,000 and 4,000,000, and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which triggered a tsunami, which killed atleast 229,000.
As I have clearly pointed out geography has affected history. Almost any event in United States or World History can be traced back to some geographic event.
In response to Frank and Tommy. You are wrong. On D-Day at Omaha Beach the American's did have to climb cliffs. Now when I use the word "climb" I am referring to going up the cliff via German service roads. I will try to describe Omaha Beach as best as possible. Imagine a beach with a U shaped ring of tall cliffs. The exposed section of the U is touching the water so literally once you hit the beach; you're trapped between cliffs. Now on top of those cliffs are concrete bunkers filled with hundreds of Nazi's. In the bunkers are multiple mounted machine gun nests. Next to the bunkers are medium to heavy tanks and artillery. So literally you’re trapped between cliffs while being fired at with everything imaginable. Also, let me note that you’re coming in by landing craft, which are very slow boats. That is the reason why Allied Command designated the beach as a possible sight of "heavy casualties". The first American casualties occurred before anyone landed, when artillery destroyed landing craft before they even had a chance. Let me also note that the Allied’s had little or no tanks. Snipers, artillery, or machinegunners immediately killed the first men who landed. Now you're probably thinking "So how did we win?" The answer is clear "surprise". If it had not been for that factor we would have easily loss. 2,400 men died alone at Omaha Beach in a matter of days. In retrospect, in the Gulf War only 148 battle-related deaths were reported over the entire course of the war.
Responding to Rick's first comment...
I agree with you that geography has helped a lot during battles. I also agree that geography affects what type of crops can grow. However, because of that, it indirectly affects where people live, because people would want to settle where they can grow plants. Hence, although you were right, I am simply taking it one step further and saying that people settle in places where they can grow food.
Responding to what Brandon said. I didn't mean that only one beach would have cliffs. What I meant was if over 80 percent of the beaches at D Day contained cliffs than we would have been screwed. Think if 80 percent of the beaches were marked "areas of heavy casualties" the death toll might have been much higher. Brandon you forget to mention in your Chinese battles that the Yellow Turban rebellion was primarily because of political reasons. The Mongol Invasions did not have much to do with geography as with the Mongol's greed for land. Sure geography played a role in the battles, but at that time the Mongols controlled a highly trained force, while the Chinese only had a poorly equipped poorly trained army. So, no geography in this case did not play much of a role, except in the actual developement of the Mongol armies while still in Mongolia (ie. training, feeding horses...etc.).
Frank, I do agree with you on your recent mention of D-Day. But with the Turban Rebellion, the primary cause was a lack in fertile farmland. This lack caused low crop production which caused a national famine. So yes, the rebellion is directly connected to geography.
History has been changed many times by geography. A good example of this was the the Battle of the Termopoylea, between the Spartans and the Persian army of Xerxes 1. The Spartans were able to hold them off for so long because of the mountains. There was only a small passage that Persians could go through but the Spartans could stop them.
Geography has shaped the history of the world because a lot of wars and exploration depend on the environment. when one army is on higher ground or has protection of mountains then that can greatly affect the outcome of the battle. Also when people settled America they did not know what the environment would be like so that affected the chance of their survival. These are a few of the ways geography has affected history throughout the world.
@ Frank: What you said about the allies storming the beaches at Normandy and how if the beaches had been cliffs it would have been impossible for the Allies to reach the Germans. If I remember correctly there were cliffs and hills which were at the base of the beaches. When the allies landed they had gunfire raining down on them from the Germans elevated command center. There was walling around the hill and it was incredibly difficult to even damage the German's artillery. If the Germans had not had such a good hold on the beach and if there had not been cliffs and hills then maybe the Allies would not have lost so many men. Sure they won but they also lost many valuable lives because of the geography of the beaches.
Responding to rachel. I agree with you that geography can pretty much determine that outcome of a battle. But don't you also think that geography also affected WHEN certain places were discovered. and also HOW they were discovered. Places were discovered by travelers pretty much just going where the land took them and the formation of the land is geography. And this affected WHEN places were discovered because some land was easier to travel though than others. Some water had faster current than other. And water and land formation are all geography.
Geography has helped shape the history of our planet because explorationons of the eaeth are effected by the earth. Also wars depndon the earht, such as where tohide, etc. Also countries boundries have been effected by th earth, because mountans and oceans effect where contries stop and start. It can also determinthe outcome of a battle, becasue som people might have an advantage.
Geography has affected history in many different ways. When people colonized America coming from Europe they built many towns right next to the Atlantic Ocean so it would be easy to give and recieve goods from Europe. Many of these towns have become major cities in America for example Boston.
@Priya: I'm not saying that geography has determined when things were discovered. I was just proving my point with battles. North America was discovered only after people crossed the sea on ships. The geography of the Louis and Clark Exhibition through the Louisiana Purchase was determined by the geography. They had to kick through ravine and mountains. Geography has determined when places would be discovered.
Geography has affected history in numerous ways throughout the world.
The outcomes of countless wars in the past have been influenced by geographical features and landforms. Those such as hills, cliffs, and many others have lent advantages to one side of a battle, and as a result, influenced the entire course of history.
Trade and commerce, and in turn economic conditions in history, have also been largely affected by geography. Formations like mountains have governed the routes that trade takes, and have determined which countries trade with each other.
Geography has also affected culture regions in the past, dividing areas with mountains, oceans, and other features.
@Tommy: I think I've read that book as well. Or maybe not, because what I read is that they used parachutes to land behind the guns and take out the soldiers operating them. That could have been a different beach, though.
I completely agree; had there been cliffs with German guns on every beach, the invasion of Normandy would have failed utterly.
This is just to an example to show everyone that haveing higher ground in war or battle doesn't actualy mean victory. In WWII the USA had formed a mountainier battalion that basically attached German soldiers that were at a higher ground then they were. They won every battle they had entered which was only like 3 or 4.
Like Mrs. Kiser said earlier today, one way that Geography has affected history is by forming new towns, cities, and countries all around something like farming. It obviously attracted people, back in the day, to be near their food source because it was more convenient for them. More recent in History, it's also affected the world by forcing us to reconstruct and move from place to place because of natural disasters. Natural disasters are clearly apart of Geography. Geography has also forced us to make new technology in order to protect us from natural disasters or provide us with sources of food and water. Those are just some of the ways Geography has affected or affects our history.
Responding to Rachel's comment:
I kind of agree. I mean when you think about it we discovered geography in the Luis and Clark expedition, which is history, but that's just Geography being history it isn't Geography affecting history. But i suppose it did because the route that they discoverd helped us expand to new terrain. I think I do agree now that I think about it.
@Andy:I'm not quite sure which battle you're talking about, but I would assume that, since they won every battle against opponents that were on higher ground, that they had a greater number of soldiers fighting. In most circumstances, the side on higher ground generally will win a battle due to the large advantage presented by the land.
Priya -
I agree with your first comment. The fact that there would be more wars if it werent for geographical barriers. I think the amount of waars might have even doubled, becasue most wars are stopped becasue they dont havethe supplies to continue. I also agree with you about the places we live, becasue of the places the exploreers landed. Which geography greatly effected!
@Ajay- Not necisarily the group was specially trained for this purpose. They were a hhighly skilled, but yet small force, that attacked with good strategy and skill.
Andy: I agree with your first comment that the colonys were formed near the ocean so they can get supplies from Europre a lot faster. I am confused on your second comment about what battle you are talking about.
aarny: I do not understand your first comment when you say that mountain and oceans splits countries. That is not true as scotland,wales and england are different countries but split up b political boundries bot mountains and oceans.
Geography has affected history in many ways. One way in which this occured is, many years ago people we're required to use the earth (natural elements) to survive their everyday life. Geography has also been used for many reasons since the beginning of mankind. Maps are one of the geographic elements that have been used for millions of years.
Geography has affected history throught the world in many ways. It has affected history in major ways such as strategy during wars and also in not so major ways such as planning on where to have Woodstock. Geography also played a role in where early explorers chose to travel to. Over all if it weren't for major decissions based on geograph our life would be very different.
In response to Eric's comment:
I agree with what you said about geography being a major part in the strategy of war. Also that geography was a main factor for the early explorers because it made their journey's either either/harder based on the location where they were.
Without a doubt, geography has affected history throughout the world. As numerous people have probably pointed out, the land’s features have affected the outcome of battles, certain features can separate countries, and the fact that America would not have been discovered if not for the Atlantic Ocean. An example that I have observed is the way that settlement is affected by geography. For instance, Egyptians chose to settle near the Nile River. The reason behind this decision was to have a reliable source of water that was close and easily accessible for drinking in addition to farming. As a result, the Egyptians were very successful in agriculture. Another example is during the Ice Age, people were able to migrate over the Bering Strait to America. Finally, the straits near the island of Salamis saved the ancient Greeks from being conquered by Persians. As you can clearly see, geography has affected history across the planet.
Responding to Rachel’s first comment. Though I did not realize this before, I completely agree with your view; the geography of the United States affected the chance of the pilgrims’ survival. In addition, I agree with the fact that geography has been beneficial to exploration, as many people have previously suggested.
The Vietnam War is a fine example of how geography has affected history. Vietnamese Communists (VietCong) used a tactic also known as guerrilla warfare to stupefy their enemies by using their knowledge of the sylvatic environment to their own advantage. As we have acknowledged, Vietnam consists of mostly dense jungle terrain, and thick underbrush. The basic scheme was to lure American soldiers into the forests, and then ambush them; all while being camouflaged behind the diversified vegetation. Unfortunately for the VietCong, and a large portion of innocent civilians, America resorted to the dropping of napalm bombs. Not only were these bombs successful in destroying plants, but it contributed to the numerous deaths of many people, and many pulmonary related diseases...
Lauren:
I absolutely agree with your first implication. The Nile was a great water source for the Egyptians. With it, they were very prosperous, and they maintained healthy agriculture.
Aaryn:
I disagree with your first comment. Mountains and oceans don’t determine where countries “stop and start”…. Perhaps you are talking about political boundaries? That’s a different situation… However, some geological traits do determine where countries and other provinces are bordered. Take the Mississippi River for example.
Responding to priyas first comment: I agree with your thought about if the there weren't mountains lake etc, people woud be more prone to attacking eachother. I also liked your second part about ocean currents i didn't think about it that way but it totaly makes sense. Good job pal!
Hannah -
I totally agree with you on the fact that humans have used geography sincde the beggining of time. We have used it as a sourse of water, food, and aa shelter from eather geographical forces. We use geogrphy to protect ourselves from geography. Such as we use geographial elements to protect ourselves from more powerful geographical elements. And the fact that peopel have used maps
Responding to Ajay’s first comment. I do agree with your comment about trade and commerce being affected by geography. It is interesting because, for some odd reason, I did not think of geography having to do with which countries trade with each other. Thank you for providing me with this realization.
Geography has affected history throughout the world because many towns and cities have been destroyed by volcanos or other landforms. People ofthen drown in the World's natural oceans, or fall of naturally made cliffs. Georgaphy has changed over the years and throughout history it has changed the world tremendously.
Hannah-
I agree with your point of view on this topic. How you come at it is just right on. :) I agree with you when you say that maps have been here for millions of years. That is true and they have also been changed throughout history.
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