LECTURE 13

Famous world wars

Famous Treaties of the world
Famous gates of the world

Famous towers of the world

Famous World Wars

1. The Second Congo War
The Second Congo War (1998-2003) was one of the deadliest wars in history and the
deadliest in modern African history. This war spanned over a period of 5 years and
caused the death of around 5.4 million people. Although the genocides accounted for a
large number of casualties, diseases and famine caused by the war were also partially
responsible.
2. Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) pitted the French Empire and its allies against a
coalition of European powers. The Napoleonic Wars refers to a series of conflicts
between the French Empire and the coalitions that fought it: the War of the Third
Coalition, the Fourth, the Fifth, the Sixth and the Seventh and final coalition. During this
period, it is estimated that around 3.5-6 million people were killed as a direct or indirect
result of the war.
3. The Thirty Years’ War
As the name implies, the Thirty Years’ War was fought between Catholic and Protestant
states in Central Europe from 1618 to 1648. The conflicts eventually drew in the great
powers of Europe, resulting in one of the longest, most destructive and deadliest
conflicts in European history. It is estimated that the war was responsible for the deaths
of 8 million civilians and military personnel alike.
4. The Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War started in August of 1927 between the government-backed
Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China. The massacres and mass atrocities
carried out by both parties resulted in more than 8 million casualties by 1950.
5. The Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War claimed the lives of more than 9 million people — 8 million of
whom were civilians. The war spanned from 1917-1922 — immediately after the
Russian Revolutions of 1917 — and it was fought between opposing political factions,
namely the Red Army and the White Army.
6. The Dungan Revolt
The Dungan Revolt was a war fought between the Hans (Chinese ethnic group native to
East Asia) and the Huis (Chinese Muslims) in 19th-century China during the Qing
Dynasty. There were approximately 20 million war-related deaths, mostly caused by
famine and migration brought about by the war.
7. An Lushan Rebellion
The An Lushan Rebellion was a rebellion against the Tang Dynasty of China between
755 A.D. and 763 A.D. Although it is difficult to accurately report the death toll, census
reports taken the years following the war imply that around 36 million people were killed,
or about two-thirds of population of the empire.
8. World War I
The First World War was fought between the Allies and the Central Powers. The war
lasted 4 years — from 1914 to 1918 —but it was responsible for around 18 million
deaths. Of the 18 million deaths, about 11 million were military personnel and about 7
million were civilians.
9. Taiping Rebellion
Yet another war in China, the Taiping Rebellion was another large-scale rebellion that
was fought between 1850 and 1864. The war was fought between the Qing Dynasty
and the Christian millenarian movement of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Although
there isn’t an exact number, most estimations have the Taiping Rebellion responsible
for 20-30 million deaths.
10. The Qing Dynasty Conquest of the Ming Dynasty
The transition from the Qing Dynasty to the Ming dynasty was anything but peaceful.
The rebellion waged for over 60 years— from 1618 to 1683 — and resulted in the
deaths of 25 million people. What started as a relatively small rebellion in northeastern
China ultimately resulted in one of the country’s deadliest conflicts as well as one of the
deadliest wars in history.
11. The Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was waged between 1937 and 1945 between the
Republic of China’s National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army. It is
widely believed that the war began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and it later
escalated to an all-out war that resulted in 25 million civilian deaths and over 4 million
Chinese and Japanese military deaths.
12. World War II
World War II was a global war that spanned from 1939 to 1945. The war pitted the Allies
and the Axis power in the deadliest war in history, and was responsible for the deaths of
over 70 million people. Known for its genocidal campaign against the Jewish people, the
war was also responsible for the deaths of more than 50 million civilians.

Famous Treaties of the world

1. The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most
important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of
the Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace of Versailles, exactly five years after the
assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to the war.
2. The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the
War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and
February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of Spain, and
involved much of Europe for over a decade. The main action saw France as the
defender of Spain against a multinational coalition. The war was very expensive and
bloody and finally stalemated. Essentially, the treaties allowed Philip V (grandson of
King Louis XIV of France) to keep the Spanish throne in return for permanently
renouncing his claim to the French throne, along with other necessary guarantees that
would ensure that France and Spain should not merge, thus preserving the balance of
power in Europe.
3. The Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty
and the United States of America, commonly known as the Jay Treaty, and also as
Jay's Treaty, was a 1794 treaty between the United States and Great Britain that
averted war, resolved issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783 (which ended
the American Revolutionary War), and facilitated ten years of peaceful trade between
the United States and Britain in the midst of the French Revolutionary Wars, which
began in 1792. The Treaty was designed by Alexander Hamilton and supported by
President George Washington. It angered France and bitterly divided Americans. It
inflamed the new growth of two opposing parties in every state, the pro-Treaty
Federalists and the anti-Treaty Jeffersonian Republicans.
4. The Treaty of Paris, signed on 30 May 1814, ended the war between France and
the Sixth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars, following an armistice signed on 23
April between Charles, Count of Artois, and the allies.[1] The treaty set the borders for
France under the House of Bourbon and restored territories to other nations. It is
sometimes called the First Peace of Paris, as another one followed in 1815.
5. The Treaty of Lausanne (French: Traité de Lausanne, Turkish: Lozan Antlaşması) is
a peace treaty negotiated during the Lausanne Conference of 1922–23 and signed in
the Palais de Rumine, Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 July 1923. The treaty officially
settled the conflict that had originally existed between the Ottoman Empire and the
Allied French Republic, British Empire, Kingdom of Italy, Empire of Japan, Kingdom of
Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, and the Kingdom of Romania since the onset of World
War-I.
6. The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine (French: Traité de Neuilly-sur-Seine) required
Bulgaria to cede various territories, after Bulgaria had been one of the Central Powers
defeated in World War I. The treaty was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly-sur-
Seine, France.
7. The Peace of Westphalia is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in
October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the
Thirty Years' War and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire, closing a calamitous
period of European history that killed approximately eight million people.
8. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a separate peace treaty signed on 3 March 1918
between Russia and the Central Powers, that ended Russia's participation in World War
I. The treaty was signed at German-controlled Brest-Litovsk, after two months of
negotiations.
9. Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) The Treaty of Tordesillas, between Portugal and Spain
(technically its component Kingdom of Castile), was negotiated by the Papacy and
divided newly discovered lands outside of Europe between the two countries along a
line of longitude through what is now eastern Brazil.
10. The Congress of Vienna (1814–15) The Congress of Vienna occurred at the end
of the Napoleonic Wars and dramatically reshaped Europe. Several treaties were
signed at the Congress, the most important of which was the 1814 Treaty of Paris

Famous Gates of the world

1. Brandenburg Gate (Berlin, Germany)
The Brandenburg Gate is a landmark of the central district of Berlin, Germany. The gate
was erected in 1788 to mark the new eastern division of the city, and was completed ten
years later at the behest of Frederick William II of Prussia. The gate is named after
Margrave John Frederick of Brandenburg-Schwedt, who initiated the construction of the
first Brandenburg Gate as a celebration for his coronation as Margrave of Brandenburg.
2. Gateway of India (Mumbai, India)
This monument in Mumbai commemorates the landing of King George V and Queen
Mary at Apollo Bunder on their visit to India in 1911. In an elaborate ceremony, the
couple were greeted here by a contingent of colonial troops before they made their way
to Delhi. The monument is actually a gateway which leads from the waterfront to the
Veermata Jijabai Shahid Marg, formerly known as King’s Circle.
3. Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France)
The Arc de Triomphe is a public arch in Paris. It stands at the center of the Champs-
Élysées and it was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon in 1806 to honour those who
had died in his campaigns and in the years leading up to his reign. For this purpose it
was built on top of old mausoleums that were located on the spot.
4. Meridian Gate (Beijing, China)
The Meridian Gate is an arch located on the Meridian Hill in Beijing, China. It was
constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) and completed in 1664. The arch
was surrounded by 10 halls, which were built for ceremonial use by emperors of the
Ming court for their coronation ceremonies.
5. Puerta de Alcalá (Madrid, Spain)
The Puerta de Alcalá is one of the two main gates of the old city wall that surrounded
Madrid. It was designed by architect Alonso Carbonell, who also built the gate at Puerta
Cerrada.
6. Washington Square Arch (New York City, New York, US)
The Washington Square Arch was built in 1892 as a memorial for George Washington,
patriot and the first president of the United States. The monument stands over 106 ft tall
and is a popular tourist attraction in Manhattan.
7. Rua Augusta Arch (Lisbon, Portugal)
The Arco da Rua Augusta is an arc monument located in the civil parish of Santa Maria
Maior, in Lisbon. It was constructed in 1882 to mark the 45th anniversary of the reign of
Queen Maria II.
8. Cinquantenaire (Brussels, Belgium)
The Cinquantenaire is a major landmark in Brussels, Belgium. The arch was built in the
period from 1835 to 1840 to commemorate the Belgian Revolution of 1830. It was
destroyed in a fire during World War I and rebuilt years later at a different location.
9. Buland Darwaza (Fatehpur Sikri, India)
The Buland Darwaza is one of the biggest doors in the world. It was built by Akbar to
commemorate his victory over Gujarat in 1573. It stands at a height of 54 meters and is
located at the western entrance of the palace complex of Fatehpur Sikri.
10. Tiananmen Gate (Beijing, China)
The Tiananmen Gate is one of the most important monuments in Beijing, China. It was
constructed in 1420 and became the main entrance to the Forbidden City. It was
destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and later reconstructed. It was the location of
the infamous 1989 civilian protest and subsequent massacre committed by the Chinese
government.
11. Patuxai (Vientiane, Laos)
The Patuxai is also known as the Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It
was constructed in 1961 during the reign of Souvanna Phouma, to commemorate his
father King Sisavang Vong who ruled the country from 1904 to 1959.
12. Arc de Triomf (Barcelona, Spain)
The Arc de Triomf is the most prominent landmark of Barcelona, Spain. It was built in
1883 to commemorate the Universal Exhibition of 1888. At its inauguration, Queen
Isabella II gave the speech “Arriba Catalunya” which roughly translates from Catalan to
“Go Catalonia!”. In the following years, the monument became a symbol of Catalan
nationalism.
13. Arco de Santa Catalina (Antigua, Guatemala)
The Arco de Santa Catalina was built in the 17th century as part of the wall that guarded
the city of Antigua, Guatemala. It was constructed by a Spanish convent in 1693 to
connect two buildings so the nuns could cross above, from either side, avoiding the
street below. The arc is located on Santa Catalina street and is an important present-
day attraction for tourists visiting this famous colonial city.
14.Catherine Palace Gate (Pushkin, Russia)
This Palace was built for Catherine the Great, as a gift from Peter the Great, Tsar of
Russia, in 1710. The palace was originally a two-story sixteen-room building but was
expanded in 1745 to be 300 m long. By 1756, it comprised 40 apartments of more than
100 rooms of incredible opulence. Its front gate is truly one-of-a-kind.
15. The Gate of Honour (Versailles, France)
The Gate of Honour is the main and unmissable entrance to the Palace of Versailles.
The building complex was built in the 17th century. The gate is covered with over
100,000 gold leaves, stands 18 metres high and is supported by structures made
entirely of marble. Annually, several millions of visitors walk through these gates.
16. Dolmabahce Palace Gate (Istanbul, Turkey)
The Dolmabahce Palace was built between the years 1843 and 1856 by Turkish Sultan,
Abdulmejid I. He ordered the palace to be built in European style which he believed
represented progress. From the outside, the palace seems like a typical European
building, but it is entirely decorated inside with elements of Ottoman design.
17. Gate of Heavenly Purity (Beijing, China)
The Gate of Heavenly Purity is the main gate of the Inner Court of the Forbidden City in
Beijing. It was built in the Ming dynasty between 1420 and 1425. The gate is made of
limestone and features two magnificent gilded Chinese lion sculptures defending the
front side of the gate.
18. Admiralty Arch, London (England, UK)
Admiralty Arch was constructed in 1733 by King Edward VII in memory of his mother,
Queen Victoria, and is the entrance to the mews of Admiralty House, which is the official
residence of the First Sea Lord, head of the Royal Navy. The arch has four Corinthian
columns supporting a pediment.
19. Warrington Town Hall Gate (Cheshire, UK)
The Warrington Town Hall Gate is the main entrance to the town hall of Warrington.
Made from cast iron, believed to have originally been commissioned as a gift to Queen
Victoria, who declined them, it was later donated to the Warrington Borough Council.
Atop each of the four columns is a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory and the center
archway features the council coat of arms.
20. Temple Bar Gate (London, UK)
London’s only remaining old boundary gateway is typically attributed to Sir Christopher
Wren. In the 14th century, a barrier was built as a protection to the City of London. The
gate was added in 1760 but demolished in 1878. It was returned to the city in 2004 and
situated as a gateway to St Paul’s Cathedral at Paternoster Square.
21. Belvedere Palace Gate (Vienna, Austria)
These majestic wrought iron gates front the Belvedere, a sumptuous palace and highest
example of baroque architecture. Built between 1697-1723 by Prince Eugene, the
palace has been used for many purposes since the founding of the Austrian Republic in
1918, from being a much-vaunted state-run public museum to being bombed and looted
by Nazis during World War II.
22. Place Stanislas Gate (Nancy, France)
Located on the west and east sides of this large pedestrian square in Nancy feature
gilded wrought iron gates was built in the late 17th century and named after King
Stanislas I, former King of Poland and father-in-law to King Louis XV of France. Known
as “Place Royale”, the square is surrounded by an architecturally harmonious ensemble
of cultural buildings.
23. Porte Saint-Jean (Vieux Québec, Quebec City, Canada)
Porte Saint-Jean is the oldest of three remaining gates of the wall that surrounded the
fortified city of Quebec City, Canada. Built in 1690 by Governor Frontenac, it overlooks
the Plains of Abraham, where the decisive battle between British and French military
forces in 1691, marking the first time the young city’s fortifications were truly tested.

Famous towers of the world

1) Leaning Tower of Pisa

Year of Construction: 1372
Total Height: 187 feet (57 m)
Location: Pisa, Italy
2) The Eiffel Tower
Year of Construction: 1887 to 1889
Total Height: 1063 feet (324 m)
Location: Paris, France
3) CN Tower
Year of Construction: 1973 to 1976
Total Height: 1815 feet (553 m)
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4) The Space Needle
Year of Construction: 1961
Total Height: 605 feet (184 m)
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
5) Tokyo tower
Year of Construction: 1957 to 1958
Total Height: 1093 feet (333 m)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
6) Canton Tower
Year of Construction: 2005 to 2009
Total Height: 1982 feet (604 m)
Location: Guangdong, China
7) Oriental Pearl Tower
Year of Construction: 1991 to 1994
Total Height: 1535 feet (468 m)
Location: Shanghai Shi, China
8) Tokyo Skytree
Year of Construction: 2008 to 2012
Total Height: 2080 feet (634 m)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
9) Kuala Lumpur Tower
Year of Construction: 1991 to 1994
Total Height: 1381 feet (421 m)
Location: Malaysia
10) Ostankino Tower
Year of Construction: 1963 to 1967
Total Height: 1772 feet (540 m)
Location: Moscow, Russia
11) Macau Tower in China
Year of Construction: 1998 to 2001
Total Height: 1109 feet (338 m)
Location: Macau, China
12) Tashkent Tower
Year of Construction: 1978 to 1984
Total Height: 1230 feet (375 m)
Location: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
13) Liberation Tower
Year of Construction: 1987 to 1996
Total Height: 1220 feet (372 m)
Location: Kuwait
14) Milad Tower
Year of Construction: 2000 to 2007
Total Height: 1427 feet (435 m)
Location: Tehran, Iran
15) Fernsehturm Tower
Year of Construction: 1965 to 1969
Total Height: 1207 feet (368 m)
Location: Berlin, Germany
16) Tower of Tianjin
Year of Construction: 1991
Total Height: 1362 feet (415 m)
Location: Tianjin, China
17) Skylon Tower
Year of Construction: 1964 to 1965
Total Height: 520 feet (160 m)
Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
18) Zhongyuan Tower
Year of Construction: 2007 to 2011
Total Height: 1273 feet (388 m)
Location: Zhengzhou, China
19) Lotus Tower
Year of Construction: 2012 to 2019
Total Height: 1150 feet (350 m)
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
20) Europaturm Tower
Year of Construction: 1974 to 1979
Total Height: 1107 feet (337.5 m)
Location: Frankfurt, Germany