The Most EPIC Assimilation And Reform In History

[asianboy]

Sorry for my rather lacking poll. I would like to clarify that I am not trying to be bias, stupidly nationalistic, or anything like that. It's just that I am quite sleepy and could not think up of any other epic nation right now. Also as a disclaimer, although I am Asian, I am not Japanese.

Anyways, the reason why I chose Japan was because of its sheer epicness in progress. I mean, they started reformation fairly quickly. The Japanese Emperor was apparently open minded enough to wear Western clothes at times. Then, relatively soon after the beginning of the reformation, there was this:



please, do watch the entire video

Note that in a short period of time the Japanese went from "barbarians" to those that fight in formal (with civilized rules and regulations) battles with high civilizations. This is exemplified when the Japanese participated in a formal (civilized) surrenduring of the Russians - as seen near the end the video. Admiral Togo was wearing the standardized (as in the world) captain's coat and used the Western style handshake.

Barbarians don't know how to wear formal coat and how to participate in formal ceremony, and this is what made the reform of the of the Japanese so great.

[Pious Agnost]

Russia under Peter the Great was pretty good, shame no-one continued it.

So was the previous reformations of Novgorod and Kiev

[bushbush]

yup they adopted a bunch of superficial things (coats and etc), but it's the savage-like warrior etho of japanese society, passing down through the samurai culture, that really made their armies highly effective.

[Barbarian Nobility]

My vote goes to china and deng xioping

[bushbush]

My vote goes to china and deng xioping

what deng did was simple, unleash the entrepreneurship of chinese people that made them so successful commercially in the past.

[Barbarian Nobility]

what deng did was simple, unleash the entrepreneurship of chinese people that made them so successful commercially in the past.

Indeed, and its created the supreme paradox of a hyper-capitalist country and economy governed by a communist party. I was always under the impression that socialist/communist countries generally try to improve the social conditions of the lower class? How long can the charade last?

Also, a singaporean once told me Chinese were the Jews of Asia

[bushbush]

Indeed, and its created the supreme paradox of a hyper-capitalist country and economy governed by a communist party. I was always under the impression that socialist/communist countries generally try to improve the social conditions of the lower class? How long can the charade last?

it's only communist by name and capitalist elite like any other country's. It makes more sense if u think that way. They are even more capitalist than most other countries, no social security, no welfare lol...brutal world of free market.

Also, a singaporean once told me Chinese were the Jews of Asia

i would say certain coastal chinese groups are indeed very capable of global business networking.

[Lysimachos11]

I vote Germany, it went from a backward and mostly agricultural group of states up to the mid-1800's to one of the most industrious and most powerful states in history by the 1870/1880's. I think it's Japan's industrialization XL, though it had a small advantage in having an upstart in Silesia and the Ruhr.

[wilpuri]

What about the Soviet Union under Stalin, hmm? The five-year plans and so.

[Dr. Croccer]

What about the Soviet Union under Stalin, hmm? The five-year plans and so.

This. Stalin's industrialisation policies, as inhumane as they may be, were vital to the USSR. Just compare the production figures of the Czarist empire during WWI with that of the far smaller and more damaged Soviet one in 1941.

[John I Tzimisces]

This. Stalin's industrialisation policies, as inhumane as they may be, were vital to the USSR. Just compare the production figures of the Czarist empire during WWI with that of the far smaller and more damaged Soviet one in 1941.

Nevermind they went from a very backwards primarily agrarian society to one that was putting men in space 40 years later. That's pretty crazy.

[Atterdag]

I nominate the reforms of Henry IV of France and Navarre after the devastating Wars of Religion. He laid the foundation for the absolutism and quest for glory of Louis XIV.

[Barry Ferguson]

Nevermind they went from a very backwards primarily agrarian society to one that was putting men in space 40 years later. That's pretty crazy.

Exactly, the idea of Russia dominating the globe would have been unthinkable in 1900

[Babur]

I vote Germany, it went from a backward and mostly agricultural group of states up to the mid-1800's to one of the most industrious and most powerful states in history by the 1870/1880's. I think it's Japan's industrialization XL, though it had a small advantage in having an upstart in Silesia and the Ruhr.

didn't they eclipse the British industrially by the end of the 19th Century?

[konny]

didn't they eclipse the British industrially by the end of the 19th Century?

Yes, despite German products in those days had a reputation of being rather cheap and low quality replicas - the same as Asian products have nowadays, and the exact opposit of the reputation German products have today. The lable "Made in Germany", now used as a brand for high quality standards, was introduced in England to warn costumers from those crappy and 'dangerous' imitations of fine British craftsmanship.

This would also be something for the History Irony-Thread.

[jackwei]

didn't they eclipse the British industrially by the end of the 19th Century?

From the late 1850s and 1860s industries from the German states were already surpassing the British ones with increasing Industrial power and the unification of Germany caused the finishing blow that made Germany the industrial powerhouse of Europe. Trade was starting to be taken over in Europe by Germany too, however it was the US in the 1880s who won that contest.

[Pious Agnost]

So that's not just an OP Germany in Victoria...

[shadyrome]

Title Should go to Germany and japan, Lost world war 2 entire economy was messed after the war. Look at them now Top 4 in the world in term of economy...

[dogukan]

my vore goes to people of Turkey...I find it fascinating that lower numbers of nomadic Turkics came to the lands 1000 years ago. And now all the people of the land considers themselves Turkish. Thats the most extreme assimilation I have ever seen.

[Azog 150]

From off the top of my head I would have to go with British Industrial Revolution.


And not just becuase I am British. It was the first country to do it, and the landscape completely changed. It spawned the first rail network, steam engines, steam boats, subway network (To name a few), extremely rapid population growth and sprawling industrial cityscapes never seen before.



Before the Industrial Revolution Britain was country of less then 10 million relying on substanance farming (for the majority at least). After the Revolution (Just less then 100 years) Britain was a country of over 50 million, with massive industrial complexes, huge trading networks, extensive canals and train lines and it became a beacon for the developing world to follow, and which is still being followed today. It boosted the tiny little island that is Britain into the position of the most powerful Empire in the world