Canmoore

These are all conflicts that have engulfed Empires and countries, pitting Cultures, Religions, and Ideals against each other. These conflicts have, in my opinion, resulted in leaving a footprint that is not limited to one geographical area, Region or people. But a footprint that has spanned the entire globe and altered the collective history of Humans.

Which one do you believe has left the largest imprint in History?

Officer of Engineers

Marriage

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Chimo

Canmoore

Dam missed that one ..ok i think im done editing

Officer of Engineers

Yep, the Cold War - describes Marriage all right.

ozjohn39

The Roman Conquests, but only because the survival of Democracy in Greece was not on the list.


John

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Canmoore

I say the Seven years War / French Indian War. Because, it was the first true world War. And it set the groundwork for the American Revolution.

Had France fought the British to at least a draw and New France did not fall. Than would the Americans revolt against the British? The British were needed to defend the American colonies from the French. Not to mention had the war never happened, than the extreme taxation of the colonies to fund the war would never happened. It was this "taxation without representation" that was a driving factor behind the Revolution.

The entire New World as we know it would have looked very different depending on if the French won the war, or if the war never took place at all.

crooks

The World at this very moment has been most shaped by WW2, I would say - though the other wars all provided something, It's WW2 that's so encompassing, and so rooted in our mind (currently).

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Bluesman

In my opinion, the single most world-changing war is not listed: the Umayyad invasions into western Europe in the 8th Century. Charles The Hammer's defeat of Emir Abdul Rahman at Tours (or Poitiers) in 732 quite literally saved the entire world from Muslim conquest.

And in my opinion, it is simply the most important battle in world history for that reason.

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astralis

that's not a bad pick. but actually, "world" here means western europe (the byzantine empire had the other end of europe), while china puttered along just fine.

i select WWI. had europe not turned on flamethrowers at two paces, many of the nasty "isms" (communism, fascism, nazism) of the 20th century would not have exploded across the world.

imperialism would probably have lived longer, but most likely the inevitable transfer of power would have been calmer.

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Feanor

Actually realistically the further you go back in history, the more of an impact each event had on future events. So the Roman Empire (the cradle of all western civilization) has far more impact then WWI. No roman empire = no WWI but not vice versa.

Shamus

I agree with Feanor on this....did I just say what I thought I did? I do agree that as you go backwards in history the events increase exponentially in importance as far as overall impact.Dropping the pebble in the puddle and watching the waves move outward....in this case the Roman Empire and its' conquests are the pebble.Just my two cents worth .Did I just agree with Feanor?

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Canmoore

That is a good one. Europe and as a result the world would be a very different place had the Franks lost... However I do not think that Europe would have stayed under Muslim rule..eventually the multi-national Muslim armies would weaken due to old rivalries and the Germanic people would retake Europe.

Canmoore

That is true, but the Romans were only the cradle for western civilization. Nearly all of Africa, and Asia for the most part went along to the beat of there own drum.

wkllaw

For me its the oldest conflict of the bunch that makes the most impact.

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Bluesman

Good pick, and good reasoning.

Dammit; typing that has caused the skin to peel off my fingers...