History

What are the largest empires in history?&nbsp;That question is much more loaded than it may first appear to be. There's no single metric by which the size or influence of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historical-empires-collapse/michael-muir">any empire</a> is measured. As a result, there can be several answers to such a question. It's all in how you look at it.The biggest empires in terms of land is generally considered to be<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-it-was-like-to-live-british-empire-farthest-reaches/melissa-sartore"> the British Empire</a>. But, when the population enters the conversation, several dynastic lines from Asia truly reign supreme.&nbsp;Then, there's influence. If one were to assess which empire left the biggest genetic imprint on history, Genghis Khan and his <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-many-people-are-related-to-genghis-khan/melissa-sartore">Mongolian legacy</a> are still very much among us. Leadership, like that of Genghis Khan or someone like Alexander the Great in his vast Macedonian Empire, are also fair to consider.&nbsp;Culturally, groups like the Umayyads and the Persians made their own contributions, muddying the waters even more when trying to decipher which empire was the biggest. And, what about timespan? Egyptians ruled for thousands of years and, arguably, the Roman Empire continued through the Byzantine Empire and well into the 14th century.Collectively, these factors make determining the biggest world empires a challenge. But, by looking at land and population at an empire's peak, it's possible to get clarity about just how much influence an empire really had. Below you will find the dates each of the largest empires existed, when they peaked, and the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.space.com/17638-how-big-is-earth.html#:~:text=The%20surface%20area%20of%20Earth,%25%2C%20is%20covered%20by%20water.">amount of land</a> they controlled (out of the 57 million square miles on Earth) when they were at their biggest. Then, you'll find out exactly why they ultimately came to an end.&nbsp;

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The Largest Empires In History, By The Numbers

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The 9 Largest Empires In History, By The Numbers

Melissa Sartore

World History

Throughout history, wealthy&nbsp;people &ndash;&nbsp;like many <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/notable-monarch_s)/reference" target="_blank">notable kings</a>&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;had extravagant weddings. For these inestimably costly ceremonies,&nbsp;pre-celebration festivities often&nbsp;included very lavish dowries on behalf of the new brides. Sometimes, these nuptials that involved famous dowries took place between <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/weird-royals-in-history/danielle-ownbey" target="_blank">weird royals</a>&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;like uncles and nieces and already closely related cousins.&nbsp;But who had the&nbsp;biggest&nbsp;dowry&nbsp;in&nbsp;history?

A fair number of medieval and early modern princesses and archduchesses were given lots of land as their dowries, and their husbands wed them for the promise&nbsp;of significant revenue&nbsp;from these properties. Sometimes, these territories were so vast they&#39;re nearly unthinkable. For example, Eleanor of Aquitaine&nbsp;brought the rulership of most of southwestern France &ndash;&nbsp;her duchy of Aquitaine&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;to both of her husbands. Anne of Denmark wed Eleanor&#39;s descendant, James VI of Scotland/I of England, and brought the Orkney Isles with her. But was this the&nbsp;biggest&nbsp;dowry&nbsp;in&nbsp;the&nbsp;world?

Other wives have brought a ton of cash with them to their newly minted husbands. Modern-day royal Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, apparently brought $200 million to her husband, while Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza&nbsp;gave her spouse, Charles II of England, trading rights all over the world.

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The Most Lavish Dowries In History

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Carly Silver

Since the dawn of civilization, a lot of important things have happened. Here are lists of about the many winding routes we took to get where we are today.

Historical Contexts

History is a murky concept at best, and it gets murkier the further back one goes. That’s why it’s often so surprising to learn about famous historical figures who lived at the same time, let alone <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/historical-events-happening-at-the-same-time/kellen-perry" target="_blank">historical moments that happened at the same time</a>. Sometimes, it’s even more surprising to learn about historical figures who were born at the same time, which, rude as it may sound, often gives one a true sense of just how damn old some people are!History is full of amazing paths that crossed. Thanks to all the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-important-leaders-in-world-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">famous world leaders</a> who were alive at the same time, humanity&nbsp;has had some&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/unlikely-friendships-throughout-history-v1/katherine-ripley" target="_blank">unlikely friendships throughout history</a>, like the one between&nbsp;Elvis and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/how-and-why-richard-nixon-invented-the-war-on-drugs/stephanroget" target="_blank">Nixon, who invented the&nbsp;war on drugs</a>. As they say, it’s a small world, after all,&nbsp;and it also happens to be a world filled with interesting people -&nbsp;many of whom walked the Earth at the exact same time.

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Famous Historical Figures Most People Have No Idea Lived At The Same Time

Historical Figures You Never Realized Lived At The Same Time

Stephan Roget

Sudan

Many people are familiar with the ‘vulture and the little boy’ picture from the South Sudan famine, but few know&nbsp;that the tragedy reaches far beyond the picture itself – it extends to&nbsp;the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-photojournalists/reference?var=3&amp;utm_expid=16418821-311.AAszGoDYQ7WZsue0Bhz6ww.2&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F">photographer</a>, Kevin Carter. The photo&nbsp;of a starving Sudanese boy struggling to reach a food center, watched patiently by a hungry vulture,&nbsp;conveys a heartbreaking subtext; however, the details of the events leading up to the image, as well as the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.ranker.com/list/last-words-written-by-famous-people-in-their-suicide-notes/notable-quotables?var=3&amp;utm_expid=16418821-311.AAszGoDYQ7WZsue0Bhz6ww.2&amp;utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F">photographer's life</a> following its capture,&nbsp;make it one of the most striking and complex stories of human suffering in the modern era.&nbsp;In 1993,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://all-that-is-interesting.com/kevin-carter">Kevin Carter</a> snapped the now famous&nbsp;photo in South Sudan while covering the famine plaguing the country, as well as&nbsp;the international relief efforts in response. When the picture first appeared in The New York Times, it ignited a firestorm that included both condemnations and congratulations for Carter. Most notably, the photo won him the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. Not long after, Carter <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5241442?storyId=5241442">took his own life</a>,&nbsp;unable to process the horrors he had witnessed in South&nbsp;Sudan.&nbsp;His end adds&nbsp;yet another layer of tragedy&nbsp;to&nbsp;this somber&nbsp;tale.

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'The Vulture And The Little Girl': Kevin Carter's Photo of Famine

The Vulture And The Little Boy: The Sad Story Behind The Photo

People have been living all around the world for literally thousands of years. Here are some of the most interesting things human beings have ever done (that we know about).

Fascinating Ancient History

Fun facts and fascinating trivia about historical, bygone, and modern foods for people who love eating food.

Chew on This

A look at some of the oldest known, recorded, and/or existing things on earth.

Old School Cool

Archaeologists often make gruesome, significant, and fascinating discoveries, but some of their finds are downright repulsive &ndash; sometimes they unearth ancient <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/what-people-ate-in-colonial-america/setareh-janda" target="_blank">foods</a>.&nbsp;These foods date back thousands of years, making them actual archaeological discoveries,&nbsp;and most of them sound pretty disgusting.&nbsp;

Archaeologists find&nbsp;food all the time, whether it&#39;s&nbsp;hiding in ancient tombs, resting on the bottom of the sea in a sunken ship, or tied around the neck of a mummy. These ancient food discoveries range from the palatable &ndash; such as preserved honey found in Egyptian pyramids &ndash; to the completely revolting &ndash; 5,000-year-old butter pulled out of a bog &ndash; to the culturally significant &ndash; 4,000-year-old preserved noodles discovered at Lajia&nbsp;site, also known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/bodies-at-lajia-the-pompeii-of-china/nicky-benson" target="_blank">China&#39;s Pompeii</a>.&nbsp;

Take a look&nbsp;through the oldest foods archaeologists have discovered, and contemplate facing these choices at a sadistic buffet. What would be the absolutely worst food to eat today?&nbsp;

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The Oldest Foods Ever Discovered By Archaeologists, Ranked By How Terrible They Would Be To Eat

Genevieve Carlton

Historical Facts

The Ottoman Empire is one of the most important and influential major empires in history, though it is sometimes overlooked in the West (which may have something to do with the Christianity-versus-Islam bent of Western historical education). This lack of recognition extends to the empire&#39;s&nbsp;elite and unique military units known as the Janissaries.

The Janissaries can be discussed in the same breath as other <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/armies-that-did-drugs/justin-andress" target="_blank">renowned warrior groups</a>, such as&nbsp;the Roman legion or the Spartans. A highly trained band of slave warriors, akin to the Unsullied of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-game-of-thrones-characters" target="_blank">Game of Thrones fame</a>, the Janissaries left ample evidence of their tenacity and toughness&nbsp;throughout their nearly half-millennium of existence.

Beginning in the 14th century, the Janissaries served the Ottoman sultan directly. Their involvement in <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/crazy-medal-of-honor-acts/jim-jacobi" target="_blank">the military</a> and politics changed over the centuries, but the Janissaries&nbsp;remained fundamentally important in Ottoman society.&nbsp;

Going Medieval

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14 Facts About The Janissaries, The Ruthless Army That Inspired The Unsullied

Crazy Facts about the Janissaries, the Ottoman Empire's Elite Slave Soldiers

Lists about some of the most extraordinary women who made history, forever changing the world and how we see it.

Well-Behaved Women

Anne Boleyn

You&#39;ve likely heard tales of Anne Boleyn, the alluring woman who convinced King Henry VIII of England to give up his wife and child, break from the Catholic Church, and marry her. And she was the mother of one of the most renowned monarchs in British history, Elizabeth I.&nbsp;But there&#39;s a lot more to Anne than just her personal affairs, many of which were magnified or inaccurately portrayed by those with a political agenda after her death. So,&nbsp;who was Anne Boleyn really?

The life of Anne Boleyn was anything but boring.&nbsp;Anne was a brilliant, engaging young woman with the best education her family&#39;s position at court could provide. She served under many of the royal women in Europe, was&nbsp;known for her wit, and loved all things French. And once she married <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/violent-medieval-monarchs/carly-silver" target="_blank">King Henry VIII</a>, Anne did anything - absolutely anything - to keep her marriage intact. An Anne Boleyn biography might also mention her family&#39;s affairs with her husband, her religious fervor, and rumors that her ghost&nbsp;still haunts people. All in all, there are some weird Anne Boleyn facts.

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18 Facts About The Dramatic Life Of Anne Boleyn

Dramatic Facts About Anne Boleyn

Strange Facts About Anne Boleyn

As long as human beings have been alive, we have been doing bizarre things that barely make sense. Here are lists of a few thousand of them.

Weird History Around the World

Old Stuff

Historical artifacts and photographs never fail to fascinate &ndash; they&#39;re like mysterious keys to other cultures &ndash;&nbsp;but this roundup of some of the strangest and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-historical-artifacts/pierce-nahigyan" target="_blank">most mesmerizing artifacts</a> from history might&nbsp;just take the cake. From a piece of bread that dates back to <a href="/list/facts-about-pompeii/theodoros-karasavvas" target="_blank">Pompeii</a>&nbsp;to some truly disturbing melted wax figures from a fire at Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, these images are sure to incite some reaction, be it delight or disgust.

Artifacts are objects made by human beings that &ndash; with the passage of time &ndash; come to represent a cultural or historical moment in the popular imagination. Which is why really weird artifacts are still so interesting;&nbsp;what do they reveal about the societies that created them?

For that matter, in the future, what will our cultural artifacts say about us?

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Super Weird And Interesting Historical Artifacts That Will Mesmerize You

Weird And Interesting Historical Artifacts That Will Mesmerize You

Cleo Egnal

Lists about the zany little things we believe anyway.

Very Superstitious

Babies

For thousands of years, men and women have wanted to control the sex of their babies. Just like there were <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-ways-people-used-to-test-pregnancy/nathan-gibson">weird ways to test for pregnancy</a>, there were all kinds of ways to determine the gender of a baby during pregnancy. Kings like <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zwv4kqt">Henry VIII</a> wanted sons to ensure their royal lineage, and merchants wanted to avoid too many daughters so they didn't&nbsp;go broke because of <a href="http://www.italianrenaissanceresources.com/units/unit-2/essays/husbands-and-wives/">rising dowry costs</a>. Not surprisingly, most of these crazy theories about determining gender were about having a boy.&nbsp;These methods for how to know the gender of the baby during pregnancy at home used a lot of common objects: bananas, parsley, and bread, for example. But some of the ways people tried to determine gender were pretty crazy, like eating rabbits' unmentionables&nbsp;or even chopping off a man’s right nad.&nbsp;All of these home remedies to know the gender of a baby required dedication, from rubbing a woman with goose grease to testing the winds before conception. Some even advised getting it on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/things-women-used-before-tampons/rebecca-shortall">right before a woman’s period</a>.&nbsp;

15 Completely Bonkers Ways People Used To Try To Control The Gender Of Their Baby

 15 Ways People Used To Try To Control The Gender Of Their Baby

Lists about cool cats for cool people who would like to be covered in cats.

Rad Cats

Lifestyle

Franz Helm's 16th-century military manual,&nbsp;Buch von den probierten K&uuml;nsten, includes some crazy illustrations of the strategies he lays out therein&nbsp;–&nbsp;most notably what appear to be cats wearing jetpacks. Helm, a German artillery master, wrote his manual replete with illustrations involving&nbsp;strapping rockets to doves and cats, presumably to effectively wage war against one's enemy.Using animals in <a href="https://www.military-history.org/articles/war-culture-animals-of-war.htm" target="_blank">warfare</a> or in some other form of torture&nbsp;or abuse wasn't unique to the 16th century (take a look at the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-of-the-name-bulldog/nicky-benson" target="_blank">history of the bulldog</a>, the sad reality of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-of-turnspit-dogs/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">turnspit dog</a>, or the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/katzenklavier-cat-organ/cleo-egnal" target="_blank">cat piano</a> if in doubt),&nbsp;but cats wearing jetpacks is a pretty weird image even for the Early Modern era, a time when <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/renaissance-book-of-miracles-apocalypse/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">visions of the apocalypse</a> included 400 flying dragons and an uptick in birth defects.So, are these cats really wearing jetpacks? No, but they're really weaponized with fire and intended to be used in battle.&nbsp;

Why Are These 16th-Century Cats Wearing Jetpacks?

Kings & queens, princes & princesses. They're made of blood and bones like the rest of us, but they're told they can do whatever they damn well please. Sometimes, this causes problems.

Royal Pains

From 1789 to 1799,  French revolutionaries overthrew the monarchy of the Ancien Régime, set up a republic, eliminated a lot of people, and drastically changed the course of human history.

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles is known for its opulent rooms, extravagant gardens, and the integral role it played in the French Revolution.&nbsp;Every year, more than&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/versailles/">three million visitors tour&nbsp;the Palace</a> that was built for the Sun King, Louis XIV, in 1623 CE. A few of the biggest draws at the Palace are the Hall of Mirrors, the Chappelle Royale, and the Salon de Venus. On the grounds are priceless works of art as well as period furniture and statues. And for outdoor lovers, there&nbsp;are numerous plants, flowers, fountains, and statues to view while perusing the lush gardens on the property. Like other opulent and historically significant structures (like the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-building-the-taj-mahal/theodoros-karasavvas">Taj Majal</a>, for example), Versailles&#39;s architectural history is filled with interesting anecdotes, like the time all of its mirror makers were killed for doing their job too well.

There are many stories about the building of Versailles and the amount of money and work&nbsp;it took to create such an elaborate structure, which dates back to the 17th century and is located about 12 miles from Paris. You can imagine how much time and effort it took to create the massive Palace, which would become the envy of many foreign visitors from the 1600s up until today. In fact, the Palace became such a symbol of wealth and excess - though <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/hygiene-versailles/setareh-janda" target="_blank">hygiene left something to be desired</a> - that the people of France were disgusted by everything it represented, leading them to revolt. The excesses of Versailles, in part, drove the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/ways-french-monarchy-incited-revolution/setareh-janda">French Revolution</a>.

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15 Absolutely Insane Facts About The Palace of Versailles

15 Crazy Facts From The Building of Versailles

Noelle Talmon

Exploring the strange and fascinating lives of rulers, royals, and royalty all around the world and throughout history.

We Will Never Be Royals

Wild Facts

For as long as it's been in existence,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/unflattering-royal-portraits/danielle-ownbey" target="_blank">the royal world</a> has been special, elevated above the mediocrity of regular life and filled with the pleasures and privileges of divine power and influence. And even though the practical function&nbsp;of the monarchy has become mostly symbolic, the public fascination with its office certainly has not. So, for example, when&nbsp;Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge,&nbsp;gave birth to the newest members of the English monarchy, public curiosity&nbsp;about her experience was boundless. But alas, the details were not so thrilling, as she and William apparently greeted their precious new bundles much like any average citizen –&nbsp;in the privacy of a clean and well-lit room with just a few medical attendants nearby.And so it seems the<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/weird-royals-in-history/danielle-ownbey" target="_blank"> royal rituals</a> for labor nowadays are a far cry from the darkened, smoky bedrooms of the past, when the birth of a monarch was steeped in endless tradition, superstition, and more than a little fear. The age-old practice of bringing life into the world has always varied&nbsp;widely between cultures, but when it came to the secrets of the royal bedchamber, there were none quite as strange and disturbing as those created for new mothers.

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Eye-Opening Details About What Giving Birth Was Like For Royal Mothers

Giving Birth for Royal Mothers

14 Bizarre And Insane Royal Birth Rituals Throughout History

Jen Jeffers

"Clothes make a man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." - Mark Twain

Past Fashion

Crazy fashion trends from history teach contemporary clothes horses&nbsp;a few things. One, people will go to ridiculous lengths to prove their station in society. They&rsquo;ll nearly break their necks by teetering on towering platform shoes, hobble themselves with skirts, and bind themselves up in an organ-shifting corset, all in the name of style. And two, exaggeration is key. From hugely padded sleeves to large embroidered codpieces, true devotes of trends believed that bigger was better. Some films <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/things-movies-get-wrong-about-historical-clothing/genevieve-carlton/" target="_blank">get historical fashion wrong</a>, but others are pretty accurate, no matter how ridiculous the clothes seem.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/deadly-fatal-victorian-beauty-trends-and-treatments/amandasedlakhevener">Weird fashion trends</a> from history were frequently dangerous as well. Vivid dyes could be made with toxic arsenic, while voluminous&nbsp;crinolines could easily catch on fire. Even if the clothing wasn&#39;t fatal, a&nbsp;lot of these crazy fashion trends from history seriously impaired&nbsp;a person&rsquo;s ability to live a normal life. People who wore bliauts couldn&rsquo;t really use their arms. Men who donned&nbsp;crakowes found walking a bit problematic. And extra wide panniers kept women from fitting through narrow doors.

Whether they&#39;re deadly or just plain nuts, you can be thankful these fashion trends are in the past and are not <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/old-fashion-trends-that-deserve-a-comeback/brenden-donnelly" target="_blank">deserving of a comeback</a>.

The 17 Dumbest Fashion Trends in History

The 17 Craziest Fashion Trends In History

Lisa Waugh

Industrial Revolution

During the late 19th century, the East&nbsp;End of London was home to several factories that produced matches. Men, women, and children worked long hours for very little money, dipping matchsticks into phosphorus, unaware of the fumes they were breathing in and the toxins that were destroying their bodies.&quot;Phossy jaw&quot; was the most common physical side-effect of working as a matchstick worker, a condition that led to the deterioration of one's jaw to the point of utter deformity. A precursor to later factory-based occupational diseases like those endured by the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/horrifying-facts-about-the-radium-girls/laura-allan" target="_blank">Radium Girls</a> and an early example that using chemicals without a full understanding of their consequences can have <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/consequences-of-radium-in-common-products/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">disastrous consequences</a>, the resulting 1888 Matchstick Girls strike set a path for increased workers' rights and improved workplace conditions. Unfortunately, there was a great deal of pain and suffering along that path.&nbsp;

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English Factory Laborers Were Forced To Work With Toxic Chemicals Until Their Faces Became Deformed

English Factory Laborers Worked With Toxic Chemicals Until Their Faces Became Deformed

Exploring the backstories and nuances of famous historical photos that will change the way you think about the past—and the future.

Photographic Memories

AIDS

The 1980s AIDS&nbsp;crisis wasn't initially met with compassion. It was swept under the rug, regarded as a gay issue that didn't affect most people. The Reagan Administration's views on AIDS were equal parts ignorant and ambivalent. It was clear they didn't understand the disease when in 1982,&nbsp;Press Secretary Larry Speakes actually joked with a reporter about the epidemic, alluding to the fact that anyone who knows about the issue must be gay themselves. Thousands of people thought you could contract AIDS&nbsp;simply from touching an infected person, and thousands more were unknowingly carrying around the virus thinking they were untouchable. The disease was harshly dubbed the &quot;gay plague,&quot; and it took a few shocking celebrity tell-alls and one haunting photograph of an AIDS&nbsp;patient to change public opinion.The early 1990s were a turning point for activists lobbying for government intervention and awareness. AIDS&nbsp;patient David Kirby unwittingly became the face of AIDS&nbsp;when the powerful image of him moments before his death was used in a 1992 ad campaign by clothing retailers Benetton. Just a year prior, famed basketball player Magic Johnson told a packed room of sports reporters he was HIV-positive. These two events greatly helped Americans realize the virus could affect whole communities&nbsp;and, by 1993, President Bill Clinton created the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.But none of this may have happened if Therese Frare wasn't invited into that haunting hospital room. Here is the story of the single photograph that changed the way people viewed AIDS.

The Devastating Photo That Single-Handedly Changed The Public Opinion On The AIDS Crisis

The Devastating AIDS Photo From LIFE Magazine That Opened Eyes

Mariel Loveland

The history of the Congo Free State is one of devastating&nbsp;genocide, ruthless colonialism, and massive greed, all on the part of one man. Leopold II served as King of Belgium from 1865 to 1909, during which time he managed to <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/feb5/belgian-king-establishes-congo-free-state/" target="_blank">create a colony</a> in the Congo over 70 times the size of his Belgian kingdom. Leopold&#39;s hunger for power <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/congo-free-state-belgian-atrocities/hugh-landman" target="_blank">led to devastation</a> in the Congo, a humanitarian disaster&nbsp;that included mutilation, psychological torture, and murder.&nbsp;

Leopold created the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Congo-Free-State" target="_blank">Belgian Congo slave trade</a> in order to collect rubber, ivory, and palm oil, and it was quotas of these items that led to brutal treatment of the Congolese slaves forced to fulfill them. This particular photo depicts a Congolese slave staring dejectedly at the severed hands and feet of his five-year-old daughter, <a href="http://rarehistoricalphotos.com/father-hand-belgian-congo-1904/" target="_blank">his punishment</a> for failing to fulfill a rubber quota. But the dark&nbsp;truth behind this photo is much more gruesome than you would ever imagine. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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This Image of A Slave Father Looking At His Daughter's Severed Hand And Foot Has Haunted Generations

World History lists at Ranker - The ultimate source for hundreds of world history lists and rankings

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Saving Private Ryan

Patton

Schindler's List

Lists about life for soldiers and civilians alike during the Second Great War, which raged around the world from 1939-1945.

WWII

Looking closer at some of the best, most realistic, most brutal depictions of war in the history of entertainment.

Wars on Screen

Looking closer at films, TV shows, docs, and miniseries that explore, recreate, and occasionally flub up real historical events.

Watching History

All about Spielberg's epic & heartbreaking WWII drama, celebrating 25 years in 2023.

The best World War II movies not only recount historical events, but also deeply resonate with audiences through powerful portrayals of courage amidst adversity. World War II, a tumultuous period marked by bravery, sacrifice, and human resilience, has long been an evocative backdrop for storytelling. Films inspired by this era delve into the complexities of war, capturing the essence of heroism and loss on both grand and intimate scales. &nbsp;These movies invite viewers to reflect upon the past while appreciating the artistry of filmmaking.Showcasing diverse perspectives during one of history's most harrowing periods, these exceptional films immerse audiences in tales that span from harrowing battles to quiet acts of defiance. Great WW2 movies reveal multifaceted aspects of humanity caught in the throes of conflict by highlighting themes such as camaraderie, betrayal, hope, and despair across different cultural contexts. These stories come alive through outstanding cinematography, gripping performances, and masterful direction that evoke poignant emotions even decades after their release.Movies like Saving Private Ryan, The Great Escape, and Schindler's List stand as prime examples of remarkable World War II cinema. In Saving Private Ryan, director Steven Spielberg throws audiences into the visceral chaos of D-Day before transitioning to a captivating mission that showcases loyalty and selflessness among soldiers. Meanwhile, The Great Escape expertly blends suspense and adventure as it follows Allied prisoners plotting against all odds to break free from a German POW camp. Lastly, the monumental impact of Schindler's List is indisputable; its stark (mostly) black-and-white visuals coupled with compelling character arcs immortalize Oskar Schindler's efforts to save Jewish lives under unimaginable circumstances. Yet these are just a few gems amid an array of incredible wartime narratives. Other famous WWII movies contending for the top spots on this list include Hacksaw Ridge, Letters from Iwo Jima, Patton, and A Bridge Too Far.As cinema continues to evolve over time, filmmakers will persistently draw inspiration from pivotal moments throughout human history – particularly when they have the potential to strike emotional chords within viewers. In this context, movies about the second World War will undoubtedly remain a significant subgenre of filmmaking as they challenge us to confront the darkest chapters of our collective past while celebrating acts of valor and resilience in trying times. The greatest World War II films serve as vital reminders that even amidst the horrors of war, there are stories worth remembering and lessons to be learned about the human spirit's remarkable capacity for survival and hope.