Any nation experiences a time of active wars and expansion. But there are tribes where militancy and cruelty are an integral part of their culture. These are ideal warriors without fear and morality.
The name of the New Zealand tribe "Maori" means "ordinary", although, in truth, there is nothing ordinary about them. Even Charles Darwin, who happened to meet them during his voyage on the Beagle, noted their cruelty, especially towards the whites (British), with whom they fought for territory during the Maori wars.
Maori are considered the indigenous people of New Zealand. Their ancestors sailed to the island approximately 2000-700 years ago from Eastern Polynesia. Before the arrival of the British in the middle of the 19th century, they had no serious enemies; they “entertained” themselves mainly through civil strife.
During this time, their unique customs, characteristic of many Polynesian tribes, developed. For example, they cut off the heads of captured enemies and ate their bodies - this is how, according to their beliefs, the enemy’s power passed to them. Unlike their neighbors - the Australian Aborigines - the Maori participated in two world wars.
It is known that during the First World War they used their haka war dance to force the enemy to retreat during an offensive operation on the Gallipoli Peninsula. This ritual was accompanied by warlike cries, stomping and terrifying grimaces, which literally discouraged enemies and gave the Maori an advantage.
During the Second World War, the Maori themselves insisted on forming their own 28th battalion.
Another warlike people who also fought on the side of the British were the Nepalese Gurkhas. Back in colonial times, the British categorized them as the "most militant" people they encountered. According to them, the Gurkhas were distinguished by aggressiveness in battle, courage, self-sufficiency, physical strength and a low pain threshold. Among these proud warriors, even a friendly pat on the shoulder is considered an insult. The British themselves had to surrender under the pressure of the Gurkhas, armed only with knives.
It is not surprising that as early as 1815 a widespread campaign was launched to recruit Gurkha volunteers into the British army. Fearless warriors quickly gained fame as the best soldiers in the world.
They managed to take part in the suppression of the Sikh uprising, in the Afghan, First and Second World Wars, as well as in the Falklands conflict. Today, the Gurkhas are still the elite fighters of the British army. They are all recruited there – in Nepal. And I must say that the competition, according to the modernarmy portal, is crazy - 28,000 candidates are vying for 200 places.
The British themselves admit that the Gurkhas are better soldiers than themselves. Maybe because they are more motivated. Although the Nepalese themselves say, it’s not about money at all. They are proud of their martial art and are always happy to put it into action.
When some small peoples are actively integrating into the modern world, others prefer to preserve traditions, even if they are far from the values of humanism.
For example, the Dayak tribe from the island of Kalimantan, who have earned a terrible reputation as headhunters. What can you say if, according to their traditions, you can become a man only by getting the head of your enemy. At least this was the case back in the 20th century. The Dayak people (Malay for “pagan”) are an ethnic group that unites numerous peoples inhabiting the island of Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Among them: Ibans, Kayans, Modangs, Segais, Trings, Inihings, Longwais, Longhat, Otnadom, Serai, Mardahik, Ulu-Ayer. Even today, some of them can only be reached by boat.
The bloodthirsty rituals of the Dayaks and the hunt for human heads were officially stopped in the 19th century, when the local sultanate asked the Englishman Charles Brooke from the dynasty of white rajahs to somehow influence the people, whose representatives do not know any other way to become a man except to cut off someone's head.
Having captured the most warlike leaders, through a policy of carrots and sticks, he seemed to be able to set the Dayaks on a peaceful path. But people continued to disappear without a trace. The last bloody wave swept across the island in 1997-1999, when all world agencies shouted about ritual cannibalism and the games of little Dayaks with human heads.
Among the peoples of Russia, one of the most warlike peoples are the Kalmyks, descendants of the Western Mongols. Their self-name translates as “breakaways”; Oirats means “those who did not convert to Islam.” Today, most of them live in the Republic of Kalmykia. Nomads are always more aggressive than farmers.
The ancestors of the Kalmyks, the Oirats, who lived in Dzungaria, were freedom-loving and warlike. Even Genghis Khan did not immediately manage to subjugate them, for which he demanded the complete destruction of one of the tribes. Later, the Oirat warriors became part of the army of the Mongol commander, and many of them became related to the Genghisids. Therefore, it is not without reason that some of the modern Kalmyks consider themselves descendants of Genghis Khan.
In the 17th century, the Oirats left Dzungaria and, having made a huge transition, reached the Volga steppes. In 1641, Russia recognized the Kalmyk Khanate, and from that time on, Kalmyks began to be constantly recruited into the Russian army. It is said that the battle cry "hurray" once came from the Kalmyk "uralan", meaning "forward". They especially distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812. Three Kalmyk regiments numbering more than three and a half thousand people took part in it. For the Battle of Borodino alone, more than 260 Kalmyks were awarded the highest orders of Russia.
The Kurds, along with the Arabs, Persians and Armenians, are one of the most ancient peoples of the Middle East. They live in the ethnogeographical region of Kurdistan, which after the First World War was divided between Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
The Kurdish language, according to scientists, belongs to the Iranian group. In religious terms, they have no unity - among them there are Muslims, Jews and Christians. It is generally difficult for Kurds to come to an agreement with each other. Also Doctor of Medical Sciences E.V. Erikson noted in his work on ethnopsychology that the Kurds are a people merciless to the enemy and unreliable in friendship: “They respect only themselves and their elders. Their morality is generally very low, superstition is extremely high, and real religious feeling is extremely poorly developed. War is their direct innate need and absorbs all interests.”
It is difficult to judge how relevant this thesis, expressed at the beginning of the 20th century, is today. But the fact that they never lived under their own centralized power makes itself felt. According to Sandrine Alexy of the Kurdish University in Paris: “Every Kurd is a king on his own mountain. That’s why they quarrel with each other, conflicts arise often and easily.”
But for all their uncompromising attitude towards each other, the Kurds dream of a centralized state. Today, the “Kurdish issue” is one of the most pressing in the Middle East. Numerous unrest organized by the Kurds in order to achieve autonomy and unite into one state have continued since 1925. From 1992 to 1996, they fought a civil war in northern Iraq, and permanent protests still occur in Iran. In a word, the “question” hangs in the air. Now the only Kurdish state entity with broad autonomy is Iraqi Kurdistan.
A large number of peoples live on the vast territory of Russia. Many of them are distinguished by belligerence and rebellion, strength and courage. In the history of their country, they have proven themselves worthily, defending the borders, honor and glory of Russia. Let's list these peoples.
Russians
The Russian people fought a large number of wars, and the names of Suvorov, Kutuzov, Brusilov, Zhukov are known throughout the world. German generals who fought against the Russian Empire in the First World War noted the extraordinary courage of the Russian soldiers who went on the attack, even on the battlefield they were facing inevitable defeat. With the words: “For Faith, Tsar and Fatherland,” they attacked the enemy, not paying attention to the fire from the opposite side, and their losses. The high combat capability and courage of the Russians was appreciated by German military leaders during the Second World War. Thus, Gunther Blumentritt admired their ability to endure hardships, without flinching in difficult situations and to survive to the end. “We developed respect for such a Russian soldier,” the general wrote in his memoirs.
Researcher Nikolai Shefov, in his books on military history, cited statistics on military operations involving Russia from the 18th to the 20th centuries. According to the scientist, the Russian army won 31 wars out of 34 that happened, as well as 279 battles out of 392, while in most cases the Russian army was quantitatively smaller than its opponents. Well, finally, I would like to recall a quote from Emperor Alexander III the Peacemaker, who was present on the battlefields and knew what war was: “The Russian soldier is brave, steadfast and patient, and therefore invincible.”
Varangians
The Varangians, also known as the Vikings, inhabited the territory of what is now Scandinavia in ancient times, but they also settled on the northern borders of the Old Russian state. Those more or less familiar with history have heard about the military adventures of the Varangians. The very word "Viking" is already associated with strength, courage, axes and war. Many western lands felt the attacks of the northerners, and especially Christian churches, which were repeatedly robbed by these powerful people.
The fame of the Varangians thundered throughout Europe, so they were often recruited into the service of the Old Russian princes and emperors of Byzantium. Historians report that during the period of the 9th-12th centuries, neither in Europe nor in Asia, no one could create formations equal to the Scandinavians in terms of militancy.
Baltic Germans
In the 13th century, German crusaders captured the city of Yuryev in the Baltic, founded by Yaroslav the Wise, after which on these lands they founded the Livonian Order, which caused a lot of trouble for the Russians, in particular, Tsar Ivan the Terrible, who fought with the Germans for quite a long time.
Baltic nobles (descendants of the knights of the Teutonic Order) actively served in the Russian army, in particular, their military training and discipline were highly appreciated by Paul I.
Many Baltic Germans rose to the highest ranks for their impeccable service in the army. For example, Kutuzov’s comrade-in-arms Barclay de Tolly, so strongly criticized by the nobles for his constant retreat deep into Russia from Napoleon’s armies, but it was precisely this tactics of the military leader that contributed to the defeat of the formidable Frenchman. On the fronts of the First World War, such generals of German origin as Rennenkampf, Miller, Budberg, von Sternberg and others became famous.
Tatars
According to historians, the Tatars were one of the largest Mongol tribes that managed to subjugate Genghis Khan. The cavalry of the Tatars during the campaigns of the “Shaker of the Universe” was a formidable and terrible force that everyone feared.
Tatar archers left a significant mark on history. Chronicles report that on the battlefields they used successful maneuvering tactics, as well as bombarding their enemies with clouds of arrows. In addition, the Tatars knew how to set up ambushes and carry out quick attacks when the enemy was completely unaware of it, which ultimately led to the victory of the Tatars.
Many Tatar nobles went into the service of Russian princes and tsars, accepting the Orthodox faith and fighting on the side of Russia. For example, the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey helped Ivan III in his “Standing on the Ugra” against Khan Akhmat by opposing the ally of the Great Horde - Lithuania.
Tuvans
During the war of 1941-1945. Tuvans were also drafted into the Red Army to fight against the Germans. Representatives of this people showed resilience and courage. In the Wehrmacht they were called the “Black Death” (Der Schwarze Tod).
The Tuvan cavalry became especially famous on the battlefields due to its appearance: dressed in national costumes, incomprehensible to the Germans, with similar amulets, they seemed to the enemy like the ancient soldiers of the barbarians of Attila.
Every nation has its own special pride - some are famous for their artists, writers, philosophers, some for their winemakers and cooks, some for their generals. But everyone, without exception, considers their nation to be the smartest, most beautiful and talented. Scientists decided to somehow streamline these opinions and created ratings of the “best” nations in the world. There is nothing to be offended by - conclusions are drawn based on facts, surveys and a detailed study of the life and culture of most countries on the globe.
Thus, the most unsympathetic nation was recently determined. But not by scientists, but by users of the site BeautifulPeople.com. The site positions itself as the sexiest in the world - access to it is allowed only to beautiful people, whose photos are rated by the site's audience. It turned out that among those who were refused registration, most of them were residents of Great Britain. During the two weeks the site was open, 295 thousand Britons tried to register on it, of which only 35 thousand gained access.
Based on this, as the British newspaper Daily Telegraph writes, the inhabitants of the United Kingdom can be called the most unsympathetic in the world.
The smartest and most beautiful
But the Italians were officially recognized as the most beautiful. These are the results of studies of 10 thousand men and women in 12 countries conducted by Male Beauty. As it turned out, the majority of respondents are sure: to be attractive, it is not necessary to have an ideal figure or correct facial features, the main thing is that the person is... neat. Other positive characteristics include: self-confidence (20% of respondents stated this), ability to behave in society and a beautiful smile. Moreover, it turned out that older Italian men have no less chance of winning the hearts of women than younger ones. 60% of respondents are sure that men become even more attractive over the years, while early loss of thick hair and the appearance of wrinkles have the least impact on their attractiveness.
However, as Anton Pavlovich Chekhov said, everything in a person should be beautiful: face, clothes, soul, and thoughts. By the way, about the latter. Of course, there are brilliant people in every state, but what about the intellectual level of the average citizens who make up the nation?
Psychologists decided to resolve the centuries-old dispute by calculating the intelligence quotient (IQ) of Europeans and determining which people can objectively consider themselves the smartest. A group of researchers led by Richard Lynn from the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) over the course of several decades measured the intelligence of more than 20 thousand residents of 23 European countries, forcing the subjects to solve standard puzzle problems in a fixed time.
The results show the following: first place in this nationalistic competition of wits was politically correct shared by the Germans and the Dutch, second place was taken by the Poles, and third by the Swedes. The people with the lowest IQ level were the Serbs.
So that no one is offended, Richard Lynn offered his explanation for the distribution of intellectual capital: the level of intelligence is influenced by climate. And the harsher the weather conditions, the supposedly higher the IQ. The scientist associates this pattern with the fact that for many centuries, residents of northern latitudes had to survive in difficult conditions, engage in risky farming, and actively hunt, which contributed to the development of mental abilities. While the southerners, who were lucky with the climate, did not strain their ingenuity, their intelligence developed much more slowly.
However, many scientists question the ability to quickly solve a problem as a basis for drawing conclusions about the intelligence of a nation. It is no coincidence that the Russian academician Pyotr Kapitsa proposed to consider the smartest nation on Earth the one that had the most significant discoveries in the 20th century, and to take the degree of development of science and sports as an objective criterion. Having counted the successes of European peoples, the researcher concluded that the smartest nation on Earth today is the British.
Here we should also mention the national love for literature as the main source of knowledge. Former Soviet countries, especially Russia and Ukraine, used to be considered the most widely read. However, now everything has changed dramatically - if in the 80s children were read to in 70% of Soviet families, now only 6% of parents introduce their children to books.
But the leaders in reading have now become those countries where relatively recently few people knew how to read. So, it turns out that Indians spend an average of 1.5 hours a day reading books, while Thais, Chinese, Filipinos, Egyptians and Czechs read a little less.
Along with sincerity, scientists decided to find the happiest nation in the world. It turned out that these are the Finns. This was reported by experts from the British Legatum Center, who published a “happiness rating” in which 104 countries of the world were assessed on 79 aspects (material well-being of residents, quality of life, education, personal freedom, safety, etc.). Finland is followed by Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Australia. But the search for the most nervous nation led to interesting results: it turns out that residents of Western Europe experience stress much more often than residents of America.
Research conducted by Ipsos-Reid has shown that the German population has the most stressful daily lives: more than half of Germans experience severe stress several times every day. The Australians unexpectedly found themselves in second place, and the Italians in third. Americans living at the maximum speed of life are happier - only a third of those surveyed complained of daily stress, but the Mexicans turned out to be the absolute champions in happiness - no more than 15% of respondents there are nervous every day.
It is interesting that Germans, although they face stress more often than others, still know how to control themselves: due to daily worries, life gets out of control for only a third of those who admitted their own nervousness. People in the UK lose control more often, with the majority of those surveyed (around 51%) saying it happens “often” or “all the time.”
But Ukrainians are not very worried. It turned out that they are happier than many residents of the European Union: only about 13% of respondents said that they experience stress every day, and every third Ukrainian feels overwhelmed after work about once a week. There is one more point - Ukrainians, unlike foreigners, practically do not resort to the services of doctors to relieve stress. In our country, the place of psychoanalysts is still taken by friends and relatives, as well as by television and the Internet.
Health comes first
True, experts assure that Ukrainians, in order to relieve stress, often drink liquid sedatives - alcoholic drinks. But they won’t dare call us the most drinking nation!
The British magazine The Economist published the results of a study conducted by experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) to find out which country in the world has the highest level of alcohol consumption. As a result, it turned out that the first on the list is Luxembourg, a small landlocked state nestled between France, Belgium and Germany. An explanation for this circumstance, according to experts, may be the fact that local taxes on alcohol are somewhat lower compared to neighboring countries, which gives rise to a phenomenon called “alcohol tourism.”
But, despite this, it cannot be said that our nation is in good health. Thus, when identifying the healthiest country in the world based on certain indicators (number of doctors, air pollution, infant mortality, life expectancy), Ukraine was pushed aside by Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland and several dozen other countries.
However, we can boast of strength - in 2006, Ukrainians were recognized as the most powerful nation on Earth. This superiority was noted at the sixth world championship “The Strongest Nation on the Planet”, where our athletes beat athletes from Great Britain, Iceland, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, the USA and Finland. True, Lithuanian athletes later took this title from us, but Ukrainian athletes promise to give the Lithuanians a head start next year. Moreover, the strongest man on the planet is with us - Ukrainian Vasily Virastyuk.
Patience and work will grind everything down
Let's move on from sports to work, which, as they say, ennobles a person. Moreover, most of all he “nobles” the people of South Korea. This was stated by Forbes magazine experts who decided to identify the most hardworking nation on the planet.
According to the compiled ranking of world countries whose population spends a lot of time at work, the next places behind the Koreans were taken by residents of Greece, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Russia found itself somewhere in the middle between lazy people and workaholics, as, in principle, did Ukraine.
But the French like to work the least. They were recognized as “absolute world champions in recreation.” The basis for this conclusion was the fact that the French work the least - 35 hours a week. Whereas, for example, in Seoul the working week is 50.2 hours. This was recently reported by researchers from the Swiss bank UBS, who analyzed purchasing power, working week and wage levels in 71 countries.
Interestingly, the hard work of a nation does not in any way affect its material well-being. Thus, Americans still make up the largest share of the “world’s rich” (37%), followed by the Japanese – 27%.
And finally, a few words about religion. It is difficult to identify the most religious nation - there are too many religions and all kinds of religious movements in the world. However, finding the most atheistic nationality is much easier. According to Washington Profile, the most unbelieving nations included: Swedes (about 85% of the inhabitants of this state are atheists), Vietnamese (81%), as well as residents of Denmark (43-80%), Norway (31-72%) and Japan (64 – 65%). Interestingly, when compiling the ranking, China and North Korea, where atheism is the official state doctrine, were not taken into account.
However, no matter what ratings scientists make, no matter how they prove the superiority of some nations over others in certain parameters, every inhabitant of the Earth most likely has his own list of the most hospitable, smart and healthy countries. And also – love for one’s native country and one’s people, because national patriotic feelings have not yet been canceled.
Prepared by Maria Borisova,
based on materials:
Any nation experiences a time of active wars and expansion. But there are tribes where militancy and cruelty are an integral part of their culture. These are ideal warriors without fear and morality.
Maori
The name of the New Zealand tribe "Maori" means "ordinary", although, in truth, there is nothing ordinary about them. Even Charles Darwin, who happened to meet them during his voyage on the Beagle, noted their cruelty, especially towards the whites (English), with whom they had to fight for territories during the Maori wars. Maori are considered the indigenous people of New Zealand. Their ancestors sailed to the island approximately 2000-700 years ago from Eastern Polynesia. Before the arrival of the British in the middle of the 19th century, they had no serious enemies; they had fun mainly with civil strife. During this time, their unique customs, characteristic of many Polynesian tribes, were formed. For example, they cut off the heads of captured enemies and ate their bodies - this is how, according to their beliefs, the enemy’s power passed to them. Unlike their neighbors, the Australian Aborigines, the Maori fought in two world wars. Moreover, during World War II they themselves insisted on forming their own 28th battalion. By the way, it is known that during the First World War they drove away the enemy with their “haku” battle dance during the offensive operation on the Gallipoli Peninsula. This ritual was accompanied by war cries and scary faces, which literally discouraged enemies and gave the Maori an advantage.
Gurkhas
Another warlike people who also fought on the side of the British are the Nepalese Gurkhas. Even during colonial policy, the British classified them as the “most militant” peoples they encountered. According to them, the Gurkhas were distinguished by aggressiveness in battle, courage, self-sufficiency, physical strength and a low pain threshold. England itself had to surrender to the pressure of their warriors, armed only with knives. It is not surprising that back in 1815 a wide campaign was launched to attract Gurkha volunteers into the British army. Skilled fighters quickly gained fame as the best soldiers in the world. They managed to take part in the suppression of the Sikh uprising, the Afghan, First and Second World Wars, as well as in the Falklands conflict. Today, the Gurkhas are still the elite fighters of the British army. They are all recruited there - in Nepal. I must say, the competition for selection is crazy - according to the modernarmy portal, there are 28,000 candidates for 200 places. The British themselves admit that the Gurkhas are better soldiers than themselves. Maybe because they are more motivated. Although the Nepalese themselves say, it’s not about money at all. They are proud of their martial art and are always happy to put it into action. Even if someone pats them on the shoulder in a friendly manner, in their tradition this is considered an insult.
Dayaks
When some small peoples are actively integrating into the modern world, others prefer to preserve traditions, even if they are far from the values of humanism. For example, the Dayak tribe from the island of Kalimantan, who have earned a terrible reputation as headhunters. What to do - you can become a man only by bringing the head of your enemy to the tribe. At least this was the case back in the 20th century. The Dayak people (Malay for "pagan") are an ethnic group that unites numerous peoples inhabiting the island of Kalimantan in Indonesia. Among them: Ibans, Kayans, Modangs, Segais, Trings, Inichings, Longwais, Longhat, Otnadom, Serai, Mardahik, Ulu-Ayer. Even today, some villages can only be reached by boat. The bloodthirsty rituals of the Dayaks and the hunt for human heads were officially stopped in the 19th century, when the local sultanate asked the Englishman Charles Brooke from the dynasty of white rajahs to somehow influence the people who knew no other way to become a man except to cut off someone's head. Having captured the most militant leaders, he managed to guide the Dayaks to a peaceful path through a “carrot and stick policy.” But people continued to disappear without a trace. The last bloody wave swept across the island in 1997-1999, when all world agencies shouted about ritual cannibalism and the games of little Dayaks with human heads.
Kalmyks
Among the peoples of Russia, one of the most warlike are the Kalmyks, descendants of the Western Mongols. Their self-name translates as “breakaways,” which means Oirats who did not convert to Islam. Today, most of them live in the Republic of Kalmykia. Nomads are always more aggressive than farmers. The ancestors of the Kalmyks, the Oirats, who lived in Dzungaria, were freedom-loving and warlike. Even Genghis Khan did not immediately manage to subjugate them, for which he demanded the complete destruction of one of the tribes. Later, the Oirat warriors became part of the army of the great commander, and many of them became related to the Genghisids. Therefore, it is not without reason that some of the modern Kalmyks consider themselves descendants of Genghis Khan. In the 17th century, the Oirats left Dzungaria and, having made a huge transition, reached the Volga steppes. In 1641, Russia recognized the Kalmyk Khanate, and from now on, from the 17th century, Kalmyks became permanent participants in the Russian army. They say that the battle cry “hurray” once came from the Kalmyk “uralan”, which means “forward”. They especially distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812. 3 Kalmyk regiments, numbering more than three and a half thousand people, took part in it. For the Battle of Borodino alone, more than 260 Kalmyks were awarded the highest orders of Russia. But in the Great Patriotic War they let us down - some of them formed the Kalmyk Cavalry Corps, which sided with the Third Reich.
Kurds
The Kurds, along with the Arabs, Persians and Armenians, are one of the most ancient peoples of the Middle East. They live in the ethnogeographical region of Kurdistan, which was divided among themselves by Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria after the First World War. The Kurdish language, according to scientists, belongs to the Iranian group. In religious terms, they have no unity - among them there are Muslims, Jews and Christians. It is generally difficult for Kurds to come to an agreement with each other. Even Doctor of Medical Sciences E.V. Erikson noted in his work on ethnopsychology that the Kurds are a people merciless to the enemy and unreliable in friendship: “they respect only themselves and their elders. Their morality is generally very low, superstition is extremely high, and real religious feeling is extremely poorly developed. War is their direct innate need and absorbs all interests.” It is difficult to judge how applicable this thesis, written at the beginning of the 20th century, is today. But the fact that they never lived under their own centralized power makes itself felt. According to Sandrine Alexi of the Kurdish University in Paris: “Every Kurd is a king on his own mountain. That’s why they quarrel with each other, conflicts arise often and easily.” But for all their uncompromising attitude towards each other, the Kurds dream of a centralized state. Today, the “Kurdish issue” is one of the most pressing in the Middle East. Numerous unrest in order to achieve autonomy and unite into one state have been ongoing since 1925. From 1992 to 1996, the Kurds fought a civil war in northern Iraq; permanent protests still occur in Iran. In a word, the “question” hangs in the air. Today, the only Kurdish state entity with broad autonomy is Iraqi Kurdistan.