Which nations have made the greatest contribution to world history?

Question

I'd say some of the front runners are China, Greece, Britain, France and Spain.

I'd like to add:

Spain made a big contribution, as it created the worlds first overseas empire.

Secondly, modern nations can be counted, as they may have contributed for many centuries

To Bob J.

I am NOT ignorant by any stretch of the imagination. The Greeks did contribute a great deal.

Sorry Bob J. Misread your answer

Answer 1

Your list is great. They would be my choices as well, except for Spain. I would say that in the scheme of things Germans have made a greater contribution to the world than the Spanish.

Answer 2

The first nations that did were the civilizations of MESOPOTAMIA. They invented many of the things which we regard as the basis of civilization. AGRICULTURE(the growing of the food we eat) SOPHISTICATED HERDING(ranches and stud farms) LAWS, BUILDINGS AND CITIES, THE FIRST COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE SYSTEMS(the lumps of silver and gold - shekels) ARMED FORCES AND GOVERNEMENT.
The GREEKS gave us democracy and a style of archetecture that is common today. They gave us the idea of CIVICUS-the idea of civic or city government composed of people rather than kings. They researched and named every science. They gave us the OIympic Games( reputed to have started in 776 B.C.) And they gave us the idea that MAN(humanity) is precious and worth protecting and worth a say in affairs-that MAN is the sum of all things. And also Alexander's idea of a one world.

THE ROMANS gave us complex urban civilization. There cities, especially Rome contained all or most of the modern things our cities do . Fast food shops, shopping complexes, civic government and all it's apparatus, police force, fire brigade, medical centres, the first public school system(invented by the emperor Julian the Apostate), grand public entertainment(the Collosseum), social security(the corn dole and sportula, the gifts of the emperors at the games), the road system, a merchant fleet system, overseas trade, foriegn policy and imperium, concrete, the organisation and make up of most of the armed forces today and the idea of grandeure. They gave us most of the positions that we have today for example the nco and officer system of the American Army - the greatest on the earth today is a mirror image of the MILITAE ODINES and the PRIMI ORDINES of the Roman Army. They gave us the idea of a complicated and sophisticated legal, economic and commercial system. And they gave us, the west, the start and survival it needed to influence the world in the great way it has today.

THE PHOENICIANS gave us the alphabet, The ARABS the numerical system and the word KIOSK. THE PERSIANS the idea of a postal system. The INDIANS a legacy of mathematics. The CHINESE, JAPANESE and KOREANS the martial arts. The MONGOLS the idea of religious tolerance.

SPAIN the discovery of America and the start of settlement. FRANCE the idea of the rights of man and the ideas of LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY. Also the importation and developement of chocolate to the west, perfumes and fashion. BRITAIN the idea of British justice. a colonial system which educated and civilized a quarter of the human race, The inventions of the steam engine, havesters, the industrial revolution, the development of consumer technology(cooking instruments, tools, cultelry, crockery, textiles and publishing). The television. The parliament at Westminster is the mother of Parliaments.

ITALY the invention of the radio. RUSSIA the actualisation of a socialistic thought. EGYPT one of the world's greatest landmarks-the great pyramid. AUSTRALIA refrigeration of meats etc, the lawn mower, gum boots and vegimite.

AMERICA the lightbulb, telephone, mass production, the idea that all men were created equal, mass media and entertainment, nuclear fission, the technology of the space race(computers, microchips, utility foods, new materials) the landing on the moon, the protection of the freedom of peoples on most of the earth. Hollywood, the spread of one language(natural) - English. Also Neil Armstrong gave us the idea that we could look beyond our planet and showed how it could be done. Something that has changed history.

These are the major nations that I have thought of. Many nations have contributed but these for my money are the major ones. Of the greatest contribution? It is very hard to assertain what is the greatest. Only this can I say. If I had to choose some and I had no other choice for the purpose of this question I would choose GREECE, ROME,BRITAIN and AMERICA. If you look at the answer you will notice that these have the most. Western civilizations has contributed much to history and these four are the supreme representatives of western civilization throughout history. Although many have come-these four have been chosen. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I would actually say that the Roman Empire probably made the greatest contribution to the world. As far as art and architecture they are the end all be all. Their empire pretty much extended to all of Europe. After them I would say the United States has done a pretty good job too. Before the creation of the United States there was no such thing as freedom of religion or even rights of the common man.

Answer 4

That's a tough one because modern nations like Britain, France and Spain cannot be counted.

If Sumeria is the cradle of civilization then we have to start In Mesopotamia.

If Alexander was the greatest general because he built an empire the size of which the world has never since, then or since, then we have to also inlcude the Classical Greeks for spreading Hellenistic culture.

If the Romans were the most ingenous of all peoples in the Ancient World, then we have to recognize them for bringing to us their engineering, political systems and social structure.

If Abraham is considered the father of Jews, Christians and Muslims, alike, then we must acknowledge the influence of Jewish systems of monotheism as the percusor to our beliefs.

If the earliest forms of writing are hieroglyphs, then we cannot leave the Eyptians out of the list.

If our understanding of modern medecine has its roots in Eastern thought, then we owe a lot to people from the Middle and Far East. Remember, after the crusades the single most powerful learning the Crusaders brought back from the Middle East was knowledge of medical procedures and cures.

Answer 5

Well, we certainly hear a lot about some of the modern nations you have listed. I think though that a number of historical nations are left off your list. The Romans, the Celts, the North and South Native American nations, the many African nations of the past, plus India, Egypt, and the Russian people.
The history of all these people has made the world what it is today, especially as our world shrinks through technology. When you research some of these other cultures you will find that they made just as much, if not more, of an impact on our current world as the big name cultures you listed. Good luck.

Answer 6

China did little to influence the rest of the world, although a lit within its own borders. Greece for politics, but again, little else. France has done little and Spain opened the America's to colonization.

In the later years of History Britain of course was a huge influence as well

However above all, Italy, specifically Rome

The Pax Romana civilized the world. standards still in use were created there, Terms and systems of government, measurements, and the rank systems the military still uses today all came from Rome.

Under Roman government many far flung civilizations were united/conquered and "civilized"

Answer 7

Germany - Look how much stuff is about them on the History Channel

Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark) - Vikings attacks effected everyone, even in the Middle East. Also ABBA was a good band.

Answer 8

Orientalism should be avoided to be popular,

- Exhibitions should be organized that shall introduce the various cultures in the Ottoman world and especially the Ottoman impact on the European culture and art (for instance turqueries) in the museums in Turkey and in the world, ( *

www.theottomans.org

Answer 9

I would have to say Italy. Much of the American government is based on the former Roman government, and the USA has risen to be the greatest nation on earth (presently).

Answer 10

Greeks, Romans and Egyptians