query: Iran is a sovereign state that still has a large influence.

pos: Iran Iran ( ɪ , also ɪ ) , formerly known as Persia , is a sovereign state in Western Asia . It is bordered to the northwest by Armenia , the de facto Republic of Artsakh and Azerbaijan ; to the north by the Caspian Sea ; to the northeast by Turkmenistan ; to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan ; to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman ; and to the west by Turkey and Iraq . Comprising a land area of 1648195 km2 , it is the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 18th-largest in the world . Officially with 79.93 million inhabitants ( Nov 2016 ) , Iran is the world 's 18th-most-populous country . It is the only country with both a Caspian Sea and an Indian Ocean coastline . The country 's central location in Eurasia and Western Asia , and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz , make it of great geostrategic importance . Iran has diverse landscapes and geographical conditions . Tehran is the country 's capital and largest city , as well as its leading economic and cultural center .   Iran is home to one of the world 's oldest civilizations , beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the 4th millennium BC . The area was first unified and dominated by the Iranian Medes in the 7th century BC . Iran reached its greatest extent during the Achaemenid Empire ( First Persian Empire ) founded by Cyrus the Great in 6th century BC , the largest empire the world had yet seen , stretching from Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley . Persia fell to Alexander the Great in 4th century BC , but reemerged shortly after as the Parthian Empire . Under the Sassanians , Persia became a leading world power for the next four centuries .   In 7th century AD , Arabs conquered Persia and largely displaced the indigenous faiths of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism with the new religion of Islam . Iranians became major contributors to the Islamic Golden Age that followed , producing many influential scientists , scholars , artists and thinkers . After two centuries , a period of various Iranian dynasties began , although these dynasties were later conquered by Turks and then the Mongols . An Iranian national identity was always reasserted however , developing a distinct cultural entity . The rise of the Safavids in 15th century led to the establishment of Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion , marking a turning point in Muslim history . In the 18th century , Iran arguably possessed briefly the most powerful military at the time under Nader Shah . Conflicts with the Russian Empire in 19th century led to significant territorial losses . Popular unrest culminated in the Persian Constitutional Revolution , which established a constitutional monarchy and the country 's first legislative body , the Majles . Following a coup d'état instigated by the UK and the US in 1953 , Iran gradually became closely aligned with the West and grew increasingly autocratic . Growing dissent against foreign influence and political repression led to the 1979 Revolution and the establishment of an Islamic republic , a political system which combines elements of a parliamentary democracy with a theocracy governed by Islamic jurists under the concept of a `` Supreme Leadership '' . According to international observers , the current Iranian government is oppressive , with human rights abuses commonplace .   A multicultural country comprising numerous ethnic and linguistic groups , most inhabitants of Iran are Shia Muslims and Persian is the official language . The largest ethnic groups in Iran are the Persians , Azeris , Kurds and Lurs .   Iran is a founding member of the UN , ECO , NAM , OIC , and OPEC . Iran is a major regional and middle power , and its large reserves of fossil fuels -- which include the largest natural gas supply in the world and the fourth-largest proven oil reserves -- exert considerable influence in international energy security and the world economy . Iran 's rich cultural legacy is reflected in part by its 21 UNESCO World Heritage Sites , the third-largest number in Asia and 11th-largest in the world .

neg: Politics of France The politics of France take place with the framework of a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the French Fifth Republic . The nation declares itself to be an `` indivisible , secular , democratic , and social Republic '' . The constitution provides for a separation of powers and proclaims France 's `` attachment to the Rights of Man and the principles of national sovereignty as defined by the Declaration of 1789 . ''   The political system of France consists of an executive branch , a legislative branch , and a judicial branch . Executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic and the Government . The Government consists of the Prime Minister and ministers . The Prime Minister is appointed by the President , and is responsible to Parliament . The government , including the Prime Minister , can be revoked by the National Assembly , the lower house of Parliament , through a `` censure motion '' ; this ensures that the Prime Minister is always supported by a majority of the lower house ( which , on most topics , has prominence over the upper house ) .   Parliament comprises the National Assembly and the Senate . It passes statutes and votes on the budget ; it controls the action of the executive through formal questioning on the floor of the houses of Parliament and by establishing commissions of inquiry . The constitutionality of the statutes is checked by the Constitutional Council , members of which are appointed by the President of the Republic , the President of the National Assembly , and the President of the Senate . Former presidents of the Republic also are members of the Council .   The independent judiciary is based upon civil law system which evolved from the Napoleonic codes . It is divided into the judicial branch ( dealing with civil law and criminal law ) and the administrative branch ( dealing with appeals against executive decisions ) , each with their own independent supreme court of appeal : the Court of Cassation for the judicial courts and the Conseil d'Etat for the administrative courts . The French government includes various bodies that check abuses of power and independent agencies .   France is a unitary state . However , its administrative subdivisions -- regions , departments and communes -- have various legal functions , and the national government is prohibited from intruding into their normal operations .   France was a founding member of the European Coal and Steel Community , later the European Union . As such , France has transferred part of its sovereignty to European institutions , as provided by its constitution . The French government therefore has to abide by European treaties , directives and regulations .

neg: Geography of Iran Geographically , Iran is located in West Asia and borders the Caspian Sea , Persian Gulf , and Gulf of Oman . Its mountains have helped to shape both the political and the economic history of the country for several centuries . The mountains enclose several broad basins , on which major agricultural and urban settlements are located . Until the 20th century , when major highways and railroads were constructed through the mountains to connect the population centers , these basins tended to be relatively isolated from one another .   Typically , one major town dominated each basin , and there were complex economic relationships between the town and the hundreds of villages that surrounded it . In the higher elevations of the mountains rimming the basins , tribally organized groups practiced transhumance , moving with their herds of sheep and goats between traditionally established summer and winter pastures . There are no major river systems in the country , and historically transportation was by means of caravans that followed routes traversing gaps and passes in the mountains . The mountains also impeded easy access to the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea .   With an area of 1648000 km2 , Iran ranks eighteenth in size among the countries of the world . Iran shares its northern borders with three post-Soviet states : Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Turkmenistan . These borders extend for more than 2000 km , including nearly 650 km of water along the southern shore of the Caspian Sea . Iran 's western borders are with Turkey in the north and Iraq in the south , terminating at the Arvand Rud .   The Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman littorals form the entire 1770 km southern border . To the east lie Afghanistan on the north and Pakistan on the far south . Iran 's diagonal distance from Azerbaijan in the northwest to Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast is approximately 2333 km .

neg: Name of Iran In the Western world , Persia ( or one of its cognates ) was historically the common name for Iran . In 1935 , Reza Shah asked foreign delegates to use the term Iran , the historical name of the country , used by its native people , in formal correspondence . Iran literally means ' `` Land of Aryans '' in Persian language . Since then , in the Western World , the use of the word `` Iran '' has become more common . This also changed the usage of the terms for Iranian nationality , and the common adjective for citizens of Iran changed from Persian to Iranian . In 1959 , the government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi , Reza Shah Pahlavi 's son , announced that both `` Persia '' and `` Iran '' could officially be used interchangeably .

neg: Islamic Azad University of Shiraz The Islamic Azad University , Shiraz Branch is a private university located in Shiraz , Iran . It is a part of private chain of universities in Iran called the Islamic Azad Universities .  The Islamic Azad University of Shiraz with over 290 faculty and academic staff , 82,000 square meters of educational space , 7,500 square meters of administration space , 15,200 square meters of sporting space , is the biggest private university in the southern region of Iran .   The headquarters of the Islamic Azad University is in Tehran , Iran . The Islamic Azad University was founded in 1982 and currently has an enrollment of 1.7 million students , 30,000 Alumni and 35,000 Administrators making it the world 's third largest . Over 3.5 million students have graduated from the Islamic Azad University since its establishment . Islamic Azad University has a total area of 16 million square meters and over 440 branches across Iran and also in other countries around the world . It has also international branches and universities in the U.A.E , United Kingdom , Tanzania , Lebanon , Afghanistan and Armenia and has plans to establish more branch campuses in Malaysia , Canada , and Tajikistan in the near future .   Over the years , the university has accumulated assets estimated to be worth between $ 20 and $ 25 billion . The total Area of the University is said to be 20 million square meters .  Some 4 million students have graduated from this university to this date , which has made it possible for a lot of people to get access to higher educations and better employment prospects .  In the recent years a lot of effort has been made to expand the graduate studies at the Islamic Azad University . The Islamic Azad University has about 200,000 Master 's Degree students and about 20,000 PhD level students .   The university system also operates a news agency similar to ANA , named `` Azad News Agency '' .  Islamic Azad University 's activities quickly expanded throughout the country , so that today thousands of students are enrolling every year . Not relying on government funding , it receives charitable donations and charges tuition fees .   The Islamic Azad University also operates some 617 schools throughout the country , these schools are known as SAMA .   The degrees and certificates issued by this university are recognized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education . Post-graduate degrees have been offered in many different branches of Islamic Azad University .

neg: Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution The Society of Devotees of the Islamic Revolution ( -LSB- جمعیت ایثارگران انقلاب اسلامی , Jam ` iyat-e Isargaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami -RSB- ) is a conservative Iranian political party . It is informally referred to as the Isargaran , a word which connotes altruism in Persian and is associated with other political movements . Many members of the party are veterans of the Iran-Iraq War . It is one of the most powerful and least discussed movements in Iran .   Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was a founding member of the party .

neg: Monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a group , usually a family called the dynasty , embodies the country 's national identity and one of its members , called the monarch , exercises a role of sovereignty . The actual power of the monarch may vary from purely symbolic ( crowned republic ) , to partial and restricted ( constitutional monarchy ) , to completely autocratic ( absolute monarchy ) . Traditionally and in most cases , the monarch 's post is inherited and lasts until death or abdication , but there are also elective monarchies where the monarch is elected . Each of these has variations : in some elected monarchies only those of certain pedigrees are , whereas many hereditary monarchies impose requirements regarding the religion , age , gender , mental capacity , etc. . Occasionally this might create a situation of rival claimants whose legitimacy is subject to effective election . Finally , there have been cases where the term of a monarch 's reign is either fixed in years or continues until certain goals are achieved : an invasion being repulsed , for instance . Thus there are widely divergent structures and traditions defining monarchy .   Monarchy was the most common form of government until the 19th century , but it is no longer prevalent . Where it exists , it is now usually a constitutional monarchy , in which the monarch retains a unique legal and ceremonial role , but exercises limited or no official political power : under the written or unwritten constitution , others have governing authority . Currently , 47 sovereign nations in the world have monarchs acting as heads of state , 19 of which are Commonwealth realms that recognise Queen Elizabeth II as their head of state . All European monarchies are constitutional ones , with the exception of the Vatican City which is an elective monarchy , but sovereigns in the smaller states exercise greater political influence than in the larger . The monarchs of Cambodia , Japan , and Malaysia `` reign , but do not rule '' although there is considerable variation in the degree of authority they wield . Although they reign under constitutions , the monarchs of Brunei , Morocco , Oman , Qatar , Saudi Arabia and Swaziland appear to continue to exercise more political influence than any other single source of authority in their nations , either by constitutional mandate or by tradition .

neg: Foreign policy A country 's foreign policy , also called foreign relations or foreign affairs - policy , consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve goals within its international relations milieu . The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries . The study of such strategies is called foreign policy analysis . In recent times , due to the deepening level of globalization and transnational activities , the states will also have to interact with non-state actors . The aforementioned interaction is evaluated and monitored in attempts to maximize benefits of multilateral international cooperation . Since the national interests are paramount , foreign policies are designed by the government through high-level decision making processes . National interests accomplishment can occur as a result of peaceful cooperation with other nations , or through exploitation . Usually , creating foreign policy is the job of the head of government and the foreign minister ( or equivalent ) . In some countries the legislature also has considerable effects . Foreign policies of countries have varying rates of change and scopes of intent , which can be affected by factors that change the perceived national interests or even affect the stability of the country itself . The foreign policy of one country can have profound and lasting impact on many other countries and on the course of international relations as a whole , such as the Monroe Doctrine conflicting with the mercantilist policies of 19th-century European countries and the goals of independence of newly formed Central American and South American countries .

neg: Alcohol in Iran Alcohol in Iran is prohibited for the majority of its citizens , due to laws against consumption of alcohol by Iranian Muslims who make up the great majority of the country . Following the Iranian Revolution of 1979 , strict laws against alcohol were enacted , and alcohol consumption is regulated under the Islamic legal term of hudud , `` crimes against God '' . Despite complete prohibition for Muslim citizens , there is still widespread alcohol use across Iran . Alcohol is the second most popular drug in Iran , after opiates .   Non-Muslim citizens are granted a limited permission to produce alcohol for consumption within their community . This exemption , however , also leads to a attitude towards them ( especially Armenians ) as alcohol dealers , and a segment of black market alcohol in Iran comes through the minority community .

neg: Iran–United Kingdom relations Iran -- United Kingdom relations are the bilateral relations between the countries of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Islamic Republic of Iran . Iran , which was known as Persia before 1935 , has had political relations with England since the late Ilkhanate period ( 13th century ) when King Edward I of England sent Geoffrey of Langley to the Ilkhanid court to seek an alliance .   Diplomatic relations between the two countries have considerably deteriorated in recent years , following the re-election of President Ahmadinejad .   On 28 November 2011 Iran downgraded its relations with Britain due to new sanctions put in place by the UK . The next day a band of students and Basiji attacked the UK embassy compound in Tehran , damaging property and driving the embassy staff away . On 30 November 2011 , in response to the attack , the UK closed its embassy in Tehran and ordered the Iranian embassy in London closed .   According to a 2013 BBC World Service poll , only 5 % of British people view Iran 's influence positively , with 84 % expressing a negative view . According to a 2012 Pew Global Attitudes Survey , 16 % of British people viewed Iran favorably , compared to 68 % which viewed it unfavorably ; 91 % of British people oppose Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons and 79 % approve of `` tougher sanctions '' on Iran , while 51 % of British people support use of military force to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons .   From July 2012 until October 2013 , British interests in Iran were maintained by the Swedish embassy in Tehran while Iranian interests in the United Kingdom were maintained by the Omani embassy in London .   On July 2013 , it is announced that the UK would consider opening better relations with Iran `` step-by-step '' following the election of President Hassan Rouhani .   On October 8 , 2013 , Britain and Iran announced that they would each appoint a chargé d'affaires to work toward resuming full diplomatic relations .   On February 20 , 2014 the Iranian Embassy in London was restored and the two countries agreed to restart diplomatic relations .  On August 23 , 2015 the embassy was officially reopened .

neg: Middle East nuclear weapon free zone The Middle East nuclear weapon free zone ( MENWFZ ) is a proposed agreement similar to other nuclear-weapon-free zones in other regions . Steps towards the establishment of such a zone began in the 1960s led to a joint declaration by Egypt and Iran in 1974 which resulted in a General Assembly resolution ( broadened in 1990 through the Mubarak Initiative to cover all weapons of mass destruction ) . Following the 1995 NPT Review Conference , the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA ) held a series of meetings involving experts and academics to consider ways to advance this process .   Such a zone would strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT ) , would help to promote global nuclear disarmament and would also help the Middle East peace process as substantial confidence-building measures .   The United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 ( the ceasefire ending the Gulf War ) recognizes the goal of establishing the MENWFZ ( para 14 ) .   For the Egyptian government ( until the political changes of 2011 ) , a MENWFZ was seen as a central source of pressure on Israel to relinquish its ambiguous nuclear policy , and to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT ) . Until the Iranian nuclear program , Israel was believed to be the only Mideast country to have a nuclear deterrence capability , developed in the 1960s . As Avner Cohen , Gerald Steinberg and other experts have noted , Israeli policy has emphasized the link between nuclear demilitarization and a comprehensive peace settlement including Palestinian issues and with countries and potential threats in the region , including Syria and Iran . Israel maintains a veil of `` studied ambiguity '' ( `` amimut '' ) about its nuclear arsenal , and has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty .   Four countries in the Middle East have been found in non-compliance with their IAEA safeguards obligations under the NPT : Iraq , Libya , Iran , and Syria . Of these cases , Iran and Syria remain unresolved .   Following pressure from Egypt and the Arab League , the 2010 NPT Review Conference called for holding a conference on a MENWFZ which would primarily press Israel to end its policy of a ambiguity . Finland planned to host such an event in 2012 . However , no agreement was reached on the agenda and other issues , and the conference was called off in November 2012 .   An international group of concerned citizens , including former members of the Israeli Knesset , responded to the lack of progress in official talks by organizing an International Conference For A WMD-Free Middle East . It was held in Haifa in December 2013 .

neg: Iranian Principlists Principlists , or Iranian Conservatives , are one of two main political camps inside post-revolutionary Iran , the other being Reformists . Within Iranian politics , a principlist refers to the conservative supporters of the Supreme Leader of Iran and advocates for protecting the ideological principles of the Islamic Revolution 's early days .   A declaration issued by The Two Societies , which serves as the Principlists `` manifesto '' , focuses on loyalty to Islam and the Iranian Revolution , obedience to the Supreme Leader of Iran , and devotion to the principle of Vilayat Faqih .   The Principlists currently dominate the Islamic Consultative Assembly , the Assembly of Experts and several City Councils , as well as non-elective institutions such as the Guardian Council .

neg: City-state A city-state is a sovereign state that consists of a city and its dependent territories . Historically , this included cities such as Rome , Athens , Carthage , and the Italian city-states during the Renaissance -- but today only a handful of sovereign city-states exist , with some disagreement as to which are city-states . A great deal of consensus exists that the term properly applies to Singapore , Monaco , and Vatican City .   A number of other small states share similar characteristics , and therefore are sometimes also cited as modern city-states . Namely , Qatar , Brunei , Kuwait , Bahrain , and Malta , which each have an urban center comprising a significant proportion of the population , though , all have several distinct settlements and a designated or de facto capital city . Occasionally , other small states with high population densities , such as San Marino , are also cited , despite lacking a large urban centre characteristic of traditional city-states .   Several non-sovereign cities enjoy a high degree of autonomy , and are sometimes considered city-states . Hong Kong and Macau , along with independent members of the United Arab Emirates , most notably Dubai and Abu Dhabi , are often cited as such .

neg: Iran–United Arab Emirates relations Relations between the neighboring countries of Iran and the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) are deeply historic , dating back centuries prior to the establishment of the modern-day United Arab Emirates . They maintain diplomatic relations , with embassies in each other countries , and have close economic ties .   There is a significant community of Iranians in the United Arab Emirates , mostly residing in the emirate of Dubai . An Arabic-speaking native community lives in the southern provinces of Iran , some of whose members share historical ties with the southern shores of the Persian Gulf .

neg: Mohammad Khatami's reforms Mohammad Khatami was elected as the President of Iran in 1997 after having based his campaign on a reform program promising implementation of a democratic and more tolerant society , the rule of law and improvement of social rights . After taking office , Khatami faced fierce opposition from his powerful opponents within the unelected institutions of the state which he had no legal power over , and this led to repeated clashes between his government and these institutions ( including the Guardian Council , the state radio and television , the police , the armed forces , the judiciary , the prisons , etc. ) . After 8 years of presidency , he is widely considered to have lost the power struggle with his opponents . Many of his supporters have grown disillusioned with him and the reform programs that he was associated with .

neg: Achaemenid Assyria Athura ( ð ð ° ð cents ð 1/4 ð Aθurā ) , also called Assyria Babylonia , was a geographical area within the Persian Achaemenid Empire held by the last nobility of Aššur ( Akkadian ) , known as Athura ( Neo-Aramaic ) or Atouria ( Greek ) , during the period of 539 BC to 330 BC as a military protectorate state of Persia under the rule of Cyrus the Great . Although sometimes regarded as a satrapy , Achaemenid royal inscriptions list it as a dahyu , a concept generally interpreted as meaning either a group of people or both a country and its people , without any administrati   It mostly incorporated the original Assyrian kingdom , corresponding with modern northern Iraq in the upper Tigris , the middle and upper Euphrates , modern-day north eastern Syria ( Eber-Nari ) and part of south-east Anatolia ( modern Turkey ) . The Neo-Assyrian Empire collapsed after a period of violent civil wars , followed by an invasion by a coalition of some of its former subject peoples , the Iranian peoples ( Medes , Persians and Scythians ) , Babylonians and Cimmerians in the late 7th century BC , culminating in the Battle of Nineveh , and Assyria had fallen completely by 605 BC . Between 605 and 559 BC , Assyria was divided between the Median Empire to the east and the Neo-Babylonian Empire to the west . Both parts were subsumed into the Achaemenid Empire in 539 BC , and it has been argued that they constituted the satrapies of Media and Athura , respectively . In Herodotus ' account the Ninth Tributary District comprised `` Babylonia and the rest of Assyria '' , and excluded Eber-Nari .   Despite a few rebellions , Assyria functioned as an important part of the Achaemenid Empire . The Assyrian people were given the right to govern themselves throughout Achaemenid rule , and the Assyrian ( Aramaic ) language was used diplomatically by the Persians . Known for their combat skills , Assyrian soldiers ( along with the Lydians ) constituted the main heavy infantry of the Achaemenid empire 's military . Due to the major destruction of Assyria during the fall of its empire , some early scholars described the area as an `` uninhabited wasteland . '' Other Assyriologists , however , such as John Curtis and Simo Parpola , have strongly disputed this claim , citing how Assyria would eventually become one of the wealthiest regions among the Achaemenid Empire . This wealth was due to the land 's great prosperity for agriculture that the Persians used effectively for almost 200 years . In contrast to the policy of the Assyrian Empire , the Achaemenid Persians did not intervene in the internal affairs of their ruling satrapies as long as they continued the flow of tribute and taxes back to Persia .

neg: Religious traditionalism in Iran Traditionalism is one of the three basic types of Islam in Iran : traditionalism ( traditional humanism ) , modernism , and a variety of forms of revivalism usually brought together as fundamentalism .   Until two hundred years ago , in spite of the many schools and interpretations , many Muslims in Iran lived within the tradition . It was a living tradition , emphasizing the harmony of law , art , and all forms of knowledge . Also a significant Iranian scholar followed the tradition of Persian sufism and pluralism . Currently in Iran there exist three main types of Islam : traditionalists ( represented by Hossein Nasr and Yousef Sanei ) , modernists ( represented by Abdolkarim Soroush ) and different groups under the conservative umbrella ( represented by Ruhollah Khomeini , Ali Khamenei , Mohammad-Taghi Bahjat , Naser Makarem Shirazi , Mohammad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi and Hossein Noori Hamedani ) . Iranian Islam differs from the mainstream Sunni Islam and may be better understood by studying the Shia history in Arabia and Iran .   Some groups of conservatives and Traditionals humanists have tendencies toward mystical spiritualism and some of them are less political ( or apolitcal ) .   In traditional schools , traditional astronomy and geometry are discussed as well as philosophy , Sufism and ethics .

neg: Iranian Reformists The Iranian reformists ( -LSB- اصلاح طلبان , Eslâh-Talabân -RSB- ) are a political faction in Iran that support former President Mohammad Khatami 's plans to change the Iranian political system to include more freedom and democracy . Iran 's `` reform era '' is sometimes said to have lasted from 1997 to 2005 -- the length of Khatami 's two terms in office . The Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front is the main umbrella organization and coalition within the movement ; however , there are reformist groups not aligned with the council , such as the Reformists Front .

neg: History of Afghanistan The written history of Afghanistan , ( تاریخ افغانستان د افغانستان تاريخ can be traced back to around 500 BCE when the area was under the Achaemenid Empire , although evidence indicates that an advanced degree of urbanized culture has existed in the land since between 3000 and 2000 BCE . The Indus Valley Civilisation stretched up to large parts of Afghanistan in the north , with several sites being known . Alexander the Great and his Macedonian army arrived at what is now Afghanistan in 330 BCE after conquering Persia during the Battle of Gaugamela . Since then , many empires have established capitals inside Afghanistan , including the Greco-Bactrians , Mauryas , Kushans , Hindu Shahi , Saffarids , Samanids , Ghaznavids , Ghurids , Timurids , Mughals , Hotakis and Durranis .   Afghanistan ( meaning `` land of the Afghans '' ) has been a strategically important location throughout history . The land served as `` a gateway to India , impinging on the ancient Silk Road , which carried trade from the Mediterranean to China '' . Sitting on many trade and migration routes , Afghanistan may be called the ` Central Asian roundabout ' since routes converge from the Middle East , from the Indus Valley through the passes over the Hindu Kush , from the Far East via the Tarim Basin , and from the adjacent Eurasian Steppe .   The archaeological manifestation of the Indo-Iranians ( Aryans ) before their split into separate language groups is generally seen as the Andronovo culture to the north of present-day Afghanistan . The Iranian languages were developed by one branch of these people ; the Pashto language spoken today in Afghanistan is one of the Eastern Iranian languages . Elena E. Kuz ` mina argues that the tents of Iranian-speaking nomads of Afghanistan developed from the light surface houses of the Eurasian steppe belt in the Bronze Age .   The Arab invasions influenced the culture of Afghanistan , and its pre-Islamic period of Zoroastrian , Macedonian , Buddhist and Hindu past has long vanished . Turkic empire-builders such as the Ghaznavids and Timurids made the region now called Afghanistan of major importance .   Mirwais Hotak followed by Ahmad Shah Durrani unified Afghan tribes and founded the last Afghan Empire in the early 18th century CE . Afghanistan 's sovereignty has been held during the Anglo-Afghan Wars , the 1980s Soviet war , and the 2001-present war by the country 's many and diverse people : the Pashtuns , Tajiks , Hazaras , Uzbeks , Turkmen , Aimak , Baloch and others . The Pashtuns form the largest group , claiming to be descendants of ancient Israelites or Qais Abdur Rashid but scholars believe that they are a confederation of various peoples from the past who united under Pashtunwali .

neg: Reza Shah Reza Shah Pahlavi ( رضا شاه پهلوی -LSB- reˈzɑː ˈʃɑːhe pæhlæˈviː -RSB- ; 15 March 1878 -- 26 July 1944 ) , was the Shah of Iran ( Persia ) from 15 December 1925 until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on 16 September 1941 .   Four years after conducting a coup against the pro-British government , the 1921 Persian coup d'état , in 1923 Reza Pahlavi was selected as Iran 's prime minister by the National assembly of Iran . In 1925 Rezā Pahlavi was appointed as the legal monarch of Iran by decision of Iran 's constituent assembly . The assembly deposed Ahmad Shah Qajar , the last Shah of the Qajar dynasty , and selected Reza Shah and Pahlavi dynasty instead , by amending the Iran 's 1906 constitution . Reza Shah was the first democratically elected monarch of Iran . He founded the Pahlavi dynasty . He established a constitutional monarchy that lasted until overthrown in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution . Reza Shah introduced many social , economic , and political reforms during his reign , ultimately laying the foundation of the modern Iranian state .   His legacy remains controversial to this day . His defenders assert that he was an essential modernizing force for Iran ( whose international prominence had sharply declined during Qajar rule ) , while his detractors assert that his reign was often despotic , with his failure to modernize Iran 's large peasant population eventually sowing the seeds for the Iranian Revolution nearly four decades later . Moreover , his insistence on ethnic nationalism and cultural unitarism along with forced detribalization and sedentarization resulted in suppression of several ethnic and social groups . Similar to Atatürk 's policy of Turkification his government also carried out an extensive policy of Persianization trying to create a single , united and largely homogeneous nation .

neg: Tehran Bureau Tehran Bureau is an online news magazine covering politics , foreign affairs , culture and society in Iran and the Iranian Diaspora . It was founded by Iranian-born journalist Kelly Golnoush Niknejad in February 2008 , initially as a blog . In May 2009 , it was launched as a virtual news bureau , featuring a growing list of regular contributors and journalists knowledgeable about Iran and Iranian affairs . Tehran Bureau combines aspects of traditional journalism and new media , using trusted online social networks to complement conventional coverage . Starting out as an independent news organization , Tehran Bureau had no affiliation with and received no funding or support from any government , religious , or interest group . However in September 2009 it began a collaboration with the Public Broadcasting Service television series `` Frontline '' which will provide it with financing , host its Web site and provide editorial support . In return Tehran Bureau will help shape a coming `` Frontline '' program about Iran .   The British news website The Guardian hosted Tehran Bureau for a while . In an article revealing the new arrangement , The Guardian assured that the magazine would `` retain its independence under Niknejad ''   Its mission statement states , `` Tehran Bureau is a virtual bureau connecting journalists , Iran experts and readers all over the world . Our stories are written by Iranians in Iran and the Middle East , foreigners viewing or interacting with our culture for the first time , and hyphenated Iranians best suited to bridge the cultures . ''   Among its contributing journalists Muhammad Sahimi , Jason Rezaian , Gareth Smyth and many others writing without a byline since the crackdown on journalists after the June 12 presidential election of 2009 .


query: Valkyrie is set during a war.

pos: Valkyrie (film) Valkyrie is a 2008 American-German historical thriller film set in Nazi Germany during World War II . The film depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country . Valkyrie was directed by Bryan Singer for the American studio United Artists , and the film stars Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg , one of the key plotters . The cast included Kenneth Branagh , Bill Nighy , Eddie Izzard , Terence Stamp and Tom Wilkinson .   Cruise 's casting caused controversy among German politicians and members of the von Stauffenberg family due to the actor 's practice of Scientology , which is viewed with suspicion in Germany . Because of this , the filmmakers initially had difficulty setting up filming locations in Germany , but they were later given access to film in locations , including Berlin 's historic Bendlerblock . German newspapers and filmmakers supported the film and its attempt to spread global awareness of von Stauffenberg 's plot .   The film changed release dates several times , from as early as June 27 , 2008 , to as late as February 14 , 2009 . The changing calendar and poor response to United Artists ' initial marketing campaign drew criticism about the studio 's viability . After a positive test screening , Valkyries release in North America was ultimately changed to December 25 , 2008 . United Artists renewed its marketing campaign to reduce its focus on Cruise and to highlight Singer 's credentials . The film received mixed reviews in the United States and in Germany , where it opened commercially on January 22 , 2009 .

pos: World War II World War II ( often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 ) , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier . It involved the vast majority of the world 's countries -- including all of the great powers -- eventually forming two opposing military alliances : the Allies and the Axis . It was the most widespread war in history , and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries . In a state of `` total war '' , the major participants threw their entire economic , industrial , and scientific capabilities behind the war effort , erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources . Marked by mass deaths of civilians , including the Holocaust ( in which approximately 11 million people were killed ) and the strategic bombing of industrial and population centres ( in which approximately one million were killed , and which included the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ) , it resulted in an estimated 50 million to 85 million fatalities . These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history .   The Empire of Japan aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific and was already at war with the Republic of China in 1937 , but the world war is generally said to have begun on 1 September 1939 with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and subsequent declarations of war on Germany by France and the United Kingdom . Supplied by the Soviet Union , from late 1939 to early 1941 , in a series of campaigns and treaties , Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe , and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan . Under the Molotov -- Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939 , Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours , Poland , Finland , Romania and the Baltic states . The war continued primarily between the European Axis powers and the coalition of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth , with campaigns including the North Africa and East Africa campaigns , the aerial Battle of Britain , the Blitz bombing campaign , the Balkan Campaign as well as the long-running Battle of the Atlantic . On 22 June 1941 , the European Axis powers launched an invasion of the Soviet Union , opening the largest land theatre of war in history , which trapped the major part of the Axis ' military forces into a war of attrition . In December 1941 , Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean , and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific .   The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway , near Hawaii , and Germany was defeated in North Africa and then , decisively , at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union . In 1943 , with a series of German defeats on the Eastern Front , the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Allied invasion of Italy which brought about Italian surrender , and Allied victories in the Pacific , the Axis lost the initiative and undertook strategic retreat on all fronts . In 1944 , the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France , while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies . During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma , while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key Western Pacific islands .   The war in Europe concluded with an invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union , culminating in the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops and the subsequent German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 . Following the Potsdam Declaration by the Allies on 26 July 1945 and the refusal of Japan to surrender under its terms , the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 August and 9 August respectively . With an invasion of the Japanese archipelago imminent , the possibility of additional atomic bombings , and the Soviet Union 's declaration of war on Japan and invasion of Manchuria , Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 . Thus ended the war in Asia , cementing the total victory of the Allies .   World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world . The United Nations ( UN ) was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts . The victorious great powers -- the United States , the Soviet Union , China , the United Kingdom , and France -- became the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council . The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers , setting the stage for the Cold War , which lasted for the next 46 years . Meanwhile , the influence of European great powers waned , while the decolonisation of Asia and Africa began . Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery . Political integration , especially in Europe , emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities and to create a common identity .

neg: Die Walküre Die Walküre ( The Valkyrie ) , WWV 86B , is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner with a German libretto by the composer . It is the second of the four works that form Wagner 's cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung ) .   The story of Die Walküre is based on the Norse mythology told in the Volsunga Saga and the Poetic Edda . In Norse mythology , a valkyrie is one in a group of female figures who decide which soldiers die in battle and which live . Die Walküre 's best-known excerpt is the `` Ride of the Valkyries '' .   It received its premiere at the Königliches Hof - und National-Theater in Munich on 26 June 1870 . Wagner originally intended the work to be premiered as part of the entire cycle , but was forced to allow the performance at the insistence of his patron King Ludwig II of Bavaria . It was first presented as part of the complete cycle on 14 August 1876 at Wagner 's Bayreuth Festival . The work made its United States premiere at the Academy of Music in New York on 2 April 1877 .

neg: Art and World War II War is a common theme in art and has inspired great works of art . Throughout history , most representations of war depict military achievements and often show significant battle scenes . However , in the 19th century a `` turn '' in the visual representation of war became noticeable . Artists started to show the disastrous aspects of war instead of its glorified events and protagonists . Such a perspective is best exemplified by Goya 's series , The Disasters of War ( 1810-1820 , first published in 1863 ) , and Otto Dix 's portfolio , Der Krieg ( published in 1924 ) . During World War II , both traditions are present . For instance , Paul Nash 's Battle of Britain ( 1941 ) represents a scene of aerial combat between British and German fighters over the English Channel . On the other hand , André Fougeron 's Street of Paris ( 1943 ) focuses on the impact of war and occupation on civilians .   In connection to World War II , the relations between art and war can be articulated around two main issues . First , art ( and , more generally , culture ) found itself at the centre of an ideological war . Second , during World War II , many artists found themselves in the most difficult conditions ( in an occupied country , in internment camps , in death camps ) and their works are a testimony to a powerful `` urge to create '' . Such creative impulse can be interpreted as the expression of self-preservation , a survival instinct in critical times .

neg: What Makes a Battle What Makes a Battle was a propaganda short produced by the US Army Pictoral Service in 1944 . It documents the taking of the Marshall Islands while also encouraging increased war production .   The film opens with the narrator asking `` What makes a battle ? '' while the camera is focusing on shipments of industrial transports , `` This is what it takes to make a battle . '' This statement sets up the dual nature of the entire film . War supplies are pouring in from every part of the country , from every type of American `` Republican and Democrat , white and colored . '' Industrial production is the backbone of war , according to the film , if it is destroyed , not made with quality , or not replaced in time , the battle can not happen .   Then the film abruptly changes direction , and presents a summary of the American battle plan for taking the Marshalls , how the outer islands were bombed to fool the enemy , and how a sneak attack was planned against the inner islands . But this could n't happen until all the supplies were ready . When the invasion does begin there is fierce fighting on the main islands . `` The German would have surrendered , but not the Jap ... Out of a garrison of 6000 , 230 surrender . '' Much time is spent on the Japanese POWs , and the film goes to great lengths to show how well they are treated , especially in comparison to how the Japanese treated their POWs .   Emphasis then turns again to materiel . Showing all the destroyed planes , artillery , and ammunition , all needing to be replaced by the American workforce . But at the very end , images of the dead and wounded American soldiers are shown . The narrator assures us they will never be forgotten .

neg: Norsefire Norsefire is the fictional fascist political party ruling the United Kingdom in Alan Moore and David Lloyd 's V for Vendetta comic book series .

neg: Myth: The Fallen Lords Myth : The Fallen Lords is a 1997 real-time tactics video game developed by Bungie for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS . Released in November 1997 in North America and in February 1998 in Europe , the game was published by Bungie in North America and by Eidos Interactive in Europe . At the time , Bungie was known primarily as developers of Mac games , and The Fallen Lords was the first game they had developed and released simultaneously for both PC and Mac . It is the first game in the Myth series , which also includes a sequel , Myth II : Soulblighter , set sixty years after the events of the first game , and also developed by Bungie , and a prequel , Myth III : The Wolf Age , set one thousand years prior to the events depicted in The Fallen Lords , and developed by MumboJumbo .   The game tells the story of the battle between the forces of the `` Light '' and those of the `` Dark '' for control of an unnamed mythical land . The Dark are led by Balor and a group of lieutenants ( the titular Fallen Lords ) , whilst the Light are led by `` The Nine '' ; powerful sorcerers known as `` Avatara , '' chief amongst whom is Alric . The game begins in the seventeenth year of the war in the West , some fifty years since the rise of Balor , with the forces of Light on the brink of defeat ; almost the entire land is under the dominion of the Dark , with only one major city and a few smaller towns remaining under the control of the Light . The plot follows the activities of `` The Legion '' , an elite unit in the army of the Light , as they attempt to turn back the tide and defeat Balor .   The Fallen Lords received positive reviews from critics , and is credited as a defining title in the fledging real-time tactics genre . Reviewers praised its plot , graphics , gameplay , level design , online multiplayer mode , and differentiation from traditional real-time strategy games . The most often criticized aspects were the difficulty of the single-player campaign , which many reviewers felt was far too high , even on the lowest setting , and some awkwardness in controlling units . The game went on to win multiple awards , including `` Strategy Game of the Year '' from both PC Gamer and Computer Gaming World , and `` Game of the Year '' from both Computer Games Strategy Plus and Macworld . It was also a commercial success , selling over 350,000 units worldwide across both systems , earning back roughly seven times its budget . At the time , it was Bungie 's most successful game , and served to bring them to the attention of PC gamers and , more specifically , Microsoft , who would purchase the company in 2000 .   The Myth series as a whole , and Soulblighter in particular , supported an active online community for over a decade after the official servers went offline . The first formally organized group of volunteer-programmers was MythDevelopers , who were given access to the game 's source code by Bungie . The most recently active Myth development group is Project Magma , an offshoot of MythDevelopers . These groups have worked to provide ongoing technical support for the games , update them to newer operating systems , fix bugs , release unofficial patches , create mods , and maintain online servers for multiplayer gaming .

neg: HNoMS Valkyrien HNoMS Valkyrien , HNoMS Valkyrjen ( in Norwegian the prefix KNM is used ) has been the name of several ships in the Royal Norwegian Navy . Most of them have been in some way connected to the Royal Norwegian Navy 's torpedo boats . The name honours the valkyries of Norse mythology . It has also been said that the ships have been given this name in honour of all women . Some of the ships :   The Dano-Norwegian gunship Valkyrien . Launched 10 March 1810 . Decommissioned in December 1814 .  Gun schooner Valkyrjen launched 1808 and decommissioned from the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1839 .  HNoMS Valkyrjen -- Launched 1896 .  HNoMS Valkyrien ( 1953 ) -- Formerly known as the passenger ship SS Polarlys  HNoMS Valkyrien ( 1965 ) -- Formerly known as HMCS Toronto and HNoMS Garm .  HNoMS Valkyrien ( A535 ) -- The present support vessel for the Coastal Combat Flotilla .   Category : Royal Norwegian Navy ship names

neg: Hammer of the Gods (2009 film) Hammer of the Gods ( known as THOR : Hammer of the Gods ) is a 2009 made-for-TV film , directed by Todor `` Toshko '' Chapkanov and produced by Jeffery Beach and Phillip J. Roth for the Syfy channel . It tells the story of the thunder god Thor , after he defeated the Midgard Serpent and died , then was reincarnated into a mortal man . Thor , along with his two brothers and friends travel to a mysterious island at Midgard 's edge , seeking glory and fame . Upon arriving they encounter strange creatures and they start searching the island for answers . Meanwhile , Thor keeps seeing visions of a mighty warrior and a big hammer and Freyja tells him that his visions are clues . So they start searching for the hammer .

neg: Foreign support of Finland in the Winter War The foreign support in the Winter War contained materiel , men and moral support to the Finnish struggle against the Soviet Union in the Winter War . World opinion at large supported the Finnish cause . The World War had not yet begun in earnest and was known to the public as the Phoney War ; at that time , the Winter War was the only real fighting in Europe besides the German and Soviet invasion of Poland , and thus held major world interest . The Soviet aggression was generally deemed unjustified . Various foreign organizations sent material aid , such as medical supplies . Finnish immigrants in the United States and Canada returned home , and many volunteers ( one of them future actor Christopher Lee ) traveled to Finland to join Finland 's forces : 8,700 Swedes , 1,010 Danes ( including Christian Frederik von Schalburg , a captain in Christian X of Denmark 's bodyguard and later commander of the Free Corps Denmark , a volunteer unit created by Nazi Germany in Denmark during World War II ) , about 1,000 Estonians , 725 Norwegians , 372 Ingrians , 366 Hungarians , 346 Finnish expatriates , more than 20 Latvians and 190 volunteers of other nationalities made it to Finland before the war was over .   Pope Pius XII condemned the Soviet attack on 26 December 1939 , in a speech at the Vatican and later donated a signed and sealed prayer on behalf of Finland .

neg: Hild Hild or Hildr may refer to :   Hildr , a common noun meaning `` battle '' in the Old Norse language .  Hildr or Hild is one of the Valkyries in Norse mythology , a personification of battle  Hild or Hilda of Whitby is a Christian saint who was a British abbess and nun in the Middle Ages  Hild ( Oh My Goddess ! ) , the ultimate Demon in Hell known as the Daimakaichō in the Oh My Goddess ! series  Hild ( novel ) , a 2013 novel about Hilda of Whitby by Nicola Griffith

neg: Estrella War Estrella War is an annual American medieval camping event held for over thirty years by the Society for Creative Anachronism -- a `` war '' mainly between two large regional SCA groups : the Kingdom of Atenveldt and the Kingdom of the Outlands . After Pennsic War , Estrella is one of the largest annual SCA events , with several thousand people attending each year , some from as far as Sweden , Germany , France , Italy , Greece , and Australia .   Most Estrella wars are held near Phoenix Arizona in late February and lasts around 7 -- 9 days . The event centers on mainly pre-17th century history and culture with all campers dressing in medieval clothing .

neg: Eurofighter Typhoon (video game) Eurofighter Typhoon is a combat flight simulator game modeling the jet fighter Eurofighter Typhoon . Digital Image Design was in process of developing the game when the company was bought by Rage Software . It was the successor to Total Air War .   One of the game most interesting aspects is that it entitles you to take over the destiny of 6 pilots . Each one will be assigned different missions depending on their abilities - such as bombing , interception , Wild Weasel - several of these missions even going on at the same time . You are able to switch at any time between your pilots , taking charge of the most critical and dangerous tasks of the mission , and leaving up to the AI the others . As the war goes on , each pilot can be injured , lost behind enemy lines after an unlucky ejection and waiting for the rescue helicopters , or taken prisoner and even be interrogated by the Russians .   The game also features a very extensive virtual battleground over Iceland , some of the most advanced created at the time . A dynamic camera enables you to watch the war in real-time - should it be Saab JAS 39 Gripen dogfighting with Sukhoi Su-27 , Boeing AH-64 Apache attacking tanks or Panavia Tornado going on bombing runs . As the war unfolds , news will be delivered by an online newspaper .   The back story of the game posits Russia quickly invading the eastern countries of Europe . Iceland is the next one on the list , as NATO has abandoned the country in an attempt to protect the Western countries of Europe . The ICEFOR is outnumbered , but is able to deploy a small number of the new Typhoon aircraft . It is up to you to turn the tide of the war .

neg: The Land Ironclads `` The Land Ironclads '' is a short story by H.G. Wells that originally appeared in the December 1903 issue of the Strand Magazine . It features `` land ironclads , '' 100 ft armoured fighting vehicles that carry riflemen , engineers , and a captain , and are armed with remote-controlled , semi-automatic rifles . ( The term `` ironclad '' was coined in the mid-19th century for steam-propelled warships protected by iron or steel armour plates . ) The land ironclads are described as `` essentially long , narrow , and very strong steel frameworks carrying the engines , and borne on eight pairs of big pedrail wheels , each about ten feet in diameter , each a driving wheel and set upon long axles free to swivel around a common axis ... . the captain ... had look-out points at small ports all round the upper edge of the adjustable skirt of twelve-inch ironplating which protected the whole affair , and ... could also raise or depress a conning-tower set above the port-holes through the center of the iron top cover . '' Riflemen are installed in cabins `` slung along the sides of and behind and before the great main framework , '' and operate mechanically targeting , semi-automatic rifles .   The story contributed to Wells 's reputation as a `` prophet of the future '' when tanks first appeared on the battlefield in 1916 . For contemporaries , Wells 's rather sketchy battle between countrymen `` defenders '' ( who rely on cavalry and entrenched infantry ) and attacking townsmen carried echoes of the Boer War , as well as of his 1898 novel The War of the Worlds , which also featured a struggle between technologically uneven protagonists .

neg: Guerrilla war in the Baltic states The Guerrilla war in the Baltic states or the Forest Brothers resistance movement was the armed struggle against Soviet rule that spanned from 1944 to the mid-1950s . After the occupation of the Baltic territories by the Soviets in 1944 , an insurgency started . According to some estimates , 10,000 partisans in Estonia , 10,000 partisans in Latvia and 30,000 partisans in Lithuania and many more supporters were involved . This war continued as an organised struggle until 1956 when the superiority of the Soviet military caused the native population to adopt other forms of resistance . While estimates related to the extent of partisan movement vary , but there seems to be a consensus among researchers that by international standards , the Baltic guerrilla movements were extensive . Proportionally , the partisan movement in the post-war Baltic states was of a similar size as the Viet Cong movement in South Vietnam .

neg: The war to end war `` The war to end war '' ( sometimes called `` The war to end all wars '' ) was a term for the First World War of 1914 -- 1918 . Originally idealistic , it is now used mainly sardonically .

neg: Thor In Norse mythology , Thor ( -LSB- θɔr -RSB- from Old Norse Þórr ) is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder , lightning , storms , oak trees , strength , the protection of mankind , and also hallowing and fertility . The cognate deity in wider Germanic mythology and paganism was known in Old English as Þunor and in Old High German as Donar ( runic þonar ) , stemming from a Common Germanic * Þunraz ( meaning `` thunder '' ) .   Ultimately stemming from Proto-Indo-European religion , Thor is a prominently mentioned god throughout the recorded history of the Germanic peoples , from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania , to the tribal expansions of the Migration Period , to his high popularity during the Viking Age , when , in the face of the process of the Christianization of Scandinavia , emblems of his hammer , Mjölnir , were worn and Norse pagan personal names containing the name of the god bear witness to his popularity .   Into the modern period , Thor continued to be acknowledged in rural folklore throughout Germanic regions . Thor is frequently referred to in place names , the day of the week Thursday ( `` Thor 's day '' from Old English Thunresdæg , ` Thunor 's day ' ) bears his name , and names stemming from the pagan period containing his own continue to be used today .   In Norse mythology , largely recorded in Iceland from traditional material stemming from Scandinavia , numerous tales and information about Thor are provided . In these sources , Thor bears at least fourteen names , is the husband of the golden-haired goddess Sif , is the lover of the jötunn Járnsaxa , and is generally described as fierce eyed , red haired and red bearded . With Sif , Thor fathered the goddess ( and possible valkyrie ) Þrúðr ; with Járnsaxa , he fathered Magni ; with a mother whose name is not recorded , he fathered Móði , and he is the stepfather of the god Ullr . The same sources list Thor as the son of the god Odin and the personified earth , Jörð , and by way of Odin , Thor has numerous brothers . Thor has two servants , Þjálfi and Röskva , rides in a cart or chariot pulled by two goats , Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr ( that he eats and resurrects ) , and is ascribed three dwellings ( Bilskirnir , Þrúðheimr , and Þrúðvangr ) . Thor wields the mountain-crushing hammer , Mjölnir , wears the belt Megingjörð and the iron gloves Járngreipr , and owns the staff Gríðarvölr . Thor 's exploits , including his relentless slaughter of his foes and fierce battles with the monstrous serpent Jörmungandr -- and their foretold mutual deaths during the events of Ragnarök -- are recorded throughout sources for Norse mythology .   Thor has inspired numerous works of art and references to Thor appear in modern popular culture . Like other Germanic deities , veneration of Thor is revived in the modern period in Heathenry .

neg: Human Voices Human Voices is a novel by British author Penelope Fitzgerald . It is set in World War II London during 1940 , from the Fall of France to the Battle of Britain .

neg: The War Is Not Over `` The War Is Not Over '' was Latvia 's entry in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest , performed in English by Valters & Kaža .   The song is a gentle ballad with somewhat elliptical lyrics . The duo sings , `` The war is not over , everyone knows it/It 's just a reason to make us believe/That someone 's the loser , someone 's the winner '' , which can be interpreted as a call to their listeners not to believe what official sources say .   Early recordings featured the lyrics `` That someone is loser , that someone is winner '' . These were replaced by the above line in deference to English grammar .   The duo performed the song seated on stools with acoustic guitars . The final chorus , however , was performed standing up and using sign language to accompany the lyrics .   As Latvia had not qualified for the finals at the 2004 Contest , the song was performed in the semi-finals . It was performed fifth , following Moldova 's Zdob şi Zdub with `` Boonika bate doba '' and preceding Monaco 's Lise Darly with `` Tout de moi '' . At the close of voting , it had received 85 points , placing 10th in a field of 25 and thus qualifying for the finals ( the top ten did so ) .   In the finals , the song was performed twenty-third , following Estonia 's Vanilla Ninja representing Switzerland with `` Cool Vibes '' and preceding France 's Ortal with `` Chacun pense à soi '' . At the close of voting , it had received 153 points , placing 5th in a field of 24 , thus qualifying Latvia for the finals at their next Contest appearance .   The song had received 12 points from Ireland , Lithuania and Moldova .   It was succeeded as Latvian representative at the 2006 Contest by Cosmos with `` I Hear Your Heart '' .   This song was later recorded by the Danish pop-group Michael Learns to Rock on their Eternity-album released in 2008 .   Category : Eurovision songs of Latvia  Category : Eurovision songs of 2005  Category :2005 songs

neg: Front (military) A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces . It can be a local or tactical front , or it can range to a theater . A typical front was the Western Front in France and Belgium in World War I.   The term `` home front '' has been used to denote conditions in the civilian sector of a country at war , including those involved in the production of matériel .  Both the Soviet and Polish Armies used the term `` front '' to mean an army group during the Polish-Soviet War and World War II . The equivalent of the term established in the header was the `` Theater of military operations '' .  The term `` front line city '' was used by the Germans during their long retreat from Moscow/Stalingrad to refer to metropolitan centres that had become disputed by the two combatants . Designation of a city as such resulted in administrative changes ( largely the imposition of martial law ) . In the film Downfall , the term was briefly referenced .  The term `` transferred to the front '' is often used by soldiers or personnel when their position has been changed from other activities .

neg: Hildur Hildur is one of several female given names derived from the name Hild formed from Old Norse hildr , meaning `` battle '' . Hild , a Nordic-German Bellona , was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla . Warfare was often called Hild 's Game . Hildur is rather exclusively used in Nordic counties , but the more recent variations with the same origin , Hilda and Hilde , are in wider use . The Swedish name day for Hildur and Hilda is 18 January .

neg: Airpower Airpower or air power comprises the application of military strategy and strategic theory to the realm of aerial warfare . Airpower began with the advent of powered flight early in the 20th century . Airpower represents a `` complex operating environment that has been subjected to considerable debate '' . British doctrine defines airpower as `` the ability to project power from the air and space to influence the behaviour of people or the course of events . ''   Airpower is a function of air supremacy and numbers . Roughly speaking , a combatant side that has 100 % or near 100 % control of the skies has air supremacy ; an advantage of some 70 -- 90 % would indicate air superiority . A 50/50 split is air parity ; lower than this , one side may be said to be air denied or air incapable . Because aeroplanes generally take off from designed airfields on missions typically involving some hours of cruising , the precise state of air superiority is fluid and less defined vis-a-vis land or sea warfare . For example , a contested airspace directly above a battlespace bristling with anti-aircraft weapons may be denied to the air forces of both sides . Further , the completely different situations of a technologically advanced airforce with one flight of high-tech planes ( air supremacy but low capacity ) or a low-tech force of massive numbers of low-tech planes ( e.g. , An-2 ) resulting in high capacity but low long-term survivability demonstrate that ` air power ' is multi-faceted and complex .   Significant contributors to theorizing about air power have been Giulio Douhet , Billy Mitchell , John Boyd and John A. Warden III .   At the start of World War I , opinions differed on the national air forces and the value of airships .  Some early strategists/visionaries after World War I imagined that airpower alone would suffice to bring nations to their knees . The Bombing of Guernica was an early trial that revealed both capabilities and limitations . But yet another maxim , `` no war was ever won solely by airpower '' was challenged by the NATO victory in Kosovo . Airpower has been used to conduct lightning strategic strikes , to complement land offensives , to instill fear and lower morale similarly to a fleet in being , and to create broad-based destruction behind enemy lines . With airpower , supplies can be transported by cargo planes , providing a decisive edge in mobility .   Military and civilian aircraft interact in a number of complex ways , including shootdowns of civilian planes , whether mistaken or not ; military escorts of civilian planes ; civilian planes being used for military transport , espionage , or other purposes ; and/or no-fly zones being enforced to punish or sanction a target nation . Airpower also relates to space power , although militarization of space remains regulated by international treaty .   Developed nations have enjoyed a consistent advantage in airpower since the beginning of mechanized flight . Airpower has been wielded mostly decisively in the last hundred years by Nazi Germany , the United Kingdom , the United States , the Soviet Union , Japan , Italy , and France , with many client nations using aircraft developed by one or more of these nations . A mass technological base is considered necessary for the development of airpower .