ejaasaari/simplewiki-2025-04-01 huggingface dataset:
Blitzkrieg is a German word that means "lightning war" and refers to the high speed of a lightning bolt. In "blitzkrieg", the attacking motorized infantry armies move quickly and are helped by tanks and aircraft. Slower-moving enemy units are overrun or surrounded and often captured with little fighting. The slower units often become disorganized and are not ready to fight when they are captured. The combined arms tactics of "blitzkrieg" were developed in the 1920s and 1930s, especially in the German Wehrmacht. They seldom used this word, however. This method worked well early in World War II during the invasions of Poland and France and was mostly successful during Operation Barbarossa. Later in the war, the Allies learned to defeat German "blitzkrieg" attacks by defence in depth and by attacking the flanks of the attackers with reserve forces. The Blitz refers to the German bombing of Britain, particularly London, during World War II. It destroyed over a million homes, killed over 40,000 people and was supposed to destroy industry and morale quickly to make the British pressure their government to end the war. The Blitz started in September 1940, in response to the British bombing of German cities by the Royal Air Force and continued until May 1941.
A tank is an armored fighting vehicle, typically armed with a lethal gun mounted on a turret and a few machine guns. A tank is covered in thick armour to protect it from enemy weapons. Tanks have tracks that wrap around its wheels to spread out its weight and let it cross rough terrain. Most tanks have a powerful gun and one or more machine guns.  A tank normally has 3-5 crew members with at least a driver, commander and gunner. There may also be a loader, who handles the ammunition for the main gun (so the gunner does not have to take eyes off the target). Some WWII tanks also had a separate soldier responsible for the radio. Since then, tank crews have evolved to have each person do one of these things, but in their early stages, the commander was often the loader and radio operator, and in a few tanks was also the driver. Using. The first tanks were made by the British Royal Navy and French car manufacturers during World War I as a way of attacking enemy trenches. They were called tanks to trick the Germans into thinking they were water carriers for the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. Their use in a surprise attack in the Battle of the Somme caused fear among the German soldiers but their small numbers and poor reliability prevented them from making much difference. Tanks became a main weapon during World War II, when the German Army introduced a way of using them called Blitzkrieg. Battles between great numbers of tanks were fought, especially between the Germans and the Soviet Union. The Battle of Kursk was the biggest. Well-known World War II tanks were the German Panzer IV, Panther and Tiger I, Soviet T-34 (made in the largest numbers of any tank of the war and second most ever), the British Matilda, Churchill and Cromwell, and the American M4 sherman (second most produced tank of the war) and Stuart tanks. There were plans for much larger and more heavily armoured tanks such as the Maus but they were determined to be of little use. Their huge weight would have made moving them very difficult, and their huge size would have made them easy targets for heavy artillery. Old tanks are often modified for other uses like carrying
Edinburgh (Scottish Gaelic: "Dùn Èideann") is the capital city and second largest city in Scotland. Edinburgh lies on the east coast, where the River Forth flows into the sea.  The central part is Edinburgh Castle, at the top of a steep hill. The castle has a military display every year, called a "tattoo", where soldiers show their skills at marching and competitions, and there are brass bands and bands of bagpipes.  Edinburgh has a very large festival every year, where thousands of performers come to put on shows. The Edinburgh International Festival takes place in August and September. At the same time there is the Edinburgh Fringe. The shows are of all kinds, and range from large ones with famous people, to very small ones by new or unknown actors. The city is served by Edinburgh Airport, and Haymarket and Waverley railway stations. Old and New towns. The Old Town of Edinburgh is the oldest part of the city, and with the 18th-century New Town, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has preserved its mediaeval plan and many Reformation-era buildings. The Old and New Towns are known locally simply as "Town". It is the city centre. The main part of the Old Town is a complex of streets called the Royal Mile while Princes Street is the main business area of the New Town. Sport. The city's main football teams are Heart of Midlothian F.C. and Hibernian F.C. Murrayfield stadium in the city is the home of the Scottish national rugby team and Edinburgh Rugby. The nearby Murrayfield Ice Rink is home to the city's ice hockey team, the Edinburgh Capitals. See also Leith Athletic F.C. Buildings. Edinburgh has lots of important buildings. The Balmoral Hotel was opened in 1902 and designed by W. Hamilton Beattie. Saint Giles' Cathedral was built in Mediaeval times. There was a big fire there in 1385. The Royal Museum was designed by architect Francis Fowke and built between 1861 and 1888. Its sister museum, the Museum of Scotland, was designed by Benson and Forsyth in
The head of state is the leader of a country/sovereign state. The powers of a head of state may vary depending on the country. The head of state is usually the highest-ranking official in the country. Titles. In most republic countries, the head of state is called the president and is usually elected by the people.  In countries that are monarchies, the head of state is a monarch (such as a king), who gets the position through inheritance. There are many titles that a monarch could have, but they all have the same role as a head of state. Types of heads of state. Executive. Sometimes a head of state has an executive role. This means that they take part in leading the government. In these systems, the head of state is also the head of government. For example, the President of the United States is both the head of state and head of government of the US. There are many republics that operate like this but some monarchies still have a king who runs the government. Ceremonial. In other countries, the head of state may be a separate person from the head of government. In this system, the head of state has the role of representing the nation and being a neutral non-political leader while the head of government takes care of the executive. This system is used in many modern monarchies such as the United Kingdom. However, some republics such as the Republic of Ireland follow this system.
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (22 April 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He was the first leader of the Soviet Union, starting when the country was created in 1922. He was also the first premier of the Soviet Union until his death.  Under Lenin's administration, Russia (and later the Soviet Union) became a one-party socialist state governed by the Communist Party. He was a Marxist, and his developments to Marxism are called Leninism. Early life. Vladimir Ulyanov was born on 22 April 1870 in the town of Simbirsk, in the Russian Empire. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father was an education official. Technically, his father's job made the family noblemen. Lenin began studying politics in gymnasium (an elite high school). In 1886, the year that Lenin was doing his final exams, his father died; his brother Alexander was hanged for his part in a bomb plot to kill Tsar Alexander III, and their sister Anna was sent to Tatarstan. That made Lenin furious, and he promised to get revenge for his brother's death. Still, he completed his exams and got the second-highest grade in his class. Lenin excelled in school and learned Latin and Greek. However, in 1887, he was thrown out of Kazan State University because he protested against the Tsar. Lenin continued to read books and study ideas by himself, and in 1891 he got a license to become a lawyer. Early revolutionary activities. While he studied law in St. Petersburg, Lenin learned about the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who were philosophers from Germany.  Prison. Marx's thoughts were called Marxism. It was illegal in Russia to talk or write about Marxism positively. Lenin was arrested for doing so and was sent to prison in Siberia. That was a harsh punishment because Siberia is very cold and isolated and almost impossible to escape. In July 1898, while still in Siberia, Lenin married Nadezhda Krupskaya. In
A disease or medical condition is an unhealthy state where something bad happens to the body or mind. Diseases can cause pain, parts of the body to stop working the right way, or death. The word "disease" is sometimes used to include: Causes. A disease can be caused by many things. Sometimes germs enter our body through food, water or air. A person can be infected by infectious agents like bacteria, viruses or fungus. Disease can also be caused by eating bad or old foods. There are small germs in old foods that can cause diseases. Sometimes the germs produce chemicals or toxins which causes the disease.  One of the most common causes of disease is poor sanitation and lack of clean water. Some deadly diseases like malaria in tropical parts of the world are spread by a mosquito. Animals that spread disease are called "vectors". There are many vectors, including snails, ticks, and fleas.  Some people are born with 'genetic diseases'. These are diseases because of an error or mutation in a person's DNA. An example of a mutation is cancer. Living or working in an unhealthy environment can also be a cause for diseases. Diseases are more common in older people. Treatments. Some diseases can be helped with medicine. Infections can often be cured by antibiotics, though resistance to antibiotics is a problem. Some disease may be helped by surgery. Not every disease can be helped with medicine or surgery, though. Some diseases must be treated during the whole life; they are "chronic" (long-lasting) diseases. An example of a chronic disease is diabetes mellitus. Diabetes can be treated (made better) but it can not yet be cured (made to totally go away). People who usually treat diseases are called doctors or physicians. Prevention. Some diseases that are common or very bad are tested for even in people who do not show any symptoms. If these diseases are found early they can be treated before they cause problems. An example would be checking a woman for cervical cancer with a test called a pap smear. If cervical cancer is found early it can be cured. If it is found later it usually causes death.  Another example is immunization. The basic idea is to
Carbon is a very important chemical element, with a chemical symbol of C. All known life on Earth needs it to survive. Carbon has atomic mass 12 and atomic number 6. It is a nonmetal, meaning that it is not a metal. When iron is alloyed with carbon, hard steel is formed. Carbon in the form of coal is an important fuel. Chemistry of carbon. A whole type of chemistry, called organic chemistry, is about carbon and its compounds. Carbon makes many types of compounds. "Hydrocarbons" are molecules with carbon and hydrogen. Methane, Propane, and many other fuels are hydrocarbons. Many of the substances that people use daily are organic compounds. Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and some other elements like sulfur and phosphorus together form most life on earth (see List of biologically important elements). Carbon forms a very large number of organic compounds because it can form strong bonds with itself and with other elements. Because of the amounts of carbon living things have, all organic things are considered "carbon-based".  Each carbon atom usually forms four chemical bonds, which are strong connections to other atoms to form molecules. The kind of bond that carbon makes is called a covalent bond. These bonds allow carbon to form many kinds of small and large molecules. A molecule of methane is the smallest; it has four hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon. The bonds can be double bonds, meaning that two bonds form between carbon and another atom to make a stronger connection. For example, carbon dioxide has two oxygen atoms, and each one is double bonded to carbon. Carbon can even form three bonds with another atom, called a triple bond. For example, in the gas acetylene carbon forms a triple bond with another carbon atom.  By bonding to other carbon atoms, carbon can form long chain-shaped molecules, called polymers, such as plastics and proteins. Atoms of other elements can be part of the long polymer chains, often nitrogen or oxygen.  Pure carbon forms diamond by bonding to four other carbon atoms in a three dimensional crystal. It forms graphite by bonding to three other carbon atoms to form thin flat layers. Etymology. The name of carbon comes from Latin
Zaza language, also called Zazaki, Kirmanjki and Dimli, is an Iranian language mainly spoken in eastern Turkey by the Zazas. It belongs to the northwest-Iranian group of Iranic languages. The Zaza language is related to Sangsarī, Māzandarānī, Tātī (Herzendī), Semnānī, Tāleshī, Kurdish, Persian and Balōchi. The number of Zaza speakers is not known exactly. Many people consider the Zaza language to be a dialect of Kurdish. But it has been shown that Zaza has is more similar to other Iranic languages such as Mazandarani than to Kurdish.
A chemical reaction happens when one or more chemicals are changed into one or more other chemicals. Examples: Some reactions are fast, and others are slow. Some happen at different speeds, depending on temperature or other things. For example, wood does not react with air when it is cold, but if it is made hot enough, it will start to burn. Some reactions give out energy. These are exothermic reactions. In other reactions, energy is taken in. These are endothermic reactions. Nuclear reactions are "not" chemical reactions. Chemical reactions involve only the electrons of atoms; nuclear reactions involve the protons and neutrons in the atomic nuclei. Four basic types. Synthesis. In a synthesis reaction, two or more simple substances combine to form a more complex substance.  formula_1 "Two or more reactants giving one product" is another way to identify a synthesis reaction. One example of a synthesis reaction is the combination of iron and sulfur to form iron(II) sulfide: formula_2 Another example is simple hydrogen gas combined with simple oxygen gas to produce a more complex substance, such as water. Decomposition. A decomposition reaction is when a more complex substance breaks down into its more simple parts. It is thus the opposite of a synthesis reaction, and can be written as: formula_3 One example of a decomposition reaction is the electrolysis of water to make oxygen and hydrogen gas: formula_4 Another example of a decomposition reaction is calcium carbonate breaking down into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide under high temperatures: CaCO3 —&gt; CaO + CO2 Single replacement. In a single replacement reaction, a single uncombined element replaces another in a compound; in other words, one element trades places with another element in a compound These reactions come in the general form of: formula_5 One example of a single displacement reaction is when magnesium replaces hydrogen in water to make magnesium hydroxide and hydrogen gas: formula_6 Double replacement. In a double replacement reaction, the anions and cations of two compounds switch places and form two entirely different compounds. These reactions are in the general form: formula_7 For example, when barium chloride (BaCl2) and magnesium sulfate (
In geometry, a rectangle, otherwise referred to as a rectilateral, is a shape with four sides and four corners. The corners are all right angles. It follows that the pairs of sides opposite each other must be parallel and of the same length. People make many rectangular things, including most tables, boxes, books, and papers. The word comes from Latin words meaning "right" and angle". A rectangle whose four sides have the same length is called a square. Formulas. If a rectangle has length formula_1 and width "w", then":"
Trafalgar Square is in the middle of London and is a large pedestrian square that is bounded on three sides by roads. It serves as a refuge and a major traffic intersection. Important roads go from the square: Whitehall goes to Parliament, the Mall goes to Buckingham Palace and the Strand goes to the City of London. The square is also close to Covent Garden and Charing Cross station and Charing Cross station. More than 15 million people go to visit there every year. It contains a large statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson. The square celebrates the Battle of Trafalgar, which was fought in 1805, and contains Nelson's Column, a statue of Nelson mounted on a tall column, with four statues of lions around it. The column is 56 m tall, and the statue is 5 m tall. The National Art Gallery is one of several important buildings facing the Square. A point in Trafalgar Square is regarded as the official centre of London in legislation, and when measuring distances from the capital. Uses. The square is visited by many tourists, mainly for pleasure and relaxation. There are, however, meetings and demonstrations in the square.  When the square was first built, demonstrations were banned. The ban lasted until the 1880s, when the new labour movement started to hold demonstrations. One group that did so was the Social Democratic Federation. On "Black Monday", on 6 February 1886, there was a major demonstration about unemployment that led to a riot in Pall Mall. There were demonstrations in the 1980s against South African apartheid. In 1990, there were riots against the poll tax. In the 2000s, there were demonstrations against the Iraq War. In recent years the square has become a gathering place for celebrations. When England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, thousands of fans gathered in the square. Public festivities again happened when London won its bid to hold the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The square was also the scene of a large gathering after the terrorist bombings in London on 7 July 2005.  Past. The Square was last dug up in the 19th century in preparation to its
An official language is a language that has special status in a country or other organization. Usually, the government does its business in the official language. They are sometimes named in a country's constitution. Some countries, like Switzerland and Luxembourg, have more than one official language. Other countries, such as the United States and Australia, may not have a "de jure" official language set by law, but they may have one or more national languages that is considered "de facto" official because it is used by the government and people in the country. An official language does not have to be a written language. It can be a pidgin language (like in Papua New Guinea), or a sign language (like in New Zealand). De jure, de facto, and minority languages. A de jure language is a language that is officially recognized by the government. For example, Persian is the de jure language of Tajikistan. However, a de facto language is a language that is generally accepted as the official language but has no legal status. For example, English is a de facto language of the United States as it has no official status. Other languages are not generally accepted as the official language, but are recognized as languages commonly spoken in the region. For example, Irish is a minority language of Great Britain, as it does not have official status but is commonly spoken there.
A cake is a type of (usually) sweet dessert which is baked. Originally, it was a bread-like food, but no longer. Cakes are often made to celebrate special occasions like birthdays or weddings. There are many kinds of cakes. It can be baked in an oven. Some savory cakes are made on a griddle or a frying pan. Construction. Cakes are baked from a batter. Batter is made by mixing wet ingredients (like milk and eggs) with dry ingredients (like sugar and flour). The batter is baked in an oven. This way of baking is known as the muffin method, because muffins are made this way. Vegan versions of the same cake abstain from using animal products such as dairy or eggs and instead substitute them with plant derived products such as nut milk and alginate-lecithin gel. Just like bread, cakes rise in the oven because they contain many small air bubbles. As cakes rise, the air bubbles expand. This is why the cake batter expands in the pan (often to twice its original size). There are two ways of forming the air bubbles, which create different types of cakes. Almost every kind of cake belongs to one of these families. Creamed Fat. These cakes are made with butter or another fat, like vegetable shortening. The common way is to mix the fat and sugar, then add eggs, and then add flour. The fat should be soft. It should not be hard or liquid. Mixing sugar with fat creates many very small air bubbles. Most birthday cakes are made this way. Cupcakes are also made this way.  Egg foam. These cakes are not made with solid butter or vegetable shortening. Some of these cakes are made with melted butter or vegetable oil. The common way is to mix the eggs and sugar, and then add flour. These cakes are often much taller, lighter and often spongier than creamed fat cakes. Angelfood cake and chiffon cakes are egg foam cakes. Most grocery stores with bakeries sell angelfood cakes. Angelfood cakes are made by beating egg whites with sugar. This traps a lot of tiny air bubbles. The eggs and sugar are mixed with other ingredients. Then, the cake
A house is a building that is made for people to live in. It is usually built for a family (parents and their children). It is a "permanent" building that is meant to stay standing. It is not easily packed up and carried away like a tent, or moved like a caravan. If people live in the same house for more than a short stay, then they call it their "home". Being without a home is called homelessness. Houses are usually numbered. Some are also named. Houses are usually occupied by a single family or housemates, like in the cases of group homes and boarding houses. Houses come in many different shapes, sizes and architectural styles. They range from one room shacks and cabins to the largest of palaces, mansions and castles. Houses also are made many different materials from thatch and wood , to brick, stone and modern materials like metal. Typically, a house contains only one to three floor levels/ storeys, but four or more stories are common in urban and waterfront areas. Basements are common in certain climatic zones. Houses can be standard shaped or can take unorthodox shapes such as of domes and pyramids. Houses can be detached stand-alone buildings or joined to other houses at the sides to make a "terrace" or "row house" (a connected row of houses). A big building with many levels and apartments is called "a block of flats" (British) or an apartment building. One of the differences between a house and an apartment is that a house has a front door to the outside world, whereas the main door of an apartment usually opens onto a passage or landing that can be used by other people in the building. Houses have a roof to keep off the rain and sun, and walls to keep out the wind and cold. They have window openings to let in light, and a floor. Houses of different places may look different to each other, because of different materials, climate, and styles. If a house is important and historic enough, it can be a museum showcasing how the house's residents lived. Types. Most houses have special areas or rooms for people to do the things that they need to live comfortably. A modern house