Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2024 February 27

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February 27

Ethnic borders ≠ national boundaries

Having huge numbers of one's co-ethnics end up outside of the borders of their nation-state after the collapse of a large multinational state?

Which cases were there where a large number of one's co-ethnics ended up outside of the borders of their nation-state after the collapse of a large multinational state? I can think of both ethnic Germans and ethnic Hungarians after the end of World War I (when Austria-Hungary broke up and collapsed), of ethnic Serbs after the collapse of Yugoslavia, and of ethnic Russians after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Which other examples of this have there been? 172.56.187.204 (talk) 02:42, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

Really, when one thinks about it, the position of ethnic Hungarians and ethnic Germans in the 1920s was rather similar to the position of ethnic Serbs and ethnic Russians in the 1990s. 172.56.187.204 (talk) 02:45, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

The Berlin conference of 1884-1885 notoriously carved up the map of Africa with little regard for keeping people of same ethnic group in the same political unit (in some regions, the areas inhabited by different ethnic groups weren't even known to the map-makers), eventually leading to much turmoil with respect to some of the boundaries in the second half of the 20th century. This isn't exactly the breakup of a large existing state, but the way the French later divided up French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa could be considered such... AnonMoos (talk) 04:10, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

The Partition of India? - though not so much the collapse of a state as the unravelling of an empire. -- Verbarson  ^talk_edits 10:27, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

• The collapse of the British Empire left people of English, Scottish and Irish descent all over the globe. Especially in North America, Australia & NZ - and fewer (but still significant) numbers of ethic Brits remaining in India, Singapore, Hong Kong and various African states. Blueboar (talk) 11:16, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

You should include the US's secession from the British Empire as well! 172.56.186.104 (talk) 01:40, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

Armenia, when it was re-created by the USSR as a Soviet republic, only included a minority of the region's Armenian population. The vast majority of them had been living in the Ottoman Empire before World War I. Xuxl (talk) 18:15, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

Yes, but weren't they already ethnically cleansed to Armenia or, alternatively, to places like Lebanon and Syria by the time that the Soviet Union was created? (Also, can I ask you alternate history questions on your talk page, please?) 172.56.186.104 (talk) 01:40, 12 March 2024 (UTC)

The Round O

"For gaining the Round O of the year 1889"

What is "the Round O", in the context of the above prize, awarded by a Presbyterian Church Sunday School in 1889? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:42, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

It's likely a prize for perfect attendance: for example, in this 1885 book, there is a description of "Round O" membership and a "Round O class" with an annual tea party and prizes. [1]. Modocc (talk) 17:17, 27 February 2024 (UTC)

Yes, a couple of mentions "Fifteen scholars obtained the “Round O” prize for complete attendance" and "Those marked thus * obtained what is called the Round O Prize, having made every possible attendance during the year". The obvious next question is - why "the Round O"? DuncanHill (talk) 02:57, 28 February 2024 (UTC)

Personally I would suspect that it's supposed to symbolize the number 0, as in 0 days missed. No sources to back that up though. GalacticShoe (talk) 17:23, 28 February 2024 (UTC)

It's common for school reports here in Australia to have a simple entry showing number of days absent. A big 0 would be the most desirable entry. HiLo48 (talk) 22:08, 28 February 2024 (UTC)