Historical Filth- The worst place on Earth

[Gangerolf]

70%, according to my sources

[SnowFire]

Yeah, I just know that after that war, they had to legalize polygamy for awhile since they had so few males left.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Actually, Laz has two things wrong. Paraguay didn't lose 80% of it's population, it lost 90% of it male population.

The biggest killer in the war was disease and famine, and they weren't gender-specific. I've seen a range of figures and based the ones I chose on the following-

War deaths tend to hit males hardest.

However, in times of war, famine deaths tend to hit women and children hardest, as soldiers get requisitioned stockpiles of food. The non-combatants also tend to get higher disease casualties under war/plague conditions.

Therefore I took the figures I printed (which came from Paraguayan sources) as the more realistic.

[PLATO]

Good article. Disturbing.

[The Andy-Man]

I am thinking Woody Allen and Bannana's for some reason

[Stefu]

All I've known about Paraguay is declaring war to Brazil, Argentine and Uruguay at the same time. That can't be seen as very good foreign policy.

[Bosh]

In the Chaco War, Paraguay was militaryily defeated, however, as the two countries were litterally fighting a war on behalf of two oil companies (Standard Oil and another one), the companies negotiations ended with Paraguay getting getting a chunk of Bolivia.

Actually Paraguay pushed back the initial Bolivian attack IIRC. Also, the best part of the war is that the oil they were fighting over didn't exist, I can't believe Laz missed that, great post otherwise

Oh and some fun stuff did happen before Paraguayan independence, mostly centered around Jesuits trying to get the Portuguese from enslaving all the local Indians, Jesuits founding communities for Indians which made them easier slave-raiding targets, and long nasty trecks inland to get away from slavers.

[Urban Ranger]

Astounding.

[Stefu]

Also, the best part of the war is that the oil they were fighting over didn't exist, I can't believe Laz missed that, great post otherwise

'ey, the blame for that doesn't fall singly on Paraguay - after all, the oil companies later sponsored another war on South America, between Peru and Ecuador, over another area with oil deposits that didn't exist...

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

If I'd dished all the dirt on Paraguay, the article would have been a thesis. Even choice morsels such as Strossner's paedophilia, or Pastor Coronel executing the Communist General Secretary with a chainsaw while playing polka music had to wait.

[MichaeltheGreat]

All the people who gave this thread a one-star rating should be deported to Paraguay.

[Stefu]

If I'd dished all the dirt on Paraguay, the article would have been a thesis. Even choice morsels such as Strossner's paedophilia, or Pastor Coronel executing the Communist General Secretary with a chainsaw while playing polka music had to wait.

THEE-SIS! THEE-SIS! THEE-SIS!

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
All the people who gave this thread a one-star rating should be deported to Paraguay.

It was probably just bitter Paraguavians anyway!

[GePap]

No one in Latin America ever really speaks of Paraguay, or cares about it much. It is also rare to meet someone from there, at least, I never have.

Its good to know someone wants to place Paraguay as number one of something.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

What I found chilling in researching this was that, although the Paraguay-based sites were happy to dish dirt on 19th century atrocities, they started going ominously quiet on 20th century ones. I can understand them being a little reluctant to criticise the Colorados given their history.