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Wrangel, Friedrich Heinrich Ernst, Graf von

(Encyclopedia)Wrangel, Friedrich Heinrich Ernst, Graf von frēˈdrĭkh hīnˈrĭkh ĕrnst gräf fən vrängˈəl [key], 1784–1877, Prussian field marshal. He fought in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1848 he commanded th...

Neerwinden

(Encyclopedia)Neerwinden nārvĭnˈdən [key], village, Liège prov., E Belgium. In the War of the Grand Alliance the French under Marshal Luxembourg defeated (1693) William III of England there. In the French Revo...

recoilless rifle

(Encyclopedia)recoilless rifle, light artillery piece, without recoil, usually operated by two men. An American invention, it was used as an infantry weapon for attacking fortifications such as pillboxes and bunker...

Mustafa III

(Encyclopedia)Mustafa III, 1717–73, Ottoman sultan (1757–73), son of Ahmed III. He succeeded his cousin Osman III to the throne of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). The chief event of his reign was the war of 1768�...

Zama

(Encyclopedia)Zama zāˈmə [key], ancient town near the northern coast of Africa, in present Tunisia. Although there was more than one town named Zama, tradition says that in 202 b.c. Scipio Africanus Major defeat...

Masinissa

(Encyclopedia)Masinissa or Massinissa both: măsĭnĭsˈə [key], c.238–148 b.c., king of Numidia. He succeeded (c.207 b.c.) his father as king of E Numidia. Brought up in Carthage, he fought in a Carthaginian ca...

Dionysius the Elder

(Encyclopedia)Dionysius the Elder, c.430–367 b.c., tyrant of Syracuse. Of humble origin, he entered politics as a supporter of the poorer classes. Having prompted (400 b.c.) a measure to elect truly democratic ge...

Dionysius the Younger

(Encyclopedia)Dionysius the Younger, fl. 368–344 b.c., tyrant of Syracuse, son of Dionysius the Elder. He ended the war with Carthage and enlisted the support of the professional army. Neither gifted nor trained ...

Edward the Confessor

(Encyclopedia)Edward the Confessor, d. 1066, king of the English (1042–66), son of Æthelred the Unready and his Norman wife, Emma. After the Danish conquest (1013–16) of England, Edward grew up at the Norman c...

Edward the Elder

(Encyclopedia)Edward the Elder, d. 924, king of Wessex (899–924), son and successor of Alfred. He fought with his father against the Danes. At Alfred's death (899) Edward's succession was disputed by his cousin �...