Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Commonwealth of Independent States

(Encyclopedia)Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), community of independent nations established by a treaty signed at Minsk, Belarus, on Dec. 8, 1991, by the heads of state of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Bet...

Ismay, Hastings Lionel Ismay, 1st Baron

(Encyclopedia)Ismay, Hastings Lionel Ismay, 1st Baron ĭzˈmā [key], 1887–1965, British general, known as “Pug” Ismay. He served in India and, during World War I, in Africa. During World War II he held simul...

Gruenther, Alfred Maximilian

(Encyclopedia)Gruenther, Alfred Maximilian, 1899–1983, U.S. general, b. Platte Center, Nebr. A brilliant staff officer, during World War II he was deputy chief of staff to Dwight D. Eisenhower in London (1942–4...

Rokossovsky, Konstantin

(Encyclopedia)Rokossovsky, Konstantin kənstəntyēnˈ rŏkŏs-sôfˈskē [key], 1896–1968, Soviet general, b. Warsaw. He entered the czarist army and in 1917 joined the Bolshevik forces in the Russian Revolution...

Kaczyński, Lech Aleksander

(Encyclopedia)Kaczyński, Lech Aleksander yärôˈsläf [key], 1949–, Ph.D. Warsaw Univ., first gained public attention as child movie actors. Both were active in the prodemocracy movement of the 1970s, were memb...

Piłsudski, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Piłsudski, Joseph yo͞oˈzĕf pēlˌso͞otˈskē [key], 1867–1935, Polish general and politician. He was exiled (1887–92) to Siberia for an alleged attempt on the life of Czar Alexander III, who ...

Atomic Energy Agency, International

(Encyclopedia)Atomic Energy Agency, International (IAEA), independent intergovernmental organization established in 1957 under the aegis of the United Nations to promote safe, secure, and peaceful uses of atomic e...

Porter, Jane

(Encyclopedia)Porter, Jane, 1776–1850, Scottish novelist. Her historical novels, particularly Thaddeus of Warsaw (4 vol., 1803) and Scottish Chiefs (5 vol., 1810), were exceptionally popular in their day. Anna Ma...

Mönchengladbach

(Encyclopedia)Mönchengladbach münˈ– [key], city (1994 pop. 265,312), North Rhine–Westphalia, W Germany. It is the twin city of adjacent Rheydt and is a major center of the German cotton textile industry. Tex...

Bergen, town, Lower Saxony, Germany

(Encyclopedia)Bergen, town, Lower Saxony, N Germany, 13 mi (21 km) NW of Celle. Building materials are manufactured. A North Atlantic Treaty Organization base is outs...