Baldwin II Porphyrogenitus was the last Latin emperor of Constantinople, who lost his throne in 1261 when Michael VIII Palaeologus restored Greek rule to the capital. The son of Yolande, sister of Baldwin I, the first Latin emperor of Constantinople, and Peter of Courtenay, the third Latin emperor,

historiography: François Baudouin and Jean Bodin: Although the new study of law was closely related to historiography, the early commentaries on civil law did not constitute histories. The two disciplines were married in theory in Institution of Universal History and its Connection with Jurisprudence by François Baudouin…

Jean Baudrillard was a French sociologist and cultural theorist whose theoretical ideas of “hyperreality” and “simulacrum” influenced literary theory and philosophy, especially in the United States, and spread into popular culture. After studying German at the Sorbonne, Baudrillard taught German

Rudolf Bauer was a German-born abstract artist whose role in the conception and founding of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was buried for some 60 years after he had a falling-out with Guggenheim. As a result of the same incident, Bauer’s own colourful geometric paintings also remained largely out

printing: Koenig’s mechanical press (early 19th century): …1811 Koenig and an associate, Andreas Bauer, in another approach to the rotary principle, designed a cylinder as a platen bearing the sheet of paper and pressing it against the typeform placed on a flatbed that moved to and fro. The rotation of the cylinder was linked to the forward…

Hegelian school: Hegelian left and right: In the 1850s Bauer became vocally anti-Semitic, describing an immutable racial divide between Jews and Christians. In the 1840s, however, he had advocated a comprehensive republicanism. In this theory, freedom and rationality are not simply natural properties distributed or shared among their bearers (as Bauer thought Strauss’s position…

Georgius Agricola was a German scholar and scientist known as “the father of mineralogy.” While a highly educated classicist and humanist, well regarded by scholars of his own and later times, he was yet singularly independent of the theories of ancient authorities. He was indeed among the first to

Gustav Bauer was a German statesman, chancellor of the Weimar Republic (1919–20). As an office worker in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), Bauer in 1895 founded the Office Employees Association, over which he presided until 1908. Entrusted with the leadership of the Central Workers’ Secretariat

Gustav Bauer was a German statesman, chancellor of the Weimar Republic (1919–20). As an office worker in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), Bauer in 1895 founded the Office Employees Association, over which he presided until 1908. Entrusted with the leadership of the Central Workers’ Secretariat

Harold Bauer was a British-born American pianist who introduced to the United States works by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and César Franck. His playing combined traits of both 19th-century Romanticism and 20th-century restraint and was noted for its sensitivity, free approach to the printed

Béla Balázs was a Hungarian writer, Symbolist poet, and influential film theoretician. Balázs’s theoretical work Halálesztétika (“The Aesthetics of Death”) was published in 1906; his first drama, Doktor Szélpál Margit, was performed by the Hungarian National Theatre in 1909. His poems in the

Jack Bauer, American television character, the troubled protagonist at the centre of the suspense-thriller series 24. A special agent with the Los Angeles branch of the fictional U.S. government Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland) is an intense, brooding loner,

Otto Bauer was a theoretician of the Austrian Social Democratic Party and statesman, who proposed that the nationalities problem of the Austro-Hungarian Empire be solved by the creation of nation-states and who, after World War I, became one of the principal advocates of Austrian Anschluss

Rudolf Bauer was a German-born abstract artist whose role in the conception and founding of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was buried for some 60 years after he had a falling-out with Guggenheim. As a result of the same incident, Bauer’s own colourful geometric paintings also remained largely out

Sebastian Wilhelm Valentin Bauer was a German pioneer inventor and builder of submarines. In 1850 Bauer built his first submarine, Le Plongeur-Marin (“The Marine Diver”), which in February 1851 sank in 50 feet (15 m) of water during a test dive in Kiel Harbour, trapping Bauer and his two crewmen.

Eduard von Bauernfeld was an Austrian dramatist who dominated the Vienna Burgtheater for 50 years with his politically oriented drawing room comedies. Bauernfeld studied philosophy and law at Vienna University before turning to the theatre. Active in the local liberal movement, he became friends

Thomas de Montagu, 4th earl of Salisbury: …own rashness, was defeated at Baugé on March 21, 1421. Salisbury came up with the archers too late to retrieve the day but recovered the bodies of the dead and by a skillful retreat averted further disaster.

Sammy Baugh was the first outstanding quarterback in the history of American professional gridiron football. He played a major role in the emergence of the forward pass as a primary offensive tactic in the 1930s and ’40s. He led the National Football League (NFL) in passing in 6 of his 16 seasons

Sammy Baugh was the first outstanding quarterback in the history of American professional gridiron football. He played a major role in the emergence of the forward pass as a primary offensive tactic in the 1930s and ’40s. He led the National Football League (NFL) in passing in 6 of his 16 seasons

Bauhaus, school of design, architecture, and applied arts that existed in Germany from 1919 to 1933. It was based in Weimar until 1925, Dessau through 1932, and Berlin in its final months. The Bauhaus was founded by the architect Walter Gropius, who combined two schools, the Weimar Academy of Arts

Alfred H. Barr, Jr.: “Bauhaus: 1919–1928” (1938–39) showed to American museumgoers nearly 700 objects produced in the span of less than a decade at the famed German school of design founded and directed by Walter Gropius. Barr had visited the Bauhaus in Dessau in 1927 and was integral to…

valve: …digestive system of mammals the ileocecal valve, controlled by a sphincter muscle, prevents the return of the contents of the small intestine after they have passed into the colon.

Gaspard Bauhin was a Swiss physician, anatomist, and botanist who introduced a scientific binomial system of classification to both anatomy and botany. A student of the Italian anatomist Fabricius ab Aquapendente at the University of Padua, Italy (1577–78), he spent most of his career at the

Gaspard Bauhin was a Swiss physician, anatomist, and botanist who introduced a scientific binomial system of classification to both anatomy and botany. A student of the Italian anatomist Fabricius ab Aquapendente at the University of Padua, Italy (1577–78), he spent most of his career at the

Gaspard Bauhin: Bauhin’s brother Jean (1541–1613), also a physician and botanist, is known for his Historia plantarum universalis (1650–51; “General History of Plants”), in which he rendered elaborate descriptions of more than 5,000 species.

flag of Hong Kong: Its emblem, the bauhinia flower, is a traditional emblem of Hong Kong; previously it had appeared on colonial stamps and coins. The five petals and red stars reflect the use of that number in traditional Chinese symbolism and represent the five major regions of China. Red evokes both…

Fabales: Ecological and economic importance: …too are the seeds of Bauhinia esculenta; they are gathered for the high-protein tubers and seeds. Vigna aconitifolia (moth bean) and V. umbellata (rice bean) are much used in the tropics for forage and soil improvement, and their seeds are palatable and rich in protein. Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (winged bean) is…

Baul, member of an order of religious singers of Bengal known for their unconventional behaviour and for the freedom and spontaneity of their mystical verse. Their membership consists both of Hindus (primarily Vaishnavites, or followers of Lord Vishnu) and Muslims (generally Sufis, or mystics).

Baule, an African people inhabiting Côte d’Ivoire between the Comoé and Bandama rivers. The Baule are an Akan group, speaking a Tano language of the Kwa branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The ancestors of the Baule were a section of the Asante who immigrated to their present location under

La Baule-Escoublac, fashionable resort, Loire-Atlantique département, Pays de la Loire région, western France. It lies along the Atlantic coast near the mouth of the Loire River, west of Saint-Nazaire. Facing south and protected from the north wind by 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of dune-stabilizing

marten: The pine marten (M. martes) of European and Central Asian forests is also called the European marten and, less commonly, baum marten and sweet marten. It has a dark brown coat with an undivided yellowish throat patch. Its head-and-body length is 42–52 cm (about 16.5–20.5 inches),…

Vicki Baum was an Austrian-born American novelist whose Menschen im Hotel (1929; “People at the Hotel”; Eng. trans. Grand Hotel) became a best-seller and was adapted as a successful play (1930), an Academy Award-winning film (1932), a film musical (1945; renamed Weekend at the Waldorf), and a

L. Frank Baum was an American writer known for his series of books for children about the imaginary land of Oz. His most famous work, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), is a classic of children’s literature. Baum began his career as a journalist, initially in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and then in

L. Frank Baum was an American writer known for his series of books for children about the imaginary land of Oz. His most famous work, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), is a classic of children’s literature. Baum began his career as a journalist, initially in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and then in

Vicki Baum was an Austrian-born American novelist whose Menschen im Hotel (1929; “People at the Hotel”; Eng. trans. Grand Hotel) became a best-seller and was adapted as a successful play (1930), an Academy Award-winning film (1932), a film musical (1945; renamed Weekend at the Waldorf), and a

history of photography: Photojournalism: Felix H. Man, encouraged by Stefan Lorant, editor of the Münchner Illustrierte, made sequences of photographs at interviews and cultural and social events, which Lorant then laid out in imaginative picture essays.

Zygmunt Bauman was a Polish-born sociologist who was one of the most influential intellectuals in Europe, known for works that examine broad changes in the nature of contemporary society and their effects on communities and individuals. He focused primarily on how the poor and dispossessed have

Mount Agou, mountain in southwestern Togo, near the border with Ghana. An extreme western outlier of the Atakora Mountains of adjacent Benin, it rises to 3,235 feet (986 metres) and is the highest point in Togo. It was initially named for Oskar Baumann (1864–99), an Austrian-African explorer, when

children’s literature: War and beyond: …domain of the historical novel, Hans Baumann is a distinguished name. Lacking the narrative craft of Miss Sutcliff, whose story lines are always clean and clear, he matched her as a scholar and mounted scenes of great intensity in such novels as Die Barke der Brüder (1956; Eng. trans., The…

Noah Baumbach established himself as a distinctive new voice in filmmaking with his self-aware, dialogue-heavy dramas about artists and intellectuals living in his home city of New York. Starting in 1995 with his debut film Kicking and Screaming, he has written and directed such well-received

Rudolf Baumbach was a German writer of popular student drinking songs and of narrative verse. A librarian in Meiningen, Baumbach was a poet of the vagabond school and wrote, in imitation of Viktor von Scheffel, many drinking songs, such as “Die Lindenwirtin” (“The Linden Hostess”), which endeared

hydrometer: The Baumé hydrometer, named for the French chemist Antoine Baumé, is calibrated to measure specific gravity on evenly spaced scales; one scale is for liquids heavier than water, and the other is for liquids lighter than water.

Louise-Françoise de La Baume le Blanc, duchess de La Vallière was the mistress of King Louis XIV (reigned 1643–1715) from 1661 to 1667. La Vallière, the daughter of a military governor, was appointed maid of honour in 1661 to Louis XIV’s sister-in-law Henrietta Anne of England, Duchess d’Orléans.

Baumes Laws, several statutes of the criminal code of New York state, U.S., enacted on July 1, 1926—most notably, one requiring mandatory life imprisonment for persons convicted of a fourth felony. A “three-time loser” was thus one who had thrice been convicted of a felony and faced life

Baumes Laws: …State Crime Commission, chaired by Caleb H. Baumes, proposed a number of reforms and revisions of the criminal code to the state legislature. The most forceful recommendation was the Habitual Criminal Act. It provided for increasingly heavy sentences to repetitive felons. Although the clause providing for mandatory life imprisonment for…

feminism: Foundations: Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, authors of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future (2000), were both born in 1970 and raised by second wavers who had belonged to organized feminist groups, questioned the sexual division of labour in their households, and raised their daughters…

Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten was a German philosopher and educator who coined the term aesthetics and established this discipline as a distinct field of philosophical inquiry. As a student at Halle, Baumgarten was strongly influenced by the works of G.W. Leibniz and by Christian Wolff, a professor

Great Seal of the United States: Use of the Great Seal: …was cut in steel by Herman Baumgarten, a Washington seal-engraver who also furnished a press with a case and locks. According to a writer who saw this seal in 1882, it consisted of a die and counterdie “permanently fixed in the press,” which was “covered when not in employment with…

Max Weber: Early life and family relationships: …to her husband, the historian Hermann Baumgarten, who had a profound influence on Weber’s intellectual development.

Johann Salomo Semler: …a disciple of the rationalist Siegmund Jakob Baumgarten, whom he succeeded on his death in 1757 as head of the theological faculty. Seeking to study biblical texts scientifically, Semler evolved an undogmatic and strictly historical interpretation of Scripture that provoked strong opposition. He was the first to deny, and to…

Anita Desai: Baumgartner’s Bombay (1988) explores German and Jewish identity in the context of a chaotic contemporary India.

Bruce Baumgartner is a former American wrestler who won four Olympic medals and was one of the most successful American super-heavyweights of all time. Baumgartner competed in high school wrestling but failed to win his state high school title and as a result was not recruited by top college

Lindsey Jacobellis: Olympic struggles and triumphs: …days later she partnered with Nick Baumgartner in the Olympic debut of the relay-style mixed team snowboard cross event. After Baumgartner established a lead in the men’s section of the final, Jacobellis followed with another superb run, winning the women’s section to seal the victory for the American duo. Jacobellis…

economics: Industrial organization: …market structures is American economist William Baumol’s concept of “contestable markets”: if a market is easy to enter and to exit, it is “contestable” and hence workably competitive.

Aleta Baun is an Indonesian conservationist who was awarded the 2013 Goldman Environmental Prize for her successful efforts to halt the ecologically destructive practices of the mining industry in the remote forests of western Timor island. Baun, who was born into a poor farming family, was

Hilmar Baunsgaard was Denmark’s leading nonsocialist politician during the 1960s and ’70s. He served as prime minister of a coalition government from 1968 until 1971. After entering the Radical Party’s youth organization in 1936, Baunsgaard rose to become its chairman in 1948. He remained in that

Hilmar Baunsgaard was Denmark’s leading nonsocialist politician during the 1960s and ’70s. He served as prime minister of a coalition government from 1968 until 1971. After entering the Radical Party’s youth organization in 1936, Baunsgaard rose to become its chairman in 1948. He remained in that

philosophy of biology: Form and function: …what Gould referred to as Baupläne (German: “body plans”).

philosophy of biology: Form and function: …what Gould referred to as Baupläne (German: “body plans”).

Ferdinand Christian Baur was a German theologian and scholar who initiated the Protestant Tübingen school of biblical criticism and who has been called the father of modern studies in church history. Educated at the seminary at Blaubeuren and at the University of Tübingen, Baur became a professor

Bauria, extinct genus of mammal-like reptiles found as fossils in South African rocks of the Early Triassic Period (about 251 million to 246 million years ago). The skull of Bauria had several mammal-like features. A secondary palate separates air and food passages. The teeth show specialization

Kerry: …elevations on the peninsulas include Baurtregaum (2,798 feet [853 metres]) and Brandon Mountain (3,127 feet [953 metres]) on the Dingle Peninsula and Mangerton (2,756 feet [840 metres]) and Carrantuohill (3,414 feet [1,041 metres]) on the Iveragh Peninsula. The latter peak is the highest point in the country.

Bauru, city, central São Paulo estado (state), Brazil, lying near the Batalha River at 1,640 feet (500 metres) above sea level. Formerly known as Divino Espírito da Fortaleza, Bauru was given town status in 1887 and was made the seat of a municipality in 1896. Bauru is a trade centre for an

theatrical production: Dance theatre: , in the mid-1970s by Pina Bausch. Bausch, who sought to break down the traditional boundaries between theatrical forms by melding movement, environment, fragmented narrative, and sound, was one of the most innovative performers in European theatre in the 1980s.

theatrical production: Dance theatre: , in the mid-1970s by Pina Bausch. Bausch, who sought to break down the traditional boundaries between theatrical forms by melding movement, environment, fragmented narrative, and sound, was one of the most innovative performers in European theatre in the 1980s.

Bauchi: …for a hunter known as Baushe, who settled in the region before the arrival of Yakubu, the first traditional ruler of Bauchi emirate (founded 1800–10).

Bauta, city, west-central Cuba. It is situated just inland from the Atlantic Ocean coast, 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Havana. Bauta is a commercial and manufacturing centre for the surrounding agricultural lands, known primarily for their tobacco and sugarcane, although pineapples and various

Mercedarian: …reform movement led by Juan Bautista Gonzalez resulted in the Discalced Mercedarians, whose rule was approved in 1606 by Pope Paul V. Peter Nolasco was canonized as a saint by Pope Urban VIII in 1628.

Bolivia: The Republican Party: …conflict between two Montes-style politicians—Juan Bautista Saavedra, a La Paz lawyer who captured control of the Republican Party’s junta in 1920 and was national president from 1921 to 1925, and Daniel Salamanca, a Cochabamba landowner who took his following into a separate party, the so-called Genuine Republican Party, which…

Dave Bautista is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Known for his imposing physique, he made a name for himself as World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Batista and transitioned easily into portraying intimidating characters on film. In Hollywood, Bautista quickly became known for

Dave Bautista is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Known for his imposing physique, he made a name for himself as World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Batista and transitioned easily into portraying intimidating characters on film. In Hollywood, Bautista quickly became known for

Bautzen, city, Saxony Land (state), eastern Germany. It lies in the Oberlausitz (Upper Lusatia) region, on a granite elevation above the Spree River. Bautzen was originally the Slavic settlement of Budissin (Budyšin), and the Peace of Bautzen was concluded there in 1018 between the German king

Bautzen: …of Budissin (Budyšin), and the Peace of Bautzen was concluded there in 1018 between the German king Henry II and the Polish king Bolesław I. The city became German in 1033, passing to Bohemia in 1319 and to Saxony in 1635. The capital of the Federation of Lusatian cities in…

Bavaria: History of Bavaria: …territory its name was the Baiovarii (Bavarians), which settled in the south between 488 and 520 ce. In the 7th and 8th centuries Bavaria was Christianized by Irish and Scottish monks. In 788 Charlemagne incorporated Bavaria into the Carolingian empire for a short time.

Les Baux-de-Provence, village, Bouches-du-Rhône département, Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur région, southeastern France, on a spur of the Alpilles Hills rising abruptly from the valley floor, northeast of Arles. On this rocky hill, about 1,000 yards (900 metres) long and 220 yards (200 metres) wide, is

bauxite, rock largely composed of a mixture of hydrous aluminum oxides. Bauxite is the principal ore of aluminum. Bauxites vary physically according to the origin and geologic history of their deposits: some deposits are soft, easily crushed, and structureless; some are hard, dense, and pisolitic,

Latin jazz: …musical directorship of Cuban-born trumpeter Mario Bauzá. For many jazz critics, Bauzá’s tune “Tanga,” one of the Machito orchestra’s hits dating to the early 1940s, was the first true example of the music that is now known as Latin jazz.

Vatican Apostolic Library, official library of the Vatican, located inside the Vatican Palace. It is especially notable as one of the world’s richest manuscript depositories. The library is the direct heir of the first library of the Roman pontiffs. Very little is known of this library up to the

Kāʾūsīyeh dynasty: …main dynasty was a certain Bāv (ruled 665–680). The dynasty was centred at Ferīm, in the mountainous country southwest of Sārī. Its geographical isolation and the difficult nature of the terrain enabled it to survive. In c. 854 Qāren I (ruled 837–867) converted to Islam. During the 10th century the…

insurance: Government regulation: …regulation is provided by the Federal Insurance Supervisory Authority (BAV), which exercises tight control of premiums, reserves, and investments of insurers. The BAV’s regulation of life insurance, for example, allows no more than 20 percent of investments in equities.

Talmud and Midrash: The making of the Talmuds: 3rd–6th century: The statement in the tractate Bava metzia that “Rabina and Rav Ashi were the end of instruction” is most often understood as referring to the final redaction of the Talmud. Since at least two generations of scholars following Rav Ashi (died 427) are mentioned in the Talmud, most scholars suggest…

Bāvand Dynasty, (665–1349), Iranian dynasty that ruled Ṭabaristān in what is now northern Iran. The Bāvands ruled, sometimes independently and at other times as vassals of various Islāmic dynasties, over an area delimited by the Caspian Sea and the Elburz Mountains. The geographic isolation of

Bavaria, largest Land (state) of Germany, comprising the entire southeastern portion of the country. Bavaria is bounded to the north by the states of Thuringia and Saxony, to the east by the Czech Republic, to the south and southeast by Austria, and to the west by the states of Baden-Württemberg

Germany: Languages of Germany: The Bavarian dialect, with its many local variations, is spoken in the areas south of the Danube River and east of the Lech River and throughout all of Austria, except in the state of Vorarlberg, which is Swabian in origin.

Austria: Germanic and Slavic settlement: …development was determined by the Bavarians in a struggle with the Slavs, who were invading from the east, and by the Alemanni, who settled in what is now Vorarlberg. The Bavarians were under the political influence of the Franks, whereas the Slavs had Avar rulers. At the time of their…

Bavarian Alps, northeastern segment of the Central Alps along the German-Austrian border. The mountains extend east-northeastward for 70 miles (110 km) from the Lechtaler Alps to the bend of the Inn River near Kufstein, Austria. Zugspitze (9,718 feet [2,962 metres]) is the highest point in the

dairy product: Varieties of cheese: The resulting “Blue-Brie” has a bloomy white edible rind, while its interior is marbled with blue Penicillium roqueforti mold. The cheese is marketed under various names such as Bavarian Blue, Cambazola, Lymeswold, and Saga Blue. Another combination cheese is Norwegian Jarlsberg. This cheese results from a marriage…

Bavarian cream, custard enriched with whipped cream and solidified with gelatin. A Bavarian cream can be flavoured with chocolate, coffee, fruit, or the like and is usually molded in a fancy shape and garnished with fruit or a sweet sauce. Its country of origin is either Bavaria or

Bavarian Forest, mountain region in east-central Bavaria Land (state), southeastern Germany. The Bavarian Forest occupies the highlands between the Danube River valley and the Bohemian Forest along Bavaria’s eastern frontier with the Czech Republic. Located largely in the Regierungsbezirk

Bavarian Forest: …year many visitors explore the Bavarian Forest National Park, where more than 98 percent of the park’s 50.5-square-mile (130.8-square-kilometre) area is tree-covered and many species of plants, birds, and small animals thrive. Principal towns of the mountain region are Regen, Zwiesel, Waldkirchen, and Grafenau.

illuminati: The Bavarian illuminati: Perhaps the group most closely associated with the name illuminati was a short-lived movement of republican free thought founded on May Day 1776 by Adam Weishaupt, professor of canon law at Ingolstadt and a former Jesuit. The members of this

Munich: The contemporary city: …19th- and 20th-century art; the Bavarian National Museum, which contains German art and applied art since the Middle Ages; and the Residence Museum, which has paintings, sculpture, furniture, and ceramics. The Deutsches Museum, on an island in the Isar River, is a huge and comprehensive museum of science, engineering, and…

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, German symphony orchestra based in Munich and supported by the state of Bavaria. Under the aegis of the Bavarian state radio station, conductor Eugen Jochum organized the performing group in 1949, trained it to become a major orchestra, and took it to perform at

Germany: Libraries: …Germany’s great libraries are the Bavarian State Library in Munich and the Berlin State Library. The German National Library at Frankfurt am Main is the country’s library of deposit and bibliographic center. The Technical Library at Hannover is Germany’s most important library for science and technology and for translations of…

Valery Gergiev: …Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov with the Bavarian State Opera, and he made his first opera appearance in the United States, leading the San Francisco Opera’s production of War and Peace, in the same year. From there the honours and international acclaim mounted. In 1993 he was named Conductor of the Year…

Bavarian State Orchestra, German symphony orchestra based in Munich. It originated as the Münchner Kantorei (“Choir of Munich”), an ensemble of singers and instrumentalists gathered by Duke Wilhelm IV’s court composer Ludwig Senfl, beginning in 1523. Under the energetic Orlando di Lasso (1563–94)

Bavarian State Picture Galleries, in Munich, museum composed of several collections, the major ones being the Neue Pinakothek, the Alte Pinakothek, and the Schack Gallery. It also embraces, however, the State Gallery of Modern Art, the Olaf Gulbransson Museum in Kurpark, the State Gallery in Neuen

War of the Bavarian Succession, (1778–79), conflict in which Frederick II the Great of Prussia blocked an attempt by Joseph II of Austria to acquire Bavaria. After losing Silesia to the Prussians in the 1740s (see Austrian Succession, War of the), the Austrian emperor Joseph II and his chancellor

Greece: Greece under Otto of Wittelsbach: The period of the “Bavarokratia,” as the regency was termed, was not a happy one, for the regents showed little sensitivity for the mores of Otto’s adopted countrymen and imported European models of government, law, and education without regard to local conditions. The legal and educational systems were thus…

Babylon, one of the most famous cities of antiquity. It was the capital of southern Mesopotamia (Babylonia) from the early 2nd millennium to the early 1st millennium bce and capital of the Neo-Babylonian (Chaldean) empire in the 7th and 6th centuries bce, when it was at the height of its splendor.