College Kids Say the Darnedest Things

Condensed from Wilson Quarterly

by Anders Henriksson

         Those who forget history (and the English language) may be condemned to mangle both. Historian Anders Henriksson, a five-year veteran of the university classroom, has faithfully recorded his freshman students' more striking insights into European history. Possibly as an act of vengeance, Henriksson has assembled these fractured fragments into a chronological narrative from the Middle Ages to the present.

     During the Middle Ages, everbody was middle aged. Church and state were co-operatic. Middle Evil society was made up of monks, lords and surfs. After a revival of infantile commerce, merchants appeared. They roamed from town to town exposing themselves and organized big fairies in the countryside. The Crusades were expaditions by Christians who were seeking to free the holy land (the "Home Town" of Christ) from the Islams.
     In the 1400 hundreds most Englishmen were perpendicular. A class of yeowls arose. Finally, Europe caught the Black Death. It was spread from port to port by inflected rats. The plague also helped the emergance of English as the national language of England, France and Italy.
     The Middle Ages slimpared to a halt. The renasence bolted in from the blue. Life reeked with joy. Italy became robust, and more individuals felt the value of their human being. Italy of course, was much closer to the rest of the world, thanks to northern Europe. Man was determined to civilise himself and his brothers, even if heads had to roll! It became sheik to be educated. Europe was full of incredable churches with great art bugling out their doors. Renaissance merchants were beautiful and almost lifelike.
     The Reformation happened when German nobles resented that tithes were going to the pope, thus enriching Catholic coiffures. The popes were usually Catholic. An angry Martin Luther nailed 95 theocrats to a church door. Theologically, Luthar was into reorientation mutation. Anabaptist services tended to be migratory. Monks went right on seeing themselves as worms. The last Jesuit priest died in the 19th century.
     After the refirmation were wars both foreign and infernal. If the Spanish could gain the Netherlands they would have a stronghold throughout northern Europe that would include Italy, Burgangy, central Europe and India thus serrounding France. The German Emperor's lower passage was blocked by the French for years and years.
     Louis XIV became King of the Sun. He gave the people food and artillery. If he didn't like someone, he sent them to the gallows to row for the rest of their lives. Vauban was the royal minister of flirtation.
     In Russia, the 17th century was known as the time of the bounding of the serfs. Russian nobles wore clothes to humour Peter the Great. Peter filled his government with accidental people; orthodox priests become government antennae.
     The enlightenment was a reasonable time. Voltare wrote a book called Candy that got him into trouble. Philosophers were unknown yet, and the fundamental stake was one of religious toleration slightly confused with defeatism.
     France was in a serious state. Taxation was a great drain on the state budget. The French revolution was accomplished before it happened. The revolution catapulted into Napolean. Napoleon was ill with bladder problems and was very tense and unrestrained. History started in 1815. Industrialization was precipitating in England. Problems were so complexicated that in Paris, out of a population of 1 million people, 2 million able bodies were on the loose.
     The middle class was tired and needed a rest. The old order could see the lid holding down new ideas beginning to shake. Among the goals of the chartists were universal suferage and an anal parliment. Voting was to be done by ballad.
     A new time zone of national unification roared over the horizon. Founder of the new Italy was Cavour, an intelligent Sardine from the north. Culture fomented from Europe's tip to its top. Dramatized were adventures in seduction and abortion. Music reeked with reality. Wagner was master of music, and when he died they labeled his seat "historical."
     World War I broke out around 1912-1914. At war people get killed, and then they aren't people any more, but friends. Peace was proclaimed at Versigh, which was attended by George Loid, Primal Minister of England. President Wilson arrived with 14 pointers. In 1917, Lenin revolted Russia.
     Germany was displaced after WWI. This gave rise to Hitler, who remilitarized the Rineland over a squirmish between Germany and France. Moosealini rested his foundations on 8 million bayonets and invaded Hi Lee Salasy. Germany invaded Poland, France invaded Belgium, and Russia invaded everybody. War screeched to an end when a nukuleer explosion was dropped on Heroshima. A whole generation had been wipe out, and their forlorne families were left to pick up the peaces.
     The last stage is us.