{"id":278883,"date":"2021-06-19T15:48:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-19T12:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/"},"modified":"2021-06-19T15:48:41","modified_gmt":"2021-06-19T12:48:41","slug":"how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/","title":{"rendered":"#How 10 countries began from bizarre events, then disappeared"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2c70ca04fe1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2c70ca04fe1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Great_Republic_of_Rough_and_Ready_April_7-July_4_1850\" >The Great Republic of Rough and Ready, April 7-July 4, 1850\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_State_of_Muskogee_1799%E2%80%931803\" >The State of Muskogee, 1799\u20131803\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Principality_of_Trinidad_1893%E2%80%931895\" >The Principality of Trinidad, 1893\u20131895\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#Ottawa_Civic_Hospital_Maternity_Ward_January_1943\" >Ottawa Civic Hospital Maternity Ward, January 1943\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Islands_of_Refreshment_1811%E2%80%931816\" >The Islands of Refreshment, 1811\u20131816\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Republic_of_Perloja_1918%E2%80%931923\" >The Republic of Perloja, 1918\u20131923\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Kingdom_of_Bavaria_1805%E2%80%931918\" >The Kingdom of Bavaria, 1805\u20131918\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Heavenly_Kingdom_of_Great_Peace_1851%E2%80%931864\" >The Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace, 1851\u20131864\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Republic_of_Vemerana_May-September_1980\" >The Republic of Vemerana, May-September 1980\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/#The_Kingdom_of_Sarawak_1841%E2%80%931946\" >The Kingdom of Sarawak, 1841\u20131946\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#How 10 countries began from bizarre events, then dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>eared<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Not all countries survive \u2014 and sometimes that\u2019s for the best.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-nypost-small-post\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"231\" height=\"347\" alt=\"Atlas of Extinct Countries\" class=\"wp-image-18571522 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/an-atlas-of-extinct-countries.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/an-atlas-of-extinct-countries.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/an-atlas-of-extinct-countries.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/an-atlas-of-extinct-countries.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=231 231w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/an-atlas-of-extinct-countries.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=462 462w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 231px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The reasons for a nation\u2019s demise can run the gamut from \u201cmistakes, lies, stupid schemes and a lot of things that you\u2019d file under the umbrella term of <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> idiocy,\u201d explains Gideon Defoe in his new book, \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Atlas-Extinct-Countries-Gideon-Defoe\/dp\/1609456807\/?tag=nypost-20\">An Atlas of Extinct Countries<\/a>: The Remarkable (and Occasionally Ridiculous) Stories of 48 Nations that Fell Off the Map\u201d (Europa Compass), out now.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSometimes it\u2019s murder,\u201d Defoe writes. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s an accident. Sometimes it\u2019s because they were too ludicrous to exist in the first place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Just as often, their leaders can be .\u2009.\u2009. well, less than admirable. Defoe describes these failed nation founders as \u201ca catalogue of racists, con men, madmen, and people trying to get out of paying taxes.\u201d\u00a0Here are 10 upstart countries that were unable to persevere, and the reasons for their untimely demise.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Rough and Ready Hotel\" class=\"wp-image-18570902 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/rough-and-ready-hotel.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/rough-and-ready-hotel.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/rough-and-ready-hotel.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/rough-and-ready-hotel.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/rough-and-ready-hotel.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Rough and Ready Hotel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Great_Republic_of_Rough_and_Ready_April_7-July_4_1850\"><\/span>The Great Republic of Rough and Ready, April 7-July 4, 1850\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended:<\/strong> Couldn\u2019t get booze\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When an 18-pound gold nugget was discovered in 1849 near an outpost called Rough and Ready \u2014 named for then-President Zachary Taylor\u2019s military nickname \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> attracted thousands to the area, 62 miles northeast of Sacramento. The trouble started when California, just months away from becoming an official US state, imposed a mining tax. The townspeople were outraged. They took a vote and decided to secede from the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They created a flag and a constitution, which was pretty similar to the US Constitution \u2014 it even included the \u201clife, liberty, and pursuit of happiness\u201d line. All was well until the next July 4th celebration, when neighboring towns refused to sell them booze \u201con the grounds that they were now foreigners,\u201d writes Defoe. \u201cIt was also pointed out that you couldn\u2019t really celebrate the Fourth of July if you weren\u2019t part of America anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The town had another meeting and decided to rejoin the Union, deciding it was a better alternative to being sober.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"William Augustus Bowles\" class=\"wp-image-18570913 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/william-augustus-bowle.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/william-augustus-bowle.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/william-augustus-bowle.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/william-augustus-bowle.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/william-augustus-bowle.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>William Augustus Bowles<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Sepia Times\/Universal Images Group Editorial<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_State_of_Muskogee_1799%E2%80%931803\"><\/span>The State of Muskogee, 1799\u20131803\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended: <\/strong>Countrymen handed leader over to Spain\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>William Bowles, a bored 16-year-old from Maryland, decided that what the indigenous Creek and Cherokee tribes needed was their own country, but with a white teen in charge. So he founded Muskogee in northern Florida, a self-governing \u201cIndian nation,\u201d with himself as\u201cDirector General.\u201d It went well until 1792, when Bowles met with Spanish leaders about a peace treaty and they \u201cclapped him in irons and shipped him off to the Philippines,\u201d writes Defoe.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He returned in 1800 and tried again, this time with a small army of Creek warriors. But after declaring himself \u201cChief of all Indians present,\u201d his pissed-off army handed him over to the Spanish in 1803, who put Bowles in a Cuban prison for the remainder of his life.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"James Harden-Hickey\" class=\"wp-image-18570985 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/baron-harden-hickey.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/baron-harden-hickey.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/baron-harden-hickey.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/baron-harden-hickey.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/baron-harden-hickey.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>James Harden-Hickey<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Principality_of_Trinidad_1893%E2%80%931895\"><\/span>The Principality of Trinidad, 1893\u20131895\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended:<\/strong> Telephone poles\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>James Harden-Hickey, a San Francisco native and monarchy enthusiast who despised democracy, noticed a small, unclaimed island during a boat <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> and claimed it for himself. Harden-Hickey took the island\u2019s existing name, Trindade (Portuguese for \u201ctrinity\u201d), and translated it into Spanish, despite not being Spanish-speaking himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Bankrolled by his rich father-in-law, he commissioned a flashy crown and began selling $200 bonds for free passage to his new kingdom. But then in 1895, the British Empire began laying a transatlantic cable to Brazil, and Trinidad \u201chappened to be a convenient stopping-off point along the route,\u201d Defoe writes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Harden-Hickey plotted an invasion of England in retaliation for the unwelcome telephone poles, but his father-in-law refused to fund it, so he committed suicide by poison instead.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Princess Juliana with her daughter Princess Margriet\" class=\"wp-image-18571010 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/princess-juliana-princess-margriet.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/princess-juliana-princess-margriet.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/princess-juliana-princess-margriet.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/princess-juliana-princess-margriet.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/princess-juliana-princess-margriet.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Princess Juliana with her daughter Princess Margriet<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ottawa_Civic_Hospital_Maternity_Ward_January_1943\"><\/span>Ottawa Civic Hospital Maternity Ward, January 1943\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended:<\/strong> Dutch royal baby was born\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, the Dutch royal family went into exile, with Princess Juliana ending up in the Canadian capital, Ottawa. She became pregnant while living there, which presented a problem: For the exact moment of the baby\u2019s birth, the heir apparent had to enter the world specifically on Dutch land. So the Canadian government agreed to create an \u201cextra-territorial\u201d zone for the unborn child. Wherever the princess happened to be, even if she gave birth while out on a stroll, would be considered Dutch territory. Once Princess Juliana entered the third floor of Ottawa\u2019s Civic Hospital to give birth to Princess Margriet, Canada declared the maternity ward part of the Netherlands, even flying a Dutch flag until the royal baby was born on Jan. 19. After the birth, the \u201cextra-territorial\u201d zone im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely reverted back to Canada.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Jonathan Lambert\" class=\"wp-image-18571040 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jonathan-lambert.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jonathan-lambert.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jonathan-lambert.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jonathan-lambert.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jonathan-lambert.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Jonathan Lambert<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Islands_of_Refreshment_1811%E2%80%931816\"><\/span>The Islands of Refreshment, 1811\u20131816\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended: <\/strong>Pirates\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Jonathan Lambert, a young adventurer from Salem, Mass., discovered these remote islands (today called Tristan da Cunha) and colonized them for himself, three friends and a dog.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>With a welcoming name, his new kingdom \u201chad the stated aim of providing refreshment to passing travelers \u2014 in effect, a glorified motorway service station, but in the stupidest place possible,\u201d writes Defoe. Unfortunately, the only passing ships in that part of the Atlantic were more interested in stealing refreshments (and anything else they could grab), especially from an island nation run by four dudes and a dog.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"The flag of the Republic of Perloja\" class=\"wp-image-18571061 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/flag-perloja.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/flag-perloja.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/flag-perloja.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/flag-perloja.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/flag-perloja.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>The flag of the Republic of Perloja<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Republic_of_Perloja_1918%E2%80%931923\"><\/span>The Republic of Perloja, 1918\u20131923\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended: <\/strong>Written out of maps\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The inhabitants of Perloja, a small Lithuanian village, took advantage of the chaos following World War I to declare themselves an independent republic. They had their own flag, a bison with a cross on its head, and elected officials including a prime minister, minister of the interior, and a judge (who was popular for once sentencing a wife-beater to be beaten by his wife.) They also had a spy whose skills included bird impressions and dressing like an old woman.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But when new maps were drawn up, their village suddenly appeared on the Polish side of the border. \u201cThe Polish police would turn up, and the Perlojans would hide in caves until they\u2019d gone,\u201d writes Defoe. They eventually gave up and reluctantly agreed to follow the laws of Poland, \u201cthough they commemorated their bold independent stand with a plaque,\u201d Defoe writes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Ludwig II of Bavaria\" class=\"wp-image-18571072 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/ludwin-ii.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/ludwin-ii.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/ludwin-ii.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/ludwin-ii.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/ludwin-ii.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Ludwig II of Bavaria<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Kingdom_of_Bavaria_1805%E2%80%931918\"><\/span>The Kingdom of Bavaria, 1805\u20131918\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended: <\/strong>Their king was insane\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This former German state that gained its independence after the fall of the Holy Roman Empire had a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of OK kings who mostly kept the nation together. But then came Ludwig II, the fourth king of Bavaria, who favored wearing a \u201cweird bouffant that made his head look massive\u201d and almost bankrupted the country by constructing over-the-top fairytale castles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Distracted by a toothache to back the wrong side in the Austro-Prussian War in 1870, Ludwig also ordered citizens to be executed for sneezing, organized expensive productions of plays in which he was the only audience member, and tried to have the Prussian crown prince kidnapped and \u201cchained up in a cave.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 1886, Ludwig\u2019s body was found floating in a lake, either by murder or suicide (the case was never solved). Over the next few years, Bavaria slowly became part of the German Empire, \u201calmost without anyone noticing,\u201d writes Defoe.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Hong Xiuquan\" class=\"wp-image-18571096 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/hong-xiuquan.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/hong-xiuquan.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/hong-xiuquan.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/hong-xiuquan.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/hong-xiuquan.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Hong Xiuquan<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Heavenly_Kingdom_of_Great_Peace_1851%E2%80%931864\"><\/span>The Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace, 1851\u20131864\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended: <\/strong>Only poisonous weeds to eat\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hong Xiuquan, a failed civil servant convinced he was the Chinese younger brother of Jesus, formed a cult on Jan. 11, 1851 (his birthday), known as the God Worshippers, devoted to the destruction of demons. After a fierce and bloody battle with the Qing dynasty, they captured the city of Nanjing in 1853 and established it as their capital. Opium and polygamy were outlawed, which annoyed Hong\u2019s followers, but the breaking point came in the summer of 1864, when the kingdom began to run out of food. Hong promised they\u2019d be fine with \u201cmanna,\u201d which turned out to be old weeds from the palace grounds. Unsurprisingly, Hong fell ill, \u201cbecause rotten vegetation will do that,\u201d writes Defoe. Twenty days later, he was dead, and the Heavenly Kingdom fell shortly thereafter.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"Jimmy Stevens\" class=\"wp-image-18571112 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jimmy-stevens.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jimmy-stevens.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jimmy-stevens.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jimmy-stevens.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/jimmy-stevens.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Jimmy Stevens<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Paris Match via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Republic_of_Vemerana_May-September_1980\"><\/span>The Republic of Vemerana, May-September 1980\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended: <\/strong>No weapons to defend itself\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A bearded, messianic, half-Scottish former bulldozer driver named Jimmy Stevens staged an uprising on the Espiritu Santo island in the South Pacific, with Stevens calling for a return to \u201cthe old ways.\u201d He gave all government employees badges, from himself (as \u201cchief president\u201d) all the way down to \u201cschool children\u2019s guard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The republic was overthrown a few months later by an army from Papua New Guinea. The conflict, sarcastically dubbed the Coconut War by the foreign press (to mock both sides\u2019 lack of any real weaponry), didn\u2019t last long, since the islanders only had rocks, slings and some bow-and-arrows to defend themselves. The total casualty count for both sides was three, including Stevens\u2019 own son. It was enough for the Republic to surrender. Today, it\u2019s known as the Republic of Vanuatu, and is part of the Melanesian archipelago that compromises around 80 islands in the South Pacific.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" alt=\"jam\" class=\"wp-image-18571129 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/strawberry-jam.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/strawberry-jam.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/strawberry-jam.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/strawberry-jam.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/strawberry-jam.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Kingdom_of_Sarawak_1841%E2%80%931946\"><\/span>The Kingdom of Sarawak, 1841\u20131946\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How It Ended: <\/strong>Sold to Britain for jam\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After helping the Sultan of Brunei end a native uprising in Borneo, British-born James Brooke was given the governorship of Sarawak (and a pet orangutan named Betsy). Under his rule, he outlawed giving skulls as presents and tried to crack down on man-eating crocodiles \u2014 even sentencing a crocodile to death to discourage the other reptiles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The kingdom passed on to his grand-nephew, Vyner Brooke, who had an obsession with jam (his father forbade it, deeming it \u201ceffeminate\u201d) and was so socially awkward he hid in cupboards to avoid conversations. After the kingdom was bombed during World War II, he sold it to the British for \u201ca big lump of cash and all the jam he could eat,\u201d writes Defoe.\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/06\/19\/how-10-countries-began-from-bizarre-events-then-disappeared\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How 10 countries began from bizarre events, then disappeared&#8221; Not all countries survive \u2014 and sometimes that\u2019s for the best.\u00a0 The reasons for a nation\u2019s demise can run the gamut from \u201cmistakes, lies, stupid schemes and a lot of things that you\u2019d file under the umbrella term of general idiocy,\u201d explains Gideon Defoe in his&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":278884,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/06\/Lands-of-the-Lost.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[109880,5378,30088],"class_list":["post-278883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-6-19-21","tag-history","tag-lost"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}