This is a reference to a previous version of the quiz. Originally, I had decided not to include territorial or imperial possessions in the population totals. I also put in a note about why I put Vietnam on the quiz- and this was because I had decided to accept the Vietnamese narrative which is that the country was united and independent by 1950 and fighting against foreign occupation. If the country was still part of France then obviously it wouldn't be sovereign and get a spot on the list, and if it were divided into north and south then also the population would be halved and not be enough to get on the list.
Dien Bien Phu was site of a major siege against French forces in Indochina. Vietnamese victory there basically meant an end to French involvement in Vietnam. This occurred in 1954.
Germany has been added as a type-in for West Germany to make the quiz consistent with other featured quizzes. Russia was removed as a type-in for the USSR for the same reason. Nigeria has been added to Britain's total. Vietnam has been added to France's total. The Congo has been added to Belgium's total. And Pakistan in 1950 comprised both Pakistan (West Pakistan) and Bangladesh (East Pakistan). Those are the major differences with a contemporary quiz.
Thanks. I've recommended a dozen or two quizzes to QM to be featured. I don't think this was one of them, I felt that there were many others I've done that were better, but... not every quiz that ends up featured is genius or anything.
If anyone's wondering how it's possible that Pakistan had more people than Japan at this point in history, it's because Pakistan included Bangladesh (East Pakistan) at the time. Britain gets a big boost from Nigeria. and I think when QM changed this to include territories and imperial possessions Vietnam got lumped in with France, though the North Vietnamese had already declared independence.
If this quiz was set just 3 years earlier, I'm guessing Britain would be #1 because of the British Raj. 2 years before that, "Dutch Empire" would be here because of Indonesia. It might be interesting to make a quiz like this for 1945 because the 5 years between 1945 and 1950 saw a lot of changes.
Only missed Belgium (though tried Congo and Zaire, not realising it weren't sovereign at that time). Anyway, I really enjoyed this quiz, makes you think about the changing world. Fascinating how small, in terms of population, were some countries then, as compared to now.
However, what is the source for the numbers in this quiz? Thanks.
Some of the missing African and Asian countries (Vietnam, Congo, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, Ukraine) are not here because at the time they were part of other countries. Others simply hadn't yet undergone the population boom that they would in the following century as the benefits of industrialization spread to the poorest countries in the world.
Everything I missed was because I thought is was still a colony. Figured Pakistan was still a part of Raj, and eventually guessed South Africa, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Zaire, and then gave up on Egypt. Shame.
Literally typed "Congo", "DRC" and "Zaire" before realising it didn't get independence from Belgium until like 1960. Then I didn't think to type Belgium too. Got 19/20. I'm so dumb.
Not all of it. Parts of Eastern Poland were annexed by the USSR after WW2, and parts of Eastern Germany were given to the Polish People's Republic, which was a communist state aligned with the Soviet Union, but not part of the Soviet Union.
Colonialism elements of this quiz aside, it's a bit frightening to note that since 1950, the USA has doubled its population while the Philippines has QUINTUPLED its population.
Dien Bien Phu was site of a major siege against French forces in Indochina. Vietnamese victory there basically meant an end to French involvement in Vietnam. This occurred in 1954.
I usualy wouldn't reply to a comment this old, but this quiz was recently spotlighted and I don't want people to be misinformed.
However, what is the source for the numbers in this quiz? Thanks.