to lose one's grip on the rank and file
11Germany — /jerr meuh nee/, n. a republic in central Europe: after World War II divided into four zones, British, French, U.S., and Soviet, and in 1949 into East Germany and West Germany; East and West Germany were reunited in 1990. 84,068,216; 137,852 sq.… …
12Sword — For other uses, see Sword (disambiguation) and Swords (disambiguation). Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century A sword is a bladed weapon (edged weapon) used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the… …
13Europe, history of — Introduction history of European peoples and cultures from prehistoric times to the present. Europe is a more ambiguous term than most geographic expressions. Its etymology is doubtful, as is the physical extent of the area it designates.… …
14Sicilian Mafia — Mafia redirects here. For other uses, see Mafia (disambiguation). Sketch of the 1901 maxi trial of suspected mafiosi in Palermo. From the newspaper L Ora, May 1901 The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the… …
15Qing Dynasty — Not to be confused with the Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China. Qing redirects here. For other uses, see Qing (disambiguation). Great Qing 大清帝国, Dà Qīng Dìguó …
16Italy — /it l ee/, n. a republic in S Europe, comprising a peninsula S of the Alps, and Sicily, Sardinia, Elba, and other smaller islands: a kingdom 1870 1946. 57,534,088; 116,294 sq. mi. (301,200 sq. km). Cap.: Rome. Italian, Italia. * * * Italy… …
17Nicolae Ceaușescu — For other people named Ceauşescu , see Ceauşescu (disambiguation). The title of this article contains the character ș. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Nicolae Ceausescu. Nicolae Ceaușescu …
18Historical powers — include great powers, nations, or empires in history. The term Great power represent the most important world powers. In a modern context, recognised great powers came about first in Europe during the post Napoleonic era.[1] The formalization of… …
19Thief in law — (Russian: вор в законе, vor v zakone ; plural thieves in law vory v zakone ) is a skilled individual, particularly a thief, within the Russian criminal world who satisfies certain requirements of the Russian criminal traditions and are similar to …
20performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical. The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …
