meta about her favorite moments in history (french revolution, etc, etc.)
SEND ME A TOPIC FOR METAS. | ACCEPTING.
❛ &. ┊ All right, the reason for why this took me so awfully long to respond to is because I suck at history. Quite a lot, actually? My only interest in history has ever and possibly will always be women’s history and perhaps I’m way too scarred by having to regurgitate the two world wars over and over in school from the same perspectives, in the same words, by different teachers, that I find it particularly difficult to grasp Moa’s ‘ favourite ’ moments in history.
But we know that she’s been based in Europe for the majority of her life -- other than in a thread I had a while back that portrayed Moa Zhao as a pirate in the sixteenth century, I’ve never implied once that she visited the states before the Vietnam war ( 1955 - 1975 ) where she met Kua Hale. I don’t think it’s entirely impossible that she’s been on the American continent before that, but for the sake of staying in my own territory -- and being capable to make use of the sparse knowledge I do, indeed have -- we’re going to stick to European history.
After the second world war ended in 1945, Moa Zhao remained in Berlin, Germany, and likely saw the rise and the fall of the Berlin Wall ( 1961 - 1989 ) which was a pretty big deal for everyone involved. Moa, at the time, lived in West-Berlin, in the US-sector. ‘ Canonically ’ speaking, as far as an original character can have a ‘ canon ’, was Moa Zhao a soldier of the UdSSR throughout the second world war and met Ephraim Salomon in 1944 during the Warsaw Uprising -- it would have made sense, on first sight, that she would have lived in East Berlin, the Soviet sector, but both lived together somewhere outside of Berlin for an extended period of time after the second world war until parting ways and Moa settling in Berlin and Ephraim settling in Yorkshire, England ( where he still lives ). The fall of the Berlin Wall marked an end to a seemingly endless nightmare and the beginning of a new life. I do think it’s very, very likely that this was one of the most remarkable moments in history that burned itself into her memory.
Another thread a while back with Rohini ( daayaan ) has already revealed Moa Zhao’s presence in France during the 1920s, the années folles, and her absolutely relatable infatuation with Josephine Baker, but, you know, other than the absolutely wonderful fashion, music, and art that was created until the Great Depression struck, I’m sure she very closely followed the development and proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 after having been involved with the Ottoman Empire ( 1299 - 1923 ) for centuries, either as an enemy ( e.g. the twelve Russo-Turkish wars between the 17th and 20th century ) or as an ally ( e.g. the Great Northern War ( 1700 - 1721 ). I think of great interest was especially the separation of state and religion at the hands of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, considering her... complicated relationship to anything religious. But has she actively lived in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, so I suppose in my humble opinion that she knows the traditions about as well as I do and had been personally affected ( positively ) by the sudden change of politics.
I think those two developments might have impacted her the most in the last few centuries? There’s more, of course, but she’s... over a thousand years old and I was a C student so... let’s end it at this and I’m gonna write up some rants whenever I figure out something new. I hope this wasn’t too rambl-y and neither disappointing? I really, really appreciated the question, especially when trying to develop a character that has such big potential but still is in her early stages. Thank u 💕
