When Lenin came up with the idea for the New Economic Policy, he made some exceptions to allow for certain amounts of capitalism to be implemented to boost output of war materials.
The French Revolution was started by the country's "third estate", which was composed of the Burgoise and the Working Class. This sector of society was enraged due to the monarchies mismanagement and excessive grant of benefits towards the Clergy (The First Estate) and the Nobility (The Second Estate).
Creole leaders such as Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin were inspired by these uprisings, as they believed the Spanish Crown used the colonies as mere sourcing points for their riches and were not reciprocal in developing them. To the contrary, the Spaniards executed high taxes which made it unbearable for the Colonialists (Creoles).
If the story of "All Quiet on the Western Front" was told today, the story would be much different, especially if it was told from the viewpoint of an American soldier involved in the War on Terror. First, the protagonist would not be coming from a nation that is in a state of total war. The War on Terror is a limited war and does not require the undivided focus of the American government, industry, and economy. A soldier, today, would likely be volunteering to join the military, instead of being all but forced to like the characters in "All Quiet on the Western Front." Second, the total detachment the soldiers in "All Quiet on the Western Front" feel from their civilian lives would not be as pronounced, given how today's soldiers are able to communicate with their friends and family back home by way of email, online chat, and quicker postal service. Thirdly, today's American soldiers are provided with far better and more extensive military training than the soldiers in "All Quiet on the Western Front" are, hence they would be more prepared for the combat experiences they must endure.
The most important role of the Parthians in the Silk Road trade was their ability to provide Chinese silk to the Romans, who had a seemingly endless appetite for this material.
