document_title: History of the Carolina Panthers

question_text: when did the carolina panthers become a team

text: History of the Carolina Panthers

text: Origins: 1987–1994[edit]

text: In 1987, shortly after it was decided that Charlotte would receive an expansion National Basketball Association franchise (the Hornets), former Baltimore Colts wide receiver, North Carolina native and businessman Jerry Richardson met with a group of potential backers to discuss the possibility of bringing an NFL expansion team to the Carolina region. Richardson Sports decided upon a spot in the uptown section of Charlotte to build a privately financed stadium seating more than 70,000 fans.

text: Richardson's announcement created a buzz in the region, as politicians, businessmen, and citizens all joined together to show the NFL that a team could be supported in the area. United States Senators Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Ernest Hollings of South Carolina put aside their partisan differences to lobby NFL owners to support the expansion. Meanwhile, then-North Carolina Governor James G. Martin and then-South Carolina Governor Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. created a committee of citizens from both states to help the cause. Preseason games were held in the region in 1989, 1990, and 1991. The first two were held at Carter–Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, respectively, while the third game was held at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. The matchups were between existing NFL teams and all three games were sold out as part of the fans' efforts to show their support.

text: In 1992, the NFL released their list of five areas open to a potential NFL team: Baltimore, Maryland; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Jacksonville, Florida; and the Carolinas, represented by Charlotte. After the vote was delayed because of a dispute between the players and the league, the race began again in 1993. In June of that year, Richardson Sports announced that they would finance the stadium through the sale of Permanent Seat Licenses, club seats, and luxury boxes. In a stunning show of fan support, all seats were sold out by the end of the first day.

text: The feasibility of the team was no longer a question, but it was still up to the league to decide where the new team would go. On October 26, 1993, the league announced that the owners had unanimously voted for the Carolinas to receive the 29th franchise, the first new NFL team since 1976 (Jacksonville was named the 30th team a month later). Fans all over the region celebrated with fireworks. In a memorable moment during the expansion announcement conference, Richardson spoke directly into a camera feed going to the Carolinas to thank the 40,000 people who had purchased the PSLs and allowing the stadium to be built without a burden to the taxpayers.

text: Even though St. Louis and Baltimore lost out on their expansion bids, they eventually acquired new teams: the Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995 (however, the Rams would return to Los Angeles in 2016), and as the result of the 1996 Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, the Baltimore Ravens were established by the league as technically a new expansion team. Memphis also temporarily received a team when the Houston Oilers relocated in 1996 to Tennessee, intending to play the 1997 and 1998 seasons in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium while what is now called Nissan Stadium in Nashville was being constructed.

text: Dom Capers era: 1995–1998[edit]

text: The Panthers signed Dom Capers, former defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers and current defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, as their inaugural head coach.

text: 1995 season[edit]

text: During the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft, Rod Smith was the first player selected by the Panthers. During the 1995 NFL Draft, the Panthers made their first significant addition (in terms of long-term contributions to the team) by drafting Penn State quarterback Kerry Collins. Upon entering the NFL in 1995, the Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars set about building their respective squads with a luxury not afforded to previous expansion teams: free agency. The Panthers made excellent use of the tool, picking up wide receiver Don Beebe, linebacker Sam Mills, and placekicker John Kasay. The Panthers won the annual Hall of Fame Game against the fellow expansion Jacksonville Jaguars 20–14 (a game known as the "Battle of the Big Cats", due to the similar nicknames of the franchises) on July 29, 1995. General manager Bill Polian, who had built the Buffalo Bills teams that won four consecutive AFC Championships a few years prior, brought many of the contributors from that squad to Carolina, including Carlton Bailey, Frank Reich, Pete Metzelaars and Beebe.

text: The home games during the season were played at Clemson University, as the Panthers stadium in Charlotte was still under construction. This made the Panthers the only sports team in one of the Big Four leagues ever based out of South Carolina, even if only for one year. The Panthers originally wanted to play their first season in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, which was closer and more accessible to Charlotte, but the University of South Carolina turned them down.

text: Despite being drafted first, Kerry Collins was not the team's first starting QB, that distinction instead going to former Bills backup Frank Reich. The Panthers first regular season game was against the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome. The Panthers scored on their first three possessions to take a 13–0 lead before the Falcons rallied to win 23–20 in overtime. The Panthers first home game (in Clemson) was a 31–10 loss to the St. Louis Rams. Reich only played in the first three games but was the first Panthers QB to throw a touchdown pass. Collins assumed starting QB duties in week 4. Following an 0–5 start to the season, the Panthers won their first game against the New York Jets 26–15 on October 15, 1995, after Sam Mills returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. Later that year, the Panthers stunned the league by not only winning four consecutive games (an expansion team record), but defeating the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers 13–7, the first time an expansion team had beaten the reigning champs. The Panthers finished their season 7–9, more than doubling the previous record of a first year expansion team.

text: 1996 season: Playoff Debut[edit]

text: In the 1996 NFL Draft, the Panthers used their first pick on running back Tim Biakabutuka, and their second pick on wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, both players would have successful careers with the team. During the off-season, they also picked up quarterback Steve Beuerlein, tight end Wesley Walls, and linebacker Kevin Greene. After playing their home games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina during their first season, the Panthers began play at the newly completed Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina starting in September. The team's second year proved even better than the first; following a 5–4 start to the year, the players found a groove and rattled off a seven-game winning streak to end the season with a record of 12–4, and win the NFC West division for the first time in franchise history.

text: In their first ever playoff game, they beat the Dallas Cowboys 26–17 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Ericsson Stadium. The following week, however, they fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 30–13 in the NFC Championship. Their fellow second-year expansion team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, played in the AFC Championship against the New England Patriots but lost 20–6; the NFL nearly had an all-expansion Super Bowl. Following the successful season, the Panthers were represented at the Pro Bowl by eight players, including Kerry Collins, John Kasay, Sam Mills, and Michael Bates among others. Capers also won NFL Coach of the Year, becoming the first Panthers coach to win the award.[1]

text: 1997 season[edit]

text: The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 1997 NFL Draft, including safety Mike Minter, tight end Kris Mangum, and also signed running back Fred Lane as an undrafted free agent. Following an impressive second season, the Panthers fully expected to return to the playoffs in 1997, but a 2–4 start quickly began to cloud the minds of Carolina fans. The team finished their third season with a record of 7–9, and missed the playoffs. The Panthers lost their first ever appearance on Monday Night Football by a score of 34-21 to the San Francisco 49ers. They were also shut out for the first time in franchise history in a week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos, 34–0.

text: 1998 season[edit]

text: The Panthers started the 1998 season 0–7, the franchise's worst start ever. Quarterback Kerry Collins started the first four games for the team before Steve Beuerlein was given the starting job; he started the season's remaining 12 games. The team got their first win of the year with a 31–17 victory over the New Orleans Saints in week 9, breaking a nine-game losing streak dating back to the previous season. After rallying to win their last two games, the Panthers finished the year 4–12, their worst record in franchise history at the time. Kerry Collins, who was dealing with alcoholism, was released following the season. Head coach Dom Capers was let go as well, after four seasons with the franchise.

text: George Seifert era: 1999–2001[edit]

text: After Dom Capers was let go following the previous season, George Seifert was hired as the second head coach in Panthers history. Seifert had won two Super Bowls as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and had a reputation for winning with talented and experienced teams.

text: 1999 season[edit]

text: The Panthers picked up several players in the 1999 NFL Draft, including defensive end Mike Rucker. In Seifert's first season with the team, the Panthers finished with an 8–8 record, a four-game improvement from the previous season, and their first .500 record in franchise history. Following a 2–5 start, they finished 6–3 in their last 9 games, including a last-second victory over Green Bay where QB Steve Beuerlein ran in for the game-winning score, and a 45–13 home victory over the division rival New Orleans Saints in the final game of the season. However, the team missed out on a wildcard playoff berth through a complicated tiebreaker based on total points scored. Wide receiver Rae Carruth, taken with the Panthers first pick of the 1997 Draft, was arrested in 1999 for conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend and was later convicted.

text: 2000 season[edit]

text: In the 2000 NFL Draft, safety Deon Grant and linebacker Lester Towns were among the players selected by the Panthers. In Seifert's second season with the team, the Panthers finished 7–9, one game worse than the previous season, and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. They finished third in the NFC West, behind the playoff-bound St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints. Veteran quarterback Steve Beuerlein, who had been the team's starting quarterback since 1998, was released following the season. Former running back Fred Lane, who had been a member of the Panthers for three seasons, was shot and killed by his wife during a domestic dispute in 2000 after signing with the Indianapolis Colts.

text: 2001 season: 15 straight losses[edit]

text: Seifert's third and final season with the Panthers was a disaster. The team released veteran quarterback Steve Beuerlein in the off-season and handed the reins to Jeff Lewis, who was released after several poor performances during the preseason; that left the Panthers with rookie quarterback Chris Weinke under center. Weinke had won the Heisman Trophy and led Florida State to a national championship in college but was unable to duplicate that level of success in the NFL. The Panthers won their opening game against the Minnesota Vikings 24–13, but then lost 15 straight games. This set a record for single-season losing streaks which held until the Detroit Lions' 0–16 winless campaign of 2008.[2] The Panthers also finished last in their division for the first time in franchise history.

text: George Seifert was fired the day after the 2001 season ended and the team then set out to find its third head coach. Although his final season was the worst in team history, Seifert did help select several outstanding players in the 2001 NFL Draft including linebacker Dan Morgan, defensive tackle Kris Jenkins and wide receiver Steve Smith, each of whom earned Pro Bowl berths and All-Pro awards while playing for the Panthers. Smith, who played thirteen seasons with the team, was considered one of the most electrifying and explosive wide receivers in the game.

text: John Fox era: 2002–2010[edit]

text: After Seifert was fired following the disastrous 2001 season, the Panthers hired New York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox as the team's third head coach. Fox was known for defensive discipline and it would be needed to improve a team that had finished in the bottom of the defensive rankings the previous year.

text: 2002 season[edit]

text: Fox looked to the 2002 NFL Draft to begin revamping the franchise, starting with the second overall pick; defensive end Julius Peppers. Peppers was a dominating defensive end at the University of North Carolina and he was a solid fit for Fox's defensive plan. The Panthers also picked up linebacker Will Witherspoon and running back DeShaun Foster in the draft. Peppers combined with fellow defensive end Mike Rucker and defensive tackles Brentson Buckner and Kris Jenkins to form what many football experts at the time called the best defensive line in the game. Meanwhile, safety Mike Minter anchored the secondary, while Witherspoon (affectionately called "Spoon" by fans and teammates) and Mark Fields led the linebacker corps. Veteran Rodney Peete led the offense at QB. Fox's defense-first philosophy worked well as the Panthers improved to 7–9 (a six-game improvement over the previous year) and posted the league's second-best overall defense, including allowing a league-low 3.69 yards per rushing attempt.

text: 2003 season: The Cardiac Cats[edit]

text: The 2003 season began with the Panthers drafting several young prospects, including Ricky Manning, Jr. at cornerback, and Jordan Gross at offensive tackle. In addition, then-unknown quarterback Jake Delhomme, running back Stephen Davis, and former Rams wide receiver Ricky Proehl were signed in the off-season, making additions to an offense that needed to complement a top-ranked defense. The team was not without tragedy, however, as it was revealed that former linebacker and coach Sam Mills was diagnosed with intestinal cancer; additionally, linebacker Mark Fields was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. The team used their struggle as inspiration, and started the season 5–0. Former Saints backup Jake Delhomme replaced Rodney Peete at quarterback by halftime of the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, then led the Panthers to a fourth quarter comeback, thus winning the starting job. Delhomme eventually led the team to an 11–5 record, the NFC South Division title and a playoff berth.

text: In the playoffs, they easily defeated the Cowboys 29–10 in a home wild-card game before facing the St. Louis Rams in the divisional playoff game in the Edward Jones Dome. Carolina had an 11-point lead in the last 3 minutes of play, but a touchdown from Marshall Faulk, a successful two-point conversion, and an onside kick that led to a field goal tied the game and sent it to overtime. Both John Kasay and Jeff Wilkins missed potential game-winning kicks in the first overtime, but In the first play of the 2nd OT, however, Jake Delhomme hit Steve Smith with a 69-yard touchdown pass to win the game, 29–23, sending the Panthers into the NFC Championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles, led by Donovan McNabb, were in the NFC title match for the 3rd year in a row, but lost it as the Panthers shut down the Eagles offense and, with a 14–3 victory, headed to their first Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. The multiple close games, won either in overtime or with a slim margin, gave way to a new nickname for the Panthers: the "Cardiac Cats."

text: Super Bowl XXXVIII[edit]

text:
1
2
3
4
Total

Panthers
0
10
0
19
29

Patriots
0
14
0
18
32

text: at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas

text:
Date: February 1, 2004
Game time: 6:25 p.m. EST/5:25 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played with roof closed, retractable roof stadium

text: At Super Bowl XXXVIII, neither team was able to put up points in the first quarter, and the game remained scoreless until near the end of the first half. However, 24 points were scored in the last 5 minutes of the first half, and the score going into halftime was 14–10 New England. The third quarter was also scoreless and it wasn't until late in the game that things heated up once again. The teams traded leads numerous times in the highest-scoring fourth quarter in Super Bowl history, including setting a record when Jake Delhomme hit Muhsin Muhammad for an 85-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. That pass made the score 22–21, Carolina and went down in the record books as the longest offensive play in Super Bowl history. After New England responded with a touchdown of their own and a 2-point conversion to make it 29–22, Carolina would storm right back to tie the game with a touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl with 1:08 left in regulation, opening the possibility to the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. However, John Kasay's kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Patriots the ball on their own 40-yard line. Adam Vinatieri, who had won Super Bowl XXXVI two years earlier on a last-second field goal, repeated his heroics, connecting on a 41-yarder with four seconds left, even though he had already missed two field goals in the game. This gave the Patriots their second Super Bowl win in three years.

text: 2004 season[edit]

text: Experts all picked the Panthers to repeat their 2003 season success in 2004. Having selected cornerback Chris Gamble and wide receiver Keary Colbert with their top two picks in the 2004 draft, and not having lost any core players from their Super Bowl run, the team looked ready for their 10th Anniversary season. In addition, Mark Fields, who had missed the previous season with Hodgkin's disease, returned and was ready to go. But the team suffered major injuries early on, as Steve Smith broke his leg in the season opener against Green Bay, Stephen Davis suffered a knee injury before the second game of the season, and Kris Jenkins had shoulder problems that benched him for the year. In fact, the Panthers had 14 players on injured reserve, including their top four running backs, more than any other team. This led to a 1–7 start, and people began wondering if they would repeat the 1–15 season of 2001. However, backup fullback Nick Goings stepped up to the challenge with five 100-yd rushing games, Keary Colbert played better than most rookies thrown into the #2 receiver spot, and the defense held together despite the injuries to help the team win 6 of their last 8 games, finishing 7–9. The Panthers barely missed the playoffs after losing a close game to New Orleans, when a 60-yard field goal attempt fell just short as time expired.

text: Among things the Panthers did in 2004 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the franchise was name a 10th Anniversary All-Time Team. With the exception of tight end Wesley Walls, every offensive starter was on the team during their Super Bowl run of 2003. The only defensive players to make the anniversary team that played in the Super Bowl were the front four (Peppers, Rucker, Jenkins and Buckner), linebacker Dan Morgan, and safety Mike Minter. Pro Bowl punter Todd Sauerbrun made the squad as well. Naturally, kicker John Kasay made the team, since he had been the team's kicker since its inception.

text: 2005 season[edit]

text: Despite a home-opening loss to the New Orleans Saints to start off the 2005 season, the Panthers got revenge against the two-time defending champion New England Patriots for the loss in Super Bowl XXXVIII, winning the rematch by a final score of 27–17. Despite going on the road and losing a close game to the Miami Dolphins 27–24, the Panthers managed to get a six-game winning streak going, including a win at home on Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. In a home game against the Minnesota Vikings, Steve Smith, who had already emerged as one of the league's best wide receivers had a real breakthrough, catching 11 passes for 201 yards and 1 touchdown, with his longest reception of the game being 69 yards. Jake Delhomme also enjoyed one of his best outings in years, completing 21 of 29 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns, giving Delhomme a nomination for FedEx Air Player of The Week.

text: Their winning streak came to an end however at the hands of the Chicago Bears. The #1 defense held the Panthers to just three points, as they lost the game 13–3. After losing to the Cowboys in the season's penultimate game, the Panthers needed a victory to secure a spot in the playoffs. They responded with a dominating New Years Day performance at the Georgia Dome, a 44–11 victory over the Falcons, making the score the largest margin of victory in franchise history, and the first time since 1997 that the Panthers were able to beat the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. With that victory, the Panthers secured themselves the NFC's #5 seed.

text: The Panthers began their post-season play on Sunday January 8, 2006 at Giants Stadium against the New York Giants. After both sides failed to score in the first quarter, the trifecta of Jake Delhomme, DeShaun Foster, and Steve Smith showed dominance as they shut out the Giants 23–0. Carolina's coach, John Fox, used to be the defensive coordinator for the Giants when they went to the Super Bowl earlier in the decade. New York was the nation's number one television market, and the shutout in the playoffs was significant.

text: Their next opponent was the Chicago Bears, home to the nation's third largest television market. The Panthers defeated them at Soldier Field with a final score of 29–21. With that victory, the Panthers advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the third time in the franchise's 11-year history. However, during the Chicago game Deshaun Foster suffered a crushing ankle injury that would keep him indefinitely sidelined. Also, star defensive end Julius Peppers re-injured an ailing shoulder. The next weekend they played against the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC Championship, but injuries and playing on the road for the fourth straight week caught up with the Panthers and they came up short, losing 34–14.

text: 2006 season[edit]

text: In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Panthers drafted running back Deangelo Williams in the first round. Coming off a playoff season and with new acquisition Keyshawn Johnson, the Panthers sold out Bank of America Stadium fifteen minutes after tickets went on sale.[3] An early injury to Steve Smith led to a two-game losing streak, but his return coincided with a four-game winning run. However, Jake Delhomme was injured soon after and was lost for three games. In the end, the team finished 8–8 and missed the playoffs. Following the season, offensive coordinator Dan Henning was fired and Johnson retired, becoming an NFL analyst for ESPN for several years.

text: 2007 season[edit]

text: Among the players the team drafted that offseason was WR Dwayne Jarrett, picked in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Jarrett would become a major draft bust. The Panthers began the season as playoff contenders, and won their opener against the St. Louis Rams for the first time since 2003. The following week at home against the Houston Texans, the Panthers jumped ahead 14–0 but lost 34–21, unable to fend off a relentless passing attack by the Texans. In week three against the Atlanta Falcons, Delhomme was lost for the season with an injured elbow, which resulted in Tommy John surgery. After a close loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 4, the Panthers got back on the winning track behind the passing arm of former Houston Texans standout QB David Carr, who drew from the playbook of his 2006 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts by engineering two 4th-quarter drives; the first for a TD, and the last to set up the game-winning field goal by John Kasay to defeat the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the unpopular Carr suffered the first major injury of his career, badly injuring his back against the Saints. After returning to the game in the second half to get the win, Carr would play sparingly for the rest of the year, forcing the Panthers to rely on a combination of 44-year-old Vinny Testaverde and rookie Matt Moore for the remainder of the season. The Panthers finished 7–9, and missed the playoffs again.

text: 2008 season[edit]

text: The Panthers picked up several talented players in the 2008 NFL Draft, including running back Jonathan Stewart, and offensive tackle Jeff Otah. With the help of a much improved rushing offense, the Panthers rebounded in the 2008 season, going 8–0 at home, and finishing the season with a 12–4 record. After defeating the New Orleans Saints 33–31 in the last game of the regular season, the Panthers claimed their second NFC South title and a first round bye in the playoffs. However, on January 10 the Panthers' season came to a disappointing end, as they lost to the Arizona Cardinals 33–13 at home in the Divisional round. The Panthers' offense was plagued by Delhomme's 6 turnovers (5 interceptions and a fumble) and the Cardinals 27 first-half points.

text: 2009 season[edit]

text: The 2009 season opener witnessed Carolina lose at the hands of the Eagles (including Delhomme's six turnovers), followed by losses to Atlanta and Dallas. The Panthers got their first win in week 5 against Washington. In Week 6, they defeated their division rival Buccaneers 28–21, a game that was most notable for cornerback Dante Wesley launching himself into the neck of Tampa Bay punt returner Clifton Smith after Smith had waved for a fair catch. Smith was knocked unconscious and Wesley ejected for his actions after a brief fight broke out between both teams. Wesley was suspended one game and fined $20,000. There followed an uneven string of wins and losses. After 11 games, a recently injured Delhomme was benched, and replaced at starting QB by Matt Moore. With a more aggressive offense in place, the Panthers won four of their last five games, including their last three. These victories included an impressive 26–7 sweep of playoff-bound Minnesota. They then crushed the Giants 41–9 in the last game at Giants Stadium, and ended the season at 8–8 with a 23–10 victory over the Saints.

text: 2010 season[edit]

text: The Panthers lost several key players during the 2010 off-season from previous seasons, including quarterback Jake Delhomme, defensive end Julius Peppers, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, and cornerback Dante Wesley. Their most notable draft pick was Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who eventually started 10 games during the season. Matt Moore started at QB when the Panthers lost in New York in Week 1, and then fell to Tampa Bay. The 0–2 team then benched Moore and installed Clausen as starting quarterback. After suffering further defeats against Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Chicago, Carolina entered its bye week at 0–5. Moore was brought out as starter again in Week 7 and the Panthers got their first win by defeating San Francisco 23–20. Following another seven-game losing streak, in which Moore was eventually placed on injured reserve, Clausen lead the Panthers to their second win, a 19–12 victory over the Cardinals. In the end, the Panthers finished the season with a record of 2–14 and a last place finish in the NFC South. This marked the team's worst record since 2001 and the worst record in the league that season. However, the team's last-place finish gave them the number one pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

text: Cam Newton/Ron Rivera era: 2011–present[edit]

text: After a disappointing 2010 season, John Fox was fired along with most of his coaching staff 24 hours after the regular season concluded.[4] A few months later, the Panthers hired Ron Rivera as the fourth head coach in Panther history. Rivera was previously the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and the San Diego Chargers before being hired by the Panthers.

text: 2011 season[edit]

text: The Panthers selected Heisman Trophy and National Championship-winning quarterback Cam Newton with the 1st overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. This move was controversial, as Newton's ability to play in the NFL was widely doubted by many experts, but it also showed a clear sign that the Panthers were dissatisfied with Jimmy Clausen. Amid all the speculation Cam went on to break Peyton Manning's rookie passing yard record, rushing TD's by a quarterback in a single season, and many other records. With leadership from Newton, coach Ron Rivera, and a huge comeback season from Steve Smith, the Panthers would finish the 2011 season 6–10 – a four-game improvement over the previous year – and finish 3rd in the division.

text: 2012 season[edit]

text: The Panthers drafted Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly with the 9th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and unveiled an updated logo. Carolina started the season 2-8, losing many of them by late-game collapses. A 19-14 loss to the Cowboys resulted in longtime general manager Marty Hurney being fired. However, the team managed to win 5 out of their final 6 games to finish with a record of 7-9, good for 2nd in the NFC South. It became their first season with single-digit losses since 2009. The strong finish helped to save head coach Ron Rivera from otherwise losing his job, despite talk of the coach being fired after the season's end.

text: 2013 season[edit]

text: After allowing the Buffalo Bills to score the game-winning touchdown with only 2 seconds left in their week 2 matchup, and then losing 22-6 the next week against the Cardinals in which Cam Newton threw three interceptions, the Panthers fell 1-3 to begin the season. Coach Ron Rivera's job was once again in serious jeopardy, along with questions of Newton's leadership. The team rebounded the following week, beating the Minnesota Vikings 35-10 and unexpectedly went on a then-franchise record eight-game winning streak. During the streak, the Panthers defeated the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in California and defeated the longtime AFC powerhouse New England Patriots on Monday Night Football in Charlotte. The Panthers defense, led by second year linebacker Luke Kuechly, became the main star during the streak, holding opponents to 20 points or less. It finally ended in week 14, when Carolina was beaten 31-13 by their division rival New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football. The Panthers were able to finish strong with three victories in a row. Rebounding with a 30-20 victory over the Jets, they avenged their loss to the Saints with a nail-biting 17-13 win. A razor thin 21-20 season finale win over the Atlanta Falcons the following week allowed Carolina to clinch their third NFC South title overall and the 2nd seed for the NFC playoffs.

text: In the Divisional round of the playoffs, the Panthers hosted the 49ers. The reigning conference champions were much healthier than they were in the regular season, and defeated the Panthers 23-10. Following the season, Rivera won Coach of the Year, becoming the second Panthers coach to win the award and Kuechly won Defensive Player of the Year, the first Panther to win the honor.[5]

text: 2014 season[edit]

text: After a strong start with wins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, the Panthers suffered a dismal 1-8-1 record over the next 10 games, falling to 3-8-1 with an embarrassing loss against the Vikings, including having two punts blocked. Their record included a 37-37 overtime tie against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6, the first ever tie in both franchise history and NFL history under the current overtime rules. The tide turned in December, with four consecutive wins against the New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Atlanta Falcons. With these wins, the Panthers finished the season at 7-8-1.

text: Despite having a losing record, the Panthers captured their second straight NFC South division title and, for the first time in franchise history, playoff berths in back-to-back years. They were also the first team in NFC South history to have back to back division titles and the second team to win a division title with a sub-.500 record, the first team being the 2010 Seattle Seahawks. The Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, their first postseason victory in nine years, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional round.

text: 2015 season: Super Bowl 50[edit]

text: The Panthers looked to improve on their playoff run from 2014, but things started ominously before the season began as top WR Kelvin Benjamin was lost for the year after tearing his ACL in a non-contact drill during practice. Despite what some thought was a major loss in Benjamin, Carolina went on to shock the NFL by achieving both a franchise-best and league-best 15-1 record, including 14 consecutive victories to start the season, the most by any NFC team in history. Their only regular season loss occurred in the penultimate week of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons. Season highlights included Cam Newton's flip into the end zone in week 2, defeating Seattle on the road in week 5, an overtime victory over the Colts in week 8, blowing out the Cowboys in the Panthers first Thanksgiving Day game in week 10, winning their third straight division title in week 11, and achieving home-field advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in week 17. Also, ten players (six offensive, four defensive) were selected to the Pro Bowl, the most in team history along with eight All-Pro selections.

text: In the postseason, the Panthers, having earned home-field advantage, earned a 1st-round bye. At home for the Divisional Round, Carolina faced Seattle in a rematch from the playoffs a year before. After jumping out to a 31-0 halftime lead, the Seahawks stormed back with 24 unanswered points to make it 31-24, however the Panthers would recover the ensuing onside kick, ending Seattle's quest for a possible third consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Next, the Panthers hosted the Arizona Cardinals in their first NFC Championship game appearance since 2005 and the first one played in Charlotte. Carolina routed the Cardinals, forcing seven turnovers en route to a 49-15 victory, their first NFC Championship win since 2003. With the win, Carolina advanced to Super Bowl 50, the team's first appearance in thirteen years. The Panthers were defeated by the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl by a score of 24–10.

text: At the NFL Honors, which took place the day before the Super Bowl, it was announced Newton had won the NFL MVP award, becoming the first Panther to ever win the honor. The QB also won Offensive Player of the Year (another first), while Rivera won his second Coach of the Year award in three seasons.[6]

text: 2016 season[edit]

text: Looking to defend their NFC South crown for a fourth straight season, the Panthers backfired. Josh Norman was cut by now fired GM Dave Gettleman who was a very controversial guy for cutting Steve Smith as well and Norman then signed with Washington in the offseason, leading the team to draft three corners to replace him. The year started with a close loss to the Broncos. A win against the 49ers the following week didn't help, as the team went 1-5 over the first six weeks. After a week 13 blowout loss to Seattle, the Panthers rebounded to win two straight. However, they couldn't stop the Falcons who won the NFC South, ending Carolina's three-year run. Newton had statistically the worst season of his career and the team finished with a 6-10 record. The season was also marked by the death of former special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven. Four days after the season ended, team president Danny Morrison resigned. The Panthers also lost defensive coordinator Sean McDermott who became Buffalo's head coach.[7][8]


document_title: Theon Greyjoy

question_text: who is the guy that tortures theon greyjoy

root

text: Theon Greyjoy

text: Character description[edit]

text: Theon Greyjoy is not a point of view character in the first novel, but becomes one beginning with the second novel A Clash of Kings.[5]

tag: p

text: Theon Greyjoy is the only living son, and heir apparent of Balon Greyjoy. He is the third-person narrator for thirteen chapters throughout A Clash of Kings and A Dance with Dragons. He is initially arrogant, cocky, and proud, but becomes more fragile after being tortured by Ramsay Snow. Ten years before the events of the series, he was taken hostage by Eddard Stark to be executed if Balon displeased the king, Robert Baratheon. Theon was raised at Winterfell with the Stark children and became a close friend to Robb Stark in particular.

text: As a prisoner of Ramsay Snow, the "Bastard of Bolton", he has been subjected to physical and psychological torture, emasculated and mockingly renamed as "Reek".[6]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Originally auditioning for the role of Jon Snow,[7] the English actor Alfie Allen has received positive reviews for his role as Theon Greyjoy in the TV series.[8] Paul Tassi of Forbes explained:

text: In one scene, six year’s worth of character development gets thrown out the window. It’s maddening. I know the counter-argument to this, that Theon will always be haunted by his time spent being abused by Ramsay, and Reek will always be in there somewhere. But we’ve done this already. We’ve had him suffer and suffer and suffer and be a coward and refuse to be rescued by his own sister in an earlier season because he was just that broken. We spent the last year and a half watching Theon crawl his way back to being Theon again, in some capacity, and now the show does him this disservice, having him revert back to being a coward in the goofiest way possible.[9]

text: Storylines[edit]

text: Books[edit]

text: A Game of Thrones[edit]

text: Theon Greyjoy becomes a trusted companion of Robb Stark on the battlefield, participating in the North's victories at Riverrun and the Whispering Wood.

text: A Clash of Kings[edit]

text: Robb sends Theon as an envoy to Pyke, seeking Balon Greyjoy's aid in his rebellion against House Lannister. Theon arrives to find Balon instead intends to seize the North while Robb is fighting in the Riverlands. Theon is charged to reave on the Stony Shore, but is jealous when he learns that his sister Asha has captured Deepwood Motte. After sending some of his men to besiege Torrhen's Square and lure Winterfell's garrison away from the castle, Theon and his party invade and capture Winterfell. He releases the prisoner Reek, formerly a servant of House Bolton. When Bran and Rickon Stark apparently escape Winterfell, Reek advises Theon to kill two young boys and pass their bodies off as those of the Stark children.

text: Winterfell's garrison soon repels the ironborn at Torrhen's Square and besieges Winterfell. When Asha refuses to give Theon men to hold the castle, he allows Reek to seek reinforcements from the Dreadfort. Reek returns with several hundred Bolton men and defeats the Stark soldiers, but then reveals his true identity is Roose Bolton's bastard Ramsay Snow and takes Theon prisoner.

text: A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows[edit]

text: Ramsay imprisons Theon in the Dreadfort's dungeons and tortures him for his own amusement, though most of the Ironborn believe that Theon is dead. At some point, Theon manages to escape with his former bedwarmer, Kyra, though this turns out to be a trick of Ramsay's and the two are soon recaptured.

text: A Dance with Dragons[edit]

text: Ramsay's torture leaves Theon with many of his toes, fingers and teeth missing; it is implied that Ramsay also removes his penis. The trauma of this torture causes Theon to lose much of his body weight, turns his hair white, and leaves him resembling an old man. He is forced to assume the identity of Reek. When Roose Bolton begins to lead his forces back to the North, Ramsay (who has since been legitmised as a Bolton) has Theon convince the Ironborn garrison holding Moat Cailin to surrender, but flays them regardless. Theon is ordered to give away Jeyne Poole (who is posing as Arya Stark) at her wedding to Ramsay, who later forces Theon to participate in his sexual abuse of Jeyne. Theon later encounters Mance Rayder (disguised as Abel the bard) and his spearwives, who enlist his help in freeing Jeyne, having been sent by Jon Snow. When the alarm is raised, Theon jumps from Winterfell's battlements with Jeyne and is rescued by Mors Umber, who sends him to Stannis Baratheon's camp several days' ride away. There he is reunited with Asha, who initially does not recognise him.

text: The Winds of Winter[edit]

text: Theon is kept prisoner by Stannis, who notes that he may have useful information about the Boltons but means to execute him for the supposed murders of Bran and Rickon. Asha unsuccessfully tries to ransom Theon before convincing Stannis to behead him rather than burn him alive.

text: Television adaptation[edit]

text: Theon Greyjoy is played by Alfie Allen in the television adaptation of the series of books.[10]

text: Season 1[edit]

text: Theon is introduced as the hostage and ward of Lord Eddard Stark, stemming from the failed Greyjoy Rebellion. Despite his position, he remains loyal to Eddard and is good friends with his sons Robb and Jon. While he has never questioned his position, he soon begins to have doubts after Tyrion Lannister tells him he is nothing more than a servant to the Starks and that not everyone respects him. Nevertheless, Theon initially remains loyal to Robb after he goes to war with the Lannisters and supports his decision to have the North secede from the Seven Kingdoms and form their own kingdom.

text: Season 2[edit]

text: Theon is sent to the Iron Islands to persuade Balon to ally with the Starks against the Lannisters, but Balon instead intends to conquer the North while its army is fighting in the Westerlands. Theon is insulted when he is given command of a single ship to raid the Stony Shore and contemplates sending a warning to Robb, but ultimately decides to remain loyal to his family.[11] When his crew proves to be disrespectful of Theon's station, his first mate Dagmer Cleftjaw suggests that Theon prove himself by capturing Winterfell. Theon lures the Stark garrison away from Winterfell and easily captures the castle, but is forced to execute his old mentor Ser Rodrik Cassel when he refuses to yield. Theon is seduced by the wildling servant Osha, who later frees Bran and Rickon Stark. Theon's men are unable to recapture the two and Theon kills two farm boys to pass their bodies off as those of the Stark boys, an act he soon feels guilty for.

text: Theon asks his sister Yara to bring 500 men as reinforcements, but instead she arrives with a paltry force to warn Theon of his unstable position and to return to the Iron Islands. Theon refuses, and soon afterwards Winterfell is besieged by men of House Bolton commanded by (the then unnamed) Ramsay Snow, bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton. Theon attempts to rally his men to fight to the death, but they knock him out and hand him over to Ramsay, hoping for amnesty. Unknown to the viewer, Ramsay disobeys his orders to free the Ironborn and instead flays them all and sacking Winterfell, before taking Theon back to the Dreadfort as prisoner.

text: Season 3[edit]

text: Theon is taken captive and kept in an unknown castle, where he is briefly tortured, but later manages to escape with the help of a serving boy who claims to work for his sister Yara. He is brought back to the very castle he escaped from, the serving boy proving to actually be his captor and torturer, Ramsay Snow, Lord Bolton's sadistic bastard child. Theon is subsequently brutally tortured, flayed and castrated by Ramsay, who forces him to rename himself Reek, and beats him until he submits to his new name. Theon's penis is sent in a box to his father, with Ramsay threatening to mutilate Theon further unless the Ironmen retreat from the North. Balon refuses, as Theon defied him and is now unable to further the Greyjoy line. Outraged, Yara responds she intends to save her brother of her own accord.[12]

text: Season 4[edit]

text: Theon Greyjoy remains a prisoner, locked in the cages of the dogs under Ramsay's watch. Theon, now adopting and living under the name Reek he was given, is a broken man living in this squalor. Yara Greyjoy, his sister comes to his rescue, however the torture he has endured has begun to take his mind and he thoroughly believes he IS Reek. He refuses to go with her, and in a fight with Ramsay, is beaten and sent away without her brother and running from bloodthirsty hounds.

text: Ramsay rewards his tortured prisoner with a bath and soft words. Easing the body of the tortured Theon into the bath, he asks him to do a job, to play a role. Ramsay tells Reek to assume the name of Theon Greyjoy, and help him fight. He is taken to Moat Cailin, a heavily defended, but winded fortress of the Iron Hills. Surrounded and blockaded the Castle has all but fallen. Theon rides to the gates, holding a white flag of truce and presents the offer of Ramsay extending peace for submission. He is met with contempt, and just as his personality begins to break and blood is spit in his face, another soldier kills the commander with an axe to the head, and accepts the doomed proposal.

text: Theon watches as Ramsay has the keep raided, and all the men were killed. He rides with Ramsay north to Winterfell, now recognized by his father as a trueborn Bolton.

text: Season 5[edit]

text: Theon is stunned to find that Ramsay has been betrothed to Sansa Stark. He tries to avoid her until Ramsay's psychotic paramour Myranda leads Sansa to Theon's sleeping quarters, a cage in the kennels.[13] After learning of their reunion, Ramsay involves Theon in his torment of Sansa by having him give her away at the wedding and then forces him to watch as he rapes her on their wedding night.[14] Sansa asks for Theon's assistance to escape from Ramsay, but Theon, wishing to spare her Ramsay's wrath, instead warns Ramsay, causing him to flay the maid who had tried to help Sansa escape. When Sansa confronts Theon, he confesses that he did not kill her brothers. While Ramsay and the Bolton army attack Stannis Baratheon's forces, Sansa makes another escape attempt, but is caught and threatened by Myranda. Finally snapping, Theon pushes Myranda over a walkway to her death, just as the victorious Boltons return. Rather than face Ramsay's anger, Theon and Sansa jump from the Winterfell wall into the snow and flee.

text: Season 6[edit]

text: Theon and Sansa are caught by Bolton soldiers in the woods surrounding Winterfell, but are saved by the arrival of Brienne of Tarth, who kills the hunters. Although Sansa and Brienne decide to make for Castle Black, where Sansa's half-brother Jon Snow is Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Theon tells her that he does not deserve the Starks' forgiveness and instead decides to return to the Iron Islands. Theon returns to the Iron Islands to discover that Balon is dead, and offers to support Yara at the Kingsmoot, a ceremony where the Ironborn elect their new leader. However, the Kingsmoot is won by Theon's uncle Euron Greyjoy, who admits to killing Balon but wins over the Ironborn by promising to conquer Westeros through marriage to Daenerys Targaryen, who possesses the only living dragons in the world. Correctly surmising that Euron will have them put to death, Theon, Yara, and their loyalists flee the Iron Islands with the best ships of the Iron Fleet. Theon remains psychologically traumatized by Ramsay's torture, but is urged by Yara to find courage. They travel to Meereen, which Daenerys has taken as her seat, and offer her the Iron Fleet in exchange for the Iron Islands' independence and the removal of Euron as king. Daenerys agrees, on the condition that the Ironborn cease their practices of pillaging. Theon and Yara then join Daenerys as she sets sail for Westeros.

text: Season 7[edit]

text: After Daenerys seizes Dragonstone as her base for the invasion of Westeros, Theon and Yara are sent with Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes to Dorne to transport the Dornish army to besiege King's Landing. However, Yara's fleet is attacked by Euron in the Narrow Sea, with Euron personally taking Yara captive. Theon is triggered after watching the carnage and jumps overboard, being rescued some time later by survivors of the battle unimpressed by his cowardice.

text: Theon returns to Dragonstone, seeking Daenerys' aid in freeing Yara, but discovers that Daenerys has left to confront the Lannister army on the Roseroad. He is confronted by Jon Snow, now King in the North after defeating Ramsay. Jon reassures Theon that Sansa is safe, but that it is the only reason Jon is sparing his life.

text: After Jon captures a wight beyond the Wall, Theon joins Daenerys, Jon, and their retinues as they present the wight to Queen Cersei Lannister as evidence of the White Walkers' threat. During the meeting, Theon is confronted by Euron, who threatens to execute Yara if Theon does not bend the knee to him. Returning to Dragonstone, Theon speaks to Jon, who reassures him that Theon is both a Stark and a Greyjoy and forgives him. Inspired by this, and remembering that Yara was the only one who tried to free him from Ramsay, Theon orders the Ironborn survivors to aid him in freeing Yara. Their leader, Harrag, defies Theon and nearly beats him to death, but Theon eventually gains the upper hand and beats Harrag senseless. Having regained the respect of the Ironborn, Theon leads his men to find Yara.

text: Family tree of House Greyjoy[edit]

text:
[hide]

v
t
e

Family tree of House Greyjoy

Lady
Stonetree

Quellon[a]

Lady
Piper[a]

Lady
Sunderly[b]

Harlon[b]

Quenton[b]

Donel[b]

Balon IX[c]

Alannys Harlaw[d][c]

Euron III
"Crow's Eye"[c]

Victarion[c]

Urrigon[b]

Aeron
"Damphair"[c]

Robin[b]

Rodrik[e][c]

Maron[e][c]

Asha[c]

Erik
Ironmaker[c]

Theon[c]

several
bastard
children[f]

Notes:

^ Jump up to: a b Martin, George R. R.; García Jr., Elio M.; Antonsson, Linda (2014). "The Old Way and the New". The World of Ice & Fire. ISBN 978-0-553-80544-4.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Martin, George R. R. (2005). "Chapter 1, The Prophet". A Feast for Crows. ISBN 0-553-80150-3.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Martin, George R. R. (2011). "Appendix: King of the Isles and the North". A Dance with Dragons. ISBN 978-0553801477.
Jump up ^ Martin, George R. R. (2005). "Chapter 11, The Kraken's Daughter". A Feast for Crows. ISBN 0-553-80150-3.
^ Jump up to: a b Martin, George R. R. (1999). "Chapter 11, Theon I". A Clash of Kings. ISBN 0-553-10803-4.
Jump up ^ Martin, George R. R. (2005). "Chapter 29, The Reaver". A Feast for Crows. ISBN 0-553-80150-3.

tag: table


document_title: Slavs

question_text: when did the first slavs get to eastern europe

text: Slavs

text: Ethnonym[edit]

text: The oldest mention of the Slavic ethnonym is the 6th century AD Procopius, writing in Byzantine Greek, using various forms such as Sklaboi (Σκλάβοι), Sklabēnoi (Σκλαβηνοί), Sklauenoi (Σκλαυηνοί), Sthlabenoi (Σθλαβηνοί), or Sklabinoi (Σκλαβῖνοι),[9] while his contemporary Jordanes refers to the Sclaveni in Latin.[10] The oldest documents written in Old Church Slavonic, dating from the 9th century, attest the autonym as Slověne (Словѣне). These forms point back to a Slavic autonym which can be reconstructed in Proto-Slavic as *Slověninъ, plural Slověne.

text: The reconstructed autonym *Slověninъ is usually considered a derivation from slovo ("word"), originally denoting "people who speak (the same language)," i. e. people who understand each other, in contrast to the Slavic word denoting German people, namely němьcь, meaning "silent, mute people" (from Slavic *němъ "mute, mumbling"). The word slovo ("word") and the related slava ("glory, fame") and slukh ("hearing") originate from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱlew- ("be spoken of, glory"), cognate with Ancient Greek κλέος (kléos "fame"), whence comes the name Pericles, Latin clueo ("be called"), and English loud.

text: Origin[edit]

text: First mentions[edit]

text: The Slavs under name of the Antes and the Sclaveni make their first appearance in Byzantine records in the early 6th century. Byzantine historiographers under Justinian I (527–565), such as Procopius of Caesarea, Jordanes and Theophylact Simocatta describe tribes of these names emerging from the area of the Carpathian Mountains, the lower Danube and the Black Sea, invading the Danubian provinces of the Eastern Empire.

text: Procopius wrote in 545 that "the Sclaveni and the Antae actually had a single name in the remote past; for they were both called Sporoi in olden times." He described them as barbarians, who lived under democracy, and that they believe in one god, "the maker of lightning" (Perun), to whom they made sacrifice. They lived in scattered housing, and constantly changed settlement. Regarding warfare, they were mainly foot soldiers with small shields and battleaxes, lightly clothed, some entering battle naked with only their genitals covered. Their language is "barbarous" (that is, not Greek-speaking), and the two tribes do not differ in appearance, being tall and robust, "while their bodies and hair are neither very fair or blond, nor indeed do they incline entirely to the dark type, but they are all slightly ruddy in color. And they live a hard life, giving no heed to bodily comforts..."[11] Jordanes described the Sclaveni having swamps and forests for their cities.[12] Another 6th-century source refers to them living among nearly impenetrable forests, rivers, lakes, and marshes.[13]

text: Menander Protector mentions a Daurentius (577–579) that slew an Avar envoy of Khagan Bayan I. The Avars asked the Slavs to accept the suzerainty of the Avars; he however declined and is reported as saying: "Others do not conquer our land, we conquer theirs – so it shall always be for us".[14]

text: The relationship between the Slavs and a tribe called the Veneti east of the River Vistula in the Roman period is uncertain. The name may refer both to Balts and Slavs.

text: Migrations[edit]

text: According to eastern homeland theory, prior to becoming known to the Roman world, Slavic-speaking tribes were part of the many multi-ethnic confederacies of Eurasia – such as the Sarmatian, Hun and Gothic empires. The Slavs emerged from obscurity when the westward movement of Germans in the 5th and 6th centuries CE (thought to be in conjunction with the movement of peoples from Siberia and Eastern Europe: Huns, and later Avars and Bulgars) started the great migration of the Slavs, who settled the lands abandoned by Germanic tribes fleeing the Huns and their allies: westward into the country between the Oder and the Elbe-Saale line; southward into Bohemia, Moravia, much of present-day Austria, the Pannonian plain and the Balkans; and northward along the upper Dnieper river. It has also been suggested that some Slavs may have migrated with the movement of the Vandals to the Iberian Peninsula and even as far as North Africa.[15]

text: Around the 6th century, Slavs appeared on Byzantine borders in great numbers.[16][page needed] The Byzantine records note that grass would not regrow in places where the Slavs had marched through, so great were their numbers. After a military movement even the Peloponnese and Asia Minor were reported to have Slavic settlements.[17] This southern movement has traditionally been seen as an invasive expansion.[18] By the end of the 6th century, Slavs had settled the Eastern Alps regions.

text: Middle Ages[edit]

text: Early Slavic states[edit]

text: When their migratory movements ended, there appeared among the Slavs the first rudiments of state organizations, each headed by a prince with a treasury and a defense force. In the 7th century, the Frankish merchant Samo, who supported the Slavs fighting their Avar rulers, became the ruler of the first known Slav state in Central Europe, which, however, most probably did not outlive its founder and ruler. This provided the foundation for subsequent Slavic states to arise on the former territory of this realm with Carantania being the oldest of them. Very old also are the Principality of Nitra and the Moravian principality (see under Great Moravia). In this period, there existed West Slavic tribes and states such as the Balaton Principality, but the subsequent expansion of the Magyars into the Carpathian Basin, as well as the Germanization of Austria gradually separated the South Slavs from the West and East Slavs. The First Bulgarian Empire was founded in 681, and the Slavic language Old Church Slavonic became the main and official of the empire in 864. Bulgaria was instrumental in the spread of Slavic literacy and Christianity to the rest of the Slavic world.

text: Modern history[edit]

text: As of 1878, there were only three free Slavic states in the world: the Russian Empire, Serbia and Montenegro. Bulgaria was also free but was de jure vassal to the Ottoman Empire until official independence was declared in 1908. In the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire of approximately 50 million people, about 23 million were Slavs. The Slavic peoples who were, for the most part, denied a voice in the affairs of the Austria-Hungary, were calling for national self-determination. Because of the vastness and diversity of the territory occupied by Slavic people, there were several centers of Slavic consolidation. In the 19th century, Pan-Slavism developed as a movement among intellectuals, scholars, and poets, but it rarely influenced practical politics and did not find support in some Slavic nations. Pan-Slavism became compromised when the Russian Empire started to use it as an ideology justifying its territorial conquests in Central Europe as well as subjugation of other Slavic ethnic groups such as Poles and Ukrainians, and the ideology became associated with Russian imperialism.

text: During World War I, representatives of the Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes set up organizations in the Allied countries to gain sympathy and recognition.[19] In 1918, after World War I ended, the Slavs established such independent states as Czechoslovakia, the Second Polish Republic, and the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (which merged into Yugoslavia).

text: During World War II, Nazi Germany planned to kill, deport, or enslave the Slavic and Jewish population of occupied Eastern Europe to create Living space for German settlers,[20] and also planned the starvation of 80 million people in the Soviet Union.[21] The partial fulfilment of these plans resulted in the deaths of an estimated 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war.[22]

text: The first half of the 20th century in Russia and the Soviet Union was marked by a succession of wars, famines and other disasters, each accompanied by large-scale population losses.[23] Stephen J. Lee estimates that, by the end of World War II in 1945, the Russian population was about 90 million fewer than it could have been otherwise.[24]

text: The common Slavic experience of communism combined with the repeated usage of the ideology by Soviet propaganda after World War II within the Eastern bloc (Warsaw Pact) was a forced high-level political and economic hegemony of the USSR dominated by Russians. A notable political union of the 20th century that covered most South Slavs was Yugoslavia, but it ultimately broke apart in the 1990s along with the Soviet Union.

text: The word "Slavs" was used in the national anthem of Yugoslavia (1943–1992) and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992–2003), later Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006).

text: Former Soviet states, as well as countries that used to be satellite states or territories of the Warsaw Pact, have numerous minority Slavic populations, many of whom are originally from the Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR and Byelorussian SSR. As of now, Kazakhstan has the largest Slavic minority population with most being Russians (Ukrainians, Belarusians and Poles are present as well but in much smaller numbers).

text: Pan-Slavism[edit]

text: Pan-Slavism, a movement which came into prominence in the mid-19th century, emphasized the common heritage and unity of all the Slavic peoples. The main focus was in the Balkans where the South Slavs had been ruled for centuries by other empires: the Byzantine Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Venice. The Russian Empire used Pan-Slavism as a political tool; as did the Soviet Union, which gained political-military influence and control over most Slavic-majority nations between 1939 and 1948 and retained a hegemonic role until the period 1989–1991.

text: Languages[edit]

text: Proto-Slavic, the supposed ancestor language of all Slavic languages, is a descendant of common Proto-Indo-European, via a Balto-Slavic stage in which it developed numerous lexical and morphophonological isoglosses with the Baltic languages. In the framework of the Kurgan hypothesis, "the Indo-Europeans who remained after the migrations [from the steppe] became speakers of Balto-Slavic".[25] Proto-Slavic is defined as the last stage of the language preceding the geographical split of the historical Slavic languages. That language was uniform, and on the basis of borrowings from foreign languages and Slavic borrowings into other languages, cannot be said to have any recognizable dialects – this suggests that there was, at one time, a relatively small Proto-Slavic homeland.[26]

text: Slavic linguistic unity was to some extent visible as late as Old Church Slavonic manuscripts which, though based on local Slavic speech of Thessaloniki, could still serve the purpose of the first common Slavic literary language.[27] Slavic studies began as an almost exclusively linguistic and philological enterprise. As early as 1833, Slavic languages were recognized as Indo-European.

text: Standardised Slavic languages that have official status in at least one country are: Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Montenegrin, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, and Ukrainian.

text: The alphabets used for Slavic languages are frequently connected to the dominant religion among the respective ethnic groups. Orthodox Christians use the Cyrillic alphabet while Roman Catholics use the Latin alphabet; the Bosniaks, who are Muslim, also use the Latin alphabet. Additionally, some Eastern Catholics and Roman Catholics use the Cyrillic alphabet. Serbian and Montenegrin use both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. There is also a Latin script to write in Belarusian, called the Lacinka alphabet.

text: Ethno-cultural subdivisions[edit]

text:
Part of a series on

Indo-European topics

Languages[show]

List of Indo-European languages

Historical

Albanian
Armenian
Balto-Slavic

Baltic
Slavic

Celtic
Germanic
Hellenic

Greek

Indo-Iranian

Indo-Aryan
Iranian

Italic

Romance

Extinct

Anatolian
Tocharian
Paleo-Balkan
Dacian
Illyrian
Liburnian
Messapian
Mysian
Paeonian
Phrygian
Thracian

Reconstructed

Proto-Indo-European language

Phonology: Sound laws, Accent, Ablaut

Hypothetical

Daco-Thracian
Graeco-Armenian
Graeco-Aryan
Graeco-Phrygian
Indo-Hittite
Italo-Celtic
Thraco-Illyrian

Grammar

Vocabulary
Root
Verbs
Nouns
Pronouns
Numerals
Particles

Other

Proto-Anatolian
Proto-Armenian
Proto-Germanic (Proto-Norse)
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Italic
Proto-Greek
Proto-Balto-Slavic (Proto-Slavic)
Proto-Indo-Iranian (Proto-Iranian)

Philology[show]

Hittite texts
Hieroglyphic Luwian
Linear B
Rigveda
Avesta
Homer
Behistun
Gaulish epigraphy
Latin epigraphy
Runic epigraphy
Ogam
Gothic Bible
Armenian Bible
Slanting Brahmi
Old Irish glosses

Origins[show]

Homeland
Proto-Indo-Europeans
Society
Religion

Mainstream

Kurgan hypothesis
Indo-European migrations
Eurasian nomads

Alternative and fringe

Anatolian hypothesis
Armenian hypothesis
Indigenous Aryans
Baltic homeland
Paleolithic Continuity Theory

Archaeology[show]

Chalcolithic (Copper Age)

Pontic Steppe

Domestication of the horse
Kurgan
Kurgan culture
Steppe cultures

Bug-Dniester
Sredny Stog
Dnieper-Donets
Samara
Khvalynsk
Yamna

Mikhaylovka culture

Caucasus

Maykop

East-Asia

Afanasevo

Eastern Europe

Usatovo
Cernavodă
Cucuteni

Northern Europe

Corded ware

Baden
Middle Dnieper

Bronze Age

Pontic Steppe

Chariot
Yamna
Catacomb
Multi-cordoned ware
Poltavka
Srubna

Northern/Eastern Steppe

Abashevo culture
Andronovo
Sintashta

Europe

Globular Amphora
Corded ware
Beaker
Unetice
Trzciniec
Nordic Bronze Age
Terramare
Tumulus
Urnfield
Lusatian

South-Asia

BMAC
Yaz
Gandhara grave

Iron Age

Steppe

Chernoles

Europe

Thraco-Cimmerian
Hallstatt
Jastorf

Caucasus

Colchian

India

Painted Grey Ware
Northern Black Polished Ware

Peoples and societies[show]

Bronze Age

Anatolians
Armenians
Mycenaean Greeks
Indo-Iranians

Iron Age

Indo-Aryans

Indo-Aryans

Iranians

Iranians

Scythians
Persians
Medes

Europe

Celts

Gauls
Celtiberians
Insular Celts

Hellenic peoples
Italic peoples
Germanic peoples
Paleo-Balkans/Anatolia:

Thracians
Dacians
Illyrians
Phrygians

Middle Ages

East-Asia

Tocharians

Europe

Balts
Slavs
Albanians
Medieval Europe

Indo-Aryan

Medieval India

Iranian

Greater Persia

Religion and mythology[show]

Reconstructed

Proto-Indo-European religion
Proto-Indo-Iranian religion

Historical

Hittite

Indian

Vedic

Hinduism

Buddhism
Jainism

Iranian

Persian

Zoroastrianism

Kurdish

Yazidism
Yarsanism

Scythian

Ossetian

Others

Armenian

Europe

Paleo-Balkans
Greek
Roman
Celtic

Irish
Scottish
Breton
Welsh
Cornish

Germanic

Anglo-Saxon
Continental
Norse

Baltic

Latvian
Lithuanian

Slavic
Albanian

Practices

Fire-sacrifice
Horse sacrifice
Sati
Winter solstice/Yule

Indo-European studies[show]

Scholars

Marija Gimbutas
J.P. Mallory

Institutes

Copenhagen Studies in Indo-European

Publications

Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture
The Horse, the Wheel and Language
Journal of Indo-European Studies
Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch
Indo-European Etymological Dictionary

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text: Slavs are customarily divided along geographical lines into three major subgroups: West Slavs, East Slavs, and South Slavs, each with a different and a diverse background based on unique history, religion and culture of particular Slavic groups within them. Apart from prehistorical archaeological cultures, the subgroups have had notable cultural contact with non-Slavic Bronze- and Iron Age civilisations. Modern Slavic nations and ethnic groups are considerably diverse both genetically and culturally, and relations between them – even within the individual ethnic groups themselves – are varied, ranging from a sense of connection to mutual feelings of hostility.[28][page needed]

text: West Slavs have origin in early Slavic tribes which settled in Central Europe after the East Germanic tribes had left this area during the migration period.[29] They are noted as having mixed with Germanics, Hungarians, Celts (particularly the Boii), Old Prussians, and the Pannonian Avars.[30] The West Slavs came under the influence of the Western Roman Empire (Latin) and of the Roman Catholic Church.

text: East Slavs have origins in early Slavic tribes who mixed and contacted with Finno-Ugrics, Balts, and Caucasians.[31][32] Their early Slavic component, Antes, mixed or absorbed Iranians, and later received influence from the Khazars and Vikings.[33] The East Slavs trace their national origins to the tribal unions of Kievan Rus' and Khaganate, beginning in the 10th century. They came particularly under the influence of the Byzantine Empire and of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churchs. They later became established in the 16th century in the area north surrounding the Sarmatic Plain and in the steppes of modern-day eastern Ukraine.

text: South Slavs from most of the region have origins in early Slavic tribes who mixed with the local Proto-Balkanic tribes (Illyrian, Dacian (Romanian), Thracian, Paeonian, Hellenic tribes), and Celtic tribes (particularly the Scordisci), as well as with Romans (and the Romanized remnants of the former groups), and also with remnants of temporarily settled invading East Germanic, Asiatic or Caucasian tribes such as Gepids, Huns, Avars and Bulgars.[citation needed] The original inhabitants of present-day Slovenia and continental Croatia have origins in early Slavic tribes who mixed with Romans and romanized Celtic and Illyrian people as well as with Avars and Germanic peoples (Lombards and East Goths). The South Slavs (except the Slovenes and Croats) came under the cultural sphere of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire), of the Ottoman Empire and of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Islam, while the Slovenes and the Croats were influenced by the Western Roman Empire (Latin) and thus by the Roman Catholic Church in a similar fashion to that of the West Slavs.

text: Religion[edit]

text: The pagan Slavic populations were Christianized between the 7th and 12th centuries. Orthodox Christianity is predominant in the East and South Slavs, while Roman Catholicism is predominant in West Slavs and the western South Slavs. The religious borders are largely comparable to the East–West Schism which began in the 11th century.

text: The majority of contemporary Slavic populations who profess a religion are Orthodox, followed by Catholic, while a small minority are Protestant. There are minor Slavic Muslim groups. Religious delineations by nationality can be very sharp; usually in the Slavic ethnic groups the vast majority of religious people share the same religion. Some Slavs are atheist or agnostic: in the Czech Republic 20% were atheists according to a 2012 poll.

text:
Mainly Eastern Orthodoxy:

Russians
Ukrainians (incl. Rusyns)[34]
Serbs
Bulgarians
Belarusians
Macedonians[35]
Montenegrins

Mainly Roman Catholicism:

Poles[36] (incl. Silesians, Kashubians)
Czechs (incl. Moravians)
Croats (incl. Šokci)
Slovaks
Slovenes
Sorbs
Bunjevci
Banat Bulgarians

Mainly Islam:

Bosniaks (identify as Muslims by nationality)
Pomaks
Gorani
Torbeshi

text: Relations with non-Slavic people[edit]

text: Throughout their history, Slavs came into contact with non-Slavic groups. In the postulated homeland region (present-day Ukraine), they had contacts with the Iranic Sarmatians and the Germanic Goths. After their subsequent spread, the Slavs began assimilating non-Slavic peoples. For example, in the Balkans, there were Paleo-Balkan peoples, such as Romanized and Hellenized (Jireček Line) Illyrians, Thracians and Dacians, as well as Greeks and Celtic Scordisci. Over time, due to the larger number of Slavs, most descendants of the indigenous populations of the Balkans were Slavicized. The Thracians and Illyrians vanished as defined ethnic groups from the population during this period – although the modern Albanian nation claims descent from the Illyrians. Exceptions are Greece, where because Slavs were fewer than Greeks, they came to be Hellenized (aided in time by more Greeks returning to Greece in the 9th century and the role of the church and administration);[37] and Romania, where Slavic people settled en route for present-day Greece, Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and East Thrace, where the Slavic population gradually assimilated.

text: Ruling status of Bulgars and subsequent control of land cast the nominal legacy of Bulgarian country and people onto future generations, but Bulgars were gradually also Slavicized into the present day South Slavic ethnic group Bulgarians. The Romance speakers within the fortified Dalmatian cities managed to retain their culture and language for a long time.[38] Dalmatian Romance was spoken until the high Middle Ages. But, they too were eventually assimilated into the body of Slavs.

text: In the Western Balkans, South Slavs and Germanic Gepids intermarried with invaders, eventually producing a Slavicized population.[citation needed] In Central Europe, the West Slavs intermixed with Germanic, Hungarian, and Celtic peoples, while in Eastern Europe the East Slavs had encountered Uralic and Scandinavian peoples. Scandinavians (Varangians) and Finnic peoples were involved in the early formation of the Rus' state but were completely Slavicized after a century. Some Finno-Ugric tribes in the north were also absorbed into the expanding Rus population.[39] At the time of the Magyar migration, the present-day Hungary was inhabited by Slavs, numbering about 200,000,[40] and by Romano-Dacians who were either assimilated or enslaved by the Magyars.[40] In the 11th and 12th centuries, constant incursions by nomadic Turkic tribes, such as the Kipchak and the Pecheneg, caused a massive migration of East Slavic populations to the safer, heavily forested regions of the north.[41] In the Middle Ages, groups of Saxon ore miners settled in medieval Bosnia, Serbia and Bulgaria, where they were Slavicized.

text: Polabian Slavs (Wends) settled in eastern parts of England (the Danelaw), apparently as Danish allies.[42] Polabian-Pomeranian Slavs are also known to have even settled on Norse age Iceland. Saqaliba refers to the Slavic mercenaries and slaves in the medieval Arab world in North Africa, Sicily and Al-Andalus. Saqaliba served as caliph's guards.[43][44] In the 12th century, Slavic piracy in the Baltics increased. The Wendish Crusade was started against the Polabian Slavs in 1147, as a part of the Northern Crusades. Niklot, pagan chief of the Slavic Obodrites, began his open resistance when Lothar III, Holy Roman Emperor, invaded Slavic lands. In August 1160 Niklot was killed, and German colonization (Ostsiedlung) of the Elbe-Oder region began. In Hanoverian Wendland, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lusatia, invaders started germanization. Early forms of germanization were described by German monks: Helmold in the manuscript Chronicon Slavorum and Adam of Bremen in Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum.[45] The Polabian language survived until the beginning of the 19th century in what is now the German state of Lower Saxony.[46] In Eastern Germany, around 20% of Germans have historic Slavic paternal ancestry, as revealed in Y-DNA testing.[47] Similarly, in Germany, around 20% of the foreign surnames are of Slavic origin.[48]

text: Cossacks, although Slavic-speaking and practicing as Orthodox Christians, came from a mix of ethnic backgrounds, including Tatars and other Turks. Many early members of the Terek Cossacks were Ossetians.

text: The Gorals of southern Poland and northern Slovakia are partially descended from Romance-speaking Vlachs, who migrated into the region from the 14th to 17th centuries and were absorbed into the local population. The population of Moravian Wallachia also descend of this population.

text: Conversely, some Slavs were assimilated into other populations. Although the majority continued towards Southeast Europe, attracted by the riches of the territory which would become Bulgaria, a few remained in the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe. There they were ultimately assimilated into the Magyar people. Numerous river and other placenames in Romania are of Slavic origin.[49][better source needed]

text: Population[edit]

text: There are an estimated 360 million Slavs worldwide.

text:
Nation
Nation-state
Numbers

Russians
 RUS
130,000,000[50][51][better source needed]

Poles
 POL
57,393,000[52]

Ukrainians
 UKR
46,700,000–51,800,000[53]

Serbs
 SRB
12,100,000[54]–12,500,000[55]

Czechs
 CZE
12,000,000[56][not in citation given]

Bulgarians
 BUL
10,000,000[57][58]

Belarusians
 BLR
10,000,000[59]

Croats
 CRO
8,000,000[60][61][62]

Slovaks
 SVK
6,940,000[63]

Bosniaks
 BIH
2,800,000–4,600,000

Slovenes
 SVN
2,500,000[64]

Macedonians
 MKD
2,200,000[65]

Montenegrins
 MNE
500,000