Evaluating generalship is often a practice of choosing arbitrary values to rank. Military historians will argue infinitely over the relative merits of one leader over another. Ranking Roman generals is not immune to this kind of controversy. Sun Tzu provides us with some guidance: “Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without any fighting; […]
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In 2008, some of the unfinished manuscripts of Cuban anthropologist, historian, and musicologist, Fernando Ortiz were published posthumously as La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre. Historia y etnografía. This work, which deals with Cuba’s patron saint, was devoured by readers all over the island. The book flew off the shelves of bookstores – a
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Edward Paisnel became known as the “Beast of Jersey” after it was discovered that he had kidnapped and raped at least a dozen children on the tiny British Isle of Jersey between 1957 and 1971. He snatched young women off the street, snuck into boys’ and girls’ bedrooms at night, and wore a gruesome-looking rubber
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When people talk about war, they immediately relate it to the use of guns and other available weapons at the time. While this is not necessarily incorrect, war is not limited to one type of physical violence. Guns and ammunition are just one element of war. It also involves complex political strategies and intricate tactical
11 Cases of Psychological Warfare Throughout History Read More »
The Waterloo campaign of June 1815 was the last thrust of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose shadow loomed over European politics and war for almost two decades. The brilliant commander who triumphed again and again from Marengo to Austerlitz was a spent force, his best commanders dead or incapacitated. He was facing an enemy who had learned
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The year 1989 was a revolutionary year for Europe. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was making radical changes in the United Socialist Soviet Republic (U.S.S.R.) The Soviet Union at that time included Russia and 14 other countries that were part of the Communist Bloc. His policies, Perestroika (reconstruction), and Glasnost (openness), were affecting Eastern Europe and
Why Did the Berlin Wall Fall? A Closer Look Read More »
The death penalty no longer exists in most Western countries, including England. But in the 1800s, executions were a common form of capital punishment. While most people did not survive to tell the tale, one man named John Henry George Lee (also known as John “Babbacombe” Lee) survived three execution attempts. Poor Childhood, Big Dreams
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The Great Depression was not merely a financial crisis but a seismic global event that reshaped the 20th century. Beginning with the infamous stock market crash of 1929 and stretching throughout the 1930s, this period saw the world stagger under unparalleled economic hardship. Defining the Great Depression solely by the financial panic that gripped the
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In 1863, the young archduke Maximilian was approached with an intriguing offer from Emperor Napoleon III of France. He wanted to know if Maximilian had any interest in becoming the emperor of Mexico, a country that he had never set foot in. At this time, Maximilian was 30 years old. He had been a naval
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The Great Wall of China was built as a protective fortress to keep enemies at bay. Today, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. According to Travel + Leisure, around 10 million people visit the Great Wall of China every year. The majestic attraction is located in northern China in
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