Born into a lower class Rhineland family in 1897, Goebbels was rejected for army service due to a crippled foot condition known as ‘club-foot’. As a child he…
Author: Dean Swift
‘Dean Swift’ is a pen name: the author has been a soldier; he has worked in sales, TV, the making of films, as a teacher of English and history and a journalist. He is married with three grown-up children. They live in Spain.
W.E. Gladstone, Prime Minister
William E. Gladstone lived from 1809 – 98, was Prime Minister four times (1868 – 74, 1880 – 85, 1886, & 1892 – 4). His father was a…
The Eighty years War & the Council of Blood
Rebellion, protest and actual war were made against Spain from 1568 to 1648, in seventeen of the provinces in the Low Countries (now Holland and Belgium). The so-called…
The Forty-Seven Ronin
At the beginning of the eighteenth century an incident took place in Japan that rapidly occupied the front pages of world (and worldly) newspapers. Indeed, the happening provided…
The French Republican Calendar
During the French Revolution (q.v.) the National Convention decided on a sublimely Gallic act to herald the start of a new epoch for France, and, if popular,…
The Condor Squadron
This formed part of Adolf Hitler’s contribution to the Nationalist or rebel side during the Spanish Civil War (q.v.). The pilots came mostly from the German middle and…
What place is this?
In this quiz our readers are asked to name the place that is the subject of certain quotations. You do not have to name the person who made…
A brief history of France
This is one of the oldest established nations in the world, and probably the most individualistic. All Frenchmen are conscious of the superiority of their ancient language, and…
Two failed plots: Babeuf and Cato Street
Plotters and plots have been recurrent throughout history. They became famous because of the good fortune that attended them, or the bad luck which dogged them….
Heinrich Brüning
At the age of forty-five he became Foreign Minister and Chancellor of Germany. He was a Roman Catholic member of the Centre Party and became Chancellor during the…