English History – Page 21 – General History

Anti-Semitism

My inspiration to write more on this spiny subject came from one of the published Comments on this site. The Comment can easily be found under the subject heading Jewish History. One of my previous posts dealt with statistics connected with The Holocaust. The commentarist restricted himself to using American terminology inviting and requiring intimate oral relations. One assumes that the expression used – “Suck my dick” – indicates a certain disinclination to accept the usual 6-million-dead holocaust statistics. They were I admit wrong, because I had inadvertently left out figures of murdered Jews in Poland and many Soviet satellites, leaving a final figure that lacks substance and does not add up to 6 million. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-02-06T11:28:35+00:00 February 6th, 2012|English History, French History, German History, Jewish History, Philosophy, Russian history, Spanish History, Today, US History, World History|0 Comments

The unfortunate House of Stuart

Stuart James VI of Scotland (and Ist of England) / luminarium.org

Genealogy: The Stuart dynasty was important in the shaping of Britain and brought little luck to the family; they started as Stewards of Dol in Brittany around the end of the 11^th century. Two of them became Stewards-Guardian of Scotland in the 13^th century. Roberts I & II and David II were kings. James I of Scotland married Joan Beaufort, a granddaughter of John of Gaunt: their son James became IInd of Scotland. The English connection thus began, because John of Gaunt was a younger son of an English King (Edward III), and father to another English King (Henry IV). (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-02-03T11:20:56+00:00 February 3rd, 2012|Dutch History, English History, French History, Today, World History|2 Comments

Four Murdered Monarchs

Regicide is the killing of a ruling king by his subjects. In a multitude of events throughout history the regicide has been perpetrated by members of the ruler’s family. This was especially the case in Roman history. In some South American Indian cultures the king was deliberately sacrificed in order to please Gods. In Europe, where our four subjects were killed by the people in one guise or other, kings have been removed because their politics were unsound, or because their politicians felt there was no other way.

Feminists will complain because a woman does not appear in our list. Many important queens have indeed been eliminated by their own subjects, Mary Queen of Scots springs to mind, though it was an English queen and cousin who ‘took her out’, very much persuaded by her councillors. General-history.com will examine prominent examples of female regicide soon. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2025-03-06T21:37:10+00:00 January 30th, 2012|English History, French History, Russian history, World History|0 Comments

The War of 1812 (USA versus Britain)

The British burn the White House, Washington DC, 1812 / nytimes.com

This was a brief war between Britannia and Uncle Sam that many Americans and Britons know nothing about. Still it happened, and it contained at least one significant event: a British army burnt the new city of Washington, DC.

The Americans were greatly annoyed and frustrated in 1812, when the British restricted trade as a retaliation against Bonaparte’s ‘Continental System’. This was nothing more or less than a total blockade of British ports, planned by Napoleon to starve the island kingdom. Not even the Royal Navy was able to do much about the blockade. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-01-29T18:21:28+00:00 January 29th, 2012|English History, US History, World History|3 Comments

1805 – 1815

Here for students of history is a plan of events between the naval battle of Trafalgar and the final battle in the European conflict against Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo. The career of Arthur Wellesley, the boy from Eton who became Duke of Wellington marches alongside the campaigns. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-01-28T18:17:04+00:00 January 28th, 2012|English History, French History, German History, Russian history, Spanish History, US History, World History|0 Comments

Social Democracy

Definition: a social democrat is a usually suscription-paying member of a left-wing, ex-communist or centre-left political party that combines basically socialist aims with constitutional methods, plus a general acceptance (or tolerance) of some of the basic tenets of the capitalist system. The present system in China springs to mind as an unequalled example of an ex-communist country embracing a good many of the principles of social democracy. A bad example would be Cuba, where the system is wholly totalitarian, and the methodology of early sovietism in Soviet Russia is commonplace. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-01-28T11:38:41+00:00 January 28th, 2012|English History, German History, Russian history, Spanish History, US History, World History|2 Comments

The British manor house & the manorial system

Classic example: Madresfield, Malvern, Worcs. / flickr.com

An eager traveller can find a multitude of manor houses still standing in England. Most are occupied by families, many by the same family that has owned the house for centuries, and which has passed by the law of promogeniture down the male line. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-01-25T08:50:52+00:00 January 25th, 2012|English History, Today, World History|0 Comments

Battles at Crècy and Poitiers; and The Jacquerie

Crecy / historywarsweapons.com

The two armed conflicts took place respectively in 1346 and 1356. Ten years separate them, though were similar in tactics and spirit. Both were part of King Edward III of England’s ambition to rule France through military might and expertise. Students of history might remember that Edward was the son of a weak father whose grip on the throne was made even weaker by his mother’s affaires, notably the longest (with Roger Mortimer) which ultimately led to the dethroning and murder of Edward II. His son became king in his teens, and promptly showed his determination and courage, aided by an indefatigable spirit, by arranging for the execution of Mortimer, and shutting his mother up in a friendless prison. The fourteenth century was not a good time to live unless you faced whatever life you had with fortitude. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-01-24T12:15:44+00:00 January 24th, 2012|English History, French History|0 Comments

The Gowrie House Affair: and the assassin’s knife

Gowrie House, near Perth / cottage.perth.blogspot.com

Breaking News: August 1600

(News agency reports)

“Astonishing news is coming in from the city of Perth. The reports are confused, and confusing, but it appears that the young Earl of Gowrie, who has only recently returned from studying in Padua, had invited King James VI of Scotland to his home, Gowrie House. Most reports coincide in their opinion that the invitation to the young King actually came from Alexander, the Master of Ruthven (a Scottish title referring to younger sons of Earls), at the suggestion of his ambitious older brother. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-01-24T11:08:45+00:00 January 24th, 2012|English History, World History|0 Comments

Palmerston and Canning

Lord Palmerston / yalebooks.wordpress.com

Henry John Temple, 3^rd Viscount Palmerston was born in 1784. George Canning was born in 1770. Neither man saw much point in the other, and the difference of fourteen years in their age did not prevent them from internecine conflict. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-01-19T18:29:47+00:00 January 19th, 2012|English History, French History, Greek History, Russian history, South American History, Spanish History, US History, World History|0 Comments