French History – Page 17 – General History

‘Emancipation’ of the Catholics

The Christian Church first came into Britain through the north of Ireland and Scotland, probably with St. Augustine. The Roman Catholic Church was soon established throughout Ireland, Scotland and England, ruled inexorably from Rome by the Pope. The Pope’s bishops then ruled both the Church and much more, in association with kings of England when they established themselves. The first king of all England was a Norman Viking called William the Conquerer, and he was a Catholic and a bastard. (more…)

Great War Commanders: General Allenby

Allenby’s chief claim to fame, though he would not have liked my reminding him of it, was that for a time he was Laurence of Arabia’s commanding officer. This was not easy for anyone, and Edward Allenby’s notoriously bad temper was always on a short fuse: as a Field Marshall he was known throughout the ranks as ‘The Bull’ on account of his great size and violent nature. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2019-01-15T18:37:25+00:00 September 25th, 2012|British History, English History, French History, German History, History of Egypt, History of India, History of the Cinema, History of Turkey, Jewish History, The Arab races, World History|0 Comments

Rich in history: the Rothschilds

Nathan Rothschild, who ‘organised’ the purchase of those Suez Canal shares / texemarrs.com

Whole books have been published about this world-famous banking family. Some of the authors have indulged in hagiography, others have been perhaps unconsciously anti-Semitic. The latter view is particularly irritating, as it is the very Jewishness of the Rothschilds that makes their family history so interesting. Here, we can engage in a brief potted biography of the family. For further reading, I consider the best and most intimate biography is by Frederic Morton. It is probably out of print by now, but ransack the libraries for The Rothschilds – a family portrait. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-09-20T12:21:49+00:00 September 20th, 2012|Austrian history, British History, English History, French History, German History, Italian History, Jewish History, Today, US History, World History|0 Comments

Great War Commanders: Hans von Seeckt: who?

Hans von Seekt / zh.wikipedia.org

I am not being frivolous. If you were to ask even German or Austrian nationals of below a certain age, say seventy, who Hans von Seeckt was, you might well get a blank expression. But it was Seeckt who prepared and made the German Army of which Hitler was so proud, and which he could use so effectively in France, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Poland etc. in the early years of the Second War. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2014-04-01T14:27:48+00:00 September 17th, 2012|A History of Poland, Austrian history, Dutch History, French History, German History, Russian history, US History, World History|0 Comments

Great War Commanders: Horatio Nelson

Horation Lord Nelson

Like so many other men of small stature throughout history, Nelson was not only a successful seaman and admiral, he was popular with his officers and men. Given that naval authority in the 18^th/19^th century was backed by more than ample application of the lash, this popularity is excessively rare. Indeed, when Nelson was shot down dead during the battle of Trafalgar (1805 q.v.) half the crew of his ship Victory were in tears. You had to be really bad to be flogged in any ship under Nelson’s command. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-09-06T10:22:37+00:00 September 6th, 2012|British History, English History, French History, History of Egypt, Italian History, Spanish History, World History|0 Comments

Great War Generals: Erich Ludendorff

This dynamic and very physical soldier was born in 1865. Obviously destined for the Army, he did singularly well as a cadet, passed through the junior ranks at panther’s speed, and by the timeEuropewas (not) ready for World War I he was already on the German General Staff.

First off he led his troops with verve and bravery to capture the Belgian fortress at Liège. Promoted instantly to general, he became Chief-of-Staff of the 8^th Army under Hindenberg (q.v.) who was busy at the time dealing with the Russian invasion of East Prussia.

Ludendorff rapidly became known as a master of strategy, the most important quality in a fighting general. Using this talent he smashed two Russian armies at Tannenberg and theMasurianLakes, and keptGermanysupreme on the Eastern Front until September, 1916. Falkenhayn (q.v.) was dismissed and replaced by Hindenberg as Supreme Commander. Erich became his most senior Quartermaster-General, a vital post. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-09-05T10:51:25+00:00 September 5th, 2012|English History, French History, German History, Russian history, US History, World History|0 Comments

These sports: where do they come from?

Spectator sports they are called, presumably because they are designed for watching by spectators. Soccer, cricket, boxing, tennis, rugby and athletics were nursed, improved and nurtured in hundreds of independent (public) schools in Victorian Britain. Some, like boxing and athletics, had existed in the time of the original Greek Olympics, but they would have become forgotten relics of the past if it had not been for ‘sportin’ instincts’ of young people from the British Isles. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-08-30T11:49:15+00:00 August 30th, 2012|British History, English History, French History, History of Afghanistan, History of India, History of New Zealand, Italian History, Romanian History, Scottish history, Spanish History, Today, US History|0 Comments

Great War Commanders: Joffre, a Victorian Frenchman

Marshal Joffre / reformation.org

Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre was born in 1852, at the beginning of the Victorian epoch in Britain. He eventually became a Marshal of France, but first came to France’s notice when he took part as a very junior officer in the (weak) defence of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Having survived Bismarch’s onslaught he went on to serve in the French colonial service. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-08-29T11:34:54+00:00 August 29th, 2012|British History, French History, German History, World History|0 Comments

Great War Leaders: Kitchener needs YOU!

Horatio Herbert Kitchener was born in 1850. At school in Switzerland he learned perfect French, and later went to Palestine where he picked up near-perfect Arabic. After military college and commissioning he got to Egypt (where his knowledge of languages was useful for a junior officer).

The British were occupying Egypt in 1882, but this was the time of the Mahdi, an almost mythical religious and military leader who caused consternation in Britain by the brilliance of his strategy, and the blind faith in him showed by his followers. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2023-12-21T15:04:13+00:00 August 28th, 2012|African History, Austrian history, British History, Dutch History, French History, German History, History in The Balkans, History of Egypt, History of India, The Arab races, World History|0 Comments

Great War Commanders: Falkenhayn the honest Junker

Erich von Falkenhayn / wereldoorlog.be

Eric von Falkenhayn was born in 1861, scion of a typical ‘Junker’ family, which means ‘powerful, noble, landowning, and, not infrequently, bullying and proud as well’. At school he showed intelligence, honesty, self-reliance and bravery, qualities that did not desert him either at military college or later when he was commissioned. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-08-27T09:32:18+00:00 August 27th, 2012|A History of Poland, Austrian history, British History, French History, German History, History in The Balkans, Romanian History, Russian history, World History|0 Comments