Before the Second War a number of leading politicians and prominent people in society in Europe might have been suspicious of Hitler’s intentions, but preferred to come to…
Category: French History
Guderian, Keitel & von Rundstedt: II World War generals
These three German generals were all born in the 19th century. The first named in the title was probably the greatest tank commander the world has seen; certainly…
Henry IV (of England) & Henry IV (of Navarre)
There are two hundred years between these two notable monarchs, and we will look at the English one first. Both are important in history, over-balanced by ambition,…
The Sun King
Louis the Fourteenth (XIV) was the King of France for seventy-two years, from 1643 to 1715. He is the great monarch who still startles lighter-minded history students by…
French kings after the Revolution
Careless students of history may forget that the monarchy of France did not end with the execution of Louis XVI, last King of France before the Revolution (q.v.)….
What happened to Napoleon’s Marshals?
To reach the rank of Marshal in the French army before the Revolution (q.v.) was the highest achievement for a soldier. After the Revolution however, the rank was…
The Normandy Landings & the Invasion
Until Mr Spielberg thought about a soldier with 3 dead brothers called Ryan there had been a number of films made about the Allied invasion through France which…
Two sad, unlucky men: Alfonso XIII & the Duc d’Enghien
Alfonso was born in 1896 and was King of Spain from that day, until 1933. His father, XII of that name, had died before the son was…
Two World War II soldiers: Alexander & Montgomery
Many generals co-operate or fight against each other, not always on opposing sides. Almost all the Second War generals and field marshals on both the Axis side or…
Two (du Plessis) Richelieus
Cardinal Richelieu has not been treated kindly by journalists, novelists or movie-makers. I suppose it is an honour to have been played on the screen by, in alphabetical…