World History – Page 45 – General History

Spain: the King’s apology

Almost too much printer’s ink and telecaster’s saliva has already been spent on this subject. A few days ago Juan-Carlos I, a Spanish Borbón to his fingertips, left the hospital where surgeons had replaced half of his hip. He looked tired, much older than his seventy-four years, more than a bit depressed. He also looked like a guilty schoolboy owning up to some frightful misdeed at his Prep School. He said he was sorry and that it would not happen again.

What had don Juan-Carlos I done to merit a King’s apology to the people, if such a thing exists? He had gone off to Africa to shoot elephants while his wife the Queen was in Greece with her family, his grandson Froilán was surrounded by anxious doctors trying to mend a foot he had shot almost off with his divorced father’s shotgun. ‘It was an accident’ the boy told newspapermen. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-20T11:03:18+00:00 April 20th, 2012|English History, Humour, Spanish History, Today, World History|1 Comment

Dr. Arnold of Rugby (and his son Matthew)

Thomas Arnold, Headmaster of Rugby School and father of Matthew / ctwsearch.wesleyan.edu

Thomas Arnold is probably the most celebrated real (as opposed to invented) headmaster in history. He is the lynch-pin of a book called Tom Brown’s Schooldays written by Thomas Hughes about the experiences of schooling under Arnold at Rugby. The book, still in print, launched the career of another massive literary creation, Flashman the Rugby bully (by George Macdonald Fraser) running to twelve volumes. The school itself launched into the sporting world its third most popular team sport (played in over thirty countries) – Rugby Football. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-18T09:41:31+00:00 April 18th, 2012|English History, Today, World History|0 Comments

Two US generals from World War II

Continuing our series on important military leaders from the 1939-1945 war, we briefly examine the careers of two very well-known names from North America – Marshall and Patton. Actors played them both in many Hollywood films. General Marshall appears in an opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan (q.v.), and George C. Scott memorably portrayed Patton in the film of that name (1970).

George C. Marshal / history.com

George Catlett Marshall was born in 1880. He managed to become not only a distinguished soldier, but combined his military experience with that of a statesman, by no means an easy task. He had no career other than a soldier’s, rising rapidly through the ranks after West Point to become US Chief of Staff in 1939. In fact he stayed in that post until 1945. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-16T17:11:15+00:00 April 16th, 2012|German History, Russian history, US History, World History|0 Comments

G-H Sunday Philosophy: the sadness of Zapatero

I feel a degree of sympathy for the ex-President of the Government in Spain. What can he do on Sundays? His agnostic wife Sonsoles goes off to sing with her church choir, perhaps returns to lunch? I assume his gothick daughters have their own agenda on the Day of Rest: there are cauldrons and incantations; blasted heaths can be found near Madrid. After nearly eight years of solitary power in one of the most important member/countries of the European Union, to be shoved off the throne by a resurrected Rasputin must be, to put it simply, an Ishoo. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-15T16:02:15+00:00 April 15th, 2012|Philosophy, Spanish History, Today, World History|0 Comments

Appeasers and Opposers

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 terms with him, if they could. These were the Appeasers. They include Britain’s Prime Minister at the time, Neville Chamberlain, and his French colleague Edouard Daladier. But in Britain there were also Opposers, those who actively opposed the idea of going to war with Hitler at all.

The German Chancellor’s demands, made principally between 1936 and 1939, were exorbitant, and fuelled by his need for revenge against the Powers which had sentenced Germany to pay for the First World War, bringing about massive inflation and loss of national pride. The Appeasers seemed willing to accede to Hitler’s demands, much to the fury of Winston Churchill, a leading opponent of appeasement. For this stance he was (and still is), accused of warmongering. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-13T11:03:57+00:00 April 13th, 2012|Czech History, English History, French History, German History, Italian History, US History, World History|0 Comments

Guderian, Keitel & von Rundstedt: II World War generals

Field Marshall Gerd von Rundstedt / en.wikipedia.com

These three German generals were all born in the 19^th century. The first named in the title was probably the greatest tank commander the world has seen; certainly the professional-Greek columnist columnist Taki insists he was. Keitel ran a risk the other two avoided: he became a leading member of the National Socialist Party and was in fact an organiser within it. As a not particularly inventive or successful serving soldier this was unwise, and he must have regretted his Nazism when accused of massive war crime at the Nuremberg Trials. Neither Guderian nor von Rundstedt were admirers of Nazi excesses or Hitler. Rundstedt famously said (in Paris) “I refuse to go to Berlin to talk to that Bavarian corporal . . .” (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-12T12:21:28+00:00 April 12th, 2012|French History, German History, Russian history, US History, World History|0 Comments

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, bothered by religion, and chased by bad luck.

Henry (Bolingbroke) IV of England / en.wikipedia.org

Henry of Bolingbroke, I Duke of Hereford, II Duke of Lancaster was born the only legitimate son of John of Gaunt (q.v.) in 1366. Gaunt, I Duke of Lancaster, was the second son of Edward III. His elder brother was known as the Black Prince, who died before he could become king.

Bolingbroke was roughly thirty years old when King Richard II (grandson of Edward III) banished him from the realm for reasons best known to this slightly deranged young man. If Bolingbroke had not been banished, he would have inherited the really vast estates left by his father at his death in 1399. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-11T07:29:30+00:00 April 11th, 2012|English History, French History, Spanish History, World History|0 Comments

Indo-China; some history

In the latter part of the nineteenth century the words Indo-China did not mean much to the average European. Map draughtsmen knew the word was applied (by the French) to five dependencies in south-east Asia from 1887. In fact the word stayed until 1954. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-04-08T10:37:40+00:00 April 8th, 2012|History of Korea, Russian history, US History, World History|0 Comments

The Battles of Little Bighorn & Wounded Knee

Last moments for George Custer at the Little Big Horn / manataka.org

George Custer was a general in the US army who shouldn’t have been. He was brave but incapable of making a quick decision; he had high political ambitions, but disagreeable in society, holding the opinion that no one else’s should be attended to; his sense of timing was bad; at the time of Little Big Horn he was only thirty-seven years old. His war record in the Civil War was exellent, and he had served in it with some distinction. Ten horses had been shot under him. His impulsive disposition led to a Court Martial in 1867, but Sheridan got him re-instated. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-03-31T10:21:16+00:00 March 31st, 2012|US History, World History|3 Comments

The Reichstag

What was left after the Reichstag Fire / classwarfareexists.com

This is, or rather was the Imperial Parliament of Germany. Here in Berlin the legislature of the German Second Empire and Weimar Republic was planned and expedited. It is extremely old; as a legislative (or law-making) chamber its origins stretch back to the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire (q.v.).

The Reichstag was encouraged and re-instated by Otto von Bismarck (q.v.), forming the representative assembly of those states constituent to the North German Confederation; from 1871 it was the centre of government for the Second Empire. It should be noted that its rôle in the Empire was the passing of legislation: it was not permitted to interfere in federal government, and had limited control over public expenditure. Under the Weimar Republic however, the Reichstag enjoyed greater powers, as the actual government was made responsible to it. (more…)

By Dean Swift| 2012-03-26T18:14:23+00:00 March 26th, 2012|Dutch History, German History, Jewish History, World History|0 Comments