How did Chile turn from Democracy to Dictatorship in a matter of weeks? Augusto Pinochet led a 1973 coup and took authoritarian control which lasted 7 years.
Author Archives: andrewspaulw
Before They Were Famous – 6 Inventors, Leaders and Humanitarians
What makes certain people seemingly fated to be famous? Is it their wealth, charisma, stamina … or ruthlessness? Could it perhaps be something in their childhood or up-bringing? It is some Secret Sauce that others can replicate? Below are 6 famous people from recent history, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, Golda Mier, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa and Adolf Hitler.
Shays Rebellion of 1786, the 1st American Insurrection
Shays Rebellion of 1786 was a series of violent attacks by rural landowners on county courthouses and armories in Massachusetts. It led to a full-blown military confrontation with the state militia in the winter of 1787.
The Pacific Clipper WWII Around-the-World Flight
In late 1941, the crew of the Pan American “Pacific Clipper” (Boeing 314 flying boat) made a historic, emergency flight around the world just to get home.
Napoleon’s Failed Invasion of Russia
French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was without a doubt one of the most brilliant leaders in history. Nevertheless, his Invasion of Russia in 1812 was one of the worst military disasters ever undertaken.
Israel vs. Middle East -the Birth Pains of a new Nation
Israel as a nation has only existed since 1948, less than a hundred years. It was created by the United Nations in the turbulent aftermath of World War II.
Podcast: Benito Mussolini and the Rise of Fascism
We hear a great deal from politicians these days about the growing dangers of Fascism, or even just Socialism. Political leaders throw the terms about as if the two were the same. Democratic Socialism is practiced successfully today by nearly every European Union country. But what about Fascism? It got its start a decade BEFORE Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, under Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
The 1791 Haitian Revolution by Black Slaves
The Haitian Revolution was the largest, most successful slave rebellion in the Western World. Black slaves initiated a rebellion in 1791 and by 1803, they’d ended not just slavery, but achieved independence over French colonial rule.
The Secret World War II Bretton Woods Conference
Not all the major battles in World War II were in Europe or the Pacific. Some involved intense negotiations between the Allied nations – negotiations on what the post-war world would look like economically. The most significant was the secret Bretton Woods Conference of 1944. It was a gathering of delegates from 44 nations from around the world. They met in July in remote Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in the U.S.
The Exotic and Unreachable Timbuktu
The name “Timbuktu” in popular culture usually refers to some remote, far-away place. “Crikey, you live way out in Timbuktu!” For others, it may conjure up exotic images of a desert oasis full of camels, palm trees, and turbans. Timbuktu is actually a city in west Africa, located in the center of the nation of Mali.