Blog Profile / European History Guide
| URL : | http://europeanhistory.about.com/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Academics / History | |
| Posts on Regator: | 301 | |
| Posts / Week: | 3.1 | |
| Archived Since: | July 9, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
The Best WW2 Story You'll Hear All Year
When I first heard about the contents of Stephen Harding's new book 'The Last Battle' I could scarcely believe it: a largely forgotten episode late in World War 2 when US troops, French prisoners, Germans soldiers and local resistance teamed together to defend themselves and a medieval castle from the SS. Show More Summary
Fertilizers were probably used in Scandinavia in 3000 BCE
Experts working out of the University of Gothenburg have recently published work on a Stone Age settlement located near Falköping in Sweden. Studies have been done on diet, and on pieces of seed and grain which have survived. Stone Pages...Show More Summary
The German 'Wolf Children'
After a very high profile case of a publisher being fooled into releasing a fake biography of survival in World War Two that involved wolves, I've given a wide birth to anything connecting the war and wolves. I thus nearly missed this...Show More Summary
New This Month: May 2013
This month we extend our First World War content ahead of next year's centenary commemorations with a look at some key battles. As well as a summary page listing these key events, we look at Amiens in 1918, Cambrai... Read Full Post
Ireland Pardons Anti-Nazi Troops
Irish soldiers who left their army to join the fight against Hitler and Nazism and suffered a lifetime of ostracism are being pardoned, as the Irish parliament has passed an amnesty on the thousands of troops. Defence Minister Alan Shatter...Show More Summary
Last Jutland Survivor to be a Museum
Former British Royal Navy ship HMS Caroline is the only surviving vessel from the Battle of Jutland, a clash of the British and German fleets in 1916. Before World War One a great, conflict changing naval battle was expected, but the closest they came was the ultimately fruitless Battle of Jutland. Show More Summary
London's Sea Forts
This story combines my love of history with my fascination for abandoned structures. During the Second World War a number of sea defences were built on stilt like legs, and they're now in various states of decay, with a charity fighting to preserve them. Show More Summary
"Could Body Armor Have Saved Millions in World War I?"
In this Atlantic article Professor Michael Vlahos muses on whether a programme supplying body armour would have cut the number of deaths in World War One. It focuses heavily on American troops, but would apply to other nations, although...Show More Summary
AA Milne Wrote World War One Propaganda
A collection of forgotten documents have revealed that Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne, creator of a famously pacifist essay, worked during the WW1 for a military intelligence branch. Named MI7b, the group created propaganda for the British war effort. Milne fans, and those interested in the secret war of WW1, should start with this Guardian article.
Europe's '14 Most Endangered Historical Sites'
Europa Nostra, a group the Huffington Post described as 'dedicated to the preservation of European landmarks', has published a list of the fourteen historical sites in Europe they believe to be most in danger of disappearing. The aim...Show More Summary
Pompeii and the Mafia
I try and avoid recent politics on this blog, but as I've spoken about efforts to channel money into safeguarding the ruins of Pompeii, and as this issue is making national news, I thought I should. Basically, there'sbeen a strong of...Show More Summary
Iron Age Gaming Pieces
If you're interested in gaming (the older kind with physical pieces rather than the digital), you might like a picture on this Science Daily article. They're reporting on a dig at an Iron Age hillfort in the UK, and among plenty of artefacts...Show More Summary
A Blog Full of Medieval Images
Discarded Image / Discarding Images is a blog I was told about which features medieval images taken from manuscripts. These were often wonderfully illustrated and illuminated, and they often contain strange - to our eyes - marginalia. I've looked at some of the blog and all life is represented, so it can be a little nsfw, but everything is credited, which is excellent.
Otzi the Iceman had Severe Dental Problems
More than twenty years since his body was discovered in an Alpine glacier, and more than five thousand since he died up there, Otzi the Iceman is continuing to provide information to experts. The latest examination was published in the European Journal of Oral Sciences, and it's a look at the teeth. Show More Summary
WW2 Monkey receives Statue
If I was to tell you a story about a US aircrew who were forced to land their Flying Fortress in Ireland while en route to Britain in WW2, and when the locals retrieved the crew they found a pet monkey among them, you might think I was making things up. Show More Summary
New This Month: April 2013
This month we expand our Renaissance content. First up is an article about the 'Northern Renaissance', which was no less creative than the southern. Then we examine Renaissance Humanism and one of its most famous achievements: discovering the Donation of Constantine was a fake. Show More Summary
Churchill Poem due to be Auctioned
Winston Churchill is famous for his writing, but there's only one poem known to have been written by the future Prime Minister during his adult years, and now someone wealthy has the chance to own it. 'Our Modern Watchwords', written c. Show More Summary
Civita di Bagnoregio in Danger
Civita di Bagnoregio is a small village in the Lazio region of Italy that was built on an outcrop of rock, and is reached via a long bridge. It's a highly picturesque site dating back thousands of years, but as the outcrop has eroded so the village has become at risk, with buildings falling down the slopes and repairs needed. Show More Summary
Did Roman Ring Inspire Tolkien?
Highly regarded professor JRR Tolkien is best known for four / two fiction books - The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings - which involve a ring imbued with great power. One inspiration for the One Ring dates from the Roman era, and is going on display in Hampshire, Britain, at The Vyne. Show More Summary
Dejean: General and Collector
The Smithsonian's website has a lovely piece on Count Dejean, a Lieutenant General in the armies of Napoleon, once aide-de-camp to the Emperor, and survivor of Waterloo. What's interesting here is that Dejean's passion was collecting...Show More Summary