hive-133974 Tag Posts Index

How Civilised is Civilisation?

When you hear or read the word 'civilisation' or 'civilised' what does it make you think? While there is no single definition it's generally seen as a good thing

History is Usually Good, Bad and Ugly

Recently I overheard my husband listening to someone give an argument on why the crusades were justified. I'm not sure what he was responding to, but he seemed quite

Today in Japan - The Meiji Restoration and Ryōma’s Quiet Shadow

Today in Japanese history, January 3 marks the formal beginning of the Meiji Restoration. In 1868, on this day, the new imperial government proclaimed the “restoration”

Does History Repeat or Rhyme?

Something that's fascinated me for as long as I can remember is history and archeology. Our small school didn't offer history as an exam option, so their approach

From Monkey Face to Taikō: The Peasant Who Rose to Rule Japan

When we think of Japan’s great unifiers, we often picture Oda Nobunaga, the bloodthirsty and ruthless visionary who began the work. Next to mind is probably Tokugawa

The Medieval King Who Died From a Toilet

Yep, this actually happened. In the summer of 1306, 17-year-old King Wenceslaus III of Bohemia was at the height of power on paper, at least. He held the titles

Juan Sebastián Elcano: The Unsung Hero Who Finished Magellan’s First Voyage Around the World

Source: Wikipedia Juan Sebastián Elcano was a Basque navigator from Getaria, Spain, born around 1487. He is renowned for leading the expedition that achieved the

Swiss neutrality in World War II

Many people see Switzerland as the good guy in World War II. It seems untouched, pure, and above the chaos. But the truth is more complicated. Switzerland is known

What does "proxy war" mean?

"Proxy war" is a term used to describe an armed conflict in which two or more powers use third parties: countries, armed groups, or puppet governments,

The Death of Oda Nobunaga

On this day in 1582, one of Japan’s most feared and transformative warlords was betrayed and killed in a Kyoto temple. Oda Nobunaga, known equally for his ruthlessness

Europe Didn’t Discover Chocolate It Stole It

ENG Europe Didn’t Discover Chocolate — It Stole It Before it was a treat, it was sacred. Long before chocolate reached European palaces, it was revered by the Maya

The two atomic bombs that ended World War II

The first atomic bomb at Hiroshima Hiroshima following the dropping of the atomic bomb on 6 August 1945. At 8.15 on the morning of 6th August 1945, the Japanese

Miyamoto Musashi: Death of a Sword Saint

June 13th marks the death of Miyamoto Musashi, arguably Japan’s most legendary swordsman. He died in 1645, nearly four centuries ago, yet his life and philosophy

Orphan Train: America’s First Mass Child Migration

Source: New England Historical Society In the mid-19th century, America faced a growing crisis of homeless and destitute children flooding its crowded Eastern cities.

Why a Dollar is Called a “Buck”

Here’s one that comes up fairly often in some of the Intro to American Culture classes I give businessmen. I was surprised at just how often people would ask

Political analysis of NATO against Russia today

The relationship between NATO and Russia in 2025 has been characterized by a deep strategic and military confrontation marked by military escalation, diplomatic

End of World War II

The end of World War II was on May 8, 1945, in Europe, when Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, marking the end of World War II on the European continent.

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu: Shogun, Sovereign, and the Dream of Dynasty

On May 31, 1408, exactly 617 years ago to this day, one of the most ambitious and enigmatic men in Japanese history died suddenly, just as he seemed poised to crown

The Man Who Claimed Hirohito Wasn’t the Real Emperor

A few days ago I posted about Emperor Sukō and the chaos of the Northern and Southern Courts. At the end of the post I mentioned a little trivia that after WWII,

Did Hitler and Eva Brown escape to Argentina?

Assuming the conspiracy theory about Adolf Hitler and other Nazis escaping to Argentina is true, here I describe how that escape might have occurred, their life