Emperor
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Japanese Civilian Suicide in WW II June 12, 2023
The War of the Pacific against Imperial Japan was marked by episodes of mass suicides by Japanese soldiers and civilians, notably in Saipan and Okinawa. These deaths illustrated Japan's will to fight to the death to defend their mainland rather than ...
Failed Attempt at Reform Set Stage for Chinese Revolution June 12, 2023
The Hundred Days of Reform was an attempt to modernise China by reforming its government, economy and society. They were launched by the young Guangxu emperor and his followers, particularly the writer Kang Youwei, in mid-1898. The reforms were event...
Caesar, Bloody Mary, Mao Among Most Terrifying Dictators June 09, 2023
Power struggles and war have existed since the dawn of humanity. Even today, we struggle with international relations and division within our own country. On numerous occasions, however, twisted political leaders have risen to power. Dictators like G...
Here's What Happened During the Third Crusade June 08, 2023
The news of the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem reached Europe via the bishop of Tyre. The pope heard the news and died. The next pope issued a crusading bull, but only reigned two months before he himself died. Yet there was enthusiasm for a crus...
Compendium of the Fall of Constantinople June 05, 2023
The fall of the city of Constantinople on May 29, 1453 was a world-shaking event. The capture of the city removed the last obstacle to the Ottomans’ centuries-long drive to dominate southeastern Europe. It stimulated western European exploration of s...
Transporting Napoleon to Elba Was a Challenge March 30, 2023
From his leaking cabin, the imperial paymaster, Guillaume Peyrusse, wrote to his father about being rocked so violently by the waves that he fell out of bed and smacked his head on the wet floor. The sounds of overnight hammering had him convinced th...
Rome Brought Its Biggest Battle Upon Itself March 29, 2023
The immense battle that occurred in modern France in the year 197 is little-known. This is partially because of how long ago it was, and partially because of how little we know about the actual fighting. However, we can be fairly sure of one thing – ...
Terra Cotta Warriors in Color Photos March 29, 2023
Reputed as one of the greatest archaeological finds in the twentieth century and the eighth wonder of the world, Terracotta Warriors is something you definitely can not miss. This terracotta army was intended to protect the afterlife of China’s first...
Pertinax's 87-Day Reign Ended in His Beheading March 28, 2023
Following the assassination of Commodus on December 31, AD 192, Publius Helvius Pertinax, as both a revered elder member of the Senate and a chief lieutenant of the former emperor, was chosen to replace him. The reign of Pertinax is intriguing for it...
'The City of the World's Desire' March 28, 2023
Chapter One: The ConquerorThe seat of the Roman Empire is Constantinople ... Therefore you are the legitimate Emperor of the Romans ... And he who is and remains Emperor of the Romans is also Emperor of the whole earth. -George Trapezuntios...
Gordian I's Short Reign in Carthage March 21, 2023
Marcus Antonius Gordianus Sempronianus Romanus Africanus, the emperor known to history as Gordian I, was the focus of aspirations for a short-lived uprising in Africa against the emperor Maximinus Thrax early in the year 238. Little is reliably known...
Napoleon's Surprise Return and 100 Days March 21, 2023
On February 26, 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte, some generals and about a thousand soldiers of his personal guard boarded ship for their voyage from the island of Elba back to France. On this little island not very far from Corsica, the Emperor had stayed s...
Napoleon Picked Pastels for Elba Residence March 21, 2023
It’s coming up to mid August on Elba, and the entire population of Tuscany, or so it seems, has decanted itself on to this tiny Mediterranean island six miles from the Italian mainland. As the 15th of the month approaches, it’s increasingly hard to s...
Last of the Romanovs: Why Nicholas II Abdicated March 15, 2023
On 15 March 1917, amid the chaos and fury of the Russian Revolution, Tsar Nicholas II, Emperor of all Russia, abdicated from the throne and ended 300 years of Romanov rule. Russians of all classes were on the streets of Petrograd (formerly known as S...
Smiling Sphinx Likely Modeled After Claudius Revealed March 13, 2023
With deep sandy eyes and a wide smirk, the statue is probably modeled on the Roman emperor Claudius, the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement Monday. He ruled from A.D. 41 to 54 and is credited with extending Roman rule t...
Japanese-American Alliance Is Older, Greater Than WW II March 12, 2023
After a more than a 75-year posture of defensive pacifism, Japan is rapidly shedding its post-World War II disposition. Increased deployments of U.S. Marines, additional troop movements, and strengthened naval ties with the United States of America a...
Credit Augustus With the Flourishing of Roman Empire March 03, 2023
With the final defeat of Antony, and Octavian's emergence as sole political ruler of the Roman world, the Roman Republic still teetered on the edge of potential disaster. Despite Octavian's victory, and initial attempts to appear as a great advocate ...
Hitler Never Should Have Gone After USSR February 14, 2023
Launched on 22 June 1941 and named after the 12th-century Holy Roman emperor Frederick Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union represented a decisive breaking of the 1939 Nazi-Soviet pact. The Axis attacking forces of more than 3 million ...
Beheading to Betrothal: Truth About St. Valentine February 14, 2023
On Feb. 14, sweethearts of all ages will exchange cards, flowers, candy, and more lavish gifts in the name of St. Valentine. But as a historian of Christianity, I can tell you that at the root of our modern holiday is a beautiful fiction. St. Valenti...
The Fraught Life of China's Last Emperor February 13, 2023
Puyi was the last emperor of China. His life was full of ups and downs. He led a special life in China's turbulent era of change — from emperor to citizen. The following facts will help you better understand the Last Emperor.Name: PuyiManchu surname:...
When Did Rome Actually Fall? February 08, 2023
The "Fall of Rome" usually refers to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century A.D. But historians don't agree about the exact date, nor about its causes. And some historians argue that the Roman Empire lasted until it fell in the...
Britain's Reluctant King Had a Challenging Reign February 06, 2023
King George VI (born Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George; December 14, 1895–February 6, 1952) was King of the United Kingdom, Head of the British Commonwealth, and the last Emperor of India. He succeeded to the throne after his older brother, Edwar...
Titus' Reign Was Short, But Stellar June 24, 2022
Following up on the success of Vespasian would be no easy task, and while ancient accounts of Titus are somewhat mixed, he for the most part was remembered with the highest praise. Perhaps his short yet continuing stable reign after his father, follo...
It Would Have Been Better if Napoleon Had Won June 20, 2022
"Come general, the affair is over, we have lost the day," Napoleon told one of his officers. "Let us be off." The day was June 18, 1815. By about 8 p.m., the emperor of France knew he had been decisively defeated at a village called Waterloo, and he ...
U.S. Civil War Played Role in Mexican Emperor's Execution June 20, 2022
On 19th June, 1867, the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, the emperor of Mexico, was executed on a hill outside Querétaro. His death was ordered by Benito Juarez, the president of the Mexican Republic.Maximilian's death was a key event in a tur...
