On June 21, 1966, France made the somewhat shocking move to withdraw its troops from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This decision led by French president Charles de Gaulle complicated relations between the U.S. and Europe amidst clashing American and Communist spheres of influence. Though France remained politically in NATO, its actions cast doubt… Read More "France has de Gaulle to Withdraw from NATO"
Losing “The Congolese Bet” — The Belgian Congo’s Violent Road to Independence
Remembered as one of the most tragic victims of European imperialism, the Belgian Congo suffered decades of exploitation, violence, racism and repression. By restricting access to higher education and monopolizing political and military leadership positions, the Belgians maintained an iron hold over their resource-rich colony. Then, after a wave of African independence movements and without… Read More "Losing “The Congolese Bet” — The Belgian Congo’s Violent Road to Independence"
The 1969 ‘Soccer War’ Between Honduras and El Salvador
Every four years, the world’s attention turns to the spectacle that is the World Cup. Rivalries can be fierce as countries vie for the most coveted prize in international sports. For the most part, the action stays on the pitch. But not always. In 1969, long-simmering tensions between Honduras and El Salvador, which were competing… Read More "The 1969 ‘Soccer War’ Between Honduras and El Salvador"
Persecution of the Kurds: The Documents of Saddam’s Secret Police
The Kurds have had a long and troubled history in Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein tens of thousands of Kurds were massacred and their villages destroyed during Iraq’s war with Iran in the 1980s. In the aftermath of the 1990-91 Gulf War, the Kurds, staged an uprising against Saddam and fought to gain autonomy over the… Read More "Persecution of the Kurds: The Documents of Saddam’s Secret Police"
Spain’s King Juan Carlos I, The Early Years
The fate of 20th Century Spain was molded in large part by two men: long-time dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco, who seized power after Spain’s bloody Civil War; and King Juan Carlos, who was personally selected by Franco to succeed him. He came to power on November 22, 1975, at age 37, only two days after… Read More "Spain’s King Juan Carlos I, The Early Years"
Jean Bédel Bokassa: The Man who Would be Emperor
Jean Bédel Bokassa ruled as President-for-life and later as Emperor of the Central African Republic from 1966 to 1979. In his youth he served in the French Colonial Army earning the rank of captain fighting in what would become Vietnam. Bokassa’s erratic and sometimes brutal regime began after he seized power in a military coup,… Read More "Jean Bédel Bokassa: The Man who Would be Emperor"
A House of Cards – The Collapse of Yugoslavia
Over a bloody three years, hundreds of thousands of Europeans were dislocated, imprisoned, raped, tortured, starved and massacred as an amoral dictator pursued an agenda of ethnic cleansing and carved out a homeland for his own people. Half a century after Adolf Hitler brought the word genocide into the global vocabulary, Slobodan Milosevic and his… Read More "A House of Cards – The Collapse of Yugoslavia"
“There Will be Blood:” The British Recapture the Falklands
The Falklands War began as a tragically misguided game of smoke and mirrors, designed to inflame Argentinian patriotism and redirect attention away from internal crises. As economic stagnation and vocal dissatisfaction with the ruling military juntas persisted, General Leopoldo Galtieri and Admiral Jorge Anaya orchestrated an unprovoked invasion of the Falklands, a thinly populated archipelago… Read More "“There Will be Blood:” The British Recapture the Falklands"
Known as the ‘Giant of Africa,’ Nigeria stretches across the continent like a patchwork quilt, sewn together from dozens of historically independent religious, ethnic and linguistic subgroups, all vying for political representation and control. After achieving independence in 1960, the infant nation struggled to maintain a fragile peace as members of the Muslim Hausa-Fulani ethnic… Read More "The Famine in Biafra — USAID’s Response to the Nigerian Civil War"
“The Six-Day Miracle”: The 1967 War and How It Changed Israel
“This is a fight for the homeland – it is either us or the Israelis…. Any of the old Palestine Jewish population who survive may stay, but it is my impression that none of them will survive.” — Ahmad Shukeiri, June 1, 1967 Four days after Shukeiri, the first Chairman of the Palestine… Read More "“The Six-Day Miracle”: The 1967 War and How It Changed Israel"