Canadian soldiers celebrate after their victory at Vimy Ridge, 1917. (source: Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1918 Allied Supreme Commander Ferdinand Foch convened a meeting in a train car 60 km (40 miles) from Paris to sign the Treaty of Compiègne, ending the First World War. The armistice brought a complete end to all…
Day: November 6, 2019
Dien Bien Phu
Viet Minh fighters raise their flag over French positions at Dien Bien Phu. (source: Wikimedia Commons) On March 13th, 1954, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu began between the French Far East Expeditionary Forces and members of the communist Viet Minh (guerilla fighters). The battle was the climax of the First Indochina War (Indochina being…
The Iranian Coup D’état, 1953
Iranian trucks on a highway leading towards Tehran. (source: Wikimedia Commons) On August 15th, 1953, the Iranian Coup D'état began when British and American-backed rebels overthrew the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. With the backing of the Persian Shahs (religious leaders), high-ranking members of the Iranian military tried to depose Mossadegh, ostensibly because the…
11/10 – The Berlin Wall Falls
Potsdamer Platz, Berlin: Berliners and tourists gather in disbelief at the new opening in the "Wall of Shame". (source: Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1989 Germans began to tear down the Berlin Wall. The 155 km (96 mile) wall had split East and West Germany in two through Berlin since 1961. Prior to the…
11/09 – Roosevelt’s Visit
Theodore Roosevelt at rest. (source: Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1906 Theodore Roosevelt made a trip to visit the construction site of the Panama Canal. The Canal, an 82 km (51 mile) long shipping waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, was an important part of US foreign policy and is still an integral…