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One of Goldman's many mugshots. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1919, American anarcho-feminist Emma Goldman was deported to Russia, her home country, for crimes listed under the Anarchist Expulsion Act. Goldman - born in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire - travelled to America in 1885. As a young woman, Goldman began writing;…
American troops and Panamanian women in 1989. (OSW) On this day in 1989, US military forces invaded Panama, a small country linking Central and South America. Titled Operation Just Cause (or, according to many soldiers who took part in the operation, "Just 'cause"), the invasion was justified by US command as a necessity for protecting…
Mongolian soldiers during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. (Wikimedia Commons) The Western narrative of WWII often forgets much of what happened in the far East. Although the Pacific Campaign gets a considerable amount of American attention, many readers and researchers focus largely on the North African and European theatres. Most sources agree that WWII began…
A bombing run by a B-52 as seen from the air. (National Air Force Museum) On this day in 1972, American president Richard B. Nixon announced a renewed Christmas bombing campaign of North Vietnam: a massive aerial strike of civilian and military targets by B-52 strategic bombers codenamed Operation Linebacker II. The previous iteration of…
The aftermath of the battle. (Wikimedia Commons) In the early 1400s, Anglo-French relations were in a pretty bad place. New English King Henry V - who succeeded his father Henry IV in 1413 - faced mounting pressure to stabilize his own kingdom and settle issues of succession with the French crown. Henry claimed ownership of…
Mary, Queen of Scots sails away from France to a tumultuous future. (New Historian) On this day in 1542, 6 day-old Mary Stuart became Mary, Queen of Scots with the passing of her father, King James V of Scotland. Mary spent most of her younger years in France and was married to the 12 year-old…
An IDF Chieftain tank rolles past destroyed Egyptian military vehicles. (Popular Historia.se) In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Israel was an emerging power player in Middle Eastern politics. Although surrounded by relatively unfriendly neighbours (Egypt, Syria, and Jordan), the small Mediterranean nation had held its own in local conflicts since 1948 with the aid…
The Graf Spee in Montevideo, heavily damaged and about to be scuttled. (Pinterest) On this day in 1939, the German Kriegsmarine (Navy) heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spree was on a "commercial raiding mission" off the coast of Uruguay and Argentina. Before WWII's start, the Graf Spee had been authorized to sail around the South Atlantic…
Knights of a chivalric order engage in "friendly" competition. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1408, Hungarian King Sigismund von Luxembourg founded the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order dedicated to protecting Central Europe from foreign incursions. Knights and important figures from the Holy Roman Empire, Wallachia, Aragon, Moldova, Hungary and the Serbian Despotate…
A Supermarine Spitfire (front) and Hawker Hurricane (rear). The two fighter plane variants were the RAF's main weapons during the Battle of Britain. (Wikimedia Commons) In the summer of 1940, things looked very, very bad for the Allies of WWII. Poland and most of Eastern Europe were in Axis hands; France had just capitulated; and…
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