The pharaonic golden age (1839–1292 BCE) was a time of relentless colonization and exploitation of Nubia, Egypt’s workshop. With its newly restored and expanded borders, Nubia’s mineral wealth, especially gold, was needed to maintain Egypt’s prosperity and fund its palace and temple building programme. With the Buhen fortress restored and... More
The two global superpowers, the USA and USSR, were locked into a nuclear arms race with both sides building and developing large arsenals of nuclear weapons, including the hydrogen bomb and antiballistic missiles. Both the USSR and the USA had developed intercontinental ballistic missiles with a minimum range of 3,400... More
Hugh O’ Neill was no unruly Irish chieftain. Raised within the Pale, and awarded the Earlship of Tyrone by Queen Elizabeth, he carefully planned his insurrection. From the early 1590s he stockpiled arms and recruited mercenaries. He elicited promise of support from King Philip of Spain. In 1595, he struck,... More
As the Soviet Union began to show signs of imminent collapse, the oil industry in Central Asia was jeopardized as the existing pipelines from the oil producing regions around the Caspian Sea were controlled mostly by Russia. The Central Asian Republics would be left with very little oil transportation infrastructure... More
On 5 December 1940 OKH had delivered a plan for the German attack on the USSR. Benito Mussolini had attacked Greece on 28 October and, to support their Italian ally German High Command began planning a campaign in the Balkans to be launched in March 1941. Hitler’s directive No. 18,... More
On 12 December 1940 the first draft of Hitler’s Directive No. 21, concerning what became Operation Barbarossa, was submitted to Hitler. After comments supplied by the Luftwaffe commanders and the OKW (Supreme Command of the Armed Forces), Hitler personally dictated his final amendments. These included a drive northward towards Leningrad;... More
On 21 July 1940 Hitler, now reaching the height of his influence after successful campaigns against Poland an in the West, turned his attention to ‘the Russian problem’. Though still facing an incomplete campaign against Britain, the destruction of the USSR would, if all else failed, remove Britain’s potential ally... More
Set in the ancient Middle (or Near) East, events in the Old Testament focussed around the ancient land of Canaan in Palestine. The Jordan River Valley served as a central artery through this mountainous land, from the Sea of Galilee in the north, to the Dead Sea in the south.... More
The Olmec civilization is believed to have been the first large Mesoamerican civilization in the southern area of modern day Mexico and Guatemala. Architectural and artistic artefacts suggest that the Olmecs made significant cultural contributions to other civilizations in the region; influences from the impressive, distinctively styled Olmec stone head... More
Olustee Station was situated on the Florida, Atlantic & Gulf Railroad in densely forested flatland. Confederate General Joseph Finegan selected it as his battlefield, his flanks protected to the north by Ocean Pond and the south by swamp. His opponent, Union General Truman Seymour, anticipated that only local militias would... More
The assault on Omaha made the slowest progress in the first few days after the initial landings. The topography of the beach with its large bluffs, from which German guns could easily mow down American troops, made it difficult to stamp out German resistance in the area. After supplies were... More
Omri’s succession took place after the chariot commander Zimri assassinated the legitimate ruler, Elah, and proclaimed himself king. Omri, Elah’s general, was engaged in the siege of Gibbethon against the occupying Philistines when he heard of the regicide. Omri’s army immediately advanced to Tirzah and within a week Zimri had... More