@LoremIO

The doctor trying to clean the wound with liquor is awesome. And after checking the body the winner being taken away like if he was being arrest...

( which I believe could even be what happened, with the guys being real cops just ready to arrested the winner. Like "Yeah, you have the full right to duel, but then we will have to arrest you for murder. Are you ok with that? Well, fine. We will just watch, and arrest you later..." )

(To those that don't know in such old times there's nothing doctors could use to properly kill microorganisms or provide sedation (except natural things, like cocaine or alcohol).

Louis-Napoléon, known as Prince Imperial, was the great-great grandson of Napoleon. When he was killed by Zulu warriors, the hope of rebuilding a Napoleon family empire would die alongside him. But how did Prince Imperial end up being slain by Zulu warriors? Ironically enough, the French prince was serving in the British military after travelling to England following the Franco-Prussian war. At the outbreak of the Zulu war in 1879, he wished to take part in the conflict, despite objections from those around him. His mother, Empress Eugénie, would plead his case and Queen Victoria herself would intervene, giving the eager young man of 23 a chance to prove himself in battle.

-Louis aged 14 -Studio portrait taken 1875

The young prince Louis-Napoléon was born into a life of privilege. After all, his godparents were Queen Victoria and his holiness the Pope. His parents were Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, and he was the heir to the French Empire. Common of the time, Louis was raised in the Military lifestyle and tradition, and reveled in it. He seemed to enjoy every part, even accompanying his father at their defeat at the Battle of Sedan. The young Prince appeared to be the last hope of restoring the Napoleon Empire to it's former glory, but he was still young and desired to make a name for himself.

Louis-Napoléon was born in Paris on the 16th of March 1856, and his godfather was Pope Pius IX. He was destined to be a leader, but as the tides of war turned against them he was sent to Belgium, then to his new home in England. There he would reunite with his parents, but his Father, Emporer Napoleon III would die on 9 January 1873. The young Louis was enamoured by a career in the military, and in 1872 was accepted as a cadet at the artillery school at Woolwich, graduating on February 16, 1875. However, for a child of such elevated birthright a commission in the artillery regiment was a little below his status. He managed to obtain a special position at the Duke's headquarters, but still wanted to advance further and really prove himself. During the 1870s, there was also some talk of a marriage between him and Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice. Queen Victoria also reportedly believed that it would be best for "the peace of Europe" if the prince became Emperor of France.

At the outbreak of war against the Zulu, Louis wanted nothing more than to join it, and would beg those around him for permission and the means to do so. Most were against it, but his mother Empress Eugénie would help him with his desired goal, and together they forced the British military into allowing him to take part in the conflict.

He left England on 27 February 1879, with special letters of introduction from the Duke of Cambridge, with the hopes of following troop movements. Upon his arrival in Durban, South Africa, he would join the General's Head-Quarters staff and meet Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford, the commander in South Africa.

-Frederic Thesiger, Baron Chelmsford

Keen to see combat, he would accompany Chelmsford's march into Zululand. Although his friend Lieutenant Arthur Brigge warned the eager prince Louis, "not to do anything rash and to avoid running unnecessary risks. I reminded him of the Empress at home and his party in France."

Despite allowing the prince to accompany him, Chelmsford was very aware of Louis' name and the power it held, and thus felt a great responsibility to keep him safe. Chelmsford would attatch the prince to Colonel Richard Harrison of the Royal Engineers, where he thought Louis could see some action but still be relatively safe. Harrison was responsible for the column's transport and for reconnaissance of the forward route on the way to Ulundi, the Zulu capital.

In order to keep him safe, it was directly ordered by Chelmsford that he go nowhere without a strong escort. Lieutenant Jahleel Brenton Carey, a French speaker and British subject from Guernsey, was given particular charge of escorting him. The young prince would eagerly participate in some scouting and reconnaissance missions, which would even put him in danger when he disobeyed orders from Colonel Redvers Buller.

-Jahleel Brenton Carey

𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍'𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉

-Louis in South Africa

On 31 May 1879, the 23 year old prince was given permission to join a scouting mission scheduled to leave the following morning, mistakenly believing that the path ahead was free of Zulu warriors. The prince was impatient and eager to head out, so when morning came he was already up and ready to go. He urged the men he could, and they set out earlier than expected, and without the whole escort. Led by Carey, the scouting party went deeper into Zululand, and without superior officers like Colonel Buller there to restrain him, the prince took command from Carey, even though the latter had seniority.

Now in full command of the troop, the Prince would begin to make some costly decisions. At noon, they halted at a deserted Krall (A cattle/livestock enclosure) near where the Itytyosi and Tombakala rivers join. Despite finding evidence of Zulu activity and being deep in Zulu territory, no lookout was posted. Prince Louis and Carey made some sketches of the terrain and then used part of the thatch from the Krall to make a fire.

The native Zulu guide began to get antsy, saying he had seen some Zulu approaching and that they should leave. Carey suggested they saddle up, but Louis insisted they stay another 10 minutes. While saddling up, a sudden volley of carbine fire erupted from the nearby brush. Around 40 Zulu warriors came charging at them wielding carbines and their deadly Assegai spears, screaming their warcry "uSuthu!"

One of the British, Abel, was shot in the back or neck and tumbled off his horse. Rogers was pulled off his horse and managed one shot off before he was killed. The Zulu guide and Abel were then surrounded and stabbed to death. Meanwhile, the prince would rush to mount his horse, Percy, managing to grab a strap on the saddle before Percy would dart off. The young prince was dragged around 100 yards (92m) as he tried to vault himself into the saddle, but the strap would break and he fell beneath his horses trampling hooves. He was kicked in the stomach, severely winding him, and his right arm was mangled. Despite his injuries, he scrambled to his feet and used his left hand to draw his revolver, then took flight on foot trying to escape the pursuing Zulu.

Unfortunately for the young could-be Emporer, the Zulu easily outpaced him. Louis fired three quick shots at his assailants, but missed each shot. He then slowed his fire and tried to take better aim, firing twice more, but both missed as well. He had lost his sabre, and was outnumbered 6 to 1. One of the Zulu named Langalibalele, threw his spear at the prince, but missed. Another spear thrown by Zabanga would not miss however, and struck the prince's left shoulder. Another spear would sink into his thigh, which he pulled out and charged at his attackers with their own weapon. His wounds were too grievous though, and the young man sank to a sitting position, still clutching the Zulu spear and his revolver.

Zabanga stabbed Louis again with an assegai, followed by Gwabakana; and then Klabawathunga delivered the killing blow, stabbing the prince in the right eye – penetrating the prince's brain and killing him.

The next day, prince Louis-Napoléon's body was found and recovered. He was found stripped naked, suffering 18 stab wounds, all to the front of his body. This is really 17, the 18th being a ritualistic slash across the stomach to remove a percieved contagious pollution. According to later testimonies from several of the Zulu men who had participated in the ambush, only 8 of the stab wounds were inflicted upon the prince while he was still alive - the remaining 10 were done after death. This was due to the Zulu observing the customary hlomula ritual, which entailed stabbing the body of an already fallen adversary. The practice was related to the hunt, when all the participants of the hunt were expected to stab the carcass of a particularly formidable kill, like a lion or buffalo. To do the same to a human foe was to acknowledge that he had fought with the ferocity of a dangerous wild animal. Langalibalele confirmed that hlomula was performed on the prince's corpse because he had "fought like a lion".

Klabawathunga then ritually stripped all except some medals, a gold chain with a medal of the Virgin Mary, and Louis' locket, which contained a picture of his mother, Empress Eugénie. They left the jewelry alone as it was seen as dishonourable to the fallen warrior, as well as a belief the prince's spirit would haunt them if they stole the jewellery.

Louis wasn't the only one to die, two troopers of the Natal Native Horse, Abel and Rogers, as well the Zulu guide accompanying them, died with the prince during the Zulu ambush. Although it appears only prince Louis was seen as enough of a warrior to perform the hlomula ritual on. Carey and the four surviving men came together about 50 yards (45m) away from where the prince made his final stand, but didn't fire at the Zulu. Instead, Carey would lead his men back to camp. Lord Chelmsford turned white with shock when he was informed of the tragedy, and Col. Buller bluntly told Carey he deserved to be shot. Carey would be court-martialed for this, although he eventually returned to his regiment, dying in Bombay on 22 February 1883.

Sapper George Harding (2nd Company Royal Engineers) recalled being ordered to take a horse ambulance and find the prince's body and bring it back to the column, he said; "We advanced to a dried-up river bed and had to cut away the banks to get the ambulance across. Eventually, we reached a kraal beside a large mealie field where we found the bodies of the Prince and some of his party. They had been surprised by Zulus as they rested in the kraal. The Zulus broke out of the mealie field and killed them before they could remount their horses. The Prince had been stabbed 16 times with assegais. We made a rough coffin and put his body in the ambulance. After burying the other bodies where they were found, we went back to the column. The Prince's body was taken back to England for burial."

-the prince's body leaves Itelezi camp on a gun carriage.

-Sketch of the kraal - the Zulu guide and Louis's terrier, Nero, are on the left, Lt. Carey in the middle and Louis seated in the foreground. Nero was also killed and mutilated by the Zulus.

Louis-Napoléon's death caused an international sensation. Rumours spread in France that the prince had been intentionally disposed of by the British. In one account, Queen Victoria was accused of arranging the whole thing, a theory that was later dramatised by Maurice Rostand in his play Napoleon IV. The Zulus later claimed that they would not have killed him if they had known who he was. Langalabalele was killed shortly after in the Battle of Ulundi.

Empress Eugénie later made a pilgrimage to Sobuza's kraal, where her son had died, and where the Prince Imperial Memorial, paid for by Queen Victoria, had been erected.

- assegai (reportedly) recovered near Louis' body

The young prince who had begged to go to war was now dead, and was described by Viscount Garnet Wolseley, as "a plucky young man, and he died a soldier's death. What on earth could he have done better?"

Alors, c'est la guerre! - So, it's war!

That was the answer of the greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas (above), when he was asked by the italian ambassador whether the italian forces would be "allowed" to enter and hold strategic positions within Greek soil. A small yet strong nation withstood the Axis superiority and unlike countries like France, Poland or the Netherlands; scored the first decisive victory against the unstoppable Axis forces.

Within several weeks, the Greek troops managed to drive out the italian forces, that have made a limited incursion in the greek territory. The hellenic command of Epirus and West Macedonia Command counter-attacked and hunted the italian troops inside their own protectorate, Albania. Well within 1941 the Greek troops had managed to invade and control nearly 30% of the Albanian soil.

Any external help from the Allies was near zero throughout 1940; little Greece managed to achieve such a feat alone with not even the proper equipment for winter and mountain warfare. Weapon and hardware imports have been stopped since 1938; when Europe was preparing for the great war without having any luxury of selling weapons to countries such as Greece. Hence, all branches of the armed forces were equiped with at best mid-30's gear.

Here's a collection of pictures of the brave men that intercepted and defeated the fascists, always smilling.

With Respect,

Phoebus

27/10/06

honorable mention The Forgotten History Of The 122nd Infantry Battalion

dr. Demetries Grimes, a former US naval officer, aviator and diplomat recounts the exploits of the elite 122nd Infantry Battalion, established by President Franklin Roosevelt at the re- quest of the Greek government in exile, to recruit Greek-Americans to support resis- tance efforts in German-occupied Greece

Like Cadmus' Spartoi, sown men, grown from the slayed dragon's teeth he planted in the ground in Thebes, in WWII German-occupied Greece, the dragon's teeth would be sown once again...

Much of what has been written about the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), revolves around tales of clandestine activities and espi- onage. Overlooked by most historians are the fascinating and heroic exploits of the OSS Operational Groups (OG), kept Top Secret for more than forty years after the war. During World War II, OGs were small, highly trained mil- itary units tasked with intelligence gathering, or- ganizing, training, supplying, and working with local resistance fighters against Axis forces be- hind enemy lines. The OGs in the Mediterranean were organized under the command of the 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion. The most effective and highly decorated of these groups was formed from the 122nd Infantry Battalion at Fort Carson, Colorado. The 122nd Infantry Battalion was established by President Franklin Roosevelt, at the request of the Greek government in exile, to recruit Greek-Americans to support resistance efforts in German-occu- pied Greece. The founder of the OSS and the OGs was millionaire Wall Street Lawyer and World War I Medal of Honor winner, Col. William After two extended trips to the region, he con- cluded that neither the US nor Britain were ca- pable of defeating the Axis powers with conven- tional military forces alone. According to his as- sessment, highly skilled forces engaging in coor- dinated guerrilla warfare would be required to win the war. He believed the rich ethnic makeup of America could provide second generation American soldiers with special capabilities to support local resistance organizations. He envi- sioned creating an elite force of highly skilled warriors and inserting them as small teams be- hind enemy lines to gather intelligence, commit acts of sabotage, engage in counterespionage, train local resistance fighters, and coordinate combined guerrilla resistance operations.

"A force of 12 officers and 120 NCOS qualified for the Greek-American Battalion. The units were inserted by sea and by parachute under cover of darkness in early 1944 and dispersed throughout Greece to work with British military officers and the Andartes of the EAM-ELAS to inflict damage on the enemy and destroy communications rail networks, and bridges used by the Wehrmacht."

Convinced by Col. Donovan's assessment, President Roosevelt appointed him to lead the OSS and begin the recruiting and training of agents and units needed to "sow the dragon's teeth" in Europe. The men recruited for these special units were physically fit, intelligent, moti- vated, trusted, and resourceful soldiers with lan- guage skills and cultural knowledge. Skills that would enable them to operate independently behind enemy lines. The source of inspiration for their training syllabus were the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), British Special Air Service (SAS), and Special Operations Executive (SOE). The Greek Battalion was comprised pri- marily of Greek-Americans, but also included Greek merchant mariners who joined the US Army from Greek ships stuck in US ports. They were volunteers and made aware of the inher- ent risk of serving in the commando units. Fewer than ten percent were expected to sur- vive their tour of duty. Aware of the threat these special units would pose, Adolf Hitler issued an

order on Oct 18, 1942, Fuhrer Edict No.003830/42g, which stated: "From now on all en-

emies on so called Commando Missions in Europe or Africa, challenged by German troops, even if they are to all appearances soldiers in uniform or demolition troops, whether armed or unarmed, in battle or in flight, are to be slaughtered to the last man." It was also ru- mored that Hitler offered a capture reward for Commandos equivalent to their weight in gold.

A force of 12 officers and 120 non-commis-sioned officers qualified for the Greek-American

Battalion. In advance of the OG deployments, OG officers parachuted into Greece to establish relations with the British Military Mission and Andartes groups in their mountain hideaways. The men were formed into eight Operational Groups. The units were inserted by sea and by parachute under cover of darkness in early 1944 and dispersed throughout Greece to work with British military officers and the Andartes of the EAM-ELAS (National Liberation Front-National Liberation Army). Their mission was to inflict the heaviest damage possible on the enemy and de- stroy communications, rail networks, and bridges used by the Wehrmacht for redeploy- ments and withdrawal of the 150,000 German and Axis occupation forces and their equip- ment. They also conducted sabotage opera- tions, with intelligence provided by the US Naval Attaché in Ankara, against the transfer of strate- gic materials moving from Turkey to Germany via Greece With thousands of documents re- lated to their exploits yet to be declassified by the US government, expect to hear more about

lated to their exploits yet to be declassified by the US government, expect to hear more about these brave warriors who went into harm's way, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for both the United States and Hellas.

"With thousands of documents re- lated to their exploits yet to be de- classified by the US government, expect to hear more about these brave warriors who went into harm's way, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for both the United States and Hellas."

Considering the overwhelming odds and chal- lenges they faced, the Greek Battalion suffered only three combat fatalities and 23 wounded in action. Despite Hitler's order and capture re- ward, not a single member of the Greek Battalion was betrayed or captured. The eight groups conducted 76 operations in Greece ac- counting for more than 2000 enemy killed, wounded, or captured, destroyed 15 bridges, 11 locomotives, 32 train cars, 63 military vehicles, 6 garrisons, and more than 9000 meters of rail. Their successful actions earned them a US Army record number of individual Bronze Star Medals and the prestigious Presidential Unit Citation. On 26 May 2005, they were recognized with the unveiling of a statue in their honour by then Greek Defense Minister, Spilios Spiliotopoulos, at the Armed Forces Park in Athens. In his ad- dress to the US and Greek officials, veterans, widows, and family members of the Greek Battalion gathered, Minister Spiliotopoulous stated: "the actions of the Greek American vol- unteers express in general their contribution in all our nation's struggles and exemplifies the at- tachment to modern Greece with the ancient values and ideals of our Hellenism."

In March of 2018, OSS and OG veterans were honoured once more, at the Capitol in Washington, DC, in a ceremony awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal. With thousands of documents related to their exploits yet to be declassified by the US government, expect to hear more about these brave warriors who went into harm's way, willing to make the ulti- mate sacrifice for both the United States and Hellas.

Some great books about the OSS and the Operational Groups are Donovan's Devils, OSS Commandos Behind Enemy Lines-Europe, WWII by Albert Lulushi, Behind the Lines in Greece: The Story of OSS Operational Group II by Robert E. Perdue, Jr., and Classical Spies: American Archaeologists with the OSS in WWII Greece by Susan Heuck Allen.

Commander Demetries Grimes has served as Naval Attaché to Greece, Naval Attaché to Israel, Deputy Commander of the US base in Crete, and Advisor to NATO's Maritime Commander in London, UK.

OSS and Andartes Forces in Northern Greece. J.

Giannaris Collection.

122nd Infantry Greek Battalion Parade at their Fort Carson, Colorado train- Aing base. Official US Army Photo

OSS Forces in front of The National Library in Athens. J. Giannaris Collection

from athens insider news.

- THE GREEK WARRIOR/SOLDIER OF 1940

- ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRES AGAINST ENEMY AIRCRAFT

- MOMENTS OF RELAXATION IN THE TRENCH

- SOLDIERS LOADED IN A PERIOD TRUCK

- TREATMENT OF WOUNDS ON THE ALBANIAN FRONT

- SNOW TRACK UNIT CAMPS

- MACHINGUNNER ON THE GREEK-ALBANIAN FRONT

- FIRE AND MOVEMENT OF SOLDIERS IN THE SNOW

- ARTILLERY IN ACTION IN THE AREA OF POGRADETS

- PREPARATION OF ARTILLERY AMMUNITION

- FOOD PREPARATION

- SOLIDERS (machinegunners) IN ACTION

- CITIZENS ARE INFORMED OF THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE WAR THROUGH THE PRESS

- ATTACK OF SOLDIERS

- FORM OF CAVALRY (goes hard)

- SOLDIER IN COMBAT POSITION WITHIN A TRENCH

- ARTILLERY MOVEMENT

- MORTAL-MAN ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE

- THE GREEK FLAG (poster says IN ROME TOO)

- THE GREEK FIGHTER

- SNOW CLEARING OF A MOUNTAIN ROAD

- SNOW CLEARING OF WEAPONRY ON THE ALBANIAN FRONT

- COMMEMORATIVE PHOTO OF INFANTRY UNIT (as an infantry soldier this is touching)

- COMMEMORATIVE PHOTOGRAPH IN A MILITARY HOSPITAL

- SOUVENIR PHOTO ON A ARILLERY

- COMMEMORATIVE PHOTO OF INFANTRY UNIT

- RECON

- MEMORIAL PHOTO OF WOMEN PLOWING SNOW ON ROAD (the famous woman of greece in ww2 who showed courage trhout war moving ammunition on their back and food and clothes daughters mother and grandmothers)

- IDENTIFICATION AND DEFINITION OF OBJECTIVES

ARTILLERY

- DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD

- DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD

- RADIO OPERATORS DURING WORKING HOURS

- DISTRIBUTION OF CORRESPONDENCE TO THE SOLDIERS (during ww2 in front greek soldiers would put an ad on news paper and asking from women to send photos of themselves and talk about news and personal information)

- MORTAL SHOOTS ON THE ALBANIAN FRONT

- DISTRIBUTION OF CORRESPONDENCE TO THE SOLDIERS

- ROAD SNOW CLEARING BY CITIZENS

- The Greek people unanimously responded to the call of Ioannis Metaxas and enthusiastically participated in the conscription that followed. Almost everywhere the departure of the soldiers for the front took on a festive character.

- TARGET IDENTIFICATION AND DEFINITION

- Albanian Front. Field artillery is being pushed into new positions to support our fighting infantry

Nika Uprising

took place in Constantinople against the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I over the course of a week in 532 AD . It is generally considered the most violent uprising in the city's history, with almost half of Constantinople burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed

looting of amorion

The Abbasids, who emerged victorious from the Battle of Dazimon, continued to advance and laid siege to Amorion, capturing and plundering the city on August 12, 838 After the capture of Amorion, the people of the city who took shelter in the church were set on fire together with the church, and the rest of the people were captured and turned into slaves after the plunder of the city

The 42 Martyrs of Amorion

After the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tasim breached a weak point in the city walls on August 12, 838 and captured Amorion, the people of the city who took refuge in the church were set on fire along with the church. The rest of the people were taken captive and turned into slaves after the city was plundered , and when the army's water supply ran low on the way back, some of the captives were killed and some were left to die in the desert. During the seven-year journey, the 42 people who managed to survive to Samarra were informed that they would be killed unless they changed their religion. When no one accepted this, they were beheaded on the banks of the Tigris on March 6, 845

Battle of Levounion

Accepting Alexios' offer of gold in exchange for aid against the Pechenegs, the Cumans hastened to join Alexios and his army. In late spring 1091, Cuman forces reached Byzantine territory, and the combined army prepared to advance against the Pechenegs. On Monday, 28 April 1091, Alexios and his allies reached the Pecheneg camp at Levounion, near the Maritsa River. The Pechenegs appear to have been caught off guard. In any case, the fighting at Levounion the next morning was a near-massacre. The Pecheneg warriors had brought their women and children with them and were completely unprepared for the ferocity of the attack. The Cumans and Byzantines charged into the enemy camp, slaughtering all in their path. The Pechenegs quickly collapsed and the victorious allies slaughtered them with such savagery that they were nearly annihilated. The survivors were captured by the Byzantines and taken into imperial service

Siege of Antioch

a military struggle that took place between 20 October 1097 and 28 June 1098 between the army gathered from Western Europe with the aim of going to Jerusalem for the First Crusade and taking that city back into Christian hands, and the Great Seljuk State, which was trying to hold Antioch, and the Muslim armies supporting it, which besieged the same castle twice and in the war the local population was massacred by the crusaders

Latin Massacre

The Latin Massacre was a large-scale massacre of Roman Catholic (called "Latin") residents of Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, by the city's Eastern Orthodox population in April 1182. The dominance of Italian merchants caused economic and social upheaval in Byzantium: it accelerated the decline of independent native merchants in favour of large exporters linked to the landed aristocracy, who accumulated ever larger estates. Together with the perceived arrogance of the Italians, it fuelled widespread resentment among the middle and lower classes, both in the countryside and in the cities. At that time, Roman Catholics in Constantinople dominated the city's maritime trade and finance. Although exact figures are not available, much of the Latin community, estimated by Eustathius of Thessalonica at 60,000 at the time, was destroyed or forced to flee. The Genoese and Pisan communities were particularly devastated, and about 4,000 survivors were sold into slavery to the Anatolian (Turkish) Sultanate. The massacre further worsened relations and increased hostility between the Western and Eastern Christian churches, and a series of hostilities between the two followed

Sack of Constantinople

The Sack of Constantinople occurred in April 1204 and marked the culmination of the Fourth Crusade . The Crusader armies captured, plundered and destroyed parts of Constantinople, then the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Following the capture of the city, the Latin Empire (known to the Byzantines as the Frankokratia or Latin Occupation) was established and Baldwin of Flanders was crowned Emperor Baldwin I of Constantinople in the Hagia Sophia. After the sack of the city, most of the Byzantine Empire's territory was divided among the Crusaders. Byzantine aristocrats also established a number of small independent splinter states, one of which was the Empire of Nicaea, which would eventually recapture Constantinople in 1261 and declare the Empire restored. However, the reconstituted Empire never regained its former territorial and economic power, and eventually fell to the rising Ottoman Empire in the Siege of Constantinople in 1453. The sack of Constantinople was a major turning point in medieval history. The Crusaders' decision to attack the world's largest Christian city was unprecedented and immediately controversial. Reports of the Crusaders' plunder and brutality scandalized and horrified the Orthodox world; relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches were badly damaged for centuries afterwards and would not be fundamentally repaired until modern times. The Byzantine Empire was left much poorer, smaller, and ultimately less able to defend itself against subsequent Seljuk and Ottoman conquests; the Crusaders' actions thus directly accelerated the decline of Christianity in the east and, in the long run, facilitated the later Ottoman conquests of southeastern Europe

The Byzantine-Venetian War (1296-1302)

was a side war of the Genoese-Venetian wars that took place between 1294-1299 . During the Venetian expedition to attack Genoese possessions in the Mediterranean and Black Sea in July 1296, despite the Byzantine-Venetian ceasefire signed in 1285, the Venetian Ruggiero Morosini Malabranca captured the Genoese colony of Galata on the Golden Horn coast of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire , burned and destroyed it, and then attempted again. In response, the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II arrested the Venetians living in the capital, who were killed by the surviving Genoese.

Fall of Miletus / Before Christ 494

The defeat of the Ionian fleet at the Battle of Lade effectively ended the rebellion. Miletus was closely besieged, the Persians "mined the walls and used every device against it until they had completely captured it". According to Herodotus, most of the men were killed, and the women and children were enslaved. Archaeological evidence supports this to some extent; it shows that much of the city was abandoned after Lade, and that there were signs of widespread destruction. Some Milesians remained in Miletus (or quickly returned), but the city would never regain its former greatness

Miletus was therefore conceptually "emptied of Milesians"; the Persians took the city and coastal lands for themselves, giving the rest of Milesian territory to the Carians of Pedasus. The captive Milesians were brought before Darius at Susa, who settled them at "Ampé" on the Persian Gulf coast, near the mouth of the Tigris

Many Samians were horrified by the actions of their generals at Lade and decided to emigrate before their former tyrant, Aeaces of Samos, could return to rule them. They accepted the Zancle people's invitation to settle on the coast of Sicily, taking with them those Milesians who had managed to escape the Persians. Samos itself was saved from destruction by the Persians only by the defection of the Samians at Lade. Most of Caria now surrendered to the Persians, but some fortresses had to be taken by force

Aegospotami Sea Battle / Before Christ

In 405 BC, during the Second or Great Peloponnesian War, the Spartan commander Lysander (395), hoping to cut off the grain route of the Athenians through the Hellespont, besieged and captured the Hellespont city of Lampsacus, which was an ally of the Greeks at the time, with a fleet he had assembled with financial assistance from the Persians. The Athenians, under the command of Admiral Conon (390), put to sea with whatever ships they could find to oppose these attackers, but were unsuccessful in engaging them in battle. After five days of inactivity, the Athenians, ignoring the warning of Alcibades (450-404), anchored their ships off the Gallipoli Peninsula, near the mouth of the Aegospotami River, and landed with a large army. Lysander's fleet surprised the Athenian fleet by attacking and capturing about 180 enemy ships (Conon managed to escape with 20). About 4,000 Athenian prisoners were killed. With their fleet gone, their grain route blocked, their allies (except Sarmus) in revolt, and their port under siege by Lysander's forces, the Athenians were in a very dangerous situation

Fall of Sestos

B.C. In the spring of 479, Persian King Xerxes and his army crossed the floating bridge they built from Abydos to Sestos and reached Greece via the Gallipoli Peninsula. After the great defeat on Salamis Island, the Persians lost their sovereignty in the Gallipoli Peninsula And all the men in Sestos were killed and the women and children were enslaved

Asiatic Vespers

The massacres were a calculated response to Rome's declaration of war. They were carried out to force the cities to take sides: "no city that now did his bidding could hope to return to allegiance to Rome". The massacres probably took place in the first half of 88 BC. Valerius Maximus and Memnon give death tolls of around 80,000; Plutarch - "less reliable" - claims a death toll of 150,000. The numbers reported are probably exaggerated, according to Dio's fragments. These were planned, and Mithridates secretly wrote to the regional satraps and leaders to kill all the inhabitants of Italy (along with their wives, children and Italian-born freedmen) within thirty days of the day of writing.

Mithridates also offered freedom to slaves who denounced their Italian masters and debt forgiveness to those who killed their creditors. Assassins and informers would share half of the property of those killed with the Pontic treasury. Ephesus, Pergamon, Adramyttion, Kaunus, Tralles, Nysa and the island of Chios were all scenes of brutality. Many of these cities were under the control of tyrants, and many of the inhabitants enthusiastically attacked their Italian neighbours, who were held responsible for "a climate of aggressive avarice, greed and... malicious litigation".

At 11:00 a.m., military units lined up, representatives of trade unions and other institutions arrived with flags and bands.

Member of the Directory Shvets announced: "There is only one Independent Ukraine today!" Thousands of people began to shout: "Glory. Glory to Ukraine!" and the bell on the Mazepa bell tower rang.

Cannon shots were heard from Pechersk - 121 volleys in honor of the Defense of Ukraine.

Gordon crashed in the wall at 200mph.

Rip

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042344/1915-10-16/ed-1/seq-1/

https://www.marxists.org/history/haiti/1930/hundreds-killed.htm

Does anybody have a version of the last one without watermark?

Very interesting dude, I don't have the time to write up a post but I wanted to share this picture.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/henryk-dobrzanski.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_Dobrza%C5%84ski

That last guy to jump right before the crash

The photographer, Max Desfor, said: "We made a pit stop and I walked a short distance through the snow. Suddenly I saw a pair of hands sticking up through the snow, and right along side of it was a black hole. I pointed this out to the commanding officer of the outfit I was with and they started immediately digging it out. The man's hands were bound and that black hole, they determined, was where he breathed his last through the snow."

Max says he later learned the whole story of the man in the field. The American soldiers dug up the area around him and discovered about 100 other bodies under the snow - men, women and children. They had been shot and killed by fleeing North Koreans, who had panicked as UN troops closed in on them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/10402908

Here's a detailed account of the rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge:

Rise of the Khmer Rouge (1960-1975)

1. Formation: Founded in 1960 by Pol Pot, Ta Mok, and other communist intellectuals.

2. Ideology: Communist, Maoist, and nationalist.

3. Support: Backed by China and North Vietnam.

4. Civil War: Allied with Viet Cong against the Cambodian government (1970-1975).

5. Victory: Captured Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975.

Khmer Rouge Regime (1975-1979)

1. Social Class Abolition: Attempted to eliminate social classes, creating an agrarian society.

2. Religious Persecution: Suppressed religion and spirituality.

3. Mass Executions: Estimated 1.7-2.2 million deaths (25% of Cambodia's population).

4. Forced Labor: Implemented forced agricultural labor.

5. International Isolation: Internationally condemned and isolated.

Fall of the Khmer Rouge (1979-1999)

1. Vietnamese Invasion: Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1979.

2. Overthrow: Khmer Rouge ousted, Pol Pot fled.

3. Exile: Operated along Thai-Cambodian border.

4. Internal Conflicts: Factions split.

5. Key Leaders' Deaths: Pol Pot (1998), Ta Mok (2006).

Accountability and Reconstruction (1999-present)

1. Tribunal: Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) established (2006).

2. Trials: Senior leaders prosecuted.

3. Reconciliation: Cambodia rebuilds economy and infrastructure.

4. Recognition: Khmer Rouge officially recognized as a terrorist organization.

Key Figures

1. Pol Pot (leader)

2. Ta Mok (commander)

3. Nuon Chea (deputy leader)

4. Khieu Samphan (head of state)

5. Duch (S-21 prison commander)

Revolutionaries and Demagogues

1. Sigmund Freud: The father of psychoanalysis, Freud sipped coffee while engaged in intense discussions on human psychology and behavior. His piercing gaze and insightful comments commanded attention.

2. Adolf Hitler: The aspiring artist and nationalist demagogue passionately expressed anti-Semitic and pan-German sentiments. His intense rhetoric often drew a crowd, foreshadowing his future impact.

3. Leon Trotsky: Exiled Russian revolutionary Trotsky fervently debated Marxist ideology and Russia's future. His sharp intellect and persuasive arguments inspired fellow patrons.

4. Joseph Stalin: The Bolshevik organizer, then using the alias "Koba," observed cautiously, calculating his next moves. His reserved demeanor belied the iron-fisted leader he would become.

5. Franz Joseph: Not typically considered a revolutionary, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary occasionally visited the cafe, sparking whispers among patrons. His presence symbolized the crumbling empire.

[Cafe Atmosphere]

• Smoky air filled with passionate debates

• Intellectuals, artists, and politicians mingled

• Coffee-fueled discussions lasted late into the night

• Revolutionary ideas and artistic innovation flourished

• Vienna's cultural and intellectual hub buzzed with anticipation

[Historical Context]

• World War I loomed on the horizon

• Social unrest and nationalist tensions

simmered

• Vienna's coffee culture fostered intellectual and artistic exchange

• The city's cosmopolitan atmosphere inspired revolutionary thinking

Here's a documentary that shows some of the psychological (even psychic) traumas experienced by soldiers during the First World War.

(Archival video images, sometimes colorized) .

-720p quality -

Each of you can make up your own mind...

Perhaps, behind the laughter, it will provide some food for thought.

As far as I'm concerned, before we see certain "assholes" marching in the streets, screaming for war against this or that country, believing themselves to be in Call of Duty, where there are only - Heroes - , ... it would be a good idea to show them the reality of a conflict...

__ __ ___

WWI : trauma:

A combination of factors ...

The constant dreadful noise

FEAR

Death and its decomposing corpses

Rats, smell, hunger

Lice , hygiene , lack of sleep

Lack of contact with loved ones (family)

etc etc

For the fear of gas (Yperite in French, because used near the town of Ypres for the first time... Horrible

Also called "mustard gas" for its effects and greenish color...

Just like flamethrowers, yes you're right.

It created incredible psychological fear...

...

The veterans when I was a child (I live not far from Germany (in France)) told me about the hell of the trenches and the fear of GAS.

It was traumatic and impressive to see these adults, these men, telling this story, in tears...

__ __

Best regards

*** It's hard for our generation to imagine the human hell it must have been ***

Zep'

__ __

• DEATH doesn't give a damn about your nation, it harvests WHERE and WHO , whatever you are *

WARNING:

The documentary already existed as such , I just do little work on it ...

The credit goes to an association , a media , or a person .