Antonio Garcia, Author at THE HISTORY AVENUE

Author: Antonio Garcia

Antonio Garcia, is a civil servant, who additionally holds non-resident positions as a research fellow at Stellenbosch University, visiting lecturer at Durham University, and tutor at the Open University. As a combat engineer in the SANDF, Antonio has served in missions in the Sudan, the DRC, and South Africa and its borders. He has published widely on military history and strategy.

Why True Leaders Are Forged, Not Manufactured

Sometimes brilliant leaders emerge in war; others excel in planning and administration. In the same way, there are some brilliant football players and coaches — and many average ones.

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Beethoven’s Compositional Wars

Ludwig van Beethoven lived through one of the most tumultuous periods in European history—an age of revolution and conquest. He was very much a man of his time: politically aware, emotionally engaged, and at times, dangerously idealistic.

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Herodotus vs. Thucydides: An Ancient Battle for Historical Method

Herodotus and Thucydides are often seen as the two foundational historians of ancient Greece, and their differing approaches to the writing of history have been the subject of much scholarly debate.

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Statues and Historical Memory (II): The Evolving Monumental War

In parks, and city squares, monuments stand as silent witnesses to the passage of time. They represent a moment in which they didn’t yet live, and in most cases they embody memories of the past. Yet, in recent years, these statues have become anything but silent, sparking protests, debates, and even violence. From the Confederate […]

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Statues and Historical Memory (I): The Evolving Monumental War from Bulgaria to South Africa

The role of monuments in shaping collective memory can be divisive, particularly when those monuments represent a controversial or painful past. Across the globe, such statues become flashpoints in the struggle to reconcile historical legacy with modern values.