How Did One Optimistic Report From the Stasi Foreshadow the Collapse of Communism?
During the early 80âs, increased tensions marked the new phase of the Cold War. Besides external, the Eastern Bloc countries faced many internal problems as well. The governments of these countries, especially the USSR, tried to spread optimism. But they didnât see (or didnât want to see) that everything would collapse soon. Therefore, itâs interesting to see how the secret reports full of optimism actually revealed the real state of affairs.
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âPublic functionaries alone are exceptedâ: Napoleonâs Passport System in Europe
One of the many ways Napoleon Bonaparte attempted to control populations was the mandating of passports. Passports in various forms have been around for centuries but not in the manner most people associate with them today.
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The Fall of the Iron Curtain in One Photo
A symbolic depiction of the end of the Cold War.
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âNever really subdued nor reconciled to our ruleâ: The 1842 Retreat from Kabul
The massacre of Major General Sir William Elphinstoneâs army and its auxiliaries in early 1842 while attempting to retreat from Kabul, Afghanistan, was a shock to British statesmen and the public. The expeditionary force, many of whom were sent there in 1839 to assert British control, was made up of roughly 700 British soldiers, 3,800 Indian troops, and 14,000 civilians and workers attached to lend it support. Lord Auckland, the Governor General of India, was so shocked upon learning of the disaster that he had a stroke.
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The Year America Praised Russia: The Great Game and Sale of Alaska, 1867
The Crimean War (1853-1856) pitting Imperial Russia against the combined forces of the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, and France, had devastating consequences. Emerging military technology combined with disease led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
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