Maps of War

Maps of War is an interesting site, it’s dedicated to several major historical trends, and plays them out on animated maps; it also has several articles.

This video, which shows the rise and fall of major powers in Europe, Africa and Asia (from 1400 B.C. to 1979) is great.

I also liked thier History of Religion video; which only shows Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, but is fascinating none-the less:

What is Cinco de Mayo?

A common misconception is that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican independence from Spain; it doesn’t. Independence from Spain is on the 16th of September, while Cinco de Mayo celebrates the victory of the battle of Pueblo.

Read about it here.

“The Battle of Puebla was not an isolated incident: there is a long and complicated history that led up to it. In 1857, the “Reform War” broke out in Mexico. It was a civil war and it pitted Liberals (who believed in separation of church and state and freedom of religion) against the Conservatives (who favored a tight bond between the Roman Catholic Church and the Mexican State.)”

Essentially, this reform war left Mexico bankrupt, and in debt to several countries; particularly France.

“This angered Great Britain, Spain and France, countries which were owed a great deal of money. The three nations agreed to work together to force Mexico to pay.”

“In December 1861 armed forces of the three nations arrived off the coast of Veracruz and landed a month later, in January 1862. Desperate last-minute diplomatic efforts by the Juarez administration persuaded Britain and Spain that a war that would further devastate the Mexican economy was in no one’s interest, and Spanish and British forces left with promise of future payment. France, however, was unconvinced and French forces remained on Mexican soil.”

To make a long story short, the French campaign into Mexico was unsuccessful; which eventually led to the celebration of Cinco de Mayo (if you prefer a slightly longer version of the story, follow the link above.)

Who was Herodotus?

Herodotus was the world first known Historian, he wrote The Histories, a collection of stories and facts form the ancient world, and some extras.

“In the Histories, he describes the expansion of the Achaemenid empire under its kings Cyrus the Great, Cambyses and Darius the Great, culminating in king Xerxes' expedition in 480 BCE against the Greeks, which met with disaster in the naval engagement at Salamis and the battles at Plataea and Mycale. Herodotus' remarkable book also contains ethnographic descriptions of the peoples that the Persians have conquered, fairy tales, gossip, legends, and a very humanitarian morale.” [Quoted from here]

While much of what he wrote has been confirmed by archeological evidence and other sources; the truth of much of it is still in question (I hope this blog doesn’t have that problem.) In any case; Herodotus is possibly the most important source of knowledge we have on that time period.