On 16 October, 1953, Fidel Castro gave an impassioned speech while on trial for his role in the Moncada Barracks attack. The speech was entitled, ‘History will absolve me.’ Having studied law at Havana University, Castro represented himself at the trial, and being a skilled propagandist, used this platform to spread his message of revolution against Continue Reading
How did Japan, under occupation by the Allied forces, in 1945-1952 transform into one of the world’s most developed countries? When looking at the images of devastation caused by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6 and 9 August 1945 by the USA, it is hard to imagine that Japan would Continue Reading
Cleopatra is one of the most well-known Egyptian historical figures of all time, but why is she so iconic? She was born in Alexandria in 69 BCE into the Ptolemaic dynasty. From birth until the time of her suicide in 30 BCE, Cleopatra’s life consisted of incredible drama, incest, murder, mystery and undeniable scandal. Cleopatra Continue Reading
The Māori are the native Polynesian people of New Zealand. The ancestors of the Māori originated from south-east Asia. Some historians trace these early settlers as migrating from today’s China. However, more commonly, the indigenous Māori are believed to have come from Haiwaiki, an island or group of islands in Polynesia in the South Pacific Continue Reading
The Mongol Empire was one of the largest empires in the history of the world, covering a massive nine million square miles at its greatest extent; approximately a quarter of the world’s population were under Mongol rule. One man in particular is credited with this awesome feat of conquest: Genghis Khan. Born Temujin in around Continue Reading
