# politics
Most People Picture History Wrong, These Facts Will Set them Straight
Common knowledge and conventional wisdom about much of history are often woefully lacking in actual knowledge and wisdom. For example,…
Historical Figures with Unforeseen Downfall and Misfortune
Nobody is perfect, and we have all been wrong a time or twenty. However, no matter how wrong we have…
Incompetence That Shaped History
Did you know that one of Napoleon’s most crushing defeats was caused by hapless underlings, who mistakenly blew up a…
Murder Holes, Machicolations, and Other Medieval Warfare Facts
The Middle Ages saw major technological, cultural, and social developments, which in turn led to major transformations in the nature…
America Accidentally Attacked the Soviet Union and Other Lesser Known History Moments
During the Cold War, the two global superpowers often fought each other via proxies. The Soviets bled us with the…
A West Virginia Town Applied For Soviet Foreign Aid, and Other Lesser Known American History Facts
Did you know that an American vice president notorious for lacking self-confidence had the daylights scared out of him by…
Creative Pranks and Hoaxes in History
Just like today, there was no shortage in the past of pranksters and hoaxers who gulled others with acts of…
Fake Vampires, Wailing Ghosts, and Other Fascinating Psy-Ops and Military Deceptions
Brute force is a welcome asset in warfare, and all else being equal, victory usually goes to the stronger battalions.…
The Nazi Scheme to Bombard New York City With Rockets and Other Unfinished Military Plans
Wars are shaped not only by what is done, but also by what is not. Many plans are contemplated that…
The Real Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates, especially those who plied their trade during the Golden Age of Piracy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, are…