Indholdsfortegnelse for No. 125 i All About History

When it comes to ancient civilisations, I imagine my familiarity is similar to most others, with Egypt, Greece and Rome dominating my understanding. However, one of the cradles of civilisation was the Middle East and I'm always keen to broaden my knowledge of its past. One of the great stories from this part of the world is the Achaemenid Empire, with a special focus on three of its first four kings - Cyrus the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I - better known than some rulers of the time thanks to their interactions with the Greeks. It's the last of these, whom some will know best from the outlandish depiction in the movie 300, that we turn our attention to this issue. Regularly a classic villain character in Greek tales,…

The history of Wawel Hill and the castle that sits on it is as complex and changing as the nation of Poland itself. Over the centuries it has housed kings, governments and occupying forces in Kraków. Today it is a major tourist attraction for the city, showcasing art and architecture from several important periods in Poland’s history. The hill in itself is an interesting landmark, standing 228 metres above sea level next to the Vistula River that runs from the Baltic Sea, through Warsaw and down to the south. Long before any major structures were built on the hill, there is evidence of it being an important safe haven for locals looking for a strong defendable position, and medieval folklore claims that a dragon once lived beneath it. From the…

Jimi Hendrix The ‘Swinging 60s’ were a definitive era in the history of rock music. Stars from The Beatles to Cream to The Who were making genredefining music and taking over the world. Among them was a young man named Jimi Hendrix who, in his short life, would come to be remembered as a legend, an icon and one of the greatest musicians to have ever lived. YOUNG JIMI On 27 November 1942, Johnny Allen Hendrix was born in Seattle, Washington, to Lucille, a 17-year-old schoolgirl, and Al Hendrix, a 23-year-old private in the US Army. At the time of little Johnny’s birth, Al was serving away from home and would not return until 1945. With Al absent for the first years of Johnny’s life, Lucille struggled to earn a…

Butcher of Paris Doctor Marcel Petiot ranks as one of France's worst criminals. Falsely offering escape to South America for Jews, deserters and anyone wanting to avoid the Nazis, Petiot murdered more than 60 people. He chose his victims wisely in order to keep his dark deeds hidden - the people he killed wanted to disappear and, for a price, Petiot usually obliged. They never knew until far too late exactly what price they would pay. Petiot's early years Born in Auxerre in 1897, Petiot showed criminal tendencies from childhood. He was diagnosed as mentally ill in 1914, having been expelled from several schools for petty theft and disobedience. Following Petiot's arrest for robbing a postbox a court-appointed psychiatrist described him bluntly as "an abnormal youth suffering from personal and…

Greatest Battles The Battle of Poltava would decide once and for all whether Russia could resist the incredible power of the nearly invincible Swedish army that had dominated northeastern Europe in the aftermath of the Thirty Years' War. Yet the Swedish Empire was overextended and its population was eclipsed by its rivals. At the start of the 18th century, Sweden had only 1.5 million people whereas Russia had eight million. Swedish King Charles XII assumed power at the age of 15 in 1697. The rival rulers of Denmark, Poland and Russia all saw advantage to be gained by striking quickly against the young monarch. They forged a triple alliance known as the Northern Union and moved against Swedish possessions in February 1700. The members of the alliance soon found that…

1941 THE IMPORTANCE OF OIL Rashid Gaylani took control of the kingdom of Iraq in 1941 with assistance from both Germany and Italy. Due to Allied concerns that the country's crucial oil fields might be about to fall into the hands of the Axis powers, Britain waged a 30-day war and toppled his regime. This nonetheless highlighted the importance of oil. Had Rommel been able to push into Iraq and seize its oil fields, the outcome of WWII may have been very different. 1942 OPERATION HERKULES Herkules was a planned operation for the capture of the islands of Malta and Gozo to secure Axis supply lines to North Africa. But Nazi casualties sustained during the Battle of Crete led Hitler to cancel this plan in November 1942. The manpower was…

On The Menu Did you know? Sweet pierogi are often made in the summer using apricots, cherries or apples. Ingredients Dough Filling To finish The national dish of Poland has a long but also slightly obscured history. Pierogi are filled dumplings whose roots likely coalesce with ravioli from Italy and gyoza in Japan. The semicircular filled dumplings, usually made with either pasta dough or pastry dough, are thought to have arrived in the region around the 13th century. Some stories say they came along the Silk Road with Marco Polo, while others pin them to Saint Hyacinth, the patron saint of pierogi. who is thought to have introduced the dish from Kyivan Rus'. The first written recipe came in 1682 in…

6 January 1981 YORKSHIRE RIPPER FACES JUSTICE Peter Sutcliffe was arrested in Sheffield after being found in a car with false number plates. He drew suspicion from the police as his appearance matched descriptions of the Yorkshire Ripper, the serial killer who had been terrorising the English county for years. Sutcliffe confessed to being the Ripper while in custody and was later found guilty of 13 murders. This photo shows Sutcliffe, his head covered, being taken to court for his first appearance, four days after his arrest. 7 January 1999 BILL CLINTON IMPEACHMENT TRIAL BEGINS In Washington DC, all 100 senators were sworn in as jurors at the beginning of the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. Clinton, at the time only the second US President to be impeached, after…

1 AUSCHWITZ-BIRKENAU OŚWIĘCIM, LESSER POLAND VOIVODESHIP The site of the worst atrocity in history, AuschwitzBirkenau was the principle and largest of the extermination camps used by the Third Reich to carry out the 'Final Solution'. Built in 1939 by the SS as a concentration camp for Polish prisoners and then Soviet POWs, by 1942 it had become a complex of 40 concentration and extermination camps for Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and other minorities. Between 1942-44 an estimated 1.1 million people were murdered here, with the camp holding around 90,000 prisoners in 1944. The camp was liberated by Soviet troops on 27 January 1945, a day now commemorated as Holocaust Memorial Day. Visitors to the site can still observe the barbed wire, gallows, gas chambers, crematoriums and infamous railway tracks. Inside the Auschwitz-Birkenau…

2,000 PIECES OF VICTIMS’CLOTHING The approximate amount found in Petiot's possession, probably the tip of the iceberg 9 SEVERED HEADS Found in the River Seine with sundry other body parts 5 kg OF HUMAN HAIR Found and presented as evidence at his trial 50 TIMES THE STANDARD DOCTOR’S STOCK OF HEROIN AND MORPHINE Discovered at the Rue Lesueur, probably for drug-dealing 16 CORPSES LAID OUT IN PETIOT’S BASEMENT According to accomplice Jean-Gustave Nezondet 26 MURDER CONVICTIONS He was probably responsible for many more KILOGRAMS OF CHARRED BONES Discovered at his medical practice in the Rue Lesueur 11 Kg OF UNBURNED HUMAN FRAGMENTS Also found at his former medical practice 3 GARBAGE CANS OF UNIDENTIFIED BODY PARTS Recovered from the Rue Lesueur 10 WHOLE SCALPS (AT LEAST) Nobody knows why Petiot scalped some…

Favoured by Charlemagne as his preferred royal residence, the city of Aachen underwent a transformation during the Carolingian period. Originally called Aquisgranum by the Romans and used as a spa town, Aachen now sits in western Germany and borders Belgium and the Netherlands. Under Charlemagne's rule, Aachen became a centre for learning and culture. It was in Aachen that a magnificent imperial palace was built, which was the central base from which Charlemagne ruled over his vast empire. A masterpiece of Carolingian architecture, the palace complex consisted of many different buildings. It was at this palace that a school was established, of which Charlemagne's friend and advisor Alcuin of York was at the head. Today, much of the imperial palace no longer exists, though Charlemagne's impressive Palatine Chapel has been…

In 1941, Erwin Rommel (who came to be known as the 'Desert Fox’) had been given control of Germany's North Africa Korps. In a short period of time he had managed to achieve a staggering number of victories against the Allies. Despite this, the North African front appeared to be of secondary importance to the German high command compared to the brutal battles occurring on the Eastern Front. A critical supply issue would result in a number of back-and-forth battles and would eventually prove to be Rommel's undoing. However, historian Ken Delve argues that had Rommel achieved victory, and swept into the Middle East, then WWII could have turned out very differently… What was the situation in North Africa in 1942? In 1940 there had been the failure of the…

Through History A Taoist text dating from the Han Dynasty (c.206 BCE to c.220 CE) declares: "Gold is the most valuable thing in all the world because it is immortal and never gets rotten. Alchemists eat it, and they enjoy longevity." And there's no doubting the importance of gold in historic China - as a precious metal used in Chinese craftsmanship for millennia it has been the basis for some of the country's most impressive ornaments and artefacts. Now, a selection of magnificent gold pieces from the private Mengdiexuan Collection is being put on public display in Europe for the very first time. Gold and Treasures: 3000 years of Chinese Ornaments is a new exhibition at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts in Paris. The exhibition aims to showcase Chinese goldsmithing…

1569 POLISH-LITHUANIAN COMMONWEALTH The Union of Lublin unites Poland and Lithuania into a new state, hoping to see off threats from the east. The federated state has a strong parliament and elected king. This is known as the Nobles' Democracy or Golden Liberty. 1939 NAZI INVASION Germany invades Poland from the west on 1 September 1939, marking the start of World War II. Meanwhile, Soviet forces move in from the east. After heavy German shelling, Warsaw surrenders before the end of the month. KINGDOM OF POLAND 1025 Known as 'The Brave’, the Duke of Poland proclaims a new Kingdom of Poland, becoming its first king. His new state establishes itself as a power in Europe. DUCHY OF WARSAW 1807 Following Polish assistance in his war against Prussia, Napoleon announces the…

The Hellfire Club During the 18th century, a new form of British male began to populate high society – the ‘rake’. This term came to define aristocratic gentlemen who were purely engaged in the pursuit of pleasure with little respect for the law or traditional morality. A number of clubs and secret societies were founded that allowed their members to indulge their debauched tastes, but none were more notorious than the Hellfire clubs. They combined an 18th century trend of affronting societal notions of morality through acts of blasphemy with excessive drinking and sexual deviancy. The shocking stories of these clubs scandalised British society. As time has passed the Hellfire clubs’ secretive nature has resulted in a vast amount of folklore surrounding them. Indeed, the relatively powerful positions of many…

Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world – its history, spanning all the way back to the 4th century BCE – is long and chequered. Over the centuries, it has been ruled by emperors, kings and caliphs, all leaving an indelible mark on the region. But there is one category of ruler that is often forgotten when it comes to Jerusalem: its queens. When the Crusades saw the kingdom of Jerusalem born, it was at a time when men were considered to have the right to rule, and women less so. But from Jerusalem’s second king, there was almost always also a queen. In fact, there were a fair few years with queens regnant ruling the roost. So here are 11 of the medieval women who made…

REVIEWS The books, TV shows and films causing a stir in the history world this month Certificate: 15 Director: Michael Grandage Cast: Harry Styles, David Dawson, Emma Corrin Released: Out now Based on the 2012 novel of the same name, My Policeman tells the story of a love triangle in 1950s Brighton. However, in this tale the object of affection Tom (Harry Styles) has been having an affair with another man. This allows the filmmakers to explore what life was like for gay men when the law victimised them and they could face a jail sentence simply for being in love. The film intercuts these flashbacks with sequences of the characters many decades later, dealing with the fallout of this doomed romance. One of the main reasons My Policeman garnered…

HISTORY VS HOLLYWOOD Fact versus fiction on the silver screen Director: Julie Taymor Starring: Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush Country: Mexico Year: 2002 01 The film begins with Frida Kahlo's (Hayek) childhood in the build up to the bus accident that would shape her adult life. All the details here are accurate, including being pierced by a metal rod and even the gold dust falling on her as she lay in the wreck. 02 Strangely, the film doesn't go as deep into Kahlo's health issues as it could. She also had polio as a child and frequently needed a cane or wheelchair to move around. It is true, however, that she developed her painting while in recovery from the accident. 03 Kahlo and Diego Rivera (Molina) had an infamously…