All About History

Visit bit.ly/AAHNewsletter to subscribe As I write this introduction we are just a short distance away from the end of the year, which inclines me to reflect on the last 12 months. Then again, have we had enough of that for now? There is something to

When Rome was decimated by the Great Fire of 64 CE, the emperor Nero, desperate for a scapegoat, blamed the disaster on the emerging Christian community. Among those who perished in his circus executions was St Peter. Christ’s disciple and the first

Thanks to the Avignon Papacy and the Western Schism in the 14th century, the absence of the popes in Rome left the city neglected, with dilapidated churches and buildings. As a result, cultural patronage in the early years of the Renaissance played a

The shadow of Hernán Cortés looms long and large over present-day Mexico. Within a few short years of landing in the country in 1519, he and his comrades would be responsible for the destruction of the Aztec peoples and their culture. The 15th centur

Why did Italy become the focus of powers from across Europe? It’s one of the two particularly wealthy areas of Europe. You’ve got Italy on one hand, and then the low countries, the Netherlands, on the other. So it’s natural that the larger states of

So who was Montezuma, the ruler of the Aztec Empire? In order to fully assess Cortés’ impact it’s important to briefly look at the world of the Aztecs at this point, or more correctly, the Mexicah. Dr Sarah Albiez-Wieck explains: “Aztecs is a somewha

While many things in life are unknown, an unfortunate certainty is its inevitable end. Throughout history, different cultures and societies have had their own unique approaches to this grim subject. The Ancient Egyptians, for example, had complex bur

Between 1642 and 1651, England was gripped by a civil war - which also extended into Scotland, Ireland and Wales - that pitted the Crown against Parliament and resulted in the execution of King Charles I, as well as the abolition of the monarchy. In

Thanks to a combination of factors, the history of the continent of Africa is a relatively unexplored and underserved area of study. This is due in part to the nature of the evidence that might be available to us to analyse. Even for the relatively w

Birthplace of Lord Shang, military theorist, who advised rulers to be ruthless. He moved to Qin and helped it become an efficient police state. He surrendered to Qin in 225 BCE, after the Qin diverted the Yellow River and flooded the Wei capital Dali

March, 1974. Orchards and fields near Xian, north-central China. In the background is a conical hill. We’re in an orchard, but the trees are bare and the grass is dusty. There’s a drought. Five peasants, the Yang brothers, are digging a well. They ar

Lili’uokalani, the first and only queen of Hawaii, was the last sovereign to rule over the islands. Her reign was ended, when she was deposed in a coup by foreign landowners in 1893, a move that was supported by the US military. A devoted monarch, sh

The warriors today are clay-coloured, as are the reproductions bought by tourists. That’s what seems ‘authentic’, but it’s wrong. They were originally painted in vivid colours, which were stripped away by their earthy blanket. In the First Emperor’s

Some people taught that the body could be made incorruptible by death, and so become a xian, an immortal. For centuries, Daoists experimented with elixirs - mixtures including gold, mercury, arsenic and lead - undeterred by the often fatal results. T

The burial mound is around 50 to 75 metres high. Soundings suggest that beneath it is a stepped half-pyramid up to 150 metres wide with two entrances. Inside, presumably, is the emperor’s coffin. Two half-size chariots were found in 1980. One (the so

Why was the introduction of the Mark I tank to World War I in 1916 so important? The war on the Western Front was at a virtual stalemate. Trench warfare was characterised by sudden offensives, one side tried to break through the other’s lines with ma

In the early hours of 1 September 1939, the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein fired the first shot of World War II. The German campaign plan, Fall Weiss (Case White) swung into action and the world was introduced to a ruthless new form of warfare

What was the background to this assassination attempt in 1200? Genghis was born in 1162 and at this stage has not yet become Genghis Khan. He still has his childhood name of Temujin and he’s emerging as the [leader] in a feudal society that is extrem

The Hawaiian word ‘lau’ translates to ‘leaf’ in English • 450g pork shoulder• 450g black cod (butterfish)• 220g carrots, shredded (optional)• 30 taro (luau) leaves• 12 large ti leaves• 1 tbsp sea salt• Rubber bands, string or toothpicks (to tie lau l

Director: Jonathan Jakubowicz Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Clémence Poésy, Matthias Schweighöfer Country: France Released: 2020 VERDICT: A formulaic film that wastes a powerful, real story 01 Early in the film General Patton introduces Marcel Marceau f

Almost unheard of in the West, the works of Ivan Vladimirov are striking contemporary depictions of the Russian Revolution. Born in 1869 to an English mother and a Russian father, Vladimirov’s mother was a painter and we can assume it was from her he

No trip to the Vatican City is complete without visiting the museums. All included in one ticket, along with the Sistine Chapel, you’ll walk along corridors of ancient Roman statues and explore rooms filled to the brim with Renaissance art. There’s a

In one of the closest elections in the history of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected president in November 1960. The popular vote margin nationwide had been only 118,550 out of 69 million ballots cast. So, when newly sworn in Pres

Book Film TV Podcast Games Other The show delivers a gripping fight between tradition and change Creator: Peter Morgan Distributor: Netflix Cast: Olivia Colman, Gillian Anderson, Emma Corrin Released: Out now Season 4 of The Crown, set during the pre

The city was laid out in four distinct sectors that were connected to one another through a system of canals. Each sector had its own services, including a separate religious precinct and access to craftsmen, weavers and such. Tenochtitlan was built