Layton's poem "Rhine Boat Trip" illustrates the time of horror during which the Holocaust was taking place. Any of what is told in the poem can be seen from the Rhine because of the borders it keeps. The Rhine is a river that flows from the North Sea to Switzerland, but a vast major...

A Bridge to Far In A Bridge to Far the Allies try to end World War II by dropping soldiers behind enemy lines and cut off supply lines. The movie goes into great detail of the confusion and power struggles amongst the leaders of the allies. In 1944, the German armies were being pushed back acros...

Attila the Hun No one characterizes the uncontrolled ferocity of barbarism as much as Attila the Hun. However, in the Five Readings on Attila from Williams Sterns and Davis, the accounts of him describe qualities of much more than a treacherous tyrant. The author unfolds the distinct...

The Congress of Vienna, the organizing conference of coalition against Napoleon and France, was a major building block in the future of Europe for years to come. The Conservative Political and Social views of the leaders of the time lead to a successful peace settlement to end this Napoleo...

During the 1930's Italy and Germany followed a policy of aggressive territorial expansion; they invaded weak lands that could be taken over easily. The dictatorships (led by Hitler in Germany, and Mussolini in Italy) knew exactly what their goals were, to form the empire they didn't achie...

Nicolaus August Otto 1832 - 1891 Although he had little technical training Nicolaus Otto overcame these early challenges and changed the world with his more reliable, powerful and lighter engine that changed the world. Born on the 14th of June 1832 in Holzhausen Germany. Otto's hometown wa...

Alsace is one of the smallest French provinces and is located in the far north-east corner of the country. It's surrounded by the well-known Foret Noire (Black Forest) and the Vosges mountains. In this region, you can find rich farmland, dense forests, vineyards, towns, and villages. The population...

Europe chose the path of centralized power, and it was constructed by Louis XIV. He referred to himself as the "Sun King," the monarch at the center of the political constellation. He built Versailles and ruled his kingdom. He made absolutism the wave of the future and the high road to mili...

Marcus Aurelius Antonius, born Marcus Annius Verus in 121 C.E, was adopted at age 17 by emperor Antonius Pius. Marcus succeeded to the throne without difficulty after the death of Antonius in 161 C.E. A devotee of Stoicism, Marcus is well remembered for his Meditations, written while in isolation, ...

Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, was the absolute monarch of France from 1643 to 1715. He was the third monarch of the Bourbon Family, who ruled for 72 years, the longest reign of any European Monarch. Louis guided France through a great era that signified France's continental European ...

World War II in Europe Before dawn on September 1, 1939, German forces crossed into Poland in an attack so fast and brutal, they called it blitzkrieg, meaning lightning war. This time Britain and France decided to fight, and on September 3 they declared war on Germany. Roosevelt declared the Uni...

When Germany was under a monetary crisis after having to pay reparations for World War II, people had turned to Adolf Hitler. He made promises of restoring Germany to its original form and many people were willing to support him. However, the failure of the Munich Putsch in 1923 had failed and had ...

King Louis XIV Louis XIV was born at the royal chateau in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1638. He was only five when he became king upon the death of his father, Louis XIII. During the time of his childhood, Louis witnessed a period of rebellion known as the Fronde, led first by the nobility then by t...

Charlemagne Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, became the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. As Western Europe was deteriorating Charlemagne was crowned the privilege of being joint king of the Franks in 768 A.D. People of Western Europe, excluding the church followers, had ...

There are many countries in the world, but none like France. France is one of the most interesting countries in the world because of its history, creative arts, and even transportation. One of the reasons why I think France is an exciting country is because France is an independent nation in Western...

Charlemagne Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, became the undisputed ruler of Western Europe. As Western Europe was deteriorating Charlemagne was crowned the privilege of being joint king of the Franks in 768 A.D. People of Western Europe, excluding the church followers, had ...

Before the First World War had finished, the groundwork for the early stages of another world war was beginning to take place in Germany. By the end of World War I, the economic and social foundation of European society was shaken. France had lost twenty percent of its young to middle-aged men,...

When one looks at the religious wars, it is very difficult to identify a beginning and middle. People can argue that the seed for the wars was planted in the wars between the Calvinists and Hapsburgs, otherwise known as the Dutch and the Spanish. In addition, people can argue that the Protestant Ref...

The Crusades: A Just War? The Crusades were a series of wars taking place roughly between 1095 and 1270. They were waged by Christina men for the purpose of gaining back land they lost to the Muslims and rescuing fellow Christians. It is estimated that nearly 20, 000 people were killed. People...

Napoleon was able to control most of Europe by 1807 due to many victories over countries in The Third Coalition, battle tactics such as surprise attacks which his opponents did not know how to deal with, and his own sheer brilliance and intelligence. Napoleon was able to use his intelligence in nego...