The Battle of Little Bighorn took place on this date in 1876. In the Wikipedia article that describes the battle, possible reasons for Custer’s defeat are given (condensed from the original, earlier edition of entry): Unfortunately (for Custer and his troops), this aggressive action was deeply flawed as a military tactic. First, Custer did not […]
Main Content
Western Civ Forum
a world of knowledge awaits
See discussion posts made on this site. You’ll find something of interest.
Is Robert E. Lee overrated as a military leader?
By Historywonk
No one denies that Lee was courageous, resourceful, and daring, both as a junior officer in Mexico and commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. And no one denies that his string of victories is impressive with the Seven Days, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. But one must also look at his opponents. Seven Days […]
What is the role of the historical anecdote in writing?
By Phidippides
Have you ever really thought about how the anecdote should be handled when writing papers? These devices are often times found in academic writing and can make for some of the most memorable insights that authors try to convey. On one hand, it can be used to illustrate some larger trend that you are showing. […]
The fall of Athens
By Hobilar •
In 407 B.C. and again in 405 B.C.. the Spartans in alliance with their old enemies, the Persians, destroyed two Athenian Fleets. Although Athens had suffered defeats before, notably in Sicily in 415 B.C., they had always managed to rally and beat back the Spartans. This time, however, Athens could not make up the losses. […]
Best Founding Fathers Quote
By Phidippides
What is your favorite quote from one of the Founding Fathers? Here are a few good ones: Americans have the right and advantage of being armed – unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. -James Madison The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged […]
Empress Maria Theresa’s new gloves
By Hobilar
When the Austrian General Raddik descended on Berlin in 1757 he is said to have demanded not only a large sum of money, but also, two dozen gloves for Maria Theresa (1717-1780). However, when the gift arrived in Vienna, it was discovered that the Berliners had taken their revenge by providing only left-handed gloves. This, […]
The legality of the Declaration of Independence
By Phidippides
It is interesting that this is being discussed in modern times, but it is probably a great idea to talk about it. Is the US Declaration of Independence illegal? A portion from the article: For American lawyers, the answer is simple: “The English had used their own Declaration of Rights to depose James II and […]
The death of the Red Baron
By Notch
Canadian Roy Brown is credited with the death of the Red Baron, but it is argued that due to the angle of the wound (lower right to upper left) that killed Richthofen that the bullet was fired from the ground by Australian AA gunners and not Brown. Another argument is that his 1917 head wound […]
The availability of citrus in the ancient world
By Phidippides
I came across an article about the lemons and other citrus fruits in the ancient Roman world. According to research done by an Israeli archaeobotanist, the citron was the first citrus fruit to make it to the western Mediterranean around the third or second century B.C. (probably through Persia). The lemon? That had to wait […]