Robert's European History Blog April 2005 Archive

Ten per cent of Canadians served in some capacity during the Second World War: 1.1 million, with over 42,000 killed.

A profile of England's 'lost' king.

The Sussex Pledge was a promise given by the German Government to the United States of America on May 4th 1916...

Certain elements of the international press, especially the British Press, reacted to the appointment of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pontiff by reminding the world he had been a member of the ... Read More

The stream of WW2 revisionism from the Russian government has continued, with a member of their Ministry for Foreign Affairs quoted as saying "It is claimed that in the Second ... Read More

The Red Baron, Great War air ace and subject of the ongoing 'who shot him down' debate, only painted his aircraft its legendary red colour after he'd already made sixteen ... Read More

The German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has been elected Pope; he will take the name Benedixt XVI, the 16th.

An article about Erwin Kowalke, a man dedicated to retrieving the thousands of bodies left behind as German and Russian forces fought over Seelow Heights in 1945.

This article from the UK’s Guardian newspaper takes a quick stroll through the history of papal elections, highlighting some of more unfortunate events.

An archaeological discovery has provoked something of a confused discussion in Britain. A dig in Norfolk uncovered the remains of rabbits that had been prepared for consumption during the first ... Read More

According to this article, Britain’s major political parties spend roughly £1 on campaigning for every vote they receive, but in 1880 the cost was well over £50 a vote, making ... Read More

Execution, Colin McDougall’s book about Canadian soldiers during World War 2, is to be reissued. Although fictionalised, the multi-faceted work was based heavily on the author’s own experiences and those ... Read More

On April 9th the British heir to the throne, Prince Charles, married his long time lover Camilla Parker Bowles. This article attempts to put the wedding into some sort of ... Read More

Prince Rainier III of Monaco has died aged 81. A member of the Grimaldi family who have ruled Monaco almost constantly since the thirteenth century – the French Revolution caused ... Read More

A few weeks ago I mentioned a vote to decide The Greatest Frenchmen of All Time. Well, the results are in, and Charles de Gaulle has won, making him the ... Read More

History graduates are highly sought after, their analytical and research skills easily adaptable to many workplaces; unfortunately, few of these jobs involve history. This article concerns Lauren Willig, a student ... Read More

This article on a new selected edition of Field Marshal Haig's war diaries also includes a very well-rounded introduction on the man himself.

Pope John Paul II, the 265th Roman Catholic Pope, died today at 9:37 p.m local time.