On the morning of 11 September 2001, terrorists hijacked four passenger flights and crashed the planes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania (the plane was heading for Washington, but the passengers fought to wrest control from the terrorists), killing almost 3000 people and wounding thousands more. This terrorist attack sent shockwaves around the world...
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The Battle of Lepanto was a struggle for control of the Mediterranean between the Holy League, bringing together the Papal States, Spain and the Republic of Venice, and the mighty Ottoman Empire. This 1571 conflict remains one of the largest naval battles of all time, and was a decisive moment in European history. The unexpected victory of the Holy League put an end to...
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The Battle of Tours (also known as the Battle of Poitiers) in 732 marked a definitive end to Muslim expansion in the West and symbolized the decline of the powerful Umayyad Caliphate, which had come to dominate much of the Mediterranean over the course of the previous century. Forces under the control of the celebrated miltary leader Charles Martel were able to...
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The Crusades were a religious, political and miltary conflict between the three great powers of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries: Catholic Europe, the Muslim world and the Orthodox Byzantine Empire. The birth of Islam had a profound effect on the beginning of the Crusades, as the Muslim faith began to spread to the West and Muslim troops began to invade...
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The Fall of Constantinople in 1453 was a major turning point in European history: a fierce battle in this crucial trading city ended with the demise of the Byzantine Empire and the ascendency of the Ottoman Empire, which dominated the region in the following centuries. This transfer of power is essential for understanding the modern era in Western Europe, and is seen by...
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The Islamic State (also known as ISIL, ISIS or Daesh) is a jihadist militant group that has become one of the greatest scourges of the 21st century. The extremist organization is now infamous for its highly publicized terrorist attacks, persecution of religious and ethnic minorities and affiliation with groups such as Al-Qaeda. In just 50 minutes, you will find out how...
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