The Industrial Revolution was a period of modernization which began in Great Britain before spreading to the rest of Europe. It was during this period that many countries in the Western world changed from being primarily agricultural to being more mechanized, thereby accelerating demographic growth and leading to unprecedented economic change. In just 50 minutes, you will find out how...
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The Iran-Iraq War, which took place between 1980 and 1988, was one of the deadliest conflicts since the Second World War. It involved two ambitious and headstrong leaders: Saddam Hussein, who wanted to make his Republic of Iraq a powerful force in the region, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, who planned to export his Islamic Revolution beyond the borders of Iran....
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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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The Korean War was an internal war which led to a major confrontation between the Western Bloc and the Communist Bloc. The conflict lasted for three years and ended with no real winner, so the Korean Peninsula was divided into two states. In just 50 minutes, you will gain an understanding of why the war broke out and find out...
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The Ku Klux Klan is one of the most notorious white supremacist groups in the world. It was initially founded in 1867 in the wake of the American Civil War, and its ideology has always had close ties with the myth of a prosperous Confederate state as a result. However, it is best known for the shockingly vicious acts of...
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The voyage of the Mayflower has been enshrined in popular culture as the founding myth of the United States of America. This ship carried a group of Puritans to the Massachusetts coast, where they established the colony of Plymouth, aided by the local Wampanoag population, as commemorated by the modern American tradition of Thanksgiving. In just 50 minutes, you will...
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On 6 June 1944, Allied forces, carried on ships along with weapons and tanks, landed on the beaches of Normandy. The Normandy landings, also known as the D-Day landings, were one of the major operations of the Second World War and paved the way for the Allied victory on the Western Front. In the largest seaborne invasion in history, some...
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The Nuremberg trials were the first international military tribunal in history and aimed to make key figures in the Third Reich answer for their crimes. They took legal action against 24 Nazi leaders, including Herman Göring, and 8 different organizations on charges of conspiracy, war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. In just 50 minutes, you will find out how these trials...
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The Protestant Reformation was a religious movement that began in the 16th century in response to the perceived abuses and excesses of the Catholic Church, such as the sale of indulgences. Protestantism quickly gained a foothold in numerous countries and principalities throughout Northern Europe, in spite of the increasing threat of religious persecution. In just 50 minutes, you will find...
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The Six-Day War in 1967 was a major crisis in the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and caused outrage across the Arab world. After a tense period in which the Israelis and Egyptians exchanged threats, Israel launched a pre-emptive strike and destroyed the Egyptian air force in a matter of hours. The Israeli forces then continued their advance, and by the...
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The sinking of the Titanic during its maiden voyage on 14 April 1912 was one of the greatest maritime tragedies in history and sent shockwaves around the world, as the ship was previously believed to be unsinkable. In many ways a symbol of the optimism, boundless confidence and technological progress of the Belle Époque, this luxury liner welcomed over 2000 people from all...
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The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, followed the end of the First World War and imposed harsh terms on Germany, which had been defeated by the Allies and was judged responsible for the bloody four-year conflict. The Allied leaders Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau and Vittorio Orlando drew up the treaty with no input from the vanquished party and struggled to...
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