Although we think of “the Crusades” as the numbered (anachronistically) series of Christian military expeditions in the Middle East (and North Africa, and Greece that one time) that took place in the 11th-13th centuries, the Crusading movement actually encompassed much more than that. The Reconquista in Iberia was, for a time, treated as a Crusade, … Continue reading Today in European history: the Crusade of Nicopolis (1396)
Tag: history
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Iran-Iraq War begins (1980)
Apart from the Israel-Palestine conflict and possibly the US invasion of Iraq, it would be difficult to find anything that has defined the course of recent Middle Eastern history as much as the Iran-Iraq War. You could add the 1979 Iranian Revolution to that list, but since this war followed almost immediately on the heels … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Iran-Iraq War begins (1980)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Siege of Damascus ends (634)
Nearly two years before the Battle of Yarmouk broke Byzantine military power south of Anatolia pretty much for good, Arab forces captured the jewel of Roman Syria, Damascus. Looking at how they did so offers some important clues as to how they were able to take the rest of the Levant from the Byzantines so easily. … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Siege of Damascus ends (634)
Today in Middle Eastern history: Jordan’s Black September begins (1970)
Prior to September 1970, tensions between the Hashemite monarchy of Jordan and the country's majority Palestinian population had been on rise for many years. Palestinians had poured into Jordan after the formation of Israel in 1948, which created a lot of Palestinian refugees, and the ensuing Arab-Israeli War resulted in Jordan annexing the West Bank. … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: Jordan’s Black September begins (1970)
Today in European history: the Battle of Vienna (1683)
So yesterday, when we talked about the Great Siege of Malta, I mentioned toward the end that the Ottomans, despite losing that siege, would remain one of the great military powers in the Mediterranean region for another century or more. Well, by 1683 it had been a century or more, and that year’s Battle of Vienna … Continue reading Today in European history: the Battle of Vienna (1683)
Today in European history: the Great Siege of Malta ends (1565)
The two most famous military orders to emerge from the Crusades were the Knights Templar, which was named for its first headquarters on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and the Knights Hospitaller, which ran a hospital in Crusader Jerusalem before it diversified into the fighting business. The Templars are easily the more famous of the … Continue reading Today in European history: the Great Siege of Malta ends (1565)
Today in European history: the Albanian Revolt of 1912 ends
Albania finally declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire on November 28, 1912, during the First Balkan War. But the outcome of the ~8 month long 1912 Albanian Revolt, which ended on September 4, 1912, with the Ottomans acceding to almost all of the the rebels’ demands, was the immediate cause of that subsequent war … Continue reading Today in European history: the Albanian Revolt of 1912 ends
Today in Middle Eastern History: the Battle of Ayn Jalut (1260)
In 1260, the Mongols were near the height of their power and reach, particularly in the Middle East. In less than 10 years, Mongol armies had stormed through Iran and Iraq, crushing the notorious “Assassins” sect and ending the Abbasid Caliphate in the process. They’d even invaded northern India several times but for multiple reasons—including that … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern History: the Battle of Ayn Jalut (1260)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Treaty of Jaffa ends the Third Crusade (1192)
So, the Third Crusade. While the First Crusade was undoubtedly the most successful of the numbered Crusades, this is the one I assume most of us envision when we hear the word “Crusades.” After all, it produced probably the two most enduringly famous Crusader figures in history—Richard the Lionheart and Saladin, whose rivalry became legendary … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Treaty of Jaffa ends the Third Crusade (1192)
Today in North African history: the 1969 Libyan coup
The Arab world experienced quite a number of coups in the 1950s and 1960s. Syria went through three coups in 1949 alone—yes, OK, that isn’t the 1950s, but it’s close enough—and another in 1951. Egypt had a major one in 1952—perhaps you’ve heard about that one. Then Syria had another in 1954, Iraq had one … Continue reading Today in North African history: the 1969 Libyan coup
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 