Joseph Stalin - The Price of Success

Everyone knows Hitler as the embodiment of evil with the Allies as the forces of good. But within the ranks of these "good" stood an achiever but also a butcher greater than the defeated German leader. Joseph Stalin propelled the Soviet Union into the position of superpower at a great expense of lives, even larger than that of Hitler. He made planning trending, but also did the same for gulags, slave labor, and famine.

Doc Recap: Lyon in the 1850s by Joel Edson Rockwell

A Vermont Presbyterian Minister, Joel Edson Rockwell visited Europe in the 1850s. Part of his tour included France, in particular Lyon. He logged his impressions of churches in Lyon, especially those of Protestants amidst a nation of Catholics. But most importantly, he also wrote about Lyon’s fledgling silk industry.

Doc Recap: Viscount Torrington's Account of Cromford

Coming from a family of illustrious soldiers, John Byng, the later 5th Viscount of Torrington, decided to add a sideline to his resume, that of a traveller and a diarist. He toured England in a time of breathtaking changes in landscape of the country courtesy of the Industrial Revolution. One of his entries described Cromford the facilities owned by the celebrated inventor and businessman Richard Arkwright.

John Byng by Ozias Humphrey, 1796

Early Railroads of France (1815 - 1848)

Every new technology developed brings mix of reactions. Hesitations and missed expectation formed as part of birthing pains. Same goes to even technology taken for granted today, for instance, France’s reaction during the early inception of railroads.

10 Things to Know About James Mayer de Rothschild

A towering figure that held no crown, nor office nor led armies, yet his handling of wealth brought him influence and contributed in changing the landscape of France in the 19th century. He inspired both admiration and a conspiracy of “space lasers.” Here are 10 things to know about James Mayer de Rothschild.

James Mayer de Rothschild: Railroad and Banking King of France

Kings and Prime Ministers sought his advice and bow to him for loans and investments. Vast lengths of railroads and landscapes transformed by rising factories came as a result of his confidence. James Mayer de Rothschild commanded great respect within the banking world of his time driving forward France’s industrialization. How did he achieve it without holding office nor leading armies?

What are Guilds?

“Bird of the same feather, flock together.”

10 Things to Know About Queen Isabella II of Spain

Queen Isabella II reigned in a tumultuous century for both Europe and Spain. Thrusted into politics as a toddler, she grew up to controversial monarch. Here are 10 things to know about Queen Isabella II of Spain.

Spain's Controversial Queen Isbella II

While Queen Victoria enjoyed a nation riding high in imperial glory, her contemporary in Spain found her nation in disarray, plagued by political instability. Thrust into the position at a young age, others ruled on her behalf. She  must find her position and role in the country or face dire consequences.

Doc Recap: Prime Minister Mendizabal's Decree of Disentailment of Regular Clergy

In 1836, then Spanish Prime Minister Juan Alvarez Mendizabal unleashed his decree that targeted the privatization of lands owned by religious orders with the aim of winning the ongoing Carlist War and improving agricultural production as well as overall economic situation.

Desamortizacion and the Mendizabal Reform

David Ringrose said “the way in which access to land is defined, and the social constraints imposed on its use, play a major role in the modernization process of any country.” Spain in 1836 underwent a land reform under its Prime Minister Juan Alvarez Mendizabal which many hailed as a “revolution.” But was it such an event worthy of the praise it received in many studies of Spain’s industrialization? How did it affect Spain?

Juan Alvarez Mendizabal

Isabella's Kingdom of Castile

When Isabella took the crown of Castile, what was her kingdom like?

The Industrial Revolution in Spain

PIGS - a convenient and sarcastic abbreviation for Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, EU’s top economic troublemakers in the early 2000s. Surprisingly, most of these countries also entered industrialization late. While the burgeoning Germany’s industrial output surpassed Great Britain’s by the start of the 1900s. Spain in particular remained reliant on agriculture and ore exports. What did Spain experience during the tumultuous Industrial Revolution of the 1800s?

5 Things to Know About Thomas Newcomen

Thomas Newcomen (1663 - 1729) introduced to the world his invention at work in 1712 in Dudley Castle. His invention inspired others to develop it further allowing man to muster power bigger industries dawning the industrial revolution. But who was this fellow? Here are 5 things to know about Thomas Newcomen:

Newcomen House

The Enigmatic Thomas Newcomen

The Baptist preacher and iron monger Thomas Newcomen and his partner John Calley held their breath as they watched and waited for the beam of their new strange device to swing up and down. Newcomen betted 10 years of their lives, hardwork and experimentation on this device. Its result dictated not only if this bet paid off but also the fate of England’s mining industry and even beyond.

10 Things to Know about Queen Isabella of Castille

A woman that towered over a patriarchal society and period. Isabella of Castille transformed her Kingdom from a divided society into a great power in Europe. Her reign saw the establishment of an Empire where the sun never sets.

Isabella of Castile - the Iron Queen of Spain

Isabella gazed upon the foreign navigator in his presence pondering on the cost and rewards of this person’s proposal, crew and ships for an expedition to China, the Spice Islands and India through a journey via west. Her defined the faith of her beloved kingdom of Castille and its newly formed union with the Kingdom of Aragon.

10 Things to Know About Catalan Economy of the 18th Century

From the devastation of the Spanish Succession War that the 18th century introduced, Catalonia emerged with a flourishing economy that exploited the reforms of Spain’s new Bourbon Kings. Here are 10 things to know about Catalonia's economic revival during that century:

Economic Miracle of Catalonia in the 18th Century

After suffering more than a decade of war and devastation in its wake, the people of Catalonia dreaded their future in the hands of their victor, King Felipe V (Philip V) of Spain. Either they continue to fight to the very end or make the best out of a bad situation. Their decision dictated their fate in their future in the economic life of Spain.

What does Pope Francis and a French King have in Similar?

In 2013 Pope Francis ascended as a successor of St. Peter and brought awe to many for the simplicity he brought to a position that everyone viewed as majestic and grandiose. Few centuries ago, one man also did the same for the position that held images of palaces and grandeur. How did King Louis-Philippe like Pope Francis bring an image of man of the people to his position?