History
Thought-provoking, interpretive history essays that use the past to illuminate the present. These articles are speculative and exploratory – offering a modern lens on historical events, ideas, and figures
Has the United States Ever Captured Another Country’s Leader? A Short History of U.S. Seizures of Foreign Rulers (1901–2026)
Has the United States Ever Captured Another Country’s Leader? A Short History of U.S. Seizures of Foreign Rulers (1901–2026)
Why the Titanic Sinking Was Such a Disaster—and the Causes Ranked
Why the Titanic Sinking Was Such a Disaster—and the Causes Ranked
If the Axis Won World War Two: Three Plausible Futures, Compared
If the Axis Won World War Two: Three Plausible Futures, Compared
JFK: The Evidence That Keeps the Conspiracies Alive
JFK Conspiracies: Evidence, Theories, and Unresolved Gaps
World War Two Causes, Turning Points, Outcomes
World War Two Causes, Turning Points, Outcomes
The History of New Year’s Eve Celebrations: From Ancient New Year Festivals to the Midnight Countdown to What The Future Holds…
The History of New Year’s Eve Celebrations: From Ancient New Year Festivals to the Midnight Countdown Countdown to What The Future Holds…
What Sparked the Renaissance?
What Sparked the Renaissance? Italy’s City-States, Humanism, and the Patronage Arms Race
What If the American Civil War Never Happened: How the United States Might Have Split Without a Shot
What If the American Civil War Never Happened?
What If Ukraine Was Never Invaded?
What If Ukraine Was Never Invaded: How Europe Might Have Changed After 2022
At the end of February 2022, Russian forces are in place around Ukraine. The world is braced for war. Then the order does not come.
In this scenario, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine never begins. Russia keeps coercion, threats, and grey-zone pressure on the table, but it does not cross the line into a nationwide assault.
That single restraint prevents a mass battlefield shock. It also creates a different danger: a long standoff where nobody can relax, nobody can fully invest, and every capital must plan for a war that might still be one decision away.
The 1914 Christmas Truce: What Happened, What Didn’t, and Why We Keep Retelling It
The 1914 Christmas Truce: What Happened, What Didn’t, and Why We Keep Retelling It
Britain’s Lost 11 Days
Britain’s Lost 11 Days: The 1752 Calendar Switch That Turned Time Into a Political Problem
The History of Christmas: How It Began, How It Changed, What Endured
The History of Christmas: How It Began, How It Changed, What Endured
