Stories about History from October, 2013
Former Croatian President Mesic Says Tudjman and Milosevic Set Out to Divide Bosnia
Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who was in this office as Croatia's second President from 2000 to 2010, recently gave an interview for Serbian weekly NIN, in which he claims to have found maps of a divided Bosnia in the presidential safe of Franjo Tudjman. BalkanInside.com quotes a portion of...
South Korean Tear Gas Being Used in Bahrain?
Bahrain interior ministry allegedly ordered 1.6 million teargas canisters to use against protesters, and South Korean company DaeKwang is believed to be one of the major suppliers. R. Elgin wrote in Marmot's Hole blog about the ironic history of tear gas– a notorious symbol of Korean government's clampdowns back in...
Serbia: Jovanka Broz, Widow of Tito, Dies Isolated and Forgotten
Jovanka Broz, widow of Tito, died in Belgrade on October 20, aged 88. In the decades since her husband's death, she led a reclusive life in Belgrade, forgotten and isolated.
The Codefather
The world's first Internet search engine has Caribbean roots.
Kazakhstan's Soviet Mosaics: “Ghosts of an Epoch Gone By”
In a post titled “The Walls Are Crying”, a blogger reflects [ru] on Kazakhstan's slowly disappearing Soviet artistic mosaics that once adorned housing blocks and industrial facilities across the country: Many of these works of art died along with the buildings which they adorned. Some are being destroyed. But many mosaics...
Gulf Cities: Cultural Capitals of the Arab World?
UAE commentator Sultan Al Qassemi argues that “some of the cities of the Gulf were transforming into cultural capitals of the Arab world as the traditional capitals of Baghdad, Cairo, Beirut and Damascus continue to suffer from civil strife.” He posts arguments in support and against this notion on his...
Remembering and Reviving Vietnam's Ca Tru Singing
Đoan Trang interviews Pho Kim Duc, a famous ca tru (sung poetry) vocalist in Vietnam in the 1940s. Kim Duc said ca tru is a very noble form of art. “It’s is not just singing but also poetry. Whoever with a taste for poetry will love ca tru to find...
Vietnam Bids Farewell to Legendary War Hero
The 'Red Napoleon' and great military tactician of the 20th century who led the Vietnamese army in defeating the military forces of France and the United States.
Chilean Navy and Human Rights Groups Visit Torture Site on Dawson Island
More than 40 members of human rights groups and their families visited Dawson Island as part of the commemoration activities marking the Chilean military coup of 1973.
Russians Remember “The Day Democracy Died”
20 years after Russia's constitutional crisis, many bloggers criticizes Yeltsin's decision to fire on the Supreme Soviet, characterizing the moment in post-Soviet history as a turn for the worse.
Exhibition of Fascist Paraphernalia in Public School in Spain
The mayor of the locality denies having seen the fascist paraphernalia displayed on the market stalls, although she admits that she spent an hour at the exhibition.
Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada: “The Killing of a Revolution”
I was transfixed; in turns horrified, unbelieving, angry, and sad. Worse still, frustrated. Because the verdict of the film as to who was really responsible was inconclusive. Norman Girvan reviews Bruce's Paddington's film “Forward Ever”, about the executions of former Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and members of his cabinet.
Malaysian Communist Leader Chin Peng: Hero or Terrorist?
Malaysian independence fighter and communist leader Chin Peng died in Bangkok last month but his wish for his ashes to be returned home was rejected by the Malaysian government
Should Japan's Children Be Reading This Comic About a Hiroshima A-Bomb Survivor?
One city's attempt to restrict children from reading "Barefoot Gen", a comic series about the Hiroshima bombings, has started a debate in Japan about how the tragedy should be interpreted.
