One Week in History: What happened between 25 February- 3 March?

'History never really says goodbye. History says, 'See you later'- Eduardo Galeano, from his book Children of the Days: A Calendar of Human History, 2012

History is great. This surely comes as no surprise to you all, even if everyone thinks it's 'pointless', and the statement 'history is great' has been uttered more than once by this humble blogger. The brilliant thing about history is that something important has happened on every single day of the year. There are dates that are stuck in our minds, such as the Battle of Hastings in 1066 or 11 September 2001. We take note of birthdays, anniversaries and personal events that for some are worth commemorating; one can be assured that a vast majority of people remember the first time that they engaged in sexual activities. No need to be ashamed! Regardless, history has a subtle presence in our daily lives that certainly cannot be underestimated.

There is no escape from the grasp of history

The wonderful thing about being a historian is that it can always provide a fallback if that pesky writer's block decides to burst into the room and make it rather difficult to find something to write. Having already provided ways to overcome this burden, writer's block can still occur at a moment's notice. Much like a speeding car that is navigating through fog with no headlights, it is both dangerous and can only be seen once it's too late. Thankfully, history provides a safety blanket this week as 'Absolute Shambles' notes 7 dates from the week of 25 February- 3 March that stoke the interest of this history graduate. They're all important for their own reasons, so keep them in mind in case you ever need them for a test or even to impress that cute barista at the local coffee shop. Strong dating advice from this long-time single man.

He can bake though

25 FEBRUARY 1570- POPE PIUS V GROWS TIRED OF ELIZABETH I'S BULLSHIT

When the Tudors were in charge of England, every day had more drama packed into it than an episode of Eastenders. Henry VII had defeated Richard III in 1485 as part of another exciting chapter in the Wars of the Roses (1455-1487) as the houses of Lancaster and York fought for the crown. The grandiose Henry VIII formed the Church of England to get around the issue of divorcing Catherine of Aragon, whilst also sparring with France, executing/ divorcing/ mourning his wives and spending his wealth on projects to show England's might. Edward VI had a brief stint as king and had the great idea of having his first cousin once removed Lady Jane Grey succeed him once he popped his clogs. A nine day reign was all she got, as Mary I seized her birthright and demanded that England stop with all this Protestant nonsense. Catholicism returned with a vengeance as Mary married Philip II of Spain and persecuted anyone who stuck to their Protestant ways. THEN Elizabeth I came to the throne, reversed the whole thing (again) and royally annoyed the Catholic powers on the continent.

Strike a pose

So, that's the Tudor story in a very brief nutshell. The date in question, 25 February 1570, is important as Pope Pius V issued the papal bull Regnans in Excelsis ('reigning on high') that called Liz a 'pretended Queen of England and the servant of crime'. The bull called for her subjects to deny her authority, especially after numerous rebellions in 1569 (the Rising in the North and the first Desmond Rebellion in Ireland) prompted the Pope to excommunicate Elizabeth. God's representative on Earth had denounced England's monarch in the hopes of prompting a Catholic revolution, which did come to fruition with the Ridolfi Plot in 1571. Although the plan to remove Liz and put her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne failed miserably, Elizabeth's excommunication and subsequent triumph over Catholic opposition was paramount in forging England's identity. Once the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588, England was a proud Protestant nation that was enjoying sticking the middle finger up to Catholic Europe. 

One of the best

26 FEBRUARY 1815- NAPOLEON GETS BORED OF BEING EXILED

Speaking of annoying Europe, let's turn our attention to France. During the later parts of the 18th century, Louis XVI thought it would be hilarious to help the American revolutionaries fight for their independence against the British. The United States of America rose out of this venture, but it cost the French economy dearly as the state was taken to the brink of complete bankruptcy. After years of oppression, coupled with the Enlightenment and its principles of 'screw authority', the lower classes threw a tantrum, stormed the Bastille and eventually toppled the monarchy. Louis got his head chopped off and everything went mental, with republics, directories and the like being established. Europe was shocked! War was declared! Who can save France from the advancing armies of the coalition determined to end this revolutionary nonsense? Turns out it would be some artillery commander from Corsica. Napoléon Bonaparte, after a successful campaign in Italy and a 'fun' Egyptian adventure, thought it would be wonderful if he was in charge.

The whole thing was rather messy

The Directory was overthrown upon his return from Africa in 1799, with the new French Consulate headed by Bonaparte. Surprise, surprise, he called the whole thing off as he declared himself 'Emperor of the French'. More coalitions were formed to take him down, with Emperor Bonaparte moving them aside as France began to dominate. Napoléon did good (Austerlitz in 1805), Napoléon did bad (the ill-fated Russian campaign) and on 11 April 1814 he abdicated as the Sixth Coalition surrounded the French. As part of this abdication agreement, the emperor was exiled to Elba where he could still be 'emperor' but promise not to come back and spoil everything... again. His time away was eventful as Bonaparte failed to kill himself, yet rejuvenated the small Mediterranean island by reforming the armed forces, agriculture and the legal system. Napoléon had got his groove back, which convinced him to return to France on 26 February 1815 and bring about the 'Hundred Days'. The ambitious general turned emperor was ultimately defeated at Waterloo and earned himself a one-way ticket to the Atlantic island of St. Helena. The life and times of Napoléon Bonaparte is certainly fascinating, so it would be criminal to not mention that pesky emperor.

When you're trying to rule France but everyone keeps making coalitions against you

27 FEBRUARY 1933- LIAR LIAR, THE REICHSTAG'S ON FIRE

Invading Russia in winter (to be fair, the French and Germans invaded in June) is never a good idea, unless you're the Mongols obviously. Operation Barbarossa, launched on 22 June 1941, would be critical in the downfall of Nazi Germany as Adolf Hitler told himself that 'this can only end brilliantly'. Let's not dwell on this blogger's dissertation topic, and instead step back in time to the end of the First World War in 1918. With the German Empire defeated and handed the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was very much in the shit. Reparations, occupations, a loss of prestige after having their armed forces limited; you would be annoyed too! The German citizens turned to more extreme forms of government for answers, with their eyes focusing on the steadily expanding NSDAP and their shouty but convincing leader Hitler. The Great Depression had begun in 1929, proving to be the final straw for German nationals as the Nazis expanded their presence in German politics (with a bit of violence thrown in for good measure). On 30 January 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of the Weimar Republic- surely this wasn't a crucial step in creating a fascist dictatorship?

I have a bad feeling about this

You all know how this ends, right? With an election scheduled for 5 March, Hitler wanted to make sure that the communists were kept out of power and that the Enabling Act was passed. This would grant the Chancellor special powers without the Reichstag's (the German Parliament) consent and effectively destroy German democracy. All he needed was little spark, which was handily supplied by Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe and other agitators seeking to begin a communist revolution. Cor, talk about perfect timing! On the night of 27 February 1933, the Reichstag was set ablaze by these rowdy lefties and gave the Nazis an excuse to purge the communists and suspend basic liberties such as free speech. By 23 March, the Enabling Act had been passed, signed by President Paul von Hindenburg and effectively created a dictatorship through totally legal means. The timing of the fire has led to arguments that it was a staged event, yet the fact remains that this event saw the death of Weimar Germany and the rise of the Third Reich.

A dark time for us all

28 FEBRUARY 1983- THE SMASHING SUCCESS OF THE M*A*S*H FINALE

The Korean War (1950-1953) is widely called 'The Forgotten War' due to the lack of attention received during and after the conflict, especially when sandwiched between the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). This struggle for control of the Korean Peninsula was the first major proxy war of the Cold War, as communism and capitalism fought for global dominance in the arenas of culture, technology and political spheres of influence. Estimated armed forces casualties rise to at least 1.2 million in a war that threatened the deployment of nuclear weapons and a further rise in tension between the camps of East and West. So, who had the bright idea of making a sitcom about doctors and their staff stationed in Korea? You can thank CBS for bringing M*A*S*H (an acronym for 'Mobile Army Surgical Hospital') to American screens on 17 September 1972. Based on the book MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors, it would prove to be a hit that drew attention to this 'forgotten' clash of arms.

Once again, American troops found themselves fighting abroad (David Douglas Duncan)

The show lasted for 11 seasons, with 256 episodes and plenty of awards to secure its status as one of the greatest shows of all time. With M*A*S*H running parallel to American involvement in Vietnam, the horrors of war surrounded the American public on all sides; once the latest news report on Vietnam had ended, 'Suicide Is Painless' (the M*A*S*H theme) would begin to play. This masterclass of television came to an end on 28 February 1983 and would leave its mark on history. Viewership numbers are dominated by sporting events such as the World Cup Final and the Super Bowl, with the latest World Cup being absolutely brilliant and Super Bowl LIII being a little bit rubbish. The finale, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, remains the most watched broadcast for a show in the United States after 105.97 million people tuned in. It's a highly rated episode that ended a show that provided both moments of glorious dark humour and painful drama that would melt the coldest of hearts. In an era of Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, to have an episode about a team of doctors in 'The Forgotten War' claim the top spot in viewership numbers, makes this an event worth knowing about.

Might be worth a binge at some point

1 MARCH 1992- A CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE 

The dissolution of the Soviet Union on 25/26 December 1991 saw the Cold War come to a definitive end, as events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall began to herald in the curtain call for the communist superpower. While the USSR imploded, another communist power was already in the process of breaking up; Yugoslavia. The death of their leader Josip Tito in 1980, alongside the ethnic diversity of the nation and a crippling economic crisis, caused the Balkan power to begin their brutal demise. Croatia and Slovenia had declared their independence in 1991 and consequentially began the Yugoslav Wars that raged in the region throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. On 1 March 1992, Bosnia and Herzegovina finished their own independence referendum, with a strong win for those in favour of splitting from the crumbling Yugoslavia and following the path Croatia and Slovenia had already begun. Bosnian Serbs, on the other hand, were determined to maintain their ties with Serbia, inevitably leading to an outbreak in hostilities on 6 April 1992. The Bosnian War had begun.

Some scars are more noticeable than others

The Balkan region had always been one of great tension, as the diverse ethnic makeup was made far more complicated as it drew in the interests of the Ottoman, Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. Nationalism was always a major component in the politics of the Balkans, and now that Yugoslavia was rapidly breaking apart it was the perfect time for independence to be declared. For Bosnia, their fight for sovereignty was by far the most brutal of the Yugoslav Wars, as the capital of Sarajevo was under siege from April 1992 to February 1996 and targeted attacks took place on certain ethnic groups. The genocide and massacre of Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) by Serbian armed forces was horrific, with the Srebrenica massacre standing as a clear example for this. After seeing this steadily recovering city, one can appreciate what the residents of Sarajevo suffered through. Unfortunately, the path to independence is never, and will likely never be, a smooth one. 

The price for independence

2 MARCH 1962- THE BASKETBALL CENTURION

The cultural dominance of the United States means that basketball has made itself a firm fixture in the viewing habits of this humble blogger. It's fast, skilful and a perfect example of how athletic a human being can be- seriously, travelling to a new city basically every day to play 48 minutes of sportball is not an easy feat. Over the years, there have been plenty of players that are deemed to be masters of the game and have created conflict amongst friends, pundits and fans in general over who is the G.O.A.T. LeBron James, currently spending his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, has won 3 championships and is also a 15 time NBA All-Star. That same franchise dominated in the 1980s in what is known as 'Showtime', with the likes of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar playing fast basketball to win 5 championships. Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Larry Bird; the list of incredible talent is extensive. Oh, and Michael Jordan! The guy has his own brand of sneakers (which are lovely, by the way) and did 'that' dunk back in 1988. Yet it was in 1962 that Wilt Chamberlain confirmed his status as a god of basketball, and has made a case for the title of G.O.A.T.

Sweet Jesus (Bleacher Report)

In a game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia Warriors (they would move to San Francisco in 1962 and eventually become the Golden State Warriors) on 2 March 1962, something extraordinary happened. Wilt Chamberlain was already a superstar after setting season scoring records in the last two seasons, as the 7 foot 1 inch Chamberlain dominated the court. When the Knicks came to Hershey Sports Arena, only 4124 were in attendance- little did they know what was about to transpire. Across 48 minutes, Wilt scored 100 points and cemented his place as a legend. It's a record that has not been repeated, and it is a shame that the game was not shown on TV, so no footage can be watched again and again on YouTube or other entertainment services. Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game certainly holds a place in the annals of sporting greatness, alongside Roger Bannister's four-minute mile in 1954, Michael Phelps' Olympic record of 28 medals and Arsenal's unbeaten season in 2003-2004. For a game seen by so few, it has impacted a sport now watched and loved by millions around the world.

Look what I did today

3 MARCH 1931- LAND OF THE FREE, HOME OF THE WHOPPER

National anthems tend to stir the loins of the citizens of that respective country. 'La Marseillaise' challenges the French people to 'let an impure blood water our furrows' as 'the day of glory has arrived!'. The Welsh and the Scottish have excellent anthems as well, even if 'Flower of Scotland' gloat about beating down the English and trying to sing along to 'Land of my Fathers' turns you into a phlegmy mess. 'God Save The Queen' may be slightly boring, but we love our royal family and having the drunken sport fans sing it abroad sure makes one proud to be English. Some nations cherish their national anthems, especially when coupling it with mahoosive flags and soldiers saluting the symbols of their nation. The United States' anthem, 'The Star-Spangled Banner', does seem to appear at every single event, whether it's the Super Bowl or the final of a spelling competition for 10 year-olds. There was a wave of kneeling in the NFL a few years ago, but patriotism is still a strong trait amongst those crazy revolutionaries on the other side of the Atlantic. Even this humble blogger has stood for the American national anthem- there is no escape.

What a night

As the War of 1812 raged between Britain and the USA, Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombarding of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. He wrote a poem titled 'The Star-Spangled Banner' after seeing the American flag flying triumphantly over the fort, despite the relentless attack by the British. Throughout American history, 'Hail Columbia' and 'My Country, 'Tis of Thee' had served as the anthems of the nation, while Scott's poem floated around the background. In 1889, the United States Navy officially declared it their own tune, before President Woodrow Wilson ordering the poem to be used at certain events in 1916. On 3 March 1931, the Senate passed a bill to have 'The Star-Spangled Banner' used as the official anthem of the United States of America, beginning the era of musicians with a decent vocal range blurting out Scott's poem with all of their might. 'O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave', the stars and stripes wave in the breeze and patiently wait for the current President to quietly and calmly exit the White House (sorry, had to mention him). Perhaps the burning of the White House during the War of 1812 may just happen again...

Just you wait, Donald...

History is brilliant. As previously mentioned, there is always something worth remembering or studying, with one event just being a small chapter in a novella that stretches over vast spans of time. An angry Pope affirmed the concept of 'England vs The World', for example, which has stayed in the mindset of the occupants of this damp island on the edge of Europe (both geographically and politically). Monsieur Bonaparte certainly etched his name into the history books by having one last go at being a French emperor, even though he ended up on his own grim abode in the Atlantic Ocean. While some moments in history may not seem as important, such as scoring 100 points in a basketball game or the viewership of a TV series finale, they are integral for others. They serve as inspirations for those willing to make a name for themselves.

Of course, history does offer warnings, such as a fire ushering in a brutal dictatorship or how painful the path to independence can be, but that's the double-edged sword of history for you. Indeed, the passing of one Senate bill can change the patriotic aspects of a country, with a national anthem being seen as either a symbol of glory or one of oppression in more modern times. Either way, let's all take a second to appreciate the strange beast that is human history. Keep an eye out for any interesting events that have occurred on a certain date, because you never know what sort of context could be hovering around. God, fucking love history.

This is what a lifetime of debt got me

Ben G 😁 xo