Articles by Trent Palmer

Ideology Of World War One

How did ideology contribute to World War One? It did not. None of the extant ideological movements of the time were a factor in causing World War One. Even ethnicity, which is the opposite of ideology, played only a very small role. This blog post is a response to the …

Xmas

Where does the word Xmas come from? Early Christians used many symbols such as the Chi Rho, the Ichthys, the Anchored Cross, and the Sator Square. Chi Rho The Chi Rho, ☧ as explained in this YouTube Video, is a symbol composed by overlaying Chi and Rho, the first two Greek …

Trebia Trasimene Cannae and Zama

What are the four major Battles of the Second Punic War? If you said, "Trebia, Trasimene, Cannae, and Zama", you are correct! Prologue In 218 BC, Carthaginian General Hannibal, with an army of 40,000 and more than 30 war elephants, crossed the Pyrenees Mountains, then crossed the Rhone River …

Hillbillies

Hillbillies are so called because their Ulster-Scots Ancestors supported King William III during the Williamite War. Ulster You may be familiar with current events in Northern Ireland. This history goes back to a time when Scots from Southern Scotland and Northern England colonized Ulster which is Northern Ireland. Scottish Marches …

Veneti

Who were the Veneti? This is not an easy question to answer. Baltic Veneti The Vistula Veneti were called Wends, by German-speaking people. But another theory is that Veneti is a diminutization of venus, as per Latin origins. And for further confusion, Slavs living near Germanic settlements were also called …

Guideschi You Guys

"You Guys!" was an insult. But this expression was transformed into a term of endearment, in America, by the working class. Because that is what the working class do. Gunpowder Plot You are probably familiar with the Gunpowder Plot, in which Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up Parliament on 5 …

Lohengrin

Have you heard of Lohengrin? It is a German Opera written and composed by Richard Wagner in 1850. I happen to think that German Opera is more entertaining than Italian Opera, but enough about me. King Ludwig II Which brings me to King Ludwig II of Bavaria. If I understand …

Battle In The Middle Ages

There were three type of battles in Europe in the Middle Ages: Raids Sieges Field-Battles There were two types of soldiers in Europe in the Middle Ages: cavalry and infantry. Raids Infantry tended to not be used in raids, because horses had the advantage in speed and mobility. Sieges Cavalry …