History
Why Is China’s Population Shrinking?
The world’s largest nation is facing a decline in its numbers. Last year, deaths in China outpaced births for the first time since the 1960s. What’s happening to the Chinese population and why? […]
World History
Deeper Dive
Wondrium Series Explores Great Women before 1400
From Herodias to Joan of Arc, strong women fill pre-15th-century history. A Wondrium series tells the stories of 36 such warriors, queens, and intellectuals. Vietnam’s Trung sisters rebelled against China 2,000 years ago. […]
History
Collective Decisions and the Inherent Selfishness of States
Since they are is no single global enforcer of rules, when it comes to international decisions, taking and making other countries stick to those decisions can be challenging. It is further complicated by conflicting self interests and complex domestic affairs. […]
History
Dictatorships: Cursed by Their Own Power?
Not fearing elections actually enables dictators to implement unpopular policies that may benefit the state in the long run. At the same time, it can also backfire as no accountability also equals to no trust. […]
History
Is Greenland Independent?
Who does Greenland belong to? The island nation self-governs and takes control of its natural resources, but it isn’t independent. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. […]
History
What Is the Islamic State?
What is the Islamic State and how did it form? This once powerful extremist organization emerged from the remnants of Al-Qaeda in the early 2000s. And what is the Islamic State known for? […]
History
Haiti: From Being a Democratic Trailblazer to a Country Steeped in Poverty
Haiti’s revolution (1791-1804) completely upended the small Caribbean country’s political, economic, and social order, and challenged the social limitations that revolutionaries in Philadelphia and Paris had shied away from. […]
European History
The French Revolution and the Formation of the National Convention
In September 1791, the National Assembly unveiled a formal constitution. Absolute monarchy gave way to a constitutional monarchy. […]
European History
How the Privileged Classes Influenced the French Revolution
Revolutions are made not by the downtrodden but rather by those who feel their positions are in jeopardy or insufficiently validated. Such was the case with the French Revolution. […]
European History
The French Society Before the Revolution
Public executions were not uncommon in Paris during the 18th century. By the end of 1792, an estimated 17,000 French citizens met their ends in violent and public fashion. […]