By August 1, 1914, Europe already faced war as Austria-Hungary began its invasion of Serbia, but that was a local war. It was the declaration of war by Germany and Russia that truly turned this into a European-wide war. This began with a letter as Germany officially declared war on Russia. The German Empire Declares… Read More »The Letter That Engulfed Europe Into WWI
By July 30, the Battle of Britain was raging across the island for several weeks now and the Royal Air Force was being stretched to its limits. With her allies defeated, the British Empire now face the full might of Nazi Germany. Its infamous Luftwaffe pounded the island’s factories, cities, and ports. As he saw… Read More »Winston Churchill’s Heartfelt Letter to FDR During Britain’s Darkest Hour
Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth, England encountered one of its greatest challenges as it faced the mighty Spanish Armada which planned to invade the island nation. Rather than shy away from this threat, Queen Elizabeth rose to the occasion and rallied her troops in her legendary letter to the troops of Tilbury. Though she… Read More »The Dramatic Letter That Led England to Victory
On July 26, 1945, the Allied leadership officially released the Potsdam Declaration to imperial Japan, calling for their unconditional surrender to bring an end to World War II. This letter was drafted during the Potdam Conference, a meeting between major Allied leaders to end the war as bloodlessly as possible. With Germany defeated, Japan remained… Read More »The Ultimatum Letter That Brought An End to WWII
The start of the American Civil War did not go well for the Union as they lost the first major battle, the First Battle of Bull Run. The superior Confederate leadership defeated the Union army despite having superior numbers. To ensure smooth leadership, President Abraham Lincoln appointed General George B. McClellan to command the Army… Read More »The Scathing Letter Lincoln Sent to His General
The Cuban Missile Crisis was an infamous Cold War confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union when both countries seemed on the verge of Nuclear War. This came as a result of the Soviet Union stationing nuclear weapons in Cuba. But as ships and generals prepared for battle the leaders were exchanging letters… Read More »The Secret Letter Correspondence That Resolved the Cuban Missile Crisis
On July 19, 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention became the first women’s rights convention. This was held in Seneca Falls, New York, and is widely considered the first step on the road to equal rights among women. At the time, the convention focused on gaining women’s suffrage in the US and allowing them to vote.… Read More »Seneca Falls Convention – The Letter Which Began the Fight for Women’s Equality
The rise of Hitler, marked significantly by the publication of Mein Kampf, can easily be attributed as one of the main causes of WWII, as his radical Nazi ideology and ultra-nationalist rhetoric are some of the biggest causes for Germany’s rearmament and expansionist policies. It all started today, nearly a century ago with the publishing… Read More »Einstein & Freud: The Hidden Letters on Hitler and Mein Kampf’s Threat of War
On July 16, 1969, the United States launched Apollo 11 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, marking the first-ever moon landing attempt to put men on the moon. The mission, crewed by astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins was the culmination of years of scientific research and testing. While we know the mission… Read More »Moon Landing Contingency Letter
One of the greatest innovations of WWII was, without question, the development of the atomic bomb through the Manhattan Project. By the end of the conflict, warfare was changed forever, and a new level of destruction was reached. However, this did not come immediately, and took many months of research and development before testing was… Read More »Letters of the Manhattan Project – The Birth of the Atomic Age
