Ten dark moments in colonial history
History is often written by the victors, but buried beneath grand empires and riches lies a much darker truth. These are ten of the most disturbing and tragic moments in colonial history.
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World history: The stories that shaped us all
Step into the vast tapestry of our shared human past — a world of empires and uprisings, migrations and revolutions, innovations and injustices. Our World History category brings together diverse narratives from every corner of the globe, challenging Eurocentric timelines and spotlighting the voices too often left out of the mainstream record.
From ancient civilisations to modern movements, we explore how cultures have collided, connected, and evolved. This is a space for learning, unlearning, and rethinking the stories we've been told. Whether you're drawn to forgotten kingdoms, global revolutions, or everyday acts of resistance, you'll find a world of insight here, because history isn't just about the past; it's about how we understand ourselves today.
The First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842): Britain’s imperial disaster in the Hindu Kush
The First Anglo-Afghan War stands as one of the most catastrophic military ventures in British imperial history. What began as a confident assertion of power in Central Asia ended in one of the most …
Operation Ajax and the shadow of empire: The 1953 Iranian coup
Operation Ajax is the story of how a democratic government was destroyed to protect oil interests, how intelligence agencies perfected techniques of covert regime change, and how the consequences of …
The Great Game: Britain and Russia’s strategic rivalry in Central Asia
The Great Game stands as one of history’s most enduring geopolitical rivalries, a century-long strategic competition between the British and Russian Empires that shaped the destiny of Central …
Iran: Modernisation and nationalism
The Iran that emerged from the chaos of the early 20th century bore little resemblance to the mighty Persian Empire of antiquity. Weakened by foreign interference, territorial losses, and internal …
The Banana Wars: America’s forgotten military interventions in Central America
Between 1898 and 1934, the United States engaged in a series of military interventions across Central America and the Caribbean that collectively became known as the “Banana Wars.” This …
The Grenada Revolution: A Caribbean island’s brief socialist experiment
The Spice Island’s political awakening
In the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, the small island nation of Grenada—known for its nutmeg and other spices—became the unlikely stage for one of …
The rise and fall of the Persian Empire
Long before oil made Iran a focal point of global politics, this land was home to one of history’s greatest empires. The Persian Empire once stretched from India to Greece, ruling over nearly …
The rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire: Six centuries of imperial power
The Ottoman Empire, a realm of sultans and grand viziers of imposing palaces and sprawling markets, stands as one of the most influential empires in recorded history. Stretching across three …
Operation Legacy: The British Crown’s campaign to conceal colonial history
As the sun set on the British Empire in the mid-20th century, a secret operation unfolded across dozens of former colonies that would remain hidden for over half a century. Operation Legacy …
The Safavid Empire: Architects of modern Iran
The Safavid Empire stands as one of the most transformative dynasties in Persian history, ruling Iran from 1501 to 1736 and fundamentally reshaping the religious, cultural, and political landscape of …
Ten times America created a moral panic
What do Prohibition, Satanic cults, and drag queens have in common?
They’ve all been at the centre of moral panics in America. Moments where fear outran facts, and the consequences were …