The story of Dietrich Eckart, the man who created the “Hitler myth.” — On November 11, 1918, Germany surrenders, bringing an end to the First World War. Many Germans are shocked. How could their country accept defeat when the enemy had not set foot on German soil? After World War I, several Germans felt a sense of emptiness. In those bleak times, a…

How did the German city of Königsberg become Kaliningrad? — As we get close to four months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the theater of war could move to the Baltic region. The Russian city of Kaliningrad is the latest flashpoint in Russia-Lithuania relations. Kaliningrad is located between Poland and Lithuania and is an exclave of Russia. …

Fancy live frogs coming out of your pie? — Imagine you are a guest at a royal feast in the Middle Ages. You’re expecting a huge spread with lots of unusual meats, fancy desserts, jellies, pies, and the finest bread. Your host offers you a knife to cut open the chef’s special pie. …

Time to debunk myths about gun ownership in Switzerland — Xavier Lopez was only ten years old with a bright future ahead of him when a lunatic shooter snuffed out his life. It’s déjà vu all over again: yet another school shooting. It is impossible to put into words what the families of the victims of the Robb Elementary School…

The good, the bad, and the ugly of writing on Medium — I started writing in Medium from December 2020 onwards. I wasn’t new to online writing, having run two blogs and published stories in online news publications. Yet Medium turned out to be a special experience that improved my writing and helped build up an audience. One and a half years…

Historians and scientists are still baffled by the mysterious illness — Frau Troffea, a housewife in Strasbourg, burst into a spontaneous dance on a hot summer day in July 1518. She kept dancing although there was no music, much to the amusement of her neighbors and the annoyance of her husband. Frau Troffea danced nonstop for six days, much to the…

The Soviets doctored the picture — When you think of World War II photos, what images come to mind? I’m sure the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima and the Soviet flag over the Reichstag in Berlin are among them. The two pictures became the most famous images of the war. Both photos were…

Killer crocs at Ramree Island inflicted more casualties on the Japanese than the Allies — The Second World War was the deadliest conflict in human history. The Allies and Axis were not the only parties involved in the carnage. Even mother nature joined the war. During a retreat from Ramree Island, Burma, 500 Japanese soldiers perished in a bizarre incident. But they didn’t get hit…

The Japanese emperor didn’t face war crime charges and continued to rule till he died — Hitler shot himself, sensing defeat at the hands of the Red Army. Mussolini was caught, executed, and hung upside down. Hence, one might expect Japanese Emperor Hirohito to face the same fate as other Axis leaders after WWII. But the Japanese emperor didn’t die a gruesome death. Far from it…