Italy, united as one nation relatively recently in 1861, hoped to arouse genuine feelings of patriotism and national identity, and saw acquiring colonies along the Red Sea in East Africa as the best way of doing so. In 1883 the government purchased land from an Italian firm, eventually expanding out to form colonies in modern-dayContinue reading “Italian colonial forces, 1890s”
Tag Archives: battle
Battle of Poitiers, AD 732
The Battle of Poitiers was fought between Charles Martel of the Franks and Abdul-Rahman Al-Ghafiqi of Al-Andalus (Umayyad Spain). The latter’s forces encountered the Franks in between the towns of Poitiers and Tours. Largely an unsuccessful Muslim raid in France, this battle is often seen as one of the most decisive events in Western EuropeanContinue reading “Battle of Poitiers, AD 732”
The Siege of Malta, 1565
As part of a period of expansion in the Mediterranean, the powerful Ottoman Empire under Sultan Suleiman I (r. 1520-66) waged an epic siege on the island of Malta, guarded by a small force of Hospitaller knights and troops. With superior numbers, the Ottomans used their heavy cannons and siege towers, but were repulsed timeContinue reading “The Siege of Malta, 1565”
Empire of History 