The July Crisis: Bismarck’s Blunders

Once again the July Crisis reawakens, a term that was first applied to the sequence of events after the 28 June 1914 assassination of Archduke Ferdinand that culminated in the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war against Serbia on 28 July 1914 and the outbreak of full-scale fighting on 4 August.  This was strangely similar to the … Continue reading →

Military History Analyzed, Part 3

Once again, in response to MHV: Previously, I noted the similarities between American Lost Cause emotionalism to pre-Cold War German emotionalism.  This might be hard for Germanophiles to accept, but Hitler and the Nazis were the product of a nation that was serially incapable of taking responsibility for its actions. German Revolution Bullshit Edition Histories … Continue reading →

Military History Analyzed, Part 2

I have a number of reactions to a recent episode from the Youtube Channel Military History Visualized… …and feel compelled to respond to the Austrian presenter’s assertion: Quite some people suggest that I have such a negative view on the Wehrmacht, German Forces, Germany etc. well, I think this is not completely wrong, but it … Continue reading →

Military History Analyzed, Part 1

The Youtube channel Military History Visualized has been fascinating to me, the resident Contrarian historian, for quite some time.  But this title was especially intriguing: To the stated question, why are you so negative about the Wehrmacht / Germany?…MHV’s response revolves around American versus German perspectives.  Fair enough, but isn’t there something far more basic … Continue reading →

Soon The Second Amendment Will Selects You To Be Shot

As questions swirl whether the U.S. will address the 2010s spate of rifle-caliber massacres legislatively (it won’t strengthen weapons limitations on the federal level, and will almost certainly loosen restrictions in several states), gun-rights activists will eventually learn this one, unequivocal rule: Police officers have one overarching aim: to not be killed on the job.  … Continue reading →

The Future of Fatal Firearm Felonies

The United States of America has outdone itself–topping the casualty count from the June 2016 Pulse killings in Orlando on the first day of October, 2017 in Las Vegas.  The 58 homicides and one suicide in the mass murder earlier this week edge the world leader in firearm ownership ever closer to the dubious distinction … Continue reading →