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"content": "Battle of Catalaunian Plains<br />1573 years ago today in 451, King Theodoric and the Visigoths help the Roman Empire stop Atilla The Hun for the first time in the Battle of Catalaunian Plains.<br /><br />Nearly 75 years before this in 376 AD, hundreds of thousands of Visigoths and Ostrogoths sought refuge from the Huns within the Roman Empire. But they were not peaceful, raiding and sacking the Balkans, Gaul, and Italy. Then in a battle noted for their skill and reliance of mounted warriors. The Goths easily defeated the Roman legions and killed Emperor Valens in Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD.<br /><br />The next Roman Emperor Theodosius I was able to make a deal with the Goths, but not from a position of strength. A Roman civil war broke out in 392 and Theodosius’s victory would make him the last emperor to briefly rule the entire Roman Empire. But his death in 394 brought the permanent political division of Eastern & Western Roman territory. The Goths would continue to invade and be offered generous peace treaties from the Romans throughout the next few decades. While the Huns ransacked and conquered all the German provinces that Rome had struggled with for centuries.<br /><br />Atilla the Hun was at the head of a large horde from the Great Hungarian Plain, and his first invasion of the Roman Empire began in 440 AD crossing the Danube River. The Romans were unable to deal with the crisis as they were in a war with the Vandals in Africa. The Huns employed superiorly mounted troops that overcame all on the battlefield. They also used heavy siege weapons, capturing fortified cities in a quick succession never seen before. And their terror spread further as they would commonly massacre entire civilian populations they came across. And Atilla was only stopped by the complex fortifications around Constantinople, famously known as the Theodosian Walls. Which would continue to protect the city for another 1000 years. Atilla remained undefeated militarily except for these walls. And it was not that he failed to storm them but left Roman territory in 447 AD accepting generous tribune payments. He would invade Rome again in 451 AD after tribune payments stopped.<br /><br />Flavius Aetius was a Roman general born in 390 AD. He spent his childhood amongst the Huns as a hostage and would use his influence with them to defeat the Eastern Roman Empire in a civil war. For this Aetius was given a prominent military position in the Western Roman Empire. And he began his career as the last great military leader in Western Roman history. With numerous campaigns against barbarians across the provinces. Aetius was merciful to many of the barbarians he defeated because he was aware that the greatest threat to Rome and all of Europe was the Huns. One of the famous benefactors of his mercy was the Visigoth King Theodoric I.<br /><br />Theodoric was also born in 390 AD, a son of Visigoth King Alaric I who infamously sacked the city of Rome in 410 AD. Theodoric became king in 418 AD and a few years later invaded Italy. He was defeated by the Romans and was mercifully ordered to migrate his people into Gaul (modern day France). There the Goths had their own independent kingdom, with the condition that if the time came. They would answer Rome’s call to war against their common enemy the Huns.<br /><br />The call from Rome came in the spring of 451AD when King Theodoric was old in age. Atilla began his invasion from Germany into Gaul. It was uncertain if Theodoric and his riders would answer Rome’s call for aid. Going to war for such tribal people came at great risk. The warriors riding into almost certain death wasn’t just the end of their lives. But it also implicated the ruin of their families who would be left defenseless in the aftermath. It could become the world’s end for their people. But Theodoric personally answered the call, and his mounted warriors were critical in balancing the upcoming fight.<br /><br />Atilla’s horde surrounded the city of Orleans in early June. An agreement was made to let the Huns into the city without resistance. But the citizens of Orleans were aware of Atilla’s reputation and rioted as the Huns entered. They desperately manned the defenses to keep them out. And as the Huns were about to breach the city, a blast from a Roman horn in the distance announced the arrival of the relief force. Aetius was in route with a collation of Romans, Franks, and Goths. Atilla broke the siege and positioned his army to lure the relief force into a trap. Both sides are each estimated to have fielded 30,000-50,000 soldiers in the upcoming confrontation. The battle began with Atilla unleashing his mounted archers on the Roman infantry who sprang the trap. Theodoric and his riders were positioned on the Roman’s right. And the agony of the Romans was on full display to the Goths. The Romans were not going to win this battle. They would be lucky to even retreat.<br /><br />As he rode to the front of his men, Theodoric could feel the fear from his riders and their uneasy steeds. He had brought them to their doom on behalf of the Romans. And the old king sat bent and motionless on his horse, cowed by age. But now the canopy of clouds over the battlefield parted, and the last few hours of daylight shined on him. As the rays from the sun made his long gray hair appear golden again, a gust of wind went through the Goths. The old king then sprang to life, tall and proud, his voice rose above the ongoing battle as he rode across the front of his men.<br /><br />This wasn’t a fight for conquest or plunder. It arguably wasn’t even a fight for survival. As Theodoric and the Goths could slink away back into the hills to survive on the run like their forefathers. But he reminded them that as their people once fled from this dreaded foe. They had simultaneously brought the great feared hegemony of Rome to their knees. And now Rome had offered them land, their new Christian god, and a league of friendship. While the Huns offered nothing but reckless hate. And today they were not going to flee from this hate, they were going to answer it in kind.<br /><br />The fatherly king reassured his sons that the upcoming battle was nothing to despair. Because no matter the result, this is where mortal men become heroes of songs and legends. Their actions this day will confirm to all who look back that they honored their word to stand against a foe the entire world feared. Now was the hour to fulfill oaths they had taken to him. And if they ride now, ride with their king, they will forever be remembered for it!<br /><br />Theodoric then blew a large horn that was answered by all the horns in the Gothic host. His horse then sprang away towards the Huns. A brief moment of hesitation from the riders appeared, but it was only to raise their weapons to cheer. And their thousands of voices became a singular shout to celebrate their king. The Goths then rode frantically to catch up with Theodoric, but he could not be overtaken. And they followed their king into the pantheon of all Germanic peoples.<br /><br /> The Huns saw the Gothic host building up on their flank and were amused by it. They were going to be challenged by the descendants of men who had fled across Europe to get away from them! The Huns eagerly formed ranks and fired volleys of arrows into the Gothic horsemen, but they could not dent their momentum. The untold number of people murdered by the Huns animated the riders to deliver vengeance. Their thousands of horses rushing onward shook the earth and sounded like a rockslide. And the only noise to rise above it was the roars of the riders bringing them to collision. And soon the Huns were no longer amused. Those of them on foot were trampled to death. And the Huns mounted on horses were hacked to pieces by the passing waves of riders. As they vanquished their once feared foes, the joy of battle was now upon the Goths. They cheered loud and sang as they slew.<br /><br /> The fury of Theodoric had prevented a disaster for the Roman coalition, but his rival was no ordinary chieftain. Atilla personally rode to rally his retreating forces, and he summoned his fiercest warriors upon the Goths. He chastised his men who fled and reminded them that his wrath was the most feared in all of Europe! He also promised a lifetime of wealth to any man who killed this arrogant king that dare challenge them. And with Atilla’s rally and counter-attack, evening came, and darkness began to overtake the battlefield. But Theodoric feared no darkness and would not wait for their onset. Outnumbered, he charged forth and soon his horse was killed, and his body trampled by it. Laying on the battlefield with a broken body, an Amali-Goth fighting for the Huns came up to Theodoric and killed him with a spear. The king’s slayers quickly fled to report of the deed.<br /><br />As the riders came upon the scene, the king’s heir Thorismund was notified of the news. And the Goths sang no more. Some wept at the sight of their slain king they had followed out of doubt and into glory. While they mourned, the Huns across the field salted their wound as they celebrated the man who felled their king. The momentum had now turned against the Goths and all parties watching were unsure of what they would do. Many men in Thorismund’s position would have found an excuse to abandon danger and survive the failing battle. They had already honored their word at great cost. And the concerned Gothic lords asked their new king how they should proceed, but all words failed him. Thorismund’s tearful heartbreak then turned to wrath, and he blew his horn and called for all the riders onto his location.<br /><br />At the front of the riders, Thorismund defiantly held his sword high and reared his horse. And when his steed’s two front legs stomped the ground, the riders answered his call of wrath with one voice, loud and terrible. A chilling cry from grieved men that go seeking death. The Huns were stunned by their renewed onset and pushed all the way into their camp. With Atilla’s focus shifted towards the Goths, Aetius threw in all his reserves to turn the battle into a stalemate. The battle was far from a decisive victory, but the next morning Atilla’s forces left the field. And his “aura of invincibility” shattered for the rest of his life.<br /><br />For his prominent military service, Flavius Aetius would be assassinated by a jealous Emperor. And 25 years after this battle in 476 AD, a day came when the Western Roman Empire was no more. The Franks would also forsake their friendship with the Goths and drive them into Spain. But June 20th 451 AD was not this day. It was a day when a fellowship of men made their stand against the great unstoppable terror of their world.<br /><br /> <br />[Online Refrences]<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Catalaunian-Plains\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Catalaunian-Plains</a> )<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://www.worldhistory.org/article/995/the-battle-of-the-catalaunian-fields/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.worldhistory.org/article/995/the-battle-of-the-catalaunian-fields/</a> )<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-battle-of-chalons-attilas-stinging-defeat/\" target=\"_blank\">https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-battle-of-chalons-attilas-stinging-defeat/</a> )<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-chalons-attila-the-hun-versus-flavius-aetius/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-chalons-attila-the-hun-versus-flavius-aetius/</a> )<br /> <br /> Artwork by Osprey Publishing(IF ANYONE CAN FIND THE SPECIFC ARTIST’S NAME PLEASE COMMENT BELOW SO I CAN GIVE PROPER CREDIT).<br /><br />Authored by R.E. Foy<br /> <br /><br /><a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=otd\" title=\"#otd\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#otd</a><br /><a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=onthisday\" title=\"#onthisday\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#onthisday</a><br /><a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=onthisdayinhistory\" title=\"#onthisdayinhistory\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#onthisdayinhistory</a><br /><a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=history\" title=\"#history\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#history</a><br /><br />",
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"content": "Battle of Catalaunian Plains\n1573 years ago today in 451, King Theodoric and the Visigoths help the Roman Empire stop Atilla The Hun for the first time in the Battle of Catalaunian Plains.\n\nNearly 75 years before this in 376 AD, hundreds of thousands of Visigoths and Ostrogoths sought refuge from the Huns within the Roman Empire. But they were not peaceful, raiding and sacking the Balkans, Gaul, and Italy. Then in a battle noted for their skill and reliance of mounted warriors. The Goths easily defeated the Roman legions and killed Emperor Valens in Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD.\n\nThe next Roman Emperor Theodosius I was able to make a deal with the Goths, but not from a position of strength. A Roman civil war broke out in 392 and Theodosius’s victory would make him the last emperor to briefly rule the entire Roman Empire. But his death in 394 brought the permanent political division of Eastern & Western Roman territory. The Goths would continue to invade and be offered generous peace treaties from the Romans throughout the next few decades. While the Huns ransacked and conquered all the German provinces that Rome had struggled with for centuries.\n\nAtilla the Hun was at the head of a large horde from the Great Hungarian Plain, and his first invasion of the Roman Empire began in 440 AD crossing the Danube River. The Romans were unable to deal with the crisis as they were in a war with the Vandals in Africa. The Huns employed superiorly mounted troops that overcame all on the battlefield. They also used heavy siege weapons, capturing fortified cities in a quick succession never seen before. And their terror spread further as they would commonly massacre entire civilian populations they came across. And Atilla was only stopped by the complex fortifications around Constantinople, famously known as the Theodosian Walls. Which would continue to protect the city for another 1000 years. Atilla remained undefeated militarily except for these walls. And it was not that he failed to storm them but left Roman territory in 447 AD accepting generous tribune payments. He would invade Rome again in 451 AD after tribune payments stopped.\n\nFlavius Aetius was a Roman general born in 390 AD. He spent his childhood amongst the Huns as a hostage and would use his influence with them to defeat the Eastern Roman Empire in a civil war. For this Aetius was given a prominent military position in the Western Roman Empire. And he began his career as the last great military leader in Western Roman history. With numerous campaigns against barbarians across the provinces. Aetius was merciful to many of the barbarians he defeated because he was aware that the greatest threat to Rome and all of Europe was the Huns. One of the famous benefactors of his mercy was the Visigoth King Theodoric I.\n\nTheodoric was also born in 390 AD, a son of Visigoth King Alaric I who infamously sacked the city of Rome in 410 AD. Theodoric became king in 418 AD and a few years later invaded Italy. He was defeated by the Romans and was mercifully ordered to migrate his people into Gaul (modern day France). There the Goths had their own independent kingdom, with the condition that if the time came. They would answer Rome’s call to war against their common enemy the Huns.\n\nThe call from Rome came in the spring of 451AD when King Theodoric was old in age. Atilla began his invasion from Germany into Gaul. It was uncertain if Theodoric and his riders would answer Rome’s call for aid. Going to war for such tribal people came at great risk. The warriors riding into almost certain death wasn’t just the end of their lives. But it also implicated the ruin of their families who would be left defenseless in the aftermath. It could become the world’s end for their people. But Theodoric personally answered the call, and his mounted warriors were critical in balancing the upcoming fight.\n\nAtilla’s horde surrounded the city of Orleans in early June. An agreement was made to let the Huns into the city without resistance. But the citizens of Orleans were aware of Atilla’s reputation and rioted as the Huns entered. They desperately manned the defenses to keep them out. And as the Huns were about to breach the city, a blast from a Roman horn in the distance announced the arrival of the relief force. Aetius was in route with a collation of Romans, Franks, and Goths. Atilla broke the siege and positioned his army to lure the relief force into a trap. Both sides are each estimated to have fielded 30,000-50,000 soldiers in the upcoming confrontation. The battle began with Atilla unleashing his mounted archers on the Roman infantry who sprang the trap. Theodoric and his riders were positioned on the Roman’s right. And the agony of the Romans was on full display to the Goths. The Romans were not going to win this battle. They would be lucky to even retreat.\n\nAs he rode to the front of his men, Theodoric could feel the fear from his riders and their uneasy steeds. He had brought them to their doom on behalf of the Romans. And the old king sat bent and motionless on his horse, cowed by age. But now the canopy of clouds over the battlefield parted, and the last few hours of daylight shined on him. As the rays from the sun made his long gray hair appear golden again, a gust of wind went through the Goths. The old king then sprang to life, tall and proud, his voice rose above the ongoing battle as he rode across the front of his men.\n\nThis wasn’t a fight for conquest or plunder. It arguably wasn’t even a fight for survival. As Theodoric and the Goths could slink away back into the hills to survive on the run like their forefathers. But he reminded them that as their people once fled from this dreaded foe. They had simultaneously brought the great feared hegemony of Rome to their knees. And now Rome had offered them land, their new Christian god, and a league of friendship. While the Huns offered nothing but reckless hate. And today they were not going to flee from this hate, they were going to answer it in kind.\n\nThe fatherly king reassured his sons that the upcoming battle was nothing to despair. Because no matter the result, this is where mortal men become heroes of songs and legends. Their actions this day will confirm to all who look back that they honored their word to stand against a foe the entire world feared. Now was the hour to fulfill oaths they had taken to him. And if they ride now, ride with their king, they will forever be remembered for it!\n\nTheodoric then blew a large horn that was answered by all the horns in the Gothic host. His horse then sprang away towards the Huns. A brief moment of hesitation from the riders appeared, but it was only to raise their weapons to cheer. And their thousands of voices became a singular shout to celebrate their king. The Goths then rode frantically to catch up with Theodoric, but he could not be overtaken. And they followed their king into the pantheon of all Germanic peoples.\n\n The Huns saw the Gothic host building up on their flank and were amused by it. They were going to be challenged by the descendants of men who had fled across Europe to get away from them! The Huns eagerly formed ranks and fired volleys of arrows into the Gothic horsemen, but they could not dent their momentum. The untold number of people murdered by the Huns animated the riders to deliver vengeance. Their thousands of horses rushing onward shook the earth and sounded like a rockslide. And the only noise to rise above it was the roars of the riders bringing them to collision. And soon the Huns were no longer amused. Those of them on foot were trampled to death. And the Huns mounted on horses were hacked to pieces by the passing waves of riders. As they vanquished their once feared foes, the joy of battle was now upon the Goths. They cheered loud and sang as they slew.\n\n The fury of Theodoric had prevented a disaster for the Roman coalition, but his rival was no ordinary chieftain. Atilla personally rode to rally his retreating forces, and he summoned his fiercest warriors upon the Goths. He chastised his men who fled and reminded them that his wrath was the most feared in all of Europe! He also promised a lifetime of wealth to any man who killed this arrogant king that dare challenge them. And with Atilla’s rally and counter-attack, evening came, and darkness began to overtake the battlefield. But Theodoric feared no darkness and would not wait for their onset. Outnumbered, he charged forth and soon his horse was killed, and his body trampled by it. Laying on the battlefield with a broken body, an Amali-Goth fighting for the Huns came up to Theodoric and killed him with a spear. The king’s slayers quickly fled to report of the deed.\n\nAs the riders came upon the scene, the king’s heir Thorismund was notified of the news. And the Goths sang no more. Some wept at the sight of their slain king they had followed out of doubt and into glory. While they mourned, the Huns across the field salted their wound as they celebrated the man who felled their king. The momentum had now turned against the Goths and all parties watching were unsure of what they would do. Many men in Thorismund’s position would have found an excuse to abandon danger and survive the failing battle. They had already honored their word at great cost. And the concerned Gothic lords asked their new king how they should proceed, but all words failed him. Thorismund’s tearful heartbreak then turned to wrath, and he blew his horn and called for all the riders onto his location.\n\nAt the front of the riders, Thorismund defiantly held his sword high and reared his horse. And when his steed’s two front legs stomped the ground, the riders answered his call of wrath with one voice, loud and terrible. A chilling cry from grieved men that go seeking death. The Huns were stunned by their renewed onset and pushed all the way into their camp. With Atilla’s focus shifted towards the Goths, Aetius threw in all his reserves to turn the battle into a stalemate. The battle was far from a decisive victory, but the next morning Atilla’s forces left the field. And his “aura of invincibility” shattered for the rest of his life.\n\nFor his prominent military service, Flavius Aetius would be assassinated by a jealous Emperor. And 25 years after this battle in 476 AD, a day came when the Western Roman Empire was no more. The Franks would also forsake their friendship with the Goths and drive them into Spain. But June 20th 451 AD was not this day. It was a day when a fellowship of men made their stand against the great unstoppable terror of their world.\n\n \n[Online Refrences]\n \n(https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Catalaunian-Plains )\n \n(https://www.worldhistory.org/article/995/the-battle-of-the-catalaunian-fields/ )\n \n(https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-battle-of-chalons-attilas-stinging-defeat/ )\n \n(https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-chalons-attila-the-hun-versus-flavius-aetius/ )\n \n Artwork by Osprey Publishing(IF ANYONE CAN FIND THE SPECIFC ARTIST’S NAME PLEASE COMMENT BELOW SO I CAN GIVE PROPER CREDIT).\n\nAuthored by R.E. Foy\n \n\n#otd\n#onthisday\n#onthisdayinhistory\n#history\n\n",
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"content": "339 years ago today in 1683, Polish king John Sobieski and his winged-hussars spearhead the largest recorded cavalry charge in human history to relieve the siege of Vienna.<br /><br />Since its founding, the Ottoman Empire had a 300 year struggle with Christians in the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. It had the manpower and technology to be one of the most formidable militaries on the planet. In 1529 an Ottoman host similar in size(>100,000 men) attempted to take the city but were forced to withdraw due to weather and disease. Since then, the city was a prized target of the Ottomans to project their military might and expand their borders. The Europeans would significantly improve the defenses of the city which would prove invaluable for the 2nd siege in 1683.<br /><br />In July 1683, a large Muslim host of ~140,000 men arrived outside of Vienna. An alliance of multiple nations known as The Holy League sent a relief force to save the city. The garrison in Vienna was outnumbered 15 to 1. And after 60 days of siege, they had now held out longer than the infamous Siege of Constantinople in 1453. A siege where no relief came to save the city from the Ottoman Empire. Vienna was close to starving and in a desperate situation. Commanding the city’s defenses was Count Starhemberg who tactfully organized defensive lines, assault parties, and sharpshooters to hold off the Ottoman attacks. The Ottomans began to tunnel mines and plant explosives to bring down the bastions around the city. <br /><br />Everyday large explosions would shake the city and Ottoman victory was around the corner. The Grand Vizier began to reward his commanders with future provinces in the region. The Holy League's relief force was alerted of the dire situation and did a forced march. On September 11th the relief force began firing many rockets and flares to motivate the desperate defenders to not give up. As they approached, an enormous failure of the much larger Ottoman army was not abandoning the siege to focus on arrival of the smaller relief force.<br /><br /><br />In the early morning of September 12th, the infantry and cannons of the relief forces began to deploy against Ottoman positions across the Danube River. Fighting raged on for over 10 hours and the German infantry managed to push the Ottomans into the last defensive line around their main camp. All while the Polish forces went uphill on the Ottoman right flank. Daylight was soon coming to an end and the relief could end in failure. The next day the Ottomans could direct all of their forces on the smaller relief force, or they would direct them to storm the city that could no longer hold out. <br /><br />Polish King John Sobieski informed the other leaders that he was still planning to attack the Grand Vizier's location with all his men before sunset. The relief force would bring up their cannons and fire the remainder of their ammunition to soften the Ottoman position. The Grand Vizier's large and exquisite tent was a very noticeable landmark on the massive battlefield. The relief force prepared an assault by finding every horse they could to attack the Grand Vizier’s tent from three flanks. The garrison inside Vienna would also mount their horses and sally out of the city to participate in what would become one of the most monumental battles of Western Civilization. <br /><br />As the horsemen lined up and prepared for the final assault, priests blessed the men and absolved them of their sins. After their prayers the charge began around 6:00pm. The Polish cavalry started at a slow gallop down a mountain until they reached an open clearing where they were hit by arrows, muskets, and cannons. The Poles then lowered their 17-foot long lances and charged at full speed screaming \"Jezus Maria ratuj!” (Jesus and Mary Help!). The amount of dust from all the horsemen barely made them visible until they were near. <br /><br /><br />The Polish king and his 3000 winged-hussars in shining armor and wings, along with 15,000 horsemen, galloped through smoke and dust clouds to crash into the Ottoman position. As the hussars impaled the Ottomans with their lances, they then drew swords and pistols. The ambience in such a clash of fire and steel was chaotic; the screams of men and horses, the shattering shields and armor, the firing of guns and cannons. The Europeans were trampling and slashing their way towards the Grand Vizier’s tent when he ordered his forces not engaged in the fighting to relocate and reinforce his position. <br /><br /><br />Instead the Turks fled from the chaos! Inside the enemy camps the Christians became enraged when they found badly treated slaves the Ottomans had captured during their invasion. Many Muslim soldiers who were captured were put to the sword. The large Turkish host would quickly flee the field to avoid being cut off by cavalry movements, and by 6:00pm the battle was over, and Vienna was saved. <br /><br /><br />After the fighting Count Starhemberg ran to the Polish king to hug and kiss him. John Sobieski famously claimed “Veni, vidi, Deus vicit\"—\"I came, I saw, God conquered\" and his forces looted the valuable Ottoman camp. Insulted by Sobieski receiving the credit and fame for the monumental battle, the German leaders of the relief force sent their men to return home shortly after.<br /><br /><br />For his failure, Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha lost his position and eventually his life when the Sultan had him strangled a few months later. The Battle of Vienna was a decisive battle that ended the furthest Muslim expansion into Europe and began the decline of the Ottoman Empire. To celebrate the victory, bakers across Europe cooked pieces of bread in the shape of the Ottoman crest on their flag which would be called a croissant. <br /><br /><br />[Online References]<br /><br />(<a href=\"http://www.historynet.com/turning-the-ottoman-tide-john-iii-sobieski-at-vienna-1683.htm\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.historynet.com/turning-the-ottoman-tide-john-iii-sobieski-at-vienna-1683.htm</a> )<br /><br /><br />(<a href=\"http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/9_MilitaryAffairs_Doc.3_English.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/9_MilitaryAffairs_Doc.3_English.pdf</a> )<br /><br /><br />(<a href=\"https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/the-1683-battle-of-vienna-islam-at-viennas-gates/\" target=\"_blank\">https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/the-1683-battle-of-vienna-islam-at-viennas-gates/</a> )<br /><br /><br />Artwork by Piotr Arendzikowski “The Battle 1683”<br /><br /><br />[Audiobook Reference]<br /><br />The Siege of Vienna<br />The Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent <br />By: John Stoye<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://amzn.to/3cZyVNb\" target=\"_blank\">https://amzn.to/3cZyVNb</a> )<br /><br /><br />Authored by R.E. Foy<br />",
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"content": "339 years ago today in 1683, Polish king John Sobieski and his winged-hussars spearhead the largest recorded cavalry charge in human history to relieve the siege of Vienna.\n\nSince its founding, the Ottoman Empire had a 300 year struggle with Christians in the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. It had the manpower and technology to be one of the most formidable militaries on the planet. In 1529 an Ottoman host similar in size(>100,000 men) attempted to take the city but were forced to withdraw due to weather and disease. Since then, the city was a prized target of the Ottomans to project their military might and expand their borders. The Europeans would significantly improve the defenses of the city which would prove invaluable for the 2nd siege in 1683.\n\nIn July 1683, a large Muslim host of ~140,000 men arrived outside of Vienna. An alliance of multiple nations known as The Holy League sent a relief force to save the city. The garrison in Vienna was outnumbered 15 to 1. And after 60 days of siege, they had now held out longer than the infamous Siege of Constantinople in 1453. A siege where no relief came to save the city from the Ottoman Empire. Vienna was close to starving and in a desperate situation. Commanding the city’s defenses was Count Starhemberg who tactfully organized defensive lines, assault parties, and sharpshooters to hold off the Ottoman attacks. The Ottomans began to tunnel mines and plant explosives to bring down the bastions around the city. \n\nEveryday large explosions would shake the city and Ottoman victory was around the corner. The Grand Vizier began to reward his commanders with future provinces in the region. The Holy League's relief force was alerted of the dire situation and did a forced march. On September 11th the relief force began firing many rockets and flares to motivate the desperate defenders to not give up. As they approached, an enormous failure of the much larger Ottoman army was not abandoning the siege to focus on arrival of the smaller relief force.\n\n\nIn the early morning of September 12th, the infantry and cannons of the relief forces began to deploy against Ottoman positions across the Danube River. Fighting raged on for over 10 hours and the German infantry managed to push the Ottomans into the last defensive line around their main camp. All while the Polish forces went uphill on the Ottoman right flank. Daylight was soon coming to an end and the relief could end in failure. The next day the Ottomans could direct all of their forces on the smaller relief force, or they would direct them to storm the city that could no longer hold out. \n\nPolish King John Sobieski informed the other leaders that he was still planning to attack the Grand Vizier's location with all his men before sunset. The relief force would bring up their cannons and fire the remainder of their ammunition to soften the Ottoman position. The Grand Vizier's large and exquisite tent was a very noticeable landmark on the massive battlefield. The relief force prepared an assault by finding every horse they could to attack the Grand Vizier’s tent from three flanks. The garrison inside Vienna would also mount their horses and sally out of the city to participate in what would become one of the most monumental battles of Western Civilization. \n\nAs the horsemen lined up and prepared for the final assault, priests blessed the men and absolved them of their sins. After their prayers the charge began around 6:00pm. The Polish cavalry started at a slow gallop down a mountain until they reached an open clearing where they were hit by arrows, muskets, and cannons. The Poles then lowered their 17-foot long lances and charged at full speed screaming \"Jezus Maria ratuj!” (Jesus and Mary Help!). The amount of dust from all the horsemen barely made them visible until they were near. \n\n\nThe Polish king and his 3000 winged-hussars in shining armor and wings, along with 15,000 horsemen, galloped through smoke and dust clouds to crash into the Ottoman position. As the hussars impaled the Ottomans with their lances, they then drew swords and pistols. The ambience in such a clash of fire and steel was chaotic; the screams of men and horses, the shattering shields and armor, the firing of guns and cannons. The Europeans were trampling and slashing their way towards the Grand Vizier’s tent when he ordered his forces not engaged in the fighting to relocate and reinforce his position. \n\n\nInstead the Turks fled from the chaos! Inside the enemy camps the Christians became enraged when they found badly treated slaves the Ottomans had captured during their invasion. Many Muslim soldiers who were captured were put to the sword. The large Turkish host would quickly flee the field to avoid being cut off by cavalry movements, and by 6:00pm the battle was over, and Vienna was saved. \n\n\nAfter the fighting Count Starhemberg ran to the Polish king to hug and kiss him. John Sobieski famously claimed “Veni, vidi, Deus vicit\"—\"I came, I saw, God conquered\" and his forces looted the valuable Ottoman camp. Insulted by Sobieski receiving the credit and fame for the monumental battle, the German leaders of the relief force sent their men to return home shortly after.\n\n\nFor his failure, Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha lost his position and eventually his life when the Sultan had him strangled a few months later. The Battle of Vienna was a decisive battle that ended the furthest Muslim expansion into Europe and began the decline of the Ottoman Empire. To celebrate the victory, bakers across Europe cooked pieces of bread in the shape of the Ottoman crest on their flag which would be called a croissant. \n\n\n[Online References]\n\n(http://www.historynet.com/turning-the-ottoman-tide-john-iii-sobieski-at-vienna-1683.htm )\n\n\n(http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/9_MilitaryAffairs_Doc.3_English.pdf )\n\n\n(https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/the-1683-battle-of-vienna-islam-at-viennas-gates/ )\n\n\nArtwork by Piotr Arendzikowski “The Battle 1683”\n\n\n[Audiobook Reference]\n\nThe Siege of Vienna\nThe Last Great Trial Between Cross & Crescent \nBy: John Stoye\n\n(https://amzn.to/3cZyVNb )\n\n\nAuthored by R.E. Foy\n",
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"content": "30 years ago today in 1992, Vicki Weaver is shot in the head by FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi while holding her baby daughter during the Ruby Ridge Standoff in Idaho.<br /><br />Randy Weaver was born on January 3rd, 1948 in Villisca, Iowa into a religious farming family. At 20 years old he dropped out of college and volunteered to join the United States Army in 1968 during the Vietnam War and was assigned to a special forces unit working with Green Berets. After three years of distinguished service, he received an honorable discharge from the army in 1971. <br /><br />Shortly after leaving the army he married his wife Vicki. Randy and Vicki were Christian Fundamentalists who believed the End Times were imminent. And they decided to move away from “corrupt civilization” by moving to a 20 acre property and building a cabin in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Randy and Vicki would have 4 children: Sara, 16; Samuel, 14; Rachel, 10; and Elisheba, 10 months. The Weavers did not trust public schools and homeschooled their children.<br /><br />Randy and Vicki had strong political beliefs and began networking and meeting up with liked-minded people. They believed the Federal Government was a corrupt entity trying to implement a new world order. And they were concerned with white Christians becoming a minority in the U.S. Randy started attending anti-government political rallies when he was noticed by the FBI and interviewed by them in 1985. In 1986 at another rally, he was approached by an undercover ATF informant (posing as an illegal firearms dealer) trying to get information on one of his friends. The ATF informant over the next years would try to maintain a relationship with Weaver by asking him to do illegal activities, all of which Randy declined.<br /><br />Finally in 1989 out of frustration to have the ATF informant leave him alone, Randy Weaver used a saw to shorten two shotgun barrels below ATF regulations. The ATF would use this to pressure Randy and gave him an ultimatum, he was to become an informant for the Federal Government and the charges would be dropped, or they would continue to pursue legal action for shortening the shotgun barrels. <br /><br />Weaver refused to become an informant and was arrested in January 1991. Weaver’s court date was set for February 1991 but an error in the paperwork he had said it was for March, and Randy failed to appear in court. He was given another chance to appear in court on the date stated in his letter but the entire experience reaffirmed Randy’s anti-government views and suspicion that he would not receive a fair trial. Randy refused to attend and U.S. Marshals Service officers made a series of attempts from 1991-1992 to have Weaver surrender peacefully, but he refused to leave his cabin. On March 27th, 1992 the Federal Government made an official operation to capture Randy and surveillance teams were dispatched.<br /><br />On August 21st, 1992 six Federal Marshals were sent to scout out the area and find a position to ambush Randy. They were fully clad in military camouflage and gear but were noticed by the Weaver’s dogs who gave away their position. Randy’s 14-year-old son Sammy and 24-year-old family friend named Kevin Harris went to go investigate why the dogs were barking. The Marshals shot the dogs, and not knowing who the men were, Kevin and Sammy shot at the Marshals starting a brief firefight. Sammy was hit in the arm and was running back to his house when he was shot in the back by the Marshals, dying on scene. Kevin Harris shot and killed one of the Marshals with a bolt-action rifle, but could not rescue the body of Sammy and retreated back to the main cabin.<br /><br />That night the Federals surrounded Weaver’s cabin and began a siege. On August 22nd, the FBI Hostage Rescue Team arrived on scene and took control of the situation. Snipers and observers were deployed to watch Randy before the official negotiators arrived. Randy, Kevin, and 16-year-old Sara left their cabin to go visit the corpse of Sammy in a nearby shed when FBI Sniper Lon Horiuchi shot and wounded Randy Weaver in the back with a bullet exiting his right armpit. Then Randy, Kevin, and Sara ran back towards their cabin and closed the door when Horiuchi fired a second bullet through the door. This bullet hit Vicki Weaver in the head while she was holding her 10-month old daughter and killed her instantly. Throughout the siege no more gunfire was exchanged, but Randy losing his son and wife was distraught and refused to surrender.<br /><br />And every day the siege continued, dozens of neighbors and protestors gathered outside the police roadblocks. Protestors would yell at the officers and in some instances be restrained. Other citizens began showing up armed, and the situation could quickly spiral out of control. Weaver’s commanding officer from Vietnam, James “Bo” Gritz was summoned to act as a mediator, and conservative radio broadcaster Paul Harvery offered to pay for a strong legal defense for Weaver if he surrendered. After 10 days of siege, Randy surrendered and was hit with a host of charges that his lawyer was able to successfully defend. Weaver was only convicted of failure to appear in court which he was credited with time served. Kevin Harris was also acquitted of all charges. Weaver went on to sue the Federal Government, which settled out of court with him by awarding damages of $1,000,000 to each of the three surviving Weaver children and $100,000 to Randy.<br /><br />The Ruby Ridge Standoff remains one of the most controversial law enforcement engagements in U.S. history. It spawned an armed anti-government militia movement that would be reinvigorated a year later with the Waco Siege in Texas. Where Federal law enforcement did not learn from their heavy-handed approach to armed standoffs.<br /><br /><br />Randy Weaver peacefully passed away on May 11th, 2022. <br /><br />[Online References]<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://ammo.com/articles/ruby-ridge-siege-forgotten-history-weaver-family-atf-standoff-militia\" target=\"_blank\">https://ammo.com/articles/ruby-ridge-siege-forgotten-history-weaver-family-atf-standoff-militia</a> )<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/20-years-ago-ruby-ridge-standoff/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/20-years-ago-ruby-ridge-standoff/</a> )<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/26/ruby-ridge-1992-modern-american-militia-charlottesville\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/26/ruby-ridge-1992-modern-american-militia-charlottesville</a> )<br /><br />Image is surveillance photo of Vicki Weaver on August 21st<br /><br />Authored by R.E. Foy<br /><br /><br /><a href=\"https://www.minds.com/search?f=top&t=all&q=OnThisDay\" title=\"#OnThisDay\" class=\"u-url hashtag\" target=\"_blank\">#OnThisDay</a> <br />",
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"content": "30 years ago today in 1992, Vicki Weaver is shot in the head by FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi while holding her baby daughter during the Ruby Ridge Standoff in Idaho.\n\nRandy Weaver was born on January 3rd, 1948 in Villisca, Iowa into a religious farming family. At 20 years old he dropped out of college and volunteered to join the United States Army in 1968 during the Vietnam War and was assigned to a special forces unit working with Green Berets. After three years of distinguished service, he received an honorable discharge from the army in 1971. \n\nShortly after leaving the army he married his wife Vicki. Randy and Vicki were Christian Fundamentalists who believed the End Times were imminent. And they decided to move away from “corrupt civilization” by moving to a 20 acre property and building a cabin in Ruby Ridge, Idaho. Randy and Vicki would have 4 children: Sara, 16; Samuel, 14; Rachel, 10; and Elisheba, 10 months. The Weavers did not trust public schools and homeschooled their children.\n\nRandy and Vicki had strong political beliefs and began networking and meeting up with liked-minded people. They believed the Federal Government was a corrupt entity trying to implement a new world order. And they were concerned with white Christians becoming a minority in the U.S. Randy started attending anti-government political rallies when he was noticed by the FBI and interviewed by them in 1985. In 1986 at another rally, he was approached by an undercover ATF informant (posing as an illegal firearms dealer) trying to get information on one of his friends. The ATF informant over the next years would try to maintain a relationship with Weaver by asking him to do illegal activities, all of which Randy declined.\n\nFinally in 1989 out of frustration to have the ATF informant leave him alone, Randy Weaver used a saw to shorten two shotgun barrels below ATF regulations. The ATF would use this to pressure Randy and gave him an ultimatum, he was to become an informant for the Federal Government and the charges would be dropped, or they would continue to pursue legal action for shortening the shotgun barrels. \n\nWeaver refused to become an informant and was arrested in January 1991. Weaver’s court date was set for February 1991 but an error in the paperwork he had said it was for March, and Randy failed to appear in court. He was given another chance to appear in court on the date stated in his letter but the entire experience reaffirmed Randy’s anti-government views and suspicion that he would not receive a fair trial. Randy refused to attend and U.S. Marshals Service officers made a series of attempts from 1991-1992 to have Weaver surrender peacefully, but he refused to leave his cabin. On March 27th, 1992 the Federal Government made an official operation to capture Randy and surveillance teams were dispatched.\n\nOn August 21st, 1992 six Federal Marshals were sent to scout out the area and find a position to ambush Randy. They were fully clad in military camouflage and gear but were noticed by the Weaver’s dogs who gave away their position. Randy’s 14-year-old son Sammy and 24-year-old family friend named Kevin Harris went to go investigate why the dogs were barking. The Marshals shot the dogs, and not knowing who the men were, Kevin and Sammy shot at the Marshals starting a brief firefight. Sammy was hit in the arm and was running back to his house when he was shot in the back by the Marshals, dying on scene. Kevin Harris shot and killed one of the Marshals with a bolt-action rifle, but could not rescue the body of Sammy and retreated back to the main cabin.\n\nThat night the Federals surrounded Weaver’s cabin and began a siege. On August 22nd, the FBI Hostage Rescue Team arrived on scene and took control of the situation. Snipers and observers were deployed to watch Randy before the official negotiators arrived. Randy, Kevin, and 16-year-old Sara left their cabin to go visit the corpse of Sammy in a nearby shed when FBI Sniper Lon Horiuchi shot and wounded Randy Weaver in the back with a bullet exiting his right armpit. Then Randy, Kevin, and Sara ran back towards their cabin and closed the door when Horiuchi fired a second bullet through the door. This bullet hit Vicki Weaver in the head while she was holding her 10-month old daughter and killed her instantly. Throughout the siege no more gunfire was exchanged, but Randy losing his son and wife was distraught and refused to surrender.\n\nAnd every day the siege continued, dozens of neighbors and protestors gathered outside the police roadblocks. Protestors would yell at the officers and in some instances be restrained. Other citizens began showing up armed, and the situation could quickly spiral out of control. Weaver’s commanding officer from Vietnam, James “Bo” Gritz was summoned to act as a mediator, and conservative radio broadcaster Paul Harvery offered to pay for a strong legal defense for Weaver if he surrendered. After 10 days of siege, Randy surrendered and was hit with a host of charges that his lawyer was able to successfully defend. Weaver was only convicted of failure to appear in court which he was credited with time served. Kevin Harris was also acquitted of all charges. Weaver went on to sue the Federal Government, which settled out of court with him by awarding damages of $1,000,000 to each of the three surviving Weaver children and $100,000 to Randy.\n\nThe Ruby Ridge Standoff remains one of the most controversial law enforcement engagements in U.S. history. It spawned an armed anti-government militia movement that would be reinvigorated a year later with the Waco Siege in Texas. Where Federal law enforcement did not learn from their heavy-handed approach to armed standoffs.\n\n\nRandy Weaver peacefully passed away on May 11th, 2022. \n\n[Online References]\n\n(https://ammo.com/articles/ruby-ridge-siege-forgotten-history-weaver-family-atf-standoff-militia )\n\n(https://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/20-years-ago-ruby-ridge-standoff/ )\n\n(https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/26/ruby-ridge-1992-modern-american-militia-charlottesville )\n\nImage is surveillance photo of Vicki Weaver on August 21st\n\nAuthored by R.E. Foy\n\n\n#OnThisDay \n",
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"content": "Using 2.5 Minds tokens to boost my content on <a class=\"u-url mention\" href=\"https://www.minds.com/Rebel_History\" target=\"_blank\">@Rebel_History</a> costs around $20 in ETH gas fee.<br /><br />I love minds and been trying for years to get people here. I just can’t believe how flawed and stupid the ETH network is…centralized scam.<br /><br />Can we get a non ETH Minds token please <a class=\"u-url mention\" href=\"https://www.minds.com/ottman\" target=\"_blank\">@ottman</a> ?",
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"published": "2022-06-01T10:41:25+00:00",
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"content": "Using 2.5 Minds tokens to boost my content on @Rebel_History costs around $20 in ETH gas fee.\n\nI love minds and been trying for years to get people here. I just can’t believe how flawed and stupid the ETH network is…centralized scam.\n\nCan we get a non ETH Minds token please @ottman ?",
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"content": "569 years ago today in 1453, the ancient city of Constantinople falls in a siege to the Ottoman Empire.<br /><br />Constantinople was considered a jewel and bastion of Christendom. It served as the capital of the Byzantium Empire, which was the successor to the ancient Roman Empire. The city had withstood many sieges over the centuries and its fortifications were considered some of the best and most complex in the ancient and medieval worlds. However, 200 years before this siege, Crusaders managed to capture and sack the city which severely setback Byzantine civilization.<br /> <br />This would be the 3rd attempt to take the city in 50 years by the Ottomans. This time they brought over 80,000 men and more than 100 ships to face the defender’s roughly 8,000 soldiers and ~30 ships. Unlike the previous sieges, the Ottomans also brought with them heavy cannons to bring down the fortifications.<br /><br /><br />The defenders led by Italian mercenary Giovanni Giustiniani heroically held out for 53 days, strategically holding certain walls and towers with their few thousand soldiers. The Ottoman bombardment of the city was the most intense artillery fire the world had seen at that point. The massive defensives around the city were destroyed piecemeal. But the civilians and soldiers worked every night to repair the famous fortifications, ultimately leading to a stalemate along the land walls.<br /><br />The Romans also held the famous Golden Horn harbor with a massive chain across it. About 3 weeks into the siege, four Italians ships approached the city and were determined to break the blockade. As they sailed towards the massive Roman chain in the harbor, the Ottoman fleet moved to intercept them. The European ships were much taller and acted like wooden castles on the water. The Ottoman sailors were shot and cut down by the dozens. The four ships fought off the fleet and arrived in the city, providing a massive morale boost to the garrison. If the Christian sailors managed to keep the Ottoman fleet out of the harbor, it was still possible for more ships and a larger naval relief force to arrive. <br /><br /><br />Leading the Ottomans was the 21-year-old Sultan Mehmed II. The young Sultan refused to consider peace terms so early in the siege and plotted one of the most logistical military operations of the era. He had his solders carry the ships overland along a path they greased up and then slid the ships into the harbor. With the Ottoman fleet now in the harbor, an entire new front along the sea wall was opened, stretching the defenses even thinner. <br /><br />As the siege continued in its 5th and 6th week, Mehmed grew inpatient. There was also rumor of a Venetian fleet being prepared to relieve the city. Mehmed first tempted Giovanni with a massive bribe to leave the city, a bribe Giovanni refused. He then offered peace terms to Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI, sparing the lives of the defenders and civilians if they simply left the city. Emperor Constantine had many opportunities to flee the city and govern in exile. He also could have lived a comfortable life as a vassal king if he accepted the Sultan’s offer. Constantine refused to surrender the ancient city and took his role as the last Roman Emperor very seriously. The entire city would engage in religious ceremonies as the Ottomans prepared for a final assault.<br /><br />Starting at midnight on May 29th, an intense bombardment of the city began as the Ottomans moved into position. Giovanni and Constantine were at the front fighting and encouraging the defenders. For hours the defenders used crossbows, guns, and cannons against the incoming attack. They beat back and cut down waves of attackers in hard melee fighting. After two failed attacks, the Sultan sent in his elite Janissaries. During this final wave, Giovanni was seriously wounded and evacuated, collapsing the morale of the defenders. The Ottomans eventually overran a postern gate and thousands of them breached the city.<br /><br />The fate of Emperor Constantine XI is not certain and the last known sighting of him is being surrounded by his loyal nobles and bodyguard. What is certain though is that Constantine had many offers to be able to escape the city and he refused. Constantine and his men died trying to the keep the Turks out of the city, and his body was never recovered. <br /><br />Several ships were able to run the blockade and escape as the Turks sacked the city. An estimated 30,000-50,000 inhabitants of the city were enslaved or murdered. Constantinople remained the capital of the Ottoman Empire for another 469 years until it collapsed after World War One. In 1930, the Republic of Turkey officially changed the name of the city to Istanbul. <br /><br />[Online References]<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://www.ancient.eu/article/1180/1453-the-fall-of-constantinople/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.ancient.eu/article/1180/1453-the-fall-of-constantinople/</a> )<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/fall-constantinople.html\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/fall-constantinople.html</a> )<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://www.britannica.com/event/Fall-of-Constantinople-1453\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.britannica.com/event/Fall-of-Constantinople-1453</a> )<br /> <br />(<a href=\"https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/constantinople\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/constantinople</a> )<br /><br />[Audiobook Reference)<br />1453:<br />The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West<br />By Roger Crowley<br />(<a href=\"https://www.audible.com/pd/History/1453-Audiobook/B01JB4JTUM\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.audible.com/pd/History/1453-Audiobook/B01JB4JTUM</a> )<br /><br />Authored by R.E. Foy<br />",
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"content": "569 years ago today in 1453, the ancient city of Constantinople falls in a siege to the Ottoman Empire.\n\nConstantinople was considered a jewel and bastion of Christendom. It served as the capital of the Byzantium Empire, which was the successor to the ancient Roman Empire. The city had withstood many sieges over the centuries and its fortifications were considered some of the best and most complex in the ancient and medieval worlds. However, 200 years before this siege, Crusaders managed to capture and sack the city which severely setback Byzantine civilization.\n \nThis would be the 3rd attempt to take the city in 50 years by the Ottomans. This time they brought over 80,000 men and more than 100 ships to face the defender’s roughly 8,000 soldiers and ~30 ships. Unlike the previous sieges, the Ottomans also brought with them heavy cannons to bring down the fortifications.\n\n\nThe defenders led by Italian mercenary Giovanni Giustiniani heroically held out for 53 days, strategically holding certain walls and towers with their few thousand soldiers. The Ottoman bombardment of the city was the most intense artillery fire the world had seen at that point. The massive defensives around the city were destroyed piecemeal. But the civilians and soldiers worked every night to repair the famous fortifications, ultimately leading to a stalemate along the land walls.\n\nThe Romans also held the famous Golden Horn harbor with a massive chain across it. About 3 weeks into the siege, four Italians ships approached the city and were determined to break the blockade. As they sailed towards the massive Roman chain in the harbor, the Ottoman fleet moved to intercept them. The European ships were much taller and acted like wooden castles on the water. The Ottoman sailors were shot and cut down by the dozens. The four ships fought off the fleet and arrived in the city, providing a massive morale boost to the garrison. If the Christian sailors managed to keep the Ottoman fleet out of the harbor, it was still possible for more ships and a larger naval relief force to arrive. \n\n\nLeading the Ottomans was the 21-year-old Sultan Mehmed II. The young Sultan refused to consider peace terms so early in the siege and plotted one of the most logistical military operations of the era. He had his solders carry the ships overland along a path they greased up and then slid the ships into the harbor. With the Ottoman fleet now in the harbor, an entire new front along the sea wall was opened, stretching the defenses even thinner. \n\nAs the siege continued in its 5th and 6th week, Mehmed grew inpatient. There was also rumor of a Venetian fleet being prepared to relieve the city. Mehmed first tempted Giovanni with a massive bribe to leave the city, a bribe Giovanni refused. He then offered peace terms to Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI, sparing the lives of the defenders and civilians if they simply left the city. Emperor Constantine had many opportunities to flee the city and govern in exile. He also could have lived a comfortable life as a vassal king if he accepted the Sultan’s offer. Constantine refused to surrender the ancient city and took his role as the last Roman Emperor very seriously. The entire city would engage in religious ceremonies as the Ottomans prepared for a final assault.\n\nStarting at midnight on May 29th, an intense bombardment of the city began as the Ottomans moved into position. Giovanni and Constantine were at the front fighting and encouraging the defenders. For hours the defenders used crossbows, guns, and cannons against the incoming attack. They beat back and cut down waves of attackers in hard melee fighting. After two failed attacks, the Sultan sent in his elite Janissaries. During this final wave, Giovanni was seriously wounded and evacuated, collapsing the morale of the defenders. The Ottomans eventually overran a postern gate and thousands of them breached the city.\n\nThe fate of Emperor Constantine XI is not certain and the last known sighting of him is being surrounded by his loyal nobles and bodyguard. What is certain though is that Constantine had many offers to be able to escape the city and he refused. Constantine and his men died trying to the keep the Turks out of the city, and his body was never recovered. \n\nSeveral ships were able to run the blockade and escape as the Turks sacked the city. An estimated 30,000-50,000 inhabitants of the city were enslaved or murdered. Constantinople remained the capital of the Ottoman Empire for another 469 years until it collapsed after World War One. In 1930, the Republic of Turkey officially changed the name of the city to Istanbul. \n\n[Online References]\n \n(https://www.ancient.eu/article/1180/1453-the-fall-of-constantinople/ )\n \n(https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/fall-constantinople.html )\n \n(https://www.britannica.com/event/Fall-of-Constantinople-1453 )\n \n(https://www.history.com/topics/middle-east/constantinople )\n\n[Audiobook Reference)\n1453:\nThe Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West\nBy Roger Crowley\n(https://www.audible.com/pd/History/1453-Audiobook/B01JB4JTUM )\n\nAuthored by R.E. Foy\n",
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"content": "29 years ago today in 1993, the Federal Bureau of Investigation begins their final assault during the Waco Siege in Texas.<br /><br />Months before this, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) was investigating David Koresh and the Branch Davidians for making a steady income at gun shows. The Mount Carmel Center hosted religious scholars from all over the world and dozens of Branch Davidians chose to live there. Some of them even let Koresh marry their teenage daughters. The ATF felt that Koresh’s unusual religious beliefs and sex life would give them credibility to also be protecting children with their investigation.<br /><br />Rather than try and arrest Koresh uneventfully when he left the compound for his daily exercise and errands, the ATF wanted a publicity opportunity and coordinated with a local news station to get video recording of their armed officers surrounding the compound. In full body armor and automatic weapons, 76 ATF agents in a long vehicle column approached Mount Carmel to begin the operation. The ATF was made aware that the Branch Davidians knew they were coming and were preparing themselves for a standoff, but the ATF chose to continue their operation anyway.<br /><br />As they were surrounding the compound, David Koresh was heading towards the door to talk with the agents and deescalate the situation when ATF agents shot through the door seriously wounding him. Both sides’ dispute who fired first, but ATF agents did shoot two of the Branch Davidian’s large dogs outside the compound that likely sparked the deadly firefight.<br /><br />Caught on video, ATF agents attempted to storm the compound with ladders while receiving gunfire from the occupants. Several agents made it inside, but were forced to retreat after sustaining causalities. The firefight lasted for over an hour as the ATF poured thousands of rounds of ammunition into the compound that had ~40 children in it. The shooting stopped only after the Branch Davidians managed to call their sheriff and had him facilitate a ceasefire with the Federals. 4 ATF agents were killed and another 16 were wounded in one of the worst disasters in the agency’s history. Six Branch Davidians were also killed. The FBI arrived on scene to take over the situation while CNN and local news media interviewed Koresh. The FBI prohibited further interviews with the media and completely cut the Branch Davidian’s communication to the outside world as they started negotiations.<br /><br />Towards the end of the siege, the FBI began to psychologically torture the inhabitants with sleep deprivation by means of lighting up the entire compound and all-night loud audio broadcasts. They also deployed heavy armor and patrolled them close to the compound to intimidate the Davidians. Despite these tactics, all the inhabitants remained in the compound on their own will and were not coerced to remain. Many of them believed the siege was a test from god, although 35 of them did voluntarily leave the compound throughout the siege, including letting the FBI take some of their children. The children surrendered to the FBI were examined by experts and were said to be well treated and showed no signs of abuse.<br /><br />However the FBI was tired of waiting on David to finish writing his scrolls and decided to bring an immediate end to standoff. On the early morning of April 19, modified tanks moved up on the compound and began breaking it down and spraying tear gas inside to get the occupants to flee the building. During this process a fire broke out that quickly destroyed the entire building where only 9 Branch Davidians escaped alive, the remaining 76, including most of the women and all of the children, were dead.<br /><br />The FBI claimed for years in court that the Branch Davidians intentionally set the fire in a ritual of mass suicide, however survivors dispute that there was never a plan to commit suicide as the plan was to go to prison as martyrs after Koresh finished his writing. The event brought the Federal Government under scrutiny which led to it reforming its policies. The siege was also a catalyst in spawning the anti-government Militia Movement.<br /><br />[Online References] <br />(<a href=\"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/waco-tv-series-siege-truth-what-really-happened-david-koresh-branch-davidians-cult-fbi-paramount-a8179936.html\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/waco-tv-series-siege-truth-what-really-happened-david-koresh-branch-davidians-cult-fbi-paramount-a8179936.html</a> ) <br />(<a href=\"https://abcnews.go.com/US/survivors-1993-waco-siege-describe-happened-fire-ended/story?id=52034435\" target=\"_blank\">https://abcnews.go.com/US/survivors-1993-waco-siege-describe-happened-fire-ended/story?id=52034435</a> )<br />(<a href=\"https://www.tpr.org/post/waco-siege-revisited\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.tpr.org/post/waco-siege-revisited</a> )<br /><br />FBI prevented Texas authorities from seeing evidence: (<a href=\"http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/sept99/waco4.htm\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/sept99/waco4.htm</a> ) <br />No evidence of child abuse amongst the children: (<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/04/25/abuse-allegations-unproven/2dbff5d2-af97-4cbd-b170-9e8b3e4e4db7/?utm_term=.194e11b82745\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/04/25/abuse-allegations-unproven/2dbff5d2-af97-4cbd-b170-9e8b3e4e4db7/?utm_term=.194e11b82745</a> ) <br />Footage of the shoot out: (<a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3B7iWE1PrA\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3B7iWE1PrA</a> ) <br />The Militia Movement: <br />(<a href=\"https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/militia-movement\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/militia-movement</a> ) <br /><br />Authored by R.E. Foy <br />",
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"content": "29 years ago today in 1993, the Federal Bureau of Investigation begins their final assault during the Waco Siege in Texas.\n\nMonths before this, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) was investigating David Koresh and the Branch Davidians for making a steady income at gun shows. The Mount Carmel Center hosted religious scholars from all over the world and dozens of Branch Davidians chose to live there. Some of them even let Koresh marry their teenage daughters. The ATF felt that Koresh’s unusual religious beliefs and sex life would give them credibility to also be protecting children with their investigation.\n\nRather than try and arrest Koresh uneventfully when he left the compound for his daily exercise and errands, the ATF wanted a publicity opportunity and coordinated with a local news station to get video recording of their armed officers surrounding the compound. In full body armor and automatic weapons, 76 ATF agents in a long vehicle column approached Mount Carmel to begin the operation. The ATF was made aware that the Branch Davidians knew they were coming and were preparing themselves for a standoff, but the ATF chose to continue their operation anyway.\n\nAs they were surrounding the compound, David Koresh was heading towards the door to talk with the agents and deescalate the situation when ATF agents shot through the door seriously wounding him. Both sides’ dispute who fired first, but ATF agents did shoot two of the Branch Davidian’s large dogs outside the compound that likely sparked the deadly firefight.\n\nCaught on video, ATF agents attempted to storm the compound with ladders while receiving gunfire from the occupants. Several agents made it inside, but were forced to retreat after sustaining causalities. The firefight lasted for over an hour as the ATF poured thousands of rounds of ammunition into the compound that had ~40 children in it. The shooting stopped only after the Branch Davidians managed to call their sheriff and had him facilitate a ceasefire with the Federals. 4 ATF agents were killed and another 16 were wounded in one of the worst disasters in the agency’s history. Six Branch Davidians were also killed. The FBI arrived on scene to take over the situation while CNN and local news media interviewed Koresh. The FBI prohibited further interviews with the media and completely cut the Branch Davidian’s communication to the outside world as they started negotiations.\n\nTowards the end of the siege, the FBI began to psychologically torture the inhabitants with sleep deprivation by means of lighting up the entire compound and all-night loud audio broadcasts. They also deployed heavy armor and patrolled them close to the compound to intimidate the Davidians. Despite these tactics, all the inhabitants remained in the compound on their own will and were not coerced to remain. Many of them believed the siege was a test from god, although 35 of them did voluntarily leave the compound throughout the siege, including letting the FBI take some of their children. The children surrendered to the FBI were examined by experts and were said to be well treated and showed no signs of abuse.\n\nHowever the FBI was tired of waiting on David to finish writing his scrolls and decided to bring an immediate end to standoff. On the early morning of April 19, modified tanks moved up on the compound and began breaking it down and spraying tear gas inside to get the occupants to flee the building. During this process a fire broke out that quickly destroyed the entire building where only 9 Branch Davidians escaped alive, the remaining 76, including most of the women and all of the children, were dead.\n\nThe FBI claimed for years in court that the Branch Davidians intentionally set the fire in a ritual of mass suicide, however survivors dispute that there was never a plan to commit suicide as the plan was to go to prison as martyrs after Koresh finished his writing. The event brought the Federal Government under scrutiny which led to it reforming its policies. The siege was also a catalyst in spawning the anti-government Militia Movement.\n\n[Online References] \n(https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/waco-tv-series-siege-truth-what-really-happened-david-koresh-branch-davidians-cult-fbi-paramount-a8179936.html ) \n(https://abcnews.go.com/US/survivors-1993-waco-siege-describe-happened-fire-ended/story?id=52034435 )\n(https://www.tpr.org/post/waco-siege-revisited )\n\nFBI prevented Texas authorities from seeing evidence: (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/daily/sept99/waco4.htm ) \nNo evidence of child abuse amongst the children: (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/04/25/abuse-allegations-unproven/2dbff5d2-af97-4cbd-b170-9e8b3e4e4db7/?utm_term=.194e11b82745 ) \nFootage of the shoot out: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3B7iWE1PrA ) \nThe Militia Movement: \n(https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/militia-movement ) \n\nAuthored by R.E. Foy \n",
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"content": "215 years ago today in 1807, Robert Edward Lee was born in Virginia.<br /> <br />Why do Americans admire Robert E Lee?<br /><br />While the “Civil War” ended ~150 years ago, a recent phenomenon in the 21st century has been removing the statues, monuments, and even markers in cemeteries of Southerners from the war. A figure in the center of this controversy is General Robert Edward Lee. During the war and long after its conclusion, Lee was well respected on both sides for many reasons. <br /><br />Lee’s family was in Virginia since the 1600’s. His father was revolutionary war hero Major General Henry Lee who served under George Washington and as governor of Virginia after the war. Robert Lee married the step-great-granddaughter of George Washington. Lee never owned slaves until he inherited them from the death of his father-in-law. And in accordance of his father-in-law’s will, he freed all of these slaves in late 1862 during the middle of the war he was fighting.<br /><br />Before the war, Lee acknowledged the institution of slavery as evil in a letter to his wife. He also violated Virginia law by teaching his inherited slaves to read the Bible. <br /><br /> “…In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country….” <br /><br />Durning the secession crisis in 1861, he wrote a letter to his son speaking against secession as he felt it would be detrimental to the nation. But he expressed that he would go with whatever route Virginia chose. <br /><br />“…It is idle to talk of secession. Anarchy would have been established & not a government by Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison & the other patriots of the Revolution. In 1808 when the New England States resisted Mr Jeffersons Imbargo law & the Hartford Convention assembled, secession was termed treason by Virginia statesmen. What can it be now? Still a union that can only be maintained by swords & bayonets, & in which strife & civil war are to take the place of brotherly love & kindness, has no charm for me. I shall mourn for my country, & for the welfare & progress of mankind. If the Union is dissolved & the government disrupted, I shall return to my native State & share the miseries of my people & save in her defense will draw my sword on none.” <br /><br />Virginia held a secession convention, and in early April 1861, eventually voted against leaving the Union. However, Lincoln summoning an army a few weeks later, sparked another wave of secession. Four more states, including Virginia, would leave the Union. Lee was offered a high command in the Federal force which he denied. In response to Lincoln’s presidential adviser Francis Blair, Lee is reported to have said:<br /><br />“…how can I draw my sword upon Virginia, my native state?” <br /><br />Lee garners most of his respect for his military prowess. In the Mexican-American War he was one of Winfield Scott’s chief aides and distinguished himself in several pivotal battles. During the Civil War, Lee gained command of the main Confederate army in the summer of 1862. Most major battles fought by his army were against superior supplied and numbered Federal forces. Lee defeated 4 invasions and launched 2 counter invasions into Union territory. Lee’s army caused so many casualties, that the Federal government in a spiteful move started to bury them in his estate Arlington near Washington D.C. and turned it into a cemetery in 1864. <br /><br />Lee’s goal while in command was to destroy the Federal army in a decisive battle to establish peace talks and independence for the southern states. Despite besting six Union generals, Lee never achieved a decisive battle and was finally beaten in a war of attrition by Ulysses S Grant. In the first two battles against Grant, Lee personally led his men in critical moments of the battle where his terrified men would scream “LEE TO THE REAR” to encourage him to stay out of danger. <br /><br />While Lee is responsible for perpetuating the war, the most important reason Lee was admired by both sides is because he was also crucial in ending the deadliest conflict in American history. Against the wishes of his government and passionate generals, Lee chose to surrender his ~20,000 troops rather than drag on the war. Lee wrote to stubborn Confederate president Jefferson Davis: <br /><br /> “…A partisan war may be continued, and hostilities protracted, causing individual suffering and the devastation of the country, but I see no prospect by that means of achieving a separate independence. It is for Your Excellency to decide, should you agree with me in opinion, what is proper to be done. To save useless effusion of blood, I would recommend measures be taken for suspension of hostilities and the restoration of peace.”<br /><br />Six days later following Lee’s advice and rejecting orders from their President, the largest surrender of the war occurred in North Carolina with 89,270 rebels choosing to give up the fight. The remaining rebel armies would follow his example of accepting a pardon from Federal forces. <br /><br />After the war, Lee urged all former Confederates to be good Americans and rebuild their society. British historian Lord Acton wrote to Lee expressing grief over the political ramifications of the conflict. Responding to Acton, Lee explained his reasoning for fighting with the state governments against centralized political power. <br /><br />“….I can only say that while I have considered the preservation of the constitutional power of the General Government to be the foundation of our peace and safety at home and abroad, I yet believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the states and to the people, not only essential to the adjustment and balance of the general system, but the safeguard to the continuance of a free government. I consider it as the chief source of stability to our political system, whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast republic is sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home and will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it. I need not refer one so well acquainted as you are with American history, to the State papers of Washington and Jefferson, the representatives of the federal and democratic parties, denouncing consolidation and centralization of power, as tending to the subversion of State Governments, and to despotism…” <br /><br />In conclusion, tearing down Lee’s statues and monuments isn’t going to provide solutions to modern political problems or change the past. This was a noble rebel general married into George Washington’s family, and he was fighting for Virginia’s independence as an underdog. In the generations after the war, thousands of Americans were named after Lee, and hundreds of monuments were dedicated across the nation to him. 12 years after his death, Lee’s son won a court case against the U.S. government who turned their family estate in a cemetery. The Supreme Court ordered the thousands of bodies to be reburied elsewhere. Lee’s family sold Arlington back to the U.S. government and five generations of U.S. military veterans have chosen to be buried there as an honorable resting place. <br /><br />Artwork: We Still Love You General Lee- Mort Künstler<br /><br />[Online References]<br /><br />[1] Lee Family History:<br /><a href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-arlington-national-cemetery-came-to-be-145147007\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-arlington-national-cemetery-came-to-be-145147007</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3718.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3718.html</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.stratfordhall.org/meet-the-lee-family/\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.stratfordhall.org/meet-the-lee-family/</a><br /> <br />[2] Lee’s inherited slaves:<br /><a href=\"https://www.historynet.com/robert-e-lee-slavery.htm\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.historynet.com/robert-e-lee-slavery.htm</a><br /><a href=\"https://americancivilwar.com/authors/Joseph_Ryan/Articles/General-Lee-Slaves/General-Lee-Family-Slaves.html\" target=\"_blank\">https://americancivilwar.com/authors/Joseph_Ryan/Articles/General-Lee-Slaves/General-Lee-Family-Slaves.html</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.nathanielturner.com/willofgeorgewashingtonparkecustis.htm\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.nathanielturner.com/willofgeorgewashingtonparkecustis.htm</a><br /> <br />[3] Lee’s Letter to his wife on slavery:<br /><a href=\"http://fair-use.org/robert-e-lee/letter-to-his-wife-on-slavery\" target=\"_blank\">http://fair-use.org/robert-e-lee/letter-to-his-wife-on-slavery</a><br /> <br />[4] Lee’s Letter to his son on secession:<br /><a href=\"http://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/rachal/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/rachal/index.html</a><br /> <br />[5] Lee turns down command of Union Army:<br /><a href=\"http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/1/Appendices/1*.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/1/Appendices/1*.html</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lee-resigns-from-u-s-army\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lee-resigns-from-u-s-army</a><br /><a href=\"http://www.historynet.com/a-question-of-loyalty-why-did-robert-e-lee-join-the-confederacy.htm\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.historynet.com/a-question-of-loyalty-why-did-robert-e-lee-join-the-confederacy.htm</a><br /> <br />[6] Lee’s Military Prowess:<br />1862:Lee defeats George McClellan in the 7 Days Battles:<br />(<a href=\"https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/seven-days-history\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/seven-days-history</a> )<br />Lee defeats John Pope in 2nd Battle of Bull Run<br />(<a href=\"https://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/historyculture/second-manassas.htm\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/historyculture/second-manassas.htm</a> )<br />Lee invades Maryland and is repulsed at Antietam:<br />(<a href=\"https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/maryland-campaign-1862\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/maryland-campaign-1862</a> )<br />Lee defeats Ambrose Burnside at Fredericksburg:<br />(<a href=\"https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/fredericksburg-0\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/fredericksburg-0</a> )<br />1863: Lee defeats Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville:<br />(<a href=\"https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/chancellorsville\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/chancellorsville</a> )<br />George Meade repulses Lee’s 2nd invasion at Gettysburg<br />(<a href=\"https://www.civilwar.org/learn/civil-war/gettysburg-campaign\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.civilwar.org/learn/civil-war/gettysburg-campaign</a> )<br />1864: Lee holds off Ulyssess S Grant’s Overland Campaign<br />(<a href=\"https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/overland-campaign\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/overland-campaign</a> )<br />Lee’s estate Arlington is turned into a cemetery:<br />(<a href=\"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-arlington-national-cemetery-came-to-be-145147007/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-arlington-national-cemetery-came-to-be-145147007/</a> )<br />[7] “LEE TO THE REAR”<br />(<a href=\"http://www.civilwarhome.com/leetorear.htm\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.civilwarhome.com/leetorear.htm</a> )<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/media_player?mets_filename=evm00001417mets.xml\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/media_player?mets_filename=evm00001417mets.xml</a> )<br /><br />[8] Lee and Confederate Army surrender:<br />(<a href=\"https://www.civilwar.org/learn/primary-sources/robert-e-lee-jefferson-davis-april-20th-1865\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.civilwar.org/learn/primary-sources/robert-e-lee-jefferson-davis-april-20th-1865</a>)<br />(<a href=\"http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders</a>)<br />(<a href=\"https://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/historyculture/the-surrender-meeting.htm\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/historyculture/the-surrender-meeting.htm</a>)<br />(<a href=\"http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/making-sense-of-robert-e-lee-85017563/\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/making-sense-of-robert-e-lee-85017563/</a>)<br /> <br />[9] Acton-Lee Correspondence:<br />*Acton and Lee’s correspondence for the Southern Point of View: (<a href=\"http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/4/Appendices/4*.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/4/Appendices/4*.html</a>) (<a href=\"http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/4/17*.html#note16\" target=\"_blank\">http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/4/17*.html#note16</a>)<br />*Archive of all of Lord Acton’s letters:<br />(<a href=\"http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/acton-selections-from-the-correspondence-of-the-first-lord-acton-vol-i\" target=\"_blank\">http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/acton-selections-from-the-correspondence-of-the-first-lord-acton-vol-i</a>)<br />*Full Transcript of both letters:<br /> (<a href=\"http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2014/08/acton-lee-conversation-liberty.html\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2014/08/acton-lee-conversation-liberty.html</a>)<br /><br />Authored by R.E. Foy<br />",
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"content": "215 years ago today in 1807, Robert Edward Lee was born in Virginia.\n \nWhy do Americans admire Robert E Lee?\n\nWhile the “Civil War” ended ~150 years ago, a recent phenomenon in the 21st century has been removing the statues, monuments, and even markers in cemeteries of Southerners from the war. A figure in the center of this controversy is General Robert Edward Lee. During the war and long after its conclusion, Lee was well respected on both sides for many reasons. \n\nLee’s family was in Virginia since the 1600’s. His father was revolutionary war hero Major General Henry Lee who served under George Washington and as governor of Virginia after the war. Robert Lee married the step-great-granddaughter of George Washington. Lee never owned slaves until he inherited them from the death of his father-in-law. And in accordance of his father-in-law’s will, he freed all of these slaves in late 1862 during the middle of the war he was fighting.\n\nBefore the war, Lee acknowledged the institution of slavery as evil in a letter to his wife. He also violated Virginia law by teaching his inherited slaves to read the Bible. \n\n “…In this enlightened age, there are few I believe, but what will acknowledge, that slavery as an institution, is a moral & political evil in any Country….” \n\nDurning the secession crisis in 1861, he wrote a letter to his son speaking against secession as he felt it would be detrimental to the nation. But he expressed that he would go with whatever route Virginia chose. \n\n“…It is idle to talk of secession. Anarchy would have been established & not a government by Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison & the other patriots of the Revolution. In 1808 when the New England States resisted Mr Jeffersons Imbargo law & the Hartford Convention assembled, secession was termed treason by Virginia statesmen. What can it be now? Still a union that can only be maintained by swords & bayonets, & in which strife & civil war are to take the place of brotherly love & kindness, has no charm for me. I shall mourn for my country, & for the welfare & progress of mankind. If the Union is dissolved & the government disrupted, I shall return to my native State & share the miseries of my people & save in her defense will draw my sword on none.” \n\nVirginia held a secession convention, and in early April 1861, eventually voted against leaving the Union. However, Lincoln summoning an army a few weeks later, sparked another wave of secession. Four more states, including Virginia, would leave the Union. Lee was offered a high command in the Federal force which he denied. In response to Lincoln’s presidential adviser Francis Blair, Lee is reported to have said:\n\n“…how can I draw my sword upon Virginia, my native state?” \n\nLee garners most of his respect for his military prowess. In the Mexican-American War he was one of Winfield Scott’s chief aides and distinguished himself in several pivotal battles. During the Civil War, Lee gained command of the main Confederate army in the summer of 1862. Most major battles fought by his army were against superior supplied and numbered Federal forces. Lee defeated 4 invasions and launched 2 counter invasions into Union territory. Lee’s army caused so many casualties, that the Federal government in a spiteful move started to bury them in his estate Arlington near Washington D.C. and turned it into a cemetery in 1864. \n\nLee’s goal while in command was to destroy the Federal army in a decisive battle to establish peace talks and independence for the southern states. Despite besting six Union generals, Lee never achieved a decisive battle and was finally beaten in a war of attrition by Ulysses S Grant. In the first two battles against Grant, Lee personally led his men in critical moments of the battle where his terrified men would scream “LEE TO THE REAR” to encourage him to stay out of danger. \n\nWhile Lee is responsible for perpetuating the war, the most important reason Lee was admired by both sides is because he was also crucial in ending the deadliest conflict in American history. Against the wishes of his government and passionate generals, Lee chose to surrender his ~20,000 troops rather than drag on the war. Lee wrote to stubborn Confederate president Jefferson Davis: \n\n “…A partisan war may be continued, and hostilities protracted, causing individual suffering and the devastation of the country, but I see no prospect by that means of achieving a separate independence. It is for Your Excellency to decide, should you agree with me in opinion, what is proper to be done. To save useless effusion of blood, I would recommend measures be taken for suspension of hostilities and the restoration of peace.”\n\nSix days later following Lee’s advice and rejecting orders from their President, the largest surrender of the war occurred in North Carolina with 89,270 rebels choosing to give up the fight. The remaining rebel armies would follow his example of accepting a pardon from Federal forces. \n\nAfter the war, Lee urged all former Confederates to be good Americans and rebuild their society. British historian Lord Acton wrote to Lee expressing grief over the political ramifications of the conflict. Responding to Acton, Lee explained his reasoning for fighting with the state governments against centralized political power. \n\n“….I can only say that while I have considered the preservation of the constitutional power of the General Government to be the foundation of our peace and safety at home and abroad, I yet believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the states and to the people, not only essential to the adjustment and balance of the general system, but the safeguard to the continuance of a free government. I consider it as the chief source of stability to our political system, whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast republic is sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home and will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it. I need not refer one so well acquainted as you are with American history, to the State papers of Washington and Jefferson, the representatives of the federal and democratic parties, denouncing consolidation and centralization of power, as tending to the subversion of State Governments, and to despotism…” \n\nIn conclusion, tearing down Lee’s statues and monuments isn’t going to provide solutions to modern political problems or change the past. This was a noble rebel general married into George Washington’s family, and he was fighting for Virginia’s independence as an underdog. In the generations after the war, thousands of Americans were named after Lee, and hundreds of monuments were dedicated across the nation to him. 12 years after his death, Lee’s son won a court case against the U.S. government who turned their family estate in a cemetery. The Supreme Court ordered the thousands of bodies to be reburied elsewhere. Lee’s family sold Arlington back to the U.S. government and five generations of U.S. military veterans have chosen to be buried there as an honorable resting place. \n\nArtwork: We Still Love You General Lee- Mort Künstler\n\n[Online References]\n\n[1] Lee Family History:\nhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-arlington-national-cemetery-came-to-be-145147007\nhttp://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3718.html\nhttp://www.stratfordhall.org/meet-the-lee-family/\n \n[2] Lee’s inherited slaves:\nhttps://www.historynet.com/robert-e-lee-slavery.htm\nhttps://americancivilwar.com/authors/Joseph_Ryan/Articles/General-Lee-Slaves/General-Lee-Family-Slaves.html\nhttp://www.nathanielturner.com/willofgeorgewashingtonparkecustis.htm\n \n[3] Lee’s Letter to his wife on slavery:\nhttp://fair-use.org/robert-e-lee/letter-to-his-wife-on-slavery\n \n[4] Lee’s Letter to his son on secession:\nhttp://leefamilyarchive.org/reference/essays/rachal/index.html\n \n[5] Lee turns down command of Union Army:\nhttp://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/1/Appendices/1*.html\nhttp://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lee-resigns-from-u-s-army\nhttp://www.historynet.com/a-question-of-loyalty-why-did-robert-e-lee-join-the-confederacy.htm\n \n[6] Lee’s Military Prowess:\n1862:Lee defeats George McClellan in the 7 Days Battles:\n(https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/seven-days-history )\nLee defeats John Pope in 2nd Battle of Bull Run\n(https://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/historyculture/second-manassas.htm )\nLee invades Maryland and is repulsed at Antietam:\n(https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/maryland-campaign-1862 )\nLee defeats Ambrose Burnside at Fredericksburg:\n(https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/fredericksburg-0 )\n1863: Lee defeats Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville:\n(https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/chancellorsville )\nGeorge Meade repulses Lee’s 2nd invasion at Gettysburg\n(https://www.civilwar.org/learn/civil-war/gettysburg-campaign )\n1864: Lee holds off Ulyssess S Grant’s Overland Campaign\n(https://www.civilwar.org/learn/articles/overland-campaign )\nLee’s estate Arlington is turned into a cemetery:\n(https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-arlington-national-cemetery-came-to-be-145147007/ )\n[7] “LEE TO THE REAR”\n(http://www.civilwarhome.com/leetorear.htm )\n\n(https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/media_player?mets_filename=evm00001417mets.xml )\n\n[8] Lee and Confederate Army surrender:\n(https://www.civilwar.org/learn/primary-sources/robert-e-lee-jefferson-davis-april-20th-1865)\n(http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders)\n(https://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/historyculture/the-surrender-meeting.htm)\n(http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/making-sense-of-robert-e-lee-85017563/)\n \n[9] Acton-Lee Correspondence:\n*Acton and Lee’s correspondence for the Southern Point of View: (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/4/Appendices/4*.html) (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/People/Robert_E_Lee/FREREL/4/17*.html#note16)\n*Archive of all of Lord Acton’s letters:\n(http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/acton-selections-from-the-correspondence-of-the-first-lord-acton-vol-i)\n*Full Transcript of both letters:\n (http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2014/08/acton-lee-conversation-liberty.html)\n\nAuthored by R.E. Foy\n",
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"content": "245 years ago today in 1776, American rebel George Washington quietly crosses the Delaware River on Christmas night to surprise attack German mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey. <br /><br />The American Revolution started the previous year when rambunctious colonists from Massachusetts shot at British soldiers and trapped them in the city of Boston. The American Colonies sent delegates to a Congress to address the situation with their mother country and appointed George Washington to lead their united army. He arrived on scene at Boston with his Virginians to help drive them out of the city in March 1776. <br /><br />Successful with his mission, and Congress officially declaring independence in July, Washington decided to move his army into New York to engage the British there. He positioned his army on Long Island and fortified it waiting for the British to attack. The British would take their time and engage Washington’s position almost 2 months later in the largest battle of the entire war. Washington was forced to retreat, and poor supplies with awful winter conditions severely limited the moral of the rebel army. Their commander realized they needed a victory to end the year and bring in the upcoming new year with optimism. <br /><br />In the middle of Christmas night, it started to rain and snow on the Americans in freezing conditions. They quietly loaded up in boats and paddled through ice across the Delaware River. Washington managed to get 2400 men across the river quietly and position them around the town of Trenton to entrap the German garrison there. On the early morning of December 26th, he would personally lead the first assault against the city. As the fighting raged on, Washington stayed in the fray and kept moving his men to outflank the German counterattacks. The Americans would capture 900 Germans and only sustain minimal casualties. The rebels would then go back across the river with their prisoners and fresh supplies into Pennsylvania. Washington would continue to campaign in New Jersey and take the fight to the British over the next few weeks in 1777.<br /><br />[Online References]<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/crossing-of-the-delaware/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/crossing-of-the-delaware/</a> )<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/battle-of-trenton/\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/battle-of-trenton/</a> )<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/trenton\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/trenton</a> )<br /><br />(<a href=\"https://www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/history/new-jersey-campaign\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/history/new-jersey-campaign</a> )<br /><br />[Audiobook Reference]<br /><br />Washington <br />A Life <br />By: Ron Chernow<br />(<a href=\"https://www.audible.com/pd/Washington-Audiobook/B0044EMDEO\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.audible.com/pd/Washington-Audiobook/B0044EMDEO</a> )<br /><br />Artwork: Oil painting by George Caleb Bingham <br /><br />Authored by R.E. Foy<br />",
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"published": "2021-12-25T14:00:00+00:00",
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"content": "245 years ago today in 1776, American rebel George Washington quietly crosses the Delaware River on Christmas night to surprise attack German mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey. \n\nThe American Revolution started the previous year when rambunctious colonists from Massachusetts shot at British soldiers and trapped them in the city of Boston. The American Colonies sent delegates to a Congress to address the situation with their mother country and appointed George Washington to lead their united army. He arrived on scene at Boston with his Virginians to help drive them out of the city in March 1776. \n\nSuccessful with his mission, and Congress officially declaring independence in July, Washington decided to move his army into New York to engage the British there. He positioned his army on Long Island and fortified it waiting for the British to attack. The British would take their time and engage Washington’s position almost 2 months later in the largest battle of the entire war. Washington was forced to retreat, and poor supplies with awful winter conditions severely limited the moral of the rebel army. Their commander realized they needed a victory to end the year and bring in the upcoming new year with optimism. \n\nIn the middle of Christmas night, it started to rain and snow on the Americans in freezing conditions. They quietly loaded up in boats and paddled through ice across the Delaware River. Washington managed to get 2400 men across the river quietly and position them around the town of Trenton to entrap the German garrison there. On the early morning of December 26th, he would personally lead the first assault against the city. As the fighting raged on, Washington stayed in the fray and kept moving his men to outflank the German counterattacks. The Americans would capture 900 Germans and only sustain minimal casualties. The rebels would then go back across the river with their prisoners and fresh supplies into Pennsylvania. Washington would continue to campaign in New Jersey and take the fight to the British over the next few weeks in 1777.\n\n[Online References]\n\n(https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/crossing-of-the-delaware/ )\n\n(https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/battle-of-trenton/ )\n\n(https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/trenton )\n\n(https://www.amrevmuseum.org/read-the-revolution/history/new-jersey-campaign )\n\n[Audiobook Reference]\n\nWashington \nA Life \nBy: Ron Chernow\n(https://www.audible.com/pd/Washington-Audiobook/B0044EMDEO )\n\nArtwork: Oil painting by George Caleb Bingham \n\nAuthored by R.E. Foy\n",
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"content": "Are you watching just how full these football stadiums are?! They're packed!!! And they want you to believe we're in a pandemic?! Healthy, naturally immune people are being forced out of their jobs for not injecting themselves with an experimental jab while sports stadiums are packed to the brim?! This plandemic has never been about safety. This has always been about taking more freedoms away for you and giving more control to the state. <br /><br />The pharma cartel, media and government are one in the same. They are lying to you. The jabs are NOT safe. People are being injured and killed. The \"news\" are meant to keep you confused, scared and misinformed so you will take their poison. This will not stop at 2 or 3 shots because they will just keep making up variants and requiring more jabs. This tyranny will only end when you stop complying. If you see through the lies then you are the resistance. If you are resisting, keep holding the line. We are winning. We are the majority and our numbers are growing everyday. Don't let these demons deceive you into thinking otherwise. Unite, resist and rise up. ",
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"content": "Are you watching just how full these football stadiums are?! They're packed!!! And they want you to believe we're in a pandemic?! Healthy, naturally immune people are being forced out of their jobs for not injecting themselves with an experimental jab while sports stadiums are packed to the brim?! This plandemic has never been about safety. This has always been about taking more freedoms away for you and giving more control to the state. \n\nThe pharma cartel, media and government are one in the same. They are lying to you. The jabs are NOT safe. People are being injured and killed. The \"news\" are meant to keep you confused, scared and misinformed so you will take their poison. This will not stop at 2 or 3 shots because they will just keep making up variants and requiring more jabs. This tyranny will only end when you stop complying. If you see through the lies then you are the resistance. If you are resisting, keep holding the line. We are winning. We are the majority and our numbers are growing everyday. Don't let these demons deceive you into thinking otherwise. Unite, resist and rise up. ",
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"content": "Gonna launch Rebel History on here starting in 2022...once again gonna try and breathe some life on this platform. I really like it.",
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"published": "2021-10-25T18:46:04+00:00",
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"content": "Gonna launch Rebel History on here starting in 2022...once again gonna try and breathe some life on this platform. I really like it.",
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"content": "How do I transfer this 0.037 Ether from Minds to another wallet? Is it possible to do from mobile? Any help would be greatly appreciated ",
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"published": "2021-05-14T08:41:52+00:00",
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"content": "How do I transfer this 0.037 Ether from Minds to another wallet? Is it possible to do from mobile? Any help would be greatly appreciated ",
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"content": "11 years ago today in 2010, American tax protestor Joseph Stack flies his private plane into an IRS Field Office in Austin, Texas.<br /> <br />Joseph Stack was born in Pennsylvania in 1956 and spent much of his life as a computer engineer and entrepreneur. Joe took pride in being independent in many aspects of his life and not relying on a big company to pay his bills. He even learned how to fly his own private airplane so he could go all over the country for business opportunities. In 1986, the IRS amended their tax code that specifically targeted his profession to pay more in taxes and it forced him to work more hours for less pay, all this trouble with his work life led to him getting divorced. The Dot-Com and Housing Bubbles combined with increased tax bills depleted all the money in his retirement savings. He became further radicalized when he read news about the Federal government bailing out failing corporations. After being ruined financially over the last 20 years, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when the IRS decided to audit Joe on the measly $12,700 his new wife Sheryl made in 2009.<br /> <br />On the day of the attack, Joe published a 3200 word essay on his company’s website explaining how he ended up at this point in his life and cited the specific IRS tax code that was amended and targeted his profession. On the morning of the attack he set his house on fire and drove to the hanger where his single-engine Piper Dakota airplane that he modified with more fuel to cause a bigger explosion was parked. At 9:45 a.m Joe followed all guidelines with the airport and took off legally, heading southbound to Austin. While the IRS had a larger regional office in Austin, Joe specifically targeted the field office Echelon I because it performed tax audits, seizures, investigations and collections. Around 10:00am Joe crashed his plane into the building where the IRS offices were located, creating a huge fireball and sending debris everywhere. The IRS manager Vernon Hunter was killed with Joe, and 13 people were wounded.<br /> <br />After the attack, media organizations rushed to associate Joe with the new and popular Tea Party Movement, but the investigation revealed Joe had no connections with these groups and was never considered a right-wing person. The media reached out to Joe’s adult daughter Samantha Bell who initially called her father a hero. But after great controversy she condemned his violence but did not give into pressure and stuck up for her father’s beliefs hoping more American’s would learn from his plight. Samantha eventually left the United States to settle in Norway. While some Republicans tried to use Joe’s story to have a meaningful discussion about tax reform, it fell on deaf ears and instead the IRS used the opportunity to spend 30 million dollars that year on improving their security. <br /> <br /> <br />[Online References]<br /> <br /> (<a href=\"https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0218/Who-is-Joe-Stack\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0218/Who-is-Joe-Stack</a> )<br />(<a href=\"https://video.foxnews.com/v/4024706/who-was-joseph-stack\" target=\"_blank\">https://video.foxnews.com/v/4024706/who-was-joseph-stack</a> )<br /> <br />(<a href=\"http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35519143/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/some-attack-irs-office-made-pilot-hero/\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35519143/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/some-attack-irs-office-made-pilot-hero/</a> )<br /><br />Joe Stack’s Manifesto:<br />(<a href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/joseph-andrew-stacks-insane-manifesto-2010-2\" target=\"_blank\">https://www.businessinsider.com/joseph-andrew-stacks-insane-manifesto-2010-2</a>)<br />(<a href=\"http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/plane-crash-suspects-online-diatribe\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/plane-crash-suspects-online-diatribe</a> )<br /> <br />Authored by R.E. Foy",
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"content": "11 years ago today in 2010, American tax protestor Joseph Stack flies his private plane into an IRS Field Office in Austin, Texas.\n \nJoseph Stack was born in Pennsylvania in 1956 and spent much of his life as a computer engineer and entrepreneur. Joe took pride in being independent in many aspects of his life and not relying on a big company to pay his bills. He even learned how to fly his own private airplane so he could go all over the country for business opportunities. In 1986, the IRS amended their tax code that specifically targeted his profession to pay more in taxes and it forced him to work more hours for less pay, all this trouble with his work life led to him getting divorced. The Dot-Com and Housing Bubbles combined with increased tax bills depleted all the money in his retirement savings. He became further radicalized when he read news about the Federal government bailing out failing corporations. After being ruined financially over the last 20 years, the straw that broke the camel’s back was when the IRS decided to audit Joe on the measly $12,700 his new wife Sheryl made in 2009.\n \nOn the day of the attack, Joe published a 3200 word essay on his company’s website explaining how he ended up at this point in his life and cited the specific IRS tax code that was amended and targeted his profession. On the morning of the attack he set his house on fire and drove to the hanger where his single-engine Piper Dakota airplane that he modified with more fuel to cause a bigger explosion was parked. At 9:45 a.m Joe followed all guidelines with the airport and took off legally, heading southbound to Austin. While the IRS had a larger regional office in Austin, Joe specifically targeted the field office Echelon I because it performed tax audits, seizures, investigations and collections. Around 10:00am Joe crashed his plane into the building where the IRS offices were located, creating a huge fireball and sending debris everywhere. The IRS manager Vernon Hunter was killed with Joe, and 13 people were wounded.\n \nAfter the attack, media organizations rushed to associate Joe with the new and popular Tea Party Movement, but the investigation revealed Joe had no connections with these groups and was never considered a right-wing person. The media reached out to Joe’s adult daughter Samantha Bell who initially called her father a hero. But after great controversy she condemned his violence but did not give into pressure and stuck up for her father’s beliefs hoping more American’s would learn from his plight. Samantha eventually left the United States to settle in Norway. While some Republicans tried to use Joe’s story to have a meaningful discussion about tax reform, it fell on deaf ears and instead the IRS used the opportunity to spend 30 million dollars that year on improving their security. \n \n \n[Online References]\n \n (https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0218/Who-is-Joe-Stack )\n(https://video.foxnews.com/v/4024706/who-was-joseph-stack )\n \n(http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35519143/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/some-attack-irs-office-made-pilot-hero/ )\n\nJoe Stack’s Manifesto:\n(https://www.businessinsider.com/joseph-andrew-stacks-insane-manifesto-2010-2)\n(http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/plane-crash-suspects-online-diatribe )\n \nAuthored by R.E. Foy",
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"content": "ive tried so hard to get this platform some life...dealing with the wallet to buy tokens has been a nightmare...way to complex for normies<br />",
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"content": "ive tried so hard to get this platform some life...dealing with the wallet to buy tokens has been a nightmare...way to complex for normies\n",
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