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Marquis de Lafayette Part 1: The Orphan
Born into a noble family in the small French town of Chavaniac, Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette would lose both of his parents at a young age. The orphaned marquis would inherit a massive fortune that would allow him to live a life of luxury and privilege at Versailles. That is, until he made the fateful decision to leave it all behind.
Congo Free State Part 5: Vers l’Avenir
An official report on conditions in the Congo exposes the Free State’s atrocities to the world. As pressure mounts on Leopold II to relinquish control of his colony, the king became increasingly determined to cling onto it until his dying breath.
Congo Free State Part 4: Blood and Rubber
The exploitation of the Congo and its people greatly intensifies as rubber becomes a valuable trade commodity. As the Free State begins to rake in profits, a few individuals take notice of the rampant human rights abuses in the colony and resolve to put a stop to them.
Congo Free State Part 3: Into the Heart of Darkness
King Leopold II consolidates his control over the Congo. In his efforts to make the colony profitable, he oversees the establishment of a coercive regime of exploitation and moves to ruthlessly eliminate all resistance.
Congo Free State Part 2: Scramble for Africa
Leopold II, King of the Belgians, continues his efforts to acquire a colony in Africa. As he constructs an elaborate façade to mask his true intentions, he contracts the famous explorer Henry Morton Stanley to do the dirty work on his behalf.
Congo Free State Part 1: Prelude to Catastrophe
In the mid-19th century, new technological advances and the emergence of large industrial economies usher in the age of ‘New Imperialism.’ As the world’s ‘great powers’ search for new territories to conquer, their eyes turn towards a region previously thought to be uninhabitable: Sub-Saharan Africa.
Korean War Part 11: The Path to Peace
The war in Korea enters its third year, and the prospect of total victory has long since been deemed unrealistic. New leadership rises to power in both the US and USSR intent on brokering a ceasefire, but the situation in Korea remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Korean War Part 10: Dead Souls
We divert from the main narrative to examine one of the most controversial aspects of the Korean War- the prisoner of war issue. Although the treatment of prisoners of war was codified into international law following World War II, both sides in this conflict would violate these laws to further their respective ends.
Korean War Part 9: The Stalemate
The military situation in Korea devolves into a stalemate a year after the war began. Negotiations are opened to bring a stop to the bloodshed, but it very quickly becomes apparent that the diplomatic process will be more fraught than some may have hoped.
Korean War Part 8: Turning the Tide
As a new year dawns, the war in Korea nears another decisive turning point. Meanwhile, a domestic political crisis in the United States threatens to expand the conflict and plunge the world into a new conflagration.
The king’s ill-fated attempt to flee the country causes anti-monarchist protests to break out in Paris, which Lafayette responds to with a heavy hand. After the subsequent massacre at the Champ de Mars leaves his reputation in tatters, the general attempts to make his exit from the political stage.