The World That Was
Economists warn Trump's policies will start a 1930s-era trade war
President Donald Trump is driving the global conversation on trade toward protectionism: the imposition of tariffs on imported goods. That may seem like a good idea on the surface, but most economists beg to differ. They point out that protectionism turned the economic chaos of the 1930s into a disaster.
London City Airport shut after WWII bomb found in the Thames
What other countries (and history) can teach Americans about taxation
Moldova will build a monument to Roma victims of the Holocaust
The roots of Catalonia’s differences with the rest of Spain
Ireland celebrates Che Guevara's Irish roots with a stamp, despite opposition
A new postage stamp in the Republic of Ireland is causing a stink because it honors Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara, who was of partial Irish descent. But people in Ireland — and Miami — are denouncing Che — and the stamp — because of his history of violence.
Russia puts Kalashnikov on a pedestal
Russia is celebrating the Kalashnikov rifle as "a cultural brand." It has literally put the weapon's inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov, on a pedestal. A statue was unveiled in Moscow on Tuesday, amid much pomp and ceremony.
Trump wants a big military parade, but the Founding Fathers might not approve
President Donald Trump has again mentioned the idea of having a massive military parade in Washington for the Fourth of July. Historically, the US has never put the military on such a pedestal. The Founding Fathers, in fact, despised the idea of a standing army of any sort.
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The little-known story of Vietnamese communist leader Ho Chi Minh’s admiration for the US
The founding father of modern Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh. He led Vietnam's communist revolution against French colonial rule and then took on the United States. But it seems he long had an admiration for the US and repeatedly sought the country's help in the decades before the Vietnam War.
How a violent history created the US Virgin Islands as we know them
The US Virgin Islands are in the news because of the appalling devastation from Hurricane Irma. But what's the islands' backstory?
‘What I did was so little’: Remembering World War II spy hero Jeannie Rousseau de Clarens
There are fewer and fewer heroes left from World War II. We remember a French woman, a spy, Jeannie Rousseau, who passed away last week.
ISIS says it wants to rebuild the Muslim caliphate in Spain
A week after the attack in Barcelona, ISIS released a slick new video saying it wants to restore al-Andalus to the Muslim world. Al-Andalus was the word for Muslim-ruled areas of Spain and Portugal in the Middle Ages.
Trump cites an urban legend about Gen. Pershing’s fight with primarily Muslim insurgents
After the terror attack in Spain on Thursday, President Donald Trump tweeted his condemnation and urged those fighting terrorism to study US Gen. John Pershing.
There were Indian troops at Dunkirk, too
The new "Dunkirk" movie may be a hit, but there's a minor stink in Britain and India that the Indian troops have been whitewashed out of the movie. The World fact-checks whether they were indeed there, and discusses why it’s important to move beyond the traditional Western perceptions of World War II.
How Russian meddling impacted the American Revolution
Foreign help was critical to the success of the American Revolution. Many people know about the important roles played by France and Spain. But less well-known is the indirect help the US got from Russia. On this July 4, we explore how Russia accidentally helped the American fight for independence.