 |
 The
Crusades, An Overview The
Crusades were Christian military expditions to
recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. They
began shortly before A.D. 1100 and lasted into
the 1400's. Christians were aroused to organize
the Crusades primarily by religious faith, but
the expeditions were also part of the larger
effort by Europeans to increase their powers,
territory, and riches. |
 U
Thant was an
educator-turned-diplomat who served as
Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1961
to 1971. In that capacity, he was
instrumental in defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis
and ending the war in the Congo. |
 The Battle
of Okinawa (Operation Iceberg),
fought between April 1 and June 22, 1945, was the
first (and only) U.S. land operation on Japanese
soil during World War II, as well as the largest
amphibious assault and last major battle in the
Pacific Theater. It was also the bloodiest
campaign in the Pacific, with more than 250,000
total casualties suffered. |
 Europe in
1914 Although
World War I did not officially begin until July
28, 1914, the fires that sparked it had been
burning since the early 1800's. Peoples
controlled by rulers who often did not even speak
their language were developing nationalist
feelings. Powerful nations were allied together
to advance their own aims. Competition for
colonies, resources and access to trade routes
was often fierce. |
 Dachau
was the name of a Nazi
concentration camp located about 10 miles
northwest of Munich. Not only was it the first
Nazi concentration camp to be opened, it was also
the only one to remain in operation throughout
the duration of Nazi Germany's existence. In
addition, it served as the model by which every
other Nazi camp was constructed and operated. |
 Dag
Hammarskjöld served as Secretary
General of the United Nations from 1953 to 1961,
when he was killed in a plane crash. During his
tenure he convinced the UN to nullify the use of
force during the Suez Crisis and led a
peace-keeping force into the Republic of the
Congo, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize. |
