14 MARCH

FOREIGN OFFICE WARNED NOT TO DISCLOSE DATA WHICH MIGHT BE USED AGAINST THE UK. [ 7 July 1975 ] On this day in 1975, John Hickman, an official at the British embassy in Dublin, wrote to Bill Harding at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, warning him that statistics on the relative number of Catholics and…

BRITISH TROOPS RANSACK THE CRIMEAN PORT OF BALAKLAVA [ 26 September 1854 ] On this day in 1854, the British army ransacked the small Crimean port of Balaclava.  Professor Saul David comments that when they arrived they found “the port was largely deserted.: most of its 1500 inhabitants had already fled… leaving their homes to…

AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND SLAUGHTERED AS BRITISH TROOPS SACK DELHI. [ 20 September 1857 ] On this day in 1857, after six days of fierce street fighting, British troops under General Sir Archdale Wilson finally obtained the surrender of the remaining pockets of Indian Mutineers still holding out in the city.  However they remained determined…

THE TELEGRAPH BACKS HITLER’S MURDEROUS CRACKDOWN ON HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS. [ 1 March 1933 ] The burning down of the German Reichstag (parliament) on the night of 27 February 1933 was blamed on ‘red terror.’ The arson may well have been instigated by the Nazis, but the incident gave Hitler the opportunity he hungered for…

BRITAIN RECOGNIZES IDI AMIN FOLLOWING COUP IN UGANDA On 5th February 1971, on the day of Major General Idi Amin’s swearing in as president, following a military coup twelve days earlier, Britain was one of the first countries in the world to formally recognize his new government. Please feel welcome to post comments below.  If…

MI6 OVERTHROW MOSSADEGH – THE POPULAR MODERATE PRIME MINISTER OF IRAN. [ 19 August 1953 ] (Shorter version) On this day in 1953 British intelligence, helped by the CIA, staged a coup to oust Muhammad Mossadegh, the moderate nationalist prime minister of Iran, who had been a firm believer in liberal values, democracy and the…