Ghaseti Begum: The Tragic Story of Bengal’s Powerful Woman

 Ghaseti Begum: The Powerful Woman of Bengal Who Met a Tragic End

Throughout history, the struggle for political power has rarely been limited to battlefields. Behind royal walls, alliances, rivalries, betrayals, and secret decisions often shaped the fate of entire kingdoms. The tragic story of Ghaseti Begum, one of the most influential women of eighteenth-century Bengal, is a striking example of this brutal side of politics.

Ghaseti Begum was the wealthy and politically influential aunt of Siraj ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal before the British East India Company tightened its control over the region. She was famous for her enormous wealth and her influence within the court of Murshidabad. Her residence at Motijheel was associated with extraordinary luxury and wealth.

Unlike many royal women of her time, Ghaseti Begum had considerable political influence. Because she had no biological children of her own, she became deeply involved in the politics surrounding the succession of the Bengal throne. Her political alliances eventually brought her into conflict with her nephew Siraj ud-Daulah.

When Siraj became Nawab in 1756, he regarded the wealth and political network surrounding his aunt as a potential threat to his authority. Much of her wealth was taken under his control, and her political activities were closely monitored.

The situation changed dramatically in 1757, when the famous Battle of Plassey transformed Bengal's history. Siraj ud-Daulah's forces were defeated after powerful figures within his camp, most notably Mir Jafar, turned against him. With the support of the British East India Company, Mir Jafar eventually became the new Nawab, while Siraj ud-Daulah was captured and killed.

But the struggle for power did not end with Siraj's death.

Members of Siraj's family still possessed prestige and influence, and Ghaseti Begum remained an important figure. According to several historical accounts and later traditions, Mir Jafar's son Miran regarded influential members of Siraj's family as a political danger.

Ghaseti Begum and Amina Begum, the mother of Siraj ud-Daulah, were reportedly taken away by boat. Accounts state that the boat was deliberately sunk, causing both women to drown. The precise details and location of the incident vary among historical traditions, so some elements of the story remain difficult to verify with absolute certainty.

Later traditions even describe Ghaseti Begum spending her final moments in prayer as the boat disappeared beneath the water. Whether this particular detail is historically verifiable is uncertain, but the broader tradition of her death by drowning has remained part of Bengal's historical memory.

Her tragic fate reveals the ruthless nature of eighteenth-century Bengal's political struggles. A woman who had once possessed immense wealth, influence, and status eventually became a victim of the same political world in which she had played such an important role.

The story of Ghaseti Begum also demonstrates why the Battle of Plassey should not be viewed as an isolated military event. Its consequences continued through political assassinations, shifting alliances, royal rivalries, and the gradual expansion of British influence in Bengal.

Ghaseti Begum's life therefore represents more than the story of a wealthy royal woman. It is a reminder of how quickly power, wealth, and privilege could disappear when political circumstances changed.

From the magnificent surroundings of Motijheel to a reported death in the dark waters of a river, her story remains one of the most haunting episodes associated with the turbulent history of eighteenth-century Bengal.

Historical Sources

- Ghulam Husain Khan Tabatabai, Siyar-ul-Mutakhkhirin

- Robert Orme, A History of the Military Transactions of the British Nation in Indostan

- Jadunath Sarkar, The History of Bengal

- P. J. Marshall, Bengal: The British Bridgehead

SEO Keywords

Ghaseti Begum history, Ghaseti Begum death, Ghaseti Begum and Siraj ud-Daulah, Battle of Plassey, Mir Jafar history, Miran Bengal history, Bengal Nawabs, history of Bengal, Murshidabad history, Motijheel Ghaseti Begum, Siraj ud-Daulah family, women in Bengal history, eighteenth century Bengal, British East India Company, forgotten history of India

Meta Description

Discover the tragic story of Ghaseti Begum, one of Bengal's wealthiest and most influential women, her connection with Siraj ud-Daulah, the Battle of Plassey, and the historical accounts surrounding her mysterious death.

Hildegund of Schönau disguised as Joseph in a medieval monastery

 

Hildegund of Schönau: The Medieval Girl Who Lived as a Man Named Joseph

The Middle Ages produced countless stories of saints, warriors, pilgrims, kings, and mysterious figures. Yet few are as unusual as the story of Hildegund of Schönau, a young woman whose life, according to medieval religious tradition, was spent partly under the identity of a man named Joseph.

Her story combines pilgrimage, danger, deception, religious devotion, imprisonment, miraculous survival, and a secret identity that was reportedly revealed only after her death.

However, there is an important historical warning. Much of what we know about Hildegund comes from medieval religious literature, particularly the writings associated with Caesarius of Heisterbach. Medieval religious writers often combined historical memories with moral lessons and miracle stories. Therefore, some details of Hildegund's life cannot be independently confirmed by modern historical standards.

Nevertheless, her story offers a fascinating glimpse into medieval society and the extraordinary challenges faced by women who traveled outside the boundaries normally expected of them.

A Dangerous Journey to the Holy Land

Hildegund is traditionally said to have been born around the late twelfth century in the region of the Lower Rhine.

While still very young, she reportedly accompanied her father on a pilgrimage toward the Holy Land. For medieval Christians, a journey to Jerusalem was among the most meaningful religious experiences imaginable.

But reaching the Holy Land was anything but easy.

Medieval pilgrims could spend months traveling through unfamiliar territories. They faced disease, hunger, robbery, storms, shipwrecks, warfare, and countless other dangers. A young girl traveling without protection could be particularly vulnerable.

According to the traditional account, Hildegund's father therefore decided that she should travel disguised as a boy.

Her hair was cut.

Her clothing was changed.

And she was given a new identity:

Joseph.

What began as a protective disguise would eventually become the defining feature of her extraordinary life.

When Hildegund Lost Her Father

The journey took a tragic turn when Hildegund's father reportedly died.

Suddenly, the young traveler was alone in a dangerous world.

Yet the identity of Joseph offered her something that her identity as a young woman might not have provided: greater freedom of movement and access to places that were often difficult or dangerous for unprotected women.

She continued her journey.

According to medieval tradition, she later encountered another pilgrim who had returned from the Holy Land. But their association allegedly ended badly.

The man reportedly stole from her and abandoned her in circumstances that left "Joseph" facing accusations of theft.

Hildegund was now caught in a situation where her disguise was not merely a means of travel. It had become essential to her survival.

The Medieval Trial and the Miracle of the Gallows

The story becomes even more dramatic at this point.

One version of the tradition says that Hildegund was subjected to an ordeal involving hot iron, a form of medieval judicial practice based on the belief that divine intervention could reveal innocence or guilt.

Another episode claims that she was condemned to death by hanging.

According to the miraculous version of the story, however, Hildegund survived the hanging for an extraordinary length of time.

To medieval audiences, such an event had a powerful religious meaning.

The message was not simply that an accused person had escaped death. Rather, the story presented her survival as evidence that divine justice had overturned human judgment.

Whether such an event actually occurred cannot be established with certainty today. Medieval accounts of saints and holy figures frequently used miraculous events to demonstrate God's protection and favor.

Still, the story became an important part of Hildegund's legend.

The Secret Identity of Joseph

After these adventures, Hildegund reportedly continued traveling northward.

But she did not abandon her male identity.

She remained Joseph.

Eventually, according to the tradition, she reached the Cistercian monastery of Schönau, near Heidelberg.

There she was accepted as a male novice.

This is perhaps the most extraordinary part of the entire story.

Hildegund reportedly lived inside a religious community where the other members believed that Joseph was a young man.

She prayed with the monks.

She worked alongside them.

She followed their religious routines.

She ate and lived within the same communal environment.

And throughout this period, she allegedly managed to conceal her biological identity.

How Could Such a Secret Be Kept?

For modern readers, this part of the story may seem almost impossible.

Medieval monasteries were highly structured communities. Religious life involved fixed schedules of prayer, work, meals, discipline, worship, and communal activities.

Living among other members of a monastery while concealing one's identity would therefore have required remarkable caution.

Yet the medieval tradition insists that Hildegund succeeded.

Her story consequently became much more than a tale about disguise. Religious writers interpreted her life through themes such as chastity, endurance, faith, pilgrimage, and divine protection.

The Secret Was Revealed After Her Death

Hildegund's life at Schönau was tragically short.

According to the traditional account, she died in 1188, apparently still very young.

Only after her death did the monks reportedly discover the truth.

The person they had known as Joseph was actually a woman.

The revelation transformed the story into a remarkable medieval legend.

Instead of being remembered simply as someone who had deceived a religious community, Hildegund came to be portrayed as a figure whose unusual circumstances demonstrated extraordinary faith and endurance.

Her story was preserved by religious writers and eventually became one of the more unusual accounts of gender disguise in medieval European history.

History or Medieval Legend?

This is where Hildegund's story requires careful interpretation.

Modern readers naturally want to know: Did all of this really happen?

Unfortunately, the surviving evidence does not allow us to answer that question with complete confidence.

The main accounts were written in a medieval religious environment in which biography and spiritual storytelling were closely connected. Miracles were often included not simply to record events but to communicate religious meaning.

For this reason, stories of miraculous survival, divine intervention, or supernatural protection should not automatically be treated as verified historical events.

At the same time, dismissing the entire story as fiction would also overlook something important.

The fact that medieval writers preserved such stories tells us something about the society in which they lived.

What Hildegund's Story Reveals About Medieval Women

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Hildegund's legend is what it suggests about medieval gender roles.

Women in medieval Europe could travel, undertake pilgrimages, enter religious communities, and participate in many aspects of social life. However, their freedom was often restricted by family structures, social expectations, economic dependence, and concerns about physical safety.

A woman traveling under a male identity could potentially cross boundaries that were otherwise difficult to cross.

In Hildegund's story, the name Joseph became more than a disguise.

It became a passport into a world normally dominated by men.

Through Joseph, Hildegund could travel farther, interact with male pilgrims, and eventually enter a male religious community.

Whether every detail is historically accurate or not, the story reveals that medieval audiences found this transformation both fascinating and meaningful.

A Medieval Story of Identity and Survival

The story of Hildegund of Schönau survives somewhere between history, legend, and religious storytelling.

A young girl supposedly became Joseph.

Joseph traveled across dangerous lands.

Joseph faced accusations and punishment.

Joseph survived extraordinary trials.

Joseph eventually entered a monastery.

And only after death was the hidden identity revealed.

The most spectacular elements of the story may belong to medieval hagiographic tradition rather than verifiable history. Yet that does not make Hildegund's story irrelevant.

On the contrary, it makes it an intriguing window into medieval ideas about faith, identity, gender, pilgrimage, justice, and survival.

Perhaps the most remarkable part is not whether every miracle happened exactly as the medieval writers described it.

It is that someone remembered the story.

Someone wrote it down.

And centuries later, the mysterious figure known as Joseph still invites us to ask an intriguing question:

How much of Hildegund was history, and how much became legend?

Whatever the answer may be, her story remains one of the strangest tales to emerge from the religious world of medieval Europe.

Hassan Bin Sabbah: History, Alamut Castle and the Assassins

 Hassan Bin Sabbah: The History of the Master of Alamut

Hassan Bin Sabbah, also known as Hasan-i Sabbah, was one of the most fascinating and controversial figures of medieval Persian history. He became famous for establishing the Nizari Ismaili stronghold at Alamut and for building a highly organized network of followers during the late 11th and early 12th centuries.

Although later stories portrayed him as the mysterious leader of the legendary “Assassins,” the historical Hassan Bin Sabbah was much more than the character described in popular legends. He was a religious thinker, political organizer, missionary, and strategist whose influence continued long after his death.

Early Life of Hassan Bin Sabbah

Hassan Bin Sabbah was born in Persia during the 11th century. Historical accounts connect his early life with the cities of Qom and Rayy, important centers of learning and religious activity at the time.

As a young man, Hassan became interested in religious and intellectual debates. Eventually, he joined the Ismaili movement and became deeply involved in its religious mission.

His commitment to the Ismaili cause eventually took him outside Persia. He traveled to Egypt, the center of the Fatimid Caliphate, where he became familiar with the political and religious environment surrounding the Ismaili leadership.

Hassan Bin Sabbah and the Seljuks

When Hassan returned to Persia, the Seljuk Empire controlled a large part of the region. The Seljuk rulers followed Sunni Islam and regarded the Ismaili movement as a serious political and religious challenge.

Hassan began organizing Ismaili communities in different parts of Persia. Instead of relying on conventional armies, he developed a network of supporters and carefully selected strategic locations.

His most important achievement came when he captured the fortress of Alamut.

The Capture of Alamut Castle

Around 1090 CE, Hassan Bin Sabbah gained control of Alamut Castle in northern Persia. The fortress was located in a mountainous region and was extremely difficult to attack.

Alamut became the center of Hassan's political and religious organization. From there, he developed a network of fortified settlements and supporters.

Rather than creating a traditional empire based on large armies and extensive territory, Hassan relied on organization, loyalty, strategic fortresses, and political influence.

The Legendary Assassins

One of the most famous aspects of Hassan Bin Sabbah's story is his connection with the “Assassins.”

Medieval European writers and later popular literature created many dramatic stories about Hassan and his followers. Some legends claimed that young followers were taken to secret gardens, given intoxicating substances, and manipulated into carrying out deadly missions.

However, many of these stories are difficult to verify and are not considered reliable descriptions of Hassan's actual organization. The word “Assassin” itself developed through historical and linguistic processes involving terms used by outsiders to describe the Nizari Ismailis.

Therefore, the popular image of Hassan Bin Sabbah as a mysterious master controlling drugged killers should be treated cautiously.

Hassan Bin Sabbah's Leadership

Hassan's greatest strength was arguably his ability to create a disciplined and resilient organization despite facing powerful enemies.

His movement survived through a combination of religious commitment, strategic planning, fortified settlements, intelligence networks, and political pressure.

Alamut remained an important center of the Nizari Ismaili community for many years after Hassan's death.

Death of Hassan Bin Sabbah

Hassan Bin Sabbah died in 1124 CE at Alamut. By that time, he had established a political and religious system that survived him.

His successors continued to maintain the network of Nizari strongholds, and the history of Alamut remained an important chapter in medieval Persian history.

Legacy of Hassan Bin Sabbah

The legacy of Hassan Bin Sabbah is a mixture of documented history and powerful mythology. He has been described as a religious leader, political strategist, revolutionary figure, and mysterious master of the Assassins.

Modern historical research encourages readers to separate reliable evidence from stories written centuries later.

The real story of Hassan Bin Sabbah is fascinating enough without the legends. His rise at Alamut demonstrates how a relatively small and determined organization could challenge much larger political powers through strategy, discipline, religious commitment, and careful organization.

For anyone interested in medieval Persian history, Islamic history, the Nizari Ismailis, or the origins of the Assassin legends, the life of Hassan Bin Sabbah remains one of the most intriguing subjects of the medieval world.

History of Taiwan | Taiwan history with China

 Taiwan complete history

FACT FOCUS

Dutch and Spanish settlers established bases in Taiwan within the early seventeenth century.

Around 1.2 million individuals settled from China to Taiwan in conjunction with the Republic of China (Taiwan) government within the late Nineteen Forties and early Nineteen Fifties.

The mythical creature was supported in 1912 in China. At that point, Taiwan was below Japanese colonial rule as a results of the 1895 pact of Shimonoseki, by that the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan. The mythical creature government began physical exertion jurisdiction over Taiwan in 1945 once Japan relinquished at the top of war II.

The mythical creature government settled to Taiwan in 1949 whereas fighting a warfare with the Chinese Communist Party. Since then, the mythical creature has continuing to exercise effective jurisdiction over the most island of Taiwan and variety of far islands, departure Taiwan and China every below the rule of a special government. The authorities in Peiping haven't exercised sovereignty over Taiwan or alternative islands administered by the mythical creature.

Historical Timeline

The following timeline focuses on Taiwan’s recorded history chemical analysis from regarding four hundred years past, though it's been home to Malayo-Polynesian peoples for several millenniums.

1500s

It is usually believed that European sailors passing Taiwan record the island’s name as Ilha Formosa, or stunning island.

Taiwan continues to expertise visits by little numbers of Chinese merchants, fishermen and pirates.

1624

The Dutch archipelago Company establishes a base in southwestern Taiwan, initiating a metamorphosis in aboriginal grain production practices and using Chinese laborers to figure on its rice and sugar plantations.

1626

Spanish adventurers establish bases in northern Taiwan however area unit ousted by the Dutch in 1642.

1662

Fleeing the Manchurian conquest of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Ming loyalists below Zheng Cheng-gong, or Koxinga, drive out the Dutch from Taiwan and establish authority over the island.

1683

Qing dynasty (1644-1912) forces take hold of Taiwan’s western and northern coastal areas.

1885

Taiwan is asserted a province of the Qing Empire.

1895

Following defeat within the 1st Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), the Qing government signs the pact of Shimonoseki, by that it cedes sovereignty over Taiwan to Japan, that rules the island till 1945.

1911~1912

Chinese revolutionaries overthrow the Qing Empire and establish the mythical creature.

1943

During war II, mythical creature leader general meets with U.S. President FDR and British Prime Minister solon in Cairo. once the conclusion of the conference, the Cairo Declaration is free, stating that “…Formosa [Taiwan], and also the Pescadores [the Penghu Islands], shall be rebuilt to the Republic of China…”

1945

The ROC, U.K. and U.S. conjointly issue the Potsdam Declaration, line of work for Japan’s unconditional surrender and also the carrying-out of the Cairo Declaration.

After war II, mythical creature government representatives settle for the surrender of Japanese forces in Taiwan. The Chief govt of Taiwan Province Chen Loloish sends a note to the japanese governor-general of Taiwan, stating that “As the Chief govt of Taiwan Province of the mythical creature, …I restore all legal territory, people, administration, political, economic, and cultural facilities and assets of Taiwan [including the Penghu Islands].”

1947

The mythical creature Constitution is publicized  January. one and is scheduled  to require result Dec. 25. In March and also the following months, mythical creature troops sent from China suppress a large-scale revolt of Taiwan residents sparked by the February twenty eight Incident.

1948

As all-out warfare rages in China between the Kuomintang-led mythical creature government and CCP. The Temporary Provisions Effective throughout the amount of National Mobilization for Suppression of the Communist Rebellion area unit enacted, preponderant the mythical creature Constitution and greatly increasing presidential powers. This begins the amount of White Terror that lasts till 1991 once the Temporary Provisions area unit raised.

1949

The mythical creature government relocates to Taiwan, followed by one.2 million individuals from China.

Oct. twenty five sees the Battle of Kuningtou on Kinmen, during which the mythical creature militia defeat the CCP on the northwestern coast of the island.

Martial law is asserted in Taiwan and continues to be good till 1987.

1952

Following the 1951 urban center pact with Japan signed by forty eight Allied nations on behalf of the United Nations, the pact of Peace is signed between the mythical creature and Japan at capital of Taiwan Guest House, formally ending the state of war between the 2 parties. it's recognized that below Article a pair of of the urban center pact, Japan has renounced fine, title, and claim to Taiwan (Formosa) and Penghu (the Pescadores) also because the Spratly Islands and also the Paracel Islands. All treaties, conventions and agreements all over before Dec. 9, 1941, between China and Japan become null and void as a consequence of the war.

1954

The ROC-U.S. Mutual Defense pact is signed in Washington.

1958

Aug. twenty three sees the beginning of associate degree artillery duel between the mythical creature garrison on Kinmen and Chinese forces that lasts quite forty days.

1966

The first Export process Zone is established in Kaohsiung town, southern Taiwan. The creation of such zones propels Taiwan toward changing into a developed nation, setting a paradigm for alternative countries to follow.

1968

The 9-year obligatory education system is launched at a time once fewer than nine countries globally have obligatory education systems of this length or a lot of.

1971

On Oct. 25, the United Nations General Assembly passes U.N. Resolution 2758 recognizing the People’s Republic of China (PRC) because the solely legitimate representative of China to the world body. The mythical creature withdraws from the U.N.

1979

Democracy activists demonstrating in Kaohsiung area unit inactive and confined following what's referred to as the Kaohsiung Incident, that eventually ends up in the formation and development of the Democratic political party in 1986.

1987

Martial law, in result since 1949, ends and bans on the formation of recent political parties and news publications area unit raised. group action goes into gear mechanism.

Cross-strait people-to-people exchanges begin.

1991

The Temporary Provisions Effective throughout the amount of National Mobilization for Suppression of the Communist Rebellion area unit abolished. an entire re-election of all law-makers representatives, as well as members of the law-makers and National Assembly, takes place from 1991 to 1992, giving the individuals of Taiwan full illustration. From 1991 through 2005, the mythical creature Constitution undergoes seven rounds of revision. Taiwan becomes a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

1992

Government-authorized representatives from across the Taiwan Strait meet for the primary time in port, and via succeeding communication and negotiations make numerous joint acknowledgements and understandings.

1995

The National insurance program begins.

1996

The mythical creature holds its first-ever direct presidential election, with the KMT’s Lee Teng-hui and nominee Lien Chan garnering fifty four % of the vote.

2000

Chen Shui-bian and Annette Hsiu-lien atomic number 71 of the DPP area unit nonappointive president and vp, ending the KMT’s quite 50-year rule and marking the primary transfer of mythical creature government govt power in Taiwan between political parties.

2002

Taiwan becomes a member of the planet Trade Organization.

2003

The Legislative Yuan passes the vote Act, providing a legal basis for voters to vote directly on problems with native or national importance.

2004

The first national vote is command in conjunction with the third direct presidential election, during which Chen and atomic number 71 area unit re-elected with a small majority.

2005

The Legislative Yuan passes a constitutional modification package, halving the quantity of its seats from 225 to 113 and introducing the single-district, two-votes system for legislative elections.

2008

Ma Ying-jeou and Vincent C. Siew of the KMT area unit nonappointive president and vp of the mythical creature, garnering fifty eight % of the vote and marking the second transfer of mythical creature government govt power in Taiwan between political parties.

2009

Taiwan attends the planet Health Assembly as associate degree observer, marking its 1st participation in associate degree activity of the U.N. since its withdrawal in 1971.

President Ma signs the instruments of confirmation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and also the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

2010

The mythical creature inks the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) with China to send economic and trade relations across the 

The centennial of the mythical creature is well known in Taiwan.

2012

Incumbent Ma Ying-jeou and his new nominee Chinese Den-yih, representing the KMT, win the election for president and vp with fifty one.6 % of the vote.

2013

Taiwan signs associate degree agreement on economic cooperation with New island associate degreed an agreement on economic partnership with Singapore.

Taiwan attends the thirty eighth session of the International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly because the guest of the council’s president.

2014

Mainland Affairs Council Minister Wang Yu-chi holds a proper meeting with China’s Taiwan Affairs workplace director Zhang Zhijun in city in February, marking the primary official contact between the heads of the individual government agencies accountable for cross-strait relations. Sunflower Movement protesters occupy the law-makers to oppose the passing of the Cross- Strait Service Trade Agreement, preventing its passage. A record eleven,130 candidates area unit nonappointive nationwide for 9 classes of regime representatives in what area unit referred to as the “nine-in-one” native elections. 2015 President Ma and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet in Singapore in Nov, marking the primary commanding meeting between the 2 sides in sixty six years. Taiwan signs the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and submits its instrument of acceptance to the China. 

2015

President Ma and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet in Singapore in November, marking the primary superior meeting between the 2 sides in sixty six years.

Taiwan signs the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and submits its instrument of acceptance to the organization.

2016

DPP president Tsai Ing-wen and tutorial Chen Chien-jen area unit nonappointive president and vp of the mythical creature.

The DPP gains its initial legislative majority once securing sixty eight of the 113 seats.

President Tsai Ing-wen formally apologizes on behalf of the govt to the nation’s autochthonous peoples for the pain and practice they endured for hundreds of years.

2017

The autochthonous Languages Development Act is enacted to preserve and promote the native tongues of Taiwan’s sixteen formally recognized autochthonous tribes.

Taiwan hosts the Taipeh 2017 Summer Universiade.

Formosat-5, the nation’s initial native ultra-high resolution Earth observation satellite, is launched.

2018

Taiwan’s shift Justice Commission is inaugurated might thirty one. President Tsai problems associate apology to victims of political maltreatment throughout the country’s White Terror amount from 1949 to 1991 following the commission’s call to delete their criminal records.

2019

A special law legalizing duet is passed, creating Taiwan the primary country in Asia to permit LGBT unions.

2020

Tsai Ing-wen and candidate Lai Ching-te of the ruling DPP party win the 2020 presidential election with fifty seven.1 p.c of the vote. The DPP retains its legislative majority.

2021~2022

Best Events & Festivals in Taiwan in 2021~2022

Check out our guide to celebrations, ancient holidays and festivals in Taiwan command throughout the year.

A number of the foremost in style annual celebrations and you may even need to arrange a visit around these special days wherever you'll expertise initial hand the culture, festivities, food and drink.

History of Peru | Guide to Peru Trip

Peru History to help you when visiting

In my capacity as a blogger, one of my responsibilities is to ensure that all people have the best possible tourist experience, so here are some interesting facts about Peruvian history that I hope will enhance your trip.

Incas history

Who were the Incas? They were natives of South America who in their day ruled one of the largest and richest states in the Americas. Everything that is known about them today is revealed in the oral tradition, the remnants of their traditions, such as stones, pottery, gold and silver jewelry, and the weaving of human paintings.

The Incas did not develop a written language that made it possible for them to control and control such a vast area. The Incas ruled the people from hundreds of different ethnic groups who spoke their own language. They have managed to maintain control by developing sophisticated methods of organizing their community. They realized that by retaining a large army, and by establishing more advanced agricultural, construction and engineering methods they could be a spectacular presence.

The most important inventions by the Incas were the intricate design of stone roads and the numerous bridges they built to link all parts of the world.

Inca Empire Road System

Everyone who conquered the Incas was obliged to learn and speak their own language, so having a common language certainly made communication easier in the Inca empire.

First of all the Inca road system deserves to be mentioned as it is the most comprehensive system in pre-Columbia. It is astonishing to think that the Incas formed a 14,000-mile [14,000 km] road system, some of which cut through the Andes Mountains and reached a height of 5,000 feet [16,500 m] above sea level. Considering the evidence that the Incas did not use a wheelchair to travel and did not own horses until the 16th century, it is surprising that these routes were used for mere walking (cargo) or running (as it were). how to convey messages).

Accommodations 

To provide rest and food, there were about 2,000 bedrooms, set up at convenient times on the streets. The inns also provided animal corrals, usually llamas, to rest and complete the preparations for their next trip. The Incas built rope bridges to reach the valleys. food, shelter and military supplies for tens of thousands of road users. In Cuzco, the city of the Incas, the canals meet at the center of the empire.

Machu Picchu

Inca route to Machu Picchu. The Capaq Nan route is the most famous Inca route leading to Ollantaytambo village and Machu Picchu, the "Lost Inca City". There are also many well-preserved ruins along the way and that along with the Andes Mountains and parts of the Amazonian rain forest makes the whole experience very magical. You will meet the ‘Sun Gate’ and enter Machu Picchu your reward after your amazing journey. The Inca Empire reached its peak about 1450 with the construction of Machu Picchu. The story goes that under the Spanish conquest the empire fell and Machu Picchu was left less than 100 years later.

The Spaniards were unable to find Machu Picchu, and because the forest reclaimed it, it was preserved, as were many other Inca lands. Very few knew about its existence and the empire was restored to the world imagination in 1911 by the Yale historian and explorer Hiram.

The Short History of England | History of England in Nutshell

 England History

In the lower Paleolithic period, the habitation of the British Isles was made by early hominids more than 10,000 years ago. British islands were laying to continental Europe by a territory named Doggerland by the Mesolithic period. Homo sapiens or modern humans were the only hominid species to still survive here between 4500 BC to 600 BC.

Agriculture was adopted and many people started from in the course of the first 1000 near BC. Emigration from continental Europe resulted in the establishment of Celtic languages in the British pounds from 40 to 410 AD. The Soudan Britain was part of the Roman Empire expeditions were made in today's Scotland - named Caledonia by Romans but in the north of the island, the native population treated invaders with hostility.

Many Roman forts were destroyed by fire after the end of the Roman period. The early medieval times saw a series of invasions of Britain by the German-speaking Saxons beginning with the 5th century. Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were formed and to words with British states. They came to cover the territory of present-day England after that period. The Anglo-Saxon state was Christianized in the 9th century Vikings from Norway and Denmark conquered most of England.

 Only the kingdom of Wessex under the Alfred the Great survived and even managed to reconquer and innovate England for much of the 10th century. But in the early 11th century the subjugation of England to Denmark under 10 new to degrade happened. Danish rule was overthrown and the local house of Wessex was restored to power under Edward. The Confessor from both two decades under his debt in 1066 but William Duke of Normandy said he was the rightful hire of the English throne.

He invaded England proclaiming himself to be the King. William the first threatened his regime by appointing loyal members of the norman led to any position of authority in the kingdom. After that England faced a period of succession crisis known as anarchy by thirty forty-eight black there was in England and one of three people were killed because of these diseases. A succession crisis in France led to a hundred years worth a series of conflicts involving the people of both nations France won and England had its own succession.

Wars again in the Middle Ages anyone wants to be a king and to have power humans. Henry Tudor ended the War of the Roses and established the Tudor dynasty in 1486. The most known king in that era was Harry which embarked on a war in France just for personal desire and glory even if her sister was married with the King of France. Harry had six wives he killed two and divorced two of them, one died and one survived but at that time there wasn't possible to divorce.

This was a law from Catholic  Church while Harry decided to simply create his own Reformation. English Reformation where the Pope couldn't be the big boss anymore. But a king was Elizabeth the first started a golden era in England. Poetry and music cultures were growing, the economy was stronger and from the military point of view at that time English managed to defeat a Spanish fleet Armada which was the great fleet.

At least they say so after the Tudors he stewards came in. In the union of counts, another civil war happened. King Charles was killed in 1649. A Commonwealth was established as a protectorate and after that, the stores came again in 1660. The colonial period officially began in 1607 when England built an establishment at Jamestown in today's the United States. The union between the kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland was made possible by both Parliament's in 1707 which dissolved them.

To form a Kingdom of Great Britain governed by a unified. Parliament of Great Britain according to the Treaty of Union the acts joined the kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland in a single Kingdom, the Kingdom of Great Britain

History of North Korea

North Korea History 

The Korean Peninsula has been inhabited for 100,000 years early Kingdom established an incredibly. Strong Korean military presence in East Asia that was able to keep Russia Mongolia and China from invading fast-forward to the 1st century AD. They were united and there's some really powerful dynasties until 1897 when the Korean Empire was established. Things are getting spicy however the Korean Empire didn't last long because in 1910 Japan invaded the peninsula and took over everything. 

They were terrible and suppressed Korean traditions in the language and only ran the economy to benefit themselves. Naturally, the Korean people. Weren't exactly agree with this and there was a lot of guerilla warfare to try and kick the Japanese out. One of those guerrillas was a guy named Kim Ho sang but more in him later things were pretty peachy for the Japanese until the end of World War 2 when they were finally kicked out that's.

When the peninsula was divided into two parts. The United States supported the capitalist South and the Soviet Union supported the communist north. Whatever reason that never seems to end well the northerners weren't exactly happy about this arrangement. So they invaded the south and that's when the Korean War started and was devastating for everyone involved since more than 3 million people ended up dying in just three short years. The war eventually ended in 1953 and North and South Korea was internationally recognized as two different countries separated by the Demilitarized Zone.

Ironically it quickly became the most militarized zone in the history of the world. Surprisingly life of the North Korean people wasn't that bad, immediately following the war. They were better off than the South Korean people in the 60s and 70s since Kim Il-sung was best buds with Stalin and at a ton of Soviet resources to help boost the economy. Unsurprisingly though not all of those resources were used to boost the economy. Kim eun-sun was super interested in nuclear power and used the Soviets only to do a bunch of research development and tests this. 

Naturally wasn't exactly with the rest of the world so the UN has them to stop and North Korea said no. Then the UN asked again and North Korea said maybe and then no okay back to the North Korean people. Even though they were doing better economically for the first 20 years of division. They were also losing their individualism and freedom. Kim il-sung was a bit of a narcissist and so keep d cult of personality in place means everyone has to worship.

The dear leader and anyone who doesn't violently punish also. He was the guy who established the juju which is the ideology that North Korea should be miss independent to be entirely self-sustaining and not accept any help from anyone. Ever except of course from China in the Soviet Union. Why can probably guess this ideology didn't exactly work out and the economy started to plateau and decline in the late 80s and then took a complete nosedive in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed.

 A few years later Kim Wilson conveniently kicked the bucket in the Sun Kim jong-il took over as the narcissist in charge. He was more than ready to take on. The row King jungle was just as bad as his father. The mid90s ended up being a rough time for North Korea. There was a ton of flooding which decimated their crops and led to a famine that killed anywhere from a quarter-million to three-and-a-half million people.

The situation was so bad that the Dear Leader had to accept large quantities of food aid from the United Nations in the 21st century. Things became mildly better for the North Korean people but not much well. The family was over people still struggled to get enough to eat since the government underpaid most of its citizens and gave them very little freedom in choosing a career. In 2011 Kim Jong Il died and his son Kim Jong-un took over.

This guy who's best pals with Dennis Rodman what just like his ancestors Kim's a big fan of nuclear weapons and threatening the West with him. But he did something none of them were able to accomplish. He meant with both the president of South Korea and the President of the United States of America during the meetings. They reportedly talked about unifying the Koreas and throwing out all the nukes but sadly not a lot came from those meetings.

For now, North Korea remains one of the most repressive states in the entire world and has continuously ranked as one of the worst human rights violators. They don't allow their citizens to travel freely within the country, they imprison people for the most arbitrary offenses and they rely on forced labor to keep their economy. Running things are so bad that an ever-growing North Korean refugee population in South Korea alone. there are over 31,000 North Korean refugees living and working in what is to them a completely different world. 

How did Indonesia became a Muslim country? History of Islam in Indonesia

Religion Islam in Indonesia

What is the country with the largest Muslim population in the entire world? Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, or Nigeria. So the correct answer is Indonesia. Islam is the religion in Indonesia with the most adherents with 87.2% of the Indonesian population identifying themselves as Muslim and according to the nearest survey, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world with approximately 220 million Muslims. As we all know that Islam started in Arabia in the seventh century. From where it expanded to more people especially in continental North Africa and southwestern Asia.

A question just popped up how did Islam reach this archipelago, how did these away islands become Muslim? The series of Muslim conquests following Mohammed's (Sallaho Alaihe Wasalam) Passed away, led to the creation of the caliphates. These empires expanded quickly and occupied enormous geographical areas occupying more and more land. The conversion to Islam was boosted by missionary activities. 

Particularly those of Imams they told the religious teachings to the local people due to the rapid military expansion. The new religion expanded too and the new conquered territories. These early dynasties focused on spreading the new religion but also they focused on research economics and trading during the Islamic Golden Age. 

More and more people converted to this religion including crowned heads Nobles but also trades and merchants. This resulted in rapid spreading towards the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Islam influence first came to be felt in the Indian subcontinent during the early 7th century with the advent of Arab traders. 

Arab traders used to visit the Malabar region which was a link between them and the ports of Southeast Asia to trade even before Islam had been established in Arabia. The Arab merchants and traders became the carriers of the new religion and they propagated it wherever they went. It was however the subsequent expansion of the Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent over the next millennia that established Islam in the region. 

Muslim missionaries played a key role in the spread of Islam in Asia. Some missionaries even assuming roles as merchants. They were sent across Asia in all directions under various titles often as traders. The missionaries were instructed to speak to their potential converts in their own language. Even before Islam was established amongst Indonesian communities Muslims sailors and traders had often visited the shores of modern Indonesia.

Most of these early sailors and merchants arrived from the Abbasid caliphs its newly established ports of Basra and debal. The territory was rich in spices exotic fruits and other goods. There is evidence of Arab Muslim traders entering Indonesia as early as the 8th century. But it was not until the 12th or 13th century then the spread of Islam started and expanded even more due to the adoption by the local rulers and elites.

The missionaries came from many territories and regions. Some came here from India and later from the southern Arabian Peninsula. It is believed that around the 13th century, religion began to emerge on the northern coast of Sumatra. After this Islam was further spread by Sufi orders and finally consolidated by the expansion of the territories of converted rulers and their communities. It is not knowing a certain date when the conversion started and having no clear indication of when Islam first came to the region.

We may consider the start around 11th or 12th centuries the first Muslim gravestone markings date to 1080 - also when Marco Polo visited the area in 1292 he noted that the urban port state of perlac was Muslim. The first evidence of a Muslim dynasty in the gravestone dated 1297 of Sultan Malik Al Saleh the first Muslim ruler of the semaj opposite Sultanate Chinese. Sources record the presence of a Muslim delegation to the Emperor from the kingdom of Sumatra in 1282.

The spread of Islam generally followed the trade routes east through the primarily Buddhist region and half a century later in the malakas. We see the first dynasty arise in the form of the Sultanate of Malacca at the far end of the archipelago formed by the conversion of one Shah into a Muslim and the adoption of the name Mohammed Iskandar Shah. The spread of Islam among the ruling class was precipitated as Muslim traders married the local women with some of the wealthier traders marrying into the families of the ruling elite Indonesian people.

As local rulers and royalty began to adopt it and subsequently their subjects mirrored their conversion the expansion accelerated in the 15th century as the military power of Malacca Sultanate in the Malay Peninsula. Andother Islamic salt it's dominated the region aided by episodes of Muslim coup Wars and superior control of maritime trading and ultimate markets by the 14th century. Islam had been established in Northeast Malaya Brunei the southwestern Philippines and among some quarts of coastal East and Central Java.

The 15th century saw the decline of the Hindu Javanese Majapahit Empire as Muslim traders from Arabia India Samatra and the Malay Peninsula and also China began to dominate the regional trade that once controlled the Javanese Majapahit traders, Chinese Ming Dynasty provided systematic support to Malacca. Ming Chinese Zhang's voyages is credited for creating Chinese Muslim settlement in Palembang and north coast of Java Malacca.

Actively encouraged the conversion to Islam in the region while Ming fleet activity established Chinese Malay Muslim community in North East coastal. Java thus created a permanent opposition to the Hindus of Java. The expeditions had established Muslim Chinese Arab and Malay communities in the northern ports of Java. Dominant Muslim kingdoms were more and more present in the archipelago Hindus historical inhabitants were Animists Hindus and Buddhists. 

In time many of them accepted the new religion because Muslim merchants and traders disseminated Islamic teachings while trading with the local population and their teachings encouraged proselytizing religion. Hindus and Buddhists don't generally proselytize and Islam is a monotheistic belief system and it doesn't allow its followers to believe in another God. Being a Muslim created more privileges benefits and favourable terms for the local people than being a non-muslim.

Some people needed safety and certainty so they chose to declare themselves as Muslims because Islam made an appearance in Southeast Asia through trade with people of South Arabia and Indian Sufis. The transition was made more peacefully than in the Middle East or North Africa where existed conflicts in Indonesia. The process was slower but was created differently through merchants elites and Nobles.

The presence of monarchy made it easier for the religion to spread among the commoners just as the presence of Christianity in the monarchy made it easier for the religion to spread in European kingdoms. Meanwhile in Java Island the great Hindu Majah pocket Empire was collapsing. Some of these new kingdoms were supported by Ming China through assimilation related to trade royal conversions. Conquest Islam had supplanted Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religion of Java and Sumatra by the end of the sixteenth century.

But many cultural and religious habits from the Hindu Buddhist era were mostly tolerated and even incorporated into Islamic rituals. Islam didn't obliterate the pre-existing culture rather it incorporated and embedded the local customs and non-Islamic elements among rules in part. The strong presence of Sufism has been considered a major enabler of the syncretism between Islam and other religions when Europeans came.

They brought Christianity to the Muslim majority but not so many converted, probably due to the fact that in that time already the accent wasn't put on religion as much as in the 12th or 13th centuries. But this is another discussion Indonesia is a big country with more than 250 million people from different cultures and ethnicities across thousands of islands.

From a religious point of view Indonesia is not ruled by a single law because more than 80 percent of the population are Muslims. Indonesia can be called as one of the Muslim country in the world but Indonesia is not a traditional Islamic one. Their constitution does not specifically base on their religion and also it contains many values Universal ones are also available in Islam as well as in other religions, formulated into what is known as pang Casilla the five philosophical pillars of the country.

Why did the Soviets lose in Afghanistan? | Defeat of soviet union in Afghanistan

 Soviet Union and Afghanistan

 Starting in the 1950s the USSR began giving aid to Afghanistan. The Soviets build roads irrigation and even some oil pipelines before the arrival of the Soviet troops in this country. The Communist Party took power after 1978 Kunur Muhammad Taraki became president. 

The party initiated a series of radical modernisation reforms through the country. But these new reforms turned out to be very unlike by the more traditional ruler, Muslim population and for the traditional power structures. The people sole and distribution and women's rights has a very strange to the traditional.

 

Islamic culture the new regime suppressed a positional executing, thousands of political prisoners and ordering massacres against unarmed civilians. This led to the rise of anti-government armed groups and by April 1979 large parts of this country were in open rebellion. The government itself experienced in party rivalry and in September 1979 Turkey was murdered under the orders of one of his rivals Hafiz Allah Ameen maskull, wanted to help the new regime and to expand their influence.

One more communist country in the region could have been a good thing for the Russians plus the fact that his Soviets wanted to protect their interest in Afghanistan, eventually the Soviet government. Under the leader Leonid Brezhnev decided to deploy the 40 army at the end of 1979 arriving in the capital Kabul. 

They staged a coup killing President Amin and installing the Soviet lowest Babrak Karmal from a rival faction. The deployment had been variously told an invasion by others. 100,000 soldiers secured Kabul quickly after USSR - control of the Afghan capital.

Detroit following decade to gain control over the whole country. Resistance fighters called Mujaheddin, so the Christians and artists Soviets controlling Afghanistan as an insult of Islam as well as of their traditional culture proclaiming a jihad, a holy war they gained the support of Islamic world and the US which gave them weapons and money. 

So this was the main enemy for the Soviets but their failure to expand their influence to the whole country happened due to some reasons. One of the principal ones is the country itself and its terrain. Afghanistan a place larger than Ukraine with a harsh soil full of deserts mountains caves cliffs and with a very traditional Muslim people. 

Some of them Muslim fanatics having a place to fight but these details was a real struggle for the Soviets. The Mujaheddin employed guerrilla tactics against the Soviet forces. They would attack and write quickly causing great destruction. 

The Soviet Army used armoured formations  and this was notably ineffective against small scale guerrilla groups using hit and run. Tactics in the rough terrain of Afghanistan large offensives were made against the Mujaheddin strongholds but their enemy was dispersed and the Soviets withdrew once their operation was completed. So with wasn't like a clear front-line to fight and maintain on after years of fighting in 1989, Soviet forces pulled out of Afghanistan.

 

15,000 Soviet soldiers and countless Afghans had been killed in the decade. Long war billions of dollars had been spent each year to support troops in Afghanistan. But unable to defeat the Mujaheddin and pressed by world opinion to leave Afghanistan. Gorbachev the Soviet leader decided that the USSR had to get out also with the introduction of other powerful weapons in the the Mujaheddin managed to destroy valuable pieces of armoured helicopters and planes. 

Increasing the monetary costs being a very costly war for years with pressure from outside and inside and with no big progress. The USSR forces left as it was presented. It wasn't a classical war the Soviets managed to create some achievements but due to the harsh terrain and fighting against an enemy who hit Iran backed by other countries including USA, they dropped their case in 1989. 

The Afghan communist regime fell in 1992. There is so much more to talk about in this proxy war of the Cold War but we wanted to present some details about this topic as short as possible.

World War II history

How did world War 2 started? 

 It is the biggest furnished clash that humankind has known. A dangerous conflict that included huge number of contenders all throughout the planet. We should remember on a guide, a synopsis of the headliners of World War II. Toward the finish of World War I, Germany and its partners are crushed and considered exclusively liable for the conflict. With weighty assents forced upon them, the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman realms are destroyed, while Germany needs to reimburse what many think about an irrational obligation. Its states and a portion of its domains are surrendered to the victors, and to Poland which is reproduced. These assents are viewed as embarrassment by the German public.

The German economy is debilitated by exorbitant obligation and endures excessive inflation. Public mints attempt to address this by printing banknotes, causing a debasement of its cash. Among 1914 and November 1923, the worth of the imprint developed by 1,000 billion. The next year, revolutionary measures are taken to end swelling and settle and resuscitate the economy. However, in 1929 the Wall Street crash in New York causes the most exceedingly terrible monetary emergency of the twentieth century. Its effect is felt around the world, with Germany not saved either, making the joblessness rate detonate. Seriously debilitated, Germany sees an ascent of patriotism in 1933 that permits the ascent to force of the Nazi party with Adolf Hitler at its rudder.

In spite of the severe conditions forced upon Germany after WWI, the new extremist system resets the nation and reestablishes military assistance. The nation likewise starts a forceful international strategy with the fantasy about joining all German-talking individuals. Italy, notwithstanding its triumph with the Allies, is disappointed by the measure of an area it acquired after WWI. Since 1922, the nation is managed by the oppressive extremist party of Benito Mussolini. Italy starts a provincial strategy by holding onto Ethiopia and readies an intrusion of Albania.

In Spain, starts three years of common conflict contradicting the Republican government who're upheld by the USSR and the International Brigades, and the patriot camp drove by Francisco Franco, and supported by Italy and Germany. The two nations made a move to test their militarise and to draw nearer carefully. In Asia, Japan proceeds with its expansionist arrangement. The nation exploits the common conflict in China to attack new domains. The Japanese armed force utilises compound and organic weapons and submits slaughters of populaces, Germany is currently incredible enough to dispatch its regional extension.

It originally attached Austria with help from the neighbourhood Nazi party. Then, the west of Czechoslovakia was attacked. The Slovak Republic turns into a German satellite state while Hungary develops nearer strategically. After the control of a piece of Lithuania, Germany signs with the USSR a peace agreement and an arrangement to cut up Europe. It then, at that point, assaults Poland, which incites the United Kingdom and France to announce war, denoting the start of World War II.

Albeit the German powers are moved in the East, the Allied soldiers don't step up in the West. Instead, France and the United Kingdom try to cut the strategic iron ore route that passes through Norway and supplies the German military industry. Germany reacts by invading Denmark and Norway. Within days, the country captures Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium.         

Hitler’s new military strategy is called Blitzkrieg, which surprises opposition defences with rapid, high-intensity attacks in a concentrated area. British forces retreat in the face of this German military prowess, and the German army bears down on Paris. The French army is defeated and an armistice is signed. Germany occupies the north and west of France, leaving its other territory and colonies under the control of the new government.

Germany thus has indirect control of French colonies without having to send an army there. However, parts of the French colonies and the Belgian Congo chooses to stay in the camp of the Allies. In London, which already hosts several governments in exile, General Charles de Gaulle creates Free France which continues to fight Nazi Germany. Brazzaville is named as its capital. 

Pursuant to agreements signed with Germany, the Soviet Union seizes the Baltic states and a part of Roumania. Germany, Italy and Japan combine to form the Axis Powers. All dominions and British colonies, with the exception of Ireland, enter the war. In Africa, fighting begins between Italian colonies and Allied forces. 

While in Europe, despite the massive aerial bombing of British cities, Germany fails to take over the country. Hitler then changes his plans: he now wants to invade the USSR. But the plan is delayed by Italy, that fails to invade Greece and is forced to retreat by Allied forces. After the accession of Hungary, Roumania and Bulgaria to the Axis forces, the German armies head south to invade Yugoslavia and Greece. Everywhere in Europe, the resistance is organised in different forms. Sometimes, people organise strikes, demonstrations or protect wanted persons. Some groups spy for the Allies, conduct sabotage or print resistance newspapers. In Eastern Europe, guerrilla forces undermine the Axis armies. 

In Yugoslavia and Greece, resistant communists and royalist groups confront each other. Germany isn’t spared the anti-Nazi resistance, with some attempts to assassinate Hitler … which fail. On June 22, Axis forces launched - on some counts - the largest military operation in history to attack USSR, which now passes de facto into the camp of Allied forces. The bulk of the German troops, well equipped and motorised, rush to the east. To support the Soviets, Allies occupy Iran which then opens up a supply route through the Caucasus. German armies arrive in Leningrad and begin a siege of the city that would last 872 days and cause more than 1 million civilian deaths. 

Further south, German troops were stopped at the gates of Moscow, where they suffer a harsh and deadly winter. Behind the front lines, the SS massacre Slavic and Jewish populations. In Asia, Japan occupies French Indochina. To counter its expansionist policy, the United States imposes upon it an embargo on oil and steel. In response, the Japanese conduct a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. A massive aerial bombing damages a large part of the US naval fleet. The United States enters the war on the Allied side. At first, they concentrate their forces on the Pacific front. The country also provides supplies to the USSR, which continues resisting the German advance. Japan, for its part, conquers new territories in the Pacific. In addition to the massacres, Japan sends 10 million Chinese civilians into forced labour camps.

In Indonesia, millions of prisoners suffer the same fate on the island of Java. In Burma and Thailand, Allied prisoners are exhausted in the construction of a railway line. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of women are forcibly recruited into prostitution for the Japanese army. In Europe, concentration and extermination camps are built to massacre, among others, Jews, resistance fighters, political opponents, gypsies, homosexuals and people with disabilities. Fearing a second front in Europe, Hitler built the Atlantic Wall, a series of military installations protecting the coast from invasion. But the Allies first landed in Morocco and Algeria. 

Italian Libya finds itself caught between two fronts. Having lost control of its colonies, Vichy France is invaded. In the East, Axis forces try to cut the supply route of the Caucasus. But for the first time, the German offensive undergoes a major military setback. The Soviets take the initiative and counterattack. Africa is now entirely controlled by Allies who organise a landing in Sicily. The new Italian government requests an armistice, causing the Germans to invade. The USSR advances rapidly westward, forcing the German army to concentrate on that front. 

On June 6, 1944, the Allies land in Normandy. Their armies quickly take over and liberate Paris. In the West, as in the East, countries are liberated or switch camps. With victory in sight, Allied powers announce the creation of the United Nations. Countries that declared war on Germany and Japan would be admitted at its founding conference. This triggers a wave of declarations of war but without major consequence. 

On April 30, Hitler commits suicide in his bunker just before the arrival of the Soviets. Eight days later, the country surrenders. The United States and USSR join forces to overcome the Empire of Japan. The Soviets began a military invasion via Manchuria while the US drops two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 15, Japan surrenders, marking the end of World War II. After 6 years of war, the human toll is heavy with at least 60 million dead, mostly civilians. 

Many cities are completely destroyed. Europe and the USSR subject millions of German prisoners of war to bonded labour, many of whom would die. Germany and Austria are carved up among the Victor's. The old guard of European powers are left exhausted and ruined by war. The United States and USSR emerge as the remaining global superpowers.Despite the role of the UN, which aims to maintain peace and international security, both sides would eventually engage in indirect confrontations around the world.