"It's a good question," he says eventually. "If I'd just done good things, I would never have really blown up on social media in the first place." /2

"Ukraine has given more military aid to the USA in 2026 than the USA has given to Ukraine." Americans should hang their heads in shame.

Youtube comment of the day: "Love the great research and information, but there’s a whole bloc of us searching for programming to fall asleep to. Your tone is a bit too intense and sharp for that. Got a lite version to offer?"

This is a fantastic listen. Seriously. What a story!

Tail of a B-17

I used to play Risk a lot in high-school. Here’s how many troops I think it will take to hold the Strait of Hormuz.

The biggest WW1 offensive you might not have heard of: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB9v...

The Dardanelles are open for transit, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill said. "The only thing prohibiting transit in the straits right now is the Ottomans shooting at the fleet," he said. "It is open for transit should the Ottomans not do that."

BTW there is one benefit you get from watching the video version of The Untitled History Podcast on Spotify or Youtube: You get to play "guess when the Tortie Research Assistant will show up and demand hugs". (I have to warn guests in advance to ignore her) www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRtX...

This week on the Untitled History Podcast: In 1901 Colonel Alfred Redl became head of counter-espionage at the Austro-Hungarian Evidenzbureau. What nobody knew was that Redl was a Russian Spy. Join @jessealexander.bsky.social and I as we explore his dramatic rise and fall #history

The sheer strategic stupidity of bailing Russia out of its economic hole by launching a war that entirely foreseeably spikes the oil price - and then having no minesweepers in place to deal with the foreseeable fallout. Rank incompetence.

When pondering “lethality,” this quote from Sherman in 1865 comes to mind: “War means success by any and every means; it is not fighting alone. Bulls do that, and bears, and all beasts, but men attain objects by intellect, and the introduction of physical power, moved upon strategic points."

Everything is bad, but at least I can focus on my dissertation chapter about how the British in 1915 didn’t have the navy to force a strait when it needed to because it spent the previous decades funding their army’s misadventures in unimportant areas that turned into expensive quagmires.

Should they have? Could they have? www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G3d...

Youtube comment of the day: "Time Traveller: I went back to 1912 to kill Hitler but got Woodrow Wilson instead. Contemprorary Historian: Who's Hitler?"

"When a clown moves into a palace, he does not become a king. The palace becomes a circus." - Elizabeth Bangs

Here’s hoping the world does a better job of Hormuz than the Entente made of the Dardanelles.

Youtube comment of the day: "Time Traveller: I went back to 1912 to kill Hitler but got Woodrow Wilson instead. Contemprorary Historian: Who's Hitler?"

"When a clown moves into a palace, he does not become a king. The palace becomes a circus." - Elizabeth Bangs

Youtube comment of the day: "USA forced Russia Through double agent [Afghan Communist] President Amin to come and help Afghanistan government fight Jihadist created by US government and ISI"

Youtube comments of the day: "there isnt such a thing as the falkland war or the falkland islands, they're called guerra de malvinas and islas malvinas." "The Falkland islands is ONLY called the Falkland islands. Any other name is incorrect."

Trump refers to Prime Minster Mark Carney as "the future Governor of Canada"

Truly a perfect news alert

Youtube comments of the day: "there isnt such a thing as the falkland war or the falkland islands, they're called guerra de malvinas and islas malvinas." "The Falkland islands is ONLY called the Falkland islands. Any other name is incorrect."

I've just been reminded that the Juno Beach Centre Association (JBCA) is looking for two students to work as Museum Project Assistants for the summer of 2026. Eligibility and application details are linked below. The deadline is 27 March. www.junobeach.org/were-hiring-... #CdnHist #CanadianHistory

So much of what's going on feels like the result of complacency about the achievements of the 20th century (trade, multilateral institutions, international law, human rights, public health, modern medicine).

WITH NO SWEEPERS

"The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran tends to overshadow the decisive war: the one waged by Russia against Ukraine. Its outcome will determine the fate of future generations in Europe and beyond."

Youtube comment of the day: "USA forced Russia Through double agent [Afghan Communist] President Amin to come and help Afghanistan government fight Jihadist created by US government and ISI"

One of the (many) possible consequences if the war against Iran fails is that Washington will be desperate to compensate with a clear win elsewhere. That will put Cuba, Greenland, Canada, and Mexico in even more danger.

Hell of an opening graph by @bafriedman.bsky.social

Bob Homme delighted generations of Canadians as The Friendly Giant. While he was born in the United States, he adopted Canada as his home and Canada was a better place because of it. Let's look up...waaaaay up... This is the story of his life. 🧵1/12

One of the (many) possible consequences if the war against Iran fails is that Washington will be desperate to compensate with a clear win elsewhere. That will put Cuba, Greenland, Canada, and Mexico in even more danger.

Fallex 84. Children from local German villages gather around a Canadian leopard tank, as it stops during the training exercises held in Bavaria, Germany, 4 Sep 1984. 🇨🇦 LAC photo #ColdWar #TankTuesday

Permanent dog portrait at the Scottish National Gallery.

My view from a hilltop on a road trip in Iran some years ago.

The sunset over Yazd, Iran, when I visited long ago.

Some landscape in Iran during my visit.

The view from the front seat on the bus going to the Caspian coast in Iran.

Youtube comment of the day: "A Russian is a Russian, even if they fry it in butter, they are fucking assholes."

The invasion of Iraq in 2003: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGXt...

The view from the front seat on the bus going to the Caspian coast in Iran.

Some landscape in Iran during my visit.

The sunset over Yazd, Iran, when I visited long ago.

My view from a hilltop on a road trip in Iran some years ago.

Permanent dog portrait at the Scottish National Gallery.

The invasion of Iraq in 2003: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGXt...

So AI evangelists have to actively work to try and force people to accept the slop machine as "the future" because the only future where they are not punished for cranking out slop is one where slop has become the default.

Youtube comment of the day: "A Russian is a Russian, even if they fry it in butter, they are fucking assholes."

Youtube comment of the day: "I can tell you're from California."