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  Rise and Fall of the Banate of...

  Editors Charles River

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  Much has been written about Western intervention during the breakup of Yugoslavia, and whether it made matters worse, prevented worse atrocities, or was simply ineffective. In early 1992, however, what was clear was that Europe was hopelessly divided over the best course of action to take towards Yugoslavia, and after several years of fighting, the Bosnian War was one of the most violent conflagrations in Europe since the end of World War II.  
  	That war had been the byproduct of centuries of tensions in the Balkans, and an attempt in the wake of World War I to redraw the political boundaries of Europe and the Middle East. That included forming the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, initially known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, a particularly fragile enterprise, and there was almost constant tension between the majority Serbs and the other Yugoslav nationalities, especially the Croats. As a result, the Kingdom was a land of political assassinations, underground terrorist organizations, and ethnic animosities.  
  Depending on the source, many authors have focused on different catalysts for Yugoslavia’s demise, but Vesna Drapac may have succinctly summed the situation up when he wrote that by the end, the state “lacked a reason to exist.” There is certainly something in this sentiment, but the disintegration came at an enormous cost. 
  	Given what happened in Yugoslavia, it should be little surprise that Bosnia did not have its fully-established borders until the 19th century, and even in modern times, in many respects the people distinguished and defined Bosnia as a polity more than its shifting borders, and regardless of whether Bosnia operated as an independent state or kingdom. It was during the Middle Ages that Bosnia’s culture and ethnic makeup truly began to coalesce, despite the politically rocky nature of the era in the Balkans. 

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  Ray Kroc: A short biography - 5...

  5 Minutes, 5 Minute Biographies,...

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  Ray Kroc, burger legend: Life and work in a short biography! Everything you need to know, brief and concise. Infotainment, education and entertainment at its best!

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  Stories on lord Shiva series -10...

  Anusha HS

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  Lord shiva is adi and he is only the anthya. He is the sole reason for the happenings in both the movable and immovable worlds. Therefore, it is said that not even a spring of grass will move without his permission. He is the one who has given life to all the creatures. He is also the one who takes away the lives of all the creatures. Sadhus sages and aghoraas practice severe penance without minding day and night on Lord Shiva. 
  He blesses his devotees with boons. He is called Bole Shankar. All recite his five syllabled mantra or panchakshari mantra " om Namah Shivaya" which is the most popular one among all the other mantras. Lord Shiva who is also called Parameswara is the one who has got no birth and death. He is only the beginning and he is the end. Nandi which happens to be the vehicle of Lord Shiva is a bull. The abode of Lord Shiva is Mount Kailash. In Hindu religion Lord Shiva is called Devaadi Deva Mahadeva which means God for all the Gods. He is the supreme God. Lord Shiva has three eyes. The third eye is situated in between his brows. The third eye is used by him only whenever he wants to destroy the things. He is the one who dwells at cemetery.

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  The Goddesses of Olympus - The...

  Odessa Nightshade

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  Greek mythology is filled with powerful deities, but the goddesses of Olympus stand out as figures of immense influence, embodying wisdom, love, war, motherhood, and the natural world. Unlike many other ancient pantheons, the Greek goddesses were not merely passive consorts to male gods; they held dominion over vast aspects of life and fate, shaping the world alongside their male counterparts. Their myths reveal complex personalities, often showcasing both nurturing and vengeful qualities, making them among the most dynamic figures in classical mythology.  
  The Olympian goddesses played a crucial role in the religious and cultural life of the ancient Greeks. Each goddess had her own temples, festivals, and priestesses, emphasizing her importance in daily worship and ritual practice. For example, Athena’s grand temple, the Parthenon, dominated Athens, reflecting her status as the city’s protector. Similarly, Demeter’s worship at Eleusis was central to agricultural and spiritual life, demonstrating the deep connection between divine power and human existence. These deities were not merely symbols; they were revered beings believed to influence everything from war strategies to the fertility of the land.  
  Beyond religion, Greek goddesses also played a major role in storytelling, appearing in epic poetry, drama, and philosophy. Figures like Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite were central to the Trojan War myth, while Persephone’s descent into the underworld explained the changing of the seasons. Their myths often reflected the Greeks’ views on power, femininity, and morality. Unlike the rigid roles imposed on mortal women, the goddesses possessed a wide range of attributes, from Artemis’s independence and warrior spirit to Hestia’s quiet but essential presence as the guardian of the home. Through these divine narratives, the Greeks explored themes of justice, fate, love, and revenge, using their goddesses as symbols of both order and chaos. 

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  Nerva-Antonine Dynasty The: The...

  Editors Charles River

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  “The Five Good Emperors,” a reference to the five emperors who ruled the Roman Empire between 96 and 180 CE (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius), was a term first coined by Machiavelli and later adopted and popularized by historian Edward Gibbon, who said that under these men, the Roman Empire “was governed by absolute power under the guidance of wisdom and virtue.”  
  	This period of 84 years is generally regarded as the high point of the Roman Empire, at least after Augustus, but what is uncertain and a matter of ongoing debate is whether the five emperors were personally responsible for the situation and the accompanying prosperity enjoyed throughout the empire at the time or if they were simply the beneficiaries of the Pax Romana, inaugurated by Augustus in the early part of the 1st century CE. In other words, historians have wondered whether anyone in power during those years would have enjoyed the same rewards.  
  	The description of these rulers as “good” is also a matter of interpretation, with some scholars suggesting they were only “good” in comparison to the preceding emperor (Domitian) and the emperor who followed Marcus Aurelius (Commodus). Both of them were horrible rulers in every aspect, making their near contemporaries look all the better.  
  	Regardless, it is clear that the era of the Five Good Emperors was one of unparalleled success and wealth, and the reasons Rome reached its zenith at this time are worthy of scrutiny. Perhaps most noteworthy is that none of these five emperors were blood relatives - while the final two are often referred to as the Antonines, they were not, in fact, related except by adoption, a practice that may in itself provide at least part of the answer to the question as to why this particular period was so magnificent.

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  Battle of Anzio The: The History...

  Editors Charles River

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  The immense difficulties Sicily's rugged terrain caused to the Allied forces, and the successful delaying actions fought by small numbers of well-led German soldiers, inspired Hitler and his generals to garrison Italy as an obstacle to British and American advance. A relatively limited number of Wehrmacht troops used the endless series of mountain ridges and defensible hilltop towns to slow the offensive to a crawl, tying down large numbers of Western troops. 
  	Under Albert Kesselring's expert leadership, the Germans fell back northward methodically, fighting a major delaying action at Volturno in mid-October 1943. The Wehrmacht then established themselves on the Reinhard Line, a temporary defensive front meant to delay the Allies until the Germans finished preparing the stronger Gustav Line, stretching from Gaeta to Ortona and anchored on the formidable strongpoint near the early medieval monastery of Monte Cassino. 
  	The Allies did not intend the attack on Cassino as a simple slogging match, understanding quite clearly the cost of such an operation. Instead, they planned a landing at Anzio by an entire army corps, the U.S. 6th Corps, to outflank the Gustav Line and force the Germans' withdrawal to avoid encirclement. It was a sound plan, but it would turn into something of a fiasco under the leadership of Major General John P. Lucas. The Anzio landing occurred on schedule on January 22, 1944, and despite achieving total tactical surprise, Lucas squandered the opportunity to run amok in the Gustav Line's rear by remaining supinely in Anzio. Winston Churchill, with his typical verve, excoriated Lucas' failure with a colorful description: “Instead of hurling a wildcat onto the shore all we got was a stranded whale.” A later German report also expressed surprise at Lucas' inaction. 
  What followed was months of bitter fighting as the Allies struggled to break out of their beachhead and make their long-awaited push to Rome.

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