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Henry II (974-1024), also known as Henry IV and Saint Henry, was the son of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria and great-grandson of King Henry I, therefore making him part of the Bavarian branch of the Ottonian dynasty. Due to his father's rebellion against the two previous emperors, Henry was often in exile and became close with the Church. He succeeded his father as Duke of Bavaria in 995, taking the name Henry IV.<br/><br/> As Henry was returning home to claim his lands however, Emperor Otto III died of fever with no heir to succeed him. Political chaos gripped the Holy Roman Empire, and Henry defeated several other claimants to become King of Germany in 1002, and King of Italy in 1004. He subsumed the Duchy of Bohemia into the Holy Roman Empire, and fought a series of wars against Poland. He also led a series of expeditions into Italy to ensure Imperial dominance against secessionist forces and the Byzantine Empire. He was eventually crowned as Holy Roman Emperor in 1014.<br/><br/> Henry II's rule was centralised, power consolidated in his hands through personal and political ties with the Catholic Church, which would lead to his canonisation a century later in 1146, the only German monarch to become a saint. Henry eventually died in 1024, leaving no children behind and ending the Ottonian dynasty.
Otto III (980-1002) was the only son of Emperor Otto II and Empress Theophanu. Otto became King of Germany at the age of three in 983, after his father's death, but his young age meant that various regents ruled in his name. Initially his mother, Empress Theophanu served as regent for her son until her death in 991. His grandmother, Dowager Empress Adelaide of Italy served as regent until 994, when Otto was finally eligible to rule.<br/><br/> In 996, Otto marched to Italy and claimed the titles of Holy Roman Emperor and King of Italy for himself, as well as to reestablish Imperial control over the city of Rome, which had revolted. He quickly put down the rebellion and installed his own cousin as the new pope, but soon had to return when the papacy rebelled again, reinstalling his cousin and executing the traitors. His actions strengthened Imperial control over the Catholic Church.<br/><br/> Otto improved the Holy Roman Empire's relations with Bohemia, Hungary and Poland, extending the influence of Christianity into Eastern Europe. While he was returning to Rome in 1001, another rebellion by the Roman aristocracy occurred, forcing him to flee the city. He died of a sudden fever a year later while marching back to reclaim the city, leaving no clear heir to succeed him and throwing the Empire into political crisis once more.
Septimius Severus (145-211 CE) was born in the Roman province of Africa, and advanced steadily through the customary succession of offices (the 'cursus honorum') during the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. He was governor of Pannonia Superior when word of Pertniax's murder and Didius Julianus' accession reached him in 193 CE.<br/><br/> In response to Julianus' controversial accession through buying the emperorship in an auction, many rivals rose up and declared themselves emperor, with Severus being one of them, beginning what was known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Hurrying to Rome, Severus executed Julianus, and then fought his rival claimants for control of the Empire. By 197 CE, he was the sole power in the Empire, and began once more waging war to expand the borders of the Empire.<br/><br/> Severus fell ill in late 210 CE, fatally so, and died in early 211 CE. He was succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta, founding the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the Roman Empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.
Natural son and heir of Emperor Vespasian, Titus was a member of the Flavian dynasty, the first Roman emperor to succeed his own biological father. Titus, like his father, had earned much renown as a military commander, especially during the First Jewish-Roman war.<br/><br/> When his father left to claim the imperial throne after Nero's death, Titus was left behind to end the Jewish rebellion, which occurred in 70 CE with the siege and sacking of Jerusalem. The Arch of Titus was built in honour of his destruction of the city. He was also known for his controversial relationship with the Jewish queen Berenice.<br/><br/> Under his father, her served as prefect of the Praetorian Guard, and he was known as a good emperor after his accession. As emperor, he is most endearingly known for his completion of the Colosseum, started by his father, and his efforts in relieving the destruction caused by eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and a fire in Rome in 80 CE. Titus only served for two years before dying of a fever in 81 CE, and was deified by the Roman Senate before being succeeded by his younger brother, Domitian.
Born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, Nero was the only son of Agrippina the Younger, who would later marry his great-uncle Emperor Claudius. Claudius adopted Nero and was made heir and successor alongside Claudius' own son Brittanicus. Nero acceded to the throne after Claudius' death in 54 CE, possibly poisoned at the hands of Nero's mother.<br/><br/> Nero's reign is infamous for his corruption, tyranny and extravagance, as well as his many executions, including that of his mother and the poisoning of his stepbrother Britannicus soon after the start of his rule. His most infamous mark on history however, is his presumed starting of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE, which caused widespread destruction and was intentionally done to clear space for Nero's planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea.<br/><br/> In 68 CE, Nero was driven from the throne by rebellion, and he committed suicide that same year. With his death came the the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, leading to the tumultuous period known as the Year of the Four Emperors.
Caesar Augustus (63 BCE– 14 CE), also known as Octavian, was the first and among the most important of the Roman Emperors.<br/><br/> Augustus' most visible impact on everyday culture is the eighth month of the year, which was renamed in Augustus' honor in 8 BCE because several of the most significant events in his rise to power, culminating in the fall of Alexandria, occurred during this month.
Sitting at a restaurant table in Munich in the summer of 1932, Hitler designed the prototype for what would become the immensely successful Beetle design for Volkswagen.<br/><br/> In an era where only the elite possessed cars, Hitler believed that all people should be able to own a car and additionally thought that a smart design could allow for reliability, enjoyment, and vacation travel. The name given to the car in 1938 was Kraft durch Freude (KdF-Wagen, literally 'strength through joy car').<br/><br/> Hitler gave his design to the head of Daimler-Benz, Jakob Werlin, and stressed its importance. 'Take it with you and speak with people who understand more about it than I do. But don't forget it. I want to hear from you soon, about the technical details'.
Masoud Barzani (Kurdish: Mesud Barzanî; born 16 August 1946) is an Iraqi Kurdish politician who has been President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region since 2005, as well as leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) since 1979.<br/><br/> Masoud Barzani succeeded his father, the Kurdish nationalist leader Mustafa Barzani, as the leader of the KDP in 1979. Working closely with his brother Idris Barzani until Idris' death, Barzani and various other Kurdish groups fought Baghdad during the Iran-Iraq War. For much of this time, the Kurdish leadership was exiled to Iran.
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was a German politician of Austrian origin who was the leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and Führer ('leader') of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945.<br/><br/> As dictator of Nazi Germany he initiated World War II in Europe and was a central figure of the Holocaust.<br/><br/> Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician, journalist, and leader of the National Fascist Party, ruling the country as Prime Minister from 1922 until he was ousted in 1943.<br/><br/> He ruled constitutionally until 1925, when he dropped all pretense of democracy and set up a legal dictatorship. Known as Il Duce ('The Leader'), Mussolini was the founder of fascism.
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was a German politician of Austrian origin who was the leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and Führer ('leader') of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945.<br/><br/> As dictator of Nazi Germany he initiated World War II in Europe and was a central figure of the Holocaust.<br/><br/> Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician, journalist, and leader of the National Fascist Party, ruling the country as Prime Minister from 1922 until he was ousted in 1943.<br/><br/> He ruled constitutionally until 1925, when he dropped all pretense of democracy and set up a legal dictatorship. Known as Il Duce ('The Leader'), Mussolini was the founder of fascism.
Geta (189-211 CE) was the younger son of Emperor Septimius Severus, born in Rome during the reign of Emperor Commodus. Geta fought often with his older brother Caracalla, and would require the mediation of their mother Julia Domna. Septimius Severus named Geta 'Augustus' in 209, making him a co-emperor alongside Caracalla, who had been named co-emperor over 10 years ago, in 198 CE.<br/><br/> Septimius Severus died in early 211 CE, with Geta and Caracalla declared joint emperors and ordered back to Rome. Their hatred and rivalry of one another did not abate though, and there were even talks about splitting the empire in two halves so that they could rule peacefully, before their mother talked them out of it. The situation became so hostile that Carcalla tried to unsuccessfully murder Geta once, before finally succeeding a second time when he had his mother arrange a peace meeting and having his centurions murder Geta in his mother's arms.<br/><br/> After Geta's death, Caracalla had him declared 'damnatio memoriae', with every statue, portrait or painting of him destroyed, and his very name was banned from being spoken or written. Over 20,000 people were killed on Caracalla's orders after he attempted to remove any political enemies and those he considered allies of Geta.
The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting Nazi Germany's annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country's borders mainly inhabited by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation 'Sudetenland' was coined.<br/><br/> The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe, excluding the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Today, it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.
<i>Mein Kampf</i> is an autobiography by the National Socialist leader Adolf Hitler, in which he outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany. Volume 1 of <i>Mein Kampf</i> was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926.<br/><br/> Hitler began dictating the book to Rudolf Hess (1894 - 1987) while imprisoned for what he considered to be 'political crimes' following his failed Putsch in Munich in November 1923. Although Hitler received many visitors initially, he soon devoted himself entirely to the book.<br/><br/> In 2016, following the expiry of the copyright held by the Bavarian state government, <i>Mein Kampf</i> was republished in Germany for the first time since 1945.
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940.<br/><br/> Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the German-speaking Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany. However, when Adolf Hitler later invaded Poland, the UK declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, and Chamberlain led Britain through the first eight months of World War II.<br/><br/> Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was a German politician of Austrian origin who was the leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP), Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and Führer ('leader') of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945.<br/><br/> As dictator of Nazi Germany he initiated World War II in Europe and was a central figure of the Holocaust.
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940.<br/><br/> Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the German-speaking Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Germany. However, when Adolf Hitler later invaded Poland, the UK declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, and Chamberlain led Britain through the first eight months of World War II.
Propaganda was used by the Nazi Party in the years leading up to and during Adolf Hitler's leadership of Germany (1933–1945). National Socialist propaganda provided a crucial instrument for acquiring and maintaining power, and for the implementation of their policies, including the pursuit of total war and the extermination of millions of people in the Holocaust.<br/><br/> The pervasive use of propaganda by the Nazis is largely responsible for the word 'propaganda' itself acquiring its present negative connotations.
Duck-Rabbit optical illusion first published in Fliegende Blatter (Munich), October 23, 1892, p. 147. The same drawing, or a similar version, has subsequently been attributed to Joseph Jastrow (1899) and quite erroneously to Ludwig Wittgenstein (2002). The Fliegende Blatte version, by an anonymous artist, appears to be the oldest and first published version.
The Tower of Babel (Hebrew: מגדל בבל‎ Migdal Bavel Arabic: برج بابل‎ Burj Babil), according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar (Hebrew: שנער‎).<br/><br/> According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where they resolved to build a city with a tower 'with its top in the heavens...lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the Earth'. God came down to see what they did and said: 'They are one people and have one language, and nothing will be withholden from them which they purpose to do'. So God said, 'Come, let us go down and confound their speech'. And so God scattered them upon the face of the Earth, and confused their languages, and they left off building the city, which was called Babel 'because God there confounded the language of all the Earth'.(Genesis 11:5-8).<br/><br/> The Tower of Babel has often been associated with known structures, notably the Etemenanki, a ziggurat dedicated to Marduk by Nabopolassar (c. 610 BC). The Great Ziggurat of Babylon base was square (not round), 91 metres (300 ft) in height, but demolished by Alexander the Great. A Sumerian story with some similar elements is preserved in Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta.
Hamid Karzai (24 December 1957 - ) is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001.<br/><br/> During the December 2001 International Conference on Afghanistan in Germany, Karzai was selected by prominent Afghan political figures to serve a six-month term as chairman of the Interim administration. He was then chosen for a two-year term as Interim President during the 2002 'loya jirga' (grand assembly) that was held in Kabul.<br/><br/> After the 2004 presidential election, Karzai was declared winner and became President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He controversially won a second five-year term in the disputed 2009 presidential election while admitting the elections were flawed.