History

July 28th, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia one month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie. The great powers of Europe began to mobilize their armies.

Two imperial cousins, Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany engaged in a fascinating exchange of telegrams (in English) as their nations teetered on the brink of war.

The history of Spain and Portugal is wrapped up in the changing climate along with the nature of war. The Inquisition was in part brought on by crop failures and the search for scapegoats. Fortunately, we have not had a “little ice age” since about 1850 — so why should we be longing for another one any time soon?