This week in history: 2/14-2/19

February 14, 1530 - The Last Independent Ruler of the Native Tarascan State in Present-Day Mexico is Overthrown by Spanish Conquistadors

The Tarascan state was founded around 1300 AD, by the ruler Tariacuri of the Purepecha people. The Purepecha were one of the native groups that lived around the Patzcuaro lake, and would be the group to unify the other ethnicities into one Central-American state. Throughout the fourteenth centuries, the Tarascans would expand to create a small empire, eventually coming into conflict with natives in the South. This would lead to conflicts with the equally expansionist Aztecs, a fact that would become important at the end of the fifteenth and the beginning of the sixteenth century. The newcomers to Central America, the Spanish, quickly defeated and destroyed the Aztec civilization, earning the respect and “friendship” of the Tarascans. Both sides exchanged diplomats, however the Spanish chose to overthrow the Tarascans after realizing that they held supplies of all-important gold.

February 15, 590 - Khosrow the Second is Crowned King of Persia

Despite being the grandson of Khosrow I, a ruler so successful he was given the title “Anushiruwan” (Immortal Soul), Khosrow II would be the last ruler of the Sassanian Dynasty of Persia before the Islamic invasion and capitulation of his empire. This can be partially explained by the fact that he spent 26 of the 38 years of his reign in a war against the Byzantine Empire, losing much of the manpower and funding his army needed. This war ended so poorly that the Sassanians would lose all of the territory they had conquered during the war, and would even lose their capital (Ctesiphon) to a siege. Below is the coin depicting Khosrow II.

February 16, 1968 - The First 9-1-1 System Becomes Operational

The main problem with reporting emergencies quickly and easily in the early days of telephones was the need to go through an operator. Anybody suffering a serious injury, or being in a dangerous situation, would have to call the operator and say, “I’d like to report a fire”, or, “I need an ambulance”. This was solved by the creation of a national emergency number which would always mean emergency, providing the caller with access to the police, fire departments, etc. The first 9-1-1 call came from Haleyville, Alabama, from the state’s speaker of the house, Rankin Fite.

February 17, 1979 - THe Sino-Vietnamese War Begins

The Sino-Vietnamese War (fought between China and Vietnam) was started by China, after Vietnam attempted to invade Cambodia. After taking several Vietnamese cities, China chose to withdraw, marking the actual result of the war inconclusive, as Vietnam would continue to meddle in Cambodian affairs. Though the war was only three weeks long, it showed two major fractures to the Communist powers during the cold war; firstly, it showed the communist nations were willing to attack each other. Secondly, it showed that the Soviet Union was too weak to defend it’s ally, Vietnam. Below is the photo taken during the Sino-Vietnamese War.

February 18, 1861 - Victor Emmanual the Second Becomes the First Modern King of Italy

In many respects, the unifications of Italy and Germany were very similar. Both were a makeup of smaller states, both were partially caused by nationalism raised by shared resistance to Napoleon, and both were firmly led by monarchies. In the case of Italy, the first of these monarchs was Victor Emmanuel II, King of Sardinia, Duke of Savoy. After fighting a successful war against Austria with French assistance, Emmanuel crowned himself as the King of Italy, despite lacking two core Italian cities; Venice, still in the hands of Austria, and Rome, in the hands of the Papal States, which were backed by France. This fact would lead Italy to ally with Prussia twice; firstly, to take Venice, and secondly, to take Rome. Below is the map of Italy at the time of Emmanuel II's ascension.

February 19, 1674 - The Treaty of Westminster is Signed, Granting England Control Over New Amsterdam, Which Would Become New York

The third anglo-dutch war, fought between England and the Netherlands, lasted from 1672-1674, and was part of the larger Franco-Dutch war between England, France, and Sweden on one side, and the Netherlands, the Holy Roman Empire, and Spain on the other. The treaty signed at the end of this war, The Treaty of Westminster, ended England’s involvement and, among large war reparations, gave England the city of New Amsterdam, which would later become New York. Below is a rough map of New Amsterdam.