This Week In History 3/7- 3/12
March 7, 1573 - Conclusion of the Ottoman-Venetian War
The island of Cyprus is located in a very strategic position - it’s one of the largest Mediterranean islands, and provides a key port for trade in the Levant (the Eastern bank of the Mediterranean). In the fifteenth century, this island was held by the Venetians, who paid the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt to protect the area. However, the Ottomans, after their conquest of the Mamluks in 1517, felt that Cyprus would be a good way to gain control over the Levantine trade routes while also eliminating Christian raiders that used Cyprus as a safe haven. The following war saw the Ottomans conquer Cyprus, taking it’s three major forts (Nicosia, Kyrenia, and Famagusta), before the Venetians could form alliances significant enough to oppose their invaders. Despite these victories, and the treaty which granted the Ottomans control of Cyprus, the Empire’s dominance in the Mediterranean was ended with the naval battle of Lepanto. A crushing defeat for the Ottomans, the battle firmly established the Mediterranean power structure; the Habsburgs controlled the West, and the Ottomans controlled the East. Below is a map showing the locations of Venice, Cyprus, and the Ottoman Empire)
March 8, 1722 - Forces from Afghanistan Defeat the Safavid Empire at the Battle of Gulnabad
The Safavid Empire, which had ruled the area of modern Iran for centuries, had been in decline for decades. Not only had they been forced to contend with numerous outside threats (primarily the Ottomans to the West, Russians to the North, and Mughals to the East), they also had to deal with rebellious cultural groups they had conquered. One of these groups was Afghanistan, commonly known as the “Graveyard of Empires” for how difficult it is to take and hold. In 1721 the Afghans revolted and killed the local governor, then prepared to march into the heartland of Safavid territory. The devastating victory at the Battle of Gulnabad drove the Safavids into anarchy, allowing the Afghans to quickly besiege the capital of Isfahan, and proclaim their leader (Mahmud Hotak) as the new leader of Persia. Below is a map showing the location of the Safavid Empire on a modern map of the Areas around Iran)
March 9, 1954 - The Television Show “See It Now” Broadcasts the Episode, “A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy”
“See It Now” was a show that ran on CBS between 1951 and 1958, and was produced by Don Hewitt, the creator of “60 minutes”. The show covered a wide range of issues, but perhaps none were as influential as the episode covering McCarthyism. In this episode, Edward Murrow (the show’s host) dissects the threat that McCarthyism posed to democracy, pointing out the lack of evidence McCarthy usually had when making his accusations. This episode, along with several others, helped to bring about the downfall of McCarthy, and would eventually be made into a film titled, “Good Night, and Good Luck”.
March 10, 1909 - Thailand Signs the Anglo-Siamese Treaty, Granting Control of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu to Britain
There were several factors that kept Thailand (then known as Siam) independent during the period of European colonization in Asia. Firstly, Siam served as a buffer state between British Burma and French Vietnam, preventing those nations from having a longer shared border in South-East Asia, therefore avoiding a large conflict in the region. Secondly, Siam was also willing to grant concessions to the Europeans in exchange for protection, one of these being the islands of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu to the British. With concessions like these, as well as events like the two World Wars diminishing European power in Asia, Siam became one of the only Asian nations to avoid colonization. Below is a map of Siamese concessions, 1867 - 1909)
March 11, 222 - Emperor Elagabalus of Rome is Assassinated
Emperor Elagabalus is widely regarded to be one of the worst Romans to ever rule the empire; he devalued the value of silver, he promoted his incapable allies to high-ranking positions, and only ruled for four years before being murdered. Aside from these offenses, the Romans also viewed him as exceedingly bizarre, due to his faith; he worshipped a large black rock, which he thought was the representation of the Sun God on Earth. Below is a statue of Elagabalus’ head.
March 12, 538 - King Vitiges of the Ostrogoths ends his Siege of Rome, Leaving the City in Byzantine Hands
One of the great goals of Emperor Justinian of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire was to reclaim Rome, after it had fallen to barbarians in 476. For this purpose, he dispatched his great general, Belisarius, on a campaign to take the Italian peninsula from the Ostrogoths that had held it for fifty years. Due to his talent as a commander, Belisarius was able to take Rome before the Ostrogoths had assembled an army large enough to defend the city. After they entered, however, the Romans had to withstand a siege themselves from the reinforced Ostrogothic army, an army that outnumbered them 5-1. Belisarius, in managing to keep the morale of his army high, withstood the siege for 374 days, while the Ostrogoths, suffering from poor supply lines and fearing reinforcements from Justinian, chose to retreat to Ravenna. Below is a painting displaying the Ostrogothic attempts to storm the city.
