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history-time-out · 1 year
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“Logos Rising” | E Michael Jones
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The notes come from a podcast episode of “Culture Wars” when he was a guest on the “Joe and Joe from The Frontline” back in January of 2022.
​​​​2:25 - Atheism: 10 years ago 4(horseman) atheists based their argument on logical fantasy. Darwinism is the operating system of atheism. Prime philosophical ideology of today.
​​3:39 - Parmenides “that which is can’t come from that which isn’t”
​​​​4:14 - St. John’s gospel “in the beginning there was logos and logos was God”
​​​​4:41 - The atheists banned meta physics as an attack on God
​​​​4:54 - Darwinism says something can come from nothing. Every little step is the same as the step before it. This was their way to sell it and make it make sense.
​​​​6:31 - Atheism isn’t a philosophical problem, it’s a psychological problem.
​​6:40 - psychologist Paul Vince from NYU wrote a book on the relationship between atheism and father deprivation
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​​8:26 - Q: Why has modern philosophy taken this route? A: Logos makes a rebound due to researches of Thomism (official philosophy of Catholic Church) Notre Dame adopts as official philosophy as well until ND hires 2 physicists to run philosophy department (Irish men hessburg and McMillan) Late 1960’s.
​​11:20 - Talk about how God revealed logos to the Greeks. Q: How did the Greeks accept logos after throwing around different philosophical ideas which led them to the discovery of logos. A: listen to audio below for EMJs reply.
13:40 “Your thinking in physical terms with something that isn’t physical”
​​​​14:45 - God did not abandon people
​​15:16 - John wrote his gospel based on reason. (Greek) because he could not preach to the Jews anymore since he was kicked out. He said we needed a sound philosophical foundation.
​​17:30 - philosophy today, is based on science now. Physical science has become so powerful that everything has to model physics. Economics has become physics.
​​17:58 - Aristotle talks meta-physics (he calls it first philosophy) which he calls theology. “You can’t talk about the beginning and not talk about God.
​​18:02 - EMJ had this experience in India. 16 year old Hindu boy asks can you prove the existence of God? India you have hundreds of Gods and it doesn’t make sense to the boys.
​​​​21:09 - In India you have over a billion and half people in a confused state because there is no logos.
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​​21:34 - India cosmology is that earth is a semi-circle sitting on 4 elephants that is standing on a turtle.
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​​20:33 - It is mandatory for every rational creature to believe in God. You don’t have to believe Jesus rose from dead, you accept that by faith.
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​​23:22 - “conform your desires to the truth or conform the truth to your desires”
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​​Read Degenerate Moderates
23:47 - fulfilling desires by questioning the order of the universe so you can do what you wanna do.
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​​23:54 - Polytheism exists bc you want to do something against Gods will (ex: sexual desires) Another example is you want to sleep with your neighbors wife. You can’t pray to God about that so you pray to another god. You are praying to demons. This stuff leads to demon cultures. Wilhelm Schmidt said “all primitive cultures are monotheistic and polytheistic cultures are a sign of decadence”
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24:59 - Are you willing to conform your life to logos?
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​​25:35 - Host: One problem in America is everyone is looking for political solutions instead of moral solutions…. Looking in wrong places for solutions…. In particular political parties.
​​​​EMJ - Reason “pure and practical reason”
​​-Pure allows you to know the truth
​​-Practical allows you to achieve the good AKA morality. Conform life to practical reason.
EMJ says Founding Fathers understood this:
​​John Adams “we have no constitution that functions in the absence of a moral people”
​​If you can’t have people do this to their lives you won’t have a government that can do it.
​​Freedom became defined as doing what you want to do as opposed to doing what you ought to do.
​​Host: “Perverted concept of freedoms”
​​License became the substitute for freedom.
31:00 - Co-Host: “Science as Opposed to Religion (modern dialogue) which is a fallacy.
​​​​“What is the Trinity? How does this concept of God lead to science itself?”
​​​EMJ: It goes back to the gospel of St. John. It begins with logos and logos was with God. Logos is God. This is the trinity.
A meditation on that phrase and the word Son. 300 years of meditation on that phrase to come up with an understanding of God. The Trinity is God revealing himself to us.
​​Pythagorus: was preparation for the Trinity. Believed number was order of the universe.
​​1 + 2 = 3
​​1 is unity
​​2 is diversity
​​3 is the Trinity (unity and diversity at the same time)
Beauty
​​​​EMJ: Another characteristic of God “The true, the good, the beautiful”
​​Because of 20th century beauty gets lost as a result of the decline of art. Beauty is a manifestation of God. There is evidence of this Trinity throughout creation.
​​​​Relationship between Jesus Christ and God the Father
​​“The father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
​​Aryas said “if the son comes after the father then there was a time when the son was not. If there was a time when the son was not, then the son was not God. Therefore Jesus Christ is not God” This is False
​​You can’t take the term son and applying it to an analogous way to God and it does not apply because all of 3 of those principals were co eternal and always existed in relationship to each other.
​​Muslims did not get this. Did not believe Jesus Christ was God. This is the main reason science did not develop in the Islamic world.
​​The universe is a manifestation of God.
​​Openness of Heart to Accepting Linear Truth
​​EMJ: Fundamental problem is basing life on satisfying irrational passions.
​​Aquinas “lust darkens the mind”
​​Dealing with people sunken in sin and have made a living with one of these ideologies.
​​​Racism is an irrational ideology.
​​Lutheran church evaporated in Scandinavia and Iceland.
​​EMJ: Main problem in Middle Ages was collapse of Thomism and replaced with nominalism.
William of Ockham ended in Munich and died of Black Death. “no universals. Universals are all categories of the mind” (ex: Islam taking over catholic philosophy)
Martin Luther
​​Luther couldn’t control his passions. Violent guy, a drunk and didn’t pray. Finally broke from church and subjected to sexual temptation.
​​During this time the Lutherans were breaking into convents and raping nuns or pimping them out to priests to get them to join Luther.
EMJ on pornography
​“Pornography is a form of social control”
​​He once said this to a group of zoomers and they knew exactly what he meant because they were all enslaved to their passions.
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history-time-out · 1 year
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History Time Out Link in Bio for blog page. #history #worldhistory #europeanhistory #americanhistory #russianhistory https://www.instagram.com/p/CnOKhhbsWIB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
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history-time-out · 1 year
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Book Review: Jews and Crime in Medieval Europe
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Jewish scholars have deliberately disregarded
"Jewish scholars have deliberately disregarded some of the source materials I mine in this book, out of fear of its implications for the image of the Jews, and as part of a long tradition of apologetics.
Jews and Medieval Crime is
Overturning the Lachrymose Narrative of the Jewish Past The starting point of Jews and Medieval Crime is that Jewish historiography has been painstakingly focused on apologetic responses to historical accusations and indictments against the Jews.
Jewish historiography has been painstakingly focused
Overturning the Lachrymose Narrative of the Jewish Past The starting point of Jews and Medieval Crime is that Jewish historiography has been painstakingly focused on apologetic responses to historical accusations and indictments against the Jews.
Both strategies deny Jewish agency
Both strategies deny Jewish agency, and deny a "Jewish criminality" as such.
Jewish crime was
As Shoham-Steiner states, "Jewish crime was not just a figment of the medieval mind and its anti-Jewish biases.
Jewish underworld would undercut the lachrymose agenda
Acknowledging the existence of Jewish crime and a Jewish underworld would undercut the lachrymose agenda.
Crime exemplifies empowerment and vitality
Crime exemplifies empowerment and vitality, contradicting the bleak picture of a subdued and disempowered minority.
Jews constituted a privileged elite
One of the more important observations found in Shoham-Steiner's text is that Jews constituted a privileged elite, and these privileges extended to the area of crime and punishment.
Jewish crime lord named Shimon
Shoham-Steiner points out that "immunity from trial by ordeal was one of the most important privileges obtained by Jews from the Carolingian regime in the ninth century." Shoham-Steiner discusses one case in which a gentile thief acted at the behest of a Jewish crime lord named Shimon, but declined to name Shimon when he was caught and legal proceedings began.
Sex Crime Shoham-Steiner includes a substantial chapter
Sex Crime Shoham-Steiner includes a substantial chapter on Jewish sex crime, especially prostitution.
Jewish religious figures were proven to have engaged
In his Cornell-published The Sephardic Frontier: The Reconquista and the Jewish Community in Medieval Iberia Jonathan Ray comments that "sexual permissiveness in general, and relations with non-Jews in particular, were often cited by Jewish reformers as the cause for communal instability and anti-Jewish attacks by Christians."[3] Ray also cites cases where Jewish religious figures were proven to have engaged in sexual activities with prostitutes and young boys.
Sex crime subtexts
Many of the ritual murder stories from the period, of course, have sex crime subtexts, since many of the young boys alleged to have been murdered by Jews were found naked as well as wounded.
Jews had violently attacked Christians
There were indeed cases during the period where Jews had violently attacked Christians in acts of genital mutilation.
It nevertheless illustrates Jewish agency
Paola Tartakoff in Conversion, Circumcision, and Ritual Murder in Medieval Europe points out that in England in 1202 "a Christian named Robert of Sutton accused a Jew from Bedford named Bonefand of having 'wickedly had [Robert's nephew Richard] emasculated,' and thereby caused him to die."[4] The case may have been an act of punitive castration, which was common in the period, but it nevertheless illustrates Jewish agency in committing acts of violence.
Jewish financial crime
Jewish financial crime is not a figment of a bigoted imagination, but runs deep into the earliest origins of the Jewish community in Europe.
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history-time-out · 1 year
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Brian Boru “Ireland’s Greatest King”
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Brian Boru was an Irish king who lived from 941 to 1014. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in medieval Irish history and is remembered for his leadership and military prowess in unifying a number of warring factions in Ireland and achieving a brief period of peace known as the “Golden Age”. His life and legacy have been the subject of much academic research and debate, with historians differing on many points regarding Boru’s life, achievements, and impact on early medieval Ireland. This paper will provide an overview of Brian Boru's life story, his major accomplishments, and how his legacy has been interpreted throughout history.
​​Brian Boru was born in 941 at Killaloe, County Clare in what is now modern day Ireland. He was of Dalcassian origin, descended from Conmhaícne Mara (the Clann Cian), a branch of the Uí Néill dynasty that ruled over much of northern Ireland during this period. From an early age he was groomed to be a leader within the Dalcassian confederation by his father Cennétig mac Lorcáin , who had become King of Thomond (modern day Munster) at a young age himself.
​​Boru's rise to power began with his appointment as chief councillor for Máel Sechnaill II mac Domnaill , High King of Ireland from 980-1002. During this period he gained control over much of Munster through military campaigns against rival clans and eventually became its king; he also gained influence over Leinster which enabled him to consolidate more power through political alliances. His rise to become High King began when Máel Sechnaill abdicated in 1002 upon having defeated several Viking invaders in battle; Brian was appointed High King soon after by the other Irish rulers.
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Boru's reign as High King proved to be hugely successful for the people of Ireland; he managed to bring a period of relative peace between various warring factions throughout the country, earning him great respect amongst all those living there at the time. In addition to this, Brian also promoted Christianity; according to chroniclers such as Marianus Scotus , he built churches throughout Munster and had relics from Rome brought back to Armagh . Moreover, he worked hard to ensure that justice prevailed throughout his kingdom: according to historical records he held court hearings every two weeks where grievances could be heard without fear or favouritism .
​​However, not all aspects of Brian’s rule were seen positively; some historians have criticised him for being overly authoritarian in dealings with other Irish rulers who opposed him. Nonetheless it cannot be denied that Boru put forward ambitious plans for creating a united Ireland under one ruler which unsettled many experienced political leaders .
​​Ultimately Brian's reign ended with his death on Good Friday 1014 at Clontarf where he led an army against forces led by Sweyn Forkbeard , King of Denmark ; despite defeating many opposing forces it is believed that Boru died after being attacked by a group while praying near his tent during battle . Although it can be argued that Brian failed to achieve lasting peace in Ireland due to subsequent warfare after his death it cannot be denied that he made significant advances towards unity during his lifetime .
​​​In conclusion Brian Boru has gone down in history as one of the most important figures in medieval Irish history; often seen as a heroic figure whose strong leadership qualities allowed him brief periods peace for those living within its borders . He is remembered for numerous achievements including consolidating power across various regions , promoting Christianity throughout Munster , enacting justice without fear or favouritism , and attempting unifying politics which set foundations for future generations . As such it could be argued that despite not achieving long lasting unification during his lifetime there are numerous aspects regarding Brian's rule which continue impacting upon modern day Ireland today both politically and culturally .
​​References:
​​​​1. Duffy S., 1993 The World Of The Gallowglass: Kings, Warlords And Warriors In Early Ireland 1250 - 1600 Dublin: Four Courts Press pp 24-25
​​​2. Byrne FJ., 1973 Ages Of Invasions In Early Medieval History Dublin: Maunsel & Co Ltd pp 79-84
​​3. O Corrain D., 2000 A New History Of Ireland Volume I Oxford University Press pp 144-151
​​4. Edwards NF., 2011 A Military History Of Medieval Ireland Edinburgh University Press pp 175-180
​​​​5. Ó Corráin D., 1972 Prehistoric And Early Christian Ireland London: Thames & Hudson Ltd pp 26-31
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history-time-out · 1 year
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The Conquest of Jerusalem and Third Crusade Overview
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The Crusades, which occurred from the 11th to 13th centuries, were a series of religiously inspired military campaigns that had a major impact on both the Medieval Europe and the Middle East. These wars were fought between Christians and Muslims over control of the Holy Land, specifically Jerusalem. This essay will provide an overview of the background and events of these wars, as well as consider their lasting effects.
​​The First Crusade was initiated by Pope Urban II in 1095 due to increasing threats to Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem from Muslim forces in the region. The Pope called upon all Christian leaders in Europe to join him in a holy war against the Muslims who had taken control of Jerusalem and much of the Holy Land. This led to a mass mobilization of European armies (Edbury, 1996). Many noblemen saw this as an opportunity to gain glory and renown while others sought to fulfill religious obligations or gain riches (Edbury, 1996). As such, any political or economic grievances existing between leaders in Europe were temporarily suspended as they united for a common purpose (Edbury, 1996).
​​In 1099, with support from many local Christians already living in the area, European forces successfully took control of Jerusalem after weeks of siege warfare followed by a bloody battle for the city’s streets (Edbury, 1996). Hundreds of thousands were killed during this campaign including both Muslim defenders and non-combatants caught up in the fighting. This marked a momentous victory for European forces and greatly enhanced their reputation throughout Christendom (Edbury, 1996).
​​Despite this success however, further crusades failed to expel Muslim forces from Palestine with many ending in defeat or retreat back into Europe (Edbury, 1996). The Third Crusade proved particularly significant as it was initiated by European leaders seeking revenge after Saladin recaptured Jerusalem from Christian forces in 1187 (Edbury 1996). Despite various attempts at negotiation between Christian and Muslim powers there was still no clear victor at its conclusion. Ultimately then Saladin retained control over much if not all of Palestine while Christians maintained some presence but lost direct control over Jerusalem (Edbury 1995).
​​The effects of these wars have been felt until this day with religious divisions still very much alive across Europe and elsewhere. At times tensions run high between communities tied together through centuries old enmities that trace their origin back all those years ago. In addition to providing impetus for other later wars such as those during the Reformation period or Napoleonic era it is clear that The Crusades left an enduring legacy which has molded our world even today.
​​In conclusion then it is clear that The Crusades had profound consequences for Medieval Europe and its surrounding regions which are still felt today. It is also notable how interlinked these events remain with one another so many centuries later making them important historical events worthy of study even now.
​​Bibliography:
​​Edbury P W., The Conquest Of Jerusalem And The Third Crusade: Sources In Translation , Aldershot: Hampshire; 1996
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history-time-out · 1 year
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The First and Second Crusades
The First and Second Crusades from an Anonymous Syriac Chronicle
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​​​The First and Second Crusades are significant events in the history of Christianity, as well as in the history of the Middle East. This paper will provide an in-depth analysis of the First and Second Crusades from an anonymous Syriac chronicle. The source for this analysis is a 1933 edition of the Journal of the Asiatic Society, which was edited by A.S. Tritton and H.A.R. Gibb.
​​The First Crusade began in 1095 when Pope Urban II called on Christians to take up arms against the Muslims in the Holy Land. The goal of the crusade was to retake Jerusalem, which had been under Muslim control since 638. The success of the First Crusade was largely due to the leadership of Godfrey of Bouillon, who led the Christian forces to victory in 1099.
​​The Second Crusade was launched in 1147 and was intended to recapture Edessa, which had been lost to the Muslims in 1144. Unlike the First Crusade, the Second Crusade was unsuccessful and ended in failure. The anonymous Syriac chronicle provides insight into the motivations behind the crusades, as well as the reactions of the people of the Middle East to the arrival of the Christian forces.
​​The anonymous Syriac chronicle paints a vivid picture of the First and Second Crusades. It describes the motivations of the Christian forces, as well as their tactics and strategies. It also provides insight into the reaction of the people of the Middle East to the arrival of the Christian forces. According to the chronicle, the people of the Middle East were initially fearful of the Christian forces, but eventually came to accept them.
​​The anonymous Syriac chronicle also provides insight into the religious differences between the Christian and Muslim forces. It describes how the two sides viewed each other and how they interacted with each other during the course of the crusades. For example, it notes that the Muslims were often surprised by the Christians’ willingness to fight and die for their faith.
​​Finally, the anonymous Syriac chronicle provides insight into the long-term effects of the First and Second Crusades. It notes that the crusades had a lasting impact on the region, both politically and culturally. It also suggests that the crusades helped to create a more unified sense of identity among the people of the Middle East, as they came to see themselves as part of a larger community.​​
To summarize, the anonymous Syriac chronicle provides an invaluable source of information on the First and Second Crusades. It offers insight into the motivations of the Christian forces, the reactions of the people of the Middle East, the religious differences between the two sides, and the long-term effects of the crusades. This source is an important piece of evidence for anyone attempting to gain a better understanding of the First and Second Crusades.
​​Works Cited
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​​Tritton, A.S., and H.A.R. Gibb. “The First and Second Crusades from an Anonymous Syriac Chronicle (1933).” Journal of the Asiatic Society, vol. 65, pp. 69–101 and 274–305, 1933.
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history-time-out · 1 year
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Genrikh Yagoda
Jewish Murderer | Chief of Soviet Secret Police (NKVD) | Stalinist Henchman
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Genrikh Yagoda was a Soviet secret police chief and henchman of Joseph Stalin during the early part of the 20th century. He was responsible for overseeing some of the most notorious purges and terror campaigns of Stalin's reign, including the Great Purge in 1936-1938 and the dissolution of hundreds of kulaks, or peasant households. A loyal ally to Stalin, Yagoda was later accused of numerous crimes against humanity, including torture, mass executions, and forced labor programs that resulted in millions of deaths. Although he has been condemned by many over the past decades as one of the most ruthless figures in Soviet history, it is important to understand his place in this turbulent period and examine his motivations for following Stalin's directives.
Yagoda was born on October 7th 1891 in Gomel, Russia into a Jewish family. After completing school in 1910 he went on to study law at Moscow University before joining the Tsarist secret police force. When Vladimir Lenin came to power after the Bolshevik Revolution, Yagoda became an active member of Lenin's Cheka secret police organization where he rose through the ranks and eventually became deputy director in 1924. He served as Cheka Director from 1926 until 1934 when he replaced Vyacheslav Menzhinsky as head of the NKVD (People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs). This position made him responsible for carrying out Stalin’s orders for purges and terror campaigns against anyone deemed an enemy or threat to Soviet rule.
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Under Yagoda’s directorship, thousands were arrested and imprisoned without trial or even access to legal representation during his tenure as NKVD chief. In addition to those arrested without trial or conviction, millions more were killed through mass executions or through forced labor camps known as gulags which are estimated to have caused between 1-3 million deaths alone since their foundation in 1930 under Yagoda’s direction (Rummel). The most notable period during Yagoda’s time as head of NKVD was known as The Great Purge which lasted from 1936 until 1938 which saw hundreds killed after being falsely accused of treason with little evidence to support these accusations while others were simply targeted due to their affiliation with certain political groups (Uldricks).
Yagoda’s loyalty to Stalin led him down a dark path that eventually cost him his life when he was accused by Lavrentiy Beria himself of participating in “anti-Soviet activities” alongside other top officials at a meeting held on February 19th 1938 (Uldricks). He was arrested three days later with many other leading officials at a special session held by Joseph Stalin himself and charged with “willful negligence," "corruption" and "espionage", despite having no credible evidence presented against him other than hearsay from Beria himself (Uldricks). Placed on trial without legal representation alongside other senior figures like Nikolai Bukharin who had also been falsely accused by Beria, Yagoda was found guilty on all charges on March 15th 1938 despite pleading not guilty throughout proceedings (Rummel). Sentenced to death by firing squad two days later alongside four others charged alongside him; Genrikh Yagoda became yet another example how those who chose not to follow Joseph Stalin too closely could end up paying for their loyalty with their lives ultimately ending an era that saw widespread fear amongst citizens under communist rule.
Sources:
​​Rummel R J (1985) Democide: Nazi Genocide And Mass Murder; Transaction Publishers; New Brunswick NJ
​​​Uldricks T J(2007) The Great Terror: A Reassessment; Oxford University Press; Oxford UK
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Attila the Hun timeline
Leader of the ancient nomadic people known the Huns from 434-453 AD and ruler of the Hunnic Empire.
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378 The Huns take part in the Battle of Adrianople, in
which the Goths defeat the Romans. Soon
afterwards, the Huns cross the Carpathians into
Hungary
395 The Huns raid the Eastern Roman
Empire through the Caucasus, devastating towns in
Syria and Turkey
c400 The Huns dominate much of
Hungary and Romania. Birth of Attila
c435 Death of the Hun king Ruga, Attila’s uncle. Attila becomes joint ruler with his brother Bleda
444 or 445 Attila murders Bleda and becomes sole ruler, establishing a permanent base near today’s Szeged, on the Tisza in southern Hungary
440–41 Attila’s first Balkan campaign, raiding into Pannonia and Moesia, seizing several cities in the Danube region, including Singidunum (modern Belgrade)
447 Attila’s second Balkan campaign. Earthquake damages the walls of Constantinople. Huns besiege and take Naissus and many other cities, and (probably) advance to Constantinople, to find the walls have been repaired. Emperor Theodosius sues for peace, agrees annual tribute to Huns of 2,100 pounds of gold
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449 Priscus accompanies embassy from Constantinople to Attila’s headquarters. The envoy includes would-be assassins. Attila foils the plot
451 Attila advances up the Danube to the Rhine, marches along the Moselle and invades Gaul. His advance is stopped by Aetius at Orleans. He retreats, is defeated by Aetius at the Battle of Catalaunian Plains, but is allowed to escape
452 Attila invades northern Italy. He takes Aquileia, and advances along the Po Valley. Famine and disease force a retreat
453 Death of Attila
454 The Hun empire shatters. Western Roman Emperor Valentinian murders the popular military leader Aetius
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​​Pitesti Human Experiment (1949-1951)
​​Pitesti Prison was built sometime between 1937-1941 and operated until 1977 in Romania. It was a political prison for students who were against the communist regime in Romania.
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To see the timeline of communism in Romania you can click on the doc below.
​​The re-education that took place inside the prison was like no other. It was considered by some historians as the worst known acts towards humans on written record.
​​ “one of the most terrible experiments in dehumanization that our epoch has known”. Francois Furet ~ Historian
​​ "The most terrible act of barbarism in the modern world" Alexander Solzhenitsy
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​The goal of reeducation was to make you hate the things you value and love the most in your life. The communists wanted to reeducate the most devout Christians(students) who were just as convicted to their faith as the communists were to advancing their party. They wanted them to become completely obedient to the party. It was an attack on their soul. In order to re-educate and change one’s personality. They would associate everything the students loved and valued with pure evil. The term “re-education” was cleverly named as it was not a lie, but so the man on the street believed it to be something it wasn’t.
“​​1949-1951 “The Pitesti Experiment”
​​The experiment was designed to reengineer the human soul by using methods of torture to destroy the prisoner’s psychologically so they would become absolutely obedient to the communist people’s republic. They would break bones, use red hot irons among other methods of physical torture. Methods of torture were also spiritually and psychologically sadistic. This was how they associated your faith to all things evil.
​​“The beginning of the unmaskings”
​​The rumor circulated, around the unmaskings, a day or two before their start, that on the night of December 10, Turcanu Eugen, Popa Alexandru, said Tanu, Martinus, Cantemir and three others whose name I did not find out, were taken out of prison and taken to a latch on the bank of the Arges, where they were told that that night they would form the team that will shoot all the legionary bosses in pitesti prison. Asked if they agreed, they all replied that they were ready for this deed.
They were then taken to the place where the execution was supposed to take place, they were distributed weapons and bullets, waiting for the victims to come. Those who directed this staging were convinced that Turcanu and his team were determined to execute any order they would have received. The first step was taken; all that remained was for the prepared tool to begin executing the plan.
​​Before December 10, they were brought to room "4 hospital", which I also mentioned, about 30 students, among the peaks, most of them legionnaires, as well as Turcanu's group: Popa Tanu, Martinus, Livinschi, Leonida, Prisäcaru, Cantemir, Virgil Bordeianu and some students from Câmpulung Moldovenesc.
​​Turcanu and his group were not discovered to have been re-educated, on the contrary, they were gossiping Bogdanovici and those who had joined thereeducationinSuceava, with the intention of dragging those in the room by the tongue, to see in what waters they were bathing.
​​As everything was directed, Turcanu caused a scandal and began the scuffle between his group and the other students. During the scuffle, a window broke. This was the signal for the administration to intervene. The door was knocked on and the next moment, director Dumitrescu and Lieutenant Marina, with about 30 guards, entered the room. Director and political officer Marina fired pistols into the ceiling, and the guards, with chimes, coming from the ox and centimetres, pounced on the students to make one of his cups.
​​It was no longer known if they were living people or corpses. It was not enough so, but those who were not educated in the corridor were taken out, and Turcanu's group and the guards began again to beat them so badly, that there were only puddles of blood on the ground.
​​The legionary students, chosen from among the peaks, were then taken to the death cells on the head of the T and tormented by Turcanu, over a year, with the most terrible and wild tortures.
​​Here are some names of these martyrs: Pop Cornel, Mägirescu Eugen, Popescu Aristotel, Pavaloaia Constantin, Patráscanu Nuti, Caziuc, Voinea Octavian, Soltuz Laurentiu, Juberian, Parizianu Gheorghe, Strächinariu Constantin, Dan Lucinescu etc. This explains the collapse of these comrades, with the exception of Parizianu. They cannot be judged: when you accuse someone, you must be in his position, and when it comes to torture, to honestly confess if you could have endured the supplication that the one you arrogate to your right to judge has endured.
​​As of this date, director Dumitrescu and Marina have not exercised their role; the one who was running the prison was Turcanu.
​​He had double keys to all the rooms and cells of the prison. I've seen him dozens of times, with the tuft of keys in his hand, authoritarian and fearsome, beating horror even in the guards.
​​The unmasking in Pitesti lasted from December 10, 1949 to September 1951. These young people who have been isolated, only God knows what sufferings they have endured, and they are also given the opportunity to commit suicide.
​​On December 10, 1949, the administration and the guards in Pitesti prison disappeared from the stage. The only actor who played the play was Turcanu. Only he locked and unlocked, only he gave orders to the guards. He and his masters, General Nicolskiand Colonel Zeller. Nothing moves without them knowing what's going on. On the night of December 10, 1949, many of us, from the other wards, heard noises, but we could not understand what was happening.
​​“Methods of torture”
​​The tortures were well dosed and ceased when the inmate was on the verge of death.
​​They were varied: beating, starvation, the obligation to sit in a fixed position 17 hours a day - the legs stretched horizontally, the hands on the ganunchi and the bust at 90 degrees - at the slightest movement the supervisor intervening with the bat; they were forced to drink urine, to eat the messes inthe tinetawhere they made their necessities; forced to drink water with a lot of salt and then let it dry out of thirst, and many others, invented by the sick mind of the torturers.
​​Those who gave in were obliged to make their
​​"unmasking", that is, to say everything they did not declare at the ancestry, to betray the inmates who helped them in prison or the guards who had a human behavior. Also, for the destruction to be complete, in front of everyone in the cell, everyone had to mock the memory of what was most important to him.
​​For example, someone loved his mother or wife very much. In front of everyone, he had to defame them, to make the most obscene and absurd statements against them. Anything that was bright and good in the consciousness of the one who was still had to be defamed and filled with mud.
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​​“For the theological students”
​​The theological and godly students - the "mystical bandits", as they were called - were forced to apostate, to deny God, blaspheming everything related to the Christian faith. On Christmas or Easter, on the songs of carols or the Prophet, they were forced to sing texts with obscenities and indescribable insults against the Savior and His Mother. At the same time, they were forced to make blasphemous processions. To perform
​​"liturgies" with the miseries in the matter of necessities and then to "share" with them. Some were "baptized" by immersion in the hardaul with feces. I think these are enough to figure out the Satanism of re-education.
​​After the inmate made his "unmasking", in order to prove that he had re-educated himself, he had to, in his turn, become a torturer and convince another, to deny himself "of all the bourgeois rot" and to adopt the communist ideology. This led, under terror, to a real brainwashing. The tortured ones, no longer able to endure the continuous torments, having no possibility of suicide, being closely surpavegheati, gave in and turned into robots with a hardened heart, becoming of the victims, the horses. Even after they arrived reeducated they did not escape terror, because at the slightest sign of solidarity with the tormented, they passed again through the torture mill. Thus, living in a permanent terror, suspecting each other, they collapsed continuously with no possibility of recovery.
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​​“One last satanic method”
​​Another satanic aspect was that everything you hid and represented a fulcrum on the path of inner collapse tormented you so much that you asked yourself to expose yourself, feeling through this a relief, as after a confession, although these confessions were used against you. A very strange process took place, producing mutations in the personality of the tortured one, who came to deny the previous concepts and to adopt what Turcanu imposed on him, with the conviction that it does him a good. In this process of brainwashing "his mind is enlightened" he lived something like a relief, he "understood" everything he had rejected before and he started with all conviction to bring the others to the same stage of 'enlightenment'. For us, who have not gone through such demonic states, things are incomprehensible.
​​Most of them tortured others being themselves under the empire of terror, without the mutations we talked about above. The system was designed so that under continuous torture were very rare the cases of those who resisted to the end, generally making compromises, bigger or smaller, according to the structure and resistance of each one.
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Here some good resources for more information on the Pitesti Prison. I plan on making several blog posts on this topic and on Romanian Communism.
- The first time I had heard about the Pitesti Prison was during the summer of 2021. A friend of mine recommended “The Martyrmade Podcast” and the episode titled The Anti Humans.
- “The Anti Humans” book written by Dumitru Bacu. Bacu was Romanian born in Greek territory, went to Romania for his university education and there became a member of the anti-Communist organization that flourished in that nation before and during the tragic and fratricidal Second World War. He was a political prisoner in Pitesti Prison and this book is his firsthand experiences of what he went through.
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