Revival History

In March 1945, during World War II, the Japanese army executed several French engineers and civilians, whose graves are now located in the military square of the Poissy cemetery. A year later, on March 21, 1946, the town of Thakhek, Laos, was reportedly the site of a massacre perpetrated by the French army. After retaking the city from Vietminh-backed Pathet Lao communist fighters, French forces reportedly killed between 1,500 and 3,000 civilians, mostly Vietnamese. According to Laotian reports, many of these victims were thrown into a well.

How the Spider Lost His Crown Long ago, when animals chose a king by wisdom rather than strength, Spider wore the crown. He was small but clever, quick with words, and skilled at solving disputes. For a time, the forest prospered. But Spider grew greedy for praise. He stopped listening and began ruling by tricks. When elders came with problems, he twisted their words. When hunters complained of unfair paths, he blamed fate. Quietly, he spun lies instead of webs of justice. One season, a great drought struck. The animals begged Spider to consult the ancient stream spirits. Spider claimed he had already done so and demanded gifts before acting. He took yams, beads, and goats—and did nothing. Suspicious, Tortoise followed Spider one night and found him feasting alone, mocking the animals’ suffering. At dawn, Tortoise called the forest together and revealed the truth. Spider tried to talk his way out, but his words tangled like broken silk. The animals removed his crown and gave leadership...

The German general who impregnated three imprisoned sisters… and what he did to them afterward  I was 18 when I learned that a woman's body can turn into a battlefield.  Not in books, not as a real metaphor.  On the skin, in the belly, in the silence that comes afterwards.  My name is Mais duoc.  I was born in 192 in a village called Saint-Rémy sur Loire, so small that it didn't even appear on military maps.   I grew up between vineyards and wheat fields, between Sunday laughter and sung masses.  My mother baked bread every morning.  My father repaired clocks.  My sisters, Aurore and Séverine, were all I knew of unconditional love. Aurore was 19 years old and dreamed of becoming a schoolteacher. Séverine, 21, embroidered wedding dresses that she never wore.   I simply wanted time to stop, for the war everyone was talking about to never reach us.  But she arrived in June 1942. They came to get us.  Not because we were criminals,...

As a German soldier during the World War 2, it was a high possibility that you would die. But it was a matter of luck where you fought. The Eastern Front where Germans were fighting against the Soviet Union was the most dangerous location. This was not a battle, it was more like a meat grinder of human beings. It is recorded that 75 to 80 percent of the total number of German soldiers who had perished in the war had died on the Eastern Front. Death was not the result of bullets only. Many died of extreme cold and others were killed of starvation and sickness every winter. In case you were captured by the Soviets, you had virtually no chance of ever coming home alive. In total nearly 18 million men were enlisted in the German army. More than 5million of those men were killed or lost. It is an indication that about three soldiers in every 10 soldiers did not manage to survive the war. The chances were just as bad should your unit be posted in the East. On a big battle the probability of ...

“It’s been six months since we’ve had a woman,” two slaves said to her... “It’s been six months since we’ve had a woman,” two slaves said to her. The phrase struck Soledad, the daughter of a landowner, like a blow to the heart. She had never imagined hearing such a painful confession. Two strong men, marked by the harsh life of the fields, confessing a loneliness that no one else saw. How could it be fair? How could a heart bear so much absence? What she didn't know was that this moment would be the beginning of a forbidden, powerful bond, capable of defying all of society. Because when a truth like that is revealed, nothing is ever the same again. To where someone can go for love. The Louisiana sun, 1863, beat down heavily on the San Gabriel plantation. The air smelled of damp wood, sweat, and sadness. The men worked in the fields, the women in the kitchen, and silence covered everything like a thick blanket. On the balcony of the big house, a young woman with dark braids looked t...

We rode the two miles to Mrs.Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Daddy was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was he buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern. We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?" Mrs.Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The ...