Is there really a Fountain of Youth?
What is Stockholm syndrome?
Aside from the famous six-day hostage situation at the Sveriges
Kreditbanken in Stockholm from which its name is derived, Stockholm
syndrome is perhaps most famously associated with the iconic photo of a
beret-wearing, gun-toting Patty Hearst robbing a bank in April 1974. The
story gripped the nation as the public questioned whether she was
brainwashed or acting of her own accord. What turned the wealthy
granddaughter of a media tycoon from an innocent hostage to a criminal,
and seemingly willing, member of her captors’ radical Symbionese
Liberation Army?
The term “Stockholm syndrome” was first coined by psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who advised law enforcement during the Stockholm hostage negotiations in 1973. The public and the media were stunned by the hostages’ empathetic and defensive feelings toward their captors, and Bejerot labeled the psychological phenomenon “Stockholm syndrome.” It was defined in greater detail by Dr. Frank Ochberg in the 1970s as he studied the behavior of the Stockholm captives and identified the psychological factors contributing to their affectionate bonding with their captors.
Stockholm syndrome, also known as trauma bonding or terror bonding, is born out of the hostage’s instinctual sense of self-preservation: his basic survival is controlled by his captor, so rather than hate the captor, the hostage unconsciously forges a bond with him in order to survive. The hostage forges this bond by accepting and feeling gratitude for small acts of kindness from his captor; in the case of the Stockholm captives, they were given blankets when they were cold and were allowed to call their families. In the hostage’s world, the captor has become his provider, whereas the armed law enforcement team in the outside world poses a physical threat to both him and his provider.
The symptoms of Stockholm syndrome are not always clearly defined, and in Patty Hearst’s case, the jury’s doubts regarding the legitimacy of her psychological trauma resulted in a guilty verdict and a seven-year prison sentence, which was commuted two years later by President Carter.
The term “Stockholm syndrome” was first coined by psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who advised law enforcement during the Stockholm hostage negotiations in 1973. The public and the media were stunned by the hostages’ empathetic and defensive feelings toward their captors, and Bejerot labeled the psychological phenomenon “Stockholm syndrome.” It was defined in greater detail by Dr. Frank Ochberg in the 1970s as he studied the behavior of the Stockholm captives and identified the psychological factors contributing to their affectionate bonding with their captors.
Stockholm syndrome, also known as trauma bonding or terror bonding, is born out of the hostage’s instinctual sense of self-preservation: his basic survival is controlled by his captor, so rather than hate the captor, the hostage unconsciously forges a bond with him in order to survive. The hostage forges this bond by accepting and feeling gratitude for small acts of kindness from his captor; in the case of the Stockholm captives, they were given blankets when they were cold and were allowed to call their families. In the hostage’s world, the captor has become his provider, whereas the armed law enforcement team in the outside world poses a physical threat to both him and his provider.
The symptoms of Stockholm syndrome are not always clearly defined, and in Patty Hearst’s case, the jury’s doubts regarding the legitimacy of her psychological trauma resulted in a guilty verdict and a seven-year prison sentence, which was commuted two years later by President Carter.
Who really invented the light bulb?
What is the largest country in the world?
Covering an expanse of over 6.6 million square miles, Russia is the
world’s largest country by landmass, beating out runner-up Canada by
around 2.8 million square miles. It includes nine different time zones
and shares land borders with 14 neighboring countries. Russia’s origins
began with the Viking establishment of Kievan Rus in the 9th century. It
expanded under the leadership of Viking chieftain Rurik and his
ancestors but was broken up by Mongol invaders in 1237. Beginning with
the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which was less vulnerable to Mongol attacks
due to its remote, forested location, the remnants of Rus unified and
expanded, most notably during the reign of Ivan the Terrible from 1533
to 1584. As its first official tsar, Ivan established the central
Russian state and doubled its size by conquering the regions of Kazan,
Astrakhan and Siberia. It expanded into the third largest empire in the
world by the 1700s, and as the post-revolution Russian Soviet Federative
Socialist Republic, it was the largest part of the Soviet Union. With
the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia, also known as the Russian
Federation, was officially established on December 25, 1991.
Although it covers around 17% of the world’s inhabited land, Russia is only home to around 2% of Earth’s inhabitants. With a staggering population of over 1.3 billion people, or just over 19% of the global community, China is the most populous country on Earth. During the Qing Dynasty, from the mid-17th century to early 20th century, the population swelled from 150 million to 450 million as migratory expansions in farming and advancements in agricultural technology allowed the country to feed a bigger population. The next massive population boom began after World War II under Mao Zedong’s leadership. China underwent a period of modernization during Mao’s rule, including improvements to its health care system, which increased life expectancy dramatically. At the same time, Mao urged people to have larger families because he believed that population growth would result in the empowerment of the country as a whole. During Mao’s reign, from 1949 to 1976, China’s population grew from approximately 540 million to 940 million. In order to curb China’s overpopulation, the one-child policy was instituted in 1979 and has slowed the country’s exponential growth, but the population has still climbed to over 1 billion more than the third-ranked United States (313 million).
China may not hold the “most populous” title for long, though. The U.N. predicts that in the next 15 years, China’s and India’s populations will both reach nearly 1.5 billion. At this point, China’s population will begin to decrease, due to an aging population without a sufficient birth rate to sustain growth, and India’s will continue to climb.
Although it covers around 17% of the world’s inhabited land, Russia is only home to around 2% of Earth’s inhabitants. With a staggering population of over 1.3 billion people, or just over 19% of the global community, China is the most populous country on Earth. During the Qing Dynasty, from the mid-17th century to early 20th century, the population swelled from 150 million to 450 million as migratory expansions in farming and advancements in agricultural technology allowed the country to feed a bigger population. The next massive population boom began after World War II under Mao Zedong’s leadership. China underwent a period of modernization during Mao’s rule, including improvements to its health care system, which increased life expectancy dramatically. At the same time, Mao urged people to have larger families because he believed that population growth would result in the empowerment of the country as a whole. During Mao’s reign, from 1949 to 1976, China’s population grew from approximately 540 million to 940 million. In order to curb China’s overpopulation, the one-child policy was instituted in 1979 and has slowed the country’s exponential growth, but the population has still climbed to over 1 billion more than the third-ranked United States (313 million).
China may not hold the “most populous” title for long, though. The U.N. predicts that in the next 15 years, China’s and India’s populations will both reach nearly 1.5 billion. At this point, China’s population will begin to decrease, due to an aging population without a sufficient birth rate to sustain growth, and India’s will continue to climb.
Who really invented the airplane?
Did George Washington really chop down his father’s cherry tree?
What is the smallest country in the world?
It may be difficult to imagine, but there is a country in the world
smaller than New York City’s Central Park and one with a population
smaller than a typical high-school class. Based on landmass, Vatican
City is the smallest country in the world, measuring just 0.2 square
miles, almost 120 times smaller than the island of Manhattan. Situated
on the western bank of the Tiber River, Vatican City’s two-mile border
is landlocked by Italy. The official seat of the pope of the Catholic
Church since 1377, Vatican City was not declared an independent state
until the Lateran Treaty of 1929. After years of power struggles between
popes and the political leaders of Italy over who could claim supreme
authority in the region, Benito Mussolini and Pope Pius XI agreed to the
Lateran Pacts on February 11, 1929, which created the independent state
of Vatican City for the Catholic Church in exchange for the pope’s
recognition of the Kingdom of Italy. Today, nearly 75 percent of the
Vatican’s citizens are members of the clergy.
In comparing countries by population, however, Vatican City loses out to the Pitcairn Islands for the title of smallest country. Compared to the 800-850 residents who live in Vatican City, the population of the Pitcairn Islands has fluctuated between 40 and 60 inhabitants over recent years. This British territory, located in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Peru and New Zealand, is composed of four islands, but Pitcairn is the only one that is inhabited. Pitcairn’s tiny population is also noteworthy due to its peoples’ heritage: They are descended from Tahitians and the mutineers on the Bounty. Fletcher Christian and eight other mutineers fled to Tahiti after their revolt at sea, but when hostilities arose with their new neighbors and they began to fear arrest, they escaped to the deserted island of Pitcairn to hide from British authorities, bringing a handful of Tahitians with them. The British rediscovered the islands in 1791 during a search for the mutineers, and they were named a British colony in 1838. Though the population has swelled since then to a whopping 223 just before World War II, the current population stands at about 50.
Considering the 50 smallest countries by landmass are each less than one-quarter of the size of Rhode Island and the 50 smallest countries by population are each about one-sixth the size of Washington, D.C., it really is a small world after all.
In comparing countries by population, however, Vatican City loses out to the Pitcairn Islands for the title of smallest country. Compared to the 800-850 residents who live in Vatican City, the population of the Pitcairn Islands has fluctuated between 40 and 60 inhabitants over recent years. This British territory, located in the Pacific Ocean halfway between Peru and New Zealand, is composed of four islands, but Pitcairn is the only one that is inhabited. Pitcairn’s tiny population is also noteworthy due to its peoples’ heritage: They are descended from Tahitians and the mutineers on the Bounty. Fletcher Christian and eight other mutineers fled to Tahiti after their revolt at sea, but when hostilities arose with their new neighbors and they began to fear arrest, they escaped to the deserted island of Pitcairn to hide from British authorities, bringing a handful of Tahitians with them. The British rediscovered the islands in 1791 during a search for the mutineers, and they were named a British colony in 1838. Though the population has swelled since then to a whopping 223 just before World War II, the current population stands at about 50.
Considering the 50 smallest countries by landmass are each less than one-quarter of the size of Rhode Island and the 50 smallest countries by population are each about one-sixth the size of Washington, D.C., it really is a small world after all.
Who was the “real” Rosie the Riveter?
Why do some Civil War battles have two names?
Antietam or Sharpsburg? Manassas or Bull Run? For many Americans,
what you call a Civil War battle has nearly everything to do with where
you or your Civil War-era ancestors grew up.
Northern soldiers, far more likely to hail from cities or urbanized areas, are believed to have been impressed with the geography of the south, including its mountains, valleys and abundant rivers and streams. In unfamiliar territory, they named many of their battles after these natural features. For Confederate troops, familiar with the rural, natural terrain, towns and buildings were more memorable, and in the south many of the same battles were referred to after the man-made structures nearby.
In all, there are more than a dozen Civil War battles (large and small) that often go by dual names. Here’s a look at some of the most famous examples.
Those reading northern newspaper accounts of the first major battle of the war heard of the Union defeat at Bull Run (a nearby stream), while those in the south celebrated their victory at Manassas (the local railroad station). In March 1862, the Union won a victory at the Battle of Pea Ridge (a nearby town) against Confederates fighting at the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern (a two-story structure that had been used as a trading post, mail stop, restaurant and inn in the years before the war). Today, the brutal April 1862 battle fought in southwestern Tennessee is most commonly known by its Confederate name, Shiloh (a small log church located on the battlefield) rather than the name Union commander Ulysses S. Grant used, Pittsburg Landing (his location on the Tennessee River). And the deadliest day in American history, September 17, 1862, is alternately known in the south as the Battle of Sharpsburg (the local Maryland village that witnessed much of the fighting) or as the Battle of Antietam in the north (thanks to its proximity to a nearby river).
Northern soldiers, far more likely to hail from cities or urbanized areas, are believed to have been impressed with the geography of the south, including its mountains, valleys and abundant rivers and streams. In unfamiliar territory, they named many of their battles after these natural features. For Confederate troops, familiar with the rural, natural terrain, towns and buildings were more memorable, and in the south many of the same battles were referred to after the man-made structures nearby.
In all, there are more than a dozen Civil War battles (large and small) that often go by dual names. Here’s a look at some of the most famous examples.
Those reading northern newspaper accounts of the first major battle of the war heard of the Union defeat at Bull Run (a nearby stream), while those in the south celebrated their victory at Manassas (the local railroad station). In March 1862, the Union won a victory at the Battle of Pea Ridge (a nearby town) against Confederates fighting at the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern (a two-story structure that had been used as a trading post, mail stop, restaurant and inn in the years before the war). Today, the brutal April 1862 battle fought in southwestern Tennessee is most commonly known by its Confederate name, Shiloh (a small log church located on the battlefield) rather than the name Union commander Ulysses S. Grant used, Pittsburg Landing (his location on the Tennessee River). And the deadliest day in American history, September 17, 1862, is alternately known in the south as the Battle of Sharpsburg (the local Maryland village that witnessed much of the fighting) or as the Battle of Antietam in the north (thanks to its proximity to a nearby river).
What is the holy grail?
From the knights of medieval legends to Indiana Jones, the holy grail
has been the most sought-after Christian relic in popular culture for
centuries. The grail is most commonly identified as the cup that Jesus
drank from at the Last Supper and that Joseph of Arimathea used to
collect Jesus’s blood when he was crucified. Given the importance of
Jesus’s crucifixion and the eucharist in Christian beliefs, the search
for the grail became the holiest of quests as it signified the pursuit
of union with God.
Possibly stemming from the presence of cauldrons and other mystical objects in Celtic mythologies, the grail became a common theme in literature related to King Arthur. French poet Chrétien de Troyes is credited with introducing the grail as a divine object in his early-12th century romance, “Perceval.” Around 1200, Robert de Boron further specified its Christian significance in his poem “Joseph d’Arimathie,” citing the holy grail’s origins at the Last Supper and Christ’s death. While Perceval was the knight destined to pursue the grail in Troyes’s and de Boron’s prose, it was Sir Galahad, introduced in the “Queste del Saint Graal” later in the mid-13th century, who became the most well-known knight of King Arthur’s court to complete the quest.
Although it is generally accepted as mythic, some believe the holy grail is more than just a figment of medieval literature. Some Arthurian tales claimed that Joseph of Arimathea brought the grail to Glastonbury in England. One legend has it that on the spot where he buried the grail, the water runs red because it runs through Christ’s blood, though scientists agree this is just the effect of red iron oxide in the soil. Others believe that the Knights Templar seized the holy grail from Temple Mount during the Crusades and secreted it away.
Possibly stemming from the presence of cauldrons and other mystical objects in Celtic mythologies, the grail became a common theme in literature related to King Arthur. French poet Chrétien de Troyes is credited with introducing the grail as a divine object in his early-12th century romance, “Perceval.” Around 1200, Robert de Boron further specified its Christian significance in his poem “Joseph d’Arimathie,” citing the holy grail’s origins at the Last Supper and Christ’s death. While Perceval was the knight destined to pursue the grail in Troyes’s and de Boron’s prose, it was Sir Galahad, introduced in the “Queste del Saint Graal” later in the mid-13th century, who became the most well-known knight of King Arthur’s court to complete the quest.
Although it is generally accepted as mythic, some believe the holy grail is more than just a figment of medieval literature. Some Arthurian tales claimed that Joseph of Arimathea brought the grail to Glastonbury in England. One legend has it that on the spot where he buried the grail, the water runs red because it runs through Christ’s blood, though scientists agree this is just the effect of red iron oxide in the soil. Others believe that the Knights Templar seized the holy grail from Temple Mount during the Crusades and secreted it away.
What is the Magna Carta?
Hundreds of years before American colonists revolted against the
crown, rebel nobles in England drafted the Magna Carta to curtail the
power of their own tyrannical monarch–King John. While the Magna Carta,
signed in 1215, primarily secured liberties for England’s elite classes,
its language protecting due process and barring absolute monarchy has
guided the fundamental principles of common law in constitutions around
the world for the last 800 years. The Magna Carta brought an end to the
absolute power of English sovereigns as they, too, were required to be
held accountable by the law.
King John had a tumultuous relationship with Pope Innocent III, a controversial figure in the early 13th century who claimed supreme authority over European sovereigns. After opposing Stephen Langton’s appointment as archbishop of Canterbury in 1207, King John became the first English monarch to be excommunicated, so he struck back by taxing the Church and seizing portions of its lands. He was even more unpopular among the English barons, whom he taxed heavily to pay for his military defeats. In 1214, King John launched an unsuccessful invasion of France and taxed the English nobility again to pay for his war, sparking a revolt of the barons in 1215.
To resolve the civil unrest and end the king’s abuse of power, Langton and a group of rebel barons drafted the Articles of the Barons, which became the Magna Carta. In fear that the rebellion would escalate to full-scale civil war and endanger his throne, King John affixed his seal on the document at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, making it Europe’s first written constitution. After only a few weeks, however, Pope Innocent III, who by then had reconciled with King John, voided the Magna Carta at the king’s urging. This reignited the violence between the monarchy and the barons, but after King John’s sudden death in 1216, the Magna Carta was reinstated under 9-year-old King Henry III. (It was revised in 1216, 1217 and 1225.)
Ironically, the Magna Carta would inspire American colonists a few hundred years later to declare independence from the British themselves. Around one-third of the provisions in the United States’ Bill of Rights draw from the Magna Carta, particularly from its 39th clause: “No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land.”
The four remaining copies of the original Magna Carta are housed at Salisbury Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral and the British Museum.
King John had a tumultuous relationship with Pope Innocent III, a controversial figure in the early 13th century who claimed supreme authority over European sovereigns. After opposing Stephen Langton’s appointment as archbishop of Canterbury in 1207, King John became the first English monarch to be excommunicated, so he struck back by taxing the Church and seizing portions of its lands. He was even more unpopular among the English barons, whom he taxed heavily to pay for his military defeats. In 1214, King John launched an unsuccessful invasion of France and taxed the English nobility again to pay for his war, sparking a revolt of the barons in 1215.
To resolve the civil unrest and end the king’s abuse of power, Langton and a group of rebel barons drafted the Articles of the Barons, which became the Magna Carta. In fear that the rebellion would escalate to full-scale civil war and endanger his throne, King John affixed his seal on the document at Runnymede on June 15, 1215, making it Europe’s first written constitution. After only a few weeks, however, Pope Innocent III, who by then had reconciled with King John, voided the Magna Carta at the king’s urging. This reignited the violence between the monarchy and the barons, but after King John’s sudden death in 1216, the Magna Carta was reinstated under 9-year-old King Henry III. (It was revised in 1216, 1217 and 1225.)
Ironically, the Magna Carta would inspire American colonists a few hundred years later to declare independence from the British themselves. Around one-third of the provisions in the United States’ Bill of Rights draw from the Magna Carta, particularly from its 39th clause: “No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, disseised, outlawed, banished, or in any way destroyed, nor will we proceed against or prosecute him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers and by the law of the land.”
The four remaining copies of the original Magna Carta are housed at Salisbury Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral and the British Museum.
From the knights of medieval legends to Indiana Jones, the holy grail
has been the most sought-after Christian relic in popular culture for
centuries. The grail is most commonly identified as the cup that Jesus
drank from at the Last Supper and that Joseph of Arimathea used to
collect Jesus’s blood when he was crucified. Given the importance of
Jesus’s crucifixion and the eucharist in Christian beliefs, the search
for the grail became the holiest of quests as it signified the pursuit
of union with God.
Possibly stemming from the presence of cauldrons and other mystical objects in Celtic mythologies, the grail became a common theme in literature related to King Arthur. French poet Chrétien de Troyes is credited with introducing the grail as a divine object in his early-12th century romance, “Perceval.” Around 1200, Robert de Boron further specified its Christian significance in his poem “Joseph d’Arimathie,” citing the holy grail’s origins at the Last Supper and Christ’s death. While Perceval was the knight destined to pursue the grail in Troyes’s and de Boron’s prose, it was Sir Galahad, introduced in the “Queste del Saint Graal” later in the mid-13th century, who became the most well-known knight of King Arthur’s court to complete the quest.
Although it is generally accepted as mythic, some believe the holy grail is more than just a figment of medieval literature. Some Arthurian tales claimed that Joseph of Arimathea brought the grail to Glastonbury in England. One legend has it that on the spot where he buried the grail, the water runs red because it runs through Christ’s blood, though scientists agree this is just the effect of red iron oxide in the soil. Others believe that the Knights Templar seized the holy grail from Temple Mount during the Crusades and secreted it away.
Possibly stemming from the presence of cauldrons and other mystical objects in Celtic mythologies, the grail became a common theme in literature related to King Arthur. French poet Chrétien de Troyes is credited with introducing the grail as a divine object in his early-12th century romance, “Perceval.” Around 1200, Robert de Boron further specified its Christian significance in his poem “Joseph d’Arimathie,” citing the holy grail’s origins at the Last Supper and Christ’s death. While Perceval was the knight destined to pursue the grail in Troyes’s and de Boron’s prose, it was Sir Galahad, introduced in the “Queste del Saint Graal” later in the mid-13th century, who became the most well-known knight of King Arthur’s court to complete the quest.
Although it is generally accepted as mythic, some believe the holy grail is more than just a figment of medieval literature. Some Arthurian tales claimed that Joseph of Arimathea brought the grail to Glastonbury in England. One legend has it that on the spot where he buried the grail, the water runs red because it runs through Christ’s blood, though scientists agree this is just the effect of red iron oxide in the soil. Others believe that the Knights Templar seized the holy grail from Temple Mount during the Crusades and secreted it away.
Was Dracula a real person?
Published in 1897, Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel “Dracula” launched an
entire genre of literature and film about vampires, those sinister
figures who use their supernatural powers to hunt humans and drink their
blood. To create his immortal antihero, Count Dracula, Stoker certainly
drew on popular Central European folktales about the nosferatu
(“undead”), but he also seems to have been inspired by historical
accounts of the 15th-century Romanian prince Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the
Impaler. Born in Transylvania as the second son of the nobleman Vlad II
Dracul, he took the name Dracula, meaning “son of Dracul,” when he was
initiated into a secret order of Christian knights known as the Order of
the Dragon. (In Romanian, Dracul means “dragon.”)
As the ruler of Walachia (now part of Romania), Vlad Tepes became notorious for the brutal tactics he employed against his enemies, including torture, mutilation and mass murder. Though he didn’t shy away from disembowelment, decapitation or boiling or skinning his victims alive, his preferred method was impalement, or driving a wooden stake through their bodies and leaving them to die of exposure. During his campaign against Ottoman invaders in 1462, Vlad reportedly had as many as 20,000 victims impaled on the banks of the Danube. Captured by Hungarian forces and imprisoned, he was finally able to regain his seat in 1476, only to be killed in battle the same year. Some particularly gruesome accounts claimed that Vlad liked to dine among the impaled bodies of his victims, and would even dip his bread into their blood. These gory details, as well as his legally adopted name (Dracula) and his birthplace of Transylvania, have convinced many scholars that Vlad the Impaler provided partial inspiration for Stoker’s famous vampire.
As the ruler of Walachia (now part of Romania), Vlad Tepes became notorious for the brutal tactics he employed against his enemies, including torture, mutilation and mass murder. Though he didn’t shy away from disembowelment, decapitation or boiling or skinning his victims alive, his preferred method was impalement, or driving a wooden stake through their bodies and leaving them to die of exposure. During his campaign against Ottoman invaders in 1462, Vlad reportedly had as many as 20,000 victims impaled on the banks of the Danube. Captured by Hungarian forces and imprisoned, he was finally able to regain his seat in 1476, only to be killed in battle the same year. Some particularly gruesome accounts claimed that Vlad liked to dine among the impaled bodies of his victims, and would even dip his bread into their blood. These gory details, as well as his legally adopted name (Dracula) and his birthplace of Transylvania, have convinced many scholars that Vlad the Impaler provided partial inspiration for Stoker’s famous vampire.
What was Operation Mincemeat?
During World War II, British intelligence officers managed to pull
off one of the most successful wartime deceptions ever achieved:
Operation Mincemeat. In April 1943, a decomposing corpse was discovered
floating off the coast of Huelva, in southern Spain. Personal documents
identified him as Major William Martin of Britain’s Royal Marines, and
he had a black attaché case chained to his wrist. When Nazi intelligence
learned of the downed officer’s briefcase (as well as concerted efforts
made by the British to retrieve the case), they did all they could to
gain access. Though Spain was officially neutral in the conflict, much
of its military was pro-German, and the Nazis were able to find an
officer in Madrid to help them. In addition to other personal effects
and official-looking documents, they found a letter from military
authorities in London to a senior British officer in Tunisia, indicating
that Allied armies were preparing to cross the Mediterranean from their
positions in North Africa and attack German-held Greece and Sardinia.
This intelligence coup for the Nazi spy network allowed Adolf Hitler to transfer German troops from France to Greece ahead of what was believed to be a massive enemy invasion. The only problem? It was all a hoax. The “drowned” man was actually a Welsh tramp whose body was obtained in a London morgue by British intelligence officers Charles Cholmondeley and Ewen Montagu, the brains behind Operation Mincemeat. After creating an elaborate fake identity and backstory for “William Martin,” Cholmondeley and Montagu got Charles Fraser-Smith (thought to be the model for Q in the James Bond novels, written by former British naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming) to design a special container to preserve the body during its time in the water. One of England’s leading racecar drivers transported the container to a Royal Navy submarine, which dropped it off the Spanish coast. Once the Spanish recovered the body, British authorities began their frantic attempts to recover the case, counting on the fact that their efforts would convince the Nazis of the documents’ validity. As a result of the false intelligence carried by “William Martin,” the Nazis were caught unawares when 160,000 Allied troops invaded Sicily on July 10, 1943. In addition to saving thousands of Allied soldiers’ lives, Operation Mincemeat helped further Italian leader Benito Mussolini’s downfall and turn the tide of the war towards an Allied victory in Europe.
This intelligence coup for the Nazi spy network allowed Adolf Hitler to transfer German troops from France to Greece ahead of what was believed to be a massive enemy invasion. The only problem? It was all a hoax. The “drowned” man was actually a Welsh tramp whose body was obtained in a London morgue by British intelligence officers Charles Cholmondeley and Ewen Montagu, the brains behind Operation Mincemeat. After creating an elaborate fake identity and backstory for “William Martin,” Cholmondeley and Montagu got Charles Fraser-Smith (thought to be the model for Q in the James Bond novels, written by former British naval intelligence officer Ian Fleming) to design a special container to preserve the body during its time in the water. One of England’s leading racecar drivers transported the container to a Royal Navy submarine, which dropped it off the Spanish coast. Once the Spanish recovered the body, British authorities began their frantic attempts to recover the case, counting on the fact that their efforts would convince the Nazis of the documents’ validity. As a result of the false intelligence carried by “William Martin,” the Nazis were caught unawares when 160,000 Allied troops invaded Sicily on July 10, 1943. In addition to saving thousands of Allied soldiers’ lives, Operation Mincemeat helped further Italian leader Benito Mussolini’s downfall and turn the tide of the war towards an Allied victory in Europe.
No comments:
Post a Comment