HISTORY OF THE WAR OF THE AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION

Charles VI and the Pragmatic Sanction: AD 1720

The great issue dominating Austria in the years after the War of the Spanish Succession is again a problem of succession – this time relating to the remaining Habsburg territories, ruled from Vienna. The emperor Charles VI has a son, born in 1716, but the child dies before…

HISTORY OF TOGO

German colony: AD 1884-1914

The first German connection with Togo is the arrival of missionaries in 1847 to work among the largest tribal group in the region, the Ewe. German traders soon follow, establishing a base at Anécho on the coast.

When Bismarck decides to put together an off-the-peg German empire in Africa, Togo is one of the three places which…

HISTORY OF SENEGAL

The Senegal and Gambia rivers: to AD 1894

For a vessel sailing down the west coast of Africa, the mouth of the Senegal river offers the first refreshing welcome after the parched territory of the western Sahara. Further south, round the difficult promontory of Cape Verde, is the even more enticing estuary of the Gambia. Here the channel is sufficiently…

HISTORY OF THE RENAISSANCE

The word Renaissance

The Renaissance may be vivid in the mind’s eye – in images of human figures sculpted in the round, or in scenes painted with a profound and moving realism. But as a concept it is a slippery customer.

The word is French for ‘rebirth’. Historians first use it (from about 1840) for the period from the 14th to…

HISTORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR

Vimeiro to Corunna: AD 1808-1809

The Peninsular War of 1808-14 looms large in British history for two reasons: it is the only significant involvement of British troops on land in the Napoleonic wars until the final campaign of 1815; and it is the stage on which the duke of Wellington rises to prominence as a national figure. Nevertheless in…

HISTORY OF PAINTING

The art of our species

If Neanderthal man created any form of art, no traces of it have yet been found. But with the arrival of modern man, or Homo sapiens sapiens, the human genius for image-making becomes abundantly clear.

In the recesses of caves, people begin to decorate the rock face with an important theme in their daily lives, the…

Juliette Binoche Biography (1964-)

(born March 9, 1964, Paris, France) French actress, who was widely regarded as one of film’s most respected actresses for the intelligence she brought to her complex and varied roles.

Binoche’s father was a sculptor and a theatre director, and her mother was a teacher and an actress. After completing her general education, she studied acting at the Paris Conservatoire…

HISTORY OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS

Napoleon against Austria: AD 1800-1801

Napoleon’s military priority, on becoming first consul in 1799, is to reverse the gains recently made by Austria. To give himself a freer hand he makes a tentative offer of peace to England in December 1799, but it is firmly rejected.

As in 1796, the Austrians could be attacked by French armies either north of…

HISTORY OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

Almost an Italian: AD 1769-1795

Napoleon’s date of birth, in Corsica in 1769, makes him by just fifteen months a native French citizen. Most of Corsica’s traditional links are with Italy, from which Napoleon’s family, the Buonaparte, have arrived during the 16th century.

The Corsicans have been fighting for much of the 18th century to liberate their island from the rule…

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Biography (1841-1919)

(born February 25, 1841, Limoges, France—died December 3, 1919, Cagnes) French painter originally associated with the Impressionist movement. His early works were typically Impressionist snapshots of real life, full of sparkling colour and light. By the mid-1880s, however, he had broken with the movement to apply a more disciplined, formal technique to portraits and figure paintings, particularly of…

How to Date French Girls

French girls are intelligent, classy and sophisticated. They also have quite discerning taste in men. You can win their heart by following this guide to dating French girls.

Instructions

Step 1 Learn French. You don’t have to become fluent overnight, but it won’t hurt to learn a few words and phrases to impress your French date. Take a beginner’s course at…