November 7th

On this day – 7th November 1520 – The start of Stockholm Bloodbath 

Stockholm Bloodbath lasted from the 7th to the 10th of November in 1520. The bloodbath began after Denmark, under King Christian II, successfully invaded Sweden. Christian II was crowned as the king of Sweden on November 4th. The invasion was a part of a larger dispute over Swedish membership in the “Kalmar Union” between the Scandinavian countries. Around 80 people were executed between the 7th and the 10th of November, most of them where from the clergy and the nobility in Sweden. They were executed although they had been promised a general amnesty from King Christian II, and most of the nobility had been imprisoned during a conference at the royal palace. Most of the executed were hanged, although some were beheaded as a punishment instead of. The Stockholm Bloodbath led to a revolt cumulating in the Swedish War of Liberation where Sweden again gained its independence.

October 24th

On this day - 24th of October 1945 - Vidkun Quisling was executed 

Quisling is mostly known for being the head of state during the German occupation of Norway. Quisling also met Hitler several times both before and after the ware broke out. Quisling announced over the radio that his political party, "Nasjonal Samling"(Norwegian national nazi-party) had seized power and that he was to be prime minister. His role as the prime-minister only lasted one week, since neither the Germans nor the Norwegians approved of him. Quisling got a second shot at political power in 1942 when he was appointed Minister President of Norway. Quisling had to, however, share his power with the German Reichskommissar Josef Terboven. Quisling was not a well liked man, he was not even liked by the Germans or even his own political party. After the war Quisling turned himself over to the police and his trial was set the 20th of August where he was found guilty of treason among other charges. On the 10th of September he was convicted and sentenced to death by firing squad. His last words were "I'm convicted unfairly and I die innocent." His legacy is that his name Quisling is a synonym with traitor and collaborationist.

Quisling og Terboven

September 22

On this day – 22nd September 1980 –  The start of the Iran-Iraq war

The war between the two countries started in 1980 when Iran attacked Iraq. Although Iran was the first to attack spent this nation most of the time of the war on the offence. In terms of hoe the war was fought was this very similar to WW1. No-man’s land, trench warfare and barbed wire was common where the fighting took place. The war lasted until 1988, which made it into the 20th century longest lasting conventional war. The outcome of the war was around a half million dead soldiers, but no change in borders and no repayment to either of the countries. Iraq was not identified by U.N. as the aggressor of the war until 1991.

September 1st

On this day – 1st of September – 1939 – The start of the Second World War. 

The first of September 1939 is considered the start of the Second World War. On this day invaded the German forces Poland. This was the last straw for Great Britain and France, which declared war against Germany two days later. On the 17th of September joined USSR (Soviet Russia) in on the campaign in Poland, due to a secret agreement between the foreign ministers of each country. The war campaign by Germany and USSR in Poland ended on October 6th, when the two countries divided and annexed Poland between themselves.