Illuminati in the 18th Century

Secret societies, like the notorious Illuminati, have long fascinated people worldwide, their influence extending from history into today’s popular culture.

January 21, 2024

History Rhymes Gets a New Design and More

Today I am excited to announce that after a number of years of lying dormant, History Rhymes is finally getting a new lease on life. 

January 14, 2024

Kaiser Wilhelm II After His Abdication – Part 1

Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated after the end of the First World War, but that is generally when he exits the stage of popular history. So what happened to him? What did he do in that time? This article aims to explore some of these questions.

May 17, 2020

A Decade of History Rhymes

It is hard to believe that an entire decade has elapsed since I published my first History Rhymes blog post entitled “Starting Out.” A lot has changed in the past ten years and I have big plans for it for the future.

April 10, 2018

Kings of Bavaria: Conclusion – After the Fall of the Monarchy

The rule of the Bavarian kings ended with the German Revolution of 1918-1919 in the immediate aftermath of World War I. The royal family became enemies of the Nazis and had to flee Germany, but never gave up the dream of restoring the monarchy.

March 9, 2018

History Rhymes Featured on Tutorful

History Rhymes has been picked to be featured in an editorial by Tutorful called “History Lovers: Awesome Websites and Resources To Cure Your Boredom”.

March 6, 2018

Kings of Bavaria: King Ludwig III

A long, tragic series of events brought King Ludwig III to the Bavarian throne. He was the monarch who was never destined to become king. He did not inherit it, but instead took it from his mentally ill cousin. Ludwig also saw the end of his family’s 700-year rule over Bavaria.

November 14, 2016

Kings of Bavaria: King Otto I

King Otto I was the king who never reigned. His story was a tragic one that to this day remains unique in the history of Bavaria. He became king upon his older brother’s death, but as he had already been declared insane and mentally unfit to rule, his uncle took over his royal duties as prince regent.

November 1, 2016

The Rise of Democracy in England

Today’s idea of democracy has taken centuries to develop and no other country has such a unique history with democracy as that of England. From the first Norman kings in the eleventh century CE, to today’s complex relationship between the English people, the monarchy and the Parliament, the process by which the English have come to govern themselves in modern times is quite a tale unto itself.

May 12, 2016

Houses in Fin-de-Siècle Britain: Conclusion

Fin-de-Siècle Britain saw many new styles and innovations in the architecture of houses. Some of these new designs were visual whilst others were more practical. A mishmash of styles were created by a number of different architects in an attempt to redefine British architecture, but they would effectively only give the period a sense of chaos.

April 7, 2016

From The Archives

Prince Regent Luitpold

Kings of Bavaria: Prince Regent Luitpold

The story of Prince Luitpold and how he came to power is a rather tragic one. Although Prince Luitpold was never actually king of Bavaria, he reigned in place of his nephew, King Otto I, who was declared insane and unfit to rule even before inheriting the throne after the death of his older brother, King Ludwig II. Luitpold was proclaimed prince regent after Ludwig was deposed and remained so until his death in 1912.

February 1, 2016
A fresco created by Philipp Veit to represent German unification.

Nineteenth Century German History: Rise and Fall of a New Empire (1850-1918)

By midcentury a fairly clear picture was beginning to emerge that unification of the German states was going to be inevitable in one form or another. One of the largest and more pressing hurdles yet to overcome, however, was which state was going to dominate and lead this unified Germany. The key players in this … more →

April 17, 2010
The announcement by Philipp Scheidemann that the Kaiser has abdicated

Nineteenth Century German History: Conclusion

Germany in the nineteenth century was a place of unimaginable political unrest. The collapse of the Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the century set the precedent for how the political scene of most of the rest of the century would play out. It would be chaotic, unnavigable and yet somehow the German people … more →

April 18, 2010