"Christian!" the eleven-year-old boy was yanked from the bed from slumber by his half-brother, Prince Frederik, 30 - it was his eleventh birthday - but did Frederik remember? Did anyone remember, actually? While a legitimate son acknowledged by the King, Christian grew up in a way far more alike that of an illegitimate noble boy. After all, his mother lost favours with the King not long after his birth, and had been placed under house arrest from 1637 Frederik looked at him w

"Krissie! Krissie!" the boy shouted for his elder sister, always energetic and loud at just four years old. Stockholm Palace has often been cold and empty seen the departure of the King and his army in 1630, leaving only the two royal children and their servants, with their mother visiting every few months. On this November day, however, the Palace, for some reason, felt eerily cold, perhaps due to the dropping temperature outside. Kristina, at five, was the King's golden gir

SWEDEN 1) Gustav Karl Vasa Born on May 29th 1628, Gustav is the second child and only son of King Gustav II Adolf the Great of Sweden, and Queen Maria Eleonora. Titled Crown Prince and Duke of Öland at birth, Gustav lived through his infancy and early childhood mainly under the care of his mother. Nonetheless, despite the busy warfare, Gustav II Adolf remained a devoted father to him and his elder sister, Kristina. As Gustav II Adolf was martyred in the Battle of Lützen in No

回顧阿拉伯世界，1943年敘利亞戰場形勢逆轉，同盟國重新掌控整個美索不達米亞地區，中東局勢隨之出現重大變化。戰爭後期，當地民族主義運動興起，各地要求獨立的呼聲日益高漲。 1943至1944年間，黎巴嫩與敘利亞相繼單方面宣布獨立，然而法國拒絕承認兩國主權，並派遣軍隊進行武力鎮壓，引發激烈抗爭。英國因希望維持與中東各託管地及殖民地的良好關係，對法國行動極為不滿。 1945年5月，隨着歐洲戰事結束，英國自外約旦出兵進入大馬士革，干預法軍行動，以阻止鎮壓事件發展。此舉引發英法外交衝突，史稱「 黎凡特危機 」。最終，法國鑑於國力削弱，又不願破壞與英國的盟友關係，被迫妥協，同意停止軍事行動。 不久之後，法國政府正式宣布將承認中東各地之獨立地位，並著手撤軍。英國亦向巴勒斯坦與外約旦承諾，將於數年內實現完全獨立。 另一方面，因沙烏地阿拉伯在二戰中曾協助英軍，英國為表彰其貢獻，承諾將自外約旦劃出部分領土割讓給沙地。外約旦王室聞訊後強烈抗議，但英揆邱吉爾並未理會。 1945年初，英國與沙地阿拉伯最終達成協議，重劃兩國邊界。3月20日，雙方於吉達正式簽訂《 吉達界約.

1945年6月，蘇聯公開向土耳其提出領土申索，表示土耳其東北部領土乃殘殺亞美尼亞及格魯吉亞人所得來。蘇共在《真理報》和《消息報》頭版刊登1915年亞美尼亞大屠殺照片，要求土耳其立即“歸還西亞美尼亞並向當年受害者賠償”。格魯吉亞及亞美尼亞兩共和國政府亦發布相同內容。外界認為，...