June 24th marks the 700th anniversary of the Scots’ defeat of the English at the Battle of Bannockburn, an event that drove the English army out of Scotland and firmly established Robert the Bruce as king.  Although the war for Scottish independence wasn't over for another 14 years, this overwhelming victory of inferior Scottish forces is generally viewed as the event that secured Scotland's independence for the next 400 years.   An outnumbered, ragtag band of patriots prevailing over a large, well-equipped national army has long been the favored narrative of insurrectionists of all ilks.    June 28th marks the 100 anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which was the trigger that began World War I.  That war may be one of the least understood events in modern history. That is a shame, as it is also a war that shaped the 20th century and is still shaping events today....(Read Full Post)