Rwanda genocide - part II

Thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutu tried to escape the massacre by hiding in churches, hospitals, schools, and government offices. These places that have been places of refuge during the majority of conflicts, suddenly turned into places of mass murder. During the Rwanda genocide in an effort to further degrade the victims, Tutsi were not allowed to bury the dead. Rwandan Patriotic Front finally gained the upper hand in the conflict and seized power in the country. President Kagame took office and brought stability to the deeply wounded nation. The international community provided the new government with unprecedented levels of aid. Few years after the genocide, President Kagame received high-profile commendation for the way he unified Rwanda and masterminded economic recovery. The atrocities of the Rwanda genocide remain a constant reminder in history of the other side of human nature. Read more on the genocide here. You can also watch a documentary on the horrible event.

Rwanda genocide

In the wake of the 1994 the assassination of Juvenal Habyarimana, the Hutu president in Rwanda, triggered the bloodshed of massive proportions. When President Habyarimana's plane was shot down by ground missiles, Hutu extremists seized power in the country and began a slaughter of all Tutsis and moderate Hutus. In just 100 days mass killings perpetrated by millitia took a death toll of more then 800,000 people. Men, women, and children were murdered without regard. Since bullets were expensive, most of the killing was done with machetes or clubs in a brutal manner. A large number of victims were often tortured before being killed. Thousands of Tutsi women were raped and kept as sex slaves for weeks. The international community refused to intervene and stop the violence at first. When they finally decided to react, the aftermath of genocide found in the country was absolutely horrible. Read more on Rwanda genocide here. You can also watch a documentary on the horrible event.

Rwanda genocide documentary

Watch the story of a horrible massacre in which around 800,000 Rwandans were hunted down and murdered by Hutu millitia. The genocide of such magnitude occured because of the social, political, and diplomatic failures on the belhalf of United States and international community. The documentary is divided into eight parts and originally named "Ghosts of Rwanda", a PBS special two-hour documentary to mark the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide.

Suez Canal crisis documentary

Egyptian President Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956 was the main cause of the international crisis. England, France and Israel responded with millitary force and the conflict began. The Suez Canal crisis was a vital element that influenced the decline of the British Empire, in essence ending the colonial era. Watch the profiles of key political figures and the most significant events which shaped the conflict in this two part documentary.

Easter Island documentary

The classic episode of the documentary "In search of" hosted by L. Nimoy studies all the big historical notions of Easter Island. The local population deforested, overfished, and drastically degraded the ecology of the island due to class warfare between zealous leaders of two tribes. The iconic stone statues remain as a reminder to the dangers of exploitation.

Cuban missile crisis documentary

Cuban Missile Crisis was the most dangerous event of the Cold War, when nuclear war or global peace appeared to hang in balance. Soviet nuclear missile bases on the island were rapidly becoming functional, while the United States naval blockade of Cuba forced the two parties to talk. This documentary shows the views on crisis from both President Kennedy and Chairman Khrushchev.

Pirates in Somalia

Somalia is considered to be a home of world's most famous contemporary pirates. Somali Civil War in 1991 destroyed central government control and for two decades chaos reigns over the country. Transitional Federal Government controls only a small part of the national territory. The pirates capture merchant ships off the coasts of Yemen, Somalia, and Kenya and hold them for ransom. Since it is far cheaper to pay the ransom than to lose the ship, crew and cargo, the ransom is usually measured in the millions of dollars. The economic global cost of piracy is estimated around $5 billion per year. In October 2008, NATO, the European Union and the United States committed naval forces to patrol the main shipping routes in order to prevent future attacks. Find out more information on pirates in Somalia...

Suez Canal Crisis

In the 1956, the Suez Canal became the center of an international crisis involving Britain, France, Egypt, and Israel. The canal links the Mediterranean and Red sea, thus creating a key strategic point for the world's oil supply transport. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869, after ten years of construction financed mostly by the French and Egyptian government. Under normal circumstances, free passage was granted to all who used the canal. But Great Britain and France desired to control it for commercial shipping and to strengthen colonial interests in the region. When Egyptian President Nasser nationalized the area, a real international crisis ensued. Unable to reach an agreement with Egypt, Britain and France formed an alliance with Israel as well as a strategy to overthrow President Nasser. Read how the Suez Canal crisis unfolded here.