The "Immortals" of Ancient Persia

Nice, succinct treatments of ancient Persia's elite corps of warriors called the Immortals can be found here and here.  Apparently, by the time Alexander the Great's time, there was another special force in Persia called the "Apple Bearers."  The name is not nearly as intimidating, but whether or not it had anything to do with Persia's defeat at the hands of Alexander, I can't say.

Happy Russian-American Friendship Day

We are coming up on 30 April, the anniversary of the suicide of Adolf Hitler.  Hitler was the common enemy of both Russia and the USA, and Russia and the USA defeated him together, so the end of April is an ideal time to put the current tensions over the Ukraine aside and remember this old alliance.

World War II Propaganda Poster

Photos of Russian and American military personnel meeting as the war in Europe came to an end