Archive
Every story we've published, newest first.
1911 Imperial Germany · Serial ultimatums and credibility
The Gunboat That Barked
In 1911, Germany sent a warship to Morocco to call France's bluff. It worked — until it didn't. The anatomy of a deadline that devours its maker.
April 6, 2026 · 5 min read
1806-1814 Napoleonic Europe · Chokepoint economics
The Emperor Who Strangled Himself
Napoleon tried to starve Britain with a trade blockade. He bankrupted France instead — and the parallels to today's chokepoint wars are almost too precise.
April 5, 2026 · 4 min read
1720s England · AI investment mania
When the South Sea Swallowed London
The 1720 bubble that bankrupted Isaac Newton — and why your portfolio should be nervous
April 5, 2026 · 2 min read
1630s Ottoman Empire · AI regulation debate
The Emperor Who Banned Coffee
When Ottoman Sultan Murad IV made drinking coffee a capital offence — and what it tells us about today's AI regulation debate
April 4, 2026 · 1 min read