Four Animals That Changed The Course Of History
Throughout human history, some animals have become important because of the role they played at certain times. Pigs, monkeys and dogs have an important and transcendent place in many historical events. And if you don’t believe it, read some of these stories.
Was the Anglican Reformation caused by an English Greyhound?
Even if you don’t know anything about history, chances are you do know who Henry VIII was. Yes, the one who, among other things, decapitated their wives.
For the English king is also responsible for one of the most important events in the history of Christianity: the separation of the Catholic Church and the formation of the Anglican Church.
According to psychology professor Stanley Coren, none of this would have happened if not for the excessive protection that Thomas Wolsey, English archbishop of the Catholic Church, would have with his dog.
Wolsey was tasked with negotiating the annulment of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn.
Well, history tells that at that meeting there was an event that upset the Pope and, some say, that event was decisive in the breakup of the Catholic Church with England.
The protagonist was Wolsey’s greyhound dog, named Urian. It is said that when the time came when Wolsley was supposed to kiss the Pope’s feet, Urian, to protect his owner, jumped on the Holy Father and left a bite that would have caused a lot of trouble.
Clement was furious at the incident, ended the meeting and refused to divorce Henry VIII, who finally decided to sever ties with Rome and initiate the Anglican Reformation, the rest of the events you can check in the history books.
The Dog That Saved Napoleon
Would Napoleon’s power have existed if a dog hadn’t saved his life? It is said that in 1815, when Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba, for going through a storm at sea; in the middle of that, Napoleon fell into the water.
Legend has it that a Newfoundland dog dove into the rough sea to save him. Although it sounds like something quite fanciful, the truth is that the dogs of this breed stand out precisely because they are great rescuers in lifesaving teams, maybe that’s why the animal was on the boat at the time of Napoleon’s fall.
As you may already know, after surviving the accident, Napoleon returned to France, started the Hundred Days War and his military campaign to regain power.
The final phase of this campaign was the famous Battle of Waterloo, in which Napoleon’s career as a conqueror came to an end.
The pig that gave birth to European democracy
This story is related to a chain of events. Watch. It turns out that King Philip of France one day was riding along the banks of the Seine on one of his horses. During his walk, suddenly, a black pig ran out of the middle of a pile of manure, the horse got scared and Felipe fell and ended up dying in the accident.
After Philip’s death, who assumed the throne was his brother Louis VII of France, who participated in the Crusades and who had been groomed to become a monk.
Well, Luis married Eleanor of Aquitaine, but she decided to separate and marry Henry II of England, who were parents of John of England, then was forced to sign the Magna Carta, which later it became the basis of all democracy in Europe.
These events occurred due to a remarriage of Leonor, which would not have happened if not for the Second Crusade. What is owed to an animal!
The monkey that caused thousands of deaths
A monkey that caused thousands of deaths? After the conclusion of World War I, the Greeks wanted to start a war against Turkey, with the intention of regaining some territories.
On this occasion, the king was Alexander I of Greece, son of Constantine I. In the midst of the conflict, Alexander was walking in the royal gardens in Athens with his dog. But the walk was interrupted because the king of Greece had an accident, was attacked by a monkey.
There has been some confusion about the monkeys, some historians claim they were like their pets and they were attacking the king’s dog. Others say they were wild monkeys.
Well, anyway, the king was bitten in the hand, the hand got infected and Alexander died of septicemia.
After Alexander’s death, his father Constantine returned to the throne’s continuous progress, continuing the fight against the Turks. As a result, the Greek army was destroyed, millions of soldiers were killed, and Greece lost all the land Alexander had acquired. All for a monkey.
