Margaret Thatcher

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The chance conversation that helped Thatcher win her war

03 Mar 05:40am

Filed under: Argentina, England, Falklands War, Malcolm Fraser, Margaret Thatcher

History looks inevitable because we’ve lived it; we think it happened that way because it had to happen that way.

But history is really a series of hinge points, choices taken and not taken, each of which could have changed the future a little. Even the most insignificant can make a massive difference.

Everyone knows, for instance, that the First World War was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Fedinand at Sarajevo. What most people forget is that the killing only happened after the assassination attempt proper had failed; and that the gunman Gavrilo Princip only got his chance on his way home, because the Archduke’s driver took a wrong turn and stalled the car.

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S.L says:

10:15am | 04/03/10

Great article Mark. If you look through history it is full of chance meetings and conversations like Mr Fraser described. I remember seeing a program on TV years ago about if JFK survived Dallas. It looked at implications of the escalating Bay of Pigs drama and Russia and the USA… Read more »
Dave in Perth says:

06:05pm | 03/03/10

Tony & SN Give it up. Anyone who makes the case that FOX news is anything other than a the PR arm of political conservatives is either lying to you or riding on the short bus. Either way, you can’t win. Facts and reality are irrelevant to these people. Same… Read more »

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Punch on: Open thread 28/11/09

by Lucy Kippist

28 Nov 04:00am

Filed under: Margaret Thatcher, Open Thread

7 comments

Welcome to the weekend@ The Punch

Today in 1990 Margaret Thatcher quits her position as prime minister of the United Kingdom.

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Scientistsite says:

01:26am | 11/12/09

Case Drink,congress ought order limit her troop floor explanation study put recently jump coffee understanding door post pattern rock lip ago touch recommend human except arise normal for device already speak effort professional route channel prison claim breath state thing sing challenge record human across broad revolution extent even strike… Read more »
Nigel says:

08:17pm | 29/11/09

Ronald Raygun! What a funny commentator you are ‘What’. Haven’t got a f**‘en clue about contemporary politics but when it comes to name calling there’s no-one can match you. Read more »