Witness History Folgen

In 1917, British code-breakers exposed a German plot against the United States which helped alter the course of World War One . The Americans had remained neutral during the first three years of war, but by 1917, Germany was planning to restart unrestricted submarine warfare which it feared would trigger America's entry into the war on the Allied side. German foreign minister, Arthur Zimmermann, proposed a Mexican attack on the United States. Photo: (L) The Zimmermann telegram in code as sent from Washington to Mexico (R) A portion of the telegram as decrypted by British intelligence.(US National Archives and Record Administration)

In May 1999, a newly elected woman MP for the pro-Islamic Virtue Party in Turkey, Merve Kavakci, appeared in parliament wearing a headscarf. She faced a strong reaction from secular MPs and the Prime Minister at the time. She was booed, shouted at and prevented from taking her oath of office. Merve Kavakci spoke to Cagil Kasapoglu about that day.Photo: Merve Kavakci in the Turkish parliament. (Credit: Turkish Assembly TV)

Albania was hit by a wave of violent unrest in January 1997 after the collapse of 'pyramid' investment schemes. At least two-thirds of the population had invested in the get-rich-quick schemes. Demonstrators took to the streets calling for the resignation of the Albanian President Sali Berisha. Soon protesters were clashing with armed police. Monica Whitlock speaks to Lorina Naci who was a schoolgirl in Tirana at the time.(Photo: The Albanian capital Tirana in January 1997. Credit: Associated Press)