TODAY IN HISTORY
April 20, 1752: A small battle south of the city (village at the time) of Shwebo marks the start of the Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War, which helped consolidate the modern nation of Myanmar. An “army” (of around 40 men) belonging to the nascent Konbaung dynasty, under its founder Alaungpaya, defeated a small military unit detached by the southern Hanthawaddy kingdom to pacify the region. The war ended with a Konbaung victory that reunited upper and lower (northern and southern) Myanmar (Burma if you prefer) under a Bamar ruling family and marked the final time that the Mon people of southern Myanmar were able to establish an independent state.
April 20, 1792: The French Assembly declares war against the Habsburg monarchy, kicking off nearly ten years of conflict sometimes called the “French Revolutionary Wars.” This conflict is perhaps more properly broken up into the wars of the First Coalition (1792-1797) and Second Coalition (1798-1802), referring to the international alliances that were arrayed against the French First Republic. The Republic emerged victorious from both wars. They’re distinguished from the five subsequent coalition wars (1805-1815) thanks to Napoleon, who brought the Republic to an end with his coronation as emperor in 1804.
INTERNATIONAL
Four candidates are vying to succeed the outgoing António Guterres as United Nations secretary-general:
Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet
International Atomic Energy Agency director Rafael Grossi
Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development Rebeca Grynspan
Former Senegalese President Macky Sall
All four will go through a Q&A session before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. As the AP notes, this is a far cry from the 13 people who contested the job in 2016 and the obvious conclusion to draw is that the gig is just not that appealing these days. It’s hard to pick a favorite, though the Trump administration (which is one of the main reasons why the job isn’t appealing anymore) is definitely opposed to Bachelet so she faces a pretty uphill climb.
MIDDLE EAST
SYRIA
Syrian security forces arrested a senior Bashar al-Assad-era official in an operation in Latakia province on Monday in which one security officer was killed. The target was Amer al-Hassan, the former head of state security in Latakia, who has been accused of a number of crimes connected to his service in that post. Elsewhere, the Israeli military (IDF) arrested two men in southern Syria’s Quneitra province. The continued IDF presence in Quneitra is a major concern for residents, and recent construction activity has reportedly raised fears that the Israelis are building a major military base in the province. That would indicate an intention to occupy the area indefinitely.
