Ilyas holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in International Relations. He studied economy, sociology, public policy, and history and worked as a researcher for think tanks and consulting firms. It is his strong passion for political and military history that brought him to TheCollector. Nowadays, he is preparing for a PhD program in International Cooperation and Public Policy.
Areas of Expertise
Why the Chinese Civil War was the Bloodiest in Modern History
During the first half 20th century, China went through a series of internal turmoil. The most violent of these was the Chinese Civil War.
8 Facts on The Three Unifiers of Japan: Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, & Ieyasu
A long civil war saw the emergence of three rulers, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Three Great Unifiers of Japan.
What Was the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth?
European history might be known to many, but only few know about the history of Poland and Lithuania and the illustrious Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi: From Peasant to Ruler of Japan (9 Facts)
The Japanese Reunification was a long and difficult process, but by the end of the 16th century, Japan was under the rule of one man: Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Oda Nobunaga: 11 Facts on the Ruthless Samurai who Reunified Japan
A long civil war saw the emergence of one major leader: Oda Nobunaga. With ruthless methods and inspiring leadership, this samurai united Japan.
The Abbasid Caliphate: 8 Achievements from a Golden Age
The Abbasid Caliphate emerged from the collapse of the Umayyad Dynasty in 750. Its reign saw numerous great achievements that sent Islamic civilization to its golden age.
The Umayyad Caliphate: The Largest Islamic State
A few decades after the death of the Prophet Mohammed, the Islamic World produced its first great empire: the Umayyad Caliphate.
The Sengoku Jidai: An Era of Constant Unrest
From 1467 to 1615, Japan went through a period of continuous social unrest and civil war, remembered today as the Sengoku Jidai.
The Chinese Revolution of 1911: Failure or Success?
In 1911, the Chinese Revolution took down more than two millennia of hereditary rule and set in motion events that saw the emergence of a brand new regime.
The Rashidun Caliphate: The First Islamic State
The death of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad ushered in an era of rapid Muslim expansion under the Rashidun Caliphate.
The Russian Civil War: The Bloody Rise of the USSR
The Bolshevik Revolution ushered in a century of communist rule, but the brutal Russian Civil War awaited the fledgling USSR.
Napoleon III: The Second French Empire (Part II)
After the Coup of December 1851, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte instituted the Second French Empire, and became Emperor Napoleon III. This new empire had its own share of successes and shortcomings.