THE RED CALENDAR Published: 2026-11-04 Author / editor: Hassanpour Wednesday, 4 November 2026 | 13 Aqrab 1405 Afghanistan: From Anti-Colonial Resistance to Political Independence 4 November 1840 | Amir Dost Mohammad Khan Surrenders to British Forces Following the defeat of British forces at the Battle of Parwan on 2 November 1840, Amir Dost Mohammad Khan, who had previously left Kabul and sought refuge in Bukhara, surrendered to William Macnaghten, the British political representative, on 4 November of the same year and handed over his sword. He was subsequently transferred to India. This event formed part of the first phase of the First Anglo-Afghan War. Despite the Amir’s temporary removal from the political and military scene, resistance to foreign occupation in Afghanistan did not cease. Instead, the following year, it entered a decisive new phase with the outbreak of the widespread Kabul uprising. 4 November 1841 | The Kabul Uprising and the Defeat of the British Occupying Army’s Supply Fort As the popular uprising in Kabul, which had begun in early November 1841 against the British military occupation and Shah Shuja’s puppet government, continued to expand, Afghan fighters attacked the British supply fort (Commissariat Fort) on 4 November. British forces made several attempts to send reinforcements to relieve the position, but were forced to retreat under sustained attacks by Afghan fighters. The defenders eventually abandoned the fort, and its supply stores fell into Afghan hands. This defeat dealt a serious blow to the logistical capabilities and supply lines of the occupying army and became one of the significant events in the collapse of Britain’s military position in Kabul. 4 November 1919 | Afghanistan’s Independence at the Centre of Debate in the British Parliament Following the Third Anglo-Afghan War and the signing of the Treaty of Rawalpindi on 8 August 1919, the British House of Lords discussed the consequences of the war and Afghanistan’s independent status on 4 November of that year. A central issue in these discussions was the removal of Britain’s previous restrictions on Afghanistan’s foreign relations and the recognition of the country’s freedom to conduct its own international affairs. During the debate, the text of a letter from the British representative was also presented, emphasising Afghanistan’s formal independence in both domestic and foreign affairs. These parliamentary discussions reflected the political consequences of the Afghan people’s struggle for independence under Amanullah Khan and Britain’s retreat from its former control over Afghanistan’s foreign policy. The World: From Popular Uprisings to the Struggle Against Despotism 4 November 1780 | The Beginning of Tupac Amaru II’s Great Uprising Against Spanish Colonialism José Gabriel Condorcanqui, known as Tupac Amaru II, arrested the Spanish colonial official Antonio de Arriaga in the region of Tinta. This action marked the beginning of a widespread uprising against Spanish colonial rule, exploitation and the forced labour imposed on Indigenous populations in South America. The uprising became one of the most significant anti-colonial movements in the history of the Americas. 4 November 1791 | The Defeat of the United States Army at the Battle of the Wabash River Forces of the Indigenous American confederacy inflicted a crushing defeat on the United States Army, commanded by Arthur St. Clair, at the Battle of the Wabash River. This victory was one of the greatest military defeats suffered by the United States in its wars against Indigenous peoples and highlighted their resistance to colonial expansion and military domination. 4 November 1839 | The Chartist Uprising in Newport, Britain Thousands of workers and supporters of the Chartist movement marched towards Newport in Wales, led by John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones. They demanded political reforms and the expansion of democratic rights, including voting rights for working men. A bloody confrontation took place outside the Westgate Hotel, leaving approximately 22 people dead. The Newport Rising remains one of the most significant uprisings of the nineteenth-century British working-class and democratic movements. 4 November 1576 | The Spanish Fury in Antwerp: Massacre and Plunder of the City During the Eighty Years’ War, mutinous Spanish soldiers attacked the city of Antwerp and subjected it to widespread plunder. This event, known as the Spanish Fury, involved the massacre of numerous inhabitants and extensive destruction. It became a major turning point in the history of Dutch resistance against Spanish domination. 4 November 1922 | Discovery of the Entrance to Tutankhamun’s Tomb in Egypt The archaeological team led by Howard Carter discovered the first steps leading to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. This discovery became one of the most remarkable events in the history of world archaeology, providing researchers with new insights into the civilisation of ancient Egypt. Labour Movements and the Struggle Against Fascism 4 November 1936 | Anarcho-Syndicalist Representatives Enter the Spanish Republican Government During the Spanish Civil War, four representatives of the National Confederation of Labour (CNT), one of Spain’s largest anarcho-syndicalist and working-class organisations, entered the Republican government. This was a significant political development within the Spanish labour movement’s struggle against Franco’s fascist forces. It also reflected the extensive role played by workers’ organisations in the Republican resistance. 4 November 1936 | German Communist Fighter Etkar André Executed by the Nazis Etkar André, a German communist fighter and labour movement activist, and a prominent figure in the anti-fascist resistance, was executed on the orders of the Nazi regime. He had been arrested and imprisoned because of his political activities and his efforts to organise workers against fascism. His execution became a symbol of the brutal persecution of communists, workers and freedom-loving forces under Hitler’s regime. Political and International Events 4 November 1956 | Soviet Forces Enter Budapest and Suppress the Hungarian Uprising Soviet military forces entered Budapest with tanks and heavy military equipment and suppressed the Hungarian uprising. The intervention resulted in bloody clashes, thousands of deaths and injuries, and the flight of large numbers of civilians. This event became a major turning point in the history of the Cold War and one of the most controversial Soviet military interventions in Eastern Europe. 4 November 1979 | The Beginning of the US Embassy Hostage Crisis in Tehran A group of Iranian students stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and took its staff hostage. The crisis lasted 444 days and became one of the most significant events in Iranian-American relations following the 1979 Revolution. 4 November 1995 | Assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing extremist following his participation in a peace rally in Tel Aviv. His murder dealt a serious blow to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and had far-reaching political consequences throughout the region. 4 November 2008 | Barack Obama Elected President of the United States Barack Obama, the Democratic Party candidate, won the US presidential election and became the first African American to be elected President of the United States. His victory was a historic event in American domestic politics and attracted widespread international attention. 4 November 2016 | The Paris Agreement on Climate Change Enters into Force The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 to address climate change, officially entered into force on 4 November 2016. The agreement established an international framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, limiting global warming and promoting cooperation among countries in confronting the climate crisis. Editorial Note The Red Calendar approaches history not as a collection of lifeless dates, but as an ongoing arena of human struggle for freedom, social justice and liberation from domination and exploitation. From the resistance of the Afghan people against British colonialism to the anti-colonial uprisings of Latin America, from the struggles of European workers to the resistance of anti-fascist forces, history demonstrates that no system of domination is eternal. The consciousness, organisation and struggle of the people can transform the course of social development.