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Verdun: the endless battle
Historian article
Most can agree that the battle of Verdun started 100 years ago, on 21 February 1916, when the Germans began attacking French positions north and east of the old fortress town on the Meuse river. Few can agree on when it ended. The Germans might draw a line under it...
Verdun: the endless battle
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The archer's stake and the battle of Agincourt
Article
Our perspective on how archers performed in battle is enhanced byMark Hinsley's research into their use of protective stakes.
On the approach to Agincourt in 1415 a small skirmish took place at Corbie, on the Somme. A force of French men-at-arms sallied out from the town and cut up some...
The archer's stake and the battle of Agincourt
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Imperialism resurgent: European attempts to 'recolonise' South East Asia after 1945
Article
‘To think that the people of Indochina would be content to settle for less [from the French] than Indonesia has gained from the Dutch or India from the British is to underestimate the power of the forces that are sweeping Asia today'.
An American adviser in 1949 cited: Robin Jeffrey...
Imperialism resurgent: European attempts to 'recolonise' South East Asia after 1945
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The effect of the loss of the American Colonies upon British Policy
Classic Pamphlet
(1) Problems of an Empire in ruinsTwo weeks after Yorktown, but before the news of that disaster had reached England, George III wrote to Lord North that "The dye is now cast whether this shall be a great Empire or the least dignified of European states." England had not fought...
The effect of the loss of the American Colonies upon British Policy
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70 years of the Isle of Wight Branch
1st July 2020
In June 2020 the HA Isle of Wight branch celebrated its 70th birthday. Here, Honorary Secretary of the branch Terry Blunden looks back at the history and development of the branch since 1950.
Although the Historical Association was formed in 1906 sixteen years elapsed before a branch was established on...
70 years of the Isle of Wight Branch
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Why was it so important to see Dunkirk as a triumph rather than a disaster in 1940?
Historian article
Karin Doull investigates the perceptions of the outcome of the Dunkirk evacuation within the contextual framework of the time at which it occurred.
In May 1940 the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and a proportion of the French First Army group had withdrawn, under heavy fighting to the port of Dunkirk on the...
Why was it so important to see Dunkirk as a triumph rather than a disaster in 1940?
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The Blitz: All we need to know about World War II?
Primary History article
The Blitz of 1940 is certainly a significant event in Britain’s past, one which has repeatedly been drawn upon as a symbol of national consciousness. It was a time when most of Europe had been defeated by the Nazi regime in Germany, typically through ‘Blitzkrieg’ – or lightning war methods...
The Blitz: All we need to know about World War II?
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New, Novice or Nervous? 171: Teaching Medieval History
Teaching History feature: the quick guide to the no-quick-fix
Was your diet of school history mostly modern? Are you more comfortable debating the industrial revolution than the feudal revolution? And do you now find yourself teaching more medieval history, particularly at GCSE and A-level? Recent changes to the examination specifications in England have made the medieval mainstream, and as...
New, Novice or Nervous? 171: Teaching Medieval History
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Driver Ben Cobey 8th Royal Field Artillery
Article
Alf Wilkinson asks why three men were awarded the Victoria Cross during the retreat from Mons in August 1914 and the fourth involved in the action wasn’t. What does that tell us about Britain during the arly days of the Great War?
In August 1914, when war broke out, the...
Driver Ben Cobey 8th Royal Field Artillery
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Primary History 31: The Industrial Revolution
Journal
The Industrial Revolution and the Children's Employment Act of 1842, Teaching for purpose, Revising the English Reformation, Recreating the Bristol blitz using artefacts and roleplay, Teaching and meaning: supporting historical understanding in the primary classroom and much more... Click the link below to read the full article!
Primary History 31: The Industrial Revolution
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Polychronicon 165: The 1917 revolutions in 2017: 100 years on
Teaching History feature
The interpretive and empirical frameworks utilised by scholars in their quest to understand the Russian revolutions have evolved and transformed over 100 years. The opening of archives after the collapse of the Soviet Union enabled access to a swathe of new primary sources, some of which have had a transformative...
Polychronicon 165: The 1917 revolutions in 2017: 100 years on
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Polychronicon 121: interpretations of the American Revolution
Article
Polychronicon is a regular feature helping school history teachers to update their subject knowledge, with special emphasis on recent historiography and changing interpretation. This edition of 'Polychronicon'focuses on the interpretations of the American Revolution.
Polychronicon 121: interpretations of the American Revolution
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The Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949
20th Century Chinese History
In this podcast Professor Rana Mitter of the University of Oxford looks at why Mao Zedong was successful in achieving a Communist Revolution in 1949.
The Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949
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The Chinese Revolution of 1911
20th Century Chinese History
In this podcast Professor Rana Mitter of the University of Oxford looks at the causes and consequences of the 1911 Revolution.
The Chinese Revolution of 1911
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Maps, ICT and History: A revolution in learning
Article
Lez Smart outlines exciting new developments in digitalisation of maps which could transform pupils' work on continuity and change, on diversity of society, on local history and much more. Above all, he shows how easy to use (and how cheap!) this new resource will be. Lez Smart explains the opportunities...
Maps, ICT and History: A revolution in learning
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Changing views of the Russian Revolution
20th Century Russian History
In this podcast Dr Beryl Williams discusses how historians views of the Russian Revolution have changed over time in Russia and the West.
Changing views of the Russian Revolution
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Cavour and Italian Unification
Classic Pamphlet
It may seem a little perverse to write a pamphlet on Cavour in 1972, the centenary year of the death of Mazzini, but no doubt there will be more than one publication on Mazzini to mark the occasion. To pretend that the two men had much in common would be...
Cavour and Italian Unification
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My Favourite History Place: Lord Street, Southport
Historian article
Trevor James introduces an international dimension to local history, revealing how a future French Emperor interpreted his affection for Southport’s Lord Street into the extensive redesign of Parisian streets.
My Favourite History Place: Lord Street, Southport
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For whose God, King and country? Seeing the First World War through South Asian eyes
Primary History article
In October 1914 France faced defeat on what would later become the Western Front. If the Germans captured the channel ports then the small British Expeditionary Force (BEF) supporting the French would be cut off from Britain, and the channel ports themselves might be used to launch a German invasion of...
For whose God, King and country? Seeing the First World War through South Asian eyes
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What Have Historians Been Arguing About... Chinese history?
Teaching History feature
Teaching Chinese history in the UK runs up against some immediate obstacles. It lacks the familiar staging posts of European history: Chairman Mao is among the few well-known names, and terms such as Cultural Revolution and Opium War may attract recognition, but are often not understood in detail. The situation...
What Have Historians Been Arguing About... Chinese history?
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Teacher Fellowship Programme: Broadcasting and Social Change in Sixties Britain
Teacher Fellowship Programme 2022
This Teacher Fellowship Programme focused on developing the teaching of the history of equality and diversity in postwar Britain using video and audio sources. The programme was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council BBC History 100 Fellowship. The programme has sought to refresh the teaching of modern British history in schools by diversifying its content,...
Teacher Fellowship Programme: Broadcasting and Social Change in Sixties Britain
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The Cultural Revolution 1966-1976
Podcast
In this podcast Dr Yangwen Zheng of the University of Manchester looks at the origins, theatre and consequences of the Cultural Revolution.
Dr Yangwen Zheng's essential textbook Ten Lessons in Modern Chinese History is now available. Written for university entry-level students and A-level teachers and students, it uses primary sources to tell the...
The Cultural Revolution 1966-1976
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The End of Colonial Rule in West Africa
Classic Pamphlet
The dissolution of colonial empires since the Second World War is a major theme of contemporary history, and one which will challenge historians for many years to come. There are still sharp disagreements as to how this change should be described. European scholars tend to use the term ‘decolonization' (at...
The End of Colonial Rule in West Africa
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The Provisional Government and the October Revolution
20th Century Russian History
In this podcast Dr Beryl Williams looks at why the Provisional Government failed to establish liberalism in Russia between February and October 1917 and why it was the Bolsheviks that took power in October.
The Provisional Government and the October Revolution
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Germany after the 1848 Revolutions
Beyond the Barricades
In this podcast Dr Anna Ross analyzes the long-term impact of the 1848 Revolutions. Though the revoking of many constitutions at the time has caused the period to be viewed as a loss for liberal ideology, Ross discusses how these actions could be viewed as beneficial. Despite the constitutional rollback, government action...
Germany after the 1848 Revolutions
