Simón Bolívar, or el Libertador as he is known, is one of the most important figures in South American history. When Bolívar was born in 1783, in what is today Venezuela, the Spanish Empire had been ruling much of his home continent for nearly two hundred and fifty years. Bolívar was born into a wealthy, […]
In the West, and indeed most other places, we often perceive rebellion as an act which aims to overthrow or change the ruling system. However, this conception may be altogether unhelpful, or at least misleading, when analysing Chinese history. For most of Chinese history, the act of rebellion was internalised in the overarching dynastic system.
On April 18, 2021, football was rocked to its very core. Amidst the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs suddenly announced their intention to form a new, breakaway continental competition in a move that would shock the world, giving birth to the deeply controversial and ill-fated European Super League.
The Incas, though never numbering more than 100,000 as an ethnic group, succeeded in creating the largest native empire in the New World until 1533. ‘Capacocha’ was the Inca practice of human sacrifice and recent discoveries in 1995 and 1999 have prompted further questions into this culture. In 1995, a frozen girl was found on […]
10 years on from the Arab Spring, we must look back on what happened and why. The Arab Spring was a pro-democracy uprising that spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). By mid-2012 most of the actions against governments had faded, many achieved little and were met by severe violence and curbs on […]
Ned Rodger writes a potted history of the March on Rome and the events that led to Mussolini in power. The British Museum’s Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition opened to considerable fanfare at the end of March. A number of prime-time TV documentaries heralded its coming and the Mayor of London, no doubt enchanted with the […]
The History of the Bra: A ‘ludicrous invention’ or a device for emancipation? The bra has often been seen as an instrument of patriarchy, used to subjugate women through the restriction and sexualisation of the female body. In contrast, it can also represent women’s emancipation:a garment designed for women, by women. Ancient visual material often […]
If some sort of modern day Rip Van Winkle was to suddenly awaken from a slumber he fell into in 1996, he could be forgiven for initially thinking he’d only been out for the night and not twenty years. It seems that we just can’t let go of the ‘90s and for all this nostalgia […]
The union between England and Scotland was solidified with the 1707 Acts of Union; creating what we know as ‘Great Britain’. 2007 saw the 300 year anniversary of this union and it was celebrated with the release of a commemorative £2 coin. The September 2014 referendum, on the issue of Scottish Independence, featured weightily in […]
’Absolute power does not corrupt absolutely, absolute power attracts the corruptible.’ Frank Herbert The quote is from from the author of the Dune novels and perfectly describes the situation that occured at FIFA. The scandal sorrounding the international organization arose after the announcement that Russia and Qatar were hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World […]
Following an amazing trip to Berlin in 2012, the History Society wanted to give this year’s members the opportunity to get to know each other and delve into a new city as a post-exam treat. The end of exams approached and 50 students got themselves ready for a trip to Prague. We piled into our […]
Scientists recently discovered that the Justinian plague, which killed up to 5,000 a day in Constantinople alone, was potentially of the same stream as the Bubonic Plague, and that there’s no guarantee it won’t flare up again. The media love this story, and the headlines scream that the plague could be upon us again, but […]
Didn’t make it to Amsterdam with the History Society? Michael Cass reveals all. History President gives a round up of the Society’s events past and future. History President gives a round up of the Society’s events past and future. James Eatwell, History Society President, introduces this year’s Society. Read an update from the History Society […]
The history of the burgeoning counterculture in Britain often centres around London, with underground magazines and newspapers such as Oz, Frendz and the International Times being identified as the alternative press of the day. Although London was a countercultural epicentre, the existence of Grass Eye and Mole Express in Manchester illustrate the countercultural movement in […]
