Lenin’s policy of War Communism and the New Economic Policy (NEP) were two major economic policies implemented in the Soviet Union during the early 20th century. These policies were introduced in response to the economic and social challenges faced by the Soviet Union, particularly in the aftermath of World War I and the Russian RevolutionContinue reading “Explaining Lenin’s Policy of War Communism and the New Economic Policy”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Understanding Democracy and Nazism 1924-1929
This is the second blog post for students studying Nazi Germany that I’ve created. You can read part one, 1918-23 here. The point I made in the previous blog was that by breaking down the period of study into manageable time chunks, it becomes easier to learn. The period 1924-29 was five years where theContinue reading “Understanding Democracy and Nazism 1924-1929”
Understanding Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1923
One of the challenges of studying Germany from the end of the First World War to the end of the Second World War is remembering and then navigating the intense and dramatic changes that took place throughout the era. As with previous blog posts helping students to master topic areas, the trick with Germany isContinue reading “Understanding Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1923”
How to learn history – part two
Hi, here’s part two of this little video course on the basics of thinking like an historian. All history writing is an argument of sorts, and your essays or answers are no different. Whether you’re sitting your exams or writing a PhD, the point is to present a perspective/argument. We do this best when weContinue reading “How to learn history – part two”
How to learn history – part one
History is the study of the bits and pieces the past has left us and the competing arguments about what they mean. The first category is finite, the second virtually limitless. There is a tendency to find the one true ‘right’ interpretation of past events but this is based on a flawed premise. There areContinue reading “How to learn history – part one”
The Conservative Party’s War on International Law
Britain is abandoning its commitments to human rights and the protection of refugees, established after the Second World War. Brexit has given the extreme right of the Conservative Party an opportunity to persecute the world’s most desperate people.
The Tsar Liberator and Russia’s Peasants
Hi folks, here’s a quick video I’ve put together for students on the long term causes of the Russian Revolution and the revolutionary period that began in 1861 with the emancipation of the serfs.
Far Right Bankruptcy
It’s worth reflecting that in the past 2-3 months the following things have happened: It can be tempting to ascribe meaning to clusters of events, and it’s in the nature of human beings to do so. Our understanding of the world is shaped into narratives which by their very nature include some facts and excludeContinue reading “Far Right Bankruptcy”
When British corruption drops the ball
Traditionally, Britain has managed to avoid appearing to be a corrupt country, because so much of what any rational onlooker might call graft is actually legal. The rewarding of party donors with the ear of cooperative ministers, peerages and other honours enables British politicians to be easily and cheaply bought. This process acts as aContinue reading “When British corruption drops the ball”
Correction to this week’s podcast on Harold Wilson and MI6
In this week’s podcast I referred to the author Stephen Dorril as former MP. This is not the case, and in fact the Stephen Dorril in question is an author and academic who specialises in intelligence work. So there you go, bad me, I am not infallible and get it wrong from time to time.Continue reading “Correction to this week’s podcast on Harold Wilson and MI6”
Explaining History Podcast 