Christmas in 19th Century America
Before the mid-1800s many Americans did not dream of Christmas at all. Penne Restad tells how and why this changed – and played its role in uniting the US in social cohesion.
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Truman and the Atom Bomb
Alonzo Hamby considers Harry Truman's First World War experiences and explores the dilemmas that influenced his decision to drop atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Germany's Unconditional Surrender
The German historian Reimer Hansen chronicles the last days of the Nazi regime and shows how the detailed response to the Allied demands had a critical impact on the shape of post-war Europe.
Victors' Justice? The Nuremberg Tribunal
Michael Biddiss looks at how the victorious Allies dealt with the unprecedented prosecution of genocide and mass atrocities by the Nazi leadership and how fair the proceedings were to those in the dock.
Khazaria: A Forgotten Jewish Empire
Nicholas Soteri reflects on the often-overlooked Jewish kingdom of Khazaria, and the vital role they played in balancing Christian and Muslim power in the early medieval period.
‘Snarling Roughhouse’: The 1924 Democratic Convention
A 17-day political dogfight at the 1924 Democratic National Convention revealed the faultlines in American society, from prohibition to Protestantism to the shadow of the Ku Klux Klan.
Dickens and the Construction of Christmas
The best-loved of Britain's novelists penned a tale that struck a potent chord in the popular revival of the season of goodwill. Geoffrey Rowell explains its appeal and its powerful religious and social overtones.
The Fall of the Mighty
Douglas Johnson compares and contrasts the downfalls of Neville Chamberlain and Margaret Thatcher.
French Resistance and the Algerian War
During the 1950s the Algerian struggle against France and its white settlers for independence inflamed passions and hatreds in both countries – while a small number of French men and women helped the Algerian liberation movement in defiance of their government and the sentiments of the majority. What made them do it?
Vichy: Pétain’s Hollow Crown
In 1940, Marshal Philippe Pétain took the helm of a humiliated France. While Vichy endured, many took his silence as evidence of grand strategy – a view bolstered by the client press.