Gladstone & The Irish Question

What was Gladstone’s level of success in dealing with the “Irish Question”? He looked at the whole complex of issues in a fresh way and that gave the Irish Catholics hope for the future. Evidence for The disestablishment of the Church of Ireland was an act of genius! So obvious, so simple, but no-one had [...]

WHAT IF? The Corsican Crisis 1768

One of the more fascinating “what ifs” of European history has to be the handling of the Corsican Crisis of 1768-69.

4 Reasons why Britain conquered the World

Four vital factors in the Rise of Empire Britain developed through a combination of dynastic shifts, strategic trade outposts and aggressive nationalistic policies, expressed through its navy, into a position of world-wide authority (if not supremacy) between the years 1660 and 1760. It is tempting to consider the words of Horace Seeley, writing in 1870, [...]

Charles II: Accidental Architect of Empire?

It can be argued that Charles II was the real architect of the British Empire. Though perhaps, he wasn’t an intentional one

What if, King George?

I’ve been checking out the “what if” material that’s come out in recent years in counterfactual analysis of history. I must admit to really enjoying it, especially with bright A level students who are just getting into the first flush of academic reasoning. I wonder if there’s another book here. We were talking about the [...]

Analysing “Empire”: the Boer Camps

The most significant threat to the British public’s acceptance of the Boer war came in its latter phase, with the 1901-02 scandal over the South African concentration camps established by the British army.

How did Britain develop as a world-power between 1660 and 1760?

The thesis of this sketch survey is that Britain developed through a combination of dynastic shifts, strategic trade outposts and aggressive nationalistic policies, expressed through its navy, into a position of world-wide authority (if not supremacy) between the years 1660 and 1760.

The Guardian and the Boer War

1900: A group of war correspondents in South Africa during the Boer War. Amongst them is a young Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965), middle row second from left, reporting for the Morning Post. The others include: back row, left to right: William Dinwiddie of Harper’s Weekly, Alister Campbell of Laffan’s News Agency, J Atkins of [...]

A “letter to the Times”: the YouTube of the Crimea

In their range and number, the letters to the editor during the Crimean War were truly extraordinary.

CRIMEA: Analyse the probable effect of “participatory journalism”

Here’s your essay title. 1. Read the article below on the Crimean War and the Freedom of the Press It includes the concept of “participatory journalism”. This phrase simply denotes the way that the Victorian public joined in the publication of information about the war and reaction to it, from their own perspectives, in private [...]