The harsh conditions and horrific nature of World War One are well documented, from having to live in trenches and deal with hazardous weather conditions to killing an enemy soldier and paying the ultimate price. What is often overlooked is perhaps the biggest hurdle British soldiers had to face, the mental challenge. It is hard […]
When George V died on January 20, 1936, Prince Edward became King Edward VIII. However, nobody was to foresee just how short-lived his reign would be. When Edward VIII proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson in 1936, a constitutional crisis emerged in the British Empire. The crisis commenced in October 1936, when Wallis Simpson was granted […]
How did Japan, under occupation by the Allied forces, in 1945-1952 transform into one of the world’s most developed countries? When looking at the images of devastation caused by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 6 and 9 August 1945 by the USA, it is hard to imagine that Japan would […]
‘You’ll have to excuse my lack of voice’ says Dr Insley as I take a seat opposite him, on a desk stacked with papers. The office is crammed with books and paperwork, the hard labour of a university history professor, just returned, so he tells me, from a conference. Famous amongst students for his fantastic […]
The mass consumption of non-necessary items is highlighted by Apple’s release of two iPhones aimed at encompassing the global market; yet modern companies’ fascination with having global reach has detrimental effects both for small businesses and for the consumer. While local businesses face bankruptcy, consumers are in blind servitude to multinational companies offering ever more […]
It was a miserable wet and windy Wednesday afternoon and I was on my way back to Manchester from spending a few days at home for reading week, excited at the prospect of interviewing one of my favourite professors, Frank Mort, and to see what interesting facts he was going to share from his expert […]
“Little men” compensate for their below average height by propelling themselves into quests for power, ambition and self-confidence. In essence, short leaders have defined key moments in history. In 2015, government scientists conducted research to show that ‘men who feel the least masculine are at risk of committing violent acts’. For many, this confirmed that the […]
We got in touch with some of last year’s Manchester Historian team and found out what post-undergraduate life has brought them… Florence Holmes, co-creator of the Manchester Historian and one of the editors from last year’s team kept on rolling after University has ended. Just nine days after completing her degree she started a twelve […]
Hello from the History Society! We’re here to bring together all history students whether they are studying single or joint honours. Our annual round of Pub Golf around Fallowfield takes place from 8:30 on the 24th of September, and then on the 27th we will be are hosting a Coffee Morning in support of Macmillan […]
Situated in the leafy Victoria Park campus, Hulme Hall is home to over 400 students and as such is the biggest hall in the area. Complete with it’s own bar, dining and sports facilities, and an active JCR; it is often considered to be the social hub of the Victoria Park campus. The hall boasts […]
The literary creations of Elizabeth Gaskell have had an irrefutable legacy that, from the mid-twentieth century, marked her out amongst critics as one of the most important and esteemed writers of the Victorian era. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of her literary career was that she seemed to just fall into it at the age […]
For centuries, regions of the Indian subcontinent were ruled with quasi-autonomy by kings known as Rajas. Though their roles and responsibilities invariably changed over time, they remained permanent fixtures of Indian society. After the establishment of the British Raj in 1858 however, India was officially subsumed into the British Empire, raising questions about the position […]
This month marks the 100-year anniversary of the October Revolution. Dane Massey interviewed Peter Gatrell – a scholar of Russian history, to get his thoughts on the event. Dane Massey: October 25th marks the centenary of the Bolshevik coup of Russia in the 1917 October Revolution. How did the event change the shape of the […]
Welcome to this year’s first issue of the Manchester Historian. Ata and I are really excited to take over as editors. Florence and her team last year got the paper off to an incredible start. I was so impressed when I heard that Price Waterhouse Cooper had shortlisted the paper award. So, we’ve got really […]