The History Faculty

Mussolini, the Armed Forces & War: 1920-1940

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:37 +0000

Mussolini, the Armed Forces & War: 1920-1940: a presentation by Professor John Gooch, University of Leeds, for The History Faculty: www.thehistoryfaculty.com.

Weimar Germany: Part 1

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:00:09 +0000

A three part historical discussion of Weimar Germany by Dr. Moritz Foellmer, Senior Lecturer, University of Leeds, for The History Faculty: www.thehistoryfaculty.com.

King Henry VIII: Aims as King: 1509-1529

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:00:28 +0000

What were Henry VIII’s aims as King between 1509-1529? A presentation by Dr. Glenn Richardson, Senior Lecturer, St. Mary’s University College, for The History Faculty: www.thehistoryfaculty.com.

The First World War: The Central Powers

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:00:21 +0000

The First World War: The Central Powers. Part of a two-part presentation by Professor John Gooch, University of Leeds, for The History Faculty: www.thehistoryfaculty.com.

The First World War: The Entente Powers

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:00:54 +0000

The First World War: The Entente Powers. A two-part presentation by Professor John Gooch, University of Leeds, for The History Faculty: www.thehistoryfaculty.com.

The Extended Essay: how to construct an historical investigation

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:50:11 +0000

The Extended Essay: how to construct an historical investigation. A presentation by Dr. Chris Prior, University of Leeds, for The History Faculty: www.thehistoryfaculty.com.

Cardinal Wolsey: Rise & Fall,1509-1529

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:47:38 +0000

Why did Cardinal Wolsey rise and fall politically during the period 1509-1529? A presentation by Dr. Glenn Richardson, Senior Lecturer, St. Mary’s University College, for The History Faculty: www.thehistoryfaculty.com.

Who was more important in directing foreign policy, 1515-1529; King Henry VIII or Wolsey

thehistoryfaculty — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:48:57 +0000

Who was more important in directing foreign policy in the period 1515-1529; King Henry VIII or Wolsey. Dr. Glenn Richardson, Senior Lecturer in History, St. Mary’s University College.

How Far did Henry VIII Achieve his Aims: 1509 - 1514

thehistoryfaculty — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:32:05 +0000

How Far did Henry VIII Achieve his Aims: 1509 - 1514? Dr. Glen Richardson, Senior Lecturer, St. Mary’s University College.

Interview with Professor J. Arch Getty

thehistoryfaculty — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:08:18 +0000

Fantastic interview of Stalin and Great Terror expert Professor J. Arch Getty, University of California, Los Angeles, conducted by Dr. James Harris, University of Leeds, editor of Stalin: A New History.This insightful conversation traces Professor Getty’s own interest in history, through his intellectual development, considering his major contributions to the study of Josef Stalin.

Stalin & The Great Terror

thehistoryfaculty — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:49:20 +0000

“Stalin and The Great Terror’ by Professor J. Arch Getty, Professor of Modern Russian History, University of California, Los Angeles.

The First World War & the Liberal Decline

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:36:48 +0000

Dr. Hester Barron, University of Sussex: ‘To What Extent was The First World War Responsible for the longer-term Liberal Decline?’

Living Standards: Regional & Social Differences 1919-1939

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 10:33:53 +0000

Dr. Hester Barron, University of Sussex: Living Standards: Regional & Social Differences 1919-1939

Radicalism & Civil Rights

thehistoryfaculty — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:02:49 +0000

Radicalism & Civil Rights: Dr. Simon Hall, University of Leeds.

Nonviolence & Civil Rights

thehistoryfaculty — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:24:51 +0000

Nonviolence & Civil Rights: Dr. Simon Hall, University of Leeds.

John F. Kennedy & Civil Rights

thehistoryfaculty — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:18:23 +0000

John F. Kennedy & Civil Rights: Dr. Simon Hall, University of Leeds.

Reasons for the Labour Landslide of 1945

thehistoryfaculty — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:38:06 +0000

Reasons for the Labour Landslide of 1945: Explanations given by Conservative Party in aftermath of election; Longer-term trends in society; Wartime politics; Composition of the electorate. Dr. Hester Barron, University of Sussex.

Why did the General Strike not Succeed?

thehistoryfaculty — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:10:32 +0000

Why did the General Strike not Succeed? Dr. Hester Barron, University of Sussex: Introduction; How far were the leaders of the TUC General Council responsible?; Government position (maintenance of law and order and support of the population); Aims of the strike; Conclusion

The Russian Provisional Government, 1917

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:09:56 +0000

The Russian Provisional Government is discussed by historians as a failure. It is presented as not taking decisive action on a range of pressing issues. It therefore lost popular support and was easily removed from power by the Bolsheviks in October 1917. This talk gives a more sympathetic account of the range of problems confronting the Provisional Government, arguing that it was undermined largely by factors outside its control: the war, a revolution in the countryside, the lack of equilibrium in exchange between town and countryside; an urban economic crisis; the break-up of the late imperial state through national movements; a lack of international backing; and the unique environment of Petrograd. The main failing of the Provisional Government was during Kerensky’s leadership, most notably the disastrous Kornilov Affair. We should also note the great success of the Provisional Government – the fact that it did arrange elections to the Constituent Assembly in very trying and difficult conditions.

Trotsky & The Bolsheviks 1917-1924

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:37:28 +0000

Leon Trotsky joined the Bolsheviks in August 1917 after many years of separation. He was nevertheless a key figure in the establishment and maintenance of Soviet power. It was Trotsky’s strategy by which the Bolsheviks came to power. As Commissar for Foreign Affairs, it was Trotsky’s ‘no peace, no war’ policy that in the debates about whether to sign a separate peace with Germany saved the Bolsheviks from splitting down the middle. In his next post, Commissar for War, there has been no historical agreement about the impact of Trotsky’ military strategy, but the Red Army was formed on Trotsky’s principles and it was Trotsky who protected the specialists that led the Red Army to victory. Undoubtedly Trotsky was a major propagandist for the Bolsheviks; his civil war train was a legend in its own time. Trotsky did not however establish a firm support base at the peak of the Bolshevik elite. Many leading Bolsheviks, especially Stalin, resented Trotsky as an anti-party figure. Trotsky’s economic policies and prognoses found little support. Devoid of Lenin’s backing nothing was more certain than Trotsky’s defeat in the power struggle to be the next leader of the Soviet state. There is no better illustration of Trotsky’s isolation than his decision not to return to Moscow for Lenin’s funeral, despite Stalin’s quick action to inform Trotsky in the expectation that Trotsky would wish to be at Lenin’s burial.

Indian Independence & British Decolonisation

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:15:54 +0000

How important was Indian Independence (1947) in changing British attitudes to decolonisation during the period from 1945 to 1960? Dr. Chris Prior, University of Leeds: The significance of 1947; The British government’s view of India; Suez; A continued commitment to empire; Macleod and the ‘Winds of Change’; The Commonwealth.

Popularity of Imperialism in Britain, 1880-1902

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:45:34 +0000

To what extent was imperialism a popular policy in Britain throughout the period from 1880 to 1902? Dr. Chris Prior, University of Leeds: The press; The musichalls and poopular culture; Opponents of empire; Different imperial policies.

The First World War & The British Empire

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:38:30 +0000

How far do you agree that the First World War marked a decisive chance in Britain’s control over its empire in the years 1870-1980? Dr. Chris Prior, University of Leeds: India - nationalism and imperial policy; White Dominions - self-government and bonds of interest; Africa - nationalism and local disturbances; Other factors - imperial overstretch and morale

Britain’s involvement in Africa,1868-1902

thehistoryfaculty — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:49:30 +0000

‘Were strategic or economic motives the more important factor in explaining Britain’s involvement in Africa during the period from 1868-1902?’ Historians and strategic matters; Historians and the economy; Assessing the two sides; Historical problems - provisions and provisos. Dr. Chris Prior, University of Leeds.

The Leading Question in Chartist Historiography

thehistoryfaculty — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:42:09 +0000

The Leading Question in Chartist Historiography by one of the leading historians of Chartism: Dr. Malcolm Chase, University of Leeds.

Lenin & The Russian Revolution

thehistoryfaculty — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:26:22 +0000

Soviet and Western historiography has for long identified Lenin as the most influential figure in explaining how the October Revolution of 1917 took place. This follows a comment in Trotsky’s diary of 1935 that the October Revolution would have occurred without him but only on condition that Lenin was present. This talk outlines how recent scholarship has re-evaluated Lenin’s role: he failed to prevent the February Revolution, the April Theses joined an already existing debate rather than marked a completely new point of view, State and Revolution is no guide to how the Bolshevik government developed, and it is Trotsky not Lenin who organised the October Revolution. It is only be demolishing the Lenin myth that we move closer to understanding the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Stalin’s Russia: Society & Culture

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:18:53 +0000

Stalin is famous above all for a remarkable programme of economic development – the establishment of a ‘command-administrative system’ that set targets for the transformation of the USSR’s economy in the form of five-year plans. This economic revolution also carried profound consequences for Soviet society. This talk outlines how Stalin’s changes ripped social ties apart in both the urban and rural environments. The purpose of culture, it is argued, was to try and put society back together again, whether by building families, resorting to traditional schooling, by being more tolerant of religion, or by combining socialist realism with popular entertainment.

The 1905 Russian Revolution

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:18:04 +0000

Causes, Course, Consequences: In 1905 Russia became famous as a centre of Revolution. The eyes of Europe were focused upon modern forms of discontent, especially the mass strike, in an old political order. This talk covers the beginnings, development and end of this remarkable period in late imperial Russia history. Was this an opportunity for Tsarism to reform itself, or was 1905 simply a foretaste of what was to come in 1917?

The Bolshevik State: 1917-1924

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:16:56 +0000

Survival and Consolidation: When the Bolsheviks declared a new government in October 1917 many a commentator, including many Bolsheviks, thought that it could not survive as a one-party regime. It would have either to give way to the Constituent Assembly or to transform itself into a broad coalition of socialists of all types. This talk examines why of all the attempted communist revolutions in Europe of this time (Germany, Hungary, Slovakia etc.) only the Bolshevik regime in Russia survived. It also asks whether the price paid for survival – the consolidation of a one-party dictatorship meant that the ideal of socialism was lost.

The Civil Rights Movement in the USA

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:15:04 +0000

In recent years historians of the civil rights movement have moved their focus away from the charismatic leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. to explore the role played by “ordinary people” in the struggle for racial equality. While not denying King’s importance as a tactician, figurehead and orator historians have argued that, at root, the civil rights movement was a people’s movement and that the countless inspiring contributions made by local blacks was a critical component of the movement’s success. After setting out the problems that the civil rights movement sought to tackle, the presentation charts some of the civil rights movement’s major tactics - litigation, boycotts and direct action, and voter registration drives - emphasizing the importance of ordinary African Americans and their allies to these efforts. The presentation ends with a re-consideration of King’s role, highlighting his importance as a “bridge” between the local campaigns and national politics.

The Battle of Hattin (1187)

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:14:18 +0000

The Battle of Hattin (1187): The Crusades - Professor Graham Loud, University of Leeds.

The Second Crusade: 1147-1149

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:13:05 +0000

The Second Crusade: 1147-1149: Professor Graham Loud, University of Leeds.

Stalin’s Rise to Power

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:11:44 +0000

This podcast explores the variety of approaches to the question of Stalin’s power. It considers the relative importance of a/ Stalin’s control of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party; b/ he opinion of both of the Party elite and rank and file, and c/ Soviet political culture in the 1920s. Dr. Harris briefly discusses the findings of his own research in the archives of the Central Committee Secretariat.

Stalin & the Economic Transformation of the USSR

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:10:47 +0000

In this podcast Dr. Harris explains why all Bolsheviks agreed on the need to overcome economic backwardness. He explores why Soviet industrialisation took the form it did in the late 1920s, and then explores a fascinating paradox: How the Soviet planned economy in the 1930s was at once both a spectacular success and a catastrophic failure.

Mussolini’s Foreign Policy in the 1920s & 1930s

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:09:10 +0000

Mussolini’s Foreign Policy in the 1920s & 1930s

The Black Power Movement in the United States

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:07:44 +0000

The Black Power Movement in the United States

Researching History on the Internet

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:06:31 +0000

Researching History on the Internet

Attitudes to Early Twentieth Century Immigration in the USA

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:05:31 +0000

In 1924 Congress passed the Johnson-Reed, or National Origins, Act, declaring racial and ethnic background as the most important determinant in gaining American citizenship. Those with Asian backgrounds were barred altogether. This session examines both the run-up to this crucial legislation and its impact on immigration up until it was superseded in 1966.

Russia & The First World War

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:44:16 +0000

Russia & The First World War: Dr. Sarah Badcock, University of Nottingham.

The Russian Agrarian Crisis?

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:41:26 +0000

The Russian Agrarian Crisis? Dr. Sarah Badcock, University of Nottingham.

The 1917 Russian Revolutions

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:40:10 +0000

The 1917 Russian Revolutions: Dr. Sarah Badcock, University of Nottingham.

Stalin’s Foreign Policy: 1928-1941

thehistoryfaculty — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:20:55 +0000

This podcast examines Stalin’s foreign policy in the interwar years. Dr Kocho-Williams examines Stalin’s foreign policy aims during the 1930s, discussing the failure of collective security and the conclusion of the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939. The podcast covers the Soviet Union’s conduct of foreign policy using both diplomacy and the Communist International.

Russia, Germany & the Alliance System: 1872-1914

thehistoryfaculty — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:28:01 +0000

This podcasts deals with Russia, Germany and the system of alliances created in the late 19th Century. These alliances would prove to be crucially important in the build up to the First World War. The alliances are looked at, and questions are asked as to how significant they were with respect to the First World War, and if in fact were a contributing factor to its outbreak.

Welcome

thehistoryfaculty — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:33:01 +0000

Welcome to the History Faculty. Here, and, more specifically, on our website (www.thehistoryfaculty.com) you will find video presentations on a wide and fascinating range of topics, from the Black Power movement in the United States, to the Crusades, to the Nazis, to the Chartists… The site is authored and run by historians and we hope that you will enjoy listening to and watching this series brought to you by some of the leading historians in the United Kingdom. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions regarding the podcasts. If you are looking for further reading or other materials, please log-in to thehistoryfaculty.com.

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