Category Archives: European History

The Holocaust and Hate: When the late Zigi Shipper recalled Auschwitz

Posted on January 27, 2024 by historyatkingston

We were very sad to learn of the passing of Zigi Shipper, aged 93, in 2023. He came to Kingston University to deliver a talk on his experiences of the Holocaust and it was a truly moving experience for all … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-fascism, European History, Events, Extremism, Fascism, German History, History of war, Kingston, Kingston University, Nazism, Public History, Teaching, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Notorious in Northampton: The anti-Semitic career of Walter Crick

Posted on January 12, 2024 by historyatkingston

When historians dig deeply, many towns and cities often have at least some notorious skeletons in their historical cupboards, individuals who represent the darker side of the past, usually people who current-day citizens would rather forget. In March, 1925, a … Continue reading →

Posted in British Empire, British history, British politics, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, Local History, London history, Nazism, Public History, Research, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Great War’s Christmas Truce of 1914: not unique?

Posted on December 24, 2023 by historyatkingston

Speaking in 1963 for a BBC series on the Great War, the late author Henry Williamson, whose best-known work probably remains Tarka the Otter, gave some fascinating details about what he witnessed in December, 1914, when he was serving as a … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Canadian History, European History, German History, Historiography, History of war, Media history, Public History, Research, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The dangerous world of Marine Le Pen: a research note

Posted on December 20, 2023 by historyatkingston

Worrying opinion polls in France in recent months have indicated that Marine Le Pen and her ‘National Rally’ (NR) have become more popular than many of the mainstream French political parties and, indeed, indicate that the NR leader herself has … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-fascism, European History, Extremism, Fascism, French History, Gender History, Media history, Nazism, Public History, Research, Teaching, Uncategorized, Women's history, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nesta Webster and her ideas: a case study in conspiracy theory

Posted on December 17, 2023 by historyatkingston

With the seeming surge in conspiracy theories during the recent coronavirus crisis, it is important to be aware of the dangerous history of such views, and understand the claims of some of the ‘classic’ advocates of these paranoid and distorted … Continue reading →

Posted in British Empire, British history, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, French History, Gender History, German History, Historiography, Media history, Public History, Research, Russian History, Uncategorized, Women's history, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rejoice but Mourn: Responses in Kingston-on-Thames to news of the Armistice in 1918

Posted on November 11, 2023 by historyatkingston

On Remembrance Day, as communities across Britain hold poppy day events and commemorate the many sacrifices made in the name of the defence of liberty, it is worth looking back on how the nation breathed a huge collective sigh of … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, British politics, European History, History of war, Kingston, Local History, London history, Media history, Public History, Research, Surrey, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A New Vision: The foundation of a branch of the League of Nations Union in Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey

Posted on November 1, 2023 by historyatkingston

There are times in history when the global will very much influence the local, and during the interwar period Kingston-on-Thames in Surrey, England, saw a burst of activity from a local lobby group, the League of Nations Union (LNU), which … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, British history, European History, History of war, Kingston, Local History, London history, Media history, Public History, Research, Surrey, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How a conspiracy theory bit the dust: Hess was indeed Hess

Posted on October 21, 2023 by historyatkingston

One of the big challenges for professional historians in recent years has been the worrying growth of conspiracy theory. Questionable claims with no empirical evidence often spread like wild-fire across the internet and, disturbingly for scholars, are regularly taken seriously … Continue reading →

Posted in Anti-fascism, British history, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, History of war, Media history, Nazism, Public History, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment