Category Archives: German History

Left and Right? New claims about Soviet spy Anthony Blunt

In a fascinating and provocative article in the Sunday Times (April 28th), Rosamund Urwin discussed the possibility that Anthony Blunt, the ‘fourth man’ in the infamous ‘Cambridge Five’ Soviet spy ring, may have passed secrets to the Nazis in World … Continue reading

Posted in American history, British history, European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, Historiography, History of war, Nazism, Public History, Research, Russian History, Secret State, Soviet Union, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

History as conspiracy theory: The case of David Icke and the ‘Protocols’

Just prior to the Covid-19 medical emergency and lockdown, I embarked on the delivery of a module on the role of conspiracy theory in history, and recently had the opportunity to run the module again. The course sought to address … Continue reading

Posted in British history, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, French History, German History, Historiography, Media history, Middle East, Public History, Research, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Racist Revisionism: Arnold Leese and early Holocaust Denial in Britain

Some brief exploration of the extent to which crude and racist historical revisionism has moved from the margins into the cultural mainstream of society can be a truly shocking experience. It is no exaggeration to say that conspiracy theory and … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-fascism, British history, British politics, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, History of war, London history, Media history, Public History, Research, Surrey, Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exploring the Nazi Career of Otto Skorzeny, the ‘Devil’s Disciple’

Although studies of Otto Skorzeny, said to be Hitler’s ‘favourite commando’, tended to be limited and were often of highly questionable quality for much of the post-war period, this situation appears to have changed in more recent years. Some qualitatively … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-fascism, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, Historiography, History of war, Nazism, Public History, Research, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Amazons against the Nazis: Women’s Home Defence in Wartime Britain

At the height of invasion fears in the summer of 1940, the British government asked for civilian volunteers ‘to go on duty against airborne invasion’ and be ‘entrusted with certain vital duties’ for which a knowledge of firearms would be necessary. Many … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-fascism, Archives, British history, Fascism, Gender History, German History, Historiography, History of war, Local History, London history, Museums, Nazism, Public History, Research, Women's history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

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

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?

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

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

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