Category Archives: Russian History

Left and Right? New claims about Soviet spy Anthony Blunt

Posted on April 30, 2024 by historyatkingston

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

A model for Trump? The authoritarian nature of Viktor Orban’s ‘illiberal democracy’

Posted on March 10, 2024 by historyatkingston

If anybody still entertains any doubts about the extremely worrying authoritarian ambitions of former U.S. president Donald Trump, then it is important to consider what he said on the evening of Friday, 8th March, 2024. Holding a meeting and concert … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, British history, Conspiracy theory, European History, Extremism, Fascism, Media history, Public History, Research, Russian History, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Two Vlads: Putin’s ideological debt to the late ultra-nationalist Zhirinovsky

Posted on February 28, 2024 by historyatkingston

There has inevitably been much speculation in the last two years about the ideological sources that have possibly influenced President Vladimir Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine and his seeming desire to reconstruct a pre-1989 Soviet Union, or even a mythologized … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, Extremism, Fascism, History of war, Research, Russian History, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Spy Who Lied: Another look at the Kim Philby story

Posted on January 28, 2024 by historyatkingston

A recent television drama series about the life of Kim Philby, the British Intelligence officer who engaged in treachery, attracted good reviews and enthusiastic viewers when it was screened, but contained few surprises for historians of the secret state. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, British history, European History, Historiography, Public History, Research, Russian History, Secret State, The National Archives, Uncategorized, 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

A ‘Red’ Scare in a leafy London suburb: Fears of Bolshevism in Surbiton in 1920

Posted on September 3, 2023 by historyatkingston

In October, 1917 (depending upon which version of the calendar one uses) the Bolshevik party under Lenin achieved a dramatic seizure of power in Russia, a coup d’etat which sent a chill of fear across the ruling elites in much of … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, British history, British politics, European History, Gender History, Kingston, Local History, London history, Public History, Research, Russian History, Surbiton, Surrey, Uncategorized, Women's history, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

After Hitler’s Death: Why did Nazi Germany still fight on?

Posted on June 30, 2023 by historyatkingston

Seventy-eight years ago, after Hitler’s suicide in his bunker in Berlin on 30th April, 1945, his chosen successor, Grand-Admiral Donitz, was briefly the new leader of a Germany that, astonishingly, fought on for a few more days. Donitz did not … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, Extremism, Fascism, German History, Historiography, History of war, History skills, Public History, Russian History, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Four Pennies for Doomsday: The British plans for nuclear war in the early 1960s

Posted on May 9, 2023 by historyatkingston

It sounds like something out of a 1950s British comedy film. The ability of the United Kingdom to launch a counter-strike against a nuclear attack on the country in the 1960s was apparently dependent on the availability of four old copper pennies. … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, Archives, British history, British politics, European History, Events, Historiography, History of war, Public History, Russian History, Secret State, The National Archives, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Do dictators have any real friends? Thoughts on the ‘inner circle’

Posted on March 17, 2023 by historyatkingston

Do dictators have any real friends? Who can they really trust? Did anybody really enjoy any bond of genuine friendship with, for example, Joseph Stalin? These questions have arisen again in view of all the interest in Vladimir Putin and … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, European History, German History, Historiography, Media history, Public History, Russian History, Teaching, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments