ISSUE 12
LOUIS XVI AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
The French Revolution is one of, if not the most famous, example of a disgruntled population overthrowing its oppressors. Though caused by a complex mix of factors such as social inequality and a deteriorating economy, there was one man who stood at the centre of it all: King Louis XVI of France…
By Sultan Kholkar
‘GENOCIDE’ AND ‘CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY’
The term ‘genocide’, although coined 1944, was only codified in 1948 under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). ‘Crimes against humanity’, similarly, was created by George Washington Williams in 1890 and has never had a comprehensive convention…
By Keira Cumming
THE GENDER PAY GAP THROUGHOUT HISTORY
In 1919, the ‘Sex Disqualification Removal Act’ was first introduced in Britain, which allowed women to do the same jobs as men, such as lawyers and civil servants. Although the women were doing exactly the same work as the men, their salary was remarkably lower…
By Charlotte Fox
issue 11
The City of Life. The City of Lights. The Pearl of the Orient. All these are various nicknames for the city of Hong Kong that nearly 7.5 million people call home. However, Hong Kong is facing its biggest crisis yet and could very soon be no longer known as…
By Ryan Ratnam
Undoubtedly, the horrors of Hitler's brutal and inhumane dictatorship are something that has scarred history. But what if I told you that it indirectly led to a remarkable wave of innovation in philosophy, literature and cinema, unparalleled in…
By Anshul Sajip
Until 1861, Italy was not one unified state. All the way through the Middle Ages, until as late as the mid-19th century, Italy was made up of a number of smaller Italian states and city-states, such as Florence, Milan…
By Sultan Khokhar
issue 10
HUMANKIND’S OLDEST KNOWN ANCESTOR
Recently, a 3.8-million-year old fossil was discovered by a farmer in eastern Ethiopia, and it is believed to be the skull of humankind’s oldest known ancestor. The fossil belongs to an ancient Australopithecus Anamnesis, the direct ancestor of the “Lucy” species (Australopithecus Afarensis). It dates back to a time when our ancestors were coming out of the trees…
By Charlotte Fox
Issue 9
Do they used ‘Communist Language’ such as ‘comrade’, ‘progressive’, ‘reactionary’, witch-hunt etc.? Are they sympathisers of Communist, raising issues of violations of civil rights, racial or religious discrimination? Has he identified himself with…
By Ryan Ratnam
Chernobyl, Hiroshima, Nagasaki. All of these are known today as the sites of some of history’s biggest and most devasting explosions. We know the reasons for these explosions, whether it be a failing nuclear reactor or a nuclear bomb, yet, the Tunguska…
By Senan Karunadhara
ISSUE 8
THE ANTARCTIC EXPLORER - ROBERT FALCON SCOTT
It is always important to remember the unspoken, yet important, contributors to history and the knowledge of the wider world that we have today, especially the scientific and geographical one. Exploration of unknown places and unproven theories was and will continue to be, a cornerstone in the development of mankind’s ability to understand its world. Whether it be the great Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the…
By Senan Karunadhara
issue 7
Historical crime is a fascinating and intriguing subject to read about. You often come across events planned so intricately, so perfectly, that they often push the boundaries of belief. In the years before technology became such a vital tool for the police to use in capturing a culprit, criminals would often carry out…
By Senan Karunadhara
Issue 6
The 1960s in particular was a difficult and dangerous period for Black activists in the United States. Many influential African revolutionaries and activists throughout the world had died or been killed in this period, including, but not limited to, Frantz Fanon, Martin Luther…
By Athith Anandavathanan
Coined by Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm (1917-2012), the term ‘Dual Revolution’ draws together two ostensibly separate events which together formed the fabric of today’s society. The French and Industrial Revolutions, which at times ran parallel to each other, were responsible not only for…
By Alex Beard
HISTORY’S SHORTEST INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT
Wars have varied in duration throughout history. The Chechen-Russian Conflict has been ongoing since the 18th Century. The Hundred Years’ War lasted 116 years. In comparison, the deadliest war in history, World War II, seems incredibly short, having only lasted just over…
By Chris Hall
ISSUE 5
On the 30th of November 1939, the Soviet Union launched an attack on neighbouring Finland. Fresh off of their victory in the invasion of Eastern Poland, the country with the largest military in Europe turned to a country of just under four million…
By Chris Hall
The four years of 1975-1979 mark a period of Cambodia’s darkest history. This period is unique from almost any point in history, leaders striving for regression, rather than progression. However, what entailed was tragedy and…
By Ryan Ratnam
Though cinema itself didn’t originate from the United States, it cannot be ignored that it has the largest film industry on the planet in the modern day. Most of the films we know and love, whether those be Marvel films, Star Wars films or the Bridget Jones films…
By Josh Osman
issue 4
When we hear about some of the most fragile states in the world, many of them are in Africa. Currently there are racially motivated conflicts in Ethiopia and South Sudan, and the Rwandan Genocide served as a harsh reminder of the racial tensions which have plagued the continent. But why have so many of these conflicts...
By Chris Hall
To determine how China has grown to the leading power it is today, we need to understand its modern history. In 1949, the communist party of China under Mao Zedong officially won a civil war against the Nationalist (Kuomintang) party...
By Neel Shah
ISSUE 3
Samurai are warriors of legend. These battle hardened fighters are the source of several folklore tales as well as the basis of countless Western media like movies and books. These warriors were highly trained and were often seen leading armies into battle during the medieval period in Japan. The origin of the Samurai traces back to when the...
By Sparsh Sutariya
I’m sure that we’ve all read a conspiracy theorist’s ramblings at some point, whether it is to do with the Earth being flat, the government being controlled by reptiles or the moon landing being faked. While we often dismiss these ideas as crazy (and with good reason to do so), not every conspiracy theory remains in the strangest forums of the...
By Chris Hall
With the 2018 Football World Cup to be hosted this summer in Russia, let’s look back at a part of history where football indeed caused a full-scale war between two nations.
Two football loving nations created a situation in which there was a war between them, albeit for only a hundred hours...
By Alistair Law
Mao Zedong: the leader of the Communist Party of China from when it was established in 1949 to when he died in 1976. Today, we see him as a dictator, but in some ways his actions...
By Josh Osman
ISSUE 2
THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS' HISTORY
On the fourth Thursday in November each year, millions of Americans join their families and friends in celebrating Thanksgiving, by eating, watching football and enjoying the company of their loved ones. As with any national holiday, there are traditions that are adhered to, year in and year out, but whilst many people who don’t celebrate...
By Mia Lane and Josh Osman
85 years ago, a new threat emerged for the Australian government – the emu. Throughout the state of Western Australia, a scourge of these pests tore down fences, trampled crops and caused chaos in agricultural communities. The threat of this destructive wildlife caused some to describe the conflict between man and emu as all-out war.After World War I...
By Chris Hall
It’s the beginning of the Christmas season and everyone’s getting ready. The trees are up, presents are being bought and the stockings are hung, yet not many people know when these traditions began:Christmas trees were used to decorate homes in the winter, particularly in the German states at the time. In England...
By Neel Shah
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts in 1692-3. The trials resulted in the executions of 20 people by hanging. Five others, including 2 children died in prison. The most infamous trials were conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 in Salem Town...
By Sparsh Sutariya
ISSUE 1
Halloween: known for the fears and frights. A night to watch horror movies with friends, go trick-or-treating or go to costume parties. Nowadays, we see Halloween as a fun, exciting day, but it's fair to say that the festival has lost its original cultural significance and roots over the years and has turned from a...
Josh Osman
THE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF HISTORICAL EPIDEMICS
There have been several historical epidemics throughout history, each killing millions upon millions of people. Famous and notable examples include the Black Death/Bubonic Plague, Spanish Flu, several smallpox epidemics and many others. Each epidemic played a key part in...
Sparsh Sutariya
HOW THE SUN SET ON THE BRITISH EMPIRE
At its peak in 1921, the British Empire stretched from Canada to Australia and from the Falklands to Malaysia. Its navy was the bane of any nation trying to expand its empire overseas and it had beaten every major European power in war. Almost ninety years later, the British Empire has been divided up into dozens of different...
Chris Hall
The American Civil War is considered by many to be the first modern war, and has certainly left a long-lasting impact to this day. It was fought between the United States of America, led by Republican leader Abraham Lincoln, and the unrecognised, secessionist Confederate States of America, led by Democratic leader Jefferson Davis. The Montgomery Convention on the 4th of February 1861...
Athith Anandavathanan
The Russian Revolution is the name for a pair of rebellions against the oppressive Tsardom that ruled the Russian Empire. Life under Tsar Nicholas was difficult for the serfs (peasants) living in imperial Russia, especially with the pressures of World War One. Due to the increased dissatisfaction of the public, rebellions began to occur. The February Revolution was...
Neel Shah