They refused to even discuss it publicly until last November...

news.sky.com/story/labour...

Thank God Labour made this a priority, eh?

One of the cruellest policies ever enacted on the general population by a UK government, repealed after only *checks notes* twenty-one months in office.

The Last WASP: Trump, the Protestant Establishment, and the End of an Era Donald Trump's presidency became the instrument of the Protestant establishment's final destruction, contrasting with Roosevelt's class-defining portrait. Trump, unlike Roosevelt, was the son of a Queens developer, signaling a new era of arrival.

The Last WASP: Trump, the Protestant Establishment, and the End of an Era

The Unmaking of the American Office: Trump and the Destruction of Institutional Authority President Trump's impeachment in 2019 revealed a pattern of disregarding constitutional norms. The charges of abuse of power and obstruction were rooted in his efforts to leverage military aid against foreign leaders. Trump's dismissal of the proceedings as a 'witch hunt' and his subsequent Senate acquittal underscored his prioritization of personal narrative over institutional duty.

The Unmaking of the American Office: Trump and the Destruction of Institutional Authority

From Gallipoli to Syria: The Making of National Identities Through Ottoman Battlefields The Gallipoli Campaign, a defining moment in World War I, saw over 130,000 soldiers killed. Its meaning varies by nation: to Australians and New Zealanders, it is the birth of national consciousness; to Turks, a myth of victory; and to the British, a symbol of imperial missteps. This article explores how history and memory shape these divergent national stories.

From Gallipoli to Syria: The Making of National Identities Through Ottoman Battlefields

The Aesthetic Dictatorship: Trump, Television, and the Politics of the Frame The COVID-19 pandemic briefing on April 13, 2020, became a defining moment in presidential communication history. As hospitals in New York faced dire shortages of ventilators and the death toll surpassed 20,000 Americans, President Donald Trump opted for a video montage over delivering essential information. This self-directed production showcased his daily efforts against the pandemic, but critics saw it as a display of self-importance.

The Aesthetic Dictatorship: Trump, Television, and the Politics of the Frame

Empire of Camps: Prisoners of War in the Ottoman Theater The Ottoman Empire's capture of Allied prisoners during WWI was staggering, with estimates between 100,000 and 150,000, while the Allies seized a similar number. These figures make the Ottoman theater one of the major sites of contention for captives.

Empire of Camps: Prisoners of War in the Ottoman Theater

The Sovereign Man: Trump and the Politics of Bankruptcy as Governance Trump’s early business education taught him one thing - the little people pay their debts back. Trump’s bankruptcies have been a part of a strategy of wealth extraction and this mindset now controls America.

The Sovereign Man: Trump and the Politics of Bankruptcy as Governance

The Long Shadow: How Osama bin Laden’s Vision Found an Unlikely Fulfillment in Donald Trump The mountains of Afghanistan held a prophecy that would shape global conflicts. In 1997, Osama bin Laden envisioned a United States weakened by its own response, a strategy that would echo in the wake of 9/11. As history unfolded, bin Laden's insights into the cost of perpetual war proved prescient.

The Long Shadow: How Osama bin Laden’s Vision Found an Unlikely Fulfillment in Donald Trump

The Armistice of Mudros: The 36-Hour Surrender That Unmade an Empire The signing of the Armistice of Mudros in 1918 was a surrender that dismantled the Ottoman Empire, paving the way for the emergence of modern Turkey and altering Middle Eastern geopolitics forever

The Armistice of Mudros: The 36-Hour Surrender That Unmade an Empire

The Mandate System and the Voices That Refused to Be Silenced In Susan Pedersen's book *The Guardians*, the colonial mandate system is explored as a mechanism through which colonized peoples claimed nations' rights. The narrative reveals how these systems were tools for colonial powers to legitimize territorial claims, yet they were viewed by colonized populations as betrayals of promised self-determination. This complex legacy highlights the contradictions at the heart of post-war governance.

The Mandate System and the Voices That Refused to Be Silenced

The Caucasus Crucible: The Ottoman-Russian Front and the Birth of Modern Nationalism The Ottoman Third Army's disastrous winter offensive at Sarikamish in 1914 highlighted the brutal realities of the First World War, with 60,000 to 80,000 casualties from harsh conditions. This pivotal battle set the stage for the complex ethnic conflicts that reshaped the Caucasus region.

The Caucasus Crucible: The Ottoman-Russian Front and the Birth of Modern Nationalism

The Mesopotamian Front: From Basra Landing to the Siege of Kut The Mesopotamian campaign, often overshadowed by Gallipoli and the Western Front, marked a turning point for both empires. For Britain, it was a catastrophic failure, while the Ottomans capitalized on familiar ground, showcasing their strategic prowess.

The Mesopotamian Front: From Basra Landing to the Siege of Kut

The Suez Canal Offensive: How the Ottomans Tried to Break the British Lifeline in 1915 The Ottoman Empire's bold but ultimately failed assault on the Suez Canal in 1915 revealed the harsh realities of war and exposed its strategic vulnerabilities. This early military operation sought to sever British communications and incite an uprising but highlighted the fragile nature of Ottoman military planning.

The Suez Canal Offensive: How the Ottomans Tried to Break the British Lifeline in 1915

The Tsushima Scenario: How a Catastrophic Iran War Could Unleash a Domestic Political Revolution The looming showdown between the U.S. and Iran is shaping up to be a modern-day Battle of Tsushima, where a decisive defeat could unravel the very fabric of American power and prosperity. As ground troops are deployed, the specter of a catastrophic military failure looms large, threatening to ignite a seismic political crisis that could reshape global dynamics.

The Tsushima Scenario: How a Catastrophic Iran War Could Unleash a Domestic Political Revolution

The Tsushima Scenario: How a Catastrophic Iran War Could Unleash a Domestic Political Revolution The looming showdown between the U.S. and Iran is shaping up to be a modern-day Battle of Tsushima, where a decisive defeat could unravel the very fabric of American power and prosperity. As ground troops are deployed, the specter of a catastrophic military failure looms large, threatening to ignite a seismic political crisis that could reshape global dynamics.

The Tsushima Scenario: How a Catastrophic Iran War Could Unleash a Domestic Political Revolution

The Island Trap: Why Kharg Would Become America’s Strategic Graveyard Kharg Island, a strategic coral outcrop off Iran's western coast, plays a pivotal role in Iran's oil exports, handling 90% of crude oil exports. Seizing it could economically cripple Iran without American troops needing to land. However, history warns against such bold moves—Gallipoli and Dien Bien Phu show the perils of holding fortified positions against asymmetric warfare.

The Island Trap: Why Kharg Would Become America’s Strategic Graveyard

The Long Transition: Power, Decline, and the Spectre of Global Conflict

The Question of Naming History has a way of naming things only after they have concluded. We look back at 1914 and 1939 as definitive starting points, but as we discuss in the latest Explaining History podcast, those living…

Jürgen Habermas (1929–2026): A Critical Appreciation Jürgen Habermas, a towering figure in 20th-century philosophy, explored democracy's essence, emphasizing reasoned discourse over coercion. Born in Düsseldorf, his life's challenges shaped his views on communication and societal governance.

Jürgen Habermas (1929–2026): A Critical Appreciation

The Oscars and Hollywood Monica Sandler is a film and media historian at Ball State University, currently completing her book manuscript, *The Oscar Industry, based on her doctoral research at UCLA with unprecedented access to the Academy's internal archives. We'll have her back when the book is published.The Oscars at 100 – Taste, Power, and the Future of Film On Sunday night, the film industry will gather in Los Angeles for the 98th Academy Awards.

The Oscars and Hollywood

Monica Sandler is a film and media historian at Ball State University, currently completing her book manuscript, *The Oscar Industry, based on her doctoral research at UCLA with unprecedented access to the Academy's internal archives. We'll have her back when the book is…

The Global Context: How the Great Depression Was a Worldwide Phenomenon The Great Depression, far from being an American crisis, was a global catastrophe that affected every continent and economy between 1929 and 1932. As world trade plummeted by 66% and industrial production collapsed worldwide, unemployment soared catastrophically from Germany to Japan. This interconnected economic collapse was exacerbated by protectionist policies and competitive devaluations, reflecting the fragile international monetary system built on gold.

The Global Context: How the Great Depression Was a Worldwide Phenomenon

America Before FDR: The Failed Policies of the Hoover Administration Herbert Hoover's ascent to the presidency in 1929 was marked by his self-made status and endorsement as a man of energy and executive ability. However, his presidency faced a dramatic shift as the Great Depression unfolded, highlighting the limitations of his associationalist philosophy.

America Before FDR: The Failed Policies of the Hoover Administration

The Dust Bowl: An Environmental Catastrophe That Deepened the Depression In the 1930s, Americans faced the Dust Bowl, a disaster wrought by capitalist agricultural expansion and federal land policies. This environmental catastrophe revealed profound social and economic vulnerabilities, deeply entwined with the Great Depression. Seen through the lens of radical political economics, the Dust Bowl highlighted capitalism's systemic disruption of natural cycles, a manifestation of its inherent metabolic rift.

The Dust Bowl: An Environmental Catastrophe That Deepened the Depression

Black Thursday to Black Tuesday: A Timeline of the 1929 Stock Market Crash In 1929, the stock market crash marked a turning point in American history, unfolding as a dramatic five-day saga of panic and economic restructuring. Beyond its single-event narrative, this period reveals the deep-rooted vulnerabilities of 1920s capitalism.

Black Thursday to Black Tuesday: A Timeline of the 1929 Stock Market Crash

Beyond the Stock Market Crash: The Real Underlying Causes of the Great Depression Beyond its dramatic events, the Great Depression exposed capitalism's inherent instability, with interconnected factors like banking panics and international crises transforming domestic issues into a worldwide catastrophe.

Beyond the Stock Market Crash: The Real Underlying Causes of the Great Depression

Beyond the Bonus Army: The CCC, WPA, and PWA and the Fight for American Livelihoods During the Great Depression, the American West faced severe economic hardship, with the Dust Bowl and plummeting commodity prices leaving farms and ranches struggling. The New Deal, spearheaded by FDR, implemented programs like the CCC, WPA, and PWA to create jobs and restore economic stability.

Beyond the Bonus Army: The CCC, WPA, and PWA and the Fight for American Livelihoods

Porn, Gambling, and the Mafia-isation of Modern America – A Conversation with Dennis Broe In the latest Explaining History Podcast episode, Dennis Broe discusses his novel Pornocopia, highlighting the intertwined evolution of the gambling and pornography industries in post-war America. By 2024, global porn profits reached $76 billion, overshadowing Hollywood's $8.5 billion. Broe's work explores societal conditions influencing these industries and their effects on intimacy and human relationships.

Porn, Gambling, and the Mafia-isation of Modern America – A Conversation with Dennis Broe

In the latest Explaining History Podcast episode, Dennis Broe discusses his novel Pornocopia, highlighting the intertwined evolution of the gambling and pornography industries in post-war America. By 2024,…

The Rushdie Fatwa: A Literary Bomb and Its Fallout, 1989-2026 The fatwa issued by Khomeini in 1989 against Salman Rushdie's novel escalated into a worldwide controversy. It highlighted the intersection of religious authority and free expression, leaving a lasting impact on debates about blasphemy and state power.

The Rushdie Fatwa: A Literary Bomb and Its Fallout, 1989-2026

Tanker Wars and the Iran-Contra Affair: The Secret War in the Gulf, 1984-1988 As the Iran-Iraq War dragged on into the sea, America's dual policies fueled suspicion and hostility, setting the stage for the enduring tensions that would define U.S.-Iran relations for decades.

Tanker Wars and the Iran-Contra Affair: The Secret War in the Gulf, 1984-1988

When London Was a Revolutionary Hub – The Russian Émigrés of 1917 In March 1917, the Tsar fell. Within days, Russian political exiles scattered across Europe began packing their bags. The only problem was getting home—and that meant going through London. The News Arrives When the February Revolution happened in 1917, one of the key challenges for governments around the world was trying to make sense of it. Russia was a difficult country to understand at the best of times.

When London Was a Revolutionary Hub – The Russian Émigrés of 1917

In March 1917, the Tsar fell. Within days, Russian political exiles scattered across Europe began packing their bags. The only problem was getting home—and that meant going through London. The News Arrives When the February…