Strange Historical Facts

Okay, I have a confession to make. Instead of revising for my mocks, I somehow managed to end up eating chocolate and reading through weird history facts. Do not ask me how. But, anyway, some are truly shocking (well to me anyway, if you’re a history teacher, you may not be surprised).

I think that the most bizarre fact that I have come across is about Adolf Hitler. Now, we all know who Adolf Hitler is and what he has done (if you don’t, where have you been?!), so I’m not going to go into that. No, I’m going to highlight the fact that he got voted ‘Man of the Year’ in the Time Magazine in 1938. The same year in which he: expelled 12,000 Jews from Germany; said that he wanted to crush Czechoslovakia; and threatened to invade Austria. I kid you not! So unless I’m missing something, I think it’s safe to say the world went mad in 1938 (or at least the Time Magazine).

There are many more facts that I came across while procrastinating. But if I listed them all out, as well as every site I have been to this evening, I would fail my mocks... and my GCSEs and to be honest I think I would have my computer confiscated which would mean that I wouldn’t be able to write to all of you lovely people! Try not to miss me too much!

JG

'Why look back when you should look forward?'

  Let's not have any misconceptions here. As much as I love this blog an amount that is ever so slightly odd, today’s article is not a by-product of that slightly irrational emotion. Lets get one thing straight, and that is that this post really is just an extension of the procrastonation that has led me to paint my toenails, read half a book, and actually clean my room. Like, and actual clean. With a duster and everything. You see, I’m meant to be revising, really, for an incredibly long and incredibly boring chemistry test, but why do chemistry when you could be doing history? That being my argument for being sat here with my chemistry revision book exiled to the far corner of my room along with Twilight, it lead me on to think about a debate that has been ongoing for many years between me and my ridiculously long-suffering best friend. You see, as you might have just about possibly guessed, I think history is pretty decent. My friend, on the other hand, does not. Then again, she likes maths, so what can you do?  And seeing as you're reading this article, I think I can assume that you are equally as enthusiastic, unless you're just reading my articles because you like to have a good laugh at somebody so stupid that they couldn’t sleep one night because they were trying to remember how to spell YMCA. Now, it comforts me slightly more to believe that the former is the reason that you are reading this, and so I shall work on the most comforting assumption and keep the normal amount of nonsense in my post to amuse you ever so slightly. 
 The slightly more attentive of you may remember a post that I did a while back that, once you dug through the waffle and stupidity, was about Politics, and why I’m a big fan of it in the same way some people are big fans of the X Factor. Now, after having dug through the waffle and stupidity, it should become apparent that this one is about History, and why anyone who doesn't like history is placed, in my mind, with the likes of the Kardashians. People argue that there is no point to History, why know everything there is to know about the past and then know absolutely nothing about the present. ''The past is the past'' they say, ''what good does digging it up do?''. Now if one of these people were not my best friend (try not to be too shocked that I managed to reel somebody in as a friend), i would not even bother to work out their point of view, banishing them to the part of my mind reserved for those who also don't think Harry Potter is any good. But apart from her, my weirdness seems to have scared every one away, and so I tried to understand, I really did...
  And I don't get it. I love History an amount that really should be saved for a human being, and maybe that has biased me a little bit, but how can you honestly argue that history doesn’t matter? I don’t like Maths, but I can see that at some point it might be useful to be able to add. History is what makes us us, if any of it hadn’t happened, none of us would really be the same. Because our History is what contributed to the current social climate, and the current social climate contributes to who we are. If good old William the Conqueror hadn’t fancied a trip over to England, what would we be like now? If Chris Columbus hadn’t gone on a little pleasure jaunt and found what he reckoned to be a pretty brilliant country, where would America be now? We've all heard of the butterfly effect; step on one butterfly in the past and dinosaurs don’t die and you end up eating velociraptor for breakfast (or they eat you for breakfast), so why shouldn't it apply to massive events like... I don’t know... that whole Hitler thing? Without any of our background we wouldn’t be who we are.
 "Right." The History-Haters say. "I get that, but why should we know about it. Why can’t it just be?" Because A) If we forget it, we'll forget what made us us, and without any background to who we are things never go well, and B) Because as much as I hate to admit it, teachers can be right sometimes. We have to learn from our mistakes. And how can we do that without knowing them?  If we didn't learn about the little slip-up with Dunkirk, how would we know not to do it again? In years to come, when people look back, perhaps they'll learn that when the Lib Dems say 'I promise' what they actually mean is 'We'll give it a go, but if it doesn’t happen, oh well'. Not only that, but it’s interesting. Its real life stories about what went on, it’s a glimpse back into a past that made us who we are. I personally have been heard to profess very loudly that 'If anyone told me that History was no longer a school subject, I wouldn’t come in', and I mean it. Not only is it my favourite subject, but it's my favourite hobby.
 So just think about this next time somebody tells you history is pointless, you may just surprise them...
 E.C

Skateboarding

One of my favourite hobbies when I’m not locked in my study doing homework is going skateboarding. If you are one of my nearest and dearest and you are reading this, please do NOT ask me to show you as I will probably fall flat on my face and end up in A&E. Moving swiftly on, I decided that I am going to combine two of my favourite things so that you will hopefully have an interesting article to read. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today I am going to bore you with the history of skateboarding (I’m joking, you better find this interesting)!

Skateboarding is quite vintage considering that it originated in the late 1940s/early 1950s. It came about because Californian surfers wanted something to ‘surf’ when the waves were flat. Apparently, no specific person invented the skateboard, it was created by many individuals at around the same time. Originally, skateboards were boxes on wheels which gradually evolved into a board on wheels. The first proper skateboard sold from a shop was in Los Angeles, California. By the 1960s, the number of shops had grown substantially and there were many skateboarding shops in South California. In the coming years, the design of the skateboards were improved and in the 1970s skateparks were constructed from skaters to practice tricks. Then, in the 1980s, the main focus was on doing tricks on these ramps. After that, during the 1990s, street skateboarding came about. It gained popularity and that’s about it. 

So now I hope you know a little bit more about skateboarding which is actually a lot harder than it looks!

JG

David Cannadine on History Teaching

One of Michael Gove's advisers, the historian David Cannadine, has published a paper this week - "The Right Kind of History" - on how History should be taught in British Schools. In it, he suggests that the problem with current teaching is not the type of subjects taught, but the length of time they are given, and that History should be made compulsory up to the age of 16 to fit this all in. He points out that Britain and Albania are the only countries in Europe which do not make it compulsory beyond the age of 14. He explains his point of view further in this article from the Guardian and in this interview from the Today Programme.

Michael Gove has invited several historians, including Richard Evans, Simon Schama and Niall Ferguson to consider reforms to the curriculum. It remains to be seen what steps will actually be put in place. What do you think should be done?

UPDATE: Check out this fantastic audio slideshow where various ex-history students talk about how they were taught from the 1930s through to the 1960s - there are lots of photos of history classes and textbooks (complete with scribbles). You also get to learn a useful way to remember the medieval kings of England, and find out what a Baldric is! It's well worth 4 minutes of your time.

History and Politics at University

This Tuesday lunchtime several ex-Nonsuch students will be visiting to talk about their experiences at university. The girls have studied:- History at Oxford, History and German at Oxford, Law at Oxford, Politics at Sheffield and History at Royal Holloway.

Please come along to Room 104 from 1.15 to meet them and ask them questions.

PS: Here are articles on why to study history (from LSE) and politics (from the Political Studies Association) at University.

PPS: Here are a whole sequence of podcasts from the Historical Association with advice from students about studying history.

How far did your studies prepare you for history at university?
What was difficult to get used to?
What does independent study mean?
Handing in your first piece of coursework
What was enjoyable and what was expected/unexpected?
What advice would you give to prospective students?

What opportunities did you have to enhance your experience?
What skills and attributes did this highlight and enhance?
What effect did the additional work have on your studies?
How will this work benefit you beyond your degree?

Disastrous History Teaching

Nonsuch HP has just discovered this extract (5 minutes long - well worth listening to) from an discussion that took place over Christmas on the Today Programme. On it the historians Niall Ferguson and Tariq Ali (shown above) are both in agreement that the current teaching of History in schools is "disastrous" and a "disgrace". Ferguson argues that History is taught in a very fragmented way, wih no narrative structure, and students are giving it up too soon. Ali says that students come away from school with "virtually worthless" knowledge and standards are considerably lower than anywhere else in Europe, India or China, a problem that is continuing into university as well.

This connects in with the coalition's ongoing interest in reforming the curriculum, as discussed before in the blog. Do you agree with these views? Has your education been disastrous? What should be changed?

Hungarian Revolution request

After a request at Year 12 Induction, here are some suggestions for those who want to take their interest in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 further.
Some of the books available are:
Explosion: the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 - John P C Matthews
One Day that shook the Communist World – Paul Lendvai
Journey to a Revolution: A personal memoir and History – Michael Korda
Twelve Days: Revolution 1956 – Victor Sebestyen (More from Sebestyn here)
If you are keen on film, Children of Glory and Freedom's Fury are definitely worth watching. Here are also some links to the BBC's archive on the event.

If you are interested in Hungary during the Cold War, you may also be curious about Eastern Europe as a whole during the Cold War.
There are some fantastic TV series about this period. For example, The Lost World of Communism series looks at communist society in Czechoslovakia, Romania and East Germany and the lives of ordinary people. The Cold War series (narrated by Kenneth Branagh)is a powerful series which includes a large number of interviews by those who made the political decisions at the time and those involved in the key historical events. Books such as Stasiland by Anna Funder about life in East Germany during the period are also well worth the investment of your time.
Any further recommendations, please add.

PS: Here is a review of 4 accounts of the revolution published to mark the 50th Anniversary in 2006

GCSE History Presentation

Here is a powerpoint that gives more details about studying GCSE History at Nonsuch. If you have any further questions, please get in touch with a member of the department.

Author's Christmas Visit

On Tuesday 8 December at 1.20pm in Room 103, Nonsuch HP Society is lucky enough to have the author Brian Landers in to give a talk. He has written a book called 'Empires Apart' analysing the parallel development of Russian and American Empires over the course of 400 years. It has some great reviews and promises to spark some debate about the role of Russia and America in the world today.
Everyone is invited but it will obviously be particularly useful to GCSE students and above. See his website here for more information about the book and the author.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a useful starting point for researching historical figures (they have to have died by 2005 to be included). Articles are thoroughly researched and have excellent sets of references, including articles by relevant historians. Here for example are the articles on Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth I. (Full access to the site is only allowed at school and at public libraries)

Another Vietnam?

Vietnam is increasingly being used as a reason not to send more troops to Afghanistan. But is it right to compare the two wars? What do you think Obama should do? See what you think with a Times article here and Mark Mardell's blog entry here.

Secret Kremlin records reveal Thatcher's real intentions

As we gear up for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, secret Kremlin notes of meetings between Thatcher and Gorbachev have been released here. They reveal Thatcher's real feelings on the subject of the reunification of Germany and how she pressed Gorbachev to change course. Does this change or cement your view of Thatcher?! What do you think it says about what politicians say in public and what they do in private?
Watch out for the HP Society's events on this issue in November...

Fact v fiction?

An excellent special edition of Front Row on radio 4 here discussing the value of historical novels and history's place in today's publishing including famous writers such as Tristram Hunt, Antonia Fraser, Hilary Mantel and Margaret Macmillan.

History of the World in 100 objects

News about a new exhibition here at the British Museum which is to be accompanied by a BBC Radio 4 series in 100 15 minute programmes taking an object and telling the story of the world.

Summer reading for politicians

The reading list given to the Shadow Foreign Affairs team is listed here along with suggestions from other politicians and features History and Politics strongly. A predictable list perhaps, with Churchill, Macmillan and Alan Clark featuring but also some less expected such as Keynes: The Return of the Master. Vernon Bogdanor's book should be well worth a read as should Douglas Alexander's choice of Timothy Garton Ash's Facts are subversive.

Obama in Africa

A perfect Nonsuch HP blog entry here, as it combines the history of the slave trade with Obama's reaction to it and his thoughts on the future for Africa. He believes that good governance is the way to reform many African countries and, although he accepted the negative history of slavery and colonialism, he made it clear that he did not think that Africa could any longer blame that history for its current troubles. A good quotation to end the BBC clip of his speech: "as bad as history can be, it's always possible to overcome".
A particularly poignant visit for Michelle Obama as she is directly descended from slaves.

Summer History Reading

For people with UCAS and university interviews on their mind, Summer is a good time to find inspiration by reading some history books.

David Aaronovitch of The Times has helpfully made some recommendations, which include "The Ascent of Money" by Niall Ferguson, which looks at the global history of finance and "The Birth of the Modern World 1788-1800" by Jay Winik, which considers the connections between the momentous political events of the late 18th Century. Both books would obviously provide helpful parallels with our current political and economic problems.

Tudor Historians may find "Mary Tudor:England's First Queen" of interest as it takes quite a sympathetic view of her and David Starkey's "Henry-The Virtuous Prince" looks closely at the often neglected early years of Henry VIII's life.



EH Carr's "What is History" is the classic introduction to the nature of the subject and some ideas of historiography. Although it was published 48 years ago, it still contains many stimulating ideas to get the historian thinking. Other books that follow similar ideas, often written in response to Carr, include Geoffrey Elton's "The Practice of History, Richard Evans' "In Defence of History" and John Tosh's "The Pursuit of History". More information about these ideas can be seen at the Institute of History's special section on "What is History" here and in the Open University's website here.

If you are looking for further inspiration on what to read, check the "History Reviews" sections of the newspapers. Here is a links to the The Guardian'sand The Telegraph's history books secions. The Institute of Historical Research also has an extensive Reviews Section

Please pass on any recommendations for books you have enjoyed, and happy reading!

The Nuclear Debate Timeline

A fantastic resource here from the Times and Sky News which follows Britain's involvement with nuclear weapons and contains great pictures and film clips.

Historians talk politics

Here is the link to Radio 4's Any Questions programme last Friday night where historians Linda Colley and Andrew Roberts joined the panel and talked about historians as novelists as well as the effect of new technologies such as Twitter. They also commented on recent events.

Ukraine opening up part of its KGB file

The opening up of KGB files is creating a debate in the Ukraine as to whether the country's Soviet history should be discussed or not. Is 'raking up the past' always a good idea? Or does the negative spin come from those who are concerned what people will find? An interesting story on the BBC here.