September 20 - The Battle of the Alma

This Day in History: 20 September 2020

 

20 September 1854

 

166 years ago, today, the Battle of the Alma was fought during the Crimean War, between an allied group of French, British and Egyptian forces and defending Russian forces. Almost a week prior the battle, the allies had made a surprise landing in Crimea, then marched towards the strategically important city of Sevastopol. Afterwards, they made a series of disjoined attacks, and eventually, British rifle fire forced the Russians to retreat. Their position collapsed and they fled once they realised that both flanks had been turned. Little pursuit occurred due to lack of cavalry. Roughly, the battle cost 1,600 French causalities, 2,000 British, 503 Egyptian, and the Russians 5,000.

 

The Crimean War, that began in October 1853, was a complex conflict that had its roots in the continuing decline of the Ottoman Empire, that had become known as the 'sick man of Europe'. The alliance of France, Britain and the Ottomans fought against Russia as they did not want them to gain land from the fallen empire. After the Battle of the Alma, the Russians commenced a counterattack at the Battle of Balaclava, where the famous Charge of the Light Brigade took place. Ultimately, the Russians admitted defeat in Crimea. However, the war served as the catalyst for them to start reform in their military and society to keep pace with other developing European nations.

 

Want to find out more about the Battle of the Alma? Click here for more information, or here a video with more about the Crimean War.

Russia Conference

Nonsuch and Wallington students attended a conference together on Russian History.  Below are some reports about their views on the speakers and their research.
What do you think?  Do you agree with their reviews?

Orlando Figes


On 22nd November, the sixth form History students attended a ‘History In Action’ conference on 20th century Russia, and were given the opportunity to learn the perception and evaluation of several reputable historians. The final historian to speak was Orlando Figes - an award winning writer and professor at Birkbeck College, University of London - who gave a lecture that encapsulated the period from the February Revolution to the Civil War.  

Surprisingly, considering that each historian was only given half an hour to cover a complicated period of history, Figes’ session began with a lengthy piece of self-promotion about his books and website. After the “short” diversion from the topic of lecture, Figes went into great depth about the main historical events within his given time period. His chosen form of explanation were through historical sources, which can be deemed a success, given that source analysis features heavily in the a-level history exam.

Much of the expert knowledge Figes imparted to the audience was taken with interest. Perhaps the most insightful aspect was his analysis of the causes of the February Revolution and the Civil War; much of his focus was on the influence of violence. One reason for the revolution that Figes outlined was the fact that the majority of Serfs remained under the control of gentry and magnates, despite their supposed emancipation. A cause of the Civil war was Lenin’s drastic approach to change, including the introduction of equal citizenship and the immediate transfer of power to the proletariat, all of which worked to destroy the bourgeoisie.

Overall, the lecture did offer some valuable knowledge for use in A-levels, although Figes’ main message seemed to be: if students hope to understand Russia’s revolutionary history, they should use his website and, most importantly, pay the subscription.

AD and FB


Dr Zoe Knox

This lecture by Dr Zoe Knox was considering whether Bolshevism could be considered a religion. She outlined how the Bolsheviks feared traditional Russian Orthodoxy, as it was seen to be a rival belief system with a conflicting ideology. Not only this, but religion was a major impediment to the establishment of Communist authority in the countryside, as the Orthodox Church had long had considerable control over the lives of villagers, as it was the many religious festivals and events that controlled the village calendar. Back then religion was a way of life and in Russia the religion that dominated was Christianity. When the Bolsheviks came to power there was among them the very real fear that the Church had the ability to wield more power and authority over the people. 

Dr Knox touched upon the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church had always been a powerful tool of the Russian monarchy, with the Church encouraging people to follow the tsar to a fault. The Church preached that Tsar Nicholas II was their “little father” appointed over them by God himself.

Despite the Bolshevik contempt of religion, there is much evidence to suggest that not only did they want to eradicate Russian Orthodoxy, but they attempted to create their own kind of rival religion. Knox points to the posthumous cult of personality created around Lenin that resulted in him becoming a revered, god-like figure, with his dead body in Red Square becoming a pilgrimage site much to the disapproval and despair of Lenin’s wife. Dr Knox also described the many secular festivals and traditions created by the Communists to undermine the traditional religious ones, an example being the Soviet New Year. this particular festival was a poignant dig at the orthodox church as it marked and celebrated the change from the Julian calendar which has been used by the church for centuries to the Gregorian calendar.

We enjoyed Dr Zoe Knox’s lecture, as she posed new questions and brought new ideas that we had not previously heard. As well as this we especially appreciated the way she separately analysed the cult of Lenin and Stalin. However we would have liked to see more evidence as to whether Bolshevism actually managed to replace religion especially in the countryside where the Church had been its strongest. Furthermore, she did not come to a conclusion deciding whether she thought Bolshevism could be seen as a religion or not and we would have liked to seen her own opinion.

 AE and EA

Jan Palmer

On the 22^nd of November at a conference at UCL, we had the privilege to see several lecturers, including Jan Palmer, who spoke about Communist Russia during the 1900s. Palmer focused on the Stalin era and the role he took as a dictator. The speaker mentioned the steps Stalin took through his rule including his return to traditional values, the ‘Great Terror’ in 1937 and the ‘Stalin cult’ that emerged in support of the leader in 1929 and continued throughout the 1930s. For example, he explained that Stalin carried out highly publicised show trials in attempt to cause fear upon potential enemies and recriminalised homosexuality in 1933 and abortion in 1936 to attempt to return to these more ‘traditional’ values. Furthermore, Palmer spoke about the ‘Great Patriotic War’, discussing Russia’s involvement in the Second World War from 1941 until 1945 and how the victory is still a unifying story of Russia to this day.

Additionally, Palmer broke down various aspects of the Stalin era such as the five-year plans and included an overview of communism in the USSR from the 50s to the 90s and linked it to other political climates at the time such as the fascist dictatorship in Spain. Palmer also discussed how the Stalin era affected society in more unexpected ways, for example art changed from the Avant Garde and dynamic style of the futurists which had promised change and hope to the more traditional realism.

Overall, the lecture was enjoyable as his talk was engaging and Palmer successfully presented an overview of Stalin’s time in power. Furthermore, the presentation used appeared to be well thought through as it had extra context which Palmer didn’t have time to cover and images which aided our understanding of the information we were being taught. However, to improve the lecture, the speaker could have gone into more depth about specific areas of the Stalin era as the short time given for each lecture did leave us wishing for more details on certain topics he discussed. Moreover, Palmer presented us with a reasonably thorough and very engaging overview of the Stalin era which introduced us to a range of topics we could later research ourselves.

SW and AL


Professor Dominik Lieven


During November we had the opportunity to visit UCL for the day to enjoy a Russian history course in which various knowledgable speakers and historians spoke about their findings of Tsarist and Communist Russia. Professor Dominik Lieven spoke about the Russian monarchy and its challenges and failure. Lieven stated that with the empire being so diverse and large, one person leading the country autocratically was doomed to fail. The Tsar faced problems of popular sovereignty and compared to Britain and France. Russia was very backwards- property was less secure, there were less literate people and a smaller middle class. Additionally Lieven expressed his view that pre-modern Russia was very successful and no other empire had been faced in such harsh geographical context yet still achieved thorough autocracy. After the monarchy had almost collapsed in 1905 after a great economic slump and losing the Russo-Japanese war, people of Russia had already began to see the weaknesses of the Tsar. The professor also showed us that during 1905-14 there was a constitutional monarchy and the government was expanding, becoming more complicated and unpopular. When revolution came in 1917 nobody was prepared to defend the in Lieven’s words a ‘shy, untrustworthy and uninterested in politics’ Tsar, this was because the people of Russia had lost confidence in him and were unwilling to start a civil war in defence for a monarch who they thought was incapable of ruling such a large empire.

Overall Lieven gave an engaging and articulate lecture on the Russian Empire leading up to the revolution. He highlighted the strengths of the Russian monarchy which we would have normally overlooked, and how autocracy actually did benefit the people of Russia to a certain extent. This was very interesting as in class we mainly look at how the monarchy failed the Russian people and essentially caused its own demise. To improve the lecture, Lieven could have included a powerpoint to list down the key points that he had.

AK and AG

 

 

Midnight in St Petersburg

“ Here we are in our poor Russia, a country like a boiler, with the pressure mounting, about to blow, and no safety valve. “

Published in 2013, ‘Midnight in St Petersburg’ by Vanora Bennett follows the life of a young, Jewish Inna as she flees the anti-semitic culture of Southern Russia in Kiev, to the freedoms she hopes Nevsky Prospekt in St Petersburg will bring her. Through the novel, we see the way her life develops as Russia does also; how things change with the abdication of the Tsar, the Provisional Government’s changes, the Bolshevik takeover and the Civil War. An insight is given into the life of a Russian citizen in these times, as well as the additional hardships Jews and foreigners (known as the ‘enemy class’) experienced also. Thus, despite serving as fiction, realities are integrated into the storyline, merely emphasising the emotion the characters lives can cause.

The story starts off in the Winter of 1911; Stolypin, the Prime Minister, was assassinated in a theatre, and when a consequence of this is propaganda being produced blaming Jews for such an act, Inna steals a passport and flees North, hoping to escape a pogrom. She goes to Yasha -- the son of the family who fostered her after the death of her Aunty Lubya (caused by influenza), who she stayed with after the death of her parents (caused by an anti-Jewish hate crime). Yasha lives with the Lemans, who take an instant liking to Inna: Madame Leman appreciating her hard work around the house, and the men of the house enthralled by both her beauty and musical talent. Also charmed by Inna is an English jeweller, eager for Inna to play the violin for his Bohemian friends and even fellow classicists. Despite the disadvantages we see Inna put at in the first part of the novel -- the Jewish slurs yelled at her on her train journey, her desperate attempt to cut herself a new lifeline on the palm of her hands, not being allowed to leave the house due to her papers being illegal, and eventually having Yasha (whom she fell in love with) run away to join the revolution he loves -- the year of 1911 was certainly easier on her than the years to come. The beginning section of the story ends with Inna agreeing to marry Horace Wallick, the Englishman, after he so carefully courts her, and protects her from the malicious acts of policemen seeking out Jews to blame for their troubles.

The second part of the text is set between the years of 1916 and 1917, continuing at a time where Russia had been at war with Austria and Germany for two years. Now married, Horace and Inna discuss someone whom they once bonded other: Father Grigory, now known infamously as Rasputin. Inna, despite the stories she hears of him being a drunk who actively participates in orgies, remembers the man before he lost his innocent: when he was the peasant who helped her find her way in St Petersburg without being stopped at the train station by gendermes. Therefore, when Felix Youssoupoff -- the Prince who commissioned Horace for paintings and gifts throughout the years -- and his friends assassinate Rasputin in an attempt to save the Tasarina (who is now running the country) and her reputation, Inna feels betrayed, for Horace still takes Youssoupouff’s money. As revolution begins in February, things between Inna and Horace only become more estranged, as Inna reunites with Yasha on the day the soldiers joined in on the riots in the bread queues. Yasha tells her that he was in prison the whole time for they found illegal revolutionary papers on him -- that he never wanted to leave her. The two start an illustrious affair, ending only when Yasha begs Inna to leave Horace -- something she cannot do in fear of hurting him, and losing the security she has in their lives together. Yasha decides to move closer to the Soviets, hoping that now the Tsar had abdicated, the closer proximity will bring him closer still to revolution. He is right when he sees Lenin return one day, becoming intrigued by the Bolshevik rise to power, joining the party as he has always wanted to do. The Lemans, however, are less impressed with the new regime of government, for they lost work once the Bolsheviks began to requisition items both at the jewellers and the violin workshop. Yasha realises he has become an outsider when away from his comrades, and departs from the Lemans -- and Inna -- for good.

In part three of the novel, the year is 1918, and Civil War in Russia between the Reds and the Whites is fast approaching. Inna finds herself hating new life in Russia, from the brutal acts of the Cheka and the mob attacks on foreigners. She fears Horace isn’t safe, but when she asks for them to leave, he is unwilling -- unwilling to leave the artistic and cultural Russia he found a home in, to return to the dull England he dreads. Even when a letter arrives from Youssoupoff, saying he will help them if they come to him in Yalta (a place in Crimea dominated by the Whites), Horace decides there is no need to flee. It isn’t until February 1919 when Inna sees Yasha again -- at a meeting, sitting talking to a known Cheka officer. He tells her afterwards that he was forced into the job: that, because he was once a Bundist, they would arrest him if he refused (and no one refused the Cheka). The two share one night together, before Inna returns home. A few nights later, Inna’s fears realised themselves when Bolsheviks showed up to requisition their apartment and, upon noticing Horace’s foreign origins, ambushed him. With an injured foot and a fear of causing more upset to the Lemans, he finally agrees that the journey to Yalta is one he and Inna must make. The journey was long -- made longer by the way the pair tactfully avoided places where the war was at its peak -- and when finally close, Inna makes a discovery whilst Horace lies sick in bed (an illness brought on by the infection in the wound caused by the attack the night they chose to leave): her period is late, the days coinciding with her last night with Yasha, and thus she came to the conclusion that she’s pregnant. The discovery came at the same time Yasha himself arrived, asking Inna to go with him to America so he can help a trade union after they dropped Horace off at an English boat. Inna finds herself yet again choosing between two men she loves, though as the finally reach Yalta and the boats which will take them away from Russia  for good, something else makes her decision for her: knowing she is pregnant with his child, Yasha makes the sacrifice of his life to allow Inna to safely board the boat with Horace, rather than be requisitioned and attacked by Reds that interrupted their journey. The novel ends with Inna and Horace on the deck of the boat, the glistening sea reminding Inna of the words Father Grigory once spoke to her before he lost his innocence, finding closure in the loss of Yasha knowing she was carrying a part of him in her child, and starting a new life as she watched her last Russian sunset.

Following the story with a pre-knowledge of the historical events happening in the background played a part in amplifying the great emotions provoked by the work: the realisation of the identity of the peasant man with the entrancing eyes who slowly transformed into something else; recognising the name ‘Youssoupoff’ even before he became integral to the story; having an ironic knowing that the people in the story shouldn’t be pleased with the abdication of the Tsar when another revolution and war was just around the corner. Having the characters, whose stories were evolved and discovered so intrinsically, experience the tumult of events alongside the reader, also, merely emphasised what the author was trying to display: the life in Russia for minorities and majorities alike; the similarities in everyone’s hardship and the way people can change.

However, what I enjoyed most about ‘Midnight in St Petersburg’ was the constant presence of violins in the story -- from Inna playing it herself (separated duets with Yasha at night or nervous performances in Bohemian bars) or making her own (rough, nervous pieces made with Monsieur Leman before grief broke him during the first world war, to the final Stradivarius masterpiece she helped to repair: her final work with Yasha other than their child). The way the characters treated the fiddles -- Yasha loving how the wood would forgive your mistakes and allow you to recarve the future, Horace loving how they could pave an artistic future for his wife whilst also bringing her happiness, Marcus Leman loving how he could take pride in continuing his father’s work for him, and Youssoupoff ruining his collection as a child to use in duels with his brother -- show the deepest part of their characters, and the motif of music and instruments in the novel is perhaps the most constant in the story at all.

When Inna begins to think of playing the violin again at the end of the novel, despite not having done so since Yasha first left in 1911, the reader is delivered closure too.

“ ‘I was cutting myself a better lifeline’, she said. “

“ Feeling the deadwood melt away as the curves of its true shape emerged..he brought the future into existence. “

“ These would be the sides of her violin one day -- or, in luthier’s talk, the ribs, because violins were little human bodies in the making.

AS

Young Stalin - Two Reviews

Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore is a riveting book which looks into the depths on Stalin’s life before he comes to power in the early 1900’s.
The book explores each part of his life with such extreme detail that it makes you feel like are watching a film as you read it. This book is the first in years which goes into so much detail and truly shows what Stalin did in his life that it is a nice refresher.
The most interesting parts about the book, is Stalin’s “innocence” in the early years of his life. He was in the choir at school, he was a poet, and trained as a priest all before his twenty’s. This peaceful lifestyle he lead in his early life seems quite unrealistic and unreal compared to all the destruction and mayhem he created when he was in power, it’s almost like he was two different people.
He eventually found his true ‘mission’ – a revolutionary. He was a mastermind of bank robbery, arson, piracy and murder. He was in simple terms the most intelligent terrorist in Russia, and soon became the top henchman for Lennin.
Throughout the book we read of his many love affairs and illegitimate children, his friendships both good and bad, the true and the fake. We see he’s personality develop and twist into the man who ruled the USSR with such a ferocity that he is so well known in history for his flawed control.
This book truly reflects and represents Stalin in the most enthralling way that I couldn’t put this book down at all. JC

Through reading Young Stalin, the reader finds out about a bewildering adventure in which Stalin, a man who was born no more than ‘his mother’s beloved treasure’, goes on a journey to become the treasurer of the USSR. There is no doubt that Stalin’s extremist character, whether it was his brutal demeanour or strong work ethic, were the keys to him becoming the leader of the Soviet Union. However, the mystery remains on how the youthful ‘Soso’ transitioned to become the domineering Stalin.

The abundance of alcohol in the Town of Gori partnered with Stalin’s father’s undying love for a drink, left Stalin with a drunk and violent father, known as ‘Crazy Beso’. Stalin’s mother, Keke, also used physical discipline unreservedly leaving Stalin to become ‘heartless’, ‘truculent’ and frequently wanting to be ‘alone’. These violent actions were the foundations for which a pugnacious and unsympathetic leader was made.

The town of Gori, where Stalin lived, was known for ‘… town brawls, wrestling tournaments and school-boy gang warfare’. As a teenager Stalin was the most ‘immaculate streetfighter’ owning a ‘catapult and homemade bow’. Stalin’s lifestyle was made up of violent past-times, which some could argue, allowed actions like carrying out the genocide of millions of Russians easier.

Simon Sebag Montefiore has written a masterful biography however, he does not tell us about the historical significance of the events that occurred in Stalin’s youth, which limits the complexity of Stalin’s image. For instance, Stalin’s ‘webbed foot, pockmarks… and damaged left arm’ physically separated him from others. That may be the reason for his lack of empathy towards the 750,000 executed innocent military men and an essential part of him becoming the ‘man of steel’ he truly was. MK

Revolutionary Russia, 1891 -1991: A History

Encompassing the events that catalysed the Revolution, the events that occurred during the Revolution and the aftermath of the Revolutionary Russia, 1891-1991: A History,  by Orlando Figes (See website) shows a complete history of modern Russia which is still under the effects of Communism and the CPSU.

As a student who has never studied revolutions or political history, it gave an eye-watering insight into the country’s history and current state. I was shocked to hear that: “42 per cent of the Russian population would like the return of a ‘leader like Stalin’.” Figes provides the reader with information that might seem to hold minute importance, but when the reader hears about the Gulags and the various events that occurred outside of the capital in foreign countries such as Ukraine and Poland, it gives the reader an in depth view of the power and strength of communism and its leaders. Unlike most history books, he also includes jokes and idioms from the time that relate to the various leaders and the CPSU to show the effects of the communist regime in Russia.

The greatest part of this book is that it identifies that there is a cycle. There will be a period of power held by one political figure, which will soon be followed by a reign of autocracy, to which the people will revolt against. Then a new political regime will ensue and then power will again return to a singular figure followed by a whole new autocratic or dictatorial reign. “The word ‘soviet’ means ‘council’ in Russian (there was nothing particularly Communist about it until after 1917).” Figes shows how the idyllic and romanticised ideal of communism was used for political advancement and the actual idea of communism was lost in the muddy puddles outside of the Kremlin. SL

Sashenka

The novel ‘Sashenka’ written by Simon Sebag Montefiore presents a century in Russia, by following the life of a dedicated Bolshevik revolutionary – Sashenka. The novel is split into 3 parts, with the first part focusing on the lead up to the March revolution. Montefiore’s presentation of Russian autocracy is shown through Sashenka’s mother Ariadna Zeletsin. Her unfaithful behaviour, dismissive interest in her daughter, and obsession with materialistic luxuries leads the reader to understand Sashenka’s dedication to the Bolshevik party, as she tries to escape from her mother’s lifestyle. Montefiore presents the Bolsheviks at first as a lacking party, with little resources and members, yet with a strong belief and dedication, shown through Sashenka’s uncle Mendel. Yet during Part 2 1939, the once small Bolshevik party had become an authoritative, dominant one party state, the extent of its growth shown to the reader through leap in time from 1917. Sashenka’s dedication and love for the party is still prevalent, yet her fear is for it is subtly hinted at, with the repeated mentions of the ‘terror years’. The absolute security of Communism in the USSR is demonstrated in the novel – ‘better to shoot a hundred innocent men than let one spy escape, better 1000’. Part 3 of the novel shows the loyalty towards Communism from its party members. Vanya Palitsyn, after being tortured into a false confession and sentenced to death still demonstrates his devotion, shouting ‘long live Stalin’, despite his treatment from the party. Montefiore describes Communism as a religion, and its influence on members such as Satinov shows how deeply rooted it is within such people. Satinov’s inability to tell Katrinka of how he rescued Sashenka’s children outright, since it was a betrayal to the party, shows his faithfulness and fear towards Communism, even 50years later. His web of deception and lies told towards Katrinka of his actions reflect the way he behaved during the era, and how the Communist party performed and acted in the USSR. YC

Revolutionary Russia

‘Revolutionary Russia’ explores the Russian revolution not as a single event but as a one hundred year cycle starting with the decline of the Tsar and ending with the fall of the Soviet Union. Though the book is relatively short when considering the broad period it covers, Figes does not seem to compromise the quality and detail in which he tells the story of the revolution. Instead the book looks closely at many features of the Revolution such as the October Revolution, the Civil War and Stalin’s Reign of Terror. The book also closely evaluates the importance of aspects such as the peasant culture in Russia and the glorification of Lenin and how this affected the events of the revolution.

The style in which the book is written makes it clear that it has been extremely well researched with the referencing to individual stories and direct quotes making it particularly insightful as well as making the period of history more accessible for the reader. The book answers many questions about Russian history whilst leaving the reader with many more, due to its thought provoking style. I found the ending of the book particularly interesting with its reflection on how despite how most Russians today acknowledge the atrocities committed under Stalin, most will continue to believe that these were justified. This serves to show just how indoctrinating the Russian regime was under Stalin and how the horrors of his reign did not die with him.

The author also refrains from injecting his personal political outlook into the book and remains mostly impartial, thus allowing the reader to form their own judgement. Overall, Figes has managed to write a book that does not over simplify Russian history yet still remains an enjoyable and manageable read.

AM

Why I am boycotting the Winter Olympics....

                 Now, I know it comes as a devastating shock to most of you, but I am not the sportiest of people. And I don't mind saying that the previous statement is almost as big of an understatement as 'Hitler wasn't among the greatest of leaders'. I hate sport with a passion, probably because I have only really tried the girly sports, and I’m not exactly the most feminine of girls... So it may seem odd that I’m choosing to write an article on a sporting event, or even that an event that involves movement has evoked some passion in me. After all, my best memory of the Olympics was being in a 5,000 strong crowd at Hyde Park, repeatedly chanting 'Boris! Boris!'.
  So why am I feeling so strongly about the Winter Olympics? I can tell you now, that it’s not excitement I feel towards events in Sochi. It's a very British annoyance (if I was to get 'angry', there’s a possibility of some tea-spillage. The thought gives me goose bumps.). Because, to be honest with you, I’m not a big fan of the Russian political environment right now. So here's a (not-so-short) list of the main reasons the 2014 Winter Olympics are annoying me like a wasp buzzing around your picnic on the only sunny day of the year.

 1) Human Rights Issues
      Basically, Putin has put in a series of laws that seem to undermine  the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association in the run up to the Olympics - which are three of the Human Rights laws I hold most dear.

2) Economy 
    In short, property prices around Sochi have skyrocketed, not to mention the fact that these Olympics seem to be costing a lot of money that seems to go less into the Olympics, and more into the pockets of high-up Russian Officials

3) LGBT Rights Issues 
   Okay. So right or wrong, this is the issue that gets the most up my nose. The stance of the Russian Government on homosexuals, is that they are allowed to be gay (which is a right, not a privilege), as long as they don’t 'advertise their lifestyle'. You know, in case people suddenly get 'converted' to being gay, and then what would society do?! I also watched a really interesting programme on the Winter Olympics, in which the mayor of Sochi insisted that 'there were no gays in Sochi', before being informed of several Gay Clubs in the capital of Sochi.

What I find the most interesting about the Winter Olympics is that the corruption and blatant Human Rights abuses are as 'out there' as Louis Spence at a Gay Pride convention. Yet nobody seems to really be doing anything. So although one less television tuned into events in Sochi won't really make any difference, maybe it will inspire others to do the same. Because we have to do something...

E.C 
 

The Most Famous Impostor

A family marches down to the basement of a grand house with dread on their faces. In this basement, a man, his wife and their five children (four daughters and one son) were shot along with their servants. In case you have not guessed by now, I am referring to the execution of the Romanov family. On the 17th July 1918, Tsar Nicolas II, Tsarina Alexandra and their children: Olga Nikolaevna, Tatiana Nikolaevna, Maria Nikolaevna, Alexei Nikolaevich and Anastasia Nikolaevna were shot by communist revolutionaries.

However, almost five years after this tragic event, there was a ray of light through the clouds. A woman, under the name of Anna Anderson, revealed herself as the daughter of the Tsar- Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia. Alas, this was not actually the case, after relatively recent research and discoveries, Anna Anderson was uncovered as a fake- the most famous impostor.

Anna Anderson, born on the 16 December 1896 under the name Franziska Schanzkowska, was a mentally ill Polish factory worker. After a suicide attempt in the 1920, she was put in an asylum in Berlin where she refused to give her name. Then, during March 1922, it was claimed in the press that Anderson was the Duchess of Russia, Anastasia. Although this was contested by the majority of Anastasia’s family, Anna Anderson gained much support and spent the rest of her life moving between Germany and the USA staying in many nursing homes and asylums. She married a professor of history from Virginia, called Jack Manahan during 1968. Then, Anna Anderson stayed in the America until 1984 when she died of pneumonia.

It was only in 2007 that it was confirmed that all four daughters of Tsar Nicolas II had been shot on the 17th July 1918. While the bodies of the Tsar, Tsarina and three of the daughters were found in 1991 and had their identities certified, the bodies of Alexei and the final daughter were found in 2007 thus ruling out all possibility of Anna Anderson being the Duchess of Russia.

Thus, the trickery of Anna Anderson was discovered and finally put to rest after many decades of speculation and uncertainty.

By JG

Russian Civil War Poster

GCSE Year 10 classes may find this poster of use for their source analysis. It says (in Russian) "Wrangel hits again, finish him off without mercy."

You can find the poster and lots of other ones at this excellent blog which looks at the history of graphic design.

Svetlana - Stalin's Daughter

Svetlana Peters, Josef Stalin's daughter, has died in the US aged 85. Her life was fascinating (and very complicated!). She was the only daughter of Stalin and Nadezhda Alliluyeva, who committed suicide in 1932. She was married 3 times in the USSR - her first marriage was at the age of 18 against her father's wishes to a Jewish student who was later sent to a labour camp.  In 1967 the CIA helped her to escape from the Soviet Union - she then denounced communism and called her father a "moral and spiritual monster". She married again but continued to move around - she even went back to the USSR for a short while to be reunited with her children before returning to the USA and writing her memoirs, "Twenty Letters to a Friend".  It will be interesting to see how Russia reacts to her death given their somewhat ambiguous attitude towards her father.

Russia: The Wild East

BBC Radio 4 is ambitiously broadcasting the history of Russia over 50 episodes. Presented by Martin Sixsmith, "Russia: The Wild East" covers 1000 years of Russian history, and has now reached the early 20th Century. Each episode is only 15 minutes long and this morning's episode gave a very clear explanation of the New Economic Policy and its consequences, drawing parallels with the economic reforms of Gorbachev. It is clearly a really useful resource for A2 students beginning their Russia course and it is well worth picking up the most recent episodes on iPlayer while they are still available.

From Our Own Correspondent

The BBC's "From Our Own Correspondent" has always been an excellent way to gain a deeper understanding about the culture, politics and society of countries around the world. For example,recent articles have included subjects such as the Russian space programme, the obsession with guns in the USA (written by Justin Webb), and the effects of the foreign media on the North African revolutions, or the use of strange nicknames in the Philippines (recommended!). You can find an archive of all the articles here, and listen to the latest episode or download it as a podcast.

Lenin Assassination Plot

This fascinating BBC article investigates the attempted assassination of Lenin in 1918 by Fanya Kaplan and accusations that it had been coordinated by Robert Lockhart, a British agent. He had been sent to Russia to persuade the new Bolshevik government to continue fighting the First World War alongside its Triple Entente allies, but when it signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, making peace with Germany, Lockhart turned his attention to ways to destabilise the government. He was arrested by the Cheka but denied all involvement, and was later freed in exchange for a Russian spy. Lockhart instead suggested that responsibility should rest with Sidney Reilly, a flamboyant Russian who worked a freelancer for the British Secret Service but who had increasingly taken matters into his own hands. However, the historian Robert Service believes that Lockhart might have been using Reilly as a distraction, to cover up much deeper involvement of the British government in the assassination of a head of state. All documents relating to this are still kept secret, suggesting there is still a lot of sensitivity over this issue. More will be revealed over the controversy in a Radio 4 programme tonight, which will be available on iPlayer soon after.

International Women's Day

Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. First celebrated in 1911, it was used as a rallying cry for the women's suffrage movement and then pivotally for reform during the First World War. Nowhere was this more important than in Russia where the women's protests in 1917 led to the fall of the Tsar. It is now a national holiday in Russia. See here for more information from the official site for the Day. Read here about its history from the UN's perspective.
Michelle Obama was celebrating the day as well yesterday with a press conference at the White House. It is a significant world celebration and event but there is not much about it in Britain. Should this change?
Here is one group's attempt to higher the profile of women's battle for equality starring Daniel Craig and Judi Dench - what do you think?

From Russia with Love

Greetings from St Petersburg!

We arrived at Heathrow at 6am and after a long check-in we were safely on board and very excited for our journey ahead.

When we arrived in St Petersburg it was a mild -20. The girls were well-prepared for the freezing conditions, but nonetheless it was still a shock. The girls were surprised by the nice hotel, but not so much the cheese and egg dinner! However, that was followed by a beef curry, of sorts. After a pleasant first day we looked forward to a packed schedule on Monday.

It is our second day in Russia and what a fantastic day it has been! We saw some amazing sites such as: The Bronze Horseman, the Hermitage, the Political History Museum-where Lenin gave his famous April Thesis (WOW!!) and the Russian Museum. Lunch consisted of some more Russian delights.

We are looking forward to tomorrow in which we will be visiting Nevsky Monastery, Church on the Spilled Blood, the Hermitage and the Kazan Cathedral not to forget the overnight train to Moscow! Hotel Cosmos here we come!

До свидания!

One day until Russia!

Ladies I hope you are all looking forward to the fantastic trip. Remember to wrap up warm, it is currently a mild -20! See you all bright and early at the airport on Sunday.

If you want to check the status of the flight have a look at the BA website.

Moscow Forecast

As the Russia trip is about to depart, here is the latest forecast for Moscow (the information will continuously update itself). The forecast for St Petersburg can be found here. Nonsuch HP is sure all those taking part will have a fantastic time - but they will need to wrap up warm!

Emmett Sullivan

Dr Emmett Sullivan will be speaking today at the HP Society in the library at 1.15. He is a Senior Teaching Fellow at Royal Holloway, which not only has the largest history department in the University of London, but was also Miss D'Souza's old college! He will be speaking about what it's like to study History at university. All are welcome to attend. Dr Sullivan will be returning to Nonsuch on 25 January to speak about the events which led to the collapse of the USSR.

Kate Rea

Kate Rea will be speaking at the Nonsuch HP society today (1.15 in the Library). She is a historical researcher and has also been involved in the production of documentaries such as "World War 2: Behind Closed Doors" (more details here). She has been closely involved in the creation of WW2History.com, recording much of the eye-witness testimony for the site. She read Russian and Russian History at Cambridge and will be speaking in particular about her interest in that subject today. Everyone is welcome to attend.