Issue 24 March 1996

Frank McDonough looks at the old question of whether history is made by great individuals or impersonal forces.

Graham Darby spins a thread to guide you through the labyrinth of The Causes of the Thirty Years War.

Robert Pearce looks at a turning point in the history of mentalities, when the way Britons perceived themselves and others changed forever.

Harry Hearder argues that Metternich got it wrong - Italy's sense of unity is the oldest and most deeply rooted in Europe.

Jeremy Black passes judgement on British foreign policy 1688-1815.

How important was the man to the movement? Andrew Pettegree asks what would have happened to the Reformation had the Diet of Worms witnessed its leader’s martyrdom.

John Derry exposes popular myths about a misunderstood statesman.  

Since the 1860s Women's History has sought to recapture the experiences of a previously submerged half of the population. Sarah Newman looks to the feminist struggle to overcome prejudice and win the most basic right of all.