Edwardian

The Edwardian Social Network

Guy Atkins explains what made the postcard such an extraordinary and successful phenomenon of the early 20th century and draws parallels with today’s social media.

The Diplomacy of Edward VII

Long excluded from public business, King Edward showed, when he came to the throne, a remarkable grasp of foreign affairs. He was, as A.P. Ryan says, “a good European and a lover of peace.”

The Budget and the Lords: The Crisis of 1910-11

The crisis of 1909-11 involved two General Elections and a threat to flood the House of Lords with newly created Liberal peers. It ended, as Steven Watson notes here, in a triumph for the progenitors of the modern welfare state.

London's Olympics: Political Games

David Runciman compares the 2012 games with the London Olympics of 1908 and 1948 to see what they reveal about the changing relationship between politics and sport over the last century.

Painted out of History

The abdication crisis of 1937 forced a royalist magazine to present a different face to the world, as Luci Gosling reports.

The Career of A.J. Balfour

Graham Goodlad reviews the career of A.J. Balfour, an unsuccessful Prime Minister and party leader but an important and long-serving figure on the British political scene. 

The General Election of 1915

Ian Garrett shows that well-informed counter-factual speculation can help us understand better the causes and consequences of what did happen.