The Persistence of the Past

The triumph of liberal democracy was supposed to herald an end to history. But it has returned with a vengeance, says Tim Stanley.

Hard times: an engraving from a scene from the German Peasants' War, Augsburg, 1539Last year was an annus horribilis for the West. The economies of Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Italy collapsed under the weight of public debt; the Eurozone contemplated break up; anarchists occupied Wall Street; and Britain was gripped by urban riots. It was against this backdrop that History Today co-sponsored a conference held in November on the subject of ‘History: What is it Good For?’ Questions that came up were what use are historical studies at a time of crisis? Can historians offer the public words of comfort or suggest a way out of this mess?

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