History Today

John Lehmann presents the grim but fascinating impressions of post-Commune France, by an English schoolboy.

After early service in Poland, writes Adam Zamoyski, Sulkowski joined the French Army of Italy and in 1798 met a gallant death in Egypt.

Daughter of Necker of Geneva, twice French Minister of Finance, Germaine de Staël reflected in her life and writings the enthusiasm of the Revolutionary Age. By Douglas Hilt.

Christopher Hibbert describes how the people of Malta revolted against their Napoleonic garrison and, with British and Neapolitan aid, became a British Mediterranean dependency.

As an exile, writes D.S. Gray, the Emperor had many conversations with a Scottish officer, which ‘left no doubt of his expecting that circumstances might yet call him to the throne of France’.

According to a famous military historian, Sahagun was ‘perhaps the most brilliant exploit of the British Cavalry’ during the whole course of the Peninsular Wars. By D.G. Chandler.

D.G. Chandler describes how the National Army Museum, Chelsea, was officially opened in 1971.

At the close of the First World War, writes David Woodward, German Sailors were the forerunners of general revolt against the imperial system.

In 1785, writes Mary Beth Norton, a Loyalist physician from Boston made the first aerial flight across the English Channel.

To deal with revolutionary violence and social unrest, writes Patricia Wright, the Tsar granted one of his generals almost dictatorial powers.