History Today

The Great War provided unprecedented opportunities for scientists, especially women.

Unpopular in the country at large, neglected by successive governments, the Victorian army was slowly brought up to date, writes Brian Bond, despite military obscurantism and strenuous bureaucratic opposition.

In the autumn of 1936, on Communist inspiration, a shock force was internationally recruited to assist the Republican Army in the Spanish Civil War. Where did the Brigades come from and why? By Hugh Thomas.

At the crisis of the battle Napoleon withheld the Imperial Guard, writes Michael Barthorp, only to commit it piecemeal at a later stage to its first and last defeat.

Andrew Johnson’s impeachers failed by one vote to win the two-thirds majority needed in the Senate.

Henry I. Kurtz describes how the generous policies of Lincoln’s successor towards the former Confederates led to impeachment proceedings against him in 1868.

Béla Menczer describes how the last Austrian Emperor strove to regain one of his family’s Kingdoms.

Territorial concessions in Anatolia were promised to the Greeks during the First World War but, writes Cyril Falls, hope of fulfilment was defeated by the resurgent republicans of Turkey.

Michael Langley describes how missionary endeavour, the ambition of Cecil Rhodes and the technology of mining engineers combined to create the background of modern Zambia.

Before the extension of the railways, writes Louis C. Kleber, long cattle-drives were the way of life west of the Mississippi.