Political

Austria’s Diminutive Dictator: Engelbert Dollfuss

A right-wing Catholic who crushed all his rivals, Engelbert Dollfuss fought hard to maintain his young republic’s independence. A.D. Harvey looks at the life of the tiny patriot of peasant stock who stood up to Hitler.

The Peasants’ Revolt, 1381

In 1381 England witnessed a medieval ‘summer of blood’ as the lower orders flexed their muscle in what became known as the Peasants’ Revolt.

Who Gained from Thomas Paine?

Thomas Paine inspired and witnessed the revolutions that gave birth to the United States and destroyed the French monarchy. A genuinely global figure, he anticipated modern ideas on human rights, atheism and rationalism. 

The Fall of the Roman Empire

As the Roman Empire declined its leaders became interested more in personal survival than good governance. Adrian Goldsworthy draws comparisons with current crises.