In 1990, the inmates of Strangeways prison began the longest riot in British penal history. Once revered as a “last bastion of discipline,” the prison stood as the largest penitentiary in England, holding around 900 men at full capacity. By 1990, a peak of over 1,600 prisoners had been confined within its walls, becoming a […]
Independence is often the goal of those who feel subjugated by a greater power. Throughout history there are many high profile examples of nations achieving independence, often beginning a domino effect. The two great independence events of the 20th century provide an excellent snapshot of how independence occurs, and the consequences. Take, for example, the […]
In a momentous act of devotional citizenship and spirited patriotism, tens of thousands of Russian women volunteered to join the country’s ‘Battalions of Death’. They offered their allegiance, and even their lives, to protect ‘Mother Russia’ from the foreign aggressors of World War I. Russia’s female volunteers echoed history’s celebrated female warriors, the likes […]
Since it was founded two years ago, the Manchester Historian has grown and developed with each set of editors that has come to its helm. We have been no exception and we hope that the new features in this first issue for the 2013/14 academic year will only make the magazine more exciting for you, […]
The entirety of humanity’s relationship with nature is not a topic which lends itself to a 450 word article, with a huge diversity in attitudes to topics like sustainability throughout human history. However, in looking back at how we have perceived nature throughout the years, we can gain insight into how we have treated nature […]
For China, the 20th century was a Sisyphean journey; time and time again, the Chinese rolled a boulder up that steep slope of progress towards utopia, only for it to roll back down and crush millions of lives with it. The Hundred Flowers Campaign is but another flashpoint in this path, one of many visions […]
Alex Byrom reviews Michael Wood ‘in conversation’ with Tristram Hunt MP. Charlotte Johnson interviews public historian and new staff member in the History Department, Professor Michael Wood. Darren Davies interviews the new nineteenth century British History, Dr Henry Miller. Since it was founded two years ago, the Manchester Historian has grown and developed with each […]
Human trafficking is the world’s third largest underground network, deeply entrenched in both the developed and third world. Measures to curb human trafficking are continually being revised to ensure that the aid provided to the 20 million affected by slave trade is funnelled into where it is needed most, in order to combat this $31 […]
The Battle of Peleliu, or Operation Stalemate II, was a controversial battle fought between the US and Japan from September to November 1944 on Peleliu, a volcanic island just six miles wide in present-day Palau. During the course of the battle, Japanese resistance inflicted heavy damage on the US troops. Although it resulted in literal […]
In November 2024, countries at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan agreed on a $200bn per year increase in climate financial assistance to developing countries across the world. Western nations say a ‘massive deal was struck’ and the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the pledges made were ‘ambitious’ from both a UK and an […]
“Reality is as thin as paper, and betrays with all its cracks its imitative character. A hundred times I had to try and test its taut skin with my hands, and had found it hopelessly botched.” These are the words of Jewish Galician writer Bruno Schulz, a globally relevant artist and painter, particularly recognised among […]
Mr Bush reviews A Doll’s House at the Royal Exchange. Professor Paul Fouracre’s book Frankish History: Studies in the Construction of Power has recently been published in Ashgate’s Variorum Collected Studies Series. Dr Yangwen Zheng edited The Chinese Chameleon Revisited: From the Jesuits to Zhang Yimou which was also published recently. Dr Pedro Ramos Pinto […]
The entirety of humanity’s relationship with nature is not a topic which lends itself to a 450 word article, with a huge diversity in attitudes to topics like sustainability throughout human history. However, in looking back at how we have perceived nature throughout the years, we can gain insight into how we have treated nature […]
The early years of the USSR were exciting and turbulent. Rapid industrialisation, education, and the rise of gender equality led to a feeling of great hope for the country’s future. Whilst women who lived in rural areas continued to wear traditional hand-sewn Russian dress, women living in urban areas of Russia began to style themselves […]