Versus History Podcast

Monks, Nuns and Monasteries played a pivotal role in England during the Medieval period. They offered spiritual support and guidance, in addition to providing social functions such as providing charity, education, welfare and hospitality to travellers. Prior to 1541 and the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII, there were some 800 monasteries in England, which hints at their contem...

William Shakespeare is widely considered to be one of the greatest playwrights of all time. Indeed, his works include King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Ceasar and Richard III. Shakespeare's works form the spine of English Literature syllabi across the world and have been translated into numerous languages. In this episode, Shakespeare's works are considered in their historical context,...

In 1812, President Madison of the USA declared war on Great Britain and staged an attempted invasion of Upper Canada. This resulted in a War that lasted until the end of 1814 and the Treaty of Ghent. The result was a draw - neither side had been able to make significant or lasting gains. However, the War of 1812 is significant for a number of reasons. The White House in Washington D.C was burnt to...

Skateboarding has an interesting and varied history, beginning in the United States of America. A beloved pastime and sport of many, with an intricate and detailed history of its own! In this episode, Elliott (@thelibrarian6) discusses the history of skateboarding in a '15 Minute Frenzy', with Patrick (@historychappy) asking the questions. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

Railways are a key part of Britain's national heritage and identity. After World War Two, the Labour government undertook a large programme of nationalisation as part of their quest to create a 'New Jerusalem'. Britain's railways were nationalised in 1948, becoming 'British Railways', and then 'British Rail', until it was privatisated by John Major's Conservative government, beginning with the 'Ra...

Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most powerful women in the Middle Ages. Aside from being the mother of King Richard 'The Lionheart' and 'Bad' King John, she travelled to Jerusalem and Constantinople on the 'Second Crusade'. In 1190, she acted as regent in England when Richard went to join the Third Crusade and took a 'hands-on' approach to government. In this '15 Minute Frenzy' episode, our re...

The American Revolution changed the course of the British Empire and the world. Beginning in 1775 with the 'first shots' at Lexington and Concord between British Redcoats and Patriot Colonists, the war raged in earnest until the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, when General Cornwallis surrendered his force to the sound of 'The World Turned Upside Down'. The British presence in New York lingered until 1...

The Vietnam War was a highly significant conflict in the twentieth century. It caused immeasurable damage to Vietnam itself, resulting in a defeat for the Capitalist South and a victory for the Communist North. Indeed, Vietnam remains a Communist country to this very day. How did a global Superpower - the USA - fail to win? How did the guerilla warfare strategies of the Vietcong play out against A...

In the first of a series of special episodes, where the Versus History team will discuss a favourite historical figure or event, Co-Editor Patrick (@historychappy) steps up to discuss King George III. George III reigned from 1760 to 1820. The Industrial Revolution really kicked off in Britain during this period, enclosure of land took hold and Britain won the Seven Years War, ensuring that the fut...

KS3 Special! In 1588, King Philip II of Spain launched an naval armada against England, hoping to invade and return it to the Catholic fold. The armada included approximately 130 galleons, hoping to collect more Spanish troops from Flanders under the control of the Duke of Parma. Unfortunately for Philip, the expected troops from the Netherlands never arrived; they were bogged down fighting Dutch...

The Thirteen Colonies of British North America declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776, by signing the Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson. The first shots of the war had already been fired at Lexington and Concord in 1775; war continued until 1783 and the Treaty of Paris, where Britain acknowledged that America was no longer part of the British Empire. What caus...

The first Versus History publication is now out via Kindle - 33 Easy Ways to Improve Your History Essays. We hope that you find it useful! In this episode, Elliott (@thelibrarian6) and Patrick (@historychappy) discuss two of their favourite strategies for helping students write great essays in examination scenarios. These can be found in the book, along with more! For terms of use, please visit ww...

The launch of our book '33 Easy Ways to Improve Your History Essays' is almost upon us. It really is on the cusp of publication! These are exciting times for Versus History, so get set to grab it from the Kindle Store / Application when it is released. As a prelude to the launch, Co-Editors Patrick (@historychappy) and Elliott (@thelibrarian6) discuss their favourite tips for 'Introductions to His...

Special edition this week! The Editors are very proud and excited to announce the launch of the first 'Versus History' publication - '33 Tips for Writing Better History Essays'. This publication will be available via the Kindle eBook store for all students and teachers in advance of the Summer 2018 examination season. Given the complexities of undertaking a Post-16 History essay, the Editors wante...

Hitler was released from Landsberg Jail in 1924 following the failed Munich Putsch in 1923. He immediately set about remodelling the Nazi Party, along with their strategy for gaining power and internal organisation. Historians largely concur that while the Nazis did not gain much traction at the ballot box in this period - gaining just 2.6% of the vote in 1928 - much work had been done to lay the...

When the Nazi Party came to power in January 1933 under Adolf Hitler, they aimed to create a dictatorship - this they had achieved by the Summer of 1934. However, they also spoke of the mass rearmament of the military forces, becoming economically self-sufficient and also of creating jobs for the German people. The Nazi Party made significant propaganda gains out of a supposedly improved standard...

When Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, Germany was still suffering the impacts of the Great Depression and unemployment stood at approximately 6 million. However, by 1939, Nazi statistics indicated that unemployment had been defeated; indeed, by 1936 the Nazis were claiming victory in the battle against a lack of employment opportunities. However, to what extent did the Nazis re...

Czechoslovakia was a Soviet satellite state and a member of the Warsaw Pact in 1968. Alexander Dubcek - the Czech Premier - spoke of reinvigorating Communism within Czech borders, by relaxing state censorship, introducing multi-candidate elections and permitting a greater degree of free speech. Collectively, his suggestions were known as 'The Prague Spring Reforms'. Dubcek envisaged the reforms as...

In December 1979, the Soviet Union (USSR) decided to intervene in the internal affairs of Afghanistan by sending troops to prop up the ailing and fractious Communist Party, based in Kabul. Afghanistan was of key geo-strategic significance in the Cold War to both the USSR and the USA; the USSR invaded on the pretence of an invitation by the domestic Afghan Communist Party, but the USA viewed this a...

In January 1933 Hitler was given the Chancellorship legally and democratically. However, this did not mean that Hitler was able to rule as he wished from the outset. A number of barriers to unparalleled and unchecked power remained in place, such as opposition Parties, the President, the Constitution, the Law and not least the German Army. However, by mid-1934, Adolf Hitler had become the unrivall...

In the 1928 elections, the Nazis polled just 2.6% of the parliamentary elections and won just 12 seats. In many respects, Hitler was as far away from power as ever. However, the Wall Street Crash in 1929 and subsequent Great Depression ended the 'golden-years' of the Weimar Republic and paved the way for political, economic and social instability. Into this 'post-crash' context, Hitler and the Naz...

America in the 1920s is often described as being a period of optimism and prosperity for the American economy - hence the moniker 'Roaring 20s'. Following the devastation suffered in Europe during WW1, America was advantageously placed to become the leading global economy. The advent of mass production, credit, the laissez-faire attitude of the Federal Government towards big business and consumer...

The Weimar Republic was born out of the German defeat in WW1 in 1918; the allies insisted that the Kaiser needed to be replaced by a democratic government as a necessary prerequisite of peace talks. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 burdened Germany with 'War Guilt' and a huge reparations bill of GBP 6.6 billion; this was not a great start for democracy in Germany. The period 1919-1923 was a turbul...

KS3 History Special this week! Following the death of the English King 'Edward the Confessor' in 1066, there was a succession crisis. William of Normandy, from modern day France, won the Battle of Hastings against Harold Godwineson and became King. William then became known as 'William the Conqueror', as he established his control across England. He used a variety of different methods, such as Cas...

Women in the UK were granted the vote in national parliamentary elections on the same terms as men in 1928 – it has remained that way ever since. Going further back in time, some women (those over 30 who met the relevant property qualifications) were given the vote following the conclusion of WW1 in 1918. However, before the outbreak of WW1, two groups campaigned for the right for women to vote. T...