Category: Enlightenment and Revolution

Was the Reign of Terror inevitable? The Interplay of Circumstance and Ideology in the French Revolution, by Sasha Braham

Posted On By The Manchester Historian

The Reign of Terror is a haunting and unforgettable chapter in the annals of the French Revolution; characterised by political radicalisation led by Maximillien Robespierre, it saw the relentless blade of the guillotine and the infamous executions of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. This tumultuous period prompts compelling questions about how the revolution transformed into its most radical and violent phase: was the Terror an inevitable consequence of royal betrayal and the increasing power of the people, or was it caused by an unfortunate deviation resulting from unforeseen circumstances?

Category: British History

Margaret Thatcher: ‘An Example to our Daughters’ or the Feminine Face of Patriarchal Politics? By Catherine Hart

Posted On By The Manchester Historian

The Iron Lady or a woman conforming to patriarchal expectations in 1980s Britain? A Feminist icon or the feminine face of patriarchal politics? Since the end of her almost twelve-year term as Prime Minister in 1990, the legacy of Margaret Thatcher is one that has been widely debated in Britain.

Category: African, Islamic and Arabic

10 Years Since the Arab Spring, by Erin Barnett

Posted On By The Manchester Historian

10 years on from the Arab Spring, we must look back on what happened and why. The Arab Spring was a pro-democracy uprising that spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). By mid-2012 most of the actions against governments had faded, many achieved little and were met by severe violence and curbs on free speech – social media platforms like FaceBook were shut down by governments in an attempt to prevent the spread of revolutionary rhetoric.