Empire

Michael Willis focuses on the origins of the Boer War in a way that could make for a stimulating role-play.

Matthew MacLachlan asks how far Napoleon defeated himself.

The story of the British anti-slavery and abolitionist movements has been dominated by the figures of Clarkson and Wilberforce. Yet, the success of the Slave Trade Act of 1807 and the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 benefited from the votes of Irish MPs.

The Spanish government managed by the Duke of Lerma was forced to declare a moratorium on its debts on November 19th, 1607.

Bernard Porter says that today’s advocates of humanitarian intervention would do well to ponder what J. A. Hobson and Ramsay MacDonald had to say a century ago about the dangers of liberal imperialism.

Piers Brendon asks how we can arrive at a fair judgement of the benefits of the Empire for those who enjoyed – or endured – its rule.

Michael Loewe looks at the dynastic, administrative and intellectual background of the Qin empire, which defined how China would be run for more than 2,000 years, and at the life and achievements of the First Emperor Shi Huangdi, one of the greatest state-builders of history, whose tomb was guarded by the famous terracotta army.

Neil Faulkner and Nick Saunders, Co-directors of the Great Arab Revolt Project, tell how a recent field trip to southern Jordan sheds light on the theories and exploits of T.E. Lawrence.

The British victory at Plassey in Bengal, on 23 June, 1757, was a crucial event in the history of India.

David Mattingly says it’s time to rethink the current orthodoxy and question whether Roman rule was good for Britain.