Tag: History
-
Evald Ilyenkov: Creative Marxism and Mid-Century Soviet Theory
Finley Farrell examines Evald Ilyenkov’s “Creative Soviet Marxism,” which challenged rigid “diamat” orthodoxy. Ilyenkov posited that consciousness stems from human activity rather than simple material reflection. His theories critiqued biological determinism in the division of labour and navigated Lenin’s complex symbolic role.
-
They call it the dance, It’s the St. Vitus dance
Elizabeth Hall explores the strange historical phenomenon known as the St. Vitus dance.
-
The Forgotten Stance: A Brief History of Spanish Non-Belligerence in World War Two
Owen James explores how Spain narrowly avoided World War II, debunking the myth of Franco’s “astute caution”. The article highlights the failed Hendaye meeting, where excessive imperial demands clashed with Hitler’s goals, and the Blue Division’s anti-communist crusade, proving Spanish non-belligerence was a result of necessity, not design.
-
Beyond the ‘Puppet State’: Rethinking the 1960-63 Katangese Secession
Edie Christian re-examines the 1960–63 Katangese secession. While traditionally viewed as a “puppet regime” for Belgian mining interests, Christian highlights recent scholarship emphasising the political agency of local leaders like Moïse Tshombe, offering a more nuanced perspective on this postcolonial conflict.
-
American Involvement in the Cambodian War and Genocide
Owen James explores the tragic, overlooked history of Cambodia during the Cold War. By examining catastrophic bombing campaigns and covert political maneuvers, James argues for American complicity in the rise of the Khmer Rouge. This account reveals how US actions helped facilitate a horrifying genocide that devastated the entire nation .
-
The Wickedest Man in the World: A Brief Biography of Aleister Crowley’s Immortality
Manahil Masood explores why Aleister Crowley is still remembered and talked about today.
-
Politics of Memory: The Kosovo Myth and the Rise of Serbian Nationalism
Edie Christian explores the Yugoslav Wars from 1991 to 2001, driven by ethnic tensions and Serbian nationalism, especially following Tito’s death. Slobodan Milošević exploited the Kosovo myth, linking historical victimization to bolster nationalist sentiment. His rhetoric incited violence and civil conflict, culminating in war crimes resulting in approximately 140,000 deaths and significant displacement.
-
The First Populist Movement in the UK? Ulster Unionism and the Home Rule Crisis, 1910-1914
The article by Darcie Rogers explores Ulster Unionism as Britain’s first populist movement, emerging during the Home Rule crisis in the early 1910s. It highlights the movement’s grassroots participation, militaristic tendencies, and religious undertones, emphasizing its opposition to perceived corruption by the Liberal government and Irish nationalists, shaping Northern Ireland’s political landscape.
Retrospect Journal 