Why were the Liberals defeated in the general election of 1874?
The primary cause for the defeat in the 1874 elections of the Liberal Party can be attributed to a boomeranging of its own cherished policy, reforms. (more…)
Free Coursework Archive for ‘History Essays’
Was Britain’s approach to mass immigration in the period 1945-c.70 a success or a failure?
The question of whether Britain’s approach to mass immigration in the period 1945 – c.1970 was a success or a failure is not as straightforward as it first may seem. Unpacking the question a little will help. Firstly, it is important to consider what is meant by Britain? Should it be taken to mean the government or the people, and which people? (more…)
To what extent are Walter Scott’s novels a product of the Scottish Enlightenment? Discuss with reference to his novel Waverley
‘As if exemplifying the stadialist theory advanced in the seminal work of Adam Ferguson, An Essay on the History of Civil Society (1767), and generally maintained in the Scottish Enlightenment, Scott’s novels teach that reason (and democracy and capitalism) will ineluctably and rightfully triumph over feudalism. In one way or another such an inevitable transformation was to give muscle to the Waverley novels to come, and many of the historical novels which would be inspired by Scott’s example’ (Nathan Uglow, 2002) (more…)
‘Consensus is a mirage, an illusion which rapidly fades the closer one gets to it’ (Ben Pimlott). To what extent do you think that Pimlott’s assessment can be applied to the political consensus which emerged in Britain during the war and culminated in Labour’s victory in 1945?
Consensus is the general agreement between individuals and groups, usually taken to mean a meeting of interests between the majority of interested people (Hawkins 1988, p. 101). (more…)
How did the elderly fare in welfare terms under the English New Poor Law?
The issue of the Poor Laws in England is a subject that has bequeathed much in the way of historical academic literature. (more…)
How have the opportunities for and nature of leisure changed in britain since 1945?
Few would doubt that over the past several decades there has been a revolution in terms of the availability and nature of leisure in Britain. (more…)
How far did Dickens exaggerate the horror of the workhouses in his book “Oliver Twist” in order to up the dramatic tension and thus better the popularity of the novel.
Charles Dickens had already built his reputation as a hard hitting journalist and novel writer whose books were considered to portray an accurate depiction of contemporary real life when Oliver Twist was published. (more…)
Tsarist rule in the years 1856 to 1917 and communist rule to the death of Lenin to the death of Stalin both depended on high degrees of central power and control by the the state. The similarities between the two forms of government were therefore much greater than were the differences. How far do you agree with this judgement?
Both Imperial and Soviet Russia have a long and well documented history of autocratic rule. However, Russian autocracy in its various forms has been far from consistent in either its organisation or outlook. It is this inconsistency in structure and policy which has given rise to differing schools of thought. (more…)
Why did France lose the Franco-prussian war?
Within this essay I aim to attempt to identify some of the key elements within the Franco-Prussian war that led to the crushing French defeat. Some of the key issues to be considered will be the relative armies, strategy and tactics as well as the diplomacy conducted by both sides. (more…)
Why did France lose the Franco-Prussian War?
On 4 September 1870, the French Third Republic officially came into existence. Two days earlier, after 18 years as Emperor, Napoleon II had surrendered to the Prussian army at Sedan. (more…)
