70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima!

Posted on August 6, 2015

70 years ago today, America dropped an atom bomb on the city of Hiroshima. The flight captain of the Enola Gay – Paul Tibbets ordered his crew to make the bomb live and aim for the ‘T’ shape made by a city centre bridge. It was morning rush hour time with people on the way to work….

http://www.historypod.net/08/06/6th-august-1945-the-usa-drops-an-atomic-bomb-on-hiroshima/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+historypod+%28HistoryPod%29&utm_content=FaceBook

Battlefield Poets

Posted on August 5, 2015

An interesting English Heritage article on the home front poetry of Britain’s famous war poets from WW1.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/members-area/members-magazine/July-2015-battlefield-poets/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=Property%20&%20Brand&utm_content=BattlefieldPoets

Roman London app available to help discover ‘Londinium’

Posted on August 5, 2015

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Resources/app/Streetmuseum-Londinium/home.html

THE MUSEUM OF LONDON HAS JOINED FORCES WITH TV CHANNEL HISTORY™ TO DEVELOP A NEW, ADVANCED VERSION OF STREETMUSEUM, WHICH GIVES YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ROMAN LONDON AS IT WAS 2,000 YEARS AGO 

Streetmuseum™ Londinium directs you to locations across the capital where you can immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of Roman London. As you’re guided around the city you’ll unearth exquisite artefacts as if discovering them for the first time and reveal the stories of life in Londinium. From leather bikini briefs to hoards of gold coins, you can digitally excavate Roman artefacts where they were found, using your finger to dig or by simply blowing on your iPhone (blow mode only available on iPhone). 

Key Roman sites in London, such as the amphitheatre at Guildhall, are brought to life through augmented reality video – produced by HISTORY™ – which re-enacts scenes of Roman London against today’s modern backdrop. Soundscapes also allow you to listen to the hustle and bustle of the forum or the sounds of ritual incantation at the Temple of Mithras. (AR mode only available on iPhone). 

All these immersive experiences are brought together on a new map of Roman London – compiled and produced by Museum of London Archaeology – which is superimposed on a modern map of the capital, allowing you to see how the city has changed and grown over the last 2,000 years.

You can also use the map to follow a guided walk around the visible Roman remains of the city, to see what is left of Londinium in 21st century London. With all these features in just one app, you’ll have everything you need to reveal the hidden London which lies beneath your feet.

Want to continue London’s story? Visit the Museum of London to discover how the capital became the vibrant world city it is today, and to examine many of the artefacts featured on this app up close.

Streetmuseum™ Londinium is available nowfor iPhones and iPads and is free to download. 

Watch “Sherramuir Fight sung by the Corries” on YouTube

Posted on August 4, 2015

2015 is the 300th anniversary of the Jacobite Rising of 1715 which failed in its plan to restore the Stuart dynasty in Britain after battles at Braemar and Preston. In 1707 an Act of Union had united England and Scotland into one United Kingdom. England and Wales had already been together in a formal union from 1536. In 1714 the German Hanoverian family took the throne after the death of childless Queen Anne. The Jacobites (named after the latin for James – Jacobus) realised the importance of striking quickly to stake their claim. This is seen as the second of three major Jacobite risings in 1689/90. 1715 and 1745. The final Stuart Catholic male heir Henry Stuart died in 1807 nearly 100 years after the Protestant Hanoverians had taken control of Scotland as well as England!
Scottish plans to commemorate the ’15 – see below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-33759301

Legacy IB – Paper 3 – Euro diplomacy 1871-1923 – Mr Allsop podcast links

Posted on August 4, 2015

IB History revision podcasts – Paper 3 – Euro diplomacy 1871-1923

1. The alliance system in Europe 1871-1890 – http://www.mrallsophistory.com/revision/category/a-level-and-ib-history-revision/european-diplomacy-before-the-first-world-war
2. Breakdown of international system (LT causes) 1890-1914 – http://www.mrallsophistory.com/revision/category/a-level-and-ib-history-revision/european-diplomacy-before-the-first-world-war
3. Causes of WW1 – the ‘alliance system’ – same link as above
4. Entente Cordiale – link as above
5. Origins of WW1 – militarism and the ‘arms race’ – link as above
6. Launch of the ‘Dreadnought’ – link as above
7. Conflict in the Balkans – link as above
8. The ‘July Crisis’ and the outbreak of WW1 – link as above
9. Historiography of the origins of WW1 – http://www.mrallsophistory.com/revision/category/a-level-and-ib-history-revision/european-diplomacy-before-the-first-world-war/page/2

101 years ago today….. The United Kingdom declared war on Germany

Posted on August 4, 2015 Updated on August 4, 2015

Tuesday 5 August 2014 06.30 BST Last modified on Tuesday 5 August 201415.20 BS

Great Britain declared war on Germany at 11 o’clock last night.

The Cabinet yesterday delivered an ultimatum to Germany. Announcing the fact to the House of Commons, the Prime Minister said: “We have repeated the request made last week to the German Government that they should give us the same assurance in regard to Belgian neutrality that was given to us and Belgium by France last week. We have asked that it should be given before midnight.”

Last evening a reply was received from Germany. This being unsatisfactory the King held at once a Council which had been called for midnight. The declaration of war was then signed. The Foreign Office issued the following official statement:-

Owing to the summary rejection by the German Government of the request made by his Majesty’s Government for assurances that the neutrality of Belgium will be respected, his Majesty’s Ambassador to Berlin has received his passports, and his Majesty’s Government declared to the German Government that a state of war exists between Great Britain and Germany as from 11 p.m. on August 4, 1914.

A statement made in London last night said the British Note to Germany was sent direct to Sir E. Goschen, the Ambassador in Berlin.

German troops have invaded Belgium. The Premier informed the Brussels Chamber yesterday, after King Albert had addressed the Deputies in a speech calling on the nation to defend its integrity. Mr. Asquith knew of the invasion when he made his statement in the Commons.

How it was reported over ‘the Pond’ in the USA & Canada

 

2nd August 1934 – 81st anniversary of the death of President Hindenburg

Posted on August 3, 2015

On the 2nd August 1934, the 86 year old German Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg died of lung cancer and Adolf Hitler became both the Führer and Reich Chancellor of the German People. It effectively merged the offices of both the President and Chancellor into one role, and therefore completed what the Nazis referred to as Gleichschaltung (or “Co-ordination”) by establishing Hitler as both Germany’s head of stateand head of government.

Interfering with the post of President was illegal under the terms of the 1933 Enabling Act, and although Hitler merging the two positions removed any political checks and balances of his personal domination of Germany, a plebiscite held 17 days later on the 19th August saw an enormous 90% of people approving of the change.

Hitler’s assumption of the role of Führer also allowed the Nazi Party to more actively pursue its promotion of the ideology of Führerprinzip. This stated that Hitler possessed absolute control over the German government. Supported by a propaganda machine that relentlessly pushed the slogan Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer – which translates as “One People, One Empire, One Leader” – the Führerprinzip also confirmed the Nazi Party’s complete control over every element of German society. This ranged from local government to factories and even to the management and control schools, although in terms of government it sometimes meant that officials were reluctant to make decisions without Hitler’s personal input or approval. It was also used by Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg Trials to argue that they were not guilty since they were only following orders.