By Alex White The birth of international radio in the 1920s was marked by a feeling of utopian hope. A new type of media had emerged which could travel huge distances instantly, link distant peoples and build global communities through the human voice. International broadcasting, however, would soon be set on a different trajectory. Radio’s ability to cross borders, to avoid censorship and poor infrastructure and to speak directly into the homes of its listeners made it a powerful tool for international propaganda. [1] This trend only accelerated as access to radio receivers increased through ..read more

By Kate Rivington Scholars have long recognised the importance of religious ties to the formation and maintenance of reform networks. Most notably, for transatlantic abolitionism, scholars have recognised the importance of long-standing Quaker connections, like those dating back to the late eighteenth century between the London-based Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. However, the historiographical dominance of Quaker networks means that less attention has been paid to other religious networks and their relationship to reform, such as ..read more

By Harry Taylor The outbreak of Civil War in Spain in the summer of 1936 caused reactions across the globe. Whilst the leading powers in the world opted for a policy of containment designed to prevent another international conflict, countless men and women organised in support of the threatened Republican government. Most famously, this took the form of volunteers. Some 35,000 foreigners volunteered to fight in Spain with the International Brigades with Britain being no exception.[1] This, however, was not Britain’s only contribution. In many of the nations from which volunteers made their way ..read more

By Henry Jacob It is always hard to miss the chance to offer a farewell in person. Leftist organizer Walter Millsap faced this scenario on May 12, 1942. That night, Millsap arrived at the home of his best friend Keikichi Imamura in Pasadena, California. Even after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Millsap remained close to Keikichi, his wife Toshiko, and their child Keichi, all Japanese-Americans. Because their relationship transcended racial tensions, Millsap wanted to speak to the Imamuras before they traveled to Tulare Assembly Center, a temporary detention camp. But a broken stove had forced th ..read more

By Hayley Keon The clouds sat heavy over the harbour but they did little to dampen Louise van Evera’s mood. Writing in her diary on the 19th of November 1927, the twelve-year-old revelled in the day’s excitement, recording in detail the guests and gifts that her family had received as they prepared to depart Shanghai for a four-month journey to the United States.[1] As the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries born in East China, her opportunities to travel beyond the boundaries of the Chinese coastline had been few, but now she faced a journey on a grand scale. Set to tour East and Southeast ..read more

By Daniela Lechuga Herrero The Mexican revolution was a conflict that was experienced in different ways and with different intensities throughout the country. The postr-evolutionary governments, such as the one of Álvaro Obregón, Plutarco Elías Calles and Lázaro Cárdenas, strengthened their policies to recover the country’s stability. In addition to the improvements in education and hygiene, urbanization of big cities  was a matter of primary importance. Modernity appeared as “the light” that would guide the first governing actions of the twentieth century.[2] Children’s routine was artic ..read more

By Catherine Stainer In 1920s London, women were at the centre of the city’s nightlife. Kate Meyrick (1875-1933), dubbed the “Queen of the Nightclubs” by the press, was a pioneering businesswoman whose career as a nightclub proprietor spanned the length of the decade, despite five stints in prison for contravention of licensing laws.[1] In early January 1920, just months after opening her first club, “Dalton’s”, Meyrick found herself in court. The Metropolitan Police, led by the puritanical and unpopular Home Secretary, William Joynson-Hicks, led a campaign against her nightclubs throughout th ..read more

By Prarthana Sen For decades, the Russians have been strong in chess as their leaders went about promoting the game ever since the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Chess became a favourite Soviet pastime, with tall political figures like Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin being regular practitioners of the game. The strategic game could be seen providing an intellectual platform or foundation for the communist ideology. Thus, chess came to garner immense political significance and soon became a symbol of national pride. The Soviet Union went on to produce a string of chess grandmasters such as Mikh ..read more

By Niall Gray The historian’s relationship with government has always been a contentious subject. Called to inform and encourage debate across all sections of society, historians have repeatedly run into difficulties when engaging with state authorities. This is often due to the potentially sensitive topics that researchers wish to discuss, with the British government subsequently enforcing a strict “20-year rule” on archive access.[1] So, do historians have a role to play in government? One response to this question may be to simply accept such restrictions as a necessity of power. This is ex ..read more

By Nomvula Mpungose Rainfall in subtropical southern Africa experiences substantial changes in space and time owing to factors such as regional orography, geographic position, impacts of large-scale climate modes (E.g. El Niño Southern Oscillation; hereafter ENSO), and changes in regional sea surface temperatures. The assessment of rainfall patterns and prediction of extreme rainfall events is crucial, especially in regions that rely on rain-fed agriculture.[1] Northeastern South Africa, the summer rainfall season of the country, receives more than 40% of its total annual rainfall in  Jan ..read more