News Archive

Professor Prazmowska awarded Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship

Professor Anita Prazmowska was awarded a two-year Major Research Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust, 2016-18. The topic of her research will be ‘The Cold War Jigsaw: Poland's role in the Angolan Civil War, 1976-1986’.  

Dr Kristina Spohr on Helmut Schmidt's death in the Guardian and in the German and Finnish Press

Dr Kristina Spohr, our expert in International History of Germany since 1945, marked the death of Chancellor Schmidt on 10 November 2015 with an opinion article in the Guardian. In her article, entitled "Helmut Schmidt – a German leader with a global vision", Dr Spohr claimed "his reputation is understated at home, but the West German chancellor’s brilliance on the world stage made him one of Europe’s greatest leaders”. "As a historian I would argue that Schmidt, who was chancellor from 1974 to 1982, ranks alongside the best global leaders. Schmidt’s achievements were not so much in the national arena but as what I have called a “global chancellor”. "Helmut Schmidt deserves to be remembered as West Germany’s “global chancellor”. Dr Spohr, who was with Helmut Schmidt in October 2015, explains the concept of Helmut Schmidt as a "Global Chancellor" in her upcoming book published by Oxford University Press, called The Global Chancellor: Helmut Schmidt and the Reshaping of the International Order. Her book will come out in March 2016 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon UK. Dr Spohr's reference to Helmut Schmidt as "the global chancellor" has been referenced extensively in the German media. Namely in the Der Spiegel, Zeit, Express, Focus Magazine (online video), web.de, Deutschlandfunk, Hamburger Abendblatt and in the Westdeutsche Zeitung. She also wrote a commentary for the Finnish newspaper, Iltalehti.

Dr Kristina Spohr interviewed by L.I.S.A.

Dr Kristina Spohr was interviewed about the late former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt for L.I.S.A, the Science Portal of the Gerda Henkel Foundation, on 24 November 2015. The interview is entitled: "Helmut Schmidt hat Weltpolitik betrieben”. The Department of International History and and the Gerda Henkel Foundation co-operate to host the yearly Gerda Henkel Visiting Professorship which aims to promote awareness in Britain of German research on the history of the German Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic, and to stimulate comparative work on German history in a European context.  

Professor Anita Prazmowska donates rare collection of postcards

Professor Anita Prazmowska was in Warsaw on 3 November 2015 to donate rare postcards written between a Jewish friend, Tamara Frymer, based in London, and the latter's family, trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War. "Professor Prazmowska only found out about the postcards after her friend's death, when her son, Martin, showed them to her. After his death in March this year, Prazmowska, fearing these historical artifacts might be lost, asked the executor of Martin's will to let her take them to Poland. The postcards will now go on display at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw and be included in the Central Jewish Library, an online collection of digitized Jewish documents from the Institute's archives". Read more about this incredible donation which tells a deep emotional story of a Jewish family's struggle for survival as reported by the Haaretz newspaper. Watch Professor Prazmowska on Polish-speaking TVN Warszawa talking about her donation.  

Dr Kristina Spohr at the Churchill College's Political Leadership Symposium

Dr Kristina Spohr, our specialist in the International History of Germany since 1945, participated in the The Challenge of Political Leadership Symposium on Friday, 13 November 2015, at Churchill College, University of Cambridge. This one day symposium sought to look at the challenge of understanding, assessing and improving political leadership. It sought to bring together historians and political scientists with politicians and practitioners in a multidisciplinary and cross party approach. British Labour politician, Lord Peter Mandelson, and former Secretary of State for Education and Home Secretary, The Right Honourable Charles Clarke, were the keynote speakers. The event was a collaboration between the Churchill Archives Centre, The Møller Centre, Cambridge University Department of Politics and International Studies and the Faculty of History.

Watch Dr Spohr's participation at the Symposium. Watch Dr Spohr give an interview to Cambridge TV about the Challenge of Political Leadership.  

New publication by Professor Steven Casey

Professor Steven Casey’s new book, Mental Maps in the Era of Détente and the End of the Cold War, was published in October. The book, edited jointly with Professor Jonathan Wright, is the final volume of a trilogy that explores the ‘mental maps’ of key leaders during the twentieth century. It features thirteen studies, including chapters on Nixon and Kissinger, Brezhnev and Gorbachev, Allende and Deng, Nyerere and Mandela. Read more about the book from the publisher, Palgrave-Macmillan.  

Another honorary doctorate for Professor Paul Preston

On 26 October 2015, the Universitat de Valencia awarded Professor Paul Preston his fourth Honorary Doctorate. This honour was preceded by three other Honorary Doctorates awarded by British and Spanish Universities this year alone in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements. On 15 May, Professor Preston was made Doctor Honoris Causa in the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Tarragona). Another Honorary Doctorate followed on 21 July, awarded by the University of Liverpool, the city of his birth, where other doctorands included the Archbishop of Canterbury and the President of Ireland. A third Honorary Doctorate was awarded on 28 September at the Universidad de Extremadura in Cáceres. The latest Honorary Doctorate by the Universitat de Valencia has been widely reported in the Spanish press, including in the newspapers, El Pais, El Mundo and Vanguardia. Professor Paul Preston is due to receive a fifth Honorary Doctorate in the coming months from the Universitat de Barcelona.  

Professor Prazmowska on BBC World Service

On 26 October 2015, Professor Anita Prazmowska was on BBC World Service, Newshour. She commented on the recent Polish elections, saying that "this was an election where people voted for emotions rather than policies". Listen to her analysis.  

Konrad Adenauer Foundation and LSE agree on fellowship in 20th century European history

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Berlin, and the LSE concluded an agreement to establish a post-doctoral "KAS–LSE Fellowship in Twentieth-Century European History". Applications can be made at the beginning of 2016. The fellowships will give post-doctoral fellows access to higher education and enable research and teaching at the prestigious LSE for twelve months. Both institutions are committed to European and international cooperation. The aim is to open opportunities in higher education and to forge the institutional and academic relationships to enable post-doctoral students to undertake innovative research. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation promotes excellence in modern history, contemporary history and political science through its post-docoral fellowships which support the values of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation; the fellows will go on to prestigious posts in universities or in the non-university sector. Contact for application, Dr Susanna Schmidt, Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Professor Paul Preston receives his third honorary doctorate

On 28 September 2015, Professor Paul Preston received his third honorary doctorate from the University of Extremadura, Spain. Enrique Moradiellos, the doctor’s sponsor and a professor at the University of Extremadura, described Professor Preston as “the finest British Hispanist around today”. The ceremony was presided over by the Rector of the University of Extremadura, Segundo Píriz Durán, and by the President of the Government of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara. This year alone, Professor Paul Preston has received two other honorary doctorates. One from the University of Rovira i Virgili of Tarragona (15 May 2015) and another from the University of Liverpool (21 July 2015), where other doctorands included the Archbishop of Canterbury and the President of Ireland. Professor Paul Preston's third honorary doctorate was widely reported in the Spanish press, including in the Canal Extremadura TV (video), El Diario.es, EFE , Europa Press, Público.es, La República, La Vanguardia, W Radio.  

New publication by Dr Antony Best

Dr Antony Best's new co-edited volume, Japan and the Great War, came out in October. The book, edited jointly with Dr Oliviero Frattolillo, gives emphasis to the "many ways in which the conflict shaped Japan both at the time and in its aftermath". The study features seven internationally renowned experts on Japanese and Asian history. Read more about the book from the publisher, Palgrave-Macmillan.  

Professor Steven Casey wins 2015 Richard E. Neustadt Prize

Professor Steven Casey has won the 2015 Richard E. Neustadt Prize for his book, When Soldiers Fall: How Americans have Confronted Combat Casualties, from World War I to Afghanistan (Oxford University Press). This is the second time he has won the prize, which is awarded annually by the American Politics Group of the Political Studies Association for the best book in American Politics. In 2009, Professor Casey's book, Selling the Korean War: Propaganda, Politics, and Public Opinion, 1950-1953 (Oxford University Press, 2008; paperback 2010), also won the Neustadt Prize.  

Dr Roham Alvandi's book event at the Nixon Presidential Library

Dr Roham Alvandi was at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library on 17 September, talking about his book, Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah. His book was selected by the Financial Times as one of the best history books of 2014. It offers a new account of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi's relationship with the United States by examining the partnership he forged with President Nixon and Henry Kissinger in the 1970s. Watch the event event.  

New book by Dr Antony Best

Dr Antony Best has published a book in Japanase called Daiei Teikoku no Shin-Nichi Ha: Kaisen ha Naze Sakerare Nakattaka [British Japanophiles: Why Could Britain and Japan Not Avoid War?] (Chuo Koron Shuppansha, Tokyo, 2015). The book is translated from the original English-language essays by Dr Tomoki Takeda. Dr Best is the department's expert on Anglo-Japanese relations and the history of modern Japan.  

New publications by our faculty

Professor Janet Hartley, Dr Paul Keenan and Professor Dominic Lieven edited a volume called, Russia and the Napoleonic Wars (Palgrave 2015) which came out on 15 September. As the publisher tells us, "this volume brings together the most important and new research on Russia and the Napoleonic period by Russian and non-Russian historians. Their work demonstrates why this period is so significant both for internal Russian developments and for an understanding of Russia's relationship with Europe."  

New publication by Dr Heather Jones

Dr Heather Jones has a new co-edited book coming out on 14 September. The book, published in French with Nicolas Beaupré and Anne Rasmussenis, focus on the First World War, her area of expertise, and it's called Dans la guerre 1914-1918. Accepter, Endurer, Refuser. Read more about the book in the publisher's website (in french).  

New publication by Professor Nigel J. Ashton

Professor Nigel J. Ashton has published a new article in The International History Review (2015), called "Searching for a Just and Lasting Peace? Anglo-American Relations and the Road to United Nations Security Council Resolution 242". His article analyses the Anglo-American diplomacy at the United Nations which led to the passing of the Security Council Resolution 242. It argues that the policy-making of the Johnson administration was rendered incoherent by internal rivalries and disorganisation. US Ambassador to the UN, Arthur Goldberg, was perceived as excessively sympathetic to Israel by the Arab delegations. The British approach, by contrast, was perceived by all parties as more even-handed. The clear position adopted by Foreign Secretary George Brown on Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories, together with the skilful diplomacy of the Ambassador to the UN, Lord Caradon, explains the British success in sponsoring Resolution 242. The episode holds broader lessons for the conduct of Anglo-American relations showing that Britain was better placed to achieve diplomatic success when it retained its freedom of manoeuvre in relations with the United States. 

New book by Dr Taylor C. Sherman

Dr Taylor C. Sherman has a new book coming out in September, called Muslim Belonging in Secular India: Negotiating Citizenship in Postcolonial Hyderabad (Cambridge University Press). Dr Sherman's book surveys the experience of some of India's most prominent Muslim communities in the early postcolonial period. Muslims who remained in India after the Partition of 1947 faced distrust and discrimination, and were consequently compelled to seek new ways of defining their relationship with fellow citizens of India and its governments. Using the forcible integration of the princely state of Hyderabad in 1948 as a case study, Taylor C. Sherman reveals the fragile and contested nature of Muslim belonging in the decade that followed independence. In this context, she demonstrates how Muslim claims to citizenship in Hyderabad contributed to intense debates over the nature of democracy and secularism in independent India. Drawing on detailed new archival research, Dr Sherman provides a thorough and compelling examination of the early governmental policies and popular strategies that have helped to shape the history of Muslims in India since 1947.

Dr Scanlan on Share Radio

Dr Padraic X. Scanlan appeared on 8 August 2015 as one of the guests on "The History of Booms, Busts and Bubbles," a programme hosted by the presenter Rita Lobo, on the financial news and commentary radio station Share Radio. He talked about slavery and the impact it had on the British Empire. Listen to the podcast of this very interesting broadcast.  

Dr Roham Alvandi on BBC World News

Dr Roham Alvandi, the department's expert on Iran, Modern Middle East, and the Cold War, was interviewed by BBC World News on 24 August 2015 about the opening of the British and Iranian embassies in Tehran and London. Watch the interview.

Dr Dayna Barnes appointed 2015 Pinto Postdoctoral Fellow

The Department of International History and IDEAS have the pleasure to announce that Dr Dayna Barnes is the new 2015 LSE IDEAS Pinto Postdoctoral Fellow. She completed her PhD in International History at the London School of Economics, where she also received an MSc in the Theory and History of International Relations. She recently served as the 2014-2015 Kiriyama Fellow at the University of San Francisco Center for Asia Pacific Studies. Dr Barnes has also held positions at the University of Winchester, Tokyo University, and San Francisco State University. Her research interests include 20th century international history, American foreign policy, and US-Japan relations. She is currently working on a book project examining the development of American postwar planning for Japan during World War Two.  

International History PhD student wins Institute of Historical Research's Pollard Prize

Cees Heere, a PhD student at the Department supervised by Dr Antony Best, is this year’s recipient of the Institute of Historical Research’s Pollard Prize for the best paper given to one of the Institute’s research seminars by a doctoral student. As a result he will have his paper published in the IHR’s peer-reviewed journal Historical Research and be given books to the value of £200. Mr Heere’s paper, which is entitled ‘The Imperial Politics of Asian Immigration 1900-1914’, was presented to the International History seminar at the IHR in January this year. The Department wishes to congratulate this extremely pleasant and talented individual on this wonderful achievement.  

Dr Kristina Spohr in The Guardian

Dr Kristina Spohr and Professor Christopher Clark wrote a comment for The Guardian, published in May 2015. The comment entitled "Moscow’s account of Nato expansion is a case of false memory syndrome" asserts that it's time for a reality check. "Russia’s grievances today rest on a narrative of past betrayals, slights and humiliations". Read the comment.  

International History postgraduate student, George Arnold - MSc in Empires, Colonialism and Globalisation, wins bursary to study at LSE-UCT July Summer School

In his own words:

Walking through the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre one afternoon in late February, a poster advertising the LSE-UCT July Summer School caught my eye. After some follow-up research of the course I decided to apply for the full bursary to study at the University of Cape Town at the end of June – and was exceedingly fortunate to have won. During my time at UCT I will be enrolled on the Africa and Global Transformation course which looks to understand the burgeoning relationships between Africa and other emerging powers (such as Brazil, China and India) and how these are subsequently effecting the development of the continent. I am particularly excited to investigate the angle of South Africa and her role in BRICS and how this transcends over to being a continental leader. 

After my time at UCT I will be delving into a few of the archives to pursue some primary research for my MSc dissertation. I will be looking at the role of two monuments in South Africa, the Rhodes Memorial just outside Cape Town and the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, and how they were used in public coverage to indoctrinate apartheid ideology into the English-speaking white population during the late-1950s and early-1960s. Initially being based in Cape Town, I will venture to the Rhodes Memorial itself and look at the archives of the Cape Times (as well as anything else I find at UCT). Afterwards a trip to Pretoria will allow me to visit the Voortrekker Monument and investigate the differences between the coverage of regional newspapers, such as the Pretoria News and Rand Daily Mail, with those of Cape Town’s. As a comparative study my research will look to incorporate the broad themes of memorialization as a tool of nation-state building; understanding how, and to what effect, the apartheid state was able to control news and public coverage; and finally be used as a comparative study between two distinct regions of South Africa to better understand how centralized apartheid’s ideology actually was – or whether it was regionalized and the government was pragmatic in its application. 

I am very much looking forward to my time at UCT and my subsequent dissertation research (hoping that there proves to be some primary evidence to back up my working thesis too!). There could be a lot worse places to be based than Cape Town to get to expand my knowledge on the African continent this summer, so delighted to be heading off there this Friday. Please feel free to get in touch with me at ‘w . g. arnold @ lse . ac. uk’ if you any recommendations on places to go, people to see, and experiences to try out! 

Dr Tanya Harmer wins student-led Teaching Excellence Award for Research Support and Guidance

Dr Tanya Harmer has won the Award for Research Support and Guidance at this year’s student-led Teaching Excellence Awards. The awards are run by the Students’ Union, supported by the Teaching and Learning Centre and sponsored by the Annual Fund. This year, competition was particularly hard, as students made 1362 nominations for 555 individual members of staff. This is a terrific achievement for Dr Tanya Harmer who last year had won the Major Review Award. 

Dr Heather Jones contributes to RTÉ Documentary

Dr Heather Jones contributed to a documentary broadcast by RTÉ on Tuesday, 21 April 2015, called "Gallipoli-Ireland's Forgotten Heroes". In the documentary, David Davin-Power travels to Turkey to commemorate the 3,000 Irish soldiers who were killed at the Battle of Gallipoli during the First World War.

International History of Twentieth Century and Beyond, 3rd Edition

The third edition of the hugely successful International History of Twentieth Century and Beyond was out in March 2015 with new updates and additions. The volume, co-authored by our lecturers, Dr Antony Best and Dr Kirsten Schulze, and former lecturers in our department, Professor Jussi M. Hanhimäki and Professor Joseph A. Maiolo, features several updates, namely, new material on the Arab Spring, including specific focus on Libya and Syria and increased debate on the question of US decline and the rise of China. The new edition also includes a new chapter on the international history of human rights and its advocacy organisations, including NGOs, and a timeline to give increased context to those studying the topic for the first time. Read Professor Jussi M. Hanhimäki's interview about the new edition. Buy the book on Amazon UK.  

"Why my curriculum is not white" by BA History Rayhan Chouglay

Rayhan Chouglay, a BA History undergraduate at our department, reviews his undergraduate curriculum in "Why My Curriculum Is Not White", published in The Beaver, the LSE SU newspaper on 24 February 2015. Chouglay praises the diversity taught in our department, contrary to what the BME Network campaign, “Why is my curriculum white?”, and hopes to “show other departments and courses what they should aspire to”. Read the article.  

Dr Tanya Harmer awarded British Academy Newton Mobility Award

Dr Tanya Harmer has been awarded a British Academy Newton Mobility Award worth £9,962 to lead a collaborative research project with Dr Alberto Martín Álvarez at the Instituto Mora in Mexico City on "Transnational and Global Histories of Latin America's Revolutionary Left." The project will centre around two international conferences in 2016 on Latin American left-wing movements' transnational and global connections during the Cold War.  

Dr Heather Jones on RTE Radio 1

On 18 January 2015, Dr Heather Jones was a guest on RTE Radio 1, The History Show, discussing Liam O’Flaherty’s novel about the First World War, The Return of the Brute. Other partipants in the book club choice discussion were consultant psychiatrist, Brendan Kelly and history teacher, Noel Wade. The novel was first published in 1929. Listen to the podcast.

REF 2014 Results

The results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) were announced on Wednesday 18 December. Taking into account the proportion of its eligible staff submitted for assessment, LSE History (Economic History and International History) was ranked sixth out of 83 submissions to the REF History panel for the percentage of its research outputs rated 'world leading '(4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*) and ninth for its submission as a whole. On the basis of the combination of quality of publications and number of staff submitted, a measure of research power, LSE History ranks 4th in the UK. 

Dr Heather Jones on RTÉ Radio 1's History Show

On 7 December 2014, Dr Heather Jones recommended history books to be given on Christmas morning in RTÉ Radio 1's History Show. Other participants if the show were Anne McLellan; novelist and scholar, Alan Titley; and RTE's Richard Downes. Listen to the podcast. 

Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah one of the best books of 2014 according to FT

Financial Times has selected Dr Roham Alvandi's book, Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah, as one of its best books of 2014. The book made it on to their summer list a few months ago and is now selected for their annual list. Read more about it in the Financial Times.

Professor Vladimir Zubok at 46th Annual Convention of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies

On 21 November, Professor Vladislav Zubok was an invited speaker at the Presidential Plenary Session of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies in San Antonio, Texas. The panel’s theme was: “25 Years After the Fall of the Berlin Wall: Historical Legacies and New Beginnings.” He spoke on the topic: “What can we learn from the Cold War now? Personality, Contingency, Identity Politics, and the Role of Money.”  

Dr Heather Jones on The History Show

On 9 November 2014, Dr Heather Jones was on RTE Radio 1's flagship history programme, The History Show, discussing First World War commemoration in Ireland. She talked about the Irish Memorials to WW1 Dead, more specifically the significance of these memorials and how the Irish attitude to commemorating the war dead has changed over the past century. She also discussed what the Enniskillen Bombing symbolised in terms of the polarisation of Irish views of war remembrance in 1987 and how it symbolised a turning point in terms of the Irish relationship with the First World War as an historical event. Listen to the podcast.  

Donald Cameron Watt, Professor of International History, passes away

Professor Donald Cameron Watt passed away on 30 October 2014. He taught at the London School of Economics for nearly 40 years, joining the staff in 1954 and retiring in 1995 as Stevenson Professor of International History and Head of Department. He was a Fellow of the British Academy and the first LSE academic to be awarded the Wolfson History Prize in 1990 for his book How War Came: The Immediate Origins of the Second World War, 1938-1939. Read the obituary published by The Daily Telegraph.  

Dr Roham Alvandi on Ireland's Newstalk Radio 5

Dr Roham Alvandi spoke on a panel discussion on "Nixon and Détente" for Ireland’s Newstalk Radio on 5 October 2014, alongside historians Daniel Geary, Margaret Macmillan, and Jeremi Suri. The panel was hosted by Patrick Geoghegan on his ‘Talking History’ radio show. Listen to the podcast.

Dr Roham Alvandi on Deutsche Welle

Dr Roham Alvandi gave an interview to the German international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, about US-Iran relations and the situation in Iraq. Dr Alvandi argues that politics prevent Tehran and Washington from cooperating publicly against the Islamic State. The interview was published on 25 September 2014.  

Video interview with Professor Paul Preston

Professor Paul Preston’s groundbreaking and high-profile work on Spain, the legacy of Francoism and the atrocities committed during the twentieth century was submitted as one of the department’s Impact Case Studies in the recent UK Research Excellence Framework process. A short film is available in which Professor Preston discusses his research and how it influenced the debate in contemporary Spain on these important issues. 

Dr Roham Alvandi in panel discussion at Cargenie Endowment

Dr Roham Alvandi was at the Carnegie Endowment, Washington DC, to discuss the Persian Gulf on 10 September 2014. He was part of a panel titled, “Unlikely Allies: U.S.-Iranian-Saudi Cooperation in the Persian Gulf”. Dr Alvandi " reflected on the last period of U.S.-Iranian-Saudi collaboration—during the Cold War—when the three countries were united against communism. He shared insights from his new book, Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: The United States and Iran in the Cold War, highlighting how the Nixon-Shah relationship can illuminate the future path of U.S.-Iranian relations". For more information about this event and to listen to the podcast visit the Carnegie Endowment website.  

University of Sheffield post for former research student and Pinto Fellow

One of the Department's former research students and Pinto Fellow, Dr Eirini Karamouzi, has obtained a lectureship in Contemporary History at the University of Sheffield. We congratulate her and wish her all the best for her future endeavours.  

Paul Preston's latest book reviewed by The Spectator and The Economist

The Spectator published a review of Professor Paul Preston's latest book, The Last Stalinist: The Life of Santiago Carrillo, on 23 August 2014. The book reviewer, JP O'Malley, concludes his essay by saying that "The Last Stalinist is yet another reminder that Paul Preston remains the most reliable historian in the English-speaking world for anyone wishing to understand the complicated power struggles between left and right in Spanish politics over the course of the 20th century." Read the full review by The Spectator. The Economist's review was published on 13 September 2014. Paul Preston's manuscript was deemed "both sobering and welcome". Read the full review by The Economist.  

Raving reviews on Professor Hartley's Siberia, a History of the People

On 20 July 2014, the Sunday Times published a review on Professor Janet Hartley's latest book, Siberia, a History of the People, calling the volume "a deft history", a "beautifully chosen and told compendium of life stories". Read the full review. A few weeks later, on 16 August 2014, the Specator published a review on the book written by Will Nicoll. He calls it a "masterful study of Siberia's people". He goes on to say that "Hartley’s skill lies in her ability to make historical events vivid and accessible" and that her book will "be particularly useful to a generation of young Siberians, eager to understand their wild region’s extraordinary past".  

Dr Heather Jones gives a lecture at the Parnell Summer School

Dr Heather Jones was invited to give a lecture to the Parnell Summer School in Avondale, Co Wicklow, Ireland, on the topic of “Violent transgression and the First World War, 1914–1918”. The lecture was to commemorate the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf, Dagmar Ó Riain-Raedel and was reported in the Irish Times on 12 August 2014. Read the article. 

Professor Prazmowska and Dr Jones on BBC Radio 4

On 11 August 2014, Professor Anita Prazmowska and Dr Heather Jones spoke in BBC Radio 4's programme 'Document': 'The Hague Warning'. The programme examined "the state of the British intelligence community [in July 1939], the split between appeasers and those who distrusted every German move and why this Document and the later Venlo incident in which two British intelligence officers walked into a trap laid by the Germans, was a Secret Intelligence Crisis".  Listen to it on BBC iPlayer (UK only).

Professor David Stevenson's articles on World War One

On 1 August 2014, Professor David Stevenson contributed a short post on "LSE and the First World War" for the LSE blog, followed by another article on 4 August 2014 for Sky News, "World War One And The 'Short-War Illusion'".  

BBC Two: Railways of the Great War

In August 2014, BBC Two showed a five-part documentary series on the Railways of the Great War, presented by Michael Portillo. Professor David Stevenson was the historical adviser for the series, and he is interviewed in Episode 4: On Track to Victory. Dr Heather Jones is interviewed in Episode 5: Railways and Remembrance.

RTE: Nationwide: WW1 - 100 Years

Dr Heather Jones contributed to the documentary "Nationwide: WW1 - 100 Years" broadcast by the Irish TV station, RTE, on 30 July 2014. This First World War special examined a collection of photos found in an Irish cellar which were developed to reveal Irish men on the front line. Watch it on RTE.  

Dr Tanya Harmer's book launch in Chile

Dr Tanya Harmer was in Santiago, Chile, on 28 July to launch her new book, co-edited with Alfredo Riquelme, Chile y la Guerra Fría Global. The book is the result of a conference Dr Harmer organised between LSE IDEAS and the Institute of History at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 2009. The event was featured in the national Chilean newspaper La Tercera. Read more about the book launch.  

Dr Roham Alvandi contributes op-ed to international New York Times

On 10 July 2014, Dr Roham Alvandi wrote an op-ed contribution to the international New York Times, called "Open the Files on the Iran Coup". He argues that Britain and the United States need to release their files on the 1953 coup in Iran.

Dr Heather Jones on BBC Radio 3

On 30 June 2014, Dr Heather Jones was on BBC Radio 3 The Essay as part of their Minds at War series. She talked about Henri Barbusse's novel Le Feu in light of how great artists and thinkers responded to the First World War in individual work.

Dr Heather Jones on BBC News Magazine

On 29 June 2014, Dr Heather Jones's latest article, "WW1: Was it really the First World War?", was published online on BBC News Magazine. In the article, she ponders on whether the war we now call the First World War or World War One is really an accurate description, whether it was really a global war and whether it was really the "first". In the first 24 hours after publication online the article got over half a million hits and was the 14th most read story on the BBC website.  

Dr Heather Jones on Sky News

On 28 June 2014, exactly a century after Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated, triggering the First World War, Dr Heather Jones was invited to give a history lesson on Sky News. Watch the full interview.  

Dr Roham Alvandi’s Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah chosen as one of the Financial Times’s summer books 2014

In the newspaper's section entitled FT’s Summer Books 2014, Tony Barber, Europe Editor and Associate Editor of the Financial Times, writes about Dr Roham Alvandi’s latest book: "Knowledge of the 1970s, when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was one of Washington’s closest global allies, is essential for anyone wishing to understand why it is so difficult for the US and Iran to overcome their differences. Alvandi throws new light on the period by showing that Iran’s last shah was more than just President Richard Nixon’s cat’s paw in the Middle East."  

Dr Roham Alvandi interviewed on BBC World News

Dr Roham Alvandi was interviewed on BBC World News television on 17 June regarding US-Iran relations and the unfolding crisis in Iraq. Speaking with the BBC’s David Eades, he discussed the potential for Iranian-American military cooperation in Iraq and the importance of opening a dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia to stem the rising tide of Sunni-Shi’a conflict in the region. Watch the video clip. Dr Alvandi is the author of the recent book, Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: The United States and Iran in the Cold War, published by Oxford University Press.  

Gearty Grilling featuring Dr Heather Jones on the First World War

In June 2014, Dr Heather Jones participated in the weekly Gearty Grilling. She discussed why the British public supported the First World War and thousands of men volunteered to fight despite reports of massive casualties. Gearty Grilling is a weekly series of short, to-the-point video debates from LSE’s Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) on key issues affecting the world today. It's purpose is to showcase the School's word class research and faculty. Watch the interview.  

Dr Heather Jones presents World War One programme on Radio BBC World Service

Supported by rare material from the archives, Dr Heather Jones talks about how war affected populations around the world beyond the static front lines in Northern Europe (Somme, Verdun, Ypres and the Vimy Ridge). The show, World War One, aired on Saturday 14 June 2014 at 8:06 GMT and at 19.06 GMT on Sunday 15 June.  

Dr Roham Alvandi partipates in roundtable discussion at the Hague Institute for Global Justice

Dr Roham Alvandi participated in a roundtable discussion on US-Iran relations at the Hague Institute for Global Justice in the Netherlands on 21 May. His presentation was on the role of history in US-Iran détente and the importance of releasing British and US government documents on the Anglo-American coup in Iran in 1953. The discussion was part of The Hague Roundtable Series which brought together policymakers, academics and civil society representatives with key international expertise on Iran.  

Funding success for Dr Kristina Spohr's Cold War Summitry

Dr Kristina Spohr, Deputy Head of the International History Department is lead-author of a book entitled Cold War Summitry: Transcending the Division of Europe, 1970-1990, for which she has a contract with Oxford University Press.

She is collaborating on this project with Professor David Reynolds (Cambridge University), with whom she has recently won a British Academy/ Leverhulme Trust Small Research Grant as well as getting awards from LSE HEIF5 (Knowledge Exchange), and Cambridge University's CRASSH (Centre for research in the arts, social sciences and humanities) and Mellon Fund, amounting overall to £ 21,000.

This is to hold a conference on the book at Cambridge University (22-23 Sept. 2014) and a practitioners seminar at the FCO, London (24 Sept. 2014). A document collection of ca. 100 digitised government sources from Germany, Britain, France, America, Russia and China will be made publicly available after the conference by the National Security Archive in Washington D.C.  

New book by Dr Roham Alvandi, Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah

Dr Roham Alvandi has just published a new book by the Oxford University Press called Nixon, Kissinger, and the Shah: The United States and Iran in the Cold War. The book challenges the conventional view of the shah as a mere instrument of American power during the Cold War by extending the study of US-Iran relations into the 1970s when the shah emerged as a major international figure. Dr Alvandi’s research draws on Persian-language sources and extensive multi-archival research, making use of recently declassified U.S. documents. The book examines the origins of Iran's nuclear program in the 1970s under the shah. The manuscript can be purchased on Amazon UK.  

Rosalind Coffey wins award for Excellent Feedback and Communication as part of LSE's Student-Led Teaching Excellence Awards

Miss Rosalind Coffey, a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the International History Department, won the Award for Excellent Feedback and Communication, as part of the Student-Led Teaching Excellence Awards organised by the LSE Students’ Union. In the words of LSESU Education Officer, Rosie Coleman, the award stands for “someone who is approachable, responsive, provides excellent feedback and is willing to use innovative communication to help he students develop and understand”. This year, there was a steep competition with an overwhelming response from students, who submitted 993 individual nomination for best LSE teachers.  

Dr Elizabeth Shlala presents paper in symposium in Turkey

Dr Elizabeth Shlala, Teaching and Visiting Research Fellow in the International History Department, participated in the international symposium 'Writing Women's Lives/ Kadin Hayatlarini Yazmak' over the Easter break in Istanbul, Turkey. Presenting on the panel, Representation and Invisibility, Dr Shlala gave a paper entitled, 'Using Court Records to Recover Women's Voices in the Ottoman Empire.' The symposium was held over two days and was jointly sponsored by the Women's Library and Information Center Foundation and the History Department at Yeditepe University.     

Martin Abel González Prize winners announced

Rosalind Coffey, Valeska Huber, Andrea Mason, Robin Mills and Elizabeth Shlala won this year’s Martin Abel González Prize. The Department awarded the five prizes to the Graduate Teaching Assistants, Guest Teachers and Teaching Fellows with the best TQARO teaching scores. This prize was set up in 2011-12 and is named in memory of  Martín Abel González, a Graduate Teaching Assistant who served for many years at the Department and who tragically passed away in the summer of 2011. It is a prize that recognises excellence in teaching and professionalism as these were qualities that distinguished Martín Abel González.

Professor Steven Casey publishes new book

Professor Steven Casey has just published When Soldiers Fall: How Americans Have Confronted Combat Casualties from World War I to Afghanistan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014). Buy this book from the publisher: Oxford University Press.To coincide with the publication of this major new book, which transforms our understanding of how American society has confronted major wars since 1914, Professor Casey has appeared on the American public radio show, ‘Roundtable,’ and has also published a number of opinion pieces, including "Obama was Right to Have Republican Robert Gates as Defense Secretary," U.S. News & World Report, 19 January 2014,"What Bob Gates' Memoir Tells Us about Casualties," The Interpreter, 14 January 2014,and "America's Love Affair with Technowar," History News Network, 30 December 2013.

Dr Spohr invited to speak at the 2014 Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s conference

Dr Kristina Spohr, Deputy Head of the International History Department, was an invited guest speaker at the Petersberg in Königswinter on 5 February. She gave a lecture entitled ‘"Die deutsch-amerikanische Sicherheitspolitik in der Phase der Wiedervereinigung 1989/90",or "A story of German International Emancipation through Political Unification" as part of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s conference "Die Ära Kohl im Gespräch". Fellow lecturers included former chancellor Helmut Kohl’s national security advisor Horst Teltschik and former U.S. president George H.W. Bush’s national security advisor General Brent Scowcroft.

History at LSE highly rated in major world rankings

The Department of International has performed impressively in several recent university league tables. The QS World University History Subject Table for 2014 ranks History at LSE 7th overall in the world as one of 3 UK universities in the top 10. Other UK institutions feature in the top 40 include Warwick (24), KCL (26) and UCL (32).

LSE International History performs strongly on UK university league tables

The Guardian's University Guide 2014 awarded History at LSE 4th place, just behind Cambridge, St Andrews and Brunel, while the independent Complete University Guide for 2014 lists LSE in 3rd place, ahead of Oxford and St Andrews on their History subject table. Both tables also makes clear that LSE history students continue to have the best rate of employability after graduation in the UK.

Dr Heather Jones interviewed for BBC Radio 4 documentary on First World War

Dr Heather Jones featured as one of the contributors to a new documentary on the First World, entitled ‘The Great War of Words’. The first episode was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 9am on Tuesday 4 February, with a repeat at 21.30 that evening. It is also available through the BBC iPlayer service. For more details, please see the programme's homepage.

Professor Westad winner of 2013 Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Book Award

Professor Arne Westad, Professor of International History and Co-Director of LSE IDEAS, won the 2013 Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Book Award, for his book Restless Empire: China and the world since 1750. The five finalist books, which were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the understanding of Asia, were selected from over 100 nominations submitted by US and Asia-based publishers for books published in 2012. Arne Westad was named the winning author in late October and received a $20,000 prize.

Posthumous publication of Gonzalez Book

The department is pleased to announce the posthumous publication of Martín Abel González's book, The Genesis of the Falklands (Malvinas) Conflict: Argentina, Britain and the Failed Negotiations of the 1960s (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). Martín was a former International History PhD student who taught for many years in the Department. He tragically passed away in an accident in 2011. Professor Nigel Ashton, who has edited the book for publication, said 'I am delighted to see Martín’s work published so that other scholars can now benefit from his insight into the genesis of the Falklands/Malvinas conflict in the 1960s. This book serves as a fitting tribute to Martín’s outstanding scholarship'.

Publications: Allende and 40th anniversary of the coup in Chile

Wednesday 11th September 2013 marked the 40th Anniversary of the coup in Chile against President Salvador Allende. Two members of the Department of International History published work on Allende and Chile during his presidency. Dr Tanya Harmer's award-winning book, Allende's Chile and the Inter-American Cold War (2012) published in Spanish. Dr Victor Figueroa Clark's new biography, Salvador Allende: Revolutionary Democrat, had been published in August by Pluto Books.

Award-winning historian appointed as Next Philippe Roman Chair

Historian and award-winning author Professor Timothy Snyder took up the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs for 2013-14. Professor Snyder was the Bird White Housum Professor of History at Yale University, specialising in the political history of central and eastern Europe as well as the Holocaust. A prolific author, he has written five award-winning books including Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin, which has received ten awards including the Emerson Prize in the Humanities and the Leipzig Award for European Understanding and was named on 12 book-of-the-year lists for 2010. Professor Snyder is currently teaching HY445: The Holocaust as Global History.

International History marks sad loss of Tadeusz Jagodzinski

Tadeusz who completed MSc in History of International Relations in the Department of International History in 2007 died tragically in Czestochowa on 5 July.  A journalist by profession, he worked for the Polish section of the BBC until it closed in 2005.  At that point he made the important decision to complete a master’s degree at the LSE which he did with merit. At the time of his death he worked for the Polish Embassy in London.

International History top-rated at LSE in 2013 NSS

The Department of International History achieved outstanding results in the 2013 National Student Survey (NSS). The overall satisfaction rating for undergraduate History degrees was 98%, an improvement on the already-impressive 95 % in 2012, and included an unprecedented 100% satisfaction rating amongst BA History students.

History at LSE ranked second overall in UK

The recently-published Complete University Guide for 2012-13 has ranked International History at LSE in second place, just behind Cambridge and ahead of Oxford, Durham and UCL, in its History subject table. The rankings are based on student satisfaction, entry requirements, research excellence and employment prospects after graduation.

LSE History graduates - best employment prospects in the UK

History graduates from LSE enjoy the highest rate of success in the very competitive job market. The top placing of LSE History in employability is based on statistics provided by the UK government's Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This success has been most recently reflected in the independent Complete University Guide, released in April 2012, which noted that 87% of LSE History students secured graduate level jobs within six months of graduation. This is by far the best result for any History degree in the UK.

Martín Abel González Teaching Prize shared between Robin Mills, Andrea Mason and Sajjan Gohel

This prize was set up in 2011-12 and is named in memory of  Martín Abel González, a GTA who served for many years at the Department after completing his PhD and who tragically passed away. It is a prize that recognizes excellence in teaching and professionalism as these were qualities that distinguished Martín Abel González. Previous recipients of this prize include Bryan Gibson, Christopher Brennan and Daniel Strieff. In consultation with the Department's GTA forum, it has been agreed that the criterion for the award of this prize will be the highest teaching score gained by a GTA or Guest Teacher in the TQARO annual teaching survey.

Dr Robbie Barnes and Dr Paul Moore's new positions

The Department of International History is very pleased to announce that Robbie Barnes has been appointed as Lecturer in History at York St John University and Paul Moore has been appointed as Lecturer in Modern European History at the University of Leicester. We wish to thank them both for their contribution to the department and wish them well in their future careers.