Shows
Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 8: Anita KlinglerIn the eighth episode of our 'CSMCH Showcase' series, Emile Chabal talks to Anita Klingler about public discourses of violence in Britain and Germany in the interwar years, and whether the spectre of violence is once again haunting Europe. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-09-2124 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 7: Enda DelaneyIn the seventh episode of our 'CSMCH Showcase' series, Emile Chabal talks to Enda Delaney about new developments in the historiography of modern Ireland, the international network of the Irish diaspora, and the history of cognition. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-09-0627 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 6: Jeremy DellIn the sixth episode of our 'CSMCH Showcase' series, Emile Chabal talks to Jeremy Dell about his research on West African Islam. Amongst other things, they discuss Jeremy's first encounters with West Africa via Paris and Dakar, as well as the importance of the history of African Islam within the wider context of the Islamic world. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-07-2829 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 5: Ismay MilfordIn the fifth episode of our 'CSMCH Showcase' series, Emile Chabal talks to Ismay Milford about her work on African anti-colonial activism in the decolonising moment of the 1950s and 60s. Amongst other things, they discuss transnational histories of activism, the usefulness of "space" as a historical concept, and whether we can learn anything about our present political crisis from postwar visions of the decolonised future. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-07-1425 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 4: Julie GibbingsIn the fourth episode of our 'CSMCH Showcase' series, Emile Chabal talks to Julie Gibbings about her research on modern Guatemala and her new book 'Our Time is Now: Race and Modernity in Postcolonial Guatemala'. They discuss how Julie got interested in Guatemala, what it means to work on a post-conflict society, and how indigenous knowledge can reshape our understanding of time and space. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-06-3029 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 3: Kate BallantyneIn the third episode of our 'CSMCH Showcase' series, Emile Chabal talks to Kate Ballantyne about her work on activism in the American South in the 1960s. They discuss what it means to be from "the South", whether histories of activism can be written by non-activists, and the relevance (or otherwise) of research on the 1960s to today's Black Lives Matter protests. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-06-1627 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 2: Joe GazeleyIn the second episode of our 'CSMCH Showcase' series, Emile Chabal talks to Joe Gazeley about his work on Malian foreign policy since the 1960s. Amongst other things, they discuss how Joe became interested in Mali in the first place, and what the history of Mali's attempts to gain sovereignty can tell us about the nature of post-colonial statehood. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-06-0127 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCSMCH Showcase 1: Jake BlancIn the first of our new series of short interviews with CSMCH members entitled 'CSMCH Showcase', Emile Chabal talks to Jake Blanc about his work on Brazil. Amongst other things, they discuss Jake's own biography and his experience of left-wing political engagement; the history of rural political movements; and the importance of looking at Latin America from the inside out. Produced by Mathew Nicolson.
2020-05-1930 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryKristoff Kerl talks to Emile Chabal about his work (18/2/2020)In this interview, Kristoff Kerl (Koln) - who is one of our CSMCH-IASH Visiting Fellows this year - talks with Emile Chabal about his journey to becoming a historian, his current research on countercultures in the 1960s and 1970s, and the challenges of writing about radical politics and psychedelic drugs
2020-02-1916 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistorySarah Badcock on Russia's revolutions from the provinces (28/1/2020)In this talk, Sarah Badcock (Nottingham) explores the Russian revolutions of 1917 from a provincial perspectives. She argues that, although power was divided unevenly between centre and periphery, provincial Russia was a vital part of the revolutionary process. Her talk is followed by a short comment by Anna Lively (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in January 2020.
2020-02-0653 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryJulie Gibbings on affective politics and Guatemala's 1944 revolutionIn this talk, Julie Gibbings (Edinburgh) explores the microhistories of the Guatemalan Revolution of 1944 and its aftermath. Focusing especially on the lives of families living on plantations in the Alta Verapaz region, she explains how affective and intimate relations reflected broader political trends. The talk is followed by a short comment by Julia McClure (Glasgow). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in November 2019.
2019-11-241h 01Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryJay Winter on war, memory and silence (8/11/2019)In this talk, Jay Winter (Yale) explores the role of silence in traumatic memory, with particular reference to World War One and its aftermath. He argues that silence has been underestimated as a form of memory in relation to war and other moments of extreme violence. The talk is followed by a short comment by Paul Leworthy (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in November 2019.
2019-11-111h 04Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryJulia Nicholls on the French revolutionary traditionIn this talk, Julia Nicholls (King's College, London) discusses the development of the French revolutionary tradition in the years following the Paris Commune of 1871. She argues that revolutionaries in this period had a more complex relationship to France's revolutionary past than is commonly assumed. The talk is followed by a short comment by Emile Chabal.
2019-11-061h 03Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryPaolo Gerbaudo on politics and the social media revolution (15/10/2019)In this talk, Paolo Gerbaudo (King's College, London) discusses the impact of social media on the public sphere and the consequences of social media for the functioning of our democracy. The talk is followed by a short comment by Rory Scothorne (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in October 2019.
2019-10-211h 00Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryRevolutions past and future: a roundtable (17/9/2019)In this roundtable discussion, a panel of four leading historians explore the history and meaning of revolution in the modern world. The panellists are Jim Livesey (Dundee), Jake Blanc (Edinburgh), Kalathmika Natarajan (Edinburgh), and Megan Hunt (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in September 2019.
2019-09-2453 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryLjubica Spaskovska talks to Emile Chabal about her work (14/5/2019)In this interview, Ljubica Spaskovska (Exeter) - who is one of our CSMCH-IASH Visiting Fellows this year - talks with Emile Chabal about her doctoral research, her current projects, and life as a foreign academic in the UK.
2019-05-2118 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryOlivier Estèves on the desegregation of English schools (4/4/2019)In this talk, Olivier Estèves (Lille) talks about his new book on bussing and the desegregation of English schools in the 1960s and 1970s. Using a range of archival and interview material, he recounts the little-known story of the thousands of predominantly Asian children who were 'dispersed' to majority white schools in an effort to improve their 'integration' into English society. The talk is followed by a short comment by Tim Peace (Glasgow). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in April 2019.
2019-04-1050 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryStefanie Gänger on medicine and sociality in the Atlantic World (19/3/2019)In this talk, Stefanie Gänger (Köln) explores the history of 'cinchona' or 'Peruvian bark', one of the most widely used medicines of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She looks at how knowledge about the plant travelled across continents and found its way into the medicinal practices of slaves, paupers and nobles. The talk is followed by a short comment from Sarah Easterby-Smith (St Andrews). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in March 2019.
2019-03-2342 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryBen Smith on the US-Mexico borderlands and the 'war on drugs' (5/3/2019)In this talk, Ben Smith (Warwick) explores the origins of US 'war on drugs'. He locates this in a series of moral panics on either side of the Californian border between US and Mexico in the 1950s. These moral panics had a profound impact on US and Mexican politics, as well as the relationship between the two states. The talk is followed by a short comment from Jake Blanc (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in March 2019.
2019-03-0848 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryAkhila Yechury on borders and colonial sovereignty in French India (26/2/2019)In this talk, Akhila Yechury (St Andrews) tells the story of the French settlements in India in the 19th and 20th centuries. She explains how their unusual legal and historical status made them into sites of contested sovereignty and overlapping colonial systems. The talk is followed by a comment from Harshan Kumarasingham (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in February 2019.
2019-03-011h 06Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryAlex Paulin-Booth on the utopias of the French left (15/1/2019)In this talk, Alex Paulin-Booth (Université Libre de Bruxelles) discusses notions of time in political activitism through a range of late 19th century French futurist novels, all of which reflect on the utopias (and dystopias) of the French left in this period. The talk is followed by a comment by Emile Chabal (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in January 2019.
2019-01-1754 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryMichael Goebel on urban ethnic segregation in the global south (20/11/18)In this talk, Michael Goebel (Graduate Institute, Geneva) explores the prevalence of urban ethnic segregation in a range of port cities outside Europe in the period c.1870-c.1920. Amongst other things, he argues for a more complex and nuanced understanding of the spatial distribution of ethnic minorities in these cities. The talk is followed by a comment by Richard Rodger (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in November 2018.
2018-11-231h 06Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryVanessa Ogle on the history of offshore capitalism (6/11/2018)In this talk, the historian Vanessa Ogle (King's College London) explores the relationship between decolonisation and the emergence of offshore tax havens. Vanessa's talk is followed by a short comment by the economic historian Martin Chick (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in November 2018.
2018-11-0958 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryDavina Cooper on the conceptual space of gender (23/10/18)In this talk, the legal scholar Davina Cooper (King's College London) discusses the conceptual space of gender in contemporary Britain and the possibilities for a more utopian imagining of gender in the future. Davina's talk is followed by a short comment by the political theorist Mathias Thaler (Edinburgh). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in October 2018.
2018-10-2459 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryEmily Brownell on urban spaces in postcolonial Tanzania (9/10/18)Emily Brownell (Edinburgh) explores the use of building materials and the transient character of urban spaces in postcolonial Tanzania. Emily's talk is followed by a short comment by Isabel Pike (Wisconsin-Madison). This is a recording of an event hosted by the CSMCH in October 2018.
2018-10-1245 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryCorey Robin on the history of conservatism (25/9/2018)The acclaimed political theorist and commentator, Corey Robin (City University of New York), gave a lecture to the CSMCH in September 2018. His talk focused on the past and future of conservatism. It was followed by a short comment by Jamie Allinson (Edinburgh). This is a recording of the event.
2018-09-281h 00Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryFelix Boecking book launch (4/4/2018)The CSMCH hosted the launch event for Felix Boecking's new book 'No Great Wall: Trade, Tariffs, and Nationalism in Republican China, 1927–1945' on 4 April 2018. This podcast includes an introduction to the book by Felix Boecking, and a short comment by the Chinese historian and radio broadcaster, Rana Mitter.
2018-09-0456 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryPeter Jackson on interwar Franco-British relations (30/1/18)Peter Jackson (Glasgow) explores Franco-British relations after World War One. He argues, amongst other things, that stereotypes and preconceived notions of how the way each country 'behaved' had a profound impact on foreign policy.
This is a recording of a talk given at the Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Edinburgh on 30 January 2018.
2018-09-041h 06Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryJake Blanc on rural democracy in 1980s Brazil (14/11/2017)Jake Blanc (Edinburgh) discusses his work on the protests surrounding the Itaipu Dam in Brazil in the 1980s. He explores both the motivations of the protesters and the response to the protests by the military regime. Includes a comment by Cassia Roth (Edinburgh).
2018-09-041h 22Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryLorena de Vita talks to Emile Chabal about her work (17/10/2017)CSMCH director Emile Chabal sat down with guest speaker Lorena de Vita (Utrecht) to find out more about her fascinating work on the postwar relationship between the two Germanys and Israel. Lorena gave a talk on the subject later that evening; a report is available on the CSMCH blog.
2018-09-0413 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryMalte Rolf on Soviet visions of modernity (3/10/2017)In this talk, Malte Rolf (Universität Bamberg) explores the range of critical attitudes that existed towards 'modernity' and urban development in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the 1970s.
2018-09-0446 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryRichard Whatmore - Truth and Democracy roundtable (19/9/2017)Richard Whatmore, Professor of Intellectual History at the University of St Andrews, takes us back to Adam Smith and David Hume - and asks whether democratic politics has always been based on deceit.
2018-09-0419 minCentre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistorySteve Fuller - Truth and Democracy roundtable (19/9/2017)Steve Fuller, August Comte Chair in Social Epistemology at the University of Warwick, brings us right up to date with an original take on the meaning of 'post-truth'.
2018-09-0420 min
Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary HistoryChristina Boswell - Truth and Democracy roundtable (19/9/2017)Christina Boswell, Professor of Politics at the University of Edinburgh, gives her thoughts on the fraught relationship between truth and democracy based on her work with British and European public servants.
2018-09-0415 min