Category: European History

  • Book Review: Three Revolutions by Simon Hall

    Simon Hall’s “Three Revolutions” explores the impact of journalism on revolutionary movements in the 20th century through dual biographies of revolutionaries and their journalists, highlighting media’s influence on history.

  • Book Review: Bismarck’s War by Rachel Chrastil

    Perfect for the Advanced History Classroom For educators teaching AP European History, World History, or advanced undergraduate courses on nineteenth-century Europe, finding books that combine rigorous scholarship with accessible narrative can be challenging. Rachel Chrastil’s “Bismarck’s War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe” emerges as an ideal text that bridges this gap…

  • The Hypothetical 1937 American Civil War: From Gaming Scenario to Educational Tool

    A map I found online shows an intriguing “what if” scenario in American alternate history: a hypothetical Second American Civil War in 1937 during the Great Depression. While this never happened, it has captured the interest of historians, game designers, and educators examining the social and political tensions of that time. I am fascinated by…

  • Book Review A Comparison of Cowley’s “What If?” Trilogy vs. Ferguson’s “Virtual History”

    The reviewed collections, Cowley’s “What If?” trilogy and Ferguson’s “Virtual History,” offer distinct approaches to counterfactual history, enhancing critical thinking skills for advanced students in history education.

  • The Butterfly Effect: How Single Moments Can Reshape History

    An Introduction to Alternative Histories and the Power of Contingency History, we’re often told, is written by the victors. But what if history could have been written entirely differently? What if a single artillery shell had found a different target, a papal encyclical had used stronger language, or a diplomatic cable had arrived an hour…

  • Life for Civilians in German-Occupied Soviet Territories During WWII

    The German occupation of Soviet territories during World War II inflicted extreme suffering through starvation, forced labor, and violence, resulting in millions of civilian deaths and lasting trauma.