Annotated Bibliography – Declan Renton

I have not decided on my exact dissertation question as I’m unsure if I want to do a comparison or focus solely on the study of Weimar paramilitary groups. However, the sources I have began to study are as follows;

 

  • Siemens, Daniel. Stormtroopers. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017.

I found this book on the DiscoveryEd. This book discusses the history of the SA and how the Nazi Party used them to gain and stay in power. This book will be useful for my dissertation to determine how they were used during the Weimar Republic and what forms of violence this group performed.

 

  • Rosenshaft, Eve. Beating the Fascists? The German Communists and Political Violence, 1929–1933. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1983. 

This book is made available free online via a pdf. This book discusses the communist and left paramilitaries within the late Weimar Republic. It looks at how they combated the Nazi’s ascent to power and how discusses constant struggle against the SA.  This will be useful as it further examines the violence that was caused by paramilitaries in interwar Germany. It also gives a perception of what were the motivations for violence within the left of German politics.

 

  • Bielanski, David James. Front Line Weimar: Paramilitary Mobilization and masculine Representation in postwar Germany, 2002.

I found this book on DiscoverEd. This book discusses the fascist, the communist and other paramilitaries groups within Germany. This will allow me to contrast both groups and further improve my knowledge on the violence that occurred within Weimar Germany.

 

 

  • Otto Meissner’s Minutes of the Second Meeting between Hitler and Hindenburg (August 13, 1932)

Source of English translation: Jeremy Noakes and Geoffrey Pridham, eds., Nazism 1919-1945, Vol. 1, The Rise to Power 1919-1934. Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 1998, pp. 104-05.

Source of original German text: Walther Hubatsch, Hindenburg und der Staat. Gottingen: Musterschmidt Verlag, 1966, p. 338.

http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/sub_document.cfm?document_id=4414

This source is a conversation between Hindenburg and Hitler in 1932. This conversation details Nazi involvement within the Reichstag and most importantly discusses Hindenburg’s disapproval of the SA and their violent nature, which will be crucial for my dissertation.

Annotated Biography – Chloe Nash

I am planning on doing my dissertation on the Civil Rights Movement in America.  I haven’t yet chose what aspect of the Civil Rights Movement that I am going to focus on yet but reading these sources gave me some ideas.

  1. Armstrong Dunbar, Erica. A Fragile Freedom: African American Women and Emancipation in the Antebellum City. Yale University Press, 2008. Yale Scholarship Online, 2013. doi: 10.12987/yale/9780300125917.001.0001.

This is a book which discusses the lives of various women in the north of America and their journey from enslavement to freedom in the decades right before the civil war. It also compares these women’s experiences with the experiences of women from other places in America such as New York. Many of these women take part in the antislavery movement and try to get involved in politics. It examines the ways in which these women fought for freedom. It is very interesting and well structured, making it easier to read.

2.Dierenfield, Bruce J. The Civil Rights Movement, Routledge, 2013. Vlebooks http://www.vlebooks.com/Vleweb/Product/Index/315650?page=0

This book is an online resource. It discusses the importance of the civil rights movement in America. Detailing segregation, the right to vote and economics in America during the civil rights movement. This is well organised and enjoyable to read, going into a lot of detail about the civil rights movement.

3.Bush Rod. “The Civil Rights Movement and the Continuing Struggle for the Redemption of America.” Social Justice30, no. 1 (91) (January 1, 2003): 42–66. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy-s2.stir.ac.uk/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.29768166&site=eds-live.

This is a secondary source which is available online on JSTOR. It discusses the Civil Rights Movement and the condition that America was in at that time in terms of socially and economically. It then goes on to talk about how hard America found seeking redemption after the events of the Civil Rights movement. This is particularly interesting as it provides information from just after the civil rights movement which provides further insight into the effects that the movement had on America and those who lived there afterwards.

4.Lawson, Steven F.. 2014. Running for Freedom : Civil Rights and Black Politics in America Since 1941. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Accessed February 6, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.

This is an e-book looking at the political side of the Civil Rights Movement in America and the fight for freedom. It discusses politics in America, particularly the struggles that African-Americans have faced in terms of politics in America from 1941 to 2014. This is useful as it covers a wide timeframe which means there is more evidence and examples to read up on.

Annotated Bibliography- Rachel Bow

For my dissertation, I am going to study diplomatic history where relations between the US, the USSR, and Cuba will be looked at. My question is how did Kennedy’s relationship with EX-COMM in relation to military options impact the resolution of the Cuban missile crisis.

Primary-

-Presidential Recordings Digital Edition. “Meeting on the Cuban Missile Crisis On 16 October 1962.” Accessed February 1, 2021.
https://prde.upress.virginia.edu/conversations/8020045

In this recorded meeting three courses of action are laid out and debated on how to handle the Cuban missile crisis, a contingency plan. The three big options are diplomacy with Castro and Khrushchev, a naval quarantine of Cuba, or an airstrike to destroy the missiles. My topic will be focussing on diplomatic history. Therefore, this source is extremely useful as the EX-COMM tapes give unprecedented insight into crisis management and big decision making during the Cuban missile crisis. Through this source I can gain an understanding of not just what is said but how it is said, giving an insight into Kennedy EX-COMM relations.

 

-John F. Kennedy Presential library and museum. “6-4-1: Cuba: Cuban Crisis, 1962: Kennedy-Khrushchev Letters, 1962: September-November.” Accessed February 2, 2021.
https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/RFKAG/216/RFKAG-216-006

The John F. Kennedy presidential library and museum offers an unparalleled amount of digitised primary sources useful to my topic. From Kennedy’s address to the nation on the missiles in Cuba to the letters sent between Khrushchev and Kennedy. For example, I could undertake a close reading of the letter from Kennedy asking Khrushchev to remove missiles from Cuba on 22/10/62. Through this, I can see how EX-COMM’s influence on Kennedy comes across in the letter.

 

Secondary-

-Stern, S. The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory: Myths Versus Reality. California: Stanford University Press, 2012.

Keeping with the theme of contingency, Stern examines the EX-COMM tapes and examines all the possible what-ifs. Stern puts emphasis on the importance of JFK as an individual in resolving the crisis and avoiding nuclear war. This text is useful to my topic as relations between Kennedy and his chiefs of staff are examined in detail, Stern argues the importance of the spoken word as it holds a unique power in gaining an understanding of these relations and how they impacted the handling of the crisis.

 

-Dallek, R. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963. New York: Little, Brown and Co, 2003.

By using a biography I can get a good insight into the microhistory, to delve into the details of the big decisions Kennedy had to make and the thought processes behind them. A biography is a useful secondary source for my topic as it offers a unique look into the details of Kennedy’s presidency and the crisis, which is necessary for a thick description.

Annotated Bibliography- Thomas Ord

For my dissertation topic, I am planning to research about Otto von Bismarck’s foreign policy between 1871 and 1890. I will base the dissertation around his desire for peace during the period and view if this made him successful according to historians.

Secondary Sources

  1. Abrams, Lynn. Bismarck and the German Empire. London: Routledge, 1995.

I found this article while searching through the University of Stirling library. This article, published in 1995, records Bismarck acting as an ‘honest broker’ within Europe as he consistently pursues treaties to consolidate Germany’s gains while maintaining peace. The author of the book argues that the treaties Bismarck implemented were not long term but to avoid crisis. Moreover, when Bismarck took his leave of office, this left Germany with a system ill-suited to the new configuration of power within Europe. This relates to my chosen topic as it shows that Bismarck’s peaceful foreign policy only acted as crisis management and delayed an inevitable war.

  1. Eyck, Erich. Bismarck and the German Empire. Allen & Unwin, 1968.

Eyck argues that the alliances that Bismarck enacted were strenuous. Bismarck’s domestic policy became intertwined with his foreign policy which resulted in the emergence of the First World War. Bismarck made the mistake of placing his German nation first. This meant he could never form any lasting alliances with others. After his forced resignation, Eyck argues that the peace he had attempted to retain diminished as it proved too much for his successor. Thus, his argument somewhat connects to Abrams.

  1. Stone, James. “Bismarck and the Great Game: Germany and Anglo-Russian Rivalry in Central Asia, 1871-1890.” Central European History48, no. 2 (2015): 151-75.

This journal article discusses one of Bismarck’s accomplishments as German chancellor throughout the period. It showed how he managed to maintain peace in Europe while preserving Germany’s dominance. This article is key in showing Bismarck’s success as he managed to tie down Russia’s troops in Asia which kept them far away from Central Europe. This article is important to my dissertation as it examines Bismarck’s successful foreign policy in which he was able to maintain peace without Germany directly intervening within the Anglo-Russian rivalry.

Primary Sources

  1. “The Nightmare of Coalitions”: Bismarck on the Other Great Powers (1879/1898).

This extract is taken from Bismarck’s memoirs. It contributes to my topic due to the fact it gives the reader an opportunity to read Bismarck’s thoughts at the time of establishing alliances. It shows that unlike the beliefs of some historians, Bismarck always planned for the future by forging diplomatic agreements which would provide peace for Germany.

  1. Dual Alliance with Austria (October 7, 1879).

This primary source demonstrates the effectiveness of Bismarck’s foreign policy. The treaty was made to consolidate the peace in Europe instead of being aggressive towards Russia. This was important as it showed Bismarck’s intelligence in gaining Austria support. Although it was a peaceful alliance, it meant that he had military backing if Russia chose to attack. This is important as it shows his success in handling foreign affairs. However, it also shows that decisions have consequences as it contributed to the First World War.

 

 

 

Annotated Bibliography – Aidan Mooney

I have only a general idea of a topic for my dissertation and have not yet narrowed my focus so have looked at general works on both the development of nationalism as an ideology and nationalist movements in 19th century Europe. I used key search terms like ‘nationalism’, ‘nation’, ‘origins of…’, ‘19th/nineteenth century’ etc. to find sources from JSTOR, Periodical Archives Online, Europeana, and Stirling Uni’s own library catalogue.

 

Jackson Preece, Jennifer. “Origins of ‘Nations’: Contested Beginnings, Contested Futures.” In The Routledge Handbook of Ethnic Conflict, edited by Karl Cordell & Stefan Wollf, 15-24. Abingdon: Routledge, 2016.

Found in the library catalogue. A very useful article on the ongoing debates surrounding nationalism, the origin of nations, and nationalist movements. It introduces the most influential thinkers on these topics; and discusses various theories of nationalism and their applications in depth. It led me to plenty of other secondary sources that I think will be necessary reading.

 

Haas, Ernst B. “What Is Nationalism and Why Should We Study It?” International Organization 40, 3 (1986): 707-44. http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy-s1.stir.ac.uk/stable/2706824.

Found using JSTOR’s search function. A review article of four seminal texts on nationalist theory that also asks why it is important to study nationalism. Dense, but explores many of the ways in which the study of nationalism can be approached. Hass relays his own theory of nationalist formation at the end, going into some depth on various factors that affected nationalist sentiment and movements.

 

Connelly, John. Chapter 4: Nationality Struggles: From Idea to Movement. In From Peoples Into Nations: A History of Eastern Europe. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2020.

This chapter is a good example of the type of secondary sources relevant to a historical study of a particular nationalist movement. It focuses on the development of Hungarian and Czech nationalist sentiment into cohesive political movements from the early 19th c. onwards, and explores what factors affected this change. It is a recent work and therefore useful for finding other secondary sources in its bibliography.

 

Smith, Anthony D. “Reading History: Ethnic Identity and Nationalism.” History Today 33, 10 (1983): 47-50. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy-s1.stir.ac.uk/magazines/reading-history-ethnic-identity-nationalism/docview/1299020439/se-2?accountid=14755.

Using key terms and searching specifically within ‘history’ on the Periodicals Archive Online search function led me to this article by Anthony Smith who is an influential thinker on the development of nationalism. He provides insight into one school of thought on the origins of nations, discussing how ethnic identity provides the basis for modern nationalist movements that would emerge in the 19th century. Smith tackles some of the historiography that he regards as important providing plenty of suggestions for further reading.

 

Deutsche Zeitung (March 31st, 1873). Europeana Newspaper Archive http://www.europeana.eu/en/item/9200300/BibliographicResource_3000051788350

Searching Europeana from the Library Subject Guide I found this newspaper archive which contains papers from across Europe stretching back to the 18th century. I think newspapers are a particularly good primary source for examining thinking of the time, as they both reflected and shaped contemporary views. Even if they do not necessarily speak for their readers, they do allow us to understand what politics were discussed in the public sphere, particularly pertinent to the history of nationalist movements. For instance, the above source is an Austrian establishment newspaper from 1873 discussing the Imperial monarchy’s relationship to Polish and Czech nationalist sentiment. It provides insight into how these movements were viewed by the Austrian government through what sort of language was used when describing them. It is necessary to examine sources from not just nationalist movements themselves but those in opposition to them, and the archives’ range of papers helps balance any study by providing an array of viewpoints. This source also exemplified to me the difficulties of examining primary sources through translation, something which I had not given much thought to.

 

Old Maps Online. http://www.oldmapsonline.org/
The Library Subject Guides led me to this resource. I found it useful for providing a visual representation of circumstances at various points in the 19th century. I think maps can be a valuable primary resource as they reflect historical conceptions of what Europe was made up of, usually in either ethnic terms or by political control. Some of these maps show how borders across Europe changed overtime, reflecting contemporary political circumstances. Others demonstrate how conceptions of the ways these areas are identified evolved throughout the century, whether through contemporary events or by a change in thinking.

Annotated Bibliography – Aylie Fucella

After discussions with my supervisor, I have decided to investigate the use of hymns and spirituals in Paul Robeson’s repertoire. This investigation will involve diving into ethno-musicology and auto-ethnography, as well as the cultural and political values held in his music. This is currently a very broad subject area but I intend to develop an argument/focus within it as I continue to read through primary and secondary sources. For now, some examples of sources that will aid me in getting to know Robeson’s influence and character are as follows:

I will be using Robeson’s recordings and performances of his hymns and spirituals as primary sources first and foremost, as well as reviews, newspaper articles, interviews, and congressional hearings to provide surrounding context. This first source is an archive of some digitized and restored recordings of Robeson and a pianist. This is a useful source as, using my bi-musicality, I can dissect these performances and analyse the choices made to portray their meaning. This is just one example archived recordings that I can use.

This archived newspaper originally published the day after Robeson’s death in 1976 is an example of a piece of source material that shows the reception of his music and politics on the wider world. The writer of this piece had a clear respect for Robeson’s talents in his early career and the power he held, however did not believe his strong political stances were beneficial and that he “wasted a lot of time and talent” on those who shared his views. Critically reading newspaper articles about Robeson, keeping in mind they are rarely objective, will aid me in analysing how reporters and editors, and ultimately society, perceived his actions and repertoire.

This letter to the editor of the Times published at the height of Robeson’s musical popularity, is further evidence of his wide-spread support. Although the author does not condone Robeson’s politics, much like my previous source, his fanbase in the UK was desperate for him to be able to perform here.

  • Robeson, Paul, and Lloyd L Brown. 1971. Here I Stand. Boston: Beacon Pr.

I would like to use Paul Robeson’s autobiography within my research to gain insight ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’. I am currently waiting for this book to arrive and will be looking at reviews in the meantime. Although Gunn and Faire warn in their chapter on Life Stories and Historical Analysis (Chapter 7) that memory and memoirs can be unreliable when telling a life story. All stories are influenced and shaped by who the intended recipient/reader is. However, I still feel as though this source will enable me to get a wider sense of his character and the intention/context behind his performances.

  • Olwage, Grant. “Listening B(l)ack: Paul Robeson After Roland Hayes.” The Journal of Musicology 32, no. 4 (2015): 524-57. Accessed February 6, 2021. doi:10.1525/jm.2015.32.4.524.

This source, along with it’s references, will allow me to dig deeper into the ethno-musicological theories of Robeson’s works and his inspirations. This will provide a good backdrop to his career.

  • Todd Carmody. “MISSING PAUL ROBESON IN EAST BERLIN: THE SPIRITUALS AND THE EMPTY ARCHIVE.” Cultural Critique 88 (2014): 1-27. Accessed February 6, 2021. doi:10.5749/culturalcritique.88.2014.0001.

This source brings more information forward about Robeson’s international impacts and ideologies, specifically in Germany. I will endeavour to collate more sources that describe his visits and impacts around the world such as this one.

Annotated Bibliography – Katie Heffernan

I am still not completely certain on what I want to do for my dissertation topic, however it will be related to how events that took place throughout Europe led to the outbreak of the First Word War.

Secondary Sources: 

  1. Williamson, Samuel R. “The Origins of World War I.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 18, no. 4 (1988): 795-818. www.jstor.org/stable/204825

I found this secondary source after doing a search on JSTOR about how the first world war started.  This source would be useful for my dissertation as Williamson explains in great detail different factors which led to the outbreak of war in 1914, he evaluates the relations between different European countries in the pre war period and how the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the formation of the triple entente/triple alliance led to an outbreak in war. 

2. Bid for World Power? New Research on the Outbreak of the First World War, ed. Andreas Gestrich and Hartmut Pogge von Strandmann (Oxford:  Oxford U.P.,  2017; pp. 444.

This secondary source was found using the library catalogue and could be used in my dissertation as this article analyses in great depth new research which was carried out to suggest the cause of the great war was down to European countries wanting to become the leading world power. There is a key focus on the findings of late German historian Fritz Fischer and his theory that the outbreak of war was all down to Germany wanting to become a world power. 

Primary Sources: 

3. Helmuth J. L. von Moltke to Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (July 29, 1914), in Walther Schücking and Max Montgelas, eds., Die Deutschen Dokumente zum Kriegsausbruch [German Documents on the Outbreak of the War]. 5 vols., Berlin, 1922, vol. 5, p. 349.

I found this primary source after watching the lecture with Helen. This source was found in the German History in documents section and is a source I would most likely use in my dissertation as it explains the conflict which was ongoing between Austria and Serbia and how this then caused tensions to arise between other countries as Serbia was protected by Russia and Austria was regarded as a central power which Germany controlled. This source would be beneficial for me to use as it explains my topic in detail about how events that took place led to the first world war.

4. Entry from the diary of Georg Alexander von Müller (December 8, 1912). Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv, Freiburg [BArch N 159/4 Fol. 169-171].

This primary source was also found after the guidance given by Helen in the lecture. This source was a diary entry outlining the Kasier’s plans and how the events in Europe that were taking place made it inevitable for Germany to declare war on Russia. This source would be useful for my dissertation as it discusses the Kasier’s plans regarding the war and how the tensions between other countries made it impossible for Germany not to become involved. 

Annotated Bibliography- Caitlin Stevenson

For my dissertation I was very interested in looking into the Civil Rights Movement in America during the 50’s and 60’s. As it is such a wide topic, I have chosen to look at ‘The Politics of the Memory of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King’, where I will be looking at the memorialization of X and King in the US and also outside of the US.

Secondary Sources

1. Martin Luther King, Jr.: History and Memory, Reflections on Dreams and Silences
Harry A. Reed
The Journal of Negro History
Vol. 84, No. 2 (Spring, 1999), pp. 150-166 (17 pages)
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History

This is a journal that I found on JSTOR when looking to find something on Martin Luther King. This source includes the history and memory on King and talks about some of the important and unforgettable speeches made by him.

2. The King’s Body: The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the Politics of Collective Memory
Kevin Bruyneel, History and Memory, Vol. 26, No. 1 (Spring/Summer 2014), pp. 75-108 (34 pages)

This is another article that I found on JSTOR and it examines the politics of memory stemming from the development and reception of the Martin Luther King Jr. National memorial and stone of Hope statue of king in Washington D.C. I picked this source as I will be looking at the memory that both King and Malcolm X left and believe this will help to answer that question.

3. The Political and Social Relevancy of Malcolm X: The Stability of African American Political Attitude.
Darren W. Davis and Christian Davenport ,The Journal of Politics, Vol. 59, No. 2 (May, 1997), pp. 550-564 (15 pages)
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the Southern Political Science Association

This source looks into how the most recent Malcolm X film has had an impact and influence on political attitudes among African Americans and how the film led them to become more racially conscious and more concerned about race relations. These are just some of the sources so far that I have found and wanted to use.

Primary sources

1. https://cnu.libguides.com/peoplecivilrightsam/malcolmx

Watch Malcolm X Debate at Oxford, Quoting Lines from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1964)

This link leads you to a video of Malcolm X when he went to Oxford University in 1964 to deliver a speech on the racial and social problems which were going on in America. He uses his trademark claim that ‘ liberty can be attained by whatever means necessary’, and that ‘intelligently directed extremism’ will achieve liberty far more effectively than pacifist strategies. It is a very powerful speech as he also uses Shakespears Hamlet to justify his claim of ‘ by whatever means necessary’ position. It’s also powerful to see a black man deliver this speech to a room full of English white men, with who many were impressed with his speech.

2. https://cnu.libguides.com/peoplecivilrightsam/malcolmx
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/071.html
For an extra primary source, I found the eulogy for Malcolm X, which was given by Ossie Davis who was a fellow activist and close friend of both X and King. Some of the things mentioned in this eulogy are very powerful and show the impact that Malcolm X had on his followers.

3.The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr
Carson, Clayborne, Ralph Luker, and Penny Russell. The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Volume I: Called to Serve, January 1929-June 1951. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992.

I found this seven- volume source in the university’s library, and decided to pick this as it has a comprehensive collection of Kings most significant sermons, speeches, published writings and unpublished manuscripts.

Emily Crainie-Annotated Bibliography Week 3

Brief Outline- I am planning to base my dissertation on British war films made during the 1940’s, although I’ve not yet decided on a specific route I’m swaying towards the British perception of Germans during the second world war.

Murphy, Robert. 2001. British Cinema And The Second World War. London: Continuum.

I found this book by searching the library catalogue using a few key words. This book provides a wide range of British war films along with an analysis and reflections on how war was portrayed through films during the second world war. The broad spectrum covered by the book makes it easier to get a sense of the historiography of the period and topic. However, the book has been criticised by other historians in the field as it is such a comprehensive summary of British war films that it lacks in depth detailed analysis of individual films. 

Poole, Julian. 1987. “British Cinema Attendance In War Time: Audience Preference At The Majestic, Macclesfield 1939-1946”. Historical Journal Of Film, Radio And Television 7 (1).

I found this journal article by searching the historical journal of film, radio and television. This article will be useful to me as one of the main difficulties when studying historical cinema is gauging cinema attendance and how the films shown were received by the audience at the time. The article provides the reader with 8 tables detailing the film title, production company and the number of admissions to see each film over the span of 8 years at the Majestic Cinema, Macclesfield. The figures shown allow us to make a suggestion on what cinema goers of the time preferred and avoided, helping to give an overall idea of how the British public consumed media about the second world war. Although the source only focuses on one cinema in Britain over a span of 8 years which is limited. However, the article was able to point me in the direction of sources of a similar nature which will also aid my research. 

Hay, Will, and Dearden, Basil. 1942. The Goose Steps Out. Film. United Kingdom: Ealing Studios.

I found this source by searching the British Film institutes (BFI) website, this source is useful to me and my research as feature films from the 1940’s will make up a large proportion of my primary source material. The film focuses on a British school teacher who apparently looks exactly like a German spy and is sent to Germany undercover in hopes to gain plans of a secret weapon made by the Germans. This is the first film from the 1940’s I have ever seen therefore, it has gave me an introduction to feature films of the period and cinematic styles used in the 1940’s. Alongside an idea of how British people perceived Germans and Nazis during the second world war, especially since it is a British made film with British actors playing the role of Germans in 1942. The film has also introduced me to the works of actor and director Will Hay who was an important player in the second world war propaganda drive when concerning feature films as suggested by the BFI.

Annotated Bibliography – Shane Kelly

Secondary Sources

  • Gaddis, John Lewis. We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997

For my dissertation topic I wish to study the origins of the Cold War. John Lewis Gaddis is a giant in Cold War history, particularly in its origins. This book was useful as it discusses the early origins of the Cold War (1917-1945), and with that Gaddis looks at what various historians have said about this period.

  • Mayer, Arno. Politics and Diplomacy of Peacemaking: Containment and Counterrevolution at Versailles, 1918–1919. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1967.

Arno Mayer’s classic which looks heavily at the Versaille’s Treaty. How did communism effect the writing of the treaty? This is what Arno analyses. This is useful because it helps to establish the origins of the Cold War.

  • Ruotsila, Markku. British and American Anticommunism Before the Cold War. London: Routledge, 2001.

Again another vital book which looks at the origins of the Cold War from pre-1945.

Primary Sources

Firstly The Times will be used for evidence of the British medias reaction to events and in turn this could be used as a reflection of publics reaction. To use The Times I used the primary source guide described in the lecture. An example of a document from The Times that I could use would be this article from 1917, which describes the ‘world revolution’ which Lenin describes after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. All the way to 1967 during the Cold War this remains relevant as Crozier discusses in the newspaper article. Crozier, Brian. “Belief Still in World Revolution.” Times, 1967. https://go-gale-com.ezproxy-s2.stir.ac.uk/ps/i.do?p=TTDA&u=unistirl&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CCS705260902&searchId=R1&tabID=Newspapers&linkSource=termClusters&inPS=true

Secondly the ideal type of primary source to use when researching this topic would be official government documents or what members of parliament were debating at this time. Upon using the ‘U.K. Parliamentary Papers’ resource I typed in ‘Communism’ and limited it by the date. In turn this gave me all the history of debates in parliament which communism has been mentioned. This is a good way of looking through the ‘high politics’ perspective of obtaining evidence.

Therefore it is clear that there will be the use of high politics and also media in order to obtain primary evidence for my topic.