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On 30 August 1945 the Imperial Japanese Army handed Hong Kong over to the Royal Navy, restoring British control over the territory...Continue Reading

On the afternoon of 15 August, 1945 Emperor Hirohito made a radio announcement to the Japanese people. He had agreed to the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, signalling Japan's surrender and the end of World War II...Continue Reading

The interwar period was the golden age of British seaside resorts. Every summer thousands of holidaymakers would flock to the coast, their bustling bodies filling the beaches of Brighton, Blackpool and countless other seaside towns. With the declaration of war in 1939, the cheery face of Britain's seaside towns would change dramatically...Continue Reading

On 28 July, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war on Serbia. Over the next few days the great nations of Europe would charge into the First World War, a cataclysmic conflict that has left scars across the continent that are still visible to this day...Continue Reading

Waterloo Week has come to a close. We tried not to go too overboard, and hope you enjoyed the Twitter chronology, background and the other bits and bobs we put together. To finish our celebrations of Waterloo here are 5 weapons from the Napoleonic Wars...Continue Reading

75 years ago today Winston Churchill gave one of the most famous speeches in modern history, commonly titled 'This was their finest hour'. Speaking in front of the House of Commons the British Prime Minister gave a passionate speech as the dark cloud of war loomed over Britain...Continue Reading

The 5th of June, 1917 marked the start of conscription in the United States with the ‘Army registration day’. With that in mind we've gone for something a little different with our list this week, giving you some examples of British appeals for exemption from conscription...Continue Reading

On 31 May 1902 the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed, ending the Second Boer War. The conflict had lasted almost 3 years, and was typified by guerrilla tactics, with the much larger British force facing constant harassment from groups of Boer commandos...Continue Reading

On the evening of May 16, 1943 a group of Lancaster bombers set off from RAF Scampton. Their target was a selection of German dams that had been identified by the British Air Ministry...Continue Reading

The good folk at the University of Leeds have been in touch to tell  us about a great opportunity they've created. In association with the BBC, the university has developed a free, online course investigating the evolution of the concept of heroism in World War I.  Read on for more information!Continue Reading