MA 20th-Century British History by Research

This London-based programme enables students to examine Britain’s history in the 20th century, focusing on the period from the start of the First World War in 1914 to Margaret Thatcher’s resignation in 1990.  It is led by Simon Heffer, Professor of Modern British History in the University and a leading authority on the period.

The course includes a series of seminars (see below), given by a range of eminent guest speakers, to supplement students’ private research. These will provide a broad chronological survey of the period and an introduction to major themes in the political and social history of 20th century Britain. The seminars will take place at the elegant Reform Club in Pall Mall, and supervisory meetings will be held at the Humanities Research Institute offices at 51 Gower Street in Bloomsbury.

The programme’s major concentration will be on politics and society, but there will be a subsidiary focus on cultural history and historiography. Guest speakers will include the contemporary historians Sir David Cannadine, Lord Hennessy, David Kynaston and Michael Bentley.

Assessment is via a dissertation of approximately 25,000 words on a topic of the student’s choosing, which is completed under the guidance of a supervisor and submitted at the end of the academic year.

2020/2021 seminar programme
Because of delays caused by the Covid-19 crisis the seminar programme will run this academic year  from January to May: as in previous years, there will still be 10 seminars addressed by leading historians, covering the period from 1914 to 1990 and other specialist topics. Speakers in the past have included Sir David Cannadine (on the decline of the British Empire), Professor Lord Hennessy (on the immediate post-war period), Professor David Dilks (on the 1930s), Dr David Kynaston (on the 1950s), Professor Michael Bentley (on historiography), Professor Simon Heffer (on the Great War) and Dr Robin Harris (on Thatcherism). It is expected most or all of these speakers will return in 2020/2021.

The academic year will begin as normal in September and Professor Heffer, as course director, will be available to all students during the autumn to discuss dissertation topics and independent research so that work can begin before the seminar programme gets under way. A full bibliography will be issued to all students in September so that the autumn can also be used for essential background reading.