History

How did an inquiry into the laws of nature produce a form of technology capable of annihilating civilisation?

The philosopher’s 1981 book After Virtue suggested that modern morality is fragmented and rootless – an argument that still stands today

The modest aristocrat was perhaps aware that she wasn’t the only woman who went the extra mile in the jungles of Indochina

Atheists have a simple answer: it is evidence that God doesn’t exist, while believers say the gift of human free will brings with it the possibility of doing evil

Vladimir Putin banned Aleksandr Sokurov’s Fairytale - and the director has retired in protest. But the power of what might be his final movie, assembled with found footage, cannot be dimmed

The Imperial War Museum London’s vital, deeply uncomfortable exhibition about sexual violence in conflict

After 99 years, the German authorities and the Hohenzollern family have decided to bury the hatchet

In southern Italy, the village of Agnone has been hiding a secret: since the middle ages, they have been making its church bells

The cemetery, opened by Napoleon, was unpopular at first. But then the VIPs came – followed by the ghosts

That’s the view of some people on the British right. But getting emotional over history is a sure sign that you’re abusing it for political ends

If Keir Starmer learns from the mistakes made by Jim Callaghan and Gordon Brown, he can navigate a successful course through stormy economic waters

Spain is still mourning its civil war dead. But not everyone sees the nation’s history in quite the same way

‘When did anti-fascism become controversial?’ Director Joe Wright on the future of M: Son of the Century, his streaming series about Italy's fascist dictator

Half a century ago, a humiliated America scrambled out of a losing war. But parallels with Ukraine show little has changed

As the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two approaches, Leipzig's Capa House offers an urgent reminder about the origins of fascism

Evil gods and terrifying clawed beasts have haunted the human imagination for thousands of years. But what are monsters now, in this age of science?

Britain and France both have atomic weapons. Now that the US is no longer a reliable ally, how should Europe deploy its nuclear deterrent?

In the shadow of the bomb, two men fought to create the smallest swimsuit in the world

Across the river from Russia, the Estonian city of Narva is part of the European Union. But Vladimir Putin is watching and waiting

One of the Beatles’ great gifts was to reconcile masculinity with emotional intelligence

The last time the US imposed blanket tariffs it led to global economic and political disaster. This time could be just as bad. How can the rest of the world defend itself?

What happens if Donald goes the same way as his father – and what if he already has?

Whatever you do, don’t give in to the idea that we are all doomed. It only makes it all much worse

The foundations of the Kremlin strongman’s ascent to power were forged in the ruins of Grozny a quarter of a century ago

Throughout the 20th century, the currents of global change pulsed through the city. One man was at the centre of it all

Under communism, Polish artists were given freedom to produce posters advertising Hollywood films in a way their makers never dreamed of

Hitler’s Germany built an elite criminal investigation unit and then used it for oppression and genocide

In Syria, villagers search under their homes for long-buried gold and jewels. But this is speculation in every sense of the word

A stolen fragment of the tapestry, looted by a Nazi archaeologist for racial research, has resurfaced in Germany. But France wants it back

Gorizia and Nova Gorica share a history of division but are now united as the first transnational European Capital of Culture

The recent scenes in the Oval Office were horrifying – but the disdain Trump showed to Zelensky is not as new as it seems

For a golden period, the Tuscan hill town ruled the art world. Now its treasures are reassembled in a remarkable exhibition