The Honourable Escape: Did William Pitt Plan His Own Downfall?
For two centuries, Pitt's 1801 resignation has been told as a story of principle defeated by a stubborn king. New archival research suggests he may have planned the whole crisis, so he could leave office with his honour intact and let someone else make peace with France.
The Wolf in the Sheep’s Clothing: How Democracies Learned to Defend Themselves
From Weimar 1933 to Washington 2026: the century-long argument over how much tolerance a democracy owes its enemies.
The Defenestration of Prague: Why Throwing People out of Windows Rarely Ends Well
In 1618, Protestant nobles threw two of the Emperor's regents out of a window in Prague Castle. All three men who were cast out survived. Europe didn't: the fall set off the Thirty Years War, one of the most devastating conflicts in its history. Here's how one dramatic gesture spiralled into catastrophe, and what it still teaches us today.