Political History (History of Politics)

Abstract

The first and still one of the greatest political histories ever written is Thucydides's Peloponnesian War, in which we find many of the themes that continue to fascinate students of politics. I shall begin by examining the development of international political history from Thucydides to the present. Another important subject of political history, also with classicla roots, is the development of law and institutions. Here I will be especially concerned with the significance of legal history for the development of modern historiography. In the nineteenth century, political history became closely associated with the nationstate, whose story was at once the record and instrument of nationbuilding. But while political history is often allied with established authority, it can also become a weapon of political dissent by providing an alternative narrative to aspiring political parties, social movements, and subject nationalities. For most of the history of historiography, political history dominated the discipline. Beginning in the 1960s, however, first in the United States and then in Western Europe, traditional political history came under attack, first by social, then by cultural historians. After considering the character of the ensuing debate, I will conclude with some tentative thoughts about the role of political history in the future.