Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm CH, FBA, (born June 9, 1917) is a British Marxist historian and author. The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Historical materialism is the methodological approach to the study of society economics and history which was first articulated by Karl Marx ( 1818 - 1883 An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created

Life

Hobsbawm (a clerical error altered his surname)^[1] was born in 1917 in Alexandria, Egypt to Leopold Percy Hobsbaum and Nelly Grün, both Jewish, and he grew up in Vienna and Berlin. Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Although they lived in German-speaking countries, his parents spoke to him and his younger sister Nancy in English. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The German language (both as an official language and as a minority language is spoken in a number of countries and territories in West and Central Europe English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

His father died in 1929, and he started working as an au pair and English tutor. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An au pair (plural au pairs) is a foreign-national domestic assistant working for and living as part of a host Family. In British Australian New Zealand Italian and some Canadian universities, a tutor is often but not always a Postgraduate Student or a Lecturer He became an orphan at age 14 upon the death of his mother. An orphan (from the Greek ὀρφανός) is a child whose natural parents are absent or dead and who are not there to bring him up Subsequently, he and Nancy were adopted by his maternal aunt, Gretl, and paternal uncle, Sidney, who married and had a son, also named Eric. They all moved to London in 1933. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Hobsbawm is twice married. His first wife was Muriel Seaman, whom he married in 1943 (divorced in 1951). Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January His second marriage was to Marlene Schwarz, with whom he has two children, Julia Hobsbawm and Andy Hobsbawm. Andy Hobsbawm established the first international Internet agency in 1994 and was a founding director of leading British new media company Online Magic which merged with He also has a son, Joshua, from a previous relationship.

Hobsbawm is a Marxist and was a long-standing member of the now defunct Communist Party of Great Britain and the associated Communist Party Historians Group. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB was the largest Communist party in the United Kingdom, though it never became a mass party like the Communist parties of A subdivision of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB from 1946-1956 the Communist Party Historians Group formed a highly influential cluster of British He is president of Birkbeck College, University of London. Birkbeck University of London, sometimes referred to by its former (and still legal name Birkbeck College or by the abbreviation BBK, is a constituent college He was appointed a Companion of Honour in 1998. The Order of the Companions of Honour is a British and Commonwealth Order. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)

Politics

He joined the Socialist Schoolboys in 1931 and the Communist party in 1936. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was member of the Communist Party Historians Group from 1946 to 1956. A subdivision of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB from 1946-1956 the Communist Party Historians Group formed a highly influential cluster of British Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Soviet Invasion of Hungary in 1956 marked the end of the Communist Party Historian's Group and led most of its members to remove themselves from the British Communist Party. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 ( Hungarian: 1956-os forradalom) was a spontaneous nationwide Revolt against the Stalinist government of A Political party described as a communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of Communism through a communist form of Hobsbawm, uniquely among his colleagues, remained in the Party, however, going so far as to defend the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Writing in the Daily Worker in late 1956, Hobsbawm argued that "Whilst approving, with a heavy heart, of what is now happening in Hungary, we should therefore also say frankly that we think the USSR should withdraw its troops from the country as soon as this is possible. The Daily Worker was a newspaper published in New York City by the Communist Party USA, a Comintern -affiliated organization " ^[2]

Later he came to support the Eurocommunist faction in the CPGB. Eurocommunism was a new trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties to develop a theory and practice of social transformation that In 'The Forward March of Labour Halted?', originally a Marxism Today article published in September 1978, he argued that the working class was inevitably losing its central role in society, and that Left parties could no longer appeal only to this class; a controversial viewpoint in a period of trade union militancy. Marxism Today was the theoretical Journal of the Communist Party of Great Britain and was dissolved in 1991. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types Hobsbawm supported Neil Kinnock's transformation of the British Labour Party from 1983. Neil Gordon Kinnock Baron Kinnock PC (born 28 March 1942 is a British Politician. The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the Until the cessation of publication in 1991, he contributed to the magazine Marxism Today. Marxism Today was the theoretical Journal of the Communist Party of Great Britain and was dissolved in 1991.

Since the 1960s his politics have taken a more moderate turn, as Hobsbawm came to recognize that his hopes were unlikely to be realized. Yet, he remains firmly entrenched on the left, and thinks the long-term outlooks for humanity are 'bleak'. ^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

Academic life

He was educated at Prinz-Heinrich-Gymnasium Berlin, St Marylebone Grammar School (now defunct) and King's College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a Ph.D. in history on the Fabian Society. A gymnasium (pronounced with ɡ- in several languages is a type of school providing Secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar St Marylebone Grammar School ( SMGS) was a grammar school in London from 1792 to 1981 King's College Cambridge is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. "PhD" redirects here for other uses see PhD (disambiguation. The Fabian Society is a British Intellectual Socialist movement whose purpose is to advance the principles of Social democracy via Gradualist He was a member of the Cambridge Apostles. The Cambridge Apostles, also known as the Cambridge Conversazione Society, is an elite intellectual Secret society at the University of Cambridge founded

During World War II, he served in the Royal Engineers and the Royal Army Educational Corps. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers ( RE) and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps The Royal Army Educational Corps ( RAEC) was a Corps of the British Army tasked with educating and instructing personnel in a diverse range of skills In 1947, he became a lecturer in history at Birkbeck College, University of London. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lecturer is a term of Academic rank. In the United Kingdom lecturer is the name given to University Teachers in their first permanent History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Birkbeck University of London, sometimes referred to by its former (and still legal name Birkbeck College or by the abbreviation BBK, is a constituent college The University of London is a university based primarily in London, England, UK. He was a visiting professor at Stanford in the 1960s. A visiting scholar, in the world of Academia, is a scholar from an institution who visits a receiving university that hosts him where he or she is projected to teach ( visiting Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 In 1970, he was appointed professor and in 1978 he became a Fellow of the British Academy. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The meaning of the word professor ( Latin: professor, person who professes to be an expert in some art or science teacher of highest rank) varies Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The British Academy is the United Kingdom 's National academy for the Humanities and the Social sciences It was established by Royal Charter

He retired in 1982 but stayed as visiting professor at The New School for Social Research in Manhattan until 1997. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) This is about the university in New York; for other uses see New School (disambiguation. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar He is currently President of Birkbeck College, University of London and Professor Emeritus in The New School for Social Research in the Political Science department. Birkbeck University of London, sometimes referred to by its former (and still legal name Birkbeck College or by the abbreviation BBK, is a constituent college The meaning of the word professor ( Latin: professor, person who professes to be an expert in some art or science teacher of highest rank) varies Political science is a branch of Social sciences that deals with the theory and practice of Politics and the description and analysis of Political systems He speaks English, German, French, Spanish and Italian, and reads Dutch, Portuguese and Catalan. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official One of Hobsbawm's interests is the development of traditions. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of His work is a study of their construction in the context of the nation state. A social construction or social construct is any phenomenon "invented" or "constructed" by participants in a particular Culture or Society For the online game see Jennifer Government NationStates. The nation-state is a certain form of State that derives its legitimacy He argues that many traditions are invented by national elites to justify the existence and importance of their respective nation states. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of

Works

Hobsbawm has written extensively on many subjects as one of Britain's most prominent historians. As a Marxist historiographer he has focused on analysis of the "dual revolution" (the political French revolution and the industrial British revolution). Marxist or historical materialist historiography is a school of Historiography influenced by Marxism. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the He sees their effect as a driving force behind the predominant trend towards liberal capitalism today. Economic liberalism is the Economic component of Classical liberalism. Another recurring theme in his work has been social banditry, a phenomenon that Hobsbawm has tried to place within the confines of relevant societal and historical context thus countering the traditional view of it being a spontaneous and unpredictable form of primitive rebellion. Social bandit or social crime is a term invented by the historian Eric Hobsbawm in his 1965 classic study of popular forms of resistance Primitive Rebels ^{[1][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]}

Outside of his academic historical writing, Hobsbawm has written (under the pseudonym 'Francis Newton' – taken from the name of Billie Holiday's communist trumpet player, Frankie Newton) for the New Statesman as a jazz critic. Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7 1915 – July 17 1959 was an American Jazz singer and songwriter William Frank Newton (Frankie Newton ( January 4, 1906 &ndash March 11, 1954) was a trumpeter from Emory, Virginia. The New Statesman is a British Left-wing political Magazine published weekly in London. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States He has numerous essays published in various intellectual journals, dealing with anything from barbarity in the modern age to the troubles of labour movements and the conflict between anarchism and communism. "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also modern times) is the period of history that followed the Middle Ages between c The labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based His most recent publications are the autobiography, Interesting Times, and Globalisation, Democracy and Terrorism.

Criticism

Hobsbawm has attracted criticism for his support for communism. According to Robert Conquest, in an interview with Canadian author and politician Michael Ignatieff on British television in 1994, Hobsbawm responded to the question of whether 20 million deaths may have been justified if the proposed communist utopia had been created as a consequence by saying "yes" ^[20]. Dr George Robert Ackworth Conquest (born July 15 1917) British Historian, became a well known writer and researcher on the Soviet Union Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Michael Grant Ignatieff, MP (/ɪgˈnatʃəf/ (born May 12, 1947 in Toronto) is a Public intellectual, Historian, Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Utopia is a name for an ideal community taken from the title of a book written in 1516 by Sir Thomas More describing a fictional Island in the In his own 1994 book, The Age of Extremes he wrote that the deaths were beyond justification as this utopia was not created:-

"Still, whatever assumptions are made, the number of direct and indirect victims must be measured in eight rather than seven digits. The Age of Extremes The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991 (ISBN 0-349-10671-1 is a book by Eric Hobsbawm, published in 1994 In these circumstances it does not much matter whether we opt for a 'conservative` estimate nearer to ten than to twenty million or a larger figure: none can be anything but shameful and beyond palliation, let alone justification". ^[21]

This book also revealed a highly critical attitude both to the Russia of Stalin and Khrushchev, and to the West in the era of the Korean and Vietnam wars. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (April 17 1894 – September 11 1971 served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 following The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

Reputation

Hobsbawm has been described as "arguably our greatest living historian — not only Britain's, but the world's. "^[22] James Joll wrote in The New York Review of Books that "Eric Hobsbawm's nineteenth century trilogy is one of the great achievements of historical writing in recent decades. James Bysse Joll ( June 21, 1918 - July 12, 1994) was a historian and university lecturer whose works included The Origins of the First World The New York Review of Books (or NYREV or NYRB) is a semimonthly Magazine on Literature, Culture, and current "^[23] Tony Judt, director of the Erich Maria Remarque Institute at New York University believes that Hobsbawm's tendency to disparage any nationalist movement as passing and irrational weakens his grasp of parts of the 20th century. Tony Judt (born 1948 London, England) is a British Historian, Author and University professor. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. Judt, who is not considered an ally of Hobsbawm, however, also wrote that "Hobsbawm is a cultural folk hero. His fame is well deserved. Hobsbawm doesn't just know more than other historians, he writes better, too. "^[24] In Neal Ascherson's view "Eric's Jewishness increased his sensitivity about nationalism. Charles Neal Ascherson (born October 5, 1932) is a Scottish Journalist. He's the original happy cosmopolitan, who's benefited from being able to move freely. "^[1]

Partial Publication list

Reference

• Campbell, J. The Age of Extremes The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991 (ISBN 0-349-10671-1 is a book by Eric Hobsbawm, published in 1994 "Towards the Great Decision: Review of the The Age of Empire" page 153 from Times Literary Supplement, Volume 4428, February 12, 1988. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar)
• Norah Carlin and Ian Birchall, "Eric Hobsbawm and the working class", from International Socialism, No. Ian Birchall (born 1939 is a British Marxist historian a member of the Socialist Workers Party and author of numerous articles and books particularly relating to the French International Socialism redirects here For the journal of the same name see International Socialism (journal Proletarian internationalism is a 2:21, Autumn 1983.
• Cronin, J. "Creating a Marxist Historiography: the Contribution of Hobsbawm" pages 87-109 from Radical History Review, Volume 19, 1979.
• Genovese, Eugene "The Squandered Century: Review of The Age of Extremes" pages 38-43 from The New Republic, Volume 212, April 17, 1995. Eugene Dominic Genovese (born May 19, 1930) is an award-winning and noted historian of the American South and American slavery Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995
• Hampson, N. "All for the Better? Review of Echoes of the Marseillaise" page 637 from Times Literary Supplement, Volume 4550, June 15, 1990. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)
• Judt, Tony "Downhill All the Way: Review of The Age of Extremes" pages 20-25 from New York Review of Books, May 25, 1995, Volume 49, Issue # 9. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995
• Landes, David "The Ubiquitous Bourgeoisie: Review of The Age of Capital" pages 662-664 from Times Literary Supplement, Volume 3873, June 4, 1976. David S Landes (born New York 1924 is a Professor emeritus of Economics at Harvard University and retired professor of History at Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• McKibblin, R. "Capitalism out of Control: Review of The Age of Extremes" pages 406 from Times Literary Supplement, Volume 4778, October 28, 1994. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)
• Mingay, G. E. "Review of Captain Swing" page 810 from English Historical Review, Volume 85 (337), 1970.
• Samuel, R. and Stedman Jones, Gareth (editors) Culture, Ideology and Politics: Essays for Eric Hobsbawm, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982. Professor Gareth Stedman Jones (born 17 December 1942) is a British Academic and one of the UK's foremost historians
• Seton-Watson, H. "Manufactured Mythologies: Review of The Invention of Tradition" page 1270 from Times Literary Supplement, Volume 4207, November 18, 1983. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)
• Smith, P. "No Vulgar Marxist: Review of On History" page 31 from Times Literary Supplement, Volume 4917, June 27, 1997. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar
• Snowman, Daniel "Eric Hobsbawm" page 16– 18 from History Today, Volume 49, Issue 1, January 1999.
• Thane, P. ; Crossick, G. & Floud, R. (editors) The Power of the Past: Essays for Eric Hobsbawm, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.
• Thane, P. & Lunbeck, E. "Interview with Eric Hobsbawm" pages 29-46 from Visions of History, edited by H. Abelove; B. Blackmar; P. Dimock & J. Schneer, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1983.
• Weber, Eugen "What Rough Beast?" pages 285-298 from Critical Review, Volume 10, Issue # 2, 1996. Eugen Joseph Weber ( April 24, 1925, Bucharest - May 17, 2007, Brentwood Los Angeles California) was a prominent
• Wrigley, Chris "Eric Hobsbawm: an Appreciation" page 2 from Bulletin of the Society for the Study of Labour History, Volume 38, Issue #1, 1984.

Notes