Why ideals defeated common culture in WW1

Ideology triumphed over common culture in the First World War, historian Sir Hew Strachan told a packed Cardiff University public lecture. The celebrated war historian told 250 eager listeners that the war took just weeks to break common cultural links and replace them with the crude ideologies of war.

The event's organiser Dr Richard Marsden said, 'It is fantastic to see so many people from all walks of life here this evening. This lecture series is all about taking research out of the ivory tower and putting it at the disposal of the public. We hear a lot about 'research impact' in universities these days. Sir Hew's research has certainly had an impact on hundreds of people here tonight, and he was given a run for his money with some great questions at the end.'

Attendees also enjoyed a cheese and wine reception before the lecture. The reception showcased some of the community-focused history courses and outreach projects at the Centre for Lifelong Learning and also the School of History, Archaeology and Religion.

This lecture was part of the Exploring the Past Free Lecture series offered by the Centre for Lifelong Learning in collaboration with the Historical Association. These talks run on a monthly basis and offer members of the public the chance to find out about cutting-edge research in the Humanities.

The lecture series itself is an off-shoot of the Exploring the Past pathway, which offers a flexible route onto degrees in History, Archaeology and Religion to adult learners without formal qualifications. This is just one of a number of similar routes run by the Centre for Lifelong Learning as part of its Pathways to a Degree programme.

To find out more about part time courses visit www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn or call 029 2087 0000