Richard Evans (historian)

Richard Evans (historian)
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Name	Richard Evans
Caption	Sir Richard Evans (historian)
Birth date	1947
Birth place	Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
Alma mater	Jesus College, Cambridge, University of Cambridge
Occupation	Historian, author, professor
Notable works	The Third Reich at War; The Coming of the Third Reich; The Third Reich in Power

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Richard Evans (historian) is a British historian noted for his work on modern history, especially the history of Germany and the Third Reich. He has held senior academic positions at University of Cambridge, contributed to public debates on World War I, World War II, Nazism, and Holocaust studies, and authored influential monographs and syntheses that engage with scholars such as Ian Kershaw, Timothy Snyder, E. H. Carr, A. J. P. Taylor, and Christopher Browning.

Early life and education

Evans was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire and educated at Shrewsbury School. He studied history at Jesus College, Cambridge under tutors influenced by historiographical figures like Geoffrey Barraclough, E. P. Thompson, E. H. Carr, and A. J. P. Taylor. His doctoral work at University of Cambridge engaged with archival collections from institutions such as the German Historical Institute, the Bundesarchiv, and the Foreign Office records, situating him in debates alongside historians like Hans Rothfels, Fritz Fischer, Alan Bullock, and Hajo Holborn.

Evans began his teaching career at University of Cambridge and later became Professor of Modern History, affiliating with colleges including King's College, Cambridge and Pembroke College, Cambridge. He served on governing bodies such as the British Academy and worked with research institutions including the Institute of Historical Research, Royal Historical Society, and the German Historical Institute London. Evans has supervised doctoral students who have joined faculties at University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University College London, Yale University, Princeton University, and Harvard University. He has lectured at venues like the Institute for Advanced Study, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Archives (UK), and the Library of Congress.

Evans's scholarship concentrates on German Empire, Weimar Republic, and Nazi Germany. His magisterial trilogy—The Coming of the Third Reich, The Third Reich in Power, and The Third Reich at War—interacts with works by Ian Kershaw, Timothy Mason, Richard J. Evans, Martin Broszat, Hans Mommsen, and Saul Friedländer. He has published on themes connected to the Treaty of Versailles, Reparations, the Beer Hall Putsch, and the Night of the Long Knives, engaging archival sources from the Reichstagsprotokolle and correspondence of figures such as Adolf Hitler, Paul von Hindenburg, Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Göring, and Heinrich Himmler. His monographs examine continuity and rupture with comparisons to historiography of France, Britain, Russia, and Austria, and dialogue with scholars like François Furet, Orlando Figes, Timothy Garton Ash, Mark Mazower, and Tony Judt. Evans has contributed to debates on Holocaust denial opposing figures like David Irving and engaging legal and ethical institutions including the High Court (England and Wales), Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, and the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg.

Evans has been active in public history through television series, radio broadcasts, and print journalism. He participated in documentary projects for the BBC, lectured for programs associated with Channel 4, and contributed to discussions on BBC Radio 4 and The Guardian, often in conversation with journalists and historians like David Cesarani, Niall Ferguson, Simon Schama, A. J. P. Taylor, and Jeremy Paxman. He gave expert testimony in high-profile libel and revisionism cases, engaged with civic institutions such as the Imperial War Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Wiener Library, and delivered public lectures at the Royal Institution, Chatham House, and Camden Town Hall. Evans has appeared on panels with commentators from The Times, The Independent, The New York Times, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and Le Monde.

Evans's recognitions include fellowships and honours from the British Academy, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz), and election as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He has received honorary degrees from universities such as Heidelberg University, University of Munich, University of Oxford, University of Glasgow, and University of Edinburgh, and awards connected to organisations including the Wolfson History Prize, the Hessell-Tiltman Prize, and the Cundill History Prize. He has been a visiting fellow at institutions like the Institute of Historical Research, All Souls College, Oxford, and the Centre for Advanced Holocaust Studies.