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Journals / Tarihyazımı / 2025 / Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2

The influence of Dona Torr on British Marxist historiography

İngiliz Marksist tarih yazımında Dona Torr’un etkisi

Gülsüm Tütüncü(Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi)0000-0001-8450-6831
Pages
130–151
Publication Date
2025-12-24
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This study aims to examine the influence of Dona Torr's work as a political activist and women's historian on British Marxist Historians, and to identify the historical conditions that marked the beginning of a transformation in historical writing.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Dona Torr (1883-1957), was an English Marxist historian and journalist who played a key role in uniting the English Marxist Historians, also known as the ‘Historians Group,’ and in supporting them in their early work.
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Key Findings & Data:The most important reasons for this are her role as a political activist and founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), and the fact that, due to health problems, she remained outside the debates and activities from 1956 onwards.
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Conclusion & Impact:This study aims to examine the influence of Dona Torr's work as a political activist and women's historian on British Marxist Historians, and to identify the historical conditions that marked the beginning of a transformation in historical writing.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Marksist Tarih Yazımı · Dona Torr · Komünist Parti Tarihçi Grup (KPTG)

Abstract

Dona Torr (1883-1957), was an English Marxist historian and journalist who played a key role in uniting the English Marxist Historians, also known as the ‘Historians Group,’ and in supporting them in their early work. Its most notable members included Eric Hobsbawm, Christopher Hill, E. Palmer Thompson, Dorothy Thompson, John Saville, Raphael Samuel, Rodney Hilton, Victor Kiernan, Maurice H. Dobb, and Max Morris. These historians, particularly Hobsbawm and E. P. Thompson, transformed the writing of twentieth-century socio-economic history through their concept of ‘History from Below’. Although Torr proposed formation of the group and brought its members together, she remains the least well-known member. The most important reasons for this are her role as a political activist and founding member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), and the fact that, due to health problems, she remained outside the debates and activities from 1956 onwards. This study aims to examine the influence of Dona Torr's work as a political activist and women's historian on British Marxist Historians, and to identify the historical conditions that marked the beginning of a transformation in historical writing.

Özet

İngiliz Marksist tarihçi ve gazeteci olan Dona Torr (1883-1957), ‘Tarihçi Grup’ olarak bilinen İngiliz Marksist Tarihçilerin biraraya gelmesinde ve ilk dönem çalışmalarında çok etkili olmuş bir isimdir. Grubun en bilinen üyeleri Eric Hobsbawm, Christopher Hill, E. Palmer Thompson, Dorothy Thompson, John Saville, Raphael Samuel, Rodney Hilton, Victor Kiernan, Maurice H. Dobb ve Max Morris’tir. Bu tarihçilerden her biri, başta Hobsbawm ve E. P. Thompson olmak üzere ‘Aşağıdan Tarih’ kavramı ile yirminci yüzyıl sosyo-ekonomik tarih yazımını değiştirmişlerdir. Torr, grubun kurulması fikrini ortaya atan ve grubu bir araya getiren isim olmasına rağmen grubun en az bilinen üyesi durumundadır. Bunun en önemli nedeni Büyük Britanya Komünist Partisi (BBKP) kurucu üyelerinden olarak siyasi bir aktivist olması; sağlık durumu nedeniyle 1956 yılından itibaren tartışma ve çalışmaların dışında kalmasıdır. Bu çalışmanın amacı; Dona Torr’un siyasi bir aktivist ve kadın tarihçi olarak çalışmaları ile İngiliz Marksist Tarihçiler üzerindeki etkisini açıklamak ve İngiltere’de tarih yazımının değiştiği başlangıç noktasının tarihsel koşullarını tespit etmektir.

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Cite This Article

Tütüncü, G. (2025). The influence of Dona Torr on British Marxist historiography. Tarihyazımı, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2, 130–151. https://doi.org/10.17497/tarihyazimi.1822077

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