The students of the Union displayed solidarity with other students from around the world and their struggles. On 17 November 1939 (now known as International Students’ Day), the Nazis stormed Czech Universities, killing nine student leaders and sending 1500 students to concentration camps, as well as closing higher education institutions in Czechoslovakia. As a tribute … Read More
The King and Country debate On the evening of 9 February 1933, Oxford Union members assembled for their regular Thursday night debate to consider the motion That this House will in no circumstances fight for its King and Country. The fact the motion was carried, by 275 votes to 153, caused outrage amongst some members … Read More
Whilst the Oxford Union is celebrating its bicentenary year, it seems an appropriate moment to look back at how the Society has celebrated in the past. Jubilee anniversary (1873) The 50th anniversary of the Oxford Union Society was marked by a Jubilee banquet with speeches held in the Corn Exchange (located in the courtyard behind … Read More
Written in 1833 as a humorous account of a conflict within the Oxford Union Society, the poem Uniomachia succeeded in healing divisions and securing the future of the Society. Background From the spring of 1832, the governing Committee of the Oxford Union was controlled by a succession of politically-Conservative members, including Edward Cardwell. In Michaelmas … Read More