Charles Kevin Matthews

Charles Kevin Matthews

Charles Kevin Matthews

Assistant Professor

European History: Britain, Ireland, 19th and 20th century Europe, Anglo-American relations

Kevin Matthews earned a Ph.D. in History at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2000. Earlier, he received a B.A. in History at Northern Kentucky University, and master’s degrees from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky and the American University in International Relations and Journalism, respectively.   In 2003-2004, he was the Visiting Professor of British History at American University.

Dr. Matthews also was an editorial writer for several newspapers in the United States and Italy; he was U.S. correspondent for Vatican Radio and, later, reported on British and Irish news from London for the network.  More recently, he has appeared on China Global Television Network's "The World Today" and "Global Business" newscasts to discuss British politics and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, or "Brexit".  He has also been interviewed about these issues on "Morning Wave in Busan", South Korea's daily English-language radio news program, and Hong Kong International Business Channel's "Talk the Walk".  These interviews are available via:

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CHANNEL (HKIBC)
27 February 2021 - Global influence: the US, the EU, & China (two-part interview)
https://www.facebook.com/hkibcnews/videos/258954939228010
https://www.facebook.com/hkibcnews/videos/434035027860917

"MORNING WAVE IN BUSAN" INTERVIEWS:

http://befm.or.kr/program/template.php?midx=89&pg=morning&cn=morning_sp

Listings:
1009    2019-08-06    Brexit updates BeFM
1050    2019-10-22    Brexit BeFM
1082    2019-12-17    UKs General election BeFM
1097    2020-01-15    Prince Harry & Meghan's Departure BeFM
1107    2020-02-04    Brexit BeFM
1137    2020-03-26    Special COVID-19 Report: the US BeFM
1147    2020-04-14    COVID-19 Special Report: the U.S. BeFM
1175    2020-06-08    George Floyd death & protests BeFM
1185    2020-06-24    Modern-day slavery BeFM
1233    2020-09-21    Brexit crisis BeFM
1239    2020-09-30    Europe's migrant crisis

CHINA GLOBAL TELEVISION NETWORK APPEARANCES:

10 December 2018 - UK Parliament delays Brexit vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSoU3DOBavM
15 January 2019 - British Parliament defeats Brexit deal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJRr_toPPjY
15 January 2019 - Theresa May faces “no confidence” vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hb83qul7xs
12 March 2019 - UK lawmakers reject new Brexit withdrawal measure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiYiyRV24aY
13 March 2019 - Has Theresa May lost control of the Conservative Party?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS85vfQ9XXY
29 March 2019 - Fallout from Brexit negotiations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIck9dLyoSA
3 May 2019 - Impact of local elections on British politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_cCEvkM_Yo
23 May 2019 - EU Parliament election results
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjd77OrFYU
3 June 2019 - U.S. President Trump visits the UK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pkz2Aysgrg
9 July 2019 - British Conservative Party leadership debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D24EkUasbgg
23 July 2019 - British Prime Minister Theresa May’s legacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDqHdDkQnDA
28 July 2019 - Prospects for Boris Johnson premiership
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1v_kJXU2yw
29 August 2019 - Options for British withdrawal from the European Union
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMX-Dl-ZZGg
2 September 2019 - UK lawmakers’ opposition to no-deal Brexit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHTZaqOUxDc
4 September 2019 - British Parliament rejects UK crash-out from EU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l86kcyIt_oU
19 October 2019 - UK Parliament delays Brexit vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG1y1c_O9L4
25 October 2019 - Latest twists and turns in Brexit saga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtTAY0pda8o
13 December 2019 - Implications of Boris Johnson election victory
https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2019-12-15/Kevin-Matthews-on-the-implications-of-a-conservative-win-for-the-UK-EU-MqwFEaG7LO/index.html
25 January 2020 - U.S. hopes to reach new UK trade deal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vryXlmQvVn0
31 January 2020 - UK formally leaves European Union
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRteiydybFA
8 February 2020 - Republic of Ireland election results
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxTm4DZMw0
20 December 2020 - Brexit talks nearing collapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7UcJk_nytE
24 December 2020 - UK and EU achieve last-minute Brexit agreement
https://youtu.be/eWKYqAGi25s
30 December 2020 - China-EU agreement deals blow to US economic leadership
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pJBxewIfmc&feature=youtube'
5 September 2022 - Liz Truss becomes Britain’s next prime minister
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShNJ3atIvqE
8 September 2022 - Death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZBOfxEzK4w

Current Research

Dr. Matthews is currently working on a book-length study of the role played by the Irish conflict in the career of Winston Churchill.

Selected Publications

“Churchill and the Ulster Unionists: 1918-25", in Robert McNamara (ed.), The Churchills in Ireland, 1660-1965: Connections and Controversies (Irish Academic Press, 2012)

 Fatal Influence: The Impact of Ireland on British Politics, 1920-1925 (Dublin, 2004)

 “Stanley Baldwin’s ‘Irish Question”, The Historical Journal, Vol. 43, 4 (Cambridge, 2000), pp. 1027-49

 Wrote the “Black and Tans and Auxiliaries”, “Michael Collins”, “Eamon de Valera”, “Easter Rising”, and (co-wrote) “Ireland” entries in Spencer C. Tucker (ed.), The Encyclopedia of World War I (Santa Barbara, California, 2005)

 Dr Matthews has also written numerous book reviews for Cercles: Revue pluridiscipline du monde anglophone, History: Reviews of New Books, and H-Net Reviews, as well as opinion columns as a freelance writer for several newspapers, including recently:

“Will the Republicans Take the Fascist Option?”, History News Network, 10 January 2021
https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/178702

“Winston Churchill was many things — but 'racist' was not one of them”, The Hill (Washington, DC), 15 June 2020
https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/502684-winston-churchill-was-many-things-but-racist-was-not-one-of-them

In September 2019, he was interviewed by TIME magazine about the historical accuracy of the film "Downton Abbey".  The article can be found at:
https://time.com/5680473/downton-abbey-movie-real-history/

Courses Taught

HIST 100: Survey of Western Civilization

HIST 120: Survey of U.S. History

HIST 122: Development of Modern America

HIST 125: Introduction to World History

HIST 309: Europe in Crisis, 1914-1948

HIST 322: Survey of Modern Britain

HIST 388: Ethnic Conflict & Democracy: Britain & Ireland, 1900-2000

HIST 388: The Boers to the Beatles: Britain, 1900-1970

HIST 389: Era of the Second World War

HIST 606: Themes in Modern Europe II

HIST 635: From Peace to War to Welfare State: Great Britain, 1900-1956

HIST 635: The European Civil War, 1900-1945

 

Recent Presentations

“Churchill & Partition”, Paper presented at The Churchills and Ireland: An International Conference at the University of Ulster, Belfast, 18-19 June 2009

"The European Civil War: 1900-1945", Smithsonian Associates presentation, 11 June 2018

"Churchill: The Man Behind the Myths", Smithsonian Associates (daylong) presentation, 9 March 2019

"The Battle of Britain", Smithsonian Associates presentation, 21 November 2019

"Operation Drumbeat: The Nazi Campaign to Defeat America on its own Shores", Smithsonian Associates presentation, 12 May 2021

"Ireland's Fight for Freedom", Smithsonian Associates presentation, 28 October 2021

"Churchill: The Man Behind the Myths", Smithsonian Associates (daylong) encore presentation, 19 March 2022

"Overfed, Overpaid, Oversexed — and Over There: Yanks in Britain in World War II", Smithsonian Associates presentation, 19 May 2002

"Ike — Eisenhower from D-Day to the Defeat of Hitler's Germany", Smithsonian Associates presentation, 12 January 2023

"Ireland's Fight for Freedom", Profs & Pints-DC presentation, 15 March 2023

"When Nazis Prowled our Coasts", Profs & Pints-DC presentation, 14 June 2023

Upcoming:

"The Legacy of the Treaty of Versailles", Smithsonian Associates presentation, 11 September 2023