Early Academic Career and War Service
After graduating, he became a fellow of All Souls College. In 1935, he undertook a ten-month trip to Moscow, Soviet Union. There he became fluent in Russian and studied Soviet historical scholarship, particularly that relating to Britain. After returning to England in 1936, he accepted a teaching position as an assistant lecturer at the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire. During his time at Cardiff, attempted to join the International Brigade and fight in the Spanish Civil War, but was rejected. Instead, he was active in helping Basque refugees, displaced by the war. After two years at Cardiff, he returned to Balliol College in 1938 as a fellow and tutor of history.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the British Army, initially as a Private in the Field Security Police. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on 2 November 1940 with the service number 156590. That same year, he took part in a debate among many Marxist historians. At around this time, Hill started to publish his articles and reviews about 17th century English history. On 19 October 1941, he transferred to the Intelligence Corps. He was seconded to the Foreign Office from 1943 until the war ended.
Read more about this topic: Christopher Hill (historian)
Famous quotes containing the words early academic, early, academic, career, war and/or service:
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