Helene von Bismarck
@helenebismarck.bsky.social
Historian and Writer, Anglophile and European. Dr. Phil. FRHistS. Senior Associate Fellow, RUSI.
All views strictly my own.
All views strictly my own.
Reposted by Helene von Bismarck
Yup, we’re affected too. Not just care homes. I heard of a hospice being affected. Dying people on ventilators having to be moved to new locations.
January 6, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Yup, we’re affected too. Not just care homes. I heard of a hospice being affected. Dying people on ventilators having to be moved to new locations.
It is an absolutely appalling situation. A friend told me about the evacuation of a care home in his neighbourhood. Old frail people being forced out into the snow. Inexcusable.
Incredible how little attention this is getting outside Germany. "In its third full day, a ... power failure in Berlin resulting from an arson attack...tens of thousands...making do without heat, electricity, cellphone service & warm food or drinks." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/w...
Thousands in Berlin Go Days Without Power and Cell Service After Cables Are Set on Fire
www.nytimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:44 PM
It is an absolutely appalling situation. A friend told me about the evacuation of a care home in his neighbourhood. Old frail people being forced out into the snow. Inexcusable.
Reposted by Helene von Bismarck
Good example of what might happen if Europe is engaged in war with Russia. Lots of groups - including terrorists - will come out of the woodwork and decide to disrupt/attack when law enforcement is distracted. The terrorism threat goes up, not down, when the state war risk goes up
Tens of thousands of households in Berlin have no power for the last few days, following a sabotage act. It is assumed that this sabotage might have been carried out by a left-wing group (there is a letter of responsibility that is currently being assessed).
www.tagesschau.de/inland/innen...
www.tagesschau.de/inland/innen...
Stromausfall in Berlin: Was über die "Vulkangruppen" bekannt ist
Wer ist für den Stromausfall in Berlin verantwortlich? Aus Sicht der Bundesregierung ist die Authentizität des Bekennerschreibens einer "Vulkangruppe" noch "nicht abschließend geklärt". Wer sind diese...
www.tagesschau.de
January 6, 2026 at 8:35 AM
Good example of what might happen if Europe is engaged in war with Russia. Lots of groups - including terrorists - will come out of the woodwork and decide to disrupt/attack when law enforcement is distracted. The terrorism threat goes up, not down, when the state war risk goes up
Just in case I have any booksellers and book Shops in the UK and or Ireland following me, please tell me about your shop.
January 5, 2026 at 9:50 AM
Just in case I have any booksellers and book Shops in the UK and or Ireland following me, please tell me about your shop.
A new year, which will bring a new book, and feels like a new chapter in lots of ways, merits a new picture. Grateful to the talented Petra Herbert, who specializes in taking pictures of women, for welcoming me to her studio in St Pauli in December. Happy 2026, everyone. Let's make the most of it.
January 5, 2026 at 7:59 AM
A new year, which will bring a new book, and feels like a new chapter in lots of ways, merits a new picture. Grateful to the talented Petra Herbert, who specializes in taking pictures of women, for welcoming me to her studio in St Pauli in December. Happy 2026, everyone. Let's make the most of it.
Someone has (kindly) retweeted an ancient 🧵of mine in which I make a case for -occasionally- looking on the bright side to find strength to improve things& now some trolls have decided that I am a horrid heartless person who is minimising their very real personal problems.
Happy new year everyone.
Happy new year everyone.
January 3, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Someone has (kindly) retweeted an ancient 🧵of mine in which I make a case for -occasionally- looking on the bright side to find strength to improve things& now some trolls have decided that I am a horrid heartless person who is minimising their very real personal problems.
Happy new year everyone.
Happy new year everyone.
Reposted by Helene von Bismarck
Well I cannot pretend to be sad to see 2025 go.
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
December 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Well I cannot pretend to be sad to see 2025 go.
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
Well I cannot pretend to be sad to see 2025 go.
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
December 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Well I cannot pretend to be sad to see 2025 go.
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
Wishing everyone a smooth and joyful ride into 2026.
Let‘s make it better.
❤️🍾
Great. This has ruined my evening.
(Never meet your hero and all that.)
(Never meet your hero and all that.)
SCOOP: Academy Award-nominee Liam Neeson narrated a recent anti-vaccine documentary that glorifies RFK Jr.’s rise to power.
In the film, Neeson—a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador—calls the COVID-19 vaccines “dangerous experiments.”
www.importantcontext.news/p/liam-neeso...
In the film, Neeson—a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador—calls the COVID-19 vaccines “dangerous experiments.”
www.importantcontext.news/p/liam-neeso...
Liam Neeson Narrates Anti-Vax, Pro-RFK Documentary
The Taken actor can be heard calling mRNA COVID vaccines “dangerous experiments.”
www.importantcontext.news
December 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Great. This has ruined my evening.
(Never meet your hero and all that.)
(Never meet your hero and all that.)
Best Books about Eleanor Roosevelt?
Go.
Go.
December 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Best Books about Eleanor Roosevelt?
Go.
Go.
I did not expect this.
🚨BREAKING🚨
MPs have voted to PASS our bill to establish a UK-EU customs union.
The Prime Minister must now listen to his own MPs, drop his self-imposed red lines and finally go for proper growth through an ambitious trade deal with the EU.
MPs have voted to PASS our bill to establish a UK-EU customs union.
The Prime Minister must now listen to his own MPs, drop his self-imposed red lines and finally go for proper growth through an ambitious trade deal with the EU.
December 9, 2025 at 3:34 PM
I did not expect this.
Reposted by Helene von Bismarck
With the upcoming BBC Charter review we have a very interesting bit of work out tomorrow on public service broadcasting. Watch this space!
December 8, 2025 at 9:10 PM
With the upcoming BBC Charter review we have a very interesting bit of work out tomorrow on public service broadcasting. Watch this space!
🧵
The EU discourse is perfect because there's something in it for everyone. First of all, the European Union genuinely does have a lot of problems. But more importantly, a lot of people hate it for largely unrelated and often contradictory reasons. It's a great enemy
December 8, 2025 at 10:44 AM
🧵
Reposted by Helene von Bismarck
Put that on the paperback
Kremlin says new US security strategy accords largely with Russia's view reut.rs/4qefvUL
Kremlin says new US security strategy accords largely with Russia's view
The U.S. National Security Strategy described Trump's vision as one of "flexible realism."
reut.rs
December 7, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Put that on the paperback
Calling all followers working in British universities and science. Am well aware of all the difficulties with funding etc.
BUT.
Tell me what is great at your Institution? Recent breakthroughs, fantastic Labs, wonderful libraries, etc?!
BUT.
Tell me what is great at your Institution? Recent breakthroughs, fantastic Labs, wonderful libraries, etc?!
December 7, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Calling all followers working in British universities and science. Am well aware of all the difficulties with funding etc.
BUT.
Tell me what is great at your Institution? Recent breakthroughs, fantastic Labs, wonderful libraries, etc?!
BUT.
Tell me what is great at your Institution? Recent breakthroughs, fantastic Labs, wonderful libraries, etc?!
I usually stay out of this stuff but the intrusiveness is grating. As is the need her siblings feel to talk to the Media.
Thomas Markle has not seen the Duchess of Sussex since her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018
Meghan emails her gravely ill father in hospital
www.thetimes.com
December 7, 2025 at 7:15 AM
I usually stay out of this stuff but the intrusiveness is grating. As is the need her siblings feel to talk to the Media.
It is my opinion that people should focus more on
"How do we get through the next five years?"
and less on
"If only it was 2015 again!“
"How do we get through the next five years?"
and less on
"If only it was 2015 again!“
December 6, 2025 at 8:18 PM
It is my opinion that people should focus more on
"How do we get through the next five years?"
and less on
"If only it was 2015 again!“
"How do we get through the next five years?"
and less on
"If only it was 2015 again!“
Reposted by Helene von Bismarck
Prime Minister of Poland. 🇵🇱
December 6, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Prime Minister of Poland. 🇵🇱
It is in my opinion a more realistic and constructive way forward than to yell "Rejoin tomorrow“.
Obviously this is a terrible polling question. But it is I think how the debate will be framed. Prosperity vs decline - in effect the reverse of 2016. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
Labour voters want Starmer to rejoin EU customs union instead of raising taxes
Exclusive: Some 67 per cent of 2024 Labour voters back rejoining the customs union instead of raising taxes, a new poll shows
www.independent.co.uk
December 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM
It is in my opinion a more realistic and constructive way forward than to yell "Rejoin tomorrow“.
This is all deeply weird
The Liz Truss Show review – hapless ravings from a cupboard
The Liz Truss Show review – hapless ravings from a cupboard
Britain’s briefest PM kept her fans waiting before launching her latest plea for Maga attention in the form of a ham-fisted YouTube talk show
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:57 AM
This is all deeply weird
Excellent article by @robertshrimsley.bsky.social
Labour is slow-marching working people to populism on.ft.com/4peZkpR
Labour is slow-marching working people to populism
Insurgent parties to left and right peddle nonsense economics but enjoy dramatically rising support
on.ft.com
December 4, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Excellent article by @robertshrimsley.bsky.social
This is wonderful and also true.
The analogies you draw, the thoughts you suddely have, the roads you pursue, the structures you comprehend, simply because a piece of art or theatre shakes you up and makes you think differently.
The analogies you draw, the thoughts you suddely have, the roads you pursue, the structures you comprehend, simply because a piece of art or theatre shakes you up and makes you think differently.
December 2, 2025 at 7:09 PM
This is wonderful and also true.
The analogies you draw, the thoughts you suddely have, the roads you pursue, the structures you comprehend, simply because a piece of art or theatre shakes you up and makes you think differently.
The analogies you draw, the thoughts you suddely have, the roads you pursue, the structures you comprehend, simply because a piece of art or theatre shakes you up and makes you think differently.
The fact that this insight is served with a heavy dose of almost superhuman confidence is the cérise on the gateau.
Pinched this video from @cjsnowdon.bsky.social on Twitter because Bluesky has to see it.
Nothing can prepare you for the punchline here.
Nothing can prepare you for the punchline here.
December 2, 2025 at 4:17 PM
The fact that this insight is served with a heavy dose of almost superhuman confidence is the cérise on the gateau.
Oh dear oh dear.
Pinched this video from @cjsnowdon.bsky.social on Twitter because Bluesky has to see it.
Nothing can prepare you for the punchline here.
Nothing can prepare you for the punchline here.
December 2, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Oh dear oh dear.
Fabelhafter Satz.
„Der einfache Gedanke daran, wer die Menschen sind, denen die erbärmlich äußerliche Zufallsmacht gegeben ist, mir mein Deutschtum abzusprechen, reicht hin, diesen Akt in seiner ganzen Lächerlichkeit erscheinen zu lassen."
Thomas Mann zu seiner Ausbürgerung am 2. Dezember 1936.

Thomas Mann zu seiner Ausbürgerung am 2. Dezember 1936.

December 2, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Fabelhafter Satz.