Author Archives: briansandberg

Drones and Changing Conceptions of Airspace

Posted on March 5, 2013 by briansandberg

Drones have already significantly transformed the conduct of military operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other areas. Now, drones are beginning to change conceptions of airspace. Yesterday (4 March 2013), an Alitalia pilot on approach to New York’s JFK airport reported … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, History of Violence, Human Rights, Political Culture, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Historians Discuss Papal Resignation

Posted on March 5, 2013 by briansandberg

Historians at the University of California at Santa Barbara are holding a public panel discussion of the papal resignation. Here is the announcement from the UCSB website: UCSB Historians To Examine Pope Benedict XVI’s Resignation Public invited to panel discussion … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, Italian History, Lectures and Seminars, Political Culture, Reformation History, Religious History, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Procedures for the Papal Conclave

Posted on March 4, 2013 by briansandberg

As cardinals prepare to elect a new pope in the Vatican, observers may want a refresher on the procedures for a papal conclave. The Washington Post reports on the preparations for the upcoming papal conclave and provides the following graphic … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, European History, European Wars of Religion, Italian History, Political Culture, Reformation History, Religious History, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Sequestration and Cuts in Education

Posted on March 3, 2013 by briansandberg

How will the sequestration affect education in the United States?  Teachers, professors, and administrators are scrambling to assess the fall-out of the major cuts that will be implemented in educational institutions across the United States. Federal spending cuts will directly … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, Humanities Education, Political Culture | Leave a comment

Holding Your Own Conclave

Posted on March 2, 2013 by briansandberg

As cardinals gather in the Vatican to elect a new pope, other people are holding their own conclaves. The board game “Vatican: Unlock the Secrets of How Men Become Pope” provides a fun way to learn about the process of … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, History in the Media, Humanities Education, Italian History, Political Culture, Religious History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, Uncategorized, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns

Posted on March 1, 2013 by briansandberg

Pope Benedict XVI officially resigned yesterday, becoming the first pope to resign since 1415. Benedict addressed the cardinals for a final time, charging them with electing his replacement: “May the College of Cardinals work like an orchestra, where diversity — … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, European History, Italian History, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment

Atrocities in Vietnam

Posted on February 28, 2013 by briansandberg

The United States military forces committed widespread atrocities during the Vietnam War, according to documents unearthed in the National Archives by journalist Nick Turse. The evidence of numerous mass killings of Vietnamese civilians reveals that the infamous My Lai Massacre … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Empires and Imperialism, History of Violence, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Stephanie Coontz Lecture at NIU

Posted on February 26, 2013 by briansandberg

Stephanie Coontz, a leading gender historian, will be presenting at Northern Illinois University today. Coontz will offer a  seminar on “How to Talk to the Media About Your Scholarship (and Get Them to Listen).” The seminar will be held in … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers in History, Graduate Work in History, Humanities Education, Lectures and Seminars, Northern Illinois University, Undergraduate Work in History, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Betting on the New Pope

Posted on February 23, 2013 by briansandberg

Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise announcement that he will resign and go into retirement stunned the Catholic world. Some Catholics have been protesting Benedict XVI’s decision, claiming that popes can never step down, while other believers have been flocking to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, European History, Italian History, Mediterranean World, Political Culture, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Renaissance Italian Bank in Trouble

Posted on February 22, 2013 by briansandberg

Monte dei Paschi di Siena is in deep financial trouble. “To howls across Italy,” the New York Times reports, “the government has hastily arranged a €3.9 billion, or $5.1 billion, bailout. The widening scandal, which hit at a time of … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Union, Globalization, Italian History, Political Culture, Renaissance Art and History | Leave a comment