Category Archives: Arms Control

Ukraine War

My students in HIST 384 History of War since 1500 at Northern Illinois University are following the developments in the Ukraine War, which relates directly to the themes we are studying this semester. I have opened an optional Discussion Forum … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Comparative Revolutions, European History, European Studies, European Union, Revolts and Revolutions, Security Studies, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | 4 Comments

The Ukrainian Crisis and the History of War

The current Ukrainian Crisis is being analyzed by security studies and international relations analysts primarily through the lens of recent Russian History and Eastern European Studies (using area studies approaches). War and Society Studies may offer some different perspectives on … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Civil Conflict, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, History in the Media, History of Violence, Peacemaking Processes, Political Culture, Political Theory, Security Studies, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

History and Security Studies

The Triangle Institute for Security Studies (TISS) is organizing its annual New Faces conference, an academic conference that focuses on early career scholars in security studies. The TISS website indicates that “The Triangle Institute for Security Studies (TISS) is a … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Civil Conflict, Comparative Revolutions, Conferences, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, Graduate Work in History, History of Violence, Laws of War, Peacemaking Processes, Political Culture, Political Theory, Revolts and Revolutions, Security Studies, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Chicago Surpasses 800 Homicides in 2021

The city of Chicago passed a tragic milestone recently, as the 800th person this year was killed. According to WBEZ, “Chicago already has more than 800 homicide deaths in 2021, the most violent year in a quarter century, according to … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Civil Conflict, History of Violence, Illinois History and Society, United States History and Society, Urban History | Leave a comment

Lael Weinberger review of Samuel Moyn’s Humane

I am pleased to see that Lael Weinberger has published a review of Samuel Moyn’s Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War (2021)! Lael earned a MA in History at Northern Illinois University and then went on … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, History in the Media, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Northern Illinois University, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Research Position in War Studies

King’s College London is offering a position as Research Associate in the Department of War Studies. The short description of the position reads: “The post holder will work alongside the Research and Knowledge Transfer Manager of the Centre for Science … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, History of Violence, Jobs and Positions, Strategy and International Politics, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

On the Business of War

The business of war is unfortunately all too present in today’s world, yet the activities of weapons researchers and developers, arms manufacturers, military contractors, military gear designers, military trade shows, gun dealers, military suppliers, and private military companies are not … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Civilians and Refugees in War, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Laws of War, Strategy and International Politics, War and Society, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

“Time for Another Kent State”? Politicians Target Campuses for Violence

Politicians are targeting university campuses for repressive violence. One of the of the most shocking recent incitements to violence against students came in 2017, when Dan Adamini (Republican), Secretary of the Marquette County Republican Party, advocated using firearms to stop … Continue reading

Posted in Academic Freedom, Arms Control, Civil Conflict, Conferences, History in the Media, History of Violence, Human Rights, Northern Illinois University, Peacemaking Processes, Political Culture, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

When Robots Can Kill

Robotic technology is advancing rapidly, raising questions about decision-making processes in shooting to kill. Although robotics have many applications, much of the research on robots is funded by military services and defense contractors. This raises serious ethical questions for university … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, History of Science, History of Violence, Laws of War, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Is Violence Contagious?

A new article in The Atlantic provocatively states that “Violence is Contagious.” Drawing on recent sociological and psychological studies, the article suggests that violence spreads like an epidemic. Certainly, metaphors frequently compare violence to a disease. Waves of violence are … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment