Category Archives: Empires and Imperialism

Reenactment of Austerlitz

Posted on December 4, 2012 by briansandberg

Austerlitz has been fought once again. The anniversary of the battle of Austerlitz was 2 December and historical reenactors once again took to the battlefield to commemorate one of the most celebrated victories of Napoleon. Emperor Napoleon’s Grand Armée fought … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Empires and Imperialism, European History, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, Uncategorized, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Napoleon’s Letter on Destroying the Kremlin in 1812

Posted on December 3, 2012 by briansandberg

During Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812, the French emperor came to the realization that he would have to abandon Moscow and order the retreat of his Grand Armée. In a coded letter to his foreign minister, he announced that … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Early Modern Europe, Empires and Imperialism, European History, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

English Translations of the Iliad

Posted on January 25, 2012 by briansandberg

Homer’s The Iliad has been translated and re-translated into English numerous times.  Willis G. Reiger, director of the University of Illinois Press, points out that “according to The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation, the Iliad is among the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Empires and Imperialism, European History, History in the Media, History of the Book, Mediterranean World, Noble Culture and History of Elites, War, Culture, and Society, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Imperial Rivalry in the Modern Mediterranean

Posted on January 15, 2012 by briansandberg

France and Turkey are now contending for political and economic dominance in the Mediterranean in the wake of the Arab Spring revolutions. Soner Cagaptay, a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, argues that the imperial legacies … Continue reading →

Posted in Comparative Revolutions, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, Mediterranean World, Political Culture | 2 Comments

Accounts of Haditha Massacre Salvaged

Posted on December 14, 2011 by briansandberg

The New York Times is claiming that one of its reporters has salvaged classified documents that were part of an internal United States military investigation of the 2005 Haditha Massacre, one of the pivotal events of the Iraq War. Photo … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Empires and Imperialism, History of Violence, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

States of Early Modernity: Symposium at the Newberry

Posted on September 22, 2011 by briansandberg

Newberry Center for Renaissance Studies A Symposium and Workshop on States of Early Modernity Registration deadline: Friday, September 30 Symposium: Friday, October 14, 2011, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Leaders: Crystal Bartolovich, Syracuse University Victoria Kahn, University of California, Berkeley … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, State Development Theory | Leave a comment

Runaway Societies and Stateless Peoples

Posted on September 7, 2011 by briansandberg

Runaway societies, or maroon communities, have been known for centuries. Some African slaves in the early modern Caribbean and South America were able to escape from plantations and form their own communities in dense rainforests and mountainous areas. Other stateless … Continue reading →

Posted in Empires and Imperialism, Globalization, State Development Theory | Leave a comment

EU as the “Sick Man of Europe”

Posted on April 22, 2011 by briansandberg

Is the European Union the “sick man of Europe”? This formulation represents an intriguing twist on historical references to the Ottoman Empire as the “sick man of Europe.” Eurozine has published a series of articles entitled “Europe Talks to Europe” … Continue reading →

Posted in Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Union, Mediterranean World | Leave a comment

Afghan War in Film

Posted on April 17, 2011 by briansandberg

A new documentary, Where Soldiers Come From, tells the story of a group of young men from Michigan who enlist in the National Guard and serve in the Afghan War.  The film was screened at the South by Southwest (SXSW) … Continue reading →

Posted in Empires and Imperialism, History of Violence, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

New French Military Policy

Posted on April 10, 2011 by briansandberg

Nicolas Sarkozy has suddenly developed a new French foreign policy that stresses aggressive military intervention.  The French Armée de l’Air has intervened powerfully in the Libyan civil war and French ground forces are on the ground in the Ivory Coast … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Empires and Imperialism, French History, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment