Category Archives: European Studies

George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Modern America

Posted on July 28, 2025 by briansandberg

Charlie English has published an essay in The New York Times on the role that George Orwell’s 1984 played in the Cold War, drawing comparisons to the book being banned in the United States in the twenty-first century. English is … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Academic Publishing, Authoritarianism, Civil Rights Issues, Education Policy, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, High School History Teaching, History in the Media, History of the Book, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Information Management, Intellectual History, international relations, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Public History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Misreading the History of Tariffs

Posted on April 7, 2025 by briansandberg

The Trump administration has clearly made a massive mistake in calculating its so-called “reciprocal” tariff rates, seriously damaging global economic systems in the process. President Trump has blundered into a major trade war that is reckless and based on gross … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Studies, European Union, Political History of the United States, Public History, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Le Pen Guilty of Embezzlement, Barred from Politics

Posted on March 31, 2025 by briansandberg

French politician Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally) political party, has been found guilty of embezzling millions of euros in European Parliament funds. She was found guilty of using the European Union funds illegally to … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary France, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Parties and Organizations, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Marine Le Pen Embezzlement Trial in France

Posted on March 31, 2025 by briansandberg

The French public awaits the verdict in Marine Le Pen’s embezzlement trial, which is expected to conclude tomorrow (Monday 31 March). Le Pen is the leader of the far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally) political party, which has has its roots … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary France, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, Legal history, Political Culture, Political Parties and Organizations | Leave a comment

Attack on U.S. Research and Education: French Views

Posted on March 17, 2025 by briansandberg

I participated in a workshop on Guerres de Religion et Changement Climatique (Religious Wars and Climate Change) at the IMéRA (Institute for Advanced Study) in Marseille, France, on 11 March 2025. This was a workshop that I co-organized with Jérémie … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Climate Change, Contemporary France, Current Research, Education Policy, Environmental History, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, French Wars of Religion, History of Science, History of Violence, Little Ice Age, Mediterranean World, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, United States History and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Trump’s Berating of President Zelensky

Posted on March 4, 2025 by briansandberg

“As Mr. Trump admonished President Volodymyr Zelensky and warned him that ‘you don’t have the cards’ to deal with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and as Vice President JD Vance dressed down the Ukrainian leader as being ‘disrespectful’ and … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Studies, European Union, Security Studies, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

History Summer School at Glasgow

Posted on March 3, 2025 by briansandberg

The University of Glasgow is hosting a History International Summer School during Summer 2025. History students at Northern Illinois University interested in the Glasgow program or other study abroad programs should contact me via email. Here is the announcement from … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Studies, Graduate Work in History, Study Abroad, Undergraduate Work in History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cold War Still Shapes Elections in Germany

Posted on February 26, 2025 by briansandberg

The Cold War continues to shape current German society and its voting patterns over 30 years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the beginning of German Reunification. This past weekend’s German Elections demonstrate that the frontiers … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, European History, European Studies, European Union, History of the Western World, Political Culture, Political Parties and Organizations, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Three Years of War in Ukraine

Posted on February 24, 2025 by briansandberg

Today, we are remembering the Russian invasion of Ukraine and marking the third anniversary of the start of the current Russian – Ukrainian War. The war began with a major Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that sought to … Continue reading →

Posted in Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, History of the Western World, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, War, Culture, and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe in Trumplandia

Posted on February 22, 2025 by briansandberg

Europeans are in shock after the recent Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of European diplomats and international security officials in Germany. Academic colleagues and friends across Europe have been contacting me to ask what exactly the Trump administration is … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Authoritarianism, Contemporary France, Democracy, European History, European Studies, European Union, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Italian History, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Parties and Organizations, Security Studies, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment