Category Archives: European Union

French Way of War

Posted on January 19, 2013 by briansandberg

The French intervention in Mali against Islamist militant groups has drawn worldwide attention to French military forces and their capabilities. French politicians seem concerned to maintain an independent foreign policy that is distinct from NATO and European Union international politics. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Civil Conflict, European History, European Union, French History, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Newtown Massacre Viewed From Europe

Posted on January 15, 2013 by briansandberg

A month after the Newtown massacre, people around the world are remembering the victims and attempting to understand the mass killing. Having recently returned from a research trip to Europe, I thought that an examination of European perceptions of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, European History, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Political Culture | 1 Comment

French Air Power in Mali

Posted on January 14, 2013 by briansandberg

The French military intervention in Mali is only a few days old, but already French air power is having an impact. According to the French Defense Minister, Rafale and Mirage fighter-bombers have flown a number of sorties over Mali, bombing … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, European History, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Mediterranean World, Political Culture, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

French Military Intervention in Mali

Posted on January 12, 2013 by briansandberg

French President François Hollande has launched a military intervention into war-torn Mali, where a civil war has been raging for months. The French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault explained the rationale for the French intervention, claiming that military action is justified … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Empires and Imperialism, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Mediterranean World, Political Culture, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, Uncategorized, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Political Assassinations in Paris

Posted on January 10, 2013 by briansandberg

Three Kurdish women were murdered in Paris yesterday in the offices of the Kurdish Institute. The women were all political activists affiliated with the PKK, a Kurdish nationalist group active in Turkey and Iraq. Sakine Cansiz, one of the co-founders … Continue reading →

Posted in European Union, French History, Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Human Rights, Paris History, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Piazza Fontana and Romanzo di una Strage

Posted on December 2, 2012 by briansandberg

Major historical events often have to wait for years to receive serious treatment in historical film, especially in the case of controversial episodes that produce sharply opposing narratives of those events. For the first time, the bombing in Piazza Fontana … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, European History, European Union, Historical Film, History of Violence, Italian History, Political Culture, Terrorism, Uncategorized, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

World Poll on US Presidential Election

Posted on October 24, 2012 by briansandberg

If the United States Presidential Election were a worldwide election, it wouldn’t even be close: Obama would win in a massive landslide. The BBC recently conducted a worldwide poll, asking which candidate non-U.S. citizens around the world would vote for … Continue reading →

Posted in European Union, French History, Globalization, Paris History, Political Culture | Leave a comment

Basque Nationalism

Posted on May 11, 2012 by briansandberg

Basque nationalists have been seeking political recognition and cultural autonomy within France and Spain for decades.  Basque nationalist organizations, such as the ETA, have long sought outright independence through separatist violence, which has often been condemned as “terrorism” by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, European History, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Human Rights, Political Culture, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Human Trafficking in Europe

Posted on May 9, 2012 by briansandberg

The European history of migration has yet to be written, but the European Union has undoubtedly created a new chapter in this complex history.  The Schengen Agreement has facilitated the free movement of peoples across borders between EU member nations … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Union, Globalization, Human Rights, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

French and Greek Elections Shake up EU

Posted on May 7, 2012 by briansandberg

This weekend’s French and Greek elections have shaken up European Union policy making, challenging the austerity measures that have been instituted in several EU member nations in an attempt to manage the Euro crisis. NPR reports on the economic policy … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, European Union, French History, Political Culture | Leave a comment