Category Archives: History of Violence

On Kleptocracy and Imperialism

Posted on February 16, 2025 by briansandberg

The Trump administration is now promoting a foreign policy based on kleptocracy and imperialism. The Washington Post reports that “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected a Trump administration request this week that Kyiv hand over 50 percent of its rare-earth mineral … Continue reading →

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

The Great War and Modern Memory at 50

Posted on February 15, 2025 by briansandberg

Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory, a classic study of British soldiers’ writings about trench warfare on the Western Front during the First World War, is now 50 years old. Dwight Garner, a book critic at The New … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, European History, European Studies, French History, Historiography and Social Theory, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Public History, Strategy and International Politics, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

On Hitler’s Dismantling of Democracy in 53 Days

Posted on February 12, 2025 by briansandberg

Ninety years ago a democratically elected leader dismantled a constitutional republic in record time. This is a good reminder of how constitutional mechanisms can be used to undermine constitutional systems. On 30 January 1933, “Adolf Hitler was appointed the 15th … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Democracy, History in the Media, History of Violence, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Information Management, Political Culture, Political Theory, Republicanism, State Development Theory | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Proposed Gaza Removal Plan: a Crime Against Humanity

Posted on February 5, 2025 by briansandberg

President Trump’s outrageous suggestion that the United States annex Gaza and remove the Palestinian people from the territory would be blatantly illegal, constituting a crime against humanity. President Trump yesterday proposed seizing Gaza, leveling its remaining buildings, clearing debris, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atrocities, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Current Research, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, Genocides, History of Race and Racism, History of Violence, Human Rights, Legal history, Political Culture, Political Theory, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, United States History and Society, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Celebrating Black History Month in a Time of Crisis

Posted on February 1, 2025 by briansandberg

History professors, teachers, and students across the United States are celebrating Black History Month in a time of crisis. “Feb. 1 is the beginning of Black History Month, which for decades has recognized the contributions of Black people to American … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Historiography and Social Theory, History in the Media, History of Race and Racism, History of Slavery, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Political Culture, The Past Alive: Teaching History, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Death of Front National Founder Jean-Marie Le Pen

Posted on January 7, 2025 by briansandberg

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the firebrand far-right French politician and one of the key architects of the modern neo-fascist movement in Europe, has died. The New York Times reports that “Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founding father of France’s modern political far … Continue reading →

Posted in Atrocities, Contemporary France, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, French Empire, French History, Genocides, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Political Culture, War, Culture, and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Documenting the Storming of the U.S. Capitol

Posted on January 7, 2025 by briansandberg

The Storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then President Trump is one of the most documented individual episodes of mass violence in history. As President-Elect Trump prepares to re-enter the White House, it is important to revisit the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Historiography and Social Theory, History in the Media, History of Violence, Information Management, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political Culture, Political Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering the Charlie Hebdo Attacks

Posted on January 7, 2025 by briansandberg

Remembering the victims of the Charlie Hebdo Attacks on 7 January 2015 in Paris. I was living nearby in the Marais at the time and remember that terrible day and its aftermath vividly. It is hard to believe that 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary France, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, Terrorism | Leave a comment

Royalty, Territorial Claims, and International Politics

Posted on January 6, 2025 by briansandberg

Early modern issues of royal heraldry and territorial claims have reemerged in contemporary international politics. The King of Denmark is changing his coat of arms, provoking surprise among European political analysts and historians. The Guardian reports that “The Danish king … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Studies, European Union, European Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Medieval History, Monarchies and Royal States, Museums and Historical Memory, Political Culture, Political Theory, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering the Storming of the U.S. Capitol

Posted on January 6, 2025 by briansandberg

Today, I am remembering the Storming of the U.S. Capitol on 6 January 2021. The Storming of the U.S. Capitol was an organized paramilitary attack that represented a coup de force (or coup de majesté)—essentially an insurrection from above—carried out … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Crowd Studies, Historiography and Social Theory, History of Violence, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political Culture, Revolts and Revolutions, Terrorism, United States History and Society, War, Culture, and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment