Category Archives: Laws of War

When Robots Can Kill

Posted on March 22, 2014 by briansandberg

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

UN Confirms Sarin Gas Used in Attack in Syria

Posted on September 16, 2013 by briansandberg

According to the BBC, “The UN has confirmed ‘unequivocally and objectively’ that chemical weapons have been used in Syria.” A new UN report based on forensic testing indicates that “sarin gas was used in a rocket attack in the Syrian … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

On International Law and Military Intervention

Posted on September 15, 2013 by briansandberg

The use of chemical weapons and mass killing of civilians in Syria have escalated calls for the United States and its allies to launch military strikes in Syria. John Kerry (US Secretary of State), Samantha Powers (US Ambassador to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Revolts and Revolutions, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

On Chemical Weapons and Military Intervention

Posted on August 26, 2013 by briansandberg

Chemical weapons seem to have been used in the Syrian Civil War last week, probably by Syrian government forces. Médecins sans frontières (MSF), known in English as Doctors Without Borders, has issued a statement confirming that approximately 3,600 Syrian civilians … Continue reading →

Posted in Civilians and Refugees in War, European Union, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Interviewing War Criminals

Posted on July 6, 2013 by briansandberg

What is it like to confront evil in a face-to-face encounter? This is a question that James Dawes poses to himself frequently as he interviews war criminals. Dawes, a professor of English and director of the Program in Human Rights … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Historiography and Social Theory, History in the Media, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Museums and Historical Memory, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Refugee Shelters by IKEA

Posted on July 2, 2013 by briansandberg

Most wars produce numerous refugees, who flee from war zones. Protracted civil conflicts often force millions of civilians to flee from their homes and to seek shelter in safe regions or in neighboring countries. Refugee camps proliferate across the borders … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Globalization, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

Elizabethan Privateering and Cyberwar

Posted on June 1, 2013 by briansandberg

An op-ed in the New York Times compares cyberwar to the privateering conflicts of the Elizabethan period. Jordan Chandler Hirsch and Sam Adelsberg, authors of the op-ed, argue that “In confronting today’s cyberbattles, the United States should think less about … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, History of Violence, Information Management, Laws of War, Maritime History, Piracy, Reformation History, Religious Violence, Renaissance Art and History, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | 1 Comment

Machiavelli’s Il Principe at 500

Posted on May 28, 2013 by briansandberg

Political theorists and Italian studies scholars are celebrating the 500th anniversary of Niccolò Machiavelli’s Il Principe (The Prince), which was written in 1513 and published in 1532. Machiavelli’s Il Principe is a brief treatise on the art of governing that … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, European History, Italian History, Laws of War, Political Culture, Renaissance Art and History, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics | Leave a comment

The Danger of Pre-emptive Strikes

Posted on April 13, 2013 by briansandberg

With tensions already running high on the Korean peninsula, many American policy-makers and advisers are talking tough. Now historian Jeremi Suri has weighed in, arguing in an op-ed in the New York Times that “the Korean crisis has now become … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Wars of Religion, French History, French Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Human Rights, Laws of War, Political Culture, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | 1 Comment