Category Archives: Strategy and International Politics

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

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

Naming Wars

Posted on May 30, 2013 by briansandberg

Historians often face difficulties in naming events, including wars. Although many people assume that events simply occur, historians are acutely aware that “events” are socially and culturally constructed. Historians have to grapple with the difficulties of arbitrarily determining when an … Continue reading →

Posted in Historiography and Social Theory, History of Violence, Political Culture, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | 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

10th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq

Posted on March 20, 2013 by briansandberg

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and the beginning of the Iraq War (2003-2011). The BBC has published a special report on “Iraq: 10 Years On.”  Le Monde offers a video documentary on the … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Women Already in Combat

Posted on March 18, 2013 by briansandberg

American women are already serving in combat. Although news analysts and commentators continue to debate the merits of placing women in combat roles, many women soldiers and veterans have been dealing with the realities of combat duty for quite some … Continue reading →

Posted in Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Human Rights, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society, Women and Gender History | 2 Comments

Drones and Changing Conceptions of Airspace

Posted on March 5, 2013 by briansandberg

Drones have already significantly transformed the conduct of military operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other areas. Now, drones are beginning to change conceptions of airspace. Yesterday (4 March 2013), an Alitalia pilot on approach to New York’s JFK airport reported … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, History of Violence, Human Rights, Political Culture, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Atrocities in Vietnam

Posted on February 28, 2013 by briansandberg

The United States military forces committed widespread atrocities during the Vietnam War, according to documents unearthed in the National Archives by journalist Nick Turse. The evidence of numerous mass killings of Vietnamese civilians reveals that the infamous My Lai Massacre … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Empires and Imperialism, History of Violence, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment