Category Archives: War, Culture, and Society

Fear and Racism in Film

Racism seems to feed on intense fears, portraying ethnic groups as representing an exaggerated threat to social order, employment, and family life. For over a hundred years, films have played an important role in the construction of racial stereotypes, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, European History, Historical Film, History of Violence, Human Rights, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political Culture, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Insurgencies Conference

Northwestern University is organizing a graduate conference on “Insurgencies” this spring. The conference announcement reads: “This graduate conference to be held April 10, 2015 at Northwestern University aims to broaden historical understanding of insurgency. Insurgencies challenge legitimacy from below. Theorists often understand … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Conferences, Empires and Imperialism, Graduate Work in History, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Un Courage Viril

I am giving a presentation on “Un Courage viril. Le genre et la violence en France pendant les Guerres de religion, 1562-1629,” at the séminaire interne of the Institut d’Études Avancées de Paris on Tuesday 3 February 2015. This presentation … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Cultural History, Current Research, Early Modern Europe, European History, French History, French Wars of Religion, Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political Culture, Reformation History, Religious History, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Guerre, Circulations et Transferts Culturels

I recently participated in a fascinating conference in Paris on “Guerre, circulations et transferts culturels de la renaissance à l’Empire” (War, Circulation and Cultural Transfers from the Renaissance to the French Empire), organized by Hervé Drévillon and Arnaud Guinier. Conference … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Union, European Wars of Religion, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, French Wars of Religion, Globalization, History of Science, History of Violence, Maritime History, Mediterranean World, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

A French September 11?

The cover of Le Monde, the leading French newspaper, displayed a photo of the spontaneous rally at the place de la République on Wednesday evening, 7 January, following the horrific attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo earlier in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, European History, European Union, French History, History of Violence, Human Rights, Paris History, Political Culture, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Massacre of Journalists at Charlie Hebdo in Paris

Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical publication in Paris, was attacked by terrorists this morning. Two gunmen reportedly entered the offices of Charlie Hebdo and opened fire, killing ten people and wounding more. The gunmen then exited the building and opened … Continue reading →

Posted in Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, Contemporary Art, French History, History in the Media, History of the Book, History of Violence, Paris History, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

Remnants of War in Iraq

In war, there are always things left behind. “When the American troops left Iraq three years ago, they left behind a fragile country that collapsed into civil war. They also left behind the detritus of soldiers’ lives that, in the … Continue reading →

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

Hitler’s House and Austrian Historical Memory

Hitler’s birthplace is stirring fresh controversy in Austria. Adolf Hitler was born in the small northern Austrian town of Braunau am Inn in 1889. Hitlers left Braunau am Inn when Adolf was only three years old, so his connection to … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, History in the Media, Museums and Historical Memory, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Torture and Secrecy

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tortured detainees.  CIA agents and interrogators used a variety of brutal and inhumane methods to torture terrorism suspects during repeated coercive interrogations. Those are the findings of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s Committee … Continue reading →

Posted in Atrocities, Civilians and Refugees in War, Culture, History of Violence, Strategy and International Politics, Terrorism, War and Society | Leave a comment

History of Globalization

The history of globalization is “hot,” having emerged as a major field of historical studies since the 1990s. “Why is globalization ‘hot’ now and what does it portend for the study of history?” asks Lynn Hunt, Professor of History at UCLA … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Research, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, Globalization, Historiography and Social Theory, History of Violence, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment