Category Archives: War, Culture, and Society

Nelson, Navy, Nation

Posted on October 30, 2013 by briansandberg

Britain’s National Maritime Museum recently opened a new permanent gallery on “Nelson, Navy, Nation: The Story of the Royal Navy and the British People, 1688-1815.” The National Maritime Museum explains: “From bustling dockyards to ferocious sea battles, the gallery brings … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, French History, French Revolution and Napoleon, Maritime History, Museums and Historical Memory, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Sixteenth Century Studies Conference

Posted on October 30, 2013 by briansandberg

I participated in the 2013 Sixteenth Century Society and Conference (SCSC) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last weekend. The stunning bastioned fortifications of San Juan provided a fantastic setting for a conference on early modern history. I presented a paper … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, French Wars of Religion, Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Reformation History, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Black Flag: Pirate History and Video Gaming

Posted on October 30, 2013 by briansandberg

Pirate mania continues.  Following the creation of Talk Like a Pirate Day and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the Assassin’s Creed video games franchise has now shifted into the piracy business. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is the latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Digital Humanities, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, History in the Media, History of Violence, Information Management, Piracy, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

War and Disease

Posted on October 21, 2013 by briansandberg

Disease almost always accompanies warfare. Historians of the European Wars of Religion, the Napoleonic Wars, and the First World War have studied the connections between warfare and epidemic disease in great detail. The Syrian Civil War is now producing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Medicine, History of Science, History of Violence, Human Rights, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Changing Organization of Al-Shabab

Posted on September 28, 2013 by briansandberg

Originally posted on Cluster for the Study of Religious Violence:
The al-Shabab organization has clearly been evolving over the past months, perhaps leading to its spectacular attack on Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, last week. Analysts who study terrorist organizations…

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Violence, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Is Violence Contagious?

Posted on September 28, 2013 by briansandberg

A new article in The Atlantic provocatively states that “Violence is Contagious.” Drawing on recent sociological and psychological studies, the article suggests that violence spreads like an epidemic. Certainly, metaphors frequently compare violence to a disease. Waves of violence are … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

European War and Society Position

Posted on September 27, 2013 by briansandberg

The Department of History at Sam Houston State University invites applications for a tenure-track assistant or associate professorship in European military history with a start date in August 2014. Ph.D. required by the time of appointment. In addition to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers in History, European History, History of Violence, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Growing Sectarian Violence in Iraq

Posted on September 21, 2013 by briansandberg

Originally posted on Cluster for the Study of Religious Violence:
Sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia militants is again growing in Iraq. A series of bombings targeting civilians at mosques and funerals has rocked Baghdad over the past week. In…

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Violence, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Terrorism, 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