Category Archives: War, Culture, and Society

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

Historical Perspectives on Climate Change

Posted on May 30, 2013 by briansandberg

How will climate change affect human societies worldwide in the coming years?  It is difficult to envision all of the potential ramifications of climate change, but disaster planners certainly need to prepare for extreme climate events. One of the best … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Civilians and Refugees in War, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Environmental History, European History, European Wars of Religion, History of Science, Maritime History, Mediterranean World, State Development Theory, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

WWII Soldier who Inspired the Dirty Dozen?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by briansandberg

Jake McNiece, a sergeant in the U.S. 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War, died this year at the age of 93.  McNiece led a squad of paratroops who became known as the “Filthy Thirteen,” which may have become … Continue reading →

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

Remembering the Lafayette Escadrille

Posted on May 27, 2013 by briansandberg

Each Memorial Day, the Escadrille Lafayette (or Lafayette Squadron, but commonly referred to in English as the Lafayette Escadrille) is honored in France. The Lafayette Escadrille was formed during the First World War, as American students in France created a … Continue reading →

Posted in European History, French History, Museums and Historical Memory, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Saving Manuscripts in Timbuktu

Posted on May 27, 2013 by briansandberg

When Malian rebels and Islamist militants took control of Timbuktu last year, they targeted Sufi shrines and cultural heritage sites they viewed as idolatrous. They also aimed to destroy medieval manuscripts that they consider heretical and secular. Most of Timbuktu’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Archival Research, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Museums and Historical Memory, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

Santa Muerte and Violence in Mexico

Posted on May 18, 2013 by briansandberg

The Vatican has launched a campaign to eradicate the cult of “Santa Muerte” (Saint Death) from Mexican Catholicism. Vatican officials have “condemned Saint Death as an ‘infernal’ and ‘blasphemous’ figure worshiped by Mexican narcos,” according to R. Andrew Chesnut, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, History of Violence, Religious History, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society | 2 Comments

Continuing Sectarian Violence in Iraq

Posted on May 17, 2013 by briansandberg

Sectarian violence continues in Iraq between Sunni and Shia militants. Amid a series of bombings and attacks there are some signs of connections between sectarian violence in Syria and neighboring Iraq. Sectarian violence became pervasive in Baghdad and other regions … Continue reading →

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

Salafis and Religious Activism in Egypt

Posted on May 16, 2013 by briansandberg

Salafis are increasingly active in Egyptian politics and society. The ongoing Egyptian Revolution has opened political space for many previously suppressed and marginalized groups to engage in religious and political activism. Although the label Arab Spring is still being used … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Comparative Revolutions, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, French Revolution and Napoleon, History of Violence, Human Rights, Religious History, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Of Cannibalism and Civil Warfare

Posted on May 15, 2013 by briansandberg

A newly released video allegedly shows a Syrian rebel commander mutilating a dead soldier’s body, removing internal organs, and biting into them. This shocking video reveals the horrors of sectarian violence and civil warfare in Syria, where atrocities have apparently … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Conflict, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European Wars of Religion, French Wars of Religion, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | 1 Comment

Renaissance Martyrs Canonized

Posted on May 12, 2013 by briansandberg

Pope Francis has canonized the 800 Martyrs of Otranto, who were supposedly executed by Ottoman forces after the southern Italian town of Otranto surrendered in 1480. Otranto was caught up in maritime and naval conflicts during the Renaissance, as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civilians and Refugees in War, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Union, Italian History, Mediterranean World, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment