Category Archives: War, Culture, and Society

Knights of Malta Celebrate 900th Anniversary

The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights of Malta, is celebrating its 900th anniversary. The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem was founded as a crusading Christian military order in the 11th century and transformed … Continue reading

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Wars of Religion, History in the Media, History of Violence, Maritime History, Mediterranean World, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Religious Violence, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Unearthing Richard III

A team of archaeologists and other scientists exhumed bones from underneath a Leicester parking lot last fall and have been conducting tests on them over the past several months. Now, they report that the bones are probably those of King … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Conflict, Early Modern Europe, History in the Media, History of Medicine, History of Science, History of Violence, Renaissance Art and History, Uncategorized, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

French and Malian Troops take Timbuktu

French and Malian forces entered Timbuktu on 28 February after Islamist and Tuareg militants fled from the city they had seized months before. French forces secured the airport, then the city itself. Reuters reported on the French and Malian drive … Continue reading

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

Preserving Timbuktu’s Cultural Heritage

Timbuktu has been an important center of Islamic learning, scientific research, and legal scholarship for centuries. The city’s medieval manuscript collections are regarded as some of the best in the Islamic world. Because of its libraries and architectural sites, Timbuktu … Continue reading

Posted in Archival Research, Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Digital Humanities, Early Modern World, History of the Book, History of Violence, Mediterranean World, Museums and Historical Memory, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Representing Battle

Images of battle are present in all periods of art history, but serious analyses of representations of battle are relatively new. Some of the best scholarly work so far examines battle imagery in the early modern period. Historian Peter Paret’s … Continue reading

Posted in Art History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, History of Violence, Renaissance Art and History, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Gun Makers Appeal to Children

Gun makers in the United States regularly appeal to American children through advertising campaigns and promotions. An article by Jordan Weissmann in the Atlantic discusses the importance of gun purchases by hunters in the United States. Weissmann points out that … Continue reading

Posted in Arms Control, History of Violence, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Obama’s Strategic Vision

U.S. President Obama has articulated a strategic vision that focuses on war’s terrible costs, but argues that engaging in warfare is sometimes necessary, according to Bob Woodward. The President seems to share this view of strategy with Chuck Hagel, nominee … Continue reading

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

French and Malian Forces take Gao

French and Malian military forces have retaken the city of Gao. Le Monde reports that on the French government’s statements on the taking of Gao. The combined French and Malian government forces are now reportedly advancing into Timbuktu, which has … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Conflict, Early Modern World, French History, History of the Book, History of Violence, Religious Violence, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

First-Person War on Film

Warfare is now filmed by participants and observers with an intimacy and immediacy never before possible. Soldiers, journalists, and civilians in the Iraq War, Afghan War, Syrian Civil War, and other current conflicts are able to use micro digital cameras … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Conflict, Historical Film, History of Violence, Strategy and International Politics, War in Film, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

US Women in Combat

The Department of Defense has announced that it will lift the ban on women serving in combat positions in the United States military. The move in some ways confirms the already-existing situation in the Iraq War and Afghan War over … Continue reading

Posted in Gender and Warfare, History of Violence, Strategy and International Politics, War, Culture, and Society, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment