The Many Faces of War - Changing Perspectives on Armed Conflict

9th conference on new researches in military history, organised by the British Commission for Military History.
Datum: 
Freitag, 17. November 2017 bis Samstag, 18. November 2017
Ort: 
Cambridge
Deadline: 
Freitag, 1. September 2017

Since ancient times war has been conceived of not only as a means of destruction but also as a generative process that demands expertise and innovation. This ambivalence is exemplified by the Greek goddess Pallas Athene, who represented not only war but also the arts and sciences.

This complex goddess reflects the theme of this year's New Research in Military History Conference, which is concerned with exploring multi-dimensional perceptions of warfare. The organisers invite historians in many fields, from those interested in the study of military technique to those more concerned with depiction and art,to present their research on the different perspectives on war over the centuries. Possible themes might include:

-   The role of war in international relations

-   War as a means or as a failure of politics

-   The difference between pre- and post-Enlightenment perceptions of warfare

-   The difference between victory and defeat, in the perception of soldiers and civilians, or in terms of remembrance culture

-   Ways to cope with a "lost cause"; for instance by the armed forces and the political leadership

-   Intelligence, understanding and war

-   War as a means of social change

-   Insurgency, resistance and de-colonisation

-   Tactical and technological change

-   War and the history of science

-   Gender, war and identity

The purpose of this conference is to bring together current research by postgraduate and early career scholars in the field of military history and related disciplines. Its philosophy is to offer an open and supportive forum for people with a broad range of interests - from material culture to those interested in intelligence or military technique - to meet up and share their research.

Proposals (c.300 words) for papers of 20 minutes should be submitted, along with a current CV, to the organisers at bcmhnrc@gmail.com. Proposals for panels would be very welcome but please include a panel rationale of no more than c.250 words.

Conference Convenors:  Adam Storring (University of Cambridge) | Arthur Kuhle (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) | Tobias Roeder (University of Cambridge) | Lucia Staiano-Daniels (UCLA) | Matthew Ford (University of Sussex)

Conference Venue:  University of Cambridge, St John’s College, St Johns St, Cambridge CB2 1TP, UK

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Contact:

Arthur Kuhle

arthur.kuhle@hu-berlin.de