CALL FOR PAPERS: The Many Faces of War – Changing Perspectives on Armed Conflict. New Research in Military History: A Conference for Postgraduate and Early-career Historians

St John’s College, Cambridge
17th and 18th November 2017

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).

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. We 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 changeWar and the history of science
• Gender, war and identity

This is the 9th conference organised by the British Commission for Military History. Its purpose 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 by the deadline of 1st September 2017.

Proposals for panels would be very welcome but please include a panel rationale of c.250 words.

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