Features

Protection of the White Continent: The Antarctic Treaty System of 1959

Written by Jack Bennett. In the depths of the Cold War in 1959, the ice-covered landmass became a focus of international diplomacy with the three nuclear-weapon states of the USA, USSR and Britain establishing a model to ensure the nuclear-free, peaceful scientific cooperation and protection of Antarctica. This produced a new, globalised governance regime through the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS). Continue reading Protection of the White Continent: The Antarctic Treaty System of 1959

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Academic

Bitter Weed: Tea, Empire and Everyday Luxury

Written by Jack Bennett. Unprecedented unrest erupted in Boston on December 16, 1773 when the Sons of Liberty protested the increasing British taxes by disposing of 342 tea chests with a value of $1 million into the harbour. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 became a pivotal event in the history of a nation and an empire, reverberating across the globe. At the centre of these transformative changes was a humble commodity: tea. Continue reading Bitter Weed: Tea, Empire and Everyday Luxury

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Academic

Red Dawn Rising: Global Communism, Anti-Colonialism and Freedom in India

Written by Jack Bennett. By focusing on the emergence of communism in India, in relation to anti-colonial independence movements during the first half of the twentieth century, both indigenous and global currents are revealed which produced international conservations and deep engagement across state structure, operating in transnational networks. Continue reading Red Dawn Rising: Global Communism, Anti-Colonialism and Freedom in India

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Academic, Features, Reviews

Teach-Out Review: Indigenous Politics and Revolutionary Movements in Latin America

Written by Anna Nicol. On Tuesday 3 March, Dr Emile Chabal, the Director of the Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary History, organised a Teach-out led by Dr Julie Gibbings (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Nathaniel Morris (University College London). Focusing on Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Dr Gibbings and Dr Morris aimed to provide a short overview of indigenous participation in these revolutions over the twentieth century, highlighting various similarities and differences across borders and dissecting indigenous identity and affiliation within each. Continue reading Teach-Out Review: Indigenous Politics and Revolutionary Movements in Latin America

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Academic

War & Peace: Art in Ducal Milan

Written by Joshua Al-Najar. Art was a key tool for renaissance cities to disseminate ideas and fashion an identity in a pluralistic, competitive society. Scholarship has tended to focus on the programmes undertaken in republics, such as Florence and Venice – perhaps less considered is how dynastic systems were able to deploy the Renaissance’s lessons in the form of state art. One prominent example is Milan, a duchy, where humanism, classical learning and heritage guided the patronage of art to strengthen the authority of the ruling duke. Continue reading War & Peace: Art in Ducal Milan

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