Essays

essays

Ukraine on the move: a century of migration

The current refugee crisis is the latest chapter in a history of displacement in the region that embraces two world wars and their aftermath.

Peter Gatrell May 20, 2022

essays

George Orwell’s idea of civilisation

Romantic, radical and with an eye to the past, George Orwell's idea of civilisation was multifaceted and at times paradoxical.

D. J. Taylor May 18, 2022

essays

Battling for the best and brightest: immigration, great power rivalry, and the history of talent importation

Immigration, asylum and naturalisation policies have always been at the heart of great power competition. It is time for American policymakers to begin thinking about how a more en..

Iskander Rehman May 12, 2022

essays

How war created the nation state and yet could destroy it

With each new peace treaty, the idea of the nation state slowly materialised. Now, in its parliamentarian form, it reigns supreme but in a post-9/11 world it faces increased compet..

Philip Bobbitt May 10, 2022

essays

Myths and realities of Putinism and NATO expansion

The lack of transparency over NATO expansion can be linked to the Russian leader’s mythologising over his country’s epic struggle.

Vladislav Zubok May 6, 2022

essays

Can nuclear deterrence preserve the Long Peace between major powers?

For the past sixty years, the use of nuclear weapons has become unthinkable. But with every conflict there comes a point where the unthinkable becomes possible.

Lawrence Freedman May 5, 2022

essays

Civilisation and Auschwitz are not a contradiction in terms

With Nazism, it was proven, if proof was ever needed, that barbarism does not necessarily stand in contradiction to culture and that even the most noble artistic expressions can in..

Göran Rosenberg April 26, 2022

essays

How the West can drive a wedge between India and Russia

Helping India remove itself from its structural dependency on Russia is a delicate task. Decoupling must ultimately progress along two paths: providing an alternative to the deep t..

Jack Watling & Sidharth Kaushal April 21, 2022

essays

Technology transfer across the ages

There are countless instances throughout history of what could be called intellectual property theft - from the appropriation of the technology of Chinese silk manufacture in Byzan..

Daniel T Potts April 21, 2022