Category Archives: Blog

The Dark Side of the Belle Époque #researchproject #padova

“The Dark Side of the Belle Époque. Political Violence and Armed Associations in Europe before the First World War” is a comparative historical project at the University of Padova and funded by the European Research Council (ERC-Starting Grant Scheme 2015).

The project investigates the role played by militias, paramilitary movements, armed organisations, and vigilante groups before the First World War (from the late 19th century to 1914). It takes into consideration the role, impact, features of armed associations in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German Reich in order to understand to what extent organised political violence permeated European societies and represented a mass transnational experience in an era – the so-called Belle Époque – which is generally seen as characterised by peace and progress. Actually, the Europe of the so-called Belle Époque was already a continent in which the practice of violence was a daily experience for thousands of civilians.

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Writing politics at Aarhus University #scholarship

“Big news! It is confirmed: We’re on strike in April!” The lovely peace and quietness of the 6th floor’s left wing is abruptly disturbed. For a few weeks now, rumors about Aarhus University being included in the nation-wide strike of the public service workers have been a daily occurrence. With talks between the government and the union(s) deadlocked, the country is now preparing for a major historical event. Apparently, Denmark is not only famous for its ‘hygge’ and its gender-friendly policies: striking turns out to be serious business, too. The stop to work should last not one day or two, but an entire MONTH. In response, the Agency for the Modernisation of Public Administration has issued a lockout notice which applies to the majority of Aarhus University’s employees. In the event of a strike/lockout, my supervising professor here in Aarhus, Hagen Schulz-Forberg, will no longer be allowed to enter the building. But more surprisingly, it could be that even Teresa and I, visiting PhD scholars with no strings attached to Denmark for this matter, will not be able to reach the office. Will what started as dream scholarship turn into a nightmare?

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From national and comparative to transnational histories of reform processes #newbook

Research in the political history of the First World War has mainly focused on the course of events at national levels. It has shown how conflicts between the people’s sacrifices and their political participation led to crises of parliamentary legitimacy. Yet these crises were entangled through the comparative nature of constitutional debates, transnational networks typical of all ideologies, the press and shared war experiences.

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The APH welcomes Carlotta Sorba #newmember

The Association for Political History welcomes Prof. Dr. Carlotta Sorba as new member to the Board.

Carlotta Sorba (1959) is Professor in Contemporary European History within the Department of History, Geography and the Ancient world at the University of Padua, Italy. She obtained her first degree in Blogna and er PhD in Turin. Since 2012 she is the director of the CSC (Interuniversity Center of Cultural History) founded by a convention between the University of Padua, Bologna, Venice, Pisa and Verona.

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