| Publication |
2014.
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| Summary/Abstract |
A thematic selection and analysis of war photography across 165 years has tremendous explanatory power about the nature of modern war and the human experience in war and its aftermath. The year 2014 brings centennial commemorations of events that helped make the twentieth century the bloodiest in human history. Among these are the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June, Germany's invasion of Belgium and France on 4 August, and the First Battle of the Marne in early September - the battle that halted the German offensive and ushered in an unprecedented period of stalemated, destructive warfare on the Western Front. As historian Margaret MacMillan has observed, the First World War still haunts us not only because of the scale of the carnage and suffering, but because so many believed that the early-1900s version of globalisation and interdependence had rendered war futile. The comparisons to today seem obvious, as the United States and European nations cut military budgets based, in part, on the belief that large-scale armed conflicts are relics from a barbarous past. If, however, peace remains as the Ancient Greek historian Thucydides described it over 2,500 years ago - 'an armistice in a war that is continuously going on' - understanding war and warfare will remain important for preventing conflict, as well as for its effective conduct. Understanding war's human, psychological and social dimensions requires an interdisciplinary approach and study across multiple genres including literature, art, film and photography.
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