The renowned historian Arnold Toynbee posed the question whether we, the general public, but also scholars and students of historical events, are correctly informed. This question has concerned George Wittenstein for many decades, as it has a determining influence on "what becomes history". Dr. Wittenstein will discuss the common and disturbing phenomenon of historical facts […]
In this talk, Clea Bunch looks at the events of Black September 1970, in which King Hussein of Jordan fought a civil war against Palestinian militant groups. She argues that Jordan constituted a "hidden pillar" of America?s Middle East policy. Only during crises like Black September did the kingdom's essential role become apparent. Washington saw […]
The imagination as a human faculty was subjected to some of the most fascinating explorations in its history during the period from 1430 to 1680. Fernando Cervantes will explore the broad Catholic intellectual background of these debates with particular reference to the work the two greatest literary figures of the age: Miguel de Cervantes and […]
Professor Shen Zhihua is Director of the Center for Cold War Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai. The event is free and open to the public. A brief reception will follow Prof. Shen's presentation. In this talk, Professor Shen Zhihua discusses the surface and root causes of the Sino-Soviet split. The surface causes […]
On Friday, May 15, the undergraduates who wrote senior theses this year will present their work at the History Honors Colloquium in HSSB 4020. The students have produced very interesting research and all interested parties are invited to attend some or all of the sessions. The program is as follows: Session I (9:00-10:30): War and […]
The celebration of Dimitrije's life will take place at Elings Park this Saturday, May 16, from noon to 2 p.m. in the Singleton Pavilion. Dimitrije's wife Nan welcomes his colleagues, friends, and all who wish to remember his contributions to scholarship and to the UCSB History department. Prof. Djordjevic passed away on March 5, 2009. […]
The commodities and markets research group will meet again on Monday, May 18, from 11-noon in HSSB 4020 to discuss George Fujii's paper "The Bankers Strike Back: The Anglo-American and Anglo-Canadian Financial Agreements of 1945-1946." George will provide a brief introduction to his work, which is part of his dissertation, but we will devote most […]
JAMES FERGUSON is Chair of the Department of Anthropology, Stanford University South Africa has in recent decades gone through a wrenching transformation from a labor-scarce society to a labor-surplus one. Labor scarcity through most of the 19th and 20th centuries led to forms of social solidarity and social personhood that had significant continuities with the […]
The recent release of the FBI files on Edward Teller has revealed the bureau's suspicion and investigation of the "father" of the American hydrogen bomb as a possible communist. Almost certainly the result of a mistaken identity, the FBI's case on Teller, one of the most outspoken anti-communist Hungarian-American scientists, nevertheless sheds lights on the […]
The Mediterranean Research Focus Group of the IHC and the Medieval Studies Program present “The Stones of Famagusta: The Story of a Forgotten City” followed by a discussion with the director, writer, and presenter Allan Langdale of UC Santa Cruz. The film and discussion will be from 4-6pm in HSSB 6020. In the film art […]