War in the 21st century
| Introduction | People | Projects | Statistics |
In the 20th century the threat of global nuclear annihilation changed the nature of warfare forever. In the first years of the 21st century, enemies have become much less visible though no less frightening, as international terrorism becomes the focus of defence policies.
2009 sees the centenary of the establishment of the Chair of the History of War in Oxford, almost certainly the first post of its kind in the world.
In that time the character of war has undergone at least three major changes. The first, that of 1914-45, was defined by the impact of the two world wars, which still shape much of our sense of what a war is. The second was the use of nuclear weapons in 1945, and the subsequent threat of global nuclear annihilation, which meant that deterring war became more important than fighting it. Thirdly, in the first years of the 21st century, enemies have become much less visible, though no less frightening, as international terrorism has become the focus of defence policies.
In 2003, as the result of a nationwide competition, Oxford was awarded a grant by the Leverhulme Trust for a five-year programme on the Changing Character of War (CCW). An interdisciplinary group of scholars has undertaken collaborative work based in the Department of Politics and International Relations but with strong links to the Faculty of History and the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. This influential group has produced a stream of incisive publications on the realities that lie behind the daily reporting of human conflict.
Oxford’s quiet streets could not seem further from today’s theatres in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the programme has made a point of inviting senior members of the armed forces, governments and multinational organisations to participate in its projects, seminars and conferences. Its themes include pre-emption, morality and war, detention and torture, the UN and the role of non-state actors such as terrorist organisations, mercenaries and pirates.
Director Professor Hew Strachan has controversially argued that governments need to do more to integrate the strategic expertise of military commanders into their thinking as they send troops into battle in pursuit of political ends. His research is characteristic of the profound historical understanding that informs the work of the CCW programme.
The Leverhulme Trust grant funds come to an end in August 2009. The Fell Trust has provided funds for two years, to employ a Director of Studies and an administrator, and further funds are being sought. Some of the activities of the Changing Character of War programme will be moving to the Faculty of History.
