War Studies

Date of Publication: 26/04/2019 Description: Across the School of Security Studies at KCL, students are given unique opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills that they learn throughout their courses by participating in research projects, conflict simulations, and even journalism. Students of Dr Peter Busch’s BA module ‘New Wars, New Media, New Journalism’ were tasked with producing 5min podcasts, covering events and guest lectures held within the School of Security Studies. In this podcast, we are going to listen to three outstanding student projects from Dr Busch’s BA module. You will hear from Eleanor Fishleigh on last year’s event ‘Art and Reconciliation: a conversation’, Cory Turner on the topic of wargaming in discussion with Prof Philip Sabin, and Robert Adderley on T.V. Paul’s book talk ‘Restraining Great Powers’. ____________________________________________ If you would like to learn more about the topics discussed here and about student opportunities within the School of Security Studies, please visit our website at kcl.ac.uk/security-studies

Date of Publication: 13/04/2019 Description: This podcast is part of the War Studies New Voices series which showcases emerging research from our PhD community. Emily Brown researches the ways in which torture and prisoner abuse narratives in American popular culture have helped to conceptualise the practice of judicial torture. Since the attacks on US soil on September 11th, 2001, it has become increasingly obvious that torture is considered acceptable in fictional representations of American counter-terror practices, even if only in extraordinary circumstances. What has been largely ignored, however, is the part popular culture has played in normalising the extraordinary into ordinary, everyday practice. The way in which we understand torture relies on how we consume popular culture, which presents torture as an unpleasant but unremarkable past occurrence that has been integrated into the ordinary. Helene Olsen studies the relationship between mercenaries and legitimacy. She looks at how mercenaries have been objected against and de-legitimised using specific speech-acts – moral objections – and how these seem to transcend historical settings. She explores the tension between the extensive use of mercenaries in warfare and the apparent moral opposition to their presences and actions and suggests that mercenaries are objected against and de-legitimised when they behave as disruptors of the ideal polity. In this edition, Emily Brown and Helene Olsen discuss areas where their research may overlap and diverge.

Date of Publication: 16 March 2019 Description: What is the future of security and development in an uncertain world? On the 7th and 8th of March, students from KCL’s Conflict Security and Development (CSD) MA course in the Dept. of War Studies and students from the International Development Department in the School of Global Affairs held the 2019 student-led CSD titled ‘Building Stability: Security and Development futures in an uncertain world’ to address this very question. For this conference, students brought together rich and diverse panels of practitioners and experts from government, academia, and the private sector to address many topics and key debates around the future of security and development in fragile states, ranging from private investment and resilience building to the functionality of multilateral organisations and the role of state actors. In this edition of the War Studies podcasts we are going to hear from CSD MA candidate and conference co-chair Andrea Naranjo and the CSD programme director Prof Mats Berdal about this year’s student-led conference. ______________________________ For more information and news on upcoming events, please visit our website at kcl.ac.uk/warstudies.

Date of Publication: 2/03/2019 Description: What are Extralegal groups in the context of post-conflict societies? How can trade play a role in state building? And how do we define a ‘good’ state? These are just a few questions we discussed with Dr Christine Cheng, Lecturer in the DWS and author of the recent book, Extralegal groups in post-conflict Liberia: How trade makes the state’. In her latest book, Dr Cheng writes, ‘Where the state is weak and political authority is contested, where rule of law is corrupted and government distrust runs deep, extralegal groups can provide order and dispute resolution, forming the basic kernel of the state.’ Drawing on fieldwork and socio-historical analysis, Dr. Cheng explains how extralegal groups were incentivized to provide basic forms of governance as they attempted to form a stable commercial environment during Liberia’s transition from war to peace. Her recent book has highlighted many important questions around state formation and how the West should approach post-conflict societies. Bio: Christine Cheng is Lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London. Her research on post-conflict transitions sits at the intersection of international relations and comparative politics (with a focus on the politics of West Africa). Dr Cheng is the co-editor of Corruption and Post-Conflict Peacebuilding: Selling the Peace? (with Dominik Zaum). Her forthcoming book on Extralegal Groups (Oxford University Press) explores how ex-combatants affected statebuilding processes after the end of civil war in Liberia. It will be published by Oxford University Press. Christine is the Course Director for the MA in Conflict, Security, and Development (CSD), and she is affiliated with King's Centre for Politics, Philosophy, and Law, and King's Gender Studies. Christine holds a DPhil from Oxford (Nuffield College) and an MPA from Princeton University (Woodrow Wilson School). Previously, she was the Bennett Boskey Fellow in Politics at Exeter College, University of Oxford. In 2009, she was the Cadieux-Léger Fellow at Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Christine has an undergraduate degree in systems design engineering (BASc) from the University of Waterloo. She has worked for the UN Commission on Human Security, the World Bank's Gender Group, Environment Canada, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. She is a commentator on international affairs for a variety of media outlets including the BBC, the Wall Street Journal, al Jazeera, Radio France International, and Real Clear World. Christine serves as the faculty advisor for the CSD Annual Conference, as well as the student-run Strife blog and journal. She blogs at christinescottcheng.wordpress.com and tweets @cheng_christine. Extralegal groups: https://christinescottcheng.wordpress.com/extralegal-groups/ ________________________ For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at kcl.ac.uk/warstudies _________________________ This podcast was produced by Kirk Allen (Twitter: @_KirkAllen)

Date of publication: 12/02/2019 Description: Researchers and students of war and global security often look to the past to better understand developments in the present. So, how might the history of Nuclear weapons help us understand today’s security challenges?   The advent of nuclear weapons caused a significant shift in the perceived cost of war between great powers due to the sheer power of nuclear arsenals. In turn, the unacceptable risk and danger of nuclear war necessitated the establishment of many international treaties that seek to prevent the use, proliferation and spread of nuclear weapons, along with providing a route to eventual disarmament. Many of the multilateral and bilateral treaties developed during the Cold War era, such as the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which currently has 190 state parties with North Korea’s withdrawal, and the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty between Russia and the US, which has recently been suspended by both parties, are still at the centre of many salient debates and international security challenges today. The relevance of these treaties in contemporary debate is one reason why the history of nuclear weapons and related treaties is important for understanding and contextualising contemporary issues.   Recognising the relevance of nuclear history, the Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) brought together a panel of its experts in the DWS to discuss what we can draw from the history of weapons to help us understand contemporary security challenges. After this panel on the 25 Jan, we had the opportunity to speak to three of the panellists, Drs Nicola Leveringhaus, Hassan El Bahtimy, and Daniel Salisbury, about their research and the panel’s overarching theme. But first I caught the panel’s chair and Head of the School of Security Studies, Prof Wyn Bowen, for a brief interview. We asked Prof Bowen to explain what CSSS’s aim was in bringing this panel on Nuclear History together. Bio: - Prof Wyn Bown is Head of School for the School of Security Studies at King's College London, comprising the Defence Studies Department (DSD) and the Department of War Studies. He is also Co-Director of the Centre for Science & Security Studies (CSSS) at King’s. A list of Prof Wyn Bowen's academic publications can be found here:https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/person.aspx?id=2948654e-fe79-4fce-a1c7-64682a0579c0 - Dr Nicola Leveringhaus joined the Department as a Lecturer in War Studies in September 2016. She specialises in the International Relations of Asia, with a focus on China and the security of that region as it relates to nuclear weapons. Dr Leveringhaus is affiliated to the Asian Security & Warfare Research Group and the Centre for Science and Security Studies and the Centre for Grand Strategy in the Department of War Studies. A list of Dr. Leveringhaus's academic publications can be found here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/person.aspx?id=f180d264-8c59-46f8-b57f-5159888bfb63 - Dr Hassan Elbahtimy is a Lecturer in Science and Security at the War Studies Department. I hold a PhD and MA in Science and Security from the War Studies Department, a Diplôme d'Université - (D.U.) in International Nuclear Law from the University of Montpellier, and M.B.B.Ch (Medicine) Cairo University. A list of Dr. Elbahtimy's academic publications can be found here: https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/hassan.elbahtimy.html - Daniel Salisbury is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) within the Department of War Studies. Daniel joined CSSS in July 2018 from the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs where he was a Stanton Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellow. A list of Dr Salisbury's academic publications can be found here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/person.aspx?id=18bb282b-e599-4b95-8389-1d23d6f6a2be _________________ This podcast was produced by Kirk Allen (Twitter: @_KirkAllen)

Date of Publication: 02/02/2019 Description: In November 2018 The Marjan-Marsh Prize awarded by the Department of War Studies in partnership with the Marsh Christian Trust was presented to Milan Ruzic, President of the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia (BPSSS). This award is given annually to someone who has made an invaluable contribution to an area where conflict and conservation overlap. The Marsh Christian Trust was started in 1981 by businessman Brian Marsh to honour ‘unsung heroes’; since then the portfolio of awards has grown to over 70 across a wide spectrum that includes conservation, arts, heritage and social welfare. After the 1990’s Balkan wars, many of the paramilitary groupings morphed into criminal syndicates running everything from guns, humans, drugs, illegal cigarettes and more. A lesser known stream of illegal activity is the trade in wild birds, which are plentiful in the Balkans due to its location as a major fly-way between Africa and Europe. The trade is fuelled mainly in two ways: dead birds for human consumption, delivered throughout Europe, and a thriving shooting/hunting trade focused on quail and doves when hundreds can be shot in a day. All of this occurs despite a raft of international laws either forbidding this trade or restricting the shooting to certain periods. Milan Ruzic from the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia received this award in recognition of his work to stop this illegal trade. He is the first European recipient of the Marjan Marsh award for conservation. During his visit to King’s to receive the award Milan was asked about the aims of BPSSS and about the risks that he and his colleagues face. Previous recipients include; (2012): John Kahekwa: from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Founder of the Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF) in Bukavu, in eastern DRC, the foundation works in the Kahusi-Biega National Park, home of the Graurer’s or Eastern Lowland gorilla, by providing sustainable development in an area that has known terrible bloodshed. (2013): Dr Sonali Ghosh: from India. Awarded for her work on the Manas Project which works to protect the biodiversity in the much contested Manas eco-region in the Himalayas, focusing on the conservation of the Bengal tiger. (2017): ‘Community Wildlife Ambassadors’: from South Sudan, Western Equatoria region. While the world’s youngest country grapples with legacies of conflict, famine and atrocity wildlife plays a crucial role as the National Parks and Game Reserves provide ‘islands’ of stability and security. ____________________________ For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at kcl.ac.uk/warstudies

Date of Publication: 19/01/2019 Description: We are going to kick off 2019 by exploring the development of international criminal law and justice, starting from the year 1919. Following the end of the First World War, the Allied nations of Britain, France and Italy agreed to try the former German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II before an international criminal tribunal, while the US stood largely opposed to such an unprecedented trial. During the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, International lawyers converged to debate on the development and application of international criminal justice for the first time and recommended that the Kaiser should be tried for war crimes. In order to break an impasse in negotiations between the US and the other Allied nations on the trial of the Kaiser, US President Woodrow Wilson would relent, agreeing to try the Kaiser for what he termed as a 'supreme offence against international morality'. This would become a part of the official wording Article 227 of the Treaty of Versailles, which called for the Kaiser’s trial. However, with the Kaiser successfully obtaining asylum in the Netherlands and the subsequent refusal of the Dutch to hand him over, the trial would never take place. Despite the Allied powers’ failed attempt to prosecute the Kaiser, this moment in history bears a special significance for the development of international criminal law and justice and marks the beginning of many salient legal debates present today, particularly those around the prosecution of a head of state. To help us further explore the importance of this moment to the development of international criminal law and Justice, Kirk Allen had the opportunity to speak with renowned international legal expert Prof William Schabas about his recent book, ‘The Trial of the Kaiser’. Also, following our interview with Prof Schabas, we will hear from one of the DWS’ own international legal experts, Dr Rachel Kerr, who focuses on international law, war crimes, and transitional justice. In our interview, we will discuss the development of international criminal law and justice since the Treaty of Versailles and discuss some of the successes and shortcomings of today's international legal institutions such the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bios: - Prof William A. Schabas, has been called 'the world expert on the law of genocide and international law.' He is Professor of international law at Middlesex University in London, Professor of International Law and Human Rights at Leiden University, distinguished visiting faculty at Sciences Po in Paris, and honorary chairman of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. He is the author of more than twenty books in the fields of human rights and international criminal law. He drafted the 2010 and 2015 United Nations quinquennial reports on the death penalty and was a member of the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Professor Schabas is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Royal Irish Academy since 2007. Publications: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=kiCThLQAAAAJ&hl=en 'The Trial of the Kaiser' - https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-trial-of-the-kaiser-9780198833857?cc=gb&lang=en& - Dr Rachel Kerr is a Reader in International Relations and Contemporary War in the Department of War Studies, King’s College London. She joined the Department as a Lecturer in 2003, teaching on War Studies Online programmes, having previously worked in academic publishing for Polity Press. Dr. Kerr holds a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds and an MA and PhD in War Studies from King’s College London. Dr. Kerr co-directs the War Crimes Research Group. She also co-chair the BISA International Law and Politics Working Group and the London Transitional Justice Network. Publications: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=8CXWqx0AAAAJ&hl=en

Date of Publication: 07/12/2018 Description: The capabilities and the efficiency displayed by Russia’s military during its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its subsequent air campaign over Syria not only surprised the world but also signalled that Russia was once again a significant military actor. This evidence of an apparent Russian military revival, among other recent events, has increased tensions between Russia and its neighbors as well as NATO and has led many to highlight Russia’s latest military advancements and operations as a major turning point in the post-Cold War era. However, Dr Bettina Renz, associate professor at the University of Nottingham and author of the recent book, ‘Russia’s Military Revival’, argues that although Russia’s recent actions have created serious concerns, this so-called ‘military revival’ may not appear to be as significant of a turning point when put into historical context. So, what is the significance of Russia’s ‘military revival’? On the 16th of November, the DWS and Dr. Natasha Kuhrt, lecturer in the Dept. and co-convener of the Departmental Research Group on Russian and Eurasian Security, hosted Dr. Bettina Renz for a talk on her recent book. But, before this talk, Natasha and Kirk Allen had the opportunity to discuss the significance of Russia’s military revival and its potential threat with our guest lecturer. You can access the recording of Bettina Renz's talk by following this link: https://soundcloud.com/warstudies/event-russias-military-revival _______________________________ For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at kcl.ac.uk/warstudies

Date of Publication: 09/11/2018 Description: The impact of the First World War can be observed throughout history and is even felt today as we commemorate the sacrifices made during this devastating war. In light of the end of the First World War Centenary, Kirk Allen met up with Drs. Aimee Fox and Nick Lloyd from the School of Security Studies' Defence Studies Department to discuss the importance of commemoration and the FWW's influence on the future of warfare. Additionally, this podcasts includes a short interview with William Philpot, Professor of the History of Warfare in the Department of War Studies, on the significance of the ending of the FWW and the lessons we can reasonably draw. __________________ After listening to this podcast, check out one of our past event recordings on the complexities of the First World War: http://bit.ly/2un6EFG __________________ For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at KCL.AC.UK/WarStudies.

Date of Recording: 15/10/2018 Description: Three recently retired top military leaders debate key security issues from North Korean brinkmanship to Cross Strait relations and China's rise as a maritime power. Speakers: - Admiral Chen Yeong-Kang, former Chief of Staff of the Republic of China's Navy and former President of the National Defence University - Admiral Tomohasi Takei, International Fellow with the US Naval War College and former Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force - Admiral Scott Swift, MIT Center for International Studies Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow and former Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Chair: - Alessio Patalano, Reader in East Asian Warfare & Security at the Department of War Studies ________________ For more news and information on upcoming events, please visit our website at KCL.AC.UK/WarStudies or follow us on Twitter.