The World War Against Civilians: An ERC ProjectGlobal War on Civilians

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

This session will welcome Sheldon Garon for a presentation of his ongoing research on the evolution of wars targeting civilian populations between 1905 and 1945. Through a transnational approach, he will examine aerial bombing and civil defence, food blockades and home-front food campaigns, as well as strategies of civilian demoralisation and morale-building. He will highlight the interconnected experiences of several nations and the role of international law in normalising these practices.

Presentation of the project

"How did it become normal for nations to seek victory not only by defeating enemy armies, but also by attacking cities and civilians? My ERC project applies transnational or global historical methods to study warfare across several nations between 1905 and 1945. We explore the evolution of wars that targeted enemy civilian populations, focusing on:

1. Aerial bombing and civil defence;
2. Food blockades and home-front food campaigns;
3. The “demoralisation” of enemy civilians while bolstering morale at home.

The project connects developments in Japan, China, Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Italy, during the Spanish Civil War, in the Soviet Union, and in international law."

Speaker

Sheldon Garon is the Nissan Professor of History and East Asian Studies at Princeton University. A specialist in modern Japanese history, he also writes transnational/global history. Awarded a European Research Council Advanced Grant, he currently directs the project, “The Global War on Civilians, 1905-1945.” He was recently awarded Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Japanese Government for scholarship and teaching that furthers the “globalization of Japanese academia and the mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.