Recently Published

A Russo-Iranian Bloc against the United States?

by Juan Cole

Putin and Rouhani are rapidly uniting behind an anti-American banner.

Why the West Can’t Save Ukraine

by Michael H. Creswell

In this entire affair, there has been just one big surprise: that the U.S. and West Europe failed to see the obvious.

The Double Standards of Crimean Cold-War Diplomacy

by Cynthia V. Hooper

Though Russia's case against the new Ukrainian government is self-serving and full of holes, the toppling of Yanukovych was not a simple story of democracy vs. tyranny.

America's Dien Bien Phu Syndrome

by John Prados

America should have learned its lesson in 1954: firepower is not enough to win wars.

How Obama Became a Publicist for His Presidency (Rather Than the President)

by David Bromwich

The truth is that Obama’s convictions were never strong, and they were untested until he became the president.

How the Strict Traditional Laws of Islam Affect the Lives of Modern Muslims

by Daniel Pipes

The religion's formal requirements are the narrow base for a far wider structure of patterns that extend the formal rules of Islam.

Will "Noah" Help Egypt Separate Church and State?

by Juan Cole

The new Russell Crowe vehicle faces bans across the Middle East and North Africa. Here's why it's an important litmus test for religious freedom in the region.

Why Women's History Month?

by Ruth Rosen

Unfortunately, it is still necessary to have a token month every year devoted to women's lives.

Why the U.S. Has So Many Bases on Okinawa

by John W. Dower

The establishment of a U.S. military fiefdom on Okinawa was part of the Cold War practice of dividing nations.

Forget 1991 or World War II: The Real Historical Parallel to the Ukraine Crisis is Poland's 1863 Revolt Against the Tsar

by Walter G. Moss

In 1863 as well as as in 2014, the most important question facing the West is whether anything can deter use of Russian military force.

Ukraine's Toxic History of Fascism and Ethnic Cleansing

by Robert Thurston

Far too many Ukrainians today have fond memories of Nazi-collaborating nationalists in World War II.

The Truth About the Ukraine Crisis is That History Really Doesn't Matter That Much

by David Austin Walsh

Pre-1991 history, anyway. Padraic Kenney, an Eastern European historian at Indiana University, explains.

What's Missing from Obama's Presidency

by Kenneth Weisbrode

If Obama the president is supposed to embody a "stable pluralism," how can he inspire the rest of us to transcend it?

Nina Simone: The Antidote to the "We Shall Overcome" Myth of the Civil Rights Movement

by Ruth Feldstein

In Concert celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this month. That'll learn ya.

Even If Arizona Made Its Anti-Gay Bill Law, It Wouldn't Have Mattered -- It Would Have Been Unconstitutional

by John A. Kirk

It's *so* unconstitutional it's laughable -- these issues were supposed to be settled fifty years ago.

Getting Grand Strategy Right

by Hal Brands

Barack Obama dismisses the need for a U.S. grand strategy. This is why he's wrong.

The Treaty that Ended World War II Still Haunts Asia Today

by John W. Dower

The San Francisco Treaty system, which has dominated East Asian politics since World War II, is fraying. Here's how we got here.

What You Need to Know About Crimea: An Interview with Charles E. King

by David Austin Walsh

Georgetown University professor and Ukrainian specialist Charles King explains the history behind the crisis in Crimea.

Once Upon a Time Governments Paid Slave Reparations ... to Slaveowners

by Greg Grandin

And why not? The early modern world knew just how much was built on the backs of slave labor. Would that we were able to acknowledge that today.

Remember Way Back When White Men Killed Black Men to "Defend" White Women? (Hint: We're Talking About 2013)

by Crystal R. Sanders

The justifications of the killers of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis draw upon the dark, bloody history of the fear of black men and white women.