An international seminar will take place in Portugal in 2014, considering “national strategies and role played by small and medium powers during the Great War”.
The seminar will take place in Lisbon from the 3rd-5th September 2014.
It is being organised by the National Defense Institute, in partnership with the Institute of Contemporary History, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities-Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and the Institute of Social Sciences – University of Lisbon.
“The study of the role of small and medium powers, in international relations in general, and in the case of the First World War in particular, is an underdeveloped field of study, traditionally regarded as minor, yet it has great potential in the social sciences, namely: History, International Relations, Strategic Studies and Security Studies”.
“The relevance of the actions and decisions made by Serbia or Belgium in the early stages of the Great War, and the resilience they showed in extreme circumstances are just an example of the interest in exploring the goals, the degree of autonomy and the options of small and medium powers, their relations with the great powers, and their ability to endure a conflict like the Great War”.
Call for papers
A call for papers has been made to accompany the seminar. The seminar aims to “promote the study and deepen the knowledge of the national strategies and role played by small and medium powers during the Great War, keeping in mind the broader historical context in which the conflict took place”. So this should be considered in preparing a paper.
The seminar also welcomes contributions from researchers aiming to relate wider theoretical questions to the empirical investigation on the role of small and medium powers during the First World War. It is also open to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, prising original contributions from diverse areas of knowledge.
“The seminar aims to encourage the debate, from a comparative perspective, of the experience of small and medium powers during the Great War. The aim is also to be inclusive of different cases in different regions (Western and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Balkans, non-European powers) and of belligerents as well as neutrals”.
Please send your identification (name, institutional affiliation and email address), Paper title, Abstract (maximum 700 words), and academic CV (1 page) via email to: smallpowerisapower@gmail.com.
Working languages: English, French, Portuguese.
Key dates
Submission of papers: 2nd September 2013 – 15th March 2014
Acceptance reply: 15th April 2014
Source: Instituto da Defesa Nacional website
Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News