War, Security, and Intelligence
What's Inside
Introduction
Throughout recorded human history, wars have led to the rise and fall of empires, destroyed entire civilisations, and redrawn the political maps of countries and continents on innumerable occasions. At the same time, both war and the possibility of war have precipitated scientific and technological developments, facilitated major shifts in economic policy, and led to profound changes in people’s socio-cultural attitudes and practices. Put simply, war remains one of the most disruptive and consequential historical phenomena, and it continues to influence politics, economics, and culture around the world. Given the complexity and far-reaching impact of violent conflicts, the theme of “War, Security, and Intelligence” not only refers to direct military engagements, but also to diplomacy, state-sponsored surveillance, government propaganda, and domestic politics.
The theme of “War, Security, and Intelligence” intersects with several other themes at BOA, such as “Colonialism and Empire”, “International Relations”, “Politics and Social Movements”, and “Science and Technology”. As a result, the collections shown below contain material relating to a diverse range of historical events and developments. For example, they trace the emergence of anti-colonialist and resistance struggles; illustrate the impact of the World Wars on civilians and military personnel alike; and highlight the tensions between East and West during the arms race after 1945. In addition, they shed light on people’s experiences of war across the globe, from the Americas to the Middle East, and from Europe to Southeast Asia.
