Managing Conflicts in the Age of Global Governance: Insights from Twentieth-Century History

With Martin Ottovay Jørgensen

This project unites five international historians to develop an empirical and context-sensitive approach to present-day challenges of global governance and humanitarian politics. The ongoing conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela illustrate the alarming inability of the international community to effectively address—let alone resolve—complex political and humanitarian crises. Our aim is to study and compare historical cases from the interwar period and the Cold War to identify patterns and dynamics of international conflict management that have been overlooked by recent scholarship. We intend to use these historical insights to help experts and policymakers assess more accurately the chances and risks of foreign involvement—and of non-involvement.