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Martin Conway

My research and publications have been driven by a number of overlapping interests in European history from roughly the 1930s to the 1960s.

One central element of that interest has been the history of Belgium, which has been much overlooked in the historiography of the twentieth century, but which provides a fascinating example of the interplay of factors of class, of ideology and of linguistic identity. I have published two books on Belgium, most recently (in 2012) The Sorrows of Belgium, and am continuing with research on its post-1945 history, most notably the so-called question royale and the history of the working class.

My other interests are broader and more comparative. I have been the editor of a number of collaborative volumes, including ones on political exiles during the Second World War, on Catholic politics, on political legitimacy in mid-twentieth century Europe, on democracy, on Europeanisation, and on violence.

All of these, though diverse in subject manner, have been primarily concerned with the interface between the social and the political. In particular, I have been concerned to explore what made (and un-made) political stability in Europe across the upheavals of the 1930s and 1940s and into the post-war period, and I am currentlky writing a book about how democracy was understood and practised in Western Europe from the Second World War to the end of the 1960s. I am also involved in a number of collaborative research projects, involving historians across Europe, and am the editor of The English Historical Review.

I teach widely on the history of this period, and have supervised a number of doctorates: on religion in France, on inter-war socialism, on aspects of Belgian history, on Catholic politics and intellectual trends. I should be happy to hear from prospective graduate students interested in working in fields relevant to my interests.

Global Geopolitics Series

Who are the Walloons – and why are they blocking Europe's free trade deal with Canada?

Oct 27, 2016 05:16 am UTC| Insights & Views

Europe, it seems, has been looking in the wrong place to understand its malaise. At different points in the past couple of years, the Poles, the Hungarians and, of course, the British have been singled out as the principal...

2016 Brussels Bombings

The bitter fruits of alienation: Belgium's struggle is the problem of our age

Mar 23, 2016 17:31 pm UTC| Insights & Views

What we feared has happened, remarked Charles Michel, the prime minister of Belgium, in the immediate aftermath of the horrible and violent attacks on Brussels airport and the Maelbeek metro station on March 22. Yes,...

Economy

KOSPI Plunges Over 8% as U.S.-Iran War Sparks Global Risk Aversion and Profit-Taking

South Koreas KOSPI index tumbled sharply on Wednesday, falling more than 8% and triggering a temporary halt in stock trading as investors reacted to escalating geopolitical tensions and rising energy prices linked to the...

China Factory Activity Surges to Five-Year High as Demand Boosts Manufacturing PMI

Chinas manufacturing sector showed strong momentum in February, with factory activity expanding at the fastest pace since December 2020, supported by stronger domestic and overseas demand. A private-sector survey released...

Gold Prices Rebound in Asia as U.S.–Iran Tensions Support Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices moved higher during Asian trading on Wednesday, recovering some of the sharp losses from the previous session as investors reassessed demand for safe-haven assets amid escalating geopolitical tensions between...

Asian Markets Slide as Middle East Conflict Sparks Oil Price Surge and Inflation Fears

Asian financial markets fell sharply on Wednesday as investors rushed to reduce exposure to previously crowded trades in gold and semiconductor stocks. The market downturn was driven by escalating concerns that a widening...

Dollar Hits Three-Month High as Middle East Conflict Drives Energy Prices and Market Volatility

The U.S. dollar surged to a three-month high during early Asian trading on Wednesday as escalating tensions in the Middle East pushed investors away from the euro and toward safe-haven assets. The growing conflict...

Politics

Michael Whatley Wins North Carolina GOP Senate Primary, Setting Up High-Stakes Battle With Roy Cooper

Michael Whatley, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, has won the Republican primary for North Carolinas open U.S. Senate seat, according to media projections. The victory positions Whatley for a closely watched...

U.S. Officials Review Tencent’s Stakes in Epic Games, Riot Games Over Security Concerns

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly evaluating whether Chinese technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd (HK:0700) should be allowed to keep its ownership stakes in several major video game...

U.S. Begins Charter Evacuations as Iran Conflict Disrupts Middle East Air Travel

The United States has begun facilitating charter evacuation flights for American citizens stranded across the Middle East after the escalating U.S.-Israel military strikes on Iran severely disrupted global aviation and...

U.S. Preparing Possible Corruption Charges Against Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing a potential criminal case against Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez as part of broader efforts to increase U.S. leverage over Venezuelas government, according to...

Trump Defends Extended U.S.-Israel Military Campaign Against Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has defended the ongoing U.S. and Israeli military campaign against Iran, signaling that the conflict could last longer than initially expected. The operation, which began with coordinated...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Defense Contractors Move to Drop Anthropic AI After Trump Administration Ban

Major U.S. defense contractors are expected to remove Anthropics AI tools from their supply chains following a directive from the Trump administration, even though legal experts say the ban could face serious challenges in...

OpenAI Explores New Code-Hosting Platform to Reduce Dependence on GitHub

OpenAI is reportedly developing a new code-hosting platform that could eventually compete with Microsofts GitHub, according to a recent report citing sources familiar with the initiative. The project is still in its early...

Facebook Outage Disrupts Thousands of Users Across the United States

Meta Platforms Facebook experienced a widespread outage on Tuesday that affected thousands of users across the United States, according to data from Downdetector.com, a website that tracks service disruptions for major...

Lockheed Martin Secures $1.9B U.S. Air Force Contract for C-130J Training and Maintenance Systems

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has secured a $1.9 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to support the C-130J Maintenance and Training System IV (JMATS IV)...

OpenAI and U.S. Defense Department Update Agreement to Clarify AI Usage Terms

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company is working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to update their existing agreement, reinforcing clear boundaries around how OpenAIs technology, including ChatGPT, can...