'Toynbee at War' - CCW Director, Dr Rob Johnson, on BBC Radio 4

'Toynbee at War' - CCW Director, Dr Rob Johnson, on BBC Radio 4

Hear CCW Director, Dr Rob Johnson, speak about the renowned historian, Arnold J Toynbee, on BBC Radio 4's programme, 'Toynbee at War'. In the programme, Polly Toynbee examines how war profoundly informed the vision of her grandfather, His generation were slaughtered on the Flanders fields but Toynbee's life took him on a different path. 'History is as melancholy as war itself'...

Summary Report: ‘Russian Views on the Changing Character of War’

Summary Report: ‘Russian Views on the Changing Character of War’

Conference chaired by CCW’s newly appointed Director of Research on Russia and North European Defence and Security, Dr Andrew Monaghan. This inaugural event brought together leading subject matter specialists from academia, the private sector, public policy and the military to facilitate a detailed discussion about the evolution of Russian national security thinking...

Conference Report: ‘Britain’s Defence Policy: Alliance, Coalitions, and Partnerships’

On September 12th, in partnership with the Norwegian Ministry of Defence and the Ax:Son Johnson Foundation, the Changing Character of War Centre was pleased to host the conference ‘Britain’s Defence Policy: Alliance, Coalitions, and Partnerships’. The event was structured as a series of presentations and debate sessions, chaired by Dr Rob Johnson, Director at CCW, and Professor Janne Haaland Matlary, Head of the International Politics section at the University of Oslo and adjunct professor at the Norwegian Command and Staff College. Aimed at the composition of an edited volume due to be published next year, the seminars brought together a diverse range of panellists from the universities of Oxford, Exeter and Oslo, the United States’ National Security Council, NATO, École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the Norwegian Staff College, the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies, and both the UK and Norwegian Armed Forces.

            The discussions were divided into four main categories, each pertinent to the formulation of contemporary British strategy: British Strategic Thinking about Britain’s Role; the ‘Special Relationship’ and Britain’s NATO role; French, German and EU Policy; and Britain’s Leading Role in Northern Europe. These sessions spurred in-depth debate, confronting a broad range of issues from the UK’s new aircraft carriers to the evolving state of NATO. Overall, this marked the critical need - in the midst of on-going Brexit negotiations, an unpredictable Trump administration, and instances of Russian aggression in Europe - not only to clarify the position for Whitehall policy-makers, but also to further investigate foreign perspectives of British strategy.

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'What would be the Ten Main Characteristics of a War between the United States and North Korea?' by Dr Rob Johnson

'What would be the Ten Main Characteristics of a War between the United States and North Korea?' by Dr Rob Johnson

A great deal of attention is currently focussed on the possibility of a conflict between the United States and North Korea, but what would be the character of a war between these powers if it actually broke out?  Recent conflicts and current military preparedness would only be a guide to the very early stages, and there are much more significant implications to consider. Here are ten possible characteristics for analysts to think through...

"Venezuela’s instability has far broader implications. Here’s what’s at stake." By Dr Annette Idler

"Venezuela’s instability has far broader implications. Here’s what’s at stake." By Dr Annette Idler

 

Venezuela’s instability has far broader implications. Here’s what’s at stake.

Venezuela seems locked in a downward political and economic spiral. But what happens in Venezuela has far broader implications for international security....

Lawrence of Arabia and Britain’s War in the Desert, 1916-1918

Lawrence of Arabia and Britain’s War in the Desert, 1916-1918

To mark the centenary of the capture of Aqaba, Dr Rob Johnson and Dr John Peaty brought together some colleagues and friends to discuss Lawrence and Britain’s desert war at Pembroke College, Oxford. The speakers were John Peaty, Dr Neil Faulkner, Gp Capt John Alexander, Maj Dr Paul Knight and Dr Rob Johnson. The event was part funded by the Oxford Changing Character of War Centre and the Society for Army Historical Research.

Upcoming Event: Veteran Dialogue & the Future of War

This event is a two-day, panel-based workshop, devoted to the two themes of veteran/civilian dialogue and the future of warfare. The purpose of this workshop is to engage a broad audience of civilians, military personnel, academics and non-academics alike and encourage them to think more deeply about their moral relationship to these important and timely themes. The veteran dialogue portion of the workshop will focus on such broad themes as: soldier recruitment and the making of soldiers, the ethical experience of war, what we think society owes to veterans, veteran healthcare and compensation, moral injury, PTSD, spouse and family issues, and civil-military relations. The future of war portion of the workshop will focus on such broad themes as: emerging technologies such as fully autonomous weapons, soldier enhancement, surveillance and meta-data; counter-terrorism and institutional reform, the ‘individualization’ of war, war and poverty, and emerging conceptual frameworks for military tactics and strategy.      

There is no charge for this event, but please note that lunch is not provided. It would be helpful for planning if you could register via our Eventbrite page.

See the schedule here. 

NATO Intra-Alliance Diplomacy after 2014

CCW is delighted to announce a new research project on NATO Intra-Alliance Diplomacy after 2014 , generously supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. This comparative research project will examine the political goals and diplomatic tactics of the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Romania in relation to NATO’s emerging deterrence posture vis-a-vis Russia in the aftermath of the 2014 Crimea annexation. In particular, it will look at the process leading to the decisions taken at the 2016 Warsaw Summit to support an Enhanced Forward Presence in the Baltic States and Poland as well as to increase the NATO presence in the Black Sea.