Sophie Scholl

Sophie Scholl and the Legacy of Resistance

Sophie Scholl has become the face of resistance to Nazism. That took decades, as the legacy of resistance itself was resisted.
Turkish elections

The Turkish Origins of the “Deep State”

The "deep state" idea of a shadowy parallel government, heard much in the news now, seems to be a concept borrowed from the Turkish experience.
1596 Mercator map of Scotland

Is Scotland a Nation?

What is Scotland, a country and/or nation, or just a region within Great Britain, a piece of the United Kingdom? Let's explore Scots nationalism.
Nazis Kurt Daluege, Heinrich Himmler, Ernst Röhm in 1933

Ernst Röhm, The Highest-Ranking Gay Nazi

Ernst Röhm, the highest-ranking gay Nazi, presents an interesting study in the construction and containment of masculinity by the right.
Quebecois flag

The Recipe for Secession: What Makes Nations Leave

Secession doesn't come from one event, but is borne of economic disparities, identity crises, legislative failure, and bad blood.
Liberian flag

Liberia: A Primer

Liberia, named for liberty in 1824, has had a rough go of it since being colonized by African-Americans settled there by the American Colonization Society.
German dissidents Friedrich and Pauline Kellner's 1935 passport photos

Papers, Please: The Invention of the Passport

Immigration and national security remain at the top of President Trump’s agenda. He issued a revised executive order ...
DMZ mural

Why There Are Two Koreas

The two Korean states, which both claim to be the legitimate government of the divided Korean Peninsula, are in the news again.
NATO headquarters meeting

NATO Survives its Identity Crisis

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began on April 4, 1949, creating an alliance promising mutual defense against potential Soviet aggression.
Siege of Leningrad

The Nazis’ Nightmarish Plan to Starve the Soviet Union

Before the infamous Wannsee conference, Nazis had another meeting during which they planned the mass starvation of millions of Eastern Europeans.