The French Historian Who Invented the Olympics
Pierre de Coubertin harnessed an enduring fascination with ancient Greece to create a new institution that blended national pride with global unity.
Black Freedom and Indian Independence
Activists including W. E .B. Du Bois in the United States and Lajpat Rai in India drew connections between Black American and Indian experiences of white rule.
Matilda Tone, Historian of Irish Republicanism
Through the work and writing of Matilda Tone, her late husband, Theobold Wolfe Tone, was constructed as the hero of Irish republicanism.
A Utopia—for Some—in India
In 1968, an international group led by an Indian freedom fighter and a French spiritualist formed a utopian—and problematic—community called Auroville.
Wooden Kings and Winds of Change in Tonga
The island nation of Tonga is home to the last Polynesian monarchy.
Women in the Vijayanagar Empire
According to legend, a woman played a central role in the founding of the Vijayanagar empire. But what was it really like to be a woman in India’s medieval era?
The Psychological Problems of Modern Warfare
As military technology improved in the nineteenth century, military strategists put heavy emphasis on “moral factors” in preparing troops for battle.
On the Anniversary of Iceland’s Independence
Iceland is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Three photograph collections shared on JSTOR show how much has—and hasn’t—changed on the island since independence.
Biobanking the Victims of Nuclear War
Nearly 2 million biological samples from people affected by radiation from World War II nuclear bombings are stored in facilities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The Olive Trees of Palestine
Palestinians’ economic relationship and cultural identification with olive trees has become increasingly relevant for the West Bank.