Business concentration matters for European social democracy because it has been correlated with increased income inequality, a declining income share for labour and increased corporate lobbying.... Show moreBusiness concentration matters for European social democracy because it has been correlated with increased income inequality, a declining income share for labour and increased corporate lobbying. Drawing inspiration from the history of social-democratic competition policy and from renewed interest in antitrust in the USA, this contribution calls for a revival of social-democratic ideas of mobilising competition policy in service of environmental, regional and social goals. As industrial policy experiences a comeback in the EU and abroad, it will be essential to ensure greater conditionality and accountability for private businesses that receive exemptions from competition policy. What is at stake is not only the protection of workers, consumers, and small and medium enterprises from monopolies and oligopolies, but the protection of democracy itself from concentrated private economic power. Show less
The solution for the devastating wars that ravaged Europe in the twentieth century: this is the most widespread narrative about European integration starting in the aftermath of World War II. This... Show moreThe solution for the devastating wars that ravaged Europe in the twentieth century: this is the most widespread narrative about European integration starting in the aftermath of World War II. This chapter will provide a complementary narrative, a narrative that situates the impetus for European cooperation and integration in a changing global context from World War I onward and one that as a result brings in the colonial dimension ofEuropean cooperation projects and narratives.After World War I, the position of Europe in the world changed profoundly and an intense sense of crisis sweptacross Europe. This was not just the result of the war in Europe as is generally emphasised, it was also the resultof developments elsewhere. Concerns over the rise of the USA, the creation of the Soviet Union, the growingeconomic and political importance of the British Dominions and Latin America as well as the rise of Japan werecoupled with fear about large scale unrests in the colonial world. Particularly these latter fears were linked tothe future of European colonial empires and concomitantly the economic and geopolitical future andcivilisational standing of Europe in the world. When studied from this perspectives it becomes clear that manyof the actors examined in the interwar literature argued for various forms of European cooperation inspiredboth by their experience of the Great War in Europe and a form of existential fear that Europe might lose itsposition at the top of the geopolitical, civilisational and racial ladder.The chapter illustrates this complementary narrative by analysing the writings and projects of a number ofinterwar Europeanists, including both state and non-state actors. It will moreover demonstrate how colonieswere an essential part of interwar European projects and how they continued to be so well up todecolonisation. Show less
This chapter explores the future of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) by examining its long-standing cooperation with UNDOF and UNIFIL, as well as the crucial role played by... Show moreThis chapter explores the future of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) by examining its long-standing cooperation with UNDOF and UNIFIL, as well as the crucial role played by the Chief Coordinator of UN Peacekeeping in the Middle East. Drawing upon UNTSO's extensive operational experience in managing and coordinating peacekeeping efforts within the Israeli-Arab conflict, this chapter seeks to illuminate the potential applicability of UNTSO’s expertise in other peace operations around the world. By analysing the unique capabilities, institutional memory, and valuable lessons learned from UNTSO’s long-standing engagement in the Middle East, the chapter offers insights into the operation’s continued relevance vis-à-vis the conflict and how it can potentially support future operations worldwide. Despite facing difficult and ever-changing challenges, UNTSO remains an important piece of the UN’s involvement in the Israel-Arab conflict Show less
Architectural regionalism was a popular style at world fairs and international exhibitions. National pavilions in a regionalist style should incorporate a specific part of a country’s heritage in... Show moreArchitectural regionalism was a popular style at world fairs and international exhibitions. National pavilions in a regionalist style should incorporate a specific part of a country’s heritage in order to be recognisable. Because this heritage had to be unique and spectacular in order to attract the attention of the public, world fairs and international exhibitions constituted a highly influential global test field for the development of architectural regionalism. This will become clear by analysing the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego (1915) and the Ibero-American Exhibition in Seville (1929), where architectural regionalism was thedominant style. What types of heritage enabled the architects to construct a distinguishable and attractive pavilion that reflected the territorial identity of a specific nation or region? In this chapter, I will devise a typology of regionalist pavilions, first by distinguishing between cultural and natural heritage. Within the cultural heritage category, the focus can be on the European/Western legacy or on indigenous/exotic elements. The other axis represents the type of architecture—formal or vernacular—that is used as a source of inspiration. I will also critically reflect on the limited explanatory power of centre-periphery constellations and the agency of various actors. In order to explain the rise of specific regionalist styles we should not only analyse the discourse of intellectuals and the power of political and cultural institutions, but also take commercial actors and the role of consumption into account. Although it is difficult to study the demand side, there are some clear indications that the wishes of the wider public were taken into account by the architects.Le régionalisme architectural fut un style populaire dans les Expositions universelles et internationales. Les pavillons nationaux de style régionaliste devaient incorporer un aspect spécifique du patrimoine du pays afin d’être reconnaissables. Puisque ce patrimoine se devait d’être unique et spectaculaire afin d’attirer l’attention du public, les Expositions universelles et internationales constituaient un terrain d’essai mondial de développement du régionalisme architectural qui exerça une grande influence. Cela sera élucidé par notre analyse de l’Exposition Panama-California à San Diego (1915) et de l’Exposition Ibéro-Américaine àSéville (1929), dont le style dominant fut le régionalisme architectural. Quels sont les types de patrimoine qui ont permis aux architectes de construire des pavillons identifiables et attrayants qui reflètent l’identité territoriale d’une nation ou d’une région spécifique ? Dans cette contribution, je propose une typologie des pavillons régionaux, d’abord en établissant une distinction entre patrimoines culturel et naturel. La catégorie du patrimoine culturel peut se focaliser soit sur l’héritage européen/occidental, soit sur les éléments indigènes/exotiques. L’autre axe représente le type d’architecture, formel ou vernaculaire, qui servit d’inspiration. Je vais aussi m’engager dans une réflexion critique sur les limites de la puissance explicative de la constellation « centre-périphérie » et de l’association de divers acteurs. Dans notre explication de l’émergence de styles régionaux spécifiques, il ne suffit pas d’analyser les discours des intellectuels et le pouvoir des institutions politiques et culturelles ; il faut aussi considérer les acteurs commerciaux et le rôle de la consommation. Bien qu’il soit ardu d’étudier l’aspect de la demande, il existe des indications. Show less
Between the American Revolution and the US Civil War, the geography of slavery and freedom in North America changed radically. In some respects, this was an age of emancipation. The northern US,... Show moreBetween the American Revolution and the US Civil War, the geography of slavery and freedom in North America changed radically. In some respects, this was an age of emancipation. The northern US, Canada, and Mexico all abolished slavery in this period, and the transatlantic slave trade itself was abolished in 1808. In the southern US, however, slavery underwent an enormous expansion—from the Atlantic seaboard to Texas—mainly as a result of the successful introduction of cotton in the newly acquired lands of the southern interior. In the age of the “second slavery,” southern slavery grew at an unprecedented rate and became characterized by a number of unique features, including a slave population that was almost entirely born in slavery; the development of a massive internal slave trade that wrought havoc on slave communities; the dominance of cotton plantation agriculture in the lives of most enslaved people; the adaptation of slavery to urban settings; the curtailment of manumissions; and the rise of a continent-wide refugee crisis, as freedom seekers fled to parts of the continent where slavery had been abolished. This chapter will explore the institution of slavery in one of its most well-known contexts. Show less
The introduction to this volume explains the condition of slavery (including its definition and its place at the far end of a broad spectrum of coercion and unfreedom); illuminates conceptual and... Show moreThe introduction to this volume explains the condition of slavery (including its definition and its place at the far end of a broad spectrum of coercion and unfreedom); illuminates conceptual and methodological choices; and discusses the layout and main intentions of the handbook. In particular it discusses how scholars approach the study of slavery, as well as some common themes in global slavery scholarship. It also underscores the intention of this volume to both historicize and spatialize slavery—i.e., to historicize it by moving beyond linear stories that trace slavery from Graeco-Roman antiquity and end with transatlantic slavery and abolition; and to spatialize it by recentering the geography of slavery, illuminating regional contexts of slavery around the world. Show less
Historians have hypothesised that the increase of medical knowledge in the early modern period led to a shift away from religious towards ‘scientific’ explanations and prophylactic measures. The... Show moreHistorians have hypothesised that the increase of medical knowledge in the early modern period led to a shift away from religious towards ‘scientific’ explanations and prophylactic measures. The writings of contemporaries belonging to the ‘middling’ ranks of society tell a different story. This chapter presents a long-term perspective on how 104 non-medical experts coped with and reflected upon epidemics in the Low Countries. By using the corpus of the Chronicling Novelty project, I demonstrate that the middling sort used both religious and non-religious practices side-by-side. I show that between 1500 and 1850, natural explanations became more detailed and complex, but they remained in service of, or subordinate to, divine explanations. Moreover, although the idea of an angry and vengeful God was never far away, the notion of a benevolent God gained prominence in the seventeenth century. Show less
