Today I want to explore an interesting case of counterfactual history. What would have happened if Napoleon Bonaparte had won in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo? What consequences might have followed for Europe in the next two centuries? That he might have succeeded is not mere fantasy. According to the victor, Lord Wellington, the … Continue reading What If Napoleon Had Won at Waterloo?
Category: War
Resilience in the Face of Climate Change and Epidemic: Ancient Rome and Today’s America
Tell me if you think this sounds familiar: In its latter years (500-700 ACE), the Roman Empire faced a formidable challenge from two devastating environmental forces -- dramatic climate change and massive epidemic. As Mark Twain is supposed to have said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes." During our own bout of climate … Continue reading Resilience in the Face of Climate Change and Epidemic: Ancient Rome and Today’s America
War! What Is It Good For?
This post is an overview of the 2014 book by Stanford classicist Ian Morris, War! What Is It Good For? In it he makes the counter-intuitive argument that over time some forms of war have been socially productive. In contrast with the message of 1970s song by the same name, war may in fact be good … Continue reading War! What Is It Good For?