History

History shapes contemporary international relations. We conduct research on historical trends, diplomatic strategies, and geopolitical shifts. We analyze historical precedents and analogues to illuminate current policy challenges.

The Latest

U.S. Marines hitting the beach on Iwo Jima, February 1945.

Article

A Martial Approach to Applied History: How the U.S. Military Turns History into Judgment

Apr. 1, 2026 by Patrick Holland

From Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy

Article

Technology, Behavior, and Effectiveness in Naval Warfare: The Battles of Savo Island and Cape Saint George

Winter 2025/26 by John Severini and Stephen Biddle
Article

Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Surprise

Winter 2025/26 by Joel Brenner
The Problem of China in the British Foreign Office Mind

by Oliver Yule-Smith December 2025

482 results

A Martial Approach to Applied History: How the U.S. Military Turns History into Judgment

Apr. 1, 2026 by Patrick Holland

Article

from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

Technology, Behavior, and Effectiveness in Naval Warfare: The Battles of Savo Island and Cape Saint George

Winter 2025/26 by John Severini and Stephen Biddle

Article

from International Security

Smoke billows from the USS Yorktown and bursts from anti-aircraft fire fill the air after a Japanese bomber hit the aircraft carrier in the Battle of Midway near Midway Islands during World War II in June 1942.

Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Surprise

Winter 2025/26 by Joel Brenner

Article

from International Security

In this Dec. 7, 1941 file photo, smoke rises from the battleship USS Arizona as it sinks during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The Fog of McNamara

Dec. 16, 2025

In The News

from Foreign Affairs

The Problem of China in the British Foreign Office Mind

December 2025 by Oliver Yule-Smith

Books

from Bloomsbury

From Legal Transplants to Policy Irritants: Chinese Economic Expansion and Global Legal Change

Summer 2025 by Kevin Keller

Article

from American Journal of Comparative Law

The Rules-Based International Order: A Historical Analysis

Fall 2025 by Marc Trachtenberg

Article

from International Security

Delegates M.S. Stepanov of Russia, Lord John Maynard Keynes and Vladimir Rybar of Yugoslavia confer during the Monetary Conference at Bretton Woods, N.H. in July 1944

To Agree or Not to Agree: Hawks, Doves, and Regime Type in International Rivalry and Rapprochement

Fall 2025 by Michael A. Goldfien

Article

from International Security