The Great War is a case study of how military alliances stimulated the escalation of hostilities over collective restraint at the brink of a war. The overspilling tensions in the Balkans as well as...Show moreThe Great War is a case study of how military alliances stimulated the escalation of hostilities over collective restraint at the brink of a war. The overspilling tensions in the Balkans as well as rising nationalism across Europe had rendered diplomacy a crucial medium for maintaining the balance of power.This thesis will answer the question of in what ways did the failure of diplomacy contribute to the fallout of the First World War? I explore the failures of diplomatic negotiations across Europe as a long term cause which provided the conditions for interstate warfare. To illustrate the political landscape of Europe at the time, the role of nationalism in exacerbating political tensions will be explored in a Europe-wide context. The violations of international law throughout the war will be analyzed to showcase the failures of building international peace through the terms of The Hague Conventions.The findings of this paper indicate that political alliances were a fundamental tool which encouraged increased hostilities. The failure of diplomacy was a culmination of a series of unequal treaties, negotiations held in bad faith, and the inability to reconcile clashing nationalist ideals. The aggressive undertones of each country’s foreign policy magnified the Balkan crisis into a world war.Show less
This thesis argues for the use of psychoanalysis in history-writing. It uses the example of Freud and Bulitt's biography on Woodrow Wilson. It focuses on their analysis of Wilson's failures during...Show moreThis thesis argues for the use of psychoanalysis in history-writing. It uses the example of Freud and Bulitt's biography on Woodrow Wilson. It focuses on their analysis of Wilson's failures during the peace negotiations at Versailles in 1919. This thesis compares this Wilson biography to other 'regular' biographies and argues that psychoanalysis is a valuable addition to history-writing.Show less
Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
open access
This MA-thesis deals with a highly fascinating topic in the domains of religious, literary, and cultural history. It is ambitious in its attempt to approach the topic of marriage and divorce in the...Show moreThis MA-thesis deals with a highly fascinating topic in the domains of religious, literary, and cultural history. It is ambitious in its attempt to approach the topic of marriage and divorce in the fin de siècle from the perspective of contemporary fiction in close alliance with religious and social dimensions of the issues. Given the fact that, as far as the topic of marriage and divorce goes, religion is quite understudied in literary research, this is an effort to bring these disciplines together in one thesis. Central to the thesis is the work of the prominent Dutch feminist Cecile de Jong van Beek en Donk who underwent a radical change from feminism to orthodox Catholicism. Whereas the first novel discussed in this thesis (Hilda van Suylenburg, 1897) has been the object of literary and feminist studies, the second novel (Bij de waskaarsen, 1929/30), stemming from the novelists’ Catholic phase of life, has been largely neglected up till today. To discuss these two interesting novels together is quite an original aspect of this thesis.Show less
In a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman...Show moreIn a relatively short time Great Britain founded Iraq out of the three Ottoman vilayets Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. When British forces went ashore in Mesopotamia in a hurry to fight the Ottoman Empire because it had joined the First World War as one of the Axis, many policy issues had not been clarified yet. Too often did not only the army and the political officers on the ground, but the government officials in London as well work without a clear goal in mind. The question that begs to be asked is who was responsible for the policy in Mesopotamia. Hence, this is a study of the interaction within the British Empire during and right after World War I and its effects on policy development in Mesopotamia. When you zoom in on the British Empire, you will notice a diverse range of interests. This world encompassing Empire was not a monolith. Different regions and different political entities had conflicting ideas on the future of Mesopotamia. This thesis analyzes the British Empire itself to understand the confusion and contradictions in British policy-making following 1914 by leaving the core-periphery binary often assumed in imperialist historiography, and by paying attention to the webbed character of empires; multiple metropoles connected in a competing network.Show less
