Call for Proposals
The Causes and Consequences of Civil Wars
In April of 1861, Confederate batteries opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor and there followed the American Civil War. Does it matter who fired the first shot? Did that shot make the war inevitable? The example of Sumter raises all kinds of other questions about how and why civil wars begin and end. Is there a point of no return or can these conflicts be resolved short of war? Do we truly understand what causes civil wars - ethnic rivalries, economic inequities, religious conflicts, etc. - or do we simply accept the justifications provided by those who fight them? Are the reasons that political leaders decide on war the same as the reasons why soldiers and citizenry fight and support their decisions? What roles do misperception, vilification of the other, and image and reality play in our understanding of civil war? What is propaganda and what is reliable information? What responsibilities do leaders have to be informed, open to opportunities for resolution of differences, alert to blunders, and aware of the unexpected and unintended consequences of going to war? Are civil wars different from conflicts between separate nations? Are they easier to start and harder to end than conflicts between separate nations? Are democracies more prone to civil wars or less so?
These and other questions can be posed of civil wars whether they occurred in ancient Greece, early modern Europe, China, Africa, and the Middle East in the age of imperialism, modernizing Japan, Spain in 1936, or in Russia and China in the midst of revolution in the first half of the 20th century. More recently there have been numerous civil wars in places like Burma, Angola, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Uganda. Examples from American and World history can shed light on these troubling questions that continue to confront us in 2010. They show how precedents, analogies, and comparative history can help clarify issues and promote understanding.
The NCHE invites proposals for presentations and poster sessions that address the theme of the conference. A committee composed of NCHE trustees, historians, teachers, and educators will review all proposals and make a final determination that takes into account factors including the following:
(1) history content,
(2) relevance to the theme,
(3) imagination, creativity, and innovation,
(4) value added for history teachers,
(5) inter-active components,
(6) suitability for various grade levels.
