Research at the Centre for War Studies

The Birmingham Centre for War Studies is dedicated to the study of the concomitant transformations of warfare and of belligerent societies across the periods and areas covered by the School’s expertise.

Our intellectual and institutional agenda is defined and pursued in keeping with the School of History and Culture’s academic strategy and aims to contribute to the University’s Strategic Framework and 'Sustaining Excellence' Agenda.

The Centre’s three main areas of investigation are Combat, Mobilisation and Legacies are placed under the following strapline: Global warfare from the Middle Ages to the Contemporary period. 

Our work is based on an interdisciplinary reflection on the infliction of violence, on the legitimation of its use, on its impact on political as well as economic structures, and its cultural and social legacies. Our approach is firmly rooted in historical methods, and defined by a sustained and critical engagement with a range of social sciences.

This Birmingham approach to the study of war is translated in a variety of research projects and activities. It defines our relationship with a range of stakeholders and partners: academic partners within and outside the University, with the public at large, and with policymakers.