The imminent fact of death, its solemn significance, and the rituals and decorums of mourning figured prominently in early modern society. In this option, we shall study some responses to death in general, and the deaths of some individuals in particular, from a number of historical and cultural perspectives. Materials for study will range from sermons to paintings to literary texts, both in prose and in poetry. This module reflects the 'new military history' that sets armies and navies in their social and institutional contexts, exploring their role as instruments of political and constitutional change. Particular attention will be devoted to the social effects of the so-called 'military revolution' of the early modern period, and to the emergence of codes of conduct and laws of war in the late 19th and 20th century, as illustrated for example in the Nuremberg trials and theories of the just war.
Students can develop their own particular interests in the assessed essay.
The first section studies a range of phenomena from genocide and other forms of mass killing to individual execution for capital crimes or military offences. The second section examines comparatively the way states regard murder, suicide, duelling and abortion. Students will attend third year undergraduate lectures on the topic, followed by postgraduate seminars.