Bloomsbury Liberal Democracies at War: Conflict and Representation

Liberal democracies have always accepted the need to go to war, despite the fact that war can undermine liberal values. Wars may be won or lost, not only on the battlefield, but in the perceptions of the publics who pay for them. Presentation is therefore increasingly important. Starting with the First World War, the first major war fought by liberal democracies after the emergence on mass media, Liberal Democracies at War explores the relationship between representations of liberal violence and the ways in which the liberal state understands 'rights' in war. Experts in the field explore crucial questions such as: · How have the violences of war perpetrated in their names been communicated to publics of liberal democracies? · How have representations of conflict changed over time? · How far have the victims of liberal wars been able to insert their stories into the record? Review One of the great puzzles of the past century is how liberal states can justify the way they wage war or counter-insurgency while paying lip service to democratic principles and the rule of international law. This volume succeeds admirably in showing just how morally complex or morally compromised liberal war-making can be. This is an excellent introduction to a question of perennial significance.This is a disturbing and important collection of essays. It shows how the waging of war over the past century has distorted or destroyed the conditions that make liberal democracy possible. Essential reading for anyone interested in the corrosive and enduring effects of war.Sir Michael Howard, Emeritus Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford, UKThis is an exciting and thought-provoking work. It provides examples from a range of cases from the First World war to the War on Terror, with detailed analysis of specific incidents and a generous portfolio of illustrations.Michael Kelly, Southampton University, UK About the Author Andrew Knapp is Professor of French Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Reading, UK.Hilary Footitt is Research Professor in European Studies at the University of Reading, UK.