History Commons^™

Action This Day: The Mathematics And Machinations That Bested The German Enigma, Jonah Weinbaum

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis presents a comprehensive and chronological overview of cryptographic techniques designed to break Enigma, beginning in 1932 and culminating in the creation of the Turing-Welchman Bombe. We discuss the mathematical theory and electromechanical implements used to decode one of history's greatest ciphers.

Reexamining the Bombe through the lens of modern group theory, we critique Alan Turing's estimation of the number of "stops" that the Bombe produces for various plaintext-ciphertext pairing structures. To address its limitations, we introduce a new framework for estimating the number of stops by extending John Dixon's theorem concerning the probability that uniformly distributed elements of …

Metamorphosis And Fairy Tale Tropes In Christa Wolf’S Patterns Of Childhood, B. E. Lara

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a sociohistorical analysis of East German writer Christa Wolf’s use of fairy tale tropes in her novel Patterns of Childhood, first published in German in 1976 in East Germany as Kindheitsmuster. Wolf uses fairy tale tropes to explore themes that she could not write about openly under East German censorship, which prohibited East German authors from exposing their culpability for prior acts committed under the Nazi Regime. Furthermore, Wolf introduces metamorphosis to explore the intrinsic evil and subsequent guilt of her child protagonist, and she uses the child’s capacity for evil to illustrate the German people’s similar …

‘An Intriguing But Ambiguous Privilege’: Adventures In Franco-Irish Relations Through The Prism Of The Diplomatic Meal, Elaine Mahon

Books/Book Chapters

This essay discusses the welcome banquet held in February 1945 in honour of the newly appointed French diplomatic envoy to Ireland, Jean Rivière, hosted by Éamon de Valera at Iveagh House, the headquarters of the Irish Department of External Affairs. The banquet took place at a moment when ‘an intriguing but ambiguous privilege’ had been granted by Charles de Gaulle’s Provisional Government to Ireland as the only country permitted to retain its diplomatic representative to France in the post-liberation period. Following the fall of the Vichy regime and the liberation of France in August 1944, de Gaulle’s government de- manded …

A Case Study Of Harmful Revisionist History: An Analysis Of Nada Por Lo Que Pedir Perdón By Marcelo Gullo Omodeo, Anna Anderson

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Phantasma, Grace Wright

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Ever since the infamous Ides of March, scholars have been debating the true psychology behind Brutus’s betrayal. The purpose of this project is to take a step back from the politicized motivations and explore the emotional, strenuous conditions of Julius Caesar’s assassination. This project will transform William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar into a novella with its central focus on the relationship dynamics between the key figures of Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius. The intention of the novella is to not only analyze the play through a critical queer lens, but to interrogate the themes of violence and desire that surround male relationships …

"A Changed Understanding Of Our Present": Moby-Dick As Prophetic Ecological Activism, Katie Ann Schini

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Moby-Dick: Or, The Whale is a classic of American literature, spanning multiple genres and remaining culturally relevant nearly 175 years after its original publication. Though on the surface Moby-Dick reads as an adventure story of a man who experiences the whaling industry firsthand, Herman Melville’s text continues to invite new generations of readership through the framework of the twenty-first century climate crisis.

In this thesis, I position Moby-Dick as a text that can be used to understand our modern society’s current dispositions of ecological grief. My thesis operates at the intersection of three main literary critical theories: ecocriticism, affect, and …

The Creative Front, Aleksandr O. Barrett

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract

In this paper, I will discuss my thesis exhibition, The Creative Front, focusing on my materials, content, and context as they relate to each piece or body of work. This exhibition is the culmination of my work, which centers on my experience with the Russo-Ukrainian war. My work can be interpreted metaphorically, poetically, and directly through sculpture, installation, sound, and film. I am portraying very human stories and experiences from a full-scale war raging in Europe. My work is immersive, placing the viewer in an atmosphere of war, and conveying a sense of urgency and compassion for those who …

Culture Of Disease: A Historiographical Review Of The Black Death, Jack Bamford

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

I. Synthesis Essay ………………………………2

II. Document Selection ………………………. 22

III. Textbook Critique…………………………...32

IV. Original Textbook Entry…………………... 36

“We Aren’T Dying Yet, But We’Re On The Hospital Bed.” An Analysis Of Scottish Culture And Desire For Independence, Emma Walker

Honors Papers and Posters

Scottish culture has long often been associated with barbaric clans and whiskey; however, there is much more to this culture than meets the eye. After centuries of oppression and pushback on expressing cultural aspects of Scottish identity post the Union of the Crowns in 1603, Scotland has now emerged as a leader in re-establishing its culture and protecting it as well. This paper will aim to analyze how Scotland's cultural pride over time has changed and how this uptick in pride has also led to a political movement for independence. I argue that the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, …

The Religious Policy Of The Russian Empire In The Captured Territories Of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (On The Example Of The Volyn Province At The End Of The 18th-The First Half Of The 19th Century), Andrii Shevchuk, Oksana Markevych

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article investigates the peculiarities of the implementation of the religious policy of the Russian Empire in the territories that were captured as a result of the partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, on the example of the Volyn province in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The role of local administration, in particular governors, in the implementation of the imperial confessional policy and the mechanisms of integration of the Orthodox Church into the state apparatus are analyzed. It is established that after the November Uprising of 1830-1831, religious policy was radicalized, which manifested itself in the forced liquidation of …

Memory And Religious Identity In Ivan Iv’S Letters: Constructing Orthodox Kingship In Diplomatic Correspondence, Srđan M. Jovanović

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the use of religious memory and identity in the diplomatic correspondence of Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), particularly his letters to the Polish-Lithuanian nobility. Through a detailed analysis of these letters, the article demonstrates how Ivan IV invoked Orthodox Christian imagery, sacred history, and references to past Christian rulers to legitimize his reign and justify his political actions, such as military campaigns and territorial expansion. Ivan’s correspondence not only reflects his self-presentation as a divinely appointed ruler but also illustrates how religious rhetoric played a crucial role in constructing Orthodox kingship and shaping Russian national identity. The …

Enfilade And Variations: Interpreting Salon Music Through Residential Architecture In Eighteenth-Century Paris, Nicole Vilkner

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

In eighteenth-century Parisian salons, theme and variations on popular melodies proliferated. Elaine Sisman’s seminal study of variation form provides a foundational approach for understanding variations as rhetorical exercises that persuade through differences in syntax and expression. In this vein, scholars have comprehensively affirmed the ways that salon music reflects the dialogic and sociable practices of Enlightenment receptions (Hanning, Sutcliffe, and Zohn). I suggest that theme and variation form is not only connected to the rhetoric of the salon, but that the concept of sequential elaboration is a principle that was also prized in residential architecture.

Drawing from theoretical writings of …

Toxic Varnishes: Perfumes, Stench, And Glow In Eighteenth-Century French Salons, Érika Wicky

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

As several historians, including Alain Corbin, have noted, a new sensitivity to odors emerged in the 18^th century that increased people’s negative responses to strong smells and heightened the demand for fragrances that were not only pleasant but also light and subtle. Some scholars see this period as a true “olfactory revolution.” How was this expressed in the salon, perceived both as a luxurious space and a site of elite sociability? This focus on the smell of varnish aims to illustrate how the scent of materials intertwined with the pleasures of decorative arts, both in the entire space of …

Introduction: The Salon And The Senses In Eighteenth-Century France, Jennifer M. Jones, Rebecca Cypess

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women in the Arts, 1640–1830

An introduction to a special collection of essays exploring the salon and the senses in eighteenth-century France. Provides an overview of the critical historiography on the salon and the role of salon hostesses. Explores new approaches to salon within the context of the history of the senses, with attention to the role of art, music, and sociability in salon culture. Provides an overview of the essays in the collection.

A Study Abroad Immersion And Reflection Of American Liberal Arts Students In Cyprus, Mark Reimer, Yiannis Miralis

Journal of Global Awareness

Ensemble tours abroad, with a liberal arts focus, provide a rich, unique, and highly educational opportunity to make music while experiencing the history, people, language, and culture of another country. Pre-tour preparation, however, requires research and a trusted relationship between the director and the host to ensure that the musicians in both countries enjoy the same degree of excitement and desire to learn from one another. The following article is research that was conducted for an American college wind ensemble tour to Cyprus. In addition to reviewing several books and journals, the authors listened to hours of classical, folk, and …

Brexit And The Spillover Phenomenon: Scotland, Northern Ireland, And Gibraltar, Timea Varga

Journal of Global Awareness

In my research, I examined the consequences of Brexit and the spillover phenomenon. Even though the United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 December 2020 with a deal, the resulting challenges are not solved at all in 2024 either – Brexit has brought to the surface such conflicts that London considered dealt with a long time ago. However, questions of autonomy and independence are not so easy to resolve; they have their roots in history, and in this uncertain situation, they came to the fore again.

Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, and Scotland have always meant sources of conflict for the …

Secular Formations Of Sacred Music: Schleiermacher, Romanticism, And Devotional Media In Germany, Desmond Sheehan

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Theologians and musicologists alike have often disregarded the material and technical facets of devotional scenes such as the one meticulously described in Schleiermacher’s Christmas Eve Celebration: A Dialogue (1806). More recent musicologists have highlighted more concealed technologies that helped to facilitate Romantic aesthetic experiences – a form of methodological unmasking that at once denies and reclaims a Schillerian notion of disenchantment. This essay argues that both types of studies perpetuate secularization narratives that displace a Christian religiosity into public artforms and social practices in Romanticism, and secular modernity by extension. As a proposed alternative, a media history of sacred music …

Origins Of Art: Demystifying The Scheuring Icon Collection, Mikayla Klemp

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

The Devil In The Details: The Malleus Maleficarum And Its Relationship To Regional Witchcraft Beliefs In Metz And The Corresponding Trials, Morgan Gubser

University Honors Theses

This thesis will explore witch trials in Lorraine, France, in the mid- to late-1400s, with a strong focus on trials conducted in or in reference to the city of Metz. The sixteenth century saw the period of the "great witch trials", which is often studied by those publishing in Witchcraft Studies, but a renewed scholarly focus is now being placed on the time before these great trials. By understanding these smaller outbreaks of trials that occurred in Lorraine before the sixteenth century we might hope to understand why so many trials tore through the region a century later. This thesis …

Otra Historia Ignaciana: Incluyendo A Las Mujeres En La Historia De La Misión Jesuita, Julia A. Dowd

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Los programas de orientación de las universidades jesuitas suelen incluir un repaso de la vida de Ignacio. Lo que falta en la historia oficial de Ignacio son las historias de las mujeres con las que vivió y trabajó y que contribuyeron económica, política y emocionalmente a su formación y a la de los primeros jesuitas. También falta un análisis desde la crítica feminista del contexto histórico en el que nacieron Ignacio, los Ejercicios Espirituales y la Compañía de Jesús. En este artículo sostengo que las mujeres proporcionaron un andamiaje esencial para afianzar la identidad y vocación de Ignacio, y para …

Wine-Rs Or Losers: Assessing Socio-Economic Impacts Of Eu Regulations On Climate-Exacerbated Plant Diseases And Pests Within Northern Italian Viticulture, Kyley N. Fishman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As climate change furthers weather events and unprecedented hot and wet seasons, European farmers are amongst those challenged by these threats. Balancing sustainable and traditional practices while maintaining socio-economic stability can be difficult, especially under European Union (EU) agricultural regulations. A key area of concern for some agro-regulations is viticulture, or grape growing, which is amongst the most climate-sensitive agricultural sectors. These agro-regulations address multiple goals, including sustainability, exports, and cultural heritage protection. Yet, to what extent EU climate-driven agricultural regulations influence regional wine-growing operations’ socio-economics remains unclear, particularly in managing climate-aggravated pests and plant diseases. My thesis aims to …

Joseph Moxon: Fueled By Science, Extinguished By Class. How A Forgotten Middle-Classed Early Modern English Puritan Printer Mathematician And Globe-Maker Helped Forge The Scientific Revolution And Democratize Knowledge Among The Trades, Kenneth L. Macro Jr.

Master's Theses

Joseph Moxon, raised within the trades, elevated into the middle-class, was an inducted Fellow of the Royal Society, Hydrographer to the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, Printer, Author, Translator, Maker of Globes and of Spheres, Maker of Maps and of Mathematical Instruments, Engraver, and Entrepreneur. Moxon was the quintessential Renaissance Man. A tradesman living in a time of great scientific intrigue and discovery, Moxon, acknowledged by few mid-seventeenth century historians, rightfully contributed his scientific discoveries—in the forms of tutorials and manuals written for the common man—as a testimony to all printers who have helped in the progression of the Scientific Revolution. …

Designing And Building An Action Figure Of Alexander The Great To Better Engage Young Learners In History, Patrick Sandoval

All Theses

This paper discusses creating an action figure of Alexander the Great as a means of garnering a child’s interest in a specific setting of human history. Physical mediums have merit as supplemental tools for traditional learning methods for children, with action figures providing an outlet for role-playing and enhanced engagement. Topics include the significance of Alexander the Great, as well as the process of creating an action figure of him using production methods of digital character sculpting and 3D printing. Its design takes inspiration from the Street Fighter series, Classical and Hellenistic Greek sculpture, and professional wrestling action figures.

The Role Of Dynastic Marriage In The Reigns Of Mary I And Elizabeth I Of England, Regan Vann

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My project will cover the role gender and dynastic marriage played in the reigns of Mary I of England Elizabeth I of England, and the differences they caused in their reigns compared to a reign of a male monarch. The historical question I am exploring is how Mary and Elizabeth’s gender impacted their reign by means of dynastic marriage. Marriage was important for the English royals as the prospect of marrying foreign royal created opportunities for alliances with other realms. Royal marriages were often arranged by the monarch, usually a king, for his children, especially his female children. Mary and …

Antillia, Kelsie Ogden

English Undergraduate Honors Theses

History, Mythology, and Fantasy are all considered to hold different ideas surrounding truth. More often than not, it is harder to draw this line than one might think. Through this thesis, an argument is made surrounding the legendary island Antillia and where this mythical island falls into more categories than one. Through the carefully crafted journal writings of the Viking, Ragnar, and the wondrous diary entries of Medieval widow, Ivette, the search for this island comes to a head. What waits upon this island, however, is a cure to the very essence of these two characters and others like them– …

Resilience And Evolution: The Transformative Impact Of The Black Death On Women’S Roles In Medieval England, Kaylee N. Vitato

The Cardinal Edge

"Resilience and Evolution: The Transformative Impact of the Black Death on Women’s Roles in Medieval England" delves into the nuanced effects of the Black Death on gender dynamics in medieval England. While there were positive shifts in attitudes toward women's roles, persistent challenges, such as unequal employment conditions, lower wages compared to men, and negative household stereotypes, endured. The research examines alterations in labor markets, inheritance norms, property laws, and domestic dynamics to uncover the multifaceted impact of the Black Death on the evolution of women's roles. Despite emerging opportunities for women in previously male-dominated spheres, the analysis also reveals …

Disease And Discrimination: The Persecution Of Jews In The Holy Roman Empire During The Black Death, Abigail M Stanger

The Cardinal Edge

The Black Death, the second major plague pandemic caused by the spread of the bacteria Yersinia pestis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire in 1348. Throughout its spread until 1352, the plague devastated residents of the Holy Roman Empire regardless of demographic features. However, Christians at the time believed that members of Jewish communities died at significantly lower rates than themselves, and already existing sentiments of antisemitism grew into the assignment of blame onto Jews. This concurrent spread of plague and antisemitism resulted in pogroms and other forms of mass violence against Jewish communities across Europe, but specifically in the …

Socioeconomic Relations In Post-Soviet Spaces, Ariana Khzarjyan

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

This research focuses on post-Soviet spaces and the entanglement of political movements that often lead to intense struggles between democratic aspirations and authoritarian tendencies. Although, this research is hyperfocused on Armenia and analyzes political movements that oppose the current pro-democracy government. This study aims to identify and categorize movements, evaluate their democratic and anti-democratic sentiments, and compare them with similar movements that occurred in other post-Soviet countries such as Georgia and Ukraine. This study provided insights into the political landscape and underlying motivations by conducting qualitative field research in Armenia. The specific question to help guide this research is: What …

Responding To The Global Crisis: Jacques Maritain, World War Ii, And New York's École Libre, Jacob Saliba

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article offers an interdisciplinary study of the French Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain during World War II in order to provide an historical resource for understanding the global dimensions and possibilities at work in modern Catholicism. In 1941, while living in New York City, Maritain helped to cofound and lead the École Libre des Hautes Études (the “Free French University”). An initiative primarily created by American and French intellectuals, the university became an important hub for rescuing and employing nearly two hundred individuals from across the world. Elected president in late-1942, Maritain worked closely with the New School for Social …

The Meanings Of The Hospital De San Lázaro In Seventeenth-Century Manila, Francis Galasi

Journal of Global Catholicism

The Hospital de San Lázaro was a specialized health facility in the early modern Philippines, dedicated to the care of lepers and sufferers of other contagious diseases. While it was established for this specific purpose, its role in colonial society varied. This versatility reflected the distinct priorities and commitments of the groups pulled into its orbit, as each charged San Lázaro with a unique meaning. This article explores how and why these groups—the indigenous Filipinos, the Spanish residents and the Discalced Franciscans—understood San Lázaro in their own way. It highlights the ability of fixed institutions, such as a hospital, to …