Click here to read my article in the Columbia Journal of Asia. Abstract Throughout the 19th century, Japanese elite society simultaneously expanded its interest in affairs beyond its borders while reaffirming its distrust of foreigners and foreignness (jōi). This paper examines the variety of ways in which Japan engaged with the outside in the tumultuous … Continue reading Against a Rupture Narrative: Japanese “Western Learning” from Tokugawa to Meiji [Columbia Journal of Asia]
Author: Aidan
History of US Presidents and other high-level officials attending funerals of foreign heads-of-state
CNN announced on September 7 that Vice President Kamala Harris will attend former PM of Japan Abe Shinzo’s funeral, which will be on Tuesday, September 27. Recently, President Joe Biden attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. I did not find any official protocol for US Presidents or Vice Presidents attending foreign state funerals. Below, … Continue reading History of US Presidents and other high-level officials attending funerals of foreign heads-of-state
Project Proposal – No Grand Narratives: Re-humanizing History
“Scientification”; this world miraculously distills many of the most pervasive flaws of global history-telling. Historians are taught that we pursue the absolute truth of grand, civilizational narratives. This can be seen in innocuous cases like Twitter accounts that highlight common misconceptions about history, such as that medieval people didn’t bathe. But it emerges most prominently, … Continue reading Project Proposal – No Grand Narratives: Re-humanizing History
Isolationism in Vogue [Epoch Magazine]
Click here to read my article in University of Lancaster's emerging historians journal, Epoch Magazine! This article examines rhetoric and diplomacy around the concept of imperial "Splendid Isolation" in Britain under the prime ministership of Lord Salisbury in the 1890s and early 1900s. This 'voguish' diplomacy and rhetoric came to an end with the signing … Continue reading Isolationism in Vogue [Epoch Magazine]
U.S. lawmaker says Pelosi trip was meant to keep status quo [The Asahi Shimbun]
Click here to read this article in The Asahi Shimbun, a leading Japanese newspaper. I received named credit for my contribution, viewable at the bottom of the article. U.S. congressman Mark Takano responds in an interview with The Asahi Shimbun. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) WASHINGTON--A member of a U.S. delegation that recently visited Taiwan said … Continue reading U.S. lawmaker says Pelosi trip was meant to keep status quo [The Asahi Shimbun]
The Scramble for China, the “Open Door,” and Anglo-American Diplomacy, 1898-1899
Presented for Reimagining Progression and Retrogression in History: 1st LSE Department of International History Student Conference (June 17, 2022) Public and even historical discourse on modern East Asia often sidelines the consequences of the 1894-1895 Sino-Japanese War on international diplomacy. This paper will highlight the war’s consequences in European imperialism, which led to a fevered … Continue reading The Scramble for China, the “Open Door,” and Anglo-American Diplomacy, 1898-1899
City of London v. Strangers: Hanse Merchants and the Changing Political Economy of Elizabethan England
Presented in partial completion of the MA/MSc in International History at Columbia University and the London School of Economics, Thursday May 5, 2022 Word Count: 14995 “We learn that whereas the Hanse Towns have long enjoyed certain privileges in respect of the export of cloth from England… nevertheless certain malicious and envious citizens of London … Continue reading City of London v. Strangers: Hanse Merchants and the Changing Political Economy of Elizabethan England
Changing Tides on the Medieval Baltic [The Webster Review of International History]
Click here to read my article published in the LSE Webster Review of International History! This paper examines the history of the island of Gotland on the Baltic Sea, as a place of deep geostrategic interest for both German merchant navies and their enemies in the 14th century. This paper will focus on the invasion … Continue reading Changing Tides on the Medieval Baltic [The Webster Review of International History]
Baltic Frontiers [Columbia Journal of History Online]
Click here to read my article published in the Columbia Journal of History! This study will look at the overlapping histories of the two foremost German organizations that emerged in the Baltic region in the time of the Northern Crusades: the Hanseatic League and the monastic crusading state of the Teutonic Order. The rulers of … Continue reading Baltic Frontiers [Columbia Journal of History Online]
Japan, China, and the Paris Peace Conference
Introduction: What effect did the Paris Peace Conference have on the international politics of East Asia? At first glance, this question seems too broad to challenge any particular historiographical trends. However, an extensive review of the literature teases out disagreement over the nature of Chinese and Japanese politics in the wake of the 1919 Conference. … Continue reading Japan, China, and the Paris Peace Conference
Haus Lilienfeld 