War Makes Monsters: Crime and Criminality in Times of Conflict
In June 2022, Dr Julie Powell (UCD Centre for War Studies - Julie Powell) co-organised a two-day conference, War Makes Monsters: Crime and Criminality in Times of Conflict, with Dr Claire Eldridge (Leeds). The conference took place in the Humanities Institute in UCD.
Attended by scholars from Ireland, Europe, and North America, the conference addressed the intersections between criminality and war. The adage ‘war makes monsters’ tells only part of the story. Evidence suggests that war makes criminals of some, while exonerating others. It creates a context for the renegotiation of what constitutes ‘crime’. It provides cover for certain varieties of misdeed and trains a spotlight on others.
In 2024, French Historical Studies will publish a special issue, based on papers at the conference.
The conference was funded by the Violence and Society research theme in the College of Arts & Humanities, the Irish Research Council, and the the NUI ((opens in a new window)NUI Awards | National University of Ireland).