Abstract:

The  individual research is carried out in the framework of thr project “The Dark Side of the Belle Époque. Political Violence and Armed Associations in Europe before the First World War”, that is a comparative historical investigation which examines the role played by militias, paramilitary movements, armed organisations, and vigilante groups before the First World War (from the late 19th century to 1914). Its goal is to investigate how and to what extent organised political violence permeated European societies even before the outbreak of the Great War. The project seeks to compare the practices, social backgrounds and political cultures of these groups, and their connections with more general contexts (state, Church, other social movements and political cultures), in all major states of pre-WWI Europe and particularly focuses on the case of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. All these different forms of organised violence may be defined as armed associations. In pre-WWI Europe, an armed association may be defined as non-state organisation of male civilians that acts publicly and in which the practice of violence is a legitimated course of action.

Research fellow:
Dr. Claire Morelon

Project website:
Link