THE VANDERBILT HISTORICAL REVIEW

Zachary Winkler – About 20 years ago, Central and Eastern Europe was in turmoil. In 1992, Bosnian independence was declared by referendum. However, the newly-formed state was rife with ethnic diversity and tension, stemming from differences in religious belief. The young state quickly devolved into civil war with fighting erupting from ethnic Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian classes of the population. Meanwhile, 3200 miles away, an ethnic conflict brewed in Rwanda, between Hutus an

Robert Yee – This paper was presented at the Global History Student Conference in May 2016. Saint Godric of Finchale (or Saint Goderic) (c. 1065-1170) The Middle Ages in Europe has often been acknowledged as a period of cultural backwardness and an evident lack of technological advancements, spanning roughly from the 5th to the 15th centuries. However, it is clear from the historical record that a growth in economic development occurred and was in fact possible due to financi

Clara Zou – Honoré de Balzac paints a social scene of Paris that fills the reader with the desire to belong and be part of an enchanting lifestyle full of beautiful fashion, exquisite homes, and luxurious evenings spent dancing. From the perspective of a law student, Monsieur Eugène de Rastignac, Balzac illustrates the ambition of sons and daughters to become part of the esteemed social sphere in Paris. Unfortunately, the ambition comes at the unsustainable expense of familie

Josh Hamburger – Murder Was Not a Crime: Homicide and Power in the Roman Republic In Murder Was Not a Crime: Homicide and Power in the Roman Republic, Judy E. Gaughan examines the lightly-researched (and lightly-punished) segment of Roman law dealing with murder, ranging from between private citizens to public condemnations. During the time of the res publica (republic), the Roman government took a noticeably ambivalent stance against murder that reflected their structure and

Clara Zou – Le Tableau de Paris (1781) Eighteenth century Paris is a place that cannot be described in a single phrase, painting, or idea. The City of Lights was the capital for people worldwide, not because of its history, but because of the life that breathed through its streets. The novelty behind a place being the epicenter of the world for its actions in the moment (that are always changing) is hard to fathom and even harder to describe. In Mercier’s Tableau de Paris pub

A sermon in Edinburgh (c. 17th century) Kathryn Fuselier – The Church of Scotland is exactly as it sounds: a church that has shaped Scottish culture since its creation in 1560. Despite some discontent, the Church of Scotland has survived to this day, and it has remained the largest and most prominent religious institution in Scotland for almost all of those 450 years. Yet, in the past century, there has been a large decline in Church attendance in both the Church of Scotland

Mark Michael Astarita – Painted in 1427, The Holy Trinity (Santa Trinità) by Masaccio is an elaborate piece of artwork that uses numerous stylistic techniques characteristic of the Early Italian Renaissance. Born in 1401 under the name Tomasso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, Masaccio expertly used the location and subjects of the work to, not only convey a sense of beauty, but also inspire trends that would influence later Italian art movements. Masaccio’s The Holy Trinity with th