German Revisionpolitik, 1919‑1933

Germany's revisionist policy in the interwar period constituted a prime source of international instability. From the Treaty of Versailles to the advent of Adolf Hitler, the statesmen of the Weimar Republic pursued a purposeful, nationalistic diplomacy aimed at eroding the treaty's main provisions. Revisionspolitik, which united most segments of the Reich public, was highly successful: the divisions among the former allies and Soviet Russia helped contribute to the achievements of the statesmen Rathenau, Stresemann and Bruning. By 1933 the Nazi regime, less prudent and more militant, was able to build on its predecessors' labours to regain German hegemony in Europe, supported by a nation grown accustomed to an irredentist foreign policy as welt as by diplomatic partners who had largely acquiesced in Berlin's revisionism. Though historians still differ over the style, methods, individual practitioners, and short- and long-term goals of Weimar foreign policy, it seems clear that it was the most pervasive, integral element of republican diplomacy.La politique révisionniste de l'Allemagne pendant l'entre-deux-guerres a constitué une source première d'instabilité internationale. Du Traité de Versailles à l'avènement d'Adolf Hitler, les hommes d'état de la République de Weimar poursuivirent délibérément une diplomatie nationaliste visant à miner les principales dispositions du traité. La Revisionspolitik, qui unissait la plupart des tranches de la population du Reich, remportait un vif succès : les divisions parmi les anciens alliés et la Russie soviétique contribuèrent aux réalisations des hommes d'État Rathenau, Stresemann et Brüning. En 1933, le nouveau régime Nazi, moins prudent et plus militant, fut en mesure de récolter les fruits du labeur de ces prédécesseurs pour rétablir l'hégémonie allemande en Europe. Les dirigeants nazi étaient aidés en cela par une nation maintenant habituée à une politique étrangère de type irrédentiste aussi bien que par des partenaires diplomatiques qui avaient largement appuyé le révisionnisme de Berlin. Même si l'opinion des historiens continue de différer sur le style, les méthodes, les pratiques individuelles et les buts à court et long terme de la politique étrangère de Weimar, il apparaît clairement que ce fut là l'élément le plus dominant de la diplomatie républicaine

Ostpolitik, 1969-1974: The European and Global Response

The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.Ostpolitik refers to the principle of change through rapprochement. German for “Eastern politics,” the term originated with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's efforts to normalize relations with East Germany and other East European states in the 1970s. Ostpolitik has influenced world politics; for example, South Korea's “Sunshine Policy” toward North Korea takes a similar approach. This conference looks at how Ostpolitik has influenced international relations in Europe and around the world, including a consideration of the nuclear issue.German Historical Institute (Washington, D.C.)Ohio State University. Mershon Center for International Security StudiesEvent webpage, photos, conference program, report, and flye

A rapid screening method to evaluate the impact of nanoparticles on macrophages

Nanotechnology is an emerging and highly promising field to develop new approaches for biomedical applications. There is however at present an unmet need for a rapid and universal method to screen nanoparticles (NP) for immunocompatibility at early stages of their development. Indeed, although many types of highly diverse NP are currently under investigation, their interaction with immune cells remains fairly unpredictable. Macrophages which are professional phagocytic cells are believed to be among the first cell types that take up NP, mediating inflammation and thus immunological responses. The present work describes a highly reproducible screening method to study the NP interaction with macrophages. Three essential questions are answered in parallel, in a single multiwell plate: Are the NP taken up by macrophages? Do the NP cause macrophage cell death? Do the NP induce inflammatory reactions? This assay is proposed as a standardized screening protocol to obtain a rapid overview of the impact of different types of NP on macrophages. Due to high reproducibility, this method also allows quality control assessment for such aspects as immune-activating contaminants and batch-to-batch variability

Pacts and Alliances: Why They Succeed, Why They Fail, and Why We Should Care

Streaming video requires RealPlayer to view.The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.This conference brings together scholars and advanced graduate students to explore pacts and alliances, the mechanics of which have shaped history in fundamental ways, but whose presence has most often been ignored, taken for granted, and clearly understudied. Although sometimes pointing out reasons why a particular pact or alliance failed or succeeded in achieving its goals, historians largely have failed to say anything broader about the requisites necessary for the successful implementation of alliances. Drawing on both the nuanced work of historians and the structural expertise of social scientists, this conference aims to draw broad conclusions about the inner workings of this significant issue related to international security. Pacts and Alliances is organized around four fundamental but crucial questions. First, why do pacts and alliances generally fail in their aims? Second, what common denominators are shared by alliances and pacts that succeed in their objectives? Third, is it inevitable that pacts or alliances are destined to break down? And finally, what are the implications of these results on pact and alliance-making in the 21st century? The answers to these questions are critically important for the next generation of policy makers and international historians.Ohio State University. Mershon Center for International Security StudiesEvent Web page, streaming video, event photo

The Global Impact of 1956: Race, Neutralism, and National Liberation

The University Archives has determined that this item is of continuing value to OSU's history.In 1956, the world witnessed two upheavals: a major rift in European communism, with the revolutions in Poland and Hungary; and the onset of decolonization after the abortive Suez invasion by France and Great Britain. In this 50th anniversary of that momentous year, we propose to look beyond these seminal events and explore their impact on three significant issues -– race, neutralism, and national liberation -– which continue to affect the world today.Web page announcement, conference program, conferene poster, conference photos, conference proceeding