Centre for War and Diplomacy

Confronting today's challenges through the study of the past

Battle scene with soldiers on horseback

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The CWD brings together colleagues from a variety of disciplines – from History to Law, Politics and the Contemporary Arts – and welcomes non-resident and visiting fellows from across the world. It also supports a flourishing postgraduate community.

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Featured Research

Lancaster Defence and Security Dialogue

The Lancaster Defence and Security Dialogue (LDSD) is a unique occasion for discussion and debate among academics, public intellectuals, policymakers and members of the public on how the UK, as a European yet globally ambitious power, can navigate – especially at the defence level – the complex realities and risks of an increasingly interdependent world paradoxically marked by increasing geopolitical rivalry and divisions.

LDSD

Military History Consortium

The Military History Consortium (MHC) connects institutions, academics, and students engaged in the study of warfare and/or military organisations in the past. It comprises the University of Amsterdam, the University of Calgary, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, Stellenbosch University, Sciences Po Aix and Lancaster University.

Military History Consortium

International History Seminar of the North

The International History Seminar of the North IHSN) was established in 2023 to provide a platform for researchers in the field of international history from across the North of England.

International History Seminar of the North

MA International and Military History

From the rise and fall of great powers to the treatment of non-combatants, from diplomacy and peace-making to strategy and doctrine, and from wars of propaganda to weaponry and intelligence, explore the major themes of international and military history from the ancient world to today.

MA International and Military History

MA War and Diplomacy

For centuries, nation-states have typically interacted through two principal means: war and diplomacy. This interdisciplinary programme offers you the opportunity to explore these central elements of world history and contemporary affairs from the medieval period to the present.

MA War and Diplomacy

War & Diplomacy Podcast

The War & Diplomacy Podcast features interviews with leading researchers and practitioners, with topics ranging from the evidence for women’s roles in diplomacy – from the thirteenth-century to the twentieth – to the Cold War in Africa and European Security in the twenty-first century. The Podcast is available on all major platforms.

War & Diplomacy Podcast

The Merriman Essay Prize

The Merriman Prize (named in honour of Lancaster’s Dr Marcus Merriman) is awarded for an outstanding undergraduate essay on any topic in the fields of international and/or military history from the ancient world to the present day. Offered by the Department of History in partnership with the Centre for War and Diplomacy at Lancaster University, it is open to current undergraduates at any UK or overseas university.

The Merriman Essay Prize

Upcoming Events

The CWD events programme will return in the next academic year. Meanwhile, our War & Diplomacy podcast, featuring interviews with leading researchers and practitioners, can be found on all major platforms. Please select 'More Events', below, to view our Events Archive.

More Events

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