Thomas Bartlett, Chair in Irish History at the University of Aberdeen emeritus and the Keough-Naughton Institute’s Fall 2017 Patrick B. O’Donnell Distinguished Visiting Professor, will speak on the topic: "Total War? Ireland and the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1793-1815."
While “total war” is a term usually applied to the First and Second World Wars, in his talk, Professor Bartlett will suggest that the term might legitimately be applied to the earlier Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, notably in view of the area of operations, numbers enlisted on all sides, magnitude of battles, impact on civilians and disruption or distortion of national economies. Applying the term to Ireland’s role in the wars between 1793 and 1815, he says, also helps to explain the transformation Ireland underwent during these years.
Originally published at irishstudies.nd.edu.