International scientific conference dedicated to the opening year of the First World War

The Military History Institute Prague presents a series of international scientific conferences devoted to the Centenary of the First World War THOSE FOUR YEARS HARNESSED IN THE BATTLEFIELD 1914–1918 and a Call for Papers for the first conference entitled 1914 – TRANSFORMATIONS OF SOCIETIES AND STATES AT WAR to take place on September 16-18, 2014.

By the end of 1914, the military plans of states and society’s pre-war concepts of the up-coming war went through an unprecedented trial during the first months of the conflict. How did those involved come to terms with these initial experiences? How did they face the difficulties the war continually brought to all levels of life in society and state? What new elements did war in its initial phases bring and, on the contrary, what did it take away?

We have chosen society and state transformation from a state of peace to a state of war as the main topic of this introductory conference, which is focused on the events of the year 1914. This should allow us to compare concepts and plans with the actual events that played out in the innumerable areas of life affected by the war. For the conference purposes we welcome all papers dealing with these processes of transformation and adaptation from all various academic and professional disciplines.

In terms of the conference program, we will give preference to papers devoted to the following subject matters:

• mobilization
• diplomacy
• domestic policy
• strategy
• war aims
• conduct of war / war crimes
• military operations
• combat tactics
• prisoners of war
• war losses and casualties
• war graves
• organization and replacement of troops
• draft evasion
• military health services
• life behind the lines
• civil associations and organizations
• public opinion
• resistance movements
• state administration
• local self-government
• economy
• propaganda
• art
• science and technology

This conference will also provide the opportunity to present research and documentation projects concerning the First World War (e.g. sources and literature digitisation, creation of databases and other applications).

Please send all annotations for papers together with a short CV of the author no later than by the end of March 2014 to the following email address: muzeum@vhu.cz.

The Military History Institute Prague reserves the right to modify the program of the conference based on the amount and structure of entered papers. The papers presented will be published in a collective mono¬graph.

The conference official languages of the will be: Czech, English and German