Dr Bernhard Blumenau
Senior Lecturer in International History and Politics
Biography
Dr Bernhard Blumenau is a Senior Lecturer in International History and Politics at the School of International Relations and the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence(CSTPV). His research interests centre on the historical evolution of German foreign policy and the history of terrorism. In terms of German foreign policy, his focus extends to long-term trends and patterns in German foreign policy with a particular emphasis on developments since World War II. Regarding the history of terrorism, his interests include German terrorism and antiterrorism policies, the intricate connections between terrorism and the Cold War, as well as multilateral antiterrorism initiatives and the role that international organisations have played within them.
He is currently working on two new projects: a long-term study of state terror, tracing its global history from the Middle Ages to the present; and a project on the 'German Problem'—examining Germany’s foreign policy vision and ambitions for Europe and the world, as well as its own role within them, both historically and today. He is also interested in the general history of international relations, diplomacy, and the Cold War.
Dr Blumenau holds degrees from the University of Dresden (Germany) and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Switzerland). During his studies, he also spent one year at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). He is fluent in German, English, and French; and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) and a Member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Young Academy of Scotland (MYAS).
He is the author of The United Nations and Terrorism. Germany, Multilateralism, and Antiterrorism Efforts in the 1970s (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) which looks at the rise of international terrorism as a significant problem for German foreign policy and for the international community, and assesses the attempts of the UN to cope with the challenges of international terrorism in the 1970s. Dr Blumenau is also co-editor of New Perspectives on the End of the Cold War (Routledge,2018) and An International History of Terrorism. Western and Non-Western Experiences (Routledge, 2013) as well as the author of articles in journals such as International Affairs, the Journal of Cold War Studies, Terrorism and Political Violence, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, and the Journal of Contemporary History.
PhD supervision
- Simon Schwesig
Selected publications
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How Germany has gone from hated world war foe to indispensable ally
Blumenau, B., 13 May 2025, The Scotsman, p. 36-36 1 p.Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
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Open access
Germany at 75: Changes and Continuities
Blumenau, B., Jun 2024, 7 p. Fondation Pierre du Bois pour l'histoire du temps présent.Research output: Other contribution
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Open access
More similarities than (initially) meet the eye? The international community and the evolution of antiterrorism and climate change governance
Blumenau, B. & Muller, J.-A., Mar 2024, 8 p. Fondation Pierre du Bois pour l'histoire du temps présent.Research output: Other contribution
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Terrorism and antiterrorism efforts: a quick historical overview
Blumenau, B., 18 Mar 2024, Chemical and biological terrorism and the norms of the CBW prohibition regimes. Kelle, A. (ed.). Online: CBWNet, p. 5-6 2 p. (CBW Working paper; no. 11).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Open access
When the Traffic Light Fails: Olaf Scholz, Germany’s Political Crisis, and the Road Ahead
Blumenau, B., Dec 2024, 6 p. Fondation Pierre du Bois pour l'histoire du temps présent.Research output: Other contribution
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Open access
International organisations and terrorism: multilateral antiterrorism efforts, 1960-1990
Blumenau, B. & Müller, J.-A., 1 Mar 2023, In: Terrorism and Political Violence. 35, 2, p. 433–451 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Nationalism, terrorism, and the state: historical perspectives
Blumenau, B., 1 Nov 2023, The Cambridge history of nationhood and nationalism: Volume 2: nationalism's fields of interaction. Carmichael, C., D'Auria, M. & Roshwald, A. (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Vol. 2. p. 619-639 21 p. (Cambridge history of nationhood and nationalism; vol. 2).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
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Written evidence submitted by the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) at the University of St Andrews (CTE0009)
Wilson, T. K., Argomaniz, J., Blumenau, B., Lehr, P. & Omeni, A., 14 Sept 2023, UK Parliament. 14 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
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Open access
Breaking with convention? Zeitenwende and the traditional pillars of German foreign policy
Blumenau, B., 1 Nov 2022, In: International Affairs. 98, 6, p. 1895–1913 19 p., iiac166.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
From punishment to pre-emption: the changing nature of regional organizations’ legal responses to terrorism, 1990-2010
Blumenau, B., 10 Jul 2022, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. Latest Articles, 27 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review