Participant Info
- First Name
- Mathilde
- Last Name
- von Bulow
- Country
- United Kingdom
- State
- mvb6@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Affiliation
- University of St Andrews
- Website URL
- https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/international-relations/people/mvb6
- Keywords
- Contemporary France, Contemporary Germany, Decolonisation, Algeria, North Africa, colonial warfare, insurgency, counterinsurgency, transnational actors, security and intelligence services, covert action
- Availability
- Media Contact
- Additional Contact Information
- PhD
- PhD
Personal Info
- Photo
- About Me
The best way to describe my research to date is that it focuses on the international, military, and intelligence dimensions of decolonisation with a particular focus on the Algerian war of independence. I have, for instance, examined the ways in which Algerian nationalists (notably the FLN) made use of external sanctuaries to pursue their war effort, and the impact this had on French counterinsurgency efforts. This research highlighted the role of intelligence and covert operations in the French effort to contain and domesticate their struggle against the FLN. My case study focused on West Germany as external sanctuary, which also highlighted the ways in which the Algerian war helped shape German foreign policy (broadly conceived) and understandings of their role and place in international society. My research has also examined the role of non-state actors in international relations, particularly in the context of decolonisation and the global Cold War. In addition to a range of West German actors (student associations, charitable and humanitarian organisations, trade unions), I have also conducted research on the labour diplomacy and internationalism of actors such as the AFL-CIO and ICFTU in the context of decolonisation in North Africa. And I am currently working on a project examining the Battle of Algiers and its afterlife.
- Recent Publications
‘Beyond the Cold War? American labor, Algeria’s independence struggle, and the rise of the Third World (1954-62).’ Journal of Social History 53/2 (2019), pp.454–486.
‘Rebel Sanctuaries and late colonial conflict: the case of West Germany during Algeria’s war of independence, 1954- 1962,’ in Decolonization and Conflict (eds.) Martin Thomas & Gareth Curless. London & New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017, pp.197-212.
‘Les Algériens en Allemagne fédérale pendant la lutte indépendantiste: base, refuge, et plaque tournante,’ in Les Amis de la Révolution algérienne : processus d’une mutation de la conviction à l’action (eds.) Mohammed Boukechour & M.L. Zeghidi. Algiers : Editions Houma, 2017, pp.59-74.
West Germany, Cold War Europe and the Algerian war. Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, 2016.
- Media Coverage
- Social Media
- @MUvonBulow
- Country Focus
- France, Germany, Algeria
- Expertise by Geography
- Africa, France, Germany, United States, Western Europe
- Expertise by Chronology
- 20th century
- Expertise by Topic
- Colonialism, Diplomacy, Emancipation, Government, Labor, Military, Politics, Rebellion & Revolution
