Speakers at the annual Great Lakes History Conference will explore the theme "Intoxicated Warfare: Psychoactive Substances, Violence and Trauma" and discuss new research on the role of drugs and alcohol in warfare.
The conference is September 27-28 at the DeVos Center, Loosemore Auditorium. Several Grand Valley departments teamed together as sponsors. Jason Crouthamel, professor of history, and colleague Julia Koehne, from Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, organized presenters and workshops.
“We aim to bring together specialists in medicine, psychology, history and literature to explore how drugs are used as a catalyst for perpetrating violence, as well as a means for coping with the traumatic effects of war,” Crouthamel said.
Three keynote speakers highlight the conference:
- Edward B. Westermann, regents professor of history at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, will discuss the use of alcohol by German soldiers during the Holocaust on Friday.
- Peter Andreas, professor of international studies at Brown University, will discuss the use of different drugs in modern wars on Saturday morning during a virtual presentation.
- Dessa Bergen-Cico, professor of public health at Syracuse University, will give an historical overview on drugs and war on Saturday afternoon.
Crouthamel said conference attendees will gain a historical overview on substance use during warfare and relate those patterns to current events. “Drugs and alcohol play a significant role in wars throughout the world today, including the war in Ukraine, the war in Israel-Palestine and other conflicts around the globe,” he said.
– Samantha Drougel is a student writer for University Communications.
