From the bombings of churches during the Second World War, the terrorist targeting of religious buildings, and the recent strikes on sacred sites in Ukraine, the deliberate targeting of religious structures in war has had lasting cultural and symbolic impacts. This talk, 'Sacred Sites: Targeting Churches in Times of War,' examines key cases from WWII to the present, highlighting flawed strategic justifications and exploring the enduring legacies of these acts of destruction.

*About our speakers*
Caroline Kennedy-Pipe is Professor of War Studies at the University of Loughborough and regarded as one of the UK's 'leading scholars of war' (The Guardian). Caroline has a First-Class Honours Degree in History, an MSc Econ in Strategic Studies and a D-Phil in International Relations. Before joining Loughborough, she was Professor of War Studies at the University of Warwick and at the University of Hull as well as Professor of International Relations at Sheffield University. She is author of 'Stalin's Cold War, Russia and the World Since 1917, and The Origins of the Cold War (among others). James Patton Rogers is a war historian, broadcaster, and policy adviser at Cornell University. An expert on drone technologies, weaponry, and the history of war, James is the Executive Director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute and advises the UN Security Council and NATO on the global proliferation of high-tech weapons systems.

*Content Warning*: This lecture, ‘Sacred Sites: Targeting Churches in Times of War’, discusses the deliberate targeting of religious buildings in armed conflicts and their cultural, symbolic, and strategic implications. If you are sensitive to discussions of war-related violence, we recommend proceeding with caution or seeking additional support as needed. Viewer discretion is advised.