Steve Murdoch

@profmurdoch.bsky.social

4.5K followers 750 following 720 posts

Professor of History, Swedish Defence University

Research & Teaching:
- The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)
- British Civil Wars (1639-1660)
- Maritime Warfare & Law (1513-1713)
- History of Military Thought, 500BC-2000AD

#Dyslexic in several languages. .. more

Videos

Steve Murdoch is an academic and writer. He is author on the history of Scotland and the Wider World in general and of Scotland and Scandinavia in particular. His monographs include Britain, Denmark-Norway and the House of Stuart, 1603-1660 (2000/2003); Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (2006) and the book The Terror of the Seas? Scottish Maritime Warfare, 1513-1713 (2010). In 2014 he published the co-authored book Alexander Leslie and the Scottish Generals of the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648. He has edited several volumes including Scotland and the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 (2000) and with Alexia Grosjean Scottish Communities Abroad in the Early Modern Period (2005). This same pairing created the Scotland, Scandinavia and Northern European Biographical Database (SSNE). .. more

History 61%

Economics 18%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Kori Schake, Steve Murdoch

Matt Sebastian @mattsebastian.com · 20h

The U.S. Air Force Academy's academic accreditation is under review following a formal complaint that the institution no longer has sufficient Ph.D.-level faculty as the federal government reduces its civilian workforce // Story by @thenoellephillips.bsky.social

Air Force Academy’s accreditation under review after cuts to civilian faculty

Concerned alumni and former faculty told The Denver Post they believe the academy is losing too many civilian Ph.D.-level instructors without the ability to replace them with qualified military mem…

www.denverpost.com

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 1d

On this Rememberance Sunday.....

www.linkedin.com/posts/steve-...

#LestWeForget #WWI #WWII #MilHist #Skystorians

#rememberence #wwi #wwii | Steve Murdoch

On this rememberance Sunday, I remember (Gt) Uncle Alfred Mckenzie, d.1918. But also the survivors of the wars. Grandfather Charles Murdoch (crippled for life. Back row right on group photo) (Gt) Unc...

www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Steve Murdoch

Institute for Military History (IMH) @mhafhs.bsky.social · 2d

On 12 Nov, Dr Daniel Stridh (DMF Postdoctoral Scholar, @forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social) will present his paper:

Conscription in the Periphery: Privileges, Distinctions, and Military Recruitment in the Swedish Lappmark, 1812-1853.

Date: 12 Nov
Time: 15:00CET
Location: RAAB or Zoom (DM for link)

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 3d

@warmatters.bsky.social @pauldlockhart.bsky.social FYI gents

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 3d

Glad I signed the #Uppsaladeclaration. Horrified at how many colleagues did not. Not because they disagree, but because they are "in fear".

I get it. I am an "end of career" academic. But if you're in fear of calling out genocide then the world is in deeper shit than we think.
uppsaladeclaration.se

Uppsala Declaration

uppsaladeclaration.se

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 4d

Got a chapter on the very subject in the Military Humanities anthology coming out of the Norwegian Military Academy.

Ping me an email

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 7d

Why have such titles at all?

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 7d

Chat GPT says ...

Reposted by Steve Murdoch

Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 7d

#OtD 3 Nov 1956 the Israeli army massacred hundreds of Palestinians in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza during the Israeli-France-UK invasion of Egypt. They lined up men aged 16-50 and machine-gunned them. Between 275 and 1200 were killed stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1245...

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Edgar Morgenroth, Steve Murdoch

Feljin Jose @feljin.ie · 9d

Every far-right riot and protest that was tolerated, every racist dog whistle from public reps, every bit of hate and misinformation allowed to spread by social media companies, all led to this moment in Drogheda last night where someone felt emboldened enough to try to burn children alive.

Reposted by Steve Murdoch

Institute for Military History (IMH) @mhafhs.bsky.social · 10d

Prof Steve Murdoch (IMH) and Dr David Turns (Law) represented @forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social at the Baltic Military History Conference this week in Tartu. The theme focused on the codes and conduct of law / treatment of POWs

More info in the link

www.linkedin.com/posts/instit...

#baltmilhist25 #militaryhistory | Institute of Military History (IMH), Swedish Defence University (FHS)

Yesterday, Professor Steve Murdoch (IMH) spoke on the panel “Military Law Codification: Processes and Influencing Factors” at the Annual Baltic Military History Conference, hosted by the Baltic Defenc...

www.linkedin.com

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 16d

Built to ensure there would never be another Jacobite Uprising, 1721.

Burned by the Jacobites, 1746.

A certain poetry......

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 16d

17/21st Lancers. UK unit "not a Nazi skull"

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:17...

Reposted by John Clayton, Göran Bolin, Alfred Archer , and 12 more John Clayton, Göran Bolin, Alfred Archer, Margot C. Finn, Julie Cupples, John Hogan, Christine Kooi, Bessma Momani, Aurélien Mondon, Jonathan Tummons, Anthony Burke, Philipp Krämer, Nikki Fairchild, Catriona Seth, Steve Murdoch

apache/ @apache.be · 18d

Belgian AI scientists are advocating *against* the use of AI in academia. “If independent thinking is no longer encouraged at university, where would it?” apache.be/2025/10/24/b...

Belgian AI scientists resist the use of AI in academia

Several AI scientists have published an open letter calling for a ban on AI use by students.

apache.be

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 23d

17th October. Battle of Lemgo. Well some folk like a bit of poetry (and fall for it). Others like a bit of archival endeavour.

Where do you stand?

www.linkedin.com/posts/steve-...

#MilHist #17thCentury #EarlyModern #skystorians #ThirtyYearsWar #30YearsWar

On 17th October 1638, a combined Swedish- Palatinate- British army fought the Imperial army at the Battle of Lemgo ( Vlotho Bridge). Generations of scholars bought into a self congratulatry account… ...

www.linkedin.com

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · 28d

Både och ....

Reposted by Steve Murdoch

Institute for Military History (IMH) @mhafhs.bsky.social · 29d

On 15 October, IMH’s @ibenb.zirk.us.ap.brid.gy will be giving the paper

”Who is afraid of war? Memories and reflections on Danish service on the Cold War’s front line - the Stevnsfort case-study”

Details here: www.linkedin.com/posts/instit...

#skystorians #MilHist
@forsvarshogskolan.bsky.social

Dear friends, We look forward to welcoming you our next IMH International Military History Seminar! IMH's Dr Iben Bjørnsson will present a paper titled “Who’s afraid of War? Memories and… | Inst...

www.linkedin.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, Paul Poast, Steve Murdoch

World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Oct 11

Eisenhower wanted a society made up of Americans who were citizens first and soldiers second, and of soldiers who can behave in polite society, effectively offering a counterargument to the “warrior ethos” Pete Hegseth keeps pushing.

As Eisenhower Knew, Hegseth’s ‘Warrior Ethos’ Isn’t What Wins Wars

The U.S. defense secretary’s emphasis on warfighting ignores the other important factors that make a military cohesive and effective.

www.worldpoliticsreview.com

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · Oct 10

More famous than Culloden? Or even Flodden?

#Justasking

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · Oct 10

"Lost"....he was never in it ya #numptie

Steve Murdoch @profmurdoch.bsky.social · Oct 10

Ha! I'll get you those beers back @ollibackstrom.bsky.social 🍻

Olli Bäckström @ollibackstrom.bsky.social · Oct 10

Went to the National Library in Helsinki and ended up reorganizing @profmurdoch.bsky.social books, because they had not been shelved correctly. (Having a drink coz it's thirsty work being Steve's librarian.)

Reposted by Steve Murdoch

Olli Bäckström @ollibackstrom.bsky.social · Oct 10

Reposted by Elizabeth Ewan, Steve Murdoch

Scottish History Society @scothistorysociety.bsky.social · Oct 8

Winter Lecture Series: Finding Women in Scottish History

Join us for a series of free, online lectures to explore sources of women's lived experience, intellectual and religious networks, and socio-political power in medieval and early modern Scotland.

scottishhistorysociety.com/shs-winter-l...

SHS Winter Lecture Series: Finding Women in Scottish History

scottishhistorysociety.com

Reposted by Stacy D. VanDeveer, Steve Murdoch

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · Oct 7

Greg Abbott sends the elite Meal Team 6 from the Texas National Guard into Illinois.

Reposted by Steve Murdoch

ljoeckel.bsky.social @ljoeckel.bsky.social · Oct 7

Reposted by Steve Murdoch

Natalie M. Smith @nataliesmith.bsky.social · Sep 30

"This is why Starmer could never win this fight: while he aids the radicalisation of public discourse by normalising xenophobia, he will always look like a watered-down Farage" well said, @guyfassler.bsky.social ! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...