School of Politics and International Relations
 

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Thomas Polkey

PG Researcher (PhD),

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Biography

Thomas graduated from University College London in History, studying a wide range of History from Archaic Greece and the Roman Republic through World War Two, The Development of the State, and The History of Political Thought. His final dissertation focused on British Strategic Policy in the First World War.

After many years of global travel, TEFL teaching and study- and obtaining familiarity with several languages- Thomas finally returned and embarked on his MA in International Relations at the University of Nottingham. His 2019 MA dissertation focused on Multipolarity, "Fourth Generation Warfare," and the increasing probability that future warfare would involve state-versus-state conflict.

After COVID-19 lockdowns and the outbreak of the 2022 Russia-Ukraine Conflict, while working in the civil service, Thomas studied towards a PhD proposal, with the working title "Unstable Successor States? The Case of the Ukraine War of 2022." Thomas is now undertaking his doctorate at the University of Nottingham.

Expertise Summary

Military Science and History

Political Philosophy and the History of Political Thought

Greek History: from Mycenae to Byzantium and Modernity

The History of World Civilizations

Strategic Policy and Geopolitics

World Political History from Antiquity to the Present Day

Philosophy, Warfare and Society

Russian and Ukrainian History

World Literature

Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages in Europe

The Development of the State

Mysticism and International Relations

Political and International Relations Theory

Realism, Neo-Classical Realism

Research Summary

Thomas has developed an original methodology on the causes of war called "Unstable Successor State Syndrome". This causal method was developed during research into Thomas's doctoral proposal on the… read more

Current Research

Thomas has developed an original methodology on the causes of war called "Unstable Successor State Syndrome". This causal method was developed during research into Thomas's doctoral proposal on the historical origins of the Ukrainian Conflict- whilst examining theories of progressive versus cyclical history- and the "end of history" debate.

Thomas's novel causal mechanism synthesises elements of neo-classical realism, military history, ideology, constructivism, world history, and philosophy to introduce a heuristic discourse on not only why the Ukraine War occurred but also why so many other conflicts engaged unstable former great powers such as Modern Russia, Post-Ottoman Türkiye, Nazi Germany (and many more) and most importantly; how to approach such states and how to avoid and resolve these potentially disastrous conflicts. Does history repeat itself? If so, what is to be done, as scholars and political leaders?

School of Politics and International Relations

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University of Nottingham
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Nottingham, NG7 2RD

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