CONTENTS Features

The cast of Oskar Schlemmer’s Triadic Ballet, an avantgarde Bauhaus dance performance, photographed in 1927. This issue, we explore the art school’s influence on a diverse range of form and media

16 THE BIG QUESTION

Should museums return their treasures? J

What should happen to global history’s contested artefacts? Experts share their views 26 America’s hidden empire J

BY DANIEL IMMERWAHR The forgotten history of the United States’ imperial ambitions, and why they still matter 46 The first digital revolution J

BY VIOLET MOLLER Why the evolution of Hindu-Arabic numerals enabled breakthroughs in trade and science 56 The Spanish Civil War J

BY PAUL PRESTON How one commander’s actions led to tragedy in the final days of this bloody conflict

66 Bauhaus: design icons BY NINA WIEDEMEYER As the art school marks a century since it was founded, an art historian showcases six examples of its influence and diversity 80 America’s war on drugs: exporting the fight BY BENJAMIN T SMITH How President Nixon’s declaration of war on drugs shaped anti-narcotics action around the world – and why its legacy is still felt today 89

THE LONG READ

From daggers to drones J

BY JAMES ROGERS A history of the development of remote warfare – and a novel analysis of what it tells us about humanity

J On the cover

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY DAVIDE BONAZZI

IN

I V B E R L

B A U H A U S A R C H

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