American Military Research Articles

Does the International Criminal Court Target the American Military?

American policymakers have been wary of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since its founding. United States’ opposition is largely due to the fear that the ICC might initiate biased investigations that target members of the American military scattered across the globe. The recent ICC investigation into war crimes committed on Afghanistan’s territory during the American occupation has produced a new surge of interest in this topic. But do ICC investigations, in fact, target America’s military? Using a global sample of cases the ICC could plausibly investigate and data on the locations of all US foreign military installations, I examine how the presence of American troops in a country affects the likelihood of an ICC investigation. Contrary to the common narrative of anti-American bias, the estimated effects of US military presence are statistically indistinguishable from zero and substantively negligible. These results highlight the need to rethink America’s combative approach to the ICC.

Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and ToleranceHaifa Republic: A Democratic Future for Israel

Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and ToleranceHaifa Republic: A Democratic Future for Israel

Gaullism and Atlanticism are Main Foreign Policy Paradigms of the Fifth Republic

Gaullism and Atlanticism in the foreign policy of the Fifth Republic appear as two fundamental but mutually exclusive ideological paradigms that, in various combinations, traditionally determined Paris’s behavior on the international stage. A comparative analysis of the ideological constructions of Gaullism and Atlanticism shows the fundamental reason for the conceptual discrepancy between the two doctrines. Gaullism calls on France to preserve its status as a world power at any cost. Atlanticism serves the geostrategic purpose of maintaining American military and political control over Europe. For this reason, Atlanticism does not recognize any other world powers within the Western universe but the United States.A retrospective view of the Gaullist and Atlanticist interaction reveals a steady trend towards a gradual shift of the Fifth Republic from Charles de Gaulle’s diplomacy principles. This trend led to the beginning in 2007 of a new era of the absolute dominance of Atlanticism in French foreign policy compared with the post-war period of the Fourth Republic.The advent of this era was marked by a significant improvement in France’s relations with the United States and NATO and increasing French activism on the track of Euro-federalist integra-tion, but, in general, by the perceptible banalization of France’s voice in international affairs.The results of this study help build future relations between Russia and France.

Correction to: The meaning of Madingley: Anglo-American commemorative culture at the Cambridge American Military Cemetery

Correction to: The meaning of Madingley: Anglo-American commemorative culture at the Cambridge American Military Cemetery

The meaning of Madingley: Anglo-American commemorative culture at the Cambridge American Military Cemetery

On completion in 1956, the design of the Cambridge American Military Cemetery at Madingley intentionally downplayed individual sacrifice in favour of an emphasis on government-led collective endeavour to uphold national ideals. The design commemorated the defeat of the Axis but in the Cold War also reaffirmed these ideals to allies and ideological enemies alike. Yet from the beginning, the meaning of Madingley has been fluid, negotiated and transcendent of the original fixed design. This article explores the impact of major social and cultural change, the rhetorical activity of politicians, institutional imperatives and the desires of local host communities on the meaning of this major node of Anglo-American commemorative culture. In doing so, it traces the growth of an emphasis on individual service and sacrifice that has replaced the original focus on government-led national enterprise with a more portable meaning able to support the desires of different commemorative constituencies. American politicians have used this to garner support for their policies, institutions have used it as a survival strategy and the host nation has used it as a comforting mask to obscure awkward disparities in national power. Although the commemorative meaning of the site has changed radically, it remains a window on the wider conservative dynamics of Anglo-American commemorative culture.

The United States Position on the Military Assistance to Great Britain at the Beginning of the World War II (1939 – 1941)

The article examines the problem of relations between the two leading countries of the world – Great Britain and the United States, which had a significant impact on the international political situation in the world in 1939–1941, and still have nowadays. As a vector of research, the author used the factor of American military aid to the British governments of N. Chamberlain and W. Churchill to fight against Nazi Germany. According to this, the author aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis and his own assessment of the United States’ position on providing Britain with the necessary weapons and ammunition at the beginning of World War II.
 During the research the author used a comparative-historical method to analyze various factors influencing the US position on military assistance to London, a problem-chronological method to present the material in chronological order, and a statistical – to analyze the attitude of ordinary Americans on important decisions of the Roosevelt administration. That allowed the author to analyze and rethink the evolution of the United States’ position on Britain in the problem of providing military aid regarding the current geopolitical situation.
 The author works out that under the necessity of supporting London with various types of weapons, armament and ammunition to fight against Hitler’s regime the United States significantly changed the principles of its foreign policy – from “isolationism” in 1939 to its cancellation in the late 1941. At the same time, according to the author, this process was caused by a number of factors, including both the “isolationist” opposition in Congress and the Roosevelt administration’s gradual understanding of the Nazi regime threat to the security of the United States.

Post-Admission Cognitive Therapy for a Transgender Service Member With a Recent Suicidal Crisis: A Case Study of Gender-Affirming Care

While elevated suicide risk in the American military and veteran population has led to the development of targeted interventions, the increased risk of suicidal ideation and behavior among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) Service members requires that interventions address suicide risk within the context of minority stressors and gender-affirming care. This case study presents Jordan (an alias), a transgender Service member who received inpatient psychiatric treatment following a suicide attempt precipitated by distress relating to gender dysphoria, minority status, and associated stressors. Jordan completed Post-Admission Cognitive Therapy (PACT; Ghahramanlou-Holloway, Cox, & Greene, 2012), a cognitive-behavioral intervention targeting suicide risk among military personnel and dependents psychiatrically hospitalized following a suicidal crisis. Within the context of PACT, Jordan’s treatment included identifying and addressing distress related to minority stressors (externalized stigma, internalized transphobia, anticipated rejection, gender concealment) using gender-affirming best practices. Marked changes in Jordan's self-report measures from baseline to follow-up, as well as qualitative changes reported by Jordan, demonstrate that she felt comfortable, safe, and ready to be discharged from the inpatient unit after completing PACT treatment and gaining exposure to the skills necessary to help prevent and/or manage future suicidal crises. Treatment implications and recommendations for addressing suicide risk within the context of gender-affirming care and prevalent minority stressors are discussed.

Empire, Religion, and the American Military

Empire, Religion, and the American Military

Analysis of the Hotspots and Future Prospects of US Military Strategy Research in China

The United States is recognized as the country with the first military strength in the world. The trend of its military strategy has been deeply influencing the world military reform. In recent years, the research work of domestic scholars on the US military strategy has an important reference significance for the development of our military strategy. And using econometric analysis software to analyze the scientific knowledge map of literature in the research field has gradually become an important method to explore the research focus and development context in this field. This paper is mainly based on the literature related to the research of American military strategy by domestic scholars in recent years, and uses Citespace bibliometric analysis tool to analyze the knowledge map. Through the analysis of the number of documents published, main co authors and cooperative networks, research hotspots and frontiers, keyword time distribution and emergence, etc.

The Chinese and American Military Installations in Djibouti: National and Regional Security Implications

This qualitative case study examines American and Chinese military installations in Djibouti and their regional security implications. Data were collected from secondary sources. Besides, I relied on key informant interviews and media reports to generate qualitative data. What emerges from this analysis is that the two great powers have competing interests in the Horn of Africa. America is working to limit Chinese presence in the region. On the other hand, in 2013, China introduced its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects that serve as economic means of political interventions. The advent of great power rivalries in the Horn of Africa presents a major regional security challenge. First, the presence of rival powers in the Horn of Africa has exacerbated regional tensions. The protracted civil war in Ethiopia is a case in point. Second, the military engagements of the two great powers have brought securitization of ports and militarization of the Horn region. And third, U.S.–China rivalry at the systemic level has been reflected in the Horn of Africa. The integration of Indo-Pacific security space with the Horn of Africa has cast its long shadow in the Horn of Africa.

ВОЕННЫЕ «ОТВЕТЫ» В СТРАНАХ ЛАТИНСКОЙ АМЕРИКИ И ЕВРОПЫ НА ВЫЗОВЫ ПАНДЕМИИ COVID-19: СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ

The article explores the global phenomenon of using armed forces institution in the COVID-19 pandemic prevention, from the perspectives of Latin America and Europe, selected as research objects, because both regions had suffered the strongest pandemic «blows» in terms of mortality. Using the methodology of comparative analysis, the author considers the main parameters of the Latin American and European countries military strategies to combat the spread of coronavirus infection. He detects tendencies of militarization of political leaders` discourse, most vividly manifested in official statements of European politicians. One of the basic distinctive features of Latin American experience is massive mobilization of military contingent in order to complete sanitary and epidemiological tasks in key Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, etc., while in European countries it was moderate. The article gives an overview of the key missions and activities of armed forces on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The analysis reveals that Latin American military activities have been dominated by the repressive component, expressed in the missions to ensure social and spatial control. European security institutions concentrated on solving humanitarian, logistic and medical problems. The author shows that in the New World, the military received expanded administrative powers in order to resolve the sanitary crisis. In European countries, the civilian control level turned out to be higher, and administrative functions were delegated in Italy alone. The author compares international communication styles in the two regions, and considers the cases of mutual assistance through the military department. European countries have demonstrated much higher level of coordination and interstate interaction, in contrast to Latin American states.

Social class and ethnic disparities in the semiotic landscape of an American “camp town”

ABSTRACT The article explores the linguistic landscape (LL) of Itaewon, a former American military “camp town” in Seoul, by providing a snapshot of its conflicting portrayals. With the LL serving as a critical index of language-, class-, and ethnicity-related social disparities, this study examines, through the notion of “framing” semiotic resources, (1) the state’s and district’s positions towards gentrification and multiculturalism in Itaewon and (2) how the underlying social class and ethnic disparities pertaining to gentrification are reflected. The framing of signs raises, at the macro and latent levels, questions regarding hierarchy among languages, classes and ethnic groups, and the coexistence of a binary internationalized population. It turns one’s attention towards not only what is seen/foreseen but also what is unseen/ignored. The study presents an informed means of revealing contextualized sociolinguistic voices in an area with a complex and unsettled history.

Revisiting Tulsa: Understanding Amphetamine Addiction in the Early Photography of Larry Clark

Revisiting <i>Tulsa</i>: Understanding Amphetamine Addiction in the Early Photography of Larry Clark

THE INTRODUCTION OF NET-PLATFORM-CENTRIC WARFARE IN THE CHINESE ARMY (PLA)

It is no surprise that just like the previous years, this year as well China has expanded its military budget, put another ship to sea, demonstrated new weaponary at the military parade, etc. For the last two decades, all the combat arms of the Chinese army has been developing at a high rate. Many authors claim very specific reasons for the Chinese armaments especially highlighting the conflicts with its immediate neighbors. From a geopolitical point of view, an interesting balance of power is being formed in the East. It’s been several years now that there are some precise problems in China-Japan conflict related to the power over some islands. China actively builds artificial islands which can serve as military bases far away from its shores approximately at an operative depth. And this matter deeply concerns the Philippines and Vietnam. In this light, it would be very interesting to study the balance of forces in the region and to analyze the American military doctrine on the one hand and the Chinese specific military and military-political attempts to appose it on the other hand. It is common knowledge that in political and professional circles in the USA are concerned about the actions and capabilities of China and Russia, which can considerably restrict the US access to key regions of Eurasia: Today, China and Russia have great potential to influence on the traditional American Net-platform weaponary, Air Forces, Navy, command and control networks, and even the orbital groupings. The two countries mentioned above, which are perceived as potential adversaries in the USA, strive to reach the level of the American military by all possible means and develop powerful techonologies. Russia and especially China are designing powerful satellite systems, various long-range missiles, fighter jets, UAVs, etc. New Electronic Warfare (EW) systems are being developed, to suppress or weaken the command and management systems of the US or its allies. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China also has the capacity to destroy settelites, disrupt extraterrestrial intelligence, wreck command and control networks, etc. According to experts, there is no guarantee that the armed forces of the USA can ensure reliable and secure communication and conncetion during conflicts on the theater of military operations, in particular on operational and strategic levels.

A Roman Holiday? African Americans and Italians in the Second World War

AbstractThis article attempts to explain the positive reception of Black troops in Europe by focusing on the relatively underexplored case of the Italian campaign in the Second World War. It suggests that African American GIs actively nurtured positive relationships with Italian civilians in a number of ways that are hidden in official military documentation, but are detectable through testimonies, photographs, newspaper reports, veteran's surveys, and in Italian sources. By being more generous with their resources, befriending families, making efforts to learn the language, and often defying prevalent military attitudes that portrayed Italians as untrustworthy, African American GIs not only experienced liberal European attitudes, but actively fostered those attitudes by exploiting social opportunities so that they were seen as ‘goodwill ambassadors’ by the black press and by Italians. African American troops, particularly from poorer backgrounds, overcame the language barrier and formed ties with Italians worst affected by the war through empathy and a sense of shared experience. Cultivating these relationships was particularly significant given the context of racial discrimination in the American military, a situation that was compounded by the presence of Fascist and Nazi anti‐black propaganda, which coexisted with Italian racial attitudes that ranged from fascination to fear, especially when it came to relations with Italian women.

Daya Ikat Putusan Mahkamah Internasional: Analisis Penyerangan Militer dan Paramiliter Amerika Terhadap Nikaragua

The problem raised in this paper is that the use of military and paramilitary forces carried out by America violates state sovereignty and international law regarding state relations (America and Nicaragua). State sovereignty gives the right of responsibility to protect the sovereignty of its people, respect and fulfill the rights of its citizens and cooperate in the international community. However, in this dispute, state sovereignty is violated by internal members of the country, especially by members of the American military and paramilitaries. Although America believes the use of force by military and paramilitary members as a means of self-defense. This study was conducted by examining relevant decisions and facts from international law, customary international law, general principles of law, international treaties, conventions, declarations and decisions of international Court of Justice (ICJ). The Nicaragua case is a legal dispute that falls under the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in which Nicaragua has adopted methods in accordance with international legal procedures but the United States has rejected the decision of the International Court of Justice.

Domestic military missions in Latin America: Civil-military relations and the perpetuation of democratic deficits

AbstractLatin American militaries are today in many regards inoperative and obsolete as an instrument of defence. Yet, they seek to maintain their organisational power and privileges. Governments, on the other hand, lack the adequate means to fight criminality, persisting poverty and social inequality. In an apparent win-win situation, Latin American governments have used the military as a wildcard to step in where civilian state capacity falls short, including for urban and border patrols, literacy campaigns and to collect garbage, among many other tasks. The military's manifold internal use has been defended mainly based on pragmatic reasons. We argue instead that the ostensive pareto optimality between militaries and governments has had negative effects for civil-military relations from a democratic governance point of view that takes into consideration the efficiency and effectiveness of how the state delivers basic services across different policy areas.

Considering the Revolution

Considering the Revolution

A ENTRADA DOS EUA NA PRIMEIRA GUERRA MUNDIAL: A VISÃO DO JORNAL GERMANÓFILO O DIA, DE FLORIANÓPOLIS

Background: During the First World War (1914-198), a fraction of the Brazilian press was composed of German supporters, causing a conflict of interest with later Brazilian support for the Allies. Aim: The objective of this work was to analyze the coverage developed by the local newspaper “O Dia” of the entrance of the USA in the first world war...Methods: A bibliographical research was carried out in the archives of the newspaper “O Dia” and some books referring to the press and the period of the “First World War”. Results and Discussion: Some of the main telegrams and columns published in the main source, the periodical “O Dia”, organ of the republican party of Santa Catarina, from Florianópolis, brought imprecise news about the conflict, the newspaper maintained a clear Germanophile stance. However, it emphasized the North American importance, political, economic, and military, for the world. The newspaper reproduced news from agencies based in major US cities and gradually informed the US position in the conflict, emphasizing the diplomatic break with Germany and the entry into the war, which was decisive for the outcome of the conflict. In addition, it kept specific columns daily, with telegrams and news informing how the US positioned itself in the period of neutrality and how it acted in international relations and on the battlefronts. The organizational structure of the newspaper was chaotic by the standards of today, all types of news were included on the same page, without the presence of a structure of sections, which would facilitate the connection of related topics. However, the newspaper “O Dia” allocated relevant space to issues related to the “First World War” and the role of the USA, which went from being suppliers of inputs and technology to decisive protagonists in the conflict and the peace conferences. Conclusions: The newspaper "O Dia" has always maintained a favorable german position, even when it reported on the Triple Entente initiatives, since the beginning of the war, it highlighted content favorable to Germany.

О КОЛЛЕКЦИЯХ ФОТОСНИМКОВ АМЕРИКАНСКИХ ВОЕННОСЛУЖАЩИХ ЭКСПЕДИЦИИ «ПОЛЯРНЫЙ МЕДВЕДЬ», СДЕЛАННЫХ НА СЕВЕРЕ РОССИИ В ПЕРИОД ГРАЖДАНСКОЙ ВОЙНЫ 1918–1919 ГГ.

Nowadays visual history and its significance characterized by a broad interdisciplinary approach cannot be overestimated. Since 1991 when the Austrian historian and researcher of images Gerhard Jagschitz (1940–2018) first used the term «visual history», photographs and, perhaps, film documents began to be perceived by the scientific world not only as illustrative material, but also as a storehouse of new, but somewhere forgotten information, for example, concerning the appearance of settlements and people living there, everyday life and imperatives of human behaviour, as well as events in certain historical periods. In this article the author presents the data concerning the American military that gathered collections of photographs from the Polar Bear Expedition of the period 1918–1919. During the First World War, this expedition was undertaken by the United States to the territory of the European part of the North of Russia in order to prevent the German Empire from encroaching on the resources of Russia, taking advantage of its weakness as a result of the political crisis. This military mission, carried out jointly with other allied states, in the history of Russia will be called a foreign military intervention, which, unfortunately, became a catalyst for a bloody civil confrontation. In the course of the study, not only the names of the founders were revealed, but also the modern holders of photo collections located in the United States, providing almost free access to all of them. Particular attention is paid to such an important component of attribution of photographic documents as the identification of the American photographers personalities involved in the creation of the visual image of the Civil War in the North of Russia.