Military History Research Articles

Императорское Русское военно-историческое общество и формирование исторической памяти о военных событиях в начале ХХ века

This study analyses the ability and potential of the Imperial Russian Military Historical Society to influence the formation of historical memory of military events in Russian history in the early 20th century. The methodological basis is a synthesis of ideas from the interdisciplinary paradigm of memory studies, as well as comparative historical and typological historical methods. The author proceeds from the assumption that in the early 20th century, the Russian Military Historical Society was among the key actors in the formation of historical memory of significant events in military history. The extensive structure, large membership, broad local representation and various forms of commemoration allowed the society to participate in the process of selecting acts of remembrance of military events and figures as well as assigning certain meanings to them. The study identified difficulties in implementing a number of commemorative projects, such as insufficient financial support and conflicts between the central and local offices as well as between the society’s members. The author comes to the conclusion that, despite the organizational and financial problems, the Russian Military Historical Society during its short period of existence has made a significant contribution to preserving the memory of military campaigns, which is reflected in various forms of commemoration. In addition, the society has managed to earn a reputation and gain the trust of military historians. Turning to these topics not only expands our understanding of the mnemonic actors existing in the modern world, but also allows us to recreate the main directions of the policy of memory in the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. Further research into the commemorative projects of the Imperial Russian Military Historical Society, as well as its interactions with other actors, seems promising.

The study of the history of Tsaritsyn's defense in the framework of the publishing project "The History of the Civil War" in the 1930s.

The study of the history of Tsaritsyn's defense in the framework of the publishing project "The History of the Civil War" in the 1930s.

Communism, Cold War, and the 1953 Coup

Even as it passed its seventieth anniversary, the 1953 coup in Iran has remained a hotly debated political topic. This is true in the public spheres of Iran, which saw its last democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mosaddeq, overthrown in the coup, and in those of the United States and the United Kingdom, which helped stage the ouster. There also has been an attempt at historical revisionism about the coup, usually by overemphasizing the domestic factors that led to the coup and placing less importance on the role of the CIA or questioning Mossadeq's democratic credentials. This revisionism has been robustly rebutted by the scholarly community, which has held to a general consensus on the basic narrative of the coup: that it overthrew a popular leader and that it took place with significant interventions from London and Washington. The release of the final batch of US documents related to the coup in 2017 (following many years of undue delay) also bolstered evidence for this consensus. But, although most public debates about the coup center on questions such as the constitutional process of Mosaddeq's dismissal or the relative weight given to domestic and international actors behind the coup, there is another historiographical question that has been subject to widely divergent perspectives in the field: the relationship of the coup to the Cold War. In other words, can the 1953 coup be considered a Cold War confrontation, or is this a misleading frame of reference? Both sides of this argument have often focused on the motivations of coup plotters (mostly those in Washington, DC, and London) and whether they are more readily explained by a genuine fear of the communist movement in Iran or whether this was a rhetorical smokescreen, masking the neocolonial drive for the control of Iran's resources. This tension is not limited to scholarship on Iran. Even as new global histories of the Cold War have grown in recent years, some have cautioned against the use of this framework for understanding politics in the Global South. Jeremi Suri, for instance, speaks of a “group of scholars” who have “questioned the very utility of the Cold War as an analytical concept” by pointing to “the ways in which this geopolitical term privileges state actors in the United States and Europe and neglects local forces of change, many of which had little apparent connection to the basic issues and personalities of the Cold War.” In his analysis of the global place of Algeria's drive for independence, Matthew Connelly suggests “taking off the Cold War lens,” arguing that such a lens did less to shape the views of historical actors (such as the Eisenhower administration) than “those of the historians who have studied them.”

Naval Strategy in the Normandy Invasion

The Normandy invasion, also known as Operation Overlord, was one of the most monumental events in the history of World War II. On June 6, 1944, nearly three million Allied troops crossed the English Channel from England into France occupied by Nazi Germany. The invasion of Normandy opened the way to the liberation of Europe and finally ended World War II. Naval strategy was crucial in this operation to support the landing of troops on the beaches of Normandy. In the context of naval strategy, the Normandy invasion involved coordination between the navy, army, and air force. The writing methodology uses a descriptive method by analyzing the facts that occurred during the 1944 Normandy battle and is supported by literature studies, literature and various scientific journals.

Responding to Mass Atrocities in Southeast Europe: History and Memory of World War II and Its Aftermath in European Perspective. Introduction

This article introduces the complex historical and memory landscape of Southeast Europe in connection with the Second World War and its aftermath. In what ways have responses to mass atrocities in the region been shaped, how have they permeated public discourse, and to what extent have they been reflected in the entangled Balkan history? By analysing occupation, genocide, resistance, collaboration, justice, and memory, this introduction lays the ground for exploring the divergent interpretations of events that continue to influence contemporary attitudes toward reconciliation.

Xhafer Deva: Nationalism, Collaboration and Mass Murder in Pursuit of a ‘Greater Albanian’ State

Xhafer Deva is one of the most notorious figures in the history of World War II in Kosovo and ‘Greater Albania’. As Minister of the Interior of the ‘Greater Albanian’ state and a Nazi collaborator, he was responsible for the assassination, deportation and expulsion of countless Serbs. At the same time, he fought for the integration of Kosovo into Albania. As such, notwithstanding the mass atrocities for which he is responsible, he is still revered in nationalist circles to this day. In this contribution, Xhafer Deva, a controversial public figure, will be examined and presented against the backdrop of the shifting empires and loyalties during the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century.

Securing the Self, Embracing Anxiety, or Nurturing Growth? How the Pragmatism of Dewey, James, and Mead Speaks to Ontological Security Studies

Abstract A Pragmatist form of Constructivism speaks to, and encourages, an ethical/normative turn in Ontological Security Studies (OSS). Recognition that Self-securing routines are sometimes “unhealthy” implies that the subject of security is human experience and that social identities or social roles are means to that end. This resonates with John Dewey's Pragmatist focus on the practical task of ameliorating experience in environments constantly in the process of becoming. Normative value is not ontological, i.e., found in a fixed identity; it is processural, i.e., found in the practice of “learning” and the process of “growth.” A Pragmatist narrative of learning and growth offers OSS a normative focus that is more compelling than the recent calls to “embrace anxiety,” although it is important to acknowledge that even these narratives can induce anxiety. OSS can, in this instance, turn to the Pragmatist William James and his focus on the role that “faith” plays in encouraging the Self to adopt new identities. Building on this, Dewey formulated a “civic faith” to defend democratic routines (and the democratic identity) as a useful method of (social) learning. Finally, the Pragmatism of George Herbert Mead demonstrates how this democratic commitment to include “the Other” in the processes that secure the Self helps restructure an environment that otherwise demands dangerous routines. The article draws on Cold War history to demonstrate how such practices can and should be part of the “cultural repertoire” informing ontological security-seeking practices in contemporary Europe.

Comparative Analysis and Trends in Indonesian Population as National Resource Potential According to a War History Perspective

History teaches that every time a war occurs, one important factor that cannot be ignored is troop mobilization. In the wars that have occurred so far, whether World War I, World War II, or other wars, the majority of victories were determined by the number of troops the winning party had. Management of national resources, one of which is the population as troops, requires good handling and preparation in facing the threat of war. Both conventional wars which are currently occurring in other parts of the world, such as Israel-Palestine or Russia-Ukraine, as well as asymmetric wars which also threaten the security and safety of the nation. This article discusses the human resources that the Indonesian state has to prepare reliable personnel to face the threat of war. The analysis used is a comparative gender analysis between men and women and an analysis of trends in the population of productive age projected until 2030. So far, troops or human resources have often been interpreted as only men being able to face threats. Female human resources are also widely available and can work alongside men if they are trained and managed well.

The Political Transformation of David Tod: Governing Ohio During the Height of the Civil War

While studies of President Abraham Lincoln, as well as his Confederate counterpart, Jefferson Davis, and their military generals have dominated Civil War literature, rarely has attention to the politics of the war extended beyond the executive office. Joseph Lambert Jr.’s The Political Transformation of David Tod examines an often-overlooked facet of the political history of the Civil War – the governorship of loyal states. Few historians have ventured into this aspect of the political history of the war.

World War II and the Theme of Genocide in the Public Memory of Socialist Yugoslavia

The internal Yugoslav massacres and genocide committed during the Second World War left the postwar Yugoslav state with a complicated legacy. How could the new authorities rebuild the country, drawing on the heroic memory of the victories of the communist-led partisans against the wartime occupiers and collaborators, while at the same time explaining the large-scale war crimes and genocide committed by Yugoslavs against other Yugoslavs? This article surveys the ways in which the internal Yugoslav war crimes were described and explained as part of public memory of the Second World War in Socialist Yugoslavia. It explores how the history of massacres and genocide coexisted with the glorious partisan myth and how the history of these massacres in a way contributed to creating a usable memory out of the Second World War. Moreover, it shows how wartime memory was profoundly changed when the history of internal Yugoslav massacres was increasingly understood as part of what Jasna Dragovic-Soso has called a ‘theme of genocide’ during the last decades of the socialist state. The article suggests that the thematisation may have been a logical and necessary rethinking of Second World War history. Yet, it also argues that the substantial revisiting of this history was sometimes accompanied by irresponsible manipulation which contributed to enabling highly problematic types of memory politics both during and after Yugoslavia's existence.

Islamic monuments in Azerbaijan in the XVIII-XIX centuries (based on the documents of the Russian State Military History Archive)

The article presents the history of Islamic religious monuments in the territory of Azerbaijan in the 18th and 19th centuries. The presented scientific article includes research on the mosques and religious beliefs of the population in the territory of Azerbaijan in the 18th and 19th centuries based on the documents of the Russian State Military History Archive. From the documents in the archival materials, it is clear that the most of the population are Muslim and Islamic religious monuments are the majority. The article relies on the drawings of the master plans of Azerbaijani cities kept in the funds of the Russian State Military History Archive. It is clear from the archive materials that economic and cultural life in Azerbaijani cities revolved around the mosques, especially the Friday mosques. Thus, the cities were erected not only around the palaces of khans and rulers, but around the Friday mosques, too. Also, at the end of the study, it is possible to come to the conclusion that Juma mosques functioned not only as the religious places of worship, but also as economic, cultural and social centers. In addition, the significance of the study of the documents stored in the Russian State Military History Archive is that it is possible to restore the historical appearance of Friday mosques in the present period from the drawings stored in its funds.

Keeping the Cold War Cold: Korea, 1966–1976

Abstract During the Cold War, U.S. strategic leaders had to deal with policies and issues in every part of the globe. The main theater was in Europe, but there were other regions that demanded attention. Korea was an important one. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, the peninsula was on the brink of conflict as North Korea initiated a series of operations that were legitimate acts of war. There was a strong desire among South Korean government officials for a military response, but U.S. government leaders said no. Officials in Washington recognized the limits of U.S. power at the time, and designed their responses to maintain the status quo. The story of how the United States handled its undertakings in areas of marginal importance was a chapter in the larger history of the Cold War. A number of historians have suggested that the Third World played a key role in shaping developments in the Cold War, but U.S. actions in Korea indicate something a bit more complicated. Knowing when to become involved and when to limit losses was crucial in how the United States managed events along the periphery of the Cold War.

It’s All in the Backfill: Scrap Heaps, Explosives, and Nausea. Stirring the Soil of a Former WWII Military Base

ABSTRACT Within an archaeology of the contemporary, sites and material remains of the Second World War have in recent years been set more prominently on the agenda of European heritage archaeology. This article presents observations made during archaeological site monitoring of the conversion and remediation of a former WWII military base in Germany. In the course of the project, the sensitivity of the site and its find material against the backdrop of the German history of World War II had to be constantly assessed. Archaeological methods and practices had to be adapted to the specific requirements of the site. Conflicting agendas of various actors and stakeholders involved had to be evaluated, as well as the risks posed by the site’s contamination with unexploded ordnance. Indeed, the backdirt itself, just like the find material it contained, turned out to be a contested and hazardous entity.

Beyond Hannah Takagi Holmes: The Lives and Work of Deaf and Blind Japanese Americans

Abstract Although disability history has made progress in including excluded groups, such as LGBTQIA, BIPOC, and women, it continues to be dominated by white men. Asian Americans have only recently been included, and Asian American disability history has not yet highlighted Japanese Americans. Archives and institutions specializing in disability history center whites, and institutions specializing in Japanese American history overlook disability. Blind and especially Deaf people form the core of existing Japanese American disability history, while physically and especially intellectually disabled people are talked about, rather than sharing their experiences. Military history focuses on able-bodied Japanese American men, despite the large number of Japanese Americans wounded (and possibly disabled) in combat. Disabled Japanese Americans also broke racial, gender, and other barriers, and campaigned for civil rights and redress. But there were also ordinary people. All of them lived and continue to live in a racist, ableist society that erases Asian Americans and disabled people, and especially disabled Asian Americans. According to the Census Bureau, about 1.4 million Asians and Pacific Islanders in America identify as being disabled. It is important that disabled Japanese Americans’ stories and contributions become a valuable part of the Asian American experience.1

Comparison of Operation Trikora and Dwikora in the Context of the Rules of War

This study explores the fundamental differences in the approach and application of the rules of war between Operations Trikora and Dwikora, two significant milestones in Indonesian history related to the defense of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Operation Trikora was a military campaign against Dutch efforts to seize the territory of West Irian, demonstrating Indonesia's commitment to asserting its claim over Papua and achieving unification with the homeland. Dwikora, on the other hand, was a confrontation with Malaysia that began in 1963, aiming to strengthen national identity and defend sovereignty. The research employs descriptive qualitative analysis, supported by literature reviews, scientific journals, anecdotes, relevant documents, and theoretical frameworks. Through this approach, the study highlights how differences in the rules of war between Trikora and Dwikora reflect each conflict's distinct historical and strategic contexts and their impact on how Indonesia defended its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The findings offer insights into the dynamics of war and diplomacy in Indonesian history and their implications for the development of nationalism and foreign policy. The study concludes that understanding these differences is crucial for appreciating the complexities of war and diplomacy in the context of Indonesian history and its influence on the country's national identity and foreign policy. The analysis provides valuable knowledge that can guide future research and policymaking in related areas.

The VI Century eastern roman empire: Steppe allies, western turks, and herat war

The subject of the Herat War and the Ctesiphon Peace Treaty of 591 is relevant since it reveals important aspects of the political, economic and military history. These events had a significant impact on the fates of the Byzantine Empire, the Persian Empire, and the Chinese Khaganate. The study of these events provides a more comprehensive understanding of the complex interrelationships and dynamics of Eastern politics. The academic paper also attempts to summarize the facts on the history of the “Herat War” of 589 from the standpoint of geopolitical analysis. This study involves analyzing historical sources including chronicles and archaeological data to reconstruct events and assess their consequences. The interpretation and analysis of documents and written sources of the time is also an important aspect in order to understand the motives and strategies of the parties involved in the events.

Participation of military logistics services in the provision of food in Warsaw in september 1939

The fighting in September 1939 has been the subject of a large body of historical literature. Nevertheless, due to the scattered and incomplete source base, many issues require further research and a deeper, broader treatment. This is all the more important because the course of contemporary conflicts, including the ongoing war in Ukraine with the Russian Federation, shows the recurring nature of many experiences in military history. On the basis of a historical analysis of unknown and hitherto unused accounts from the Polish Central Military Archives (PCMA), the Archives of the Polish Institute and the General Sikorski Museum, the Pilsudski Institute in London, supplemented by documents from the PCMA and the literature on the subject, the authors’ goal is to show the crucial problems of food supply for troops fighting in the defense of Warsaw in September 1939. As a research hypothesis, they assumed that despite the planning, organisational, formal and practical difficulties, it was mainly thanks to the initiative and resourcefulness of some officers of various levels and various supply branch structures that the initial chaos was eventually brought under control and food was provided to the fighting troops until the end of the struggle for the Polish capital. This, in turn, had a not insignificant impact on sustaining the high morale and fighting ability of individual units and subdivisions, as well as the civilian population encouraged by German propaganda to leave the city in exchange for - as the invaders put it - freedom and food.

Short report on the excavations of the Legionary Bath of Brigetio in 2023

Since 2015, excavations have been carried out in different parts of the legionary fortress in Brigetio. Due to the systematic geophysical surveys of the praetentura, a large building complex came to light, which could be identified as the bath of the fortress, even before the fieldworks started in the territory. In the area of this building complex, the excavations started in 2021, and continued in the next two years. Now, an approximately 1800 m2 surface of the bath is excavated. During the last season of the fieldwork several heated and unheated rooms and three new (possible) pools and four praefurnia were unearthed. The north-eastern closure of the bath was identified, and parts of the northern apses of the basilica thermarum were unearthed. A huge number of coins and bronze small finds were discovered, and thanks to the brick stamps, some new data have become available on troop movements and military history of the Pannonian ripa.

Бои за Гизель и Майрамадаг в контексте разгрома немецких войск под Владикавказом

The article examines in detail the fighting near Vladikavkaz, and in particular the battles for Gizel and Mayramadag. The battles near Vladikavkaz contributed to the overall victory over the German army in the battle for the Caucasus. The study is devoted to the battles for access to Transcaucasia, the main attention is paid to the battles for specific settlements. The relevance of the topic is due to the need to understand the history of the Great Patriotic War in the regions. Scientific novelty lies in an integrated approach to the analysis of the events of that period. The methodological basis of the study was the memories of participants, collections of documents, archival documents, periodical materials, as well as retrospective and problem-chronological methods of scientific research. The results show that, despite a lot of work on this period, interest in the history of the Great Patriotic War among researchers does not fade, but rather intensifies. The study highlights the importance of war history at the regional level. It was revealed that the blow to the Nazi group of troops in the Vladikavkaz region was the beginning of the offensive of our troops in decisive areas of the fight against Nazi Germany. By the second half of the harsh year of 1942, it was a major defeat for the Nazi troops on the Soviet-German front. As a result, the Nazis had to finally abandon the offensive on Ordzhonikidze, Grozny and Baku and go on the defensive. Having liberated the territory of North Ossetia, our troops continued to develop their victorious offensive and on November 4, 1943 liberated the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic – the city and the railway station.

AVIATION PLANT IN THE MARI ASSR IN 1941–1944: PROBLEMS OF EVACUATION, ACCOMMODATION AND PRODUCTION

The topic of industry evacuation, including aviation, the problems of locating enterprises and organizing their production in the rear regions remains relevant. At this stage, it is worth paying attention to the problem of locating specific enterprises and other problems they faced during evacuation. The purpose of the study is to study, based on the analysis of sources, one of the regional aspects in the history of the Great Patriotic War – evacuation of aviation plant No. 168 in Volzhsk, the Mari ASSR. Materials and methods. The sources were identified in the State Archive of the Republic of Mari El, the State Archive of the Russian Federation and the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History. The main methods were the analysis and systematization of documents. Study results. According to the resolution of the Evacuation Council dated November 11, 1941, Plant No. 168 of the People’s Commissariat of Aviation Industry of the USSR, which had arrived from Ryazan, was located on the production areas of the Volga (Lopatinsky) Woodworking Plant. 10 main workshops were located on the territory of the woodworking plant. The assembly of KC-20 troop-carrying gliders began immediately. In accordance with the decision of the State Defense Committee dated September 13, 1942, plant No. 168 began serial production of UT-2MV light bombers, which required an increase in space and the number of workers, and creation of new production facilities. Special difficulties were caused by the issues of locating two large enterprises on the same territory – plant No. 168 and the Volga (Lopatinsky) woodworking plant: lack of production facilities, living space, problems with provision, construction deadlines, etc. By the decree of the State Defence Committee of the USSR dated October 1, 1944 and by the order of the USSR People’s Commissariat of Aviation Industry and the USSR People’s Commissariat of Railways dated October 31, 1944, Plant No. 168 was relocated to Rostov-on-Don. All production buildings and structures, including unfinished construction of the production building, were transferred to the Volga (Lopatinsky) woodworking plant. Conclusions. Evacuation of enterprises is one of the main issues in the history of the rear regions during the Great Patriotic War. The common problems for all industrial enterprises during this period were the lack of production facilities, electricity, fuel, raw materials, manpower, transport, etc. Despite all the difficulties, plant No. 168, being evacuated to the Mari ASSR, was able to organize the production and output of aircraft.