Military Influence Research Articles

The End of Macro‐Narratives of Progress? History, Christian Theology, and the Anthropocene

AbstractThe dominant modern Western macro‐narrative of historical change from the Middle Ages to the present has been a positive one of progress, all things considered. Most of those critical of the trajectory’s imperfect realization nevertheless defend its central ideals and the extension of opportunities to unjustly excluded persons. Such ideals include the politically protected right of individuals to live as they wish and to pursue material prosperity. The multivalent ecological degradation that marks the Anthropocene epoch since the Great Acceleration of the mid‐twentieth century makes clear the planetary environmental costs of the pursuit, protection, and extension of these ideals and related practices in the modern era. Historically, expansionist and belligerent Western European countries and their offshoots since the fifteenth century bear a disproportionate responsibility for the eventual emergence of the Anthropocene. Their economic, political, technological, and military influence exerted an outsized environmental influence on our planet—the human corner of God’s creation—before and after the Industrial Revolution. Religiously, all of these European nations were overwhelmingly peopled either by Catholic or Protestant Christians from the sixteenth century until well into the twentieth. With Christians in the vanguard, the post‐Reformation rebranding of avarice as self‐interest and the open‐ended pursuit of wealth are antithetical to the New Testament’s ethos of ascetic self‐denial. Having ignored what Jesus said, we live with the planetary consequences in the Anthropocene, which now poses an obstacle to any and all macro‐narratives of progress.

Domestic Stability and Economic Growth: China’s Foreign Policy Under Xi Jinping’s Administration (2013-2022)

This article aims to examine the role of domestic stability and economic growth in China’s foreign policy under Xi Jinping’s administration, from March 2013 to July 2022. I argue that one of the most relevant goals of China’s foreign policy is to preserve domestic stability and economic growth, which are necessary for the survival of one-party rule. China may be best seen as a responsible reformer that tries to facilitate for permanent regional and global cooperation, but at the same time brings alternatives to the liberal international order. The main foreign policy strategy is to capitalize on Chinese economic power to strengthen China’s political and military influence in regional and global affairs.

ПРАВОВІ МЕХАНІЗМИ ВІДШКОДУВАННЯ ЗБИТКІВ, ЗАВДАНИХ МІЛІТАРНИМ ВПЛИВОМ ЕКОНОМІЦІ УКРАЇНИ

On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched an aggressive war against independent Ukraine, which was accompanied by the deliberate destruction of infrastructure, industry and agriculture, housing, cultural values, and other property belonging. The maintained analysis led to the conclusion that the damage caused to the Ukraine’s economy, its citizens and businesses due to the military influence of the Russian Federation can be compensated in the general and commercial courts of Ukraine, as well as using UN mechanisms. The author of the article substantiates the following: the expediency of adopting a special law by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which will allow the competent state body to collect on the property of the Russian Federation located on the territory of Ukraine or on the property of persons recognized as its collaborators; the decision of the courts to compensate for the damage caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation; the need for Ukraine to conclude bilateral and multilateral international agreements on the search for assets of the Russian Federation in the territories of other states, their arrest and transfer to Ukraine in order to compensate for losses caused by armed aggression of the Russian Federation, recognized and recovered by national courts. The need to reform the United Nations peacekeeping process by amending Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations to remove a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for an act of aggression has been demonstrated in respect of another state, from voting in matters of peace and security or empowering the General Assembly of the United Nations to decide matters of peace and security if they are violated by a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Key words: compensation for damages, military influence on the economy, laws and customs of war, judicial immunity of the state.

Space as a Competition Domain: Threats and Opportunities

The article deals with the unfolding race for military, technological, and political infl uence in space. Great powers have competed in space since the dawn of the Space Age. Today we are once again faced with the possibility of space warfi ghting, but there are more than two players in the game now and civil infrastructure depends on space more than ever before. Theoretical space war threats are often analysed through an assessment of possible targets. And there are real-life challenges and threats here, including but not limited to rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO), existing destructive anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities, non-destructive electronic warfare, and cyber and jamming capabilities. The greatest threat, though, comes from simple misperceptions of actions in space by diff erent actors. Space cannot be separated from dynamics on Earth, but there might be some room for space-specifi c confi dence-building, risk reduction and even arms control measures.

Threats to the security of Polish military contingents in the UN forces on the example of the PMC in Lebanon – experiences and perspectives

This paper attempts to identify threats to the security environment of Lebanon and the prospects for their changes, affecting the activities of Polish military contingents and their personnel, taking into account historical aspects, internal and external threats and contemporary conditions of the security environment of the region and Lebanon. It uses the results of research conducted by the author in the years 2012-2020. Included in the study there are Polish military contingents operating as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) between 1992 and 2009, such as: the Polish Military Medical Unit, the Polish Military Contingent in Lebanon (PMC Lebanon/PMC UNIFIL), and the “new” PMC in Lebanon, which began performing mandated tasks in November 2019. Polish contingent operations in Lebanon have been affected by the aftermath of the never-ending conflict with Israel since 1948, the civil war in Syria, the growth of terrorist organisations in the Levant region, Shiite Hezbollah, growing in terms of military strength and political influence, and nearly two million war refugees. These factors resulted in a significant increase in threats to peacekeepers and observers serving in Lebanon, and the primary source of these threats is the direct impact caused by the enemy using various heavy weapons, aviation and other arms in attacks on the bases, patrols and posts of the contingent’s subdivisions. UNIFIL forces, together with the PMC Lebanon, are likely to face the problem of “participation” in another armed conflict, whether small or large-scale. The PMC soldiers, due to their deployment and the nature of their tasks, are likely to be exposed to possible personnel loss and material damage.

Understanding of democracy and peace Gershon H.Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University

One of the great changes in the world situation after World War II was the long period of peace without war between democracies and even great powers. However, the world is not easy in the halo of peace. The smoke of local wars such as the Iraq war has not yet dissipated, and frequent terrorist groups is worrying. In Asia, Japan's military influence, which is second only to the United States, cannot be underestimated. Its defense strategy changes from specialized defense to outward defense. This situation brings a new threat to the security of all countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The problem of the "security dilemma" remains one of the major issues in international politics today. In this regard, realism puts forward the theory of potential equalization and deterrence, while liberalism puts forward the theory of world government, collective security, economic interdependence, and democratic peace. Among them, democratic peace theory, as a popular theory in the field of western international relations research, has aroused wide controversy in the academic circles. "Democratic peace theory" believes that there is no or little war between democratic countries, and "non-democratic countries" are the root cause of war, and expanding democracy is the inevitable requirement for maintaining peace. "Democratic peace theory" does not conform with historical facts, it is the theoretical basis for neo-interventionism in promoting human rights diplomacy. The relationship between democracy and peace is complex: peace between international society and international relations requires not only a domestic democracy, but also in international life; democracy is only one of the many reasons affecting international peace, It has limited impact on peace; the "democracy peace theory" advocates established peace is essentially local peace between western countries based on unreasonable international political and economic order, the consolidation of overall world peace and the establishment of just and reasonable new international order call for new democracy.

Analyzing the Impact of Chinese Military Development to the Indian Arm Force in 2015-2020

China and India are two countries with major military powers in Asia that are currently competing with each other to become the largest military power in Asia. The authors have an interest in researching matters related to the object of research on china's military influence on the Indian military in 2015-2020. The purpose of this research is to look at the link between the Chinese military increasing the budget for arms purchases, strengthening troops to its military movements against the Indian military which continues to catch up so that there is no security dilemma between China and India. To analyze the question, researchers apply an International Security perspective on the theory of security dilemmas and concepts of national interest. The theoretical framework of this research is guided by qualitative explanatory methods. Writing techniques through library research. The data sources used are collected from books, journals and other official publications. The results showed that China's change in attitude regarding its country's military had an impact on India. The impact could be felt from India's increasing military arms purchase budget following China's military reforms in 2015. In addition, India also began to open a path of military cooperation to pursue balance of power.

The Military Influence on Industrial Policies in Brazil During the 20th and Early 21st Centuries

The defense industry is a part of a country’s industrial base and often has multiple uses, serving both civilian and military purposes. It does not stand alone and is a significant part of the country’s industry. From this perspective, the article demonstrates the military influence on Brazil’s industrialization policies. This influence was not always vested with legitimacy, as in the 1964 coup d’état and the subsequent military government (1964-1985). Furthermore, this influence was not always caused by internal reasons. Political-military events, such as World War I, and especially World War II, have directly affected the country’s industrialization policies. The methodology employed is a review of policies, institutions, laws, and historical facts. The conclusions highlight that during the 20th century Brazil went from the stage of not producing defense equipment to the status of one of the largest exporters in the world. This role underwent profound changes in the 1990s and 2000s. However, if a new military regime takes power in Brazil, when this regime ends, what happened in the 1990s may repeat itself, with deindustrialization and the subsequent dismantling of what remains of the defense industry, which would also affect the civilian industry.

THE GREAT POWER COMPETITION BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE SYRIAN WAR 2015-2020

Even though the Cold War ended 30 years ago, the Russian Federation and the United States of America continue the competition for power through different means and by using several instruments. The Syrian war is one of the longest and complex events in which the two states have recently exposed their capabilities. On the one hand, the Russian Federation found the Syrian war as an opportunity to improve its economy, extend its military influence and gain more allies by supporting Syrian regime and situating as a counterweight to USA. On the other hand, the United States of America fought to maintain its economic gains, strategic coalitions and limit Iran power in the region, using as motif the establishment of democracy and counterterrorism. All of these represented the most important assets of each state towards increasing their authority outside their borders and consolidating their power status in the last 6 years.

Operational Disinformation of Soviet Counterintelligence during the Cold War

During the Cold War, the USSR (Soviet Union) and the United States were in a state of permanent political and thus information and psychological competition, conducted using various methods and forms of military and nonmilitary influence. This article analyzes doctrinal and textbook models of operational disinformation application from the counterintelligence service standpoint. Disinformation as a technique and tool of operational work was used in the area of intelligence influence within the operations and games conducted by the special services of the USSR. Still, it was also used in active operational combinations carried out by the State Committee for Security under the Council of Ministers of the USSR counterintelligence. The author’s thesis is that operational disinformation had a significant impact on the activity and effectiveness of the Soviet defensive services, and these methodologies are still in the arsenal of the Russian Federal Security Service, Foreign Intelligence Service, and Main Intelligence Directorate.

Military Influence on Industrial Policy in Brazil During the 20th and Early 21st Centuries

The defense industry is part of a country’s industrial base and often has multiple uses, serving both civilian and military purposes. It does not stand alone and is a significant part of the country’s industry. From this perspective, this article demonstrates the Brazilian military’s influence on industrialization policies. Such influence has not always been vested with legitimacy, as in the 1964 coup d’état and the subsequent military government (1964-1985), nor has it always been due to internal reasons. Political-military events, such as World War I and especially World War II, have directly affected the country’s industrialization policies. The methodology employed in this article is a review of policies, institutions, laws, and historical facts. The conclusions highlight that during the 20th century Brazil went from the stage of not producing defense equipment to the status of one of the largest exporters in the world. This role underwent profound changes in the 1990s, and 2000s. However, there are threats that a new dictatorship could be established in Brazil. If the country suffers another democratic-era coup d’état, what happened in the 1990s could repeat itself. That is, deindustrialization and the subsequent dismantling of what remains of the defense industry, which would also affect the civilian industry.

ШЕВЧЕНКІВ ПОГЛЯД НА РОСІЙСЬКУ ВОЄНЩИНУ У ЙОГО ПОВІСТЯХ

In our review we analyze various aspects of the Russian military, shown by T. Shevchenko in the stories "The Maidservant", "The Princess", "The Unhappy", "The Twins", "The Lady Captain", "The Artist", "The Walk with pleasure and not without morality" and to a certan extent in "The Musician". Namely in our analysis we consider the way of life of the Russian army – both current and retired, their moral principles, social status, the actual military component of life, including education and frontline science. Well acquainted with the life of the military, the writer creates a holistic picture of their world. In Shevchenko's stories there is a whole line of active and retired soldiers of the Russian army, whose integral companions of life are gambling and drunkenness. Paying his attention mainly to the cavalry, T. Shevchenko calls it an academy that educates soulless machines. The author refutes the notion of the nobility of Russian officers. The complete lack of love is what is inherent in these militaries. Notable are the images-characters of the cornet (the story "The Maidservant"), the captain ("The Lady Captain") and Zosym ("The Twins"). The life of the latter resonates meaningfully with the graphic series "The Prodigal Son" by T. Shevchenko. There is no wonder that the author calls Zosia "prodigal son". According to the author's concept, the prodigal son is a military man, mired in numerous vices and is not capable of rebirth, and the Russian military is portrayed as a factor of the dehumanization of the man. In the stories under consideration military service as such largely covers only a number of short mentions of the Franco-Russian and TurkishRussian wars. Military affairs in general are shown in the stories as "military housing", which placed a burden on the shoulders of the local population and mainly led to the wide-spread bastardy In the latter T. Shevchenko sees the greatest, most common evil of the Russian military machine. Ukrainian recruits Yakim Tuman ("The Lady Captain") and Yakiv Oberemenko ("The Walk with Pleasure and Not Without Morality") are opposed to the typical image of the Russian military. Ill-fated, but nevertheless humane and endowed with true nobility, they showed true Christian concern for their closed ones and managed to avoid destructive or even degenerative military influence.

Gênero e defesa: uma questão de preferências

The article aims to answer the question: what explains the absence of gender policies in official Brazilian defense documents? Therefore, it suggests that such absence is also a result of military influence in politics. That is, the challenges faced by Brazilian military women, such as limited access to certain weapons and specialties, restrictions on forms of entry, infrastructure problems and the lack of legislation to support them, are reflections of the interests of political elites and their relationship with the military leaders, who do not always have the political will to put the issue of gender on the agenda, striving to keep the organization unscathed from social changes. The article employs the process tracking technique, with a special focus on the search for empirical evidence.

Conflict as a Problem and Threat to National and International Security

The beginning of the 21st century is characterized by a deep crisis of the national and international security system. For many factors caused by the intensification of military-political conflicts of a new type, the term “hybrid war” is now used. A feature of these conflicts is, in the first place, the use by the opponents of a wide scale of non-military means of influence: economic, informational, environmental, social, political and others. It is important here to justify the importance of the transformation of the state system of civil protection, which is being developed under the influence of contemporary military and political conflicts. The problem of military-political rivalry, by defining the content of the term “military-political conflict”, leads to a confrontation of political entities both within the state and at the state level, as well as between states, aimed at achieving their own political interests using various means and ways of influencing the political, military, economic, social and information spheres. The purpose of this speech is to present the mechanisms of solving all existing problems related to the functioning of society and to present the forms and features of contemporary hybrid conflicts.

Armed Conflicts and Unrecognized “republics” as Instruments of Russia’s Influence on Post-Soviet Countries

The study is an attempt to generalize the practice of Russia’s implementation of its influence in the post-Soviet space in the context of hybrid aggression as the essence of Russia’s international policy in the region. The main focus of this aggression is directed against those countries of the former Soviet republics that have declared their clear course of European and Euro-Atlantic integration (Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova) and thus stand in the way of Russia’s imperial ambitions.
 In order to implement its plans, Russia comprehensively uses a wide range of tools and methods of influence of both non-military (“soft power”) and military (“hard power”) nature. Such influence is carried out systematically, for many years and has a complex and comprehensive character in various spheres. Moreover, the methods and ways of influence, as well as their priority, are not stable and differ depending on the country of their application.
 Among them, not the least place is given by Russia to the manipulation of armed conflicts, which is part of the well-established mechanism of the so called hybrid wars in order to strengthen its geopolitical influence. Supporting or using certain forces in active armed conflicts or threatening to resume the active phase of “frozen” armed conflicts can be a serious tool of foreign policy pressure and give Moscow real military-political advantages in the region.
 Such conflicts have a decisive impact on the agenda of their localization countries and bring enormous damage to their economic and human potential. The “frozen” conflicts in Georgia and Moldova, as well as the still active conflict in eastern Ukraine, have become clear obstacles to the rapid progress of these countries on the path to European and Euro-Atlantic integration and create a very negative background for their democratic and economic development.
 As Russia has not yet achieved its goals in the conflict zones in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, it is most likely that no significant positive changes in their settlement should be expected in the near future. One of the most effective mechanisms to protect Russia from expansionist encroachments for these countries may be maximum rapprochement with the EU and NATO, and in the long run – accession to these organizations. Such a step will be a kind of victory in the hybrid war with Russia. After all, it is precisely in order to prevent such an option that Russia has created and / or maintains the above-mentioned zones of instability.

Opening the Black Box: The Turkish Military Before and After 15 July 2016

Opening the Black Box: The Turkish Military Before and After 15 July 2016

Arms intervention: Weimar Germany, post-imperial influence and weapons trafficking in warlord China

The Treaty of Versailles aimed to strip Germany of both its colonial empire and the global reach of its arms industry. Yet the conflicts in warlord-era China led to the reestablishment of German influence on the other side of the world via the arms trade. Weimar Germany had declared a policy of neutrality and refused to take sides in the Chinese civil war in an effort to demonstrate that as a post-colonial power, it could now act as an honest broker. From below, however, traffickers based in Germany and German merchants in China worked to evade Versailles restrictions and an international arms embargo to supply warlords with weapons of war. Although the German state officially aimed to remain neutral, criminal elements, rogue diplomats, black marketeers and eventually military adventurers re-established German influence in the region by becoming key advisors and suppliers to the victorious Guomindang. Illicit actors in Germany and China proved to be crucial in linking the two countries and in eventually overturning the arms control regimes that were imposed in the wake of World War I.

Military and Political Influence on the Portfolio of Global Reserve Currencies

This paper analyses a new concept presented in the works of B. Eichengreen, A.J. Mehl, L. Chitu “Mars or Mercury? The Geopolitics of International Currency Choice”, according to which the state’s possession of nuclear weapons is linked to its possession of reserve currency. The paper aims to provide a detailed assessment of how gaining reserve currency status depends on the military and political potential of the state issuer. The research method is an analysis of the historical material and the current state of the issue under discussion. The study shows the relationship between the global military and political leadership and control over the global financial infrastructure, which increases its importance as a space for interstate conflicts. It has been proven that neither the presence of military power nor the ability and willingness to provide partners with security guarantees do not predetermine the acquisition of the reserve status by the national currency. This status is acquired as a result of control over global investment processes, in the implementation of which military power plays a significant, but not exclusive role. This power, as the potential for economic and financial dominance, is a derivative of the scale and level of development of the national economy, with a key factor in its deep involvement in international trade. From the point of view of practical forecasting of economic, military and political development, the authors conclude that in the foreseeable future, despite the strengthening of its military potential, the PRC will not be able and, most likely, will not try to obtain the status of the yuan as a reserve currency. The United States, in turn, will increasingly use its dominance in the capital market and control over the global financial infrastructure as a tool to maintain global leadership. Further study of the considered issues will significantly increase the efficiency of forecasting economic processes in relation to the military and political situation.

Biological, psychological, social, and spiritual health of active duty women: An exploratory study

LAY SUMMARY This study explored the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual health of active duty women, including how each of these dimensions of health is related to one another. In particular, this study addresses active duty women’s health and experiences associated with trauma, sexual harassment, deployment, and physical health outcomes. A total of 76 active duty women completed a survey consisting of questions about demographics, physical health, psychological health, physical and psychological trauma history, social support, history of sexual harassment, and spirituality. Results showed that women with larger waist circumference had more physical pain and previous experiences with sexual harassment. Also, women who experienced more traumatic events in their lifetime were more involved in organized and non-organized religion or spiritual activities. Being in the military influences every service member’s health; however, more attention is needed to understanding the ways in which biopsychosocial-spiritual assessments and treatment can be created and adopted by medical, mental health, social service, and spiritual health providers.

European Union-Asia Pacific: Working Together on Global Security

The Asia Pacific is not only the world’s largest and most populous region, it is also home to some of its fastest growing economies. At the same time, it is also a region that contains complex security hotspots, including tensions on the Korean Peninsula and maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas. The United States and China are vying for economic and military influence in the region, affecting the balance of power and security dynamics on a global scale. In recent years, the European Union (EU) has become a key trading partner for most countries in the Asia-Pacific region and is also seeking to play a relevant role as a security actor. Both regions face the same challenges and share an interest in preserving peace in their respective areas, while upholding the rules-based international order. Specifically, the EU wants to step up its security role in the Asia-Pacific by boosting cooperation with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and other strategic partners. In the current context of huge global shifts, this article argues that the area in which the EU can make a valuable contribution to stability in the region is in supporting Asia-Pacific nations to address non-traditional security challenges. European Union, Asia Pacific, Indo Pacific, non-traditional security, interregional cooperation, ASEAN, Strategic Partnerships