Past Wars Research Articles

Impacts of exposure to suicide of a military colleague from the lived experience of veterans: Informing postvention responses from a military cultural perspective

Although exposure to the suicide death of a military colleague has been shown quantitatively to increase suicide risk factors among veterans, there are very few studies where veterans have been asked about this experience. This article presents a qualitative analysis of 38 interviews with U.S. veterans with exposure to the suicide death of a military colleague in past war operations. Participants described the impact of exposure in relation to the military context and official response to the death, which had long-term ramifications. Our findings suggest suicide prevention and postvention responses for veterans should be informed by the lived experience of veterans, including those for whom this experience occurred significantly in the past, as the impacts of different military policies and practices in response to suicide deaths over time are relevant to the impact of exposure to death of a military colleague in the short and long term.

IZVEŠTAJ PROTOJEREJA MIHAILA POPOVIĆA O RESTITUCIJI CRKVENE IMOVINE OTUĐENE POD BUGARSKOM OKUPACIJOM U PRVOM SVETSKOM RATU

Under the Bulgarian military, civil and church authorities in the territory of the occupied Kingdom of Serbia in the First World War, in addition to other crimes, the various movable property of the Serbian Orthodox Church was confiscated. In this connection, the paper will analyze in more detail and present t he report of archpriest Mihailo Popović, parish priest of Belgrade, who was entrusted with the mission of returning church property from Bulgaria in 1921. This document is a valuable historical source that testifies not only to the factual consequences of the Bulgarian occupation administration and the attack on Serbian spiritual and cultural heritage, but also to Popović’s personal impressions of the situation in the Bulgarian church and the attitude of its dignitaries towards the past war and Serbian-Bulgarian relations. The document is stored in the fund of the Ministry of Religion Archives of Yugoslavia.

ФЕНОМЕН ВІЙНИ У ПЕРЕЛОМЛЕННІ СВІТОВОГО МИСТЕЦТВА: АКТУАЛЬНІ НАГОЛОСИ

The article studies the interpretations of war in the artistic space, where they demonstrate humanistic positions and the presence of moral principles. The author analyzes the most notable examples of the phenomenon of war in the refraction of world art in the historical context and reveals what messages permeate the canvases, where the theme of deaths due to wars is emphasized. Such works serve as one of the most powerful condemnations of the war through the power of art. Article shows which key features in the experience of understanding past wars with the help of art coincide with the time of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war situation radically transforms the background of artistic creativity, where everything is embroidered with symbols, because the basis of creativity is represented by a symbol as a profound idea. The gallery of images dedicated to the understanding of war as an anti-human phenomenon is represented by the works of Rubens, Goya, Picasso, Dali and also modern world artists who artistically responded to the Russian aggression in Ukraine (Banksy, Driscoll, Melnychuk, mydogsights). The image of suffering mother, presented in most iconic works at different times, is consistent with Ukrainian reality. These are not separate human images, they are the quintessence of the general image of war and accompanying images of suffering, grief, and torment. In each work from the given gallery of images, an expressive desperately crying figure with hands raised to the sky was visibly present as an archetype of a martyr during the war. By demonstrating the horrors of war in visible symbols of culture, the artists utter their own humanist manifesto, while at the same time they warn about the catastrophic nature of the attitude towards war for the history of civilization, and thus the destruction of the main subjects of both history and culture. Did generations understand these powerful messages of artistic geniuses, framed in no less powerful symbols, metaphors and allegories? We will receive an answer in the near future.

Sosial Budaya dan Dinamika Pemilihan Temenggung Suku Anak dalam (SAD) Secara Adat di Komunitasnya pada Dusun Dwi Karya Bhakti Kecamatan Pelepat, Bungo

The Anak Dalam tribe or known by another name SAD is a native Indonesian tribe that spreads across the island of Sumatra, this tribe itself has special characteristics in its habits and way of life. SAD itself is a marginalized tribal group and spends much of its life in the forest, but that's not the case. This means that Sad does not have leadership regulations. In each SAD group there is one leader known as Temenngung. This temenggung leadership period itself does not have part time or has no leadership period limits. For this reason, Sad can be said to be a group that adheres to a chain of command or bureaucracy in its leadership because this is proven by its form of leadership and procedures for selecting the group leader or temenggung. The origins of Sad Sndri are native people from West Sumatra, specifically Pagaruyuh, who fled into the forest because of past wars in Indonesia, therefore SAD depends on hunting and relying on garden products for its living. However, in the current era, Sad is crawling to follow the life of the general public with several tips and assistance from the regional government so that now Sad lives like the general public who live by relying on the agricultural sector, trade and state servants. In selecting the temenggung as their leader, there are stages that must be passed, and these stages have become institutionalized. This is the reference point for today's ethnic groups.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Hiroshima +75: building peace in Japan and beyond

The use of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been extensively studied in war and peace literature. Research abounds on the ethical debates surrounding the bombing, the legal and political ramifications of the use of nuclear weapons, the socio-cultural underpinnings of the peace movements, and the somatic and psychological consequences of the bombing. However, Hiroshima’s reconstruction has rarely been studied from the scholarly lens of peacebuilding approaches that cover various aspects of post-war reconstruction. The city and prefectural governments of Hiroshima published several reports on Hiroshima’s history of reconstruction over the years, and as of 2014, with an aim to support peacebuilding efforts elsewhere and contribute to achieving a peaceful world. Using policy analysis, new empirical data, updated historical accounts, and interdisciplinary lenses, the contributions in this Special Issue respond to this objective by bridging the past war experience and the present peace aspirations from Hiroshima to bring new insights into post-war reconstruction and peacebuilding research and practice.

Healthcare bias and health inequalities towards displaced Syrians in Lebanon: a qualitative study.

According to Lebanese official data, Lebanon hosts over 1.5 million displaced Syrians (DS). Research shows that migrants encounter barriers when accessing healthcare. The social determinants of health (SDOH) related to migration are an additional challenge for DS in Lebanon, though bias plays a significant factor in exacerbating health inequalities. This study aims to identify DS perception of healthcare biases in the Lebanese healthcare system, and its consequences on DS' accessing and receiving quality healthcare in Lebanon. A qualitative analysis using in-depth, semi-structured interviews was utilized. 28 semi-structured interviews were conducted with doctors (n = 12) and nurses (n = 16) in 2021. Six group interviews were conducted with DS (n = 22) in Lebanese healthcare facilities. The recruitment of participants relied on reasoned and targeted sampling. Thematic analysis was performed to identify common themes in participants' experiences with DS accessing Lebanese healthcare. The findings indicated that there were barriers to accessing healthcare related to the SDOH, such as transportation and financial resources. The results also suggested that DS perceived health biases, including discriminatory behavior from Lebanese healthcare providers, stereotypes and racism leading to health inequalities. Based on the perceptions and experiences reported by participants, the underlying causes of biases are due to the fragility of the Lebanese healthcare system when facing a humanitarian crisis as well as a collapsing infrastructure torn by past wars and the current socio-political and financial crises in the country. Global initiatives are required to provide the necessary resources needed for offering equitable health services. Such initiatives involve addressing biases, health inequities, discrimination, and the lack of a Lebanese infrastructure system for the provision of healthcare. Addressing health inequalities remains a major health objective in achieving health equity on the micro level (cultural awareness and competencies) and macro level (equitable distribution of resources, implementation of a universal health coverage) in order to guarantee quality healthcare services to DS.

Межнациональные конфликты с точки зрения социального психоанализа (попытки диагностики и лечения)

The article is devoted to an analytical review of psychoanalytic and other psychological approaches to the description and overcoming of ethnopolitical conflicts in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. The materials of the multinational research group International Dialogue Initiative and the scientific works of its members are widely used. The concept of psychological trauma is considered in detail, as well as the phenomenon of post-traumatic syndrome inherent in societies of the transit period. National enmity is considered on the basis of a number of examples through the prism of the psychoanalytic concept of “chosen” trauma. Considerable attention is paid to the psychological aspects of the treatment of ethnotrauma. In this regard, the positive aspect of the attitude to the past wars is considered as a common, but already experienced, mourned and buried trauma, which, from the point of view of psychoanalysis, contributes to its adaptive experience and transformation in the public consciousness, and, ultimately, reconciliation between former enemies. One of the key factors for this is the concept of the universal human need to have both enemies and allies developed by the outstanding psychoanalyst V. Volkan.

Improving the accuracy of landmine detection using data augmentation: a comprehensive study

In areas such as landmine detection, where obtaining large volumes of labeled data is challenging, data augmentation stands out as a key method. This paper investigates the role and impact of different data augmentation methods, and evaluates their effectiveness in improving the performance of deep learning models adapted to landmine detection. Landmine detection is governed by international security requirements on the one hand, and urgent humanitarian needs on the other. This field, characterized by its urgency and the requirement for meticulous accuracy, is key against the explosive ordnance. The hidden dangers of these munitions go beyond direct physical damage, leaving their mark on the socio-economic structures of the affected regions. They hinder agricultural activities, impede the restoration of infrastructure and create obstacles to the return and resettlement of displaced populations. The mission to detect and neutralize these hidden hazards combines advanced technology with an unwavering commitment to humanitarian principles to leave future generations with a land cleared of the heavy legacy of past wars. The effectiveness of machine learning models in detecting landmines is inextricably linked to the diversity, volume and reliability of the data they are trained on. The effort to collect a diverse and representative dataset is fraught with challenges, given limitations related to accessibility, ethical considerations and security issues. The lack of comprehensive data poses significant obstacles to the development and refinement of machine learning algorithms, potentially limiting their ability to operate effectively in diverse and unpredictable areas. In response to these limitations, data augmentation has become an important method. It is a way to circumvent data limitations by supplementing existing datasets with synthesized variations. Augmentation strategies include spatial alignment, pixel intensity manipulation, geometric transformations, and compositing, each of which is designed to give the dataset a semblance of real-world variability. This study explores the various applications of data augmentation in the field of landmine detection. It emphasizes the importance of augmentation as a means of overcoming data limitations.

Ethnography, cacophony, and Lebanon as a zone of prestige in the anthropology of the Middle East

Ethnography, cacophony, and Lebanon as a zone of prestige in the anthropology of the Middle East

Hunger

Blom’s thesis for the book involved the impact food supply had on the outcome of WWI. Information presented focused on food security of civilians and armed forces across nations. Detailed coverage of food production, distribution, storage and consumption is a strength of the book. Blom gathered specifics from primary sources including journals, armed forces reports and orders, and interviews with surviving soldiers. Of particular interest are the experiential learnings of the author when he participated in preparing meals in a rebuilt field kitchen, spent time in a restored trench, and sampled a restaurant meal similar to those available during the war. These experiences lent a personal touch to some of the listing of details found throughout the book. Readers will find of interest the many examples of the intersections between food supply chain disruptions and armed conflict situations that can be applied to current and past wars.

1960: When Art and Literature Confronted the Memory of World War II and Remade the Modern by Al Filreis

Reviewed by: 1960: When Art and Literature Confronted the Memory of World War II and Remade the Modern by Al Filreis Abigail Moreshead Al Filreis. 1960: When Art and Literature Confronted the Memory of World War II and Remade the Modern. Columbia UP, 2021, ix + 332 pp. The year 1960 is a crucial moment for the art and literary world, and Al Filreis thoroughly explicates why this is the case. Filreis crafts an argument for the importance of 1960 as a year in which many factors—conversations among artist and intellectuals, publications, and artwork—coalesce to produce a moment (or series of moments) that revisits prewar modernism in light of traumas following the Second World War. Filreis characterizes this work as "the special convergence of modernism and radicalism as a belated response to World War II" (3). To create this narrative about 1960, Filreis weaves together writing, artwork, and dialogue between authors and artists to show a world reckoning with the impact of genocide. This weaving makes the centrality of Jewish authors Paul Celan, Jerome Rothenberg, and Hannah Arendt all the more prescient as they ask questions through poetry, essays, and other forms about what language and writing mean in the context of the devastation wrought by fascist authoritarianism. [End Page 176] Filreis frames 1960 by opening with a first chapter that begins near the end of the year—on an October day when James Baldwin and Celan both, on separate continents, address the role of writing in their present age. The year 1960 is crucial because of both its distance from and proximity to the war's end. Among other factors, Filreis explains that during this period genocide comes under consideration by artists, writers, and literary critics as no longer just the "purview of diplomatic and regime historians" (45). This conceptualization of genocide for cultural study raises questions about the role of the survivor and witness. Other contemporary factors that bring the past war into the present, for intellectuals in 1960, include the trial of Adolf Eichmann. In the book's first section, "Emerging from the Night of the Word," Filreis combines historical context with close readings of both the texts and biographies of several mid-century American and European authors. Filreis focuses heavily on the lives, works, and perspectives of Celan, Rothenberg, and Baldwin, although many others (such as Amiri Baraka, Frantz Fanon, and Ingeborg Bachmann) also appear. The first three chapters in section 1 deal with how these authors grapple with the war's trauma, directly inflicted on Holocaust survivors such as Celan. Examples of the key works examined include Celan's 1960 poem "Wolfesbohne," a poem which in, Filreis's words, "was virtually [Celan's] only direct expression" (33) of his Holocaust experience. The second section, "The End of the End of Ideology," focuses on more specific groups and movements, such as the legacy of absurdism and the Zero art movement. Chapter 4 is a good exemplar of Filreis's analysis in section 2, as Filreis examines how the idea of the absurd—especially as it relates to the work of Kafka—is recycled among mid-century writers, as W. H. Auden and Arendt debate the meaning of forgiveness amid the trial of Eichmann. Readers will do well to heed Filreis's comment in the preface that "few of the chapters present discrete material; the analysis is typically additive, conjoined, and complementary" (x). This being the case, to appreciate the book to its fullest, opening to any particular chapter in 1960 requires looking back at the narrative threads established in earlier chapters, such as the stage set in chapter 1's focus on 22 October 1960. While not a chronologically linear narrative, it is an intricately woven one in which characters appear, disappear, and reappear. And yet, the book's structure is, I believe, one of its greatest assets. The form of Filreis's narrative impresses on the reader the timeliness of 1960 by continually looking back to set the stage for the [End Page 177] various dialogues and events that occur. How Filreis studies the various literary and historical threads coming together here is as important as the fact that he does: approaching a single...

НАУКОВИЙ ДИСКУРС СУЧАСНОЇ ВІЙНИ: ВІЙСЬКОВОЗНАВСТВО (ПОЛЕМОЛОГІЯ) У СИСТЕМІ СУЧАСНОЇ ОСВІТИ УКРАЇНИ

The article is devoted to the justification of the introduction of a special system of knowledge about war into the renewed system of higher education of Ukraine, its connection with the modern armed world, the policy of the ruling circles of aggressive states with the aim of intellectual resistance to war based on a deep understanding of its socio-political and humanitarian aspects. Russian aggression against Ukraine has created an existential danger for Ukrainians, the meaning of which is not only an attempt to implement the shameful statement "I will destroy you", but also an encroachment on the world order and the right for security. The authors insist that the initial knowledge at the level of the school program for the protection of the Motherland and the minimum knowledge about war ("tinitet") is not enough to understand the essence, content, anti-human consequences of new modes of wars - unprovoked aggressions and wars of the "new generation". The authors focus on the fact that the idea of creating a polemology course by the French thinker G. Butul was distorted by Russian interpreters, who began to see war as an "effective way of communication between civilizations" and justified it as a "substitute" in a "softer form of "special operations", denied rational, de-ideological knowledge of the meaning and consequences of wars, which would serve the transition to a just peace and a peaceful dialogue of cultures. The totality of such knowledge is due to the filling of scientific gaps in the development of the "Polemology" course, which is based on the empirical facts of past wars and everyday armed struggle. The article emphasizes the creation of a synthetic system of knowledge that combines the work of political conflictology, military science, social psychology and other rational ways of understanding war, including the generating ideas of works of art and military diaries of combatants, so that this knowledge has epistemological value and moral-political focus on intellectual resistance to the occupiers.

ПІДТРИМАННЯ БОЄЗДАТНОСТІ З’ЄДНАНЬ (ВІЙСЬКОВИХ ЧАСТИН) НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ГВАРДІЇ УКРАЇНИ ПІД ЧАС УЧАСТІ В ОБ’ЄДНАНИХ ОПЕРАЦІЯХ, БОЙОВИХ ДІЯХ

According to the results of scientific research and analysis of guiding documents, according to the authors of the article, the concept of maintaining the combat capability of formations (military units) of the NSU should be understood as the activities of commanders, headquarters, management bodies, moral and psychological support structures regarding their ability to put on alert, conduct hostilities, perform combat missions by maintaining the quality of management to ensure the readiness of units (military units) to perform tasks for purpose, provision of their weapons and military equipment, material means, maintenance of personnel, available forces and means of the MPZ of the moral and psychological state, its mental stability and psychological readiness for an equal level that ensures the fulfillment of the tasks. The improvement of the means of armed struggle and the complication of hostilities led to an increase in combat losses. All this exacerbated the problem of maintaining the combat capability of the troops because the combat capability of formations (military units) should first of all be maintained when put on alert, training and conducting combat operations, and secondly, if necessary, quickly recover to a level that ensures the successful completion of tasks. The experience gained in past wars to maintain the combat capability of troops basically retains value in modern conditions. But at the same time, many new circumstances have arisen that greatly complicate the solution of this problem. This is primarily due to the emergence and widespread development of the means of mass destruction, as well as systems of high-precision weapons, which can be used suddenly on a massive scale both during training and during combat, to simultaneously hit all elements of the combat order ‒ not only the first, but also the second echelons, reserves, rear units and units, regardless of their distance from the front line. Today, the likelihood of instant destruction of certain elements of the combat order of a unit and a unit, violation of the control and communication system, combat, technical, logistics support, as shown by the experience of war in the Persian Gulf, other conflicts, wars in the Middle East, Yugoslavia and especially combat operations in Ukraine, is becoming a reality. Of course, these circumstances make it extremely difficult to implement support measures, and if necessary, restore the combat capability of units, in many respects change their nature and methods of conduct. In the practice of combat activities, they are divided into tactical and special. They are reflected in the decision of the commander to battle, in setting up combat missions for units, organizing interaction and comprehensive support. When maintaining the moral and psychological state of the personnel, their mental stability and psychological readiness at the level that ensures the fulfillment of the tasks set, it is necessary to take into account the fact that in addition to losses from the influence of the enemy, the loss of combat capability is also affected by physical and nervous exhaustion, hunger, cold, etc. For this purpose, if necessary, the rotation of units (military units) should be carried out. At the same time, as the experience of the Israeli army's participation in hostilities shows, it should be borne in mind that the maximum period before the onset of nervous exhaustion for an experienced and motivated unit is about 30 days, and sleep should be no later than 48 hours. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that most of all it demotivates and frightens such stress factors as: light ‒ tracers, flashes of explosions, fire; smells – the smell of burning and burnt meat; noise – explosions, whistles, roars; shouts – commanders, wounded, dying. Therefore, when maintaining combat capability, during preparation for combat operations, it is important for commanders and their deputies to work with personnel to at least partially prepare servicemen for these stress factors (light, smells, noise, screams) so that they are not distracted from their combat missions and work, despite the unnatural and dangerous environment.

EXCHANGES AND WAR: HISTORICAL PARALLELS AND THE UKRAINIAN CASE

Purpose. The aim of the article is to reveal the trends of the influence of the large-scale military invasion of Russia into Ukraine on the stock exchanges of the countries participating in the war, in particular, and the world stock markets in general, based on the analysis of the dynamics of stock exchange prices on securities rates. Methodology of research. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is the position of modern economic theory, scientific works of scientists. In the research process, general scientific and special methods were used, in particular: dialectical, monographic and systemic analysis – to substantiate the essence of the stock market; analysis and synthesis – for studying the object and subject of research; comparative analysis – to compare economic indicators in time and space; graphic – for a visual display of the dynamics of exchange prices for securities rates; abstract and logical – during the formation of theoretical generalizations, assumptions, conclusions. Findings. Peculiarities of changes in exchange prices for securities rates during two centuries are considered. The trends of the influence of Russia's large-scale military invasion of Ukraine on the stock exchanges of the countries participating in the war in particular and the world stock markets in general have been revealed. The influence of past wars on the dynamics of changes in prices and exchange rates of stock exchange assets has been studied. The feature of digitalization of the world economy is emphasized, in particular, the importance of cryptocurrency exchanges on financial markets. Originality. The importance of cryptocurrency exchanges in the context of military operations is substantiated, in particular the activity of the Binance exchange in evading sanctions by the Russian military. Practical value. The main results of the conducted research will create favourable conditions for a better understanding of the role of cryptocurrency exchanges in the modern conditions of economic activity of business entities and countries. Key words: financial market, stock exchange, security, stock trading, cryptocurrency exchange, cryptocurrency market, Binance, military invasion.

The weaponisation of everything: a field guide to the new way of war

An entire International Relations (IR) generation has been taught that globalization created an innate interdependence between states, and that this interdependence kept war at bay. In many ways, Mark Galeotti reminds us that the pressures and tensions, which have for centuries led to war, did not evaporate. In The weaponisation of everything, Galeotti presents a field guide to an overlooked war zone: the interdependence of states. Given the litany of publications pontificating about grey zones and the blurring of lines between war and peace, the author seeks to shift the debate entirely away from processes and implications of transitions from peace to war. Instead, Galeotti argues that activities beneath the threshold of war are but permanent and perennial aspects of the international system. The book is divided in three sections, beginning with a survey of lessons from past wars and conflicts in which levers of power have been ‘weaponized’ throughout history. In light of the Ukraine–Russia war and the utilization of information warfare, Galeotti argues this is merely the renaissance of information weaponization. The author weaves tales of historical uses of disinformation to prove this point, including George Washington's efforts in 1775 to inject rumours of the ‘poor morale of the continental army, lulling British Hessian forces into a false complacency’ (p. 165). Today, we simply have more opportunities and methods to deploy disinformation. Galeotti's next section draws out alternative weaponization processes and examples from the contemporary strategic environment, such as international business, economic systems and transnational crime. The author wades into the 2016 US presidential election, given Russia's suspected role in President Donald Trump's victory. True to the advent of Galeotti's ‘weaponization of everything’, expert and public opinion on the evolution of the 2016 electoral race point to a substantial information warfare operation led by the Kremlin.

Risk assessment process for the Iraqi petroleum sector

Abstract Risk management is important for project success as risks in petroleum projects must be minimized to achieve the goals of production. Risk management composes of planning, identification, analysis, and response, which is an important phase. Controlling risks gains the projects the capability to overcome the uncertainty and thus effectively produce the targeted quantities. In this study, four types of risks have been examined in the oil field, and the Iraqi oil exploration company has been taken as a case study. These four types of risks are operational, financial and administrative, economic and political, and potential risks. The effect of these types has been examined by using a closed-type questionnaire form. The questionnaire form was based on the Likert quintet scale, and it contains 114 risk factors distributed in four groups representing the examined four types of risks. Over 170 questionnaire forms have been distributed in the oil field to engineers, managers, experts, and technicians, and 153 forms have been adopted for the analysis. SPSS software was used to execute the statistical analysis concerning statistical mean and relative important index. The most important factors have been found and then validated by using an assessment checklist. It was found that the most factors affecting operational risks are as follows: the presence of mines and explosives left over from past wars in areas to be explored and the incorrect storage of flammable materials. Regarding the financial and administrative risks, it was found that the existence of financial and administrative corruption in oil companies and the mismanagement by managers or their assistants have the most effect on this type of risk. For the economic and political risks, it was found that the most important factors are the entry of some companies into the blacklist of major economic countries and decreased global market demand for oil. Finally, regarding the potential risks, it was found that the control of terrorist groups over the oil areas and regions is the most significant risk that the Iraqi oil and gas sector may face. In addition, it was concluded that the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 and other epidemics should be treated as a potential risk because it has a huge effect on global oil prices.

A Critical Picture of Racism, Trophy Taking, and Forensics: Life Magazine May 22, 1944 “Picture of the Week”

Introduction: The 2020 American Urological Association (AUA) Retrospectroscope Award winning presentation investigated the history of war trophies. Included was Life magazine’s May 22, 1944 “Picture of the Week” showing a young American woman gazing at a skull sent by her boyfriend serving in the Pacific theater of WWII. The caption claimed the skull was from a Japanese soldier “picked up on a New Guinea beach.” The displaying of human remains so casually in a magazine brings up the ethical considerations behind how we use human remains in medicine, art, museums, and collections. Identification and interpretation of bony characteristics and injuries from skeletonized human remains can help demystify medical history, reconstruct battles, and bring identity back to the faceless. We investigated what forensic and paleopathology techniques can tell us about battlefield human remains including the Life skull. Sources and Methods: We reviewed the literature for information about the Life skull and characterization of physical traits and traumatic injuries that can be assessed from skeletal remains. Results: Taking ‘trophies’ from human remains has occurred throughout human history. Anatomical trophy taking by US troops in the Pacific during WWII was fueled by rampant jingoism and anti-Asian racism of the time. Battlefield methods to remove soft tissue from bone included boiling, skinning, scrubbing, lye, and ants. Similar techniques are used by modern medical examiners. The tropical Pacific climate and lack of burial would have hastened natural decomposition of a fallen soldier. The bony pelvis and the skull are the two most useful parts of the skeleton for assessment of human remains. The pelvis is the most reliable bone in the human body for determining sex, followed by the skull. The pelvis and skull also aid in the determination of age at death. Estimation of likely ancestry primarily relies on the skull but is a challenging and increasingly controversial practice. Skeletal remains may show evidence of trauma to the pelvis and skull, providing clues as to cause of death. Pelvic injuries are associated with high rates of mortality from hemorrhage and disruption of the genitourinary system, and evidence of genital mutilation may be present. Forensic methods suggest the Life skull is consistent with male sex. Ancestry, age at death and age of the remains are unable to be determined from the photo. Publication of the Life skull led to public disapproval and an Army memorandum condemning the practice of taking enemy remains. Conclusions: The pelvis and the skull provide useful, objective evidence when studying victims of past wars. Accurate determination of age at death, sex, and likely ancestry may be established from skeletal remains. Forensic methods and paleopathology can help restore the humanity lost by the faceless victims of war.

Память о Великой Отечественной войне в мемориальном пространстве Ростова-на-Дону в конце 1940-х – начале 1950-х годов

The article deals with the processes of perpetuating the memory of the Great Patriotic War in the memorial space of Rostov-on-Don in the postwar period. Attention is drawn to the activities of Rostov-on-Don department of cultural and educational work related to the preservation of memory of the war. The basis for the research is unpublished materials of the State Archive of the Rostov region. These are annual reports, annual work plans, interdepartmental correspondence, information certificates, etc. In addition, the materials of the archive of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects of the Rostov Region were used in the work, in particular, security obligations for cultural heritage objects. The article touches only on the initial stage of perpetuating the memory of the Great Patriotic War. Chronologically, this stage covers the post-war years 1945-1953. At this time, the familiar forms and practices of preserving the memory of the events of the past war were born.

Conflict-related environmental damages on health: lessons learned from the past wars and ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On 24 February 2022, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine. The fighting has already caused unimaginable conditions and millions of people were forced to flee their homes. For decades, conflicts have been linked to environmental pollution, exposure to radioactivity and heavy metals as well as infectious diseases. The invasion may cause specific environmental risks, like the release of radioactive substances from nuclear power plants and contaminated soils. Because international collaboration is one of the most effective ways to address environmental problems, it is critical to establish scientific bodies within a global framework to identify concrete actions and tangible measures to provide immediate assistance to citizens. This commentary discusses the above issues from lessons learned from the past wars and the way forward in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Corine land cover change detection in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

The structure of land cover in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the Republic of Serbia has been constantly changing due to a number of different factors. The war profoundly influenced life, particularly the socio-economic structure, which furthermore has a meaningful impact on current land cover. In this research CORINE land cover (CLC) databases are used (from 2000 to 2018) for analysis and comparison of land cover in the aforementioned countries. The analysis is conducted by ArcGIS Pro 2.9.0 software to interpret changes in land cover over the period 2000-2018. The result showed that in the period from 2000 to 2018 agricultural land has a trend of a significant decrease in both countries. In addition, artificial surfaces enlarged their surface, especially to the detriment of all agricultural categories which is directly linked with the process of the post-war reconstruction of the countries. In this paper, land cover changes in Serbia and BiH that occurred during the period 2000-2018 are analyzed and presented in graphical forms. The results show that the period 2000-2006 has undergone the most intense changes. A total of 1,223.14 km2 of agricultural land was transferred to other types of land cover in Serbia in the period 2000-2006 while in BiH it amounted to 1,045.76 km2 . Most of these changes can be attributed to the past war and its implications, but also to the challenges of the current economic situation. The CLC database established in this way serves as a necessary framework for providing information on vulnerable ecosystems and habitats, as well as a basis for regional spatial planning, natural resource inventory and environmental monitoring.