European War Research Articles

Between the Universal and the Local: Representations of Current Events in Lea Goldberg's Writings for Children during the British Mandate

Lea Goldberg played a pivotal role in the children literature arena during the Yishuv period. Beginning in 1936, only a year after her immigration to Mandatory Palestine, Goldberg served as associate-editor for Davar Leyeladim, the leading Hebrew children’s weekly, published by the official newspaper of the Histadrut (the General Federation of Labor). Additionally, over 500 hundred of her works for children, including poems, stories, translations, essays, literary criticism for young readers, and even comic strips were published in the magazine. It was a tumultuous era. The Arab Revolt (1936–1939), the outbreak of WWII and the publication of the MacDonald White Paper of 1939 all exerted a direct impact on the Jewish communities in Palestine and abroad. These political and national crises of the day also greatly affected the educational and literary fields. Though most pieces in Davar Leyeladim touched on current events, Goldberg declared her unflagging commitment to aesthetic and humanistic universal values even in those anguished times. The poets’ role, she claimed, is to remind their readers what is important and beautiful in the world. Her writings for children epitomized this approach at first, but gradually changed as the war in Europe intensified. The article explores Goldberg’s unique treatment of current events in her writings for children, and her efforts to reconcile Labor Zionist ideals and aspirations with her own aesthetic convictions. The conflicts and contradictions between local and universal ideals engendered some of her most fascinating works for children that have not as yet assumed center stage in scholarly research.

Forced Migration and Refugee Resettlement in the Long 1940s: An Introduction to Its Connected and Global History

AbstractWhen considering the wave of forced migrations during the Second World War in Europe and Asia, and the international and institutional responses thereof, we can speak about the 1940s as witnessing the birth of a global refugee resettlement regime. Organisations including the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), the International Refugee Organization (IRO), and eventually the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) placed refugee resettlement at the heart of constructing the postwar world order. This volume adopts a global optic to investigate the formation of this international resettlement regime in Europe and Asia, while also studying refugee camps and movements, agency of refugees and migrants, decision factors for resettlement, and the intellectual production of people on the move. A historicisation of the global resettlement regime of the long 1940s may well carry important political and ethical lessons for us today, if only to remind us of the connected fates of our common humanity, and the responsibilities we therefore bear towards our fellow human beings.

The Russia-Ukraine War: Addressing Possibilities and Challenges for Peacekeeping Mission

Among several roles and responsibilities of the multidimensional United Nations Peacekeeping missions of the twenty-first century, its utmost role since its inception is to serve as an effective tool for the prevention of wider internationalization of regional conflicts and conflict escalation. Moreover, the formation of a UN peace mission in response to the outbreak of conflict is the legitimate response of the United Nations Security Council to threats to global peace and security. Therefore, under the current political scenario of the ongoing Ukraine War in Europe, a peace mission to the region seems to be the most reasonable alternative and solution. More specifically, authorization of a Ukraine peace mission would result in an immediate end of hostilities, limiting the loss of life and property while opening pathways for reconciliation and peace-making, and therefore should be given serious thought and opportunity. However, the formation of such a mission faces significant challenges, particularly undermining the principles of UN peacekeeping. This essay explores the possibility and challenges of a UN peacekeeping mission to Ukraine. It briefly explores the lessons learned from peacekeeping during the US-Soviet rivalry of the cold war years, situating the current US-Russia rivalry amidst ‘détente peacekeeping’. In furtherance, it follows the bottlenecks, solutions, and importance of a Ukraine Peace mission.

Transforming Brazilian agriculture: the experience of the Brazilian-American Commission for the Production of Foodstuffs, 1942-1945

Reponses by the Brazilian and U.S. governments to the pressures of World War II fundamentally altered the course of Brazil’s agricultural development. As fears of a European war arose in the late 1930s, Brazil’s political leadership became convinced that collaboration with the United States was essential to boosting the output of Brazilian agricultural and extractive products. The mutual search for ways to increase the output of agricultural and extractive products created an important incentive for wartime cooperation. Importing technical expertise and equipment from the United States became the primary option for Brazilian economic planners while securing Brazil’s support emerged as a political priority for the Roosevelt administration. While the commission was conceived as an instrument for aiding rubber production in the Amazon, Getúlio Vargas’s government transformed it into a massive binational subsidy for the chronically suffering Brazilian Northeast. The joint food production commission also exposed multitudes of farmers to the benefits of increased federal governmental support. Efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture and the commission to introduce even rudimentary agricultural implements led to accelerating the replacement of the digging stick with the hoe and marked the beginnings of more capital-intensive cultivation methods. The linkages between Brazil’s agriculture and the United States also grew, as more Brazilians became aware of the potential benefits to Brazil of the agricultural revolution underway in the United States and U.S. capital related to agriculture would diversify its search for profits offered by Brazil.

Australian Representatives to the UNWCC, 1943–1948

Abstract Australia had a number of significant personnel involved in the United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC). Yet the strongest Australian influence on the UNWCC was not Australian at all; it was the British-born jurist Lord Wright of Durley, who served as Australia’s representative from mid-1944 and as UNWCC chair during the pivotal years from 1945 to 1948. Lord Wright took charge only months before the wars in Europe and the Pacific ended and thus played a significant role in directing the UNWCC’s efforts during this crucial period. Unfortunately, the UNWCC became less and less able over time to influence its national members and their approaches to prosecuting war crimes. The eventual sidelining of the UNWCC does not, however, change its important place in the history of multilateral institutions that sought to deal with war crimes committed in the twentieth century by means of international criminal law. Nor does it detract from the honest and industrious work of the various national representatives, including Lord Wright, to ensure that war criminals did not escape justice.

Less-than-human academia

The editorial discusses the impacts of the global pandemic to human agency, through the authors self-reflection of academic work during the past two years accompanied two philosophical perspectives. First, we return to Chris Philo’s (2017) conception of ‘less-than-human geographies’, and secondly, to Helmuth Plessner’s (2019) conception of the sociality of human embodiment. What these perspectives have helped us to see is that people, including academic communities, need embodied encounters to fully experience ourselves and others as humans – humans whose exceptionality is not about superiority over non-human nature but eccentricity that offers us possibilities to avoid inhumanity. In conclusion we note the value of embodied encounters as a constitutive aspec of humane social life, particularly in the current times of war in Europe.

Russia Resurgent? Untangling the Role and Meaning of Moscow’s Proxies in West Africa and the Sahel

Growing international concern over Russia’s military and political resurgence in Africa and the possibility of creating a renewed Cold War has been rekindled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of war in Europe in February 2022. Russia’s growing influence in Africa through the re-establishment of old ties and the creation of new ones has been perceived as a quest to re-establish the geopolitical gains that the Soviet Union achieved before its collapse in 1989. Increasing demand for Russian weaponry and equipment, support for unpopular, illegitimate, or unconstitutionally elected leaders, and the targeting and interest in mining concessions and natural resources are considered by the West to be a threat to democratic gains and stability in an already fragile continent. Several questions arise as a result of the deepfake propaganda around occurrences on the continent. How has Russia’s resurgence or reemergence manifested on the African continent? What instruments does Russia utilise to exert its influence in Africa? What are the potential opportunities and threats of Russian presence in West Africa and the Sahel? And how will other global actors be affected? This debate article seeks to examine a particular aspect of Russia’s resurgence on the African continent, namely, the presence of Russian proxies in West Africa and the Sahel. It examines the multiple dynamics created by their presence, the potential threats that their proliferation and activities generate in an already fragile sub-region, and how such activities, if unconstrained, can impose other potential dangers on the continent and the globe.

COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL SECURITY: CONTEMPORARY DISCOURSE

National security has evolved both into a discipline of study and a sphere of policy application. It is a commonly used phrase in strategic literature and international statecraft. The modern concepts of national security arose in the 17th century during the Thirty Years War in Europe and the Civil War in England, and it was considered in terms of state sovereignty. In the aftermath of World War II, the concept of national security evolved into superpower contestation, also called the Cold War. During this period, national security had been seen through the prism of military security of the state against external threats – traditional security. In the US, the national security concept transited into a normative paradigm when President Truman signed the National Security Act on July 26, 1947, which also led to the establishment of the US National Security Council. Some 21 variants of the National Security Council exist in 51 countries today. The concept of national security is also seen from the prism of the concept of national power and elements of national power that include diplomacy, information operations, military, economic, financial, intelligence operations and law enforcement – commonly referred to as DIMEFIL. States either have national security policies or strategies and some – including Pakistan, publish an unclassified version for public distribution. Contemporary national security discourse adjusts to and even shapes the geopolitical environment. It has gradually evolved into a concept called comprehensive national security. It is an inclusive framework that encompasses all internal and external affairs of the state and society. Comprehensive national security helps safeguard both national security interests and human security requirements. Bibliography Entry Khan, Ehsan Mehmood. 2022. "Comprehensive National Security: Contemporary Discourse." Margalla Papers 26 (1): 1-17.

«Политическая теология» императора Александра I: идеи, репрезентации, практика

In 1815, the Russian Emperor Alexander I formulated the principles of a new world order, which was supposed to ensure long-term and stable peace after two decades of continuous wars in Europe. This project, called the Holy Alliance, was based not so much on foreign policy as on religious grounds. This article examines in detail the set of ideas put forward by Alexander I from the point of view of political theology. The religious motives that moved the Russian emperor are shown, determined by the peculiarities of his spiritual life. The rhetoric of the Holy Union, its basic concepts related to the Christian doctrine are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the representations of the Holy Union in the public sphere, namely, the solemn God services designed to prove the unity and "brotherhood in Christ" of the monarchs of Europe and their peoples. At the same time, the study demonstrated how significant the image of the enemy, embodied as “revolution”, played in the justification of the Holy Alliance within the framework of political theology. The concept of revolution was extremely generalized by Alexander I and interpreted as a manifestation of universal evil. This lead to the doctrine of interventions under the auspices of the Holy Alliance in the country affected by the revolution, which in turn provoked new bloodshed. An analysis of the accumulated contradictions made it possible to draw a conclusion about the reasons for the fading of Alexander’s interest in the constructions of political theology in the last years of his reign.

Living With the Flu: Public Health and Civic Life During the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918.

Most studies of how United States cities responded to the first deadly wave of Spanish influenza focus on the ways public health officials and their allies reacted to the crisis. This study expands our understanding of the pandemic by focusing on how members of the public responded to those efforts to contain the flu. It does so through a close look at social and civil life in a small city in the southern Midwest during the thirty-two days the flu was epidemic there. Shifting the focus in this way brings previously obscured gaps in the public health response into the light. Specifically, this study finds that while compliance in most areas was high there were two places where it was low: activities in support of American involvement in the European War, and participation in social or civic activities. From the first day of the epidemic to the last the society pages of the local newspapers reported a stream of activities that clearly violated emergency measures. Despite the ban on public gatherings, social clubs, fraternal societies, and civic groups all regularly met. The local college football team practiced, and people continued to turn out for weddings, funerals, birthday parties, dinner parties, and extended visits from out-of-town friends and family. With one possible exception, none of the social or civic activities were carried out as protests against health regulations. Instead local newspapers reported these activities as items of social interest.

O-315 A war in Europe?: Ukrainian scientists' struggle for life and future, relocation and securing of frozen biomaterials

Abstract We should describe war as an attack maneuver by two countries or organizations against each other in line with their mutual interests when giving it significance. What is going on in Ukraine is more than a war; it is people's effort to defend their future, past from this genocide attacks which done by Russian Federation. Russian Federation’s attacks not only damage all healthcare and scientific institutions but also make any future advancement in healthcare impossible. Millions of Ukrainians and foreigners residing, working, and living in the country were uprooted and forced to flee. While the strikes rendered general healthcare and fertility services inoperable, they also made protecting and maintaining all stored gametes and embryos challenging. Many infertility patients and thousands of IVF couples who have undergone oncofertility cryopreservation have been put at risk due to these attacks. While what happened in Ukraine affects thousands of infertility patients worldwide, the horrific situations faced by hundreds of IVF specialists, embryologists, nurses, and other allied healthcare workers, along with the losses they have suffered and the uncertainty of their future, reveal that the situation is far more than a war and that it is a genocide situation that no one who values life should accept. Embryologists were trying to freeze embryos and gametes at different developmental stages of dozens of patients in their incubators on February 24, when the Russian Federation’s attacks started, ignoring the vital risks, again, on the day of the war beginning, and IVF specialists who performed egg collection and embryo transfer procedures for all patients who were in that day before, as well as all the other healthcare workers who took part in this process — they all showed how professionally and willingly the IVF service in Ukraine is provided. When the attacks became more intense in the days ahead, hundreds of Ukrainian embryologists risked their lives and the lives of their families to transport frozen samples to secure regions within the country and even beyond, sending a powerful message to the entire world. Expert embryologists moved all frozen components to secure locations, adhering to all safety regulations and regularly monitoring temperature and liquid nitrogen levels. It is impossible to say that this transportation method is not at risk from attacks. The transfer process was carried out fully to protect patients, with individual decisions made without acquiring patient consent forms or essential approvals due to the urgency of the decisions made from the moment the attacks had begun. The samples obtained abroad, on the other hand, were transported to European countries after all of the necessary legal registrations and procedures were completed at customs, following long and exhausting land journeys. Storage tanks that can be transferred within Ukraine were moved to western cities and secured in clinics with medical licenses. Samples were also secured in clinics with medical licenses outside of Ukraine, and all essential legal documents and regulations were completed. While over 70,000 frozen embryos have been carried abroad, over 10,000 frozen eggs have been transported for egg banking. Thousands of testicular tissue samples and hundreds of ovarian tissue samples were also transported. In Ukraine, thousands of frozen embryo and sperm samples are now successfully preserved. So far, no embryo harm or difficulties with liquid nitrogen delivery have been recorded. However, if Russian Federation’s attacks continue, the difficulties will inevitably worsen, putting hundreds of frozen patient samples in danger. Hundreds of embryologists, IVF specialists, nurses, and paramedics were also laid off, and many were forced to flee the country. The Russian Federation’s attacks on the Ukrainian people have put human lives and the future prospects of countless infertility patients in jeopardy.

O-316 From insult to injury: war and cross border reproductive care (CBRC). Difficulties for patients and collaborators

Abstract From Insult to Injury: War and Cross Border Reproductive Care (CBRC) after Covid Ukraine has had a thriving fertility sector for many years, both for its citizens and foreigners, for whom it has been a very popular destination for cross-border commercial surrogacy, with an estimate of between 2000 and 2500 babies born each year. Such cross border reproductive activities had already been complicated by the Covid pandemics of the last 2 years, but when Russia invaded the country in February 2022, intended parents, surrogates, egg donors, agencies and local clinics faced an emergency which led to acute distress in addition to that already felt by all with a sudden war in Europe. We discuss the available facts with regards to the disruption to fertility services for all concerned, as well as the complex legal and ethical issues surrounding this emergency. Neighboring countries have been accepting (mostly women) refugees, who may need health care in a system stressed by extra numbers of patients. Intended parents have been trying to ensure their plans are confirmed whilst their surrogate has probably moved to a different jurisdiction. Above all, the voice of collaborators may have been overwhelmed by that of the (future) families they are contracted to help. All this, will leave its mark on CBRC in an area which has been a traditional European and recently Chinese hub for years to come.

The Principles of Sustainability in Economics and the War in Europe

Can we talk about “community hegemony” when we talk about choosing or removing a government leadership as in the case of Russian dictatorship and of tragic and terrible war in Ukraine? The Russian people, literally bombarded with fake news and manipulations of reality about war (directly coming from the old Soviet “dezinformatzija" дезинформация), may seem completely bewitched by censorship. Nevertheless, we must believe that the responsibilities always entrusted to the community in terms of life and choice freedom can never be completely extinguished. As saying that the longing for the freedoms guaranteed by democracy has been part of the DNA of Earth peoples starting from birth. For this reason, the possibility of removing the dictatorship in Russia lies with the community, although the conditions are not yet favorable for a democratic power alternation in Russia. Therefore, this is the real final goal that the Western countries must set, by continuing to support the defense of brave Ukrainian people by providing money and weapons. All the more true if we believe that the final goal of humankind is to ban the war and above all to dismiss even just the simple eventuality of an atomic war; which would only bring the destruction of life on Earth, This is in contrast to the goal that all living beings have in concert with nature, that is, the preservation of life on Earth. In my opinion, it’s therefore necessary that the great democracies take the common decision to remove the atomic arsenals from the control of leaders of those countries in possession of nuclear weapons and then entrust the whole nuclear arsenal to a global supranational authority, that would keep the atomic weapons in a “new Fort Knox” and later would dispose for their progressive reuse, but for peace purposes.

The French communists on the results of the Munich conference of 1938

The article is devoted to the reaction of the leading figures of the French Communist Party (PCF) to the results of the Munich Conference of 1938. The Communists became one of the few forces that unequivocally condemned the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany. Their opponents very often blamed them for trying to ignite a large-scale European conflict, which was, however, far from the truth. The leaders of the PCF had their own clear vision of how the French government should have acted during the events of September 1938. Only by the combined forces of democratic countries, by their resolute resistance to the aggressor, a new European war could be prevented. The author examines what impact, according to the communists, the results of the conference had on the domestic and foreign policy of France. Particular attention the author pays to the actions the leaders of the Communist Party considered necessary to resolve the Czechoslovak crisis.

A Hobbesian Argument for World Government

The legitimacy of government is often linked to its ability to maintain order and secure peace. Thomas Hobbes’ political philosophy provides a clear description of why government is necessary, as human nature and the structures emerging out of human social interaction are such that order and peace will not naturally emerge to a sufficient degree. Hobbes’ general argument is often accepted at the national level, but in this article, I explore why a Hobbesian argument for the international level—an argument for world government—is deducible from his philosophy. Hobbes builds his philosophy on his conception of human nature and argues that individuals’ interests and preferences should be the determinant for evaluating the value of a political entity. By emphasising these aspects of Hobbes’ theory, I argue that several contemporary phenomena suggest that a world government could be preferable to the states system. The cases used are the outbreak of war in Europe in 2022 and the continuing and accelerating environmental crisis. Through this examination, the continued relevance of Hobbes’ political philosophy is demonstrated, and according to Hobbes’ own logic, those who accept the argument should also seek to implement such a solution.

Editorial comments: The response to the war in Europe: A more power based EU and the challenge of ensuring that it remains rule and value based

Editorial comments: The response to the war in Europe: A more power based EU and the challenge of ensuring that it remains rule and value based

The War in Europe: An Elsevier Academic Publishing Company Cordially Supports Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and Scientists in Ukraine

ScienceDirect® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V.―an academic publishing company headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands with offices worldwide. ScienceDirect contains more than 18 million articles and chapters and >2,650 peer-reviewed journals. Multiple peer-reviewed journals from the subject categories “Oral Surgery,” “Surgery,” and “Otorhinolaryngology” are always in the field of view of the Ukrainian oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Many of those journals are published by Elsevier B.V., and for the wartime period this international publishing company gave to surgeons in Ukraine a full access to all its journals. Such opportunity is limitless useful due to the possibility to absorb international data and surgical techniques without subscriptions or payments. Russian terroristic invasion to Ukraine increased a need for Ukrainian oral and maxillofacial surgeons, trauma and plastic surgeons to manage significant number of severe ballistic and explosive trauma cases. Implementation of modern surgical principles into wartime practice is crucial for life-saving surgeries. Thus, the scientific support of Elsevier company will definitely contribute to lives` preservation and health of the Europeans.

About Issue 2 of 2022

This issue was undoubtedly the most challenging in my life due to events that I would never have believed could happen in my lifetime or afterward. The heredity of WW2 seemed to me so remarkable and obvious, contemporary human rights values looked so strong and indisputable, that any such open and destructive violations of these rights could hardly be imagined by even the most sceptical people in Europe. Despite many reasonable grounds for this scepticism appearing since 2014, I preferred to believe that these were only politicians’ games and that nobody could ever cross this Rubicon. Yet, during these last months, the whole world has been faced with unprecedented acts against the independent and democratic state in Europe, the ancient nation, and the whole idea of the rule of law. The war in Ukraine has become an event of worldwide relevance: the effects of this war will be borne by future generations of Europeans who are suffering now because of it. Millions of Ukrainians moved to the EU member states and abroad, leaving their homes and property. Many individuals have become victims of war crimes. All this should be the basis for rethinking access to justice as a concept, as well as our system of preventing such a conflict in the future. Even though this war is not the first war in Europe, we must learn lessons from the current events and take the next steps to uphold the rule of law and human rights protection, as was done after WW2. The necessity of an effective conflict resolution system is clear if we are to prevent overcrowded courts and resolve the uncertainties in European society at large.

Proposed Marketing Strategy to Fight Market Uncertainty for Indonesia Paper Company

The paper industry has faced pressures from the digitalization process and climate change over the past five years. Currently, the war in Europe is adding to the pressure. Companies from the paper industry, such as Indonesia Paper Company, must review their business strategies in facing this global market uncertainty. Using the Scenario Planning approach, this study finds two possible scenarios that companies can prepare for: the economy deteriorates into a world economic crisis, or the economy improves. Both scenarios show significant changes in market segmentation that can impact business and marketing strategies. The company has a Competitive Advantage in the source of raw materials. Therefore, the company can apply the Cost Strategy in facing a crisis. The advantage can also help companies carry out a Focused Differentiation Strategy when the economy improves. When uncertainty is still high, like today, companies can make internal improvements to adapt to rapid technological changes and optimize performance.

Does oil connect differently with prominent assets during war? Analysis of intra-day data during the Russia-Ukraine saga

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is obviously the most prominent war in Europe since the second world war, changing the dynamics of the oil and other prominent markets. As the oil market has been historically known to associate with other financial and commodity markets, it is important to see if oil connects differently with prominent financial assets during market turbulence caused by a war. Thus, we make the first attempt to examine how oil connects with prominent financial assets, namely bonds, bitcoin, U.S. dollar, gold, and stocks, using intra-day data, before and during the war. We find that connectedness is stronger during the war than before it. Oil becomes a net transmitter of spillovers during the war, unlike in the pre-war era when it is characterized as a net receiver of spillovers. Also, whereas the net directional pairwise results suggest heterogeneity regarding how oil connects individually with each of the remaining assets before the war, oil has a strong spillover effect on all of them during the war. However, the spillover effect is transitory, as it dies out over time. The findings are robust to intra-day data of different frequency, and have suitable implications for short-term investors, and further agendas for future research in relation to the impacts of the war are provided.