History Of World War Research Articles

Justice Denied and Forgotten: The Hidden History of Alaska's World War II Internment Camps

Justice Denied and Forgotten: The Hidden History of Alaska's World War II Internment Camps

Improving Learning Outcomes on History of World War II Material Through the Application of the Problem-Based Learning Model for Class XII-2 Students at SMA Negeri 5 Medan

This research aims to measure how effective the problem-based learning model is in increasing the understanding of class XII-2 students at SMA Negeri 5 Medan regarding World War II. Using the Classroom Action Research (PTK) method in two cycles, this research involved learning results tests and observations to collect data. The results of research using a problem-based learning model in class XII-2 students at SMA Negeri 5 Medan showed a significant increase in learning outcomes for World War II material. This is evidenced by the increase in the average student test score from 78 in the first cycle to 82 in the second cycle. Apart from that, observations also show an increase in student learning activities, such as group discussions and information seeking.

Rotem Kowner / Iris Rachamimov (Eds.), Out of Line, Out of Place. A Global and Local History of World War I Internments. Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press Services 2022

Rotem Kowner / Iris Rachamimov (Eds.), Out of Line, Out of Place. A Global and Local History of World War I Internments. Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press Services 2022

Improving Learning Outcomes on History of World War II Material Through the Application of the Problem-Based Learning Model for Class XII-2 Students at SMA Negeri 5 Medan

This research aims to measure how effective the problem-based learning model is in increasing the understanding of class XII-2 students at SMA Negeri 5 Medan regarding World War II. Using the Classroom Action Research (PTK) method in two cycles, this research involved learning results tests and observations to collect data. The results of research using a problem-based learning model in class XII-2 students at SMA Negeri 5 Medan showed a significant increase in learning outcomes for World War II material. This is evidenced by the increase in the average student test score from 78 in the first cycle to 82 in the second cycle. Apart from that, observations also show an increase in student learning activities, such as group discussions and information seeking.

Oral histories of Italians in the North-East of England: the sinking of the Arandora Star

AbstractWithin British-Italian history of the Second World War, there are several questions surrounding the sinking of the SS Arandora Star, on 2 July 1940, which still remain problematic. Nevertheless, this tragedy continues to play a prominent role in the heritage and memories of the Anglo-Italian communities in the UK. This article focuses on the experiences and memories of the Arandora Star from the perspective of members of the Italian community in the North-East of England. Oral histories of Italian civilian internees who were embarked onto the ocean liner were collected via qualitative interviews with descendants of victims and survivors. This article contributes to raising awareness of Arandora scholarship by articulating how memories were interpreted retrospectively and transmitted down generations. Informing the debate on the purpose of misremembering in oral history, this article sheds light on the events and their imaginary reconstruction.

Medical Voluntarism and Orthopaedic Advancements: Lancashire and the Disabled Ex-Servicemen of the First World War.

This article explores the fundamental role of Lancashire's medical voluntarism in providing restorative orthopaedic treatments to the region's First World War, disabled ex-servicemen and assisting in their return to society. It offers a case study of orthopaedic treatments and schemes of rehabilitation provided at Grangethorpe Hospital, Rusholme, between 1914 and 1918. Forming a regional comparison to existing histories of First World War disabled ex-servicemen, which focus primarily on the interwar period, this article traces continuities in pioneering medicine and examples of Lancashire-based medical individuals and institutions. In doing so, this article demonstrates how the region's response to disablement during the Industrial Revolution underpinned the construction of charities and the advancement of orthopaedic treatments required to provide rehabilitative care during the First World War. Moreover, this paper situates Lancashire and its commitment to medical voluntarism and the reconstruction of disabled ex-servicemen as a key site in the UK's history of voluntarism.

Colonial Business in Postcolonial Germany: The Imperial Afterlives of C. Woermann, 1919–1945

Situating itself at the intersection of colonial history, global history and business history, this article highlights the overlooked history of German colonial companies post-First World War. It argues for an ‘imperial afterlife’ through continued German corporate interests in African markets, emphasising the economic dimension of imperialism. Using C. Woermann as an example, it shows how the company adapted to the post-First World War global order, underwent organisational changes, and merged with National Socialist policies in Eastern Europe after 1939, revealing the adaptability of imperial enterprises.

Naval Strategy in the Normandy Invasion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prvá svetová vojna a Ukrajina : transnacionálna perspektíva

The article deals with the prospects of research of history of Ukraine throughout the years of the First World War from the perspective of transnational aspect. This educational approach has been a dominant one in Western historical study nowadays. However, in Ukrainian historiography, it has not received such popularity and influence yet. The author tries to demonstrate research prospects of usage of several scientific achievements of Western historians, depicting the connection with Ukraine in the First World War. In particular, this is the Ukrainian issue in international relations in 1914–1918, the history of Ukrainian cities during the First World War, the refugees from Ukrainian lands, violence during the War period 1914–1918, propaganda. On the one hand, these particular stories and plots from the War time show us the need of additional educational investigations done by Ukrainian historians. On the other hand, they convincingly demonstrate the value of Ukrainian narrative of the Great War, that significantly complements transnational history of this global confrontation since the beginning of the last century. Moreover, it outlines the potential perspective of a large-scale scientific project, namely – the rethinking of Eastern European history of the First World War, where the scientists from European countries would be involved.

“Genocide of the Soviet People”: Putin’s Russia Waging Lawfare by Means of History, 2018–2023

This article exposes the political underpinnings of the term “genocide of the Soviet people,” introduced and actively promoted in Russia since 2019. By reclassifying mass crimes committed by the Nazis and their accomplices against the civilian population—specifically Slavic—as genocide, Russian courts effectively engage in adjudication of the history of the Second World War. In the process, genocide trials, ongoing in twenty-five Russian provinces and five occupied Ukrainian territories, present no new evidence or issue new indictments, thus fulfilling none of the objectives of a standard criminal investigation. The wording of the verdicts, and a comprehensive political project put in place to promote it, suggests three main objectives behind the novel genocide of the Soviet people trope, absolving the Soviet Union of responsibility for the outbreak of the Second World War, counterbalancing the efforts of the Ukrainian government to seek international recognition of Holodomor as an act of genocide, and drawing a parallel between Nazi crimes and those ascribed to “Ukrainian neo-Nazis.” Russian genocide trials are a crass example of sham justice and a manifestation of lawfare.

Soviet Diplomacy: Waging and Winning Its Own War – Introduction to the Forum

This editorial introduces a series of papers based on presentations made at the "Soviet Diplomacy during World War II" conference held at MGIMO on June 30, 2023. It draws attention to notable aspects of Soviet diplomacy during the wartime period. Firstly, it highlights the persistent effort and skill in negotiating despite significant divergences in interests and approaches. Secondly, it discusses the adeptness in striking a careful balance between steadfastly maintaining one's stance and employing flexibility and pragmatism to achieve the ultimate objective of victory over the enemy. Thirdly, the article examines the history of international negotiations during World War II as an illustration of the clash and collaboration among prominent political figures, notably emphasizing how I.V. Stalin often outplayed his counterparts in this personalized “diplomacy of leaders.”The history of World War II compellingly illustrates the necessity of diplomacy, not only during the conflict but also in the transition to peace and negotiations thereafter, as well as in the establishment of a new global order.

The German Collection: Emotions and Narratives

The article presents the history of origin, as well as the structure and content of the German collection belongs to the Dnipro Historical Museum. The information potential of the collection is proven in the context of museum exhibitions and while using it as a source for theoretical historical research. The collection of the Dnipro National Historical Museum includes about 600 items of German origin or related to Germany. Due to the peculiarities of the formation of the German state and changes in its borders, a lot of Czech, Austrian, Polish and Ukrainian origin objects from the museum catalogs are also identified as German. A large part of the collection tells about the life and culture of the German colonists who settled in the South of Ukraine in the second half of the 18th century. For a long time, their faith, lifestyle, and farming methods kept their unique features and were very different from their surroundings. Therefore, the study of the history of colonists in our region has not lost its relevance for more than 30 years. University historians made the main contribution to the research, but museum workers also tried to record historical information and preserve the object component of the culture of the German colonists. For this, in 1990, an ethnographic expedition was conducted to the village of Dniprovs’ke (the former colony of Yamburg). Then the collection of the museum was replenished with a unique complex of sources – memories, photographs, household items of local production or use. Another separate sub-complex is comprised of the things related to the history of the Second World War. Most of the items from the "German collection" are, for the most part, similar household items used by local residents (dishes, decorative things, cameras, musical instruments, etc.). The time of their use and arrival at the museum varies from the 18th to the 21st centuries. Museum objects (books, furniture, porcelain etc.), the circumstances of their using and entering to the museum collection demonstrate potential for exploring and presenting the history of everyday life, social and political life of the region, the history of local and international relations.

ПОДАТКОВЕ ЗАКОНОДАВСТВО ТРЕТЬОГО РАЙХУ СТОСОВНО СОБАК ТА СОБАЧІ РЕЄСТРАЦІЙНО-ПОДАТКОВІ ЖЕТОНИ З ДИСТРИКТУ ГАЛИЧИНА (1940–1944 рр.)

During the Second World War, the German occupation of Polish and Ukrainian lands took place. In the occupied territories, the Third Reich created a new administrative structure and implemented its own system of population taxation, in particular in the Galicia District. Among others, there was a tax for dogs, which was collected from the population on the basis of regulations and prescriptions of the new government. These resolutions regulated: the procedure for registering a dog, the amount of tax rates, preferential categories, the issuance of registration and tax tokens that were attached to the animal’s collar. A system of fines and other types of punishments for non-compliance with these orders was also established. The Magistrate reserved the right to confiscate and kill a dog whose owner was unable to pay the tax for it, and a fine of up to 500 zl was due for deliberately concealing the fact of its ownership. In large cities of the Galicia District, the tax for one dog in 1940–41 averaged up to 100 zl, in 1942–43 – 100–200 zl, in 1944–45 – 150–250 zl. In the regional towns of the District in 1941–42, it was 30–40 zl, and in the villages at the same time – 20–30 zl. There are no data for subsequent years. As a result of the practice of using such tokens, many copies have been preserved, on the basis of which we have an idea of their design, graphics, manufacturing material, etc. Such tokens are artifacts, documents of their era. In 1941, there was obviously a problem with the production of dog tokens, as evidenced by both relevant sources and the very fact of their absence in some districts for that year. At that time, the main document for registration and payment of tax for a dog was a receipt issued by local authorities. In general, the practice of registering and taxing dogs performed two important social functions: 1) regulation of the number of dogs by exterminating unregistered homeless and strays; 2) sanitary and veterinary control as a means of combating animal rabies. The results of this article may be of interest to a wide range of researchers of the history of the Second World War, the history of taxation, the history of law, the history of animal husbandry, dog owners, collectors and local historians.

SCIENTIFIC WORKS OF J. WINTER AND A. SIMPLE ABOUT THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN THE CULTURAL MEMORY OF THE BRITISH

In recent decades, scholars of the history of the First World War have increasingly recognized the role of cultural memory in shaping our understanding of this historical period. The works of Jay Winter and Antoine Prost, known for their in-depth explorations of cultural and collective memory in Western societies, represent significant contributions to this area of research. Their work sheds light on how the First World War was perceived and imprinted in people's minds, how it influenced their cultural norms, constructed worldviews and collective ideas about war, heroism and suffering. In this article, we will examine the main concepts and methodologies proposed by Winter and Prost and their influence on modern historiography of the First World War, as well as a critique of the authors' own views on research.

Аншлюс Австрии 1938 г. и позиция «великих держав»: путь к катастрофе. На основе новых архивных документов

The annexation of the Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938 is an important element in the crisis of the Versailles system of international relations, which ended with the outbreak of World War II in Europe. The particular historical and political importance of this event consisted in the fact, that it was the first aggressive action of the Third Reich that led to the disappearance of a sovereign state from the map of Europe. However, despite the significance of this tragedy, it seems to be insufficiently studied in scientific literature. It should be pointed out that the First Austrian republic is often regarded in the Russian as well as foreign historiography as a subject of international relations completely dependent on Germany, fully following in the wake of the foreign policy of its large German-speaking neighbor. It should be pointed out that, with regard to the Soviet foreign policy, many foreign and Russian historians draw the conclusion that Austria played an insignificant role in the foreign policy planning of the Soviet Union. The little-known documents derived from the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation, the Russian State Military Archive, Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History, as well as the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation suggest otherwise. Special attention is paid to the economic side of the Anschluss, which is rarely touched upon in modern historiography. The methodological basis of the research presented below constitute historical-genetic and historical-systemic methods that are used to trace the evolution of the European system of international relations of that period. In this way, a multidimensional approach to the issues considered in the article allows us to recreate a holistic picture of the events of that time, as well as to restore the true cause-and-effect relationships between them. This circumstance is of particular importance in the context of the increasingly frequent attempts to rewrite the history of the Second World War and belittle the efforts of the Soviet Union to prevent it. The authors conclude that based on the new archival documents, it is possible to draw an unambiguous conclusion that the Anschluss became one of the key moments in European history, which made the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe inevitable. It consolidated the main foreign policy line of Western democracies to appease the aggressors, eliminated the last serious obstacles to the union of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy and demonstrated the impossibility of implementing in practice a collective security strategy based on the proposals of the Soviet Union on a united anti-German front.

СМЕСЬ ПЛЕМЕН И НАРОДОВ ИМПЕРИЙ: О СПРАВОЧНИКЕ "ВОЕННОПЛЕННЫЕ ПЕРВОЙ МИРОВОЙ ВОЙНЫ: МЕЖФОНДОВЫЙ ИМЕННОЙ УКАЗАТЕЛЬ К МЕТРИЧЕСКИМ КНИГАМ ХРАМОВ ОМСКОГО РЕГИОНА (1914-1920 ГГ.)"

The article analyzes the scientific reference publication “Prisoners of war of the First World War. An inter-fund name index to the metric books of the temples of the Omsk region (1914–1920)”. The work was prepared as part of the book series “Open Archive”. Based on the study and analysis of the act records of the metric books kept in the Historical Archives of the Omsk region, biographical information was collected with the search data for the documents on the military personnel of the German and AustroHungarian armies who were prisoners of war in the Omsk region in 1914– 1920. The publication presents the data from the civil records of the metric books of the Omsk Ecclesiastical Consistory, the Omsk Roman Catholic Parish Church, the Omsk Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Synagogue of the Omsk Jewish Society. Turning of the authors’ team to the study of the church documents for understanding the social and political processes seems justified in connection with the special role of the religious factor in the military revolutionary period. The publication contains detailed biographical data, and a personal search record is compiled for each person. It is noted that the procedure described by the Omsk researchers can be adopted by other archival institutions. The analyzed church records open up new opportunities for studying the specific pages in the history of the First World War and expand the possibilities for biographical (genealogical) search.