Digital Commons Network^™

Playing With Fire: How The Nazis Used Toys And Games To Mobilize A Generation, Brett Lafemina

Chronos

No abstract provided.

Women And Religion In The Mongol Empire, Karlie Barnett

The Ozark Historical Review

This article contributes toward the effort to uncover the impact of women on the making of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It also considers how women among the Mongols interacted with religion in varied and distinct ways and how these relationships influenced the development of Eurasian religions and the Mongol Empire overall. These interactions, which took place in the personal realm, the political realm, and in the realm of patronage, had profound effects on the development of Eurasian religions and the Mongol Empire.

Cmsi Translations #23: The Elusive "Deep-Sea Beast": Analysis Of The Performance Of The Main Equipment Of The U.S. Navy Virginia-Class Nuclear Attack Submarine, Wang Xiangxiang

CMSI Translations

In the vast expanse of the blue ocean, the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine, with its exceptional performance and advanced technology, has become the backbone of the U.S. Navy's undersea force in the 21st century. As one of America’s most modern nuclear attack submarines, the Virginia-class leads the global development of nuclear submarine technology with its multifunctional and multi-purpose design, exceptional stealth, and powerful combat capabilities.

Cyber Operations As A Challenge To The Implementation Of International Humanitarian Law (Ihl), Anfaal Said Al-Nabhani

Sultan Qaboos University Legal Studies Journal

Cyber operations are thought to be one of IHL’s main challenges. This research examines cyber operations in armed conflicts, focusing on the following legal issues such as the definition of combatants and military objectives, attribution and responsibility, and the protection of civilians and civilian objects. This paper will contribute to the legal discourse on cyber threats, which will uniform future multilateral conventions regulating cyber warfare. This research paper adopted an analytical approach to assess the applicability of IHL in cyber warfare. Its results indicates that existing IHL rules are insufficient to cover cyber operations. The researcher recommends that the international …

Dark Laughter In Uniform: Humor And Militarism In Gregory Burke’S Black Watch, Pelin Gölcük Mirza

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Gregory Burke’s Black Watch, which premiered at the 2006 Edinburgh International Festival, focuses on the experiences of Scottish soldiers deployed to Iraq in 2003. The play makes extensive use of dark humor by juxtaposing laughter and pain, valor and absurdity, military and civilian life, in order to reveal the contradictions of contemporary militarism. Rather than celebrating patriotism or sacrifice, Burke undermines the romanticized narratives of heroism through profanity, abrupt shifts in tone, and mock-heroic scenes. Dark humor, thus, functions as both a coping strategy for soldiers’ trauma and a satirical device that subverts political rhetoric about the war. By …

Rethinking The Narrative Of Turkey’S July 15 Events: An Intelligence Operation Disguised As A Coup Attempt, Mustafa Kirisci, Ibrahim Kocaman, Murat Balci

Publications

Academia, think tanks, and international media have largely adopted the Turkish government’s narrative that the events of July 15, 2016, constituted a failed coup attempt. This dominant framing has shaped policy responses and scholarly interpretations despite the authoritarian context in which it was crafted. Many Turkish and Western scholars accepted the Turkish government’s narrative that the July 15 events were a failed coup attempt. They often rely on surface-level indicators and official statements without critically engaging with available evidence. Also, they disregarded substantial evidence and defendants’ statements in judicial proceedings that directly contradict official statements. One notable exception to this …

The International Perception Of The Irish Republican Army And Chechen Insurgency, Henry Forteith

The Ozark Historical Review

The purpose of this article is to explain how acts of violence influenced the media’s description of the Irish Republican Army and Chechen insurgencies and how the label of ‘terrorist’ affected the perception of the Anglo-Irish and Russo-Chechen conflicts. Quantitative data from the New York Times and International Newsstream databases are used to examine the change in word frequency to describe the IRA and Chechen fighters across a twelve-year span and four-month span before and after certain international events.

Interservice Rivalry: Examining The Relationships Between The Intelligence Organizations Of The Navy, The Army And The Oss In China 1939-1943, Samuel G. Peterson

The Ozark Historical Review

Intelligence gathering had a profound impact on WWII. In war-torn China, the US Navy, the Army, and the fledgling OSS contested with each other during the Chinese Nationalists’ fight against the Japanese Empire. The stories of the OSS, the Navy and the Army in China have all, until now, been told from three distinct but interrelated points of view. With each study solely based on a particular organization, bias toward others is inevitable. By synthesizing the sources together and weaving the different interpretations of events simultaneously, a clearer picture of the interdepartmental struggles can be seen. The primary goal of …

The Ozark Historical Review, V.49, 2021

The Ozark Historical Review

No abstract provided.

From Silence To Evidence: Strengthening Media Reporting Protocols To Codify Ecocide In War Zones, Rodina Alaa

COP30

Ecocide, or the intentional destruction of environmental annihilation during wars, attacks important ecosystems, like forests, rivers, and agricultural lands, and has long-term negative impacts on both nature and human life. Although the media could be an agent on the frontlines of preventing and exposing such crimes, fragmented reporting standards, suppression of journalists, and absence of coordinating mechanisms weaken its effectiveness. Based on two case studies, Ukraine, where citizen-driven platforms such as EcoZagroza have allowed real-time evidence to be documented, and Gaza, where journalists are the targeted victims in an attempt to erase any evidence about the environment, this paper demonstrates …

Delay, Deny, Tax, Samuel D. Brunson

Emory Law Journal Online

Health insurance companies are having a moment in the United States. Their moment involves widespread public objections to their seemingly random and increasing willingness to deny coverage and reimbursement to insureds. These denials are in large part not part of a program to improve health coverage but, rather, to reduce insurance companies’ expenses and, in turn, increase their profits.

There is broad consensus that something has to change. The public demands it. Bipartisan groups of senators and representatives have investigated it. Even the health care industry acknowledges that something needs to change. To actually make the health care system better …

Conflict Emissions And Environmental Destruction: Exacerbating Insecurity And Exclusion Among Vulnerable And Indigenous Communities In The Absence Of Inclusive Climate Governance, Mariem Yasser

COP30

This policy paper highlights that Indigenous and marginalized communities who manage an estimated 80 % of world biodiversity have access to less than 1 % of climate funding and are sidelined in national level decision-making (Rights and Resources Initiative, 2021). At the same time, armed conflict contributes an estimated 5.5 % of global CO₂-equivalent emissions that affects Indigenous peoples in fragile rural areas. (IPCC, 2022). Unlike failure of REDD +program in the Amazon region of Colombia, which excluded Indigenous governance and permitted deforestation to increase exponentially, DRC has developed community forest concessions integrating Indigenous and community management into climate governance …

Transnational Corporations' Accountability Within The Context Of Climate Governance, Farida El Sheikh

COP30

As we approach COP30, it becomes more urgent to confront corporate impunity in climate governance more. The contribution of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) in global greenhouse gases emissions is increasing everyday, yet both local institutional structures and legislations -including Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) systems tend to shield them from accountability for the violations of climate-related human rights and ecocide. The conference plays a great role in such crucial moments by offering negotiators the opportunity to address climate-related crimes committed by TNCs, to align global economic governance with human rights, climate justice, and environment protection by establishing enforceable legal frameworks through multilateral …

Ecocide In The War On Gaza: An Environmental Crime That Affects The Whole World, Yazan A. Albatta

COP30

Environmental destruction in conflict zones is an escalating global crisis that directly undermines climate justice and ecological stability. This policy paper examines the concept of ecocide through the lens of the war on Gaza, where the deliberate or reckless targeting of natural resources has caused severe and lasting damage to water, soil, air, and biodiversity. The Gaza case reveals how warfare can accelerate climate change, destroy carbon-absorbing ecosystems, and leave communities with uninhabitable land and poisoned water supplies. Using Gaza as the primary case study, and drawing comparisons to environmental impacts observed during the Iraq war, the paper analyzes the …

102nd Annual Inspire Bible Lectureship Program (2025), Harding University

Lectureship Programs

This document contains the printed lectureship schedule.

The Beacon, September 26, 2025, Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2025-2026

Club Spotlight: Raider Baking Club; North fireplace becomes place of worship; New album marks return of the red-head; “Downton Abbey Finale” overall success; Art and science combine at “Camera Obscura”; Preparation for 2025 music showcase; Surprise animal sightings around campus; Opportunities for college employment; Why the Apocrypha matters; Stop romanticizing all-nighters; NW Cross Country season looks promising; NW Golf places high as the season begins; Alumni Serves as interim e-sports director; The Black Hills: home of humility; The Emmy’s celebrate Hollywood stars

Space: The Final Frontier (For State Power): The History Of The East India Company And The Future Of Outer Space, Richard Culbert

International Law Studies

Outer space may be the last domain where States largely lack the capability to use coercive force as an instrument of State control. In all areas of the globe, major powers have militaries and police forces that far exceed the capability of even the largest corporations. As corporations take an increasingly large role in outer space commerce it is likely that these private actors will develop a capacity to use force that quickly surpasses even the most powerful States.

To date there has been little analysis of this future phenomenon by legal scholars. Perhaps as a result, the current international …

Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Remarks At The 2025 Military Law And Operations Conference, Samuel J. Paparo

International Law Studies

Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Remarks at the Military Law and Operations Conference, September 8, 2025

Parallel Lives: Revitalization Of An Ancient Method Of Inquiry, Geoffrey Thomas Uhal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Parallel Lives style examination and biography is one of the oldest forms of historical inquiry, providing a comparison between a foreign subject and a more familiar subject as a frame of reference. This style of examination was popular for dissertations in the 19th century among military historians writing about generals who were stylistically known as “Great Captains” for much of history. While the moral comparisons of such histories in bygone eras possess less utility, multimodal comparisons of lives that readers have more and less contextual background to provide a model to bridge the gap between foreign and familiar subjects. …

Beyond Mechanistic Control: Causal Decision Processing In Neuromorphic Military Artificial Intelligence, James Giordano

Commentary

This article explains how neuromorphic artificial intelligence (AI), AI designed to mimic brain-like reasoning, differs from traditional rule-based systems and what that means for military decision-making. Unlike mechanistic AI that reacts predictably to inputs, neuromorphic AI integrates data and context more like the human brain, allowing adaptive responses in complex environments. While this could improve how autonomous systems operate in uncertain conflict zones, it also raises new questions about control, predictability, accountability, and ethical use. The author argues that integrating such systems into defense operations must be guided by clear oversight, doctrine, and ethical frameworks to ensure effectiveness, safety, and …

Beyond Mechanistic Control: Causal Decision Processing In Neuromorphic Military Artificial Intelligence, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary explores how neuromorphic artificial intelligence, AI designed to mimic the causal and adaptive processing of the human brain, differs from traditional mechanistic systems and what this means for military applications. Traditional AI follows straightforward stimulus-response patterns that work well in predictable scenarios, but they struggle in complex, dynamic environments. Neuromorphic AI uses more human-like causal processing, integrating multiple streams of data and contextual cues to make decisions that better adapt to ambiguity and uncertainty. While this offers potential advantages in autonomy and operational flexibility, it also raises challenges for predictability, command and control, verification, and accountability. The article …

Healing On The Homefront: Convelescent Homes In England During Wwi, Elizabeth Rogerson

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

This paper explores the response to soldiers needing rehabilitation in World War One and how convalescent facilities impacted the everyday lives of injured men, nurses, and military medicine. During the Great War, there was an influx of the diversity of injuries due to the expanse of biological and machine warfare. Recognizing that field hospitals were insufficient, England’s War Office executed a plan to requisition public facilities and use volunteer forces not only to heal English men but soldiers from across the world. This paper establishes the context for the convalescing system in England and then its accommodation and improvisation for …

College Persistence And Tribal Nation-Building Among American Indian Undergraduate Students, Brittany Ann Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was that little is known regarding attempts at higher education persistence and tribal nation-building affecting each other among American Indian (AI) undergraduate college students in Oklahoma. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of AI undergraduate students enrolled at a college or university in Oklahoma regarding higher education persistence and tribal nation-building. Astin’s theory of student involvement was the conceptual framework that guided this study because of its focus on the connection between student involvement and persistence. The research question addressed how AI undergraduate students describe their experiences …

China Maritime Report #50: Foggy With A Chance Of Surprise Attack: Pla Amphibious Deception In A Taiwan Scenario, Ian Easton

CMSI China Maritime Reports

Main Findings

• The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) views deception as a force multiplier and war-winning weapon. The PLA leadership reserves a special place of veneration for wartime commanders who can employ deception to obtain surprise, something Xi Jinping refers to as “excelling at stratagem.”
• In January 1955, the PLA launched a surprise attack on the Yijiangshan islands, then controlled by the Republic of China (ROC) government in Taipei. This campaign remains a case study in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for how to conduct amphibious operations and catch defenders off guard.
• Empirical historical research shows that amphibious operations, while …

Book Review: Warfare In The Robotics Age, Jeremy Lewis

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Ash Rossiter and Peter Layton

Reviewed by Jeremy Lewis, US Army (retired)

With real-world examples and clear explanations of how robotics influence air, maritime, land, space, and cyber operations, Warfare in the Robotics Age offers an overview of the history of robotics in war. Covering topics including drafting robots into military service, reimagining robotic warfare, and adapting to a robot way of war, the reviewer recommends the book for policymakers, strategists, practitioners, and senior leaders.

Book Review: China’S Quest For Military Supremacy, Zenel Garcia

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Joel Wuthnow and Phillip C. Saunders

Reviewed by Zenel Garcia, associate professor of security studies, Department of National Security and Strategy, US Army War College

Joel Wuthnow's and Phillip Saunders’s China’s Quest for Military Supremacy is a sharp, deeply researched examination of the People’s Liberation Army’s transformation into a modern force with regional ambitions and global implications. The book reveals how China’s military advances are tempered by internal structural weaknesses, political constraints, and a deliberate focus on deterring US intervention—especially over Taiwan. Balanced and insightful, it’s essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the shifting dynamics of power in …

Book Review: America’S Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze And National Security From Roosevelt To Reagan, James Graham Wilson

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: James Graham Wilson

Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, US Army War College class of 2010

In America’s Cold Warrior: Paul Nitze and National Security from Roosevelt to Reagan written by James Graham Wilson and reviewed by Rev. Dr. Wylie W. Johnson, readers follow the life of Paul Nitze. As a businessman and government official, Nitze lived a life of service, holding positions as United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, and Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department. He also helped craft America’s Cold War policy. “Nitze’s life is more than …

Book Review: Upstart: How China Became A Great Power, R. M. Ihme

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Oriana Skylar Mastro

Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Kelly R. M. Ihme, PhD, General Hoyt S. Vandenberg Chair of Aerospace Studies and assistant professor, Department of Distance Education, US Army War College

Upstart: How China Became a Great Power, by Oriana Skylar Mastro, tracks China’s transition from a minor regional influence in the 1990s to a global power. The author developed and used the Upstart Strategy, which examines emulation, exploitation, and entrepreneurship, to offer predictive modeling that political and military leaders can use to anticipate China’s future trajectory. Reviewer Kelly Ihme applauds the specific and actionable recommendations for America and …

Book Review: Spetsnaz: A History Of The Soviet And Russian Special Forces, Chase Metcalf

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Author: Tor Bukkvoll

Reviewed by Colonel Chase Metcalf, assistant professor, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations, US Army War College

Tor Bukkvoll delivers an in-depth and compelling history of Soviet and Russian Spetsnaz, tracing its evolution from strategic reconnaissance units to key players in hybrid and irregular warfare. The reviewer recommends the book for scholars, military professionals, and anyone interested in Russian special operations forces.

Book Review: Algorithms Of Armageddon: The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Future Wars, Kevin M. Boyce

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Authors: George Galdorisi and Sam J. Tangredi

Reviewed by Kevin M. Boyce, retired aviation command and control officer US Marine Corps, Futures Lab director, Center for Strategic Leadership, US Army War College

Authors George Galdorisi and Sam J. Tangredi explore the risks and implications of AI on national security in Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars. With Russia and China pursuing weaponized AI systems, America must master the algorithms of war to remain dominant.