Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Sense Of Loss: The Effect Of Prisoner Camp Conditions On German Pows’ Masculinity During The First World War, Analucia Lugo

The Purdue Historian

During the First World War, almost a million German soldiers became prisoners of war (POW) and held captive in enemy camps. The moment of capture and arrest caused these men to experience debilitating emotions, including guilt and fear. Varied conditions at POW camps bolstered these responses and often determined prisoner health and morale throughout the war. This article examines how camps in Britain, France, and Russia treated German POWs, and how German nationalism affected these soldiers' senses of masculinity and patriotism during and after the war.

143 Wing (Rcaf) Typhoons Over Normandy: Some Operational, Geographical And Archaeological Perspectives, David G. Passmore, David Capps-Tunwell

Canadian Military History

This article presents the first attempt to conduct a geographical analysis of every air-to-ground attack conducted by a tactical fighter-bomber wing over the period 1 May–31 August 1944 in support of Operation Overlord. Ninety-five per cent of the 606 attacks made by 143 Wing Typhoons on single or multiple targets can be resolved to a map reference or place name, and their chronology and distribution reveal new insights into the Wing’s operational history. Commemorative and heritage perspectives are also highlighted for attacks on targets in woodland settings where archaeological survey of bomb craters can be linked to specific raids.

A Canadian Civil Affairs Officer In Italy: Lieutenant-Colonel H. S. Robinson, Provincial Commissioner For Brescia In 1945, Janet Sanders, Rolando Anni, Maria Paola Pasini

Canadian Military History

This article provides an overview of one Canadian Civil Affairs Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Homer Smiley Robinson, and his contribution to the rebuilding of the province of Brescia in north Italy and its eponymous capital after liberation from Nazi occupation. Robinson, as Provincial Commissioner, led the Civil Affairs team from April to October 1945 as the first Canadian to be appointed to the position. Traditionally, Civil Affairs has been studied predominantly as a bureaucratic structure. The human element in terms of staff and stakeholders has been almost entirely neglected. It is hoped that this account of a soldier-turned-governor will prove to be …

Preaching Peace, Selling Arms: The Evolution Of Canadian Military Export Policy, 1946-49, Paul Esau

Canadian Military History

Recent sales of Canadian military equipment to Saudi Arabia have highlighted a contradiction between Canadian military export policy on paper and in practice. This contradiction is rooted in a series of policy decision made between 1946 and 1949, just after the Second World War. During this period Canadian policymakers accepted that military exports were economically and strategically necessary, and become an opportunistic exporter of military equipment to the non-communist world. The military export policies adopted during these years were flexible, pragmatic, and reactive; they incentivised risk-aversion and commercial competitiveness, but not internally consistency. Consequently, the defining principle of Canadian military …

From Zombie To Martyr: The Short Military Service Of Private Hector Sylvestre, Paul Marsden

Canadian Military History

This article outlines the brief military service of Private Hector Sylvestre, a young Franco-Ontarien paratrooper executed by the SS. His career began as a conscript in the Active Army, serving nine months prior to enlisting in the Canadian Active Service Force. From this point forward he made a series of fateful decisions, which ultimately led to his death as a member of the French Resistance. His path from Zombie to “martyr” is unique for a Canadian soldier during the Second World War.

The Vernon Military Camp And The Imperial Training Archipelago, 1939-45, Megan Hamilton

Canadian Military History

The Vernon Military Camp was one of the many interwoven institutions that fed trained soldiers into the vast armies of the British Empire in the Second World War. Beginning the war as a barren hill that lacked modern equipment, it was eventually developed into a professional training centre that both served and benefitted from national, Imperial and Allied war efforts. Taking a ground-level view of Canadian Army training and inter-theatre learning, this article argues that army training camps, even those in the periphery, played a vital role in strengthening Imperial and Allied interoperability by facilitating knowledge transfer away from active …

China's Use Of Nontraditional Strategic Landpower In Asia, Sheena Chestnut Greitens

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that the People’s Republic of China uses its police and internal security forces as a nontraditional means of projecting strategic Landpower in the Indo-Pacific and Central Asia. Instead of limiting analysis of China’s power projection to military forces, this article employs new data on Chinese police engagements abroad to fill a gap in our understanding of the operating environment in Asia. Policymakers will gain an understanding of how these activities enhance China’s presence, partnerships, and influence across the region to inform the development of recommendations for a more effective response.

Parameters Spring 2024, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Rethinking The Relevance Of Self-Deterrence, Jeffrey H. Michaels

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Self-deterrence is critically understudied in deterrence theory. Similarly, deterrence practitioners prefer to focus on adversaries’ threats rather than seeking to account for the full scope of fears influencing the decision calculus of policymakers. Through historical case studies, this article identifies where self-deterrence has occurred, highlights the benefits of incorporating the concept in future strategic planning and intelligence assessments, and recommends that policymakers, strategists, and analysts acknowledge self-deterrence as an important factor when preparing for future wars.

Strategy As Problem-Solving, Andrew Carr

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article proposes a new definition of strategy as problem-solving that challenges the focus on goals and assumptions of order within many post–Cold War approaches to strategy. It argues that the military needs strategy to diagnose the complex problems of the twenty-first century before they can be solved. Inspired by practitioners such as Andrew Marshall and George F. Kennan, this new definition clarifies what strategists do and offers a logic for distinguishing the use of the term strategy. Practitioners will also find problem-solving tools and pedagogies they can adopt today.

From The Editor In Chief, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Spring 2024 issue of Parameters. Readers will note a few differences in the formatting for this issue: we are now using endnotes instead of footnotes to facilitate switching from pdf to html via Adobe's Liquid App; also, readers will be able to click on each endnote number to view the full endnote and then switch back to the text to resume reading. Please drop us a note to let us know how you like the changes. More are coming!

International Law, Self-Defense, And The Israel-Hamas Conflict, Eric A. Heinze

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article examines the international law of self-defense as it applies to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict to determine whether the October 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israel can be interpreted under Article 51 of the UN Charter as an “armed attack” that gives Israel the right to use military force in self-defense against non-state actors. It situates the conflict within ongoing legal and political debates, shows how this conflict fits into a changing global reality where the most dangerous security threats do not exclusively emanate from other states and concludes that Israel’s resort to force in the current conflict appears …

Us-Taiwan Relations And The Future Of The Liberal International Order, Christina Lai

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Strengthening ties with Taiwan is the best chance the United States has to preserve the liberal international order in Asia and improve its security relative to China. This study offers a normative perspective on how Taiwan can contribute to US-led international institutions and the Asian regional order and reduce conflict risk. It concludes with recommendations for the United States and its partners to integrate Taiwan into multilateral institutions in Asia.

Authors’ Response To Review Of "Untold: Northeastern Ontario’S Military Past. Volume One And Two", Dieter K. Buse, Graeme S. Mount

Canadian Military History

Letter to the Editor

Authors’ Response to Review of Untold: Northeastern Ontario’s Military Past. Volume One, 1662 - World War I and Volume Two, World War II - Peacekeeping.

Heroes, Victims, And Future Citizens: Representations Of French Children During World War I, Megan R. Outtrim

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

The effects of total war society in France during WWI dramatically altered the daily lives of both adults and children, witnessing increasing levels of patriotic rhetoric, wartime propaganda, and anti-German sentiment. Children were often made the focal point of this propaganda, as they represented the future of the nation. As such, three specific representations of children emerge from WWI propaganda in France: the heroic child, the victimized child, and the malleable future citizen. Some of these representations were depicted in propaganda meant for children specifically, while others were depicted in propaganda meant to mobilize adults in the name of children. …

A Spirit Of Revolution: The Story Of Lt. Colonel John Laurens, Sophia A. Fossati

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

Though he has become a figure all but forgotten or merely glossed over, John Laurens (1754-1782) was the purest form of an early American hero, a pioneer for proto-abolitionism in the South, and a queer historical figure. His complex character and legacy is deserving of recognition and remembering. In this article, I intend to do just that by giving a brief historical summary of his life and person.

The Uss Liberty Incident: Accident Or Intentional Attack, Maximus E. Marlowe

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

When I first heard the story of the USS Liberty I became extremely interested in learning more about the events that transpired and began reading about the incident in my free time. Thus, when I registered for Modern American Military History with Dr. Snead, I was already eager to research this topic.

While my primary fields of study are engulfed in the Colonial American period, I have had a strong interest in American military history since I was a child. This would especially be the case with the U.S. Navy as my father is a retired Naval officer and I …

End Of The Patrol: Analysis Of The Blimp And Its Contributions To The Us Navy, 1941-1962, Spencer M. Benefiel

Channels: Where Disciplines Meet

From 1917 to 1962, the United States Navy was America’s main contributor to the use of lighter-than-air vehicles, from small observational kite-balloons to the massive infamous rigid airships like the ill-fated Shenandoah, Akron, and Macon. Most aviation histories cover the Navy’s rigid airships but ignore the post-rigid era, a period that began after the demise of the Hindenburg. This study serves to examine the Navy’s airship program in the subsequent two time periods: World War II and the post-war era. This study is based upon both qualitative and quantitative sources, most of which come from written …

“Blackjack” Pershing’S Punitive Expedition, Jacob Breezeel

Tenor of Our Times

In 1916, General Pershing led a force of American troops into Mexico in response to a raid on Columbus, New Mexico. While unsuccessful in achieving the primary mission, the expedition produced advancements in military transportation and aviation and provided valuable experiences to the next generation of generals which were central to America's success in World War I.

The Decision To Invade: An Internal Perspective To The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine, Muhammad Damar Shafy Ramadhan

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia marked a new turning point in the history of the 21^st century and has had far-reaching effects for much of the globalized world. The intensity of such an unexpected and unprovoked war has made it crucial to seek out the reasons why Russia decided to wage war on Ukraine. As such, there is a need to look for a deeper origin of the conflict, especially the unique circumstances that led to such policy being pursued. A comprehensive and theoretical approach that connects all the dots into one chronological picture is required. To that …

Review Of "Untold: Northeastern Ontario’S Military Past. Volume One, 1662 - World War I" And "Untold: Northeastern Ontario’S Military Past. Volume Two, World War Ii - Peacekeeping" By Dieter K. Buse And Graeme S. Mount, Curtis B. Robinson

Canadian Military History

Review of Untold: Northeastern Ontario’s Military Past. Volume One, 1662 - World War I and Untold: Northeastern Ontario’s Military Past. Volume Two, World War II - Peacekeeping by Dieter K. Buse and Graeme S. Mount

Review Of "Civilians At The Sharp End: First Canadian Army Civil Affairs In Northwest Europe" By David A. Borys, John Macfarlane

Canadian Military History

Review of Civilians at the Sharp End: First Canadian Army Civil Affairs in Northwest Europe by David A. Borys

Review Of "Genesis Of The Grand Fleet: The Admiralty, Germany, And The Home Fleet, 1896-1914" By Christopher M. Buckey, Mark Klobas

Canadian Military History

Review of Genesis of the Grand Fleet: The Admiralty, Germany, and the Home Fleet, 1896-1914 by Christopher M. Buckey

Review Of "Winning Armageddon: Curtis Lemay And Strategic Air Command, 1948-1957" By Trevor Albertson, Russell Isinger

Canadian Military History

Review of Winning Armageddon: Curtis LeMay and Strategic Air Command, 1948-1957 by Trevor Albertson

Review Of "Building The Army’S Backbone: Canadian Non-Commissioned Officers In The Second World War" By Andrew L. Brown, Megan Hamilton

Canadian Military History

Review of Building the Army’s Backbone: Canadian Non-Commissioned Officers in the Second World War by Andrew L. Brown

Review Of "Armies In Retreat: Chaos, Cohesion And Consequences" Edited By Timothy G. Heck And Walker D. Mills, Jake Gasson

Canadian Military History

Review of Armies in Retreat: Chaos, Cohesion and Consequences edited by Timothy G. Heck and Walker D. Mills

Review Of "Montreal At War: 1914-1918" By Terry Copp With Alexander Maavara, Caroline D'Amours

Canadian Military History

Review of Montreal at War: 1914-1918 by Terry Copp with Alexander Maavara

Review Of "The North Star: Canada And The Civil War Plots Against Lincoln" By Julian Sher, Tim Cook

Canadian Military History

Review of The North Star: Canada and the Civil War Plots against Lincoln by Julian Sher

Review Of "On The Dangerous Edge: British And Canadian Trench Raiding On The Western Front 1914-1918" By Kenneth Radley, Tim Cook

Canadian Military History

Review of On the Dangerous Edge: British and Canadian Trench Raiding on the Western Front 1914-1918 by Kenneth Radley

Review Of "The River Battles: Canada’S Final Campaign In World War Ii Italy" By Mark Zuehlke, Tobias Clark

Canadian Military History

Review of The River Battles: Canada’s Final Campaign in World War II Italy by Mark Zuehlke