Suchergebnisse

Just before WW2, the British government prepared for an aerial onslaught that was predicted to raze cities and cause mass casualties. By 1938, the Air Raid Precautions Act officially stated that population protection would be through dispersal, meaning evacuation and small-scale protection, local authority responsibility often devolving to householders. Archaeological records of remaining air-raid shelters are relatively rare and under threat. This paper reports on geophysical surveys on three sites in Stoke-on-Trent and London. Results found three intact Stanton shelters in Stoke-on-Trent, located by GPR, electrical resistivity, magnetometry, gravity and electromagnetic methods. In London, partially demolished shelters and an intact, mass public shelter were both detected by EM and GPR methods, with subsequent intrusive investigations confirming results. Study outcomes shows hitherto-neglected wartime shelters are in varied condition, with geophysical surveys able to detect, characterise and assess them, helping bring WWII British history into the wider scientific community and public domain.

We demonstrate that even though during WWII the interest rate was close to zero supporting the financing of the military effort, dissent inside the FOMC occurred with a similar frequency to other policy episodes. Our analysis highlights that the debates which resulted in dissents turned around two broad issues: the size of the Fed's balance sheet as well as the functioning of and communication with financial markets. Thus, we argue that the conventional view depicting the Fed as merely accommodating treasury needs should be revised. Our detailed investigation of dissents emphasises the modernity of the objections raised by Fed officials.

We demonstrate that even though during WWII the interest rate was close to zero supporting the financing of the military effort, dissent inside the FOMC occurred with a similar frequency to other policy episodes. Our analysis highlights that the debates which resulted in dissents turned around two broad issues: the size of the Fed's balance sheet as well as the functioning of and communication with financial markets. Thus, we argue that the conventional view depicting the Fed as merely accommodating treasury needs should be revised. Our detailed investigation of dissents emphasises the modernity of the objections raised by Fed officials.

We demonstrate that even though during WWII the interest rate was close to zero supporting the financing of the military effort, dissent inside the FOMC occurred with a similar frequency to other policy episodes. Our analysis highlights that the debates which resulted in dissents turned around two broad issues: the size of the Fed's balance sheet as well as the functioning of and communication with financial markets. Thus, we argue that the conventional view depicting the Fed as merely accommodating treasury needs should be revised. Our detailed investigation of dissents emphasises the modernity of the objections raised by Fed officials.

The American military occupation of Japan after 1945 has served as a widely admired example of successful post-conflict management. MacArthur's General Headquarters not only achieved demilitarization and democratization of Japanese society, but also economic growth through decentralization, equalization and liberalization. Military occupations throughout the world have ever since drawn on this Japanese experience. However, seen from the recent example of Iraq, lessons drawn from Japan have not necessarily been very successful, since the country has not escaped from chaos and instability. Most academic research in the past has focused on political and economic reforms carried out by General MacArthur. This paper will attempt to emphasize two factors rarely accounted for: 1) attainment of postwar internal security through anti-disturbance measures, and 2) marginalization of the occupation of outlying regions, such as Okinawa. The first factor established the ground for the execution of the better known postwar reforms, and the second factor shows that occupation of some peripheral Japanese areas has been much less successful than has been the case for the mainland. The results of this research are twofold. That 1) stabilization was not the achievement of the occupier, but rather the result of the conscious efforts by the occupied, and that 2) the occupation of Japan was inextricably linked to the marginalization of Okinawa. In order to be more realistic, the lessons to be drawn from the occupation of Japan should be less focused on the occupation as a U.S. undertaking and should take into consideration important socio-cultural factors.

Concrete is a relatively new structural material, hence the remediation of concrete structures is very rare. There are a lot of concrete fortifications in the Czech Republic, which were built just before WW2. These bunkers formed a long defensive line along the Czechoslovak borders as a protection against Hitler's army. Today, after 80 years, many of the bunkers are listed as Czech national technical monuments with a strict protection of their historical authenticity. The article describes the technical survey and the possible conservation method of a selected concrete fortification, which exhibits a number of moisture related problems. The studied two-storey, heavily fortified bunker is situated close to the northern border of the Czech Republic, former Czechoslovakia. A detailed survey of the building includes the analysis of the interior environment parameters and laboratory testing of the used concrete. A long-term diagnosis identified the main problem, which lies in the inhomogeneity of the used concrete and the relating massive water ingress. However, the monitored bunker currently does not serve as a military structure and, therefore, a simple solution to improve the internal environment was suggested on the basis of the conducted measurements. With respect to the main causes of failures, the authors suggested a conservation method based on using a crystallizing coating. The suitability of the method was first verified under laboratory conditions and then also on the real bunker.

The assault on D-day by Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Corps on a German howitzer battery at Brecourt Manor (Normandy) that was firing upon Utah Beach is a famous action of World War 2. Understanding the firefight and disablement of the guns depends on where the four howitzers and crew were located. Three of the locations are unequivocal, with post-WW2 accounts and the search described here in agreement. One Howitzer position (the northernmost of the four) remains in contention, with two different positions described. A geoforensic search strategy (desktop study, geophysics, excavation) was deployed that shows strong evidence for the location of the debated fourth gun, together with aerial photographic and military tactical evidence for why this fourth Howitzer was moved to a second location close to D-day.

In 1940, with the fall of France imminent, Britain prepared for invasion. After Dunkirk, with most armour and transport lost, a defence 'stop line' (GHQ Line) was prepared. Local Defence Volunteers (later Home Guard) were raised to buy time for the Home Army to deploy. Secret 'Auxiliary Units' were also formed, tasked with 'Scallywagging' – guerrilla activities ––in the invading army's rear. 4-8 patrol men were highly skilled, often gamekeepers and poachers, with expert local area knowledge, with below-ground Operational Bases (OBs) in remote locations to avoid detection. No official records are released; but OBs were 'Mark I', enlarged deer setts, smuggler caves, etc., and Mark II, prefabricated designs by the Royal Engineers. This paper details three sites in Suffolk. One unknown Mark I was destroyed, a Mark II was partially-intact and a Mark II was fully intact, all in secluded woods. Geophysical surveys found metal detectors optimal for location, with mid-frequency GPR/ERT optimal for characterisation. Archaeological finds included home-made braziers, 1940 kerosene heater stove, metal pans, ventilation systems and escape tunnels. This study shows OBs varied in construction and condition, with surveys detecting and characterising them, bringing WWII British 'invasion' history into the wider scientific community and public domain.

This is a book review of "STRANGERS IN A STRANGER LAND: How One Country's Jews Fought an Unwinnable War Alongside Nazi Troops…and Survived"; by John B. Simon; Rowman and Littlefield; 2019 (originally published in Finnish as Mahdoton sota, "The Impossible War," by Siltala Publishing, 2017). The review was written for the Jewish Book Council by a Professor Emeritus of English and contains both historical and pedagogical reflections on the educational messages emmerging from the book. This is important not only for memory studies and for identity politics but also when looking deep into the complex issues of socialization and education after the WWII. The book contains a story of the contradictory role of Finland's Jewish community in the wars against the Soviet Union and Germany.

Contemporary world order rests on a fault-line. On the one hand it is an interstate system founded on the legal equality of all states. On the other hand it establishes institutions that privilege a small number of states in economy and politics. This article examines the fault-line, which has widened in recent times and threatens to destabilise the order established after the end of World War II. The 'world' in World wars is because of the global scope of the inter-European wars. The world wars were fought over colonies, in colonial territories, with the manpower and material resources of the colonies. Yet dominant narratives about the world wars speak about the wars as a European war between European nations and write-out colonial questions, colonial contributions and more importantly for this article the colonial impulses in the writing of contemporary international law and establishment of international organisations. This paper examines the human, monetary and material contributions of India in World War II. Britain was the preeminent Empire during the world wars and India the 'jewel in the British Crown'. India was crucial to British conduct of the world wars. At the same time racism and repression during the interwar period fuelled powerful anti-colonial movements in India. Those struggles ended the British Empire. The irony of racism against millions of people who fought and died for Britain presents many perplexing questions about the legacies of World War II for racism and international law. This article examines the responses of different European powers to the independence movements in India during the world wars and argues that the responses of different Empires of the time to the anti-colonial struggles holds the cues to understanding the widening fault-line in the international order today.

[Abstract] The Sancrosanctum Concilium approaches the artistic aspects of architecture from the liturgy, while the Charter of Venice approaches the architectural space from the principles of heritage protection. Both emphasized simplicity, functionality and readability. The significance and the combined effect of the two documents in the practice of church construction in Eastern Europe can be considered significant, since the possibility of redesigning the liturgical space arose mainly in the context of the renovation of historic buildings in the atheist political environment. The proof of this statement is presented in the manuscript of the architect Ödön Dümmerling. The architect - a practitioner of monument restorations and an admirer of the spirit of modern architecture - was called upon to draw up design guide after the Second Vatican Council was closed, making recommendations for new equipment for liturgical spaces. ; [Resumen] La Sancrosanctum Concilium aborda los aspectos artísticos de la arquitectura desde la liturgia, mientras que la Carta de Venecia aborda el espacio arquitectónico desde los principios de protección del patrimonio. Ambos enfatizaron la simplicidad, la funcionalidad y la legibilidad. La importancia y el efecto combinado de los dos documentos en la práctica de la construcción de iglesias en Europa del Este pueden considerarse significativos, ya que la posibilidad de rediseñar el espacio litúrgico surgió principalmente en el contexto de la renovación de edificios históricos en el entorno político ateo. Una prueba de esto se presenta en el manuscrito del arquitecto Ödön Dümmerling. Este arquitecto, restaurador de monumentos y admirador del espíritu de la arquitectura moderna, fue llamado a elaborar una guía de diseño después de la clausura del Concilio Vaticano II, que hiciera recomendaciones para nuevos equipos en espacios litúrgicos.

The Sancrosanctum Concilium approaches the artistic aspects of architecture from the liturgy, while the Charter of Venice approaches the architectural space from the principles of heritage protection. Both emphasized simplicity, functionality and readability. The significance and the combined effect of the two documents in the practice of church construction in Eastern Europe can be considered significant, since the possibility of redesigning the liturgical space arose mainly in the context of the renovation of historic buildings in the atheist political environment. The proof of this statement is presented in the manuscript of the architect Ödön Dümmerling. The architect - a practitioner of monument restorations and an admirer of the spirit of modern architecture - was called upon to draw up design guide after the Second Vatican Council was closed, making recommendations for new equipment for liturgical spaces. ; La Sancrosanctum Concilium aborda los aspectos artísticos de la arquitectura desde la liturgia, mientras que la Carta de Venecia aborda el espacio arquitectónico desde los principios de protección del patrimonio. Ambos enfatizaron la simplicidad, la funcionalidad y la legibilidad. La importancia y el efecto combinado de los dos documentos en la práctica de la construcción de iglesias en Europa del Este pueden considerarse significativos, ya que la posibilidad de rediseñar el espacio litúrgico surgió principalmente en el contexto de la renovación de edificios históricos en el entorno político ateo. Una prueba de esto se presenta en el manuscrito del arquitecto Ödön Dümmerling. Este arquitecto, restaurador de monumentos y admirador del espíritu de la arquitectura moderna, fue llamado a elaborar una guía de diseño después de la clausura del Concilio Vaticano II, que hiciera recomendaciones para nuevos equipos en espacios litúrgicos.

The deployment of United States (US) Armed Forces personnel into the central Pacific islands of Samoa and Tonga, which is highly-endemic for lymphatic filariasis (LF), resulted in thousands of cases of the acute form of this disease and greatly reduced their ability to carry out their mission. The major driving factor for the intensity of transmission was the aggressiveness and efficiency of the Aedes species mosquito vectors, especially the day-biting Ae. Polynesiensis. The paper reminds us of the danger that tropical diseases can pose for troops sent into endemic areas and constant and careful surveillance that is required to prevent rapid resurgence of Aedes-transmitted LF in populations, where the LF elimination program has been successful.

Contemporary world order rests on a fault-line. On the one hand it is an interstate system founded on the legal equality of all states. On the other hand it establishes institutions that privilege a small number of states in economy and politics. This article examines the fault-line, which has widened in recent times and threatens to destabilise the order established after the end of World War II. The 'world' in World wars is because of the global scope of the inter-European wars. The world wars were fought over colonies, in colonial territories, with the manpower and material resources of the colonies. Yet dominant narratives about the world wars speak about the wars as a European war between European nations and write-out colonial questions, colonial contributions and more importantly for this article the colonial impulses in the writing of contemporary international law and establishment of international organisations. This paper examines the human, monetary and material contributions of India in World War II. Britain was the preeminent Empire during the world wars and India the 'jewel in the British Crown'. India was crucial to British conduct of the world wars. At the same time racism and repression during the interwar period fuelled powerful anti-colonial movements in India. Those struggles ended the British Empire. The irony of racism against millions of people who fought and died for Britain presents many perplexing questions about the legacies of World War II for racism and international law. This article examines the responses of different European powers to the independence movements in India during the world wars and argues that the responses of different Empires of the time to the anti-colonial struggles holds the cues to understanding the widening fault-line in the international order today.

The effects of military service have been studied for decades, but surprisingly few studies have estimated the effects of World War II (WW2) service, where the focus has been on the impact of this 'total war' on the broader civilian population. Over 90% of Australian males born in the early 1920s served in the military during WW2. Almost none of those born in the late 1920s served. Treating such cohort differences as exogenous, we conduct one of the first econometric studies of WW2 service. We consider major life outcomes including employment, marital status and home ownership, all measured in 1966, while the economy was strong and male employment was very high. We find a significant negative effect on employment, half of which is accompanied by pensioner status. We find positive effects on home ownership and on separation/divorce. A feature of our analysis is a novel visual depiction of the variation which identifies the estimates, drawing on the Frisch-Waugh theorem.