Krig

An alternative history of the Blitz written by historian and broadcaster Joshua Levine.

Were British Intelligence chiefs gullible or sensible to recruit an astrologer to assist in the war effort against Nazi Germany? And was the astrologer genuine or a charlatan?

The launch of an unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in February 2022 was a jolting turn of events for the majority of Western scholars studying Eastern Europe. Moreover, the dramatic unfolding of the subsequent all-out Russo-Ukrainian war helped unmask an array of fundamental deficiencies--and even outright flaws--in the dominant Western perceptions of Russia and Ukraine and of their respective places in, and relation to, Europe's past and present. The fast-moving geopolitical situation that erupted, in all of its dimensions, rocked the stability of an array of related scholarly disciplines--from the fields of history and cultural history to the study of current political events. As a result, many scholars have voiced the need for a reconceptualization and "decolonization" of the entire cluster of Russian, Slavic, post-Soviet, East European, and Ukrainian interrelated disciplines in Western scholarship. The Unpredictable Past? Reshaping Russian, Ukrainian, and East European Studies, edited by Volodymyr Kravchenko and Marko Robert Stech, offers readers an extensive collection of insightful essays on the topic by thirty prominent international scholars. These invited academics discuss the state of the art in their respective disciplines and suggest feasible solutions for re-evaluating them in the context of recent events.

After the Peace of Westphalia, several German states developed a disciplined 'military' that produced outstanding armies. Germany supplied mercenary troops to major and minor powers across Europe, and the military state, usually exemplified by Prussia, became a crucial part of German history.However, 'Germany' appeared weak and was divided into a multitude of states that constantly faced a hostile environment created by belligerent great powers. Additionally, the German 'militaries' were the result of a system of collective security, internal conflict and resolution that allowed a rich variety of political traditions to coexist relatively harmoniously. This system tried to preserve 'Germany' against formidable attacks without making it a threat to the security of its neighbours. In contrast to the political culture of later German states, that of the Reich was inherently defensive, preferring peace to war in both domestic politics and external relations. This study deals with the armies of the Holy Roman Empire for the first time in a single book from extensive research in archives across Germany and using previously unpublished iconography.This third and final volume of Bruno Mugnai's monumental work on the German armies of the late seventeenth century explores how armies recruited troops and further reviews the armed forces of the myriad of states within 'Germany'. The author examines the conflicts that involved the German armies during the second half of the seventeenth century. The book concludes with extensive appendices that contain a wealth of material on orders of battle, regiments, and the specifics of armies hiring troops to foreign states.

Dr. Opiyo Oloya's The Best Army Doesn't Wear Kilts offers a compelling exploration of the professionalization of Uganda's People's Defence Forces (UPDF). Drawing on the extraordinary transformation of the National Resistance Army (NRA) from a rebel group in south-central Uganda in the 1980s into a globally respected military force, this book distills ten universal lessons for organizational success.From the NRA's disciplined approach to resourcefulness and its strategic emphasis on education, adaptability, and community engagement, Oloya unpacks the guiding principles that shaped this army's journey to professionalization. With a keen focus on leadership, organizational culture, and resilience, the book highlights how a shared vision and adherence to core values transformed a fledgling movement into a force recognized for operational excellence across Africa.Rich with historical detail, Oloya contextualizes the NRA's evolution within the broader legacy of Ugandan armed forces and colonial histories, drawing parallels that resonate with modern organizations navigating complexity and change. Whether dissecting the importance of branding, the cultivation of discipline, or the need to embrace innovation and learn from past mistakes, Oloya offers a roadmap for leaders across industries.A must-read for business leaders, strategists, and history enthusiasts, The Best Army Doesn't Wear Kilts demonstrates how the principles underpinning military success can be applied to drive organizational growth and sustain competitive advantage. In a world of rapid change and uncertainty, this book inspires leaders to think boldly, act decisively, and build enduring institutions.

The bold initiative of Japan’s Combined Fleet to conquer Port Moresby from the sea led to the first aircraft carrier clash in history, known better as the Battle of the Coral Sea. This engagement unexpectedly became one of the pivotal points of the Pacific War's early stage, slowing the Japanese advance and influencing further developments. After the naval offensive in the Indian Ocean, the Kidō Butai maintained its high combat readiness in preparation for the decisive quest in the Central Pacific. However, on the eve of the battle of Midway, the Japanese navy planners decided to advance from newly established positions in New Britain and New Guinea towards the Solomon Islands and Port Moresby to cut off Australia and New Zealand from American supplies and military support. Nippon Kaigun’s forces in this area were limited to the 4th Fleet of Vice-Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue and the 11th Air Fleet of Vice-Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara. Combined Fleet’s command remained focused on the strategic initiative in the Central Pacific yet agreed to temporarily reinforce the 4th Fleet with the 5th Carrier Squadron comprising Shōkaku and Zuikaku. An outline of the Japanese plan was intercepted by American cryptanalysts, who helped to deploy the carrier task force of Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher in the South Pacific. At the beginning of May, the vast area of the Solomon Islands and the northern part of the Coral Sea became the stage of a fierce struggle between the US Navy and the Nippon Kaigun. The devious invasion of Tulagi, Yorktown’s raid on the enemy positions on the island, the desperate search for the enemy task force, strikes against secondary targets, and the central part of the battle between two carrier task forces turned out to be the first major Japanese strategic defeat in the Pacific War. The 4th Fleet cancelled Operation “MO” and postponed the seizure of Port Moresby. The battle of the Coral Sea not only proved the high determination of the Allied to check the Japanese advance but also significantly boosted the US Navy morale in the decisive week before the clash off Midway. This book, which presents Nippons Kaigun’s offensive in the South Pacific during the first days of May 1942 from the Japanese perspective whilst also including Allied sources, is a worthy contribution for all WWII book collections.

The Greatest Naval War is about naval warfare during World War II. Its narrative will follow the conflict’s greatest naval engagements, and it will focus on recurrent themes like technology innovations, command and control, logistics, and intelligence. However, the book’s overriding theme is the practice of sea power—not in a one size fits all, formulaic sort of way—but as practiced by all nations with a port and a beach, big or small, as best fitted their own national imperatives. The book will demonstrate that sea power is not a matter of flight decks and big guns, but a combination of many elements, and that it is not the exclusive purview of big navies.

Ernest Evans and his ship USS Johnston (DD-557) are legendary for their exploits in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Evans is an intriguing character in a number of ways, including his Native American heritage, and the USS Johnston under Evans—he was the sole commander from commissioning to sinking—served in various campaigns and operations prior to the action off Samar that earned him the Medal of Honor. The ship was active in the Carolines and bombarded the beaches at Kwajalein and Eniwetok and (with two other destroyers) sank a sub off Bougainville (earning Evans a Bronze Star). She also was active at Guam and Peleliu. Thomas Cutler brings both Evans and USS Johnston to life in a manner that places them into the context of the greater Pacific War but keeps the focus on these two relatively small—but ultimately so significant—entities. A ship and her captain are nothing without the crew, and the author ensures that—despite his larger-than-life status—Evans is portrayed as part of that larger “organism,” with appropriate emphasis on the other members of the crew.

This book, framed in three parts to cover the contributions of these Naval Academy graduates in the Pacific Theater from the Sea, in the Air, and below the Surface – shares the experiences of a group of men who fought the full scope of the war against Japan. Opening with their lives on the Yard, chapters quickly follow the graduates to their first postings as the United States enters the war in December of ‘41. Driven by personal perspectives on a monumental scale of events, readers are taken from Pearl Harbor to the Coral Sea and Midway, to the Japanese home islands in June of 1945 to understand the experiences and contribution of these Naval Academy graduates in the most monumental conflict of the twentieth century.

This book offers a micro-global history of humanitarianism and medical care during the 'long' Second World War, which challenges the traditional and Eurocentric chronological boundaries of 1939/1945. It takes as its starting point the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, which led to the progressive dislocation of the League of Nations, with the Japanese, German and Soviet departures in the 1930s. It ends with the termination of the Korean War in 1953, and the subsequent dismantlement of the first United Coalition and UN Peace enforcement operation. It considers the slow, messy and ambivalent transformation of humanitarian actors' relations to the suffering of distant others through a study of humanitarian encounters, practices, spaces and affects. Paying close attention to a variety of actors, such as French colonial doctors, Swiss ICRC delegates, Egyptian relief workers, Chinese-style physicians, Peruvian and Ecuadorian nurses or American member of the Unitarian Service Committee, the book provides a more holistic story of humanitarianism.

Highlights the importance of the Soviet Union and the socialist world in shaping the rise of the international political economy we know today. Sanchez-Sibony documents how the Soviets succeeded in helping bring about financialization and international market practices in Europe.

Combining history and biography with astute philosophical analysis, Nicolas de Warren explores and reinterprets the intellectual trajectories of ten German philosophers as they reacted to and experienced the First World War. His book will enhance our understanding of the intimate and invariably complicated relationship between philosophy and war.

The Nursing Diary kept by Katharine Asquith in 1918, when she worked under Millie, Duchess of Sutherland at a field hospital in France.

The first full reappraisal of one of Britain's great fighter aces, this book examines the truth behind Tuck's 1956 biography, Fly for Your Life. It looks at the evidence behind the myths, and reveals the real Stanford Tuck, a more complex man than the one-dimensional hero of the previous biography.

The sixth volume of this popular series focuses on the early months of the hugely significant air campaign against German assets across South-East Europe. Each are described in minute detail, including the actions of Germany's Axis allies such as Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria that were encountered for the first time by the Western Allies.

This handbook explores the significance of Indo-Pacific in world politics. It shows how the re-emergence of the Indo-Pacific in international relations has fundamentally changed the approach to politics, economics, and security.

A fascinating exploration of a little-known subject--the government-in-exile of Poland which existed in London for over 50 years.In the wake of the German and Soviet invasions in September 1939, the Republic of Poland's government re-established itself abroad, first in France, then in the United Kingdom, where it functioned until the fall of communism in Poland. It never surrendered to the Germans, nor did it accept the communist government imposed by the Soviet Union. Despite diplomatic and financial pressures, the exiles maintained a government consisting of a president, prime minister, council of ministers, national council, judiciary, and treasury, and they regularly conducted elections. Throughout its existence it remained a constant reminder of Poland's plight during and after the war. This book provides an English language history of Poland's Government-in-Exile from its creation in 1939 through the dissolution of the last of its bodies in 1991, focusing on its relations with wartime allies, its loss of recognition in 1945, its postwar mission, relevance, and international reach, and its legacy in post-communist Poland. It explores internal conflicts and divisions in the exile community, the Government-in-Exile's advocacy for Poland throughout the Cold War, and its extensive support for the opposition in Poland.