WARS OF YEAR 1900 – 1950

Posted on December 5, 2007 by admin

• 1904 – 1905 Russo-Japanese War

Below: Map during Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

RUSSO-JAPANESE War (1904-05) Map

• 1905 Revolution of 1905 in Russia

Below: Gory Sunday during the revolution in Russia (1905)

Revoultion in Russia

1911 – 1912 Turco-Italian War fought over Libya

Below: Turkish soldiers marching for war

Turkish-Italian War

• 1912 – 1913 Two Balkan Wars

Below: Balkan soldiers and artillery deployed for war

Soldiers in Balkan War

Two Balkan Wars are fought for control of the European territories of the Ottoman Empire

• 1914 – 1918 World War I

Below: War scene in World War I

World War I scene

World War I, initially in Europe, then worldwide…

• 1916 Easter Rising rebellion in Ireland

Below: Map of Ireland (click map to enlarge)

• 1917 – 1918 Russian Revolution

Below: Tragedy at Petrograd (former name of St. Petersburg) during Russian revolution (July 1917)

Russia Revolution 1917

• 1917 – 1920 Estonian Liberation War

Below: Front liner Estonian Soldiers in the trench fighting for independence

Estonian Liberation War

• 1918 Finnish Civil War

Below: Red Guard well equipped with deadly 7,62 mm machine gun

Red Guard during Finnish Civil War

Fought between “the reds” (rebellious Socialists) and “the whites” (anti-Socialists) in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Germany intervened on the side of the Whites.

• 1918 – 1922 Russian Civil War

Below: Soldiers posing over Bolsheviks corpse during the Civil War of Russia

Deaths during the Civil War of Russia

Fought between “the reds” (Communists) and “the whites” (tsarists) directly after the Bolshevist Revolution. US, France and Britain also intervened on the side of the whites.

• 1918 Polish-Czech war in Teschen Silesia

Below: Map of Poland and Czech Republic (click map to enlarge)

• 1918 Viena expedition

Below: Map of Finnish advance military movement in capturing White Karelia during Viena Expidition

Viena Expidition Map

• 1918 – 1919 Poland and Lwow against West Ukrainian Republic

Below: Division and Borders of West Ukrainian National Republic (1918)

Borders of West Ukrainian National Republic (1918)

• 1918 – 1919 Great Poland Uprising

Below: Picture of Great Polish Soldiers

Great Polish Soldiers

Provinz Posen against Germany

• 1919 Third Anglo-Afghan War

Below: Picture of Afghan Soldiers at Jamrud fort near Khyber Pass

Afghan Soldiers at Khyber Pass

• 1919 First Silesian Uprising

Below: Map and location of Silesia

Location of Silesia

• 1919 Aunus expedition

Below: Finnish assaulting East Karelia in Aunus Expedition

Finnish assault in Aunus Expedition

• 1919 – 1921 Polish-Soviet war

Below: Map showing countries involved in Polish-Soviet War

Polish-Soviet War Map

Poland and Ukrainian Peoples Republic against Soviets

• 1919 – 1921 Anglo-Irish War

Below: Funeral procession march for British Officers killed in battle during Irish War of Independence

Funeral procession march

Anglo-Irish War also known as the Irish War of Independence

• 1919 – 1922 “Turkish War of Independence”

Below: Turkish pilots during the Turkish War of Independence (1922)

Turkish Pilots

• 1920 – 1922 Second Greco-Turkish War

Below: City caught on fire and destroyed in the Second Greco-Turkish War

Second Greco-Turkish War (1921-1922)

• 1920 Second Silesian Uprising

Below: Poles being executed against a prison wall by Germans

Exection during the Second Silesians Uprising

Silesian Poles against Germany

• 1921 Third Silesian Uprising

Below: Corpse excavated by British and Italian Officials for atrocity investigation (Silesia 1921)

Corpse excavated for Investigation

Silesian Poles against Germany

• 1922 – 1923 Irish Civil War

Below: Ireland troops marching to war in Irish Civil War

Irish Army Parade

• 1932 – 1935 Chaco War

Below: Map of Bolivia and Paraguay in Chaco War

Map of Bolivia and Paraguay

War between Bolivia and Paraguay

• 1934 – 1936 Northern Expedition by Kuomintang

Below: North-West Army of China assembling for war outbreak by Kuomintang (Chinese Political Party)

North-West Army

• 1935 – 1936 Second Italo-Abyssinian War

Below: Italian troops strengthening defense line position in Ethiopia (1935)

Italian troops ready for war

• 1936 – 1939 Spanish Civil War

Below: Spanish Government Troops commence an attack against rebels

Spanish Government Troops

• 1937 – 1945 Second Sino-Japanese War

Below: Japanese soldier beheading Chinese civilian

Japanese soldier beheading Chinese civilian

• 1939 – 1945 World War II

Below: DVD Case with mini-clip photos of World War II on cover

World War II (1939-1945)

• 1939 – 1940 Winter War

Below: Sniper fully covered with thick white coat aiming and ready to shoot

Sniper in Winter war

Part of WW II, Finland against Soviet Union

• 1941 – 1944 Continuation of WW II

Below: Map showing land portion yield by Finnish to the Soviet Union

Map of Finland and Soviet Union

Finland against Soviet Union

• 1944 – 1945 Lapland War

Below: Damaged armor-car parked besides German corpses in Berlin (1945)

Lapland War Casualties

Part of WW II, Finland against Germany

• 1941 – 1945 Pacific War

Below: Pacific War Map showing Allied and Japanese involvement in the war (click map to enlarge)

Part of WW II, Japan against Australia and the United States

• 1941 – 1942 Border war between Ecuador and Peru

Below: Map of southern Ecuador and north-eastern Peru showing main airfields (click map to enlarge)

80 days from World War 1

Posted on December 3, 2007 by admin

It is 80 years since the World War I started. The war lasted from 1914 to 1918 and there were lost 10 million lives. Europe`s map was changed forever. By historical analysis , the World War 1 is known as “the war to end all wars”.

The Cost of Conflict

Posted on December 3, 2007 by admin

When looking at the impact wartime has on a nation and the world, there are both the economic and human costs. Governments often fail to consider the human costs until in the aftermath of war.

In World War I, 1914-1918, the direct costs of the war were in the neighborhood of $150 million.

The human cost was 37 million individuals for those involved directly in the conflict and an additional 10 million in civilian populations. While many thought this devastation would end the threat of world conflict, an American statesman and future President, Woodrow Wilson, made the following prophetic statement.
“The war we have just been through, though it was shot through with terror, is not to be compared with the war we would have to face next time.”

Mr. Wilson was right. In World War II, 1941-1945, the second ‘war to end all wars’, over 72 million people lost their lives, 46 million military and 26 million civilians. Some countries, such as Germany, lost over 10% of their total population. In the midst of this, was the horror of the Jewish genocide, accounting for 6 million of the losses. Over 50 countries participated in the loss of life.

Still, the conflicts and the losses mounted. Loss of life in the Korean War, sometimes called the forgotten war, was almost 2.5 million in military personnel and many more in the civilian population.

In the Vietnam War, some 1,250,000 active personnel were loss with many more civilians. This was an unusual conflict, in that children and other civilians were used as shields or pressed into service as human bombs to fend off invading armies. The psychological casualties of those who experienced this and survived are immeasurable.

In more recent times, the mass genocide within countries has accounted for great losses of life. The horror in Rwanda between the Tutsis and the Hutu brought about the death of over 800,000 Tutsi in 100 days. Sadly, the rest of the world stood back and watched ignoring the lessons they had learned from the likes of Hitler and Idi Amin. Saddam Hussein, amongst his many atrocities, ordered the chemical deaths of 400,000 Kurds. Numerous examples exist of ruthless dictators that isolate a sub-population within their own country and disguise their prejudice under some rhetoric that justifies these mass homicides.

Not totaled into the numbers above are the losses that occurred and continue to occur, due to terrorist activity. Civilian losses are realized every minute of every day as those who believe in random violence as a tool for change wreak their havoc worldwide.

War as a means of resolving conflict is almost as old as man himself. Can the world survive without the use of armed conflict? It would appear, that history has taught that we cannot. But history has also shown us the cost to humanity, and that we must choose carefully when and how we must resort to war. Let us weigh heavily the potential for loss, before we begin to experience it. If we do, the lives of those who have died before would not have been in vain.

War – Technology Generator

Posted on December 3, 2007 by admin

Of the entire struggle generated by war, technology has been one of its more beneficial offspring.

Submarines – Perhaps many do not realize that the submarine, in its crudest form, was a product of the American Revolutionary war Americans in the Revolutionary and Civil wars pioneered submarine warfare. It wasn’t until World War I, however, when they became an efficient piece of military equipment.

Germany used the submarine as a means of ending Great Britain’s naval dominance. Though submarines are still commissioned in the naval ranks of several nations, undersea exploration has benefited greatly from the maritime technology.
Locating and studying the Titanic, one of the most famous civilian shipwrecks in history, was made possible, as is the study of sea life living below the depths at which man himself can dive.

Aircraft – From the early days of hot-air balloons and dirigibles, war spurred rapid development of aeronautic technology. When the allied forces in World War I developed functioned planes, the German Zeppelins, a previous innovation, became unable to survive. Subsequent developments in aircraft not only provided advances for civilian use, but made war more tactical in allowing targeted strikes on strategic locations. This may well have reduced human casualties of both military and civilian personnel.

Our medical knowledge has benefited from that learned in treating individuals in battlefield situations. In 1939, Dr. Charles Drew set up a blood bank at the Columbia Medical Center in Maryland. His breakthrough finding, that blood plasma could replace whole blood, was a huge leap in blood transfusion research. Whole blood deteriorated in days while plasma could be stored much longer. This knowledge played a major role in saving lives in World War II and to this day. Dr. Drew set up a program for collecting, processing and transporting plasma that in 1941 became the first American Red Cross Blood Bank.

Electronic communications has been catapulted forward from the early introduction of field radios in World War I. Now Global Positioning Systems are used on everything from tracking shipments nationally and internationally to providing directions while on a family excursion. Satellite based phone and television technologies owe much to military innovation. As certain technologies are de-classified by the government, the commercial sector finds a way to capitalize on these and adapt them for everyday civilian use. How strange to see the once futuristic world of George Jetson and James Bond become a reality.

Unfortunately, some of the innovation generated for use in wartime has only served to make men more ‘efficient’ as killing each other. Machine-guns, chemical and biological weapons, and more recently nuclear armaments all have killing as there one and only purpose. Perhaps more than any one threat is the worry over nuclear action. Everyone worldwide seems to understand the massive destruction capabilities of nuclear weapons and some third world countries have sought it out to equalize themselves on the international playing field. Yet, very few seem to be able to see past the motives of the moment and see the lessons of war taught to us by previous generations.

Signs of War – a Historical Perspective

Posted on December 3, 2007 by admin

{mosimage}Throughout history, mankind has resorted to armed conflict to resolve cultural, religious, humanitarian, sovereign and economical differences. These conflicts have taken the form of civil, revolutionary, guerrilla and world war. Back in the days of King Solomon, when ‘war machines’ were chariots and armaments were swords and shields, one of the greatest signs of war was the amassing of horses, the fastest transportation of the day.

Civil wars have been the result of internal strife, when a nation finds itself sharply divided. This type of war typically takes the greatest toll on a country. For example, the American Civil War, 1860-1865, fought over the abolition of slavery, was the single largest wartime loss of life in United States history.
Some of the signs of civil war include resistance and underground group formation. This was certainly evident for the cause of freeing slaves. The Northern states formed a resistance group call the Underground Railroad. Slaves were transported secretly through a vast network of peoples’ homes and delivered into Canada. Southern plantation owners sent hired guns to get their human ‘property’ returned. The conflict began to heat up when Abraham Lincoln, a strong opponent of slavery, was elected President.
When political debate and established governmental process cannot resolve internal differences, the obvious follows. Unlike many civil wars, the American Civil War did not spawn subsequent civil wars. Issues of prejudice remained for generations afterward, and were addressed through legislative change and peaceful activists, such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. A phase of rioting took place in the 1960s, when a new generation attempted a more violent approach to addressing the prejudice.

Revolutionary wars present many of the same signs as civil wars, a discontented group that becomes more and more vocal and demonstrative about their discontent. They often circulate written propaganda to insight others to join the cause. Resistance groups form, and work to get sympathizers within the current regime.

World Wars often have a very visible build-up. For World War II, Hitler’s reconstruction of the machines of war, tanks, airplanes, and their strategic placement along borders of peaceful countries, made it all clear. Not reading the scope of Hitler’s intentions with this armament, the appeasement process, conceding of some countries without retaliation, was a first reaction and an ill-conceived one. Truly, had the world acknowledged the scope of the war machine that Germany had constructed, perhaps they would have reacted differently. Or maybe the world was still weary of war from the First World War, under the faulty assumption that it had been the ‘War to End All Wars.’

Today, we look at nuclear enrichment as the most imposing sign of war. While so called third world countries seem to be obtaining materials for this type of build-up, more troubling is the source of these materials, often a modern country. Is the motive of profit or fear of retribution more daunting than the thought of a volatile government having nuclear weapons capabilities?
Truly the statement that if we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat its mistakes, applies here. The question is, with all of this history staring us in the face, what makes us ignore its lessons? That is perhaps the most troubling thought of all.

Cold War of Superpowers

Posted on December 3, 2007 by admin

{mosimage}The United States and Soviet Union flourished in major competition to authorize the support of the nonaligned countries, with the use of economic and military help.

The two countries that were considered to be the superpowers after the Second World War were the United States and the Soviet Union. Both countries stood in opposition in many different ways. The two superpowers competed in the form of military-security contention, philosophical challenges between Wilsonian and Leninism point of view and even in the strength of capitalism and communism. As both superpowers avoided the attack in the world war, the competition between the two is commonly known as the Cold War. There were three main factors that created the situation of Cold War between these two Superpowers: The bipolar world, diversified global arena and declining relevance. Cold War was initiated in 1945 and ended in 1990.

The Bipolar world situation was created by occupying different nations and territories by these superpowers in the realm of Cold War. Soviet Union developed a dominant position in the east of Europe by controlling the Baltic Sea, which helped Soviet military forces through Poland to Bulgaria. For the reconstruction of noncommunist nations, the United States incorporated the Marshall Plan in Europe which diminished the domination of the communist party in Italy and France. Cold War for superpowers in a diversified global arena includes the fact that the communist world was getting integrated under the rule of the Soviet Union but it was proved that administration could be communist only in ideology and thus the influence of Soviet power was rejected.

The United States and Soviet Union flourished in major competition to authorize the support of the nonaligned countries, with the use of economic and military help. In many regions, the Cold War of superpowers provided an approach for smaller nations in acquiring economic and arms help, and these challenges set the attitude for the second stage of the Cold War. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, negotiations among superpower played and important role in global politics.

There was a declining relevance of the Cold War between the superpowers during the final decades of the 20th century. The old power clashes between the United States and Soviet Union no longer influenced the ideologies of Lenin and Wilson affairs. Many superpowers came into being like Germany and Japan which engaged in religious revivalism and ethnic nationalism in many fields. This lead to global pressures for equality and the transformations in development of global outlook from the premature days of the Cold War.

The Financial Cost of Modern War

Posted on June 17, 2007 by admin

During the 20th and nascent 21st centauries, the United States has engaged in seven major wars, two of which are currently ongoing. Since only a portion of one war, World War II, was actually fought on United States soil in the Hawaiian Island and the Southern Pacific Islands, including Guam and the Solomon Island, this country has not suffered large damage to its infrastructure.

Therefore, the U.S. has not faced the huge costs of rebuilding that other countries have had to contend with. Therefore, the costs of war have been limited to the actual price of employing and sustaining troops and the mechanics of providing equipment and war machinery. What follows is a brief review of the wars that the United States has engaged in since 1900 and the cost, as adjusted to reflect today’s dollar currency values.

The United States had maintained an Isolationist foreign policy since the late 1800′s. However, the United States joined the forces of France, Great Britain, and Italy toward the end of World War I and fought from 1917 to 1918. During this time, the airplane was developed as a war machine. Airplanes, ships and conventional land troops were used to fight the war. Chemical warfare was developed and gas was an insidious weapon that was used during this war; its use was banned after the armistice was signed. In the short term of this war, the United States spent an estimated 26, billion dollars.

The United States‘ involvement in World War II lasted from 1941 until 1945. The United States did not immediately enter the war that was being fought on the European front against Hitler, but entered the war against Japan after the United States fleet in Honolulu was bombed. Soon thereafter, it joined in the European struggle. The arms used during this war included all those from the previous wars but also included the submarine, an underwater vessel. When the Armistice was signed on both the European and Pacific fronts, the United States has spent about 288 billion dollars.

In 1950, the Police Action in Korea was reclassified as a war, which lasted until 1953.

This war defined the modern countries of North and South Korea and cost 54 Billion dollars during its three-year duration.

A decade later, the United States engaged one of its longest conflicts, the Vietnam War which lasted from 1964 to 1972. This was primarily fought as a strategic effort against the domino effect, which theorized that if one country fell to communism, many others in the Far East would follow suit and the balance of power would shift to the Soviet Union. This war lasted for eight years and cost 111.1 billion dollars.

The Gulf War of 1990 lasted just under one year and was waged in the Persian Gulf by the senior George Bush. This war had costs of 61 billion dollars.

There are, at present two ongoing conflicts. In 1991, The United States instigated war with Afghanistan and, in 1993, with Iraq. Both in the war against terrorism, an effort in retaliation to the September 11 suicide attacks on the United States. The costs for these conflicts are currently estimated, since they are still in progress. The figures are combined for the two wars. Thus far, the estimates are in the range of 60 billion dollars per year, making it the most expensive war fought within modern times.

War and Neutrality

Posted on June 17, 2007 by admin

Many people maintain that countries such as Holland, Sweden, Switzerland and Liechtenstein that remained neural during World War II actually served the purposes of the Third Reich by their neutrality. Many contend that there is no neutrality during war. This may be the case, since it is well documented that in all of these countries, people fleeing the Nazis were harboured, often at the significant risk.

But it does remain puzzling that a wealthy country like Switzerland, located in the middle of Europe, and thus in the midst of the war, was never invaded. With Germany to the north, occupied Austria to the East and Italy to the south, Switzerland was surrounded by Axis forces. Also, a large portion of France, Switzerland‘s neighbour to the West, was occupied by Germany during most of the war.

The Swiss policy of neutrality was born when the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna and the Second Treaty of Paris were drafted in 1815. Under these treaties, European governments recognized and guaranteed Swiss neutrality and it’s independence from foreign influence. Since this time, The Confederation of Helvetica has remained neutral during all wars. According to these treaties, Switzerland, as a neutral state, must fulfil several responsibilities. Under this definition, Switzerland cannot favor one party in a conflict over another, and it cannot allow its country to be used as an operational base for any party engaged in conflict. A neutral state must tolerate economic sanctions that combating parties may levy against it, and a neutral state may not wage war, but can protect itself if attacked. In return, a neutral state may not be violated by the combatants in a conflict and the country may not be invaded or used for troop transport.

What does the doctrine of neutrality mean during wartime in practical terms? During World War II, Switzerland remained neutral, but compliant with the codes outlined by the treaties, took steps to protect itself in case of attack. Switzerland, then as now, retains an active military. During World War II, the nation’s military forces were united under the lead of General Dufour, a resident of the French section of Switzerland. General Dufour maintained an active, fully trained army that could mount a response to any attack, including an airforce and boats that patrolled the major lakes that formed the borders of Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy. The idyllic Swiss countryside is littered today with bunkers and concrete tank barriers that were set in place to prevent the encroachment of enemy tanks. There were fewer than six major routes of entry into the country due to its mountainous nature, and these passes were studded with explosives; it was the intention of the Swiss government that if a German trespass was carried out, the passes would be blown up and the country sealed off from land aggression.

Switzerland continues to maintain an active military for protective purposes and every male does active service, followed by reservist activity until he is 35 years old. The country has an up to date air force with state of the art supersonic jets. Expert pilots perform daily missions; however, the country is so small that the planes traverse it within 15 minutes and air rights must be purchased from Italy and Germany to allow the planes to turn around.

SS Storaa gets a War grave status

Posted on June 17, 2007 by admin

There are many stories related to the World War II. Some of them are being unearthed now after so many years and some of them are being fought for the rights by some people who want justice after their beloved have already laid their lives for the respective countries.

Due to the lack of information there have been instances till date where proper information about the happenings during the World War II have not been correctly reported. In one such similar cases two daughters of a petty officer aboard a ship SS Storaa had appealed in the court that the sunk ship should be called as a war grave. The reason for this being the ship was on a military duty at the time it was sunk during the war.

Due to the lack of any such status for the ship, till date divers and other people were allowed to enter the ship. Now since the two sisters have won the case and have been able to name the ship as a war grave no one will be allowed to enter the ship or get closer to its vicinity. It will now receive a full military protection. The ship was torpedoed in the year 1943 near Hastings coast.

The ship had been on a duty of transporting steel to a weapons factory in Cardiff, when it was torpedoed by German E-boats. The reason why there was no action from the MoD earlier was that they were not very sure about the ownership of the ship. The MoD consulted the lawyers before conferring such a status on the ship.

However, the sisters argued that since the ship was on war duties at the time it was destructed gave it a full reason that it should be treated as war grave other than anything else. Now after the ship is placed under military protection the ship will allow divers to see inside, but the divers will not be allowed to touch anything or to change anything inside the ship.

Any change or alteration inside the ship will be done by the MoD only and not anyone else. People will be allowed to enter the ship only on do no touch basis. After the court ruling, the sisters were happy since now they can be sure that there will be proper records maintained regarding the ship and it will not written off as just another wreck. The ship will also get proper recognition of that having participated in the World War II. Due to this reason the SS Storaa has been given the status of a war grave after some long years after the World War II was finished.

This ruling will help gather more facts about the World War II and people involved will get their correct place in the books of history. The sisters are daughters of Petty Officer James Varndell. The names of both the sisters are Rosemary Fogg and Valerie Ledgard who happen to have fought for justice for their father after so many years of the end of World War II.

SS Storaa gets a War grave status

Posted on April 11, 2007 by admin

Due to the lack of information there have been instances till date where proper information about the happenings during the World War II have not been correctly reported. In one such similar cases two daughters of a petty officer aboard a ship SS Storaa had appealed in the court that the the sunk ship should be called as a war grave. The reason for this being the ship was on a military duty at the time it was sunk during the war.