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Book Review - Moltke and the German Wars, 1864-1871 by Arden Bucholz

This book has two aims, first to explain the role of Helmuth von Moltke not only in the German wars of the late 1800s but also in the development of the Prussian military. The second aim is to try to look at German military history without it being seen through the filter of the chaos that engulfed Europe from 1914 and led to the rise of the Nazis. This is not a long book but the author packs a lot of material into it but generally it is material chosen because it links to von Moltke. Battles are mentioned and their course is described not in blow by blow detail but more how von Moltke was involved.

Book Review - Bali Chronicles by Willard Hanna

It is indicative of the challenges of researching history in Southeast Asia that in a 280+ page book describing Bali’s history, the pre-1800 period is concluded by page 49, indeed the history before the arrival of Europeans is over by chapter two that starts on page 35. This is not meant as a criticism but an observation that original, verifiable sources are very hard to find for Bali before the arrival of the record obsessed European trading companies. Where records were written down they were done so often on materials made from plants that have not survived the ravages of time nor are easily translated.

The Mitrailleuse - an early machine-gun

So often we read about new military inventions being used in the wrong way during their first outing on a battlefield because the military mind was not flexible enough to recognise the best way to use them. This theme is emphasised when we read about the ineffective first use of a technology that later on becomes a key military technology. I had long heard about the French Mitrailleuse that saw service during the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War that we call a machine gun but was deployed by the French Artillery. I was very excited when I saw one of these controversial weapons in the German Military Museum last year. It is one thing to read about a weapon but to actually see it is another thing. I also recently read a very good article from the archives of Wargames Illustrated that sought to explain some of the myths about the weapon.

New video lectures from the National WWII Museum

In November last year the National WWII Museum in the US held a conference on 1943: Victory in the Balance and they have placed a number of the presentations on their YouTube Channel.

 

 

 

 

 

The 1930s loss of HMS Poseidon and its raising by the Chinese in the 1970s

(Source: SCMP)

I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts over the weekend, the Sinica Popup Chinese Podcast and they had a segment about a British submarine that sunk in the 1930s off China. While the podcast covers a wide range of subjects it was not a topic that I expected to hear. HMS Poseidon was a Parthian Class submarine that was launched just under two years prior to its loss on 9 June 1931. There was nothing particularly suspicious about its loss, it struck a Chinese freighter while training off Weihai in China where the Royal Navy still had a presence through a leasing arrangement with China. While tragic, the accident was marked as probably the first use of the Davis Submerged Escape Apparatus.

RIP Tom Clancy

(Source: Tom Clancy Wiki)

This seems to becoming a theme of this blog but the marking of famous people passing away continues with the sad news that the popular techno thriller author, Tom Clancy, passed away during the week. Growing up during the 1980s when there was still the Cold War fear of a nuclear war his books hit the right chord with so many people. They were page turners with a great grasp of the technology emerging at the time. They may not eventually stand the time as classics to be read in 100 years but they were a great way to kill days without knowing. As an author he did not limit himself to books for entertaining his readers. He probably picked up quicker than most that beyond movies and videos there were video games. His books became tie-ins for video games, several of which became successful series like Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six.

Was he a visionary? Shortly after the tragic attacks on September 11, 2001 it did not take some commentators too long to recall the climatic attack on the Capitol Building by a Japanese Air Lines jumbo jet in Debt of Honor. In addition, the series he created called Netforce seemed to predate many of the discussions that emerged later about 'cyber attacks' and 'cyber crime.'

Hunt for Red October was his first novel and the first Tom Clancy book that I read. It was a page turner and I think the later movie with Sean Connery did a good job of bringing it to the screen. However, there was no way the complexities of the plot and sub-plots could have been fully made into a film that an audience could follow.

We will miss him.

Vale Vo Nguyen Giap

(Source: ABC.net.au)

This post marks the passing of a true military legend, the Vietnamese general, Vo Nguyen Giap. In a number of books about great commanders Giap was listed there alongside generals like Napoleon, Rommel and Alexander. Whether that comparison is true will be debated for years but there is no doubting his leadership of the Viet Minh and then the Viet Cong forces fighting first the French and then the US during Vietnam's long struggle for independence.

His generalship is a good topic for discussion. The French placed themselves in a very vulnerable position at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 but Giap's victory came at a major cost to his forces. It was however a battlefield victory that lead to a negotiated settlement. His victories often came at a high cost in personnel and in a less autocratic society probably would not have been tolerated by the people.

The whole struggle for Vietnam's independence seemed to have been conducted with little regard for the losses by the North Vietnamese side. It was a total war with only one outcome being pursued. The true cost of the war to the people of North Vietnam only came out slowly well after the war. (A novel as one example and a memoir from a senior defector.)

No matter how he is viewed now or in the future by historians his passing is a sad day.

Marking the passing of Chin Peng

Chin Peng (Source: Loyarburok)

Chin Peng, the leader of the Communist party of Malaya that launched a rebellion against the British authorities in that country from the late 1940s passed away on 16 September 2013 in Thailand. He was decorated by the British in World War Two for his efforts in fighting against the Japanese. He then led a predominantly ethic Chinese movement that struggled to overthrow the British-established order in Malaya. The conflict was reputedly described as an 'emergency' so as not to lead to higher insurance premiums in Malaya. The battles were often fought in the depths of the jungle although the 'key terrain' were the people. The methods used by the British led to the popularisation of the term 'hearts and minds.' The US attempted to learn from these techniques when it found itself bogged down in Vietnam. Chin Peng was never allowed to return to Malaysia despite the surrender of the CPM in the later 1980s. Fortunately his story has been left for history in two books (1, 2). It is not whether his cause was right or wrong, although his defeat probably shows that the people did not support him. What is important is that his view of the conflict has been recorded for future generations to study so as to understand all sides in the conflict. If you want to read a good analysis about his legacy then this commentary from Singapore's RSIS is worth a read. The key point is:

Chin Peng may have passed on, but the Maoist precepts of insurgency that have inspired the CPM’s own and others will remain a wellspring of ideas for insurgents well beyond the classical insurgency era. For the counterinsurgent, to ignore these time-honed principles, particularly the human and psychological dimensions that drive people’s wars, is to risk defeat.

Vale Donald Featherstone

I am a bit late on this but I only just caught up on this news as I was late listening to the relevant Wargaming Recon Podcast. I was very sad to hear of the passing of Donald Featherstone on 3 September this year. Donald Featherstone was an accomplished author of numerous books on military history and wargaming. I had recently picked up a copy of his Solo Wargaming, while I already had his Victorian Colonial Warfare: India: From the Conquest of Sind to the Indian Mutiny as well as At Them with the Bayonet: the First Anglo-Sikh War 1845 - 1846. He was an engaging author who had seen war first hand during World War Two as a member of the Royal Armoured Corps. I have been late coming to formal wargaming although I have been exposed to it through my work. He had been active as an author and had inspired many wargamers. Although I never met him, it is truly a pity to say farewell to him. RIP Donald Featherstone.

Don't forget the Fulda Gap

(Source: Wikimapia)

Having just returned from Germany a month or so ago I am still very attuned to things German. So as I was reading through Twitter this morning I came across this article by Kyle Mizokami about the Fulda Gap. (I am familiar with his writing mainly from his co-founding of Japan Security Watch as well as his blogging at War is Boring.) This article struck a chord with me as I remember reading a lot about the Fulda Gap during the Cold War. It was going to be the site of the ultimate modern battle between the Warsaw Pact and NATO. While my family did not visit the area during our trip to Germany we did pass signs indicating roads to Fulda. Everytime I saw those signs I immediatley thought about the Fulda Gap. The article is well worth a read, especially if you lived through the Cold War and ever wondered what the Fulda Gap actually was. If you cannot get enough of the Fulda gap then I can recommend Wargame European Escalation to fulfil your Cold war needs.

Back from a holiday in Germany

We recently returned from a few weeks in Germany, including a side trip for a day into Vienna. It was a highly rewarding holiday, ticking off a number of sites and museums that I had wanted to see for a very long time. We completed a circle around Germany using cars and trains so we really had the chance to see a lot of the countryside. Because I was planning the trip there was a very large focus on military history. Of course, with Germany that can cover a lot of themes and topics. While it was hard to escape World War Two I did not want that to dominate the sites that we saw. Like many countries in Europe, Germany and the territory now encompassed by Germany have a rich tapestry of history to choose from. Our time was limited so we could not see everything that I would have liked. If I get a chance I will blog about a number of the places that we saw, but for now I have just included a list below in the chronological order that we visited them.

William Dalrymple interviewed about Afghanistan in 1840s and now

William Dalrymple (Source: ABC Radio National)

This podcast has been up for a few days but I just thought that I would highlight it. British author William Dalrymple was interviewed on Australia's ABC Radio National as part of the Sydney Writers Festival about his new book detailing the First Anglo-Afghan War. The book is Return of a King. It is obviously risky to draw too much from a historical analogy but the discussion was interesting. He highlighted the tribal similarity between the leader of Afghanistan deposed by the British, Dost Mohammad, and the current President, Hamid Karzai. I think anybody who has read about the British intervention at that time cannot help but think of parallels between then and the current situation in that tragic country. This is not to criticise the current operations in Afghanistan but rather an observation. It was not a long podcast but really worth a listen to.

Off for a holiday to Germany mid-year

It has been a while since we, as a family, had a decent holiday but we will be having one mid this year. We have decided to visit Germany this time to experience all that the history there has to offer. We are also planning to briefly travel to Vienna to visit the famous Heeresgeschichtliches Museum. 

I am very much looking forward to the trip as we will be experiencing a grand narrative of history when we move through a wealth of military history from the Roman era Limes, Varus Battlefield and Mainz's ancient watercraft through the Thirty Years War to the horrors that befell Germany in World War 2. I am a believer in the grand narrative of history in that everything is connected. Not necessarily in a causational sense but it is not hard to draw lines through history connecting events. The simplest thread is of course the geographic thread in that an area influences and is influenced by its history.

Robert Kaplan has argued that we ignore geography at our own peril. I did not find his views revolutionary as, in my opinion, geography has always remained important. Historically speaking Germany was a collection of states with Prussia emerging in the 1700s as probably the most important. It was cursed by having an open geography that meant it was fearful of invasion. It became a continental power because it faced the major land powers of Austria, France and Russia. It needed to secure its existence on land before it could be concerned with conquering the seas.

Its history also shows the threads of military history, particularly from a European perspective. It experienced the "first armies" such as the Romans. It had barbarian warfare and then feudal warfare. It saw the rise of mercenaries leading to the creation of standing armies. From there came mass armies that fed into industrial age warfare.

I am reading several books at present trying to understand Germany before we visit there. The main reference is Iron Kingdom as the role of Prussia cannot be separated from the emergence of Germany.

This trip should be very interesting and help me understand how the grand narrative of history interweaves military history. I also hope that it will give me broader paradigms for what I read and see in Asia. 

The count down clock is ticking and I cannot wait.

WW2 emerges again thanks to a Japanese politician

Although 1939 is 74 years ago, the Second World War is not a subject for historians. Events during the war still make it into contemporary politics. The latest incident arose when the Mayor of the Japanese city of Osaka decided to justify the use of comfort women by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War Two. He said that the combat troops needed this type of outlet as a relief from their lives of constant danger. He also referred to other countries having similar operations. Of course the most famous were the French but I think that it would be a long stretch to equate what the Japanese did to what the French had. The issue is not so much the ethics of whether a state should supply and manage brothel services for its troops but the fact that the Imperial Japanese Army launched a concerted campaign of forced recruitment. This story will not die easily and there will be probably be another badly chosen comment from a prominent Japanese again in the near future.

Some quick links

- An article by Michael Vatikiotis arguing that the tensions are rising in Asia and that steps need to be taken to avoid armed conflict. 

- The Chinese don't seem to be paying attention with three government ships entering seas disputed with Japan.

Sabah - A problem here to stay for a while?

When the reports started to emerge about an armed group of Filipinos landing in Sabah to back up their traditional claim to Sabah with guns I thought that it was another sign of the times. East Asia is awash with territorial claims that have been dormant and are now rising as the countries of the region grow in strength. While this was a sub state or non-state actor from the Philippines there is no doubt that it has been a catalyst for adding tension to the relationship between Malaysia and the Philippines. The New Mandala has a great overview here.

I am still around, I have just been very busy

I am still around but this year has been much busier than I thought it would be. I knew that 2012 would be busy but I did not fully realise how busy it would become. I think that life will slow down now so I should be able to do some blogging. I have also noted while writing this blog that the internet here is incredibly slow. A slow connection will make blogging hard. Well, hopefully I will be able to put some posts up soon. I have done some travelling and have some interesting photos, well hopefully people will find them interesting. More soon...I hope.

Discussing the implications of the Chinese seizure of Taiwan from the Dutch in 1662

I blogged about the 350th anniversary of Koxinga seizing Taiwan from the Dutch here. I was therefore very pleased to see an article by Tonio Andrade, author of Lost Colony, in The Diplomat discussing what the battle can tell us about war with China. I agree that some points may be drawing a long bow but there is still some interesting food for thought.

But the war also has lessons for today, because among the factors that enabled the Chinese to win was a rich, effective, and, to Westerners, mysterious military tradition – a strategic culture that provided a discernable boost to Chinese warcraft. The Dutch, famous in Europe for their weapons, tactics, and logistics, found themselves hopelessly outclassed by the Chinese. Since military leaders in China today are still deeply imbued with this traditional military culture, it behooves us to study it.

A report about the WW2 mutiny of US African-American troops in Australia

I came across this article from the Australian ABC news about a local Australian historian, Ray Holyoak, discovering documents talking about a mutiny by US African-American troops around Townsville, Australia in WW2. It seems that the mutiny was very intense with machine guns and anti-aircraft guns being used by the mutinying soldiers to fire on the tents of their white officers. Despite 600 troops form the 96th Battalion, Corps of Engineers, being involved in the disturbance and firing over 700 rounds, the casualties were thankfully light with only one person killed but dozens wounded. The webpage also has a video and audio link to further reporting.

"For 70 years there's been a rumour in Townsville that there was a mutiny among African-American servicemen. In the last year and a half I've found the primary documentation evidence that that did occur in 1942," Mr Holyoak told AM.

The end of war, at least amongst developed nations...or is it?

(Source: www.toonpool.com)

I was listening to an interesting podcast titled, are wars on the decline, that was based on a segment from the Australian Radio National progam, Late Night Live in which a journalist as well as an academic were interviewed about research showing that war was on decline across the globe. The academic was Professor John Mueller from Ohio State University who has been researching this trend for a number of years while the journalist was Peter Hartcher from the Sydney Morning Herald. Peter had also written an article touching on the issues covered in the podcast. Below is a quote from the article.

There has been a pronounced decline in the number of wars and the deadliness of war in the world. One expert, John Mueller, professor of political science at Ohio State University, writes: "We may be reaching a point where war - in both its international and civil varieties - ceases, or nearly ceases to exist, a remarkable development that has attracted little notice."

The grave of Captain Joseph Drury RN in Bogor, Indonesia - buried in 1835

The gravestone of Captain J. Drury RN who died in 1835 and is buried in Bogor, Indonesia

I was recently in Bogor, Indonesia (formerly known as Buitzenzorg during the Dutch Colonial period and had an opportunity to visit Kebun Raya, the famous tropical botanical gardens founded by the Dutch in 1817. I am not much of botanical garden person but I was interested in checking out the old Dutch gravestones to see what military history there may be there. I was surprised therefore to see the above gravestone in what was described as a Dutch Cemetery given the nationality of the deceased and his date of death. I had previously blogged about the British invasion of Java in 1811 but knew that the British had departed in 1816 so I could not figure out the connection between a Royal Navy Captain in Bogor, well away from the sea, and Java in 1835, well past the British occupation period.

Just a reminder 'The Fall of Singapore' on Discovery Channel Asia, Wed 8 Feb at 20:00 JKT

A still from 'The Fall of Singapore' (Source: Discovery Channel asia)

Just a reminder that tomorrow night, Wednesday 08 Feb 2012, at 20:00hrs JKT (21:00 BGK) 'The Fall of Singapore' will premiere on Discovery Channel. The promotional video is here. I am not expecting great things from the documentary as the advertisements already seem to be full of hyperbole but I suspect that it will at least provide a good summary of the main events. I am sceptical about claims of startling new information, I suspect that they mean information that is already available but packaged into a TV documentary for the first time. I am not expecting great things but I am prepared to be amazed and hope that I will be.

Some pictures of the old fortifications on the South Head of Sydney Harbour

Sydney Harbour is one of the most beautiful harbours in the world but despite its wonderful vistas it is still a harbour and therefore it has been a location worth defending. Its beauty now conceals a number of sites throughout the harbour and its surrounds that were built for more worried times. Over the recent Christmas break I was in Sydney and went for a trip around a few of the old fortifications. The weather in Sydney over summer tends be gorgeous and wondering around old fortifications in a beautiful harbour setting under sunny weather conditions is a great way to spend a day. I have placed a number of pictures below that will hopefully show what can still be found in just one part of the harbour. North Head, Middle Head and Bradley's Head all have fortifications, some of which are more complete than the fortifications that I discuss below. I grew up around the South Head side of Sydney Harbour so it was nice to return there for a look around.

The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NSW NPWS) sign on South Head that explains about the fortifications.

Interesting article in Stars and Stripes about the WW2 Nagasaki leadership bomb shelter and the atomic bomb

 

A really interesting article from Stars and Stripes about the Tateyama air raid shelter in Nagasaki and what happened on the day that the second atomic bomb exploded in 1945. The shelter was effectively closed after World War Two and then forgotten until recently when it was opened to the public. It seems like it would be an interesting place to visit and, as the writer says, to think about what occurred in that shelter on that day in August.

Testimony from those within would later indicate that Nagano had a feeling that Nagasaki would be next, despite knowing very little about this new weapon. Some even reported that he called the meeting to discuss the evacuation of civilians from the city. If that is true, he never got the chance....Nagano finished his introduction, and at 11:02 a.m., the lights in the shelter went out.

There are accompanying photos in the article and a video, which I have also linked to above.

Disquiet in Indonesia about a suggestion for TNI to buy an Israeli UAV

 

(Source: Kabar-Terkini)

There was a certain amount of disquiet in Indonesia about a plan by TNI to buy UAVs from Israel. The Head of Commission 1 of the DPR (Indonesian Parliament) responsible for overseeing and reviewing government decisions on defence has called on TNI to explore other options rather than buying a UAV from Israel. His reason for objecting was that Indonesia was banned from purchasing weapons because it was accused of being a human rights violator (this was probably a reference to the recent Dutch parliament actions to block a sale of Leopard 2 MBTs to Indonesia) yet Israel was a major human rights violator, especially against the Palestinians. The Head of Commission 1, Mahfud MD, was a former Indonesian Defence Minister under President Gus Dur and has been very critical of some recent military procurement intentions.

1 February marks the 350th anniversary of Koxinga's seizing of Taiwan from the Dutch

Koxinga (Source: Wikipedia)

While reading the current edition of the BBC History Magazine, I noted in the calendar of February events that on 1 February 1662, 350 years ago, the Ming loyalist Chinese leader of mixed Japanese and Chinese heritage, Koxinga, effectively ended the 38 year Dutch rule of the island we know as Taiwan. The wikipedia article is reasonably long about Koxinga or if you want more then there are three books to consider.

Jonathan Clements Coxinga and the Fall of the Ming Dynasty

Tonio Andrade How Taiwan Became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish, and Han Colonization in the Seventeenth Century and Lost Colony: The Untold Story of China's First Great Victory over the West

 

No new US bases in the Philippines just the possibility of an increased US presence

Subic Bay US Naval Base...still history (Source: Wikipedia)

There were some media reports recently about consideration being given for new US bases in the Philippines but careful reading of both the US and Philippines announcements showed that there was no talk of bases just an increased US presence. The US did have bases in the Philippines before but between the actions of Philippines Senate and the eruption of Mt Pinatubo the US left (or was expelled from, depending on your viewpoint) its bases including very large facilities at Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Base. The Philippines have strict laws against foreign bases and foreign military involvement as the US has discovered in its counter terrorism fight in the Southern Philippines. Knowing that history and the legal reality the Philippines Foreign Secretary made it clear that there were no discussions about US bases in the Philippines.

A paper containing three personnel reminiscences of BCOF in Japan from three experienced Japanese hands

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I recently came across this paper from 1991 on the web and wanted to share it because of who wrote it. These are three personal reminiscences of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) but from three people who later came to be close observers of Japan. The three people are:

W G Beasley, Emeritus Professor of History of the Far East, University of London

Personal Reminiscences of the Early Months of the Occupation: Yokosuka and Tokyo, September 1945 – March 1946

T B Millar, Visiting Fellow, Centre of International Studies, London School of Economics

An Australian's Experiences of BCOF: Kaitaichi and Hiroshima, 1946-6

Sir Hugh Cortazzi, GCMG, British Ambassador to Japan, 1980-4

Britain and the Occupation of Japan: A Personal Experience and Some Comments 

The Chinese could reach Pyongyang in two hours; must be by air

The Korea Times had an article quoting a Japanese newspaper report that Chinese sources claimed that Chinese troops could be in Pyongyang within two hours. I suppose it could be true but Japanese reporting is not always accurate about North Korea. If the Chinese were to move south than they will not be able to use Google Maps; I tried and Google maps cannot plot a road trip to Pyongyang from the Chinese border. I also doubt that an overland tip would only take take two hours. The straight line distance from Dandong in China to Pyongyang is approximately 170km so the journey would have to be by aircraft to achieve the two hour timeframe. It is unclear what the Chinese troops would do once they go to a Pyongyang that was in the centre of a collapsing DPRK. Would they be bring Kim Jong Nam or would they be there to spirit away information that they did not want publicised?

So it looks like Korea will not be getting Global Hawk after all

(Source: Korea Times)

The Korea Times has an exclusive story claiming that the ROK will not be purchasing any Global Hawk UAVs as the price was just too high.

“We cannot buy the drones at the price the United States is offering them,” Noh Dae-lae, commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said.