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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. 

A paper on the Russo-Japanese War impact on Western Military Thought prior to 1914

(Source: here)

I was reading a little about the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. It is one of those wars starting with the Crimean War and the US Civil War that are labelled as early industrial or modern wars. It has come to be seen as a harbinger for the wars of the 20th century with massed armies, ironclads, rapid fire artillery, etc. During my meanderings around the net I came across this paper  from 1985 for a Masters Thesis on what lessens could have been drawn from the Russo-Japanese War that may have helped senior military officers fight the First World War more effectively.

A fashion t-shirt with an 'Aceh Hardwar' logo for sale in Indonesia

While walking through a shopping mall in Indonesia my gaze was attracted to this T-shirt. (Sorry for the photo quality I was using my iPhone in one hand while holding the grocery shopping in the other hand.) At first I did not take it in, just looking without reading, wandering past all the different shops. It took me a few seconds before it registered what the t-shirt had written on it; Aceh Hardwar. It was a play on the Ace Hardware logo (here is the Indonesian site with the logo visible). The shop was not big and I do not think it was a franchise, just a small shop. I was not certain if the t-shirt was a political statement about the long running conflict in Aceh or possibly about how it was fought. Maybe it was just a joke for locals to enjoy. Possibly it was only a fashion design to project an air of political awareness. There was a remote possibility it was demonstrating solidarity to resurrect an old video game. I just thought that the t-shirt was worth a post. For more information on the conflict in Aceh that concluded in 2005, please check out the International Crisis Group website, specifically this August 2005 report and this December 2005 report.

Videos from the US Army on the evolution of modern warfare

 

While surfing through YouTube I came upon this terrific series of videos. They were created by the US Army's Combat Studies Institute to help instructors prepare themselves with additional information before they taught the evolution of modern warfare package. I have linked to the first of twelve videos above and you can then watch them in order as they appear on the right hand side of the page. Alternatively, you can go to the uploader's defence page, PublicResourceOrg, and watch them through that means. If you are very keen then it seems you can buy the supplementary reading package from Amazon as someone is selling a second-hand copy.

For a non-US national they do come across as very US centric but given the aim of the videos is to train US military personnel the focus is understandable. It is also interesting understanding how the lessons of military history are used to teach the current generation of leaders about the evolution of their vocation.

Two tales of networking social disturbances...separated by over 150 years

I sent out a quick tweet about this subject but I thought that I would follow that up with a post about what my point was. I listened to this really well produced and informative podcast on the 1848 revolutions in Europe from the always informative In Our Time hosted by Melvyn Bragg. During the podcast the distinguished academics discussed how the notion of revolution spread quickly across Europe carried by steam ships and telegraphs; the social networking tools of the day. By a serendipitous chance I was also reading an article in Wired about the new networked rioters that have appeared thanks to social networking tools. Neither of these 'events' claim that social networking started the disturbances only that they helped spread or enlarge the riots. The Wired article was very good at looking at how social networking like Twitter, BBM, etc can contribute to rioting and demonstrations; particularly how they can be used by malcontents to counter police tactics. The connections between the two stories really stood out and made an interesting comparison about about how social disturbances develop, how mobs take over, how problems spread, etc. The 1848 revolutions eventually lost impetus and failed in the short term. The recent disturbances in the UK, USA and Europe have had some short term impacts but have really not impacted politically in a major way like 1848. I can recommend both these articles as an interesting way to see how a historical event can still have parallels in modern times.

400 Gurkha positions to be cut in the British Army as part of cost cutting measures

(Source: Channel News Asia story)

As part of the most recent rounds of cost cutting in the British defence establishment the 3500-strong Gurkha presence in the British Army is to be reduced by 400 positions. The best quote is:

"When they needed troops for battle, the UK government recruited hundreds and thousands of Gurkhas for their service but they have decided to cut numbers in the name of reducing defence expenditure," said Gajendra Isbo, of the Kathmandu-based Gurkha Army Ex-Serviceman's Organisation.

Maps of Gettysburg by Bradley Gottfried available on Kindle for $3.99 until the end of January

Just a quick post to let you know that Bradley M. Gottfried's Maps of Gettysburg is available until the end of January for only $3.99. In hardback it is $26.37 on Amazon. It has received a high number of five star reviews on Amazon.

The existence of Malaysia's most famous historical warrior questioned by a prominent academic

I was doing some reading on the net when I came across this article that discussed a prominent Malaysian academic questioning the existence of Hang Tuah and the other warriors closely associated with him. Hang Tuah is a popular folklore warrior who is also taught as a historical figure in Malaysian schools. His story contains a famous dilemma on loyalty. His friend Hang Jebat fears that Hang Tuah has been executed by the Sultan of Malacca and gets consumed with rage and attacks everybody. The Sultan had only pretended to kill his loyal warrior Hang Tuah as a punishment for Hang Tuah disobeying him. The Sultan calls on Hang Tuah to stop his friend, Hang Jebat from inflicting anymore damage on the city. Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat fight and Hang Tuah eventually kills his friend whose rage was started by reports of Hang Tuah's seemingly undeserved execution. For Malays this is the source of debate on loyalty especially for a warrior. To help illustrate that point, this page contains a story based on the legend of Hang Tuah that along with the comments demonstrates what modern Malays feel about the tale. For a more graphic portrayal try the short film below that nicely shows the final fight in which the legendary Kris Taming Sari is used.

 

Pictures and details about a pair of Qing-era matchlock firearms

Source here

An interesting post in the Ethnographic Arms and Armour Forum on two Chinese Qing-era matchlock firearms. Further down the post there is some interesting detail about the movement of firearms into East Asia.

Some quick Indonesian related links

There has been some trouble again in Aceh with a state electricity tower damaged by an unknown party. The attack has been ascribed by some observers to growing tensions related to the upcoming governor election in Aceh on 16 Feb 12. This attack comes on the tail of shootings in early January this year. The article also gives a good rundown of current tensions in Aceh and what the view of TNI is:

The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and the police are believed to prefer that he [Irwandi, the current governor] continue his governorship for a number of different reasons. For one, they still harbor suspicions toward the leaders of the Aceh Party, all former GAM leaders and commanders...

Second, the business interests of the security forces are being accommodated by Irwandi, who has frequently visited Jakarta to attract investors. He has reportedly discussed investment plans with business tycoon and the part-owner of the Artha Graha Group, Tomy Winata, who enjoys close ties with the TNI. [emphasis added]

Sorry for the lack of activity, I am also back in SE Asia

Sorry for the lack of blogging over the past few months, it has been very busy. I had a post written a while ago but the internet connection stopped working and I lost everything I had typed. It was a hectic time in my life and that simple loss of what I had taken time to 'pen' took the impetus out of my blogging. My old laptop and Windows 7 also 'conspired' against me to cause problems so I have done what I considered doing three years ago and I have bought a Mac (MacBook Pro actually). The Mac bug bit me big time; I now own an iPad2, a time machine, iTV as well as taking out a subscription to MacWorld. I already had an iPhone. Anyway, with all this new Mac stuff now I will try to get back to regular blogging again, although I will have to pace myself as I am very committed at present with work.

On the work front I have moved to Southeast Asia again, Indonesia to be precise. I did not think that I would be back here after ten years away but work made me an offer that I could not refuse. This year will be very busy but the following two years, while still hectic, will be a little more under control.

Indonesia has gone through some changes over the last 10 years, not surprising really for any country over a decade. When I was last here Indonesia was recovering from the fall of Soeharto and the monetary crisis. It was coming off a real low point but it now appears to be climbing out of those woes. I would not say that it has changed completely, how could a country as diverse and as large as Indonesia change over just 10 years.

It is an interesting time to be back in Asia, with the US saying that it is focusing on Asia again, with China pushing its regional ambition and with Indonesia building its military again. Yes, it should be an interesting three years I would say. Hopefully I will find time for blogging. More soon...I hope :-)

An interesting podcast on the Thai military and the role of politics in the recent re-shuffle

I just finished listening to a very interesting podcast on the 01 Oct re-shuffle within the Thai military from Radio Australia's Connect Asia program. There is also a transcript of the podcast on the ABC's Radio Australia Connect Asia website. The person being interviewed is John Cole, a former US Army Foreign Area Officer who graduated from Thai Staff College. John Cole also wrote an article in Asia Times Online about the reshuffle. The podcast is very informative on the thinking behind the reshuffle, who links to who and also what the military structures mean. There were also the mandatory statement on what a return of Thaksin may mean:

I think if you were looking for the one back breaker that could break the deal that you opened this interview conversation with, the one deal that could break, the one deal breaker issue would be to have everybody wake up one sunny morning and find that Thaksin's already landed at Don Mueang and he's back and I think the military. While hearing from my friends and former associates and classmates in Thai staff colleges, that's the one thing that could set the whole thing on fire.