It is clear that while Chronicle of Marcellinus Comes belongs to most important works from the 6th century, there is significant problem with indicating his personal attitude towards the discussed characters and the described events. The following text is an attempt to answer the question why some of the warlords and generals mentioned in Marcellin’s chronicle were shown positively and others not. It seems that the key to the chronicler’s assessment of a given person was his origin, attitude to imperial authority and actual influence on the most important events of the era in which he lived.
Studies in Padua became firmly established in Polish intellectual culture primarily as a place for the education of eminent representatives of the First Republic, from whom a rich writing legacy remains. Hence, among the wide range of so-called ‘Paduan’ people identified, writers and poets are associated with the Paduan Athenaeum in the first place, followed by medics, especially professors and lecturers at the Kraków Academy, or royal secretaries. The article addresses the hitherto overlooked issue of military education, and in the wider context of military culture, encountered by students arriving from Poland to a university city under the strict control of the Republic of Venice. Research in this area makes it possible to better understand not only, for example, the European circulation of knowledge on the art of fortification, but also the origins of the Zamoyski Academy or the sources of the assimilation of the idea of honour into Polish language and culture.
The discussed book by Stephen Tanner is not the author’s debut. He has been analyzing various issues of military history for a long time. He is the author of works on the great retreats of armies during various periods of history, the fortunes of American airmen operating in Switzerland during World War II and the history of Afghanistan. Tanner’s book can be considered as the author’s personal opinion on the military policy of the United States a! er the Cold War.
This text inquires into the problem of cadenced step as the disciplinary technique of the body, according to theories of Marcel Mauss and Michel Foucault. Author explores historical core of military body techniques in social context, developed by Dutch army reformers Counts of Nassau during 1590s and refined by the Prussian military in 1740s. Author interprets cadenced step inside framework of shifting paradigm of power, as Foucault analyses the sequence of three stages of power emerging during european Early modernity.
When Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1878, one might have expected – especially in view of the fierce resistance – that neither side would have had any interest in rapid integration into the newly established regime. While historians have already pointed out the growing number of locals who served in this government, less has been done for the young descendants who joined the occupiers’ army as officers. This article approaches the topic from two angles: firstly, I show the normative and educational structures that the army set up to enable young men from Bosnian-Herzegovinian families to become officers; secondly, using some examples, I will analyze their social, educational, and regional backgrounds and examine what their careers looked like. My qualitative analysis of the officers’ biographies shows that there was a growing number from all three main religious groups, but for the most part, sons of the middle class of society, whose careers increasingly resembled those in Austria and Hungary, and also as Ottoman subjects most of the time, served outside their home region and commanded and trained Austrian and Hungarian citizens.
Objectives: The purpose is to consider military-historical subjects as a tool of influence of the Russian Federation on the historical consciousness during the armed aggression against Ukraine. Material and methods: Methods. To achieve this, a literature review was conducted on the subject; Cases of manipulation of historical facts are presented in order to achieve political goals; a comparative analysis of the impact on the addressees of political texts with metamorphic elements expressed by metaphor and political texts without metamorphic elements. Results: It has been found that by obeying the political regime, historical science has become a tool for the Russian authorities to solve military and political problems in order to: mobilization and consolidation of the population of the Russian Federation in support of the foreign policy of the state; the ideological “justification” of the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the hidden armed aggression in the east of Ukraine; massive influence on the population of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine using historical discourse. Conclusions: There is need to strengthen the protection of Ukrainian citizens from negative information influences, counteract manipulations of the public consciousness and disseminate untrue information, which should be implemented through the institutes of education, culture, and mass media.
This essay is inspired by a close reading of the recently published volume Żołnierze ludowego Wojska Polskiego. Historie mówione (Soldiers of the Polish people’s Army. Oral histories) by Jarosław Pałka and Kaja Kaźmierska (Łódź, 2018) and continuously refers to it. Rather than a standard book review, it is a critical essay which positions this publication, and the documentation project standing behind it, in the context of Polish oral history research field. The latter has been expanding dynamically in recent years, gaining more and more recognition also among academic historians. One of its essential characteristics, to which this volume attests, is its methodological anchoring in biographical sociology. This field of research has a long academic tradition in Poland (though its current versions tend to adopt ‘Western’ ideas and research patterns) and offers scientific credibility to, still often insecure, oral history research. The text claims that scientific legitimisation of this kind does not necessarily lead to a convincing interpretation. The method, no matter how neutrally it may be presented, is not free from the authors’ value judgements and non-source-based historical knowledge (and imagination). The text, therefore, suggests a reading of the book – which is vastly a selection of edited, historically footnoted and narratively ordered oral history sources (biographical narrative interviews with the title soldiers) – that partly goes against the authors’ interpretations. Altogether, it makes up an exercise in (oral) historical hermeneutics.
The presented case study focuses on a reenactment of the ČSLA in the acting perspective of the current young generation. The author first presents a real military reenactment as a specific subject of anthropological research and then addresses the basic categories (material and interactional credibility), on the basis of which the degree of historical authenticity is assessed in reenactment studies. The main focus is on the analysis and interpretation of semi-structured interviews with members of an unnamed military history club dealing with the reenactment of a specific military unit during the Cold War period (1960s–1980s).
This article focuses on military handbooks from the first half of the 17th century placed in the collections of the Military History Institute Prague. In the introduction, it summarises the history and structure of the collection of early printed books in the library under study. After that, it characterises the set of the handbooks i.a. in terms of their topic, the language and the publisher’s provenance, as well as format. Its main aim is to analyse the frontispieces and engraved title pages of these publications with regard to the iconographic motifs that are usually depicted on them. The final part of the work outlines the possibilities of using the frontispieces and engraved title pages of the studied publications as iconographic sources in historiography and it places the title illustrations of the military handbooks in a wider context.
Military history has to date shown little interest in war periodicity. It will soon witness the confirmation or disproof of a war forecast made over thirty years ago, by a socio-political model of Anglo-American culture that predicted a major civic and war crisis for the 2020s. Extending that model beyond the scope of original authors, Neil Howe and William Strauss, this essay finds a mathematical periodicity of major war over fourteen centuries of American and English history. This periodicity similarly calculates 2025 at high probability for the start of a drift into civil conflict and/or slide into world war. Military historiography can deploy this modeling for empirically valid research without relying on dubious political agendas or philosophical axioms about national destinies or international determinisms. Philosophy of culture and social realism should encourage historiography’s disciplined empirical investigations and predictions.
In this article the author discusses the crucial issues of Polish military history of 1914-1939 concerning Polish military units from the First World War and the Polish army of the Second Polish Republic until the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union invasion of Poland in September 1939. The article also deals with the questions connected with Poland’s strategic location in the years 1921-1939 and the related Polish military planning, the mobilization and economic preparations undertaken at that time, military alliances, military relations with the then neighbors of Poland etc. Thus the article presents the whole of the major military issues related mainly to the functioning of the Polish state between 1918 and 1939. The author has also briefly presented the current state of Polish historiographic research concerned with the above mentioned issues. Where it is necessary, the author suggests foreign-language historical literature, including those publications which concern the armed forces of Poland’s then. powerful neighbors, i. e. the Red Army and the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht.
This review article deals with Steele Brand’s monograph devoted to the motivation of the Republican Roman soldiers in the context of the idea of citizen soldiery and civic militarism. From the reviewer’s perspective it is a starting point to illustrate a broader tendency, manifested in the gradual relegation of military issues to the margins of academic life, which is reflected in re-linking them with military institutions. Military academies were not established to conduct classical or even historical studies, and their primary goal is to educate officers, so this may lead to historiographical deformations resulting from ignorance of socio-cultural conditions.
PL
Artykuł recenzyjny traktuje o monografii autorstwa Steele’a Branda poświęconej motywacjom, jakie przyświecały żołnierzom republikańskiego Rzymu. Jej omówienie stanowi punkt wyjścia do zobrazowania szerszej tendencji, przejawiającej się sukcesywnym spychaniem problematyki militarnej na margines życia naukowego, co skutkuje ponownym powiązaniem prowadzonych badań z instytucjami wojskowymi. Wziąwszy pod uwagę, że te ostatnie nie zostały powołane do prowadzenia działalności stricte naukowej, lecz ich nadrzędnym celem jest kształcenie oficerów, prowadzi to do zubożenia dyskursu i powstania deformacji historiograficznych płynących z nieznajomości uwarunkowań społeczno-kulturowych.
After Poland regained independence in 1918, the mainstream of military historians was formally linked with the institutions of the Polish Army. As a result, most of the publications devoted to military issues were intended to strengthen patriotism and educational goals implemented in the army, which determined their content and approach. In addition, there were two other dominant trends: focusing on national history, as well as the popularity of the neo-romanticism. This phenomenon was intensified after 1926 as a result of personal changes carried out in the Polish Army. Under such conditions, it was not possible for military historians to make a significant contribution to the study of ancient history, which resulted in permanent separateness of the Polish military historians and representatives of Altertumswissenschaft. The second part of the article will be devoted to the research perspective of Polish classicists, as well as to the indication of a common research ground allowing for the approximation of the positions of both groups of scholars.
PL
Po odzyskaniu przez Polskę niepodległości w 1918 r. doszło do formalnego powiązania głównego nurtu piśmiennictwa historyczno-wojskowego z instytucjami naukowo-wydawniczymi Wojska Polskiego. Sprawiło to, że większość ukazujących się w tzw. dwudziestoleciu międzywojennym (1918–1939) publikacji poświęconych zagadnieniom militarnym miała służyć umacnianiu patriotyzmu i celom wychowawczym realizowanym w armii, co determinowało ich tematykę oraz sposób ujęcia poruszanych zagadnień. Ponadto nałożyły się na to dwie inne dominujące tendencje: koncentracja na dziejach narodowych, jak również popularność nurtu neoromantycznego. Zjawiska ta uległy wzmocnieniu po 1926 r. w wyniku zmian personalnych przeprowadzonych w Wojsku Polskim. W takich warunkach nie było możliwości, aby historycy wojskowi mogli wnieść znaczący wkład do badań nad antykiem, co przełożyło się na odmienne drogi rozwojowe środowiska badaczy polskich militariów i przedstawicieli Altertumswissenschaft. Perspektywie badawczej tych drugich, a także wskazaniu wspólnej płaszczyzny naukowej pozwalającej na zbliżenie stanowisk obu grup uczonych będzie poświęcona druga część artykułu.
The issue of ancient warfare was often included in the publications of Polish classicists, although it usually did not constitute an independent research area. The long and well-established tradition of classical studies resulted in difficulties in the possibility of working out a common research position with representatives of the “Polish school” of military history, especially due to the changes taking place after 1926. After the end of World War II, the model inherited from the Second Polish Republic was continued, but the transformations taking place in the Polish higher education after 1989 constitute an opportunity to bring the two communities closer together and to unify research approaches in a natural way.
PL
Problematyka antycznej wojskowości była częstokroć uwzględniana w publikacjach polskich starożytników, choć zazwyczaj nie stanowiła samodzielnego obszaru badań. Wieloletnia, a przez to ugruntowana tradycja studiów klasycznych sprawiała, że możliwość wypracowania wspólnego stanowiska z przedstawicielami „polskiej szkoły” historii wojskowej była znacząco utrudniona, szczególnie wobec przemian zachodzących po 1926 r. Po zakończeniu II wojny światowej kontynuowano model odziedziczony po II Rzeczpospolitej, ale przeobrażenia zachodzące w polskim szkolnictwie wyższym po 1989 r. stanowią szansę na zbliżenie obu środowisk i naturalne ujednolicenie optyki badawczej.
Denis Sdvižkov’s book Letters from the Prussian War combines the source material - consisting of a collection of private and official correspondence of officers of the Imperial Russian Army, direct participants in and witnesses of the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) - with an extensive and original introductory study. Using anthropological and microhistorical approaches in an analysis of numerous personal testimonies, the Author shows how the daily life during the war and the key event of the 1758 campaign - the Battle of Zorndorf/Sarbinowo - were reflected in the experience of the Russian military. In addition to reconstructing the battle itself, the book pays much attention to everyday life, career strategies, values, religiosity and morality of the members of the Russian officer corps as well as to the role of the Zorndorf battle in the war propaganda and the historical memory in Russia and Prussia.
PL
Przedmiotem recenzji jest książka Denisa Sdvižkova poświęcona rosyjskiej armii w bitwie pod Sarbinowem (1758) w czasie wojny siedmioletniej. Analizując prywatne listy rosyjskich oficerów w antropologicznej perspektywie i umieszczając je w szerokim kontekście kulturowym, autor proponuje nowe spojrzenie na tę słynną batalię - oddając głos stronie, która dotychczas pozostawała milcząca.
Byzantium’s arms and armours were researched by many historians. For that reason, the military history of the medieval Roman Empire enjoyed a dominant position in medieval historiography, with the consequence that very often the military history of small nations (under Roman influences) was written from the perspective of the Eastern Romans historians. The aim of the paper is to change this perspective and give the subject of the medieval Armenian military the attention it deserves. The idea is to perform an analysis of the relief on the Door of the Msho Arakelots monastery, where four equestrians and one infantryman are depicted, and to compare it with other Armenian, Byzantine and Muslim sources. In this relief, a spherical mace head and a sword with sleeve cross-guard are represented, suggesting many parallels with East-Roman archaeological and figurative sources. No less important is the depiction of the military trumpet because it is the first image of this object in Armenian art, which can be compared with pictures from the Madrid Skylitzes (13th c.). In addition, the only defensive weapon which is presented in this relief is a round shield with a floral ornament. There are many depictions of round shields in Armenian miniatures and reliefs from 10th–11th c. Moreover, this relief is one of the few where stirrups and the chape of a scabbard are shown. These elements represent an important piece of information because these pictures can be compared with actual archaeological East-Roman artefacts to reconstruct their real look. The conclusions are that the majority of Armenian weapons bear similarities to Byzantine ones but no less important are the Muslim influences, which have been found in some cases. Located between two civilizations (Byzantium and the Muslim Potentates), Armenians adopted the best solutions of their military technologies, creating their own culture. Moreover, thanks to this comparative analysis, further support will be given to the idea that medieval figurative sources are more or less accurate material for studying medieval military history.
Aerial photographs are extremely valuable, often underestimated historical sources. Their use gives very positive results pertaining to research in the field of military history. Photographs documenting the events of World War II constitute primary sources of great importance in many areas of historical research in which archival sources have not survived. As documented by case studies, they validate the legitimacy of basing research methodology on photographic documents. Following a short historical outline on the development of aerial photography, the author analyzes some cases related to Warsaw’s destruction and reconstruction of its urban layout, as well as the murders committed by the NKVD in Kharkiv and Mednoye.
The article discusses the legal foundations and evolution of the National Guard. It begins with the decree from the Governing Commission on the “Establishment of the National Guard in Warsaw,” dated 24 April 1807, followed by another decree of 22 June of the same year. The analysis then explores subsequent legal acts, including the 1811 reform mentioned in the title, which aimed to transform the National Guard by initiating its professionalisation. The article also presents the results of a survey sent to the prefects of four cities: Warsaw, Łomża, Bydgoszcz, and Poznań.
PL
Artykuł przedstawia podstawy prawne i ich ewolucję Gwardii Narodowej. Analizę rozpoczęto od Dekretu Komisji Rządzącej o ustanowieniu Gwardii Narodowej w Warszawie z 24 kwietnia 1807 r. i późniejszego dekretu z 22 czerwca tego samego roku. W dalszej części przedstawiono kolejne akty prawne, w tym wspomnianą w tytule reformę z 1811 r., która miała zmienić całkowicie tę formację, rozpoczynając jej profesjonalizację. Na koniec ukazano wyniki ankiety wysłanej do czterech prefektów: warszawskiego, łomżyńskiego, bydgoskiego i poznańskiego.
Artykuł dotyczy obecności chorwackich żołnierzy w Galicji i na Bukowinie w okresie zaboru austriackiego, z wyszczególnieniem oficerów, którzy na pewnym etapie swojej wojskowej kariery dosłużyli do stopnia generała. Odwołując się do ich przykładu, chcielibyśmy pokazać, jakie znaczenie dla Galicji mieli wojskowi, którzy pochodzili z południowej Słowiańszczyzny, jak również jak obecność tych wojskowych jest postrzegana w chorwackiej historiografii. Szczególnie mamy tu na myśli wydarzenia z okresu I wojny światowej, w których udział brała część wymienionych w artykule żołnierzy.
EN
The article concerns the presence of Croatian soldiers in Galicia and Bukovina during the period of Austrian partition, with a detailed list of officers who, at a certain stage of their military career, reached the rank of general. By referring to their example, the article will demonstrate the significance of soldiers from the southern Slavic regions for Galicia, as well as how the presence of these military personnel is perceived in Croatian historiography. We are particularly interested in events from the period of World War I, in which some of the mentioned soldiers participated.
Previous research has established the structure of the Lithuanian army during the wars with the Ottoman Empire for the years 1673, 1675–1676, and 1683–1686. However, the specific composition and strength of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania’s army, as determined by the size of the standing army (Pol. komput) adopted by the Sejm in Warsaw in 1690, remain unclear. The surviving documentation from the Vilnius Committee (8 January – 17 March 1691 and 13 February – 31 March 1692) and the Grodno Tribunal (15 September – 13 October 1691), i.e. institutions responsible for settling accounts with the army for its service during 1690–1691, enabled the identification of almost all the troops and their structure. The primary source material includes declarations from tax collectors regarding the allocation of funds from the 26 hearth taxes (Pol. podymne) passed by the Sejm. The objective of this article is to analyse this documentation to determine the composition of the Lithuanian army units in 1690–1691 and to present their structure. The research identified 77 out of at least 79 military units comprising the Grand Duchy of Lithuania’s forces at that time, including: five hussar cavalry units (Pol. chorągiew), 23 armoured companion (Pol. pancerni) cavalry units, seven Reiter cavalry units, eight Tartar cavalry units, 15 dragoon squadrons and cavalry units, 12 German infantry units, five Hungarian infantry units, one Janissary unit, and one Zaporozhian Cossack unit. Nearly 46 per-cent of this army consisted of military units serving the Sapieha family, indicating the significant influence of the political faction led by Vilnius Voivode and Grand Hetman of Lithuania Kazimierz Jan Sapieha.
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