Sebastian P. Breit's Blog, page 18
December 14, 2011
December 13, 2011
New Feature
As you've probably already seen, I've added the Facebook "LIKE" button to each post of the blog. Feel free to make ample use of it.
Currently Reading
Right now I've got my nose deep in the War Diaries 1939-1945 of Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke. I'm not sure if I'll provide a review once I'm through since it's not a topical or structured tome but, well, a diary. So far, however, it has been incredibly insightful, especially on the state of affairs in Great Britain in 1940-1941, and more so, on Winston Churchill. Lord Alanbrooke worked closely with the prime minister for the duration of the war, and while the information we are able to gather from Alanbrooke's massive tome doesn't make Churchill a less intriguing character, it certainly does scratch off the paintjob on Winston's by now near mythical status. Both for reading and writing about Great Britain in WW2 this book appears to be indispensable so far.
Amazon's description:
For most of the Second World War, General Sir Alan Brooke (1883-1963), later Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke, was Britain's Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) and Winston Churchill's principal military adviser, and antagonist, in the inner councils of war. He is commonly considered the greatest CIGS in the history of the British Army. His diaries--published here for the first time in complete and unexpurgated form--are one of the most important and the most controversial military diaries of the modern era. The last great chronicle of the Second World War, they provide a riveting blow-by-blow account of how the war was waged and eventually won--including the controversies over the Second Front and the desperate search for a strategy, the Allied bomber offensive, the Italian campaign, the D-day landings, the race for Berlin, the divisions of Yalta, and the postwar settlement.
Beginning in September 1939, the diaries were written up each night in the strictest secrecy and against all regulations. Alanbrooke's mask of command was legendary but these diaries tell us what he really saw and felt: moments of triumph and exhilaration, but also frustration, depression, betrayal, and doubt. They expose the gulf between the military and the politicians of the War Cabinet, and how often military strategy was misguided and nearly derailed by political prejudices. They also reveal the incredible strain on Alanbrooke of the Allied conferences in Washington, Moscow, Casablanca, Quebec, and Tehran, as he tried after intense and exhausting argument (not least with Churchill) to match Allied strategy with the reality of British military power and the fragility of the British Empire. These diaries demonstrate the true depth of Alanbrooke's rage and despair at Churchill's failure to grasp overall strategy. This was particularly acute in the winter of 1943-44 when Churchill, fueled by medicine and alcohol, no longer seemed master of himself.
Amazon's description:
For most of the Second World War, General Sir Alan Brooke (1883-1963), later Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke, was Britain's Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) and Winston Churchill's principal military adviser, and antagonist, in the inner councils of war. He is commonly considered the greatest CIGS in the history of the British Army. His diaries--published here for the first time in complete and unexpurgated form--are one of the most important and the most controversial military diaries of the modern era. The last great chronicle of the Second World War, they provide a riveting blow-by-blow account of how the war was waged and eventually won--including the controversies over the Second Front and the desperate search for a strategy, the Allied bomber offensive, the Italian campaign, the D-day landings, the race for Berlin, the divisions of Yalta, and the postwar settlement.
Beginning in September 1939, the diaries were written up each night in the strictest secrecy and against all regulations. Alanbrooke's mask of command was legendary but these diaries tell us what he really saw and felt: moments of triumph and exhilaration, but also frustration, depression, betrayal, and doubt. They expose the gulf between the military and the politicians of the War Cabinet, and how often military strategy was misguided and nearly derailed by political prejudices. They also reveal the incredible strain on Alanbrooke of the Allied conferences in Washington, Moscow, Casablanca, Quebec, and Tehran, as he tried after intense and exhausting argument (not least with Churchill) to match Allied strategy with the reality of British military power and the fragility of the British Empire. These diaries demonstrate the true depth of Alanbrooke's rage and despair at Churchill's failure to grasp overall strategy. This was particularly acute in the winter of 1943-44 when Churchill, fueled by medicine and alcohol, no longer seemed master of himself.
December 11, 2011
Top 10 World War 2 Propaganda Posters
Although the First World War technically took place in the same century, World War II was undoubtedly the war of the 20th Century. Unlike the earlier conflict, which was a culmination of events deeply rooted in the 19th Century, WWII fully reflected the technological, political, and cultural trends of the century in which it took place. One of the most telling examples of this was the propaganda. The ministers, commissars, and admen who governments relied on to sell their war employed every modern technique they could to convince often skeptical populations that the carnage and destruction that filled their streets and newspapers was just, under control, and absolutely necessary.
And while they increasingly turned to modern technological mediums like radio and television to transmit their messages, it was the propaganda poster that was the most effective tool of governments to inform, seduce, and cajole their populations. Now, they are potent, and often beautiful, artifacts of the last time the entire globe attempted to tear itself apart.
Here are ten of the best World War II propaganda posters.
No. 10: "I Want You For U.S. Army"
Perhaps one of the most recognizable propaganda posters of any time, "I Want You for U.S. Army" was actually commissioned for WWI. Based on an equally iconic British recruiting poster, this indelible image was so effective that it was also extensively used in the Second World War.
Even to our 21st Century media-savvy eyes, it isn't hard to see why so many young men heeded its call. The stern, paternal face of the national icon Uncle Sam seems to be staring right into your soul, no matter which way you look at the poster. The appeal to honor and duty, not to mention the slightly sinister undertone, was enough to convince countless men to willingly sign up for a tour in Hell.
If that isn't an effective piece of propaganda, what is?
No. 9: "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!" (bloody Toptenz doesn't even get the Umlaut right...)
While America used a fictional figure clad in the colors of the flag, much of Germany's propaganda featured the very real, very living Adolf Hitler. Hitler didn't invent fascism or the cult of personality that fueled it, but he certainly perfected it. Not a particularly attractive man even by the standards of his day and nowhere near the Aryan ideal he so often extolled, Hitler nevertheless sold the German public his image over and over again as the unequivocal symbol of all their hopes and ambitions. A classic example of this is "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer!"
FÜhrer, fer Christ's sake. If you're too lazy to ASCII-code the Umlaut, use "ue" for the Ü. Jeesh!
Its simple message- 'one people, one empire, one leader' in English, was used throughout lands conquered by the Germans to inspire allegiance and fierce pride in the ethnic Germans who resided there. Unlike Uncle Sam's penetrating gaze, Hitler here is looking off to the side, to a future where every German is master of every land. A powerful image. And an incredibly effective one.
Continue the full article here.
And while they increasingly turned to modern technological mediums like radio and television to transmit their messages, it was the propaganda poster that was the most effective tool of governments to inform, seduce, and cajole their populations. Now, they are potent, and often beautiful, artifacts of the last time the entire globe attempted to tear itself apart.
Here are ten of the best World War II propaganda posters.
No. 10: "I Want You For U.S. Army"
Perhaps one of the most recognizable propaganda posters of any time, "I Want You for U.S. Army" was actually commissioned for WWI. Based on an equally iconic British recruiting poster, this indelible image was so effective that it was also extensively used in the Second World War. Even to our 21st Century media-savvy eyes, it isn't hard to see why so many young men heeded its call. The stern, paternal face of the national icon Uncle Sam seems to be staring right into your soul, no matter which way you look at the poster. The appeal to honor and duty, not to mention the slightly sinister undertone, was enough to convince countless men to willingly sign up for a tour in Hell.
If that isn't an effective piece of propaganda, what is?
No. 9: "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!" (bloody Toptenz doesn't even get the Umlaut right...)
While America used a fictional figure clad in the colors of the flag, much of Germany's propaganda featured the very real, very living Adolf Hitler. Hitler didn't invent fascism or the cult of personality that fueled it, but he certainly perfected it. Not a particularly attractive man even by the standards of his day and nowhere near the Aryan ideal he so often extolled, Hitler nevertheless sold the German public his image over and over again as the unequivocal symbol of all their hopes and ambitions. A classic example of this is "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer!"
FÜhrer, fer Christ's sake. If you're too lazy to ASCII-code the Umlaut, use "ue" for the Ü. Jeesh!
Its simple message- 'one people, one empire, one leader' in English, was used throughout lands conquered by the Germans to inspire allegiance and fierce pride in the ethnic Germans who resided there. Unlike Uncle Sam's penetrating gaze, Hitler here is looking off to the side, to a future where every German is master of every land. A powerful image. And an incredibly effective one.
Continue the full article here.
Top 10 World War 2 Propaganda Posters
Although the First World War technically took place in the same century, World War II was undoubtedly the war of the 20th Century. Unlike the earlier conflict, which was a culmination of events deeply rooted in the 19th Century, WWII fully reflected the technological, political, and cultural trends of the century in which it took place. One of the most telling examples of this was the propaganda. The ministers, commissars, and admen who governments relied on to sell their war employed every modern technique they could to convince often skeptical populations that the carnage and destruction that filled their streets and newspapers was just, under control, and absolutely necessary.
And while they increasingly turned to modern technological mediums like radio and television to transmit their messages, it was the propaganda poster that was the most effective tool of governments to inform, seduce, and cajole their populations. Now, they are potent, and often beautiful, artifacts of the last time the entire globe attempted to tear itself apart.
Here are ten of the best World War II propaganda posters.
No. 10: "I Want You For U.S. Army"
Perhaps one of the most recognizable propaganda posters of any time, "I Want You for U.S. Army" was actually commissioned for WWI. Based on an equally iconic British recruiting poster, this indelible image was so effective that it was also extensively used in the Second World War.
Even to our 21st Century media-savvy eyes, it isn't hard to see why so many young men heeded its call. The stern, paternal face of the national icon Uncle Sam seems to be staring right into your soul, no matter which way you look at the poster. The appeal to honor and duty, not to mention the slightly sinister undertone, was enough to convince countless men to willingly sign up for a tour in Hell.
If that isn't an effective piece of propaganda, what is?
No. 9: "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!" (bloody Toptenz doesn't even get the Umlaut right...)
While America used a fictional figure clad in the colors of the flag, much of Germany's propaganda featured the very real, very living Adolf Hitler. Hitler didn't invent fascism or the cult of personality that fueled it, but he certainly perfected it. Not a particularly attractive man even by the standards of his day and nowhere near the Aryan ideal he so often extolled, Hitler nevertheless sold the German public his image over and over again as the unequivocal symbol of all their hopes and ambitions. A classic example of this is "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer!"
FÜhrer, fer Christ's sake. If you're too lazy to ASCII-code the Umlaut, use "ue" for the Ü. Jeesh!
Its simple message- 'one people, one empire, one leader' in English, was used throughout lands conquered by the Germans to inspire allegiance and fierce pride in the ethnic Germans who resided there. Unlike Uncle Sam's penetrating gaze, Hitler here is looking off to the side, to a future where every German is master of every land. A powerful image. And an incredibly effective one.
Continue the full article here.
And while they increasingly turned to modern technological mediums like radio and television to transmit their messages, it was the propaganda poster that was the most effective tool of governments to inform, seduce, and cajole their populations. Now, they are potent, and often beautiful, artifacts of the last time the entire globe attempted to tear itself apart.
Here are ten of the best World War II propaganda posters.
No. 10: "I Want You For U.S. Army"
Perhaps one of the most recognizable propaganda posters of any time, "I Want You for U.S. Army" was actually commissioned for WWI. Based on an equally iconic British recruiting poster, this indelible image was so effective that it was also extensively used in the Second World War. Even to our 21st Century media-savvy eyes, it isn't hard to see why so many young men heeded its call. The stern, paternal face of the national icon Uncle Sam seems to be staring right into your soul, no matter which way you look at the poster. The appeal to honor and duty, not to mention the slightly sinister undertone, was enough to convince countless men to willingly sign up for a tour in Hell.
If that isn't an effective piece of propaganda, what is?
No. 9: "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer!" (bloody Toptenz doesn't even get the Umlaut right...)
While America used a fictional figure clad in the colors of the flag, much of Germany's propaganda featured the very real, very living Adolf Hitler. Hitler didn't invent fascism or the cult of personality that fueled it, but he certainly perfected it. Not a particularly attractive man even by the standards of his day and nowhere near the Aryan ideal he so often extolled, Hitler nevertheless sold the German public his image over and over again as the unequivocal symbol of all their hopes and ambitions. A classic example of this is "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer!"
FÜhrer, fer Christ's sake. If you're too lazy to ASCII-code the Umlaut, use "ue" for the Ü. Jeesh!
Its simple message- 'one people, one empire, one leader' in English, was used throughout lands conquered by the Germans to inspire allegiance and fierce pride in the ethnic Germans who resided there. Unlike Uncle Sam's penetrating gaze, Hitler here is looking off to the side, to a future where every German is master of every land. A powerful image. And an incredibly effective one.
Continue the full article here.
December 10, 2011
10 Ways the Internet Changed Wars Forever
Frequent reader Kate drew my interest to this article. Thanks, Kate!
We no longer rely on the Pony Express to bring us the news. Nor do we have to huddle around the stationmaster at the train depot while he keys in an interrupted message about a gang of desperadoes that's headed your way. With today's internet, there aren't many places left on the planet where virtually instantaneous communication, audio and/or video, are not attainable. This, naturally, has changed how battles are won and how wars are fought. No longer can great numbers of troops be moved far, before being detected and reported on by an opponent. News speed isn't the only thing about war that the internet has affected. Below are some direct and indirect effects that the internet has had, both on military and civilian personnel.
Instantaneous – It took more than a month for news of the Boston Tea Party to reach London. Today we can send and receive news worldwide faster than we can brew a cup of tea.Civilians – Often, the only coverage or first coverage of many international incidents and events comes via cell phone communications. News teams may not have arrived, or the action may occur in areas banned to the world press.Military Operation Communication – Internet gadgetry and programming allow coordinated planning where more information is disseminated instantly to all areas within the entire command. Small units will know where their nearest contacts are, and whether they are likely to be "friendly" or not.Continue reading here.
We no longer rely on the Pony Express to bring us the news. Nor do we have to huddle around the stationmaster at the train depot while he keys in an interrupted message about a gang of desperadoes that's headed your way. With today's internet, there aren't many places left on the planet where virtually instantaneous communication, audio and/or video, are not attainable. This, naturally, has changed how battles are won and how wars are fought. No longer can great numbers of troops be moved far, before being detected and reported on by an opponent. News speed isn't the only thing about war that the internet has affected. Below are some direct and indirect effects that the internet has had, both on military and civilian personnel.
Instantaneous – It took more than a month for news of the Boston Tea Party to reach London. Today we can send and receive news worldwide faster than we can brew a cup of tea.Civilians – Often, the only coverage or first coverage of many international incidents and events comes via cell phone communications. News teams may not have arrived, or the action may occur in areas banned to the world press.Military Operation Communication – Internet gadgetry and programming allow coordinated planning where more information is disseminated instantly to all areas within the entire command. Small units will know where their nearest contacts are, and whether they are likely to be "friendly" or not.Continue reading here.
December 8, 2011
That drone the Iranians claim to have shot down...
It probably would help their credibility a lot if they didn't stage these presentations in what looks like the local school's gym decorated with some preschooler made flags costing about $11 each. Ah, yes, not using something that looks like a bunch of guys had too much time with too much plywood also helps.
In case they really did get their hands on the real thing: kudos to them. I'm sure Russian and Chinese experts are already on their way...
In case they really did get their hands on the real thing: kudos to them. I'm sure Russian and Chinese experts are already on their way...
That drone the Iranians claim to have shot down...
It probably would help their credibility a lot if they didn't stage these presentations in what looks like the local school's gym decorated with some preschooler made flags costing about $11 each. Ah, yes, not using something that looks like a bunch of guys had too much time with too much plywood also helps.
In case they really did get their hands on the real thing: kudos to them. I'm sure Russian and Chinese experts are already on their way...
In case they really did get their hands on the real thing: kudos to them. I'm sure Russian and Chinese experts are already on their way...
Pearl Harbor
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U.S.S Arizona MemorialSome of you might be wondering why I haven't commented on Pearl Harbor's 70th anniversary. The reason for that is quite simple: everybody else already has, and I have no pearls of wisdom to add. It's just my term to add a minute of silence to it all.
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