Why Gorbachev’s legacy still threatens Putin
Reading time: 5 minutes
Little remains of the legacy of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader and one of the greatest reformers in Russian history.
The Moon Landing, Before the First Steps
Reading time: 10 minutes
“We choose to go to the moon in this decade, and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” President JFK’s inspiring words sparked the race to the moon.
The R1 – South African Bush Rifle
Reading time: 9 minutes
In the wake of the rise of the Soviet Union’s AK-47 and the USA’s litany of rifles during the Cold War, South Africa needed a modern automatic service rifle. After trialling several different guns, the South African government settled on the Belgian FN FAL battle rifle. As a result, the “Rifle R1” was born – the bush gun of Southern Africa.
The Story of the AK-47: The World’s Most Famous and Deadliest Rifle
Reading time: 7 minutes
The AK-47 is perhaps one of the most recognizable automatic rifles in the world. This simple gun, produced by Mikhail Kalashnikov, was initially intended to replace the somewhat ineffective weapons carried by Soviet forces. However, it quickly became the weapon of choice during most conflicts following the Second World War. But, how did this weapon become the most famous and deadliest rifle in the world?
A Cuban Catastrophe: The Bay of Pigs Invasion
Reading time: 11 minutes
The 1959 Cuban Revolution resulted in rule by a communist regime under Fidel Castro. This period also saw counter-revolutionaries forming anti-Castro movements, complicating the already tumultuous political landscape. In 1961 the United States would intervene with a force made up of Cuban exiles, the infamous ‘Bay of Pigs’ invasion.
The Story of the M1 Garand: The Iconic and Influential World War 2 Weapon
Reading time: 7 minutes
Called the “greatest battle implement ever devised”, the M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle served the USA well during WW2 and beyond.
Dag Hammarskjöld: a defiant pioneer of global diplomacy who died in a mystery plane crash
Reading time: 5 minutes
The idea of a global institution has captivated thinkers since Immanuel Kant in the 18th century. But a body set up to create and maintain world peace and security needs the right people to make it work. When the United Nations was created in 1945, old sentiments — seen in the disbanded League of Nations — threatened to prevail. Would the UN and its leadership simply comply with the great powers of the day?
Kazakhstan: A Story of Endurance
Reading time: 7 minutes
As protests erupt across the former Soviet republic, the world watches transfixed. How did Kazakhstan come to be the country it is today?
Domino Theory and U.S. Foreign Policy
Reading time: 4 minutes
When looking at the cold war and the way the United States went about its foreign policy, you can’t escape the influence of the so-called domino theory. This belief, a common one in American’s halls of power, stated that if one country fell to communism, the surrounding ones would, too. Was there any truth in this theory, though, or was it more scare mongering?
How the Australian Women’s Weekly spoke to ‘50s housewives about the Cold War
Reading time: 5 minutes
Esmé Fenston, by the end of the 1950s, the Australian Women’s Weekly was selling over 805,000 copies a week. More than half of all Australian women read the magazine.
Cuba without Fidel: Five Years Later
Reading time: 6 minutes
For nearly 60 years, and for better or for worse, Fidel Castro was Cuba; at least he fancied himself as such, and the Communist Party which he largely governed with total control, never questioned this image. But what about the Cuban people? Did they really view Fidel as a “modern day Simon Bolivar”, and their one defender against American imperialism?
Gough’s remaking of Defence policy
Gough Whitlam was a physical giant with an intellect to match. His flaws were pretty sizeable, too, and the pygmies who beset him were often from his own party. His self-mocking humour was immensely appealing, and could only be carried off by someone with giant status: ‘I’ve never said I’m immortal. I do believe in correct language. […]
The Russian Revolution
For most people, the term “Russian Revolution” conjures up a popular set of images: demonstrations in Petrograd’s cold February of 1917, greatcoated men in the Petrograd Soviet, Vladimir Lenin addressing the crowds in front of the Finland station, demonstrators dispersed during the July days and the storming of the Winter Palace in October. What happened in the Russian Revolution? These […]
Pinochet’s Chile
General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, a career military officer, was appointed Commander in Chief of the Chilean army by President Salvador Allende on August 1973. Eighteen days later, with the connivance, if not the assistance, of the US, he authorised a coup against Allende’s Socialist government. To be clear, Pinochet’s rule was not the first, last […]
The Iranian Revolution
To understand what caused the Iranian Revolution, we must first consider the ongoing conflict between proponents of secular versus Islamic models of governance in Muslim societies. It all began with the British colonisation of India in 1858, which precipitated the collapse of classic Islamic civilisation. By early 20th century, almost the entire Muslim world was colonised […]
Four days in August: The Soviet Union’s final blow
Nearly 30 years have passed since the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991, and yet vivid memories of the once-mighty empire remain steadfast in our collective memory. By Michael Vecchio Since its fall in 1991, the USSR has increasingly become a source of much mythology and romanticism. At the center of the debate […]
51 years ago: Israel won an air battle, and lost the War of Attrition
The Israel Air Force drew the Soviet expeditionary force in Egypt into a perfect, successful ambush, but pride was the country’s downfall, in the long run. For Israelis, this weekend marks the 51st anniversary of a famous victory. But then as now, hubris may be our worst enemy. On July 30, 1970, the Israel Air […]
The Antarctic Treaty is turning 60 years old. In a changed world, is it still fit for purpose?
The 1959 Antarctic Treaty celebrates its 60th anniversary this week. Negotiated during the middle of the Cold War by 12 countries with Antarctic interests, it remains the only example of a single treaty that governs a whole continent. It is also the foundation of a rules-based international order for a continent without a permanent population. The treaty […]
WERE SOVIET TANKS DEPLOYED IN EGYPT 50 YEARS AGO?
On February 3, 2018, Russian Air Force Maj. Roman Filipov’s jet was shot down while attacking rebel positions in Syria. Filipov bailed out and, after a shootout with “terrorists,” blew himself up with a grenade rather than be captured. By the time of Filipov’s funeral, President Vladimir Putin had decorated him as a Hero of the Russian […]
The Cold War Ignites: The Berlin Blockade and Airlift
Once the centre of Nazi ideology and power, the German capital of Berlin was extremely important not only in the Allies quest to defeat Hitler, but in the rebuilding of Europe after War’s end. And yet while the Allies were indeed united in their collective opposition to the Third Reich, their similarities ended there, especially […]
Constructing Oppression: The Berlin Wall and the Literal Iron Curtain
60 years after its initial construction, the memory of the Berlin Wall remains a potent symbol of the Cold War. Of all of history’s global conflicts, perhaps none has been as heavily based on symbolism than the Cold War; because there was little direct military action, (other than proxy wars), and the “war” was founded […]
Hubris and Miscalculation: The failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion
HUBRIS AND MISCALCULATION: THE FAILURE OF THE BAY OF PIGS INVASION By Michael Vecchio The threat of Nazi villainy had been defeated, however another authoritarian threat rapidly placed over half of Europe behind what Winston Churchill called an “Iron Curtain”. The Soviet Union’s aggressive brand of Communism startled much of the Western world, but perhaps […]
The Cold War, Churchill’s Iron Curtain, and the Power of Imagery
By Michael Vecchio Many years of fighting and an estimated 85 million people dead; the numbers of the Second World War paint a devastating portrait of destruction and violence. In the aftermath of the ultimate conflict, rebuilding and attempting to unite Europe once more, would be the greatest challenge for the remainder of the 20th […]
Nike Missile Site, San Francisco
The Nike missile was one of the first successful anti-aircraft missiles, developed by Bell Labs and put into service by the US and her allies from 1953. As a last-line of defense from air attack, they were positioned to protect cities as well as military installations. 240 launch sites were built up to between 1953 […]