James Horncastle
Simon Fraser University, Humanities, Faculty Member
- Simon Fraser University, History, Adjunctadd
- History, Political History, Military History, Social History, Twentieth Century (History), Balkan History, and 16 moreEuropean History, Security Studies, International Relations, Security, Strategic Studies, Politics, Macedonian Question, Eastern European Studies, Yugoslavia (History), Modern Greek History, Insurgency and counterinsurgency, War Theory, Ottoman Military History, Breakup of the former Yugoslavia, Special Operations And Low Intensity Conflict, Special Operations Forces, Unconventional Warfare (UW), Irregular Warfare, and Southeastern Europeedit
- Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University.edit
Whilst scholars have examined the long-term political, social, and cultural dynamics with regards to Yugoslavia’s collapse, the military has largely escaped similar scrutiny. This paper explores the League of Communists of Yugoslavia’s... more
Whilst scholars have examined the long-term political, social, and cultural dynamics with regards to Yugoslavia’s collapse, the military has largely escaped similar scrutiny. This paper explores the League of Communists of Yugoslavia’s attempt to solve the nationalist problems of Yugoslavia through the ideology of self-management, and how the failure to do so affected the strategy of Total National Defence. The republics were able to construct their own armed forces due to Total National Defence’s devolution of powers and self-management making changes to the policy extremely difficult for the federal government and Yugoslav People’s Army.
Research Interests: European History, International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, Marxism, Balkan History, and 9 moreCold War, Yugoslavia, Civil-military relations, Yugoslavia (History), Guerrilla Warfare, Yugoslavian wars of secession, History of 19th and 20th Century East Central Europe, Hybrid Warfare, and Breakup of the former Yugoslavia
The study of special operations forces is one where the Anglo-American experience dominates the literature. This focus on Anglo-American operations, and specifically those operations deemed successful in a conventional sense, gives a... more
The study of special operations forces is one where the Anglo-American experience dominates the literature. This focus on Anglo-American operations, and specifically those operations deemed successful in a conventional sense, gives a distorted view of special operations forces structures, mission profiles, and capabilities. Furthermore, the current political context is eroding the conventional operational focus of special operations. This development means special operations forces will be deployed in roles that may be inconsistent with their doctrine and training, in the process contributing particular political dynamics that reverberate back and define their role.
Research Interests: Military History, International Relations, Insurgency/Counterinsurgency(COIN), Mediterranean, Modern Greece, and 9 moreHistory And Geopolitics In The Balkans, Irregular Warfare, Unconventional Warfare (UW), Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Counterinsurgency, United States Foreign Policy, World Politics, United States, and Special Operations Forces
The 1999 Bombing of Kosovo by NATO represented a considerable shift in the manner that states waged conventional wars. In the literature, academics represent the means employed by the parties involved as innovative developments from a... more
The 1999 Bombing of Kosovo by NATO represented a considerable shift in the manner that states waged conventional wars. In the literature, academics represent the means employed by the parties involved as innovative developments from a warfare standpoint. The methods all militaries and paramilitaries used, however, relied extensively on principles surrounding the securitization of water. The Serbs, in their efforts to expel the Kosovar Albanians, deployed it as a tool to ethnically cleanse the province. NATO, while initially hesitant to target the electrical grid of Yugoslavia for fear that the media and others would portray the strain it would place on the civilian population in a negative light, eventually did so as the ethnic cleansing campaign in Kosovo accelerated. While not typically discussed in the literature, the securitization of water by all parties formed a key consideration for their policies throughout the campaign, and an important ethical question for both academics studying the issue, and practitioners as they pursued war-related activities. Finally, the weaponization of water in Kosovo helped provide impetus for the development of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), which while not explicitly emphasizing water has significant implications for the ethics of water security.
Research Interests: European History, Peace and Conflict Studies, South East European Studies, Kosovo, Eastern European history, and 11 moreYugoslavia, Securitization, Just War Theory, Post Cold War Era, History And Geopolitics In The Balkans, Air Power History, Yugoslavia (History), Water Security, Air Power in Limited War, Aerial Bombing, and Balkan Studies
Investigates the role of urbicide in shaping the international responses to the collapse of Yugoslavia, specifically that resulting from the Siege of Vukovar.
Research Interests:
Examines how Soviet and American military advisors managed to transform the Yugoslav Air Force into a modern combat arm and, in so doing, obtain political benefits for their respective countries.
Research Interests: European History, Military History, Modern History, European Studies, Strategy (Military Science), and 15 moreInternational Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, Balkan Studies, Balkan History, Cold War, Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia (History), Cold War International Relations, Cold War history, Modern European History, Strategy, History of Yugoslavia, International Strategy, East West relations, and Yugoslav Studies
This paper uses the case studies of the Greek and Yugoslav resistance movements in the Second World War to demonstrate that while both countries possessed the physical geographic requirement for a successful irregular warfare campaign, a... more
This paper uses the case studies of the Greek and Yugoslav resistance movements in the Second World War to demonstrate that while both countries possessed the physical geographic requirement for a successful irregular warfare campaign, a broader definition of geography, encompassing political and human geography, is needed to determine why the latter movement succeeded in seizing power and the former failed. Human geography, the study of “society in relation to space and place” and political geography, the study of “spatial analys[es] of political phenomenon.” Both Yugoslavia and Greece possessed mountainous terrain that provided guerrilla organizations with the chance to coalesce. Despite this similarity of the two groups, their development was significantly different. In Yugoslavia, the left-wing resistance, under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito, was able to seize power and, eventually, install a communist-centric system. In Greece, however, the returning Greek government and British forces ultimately defeated the left-wing resistance in late 1944, early 1945. Given that both forces possessed the geographical constant that many theorists and practitioners have argued was a requirement for success, the field requires a new explanation to explain why one failed and the other succeeded. In examining geography in its totality, in other words by combining the normally distinct fields of physical, political, and human geography, a more complete picture behind the success and failure of the Yugoslav and Greek resistance movements can be obtained that, while still concise, adequately captures the reason for the success and failure of both movements.
Research Interests: Military History, Geography, Human Geography, Military Geography, Physical Geography, and 11 moreStrategy (Military Science), Peace and Conflict Studies, Yugoslavia, Second World War, Modern Greece, 20th century (History), World War II, Irregular Warfare, Unconventional Warfare (UW), Yugoslavia (History), and Guerrilla Warfare
This article examines the role of the Macedonian Question in the 1944 December Uprising (Dekemvriana) in Greece. While the Dekemvriana is commonly portrayed in right–left terminology in the historiography, this article argues that part of... more
This article examines the role of the Macedonian Question in the 1944 December Uprising (Dekemvriana) in Greece. While the Dekemvriana is commonly portrayed in right–left terminology in the historiography, this article argues that part of the reason for the left’s failure was their inability to manage the Macedonian ethnic component of the struggle, either within their armed forces or in their relationship with Yugoslavia. As such, this article integrates the early phases of the Greek Civil War into the broader literature on minorities in civil conflict, while simultaneously exposing some of the myths about Macedonian involvement that result from its contemporary political ramifications.
Research Interests:
The study of special forces is dominated by accounts of British and American units. This article, using the case study of the Yugoslav Special Forces in the 1990s and early 2000s, demonstrates how units that developed outside the... more
The study of special forces is dominated by accounts of British and American units. This article, using the case study of the Yugoslav Special Forces in the 1990s and early 2000s, demonstrates how units that developed outside the Anglosphere possess not only a different military function but also distinct cultures and structures. Therefore, when analyzing units that develop outside the Anglosphere, we need to consider new analytical tools and approaches.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Political Violence and Terrorism, Yugoslavia, History of Political Violence, Croatian History, Political Violence, and 8 moreUnconventional Warfare (UW), History of Central and Southeastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Yugoslavia (History), Yugoslavian wars of secession, Hybrid War, Hybrid Warfare, and Breakup of the former Yugoslavia
Research Interests:
On 25 June 1991 Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Most outside observers assumed that the federal army, the Yugoslav People's Army (YPA), would quickly reassert federal authority over Slovenia. Instead, Slovenia not only... more
On 25 June 1991 Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Most outside observers assumed that the federal army, the Yugoslav People's Army (YPA), would quickly reassert federal authority over Slovenia. Instead, Slovenia not only defeated the YPA, but would gain the initiative against the mechanically superior force. This article will argue that one of the principle reasons for Slovenia obtaining independence was that it benefited from the military heritage of the Yugoslav defense policy of Total National Defense (TND), whereas the YPA was largely inhibited by its legacies.
The relationship between war and geography takes on a new meaning when irregular warfare is the primary means of conflict. Most major texts on irregular warfare, whether describing how to conduct a successful insurgency or... more
The relationship between war and geography takes on a new meaning when irregular warfare is the primary means of conflict. Most major texts on irregular warfare, whether describing how to conduct a successful insurgency or counter-insurgency (COIN), emphasize the importance of physical geography in obtaining a successful outcome. In fact, physical geography has, in many instances, been taken as a bona fide requirement for success in irregular warfare. It is argued that an irregular force, without an imposing geographic feature like dense woodland or mountainous terrain, will lack a secure base in its formative stages and ultimately be eliminated. Nevertheless, while physical geography is an important factor in determining the success of an irregular warfare campaign, it is not the seminal cause of success. Twentieth century history alone is full of examples of irregular warfare campaigns where the insurgents possessed physical geographic advantages, yet lost their military campaign. As a result, physical geography needs to be examined as one factor, amongst several, in order to determine the impact that it had, and continues to have, on military campaigns.
This paper compares the Greek and Yugoslav resistance movements in the Second World War and argues that while both countries possessed the physical geographic requirement for a successful irregular warfare campaign, the geographical position of both countries also helped determine the success and failures of both movements. Both Yugoslavia and Greece possessed mountainous terrain, particularly in Central Bosnia and Northern Greece, which provided guerrilla organizations with the chance to coalesce. Despite this, the development of the two groups was significantly different. While traditional interpretations of the period have attributed the reason for the divergence to politics, in that Great Britain was significantly interested in maintaining the Greek monarchy, what is often neglected, is the strategic importance it assigned to Greece due to its geographic position. Greece occupied a position that could not only guarantee control of the Aegean Sea, but also threatened British communication lines with the rest of the British Empire through the Suez Canal. As a result, where as Britain was willing to sacrifice Yugoslavia to the left-wing resistance, it was not willing to make a similar accommodation in Greece. The case studies of Greece and Yugoslavia demonstrate that geography is not strictly a matter of terrain, but occurs at the nexus of political, cultural, and strategic thought based on the values one assigns to each of the above listed factors. Acknowledging that geography actually constitutes all of these factors, and moving it beyond strict traditional physical geography definitions, helps to better assess the impact that geography has on irregular warfare campaigns.
This paper compares the Greek and Yugoslav resistance movements in the Second World War and argues that while both countries possessed the physical geographic requirement for a successful irregular warfare campaign, the geographical position of both countries also helped determine the success and failures of both movements. Both Yugoslavia and Greece possessed mountainous terrain, particularly in Central Bosnia and Northern Greece, which provided guerrilla organizations with the chance to coalesce. Despite this, the development of the two groups was significantly different. While traditional interpretations of the period have attributed the reason for the divergence to politics, in that Great Britain was significantly interested in maintaining the Greek monarchy, what is often neglected, is the strategic importance it assigned to Greece due to its geographic position. Greece occupied a position that could not only guarantee control of the Aegean Sea, but also threatened British communication lines with the rest of the British Empire through the Suez Canal. As a result, where as Britain was willing to sacrifice Yugoslavia to the left-wing resistance, it was not willing to make a similar accommodation in Greece. The case studies of Greece and Yugoslavia demonstrate that geography is not strictly a matter of terrain, but occurs at the nexus of political, cultural, and strategic thought based on the values one assigns to each of the above listed factors. Acknowledging that geography actually constitutes all of these factors, and moving it beyond strict traditional physical geography definitions, helps to better assess the impact that geography has on irregular warfare campaigns.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Greek History, Balkan History, Nationalism, Political History, National Identity, and 6 moreSecond World War, Modern Greek History, Yugoslavia (History), South Slavic and Balkan political, diplomatic, social and cultural history, Nationalism and identity construction, and Breakup of the former Yugoslavia
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Military History, Military Science, Military Intelligence, Military Law, Strategy (Military Science), and 53 moreWar Theory, Sociology of the Military, Cold War and Culture, Cultural Cold War, War Studies, Naval Warfare, Militarism, Cold War, Civil War, Military Architecture, Cyber Warfare, Second World War, Just War Theory, American Civil War, Vietnam War, First World War, World War II, Asymmetrical Warfare, Irregular Warfare, Roman military archaeology, Military and Politics, History of Military Technology, Spanish Civil War, Civil-military relations, Cold War International Relations, War and violence, Trench Warfare (First World War), Ottoman Military History, Ethnic Conflict and Civil War, War on Terror, Cold War history, Korean War, Second World War (History), Military, Ancient Warfare, Warfare, Medieval Warfare, The Cold War, Warfare in the Ancient World, Military Orders, Medieval Military History, Rules of War, Roman military equipment, Child Soldiers, Cultural History of the First World War, Historia Militar, Electronic Warfare, Guerrilla Warfare, Ancient Weapons and Warfare, Psychological warfare, Guerilla Warfare, Portuguese Colonial Wars, and Colonial Wars
Contents Editorial 1. 1. Jeffrey Rop, Greek Military Service in the Ancient Near East, 401-330 BCE (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019), pp. 265, ISBN: 978-1108499507. Sabine Müller (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany) 2. 2.... more
Contents
Editorial 1.
1. Jeffrey Rop, Greek Military Service in the Ancient Near East, 401-330 BCE (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019), pp. 265, ISBN: 978-1108499507. Sabine Müller (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany) 2.
2. Nicholas Morton, The Crusader States and Their Neighbours: A Military History 1099-1187 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), pp. 320, ISBN: 978-0198824541. Sean McGlynn (University of Plymouth at Strode College, UK) 5.
3. Kerstin von Lingen, “Crimes against Humanity”: Eine Ideengeschichte der Zivilisierung von Kriegsgewalt 1864-1945, Krieg in der Geschichte 102 (Paderborn: Ferdinand Schoenigh, 2018), pp. 386, ISBN: 978-3506787750. Marcel Berni (Swiss Military Academy at ETH Zurich, Switzerland) 8.
4. Michael Geheran, Comrades Betrayed: Jewish World War I Veterans under Hitler (Ithaca, NY/London: Cornell University Press, 2020), pp. 294, ISBN: 978-1501751011. Nathaniel Parker Weston (Seattle Central College, USA) 10.
5. Stephan Jaeger, The Second World War in the Twenty-First-Century Museum: From Narrative, Memory, and Experience to Experientiality (Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2020), pp. 354, ISBN: 978-3110661064. Christopher Thorsten Sommer (Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany) 13.
6. Helen Fry, MI9: A History of the Secret Service for Escape and Evasion in World War Two (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2020), pp. 352, ISBN: 978-0300233209. Kevin T. Hall (Ruhr-Universität-Bochum, Germany) 17.
7. Sönke Neitzel, Deutsche Krieger: Vom Kaiserreich zur Berliner Republik - eine Militärgeschichte, 2nd edition (Berlin: Propyläen 2020), pp. 816, ISBN: 978-3549076477. Frank Jacob (Nord Universitet, Norway) 19.
8. Pablo de Orellana, The Road to Vietnam: America, France, Britain, and the First Vietnam War (London: I.B. Tauris, 2020), pp. 258, ISBN: 9781784538972. Michael Holm (Boston University, USA) 25.
9. John-Mark Iyi and Hennie Strydom, eds., Boko Haram and International Law (Cham: Springer, 2018), pp. 429, ISBN: 978-3319749556. James Okolie-Osemene (Wellspring University, Benin City, Nigeria) 31.
Editorial 1.
1. Jeffrey Rop, Greek Military Service in the Ancient Near East, 401-330 BCE (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019), pp. 265, ISBN: 978-1108499507. Sabine Müller (Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany) 2.
2. Nicholas Morton, The Crusader States and Their Neighbours: A Military History 1099-1187 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), pp. 320, ISBN: 978-0198824541. Sean McGlynn (University of Plymouth at Strode College, UK) 5.
3. Kerstin von Lingen, “Crimes against Humanity”: Eine Ideengeschichte der Zivilisierung von Kriegsgewalt 1864-1945, Krieg in der Geschichte 102 (Paderborn: Ferdinand Schoenigh, 2018), pp. 386, ISBN: 978-3506787750. Marcel Berni (Swiss Military Academy at ETH Zurich, Switzerland) 8.
4. Michael Geheran, Comrades Betrayed: Jewish World War I Veterans under Hitler (Ithaca, NY/London: Cornell University Press, 2020), pp. 294, ISBN: 978-1501751011. Nathaniel Parker Weston (Seattle Central College, USA) 10.
5. Stephan Jaeger, The Second World War in the Twenty-First-Century Museum: From Narrative, Memory, and Experience to Experientiality (Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2020), pp. 354, ISBN: 978-3110661064. Christopher Thorsten Sommer (Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany) 13.
6. Helen Fry, MI9: A History of the Secret Service for Escape and Evasion in World War Two (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2020), pp. 352, ISBN: 978-0300233209. Kevin T. Hall (Ruhr-Universität-Bochum, Germany) 17.
7. Sönke Neitzel, Deutsche Krieger: Vom Kaiserreich zur Berliner Republik - eine Militärgeschichte, 2nd edition (Berlin: Propyläen 2020), pp. 816, ISBN: 978-3549076477. Frank Jacob (Nord Universitet, Norway) 19.
8. Pablo de Orellana, The Road to Vietnam: America, France, Britain, and the First Vietnam War (London: I.B. Tauris, 2020), pp. 258, ISBN: 9781784538972. Michael Holm (Boston University, USA) 25.
9. John-Mark Iyi and Hennie Strydom, eds., Boko Haram and International Law (Cham: Springer, 2018), pp. 429, ISBN: 978-3319749556. James Okolie-Osemene (Wellspring University, Benin City, Nigeria) 31.
Research Interests: History, Military History, War Studies, Political Science, Cold War, and 15 moreGreat War, Cultural History of War, Second World War, Vietnam War, First World War, World War II, War and society, War on Terror, History of War, Military, Ancient Warfare, Warfare, World War II history, Great War 1914-18, and MILITARY HISTORY WW2
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Military History, Military Science, Military Intelligence, and 13 moreStrategy (Military Science), Social Sciences, Early Modern History, War Studies, Cold War, Mediterranean Studies, Second World War, Just War Theory, First World War, World War II, Military and Politics, Civil-military relations, and Military
Reviews on recent books in military studies.
Research Interests: History, Military History, Military Science, Military Intelligence, Strategy (Military Science), and 12 moreSocial Sciences, Sociology of the Military, War Studies, Political Science, Militarism, Cold War, Second World War, First World War, Military and Politics, Civil-military relations, Ethnic Conflict and Civil War, and Military
In this study of Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, the author examines how their participation in the conflict, and the attempts by other groups to manipulate them, gave rise to modern issues that continue to affect politics in the... more
In this study of Macedonian Slavs in the Greek Civil War, the author examines how their participation in the conflict, and the attempts by other groups to manipulate them, gave rise to modern issues that continue to affect politics in the region today. The Macedonian Question has confounded academics, politicians and the people of the Balkans since the nineteenth century. While the countries have resolved the territorial component of the Macedonian Question, the critical and confusing question surrounding the ethnic and linguistic identity of the people of the region continues to be the source of international debate. Part of the reason for this confusion is because the history of the Macedonian Question is shrouded in nationalist polemics. The role of the Macedonian Slavs involvement in the Greek Civil War is particularly contentious and embedded in nationalist polemics, which has impacted academic inquiry. This book argues that the preponderance of Macedonian Slavs within the communist forces during the Greek Civil War influenced the actions of all the major actors involved, and is a significant factor in shaping the modern Macedonian national identity.
Research Interests: European Studies, Refugee Studies, Race and Ethnicity, Nationalism, Nationalism And State Building, and 11 moreSecond World War, Modern Greece, Migration Studies, World War II, Irregular Warfare, Yugoslavia (History), Ethnic Conflict and Civil War, Greece, Macedonian Question, Macedonia, and Greek Civil War
Research Interests:
Croatia's successful bid for independence was one of the defining moments of the immediate post-Cold War period. Nevertheless, the means that Croatia used to obtain independence remains relatively unexamined by academics. This article... more
Croatia's successful bid for independence was one of the defining moments of the immediate post-Cold War period. Nevertheless, the means that Croatia used to obtain independence remains relatively unexamined by academics. This article focuses on the early period of Croatia's bid for secession, and specifically the role that Yugoslavia's policy of Total National Defence played in facilitating its independence. Unlike in Slovenia, where the legacies of Total National Defence facilitated Slovenia's bid for secession, in Croatia the decision of its political leaders meant that the country largely neglected its positive legacies, resulting in a protracted four-year struggle.
Research Interests: Political Science, Political Violence and Terrorism, Politics, Croatian, Yugoslavia, and 15 moreHistory of Political Violence, Croatian History, Political Violence, Secession, Unconventional Warfare (UW), History of Central and Southeastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Yugoslavia (History), History of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian wars of secession, War of Independence, Routledge, Hybrid War, Hybrid Warfare, and Breakup of the former Yugoslavia
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT Whilst scholars have examined the long-term political, social, and cultural dynamics with regards to Yugoslavia’s collapse, the military has largely escaped similar scrutiny. This paper explores the League of Communists of... more
ABSTRACT Whilst scholars have examined the long-term political, social, and cultural dynamics with regards to Yugoslavia’s collapse, the military has largely escaped similar scrutiny. This paper explores the League of Communists of Yugoslavia’s attempt to solve the nationalist problems of Yugoslavia through the ideology of self-management, and how the failure to do so affected the strategy of Total National Defence. The republics were able to construct their own armed forces due to Total National Defence’s devolution of powers and self-management making changes to the policy extremely difficult for the federal government and Yugoslav People’s Army.
Research Interests: European History, International Relations, Public Administration, Peace and Conflict Studies, Marxism, and 15 moreBalkan History, Political Science, Cold War, Politics, Ideology, Nationalism, Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia (History), Guerrilla Warfare, Scrutiny, Civil Military Relations, Yugoslavian wars of secession, Hybrid Warfare, Breakup of the former Yugoslavia, and League
Investigates the role of urbicide in shaping the international responses to the collapse of Yugoslavia, specifically that resulting from the Siege of Vukovar.
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Military History, Mythology, Balkan Studies, Historiography, Political Science, and 14 morePolitics, Terminology, Macedonian, Insurgency/Counterinsurgency(COIN), National Identity, Second World War, World War II, Spanish Civil War, Ethnic Conflict and Civil War, Insurgency, Macedonian Question, Greek Civil War, Ethnic Group, and Insurgency and counterinsurgency
Research Interests:
The study of special forces is dominated by accounts of British and American units. This article, using the case study of the Yugoslav Special Forces in the 1990s and early 2000s, demonstrates how units that developed outside the... more
The study of special forces is dominated by accounts of British and American units. This article, using the case study of the Yugoslav Special Forces in the 1990s and early 2000s, demonstrates how units that developed outside the Anglosphere possess not only a different military function but also distinct cultures and structures. Therefore, when analyzing units that develop outside the Anglosphere, we need to consider new analytical tools and approaches.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
On 25 June 1991 Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Most outside observers assumed that the federal army, the Yugoslav People's Army (YPA), would quickly reassert federal authority over Slovenia. Instead, Slovenia not only... more
On 25 June 1991 Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Most outside observers assumed that the federal army, the Yugoslav People's Army (YPA), would quickly reassert federal authority over Slovenia. Instead, Slovenia not only defeated the YPA, but would gain the initiative against the mechanically superior force. This article will argue that one of the principle reasons for Slovenia obtaining independence was that it benefited from the military heritage of the Yugoslav defense policy of Total National Defense (TND), whereas the YPA was largely inhibited by its legacies.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT The study of special operations forces is one where the Anglo-American experience dominates the literature. This focus on Anglo-American operations, and specifically those operations deemed successful in a conventional sense,... more
ABSTRACT The study of special operations forces is one where the Anglo-American experience dominates the literature. This focus on Anglo-American operations, and specifically those operations deemed successful in a conventional sense, gives a distorted view of special operations forces structures, mission profiles, and capabilities. Furthermore, the current political context is eroding the conventional operational focus of special operations. This development means special operations forces will be deployed in roles that may be inconsistent with their doctrine and training, in the process contributing particular political dynamics that reverberate back and define their role.
Research Interests: Military History, International Relations, Geopolitics, Insurgency/Counterinsurgency(COIN), Mediterranean, and 12 moreModern Greece, History And Geopolitics In The Balkans, Irregular Warfare, Unconventional Warfare (UW), Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Counterinsurgency, United States Foreign Policy, World Politics, Special Operations, United States, Special Operations Forces, and Routledge
Research Interests:
Investigates the role of urbicide in shaping the international responses to the collapse of Yugoslavia, specifically that resulting from the Siege of Vukovar.
Research Interests:
For many outside observers the impressive strength and capabilities of the YPA were taken as a given throughout the Cold War. This belief was based purely on the number of soldiers and hardware that Yugoslavia possessed. What this ignored... more
For many outside observers the impressive strength and capabilities of the YPA were taken as a given throughout the Cold War. This belief was based purely on the number of soldiers and hardware that Yugoslavia possessed. What this ignored was the fact that Yugoslavia’s defence policy, Total Na tional Defence, was a highly complex policy that required a unity of purpose amongst the Yugoslav peoples to successfully implement By 1990 the entity that was supposed to provide this unity, the League of Communists of Yu goslavia, was discredited as a political force in Yugoslavia. This made ele ments of Yugoslavia’s defence forces susceptible to the new political force that was becoming dominate in the country: nationalism.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The study of special forces is dominated by accounts of British and American units. This article, using the case study of the Yugoslav Special Forces in the 1990s and early 2000s, demonstrates how units that developed outside the... more
The study of special forces is dominated by accounts of British and American units. This article, using the case study of the Yugoslav Special Forces in the 1990s and early 2000s, demonstrates how units that developed outside the Anglosphere possess not only a different military function but also distinct cultures and structures. Therefore, when analyzing units that develop outside the Anglosphere, we need to consider new analytical tools and approaches.
Research Interests:
Croatia's successful bid for independence was one of the defining moments of the immediate post-Cold War period. Nevertheless, the means that Croatia used to obtain independence remains relatively unexamined by academics. This article... more
Croatia's successful bid for independence was one of the defining moments of the immediate post-Cold War period. Nevertheless, the means that Croatia used to obtain independence remains relatively unexamined by academics. This article focuses on the early period of Croatia's bid for secession, and specifically the role that Yugoslavia's policy of Total National Defence played in facilitating its independence. Unlike in Slovenia, where the legacies of Total National Defence facilitated Slovenia's bid for secession, in Croatia the decision of its political leaders meant that the country largely neglected its positive legacies, resulting in a protracted four-year struggle.
Research Interests: Political Science, Political Violence and Terrorism, Yugoslavia, History of Political Violence, Croatian History, and 10 morePolitical Violence, Unconventional Warfare (UW), History of Central and Southeastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, History of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavian wars of secession, Routledge, Hybrid War, Hybrid Warfare, and Breakup of the former Yugoslavia
Whilst scholars have examined the long-term political, social, and cultural dynamics with regards to Yugoslavia’s collapse, the military has largely escaped similar scrutiny. This paper explores the League of Communists of Yugoslavia’s... more
Whilst scholars have examined the long-term political, social, and cultural dynamics with regards to Yugoslavia’s collapse, the military has largely escaped similar scrutiny. This paper explores the League of Communists of Yugoslavia’s attempt to solve the nationalist problems of Yugoslavia through the ideology of self-management, and how the failure to do so affected the strategy of Total National Defence. The republics were able to construct their own armed forces due to Total National Defence’s devolution of powers and self-management making changes to the policy extremely difficult for the federal government and Yugoslav People’s Army.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT The study of special operations forces is one where the Anglo-American experience dominates the literature. This focus on Anglo-American operations, and specifically those operations deemed successful in a conventional sense,... more
ABSTRACT The study of special operations forces is one where the Anglo-American experience dominates the literature. This focus on Anglo-American operations, and specifically those operations deemed successful in a conventional sense, gives a distorted view of special operations forces structures, mission profiles, and capabilities. Furthermore, the current political context is eroding the conventional operational focus of special operations. This development means special operations forces will be deployed in roles that may be inconsistent with their doctrine and training, in the process contributing particular political dynamics that reverberate back and define their role.
Research Interests: Military History, International Relations, Insurgency/Counterinsurgency(COIN), Mediterranean, Modern Greece, and 11 moreHistory And Geopolitics In The Balkans, Irregular Warfare, Unconventional Warfare (UW), Foreign Internal Defense (FID), Counterinsurgency, United States Foreign Policy, World Politics, Special Operations, United States, Special Operations Forces, and Routledge
Research Interests:
On 25 June 1991 Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Most outside observers assumed that the federal army, the Yugoslav People's Army (YPA), would quickly reassert federal authority over Slovenia. Instead, Slovenia not only... more
On 25 June 1991 Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. Most outside observers assumed that the federal army, the Yugoslav People's Army (YPA), would quickly reassert federal authority over Slovenia. Instead, Slovenia not only defeated the YPA, but would gain the initiative against the mechanically superior force. This article will argue that one of the principle reasons for Slovenia obtaining independence was that it benefited from the military heritage of the Yugoslav defense policy of Total National Defense (TND), whereas the YPA was largely inhibited by its legacies.
Research Interests:
This article examines the role of the Macedonian Question in the 1944 December Uprising (Dekemvriana) in Greece. While the Dekemvriana is commonly portrayed in right–left terminology in the historiography, this article argues that part of... more
This article examines the role of the Macedonian Question in the 1944 December Uprising (Dekemvriana) in Greece. While the Dekemvriana is commonly portrayed in right–left terminology in the historiography, this article argues that part of the reason for the left’s failure was their inability to manage the Macedonian ethnic component of the struggle, either within their armed forces or in their relationship with Yugoslavia. As such, this article integrates the early phases of the Greek Civil War into the broader literature on minorities in civil conflict, while simultaneously exposing some of the myths about Macedonian involvement that result from its contemporary political ramifications.