#Axis occupation of France

[captain-price-unofficially]

B-24 Liberators of 446th Bomb Group unload over a Luftwaffe airfield near Tours, France. 5 Feb 1944

[mapsontheweb]

French explorations in Africa in the 19th century

« Nouvel atlas de l'histoire de France », Autrement, 2016

by cartesdhistoire

In the 19th century, a vast movement of exploration of lands unknown to Europeans developed, supported by scientific institutions. The figure of the explorer became familiar to the public, and their stories contributed to the creation of a specific imagination, filled with exoticism and adventure. Perhaps the most evocative name is that of René Caillie, the first Westerner to reach Timbuktu. Another remarkable figure is Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, a French naval officer born in Italy who explored the Congo (1874-1882).

From the 1880s to the 1890s, European expansion accelerated from sometimes ancient coastal footholds, such as French and British forts in West Africa or Portuguese ones in Angola. The Berlin Conference (1884-1885) set the rules, enforcing effective occupation of land to colonize it. It also guaranteed freedom of movement and trade on major rivers (Niger, Congo). The drawing of colonial boundaries, often complex to define on the ground in densely populated areas, and the colored plaques on the maps should not mask the fact that the appropriation of the territory was progressive and often very loose.

During the conquest, the military consisted of the powers in place (sometimes themselves of European origin, as in the Boer republics of Orange and Transvaal, which eventually became British in 1902). Treaties to share the territories multiplied, which did not avoid crises like the one at Fashoda in 1898, where the French and British clashed for control of the Upper Nile—and more broadly for the completion of their expansion projects: the Dakar-Djibouti link for the French, and the Cairo-to-Cape Town axis for the British. This led to the extension of British influence over the entire Nile basin.

[akajustmerry]

I think what’s most dystopian about the genocide of Palestinians is that the United States isn’t just complicit, it’s basically ensuring the genocide continues. More than just the axis powers during World War II, Israel literally could not get away with this without the US.

What do we call it when a powerful country has the power to ignore international criminal law and human rights law and actively fund a genocide, and get away with it ?

The US didn’t need to invade Palestine to destroy it… it just needed to bankroll Israel.

That's literally why the Zionist occupation exists, to enact colonial core interests in the region. Not just the US, but Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Most of Europe, and even the Ukraine. To paraphrase Butcher Biden, "If Israel didn't exist, the US would create one to serve their interests." For what it's worth, Zionists acting on US interests isn't new. Their biggest industry is arms dealing and have supplied every force that supports Western interests with weapons since the 60s. The Occupation is currently supplying weapons in Congo, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, and so many other places where the West can't intervene directly. This is why it's so important to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement because it attacks the Zionist network of supply and financing. Please, support your local BDS chapter.

[whencyclopedia]

Hitler's Occupation of Czechoslovakia

Throughout 1938, Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), the leader of Nazi Germany, threatened to occupy the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. The excuse presented was that Sudeten Germans were being repressed but Hitler was intent on creating a 'Greater Germany', which included all German speakers in Europe. In the Munich Agreement of September 1938, Britain, France, and Italy agreed to recognize Germany's claim over the Sudetenland. This act of appeasement was meant to avoid a world war.

In March 1939, Hitler occupied the Bohemian and Moravian regions of Czechoslovakia, Slovakia became a German client state, and Hungary and Poland grabbed what was left of the old Czechoslovakia. When Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939, Britain and France finally declared war. Czechoslovakia had been betrayed and bargained away for nothing.

German Troops Enter the Sudetenland

Imperial War Museums (CC BY-NC-SA)

Hitler's Greater Germany

Hitler had harboured ambitions to build a German empire or 'Greater Germany' ever since his book Mein Kampf (published in 1925), in which he described the need for Lebensraum (living space) for the German people – new lands where they could prosper. Once in power from 1933, Hitler pursued an aggressive foreign policy that aimed to recover Germany's territorial losses following the Treaty of Versailles that had formally concluded the First World War (1914-18).

The first practical step towards a Greater Germany came with a plebiscite in the coal-rich Saar region, once part of western Germany but governed by the League of Nations (the forerunner of today's United Nations) since the end of WWI. In March 1935, voters decided overwhelmingly to rejoin Germany. One year later, in March 1936, German armed forces occupied the Rhineland, an industrialised area between Germany and France, which the Versailles treaty had stipulated should not have any military presence. As was the case with Japan's invasion of Chinese Manchuria in 1931 and Italy's invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935, the League of Nations offered no meaningful response. Encouraged, Hitler repudiated the Treaty of Versailles and set about solidifying his alliances. In October 1936, Germany and Italy became allies with the Rome-Berlin Axis. In November 1936, Italy and Germany (and later Japan) signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, a treaty of mutual cooperation in empire-building and a united front against communism. Hitler could now concentrate on his next victim: Austria.

Hitler not only wanted more German speakers under his power but also Austria's raw materials and currency reserves; both were badly needed for the costly rearmament programme Germany was undertaking. In 1938, Hitler pressured the Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg (1897-1977) to appoint Nazi ministers in his government, but when Schuschnigg planned a plebiscite on independence for 13 March, Hitler mobilised his army, which crossed the border on 12 March. Crucially, Hitler had three factors in his favour: the support of half of the Austrian population, the Austrian army was incapable of effective resistance, and the fascist dictator of Italy Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) had promised he would not interfere. The Austrian government duly capitulated, and radio messages urged people not to resist. The Anschluss was accomplished.

The Rise of Nazi Germany, 1919 - 1939

Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

The major powers, all eager to avoid another world war, reacted tamely to the Anschluss and took solace from the popularity of the takeover indicated by the plebiscites in Germany and Austria, which showed (an improbable) 99% approval for the Anschluss. Austria was absorbed into the Third Reich and became a German province. Possession of Austria gave Hitler a strong strategic position in Central Europe, a base from which he could launch further invasions, particularly in the Balkans and to his next target, Czechoslovakia. In May 1938, Hitler declared to his generals: “it is my unalterable will to smash Czechoslovakia by military action in the near future" (Dear, 597). What Hitler wanted first, though, was an excuse to take Czechoslovakia. As it turned out, he did not need it since the Western powers conspired to give Hitler the country on a plate.

Continue reading...

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 5.13 (before 1955)

1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book Revelations of Divine Love. 1501 – Amerigo Vespucci, this time under Portuguese flag, set sail for western lands. 1568 – Mary Queen of Scots is defeated at the Battle of Langside, part of the civil war between Queen Mary and the supporters of her son, James VI. 1612 – Sword duel between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro on the shores of Ganryū Island. Kojiro dies at the end. 1619 – Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after being convicted of treason. 1654 – A Venetian fleet under Admiral Cort Adeler breaks through a line of galleys and defeats the Turkish navy. 1779 – War of the Bavarian Succession: Russian and French mediators at the Congress of Teschen negotiate an end to the war. In the agreement Austria receives the part of its territory that was taken from it (the Innviertel). 1780 – The Cumberland Compact is signed by leaders of the settlers in the Cumberland River area of what would become the U.S. state of Tennessee, providing for democratic government and a formal system of justice. 1804 – Forces sent by Yusuf Karamanli of Tripoli to retake Derna from the Americans attack the city. 1830 – Ecuador gains its independence from Gran Colombia. 1846 – Mexican–American War: The United States declares war on the Federal Republic of Mexico following a dispute over the American annexation of the Republic of Texas and a Mexican military incursion. 1861 – American Civil War: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issues a "proclamation of neutrality" which recognizes the Confederacy as having belligerent rights. 1861 – The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia. 1861 – Pakistan's (then a part of British India) first railway line opens, from Karachi to Kotri. 1862 – The USS Planter, a steamer and gunship, steals through Confederate lines and is passed to the Union, by a southern slave, Robert Smalls, who later was officially appointed as captain, becoming the first black man to command a United States ship. 1888 – With the passage of the Lei Áurea ("Golden Law"), the Empire of Brazil abolishes slavery. 1909 – The first edition of the Giro d'Italia, a long-distance multiple-stage bicycle race, began in Milan; the Italian cyclist Luigi Ganna was the eventual winner. 1912 – The Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the Royal Air Force, is established in the United Kingdom. 1917 – Three children report the first apparition of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal. 1940 – World War II: Germany's conquest of France begins, as the German army crosses the Meuse. Winston Churchill makes his "blood, toil, tears, and sweat" speech to the House of Commons. 1941 – World War II: Yugoslav royal colonel Dragoljub Mihailović starts fighting against German occupation troops, beginning the Serbian resistance. 1943 – World War II: Operations Vulcan and Strike force the surrender of the last Axis troops in Tunisia. 1945 – World War II: Yevgeny Khaldei's photograph Raising a Flag over the Reichstag is published in Ogonyok magazine. 1948 – Arab–Israeli War: The Kfar Etzion massacre occurs, a day prior to the Israeli Declaration of Independence. 1950 – The inaugural Formula One World Championship race takes place at Silverstone Circuit. The race was won by Giuseppe Farina, who would go on to become the inaugural champion that year. 1951 – The 400th anniversary of the founding of the National University of San Marcos is commemorated by the opening of the first large-capacity stadium in Peru. 1952 – The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, holds its first sitting. 1954 – The anti-National Service Riots, by Chinese middle school students in Singapore, take place.

[blogpostsofvariablequality]

just had the most insane session of hoi4 so I'm playing as romania. things are going well. I've invaded hungary, puppeted bulgaria, and partitioned yugoslavia and greece. after a slow start getting into anatolia, my conquest of turkey has been going smoothly. 1939 rolls around, I've taken ankara, and germany is doing their thing in poland - alone, because instead of the axis powers, italy is in my faction: patriae romanae then ethiopia joins the allies. this is a problem because I had been assisting italy in the occupation of ethiopia for the manpower benefits for years, and them joining the allied powers means they can call the allies against me and the rest of patriae romanae, which they immediately do. turkey also joins the allies. luckily, by this point france has fallen, so all I need to do is finish taking turkey and then garrison my coasts against the inevitable british naval invasions. the axis occupation of syria and lebanon will buffer me against british jordan, so I can devote my entire army to this purpose. germany launches operation barbarossa and invades the soviet union. it goes badly. this means they are less able to fight the allies, and soon syria is back in allied hands so I need to split off an army to keep the brits out of turkey. this works! I even manage to capture parts of syria for myself. then things get weird and bad- germany declares war on greece. greece being my puppet, I am automatically involved. germany captures almost all of transylvania. the soviets spark a communist uprising in moldavia. I lose all of anatolia to an allied offensive. the soviets invade iran for some reason. iraq is invaded by the uk and joins the greater east asian co-prosperity sphere of all factions. both manchukuo and communist china claim indochina. soviet d-day. soviet denmark. soviet norway. berlin and vienna fall to the red army and germany surrenders. italy has a civil war and becomes my puppet. soon the allied invasion of italy will result in my surrender.

it is 1943. historical focuses: on

[hannianssg]

WW2 (1939-1945)

1. Overview It was a global conflict that involved most of the world’s nations, divided into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis Powers. 2. Key Causes ➱Treaty of Versailles (1919): The harsh terms of the treaty that ended World War I, including heavy reparations imposed on Germany, contributed to economic instability and resentment, fueling the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. ➱Rise of Fascism and Militarism: Aggressive expansion by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy destabilized international peace. These regimes sought territorial expansion and promoted authoritarianism. ➱Failure of Appeasement: This strategy failed when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. 3. Key Players Allied Powers: -United States (Franklin D. Roosevelt and later Harry S. Truman) -Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin) -United Kingdom (Winston Churchill) -China (Chiang Kai-shek) -France (Charles de Gaulle, after 1940 Nazi occupation) Axis Powers: -Germany (Adolf Hitler) -Japan (Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Hideki Tojo) -Italy (Benito Mussolini) 4. Major Events ■Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. ■Fall of France (1940): The fall of France was a significant early Axis victory. ■Battle of Britain (1940): Britain successfully defended itself against German air attacks. ■Operation Barbarossa (1941): Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, one of the largest military operations in history. ■Pearl Harbor (1941): On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, leading to the United States’ entry into the war. ■D-Day (1944): On 6 June 1944, Allied forces launched a combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. ■Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945). 5. End of the War ➧Germany’s Surrender: On May 7, 1945, Germany officially surrendered after the Allies captured Berlin, leading to Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) on May 8, 1945. ➧Japan’s Surrender: After the atomic bombings and the Soviet Union’s declaration of war on Japan, Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 (V-J Day), with formal surrender signed on September 2, 1945, ending WWII. 6. Key Consequences ●The United Nations (UN): In 1945, the UN was established to prevent future conflicts and promote international cooperation, replacing the ineffective League of Nations. ●Cold War: The geopolitical tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, which emerged as the two superpowers after the war, led to the Cold War (1947–1991). ●The Marshall Plan (April 3, 1948): A U.S. initiative to help rebuild Western European economies after the war to prevent the spread of communism and ensure stability. 7. Technological and Military Innovations Radar, jet engines, ballistic missiles, and the atomic bomb. Naval warfare. Codebreaking.

[qu-film-history-to-1968]

The Impact of World War II on French Cinema

By: Julia Kusmenko

During World War II, part of France was under German Occupation. As a result, World War II impacted the films released in France during this time. For example, French films from the late 1930s and early 1940s reflect cinema during the occupation and poetic realism. One example that demonstrates cinema during the occupation is the 1946 film La Belle et la Bête. Released one year after World War II ended, this film was influenced by France’s motivation to tell new stories after the content of films were stifled and suppressed by the Axis Powers.

Based on the text “French Films During the Occupation” by Lincoln Kirstein, I expect watching La Belle et la Bête will teach me about France’s honest style of storytelling since “The French are famously frank. Four years of individual hell have sharpened their irony and released their creative energies. Their attitude towards the films at the present is wonderfully fresh, interested, responsible and honest” (Kirstein 20). 

In addition, the 1937 film Pépé Le Moko illustrates the influence of poetic realism on  French cinema. Unlike La Belle et la Bête, the film Pépé Le Moko was released just before the start of World War II. As a result, Pépé Le Moko was influenced by brewing political turmoil in Germany during the late 1930s as it is the neighboring country to France. From reading the text “Mood and Ideology in the Cinema of Vichy France” by Naomi Greene, I expect that viewing the film Pépé le Moko will teach me about the dark mood felt by those in France leading up to the war because “the mood found in the best of these films––a mood created from the emphasis accorded certain kinds of behavior and especially from formal factors such as lighting, camera angles, iconography, mise-en-scene––may ultimately be closer than a diegetic analysis to what was really felt, and thought, during those dark years” (Greene 440). 

The mood discussed by Greene directly relates to poetic realism in the late 1930s in France since “This mood appears to me important enough to constitute not only the originality and unity of many films of this era but also a recognizable style” (Greene 440). With this, the style of poetic realism of Pépé Le Moko is also portrayed in the poster of this 1937 film.

Works Cited

Greene, Naomi. “Mood and Ideology in the Cinema of Vichy France.” The French Review, vol. 59, no. 3, 1986, pp. 437–45. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/392672. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Kirstein, Lincoln. “French Films during the Occupation.” The Bulletin of the Museum of Modern Art, vol. 12, no. 3, 1945, pp. 16–20. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/4058089. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Image from Pépé Le Moko:

[captain-price-unofficially]

Captured PA-22 with Luftwaffe markings, a French experimental aircraft designed by Nicolas Roland Payen. 1942

[mortonmattd]

Amazing Historical Events That Occurred on 4/17🎉 #shorts #history

Amazing Historical Events That Occurred on April 17th Welcome to this video exploring some of the amazing historical events that occurred on April 17th throughout history. We begin in 1492 when Christopher Columbus signed a contract with the Spanish monarchs to embark on a voyage in search of the "Indies." Columbus's expedition would go on to discover the New World, changing the course of history forever. His journey also had the express objective of spreading the Catholic faith to the natives, which would have a profound impact on the indigenous people of the Americas. In 1534, Thomas More was detained in the Tower of London, following his refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. More was a prominent lawyer and scholar who was also known for his religious convictions. His refusal to accept the king's position would ultimately lead to his execution, making him a martyr for his beliefs. Moving forward to 1711, Charles VI assumed the title of Holy Roman Emperor, succeeding his deceased brother Joseph I. Charles VI was a key figure in European politics during the 18th century and his reign saw many significant events, including the War of the Spanish Succession, which ended just a few years prior to his coronation. In 1808, Napoleon I of France issued the Bayonne Decree, which authorized the seizure of American ships by French forces. This move by Napoleon would have far-reaching implications for the United States, which was still a relatively new nation at the time. The decree would ultimately lead to the War of 1812 between the US and Britain, as the US sought to defend its sovereignty and protect its interests. Finally, we come to 1941 when Yugoslavia surrendered to Germany during World War II. This surrender was a significant moment in the war, as it gave the Axis powers a foothold in the Balkans and allowed them to expand their control in the region. The surrender would also have a major impact on the Yugoslavian people, who would face years of occupation and persecution under German rule. And there you have it, some amazing historical events that occurred on April 17th throughout history. Each of these events had a profound impact on the world, shaping the course of history in ways that are still felt today. Thank you for watching and stay tuned for more fascinating historical content. In 1492, Christopher Columbus signed a contract with the Spanish monarchs to embark on a voyage in search of the "Indies," with the express objective of spreading the Catholic faith to the natives. In 1534, Thomas More was detained in the Tower of London, following his refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII as the head of the Church of England. In 1711, Charles VI assumed the title of Holy Roman Emperor, succeeding his deceased brother Joseph I. In 1808, Napoleon I of France issued the Bayonne Decree, which authorized the seizure of American ships by French forces. Finally  In 1941, Yugoslavia surrendered to Germany during World War II.

[psychologeek]

Arggg I need those things to stop come over my dashboard!!

I have THINGS to say, and then I go research, and then it's been many hours later and I figure out I didn't eat today 😭

let's talk genocides!

(please, if anyone find error @ and correct me! I am not an expert, but I would love to educate myself more!):

(under read more bc... genocides. I try to be non- explicit, but. It is a sad topic *shrugs*).

Tried to go in chronological order, 5 genocides in 130 years.

The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun (mostly 1859-1864), was the Russian Empire's systematic mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and expulsion of 95–97% of the Circassian population, resulting in 1 to 1.5 million deaths during the final stages of Russo-Circassian War. It's very hard to get accurate knowledge, since Circassian had oral records (storytelling), and the Russian commander in charge of it purposely didn't write the numbers of people in this area. About 2/3 of the population died (Based on Shenefild, S.D.)

The Armenian genocide (Հայոց Ցեղասպանություն), also referred as "the Armenian Holocaust", and in Armenia tradition (Մեծ Եղեռն, "mets yer'ren"), was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I and after (1915-1918). Evaluation consider about half of the Armenian population died, numerical estimation of 1-1.5M. Also were murdered other Christian minorities: greek and Assyrian (not aure about the name in English).

The Holocaust/Shoah - during ww2 (1938-1945). Started: In an attempt to force all German Jews to emigrate, the regime passed anti-Jewish laws and orchestrated a nationwide pogrom in November 1938. Concentration camps, mass massacre of all kinds, then death camps. 6m death in Europe (pre-ww2 about 9.5 jews in Europe - 2/3 are dead). Also everywhere the Nazis occupied - include north africa such as Libya and Algeria. Spesific: In Poland – home of Europe's largest Jewish community before the war – the Nazis murdered 3.3 million Jews, or 90% of its Jewish population (another 8-9% survived by leaving Poland). Greece, Yugoslavia, Hungary (had Nazis for about a year), Lithuania, Bohemia, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Latvia - over 70% of their Jewish populations; Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Norway, and Estonia, - about 50% . More then 1/3 of the Soviet Union's Jews were murdered; France lost about 25 % of its Jewish population, Italy between 15% and 20%. Jews outside Europe under Axis occupation were also affected by the Holocaust in Italian Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Japan, and China. *

The Romani Holocaust (I was about to put the Roma term I know, and then found out there are different terms, and some see some of the terms as offensive, so I won't. But know that tere ARE different namet in several Roma dialects). estimated death tollis either: about 1.5 million out of an estimated 2 million European Roma (3/4 - 75%), or 250-500k out of about 1m Roma (25-50%). Concentration camps from 1933, Exiles 1939-1942, then death camps 1942-1945.

The Rwandan genocide (1994) - During a period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu militias. The most widely accepted scholarly estimates are around 500,000 to 800,000 Tutsi deaths (about 2/3 of the Tutsi population in Rwanda) (McDoom, O. S., 2020). There were about 10,000 Twa deaths (out of population of 30,000). There was a home-to-home search, check points were Tutsi were shot, and massive media encouragement in the madia to do so. Huto that refused the genocide or tried to hide innocents were murdered. 250k-500k women were raped.

So, I guess we can all agree that genocide cause decrease in the population.

Common things seen: murder and/or exile of 30-100% of the population. Also common destruction of religious places and artifacts and sexual assaults. The agenda - to erase group X (at least from a specific area).

Gaza Strip had a population of ~1m at 2000. It's current population is 2.3M (double in 23 years).

And I want you to think very, very carefully - where are the synagogues, or any jews, in Gaza?

Oh, I just got another understanding about why "from the river to the sea" is so scary. We just learn from our history (look up Hebron, 1929, for example of "we don't want you hear").

* Bc I love this story so much - let's finish with an OPTIMISTIC holocaust story 😊:

Denmark evacuated nearly all of its Jews to nearby neutral Sweden; the Danish resistance movement, with the assistance of many Danish citizens, evacuated 7,220 of the country's 7,800 Jews by sea to Sweden, in vessels ranging from fishing boats to private yachts (All in one week!). The rescue allowed the vast majority of Denmark's Jewish population to avoid capture by the Nazis.

Just so we're clear:

1) Israel is not colonialist, it is an indigenous nation-state. No amount of terrorism will make the Jews leave, because we have nowhere to leave to.

2) The Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have never undergone genocide at the hands of Israel. Populations experiencing genocide go down, not up like the population boom Palestine has seen in the past 70 years.

Although, given the events of Saturday, that may change!

3) The border wall is not apartheid any more than the border with Lebanon is apartheid, because Gazans are not Israeli citizens. They are its sovereign enemies sworn to Israel's destruction.

4) All the violence Israel commits against Palestinians-- and there is a lot of it! I don't deny that, and I understand their pain!-- is in the name of self defense. If the Palestinians could be trusted not to murder Israelis, the oppression of the status quo would not exist.

Both Palestinians and Jews have the right to live in their ancestral homes in peace. Anyone who says otherwise is either a brainwashed idiot or a smart person doing the brainwashing. But acts of war will be met with more and harsher acts of war.

[xtruss]

China-targeting Containment Looms Large in Japan-US Alliance as Kishida Kicks off Visit to 5 G7 Nations

— Zhang Changyue | January 08, 2023

Japan Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

As Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will kick off a five-nation trip to France, Italy, the UK and Canada on Monday before meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday to strengthen the Japan-US alliance, analysts predict that some already formulated measures to counter China will be further confirmed and promoted toward implementation under the Japan-US alliance.

As his first official visit to the White House, Kishida said at a press conference that the summit with Biden would be an opportunity to "demonstrate at home and abroad the further strengthening of the Japan-US alliance" and to "establish closer cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific," the Asahi Shimbun reported.

According to the White House, Kishida and Biden will discuss a range of regional and global issues including North Korea, Ukraine and maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. "Biden will reiterate his full support for Japan's recently released National Security Strategy… The leaders will celebrate the unprecedented strength of the US-Japan Alliance and will set the course for their partnership in the year ahead," said the White House statement.

Analysts believed that during Kishida's meeting with Biden, he will explain, further confirm and promote implementations on specific items of security and defense cooperation, especially measures to counter China.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that Kishida's visit to the US is more like "a worship trip" to satisfy Biden, the US Congress and the military amid the three revised national security strategy documents which position the Japan-US alliance as the base axis of Japan's national security strategy.

Japan in December 2022 adopted a set of three security and defense strategy documents where the country labeled China as an unprecedented "strategic challenge" and vowed to possess the capability to launch counterstrikes against facilities such as missile-firing sites and other enemy targets.

Besides the Taiwan question, Da said the two sides may also hype that the US has the obligation to defend the Diaoyu Islands for Japan if China and Japan have a dispute over it.

According to a white paper released by China's State Council Information Office in September 2012, Japan's occupation of the Diaoyu Islands during the Sino-Japanese War in 1895 was illegal and invalid.

After World War II, the Diaoyu Islands were returned to China in accordance with such international legal documents as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation. No matter what unilateral step Japan takes over the islands, it will not change the fact that the islands belong to China.

For quite some time, Japan has repeatedly stirred up trouble on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands. On September 10, 2012, the Japanese government announced the "purchase" of the Diaoyu Island and its affiliated Nanxiao Island and Beixiao Island, and the implementation of so-called nationalization. This move grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty and seriously trampled on historical facts and international jurisprudence, said the white paper.

As the US Department of Homeland Security said that the US and Japan on Friday signed an updated memorandum of cooperation on cybersecurity to strengthen operational collaboration, Da said the two sides may also put restrictions on China on key technologies and personnel.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.22 (after 1900)

1916 – Preparedness Day Bombing: In San Francisco, a bomb explodes on Market Street during a parade, killing ten and injuring 40. 1921 – Rif War: The Spanish Army suffers its worst military defeat in modern times to the Berbers of the Rif region of Spanish Morocco. 1933 – Aviator Wiley Post returns to Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, completing the first solo flight around the world in seven days, 18 hours and 49 minutes. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The Popular Executive Committee of Valencia takes power in the Valencian Community. 1937 – New Deal: The United States Senate votes down President Franklin D. Roosevelt's proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court of the United States. 1942 – The United States government begins compulsory civilian gasoline rationing due to the wartime demands. 1942 – Grossaktion Warsaw: The systematic deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto begins. 1943 – World War II: Allied forces capture Palermo during the Allied invasion of Sicily. 1943 – World War II: Axis occupation forces violently disperse a massive protest in Athens, killing 22. 1944 – The Polish Committee of National Liberation publishes its manifesto, starting the period of Communist rule in Poland. 1946 – King David Hotel bombing: A Zionist underground organisation, the Irgun, bombs the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, site of the civil administration and military headquarters for Mandatory Palestine, resulting in 91 deaths. 1962 – Mariner program: Mariner 1 spacecraft flies erratically several minutes after launch and has to be destroyed. 1963 – Crown Colony of Sarawak gains self-governance. 1973 – Pan Am Flight 816 crashes after takeoff from Faa'a International Airport in Papeete, French Polynesia, killing 78. 1976 – Japan completes its last reparation to the Philippines for war crimes committed during imperial Japan's conquest of the country in the Second World War. 1977 – Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping is restored to power. 1981 – The first game of the 1981 South Africa rugby union tour of New Zealand and the United States is held in Gisborne, New Zealand. 1983 – Martial law in Poland is officially revoked. 1990 – Greg LeMond, an American road racing cyclist, wins his third Tour de France after leading the majority of the race. It was LeMond's second consecutive Tour de France victory. 1992 – Near Medellín, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escapes from his luxury prison fearing extradition to the United States. 1993 – Great Flood of 1993: Levees near Kaskaskia, Illinois rupture, forcing the entire town to evacuate by barges operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. 1997 – The second Blue Water Bridge opens between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario. 2003 – Members of 101st Airborne of the United States, aided by Special Forces, attack a compound in Iraq, killing Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay, along with Mustapha Hussein, Qusay's 14-year-old son, and a bodyguard. 2005 – Jean Charles de Menezes is killed by police as the hunt begins for the London Bombers responsible for the 7 July 2005 London bombings and the 21 July 2005 London bombings. 2011 – Norway attacks: A bomb explodes, targeted at government buildings in central Oslo, followed by a massacre at a youth camp on the island of Utøya. 2012 – Syrian civil war: The People's Protection Units (YPG) captured the cities of Serê Kaniyê and Dirbêsiyê, during clashes with pro-government forces in Al-Hasakah. 2013 – Dingxi earthquakes: A series of earthquakes in Dingxi, China, kills at least 89 people and injures more than 500 others. 2019 – Chandrayaan-2, the second lunar exploration mission developed by Indian Space Research Organisation after Chandrayaan-1 is launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in a GSLV Mark III M1. It consists of a lunar orbiter, and also included the Vikram lander, and the Pragyan lunar rover.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Go for broke.

- Motto of the the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, US Army

Soon after the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, effectively placing over 100,000 West Coast residents of Japanese descent, the majority of them American citizens, into incarceration camps. Racism against Japanese Americans was rampant as much of the country grew more fearful and suspicious of collaboration with the Japanese government. But Japanese Americans were equally outraged at the attack on their country. Despite the growing racism against them, many Japanese Americans answered the call to war.

President Roosevelt activated the 442nd Regimental Combat Team on 1 February 1943, nearly one year after the signing of EO9066. Hawaiian-born Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) made up roughly two-thirds of the regiment, with the remaining third composed of Nisei from the mainland United States.

The motto of the unit was “Go For Broke,” a phrase that meant putting everything on the line in an effort to win big. Just as other minority groups, Japanese Americans faced two wars during World War II - war against the Axis powers and war against racism back home - making “Go For Broke” an appropriate motto.

Training for the 442nd was completed in April, and on April 22, 1944, the unit left Camp Shelby in Mississippi on their journey to Europe for their first overseas assignment. They arrived in Italy in June 1944, where they began to fight alongside the 100th against Germans encamped across the country. By August, the 100th was absorbed into the 442nd, with all units serving under the motto “Go For Broke.” In September 1944, the 442nd participated in the invasion of Southern France, successfully liberating French cities from Nazi occupation. The unit went on to fight with the 92nd Infantry Division, a segregated African American unit, in driving German forces out of northern Italy.

Today, the 442nd is remembered as the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the US military. The unit, totaling about 18,000 men, over 4,000 Purple Hearts, 4,000 Bronze Stars, 560 Silver Star Medals, 21 Medals of Honor, and seven Presidential Unit Citations. Additionally, the 100th garnished their own impressive record prior to their absorption into the 442nd. In 2010, various groups and advocates, including the National Veterans Network, were successful in obtaining congressional passage of the bill S. 1055, awarding all members of the 100th and 442nd, along with the Military Intelligence Service, the Congressional Gold Medal for their heroic service in World War II.

Against the odds, the men of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team did “go for broke.” Despite the years of suspicion and racism that prevailed at home, these Nisei men fought for their country and their ideals of freedom and democracy. They fought heroically, leaving behind a record that is still untouched today.

[hochgouez-nerzhus]

Goddess Artio - Artist unknow - Found on Etsy

The Celtic Goddess Artio, and the cult of the bear

The religion of the Goddess

The Gods and Goddesses invoked by the Celtic tribes are innumerable, especially since during the Roman occupation, the Roman pantheon was added to them.

Among the goddesses, Artio is a Mother Goddess, most likely one of the figures of the Great Goddess.  Its symbolism was attached to the bear as an animal, but also to the pole star and the constellations of the small and big Dipper.  The pole star is located in the axis of rotation of the Earth.  By its immobility, it allows the traveler to have a reliable landmark.  In esotericism, she is a guide, she symbolizes the promise of the victory of the initiate against darkness, errors, bewilderment.

Big and Little Bear Constellations

The bear is the emblematic animal of royalty among the Celts, knowing that in this civilization, sovereignty was transmitted by women.  The root "Art" means "Bear" in Gallic.  This same origin is found in Irish "Art", Welsh "Arth", "hartz" in Basque and "Arz" in Breton.  This root can also be attributed to the Celtic King Arthur.  She is also related to the Greek Goddess Artemis (arctos = bear in Greek), one of whose attributes is also the bear, and who is associated with a number of Great Goddesses: Ishtar, Diana, Cybele... The goddesses wore  multiple names according to ethnic groups or regions.  It is however possible to associate deities.  Even if they have different names, by observing their attributes and myths, it can be deduced that they are the same deity.

The cult of the goddess to the bear was practiced in an area ranging from Bern among the Helvetians, to Trier among the Treveri;  with an extension to the north of Gaul under the name of Ursa.

Goddess Artio - Bronze statuette - Muri - Bern

A magnificent bronze statuette was unearthed in Muri, in the Bern region.  The base bears the words: Deae Artioni / Licinia Sabinilla (to the Goddess Artio, from Licinia Sabinilla).  We see a small fruit tree quite bare.  It bears only two branches, a leaf and two fruits.  Its representation is reminiscent of the symbolism of the serpent, one of the main emblems of the Great Goddess.  The serpent connects divinity to Knowledge and the Creation of the world.  A bear on all fours, head raised and mouth ajar, stares at the goddess Artio.  The attitude is not aggressive, but testifies to the power of the animal's presence.  The representation of the goddess is apparently a later addition, corresponding to the Roman goddess Abundance.  The Roman invader replaced as many Celtic deities as possible with his own.  If an equivalent deity existed in the Roman pantheon, this took the place of the local deity.  This explains why we find in France many temples dedicated to Mars, for example.  Only the Celtic deities remained who could not be syncretized.  But here, the dedication to Artio leaves no room for doubt.  It is a tribute to the Bear Goddess.  The statuette may have been restored following a partial destruction from a pre-existing work.

Artio is a Lady protector of Nature, she masters its wild forces.  She is part of the large Potnia Theron family.  This name historically corresponds to the Minoan Great Goddess, Mistress of wildlife.  Today it is extended to numerous deities representing this same power.  Protector, nurturer, guardian, her potentials are infinite.  The symbolism of the bear connects the goddess to the laws and cycles of nature, to which the human submits if he wants to be able to survive.

The bear, a powerful yet tender and peaceful animal, is fertilized at the end of summer.  In the fall she prepares for the big sleep.  Indolence sets in, it feeds on anticipation.  In winter, it hibernates, nestled in its cave.  She explores the darkness of the soul, the world of dreams, of the impalpable.  It is during this period that she gives birth to her baby, and breastfeeds him to strengthen him.  In the spring, the bear and her cub finally come out to conquer the world.  The sap circulates again in the plants, nature unfolds.  In summer, generous nature offers its most precious fruits, and the bear is already stocking up for next winter.  In many myths, the goddess gives birth to a young god at the same rate as the bear.  This tribute to the intangible cycles of the Living is a constant in the devotion to the Ladies of ancient times.

Our Neanderthal cousin already seems to have revered the bear.  An 80,000-year-old sanctuary that housed Neanderthal bones and those of bears under the same slab was discovered in the Régourdou cave in Périgord.

Homo sapiens has also integrated the bear into its places of worship.  Thus, 30,000 years ago in the Chauvet cave, where bear skulls were intentionally placed.  Likewise in the cave of Montespan where a clay statuette of the animal is associated with a real skull.  Subsequently, many cultures integrate rituals and sometimes violent festivities around the bear throughout Europe, but also in Asia and America.

Christendom will vigorously fight against these practices deemed transgressive and diabolical.  This will accelerate bear hunts and the virtual disappearance of the animal from our countries.

Day of the Bear - (Hartza eguna) - Pays Basque - France

However, the Nivkhes, an ethnic group from southern Russia, and the Ainu of Japan have long preserved a bear festival, linked to ancestral shamanic rituals.  A bear cub captured in summer was fed and pampered by the women of the clan, before being put to death in winter in a sacred manner.  This sacrifice is for these peoples a means of honoring the spirit of the bear, and of the divine.  The bear is offered a fabulous banquet before being slaughtered.  He then becomes the messenger of the tribe, and is supposed, once passed in the world of the invisible, to testify to the divinities and ancestors how much he has been honored, and to transmit messages and prayers to them.  Thus, ensuring the protection of the whole clan for the coming year.  Among the Basques, bears and humans have common ancestors.  For them the bear symbolizes the return to life (spring), but also the resurrection.  Many Basque festivals incorporate the "Day of the Bear" (Hartza eguna).

©Adelise Lapier

https://www.adelise-lapier.com/deesse-celte-artio-le-culte-de-l-ourse

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

B-17G-25-DL -42-38078 (Sweet Pea) 429th Bomb Squadron Squadron

Served on antisubmarine duty for several months after the U.S. entered World War II. In October 1942 was re-designated as 2d Bombardment Group (Heavy) and earmarked for combat. The group was transferred on paper to Geiger Field, Washington, where it was re-organized and trained with new personnel.

A B-17G of the 96th BS, 2d BG, dropping its bombs.

The group was made up of four Squadrons, the 20th, 49th, 96th, and the 429th. In November 1942, the squadrons were sent to satellite bases in Montana for additional training as units, the 20th to Great Falls, the 49th to Lewistown, the 96th to Glasgow, and the 429th to Cut Bank. This was the third and final phase of training.

The 2d Bombardment Group and squadrons left their satellite bases on 13–14 March 1943 arriving at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey 17–18 March 1943 for debarkation overseas. The Flight Echelon left the above bases for Morrison Field West Palm Beach, Florida; Natal, Brazil; Marrakech, Morocco and arriving at Navarin, Algeria on 22 April 1943. The Ground Echelon were disbursed at Camp Kilmer in several ships arriving at Casablanca and Port Lyautey in March/April 1943, thence motor and train convoy to Navarin, Algeria. Was initially assigned to Twelfth Air Force.

It arrived at Chateau D'un, Algeria on 27 April 1943. The first mission on 28 April 1943 was to Terranova, Sardinia. The 2d Bombardment Group departed Chateau D'un after flying 25 missions and arrived at Ain M'Lila, Algeria on 17 June 1943 and flew 25 missions from that base. The group departed for Massicault, Tunisia on 31 July 1943 and flew 56 missions from that base.

2d Bombardment Group B-17s form up and begin their climb to altitude from Amendola Airfield, Italy, 1944

Missions flown included bombing such targets as marshalling yards, airdromes, troop concentrations, bridges, docks, and shipping. Participated in the defeat of Axis forces in Tunisia, April–May 1943; the reduction of Pantelleria and the preparations for the invasion of Sicily, May–July 1943; and the invasion of Italy, September 1943.

Moved to Italy in December 1943 and continued operations as part of Fifteenth Air Force. Operated primarily from Amendola Air Base in Foggia. Engaged primarily in long-range bombardment of strategic targets in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Rumania, and Greece. Participated in the drive toward Rome, January–June 1944; the invasion of Southern France, August 1944, and the campaigns against German forces in northern Italy, June 1944 – May 1945. En route to bomb an aircraft factory at Steyr, Austria on 24 February 1944, the group was greatly outnumbered by enemy interceptors, but it maintained its formation and bombed the target, receiving a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for the performance. On the following day, while on a mission to attack aircraft factories at Regensburg, it met similar opposition equally well and was awarded a second DUC.

Served as part of the occupation force in Italy after V-E Day. Inactivated in Italy on 28 February 1946. Group gunners claimed 279 victories of German and Italian aircraft. Flew 406 combat missions; 146 aircraft lost. www.americanairmuseum.com/unit/246

Via Flickr