The Manner of Arming Knights for the Tourney: A Re-Interpretation of an Important Early 14th-Century Arming Treatise

Abstract

In this paper, the development of the great helm in England is surveyed from the second half of the 12th century to the beginning of the 16th and the various designs of this distinctive headpiece are compared with representations on European works of art.     

A Note on the Economics of Stolen Valor

Abstract

The economics of stolen valor concerns the act of trading on false claims of being awarded valorous military service medals. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 2005 Stolen Valor Act, largely on First Amendment grounds. Misrepresentation that devalues the reputation of medals for valor may not violate the revised statute despite decreasing the wage premium and discouraging investment in military effort.     

Evasion costs and the theory Of conscription

This paper examines the trade and military relationship between two countries which have a common military enemy. The paper explains how the former two countries, which are military allies and trading partners, share the burden of defence against the third country. It demonstrates how the defence production of a country may hurt its ally because the latter country's terms of trade can be deteriorated. Whether or not a smaller ally spends less on defence is analyzed. Also analyzed is the effects of the reactions of the enemy country on the trade between the two allies and their welfare.     

The Czech defence and security industry: taking the pulse to an ailing man

ABSTRACT

The paper summarises the evolution of the iron triangle of the mutual relationships amongst the ministry of defence, defence industry, and the political elite in the post-communist Czech Republic in 1990-2020. The essay stresses the oddness of this relationship. On the one hand, the government is bound by a partnership to the Defence and Security Industry Association of the Czech Republic (DSIA), a lobbying group of more than 100 organisations that conduct business in defence and security sector in Czechia. Yet, since its creation in 2000, this assemblage of industries within DSIA's market position is falling, in fact. Neither political parties in power, nor the governments have been able to support national defence industry through the small military. Just a few DSIA national members are able to compete internationally with their cutting-edge products. Others have evolved into middlemen trading intime-expired Czechoslovak equipment retired from the Czech Armed Forces.     

Royal Armouries Acquisitions 2013

Abstract

The katar, as we know it today, has undergone very little change in form during many centuries. This can be seen by studying the old paintings, miniatures, hero stones and friezes on the old temples. It is well known, that Ibn Battuta, an Algerian travelling in India in the 14th century, described an attack with a katar, but so far, the roots and the age of the katar have not been researched further back. In this article, the author has traced it back to Orissa in the 10th century, showing a form very similar to how it looks today.     

James Farmer and Samuel Galton,the Reality of Gun Making for the Board of Ordnance in the Mid-18th Century

Abstract

A brief introduction to gun making in Birmingham in the 18th century and the Farmer and Galton gun-making businesses and their military products is presented. The collections of Galton Papers held by Birmingham Archives and Heritage and University College London are used to focus on the Farmer and Galton experience in relation to key matters associated with military gun making: the feast and famine phenomena in the supply of arms for the many wars of the 18th century; and standards of inspection including the use of gauges and proof.     

The myth of the mangonel: torsion artillery in the Middle Ages

Abstract

Medieval siege artillery has been a subject of fascination since the antiquarians of the 19th century re-discovered the Middle Ages and then re-created it as an image of their own imagination, in the process generating many false ideas. Most of these myths have been corrected. But one that remains to this day is that the torsion-powered late Roman onager lived on for another millennium in the form of the mangonel.     

The Freemasons' Sword of State Presented by Thomas, 8th Duke of Norfolk,to Mark His Year of Offi ce as 13th Grand Master of Grand Lodge, 1730, Signed 'Frater G. Moody,Fecit', now at Freemasons' Hall,London

Abstract

The Freemasons' Sword of State presented by Thomas, 8th Duke of Norfolk in 1730, a token made by the royal sword-cutler, freemason and swordbearer, George Moody, is described and illustrated. The sword's presentation is discussed, the gift is placed into its historical context, its iconography is assessed and the life of the manufacturer is examined. Two other relevant swords at Freemasons' Hall, London are also discussed.     

The iron hat from Shaw House

Abstract

The small unpublished group of armour of the mid 17th century from Shaw House in Berkshire, scene of fighting in the 2nd battle of Newbury in 1644, is preserved in the West Berkshire Museum in Newbury. The group includes an exceedingly rare form of helmet of the period, one made in the form of a broad brimmed hat. The article discusses the small group of known examples, and illustrates the closest comparable iron hat from the Scott collection in Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries.     

Gill — A Family of Sword Cutlers

Abstract

Amongst the armour in the collection of the British Museum is a kettle-hat (Object Number: P&;E 1856,0701·2243) that was found in London during the second quarter of the nineteenth century. In January 2010, the kettle-hat was conserved before its loan to the Royal Armouries Museum for display at the Tower of London. New findings that occurred during conservation led to the most in-depth technical examination and analysis of this relatively unknown helmet since its discovery.

This paper aims to interpret the British Museum’s kettle-hat from art historical perspectives in order to place it in a wider context. The development of the kettle-hat during the 14th and 15th centuries is described along with the subsequent derivatives of transitional or progressive forms of helmet. Through stylistic comparison and consideration of related evidence it is suggested that the British Museum kettle-hat dates to the late 14th century and is of western European, possibly English, workmanship. Furthermore, although the British Museum helmet has much in common with typical forms of kettle-hat, it also has features, such as a short tail-piece, that suggest it may be closely related to some early forms of sallet.     

Strong powers in small wars: The unnoticed foundations of success

This essay discusses how strong military powers successfully conduct counter‐insurgency campaigns. In particular, it notes the pivotal role savagery plays in such encounters, and the social and institutional conditions that facilitate the resort to extreme levels of brutality. Finally, the essay demonstrates how states (including infant democracies) employ various compartmentalisation techniques in order to win insurgency wars, once the key conditions that facilitate the resort to brutality start to disappear.     

Tailored to the Times: The Story of Casimir Zeglen’s Silk Bullet-Proof Vest

Abstract

The invention of silk bullet-proof fabric, a response to growing violence and anarchy, and intended to protect politicians and public figures, as well as police officers and soldiers, is discussed in the wider context of the world’s political situation at the turn of the 19th century. The complex question of the ownership of this innovation is addressed and the reasons for its commercial failure are discussed. The ballistic properties of silk bullet-proof fabric are evaluated and the impact of this invention on the future development of soft armours is considered.     

Minimizing Public Sector Corruption: The Economics of Crime,Identity Economics,and Money Laundering

Abstract

This paper offers a simple strategic framework to help governments identify various policy mechanisms to minimize public sector corruption. The paper offers a formal model that blends the economics of crime with identity economics and money laundering. It presents a partial equilibrium framework that focuses on a representative public official engaged in a mix of legal and illegal effort. The model introduces various levers a government might use to impact the costs and benefits of illegal effort. The ultimate goal is to help turn volatile vicious cycles of political instability, into steady virtuous cycles of stability, growth, and sustainable development.     

Conflict and third-party intervention

The paper looks at various scenarios of possible concern for intervening third parties when two factions are engaged in a conflict and act strategically against one another. A standard conflict model is used to determine appropriate intervention strategies in order to lower the overall level of conflict. Choosing a suitable strategy in such a setting, the third party must not only take into account the direct impact of its efforts but also the indirect impacts that result from the strategic interaction among the parties involved.     

The People’s Liberation Army and China’s Smart Power Quandary in Southeast Asia

Abstract

China has a strong interest in pursuing a smart power strategy towards Southeast Asia and has worked laboriously to engage with regional countries economically, socially, and politically. But China has been only partially successful in achieving its goals in the region. This paper argues that China’s security policy towards Southeast Asia significantly contradicts many other objectives that Beijing wishes to accomplish. Given the deep-seated, narrowly-defined national interests of the Chinese military in the South China Sea disputes, it is likely that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will continue to pose the main obstacle to the effective implementation of a Chinese smart strategy in Southeast Asia.     

Fighting on Their Own Terms: The Tactics of the Irish Republican Army 1919-1921

Abstract

The 1919-1921 Anglo-Irish War represents one of the earliest instances of a successful insurgent movement in the twentieth century. By combining a fluid organizational structure with effective hit-and-run tactics and accurate intelligence, the Irish Republican Army was able to defeat militarily the security forces of Great Britain. Combined with a successful propaganda campaign, these tactics allowed the IRA to drive the British to the negotiating table, where its representatives secured greater autonomy than Ireland had known in centuries. The outcome of the Anglo-Irish War demonstrates the success which a well-organized guerrilla campaign can achieve, and the tactics used by the IRA must therefore be understood by any serious student of small warfare.     

The Sword of General Sir William Fenwick Williams,Baronet of Kars,in the Royal Armouries (IX.1841) and Aspects of High Victorian Sword Design

Abstract

The Sword of Honour (RA IX.1841) presented in 1856 by the Province of Nova Scotia to its native son, General Sir William Fenwick Williams, Bart. for his deeds at Kars, Turkey, is described, illustrated, discussed and placed both in its historical and its design context. Other notable British swords of the Victorian Age (1837–1901), the Age of Empire, are also examined and the various and influential aspects of their designs, ornament and iconography discussed.     

The effect of foreign state support to UNITA during the Angolan War (1975–1991)

ABSTRACT

State support for foreign rebel groups has become more salient, yet it remains unclear how this affects armed conflict. This paper therefore analyses the effect of foreign government assistance and does so in the typical case of the Angolan War (1975–1991). It argues that South African and United States support greatly helped the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) wage a large and sustained insurgency campaign but was ultimately insufficient to overthrow the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) government because it enabled the incumbent government to obtain similar foreign assistance and because the level of aid awarded to UNITA fluctuated strongly, preventing it from engaging in meaningful long-term planning.     

Reclaiming the Party’s Control of the Gun: Bringing Civilian Authority Back in China’s Civil-Military Relations

ABSTRACT

Since emerging as China’s top leader following the 18th Party Congress, Xi Jinping has moved swiftly to consolidate his formal authority as Central Military Commission chairman over the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. In redressing the civil-military imbalance wrought by Dengist economic reforms, the commander-in-chief has combined institutional mechanisms with the use of fear to impose authoritative civilian control over the military. This paper proposes that a combination of changes to the Chinese strategic environment has contributed to Xi’s utility of the anti-corruption campaign to purge the regime’s coercive forces of its previous underpinnings, and advances that the war on military malfeasance has given rise to a new set of dynamics in civil-military relations in post-Reform China.