TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - Rebuilding an Austrian Army BT - The Bundesheer’s Founding Generation and the Wehrmacht Past, 1955–1970 JF - War in History N2 - After the Second World War, a new Austrian Army (the Bundesheer) was formed to guarantee the country’s armed neutrality. But the period between 1938 and 1945 remained a point of contention. While some Austrian officers had been sidelined, the majority had served in the Wehrmacht and thus shared experiences and soldierly values. As Cold War realities necessitated a professional experienced army, a group around Erwin Fussenegger (1908–1986) dominated the new Bundesheer and contemplations about reforming the military culture and value system were postponed; while at the same time, the Bundesheer managed to prevent becoming a mere continuation of the Wehrmacht. KW - Austria KW - Wehrmacht KW - Second World War KW - Cold War KW - military culture KW - Bundesheer Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/0968344516682057 SN - 0968-3445 SN - 1477-0385 VL - 26 IS - 1 SP - 105 EP - 123 PB - Sage Publ. CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - Stuck in the past? BT - British views on the Spanish army’s effectiveness and military culture, 1946-1983 JF - War & Society N2 - After the Civil War the Spanish army functioned as a guardian of domestic order, but suffered from antiquated material and little financial means. These factors have been described as fundamental reasons for the army’s low potential wartime capability. This article draws on British and German sources to demonstrate how Spanish military culture prevented an augmented effectiveness and organisational change. Claiming that the army merely lacked funding and modern equipment, falls considerably short in grasping the complexities of military effectiveness and organisational cultures, and might prove fatal for current attempts to develop foreign armed forces in conflict or post-conflict zones. KW - Spain KW - Franco KW - military effectiveness KW - military culture KW - organisational change Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/07292473.2019.1524347 SN - 0729-2473 SN - 2042-4345 VL - 38 IS - 1 SP - 41 EP - 56 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - Book Review: Goeschel, Christian: Mussolini and Hitler – The forging of the fascist alliance and Adolf Hitler. - Yale University Press: New Haven, CT, 2018; X + 400 pp. - ISBN: 978-0-30017-883-8. - Schieder, Wolfgang: Adolf Hitler. Politischer Zauberlehrling Mussolinis. - De Gruyter Oldenbourg: Berlin, 2017; VIII + 228 pp.: ISBN: 978-3-11052-975-3 JF - War in history Y1 - 2021 SN - 978-0-30017-883-8 SN - 978-3-11052-975-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1177/0968344520979471d SN - 0968-3445 SN - 1477-0385 VL - 28 IS - 1 SP - 228 EP - 229 PB - Sage CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - Rezension zu: Campbell, Ian: The Addis Ababa Massacre: Italy’s National Shame JF - Journal of Military History Y1 - 2018 SN - 0899-3718 SN - 1543-7795 VL - 82 IS - 3 SP - 983 EP - 984 PB - Society Military History CY - Lexington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - A prelude to total war? BT - the Abyssinian War (1935-36) in the Eyes of Foreign Military Observers JF - International Journal of Military History and Historiography N2 - The conflict between Italy and Ethiopia in 1935–36 has been framed as a prelude to the Second World War and as a watershed towards ‘Total War’. One perspective has so far been neglected: the assessments of foreign military observers. This article examines American, British, German, and Austrian views on the operations and thereby also analyses the mindset of European officers at the time. The core argument emerging from these reports is that the war was perceived as a rather ‘normal’ colonial conflict. Neither the use of gas, nor the employment of aircraft against civilians was seen as a taboo or created significant outrage among the military observers. Instead, they lauded the Italians’ steady logistical efforts and employment of artillery and airpower to overcome nature and the enemy’s resistance. KW - Italy KW - Ethiopia KW - Abyssinian War KW - Fascism KW - Military Attaches Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1163/24683302-03801001 SN - 2468-3299 SN - 2468-3302 VL - 38 IS - 1 SP - 5 EP - 33 PB - Brill CY - Leiden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - A predisposition to brutality? BT - german practices against civilians and francs-tireurs during the Franco-Prussian war 1870-1871 and their JF - Small wars and insurgencies N2 - The German Sonderweg thesis has been discarded in most research fields. Yet in regards to the military, things differ: all conflicts before the Second World War are interpreted as prelude to the war of extermination between 1939-1945. This article specifically looks at the Franco-Prussian War 1870-71 and German behaviour vis-a-vis regular combatants, civilians and irregular guerrilla fighters, the so-called francs-tireurs. The author argues that the counter-measures were not exceptional for nineteenth century warfare and also shows how selective reading of the existing secondary literature has distorted our view on the war. KW - Francs-tireurs KW - levee en masse KW - myth of Franktireurkrieg KW - Franco-Prussian War KW - Geneva convention of 1864 KW - Landwehr KW - siege of Paris 1870 Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/09592318.2019.1638551 SN - 0959-2318 SN - 1743-9558 VL - 30 IS - 4-5 SP - 968 EP - 993 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - Rommel Almighty? BT - Italian Assessments of the "Desert Fox" during and after the Second World War JF - The Journal of Military History N2 - Erwin Rommel is by any standard a mythical figure. He has been the subject of countless studies in English and German. However, the "Italian side of the hill" has been largely neglected, despite the fact that the foundation of the myth around him lies in the North African campaign, where, after all, thousands of soldiers of the Italian army fought alongside the african campaign, where, after all, thousands of soldiers of the Italian army fought along-side the Afrika Korps. This article will provide an Italian view of the "Desert Fox," using new primary material that provides insights into Italian assessments during the war. A major source is material gathered by way of eavesdropping by British intelligence on Italian officers held as POWs in Cairo and in England. Y1 - 2018 SN - 0899-3718 SN - 1543-7795 VL - 82 IS - 1 SP - 125 EP - 145 PB - Society for Military History CY - Lexington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - A Blueprint for Successful Peacekeeping? BT - The Italians in Beirut (Lebanon), 1982-1984 JF - The international history review N2 - On 6 June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon to fight the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Between August 1982 and February 1984, the US, France, Britain and Italy deployed a Multinational Force (MNF) to Beirut. Its task was to act as an interposition force to bolster the government and to bring peace to the people. The mission is often forgotten or merely remembered in context with the bombing of US Marines’ barracks. However, an analysis of the Italian contingent shows that the MNF was not doomed to fail and could accomplish its task when operational and diplomatic efforts were coordinated. The Italian commander in Beirut, General Franco Angioni, followed a successful approach that sustained neutrality, respectful behaviour and minimal force, which resulted in a qualified success of the Italian efforts. KW - Peacekeeping KW - Italy KW - Lebanon KW - Middle East KW - Beirut Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/07075332.2018.1431804 SN - 0707-5332 SN - 1949-6540 VL - 41 IS - 3 SP - 650 EP - 672 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - Forging an Italian hero? BT - The late commemoration of Amedeo Guillet (1909-2010) JF - European Review of History: Revue européenne d'histoire N2 - Over the last two decades, Amedeo Guillet (1909–2010) has been turned into a public and military hero. His exploits as a guerrilla leader in Italian East Africa in 1941 have been exaggerated to forge a narrative of an honourable resistance against overwhelming odds. Thereby, Guillet has been showcased as a romanticized colonial explorer who was an apolitical and timeless Italian officer. He has been compared to Lawrence of Arabia in order to raise his international visibility, while his genuine Italian brand is perpetuated domestically. By elevating him to an official role model, the Italian Army has gained a focal point for military heroism that was also acceptable in the public memory as the embodiment of a ‘glorious’ defeat narrative. KW - Italy KW - Second World War KW - Amedeo Guillet KW - colonialism KW - Italian East Africa KW - collective memory Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/13507486.2018.1492520 SN - 1350-7486 SN - 1469-8293 VL - 26 IS - 3 SP - 369 EP - 385 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - GEN A1 - Scianna, Bastian Matteo T1 - A predisposition to brutality? BT - german practices against civilians and francs-tireurs during the Franco-Prussian war 1870–1871 and their relevance for the German ‘military Sonderweg’ debate T2 - Postprints der Universität Potsdam Philosophische Reihe N2 - The German Sonderweg thesis has been discarded in most research fields. Yet in regards to the military, things differ: all conflicts before the Second World War are interpreted as prelude to the war of extermination between 1939–1945. This article specifically looks at the Franco-Prussian War 1870–71 and German behaviour vis-à-vis regular combatants, civilians and irregular guerrilla fighters, the so-called francs-tireurs. The author argues that the counter-measures were not exceptional for nineteenth century warfare and also shows how selective reading of the existing secondary literature has distorted our view on the war. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Philosophische Reihe - 165 KW - francs-tireurs KW - levee en masse KW - myth of Franktireurkrieg KW - Franco-Prussian War KW - Geneva convention of 1864 KW - Landwehr KW - siege of Paris 1870 Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-434218 SN - 1866-8380 IS - 165 SP - 968 EP - 993 ER -