Polska Nowa Zelandia: Emigracja lat 1945-2006

A brief history of Polish emigration to New Zealand until the end of the World War 2 is presented first, setting a background to the main topic of the book. Then in the next chapter, all attention is given to the post-war period. Each wave of newcomers, beginning with groups of ex-soldiers arriving to join with members of their family and ending with a recent group of mostly young professionals aiming at making a successful career on the antipodes, has been analysed with considerable detail. The following chapter looks at the stance the Polish immigrants took towards the Polish communist Government in Warsaw including its diplomatic post in Wellington. This has been thoroughly analysed. It shows the patriotism of the Polish communities. With admirable determination they felt allegiance to and strongly supported the Polish Government in London – in exile until 1990. The final chapter deals with the attitude of Polish immigrants toward the host country and the local government in Wellington. Legal matters regarding residency, citizenship, work and so on, together with motives of coming and settling in this country, becoming a loyal citizen, are all presented in attempt to determine the national consciousness of the immigrants – are they still Polish or more New Zealanders by now? Although there is no one answer to that question, it seems certain that regardless of the opinion one or another individual holds toward their home country, in times of trouble or glory, they do remember their Polish roots. The source of the wide material presented in this book came from extensive queries done in New Zealand, Great Britain, Switzerland, Austria and Poland. Most valuable were numerous interviews with ‘Polish Kiwis’ living in various places in New Zealand. They were conducted while the author was on his New Zealand leg of his research.

The Hypocrisy of Dutch Actions in Indonesia

At the end of World War 2 the Netherlands, through its own military tribunals, tried and convicted several members of the Japanese and German militaries for their participation in the war crime of extra judicial executions in Indonesia and the Netherlands. Several of the convicted men were executed by the Netherlands while others sentenced to lengthy prison terms. From 1946-1949 the Netherlands, primarily through commando Raymond Westerling, engaged in the same actions they accused the Japanese of having committed. While no specific order was ever revealed showing that Westerling’s actions were ordered by the military, the Netherlands tacitly approved his actions by failing to control him and his men and by their unwillingness to take responsibility for his actions before or after the Netherlands withdrew its forces from Indonesia in 1949. This research paper explores the extrajudicial executions conducted by Westerling, his men, other Dutch military and the Dutch government in order to provide a better and more thorough understanding of these events and the lack of national or international action against war crimes committed after World War 2. It concludes that the Netherlands has failed to try or even accuse Westerling and others of war crimes or take actions to discipline them, and in fact has covered up his actions and failed to make public those war crimes. Further that the reason for this continued hypocritical refusal is a concern for the reputation of the Netherlands in the world and a belief that high levels of government would be found complicit.

A bronze hoard from Pusztasárkánytó (Mosdós-Sárkánytó puszta) and a grave assemblage from Ráksi (County Somogy) in the Piarist Museum in Budapest

In 1917, the Piarist gymnasium in Budapest (currently the Piarist Museum) acquired two important Middle Bronze Age assemblages: a hoard of the Transdanubian Encrusted Pottery culture from Pusztasárkánytó (Mosdós-Sárkánytó-puszta) (RB A2b-c) and what was probably a grave assemblage of the Koszider period from Ráksi (RB B1). Neither of these two finds has yet been fully published; J. Hampel only presented a typological selection of the finds. Archaeological scholarship lost sight of these two important assemblages after World War 2, which finally resurfaced in the exhibition organised by the Budapest History Museum in 2017. The typochronological assessment and archaeometallurgica examination of the two assemblages shed fresh light on the differences between the metalwork of the Transdanubian Encrusted Pottery culture and that of the later Koszider period.

Navigating Infodemics, Unlocking Social Capital and Maintaining Food Security during the COVID-19 First Wave in the UK: Older Adults’ Experiences

In March 2020, a national UK lockdown was implemented in response to rapidly rising COVID-19 infections. Those experiencing the most severe public health restrictions were ‘shielding’ groups as well as those over 70 years of age. Older age adults, many of whom were active, independent, and socially connected were immediately instructed to stay at home, to limit all external social contact and consider contingency for maintaining personal food security and social contact. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of older adults during the first UK lockdown (March–June 2020), specifically how our sample reacted to public health messaging, staying food secure and drawing on available social capital within their community. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with eight participants. In addition, twenty-five participants completed a qualitative ‘open-ended’ survey. The data was collated and analysed, adopting a Thematic Analysis informed approach. Three themes were identified: (1) Too Much Information, (2) The Importance of Neighbours and Connections and (3) Not Wishing to be a Burden. These findings offer a rich insight into how early lockdown measures, never witnessed since World War 2, exposed existing pre-pandemic inequalities and concerns relating to loneliness, isolation and wellbeing. The findings are of relevance to researchers, older adult advocate groups and policy makers to inform post COVID-recovery within communities to ensure healthy ageing.

Socjalistyczny nihilizm prawny w Polsce Ludowej i drogi przezwyciężania tej koncepcji

<p>After World War 2 in Poland, the process of building a new order began. Marxism, as interpreted by Lenin and Stalin, was adopted as the foundation. The creation of a system consistent with the official ideology required the implementation of abstract ideas in practice. One of the main tools used by the communists was law. It was an example of the practical implementation of legal nihilism, accompanying the construction of a totalitarian state. After 1956, a process began in Poland, aimed at overcoming the forcefully imposed order covering many areas of culture and science. The article provides the presentation of selected ideas from the field of law theory in communist Poland, the development of which reduced the influence of Marxism-Leninism in law. The main thesis of the article assumes that the process of de-Stalinization of Polish legal sciences had progressed gradually since 1956. The research objective of the article is to verify the hypothesis that the changes in Polish legal sciences related to overcoming the tenets of the Marxist-Leninist ideology took place in a manner similar to other areas of cultural and academic life. The issue has not yet been addressed in the way presented in the article, so the study can provide a useful material for research on the period of the Polish People’s Republic.</p>

Operation Sea Lion, the Luftwaffe, the Kanalkampf and the Battle of Britain - the Defence of Britain in1940 and Air Power in World War 2

Historians usually consider that if the Germans had carried out Operation Sea Lion and invaded Britain in 1940, the invasion would have been defeated by the Royal Navy. This belief is supported by a wargame conducted by the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1974. However, if the Germans had carried out the invasion correctly it could have been successful as bombing and landings on the south coast of England would have meant the British would lose the benefits of radar. RAF Fighter Command operating without radar would not be able to provide adequate air cover for Royal Navy ships in the English Channel. Without adequate air cover the Royal Navy will be forced out of the English Channel by attacks from the Luftwaffe as warships in World War 2 cannot survive under constant air attack.

“God save us always from the innocent and the good”: American versus European Exceptionalism in Graham Greene’s The Quiet American

This essay argues that by challenging the rectitude of American intervention in Vietnam, The Quiet American is the means by which Greene criticises the American exceptionalism of the post-World War 2 era. It shows how the nation’s exceptionalism is built upon a fantasy of American idealism that masks the true intentions hidden behind America’s crusade against Communism. It proposes also that Greene uses his novel to highlight the existence of a European exceptionalism as potent as its transatlantic equivalent, and one much overlooked in contemporary discourse on Vietnam. The crux of Greene’s critique is located in Alden Pyle. Propped up by what Said describes as “structures of attitude and reference”, the article argues that Pyle’s rhetoric and actions demonstrate the blind commitment to American exceptionalism that Greene challenges in the text. The essay uses Donald Pease’s concept of the State of Exception to draw a parallel between the British journalist Thomas Fowler and Pyle to argue that in orchestrating the assassination of the latter, Fowler adopts the moral purpose that had prompted much of the American aid worker’s actions throughout the novel. It argues that this European version of exceptionalism comes from what Greene believed to be the suitability of European powers to oversee change in Vietnam, one that America was ill-equipped to handle. The essay ends by suggesting that The Quiet American was not so much what Diana Trilling described as “Mr Greene’s affront to America”, but an attempt to defend Europe amidst the onset of American dominance.

A method for determining the relationship between increasing insulation and potential freeze thaw damage in brick masonry walls.

When considering insulation retrofits, property limit distances and setbacks make interior insulation of residential homes the only viable option. When pursuing an interior insulation retrofit the potential for brick masonry freeze thaw damage needs to be considered. Studying the impacts of an interior insulation retrofit Pre-World War 2 residential building in Toronto, Ontario, a comparison of the retrofitted building using WUFI against 8 other insulation types was completed to determine if the change of insulation affects the potential for freeze thaw damage. Based on the results of the WUFI analysis the answer would be yes. The insulation type and R value does have an impact brick masonry freeze thaw resistance. However this relationship is general and not linear. The method provided shows that if critical saturation (SCRIT) is known predictive modeling on the impacts of interior insulation on the moisture performance of the brick masonry wall can be used.

A method for determining the relationship between increasing insulation and potential freeze thaw damage in brick masonry walls.

When considering insulation retrofits, property limit distances and setbacks make interior insulation of residential homes the only viable option. When pursuing an interior insulation retrofit the potential for brick masonry freeze thaw damage needs to be considered. Studying the impacts of an interior insulation retrofit Pre-World War 2 residential building in Toronto, Ontario, a comparison of the retrofitted building using WUFI against 8 other insulation types was completed to determine if the change of insulation affects the potential for freeze thaw damage. Based on the results of the WUFI analysis the answer would be yes. The insulation type and R value does have an impact brick masonry freeze thaw resistance. However this relationship is general and not linear. The method provided shows that if critical saturation (SCRIT) is known predictive modeling on the impacts of interior insulation on the moisture performance of the brick masonry wall can be used.