Anastas Benderev's 1890 Ethnographic Maps

This article deals with a pair of old ethnographic maps made by a Bulgarian officer (bearing the rank of Captain at the time) named Anastas Benderev (1859–1946). The maps were first published as folding attachments in Benderev’s book Military Geography and Statistics of Macedonia and Its Adjacent Territories on the Balkan Peninsula (Voennaia geografiia i statistika Makedonii i sosednikh s neiu oblastei Balkanskago poluostrova), which itself was published in Russian in Saint Petersburg in 1890. The stated purpose of the maps was to elucidate certain passages from the book, particularly those pertaining to the population’s ethnic composition. One of the maps (Etnograficheskaya karta Balkanskogo poluostrova) depicts the ethnicities across the entire Balkan Peninsula, while the other (Etnograficheskaya karta Makedonii) focuses on those within the confines of the historical and geographical territory of Macedonia. Due to a confluence of events, the maps in question are barely known and hardly ever used nowadays, even though they represent valuable relics from the era. This article aims to reintroduce them into the scientific discourse as historical documents of note.

Nuove cartografie militari

The article pays attention on the changes made to the spatiality of the conflict since the introduction of new military technologies, weapon systems and methods of use. Specifically, the analysis focuses on the use of Unmanned Aerial Veichle (UAV) in contemporary armed conflicts and how, these one, affects many aspects of the spatiality of the conflict, with more attention to the role played by borders. The study of the debate on critical military geography helps a critical reading of war which helps to consider war as a social phenomenon too.

Role of Clustering, Routing Protocols, MAC protocols and Load Balancing in Wireless Sensor Networks: An Energy-Efficiency Perspective

Wireless networks play an important role in science, including medicine, agriculture, the military, geography, and so on. The main issue with a network of wireless sensors is how to manage resource utilization to extend its lifetime. This paper investigates the various aspects of increased energy usage that may improve network life. Variables related to energy consumption and various performance metrics are investigated in terms of energy efficiency. To investigate how the network’s energy usage can be managed, a quick overview of clustering protocols, routing protocols, MAC protocols, and load balancing protocols is conducted. This paper can provide researchers with an idea of the various parameters that influence energy consumption and what methodologies could be adapted by each parameter to conserve energy, thereby extending the network’s lifetime.

FEATURES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE IN RUSSIA

The article gives a brief overview, which reflects the history of formation and development of military geography in Russia, the change of paradigms at different historical stages, as well as some tasks of teaching modern military geographical science. Prospects of using modern technologies in forming professional competencies of cadets are outlined.

Arabia According to the Ancient Armenian Monument “Ashkharatsuyts” Dated the 5th–7th Centuries

The “Ancient Armenian Geography” (“Ashkharatsuyts”) places a special emphasis on the historical and geographical description of the Arabian Peninsula as a whole. Here, Arabia is considered as two countries of Universal Asia: the 25th and 28th countries are referred to as Arabia Petraea and Felix, respectively. The desert part of Arabia (Arabia Deserta) is also mentioned, but the authors (Movses Khorenatsi, Ananias of Shirak) only outline the boundaries of the peninsula. In addition to the geographical and historical information, the “Ashkharatsuyts” gives details on the socio-economic and cultural development of the population residing in the region. There is also a racial map, as well as the information about fossil resources, flora, fauna, etc. Similarly to the earlier works by other scholars (Strabo, Pliny the Elder, Pomponius Mela, Ptolemy, et al.), the “Ashkharatsuyts” is focused on all sections and subcategories of geography (from anthropogeography, cartography, local history, physico-economic geography to military geography, plant geography, physical geography (orography and hydrography), etc.). In this paper, each fragment of the text devoted to Arabia is explained on the basis of hermeneutic principles. Toponyms are interpreted using historical and linguistic analysis. Controversial issues are considered in the perspective of comparison with data from other sources. The results obtained contribute considerably to the study of the Arabian Peninsula by appealing to historical sources along with archaeological data.

Military Geography in the Context of Geographic Determinism

The influence of geographic factors on the society as well as on different social realities had special importance within the whole history of social-philosophical thought. From this perspective, the theory of geographic determinism has emerged as the most essential conception. The supporters of this theory paid special attention to the geographic factors demonstrating and underlining the importance of their place and role in the process of formation and development of various social phenomena. This article mainly focuses on the place and role of military geography in the study, organization, and modeling of social processes.

Wrested from Oblivion: General Ludwik Mierosławski’s Strategy Game Rediscovered

During the first half of the 19th century, liberal and nationalist uprisings erupted in all corners of Europe. While militant revolutionaries fought against restorative monarchies for more tolerant legislation or even full national independence, their countries slid into turmoil. In this European struggle, which set parts of Germany, Poland, France and Italy aflame, Ludwik Mierosławski (1814–1878) was one of the key insurgents. Besides being a keen partisan of Polish independence, Mierosławski enjoyed thorough military training and proved himself an astute theoretician of military strategy. It might be argued that he was probably one of the most inventive minds of his time, creating among other things an early tank vehicle and a bulletproof knapsack that could be used as a shield. This article brings a hitherto unknown invention of Mierosławski to light: A strategy game depicting military maneuvers on an abstract map. Defying complicated rules and adhering to pure simplicity, the game was both fast-learning and captivating. Moreover, contemporary critics praised its way of introducing players to the fundamentals of strategic thinking and military geography. Several matches were even played at the French military academy at St. Cyr in 1858. The extensive research of this article not only reveals the background of Mierosławski’s invention but also his methods of making the complete game public. The last chapter of this contribution contains a summary of the game rules, enabling the readers to bring this invention to life by themselves. In the end, the study of his game allows us to approach and discover Mierosławski’s ideas and ways of thinking, thereby shedding further light on this complex personality.