Experimental Exercises as an Element of Joint Combat Training of the Air Forces and Railway Troops in the Prewar Period and During the Great Patriotic War (1931-1945)

This article deals with the organization of experimental exercises of the Air Force and Railway Troops in the conditions of increasing military threat during the prewar period and the years of Great Patriotic War combat operations. The relevance of the study is due to the lack of scientific research on the history of interaction and joint combat training of aviation and special technical branches units. In the course of this research, the role and place of experimental exercises in the system of joint combat training of the Air Force and Railway Troops were defined, and the main areas of weapons and military equipment testing were analyzed. A conclusion was made about the fundamental role of the Gorokhovets Aviation and Railway Troops test field in the study of joint combat use and in the development of new models of air weapons and recovering equipment for Railway Troops. The effectiveness of using of the experience of such experimental exercises is positively assessed. Conclusions are formulated and scientific-theoretical recommendations are offered to improve joint combat training of Aviation and Railway Troops units at the present development level of the Russian Armed Forces.

Formation of the Ancient Chinese Eastern Han Empire in the Soviet historiography of 1920s – 1930s

This article provides an overview of the major works of the Soviet researchers of prewar period, who covered the emergence of the Eastern Han Empire (25 – 220). The period of its existence that falls on the I – II centuries AD is one of the poorly studied periods of the Ancient Chinese history. The representations on the establishment of this empire within Soviet historiography developed in the prewar period are important for further study of this state, since they have not undergone significant changes. The article employs the chronological principle with determination of the key peculiarities of historiography of 1920s – 1930s, as well as comparative-historical and typological methods. Soviet researchers of the prewar period who dealt with this topic relied on the concept of the existence of feudalism in Ancient China, and thus, the struggle between the class of feudal lords and serf peasants. The Red Eyebrows rebellion movement drew heightened attention of the scholars. The Russian researchers of prewar period, other than K. A. Harnsky (1884 – 1938), views the Red Eyebrows movement as a peasant rebellion relying on rather ideological reasons than the analysis of historical sources. The author of this article believes that the example of this rebellion movement could tell about the class struggle in Ancient China, which explains the interest of the researchers. However, the focus of researchers on the Red Eyebrows movement, which covers just the first years of the existence of Eastern Han Empire, is also the reason why the establishment of the empire is poorly studied. They also interpreted the topic from ideological perspective, omitting the inconvenient facts.

Displaying Mythological Characters

The large figures displayed atop the floats in the Sawara Grand Festival portray characters drawn from mythology and history that have been strongly associated with Japanese nationalism and imperialism. In order to investigate the meanings that these float figures hold for the participants and audience of the festival, this article acknowledges the close relations between folklore and politics and interprets the works themselves as agents that enact emotions and responses, rather than focusing on the creative intentions of the producers. The figure subjects were freely chosen by the people of Sawara, mostly during the prewar period, and were based on characters that were popular at the time—namely, the emperors and their mythological ancestors and historical champions. In the present, however, the figures are rarely seen in light of their nationalistic origins. Instead, they are appreciated more for their aesthetic beauty and as mascots of the various wards of Sawara.

Controversial issues of Soviet-German relations: 1938–1939

This article explores little-known aspects of the convergence of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany in the prewar period. It is noted that the initiative to improve bilateral relations belonged to the German leadership. Traced the history of residence in Germany Soviet ambassador A. F. Merekalov, his conversations with Hitler and Stalin. The author notes the controversial question concerning the so-called "joint military parade" of the Wehrmacht and Red Army units and concludes that there was no parade as such.

‘Every Frenchman Must Read This Book’: The Impact of Politics and Ideology on the Production, Translation and Dissemination of Hitler’s Mein Kampf in France, 1933-1939

This article examines the political and ideological circumstances surrounding the two French translations of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf during the 1930s. It focuses on the personal histories of the translation agents involved in the production, translation and dissemination of Mein Kampf—such as diplomats, politicians, investors, publishers, editors and translators. By uncovering and exposing their ideological attitudes, this study shows how Hitler’s book was altered, censored and repurposed in France to suit different political agendas. Consequently, it argues that the two French translations during the prewar period, entitled Mon Combat (1934) and Ma Doctrine (1938), should be regarded as historical artifacts in their own right, rather than mere reproductions.