What happened to Allied ambassadors? And how did Hitler react to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact? And why didn’t he invade Sweden? Once again, Indy is in the Chair of Infinite Knowledge answering all your exciting questions about World War Two!
The planning for Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, took nearly a year and went through a variety of scenarios. The basic plan was finalized in December 1940, and that month General Friedrich Paulus ran a series of war games to test its feasibility. Today we’ll look at his conclusions.
Written and Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Indy Neidell
Edited by: Mikołaj Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Mikołaj Cackowski, Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Sources:
Bundesarchiv
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe
SA Kuva
from the Noun Project: Target by RITASYA, soldier by Wonmo Kang
Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Johannes Bornlof – “The Inspector 4”
Phoenix Tail – “At the Front”
Johannes Bornlof – “Deviation In Time”
Fabien Tell – “Last Point of Safe Return”
Johan Hynynen -” Dark Beginning”
Johannes Bornlof – “Death and Glory 3”
Rannar Sillard – “March Of The Brave 4”
China has been quickly adding capabilities and hulls to the PLAN, but a relatively recent change to how larger naval ship command is structured may be a throwback to Soviet Union practices:
China’s Type 001A aircraft carrier shortly after launch, 17 August 2017. Photo via Wikimedia Commons
When dealing with Chinese navy or coast guard ships, foreign naval commanders have learned to take into account the dual command structure of Chinese crews. In effect, Chinese warships except for smaller (less than 2,000 tons) ones, have dual commanders and a naval command system that is more premeditated and slower to respond to unexpected conditions.
This comes as a surprise to many Western naval officers. Although the Chinese military has achieved many visible signs of modernizing, like new weapons, equipment, uniforms, tactics and officer training, it is still having problems in several key areas. When it comes to leadership there are problems with the political officers.
The Chinese long ago borrowed the concept of the political officer (“Zampolit“) from the Soviet Union. The political officer represents the Communist Party and has the authority to overrule any order a military commander gives. In reality, the political officer usually acts as a combined morale and special events officer. The political officers are primarily responsible for preventing anything happening in their unit that would embarrass the party. For naval zampolits that meant watching out for signs of mutiny or sailors planning to seek asylum in a foreign port.
Unlike the Russian naval zampolit, the Chinese counterpart, called a political commissar is considered the equal of the regular naval commander and his superior when it comes to a “special mission”, like deliberately harassing foreign warships or opening fire on anyone. The political commissar is the same rank as the ship captain and can overrule the ship commander at any time and in any situation. It was not always that way.
An important change took place in 2018 when naval political commissars were given equal authority with the captain as “mission commander” and is expected to replace the captain if the captain is disabled by injury or sickness. The normal second-in-command (the XO or executive officer) becomes the XO for the political commissar and the captain and third, not second, in command. The practical problem with this is that the captain and XO have spent their entire careers (fifteen or more years) learning how to run a ship and supervise the crew. In contrast, the political commissar learned enough tech stuff to be more annoying. The political commissar was a professional busybody, scold and snitch. The political commissar can end the career of the captain, XO or any other officer by simply making a series of uncomplimentary reports.
The 2018 change was part of a program that began in 2016 throughout the military as the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) sought to improve its control over the military. In the navy that meant the political commissar had the ultimate responsibility for achieving goals assigned to a ship. The captain is not the true commander of the ship in the Western sense. He is there to see that technical details are well taken care of and that would include taking change during very bad weather or some kind of technical (fire, explosion) problem aboard ship. The political commissar is expected to personally undertake particularly dangerous leadership missions, although only those he is qualified to deal with. That means political commissars have led boarding parties in dangerous situations but not entrusted with command during damage control situations.
The full impact of the 2016-18 “reforms” to improve CCP control of the military are still working themselves out in the navy. Western, especially American, captains are being warned that their Chinese counterparts will probably not react as quickly to an emergency or unexpected situation that that should be taken into account, or taken advantage of.
Comments Off on Ship command in the People’s Liberation Army Navy
On Sunday, 28 October, 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis comes to an end to end all things, and almost everything. Only one young man, Vasili Arkhipov will stand between humanity and nuclear armageddon.
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
TimeGhost History
59 minutes ago (edited)
When we recorded this the first time, we didn’t have the chance to release these day by day. It took us almost half a year from when we had the idea until the last episode came out. We still felt that it was a revelation to see it chronologically. For me as writer it was in any case a deep dive into a story that I thought I knew, but rediscovered by reassembling the source documents in the exact order things happened. I learnt new aspects and gained an incredibly more detailed understanding of both the events and the people involved. But today, on Sunday July 19, 2020 it is the fourteenth day that both Indy, Astrid and I watch the remade episodes completed as they are released every day, I haven’t even watched this last episode yet, and even though I know exactly what is going to happen, I’m excited. This is crazy, crazy stuff.
And now, the three of us are sitting in the garden in Bavaria preparing to shoot the next months shows. And when we look back and talk about it it we’re all so glad that we got the chance to make this even better. Astrid could go full out on the set, and do even more with Indy’s costume. We had fun adding drama with the light. Indy make the delivery even better by changing the tenses to the present and altering the script slightly so that it felt more immediate. But perhaps more than anything, we could get more, better archive, get our editors added touch, and rethink the music score so that it was more consistent and period appropriate.
We also want to take this moment to thank:
The TimeGhost Army – it is your membership that enabled us to improve to this level from 2017 until now – you are the souls of TimeGhost.
Wieke, who directed the post-production and put his personal flair into it – especially grateful for the choice of music.
Daniel and Karolina who did a fantastic job on the editing.
All of our colorizers that made the portraits come alive in technicolor splendor (OK, OK… RGB splendor, but same, same)
Marek who sound engineered and made it sound so much better than what I managed in the first round.
Joram who made sure that we had all the publishing in order so that it worked day by day.
And all of the rest of the TimeGhost team that as usual had their hands full with this and all the mad stuff we do.
For Astrid, Indy and myself,
I’m Spartacus.
Comments Off on To Save the World Takes Only One Good Man | The Cuban Missile Crisis | Day 13
As the German armed forces stretch further and further into the USSR, the Wehrmacht command doesn’t seem to agree where they are really going. In the Middle East, the Fascist French forces are delivered a hard blow as the Allied Syrian campaign comes to an end.
On 26 October 1962, US President John F Kennedy at first continues to plan an invasion of Cuba, but while the politicians make new plans, their previous military plans take on a life of their own
Music:
“Try and Catch Us Now” – David Celeste
“Cold Eyes” – Elliot Holmes.mp3
“Under the Dome” – Philip Ayers
“Mexican Standoff” – Walt Adams
“Car Chase in Virginia” – White Bones
“When They Fell” – Wendel Scherer
“Moving to Disturbia” – Experia
“Kid Me Not” – Elliot Holmes
“From the Depths” – Walt Adams
“Nightclub Standoff” – Elliot Holmes
“Potential Redemption” – Max Anson
August 1944. After nearly 5 years of suffering and oppression at the hands of the Nazis, the Polish resistance in Warsaw was ready to rise up against the German occupation. With the Red Army approaching towards the Vistula from the east, the insurgents planned to take over much of the Polish capital and hold it until help from their Allies arrived. In the early morning hours of August 1, groups of armed young men broke the curfew and stormed official buildings and German warehouses. But as insurgents fought for their lives and future, the outside world however, remained eerily quiet to their pleas for help.
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Markus Linke and Indy Neidell
Directed by: Astrid Deinhard and Wieke Kapteijns
Produced by: Pär Sundström, Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Community Manager: Maria Kyhle
Executive Producers: Pär Sundström, Joakim Broden, Tomas Sunmo, Indy Neidell, Astrid Deinhard, and Spartacus Olsson
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Edited by: Iryna Dulka
Sound Editing by: Marek Kaminski
On October 25, 1962 while the US Navy are looking for something to do in the Caribbean, US Ambassador to the UN Adlai Stevenson is about to face off with USSR Ambassador to the UN, Valerian Zorin in a historic showdown at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
On October 23 , 1962 as the blockade on Cuba is being prepared, US President John F. Kennedy and USSR Chairman Nikita Khrushchev question their own actions realising that they might have gone a step too far.
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Spartacus Olsson
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Joram Appel
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Spartacus Olsson
Edited by: Jonas Klein & Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
On October 22, in the world’s first televised announcement of an international military crisis, US President John F. Kennedy sets off panic and sudden fear of a third world war, with nuclear arms involved.
On October 21 1962, politicians and military in both the US and in the USSR seem to have contradictory views on what to do next. Should the Soviet local commanders on Cuba get to play with the little nukes as they like, or rather wait for permission?
Germany keeps advancing on the eastern front, and yet by now, transport and supply problems are seriously undermining the capability of the German spearheads, even as they pull further away from the infantry. The Syria-Lebanon campaign is coming to an end, though, and an armistice is proposed which would give the Allies victory if accepted.
President John F. Kennedy faces off with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including General Curtis LeMay (his arch-enemy), who demand more freedom for military action.
Sources:
Photos from Bejucal, Cuba: History and Festivities – Havana Times
Andy Garcia – Mireille Ampilhac
Photo from chernobylguide.com – Chernobyl Mutations in Humans and Animals
PX 65-105:179 from LOOK Magazine 8405-1-26
Photo from WDR – 23. Juni 1963 – John F. Kennedy kommt in Deutschland an
Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
– “Cold Eyes” – Elliot Holmes
– “Scope” – Got Happy
– “Juvenile Delinquent” – Elliot Holmes
– “Moving to Disturbia” – Experia
– “From the Depths” – Walt Adams
– “Symphony of the Cold-Blooded” – Christian Andersen
On October 18 1962, President Kennedy meets with USSR Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, one of the architects of placement of missiles on Cuba. While the two beat around the bush, Khrushchev and Gromyko’s execution of the Soviet military and nuclear build up on Cuba continues.
On October 17th, 1962, the U2 Dragon Lady spy plane yield more alarming pictures of Cuban missile sites and President Kennedy is urged to restrain his dogs of war.
