Winter 2015

The Shadow of the Great Wars

World Wars I and II came to transform every aspect of life in nearly every corner of the planet. Now, 100 years since the start of WWI and 75 years since the end of WWII, as public memory of the great wars begins to fade, we look at their lasting impact and ponder the future of their memory.

in this issue:

Hiding in Plain Sight: WWI, WWII, and Surprising History of Camouflage

– Josh Kramer

From zebra-like patterns on military ships to using Hollywood-style effects to disguise California, World Wars I and II were the dawn of a new age of camouflage.

Left out of the "Greatest Generation"

– Rebecca White

Millions of men saw combat during World War II. Others were so far removed from the action that their guilt and regret endures to this day.

Murder in the Ardeatine Caves

– John Surico

How a 70-year-old massacre continues to haunt a nation.

The Last Nazi Hunter

– Rebecca White

In the eleventh hour, German prosecution laws have altered the way Holocaust-era war criminals are prosecuted. But is it too late for justice?

The Swastika and the Crescent

– David Motadel

How Nazi Germany's leaders tried to recruit Muslims to their war against Jews, Britain, and Bolshevism.

The Forgotten Soldiers: India and Pakistan in the Great War

– Leila Tarazi Fawaz

Colonial India's World War One efforts transformed the Middle East — and India, too.

Countries and Western: The Geopolitics of Music

– David Schoenbaum

Generation after generation, in locale after locale, it’s true: When people join the modern world, their kids get piano and violin lessons.

How a “damned silly thing” in the Balkans sparked WWI

– Atif Jalal Ahmad

While the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is infamous, the reasons behind the assassination get less attention than they perhaps deserve.