Page 95 - History of War - Issue 29-16

REVIEWS

“THE INTERNET THE DEVILS’

ADDS A FURTHER
LAYER OF

COMPLEXITY ALLIANCE: HITLER’S
DUE TO THE PACT WITH STALIN 1939-1941

ANONYMITY
THAT IT AFFORDS Author: Roger Moorhouse
Publisher: Penguin Random House
ATTACKERS” Price: £9.99 (Paperback) Released: Out Now
DISCOVER HOW TWO OF THE MOST EVIL MEN IN HISTORY
BRIEFLY JOINED FORCES IN AN UNHOLY PARTNERSHIP THAT
CONDEMNED THE WORLD INTO TOTAL WAR

Joseph Stalin’s hard fought, but ultimately total, victory against
Adolf Hitler is arguably the most crucial factor that decided the
course of World War II. Between 1941-45 the Soviet Union lost
perhaps up to 26 million of its citizens in the ‘Great Patriotic War’
against the Third Reich. It was a ght to the death between two
competing ideologies and cultures but what is less well known is
that Hitler and Stalin formed an unlikely alliance between 1939-
41 that also had a direct bearing on the course of the war.
In August 1939 the two leaders signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact,
where it was agreed that Poland would be divided between
them. This led to the outbreak of war the following month, with
dire consequences for the Poles and the rest of the world. In The
THE FUTURE united with Communism. Moorhouse has used a wide range of
Devil’s Alliance, Roger Moorhouse has written a highly readable
account of this often forgotten and unlikely story when Fascism
primary sources to explain the violent politics of the period and
the resulting atrocities that were committed by both sides against
the peoples of Eastern Europe.

OF VIOLENCE

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Author: Benjamin Wittes and Gabriella Blum Publisher: Amberley
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Price: £16.99 Released: Out Now
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AN ENLIGHTENING YET TERRIFYING LOOK AT THE POWER TECHNOLOGY HAS GIVEN US S
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smallpox; even a nanobot capable of
With great power, comes great smallpox; even a nanobot capable of
targeting and destroying human cells; all
responsibility. The words of Lincoln ring targeting and destroying human cells; all
true for any civilized head of state. are now dangerous possibilities.
are now dangerous possibilities.
The internet adds a further layer of
But what happens when power once The internet adds a further layer of
restricted to national leaders nds complexity due to the anonymity that
complexity due to the anonymity that
it affords potential attackers. How can
itself in the hands of the individual? it affords potential attackers. How can
How does the world guard against a state recognise, let alone mitigate,
a state recognise, let alone mitigate,
an attack launched at any time, from
potentially thousands of reckless, even an attack launched at any time, from
anywhere, by anyone? Distance and
evil, citizens? This is one of the many anywhere, by anyone? Distance and
questions this book seeks to answer. borders are no longer a defence.
borders are no longer a defence.
The authors do offer a host of
We now live in a world of ‘many- The authors do offer a host of
possible solutions for both domestic
to-many threats’, making everyone possible solutions for both domestic
and international governance, and
simultaneously more powerful and more and international governance, and
regularly counter their pessimism by
vulnerable than ever before. As mass- regularly counter their pessimism by
empowerment technologies such as reminding us of the potential bene ts of
reminding us of the potential bene ts of
ever-evolving technology.
robotics and nanotechnology become ever-evolving technology.
cheaper to develop, they inevitably It is sobering to think that if one of
It is sobering to think that if one of
the nightmare scenarios they imagine
become more prevalent; the skills the nightmare scenarios they imagine
becomes a reality the results will be
needed to use them become common. becomes a reality the results will be
A robotic spider equipped to inject horri c. Never mind Big Brother, it is the
horri c. Never mind Big Brother, it is the
little brothers we should worry about.
a lethal toxin; a student recreating little brothers we should worry about.
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