This is the first book to study the establishment and evolution of an Irish Peacekeeping Policy.  The author uses declassified primary source materials released by the Irish National Archives and relies on the notes and discussions of Government and legislative debates to demonstrate how the Irish governmental system operated to make the crucial decisions to dispatch contingents to UN peacekeeping operations. Analysed are: declassified discussion, debate, draft and final memos, and cables between the UN and Irish Government as well as internal to the Irish Government.  The author considers the three step process of the political discussions between Ireland and  the UN: the coordination between Ireland and other states; the discussions among members of the Irish Government; and the debate within the Irish legislature. Through this the author aims to promote an understanding of the mechanics behind Ireland’s rise in reputation as a major backer and contributor to UN peacekeeping.  At the same time, it presents an examination of a unique codified state process related to agreeing to the dispatch of personnel in support of UN peacekeeping.

In 1981 the Organization of African Unity (OAU) mandated and fielded the first regional peacekeeping operation since the Arab League's mission in Kuwait 20 years earlier. Battalion-sized contingents from Nigeria, Senegal, and Zaire were joined by smaller observer contingents from other OAU members in an effort to provide a buffer zone between the two main factions in the Chadian civil war.

Mays opens his analysis by providing an overview of the concept of peacekeeping. Several definitions are offered to help distinguish between the various types of peace operations. After examining the concept hegemon, he looks at the ways regional and subregional hegemons utilize peacekeeping operations as foreign policy tools as they protect their interests. Mays argues that Nigeria, as a West African hegemon, served as the moving force behind the mandating and fielding of the OAU peacekeeping mission in Chad. Rather than being purely humanitarian in nature, Nigeria's motivation included the removal of French and later Libyan soldiers from a weak state on its border. However, Nigeria could not perform the task alone. France and the United States were instrumental as well in the mandating and fielding process. French and American interests stemmed from concern over Libyan motives in Chad. Nigeria kept the effort to mandate the peacekeeping operation alive for two years; France proved to be the stimulus behind persuading the Chadian government to accept the deployment of OAU peacekeepers and prompting the Senegalese to contribute a battalion to the mission; the United States contributed by keeping France and Nigeria focused on a peacekeeping solution and helping persuade Zaire to join the mission.

Mays offers the first comprehensive examination of the OAU peacekeeping mission and reviews the political and military organization of the force as well as its deployment, redeployment plans, logistics, and operations between the Chadian factions. Utilizing an extensive collection of resources, including interviews with participants, diplomats, and government documents, he provdies a detailed examination of every meeting/conference between 1979 and 1981 that discussed a peacekeeping option for Chad. Factors of success in traditional peacekeeping operations are applied to the OAU mission, and he concludes by reviewing the impact of the 1981-1982 OAU operation on current African peacekeeping trends. An invaluable analysis for scholars, students, and other researchers involved with peacekeeping, international relations, and African studies.

Conflicts require a process to guide the belligerents from the battle field to mutual cooperation. But how does one provide the conflict stabilization for this peace process to operate? Peacekeeping emerged as one of these tools and has evolved to become an important element to support the peace process between belligerents in major inter-state and intra-state conflict. This book takes a broad definition of multinational peacekeeping in order to provide a basis for comparison and permit researchers to review operations labeled as "peacekeeping" by international organizations. The goal of this work is to assist researchers, scholars and others who are interested in peacekeeping and humanitarian operations to sort through the myriad of peacekeeping or peace operations since 1920 and consider some of the trends and issues behind these missions This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of Multinational Peacekeeping contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 700 cross-referenced entries peacekeeping operations, people, organizations, countries, and events associated with peacekeeping. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about peacekeeping.

This operational history of the XX (20th) Bomber Command and its combat missions from India and China in 1944 and 1945 traces the development of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress program and the Allied plans to stage long-range bombers through China for strikes against Japan's strategic industries. Each of the 49 combat missions flown by the XX Bomber Command from India and China is examined, producing the first detailed history of the B-29 campaign flown from these countries. The book is written almost exclusively from primary source material-World War II documents, crew member memoirs, and personal interviews. Special sections within the book examine issues related to flying across the "Hump" between India and China; General Curtis LeMay's reorganization of B-29 operations; and the night fighter defense of the B-29 forward airfields in China.

As long as there have been wars, there have been peace processes to settle them. In the 12th century BC, the Egyptians and Hittites concluded one of the earliest peace treaties still in existence. Peacekeeping as understood as a modern concept emerged out of the League of Nations after World War I. The League fielded many international military operations that were essentially deployments by the victorious Allied powers to oversee local plebiscites. Peacekeeping operations have evolved to become essential elements in most international attempts to guide belligerents through a peace process. Peacekeeping operations can be great examples of the international community cooperating to help settle a crisis. Historical Dictionary of Multinational Peacekeeping: Third Edition is a single source research guide for current and completed peacekeeping operations. With an extensive chronology; an introductory essay; an appendix with the mandates for three UN peacekeeping operations; a research oriented bibliography based on numerous categories of peacekeeping operations and issues related to peacekeeping; 32 photographs of UN, EU, and NATO peacekeeping operations; and over 500 cross referenced dictionary entries on peacekeeping operations, people, organizations, countries, and events associated with peacekeeping and brief descriptions of all currently fielded operations as well as those that have completed their missions dating back to the League of Nations in 1920.

The Historical Dictionary of International Organizations in Africa and the Middle East focuses on international organizations in Africa. And the Middle East. This makes sense for political, cultural, and geographical reasons. North African countries, and many located in the Sahel region, are members of not only African but also Middle Eastern international organizations due to their cultural and religious heritage as well as geographic location between Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. A limited number of global organizations are also included in this book when they have major programs focusing on Africa and/or the Middle East. This volume emphasizes intergovernmental organizations but many non-governmental organizations are also included. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, thematic topics, and major international issues affecting the region. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about this subject.

The American Revolution was perhaps the most significant event in modern history. It forever demonstrated the ability of a significantly smaller group of people to rebel against their oppressors. On top of that it also gave birth to what would become the most powerful country in the world. And while these feats were impressive, it was the drafting of a constitution, the forging of a union between divided states, and the fashioning of a truly democratic form of government that caused this event to go down in the annals of history. Thus, the Historical Dictionary of Revolutionary America is not just about the grievances that led to war nor the actual war itself, but more particularly the subsequent period of trial and error - when success was far from certain and failure could never be ruled out - in which the thirteen states and those that followed were welded into the United States of America. To do this, Mays employs: . an introductory essay and chronology outlining the events . over 1100 dictionary entries on significant people as well as the political, economic, and social events of the era . an extensive bibliography organized into nearly 100 different categories to facilitate additional research . appendices documenting the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution . a fourth appendix lists all the Presidents of Congress under the Articles of Confederation"

Aerial night fighting against the Japanese in World War II demanded the merger of a special type of pilot and plane. This is the story of those pilots who risked their lives night after night flying P-38 Lightnings, P-70 Nighthawks, and P-61 Black Widows - America's first purposely designed night fighter - for the 13th Air Force in the South and Southwest Pacific between 1943 and 1945. Night fighting included aerial intercepts of Japanese aircraft as well as raids against Japanese installations. This book provides detailed accounts of all these missions including the first solo night fighter raid over the highly defended Japanese base at Rabaul, night aerial combat against Japanese bombers and fighters, and harrowing night attacks against Japanese ground targets. Coverage of American night fighter tactics and Japanese counter-tactics add to the tale as 13th Air Force pilots battled the Japanese for control of the night skies.

The American Revolution pitted 13 loosely united colonies in a military, political, and economic struggle against Great Britain: the "mother country" and arguably the most powerful state in the world during the late 18th century. The independent spirit that led many individuals to leave homes in Europe and settle in the New World during the 17th and 18th centuries evolved into the drive that persuaded these same settlers and their descendants to challenge the colonial economic and taxation policies of Great Britain, which lead to the armed conflict that resulted in a declaration of independence. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of the American Revolution contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1,000 cross-referenced entries on the politics, battles, weaponry, and major personalities of the war. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the American Revolution.

Contains detailed entries on the multitude of peacekeeping operations since 1920, prominent individuals, the international organizations which have mandated the operations, important events, and terminology.