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Religious Extremism as a Cause of Armed Conflicts: Indicators and Early Warning SystemsReviewed - ReviewJosef KrausVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2019, Vol. XXVIII. (LX.): 16-25 The main topic and focus of this article is to identify the most relevant indicators of the rise of religious extremism as an important cause of armed conflicts. A religiously motivated conflict is a relevant topic in modern security studies and research. Conflict prevention using the early-warning indicators identified in this article might be interesting for the security expert community. In the article chosen methodology is available with the recommendation to following research in the examined field. |
Leaderless Resistance: Development, Countering and Research of Insurgent ConceptReviewed - ReviewMiroslav MarešVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2020, Vol. XXIX. (LXI.): 41-56 The paper deals with an insurgent strategic concept "leaderless resistance". It was elaborated by US intelligence officer Colonel Ulius Louis Amoss. It is used by various insurgent actors and it is researched within the context of insurgency and counterinsurgency and interconnected issues (extremism, terrorism etc). The author of this contribution deals with the development tendencies and with the strengths and weaknesses of this strategy (including the derived concepts as "leaderless Jihad" etc.). Its adaptation in the era of modern political and hybrid warfare is explained. Challenges for successful countering from the point of view of security architecture (intelligence and law enforcement agencies, army, non-.state actors) are discussed. |
Extremism and Terrorism as Destabilizing Factors of SocietyReviewed - ReviewDoc. JUDr. PhDr. Ivo Svoboda, Ph.D., Ing. Michael Hrbata, MPAVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2014, Vol. XXIII. (LV.): 33-41 The article defines extremisms and terrorism as eventual destabilizing moments in society. The paper decomposes possible reasons and grounds of their manifestation, the authors point out that certain signs indicate the penetration of extremisms and terrorism into armed forces structures and civil service, by means of concrete persons. At the end they propose general rules and approaches to keep up this topical phenomenon of the present day. |
Reviewed - Research |
Radicalization in the Armed Forces: Lessons from the Czech Republic and Germany in the Central European ContextReviewed - ReviewMiroslav MarešVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2018, Vol. XXVII. (LIX.): 25-36 The paper deals with the process of radicalization in the armed forces in Central Europe, with specific focus on the Czech Armed Forces and the Bundeswehr. The author conceptualizes radicalization as a recent security threat and explains the specifics of the use of this concept in the armed forces. The most important historical legacies are identified and the current development cases and trends are analyzed and compared, including the specifics of various streams of extremism. Possible recommendations how to counter radicalization are included in the paper. |
Extremism from the Point of Views of Soldiers (Analysis of Sociological Investigation into Extremism in the Czech Armed Forces)Military sociologyDoc. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, PhD., PhDr. Josef Smolík, PhD., Mgr. Petra VejvodováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2010, Vol. XIX. (LI.): 163-173 The paper deals with the relation between political extremism and regular soldiers of the Czech armed forces (from the point of view of military staff). The threat of presence of extremists in the army is conceptualized in this paper. After that there are presented methodology, outcomes and interpretations of research sociological investigation, which was realized in February and March 2009 at Czech armed forces. As a risk should be assessed mostly information about contacts with extremists in the army and information about very different attitudes in relation to the importance of the issue "extremism in the army". |
Contemporary Terrorism Manifestations (Simple Causal Model Analysis)Nonreviewed - OtherTomáš NovotnýVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2019, Vol. XXVIII. (LX.): 94-105 The editorial board of Vojenské rozhledy Journal presents an article by General Staff Colonel (plk. gšt.) Tomáš Novotný, currently the Chief of the Department of Strategic Planning (J-5) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic. This article was published in HORYZONTY BEZPIECZEŃSTWA Nr 8 (3) 2017 and it is available online at http://www.prawo.uni.opole.pl/horyzonty_bezp/Nr_8(3)_2017.pdf. The article is very closely linked to the subject of the contribution published in Vojenské rozhledy 3/2019, entitled "Religious Extremism as a Cause of Armed Conflicts: Indicators and Early Warning Systems", and in a certain way it defines its theoretical foundations. |
Strategic Communications: From a Reactive Fight Against Disinformation Towards Comprehensive Use in Support of National Security and DefenceReviewed - ReviewVendula DivišováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2022, Vol. XXXI. (LXIII.): 34-53 The concept of strategic communications rose to prominence especially with the events linked to the Crimea annexation and Russian intervention in Eastern Ukraine. As such it has been mostly related to the reactive fight against disinformation and propaganda or other elements of the hybrid campaign. This paper aims to point to the much broader potential for the tool of strategic communications in support of goals in the realm of national security and defence, while it is understood as proactive efforts and specific mindset using the information effect to advance national interests. Based on the literature review, benefits of strategic communications beyond hybrid campaigns are identified also in the fields of foreign military operations, counterinsurgency, counter-terrorism, deterrence and crisis management. It describes the informational, particularly, the cognitive, dimensions of these security threats as well as of the measures to counter them. |
Turkish Armed Drones Production and DeploymentReviewed - ReviewPavel Faus, Miroslav MarešVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2021, Vol. XXX. (LXII.): 21-37 This article studies the current stage of development of armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology in Turkey, within the context of the current media attention caused by its deployment in various conflicts. Authors first provide a classification framework for surveillance and armed drones. Text proceeds with an overview of the technology and its military use. The core of the text focuses on Turkey's past and present use of armed drones. Authors analyse the current stage of Turkey's armed drone development production and export destinations. Furthermore, operational use by Turkey or other parties is discussed. Authors conclude by comparing current generation of Turkish drones to those deployed by the United States, highlighting technological edge on the side of the US, as well as continuing dependency of Turkey's main drone systems on foreign components. |
Morocco´s Foreign Fighters: Jihadists´ 2nd Generation and its Islamist IdeologyNonreviewed - OtherMgr. Jana KostrounováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2016, Vol. XXV. (LVII.): 82-90 There is currently about 1 500 Moroccan citizens fighting for the so-called Daech in Syria and Iraq; that makes the North African monarchy one of the main countries which export radical islam djihadists and supporters abroad to the war-beaten Syrian-Iraqi region. Until 2014 Moroccan officials let them leave the country almost freely, to be precise, they didn´t prevent them from travelling to Syria, Iraq and other proxy war destinations. That´s how have the Moroccan fighters joined the Daech rows fighting in the beginning against the Syrian president Asad. But it seems now that the situation has rapidly changed: the Kingdom of Morocco is currently fighting and closely monitoring its own foreign fighters who are coming back home. Especially such eventual threat is pushing the country for creating a new national security strategy related to this risky minority, which needs to be integrated back to the Moroccan society. |
Immigration in France and its security consequencesReviewed - ReviewJan EichlerVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2020, Vol. XXIX. (LXI.): 3-22 The article is about the immigration in France and its consequences on the security field. It starts by the historical context and pays a big attention to the development during last two decades. It analyses the process of the islamisation on the cultural, social, security, and political levels. It continues by the French debate which reflects the clash of two contrasting approaches: political correctness vs. critical attitudes. The French experts dispute about two key subjects: the numbers of the immigrants and, namely, the correlations between the immigration and the growing numbers and brutality of the terrorist attacks (the so - called amalgam). The last part analyses the place and the role the immigrants in the French armed forces. This text offers an original periodisation of the phenomena of the immigration in France since the first post WW II years until today. It examines not only its quantitative aspects, but also its qualitative changes. |
Media Presentation of ISIS: Content Analysis of the Magazine DabiqReviewed - ReviewBc. Jan Hanzelka, prof. JUDr. Miroslav Mareš, PhD.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2015, Vol. XXIV. (LVI.): 51-63 Thisarticledeals withanalysis ofthemagazineDabiq.Thismagazineis published by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and it serves to Jihadist propaganda in English language. The content analysis is used. Thematic fields (with qualitative analysis) and important terms (with term freqency analysis). Authors identified tree main themes of the Dabiq magazine - religion, establishing of the Caliphate and its functions and military operations of the ISIS. The conceptualization of the enemies from the point of view of the ISIS. |
Jihadist Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Contemporary Threats and Challenges in East Central EuropeReviewed - ReviewMiroslav MarešVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2019, Vol. XXVIII. (LX.): 3-15 This paper deals with the phenomenon of Jihadist foreign terrorist fighters from the perspective of East Central European countries. Over the past decade, the term 'foreign terrorist fighter' has become established in scholarly literature, international law and the popular consciousness. Today, Jihadist foreign terrorist fighters are closely watched globally for the security threat they pose. Although the greatest danger in Europe is seen to be to nations in the west, several cases in East Central Europe - involving terrorists travelling through the region and attempting to radicalise local jihadists - have led Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic to adopt important legislation to eliminate this threat. |
Some Tools of the Czech Republic Security Policy to Prevent Proliferation of Nuclear and Chemical WeaponsNonreviewed - OtherMartin Fokt, Antonín Novotný, Pavel OtřísalVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2019, Vol. XXVIII. (LX.): 128-148 The article deals with selected international treaties, current agreements and international cooperation initiatives in the field of non-proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons, in which the Czech Republic is represented through specific bodies or ministries. There is also a general description of the view and the specific military approach. The involvement of the MoD and the Czech Armed Forces in NATO structures enables to influence the strategic decision-making in the area of CBRN and thus support the current trends concerning forensic analysis, sampling of CBRN samples and response to new trends in the field of WMD elimination. |
Balkan Foreign FightersReviewed - ReviewVěra StojarováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2018, Vol. XXVII. (LIX.): 63-74 The article focuses on the issue of foreign fighters from the Balkan peninsula, and examines the measures that have been taken by governments in the region to combat it. The author asserts that the first ISIS losses and the thinning of the first wave of enthusiastic recruits accompanied with the first disillusioned returnees and changes in public policies and in public discourse (political narrative and narrative of Islamic communities, mass media) caused the unprecedented decline in the number of new recruits. |
Prognostics Methods of Security PhenomenaReviewed - ReviewJosef SmolíkVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2018, Vol. XXVII. (LIX.): 3-23 This article describes the basic terms used in prognostics (future studies, forecasting the future, prognosis, prediction, expert) and introduces selected prognostic methods and techniques which could be applied in security area (brainstorming, focus group, trend extrapolation, Delphi method, scenarios etc.). The basic classifications and prognosis typologies are mentioned as well. Particular phases of prognosis making are described too. For the Czech security community the prognosis making has an important potential whose outcomes (of particular surveys) should be manifest in following years. This text has only tried to outline selected methods and techniques for their potential application. |
Scenarios, Development, Internal Structure Scenarios and Security ThreatsReviewed - ReviewJosef MelicharVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2017, Vol. XXVI. (LVIII.): 18-32 The article deals with the topic of scenarios in relation to their significance, internal structure development and the way of elaborating scenarios following links to security threats and mission types. Article describes possible way of structuring set of scenarios reflecting security threats stated in The Security strategy of the Czech Republic and corresponding mission types. Main methodology exploited during the work with the topic of scenarios was document analysis, which resulted in finding, that scenarios don't enjoy appropriate attention in the defence resort of the Czech Republic, scenarios are not elaborated and thus not exploited. The article deals in the conclusion with propositions aiming at elaborating scenarios with purposefull internal structure, elaborating security threats and reflecting mission types. |
From Subcultural Groupings to Actors of Hybrid WarfareReviewed - Reviewprof. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. MC/2016, Vol. XXV. (LVII.): 124-134 This article deals with transformation of several categories of subcultural groupings to real or potential actors of hybrid warfare. It is based on trends and events related to the Ukrainian crisis and to the new Russian power projection in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as on the reaction of governments and societies which are threatened by this way of warfare and politics. Research on subcultures and research on strategy and conflict form the conceptual framework of the article. The author analyses the role of military re-enactment groups, bikers, football hooligans and other youth subcultural groups. The risk analysis serves for an assessment of the current impact and a possible future development of the researched phenomenon. |
Financing of TerrorismReviewed - ReviewJosef Smolík, Veronika SvatošováVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2017, Vol. XXVI. (LVIII.): 73-88 The issue of terrorism is becoming increasingly important on the level of social, economic, political and security. The threat of terrorism affects at the same time, societal and cultural events. Professional and academic discussion addresses the causes and possible consequences of this phenomenon. To understand the implications of terrorism, it is necessary to look at this issue from the perspective of terms of its financing. This review study aims to define the term financing of terrorism on the one hand, but also to identify possible sources of financing of terrorism, including the most used payment methods by terrorist organizations. This study also leads a discussion on the efforts and effectiveness of the various authorities in the fight for detecting terrorism, especially in relation to the detection of its financial flows. The study also defines the possible pitfalls in the fight against terrorism and detecting its sources of financing and attempts to outline possible alternatives while increasing success in this fight. |
Security Threats from Inside: Scenario "Extremism in Being and Coexistence with Romany Ethnic Group and Migrants"Military sociologyPhDr. Antonín RašekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2012, Vol. XXI. (LIII.): 143-154 At first, we are familiarised with terms of extremism, Romanies (Gypsies), anarchists, neo-Nazis, then the author introduces possible picture of security situation at the turn of second and third decades of 21st century. He believes that in every country there is a limited ability to integrate ethnic groups by majority. As soon as the limits are exceeded, problems begin. His scenario ends with a pessimistic vision: increasing tensions will ask army deployment, but even local armed forces are not able to enforce law and order, therefore the government must ask for help neighbouring states. |
The Legality of the Military Police Activities by Granting Aid as a Host Nation Support OperationReviewBrig. gen. JUDr. Pavel Kříž, LL.M., Mgr. Ing. Leopold Skoruša, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2016, Vol. XXV. (LVII.): 33-45 The paper deals with the principle of legality during putting in practice of Military police support to allied armed forces in the Host nation Support operation on the Czech Republic territory. Security of sending nation armed forces weaknesses have been identified on the base of analysis of the issue current state supplemented by the legal framework assessment. Suggestions, for expert discussion of Military police authority change, are in the last chapter. |
Threat of Extremism from the Point of View of the Czech Armed ForcesMilitary sociologyDoc. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2009, Vol. XVIII. (L.): 138-151 The paper deals with the assessment of extremism in connection with the Czech Armed Forces. It analyses attitudes of various forms of Czech domestic extremist movements to the military sphere and possible impacts of the infiltration of extremists into the army, namely in time of danger (training militant activities, including paramilitarism, subversion, espionage, etc). The most important problem of the contemporary Czech counter-extremist policy in this area is the rise of neo-Nazi activities in the armed forces and the establishing of extreme right paramilitary units which take interest in the engagement of soldiers. Even though these activities are limited in our country, the author offers overall survey various obscure organizations, having connections to foreign groups sponsoring their Czech counterparts. |
Neonacisms and Anarchism (Inner Security Threats)Military sociologyPhDr. Antonín RašekVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009, Vol. XVIII. (L.): 148-158 The complex security strategy must pay attention not only to outer threats, but also to inner security risks. Social and cultural impacts of globalisation produced even to our country a rise of several extremist right-wing political groups inspired by or following the tenets of Hitler's Nazi Party, referred to as neo-Nazis, because they modify Nazi doctrine and because the original Nazi movement inspires them. Some forms of fascism are also anti-Semitic or xenophobic. On the contrary, Anarchism is a political theory opposed to all forms of government. Anarchists believe that the highest attainment of humanity is the freedom of individuals, unhindered by any form of repression or control. To accept matching strategy, we must know those theories, their international background, as those movements are usually tied with organized crime and terrorism. |
Defining Militant Democracy in Central EuropeNonreviewed - OtherVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2014, Vol. XXIII. (LV.): 149-151 The authors analyze the implementation of militant democracy concept in Central Europe, i.e. Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, as those are nations having experiences both with Nazi and communist regimes. The opening part covers a short history of this concepts and mechanisms used to suppress extremist subjects; subsequently the book compares practical instruments of counter-extremist policies, their individual principles and arrangements. This is the comparison that constitutes the main asset to the problem. |
Islamic Terrorism of Jemaah Islamiyah Organization as a Today's Topical ThreatReviewed - ReviewIng. Michael Hrbata, MPAVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2014, Vol. XXIII. (LV.): 42-49 This paper refers about the threat of Islamic terrorism, its roots, motives, as well as its origins. Namely the author informs about the Jemaah Islamiyah, Islamic organization, which is less know in the Czech Republic. Indonesia has a larger Muslim population than any other country in the world, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslim (88,2 % of Indonesia´s population). It is generally regarded as a tolerant country, in which various religions living side by side without larger problems. Nevertheless even here the danger of violent Islamic terrorism has arisen. The theme is treated in a proper historical context, with regards to possible impacts on security situation in the world. |
Information Operations on the Background of Contemporary Armed ConflictsReviewed - ReviewMjr. Ing. Tomáš NovákVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2014, Vol. XXIII. (LV.): 51-62 The article presents the theory of information operations on the background of contemporary armed conflicts in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria. In the introduction, information is presented as a phenomenon and the accelerator of social development. It outlines basic information channels that deliver security information to their recipients. Furthermore, the article discusses security and operational environment and also vulnerabilities being caused by increasing dependence on information. The core of the article are information operations presented in theory with the author's commentary on real application in military practice and in terms of the Czech Armed Forces. As part of information operations are subsequently introduced psychological operations, computer network operations and electronic warfare. The article ends with real examples of information and psychological operations in modern warfare, and conditions of their management in the Czech Armed Forces. The conclusion summarizes the general idea of the security environment and information operations, and stresses the importance of information operations in current and future conflicts. |
Armed Forces and Ethnic Riots in Central EuropeReviewed - ReviewDoc. JUDr. PhDr. Miroslav Mareš, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 4/2013, Vol. XXII. (LIV.): 132-142 The article deals with particularly topical problem, the riots with ethnic background. The present situation is compared with history illustrations and with similar recent events abroad. Author's reflections and scenarios outline a variant of state failure and its institutions, with the exception of army. He identifies respective incoming risks, among others tied with the so-called Roma question. Actually, his hypothetical solutions are not backed by the current laws of the Czech Republic. The author comes to the conclusion that army deployment might be used only as an instrument of last resort, "ultima ratio". |
Basic Elements of Modular Force StructuresReviewed - ReviewPodplukovník Ing. Radek Dubec, Ph.D., Ing. Ján SpišákVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 3/2013, Vol. XXII. (LIV.): 27-40 Článek je shrnutím výsledků řešení projektu obranného výzkumu STRUKTURA: Tvorba modulárních struktur úkolových uskupení pro celé spektrum operací a jejich ověřování s využitím tvorby koncepcí a experimentování - CD&E. Je zaměřen na objasnění problematiky definování modulů jako základního prvku modularity a možné přístupy k výběru hodnocení a formování modulárních úkolových uskupení. Cílem článku je pojednat o možnostech tvorby úkolových uskupení a generování sil v podmínkách definovaných a popsaných scénářů. Hlavní části článku vymezují determinanty organizace modulárních struktur a jejich popis. |
Pacifism and Manning Armed Forces of the Czech Republic by Reserve Soldiers in Time of Threat or WarMilitary sociologyMjr. Ing. Bohuslav Vlček, Ph.D.Vojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 1/2009, Vol. XVIII. (L.): 159-161 Pacifism, opposition to war and other violence, is both organized political movement and individual ideology. Pacifism varies from a form that is absolute and doctrinal to a relative and more practical form. Absolute pacifists are against all wars and against violence in any form whatsoever; relative pacifists are selective of the wars and violence they oppose. Most absolute pacifists stress the immorality of the taking of one person's life by another person. The philosophy of pacifism has been propounded throughout history on grounds of morality, divine will, or economic and social utility. The probable impact of pacifist theories on the Armed Forces is discussed in this article, as service in our forces is set by the law and inner normative acts of the Ministry of Defence. |
Strategic Culture: Concept PresentationReviewed - ReviewIng. Tomáš PospíšilVojenské rozhledy / Czech Military Review Nr. 2/2012, Vol. XXI. (LIII.): 26-33 Studies of the importance of culture have gained greater attention in the post-Cold War era. In present world, there are many fenomena that can't be explained in terms of neorealism. There is the consensus in national security policy studies that culture may significantly affect grand strategy and state behaviour. It limits behavioural choices, from which we could derive predictions about our strategic choice. This study is based among others upon Johnston's strategic culture concept related to three generations. The study is divided into five parts: at first the author introduces general concept of strategic culture, the second, third and fourth parts correspond to individual generations. In closing part the author explains his own understanding to this concept. |

