Fulltext search in archive

Most people think that working in archives stands for activity with old documents, arranged upon bookshelves. Only few people know that archives means handling information. Today, data are not only in written form on paper, pieces of information are recorded on electronic media. Keeping archives is a part of national heritage; it has informational, scholarly and cultural functions (§ 2, Act No. 499/2004, Archives and Files Services). The author summarizes nearly 90 years of military archives, founded in 1919 by the famous Czech historian Jaroslav Werdstat, as a section of the Czech Country Archives. Very often the Military Archives have gone through difficult periods, and probably with regard to today's army priorities, we could expect uneasy progress even in the near future. This field is not in the centre of attention of army representatives, as it usually does not attract their attention.

In view of the fact of recent transitions in the Czech Republic, the Czech military must satisfy a large set of new requirements, including those tied with military defence intelligence. The article examines the key legislative changes under Acts No. 153/1994, No. 289/2005, No. 290/2005 and their actual implementation, linked with various stages of political and strategical management. There is no flawless pattern for military intelligence community. It is influenced by many circumstances: history, traditions, state of affairs. The author does not want to criticize today's model, organizational changes. Present-day establishment is integrated, which has certain advantages and some benefits, e.g. after 9/11 2001 American intelligence services were criticized for their insufficient integration. Adopted laws and rules, instruments for optimalization of present security system of the Czech Republic, are outlined on the basis of Table Supplement "Information on the Results of Czech Security System", www.mvcr.cz.

The ACR is going to take part in expeditionary operations abroad, so we must be prepared to supply and sustain such forces. Problems with the provision of the bakery products in the military operation and mission include diet; economical, technological, safety; and psychosocial aspects. The ground forces are to be effective. Now we are developing premixes that meet the conditions of nutritional content of bakery products and the indigenous products with the protective function. The new utilized technology is based on preparing dough with improvers. Cost analysis of producing bread and pastry in operation was carried out with a surprising outcome: the costs of our own production are approximately 4-6 times lower than the costs of products from the local or other producers or participating armies (which is contrary to present-day official policy buying from outside suppliers).

This contribution written by two leading Czech scholars in the field of military nutrition/food deals with the quality of energetic and nutrition of food rations and allowances in the Army of the Czech Republic. The food quality is set by a prescribed index of rational nutrition, consisting of energetic values of used foodstuff and the contents of key nutrients (proteins, fats, saccharides, minerals, and vitamins). Czech defence department sets monetary values and costs of sustenance rations, continuously adapted to the growth of retail prices of food and an average structure of consumption of individual food categories for a person per day. Besides the modification of food supplements, the authors propose to lower energy value of food rations and prefer their biological significance, with regard to contents of fatty acids.

English is one of official NATO languages, therefore at the Defence University belongs among very important subjects. The Centre of Language Preparation took over ELT (English Language Teaching) in all faculties of Defence University, so did at FEM (Faculty of Economics and Management). This paper is dealing with students' proficiency monitoring in ELT and the factors that could influence their results during their language preparation. The authoresses have been monitoring bachelor programme students from the very beginning to the final university terminology exam in English language. The teachers' teams from particular faculties of the University of Defence observe in their research the students' progress for which the questionnaires data were used. The recommendations provide guidance for improving and making more uniform procedures for screening and entrance testing prospective students of the Defence University

This second and closing part of this security study covers decades before the half of this century. The leading role in prevention and fight against armed conflicts will rest namely upon intelligence services. It is also expected the mass use of nonlethal weapons. The US will stay as the only leading superpower, minority expects a plurality model, i.e. the US will be only first among the equals. Some predicts the collapse of the EU. The Army of the Czech Republic ought to achieve full operational potential around the year 2012. It will take part in multinational missions. The Alliance armies should have 8 per cent of their capacities fully operable abroad. Under the preventive strategy, the regions of their prospective deployment will be in bordering countries around Europe, areas around the Eastern Mediterranean, or in the Far East. More or less, one problem remains still open: whether foreign deployments of the ACR really correspond to the interests and needs of the Czech Republic.

The Centres of Gravity (COG) are characteristics, capabilities, or localities from which a military force derives its freedom of action, physical strength, or will to fight. The COG belongs among the most important operational concepts. It is the main source of power and strength. Without dermining enemy's COG we are not able to carry out any quick and resolute action, to reach ordered tasks, desired objectives. The primary purpose of this article is to offer basic information about this subject. This first part is concentrated predominantly to Carl von Clausewitz's ideas. The article especially aims on disunity and heterogeneity of comprehension of the COG theory in confrontation with contemporary doctrinal publications and original Clausewitz's theory. It highlights coherences that can affect fulfilling political and military objectives in current and future military operations.

In this article the author explores the potential roles for unmanned ground vehicles (tactical UGVs) in the modern battle space as pack mules, fighting scouts and perimeter sentries as new concepts of operation, designs and products emerge. Remote control vehicles could be also used in explosive ordnance disposal operations. Urban warfare looks set to become a particularly rich field for this sort of robots. The article discusses the challenges in developing and deploying cost-effective UGVs on the battlefield. There are still many problems, namely technological. The price for a UGV is comparable to price for four or five wheeled armoured vehicles. The article is based upon materials from RUSI Defence Systems (No. 2/2007), studies by Myron E. Mills, Kevin Ivison, James Masey. Ulf Stremmel; and Andy Simms: Robot Wars. Soldier, No. 12, 2007.

The academic year 2006-2007 is an important milestone for the Defence University, as the freshmen are asked to have relatively high entry knowledge of English language. The concept of English entry tests had to be changed, i.e. entry tests are at the level STANAG 6001 SLP 2. For practical purposes, speaking and writing knowledge of all applicants can't by tested, therefore new test patterns cover only listening and reading (level SLP 2). This represents an extra burden for the staff of the Centre of Language Preparation, influencing language training and testing. The new curriculum was formed, accredited in UNIcert system. It has been implemented for students in the first grade of the Faculty of Military Technologies. This curriculum reflects speaking knowledge at the level STANAG 6001 SLP 3333 and opens the road to European Certificate of English Language.

It is said that at present, all means and knowledge necessary for any terrorist attacks are aviable on Internet network. Islamists regard Internet as a university of a special sort, without territorial boundaries, suitable for schooling and preparation of "sacred war". Internet users are decentralized, which is suitable for guerrilla fighters. By studying Qur?an (Koran), people are opened to indoctrination with global jihad. The Qur'an states that those who die in this type of jihad automatically become martyrs of the faith and are awarded a special place in heaven. Islamic law alleges that all nations 174 must surrender to Islamic rule. Indoctrinated terrorists could be and are united in their beliefs via electronic Internet pages, anywhere in the world, into one global cyber space. Electronic jihadists use notebooks and small electronic cameras to view and study suicide bomb attacks. The fight against such threat is endless, marked only by partial victories. Original article by Rolf Tophoven, Österreichische Militärische Zeitschrift, No 2, 2008

Intelligence activity is an essential part of psychological operations (PSYOPS). Intelligence data are collected, treated, and assessed by intelligence officers together with analytical specialists in cooperation with intelligence authorities from other services. Two basic documents are made. First, in British Army, it is called Country Area Study; in US forces it is labelled as PSYOP Basic Study. The second type of studies represents the assessment of target audience, called in British Army Basic Psychological Study, in US Special PSYOP Assessment. Gathered information are integrated into special electronic bases, e.g. SOCRATES (Special Operations Command, Research, Analysis and Threat Evaluation Data System), or POADS (Psychological Operations Automated Data System) used by the US Army. The rating of effectiveness of psychological campaigns is extremely difficult and consists of several phases. Even enemy's propaganda is analyzed. This process is of specific structure, categorized as SCAME (Source, Content, Audience, Media, and Effect). For PSYOPS operations is extreme important their precise timing. Legal Aspects of "Consciousness and Religion"

In NATO, here are many common items in welfare benefits, and there are different ones. Authoress depicts military social welfare in the CR, Slovakia, Germany, France, Poland, Hungary. The final part of this article compares systems of military benefits of mentioned countries. The authoress enumerates various conditions to be fulfilled, so that soldiers were entitled for welfare or retirement benefits. In nearly all countries, veteran?s pensions are regarded as the substitute for deferred, postponed pay. Retirement pays have its source in the last soldier?s salary. In the Czech Republic, retirement pays are based upon serviceman?s average best income in a calendar year, before he leaves the army, the time he served in the army, and its real income. Czech veteran?s social security scheme is separated from general (civil) social security system, as there some special military benefits that can?t be taken over by civil authorities.

Summary of Security Com174 munity Views - Part One. Despite the fact that most of the predictions made in the early 20th century did not realized, there are still plenty of arguments for drawing security prognoses as the only method assessing synthetic alternatives of future progress. The future is not unequivocally determined, as the all comprising development is strongly influenced by subjective motives. We must have scenarios upon which we can act, operate, namely in the field of security. The government ought to set clearly our security agenda, where and why we are going to make possible military engagement. All further actions are developing from those prognoses, i.e. buying tanks, helicopters, parachutes, armoured vehicles, etc. The first part of this security study covers several predictions containing even some controversial visions. They are based upon the opinion survey done among members of Czech military community. The field of investigation comprises EU, US, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Africa, Asia, even hypothetic Russia-China conflict, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and the like.

This article deals with accrual accounting concept in the terms of the public sector, where-in this context-accrual accounting is understood as a basis of accounting under which transactions and other events are recognized when they occur, and not only when cash or its equivalents are received or paid. Therefore, the transactions and events are recorded in the accounting records and recognized in the financial statements of the periods to which they relate. At first, the article introduces briefly the history of accrual accounting concept implementation in the area of public sector. Secondly, it summarizes main possible benefits and risks connected with the implementation of accrual concept to the public sector accounting.

Lowering numbers of humane resources and heavy armed vehicles, together with military materials, subsequent transition to light vehicles, with advanced technologies, being capable of quick, rapid movements-those are worldwide trends in the field of military that are reflected also in the Army of the Czech Republic. This new type of forces is able to reach high warfare effectivity-even with lowest numbers of servicemen-in combat and non-combat operations. Namely this article deals with some problem segments of the fire support of mechanized troops. The author describes individual elements of the system, their tasks and responsibilities. At the end of article he summarises the tasks we need for complex and effective fire support of mechanized troops, especially fire support to task forces.

Similar to the Czech Republic, all NATO nations have their own military territorial administrative authorities that both execute tasks of state administration and at the same time fulfil assignments of territory defence. Their overall numbers differ and mostly depend upon the fact whether the country has compulsory military service, alternatively military service is voluntary (professional army). Or as in the case of Greece, the scheme of Military Territorial Authorities is influenced by security situation in neighbouring areas. The author deals with Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Greece, and Spain. Those authorities have basic influence on recruitment, and manning, which is especially important in time of crisis, as the authorities have prepared manning system to increase numbers to prescribed volume.

It might be logical to occupy the main posts of enemy's command, but to take over the school? The Military Political Academy (MPA KG) constituted natural background of the so-called reformed forces, arising after the January 1968, at the beginning of the Prague's Spring. The MPA teachers and scholars outlined new prospects of European security development, among others with minor role of the Warsaw Pact, i.e. with the demand to rethink key principles of party's military policy, to reassess communist military doctrine. That's why the invaders regarded this university more dangerous then the then MoD. The review, eyewitness of those historic events, recollects prominent names not to be forget: Milan Ždímal, Vojtěch Mencl, Václav Prchlík, and shortly describes their following personal history.

The article deals with the state of English e-learning on the premises of the University of Defence. The authoress introduces some pages of the electronic materials used for the General Staff Course as an example of modern methods of learning English. She explains the basic principles of the work with these exercises. There is also mentioned the military English interactive CD-Rom that was published last year and is used as the electronic support for learning military English; and also a new CD-Rom that is being developed now is mentioned because it will be used for the General Staff Course participants as well. Because of the fact that Czech military personnel are expected to serve in multinational operations, this interactive CD-Rom will make their language training easier. In the last part of the article, the opinions of the General Staff Course participants on using e-learning materials are given on the basis of questionnaires.

The return of Russia as a power that begins again to partake in political agenda of present-day world raises the necessity to reflect its inner developments in the background of its recent history. There are six key factors that substantionally influence the position of Russia in the world: large sources of raw materials (pipelines); outstanding military capacities (the world's second nuclear potential); high level of general education; wide scientific and research base; permanent membership in UN Security Council and in the Group of Eight (G-8); deciding influence in the near neighbourhood. The study comes to the conclusion that Russia-in the horizon of 2020-will belong among world's leading actors, together with the US, the EU, China, and Islamic world. Russia will be able to of enforce its foreign and security goals, both in post-Soviet areas and in key regions in Europe, Asia and in the Great Near East. As such, it will probably get into conflict with the US. The priority tasks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will rest on maintaining nuclear parity with the US and building capacities for asymmetrical operations.

90s introduced the new beginning of international and economical relations. The former USSR used to be overmilitarized state that is now transforming into a democratic republic. After 2000, the RF adopted many arrangements to stabilize the fall of Russian defence industry. The poor results of Russian economy motivated the federal government towards forming five defence agencies (in 1999): Russian Aeronautic and Space Agency (aeronautics and rocket industry), Russian Agency for Command and Control Systems (avionics, electronic industry), Russian Agency for Conventional Weaponry (arms and armament industry), Russian Agency for Ordnance and Munitions, Russian Agency for Shipbuilding. Nevertheless, the ageing of redundant and unnecessary military industries demands horizontal integration that might facilitate cooperation among individual enterprises. This process could help to unify military products and concentrate on modern weaponry, to improve applied technologies, corresponding to demands of 21st century forces.

The end of conscription (i. e. national service) is accompanied by a dozen of economy implications that ought to be respected. Among others, there is a problem of non-military activities being done by soldiers during their compulsory military service. Supposedly, many of those activities can be performed by private entrepreneurship. One of possible solutions is the socalled "outsourcing". Our Army might buy services and supplies outside the forces, in civilian sector. Similar practices should reduce Army's expenses for labour, outlays for materials, maintenance, etc. Outsourcing directs public expenditures to places where labour and material costs are lower than in the ACR. But, we must not forget, there is one precondition; the public sector must be factually economical, with low expenses in competitive surrounding.