Latin America at War

This book introduces the reader to an unknown Ally of the Second World War. Few people remember that Mexico, like Brazil, took an active part in that conflict. This volume covers Mexican participation in the Second World War for the first time using photos, documents and testimony from official and personal archives. Mexican nationals or those of Mexican descent were already volunteering for the Allied air forces of the British Commonwealth and the Free French naval and air forces While the Mexican Republic first had to defend both its coasts and its shipping from enemy submarines, using its obsolete general purpose biplanes, following the sinking of Mexican ships by German u-boats the first North American Texan armed trainers entered service in the Gulf of Mexico, earning the title of the 'Mexican Dive Bomber'. Due to the necessities of the war, the service had to reorganize its aviation assets to be able to receive a larger number of American-built lease aircraft, which started the modernization and reorganization process that is felt even today. The war affected all aspect of Mexican military aviation from tactical units, to training, to logistics and military doctrine. This also led to the establishment of Mexican Naval Aviation, which led, in turn, to the creation of its first naval squadron to patrol the Gulf of Mexico. One aspect that the war affected was the training of the new generation of military personnel, some of whom would later see action before the end of the war. As Mexico was securing its coasts and sending aviation personnel to train in the USA, it would later field its fighter squadron to participate in the liberation of the Philippine islands. By the end of the war, the Mexican Air Force had experienced its most rapid growth since it was officially established back in February 1915. The text is fully supported by numerous previously unpublished photographs and color profiles showing camouflage and markings.

In the wake of the US invasion of Nicaragua in 1912, the country came under the rule of the Somoza family, which imposed a brutal and corrupt military dictatorship. A low-scale insurgency of students, supported by peasants and other anti-Somoza elements of the society developed already in the 1960s. By the 1970s, the country became embroiled in a brutal insurgency. Supported by Cuba, a coalition of students, farmers, businessmen, clergy and a small group of Marxists launched a major war in 1978, which resulted in the downfall of the Somozas, a year later. The Sandinista government established in Managua of 1979 found the country ruined by the long war and natural disasters, and nearly half of the population either homeless or living in exile. Attempting to restructure and recover the underdeveloped economy, Sandinisas introduced a wide range of reforms and a cultural revolution. Considering the Sandinistas for 'Cuban-supported Marxists' and therefore a major threat for the US domination of Latin America, in 1980-1981 the USA began supporting the creation of the Contrarevolutionary forces (better known as 'Contras'), and thus helped provoke a new war that was to rage through Nicaragua for most of that decade, and is going to be covered in Volume 2 of this mini-series. Leaning upon extensive studies of involved armed groups, and their insurgencies in the 1960s and 1970s, 'Nicaragua, 1961-1990, Volume 1' provides an in-depth coverage of military history during the first phase of one of major armed conflicts of Latin America in modern times. Guiding the reader meticulously through the details of involved forces, their ideologies, organization and equipment, this book is offering a uniquely accurate, blow-by-blow account of the Nicaraguan War and profusely illustrated with more than 120 photos, maps, and color artworks.

The year 1989 was crucial for Paraguay. After a long period of 35 years of dictatorship, General Alfredo Stroessner was finally overthrown by a violent coup d'état. In a sort of prophetic way, he once said, "I came to power by arms and I will only leave by arms," and that came true on 2 February of that year. The 1989 Coup d'état in Paraguay discusses Stroessner's climb to power during a coup of 1954, fraudulent elections that got him reelected seven times, and the ways Stroessner kept himself afloat through cooperation with the armed forces, a right-wing political party, and the USA. Arguably, longing to maintain his popularity, the dictator launched a large number of major development projects, including construction of roads, water and sewage facilities, three big hydroelectric power stations, and a buildup of an airline. At the same time, abuse of human rights and oppression of any kind of political opposition became a norm: dozens of political prisoners were tortured and even executed, and thousands driven into exile. As could be expected from a dictator with a military background, Stroessner prompted a major expansion and a buildup of the armed forces and the police, too. Nevertheless, it was the armed forces of Paraguay that brought about his demise: the coup that finally ended Stroessner's rule was planned by General Andres Rodriguez, the Commander of the I Army Corps -and then with full support of large segments of the Army, Air Force and the Navy of Paraguay. A detailed description of the coup in question, and how Stroessner was driven into exile in Brazil, is the centerpiece of this narrative. Thirty years since the fall of Stroessner's regime, many things have changed in Paraguay: still, many remain the same. Containing over 100 photographs, color profiles, maps and extensive tables, The 1989 Coup d'etat in Paraguay is a unique study and a source of reference about an important episode in Latin American history.

Legacies in Steel is focused on historical edged weapons of the German military from 1800 to 1990. Nearly 100 examples have been carefully selected from some of the most important private collections in the world as well as German museums, the largest compendium of personalized edged weapons published to date. Through the photographic lens, details of these elegant and beautiful objects are featured. Many of these edged weapons belonged to nobility, aristocrats, high-ranking military personnel as well as soldiers and seamen. Where possible, the careers and courageous exploits of the former owners are highlighted. An appreciation of this historical context transforms what is a beautiful and sublimely crafted artifact in its own right, into a portal to the past by putting a face to an otherwise inanimate object. Swords and daggers, although having long outlived their utility as effective fighting weapons, maintained their popularity in Western Europe as uniform regalia and this reached its zenith in the 19th through mid-20th centuries. They were carried with great pride as a symbol of authority, organizational and social distinction, achievement and most importantly, honor. These weapons were produced with great skill and at high cost during the heyday of German edged weapon production. They required extensive handwork by many specialized and highly skilled artisans, often using precious metals and ivory, elaborate hand engraving and chiseling. Blades were fabricated of the highest quality Solingen steel. Folded steel Damascus blades were also painstakingly and selectively produced. Many examples are unique and border on singular works of art. The authors are dedicated to preserving not only these beautiful historical artifacts but equally important, the legacy and honor of each of the original owners. This beautifully presented book with stunning close-up photography of the weapons will be a lasting record of these extraordinary objects.

In December 1943 with the rising realization that the Allies are planning to invade Fortress Europe, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is assigned the title of General Inspector for the Atlantic Wall. His mission is to assess their readiness. What he finds disgusts him. The famed Atlantikwall is nothing but a paper tiger, woefully unprepared for the forces being massed across the English Channel. His task-to turn back the Allied invasion-already seems hopeless. His superior, theater commander, crusty old Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who had led the Reich to victory in the early years of the war, is now fed up with the whole Nazi regime. He lives comfortably in a plush villa in a quiet Paris suburb, waiting for the inevitable Allied invasion that will bring about their final defeat. General der Artillerie Erich Marcks, badly injured in Russia, is the corps commander on the ground in Normandy, trying to build up the coastal defenses with woefully inadequate supplies and a shortage of men to fulfill Rommel's demands. Marcks is convinced that the Allies will land in his sector, but no one higher up the chain of command seems interested in what he thinks. Meanwhile, aristocratic Generaloberst Hans von Salmuth, an outspoken, cocky, experienced veteran of the Russian Front, has been given responsibility for defending Fifteenth Army's coastline at Calais-the area that the High Command thinks is most likely to be the Allies' objective. General der Panzertruppen Geyr von Schweppenburg is preparing the élite panzer divisions for what may lie ahead. Generalmajor Max Pemsel struggles in coordinating efforts to prepare Seventh Army, suspecting that if an invasion comes he will be the hub of the German response. All of the Western Theater commanders are subject to the whims of Adolf Hitler, hundreds of miles away but continually issuing orders increasingly divorced from the reality of the war. Countdown to D-Day takes a detailed day-to-day journal approach tracing the daily activities and machinations of the German High Command as they try to prepare for the Allied invasion.

A history of the build-up and the ultimate clash during the Chilean coup of 11 September 1973, featuring over 100 color photos, profiles, and maps. In 1970, Salvador Guillermo Allende Gossens, a physician and leftist politician, was elected the President of Chile. Involved in political life for nearly 40 years, Allende adopted a policy of nationalization of industries and collectivization-measures that brought him on a collision course with the legislative and judicial branches of the government, and then the center-right majority of the Chilean Congress. Before long, calls were issued for his overthrow by force. Indeed, on 11 September 1973, the military-supported by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the USA-moved to oust Allende, and surrounded La Moneda Palace. After refusing a safe passage, Allende gave his farewell speech on live radio, and La Moneda was then subjected to air strikes and an assault by the Chilean Army. Allende committed suicide. Following Allende's death, General Augusto Pinochet installed a military junta, thus ending almost four decades of uninterrupted democratic rule in the country. His repressive regime remained in power until 1990. Starting with an in-depth study of the Chilean military, paramilitary forces and different leftist movements in particular, this volume traces the history of the build-up and the ultimate clash during the coup of 11 September 1973. Providing minute details about the motivation, organization and equipment of all involved parties, it also explains why the Chilean military not only launched the coup but also imposed itself in power, and how the leftist movements reacted Illustrated with over 100 photographs, color profiles, and maps describing the equipment, colors, markings and tactics of the Chilean military and its opponents, it is a unique study into a well-known yet much under-studied aspect of Latin America's military history.