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Das Narrativ der Denazifi zierung war eine der Hauptsäulen von Präsident Wladimir Putins Legitimationsversuchen der Invasion der Ukraine. Aufbauend auf revisionistischen Geschichtserzählungen im Kontext des Großen Vaterländischen Krieges und der komplexen Rolle der ukrainischen Nationalbewegungen im Zweiten Weltkrieg zeichnete er ein verzerrtes Bild des Landes, das von Historikern, der internationalen Politik und der westlichen Gesellschaft weitgehend verurteilt wird. Anhand einer historischen Kontextualisierung, der Darstellung von Narrativen in Propaganda und Desinformation, aber auch eines Blicks auf die rechtsradikale und -extremistische Szene in der Ukraine und Russland, wird dieses Bild hier kritisch hinterfragt. Dabei werden zusätzlich das Azov Regiment und die Gruppe Wagner mit ihrer Verwendung extremistischer Symbole und Ideologien als Beispiele herangezogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seit dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs und dem Beginn des Kalten Krieges hat sich die Verwendung von Söldnern und privaten Militärfi rmen laufend verändert. Während ihre Evolution ein laufender Prozess ist, gibt es mehrere Zäsuren und begünstigende Umstände, die diese Entwicklung bislang in vier Phasen bzw. Wellen unterteilen lassen. Dieser Artikel widmet sich dem Überblick und der Aufteilung in diese vier Phasen und zeigt auf, wie das Ende größerer Kriege und globale Entwicklungen einen Einfl uss auf die Branche ausgeübt haben. Dabei fällt auf, dass vor allem die Masse ehemaliger Soldaten, aber auch Machtvakuen nach geopolitischen Umwälzungen den Übergang zur nächsten Phase begünstigten. Vor allem die letzte und aktuelle Phase zeigt, dass mit der breiten Verwendung privater Militärfi rmen als Mittel hybrider Kriegsführung und als Stellvertreter in diversen Konfl ikten sich neue Risiken von Eskalationen sowie neue Sicherheitsprobleme für die internationale Staatengemeinschaft ergeben. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

9/11 and the war on terror acted as a catalyst for a new wave of privatized security, which in turn resulted in a wide debate on topics like the definition of mercenaries, control and accountability, as well as new research on gender and post-colonialism. At the same time several stereotypes and misperceptions were kept alive when it comes to supposed salaries, the immunity of private military companies' (PMC) personnel in Iraq or the role of women in PMCs. This article shortly recounts the academic discourse of the last 20 years and furthermore examines said misperceptions. Adding to that, it provides an overview on current developments and implications in the realm of private military companies and their geopolitical ramifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The private military company (PMC) "Group Wagner" has been a topic of interest for both the public and researchers alike since its first appearance during the Ukraine conflict. Commonly regarded as a proxy of the Russian Federation, the PMC can be found in several conflict zones, offering its expertise to countries or strong men who seek help from the Russian Federation. While covering this topic, several journalists have found violent or suspicious deaths rumoured to be connected to the Wagner Group. This article offers a general overview of the history of the PMC, followed by two case studies on the death of Maksim Borodin in Russia as well as the murder of three Russian reporters in the Central African Republic, Kirill Radchenko, Alexander Rastorguyev, and Orkhan Dzhemal. The article finds that despite official and private investigations into both cases, conclusive explanations for the deaths and their circumstances are still partly missing. Separating facts from fiction is difficult, especially since several interest groups with powerful resources to spread disinformation offer strongly divergent explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the military intelligence services on the eve of World War I. It discusses that the Austrian and international experts addressed the then still young military intelligence system, its influence on politics and the military, and the research landscape on this topic; and mentions that Verena Moritz and Wolfgang Mueller outlined the thematic and institutional difficulties and also the potential of the scientific examination of secret services.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge for the Republic of Austria not only in terms of containing the virus, but also in terms of mis- and disinformation. In four phases, both Austria and the European Union in general were confronted with a range of false reports, ranging from the trivialisation of the virus to deliberate disinformation and conspiracy theories. This article looks at selected examples as well as the channels of mis- and disinformation, in order to illustrate the measures and communication of the Austrian Federal Government. In addition, the European dimension is addressed and how the External Action Service of the EU classifies the issue. Even though the peak of the disinformation campaigns has subsided, the examples and analysis of government communication and European reports show that mis- and disinformation can have significant consequences and must also be seen in the context of hybrid threats. Nevertheless, it is pointed out that not only state actors make use of this instrument, and that the threat from specific parallel societies must not be underestimated, who in turn propagate a trend towards totalitarianism. Ultimately, it is emphasised that even though transparent communication (among other aspects) has achieved clear results in dealing with "fake news" in the case of the Republic of Austria, other measures have created potential for future disinformation. In this respect, further research on the topics of disinformation and hybrid threats as well as a corresponding awareness building for both political decision-makers and the Austrian population itself are needed to strengthen social resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs on 28th Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies workshop titled "Security Update: Europe 2019" that was held in February 2019 at the Vienna University of Applied Sciences campus Vienna, Austria. Topics include dealing with intelligence studies more intensively; digitalization and geopolitical shifts in power; and the problems of primarily cyberspace, terrorism and migration.

Hybrid warfare or hybrid threats are buzzwords, dominating the academic and security discourse for over a decade by now. Given recent events in Ukraine and the efforts by NATO as well as the EU to tackle the issue through their „comprehensive approach", this paper follows the evolution of the concept of hybrid warfare and threats, when it became a matter of urgency and how it was defined by several actors. Consequently, by looking at the approaches to understand the phenomenon as well as the tools used to wage hybrid warfare (or pose these particular threats), several indicators are proposed to identify potential attacks. It is stressed that hybrid threats are specifically designed to prevent any early warning system, although some indications can be found when looking at the tools used to attack. Therefore, a whole of government approach is needed to reflect on (inter)national vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience accordingly. With these observations in mind, the paper also looks at the approaches by the EU, Germany, Finland and Austria, in order to illustrate different national needs and perspectives on the matter. In the end, hybrid threats are nothing new but are dangerous, because of our globalized and highly connected world, critical infrastructure and the growing polarization in our society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A travel trip is offered to "The Third Man–In the footsteps of a Film Classic" located in Vienna, Austria, and mentions Christopher Timmermann details the history of the film and city.