IrishGunner

"Due to doubts about their ultimate loyalty" There should have been no doubt. Rebels and traitors to both causes. I suspect their "ultimate loyalty" was to their own stinking skin and nothing more. It would be interesting to see how many "distinguished" themselves on the frontier - or simply deserted. I take it you are a dam-yankee... Pirates, Orioles, or Red Sox... But never a Damn Yankee. Out of curiosity... How many Union prisoners decided to "switch sides" and fight for the Confederacy? Rhetorical question... Not many survived Andersonville to even contemplate the choice.

Still pretty bad a** though.

Actually, I mean why not something more along the lines of your collecting interests since Civil War isn't your gig?

Actually, a monument to lunatic Union commanders... The rebels didn't even need to aim. I think the Brit commanders at Paschendale must have studied Fredericksburg.

Galvanized Yankee A Confederate rebel who turned his coat a second time - joining the Union Army after becoming a prisoner So, why this rifle as your wall hanger? Just what came along or something more meaningful?

Well, it makes sense then... I knew he was Commander Soviet Group of Forces Germany and later Chief of Soviet Ground Forces, but not the Civil Defense. Was that considered a "promotion"? Or exile?

I guess the Russian civil defense agency chose Chuikov because of Stalingrad? Seems odd to me...but okay.

Yea, I know what you mean. I started "dreaming" when I learned that there is an artillery version of the Single Action Army.

The Winchester 73 Rifle:

I'll stick to Brian's time-period for my first iconic submission... The Colt Single Action Army - the Colt .45 or the Peacemaker... The iconic firearm carried by the cavalry (including Custer's 7th Cav and Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders) and the gunfighters (like Wyatt Earp - I've read that Hickok actually carried Navy 1851s). There was a later model chambered in .44-40 Winchester - the Colt Six-Shooter - so a cowboy needed only one type ammunition for his revolver and his Winchester 73 rifle (another iconic weapon - The Gun that Won the West).

"Now for the question, keeping in mind that to me these are iconic of the old west saloon gambling table, what is the down card in the photo?" Black aces and eights. The Dead Man's Hand. Actually, Wild Bill Hickok's hole card is supposedly unknown. Historical displays like to display it as a card from the suit of Diamonds - a five, nine or a jack - even a joker. Deadwood likes the Queen of Clubs. But it doesn't really matter - because Hickok was shot before playing out the hand.

So, it seems these discussions lean towards the idea that the circumstances surrounding the Balkan Wars may have been simply "local quarrels." Nonetheless, these events certainly would have an impact on the course of events over the next year. One event that many might forget was connected to the Balkan Wars was the rise of the Young Turks. The multiple military defeats in the First Balkan weakened the Turkish Government and gave Enver Bey the chance to lead a coup in late January 1913. Enver Pasha established a military dictatorship and unilaterally established the alliance with Germany - which set the stage for Gallipoli and the Salonkia Front in WWI. And in the inter-war years, Enver Pasha's relationship with Reichswehr Chief-of-Staff Hans von Seeckt, led to a secret mission to the Soviet Union, which led to secret training arrangements for the German military to avoid the Versailles restrictions. (Coincidentally, the subject of one of my major Masters degree research projects.) The Young Turks also were the origin of the Turkish military's long-standing image of itself as the protector of Turkey - leading to several modern coups. This has only been recently subdued as several Turkish generals have now been arrested for abuse of power. So... While the Balkan Wars may have been local quarrels, they deserve study - and I think are the real starting point for the events that lead us to August 1914.

Nicely done. A quick wiki check shows this regiment has an interesting history. This part of the world is not my interest, but I've always "liked" the regimental names of the Indian Army.

No worries! That's what we're here for....

I can't tell you anything about the badge itself (maker, quality, genuine or not); however, the PW is the symbol of the Polish Armia Krajowa (or Home Army - sort of the Underground) in German-occupied Poland during WW2. This is a good wiki explaining the meaning/background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotwica Since the P.W. is not in the Kotwica (or Anchor) configuration of the letters - perhaps this is earlier and associated with the original Battle Group Wawer. Eventually, the Kotwica became a patriotic symbol of defiance against occupiers and was painted as grafitti all over the city. This is still done in modern grafitti in Warsaw - both as rememberance and protest.

A nice trio and background. I agree - wonder if he had Port sent in his Christmas packets. Not to nit pick; however, don't these two bits quoted above seem contradictory: DOW March '18 and died Guernsey Sept 21?

Stupid question... Given the plethora of EKs... Are they always maker marked? I am not an EK "expert" - my first ones were bought in the 80's and have been in a box for years. Recently, got a bar with an EK2 and had the inclination to look for a mark and didn't see one... (Yea, I know scan a photo... )

Very plausible thought... That's where I'd place my bet.

Caliber looks to be about 37mm. Similar to photos at this link of rounds for the Austro-Hungarian 37mm Infanteriegeschütz M15. The guns are different though. http://www.landships.freeservers.com/37mm_infanteriegeschutz_m15.htm

Les, thanks for your comment. That is a great run-down of how Britain was indeed "preparing for war." As an old ground soldier, I'm certainly not a naval expert, but I've always wondered about the validity of the "naval arms race" as one of the base causes for the impending war. Germany had already decided in its War Council of Dec 1912, that it would take two more years before the German navy was ready for war; therefore - at least at this point in our history early 1913 - it was one of the reasons war did not break out over the Balkans. Certainly, the naval race caused tension between Britain and Germany, but I don't it guaranteed that war had to be inevitable. There is some evidence that as early as 1913, Germany had given up the idea that it could "compete" with Britain on the high seas and by mid-1914 Germany had shifted focus to building submarines in order to counter the effect the Royal Navy might have on Germany's ability to wage the "inevitable" land war.

The main reason that the Balkan wars did not escalate to global conflict was the fact that the Russians refused to back the Serbs carte blanche over Durazzo as a result the Serbs backed down. Ahh, excellent point, Paul. I had only read that Russia mobilized a few military districts during the First Balkan War in response to Austrian mobilization, but have not read that the Russians refused to back the Serbs over Durrës. That certainly would be sufficient to cause the Serbs to back down over that issue. No basis to push back against Great Power pressure. How was this communicated by Moscow to Belgrade in early 1913? As for Sarajevo; you are getting ahead of the game.

Despite Serbia giving up its demand for access to the Adriatic, 100 years ago today the London Peace Conference ended as the Balkan states and the Ottoman Empire were unable to reach an agreement in negotiations. Hostilities resumed. Did this failure suggest that diplomatic efforts were not sufficient to avoid further conflict?

What do the bows represent?

I understand why you say that Larry, But regards Mali, this is not a surprise at all. Well, the timing is a bit of a surprise, but not the action. Hollande declared at the beginning of the New Year, France would not allow the rebels to push any further south and would intervene in Mali to prevent any threat to the capital (contrary to what Chris posted above). It has been well known since the UN authorized intervention by ECOWAS late last year, that France was ready to be involved militarily in Mali as well.