FromFeartoAnger

VivianNeal
February2,2015

FromFeartoAnger
AComparisonofMilitaryOccupation

VivianNeal
4thPeriodHistoryHonors


FromFeartoAnger
VivianNeal
February2,2015

TheMoonisDown,isabookthatdescribestheshockingandsuddenmilitary
occupationofaNorwegiantown.Thisoccupationbringsthetowntoastartling
stopintheirtimeofpeaceandforcesthecitizensintoaconfusingposition.This
paperwillbecomparingthisbooktothemilitaryoccupationofIraq.Afterthe
invasionofIraqin2003,whichoverthrewthegovernmentofSaddamHussein,a
militaryoccupationwasestablishedandrunby

theCoalitionProvisional
Authority.
Civildisobediencecanbeanunplannedproblemandcausecollateral
damageinanymilitaryoccupation.AsColonelLanserinTheMoonisDown
discovered,occupationalforcesdontknowwhatgoesthroughacitizenshead
Fearandconfusionmayrunrampantatfirst,butthencomesangermixedin.This
canalsobesaidfortheoccupationinIraq.Citizensbeingfalselyaccusedand
takenawaycausedtheconfusionofmany,butasthingssettledowntheanger
started.Thiscivildisobediencecanmanytimesalsobecalledorcomparedto
thespirittoresist.
InIraqactsofbrutalityagainstcitizensseemtohavebeenlegally
attachedtothejobofanoccupation.TheCPAcommandersestablishedan
optionalrulesofengagementtoinsureaswiftandunhesitatinguseofforce
whichhelpedtominimizetheirowncasualties.Thisincreasedtheriseof


FromFeartoAnger
VivianNeal
February2,2015

civiliancasualtiesassoldiersfiredwithlittlerestraint.TheGermanoccupationin
TheMoonisDown,alsoseemedtoestablishsucharule.Allowingforthe
soldierstoshootthosewhointerfered.Seeminglytomilitaryoccupationssuch
rulesjustprovideunavoidablecollateraldamageandaswifteroccupation.
Anothercomparisonrelatestohowcitizensseemtolosetheircultural
heritageandsenseofindividuality.TheciviliansinTheMoonisDown,
begrudginglyfallintoacoldobedience.Theyrarelyareabletoexpresstheir
culturalheritageandcurfewssetbytheconquerorscreateabarrierbetween
neighbors.Formanyinthetownitsworkinthecoalmine,getenoughfoodfor
yourfamily(whichisrationed),andthengohome.TheCPAalsofailedtoprotect
theculturalheritageandthepeoplealsoseemedtofallintoacivilobedience.
Historicalcitiesweredestroyed,archeologicalsiteswereexposedtolooters,and
encampmentswerebuiltonsensitivearcheologicalsites.Sensitivityisthelast
thingtheconqueredgetsfromtheconquerors.
Theseoccupationsseemtocauseacontinuedcycleofproblemsforboth
theconqueredandconquerors.Inanymilitaryoccupationthepeoplewhoget
burnedthemostarethecivilians.Thoughthefearfromcivilianscanalwaysturn
intoabitterangerandputtheminadangerousposition.Intheend,planschange
andcollateraldamageismade.Thatiswhatanymilitaryoccupationconsistof.


FromFeartoAnger
VivianNeal
February2,2015

Sources
"WarandOccupationinIraq."
GlobalPolicyForum
.Web.
<
https://www.globalpolicy.org/warandoccupationiniraq.html
>.
"HistoryofIraq(200311)."
Wikipedia
.Web.
<
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Iraq_%282003%E2%80%9311%29#M
ilitary_occupation
>
Steinbeck,John.
TheMoonisDown
.TheVikingPressInc,1942.Print.