The environment as a battlefield: the militarization of the Eastern Front landscapes

Dr. Yaroslav Golubinov, Samara National Research University (Post-doc): The environment as a battlefield: the militarization of the Eastern Front landscapes

A new type of armed confrontation provoked accelerated industrialization of landscapes: construction of railways, water canals, drainage of swamps, development of new sources of raw materials, the search for substitutes for materials, deforestation and soil contamination. This study will consider the processes and effects of military transformation of frontline territories, for example, filling up of the environment with equipment and its waste, construction of military infrastructure, direct destruction of landscapes during military operations, adaptation of nature to strategic and tactical goals, and consequences of implementation of the scorched earth policy by the participating countries.