Andrea Siotto, PhD

Italian, Ph.D. in History. Military history, European history, digital history, and History of Technology. #twitterstorians

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@PhilWerner9 @waitmanb I have a friend that names his cats with names of politicians that he despise. There is hope. (perhaps)

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@waitmanb

[RAF BBMF @RAFBBMF]

This morning OC BBMF flew out in Spitfire AB910 to greet the @Airbus Messerschmitt Foundation Me262 replica ahead of its arrival to RIAT. The Me262 and our spitfire took part in an air to air photography shoot to mark the rare occasion of these two aircraft types flying together!

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@Cgzinsou @Bdb1981 Plausible?

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@Bdb1981 @Cgzinsou https://t.co/dUhLlZEuQo

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@Bdb1981 @Cgzinsou Pssst... Not real.

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

is a slippery slope that I am not comfortable to take. But either way I would argue that the constant search for action (it had good reviews from visitors -> it HAS to be better than normal history!!) is surely a problem and does not educate or help thinking about the past. /end

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

I am opening a can of worms here. Memorialization of war is no joke (not implying that @waitmanb does it). The morality of reproducing war has been well explored by a good number of military historian that studied war in movies, fiction, and videogames. 1/n

[ Dr. Waitman W. Beorn (waitmanwbeorn.com on 🟦) @waitmanb]

Someone on my museums thread shared this and...man, I have so many questions about the ethics of this.

Even the way the guy is describing it as wanting to recreate a nightmare experience.

If we could 100% recreate the Somme....should we?

https://t.co/kwbL7Ko3Y7

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

.. the shock and awe. Fear, PTSD, sadness, and the layers of pain and horror that soldiers suffered are probably impossible to recreate. (Although the strongest experiences I had were listening the oral interviews of veterans). In short, on the should we argument I say that /6

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

Even a comparison of real action in Ukraine with the novel, almost video-game experience of the body cameras, almost never reaches the hero-shot level of movies and videogames (and I think that this VR experience can be listed among these). This falsify everything in the name /4

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

.. almost in real time in Ukraine. The big problem, in my opinion, is about how we memorialize war and battles. More often than not, these projects (and movies..see the last Netflix All quiet on the Western Front) slide grossly in action-led and thrill experience. /3

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

I don't know if I agree with @waitmanb on should we or not show the horror of the past. He can completely school me on exhibits on the holocaust, and I am not sure that they are on the same level. However, it is almost mute in a time when we can see videos of death on twitter /2

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@GALLIFRAEAN Go full Italian style! Pasta, Second course (the tasty looking chicken)with side, cheese, fruit, gelato, espresso and/or liquor. 😎

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@GALLIFRAEAN By birthright, I have to complain about the chicken (?) on top.

[Tatiana Stanovaya @Stanovaya]

There's a lot of speculation around the situation with Prigozhin and Wagner, so let's clarify what we know so far:

1️⃣ Prigozhin has been exiled to Belarus. The specifics of his future are currently under Putin’s consideration. Lukashenko has hinted at the temporary nature of Prigozhin's stay, indicating a lack of interest to permanently host such individuals, but it’s likely that there will be no choice and he will have to. Without diving into speculation about the exact arrangements, the apparent aim is to neutralise Prigozhin, ‘lock him up’ outside of Russia, and the next steps will unfold with time.

2️⃣ Wagner is being separated from Prigozhin, signaling an end to Wagner as it was previously known. There will be a dissection of the organisation: some parts will be removed, some taken, and others dismantled. This concerns Africa and Syria too. The Foreign Ministry is already actively participating in this. Wagner's involvement varied widely, so the Kremlin (read MFA, SVR and GRU) will vet Wagner’s operatives, their resources, and audit their presence, seeking whether a presence is necessary at all. We won't see a Wagner 2.0, at least the way it was.

3️⃣ I don’t expect a purge in the style of Stalin; that's not Putin's approach. His perspective splits individuals into heroes, traitors (who face severe consequences), or lost souls who may be pardoned if they repent in time. Arrests are possible within this framework, but figures like Surovikin are less likely to be targeted. The challenge here is that Putin isn't the same as before, and there are influential figures with their own agendas, like Sergei Shoigu, who may be interested in eliminating internal opposition. So final fate of Surovikin is unclear.

4️⃣ Prigozhin’s mutiny has underscored a potentially newer quality of the regime, which is not entirely new but is now more apparent. If Putin used to control the players, the power dynamics are now shifting. Given Putin's detachment and distorted view of reality, the players are starting to manipulate Putin. While I was always very reluctant to perceive Putin as being manipulated, the effects of his 23-year reign, his ageing, and the pressures of war could be leading to this shift. Prigozhin's struggle to reach the president and Shoigu's attempt to tackle the Wagner issue are the outcomes of Putin's inaction. This mutiny was so shocking that the regime appeared to many as near to collapse, which significantly undermines Putin’s ability to secure control in the eyes of the political class.

5️⃣ Lastly, we're now witnessing the initial signs of an anti-elite trend in society. This shouldn't be confused with anti-Putin or anti-war sentiments. People are becoming increasingly frustrated with an inefficient and bloated elite, either scoffing at them or expressing silent indignation. Although this trend may not have immediate political implications, it may pose potentially a significant challenge later.

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@Twinkie_Defense Don't overlook the fried street food there! Here the frittatine https://t.co/BSO8ydiuqs
But also fried pizza dough. If you have a sweet tooth go for sfogliatelle e babà. There is a great place near the main train station, let me know if you want details.

[The Onion @TheOnion]

Critics Say Submersible Should’ve Been Tested With Poorer Passengers First https://t.co/9R0nIy0MpM

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@jchman2002 @Aviation_Intel Finally. Thanks.

[Andrea Siotto, PhD @AndreaSiotto]

@standupmaths Sounds good to me. Dodecafan.