Susan Siegrist Thomas
Exploring the legacy of war and the path for recovery, Brutal Catalyst examines the effects of Russia’s invasion on the key Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv, Kherson, and Mariupol. Glenn compares Ukraine’s cities to postwar Nagasaki, Tokyo, Berlin, and Manila. Drawing on historical perspectives, he investigates urban destruction, recovery strategies, and key takeaways. Brutal Catalyst is a foundation for understanding the geopolitical significance of urban warfare and its societal consequences. Targeting Ukrainian civilian-centric locations caused disproportionately high civilian casualties, referred to as Russian “urbiside” by Glenn (p.21). In occupied cities, Russia employed Influence tactics, including introducing Russian currency, promoting misinformation, implementing re-education efforts, and modifying living conditions. Glenn notes these in the context of propaganda as means of control and assimilation. These effects and the broader conflict’s impact have displaced “one-quarter of the national population” (p.22).
Lessons from Historic Postwar Recovery
Glenn turns to World War II-era case studies, Tokyo, Nagasaki, Berlin, Manila, and Sarajevo, to illustrate how large-scale devastation, ideological conflicts, and public health crises define recovery. For example, post-war Japan sought to balance urban physical reconstruction goals with investments in health infrastructure to combat malnutrition and mental illness. Without a comprehensive, long-term strategy and investment, recovery stagnated, impacting quality of life, fostering corruption, and black-market activity. Corruption, political hierarchies, and warzone conditions aggravated Berlin’s post-war recovery. The corrupt environment necessitated black markets for survivors (p. 74). Glenn also highlights the role of architecture as both a historical and political force, noting how decisions to rebuild or replace structures shaped the course of postwar recovery.
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