In World War II’s dog-eat-dog struggle for resources, a Greenland mine launched a new world order

historyanalysisThe Conversation1940–1941 · Ivittuut, Greenland

In World War II’s dog-eat-dog struggle for resources, a Greenland mine launched a new world order

the gist

In 1940, Greenland became strategically vital to the United States because its Ivittuut mine was the world's only reliable source of cryolite, a mineral needed to refine bauxite into aluminum at a manageable temperature. Refining without cryolite required heat above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while cryolite brought it down to about 900 degrees. Aluminum made up much of a heavy bomber's engines, wings and fuselage, so the mine effectively limited how many aircraft America could build. After Germany occupied Denmark in April 1940, the U.S. sent Coast Guard cutters and later volunteers to guard the mine, long before entering the war.

how it works

Aluminum is extracted from bauxite ore by electrolysis in a bath of molten cryolite. Cryolite lowers the melting temperature of the mixture, so the process runs at roughly 900 degrees Fahrenheit instead of over 2,000. Without it, producers would need far more energy and heat-resistant equipment, and the metal would be far harder to make in quantity. The Nazis had a substitute based on fluorspar, but the U.S. preferred the more efficient cryolite.

so what

Roosevelt's plan to build 50,000 aircraft a year depended on it, and the U.S. widened its claims on Greenland by calling it part of the Western Hemisphere. Historians often cite it as an early example of resource-driven security, a theme that returns whenever critical minerals become scarce.

the bigger pattern

Resource dependence has repeatedly shaped foreign policy. Rubber from the Dutch East Indies and Malaysia became scarce after Japan's advances in 1942, which pushed the U.S. to develop synthetic rubber. The same pattern of seeking secure supplies of strategic materials recurs in discussions of critical minerals today.

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗