March 17 is the Day of the Mobilization Worker in Ukraine, interesting and significant historical events also took place on this day in different years.
Day of mobilization worker in Ukraine
This professional holiday is established for specialists who are engaged in organizing and conducting mobilization events, staffing the troops, as well as planning the logistical support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The history of this holiday began on August 22, 2000, when the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kuzmuk, signed the order “On establishing the Day of the Mobilization Worker”, appointing it for September 14. This date was chosen in honor of the September 14, 1993 reformation of the Department of Mobilization and Staffing of the Main Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine into the Main Organizational and Mobilization Department (HOMU). However, in connection with the beginning of the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine and the first wave of partial mobilization on March 17, 2014, it was decided to change the date of the celebration. The order of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine dated September 26, 2016 No. 497 “On the establishment of the Day of Mobilization Worker” established a new date of celebration – March 17.
Despite the importance of the work of the employees of territorial recruitment and social support centers (TCC), recently there has been growing indignation in society due to their actions. In wartime, TCC employees perform a critically important mission – ensuring the mobilization, formation and support of the state’s defense capability. However, it is these tasks that cause the most discussions.
Public outrage is caused by the manner in which notices and summonses are served. Cases when representatives of the TCC act rudely, violating the rights of citizens, are recorded more and more often. This is the delivery of summonses on the streets, in public transport, hospitals, and shops. People are outraged when, instead of a transparent and understandable mobilization system, they see manifestations of pressure or even coercion. Often, the notification of service of subpoenas causes fear, especially for those who do not have sufficient information about their rights or the procedure itself.
In addition, cases of abuse of official position, bribery or an unfair approach to mobilization cause a wave of criticism. Indignation is also caused by insufficient awareness of citizens about mobilization procedures. Often people do not understand exactly what is happening, what documents need to be provided, or what their rights are when receiving a subpoena. The lack of open dialogue between the state and society only deepens this misunderstanding.
Historical events on this day
45 BC there are. – The battle of Munda took place, where the republican troops clashed with the army of Gaius Julius Caesar. This was Caesar’s last major battle during the civil war of the Roman Republic, ending in his victory and the final consolidation of power.
1521 year – The traveler and navigator Fernand Magellan discovered the Philippine archipelago, which became an important milestone in the great journey around the world. This discovery provided Spain with new opportunities for trade and colonization.
1674 year – Ivan Samoilovych was proclaimed hetman of Left-Bank and Right-Bank Ukraine. This union was aimed at strengthening the power of the Cossack state and establishing control over both banks of the Dnieper.
1804 year – The premiere of Friedrich Schiller’s drama “Wilhelm Tell” took place in Weimar. This work became a symbol of the struggle for freedom and national independence, entering the world literary heritage.
1830 year – The famous composer and pianist Frederic Chopin performed for the first time in Warsaw. This debut was the beginning of his great musical journey, which later brought him world recognition.
1845 year – British inventor Stephen Perry received a patent for an elastic bandage, which became a significant achievement in the development of medicine and contributed to the improvement of first aid.
1861 year – The official unification of Italy took place, which was the result of the long process of the Risorgimento. This marked the creation of a single Italian state centered in Turin.
1899 year – The world first heard the famous Neapolitan song O Sole Mio!, which quickly gained popularity and became a classic of Italian musical culture.
1917 year – The Ukrainian Central Council was created in Kyiv – the first representative body of the Ukrainian people, which became the basis for the declaration of Ukraine’s autonomy.
1930 year – American mobster Al Capone was released due to lack of sufficient evidence to prove his crimes. This case became resonant in the criminal history of the United States.
1939 year – At the Veretsky Pass in the Carpathians, the Polish military shot 500 to 600 captured Sichovites, handed over to them by Hungarian troops. This became one of the tragic pages in the history of the Ukrainian liberation movement.
1943 year – The tragedy of the village of Remel in the Rivne region took place, when the German occupiers carried out mass destruction of the inhabitants of the village, which became one of the biggest war crimes on the territory of Ukraine.
1948 year – Belgium, Great Britain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France signed the Brussels Pact, which became the basis for the creation of the Western European Union (WEU), aimed at common defense against external threats.
1950 year – In the USA, they announced the discovery of a new chemical element – californium, which became the 98th element in the periodic table. Its discovery became an important milestone in nuclear chemistry.
1951 year – The Ukrainian Insurgent Army appealed to the United States for help in the fight against the Soviet Union, hoping for support in the liberation struggle of the Ukrainian people.
1959 year – The 14th Dalai Lama (Dainzin Gyatso) fled Tibet to India after the suppression of the Tibetan uprising by Chinese troops, which marked a new stage in the Tibetan liberation movement.
1960 year – Multi-colored felt-tip pens went on sale for the first time in the world in Japan, which marked the beginning of a new era in stationery production and popularization of creativity.
1966 year – The U.S. submarine Alvin discovered a missing hydrogen bomb in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain, averting a potential disaster.
1972 year – The Institute of Books and Printing was founded in Kyiv, which became an important center for the development of Ukrainian literature, book publishing and printing.
1995 year – The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a decision to abolish the office of the president of Crimea, which was aimed at stabilizing the political situation in the region.
1995 year – For the first time, the art channel “Territory A” was broadcast on the ICTV channel, which became a platform for the popularization of Ukrainian music and culture.
1999 year – Six members of the International Olympic Committee were expelled from the organization due to accusations of bribery during the selection of venues for the Olympics.
1999 year – Serial production of the ZAZ-1103 “Slavuta” car began in Ukraine, which became popular among domestic car enthusiasts.
2000 year – In Uganda, about a thousand members of the “Commandments of God” religious sect committed mass self-immolation in their church, which became one of the biggest tragedies of this type in the world.
Amnesty for participants in the crime in Rome
On March 17, 44 BC, two days after the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Roman Senate made a fateful decision – amnesty all participants in this crime, including the direct murderers. The meeting took place in the temple of the Earth goddess, and its atmosphere was far from peaceful. The building was surrounded by legionnaire veterans and a crowd supporting the Caesarians. The conspirators did not come alone either – they were accompanied by gladiators and slaves ready for a fight.
Conflict was growing in Rome. At first, the murder of Caesar was called a victory over the tyrant, but the murderers themselves were afraid to return home and took refuge on the Capitoline Hill, which was considered sacred. The next day they appeared in the Forum, making impassioned speeches and urging the citizens to support them as republicans who had saved Rome from tyranny. But the Romans stood silently. The army, which sincerely loved Caesar, became a special problem. Rome was divided into those who supported Caesar and those who condemned him.
In this tense situation, Cicero spoke. He proposed the “zero option” – a solution that was supposed to preserve peace in the city. Cicero recalled the experience of Athens during the civil strife and proposed the Greek word amnesty, which means “forgetting”. According to him, the murder of Caesar should be left unpunished, but at the same time all his decrees should be approved, including those that he planned to implement in the future. This decision made it possible to avoid a large-scale confrontation and preserve the legitimacy of the government, which was based on Caesar’s decrees.
This compromise met with general approval, temporarily reconciling the parties. After all, many senators owed Caesar their honorary titles, positions or estates. The recognition of Caesar as a tyrant would require the annulment of his decisions, and his body would have to be thrown into the Tiber according to tradition. But the crowd that gathered to demand revenge for Caesar looked far from peaceful.
However, the reconciliation was short-lived – until the day of Caesar’s funeral. In his will, he left 300 sesterces to each Roman plebeian, and also gave his gardens to the people. This caused a wave of indignation among the population, because instead of “tyranny” they saw concern for people. After that, the murderers of Caesar no longer found a place in Rome. Caesar, although dead, was able to take revenge, and the elaborate logic of his last will defeated even death.
Mykhailo Mandelshtam’s birthday
On March 17, 1866, Mykhailo Lvovich Mandelshtam was born in the town of Krolevets, Chernihiv province, in the family of a pediatric doctor, a lawyer, writer, and participant in the revolutionary movement.
Mandelstam studied at the Faculty of Law together with Oleksandr Ulyanov. However, for his participation in the so-called “Dobrolyubov” demonstration, he was expelled from the university, and already in 1886 he was sent to Kazan. However, Mandelstam never became a real revolutionary. He chose the path of a lawyer and subsequently gained wide fame as a “political defender”. Among his clients were such well-known personalities as SR-terrorist Ivan Kalyaev, Bolshevik Mykola Bauman and many other representatives of the revolutionary movement. The famous writer and journalist Mykhailo Saltykov-Shchedrin characterized him with the words: “He is a lawyer, a famous orator in our country, giving a speech is his business.” In legal circles, Mandelstam had the reputation of a “lawyer of the oppressed.”
After the events of 1917, Mandelstam lived in Kharkiv for some time, and then emigrated to Italy, France, and Germany. There he practiced law, as well as public activities. In the end, he returned to the USSR, where he worked as a defense attorney in the courts for another ten years. However, on June 9, 1938, at the age of 73, Mandelstam was arrested and charged with conspiracy and foreign ties. Already on February 5, 1939, he died in the Butyr prison, officially from “heart failure.” The sentence was never pronounced. Only on June 18, 1990, the prosecutor’s office closed the case against Mandelshtam due to the “absence of a crime in his actions”, thus rehabilitating his name.
Iconic speech by Theodore Roosevelt
On March 17, 1906, the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, gave a landmark speech called “The Dirt Men,” in which he first used the famous term “dirt sweepers” to refer to journalists who specialize in exposés. In his speech, he noted that there are “men with pitchforks” who are constantly wallowing in the dirt, not noticing the shining sky above them, ignoring the “divine crown” offered to them, and not taking their eyes off the dirt under their feet.
Roosevelt added that “dirt rakes” are often necessary for the good of society, but only if they understand when it is time to stop digging in the dirt. And although his words were intended to somewhat disparage journalists, it was this characteristic that became their professional motto.
Journalists, having shown intelligence, softened this term, and later exposures began to be called journalistic investigations. They identified three main elements of such an investigation. First, a journalist must “dig” where no one has done it before. Secondly, the topic should be important and relevant for the reader or viewer. And, thirdly, there are always forces interested in hiding exposed facts from society.
