Sophie De Schaepdrijver (Penn State University, USA) is an award-winning historian of the social and cultural history of the First World War. Author of our new book, Gabrielle Petit: The Death and Life of a Female Spy in the First World War, Schaepdrijver readdresses the forgotten memory of one of Belgium's heroines. Gabrielle Petit was an ambitious and patriotic woman, executed by firing squad in 1916 for her role as an intelligence agent for the British Army. After the First World War she was celebrated as an example of stern endeavour, but how is she remembered today?
Behind the Western Front, most of Belgium and parts of France were in German hands all through the First World War. This was prime spying territory: Allied intelligence recruited thousands of men and women to spy on the German armies. Hundreds paid with their lives. One of them was Gabrielle Petit, a young woman from the French-Belgian border area who spied for British General Headquarters. Petit was the girl from nowhere – an orphan with no connections, a secondary-school dropout eking out a living as a service worker in belle époque Brussels. The war offered her a chance to make something of herself and she took it: "I am done being worthless," she wrote. Several times, she wove her way across military barriers to the immediate hinterland of the German Sixth Army. Yet Petit's operation, like many others, was no match for German counterintelligence, and she was arrested in early 1916. She named no names, taunted the judges at her trial and refused to request a pardon after her death sentence. She lived another month, scribbling defiant graffiti on the wall of her cell, while the Imperial Military Court in Berlin examined her case. It took so long because no-one in charge wanted a repeat of the global outcry over the execution of the English nurse Edith Cavell in October 1915. But, unlike Cavell, Petit had been condemned to death in secret, and she was an unknown who could be portrayed in louche terms as a sometime prostitute and a cocaine addict who had spied for money. She was expendable – and with an attitude, to boot. Indeed her "extreme insolence" at her trial (as an internal report called it) sealed her fate. On 27 March 1916, the Emperor endorsed Petit's death sentence. Five days later, she was executed by firing squad.
Her fate remained largely unknown; as the war ended, she lay in an unmarked grave on the outskirts of Brussels. But she was exhumed in 1919, both literally and figuratively, and became the "national heroine" of Belgium, a Joan of Arc figure for a society casting about for an emblem of civilian resistance. Myths abounded: Petit was portrayed as "a lily-white child," a hard-working and virtuous young woman untouched by the seductions of the big city, and, during the war, as the brain of a gigantic intelligence operation. She had been none of those things. She was fond of risqué music-hall songs; she lived with a married man for a year; quick to take offense, she tended to quit her lowly service jobs in a huff; and her spy network was modest. Yet on another level, Petit was no myth. It was fitting that the champions of her memory portrayed her as an emblem of striving, and that this theme resonated with audiences, for her life story really was that of a young woman - bruised, self-absorbed and fiercely ambitious - who would find, in war, the opportunity for distinction that had eluded her all her life, and whose vaulting ambition encompassed her defiant death.
Gabrielle Petit: The Death and Life of a Female Spy in the First World War, published in January 2015 in the UK and March 2015 in the US, is available to purchase via the Bloomsbury website.


Watford are still waiting for their first Premier League victory since 2007 after they were held to a goalless draw by West Brom.
The Hornets dominated the match but could not break through a well-organised West Brom defence.
Odion Ighalo had the hosts' best chance but put a diving header wide from six yards.
West Brom could have stolen the points but Saido Berahino missed a clear headed chance five minutes from time.
While Watford remain unbeaten - unlike the other two promoted clubs - they will be disappointed not to have taken three points after an enterprising display.
With Jose Manuel Jurado pulling the strings in midfield and strikers Ighalo and Troy Deeney combining well, Quique Sanchez Flores' side created a number of chances.
Jurado curled a free kick inches wide and Ighalo saw a shot tipped over by Boaz Myhill after latching on to Deeney's knock-down.
Full-backs Allan Nyom and Ikechi Anya were a constant attacking outlet and it was a typical Nyom surge that led to another good chance for Ighalo, who nodded Almen Abdi's cross wide.
The heatmap shows just how far up the pitch both Watford full-backs Nyom and Anya got but the Hornets were not able to capitalise in front of goal.
Although West Brom's point lifts them off the bottom of the table, it was another disappointing display after their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the opening match.
Tony Pulis made three changes from that game, and gave a debut off the bench to £12m record signing Salomon Rondon, but it failed to revitalise the Baggies, who did not muster a single a shot on target.
They did have an excellent late chance but Berahino could not direct his header on target after Rickie Lambert headed Chris Brunt's cross back across goal.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis: "We talked about Watford starting at a high pace and we looked like it was a surprise [to us]. But we restricted them to few chances. The changes made a bit of a difference. This is their cup final in a lot of respects. It was a wonderful atmosphere."
Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores: "I am happy with the performance of the team. We tried to find space to attack and created chances. The players feel good and are full of confidence. They are competitive in the matches.
"Most important is that the fans are happy. We are working like a club, like a family."
Match ends, Watford 0, West Bromwich Albion 0.
Second Half ends, Watford 0, West Bromwich Albion 0.
Nyom (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Callum McManaman replaces Saido Berahino.
Attempt saved. Almen Abdi (Watford) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ikechi Anya.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Nyom.
Substitution, Watford. Steven Berghuis replaces Jurado.
Attempt missed. Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion) header from very close range is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Gareth McAuley with a headed pass following a corner.
Hand ball by Odion Ighalo (Watford).
Hand ball by Valon Behrami (Watford).
Attempt missed. Odion Ighalo (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Troy Deeney.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. James McClean replaces Rickie Lambert.
Attempt missed. Odion Ighalo (Watford) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Almen Abdi with a cross.
Attempt blocked. Etienne Capoue (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jurado.
Attempt missed. Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from the right side of the box is too high. Assisted by Craig Dawson following a fast break.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Salomón Rondón replaces Craig Gardner.
Attempt blocked. Odion Ighalo (Watford) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ikechi Anya.


Through partnerships with companies such as Corradi, Renson, Fusion Tables, Tekwud Decking and Unopiu Furniture, Proshade offers bespoke luxury outdoor solutions for both residential and commercial spaces.
Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary. Proshade director Moses Mburu told Luxuria Lifestyle East Africa that they have one purpose, to transform your space and make your days magnificent. He added that the high quality of their products is not by accident. It is a result of great attention to detail, backed by unmatched craftsmanship. He added that Proshade has re-invented outdoor living into a lifestyle, offering solutions that not only add value but bring unrivaled beauty to your space.
Proshade's product offerings are versatile to any architectural style and design as we offer a wide range of products from retractable covering systems to outdoor décor furniture that are specifically customized to enhance your outdoor space.


A company with a 400-year history and hundreds of different IT systems wants to create business in completely new areas. How can Enterprise Architecture support and drive this change?
Sofigate's agile EA as a Service model engages stakeholders from separate business units in a transparent development process. The goal is a practical EA roadmap everyone can commit to.
A solidly created but flexible Enterprise Architecture model prepares the client for a major business transformation, helps critical decision-making and promotes cost-efficiency.
Sofigate understood that a successful Enterprise Architecture cannot be created in a vacuum.
Posti, the Finnish postal service, is undergoing a massive business transformation. The company is widening its scope into logistics, e-commerce and other new service areas – and digitalization is at the heart of these new ventures. An evolving business landscape needs an Enterprise Architecture that both drives and adapts to continuous change. Sofigate's Enterprise Architecture as a Service model helped Posti to find new focus and clear targets for their EA.
100S OF SYSTEMS – WHERE TO BEGIN THE CHANGE?
Posti is a state-owned company that has concentrated on delivering mail to all Finns for nearly 400 years. As the volume of traditional paper mail is decreasing, Posti is actively looking to discover new business areas.
"Everyone at Posti is serious about preparing for a future where digitalization transforms our entire business. I see our IT function as an enabler of this change. But to achieve true company-wide business transformation, we first needed to get our Enterprise Architecture fighting fit so that IT can fulfil its role and help the bigger change", says Jani Jolkkonen, Senior Vice President of ICT and Digitalization at Posti.
As a formidably sized company with a multitude of business units and departments, Posti has accumulated hundreds of different information systems through the years.
"A change cannot happen overnight. We needed to form a complete picture of our Enterprise Architecture so that we could make informed decisions about which systems to overhaul first. As there are so many different stakeholders involved, we quickly realized we wouldn't be able to form a useful overview without first making sure we're all in the same boat", says Jolkkonen.
The result of an Enterprise Architecture project should be something more than just another pile of strategy documents. To achieve an EA roadmap that is goal-oriented and practical, Posti decided to collaborate with Sofigate.
"An external consultant is able to avoid the so-called analysis paralysis that can sometimes hinder businesses from achieving the change they desire. The client provides the deep substance knowledge and we provide fresh tools and a broader market understanding. Together these help the project to concentrate on actionable goals", says Pasi Lahtonen, Senior Advisor at Sofigate.
Sofigate has created a unique Enterprise Architecture as a Service model that conducts EA development projects in an agile and social style.
"Sofigate clearly understood that a successful Enterprise Architecture cannot be created in a vacuum. They organized large workshops and reference groups that engaged people from all corners of our organization. Working in this social way was the key to achieving an Enterprise Architecture roadmap that all parties can commit to", says Jolkkonen.
Another important aspect of Sofigate's EA as a Service method is fluid resourcing.
"In this project our team consisted of a Junior Consultant and a Senior Consultant. The work was balanced between these two experts depending on the stage of the process and the tasks at hand. Not having a fixed team in an EA project is cost-efficient for the client", says Lahtonen.
An intelligently orchestrated Enterprise Architecture can help achieve valuable business benefits.
"By acknowledging the co-dependencies between particular functions and business units, IT projects can be executed more quickly, and resources allocated more efficiently. This can bring costs down and assist in creating new business and added revenue", says Lahtonen.
Enterprise Architecture at Posti gained new clarity and focus during the project. Business transformation at the company now has a practice-oriented EA roadmap to help guide it in a goal-driven way.
"The shared vision for EA at Posti is now at a healthier level than ever before. We succeeded in selecting the most relevant elements and systems to tackle first. We also achieved an understanding on what the next steps to develop them are going to be. Next, we will just have to find the right partners to work with", says Jolkkonen.
Now that a solid groundwork has been laid, further development of EA at Posti can be done in an incremental fashion.
"The traditional way of working is to renew the entire Enterprise Architecture from the ground up every few years. But with Sofigate we have now tried to find a model that is more adaptable to continuous change and can thus remain relevant for a longer time", says Jolkkonen.
Download our full story and learn how Posti used the EA as a Service model to achieve a solid base for a major business transformation.


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Blue & Green Daily: Wednesday 24 September round up
Today on Blue and Green Tomorrow, we took a look at the pledges and speeches made at the UN summit on climate change and Boris Johnson being awarded an award for reducing air quality in London.
Climate change is solvable and is 'a great opportunity'
In a video presented at the UN climate summit in New York and narrated by actor Morgan Freeman, the world's leaders have been urged to take action to solve the challenges posed by climate change and use the opportunities it offers to create a sustainable future.
UN climate summit: Cameron calls for end to fossil fuel subsidies and a strong climate deal in Paris
UK's prime minister David Cameron said in a speech at the UN's climate summit that the country is on track to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 but that businesses and the poorest countries need assistance in order to thrive in a low-carbon future.
China and US promise to lead climate change fight
China and the US have both pledged to lead action against climate change, with the former promising for the first time to set targets for greenhouse gas emission cuts.
UN climate summit: Governments and businesses pledge to halt deforestation by 2030
At the UN climate summit taking place in New York on Tuesday, governments and businesses pledged to end deforestation by 2030. Backers of the declaration claim such action could save between 4.5 billion and 8.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Boris Johnson's prize for reducing pollution criticised by campaigners
The mayor of London Boris Johnson has won a prestigious award for efforts to improve air quality in the city through low-emission taxis and a new carbon accounting standard, but the prize has been criticised by the opposition and pressure groups that noted London is still far from having clean air.
DiCaprio: 'solving climate change is not about politics, it's about survival'
Climate change is not about politics but about survival, said Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio in a speech to world and business leaders at the UN climate summit in New York on Tuesday.
France pledges $1bn to Green Climate Fund
The French government has pledged to give $1 billion (£610m) to help developing nations in their efforts to adapt to and prevent climate change.
Role of agriculture in sustainable development to be debated
A conference set to take place on Thursday in New York will debate the role of agriculture and food systems in sustainable development and aims to draw attention to the issues.
Ed Miliband: there is 'no more important issue' than climate change
Labour leader Ed Miliband has pledged to develop a world leading green economy if his party wins the next general election.
Ethical retailer of the week: Nkuku
Nkuku is a fairtrade and ethical company producing stylish and original gifts, accessorises, home and kitchen wares, following socially responsible principles.
Family farming to be central theme at 2014 edition of Slow Food's Salone del Gusto
Family farming in developing and developed countries and the role it plays for food security will be the central topic of Slow Food's Salone del Gusto, which focuses on sustainable agriculture and food biodiversity and will take place in Italy in October.
Photo: Sanja Gjenero via Free Images
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Everyone today will use the web. At least once a week will everyone across the world or at least a good portion will go ahead and use the web to do the simplest of tasks. However, is anyone actually safe when they use the web? Not if they don�t have a secured network and nine times out of ten you won�t have that. There is a way however to get a secured network and that is through a virtual private network. VPN is what you need to help protect you while you are surfing the web.
It does seem that VPNHQ does offer all that and more. It starts off with a nice seven dollars for the month by month plan which is pretty good and it will cover three different VPN options. Those are American, Japanese and British � all three are very popular today also for VPN locations. What is more, it does seem that VPNHQ will offer a few nice choices over their protocols specifications. They offer Open VPN, PPTP and L2PT; as well as a Shared Static IP option also. However, they might offer those option but they don�t have IPSec, SSL or SSTP for protocols; and you might be also disappointed that they do not offer anything like a Dedicated or Dynamic IP either.
VPNHQ can run with the operating systems Linux, Mac, Windows Vista and 7. Though if you don�t necessarily use your PC�s or Mac computers to access the web or even if you are just on the move a lot, you can use your VPNHQ with your iPod or iPhone. That is not all, you can even run this with your Windows Mobile, the iPhone, Android PC�s and your iPad if you are lucky enough to have one. You can use VPN anywhere.


I have extensive experience as a supervisor in the NHS and in a number of Psychotherapy and Counselling Training Institutes as well as in the Private and Public Sector.
Gestalt therapy is systematically relational in its underlying theory and methodology. A relational perspective is therefore central to my practice as a supervisor meaning that my focus is always on the relationship between supervisees and their clients as well as on the relationship between supervisees and me with understanding emerging in our joint exploration.


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Security Watch
Study: Enterprises Fail To Mitigate Risks
Alert Mr. Obvious! The Internet exposes enterprise computing to major threats. Plus: What Microsoft plans to do about server, Web threats.
By Jabulani Leffall
The Internet is increasingly the epicenter ever-growing front for defense against hackers, nasty bugs and malware.
A study released early Tuesday from security firms Qualys, TippingPoint and the Internet Storm Center at the SANS Institute points to the Web as the common denominator for two of the most pervasive risks to enterprise computing. What are the two risks? They would be client side bugs from attachments sent over e-mail and vulnerable Web Sites, that can include trusted Internet destinations with malicious code or dubious phishing and bait-and-switch Web pages that exists as literal Webs to entangle unsuspecting users.
The report got its data from the appliances, workstations and server hardware of responding businesses in the period covering March to August 2009 to provide, in the words of the three organizations, "a reliable portrait of the attacks being launched and the vulnerabilities they exploit."
Microsoft's Server, Web Component Threats
Still not convinced about the Internet security focal point? Microsoft is. Over the last two weeks the company issued two security advisories, both dealing with server tools. These off-cycle advisories come at a time when Microsoft programs are besieged by Web-component related issues.
Like all five of last Tuesday's patches, as well as other yet-to-be fixed bugs in the company's File Transfer Protocol and Server Message Block file sharing protocol, several of the most current and pressing bugs involve Web components.
Web components are a bit more complicated than application-level bugs in that they can involve everything from smash and grab firewall breaches to a random e-mail with a malicious .PDF that allows the hacker to take over a company server with remote code execution or trigger a denial of service bug in an if-I-can't-have-it-no-one-can incursion.
The FTP issue affects Microsoft's Internet Information Services. IIS is among the world's most frequently used Web server applications, second only to the Apache HTTP server. And the SMB issue deals with how Internet traffic is conducted, parsed and ultimately harnessed for transmission via Internet Explorer on workstations.
If that isn't enough critics are up in arms about an issue with Windows' implementation of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), which is the Web's default suite of connection protocols. Apparently, all three bugs are supposed to be mitigated by this patch for Vista and Windows Server 2008 systems, but not XP, an older operating system that's still more widely used than both of the newer OSes.
According to transcripts from an informational Webcast that followed the patch release, an update for Windows XP will not be made available for these bugs:
"By default, Windows XP Service doesn't have a listening service configured in the client firewall and are therefore not affected by this vulnerability," explained Microsoft moderators Adrian Stone and Jerry Bryant, who added that a strong firewall could do the trick for XP users.
Not for nothing, but it seems that if strong firewalls could do the trick, there would be no need for this blog post nor the threats detailed herein. If you're using an Internet connection in an enterprise environment -- and you are if you're reading this online -- stay tuned.
Jabulani Leffall is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Financial Times of London, Investor's Business Daily, The Economist and CFO Magazine, among others.