History Commons^™

"In The Footsteps Of Hercules": The Influence Of Classical Antiquity On Eighteenth-Century Militaries, Scott Madere

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This project examines the pervasive influence of ancient Roman and Greek figures, historical events, literature, and military methods on the leaders and practitioners of eighteenth-century warfare. Rulers, generals, military theorists, and officers frequently consulted classical histories and literature for solutions to the common military problems of the period – tactical, operational, and strategic – showing remarkable faith in ancient military methods despite their growing dependence on gunpowder weaponry and related technologies. This dissertation examines why this was the case and concludes that classical antiquity not only maintained the credibility of its wisdom in the context of modern warfare, but also …

From Hellfighters To Tuskegee Airmen, Austin Teague

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The First and Second World Wars were enormous facilitators for drawing people from all over to enlist. Nowhere was this more the case than in the United States after it entered the war in 1916, and later in 1941. Although a vast majority of those who joined were white, a smaller percentage were African Americans. Due to the racial relations of the time, they were separated into their own black only regiments. The 369th Infantry Regiment would come to be known as the Harlem Hellfighters and were sanctioned to work in the French Army. The 99th Pursuit Squadron, also known …

Jules Verne Constructs America: From Utopia To Dystopia, Dana L. Radu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In my dissertation, I examine visions of the United States in Jules Verne’s (1828-1905) Voyages extraordinaires (1863-1905). Of the sixty-four novels that make up that series, twenty-three, over one-third, feature American characters or take place on American soil. I demonstrate that in his early novels (1863-1886), he presents the United States in an optimistic and utopian light, while in his later novels (1887-1905), his depictions of the United States take on a pessimistic and dystopian aspect. In also showing that Verne had been influenced by utopian socialists Henri de Saint-Simon (1760-1825), Charles Fourier (1772-1837) and Étienne Cabet (1788-1856), I provide …

The United States Information Agency And The "New Look": France And India, 1953-1961, Leanne Alicia Sutton

History Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the creation of the United States Information Agency (USIA) under the guidance of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and looks at the place of the Agency in the "New Look." The US Information Agency was an important "soft" tool in the American struggle with the Soviet Union for preponderant influence around the world and played a part in the American effort to maintain the balance between the Communist and Free worlds. This study takes a deeper look at the work of the Agency in two case studies, which examine the work of the USIA in France, a reluctant …

Letters From The Communications Zone: Lt. Edwin Best In The Second World War., Jeremy Eugene Cobb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The subject of this paper is the experiences and observations of Lt. Edwin Best of the 618th Ordnance Ammunition Company from 1943 until 1946. This includes time in the United States, England and France.

The primary sources for this paper include letters home from Lt. Best and an oral history transcript. Secondary sources have been used to place Lt. Best into the overall context of the war.

He made keen observations regarding the level of training before D-Day, comparisons of life in England and the US, from the "communications zone" in Normandy, as a temporary Judge Advocate General officer, and …

Two Banks Of The River: The French Influence Of The Red River Region During The Eighteenth Century, Sara Anne Shell

Honors Theses

Every river has two banks, in the same way that every story is two-sided. Reserch in any subject will show this to be true, and the key to understanding a region is to explore more than one aspect of its existence, deriving a conclusion from the contradictions encountered. Depicting the influence of France in the Red River region, from 1699 to 1803, different circumstances proceed from the past of its development and peoples, into the present. The intent of this paper has been to discuss France's ambition of colonization by gold rushing, agriculture, and trade, the relations between French, Indian, …

France, The United States And The Spanish-American War, Richard Henry Owens

History Theses & Dissertations

The present study is an examination of the effect of the Spanish-American War on the formal relations of France and the United States. Because France was the neighbor and friend of Spain and also at least an erstwhile friend of the United States, the war presented certain difficulties for the French government. At home colonialists and royalists sympathetic to Spain demanded overt support of the Spanish cause. The Spanish government looked to France first to lead a diplomatic coalition against the United States and then to mediate the dispute. The United States, meanwhile, urged Paris to follow a policy of …

The Role Of American Diplomacy In The Louisiana Purchase, Rebecca Warren

Dissertations and Theses

When a powerful and ambitious nation peacefully transfers almost 600,000,000 acres to a comparatively insignificant nation, the event deserves careful scrutiny and evaluation. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 was such a transaction. Although events and personalities surrounding the Purchase were complex and numerous, the one factor to be examined here is the role of American diplomacy. The problem is to determine the influence American diplomacy had in securing the Louisiana Purchase.