Military History Commons^™

Legends, Lies, & Rewritten Lives: After The Little Bighorn: Forgotten Struggles Of Those Who Walked Away, Thomas B. Davidson

DU Textbooks

This Narrative is about an event that occurred on June 25, 1876, on the banks of the Little Bighorn River in what is now the state of Montana. Seen from a 21st century perch, it tells a story of a contest between the armed representatives of two different civilizations, each of which fought in the manner of its society. The narrative will attempt to balance the truth of what happened while also relating an engaging story, but without drifting into sensationalism. The narrative will go beyond a focus on the meeting of the soldiers from either group to explore the …

Parameters Autumn 2025, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

From The Editor In Chief, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Autumn 2025 issue of Parameters. We open with two In Focus commentaries. The first, “A Case for Military Proportionality: Disabling Nuclear Plants” by Henry Sokolski, offers practical ways in which military planners can disable civilian targets, such as nuclear infrastructure, without undermining operational goals, alliance cohesion, or long-term political objectives. Our second commentary, “The Consequences of Declining Patriotism in the United States” by Neil N. Snyder, presents findings from a national survey showing a decline in patriotism, especially among Generation Z nonveterans. His article highlights a growing civil-military values gap with implications for recruitment and national …

The Consequences Of Declining Patriotism In The United States, Neil N. Snyder

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Patriotism, an important determinant of American civil-military relations, is in decline among many Americans. This article analyzes the results of an extensive national survey fielded to assess Americans’ attitudes and finds that more veterans value patriotism than Generation Z nonveterans, that Americans’ trust in their military is correlated with their value for patriotism, and that members of Generation Z are more likely to consider serving in the US military if they value patriotism. Although patriotism is normally a source of national unity, it may now be a source of division between veterans, nonveterans, and Generation Z.

Russian Arctic Land Forces And Defense Trends Redefined By Nato And Ukraine, Troy J. Bouffard, Lester W. Grau, Charles K. Bartles, Mathieu Boulègue

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that Russia’s Arctic land forces have been weakened by the Russia-Ukraine War and NATO’s northern expansion, creating a strategic window for Western militaries to bolster their Arctic capabilities. Unlike existing studies that focus on maritime operations and the Northern Sea Route, it integrates technical assessments of ground-based Arctic platforms with analysis of military-district reforms. Using a mixed methodology that incorporates equipment specifications, Russian government documents, media reports, and NATO strategic-response evaluations, this article constructs a comprehensive baseline understanding of Russia’s Arctic land-force potential and readiness. Policy and military practitioners will benefit from actionable insights into Arctic force-design …

Britain And The Mediterranean: Empire And Culture In The Georgian-Victorian Era, James Brown

The Ozark Historical Review

I will examine the high age of British expansion into the Mediterranean – the mid- to late years of the Georgian- Victorian era. Since Britain’s imperialistic ventures were always intimately connected with domestic forces, I have chosen to divide my investigation into two main sections: the first analyzing the role of the Mediterranean, particularly Greece, in British culture and intellectual history prior to and during full-scale expansion, and the second presenting an account of Britain’s Mediterranean campaigns proper.

The German Press's Coverage Of The Bavarian Freikorps, Chase Kinder

Research from the Berry Summer Thesis Institute, 2025

The Freikorps (Free Corps) was a German paramilitary group that primarily consisted of former World War I soldiers who experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and continued their military combat by suppressing communist revolutions in Germany throughout the early Weimar Republic. My research investigates how the German press in Munich covered the Bavarian Freikorps’ swift removal of armed communists and their violence against German civilians during the suppression of the Bavarian Soviet Republic in May 1919. This news coverage influenced how a large portion of German civilians viewed and interacted with German veterans of World War I and the Freikorps after …

A Complex Border: Intractability And The Physical Roots Of Discursive Legitimations In Cyprus, Hilmi Ulas

Peace Studies Faculty Articles and Research

The Cypriot conflict is one of the most intractable conflicts of the modern era, and the collapse of complexity among the actors in the conflict—mainly the Republic of Cyprus, North Cyprus, and Turkey—appears to be the main cause of the continued “no war, no peace” state. Subsequent socio-psychological self-organization among these actors then produces conflict-perpetuating feedback loops and dynamics. These dynamics include identity narratives, narratives of “the other,” and narratives of the nature of the conflict, which, at the grassroots level, can legitimize ongoing engagement in the conflict, whereas peace is painted as an undesirable and undeserved/unjust compromise. Given this, …

Uncle Sam Plays Matchmaker: Intimate Encounters, War Brides, And Marital Policy In The Vietnam War Era, Daniel P. Ward

Dissertations

During the Vietnam War era, thousands of American GIs married Southeast Asian women who immigrated to the United States together. While considerable scholarly attention has focused on the political and social dimensions of the Vietnam era sex work industry, the regulation of marriage and immigration policies for Vietnamese American couples provide new perspectives to explore. Although intimate encounters with local women also pervaded other twentieth century conflicts, the Vietnam War saw the American military implement a new system to screen and regulate war bride marriages. In doing so, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) constructed the first interservice set of marriage …

From Heaven To Hell: A Reinterpretation Of Comparison Between Germany’S Airborne Fallschirmjäger Operations And The Allied Airborne Operation At Arnhem In World War Ii, Jeremy Herbert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines the legacy of the German paratrooper corps and compares them to similar Allied operations during World War II. Relying on archival documents as well as 80 years of analysis by historians, the thesis argues that the overwhelming consensus among historians of the German Fallschirmjäger as a failed experiment is undeserved, since the pitfalls experienced during their operations pale in comparison to similar British operations. The German invasion of Crete in 1941 serves as the base example for Anglophone historians who favor the idea of German failure solely based on the number of German casualties. In reality, the …

The Soldier Saint: Latter-Day Saint Veterans Of The Vietnam War, Cassie Evans

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This digital exhibit and accompanying paper explore the experiences and contributions of Latter-day Saint veterans during the Vietnam War, focusing on their role within both military and religious contexts. Despite representing only a small percentage of the American military forces in Vietnam, Latter-day Saints influenced the war's cultural and spiritual landscape. Through personal narratives, interviews, and historical analysis, the study sheds light on how these veterans navigated the complexities of their faith amidst the challenges of combat.

Additionally, it considers the relationship between military service and missionary efforts, highlighting how the presence of Latter-day Saint soldiers contributed to later religious …

A Flag Of Honor: How A Library Project United A Community Through Service And Story, Timothy Cole Hale

Georgia Library Quarterly

A community project at the Cobb County Public Library’s Georgia Room honors veterans through a large American flag made of dog tags, each representing a loved one’s military service. Created in partnership with the Fielding Lewis Chapter of the DAR, the flag became a living archive of remembrance and storytelling. Hundreds contributed, turning the display into a mosaic of memory and a testament to the role of public libraries in building community.

A Diminished Alliance: The Effects Of French American Relations On The Leadership Of Washington, Adams, And Jefferson 1789-1809, Eric Christopher Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the relationship between the United States and France during the first three presidencies and how it influenced the leadership and decision-making of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. Throughout the thesis, it is argued that the most critical developments in the United States during these presidencies were connected to diplomatic relations with the French along with each leaders own private, but often public, perceptions of the French. The two decades that these three leaders were in office witnessed significant transformation in U.S.-French relations, especially as the French Revolution spiraled into a full-scale European conflict that threatened American neutrality. In …

Arts & Literature: A Personal Reckoning: Taking Responsibility As A Perpetrator, Henry C. Theriault

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This autobiographical essay identifies three forces that shaped the author’s participation in the scholarly and political struggle against genocide and other mass violence and oppression. These include his status as the grandson of Armenian Genocide survivors, the fact that his father was killed in action in the US War of Aggression against Vietnam, and the bullying he experienced as a child and adolescent. It then pushes back against any sense of victimhood that has resulted from the combination of these forces, to recognize the author’s implication in perpetration of the US War of Aggression against Vietnam, which the author has …

A Review Of James P. Byrd's A Holy Baptism Of Fire And Blood: The Bible And The American Civil War, Michael Payne

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

There has been a surge in interest regarding Christianity's role in the American Civil War. James P. Byrd capitalizes on this interest in A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War. Unlike other historians who attempt to evaluate the morality of the war itself, Byrd delves straight into how the Bible both affected and was used by both sides. He argues that the Bible saturated the Civil War, both combatants and non-combatants alike. It was the Bible that they turned to repeatedly to justify their cause and provide comfort during hardship. Byrd’s book …

Historiography Of The Medieval Tournament: How The Study Of Jousting Reflects Medieval Studies, Maddux L. Mullinax

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the modern age, sports are more than just athletes on a field in front of screaming fans; instead, they are dynamic showcases of strategic prowess, cultural expression, and societal values. Long before stadiums and sports arenas became the centers of competition and entertainment, medieval tournaments enthralled audiences with their unique blend of martial skill and pageantry. From the electrifying clash of a joust to the elaborate courtly dances, the history of the tournament weaves a vivid tapestry of medieval life. This merging of chivalry and combat creates an enduring spectacle that has captivated historians and enthusiasts for centuries. The …

Origins Of The Great War: The European Powder Keg, I.B. Landry

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

The weakened state of Russia in the years following the Russo-Japanese War offered the best chance for the Schlieffen Plan to work, because Russia was not prepared to fight a general war during this period. Instead, what occurred was a constant rise in tension over competing powers who were not willing to concede on their intransigent foreign policies. While it is true that Germany was aggressive, powers like Britain, France, and Russia imposed limitations on German growth. The arms race and the militarism that grew in tandem did no favors for the competing interests of the European “powder keg.”

Stoners, Walnuts, Stockings, And Guns: A Material History Of Modern Firearms, Aiden Mashaal

History Summer Fellows

The study of firearms as material objects is notably rare among academic historians. It is relegated mainly to the pages of firearms magazines and carried out by journalists, gun collectors and enthusiasts, and gun manufacturers. Although they provide valuable information to readers outside of academia, it is long past due to observe the history of guns according to scholarly standards. This study provides a concise analysis of firearms history, focusing on the materials used in the manufacture of modern firearms—aluminum alloy and polymers. It explores the successes and failures of guns that used such materials in order to explain how …

Combat Motivation And Swift Trust In Canada’S Battle Of Hong Kong, 1941, Robert C. Engen, Maxwell Putnam

Canadian Military History

Abstract: In December 1941, the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong was the site of a doomed last stand, when the Imperial Japanese Army assaulted the British enclave near-simultaneously with the strike on Pearl Harbor. Among Hong Kong’s multinational defenders were two battalions of Canadian infantry, designated “C Force.” They held out for a significant period and inflicted heavy casualties upon the Japanese, despite the fact that the Canadians were under-trained, under-equipped and fighting a battle that could not be won. This article is the first major study of combat motivation in the Battle of Hong Kong, taking the Canadian …

Intelligence Reform At 20: How Joint Military Intelligence Lost Its Groove And How To Get It Back, Laura J. Coco-Hampton, Karalee G. Picard

Joint Force Quarterly

This article critically examines the 20-year evolution of joint military intelligence in the wake of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA), arguing that an overemphasis on Intelligence Community (IC) tradecraft, particularly ICD 203, has eroded support to joint warfighters. While analytic rigor and integrity have improved, training and standards have diverged from joint doctrine, especially the principles in Joint Publication (JP) 2-0 and the Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (JIPOE). The authors identify structural gaps in defense intelligence training, such as the neglect of Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIRs), enemy course of action (ECOA) development, and operational …