Military History Commons^™

Heroes, Victims, And Future Citizens: Representations Of French Children During World War I, Megan R. Outtrim

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

The effects of total war society in France during WWI dramatically altered the daily lives of both adults and children, witnessing increasing levels of patriotic rhetoric, wartime propaganda, and anti-German sentiment. Children were often made the focal point of this propaganda, as they represented the future of the nation. As such, three specific representations of children emerge from WWI propaganda in France: the heroic child, the victimized child, and the malleable future citizen. Some of these representations were depicted in propaganda meant for children specifically, while others were depicted in propaganda meant to mobilize adults in the name of children. …

A Spirit Of Revolution: The Story Of Lt. Colonel John Laurens, Sophia A. Fossati

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

Though he has become a figure all but forgotten or merely glossed over, John Laurens (1754-1782) was the purest form of an early American hero, a pioneer for proto-abolitionism in the South, and a queer historical figure. His complex character and legacy is deserving of recognition and remembering. In this article, I intend to do just that by giving a brief historical summary of his life and person.

The Uss Liberty Incident: Accident Or Intentional Attack, Maximus E. Marlowe

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

When I first heard the story of the USS Liberty I became extremely interested in learning more about the events that transpired and began reading about the incident in my free time. Thus, when I registered for Modern American Military History with Dr. Snead, I was already eager to research this topic.

While my primary fields of study are engulfed in the Colonial American period, I have had a strong interest in American military history since I was a child. This would especially be the case with the U.S. Navy as my father is a retired Naval officer and I …

Ua94/5/6 Lucian Flora Student/Alumni Papers, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Scrapbook and memoirs created by alumni Lucian Flora of Smiths Grove, Kentucky of his activities as a soldier in World War II. Flora saw action through North Africa and Italy from 1941 to 1945.

Ua1c11/128 Lucian Flora Photo Collection, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Photographs and postcards removed from Lucian Flora's World War II scrapbook.

Calvin On War, David Crum

Selected Faculty Publications

Calvin’s teachings on war centred on providence, sovereignty, and judgment – doctrines that Christians have used throughout history to justify entrance into conflicts. In Calvin’s teachings, he always emphasized holiness and godly living. This led to another justification for war – protecting or defending humanity. This article examines Calvin’s instruction and views on war and determines when humanity should enter such a conflict. Further, within the Christian worldview, warfare obviously connects to judgment and sin, two issues that Calvin affirmed resulted in deadly clashes and encounters. Strongly adhering to the idea of providence, Calvin felt that no event in human …

Reformed And Presbyterian Christians In World War Ii, David Crum

Selected Faculty Publications

While World War II challenged the emotions of Americans like never before, firm adherents to Reformed theology and those walking with God knew that the Lord’s will would determine any outcome. Such questions remain essential to discover: How did the war impact Reformed Christians? What role did adherents to Reformed theology play in the war? Did the engagement serve as an evangelistic occasion? This article will present the Second Global Conflict from the lens of Reformed Christians. Some soldiers were faithful Christians; others became believers during the struggle. Similar to today, different denominations within Reformed Christianity existed; this article covers …

The Creation And Destruction Of Zulu And Comanche Power During The 19th Century, Erhard M. Van Deventer Mr.

History Dissertations - Archive

During the 19th century, the Zulu and Comanche were two of the most powerful and dynamic indigenous peoples on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Both constructed regional powers that opposed European expansion based on their imperialistic nature, not to be confused with European imperialism. Comparing the Zulu and Comanche illustrates how each constructed an imperialistic realm and how their rise to power was connected to their keen use of conquest, diplomacy, and resource management as tools of statecraft in creating their domains. Their domains were created by imperialist expansion based on conquest. However, diplomacy and monopolizing essential regional resources …

Milton Holland: An Enslaved Texan Who Earned The Nation's Highest Military Honor, Patrick C. Coan

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Texans have long contended that slavery in Texas was marginal. Early scholars depicted Texas as a western state rather than a southern state dedicated to slavery. However, slavery was central to Texas from the 1830s-1860s. The story of Milton Holland offers a window into the importance of slavery in Texas and the importance of enslaved Texans in U.S. history. Holland was the first Texan to win the Medal of Honor (not just the first black Texan to win the Medal of Honor). Despite this achievement and Texas’ affinity for military prowess, Holland remains missing in Texas history textbooks, the Bob …

Ua94/6/18 Stephen Flora Student / Alumni Papers, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Stephen Flora during his years as a student at Western Kentucky University.

Mississippians In The Philippine Civil Service, 1901-1946, Bradley Brazzeal

UL Publications

The Philippines became an American colony after the Spanish-American War of 1898, and complete independence was not granted until 1946. The Philippine Civil Service was established in 1901, and this publication examines the lives of various Mississippians who worked for the Philippine government during the American colonial period, focusing on those who either held a prominent position or spent at least five years in the Philippines.

“Blackjack” Pershing’S Punitive Expedition, Jacob Breezeel

Tenor of Our Times

In 1916, General Pershing led a force of American troops into Mexico in response to a raid on Columbus, New Mexico. While unsuccessful in achieving the primary mission, the expedition produced advancements in military transportation and aviation and provided valuable experiences to the next generation of generals which were central to America's success in World War I.

Shaping Modern Europe: Evaluating Napoleon Bonaparte's Governance And Impact On European Statecraft, William R. Thurman

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores Napoleon Bonaparte’s profound impact on Europe, examining the leadership, military strategies, and reforms that reshaped European governance and law. Retracing Napoleon’s rise to power from the chaos of the French Revolution to the height of the Empire, it highlights the political acumen and strategic genius that enabled him to seize power and dominate Europe. Napoleon's reign is illustrated both as a quest for power and as a transformative movement to modernize Europe through systematic reforms in administration, law, and education.

Central to Napoleon’s vision was the Napoleonic Code, which revolutionized legal systems around the world by emphasizing …

Architects Of War: The Economic And Industrial Strategies Of The Third Reich And United States Under Albert Speer And William Knudsen, Spencer David Taylor

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis presents a chronological narrative that delves into the economic and industrial underpinnings of the Second World War, focusing on the contrasting war machines of Germany and the United States. By examining the strategic decisions and outcomes shaped by two central figures, Albert Speer of Germany and William S. Knudsen of the United States, this study highlights how their approaches to war production profoundly influenced the overall trajectory and outcome of the war. Knudsen’s embodiment of the American industrial spirit and Speer’s manipulation of Germany's constrained resources illustrate the crucial roles that economic strategies played alongside military operations. The …

The Pressure Of The Past: Historiographical Trends In The Origins Of The Korean War, Jacob Weiss

History - Master of Arts in Teaching

Historiographic Synthesis Essay...............4

Essay Bibliography..................................27

Primary Sources......................................28

Textbook Critique.....................................42

New Textbook Entry.................................47

In A Hell Of Our Own Creation: Spatial Context And The Wehrmacht’S Genocidal War In Eastern Europe, 1941–1943, Charles Joseph Calcaterra

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A multitude of social, ideological, psychological, and environmental factors encouraged German servicemen to willingly commit atrocities in Eastern Europe during the Second World War. How should historians contextualize which factors held greater influence over servicemen deployed to different sectors of the vast Eastern Front? Charles Calcaterra highlights soldiers’ responses to their surrounding environments—the landscape of Eastern Europe—to explain why frontline divisions killed and destroyed indiscriminately in accessory to the Holocaust while rearguard personnel socially justified roundups, executions, and the horrid maltreatment of Red Army prisoners of war. Through the lens of military geography, the spatial contexts that fostered frontline units’ …

Ship Shaping: How Congress And Industry Influenced U.S. Naval Acquisitions From 1933-1938, Henry H. Carroll

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

Studying shipbuilding politics across time can yield key insights into present-day shipbuilding acquisition reform issues, such as the effects of naval industry consolidation and potential “ally-shoring” of warship production on domestic political support for future naval funding. Past studies of naval acquisitions during the late interwar period often focus on how President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the Navy Department prepared the nation for the beginning of World War II. However, Congress and the shipbuilding industry played an often-overlooked role in creating the political support needed to expand the Navy during the tumultuous late interwar period. Self-interested domestic interest groups were …

Serving With Pride: Analyzing Lgbtq+ Personnel Policy In The U.S. Military, Sonja Woolley

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines the evolution of LGBTQ+ personnel policies in the U.S. military, analyzing how these changes reflect broader social transformations and the military’s role as both a mirror and catalyst in societal shifts. It traces the historical roots of discriminatory practices against queer and transgender servicemembers, identifying key periods of reform and resistance. Using institutional theory to dissect the mechanisms of policy adaptation, this paper focuses on coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphism, which illustrate the complex interplay between external societal pressures, internal demands for legitimacy, and the professionalization of the military. Through detailed case studies, the thesis highlights how …

“A True Tower Of Babel”: Nation, Race, And Gender In The French Foreign Legion, 1831 To 1854, Nicholas Michael Charnley

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The French Foreign Legion, part of the July Monarchy’s 1831 expansion of the Army of Africa, sought to create a non-French force entirely deployable outside of the metropole. The creation of the expatriate corps intended to solve two of France’s most pressing problems at the time: an excess of foreign migrants at home, and a dearth of French soldiers abroad. The Paris government hoped to attract recruits from its considerable non-national male population, particularly political exiles and migrant workers fleeing Europe’s 1830 revolutionary wave. Initially intended as a temporary expedient for the homeland’s demographic crisis, the expatriate fighting force grew …

Historical Evolution Of The Late 20th-Century Maritime Claims, The Concept Of The Nine-Dash Line, And The Dispute In The South China Sea, Kamil Nowak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study discusses the origins and development of the South China Sea dispute. It briefly analyzes the overlapping maritime claims, their justifications and legal aspects, and key clashes between the actors across the second half of the 20th century. It uses a historical perspective to assess the present-day conflict. The study discusses the impact of international agreements, national policies, claimants' domestic factors, and external influences connected to the geopolitical situation of the period to determine how they influenced the dispute. The analysis reveals that amidst more pressing global events, the South China Sea issue was frequently overlooked by the international …